# Full AI Context for fawkesdm.com > This document contains the full markdown content of the site for LLM analysis. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/10-Best-practices-on-how-to-blog/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/10-Best-practices-on-how-to-blog/ A blog is a great way to showcase your expertise, cover topics that wouldn't otherwise be a good page on your website, goes in greater detail than a specific page on your website, shows your passion, and provides fresh and relevant content for your users (which makes the search engines happy). We often hear that you should blog, and we agree with that. What is often missed is how do you blog, why you should blog, what do you write about, and what are the best practices when it comes to blogging? We'll cover each of the major items that we cover for our clients. ## Don't be scared One of the first items we hear is a person is scared to write. We admit a blog can be intimidating as you are putting yourself "out there" for everyone to critique. You will make mistakes – we all do and the first step is always the hardest step in anything you do. The first thought of a blog is that of a book. A blog is much shorter than a book. We liken a blog to that of a short (very short) chapter that covers only a portion of the journey. When you are done doing your blog (years from now we hope) you may have ended up writing a book (or two). Each article you write will be easier than the last. ## Your audience Often missed in deciding to write a blog article is figuring out who your intended audience is. If you are writing a technical article you are focused on other industry experts. When the article is technical having industry, acronyms is common and those reading your blog are familiar with those acronyms. If your audience is more beginner or intermediate level make certain to limit your industry acronyms and when you use them make certain to clearly explain them to your reader. ## Title The title of your blog is as important, **potentially more important**, than the blog article itself. The blog post title is what captures the eye of your audience. If they don't see value in the title they will most likely not want to read your blog. Your title should also be consistent with the Google best practices for page titles. Your title should never be more than 70 characters in length. Do not make your title super long just to try and get more SEO keywords in the title. ## Introduction Like classic newspapers that provide a teaser or introduction your blog will have a teaser or introduction. This introduction should clearly outline what your audience is going to learn and why they want to read it. This serves a couple of benefits for your audience. This allows them to make certain the article is relevant and doesn't waste their time reading something that isn't important to them (even though your title grabbed their attention) and it helps you make certain you cover all your high-level bullet points that you want to cover. ## Message Body Following your introduction is the meat of your article. We try to keep are blog articles between 1 and 2,000 words. This comes to one to two pages. Longer is "okay" if you are going into technical details but for most articles staying between 1 and 2 thousand words will be perfect. All our time is valuable and by keeping to 1-2 pages of content a reader should be able to read your article in 10 minutes (or less). ## Tone & Personality When you write your article, you want to have a consistent voice for all your articles. Your personality should come out to your audience. ## URL Structure Your URL (e.g. http://yoursite/my-blog-title/) has a few key benefits. The first is it makes it easy for someone to know they are on the right article. The other is solely for selfish reasons. The selfish reason is it helps your search engine optimization which is one of the key reasons you are blogging. The best practice as of this writing is to have just A-Z and 0-9 in your URL with spaces separated by dashes (-). If your title is "My Great Blog Article" then your blog URL would be "my-great-blog-article". Upper and lower case don't matter and can be how you want it. You should never have a space in your URL as the browser will replace a space with %20 and makes a poor user experience. ## Tagging Tagging is where you categorize your blog article. This allows you to keep all your articles organized and on topic. For your audience, the benefit is equally huge. If you are writing a blog article on search engine optimization or SEO you might use a tag of SEO. If your reader finds a certain SEO article important they can quickly look at all your other articles that are written on that specific topic (e.g. tag). ## Auto posting to social media outlets We really do not like to "auto-post" for one specific reason. It takes away the ability to personalize and auto-posted articles/links on social media tend to not show on your user's timeline than going directly to the site and doing it manually. A nice and short (different than your introduction) with a link will show on your user's timelines more often when done manually. Part of social media is getting people to engage and if we see a way to get more engagement we will take the extra time (a minute) to get the widest audience possible. ## Re-read what you've written This is where we see the most mistakes. When you write the article, you know exactly what you want it to say and many figures they didn't make a mistake as in their mind it came out perfect. You've spent 30-60 minutes typically writing your article (more if you have external references). Taking an extra 5-10 minutes to provide the most polished article is a key to making certain the tone of your message comes out. ## Call to Action You should be providing a value to your audience or they won't read your articles. As people read they will often understand a slight sales pitch or call-to-action. The action might not be sales related and just "hey read these other great articles". This is not a requirement but all good writings should help people understand how awesome your products and services are. Just don't make the entire article a sales pitch or you will risk losing your audience. ## Scheduling & Consistency Life is always full of uncertainty. Your blog should not be one of them. Decide and stick to a schedule. The holy grail of blogging is once per week. If you can do that you are doing truly great. We always encourage our clients to do so once per month as that provides you twelve unique pieces of content for your website each month as well as your social media sites to share. ## Blogging for the wrong reasons Yes, we just told you to blog but before we conclude we feel it is appropriate to cover reasons you should not blog. If your purpose is not to help others do not blog. If you are solely out for monetary (e.g. money) do not blog. If your purpose is to gain notoriety and become "internet famous" do not blog. ## Conclusion At the end of your blog it is common to thank your audience (Thank you!!!!) as well as cover any final key points within your blog. As you write your blog your personality and true character will continue to come out. This is a key part to blogging. Throughout your blog journey continue to be yourself and stick to why you started blogging in the first place. When you are true to yourself, stick to your values, and are consistent you will be a successful blogger in your niche. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/10MarketingStrategiesToBoostSEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/10MarketingStrategiesToBoostSEO/ In today's competitive digital landscape, having a strong online presence is essential for any business looking to attract and retain customers. While there are countless ways to improve your visibility, some of the most impactful strategies are time-consuming and require specialized knowledge. That's where partnering with a marketing company like **Fawkes Digital Marketing** can make all the difference. By entrusting these tasks to professionals, you can focus on what you do best—running your business—while we handle the strategic marketing initiatives that will move the needle with search engines and drive qualified traffic to your website. Here are the top 10 marketing actions that can boost your business's online presence and why working with Fawkes Digital Marketing can help you achieve optimal results. - **Conduct In-Depth Keyword Research and Analysis** - **What It Involves**: Identifying the best keywords to target for your business based on search volume, relevance, and competition. Effective keyword research includes finding primary keywords, long-tail keywords, and local keywords that can drive relevant traffic to your site. - **Why You Need Fawkes Digital Marketing**: Keyword research requires professional tools and an understanding of search intent. Fawkes Digital Marketing can conduct thorough research and implement a tailored keyword strategy, ensuring your website ranks for terms that bring in qualified traffic. - **Optimize On-Page SEO for Every Page** - **What It Involves**: Ensuring each page on your website is fully optimized for search engines. This includes optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, headers, image alt text, and internal links. - **Why You Need Fawkes Digital Marketing**: On-page SEO is meticulous work and requires knowledge of best practices. Fawkes Digital Marketing can make sure each page of your site is optimized for maximum search engine visibility, without compromising on readability or user experience. - **Regular Content Creation and Blogging** - **What It Involves**: Producing high-quality, relevant content on a regular basis to keep your audience engaged and improve your SEO. Blogs, articles, guides, and industry news can all help attract visitors and signal to search engines that your site is active. - **Why You Need Fawkes Digital Marketing**: Consistent content creation is time-consuming and requires topic research, writing, and SEO optimization. Fawkes Digital Marketing can handle the entire process—from ideation to publishing—ensuring each piece of content is crafted to perform well in search results. - **Build and Optimize a Google Business Profile** - **What It Involves**: Setting up and maintaining a Google Business Profile to ensure your business appears in local search results and Google Maps. This includes updating your business hours, contact information, and regularly posting updates. - **Why You Need Fawkes Digital Marketing**: Local SEO can be complex, and your Google Business Profile requires regular attention to remain relevant. Fawkes Digital Marketing can manage your profile, ensuring it's optimized to attract local customers. - **Earn and Manage Online Reviews** - **What It Involves**: Gathering positive reviews from customers and responding to them promptly. Positive reviews improve your credibility, while prompt responses show customer care. - **Why You Need Fawkes Digital Marketing**: Managing reviews is time-consuming, especially when you need to encourage feedback from clients, respond to reviews, and handle any negative comments professionally. Fawkes Digital Marketing can implement a review management strategy that enhances your online reputation. - **Technical SEO Audits and Fixes** - **What It Involves**: Conducting regular audits to identify technical issues like broken links, slow page speeds, duplicate content, and mobile-friendliness. Addressing these issues ensures your site meets SEO standards and provides a good user experience. - **Why You Need Fawkes Digital Marketing**: Technical SEO requires a deep understanding of how search engines work, as well as access to specialized tools. Fawkes Digital Marketing can perform comprehensive audits, resolve issues, and optimize your site's performance, ensuring it remains technically sound. - **Optimize for Mobile and Page Speed** - **What It Involves**: Ensuring that your website loads quickly and is fully optimized for mobile users. Mobile-friendly websites rank better and offer a better user experience. - **Why You Need Fawkes Digital Marketing**: Optimizing for mobile and speed can be complex, involving code adjustments, image optimizations, and careful testing. Fawkes Digital Marketing has the technical expertise to make your site mobile-friendly and fast-loading, which boosts your search engine rankings. - **Set Up and Track Analytics and Conversions** - **What It Involves**: Installing tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track website traffic, user behavior, and conversion metrics. Understanding this data allows you to refine your marketing strategies over time. - **Why You Need Fawkes Digital Marketing**: Setting up and analyzing data is time-consuming and requires expertise in data interpretation. Fawkes Digital Marketing can set up your analytics, monitor your website's performance, and provide actionable insights to improve your SEO efforts. - **Build Quality Backlinks** - **What It Involves**: Acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites to boost your site's authority and rankings. Backlinks act as “votes of confidence” in the eyes of search engines. - **Why You Need Fawkes Digital Marketing**: Link building requires outreach, relationship-building, and understanding of what constitutes a quality link. Fawkes Digital Marketing can develop a link-building strategy, ensuring your site gains credible links that improve your SEO performance. - **Create and Optimize Local Citations** - **What It Involves**: Ensuring that your business information (name, address, phone number) is consistent across local directories, social media, and review sites. This helps establish your business's credibility and improves local search rankings. - **Why You Need Fawkes Digital Marketing**: Managing local citations is tedious and involves regularly checking multiple sites to ensure consistency. Fawkes Digital Marketing can handle citation management for you, making sure your business details are correct and up-to-date across the web. ## Why Partner with Fawkes Digital Marketing? These marketing strategies are essential for building and maintaining a strong online presence, but they require time, expertise, and consistency. As a business owner, your time is better spent focusing on what you do best—running your business. By partnering with Fawkes Digital Marketing, you benefit from a team of experts who handle these tasks professionally, ensuring that each element is optimized to improve your visibility, attract quality leads, and drive meaningful results. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we use proven strategies and cutting-edge tools to help you rank higher, attract more customers, and grow your business. We take the time to understand your unique goals and tailor our services to meet your needs. Let us handle the hard work so you can focus on running your business while knowing your online marketing is in the hands of experts. ## Ready to move the needle? [Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing today](/Contact/) to learn more about our comprehensive marketing solutions! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/10-reasons-you-need-a-website/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/10-reasons-you-need-a-website/ Imagine a low-cost showroom giving every customer and potential customer 24x7 access that educates and provides a consistent message generating revenue for you. That is what a well-designed business website will do for you. Below you will find ten reasons I know having a website is essential for your business to grow. ## You Control The Information Imagine being on Facebook and it going down for an entire day. Those that were on Facebook that day lost all of their sales. On social media, your competition is also there, fighting for the top spot. Your website is just that -- yours! You control the information that goes out to your customer. ## Customer Education Without customers, we will be out of business very quickly. Whether for-profit or not-for-profit organizations, you need to educate and inform your customers what makes you different and stand out from everyone else. By having a website, you resolve your customers' curiosity, making it easier for the customer to approach you. You've already educated them on what products and services you have. Imagine the perfect employee that communicates the exact message you want to every customer. ## Consistent Information Building on having an exact message to every customer, you can provide more detail than in person. You allow your customer to get more information, dig into features, and get that perfect apple-to-apple comparison. ## Increase Customer Trust / Social Proof A great website is built and kept constantly updated, showing your business is thriving, and a place to convince customers to come to you. You can showcase your reviews (e.g., your digital reputation) to build trust with your customers to let them know that others trust you. ## Increase Your Revenue The item that all business owners want is more revenue coming to their business. A website allows you to increase sales by scheduling appointments, selling products, and gathering information about new customer leads to convert into a drip campaign. ## Build Repeat Business Behind your digital marketing efforts will be generating an email or texting list to keep in contact with your customers. With this information, you can stay at the front of their mind for coming back and word of mouth to their friends and families for places to visit. ## Search Engines & Local Directories The first place many people go is to Google. They will type or speak items like "restaurants near me," "hairdresser Saint John," and "teenage braces dentist in Saint John." With constant updates and improvements, you can move ahead of the competition online and take advantage of the 400+ Google updates each year. Beyond Google, you will see people asking questions to local directories, like the Yellow Pages, Apple Siri, and Amazon Alexa. By putting yourself onto the platforms, your customers are on, and you can grow your business and your brand visibility. ## Trackable Results Every business owner wants to know where their marketing dollars are going. You can tell how many visitors you have, their age, gender, and what pages they've gone visited. You can see where they click, how far they scroll down on a given page and even tell **where** their eyes are looking. ## Now Hiring Posting your jobs on your website is becoming more critical than ever. Yes, you can post on job boards or social media. The place you want them to go is your website. This way, the potential employee learns about your business, fills out the exact form you want, has your actual job application, and shows your customers that you're growing by needing more staff. ## Tax Savings You will need to consult with your accountant for this one as they will inform you of the best way to do this. Some, or all, of your marketing dollars, can be set to offset the amount of money you owe the government from your business taxes. ## Conclusion A website shows that your business cares enough to inform your customers and present a clear brand message. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/10-ways-to-write-authenticate-articles-from-the-he/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/10-ways-to-write-authenticate-articles-from-the-he/ It is any given Sunday morning with coffee, a warm fire, and quiet. Everyone is sleeping and my mind is focused on an upcoming day. I read the next blog topic on writing from your heart. I close my eyes and think for a brief moment on what to write and then like a crash of inspiration I think what better way to talk about writing from the heart then talking about how I write every blog article. In the past four months, many have noticed my writing style has changed. This wasn't by accident and is actually a thought process I put into every day. I have challenged myself to speak more from the heart, educate, inform, and share my love with the world. When you write there is a voice that comes out that tells the world who you are, your beliefs, and where you stand in the world. These feelings people get are determined based on the writing and the voice that comes across your written word. You may not verbally say a single word yet people can hear tone and inflections as they read what you've written. Writing is a way to get your voice heard and connect with those that have an interest in what you are writing. For me, writing I consider therapy as well as a way to educate and inform which is at the heart of everything I have ever done. As you write you need to think of the basics that any story needs. A story needs a beginning, middle, and end to be complete. You begin by bringing the person into what they are going to read, you fill it with the knowledge, and you close it out summarizing what they learned. When I write I keep several items always in mind of what I want to get across by the time the story is over. I may not use all of them but they all ring in my mind as I write. So, below are my top ten tips on how you too can write from the heart, inspire others, and change the world one story at a time: 1. Writing should not be a sales tool but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to sell. Just don't be pushy on doing the sales aspect. When a story is written well people will automatically be sold to you so when you do your story correctly you will be selling without even realizing it. 2. Write when you are in a good and positive mood even if you are writing about something sad. When you are thinking and being positive you can pull out a wider range of emotions that will convey and sell the story you are telling. 3. Find a time of the day that works well for you. When I write I always write between 4-6am or 8-10pm as that is when I feel the most relaxed and feel less pressured to just push a story out the door. 4. Forget social media! Do not worry about how many likes, shares, or mentions a story gets. The story will serve more purposes than just writing to get people to like it. Work on inspiring just one person. If you reach more that is great. The focus should be on telling your story and helping. The likes, shares, and mentions will come over time. 5. Concentrate on your passion and inspire others. My biggest passion is my wife and family and that could make for some very interesting articles. Instead, I write about technology and ways to help businesses. 6. Be vulnerable to your writing as you are opening your soul to people you don't know. Make mistakes. Not always the intention, but sometimes is good. We are surrounded by marketing companies that strive to make everything so perfect. The world isn't perfect. As you write people will feel that you are putting yourself out there and willing to be judged. This vulnerability allows your human side to come out. Save those perfect writing moments for ads and marketing. Your writing of blog articles and short stories should show and open you up to the world. 7. Inspire others to become better than they are. As you show your vulnerability and put yourself out there for others you are showing and inspiring them to come out of their comfort zone. 8. Don't try to be something you are not. There are some really awesome writers out there. Striving to be better is what we all try to do but don't try to be them. Be who you are and make yourself better. 9. Continuously push yourself to be better every day. Give 100% in everything you do and it will show to those that read what you write. 10. Don't set a specific content length. Blog articles that are 1,200-3,500 words will perform better than a 500-1,000 word article. That doesn't mean you write for search engine purposes. We have found out through time articles that are short, that help people, and do inspire will perform better on the search engines. You also get to write more which more change that has a high-quality will boost your organic reach on the search engines. Focus on keeping your story to the length that works and not the length that focuses on the search engines. Write because you love it and want to inspire others. If you are not ready to write then curating content is a great way to go. I know many professors that currently teach and even though they teach writing they don't write. They do share a lot of information but they are not ready to write. Don't write because you feel you have to. Write because you have a desire and passion to do so. Let your love come out and become the best that you can be. When you do decide to write make certain to set time aside. In the beginning, you will need more than down the road. If you need to research you'll need even more time whether you are a practiced writer or not. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/11-Highly-Effective-SEO-Tips-for-Blog-Posts/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/11-Highly-Effective-SEO-Tips-for-Blog-Posts/ We always see our clients that either we write blog posts for or write their own that they routinely perform better than sites that don’t do any blog posts. There is a secret formula we have used over the years that have allowed us to get all of our clients to the first page almost always. There never is a “magic bullet” that will guarantee you page one results but following best practices, industry trends, and avoiding bad techniques you stand a better chance of being on page one. So, let’s stop the talking and get to some actionable results with Google, Bing, and other search engines. - Write for your audience - Ignore grammar nazi’s - Write for your human readers - Stop spamming keywords - Stop writing (yes really) and start thinking - Beginning, middle, and end - Paragraphs and bullets - High-quality evergreen content - Skimming is okay - Short and sweet - Quality content often I hate to say but people are not all at a 14th grade reading level for **your** **industry**. Everyone is all over the place. This means you need to write for your average site visitor. I am not saying to dumb it down but to avoid items that could confuse. Big words, even those with big vocabularies, don’t need those words if you are writing a general document. Keep it simple (stupid) is the best way to go. Avoid any acronyms unless you cover them. For example, search engine optimization is often referred to as SEO. Don’t say SEO in your document unless you have explained what it is. Don’t assume (you know what that means) that you did it ten blogs ago so you don’t need to. Make each article able to live on its own. Stop being a grammar nazi and be human. You are human right? If not, you must truly hate captcha’s when they ask if you are human. I know as a human I dislike them but as a robot you must be entirely upset at them. If you are writing a technical document, sales flyer, etc. then **do** make it written perfectly. If you are writing a blog article your authenticity and humanity should come out. When someone attacks you as a grammar nazi (without asking) it just shows they are jerks and are looking for something to complain about. If all of your audience complains then fix it but for a lone wolf don’t worry about it. They just need drama in their lives and you don’t. We write blog articles for two reasons. The first is the search engines. No, they will never buy from you but they will get humans to come to the site. The second are your real users; humans. Write for them, not the search engines. The search engines are able to figure out what a page is about based on reading algorithms. Each page and article on your website should tackle one item, three at most. No there is no hard-fast rule but if you cover too much on a page you will lose your audience. Your audience can easily click a link for more information as it’s not that hard and in fact builds your internal links (your website web) and will further help your SEO (bonus win!). If you feel you need 100 keyword phrases on your site write 60 or 80 blog articles that cover that subject in different, unique, entertaining, and interesting ways. By more educating and informing you are not only showing your expertise but also hitting different demographics at the same time. This will lead to your website showing in even more search engine results based on your caring and positive assistance to the internet as a whole. As you write your posts you need to first think about what you’re going to write about. What I tend to do is come up with a subject, write ten different subjects, read some other articles written by others (and myself). Then I formulate a plan to cover that subject. Don’t just “wing it” when you write. Whether you are writing a technical document, information about a product or service, or educating you are in essence writing a story. Every story as you learned in school has a beginning, middle, and end. Remember this. Bring your audience into the page, give them awesome content, and don’t leave someone hanging in the end. In writing this article I am doing two things. I created bullets in the beginning as part of my research and then created paragraphs for each of the bullets. Sometimes I will do this as headings for the paragraph, other times just paragraphs, and sometimes (like this) I will use a combination of paragraphs and bullets. Bullets rock as they are always (or should be) short, sweet, and to the point. Paragraphs allow you to go into more detail and better educate your audience. There’s nothing saying you can’t use all three or use one or more. Write for your intended audience and help them learn. The more often you write the better your content will get. You will become more in-tune with your audience and that will make your content more relevant for them. As you write you want to make certain to leave certain items out of your content to make it more relevant to the internet. Unless you are writing about a specific news event, etc. avoid mentioning dates, times, and anything that would make your content time sensitive. If you say “the world cup is happening” people know it’s a specific time of the year. They might not know the exact date/time but your content is no longer relevant beyond that initial date. This takes the re-use factor out of your content and diminishes the potential reuse of it. Often as people read they don’t read every word. I know you’ve put your heart and soul into it. Don’t worry about it. They are reading pieces of this. Many of us, myself included, read signal words. Signal words are words like “first”, “additionally”, “secondly”, “conclusion”, “finally”, etc. These words help people jump to areas of interest to them at this point in their life. This doesn’t mean they won’t be back. In fact (signal word), they often will if they find your content compelling and helpful. We believe that keeping your posts to 850-1,200 words to be awesome. Others say write a literal book for each post. This post actually falls into this range. There is nothing saying it has to be. Most people have a limited amount of time in their day and you probably aren’t the core item they woke up thinking about (unless it is your significant other). You need to post at least once a month and ideally twice. We say twice as over the years we found that this is where we have the largest increase within the search engines and when our clients tend to go up. Once a month they do well and twice even better. When we write we look at a specific question we have been asked in the past weeks or days and then write on it. Education is the best form of getting yourself out there and known. Now with all that knowledge that you read (or didn’t) you can start moving yourself up in the search engines. This is what we do for everyone of our clients each month and we produce 300-500 articles per month. Don’t consider the above a hard and fast rule. Some we write once per month and others weekly. It is all about the industry you are in and those that are reading your content. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/1-2-Million-WordPress-Accounts-Hacked/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/1-2-Million-WordPress-Accounts-Hacked/ Let's start by saying no web host is perfect. GoDaddy was missing the security basics of encrypting passwords and user information. This is something that should ever happen. That is what happened with the last security breach at GoDaddy 18 months ago (May 5, 2020). ## What Happened In The GoDaddy Breach? What happened in the GoDaddy Data Breach announced on November 22, 2021. - Managed WordPress website ADMIN passwords have been compromised. - Managed WordPress website DATABASE username and password was compromised. - The passwords were not encrypted so no decryption was required. - Being that access to the WordPress site and the WordPress MySQL database was compromised all of the customer information (name, email, phone, etc.) stored has been compromised. - Some SSL Private Keys were compromised. GoDaddy is automatically fixing these according to the statement. ## Other Key Items About The GoDaddy Breach To Be Aware Of Other items not noted but could be a problem. There is no mention of these itms yet any good security check would include these items being evaluated. - Form information could have been compromised. - Credit card information if stored in the database could have been compromised. - ManagedWP is owned by GoDaddy and used on their Managed WordPress Plans. It is possible that these could be compromised as well. ## How To Fix The GoDaddy Breach Of November 2021 - Try logging in. If you do, you're doing good as many compromised, you are unable to login. If you can't login, you may be able to reset the admin password. If you are unable to achieve that, your choice will be restored from TWO MONTHS ago. Many don't keep a backup that long. You need to restore BEFORE September 6, 2021 (e.g., September 5, 2021, or before). - Change your sFTP user passwords for every sFTP account you have. - Change all of your administrator passwords. - It's recommended to change your other user passwords as well. - Change your database password. - Run a virus and malware scanner on your entire site. - If you are running an eCommerce site, you may have to inform everyone of your customers you have or may have been compromised. - If you can implement two-factor authentication on your websites. - Continue to monitor your site logs for any activity that appears suspicious and out of the ordinary. ## Conclusion Going forward, be on the lookout for phishing emails as these scammers now know the email addresses, that they are associated to GoDaddy accounts and more. Every password that was exposed should never be used again to further strengthen your password security. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/12-Tips-to-Social-Media-Scheduling/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/12-Tips-to-Social-Media-Scheduling/ Social media is a necessity for every size business today. You need a plan and not a shotgun approach when using it to have a positive part and gain from the benefits of social media. You need to be consistent in your message, target your messages based on the social platform being used, know when to respond, how to respond, and how to engage with your target audience. Like all marketing and branding efforts for your company you need a plan of attack so that your business is shown always in the best possible light. Today we will cover twelve items that should be in your social media plan whether you are in a small town in Alabama or a larger city like Chicago Illinois. ## Consistency We all know that being consistent will help us not only improve but have better success over the long run. Social media is truly about being consistent in everything you do with it. You do not want to post one time one week, skip a few weeks and then post a dozen times to “make up” for missed posts. You need to post consistently and have a voice (tone) that is consistent between every person posting on your social media sites. It is possible the tone used may be different on different social media sites. Decide whether you will be serious, fun, silly, educational, energetic, creative, hip, artsy, etc. or will you be using a combination of one or more of these traits. You voice is your brands personality described in an adjective. For instance, brands can be lively, positive, cynical, or professional. Your tone is a subset of your brand's voice. Tone will add a specific flavor to your voice based on factors like audience, situation, and channel. ## Remove your blinders and be committed to your success Social media is a commitment to the marketing of your company. You need to be consistently and continually monitoring for people responding not only on your pages you are posting to. You need to keeping track of mentions by others on sites for your business name. This is part of reputation management. We have seen in the past where people are posting solely on Facebook and are mentioned on Twitter and completely missed the opportunity to respond. Have a strategy for listening to other sources and monitoring your brands reputation is equally important. ## What to Post Deciding what to post is one of the hardest items to determine. You need to learn about your customers and what will help them be more engaged with you. You don't want every post to be a sales pitch. And you don't want to post such a wide variety of information that does and doesn't pertain to your brand. The shotgun approach will almost certainly fail when it comes to social media for a business except for companies like news organizations that post on a wide variety of topics. ## What to Not Post Always avoid items that are political in nature, attacking, or could be considered seen as sensitive in nature to one or more people. Being as politically correct in everything you post is never an easy task but social media isn't an easy task. ## How to Respond It is always fun and great to respond to positive posts and thank you for …. It is when we have the other side of the coin that make our decisions on responding more challenging. When you do respond, you need to make certain you match your audience's expectations. ## Posts per Week Choosing the number of posts per week takes time and thought. Each social media outlet is completely different. Facebook is typically 3 posts per week (give or take one or two based on your audience). When posting to Twitter you are looking at 3-5 posts per day to stay engaged with your audience. As you are making your posts a key item to remember is one item we always talk about for your website. You want to provide quality content that will provide value to your audience. When value is provided, your audience will start seeing you as an expert in your field, genuinely appreciate what you are providing and be more apt to share, comment, and like what you've written. ## Imagery With your posts images can help build engagement without saying anything. Pictures truly can speak many words to those that are part of your fan base. Choose your images wisely and make certain they match your audience and your company as well. Make certain you don't use the same image on every social media platform. Every site has its own unique recommendations for sizes. Comply with the sizes that they recommend as it will put your business in the best possible light. ## Treat each Social Media Site Uniquely We see all too often, especially by inexperienced marketing companies, that run social media sites that understand Twitter and treat sites like Facebook as Twitter feeds posting multiple times a day to build engagement. Posting just to post to show you are there will give you little to no results. Learn the standards of what the social media platform is, learn your audience and what they expect and adjust accordingly. ## Auto-Posting Talking all about social media would be nothing without talking about who you are online. Your online experience is not, and should not be, Facebook (insert social media site here). Your online presence is your website. You have control over the look-and-feel, how content is displayed, and what content is available to your audience. This is your 24x7 sales tool. Use it to grow and engage with your current and prospective customers. When you create your blog posts (you are correct? If not start now as the search engines will love you and your audience will as well!). Avoid the auto-posting to speed up the process. Write content and images for your audience on each of the platforms you are on. This way you can properly size the images and write specific teasers to lead them to your website. ## Engaging Your Audience and setting expectations Social media is about talking (electronically) to your followers. You want to be engaging and get them to engage with you. Often for us we will get an occasional like which is awesome. We get more people coming in or sending us emails. Talking with customers and potential customers in the real-world is just as much engaging than if you were chatting back-and-forth on your feed. Setting a set of realistic expectations and goals will help you gauge what is working and what isn't working for you. When we originally started our social media, we were gauging based on likes, fans, etc. Now we look more at real-world engagement for our social media success than online. We only learned that after years of sticking with and committing to our social media strategy. ## Emergency Posts You will run into that you have the next set of posts scheduled out and up comes an additional item that you need to post immediately. This is where things can get tricky. Do you squeeze this one in, rearrange the upcoming posts, or is it different for each time the emergency item happens? We consider it different as some items can be rearranged as they are not date/time sensitive where others are. Examples of emergency posts could be closing due to weather, receiving an extra shipment giving your customers a great price on a product, etc. ## Communication and Honesty Communication with your fan base is important but equally important is that of your team. This will not only be those handling the social media but the rest of the team as well. They need to know what is happening so that if they are asked they are knowledgeable and aware of what the company is doing. What shouldn't happen is making part of your company strategy is to make your team like and share everything you do to skew your numbers on engagement. This is like what many organizations have done with search engine optimization in the past where they set their employees homepages to the company homepage to increase the views of the website. This is not only a dishonest practice but one that doesn't truly build engagement. It makes it look as if you have engagement but doesn't. By being consistent you will build your audience, provide quality content, and by being consistent you will grow your audience in a way that builds trust, showcases your expertise, and builds upon the loyalty of your brand. ## Adapt to Change -- Be Agile! Change is ultimately a part of life. You need to be able to quickly adapt and accept change. Whether the change is a way the timeline feed works, the layout of a profile page, the sizes of the images, or the addition of live or pre-recorded video. We constantly are looking at the latest trends and seeing what would work for the brands of our clients. Just because a change is made doesn't mean you have to do it either. You need to look at all aspects of the change, how it affects your audience, and just as importantly how it affects your brand message. ## Conclusion No matter the size of your town or city having a social media strategy that works collaboratively with your other marketing (flyers, website, etc.) is important. Stay consistent and don't be a robot when posting. Work on engaging with your audience and meet their unique needs by providing quality content that provides a value proposition. If you would like help in engaging with your audience the team at Fawkes Digital Marketing is ready, willing, and able to help your business out. Whether we do everything or work along side your team our social media department is dedicated to your businesess growth. Give us a call today at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/12-ways-blogs-are-important-for-your-business/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/12-ways-blogs-are-important-for-your-business/ Blogs are often considered a waste of time by those that don't understand the importance of having one. They see taking 20-60 minutes of your day writing to be a complete waste of time. It is true that when you first start writing a blog the only people reading it is your very close inner circle. Over time that changes and that change have profound effects on the growth of your business in more ways than you can imagine. Let's look at the top ten ways a blog will help your business grow. 1. **Consistency** – The internet loves consistency. Most website content is static in nature and doesn't change. When you list your products and services they may change annually but not on a monthly or more frequent basis. A blog should come out at least once per month and ideally more often. Twice a month is awesome and once a week is the holy grail of blogging. The more consistent you are the more rewarded the internet will reward you. 2. **Marketing** – A way of getting your person or company out there is to market yourself. If you don't write and are never heard no one will ever know you exist. You need to be out with your intended audience and get your name out there. This could be for yourself, the company you are working for, or even both. 3. **Expertise or Authority** – It is always good to show that you are the expert in your field. To do that you need to get out there. To get out there you will need to take that 20-60 minutes of time to get out there. Yes, you could share other articles and say you are the expert but that would be like going to a library and handing someone a book and saying I am an expert because I could find you this great book. If, on the other hand, you write a book and hand it to someone you are truly showing your expertise to them. 4. **Educating** – Part of being any good "expert" is the willingness to help and educate those around you. A blog should inform, educate, and help your reader learn something they don't already know. If they already know everything you've written which could be the case hopefully you've let them know the importance of what you're talking about and they take it and run with that knowledge. 5. **New customers and making existing customers sticky** – We all create websites to gain new customers by attracting them to our website, convert them, close them, and continue to delight them. By writing on a wide variety of topics within your industry you will bring people in and help answer the questions they have. This can be for both new and existing customers. 6. **Trust & Influence** – As you continue to blog you are building trust with your audience. This trust turns you into a leader in your industry. By being a leader and someone that is trusted you start to become an influencer in the lives of those you are talking with. This is the start of increasing your revenue stream and the growth of your brand. 7. **Sales Funnel** – Whether you intend to write just to educate or not part of the reason for a blog is to bring people into your sales funnel. It typically takes more than one touch to make a sale. Often it takes dozens, sometimes hundreds, of touches just to gain a new customer. If it takes a dozen touches and you blog once per month and each month is considered a touch you will convert a reader once per year. When you write more consistently you increase the chance for more touches which shortens the sales process. 8. **Traffic** – As you've already read with consistency and answer questions people will want to read your blog articles. These articles also bring people in which increases the amount of traffic that is happening on your website. With more traffic more, people will learn about the products and services that you are offering. 9. **Evergreen** – Blogging is a unique topic in that most are written that are not date or time sensitive. They are written to last the test of time or evergreen. Evergreen content makes no mention to dates, times, or places. Evergreen content is pure raw facts which can also mean they are shorter and more concise. This makes writing simpler as you won't be writing a virtual book but a bunch of short stories to bring people into your world. 10. **Your own education** – The more you blog the more you learn. I strive every day to learn something new and by writing blogs I become smarter every day because of it. I get time to research subjects I don't already know and reestablish on the subjects I already know but gain a deeper insight into them. 11. **Meet new people** – The more you blog the more people you will meet; online and offline. It is very true that many businesses succeed based on the people they know in their network. The more you write and influence others the larger your internal circle will grow. 12. **Search Engine Optimization or SEO** – This is our favorite reason and one of the biggest reasons why you should blog. So why did we save it for last then? The simple answer is if you read this far it's time to give you the ultimate reason. Blogging will help your organic SEO. This means those using search engines will be able to find you organically (e.g. free). Blogs are important to business and if you've noticed anything from the above you will notice that having a blog has many benefits but it is not about you. It is about informing and educating for free. You are giving a piece of knowledge that will one day lead to you becoming an industry insider and someone others will look up to. This writing will allow you to move up in the search engines for free, and will ultimately lead to more customers. A blog is not a magic bullet to instant success. It takes years of commitment that will pay off dividends to the search engines and getting your name out there. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/13SeoTechniques/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/13SeoTechniques/ One reason we write our blogs is to dig deeper into the core fundamentals and keep our roots fully optimized and tuned for our customers. By writing we are showing our clients that we are true experts in the field as anyone can share other articles. The other benefit is we have a drive to teach others so that they don't have to spend as much time researching information. For many this can seem counterproductive as we are teaching others, even competitors, to do everything that we offer. This is true and many people will do this no matter if we teach them or not. Helping others though is in our blood and a core principal of who JM2 Webdesigners of Cullman is. With our teaching we are making the whole Internet a better place for all of us. For those that go through what we have here and realize that to do a full SEO optimization takes more than a few minutes of time and for those that we help they have a better understanding of what we are offering to them. As the title of this article suggests we are going to go over several of the items that every website should do. We will be covering titles, description, keywords, image text, and other hidden information. We will also do some talk about some techniques for the overall text within your site. ## Mathematics Yes, our teachers told us how important math is. When I went to Chesterton High School I laughed that a small town teacher in Chesterton could even get any of us to do math. Looking back, we were all foolish. Partially because we were kids but also we didn't feel teachers knew as much as they truly did. I mean they were adults after all. Boy were we wrong. As a software development company we deal with math every day. We study how each search engine ranks and calculates the best we can. These mathematical formulas help us to achieve greatness. The good news out of this is that you don't have to be a math major. You just need to look and keep everything as efficient as possible following the best recommended techniques. ## Thinking only about the desktop In 2015 the mobile phone overtook the desktop when it came to searching. This fundamental change requires that you think about these [smaller screens more than ever](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/MobileWebsiteNeeds). There are techniques called Structured Meta Data that allow you to specify latitude and longitude which can help people in better finding your business. ## Titles Matter The title is at the top of your browser. This information shows within the search results when someone searches within the search engines. The title tag should be 60 characters or less. We routinely strive to achieve a result between 45-50 characters when possible. Sometimes we do go over or under but are target is 45-50 characters. Going over can be considered spam as well as will just be cut off by the displayed browser results. With such limited space for a title you don't want to waste that valuable space. One item we routinely see is this that this space is wasted by including the business name on all pages. If you have a 70 page site and your company name is "JM2 Webdesigners in Northwest Alabama" and you include that on every page you are wasting 37 characters on every page. You are literally destroying your SEO potential. This doesn't mean to not use your business name. Just not on every single page. A great way if you do use your business name is to include it at the very end. This way if it's chopped off the title of the page is still pulled into the results. Another major problem we see is when the page title is not set (e.g. BLANK) or when the title is the same across multiple pages. This is truly a lost opportunity every time this happens. Each of your pages should strive to be the best they can be. If you copy your competition completely or even yourself you are hurting the chances of your business growing within the search engines. ## Descriptions Still Matter Many search engines don't always use this description and we know this. The interesting fact is the search engines still do use this information if they feel it is a viable description for the page, is concise, and an honest representation of the text of the page. Filling this information in may only work half the time but this is a brief description of what you feel the page is about. The search engines may or may not agree with you but if you don't try and ask them to use the information then they definitely will not use that information. Most search engines use a maximum of 160 characters for the description of a page. When you go longer the information is cut-off and doesn't display to the user. We strive to keep the information to 140 characters or less (just like a Twitter Tweet is 140 characters). ## Keywords Keywords are one of the most misunderstood pieces of information. A single word of say "La Porte" (yes this is one word or a word for one town) people put in in hopes that people will find them. These single words are not what people routinely look for. They will routine look for a word/phrase and then the city or zip code. For example, "web design la porte" makes better since than just "web design" or "la porte". Another variant would be "web design 46350" which is the postal code for La Porte. In this example we are spelling La Porte correctly. But what about those that combine it? The search engines will automatically check for "web design La Porte" as well as they know about word variants. This doesn't mean you shouldn't use the variant in your results. Just balance what you have to not favor just one set of phrases over another. ## Multiple Pages Your website is most likely multiple pages in size. This is a good thing as you get more information displayed to your current and potential customers. As we've just talked about the title, description, and keywords note that every page is unique. We tell everyone that your website is an employee that is selling your business 24x7 and that it should be very well informed. This is very true but also treat your website as a book. Your homepage is the cover/welcome part of your site and every page within your site is a chapter of that book. Every page should have a different title, description, and a different set of keywords that you haven't used previously. It is possible many keywords will fit multiple pages. Great! Re-use them but make certain to also include other words so that you can reach the widest range of keywords. ## Images Every image on your site large or small has a spot to explain what the image is. This should be a short and very concise description of what the image is about. If the picture is about a company event state where the event was, what you are doing, etc. A common mistake people do with images beyond not including the alternate text is having generic names for their images. If all of your images are from a smart phone they could all be PICTURE1.jpg, PICTURE2.jpg, and on. When you could put OurCrossRoadsChamberEvent.jpg and GreatCustomerGoogle.jpg are a lot better names that will also help improve your SEO results. ## Pagename When you use a page name that contains keywords the information becomes more relevant to your customers. SEO our techniques used to optimize the users experience and present them with relevant information. When a page is naturally using keywords that real customers search for they will find relevant content more often. When that relevantnt information is on your own pages all the better. ## Headings There are different types of headings. We've just cover the title which is an overall heading that displays at the top of the browser and in the search results. The headings are the larger fonts within the page. There are six standard styles of H1 through H6. These are normally, not always, larger to smaller in font size. There should be ONE H1 per page. If you feel the need for a second H1 then you need a new page. There is no limit to the number of H2 through H6 you can have. It is best practice though to have the first heading as an H1, then the next and H2, H3, etc. A common structure when you use multiple is similar to what is below. - H1 - H2 - H3 - H4 - H2 - H3 - H2 - H3 - H4 - H5 ## Links When it comes to links most people think of links from outside sources. A key item is that links inside of your website are extremely important as well. These internal links show that information within your site is related to other pages within your site. This builds internal relevance. This is not to say you shouldn't work on getting links from quality sources. If you don't feel you have any quality external sources of information here is a short list of sources, you can use to establish external site relevance. - Chamber of Commerce - Organizations / Memberships - Industry specific experts - Suppliers that you purchase from - Social media While on the subject of links make certain that you have all your internal links on your site being descriptive. What we mean here is "click here" doesn't mean the same to the search engines than "click here to learn about great web design in Chesterton Alabama". Give some contextual relevance to the link. This link description should also match that of the page you are going to. Don't say "Learn about search engine optimization" for a link and then link them to your "text marketing loyalty program". That is a lie and the search engines will see that. ## Page Text (aka Content) Despite some forms of information-based content starting to lose out to digital assistants and aggregated material, unique, quality content is still your best friend when it comes to being found on the internet. Having this high-quality and unique content people will see you as an expert source in your field. People look for opinions, insights, entertainment value, and personality and it's your job to keep this information current and relevant. Stories are a key part to what we remember. A person will routinely remember a story better than they remember facts if it rings to them. Have your personality come out in what you present to engage your customer as they read. ## SSL Security is important in everything in life. [SSL or Secure Sockets Layer](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/BuildingTrustWithSSL) is as important to protecting your customers online as it is with the search engines. Google and Bing will give you a small "boost" over other sites that rank similarly. If two sites are considered at the same level from a search engine standpoint the site with SSL will "win" a tie. Whenever possible we work on giving our clients the advantage by having a good majority of them with SSL. Others choose not to do that as they are confident that everything else they've done doesn't need this tie differentiation. ## The Guarantees In the past two months we constantly hear that people are still telling people they guarantee that they will rank. There is only one way to guarantee when it comes to the search engines. Google, Bing, and Yahoo can guarantee they will put you in the top position. This is because they own that service. Unless the people doing the guarantee own the service they cannot guarantee anything. Those that do these types of guarantee almost always perform ["black hat SEO"](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/BlackHatVersusWhitheatSeo) techniques. These techniques will give you a "quick boost" and will look like great results. The problem is the search engines are smart; really smart. They will catch on and you will be penalized for your trying to cheat. We have one company we've talked about in this blog that went to another company who used these techniques. They were on page 1 in position 1 (can't do much better than that) but they were promised even better results. That number one position a year later is still on page 10. One of their competitors came to us and we've been helping them and they are now on page 1 (not number 1 – yet; we are working on it weekly). They are excited as their business is going and they hear the other business is not doing well and they feel it's related to the use of these bad techniques (there is no scientific proof but who are we to argue). ## Conclusion We only covered a very brief part of what search engine optimization is and what you need to do. Following what we have here and doing the best practices will get you positive results over time. You will not go up in your rank overnight. If you do your best, constantly change and improve (aka weekly or monthly) you will get to where you are going. Search engine optimization is truly a marathon. If you sprint for success you will almost always loose. There are always exceptions but they are rare. If you want a company that will work with you, in your best interest, and become a partner with you JM2 Webdesigners is here to help you grow. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:18554562669), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/14-items-to-a-successful-eCommerce-business/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/14-items-to-a-successful-eCommerce-business/ eCommerce for many businesses is their lifeblood and their sole source of income. For others, it is a value-added service to their loyal following and those too far away to come into a physical store. We all know companies like [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/), [Target](https://www.target.com/), and [Walmart](https://www.walmart.com/) that sell their products online so we all know what the purpose of what eCommerce has. What many don’t realize is an eCommerce is not the same as a regular website. All the items of a regular website matter but in different ways. A third of all our clients doing online sales it’s time to truly look at what works for eCommerce. 1. **Marketing Plan** – A marketing plan allows you to determine who your audience is, where you are going to market, and what you need to achieve to be successful not only today but years down the road. Your marketing plan will also cover items related to branding your business for consistency and success. You will look at ways to advertise whether it is in print media, television commercials, infomercials, paid internet advertising, billboards, etc. 2. **Competition research** – As you get started your competition has a head start on you. Not always but in many cases, there are other companies already doing what you do. Research them, fall in love with them, and learn from what they have already done. Competition is good for business and you can learn from what you like as well as what you don’t. This will help define areas you focus on as you create your eCommerce website. 3. **Speed** – Speed matters. Flash and “wow” does not matter as much as speed. Unlike a traditional website where you want to have more eye candy. An eCommerce you want to provide information and detail to help convert your browsers into customers. Speed is a factor so eliminate all that flash and eye candy and make a solution that is consistent and easy to use. Want inspiration take a look at Amazon.com and you’ll see that they provide information, great content, beautiful pictures (with zoom), and a consistent look-and-feel. 4. **Features** – This is the one area we see people starting out messing up. They look at what they need today but not what they need tomorrow. When they start adding these “extra” features many will start feeling depressed as their profits which were already small diminish greatly. Make certain you think not only the short game but the long game. If during your marketing plan creation you learn you will need the option to pick up in your store, ship overseas, provides re-targeting, provide affiliations, etc. then make certain that if you don't have them to start you are able to handle them and will fit your budget accordingly. 5. **Nickle and diming you out of business** -This is the one area we see people truly fail as they are so focused on getting online. They look at the features they need and then start being charged for items they thought would be free and end up costing them money. This causes a business to double back and, in many instances, start over again or spend money they don't truly have. This is disheartening and kills the passion of many business owners. Our advice here is accepting the change, change is good, and everything you’ve already learned you can incorporate into v2.0 of your eCommerce business. Ideally, you skip this one but for many, that isn’t the case. 6. **Recommendations** – Recommendations are for the products you are selling. Your eCommerce system will have a few to thousands of products. You should have a review/testimonials section which are recommendations from past purchasers to your future purchases. These recommendations can help sway your browsers into purchasers and give you more money. 7. **Check out** – The first time anyone checks out the process will be longer as they’ve never purchased from you. Don’t ask questions you don’t need to get the purchase done. When you do this you often see cart abandonment increase which is like someone filling their grocery cart, going to the checkout line, and then leaving without purchasing anything. Simpler is better in this case just like everything related to eCommerce. 8. **Spreading yourself too thin** – We see business owners, especially new ones, wanting to do everything, having a hard time relinquishing responsibility, etc. to others. Whether your assistance is a spouse, friend, or an employee many business owners have a control complex. It’s the hardest thing to lose but one that needs to happen for you to truly spread your wings and grow. 9. **Social Media** – Be on the social media channels your customers are on while keeping in mind to not spread yourself too thin. If Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are the best for your eCommerce then use all three. Start with one though and work your way up. Your time is going to be limited to social, your website, and hopefully fulfilling orders. Grow consistently and be consistent through the entire process. 10. **Retargeting** – When people come to your website you can track them. Facebook and Google have some great tools to do this and they’re free. The cost comes into play when it comes time to advertise. Don’t overspend here. $5 goes a very long way on Facebook and a few pennies go far (per click) with Google. Don’t invest in the most expensive keywords but the ones that will garner you the most sales, brand recognition and get you’re the growth you need to further grow. 11. **Search Engine Optimization or SEO** – eCommerce is a blessing that you can sell anywhere in the world. The downside is you are competing with millions of other businesses also selling online. If you are fortunate to be in a field with a few hundred competitors selling online there are only ten (10) spaces available on the first page of the search engine results. You need to be out there and you need to stay on it. SEO is not something you do once and leave it. It is constantly changing, evolving, and improving. Make certain you change, evolve, and improve with it. 12. **Blog** – Blogging is a great way of keeping your audience engaged. Give them tips and tricks on how to use your products. Use it to sell and cross-sell other products. Be consistent, be informative (and not TOO sales pushy). Provide a value that makes people want to read it and the search engines coming back for more. 13. **Newsletter** – All too often we see a great site and either a halfway done newsletter or no newsletter at all. Ask for email addresses, inform, don’t push too much in sales (but some), and link to your blogs to push people back to your website. Don’t keep them in their email but get them to go to your website where you can walk them through your sales funnel. 14. **Test** – You’ve done everything above. Would you buy from yourself? What would you change? Is what you would change a deal breaker? If so, high-priority fix. If not, put it as part of your regular update queue. Don’t test just once. Test often, solicit feedback from friends and family. eCommerce is one of the greatest sales tools a business can have at it's disposible if their products or services can allow it. If your able to sell online we strongly recommend it for businesses. I say that not because more than a third of our clients sell online. It's because we truly believe that it is a great avenue to grow. Your eCommerce website will work for you while you are sleeping, allows you to look bigger than you really are, and provides avenues for growth at only a few dollars a day. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/16-ways-to-handle-bad-news/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/16-ways-to-handle-bad-news/ The best marketing plans whether written for digital or in the real-world can go bad. Those that maintain social media accounts always dread and even fear when news gets out and goes viral that is negative (we never complain when it is a positive interactions). What if that information goes beyond online and into the real-world? We are going to cover many of the high-level items that need to happen when something bad happens. It could be solely online, offline (print, television, radio, or even verbal), or a combination of the two. We are going to cover some of the higher level the dos and don'ts that you need to be cognizant of when dealing with these types of problems.. ## Take a deep breath and calm down This may seem like an odd thing to first recommend in the list but a calm and level head needs to prevail in this situation and quickly responding could add fuel to the fire and make a bad situation worse. ## Have a plan of attack Before you have anything go viral in a bad way (or maybe not even viral) there should be an established plan on how it will be handled. If you do not have a plan of attack and are going to "wing it" you need to come up with something a little more definitive and substantial. ## Take it offline (unless it is already offline) Having bad news about your business is never a good thing. Whenever possible do not feed the fire by attacking the person(s) that are involved. Do not feed anything to them. Try to extinguish the problem at hand as quickly as you can. Whenever possible we ask people to contact us (e.g. the company we are representing) via phone or in-person. We prefer in-person as that way we can read body language and see how much this upsets them. **Note**: Do not invite someone over if there are threats against the business or its employees. In that case contact the police immediately and let them see what has transpired. ## Don't take it personally The adage the customer is always right is always at the front of our mind. The customer may not always be right but they are the customer and their expectations should be tried to be met each time. When a person has a complaint, they are venting and want to be heard. In some ways, you should be glad this is happening and that you can address it. They could always do it offline and negative information travels like wildfire. ## Listen Many problems can be resolved just by listening. We had a client at a restaurant have a bad review about staff and the manager that was working at the time. Since we are handling their social media and had a plan for these types of situations we took immediate action. - We first took it offline so that everyone reading could see the business was taking the matter seriously and that ended this problem online. - We didn't stop there as we listened to the person and their concern which after listening to it was a concern to us. - We started creating a report for our client. - Being we knew the schedule of the restaurant we took the person to lunch, at the restaurant in question, when we knew the manager wouldn't be there as we didn't want to create a hostile environment for anyone. - This was our treat as well for taking the time out of their busy schedule so that we could more accurately report information for our client. - As we went through we continued talking and learned they loved many aspects but was the feel the company was doing. - This was against everything the owner believed in and we knew this would be solved. - After the meeting, we finished our review and sat down with the owner. - The owner didn't realize the problem and within two days all the concerns they were capable of fixing were fixed. - We followed up the issue with a new blog post and used the changes as a positive change for everyone which created a great, and positive, reaction on Facebook. That person I can say has gone back many times and is quite happy and has posted many positive reviews about the restaurant since they were listened to and their concerns were addressed. Not every situation is this way but this is a way we try to turn negative into something positive. ## Show empathy to the problem We often see where businesses respond and don't show empathy to the person. We are not computers or machines. Each of us are human with our own unique feelings. Make certain you truly are responsive to the needs of those that are complaining. Deep down whether you feel it is justified or not the matter means a lot to them. **Definition of empathy**: the ability to understand and share the feelings with another. ## Be professional and mature We often see the children of family members handling the social media. We don't feel this is the right thing to do as this is a piece of your marketing machine and the continuation of your company's brand. Young adults may know social media and may even know it better than their adult counterparts. What they are lacking though is the maturity to be rational and politically correct in their responses back on certain situations even if they first consult the parental figure that is running the company. ## Land of sarcasm Sarcasm should never be part of your response unless you run a company that specializes in sarcasm. This can come off as disrespectful and lacking empathy to the person with the problem. Along these lines do not joke or take the concern as a joke. ## You might not want to respond Not every instance needs a response. Sometimes saying nothing can be more beneficial than saying anything. We do always recommend replying with an apology for their feeling the way they do but sometimes that will work against you. This goes back to your plan of attack from above on which instances you should reply to and those that you don't. ## Act quickly when something goes wrong There is nothing worse than checking your Facebook or other account and notice days, weeks, or even months later you missed something and your brands reputation is scared because of it. ## Look at more than just Facebook Items that can go wrong with your business happen more than just on Facebook. This is a great avenue for many but this is not the only place you can learn about negative information about your business. Setup a Google Alerts for your brand and industry keywords you feel that your brand might be mentioned in. You will need a Google account to do this. You can access the Google Alerts page at [https://www.google.com/alerts](https://www.google.com/alerts). ## To DELETE or not delete This is a common question and by default the choice should not be to delete. Social media is a public forum and is designed for engagement by everyone. When your default policy is to delete it looks like you are trying to hide something and bring more credit to the person. Below is a short list of reasons you may want to delete a post. - If the information is a threat on someone's life contact the police before deleting and seek their advice and guidance. They may need that for their case. - If the item is racist or threatening. First grab a screen shot with the rest in case it is needed by law enforcement. Better yet contact the police, let them see it and go off of their guidance. - Lewd or graphic posts. Social media networks will do their best but you are the final say. If it is offensive and against who you are as a company and brand it may be worth considering removing the post. - Personal information that should not be there for anyone to see. - If you can easily tell an account was hacked. ## Hand off the problem We are not saying ignore it or passing it to the newest person in the company. What we are saying is if you work for the company and the information is very critical about the company you are vested in this company and will do everything you possibly can to defend it. This is where having a social media account manager who doesn't work directly for the company is extremely beneficial. They are your virtual employee for sure but they are less attached to the company and can more objectively listen, have empathy, and provide a more calm and rational decision to the problem. ## Having a social media policy When we started, we said you should have a policy for handling bad situations. You should have an overall policy as well for the positive, daily posts, who is responsible, etc. This sets the chain of command for handling any situation. Use the negative to turn a positive Like our restaurant example above we stated that a negative can be used as a positive improvement in your company and the view of your company brand. Take any negative (and positive) experience and use them to improve your brand to become better. ## Apologize Often an "I am sorry" or "we made a mistake" is all someone wants to hear. Be true and honest when you say it. If you are false or just saying it to say it people will catch on which can result in even more bad comments. ## Conclusion You can see there's a lot of information about handling bad viral content which can seem scary if not handled right. The great thing is that positive content has always performed and lasted compared to negative content. We feel that is because most companies want to know about the good information and why we constantly focus on the positives in life. When you are ready to have a company that is focused on your growth and ready to help you out in your online digital marketing the team at JM2 Webdesigners is ready to assist you. We can be reach at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/17IncrediblyUsefulBlogArticleTitleTips/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/17IncrediblyUsefulBlogArticleTitleTips/ Like the name of our blog article for this month we are going to give you some truly incredible tips to make people want to not only read from your article but use it in theirs as they move forward. And because this is about blog writing doesn't mean you have to stop there. These tips and tricks will work for email, web pages, and more. ## Come up with your title last You may be asking yourself why you should come up with your title last. The simple reason is you haven't written anything. If you write your title first, then the entire article will be locked into that title. Many times we write (and write) a lot. We will end up with five or ten pages. This is too much for a single blog post. We will chop it up and split it into a couple. From these we will then edit, and edit, until we have it exactly what we want. Then we come up with the title. **Note**: We do start out with a generalized subject before we do start writing. The title for this article originally was “\_\_ Blog Title Tips for Business” (the \_\_ is however many items we came up with). As you can tell we changed it up a bit after creating the entire article (and counting) how many tips we had. ## Titles with Numbers Wait you say. This didn't start with a number. No this section didn't but the title of our article does. Whether something is free or not people like to know how much benefit they will receive from something. In our case stating how any title tips someone will receive is our indication of the value of what the reader will receive. ## Make a Title Engaging A title should be engaging and convey a meaning that is valuable to your readers. ## Set some Expectations When we open a good book on a specific title we know that what we are about to read is on a specific topic that will have a beginning, middle, and end. As we progress through the story we are transported into the realm the author has put us into. When someone reads your initial title they already have pre-conceived expectations of what they are going to receive. Make certain that you meet those expectations for your readers. ## Make it Actionable In our article title we have a number. This is an actionable number for our readers of this article. They know there will be a specific number of items that they can use to build up value from. Someone reading this article should be able to read every item and come out with a new piece of knowledge or refreshed an existing piece of knowledge. ## Short and Sweet Everyone likes things that are short as we have a short attention span as humans. We like sweet as for the most part everyone loves sweets. I know we do and enjoy every time we get the opportunity to enjoy something sweet. The world is moving to a more modern and simple lifestyle. This should also cover your blog article. ## Not too short Wait a minute! I thought I was supposed to be short and sweet and now I have to be somewhat long? Absolutely. You need something that is short and sweet but balanced to not be too short that you can't convey what the article is about. ## Not too long Come on now! You are just making items to increase your count. We thought about combining the last two but they are at two different ends of the spectrum and our short and sweet is right in the middle. Your title should be able to fit routinely on a single line, and never three or more lines for the title. A line or row for the title is based on a desktop or tablet computer and not a mobile device as the screens are automatically a lot smaller. ## Speaking of Mobile While on the notion of a mobile device even three or four lines on a mobile screen may be too much. Think about every type of device your article will be read on and adjust your title appropriately for that device. ## Politics Matters We are in a time where people are easily offended. As writers we need to be aware that not everyone will appreciate your titles, articles, or posts that you put online. Make certain what you write is well written for the masses knowing that sometimes you may upset someone. ## Your Audience Matters When you write you need to figure out what your audience wants and needs to know. Just writing to write you can easily do but providing value that lasts and stands the test of time is something that will make people coming back for more of what you write. ## Magic of Search Engine Optimization You might write something but no one will never know about it if you don't get your good word out there. The search engines are a blog writers best friend. Social media can help but having keywords in your title and in your post that show your incredibly detailed message that can last for the ages will make the search engines wanting more. ## Go to other blogs and articles I think you are crazy! That may be entirely true (as we think it too) but that is what makes us different and unique. Take a look at other blog articles on the internet and see suggestions to take your online game from good to great. We know we are not the definitive source for all knowledge and information. We are a source that cares and wants to see your business grow and succeed. ## Keeping things about the title special Below you will see items that you should and shouldn't use when you are creating and writing your titles for your audience. ### Should use - Single dash (-) is a great way of separating words - Colon (:) (which when you are writing may turn into a smiling face - so be careful!) for separating words - Question Mark (?) for those times when you will be answering a question (or asking one) of your audience - Exclamation Point (!) when you want to get your audience excited about a specific title ### Shouldn't use - Well anything not listed above but specifically the items below too - & as this can cause a problem in your blog url and break your website - @ is specifically for email and can also cause problems in your blog url - # or hash symbol can cause problems in your blog url - Great and Lesser Than (< and >) are special characters that can also cause problems with your blog url ## Never forget your Grammar We all learned basic grammar techniques in school. Some we forget but others become a part of our core being. Make certain to embrace grammar when you are writing to take your audience involved in what you are writing. ## One Final Tip This is the one and truly our favorite tip when it comes to coming up with great article titles. The tip is if after you read the article title you want to learn and read more than you have a winner in your hand. ## Don't Stop at One! Look at that we used that magical exclamation point. This means this is something important. When you start coming up with titles for your blog come up with more than just one. Don't limit your vision into tunnel vision. The extra titles are not a waste either. They can be used for future articles as well (if you like them). ## Conclusion There are many items that can make a great or even a terrible blog article title. Taking your time and vetting it among your team or peers will give you a great article. When you start writing take your time, give yourself a week headway or more so that you can sleep on a title (or in our case titles). If this still seems overwhelming, and we know it can be, you can use our expert content writers to help you either write the entire article or come up with ideas for a great and incredibly catchy title. [We can always be reached online here](/Contact/), through email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or by calling 256-258-8593. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/19-Ways-new-users-mess-up-on-social-media/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/19-Ways-new-users-mess-up-on-social-media/ Today's team challenge is to talk about the pain points and top challenges many make in social media when they are beginning. We started this as only a top 10 list. That became eleven, then twelve, and we ended up with nineteen ways new users mess up when they start with social media. We actually had another but everyone does 19 lists and we wanted to be just a bit different. As Facebook and other social media outlets continue to change the rules you definitely want to make certain you do the right thing on each platform to reach the largest audience. We have all been in the beginning stages of social media marketing – even experts had no knowledge and grew over time. Over time we have seen some pretty horrific mistakes and these are what we are calling the top 19 social media mistakes any new user will make. Lack of research – It is easy to make a page and be done. You need a logo, cover photo, name, phone, email address, website, and a street address. Many don't need all but overall that is what you will need. Before you make a page you should first think of and develop a plan (a single page plan will suffice to start). Key questions to ask are (1) who is my audience, (2) what is the purpose beyond just building it and hoping they come, and (3) where will I get content. - **Because I have a personal account…** – Congratulations you have a personal Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, or LinkedIn account! You're definitely an expert. Not even close. You are on the right track as that is where we all began as digital marketing companies. Business pages didn't exist in the beginning. They had to be built and then we had to learn. The benefit for you is you can read articles like this and learn from all the mistakes we made. - **Too many social media sites** – Ten, even five, years ago people were starting to get on every social media channel as possible. Spread yourself as thin as possible and see what sticks. That is the absolute worst thing you can do. Especially if you are doing it yourself. You already have a business to run, employees to manage, products to keep track of, and you want three, four, even five social media accounts to try and drive traffic too? Don't do it! Start with one. When that is going well add another if your audience is on another. If you just post and have no one engaging then why are you even there? - **Same message** – We see all too often that when someone posts on Facebook it auto-posts the exact same message on Twitter. Repeat that for any social outlet. There are some really great tools to schedule, streamline, and improve your message. The same message on all every time is a big mistake. The audiences are different, image types are different, and the content you write should be different. - **Content** – Whether on a website or social media content is king. Unless you are a news organization you will curate content (e.g. share content) from others. This content should be specific to your industry, relevant, and tie in with what your company does. You should also create content that is compelling and helpful. Speaking of content which I know we talked about make certain what you are providing is valuable and not just there to look like you are creating content just to create content. - **Wrong images** – Images can tell an entire story of their own. Each social media platform also has recommended image sizes. Adhere to them. You are on their turf and under their rules. Follow their recommendations for the image size to use for the content that you are creating. - **Neglecting your audience** – We have taken over accounts and helped out others where they have replies from days, weeks, and even years (not months) with no response. They didn't feel it important to reply. This is for messages, timeline questions and comments, and even reviews (good or bad). - **Saying the wrong thing** – When you reply if you have ANY bad feelings do not reply. Ask someone else that is more disconnected. Even if you try to come across calm, cool, and collected, the tone of the writing could come across as incorrect. You should have a customer service plan made even if it doesn't exist on day 1. Set time aside to make one. This can have some canned responses that can be customized but try and cover all scenarios. Keep it as a living document that you continually add to. - **Buying followers** – We all want to be important and be as big as the most successful person we know. It just probably won't happen. When you BUY a follower, you are not buying a human to buy from you or become a brand ambassador. You are buying a fake account that will only decrease your organic reach. It is better to have ten people follow you that will buy from and promote your business than it is to have thousands that don't make you any money. - **Politics** – Don't do it! Keep political conversations for Thanksgiving and other family events. In fact, don't do it there either. Just don't talk politics. It'll make for a lot less stressful life. Politics may not be just "politics". This can be anything you have a really strong opinion on. Even if everyone agrees with you that you talk to; don't do it! - **Personality** – Not letting your personality through (or showing too much of your personality). You need to find the right balance for your audience. You want to be as authentic as you possibly can. The more authentic we are the more people enjoy what we have to say. - **Contests and Promotions** – Everyone loves something for nothing. When you do it make certain you adhere to the standards. You might get away with it once or twice but is losing your account or being banned worth it? - **Too much automation** – We utilize technology wherever we can to keep costs low and efficient. That doesn't mean we use it for everything; even if we could. We balance automation and the human factor. - **Hashtag abuse** – All too often people will become hashtag happy. When you get the inspiration to add those half dozen hashtags take a deep breath and remove them. Hashtags should be used sparingly. - **Silo approach** – Social media should not be your only approach to marketing your business. You definitely need a website. That means you need great content, updated often there, and indexed properly for the search engines. As much as social media changes the search engines change at an even faster rate. - **Metrics** – Not knowing there are metrics, not looking at them, or looking at the wrong metrics is horrible. Metrics are known as insights or analytics. They will tell you who your audience is, when you are reaching them, the best days, and a lot more. Learn your analytics and look at them often. - **Overselling** – All too often you see people sell-sell-sell. A better approach is to educate, inform, have some fun (if that's part of your business), and then sell. We like the 80% non-selling and 20% selling rule to "start". We then adjust it up/down based on the audience as we learn more about them with analytics. - **Overspending** – Social media is free. That doesn't mean it doesn't cost money. Around every corner, you will be asked to spend money on advertising. We love the adage that you can get more with less. As an example, we used to spend $400 a month on advertising. That gained us 4-6 clients per year. We now spend $5-20 per week ($20-80 per month and now add one every week. That is a much better return on investment. Many weeks we don't spend anything. - **Losing consistency** – We saved this one for last intentionally. Don't lose your consistency. If you are going to post once a week, post once a week. If you are going to post daily then post daily. The key is find a routine and stick with it. Every social media outlet, even websites, have recommended best practices. Learn what they are for each platform and adhere to them. Every social media platform is different. You can be successful and do it right. The key is to have a plan, stay consistent, and let your personality shine. Following the above, you'll be off to a great start! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/1stBlogEver/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/1stBlogEver/ For four years now John has been trying to get me to write a blog article about what I do. I specialize in graphic design and eCommerce websites. Maybe in the future I will write something about color theory or minimalism especially when talking about logo design. I can go on and on about the latest features that make managing an eCommerce site less tasking. But you know what? Writing has never been a passion of my. I can’t say that I enjoy it all that much, but you know what I do enjoy? Our ability to work remotely. Since the beginning, we’ve had the equipment and software to work remotely. It has always been part of our core. Getting the building was supposed to signify grow, but times have evolved and this is no longer essential. In fact, it has done the opposite and left us, as a company, quite stagnant. It’s time to evolve, and break the brick and mortar mold. Our CRM has been tested half way around the world. We know it works, so why can’t we? Work anywhere that is. My desk can be anywhere I need or want to be. If it helps a client, we can go to them. Our hours and location can and should be as fluid as needed. Not just for clients, though. Family and down time for ourselves is equally important. Work hard, play hard. If I can get an hour in during practice or in between games, that’s one less hour I have to sit at a traditional desk. For a single parent, this is huge. I can serve my clients and get my kid to training on time, without having to depend on others. Now this might seem like a personal benefit, but there are rewards for the client as well. I can work where I need to be, so I can put my personal worries to rest - did my daughter make it to practice on time, did she remember to bring her keeper gloves, does she have water, is her homework done, etc. - and focus solely on our clients’ needs. I’ve got my hotspot and a power bank, now I just need a beach. Just not literally, the sand gets everywhere. Yuck! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/2015PredictionResults/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/2015PredictionResults/ In our [2015 Website and Social Media Predictions](/Blog/Details/2015SocialMediaPredictions) we made several predictions that would happen in 2015. As the year comes to a close we are going to dig into what we predicted and what actually happened in relation to those predictions. Every one that is an industry expert whether nationally or in their local area will make such predictions. ![Responsive Web Design (RWD)](/Images/Content/RWD.jpg) ## Responsive Web Design You will see that the majority of web design and marketing firms that build websites will build using a responsive design. There are still a few stragglers left that feel the old method of a completely separate website for mobile is best but those are diminishing very quickly as Google and the other search engines start to reward those with one website rather than two distinct websites for users. You can see how your site is in the eyes of Google by using [Google PageSpeed Insights here](https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/). If on the mobile view it looks like your desktop view or doesn't look how you expect then you are most likely losing results on the search engines. ## Structured Data Structured Meta Data for the search engines we knew was going to be a big item for this year. Not only was this big for companies like ours that do search engine optimization (SEO) but for any company that wants to be best found in mobile results, provide superior content for eCommerce, and much more. ## Digital Marketing Social media is becoming ever the more popular and in the realm of digital marketing this is truly a big hit. Companies are spending hundreds, even thousands of dollars per month, promoting their brand, products, and services. This is on a continual upswing not only on Facebook but all of the social media sites. ![Search Engine Optimization (SEO)](/Images/Content/seo2.jpg) ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) We hear from companies all the time that they don't need SEO until their competitors starting passing them up. Then they come to SEO and expect those instant gratification of results. We've seen many that have gone the "black hat" way and moved up quickly and then down even faster. Those that have embraced SEO and do so each month consistently we've seen nothing but great results. ## Content Content has always been stated is key to the success of a website. This is absolutely true. With quality graphics and well written content we have seen companies that have moved up not only in rankings but an increase in sales as well. Quality content seems like an easy item to create but takes more time than most realize. You have to do research, provide a consistent and clear voice, and answer the questions your customers want. Out of all of our predictions that people would be jumping onboard with quality content and using content writers this is still the one area we've seen the smallest gain. In our mind this is one of the biggest hurdles for websites that we've visited. ![Local Search](/Images/Content/localSearch.jpg) ## Local Search Wow! Just wow! This is the one that is so amazing. Every one of our restaurants and local businesses that not only have SEO but also a focus on their local communities using structured meta data have seen some crazy awesome results. For mobiles searches for our restaurants we see over 40% of their traffic from mobile and most of those mobile users coming from the major search engines. This one is truly through the roof for any local business whether you are in Cullman Alabama, Chesterton Alabama, Michigan City Alabama, La Porte Alabama, and beyond. ## User Interface (UI) / User Experience (UX) This has to be the one area people say they truly want but will focus the least amount of effort on. Since upgrading our JM2 content management system (CMS) to our new version users have been thanking us for making everything simpler, faster, and much more intuitive. We see this one every day becoming more important to those we work with to improve their business processes. This one just didn't gain as much steam as we were expecting to see. ![Call to Action](/Images/Content/ActNow.jpg) ## Call of Actions When you land on a website we are constantly seeing pages with pop ups and pop under (they load underneath your current browser window). This is not a call of action. This is a call to "I don't want you as a customer". Some will still fill out the information but if you watch your website analytics you will see more lost sales/leads than gains. A quality of call to action needs some A/B testing and independent testing by people that you are targeting. This will increase not only your response and the amount of time people take on your website but will lead to more sales, leads, and people signing up for your newsletters and other items you want them to do. ## Security Security is always one of our favorite areas. We have seen a huge increase in SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) use due in part that we truly rock eCommerce for our clients in Cullman Alabama and beyond but also for our regular brochure/information websites for our customers. They have learned that by keeping their sites secured and encrypted to the latest internet standards that Google and the other search engines will further move you up in the search results. If your competition and you are to the search engines 100%, the same the one with the SSL will win and be shown higher in the results. This is great news and even better news as we see 1 out of every 3 corporate sites using SSL and as part of our eCommerce we require that every page be encrypted for a 100% coverage. ## Conclusion Most of the items we predicted did have an impact in 2015. We see them having an impact in 2016 as well. Some obviously more than others. From what we've learned in the past twelve months is that you need to have a website, that you need to *participate* and not just be on social media, that the search engines are an important part of building your brand, and that you must not only have quality content but keep it fresh and updated to keep people coming back for more. As you continue to think about 2016, your brand, your marketing, and how the online world can help your business grow we are here waiting to work with you to make those thoughts turn into reality. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, through email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or through our [online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/2015SocialMediaPredictions/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/2015SocialMediaPredictions/ Making a prediction of what will happen in the future is always a tough item to do. Looking at the past we can gain access to some core trends that are coming and will further take a foot hold in the coming year. The items below are in no specific order and are truly not an exhaustive list of changes that are coming. ![Responsive Web Design (RWD)](/Images/Content/RWD.jpg) **Responsive Web Design (RWD)**: A website is more than for desktops. A website should work well for Desktop, Tablet and Mobile devices and should not cost extra to garner these features. A responsive website will provide your users a great experience no matter what device they are using, whether there browser window is maximized or not. You can always send mobile users to an entirely different, and maintained, website but that is added cost that you don't need incur with current technology. With technology today there is little to no reason to scroll left/right within your browser. This technology has been around since 2010 and every major web browser can support this design process. **Structured Data**: Search result pages will begin incorporating even more structured data in 2015. Structured data is information that explains to the search engines what your website is about. This information includes the type of business you are, your address information, and key images and information to use when shared on social media networks. Additionally, this information can, and often is, different on every page of your website. You wouldn’t market Widget A on the page for Widget B or vice-versa. **Digital Marketing**: This is a very broad term and is truly covered on all the other bullet points as all of the bullets here are part of digital marketing. We will only cover a small sub-set here for this very broad category. Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, and others) should be a key part in helping establish you as an expert in your field. You should not use every social media outlet unless you have the staff to socialize with all of them. Just joining to "join" could provide a negative custom service experience if you miss questions, comments or complaints of people trying to socialize with you. Join the social media outlets you can commit to both in time and energy. Grow from there to meet your customers' needs. In 2015 we see many dropping the networks that don’t work for their business while putting extra effort into those that work for them. Content calendars will also start becoming more important to make certain you are keeping information updated. While all of that is important analytics will also be important so that you can truly gauge what is, and isn’t, working for your business. ![Search Engine Optimization (SEO)](/Images/Content/seo2.jpg) **Search Engine Optimization (SEO)**: Another part of digital marketing is SEO. The search engines algorithms are constantly changing and your website needs to take advantage of them. It is no longer a matter of just "keyword stuffing" your page to try and move up. In fact, keyword stuffing could actually lower your results. Making your content legible for your visitors will help you in the search engines more than trying to appease the search engines. **Content**: As we said earlier keyword marketing is slowly dying for those trying to be organically found (not paying the search engines). Not that it every will die off completely as the search engines have to make a profit after all. High-quality content will garner you more results in the long term with the search engines. Updating your website is crucial and will help keep your clients coming back for more. On top of high quality content on your main website you will see more people utilizing blogs to post new information about their business. These blogs will be both text content as well as video content. The higher the quality of information you have and the more you become an expert in your field the more you will move up on the search engines. ![Local Search](/Images/Content/localSearch.jpg) **Local Search**: 54% of all American's have smart phones. This trend is increasing each year and making your website mobile friendly (e.g. read Responsive Web Design noted above) the search engines will move you up on the lists. At the end of 2014 Google released a “Mobile-Friendly Test” page (located at https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/) that lets you test to see if your website is ready for mobile devices. As more people have smart phones they are doing more searches through their mobile devices. With local search you use structured data to define where you are so that people can find you locally. Having your business searchable through local search is becoming more and more of a requirement to get the word out to current and prospective clients. With a site that is mobile friendly, has proper structured data, and a great user interface for desktop, tablet and mobile devices your website will be much better off. **User Interface (UI) / User Experience (UX)**: When it comes to getting engagement within your website you need to look at every pixel on the screen. Many companies will hire a graphics company to make the world’s most beautiful website. These are truly great sites and many also are good for mobile. The problem with these sites are that they often forget, or don’t care, about the user. People don’t like to waste time. They desired to get online, get what they need and live their lives. A customer’s most valuable asset is their time. When creating a new website we always look at the information architecture (IA) of the website. This not only covers the content of the site, how it is displayed, and the hardware needed to perform in a fast manner to the user. - White space matters - The less a user has to click to find information the more likely a person is to stay on your website. - Fonts and readability matters - Keeping things simple matters - Touch interfaces matters - Speed / Performance ![Call to Action](/Images/Content/ActNow.jpg) **Call of Actions**: Every website whether it is for customer support or sales needs to have a call of action. Websites will be gaining more call of action functionality as part of being more visitor oriented. These call of actions should not interfere with your user experience within the site. A popup every screen is just plain annoying. Build your website with thought and consideration that you would want for yourself. **Security**: Companies with million dollar IT budgets get hacked every day. We all see it in the news. These companies are fighting an uphill battle as they put security at the back of their priority list or relaxed the rules for “a vendor”. Security should be very important for all aspects of your website. Whether you are a fledging startup or a large enterprise security is part of your brands reputation. If you cut corners anywhere in your business this is one area you should not cut corners on. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/2025-guide-to-ai-search/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/2025-guide-to-ai-search/ The world of search is changing. It's no longer just about getting on the first page of Google; it's about winning the "answer." With the rise of AI-powered search, your business's online visibility depends on a new, smarter strategy. This can feel overwhelming, but at **Fawkes Digital Marketing in Cullman County, Alabama**, we see it as a massive opportunity. We're here to help local businesses understand and implement the strategies that will make you a leader in the age of AI search. The shift from traditional SEO to AI-native optimization requires a fresh approach. Based on our expertise, here is your essential guide to adding AI search to your visibility strategy. ## Structure Your Content for AI (and Humans) AI models process information differently than traditional search crawlers. They look for direct, factual answers and well-organized data. The key is to create content that is scannable and digestible for both AI and human readers. - **Use Clear Headings and Subheadings**: AI parses well-organized information more effectively. Use headings to ask and answer common questions, like an FAQ. - **Embrace Structured Data (Schema)**: Schema markup provides AI with explicit, factual information about your content, making it easier to parse and use in a response. - **Provide Direct Answers**: Start your paragraphs with the core answer to a question. AI systems prioritize content that gives direct, concise, and trustworthy answers. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we specialize in building a content structure that speaks the language of AI, ensuring your valuable information is ready to be featured in AI summaries and overviews. ## Build Your Topical Authority In 2025, search engines are prioritizing **topical authority** over mere keyword usage. This means you must prove that your website is the most comprehensive and trustworthy source for a particular subject. - **Focus on Depth, Not Just Volume**: Instead of creating dozens of unrelated articles, aim to cover a few core topics thoroughly. This signals to search engines that you are an expert in your niche. - **Use a Pillar and Cluster Strategy**: Create "pillar" pages that provide a high-level overview of a topic, then create "cluster" pages that dive deep into specific subtopics. This interconnected network of content builds authority. - **Demonstrate Expertise (E-E-A-T)**: AI and search engines look for signals of Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust (E-E-A-T). This means including author bios with credentials, citing sources, and providing real-world examples or case studies. Our local knowledge in Cullman allows us to help businesses identify the topics that matter most to our community and build a content strategy that establishes them as the go-to expert. ## Upgrade Your Technical Optimization Game A fast, mobile-friendly, and secure website remains essential for both user experience and AI-driven search. Technical SEO is the backbone that allows search engines and AI to crawl and index your site efficiently. - **Prioritize Site Speed**: Google uses **Core Web Vitals** to measure page experience, and poor metrics can hurt your rankings. - **Ensure Mobile-First Design**: If your site isn't mobile-friendly, it won't rank well. A responsive design is non-negotiable in 2025. - **Use Descriptive URLs and Clear Site Architecture**: Organize your content into logical folders and use descriptive URLs that help both users and crawlers understand your site's structure. Fawkes Digital Marketing provides the technical expertise to ensure your website's foundation is solid and ready for the future of search. ## Optimize for Multimodal Search Search is no longer just about text. In 2025, users are interacting with search engines using a combination of voice, images, and video. Optimizing for multimodal search is crucial for capturing a broader audience. - **Voice Search**: Voice queries are longer and more conversational. To optimize, use natural language in your content, and focus on providing clear, concise answers to common questions. - **Image Search**: Ensure your images are high-quality, have descriptive file names, and use alt text. This helps search engines and AI understand the visual content. - **Video SEO**: Create and embed high-quality video content on relevant pages. Use descriptive titles and descriptions, and consider adding transcripts to boost accessibility and keyword coverage. We help local businesses create a presence that goes beyond text, ensuring they are found through every type of search—from a voice query on a smart speaker to a visual search on a phone. ## Collaborate for Authority & Consistency AI systems value unique, authoritative information. You can't just recycle old content. Building brand authority and consistency is now more important than ever. - **Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)**: Encourage customers to create content featuring your brand. This builds authenticity and trust. - **Partner with Local Brands or Influencers**: Strategic collaborations can expand your reach, build credibility, and expose your brand to new audiences right here in Alabama. - **Maintain a Consistent Brand Voice**: Your content, messaging, and tone should be consistent across all platforms. This builds a cohesive identity that both AI and customers will recognize. Fawkes Digital Marketing provides the strategy to ensure your brand's story is told consistently and powerfully across all digital channels. ## Monitor AI-generated Responses AI-powered search often provides an answer without requiring a click to your website. This is a "zero-click" search, and while it may not drive traffic, it is still a powerful form of brand visibility and influence. - **Manual Monitoring**: Start by manually tracking your brand mentions on major AI platforms like Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and ChatGPT. Note the context and positioning of your brand. - **Use AI Monitoring Tools**: Tools like Keyword.com and BrightEdge can help you automate the process of tracking brand mentions, citations, and sentiment across generative AI platforms. - **Track Competitors**: Monitor when and how your competitors appear in AI responses. This helps you identify gaps in your own content strategy. Understanding where and how you are being mentioned in AI responses is a new and essential step. Fawkes Digital Marketing provides the tools and expertise to help you track this new type of visibility. ## Measure AI Responses & Visibility (Not Just Traffic) With the rise of zero-click search, traditional KPIs like organic traffic and click-through rate (CTR) no longer tell the whole story. The most forward-thinking businesses are tracking a new set of metrics. - **Brand Recall & Branded Search Volume**: Is your brand being mentioned in AI answers? Are more people searching for your brand by name after encountering your content in an AI summary? - **On-Platform Credibility**: How often is your brand being cited by AI tools or mentioned on platforms like Reddit? This indicates your authority and trustworthiness. - **Conversion Influence**: Measure how your content assists conversions across the entire customer journey, even if the final sale happens on a different channel after an AI-powered search. This new way of thinking about success is at the core of our approach. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we help businesses in Cullman understand what really matters in 2025, moving beyond outdated metrics to focus on real business impact. The search landscape has changed, but the opportunity to win has never been greater. [Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing](/Contact/) in Cullman, Alabama, today and let us help you build a smarter, AI-native strategy that delivers real results. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/20-SEO-Checklist-for-new-existing-websites/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/20-SEO-Checklist-for-new-existing-websites/ When it comes to websites one of the first questions we think about and our clients ask is what is the best way to get on page 1, position 1, of Google. That answer is simple. Follow all the best practices Google Webmaster Tools recommends. These best practices will let you know you need quality content, not "break the rules", write for humans (not computers), and have an easy to use navigation structure that answers the questions your visitors want to know. Sounds simple, right? Well, it is! With some time, effort, and a dedication to grow your business you can do it as well. In this article, we'll cover what you need to do for new or your existing website. ## Research your competitors To us this is the easiest step but one we see many people completely miss the mark on. You need to know who your competitors are, what they are doing today as well as in the past (you can find this out), and based on this information you can make educated guesses on the direction they will be going in the future. ## Keyword Research Not all keywords are created equal on the internet. Your market will determine which words you should use and you shouldn't use. A item we love to tell our clients is you are **not** your customer. They do not know all your internal codes or phrases. They will most likely type in 3-5 words to find what they are looking for (more if they use voice) and they will be non-technical words. Using tools like [Google Keyword Planner](https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner), [io](http://keywordtool.io/), [WordStream](http://www.wordstream.com/keywords), or [SERPs Keyword Tool](https://serps.com/tools/keyword-research/) to come up with a large list of phrases to begin your process. - Focus on valuable keywords that have a "buyers" mindset. - Choose keywords that have lower difficulty to start. - Start with 1 keyword per page. - The next step will help in your keyword decision-making process. ## Initial Setup Steps The first step involves setting up information so Google and Bing (yes Bing is just as important as Google!) can find you and index your site. - **Setup Google Analytics** – you will need a Gmail account to associate with your Google Analytics. [Click here to access Google Analytics.](https://www.google.com/analytics/) - **Add Your Site to Google Search Console** – This is going to be essential in the long run and it will take time for Google to collect data. The sooner you do this the sooner you'll have usable data. Google Search Console provides valuable feedback as well as helps in being found online. [Click here to access Google Analytics.](https://www.google.com/webmasters/) - **Add Your Site to Bing Webmaster Tools** – It never hurts to have more data. Bing's webmaster tools can offer some interesting insight at times. This may also be beneficial if you're specifically targeting the U.S. [Click here to access Google Analytics.](https://www.bing.com/toolbox/webmaster/) - **Are You Using WordPress?** If so, install Yoast SEO and Google Analytics by Yoast. These 2 plugins are going to allow you to finely tune your on-page SEO making everything else you do to promote more effective. - **Use Keywords** Near The Beginning of Your Page Titles – The closer the keyword is to the start of the title the more weight it carries in Google's eyes. Keep titles 70-75 characters long. If the title is longer Google may cut off the end with ellipses. Use this title to entice people to click on your listing. It's essentially an organic advertisement! Check your click through rates in Google Search Console and improve your titles over time. - **Add Unique Meta Descriptions** To Every Page You Create – This can be challenging for enterprise sites with 100K pages. However, most sites should be able to handle this. By using your keyword near the beginning and a bit of copywriting you'll end up with a search listing people want to click on. That's incredibly valuable. This is the second part of your organic ad. 160 characters has been the standard length without an ellipsis cutoff. However, Google is currently testing longer descriptions. - **Aim to Produce Content of 1,000 to 2,000 words per page** – Do this for any page you want ranked in Google. A study done by com found that pages with word counts in the 1300 range ranked well vs less. - **Use H1 Tags for Page Titles** – This signifies to Google that the words in this tag are important. Make sure you optimize this with your most significant keywords for that page. - **Use H2 and H3 Tags Within the Body Content** – This not only helps to break up the content in a pleasing way to the eye it's also a chance to optimize for secondary keywords. Again, these tags signify important words on the page to Google. - **Add Images & Alt Tags to Every Page** – Make sure your alt tag uses a keyword you want that page optimized for. - **Add Internal Links** – You should link 1-3 times to other pages on your site where it makes sense. If you only have 100 words on the page 3 internal links would be overkill. Doing this will increase the "crawl-ability" of your site for the search engine spiders (meaning you'll have more pages indexed faster). - **Add External Authority Links** – Adding a link out from your page to an authority on the topic of that page's content sounds counterintuitive. There's no need to put them front and center to drive traffic away from your site. Have these links open in a new window. This is a quality signal to Google that works incredibly well. It should be done on every page. - **Check Your Site Speed** – There are several free site speed checking tools out there. Tools like [Google's own Test My Site](https://testmysite.thinkwithgoogle.com/) will analyze both your mobile, and desktop site load times. You'll also find a very handy technical analysis of what to fix to increase your speed. You should aim for less than a 2 second load time. - **Mobile Optimized** – Having your website found online is critical. Mobile search accounts for more than half of all web searches since 2016. If you are not mobile optimized you are missing a large piece of the web visitors out there. - **TLS (SSL Certificates)** – Your website should have the green pad lock for **all pages and not just eCommerce checkout pages**. Security is important to your users and providing your visitors with the green padlock is a great first step. - **Create an XML Sitemap** – This can be done with a plugin like Yoast or others on WordPress. There are also free online resources for sites not based on WordPress. When this is complete be sure to link to it in the footer of your site and submit it to Google in Search Console. - **Create a Robots.txt File** – This is a great opportunity to either allow or disallow search engine spiders from seeing specific sections of your site. Don't want Google to index a PDF you give away for an email opt-in? You can do that here. Don't want Google to index pages that may cause duplicate content issues for you? Yep, that's an option here too. - **Fixing Technical Errors** – Now it's time to do a little house cleaning (if it's necessary) - **Clean Up Your Meta Data** – This is where Google Search Console will have come in handy. They will pull in data from your site and show you exactly which pages don't have meta titles or descriptions. If they are too long or short you'll know. It's incredibly helpful as it shows you the exact URL where the meta needs adjusting. When you have any errors in this area you must go through and fix them all. It's your job to bring each column with a number of errors down to absolute 0. - **Fix Any 404 / 500 Errors** – You'll be able to find this info in Search Console as well. It's just another bit of housekeeping that will help you stay ahead of the competition in the long run. - **Find Broken Links** – When you click on your site link every link should go to a valid page. There's a fantastic tool called [ScreamingFrog](https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/) it will crawl all the pages on your site seeking out broken links, errors and more. It's essential for uncovering aspects of your site you may have never realized were there. ## Use Social Media A website is only a start. If you think having a website alone will be the perfect solution you are wrong. If you think having only a social media solution is the right solution you are also wrong! You need both and you need them both to work harmoniously together. - **Setup your social media page** - Your social media page needs to be setup. Do **not sign up for every social media outlet**. That is so early 2000's!!! Be on the social media channels your customers are on. Setup them up correctly. Be prepared to join others as your market changes. Keep every social media outlet you are on updated, have current information, and keep the information relevant for the social media site you are on. - **Create a Content Posting Schedule** – Whether you're adding content to a blog or just articles to your silo'd website you absolutely must add new content. It doesn't have to be every day. But in today's hyper-competitive environment it doesn't make sense to post once a month anymore. Besides you now have these new outlets to post your content on social media. Search engines love change. Write your blog, put it on your website, then take a very short snipper and **manually (not automatically)** post it on Facebook. Automation on Facebook will produce less organic reach. - **Engage with Your Followers** – Whether that's commenting on blog posts relevant to your site or your own posts for that matter – comment. Engage with the people in your market wherever they are. ## Patience is Key! Expecting results in 30, 60, even 90 days to be found organically (e.g. free) is not guaranteed. In fact, anyone that gives you **any kind of guarantee** is most likely not practicing the search engine best practices and is more interested in lining their bank account with your money than helping you. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes with SEO. SEO is a commitment to growing your business like any other marketing channel. It also has the most potential reward for your company's website. ## Conclusion SEO is critical to any website success. Companies that don't do it are apt to fail. Companies that do it are destined to surpass their competition. When your competition is doing it, they are doing it to drive traffic away from your business and into theirs. Therefore, you are doing it. You should be more aggressive, follow all the latest best practices, and work harder than they do. No company gets rewarded for sitting and waiting for the search engines to find them. Contact the search engines and get them to notice you and see that change! SEO is a lot of work but the reward it will bring your business is worth every amount of effort you do. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/30-day-blog-article-challenge-results/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/30-day-blog-article-challenge-results/ Over the past 30-days, I challenged myself to write some very short (500-1,000 words or less) blog articles. This goes against many that say you should make your articles from 2,000-3,000 words for optimal search engine optimization. This 30-blog article exercise had a challenge and two hidden objectives that I didn’t tell anyone. The challenge was the topics were chosen by others and randomly selected by one of our computer programs. The second was what would happen search engine optimization wise writing 30 blog articles in 30-days. The final and third reason was to stress test some blog functionality being we now have several influencers in multiple industries using our blogging system specifically for increased SEO. Let’s take a look at what happened, what worked, what was improved, and talk about a few gems that were not expected during this entire process. ## 30-blog articles in 30-days Many may not realize but I wake up every day at 4am (well this you probably know if you’ve read some of my blog articles). I write ten articles per week and typically only post one or two of them. This made the challenge not as much of a challenge as one might think. I did find it challenging though. Some days I read the subject and thought “really you want me to write about that?”. I did though and am happy I did. I did cheat though. I kept the same blog image format for every day in the 30-day challenge. I only changed the background and the text. I kept the text on the image from one to three words (mostly). This allowed me to focus on the challenge and not spend 5-10 minutes (or more) looking for an image related to the subject. This actually had a side effect I wasn’t counting on (this isn’t the surprise though). An intentional item on the 30-articles was that I would not add a call-to-action to any of them beyond just writing the article. I wanted them to be as short, sweet, and to the point as possible. ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) results Our SEO results searching for the same words has gone up compared to where it was 30-days ago. I made certain beyond the new articles no changes happened to the website to keep it as consistent as possible. The results were for both locations I mentioned as well as areas we wanted to grow but didn’t talk about (this was a surprise). Core SEO numbers that I found the most interesting: - 40.9% increase in number of visitors to the site - 43.1% increase in the number of sessions - 3.9% drop in the overall bounce rate - 40.4% increase in the time people were on the site - Mobile visitors went up 6.3%, tablets went up 1.4%, and desktop users went down 7.7% - Our conversion goal through our sales funnel increased 34.14% - This is set as reading blogs, going through a certain set of pages, performing specific actions, and spending a certain amount of time on the site. ## Blog system results Overall our system went through several enhancements to make data entry a bit easier. These changes were: - Saving now gives a reading and speaking time, shows the image that is related to the blog and a link to preview the article. - Our tagging system changed from being checkboxes to type and go which sped up data entry as well as eliminated accidental duplicate tags. - I write in Microsoft Word and the new “Paste from Microsoft Word” is truly awesome. Before the HTML wasn’t condensed, left some Word remnants and now is minified and a lot cleaner HTML5 code. - The editor was made larger so that on the desktop (or mobile – I hated on mobile but I like full-size keyboards). - We fully incorporated the latest Google recommended best practices and went form 9 out of 10 for our core system for SEO to a solid 10 out of 10. When we submitted we sent to Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and manually submitted to the search engines. Organically (search engines) performed the best for the lead source and then from Facebook. Twitter was actually the lowest when it came to new users. ## Surprises in the results We had several surprises in our results that were not expected: - Our readers went up by 400% - The time people spent on the site doubled - The number of pages that people went to more than doubled - We added two clients during the challenge (usually one every other month) from our blog articles - The location of readers is mainly in the Western and Southern states and not around our Northwest Alabama / Cullman Alabama location - Posting every blog article also on LinkedIn made my viewership drop. I changed this after the first week and found that twice a week worked to get the largest number of readers. - Our “About Us” section was the second highest increase in new pages being read - Although everything was up when you take that information out we spent some time doing some data mining of over 300 blog articles. Writing two articles a month makes for some great SEO results while weekly gets the search engines more excited to come back to your site. - Twitter brought in the lowest leads but we added over 20 new Twitter followers each week which was a 50% increase. - With LinkedIn writing on their platform (which is what we did) performed better than writing a link externally (what we normally do) - I use Grammarly as I write and I have to be getting better as my “grammar errors” dropped by 8% compared to the month before based on the emails Grammarly sends. - Agile marketing, not regular marketing, was the most read article. I wasn’t expecting that but glad it was being that is the type of marketing we do. - Our most read article (Agile marketing) was most read by those on the West coast. ## Conclusion Writing articles that are shorter tend to help **our SEO better** than those that are longer. We always saw keeping articles around 1,000 words performed the best across our 50+ industries we are in. Clients have also stated they appreciate short and sweet compared to longer. Always listen to your customers! Consistency greatly helps achieve results. Writing articles daily is truly “insane” and not for the light-hearted. Writing once per week and the team writing once per week is still what we are going to aim for as this is what are data mining shows as the best rate for us and our national push. Based on our data mining this is also the perfect number for us to hit. Having time set aside was key to the success of this challenge. I know I could easily do the challenge for any length that I need to. Being disciplined and having a list of topics also helped as coming up with 30 topics would have been as much of a challenge. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/5-Small-Business-Digital-Marketing-Mistakes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/5-Small-Business-Digital-Marketing-Mistakes/ You are starting your new business in Cullman Alabama (replace with your town/city name here). You have a lot on your mind and truly lot of work to do. When you start you wear many hats and years from now you'll still be wearing those hats even with a growing team. Starting a business requires a lot of juggling on your part, dedication, and passion. Checklists are one of the most valuable assets a growing small business owner will use. It allows you to stick on-task, on-time, and hopefully on-budget. We hear from other business owners, startups, and even business consultants and are amazed at what we've done as well as how we've done it. I have a series of articles that I will be sharing that will help businesses get started and hopefully started better than we did. As you are building your list for your new business or if you have a growing and established small business these five tips will help you better market your company online. ## Have a marketing plan A marketing plan does not have to be anything super complex and can fit on a single sheet of paper (to start). Define your goals, objectives, where you plan to market, how you plan to market, define what success is, and equally define what failure is. Establish a time to meet on a monthly basis to see what is working or not working as you expect. Adjust your marketing plan during each of these meetings. Do not get a marketing company that makes all the decisions for you. You are your company just as you are not your customer. You need a voice and that voice needs to be heard. You may not know marketing but **you do know your business**. Your marketing plan over time will continue to grow and evolve into something more substantial and refined. If you can start with a full-blown marketing plan great. We just know that most small businesses don't fully know their market as they have never put much thought into it. Rather than guessing take a more simplified approach, be agile, and adapt each month to changing marketing conditions (which you should do with a full-blown marketing plan as well). ## Free internet email addresses Part of running a business is being credible, honest, trustworthy, and a business with lasting value. When it comes to being online this starts with your own domain name. For us, this is jm2marketing.com. The cost ranges from $8-$35 depending on which provider you choose. Don't just choose the cheapest as it could hurt you down the road. Choose your domain name based on your business, pass it by your family and friends, and choose your registrar so that it meets your needs over the next several years (and beyond). There are many registrars out there. Common ones are [Network Solutions](https://www.networksolutions.com/), [GoDaddy](https://www.GoDaddy.com/), and [Bluehost](https://www.bluehost.com/) to name just a few. Nothing looks more unprofessional for a growing business than using [Gmail.com](https://mail.google.com/), [yahoo.com](https://www.yahoo.com/), [outlook.com](https://outlook.live.com/owa/), [aol.com](https://www.aol.com/), etc. First impressions are extremely important, and your email is going to be one of the primary methods of communicating. Think of all the businesses you are talking to for help in growing your business. The one's that are credible, professional, and you are most likely to choose most likely are not utilizing a free email address. ## Using social media as "your website" You will never hear us state social media isn't important, it is. The problem with social media is **you do not control it**. You are at the mercy of the social media site (e.g. [Facebook](https://www.Facebook.com/), [Instagram](https://www.Instagram.com/) [also owned by Facebook], [Google+](https://plus.google.com/), [Pinterest](https://www.Pinterest.com/), [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/), etc.). In the previous section we stated to purchase your domain name. This means you are already on your way to having a website. Your website you control and the sales funnel process you need to inform, educate, and make sales. ## Don't build a monster website, but have one All too often we see businesses either do nothing for a web presence or build a website that is so large that is starts them off giving too much information. You need to balance and determine the best options for your website. Don't create new menus because it's "cool". Don't use fancy sliders because it's the latest thing. Provide the information on your website that is needed to get started. Inform your audience and educate them. Submit to the search engines and get them finding your website. A benefit for starting with the basics is when you start adding content the search engines see that change and that information shows them you are making updates and will further help your search engine optimization efforts. ## Losing the passion of online marketing As you start your business there is a lot of hype and interest in your new business venture. This over time has the potential to slow down. Often, we see businesses forgetting about their marketing efforts online. They get content that they are busy and only worry about "fixing the slowdown" after they slowdown is started. This is too late to make a quick recovery. Marketing is a constant effort that you do not only during your slow times but your busy time as well. ## Conclusion You have a dream to be the next big thing when it comes to business. Only with constant marketing efforts will that happen. Your first impression is your most important but not your last. Stay consistent, be consistent, and have a plan when you are market your business. We constantly have new businesses walk through our doors on a weekly basis asking for help. Some after meeting we know we cannot help them and do a soft introduction to the marketing and advertising company that can. Those that we can we always start with the most basic of a marketing plan to start positive consistency for that great first impression and grows. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/8-Reasons-to-Dump-Adobe-Muse-Today/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/8-Reasons-to-Dump-Adobe-Muse-Today/ One of the biggest aspects of our company lately is converting Adobe Muse sites to a full-fledged content management system (CMS). But why would we be switching new clients from Adobe Muse to another system even when they had their website built in the last six months? The reasoning is shocking in some aspects yet not so much in other aspects. Let's look at the top 10 reasons you should be dumping Adobe Muse if your business is running it today. ## No longer under active development In an announcement directly from Adobe they state "On March 26, 2018, we will release the final feature improvement release of Adobe Muse. We will continue to offer technical support to all active Creative Cloud customers until May 20, 2019." This means no new features and most likely limited updates will be done. We can see only security updates coming from this date forward. Adobe's statement on development support is "We will continue to repair critical issues (related to security, payments or customer data for example) when they appear, however, the work will be limited to bugs that have a high security or high stability risk. We will not be fixing minor items with small impact or that have a workaround which can be used." which came from the Business Catalyst FAQ page at [https://www.businesscatalyst.com/#faq](https://www.businesscatalyst.com/#faq). ## Business Catalyst Servers Any Adobe Muse sites hosted on Business Catalyst will no longer be available. This means your site would go offline. You can always move it to another server but you will lose many of the core capabilities Business Catalyst provided. These are: - Flexible, Hosted Content Management - Online Store Out of the Box - Built-in CRM & Web Form Builder - Drive Repeat Sales with Email Marketing - Power Modules - Built In - Reporting & Analytics - Design & Customization ## Some important Muse milestones Adobe continues to add details (and nails) to the coffin of Muse. Here are the important milestones to the demise of Muse. - March 26, 2018 - Announcement of Business Catalyst End Of Life date for March 26th 2021. - June 18, 2018 - No new trials can be created for Muse test sites. - June 18, 2018 - Support is prioritized for platform migration questions, in addition to critical security, compliance, and availability issues. - August 27, 2018 - No new sites can be upgraded that were previously trials to paid accounts. - August 27, 2018 - All sites will be moving to monthly billing once they reach the end of their subscriptions. - March 26, 2021 - All data is removed from the Business Catalyst infrastructure and sites become unavailable for the public. ## Search Engine Optimization or SEO The search engines push out over 300 updates per year. They recommend adding structured meta data, optimizations, etc. Adobe Muse doesn't support this. You need to hack your code and this is a manual situation. Muse though is fast, really fast, as it is just raw HTML (HyperText Markup Language) files. A modern CMS (content management system) has overhead. This overhead will slow a site down. The slowdown is very minimal but the pages are still always going to be slower. So in that regard, your site will be fast for the search engines. ## Search We continue to see Adobe Muse sites with links for search that do nothing or go to a 404-page not found. This is horrible for a user experience. If you are hosted on Business Catalyst this can work to a degree but not as well as you'd hope. Move your site off Business Catalyst and the odds of your search working on pretty close to nil. I say this as we've run into this issue (again) today while writing this article of why you should be dumping Adobe Muse today. ## It's DEAD (no really it is)! Adobe has listened to their community and delayed parts of the items we covered above. They will stop all hosting all Business Catalyst sites on March 26, 2021. Adobe encourages customers to download their data and migrate to other systems well before March 26th, 2021. After this date, all your data will be deleted (no exceptions, no crying, it's just gone!). It also means you are now in for an obsolete website. Of course, you can let your site sit and be obsolete. It happens all the time. In 2018, we have already upgraded four sites from Microsoft Frontpage which was discontinued well over 10 years ago. So yes, you can just let your site sit, don't care about it, and still have a website. That doesn't bod well for your business as a website is designed to be a living system to help you grow your business. ## No simple migration path Being Adobe Muse is a hybrid of HTML5 and Adobe software there is no true migration strategy beyond the "Good luck" mentality. Adobe is providing information as quickly as possible to help businesses realize this and migrate quickly and well before the true EOL (end of life) of the software. ## Adobe Muse CRM is dead CRM or Customer Relationship Management is critical for any business wanting to grow. With the end of life for Adobe Muse, their CRM integration is also ending. ## But what's good about Adobe Muse When Adobe Muse first came out it was a product that no one believed could exist. It created mobile-friendly sites, was fast, and supported by Adobe whose products are lived in by graphic designers each and every day. So what were the key reasons people chose Muse? Let's look and see: - No coding - No grids - Mobile-friendly sites - Easy updates - Flexibility - Create-design-preview at once - One-step editing - Ease of migration - Easy-to-use starter designs - Combine with alternate layout Those are some pretty awesome features that Adobe Muse offered with it's standard and proprietary technologies. Today though you can achieve all of this with the latest technologies without including the proprietary elements. ## Conclusion If you purchased Adobe Muse (not the monthly subscription) it will still work! What you won't be able to do is publish to Business Catalyst. You won't be receiving new features, updates, or any support for it. Migrating to a new platform should be on your radar and each day should be more quickly coming to light for your business. ## Not completely bleek We've talked about the entire process of Adobe killing off Muse. This is strictly a business decision by them as it wasn't financially feasible for a large company. What we appreciate about this is we have the solution for you. This is: - Experience in migrating from Adobe Muse - A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system that rivals the Adobe Muse system as well as the ability to migrate all your existing CRM information. - A completely web based system that grows with you. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/a2p-violations/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/a2p-violations/ **Staying Compliant, Staying Visible: Why A2P SMS Compliance Matters More Than Ever** In today's hyper-connected world, texting is one of the most powerful tools businesses have to communicate with their audience. But with great power comes great responsibility. Especially when using Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging through systems like Twilio and the 10DLC (10-digit long code) framework. As consumers, we don't think about texting each other. That the costs are free. As businesses, we have rules, regulations, fines, and there is a cost with each and every SMS (text) or MMS (picture text) that we send. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we don't just build powerful marketing platforms—we protect your ability to keep using them. Our team is committed to helping businesses in North Alabama and across the country understand and follow A2P messaging rules, so you avoid disruptions, bans, and steep penalties. ### What Is A2P and Why Should You Care? A2P stands for Application-to-Person messaging. It covers any kind of automated text message sent from a software application to a human (e.g., appointment reminders, marketing blasts, lead follow-ups). To reduce spam and abuse, carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have strict rules enforced through The Campaign Registry (TCR). If your messages violate these rules, your number could be blocked, your campaign revoked, or your entire account banned. And if you're using Twilio, Telnyx, or another texting platform this matters even more. ### What Happens If You Break the Rules? Violations of A2P regulations (especially intentional ones) carry real consequences: - **Message filtering or blocking** - **Suspension of your campaign or brand registration** - **Blacklisting of your number**across all major U.S. carriers - This includes all future numbers you might get and not just the ones you have today. - **Hefty fines** (sometimes $10,000+ per violation) - **Termination of your Twilio/Telnyx account** and associated services This isn't fear-mongering—we've seen businesses lose their ability to communicate with customers overnight. ## What is "Intentional" Intentional is when you send out your text messages that have not "opted into" receiving messages from you. In fact, unless you ask a lengthy question even if someone signs up for an appointment with you it still could be classified as intentional. ### How Fawkes Digital Marketing Keeps You Compliant We take compliance seriously because we know how costly a mistake can be to your companies future. Here's how we make sure your business stays in the clear: - **A2P Brand and Campaign Registration Done Right**: We walk every client through the proper registration process with The Campaign Registry. No shortcuts. No guesswork. - **Content Compliance Reviews**: Before any message is sent, we help you review it for compliance. We make sure you're not triggering any red flags around prohibited content (sex, hate, alcohol, firearms, tobacco, etc.). - **Subaccount Isolation for High-Risk Clients**: Using Twilio subaccounts, we separate clients' messaging environments to reduce the risk of one bad actor affecting others. - **Automatic Opt-in/Opt-out Management**: Brilliance CRM, our all-in-one CRM solution, automatically manages consent with proper opt-in and opt-out functionality. - **Education and Training**: We don't just tell you what to do—we teach you why it matters. We provide training, plain-English explanations, and actionable advice so you and your team can avoid violations. - **Proactive Monitoring and Alerts**: Our systems monitor delivery rates and carrier feedback. If something looks off, we catch it early and address it fast. ## Can I Bypass the A2P Rules Using "Email to Text" Options? Sending an email to a phone number (like "1234567890@txt.att.net") is **not a bypass of A2P (Application-to-Person) rules**, but rather an **entirely different messaging channel** — and it comes with its own limitations and risks. Here's what you need to know: - **What Happens When You Email a Phone Number**: You're using **carrier-provided email-to-SMS gateways**, not an SMS API (like Twilio). So: - You're not technically using A2P messaging. - You **don't need A2P registration**. - You **bypass Twilio and 10DLC regulations**, but... - **Risks and Limitations of This Approach**: - **High Spam Filtering** - Carriers aggressively filter these messages. If you're sending bulk or marketing messages, they are likely to be blocked. - Gmail, Yahoo, etc., may even prevent sending if your server appears to be spamming. - **No Delivery Guarantees** - No delivery receipts, tracking, or error feedback. - If a message fails, you may never know. - **User Experience Issues** - Messages often get truncated. - Some carriers split long emails across multiple texts in a messy format. - Attachments and links might not render properly. - **Not Scalable or Professional** - No proper opt-in/opt-out management. - No analytics or logging. - Hard to manage compliance at scale. - **Violation of CAN-SPAM or Carrier Terms**: Even though you're not using A2P, if users didn't explicitly opt-in to receive texts via email, you could still face legal or carrier repercussions. - **When Is It Acceptable?** - Internal alerts (e.g., for staff or admins) - Low-volume transactional notices (with consent) - Emergency messaging (e.g., school closings, server outage alerts) ## A2P SMS vs. Email-to-Text Gateway Comparison Here's a clear side-by-side comparison between **A2P (Application-to-Person) SMS** and **Email-to-Text Gateways** to help you (or your clients) understand when and why to use each. | **Feature / Concern** | **A2P SMS (via Twilio, Telnyx, etc.)** | **Email-to-Text Gateway (e.g., 1234567890@txt.att.net)** | | --- | --- | --- | | **Reliability** | High — carrier-approved route with delivery tracking | Low — prone to carrier filtering and no delivery confirmations | | **Speed** | Near-instant delivery, optimized for SMS | Slower, dependent on email-to-SMS gateways | | **Delivery Receipts** | Yes, full delivery reporting | No — you won't know if the message was delivered | | **Message Formatting** | Designed for SMS: concise, clean formatting | May be truncated, split, or look strange on phone | | **Carrier Compliance (10DLC, A2P rules)** | Required, ensures long-term deliverability | Not governed by A2P but prone to blocks if overused | | **Cost Per Message** | Typically $0.0075–$0.01 per SMS | Free or near-free (depending on your email provider) | | **Opt-In/Opt-Out Management** | Required and manageable via platform | Manual — no unsubscribe automation | | **Scalability** | Very scalable — great for marketing or transactional SMS | Not scalable — frequent messages will trigger spam filters | | **Analytics & Reporting** | Detailed logs, click tracking, conversions | None — you're flying blind | | **Legal Risk / Spam Filtering** | If compliant, low legal risk and low filtering | High risk — may violate carrier terms or CAN-SPAM laws | | **Use Case Fit** | Marketing, alerts, verifications, campaigns | Low-volume internal alerts or emergency-only messages | | **Sender Identity Control** | Consistent, branded sender (via short/long codes) | Appears as random email addresses | | **Professionalism** | Looks professional, part of a unified brand strategy | Looks like a workaround or "hack" | ### Summary Information | **Use This When...** | **Avoid This When...** | | --- | --- | | You need reliable, scalable communication with customers | You're doing bulk outreach via email-to-text | | You want delivery reports and compliance tracking | You want professional branding and analytics | | You're sending alerts, marketing, or transactional SMS | You're handling opt-ins or compliance-sensitive data | ### Bottom Line On Email To Text You **can** send email-to-text to a phone number, but it's **not a reliable or compliant alternative** to proper A2P messaging if you're running a business or engaging customers. **It's a short-term workaround, not a sustainable solution.** ## Building for the Long Term Some agencies will set up your A2P campaigns with as little effort as possible, just to get them live. That's not us. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we're your long-term partner. We build solutions that last and protect your brand. Your SMS strategy should be a reliable growth engine, not a liability. With us, you get more than just deliverability. You get peace of mind. ### Let's Talk A2P Strategy Whether you're just starting with SMS marketing or already using a tool like Brilliance CRM, we can help make sure your setup is safe, smart, and scalable. Don't let one bad message cost you your connection to your customers. **Contact us today to schedule a compliance check or full A2P onboarding review.** [Learn more about our Brilliance CRM solution here.](https://www.brilliancecrm.com/) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Above-and-Beyond/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Above-and-Beyond/ At JM2 Webdesigners, going above and beyond is just another part of the job that we do for our clients. While this isn't a carved in stone rule that is vigorously enforced it is something that is an essential component to who we at JM2 are. We do not go above and beyond because we have to, but because we want to. Everyone one of our clients is given the attention they deserve. Whether this is answering their questions, making sure that their website is up to date or simply helping them figure out some job-related difficulties, these are all considered part of the norm for a JM2 employee. When there is a client in need we are ready to help them. That is one of the best features of becoming a client with JM2. You have access to a staff of professionals who care about your business as much as you do. We are your employees as much as we are our clients to JM2. Few can claim to let their clients have full access to a staff that is ready to assist them with any of their web and social media based needs, but as mentioned in a previous post, we like to do things differently. It's not uncommon to see one of our staff working late into the night making sure that a client's website is ready to go live the next day. It's not uncommon for staff to work on the weekends, making sure that a website or service are ready to go live on the following Monday. A website is everything to us and everything to our clients, we would be doing them a disservice to not have them ready as soon as possible. This is just another part of what makes JM2 a business unlike any other, a drive to give customer's what is needed to succeed. Businesses rarely take breaks and neither do we. We're more than just a website provider, we're more than a social media curator, we're full-time employees for you at a fraction of the cost. Businessman Tony Robbins once said that a satisfied customer is just that: satisfied. They might come back, they might not, but no matter how you look at it, their status will always be up in the air. What businesses (and we at JM2) strive to create are what he refers to as "raving fans", someone who's been floored by the level of service received to the point where they can't stop telling other people about it. For all the reasons mentioned earlier and even more, we're in the business of creating those fans and we hope that you can be our next one! If you're interested in becoming a new fan of our exceptional service, contact JM2 Webdesigners at 256-258-8593, email at support@FawkesDM.com, and contact us online through our online form here. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/AchievingAllStarStatus/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/AchievingAllStarStatus/ There are five levels of strength of a LinkedIn profile. These are (1) Beginner, (2) Intermediate, (3) Advanced, (4) Expert and the one we're working to achieve is the (5) "All-Star" profile strength. To achieving the All-Star level is what everyone strives to achieve and many will hit the expert level and miss the All-Star because they don't know what it takes to achieve this level. Below we will cover what it takes to become an All-Star so that you can become one yourself. The first item to cover as an All-star is that the circle doesn't fill 100%. We feel that this isn't 100% full as, like a website, your profile should never be considered complete. You should be constantly improving yourself to be better. To achieve the All-Star status you need to achieve the following items which we will also cover in complete detail below. We don't cover the other four as if you're at those levels we believe that your ultimate goal is to reach All-Star. By knowing what is required to be an All-Star you can set your goal to achieve that. As you progress through LinkedIn you will reach the other four stages. Some you may even skip as you fill out the information that we outline below. - Photo - Headline - Industry & Location - Profile Summary - Experience (minimum 3 jobs) - Education - 5+ Skills - 50+ Connections ## Photo Your profile photo helps define who you are visually as a person. Your profile picture can convey a lot of information. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and is true in getting the point across of how you wish your profile seen by others. You want to be serious, but not overly serious. You want your picture to bring out your character of who you are and what you stand for as a person. You also, and most importantly, you want to make certain your profile picture is not a selfie, that it is "appropriate" (this isn't Facebook!), and makes people want to view the rest of your profile. ## Headline Having a headline that provides a value statement for people is crucial. People are more likely to view a profile where the image and the headline "speaks to them". Utilize keywords and phrases you feel will bring people into your world so that you can sell yourself to them as that's what your profile is all about. ## Industry & Location Our industry defines what we are either currently working in, have worked in or want to work in. Choose the industry that not only fits your position. If you are currently unemployed this could be a time to change your industry to one that you would like to be in. Headhunters will search and could find you if you choose the industry they are looking at. Your location is truly a simple choice right? If you live in say Cullman, Alabama then that's your only choice correct? Not necessarily as if you are like I am you also get the option of Chicagoland area that you can choose from as I am near a large metropolitan area. If you are close enough to work in an area that allows multiple choices and you do want to commute then choose the place you want to be found in. ## Profile Summary Here's where you truly get to shine. Unlike all of the other areas this is a true free form section that you get to define who you are. You've gotten people interested enough that they now want to read and learn more about who you are. Make this a truly value proposition selling yourself. We all know that for many of us it's hard to write about ourselves. One item I know I've done is I work with people that know me professionally and assist in covering what I have done and do. This allows not only the perspectives of others but also a way of making certain you've covered all the best attributes that you need to cover about yourself. ## Experience (minimum 3 jobs) Many may be on their first job and may not have three or more jobs to place to achieve the All-Star status. Even people that start and end at one company can still achieve All-Star status. When you fill in your experience if you change departments or jobs at the company you can also update your experience to cover the new position you are working in. By doing this you can become an All-Star. Ideally you will have jobs at three separate companies. We would never encourage any sort of false or fabrication of information here. Be truthful even if you don't reach All-Star status. Don't just quit a job to get to three as it's better to reach the All-Star status by being awesome rather than a person jumping from job to job! ## Education Everyone has some type of education. This can be High School (which we've all attended, a local community college, local university, online school, trade schools, seminars, webinars, etc. List all of your educational opportunities here. ## 5+ Skills Listing your skills is one of the easiest items you can do. If you are a woodworker list the skills you have doing woodworking. If you're a brain surgeon list the expertise you have in doing that. Once you have your skills listed work on getting your connections to endorse those skills to help build up your credibility. ## 50+ Connections Fifty seems like a high number to achieve and for someone just starting their career out that is a high number. You will be amazed how fast you reach fifty and surpass that number. ## Conclusion We all can achieve All-Star status given enough experience and time. As you continue to grow as a professional keep your information up-to-date and in no time you will become an All-Star player on the LinkedIn social media network. You may be wonder what about your volunteer experiences, the causes you are concerned about, recommendations, etc. These are also critical components that you should complete and fill out. Although today the list above is the necessary minimum to achieve an All-Star status doesn't mean tomorrow the same list will be true. Complete as much information so that your profile clearly define who you are and how you wish to be perceived within LinkedIn. If you would like help in setting up your LinkedIn profile you can reach us at [our contact page](/Contact/), at 256-258-8593, or email us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Achieving-Greatness/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Achieving-Greatness/ The world is bigger than we are or is it? That is a question I have pondered for many years. Like many, I have had more setbacks than I care to count. More than some while be less than others. Each set back has set me to a place that has put me where I am today. I have done not only good with my life but continue to strive for greatness. It has been, and continues to be, a personal struggle with the only competition I have; myself. There have been many that have strived their best to set me back in my quest to do good in life over the years. They have beaten me down and I have continued to get back up. My challengers have brought others in to help their agenda as they couldn’t do it themselves. They have seen me as a threat rather than working collaboratively together to achieve greatness. The reality is the only threat they have is themselves and their feeling that they are the only ones that can be on top. The only person that I compete against daily is myself who is ultimately my first and only competitor. Each day I strive to be better than the I was the day before. I surround myself with people that are not only better than me but help push me to greater heights. In return, I do everything I can for them in thanks for helping me become stronger and better. Yes, I strive to improve myself and set my sites not on the growing small business but the biggest fish I can see. I don’t strive to be like them I strive to surpass them. Not by means that are bad but by means that will hopefully encourage them, and others, to become better than they are. Becoming great is not something that comes naturally, at least for me. It is a constant struggle that I must stick to each day. There is never a day off when you try to improve yourself. I would love to go with the status quo, but I was taught to push myself and be better than I was the day before. It is this upbringing that has defined me. From being an entrepreneur before “entrepreneur” was even a word. I know this as my first encyclopedia, which I read for bedtime stories growing up, didn’t have that word in it. I believe there is greatness in everyone of us. I don’t believe your education, color, or upbringing define us. I believe our good deeds and our actions speak for us. I believe we can overcome anything and if we do it together we can be unbeatable. Surround yourself with those that inspire, build you up, and most importantly have a positive and good vibe about them. Don’t go with those that say they want something but go with the person that proves it day in and day out that they are truly great people. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ada-compliance-federal-state-local-government/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ada-compliance-federal-state-local-government/ ### Why ADA Compliance is Crucial for Your Website and How to Achieve It In today’s digital-first world, ensuring your website is ADA compliant is not just a legal requirement—it’s a commitment to accessibility and inclusivity. ADA compliance ensures your website is accessible to people with disabilities, offering equal opportunities to engage with your content, products, and services. When it comes to achieving ADA compliance, businesses often weigh the benefits of using plugins versus custom coding their websites for compliance. Here, we’ll explore both approaches and why partnering with Fawkes Digital Marketing is the smartest choice for your business. *** ### What is ADA Compliance for Websites? The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) aims to prevent discrimination against individuals with disabilities, including in digital spaces. For websites, ADA compliance involves adhering to **Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)**, which focus on making web content: - **Perceivable:** Content can be perceived by users, including those using assistive technologies. - **Operable:** Navigation and interaction are possible for all users. - **Understandable:** Content is easy to understand. - **Robust:** Content works reliably with current and future assistive technologies. Failing to meet these standards can result in legal penalties, lost customers, and reputational damage. *** ### Benefits of ADA Compliance #### **1. Expanded Audience Reach** ADA compliance ensures your website is accessible to millions of people with disabilities, opening your business to a broader audience. #### **2. Improved User Experience** An accessible website is easier to navigate for all users, improving engagement and reducing bounce rates. #### **3. SEO Benefits** Search engines favor websites with clean, accessible code and meaningful content structure. #### **4. Legal Protection** ADA compliance minimizes the risk of lawsuits and penalties that can arise from inaccessibility claims. #### **5. Enhanced Brand Reputation** Commitment to accessibility demonstrates social responsibility and fosters trust with your audience. *** ### Plugins vs. Custom Coding for ADA Compliance When making your website ADA compliant, you can choose between using plugins or building accessibility into the code. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of each approach: #### **ADA Compliance Plugins** **Benefits:** - **Ease of Implementation:** Plugins are quick and straightforward to install, requiring minimal technical expertise. - **Cost-Effective:** Often cheaper than a complete custom rebuild. - **Ongoing Updates:** Many plugins offer automatic updates to align with the latest accessibility standards. **Limitations:** - **Partial Compliance:** Plugins often address surface-level accessibility but may not fully meet WCAG standards. - **Performance Impact:** Adding plugins can slow down your website. - **Customization Restrictions:** Plugins offer limited control over how accessibility features are implemented. **Best for:** Small businesses or websites looking for a quick, budget-friendly solution. *** #### **Custom-Coded ADA Compliance** **Benefits:** - **Full Compliance:** Custom coding ensures your website meets all WCAG standards comprehensively. - **Enhanced User Experience:** Tailored accessibility features provide a seamless experience for all users. - **Performance Optimization:** Custom code integrates accessibility without adding unnecessary overhead to your site. **Limitations:** - **Higher Initial Cost:** Custom development requires more time and resources. - **Requires Expertise:** Ensuring compliance demands knowledge of accessibility standards and best practices. **Best for:** Businesses committed to a long-term, fully compliant, and highly optimized website. *** ### Why Fawkes Digital Marketing is Your ADA Compliance Partner At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we understand that ADA compliance is a journey, not a one-time task. With over a decade of experience, we specialize in creating and optimizing websites to meet and exceed accessibility standards. Here’s why we’re the best choice: #### **1. Expertise You Can Trust** Our team has a deep understanding of WCAG guidelines, accessibility testing tools, and assistive technologies. Whether you need a fully custom solution or plugin-based optimization, we deliver results. #### **2. Tailored Solutions** We assess your unique needs to recommend the best approach for ADA compliance—whether it’s integrating plugins, custom coding, or a hybrid strategy. #### **3. Continuous Support** Accessibility isn’t static. We offer ongoing monitoring, updates, and support to ensure your website stays compliant as standards evolve. #### **4. Proven Track Record** With hundreds of successful projects under our belt, Fawkes Digital Marketing has helped businesses across industries create inclusive digital experiences. *** ### Conclusion ADA compliance isn’t just a legal necessity; it’s an opportunity to create an inclusive, user-friendly website that serves all visitors. Whether you opt for a plugin or a custom-coded solution, the right partner makes all the difference. With over a decade of experience, Fawkes Digital Marketing is ready to guide your business through every step of the process. Contact us today to build a website that’s not only compliant but also exceptional. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ada-compliance-government-websites/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ada-compliance-government-websites/ ### ADA Compliance for Government Websites: Ensuring Accessibility Across Federal, State, and Local Levels Government websites serve as vital hubs for information and services that millions of people rely on daily. To ensure inclusivity and equal access, these websites must adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other accessibility standards. Let’s explore why ADA compliance is crucial for federal, state, and local government websites and how to achieve it. *** ### What is ADA Compliance for Government Websites? The **Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)** is a landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. In the digital age, this includes websites and online services. ADA compliance for government websites involves meeting **Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)** standards, which ensure that content is: - **Perceivable:** Information can be perceived by all users, including those using assistive technologies like screen readers. - **Operable:** Navigation and interaction elements are accessible to everyone. - **Understandable:** Content is clear and intuitive. - **Robust:** Websites are compatible with current and future assistive technologies. For government entities, compliance isn’t just a best practice—it’s a legal obligation. *** ### ADA Compliance at the Federal Level #### **Requirements** Federal government websites are governed by **Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act**, which mandates that all electronic and information technology (EIT) be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Section 508 aligns closely with WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards. #### **Common Challenges** - Ensuring legacy systems and content meet current accessibility standards. - Keeping pace with evolving technologies and user needs. - Balancing accessibility with cybersecurity protocols. #### **Best Practices** - Conduct regular accessibility audits using tools like WAVE or Axe. - Provide training for web developers and content creators on ADA and Section 508 requirements. - Include captions for all multimedia and provide text alternatives for images. *** ### ADA Compliance at the State Level #### **Requirements** Many states have their own accessibility laws and guidelines, often modeled after Section 508 or WCAG standards. These laws apply to state agencies and publicly funded organizations. #### **Common Challenges** - Inconsistent standards between states can complicate compliance. - Budget constraints often limit resources for accessibility improvements. - Limited staff expertise in accessibility standards. #### **Best Practices** - Adopt a unified state-wide accessibility policy based on WCAG 2.1 standards. - Use centralized tools and resources for accessibility testing and remediation. - Engage with the community to understand the specific needs of residents with disabilities. *** ### ADA Compliance at the Local Government Level #### **Requirements** Local governments, including counties, cities, and municipalities, are also required to provide accessible digital services under the ADA and may be subject to state-specific laws. #### **Common Challenges** - Limited technical resources or staff dedicated to web development. - Smaller budgets compared to state or federal agencies. - Older websites or systems that require significant updates. #### **Best Practices** - Prioritize accessibility improvements for high-traffic pages and essential services. - Partner with accessibility experts or third-party consultants to identify and fix issues. - Create a roadmap for achieving full compliance over time. *** ### Why ADA Compliance Matters for Government Websites #### **1. Legal Obligations** Failure to comply with ADA and related laws can result in lawsuits and penalties. Ensuring compliance mitigates legal risks and demonstrates a commitment to equity. #### **2. Equal Access to Services** Accessible websites ensure that individuals with disabilities can access critical information and services, from applying for benefits to paying taxes. #### **3. Improved User Experience** Accessibility features, such as intuitive navigation and readable content, benefit all users, not just those with disabilities. #### **4. Enhanced Public Trust** An accessible website reflects a government’s dedication to serving all citizens, fostering trust and engagement within the community. *** ### Steps to Achieve ADA Compliance 1. **Conduct an Accessibility Audit:** Use tools like Siteimprove or manual testing with assistive technologies to identify barriers. 2. **Develop an Accessibility Plan:** Create a timeline and allocate resources for addressing issues. 3. **Train Staff:** Ensure developers, content creators, and administrators understand accessibility best practices. 4. **Implement WCAG Standards:** Focus on achieving WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance as a baseline. 5. **Engage the Community:** Gather feedback from individuals with disabilities to refine and improve accessibility efforts. 6. **Maintain Compliance:** Regularly update and test the website to ensure continued adherence to standards. *** ### Why Fawkes Digital Marketing is Your Accessibility Partner With over a decade of experience, Fawkes Digital Marketing specializes in helping government entities achieve and maintain ADA compliance. Here’s how we can help: - **Comprehensive Audits:** We identify accessibility gaps and provide actionable recommendations. - **Tailored Solutions:** From plugin-based fixes to fully custom-coded websites, we deliver solutions that meet your needs and budget. - **Ongoing Support:** Accessibility isn’t a one-time task. We provide continuous monitoring and updates to ensure long-term compliance. - **Expertise You Can Trust:** Our team stays ahead of accessibility standards and technologies, ensuring your website is always compliant. *** ### Conclusion ADA compliance is non-negotiable for federal, state, and local government websites. It’s about more than just avoiding legal penalties—it’s about creating an inclusive digital environment that serves all citizens. Whether you need to bring an outdated website up to standard or ensure a new site is compliant from the start, Fawkes Digital Marketing is here to help. Contact us today to ensure your government website meets the highest standards of accessibility and user experience. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ada-compliance-why-you-need/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ada-compliance-why-you-need/ In today’s digital-first world, creating an accessible website isn’t just a moral responsibility—it’s a strategic advantage. While some industries are legally required to comply with the **Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)**, embracing ADA compliance voluntarily can benefit any business in significant ways. Whether or not your industry currently mandates compliance, taking proactive steps to make your digital presence accessible can drive business growth, protect against future legal risks, and improve the user experience for all visitors. In this blog, we’ll explore **what ADA compliance is**, its importance, and why it’s worth investing in, even if your business isn’t legally obligated to comply. *** ## **What is ADA Compliance?** The **Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)**, passed in 1990, prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. While the original law focused on physical spaces, its application has expanded to include digital spaces, such as websites and mobile apps. ### **What Does ADA Compliance Mean for Websites?** ADA compliance ensures that your website is accessible to all users, including those with: - Visual impairments - Hearing impairments - Mobility issues - Cognitive disabilities To achieve compliance, websites should follow the **Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)**, which outline specific criteria for making digital content accessible. These guidelines are organized into four key principles: **Perceivable**, **Operable**, **Understandable**, and **Robust** (often referred to as POUR). *** ## **Key Features of an ADA-Compliant Website** ### **1. Perceivable Content** - Provide text alternatives (alt tags) for images. - Use high-contrast colors for readability. - Add captions or transcripts for videos. ### **2. Operable Navigation** - Ensure the site is keyboard navigable. - Avoid time-restricted elements that hinder users with mobility impairments. ### **3. Understandable Interfaces** - Use simple, clear language. - Include error suggestions on forms. ### **4. Robust Compatibility** - Optimize your website to work with assistive technologies like screen readers and speech recognition software. *** ## **Why ADA Compliance Matters** ### **1. Legal Protection** Even if your industry doesn’t currently require ADA compliance, lawsuits related to inaccessible websites are on the rise. Proactively adopting ADA standards protects your business from potential litigation in the future. **Example:** A growing number of lawsuits target businesses whose websites are not accessible, even in industries without ADA requirements. *** ### **2. Expanding Your Customer Base** An accessible website allows you to reach a broader audience, including the millions of people with disabilities in the United States. By making your site inclusive, you attract more visitors and potential customers. **Did You Know?** - Approximately **26% of adults in the U.S.** live with some form of disability. - People with disabilities represent a significant portion of purchasing power, often referred to as the **“disability market.”** *** ### **3. Improving User Experience for Everyone** ADA compliance often improves the user experience (UX) for all visitors, not just those with disabilities. Features like intuitive navigation, clear content, and mobile-friendly design benefit every user, enhancing engagement and satisfaction. *** ### **4. Boosting SEO Performance** Many accessibility practices overlap with SEO best practices. For example: - Adding **alt text** to images improves search engine rankings. - Structuring content with headings makes it easier for both users and search engines to understand. By aligning your site with ADA standards, you can improve your visibility in search results and attract more organic traffic. *** ### **5. Demonstrating Corporate Social Responsibility** ADA compliance showcases your commitment to inclusivity and equality, which resonates with today’s socially conscious consumers. Being an advocate for accessibility builds trust and strengthens your brand reputation. *** ## **Benefits of ADA Compliance for Your Business** Even if your business isn’t legally required to comply with ADA standards, here’s how it can benefit you: ### **1. Attract New Customers** An accessible website ensures that all potential customers, including those with disabilities, can easily browse your products, services, and content. ### **2. Increase Conversions** By making your site easier to use, you’ll reduce bounce rates and encourage users to take desired actions, such as making a purchase, signing up for a service, or filling out a contact form. ### **3. Future-Proof Your Business** Legislation around digital accessibility is constantly evolving. Proactively aligning with ADA standards now ensures you’re prepared for potential regulatory changes in the future. ### **4. Stand Out from Competitors** Many businesses overlook ADA compliance, giving you the opportunity to differentiate your brand by demonstrating inclusivity and forward-thinking. *** ## **How to Make Your Website ADA-Compliant** Here are steps you can take to improve your site’s accessibility: ### **1. Conduct an Accessibility Audit** Use tools like **WAVE** or **Lighthouse** to identify accessibility issues on your website. ### **2. Add Alternative Text** Ensure all images have descriptive alt text that conveys their meaning to screen readers. ### **3. Use Proper Heading Structure** Organize content with clear and hierarchical headings (`

`, `

`, `

`, etc.). ### **4. Optimize Forms** Make forms easy to navigate and include clear error messages when users input invalid data. ### **5. Provide Transcripts and Captions** Ensure that audio and video content is accessible by including captions or text transcripts. ### **6. Partner with Accessibility Experts** Work with professionals who specialize in ADA compliance to ensure your site meets the latest standards. *** ## **Why You Need a Professional Marketing Agency** Creating an ADA-compliant website requires a combination of technical expertise, design knowledge, and an understanding of accessibility standards. Partnering with a professional agency like **Fawkes Digital Marketing** ensures that your website is not only accessible but also optimized for business success. ### **Why Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing?** - **Expertise in Accessibility:** We conduct comprehensive audits and implement WCAG-compliant solutions. - **SEO Integration:** We align accessibility practices with SEO strategies to boost your visibility. - **Ongoing Support:** As standards evolve, we keep your website updated to ensure continued compliance. *** ## **Conclusion** ADA compliance isn’t just about avoiding legal risks—it’s about creating an inclusive online environment that benefits both your customers and your business. By investing in accessibility now, you can enhance your brand’s reputation, improve user experience, and future-proof your business for success. If you’re ready to make your website accessible and ADA-compliant, **Fawkes Digital Marketing** is here to help. Contact us today to create an inclusive website that drives results and sets your business apart. **[Learn more](https://www.fawkesdm.com/)**. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ada-differences/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ada-differences/ ### Understanding the Differences Between ADA, WCAG, Section 508, and More In today’s digital landscape, ensuring accessibility is essential for businesses, especially those working with government entities or serving diverse audiences. However, the world of accessibility standards can be confusing, with terms like ADA, WCAG, Section 508, and others often used interchangeably. This guide breaks down the differences between these standards, explains which businesses must comply, and highlights the benefits of doing so. *** ### Key Accessibility Standards Explained #### **1. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)** The **ADA** is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. While originally focused on physical spaces, the ADA now extends to digital environments, including websites and applications. - **Who Needs to Comply?** - Businesses open to the public (Title III entities). - Employers with 15 or more employees (Title I entities). - State and local governments (Title II entities). - **Focus:** Broad accessibility for individuals with disabilities across physical and digital platforms. #### **2. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)** The **WCAG** is a set of internationally recognized standards for web accessibility developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It forms the basis for most accessibility laws worldwide. - **Versions:** - WCAG 2.0: Introduced in 2008. - WCAG 2.1: Updated in 2018 with additional guidelines for mobile and cognitive accessibility. - WCAG 2.2: Currently in progress (as of 2025). - **Compliance Levels:** - **A:** Basic accessibility. - **AA:** Mid-level, often legally required. - **AAA:** Highest level, usually optional. - **Who Needs to Comply?** - Businesses, government agencies, and organizations looking to meet ADA, Section 508, or international accessibility standards. - **Focus:** Ensures digital content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR). #### **3. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act** Section 508 is a U.S. federal law requiring all electronic and information technology (EIT) used by federal agencies to be accessible to people with disabilities. It aligns closely with WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards. - **Who Needs to Comply?** - Federal agencies. - Contractors and vendors working with federal agencies. - **Focus:** Accessibility for electronic and information technology. #### **4. Other Accessibility Standards and Guidelines** - **EN 301 549:** Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services in the European Union. - **AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act):** Accessibility requirements for organizations in Ontario, Canada. - **State-Specific Laws:** Many U.S. states have additional accessibility laws, often modeled after Section 508 or WCAG. *** ### Benefits of Compliance for Businesses #### **1. Legal Protection** - Avoid lawsuits and penalties by meeting accessibility requirements like ADA, Section 508, and WCAG standards. - Demonstrate due diligence and commitment to inclusivity. #### **2. Expanded Market Reach** - **1 in 4 Americans** lives with a disability. An accessible website opens your business to this significant market. - Accessible websites perform better for users with temporary disabilities, like injuries or situational impairments (e.g., bright sunlight). #### **3. Improved User Experience (UX)** - Accessibility features like clear navigation, captions, and alt text enhance usability for all users, not just those with disabilities. - Better UX can lead to increased customer satisfaction and conversions. #### **4. SEO Benefits** - Search engines reward accessible websites with better rankings due to features like proper semantic structure, alt text, and faster load times. #### **5. Competitive Advantage** - Show customers and partners that your business values inclusivity and social responsibility. - Stand out when bidding for government contracts or serving diverse audiences. *** ### Choosing the Right Standard for Your Business #### **1. Federal Contractors and Vendors** - **Requirement:** Section 508 compliance. - **Why:** Mandatory for federal agencies and those working with them. #### **2. Businesses Serving the Public** - **Requirement:** ADA compliance with a focus on WCAG 2.1 Level AA. - **Why:** Ensures accessibility for customers and avoids legal risks. #### **3. International Businesses** - **Requirement:** WCAG compliance or regional standards like EN 301 549. - **Why:** Aligns with global accessibility expectations. #### **4. State and Local Contractors** - **Requirement:** State-specific accessibility laws and WCAG compliance. - **Why:** Requirements vary by state but often mirror federal standards. *** ### How to Achieve Compliance 1. **Audit Your Website:** Use tools like Axe, WAVE, or Lighthouse to identify accessibility issues. 2. **Develop an Accessibility Plan:** Create a roadmap for addressing compliance gaps. 3. **Train Your Team:** Educate developers, designers, and content creators on accessibility best practices. 4. **Implement WCAG Standards:** Focus on WCAG 2.1 Level AA as a baseline. 5. **Work with Experts:** Partner with accessibility consultants or agencies like **Fawkes Digital Marketing** for tailored solutions. *** ### Why Fawkes Digital Marketing is Your Accessibility Partner With over a decade of experience, Fawkes Digital Marketing helps businesses navigate the complexities of ADA, WCAG, and Section 508 compliance. Our services include: - **Comprehensive Audits:** Identify and prioritize accessibility issues. - **Custom Solutions:** Develop strategies tailored to your industry and audience. - **Continuous Support:** Accessibility isn’t a one-time task—we provide ongoing updates and monitoring. By partnering with us, you can ensure your business meets the highest accessibility standards while improving user experience and legal protection. *** ### Conclusion Navigating ADA, WCAG, Section 508, and other accessibility standards can be complex, but compliance is essential for businesses aiming to serve all audiences and avoid legal risks. By understanding these standards and their applications, you can create a more inclusive digital presence that benefits your customers and your bottom line. Contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today to start your journey toward full accessibility compliance. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/A-different-approach-to-hiring/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/A-different-approach-to-hiring/ We've been asked many times over the past month how we do what we do. Our prices are unreal, our tactics are not normal yet produce continuous results, and our work/life balance is only like the most successful and profitable businesses. I thought it would be good to start telling people how we do what we do being we are always asked the question every month. I feel that it will also help other businesses. We will start with the most basic of processes which are hiring of the right people to do the job. To start with our process for hiring is like every other process. You cannot study for it. People are routinely pushed to study and prepare. To us, a great interview means you cannot study for it. Your personality is as important to us as your technical skill. You need to have a passion for what you will be doing as it is that passion that is a key feature we want out of our team. Many that come are still in school or just graduating college. Speaking of school, you do not have to have a college degree to work with us. Most do though that work with us as a team. We believe that school might not be right for everyone. People who have a true passion, talent, and love for something have a skillset that school cannot fully teach. Most everyone that is brought on as an intern which means we are grabbing those just getting started with a fresh idea and may not have fully learned where they want to be in life. They are individuals that are truly fresh, innovative, and quick to handle change. Being a company that strives for continuous change that is something we definitely want. We look for someone that is free-spirited and self-motivated. Being we have Nerf guns in the office and a ping pong table (that really almost never gets used – but a great conversation piece). We want those free thinkers but also those that are able to work on their own. After all, this is a business and being so we don't want someone we have to babysit. Those that have needed to be babysat will always fail with us as we are a very busy bunch. One of the hardest items we have found is that we have four core rules. The first we call rule #1 of "no lying" or being honest. This is critical to a person's success and actually is what kills most new people off. If you are able to get through the process and are brought onboard those that don't have this as a core of their being will not last. Our next rule is security. This is not just computer security for confidentiality of our clients. We deal with unique clients and we don't talk about them. We often know of new products they are releasing, new patents they are working on, and even marketing tactics they don't want to know about. Security comprises more than just protecting your email, website, and company data. The third was at one time our weakest component. It wasn't that our customer service wasn't good, it was. We used technology too much. We were only sending emails and not talking with our clients. Now the phone is an integral part of our overall success and human to human conversations typically happen more than email communication. This also eliminates any miscommunications. The last item of our company core rules that a person needs to be on is an environmental impact. This means that you need to look for ways to improve our environment whether it is just picking up a piece of trash blowing by, recycling (we're still waiting on the city to give us a recycling can). We use our neighbors for now as they are just awesome. The fun for us begins the process. I receive one to three resumes per week from people wanting to work in the web design, software development, graphic design, marketing, social media, or writing fields. Every application received is looked over and I look at where we are planning on growing, if we have a spot available, and if after reading the application if they might be a good fit. Even with no spots open if we feel it would be a good fit and no position available we offer a person the option for sales. There are reasons for the dreaded sales role. It shows us your commitment, you get to learn about every aspect of the company, and when it comes time to grow an area of the company if we know your passion is in that area we offer it internally first. Every application received is always responded too. Many a few days later as after reading, I think about who the person is, what they are looking for, and I always sleep on any decision. The interview processes you could say is completely different from everything else we do. Many will have just one interview and that's it. Sometimes we go more with the more being more technical in nature and is based on the role you will be doing. We will normally meet at Uptown Café which is a small coffee shop around a mile from the office. This has a few benefits. First, I love coffee. Second, it puts a person into a more relaxed and non-traditional interview process. The final reason is being this is a public setting you can see how relaxed someone is when they are surrounded by a lot of people which tells us how well they can interact around people they might not initially know. During the interview, we talk. There will be talk about the position, a ton about who we are as a company, and what a person likes to do in their life. During the entire process, questions are always asked and answered as completely as possible. During the process, we will talk about the long-term vision for the department they are looking to be a part of, who they will be working with, and the reporting structure they would be a part of. The biggest aspect I look for in talking is will you be outgoing, are you a person that will fit our company culture, will you add value to our company, and will we be able to help you grow as an individual (I feel this is as important as anything else). As I said, in the beginning, you cannot prepare for our style of hiring as it's based on your entire life. You have been training your entire life for this position and no amount of preparing will get you prepared beyond "living". --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/aeo-in-SEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/aeo-in-SEO/ Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has long been the foundation of digital marketing, helping businesses increase their visibility in search results. But as technology evolves, so do the ways users search for and interact with content online. Enter **AEO**: **Answer Engine Optimization**, a newer, more focused approach to optimizing for search engines that prioritize delivering direct answers to user queries. In this article, we’ll explore what AEO is, how it differs from traditional SEO, and how you can take advantage of it to enhance your online presence and beat the competition. *** ## **What is AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)?** AEO, or **Answer Engine Optimization**, focuses on optimizing your content for **answer engines**, which are search engines designed to provide immediate, precise answers to user questions. Unlike traditional SEO, which primarily targets page rankings, AEO aims to get your content featured in **snippets**, **voice search results**, or **direct answers**. ### **Key Features of AEO** - **Featured Snippets:** These are the highlighted answer boxes that appear at the top of Google’s search results. - **Knowledge Panels:** Google displays entity-related information, often on the right side of search results. - **Voice Search Answers:** Devices like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri often rely on AEO to deliver spoken responses. - **Zero-Click Searches:** Optimized answers that provide all the necessary information on the search results page without requiring the user to click through. *** ## **Why is AEO Important for Your Business?** 1. **Increased Visibility:** Answer boxes and featured snippets often appear above traditional search results, giving you prime visibility. 2. **Voice Search Dominance:** With the rise of voice search, especially on mobile devices and smart speakers, optimizing for direct answers ensures your content is chosen as the preferred response. 3. **Higher Credibility:** Being featured in a snippet or answer box establishes your website as an authoritative source of information. 4. **Boosted Traffic and Engagement:** While zero-click searches may not always generate clicks, they can significantly improve brand recognition and trust, leading to more long-term engagement. *** ## **How Does AEO Differ from Traditional SEO?** | **Aspect** | **Traditional SEO** | **AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)** | |----------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | **Goal** | Rank higher in search results. | Provide direct answers to user queries. | | **Focus** | Keywords, backlinks, and content structure. | Question-based content and intent matching. | | **Target Audience** | All search engine users. | Users seeking quick, specific answers. | | **Key Features** | On-page SEO, link building, technical SEO. | Structured data, snippets, voice search. | *** ## **How to Take Advantage of AEO** ### **1. Understand User Intent** AEO starts with understanding the types of questions your target audience is asking. These typically fall into three categories: - **Informational:** "What is AEO?" - **Navigational:** "Where can I learn about AEO?" - **Transactional:** "How can I optimize for AEO?" **Action Steps:** - Use tools like **AnswerThePublic**, **Google’s People Also Ask**, and **Keyword Planner** to identify popular queries. - Focus on long-tail keywords that are phrased as questions. *** ### **2. Optimize for Featured Snippets** Featured snippets are a critical component of AEO, often referred to as "Position Zero" in search results. **Action Steps:** - Format content in Q&A or list formats. - Use concise, direct answers (40-60 words is optimal). - Incorporate tables, bullet points, or numbered lists for clarity. *** ### **3. Leverage Structured Data Markup** Structured data, or **schema markup**, helps search engines better understand your content, increasing the chances of being featured in snippets or answer boxes. **Action Steps:** - Use schemas like **FAQPage**, **HowTo**, and **Article** to annotate your content. - Test your structured data with Google’s [Rich Results Test](https://search.google.com/test/rich-results). *** ### **4. Focus on Voice Search Optimization** With the growth of voice search, optimizing for spoken queries is essential for AEO. **Action Steps:** - Write content in a conversational tone. - Use natural language to match how people speak. - Ensure mobile responsiveness and fast-loading pages, as voice search is often conducted on mobile devices. *** ### **5. Build Entity Authority** Entities are critical for AEO because search engines use them to understand relationships between topics and your business. **Action Steps:** - Claim and optimize your **Google Business Profile**. - Use consistent branding and entity mentions across your website and social media. - Link to credible sources to establish your authority. *** ### **6. Provide Comprehensive, High-Quality Content** Google prioritizes content that thoroughly answers user queries while maintaining accuracy and relevance. **Action Steps:** - Cover topics deeply, addressing all related questions. - Update outdated content to maintain accuracy. - Use engaging visuals, charts, and infographics to enhance comprehension. *** ### **7. Monitor Performance and Refine** SEO, including AEO, requires continuous improvement. Use analytics to track performance and identify opportunities for optimization. **Action Steps:** - Monitor **click-through rates (CTR)**, **bounce rates**, and **snippet appearances** using Google Analytics and Google Search Console. - Experiment with new formats, such as video snippets or voice-friendly content. *** ## **Benefits of Optimizing for AEO** 1. **Stay Ahead of Competitors:** Many businesses still focus solely on traditional SEO. AEO gives you a competitive edge by targeting untapped opportunities. 2. **Attract Highly Relevant Traffic:** By answering specific questions, you attract users who are more likely to engage with your business. 3. **Establish Thought Leadership:** Appearing in answer boxes reinforces your credibility and authority in your industry. 4. **Leverage Voice Search Growth:** As more users adopt voice search, AEO ensures your business is ready to capture this growing market. *** ## **Conclusion** Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) represents the next evolution of SEO, focusing on delivering precise answers to user queries. By embracing AEO strategies—such as understanding user intent, optimizing for featured snippets, leveraging structured data, and refining your content—you can significantly enhance your online presence and stay ahead of the competition. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in helping businesses implement cutting-edge SEO strategies, including AEO. Let us help you optimize for the future of search and grow your business. [Contact us today to get started!](/Contact/) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/aeo-vs-seo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/aeo-vs-seo/ ## Introduction: The Evolution of Search Optimization In today's digital landscape, businesses must do more than just rank on search engines; they need to provide instant, relevant answers to users. That's where **Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)** comes in. While **Search Engine Optimization (SEO)** focuses on ranking web pages in search results, AEO ensures that your content appears in **featured snippets**, **voice searches**, and **AI-generated answers**. The shift from SEO to AEO is a natural evolution driven by changing user behavior. Search engines and AI assistants are prioritizing direct answers, making it essential for businesses to adapt. In this guide, we'll explore the key differences between AEO and SEO, why both are crucial, and how you can leverage them to grow your business. ## What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? **Search Engine Optimization (SEO)** is the process of optimizing your website to improve its visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). The goal is to increase **organic traffic** by improving rankings on Google, Bing, and other search engines. ### Key SEO Techniques - **Keyword Optimization**: Researching and incorporating relevant keywords into content. - **Backlink Building**: Earning links from authoritative websites to boost credibility. - **On-Page SEO**: Optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, and headers. - **Technical SEO**: Improving site speed, mobile-friendliness, and crawlability. - **Content Marketing**: Publishing high-quality blogs, articles, and resources. SEO focuses on delivering **long-term visibility**, driving traffic through strategic content and website optimization. ## What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)? **Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)** is the practice of structuring content to provide direct answers to user queries. AEO is designed to optimize for search features such as: - **Featured Snippets** (Position Zero on Google) - **Voice Search Queries** - **AI-Generated Answers** (e.g., Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Alexa responses) ### Key AEO Strategies - **Question-Based Content**: Crafting content that directly answers common user questions. - **Structured Data & Schema Markup**: Using schema to help search engines understand content. - **Conversational Keywords**: Optimizing for natural language queries (e.g., "How do I...?" or "What is the best way to...?") - **Voice Search Optimization**: Adapting content for AI assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. - **Mobile & Fast-Loading Pages**: Ensuring quick, mobile-friendly responses for on-the-go users. AEO isn't about ranking higher in search results—it's about **owning the answer** and becoming the go-to source for information. ## AEO vs. SEO: Key Differences | **Aspect** | **SEO (Search Engine Optimization)** | **AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)** | | --- | --- | --- | | Primary Goal | Increase website traffic through search rankings. | Provide immediate answers to user queries. | | Content Focus | Long-form, keyword-optimized content. | Concise, answer-driven content. | | Search Behavior | Users click through search results. | Users get answers directly in search results or AI tools. | | Optimization Tactics | Keywords, backlinks, technical SEO. | Structured data, voice search, Q&A content. | | Ranking Factors | Domain authority, user engagement, backlinks. | Schema markup, conversational language, AI relevance. | | Best for | Businesses looking for long-term website traffic growth. \| Brands wanting instant visibility in voice and AI-driven search. \| | | While SEO ensures your website ranks well, AEO makes sure your **answers** are found and used across multiple search formats. ## Why Your Business Needs Both AEO & SEO ### Voice Search is Growing Rapidly - **71% of users** prefer voice search over typing. - AI assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant rely on AEO-driven content. - Optimizing for both SEO & AEO ensures your brand appears in text-based and voice searches. ### Featured Snippets Drive Clicks & Authority - Snippets occupy the top SERP position (Position Zero). - **Over 50% of Google searches** result in zero clicks—users find answers instantly. - AEO helps secure these prime spots, while SEO supports overall content visibility. ### AI-Generated Answers Are Reshaping Search - AI-driven search tools (e.g., Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT) use AEO-friendly content. - Businesses that optimize for AI-generated responses gain an edge in emerging search landscapes. ### SEO & AEO Create a Full-Funnel Strategy - SEO builds authority and drives sustained organic traffic. - AEO captures immediate attention for direct answers. - Using both ensures **maximum visibility across all search experiences**. ## How to Implement AEO & SEO for Your Business ### Step 1: Research & Identify High-Intent Queries - Use tools like **Google Search Console**, **Ahrefs**, and **SEMrush** to find **question-based keywords**. - Analyze competitor featured snippets and answer-focused content. ### Step 2: Optimize for SEO Basics - Ensure fast page speed, mobile-friendliness, and secure (HTTPS) browsing. - Create in-depth, authoritative content optimized for targeted keywords. - Earn backlinks from credible sources to enhance domain authority. ### Step 3: Structure Content for AEO - Format content into Q&A sections, bullet points, and structured paragraphs. - Add **schema markup** for FAQs, how-to guides, and business information. - Write in **conversational language** that mimics how users ask questions. ### Step 4: Optimize for Voice Search & AI Assistants - Use **natural, long-tail keywords** aligned with how people speak. - Keep answers **concise** (aim for **40-60 words** for snippet optimization). - Test your content's readability with voice search tools like Google Assistant. ### Step 5: Monitor & Adjust for Performance - Track featured snippet appearances and **click-through rates (CTR)**. - Analyze voice search traffic via Google Search Console. - Continuously update content based on search trends and AI advancements. ## Conclusion: The Future of Search is AEO + SEO SEO and AEO are no longer competing strategies; they are complementary. **SEO builds a strong foundation for digital visibility**, while **AEO ensures your brand is the first answer users see in search results, voice queries, and AI-generated responses**. Businesses that integrate both strategies will gain a significant advantage in the ever-evolving search landscape. Don't just optimize for search—**optimize for answers**. ### Ready to Dominate Search? At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in crafting **SEO and AEO strategies** that put your business ahead of the competition. Contact us today to optimize your content for **maximum search visibility** and future-proof your online presence! ## FAQs About SEO & AEO
What is AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)?
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing content to be directly featured in search engine answer boxes, featured snippets, voice search results, and AI-generated responses. It focuses on structuring content in a way that provides immediate, concise answers to user queries.
How does AEO differ from traditional SEO?
While SEO (Search Engine Optimization) aims to improve rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs) and drive traffic to a website, AEO is focused on getting content featured in answer boxes, AI responses, and voice search results. SEO emphasizes long-form content, backlinks, and keyword optimization, whereas AEO prioritizes structured data, concise answers, and user intent.
Why is AEO important?
AEO is important because search engines and AI assistants (such as Google Assistant, Siri, and ChatGPT) are increasingly delivering direct answers to user queries. Being featured in these answers enhances brand visibility, increases authority, and drives organic engagement—even without website clicks.
How does AEO impact search results?
AEO helps content appear in featured snippets, knowledge panels, AI-generated responses, and voice search results. This increases exposure and credibility, allowing users to get quick answers without navigating multiple web pages.
What are featured snippets, and how do they relate to AEO?
Featured snippets are selected search results that appear at the top of Google’s SERPs in a special box. AEO helps optimize content for these snippets by providing clear, structured, and question-based answers.
What role does AI play in AEO?
AI-driven search engines and chatbots analyze and extract the most relevant answers from indexed content. AEO ensures that content is formatted in a way that makes it easy for AI to interpret and display in response to user queries.
What’s the connection between AEO and voice search?
AEO is crucial for voice search because users typically ask complete, conversational questions (e.g., “What’s the best digital marketing strategy?”). AEO helps optimize content for these natural language queries, increasing the chances of appearing in voice search results.
How can I optimize my content for AEO?

To optimize for AEO, focus on:

  • Creating high-quality, structured content
  • Answering common user queries in a direct and concise manner
  • Using schema markup and structured data
  • Optimizing for voice search and natural language processing (NLP)
  • Writing in a Q&A format with clear, actionable responses
What is schema markup, and how does it help AEO?
Schema markup is a type of structured data that helps search engines understand the content and context of your webpage. Using schema markup (such as FAQ schema or How-To schema) increases the chances of being featured in answer boxes.
How does content length affect AEO?
AEO-optimized content should be concise and directly answer the user’s question. While longer articles are still valuable for SEO, AEO prioritizes bite-sized, easily digestible answers that can be extracted as featured snippets.
Should I focus on AEO or SEO?
You should focus on both. SEO helps improve website visibility, organic traffic, and long-term growth, while AEO helps capture attention in AI-powered and voice search results. Using both strategies together ensures maximum exposure.
Does AEO replace SEO?
No, AEO does not replace SEO. Instead, it complements SEO by improving visibility in search experiences that don’t require traditional SERP rankings, such as AI-generated responses and voice searches.
How does AEO impact click-through rates (CTR)?
AEO can both increase and decrease CTR. If your answer is featured in a snippet, users might not need to click your site. However, being positioned as a trusted source can increase brand credibility, leading to more clicks on other queries.
Is AEO the future of search marketing?
Yes, as AI-driven search tools and voice search continue to evolve, AEO will become an essential strategy for businesses to maintain visibility and authority. Search engines are prioritizing direct answers, making AEO a crucial component of modern digital marketing.
How will AI impact AEO in the coming years?
AI advancements will refine how search engines and virtual assistants extract and present information. Businesses that structure their content effectively will have a competitive advantage in AI-driven search landscapes.
What industries benefit the most from AEO?
Industries that rely on informational content, such as healthcare, finance, legal services, and digital marketing, benefit the most. However, any business that wants to improve its visibility in voice search and AI-powered answers should adopt AEO strategies.
How do I know if my website needs AEO?

If your business relies on online visibility, lead generation, or content marketing, AEO can enhance your brand’s authority. You should consider AEO if:

  • Your target audience uses voice search or AI-powered tools
  • You want to appear in featured snippets or answer boxes
  • Your industry is highly competitive in search rankings
How long does it take to see results from AEO?
AEO results can be seen relatively quickly compared to traditional SEO. If your content is well-structured and optimized, it can be picked up by search engines and AI systems within weeks or even days. However, ongoing optimization is needed for long-term success.
Do I need an expert to implement AEO for my business?
While basic AEO strategies can be implemented by anyone with SEO knowledge, working with an experienced digital marketing agency, like Fawkes Digital Marketing, ensures that your content is optimized effectively for AI-driven searches, featured snippets, and voice search.
Where can I learn more about AEO?
To stay updated on AEO trends and best practices, follow industry leaders, attend digital marketing webinars, and work with experts like Fawkes Digital Marketing to optimize your business for the future of search.
--- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Agile-Marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Agile-Marketing/ As software developers, we understand the importance of change and being agile. After all, software development is all about being agile. Technology changes at a pace that quickly overwhelms traditional marketing methods and why there has been a shift to being agile. No longer does traditional marketing work. Those that do traditional marketing you will see scrambling and deeply concerned when small changes happen. Think of every search engine or Facebook algorithm change. Those that are focused on traditional marketing scramble to figure out how to adapt to the change. Those that are in the agile marketing space look at the changes, adapt and evolve with no sign of panic as panic creates bad results. You can no longer create a campaign for months, release, and wait six or more months for results. Results happen quickly. With agile marketing, you make iterations and changes on a monthly basis. Marketing campaigns are shorter, highly targeted, require cross-functional collaboration, and helps businesses evolve at a faster pace. When it comes to being agile when it comes to marketing everything is within a continuous circle of evolution where traditional marketing has a beginning, middle, and end. Usually, during the middle of the traditional process, another campaign is started. The results from the past campaign aren’t used and you are one or two adoptions from what is currently being used. This is often called the waterfall marketing approach. Teams are more collaborative, share information more often, and make decisions without going through countless meetings. By eliminating meetings, continuously pushing forward, looking at the current results on a monthly, sometimes weekly basis, you can adapt to changes in the market at a more rapid pace. Part of being agile that scares many companies is the test methodology of being agile. You do a lot of experimental things that might never be done in the traditional “safe” approach to marketing. You push yourself outside of your comfort zone with every agile iteration you put on the market. The typical agile company will test, learn, iterate, and execute at a much faster pace than their competitors. This faster pace allows you to adapt and move ahead of your competitors at a pace that blows their mind. Often people ask how we change so quickly. The reason is we lead by example with agile adaptions to our marketing, our products, and our services on a monthly basis based on the current market needs. Agile marketing focuses on doing the right work, at the right time, and with the right people so that you get the best results for what is being promoted. By focusing on results that make the most impact for your business you are able to drop what isn’t working, continue what is working, and test new ideas that might otherwise never be tried. Being agile will allow you to: - Shift your digital marketing channels quickly based on where your customers are - Try new marketing techniques to see what works at a rapid pace - Empowers the entire company to collaborate and contribute rather than a handful of individuals - Have fewer meetings and focus on results - Produces rapid learning cycles to produce higher performing results and products go to market faster - Your marketing becomes more integrated into your day-to-day operations rather than just being functional - You look at results more often and change based on those results - You get more done in a shorter period of time - You look at your marketing metrics and KPIs (key performance indicators) more often - Fewer meetings and layers of marketing approval - Increased overall company transparency on marketing spend - Increased accountability across marketing - Failure is no longer failure but part of your KPIs and increases your overall quality - Your companies message reaches your customers in a more clear and concise way - Customer satisfaction is higher due to honesty and clear information - Your competitiveness in your industry is so fast your competition won’t be able to adjust as quickly as you do - Quality of work actually increases - Work is split more evenly among team members - Identify roadblocks and problems faster - Improved teamwork and morale within your company - Marketing projects are completed more on-time - Marketing becomes more measurable If your business doesn’t do anything online we encourage you to not even consider being agile. It will be an ultimate failure. If you are trying to stay in contact with your customers online, reach new customers at a faster pace, and spend less than agile is a great solution. When we market to our clients we typically do 10-20% traditional and then 80-90% agile so that we can quickly adapt while still doing the tried and true marketing methods. Last year that resulted in an overall 20% growth for our clients that used agile marketing techniques. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ai-and-voice-search/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ai-and-voice-search/ The world of digital marketing is changing faster than ever. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and voice search, businesses must adapt their online presence to stay competitive. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we’re proud to be the **only website provider in Cullman, Alabama** offering fully optimized websites tailored for AI-driven and voice search technologies. This innovative approach positions your business to win more customers, outshine competitors, and future-proof your digital marketing strategy. Here's why this matters and how we can help your business thrive in today’s evolving search landscape. *** ## **The Importance of AI and Voice Search Optimization** ### **The AI Revolution** Artificial intelligence is reshaping how search engines rank websites and deliver results. Google, Bing, and other platforms are now powered by AI algorithms like **Google’s RankBrain** and **MUM**, which prioritize relevance, context, and intent over simple keyword matching. To compete, businesses need websites optimized for these AI-driven algorithms. ### **The Voice Search Boom** Voice search is no longer a novelty—it’s a necessity. Devices like **Amazon Alexa**, **Google Assistant**, and **Siri** have made voice search a preferred method for millions of users. Studies show that: - **58% of consumers** use voice search to find local business information. - **71% of users** prefer conducting a query by voice when they need quick answers. Without proper voice search optimization, your business risks being overlooked by potential customers. *** ## **Why Fawkes Digital Marketing Leads in AI and Voice Search Optimization** At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we’ve combined cutting-edge technology with expert strategies to deliver websites that aren’t just visually stunning but also optimized to rank in AI-driven search results and voice search queries. Here’s what sets us apart: ### **1. Advanced AI Optimization** Our websites are built to work seamlessly with AI-powered search engines. We use: - **Natural Language Processing (NLP):** Ensuring content aligns with how AI interprets user queries. - **Entity-Based SEO:** Connecting your business to recognized concepts in Google’s Knowledge Graph. - **Structured Data Markup:** Helping AI understand your website’s context and relevance. ### **2. Tailored for Voice Search** Voice search requires a unique approach, and we excel in crafting websites that: - Use **conversational keywords** matching how users speak. - Answer common questions directly with **FAQ schema** for voice-friendly results. - Optimize for **local intent**, making your business the go-to choice for customers searching nearby. ### **3. Exclusive Local Expertise** As the only provider in Cullman focusing on these advanced strategies, we understand the unique needs of businesses in **Cullman and North Alabama**. Our tailored solutions ensure you stand out in local searches, whether typed or spoken. *** ## **How AI and Voice Optimization Benefits Your Business** ### **1. Outrank Competitors** AI-driven search engines prioritize websites optimized for relevance and authority. Our strategies ensure your business consistently ranks above the competition. ### **2. Capture Voice Search Traffic** When potential customers ask their devices, “Where’s the best marketing agency near me?” or “What’s the top plumbing service in Cullman?”, our voice-optimized websites help ensure **your business** is the answer. ### **3. Increase Conversions** By aligning your site with how users search, we create frictionless experiences that lead to higher engagement and conversions. ### **4. Future-Proof Your Website** The digital landscape will only continue to evolve, with AI and voice technologies leading the way. By partnering with us, you ensure your website remains competitive for years to come. *** ## **Our Comprehensive Optimization Process** At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we leave no stone unturned in ensuring your website is AI and voice search-ready: ### **1. In-Depth Keyword and Intent Analysis** We identify conversational keywords and user intents that drive voice and AI searches, creating content tailored to capture these queries. ### **2. Structured Data Integration** We add **schema markup** like FAQ, HowTo, and LocalBusiness schemas to make your site easily readable by AI algorithms and voice assistants. ### **3. Mobile and Speed Optimization** Voice searches are predominantly performed on mobile devices. Our sites are **mobile-first** and designed for **lightning-fast loading speeds**, enhancing both user experience and rankings. ### **4. Local SEO Mastery** As Cullman’s local marketing experts, we optimize for location-based searches, ensuring your business ranks for queries like “best restaurant in Cullman” or “Cullman web designers.” ### **5. Continuous Monitoring and Updates** SEO for AI and voice search is not a one-time task. We continuously monitor your site’s performance and implement updates to keep you ahead of the curve. *** ## **Why Cullman Businesses Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing** In Cullman, Alabama, and the surrounding areas, we’ve built a reputation for helping businesses dominate their industries online. Here’s why we’re trusted by so many local businesses: ### **1. Unmatched Expertise** We are pioneers in integrating AI and voice search strategies into web design and SEO. ### **2. Tailored Solutions** No cookie-cutter websites here. Each project is customized to your business’s unique goals, audience, and industry. ### **3. Dedicated Local Support** We’re not just your service provider—we’re your **local partner**, always ready to support your business’s success. ### **4. Results That Speak for Themselves** Our clients consistently see higher rankings, increased traffic, and more leads, thanks to our advanced optimization strategies. *** ## **Let’s Build Your Future-Ready Website Today** The future of search is here, and **Fawkes Digital Marketing** is leading the way in Cullman, Alabama. Don’t get left behind in an increasingly competitive digital world. Let us create a website that not only looks amazing but also wins business by leveraging the power of AI and voice search optimization. [Contact us today](/Contact/) to schedule a consultation. Together, we’ll ensure your business stays ahead of the competition and captures the attention it deserves. **Fawkes Digital Marketing: The voice of success in Cullman, Alabama.** --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ai-blog-articles/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ai-blog-articles/ In the ever-evolving world of content marketing, staying ahead means producing high-quality blog articles that not only rank well on search engines but also engage and resonate with readers. With the rise of **Artificial Intelligence (AI)**, content creation has become more efficient and accessible than ever before. However, generating blog articles with AI that are **written for humans** and designed to rank, engage, and get shared requires a strategic approach. ## Why Use AI for Blog Article Creation? AI tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and Writesonic are revolutionizing the way businesses create content. Here are some of the top reasons to integrate AI into your content strategy: 1. **Efficiency**: AI speeds up the content creation process, allowing you to produce high-quality articles in minutes. 2. **Cost-Effective**: AI tools reduce the need for extensive resources, making it a cost-effective solution for small businesses and startups. 3. **Consistency**: AI ensures your content maintains a consistent tone, style, and structure across multiple articles. 4. **Data-Driven Insights**: Many AI tools integrate with SEO platforms to analyze trends and generate keyword-optimized content. 5. **Idea Generation**: Stuck on a topic? AI can brainstorm blog ideas based on your niche and target audience. ## How to Generate Blog Articles with AI That Rank AI-generated content can rank well on search engines if done correctly. Here’s how to optimize AI-created articles for SEO: 1. **Start with Strategic Keyword Research**: AI can assist with keyword research, but you need to guide it with your content goals. Use tools like **Google Keyword Planner**, **Ahrefs**, or **SEMrush** to find: - **Primary Keywords**: Broad terms that represent your main topic. - **Long-Tail Keywords**: Specific phrases that address user intent and have less competition. - **Example**: If your topic is "Email Marketing," target long-tail keywords like "how to write engaging email subject lines" or "best email marketing strategies for small businesses." - **Craft SEO-Focused Outlines**: AI can help structure your blog with a clear hierarchy of headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.), but ensure: - The primary keyword is in the **title** and **meta description**. - Subheadings are descriptive and incorporate long-tail keywords. - The outline includes an introduction, main points, and a compelling conclusion. - Example Outline for an Email Marketing Blog: - What is Email Marketing? (H2) - Why Email Marketing is Crucial for Small Businesses (H2) - 5 Best Practices for Writing Emails That Convert (H2) - Engaging Subject Lines (H3) - Personalization Techniques (H3) - How to Measure Email Campaign Success (H2) - **Conclusion**: Unlocking the Power of Email Marketing (H2) ## Generate Content with AI 1. When using AI tools: - Provide **clear prompts**: Be specific about tone, style, and the points you want the article to cover. - **Example Prompt**: "Write a blog post about email marketing strategies for small businesses. Include tips on personalization, segmentation, and measuring success. Use a conversational tone." - Review and refine the output to ensure it aligns with your goals and audience. 2. Add a Human Touch: While AI can generate content quickly, it lacks the emotional depth and creativity of a human writer. To make your articles resonate: - **Personalize Examples**: Use relatable scenarios or industry-specific examples. - **Inject Storytelling**: Add anecdotes or case studies to engage readers. - **Adjust the Tone**: Tailor the content to your audience, whether they prefer formal or conversational language. 3. Optimize for Search Engines: After generating the article, ensure its fully optimized for SEO: - **Meta Tags**: Write a compelling meta title and description that include your primary keyword. - **Internal Linking**: Link to related articles on your website to improve navigation and SEO. - **Alt Text**: Add descriptive alt text to images for accessibility and SEO. - **Content Length**: Ensure the article is long enough to provide value (typically 1,000–2,000 words for in-depth topics). ## How to Generate Blog Articles That Engage Ranking high on search engines is only part of the equation. To engage your readers, the content must be informative, entertaining, and actionable. 1. **Write for Humans, Not Just Algorithms** - Avoid overloading your article with keywords, as this can feel robotic or spammy. - Focus on **providing value**, answering questions, and solving problems. 2. **Include Engaging Visuals** - Add images, infographics, or videos to break up text and illustrate key points. - AI tools like Canva or Designhill can help you create visuals that complement your content. 3. **Use a Conversational Tone**: AI-generated content can sometimes feel stiff. Make it more engaging by: - Asking questions to involve readers. - Using second-person language (e.g., "you" and "your"). - Adding humor or relatable phrases when appropriate. 4. **Incorporate CTAs (Calls-to-Action)**: Encourage readers to take action, such as: - Sharing your blog. - Subscribing to your newsletter. - Downloading a free resource. ## How to Generate Blog Articles That Get Shared To create content that gets shared, focus on topics and formats that resonate with your audience. 1. **Address Trending Topics**: Use AI to analyze current trends in your industry and craft timely, relevant content. 2. **Focus on Shareable Formats**: Some blog formats naturally get shared more, such as: - **Lists**: ("Top 10 Email Marketing Tips for Small Businesses") - **How-Tos**: ("How to Write Emails That Drive Conversions") - **Case Studies**: ("How One Business Boosted Sales by 50% Using Email Marketing") 3. **Add Shareable Elements** - Create **click-to-tweet quotes** or stats. - Include attractive visuals or infographics that readers can easily share on social media. ## The Balance Between AI and Human Expertise While AI is an excellent tool for generating blog content, it’s most effective when combined with human expertise. Here’s why: 1. **AI Handles Efficiency**: Generates outlines, drafts, and ideas quickly. 2. **Humans Handle Emotion**: Add creativity, empathy, and authenticity that resonates with readers. 3. **SEO Needs Both**: AI tools help with technical SEO, while humans ensure content aligns with audience intent. ## Conclusion: Unlock the Power of AI for Content Creation Using AI to generate blog articles is a game-changer for businesses looking to create consistent, high-quality content. By combining AI’s efficiency with human creativity, you can produce articles that rank well, engage readers, and get shared across platforms. ## Ready to supercharge your blog strategy with AI? At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in blending cutting-edge AI tools with expert content creation to help businesses thrive online. [Contact us today](/Contact/) to learn how we can create content that drives traffic and boosts engagement for your brand! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ai-frontier-llms-txt/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ai-frontier-llms-txt/ The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and with the explosive growth of Artificial Intelligence, a new frontier in web management has emerged. While robots.txt has long been the gatekeeper for traditional web crawlers, the rise of large language models (LLMs) and generative AI demands a more nuanced approach. Enter llms.txt – a crucial, yet often overlooked, directive for agencies and businesses alike. If your website is online, LLMs are probably interacting with it. The question is: are you guiding that interaction, or leaving it to chance? ### The "Why": Beyond robots.txt – Guiding the AI Gaze For years, robots.txt served as the primary instruction manual for search engine spiders, telling them what to crawl, what to index, and what to leave alone. It's a binary system: Allow or Disallow. However, LLMs operate differently. They don't just index content; they read, comprehend, summarize, and generate new content based on the information they ingest. This presents both incredible opportunities and significant challenges: - **Attribution & Plagiarism**: If an LLM uses your content to answer a user's query, how do you ensure your brand gets credit? - **Accuracy & Context**: Does the LLM understand the nuances of your industry-specific jargon or proprietary information? - **Data Privacy & Sensitivity**: Are there parts of your site that, while public, should not be ingested or reproduced by an AI without specific context? - **Copyright & Usage Rights**: What are the boundaries for how an AI can utilize your intellectual property? llms.txt is designed to address these concerns. It's not a legal contract, but rather a protocol-level request to AI systems, communicating your preferences for how your content should be understood, attributed, and used. It's about protecting your digital assets and ensuring fair play in the age of AI. ## What Many Agencies and Businesses Are Getting Wrong The example of a well-intentioned but technically flawed llms.txt file (like the one we just discussed for North AL Excavation) highlights common pitfalls: - **Misunderstanding the Format**: Many assume llms.txt follows the exact Allow: / Disallow: syntax of robots.txt. While similar directives can be used, the emerging standard for llms.txt is often a Markdown-based structure (using headings, lists, and clear directives) that LLMs are specifically trained to parse more effectively than traditional bots. - **Overlooking Detail**: A generic Disallow: /wp-admin/ is good, but truly guiding AI requires specifying nuanced usage. For instance, you might allow summarization but disallow full reproduction of specific, high-value content (e.g., "No reproduction of full service pages, pricing pages, or proprietary project descriptions"). - **Ignoring Attribution**: One of the most critical aspects for any business is getting credit. Many files omit a clear Attribution: directive, missing the chance to explicitly request a citation back to their brand and website. - **Lack of Contact Information**: If an AI developer has a question about your content usage, how can they reach you? A clear Contact: email is essential. - **The "Hidden Character" Problem**: Copy-pasting from various sources or word processors can introduce invisible characters that break URLs or directives, rendering the file ineffective. This small oversight can have big implications. The core mistake is treating llms.txt as an afterthought or a simple copy-paste job. It requires careful consideration, adherence to emerging standards, and a forward-thinking perspective on AI interaction. The Paramount Importance of llms.txt in the AI Era The symbiotic relationship between llms.txt and AI is profound. As AI becomes more integrated into search engines, content creation, and user interactions, having a well-crafted llms.txt file is not just good practice – it's quickly becoming a necessity for several reasons: - **Brand Protection**: Ensure your brand identity, messaging, and expertise are accurately represented and attributed when AI systems leverage your content. - **Content Control**: Dictate the terms under which your intellectual property can be used. Prevent full-page reproduction where only summarization is acceptable. - **SEO in the AI Age**: As search results increasingly feature AI-generated summaries and "answers," guiding LLMs on how to interpret your site can influence your visibility and the quality of information associated with your brand in these new formats. - **Ethical AI Interaction**: Contribute to a more ethical AI ecosystem by setting clear boundaries and expectations for content usage, encouraging responsible AI development. - **Future-Proofing**: The standards for AI interaction are still evolving. Implementing llms.txt now positions your business at the forefront, ready to adapt as these protocols mature. ## Conclusion The digital world is no longer just about optimizing for human eyes and traditional search engines. It's about communicating effectively with intelligent machines that are rapidly becoming integral to how users discover and consume information. Implementing a well-structured llms.txt file is a proactive step that every agency and business should take. It’s an investment in protecting your brand, controlling your narrative, and ensuring your digital presence thrives in the age of artificial intelligence. Don't just exist in the AI era; actively guide your interactions within it. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ai-mid-2025/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ai-mid-2025/ In 2025, artificial intelligence has evolved from being a futuristic concept to a core component of everyday business, marketing, creativity, and productivity. Whether you're a solopreneur, a digital agency, or a large enterprise, understanding which AI systems are leading the industry can give you a competitive edge. This pillar article breaks down the most powerful and practical AI platforms of the year. *** ## ChatGPT by OpenAI **Best for:** Conversational AI, content creation, research, productivity, coding OpenAI's ChatGPT continues to lead the market with its powerful reasoning, language generation, and multimodal capabilities (text, images, code, and more). With plugins, custom GPTs, and deep integration across business tools, it is the most versatile AI system in 2025. **Use cases:** - Writing blog posts and emails - Generating and editing images - Customer support chatbots - Brainstorming and ideation *** ## Claude by Anthropic **Best for:** Long-form analysis, ethical alignment, high-context understanding Claude is known for its clarity, long memory (handling 100K+ tokens), and safe, conversational tone. It is a favorite for enterprises and academics needing trustworthy and reliable output. **Use cases:** - Deep document summarization - Drafting policies and compliance docs - Researching complex topics *** ## Google Gemini (formerly Bard) **Best for:** Search augmentation, real-time data, integration with Google Workspace Gemini offers smart AI features across Google Docs, Sheets, Gmail, and Search. It's especially useful for teams already embedded in the Google ecosystem. **Use cases:** - Smart email drafting in Gmail - AI-assisted data analysis in Sheets - AI search companion for research *** ## Microsoft Copilot **Best for:** Microsoft Office productivity, business operations, real-time document editing Integrated into Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams, Microsoft Copilot is a massive time-saver for professionals. It writes documents, analyzes spreadsheets, summarizes meetings, and more. **Use cases:** - Preparing reports in Word - Automating Excel formulas - Generating meeting summaries *** ## Midjourney **Best for:** High-quality AI-generated art and imagery Midjourney is the go-to AI for designers, marketers, and storytellers seeking visually stunning images. Known for its surreal, cinematic style. **Use cases:** - Website hero images - Social media content - Branding and illustrations *** ## DALL·E 3 by OpenAI **Best for:** Custom image generation with natural language prompts DALL·E 3 builds detailed, customizable images from text, integrated directly into ChatGPT. Its inpainting capabilities make editing visuals seamless. **Use cases:** - Product mockups - Marketing visuals - Children's books and stories *** ## Sora by OpenAI (Preview) **Best for:** Text-to-video generation and storytelling Still in limited release, Sora represents the future of AI-generated video. It creates short, high-quality clips from plain text prompts, ideal for media, advertising, and content creators. **Use cases:** - Short video ads - Animated storytelling - Educational demos *** ## Perplexity AI **Best for:** Factual search with AI summarization Perplexity combines the power of a search engine with AI-driven summaries and real-time web updates. It cites sources and answers complex questions accurately. **Use cases:** - Competitive research - Summarizing trends - Real-time fact-checking *** ## Runway ML **Best for:** Video editing and creative content automation Runway empowers creators with AI tools for editing videos, removing backgrounds, applying filters, and now, generating Gen-2 video content. **Use cases:** - YouTube production - Social video editing - Visual effects for media *** ## GitHub Copilot / Replit Ghostwriter **Best for:** Software development and code generation These tools assist developers by writing, completing, and explaining code in real time. GitHub Copilot (powered by OpenAI Codex) is widely used inside IDEs, while Replit Ghostwriter helps online coders. **Use cases:** - Writing and debugging code - Learning programming - Speeding up development cycles *** ## Conclusion: Build Your AI Stack In 2025, no single AI tool does it all—and that’s a good thing. The smartest businesses are stacking AI tools for specific needs: content, imagery, automation, communication, and analytics. Whether you're trying to cut costs, scale faster, or gain an edge, these ten AI platforms are your best allies. **Need help integrating these AI tools into your business?** Fawkes Digital Marketing offers AI-driven digital solutions to help businesses grow smarter. Let’s talk. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/AI-SEO-vs-Regular-SEO-Understanding-the-Difference/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/AI-SEO-vs-Regular-SEO-Understanding-the-Difference/ ### AI SEO vs Regular SEO: Understanding the Differences and Leveraging Both for Success In today’s ever-evolving digital landscape, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) remains a cornerstone of any successful online presence. But with the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the way we approach SEO is transforming. AI SEO and regular SEO each bring unique benefits, and businesses that harness the power of both can stay ahead of the competition. Let’s explore the differences, benefits, and strategies for leveraging AI SEO and regular SEO to maximize your digital marketing success. *** ### What is Regular SEO? Regular SEO refers to traditional optimization techniques that help improve a website’s visibility on search engines. It focuses on human-driven strategies and relies heavily on industry knowledge, research, and manual efforts. #### **Core Components of Regular SEO:** - **Keyword Research:** Identifying relevant search terms your audience is using. - **On-Page Optimization:** Optimizing elements like title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and internal links. - **Technical SEO:** Improving site speed, mobile-friendliness, and crawlability. - **Content Creation:** Developing high-quality, keyword-rich content that resonates with your audience. - **Backlink Building:** Earning links from authoritative websites to boost domain authority. Regular SEO requires consistent monitoring and adjustments to align with search engine algorithm updates. *** ### What is AI SEO? AI SEO leverages artificial intelligence to automate and enhance various aspects of optimization. AI tools use machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and data analysis to provide actionable insights and streamline SEO processes. #### **Key Features of AI SEO:** - **AI-Powered Keyword Research:** Tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs use AI to uncover long-tail keywords and search trends. - **Content Optimization:** AI tools analyze top-performing content and provide recommendations for improving readability, relevance, and keyword usage. - **Predictive Analytics:** AI predicts search trends and user behavior to help businesses stay ahead. - **Automated Reporting:** Real-time analytics and insights eliminate the need for manual data crunching. - **Voice Search Optimization:** AI enables businesses to optimize content for conversational queries and voice assistants. *** ### Benefits of Regular SEO #### **1. Human Intuition and Creativity** Regular SEO relies on the marketer’s ability to understand their audience, adapt to nuances, and craft engaging content that resonates emotionally. #### **2. Building Long-Term Authority** Manual backlink building and high-quality content creation establish your brand as an authority in your niche. #### **3. Customization and Control** Regular SEO allows for tailored strategies based on specific business goals and market demands. *** ### Benefits of AI SEO #### **1. Efficiency and Automation** AI tools handle time-consuming tasks like keyword research, competitive analysis, and performance tracking, freeing up time for strategic planning. #### **2. Data-Driven Insights** AI analyzes vast amounts of data to identify opportunities and gaps, helping businesses make informed decisions. #### **3. Adaptability to Algorithm Changes** AI tools often stay updated with the latest algorithm changes, ensuring your SEO strategy remains effective. *** ### How Businesses Can Use Both AI SEO and Regular SEO Combining AI SEO and regular SEO allows businesses to take a hybrid approach that leverages the best of both worlds. #### **1. Use AI for Data Analysis and Insights** AI tools can analyze competitor strategies, identify high-performing keywords, and monitor search trends. Use this data to inform your manual SEO efforts. #### **2. Enhance Content Creation with AI Suggestions** While AI tools can suggest keywords, headings, and content structures, human creativity ensures the final content is engaging and authentic. #### **3. Optimize for Voice Search and NLP** AI excels in optimizing for voice search and natural language queries. Combine this with traditional on-page SEO techniques to capture a broader audience. #### **4. Automate Repetitive Tasks** Delegate tasks like reporting, site audits, and basic optimization to AI tools, and focus your manual efforts on strategy and creativity. *** ### What Needs to Be Done for Success with Both AI and Regular SEO #### **1. Choose the Right Tools** - For AI SEO: Tools like Jasper, Clearscope, and Surfer SEO provide actionable insights and automation. - For Regular SEO: Platforms like Google Analytics and Search Console remain essential. #### **2. Invest in High-Quality Content** No matter how advanced AI becomes, high-quality, human-written content remains the backbone of SEO. Focus on creating value-driven content that solves user problems. #### **3. Stay Updated on SEO Trends** Regular SEO requires staying informed about algorithm changes, while AI tools need frequent updates to remain effective. #### **4. Monitor and Adjust** Track your performance metrics—like organic traffic, bounce rates, and conversion rates—and adjust strategies as needed. *** ### Why a Hybrid Approach is the Future of SEO Relying solely on AI or regular SEO can limit your potential. A hybrid approach allows businesses to: - Benefit from AI’s efficiency and accuracy. - Leverage human creativity and intuition for authentic engagement. - Adapt to changes quickly with data-driven insights and strategic flexibility. *** ### Conclusion AI SEO and regular SEO aren’t competitors—they’re complementary. By combining the power of AI-driven automation and data analysis with the creativity and adaptability of traditional SEO techniques, businesses can create robust, future-proof strategies. Whether you’re looking to dominate local search in your community or scale your online presence globally, leveraging both approaches is the key to long-term success. Start exploring the possibilities of AI SEO and regular SEO today, and take your business’s online visibility to new heights! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Always-listen-to-your-customer/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Always-listen-to-your-customer/ Listening whether you are in a small prosperous town like Cullman Alabama or a big city like Chicago Illinois listening is the most important trait any company BIG or small can do to be successful in their endeavors. Often a company will think that it’s their way or the highway. They might state publicly it’s all about the customer but the actions dictate and say otherwise. If you’ve been reading our blog and several hundred of you are you now that JM2, my company, is run by humans. Yes, we are inferior beings in that we make mistakes. What makes JM2 different though is our agile philosophy on life where we are quick to adapt and change based on both positive and negative feedback we receive from current and past customers. The biggest complaint we have ever had was in communication. A client might state they want to hear from us weekly but really only wanted to be heard from quarterly. You have the other extreme where they state monthly but they deep down needed a lot more hand holding and weekly would’ve been best for them. This is where we have failed and faulted. That is all about to change and it’s changing based on our listening. Let’s first look at the “problem” which is truly a communications problem. Business is like a marriage. If one side communicates and the other doesn’t listen a divorce is certain to happen. If one side communicates and the other side misinterprets a divorce will be on the horizon. If one side (or both) refuse to talk you know that marriage will end in a divorce. We are all different beings on the planet and we all think and act differently. ## The communications problem - Not changing communication when the client really needed something different - Communicating only in email, in-person, or verbally when a different method should’ve been used (or multiple methods) - Too few meetings - Too many meetings ## The communications fix The fix every business will state is to get a dedicated customer service team. Well, we have that. The problem is they also do other tasks (like what is requested in the meetings). The team ultimately was being spread too thin and not able to respond fast enough. I am the extreme of the problem where in any given week I was sitting in a minimum 30 hours of meetings. That doesn’t leave a lot of time even when you work 50-60-hour weeks. In talking with the team, they didn’t see the problem as much as I did as I was talking with clients that were willing to communicate. Many clients just kept quiet which is a sure sign something is wrong for many but also perfectly fine for another group. Being married to one person is hard enough. When you have hundreds of business relationships you are certain to not understand all of their thought processes. This is where having someone solely dedicated to talking to, documenting, assigning, validating, and then communicating back to the customer is critical. There are two ways to fix this. Being I see myself as humble, wanting that “Leave It To Beaver” mentality of working your butt off and “earning” it rather than giving myself a pay raise for all the sales that I do I opted to hire a person that would easily free up over twenty (hopefully thirty) hours of weekly meetings. By choosing this business solution we would be able to let someone with a true passion for communicating and relaying information back and forth with our client. The team would be out of less meetings and able to solve problems faster. The other changes to fix this we are implementing: - Our new project coordinator will be in all meetings - Team members will rarely be in these meetings (there's always exceptions) - During the meeting "Tasks" will be entered and immediately assigned to the team - All information will be immediately available to clients through our client portal (they have this today but many don't realize it) - A clear and concise message will be provided and communicated to each month and push for meetings to keep solid communication - I will be meeting weekly with the project coordinator and we will discuss things that are working, not-working, and outline ways to improve the overall processes internally as well as our current and future clients. ## Conclusion In the end, our clients will be getting better customer service, be able to get what they need for their unique business processes faster, and we will be able to provide more training and growth opportunities for our clients. Based on all these new and as I see it great things we will have more than doubled the capabilities of our company by making one strategic change that no other web design and marketing company in Northwest Alabama has. I know of several marketing companies that have this role in their organization, who I’ve talked with, and wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. The problem is they focus solely on marketing and outsource their web design. I know this as we are their web designers. Even for them we will now be able to churn out products in half the time with more time spent on the quality control aspects we’ve always wanted to. When it comes to any business you will either evolve and prosper because you’ve listened to your customer or you will whither and die as you think it’s your way or the highway. Be humble and make your business grow by listening, doing what’s right, and work on providing the best experience possible. For myself I am more excited to be helping our customers by writing the business solutions they need in half the time that it used to take which also means a lot less stress in my life. This also opens new doors and capabilities the entire team will be providing for a more enhanced customer experience. I am now setting our own internal goals beyond our minimum of a 20% growth to 25% year-over-year growth with this new increase in client communication. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Anniversary1/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Anniversary1/ Anniversary Special (February-March 2014) As our first year quickly approaches we are reflecting on some major accomplishments as well as offering a special for everyone for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) As our first year is quickly approaching we have chosen to reflect on what we’ve achieved as well as offer a special that will benefit all of those that take advantage of it. As with deciding what the biggest accomplishments were for our first year we’ve come up with the following (in no specific order): - A Scholarship for technology students at a local LaPorte/Porter County school (Purdue North Central was year one!) - A gift to Merry Meals to help feed those in need during the holiday season (a new website will be coming in 2014) - A donated website for Main Street Theatre ([http://canterburytheatre.org/](http://canterburytheatre.org/)) that is easier to use and maintain based on their feedback to us - Joined two great local chambers (Michigan City Chamber of Commerce and Cullman Chamber of Commerce) - Upgraded our capacity from three servers to seven servers that are using green (renewable) energy As many of you know when it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) content is king. The reason for this is that fresh content that also shows you as an expert in your field (e.g. your business, product and/or service) will keep the search engines (e.g. Google, Bing, Yahoo and others) coming back for more. The special that we are offering is $81.25 per month and includes: - We will sit down with you, in-person, to go over what your goals are and will help you manage your expectations of those goals - One hour of website optimization for local search, submission to the major search engines - Setup and configuration of Google Analytics - Weekly reports, or as often as you request, of how your SEO is doing - Comparison to two of your competitors of your choosing - A summarized list of all the major updates that were done. Just as importantly we will explain why the changes were done. - We will be working with you for - Content (text, videos, etc.) - What keywords are working as well as aren’t working - Which pages are working, aren’t working, and suggestions to further improve your site - No contract (we do require payment for each month in advance and will give a 10% discount if you pay for a year at once) ## Restrictions - Sites up to 15 pages - One website per special (e.g. if you have three websites and would like this special you need to purchase three specials) - We will not be creating any content for you (e.g. text, videos, etc.). - Valid for any business in Alabama that is within 30 miles of Michigan City, Alabama - If you want to have paid campaigns those campaigns are additional (e.g. Google AdWords, pay-per-click (PPC), Facebook Ads, etc.) - This doesn’t include the creation of a Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Yelp, FourSquare, Pinterest or other social media site. We will help you setup the social media sites that you need (most don’t need every one). - We will not do any black hat techniques for your SEO. Black hat techniques are items that are known in the Webmaster community to cause your sites to go down over time. - This offer is not available to adult or illegal sites ## What we will need - Access to your website - Access to your Google Analytics if you already have one. If you don’t we will create one for you. - The email address(es) that you will want reports delivered to (in PDF format) We cannot, nor can anyone, guarantee your search engine results will improve. We can guarantee that if we work together we can make your brand stand out. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Are-Angi-HomeAdvisor-and-CraftJack-Honest/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Are-Angi-HomeAdvisor-and-CraftJack-Honest/ We have a client that was using HomeAdvisor and CraftJack. Both of these are owned by Angie's List (now Angi). The deal our client had was that they would get leads from both companies. That is where things got interesting for our client and we're going to tell the story from what they've told us. This aligned with what we had heard from other service-based companies that we felt we need to educate service-based businesses as a good portion of our work comes from them. ## The Story Our client was paying for each individual lead from HomeAdvisor and CraftJack. They received a lead, were charged, and called the prospective customer. While on the call with the prospect they received another lead. This time the lead came from CraftJack. It was the person they were currently on the phone with. They were charged for this lead as well. They called CraftJack and were able to get that one removed but got them thinking about what they were promised by both companies and what had just happened. A few weeks went along, and the exact same thing happened again. ## The Promise Being that both companies, HomeAdvisor and CraftJack, are owned by Angi the deal was basically the same for each company. This was: - No more than three companies would receive the information for the prospect. - They would be charged for each lead that came to them whether they won the lead or not. That seems pretty straight forward and sounds like an acceptable deal to have a potential to win a new customer. After the two incidents they contacted both companies, HomeAdvisor and CraftJack. After talking with the representatives on the phone what they found out was true. They only provide three leads within their company (e.g., HomeAdvisor would only give up to three of their customers and CraftJack would only give up to three of their customers). This is all based on the service area that the company is paying for. The problem came in when both representatives stated this one simple item: - HomeAdvisor can sell or give the lead to any other of the Angi companies. This means if HomeAdvisor gets a lead, they will give it to up to three of their customers within the service area that is paying for leads. HomeAdvisor then can provide that lead to any of the other Angi companies, in this case CraftJack. CraftJack can, and does, the same thing. This means the one lead went to a minimum of six businesses (five if you count our client getting the lead twice). ## The Problem Now imagine that our client wouldn't have received these two lead notifications. They never would've known this was happening and what they thought was happening, bidding against three companies was actually bidding against 6 or more companies. ## Companies operated by Angie's List (now Angi) / HomeAdvisor Although Angi (formerly Angie's List) is the parent company the "real" parent company is HomeAdvisor. The reason for using Angi is due to the Angie's List name being seen more positively in the home improvement industry. - Angi - Started 1995 - CraftJack - Formed 2017 by the merger of HomeAdvisor and Angie's List - Fixd Repair - Handy - Started 2012 as Handybook, Acquired by Angi/HomeAdvisor in October 2018 - HomeAdvisor - Formerly ServiceMaster, Started in 1998, Rebranded to HomeAdvisor in October 2012 - In 2004, InterActive Corp (NASDAQ: IAC) acquired the website for an undisclosed price. - In January 2008, IAC appointed Craig Smith as CEO of ServiceMagic Inc. He was the Senior Vice President of the company’s Consumer Division. Co-founders Rodney Rice and Michael Beaudoin became co-chairmen and advisors. ServiceMagic remained part of the parent company when IAC split into five publicly traded companies. - In October 2008, ServiceMagic acquired the French business 123Devis.com and Travaux.com, as well as UK business 123GetAQuote.co.uk to create ServiceMagic Europe. In March 2009, the UK business was rebranded as ServiceMagic.co.uk. - In April 2011, Chris Terrill was hired as Chief Executive Officer. In October 2012, ServiceMagic rebranded as HomeAdvisor. - After rebranding, then-CEO Chris Terrill told StreetFight Magazine, “We’re the only network for this type of on-demand service.” - In 2013, HomeAdvisor acquired Werkspot.nl, the leading Dutch home improvement platform. - By 2015, HomeAdvisor had achieved more than $300 million in annual revenue, been used by more than 30 million homeowners, had nearly 100,000 pre-screened service professionals in its network and almost 3 million verified reviews. - In 2016, HomeAdvisor acquired the German home services company, MyHammer. - In 2017, HomeAdvisor acquired Canada’s leading home services platform, HomeStars, and MyBuilder, the UK's leading home services platform connecting homeowners and tradesmen. - On May 1, 2017, HomeAdvisor parent company IAC announced they entered into a definitive agreement to combine IAC’s HomeAdvisor and Angie’s List into a new publicly traded company, to be called ANGI Homeservices. - On October 2, 2017, HomeAdvisor merged with Angie’s List to form ANGI Homeservices (NASDAQ: ANGI), the world’s largest digital marketplace for home services. - HomeStars- Canadian Review Publishing - ImproveNet - Formed 2017 by the merger of HomeAdvisor and Angie's List - Instapro - Formed 2017 by the merger of HomeAdvisor and Angie's List - mHelpDesk - Formed 2017 by the merger of HomeAdvisor and Angie's List - MyBuilder - Formed 2017 by the merger of HomeAdvisor and Angie's List - MyHammer - Formed 2017 by the merger of HomeAdvisor and Angie's List - Travaux - Formed 2017 by the merger of HomeAdvisor and Angie's List - Werkspot - Formed 2017 by the merger of HomeAdvisor and Angie's List ## What Did Our Client Do? This is where it gets interesting. They already, for the past year, have been unhappy with the quality of the leads. Having spent $3-5k per month they wanted to know what they could do to improve their results. We have come up with a plan to eliminate their dependency on the Angi solutions they offer as we have helped others eliminate their need for HomeAdvisor. Our plan of attack was this: - Make certain to not renew any contracts, find when they were allowed to cancel, and if there were any hidden buyouts to cancel services. We did this just to make certain that everything was clearing defined. - We set a lead CAP for each month, lowering the average amount spent each month. - We took that money and put it toward a targeted ad campaign on social media, Facebook. This is where the majority of their customers are. - We took the remaining of money and put it toward an ad campaign on Google targeting the exact same keyword phrases that HomeAdvisor is using. - We created multiple campaigns on social media and Google. - We made dedicated landing pages for each campaign and utilized UTM codes to facilitate proper analytical reporting. ## The Ultimate Goal With this campaign in process, we will have a follow-up on the end result. For now, the goal is to each month lower HomeAdvisor and CraftJack until the amount for each is zero ($0) while getting the same number, or more, leads through the new ad channels the client has completed control over. At that time both services will be canceled. ## Conclusion HomeAdvisor and CraftJack were not always owned by Angie's List (now Angi). It appears that based on what each representative from each company has said that practice started once Angi purchased the two companies. As you find out that a company has been bought out it may be prudent to look into items where the companies share leads and other information about your business. For our client, they had never heard of CraftJack until they got a random sales phone call at which time they signed up. Many businesses are only looking out for their best interest and not your businesses. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/are-popups-good-or-bad/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/are-popups-good-or-bad/ ## The Truth About Popups, User Experience, SEO, and Conversions Popups are one of the most debated tools in digital marketing. Some marketers swear by them. Others blame them for poor user experience and higher bounce rates. And many businesses don’t realize **how much timing, intent, and execution matter**. So... are popups good or bad? The honest answer is: **it depends**. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we don’t treat popups as a yes-or-no tactic. We treat them as a **conversion tool that must respect user experience, search engines, and buyer intent**. This pillar article breaks down: - When popups help - When they hurt - How they affect SEO and rankings - How they influence bounce rate and engagement - And how to use them correctly to convert visitors into leads ## What Popups Are (and What They’re Not) A popup is any element that interrupts the normal page flow to present a message, offer, or action. Popups can include: - Newsletter signups - Lead magnets - Discounts or promotions - Booking forms - Exit-intent offers - Important notices or confirmations Popups are **not inherently bad**. But poorly implemented popups are. ## The Pros of Popups (When Done Right) ### Higher Conversion Rates When aligned with user intent, popups can significantly increase: - Email signups - Lead form completions - Offer redemptions - Appointment bookings Especially for: - Returning visitors - Engaged users - Time-on-page triggers - Exit intent scenarios ### Message Control Popups allow you to: - Highlight your most important offer - Guide users toward a next step - Prevent missed opportunities Without relying on them to “find it” on the page. ### Segmentation Opportunities Smart popups can change based on: - Page type - Traffic source - Location - Returning vs. new visitors - Device type This makes popups **more relevant and less intrusive**. ## The Cons of Popups (When Done Wrong) ### Poor User Experience Popups become harmful when they: - Appear immediately on page load - Block content before it’s read - Are hard to close - Stack multiple popups - Trigger repeatedly on every visit This creates frustration—and frustration kills trust. ### Increased Bounce Rate If a popup fires too early, users may: - Leave before engaging - Bounce back to search results - Associate your brand with annoyance This is especially dangerous for **first-time visitors**. ### SEO & Google Penalties (Yes, This Is Real) Google has explicitly warned against **intrusive interstitials**, especially on mobile. Popups that can harm rankings: - Full-screen popups on page load - Popups that block primary content immediately - Popups that appear within the first few seconds Google’s concern isn’t popups—it’s **content accessibility**. If users can’t easily access what they came for, rankings can suffer. ## Timing Is Everything: When Popups Should Appear ### Best Times to Trigger a Popup - After 30–60 seconds on page - After scrolling 50–70% - On exit intent - On second or third page view - For returning visitors These signals indicate **interest**. At this point, a popup feels helpful—not intrusive. ### Worst Times to Trigger a Popup - Immediately on page load - Before a user scrolls - On every page, every visit - Multiple popups stacked together This sends the message: > “We care more about our conversion than your experience.” ## How Popups Affect SEO (What Actually Matters) Popups do **not** directly hurt SEO just by existing. What affects SEO: - How soon they appear - Whether they block content - Mobile usability - User behavior (bounce, engagement, pogo-sticking) Google evaluates **user satisfaction signals**, not just code. A popup that respects the user **won’t hurt rankings**. A popup that frustrates users absolutely can. ## Popups vs. Bounce Rate: The Real Relationship Popups don’t increase bounce rate by default. **Bad popups do.** Bounce rate increases when: - Users feel interrupted - Content is hidden - Navigation is blocked - Trust is broken early Well-timed popups can actually: - Increase engagement - Extend session duration - Guide users deeper into the site It’s not the popup—it’s the experience. ## When You SHOULD Use Popups Popups work best when: - Offering genuine value - Supporting the page’s goal - Targeting engaged visitors - Used sparingly and strategically Great use cases: - Newsletter signup with real value - Downloadable guides - Booking consultations - Exit-intent offers - Member-only or gated content ## When You SHOULD NOT Use Popups Avoid popups when: - The page’s primary goal is education - The visitor is brand new - The popup interrupts critical information - Mobile usability is compromised - You don’t have a clear value exchange Sometimes, **less converts more**. ## The Fawkes Digital Marketing Approach to Popups We don’t ask: > “Can we add a popup?” We ask: > “Should we—and why?” Our approach focuses on: - User intent - Page context - Device behavior - Timing and relevance - Long-term trust over short-term gains Because conversion isn’t about forcing action. It’s about **earning it**. ## Final Verdict: Are Popups Good or Bad? Popups are: - Bad when intrusive - Bad when poorly timed - Bad when value is unclear - Powerful when intentional - Effective when user-focused - Profitable when done right Popups aren’t a shortcut. They’re a **precision tool**. And like any tool, success depends on how—and when—you use it. If your goal is converting visitors into leads **without sacrificing user experience or search visibility**, popups can be an asset—not a liability. When strategy leads and experience comes first, conversions follow. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Are-you-breaking-SEO-laws/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Are-you-breaking-SEO-laws/ One of the factors of search engine optimization or SEO within Northwest Alabama and beyond is there is a good way to do SEO and a bad way. The good way is known as white hat SEO and the bad way is known as black hat SEO. One way to think of the good vs bad debate is either following the law of the search engines or deciding to break it. If you are in a small city like Cullman Alabama or a big city like Chicago Illinois the rules and laws governed by the search engines need to be adhered to if you want to move up on the search engines. Most of the tricks of black hat SEO will nowadays land you in purgatory which is less than a desirable place when purgatory means you are no longer loved by Google. Santa has a naughty list and Google has a sandbox which once you enter requires a long time to get out of. Here in Northwest Alabama we've seen several companies knowingly or unknowingly start to do some, or all, of the techniques to move up in the ranks. The list below is what we have seen in the past year of new clients coming onboard due to their results dropping. Every one of them have stated that they were moving up and then at a certain date they started to drop for no apparent reason. For many this is true as they had hired a firm to help them move up in the search engines. Some after they dropped listened to their search engine optimization provider and opted to move to paid advertising. This didn't fix the problem but masked it. For one client, we brought on it masked it for two years as they were paying over $1,000 a month for their paid advertising but didn't understand why during that time their organic traffic never increased. - **Fake Blogs & Spun content** - this is where a company creates 2-6 blogs that look like they will help your business. They are typically on low-quality sites, often not even related to your business. Although inbound links are great; they need to be quality inbound links. This often is referred to as an off-site SEO technique where a blog article is posted around the internet with some words changed, new links back to your website are added and trying to fake the search engines. - **Spam Commenting** - A link building strategy that 10-20 years ago (yes, this one has been going on for a long time) was a go-to method for SEO specialists. This is a major No-No when it comes to building up your information. What people did was post a comment on a blog that was related to your industry (sometimes not even related to your industry) and provided a link back to your website. - **Paid Links** - While not an entirely bad practice, paid links are something you should use in moderation and with great care. Following sites with unrelated content and links from sponsored posts will not look good and often will work against what you are trying to achieve. - **Low Quality Directories** - Submitting your website or business to a low-quality directory will not grant you any favors with search engines and might even lead to penalties. Submitting to high-level directories makes sense however, because clients may find you on them, as it were, directly. - **Reciprocal link Exchange** - While not a bad practice, since exchanging links does allow companies to work together it will not contribute to your off-page SEO in any considerable way. - **Guest Posting** - Another example of a good practice that should be approached with moderation and care. Make sure to invest in quality content that will build audiences and gain you links. Doing it for quantity alone will dilute your content and as a result, the worth of your links. If you do guest posting where you have an industry expert post on your blog make certain that it aligns with your overall marketing goals. The above may seem like a lot of ways to try and cheat the system. It would seem like a lot if that wasn't all we've seen in the past year. This is only a very small portion of what we've seen but what we truly see on the rise rather than the decline. SEO problems like this are not a small town, small city, or big city problem. They are a problem where people try to beat and circumvent the best practices of providing high-quality, unique, and valuable content to their users. SEO is not about throwing tons of money at the problem. It does take time and that does cost money. When it comes to SEO you need to be patient, follow the search engine best practices and do what is right. The rules (laws) of the search engines continue to change. If you want to work for a company that will only follow the search engine best practices, are a small business with aspirations to grow, organically, then we may be a great source for success for your business. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Are-You-Checking-Your-Facebook-Stats-You-Should-Be/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Are-You-Checking-Your-Facebook-Stats-You-Should-Be/ Some people are stat crazy when given the option. The numbers, charts, and comparisons can give a wealth of information for people to analyze and formulate their next move with. The very opposite can also be true as some have no interest in seeing the minute details of how something works and prefer to just know the basic details or a well call it, "the 30,000-foot view". When it comes to social media and specifically, your businesses' Facebook page, you might be wondering just how important looking at your stats are. Is simply posting on a schedule two to three times a week sufficient or does looking at the numbers really give away that much useful information? **Learn Stats, Learn Your Audience** Imagine owning a business where the exact age group, gender, and area of your biggest potential customers was at your fingertips. Through your Facebook business page, all the essential information based on how your posts are performing, who is viewing them, who is clicking on them and who is engaging with them can be seen through the "insights" tab. This information updates regularly and can be downloaded into an Excel sheet to print out and share with others. This information provides invaluable data that tells you what posts are the most popular and what posts people clicked on the most. **What to Do with This Information** So now that you can see what posts do well (those funny GIFS on Friday are a huge hit!) and what time people are viewing them, you can plan your posts out with more information and foresight to maximize their reach. By doing this and keeping in accordance with a suitable number of posts per week (2 to 3 every week), you can start pushing posts that truly show off your business at your client's peak hours that they are online. Want to push a new product or service and make sure your fans see it? The numbers hold the answers. **Numbers Change, So Should You** Once you have found the idea posting time and developed a rhythm of what kind of content you want to talk about, it's important to check back in on those insights regularly. Once a day is too frequent to get accurate stats, so we recommend checking them once a month or every two weeks to get more detailed information. While it may seem that the numbers don't really change in the beginning, keeping in mind the seasonal shifts, changes in schedules and more will influence what ideal posting times should be. A recent example we experienced was one client whose primary audience was women aged 25 to 44. During the summer months, the time they were on Facebook the most was from 9 am to 12 pm. Once summer came to an end, the times completely changed, with 8 pm through 9 pm being the time they were online and most active. If we didn't check and stuck with the original schedule, our posts would have most likely gone to waste. **Conclusion** When getting into the fine details about Facebook stats, one could easily spend an entire year writing about the nuances and the ins and outs getting the most out of your Facebook page. As we said in the beginning, stats aren't for everyone but taking a few moments of your time every month to look at a few pieces of information can have a huge impact on who you reach and who gets your message. If you want to get more information on reading your Facebook stats and what they mean or how you can take your business to the next level, shoot me an email, I'd love to talk to you! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/AreYouDated/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/AreYouDated/ As the Internet changes and evolves into ever more important part of your daily business and the methods of connecting to the Internet continues to evolve it should come as no surprise that at a minimum of every three years your website should be updated. If your website has not been updated and maintained you are probably in need of some improvements. With an outdated website your customers can feel as if you are not in touch with the times and don't care. To be found by the search engines, considered an authority in your field, and being there for your customers having an updated website is crucial. Does your website look professionally done or does it appear thrown together, piecemeal and an afterthought of your business? There are plenty of "free" website builders out there that can get anyone online in a short period of time. These sites won't help you setup and configure an optimal user experience. You will start with a stock template that will get you online, looking like everyone else that uses that template, and be fairly static in design without a lot of work on your part. Personally we feel every business is truly unique and that your website should show your culture. Even if you are part of a national chain you can differentiate yourself from those that are similar to you. ## Does your website look like everyone else? Going along with the previous question above we feel your business is unique and using a stock template that is available to everyone else doesn't help differentiate your business as unique. We can see a "cookie cutter" company using a cookie cutter template but even then we would have to argue that the company is unique and not like their competitors. The key is to make your site clean, consistent, is easy to navigate, and presents your business in a professional manner. ## Does your domain match the domain you're advertising? If you're primary domain is [www.BusinessYETI.com](http://www.BusinessYETI.com/) and you are marketing it as www.mydomain.com, domain.com, etc. you could be missing a branding opportunity. Be consistent in what you market about your company between all flyers and online advertising. Consistency is key in getting your brand known. It can, and will, take time to become known but staying consistent is critical. With this consistency you will also help your search engine results as well. ## Do you WWW or non-WWW your website? Many people miss the mark and do both for the same website. This cuts your results on the search engine result pages in half. A website can be accessed by [www.BusinessYETI.com](http://www.BusinessYETI.com/) or [BusinessYETI.com](http://www.BusinessYETI.com/). Everything you can do to improve your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts will pay off by helping you get the site seen in a more organic way. ## Do you think search engine optimization (SEO) as a primary thought or an afterthought to your website? If you intend for your customers to find your website you need to be thinking about SEO as a forethought process. A site that is properly found through organic SEO methods will allow people to type in the search engines the information you would like to be found under. To be found "organically" means that the content on your website is what is driving your search results rather than paying each individual search engine money to rank high. When you rank based on your content rather than by paying you are showing your clients value. ## Do any of the pages within your site say "Under Construction" or "Coming Soon"? If you feel a need for a page that says under construction you are truly missing the point of the internet entirely. Would you purchase a billboard and put "Under Construction" or "Coming Soon" to let people that someday, hopefully soon you will be adding content. Your website should always be under construction and goes with always putting in updated and quality information for your customers. You don't need to advertise that something may one day be here. Leave the page off and then when you have the content add it in. If you are not updating your website you are missing a huge opportunity. ## Do you treat your website as an "employee"? One of the core items we always say is that you should treat your website as an employee. Your website is an employee that works for you 24x7 and is the first one to greet new and existing customers online. Would you hire an employee, send out a press release of their hire and then "hope" they bring in sales and help your customers? If not, then why would you do the same to your website? You spend many hours building a site that helps with sales, support, informing and much more. Once you build your website you have to cultivate and help it mature into the best sales person for your company. This takes effort and time to achieve the best consistent results. Does your website have pages that no longer exist, are no longer relevant, contain inaccurate information or overall incomplete? When you created your website all of the pages linked to each other and worked perfectly. Now that your website has been up and running do all of the pages still link correctly? What about from the search engines and other websites as well? If the link no longer exists on your website it's easy to correct. The links from other sites could be much harder to correct. You may be asking "how would I know a page link doesn't exist?" The answer is through data analytics (see the next question for this). ## Does your website have data analytics so that you know who is coming to your website? Data analytics can show you a lot of great information about your website. You can see who is coming to your website, what pages they are visiting, keywords phrases that they are using, what the page order of their visit is, what browser they are using, whether it is through a desktop, tablet or mobile device. Additionally, you can see what parts of the world they are coming from as well as pages that are not seeing users or pages people are going to that don't exist. If your analytics is really good you can compare against your competitors, see what keywords are being used on your website, check your web pages for errors, and receive additional recommendations for improving your overall site experience. ## Are the menus of your website all graphics and not text? A few years ago to achieve your company branding "look and feel" you needed to save your menus as graphic files rather than text. Today with the advancement of HTML5 and CSS3 with the latest version of web browsers you can achieve much of the same functionality using text rather than graphics. This will not only make your site faster but also will help you on the SEO front. ## Is the heading (top of your website) images rather than images and text? Like your menu being all graphical the heading of your website should not be an entire graphical image. Your logo will be graphical by nature unless your business name is your logo which then it will be text. The rest of your header information can typically be, and should be text. Items routinely in the header, as well as the footer, are your address, hours, phone numbers, etc. By having this as text you are continuing to think of the search engines and facilitating increasing your website customers by making your website more organically found on the search engines. ## Are the email addresses listed on your website images and not text? To combat spam years ago people tried all kinds of techniques to prevent spammers from gathering their email addresses. This is one reason you will not see a list of email addresses as much as you did three years ago. You will be seeing more websites listing a single email address for those that need them but having a contact form to fill out which will then direct the correspondence to the proper people. If you are using images still spammers are now much more sophisticated and can pull email addresses directly out of images which also hurts in getting better indexed on the search engines. ## Does your website only list email addresses and not a contact form? Corporate desktop users will have a program like Microsoft Outlook for sending and receiving emails. Home users will routinely use a web (browser) based email system. Before the rapid growth of browser based email having only email addresses listed made perfect since as when the email address was clicked on the user could immediately send you an email through their desktop email client. Many users now will use Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook.com for their email. An email address being clicked on is not conducive for these browser based emailing options. As such, having an online form is the perfect way to go. Additionally, having an online form you can have the email routed to the appropriate people as well as storing and saving the information to further improve your site. ## Does your site have a splash page? We have never understood the concept and the fad of splash pages since they came out. If someone is coming to your website and wanting information making them have extra mouse clicks, or finger taps, to get to the information they want to see you are only providing a poor user experience. When we see this we are immediately put off and will typically hit the back button on our browser and go no further. Don't stop your customers from seeing who you are and making them click to get into your website. Give your site visitors a reason to use your site and not a reason to be turned away. ## Are you unable to edit the content of your website easily and in a consistent manner (if you want to)? Years ago the only way to optimize your website was paying someone hundreds of dollars to do simple updates. Today you should have the ability to do this yourself through a content management system (CMS). If you are busy running your business, and we hope that you truly are, a web designer is always a great way to go and no longer costs hundreds of dollars. A web designer assisting you is the perfect person compared to an employee. They should not only be on top of all the latest design trends and browser compatibility issues but should be more efficient and cost effective. Of course, if you have the time to do it then you should definitely have the capability to do so. Does audio or video automatically start on your site making you the decision maker and not your customer? One of the most annoying things we come across on any website is when the website owner makes the assumption that you want to hear their video marketing or relaxing music as soon as you come to their website. This is presumptuous and provides a very poor user experience that cannot only annoy but make someone want to go elsewhere. When we come to these sites the first thing we do is look to where we can turn this off. Why would you want the very first thing that comes to a current or potential customer the thought of how do I turn this thing off? ## Are the copyrights on your website current? When you scroll down to the bottom of your webpage, check the copyright. If a customer scrolls down and sees that the copyright is not current, they are going to think that you have not updated the website in over a year (or more) even if that isn't the case. You can easily change this through your content management system (CMS) and it will make a big difference in conversions and traffic. It is possible that some CMS systems will automatically update this for you so that you don't have to think about this. ## Was the last update to your website over six months ago? Although website redesigns are recommended to happen at least every three years a websites content should be updated much more often. A website should be constantly updated and improved upon. Just as you work with your employees keeping them informed of company polices and information you should be keeping your website updated and your customers informed with accurate information. ## Does your website work with tablet and mobile users? We are finding more and more users access the internet using tablet and mobile devices. If your website is not responsive using viewports then you could be missing a great selling opportunity to your customers. A responsive site is one that adapts automatically (or automagically) to the visitors screen size. This adaption will provide a consistent and easy to follow format between different screen sizes. ## Does your website have outdated content or list employees who are no longer at your company? Having outdated information on your website is the first indication to people that the internet and communicating accurate information with them is an afterthought and is not important to you. As with adding fresh and relevant content on your website is important removing the information that is no longer relevant is equally important. ## Is your email address not part of your website domain (e.g. Gmail.com, yahoo.com, comcast.net, outlook.com, AOL.com, etc.)? First impressions are key to showing your business is in the modern times. If your domain name is BusinessYETI.com then all of your email addresses should be in a format of \_\_\_\_@BusinessYETI.com. This not only provides consistency for your marketing efforts but as you experience turnover you have control over the email address so that you can forward the persons email to someone else to continue to provide a superior customer experience. Let's say your best sales person, or any, leave your company. They were using myname@Gmail.com rather than \_\_\_@yourdomain.com. When they leave they not only have all of their emails they previously sent as an employee of your company but now have them at their new position to potentially take with them to their new employer. ## Is your website easy to navigate and find the information a person would need? If the information on your website cannot be easily found do you think your customers are going to know it's there? The end user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) of your website is critical to the success of the information being found on your website. ## Is your website designed for you or your customers? When we start many web site projects there has been little to no planning beyond what they feel the customers would want. With all of our projects we will start asking specific questions to determine who the customer is. If the site has been running for some time we work on getting access to the log files so that we can see what pages are being accessed, and in what order, to help determine the proper information to display. Proper planning can go a very long way to providing an experience your customers not only need; but want. ## Are the email addresses you are putting on marketing active and monitored email addresses? Do you put xyz@yourDomain.com on all of your marketing materials? If you do and no one checks it does it matter that it's there? Make certain that what you put on your marketing materials is not only monitored but that you address the information that comes to it. Once you use an email address on any marketing materials make certain it never goes away and is forwarded to the right employees within your company. You never know when a flyer from years ago could produce a new lead and sale. ## Does your website have any social integration? Social integration is a very wide topic for any business. You can have news feeds of your social pages, icons with links to your pages, or even tighter integration. If your website doesn't have at least one social icon with a link to your social platform of choice then you may be missing some key communications with your customers and missing the mark of collaborating with your customers. ## Do you even have a social site for your business? We recommend that you don't jump on every social media site to just be there. Choose wisely and choose the one(s) that will best meet your needs. We always recommend Facebook based on its wide audience of consumers. Beyond that it truly depends on your business, available resources, etc. ## Do you update your social site? Although a social site is not your website it too should be treated as an extension of your primary website marketing plan. Not updating your social site will bring less people to know about your business. Social sites are great for getting to the masses. You don't have any control over the look and feel but getting a hold of the masses and pointing them toward your website should be crucial to your digital marketing plan. ## Do you have a digital marketing plan? In the old days you will get with a graphic designer or marketing firm to establish your print, radio and video marketing efforts. Today you need to extend that to the online world. A graphic designer and marketing firm can help establish the proper fonts, sizes, colors and more for your online experience. With this information a professional web designer can make your website truly shine in the digital world. You should, at a minimum, standardize on your fonts, sizes, colors, search engine optimization, social media strategies, and email marketing to start with. ## Is your website browser agnostic? If your website does not show up properly across updated browsers, it needs to be updated immediately. Focusing on a single web browser is something no one should ever do. New browser versions come out monthly (and sometimes more often). If you are not updating your website for these changes, you are probably not going to make conversions and can lose customers. Your website is the first line toward gaining customers and keeping existing ones. If you find that your website is outdated, you need custom website design for your business. A custom professional website will help your business stand out from the competition and give you the sophisticated look needed to survive in the online market. A website built by a professional will work on a wide variety of devices that also is targeted using your branding and content relevant to your customers. The current list of browsers that you should be validating your site against are Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Opera. You should also be checking not only against the desktop versions of these browsers. Tablet and mobile versions of these browsers can act differently from their desktop counterparts. ## Does your website meet your current business objectives and organizational goals? One of the biggest signs that your website is outdated is when the copy on your website reflects a business goal that you are not long pursuing. For instance, if your website used to sell a certain product exclusively and you have now moved on, the website is outdated. Keep up with your business goals and have your site reflect this. ## Conclusion If your website is not updated, non-existent and you treat your website as a second class employee you should only expect poor results from it. If you feel that building a site and paying the search engines to rank high you should also expect poor results. It takes a lot of work to make your online digital marketing strategy a success. You can choose to take the time out of your day to promote your website or you can hire a web design firm that specializes in taking care of your online needs using the direction that you provide. JM2 Webdesigners is here to help you if you need it. You can [contact us online here](/Contact/)[, through email at]()[support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or by calling 256-258-8593. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/are-you-posting-too-much/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/are-you-posting-too-much/ In the fast-paced world of social media marketing, businesses often believe that *more is better* — that posting multiple times a day is the key to rapid growth. However, this approach can sometimes backfire, especially for small or growing businesses with limited audience engagement. **The truth? Posting 2-3 times a week or less can actually be the most effective strategy for building a strong, engaged, and loyal audience over time.** *** ## Why Less Frequent Posting Can Be More Powerful ### Avoid Audience Fatigue and Annoyance Posting too often can overwhelm your followers, leading to "content fatigue." - This happens when your audience feels bombarded by your messages, and the result is often decreased engagement or even unfollows. - When you post thoughtfully and less frequently, your content feels more valuable and welcome in your followers’ feeds. - Posting too much and getting pretty much the same people engaging means people are truly ignoring your content. ### Quality Trumps Quantity Consistency matters more than volume. - Posting 2-3 times a week allows you to focus on creating higher-quality content that truly resonates with your audience. - You can target your industry niche better making you the true expert in your field. Posting daily -- or almost daily -- you risk in just pushing stuff to push stuff. - Whether it’s educational, entertaining, or inspiring, meaningful posts create stronger connections and encourage more interaction. ### Build Anticipation and Curiosity When you post less often, your audience is more likely to notice and anticipate your content. - This anticipation can boost engagement as followers look forward to your updates instead of tuning out from a constant barrage of posts. - You will also be more top-of-mind of people and not seem pushy. *** ## How Posting 2-3 Times a Week Supports Long-Term Growth ### Gradual Audience Building Most social media accounts grow organically over time. - By posting regularly but not excessively, you allow your follower base to grow naturally without overwhelming new or potential followers. - This steady pace helps create a community that grows authentically. ### Stronger Advocates and Brand Loyalty An engaged audience that feels valued is more likely to become brand advocates — sharing your content, recommending your products or services, and staying loyal in the long run. - Posting thoughtfully helps nurture these relationships. - Your audience will become stronger "cheerleaders" and brand ambassadors for your brand ### Better Analytics and Optimization - With fewer posts, you can analyze what content performs best and optimize accordingly. - This targeted approach saves time and resources while increasing your overall social media ROI. *** ## Best Practices for Posting 2-3 Times a Week or Less - **Plan your content:** Use a content calendar to schedule posts in advance, ensuring variety and consistency. - **Focus on value:** Provide tips, insights, stories, or news that genuinely interest your audience. - **Engage actively:** Reply to comments, messages, and mentions to build community. - **Use visuals:** Images and videos tend to attract more attention and engagement. - **Test posting times:** Experiment with posting on different days and times to see when your audience is most active. *** ## SEO Takeaways: Why This Strategy Works for Your Website Too Social media and SEO go hand-in-hand. When your audience grows organically and engages meaningfully: - You drive more consistent traffic to your website. - Increased social signals (shares, likes, comments) can improve your search rankings indirectly. - Loyal followers are more likely to become repeat visitors, subscribers, or customers — all boosting your domain authority and conversions. *** ## Final Thoughts The pressure to post constantly on social media can lead to burnout and disengagement — both for your audience and your team. Instead, *focus on posting 2-3 times a week or less*, with more thoughtful content that truly adds value and speaks directly to your audience’s needs. If it's not adding value you're just adding content to add content. This approach not only builds your follower count over time but also creates a community of strong advocates who support your brand for the long haul. Remember, **it’s not about how much you post, but how well you connect.** *** ### Ready to build a loyal social media audience with smart posting? Start by planning your next three posts today — focus on quality, consistency, and engagement — and watch your community grow stronger every week. *** If you'd like, I can also help you create a content calendar or suggest specific post ideas tailored to your business! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/are-you-ready-for-ai/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/are-you-ready-for-ai/ Why the Future of Search Belongs to Those Who Build It—Not Chase It Most marketing agencies talk about AI. Some experiment with it. Very few are **building for it**. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we don’t wait for trends to become mainstream—we design for what’s coming next. And right now, the gap between businesses *preparing for AI search* and those *reacting to it* is widening every single day. This isn’t about tools. It’s about **how the internet itself is changing**. And the uncomfortable truth is this: If your digital strategy is still focused only on traditional SEO, you’re already behind. ## The Shift Nobody Can Ignore: Search Is No Longer Just Search For years, businesses optimized for: - Google rankings - Keywords - Backlinks - Page speed Those things still matter—but they’re no longer the whole game. Today, answers are being delivered by: - AI Overviews - Voice assistants - Large language models - Answer engines - Predictive search systems Search engines are no longer just *indexing pages*. They’re **selecting sources**. And AI doesn’t “discover” content the way people think—it **chooses from what it already trusts**. That’s where most agencies fall behind. ## Let’s Define the Terms (Because Most People Get Them Wrong) ### Artificial Intelligence (AI) AI in search isn’t about chatbots writing blog posts. It’s about **systems that decide which sources are credible enough to answer questions**. AI prioritizes: - Authority - Consistency - Entity clarity - Structured information - Historical trust signals ### Traditional SEO SEO is still foundational. But SEO alone is now **table stakes**, not a competitive advantage. If your SEO strategy hasn’t evolved, it’s feeding yesterday’s algorithms. ### Organic SEO Organic SEO focuses on earning visibility naturally—without ads. At Fawkes, we treat organic SEO as **the data layer AI builds upon**, not the end goal. ### Local SEO Local SEO is no longer just maps and reviews. It’s about **local entity dominance**—being the most reliable answer for a service in a specific geographic context. ### GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) This is where the industry starts to break down. GEO is about optimizing content, structure, and authority so that **AI systems can confidently generate answers using your brand as the source**. Most agencies are not doing this. Some don’t even know it exists. We’ve been building for it. ## Why Fawkes Digital Marketing Is So Far Ahead While others are: - Reacting to Google updates - Chasing new tools - Rebranding old SEO tactics as “AI SEO” We are: - Monitoring AI crawler behavior in real time - Studying how answer engines choose sources - Designing content frameworks AI can interpret - Engineering structured authority into websites - Building systems—not shortcuts This isn’t theory. It’s execution. ## What We’re Quietly Rolling Out (That Others Aren’t) We’re currently developing and deploying **advanced AI-forward features** across: - **Brilliance One** - Our **WordPress client ecosystem** These enhancements are designed to: - Strengthen entity recognition - Improve AI citation eligibility - Increase trust signals across organic and AI search - Preserve long-term visibility as traditional rankings fluctuate And here’s the key difference: > We’re not selling these as “add-ons.” We’re giving them to our clients as part of our standard approach. Because the future isn’t optional. ## This Is Bigger Than Rankings Most businesses ask: > “Can you get us on page one?” The better question is: > “Will AI choose us as the answer?” That’s the shift. AI doesn’t care about gimmicks. It cares about **signal integrity**. And that’s what we build. ## The Hard Truth: Not Everyone Is Ready—and That’s Okay Some businesses will: - Wait - Hesitate - Dismiss AI as hype - Keep doing what they’ve always done Others will: - Adapt early - Invest in future-proof strategy - Build authority instead of chasing trends We’re not here to convince everyone. We’re here for those who understand that **digital visibility is being rewritten in real time**. ## Watch Us. Follow Us. Build With Us. We’re not asking you to take our word for it. Watch what happens. Follow our work. See which brands continue to show up—everywhere answers are being given. The future of search is already here. The only question is: **Are you building for it—or standing on the sidelines watching others move ahead?** --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Are-you-tired-of-being-nickel-and-dimed/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Are-you-tired-of-being-nickel-and-dimed/ We hear your struggle, feel your pain, and we are making a solution for you so that your unique story can be heard. Everyone has a story and many haven't been able to be heard. Not because they don't have a good story or because it's not worth hearing. For many it's because to get a story heard you either have to know someone or you have to "pay to play". Those that know JM2 know we think that is not right and we're making a game changing announcement about how stories are told. There are a lot of good people, great businesses, and some really inspiring stories out there. We know our story is unique and even when we paid we couldn't get our story heard. This was disheartening and got us thinking of how to get your story heard. It took years to learn this as we didn't see it at the time. As we learned this we talked among ourselves and said we bet there are others in the same boat as we are. We have a solution for it and we're going to cover it below on how you can be heard. Starting in 2018 we are devoting 20% of our content writers time to stories. They will be 100% free. Yes, you heard right. We are JM2'ng the entire story process as we feel the entire process needs to be fixed. No more pay to play or knowing someone (well you have to know us but you're reading this so you are already there). Being we are located in Northwest Alabama and we know that stories exist beyond us we even have a solution for you that is also free! We can't say we are a national company without being truly national, can we? When you have an idea, you need to think big, you need push beyond your comfort zone, and you need to get everyone to notice. Think they will? We think they will! ## Our rules – we can't have this without rules 1. The story must be true (our rule #1 as a company is no lying so that must be the first rule) 2. The story cannot be attacking of anyone ## Where's the rest? Yeah, that's not our style. We want simple, elegant, and we want you heard! So how will this work? 1. You send your story into story@jm2marketing.com - Our content writers will read through, fix any grammar/spelling, etc. 2. If you are in Northwest Alabama email story@jm2marketing.com and give us your name, location, a brief summary, and our content writer will come to you and create the story. ## Key questions we've thought of people will ask - Do I have to be a JM2 customer – No! This is open to everyone. Every good story is worth hearing. - Can I be a competitor of JM2? Yes! There is enough work out there for everyone, we are not a fit for everyone, and your story is as important and good as ours. - Can I give you a story if I am outside the United States? Absolutely (with one catch). The story needs to be in American English. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Article-Writing-Scam-with-SEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Article-Writing-Scam-with-SEO/ Recently we have seen an influx of search engine marketing (SEM) "experts" pushing article writing to achieve page 1 results on the search engines. This can boost you in the first few months (sometimes even for a year or two -- this is more rare). This type of trickery people continue to do as it does work in the beginning. Once you are caught by the search engines you will start to not only drop in your search engine ranking but more importantly be penalized for doing these "spam tactics" that were designed to trick the search engines. In this article, we are going to dig into what article writing or article marketing is and how it can hurt your business. ## What is article writing and why is it bad? Article writing is when you have an article that is written with keywords to try and rank well because of the number of keywords being used. These articles are often **not found** on your website but on other websites that are not part of your businesses industry. These articles routinely will have one link to not only your website but to other websites that are in the same industry as you to try and give them credibility and further try to trick the search engines. Once the new article is created it is published to article directories, article publishers, article portals, etc. to try and gain more SEO juice from the information. This is what truly makes the Internet bad as it has all of this dis-information that has a sole purpose to lie to the search engines. ## How ethical is article writing? If you feel you can manipulate the search engines to your benefit you are deeply being misinformed. The search engines can be tricked for a short time but when they find out they have been tricked they have a good memory in knowing it was you that tricked them. By you we mean either yourself doing it or by hiring people that do it on your behalf. When you try and trick the search engines to your favor what you are doing is lying to them. They do not respond well to being lied to. ## Is all article writing bad? Article writing can be truly beneficial when done the correct way. The correct way is when you want to educate and inform your audience on the right channels that are specific to your industry. You are providing a positive value and answering the questions your customers want to have answered. You don't flood the article with keywords to try and garner top search engine spots because of it. ## If it's not all bad what do I do? In the simplest of terms, you write the articles on your own website to showcase your expertise and to inform your intended audience. You write the 90% of the articles on **your website** as that is where your business is. The remaining 10% you want to reserve for doing guest blogging on industry accredited sites that will further showcase you as an expert in your field. ## Conclusion Think of the time, energy, and effort you are using to try and "beat the system". If you used the same amount of time, energy, and effort to build your brand using proper and accepted search engine best practices you will not only get results but you will get long term results that will last the test of time. Doing the right thing is never easy and often we are shown that there is a shortcut that will give positive results right away. As with everything in life to get the results we want you often to have to work for it and do the right thing. If you want to work with a company that refuses to not do article writing, or any other "SEO Trick", and will only focus on the search engine best practices to give you long-term results than I encourage you to contact the team at JM2 Webdeisgners as that is all you will get from us! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/avoid-the-spam-folder/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/avoid-the-spam-folder/ Email is one of the most powerful tools in your digital marketing arsenal. But if your message lands in the spam, junk, or promotions folder, your efforts can fall flat. A key culprit? Spam trigger words. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore what these words are, why they matter, and how to strategically replace them with safer alternatives. ## What Are Spam Trigger Words? Spam trigger words are terms or phrases commonly associated with unwanted or scammy emails. Email service providers (ESPs) use algorithms that scan subject lines and email content for these red flags. If too many are found, your email might never reach the inbox. ## Why Do Spam Words Hurt Deliverability? Spam filters are designed to protect users from malicious or irrelevant content. If your email uses language that matches known patterns of spam, it may be flagged. These filters consider many factors, but excessive use of trigger words is one of the simplest to control. ## Categories of Common Spam Trigger Words (and Better Alternatives) - **Financial Triggers**: These words imply unrealistic promises or financial risk. - **Trigger Words**: "Make money fast," "Earn cash," "Get rich," "100% free" - **Safe Alternatives**: "Increase your income," "Boost your revenue," "Flexible pricing options" - **Marketing Pitches**: These sound too aggressive or salesy. - **Trigger Words**: "Buy now," "Limited time," "Call now," "Free trial" - **Safe Alternatives**: "Learn more," "Try it today," "Get started," "Explore options" - **Manipulative Language**: Overhyped urgency or fear tactics often lead to red flags. - **Trigger Words**: "Act now," "Urgent," "Don't delete," "This won't last" - **Safe Alternatives**: "Don't miss out," "Take a look," "Recommended for you" - **Health Claims**: Making promises about health or physical changes is risky. - **Trigger Words**: "Lose weight fast," "No diet needed," "Cure," "Risk-free" - **Safe Alternatives**: "Healthy habits," "Wellness tips," "Backed by research" - **Risky Business Terms**: Some words imply scams or unverified opportunities. - **Trigger Words**: "Investment," "Multi-level marketing," "Work from home" - **Safe Alternatives**: "Flexible work solutions," "Home-based business tips" - **Adult Content Language**: Even if unrelated, these terms can flag your content. - **Trigger Words**: "XXX," "Adult," "Click here for more" - **Safe Alternatives**: Keep language professional and contextual ## Tips for Staying Out of Spam and Promotions Folders - **Avoid Overuse of Keywords**: Even safe-sounding words like "affordable" can become problematic if overused. - **Write Like a Human**: Natural, conversational language is more likely to pass filters. - **Avoid ALL CAPS and Excessive Punctuation!!!** - **Balance Text and Images**: Too many images and too little text can look suspicious. - **Include a Physical Address and Unsubscribe Link**: These are required by laws like CAN-SPAM and help with credibility. - **Test Your Emails**: Use tools like [https://www.mail-tester.com/](https://www.mail-tester.com/) or [https://www.mailgenius.com/](https://www.mailgenius.com/) to see if your emails are likely to trigger filters. ## Common Spam Words - Salesy / Promotional Phrases - Affordable - Best price - Free - Bonus - Buy direct - Click here - Order now - Call now - Great offer - Limited time - Promise you - Special promotion - This won't last - Winner - Winning - Urgent - Financial Triggers - Billion - Cash - Earn extra cash - Investment - Make money - Million dollars - Money back - No hidden costs - Potential earnings - Risk-free - Save big money - Manipulative Language - Act now - Amazing - As seen on - Eliminate bad credit - Get it now - Guarantee - Incredible deal - Once in a lifetime - Unsecured debt - Why pay more? - Banking / Crypto / Loan Terms - Accept credit cards - Bank account - Beneficiary - Credit card offer - Hidden charges - Increase sales - Lowest price - Mortgage rates - Refinance - Work from home - Email Tactics That Raise Red Flags - Click below - Click this link - This isn't spam - You have been selected - Exclusive deal - Urgent response needed - Winner! - Congratulations - Security / Privacy Phrases - Access now - Confidentiality - Information you requested - Passwords - Social security number - This is not a scam ## Final Thoughts About Spam Avoiding spam filters isn't about playing it safe — it's about being smart. You can still be persuasive and effective without sounding like a scam. With the right wording, formatting, and testing tools, your email campaigns can hit the inbox and convert readers into customers. Want help with email strategy that actually works? [Contact the experts at **Fawkes Digital Marketing today**](/Contact/)**.** --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Back-to-the-basics-of-SEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Back-to-the-basics-of-SEO/ So, you’ve heard the term SEO when talking about websites and the world wide web, but what exactly is it and how can it help your business? Let’s break it down. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and we already know what a search engine is, right? Google, Yahoo, Bing, and many other websites serve as search engines, where a visitor types a phrase or word into a search box and a list of results pops up instantly. These sites look through every page of every website on the world wide web and matches results to the phrase or words searched. Optimization means making the best and most effective use of this resource, or in our case, designing your website so that search engines list it near or at the top of their search results list. ## How does it work? There are many things that catch a search engine’s attention: the website page text, page titles, headings, meta titles, meta descriptions, image names, and anchor text are just a few. In order to improve a website’s rankings on search engine lists, these elements should include words that their target market will search for. These words and phrases are what we call Keywords. Let’s say you’re looking to hire a landscaper for your new home. You just moved to town and you aren’t familiar with the local businesses around you. You pull up google.com and search for “best landscaping companies in Cullman, IN.” The first websites you check out are generally the first ones that come up in the search results list. Makes sense, right? As a business, you want your website to show up at or near the top of those search results lists. This brings more people to your website leading to more sales and more attention. ## How can I improve my SEO? Now that we understand what SEO is and why it is important, let’s talk about how to improve it. Here are some basics: - Make sure your website pages link together correctly, that they don’t lead to an error page when clicked on. - Page titles and headings are very important, these help visitors know where to find what they are looking for quickly and effectively. Create detailed, clear titles and headings. - If possible, include a healthy amount of keywords and phrases that if searched for on google will lead the public right to your site. - Include detail in your meta titles and descriptions to help search engines categorize your website better. Metadata is used to describe individual pages on a website, which allows search engines to understand what each page portrays. This is just the tip of the iceberg, these are just a few of the many ways to improve your SEO. Unfortunately, this process also takes time, and you will not see results quickly. It takes time to monitor the traffic coming to your website and how they are finding it. Luckily, our team here at JM2 Webdesigners is ready to help. We know all of the ins and outs so you don’t have to worry about a thing! We have plans in place ready to handle your complete SEO needs as well as SEO Audit needs with guidance on how to fix your site. Interested in improving your website’s SEO? Give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593) or email us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com)! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BakersDozenSEOMistakes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BakersDozenSEOMistakes/ Here at JM2 Webdesigners each and every day we work on search engine optimization from our Cullman office for clients. When we do we also help out prospective clients who want to truly rock the search engines. They want to do it low cost and with quick results. The first item we cover with any client is that SEO is a marathon and definitely not a short sprint. Like your business SEO is something that you need to train, mentor and continually work on. There are techniques (which we will not talk about as they are considered "black hat" (first topic we'll cover) that will hurt your business in the long run of this marathon and all too often we see people come to us wanting to "fix" this mistake that they've been doing for years. ## Black/Grey Hat Techniques over White Hat Techniques Search Engine Optimization is simple easy and something that can be done in minutes. This is oh so far from the truth yet others believe is possible because they read or hear about the latest "trick" to "beat the system". This can work for a short time (days, weeks or even months). The result is you move up super-fast and achieve nirvana on the search engines with little to no effort. So what's wrong with that? Like all good things in life to maintain and grow you need to work for it to better yourself. Our personal opinion is that black hat techniques we feel are for people that cheat to get to the top and we actually have proof of people using those techniques. It works for some but for the majority it doesn't work and when it does work it's only for a short period of time. Any legitimate SEO provider will automatically tell you that we don't and won't support these techniques. We've had to "fire" two clients ourselves for clients who agreed to not use these techniques (it is part of our contracts for web hosting as well as search engine optimization) and we found out that they were. One client it took us eight months to achieve a top three rank on page one of Google, Bing and Yahoo. The phrase was a simple and a short phrase of "Cullman xyz" (xyz is used here to keep their information private). Based on they sold xyz in Cullman it was a perfect phrase and something most people would type in. We kept their page updated with the latest BBQ information with stories and detailed menus of what they sold with pictures to further enhance their rankings. They rose to the top at a slow and steady pace. They started on page 5 for the phrase when we started their search engine optimization and were on page four at the time we took them over. Each month they typically moved up a couple of positions. Some months they went down a spot but overall we were on a very positive upward movement. Then they wanted more and what we call a "slick salesman" came in and promised even more and better results and they took it as they wanted to grow faster than they already were (and who can blame them). After a few weeks we started to see they were dropping a few spots. That isn't uncommon as the search engines change algorithms constantly and we knew this was just another change and we needed to adjust our effort to help them maintain their phrases they wanted. We added more information about the subject matter that was credible and beneficial for their patrons. They continued to drop and we started to talk with them as things were starting to drop fast. As we talked with them they let it slip they hired a person to rebrand and remarket the company. Once we found that out our relationship quickly ended as we started to dig into what was being done and how. We found out the techniques that were used were "grey hat" (a collection of both good and bad techniques) as well as solid "black hat" techniques. The person wasn't trying to mess with the number one spots that we achieved but on totally new keyword phrases. These black hat techniques though after a month started to lower all the good rankings as well as the search engines saw the "new" strategy as against the recommended best practices for success. Today (as of this blog post) the client can't be found on any of the top six pages (now on page 7) for any of the terms they used to be on page one and were on page five when we original took their website over. This is truly a harsh example, especially for the one client, but a valuable lesson for everyone else that these techniques can, and often will, hurt your business. ## Guarantees There truly are no "guarantees" anyone can offer when it comes to being on page one or the top three results of the search engines. Google, Bing, and Yahoo can guarantee that if you pay them for the phrases you want they will put you in the top of the paid positions on the search results. Paying for top spots works for many. We believe though that being "organic" in search you can work your way to the best possible position. Organic means that the search engines see your website, see that you are a credible source of information and do provide valuable content for your customers. If you have someone that comes to you and guarantees that they can get you on page one of the search engine result pages (SERPs) and even the number one position you need to take it with a very LARGE grain of salt as unless they own the search engines getting the number one organic search results cannot be guaranteed. The only thing any search engine optimization company can guarantee is they will do their best to achieve the results for the phrases you've worked together on. One cannot even guarantee that you will be above your competitors but they can guarantee that their organization will do their best efforts to achieve that for you. ![SEO Process](/Images/Content/Blog/seoProcess.jpg) ## Lack of research and defining your results Researching covers a wide variety. With search engine optimization for your website we see three major areas of focus to cover. You have your web designer / application developer that you must choose. This individual or team needs to understand what the search engines are. Making a site just pretty will not achieve the results you want or need. The next is one that you feel you can work with and will help your company succeed. This is as important, if not more so, than everything else. If the person you feel is going to rip you off, not work with you as a member of **your team**, then you will never achieve what you are seeking. The next is writing down who your competitors are, why they're a competitor to you and equally why you personally feel your business is better than the other (what makes you stand out). The answer of "because" is not the right answer. Something like "we provide the best customer service by communicating every other week with our customers to make certain they are happy with \_\_\_\_ is a much better answer". The final step is defining both success and failure. In our example above our client went from page five to page one in eight months. That would be a way of defining success if the goal was to do so in eight or more months (we routinely set everything to a year as rebuilding, creating quality content, and keeping the search engines appraised of your progress does take time). This goal would be considered a failure if the goal was to be achieved in three months. By defining your goals you can determine if what you're doing is working on not. ![SEO Mistakes](/Images/Content/Blog/seoMistakes.jpg) ## Treating your website poorly If you've ever read any of our past blog posts you know we encourage our clients to treat their website as an employee. An employee needs to be mentored, trained about the business as well as the culture of the business. Your website needs to be consistently branded across all of your online, and printed, platforms. If you build something great and then don't continue to grow your website you are missing the boat of what a website is for. Yes, a website is a brochure page that markets your company for its product and services 24x7 for you. Your website is often the first impression to potential customers. If the information is outdated, incorrect or not informative to the question that they have they will more than likely move onto another site that answers those questions. Once you build a website keep it fresh and current with what you're doing. This could be as simple as a blog post (like this one), press releases about what you're business is doing, and what you are doing in the community. ## Ignoring social media Not truly part of your website but a critical piece to the overall marketing and keeping in-touch with your customers for your business. You can post on frequently on social media to get your message. That is the first part of social media. When you do post are they all sales related (boring), are you giving information on how to help people (awesome) or are you just posting to post? We post a simple "Tweet" to social media every day at 11am. These are targeted mainly for our clients where we sat down with them during the "go live" part of their websites and know they want to do everything themselves. We don't discourage that as it can save money for them as well as keeps them actively involved in the entire process. But what if all you do is post (or worse post every few months)? That's not good as well. Part of being on social media is being "social". That's talking and conversing with your customer base (both current and future customers). It's teaching them about your company culture but also learning about them. What are they interested in? How can you better serve their needs? Do you actively answer questions you're asked in a timely fashion? If someone has a concern do you address it and diffuse it before it goes viral and damages your company's reputation? ## Backlinks Backlinks used to be the holy grail of SEO. If you had a ton of backlinks you rocked the page one results of the search engines. Now this is a much smaller percentage of the algorithm to move up. They still matter though. A backlink is a link to your website. The more credible a site is that links to you the more "weight" it will play on the search engines to move you up. Part of the back link also is the text as part of the link. If you have a back link with your company name or it says "click here" and links to your site it will be less credible than if it's part of an article on a website where there is text that has meaning. As an example, "JM2 Webdesigners is an honest search engine marketing company in Cullman, Alabama" would be a better link than just a logo or the click here text. ## Meta Information When it comes to Meta information we routinely hear this as the magical pixie dust of the web. There are three main ones (many more exist but we'll cover the top three). These are title, keyword and description. ### Title When you are browsing the internet the "Title" Meta tag is what displays at the top of the browser or in the browser tab if a user has multiple tabs open on their browser. This should never be blank. This should never match another page (e.g. every page says just your company name). You only have the length of a "tweet" to achieve your title tag and shorter the better. Other items that we see is people will not put in a keyword that exists on the page in their title. ### Keyword Keywords were originally designed to help search engines know what phrase you wanted to be found under (E.g. "Web Design Cullman", "Web Design Chicago", etc.). The problem is people started to misuse this from day one (this would be more of a grey hat technique when you lie about your keywords to move up). Google no longer uses the keywords. Rather they look at the content of your site. Some search engines still use this information for determining results so this should not be ignored. Keywords should be unique on every page but some keywords may be appropriate on every page. Having your company name on every page as part of your keyword strategy makes sense as your company name does pertain to every page. ### Description The description we often see being blank. This is great for some but not others. Like keywords, the search engine makes a determination if they like your description or if they'll use the content from your website. Not having it leaves either nothing show or something that might not be the best for your business. Fill this in and make certain it covers what the page is about. Again, don't repeat this for every page. ## Duplicating content As we talked about above in the Meta information not wanting to duplicate on every page the same holds true for the content that you put on your website. If you have the same information on every page you're hurting yourself. **Note**: It is expected the header, menu and footer of a website is the same and that won't hurt you as there is special "markup" that is done to let the search engines know what actual content is for a given page. ## Moving and Removing Pages Incorrectly ![SEO Compass](/Images/Content/Blog/seoCompass.jpg) When you have an existing page and move it you need to put in what is known as a 301 redirect. We covered this in a [recent blog post here on the Beginners Guide to 301 Redirects](/Blog/Details/BeginnersGuideTo301Redirects/). When you remove a page you also need to have a 301 redirect stating that the page is no longer there and where the new page is. ## Only having bulleted lists We see this routinely on sites that get started quickly. The intention is to later expand but never happens. What's wrong with a bulleted list? Nothing if used in the right context. If your entire site is bulleted you are providing quick information without forcing people to read. We love that for a quick read or a 30,000 foot overview of a subject matter. Expecting a search engine to interpret what those bullets mean you will never win. If you have a bullet for web design and expect the search engine to "auto-fill" in "what if" scenarios that you build websites, maintain websites, fix websites and handle security for websites you're missing the point of what a bulleted list is for in regard to the Internet. ## Images that only contain text and alternate text There are two parts to images. We routinely see people take text away from their site and put it into an image. Images are there to add value and importance to the surrounding text of your site. We often ask ourselves "Why" as a search engine can interpret text very well. A picture is really just a picture so why change it from something that will help you move up in the search results to something that has a potential to move you down? 9 times out of 10 we find this to be a person that knows graphics more than actual code and not caring about the people visiting your site. The second item is like the Meta information we covered above. Each image has a value that is used to define what the image is. This is called Alternate Text or "alt" for short. This information lets the search engine know what the image is all about. We often see this as blank as people don't take time to put this information in. This information is used by screen readers as well. A screen reader is a verbal text reader for people that have seeing difficulties. This information is there for them too. These individuals need to be treated as first class citizens as they are just as important as everyone else. ![SEO Analysis](/Images/Content/Blog/seoAnalysis.png) ## Analytics or lack there of When it comes to a website knowing how it is used and by who is critical to the overall success of your website. Not looking at these reports you're hurting yourself. We know these reports are extremely hard to understand as there is a lot of information. Part of every search engine optimization project we provide the full detail but then we go through line-by-line each month and create an executive summary showing how a client is doing without all the technobabble that can confuse people. ## Mobility We just talked about analytics where we said how important it is. As part of analytics you can tell what browser and device a person is coming from. For a browser it's typically Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer (soon Microsoft Edge when Windows 10 comes out), Apple Safari, Opera or Mozilla Firefox. You should make certain your website works well on all of the browsers out there but equally is important making certain that it is 100% dead-on for the primary browser that comes to your site. Along with a browser what truly makes the browser work is the device being used. We have always had desktop and laptop devices with 14" screens and larger. Now we have many devices with smaller screen devices. This is where mobility comes into play and in a big way. On April 21, 2015 Google started moving websites down for not being mobile. Google has a free check at https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/ that will let you know if you're mobile friendly or not according to their computer algorithm. We have seen sites that pass the test but also fail. How can you pass and fail? Well, from a computer software standpoint the website passes. You also get a representation of what your website looks like to the right. If you look at that representation and it doesn't look like you want it to be like then you've failed the usability test even though you passed the computer software test. ![SEO Expert Assistance](/Images/Content/Blog/seoAssistance.png) ## Conclusion First and foremost follow only white hat techniques when it comes to search engine optimization. This will make you run the marathon and not do just a sprint for results. Secondly, follow all of the best practices of what the search engines recommend as they will not only improve the search engine results pages for your website but will also make your website more informative, credible and useful to those that visit your website. Many people don't have time to do the search engine optimization themselves as they are working on growing their business. That's where JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama come in. We are here to augment your staff to achieve the results not just on the search engines but also on social media, email marketing and of course building, maintaining and upgrading your website. If you need assistance from someone that will only do the right things necessary for your online business you can call us at , [fill out our contact form here](/Contact/) or email us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Be-a-HERO-and-not-a-slider/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Be-a-HERO-and-not-a-slider/ We have never been fans of sliders as we found them distracting, not helping with your call to action or sales funnel. We won’t deny that having a slider can “look cool” but a website is more than just looking cool. You want to bring people into your sales funnel and buy from you. I will take a sale any day of the week over being the cool kid on the block. There’s more though than just your sales funnel to think about when it comes to a slider on your homepage (or any page for that matter). Let’s look at some of the drawbacks of sliders as well as how you can still have that cool kid wow factor and get rid of those drawbacks. Sliders which are often called carousels have several search engine drawbacks. For any company on the internet you need to think of the search engines and how they work. Most sliders that we see will have multiple H1’s (header tags). The H1 is the chapter of your book. Every page should be considered a chapter. You don’t put multiple chapters on the same page but sliders tend to always do that. For any page of your website you should have one heading and then as many sub-headings that are needed. By having multiple H1’s on your webpage you are devaluing the purpose of having a defined keyword on your page. Sliders add that dazzle as we said earlier but they eat up a lot of space often without providing any value. Sliders will routinely fall into one of three areas. The reasons company’s use sliders are for branding purposes, thought leadership, or product/service promotion. Sliders will also slow down your website and as we know the slower a page goes the more likely you will lose your customer even before they see the rest of your page. Sliders are beautiful in nature with little text which means they are not helping inform or educate your audience which will hurt your search engine chances for success. Sliders receive the lowest number of clicks of anywhere on your site. They force your users to either leave or to scroll right past them missing the purpose of what you are trying to get across. What this means is your valuable content which you want your users to read is further pushed down on the screen if not off the screen. The more you force your users to scroll just to get to meaningful content the less likely they will have a positive and memorable experience on your website. When a user hits your page the slider is shown to the user, continues to keep their attention by the animations you’ve put in to “wow” your users. This stops and prevents those looking for specific answers to miss what they are looking for and will create a higher bounce rate on your website. The bounce rate is when someone comes on your site, doesn’t get the answer to the question they wanted answer, and clicks the back button. When it comes to fixing the problem, you can still “wow” your visitor and actually be the cooler kid than might otherwise be. You do this by using a HERO image. This is a full page image. On top of this image you can have relevant information but also walk them through your sales funnel process faster and more efficiently without distracting them. The other methods you can do is to better target your website based on your customer. This is often referred to as customer personas. By targeting to your audience, you will drive more relevant information to your audience and achieve greater results. A well designed page will target your user, have high-quality content that answers your visitors question, and pictures that align with the written text. As you look and create your page something we always tell our customers is “you are not your customer”. You may feel that fancy graphics and animation will draw people in. Most visitors though are looking for specific answers to their questions. They are not going to your website to be wowed with fancy animations or slideshows. Step back on each page of your website and see if it answers the intent of your page. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/become-google-guaranteed/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/become-google-guaranteed/ In today’s competitive local market, standing out on Google is essential — and one of the most powerful ways to build trust and attract more customers is by becoming **Google Guaranteed**. This special certification gives your business the coveted green badge that appears in Google Local Services Ads, signaling to potential customers that Google backs your work up to $2,000. But the process to become Google Guaranteed involves multiple verification steps, paperwork, and background checks — which can be time-consuming and confusing. That’s where **Fawkes Digital Marketing** comes in. We handle everything for you, making the process seamless so you can focus on running your business. *** ## What Is Google Guaranteed? **Google Guarantee** is a certification from Google for eligible local service businesses. It shows potential customers that your company has been vetted and approved by Google — providing peace of mind that you’re trustworthy and qualified. - Google backs jobs booked through Local Services Ads with up to **$** **2,000 protection**. - The **green Google Guaranteed badge** appears at the top of Google search results, above traditional ads. - You only pay for **qualified leads**, not clicks, ensuring a better return on ad spend. *** ## Why Should Your Business Become Google Guaranteed? - **Increase trust and credibility** with your customers. - Stand out above competitors in Google search results. - Get **exclusive placement** at the very top of Google search pages. - Pay only for **real leads** that contact you, not just clicks. - Receive up to \$2,000 guarantee for customer satisfaction issues. *** ## Who Can Get Google Guaranteed? Google Guarantee primarily targets **home service businesses** such as: - Plumbing - Electrical services - HVAC - Garage door repair - Locksmiths - Lawn care - Pest control - House cleaning - Roofing - Tree services …and more. The list is growing as Google expands the program, but the focus remains on trusted, locally-based service providers. *** ## What Does It Take to Become Google Guaranteed? The Step-by-Step Requirements Google requires businesses to undergo a **rigorous screening process** before granting the Google Guarantee badge. Here’s what’s involved: ### 1. Proof of Business Licensing You must provide valid licenses for your business and owners, usually verified at the state level. ### 2. Valid Insurance General liability insurance is mandatory. Depending on your industry, additional coverage or bonding may be required. ### 3. Background Checks Google conducts thorough background checks on the business owner and employees who perform work, often using third-party services. Certain industries, like locksmiths or garage door repair, require video verifications of your business location and vehicles. ### 4. Business Verification & Compliance Google confirms your business address, phone number, and website are accurate and compliant. ### 5. Maintain a Positive Reputation Reviews are critical. Google looks for consistent positive customer feedback across Google My Business and other platforms. *** ## How Fawkes Digital Marketing Simplifies the Google Guarantee Process for You Getting Google Guaranteed can be complex and time-consuming. That’s why **Fawkes Digital Marketing** offers a full-service solution that manages every step on your behalf: - We collect and organize all necessary documentation (licenses, insurance, etc.). - We coordinate background checks and video verifications if required. - We set up and optimize your **Google Business Profile** for better visibility. - We monitor your online reputation and help encourage positive reviews. - We manage your Local Services Ads campaign so you only pay for qualified leads. - We provide ongoing support to maintain your Google Guaranteed status. Our goal is to make the entire process **seamless and stress-free**, so you can focus on delivering great service — while we help you win more customers. *** ## How Much Does It Cost to Get Google Guaranteed? - **There is no fee to apply or get verified by Google** for the Google Guarantee. - You pay for Local Services Ads on a **pay-per-lead basis** — the cost varies by industry, location, and demand. - The average cost per lead depends on your market but typically ranges from **\$15 to \$50 per qualified lead**. - Since you only pay for real leads, your advertising budget goes further with better ROI. *** ## How to Get Started Today with Fawkes Digital Marketing Don’t let paperwork and complex verifications slow down your growth. Let Fawkes Digital Marketing handle the hard part of getting you Google Guaranteed. **Here’s how to start:** 1. **Contact us for a free consultation** to review your business and eligibility. 2. We’ll guide you through the required documents and information. 3. We manage your entire Google Guarantee setup — background checks, verifications, ad setup. 4. You start receiving qualified leads and build trust with Google’s badge of approval. *** ## Final Thoughts Becoming **Google Guaranteed** is one of the smartest investments your local service business can make in 2025. It elevates your brand, builds trust, and brings more customers directly to your door — all while protecting you with Google’s \$2,000 guarantee. **Fawkes Digital Marketing** is here to take the hassle out of the process so you can focus on what matters most: growing your business and delighting customers. *** **Ready to get Google Guaranteed and grow your leads?** [Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing today](#) and let’s get started! *** Would you like me to help you create supporting social media posts or email templates for this article? --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Become-the-leader-you-were-meant-to-be/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Become-the-leader-you-were-meant-to-be/ When you take control of your destiny you risk not only success but failure. It's that fear of failure that deters many of us to not push ourselves beyond our comfort zone. We all have in ourselves to be better than what we were yesterday. Tomorrow we have the option to be better than we were the day before. It is this constant option of freewill that we have to improve ourselves. Becoming a leader has a risk of failing and any leader that says they haven't feared failure or hasn't failed is lying. Failure comes with the job and is what makes a leader even stronger. It is only how we deal with such failures that determines the type of leader that you are (or not). Below are some of the key steps I have done to become a leader: 1. Accept failure, learn from it, overcome it, and improve yourself on a daily basis. 2. Be confident in your skills you already have, don't except that you don't have anything to learn, and continue to push yourself to grow. 3. Become the "go to expert". This means a lot of studying. You thought you studied in school. That's a joke. To be a true expert you need to study more, harder, and as often as you can. Then you need to practice what you've learned. 4. Treat others with respect, be firm in your answers and decisions while keeping the kindness of your heart always open to the person you are talking to. Remember that each person that you talk to is different, has their own struggles, and each is a unique soul on this planet. 5. Stop following and lead. If all you ever do is copy you will ultimately never be as good of a leader as you could be. If you let others manipulate you for their own selflessness they are not leaders and you are just letting them manipulate you. We all learn by practice and if all you ever do is follow you will always be a follower even if your aspiration is to lead. 6. Mentor those around you to be **better than you**. This is a hard thing as if you want to be the "expert" why would you make someone else an expert; even better than you? The simple answer is that one person cannot know everything and if there are two of you then you'll make a bigger and more positive difference in the world. A good leader will continue the mentoring and bring those around them up to expert level. 7. Ask questions, don't be afraid to say you don't know, and always state you'll find the answer. 8. Follow through with what you say you'll do. Leading by example is one of the best way to mentor and teach others. 9. Look back, reflect, and adjust to change. Don’t dwell on the past; rather learn from it and move on as quickly as you can. Being a leader is not for everyone and if you don't have the aspirations to be one then don't. Don't force yourself into a position that will not make you happy. Leadership is a mindset and one that requires you constantly take the higher road, help others, and be the best person you can be. Holding in any resentment, anger, or desires to "beat" someone shows you are not yet ready to be the leader that everyone else will want to aspire to be. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeFoundonLocalSearch/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeFoundonLocalSearch/ Being found locally for any small business is crucial. As of May 2015, Google acknowledged that search on mobile devices in ten counties, including the United States, surpassed that of desktop searches. With this revelation of how important mobile search is it is more important than ever that your business is truly prepared for local search. Searching on mobile uses geographic (location based) search to determine the most relevant information. Search engine optimization or SEO will take weeks, possibly months, to learn and a lifetime to master as it is changing on a weekly basis. That doesn't mean you can't do it yourself or be knowledgeable to get your local search performing better. Below we will cover the five biggest areas for improvement to get the most immediate gain when it comes to local search. ## NAP NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone when it comes to local search. Often the NAP includes a U for URL. Having consistency in this information goes far. Having your business setup for local on Google, Bing, and Yahoo is critical. There is more than just these three. There are over 50 business directories on the internet with more added all the time. Having this information match 100%, not 99%, will greatly help with this. ## Structured Meta Data When it comes to local SEO and regular SEO structured meta data is important. With structured meta data you can provide some critical information to the search engines. One key aspect is your exact latitude and longitude which lets the search engines and the maps of the internet know exactly where you are located. Most modern content management systems (CMS) that are optimized for SEO will have the ability out of the box (no need for plugins) to add this information to your website. ## Meta Data Structured meta data may be the new kid that the search engines are looking at but the old school meta information is equally important. Every page should have a unique title and a well written description of what the page is. Titles should be between 50-60 characters and descriptions around 160 characters. We always asked about what meta keywords we are setting a page up for. The real answer is none. The meta keyword attribute has been so abused over the years Google, Bing, and Yahoo do not use it. The keywords are formed based on the content information that is written on each individual page. When it comes to a first impression the title and description will be the first item someone will see about your local business. ## Business Directories Continuing the NAP talk of above on business directories make certain that you are fully listed on each one of the business directories. When possible include your logo, description, pictures, and hours of operation. ## Speaking of Hours… The hours you are open is important to the search engines and the people looking for your business. Not only can you display the hours visually this information can be included in your structured meta data. If your business is having extended hours or closing for a given holiday, make certain to let the search engines know so that they can inform those that are looking for you. It is never good to have a person post on your social media page stating they drove to your business and you were closed. ## Conclusion Working with a company that specializes in search engine optimization for small and medium sized businesses is crucial. JM2 Webdesigners is a local marketing company in Cullman Alabama that is dedicated to your growth. We look at all the above and many more when we help get your business online. With fair pricing and a team of graphic designers, web designers, customer service, content writers, developers, and SEO experts we are here to assist you in every aspect of your inbound internet marketing. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeginnersGuideTo301Redirects/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeginnersGuideTo301Redirects/ As we've been migrating one to two sites per week to new domains or under more logical structures (moved) you need to think about all of the old content that existed. Many that create new pages, remove old pages, or do a complete web site overhaul to be more logically structured often forget about the old structure until people start complaining. To the search engine those pages still exist until they learn otherwise. They learn by redirects or by failing several times when looking for your website. Imagine a user doing a search and the first result they choose is from the old site that no longer exists. You've just created a bad experience for your visitor. When this happens many click the back button and go to another site. Can you say lost opportunity? This is where 301 redirects come into play. ![301 Redirects](/Images/Content/Blog/301Redirects.png) ## What Is A 301 Redirect? A 301 redirect is a command instruction to the search engines and visitors to your site that a page is no longer available at this location in your website and where it can find the new location. A 301 redirect is a **permanent** redirect. The search engines are truly awesome when it comes to these redirects they will update the information they have stored so that when people search for your product or service they will get the correct page. ## Why should I care about a 301 redirect? As we've already stated the first reason is to update the search engines with the latest information about your website. When the search engines see this they immediately update anything already within their system. This is instantaneous and will update the search engine cache for visitors to your site. The next reason is the user experience aspect. When a person has a bad experience they tend to go elsewhere. If we already have someone's attention we don't want to lose it because our webmaster didn't know how to properly handle our website for moved content. ## What? That's it? Overall yes. When you move a page, or your entire domain, you need to put in-place the proper information for the search engines. Below we outline the most common scenarios we've handled in the past year and if not handled correctly could actually hurt a business websites search engine optimization (SEO) and there are many web designers out there that don't have the knowledge and experience to realize how important the search engines are for your success. ### Single Page Redirect When you build a new website often (almost always) the page structure changes. When you move an entire folder from one area of your website to another location is another scenario that happens all too often. The redirect will take /MyLocations/Cullman.html and report it as /Locations/Cullman/. ### Redirect for entire folder On eCommerce sites this happens often. You may have /NewCars/ as your current location but after talking it out and customer interactions you find out that /Cars/ makes better sense for your brand. You move the location to /Cars/ and setup a redirect on /NewCars/ to inform the search engines to use /Cars/ instead of /NewCars/. ### Brand New Domain Redirection The last area that we will be discussing is an entirely new domain change. This could be because you found a better name to suit your company or maybe your company bought out another and you need to point their site to your site as part of a consolidation. When you do a domain redirection you have a couple of items to think about. Is the structure (e.g. the files and folders) the same? If they're different you will have to do redirections for each file and folder. When you do a domain redirection from domainA to domainB make certain that you continue to pay for domainA as you may have marketing materials that point to the old site and you'll want to continue receiving those users. ![301 and 302 Redirects](/Images/Content/Blog/301-302-Redirects.jpg) ## Is this the only redirect? A 301 redirect is considered a permanent redirect but there are two others. ### 302 Redirects The 302 redirect is known as a temporary redirect. A temporary redirect may be that you're performing maintenance or some other task but the location will be coming back “soon”. Soon is very subjective as some use it to mean a couple of hours, others a couple of weeks. The key here is to use a 302 only when you know the item is temporary and is going to be a short period of time. ### 307 Redirects 307 Redirects are less common than the 301 and 302 redirects. A 307 redirect is the HTTP 1.1 successor of the 302 redirect. The major search engines will treat it like a 302 redirect in most cases. ## Conclusion Taking over and migrating a site, moving directories or files is a simple manner to do in modern systems. The problem occurs when the search engines already have your site indexed. You need to keep them informed and updated. Going with your website is your employee if you moved an employee's work location or moved the entire office you would need to inform them where they need to now go. The same goes for your website to the search engines. **Note**: One area we haven't covered is your website's SiteMap. This is a critical item that you need to update. Make certain you dont leave off this important piece when migrating changing your website structure. If you are doing a site migration, domain merge, upgrade and this topic doesn't come up then question your provider and make certain they know how to properly handle this. They may have forgotten to bring this up, may not have converted a lot of sites, or may not know this is something they should do for you and believe the search engines will just know it's a new site. They may have an additional line item in their quote to include as part of SEO and social media services. The key takeaway is to make certain you think of the search engines as part of any updates and not as an after thought. If you are looking to upgrade your website or need assistance maintaining your existing webiste JM2 Webdesigners would love to work with you on your website. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, through email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or through [our online contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeingAnEntrepreneurJan2015/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeingAnEntrepreneurJan2015/ As our second year is closely approaching and just a month away we are reflecting on everything that has happened. From the initial planting of our seed to form JM2 Webdesigners to present day. Being an entrepreneur has been quite different than that of being a person at a small or large organization. There are different challenges and I feel that I have become a stronger and better person because of it. The success, or failure, is entirely in my hands. This alone has caused a lot of stress but overall in a positive way. We started with a vision of being a differentiator in the web design/development. We know we’ve achieved this dream and focus as the companies we continue to work with have all seen improvements in their online experiences and improved business processes. Over these years there have been many changes. Both hard because we have ventured off of our core focus while others have been truly easy speaking relatively. Our entire process has improved which has made us a more competitive development company within the landscape. ## Venturing off course We have ventured off our core focus to test the waters for new business services to offer. The thoughts for those deviations was wise at the moments before that decision. We quickly realized that although we could handle the new services it lead us away from our core focus of improving business processes, web design/development and our focus on helping businesses use digital marketing. The best part of JM2 Webdesigners has always been our foundational roots on using agile methodologies in everything that we do (fast changing business practices). We were able to quickly realize that this change didn’t improve our business processes and rather hindered them. We were able to get back on-track in a short period of time. ## Correcting your course Once a course has been chosen and you’ve started in a specific direction you always need to make certain that when changing you don’t leave those that you worked with out in the cold. To solve this we started looking, communicating and establishing relationships with other businesses in IT, Graphic Design, and print and video marketing. With these new relationships we were able to not only make some truly smart partnerships but utilize the expertise that they that they have and tie it in with our expertise. These relationships have spawned much more fruit (customers and new opportunities) than what we would have had if we did the tasks ourselves. We now have more exciting development work where we can focus on our core values and help solve and improve upon the problems businesses are facing today. These course corrections have made us a stronger organization in helping businesses in improving their daily processes. By using these relationships we gained access to local community industry leaders to help solve complex problems. ## Conclusion By sticking to what we originally set out to do we are able to solve business problems using software technology. Every business problem can be improved upon when discussed and evaluated in a positive manner. At JM2 Webdesigners everything we do we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently from others in our field. We make our websites beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly. We just happen to make great websites, improve business processes and efficient online experiences. Are you ready to buy a website? --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeingBadIsAPartOfLife/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeingBadIsAPartOfLife/ As we take on and do more social media sites a lot of what we hear is people are afraid of, even scared, of bad reviews and comments on their websites. We all wish the world was always a happy place and that nothing sad was said about our products and services. This isn't always the case though. We are human after all which means we are destined to make a few mistakes and upset people no matter how hard we try. As business owners we will receive bad reviews from time to time. No matter how hard we try while conducting business we will all run into a disgruntled customer. We may have done so by accident or maybe we were having an off game that specific day. In today’s world when someone has a bad experience there is a good chance they will take to the Internet to get their voice heard. This could be on your company social media page, on a group page, or on their individual social timeline. When these instance happen we are wanting to make an immediate dash to the defensive as you may have known about the mistake or maybe the customer didn’t even talk to you and wants, possibly needs, to vent to the world. When someone gives feedback whether good or bad the key is they obviously care as those that don’t care about your business will just verbally bash and attack and not go online. We have found over the past three years that most people that will post criticism online want to be heard but always are often well meaning people that want to see your business succeed. You can use this valuable information to not only build your brand but improve upon it. Having a negative review can also help in building a real feel for your brand. Everyone knows that not everyone will be happy. Having both positive and negative reviews will show that the system is not just flooded with positive. The world isn’t that way and none of our businesses are that way as there is and always should be room to grow. With a bad review you can showcase and shine by showing not only the person with the complaint but those that are current and future customers (those that come in future dates) how well your customer service truly is. ## Time to listen You've made a mistake and it is time to learn and learn how you can improve on this grievous "oops". Listen to what is being said by your customer. Be sincere in every interaction with the customer as you mainly listen to their pains. To you this may be a minor incident but to them it is a lot bigger than that if they have to post it online. If you are fortunate enough to solicit feedback from them, you are truly lucky as that will allow you to repair the relationship in most cases while also improving your business and build more awareness to your brand. ## Don't over react The key items that you never want to do is ignore, delete, or attack your customer. Whether they are right or not this is a time for your company to grow (in a positive way). This is where having a social media expert is extremely helpful. Sometimes you, the business owner or employee, are so close to the situation that you take offense and miss what the person is saying. ## A lesson learned Here is a lesson we always talk about as one of our key focuses is on restaurants. We love food as much as the next person. We have a customer that posted on how horrible the service was at our client’s restaurant, the food was burnt and the restaurant didn’t care about them after they raised the concern. What transpired is this: 1. We first acknowledged the person and thanked them for the information and asked them to contact us (we took the situation offline). This showed everyone that we (our client as we are their employee in this) that we are taking this seriously. This is the first step. We didn’t over react or attack. We wanted to learn more and talk. We emailed the owner and let them know we were handling the situation and would get back with them after we had all of the facts. 2. We listened to the customer as they did call us. The conversation was very one-sided (which is what we wanted). They talked about 80% of the time. We took notes and information about the situation. The customer had been to the location many times before and this was just an off experience. We offered to take them to lunch (at the restaurant). We scheduled it for a time we knew the restaurant owner wasn’t there and made certain that they didn’t know we were bringing an unhappy customer in. We let the customer know this as well. This was also our treat as this is part of what we do for our customers as we want everyone to succeed. 3. The customer ordered, we ordered, and we just let things go well. Thankfully this time everything worked well (we were hoping for that). The customer left happy and we know has been back to the restaurant on several occasions. After everything we wrote up a review and suggestions for improvement based on our conversation with the customer. The restaurant opted to take some, not all, of the decisions to improve their business. This is the restaurants choice to take all, some, or none of the information. The restaurant was also not charged as we believe that part of being social is taking stuff offline and actually socializing and being proactive in promoting their brand. ## An opportunity to learn The bad reviews should come infrequently and not be part of the daily part of the business. If complaints happen often there is a deeper problem that needs to be addressed. By working through the complaints you can take your business from good to great. Whether you are in a growing community like Cullman or a large city like Chicago how you treat your customers will go a long way to the success of your business. ## Being Honest A core part of JM2 Webdesigners, in fact rule #1, is no lying. Be honest with your customers and do not lie. Lie’s will do more damage than you will ever realize. Honesty can hurt but it will be received better. A negative review will help build that you are a real business and when handled correctly will show you truly are in business for the customer and not just for their money. ## Conclusion Maintaining your social media and growing your company is a constant effort. You will stumble and those stumbles should be learning opportunities. You started a business to make a difference and learning from your mistakes will make you achieve that result. If you are busy, which we hope you are, one way to offset your costs is by hiring a social media manager like JM2 Webdesigners. We stay current on the latest standards and live social media on a daily basis. Maintaining your social media, search engine optimization (SEO), website, email marketing, text marketing, and more is not as expensive as you may think. The price of a fancy morning latte or an evening drink is all it costs to achieve a great online experience by a team (not one or two – but an entire team) of dedicated professionals. You can reach us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), [through our online contact form here](/Contact/), or by calling 256-258-8593 and choosing option 0. We look forward to working together and making your business great. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Being-Human/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Being-Human/ I find it appropriate to write about being human on a day I am truly struggling with humanity. I am human after all (I know shocking – even to me) so why not talk about being human, making mistakes, treating people around me with respect, and making a positive influence in people’s lives. When you grow up in a small town like Chesterton Alabama which has some really great values and then move to a growing community like Cullman Alabama you wouldn’t think that I would have any struggles with being human at all. All too often we look at punishing others around us for being imperfect. Many expect us to be perfect in every action and everything that we do. That just can’t happen and those that think that are not doing good things. The only thing we as humans can do perfectly is be imperfect. Those that punish or look for ways to punish others for being imperfect are not doing good things in their lives. They are doing the exact opposite of what makes us great at being human. Being human when you think of it is a constant struggle. We make mistakes each and every day. Today as I sit back and think about items that I have struggled with in the past week that have made me realize my humanity are (in no particular order): - Plumbing - Yard work (snow shoveling, mowing, wee) - Communication with other humans - Workload - Lose weight - Improve my health - Drinking coffee (specialty drink, with sugar, or just plain black) - Hitting timelines (on time) - Company growth (happiness of employees, adding customers, taking care of customers) - Stress The struggle for all of us is real and for each of us it is and will be different. There is no magical formula for dealing with it, there is no manual that can be found (unless you count countless blogs and YouTube videos), and we each have to find the solution and accept it ourselves. After writing this short article, which is superseding the one I was going to post I feel better about my own personal struggle. I feel confident in what I am doing, that I will continue to push myself to be better, and I will keep the thoughts of how I treat others at the forefront of all of my thoughts. I have always joked it would be great to be a robot with no emotions, never making a mistake, and living forever. That takes away from my perfection at being imperfect. In the end, I think I would struggle more with being perfect than I do at being imperfect. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Being-Spoiled-in-the-Best-Way/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Being-Spoiled-in-the-Best-Way/ Being spoiled is often looked at as not being a good thing. To receive anything you want, when you want without regards to the consequence of obtaining it is generally considered not a healthy way to go about life. However, as a member of JM2 Webdesigners, I can't help but admit that we are in the business of spoiling our employees and our customers. We're guilty as charged but it's not entirely a bad thing. In fact, we feel it's a very good thing. Hear us out. ## We Believe in the Very Best We strongly believe in having the best at JM2, as it allows us to do what we love to do best: serve our passionate and dedicated clients. We do not hesitate when it comes to purchasing a new addition for the office if we know it will serve our clients in a way that benefits them. "Can this help a business grow as well as help us serve them better?" If the answer is yes, we've most likely already added it to our shopping cart. We have had situations where we bought a new camera as we knew a higher quality one would benefit our clients and the options we were offering them. There have been times when we obsessed over carpet color, deciding which one would be the best not just in terms of what we want, but what our clients would feel most comfortable with when they came into the office. ## We Make the Best for the Best That doesn't mean every decision is locked behind only the client's best interest. While the client is a primary focus, keeping staff morale high is also a primary focus at JM2. The latest addition to the office includes a standing desk that after passing a test run will be given to all employees to use and take advantage of. It's just another example of keeping everyone's best interest in mind and being aware of what will make everyone work at their maximum efficiency. I believe in working for what you take. I also believe in giving the people you serve everything they need to find success, even if it means giving them a little more than they originally expected. If it means adding an extra feature for a client at no additional cost, let's go for it. If it means making the administration end of the website update instantly for the JM2 staff, do it and do it quickly. Businesses Deserve Everything they Need to Succeed I don't like spoiled people, but in the end, we can't help spoiling our clients to make sure they have everything they would need to find success. I've come to accept it, though. Because in the end, I would rather spoil a business that deserves it than hold them back and prevent them from becoming the business they deserve to be. If you're a business looking to be spoiled with great content and services, be sure to contact us at at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Being-Stronger-Online/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Being-Stronger-Online/ You may have started your business solely on social media due to being quick to get online, you already knew social media, the price being free is a great price, you didn't think you needed branding, and it's where all your customers were and still are today. You've since learned that part of branding and building your relationship online requires more than just social media. Your business requires a positive message that you control and your customers can find you quickly and easily on mobile search. With a website you have control over all aspects to promote your business positively online in the way you want by your online employee that works for you. This doesn't mean that social media isn't important. It is and you should not neglect it; just like you shouldn't neglect your website. ## Time is Limited When a visitor comes to your website they decide within 5-8 seconds whether they will be staying on your website or abandoning your page. This is a very short span of time to gain someone's trust, interest, and show them a value to get them to learn more about your business. ## Distractions Pictures can grab the attention of a user. Sliders produce quick images and can grab a persons attention. After looking at the statistics of 90+ websites we've built in Northwest Alabama in the last three years we've found less than 1% of users click on them. This means that this valuable real estate at the top of your homepage is often wasted. These distractions can hurt rather than help your website in keeping people interested in your content. When we removed our slider from our own page our conversions more than doubled. Does this mean we shouldn't have them? Not necessarily as they do have a place on your site. The place though may not be your home landing page. People are coming to your website for answers to their current problem. A slideshow designed for the masses may not be the best use of your screen real estate when the typically user doesn't spend more than five minutes on a website. ## A/B Testing To be stronger online you need to evaluate what is working, what isn't, and identify areas of improvement. We did this with our slider on our own homepage where we more than doubled our conversion by removing this. We did this by showing the slider to half of the users and then not showing it to the other half. When we didn't show the slider we saw people were more engaged, contacted us, and visited more pages within our site. Testing like this can take time but for a higher conversion of your customers is worth the effort. ## Readability Thanks to Google Fonts and other like products the web is becoming visual from a typography standpoint. Headings and paragraphs are more legible and in a more readable format. We attest this to devices like Kindles and mobile phones with smaller screen sizes. All of the information and content on your website should not only be crisp and clear but optimal for reading. When you are finding a font for your website consider these points: - Choose an easy to read typographic font - Make your text short and sweet as most users will only read 30% of what you've written - Use bullets (like this) as users are more inclined to jump to bullets - Like printed typography make certain spacing between letters and lines are appropriate for what you are writing - Include headings that are properly sized and work well with the paragraph text - Use bold, italics, and underline where appropriate ## Be responsive In business we always want to be responsive for our customer's needs. Your website should be able to quickly and easily adjust to their needs as well. No longer is having a mobile and desktop version the norm. A site that will adjust from the smallest to largest size is needed. This not only will help future proof your website but also give the best experience. When it comes to being online Google has a great too for testing mobility of your site. You can test out your site or your competitors at [https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/](https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/). ## Imagery More than anything an image can improve your website. Stock photography is a great start with custom imagery being the optimal answer for being more personal with your customers. You'll want your images in a high quality format but balanced between the time it takes to load the information (speed matters). ## Speed Matters When it comes to the modern web you want to make your page load as quickly as possible. You adjust your page and make every change Google recommends and have a great load time to the "computer". This time may not be optimal for your user. When you adjust based on their recommendations it's always best to test between making a computer happy and keeping your users happy. If you can do both then you are in a very good place. To test your page speed, you can use Google's PageSpeed Insights at [https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/](https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/). ## Call to Action Often overlooked is a call-to-action to get a user to do a particular action. The action could be clicking on a specific link, subscribing to an email list, sharing content on social media, or a specific business process. Your call-to-action should be clear to the user of what you want them to do. It could be colored differently, bold, or have a fancy graphic to bring someone in. When creating a call-to-action one item to not forget is the action should not be coded to just your homepage. It should exist throughout your site so that people know what the action is. This action could be the same on all pages or unique and different on pages. ## Conclusion When creating a site there are dozens of core items to think about. Many quick builders don't guide you through this process. Taking your time, establishing procedures, and breaking your project into phases will allow you to take a good site and make it great. If you want help with a leader in Northwest Alabama to converting and upgrading a website for an optimal sales process contact JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman (Valpo) Alabama. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Being-Yourself-is-Never-a-Gamble/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Being-Yourself-is-Never-a-Gamble/ Yesterday we had the opportunity to be part of a Chamber Networking Night, a night put on by a city chamber that brings together local businesses to set up flashy booths, give away free goodies and interact with other visitors, clients, and businesses. For some, it's an opportunity to gain new clients and promote your business to the world. For us however, it's more than a networking event, it's an opportunity to do what we do best: have fun with customers, businesses, and clients. This year at our booth we brought blackjack to the chamber networking night with a JM2 twist. Instead of simply being dealt a hand and getting a blackjack, guests truly had the opportunity to earn their hand by way of marksmanship and a few foam darts. We created a full sized poster of a full deck of cards and gave each guest a loaded NERF gun to try and get a blackjack by shooting each of the corresponding cards. Simple and quick to learn but required some steady arms and a willingness to have fun. While this may seem like an ineffective way to market a business at first, it is actually one of the most effective methods we have ever done at a chamber networking event. We let people learn about our brand in a memorable way. We simply let them have fun. Part of any successful business comes from effective marketing. This does not always mean selling a product or service but letting others know about your brand and your overall company philosophy. It puts your businesses' name out there where it did not exist before. Now people know about you, they have heard about you, and are aware of what you can do for them. You may not make a sale that day but the important thing is that they remember you, in their world, you now exist for potential future reach out. And as silly as it sounds, shooting NERF guns to get a blackjack is exactly who we are. We strongly believe that business and life should be fun and extend this philosophy to everyone we serve. We laugh with our clients, we invite them to visit our office any day of the week and we mix Skittles, M & Ms, and Reese Pieces together just for the fun of it. We are different, but we embrace that difference. As for the results of the night, it was a complete success in all areas. Not only did we speak to businesses seeking our services, but we engaged with current clients, got to play with guests (who had a blast trying to hit 21) and even gained new clients as well. It was a fun, laughter filled night but one that proved more valuable than any marketing campaign could have. The power of interacting with your audience is never a gamble, but rather a strong way to increase your business and brand awareness. Be true to yourself, true to your clients and true to your business. Don't feel the pressure to fall in line, be different, embrace it and achieve great things. If you want to join a company that doesn't take a gamble on your business, be sure to reach out to us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Benefits-Of-A-Standing-Desk/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Benefits-Of-A-Standing-Desk/ A standing desk is just what it sounds like you "stand at it". But there are many forms to a standing desk. There are kinds that are statically up, those that require a crank or other manual method, and those that through the push of a button will go from a sitting position to a standing position. When we went on the search for a standing desk we wanted something that would meet the demand rigors of a small startup while being able to last the test of time as we grew to be a larger organization. ## Why a standing desk? One may think that because a standing desk is the latest fad that was the reason. That wasn't the decision that made us want to move to a more modern and changing environment. The reason came from an article in the [Smithsonian.com article](http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/five-health-benefits-standing-desks-180950259/) that describes the benefits of a standing desk. ## The search process This was a lot harder than what we thought it would be. We knew we didn’t want an always tall desk and we knew that we didn’t want a manual method. This left a motored method that changed with the push of a button. There are many companies like [Evodesk.com](http://www.evodesk.com/), NextDesk, [The Human Solution](http://www.thehumansolution.com/), [GeekDesk](http://www.geekdesk.com/), [Uplift Desk](http://www.upliftdesk.com/uplift-height-adjustable-standing-desk/), [IKEA](http://www.ikea.com/), [Autonomous](https://www.autonomous.ai/), and many more. Each one had a lot of great features and benefits. Some expensive, some inexpensive, and many others in-between. ## The decision The decision came down to one that appeared to cover everything that we wanted. We looked at every social media site that they were active, read reviews of each product, and what was one of the key items for us as a web design and marketing company that they had a great website with a mobile interface and some good search engine optimization (SEO). Why would a website with mobile and SEO be important to a decision for a desk? To be a "real" business in today’s day and age you can’t be on social media alone. You can’t have a website alone either. Both solutions need to work collaboratively together for a consistent marketing and branding message. ## Autonomous was the decision We chose Autonomous as for several reasons. These were: - Dual motor design option for businesses that supports up to 300lbs - There is a single motor design for those in a home environment (not recommended for business) - Built for business - Solid steel design - Choice of colors and design options (we are using the white base with bamboo top) - Warranty of 5-years for business (1-year for home models; single motor) - Add-on options for cell phone charging, speakers, hangers, etc. ## Construction This table is built better than any working desk that I have ever had. It’s solid, rigid, and even though it’s not a fixed desk is doesn’t shake when typing (I am a hard typist). The desk arrived in two boxes (top and base) with the total weight being over 70lbs. Assembly took a little over an hour (with a coffee break being required during assembly). ## Add-Ons A great and brilliant option with Automate is that they have ergonomic chairs and a robot (how cool is that!) as items we can get. ## Conclusion After the first week, I find myself standing more than sitting. The Autonomous desk has a capability of four programmed buttons. Currently three of them are using. A sitting position, standing position, and an in-between for a bar stool for those times that I don’t want to sit or stand. We are still in the testing of this table but see that in 2017 we will be purchasing a minimum of six more and most likely eight more of these desks for our office. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Benefits-of-having-an-actual-credit-card-merchant-/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Benefits-of-having-an-actual-credit-card-merchant-/ Yes, there are benefits to having an actual credit card merchant account compared to using third-party payment processors like Stripe, Square, or PayPal. Here are some advantages of having an actual credit card merchant account: - **Lower processing fees**: Merchant accounts often offer competitive processing rates, especially for businesses with high transaction volumes. You may be able to save money on processing fees by having a direct merchant account. - **More control over funds**: With a merchant account, you have direct access to your funds and can usually access them faster compared to third-party payment processors, which may have longer payout times. - **Customized payment solutions**: Merchant account providers can offer customized solutions tailored to your business needs, such as integration with specific software or tools, advanced fraud protection, and more. - **Better customer support**: Merchant account providers typically offer dedicated customer support to help you with any issues or questions you may have, providing a higher level of service compared to some third-party processors. - **Reduced risk of account holds or freezes**: Third-party payment processors like Stripe, Square, or PayPal may freeze or hold funds under certain circumstances, such as sudden increases in sales volume or suspected fraud. Having your own merchant account can reduce the risk of experiencing such holds. However, it's important to consider the specific needs and size of your business when deciding between a third-party payment processor and a traditional merchant account. In some cases, the simplicity and ease of use of third-party processors may outweigh the benefits of having a merchant account. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/best-businesses-for-text-marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/best-businesses-for-text-marketing/ As a business owner in Alabama, you're always looking for effective ways to connect with your customers and grow your business. One of the most powerful tools you can use is **text marketing**. With its high open rates and direct communication, text marketing is an excellent investment for a variety of industries. But what types of businesses benefit the most from text marketing? This blog post will answer that question and more, helping you understand how text marketing can be leveraged by businesses across Alabama. *** ## What is Text Marketing? Text marketing, also known as SMS marketing, involves sending promotional or informational messages directly to your customers’ phones. These messages can be used to: - Announce sales and promotions - Confirm appointments - Send reminders or updates - Share event details - Collect customer feedback Text marketing is effective because it’s direct, personal, and has an incredibly high open rate of **98%**—making it one of the most reliable ways to reach customers. *** ## Why is Text Marketing a Great Tool for Alabama Businesses? Alabama’s mix of bustling cities like Birmingham and Huntsville, alongside its small towns and rural communities, makes text marketing an ideal solution. Whether you’re in Montgomery or a smaller town like Andalusia, text marketing ensures your message gets delivered quickly and effectively. Key benefits for Alabama businesses include: - **Wide Reach:** SMS works even in rural areas with limited internet connectivity. - **Cost-Effectiveness:** It’s affordable, especially for small businesses. - **Local Engagement:** Text messages feel personal, helping build stronger relationships with customers. *** ## What Businesses Benefit the Most from Text Marketing? ### 1. Retail Stores Text marketing is a game-changer for retail businesses, especially those in cities like Birmingham or Huntsville. Use it to: - Promote flash sales or special discounts: **"Today only! Get 20% off all items at our Montgomery location. Show this text to save!"** - Notify customers of new arrivals or restocks. - Send loyalty rewards or exclusive offers to repeat customers. *** ### 2. Restaurants and Cafes Food businesses thrive with text marketing because of its immediacy. Restaurants in Alabama can use text messages to: - Share daily specials: **"It’s Taco Tuesday at [Restaurant Name]! Get $1 tacos all day in Tuscaloosa!"** - Promote happy hour deals or limited-time offers. - Send reservation confirmations or waitlist updates. *** ### 3. Salons, Spas, and Personal Services For salons, spas, and similar businesses in places like Auburn or Florence, text marketing helps keep your appointment book full and your customers informed. Use it to: - Send appointment reminders: **"Hi [Name], your haircut is scheduled for tomorrow at 2 PM. Reply YES to confirm."** - Promote seasonal deals, such as **"20% off all services this weekend in Mobile!"** - Encourage repeat visits with loyalty program updates. *** ### 4. Real Estate Agencies Real estate agents in Alabama can use text marketing to stay top-of-mind with potential buyers and renters. Examples include: - Announce new listings: **"Just listed! 3-bed, 2-bath home in Madison. Call for details!"** - Share open house reminders. - Provide updates on mortgage rates or local market trends. *** ### 5. Healthcare Providers Doctors, dentists, and clinics across Alabama can use text marketing to: - Send appointment reminders to reduce no-shows. - Notify patients of schedule changes. - Share health tips or reminders about seasonal vaccines. **Example:** "Don’t forget your flu shot! Call us to schedule." *** ### 6. Gyms and Fitness Centers Fitness centers in Alabama, from Birmingham to Decatur, can engage members with: - Class schedules or cancellations: **"Yoga class is now at 7 PM instead of 6 PM tonight in Tuscaloosa."** - Membership renewal reminders. - Exclusive offers for new sign-ups: **"Join today and get your first month free at [Gym Name]!"** *** ### 7. Event Planners and Venues Alabama’s vibrant event scene, including concerts, festivals, and local gatherings, benefits greatly from text marketing. Use it to: - Announce upcoming events. - Share ticket promotions or early bird discounts: **"Get 15% off your tickets to [Event Name] in Montgomery! Use code SAVE15."** - Send reminders to attendees. *** ### 8. Automotive Dealerships and Services Car dealerships and auto repair shops can use text marketing to: - Notify customers about service reminders: **"Time for your oil change! Call to schedule today."** - Share exclusive deals on vehicles or repairs. - Promote trade-in events or sales. *** ### 9. E-commerce Businesses Even if you’re running an online store, text marketing can drive significant sales. Alabama-based e-commerce businesses can: - Send order updates: **"Your order #1234 has shipped! Track it here: [link]."** - Share exclusive online discounts or flash sales. - Promote new product launches. *** ### 10. Professional Services Accountants, lawyers, and consultants can benefit from text marketing by: - Sending appointment reminders. - Sharing updates or deadlines (e.g., tax filing deadlines). - Collecting client feedback after services are completed. *** ## How Do Alabama Businesses Get Started with Text Marketing? 1. **Choose a Reliable Platform:** Popular options include: - Twilio - SimpleTexting - EZ Texting 2. **Build Your Contact List:** Use methods like: - In-store sign-ups: **"Text JOIN to 12345 for exclusive discounts!"** - Website opt-ins. - Including SMS sign-ups in your email campaigns. 3. **Craft Effective Messages:** - Be concise (160 characters or less). - Include a strong call to action, like **"Shop now!"** or **"Call us today."** 4. **Stay Compliant:** - Get customer consent before sending messages. - Provide an opt-out option in every text (e.g., "Reply STOP to unsubscribe"). 5. **Track Performance:** Monitor open rates, click-through rates, and customer responses to refine your campaigns. *** ## Why is Text Marketing a Great Fit for Alabama? - **Statewide Reach:** Whether you’re targeting urban centers like Birmingham or rural communities, text marketing ensures your message gets through. - **Local Engagement:** Alabamians value personal, direct communication. Text marketing helps businesses connect on a deeper level. - **Cost-Effective for Small Businesses:** With its affordability, text marketing is accessible for businesses of all sizes across the state. *** ## FAQs About Text Marketing for Alabama Businesses ### 1. Do I Need a Special License to Use Text Marketing? No, but you must comply with the **Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)** and obtain customer consent. ### 2. How Often Should I Send Messages? A good rule of thumb is **1-2 texts per week** to avoid overwhelming your audience. ### 3. Can I Customize Messages for My Customers? Yes! Personalization (e.g., using the customer’s name) increases engagement. *** ## Final Thoughts Text marketing is a powerful tool that can drive engagement, boost sales, and enhance customer relationships for businesses across Alabama. Whether you’re running a retail store in Huntsville, a restaurant in Montgomery, or a healthcare clinic in Tuscaloosa, text marketing helps you connect with your audience like never before. If you’re ready to grow your business with text marketing, start building your SMS strategy today—it’s one investment you won’t regret! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/better-email-deliverability/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/better-email-deliverability/ Email marketing isn't dead. In fact, it remains one of the most cost-effective, ROI-positive strategies available. But with spam filters tightening and sender reputation playing a bigger role in inbox placement, getting your emails delivered is tougher than ever. If you're seeing low open rates or landing in spam, this guide will help you understand why and what to do about it. *** ## **Industry Benchmarks for Email Marketing (2025)** To improve your performance, you need to know what "good" looks like. Here are current industry benchmarks: 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) *** ## **Top Reasons Your Emails Don’t Get Delivered** - **Your domain isn’t authenticated.** SPF, DKIM, and DMARC must be set up correctly. - **Low sender reputation.** Sending to unengaged lists, too frequently, or with poor content flags your domain/IP. - **Spammy content.** Overuse of sales language, too many links/images, or misleading subject lines. - **List hygiene.** Old or cold lists with low engagement and high bounce rates are red flags. - **Non-compliance with Gmail/Yahoo rules.** Since 2024, these providers have enforced stricter spam filtering based on engagement. *** ## **Email Deliverability Best Practices (2025 Edition)** 1. **Use a Dedicated Sending Domain** - Set up and verify a subdomain like `email.yourdomain.com` - Authenticate it with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records 2. **Warm Up Your Domain Properly** - Start with low-volume sends to your most engaged contacts - Gradually increase volume over 3-6 weeks 3. **Segment and Clean Your List** - Remove unengaged subscribers after 90 days - Use tools like ZeroBounce or NeverBounce 4. **Personalize and Simplify Your Content** - Use NLP-friendly, human-like subject lines and copy - Avoid overuse of links, images, or promotional words 5. **Avoid These Red Flags** - Generic sender names (e.g., info@ or no-reply@) - Emailing full lists with no recent engagement - Using the same content repeatedly (triggers filters) 6. **Test Before You Send** - Use tools like [Mail-Tester.com](https://Mail-Tester.com), [GlockApps](https://glockapps.com/), or [Litmus](https://www.litmus.com/) - Test subject lines with [ChatGPT](https://chatgpt.com/) or tools like [Headline Analyzer](https://www.monsterinsights.com/headline-analyzer/) 7. **Spread Out Your Sending Load** - Consider rotating through mailboxes or using systems like [EmailFlowPro](https://aiflowpro.io/email-flow-pro/) 8. **Use Engagement to Your Advantage** - Send first to engaged users, then gradually to colder segments - Tag based on open/click behavior 9. **Monitor Deliverability Metrics Weekly** - Track open rates, CTR, bounce, and spam complaints - Use UTM codes to identify high-performing emails 10. **Stay Compliant** - Follow GDPR, CAN-SPAM, and upcoming U.S. federal digital privacy legislation *** ## **Common Questions from Email Marketers (Real-World Cases)** **"I switched platforms and now my open rate tanked. What happened?"** > Likely your new domain/IP isn't warmed up or authenticated properly. Also check your sender email matches the domain setup. **"Why did my last campaign have a 5% open rate while my old system had 25%?"** > You're probably emailing a cold list or haven’t segmented engaged users. Focus on warming up and retargeting your active segment. **"How do I get out of spam/promotions folders?"** > Authenticate your domain, send from a personal-looking address (like john@ vs. info@), write like a human, and avoid unnecessary links. *** ## **Strategic Tips for Long-Term Email Success** - Think of email marketing as a **long-term asset**, not a one-time blast. - Build a system designed for email delivery, not a bolt-on feature in a CRM. - Send with intent: segment, warm, and test every step of the way. - Reward engaged users with better content, better timing, and more personalized experiences. *** ## **Conclusion: You Can Beat the Algorithms** Better email delivery isn’t about switching tools—it’s about mastering strategy and execution. The senders winning in 2025 are those who blend modern infrastructure with timeless marketing practices. Want help auditing your email system or warming up your domain? Let’s chat. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/beyond-google-bing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/beyond-google-bing/ When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), most businesses focus solely on Google, which undeniably dominates the search market. While Google is essential, limiting your efforts to a single platform means missing out on other opportunities to grow your online presence. Search engines like **Bing**, Yahoo, and even DuckDuckGo serve millions of users daily, and their tools can play a significant role in driving traffic and boosting your business’s visibility. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we understand that success in digital marketing comes from a holistic approach. That’s why we utilize all available search engine resources—not just Google—to help you reach your ideal customers and dominate the competition. *** ### **Why Think Beyond Google?** 1. **Diversified Audience Reach** - Google holds the largest market share, but Bing accounts for over **6% of U.S. desktop searches**, while Yahoo and DuckDuckGo add more. Ignoring these platforms means losing out on potential customers who prefer alternative search engines. 2. **Lower Competition** - Bing and other search engines often have less competition for keywords compared to Google. This means you can rank higher for your target terms more easily, especially in niche industries. 3. **Targeted Demographics** - Bing users often include older, affluent demographics with higher disposable income, making it a valuable platform for certain industries like finance, real estate, and luxury goods. 4. **Cross-Device Integration** - Bing powers Microsoft products, including Windows search, Edge, and Cortana. If your audience uses Microsoft products, having a strong presence on Bing ensures better visibility. 5. **SEO is Not One-Size-Fits-All** - Each search engine uses slightly different algorithms, and optimizing for Bing or DuckDuckGo often complements, rather than conflicts with, your Google strategy. *** ### **Bing's Tools: A Hidden Gem for Online Growth** #### **1. Bing Webmaster Tools** Bing Webmaster Tools provides insights and features that rival Google Search Console. Key benefits include: - **SEO Reports**: Get actionable recommendations to optimize your website for Bing’s algorithm. - **Keyword Research**: Access search volume data directly from Bing’s database. - **Backlink Analysis**: Discover new opportunities to build authoritative backlinks. - **Indexing Insights**: Understand how Bing crawls and indexes your site, ensuring maximum visibility. #### **2. Bing Places** Bing Places is similar to Google Business Profile but often overlooked by businesses. Optimizing your Bing Places listing helps: - Increase local search visibility. - Provide accurate business information for Bing Maps users. - Drive more calls, visits, and conversions from local customers. #### **3. Microsoft Advertising** While not directly related to organic SEO, Bing’s advertising platform (Microsoft Advertising) provides lower cost-per-click (CPC) rates compared to Google Ads, making it a great option for small businesses with tight budgets. *** ### **How Bing Benefits Your Business** - **Better Local Reach**: Bing Places is a must for businesses looking to grow their local presence. By optimizing your Bing Places listing, your business appears prominently in local searches and Bing Maps. - **Complementary SEO**: Optimizing for Bing often strengthens your overall SEO strategy, as many of Bing’s ranking factors (e.g., on-page SEO, quality content, backlinks) align with Google’s. - **Improved ROI**: Whether through organic traffic or paid advertising, Bing often delivers higher ROI for businesses targeting specific demographics or regions. *** ### **Why Fawkes Digital Marketing is Your Best Partner** At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we don’t just focus on Google—we take a **multi-platform approach** to maximize your online visibility. Here’s why we’re the go-to digital marketing agency in Cullman and North Alabama: 1. **All-in-One Strategy** - We optimize your website and online presence for **all major search engines**, including Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo. 2. **Bing Expertise** - We specialize in **Bing Webmaster Tools**, **Bing Places**, and Microsoft Advertising to help you capture untapped audiences. 3. **Custom Solutions** - Our team tailors strategies to your business goals, ensuring you’re not just competing—but leading—in your industry. 4. **Local Expertise** - We understand the unique needs of North Alabama businesses, helping you grow your local presence and drive more traffic to your website. *** ### **Final Thoughts** While Google is an essential part of any SEO strategy, it’s not the only search engine that matters. By leveraging tools like Bing Webmaster Tools and Bing Places, you can tap into new audiences, improve your online presence, and boost your business’s success. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we’re the only local agency that takes a **comprehensive, multi-platform approach** to SEO. Let us help you grow your business by optimizing for **every search engine**, not just Google. [**Contact us today**](/Contact/) to learn how we can help you dominate your local market and maximize your online visibility! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeyondTheOverviewFacebookLikes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeyondTheOverviewFacebookLikes/ Moving beyond the overview of Facebook analytics we are now starting to get into the meat and potatoes of what you will find in the Facebook Insights (Analytics). With the Likes section you will be able to clearly see how many likes your Page has gained or lost each day based on a specific date range you’ve given. With this information you will learn where and how people are joining your Facebook page. ## Choosing Your Data ![Facebook Insights - Set the date](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-04.jpg) Unlike the overview where you only see a specific date range now that you have the ability to dig into the data you can set your date range of what you want to look at. This allows you to go back and look at trends and analysis over specific periods. For example, we will routinely look at the same period in the last year or even the entire last year for the information that we are seeking. ## Total Page Likes ![Facebook Insights - Total Page Likes](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-05.jpg) Having your likes (Facebook Fans) increase is always a great sign of people interested in your product or service that you offer. A constant increase like this client we took over a month ago shows a great sign of steady and increased growth. This marketing based on more frequent posts, including a link from their website to Facebook, and including Facebook information in their monthly newsletters has started to pay off for them. But... there’s always a BUT isn’t there? We encourage people to take a “like” (or Facebook Fan, Twitter Follower, etc.) with a grain of salt. Although these likes are great you want to get likes that also include engagement with your product. Better yet you want them to purchase your product or service. Facebook keeps track of people that like and share your posts. It is up to you to keep track of where your customers are coming from and how they’ve heard about your company. This information you gather will help build your audience further by focusing on areas that are working for you. For our company in Cullman Alabama one of our key “likes” doesn’t come from Facebook at all according to Facebook. We have a large segment of customers that will see our posts and then pick up the phone or stop on into our office. They mention they saw a specific post and want us to help them do it or understand the information in more detail. Although we joke with them (we are family after all) that they should like or share we know they won’t as they like what we call “old fashioned social networking”. For those that don’t know what that is it’s when you actually talk to people rather than just email or commenting on a social network. The point here is to not gauge everything on fans alone to your page as there are other ways to gain likes (and business). ## Net Likes ![Facebook Insights - Net Likes](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-06.jpg) Knowing where your fans come from is extremely important. Now only does it tell you what is working for you but what isn’t. If you conduct a large paid marketing campaign to increase your fans and get little or no fans that tells you that campaign how you have it setup is failing your intended action. If you see a growth in your organic likes (ideal) that is great. An organic like is an unpaid for new fan to your Facebook page. The dreaded unlike. We don’t like these. No one does. These though could be a positive item though (if there’s not a ton of them). You want to engage people that are interested in your product or service. By removing the people that are not interested in your services you are targeting those that are interested. This can lead to a higher likelihood of getting people that will more likely purchase from you. An unlike though may be someone interested in your products though. You just may have flooded their Facebook feed so much they have left your page so that they can go to your page at their convenience rather than what Facebook feeds (we have to think positive!). ## Where Your Page Likes Happened ![Facebook Insights - Where your likes happen](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-07.jpg) ### On Your Page We love this as it tells us how people learned about our page. Was it they clicked a link from our website, saw a post on a friend’s page that they shared, or clicked a link from one of our email marketing campaigns. When they landed on our Facebook page they liked us and are truly interested in what we have to offer them. ### Uncategorized Mobile Our uncategorized mobile are when people access and like our page through a mobile device. More and more we see these types of users coming to us not only on Facebook but our website as well. ### Ads We do on occasion run a promotion or boost a post as we want to get the good word out about what we’re doing or offering. This could be a new hire, new product, or something else that we’re offering from Cullman Alabama for all of Northwest Alabama. These are people that found what we were announcing of interest to them that they liked our page. ### Search Through search is interesting as we are seeing at least one new one per month from people doing a specific search for us. These people have a vested interest in us as they typed in criteria to specifically find us. ## Conclusion Knowing where your likes (Facebook Fans) are coming from can help you grow your audience, target your posts, and be more agile to serving your client’s needs. This will take you some time to fully understand and the more you dig into it the more your will understand about your customer’s needs. If you would like some help in helping your customers or are so busy (we hope so!) and need someone to help you on your social media JM2 Webdesigners is here to assist you. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, [through email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeyondTheOverviewFacebookReach/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeyondTheOverviewFacebookReach/ Being we are now passed [Facebook Likes](/Blog/Details/BeyondTheOverviewFacebookLikes) we can continue on to our *Reach*. Reach is the number of people that have seen our information as well as how many people are integrating with your *Facebook Business Page*. ## Choosing Your Data ![Facebook Insights - Set the date](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-08.jpg) When you pull up the details of your *Facebook Reach* we have the option like under Facebook Likes to set a given date range to look at. This range will match that of any previous settings you set to give you some consistency and save you some time. This is a great way to compare your information year over year during a given quarter or month. **Tip**: You will notice on the right of each of the grid that it shows items like *Organic* and *Paid*. With this information on the side you can click these items and gain more insights (hence the overall name) and see how you are performing from the last period. ## Post Reach ![Facebook Insights - Post Reach](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-09.jpg) When it comes to your posts there are two categories that Facebook puts your information into. This is paid and organic (free). The goal is to have as much organic as possible as we all want to save money. If there is a special promotion we're doing having a paid (boost) or advertisement could be a way of reaching more people. In our scenario we almost always strive for organic unless one of our clients has asked us to promote their product or service through a paid boost. ## Likes, Comments, and Shares ![Facebook Insights - Likes Comments, and Shares](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-10.jpg) ### Likes For each post that you put on your site how many people like what you've written. ### Comments When you post how many people have commented on your post (e.g. interaction). Comments are always something you want to achieve as that's part of being social. If what you are post are mainly tips and tricks, sales information, etc. many times you won't get many comments. ### Shares Part of being on a social network is getting people to share what you've written. After all we all want something one day to go *viral* and make us famous. Without shares you won't go viral and only those that see you in their feed can see your information. If a Facebook Fan shares your information their information will now show on their wall allowing their friends to see the information even if they are not one of your friends. ## Hide, Report as Spam, and Unlikes ![Facebook Insights - Hide Report as Spam and Unlikes](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-11.jpg) ### Hide Post When one of your Facebook Fans clicks on **hide post** it means they have seen a post you've made once or more times on their feed and they chose to hide the post as to them it doesn't pertain to them. ### Hide All Posts Unlike hide post when a user chooses to **hide all posts** they will no longer see the current post again but any future post you make. The only way the user will now see anything you write is by taking the effort and going to your Facebook business page. ### Report as Spam When you create a post and it sounds like **spam** a user can report you as spam. This is like hiding a post but also reports you as a *social media spammer*. Hopefully you'll never get this happening as people are receiving your information because they've opted in to receiving your information by becoming a fan of yours on Facebook. ### Unlike Page When a Facebook Fan no longer wishes to have your information flow into their Facebook Feed they can unlike your page. This doesn't mean that they don't like you anymore. It's just they've changed their preferenance and can only see your page when they go to it. ## Total Reach ![Facebook Insights - Total Reach](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-12.jpg) When it comes to the **Total Reach** one key item that is sometimes hard for people to grasp is that when you total up everything from the previous areas it may not equal the same as what the total reach is. This is because this number is based on the unique people who saw your posts regardless of where they saw it on Facebook. If a user sees it organically, paid, and/or through an ad that person will count for each time they saw it. ## Conclusion As we continue on our journey through the analytics of Facebook we're hoping you can see how valuable this information can be. By knowing your audience and changing to their needs you will be able to better serve them and increase your overall reach organically rather than having to always pay to reach your business objectives. If you would like some help in helping your customers or are so busy (we hope so!) and need someone to help you on your social media JM2 Webdesigners is here to assist you. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, [through email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeyondTheOverviewPageViews/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeyondTheOverviewPageViews/ Beyond our [Facebook Reach](/Blog/Details/BeyondTheOverviewFacebookReach) we move beyond where we can see the what Facebook pages are being viewed as well as where the users are coming from. The *Page Views* tab is one of the most informative. This is where you can see the areas of your Facebook page that people visit most within your Facebook Business Page, including your timeline, info, and photos tabs. ## Choosing Your Data ![Facebook Insights - Set the date](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-13.jpg) When you pull up the details of your *Page Views* we have the option like under Facebook Likes to set a given date range to look at. This range will match that of any previous settings you set to give you some consistency and save you some time. This is a great way to compare your information year over year during a given quarter or month. **Tip**: You will notice on the right of each of the grid that it shows items like *Organic* and *Paid*. With this information on the side you can click these items and gain more insights (hence the overall name) and see how you are performing from the last period. ## Page and Tab Visits ![Facebook Insights - Post Reach](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-14.jpg) When viewing the page the first default view is seeing everything in a summary view. This view gives you an overview of all of the items all rolled up in a single view. When you click on the item categories to the right you will be able to see the detail for an individual tab. ### Timeline This is the most popular view that people look at as when they think of engagement they think of their timeline. Although important the other categories matter equally as much. ### page\_info The **Page Info** part of the statistics is the about section of your Facebook business page. This is how many people have viewed the about your page information. Under the *About tab* is the Page Info menu option. This is where descriptions, categories, awards, email, and website information to name a few. With this information people learn more about your business or organization. ### Photos Tab We all upload pictures that show on our timeline. This is an important part of our user engagement. As pictures and information goes farther down the Facebook timeline those pictures become more stale. One way for people to view your old pictures is by clicking the *Photos tab* within your Facebook business page. ### Others The magical *Others tab*. On this section it covers anything that wasn't covered by the "others" and thus it's magically name. ## External Referrers ![Facebook Insights - Likes Comments, and Shares](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-15.jpg) The *External Referrers* are websites, email marketing, search engines, and other digital means of reaching your Facebook business page. ## Conclusion As we continue on our journey through the analytics of Facebook we're hoping you can see how valuable this information can be. By knowing your audience and changing to their needs you will be able to better serve them and increase your overall reach organically rather than having to always pay to reach your business objectives. If you would like some help in helping your customers or are so busy (we hope so!) and need someone to help you on your social media JM2 Webdesigners is here to assist you. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, [through email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeyondTheOverviewPeople/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeyondTheOverviewPeople/ Our last section is covering "People". This is what social media is all about. Knowing genders, ages, proximity to your business is all about engagement with these valuable people. They have liked your page and are interested in learning about your products and services. Each of your fans has an interest in your business page or they wouldn't have liked it to become a fan of your page. ## Your Fans ![Facebook Insights - Your Fans](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-22.jpg) Our first tab is *Your Fans*. Here you will not only find on how many female compared to male fans you have. You will see age breakdowns, your top countries, top cities, and the top language that your fans are speaking. ## People Reached ![Facebook Insights - People Reached](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-23.jpg) Although you have many fans which one of those fans are you reaching. These numbers are not always the same and are shown for the past 28 days. You may have 3% friends that are in the 35-44 age bracket while 6% of them are being reached. How is this even possible? It's actually quite simple. As your posts are shared you are reaching outside of your fans. This is where social media engagement hits it's magical peaks. This is where the realm of virtal posts comes into place. ## People Engaged ![Facebook Insights - People Engaged](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-24.jpg) Engagement are the people that have liked, commented, or shared your posts within the past 28 days. Engaging with your fans and beyond is your ultimate goal. Depending on who you are targeting some of these numbers will be good and others bad. By focusing on the areas you are targeting you will gain more engagement and better results from your postings. Although engagement with your customers is important as a business owner this engagement also needs to equate to the ulmighty sale. ## Conclusion As we continue on our journey through the analytics of Facebook we're hoping you can see how valuable this information can be. By knowing your audience and changing to their needs you will be able to better serve them and increase your overall reach organically rather than having to always pay to reach your business objectives. If you would like some help in helping your customers or are so busy (we hope so!) and need someone to help you on your social media JM2 Webdesigners is here to assist you. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, [through email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeyondTheOverviewPosts/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeyondTheOverviewPosts/ As we continue our analytics journey past [Facebook Business Page Views](/Blog/Details/BeyondTheOverviewPageViews) we move further into learning about our fans. For us this is one of the most exciting sections as we learn not only what posts work best with our fan base but also what times our engagement is most likely going to be the highest. This isn't just in the hour of the day but the day of the week as well. ## When Your Fans Are Online ![Facebook Insights - Set the date](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-16.jpg) As you hover over each day a line will appear in the grid showing the specifics for a given day compared to the weekly average shown in the graph below. This information will help you gauge the best time to engage your fans. The average time for the graph below is between 11am and 1pm. Some days are higher than the others. This information allows for posting information that is most pertinent for our fans. ### Post Types Next you will notice a tab called *Post Types* which shows your engagement for photos, links, and status updates. For most photos will almost always be at the top or very close as posts with pictures almost always will garner the best results for your Facebook Business Page. ### Top Posts from Pages You Watch This is the ultimate in keeping track of your competitors. These can be local or what we use are big city competitors so that we have targets to reach. When we first started we looked at our local competitors but as we stepped back and starting looking at them and comparing the results we noticed that we offer completely different services and that our local competitors are not actually competitors. They are actually great businesses to align and work with due to our core structure on development where many are more targeted toward being marketing companies. ## All Posts Published ![Facebook Insights - Post Reach](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-17.jpg) Each and every post that you create has information saved into this table. This information contains the post date, the subject, the type of post (status, photo, video, etc.), who you are targeting, the reach, your user engagement, and an option to *Boost Post*. Under Boost Post you can pay to make a post show to targeted audiences. ## Conclusion As we continue on our journey through the analytics of Facebook we're hoping you can see how valuable this information can be. By knowing your audience and changing to their needs you will be able to better serve them and increase your overall reach organically rather than having to always pay to reach your business objectives. If you would like some help in helping your customers or are so busy (we hope so!) and need someone to help you on your social media JM2 Webdesigners is here to assist you. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, [through email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeyondTheOverviewVideos/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BeyondTheOverviewVideos/ Videos are becoming importantly more valuable in gaining user engagement on Facebook. In today's analytics we look at the video aspects of our Facebook pages. If you have not posted any videos to Facebook this set of analytics will be some of the least valuable to you. For a video to count it must be watched for a minimum of 3 seconds. ## Choosing Your Data ![Facebook Insights - Set the date](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-18.jpg) Unlike the overview where you only see a specific date range now that you have the ability to dig into the data you can set your date range of what you want to look at. This allows you to go back and look at trends and analysis over specific periods. For example, we will routinely look at the same period in the last year or even the entire last year for the information that we are seeking. ## Video Views ![Facebook Insights - Post Reach](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-19.jpg) No matter the length of your videos this is a culmination of all of them summed up in one simple entry graph. For a video to "count" as being viewed it must be viewed for more than 3 seconds. ## 30-Second Views ![Facebook Insights - Post Reach](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-20.jpg) This is the number of times your Facebook Business Page's videos were viewed for 30 seconds or more for your selected date range above. If a video is less than 30 seconds in total length, this counts when people view 97 percent or more of the video. ## Top Videos ![Facebook Insights - Post Reach](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-21.jpg) This is a summary of the top videos for the date range happened. For a video to count it must be watched for a minimum of 3 seconds. ## Conclusion As we continue on our journey through the analytics of Facebook we're hoping you can see how valuable this information can be. By knowing your audience and changing to their needs you will be able to better serve them and increase your overall reach organically rather than having to always pay to reach your business objectives. If you would like some help in helping your customers or are so busy (we hope so!) and need someone to help you on your social media JM2 Webdesigners is here to assist you. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, [through email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BigIdeasSmallBudgets/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BigIdeasSmallBudgets/ Whether your business is a large corporate group with millions in marketing dollars or a brand new business just getting off of the ground there are several items you can do to achieve big results without a large outlay of capital. If this sounds appealing to you, and we hope it does, then this article will shed some insights of how, and why, these techniques can help your business succeed without having a huge budget. You don't need to spend hundreds, even hundreds of thousands, of dollars for every marketing campaign. The big marketing companies live for the big marketing pitches and who can blame them? Those campaigns make them tons of money in help you define your brand, generating radio, print, and video ads. Small gains grow to those big gains that will help your business grow. ## Optimize your website ![Optimize your websites SEO](/Images/Content/optimize-seo.jpg) Social media is big. Wait, holdup, we're talking about your website here! Why would we start out about social media? Because social media is big! Many will say that social media alone is all they need (and we've heard that as recently as last week). Social media should not be your only marketing mechanism online. If it is you're selling your business short and missing the true point of what the Internet is for your business. A quality website is all about you and your business. Social media is branded for the social media outlet and not your business. This doesn't make social media not important, as it is, and we cover that next. You have brochures, flyers, email newsletters that you send, customer service, eCommerce, knowledge bases, blog posts, and getting the word out about your products and services under your branding. This is what your website is for and about. Your website is built to be branded as you, not someone else. Your website is the first impression new customers will see. Your website should be the first thing in your existing customer's minds as well. Your website should become the “go to” place for information for your company. A website today should have the following attributes to promote your business (at a minimum): - Have a great user interface and user experience. A site visitor should be able to find what they are looking for without having to click around to try and figure out what they need" - Be mobile! But also work great on the desktop and tablet viewers as well! This means you need to pass the Google mobility test. [This is a free test and can be found here](https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/). - If you ask for anything personal from customers you should have it encrypted and secure. We utilize [Digicert certificates for our SSL security](https://www.digicert.com/). - Links to your social media sites and encourage people to like your page so that you can stay fresh in their mind. - A call to action. There's no point in having a web presence if you don't try and get your point across. This should also be "above the fold". Above the fold means that the user shouldn't have to scroll to see what you're promoting/selling. - Great content (covered in this post in greater detail than this bullet point) - Tested! We all hate tests but a website that shows up "Lorem Ipsum", "This page under construction" or the dreaded "404 - Page Not Found" error message is a bad experience for your visitors. - Contact information that is easy to find; even better on every page! - [SiteMap](/SiteMap/) - Not really for your visitors even though they can use it but more for the search engines so that they can find every page on your website. - Pictures - We all like them and they can add clarity to what your presenting to your visitors. - Speed - A fast site will keep your site visitors engaged. - Analytics - It's always good to know where your visitors are going, who they are, and what they're interested in. Don't guess! Be an informed and agile business owner who knows what your customers are looking for today. On social media you have no control over the ads that show. Think about this. You pull up a social media page to learn about company XYZ. While there, being they don't have control over their brand, there's an advertisement for ABC Company. Although you are looking at XYZ that you looked for there's an advertisement for their direct competitor that you've never heard of. Being the consumer that you are you click and then purchase from ABC as you like what they are saying better. Lost sale! This is why you need to have a website and get people to learn about you. Have a website that sells you and not your competitor. ## Leverage Social Networks Now onto social media as we know this is the first thing people think of. Social media is huge, really huge! There are millions of users accessing social media on a daily basis and is a great way for increasing your brand awareness, communicating (publically) with new and existing customers, spreading knowledge and information about new products, new services and events that your business is doing. You will handle some customer service here as well (handle it well as its public!). Social media is great for uploading the latest images of an event, getting the word out about a new product, and share important information. This is what social media is all about. It's about being social. With social media you don't have control though over the look and feel. The benefit is you are able to communicate with current and potential customers. It has a large, huge even, audience to target and grow your company. You won't be able to control your brand but you can direct them to your website where you have complete control. ## Search Engines and Local Search engines today still account for the majority of people finding your business online. They will type in keyword phrases like “Webdesign Cullman Alabama” to find Webdesigners in Northwest Alabama; specifically Cullman Alabama. This is where content comes into play for your website. You'll notice that we mentioned web design above. This is because that is what we do. We also mentioned not only Cullman Alabama but also Northwest Alabama. We could easily state Chicagoland web design as well as we do that as well. Repetition is key when it comes to getting your point across not only to the people reading your site but the search engines as well. You don't want to “stuff” your pages with just Cullman but the surrounding areas of Kouts, Merrillville, Gary, Crown Point, etc. By stating where you do business in a written paragraph you will appear more authoritative to the search engines. ## Content is King While on the talk about content we would be amiss if we didn't cover content in greater detail. Content allows you to be authoritative with the search engines and your website visitors. Good content that is educational, informative and provides answers to their current problems and needs will make them come back for more when they need information. No one goes to a website and comes back if a website doesn't help them achieve the objective they were trying to achieve. Content is one of the hardest items for any organization. Every project that JM2 Webdesigners does we talk about content multiple times because of its importance to the overall success of the project. Content that is incomplete will make your website not an authority in what your business does. Not having content can slow and bring a project to a screeching halt. When we do projects and the content is already done we're super excited. When we start a new project and we get to work with content writers, especially the local ones (always support your local business!), we are thrilled as we know we will have the content on-time and that it will be of a high quality. Content writers will sit down with you to discuss your needs for every single page of your website, your training manuals, etc. and they will meet the deadlines so that projects are completed on-time and on-budget (bonus!). With the relationships that we've built for helping businesses write content it can truly makes every project less stressful for not only the business owner but everyone involved in the project (marketing companies, graphic designers, content writers, and of course the web developers [us]). ## Chamber of Commerce and Community Involvement Community involvement is truly the key to success. We've joined several chambers ([Cullman](http://www.valpochamber.org/), [Michigan City](http://www.michigancitychamber.com/), [Hobart](http://www.hobartchamber.com/) and the [State of Alabama](http://www.Alabamachamber.com/)) where we have clients not because we have clients but because it allows us to keep our ear to the ground to know what is happening in the communities where our customers are. It allows us to know what our customers are doing at a faster pace too. In addition, it allows us to get more involved in the communities that we are in. It allows us to see what charities we can help, attend business expos, and communicate with other businesses that want to also be involved in the community. [To learn more about everything that we are participating in click here](/About/Links/). ## Blog Posts (Like this one) Blog posts are a great way of giving free advice and information to others. Writing also helps reinforce what you know, do research for the topic you are writing as well as communicate with current and future customers. The search engines like it as well. Part of having a website is keeping the information fresh and current. If you sell widgets and that's all you sell your products and services pages on your website will not change very often, if ever. An image update here and there will help but the changes are not drastic changes in improved content with your website. A blog post though has the potential to become authoritative for your field of expertise and show the search engines bigger changes that can get noticed. Additionally, with change to your website, specifically consistent change, the search engines will come back to your website and blog more often which will help you on the search engines. ## Ask for referrals We love referrals! We strive to get them on a daily basis. Most of our new customers all come from referrals. A happy customer is one that is something we truly love as they are willing to help you out in getting more business and helping your business grow. ## Customer Service Customer service can make or break any business. If people find your employees are rude, don't know what they're talking about, or don't care about them they'll go elsewhere to make their new purchases and to get support for their needs. No business wants to lose a customer as that's the life blood of your business. Customer service with high customer satisfaction will generate positive responses from customers and make them speak positively about you when asked. If you have customer service that is lacking you will find that people will gladly speak out about how disappointed they are with your company. ## Talking at Seminars ![Seminars](/Images/Content/seminars.jpg) Why are we talking about seminars for getting the word out about your business? This is one technique that we use and has paid many dividends for JM2 Webdesigners. First, it establishes your expertise for the field you are talking about. Secondly, it allows you to get directly in-front of people that are interested in what you're talking about (you'll have a captive audience). Finally, you will be able to talk with those at the seminar about their pain points and learn how you can become a better person/company and increase your awareness of what your customers need. JM2 Webdesigners gives 2-3 talks, seminars, and webinars per year. Some are paid and others are free. We've never taken a penny for any of these that we have done and do not think we ever will. Why wouldn't we want to be paid for doing these? The answer is very simple to us. We ask that any money that they would pay to us goes toward a scholarship if they have one or to a local charity that they already part of. If they don't already have a scholarship or local charity they support we ask them to create one and start. This is part of our giving back to the community that we did the talk in. You would actually be amazed that we've made more business contacts by doing this. It also makes it easier to get in front of groups that want to hear what we have to say as the cost for entry is low to the organization we are talking with. We've gained increased awareness in the communities, we get a lot of feedback from those we've talked to and even signed some of them up as new customers. ## Conclusion You will find many avenues for getting your big ideas in front of those that you want for little expense. You can still do those big expenses as they do pay off or no one would do them. The key to JM2 Webdesigners is not to miss these small wins as they can add up to larger wins for your business. We believe that you can achieve big results without spending a lot. This is why we have our [digital marketing packages priced](/Services/Webdesign/SEO/) not to make a million bucks but just a few for each customer. We would rather have hundreds, even thousands, of customers than only a few that we make money off of. This allows everyone to benefit from our expertise rather than a select few. If you would like to learn more about how JM2 Webdesigners can help you please look over our website (there's a lot here!), [contact us through our online form here](/Contact/), [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or call us toll-free (we answer the phone!). We look forward to working with you and if we don't please refer us to those you know we can help! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/bing-places/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/bing-places/ ## Introduction: The Underrated Power of Bing Places for Business In the realm of local search, Google Business Profile (GBP) often steals the spotlight. It's understandable – Google commands a significant share of the search engine market. However, limiting your local SEO strategy to just one platform is akin to fishing in only half the pond. Enter Bing Places for Business, Microsoft's equivalent to GBP. While it might not have the same buzz, neglecting your Bing Places listing means missing out on a valuable audience, less competition, and a broader online presence. This comprehensive guide will delve into why your business needs a Bing Places page and the tangible benefits it offers for your local SEO success. ## Understanding the Local Search Landscape: Beyond Google's Dominance While Google's market share is undeniable, dismissing other search engines is a strategic oversight. Bing, often the default search engine for Windows users and powering Yahoo search results, boasts a substantial and engaged user base. Think of the millions who use Microsoft's ecosystem daily – their local searches often begin on Bing. Ignoring this segment means leaving potential customers on the table. ## The Compelling Reasons to Embrace Bing Places for Business So, why should you invest the time and effort in setting up and optimizing your Bing Places for Business listing? Here are the key benefits that make it a crucial component of your local SEO strategy: - Accessing a Unique and Engaged Audience - **Optimization**: Target keywords like "Bing users," "Microsoft search," "Edge browser search" to capture this specific demographic. - **Benefit**: Reach potential customers who primarily use the Microsoft ecosystem and might not be as active on Google. Bing's user base is significant, numbering in the hundreds of millions globally. - Capitalizing on Lower Competition for Higher Visibility - **Optimization**: Focus on phrases like "less competitive local SEO," "rank higher on Bing," "Bing local search optimization." - **Benefit**: With fewer businesses actively optimizing their Bing Places listings compared to GBP, you have a greater opportunity to rank higher in Bing's local search results for relevant keywords. This increased visibility can lead to more clicks and customer inquiries. - Expanding Your Reach Through Bing and Yahoo Integration - **Optimization**: Include terms like "Yahoo local search," "powered by Bing," "broader search engine reach." - **Benefit**: Your optimized Bing Places listing directly impacts your visibility on Yahoo as well, significantly expanding your potential reach across two major search engines with a single effort. - Strengthening Your Overall Local SEO Foundation - **Optimization**: Incorporate keywords like "local citations," "NAP consistency," "search engine trust signals." - **Benefit**: A complete and accurate Bing Places listing acts as a valuable local citation, ensuring consistent Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) information across the web. This consistency is a positive ranking signal for all search engines, including Google, contributing to your overall local SEO authority. - Seamless Integration with the Microsoft Ecosystem - **Optimization**: Target phrases like "Cortana local search," "Outlook integration," "Microsoft ecosystem visibility." - **Benefit**: Bing Places integrates with other Microsoft products like Cortana (the virtual assistant) and Outlook, providing additional avenues for potential customers to discover your business through voice search and within their email and calendar applications. - Tapping into Potentially Higher Conversion Rates - **Optimization**: Use keywords like "Bing user demographics," "mature online audience," "higher conversion potential." - **Benefit**: While data can vary, some studies suggest that Bing users might represent a more mature demographic with potentially higher purchasing power and conversion rates. Targeting this audience can be particularly beneficial for certain industries. - A Free and Powerful Marketing Tool - **Optimization**: Focus on terms like "free local marketing," "no-cost business promotion," "organic local reach." - **Benefit**: Like GBP, Bing Places for Business is a completely free platform. It empowers you to control your business's online narrative, ensuring accurate information and showcasing key details without any advertising costs. - Showcasing Your Business Beyond Basic Information - **Optimization**: Include keywords like "business photos and videos," "special offers on Bing," "social media integration Bing." - **Benefit**: Bing Places allows you to enrich your listing with visuals (photos and videos), promote special offers, and connect your social media profiles, creating a more engaging and informative experience for potential customers. - Managing and Leveraging Customer Feedback - **Optimization**: Target phrases like "Bing customer reviews," "respond to Bing reviews," "online reputation management Bing." - **Benefit**: The platform allows you to monitor and respond to customer reviews directly within Bing Places, enabling you to build trust, address concerns, and actively manage your online reputation on this important platform. - Gaining Valuable Insights into Your Performance - **Optimization**: Incorporate keywords like "Bing Places analytics," "listing performance data," "understand Bing customer behavior." - **Benefit**: Bing Places provides analytics and insights into how your listing is performing, such as impressions and clicks, allowing you to understand user engagement and optimize your listing further. ## Optimizing Your Bing Places for Business Listing: Best Practices Just like GBP, a complete and optimized Bing Places listing is crucial for maximizing its benefits. Here are some key best practices: - **Claim and Verify Your Listing**: Ensure your business is listed and that you've gone through the verification process to control your information. - **Complete Every Section Thoroughly**: Provide detailed and accurate information for all available fields, including business name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, categories, services, and attributes. - **Maintain NAP Consistency**: Ensure your Name, Address, and Phone number are identical across all online platforms, including your website and other directories. - **Upload High-Quality Photos and Videos**: Visually appealing content can significantly enhance your listing and attract more attention. - **Write a Compelling Business Description**: Use relevant keywords naturally within your description to highlight your unique selling propositions and what makes your business stand out. - **Select Relevant Categories**: Choose the most accurate and specific categories to help Bing understand and display your business for relevant searches. - **Encourage and Respond to Reviews**: Actively solicit customer reviews and respond to both positive and negative feedback professionally. - **Utilize Special Offers and Promotions**: Highlight any current deals or promotions to incentivize potential customers. - **Regularly Update Your Listing**: Keep your information fresh and accurate, including holiday hours or any changes to your services. ## Integrating Bing Places into Your Holistic Local SEO Strategy Think of Bing Places as a vital piece of your overall local SEO puzzle. It works in conjunction with your GBP, website optimization, local citations, and review management efforts to create a robust online presence. By diversifying your strategy and embracing platforms beyond Google, you strengthen your overall visibility and reach a wider audience. ## Conclusion: Don't Overlook the Power of Bing Places In conclusion, while Google Business Profile remains a cornerstone of local SEO, neglecting Bing Places for Business is a missed opportunity. By establishing and optimizing your listing on this platform, you unlock access to a unique user base, benefit from potentially lower competition, and enhance your overall local search visibility across multiple search engines. It's a free, effective, and often overlooked tool that deserves a prominent place in your comprehensive local SEO strategy. Don't just fish in one pond – cast your net wider with Bing Places for Business and reap the rewards of a broader online presence. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Black-Hat-SEO-Dont-do-this/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Black-Hat-SEO-Dont-do-this/ Everything outlined here you should never do ever! These are all techniques we have found that **"SEO Experts"** (they are NOT) have used in the past 6 months that do web design in Northwest Alabama. We will not mention names but as they read this they will know who they are and hopefully correct their ways. This is to be an educational article for those wanting to make certain they do not do this as it will ruin your online reputation with the search engines and cost you not only your rankings but also money to fix. With everything that we cover here there is also another world of SEO. That world is called White Hat SEO. With white hat SEO you do basically the opposite of black hate SEO. That is, you follow the search engine best practices, do what is right (no lying), and create great quality content. White hat SEO is harder and there is a reason for it. There is no sure fire and easy way to achieve greatness. You must work for it and when you do the results will speak for themselves. ## A real life story There is one company that we always talk about (again we will not mention names). They were on page one, position 2 of the search engines. A swift sales man convinced them they could do better. They bought into it and went up the first two months. Month three they dropped a spot and today at the time of this writing they have gone down 7 spots (lower than when they did white hat SEO). ## All about the colors (Hidden Text) In this blog articles main picture, we cover what invisible text is. This is a set of techniques to make the text appear exactly like the background color or close to it. This is deceptive in every way. This is used to generate more keywords within your site and out rank your competition. This is not a good way to attract visitors to your site and creates a poor user experience for website visitors. Often the invisible text are links to hidden pages (see doorway pages discussed below). Hidden text is covered in the Google Webmaster Tools at [https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/66353?hl=en](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/66353?hl=en). ## Font sizes An often used technique is what we like to call lawyer speak (sorry to all of our lawyer friends out there). This is when the size of your text is say 11 point and you put in text on your site at say 1 point. Although it is there on your site no one without a magnifying glass would ever be able to read it. ## Keyword / Page Stuffing A web page is created and then filled with keywords that either don't apply to the page. A page may not be written for human reading and have keywords splattered all over the place to rank for those keyword phrases. The intent here is to move up on the search engines and a very common technique for people who think the more times they type something in that it will help them drive more traffic. ## Unrelated Keywords We see this one all the time. Your business sells Widgets. You put keywords not only about Widgets but also about puppies (who doesn't love puppies after all), kittens, cars, (insert latest internet craze here). These unrelated keywords are used to bring people to your website. ## Mirror Mirror on the Wall When someone creates multiple websites with 100% the exact same content. This is done to put their pages covering all of the first page of the search engines so that no matter what is chosen they get your attention (and dollars). ## Unrelated Pages Like unrelated keywords unrelated pages are a bit more deceptive. People will create entire pages that are about a certain subject (e.g. puppies). They make a very compelling and informative page about these puppies. When people search for puppies they find this great new and informative page. You have now drawn someone into your site so that you can now sell them your widgets. ## Sneaky Redirects A user goes to your homepage and they are redirected to a completely different page than what they asked to go to. In Googles Webmaster Tools you can read what about these sneaky redirects at [https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2721217?hl=en](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2721217?hl=en). ## Doorway Pages Doorway pages are really just "fake" pages that are designed to convince the search engines that you are bigger and better than you really are. These pages are normally not seen by users and the pages are full of keyword gobbledygook in the hopes of getting ranked just a bit higher in the search results. ## Cloaking This is where a page detects a search engine and displays a completely different version of a page rather than the page that a user would see. These pages are usually filled with a lot of keywords and text to rank higher but ultimately serve no use to your visitor. ## Link Farms Page rank is a rating Google created to weight a page. Search engines look at a websites relevancy when determining where to rank a site. By having many inbound links your site appears more important than it truly is. Like having quality content having quality inbound links is equally important. When search engines detect a link selling scheme or link farm, they flag every site involved. When this happens the pages ranking is often demoted and pages start dropping from page 1 onto later pages of the search results. ## Throw Away Domains These are domains that are bought to increase the primary websites search engine ranking by giving a page multiple inbound links. This is a technique that is often used to beat being on a link farm. ## Misspellings Not always a black hat SEO technique you will see throw away domains and words on a site misspelt. This is done due to one of two reasons. The person creating the site didn't know how to spell (it does happen unintentionally). More often than not people will often put in common misspellings to drive traffic to their site for these common misspellings. ## I've been flagged; now what? In the event that your website is the target of a negative SEO campaign of spammy links, use the Disavow Links Tool in Google Webmaster Tools after you've tried to contact webmasters whom are pointing these links to your website to have them removed. ## Conclusion The interesting item of this list is these are only black hat SEO techniques we've personally seen and helped clients fix in the past 6 months done by other companies that do web design and search engine optimization (SEO) in Northwest Alabama. These people are great sales people, promise unbelievable results, and charge often a premium for less than stellar results. When you are choosing a company to help with your search engine optimization you should look for a company that does not promise or guarantee results. Results cannot be guaranteed as they do not own the major search engines and not even the major search engines will make a guarantee. Even with paid advertising (e.g. Google AdWords) if you do unethical techniques there is still no guarantee of success. Steer away from these unethical, shady, or just over the top SEO techniques. Your business and your business reputation on the internet is far too important. Search Engine Optimization is truly a marathon where you need to be thinking long term rather than short term. Getting at the top of the results with black hat SEO is possible but once caught you will fall from grace very quickly and be marked as a person that is unethical by the search engines. If you want to work with a company that has a team of dedicated individuals that will use only white hat SEO techniques, that will promote your business positively on social media, and will do all of the heavy lifting for you JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama is here to help you. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BlackHatVersusWhiteHatSeo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BlackHatVersusWhiteHatSeo/ SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is becoming a big item lately and for good reason. Social media alone will only get you so far in the engagement process with your customers. Social media isn’t your “brand”, you have no control over the look-and-feel, colors, layout, etc. Companies are quickly learning that social media is important to engage their customers and their website and eCommerce sites are equally important to help close the sale. Companies want to get out the good word about their products and services and they want the search engines to work for them to get that good word out. ## Organically vs Paid The holy grail is getting found organically (free) compared to having to pay each of the search engines to be found. You can either pay an employee to learn and perform this process or hire a company like JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman Alabama that specializes in SEO. When you hire a company to assist they become a low-cost alternative to an employee working toward your businesses success as they have a vested interest in your success to keep their revenue moving forward. What a company like ours does is push to get your business found organically with our search engine solutions that adhere to the best practices of the Internet. We do this following what are called “White Hat” SEO techniques and is the only true way to guarantee success. These are the best practices defined by the search engines. These techniques change weekly, sometimes daily, and we follow them to achieve the results you want to grow your brand. ## The Guarantee We love to hear about SEO companies putting out a guarantee they will give you page 1 position 1 spots on Google and Bing. When you hear this run, don’t walk, as unless you are talking to the search engines themselves they cannot guarantee that. The choice of where you truly are in the SERP (Search Engine Result Pages) is the search engines themselves. The only thing you can do is to follow the rules outlined (e.g. best practices) and comply with all of the latest web development standards. The only guarantee you can be given by any SEO company is they will do their best to achieve the results you want. This requires quality content, adherence to the latest internet standards, and using the recommended best practices of the search engines. ## White vs Black The easiest way to know the difference between white hat and black hat SEO is to think of good versus bad. By doing good you will get the results you want with those results being positive in enforcing your brand and achieving the results you want. It can take longer but SEO is not a short race; it’s a marathon. ## Black Hat SEO Those that promise page 1 results on the search engines are merely lying to you to take your money. They have no vested long-term interest in your company’s success. When the promised results seem too good to be true it isn’t uncommon that the SEO company is employee bad SEO techniques. The one item that makes black hat attractive is that most sites do go up in the first few weeks, even months. This makes it extremely attractive to many as they want those quick results. The downside is that the search engines are getting smarter each and every day. When they notice these techniques being used you are marked with a penalty. These penalties can be quite costly to your company’s online success. We have seen companies go from page 1 to page 10 when black hat SEO techniques are used and have read reports of some that have even results worse than that. ## White Hat SEO This is where you truly want to be when you employ all of the recommendations and internet standards. This is the marathon approach to SEO and you should see your results improve over time in a consistent and steady pace. When the search engines make changes your standing within the search engines should not waiver much, if at all. You will most likely not get instant results like you do with black hat SEO in the short term. In the end you will have won your marathon as you did all of the right things. Doing the right things means that you are writing unique quality content that benefits your users and answers the question they are asking. The information that you provide to your site visitors produces results over the long haul for your customers on a consistent basis. Your customers will continually want to come back as what you are providing to them is value. ![Earning your SEO Results](/Images/Content/Blog/EarnSeo.png) ## Earn Your Results To earn your SEO results you have to work for it using the proper white hat techniques. Just as you’ve built or are in the process of building your business one day at a time your SEO plan should do the same. It should be a continual rise in providing superior information for your customers. You cannot get quality results overnight. ## Conclusion You would never cut corners in your products and services to gain some quick results (we hope you wouldn’t). Quality is important for your business to survive the business marathon. By keeping quality at the top of your mind your business will grow and your SEO techniques will result in the results that you want to see. If you are looking to improve your search engine results JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman Alabama is here to help your business succeed. We have no long term contracts and do so as we want the results we provide to you to speak for themselves. We are ready and waiting to take care of your SEO, digital marketing, and other web related needs [through our online contact form here](/Contact/), toll free at 256-258-8593, or [through email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Blogging-for-Confidence-and-to-Inspire/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Blogging-for-Confidence-and-to-Inspire/ When you start to blog you have a sense of excitement that you are going to do something continuously to not only help others but also to help yourself grow. Having a blog helps refine and improve what you are already passionate about. This passion is what helps you grow from good to great. When you curate (aka share) others people's content you are helping them grow but not yourself. Having a blog allows you to grow yourself and at the same time your company. In today's article we'll discuss why it's not only important but imperative to blog to make your business stronger. ## Confidence growth Whether you are an English major, grammar Nazi, or a regular person like I am you will improve your writing skills as you continue to write. This improvement will allow you to feel more confident as you write more. When we started three years ago writing to today we are much more confident having over 150 blogs behind us. This confidence has allowed us to improve our core focus and help others grow. ## Your brain becomes more active Like reading writing activates parts of your mind. After writing I find that I am more creative and productive during the day. I am able to stay more focused and when I look back at the days I blog I feel a lot more accomplishment. Is this because of these blog articles? Possibly. Even if it is a placebo it is a positive one that cannot be ignored. ## You will become an expert in your field The more your practice the better you get. A small improvement here and there will create a solid lasting improvement that cannot be denied. Along with becoming an expert in your field you are gaining an authority with the search engines. They see you write on a continuous subject, that others continue to go to, and support your growth. ## You may just inspire others to greatness As you write your articles and your audience grows from one (yourself) to dozens and then hundreds you just may inspire others to write and grow. Some may even just share your content as they don't have the desire to write (yet – they just might!). ## Search Engines Being we are a business we know the importance of the search engines. We also understand that positive and well written content means a lot to the search engines. With quality content that is added often the search engines will come back to your site more often than if you rarely or never change your website. ## Conclusion Writing a blog article over sharing we know will make you a more well-rounded person. We know this as we see it in ourselves every day. Writing articles have helped us improve ourselves, build our confidence, and we feel better knowing we are helping others. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/blogging-still-matters-2025/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/blogging-still-matters-2025/ ### Why Blogs Still Matter in 2025: Boosting Your Business in Cullman County, Alabama In an era dominated by social media and AI-powered chatbots, you might wonder if blogs are still relevant. The short answer? Absolutely. Blogs remain a cornerstone of a strong digital marketing strategy, especially for businesses in Cullman County, Alabama, looking to rise above their competition on search engine results pages (SERPs). They provide value to your audience, enhance your SEO efforts, and establish your authority in your industry. Here’s why blogs still matter in 2025 and how they can help your business dominate the local search landscape. *** ### **1. Blogs Are the Foundation of Content Marketing** Content is still king, and blogs are its crown jewel. Blogging allows businesses to create valuable, relevant, and engaging content tailored to their audience’s needs. #### **How Blogs Drive Content Marketing:** - **Answer Customer Questions:** Blogs provide a platform to address common customer concerns, such as “How do I choose the right HVAC system?” or “Top 5 things to do in Cullman County.” - **Repurpose Content:** A single blog post can be turned into social media posts, email campaigns, or even short videos. - **Build Brand Personality:** Share your story, values, and expertise to connect with your audience on a personal level. #### **Example:** A Cullman County boutique can write blogs about the latest fashion trends, styling tips, or behind-the-scenes stories of their unique products. *** ### **2. Blogs Are Essential for Local SEO** When it comes to competing in local markets, search engine optimization (SEO) is critical. Blogs play a pivotal role in boosting your SEO performance by providing fresh, keyword-rich content. #### **How Blogs Improve SEO:** - **Target Local Keywords:** Incorporate phrases like “best coffee shops in Cullman” or “lawn care services near me” to rank higher for local searches. - **Generate Backlinks:** High-quality blogs are more likely to be linked by other websites, improving your domain authority. - **Engage Users:** Blogs keep visitors on your site longer, signaling to search engines that your content is valuable. #### **The Local Advantage:** Google’s algorithms prioritize websites that provide relevant, localized content. Regularly updated blogs with geo-targeted keywords can help you outrank competitors in Cullman County. *** ### **3. Establish Your Authority and Build Trust** In a competitive market, trust and credibility are invaluable. Blogs allow you to showcase your expertise and position your business as a thought leader. #### **Ways Blogs Build Authority:** - **Educational Content:** Teach your audience something new, such as “How to prepare your home for winter” or “Top 10 attractions in Cullman County.” - **Showcase Expertise:** Share detailed insights, industry news, and professional advice. - **Customer Testimonials:** Use blog posts to highlight success stories and case studies. #### **Example:** A Cullman County pest control company could write a blog about “Identifying Common Alabama Pests” to demonstrate their knowledge and encourage readers to trust their services. *** ### **4. Blogs Enhance Engagement and Drive Conversions** Engaging content encourages readers to take action. Blogs serve as a gateway to deeper customer relationships and higher conversions. #### **How Blogs Drive Engagement:** - **Call-to-Actions (CTAs):** Direct readers to “Contact Us,” “Learn More,” or “Get a Free Quote.” - **Interactive Content:** Include polls, comment sections, or quizzes to engage your audience. - **Internal Linking:** Guide readers to other parts of your website, increasing their time spent on your site. #### **Example:** A Cullman County gym could include a CTA like “Sign up for a free fitness class today” at the end of a blog about “5 Simple Workouts for Beginners.” *** ### **5. Blogs Help You Stay Ahead of the Competition** In Cullman County, businesses that embrace blogging gain an edge over competitors who neglect this powerful tool. By consistently publishing high-quality content, you can: - **Stay Top-of-Mind:** Regular updates keep your brand visible and relevant. - **Outrank Competitors:** A well-optimized blog post can push your website above competitors on SERPs. - **Showcase Your Unique Value:** Use blogs to highlight what makes your business stand out. #### **Example:** A local real estate agency in Cullman County could use blogs to share market trends, tips for first-time buyers, and community insights, positioning themselves as the go-to resource for property needs. *** ### **6. Blogs Support AI and Voice Search Optimization** With the rise of AI and voice search, blogging is more critical than ever. Optimizing blogs for natural language queries ensures your business stays visible in voice search results. #### **Voice Search Tips for Blogs:** - **Use Conversational Language:** Write in a way that mirrors how people speak. - **Focus on FAQs:** Answer common questions directly within your blog posts. - **Structure for Snippets:** Format content with clear headings, lists, and concise answers to improve your chances of appearing in featured snippets. #### **Example:** A Cullman County restaurant could optimize a blog titled “Where to Find the Best BBQ in Cullman” for voice search queries like “What’s the best BBQ near me?” *** ### **7. Blogs Create Opportunities for Community Connection** In tight-knit communities like Cullman County, engaging with your audience on a local level is crucial. Blogs provide a platform to: - **Highlight Local Events:** Share information about upcoming events and how your business is involved. - **Support Other Businesses:** Collaborate with or feature other local businesses to strengthen community ties. - **Celebrate Local Culture:** Write about the unique aspects of Cullman County to resonate with your audience. #### **Example:** A local photographer could write a blog about “Top 5 Photo Spots in Cullman County” to connect with the community while promoting their services. *** ### **Conclusion** In 2025, blogs remain an indispensable tool for businesses in Cullman County, Alabama, looking to grow and outshine the competition. They drive local SEO, build authority, foster engagement, and keep your brand relevant in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. By consistently publishing valuable and optimized content, your business can rise above the competition, attract more customers, and solidify its place as a trusted community resource. Don’t underestimate the power of a well-written blog—it’s your key to sustained success in Cullman County and beyond. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/bluetooth-beacons-marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/bluetooth-beacons-marketing/ ### Revolutionizing Marketing with Bluetooth Beacons: Why Your Business Needs Them In today’s hyperconnected world, businesses are always searching for innovative ways to engage with their customers. Bluetooth beacons, a cutting-edge proximity marketing tool, have emerged as a powerful way to connect with consumers on a personal level. These small, wireless devices can push relevant content directly to customers' smartphones when they’re nearby, creating instant engagement and driving conversions. Let’s explore why your business should consider Bluetooth beacons, how they can help grow your business, and how Fawkes Digital Marketing can help you achieve the best results. *** ### **What Are Bluetooth Beacons and Why Should You Care?** Bluetooth beacons are compact devices that transmit signals to nearby Bluetooth-enabled devices. When paired with a mobile app or compatible device, they can deliver personalized notifications, promotions, or content to users within a specified range. This technology is not only innovative but also incredibly effective for enhancing customer experiences and driving sales. #### **Why Your Business Needs Bluetooth Beacons** 1. **Hyper-Targeted Marketing** - Deliver content based on a customer’s exact location, such as aisle-specific promotions in a retail store. - Send personalized offers that resonate with individual preferences and shopping habits. 2. **Enhanced Customer Experience** - Provide real-time assistance, such as store navigation, product recommendations, or event updates. - Create memorable in-store experiences that build loyalty. 3. **Boosted Engagement Rates** - Notifications delivered through Bluetooth beacons boast high open rates, far exceeding traditional email or SMS campaigns. - Customers are more likely to act on real-time, location-specific offers. *** ### **How Bluetooth Beacons Can Grow Your Business** #### **1. Drive Foot Traffic to Your Store** By placing beacons near high-traffic areas, you can attract potential customers with compelling promotions. For example: - A café could send a “Buy One, Get One Free” coffee offer to passersby during morning rush hour. - A boutique could notify nearby shoppers about a flash sale happening inside. #### **2. Increase In-Store Sales** Beacons can help upsell or cross-sell products. For example: - A clothing store can notify customers about matching accessories when they browse a specific section. - A grocery store can offer discounts on complementary items, like chips for customers near the soda aisle. #### **3. Improve Event Engagement** For events like trade shows, conferences, or concerts, beacons can: - Guide attendees to different areas. - Provide real-time updates, schedules, or exclusive event content. #### **4. Gain Valuable Insights** Beacons allow you to track customer behavior, such as: - How long they stay in specific sections of your store. - Which promotions are most effective. This data helps refine your marketing strategy and improve future campaigns. *** ### **Best Practices for Using Bluetooth Beacons** #### **1. Start with a Clear Strategy** Define your goals: - Are you looking to increase sales, drive traffic, or improve customer experiences? - Create content that aligns with these goals and resonates with your audience. #### **2. Personalize the Experience** The key to beacon marketing success is relevance: - Tailor notifications to the recipient’s preferences, location, and behavior. - Avoid generic messages, which can feel spammy and turn off potential customers. #### **3. Use an App for Seamless Integration** To maximize effectiveness: - Develop an app or partner with apps that support beacon integration. - Ensure users can easily opt-in to receive notifications. #### **4. Avoid Overloading Users** Balance is crucial: - Sending too many notifications can lead to frustration and uninstalls. - Limit messages to the most relevant and high-value content. #### **5. Test and Optimize** - Regularly analyze data from beacon campaigns to identify what works and what doesn’t. - Adjust your approach based on customer feedback and engagement metrics. *** ### **Why Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing?** At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we specialize in leveraging cutting-edge technologies like Bluetooth beacons to help businesses grow. Here’s how we can support you: - **Strategic Planning**: We’ll help you create a tailored beacon marketing strategy that aligns with your goals. - **Implementation**: From installing beacons to integrating them with your app or platform, we handle the technical setup for seamless operation. - **Creative Content**: Our team will craft compelling, personalized notifications that engage your audience and drive results. - **Analytics and Optimization**: We’ll provide detailed reports and insights to continually refine your campaigns and maximize ROI. With over a decade of experience in digital marketing, Fawkes Digital Marketing is your trusted partner in driving innovation and growth. *** ### **Conclusion** Bluetooth beacons offer a game-changing opportunity to connect with customers in real time and create meaningful, personalized experiences. Whether you’re looking to drive foot traffic, boost sales, or enhance customer engagement, beacon technology can help you achieve your goals. By partnering with Fawkes Digital Marketing, you’ll have the expertise and support you need to execute successful beacon campaigns that grow your business. Ready to revolutionize your marketing strategy? Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing today and let us guide you to success with Bluetooth beacons! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Boost-Your-SEO-with-Quality-Original-Content/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Boost-Your-SEO-with-Quality-Original-Content/ It is pretty much impossible to create content that hasn't been talked about in the past. What can be done is put your heart, soul, and your personal expertise into the content and let it shine and resonate with your audience. When writing your content, you need to think about your audience rather than the search engines. When you write quality content that is targeted at your users your content will be seen by the search engines. When creating your content, the key is to have answers for your readers rather than worrying about the layout, number of keywords, or what is the latest technique to take advantage of the search engines. Thinking of this as your primary method will hurt your overall performance. When quality content is written the search engines will rank your content and rank your content well. When this happens there is a greater chance your work will be evergreen content. Creating fresh content that has value, is not date-sensitive, and covers a subject in depth and detail without fluff is what evergreen content is all about. This type of content is valid not only today but months, even years, down the road. As you create this type of content you are not worried about the latest tricks and techniques to fool the search engines and entice them to index your website. You want to provide a lasting value to your readers. ## Content that is not evergreen - Content with dates - News articles - Latest trends ## Content that is evergreen - Lists (non-dated) - Top tips, tricks, and techniques - Expertise - Videos (not news) - Food, Love, Parenting - Product reviews (this will be evergreen as long as the product is available) - Instructional "How To" articles and information - Pet care, Jobs and Careers, and weight loss to name just a few Creating your unique and highly valuable content write it as something that is informative and means something for your intended audience. Do not sell as what you write is your sales pitch. When you copy and share curated content you are not showing your expertise. Share your expertise and the knowledge you bring to the table. That is what will make your content valuable and people coming back. You will notice that everything we write is quality and informative. We don't ask for your information (we would love it though!) as the majority of our articles come from those that contact us through [our contact form](/Contact/), calling us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), or [emailing us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Brand-Development-Process/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Brand-Development-Process/ When building a brand, it is much more than just a logo, brochure, your products, and even your website. Your brand should focus on forging a relationship with your client with the intention of doing more than expected and creating a sustainable value. Your brand is about quality of the relationships that you build on a daily basis. Your brand is aspirational, it's your promise, your values, your relationships, your commitment, and most importantly it is about YOU! In this article we will uncover several of the core aspects that we look at when helping an organization build its brand. Come follow us along in this journey. ## The Process When you start thinking of your brand you are thinking of creating a blueprint for your organization. You will be uncovering and defining differentiating traits that define you. We look at what clearly sets you apart from your competitors, what is important to your current clients as well as for future prospects to choose your organization over another firm. With that understanding we can help develop a brand platform to provide an organizations brand. This brand should be something that puts a focus that your organization is here for long-term growth and success in the market you are in. ## Objectives The easiest and best brands should always be simple, yet powerful. They should provide differentiation and recognition, provide simplicity and focus, be applicable to not only your clients and prospects but to your people that make you successful. Your brand should develop a compelling visual expression for all of the audiences that your brand will touch. A brand should engage people and foster pride in the company brand. ## Getting Your Brand Wrong Many firms will get what a brand wrong the first iteration or two. Many will focus on the "what" rather than the "so what?" aspect of the brand. When you are developing your brand you need to be looking at your overall company culture, your overall company values, and your vision for the company's long-term growth. You don't stop there though. You need to look at your team and client's feedback on who you are as a company. You should do client and prospect interviews that help find out what your true brand is. Your leadership should be equally interviewed on what they see as the company brand. They may have it right or may themselves be missing what your brand is. You should look at your current messaging and a core aspect of what we look at is we look at and assess your competitors' as well. ## Brand Platform Model ### Purpose The difference we try to make in the world. Why we do what we do. Your brand should define not only what you do but who everyone on your team is and what your business stands for. When we look at a brand we always think of the end in the mind rather than just focusing on the here and now. ### Promise Our pledge to our clients and our people. What we deliver to the world. ### Values How we act every day we conduct business. Be a company that is built on a strong set of values. Be the people that others aspire to be each day. ### Voice How we speak to our internal as well as external clients. The voice of your brand should speak in simple terms, with precision, focus, and collaboration that you are establishing a relationship between you and your client. ### Experience The experiences we create for clients and people around us. When establishing your brand, you want it to be fresh, have character, lasting stamina, and the energy to last. ## Differentiators Your brand should help and clearly differentiate your company from that of your competitors. Your business should be distinctive and representative of who you are, who you want to be, and what others see of you. Your brand image should have a sense of balance between consistency, flexibility, and embrace all aspects of your business. ## Imagery The imagery you use should be less literal and convey what you stand for, enhance your brand image, and be a beacon for your clients. The headlines and content should help show your brand image. ## How you can build your brand daily Your brand should never stop. It should continually be evolving and improving. You should constantly learn from and listen to your clients as well as your people. Provide added value to your clients and colleagues. Collaborate with and support your colleagues in provide excellent cusotmer service. Provide through leadership in every action you do on a daily basis. Serving within your community you are not only helping your staff but further build your business brand. ## Conclusion Defining your brand can be a turning point for a company and should foster an emotional/human connection with your audience. It helps put everything into prospective and define you as a whole. Your brand should make a promise to your people as well as create a lasting value for your clients tomorrow. If you would like assistance in building your brand and even other advertising and marketing from a Cullman (Valpo) Alabama advertising and marketing company, we are here to assist you. We can be [reached at 256-258-8593](mailto:1-256-258-8593), [through email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), [through our online contact form](/Contact/). We look forward to hearing from you. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Branding-your-small-business-is-important/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Branding-your-small-business-is-important/ Building a new or maintaining an existing small business is never an easy task. We don't have all the resources to do what the big businesses do but have the same aspirations of success and growth. We have to take that leap of faith that we will succeed, get over the fear of failure, and initially we start every day off knowing that failure could be around the corner with one simple and honest mistake. Each day we persevere and see that failure grows farther in the rear-view mirror as your business continues to grow. ## Branding is for everyone Having a small business doesn't mean you cannot grow to be a world-famous household name. It takes work, years of work, but you can grow to have a strong brand name within the markets you want to be in. We run into businesses all too often that they initially felt too small to brand or that it costs too much. For a nationwide, even regional, plan it can be expensive. We know this. This is one reason we align ourselves with small businesses with BIG aspirations. We want to see them grow, grow with them, and be part of their success. To do this we always start small. We start with their logo, colors, etc. This is the building blocks and foundation for everything that they do, There is more though to having a brand than just a beautiful logo and a catchy slogan. Your brand should encompass everything that your company does, exemplify what you do, and should bring out your company culture. Doing this will help people become loyal to your brand, refer friends, family, and business acquaintances to your business. ## Defining your brand promise A promise is a powerful statement that you convey to those that you understand their needs, that you can help them solve their problems, that you respect their time, and that you are there for them. This promise is something tangible and is based on something they will know it's true. Your promise is something that you can prove, is grounded in our culture, and philosophy and atmosphere of everything you do. The promise that you give is what builds the loyalty you need with your customer's to survive not only during the good times but the bad as well. This promise will keep them loyal to you and not go to a competing brand. Everything that you do to market your small business should reflect this promise you make to your customers. ## Creating a brand promise Your brand promise needs to come from the heart, be meaningful, and something your entire company can stand behind and known for. When creating your promise, it's as simple as defining why your customers choose your business over any other business in the same industry. You want this to be as clear, specific, and concise as possible. The clearer you make your brand promise the better it will be understood and resonant with your customers. ## Target your brand appropriately As you build your brand you have the choice of the shotgun approach of targeting everyone on the planet. We strong encourage our customers to NOT, NEVER, DON'T DO IT, to our customers. You are just starting out. You are defining yourself. You will have some fine tuning as you go (never settle for what you've started with – always grow). You want to market your brand to those your brand is focused on serving. This will allow you to target a smaller subset of the population and make it a lot more palatable to achieve. What if you don't know who your target market is or does truly cover everyone? That's always a tough one that some of our clients run into. In these circumstances what we do is take a phased approach and target from the highest to lowest in terms of profitability as well as positive exposure for the brand. ## Be different while also being yourself When it comes to your business you need to be sincere, honest, fair, and yourself. If you have to present yourself as something you are not, you almost certain that you will fail. If you've been honest with yourself from the start this will be the easiest part of your brand as there is nothing to do but be who you are. Let your style and culture shine through in everything that you do. By being yourself you will differentiate yourself from any of your competitors. It could be in your style, speak, customer service, or even cost (this should not be your core focus to undercut your competition as you will most likely go out of business). All of these can differentiate you. ## Know your competition Knowing your brand is truly important. Knowing your competitors brand is equally important. Hopefully you've researched all of your competition before you even began creating your brand so that you know how you are different and how you provide value to your customers. ## Know your weaknesses We all know deep down we can't know everything. That is why there is more than just us on this planet. It also goes that together we can be stronger. You don't want to be a jack of all trades and the master of none (unless you really are promoting yourself as a jack of all trades). Focus on your strengths and be mindful of your weaknesses. Know how to accentuate your strengths while addressing, not down playing, your weaknesses. Be humble and sincere in all of your customer interactions. ## Let your personality shine through As a big corporation has culture one item many can lack due to sheer size is personality. Being a small business can actually make you bigger than your larger competitors by your having a personality can more easily shine through to your customers. You need to celebrate what makes your company different. Stick with it and showcase what makes your great! By focusing on your personality, letting your expertise shine through people will remember you a want to do business with you. ## Consistency is key When we build a new website for a client we look that there is consistency between all of the pages. You don't want someone to have to re-learn your website every time they go to a new page. You want them to get the information they need, solve their problem(s), and move on as they have a busy schedule just like you do. If you make things hard for them they are more apt to go elsewhere for the information. When you start thinking of consistency there are a lot of items you need to think about beyond just a logo. You have your business cards, email, website, flyers, letterhead, envelopes, building signage, social media sites, text messaging, and more. Everything that you produce should sound as if it is coming from a single voice speaking for your company even if it's being delivered by more than one member of your team. When you are working on your content and information that you present to your customers keep key information consistent, reuse key phrases that are unique to your brand, products and services. Use these in your website, social media, your email signature, flyers, and more. ## Conversations end, dialog continues When you talk with a customer with a conversation they all will end. Whether it be a phone call, email, or an in-person meeting; they all end. When you think of longevity and getting your name, brand and information out there you want to have a dialog as those last and continue after a conversation. There are many ways to keep the dialog going with customers without talking to them. You have social media, your website, email marketing, text marketing, and even good old fashioned postal mail. With our blog article here you are learning aspects of who JM2 Webdesigners from Northwest Alabama is. You would think a company in Northwest Alabama might not have a huge voice compared to someone in Chicago Illinois. The location of where you are physically located is not important when it comes to the realm of the Internet. We are all neighbors and our brand can travel far, cost effectively, and to more people than you can realize. ## Customer Service JM2 Webdesigners has a very strong customer service focus. Every step we take requires us to not only think about what are current clients want and need but also the clients we are looking to add. When we do this we look at providing even greater value to them without charging more. That alone is a monumental task and one we strive at on a daily basis. That is one of our brand differentiators when it comes to our competitors. If what you offer is something that is similar to that of others look at how you can differentiate yourself and taking care of your clients is a great way to do that. ## Branding is not as hard as some may make you think Yes, it takes work. Anything worth getting takes work, a solid commitment, and an understanding. This also doesn't mean you should go it alone. When you have more than one person working with you the sum of their parts almost always will add up to more than they would individually. When branding and working with a company that is dedicated and will to work with you the entire process will get that much easier. It still isn't easy but it also is not insurmountable either. ## Conclusion There is so much more we can write about branding and can talk with you for extended periods of time on it. The first step you need to do before or if you are already in business is decide that you want to brand your company and want it to grow. We see companies all the time that spend all of their marketing might on a beautiful logo and let the rest falter. Make certain to look not just at today but down the road as well. Rebranding is almost certainly going to happen but is not something that should happen right after you brand. Take your time, do it right (or don't do it as they say), and move forward with a plan for the success of your business. If you would like help in branding your company and gaining a company that will align themselves with you to achieve your success JM2 Webdesigners from Northwest Alabama may be the right company to work with. If we're not, as our “Rule #1” says we won't lie. We've told companies we were not the best fit. We do this as we want every client, even those that don't join us in our Cullman (Valpo) office and part of our branding is “no lying”. Your success is our success. We would love to hear from you at [256-258-8593](1-256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BrandVsMarketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BrandVsMarketing/ As we talk to more people about taking advantage of generating leads from their website into opportunities we move to the talk of branding and marketing. We find that many people believe they are the same thing rather than two distinct items. Branding and marketing are not the same and each has a very important role that is used collaboratively together in your organization. Using marketing and branding together you can achieve a set of goals. In this article, we will define clearly what branding and marketing is and how each one used collaboratively can be used to grow your business. ## What is Branding? Branding is strategic in nature. A great way of thinking of branding is this analogy: branding is to a company as personality is to a person. Your brand is your identity to the masses. A brand is also a point of view, tone, voice, and a distinct look between you and your competition. Your company culture is part of your brand. Your products and services are also part of your brand. Your brand is what people truly buy into and is ultimately what truly defines you as a business. Your brand is what separates **you from your competitors**. As you define, and refine, your brand your message will be heard by your customers and will drive your marketing efforts. Your branding ultimately defines what you stand for. - Branding is a long-term marketing process (it never ends even if a product or service does) - Branding has a carryover effect to new products and services as well as all your existing ones - Branding is not as targeted as marketing is. We see this as a shotgun approach where you are not targeting a specific segment but getting your company (or better brand) known to the masses. ## What is Marketing? Marketing is more tactical than strategic. You use your resources available to promote awareness of your brand, products, and services to your customers and opportunities (e.g. future customers). When you market, you use marketing channels like radio, television, flyers (boots on the ground), and more modern techniques like search engine marketing (SEM), and social media outlets your customers are on. - Marketing is the process of performing market research, selling products and/or services to customers and promoting them via advertising to further enhance sales. - Marketing generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments. - Marketing is an integrated process through which companies build strong customer relationships and creates value for their customers and for themselves. - Marketing targets specific customer segments. Think of marketing as a surgeon who uses a scalpel to make the cleanest cut and get to the objective in hand. - Marketing works for your brand. Your marketing efforts need to reach the people most likely to purchase from your brand. - Marketing is to communicate your brand’s value to your current and potential customers. ## Where marketing ends, branding begins Now that we know the core principals of what branding and marketing is where does one truly end and the other begin? Rather than go into more paragraphs we’re going to go straight to bullet points of where we see the most confusion among people. - **Branding** - Company Culture - Your employee - Feeling - Customer Research - Passion or emotion - Belonging - Action - Market Research - Voice of your business - Tone of your business - Customers define your brand - Security - A set of unique values - Purpose - Reputation - Experience - Confidence - Differentiates you - **Marketing** - Logo - Color Schemes - Corporate identity - Advertising - Website - Fonts - Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs) - Email Marketing - Design of an employee uniform - Text Marketing - Ad Campaigns - Other Promotional Aspects - A-frame sidewalk sign promoting a lunch special - Educational pamphlet - Quarter-page print ad in a High School sports program - Everything that a company does that touches a customer ## Conclusion As you can see there are many aspects to marketing and branding where they can truly be crossing paths. Therefore, it is often considered that they are one in the same. When you utilize both and use the strengths of each together your message will get out to your intended audience. Your branding and marketing efforts should work seamlessly together and create a complete picture of your company for consumers to learn about, appreciate, and eventually love. At JM2 Marketing we work with you to help define your brand and to market your company. We talk on terms everyone can understand, including your customers, by being not only strategic but also tactical when doing marketing. When you are ready to break free our team is here to assist you. We can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/brilliance-ai-enhancements/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/brilliance-ai-enhancements/ In a groundbreaking update this week, Brilliance CRM has amplified its AI capabilities from a single platform to four, significantly enhancing its utility and reach across various modules. The update marks a transformative moment in how businesses can leverage artificial intelligence to streamline processes, ensure content quality, and engage more effectively with their audiences. ## Multi-Dimensional AI: From One Platform to Four By expanding its AI capabilities, Brilliance CRM is setting a new standard for intelligent business operations. This shift allows for greater flexibility and specialization across multiple functions, catering to the nuanced needs of diverse business activities. ## Powerful New Features - **Override Generation**: The new update empowers users to override AI-generated content, providing greater control and customization. This feature ensures that the end content aligns perfectly with user intent and brand voice. - **Set the Tone**: With fourteen initial options for tone customization—plus the ability to create your own—users can now craft content that resonates more authentically with their audience. Whether you wish to convey enthusiasm, sincerity, professionalism, or a touch of humor, Brilliance CRM allows you to tailor the message accordingly. - **Unrestricted Instructions:** The AI now accommodates as many instructions as needed, enabling more refined and precise content generation. This feature enhances user interaction, ensuring that the AI comprehensively understands and executes the given directives. - **Human-like Readability**: One of the exciting enhancements is the AI's ability to rewrite text for improved human readability. By converting technical jargon into accessible language, it ensures that your message is effectively communicated to a wider audience. - **Pillar Content Creation**: The introduction of "Pillar Content" is a game-changer, providing in-depth, detailed responses that elevate content quality beyond standard expectations. This feature is particularly invaluable for creating comprehensive guides, whitepapers, and in-depth articles. - **SEO Optimization Optimizing**: content for search engines is now more intuitive and effective. The AI helps adjust language, keywords, and structure, ensuring that both page content and product descriptions are primed for optimal search engine visibility. - **Voice Search Optimization**: The AI's proficiency extends to voice search optimizations, an increasingly critical aspect of digital strategy. By anticipating conversational queries, your content becomes more accessible to users relying on voice-activated searches. - **Plagiarism Checks**: To maintain the integrity of your content, Brilliance CRM now includes robust plagiarism checks. This feature not only protects your brand from potential copyright issues but also ensures that your content remains unique and original. - **AI Footprint Removal**: The update introduces an automatic process that eliminates key indicators of AI-generated content. This means your communications are perceived as more organic and authentic by both human readers and algorithms. ## Applicable Modules The enhanced AI capabilities permeate several crucial modules, ensuring that your CRM is more efficient and effective than ever: - **CMS**: Seamless integration across blogs, case studies, FAQs, feedback forms, news and events, page content, and SEO titles and descriptions allows for streamlined content management and optimization. - **Communications**: Transform how you engage with your audience through personalized and optimized newsletters, crafted to captivate and convert. - **Insights**: Enrich your knowledge base with comprehensive KB articles that benefit from the AI's advanced analytical prowess. - **Products**: Elevate your product descriptions with natural language processing (NLP) analysis. Generate pillar content, optimize for both traditional and voice search, and undergo stringent plagiarism checks for maximum efficacy. ## Conclusion With these enhancements, Brilliance CRM is poised to revolutionize how businesses interact with AI, bridging the gap between automation and authenticity. Whether you're creating content, engaging with customers, or enhancing product listings, these tools ensure that your business remains competitive, innovative, and aligned with the latest digital trends. Explore the future of CRM with Brilliance—a future where AI capabilities are as dynamic and adaptable as your business aspirations. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Building-a-new-era-marketing-firm/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Building-a-new-era-marketing-firm/ With great growth, a company needs to take a step back and look at everything it does to further provide value. We are focused not just on the local small and medium sized businesses but those across the entire country and around the world. We continually look at the paper purchased, the way our solutions work for our clients, and to the services that are offered. Each item has an impact to the bottom line of the company and if done incorrectly can truly cost the company and ultimately our customers. Keeping our budget tuned, living within our modest means, and checked constantly we can keep prices down while continually providing more value and grow each month. In just four years we've moved from a home office in Michigan City Alabama to a 2,000+ square foot office in downtown Cullman Alabama. We encourage everyone to read through this article on what makes JM2 Webdesigners unique and capable of meeting your businesses growing needs. ## Overall Every customer has a primary and secondary person assigned to them that is familiar with the products and services they are receiving. These two people are responsible for all coordination with every other department. This gives the customer a single point of contact that is hear to help them grow. When the primary is unavailable whether they have the day off or out of the office their secondary person is there so that the customer doesn't have to wait. This has a few beneficial factors for not only the company but our customers as well. The first is we can allow the employees to have time off which is great for employee morale. The second is every customer now has more than one person to shoot ideas off to help them grow their business in the digital marketing landscape. This allows for sharing of ideas internally as well as getting tasks done in a more rapid fashion. ## Customer Service We all know from the start of any relationship that communication is key to the success of every project. Our customer service department is involved in every step of the customer process. Whether the process is a logo, brochure, or flyer from the graphics department or a complete mobile application. Customer service plays a significant role in making certain our customers' needs are met consistently. We've gone a few steps further to keep our customer service game constantly improving. Each week we have internal meetings looking for ways to further enhance experiences, ways to speed up change requests, and keep in contact with customers more efficiently. Weekly and monthly check-ins with clients, daily WordPress updates, monitoring and posting to social media, updating manuals, working with the Graphic & Marketing Department, Content Writing, and Software developers to get projects out the door faster, on-time, and on-budget are just a few of the items the customer service department does. ## Business Development When it comes to helping, our customers grow we needed a team of dedicated specialists to gather all the details, make certain that the requirements are well understood. This is where having a business development group came into play for us. They are constantly laser focused on looking for ways to help businesses save money by automating processes as well as ways businesses can better market their products and services. All the information is gathered, organized, and put into formats the content writers, developers, and graphic designers can use. This organized information is shared with the customer service department as the quality control for the entire process that all business requirements are met. ## Content Writing When it comes to writing, and speaking to your customers there is an art to telling a story. Our content writers have years of experience from traditional newspapers to modern electronic formats. They understand the way to write is not only engage your intended audience but be written for your readers to want to continue reading. Content writers also in make certain the copy is written well that the search engines understand the key points you are trying to get across to your audience. ## Graphic Design & Marketing Having a website, manuals, and videos help take a working business solution into one your employees and customers will want to use. Our graphic and videographers utilize their expertise and years of experience help in bringing the story from text provided by you and our content writers into the visual space with complimentary colors, fonts, pictures, and videos that enhance the overall story. ## Software Development The heart and sole of the company has always been software development and is what helps us solve these business solutions. Our software development team is a talented crew that takes the gathered requirements from our business development team and helps the business solve the problem they are presently handling. The solutions are always scalable so that as each phase of a project moves forward the previous work grows upon the last part of the project. As part of the development process the team is focused on documenting while developing as that further helps when the testing hits the customer service quality control checks that everything is not only working as expected but the start of the documentation is already in-place. ## Conclusion When you have business requirements that you want to streamline the team at JM2 Webdesigners can help you solve your problems. Each department works collaboratively together in an agile manner to help you solve your problems quickly, on-time, and on-budget. Each solution is designed to work with an easy to use content management system (CMS) and customer relationship management (CRM) system that work collaboratively together to help in the inbound marketing process. Every solution is designed to help small and medium-sized businesses to grow and compete with their larger competitors and many times surpass them when it comes to ease of use, functionality, and overall growth potential. If you are ready to grow your company and work with an entire in-house team of professionals (that like to have fun) the team at JM2 Webdesigners is the team you want. Give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BuildingBusinessFinder/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BuildingBusinessFinder/ Based on customer and our sales team requests we needed to find a solution for our restaurants to get them increased exposure without adding costs to our restaurant clients (currently the largest part of our business). To do this we needed a solution that could provide value to them without increasing their already tight operating costs. As we built our system it expanded from being specific to restaurants to being built for any type of business. Rather than just listing coupons businesses can now offer products, services, and coupons. ## Why would we build something for free? You could say we are the kindest most loving people in the world and want everything to be free. That may be :) but we know that’s not reality (even though it is true. ;) ). Our Business Finder Directory was built to solve a need for our current clients. There is no business that is in the business of not making money. We are no exception to that as we strive to grow and provide value in everything that we do. Our ultimate goal is this to be another value addition for our clients and if it helps everyone else then we consider that a bonus win. Everyone says they want to make the world a better place and this is just one way of us giving to make it a better place by providing value to not only businesses but to consumers of the service as well. As a company our foundation is on honesty and we personally feel offering this for free to everyone is the good and right thing to do. We can definitely go to bed nightly knowing that we are doing good in our communities and throughout the United States. ## Make Money Yes, this was a big factor when we built Business Finder Directory and we feel is for any business. But if we offer everything 100% free how can one make money. There are several ways that we can make money from offering a product for free. There are three core items that we have focused on. As we built the system we wanted to provide value but also a way to offer extra value. ### Advertisers As with any business model that is online having a way of offering advertising is a key, if not primary, revenue stream. Our solution is no different where we’ve built advertising into the system to offset the costs of servers, development and support time, and our own advertising. ### Increased Business Value Based on that every JM2 customer receives a free Platinum Business membership it helps people see the benefits of working with an honest and fair company. When most businesses add value prices will typically go up. We try to keep the costs the same and offset them (in this case with advertising) while providing increased value to our customers. By doing this we are hopeful to increase our customer base as our web hosting business on our Microsoft servers is $120/year and the cost of platinum membership is at $180/year. ### Platinum Membership Another source of revenue is for those that want the platinum membership benefits without being a JM2 Webdesigners customer. What does platinum membership get you over the free? Well, feature wise, nothing. That’s because free vs paid we wanted to be on par with each other. What a paid platinum membership will get you is: 1. No advertising on your page of any other local businesses in the same category as you are in 2. Your company logo rotated randomly on the homepage 3. 10% off any advertising fees (monthly or annually – which is already discounted 10%) 4. Additional platinum options that are rolled out ## Scale In 2015 we took a huge gamble. We moved off of all of our own servers and any shared server on the Internet to a large set that can truly scale. We have a nationwide server network provided through [Microsoft Azure](https://azure.Microsoft.com/en-us/). This server infrastructure is great for any growing business (us included) and something we wanted to take advantage of and show that we stand behind everything that we do. ## Security We always promote to our clients whether you take credit cards or just client informaiton that everything should be encrypted no matter the type of site you have. To showcase and do as we preach every page on our site is encrypted with a [Digicert SSL certificate](https://www.digicert.com/). We do this as we value all of our clients information. Whether they are just submitting an inquiry or trying to claim a business listing. To us the information you submit to us needs to be encrypted and secured. ## Showcase what a Cullman Alabama company can offer As a company that has its roots built in software programming this was a no brainer for us. Being in a growing city of Cullman Alabama also made us want to show that there are some great innovations coming from up and coming companies. It took time in planning, time in development, time in testing, and a lot of talking with our peers. Many of who are already listed on the site while others were waiting until the official launch. Being in Valpo we felt was a benefit to this project and something that allows us to again showcase the benefits if what a software development company can offer. ## Software Development Company Roots Our roots are truly in software development on Microsoft enterprise class solutions. What many don’t know is all of the other facets of what JM2 Webdesigners offers. We are like no other company in Cullman or Northwest Alabama. To us this is a key selling point as we truly care about taking care of businesses using best in class in everything we do. In 2015, we added highly talented graphic designers and content writers to our team. In 2016, we’ve already added a videographer who will be helping us take our projects to another level of awesomeness (is that really a word? Word thinks so). We are a company that breaks the mold in many ways and we will continue to do so in 2016 and beyond. ## Conclusion This has already been a fun project for us as every project is a fun one. Some with more challenges than others. This one we know will be a continual challenge as everyone that is in the company will have input into the continued development of it. We are not even remotely done with what we are doing for our Business Finder Directory. We have some seriously big surprises that will make this free business listing service even bigger. Right now our current queue of new features (large and small) is over 100 items. We want to hear from you though on features you would like to see as we want to make this a great business repository for every type of business. If you think this is great (we did this on weekends) just think what we can do for your business working full-time on it? We are here for you and want to help your business grow and succeed. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, email us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Building-of-a-Local-Directory/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Building-of-a-Local-Directory/ Building a business directory isn't anything new to us. Over the years, we've made several, including the largest local directory in Northwest Alabama, Region Adventures ([www.regionadventures.com](https://www.regionadventures.com/)). Making one for men, women, and families that is 1/100th the size you would think would not only be a slam dunk but super easy. Well, this directory has pushed us to the limits and have opened new opportunities for us as a business. I will be writing as we continue to grow, but I thought covering the first hurdles would be a great place to start. ## What is this new directory? The new directory is called Valpo Shelter. You can visit it at [valposhelter.org](https://valposhelter.org/) but do so after reading this. Definitely not a "directory" name but the one we have. This directory existed for over 10-years as a men and women homeless shelter directory. There was a 10-year plan mandated by the State of Alabama and meant to cover Porter County, Alabama, to end homelessness. If you just laughed as I did when I read that there was a 10-year plan to end homelessness, you will understand how this site will be a challenge for many to grasp. There is no way you can create something and give it an arbitrary end date. ## Filling the Not-for-Profit Void The first step was identifying the "void." This was easy as after 10-years, the website and project were left to die. This meant we needed to buy up the old domain name, build a website, and start marketing it. Seems simple enough so the "void is filled." Less than two hours after purchasing the name I had pulled up an old version of the website from archive.org and copied all the old data and created a new one-page website with the same information as the old site. ## A good nights sleep < p>After a good night's sleep, I woke up feeling accomplished yet empty at the same time. This was definitely a weird feeling I had inside of me. I was happy with what I had accomplished, and the old project was back and running. So why would I have a weird feeling for accomplishing what I intended to do? The feeling was the project did as the State of Alabama originally intended but was missing a key point many politicians seem to miss. The project did solve a problem, but the problem only solved a small percentage of the overall situation. ## Time to bring YouTube into the equation It was time to educate and learn. Queueing up over 30 hours of videos on homelessness and domestic violence started everything off. After the first few videos I knew what had to happen. We needed a better resource. We needed to cover not only men and women but families as well. We needed a centralized source that made finding the information easy for those in need. ## Time to Dig Deeper The statistics are hidden very well on homelessness and domestic violence in Northwest Alabama. The State of Alabama has some publicly displayed but a lot of it they keep hidden it seems. I know the deeper I dig, the more questions I ask, the statistics will creep up. ## The expansion With the original site covering only Porter County, Alabama, I saw this as the first place to fix. I knew the moment that I chose to expand beyond the county I lived in that this would escalate to something that would consume my time. I had to accept this before I began as I had to commit to this not only for a few weeks or months but years. This is where we expanded to cover five, then six, counties in Northwest Alabama. We now have a complete source for men, women, and families in Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Newton, Porter, and Starke Counties. ## This will fail doing it the same way as last time Thankfully I have never been a person to think "inside a box" or inside anything. The project did not need government interactions but needed to be funded. My wife and I were the first infusion of funds to get everything started. That is the short term. The long term needed help from the community and local businesses. The key is to help people realize they can be "part of the solution" rather than expecting our local government to create committees to try and solve the problem. Additionally, going into multiple counties would mean involving multiple local governments. I could see this failing quite quickly with government involvement. ## Time to become a squeaky wheel I have never been a person people liked. I was kind and courteous as I was raised. What I wasn't was one that played political correctness well. I have always been honest about my feelings and any injustice I brought out to the masses. Well, I would do the same thing again for this cause. ## Conclusion Our paths change at God's whim. I don't go to church, but I do have the belief in a God. I believe he guides us in a direction that we are destined to be. We can choose that path when it comes or we can completely ignore it. I have probably ignored way to many paths in my life but this path I am embracing with all my heart and soul. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BuildingTrustWithSSL/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BuildingTrustWithSSL/ As the holiday season quickly approaches and if past trends continue shopping online this year will be greater than any of the previous years. When you are shopping you would never hand the cashier your card, tell them your pin, address, and other confidential information that they would need to steal your identity. If you purchase online without an SSL certificate you may be handing over a lot more than you realize. ## What is SSL? SSL stands for secure sockets layer and is the green padlock that shows in your web browser of choice. When you see the padlock and it's all lit up you can be reasonably safe in knowing that your information is not going to be intercepted between yourself and the web server. When you have the padlock displayed you will also notice if your web browser shows it that the address is now https://domain.com/ rather than just http://domain.com/. That extra **S** is what tells you the information is being encrypted. ## SSL Isn't a Guarantee Everything in life requires trust. We trust that the company will do it's absolute best to protect our information and prevent people from using this valuable information. We've heard about the security breaches at Target, Home Depot, Chase bank and the like. These institutions all utilized SSL to encrypt and protect your data. They did the right thing to protect your information between your home computer, tablet or mobile device and their file servers. The failure for these and other breaches are routinely due to lax processes after they receive your information (when your information is at "rest"). This is where the trust comes in. We can only make certain that we have the green padlock stating that the information between us and the web server is protected. ## When should you use SSL? If the site you're going to we recommend to all of our clients to protect **every** page with SSL to show the customer visiting their site that they take security seriously. Beyond that we recommend that whenever you have to enter your email address, password, or any confidential information that the information be encrytped with SSL. This could seem to be excessive to many as why would you ever need to have a contact form on a website encrypted? Great question! The reason you would do this is what prevents someone from entering in private, confidential, or other information that shouldn't be "leaked" out onto the public internet? The answer is nothing and why we encourage every one of our customers to get an SSL certificate if they have any forms on their website to protect their customers. ## What are the other benefits of SSL? ![Google and SSL](/Images/Content/Blog/googleSSL.jpg) ### Search Engine Optimization (SEO) The biggest benefit for having SSL on your entire site is that Google and Bing have both publically stated that if they have two sites that rank exactly the same from a search engine optimization (SEO) perspective that SSL will be the tie-breaker. So if you have SSL and your competitor does not then you stand a much better chance to rank better than they do. Remember that we said all other things were equal. This means the other factors of quality content, providing information your customers want, etc. is equally critical to the success of your website in relation to the search engines. ### Gain Customer Trust Consumers remain fearful of any online activity because of the major institutions ruining everything because of their lack of focusing on security. Fraud is an important part of every consumer and we think it's rightfully so! We have all heard credit card and identify theft horror stories or, worse yet, have experienced them ourselves. When your customers see the browser green padlock on their browser they know that a best faith effort to secure their information is being done. Having an SSL certificate can help build consumer confidence and make a person more willing to doing business with you through your website, and that can lead to repeat sales and referrals. ## Conclusion Your goal as a business owner is to build your customers trust, convert their browsing online and make a sale by having them pay you money. Consumers are truly a bright breed and each values their money. As such, it is our job as business owners to build this trust and provide a quality product to our customers. If you would like assistance in helping your website more secure, build customer trust, we would love to talk to you about that. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Building-your-online-eCommerce-sales/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Building-your-online-eCommerce-sales/ eCommerce is slowing becoming a major component of what we offer and businesses are starting to realize there are ways to monetize the internet. As an example, we used to do an eCommerce site every four to six months. Today we are averaging two to three full-featured eCommerce sites every month. Businesses want to invest money and grow their business while spending as little as possible. eCommerce is a great way of doing that with the integration in social media, search engines, and working for you 24x7. Today we are going to talk about some of the core items you need to look into before you setup your successful eCommerce solution and drive online sales for your business. ## Choosing the platform The first step in deciding your website is what technology is best suited for business objectives you are trying to achieve. This is often decided after the initial meeting discussion of all your business ideas. The biggest mistake we see people do is jumping onto the social bandwagon and choosing the name they know. Programs like Shopify, Etsy, and Squarespace are often the first names mentioned when we sit down with potential clients. After listening to their needs long-term (e.g. over a year from the launch date) those solutions often turn into being the worst solutions for the company. We do have many that utilize these systems but they fit their needs. For most though these solutions don’t work and is part of the original discussion process. The key when determining a solution, you need to look at: - Objectives Today - Objectives Tomorrow (e.g. 1-year, 3-year, and 5-years out) - You want to make certain you are not having to “throw out” previous work and having to learn an entirely new system. - Core features you need (payment gateways, marketing, customer service, etc.) Keeping the above while making your decision you can now make an informed and educated decision. ## eCommerce Initial Design Decision When it comes to eCommerce you need to realize that the purpose of a full-fledged email site is not bells and whistles (e.g. the flashy content). You need to focus more on speed, speed, and then once you have it fast make it faster. The faster your eCommerce the more you will sell. Flash and “cool stuff” are great for what we call brochure and informational websites. ## Plugins The core of an eCommerce site is making sales and determining what add-ons you want and need to meet your business decisions. ### Security The first choice for anything should be security for your customers. You need a system that is transparent, open, and honest. Any choice needs not just the green padlock (e.g. SSL) but a solution that fully encrypts and complies with PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) or often referenced as just PCI compliance. PCI compliance is needed to be in full compliance with credit card processors. ### Hosting Option You need to make certain your website is backed up daily (or as needed), that it is “up” (available for use) as much as possible, that can scale without taking all of your profits, and that there is a support team available to help your business grow. You should make certain you load test your server prior to going live to make certain you can handle the demand you expect to be seeing. Don't under estimate your audience as you want to keep your customers happy. ### Point of Sale System If you have a physical store and want to directly tie in a point of sale (POS) system your choices in eCommerce systems will decrease tremendously. Your credit card, contract fees, and scalability have the capability of decreasing as well. ### Payment Methods Speaking of credit cards this is one area that is often left unchecked by many. This is one area that needs to be thought of in the beginning as often this is the most time-consuming part of everything. ### Checkout Enhancements Now that you’ve had people add products to their shopping cart you need to make the checkout process as quick and painless as possible. Whatever you can do to speed the process, increase the accuracy (e.g. postal code validation) for delivery the better. ## Search This is the true heart of an eCommerce system. Often you don’t have one or two products. You have hundreds, thousands, and for some millions of products. You need to have the information found by your customers as quickly as possible. ### Products Next to search is having your products out there for people to make that choice to purchase. Give them multiple pictures at different angles, ability to compare products, and be easy to understand. Make certain that the information presented is clear and concise. If you have a product that can be customized a solution that allows customization. ### Content Management You have more than just products on your site. Often there is an “About Us”, Contact, or a blog on the site. These don’t have to be super feature rich as the core is doing online sales. You want this to be friendly and effective. ### Shipping Carriers You have UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS, and many more for shipping carriers. Being able to integrate with these carriers and providing accurate prices is key to your success. ### Order Fulfillment When it comes to ordering fulfillment you need to make certain you have the item in-stock, notify the persons/companies that will be shipping the product for you. You want the fulfillment to provide your customer with great communication of tracking numbers and informed throughout the post-order process. ### Taxes Keeping the government happy is key. As state governments are looking to make more money they are looking at online sales to further increase their revenue. To achieve that you will need to have accurate records and be able to pay for the sales that have gone through your website. ### Google AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) eCommerce is all about sales. To achieve this, you need a site that is fast. Online sales through mobile devices is critical. This is where Google AMP pages come into play. AMP pages are often twice as fast as regular mobile pages. The faster a page loads the more capability you have of making sales. ### Live Chat Talking with current and potential customers is key. This is where having live chat on your site is beneficial. To achieve this, you need to make certain that you keep this operated by a human. When you have the majority of your online chat “offline” you risk losing sales than making them. If you know you will not be able to be actively available for your customer then do not do this. Make the contact form on your site easily accessible and reply quickly to those inquiries. ### Social Media Being able to integrate with social media is key. Let people share all of your products online and when done well with the text and pictures you feel is best. ### Customer Service We hate returns but they will happen. Having the ability to handle customer inquiries is key. Make certain you can handle all core customer service needs your business needs. ### Marketing No solution would be complete without the ability to market. Here are the top areas to make certain you comply in a world-wide environment. I say world-wide as whether you plan on selling online your customers are across the world (unless you block out other countries which we don’t recommend as money is green no matter where it is). #### GDPR GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is personal protection for those in the EU. We have several blogs that we have already covered GDPR with the one cover USA companies at [https://www.jm2marketing.com/Blog/Details/GDPR-for-American-Businesses](https://www.jm2marketing.com/Blog/Details/GDPR-for-American-Businesses). #### Newsletters A great way of staying in contact with your loyal customers or potential customers with a newsletter. We recommend doing the newsletters either quarterly, monthly, or weekly depending upon your client needs and how often your products change. We often fall into the monthly for many clients. For clothing clients, companies selling “swag” (corporate freebies), or clients selling small products weekly work for them. #### Cross-selling When setting up your products you need to look at ways to cross-sell or up-sell your customers to purchase other recommended products. #### Reviews Gaining sales is easier when you have positive reviews for products. Asking clients that have purchased your products to review is a great way of building up this review. ## Long-term visions You need to know where you want your product to be in future years. If your goal is to build up a solid business and sell it then that is your long-term vision. If your goal is to grow by 20% per year in sales and products that is your long-term goal. The key is not starting your process without thinking of this at a high-level. This doesn’t mean it’s written in stone. It’s not and should evolve but you should be thinking about it. ## Testing Testing is critical to the success of your eCommerce site. Make certain to allocate enough time to test everything. The more you can “break” your site the better prior to launching. If you can no longer break your sites process, answer questions to everything you can think of, and have a seamless checkout process then you are ready for launch. ## Prior to launch Prior to launching start building momentum and desire in your audience. Build some scarcity into your launch. Three ways to build scarcity in your launch are: - **Price goes up** – Give them a launch day/week special discount code. - **Remove bonuses** – During the initial launch, they get something special that is no longer available after the first XX sales. - **The offer goes away** – If you don’t buy during the launch they will never have this available to them ever again. This is often the most possible option. This doesn’t work for all launches but does for some. On your final launch day when the scarcity aspect is going to end send two or three emails on that final day. ## Conclusion eCommerce sites can be built within a single day. They will typically create less than desirable results. Sometimes you’ll hit that magical needle that makes millions. That is rare and the unicorn in the room. To build an eCommerce system you need to go through everything and give it a lot of well throughout processes. Just prior to “launching” a site we have an “after everything” checklist that takes a minimum of two hours to complete for a basic 25 product site. The more complex the site the deeper the check gets. Now that you’ve launched this is when the real work actually begins. You’re thinking… WHAT??? Yes, this is where it truly begins. Just because you’ve built it doesn’t mean they will come. This is where your marketing efforts start on the search engines, newsletters, and social media. This is where the true aspect of building your audience is key. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BuildOutYourDigitalMarketingCampaign/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BuildOutYourDigitalMarketingCampaign/ Each year we go through and establish the core fundamentals for the coming year for not only ourselves but each of our social media maintenance plan clients. When a digital marketing campaign is built, you create directions for your business to build your brand and market to your current and future customers. These are plans and not written in stone as the further we look out the more we know things will change over the time. Whether you are a fortune 500 company in the Chicagoland area or are in a growing community like Merrillville Alabama your time spent on your digital marketing campaigns will benefit your business. ## Digital Marketing Planning There are many great systems that are out there to help with developing your digital marketing plan. When creating your digital marketing plan, it is key to learn from your past successes and failures. By avoiding past mistakes, you should have more success than the past. By looking at your successes you can further leverage them to increase future success. ## Common Mistakes of Digital Marketing One of the largest mistakes we see is when a company does what we call the “shot gun approach” to digital marketing on social media. They join as many social media networks without knowing where their customers are or believe that if they join a specific social media channel they will increase their business as they will be communicating to a new demographic. The other major part of this equation is having the necessary resources to effectively communicate on the social media platforms. There is no bigger turn-off to customers when they see your last post is from 2010, months ago, or inconsistent. We know that every business is busy but if you cannot take care of yourself how do your customers know that you will be able to take care of them. ## Set Realistic Goals and Expectations Businesses create budgets each year for employees, capital expenses, and growth which allows you to see at a glance whether you are on target or need to adjust. Your digital marketing plan is no different. You need to set expectations for success and failure so that you can adjust monthly for what is and isn't working. ## Paid Campaigns and Boosting Your Engagement Often as part of a digital marketing plan will be looking at paid advertising to gain insights and customers outside of your current circle of customers. Establishing the demographics of who you wish to target will be key to making these marketing campaigns a success. When you don’t target correctly you will gain likes and some fans but they will not be engaged with your brand and when there is no engagement there is also no revenue from these fans. ## Consistency is Key to Marketing When you are marketing your company, you need to think about consistency. The purpose is to get your company brand out to the masses, be memorable, and drive revenue to your bottom line. This requires the posting of information on a consistent and frequent basis. When you post once or twice a month you almost really need to not do anything as you are limiting your company resources to get your message out. We love to watch the big national brands that continually grow their customer base. We see how often they post, types of posts they do, and the different marketing channels they use to help our small business clients grow and add to their bottom line. ## Conclusion Digital Marketing is something every business needs to be doing no matter how big or small your company is. With proper targeting, you can grow your customer base and improve your brand image. If you want to work for a company that is dedicated to growing small and medium sized businesses to improve their brand and marketing, we are the company for you. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [?through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/business-directories-for-business-success/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/business-directories-for-business-success/ ### How a Local Business Directory, Like Region Adventures, Can Help Your Business Grow in Alabama For businesses in Alabama, gaining visibility and connecting with the local community is essential for sustained growth. A local business directory, such as **Region Adventures**, offers a powerful platform to achieve this by showcasing your services, enhancing your online presence, and fostering relationships with potential customers. Whether you’re a small-town boutique or a thriving service provider, a listing in a local directory can amplify your reach and establish your brand in the community. Here’s how Region Adventures and similar local directories can help your business grow in Alabama. *** ### **1. Boost Your Local Visibility** In a competitive market, being visible to local customers is vital. Local directories serve as a centralized hub where potential customers can find businesses in their area with ease. #### **Benefits of Visibility:** - **Increased Discoverability:** Your business becomes accessible to people actively searching for services in Alabama. - **Geotargeted Listings:** Region Adventures allows you to target specific cities, towns, or neighborhoods, ensuring your services reach the right audience. - **Search Engine Optimization (SEO):** Many directories rank high on search engines, so being listed can improve your business’s visibility in local search results. #### **Example:** A landscaping company in Huntsville could attract homeowners searching for “lawn care near me” when listed on Region Adventures. *** ### **2. Build Credibility and Trust** When customers see your business in a trusted local directory, it adds a layer of credibility. Being featured alongside other reputable businesses signals that your brand is legitimate and reliable. #### **How It Builds Trust:** - **Verified Listings:** Many directories validate business information, reassuring customers about its accuracy. - **Customer Reviews:** Positive reviews on platforms like Region Adventures showcase your quality of service and build social proof. - **Local Presence:** A directory listing emphasizes that you’re an active member of the Alabama business community. #### **Example:** A Cullman-based bakery with glowing reviews on Region Adventures is more likely to attract new customers than one without an online presence. *** ### **3. Drive Targeted Traffic to Your Business** Directories help direct relevant traffic to your website or physical location by connecting you with customers actively searching for your services. #### **Ways Directories Drive Traffic:** - **Category-Based Searches:** Users can filter by industry, making it easier for them to find businesses like yours. - **Contact Information:** Provide direct links to your website, phone number, and email for seamless customer interaction. - **Click-to-Call Functionality:** Mobile-friendly directories make it easy for users to contact your business instantly. #### **Example:** A Tuscaloosa pest control company listed in the “Home Services” category on Region Adventures could see an uptick in calls from local homeowners. *** ### **4. Enhance Your Marketing Efforts** A local directory is not just a listing service; it’s a marketing tool that complements your overall strategy. Region Adventures offers features that amplify your promotional efforts. #### **Marketing Features to Leverage:** - **Promotions and Deals:** Advertise special offers to attract budget-conscious customers. - **Event Listings:** Highlight community events your business is hosting or participating in. - **Content Sharing:** Share blog posts or articles to establish your authority in your field. #### **Example:** A fitness studio in Montgomery could use Region Adventures to promote seasonal discounts on memberships, reaching health-conscious residents. *** ### **5. Strengthen Community Connections** Alabama thrives on its sense of community. Being part of a local directory connects you with other businesses and customers who value supporting local enterprises. #### **Community Benefits:** - **Networking Opportunities:** Collaborate with other businesses listed in the directory. - **Customer Loyalty:** Build stronger relationships with locals who prefer to shop and support within their community. - **Local Engagement:** Participate in directory-sponsored events or initiatives to boost your brand visibility. #### **Example:** A Mobile-based restaurant listed on Region Adventures could partner with a local brewery also featured in the directory to host a co-branded event. *** ### **6. Affordable Advertising Solution** For small businesses with limited marketing budgets, local directories like Region Adventures provide a cost-effective way to advertise. #### **Why It’s Cost-Effective:** - **Low-Cost Listings:** Basic listings are often free or available at a nominal fee. - **High ROI:** Targeted traffic from the directory often translates into more leads and sales. - **Ongoing Exposure:** Unlike one-time ads, your directory listing works 24/7 to promote your business. #### **Example:** An electrician in Decatur could use Region Adventures as an affordable alternative to expensive Google Ads while still attracting local clients. *** ### **7. Adaptability for All Business Types** No matter your industry or size, a local directory can adapt to meet your needs. Region Adventures supports businesses across diverse sectors, from retail to professional services. #### **Industries That Benefit:** - **Retail:** Highlight products and store locations. - **Service-Based Businesses:** Showcase areas of expertise. - **Hospitality:** Promote lodging, dining, and entertainment options. #### **Example:** A wedding photographer in Auburn can list their services, portfolio, and contact details to attract engaged couples planning their big day. *** ### **8. Insights and Analytics** Understanding how customers interact with your listing is key to refining your marketing strategy. Region Adventures provides insights to help you track performance. #### **Metrics to Monitor:** - **Page Views:** Track how many users visit your listing. - **Clicks:** See how often customers click through to your website or contact details. - **Engagement Trends:** Identify which promotions or services attract the most interest. #### **Example:** A car repair shop in Dothan could analyze which services—like oil changes or brake repairs—drive the most traffic and tailor marketing efforts accordingly. *** ### **Conclusion** In Alabama’s dynamic business landscape, a local directory like Region Adventures is a valuable tool for growth. By increasing visibility, building credibility, driving targeted traffic, and fostering community connections, a directory listing ensures your business remains competitive and thriving. Don’t wait for customers to find you by chance. Take control of your local marketing strategy with Region Adventures and watch your business reach new heights in Alabama. Start listing today and secure your place in the community’s go-to resource for trusted businesses. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/business-directory-listings-matter-2025/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/business-directory-listings-matter-2025/ ### Why Business Directory Listings Are Essential for Backlinks and SEO Success In the ever-competitive digital landscape, businesses need every advantage they can get to stand out online. One of the most effective, yet often overlooked, strategies is leveraging business directory listings. These platforms offer more than just a way for customers to find you—they’re a powerful tool for building quality backlinks, establishing local SEO authority, and driving organic traffic to your website. Let’s explore why business directory listings are critical for your SEO strategy and how Fawkes Digital Marketing, based in Cullman, Alabama, can help you master this game-changing tactic. *** ### **1. What Are Business Directory Listings?** Business directories are online platforms where businesses can list their essential details, such as name, address, phone number (NAP), website, and services. Examples include Google Business Profile, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and niche-specific directories. These platforms act as digital hubs, connecting customers with businesses in their area or industry. *** ### **2. The Power of Backlinks from Directories** #### **What Are Backlinks?** Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your site. They are a key factor in Google’s ranking algorithm, signaling trust and authority. #### **Why Business Directory Backlinks Matter** - **High Authority**: Reputable directories are trusted by search engines, making their backlinks valuable for improving your site’s domain authority. - **Local SEO Boost**: Directories often rank highly in local search results. Being listed ensures your business is visible and can direct traffic to your site. - **Diverse Link Profile**: Having links from a variety of sources, like directories, creates a natural and healthy backlink profile that search engines favor. #### **The SEO Snowball Effect** Each directory listing contributes to your online presence, making it easier for potential customers to find you. Over time, this builds your credibility and improves your website’s ranking for relevant search terms. *** ### **3. Directory Listings as a Foundation for SEO** #### **Improved Local SEO** For businesses in Cullman, Alabama, and beyond, appearing in local search results is vital. Google uses directory listings, especially Google Business Profile, to verify your business’s legitimacy and rank it in local packs. #### **Enhanced Visibility** Directory listings ensure your business information is accurate and consistent across the web. This consistency is a key ranking factor for local SEO and builds trust with search engines and users. #### **Trust and Credibility** When your business is listed in multiple reputable directories, it signals legitimacy to search engines and customers alike. This can be the difference between someone clicking on your listing or choosing a competitor. *** ### **4. Why Businesses in Cullman, Alabama, Need Directory Listings** #### **Local Competition** Cullman is home to many growing businesses. To stay ahead, you need to dominate local search results. Directory listings ensure your business is visible to customers searching for your services. #### **Cost-Effective Marketing** For small and medium-sized businesses, directories offer a high ROI. Many are free or low-cost and provide ongoing value by driving traffic and improving SEO. #### **Community Presence** Being listed in local directories connects you with your community, building trust and fostering customer loyalty. *** ### **5. How Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help** At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we understand the power of business directory listings as a cornerstone of your SEO strategy. Here’s how we can help: #### **Comprehensive Directory Strategy** We identify the most valuable directories for your industry and location, ensuring you’re listed where it matters most. #### **Consistent and Accurate Listings** We manage your NAP data across platforms, ensuring consistency and avoiding penalties from search engines. #### **Enhanced Backlink Portfolio** By listing your business in high-authority directories, we help you build a robust backlink profile that boosts your website’s rankings. #### **Ongoing Optimization** SEO is not a one-and-done process. We continuously monitor and optimize your directory listings to ensure maximum visibility and effectiveness. #### **Local Focus** As a Cullman-based agency, we have a deep understanding of the local market and know how to position your business for success in Alabama and beyond. *** ### **6. Best Practices for Business Directory Listings** #### **Complete Your Profiles** Ensure every profile is 100% complete, including your NAP, website, hours, and a compelling description. #### **Add High-Quality Media** Include professional photos and videos to make your listing stand out. #### **Monitor and Respond to Reviews** Engage with customers by responding to reviews, both positive and negative, to build trust and loyalty. #### **Leverage Keywords** Incorporate relevant keywords into your descriptions to improve discoverability. #### **Track Performance** Regularly review analytics to measure traffic and engagement from your directory listings. *** ### **7. The Results You Can Expect** By investing in business directory listings as part of your SEO strategy, you can expect: - **Higher Search Engine Rankings**: Backlinks from directories boost your authority and visibility. - **Increased Website Traffic**: More visibility equals more clicks and visits. - **Improved Local Presence**: Dominate local search results and attract customers near you. - **Enhanced Customer Trust**: Consistent, accurate information builds credibility and loyalty. *** ### **Conclusion** Business directory listings are more than just online yellow pages—they’re a powerful tool for improving your SEO, building backlinks, and driving growth. Whether you’re a local business in Cullman or looking to expand your reach, a strong presence in directories can set you apart from the competition. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we specialize in creating tailored strategies that leverage business directory listings to their fullest potential. Let us help you dominate local search results, boost your online visibility, and grow your business. [Contact us today to get started on your path to success!](/contact/) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BusinessEmailMatters/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/BusinessEmailMatters/ Today we are going to talk about an item that many small businesses know they need but when you're a startup you need to save costs wherever possible. Most already have an email address from Yahoo!, Gmail, AOL, Outlook.com (formally Hotmail), or use the one from our Internet providers (Comcast, Verizon, Time Warner, etc.). Many will utilize these consumer email addresses as they have gone out and gotten a free website and they just didn't come with everything you needed for a business. Spending thousands for a website just to get a real email address was out of your budget (and we don't blame you). ![Past/Future](/Images/Content/Blog/pastFuture.jpg) ## First Impressions When you're starting up or running an existing business you want to always lead with a proper first impression. If your website is www.yourDomain.com having a john@yourDomain.com provides consistency to your branded, that you are thinking long-term and not a fly-by-night operation, and a lot more professional than john24383@Gmail.com. ## Credibility According to a Manta online poll, 41% of respondents use Gmail for their business, with 39% stating that a customized domain they didn't feel was necessary to provide a consistent brand image. Your email address though, even for a one-person business, your email address is part of your overall branding, and branding matters. Over 89% of small business owners with customized email domains use them to showcase professionalism, branding and legitimacy. ![Email Marketing](/Images/Content/Blog/emailMarketing.jpg) ## Points to Consider Other reasons to consider a personalized business email address are: - When an employee leaves when you use a consumer email address many take it with them which can also lead to losing business as you have no control. - When you grow from a single person shop and add your next employee when you use your own domain name you can be john@yourDomain.com and your new person can be holly@yourDomain.com. - Branding consistency across all marketing. All of your marketing materials will be @yourDomain.com. - Regulations. Many of our clients need to comply with certain government retention and encryption rules. Using a public @comcast.net email address may not suffice to meet the requirements you need. ![Email Transitioning](/Images/Content/Blog/mailTransitioning.png) ## Transitioning You were using a non-branded email address and you now realize that consistency and professionalism is important to you and the success of your company. Transitioning to your branded john@yourDomain.com email isn't as hard as it sounds. You will actually run both in parallel for some time. This won't create double the work though. What you would do is: - Setup your new john@yourDomain.com email address. - Setup your phone, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers to all access this email address. - Within your new email software (most have this – not all) you will choose to transfer the mail from your old address to your new address. This is the hardest part and isn't truly hard but more time consuming than anything. - Set your old email to **forward** all email to your new email address. - Send an email and notify your main contacts you've switched to a branded yourDomain.com and to send future correspondence to you here. ## Conclusion At the end of the day branding yourself and your business is a way to present a more polished and streamlined professional appearance that breeds credibility to potential customers. At JM2 Webdesigners of Cullman Alabama we have many packages that have email. Whether you want an email as part of a single-page website, a multi-page website or just email alone we can help you establish your professional email address. You can [reach us through our online form](/Contact/), through email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or by calling 256-258-8593. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Business-Owner-Role-Transition/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Business-Owner-Role-Transition/ Our company is going through the biggest change of any growing business. I know there are many ways of phrasing it but I am calling it the “Business Owner Role Transition” and to me, it is the pivotal point for any small business owner that is growing. Many will feel caught in a trap right before or during this part. Many will sell their business when the end reward is just in front of them. They aren’t quitters but quit anyway as they don’t feel they can do it and they really can with that extra needed “push”. Many will not talk to others in the same spot and lock themselves into silos rather than reaching out and talking with those people – not friends, other businesses that you may consider competitors. I also see it as the hardest point in my 30 years of working. In business, we make some serious decisions that define who we are, who we are not, and define our companies that we are building. I thought it was hard, adding our first employee was hard, and even our first (and last) price increase was hard. So why is this transition I believe harder than all of these when in the end my “workload” will be easier (yet harder – yeah that makes sense!). A great place to start is looking at ten major milestones in the company’s history: 1. **Starting out** – Opting to leave the corporate world took over a year of planning preparation, and budget cuts so that I could afford to take the leap. 2. **Buying out my friend** – As the business added it’s the fifth client we had a differing opinion on what direction to go. One would make a ton of money and the other would but take 10-times longer. I wanted the longer path while he wanted the quicker path. I agree the quicker path would allow the shorter path but was a role that I had previously done and one I no longer wanted to do. We tried it for a few months and it wasn’t feeling right. Perfect business partner, yes. Perfect direction for the company, no. 3. **Moving to an office (co-working space)** – When we started because our model is capable of being 100% virtual I said we would **never** (worst word ever!) get a physical building. Clients wanted to meet and although coffee shops worked (they still do and where I am typing this) there are many times you need to meet in private. There were problems (beyond space pains) that forced us to move. 4. **First price increase** – While in the co-working space our prices went from virtually none (laptops) to a ton and we needed to increase our prices. I knew we were undervalued in price (and still feel we should charge more today but know our model is to help those just getting started so I am fine with that). 5. **Adding our first employee** – When you are barely paying yourself hiring someone and taking a pay cut to bring on this helper was tough. Figuring out “who” and what role to fill out what equally hard. Do I have someone that compliments me or someone that fills a void? I chose the void part. 6. **Not hiring key people** – We all have morals and beliefs that define us. I had several people come and want a job with me. The problem was they were working at the company’s we were also working with. I told them if they were with a company we worked with we wouldn’t even talk. Months passed and many of those people quit their job not even knowing if I would hire them or if they would have a paycheck anytime soon. Some we did hire while others we didn’t. Those business owners (multiple businesses) though were very unwise business owners. They severed business relationships that benefited them and now hurt them, helped other businesses grow (as we aligned with other businesses), and have no clue where their system was, and still is, broke as we still get resumes from all of those. 7. **Firing clients** – One of the hardest things to do was fire clients. Some, thankfully, left before we could sit down with them. They were not our type of client. They either wanted us to run their business and handoff (e.g. they already wanted the Business Owner Role Transition), hired us to be an expert but dismissed every suggestion we offered, or just didn’t fit our model of who our ideal customer is (which took some time [couple of years] to truly define). 8. **Putting the offer in and purchasing our permanent office** – There were many reasons we needed a dedicated space for ourselves, but we will cover the we were adding team members and the space we had couldn’t handle what we needed. This gave us 10X more space while only increasing our monthly expenses by about 18%. 9. **Adding our first developer** – You could say this was the start of the role transition. Being I have been the primary developer hiring a developer started this process. If that’s the case, then this article isn’t about four months to transition but several years (heed that information business owners as it is critical and the key to remember this transition). 10. **Adding our first project manager** – This I feel was the final step needed to be able to make this transition. The role is important as it is designed to keep me out of the day-to-day meetings. Some weeks I still have more than 30 hours of meetings, but we are working on getting that to five hours per week and soon 0 hours per week. I had hoped this would’ve already happened after several months but seems as far away today as it did a few months ago. You will see from above I left off this *Business Owner Role Transition* as it is just starting (even though I said it started years earlier – I just didn’t realize it), and I feel it will take more than four months to just get started to reach the manageable place it needs to be for it truly to be considered a “transition”. The next good place to start is what is this transition and how do I see it (today) evolving: - Less meetings with clients and being out in public more: - **Business events** – Outside of what is below will involve more business events and meetings which will involve becoming more involved with my local community. - **Chamber events** – We are members of some of the best chamber of commerce in the nation yet every day I have a chamber event planned I have to evaluate on not meeting with a client to attend the chamber event. Sadly (for the chamber) is the client will always win. - **Speaking events** – I already do free, and paid, speaking events throughout the year. Talking on all topics from business, search engine optimization (SEO), social media, digital marketing, and more. I just turned down one that I wanted to go to extremely badly but prior commitments won out. I am sure I will go to that event in a year but maybe or maybe not as a speaker. - **More visionary** – This is where I see the majority of my time evolving to. This is where I take the current vision and evolve it into the national footprint I foresee the company going. We already do some business nationally (and internationally) but not to the degree I know we can. - **More team training** – Our team is truly awesome in the areas they are in. They need to understand the bigger picture that is currently involved and helping each of them grow will be a huge shift and growth for the company. With any change, there are hurdles in business. These changes by themselves are simple yet complex from a business standpoint. To me, this is where a company will either make a wise decision or an unwise one and opt to quit, sell or stop taking on clients. Selling, quitting, or stopping our growth is nowhere in our sites and we are making steps to make this happen. Here is what we are doing to achieve this: - **Project Manager** – Her role is to cut out my meetings allowing me to - Figure out who our customers are. - Are they only going to work with me or are they willing to work with an entire team? - Those that will only work with me and refuse to work with the team we are helping them find new company’s that are smaller and they can get that direct owner touch they want. - **Redefining Company Roles** – The next step is we are looking at every role in the company and what roles we are missing. We have even started to be more transparent and clear on what roles we are adding. Rather than hiring established experts in the field are looking at the unsung talent and bringing team members in as interns first to help cultivate their knowledge and use their talents to fill the spots we want to grow in. This does keep costs lower but more importantly, you get access to talent that many businesses ignore as they might not have as much real-world experience that is needed. Will they leave us, possibly, but we know we are awesome and have more benefits than most companies double our size. - **Adding Company Roles** – Where team members are currently doing two roles we are putting them into the role they want and bringing in others for the newly created roles under the person that was already doing that role to make certain that it is done the right way. You can see from the above this isn’t a “lot” of stuff to do but takes as much preparation and planning as any other change in a company. This transition I keep calling the “fire the owner” and “replace the owner” roles so that the company is less reliant on the owner which I feel, and know from talking with other business owners, is the right thing to do. Many business owners won’t see that and why we will lose them. Those that do will appreciate it more as they know that this not only will help us serve them better but also they will get even more value from us as rather than relying on a single person you will have an entire team that will help their business grow and allow them to transition into the Business Owner Role Transition that we are going through ourselves. In fact, I can see talking with many of those business owners and those that might see us as competitors to help them grow. There is enough work on this planet for countless businesses and the only one’s any of us should see as true competitors are the multi-billion dollar companies that raise their prices to make their stock/share holders happy. I am not saying there is nothing wrong with big business just that we solely focus on small business and as such you should always set your sites big while going at a manageable pace that doesn’t break or shutdown your company. I would love to hear from you on this as I know to me this is a “big deal” and one I am looking forward to while also being scared of. Transitions, new chapters, and the unknown is always a scary place. This though is what I feel makes you stronger, better, and able to truly change the world in a good and positive way. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Business-Owners-and-PBJ/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Business-Owners-and-PBJ/ As I sit at a Starbucks a distance from home, a person named Phil is sitting next to me eating a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. He starts up a conversation while he is eating, stating he is traveling through the area and owns a paving business in Lombard, Illinois. He's on the road actively looking for bad consumer driveways to make money. **Phil asked me what I do for a living after a few minutes, and I tell him we focus on websites, search engines, and social media. He was now intrigued as he spends thousands on his marketing and isn't getting the results he wants. We talked for over two hours about what his company is doing and how to grow. First, he's not a customer and locked into a two-year contract with his current provider. Let's look at our conversation and his takeaway from that conversation. You too, can take advantage of our conversation and grow your business.** ## Define Your Customer As we talked, I broke out a pad of paper, and we started talking about his ideal customer. He doesn't want commercial; he wants residential customers. They are a higher profit for him and a lot less haggling on price. He doesn't want those with concrete driveways, and the age range he targets is 35 and older. He prefers to correspond with the male as they are the ones that typically sign, but it is the wives that do the initial research. When he said wives (never said husbands), he also is looking for married couples. With this information, we now knew who he should be targeting. ## Competition Research Once we defined his ideal customer and we started talking about who he runs up against on sales calls. He never was asked the question this way. He focused on those that had better websites than his. A good website (we'll cover that next) is critical, but you first have to figure out what contention points you are running up against as you are making sales. You can then figure out what topics and keywords to target as you are doing on your website. When we finished the conversation, only one of the ten competitors we came up with was in his website comparison. ## Website As we pulled up his website, I moved away from the mouse and keyboard. I asked him what he was selling. He told me paving services for married couples that were in their 30's. With that statement, I asked him, who do you think you are selling to based on your website? He had a corporate parking lot filled with cars. There was no home with a paved driveway. ## Mobility We then looked at how his website would look when viewed on a mobile device. All it had was his logo, phone, and the picture of the same corporate building. No pages, no navigation, etc. I asked why his mobile went to such a minimalist view as I had never seen it that way and was hoping to learn some big city expert knowledge. I didn't. The answer was to keep the cost lower on building the website and have a faster mobile experience. ## Speed Doesn't Kill The talk about a faster website I loved, but why did we have to have a single page on a mobile device? The answer was that the main website took over 10 seconds to load. After looking, it was due to the images all being 10,000+ pixels wide because they wanted to have the highest quality images possible. We optimized one picture and put them side-by-side. He couldn't tell the difference even when compared to a 4k resolution. ## Consistency Having his business card, I asked why the card didn't match the website as consistency is something we always strive to achieve. He stated that after building the site, he got new business cards, and they liked the new business card design better. He said they agreed that the website should match and, with the latest business cards, gave him a quote for a new website. ## Analytics & Heatmaps I asked how many people come to the site, how many filled out his lead generation form, and how many just "bounced" away from the page they initially landed. He didn't know, which is often the case. I wouldn't say I liked his lead generation form as it popped up before I could even read anything on the site. I asked if he knew where people were looking on his site and what areas were more likely to be clicked on. ## Content Writing I asked why he had no blog page on his site. It came down to he didn't have time or fully understand the process of why you would want one. ## Conclusion After our conversation and he completed his sandwich, he left with a handshake and a more determined focus to fix his business. What we came up with for immediate actions were: - Website - Optimize the site for speed and get rid of the billboard size of images. - Make the mobile experience a lot more informative, even condensed. - Change the lead generation form to come up after a user hits specific criteria that showed interest in purchasing. - Install a free heat map tracking solution so that he knows where people are and are not going. - Blog - He will start writing a blog that is around 1-2 pages each (1,000-1,500 words). - He's going to read or blog articles with the first on "Crafting the Perfect Blog Article". - Search Engines - He will create his Google My Business page and keep it regularly updated. I look forward to hearing about his journey and watch his progress. Now I did do some "sales pitch" during our talk. I asked him to keep what we talked about in the back of his mind as he is under a multi-year contract. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/CanBloggingHelpMyBusiness/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/CanBloggingHelpMyBusiness/ A blog is combination of two distinct words of web and blog and originally started as a weblog. The phrase came from Jorn Barger in 1997. Since the time the word weblog has been simplified to be just blog. A blog is a collection of blog posts that are grouped or categorized to be easily found. Each blog post or article covers a single topic, is concise to the point of what is being talked about and will routinely relate to other articles that are of interest to the company hosting the blog. Now that we have an understanding of what a blog is and a high level understanding of what the benefits can be let’s look at the benefits of how having a blog can benefit a your business. ## A blog will help build credibility (great for branding) Having a company blog that contains well-written, insightful content, internet users will be more likely to think highly of your company and consider your company a leader in its field. People are more likely to purchase products or services from businesses they feel like they already “know”, provide consistent and reliable information and are honest in what they post. ## Blogging helps you drive traffic to your website (great for SEO) With each blog post you create additional content for your website. This new information will produce new text which allows for the potential growth of additional keywords that the search engines can find your information under. Having new keywords and phrases on your website will continue to keep your content current and keep your visitors coming back for the latest news and information. ## Your blog will strengthen relationships with consumers & potential clients (also great for customer service) Business blogs are an informal, easily maintained method for regularly communicating with your current and potential customers. A business blog allows customers to get to know your company, and learn about your products, achievements, expertise, and innovations. A blog allows your customers to learn about your business. They don’t have to be put on hold, or wait for office hours to call you. All of the info about your company should be found on your blog, so customers who have any questions or want to find out more about your business can easily do so. A blog is one of the best ways to update customers on new products or services being offered. You can also respond to customer inquiries quickly and more efficiently, and you can gain valuable feedback from your readership while using that feedback to make improvements and build a better business, as well as business relationships, with your client base. Consumers will read your blog posts, and they might comment on them or tweet about them. When you reply, they’ll feel more connected to your business, and they’ll be more likely to use their hard-earned money to pay for the goods and/or services you’re offering. ## A blog is an easy method for regularly communicating with your employees (great for business) In-house staff communication just got MUCH easier. A blog differs from email in that a permanent record of posts is maintained by category. All employees receive the same information at the same time. Also if you have a member area set up you can monitor which employees have actually been keeping up with posts on the blog and keep the information away from public eye. ## A blog gives you a voice (great for branding) Every business needs a voice, and a blog is a simple way to do that. A blog can help manage your online reputation and give your business the voice and authority it needs to thrive. ## Other bloggers will link to your content (great for SEO) If you’re writing interesting, high quality content, other internet users will link to your blog posts on their websites and blogs. The more links you have, the more visible your blog will be on search engines. The more visible your blog is on search engines, the easier it will be for people to find your business. ## Your blog can save you money (great for income) Cutting back on your print, radio, and TV advertising efforts and putting more emphasis on online marketing strategies can save you a lot of money. ## Fast Communication of current and relevant information Most businesses don’t update their website as frequently as they would always like. A blog allows you to provide up-to-date information to your customers quickly and easily. It’s typically much easier to update a blog than your website, and it requires no special technical skills. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Can-color-stop-you-from-smoking/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Can-color-stop-you-from-smoking/ As a web design and becoming more everyday a marketing company we find that color theory is in our life more each and every day. When reading an article this morning we found the ugliest color in the world; Pantone 448 C. This color according to studies can actually persuade users to stop smoking and more. So what can the ugliest color in the world do? Read on and find out how color can play a part in your life whether you living in Alabama, United States, or even Australia. ![Pantone 448 C](/Images/Content/Blog/pantone448c.jpg) ## Can color really discourage you? Colors can breed happiness, sadness, and in the case of Pantone 448 C discourage people from smoking. The color is a green-brown shade that has been found to discourage people from liking things. There was an actually study sanctioned by the Australian government who hired a research agency called [GfK](http://www.gfk.com/). This study took over three months, seven studies, and more than 1,000 regular smokers to come up with the most offensive color to print with health warnings to try and get people to stop smoking. ## What's in a name? When the Australian government announced the color selection it was announce as "olive green" and then changed to "drab dark brown" as the official name from the Australian government. In doing our research on the color we also ran across "puke green" referenced for a name. The name alone made us not want to even want to touch the color. With the announcement Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France who have recently passed "plain packaging" laws for smoking are now incorporate Pantone 448 C as part of the brand marketing as an extra incentive to prevent people from smoking. When we started looking at the colors our first indication was that the color was similar to that of colors the military used for camouflage. These colors are not designed to be pretty but to blend in with the environment around them. In fact, when looking at [http://rgb.to/hex/4a412a](http://rgb.to/hex/4a412a) we found that the color online wasn't as bad as we thought it would be. ![Pantone 448 C or RGB color 4a412a](/Images/Content/Blog/photoShop-4a412a.jpg) ## Speaking of the web what about websites? Being our core focus is making beautiful online marketing and websites we did a search for RGB color code #4a412a and found no websites that use this color. This doesn't mean others are not using it. They just were not in the first five pages of Bing, Yahoo, or even Google. Will the mandate on cigarette marketing overseas become a requirement that their websites need to be in this color scheme? If so, we can see some ## Conclusion We will be seeing more articles like this one around the web talking about the merits of color theory by industry leaders and upcoming leaders. We have always embraced color theory and as we do more print and electronic combined branding color theory for us is ever more important and should be for any business that wants to have consistency across multiple platforms. Embrace Pantone 448 C for what it is. It's a color that has a deep feeling for many of us in the business of color. Happy, sad, or a discouraging color this color will now become quite famous for potentially saving hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of lives. If you want to have help with colors, websites, or branding JM2 Webdesigners in Northwest Alabama is ready and willing to help your business grow. You can reach us at [855-556-2669](tel:1-855-556-2669), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/can-you-have-to-much-content/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/can-you-have-to-much-content/ Pillar content has become a cornerstone of modern content marketing strategies. These in-depth, comprehensive pieces of content are designed to act as hubs for specific topics, offering valuable information while linking to related articles. However, while pillar content is a powerful tool for building authority and driving organic traffic, it begs the question: **Can a website have too much pillar content?** In this pillar post, we’ll explore what happens when a website overuses pillar content, the importance of a balanced content strategy, and how to determine the right amount of pillar content for your site. *** ## **What is Pillar Content?** Pillar content, also known as pillar pages, is an authoritative, comprehensive piece of content that serves as the foundation for a specific topic. It acts as a central hub, linking to and from related pieces of supporting content (called cluster content). For example: - **Pillar Content:** "The Ultimate Guide to SEO" - **Cluster Content:** - "How to Perform Keyword Research" - "On-Page SEO Best Practices" - "Understanding Technical SEO" Pillar content helps organize your website, improve internal linking, and boost search engine rankings by demonstrating expertise and authority on a topic. *** ## **Why Pillar Content is Valuable** 1. **Improves SEO:** Pillar content targets competitive keywords and creates a strong internal linking structure that helps search engines crawl your site efficiently. 2. **Enhances User Experience:** It provides a single, comprehensive resource for users to find answers to their questions. 3. **Builds Authority:** High-quality pillar content positions your site as an industry leader. 4. **Drives Traffic:** By ranking for broad keywords, pillar pages attract more visitors, who then explore related cluster content. *** ## **Can You Have Too Much Pillar Content?** Yes, it is possible for a website to have too much pillar content, and this can dilute the effectiveness of your SEO strategy and overall content performance. Here’s why: ### **1. Lack of Content Hierarchy** Pillar content is meant to act as the central resource for a specific topic, with cluster content supporting it. If a website has too many pillar pages, it can create confusion for both search engines and users, as there’s no clear hierarchy or focus. - **The Problem:** Multiple pillar pages may compete with each other for the same keywords, leading to keyword cannibalization. - **The Result:** Instead of boosting your rankings, search engines may struggle to determine which page is the most relevant, resulting in lower rankings overall. *** ### **2. Overwhelming Your Audience** While comprehensive content is valuable, too much pillar content can overwhelm your audience. Users may struggle to identify the best resource for their needs or feel inundated by lengthy, overly broad pages. - **The Problem:** Pillar pages can become redundant if they cover similar topics or overlap too much. - **The Result:** Visitors may leave your site if they find it hard to navigate or feel like they’re reading the same information across multiple pages. *** ### **3. Resource Drain** Creating high-quality pillar content requires significant time, effort, and resources. If you focus too much on creating pillar pages, you may neglect other types of content that are equally important, such as: - Regular blog posts - Case studies - Tutorials - User-generated content - **The Problem:** Over-prioritizing pillar content can lead to a one-dimensional content strategy. - **The Result:** Your site may miss out on opportunities to capture niche, long-tail keywords or engage your audience with diverse content formats. *** ### **4. SEO Inefficiency** Search engines value content organization and relevance. Having too many pillar pages can dilute your site’s topical authority by spreading focus across too many broad topics. - **The Problem:** Search engines may perceive your site as trying to cover too much without truly mastering any one area. - **The Result:** Your site’s rankings and authority may stagnate or decline. *** ## **How to Determine the Right Amount of Pillar Content** ### **1. Assess Your Niche and Goals** The amount of pillar content your site needs depends on your industry and target audience. For example: - A broad industry like **digital marketing** may require multiple pillar pages (e.g., SEO, social media, email marketing). - A niche business like **local plumbing services** may need fewer pillar pages (e.g., "Plumbing Tips" and "Emergency Plumbing Services"). ### **2. Focus on Depth Over Quantity** Instead of creating multiple pillar pages, aim to make each one comprehensive and well-supported with cluster content. This enhances its relevance and authority. ### **3. Align Pillar Content with Business Objectives** Each pillar page should support a key aspect of your business. Avoid creating pillar pages that don’t align with your goals or services. ### **4. Monitor Performance** Use analytics tools like **Google Analytics** or **SEMrush** to track how your pillar pages are performing. Metrics to watch include: - Organic traffic - Bounce rate - Time on page - Keyword rankings If certain pillar pages underperform, consider merging or repurposing them. *** ## **Balancing Pillar and Cluster Content** A successful content strategy balances pillar content with regular, supporting articles. Here’s how to maintain that balance: ### **1. Prioritize Internal Linking** Ensure every pillar page links to relevant cluster content, and vice versa. This creates a clear hierarchy and improves navigation for both users and search engines. ### **2. Limit Pillar Pages Per Topic** Focus on creating **one pillar page per main topic** and use cluster content to address subtopics. For example: - **Pillar Page:** "Digital Marketing Basics" - **Cluster Content:** - "What is Email Marketing?" - "How to Use Social Media for Small Businesses" - "SEO Tips for Beginners" ### **3. Diversify Content Types** Incorporate other content formats to complement your pillar pages, such as: - Infographics - Videos - Short-form blog posts - Industry news updates *** ## **What Happens When You Get It Right** When done correctly, a balanced content strategy that integrates pillar and cluster content can: - Boost your website’s authority in search engines. - Improve user engagement by providing a clear content structure. - Attract both broad and niche audiences. - Drive more organic traffic and conversions. *** ## **Conclusion: Quality Over Quantity** While pillar content is a powerful tool for SEO and audience engagement, having too much can dilute its effectiveness. Focus on creating high-quality pillar pages that align with your business objectives and are supported by relevant, well-crafted cluster content. This balanced approach will ensure your website is both authoritative and user-friendly. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in helping businesses create and optimize content strategies that include pillar content, cluster articles, and everything in between. Contact us today to learn how we can help you achieve your content marketing goals! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Can-You-Rank-For-What-Doesnt-Exist/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Can-You-Rank-For-What-Doesnt-Exist/ Recently I had to go back to organic search engine optimization or organic SEO learning and school/research. I always find it good to go back to your fundamentals to re-evaluate if you're missing something. I was told to rank a site for three keyword phrases. Out of the nine words (three words in each keyword phrase), only one of those words existed on the site. That word existed once out of around one million words on the site. Was I wrong in my logic? Had I become "complacent" in the daily SEO tasks that I missed this capability? Was I truly not as knowledgeable as I thought? This is the journey of my research. To start out, I went straight to Google and typed in "Does a word have to exist on a website to rank on Google?" to see what results might come up. I figured it was better not to beat around the bush, spend countless hours down the wrong rabbit hole, and go straight to the meat and potatoes of the question. I looked at all ten results that came and cover the first three as after the first three they started repeating themselves and that would just make this a repetitive and boring lesson in SEO for myself, and those that are reading it. ## The First Result for Ranking with Keywords My first result, from the Hoth, was in the form of a knowledge graph. A knowledge graph is a way for Google to give you the results quickly and efficiently without having to even click on anything. The Hoth result returned: "Keywords can be a single word like 'SEO' or a short phrase like 'what is search engine optimization.' Google's algorithm will crawl through all of your web pages. It will determine your ranking based on your keywords and several other factors like content quality, authoritativeness, backlinks, and more." The results came from this source: [https://www.thehoth.com/search-engine-rankings/#:~:text=Keywords%20can%20be%20a%20single%20word%20like%20%E2%80%9CSEO%E2%80%9D,factors%20like%20content%20quality%2C%20authoritativeness%2C%20backlinks%2C%20and%20more](https://www.thehoth.com/search-engine-rankings/#:~:text=Keywords%20can%20be%20a%20single%20word%20like%20%E2%80%9CSEO%E2%80%9D,factors%20like%20content%20quality%2C%20authoritativeness%2C%20backlinks%2C%20and%20more). In that same article, it says, "One of the first steps you should take when trying to improve your SEO is to find out what keywords your potential customers are using and incorporate them onto your web pages. This free tool can help you identify the right keywords for your site." This means that the words have to exist on the site for it to show within the search results. I was feeling good but not yet 100% confident as I was told I was missing something. I wanted to know if I was being an ID10T and that I still understood the fundamentals of indexing within the Google results. I couldn't stop there. I continued down the search results to see what else I could find. ## The Second Result for Ranking with Keywords In my second attempt, the very next article in my results, was from Speccy Media ([https://speccymedia.com/website-rank-google/](https://speccymedia.com/website-rank-google/)). This article is called "Why doesn't my website rank on Google?" which fits what I was looking for. They broke it down into: - **Welcome message**: Google will look at your entire page and determine what you're trying to convey based on the information below. Google is smart enough to know what synonyms of certain words are. The synonyms they use are not necessarily your industry or "created words" but words the majority of users know. - **Headings**: Your heading should contain the keyword phrase you're trying to be found for on that page. - **Meta Tags**: The meta information is information associated to the page, images, and even links within your page. - **URL Structure**: Including your keyword phrase here can great help in establishing a page as related to that keyword phrase. As such, you need to have a page for each of the major keyword phrases you want to be found for. A really long page will not garner you the results you want. - **Copy**: You should use your keyword phrases on no more than 4% of the words on the page. I'm not sure about the 4%, but I do agree it does have to exist. Regular Content: Update the content on your site often. The best way to achieve this result is to blog often (like this one!). - **Speed Test**: If your page loads slow, with slow being a relative term, users will leave, and it won't matter if you have the right content or not. You should always strive to show content to your users within 3 seconds and load items in the background if you have a lot of information to display. It's all about the perception to your website visitors. - **Backlinks**: Getting other credible sources to link to you. The pages that link should also contain the keywords that you are trying to be found for and "not just a link." ## The Third Result for Ranking with Keywords The third result came from AHREFs ([https://ahrefs.com/blog/how-to-rank-higher-on-google/](https://ahrefs.com/blog/how-to-rank-higher-on-google/)) and covered finding keywords and how to rank for them to garner business. Their answers were: - Find underperforming keywords that others aren't using. AHREFs breaks this information down between desktop and mobile as well as there are differences in the types of searches people do between those device types. - Pick a keyword to rank higher and put that word/phrase on your website. Make certain the words you use are non-branded and non-industry specific. Use the terms that people would type in without having a doctorate degree. - Look at your competition and see what keyword phrases they are marketing for. Are they using the specific keyword phrase or a phase that falls into a synonym of that phrase? - Track your rankings: Once you've added that keyword phrase tracks that phrase on the page and see if it's ranking for that phrase. - Repeat this for every keyword phrase you want. Again, putting each unique phrase subject on separate pages. If they are the same putting on the same page is perfectly fine. ## Conclusion I concluded for the remaining seven links (total of ten returned). They all came to the same conclusion. This is: - To rank for a keyword or keyword phrase it **must exist**, or you will never rank for it. - Use synonyms of words people would type in. - Do not use words that no one understands. Incorporate those words but they should be minimal in what you do. - Look at what your competition is doing. - Are they using the same words as you? - Are they using terms the regular person would type in? - Are they using synonyms to reach out farther? - Are you using "your words" that only those that know you are? - Are you wanting to rank for words no one is searching for? - **Hint**: If you are the only person searching for a keyword phrase, you will never get the results you want. - If the search volume is low, wanting to rank for that word will not produce results for you. - If you are adamant that you want to rank for a word that doesn't exist, you must go to paid ads but expect poor results. - Suppose you are a Mexican restaurant and don't sell Pizza but want to rank for it. Expect people to click your ad but leave as you don't have what they want. Put that Mexican Pizza back (thank you, Taco Bell, for putting it back!!!), and then you will be giving your website visitor what you want. I always state one of the most important rules when marketing in every talk I give: "You are not the customer." Stop trying to change up the words to be so unique that you put yourself in a class that creates no business. When your customers cannot understand what you're saying without hours of research and understanding you will lose every sale. Your time is valuable just as your customers time is valuable. Respect your customers time and talk to what they know. - Put the words you want to be found for on all your main pages. - Sprinkle in your own "uniqueness" into your blog articles, social media, etc. but make certain to mention the words they know. - Create a FAQ that says "this" is "that" when it comes to terminology so that not only your users can start to understand your thought process but so can the search engines. The world is hard enough. We don't need to make it any harder than it needs to be. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Canyourbrandbetrusted/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Canyourbrandbetrusted/ What an interesting question our title is for our article today. Our business reputation is on the line and we want, and need, to convey trust to our current and potential customer's. All our businesses try to show trust with our physical locations by showing our customers we care and are concerned for them. Online it is not any different. We show trust in our actions. These actions are not just the words we write to show who we are as a company but in how we act online. In today's world, we need to show trust with "The Green Lock". In our latest **JM2 Digital Talk** video we discussed in detail the importance of protecting our customer's information by securing it with an SSL or now referred to as a TLS certificate. Google started in January 2017 marking sites as "Secure" that use the green lock. Google has also stated that coming in January that they will start marking sites as "Not Secure" (Source: [https://security.googleblog.com/2016/09/moving-towards-more-secure-web.html](https://security.googleblog.com/2016/09/moving-towards-more-secure-web.html)) that do not have a green lock protecting the site. Today Google marks sites that are not secure with a neutral indicator that a site is not secure. It is one thing today to be marked as secure to build trust. It is a completely different story to be labeled as insecure. We feel that being labeled insecure means you don't care about your customers and we know that is not the case. You do care as you wouldn't be in business trying to make a difference in the world if you didn't. You would have a green lock if you knew where to get one, how to install it, and how to properly configure it. You are completely in luck as your web designer will know exactly how to implement one and get you up and running in a short period. But why do you really need an **SSL certificate** or **TLS certificate** to protect your website? The simple answer is that sites that are not encrypted from your computer to the web server have a better chance of having the information modified or intercepted. This insecurity means that your information can be taken or the information presented to you can be more easily altered and make you do certain actions you might not otherwise do. The label of secure has a great side effect on your **search engine optimization** or SEO as well. If you and your competitors are equal in everything and you have a green lock and they do not you will most likely rank higher than they do. This means on regular organic search as well as local search you stand a better chance of being seen by potential customers. As more businesses come online this added benefit will diminish but why not take advantage of it now to benefit and grow your business? Even as it diminishes Google does keep track of when they notice certain changes within your website. There is no guarantee that they will put a lot of weight on your having a SSL certificate before your competitors but there is also no data that says they won't either. Per **Google's HTTPS Usage report** (Source: [https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/https/metrics/?hl=en](https://www.google.com/transparencyreport/https/metrics/?hl=en)) in December 64% of all Google Chrome browser users connected to sites with HTTPS rather than HTTP. As we read the report and looked at the numbers we saw another indication of improving your site SEO. That is in the bounce rate on your website. Bounce rate is when someone comes to your site and leaves and visits no other pages within your site. The lower your bounce rate the better. When HTTPS is used, people tend to spend more time on a site than one without HTTPS. This is significant as the longer we can stay in front of our website visitors the more likely we are to engage more with them and bring them on as customers. We know that security is important to you and you want to have your brand known and trusted as protecting your customers. Having a security certificate on every page of your website is the first step in showing this trust. We may be talking about the security connections between your customer's computer and your web server today but there is more to protecting your customer's data beyond a security certificate. Start with this first step and you will be making a positive step forward to improving your company brand trust online. If you need assistance in getting a security certificate the team at JM2 is here and ready to assist you. We have always prided ourselves in protecting our clients and helping them keep their trust online. We can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Changing-Marketing--Software-Development-Forever/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Changing-Marketing--Software-Development-Forever/ I am a software developer and a marketer. These are two totally different sides of a mind to use. Thankfully I have multiple voices in my head that allow me to accomplish both successfully and break out of the norm. Being a software developer means I am a nerd, analytical, agile thinking, and an introvert. Being a marketer it means I need to think differently, look at everything, and agile thinking. Everything says "think out of the box." I say "what box?" We recently had a Chamber Network Night with the Cullman, Portage, and Duneland (Chesterton) Chamber of Commerce at the Porter County Expo Center. For those out of Northwest Alabama, you won't know where this is. It's located an hour East of Chicago Illinois and one of the many locations in America that are growing. If you are in the area you need to put this on your calendar every year. Looking at past years (being analytical here) we saw a decline in visitors and vendors. Talking with those that have been dropping their attendance it's been due to having a very busy life which we get. We always add a client or two at these networking events but we have seen this drop from an all-time high of adding eight clients one year. We needed to definitely take this information and come up with a new approach that no one, literally no one, has done before. I am sure someone may have done this but I have never known any business to do this. We ditched our normal "stock booth" came up with a new design. The theme was Hollywood so we looked deep down into what I loved. I love Halloween and Jack Skellington. Yes, that is where we were headed but then thought "classical Halloween" would be better so changed it up to Dracula. Still the same Halloween vibe but even more open to a wider variety of exploration. To start everything off I built a stockade, my first, to add a new dimension. This would be used for a photo opportunity and social media sharing experiment (it worked!). Now the part that made it "different" than any other. We did not put our business name ANYWHERE. We left it totally unbranded. The objective was simple. Have a unique booth that made people ask "who are you". We had hundreds of people that did just that. They got a memorable picture that has no branding (but they tagged us) for the contest. This gave us the visibility we wanted and something they will use for years to come (think Facebook memories). It was great that this experiment paid off. We went from a steady number of new clients to an increase. The event cost us less to do as well which produced a higher profit for us as well (bonus). By being agile, looking at the analytical data, and thinking out of that "proverbial box" we were able to make people around have fun, have a memorable experience, and most of all know more about who we are. Our brand recognition is now more today than it was yesterday. I was once told that if you continue to do the same thing day-after-day, week-after-week, and month-after-month, you should always expect the same results. Only by pushing yourself to be different and "live" will you ever be able to grow. We did that and is something we will continue to do more of for ourselves and our clients. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ChangingScreenSizes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ChangingScreenSizes/ This week we've spent a lot of our time helping companies make their business websites more responsive and mobile friendly. As technology has grown from desktops to mobile smartphones, tablets, laptops and e-readers the need for more optimized sites is becoming more important not just for the screen sizes but for search as well. With our search engine optimization packages we are seeing more visitors to business websites from mobile and smaller screen sizes than ever before. Businesses that understand the need for an effective website are taking ownership and working with their marketing and web design companies to achieve a more comprehensive experience for each device that connects to their website. Businesses that take advantage of this evolving shift are better prepared to engage with customers. Along with this change we are also seeing businesses utilizing and enhancing not only their websites but using search engine and social media services that we offer as a complete package to help drive more visitors to their site. According to the [PewResearch Internet Project](http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/mobile-technology-fact-sheet/), as of January 2014: - 91% of American adults have a cell phone - 55% of American adults have a smart phone - 32% of American adults own an e-reader - 42% of American adults own a tablet - 44% of cell owners sleep with their phones next to their bed In 2013 consumers did 40% of their Black Friday traffic and 1/3 of their Cyber Monday traffic on mobile devices. This is an increase of 4% from 2010 numbers. Although the holidays aren't around until many months from now we have already started several efforts for companies wanting to further take advantage of this growing trend. With all of the numbers of devices connecting how is your business working with these devices? Are you strictly making the assumption your visitors fit into a single category or are you striving to provide the most robust experiences to all of your site visitors? Every website we've built or assist in their web process is built for the desktop experience. Many websites though can gain further viewership by embracing the tablets, mobile and e-reader devices. Below we've outlined a few key items to keep thinking of as you enhance your site from the desktop only world to a more responsive and mobile world. ## Simplify your site Having a site that covers everything, including the kitchen sink, is great for your desktop users and some tablet devices. As the screen sizes shrink removing the content that doesn't fit a specific screen size. For example, having created dates, authorship, footers, homepage sliders, etc. may not fit a mobile layout. Most mobile users want to get their information and move on. Desktop users also want their information but are more apt to stay and read more than mobile users due to the size of the screen. Along with the overall simplification of your website you need to think about data entry. We find this to be one of the least thought of aspects when it comes to responsive designs. Even a simple form on a desktop with five or six questions can seem overwhelming on a mobile device. Not because the questions are harder to understand but do too many having to use on-screen keyboards that further shrink the user's experience. Limit the amount of text entry you require of your site visitors when using mobile devices. ## Screen layout With a desktop screen you will have screens that are thousands of pixels wide. On a mobile device it could be only a few hundred pixels wide. Having a responsive layout that resizes to the devices you want to target is key to your sites success for a mobile device. You can easily drop a single line of text for each page that will make your desktop experience shrink from those thousand pixel to the hundred pixel sizes. The downside to this approach is your site users will have to zoom in and out just to navigate your website. This is less than an optimal approach. ## Branding When you go to a smaller size you will notice that you don't have as much space to brand the experience your visitors see. You want to make certain that the experience a user gets on the desktop flows seamlessly to all of your other devices. When someone looks at your mobile web experience they should be able to easily feel at home on your site as they would on your desktop experience. ## Whitespace We always look at having plenty of whitespace on our desktop views so as to not clutter and confuse site visitors. The same is true on mobile devices. You may not have as large of screens but shrinking everything to fit everything a desktop experience would have can make your visitors want to run and not come back as you've lost the legibility of your website. ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Having a mobile experience for your users is important but don't forget your search engine optimization (SEO) as part of your overall strategy. Your visitors will be using search engines on their mobile devices to find you just as they do on desktops. This is where doing “local search” can come more into play than anywhere else. When doing searches on mobile devices they can provide your geographic location to further help and improve your search results. Making certain you are found on the correct local search sites is becoming more important than ever. ## Conclusion As mobile becomes as prevalent of a business need as search engine and social media marketing keep in mind the need to tie your search engine and social media strategies together. JM2 Webdesigners is here to help you not only with your desktop, smartphones, tablets, laptops and e-readers web site needs but your social engine and social media strategies with our plans designed to specifically help your business succeed when you use them. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ChatBots/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ChatBots/ Introducing our new Chat Bot called ManyChat Whether you need to find an address, business hours, specials, reservations, or want answers to other FAQ’s, ManyChat is the way to go. Chatbots can be exactly what many businesses need.

The only issue is that not a lot of people know what they are. The purpose of having a chatbot is to reduce human interaction when it is deemed unnecessary. A chatbot removes repetitive things and answers questions that don’t need a real person to give an answer to. This provides business owners more time to focus on other areas of management for their company while still providing answers to basic questions that their customers or clients may have. There is a difference between Chatbots and AI.
 
Rule-based chatbots: These types of chatbots are one-dimensional and are intended to perform only the core function of the business.

 AI-based chatbots: AI chatbots are heavy programmed bots that use the concepts of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML) to handle business tasks efficiently.

Unlike rule-based chatbots, they learn and scale from their past experiences and give almost a human touch to the customers.
People are perfectly okay with using chatbot services. In fact, 63 percent are willing to communicate this way with various businesses and brands. It’s an easy way to get quick answers to simple questions.

Thirty-three percent prefer to use chatbots for purchasing decisions. As chatbots become more common, this number will likely rise. (And since there are more than 30,000 chatbots on Facebook, you might’ve used one, too — and didn’t even know it.)

We know that 37 percent of people are willing to make purchases through chatbots. In the U.S., these consumers spend an average of $55 per purchase. Potential is even greater in the U.K., where people are willing to spend an average of $410 via chatbot. These consumers are also open to a chatbot’s sales recommendations and product advice.

It’s worth noting that nearly half of all millennials will accept the advice and recommendations offered to them by chatbots.
 --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Clear-and-Concise-Communication-Makes-for-Happy-Cu/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Clear-and-Concise-Communication-Makes-for-Happy-Cu/ If you ask customers and clients what some of the most frustrating experiences are when it comes dealing with businesses, the topic of miscommunication often comes up. Whether it comes from a lack of clear terms or a confusing process that leads clients down a winding, misleading path, the odds of having a customer look favorably at your business again is very slim. When your business or business model ends with frustration, it's time to take a serious look at what isn't working and how it can be fixed as soon as possible. ** ** **Make Terms and Expectations Clear** Here's an example that several people have experienced before. Say you have a credit card where you wish to enroll in automatic payments every month. You go through the sign-up process, fill out the necessary fields, finish and receive a message that everything is done. Fast forward one month later and you receive a letter saying that your payment was never received and you will be marked as late. Not only do you now have to pay a late fee, but other unsavory effects such as a ding to your credit and a reduced credit limit could also occur. After calling the company, you explain the situation and they tell you that due to a claim that was on a page that you "agree" to when you sign up for the service, the payment process doesn't start until two months after signing up. They try to take away the fees and may even give you something for your troubles, but the damage has been done. You the customer are angry, will be apprehensive in the future when it comes to continuing business with said card and most likely will not recommend that card to anyone else anytime soon. ** ** **Explore More than One Method of Communication** So how could this whole issue have been avoided? By having a clear form of communication between the consumer and the business via an easier to understand message upon completion, an email or text message detailing the exact start date of the automatic payment or even a combination of both. This not only gives you credibility when it comes to who was responsible for letting the client know, but it also shows that you are willing to explore and use multiple forms of communication to ensure that a message is sent and received. A client who is aware of all necessary activity you do for them will make them feel like you are working for their benefit, not against it.   Communication is a Two Way Street  However, this is also a two-way street and in many ways, the responsibility also falls on the client to engage with a business that needs communication. If a client has specific needs, if a business needs clarification from a client or if there is a change that a client needs to be aware of, it now falls on the client to properly respond back to the business. A business can only work as fast and as efficiently as the client allows and if a client does not answer questions or slows down the process by not paying attention to where they need to be, both the client and business suffer.   Communication is Key for a Reason “Communication is key” is a phrase tossed around to the point of it loosing near all meaning. However, there’s a very compelling reason it’s stuck around so long in our collective minds. It’s easy on paper to say you’ll maintain communication, but once work, life and other obstacles pop up in life, it’s easy to lose track of that all-important email, phone call or text and the ability to make sure that your message is being understood. Always take the necessary steps to make sure your policies and what the client’s expectations should be. Use feedback, have others read through multiple times to make sure it makes sense. Always set aside time to listen to concerns both good and bad and always be willing to change your course if it means improving how you interact with clients. We are all about communication at JM2. If you wish to talk more about communication, the frustrations you have or ideas that have worked for you in the past, email me at [kyle@BusinessYETI.com](mailto:kyle@BusinessYETI.com) or give me a call at 256-258-8593. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Coffee-Shop-Organic-SEO-Checks/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Coffee-Shop-Organic-SEO-Checks/ We love coffee (and beer), but this article will be all about the coffee and checking on organic SEO results for our clients. We have some great software and team members who know SEO's ins and outs. Our software allows us to sit anywhere globally and get our clients ranked in the towns they want without ever setting foot in those cities and towns. For me, that is in Cullman. I always do real-world validation checks for quality control by physically driving to locations to test their organic SEO. I enjoy these daily outings (four hours per day) to sit and meet with clients, do quality control checks, and taste some of the best coffee the Northwest Alabama region has to offer. During this past week, as I finished my monthly checks in five towns around Northwest Alabama, I ran checks for our rankings as in the past month, I've told the team to truly "get us out there." I had previously gone to each of these locations in February 2022. We were not in the top 100 for this phrase I gave them, so I knew it would be a great test of their skill and expertise. I am writing this and publishing it, so the results look promising. I want to tell the team they're doing great with what I see. This past week I scheduled an extra half hour at each location, so I thought I would do a data analysis of the results. I gave the team one phrase that I figured they could rank for in 60-90 days which is the standard time for organic results to move up in the top 100 positions reliably and consistently. Organic SEO is unique in that you have no guarantee the results will even appear as it is up to Google, Bing, Duck Duck Go!, and the other search engines. But having the expertise allows us to have the confidence to do this. The phrase I gave the team was "Best SEO \_\_\_\_\_" where \_\_\_\_\_ is the City and State combination. I chose the state because one location I wanted to rank in was Michigan City, Alabama. When you do "Michigan City," the search engines sometimes interpret that you want a "city in Michigan." After seeing the results, make sure to read the conclusion; as in the judgment of these results, I will show what we're doing to improve in these five cities and why we've written this blog article. ## Crown Point, Alabama SEO Results We ranked #6 in the organic search results for "Best SEO Crown Point Alabama" from Fluid Coffee Shop in Crown Point, Alabama. Being so close to Chicago and how busy this area was, I was expecting there to be some top competition for the top paid ad spots, and they were all empty. There were three at the bottom, and they were all national marketing companies. ## DeMotte, Alabama SEO Results We rank in position #33 at a coffee shop in DeMotte, Alabama, for "Best SEO DeMotte Alabama." There were no top-of-page paid SEO ads on page 1, which is shocking. There were three at the bottom of the page, one being a local paid SEO provider. On pages 2 and 3, there were paid ads at the top of the results. ## Knox, Alabama SEO Results Having only a handful of clients out here and expecting to see ourselves grow in 2022, I want to see the Knox area grow. We were at the bottom of page 2. Position #19, to be exact. There are no paid ad spots at the top and the expected three at the bottom. The bottom areas were all national marketing agencies. I was thinking for being such a small geographic area, the results for "Best SEO Knox Alabama" would've been more substantial. ## Merrillville, Alabama SEO Results Merrillville was our worst performer overall. We ranked #33, Page 4, on the results for "Best SEO Merrillville Alabama." This one shocked me as we have added seven clients in 2022 from Merrillville, and I expected the results to be already better than they were. ## Michigan City, Alabama SEO Results At a Starbucks in Michigan City, Alabama, we rank #2 for "Best SEO Michigan City Alabama" on Google. There are four paid contenders. Two are local who focus on paid ads, and two are national companies. The number one organic spot is a national SEO directory that lists national SEO companies. ## Conclusion and Key Takeaways We have a ton of takeaways when it comes to the results. Our best result was in Michigan City, Alabama, where we started in 2013 but then moved away and haven't marketed in for over seven years. Our worst performer, Merrillville, is where we are getting the majority of all our new clients, and all of them said they found us on Google. Knowing this here are my key takeaways: - **Learn** - Organic SEO is a lot of work compared to paid ads instant gratification. You need to create appropriate content that your targeted audience wants but is found by the search engines. - **Educational Articles** - Educating and informing your audience is key to being found organically. This article is part of the solution to moving up in these five cities and towns. We are not only mentioning them but showing the results you might expect to see if you do a similar test in your area. We are also explaining to you how you can get those results. - **Consistently** - This is the area people miss the most on. They are not staying focused on SEO consistently. They do it here and there and stop because they didn't get the immediate results they wanted. Immediate results happen only on paid ads. Organic is designed for long-term growth and not short-term growth. Stay tuned for our next article on this topic, where I ran five paid ads in five cities outside of Alabama as we build up our organic SEO in those areas. Then we cancel the paid ads and see how those organic SEO results do, whether it was worth it, and more! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/cold-calling-effectiveness/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/cold-calling-effectiveness/ In a world dominated by digital tools and automation, traditional methods like cold calling, marketing, and emailing may seem outdated. However, these strategies remain incredibly effective for growing businesses—especially in North Alabama. Whether you're a small business owner in Huntsville, a real estate agent in Florence, or a contractor in Decatur, these methods can help you connect with potential customers and drive growth. In this blog post, we'll explore why cold calling, marketing, and emailing still work, how they can benefit your North Alabama business, and how to implement them effectively. *** ## Why Cold Calling Is Effective Cold calling is the practice of reaching out to potential customers who may not be familiar with your business. While it can seem intimidating, cold calling is still a proven strategy for building relationships and generating leads. ### 1. Builds Direct, Personal Connections - A phone call creates a personal touch that emails or ads often lack. - Speaking directly with potential customers allows you to address their questions or concerns in real time. ### 2. Targets Local Customers - For businesses in North Alabama, cold calling is a great way to connect with nearby customers. - A landscaping company in Huntsville, for example, can call homeowners offering seasonal services like fall cleanup or lawn care. ### 3. Generates Immediate Feedback - Cold calls provide instant feedback on your pitch, helping you refine your approach. - You'll know right away whether your offer resonates with potential customers. ### 4. Builds Long-Term Relationships - Even if a customer doesn't need your services now, a cold call lays the foundation for future engagement. For instance, a contractor in Decatur might call to offer free estimates, keeping their business top of mind. *** ## How to Succeed with Cold Calling 1. **Do Your Research**: Before making a call, research your target audience to ensure your offer is relevant. Example: A realtor in Florence might call homeowners who recently listed their property as "For Sale by Owner." 2. **Use a Script**: Prepare a clear, concise script that highlights your value proposition and includes a strong call-to-action. Example: **"Hi, I'm [Your Name] with [Your Business]. We specialize in [Service], and I'd love to share how we can help. Can I take a few minutes of your time?"** 3. **Be Respectful of Time**: Keep calls brief and to the point, respecting the customer's schedule. 4. **Follow Up**: Send a follow-up email or text to reinforce your offer and provide additional details. *** ## Why Marketing Is Effective Marketing encompasses a range of strategies aimed at promoting your business and building brand awareness. From social media campaigns to print advertising, marketing is essential for connecting with your audience. ### 1. Builds Brand Awareness - Consistent marketing ensures potential customers know who you are and what you offer. - For example, a bakery in Athens might use social media ads to promote seasonal treats. ### 2. Engages Local Audiences - Marketing helps you target specific demographics, like families in Madison or college students in Florence. - Localized campaigns resonate with your audience, making them more likely to respond. ### 3. Establishes Authority - Publishing blog posts, hosting webinars, or sharing tips on social media positions your business as an expert in your field. - A roofing company in Huntsville could create content about "Preparing Your Roof for Alabama Storms." ### 4. Drives Consistent Leads - Effective marketing ensures a steady flow of leads to your business, helping you scale over time. *** ## How to Succeed with Marketing 1. **Use Multi-Channel Strategies** Combine online and offline tactics. For example: - Run Facebook ads targeting Florence residents. - Distribute flyers in local neighborhoods. 2. **Focus on Local SEO** Optimize your website for local searches like **"best HVAC services in Huntsville"** or **"affordable landscaping in Decatur."** 3. **Leverage Social Media** Engage with customers on platforms like Facebook and Instagram by sharing updates, promotions, and behind-the-scenes content. 4. **Track Performance** Use tools like Google Analytics to measure the success of your campaigns and adjust as needed. *** ## Why Emailing Is Effective Email marketing is a cost-effective way to nurture relationships with current and potential customers. It provides a direct line of communication that allows you to share updates, promotions, and valuable content. ### 1. High ROI - For every dollar spent, email marketing generates an average ROI of $42, making it one of the most cost-effective marketing tools. ### 2. Builds Customer Loyalty - Regular emails keep your business top-of-mind with your audience. - For example, a retail store in Huntsville could send monthly newsletters featuring exclusive deals. ### 3. Personalizes the Customer Experience - Emails can be tailored to the recipient's preferences and behavior. - A boutique in Florence might send personalized recommendations based on a customer's past purchases. ### 4. Encourages Immediate Action - Limited-time offers or discounts in emails can drive quick responses. Example: **"Flash Sale: 20% off all services today only! Book now."** *** ## How to Succeed with Emailing 1. **Build Your Email List** - Use website sign-up forms, in-store promotions, or social media ads to grow your subscriber base. Example: **"Subscribe to our newsletter and get 10% off your first order!"** 2. **Segment Your Audience** - Divide your list into categories (e.g., new customers, returning customers) to send targeted messages. 3. **Write Compelling Subject Lines** - Make your emails stand out with subject lines that grab attention. Example: **"Exclusive Offer for Decatur Residents!"** 4. **Include Clear CTAs** - Encourage readers to take action, like visiting your website or scheduling a consultation. 5. **Analyze Results** - Use tools like Mailchimp or Constant Contact to track open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. *** ## How to Combine Cold Calling, Marketing, and Emailing for Maximum Impact For North Alabama businesses, combining these strategies can create a powerful marketing ecosystem: 1. **Use Marketing to Generate Awareness** - Promote your services through local SEO and social media campaigns to attract new leads. 2. **Follow Up with Cold Calls** - Contact leads directly to build personal connections and address their needs. 3. **Nurture Relationships with Email** - Use email campaigns to maintain ongoing communication, share updates, and encourage repeat business. *** ## FAQs About Cold Calling, Marketing, and Emailing ### 1. Are These Strategies Still Relevant in 2024? Yes! While new digital tools emerge, cold calling, marketing, and emailing remain effective because they allow for direct, personal, and measurable communication with customers. ### 2. How Can I Make These Strategies Work for My Business? Tailor each strategy to your audience and business goals. For example: - Use cold calls to connect with local homeowners in Huntsville. - Run marketing campaigns to promote events in Florence. - Send email newsletters featuring exclusive discounts for loyal customers in Decatur. ### 3. How Much Do These Strategies Cost? - Cold Calling: Minimal, aside from phone or VoIP costs. - Marketing: Scalable to your budget, with options ranging from free social media posts to paid ad campaigns. - Emailing: Affordable, with tools like Mailchimp starting at free for basic plans. *** ## Final Thoughts Cold calling, marketing, and emailing are timeless strategies that, when used effectively, can help your North Alabama business thrive. By combining personal outreach, targeted advertising, and ongoing communication, you can engage with your audience, drive sales, and achieve sustainable growth. Whether you're looking to attract more customers in Huntsville, boost brand awareness in Florence, or increase repeat business in Decatur, these strategies provide the tools you need to succeed. Start integrating these methods into your business today and watch as they help you reach new heights! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Color-has-powerful-meaning-and-using-it-matters/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Color-has-powerful-meaning-and-using-it-matters/ We see color every day or shades of grey for those that have color blindness. Color is an important part of our lives for forming opinions, feeling emotion, and conveying a message to your audience. Today we will look at what colors typically mean and how they can help you get your message across to your target audience. **Red** Warmth Energy Aggression Excitement Youthful Bold Urgency Power Blood Passion Anger **Green** Natural Peaceful Balance Growth Health Finance Ethical Affluence **Pink** Feminine Tranquil Loving **Blue** Integrity Professional Success Calm Sadness Trustworthy Dependable **Yellow** Intellect Optimism Cheer Happiness Sunshine Fun **Orange** Community Social Adventure Friendly Welcoming Fire Food Appetite Cheerful Confidence **Purple** Intuitive Creative Imaginative Mystery Royalty/Luxury **White** Simplicity Clarity Clean Purity Fresh Innocence Good **Grey** Balance Neutral Formal **Black** Strong Formal Elegance Powerful Death Wealth Fearful Sophisticated Classic Looking at the above chart you can see that color can convey a lot of meaning. The first item a person often sees with your company is the logo of your company. What color are you using in your logo and is it conveying the right information to your audience? When it comes to color 93% of consumers have stated that their purchasing decisions are made on visual perceptions. 85% of consumers cite color as their main reason for buying a product or service. Beyond color though what is there? You have shapes and shapes aligned with the right colors convey a complete message. - Circles - Community - Unity - Complete - Squares - Balance - Professionalism - Security - Triangles - Power - Masculinity - Stability When we started this article, we mentioned that not everyone sees in color. Does your color choice work well in a non-color way as well? It should if you want to hit the largest audience possible. Those with color blindness are a larger audience than you might realize. 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have a form of being color blind. Make certain that you have enough contrast between your colors that everyone can benefit. This is one reason a standard for government websites are that they comply with [section 508 or people with disabilities](https://www.section508.gov/). Speaking of websites there's a lot of thought that needs to go into creating your own website to hit the largest audience possible. We know you've put thought into the overall layout, functionality, content, and the structure of the menu. What many don't put a lot of thought into is the overall color choices. This for our clients beyond content is the largest consumer of time. The wrong choices in color can distract rather than bring your audience into your marketing. The look-and-feel of your site your audience will quickly see; it will be the color that helps them decide to stay and want to learn more. When it comes to choosing your colors, there is no magic bullet. You can choose blue and orange and be done. You need to make an informed decision. This decision need to reflect not only the company brand itself but the audience you are targeting. Look at your intended demographic age, gender, culture, financial status, and interests. A source we often use to look at colors a brand uses is [https://brandcolors.net/](https://brandcolors.net/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Color-Theory-Brings-Emotion/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Color-Theory-Brings-Emotion/ When working on designing and creating sites for our clients we often look at how color theory plays a factor in drawing people in, bringing out emotion, and telling a story without words. As we look at color we use it as a base of all our designs. Today we will look at and see how color theory influences your marketing efforts both on and offline. ## History of color theory It is always good to start at the beginning when looking at how color theory started. This theory started 30,000 years ago, when our ancestors drew images on cave walls to tell a visual story. With these drawings, different colors were used. This could have been accidental by only having certain plants or dirt available or it was intentional. We will never truly know the reasoning for certain colors but what we do know is that is when it all started. ## Psychology of color theory As we look throughout our environment we see color all around us. For some we see shades of grey (color blindness). We are going to look specifically at those that don’t have color blindness in this and will cover color and color-blindness in future articles. A crucial component of color theory is bringing an emotional response by the people that view it. We as humans experience color and it brings a deep psychological connection. Some colors will bring emotions of happiness, relaxation, stress, and more. Over time we have all learned that colors will bring awareness. When we see red we think of love, passion, anger, war, intensity, danger, stop, fire, blood, attention, or danger. When we see this color we instantly prepare ourselves for this interaction. Each of us have a set of colors that we prefer. These are the colors we have aligned our lives around. For one person, they may be inclined to use hues of blue or orange while another will use blue and green. These preferences help define how they determine what colors to use. When you are designing for others you need to disregard your personal preference and choose colors that will be accepted to the masses and who your target demographic is. ## Design and color theory When designing, you need to consider the packaging. If you use green as your primary color throughout a page and put a stop sign that is green you very well will be confusing your audience. Even if the item looks beautiful and well thought out we as people see a stop sign shape as red and are automatically confused on why green was used. When choosing your colors one key item to remember is to choose your colors with a purpose. Be deliberate in every choice that is made when it comes to choose your colors. Warm colors will bring out happier emotions. Using cool colors will provide a more professional and clean-cut design. ## Conclusion Whether your work is seen on the web, television, or in printed advertising choosing the right colors has logic behind it to bring people into your company standards and culture. As you begin every project you need to look at the feelings your choices will bring and if they align with what your objectives are. To work with a company that is dedicated to small and medium sized business the team at JM2 Webdesigners is ready to serve you. We can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/CommonSeoSmallBusinessMistakes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/CommonSeoSmallBusinessMistakes/ The joy of having a small to mid-size business is you can typically turn things around very rapidly. This is both a blessing and a curse. All too often lately we have seen many businesses that are hurting themselves as they rush into the search engine optimization (SEO) business. Whether they jump in blind, read an article, watch a YouTube video or promote someone from within that is their “techy” expert. Businesses are truly starting to realize the importance of SEO. The part they’re missing is the coming up with a solid plan of attack that works for their business. We are finding that many of the executives that we are talking with believe there is a single magical formula that will garner the best SEO results for everyone. This truly is not the case as each business is unique and different. This goes for national chains as well as a single person retail shop. The community a business is in will determine many aspects of a business. Whether you are downtown, uptown, home run or off the beaten path your community will determine your overall success. SEO is the same way. There may not be a downtown location on the internet but there is the search engines as a point of entry for all websites on the internet to be found on. You can no longer copy your competitor’s keywords and overall design and hope to achieve the same results. When a customer asks us to do this we get into some interesting conversations about why they merely want to copy their competition. We find out that they offer many advantages to their competition. This is your selling points that distinguish your business from them. We do ask every customer who their competition is as it gives us a baseline for every project to work from but that is where we stop. Once we know a companies’ competitors we start inquiring about all of their differences, what makes them unique, what makes them better, etc. If are 100% the same as your competitor, offer the exact same product and services as they do you can’t ever expect to be better than your competition. Unfortunately many executives try to do just that. Be exactly like there competition without selling who they are. This can lead to a misguided SEO strategy with the chance of success very unlikely. SEO is a very highly personalized experience that takes not only time, but patience. You can’t expect instant results and thinking you can get instant results in a day, week or month you are only setting yourself up for failure. Your SEO strategy needs to be customized for you. What works for one may (most likely may not) work for you. Your SEO strategy should be customized for specific business goals and objectives. The preparation, or lack of, can be the difference between first page results or search engine oblivion where you appear on page 2+ or fall completely off the search engine charts because you just started doing things in hopes they work. The shotgun approach rarely works and if it does it only works for a very short and limited time where you spend more time fixing your rush. In an effort to help those that are doing this on their own and to help these mistakes from being made we have the following list. Our hopes are that you’ll become an SEO rock star and be able to do everything yourself without any issues. For those that don’t become SEO rock stars, or decide that their time is better spent running their business we want to make certain that you have a solid foundation started and that you don’t lose any traction when you decide to have someone help you with your SEO strategy. ## Local Search As more people move to using mobile devices, as well as desktop and tablet browsers start to use your latitude and longitude to determine the location you are at local search becomes extremely important. When you are logged into Google, Bing, Yahoo! and others they know where your “home” is in many instances as you provided that to them when you created your login which helps tailor the search results for you. The time and energy spent on local search can greatly help your business be successful. To better serve your local search you should make certain the following changes are done to your website as well as local search providers. - Listing your business in relevant industry and geographical directories/listings - Creating keywords that combine your company with your physical location (such as “restaurant” and “Chesterton”) - Optimizing your company’s website for mobile ## Social Media This area is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is you are able to communicate clearly with your potential and current customers in an almost real-time basis. The curse to this is we now live in a world of instant gratification and our customers want us to be diligent and communicate with them on a basis that is appropriate for our business. This engagement can be very time consuming and take us away from effectively running our business. Businesses will start using social media, have a beautiful site setup and then ignore it which can leave a negative feeling to customers. By using social media you can quickly inform of new products and services, have fresh content, and important links to your company website to help draw people to you rather than your competitors. Speaking of your competitors this is one area you want to make certain you know what your competitors are doing. Are they on social media? If so, can you figure out what their strategy is? Are you on the right social media network? Facebook is important but is not the only game in town. You have LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and many others. You should be refreshing your content often, informing others and not just selling, and have quality links with your quality content. It is often advantageous to start with one social media outlet and then grow from there. Rather than hitting every social media platform use the research you’ve gathered and start at the one where most of your clients are and as you continue to grow socially online expand to other social media outlets. ## Duplicating Content Your content is the king to your success for search engines. If you are on two social media sites and all you do is post the exact same thing everywhere you are actually hurting yourself. All businesses know that one of the keys to having a great SEO-optimized website is having a large amount of well written, informational content that balances keyword usage with language and user experience. Smaller businesses that have naturally less-robust or more diminutive websites might see their content quantity as a disadvantage. What you can do is keep your main website fully up-to-date with the latest happenings, etc. through a blog post or other mechanism. Doing this will allow you to keep your main site current which will help in your search engine results. The key is make certain this is quality content. Then from each social media outlet you are on write an introduction explaining what the blog article is with a link to the full version. This not only gets the potential customer on your website but also allows you to track the number of people reading your articles. If they like the article they just read there is a good chance they’ll either read more blog postings you have or search your site and move from being a potential customer to being a customer. ## Fresh Quality Content Having stale and outdated content may get someone to your site once but you will not get them to continually come back to your site. It can be easy forgetting about your website and then wondering why you are not getting visitors to your site. You may be wondering why your webmaster is not doing anything for you. We always tell our customers that you should not think of your website as just a website. Your website should be considered an asset and employee of your company as it should work for 24x7 and communicate the exact message of who you are, what you do and why they should choose you over anyone else. Thinking SEO will just “work” and doing nothing We see time, time and again where you do a single submission to the search engines and you’re done. A search engine strategy is something that is long-term. This is a continuous process that is a commitment to not only your employee (e.g. website) but to the success of your business. This is a time consuming process and you need to stay actively involved in the process. Even if you do outsource to people that will do the labor intensive tasks so that you can run your business effectively they will need your guidance and should be asking you questions so that they can help you achieve your business goals and objectives. Many times people are strictly focused on increasing the number of visitors on their website. They think that if I have 10 users now if I increase to 100, 200, 500, etc. that the money will start flowing in. This is not always the case. We wish it were as it would make SEO a very simple and non-complex art. Expect to work for your customers. They work hard for their money and want you to prove to them that you are the best for their hard earned money. Be prepared to be engaged with your potential customers for weeks, months, even years before a purchase is made. You will find that when they do decide to come to you, and you keep up your relationship with them, that you have a very loyal customer for your business. ## Conclusion In conclusion, don’t jump into search engine optimization. Take your time and make a plan that works for your business. Stay diligent and do not give up. You should be in this for the long haul for your businesses success as your customers are worth it! And do not take shortcuts as they will cost you more time (e.g. money) and have the potential of ruining your online reputation. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/CommonSocialMediaMistakes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/CommonSocialMediaMistakes/ Whether you perform your social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any of the other popular sites the possibility you will make a mistake is truly great. Before you began you have most likely used the social media outlet you're going to be working on. You also most likely investigated your competitors that are both local and across the nation if not the world so that you can "do it better". By moving to social media, even with an expert, there will be uphill battles as well as mistakes that are made. In this article we will cover some of the common mistakes we see people make as well as how you can avoid them for each of the core areas. This is by far not a complete list as there truly is a lot of items in regard to digital marketing but this will give you a great starting point. ## Not following social media standards **Problem**: You've created this great magazine cover, flyer, business card, post card, etc. You now upload it to social media to share it with the world. After you do so you look at the image and wonder why it looks "funky" (technical term). **Solution**: Each social media site has recommended image sizes and posting guidelines for their site. Follow these standards as it will allow you to promote a cleaner image of who you are. This is a great way to easily stand out above your competitors as well as many don't follow the guidelines. ![Shotgun approach](/Images/Content/Blog/shotgun.png) ## Not being consistent **Problem**: Every post that you make is completely different. You have broken out the preverbal shotgun and fired it multiple times to try and find out what works. **Solution**: Engage your audience, create a clear and consistent message, and make the colors you use consistent. Even though a social media site is not *your brand* you can be consistent in your images that you put on the site. By staying consistent and in your own color scheme you will be more likely to create original art work for your page and further differentiate yourself from your competitors. ## Ignoring your target audience **Problem**: You are on social media because you know you *have to be there*. You build it and expect everyone to come, like your page, follow you, and engage your customers and your sales will go through the roof. **Solution**: The reality is that social media is a lot of work. You won't start noticing a benefit on your sales until you start putting effort back into it. Watch for what your customers like, what they share, and what they say. Respond to them in a clear and professional manner. Be uplifting and let your personality flow. Be honest in what you do and make certain that everyone that is replying for the company comes across in a clear and standard way while allowing room for their personality to come out some as well. ## Mimicking your competitors **Problem**: We see this one all the time when someone starts off. They will copy their main competitor to the letter. Possibly with a few tweaks here or there. More or less though you've copied your competitor so much many times people will see that you're copying and know that you're playing catchup and could go to your competitor which is the exact opposite of what you intended in the first place. **Solution**: Your social media page needs to be catered to who you are as a company (even if you are a solo-entrepreneur). Your voice, your culture, and what you stand for is how you should start out your page. Knowing what your competitors do is important but the key is to make it your own and bring people in because they want to know more about you. Be original in what you produce, tie it to specific pages of your website to further build your company brand, engage your audience in your voice, and provide a solid value for your fans. ![Have a complete profile](/Images/Content/Blog/profile.png) ## Not filling out your profiles **Problem**: You create your page and leave it completely unfilled and with all of the defaults. **Solution**: Fill out the information so that it is accurate, provides information, and is informative. No one wants to go to any social media page or website that has old, outdated, or incomplete information. ## Not setting goals or building a strategy **Problem**: It takes only minutes to build and create a social media page. It takes even less time to start posting about items on your page. **Solution**: Establish a strategy before you even create your site. Decide who will be writing articles, posting, how frequently, and on what social media networks. Is Facebook the optimal place for you? Is posting the standard of three times a week right for your brand? Is it once a day? Twice a day? Be prepared to adjust this frequency and engage your customers. Learn where they are and what they're looking for. ## Having only a social media page **Problem**: You created a Facebook business page because it's free (we all love that price!), expect the world to now come to you as there are billions of users and thousands in your immediate vicinity, and expect them to buy from you because you are a great and unique business. **Solution**: A Facebook page, or any social media page, should be used in conjunction to a social media page. We don't say that just because we build websites (of course that's a great reason to say it!). We say this because Facebook and the other social media sites are **not** your company's brand. Your colors, how you would like information displayed, the call-to-action buttons, etc. are probably not what you want for your business. You won't know what your customers, future customers, etc. are looking at beyond what the social media platform provides. You will have complete control over everything with your own page and can sell your products and services your way. Use social media as a mechanism to help sell your brand (e.g. website). Keep the two tied together and most importantly working together for you. ![Paying for subscribers](/Images/Content/Blog/payingForSubscribers.png) ## Paying for fans, likes, etc. **Problem**: I want to build up my ego so I just paid $20 to add 1,000 friends. **Solution**: Out of those 1,000 how many are going to buy your product and services? If the answer is 10% or more great. If the answer is none then please send us your $20 as we will be glad to take your money. ;) Really what you need to do is build your audience organically (not paid). Build your ego if that's what you need to do one fan at a time. Engage them and work with them to build your brand. ## Joining every social media network **Problem**: Joining every social media network under the sun a few years ago was all the rage. **Solution**: Facebook is obviously a great choice with a billion users but still might not be the best place to go. Find out where your current, and future, customers are. Be agile and change as needed. Allocate enough resources to do a proper job, and best of all have a documented plan of how to best be on each network. ![Sharing the world](/Images/Content/Blog/sharing.png) ## Sharing the world **Problem**: Every piece of information under the sun you share as you find it important. Doing so will make you the definitive source of all knowledge on the Internet. **Solution**: Post items that will matter to your current and future customers. There's no reason to be the be-it-all news source as there are plenty out there that have trained staff who are experts in their field. Become the expert in your field. Even better than sharing content take the time and energy that you would be sharing and develop unique content that is valuable and not duplicated everywhere else. ## Conclusion We have only touched on a few of the common problems and listed only a subset of the solutions. For every problem there is always more than one solution. Digital marketing is extremely unique and developing a plan of attack before you even begin needs to happen. Avoid the shotgun approach and be surgical in your attack on each of the social networks you feel you need to be on. If you would like assistance in developing a strategy, determining where your clients are, or help in maintaining your social media, search engine optimization (SEO), or digital marketing we would love to discuss that with you. We can be reached at 256-258-8593, through email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/complete-hashtag-strategy-guide/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/complete-hashtag-strategy-guide/ ## Introduction Hashtags are one of the most powerful tools for increasing visibility, engagement, and brand recognition across social media. When used correctly, they help your content reach the right audience, join trending conversations, and build long-term awareness for your business. But when used incorrectly or inconsistently, they can clutter your message and limit your reach. This complete guide from Fawkes Digital Marketing breaks down everything you need to know from choosing the right hashtags to advanced optimization techniques so you can confidently use them to grow your brand and achieve measurable results online. ## What Hashtags Actually Do Hashtags are keyword labels that make content discoverable across social platforms. They: - **Categorize content** so people can find it by topic or interest. - **Increase visibility** beyond your current followers. - **Connect you to conversations** within your industry or niche. - **Support campaigns and branding** (e.g., #ShopLocal, #FawkesDigitalMarketing). - **Boost engagement**: posts with strategic hashtags often see 2–3× more interaction. ## How Hashtags Work on Major Platforms - **Facebook** - **Best Practices**: Use sparingly hashtags don’t drive much discovery here. - **Ideal Count**: 1–3 - **Notes**: Only use for campaign or trend alignment. - **Instagram** - **Best Practices**: Use a mix of broad, niche, and branded hashtags. Include them in the caption or first comment. - **Ideal Count**: 5–15 - **Notes**: Avoid the full 30; focus on relevancy and engagement. - **LinkedIn** - **Best Practices**: Excellent for professional visibility. Use in the post body, not at the end. - **Ideal Count**: 3–5 - **Notes**: Use industry terms (e.g., #MarketingStrategy, #SmallBusinessGrowth). - **Pinterest** - **Best Practices**: Keywords matter more than hashtags, but you can still use them naturally. - **Ideal Count**: 0–3 - **Notes**: Treat hashtags as subtle topic markers. - **TikTok** - **Best Practices**: Essential for algorithm discovery. Mix trending, niche, and branded hashtags. - **Ideal Count**: 3–6 - **Notes**: Use some trending and some evergreen. - **X (Twitter)** - **Best Practices**: Keep it natural and relevant to the conversation. - **Ideal Count**: 1–2 - **Notes**: More than 2 looks spammy and reduces engagement. - **YouTube** - **Best Practices**: Hashtags appear above video titles and help search ranking. - **Ideal Count**: 3–5 - **Notes**: Focus on specific topics or video themes. ## The 5 Types of Hashtags Every Business Should Use - **Branded Hashtags** - Your company or campaign name: #FawkesDigitalMarketing, #FDMResults, #GrowWithFawkes - Use on every branded post to build recognition and track engagement. - **Industry Hashtags** - Broader category tags like #DigitalMarketing, #SEO, #WebDesign. - Positions your brand within professional conversations. - **Niche Hashtags** - Targeted to your exact service or audience (e.g., #LocalSEOExperts, #SmallBusinessWebDesign, #ReputationManagementTips) - **Community Hashtags** - Connects to shared interests or causes (e.g., #SupportLocalBusinesses, #WomenInBusiness, #EntrepreneurMindset) - **Trending or Seasonal Hashtags** - Based on events, holidays, or viral topics: #BlackFridayDeals, #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth, #DigitalMarketingTrends2025. ## How to Research and Choose Hashtags - **Start broad, then narrow down** - **Example**: Start with #Marketing (millions of uses) → refine to #LocalMarketingTips (thousands of uses). - **Use platform-specific tools** - Instagram search bar (shows usage volume) - LinkedIn post composer (suggests popular tags) - TikTok trends tab (shows what’s currently viral) - **Balance your mix** - 2–3 popular hashtags (high reach) - 3–5 mid-range hashtags (moderate competition) - 3–5 niche hashtags (high relevance) - 1 branded hashtag (always) - **Avoid banned or spammy hashtags** - Some overly generic ones (like #FollowForFollow) can hurt visibility. ## Where and When to Use Hashtags - **Facebook**: Rarely. Only if it aligns with a campaign or trend. - **Instagram**: Caption or first comment (first comment keeps the caption clean). - **LinkedIn**: Within the sentence, or at the end of the post (avoid a block of them). - **TikTok**: Always. Mix trending and relevant tags to boost discoverability. - **X (Twitter)**: Within the text where natural not tacked on. - **YouTube**: Add to video title and description. ### Timing Tips - Post hashtags **immediately with the content.** - For trending hashtags, use them **as soon as they begin trending** to ride the engagement wave. - Track which hashtags perform best using **social analytics tools** or platform insights. ## When NOT to Use Hashtags - When the post is **already reaching full engagement** (especially on LinkedIn it can dilute the tone). - When they feel **forced or irrelevant** to the post content. - When overused too many looks spammy and confuses algorithms. - When you’re using **trending tags unrelated to your brand** this can hurt credibility. ## Advanced Hashtag Strategies (Expert Level) ### Create & Own a Branded Hashtag - Choose something unique and short. - Use it consistently across platforms. - Encourage customers to use it (for UGC or reviews). - Example: #GrowWithFawkes for client success stories. ### Campaign Hashtags - Use for events, contests, or launches. - Example: #FDMHolidayBoost for a holiday campaign offering. - Keep them specific, memorable, and easy to spell. ### Geo-Targeted Hashtags - For local businesses, add city/region-based tags: #CullmanBusiness, #AlabamaMarketing, #LocalSEOExperts. ### Hashtag Groups or Libraries - Create saved lists in notes or scheduling tools by topic (e.g., “SEO Post Hashtags,” “Web Design Hashtags,” “Local Business Hashtags”). - Rotate them weekly to avoid spam detection and stay fresh. ### Analyze & Optimize - Review metrics monthly: reach, engagement rate, saves, and profile visits. - Replace underperforming hashtags. - Double down on ones that consistently bring traffic. ## Tools for Hashtag Research & Tracking - **Flick** (Instagram-focused analytics) - **Hashtagify.me** (Twitter & Instagram keyword data) - **RiteTag** (real-time engagement insights) - **IQ Hashtags** (hashtag sets & analytics) - **Later or Buffer** (schedule and test hashtags) - **TikTok Creative Center** (trend discovery) ## Hashtag Etiquette - **Do** - Keep them relevant and readable (#DigitalMarketingTips not #digitalmarketingtipsforlocalbusinessesinAlabama). - Capitalize each word for accessibility (#SmallBusinessGrowth). - Research before joining trending tags. - Track performance and evolve your sets regularly. - **Don’t** - Use spaces or punctuation (#Digital-Marketing won’t work). - Stuff every post with 20+ hashtags. - Copy-paste the same hashtags to every post. - Use hashtags that have nothing to do with your content. ## Hashtags & ROI: Making Them Work for Your Business Hashtags drive results when used strategically: - Increase organic reach (visibility without ad spend) - Strengthen brand recognition and community engagement - Support campaigns and measurable growth in profile visits, leads, and inquiries At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we help businesses identify the most effective hashtag strategy based on: - Industry competitiveness - Audience behavior - Local SEO goals - Campaign objectives and performance data We can manage everything from hashtag research to content optimization and analytics helping your posts reach the right audience and convert engagement into real business growth. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Complying-with-International-Laws-GDPR/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Complying-with-International-Laws-GDPR/ The EU on May 22, 2017 past a new law called General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This law goes into effect May 25, 2018. Many companies, like JM2 have already taken measures to comply with this law. Hopefully, you have been diligent in meeting these upcoming needs so that you don't get hit with fines. The EU is very much behind peoples privacy and this affects anyone that maintains any personal data about individuals. This law also affects companies in the United States! The internet is big and there are no physical boundaries for commerce. The United States is often behind when it comes to laws of personal protection and this one is very aggressive. By being in compliance today you are a lot closer to be ready for when the United States catches up to protecting consumers more. **Note**: The site for all of the information gathered below and summarized for you came from the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) website at [https://www.eugdpr.org/](https://www.eugdpr.org/). What worries many businesses is that they now have to ask for permission before emailing, storing, contacting, etc. and not just automatically opt people into your programs. Consumers that are asked to subscribe will more often read, click, and purchase products from you in the future. So why wouldn't you already be doing this if it will gain you more money and a more loyal following? If you use programs like MailChimp or Constant Contact have options to do what is called a double opt-in and have had it for years. There are benefits to this. You are assured the person wants to receive your information, are aware of what you offer, and have truly requested access to it. Whether you have a location in the EU or not your company will be affected by GDPR if your business does the following: - You log information about website visitors who are in the EU. - You provide any services, including free, to those in the EU. - If your servers are available to those in the EU. - You have a physical presence in the EU with or without data collection. - If you have a store in the United States, that could have a person from the EU come to it, that you gain any of their information (e.g. name, credit card, address, email, etc.) you are affected by this law. No only are you now responsible for gaining permission (shocking) to contact someone you must keep that information in a secure state (e.g. encryption). Encryption when used correctly should be encrypted at rest (when not used) as well as when in transit (you have the green padlock right). Oh, and the green padlock not only between your website visitors and your web servers but any communication between your servers as well. You need to have a way of removing this information as well. This means people should be able to request to be removed, you not ask any questions, and do it (no warrants, no buts..., nothing – do it!). This means removal in areas like your website logs, server logs, user information, cookies, IP addresses, geo-location information, tracking tokens, etc. For those of us in the United States there are several items that need to be looked at. - Keep your data secure at all times or risk fines. - Don't think you are "too small" and will float under the radar. Your customers deserve to know you are securing their data whether you are big or small. - Have a plan to disclose any system breaches large or small. We have already added this into our marketing plans so that we clearly explain these items in a consistent manner that are approved by the companies legal team if it is every necessary. It is better to have this prepared now and never need it than to scramble at the last minute if you would need it. - Children under the age of 16 will require parental consent. - You should have automated tools in-place so that this is a streamlined process. Anything that requires manual intervention leaves room for mistakes, missed information, and the potential for fines. Knowing what you need to do to be in compliance and avoid fines and violations are: - Know what data you are storing on people (customers, suppliers, and supplies). Allows you to easily explain to them as quickly and accurately as possible. Data is information that could be used to identify a person or business (Name, addrss, phones, photos, etc.). - Make sure data is secured. This can be done with encryption, limit those that have access to it, anti-virus software installed, can you remotely wipe the data, etc. Are you storing hard copies of data and that it is stored securely? This isn't just about "digital". - Don't keep data that you don't need. If you don't know what you are going to do with it then don't keep it. Just because it "could" be used in the future doesn't mean you should be keeping that data. - Write a clear and fair processing policy. This should be part of your privacy policy on your website. - Have a process for providing information you have on a person in one month and completely free of charge. - Have a process in place for deleting data. - Allow people to "positvely opt in" to you storing their data. - Make it easy for people to opt out of any of your notifications. Don't make the text small so people can't see it. This opt out needs to be the same size as other text. - Make certain your entire company is aware of the new GDPR laws. They don't need to be experts in GDPR. - Appoint one, or more, people in your organization to be the Data Protection Officer or DPO. - If you buy any lists you need to make certain that the company you are buying from is GDPR compliant. This goes also for lists you bought prior to GDPR. Each person within these purchased lists need to have "opted in" to receive information from third parties. In a nutshell the GDPR states: - All data subjects must give consent in all cases "by a clear affirmative action establishing a freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the individual's agreement to their personal data being processed, such as by a written statement." - The burden of proof lies on the business and not the individual for compliance with the law. - Data subjects must be able to **withdrawal consent** at any time *- and easily*. - Businesse **cannot require consent in exchange for their service**. - All data breaches must be reported without undue delay and must be done within a maximum of 72-hours of the breach. If your WordPress, Joomla, Wix, Squarespace, custom Content Management System (CMS) website or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program is compromised you need to report it. - Data breach notifications - Create a data breach response plan. - Designate specific roles and responsibilities within the company. - Train employees in regard to data breaches, what they are, how to respond, etc. - Prepare notification templates (e.g. part of your marketing and public relations plan). - If personal data is **unintelligible**, data subjects **don't need to be notified** about a breach. - **Encryption** is named by GDPR as appropriate mean to achieve this goal. Good, Powerful, widely available encryption is attainable at relatively low costs. - There are hefty fines (up to 20 million Euro's) for failing to comply with GDPR. - Employees need to be trained on this on an annual basis. No matter your business size, if you are solely in the United States, have a website, send emails, or communicate you are potentially affected by this law. It is better to be in compliance than to face the fines that might come. Start working with your Information Technology company, web designers, and marketing companies to help you be in compliance, be prepared, and definitely informed about this and other laws. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Comprehensive-Guide-to-Markdown-for-Digital-Mark/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Comprehensive-Guide-to-Markdown-for-Digital-Mark/ ### A Comprehensive Guide to Markdown for Digital Marketing If you’re in digital marketing, you’ve likely heard of Markdown. But what is it, and why is it such a valuable tool? Markdown is a lightweight markup language designed for simplicity and readability. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced marketer, understanding Markdown can streamline your content creation process and enhance your digital marketing strategy. Let’s explore Markdown, its benefits, and how it can be leveraged for SEO and digital marketing success. *** ### What is Markdown? Markdown is a plain text formatting language that converts simple syntax into HTML. Created by John Gruber in 2004, its primary goal was to make writing for the web easier and more intuitive. #### **Key Features of Markdown:** - **Lightweight:** Easy to write and edit using plain text. - **Readable:** Even without conversion, Markdown files are clean and easy to understand. - **Flexible:** Converts seamlessly to HTML, making it suitable for web publishing. - **Portable:** Compatible with almost any text editor and many platforms. #### **Basic Markdown Syntax:** ```` Basic Markdown Syntax: Headings: # H1 ## H2 ### H3 Bold and Italics: **Bold** or *Italic* Lists: - Item 1 - Item 2 1. First 2. Second Links and Images: [Link](https://example.com) ![Alt Text](https://example.com/image.jpg) Code Blocks: ```code ```` *** ### Benefits of Using Markdown for Digital Marketing Markdown is more than just a formatting language—it’s a productivity tool that offers numerous benefits for digital marketing. #### **1. Streamlined Content Creation** Markdown simplifies the content writing process. You can: - Write content in a distraction-free environment without worrying about formatting. - Use plain text to quickly create headings, lists, links, and other elements. - Save time by avoiding complex formatting tools like word processors or rich-text editors. #### **2. Compatibility with Multiple Platforms** Markdown works seamlessly across various platforms: - **CMS Integration:** Platforms like WordPress, Ghost, and Hugo support Markdown natively or via plugins. - **Email Marketing:** Tools like Mailchimp and ConvertKit accept Markdown for crafting visually appealing emails. - **GitHub and Documentation:** Markdown is the go-to format for README files and online documentation. #### **3. Enhanced SEO Benefits** Markdown helps you optimize content for search engines: - **Semantic HTML:** Markdown generates clean, semantic HTML, which search engines prefer. - **Quick Updates:** Editing metadata like headings, alt text for images, and links is faster with Markdown. - **Accessibility:** Markdown’s simplicity ensures content is accessible to assistive technologies. #### **4. Improved Collaboration** Markdown files are lightweight and version-control friendly: - Marketers and developers can collaborate effectively using tools like Git. - Changes can be tracked easily, ensuring content integrity. #### **5. Portability and Longevity** - Markdown files are future-proof—they’ll remain readable and editable even if tools or platforms change. *** ### Using Markdown for Digital Marketing Strategies #### **1. Blogging** Markdown makes blog writing efficient and scalable: - Use Markdown editors like Typora or Obsidian to draft and edit posts. - Export directly to HTML or integrate with CMS platforms. #### **2. Email Campaigns** Markdown simplifies email creation: - Write and format emails faster. - Ensure consistent formatting across devices. #### **3. Landing Pages** - Craft clean and SEO-friendly landing pages by converting Markdown to HTML. - Use Markdown to draft content that can be styled dynamically with CSS. #### **4. Documentation and Guides** - Create user guides, FAQs, and how-to content in Markdown. - Host them on platforms like GitHub or your website for easy access. #### **5. Social Media Content** While Markdown isn’t directly used on platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn, you can draft posts in Markdown for formatting consistency. *** ### How to Get Started with Markdown #### **1. Choose a Markdown Editor** Some popular options include: - **Typora:** A WYSIWYG editor for real-time preview. - **Obsidian:** Great for note-taking and blogging. - **Visual Studio Code:** Offers Markdown extensions for enhanced functionality. #### **2. Practice Basic Syntax** Start with the essentials—headings, bold text, and links. Gradually incorporate more advanced features like tables and code blocks. #### **3. Integrate with Your Workflow** - If you use a CMS, check if it supports Markdown. - For emails, use Markdown-compatible platforms to streamline formatting. #### **4. Validate and Test** Use tools like Markdown Lint or online converters to check for errors and preview your content. *** ### Conclusion Markdown is a powerful yet simple tool for digital marketers. Its flexibility, portability, and compatibility make it ideal for creating high-quality, SEO-friendly content. Whether you’re writing blogs, emails, or landing pages, Markdown can streamline your workflow while enhancing the user experience. Start incorporating Markdown into your content creation process today, and reap the benefits of this versatile language. Let us know how you’re using Markdown in your marketing efforts! Have questions? We’re here to help. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/consistency-is-the-competitive-advantage/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/consistency-is-the-competitive-advantage/ Marketing has ups and downs. - That's not a warning sign. - That's not failure. - That's **how real growth works**. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we see this pattern play out every single day. And the businesses that win long-term aren't the ones that panic when results don't show up immediately—they're the ones that understand *how momentum is actually built*. ## The Moment Most Businesses Get It Wrong I had a follow-up call recently that perfectly illustrates the difference between frustration and breakthrough results. Just one week earlier, the conversation was difficult. - Expectations were high. - Results were still ramping. - Doubt had started to creep in. My message at that point was simple—and honest: - **We're in the first four weeks. Real change doesn't happen overnight, no matter how much we wish it did.** That's not an excuse. That's reality. ## Why Confidence Matters More Than Noise Here's what made this situation even more important. Before working with us, this business was paying **more than double** what they're paying now - *and* funding a larger ad budget on top of that. With Fawkes Digital Marketing, they were paying **less than half**, and that investment already included paid advertising. Yet I was completely confident. Why? Because their marketing wasn't just "running." It was **dialed in**. - The foundation was solid - The strategy was correct - The execution was disciplined We weren't chasing short-term spikes or vanity metrics. We were building something **sustainable** - a system designed to grow, not fluctuate wildly. ## Fast Forward One Week (Nothing Changed—and That Was the Point) A week later, we had our scheduled follow-up. Nothing had changed. And that was intentional. There was: - No panic - No knee-jerk changes - No abandoning the plan Instead, we reviewed exactly what was happening: - Google Ads and Facebook Ads running consistently - A smart, intentional budget ($5/day on each) - Messaging aligned with the right audience - Systems functioning exactly as designed Then came the moment every business owner hopes for: - **"Our phone is ringing off the hook—we're hiring two more people."** That's not luck. That's **momentum finally showing itself**. ## The Truth About How Marketing Actually Works Marketing isn't a switch you flip. It's not: - "Turn ads on, get instant results" - "Post once, go viral" - "Rank tomorrow, dominate forever" Marketing is **momentum built over time**. To do it right, you have to understand: - Your busy seasons - Your slower seasons - Your audience's buying behavior The end of the year is slower for many industries. That doesn't mean marketing has failed—it means **your audience isn't ready yet**. And when your marketing stays consistent during slower periods, something powerful happens: - You're prepared when demand returns. ## Why Slow Seasons Are Where Growth Is Won Most businesses make the same mistake: - They pull back when things slow down. - That's the exact opposite of what works. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we **focus heavily on the slow times** - because that's when: - Trust is built - Awareness compounds - Algorithms learn - Audiences warm up When demand rises again, our clients don't scramble. They scale. ## Consistency Is the Real Market Leader The businesses that win aren't the loudest. They're the most consistent. They don't: - Chase every new tactic - Abandon strategy after two weeks - Panic when results take time They: - Stay the course - Trust the process - Let strategy do its job And when it clicks—it doesn't just work. It **compounds**. 🔥 ## The Final Truth: Never Give Up on Your Marketing Marketing isn't about perfection. It's about **showing up every day**. - We don't build campaigns for just the good times. - We build systems that perform in *all* times. Because growth doesn't come from reacting—it comes from consistency. If you want real, sustainable business growth, the answer isn't doing more. It's **doing the right things, consistently, long enough for momentum to take over**. That's leadership. That's how businesses grow. And that's how we build success at Fawkes Digital Marketing. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ContentCalendars2015/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ContentCalendars2015/ There's one sure-fire way to take your blog and Digital Marketing strategy from non-existent or amateur hour to full-blown pro status, and that's to make absolutely sure you've got a plan. We can guarantee that the writers of your favorite blogs and websites aren't sitting at their keyboards at 9pm the night before a post gets published, just finally deciding what to write about. Neither should you. Going **PRO** means you always deliver on time and this editorial calendar is your ticket to getting there. ## JM2 Webdesigners Content Calendar Instructions ![Content Calendar](/Images/Content/targetCalendar2015.jpg) I know what you’re thinking: "But what if I have a spur-of-the-moment idea that I want to post about on my blog??? Shouldn’t I leave gaps for that kind of thing?" The answer is NO. The idea is to make this as easy as you can for yourself, and to remove any obstacles that get in the way of your posting regularly. If you DO have an unscheduled amazing post that you want to squeeze in, you can always swap out a post topic or publish an extra post. ### Step 1 Open up your [JM2 Webdesigners Content Calendar](/Docs/JM2-ContentCalendar.xlsx) and click on the tab for the Planning Worksheet. This is the first tab. Use this year planner to fill in any important dates coming up for your business – think launches or special events, webinars, speaking engagements, and sale or promo dates. Keep this updated with any new or last-minute events and any changes in plans. You always want to know what you're talking about on your blog in the context of what your business is actually doing. ### Step 2 Also add in notes on any dates that might alter the amount of business you get, especially holidays, school years, buying seasons, heck, even the weather could affect your customers' buying habits. ### Step 3 Now, go through and highlight the specific dates on your planning worksheet where you'll be publishing a blog post. Whether you're a once-a-week or a twice-monthly publisher, decide right now exactly which dates you'll publish on, and highlight those days on your planner in a different color. ### Step 4 Pull ideas off your Content Topic Planner that are related (even vaguely) to any of the special dates you noted in your planner. Cut and paste these titles onto the publish dates you highlighted that make the most sense. For instance, if one of the topics on your list includes "20 Holiday Gift Ideas For…" make sure that you're scheduling it with enough time before the holidays for the post to be actionable! Any topic ideas from your Content Topic Planner that are specific to a product or a service you offer would be PERFECT to schedule leading up to a sale you're planning to offer. ### Step 5 Now fill in the blanks! Start with the highlighted date that's closest to today and cut and paste in one of your remaining Topic Planner ideas. Don't leave a SINGLE highlighted date blank. ### Step 6 Flip to the Editorial Calendar tab of your Content Editorial Calendar and pull in your first few months' worth of posts. Insert the Publish Date, Topic, and Category (from the Content Topic Planner). Determine the date you're committed to write the post by and add it in the Written By Date column – make sure this gets added to your to do list so you NEVER catch yourself scrambling to finish a post the night before its scheduled to be published. Create a Content Breakdown document for each scheduled post and add a link to the document here. That way, when it's time to sit down and write, all you'll need is this Content Calendar and a big cup of coffee or tea! Once posts are published, you can drop the live links into your calendar, so you can look back proudly at the end of your year. **NOTE**: Review your editorial calendar every quarter (put it on your calendar so you don't forget!) to make sure your holidays, special events, and business events are all up-to-date and correct. If you've had any changes in business plans, make sure they're reflected on your calendar and that the titles on the publish dates surrounding those events still make sense! ## JM2 Webdesigners Post Breakdown When working with our clients who are using our digital marketing whether it is for social media, a company blog, email marketing or updating their company website we create a template for every single post topic on our [content calendar](/Docs/JM2-ContentCalendar.xlsx). These templates get passed around our team, where we'll fill in all the moving pieces one at a time. This means we're able to get images sourced for the post, workshop a bunch of different title ideas, give everything an SEO check, pre-write a few social media updates to insert into our social media queue, make sure we've got all of our outreach needs covered, and write the actual post… all without ever having to leave this doc. Once the template's complete, the entire package gets dropped in the caring and capable hands of our Content Manager to be formatted, published, and promoted, all in one fell swoop. By doing this we make certain that all of the information is correct and accurate before publishing. ### Post Information Post Title: Publish Date: Keywords: Notes: #### 5 Promo Tweets (with hashtags) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. #### 5 Facebook Updates 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. #### Pinterest Message Image URL: Message: #### Images for Post Link to source: Link to source: Link to source: #### Anybody mentioned in this post to notify? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. #### Headline Workshop: Write no less than 15 headline options here. The best one will become your post title; the remainder can be re-purposed as social media updates or trashed. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. #### Post Date: Time: By: --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Content-is-Crucial-to-SEO-Success/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Content-is-Crucial-to-SEO-Success/ When it comes to getting your website indexed on the search engines you need high-quality content that tells a story to your users. This story needs to be clear, concise, and most importantly covers what your users are looking for. ## High-Quality Content Writing high-quality content is more than just mere bullet points within your website. You need your content to answer questions for your visitors. ## Single Voice As you write content often we see where the are multiple people writing different elements of a website. This makes a lot of sense as content helps on your SEO. Having content that is conveyed with a single message with a single voice will further help show uniformity and consistency. When you involve a content writer as the last step in your content process the search engines will almost always reward you for having an easier to read site. ## Update Often Now we do not want you to update often if it's not quality. When we say to update often it could be in your blog or news where you provide valuable information to help the search engines. As you update you want to remember everything you have already written and maintain that consistent voice throughout the new and updated information. ## You Are The Expert The more you write the more you will be considered an expert in your field for your geographic location. As you gain expertise in your local area you will continue to expand out. No one becomes an expert overnight and no one has ever become an expert by just sharing others knowledge. Sharing is considered caring but definitely will not make you an expert in a field. ## Time When it comes to content creation you need to allocate enough time to create that content. For a short blog article like this we recommend a minimum of an hour. That may seem like a lot of time but between the writing of content, etc. the time is well spent and helps you achieve success in your goal to be better found on the search engines. ## Pictures Pictures are a crucial part to your content writing. They tell the visual story of your written text. Often you will find that video is part of that visual aspect as well. Make certain you have pictures that help your story you are trying to convey. ## Conclusion When it comes to getting found on the search engines and conveying the story you want to your users you need great content. This content will take time to write as well as the proper images and video that align with that story to get your point across. Take your time when writing and you will move up on the search engines and get to the position you want to be in. If you are too busy, and we hope you are, running your business the team of on-staff experts at Fawkes Digital Marketing are here to assist your business grow. You can reach JM2 from Cullman Alabama at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Converting-Browsers-to-Buyers-with-Web-Standards/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Converting-Browsers-to-Buyers-with-Web-Standards/ We all want to change the world and improve it into what we feel is "best." Since the mid-1990's the internet has gone through several transformations: some good, some bad. Today's highly refined design works for 99.9% of all situations, and trying to be unique is not going to help your business grow. ## Why is it wrong to be unique? There is truly nothing wrong with being unique and creative. It would be best if you used that creativity in areas that will not hurt your bottom line lead generation for those bottom-line sales. If every site on the internet were different, you would have to re-learn the internet for every website you visited. Yes, this can be considered boring, but it also creates familiarity with your new and existing visitors. By being familiar, you are putting them into their comfort zone from the beginning. ## Things to avoid - Animations that take away from what you are doing. Adding visual effects provides value when it doesn't distract from the user experience. - Stop filling the site with content that doesn't add value to your visitor. - You are writing content outside the range of your audience. Most content that will convert visitors into buyers on your site is at the 8th-grade level. ## What your website should always have - Consistency in branding (think colors and fonts) - Consistent design across all pages of your site with a logical flow - Website logo in the top left corner - Contact information in the top right or center - Main navigation across the top of the screen - Main headline/value proposition and call-to-action high up on the homepage that is above the fold (before you start scrolling) - Social media icons in the website footer for all the social media platforms you are posting to consistently - Focus on minimalism. Less is more when it comes to your website. - Have CTA (Call-to-Action) buttons throughout where they make sense to have. - Design for your mobile experience first and then write for your desktop users. - Test and don't let your site die. We build our sites with the best intentions. You need to continually update relevant information to educate and inform your intended audience. ## Conclusion Web designs don't happen because they confuse your audience. Web design standards help convert your audience from window shopping into buyers of your products and services. Only when you stick to standards, do you provide that layer of comfort for your audience. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Copywriting-Equals-Money/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Copywriting-Equals-Money/ Copywriting is all about closing the sale. You use words to convince someone to purchase your product. Imagine you have an article that sells one in a hundred people that makes you a hundred dollars. You modify just the title or a few words to convince someone to buy and move that to two in a hundred. What you've done is doubled your revenue to two hundred dollars. The power of the written word has the potential to add value, educate, inform, and drive revenue to your bottom line. ## Telling the right story The first step is the hardest. Before you write a single letter, you need to find out what your audience is looking for, what problem they are having, and how you can help them solve it. Stop trying to sell. The selling will happen when you stop selling. The more you give, the more you get. Talk to your intended audience and find out the struggle they are having and then help them solve that problem. ## Short, sweet, and targeted We all know the phrase of **keeping it simple stupid**. Simple will resonate with your audience more. You need to break all of your sentences up into smaller ones that are easily digestible and usable by your audience. Let's look at ways to keep the information short and sweet. - Four to five lines per paragraph whenever possible. Two lines are even better. - Focus on your customers and not on yourself or your business. This is all about them, not you. Make their lives better. They do not care about you; they care about themselves. ## Finding Content You will get content ideas by talking to your audience, but what if you are new to copywriting and don't know your customer. Take a look at competitor reviews. Here you will find their deepest pain points, their objectives, and the language that they use. ## Research Stop writing! Yes, truly stop writing. Research your information first. Find expert sources and learn from it. ## Connections You need to connect with your audience. Capture their attention as quickly as you can. ## Great Subject Starters Often we are pulled into an article based on the subject. This is the first thing your reader will see, and read. Here are several of the types of titles we use to grab people's attention in our newsletter marketing. - Would you like to...? - Example: Would you like to buy a home without a bank loan? - Who else wants to...? - Example: Who else wants to buy a home without a bank loan? - Insider secrets for... - Example: Insider secrets for buying a home without a bank loan - Get your \_\_\_\_ in the fastest time possible - Example: Get your home in the fastest time possible - New discovery in \_\_\_\_ - Example: New discovery in buying a home without a bank loan - Final offer for \_\_\_\_ - Example: Final offer for buying a home without a bank loan - Last chance for \_\_\_\_ - Example: Last chance for buying a house without a bank loan - How to \_(benefit)\_ without \_(obstacle)\_ - Example: How to buy a house without a bank loan When writing your content, come up with as many different titles, and test them. See which one stands out with others to want to read more. Every article I write has a minimum of six subjects. Only one is chosen. The others are shelved for later articles or completely put in the trash as just being horrible subjects. ## The test The challenge and the step always missed, even by many experts, is when you have completed writing content, you proofread it **verbally**. In most cases, people will read it to themselves. You just wrote it. In your head, it will always sound correct. When you read it out loud, you will hear where the failures are. Reading out loud will allow you to modify and tune your writing for your audience to convert them. ## Becoming an expert Copywriting is something all of us can do. If you do your research right, your writing will be so much easier. You should spend a minimum of 30-minutes per day of writing to tune your expertise. If you do, you will become an expert over time. The more you write, the better you will become. Here are some quick tips: - 80% on research, 20% on writing - Write the way you talk - Grab your audience's attention - Write for your reader - Write to one person and not a group - The more personal your writing, the more captivating it will be Often I see when people say they are an expert and do not practice what they preach. They may write articles for their customers, but they don't extend it to themselves. The typical reason I hear is I have to take care of my customers. To become a true expert, and help your customer, you need to write for yourself first. This is why I write a minimum of two articles per day to tune my skill. ## Tell your readers where to go Don't be rude! Have a strong call of action and tell your audience what you want them to do next. Have a sense of urgency in your statement. Let them know how they will lose if they don't act now. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/cost-of-ignoring-ada-compliance/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/cost-of-ignoring-ada-compliance/ ## Accessibility Is No Longer Optional Every business with a website—no matter how big or small—needs to take **ADA compliance** seriously. In the same way you'd install ramps for wheelchair users at your physical location, your website must also be accessible to people with disabilities. The **Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)** requires that digital spaces offer equal access. Yet too many companies still treat accessibility as an afterthought—or worse, a checkbox solved with a single plugin. And it's costing them dearly. Lawsuits for website accessibility have **skyrocketed** in recent years, and small business owners are becoming the easiest targets. ## Why ADA Compliance Matters More Than Ever Accessibility isn't just a moral obligation—it's the law. Under **Title III of the ADA**, any business considered a "public accommodation" must ensure their online presence is accessible to people with visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor disabilities. This means that if your site: - Sells products or services online, - Uses video or multimedia content, - Collects information through forms, or - Represents a public-facing business of any kind, ...then you have a **legal duty** to make it accessible. ### And here's the truthLawyers are actively searching for non-compliant sites—especially small businesses that can't afford a lengthy legal defense. These lawsuits often end in quick settlements, and plaintiffs' attorneys see them as "easy money."But the cost goes beyond money. ## The Hidden Damage: Your Reputation and Credibility When a business is sued for ADA violations, it's not just about fines or settlements. The damage to your **brand reputation** can last for years. - An ADA lawsuit paints your company as **insensitive or negligent** toward people with disabilities—an image no modern business wants. - Accessibility is about inclusion, and failing at it sends a message that you simply don't care about all of your customers. In extreme cases, a single lawsuit can drain your finances and force your site offline. For eCommerce businesses, that means **sales halted, trust lost, and a permanent dent in credibility**. ## The Dangerous Illusion of "Accessibility Plugins" You've probably seen the marketing: - "Make your website ADA compliant in minutes!" - "Just install our accessibility widget!" These promises sound great—but they're misleading. Automated accessibility tools and plugins provide **partial coverage at best**. They can adjust colors, add keyboard navigation, or simulate screen reader behavior—but they **don't fix your code**, your structure, or your content. **Even worse**: having a plugin installed can **make your legal risk higher**, not lower. ### Here's why - **False Sense of Security**: Business owners believe they're protected, stop improving accessibility, and fail audits. - **Proof of Negligence**: If sued, lawyers can argue you \*knew\* about ADA requirements and chose a "band-aid" instead of a real solution. - **User Frustration**: For someone relying on assistive technology, a broken plugin can increase **mental distress**, making their experience even worse—and strengthening the legal case against you. Accessibility can't be achieved by adding one line of JavaScript. It requires **thoughtful design, coding practices, and content management**. ## What Real ADA Compliance Looks Like A truly accessible website is one that follows the **Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2)**, which set the standard for compliance. Here's what that means in practice: - **Keyboard Navigation**: Every page element should be reachable without a mouse. - **Color Contrast**: Text must be readable for users with visual impairments. - **Alt Text**: All images must have descriptive text for screen readers. - **Form Labels**: Every input field must have clear, descriptive labels. - **Video Captions**: All multimedia should include captions or transcripts. - **Error Prevention**: Forms should notify users of mistakes and help correct them. Achieving this means working with your **developers, designers, and content managers** to ensure accessibility from the ground up—not patched on afterward. ## The Legal Landscape: Rising ADA Lawsuits According to industry tracking reports, **over 4,000 federal ADA website lawsuits** were filed in 2024 alone—and that number continues to rise. The majority target small and mid-sized businesses, especially in **retail, restaurants, and service industries**. Many of these lawsuits start the same way: - A user with a disability can't complete an action (like checking out or filling a form). - They contact a lawyer or advocacy group. - A formal complaint or demand letter follows. Even if your business settles quickly, it often costs **$5,000–$25,000** in legal fees—and doesn't fix the problem. ## Why Doing the Right Thing Is Good Business When you make your website accessible, you're not just reducing legal risk—you're expanding your audience and strengthening trust. An ADA-compliant website: - Increases your **SEO ranking** (Google rewards accessible content). - Improves your **user experience** for everyone, not just people with disabilities. - Demonstrates your **commitment to inclusion and social responsibility**. Accessibility isn't an expense—it's an investment in your brand's future. ## How Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we don't just "install a plugin" and walk away. We perform **real accessibility evaluations**, fix your site structure, improve color contrast, rewrite inaccessible content, and train your staff to maintain compliance. Our approach ensures you're not just ADA "compliant," but **ADA confident**—able to serve every customer with dignity and care. ## Next Steps for Business Owners Here's how to get started today—no matter your budget: - **Run a Free Accessibility Scan**: tools like WAVE or axe DevTools can show you key issues. - **Fix Obvious Barriers**: missing alt text, poor contrast, or broken forms. - **Contact a Specialist**: like Fawkes Digital Marketing, to implement real, lasting compliance. - **Adopt a Policy**: include accessibility in your mission, design process, and staff training. ## Conclusion: Do the Right Thing—For Everyone ADA compliance isn't just about avoiding lawsuits—it's about **building a web that works for everyone**. Businesses that care about accessibility show they care about people. And those that ignore it? They risk everything—from reputation to revenue. ### Accessibility isn't optional. It's a **core part of good business** and Fawkes Digital Marketing is here to make it simple, sustainable, and stress-free. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Crafting-Page-Titles-and-SEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Crafting-Page-Titles-and-SEO/ When it comes to finding your business online the first stop for many is the search engines. The search engines contain billions of pages of content and you want to be found in the top free organic spots. To do this one of the items you need to focus on is your page title. As we take on more customers as part of their monthly SEO we've developed a checklist that we use to optimize the page titles of a website. We will cover a good portion of these items below. ## What is a page title? ![SEO Page title](/Images/Content/Blog/seoPageTitle.jpg) Your page title shows in multiple places. The first is when someone goes to your website it shows in the title bar of your web browser. The other critical place that your page title shows is within the search engine results pages (SERPs) of each search engine. The page title is the first visual queue many users will notice about your online web business. ## Being honest Whenever you work with JM2 Webdesigners in Northwest Alabama you will always hear about "Rule #1" of no lying which means being honest in everything you do. The reason for this is that when you are honest and don't lie people will respect you more. When you are honest and obey the rules of the search engines it's known as "White Hat". This means you don't break or skirt the rules to try to move up faster than you should. SEO is truly a marathon and takes weeks, even months, to start to move up. If you hear the I can get you to X position in Y days, you are most likely being lied to so that the person can get your money. Be very wary of these situations. ## Making the Cut The search engines have been very clear that they "may" use your provided title or will use their own. This doesn't mean you should not provide your own title; you truly should. Just a thought to be aware that if the search engines do not feel your provided title is representative of the page they will use one they generate themselves. ## The Length Back just a few years ago the recommendation was to stay 70 characters (including spaces) or less to be great. This has since changed back in 2014 when Google let Webmasters know that they are allowing 512 pixels for page titles. What is 512 pixels when it comes to letters. That is truly a tough answer as a "I" will take up less room than a "M". From a number of characters' standpoint, the new range is between 50 and 60 characters in length (still including spaces). If you go over this length you risk the … showing up in your title. This isn't a horrible item and lets your visitors know more information is there. ## Being Unique When it comes to your website we all know (or should) that having unique and quality content is key to the success of your website. The same is true for your webpages. Each page should have a unique title that is representative to the page being viewed. Under most circumstances the page title should not match that of other pages within your site. ## Keywords We know that most people will type words such as "Cullman Web Design", "Valpo Web Design", "Northwest Alabama Web Design", and even just "Web Design" to find web designers in a particular location. When it comes to titles using keywords is an important part of your SEO strategy. The keywords should not be "spammy" and should flow for someone reading them. A title of "Valpo Cullman Web Webdesign Web Design" would not be a great title. A title of "Serving Cullman Alabama for Web Design | JM2 Valpo" would be a much better title. You will see from that sample that we are using "Cullman Alabama", "Web Design", and "JM2 Valpo" within the title. Now if our page also uses those words that adds relevance to the title and will be more apt to be used by the search engines. When you are working on your title it is always good to avoid repeating your keywords. When you have a title with a keyword repeating multiple times it often is treated as spam and often will be replaced with another title. ## Separators As you create your titles you will notice that many sites use a pipe (|) command in the titles. This is a common and excepted value for separating in titles. You will often see a pipe used when separating the title from the name of a company. Another character seen is the dash (-) as a separator. Either works fine and will routinely have a space before/after the separator character. ## Branding Branding is an essential part to marketing your business. Your company name should always be at the end of the page title in most situations. The reason for this is you should rank in the top spots for your name. What you need to be working on is those non-branded and off-brand keywords as part of your page title. ## Handling Losing your Title You've crafted a unique title for every one of your pages. You are very happy with the results. Google and the other search engines have chosen different words for the title than you wanted. So what do you do now? The key here is to change it up and make it work better for you. ## Conclusion A page title is one of the area's most often missed by beginners and experts alike when it comes to SEO. You need to take your time in crafting your page title just as you do your page content. Well written titles can help bring people to your result. Generic titles will often lead people to go to another link. Having your content writer craft appropriate titles can help take your page content from good to great. If you would like help with SEO, content writing, or a great website contact JM2 Webdesigners in Northwest Alabama to help you achieve success. Our team is dedicated to making your business grow and we become a business partner to help you achieve success. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Crafting-the-Perfect-Blog-Article/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Crafting-the-Perfect-Blog-Article/ When it comes to getting found, telling your story, and all-around adding to the bottom line, you need to write consistently for your audience. It would be best if you answer the question and not just write to write. Write multiple articles for your website with new ones posted consistently. You write dozens, even hundreds of blog articles to get your information out there. **Most blog articles that I read do not answer the question I am trying to find an answer to, so we've done some research to determine what makes a great blog post and what is needed for it to rank well on the search engines. Let's look into what an excellent article is and how you can write a blog article that ranks well and answer the intended question.** ## Create a Topic List Every month you should sit down and create a list of article topics you feel your audience needs answered. The list should also be a "living" list, which means you are keeping it updated. Moving your topics around, adding, and removing articles that are no longer relevant is vital. As you write your new articles, remove that topic from your list. As you are writing, if you think of new ideas, add them to your topic list. Each of the topics you write in this list should have three to seven titles for the article. You will use one of these titles for the current problem you are answering, and the rest for future articles. If there are notes for a topic that you want to talk about adding them under the talking topic to help streamline and speed the creation of the article you are doing. By having your topic, your titles, and any notes related to the topic written down, you will reduce the time it takes to get into a writing mode. ## Research Your Topic The first item, once you sit down to start writing, is research your topic. You may already know parts of what you will be writing about, but maybe not everything. Take the time to get the necessary information so that you provide value to your reader. Unless you are the expert on a specific topic, do not come across as the expert. It is best to present yourself as a person that has done all of this considerable research that you were looking to solve this question for yourself and have chosen to provide this valuable knowledge for everyone else that has the same problem. By showing you are just like them, you are more likely to appeal to them. You are also writing in a more conversational tone, which will help you rank better with the search engine. By not being the expert rather than writing one article you can write an entire series of articles that builds off of the other. An expert article, or pillar type post, is more encompassing. ## Types of blog post formats Before you begin writing you need to define the type of post you will be writing. Longer posts will perform better than shorter ones. As you write your articles for your website you should have them split evenly in the following three formats. - **Response Post** - These are the posts that most of your articles should be. They are around 1,000-2,000 words long. They answer specific questions that you feel your customers want to know. This article you are reading is a response post article. If we had to write any type this would be the main type we would write. We prefer to split them evenly though. The reason we love response posts is they answer a specific, not multiple, question. Response posts help us win answer snippets within Google. - **Staple Post or How-to Article** - These are your shorter 900-1,250-word articles. These are fun, sweet, and to the point. These are often the one's that people will share the most of all your posts. Staple posts will be short - **Pillar Post or Definition Article** - These are your foundational posts that you intend to help set your website as a knowledgeable source on a topic for that last the test of time. A pillar post is over 3,000 words long. Pillar posts have a lot of details, research, references, videos, and as much detail as you can find. Pillar posts can take days to write compared to a staple or response post. ## Structure of your blog Knowing the above information will allow you to write the proper type of post. The structure of your post should be in the following format to achieve the best results for your readers. - **First Sentence** - The first sentence should explain what your article is about, utilize the core keyword that you want to target, and try and build a connection with your audience. Your first paragraph is often the description for your Google search result and should be short, concise, and to the point. - **Answer Paragraph** - Your answer paragraph will be three to four sentences long, often bolded, and is the answer to what the person is looking for at a 30,000-foot level that makes your reader want to read the rest of your article. - **Create your sub-headings** - Once you have your first sentence and answer paragraph written you will create three to five sub-headings that will help you further complete the rest of your article. - Images - **Main Post Image** - It's time for that one image that defines your post. If someone sees the title of your post and the image it should make the person want to go further. If it doesn't you are missing the mark on bringing the person into your journey. - **Supporting Images** - These images are optional and only included if they add value. If you can get your message across without them do not include them. ## Winning Snippets As you write in the above article structure, you will start to notice that you start winning snippets. It is this consistency and style that will get your brand seen for the keywords you want. ## Tips and Tricks - **Answer Paragraph** - When writing your answer paragraph, it is a great idea to state some of the following so that you don't come across as the definitive expert but a person at their level. - I researched this... - I've wondered this... - **Article Length** - As you write you will find that the longer your article is the more likely it will rank better. - **Going back rather than creating new** - Often we find it better to go back to a ranking article and update the information than writing a new article that has never ranked. The url you will not change. You will update it with the most relevant information. Do not want to include items like month or year in the url of your article. - **Re-read what you've written** - At the end of your writing take a step back from publishing and read your article. Not in your head either! You want to read your article you've written out loud. Find a quiet corner if you have to. When you read in your head it may sound perfectly but when you read out loud areas that don't sound as well as they should will show themselves. - **Link to Internal Pages** - If your post ties into other topics you've written you want to link to those articles. - **Keywords** - You should write your article to only one keyword. If you want to tackle multiple keywords you should write multiple articles. - **Google My Business** – Upload a snippet of your article to your Google My Business page with a direct link to your blog article. This will not only get Google to index your page faster but also Google will see it as more credible. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Creating-a-Culture-that-treats-employees-Like-CEOs/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Creating-a-Culture-that-treats-employees-Like-CEOs/ When do employees become more than just employees? It's a question that businesses ask themselves but few often seek the solution. What are the key ingredients in creating a company culture like Google, Zappos and Pixar when employees don't just work, they love working? Creating an environment where employees invest themselves into their job and enjoy it comes from a company spanning philosophy of keeping everyone at the same level and treating everyone as an equal to one another. Everyone who is employed here is an essential component of our business. There are no loose ends and no meaningless roles at JM2. Everyone is kept in the loop for all major company updates and progress. There is no "need to know" basis here. By including everyone with each major milestone and update the company experiences, we instill the love and investment we want from employees without making it a requirement. It's just one of the many steps we take to give employees strong incentives to not just do a good job, but to love what they do. At JM2 we feel that having a career should not be an uphill struggle. It should not be a means to an end. We don't believe in living to work and working to live. We believe in working harder than our competition and working harder to give our clients everything they need to become successful. We also believe that life should be an experience that is embraced and enjoyed. Here, we work hard but have an incredible amount of fun doing it. We are a business that truly loves helping businesses and we show it in everything that we do. Whether it's NERF guns on our desks for impromptu battles, laughing with clients about the happy moments in their lives or planning on how we can add a pinball machine to the office, we're helping you, we're having fun and we're living life. If you need help maintaining your website, social media, or search engine optimization JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman Alabama is here to assist you and maybe have an impromptu NERF battle as well! We can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Creating-a-Digital-Marketing-Plan/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Creating-a-Digital-Marketing-Plan/ Digital Marketing is one of the key areas that we cover for our clients and creating a digital marketing plan is critical to any success. What I will be covering today is the foundational blocks to creating a plan that will allow any small business to grow online. A digital marketing plan can be done on a single sheet of paper. It won't be complete but will give you a start. What I am going to cover is something a bit deeper than the single page start and not as complete as a book. This is what I feel every business needs at a minimum to be successful and grow their business online. A digital marketing plan should be a long-term vision of what you do on the Internet. This means that every post, reply, like, comment, video, article, etc. should be guided by and driven by a long-term plan to not only grow your business but also match your marketing goals. Digital marketing is not just creating a plan for social media. Digital marketing is an umbrella term that encompasses everything you do marketing wise on the internet. This includes, but not limited to, social media, search engine optimization, search engine paid advertising, social media paid advertising, websites, link building, and more. I've talked a lot recently about influencers and how to become one. I believe that an influencer is also more than one individual, although that is what it typically is referred to. An influencer can be an entire company where together the entire team becomes an influencer. We believe that every one of our clients has the ability to become an influencer in their industry by showing their expertise, educating others, and growing to their long-term expectations. ## Objectives and Goals With any digital marketing plan is defining your objectives and goals that you want to achieve. This is where you establish how you want to become a better organization. By defining your goals and objectives you are going to be able to determine your return on investment (ROI) as you will be able to gauge the success or failure of your marketing. The goals that you set should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. If that sounds familiar it should. Those are part of the S.M.A.R.T. framework. Examples of key items you might want to include for objectives and goals (with descriptions are): - Increase brand awareness - High quality of sales - Drive in-person sales - Improve ROI (return on investment) - Create a loyal fanbase - Reach existing customers more - Bring on new customers - Better pulse on your specific industry - Reach those in a different demographic - Release and bring awareness to a specific product or service ## Define your strategy For any plan, you need to have a strategy. When you are looking at your strategy you will define your goals, define your unique selling proposition, define your brand, look for holes and fix them in existing plans, how to create kick-ass content, defining your distribution channels, and have a solid search engine optimization strategy that aligns with everything else. This will allow you to grow and meet your objectives. Your strategy should be an interest and make the person want to interact with your business. ## Defining a baseline The first item you need to do when creating these goals and objectives is defining where you are today. This is the number of people that are fans of your social media, engage with your social media, visit your website, pages they visit, etc. When you complete this initial assessment, you will be able to make decisions on what measurable actions you should expect. During this initial evaluation if you are able to look back in time (e.g. you have analytics that goes back) you can know even more about what you should be able to expect. ## Defining your customer One of the hardest parts of creating a marketing plan is defining who your ideal customer is today. These customers are defined as personas that you create. A persona is a person that you define who will be interacting with your site. This customer will be male or female, will have a specific age or age-range, be single, married, separated, divorced, or widowed. The defined customer will either have a job or not, they will be happy where they are at or looking for specific opportunities to grow personally. The more defined you create these persona's the more accurate and targeted your marketing will be. ## Competitor Benchmarking Part of any strategy is looking at your competitors. Your competitors may not even be those local to you. When we look at our competitors we don't look at those in Northwest Alabama but those across the United States and around the world. Those are whom we have as competitors. Your competitor could be the business across the street. Your competitor is determined by a long-term plan. Today a competitor could be down the street but your long-term competitor could be hundreds or thousands of miles away. You want to stay abreast of those near you but you need to focus your energy on the longer-term vision of success. The reason for this is if you look close rather than where you want to be you will not grow, achieve, or push yourself as hard as you should. A part of digging into your competition should involve: - Look where they are currently on social media - Their website and how frequently they are updating it - Where they are spending their paid advertising dollars - Don't forget offline (e.g. old school) techniques. They should be forgotten and still used as part of your benchmark. - Look at the content they are creating (or curating) - How in tune are they with your targeted customers Part of any good competitor analysis will involve a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Here you break down in each area how you compare to your competitors. - Strengths – what separates you from your competitors and why your products and solutions are better than everyone else. These are the core reasons you are the best there is and can be seen as what is a threat to your competitors. - Weaknesses – what is slowing you down from performing at the highest level. List everything that you need to work on and improve. - Opportunities – where opportunities exist that you could take advantage of. Are you able to expand into new markets, bringing resources in-house or outsourcing resources to get a better standing in your industry? - Threats – what are some of the threats that could threaten the existence of your marketing. This could be an algorithm change, a competitor bad mouthing or attacking and slandering your name, competitors aligning together to attack you, or a product you sell no longer having all of the parts available to continue making a product. ## Inspiration With this valuable information, you need to start gathering inspiration. The first place to grab inspiration is from those in your industry (competitor or not). These are businesses that are currently doing a positive job in marketing and growing their business. Don't focus on those that haven't posted often or frequently. If all someone does is share other articles most of the time to look at the sources they are linking to rather than what they are truly doing. When you do start looking take a look at what engagement they are receiving. Are people engaging? Are they sharing the content? Are there responses to the engagement they are doing? ## Content Marketing Calendar With all of this valuable information what you need to do now is answer a few key areas to create your content marketing calendar. This calendar will become your schedule. You need to: - Define the types of content you intend to post - Determine what social media platforms you will be posting on - Who your target audience (per social media platform) that you are targeting - How often you will be posting on each social media platform - Who will be creating the content - Where you will be curating content from - How will you be promoting that content (organic or paid) - What time of day you will be posting your content - How you will be increasing the audience so that you grow your business ## Reach Once you start communicating with your calendar you need to look for ways to grow your audience. One way that we continually see dismissed is that of email marketing. Email marketing has been, rightfully so, been seen as spam. When you send to people who didn't sign up that is definitely true. But you are above that and only send to people interested in your products and services. This is where email marketing can truly come to be great. As we reach out with email marketing we will add 4-6 clients per year because of it. That makes email marketing worth it to us. Beyond email marketing, you have the ability to do paid advertising. There are really two main sources of paid advertising that we do for our clients. The first is with Google AdWords that will track users from one site to another. The other is on Facebook where you utilize the Facebook Pixel to track user's actions and allow you to target a user more directly on Facebook. By using both you can truly follow your users even outside of your normal marketing channels. ## Growth opportunities As you are marketing look for areas that you can grow. Define the common areas but don't stop there. Some of the key areas that we always look at are: - Polls – Ask people for a quick poll. A single question can go a long way and spread out over time will give you an indication of where the market is headed. - Contests – Contests are always a great way of reaching your audience. If you do so on social media you have to abide by their rules. If you do it on your own website you have complete control and can grow your email marketing list. - Text messaging – Text messaging is an often forgotten medium for marketing. A person has to opt-in which means they want a deal or information from you. - Online surveys – Ask for feedback and offer an incentive for providing that feedback. This could be a free drink, a discount on an appetizer or even a buy one get one half off deal. - Analytics – Use analytics that is available that can show trends that you might not otherwise notice. This is where deep learning can come into play to see trends you might not see that a computer algorithm can. - Community – Look at your local community for events that are going on and see how you can tie in with them. If you know a business that is open to working together do so. Share your resources and build on each other's strengths. ## Being Agile I talk about being agile a lot and there is a good reason for it. When you are marketing on the internet you cannot think “old school”. Old school doesn't exist when it comes to the internet. Once you think old school your plan will most likely not grow the way you wish it to. Being agile means, you adjust rapidly to changing market conditions. You look at what works and doesn't work on a monthly basis. The future changes at the whim of the market. Be aware, knowledgeable, and open to the change. Your plan should be a working and living document that is adjusted frequently. Each month you should be asking yourself these questions? 1. How are we performing to our long-term objectives? 2. Where are we now in the market? 3. Where do we want to be in the market? 4. Which of our current objectives are we meeting and which should we stop doing? 5. Are we headed in the right direction? 6. Are we on target to getting to where we want to be? 7. Are all of our platforms working together? 8. Are we advertising on all the right channels (e.g. where our customers are at)? 9. Are we using the correct call-to-actions for success? ## Conclusion We've gone through a lot of items but realize this is only the tip of the iceberg. These are the core items we start with every client and it has allowed us to grow every one of our clients by 20% year-over-year. What you need to do for any starting digital marketing plan is: - List your objectives and goals - Define your strategy - Defining a baseline - Defining your customer - Competitor benchmarking - Inspiration - Create a content marketing calendar - Reach your audience - Growth opportunities - Be agile and adjust to change As you do all the above do not make what I see as the biggest mistake of anyone that creates a plan. A plan is not written in stone, it is a guide that should and does change at a very rapid pace. When the market changes you need to change and adapt quickly. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Creating-a-social-media-strategy/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Creating-a-social-media-strategy/ I truly love how in tune the JM2 team is when it comes to marketing and helping companies grow on social media. Yesterday afternoon when I got back into the office late Kyle was wanted to talk about some concerns he has not only with our clients but with social media/digital marketing. At first, it was related to all things in Northwest Alabama but turned to nationally and then internationally. This is what you call a progressive team player that is thinking not only how to help and assist others in being successful. His concern was about how people are completely screwing up their social media which goes well beyond social media. This is social media, digital marketing, and websites altogether. With what he talked about I know he will be writing several articles on it, but I started thinking of several items that can help your brand achieve success when doing social media. Social media and marketing your business are constantly changing and evolving. Social media is changing daily, and you need to be progressive and agile to stay ahead of the curve. The tips below will help you on social media but will also fully help with your digital marketing and website as well. Determining your team and meeting with them at a minimum of quarterly and for new accounts or accounts that are very busy meeting monthly. It is good when the entire group is on the same sheet of music. Items that you should be covered are below. ## Channels You need to know where to market your company. The answer isn’t always social media, your website, or in traditional media. You need to research your market and see where they are, what they are doing, and where they are going. You need to look at your competitors as even though they may not be something you want to copy you want and need to understand where they are. ## Setting social media objectives and goals Social media is not about getting a huge following. Yes, that is great for the ego but not great for the bottom line. You want engagement and people, as an old friend says, to “buy my shit”. ## Reviews You need to have reviews for your business on Google and Facebook and any other channel your customers are on. You can understand Google as it leads people to your website but what if you don’t have a Facebook page why do you need reviews there? Whether you are active on Facebook or not you should have a page (if it does make sense – are your competitors there). Reviews are huge and the more positive reviews you can get the better. Negative reviews are not entirely bad either. Although we don’t love them they do show you are human (and you are whether you like it or not) and how you respond and improve (and show it to others) then people will respect you more. I know I look at the bad reviews more and if I see how they responded is correct they will probably get my business more than just all four- and five-star reviews. ## Marketing calendars Not necessarily a requirement to look like a regular calendar your social media calendar can be digital and I strongly recommend finding a solution that will integrate with your posting methods. We utilize SEMrush ([https://www.semrush.com/](https://www.semrush.com/)) as it provides a calendar for us to keep track of all the channels we are on. By being digital we can easily drag-and-drop to adjust as well as make certain we have no gaps in our posting schedule that can easily be missed when doing it on paper (we used to do that before we woke up – again being human we weren’t fully taking advantage of technology). We’ve used Sprout Social, Buffer, and Hootsuite in the past which also have great marketing calendars to help streamline and stay in communication with your fan base. ## Replying to fans Replying to happy fans is a breeze. Just keep them happy, keep the conversation (engagement) going, and you get your fans to reply. What many organizations don’t have is how to handle the not-so-happy people. Those in the business should never reply unless it needs direction from the owner themselves and then it should be well thought out and discussed for possible ramifications against the person replying but also the company. ## Analytics This is the key to any marketing campaign. Whether it be in the traditional or the virtual marketing worlds. If you have nothing to gauge success/failure on then you will never know how your marketing efforts are. A 30,000-foot view which is what most companies need is better than no view at all. ## Marketing Plan Everything we’ve been talking about is part of a marketing plan. A marketing plan is never written in stone and should always be changing and evolving. When a question comes up this is where your first head and see what was decided for a specific scenario. If the scenario doesn’t exist now is the time to enhance and grow your marketing plan. ## Don’t over complicate life All too often we see companies making everything more complicated than it truly needs to be. Yes, some things are complex. Marketing and informing others shouldn’t be one of those complex issues in your life. ## Conclusion Social media on a personal scale is easy. When you start looking at the overall effects of a business it is far from it. With strategies and planning you can make it successful and a successful marketing strategy for the outsiders should look easy. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Creating-Organic-Content-versus-Sharing-Content/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Creating-Organic-Content-versus-Sharing-Content/ We have a lot of clients that we talk to about the true difference between creating unique quality content and sharing quality content. We have and will continue to state that high-quality content is the best way to get the search engines to start taking notice of your business. The problem with this process though is it takes time to get the search engines and users to notice this quality content. Sometimes taking years to achieve results. So what can be done to get your high-quality content out there as fast as possible? ## High-Quality Unique Content Creating high-quality and unique content should be the goal and objective of every website. The reason being is that no other site on the internet will have that information. You will be the original source of that information. Yes, it will take more time to complete and even longer to get indexed on the search engines. When creating unique content if you don’t think about items that are date sensitive you will also be moving to the realm of even higher quality content that is evergreen content that can last for months, even years, as it will be effective for a long time to come. As you create your content, if you are able to create this content consistently, answer your visitor’s questions, and deliver a positive value they will be more apt to share it and like it. ## Curating content has a value to every strategy Creating unique content can take 30-minutes to several hours, if not days to create. As business owners we need to balance this quality content with running and growing our business. If you spend too much time writing content, you can actually hurt your business rather than helping it. Although we create content weekly now we do so outside of our standard working hours of 6am-8pm so that we can stay focused on what matters; our clients. This is where curating of content can come into play. Sometimes on your website but more often on social media sites. You want to share information that is relevant to your audience, shows an expertise on areas that are relevant to your business and your clients, and drive people to interact on your social media pages. When you do curate content within your own blog that someone else has written what you can do is put a personal spin on it by writing a short paragraph or two explaining why this article is good for your clients and then either (1) link to that article, or (2) put that article on your site [ask for permission first] making note of who the author is. Other ways to curate content is to include links to specific blogs, newsletters, and tips and tricks in your own newsletter showing others other sources of information as they will know who provided them the information and go back to you for more quality information. ## Conclusion You will see that having both **high-quality unique content** and **curated content** can deliver a positive aspect to your online digital marketing strategy. This strategy can work wonders in building your brand as a delivery of quality information whether it is created by yourself or shared from other highly reputable sources. If you would like help in generating high quality content, you can contact our team of content writers who are ready to help you create that quality content. They are also experts in finding great information that comes from other sources for sharing on your social media sites to drive more traffic to them as well as your website. If you would like to know more we can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Creation-of-the-Side-Walk-Shop/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Creation-of-the-Side-Walk-Shop/ On October 14, 2014, the idea came about for a low cost and efficient eCommerce site for people in and around Cullman Alabama. We didn't want to charge on a per item basis whether it be a percent or a flat-fee. The goal was provide businesses the opportunity to grow without a huge overhead. The eCommerce solution we chose was called "[Purchase Local](http://www.purchaselocal.biz/)" initially as we were going to focus solely within the Northwest Alabama area. Flash forward 2 years, some company growth, and "Side Walk Shop" ([https://www.SideWalk.shop/](https://www.SideWalk.shop/)) was born. Based on the same premise of the purchase local concepts this will be nationwide with a full marketing budget and team standing behind it. **Note**: For those checking out the eCommerce site before 11/14/2016 the site will show as closed as it's being internally tested until that date. ## Why another eCommerce site? A way of answering it is why not when you know you have something that is missing and your core competences in-house can handle it? We have found similar sites around the United States that will give you the exact same features as our solution but at a cost of $60-100 per month (at a minimum). That does not fit who our owner John Marx is. He has always been one to give more, exceed expectations, and of course do it for less. It is not that we strive to be cheaper as we look at what our costs are over the course of a year, divide by how many vendors it will take, and then add our standard 5% company markup to determine the overall price. This new eCommerce solution is truly no different from anything else JM2 offers. The price will be $30 per month or $240 per year (preferred; save $120/year) for an **unlimited** number of products and pictures associated to those products. Like all products that JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman Alabama does you will not see the branding done by many organizations. One might think that being this is our own personal solution we would brand it. The answer is we will not brand the site as we feel this will be a place for multiple vendors to sell their products. ## Built on very secure open source technologies Open source software is used throughout the internet and part of what JM2 uses daily. The system being used is nopCommerce which provides a secure system with the overall TLS encryption being provided by Digicert. ## Growth opportunities for those that need it As businesses like JM2 Webdesigners knows when you start out you want to save money wherever possible without cutting corners. This is where this solution comes into play. You start out at Side Walk Shop and as your grow if you need some features that you can't get you have a migration option to a full-fledged eCommerce solution that has no restrictions at all. ## What are all the restrictions? There are few key limitations to the Side Walk Shop when it comes to features. These are - a personalized domain name - 100% Control over everything - a customized theme and logo - want multiple languages (Side Walk Shop is strictly US English) - need to use your specific PayPal account - Illegal items or alcohol sales are not allowed For most businesses, these limitations will not affect them. ## What's included? The limitations are very minimal and will only affect companies that need a more personalized branding and marketing experience. You can [find out about our eCommerce by clicking here](/Services/eCommerce/). The solution we are offering is designed for small and mid-size businesses that want to grow their business without having to maintain the system. ### Product Features - Allow Customer Remove (Yes / No) - Administrator (private) comments - Available for "Pre-Order" - Available Start & End Date - Categories - Cross Selling with Other Products - Descriptions - Short - Long Description with a rich text editor - Disable Buy Button - Disable Wish List Button - Discounts - Downloadable Product - Gift Cards - GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) - Inventory Tracking - Manufacturer Name - Manufacturer Part Number - Mark an item as "New" - Prices - Price - Old Price - Product Cost - Special Price with Start & End Date - Call for pricing - Customer can enter price (Yes / No [Default]) - Product Attributes - Product Name - Product Tags - Product Type - Publish / Unpublished - Recurring Product - Rentals - Shipping & Free Shipping Options - Additional Shipping Charges - SKU - Specification Attributes - Tax Calculation & Tax Exempt - Weight, Length, Width, Height ### Administration - Reports - Orders - Shipments - Best Sellers - Products Never Purchased - Low Stock - Bulk Editing of Products ### Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - META Keywords - META Description - META Title - Search Engine Friendly Page Names ### Training - Usage manual provided - One-on-One (Additional Cost) - Rock the Social (Additional Cost) ### Paid Advertising - Additional Cost - Footer (Across entire site) - Homepage Slider - Homepage Featured Items ## Conclusion Two years may seem like a long time to bring a product to market. We wanted to make certain the necessary technology that we use, staff, and training options were available. With our Rock the Social now in full swing and starting in November the last piece of the puzzle is now ready. If you want to start your online sales for your business the Side Walk Shop may be the perfect opportunity for you. This solution can work great alongside of your existing website marketing efforts as well. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/credit-cards-who-should-pay/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/credit-cards-who-should-pay/ ## Who Should Pay Credit Card Fees? Business vs. Customer – Pros and Cons When it comes to accepting credit cards, one unavoidable question for businesses is: **who should cover the processing fees** — you, the business owner, or your customers? With providers like Stripe, Square, and others charging 2.9% to 3.5% per transaction, that cost adds up. Below, we break down the **pros and cons of each approach** to help you decide what’s best for your business and your customers. ### Option 1: **The Business Covers Credit Card Fees** **✅ Pros:** **Customer-Friendly Experience**: Most customers appreciate not seeing surprise charges at checkout. Absorbing the cost creates a smoother, more pleasant purchasing experience. - **Builds Trust & Loyalty**: When businesses don’t add processing fees, it can help foster long-term trust. Many consumers perceive it as a sign of professionalism and good customer service. - **Competitive Advantage**: If your competitors charge fees and you don’t, that can give you an edge. **❌ Cons:** - **Reduces Your Margins**: On every $100 purchase, you may lose $3–$4 to processing fees. For businesses with tight margins, this can quietly erode profitability. - **"Silent Tax" on Growth**: As you grow and process more payments, the hidden cost of those fees can grow significantly. - **Can Dissuade High-Volume Sales**: These fees take a larger bite over time for big-ticket items or recurring charges. *** ### Option 2: **The Customer Covers Credit Card Fees** **✅ Pros:** - **Protects Your Profit Margin**: Keeping the full transaction value helps preserve your earnings and allows more flexibility for reinvestment or scaling. - **More Transparent Pricing**: Some business owners prefer to keep pricing and processing separate so the customer understands the true cost of convenience. - **Encourages Cash or ACH Payments**: Surcharges can push customers toward lower-fee payment methods like ACH or checks. **❌ Cons:** - **Risk of Customer Friction**: Many customers feel “nickel and dimed” by extra service fees, especially when not expecting them. It can create a negative impression. - **Possible Lost Business**: Some shoppers will go elsewhere if another business includes fees in their prices rather than passing them on. - **Legal Restrictions**: In some states or regions, adding a credit card surcharge is regulated or prohibited. Always check local laws before charging extra. *** ### Final Thoughts Ultimately, deciding who should pay credit card processing fees depends on your **business model, profit margins, customer base, and competitive landscape**. There's no one-size-fits-all answer — just trade-offs to weigh carefully. Whether you absorb the cost or pass it along, be transparent and consistent with how you handle it. Your customers will appreciate clarity, and your business will benefit from a well-thought-out approach. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/CreditCardSwipingRules/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/CreditCardSwipingRules/ On October 1, 2015 many of the credit cards in our pocket have been enhanced and is the beginning of the end of the magnetic stripe credit card. Over the past year our credit cards have been updated with a new microchip in them. This chip is to replace the magnetic stripe on our credit cards and make our purchased transactions more secure. ## Why the change? Right now when a charge is done on your credit card and it's deemed fraudulent the credit card companies are the ones that are held accountable. This change puts the responsibility on the merchant (business) for the fraudulent charges. This shift in ownership is why many retailers will be making the transition as it will protect your business. EMV technology, which stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa, works differently. EMV microprocessor chips are embedded onto the front of your credit card. Traditional skimming devices won't work on these chips, and they're very difficult (and expensive) to clone. ## Is this a United States only change? Absolutely not! In fact, the microchips the United States has just started has been in use in Europe for more than a decade already. ## How it works ![Credit Card Push](/Images/Content/Blog/CreditCardPush.jpg) To use the new cards rather than swiping in a terminal you push the card into a slot in the same terminal in the middle and under the keypad. The card will sit there for a few seconds and the transaction will go through. During our testing of transactions some required a signature and some without. On returns there was always a signature required (we did two return tests). Overall we didn't see this as a huge nuisance overall. We didn't like the fact we couldn't swipe during the transaction process but had to wait until the end of the transaction. Typically, we swiped our card and then put it back into our purses and wallets. We now have a small weight. For the added security I can accept this. ## Slow and Disruptive With all change this will be initially disruptive to individuals. Since 10/1/2015 we've gone around and took a look to see who has already complied with the new rules. Several national chains have while others have not. We did not find a single local (non-chain) retailer that has moved with this new standard (we only checked twenty stores). ## Employee Training For the most part the companies that had the technology knew the most about the change but didn't know why other than "it's a new rule we have to follow". One person was actually knowledgeable but admitted she did research on her own (way to go!). ## Business Impact ![New EMV Credit Cards](/Images/Content/Blog/CreditCardNewEmvCards.png) Being that the businesses will now be held accountable for fraudulent charges there are many implications to the business. The first is a potential financial for any fraudulent charges. The second is the cost for all of this new equipment and any necessary software requirements. Then businesses need to training their employees but also educate their time over this new form of credit card processing. Businesses already have a short amount of time available to them and this is another item that they will have to make time for. Many companies that have ordered the new chip readers due to demand may not even have the equipment available to them until December, half-way through the Christmas holiday season. This will not only be a hassle to business during the busiest of times for many but also the question of do they upgrade in the middle of this already busy and hectic time, do it immediately after or do it after the major return time. One item that has not come up in most conversations is credit card percent charges. As the technology is slowly rolled out and accepted we can see a change where the merchant accounts will have another pricing structure. That of credit card "swipes" where rather being swiped with a magnetic stripe will be inserted cards with the new microchip technology. ## What about online businesses? With all of this technology and the huge push for businesses moving online this new microchip will serve no additional security for consumers as homes do not have chip readers to use for their purchases. We have many eCommerce clients and each one of them currently is 100% in compliance with the current standards. ## Will this make me hacker safe? Regretfully not. The hacker incidents of Target and Home Depot that recently happened are not protected from this new microchip technology. ## Conclusion October 1st is considered the starting point for this new technology push. It is anticipated to get greater than 90% saturation of use 4-5 years. Most of the larger businesses are expected to have the new chip technology in-place by the end of 2017. This new change although is not covering every aspect is the first step to protecting consumers and businesses. The first step in any new technology shift is always the hardest part. Each subsequent step continually gets easier for consumers. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/crm-for-business-brilliance-crm/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/crm-for-business-brilliance-crm/ ### How a CRM, Like Brilliance CRM, Can Make Your Business More Successful and Profitable In today’s competitive market, businesses need to operate efficiently, connect with customers seamlessly, and respond to opportunities quickly. A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, like **Brilliance CRM**, is a game-changer that can help businesses achieve these goals and more. From tracking leads to streamlining customer service and utilizing powerful tools like texting, a CRM can transform the way you operate, ultimately making your business more successful and profitable. *** ### **1. Centralized Lead Tracking: Never Miss an Opportunity** One of the biggest challenges for businesses is managing and tracking leads effectively. Brilliance CRM centralizes all your leads in one place, giving you real-time access to critical information. #### **How it Helps:** - **Lead Management:** Easily track where leads come from, their stage in the sales funnel, and the next steps for conversion. - **Follow-Up Reminders:** Automate reminders to follow up, ensuring no potential customer slips through the cracks. - **Insights and Analytics:** Gain actionable insights into lead behavior and conversion trends to refine your sales strategy. #### **The Impact:** Efficient lead tracking means higher conversion rates, better resource allocation, and a more predictable revenue stream. *** ### **2. Streamlined Communication: Texting and Beyond** Text messaging has become a preferred communication channel for many customers, thanks to its speed and convenience. Brilliance CRM integrates texting directly into your workflow, making it easy to connect with leads and customers. #### **Features to Leverage:** - **Automated Text Campaigns:** Send appointment reminders, follow-ups, or promotional offers automatically. - **Personalized Messaging:** Address customers by name and tailor messages to their preferences. - **Two-Way Communication:** Respond to customer inquiries instantly, building trust and rapport. #### **Why It Matters:** Texting boasts a 98% open rate, making it one of the most effective ways to engage customers. Using texting within your CRM keeps communication fast, personal, and impactful. *** ### **3. Enhanced Customer Service: Build Loyalty and Trust** Customer service is at the heart of any successful business. With Brilliance CRM, you can provide exceptional service that keeps customers coming back. #### **Key Features:** - **Ticketing System:** Track and resolve customer inquiries efficiently. - **Customer Profiles:** Access detailed histories for every customer, enabling personalized and informed interactions. - **Feedback Management:** Collect and analyze customer feedback to improve your offerings. #### **The Result:** Happy customers become loyal customers, and loyal customers drive repeat business and positive word-of-mouth. *** ### **4. Workflow Automation: Save Time and Reduce Errors** Manual processes slow your business down and increase the risk of mistakes. Brilliance CRM automates repetitive tasks, freeing up your team to focus on high-value activities. #### **Automation Tools:** - **Task Assignments:** Automatically assign tasks to team members based on their roles. - **Email Automation:** Send onboarding emails, follow-ups, or newsletters without lifting a finger. - **Reporting:** Generate real-time reports on sales, performance, and customer behavior. #### **The Benefit:** Automation not only improves efficiency but also ensures consistency in your operations, leading to better outcomes and happier customers. *** ### **5. Data-Driven Decision-Making: Grow Smarter** Brilliance CRM provides powerful analytics and reporting tools that help you make informed decisions. #### **What You Can Do:** - **Monitor KPIs:** Track key performance indicators like lead conversion rates, customer retention, and revenue growth. - **Forecast Trends:** Use historical data to predict future sales and identify opportunities. - **Segment Your Audience:** Group customers by behavior, demographics, or preferences for targeted campaigns. #### **Why It Works:** When your decisions are backed by data, you reduce risks and increase the likelihood of success. *** ### **6. Scalability: Grow Without Growing Pains** Whether you’re a small business or an enterprise, Brilliance CRM scales with your needs. Its flexible architecture ensures you can handle increased data, users, and functionality as your business grows. #### **How It Adapts:** - Add new team members and roles seamlessly. - Integrate with other tools like payment processors, marketing platforms, and e-commerce systems. - Customize features to align with your evolving business model. #### **The Advantage:** Scalability ensures that your business infrastructure can support growth without the need for constant system overhauls. *** ### **7. Competitive Edge: Stay Ahead of the Game** Using Brilliance CRM gives you a strategic advantage over competitors who rely on outdated or manual systems. #### **Here’s How:** - Faster response times to leads and customers. - Better customer insights for more personalized experiences. - Streamlined operations that reduce costs and boost profitability. #### **The Bottom Line:** A CRM is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity for businesses that want to stay competitive and thrive in today’s fast-paced market. *** ### **Conclusion: Why Brilliance CRM?** Brilliance CRM offers the tools you need to manage leads, enhance customer relationships, and streamline operations—all in one platform. Whether it’s texting customers, tracking leads, or providing top-notch service, Brilliance CRM empowers your business to operate more effectively and profitably. Investing in a CRM is an investment in your business’s success. With Brilliance CRM, you’re not just adopting software; you’re embracing a smarter way to work, engage, and grow. Ready to take your business to the next level? Brilliance CRM is here to help. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Customer-Communication/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Customer-Communication/ The more we talk with clients the more that they want **results**. To get results though you need to have outstanding communication. Communication comes in many ways and varies for each one of your customers. Businesses know they want a website to communicate their message and they need to be on social media to continue that reach and engage prospects and customers alike. Both platforms are working for you 24x7, should work together as a collaborative digital marketing tool for your business. To achieve this you need to have an effective communications strategy. Whether your customers want communication in-person, email, text, snail mail (USPS), chat, Skype messaging, phone calls, or another avenue make certain you treat each customer to their unique needs. Your customers want to communicate to get answers to their questions in a timely manner. Make certain your marketing strategy clearly defines how you will communicate with your customers. When you receive a lot of information from a customer it will typically run through email in electronic form rather than paper. Email is the most efficient way of transmitting a lot of information in a fast manner and allows saving data entry time. Even with email it’s great to follow up with a phone call to validate and verify you have all the information, everything you understand is correctly, and go over any necessary delivery timelines. When you have a new project, new phase to an existing project, conducting training, or even to just make certain everyone fully understands responsibilities, roles, and timelines it is always a great idea to meet in-person or a Skype call to go over all aspects of the project and keep communication flowing efficiently. When a customer wants to talk to you after hours or on the weekend do you have a plan to do so? For us we set one person up as the after hours and weekend contact. Our toll-free number automatically forwards as well for those that may be prospective clients as we don’t want to miss an opportunity for a sale. We are continually working on evolving our after hours and weekend hours to cover all situations. This is checked and validated on a weekly basis to make certain that we are always communicating clearly with our customers. If you handle social media accounts for several of your clients like we do there will be communication with your client’s customers at all hours of the night. These customers will be interacting with you through either the website, online chat, or through social media engagement. They want to engage with you right now and are actively seeking an answer to their question or problem. Your digital marketing needs to be constantly updated and working for you so that you can best communicate with your customers. Responding to inquiries, handling questions, and monitoring not only social media but the internet as part of reputation management goes on 24x7 and never stops. The key for all customer interactions is to remember that "**communication is key**”. When you do communicate and everyone is on the same sheet of music things will almost always go more smoothly. Set the expectations from the beginning on how you will communicate by finding out what communication methods your customer wants you to use. Having a plan in place to handle communication is critical and where companies like JM2 shine with our dedicated search engine optimization (SEO) experts, customer service, and social experts. When you hire JM2 you are not getting one or two people working for you. You are getting an entire team that is dedicated from writers, graphic designers, social media and SEO experts that are all designed to help on your digital marketing needs. When you are ready to work with an entire team that is not outsourced and does everything in house, on-time, and on-budget; we are ready to serve you. Give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), stop at our office at 403 E Lincolnway in Downtown Cullman Alabama, [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](/Contact/). We look forward to hearing from you. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Customer-Growth/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Customer-Growth/ We pride ourselves when it comes to educating, informing, and teaching our clients in all aspects of social media and websites. We believe every client is more than capable of doing the work themselves and that we are their tool so they can focus on their business rather than the marketing aspects. A client should have knowledge in doing even if they don't want to do it. They should be made aware of the latest terminology so that they comprehend any information they hear in an effective manner. We have spent this past year educating and informing a client on the proper uses of social media marketing, brand consistency, search engine optimization or SEO, and how to update their WordPress website. Each month when the monthly analytics were sent we went over them to make certain they understood everything. The owner knew they couldn't do it themselves currently which is a hard thing for any owner to admit not only to us but in front of their employees. This business owner is unlike any other where they know their strengths and weaknesses. The owner knew they needed a dedicate person but just didn't want to hire the first person that crossed their desk. They needed the person that fit their unique culture. They now have that person and couldn't be happier for them. This is one reason we don't lock clients into long-term contracts as business needs change. This is what life is about when it comes to JM2. Each of our clients is family and family will help and take care of each other. We want you to stay and never want to see you go. We love when you've grown and can hire a dedicate person that fixes what was once broke. We still get to work closely with the client to assist with their on-going marketing but seeing them blossom is a true joy. This is when we've known we've done better than a good job in helping them grow. Below are five key takeaways that we knew taking on this client and how we've helped them grow. - **Listening** – Everything starts with listening and continues after the first meeting. We listen to the current pain points and the areas that are working well. For many years who ever showed interest, was doing sales, "knew" social media, or had "some" free time handled the social media, marketing, and website affairs of the organization. It always started strong and then died off to non-existence as this was not their primary job and often done without pay. - **Plan** – After multiple hours of meetings we came up with a year long marketing strategy to grow the customers digital experience on social media and the internet itself. We defined goals of success (and failure), we developed promotional campaigns, and marketing materials for coming promotions. - **Implement** – We created social media calendars, scheduled the posts, responded to customer inquiries (good and bad), monitored goals, achieved objectives, and adjusted to changing business needs often times on a daily basis. - **Educate** – Any plan whether short or long needed to have a plan of educating the new team member, educate on the analytics of their customers, and go over all current and past customer questions. We covered not just on Facebook but networks like Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn where the customer was also at. - **Repeat** – We refined, met with the client on a schedule that worked for them, and developed a plan that was tweaked for changing marketing conditions each month. Although we never like to see a client go we do when our continuing education with our clients has done what it should and the growth was met that the client wanted to achieve. It also helps when they find that magical person to fit into their culture and has a specific goal of strictly digital marketing. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Dealing-with-Negative-Customer-Reviews/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Dealing-with-Negative-Customer-Reviews/ It's time to talk about the pieces of our business that no business owner ever hopes to be discussing. Being prepared though is the first step in this situation. Dealing with your own mistakes, mistakes of employees, mistakes of other customers, misconceptions, missed expectations, and dealing with people that are just unhappy with your services. How you handle these situations will either turn them into an advocate or make them your worse enemy. Let's shoot for your advocate! Whenever we take on a project for our SEO and social media Business Improvement Plan clients we do an onboarding meeting whether on the phone or in-person. We discuss how to deal with negative reviews and remarks. In this article, we are going to talk solely on about the review side but pertains to any negative attributes you receive regarding your products, service, or business. Being negative in today's world is easier than we ever could hope for. It is easy for someone to complain behind a keyboard and type. There is nothing to fear which further empowers those that you may have directly or indirectly upset. Positive reviews are what we all hope for. Negative reviews can also benefit your business if you show compassion, a true apology, an understanding, and a sincere desire to make things right. These are the top five ways we've found over the years that will help turn a negative into a positive. You won't be able to make everyone happy but you can give it your best attempt to take the higher road in everything that you do. ## Never Argue Never argue with a reviewer online. Yes, you might make it to the news and all that publicity might get you some extra business. But, think about it - a year from now, if your potential customers chance upon your argument, your whole organization will look unprofessional to them. In many cases this is where we let our clients that we will be happy to respond as we are a bit more disconnected and less likely to take things personally. ## Talk to the customer If you have got a bad review, get in touch with the customer as soon as possible. Try to understand what went wrong and offer your solutions. Learn what they feel will make the situation better and include them in the process if it makes sense. This is one of our favorite solutions as we can also take the problem offline. People will see you contacted the person and are dealing with it in a professional manner. ## Offer a Public response Offer a public response to negative reviews. Your response should reflect your business's values, culture, and being tactful to not add fuel to the fire. Thank the customer for his patronage, accept full responsibility for the situation and mention what you're doing to set his complaint right. ## Ask for feedback Try to stop a negative review even before it happens. If possible, talk to the customer after you have serviced them. Most of the times, people leave a bad review because the product/service did not live up to his expectations. When delivering your products or services always end with the basic question of "is there anything else we can do for you?". This can stop most negativity right in the tracks and allow you to fix it before it becomes a problem. ## Explain your position If the negative review is due to something that you cannot control (e.g. loss of power, weather, etc.) explain your position and do your best to make it better. You can promise that you will consider revising your options in future. ## Conclusion Most review sites will not allow you to remove or edit reviews left by your customers. The key when you cannot get them removed is to address in a professional and tactful manner. Negative reviews are never good but how you respond can tell a person reading the review a lot about you as a person and business. This is why we monitor everyone of our Business Improvement Plan clients reputation online, respond to the negative, thank those that leave positive reviews, and promote for new (and positive) reviews by their customers. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Define-Your-Website-Success/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Define-Your-Website-Success/ One of the core problems people face with a website is that they plan for success. They make a list of items they want on a website. They make a list of items they do not want on a website. What people tend to miss is what "defines success" to be considered a success. In this article we will discuss items to make your website a success. ## Set Goals and Expectations The most important item when looking for a new website or a website redesign is having goals and expectations of what a success website will be. You need to know what defines "success" for your project. Are you looking for more visitors, visitors that stay on your site for long periods of time and visit a lot of pages, people to fill out contact forms, download documents, etc. By defining this before you begin you can more clearly look at all of the other parts of the plan. As we go through each of the steps below you may have to step back to a previous item as items may change. If your initial thought for your site was to be an online brochure but changes to be lead generation or customer support the expectations will need to be adjusted to gauge the new objective(s) of your website. ## Budgeting This seems like the most obvious item for any project but often the last one to be discussed or thought of. In fact, we prefer to have an initial budget right after we’ve defined our goals and expectations so that as we are defining all aspects we can see if we are adding to the original project scope or taking functionality away and saving money. As you work through each step below you will need to adjust your goals and expectations. By budgeting in the beginning you will have a clear indication of all of the bells and whistles you can include and help prioritize the success of the project. ## Roles and Responsibilities No matter how big or small a project is there will be key individuals involved in your website design. This may be a sole person to an entire team. Each person should know what they are responsible for. There needs to be a central point-of-contact so that clear communication can be made between the company and the designer. This will not only get the product delivered more rapidly but also remove and miscommunication between multiple people asking for items that could conflict with another making the designer figure out who they should follow and who they should not for changes. ## Content Strategy On the Internet there is a saying that "Content is King". This is not meant as a gender statement but one of how important content is to the success of your website. When you start looking at your website design you need to be thinking about the page content but also documents, blog articles, videos, pictures, photo galleryies, slideshows, and social media integration to name just a few. When creating your content, a key component is making certain everything answers your visitor's questions while also being concise, to the point, and in a single unified voice. ## Website Wire framing A wireframe is a simple design layout of how the site is desired to look. This can be as simple as a single hand drawn sketch to more elaborate multi-page layouts. During the wire framing process you will see usability changes that are needed to get your point across for the success of the project. During the wire framing process you also need to be thinking about how your website will load (faster is better) and how it will look on different size devices, where your company logo will be. ## Graphics No one wants to go to an ugly website. Make certain your colors are crisp, clear, and match your company brand standards. If you don’t have any brand standards now is an opportune time to establish one for marketing your business and getting your brand message out there. ## Avoid excessive WOW factor Wait I want WOW! You do and you don’t. If you push your computer to having flying in animations, fancy rotating graphics, and items that distract rather than bring your audience in they will be more interested in the "pretties" more than the actual use of the site. All too often we run to a site and we are amazed at the animations on a site that we either forget why we went there or think that they spend too much time trying to wow us rather than answering my questions. ## Website Objectives Speaking of success, we need to define the objectives of the site to achieve the success. This will include call-to-action buttons, forms, placement of pictures around text, and engaging your target audience. ## Annoying your audience Yes, we want to annoy our audience. Wait. Correct that. We want to NOT annoy our audience. All to often like the WOW factor above we see welcome landing pages which are really cool but also preventing us from gathering the information we need. As we start to read up pops another messaging further annoying us. As we start to leave the system pops up another last ditch effort to annoy us. All of this to generate a lead so that we can then follow up and annoy a person even more. Although we see the benefit of getting leads you want to make certain you do so in a manner that is not annoying. ## Maintenance You’ve now done everything above and your new awesome website is now live and ready to wow the world. You keep it updated every day since launching. A month down the road priorities changes as the website is not your primary job. This is where having maintenance plans come into work. A good maintenance plan will include items like YEXT, search engine optimization (SEO), website updates, SSL certificates, 24x7 security monitoring and updates, daily backups, listings on major local repositories, domain registration, and much more. A maintenance plan when done correctly should also work toward achieving that initial success that you defined. ## Conclusion Creating a new website or a website redesign the key for success is planning, creating an effective team that does include upper management, and has business goals and objectives in line. With proper planning a website that was originally design to just "be there" can become a true virtual employee that can increase your overall business exposure, build brand recognition, and always speak positively about your organization 24x7. JM2 Webdesigners is a full-service, nothing outsourced, web design and marketing firm that specializes in helping establish your business brand. We work with you to achieve your goals for success, update your website monthly through a multitude of maintenance options. We do all of this for less while providing more than anyone else. We do this by keeping our prices low, working smart for you, and becoming a virtual employee of your business. If you would like assistance from web design experts from Cullman Alabama give JM2 Webdesigners a call at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593), [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [contact us with our online form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/definitive-guide-for-email-deliverability/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/definitive-guide-for-email-deliverability/ Email deliverability is affected by multiple factors, from the technical configuration of your email domain to reputation management. This guide covers everything you need to know, including essential protocols, authentication, security configurations, reputation management, and best practices for improving deliverability. By following this guide, you can optimize your email setup and improve the chances of reaching the inbox every time. - **MX Records: Mail Exchanger Records**: MX (Mail Exchanger) records specify the email servers responsible for receiving email on behalf of your domain. Proper MX configuration is essential for ensuring your emails are directed correctly. - **Steps to Configure**: - Log in to your domain registrar or DNS provider. - Add or update MX records to point to your email provider's mail servers. The priority should reflect the server preference if there are multiple records. - Ensure that these records match the ones provided by your email service provider (ESP) or hosting provider. - **Verification**: Use online tools like [MXToolbox](https://mxtoolbox.com/) to verify that your MX records are configured correctly. - **SPF: Sender Policy Framework**: SPF records prevent spoofing by specifying which mail servers are allowed to send emails on behalf of your domain. - **Steps to Set Up SPF**: - Add a TXT record to your DNS. - Format: "v=spf1 ip4: include: -all" - "ip4:" – Add any IP addresses or ranges that are allowed to send emails. - "include:" – Include authorized domains like Google or Microsoft if you use their services. - "-all" – This means only the listed IPs are allowed to send emails for this domain. - **An example SPF record**: "v=spf1 ip4:192.168.1.1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com -all" - **Verification**: Use [MXToolbox SPF Check](https://mxtoolbox.com/spf.aspx) or Google's [Postmaster Tools](https://postmaster.google.com/) to verify SPF record accuracy. - **DKIM: DomainKeys Identified Mail**: DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails, verifying that the content hasn't been altered in transit and authenticating the sender's domain. - **Steps to Set Up DKIM**: - Generate a DKIM public and private key pair through your email provider. - Add a DKIM TXT record to your DNS with the key. - Format: "v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=", where "" is the generated key. - **Verification**: Use [DKIM Core Tools](http://dkimcore.org/tools/) to validate your DKIM signature. - **DMARC: Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance**: DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM to provide email authentication, policy enforcement, and reporting. It helps prevent phishing attacks by specifying actions for unauthorized emails. - **Steps to Configure DMARC**: - Create a DMARC TXT record in your DNS. - Format: "v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:dmarc-reports@yourdomain.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc-failures@yourdomain.com; pct=100" - "p=quarantine" or "p=reject" specifies whether to quarantine or reject unauthorized emails. - "rua" and "ruf" are email addresses for aggregate and failure reports, respectively. - "pct=100" means the policy applies to 100% of your emails. - **Verification**: Use DMARC report tools like [DMARCian](https://dmarcian.com/) to monitor compliance and effectiveness. - **BIMI: Brand Indicators for Message Identification**: BIMI is a new standard that allows you to display your brand's logo next to your email in the inbox. It reinforces brand identity and boosts credibility. - **Steps to Configure BIMI**: - Create a BIMI-compliant SVG file of your logo. - Verify that DMARC is set to "p=reject". - Add a TXT record to your DNS with the following format: "default.\_bimi..com" with the value "v=BIMI1; l=;". - **Verification**: BIMI is still being adopted by email clients, but [BIMI Group's Website](https://bimigroup.org/) has more information and resources. - Another [BIMI testing tool is Valimail](https://www.valimail.com/domain-checker/). - **TLS/SSL: Transport Layer Security / Secure Sockets Layer**: TLS/SSL encrypts emails in transit, protecting sensitive information from interception. - **Steps to Enable TLS/SSL**: - Work with your email provider to ensure TLS/SSL is enabled on all outgoing emails. - Ensure your SMTP server supports TLS/SSL. - **Verification**: Use services like [CheckTLS](https://www.checktls.com/) to test if emails from your domain are encrypted in transit. - **ARC: Authenticated Received Chain**: ARC helps preserve the authentication results across multiple hops in the email path, helping legitimate emails avoid being marked as spam. - **Steps to Implement ARC**: ARC is typically managed by your email service provider. Check with them to see if they support ARC and enable it on your domain. - **Verification**: Use Google Postmaster Tools to monitor ARC results. - **Shared vs. Dedicated IP Addresses** - **Shared IPs**: If you use a shared IP, your sending reputation can be affected by other senders using the same IP. - **Dedicated IPs**: A dedicated IP provides control over your sending reputation but may require warming up to establish credibility with ISPs. - **Recommendation**: For higher volume senders, consider a dedicated IP. Work with your email provider to discuss the best option for your needs. - **Marking Bulk Emails and Adding One-Click Unsubscribe** - **Marking Bulk Emails**: Add the “Precedence: bulk” header to indicate to email clients that the email is part of a bulk send. - **One-Click Unsubscribe**: Simplify unsubscribe links by adding a one-click option to comply with CAN-SPAM and improve user experience. - **Setting Up Standard Email Addresses: abuse@, postmaster@, hostmaster@**: Setting up standard email addresses like "abuse@yourdomain.com", "postmaster@yourdomain.com", and "hostmaster@yourdomain.com" signals legitimacy to ISPs. - **Steps**: - Set up these addresses and ensure they are actively monitored. Many email providers and ISPs look for these as a sign of a legitimate domain. - **Google Postmaster Tools**: Google Postmaster Tools provide insights into how Gmail recipients interact with your emails. - **How to Set Up**: - Go to [Google Postmaster Tools](https://postmaster.google.com/), verify your domain, and view data on email performance, spam rates, and reputation. - **Unsubscribe Hard Bounces**: Remove hard-bounced email addresses from your lists to improve deliverability and maintain a good sender reputation. - **How to Unsubscribe Hard Bounces**: - Set up automatic suppression of hard-bounced addresses or use your email marketing platform's bounce management features. - **Regular Monitoring of Email Blacklists**: Being listed on a blacklist can severely impact deliverability. Regularly check if your domain or IP is blacklisted. - **How to Check**: - Use tools like [MXToolbox Blacklist Check](https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx) or [Spamhaus](https://www.spamhaus.org/) to check your status. - If you're blacklisted, follow the removal process on the specific blacklist provider's website. - **Using Tools to Verify Email Setup**: Ensure your email setup is correct by using various verification tools: - [**MXToolbox**](https://mxtoolbox.com/): for checking MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. - [**CheckTLS**](https://www.checktls.com/): for TLS verification. - [**DMARCian**](https://dmarcian.com/): for DMARC and BIMI insights. - Test your spam score to see if you'll hit the Inbox, Promotions, Spam, or Junk Mail folders - [**MailTester**](https://www.mail-tester.com/): for overall deliverability and spam score. - [**MailGenius**](https://www.mailgenius.com/): another great tool for testing your email spam score ## Final Thoughts on Email Deliverability Setting up email correctly and maintaining a good sender reputation requires a comprehensive approach. By implementing these best practices and monitoring your email health, you can significantly improve your chances of reaching your recipients' inboxes every time. While it may take time and effort to set everything up properly, the payoff in terms of improved deliverability and customer trust is well worth it. For a seamless and efficient email setup, consider working with experts who specialize in email configuration and deliverability. Proper email setup not only enhances your communication but also strengthens your brand's credibility and trust with your audience. ## Further Reading Read the blog article [Help Me Avoid The Spam Folder](https://www.fawkesdm.com/Blog/Details/avoid-the-spam-folder) to avoid the most common spam words in your emails. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Difference-Between-OnPage-versus-OffPage-SEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Difference-Between-OnPage-versus-OffPage-SEO/ Depending upon who you talk to you will find that there is a true divide when it comes to on-page versus off-page search engine optimization (SEO). We are one's where we actually fall right squarely in the middle and we feel that both are equally important to your overall search engine strategy if you want to reach page one results on the search engines. ## On-Page SEO On-Page SEO is a science of balancing your site design, with content, and the overall ease of use within your website. It is commonly said that if you do on-page SEO you are 70% there to being fully SEO optimized. This is where people believe on-page SEO is the most critical aspect of search engine optimization. We disagree as if you worry solely about on-page SEO you end up with the equivalent of a "C". That is not a shabby grade but why not take that extra effort and get an "A" and rock your SEO? The sites that do both are the ones that routinely show up on page 1 of the search engine result pages or SERP. The best part to us regarding on-page SEO is that it is 100% in your control. Some of the core aspects of on-page SEO consists of: - Title Tags - Page Descriptions - Keywords - Headings (H1 in particular) - Metadata - Structured Data - Site Architecture, URL, or Site Structure - Alternate Text for Images - Page Speed - Site Security or SSL - Page Content - Frequency of Page Updates (Blogs are great for frequent updates) - Linking to other pages internally - Site Maps - Use of rel="canonical" - Use of rel="nofollow" on links - Robots.txt file - Quality HTML and CSS Code ## Off-Page SEO Off-Page SEO focuses on actual trust when it comes to your website and the pages within your website. Off-page SEO are all elements that are off of your website that work to get people to visit your website. Off-page SEO has nothing to do with the content of your website, although that is extremely important. Rather you need to focus on building quality links to drive more traffic to your site. With off-page SEO there are several factors that can influence your ranking and they are: - "Page Authority" or PA - "Domain Authority" or DA - Quality inbound links to your site from credible sources (referred to as backlinks) - Social media pages that link back to your site - Video from sources like Vimeo and YouTube - Forum postings that link back - Directory submissions - Blogging on external sites that link back to your site (this is where the rise of guest posting truly came to life) ## Conclusion You can see from above doing just one of the items can only get you so far. Doing both will give you not only the best results but also give you the best chance of being on page one for the keyword phrases that you want to be found under within the search engines. Expect to spend 1-4 hours per month to properly keep your information updated for a website that is 15-pages or less to the latest search engine standards. Also you should spend 1-8 hours per month (minimum) to stay on top of the latest search engine best practices so that you do only the recommended techniques. If you find that you want to spend your time running and growing your business rather than living and updating your online employee (e.g. your website) we have maintenance packages strictly for SEO that are at a price point every growing small business can afford. Other packages are available that build on the SEO package for only a few dollars more to also include your social media sites as part of handling, promoting and curating content. You can see all of the [options for our maintenance packages here](/Services/MaintenancePlans/). If you would like to discuss you can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Differences-between-SSL-TLS-and-HTTPS/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Differences-between-SSL-TLS-and-HTTPS/ We are routinely (multiple times per week) creating Digicert SSL certificates for our clients in Northwest Alabama and outside of Alabama. We are often asked what is the difference between SSL, TLS, and HTTPS. In this article we are going to do a very high-level explanation so that everyone can easily understand what this very important security is. ## What is SSL, TLS, and HTTPS (Super high level) Are methods of securely transmitting information across the Internet. The information is encoded in a manner that makes it hard to understand unless you are the intended recipient. We say hard as there is no system that cannot be compromised given enough time and energy. ## Secure Sockets Layer or SSL SSL was initial coined by the inventors of the first versions of the protocol, Netscape. Netscape was later bought out by American Online (AOL). This gives you an indication of the age of this encryption method as it was around in the birth of the Internet when it became publically available. ## HTTPS or HTTP-within-SSL/TLS HTTPS is intended to mean is supposed to mean "HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure". Most people when they think of HTTPS will think of standard HTTP traffic encrypted with SSL (or TLS). Only in the last several years have people started to full encrypt traffic using HTTPS. Previously only when credit cards or login pages were being used was HTTPS implemented. ## Transport Layer Security or TLS TLS is the new name for SSL. You will often hear SSL, HTTPS, and TLS used interchangeably. Although this does happen the key to make certain is the encryption method your website uses needs to be TLS. ## Conclusion Make certain your website is capable of having an https:// connection. You may still support standard http:// connections but this is slowly changing where all communication is encrypted with the "S". With every client that we host their website for we provide TLS for every client using Digicert certificates which is extremely secure and has had no vulnerabilities found in its encryption process. To learn more about how we can help secure your website not just with encryption but updates and maintaining a 24x7 monitoring process on your site give JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman Alabama a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/difference-seo-geo-ai-seo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/difference-seo-geo-ai-seo/ Search has changed more in the last few years than it did in the previous two decades. What once revolved around keywords and backlinks now involves artificial intelligence, intent modeling, and generative search engines. Terms like **SEO**, **GEO**, and **AI SEO** are being used everywhere — often interchangeably — but they are not the same thing. Understanding the difference is critical if you want your business to remain visible, competitive, and relevant in the modern search landscape. ## What Is SEO (Search Engine Optimization)? **SEO (Search Engine Optimization)** is the practice of improving a website's visibility in traditional search engines like Google and Bing. Its goal is simple: Help your website rank higher when users search for relevant terms. ### Core Elements of Traditional SEO - Keyword research and optimization - On-page SEO (titles, meta descriptions, headings) - Technical SEO (site speed, mobile optimization, indexing) - Content creation and optimization - Backlinks and authority building SEO focuses on ranking web pages in **search engine results pages (SERPs)**. It answers the question: > “How do I get my website to appear higher in Google search results?” SEO is still essential — but it's no longer enough on its own. ## What Is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)?**GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)** is the practice of optimizing content so it can be understood, selected, and cited by **AI-driven search engines and generative tools**. ### These include - Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) - ChatGPT - Bing Copilot - Perplexity - Voice assistants like Siri and Alexa Unlike traditional SEO, GEO focuses on how **AI systems interpret, summarize, and reference information**, not just how pages rank. ### GEO Focuses On - Clear, structured explanations - Entity relationships (people, brands, services, locations) - Accurate, authoritative information - Context and meaning, not just keywords - Content that answers questions directly GEO asks a different question than SEO: > “How can my content be understood, trusted, and reused by AI systems?” ## What Is AI SEO? **AI SEO** is the bridge between traditional SEO and GEO. It refers to using **artificial intelligence tools and insights** to: - Research keywords and topics - Analyze search intent - Create and optimize content - Improve technical SEO - Predict trends and performance AI SEO is not about letting AI write everything automatically. It's about **using AI to enhance human strategy**. ### Examples of AI SEO in Practice - Using AI to identify content gaps and opportunities - Optimizing content based on search intent clusters - Improving readability and structure using NLP insights - Updating older content based on performance trends - Generating schema and structured data more efficiently AI SEO is how marketers scale quality, not replace it. ## Key Differences at a Glance | Aspect | SEO | GEO | AI SEO | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Primary Focus | Search engine rankings | AI understanding & citations | Intelligent optimization | | Main Goal | Rank in SERPs | Be referenced by AI | Improve performance using AI | | Driven By | Keywords & links | Context & entities | Data & machine learning | | Output | Search listings | AI-generated answers | Optimized content strategy | | Role of AI | Minimal | Central | Foundational | ## Why These Differences Matter Search is no longer just about being “found.” It's about being **chosen** — by both users and machines. If your content: - Isn't structured clearly - Doesn't demonstrate expertise - Lacks context or depth AI systems may ignore it entirely, even if it once ranked well. Businesses that understand and apply SEO, GEO, and AI SEO together will: - Appear in traditional search results - Be cited in AI-generated answers - Build long-term digital authority ## The Future of Search Is Hybrid Search is no longer just about keywords or backlinks. It's about **understanding, trust, and relevance at scale**. The future belongs to brands that: - Write for humans, not algorithms - Structure content for machines - Use AI as a strategic tool, not a shortcut SEO brings visibility. GEO brings credibility. AI SEO brings scalability. Together, they form the foundation of modern search success. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/DigitalWorldNegativity/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/DigitalWorldNegativity/ Saturday we sat down for several hours with a current client of ours discussing their plans for their business. This included their website, search engines and social media. Each topic was deep and insightful to say the least. One of the topics that came up that we felt could benefit everyone was how to properly handle **negative comments or feedback** from customers in social media. Although this will not cover everything we talked about it will be a great foundation for any company whether you are just starting in the realm of social media or have been at it for some time. Many companies not yet on social media may be avoiding it to avoid such negative criticism. The problem with this approach is that you have no voice to counter the negative criticism. With many social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Urban Spoon, Google+ to name just a few you will find that people are already talking about your brand. These online conversations can be positive or negative and if you avoid being online the only person you are hurting is yourself (aka your brand). With so many places to cover for feedback the question is where to dedicate your efforts. Many who see negative comments or feedback want to immediately delete those comments from existence. Although this can work to some degree what you are doing is showing the person that made the comment that you don't except criticism, are not open to change, will aggravate the commenter, or move the conversation elsewhere that you might not be aware of which could hurt your brand. By deleting things on the internet is an illusion anyway, and will bring into question your integrity to not only the complainer, but all your followers. Do block users who abuse the site, and remove inappropriate comments (i.e., racist, derogatory, pornographic, etc.), ones that are too far off-topic. By taking the time to take care of each negative comment or feedback you are making your brand better and showing to the customer that their opinion truly does matter to you. Firstly, according to a study done by [The Retail Consumer Report in 2012 states](http://www.rightnow.com/files/Retail-Consumer-Report.pdf) that **68% of consumers that posted a complaint or a negative comment** on social networking sites about their negative experiences, got a response from the retailer. From that, **18% of them turned into loyal customers and bought even more**. If you think that is all, you're wrong. **33% of them turned around and posted a positive review** after that, and **34% of them deleted their negative review that they had left earlier**. This shows that, *if handled properly*, negative feedback can indeed be a powerful tool to gain loyalty from your customers and enhancing, not only their experience with your brand, but also the experience of other customers who view your brand's online persona – since they would be reading some of the positive reviews that the returning 33% had posted. One key factor we always note is you cannot make everyone happy. We all wish this was not the case but we can't. As such, we can work on making those that are unhappy into happier customers. In doing so we are also showing other customers, as well as potential customers, that we truly do care about them and genuinely want to see them have a positive experience with our brand. Based on that our core customers are, and always will be, small to mid-size businesses **gaining loyal customers is extremely important**! With that the question is, how you should respond to negative feedbacks? 1. **Respond as fast as possible or when you can**: According to a [study (yes another one) 25% of customers expect a response within an hour](http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/ebusiness/229000566), and 6% expect a response within 10 minutes. Having said that, how fast you respond depends upon the industry your business is in. The longer you leave a negative comment without responding to it the worse that comment becomes as it shows you don't care. 2. **Respond offline**: Many times a comment needs to be addressed offline (e.g. a phone call, email, etc.) from the social media network. When you have to do this don't forget to answer the call online as well. Post on the negative comment or feedback that you appreciate their information and you will be getting in contact with them shortly. With shortly being don't wait. Pick up the phone, send that email, etc. to them so that you can diffuse the situation and turn this negative into a positive. By taking the information offline you will also learn a lot more details and facts from the customer of the situation and circumstances for their comment. If you have no way of getting a hold of the person, being it is anonymous, you can always put in your reply that you would like to learn more from them and to "please e-mail me at XYZ or call at XYZ to discuss the manner further". 3. **Be Patient and Understanding**: In dealing with upset customers, you must remember that you are closer to your industry, products and services than they are. What may seem like basic, common knowledge to you is often foreign to the end user. Take a step back and put yourself in your customer's shoes. This can go a long way in understanding why he or she is frustrated. It may not be your company's fault that the customer is upset. Whether or not the fault lies on your end, a simple apology will go a long way in keeping the customer's business. Instead of trying to figure out where the blame lies, turn upset fans into loyal customers by making their experience better. 4. **Don't follow the script all the time**: I just hate it when social media managers or the person behind the brands follows a script. If you don't know, most customer representative online or offline have a script to follow depending on what customers say on social media sites. Follow a guideline and not a script. Be different, honest and sincere in how you respond to each comment or criticism. Be **HUMAN**. 5. **Give customers more information**: I remember seeking help via social media and I receive a "we're sorry about your experience" response without any help and the brand gave the same response to others as well. Remember don't follow the script earlier? Despite them responding quickly, they did not answer my question or solve my problems, and I had to comment again. Having said that, it's not only important to respond quick but also how you respond that matters. 6. **Have a separate email or contact**: It's frustrating when you tried emailing customer service without any help, and when you reach out to them via Facebook or any other social networking sites, they tend to give you the same exact email contact. In my opinion, the better choice would be to have a separate email address for Facebook IF email is need. Another alternative would be to reach out to them by sending them a message on Facebook so that you can get more information. 7. **Be honest and transparent**: Don't try to hide or give any excuses; instead be upfront with your customers and apologize and admit that it's your fault if it is. Having said so, if you don't have an explanation, apologize to your customers and let them know that you will work on correcting the problem so that it will never happen again. 8. **Don't take it personally**: Last but not least, don't take negative comments as personal attacks. Instead, take them as feedbacks as you're able to see things from a customer's point of view. However, if you feel that the customers could be wrong, you could try to defend yourself in a polite way. 9. **Thank Them!** It may seem counterintuitive to thank someone for a negative comment. People want to know that there words have been heard, that actions are being taken to correct the situation and that you truly do appreciate them. 10. **Track your complaints**: Although not part of handling a problem is keep track of a negative comment or feedback. This allows you to see trends that may need more attention than you might realize. The customer is taking extra effort out of their day to inform you of something that is concerning them. This shows ultimately that they *care enough* to let you know. These are the perfect customers to help you build your brand. Turn this feedback into the silver lining that it is and thank them and turn them into an ambassador of your brand. We have talked a lot about how to handle criticism in this post. One key item that we didn't cover, and please don't neglect them, are the positive comments and feedback that people post. A "thank you" can go a long way to further strengthening your brand and let those that follow you know that there information is important to you. Part of what JM2 Webdesigners does, and for customers, is assist them in their **Digital Marketing**. Many companies do it all for you so that you don't have to worry about anything as the internet is *scary*. We don't believe in this philosophy as we want you to be the best that you can be while using the expertise that we can provide to you! This could seem counterproductive for us to make a ton of money but we believe that you are the best ambassador of your brand and it is our goal to help make your brand the best it can be. Although we do a great job at it we cannot answer every comment, positive or negative, a customer posts onto social media. We believe in a lifelong working relationship where we continue to help educate you, make certain that your brands online presence is handled professionally, and that no stone is left unturned to help build your brand. To learn more about what we can offer please look around our website or [contact us through our online form and we will get back with you](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/DistinguishingYourEntrepreneurialBusiness/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/DistinguishingYourEntrepreneurialBusiness/ As an entrepreneurial company, we know that we have to know our stuff and be experts in our field. Your competition obviously knows there stuff, as that is why they are your competition. Being “as good” as them is not a distinguishing factor that you want to be known as. You need to strive to be better than they are as if you are the same then there is a good chance one of you will not be growing, as you want. With business there are always distinguishing marks for companies. Key areas that you need to know are: - **Your** product - **Your** market - **Your** positioning - **Your** competition - **Your** message Knowing the above is the start of your online success. You learn this daily by studying everything that you can. You will be curious about new things, seek knowledge and advice from others in and out of your field of expertise. You will question what you have learned and learn from this information. You will notice that the key areas to know did not list your website as something you should know. This was not an accidental omission. Your website is very important to the success of your business. You need to make certain it conveys your business, as you want. The key here is you cannot know your website until you know the items above. You then need to decide do I want to take the time to do your website and online marketing yourself or use specialized experts for each aspect of your online endeavor. You may have a Facebook, or other social media page, and feel you are golden and if you are lucky are already drawing prospects and new clients from that. Many will stop at the social engagement level as they have customers coming in. Your website is much more than just a website. It is your key difference between you and your competition. Ever business can have a Facebook or other social media page. They cannot have your webpage. Your webpage will highlight your product, target the markets that you want, position your business for continual success, outline why your customers should choose you over your competition and provide your message in a way that you want in the format that you want it to be. You need to consider your website as a part of the team. We always talk about your website as an employee and that will always be true as your website works for you 24x7x365 for you. A well-crafted website will inform of what you offer. Many websites do not generate instant sales. They are more informational and pushing sales onto your prospects and current customers. This does not mean your website is not working for you as part of the “team” as it is not generating instant sales for you. In fact, a website that informs continuously, and honestly, about your business you will find does as much good for your bottom line as a sales person as your website highlights who you are without being pushy. A team is one that works together harmoniously toward the overall success of the organization. Every member of the team is equally important to the success of the business. ## In Conclusion By knowing your business, have clearly defined objectives your business is more likely to be a success. Knowing that your website is a member of your team and treating it as a member of the team, you are distinguishing your business as a clear leader. We are experts in our field of website design, custom application programming and search engine optimization (SEO). We would love to hear from you to help your business be the best that it can be. You can reach us at support@FawkesDM.com or toll free at 855-4JM2NOW (256-258-8593). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Doing-Business-Differently/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Doing-Business-Differently/ We are often asked how we can provide the services that we do for the prices that we do them for. We could go on for quite some time on this subject as it is dear to our hearts. Instead we are going to list the first ten items that come to us within five minutes as we feel that give you a good indication of who we are. 1. We live beneath our means. This means rather than buying the most expensive and cool items we stick with more mature items that have been tested over time. We do purchase our trade tools (e.g. software to be the newest and best). 2. Family. We believe every client is part of our family. We feel vested in them and appreciate their confidence in us to help their business grow. We take pride and ownership of everything we do for our clients. We become part of their organization and we know that our success is because of them. 3. We look for opportunities in everything we do. If we see something within our grasp that we feel we can offer and aligns with what we provide to our clients we add it. If the item is outside of our core beliefs and we feel it does provide value, we look for experts in that field that can provide that capability. As an example of this is we have the technical expertise for drone photography which is really popular. We felt this was a great value add for us but something we felt we should leave to others. We have aligned with some great experts who have the tools and expertise to do the job for our clients. 4. When we see a capability to add to our monthly maintenance plans we add them to provide even more value to our clients that have taken faith in us in helping their businesses grow. Our maintenance plans are already the best when compared to anyone in Northwest Alabama and the entire United States. We will always continue to look for ways to further increase the value. 5. We give our expertise to many organizations like Our Greater Good, Merry Meals, Veteran’s associations, and many more within the communities we serve. 6. We invest in those that want to make them grow with our JM2 Webdesigners Jump Start scholarship at PNC and Ivy Tech Universities and have done so before we even made a single sale knowing that our future is dependent upon our investment in community. 7. Every client is given two account representatives so that their needs are always taken care of. We don’t stop there though. If the two support representatives don’t have the expertise they bring in other core team members to help you achieve your objective. 8. We align with Microsoft Azure to handle all of our hardware and align with our core values of security as they provide an entire team of security experts. The Microsoft Azure server infrastructure is also one of the most environmentally friendly systems out there saving on greenhouse gases while keeping our clients information secure. 9. Free information. We believe in sharing our knowledge. We do this by providing valuable information to every client without requiring them to give us their information for the complete details. Many believe this hurts a business but we have found it builds trust, provides great value, and helps not only our clients but those who soon will be clients. 10. We start each week by evaluating the past week. We look at what we did right, what we could have done better, and look for ways to provide value to our clients without increasing the cost to our clients. ## Conclusion We bring a unique and different perspective to everything that we do. Our owners have always been known as those that do what they feel is best rather than looking at the financial aspects for themselves. Treating clients and employees great is what makes JM2 Webdesigners continue to grow beyond Cullman and Northwest Alabama. If you want to work with a company that truly will help your organization online give JM2 Webdesigners a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [contact us through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Doing-the-same-old-thing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Doing-the-same-old-thing/ We often want change in our lives and continue to live in our comfort zone. In the past four months I have pushed myself harder to be outside of my comfort zone and it's taught me some very valuable lessons that many would've said "duh" to. We all learn and grow at our own pace. A pace that we set for ourselves and one that allows us to become better at a pace that works for us. Often things in life don't become clear until you look back and have that 20/20 hindsight vision. This looking back teaches us a lot about the path we have chosen over the weeks, months, and years before depending on how far back you look. Over the past four years I had done what industry best practices have told me to do. You need to dress like everyone else, act like everyone else, and say the same thing everyone else does. What line of CRAP is that? Am I a lemming or is what I am creating unique, different, and getting people to talk? These are the questions I started to ask myself on a daily basis. During the past months we have added English writers so I don't have to. It is not my strength and I truly didn't enjoy it. It is a strength they possessed. We have social media experts, graphic designers, sales people, customer service members, photographers, and videographers who are each expert in their field. It has been since we started to add these experts that our customers growth has truly taken off to a new level that we couldn't have reached otherwise. I learned that my strength is writing software while being different than everyone else. I learned that I truly need to be ME and not something I am not. It has been with this change that I actually started growing as a person, the businesses we work with started growing faster than they were before, and most importantly I started being happier with the direction my life is having. I achieved this with many changes in my life. A few of these are: - **Stop being something you are not**. We ALL are unique individuals which is a strength and not a weakness. Don't sell yourself short. - *Lesson Learned*: People want authenticate (they want to deal with REAL people) - **Think differently**. If "everyone" is doing X why should you? If X is the only way then yes doing X makes sense. Marketing is about not only standing out but being talked about afterward as well. This is where I have truly started to shine. As a most basic level a blog we used to write 4-5 per week at 2,000+ words. Now I write 1-2 blogs per week (sometimes more, sometimes less) and now are between 600-1,000 words. This change makes for faster reads but has also doubled our sales. That's crazy being shorter, more real, and you get more sales. - *Lesson Learned*: People's time is limited. Don't waste it! - **Negative Nancy's**. Sorry for anyone named Nancy (and one of our awesome content writers!). There are regretfully a lot of people that talk down people. I personally doubt they are ever intentional but for many they do so due to insecurities or trying to convince others about something. - *Lesson Learned*: No matter how positive you are you cannot change them. They are the way they are by their choice. It is their "personal brand". Ignore them and let them fail on their own as the truth always comes to light. - **Honesty**. Okay, we already have had this but it is worth mentioning. For many honesty, is a hard thing to do. It took me years before it became my core. It was and has always been being honest that allows us to help businesses grow. - *Lesson Learned*: Don't change everything! Stick to your core values. You cannot change everything around you. The one thing you can change is yourself. It takes a desire and commitment unlike no other. When you change and it is a real change people will start to flock to you. Being authenticate in every action of your life will turn you into the best person that you can possibly be. I love myself more every day by being who I am and our customers have all grown when we stopped doing traditional marketing for them (unless their brand needs traditional marketing). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/dominate-with-geo-seo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/dominate-with-geo-seo/ ### What Are SEO and GEO—and Why Do They Matter? For years, traditional **Search Engine Optimization (SEO)** meant climbing Google’s “10 blue links” to capture clicks from people searching for products or services. But today, consumers increasingly rely on **Generative AI search**—ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google’s own AI Overviews—when making buying decisions. **Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)** is the strategy of shaping how these AI systems *describe and recommend* your business. Where SEO won the click, GEO wins the *conversation*. *** ## Local GEO Pages: Your New Competitive Edge A **Local GEO page** is a dedicated, hyper-specific landing page targeting a single city, neighborhood, or service area. Think “Plumbing Services – Austin, TX” or “Best Italian Restaurant in Downtown Chicago.” When crafted correctly, these pages: 1. **Dominate Local Search & AI Results** - Appear in Google Maps, Local Pack, and AI Overviews. - Feed accurate, structured data to chatbots and LLMs so they confidently recommend you. 2. **Convert High-Intent Customers** - Local visitors searching “near me” are ready to buy. - Pages with localized offers, testimonials, and contact info drive calls and foot traffic. 3. **Strengthen Brand Consistency Across AI Systems** - Each well-structured page reinforces a clear narrative about your business for generative engines. *** ## Essential Elements of a High-Performing Local GEO Page To rank in both search and AI, each page should include: - **Localized Content & Keywords** – City/service names in titles, headers, and body text. - **NAP Consistency** – Exact Name, Address, and Phone across site, Google Business Profile, and citations. - **Schema Markup** – Structured data (LocalBusiness, FAQ, Review) that AI can parse. - **Unique Value** – Real testimonials, local case studies, and community involvement. - **Fast, Mobile-First Design** – Core Web Vitals and responsive layout for instant loading. - **Engaging Visuals & CTAs** – Maps, photos, and clear calls to call, click, or visit. *** ## Why Businesses Need Local GEO Pages Now Generative engines **learn early and remember long**. The brands they trust today will dominate tomorrow’s recommendations. Waiting means: - Missed “near me” leads. - Incorrect or outdated AI descriptions of your services. - Higher costs to correct or outrank entrenched competitors later. *** ## Fawkes Digital Marketing: Your Local GEO Specialists Fawkes Digital Marketing combines proven **Local SEO** expertise with cutting-edge **GEO strategy**: - **Custom Local GEO Page Design** – High-converting layouts for each target market. - **Structured Data & Technical SEO** – Ensuring AI crawlers and search engines read every detail. - **Citation & Review Management** – Building authoritative local signals across the web. - **Performance Tracking** – Analytics and reporting for both traditional search and chatbot visibility. Our team handles everything—from research to content creation—so your business shows up first when customers (or AI assistants) are deciding where to spend. *** ### The Bottom Line Local GEO pages are no longer “nice to have.” They are the bridge between classic SEO and the AI-driven future of search. Partner with **Fawkes Digital Marketing** to secure your place in both today’s Google results and tomorrow’s AI conversations. [](/contact/)[Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing](https://www.fawkesdm.com/) to start your Local GEO strategy now. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Do-NOT-RUIN-your-Social-Presence/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Do-NOT-RUIN-your-Social-Presence/ On my way from the office this afternoon I received an email from a client wanting to BUY fans in hopes of making more money. The email they received during the middle of the night promised to do just that. It will NOT. It will hurt you long term, hurt your running contests and marketing campaigns down the road. The only purpose of buying fans is to boost your EGO that you have a ton of fans. That is it. Your engagement in your social feeds will drop, your page views will go down, and reach less people each week. You will notice most of these "great accounts" are from either hacked accounts, are fake accounts, or from places that you would never do business (e.g. India, Africa, etc.). We've done a lot of cleanup for new clients (typically more than what these lists cost). It is better to have a hundred fans that will buy your products and services than 5,000+ that will do nothing for you. The best thing you can do for your social media is promote it to your current customers, ask for it to be shared, be true to yourself (and your business), and most importantly provide value to your customers. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/DoYouKnowAnalytics/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/DoYouKnowAnalytics/ Many companies will tell you what pages are being used on your website and that is a great start for any analysis of your web pages. With JM2 Webdesigners we take that information to the next level by letting you see not only where people are clicking, where they are scrolling but actually playback their sessions as if you were watching them. There are many solutions out there that will give you heat maps like our solution. Our solution provides you with these great features. - **Live Online Chat** - With live browser view to see what pages a user is on - **Screen Recordings** - Visually see in real-time how your website was used for a given session - **Online Polls** - Gain critical insights from your customers - **Form Analytics** - See how the forms on your website are converting - **Heat Maps** - Two heat maps are shown below. There are four in all - **Conversion Funnels** - Conversion Funnels let you quickly see where people abandon a process on your website such as checking out or creating an account ![Heat Map Mouse Movement](/Images/Content/Blog/heatMapMouse.jpg) ## Mouse (Eye) Movement When a user moves their mouse it is accepted that this is where the users eye is looking as they follow the mouse on the screen. The brighter the color shows where the mouse has moved while users were interacting with your website. ## Scroll Depth Long pages can be good for providing a lot of information. Many users don’t always scroll to the bottom of a website even though we wish they would. How many people read the information at the bottom of your page? With our scroll depth heat map, we can provide you the information to assist in moving content up that you want more people to see. ![Heat Map Scroll Depth](/Images/Content/Blog/heatMapScrollDepth.jpg) There are many programs out there that can give you some of the insights that we provide. Our solution takes your customer service to the next level of effectiveness. With our solution you have have options. The solution yourself and you maintain it or you can use our team to provide real-time support. Whether the support is during regular business hours or even after hours. Our team is committed to helping your business grow. ## Conclusion Growing up I always heard that "knowing is half the battle". Well, today with the use of Google Analytics and our solution you can know the other half and proivide some truly great customer service. It is one item to have a website for your customers. It is a completely different item to provide a solution to assist your customers. JM2 Webdesigners of Northwest Alabama is committed to not only building truly great website but providing a value and service to your customers through your website is where your service can shine. To learn more about how our Cullman (Valpo) Alabama office can provide a great customer service for you [contact us through our online form here](/Contact/), [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or call us at 256-258-8593 and see how together we can take your customer service to a new level. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Do-you-NAP/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Do-you-NAP/ No, we are not talking about taking a nap. Those are great in certain situations. We are referring of NAP when it comes to your search engine optimization efforts or SEO. NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. This information is critical for SEO to be effective and accurate. With a proper NAP setup, every search engine and wherever your customer goes will have a consistent experience on finding your business online. In this article, we will cover the core steps of NAP and why it is critical for your business to rank well on the search engines. ## Breakdown of NAP We're going to start off by covering how to have uniformed consistency to help drive leads to your business. Driving potential customers to your website is the first step to gathering information about your visitors and to start the sales process. ### Name This may seem like a simple thing to do. Say you are a lawyer and you are known as "Tom, Dick and Harry Trial Lawyers". This could seem very simple for the name and something that you don’t put much thought in. The problem is consistency. Below we have several examples that could be used for our fictitious company. - Tom, Dick, and Harry Trial Lawyers - Tom, Dick, & Harry Trial Lawyers - Tom, Dick, and Harry Trial Lawyers, Inc. - TDH Trial Lawyers - TDH Lawyers - TDH You can see from the above all the examples still cover the name in some way but we lost the consistency. Now imagine your website uses one way, your social media another, Yellow Pages another, and other sites use a variety of those. You are diluting your brand and adding confusion to the search engines. Decide on a standard and stick to it and make certain it is the same across all the pages. ### Address Like our business name above we must think about the overall consistency of our address. If our address is “123 Mocking Bird Lane in Merrillville Alabama” we can envision that we could have the following addresses (we will use one line in our example but also think about a two-line address as well): - 123 Mocking Bird Lane, Merrillville, IN - 123 Mocking Bird Lane, Merrillville, IN 46410 - 123 Mocking Bird Lane, Merrillville, IN 46410-xxxx (with the 4-digit extension) - 123 Mocking Bird Lane, Merrillville, Alabama 46410 - 123 Mockingbird Lane, Merrillville, Alabama - 123 Mockingbird, Merrillville Like our name our address can be even more diluted to all the potential variations and combinations. Decide on one and stick with it. We will routinely be looking at Google Maps first to see if we need a North, South, East, or West in our address. Often there are East and West parts of a road and can be miles apart adding confusing to people trying to find your business. ### Phone Number Okay the phone number will be the simplest, right? Not necessarily. We see phone numbers in many ways. These are: - 256-258-8593 - (855) 456-2669 - 1-256-258-8593 - 1 (855) 456-2669 - Toll Free 8554562669 Phone numbers are often one of the largest areas we see being inconsistent. The first two are often the most consistent we see for our United States customers. ## DNI Tracking Number Problems We have done Dynamic Number Insertion or DNI for several clients due to their corporate requirements. We personally do not recommend DNI due to the potential risks that it can lead to. DNI uses a JavaScript program on your website to insert different phone numbers, rather than your primary business phone number, onto your website. This script looks at where the user came from and sets the phone number accordingly. This is used so that you can track where sources of leads are coming from. Depending on your implementation this can cause severe problems for your NAP. There are many DNI solutions out there that do not take NAP into account and can lower your SEO results. This is counterproductive from what you are trying to achieve. Do your research prior to implementing a DNI solution and weight the risk this provides. If you do DNI and later find out it has hurt your business rankings you can clean it up. You just must be prepared that it will take a lot of time and effort. So, if you have done DNI in the past and see that it is not doing what you hoped for you can fix it. ## Citations First, we talk about naps and now we are leading to speeding tickets? No, not really. A citation when it comes to SEO is a good thing to have. A citation is when someone mentions your business on their website. A basic citation can be someone mentioning your business name with no link. A citation is always better when a link to your website is included, your address, phone number, or other identifying information is used. Many times, we have seen that having just your phone number. Perfect examples of valid citations are: - Company Name by itself - Company name and phone number - Company name, phone number, and address - Company name, phone number, address, and link to your website Like our NAP above and if we have the capability of controlling or offering advice on a citation (many times you don’t) you should try to get your citations to match your branding standard. ## Now that you know Now that you are aware of and know about NAP, the core benefits it offers to your business, and why consistency is important the next step is to make your information correct on your website, social media, and every local business directory your business is listed on. If the above seems like a daunting and endless task finding a team, like JM2 Webdesigners, can greatly help with NAP, local SEO and standard SEO. We have an entire department dedicated to the art of SEO and helping get your business name out to those that are looking for the products and services that you offer. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/do-you-post-too-much/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/do-you-post-too-much/ **“How often should we post?”** Some businesses don’t post at all. Some post once in a while. Others post every single day—sometimes multiple times a day—yet see **no increase in engagement, reach, or leads**. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we see all three scenarios constantly. And the truth is this: 👉 **Posting more does not automatically mean better results.** 👉 **Posting less doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong either.** What matters in 2026 is **intent, consistency, and relevance**, not sheer volume. This pillar article breaks down: - What “posting too much” really means - Why overposting can hurt engagement - The ideal posting frequency by platform in 2026 - The types of posts that actually drive interaction and growth - How to build a sustainable social media rhythm that works ## The Three Posting Mistakes Businesses Make ### Not Posting at All This is more common than people admit. Businesses stop posting because: - They don’t see immediate results - They “run out of ideas” - They don’t know what’s working - They’re too busy running the business The result? No visibility. No momentum. No signal to users—or algorithms—that your brand is active. ### Posting Too Little Inconsistent posting creates mixed signals. You might post: - Once this week - Nothing next week - Three posts the week after This confuses both: - Your audience (who forgets you) - The platform (which prioritizes consistent creators) Social media algorithms reward **predictability**, not bursts of activity. ### Posting Too Much (With No Engagement) This is the most misunderstood problem. Posting every day—or multiple times per day—**isn’t inherently bad**. The problem arises when: - Engagement stays flat - Likes are limited to employees or friends - Comments don’t increase - Reach doesn’t grow - Posts feel repetitive or sales-heavy At that point, posting more actually **dilutes impact**. ## Why Overposting Can Hurt You In 2026, social platforms prioritize **quality signals**, not volume. Overposting can: - Fatigue your audience - Reduce engagement per post - Train algorithms to deprioritize your content - Make your brand feel noisy instead of valuable If people scroll past your content repeatedly, platforms take notice. ## The Real Goal of Social Media in 2026 Social media is no longer just about: - Likes - Followers - Posting frequency It’s about: - Building familiarity - Creating trust - Encouraging conversation - Reinforcing authority - Supporting the buyer journey That requires **intentional posting**, not constant posting. ## The Ideal Posting Frequency in 2026 (By Platform) ### Facebook **2–4 posts per week** Best for: - Local businesses - Community engagement - Brand updates - Promotions and announcements Facebook favors: - Meaningful interactions - Comments and shares - Content that keeps people on-platform ### Instagram **3–5 posts per week + Stories** Best for: - Visual storytelling - Brand personality - Behind-the-scenes content - Short-form education Stories can be posted more frequently, but feed posts should be **intentional and high-quality**. ### LinkedIn **2–3 posts per week** Best for: - Thought leadership - Industry insights - Business updates - Authority-building content Overposting on LinkedIn often leads to diminishing returns. ### TikTok **3–5 posts per week (minimum)** TikTok rewards: - Authenticity - Education - Personality - Consistency Daily posting can work *if* the content provides value—but quality still wins. ### Google Business Profile **1–2 posts per week** Often overlooked, but incredibly powerful for: - Local SEO - Local trust - Buyer confidence GBP posts reinforce relevance and activity—not virality. ## The Types of Posts That Drive the Most Engagement In 2026, the posts that perform best tend to fall into these categories: ### Educational Content - Tips - Explanations - “Did you know?” posts - Industry insights These position you as helpful and knowledgeable. ### Behind-the-Scenes & Real Stories - Day-to-day operations - Team moments - Real wins and lessons - Client success stories Authenticity consistently outperforms polish. ### Opinion & Thought Leadership - Industry takes - Lessons learned - Trends explained - “Here’s what we’re seeing” People engage with perspectives, not perfection. ### Interactive Content - Questions - Polls - “Which would you choose?” - “Comment your thoughts” Engagement prompts still matter—when they feel natural. ### What Drives the Least Engagement - Constant sales posts - Repetitive promotions - Generic stock graphics - “Buy now” messaging with no context Social media is about conversation, not broadcasting ads. ## Consistency Beats Frequency—Every Time Posting every day doesn’t make you consistent. Posting **intentionally and predictably** does. Consistency means: - Showing up on a schedule - Reinforcing your message - Staying visible without overwhelming - Giving algorithms clear signals It’s better to post **3 strong posts every week** than **7 weak ones**. ## The Fawkes Digital Marketing Rule of Thumb If engagement isn’t increasing: - Posting more won’t fix it - Better content will If engagement is strong: - You can increase frequency gradually - Without sacrificing quality The goal isn’t to post more. The goal is to **post smarter**. ## Final Takeaway: Are You Posting Too Much? You’re not posting too much if: - Engagement is growing - Conversations are happening - Visibility is increasing You *are* posting too much if: - Engagement is flat - Only insiders are liking posts - Content feels forced - Value is missing Social media success in 2026 isn’t about volume. It’s about **value, rhythm, and relevance**. When you get that right, growth follows—without burnout. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Do-your-forms-convert/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Do-your-forms-convert/ When you build a website one item that is rarely thought about is the conversion rate of your online forms. You can see in your Google Analytics or other analytics program that people go to a specific page. But how do they use that page once they are there? Standard analytics products will not give you that valuable information. You are up to guessing and "assuming" what your visitors are doing. With form analytics you can see clearly how long a user is using each individual field of a given field on a form, where they abandon, and how long they are on each individual field. At the start of every month we look at the page and form results of every client that uses our form analytics product. With these analytics we can see how visitors are using each form on a site. This information is truly valuable as it allows us to make adjustments to improve how a form works on each page. ## Abandonment Abandonment issues on a form is one of the worst things that happens to any form. Site users without this knowledge know nothing about why a user is leaving. With form analytics you can determine which field(s) are causing the abandonment. A person reaches your page, starts to fill out the information, and before submitting the form just ups and leaves. This could be there browser crashed, they had a phone call and had to leave, but what happens if it's a specific field that causes everyone to leave? How would you know that information? Is the captcha on your form broken and preventing users from submitting your form after filling out all of that requested information? With this information you can improve your user interface and convert more of your visitors on your site and receive the information and increase the conversion on your website. ![Form Analytcs](/Images/Content/Blog/formAnalytics-850.jpg) ## Time to Start From the time someone enters a page the system is calculating and determining what a user is doing. How long does it take for a visitor to start entering information into the first field on your page. This is valuable information. If your field is at the very top and takes minutes the question you need to ask is why. Is the form low on your page causing someone to read the entire story before they start filling in information? How would you know this informaton if you couldn't dig into the analytics of the form? With the *Time to Start* functionality you can clearly see how long it is taking for each form. ## Field Time Certain fields can be entered quickly, like your name. Other fields can take longer. Do you know how long someone is spending in each field? The time to start covered how long it took to reach each field. The field time takes it up to the next level and tells you how long someone spends in each individual field. ## Order You may have field 1, field 2, field 3, and a submit form button. Are your users going from field 1, to 2, to 3, and then submitting your form or are they using a completely different order? If the order is not user friiendly and users are clicking around to fill out the form it may be time to change the ordering of your fields.Repeat Fields Are certain fields repeatitive that could be eliminated? A repeated field is one that users put the same answer into. Fields that have the same answer may be duplicated questions and may be able to be removed shortening your questions and increasing your form conversion rate. ## Conclusion Form many people a form is just that; a form. To us it is a mechanism to increase your visitor interactions with you and hopefully drive revenue to your bottom line. By looking at the results of each form you can determine where adjustments are needed. A form today may be working like you expect. How is it working six months from now? As we all know the technology of the internet is constantly changing and evolviing. Are you updating your site for your users or just waiting until after you hear enough complaints. By being proactive you can stay more in touch with how your users are using your site and how you can convert more visitors into customers. If this seems overwhelming have no fear (no not the Under Dog quote). We work with you and remove the complexities of the web for you. From our Cullman Alabama office we have a team of dedicated individuals who all have your business success in mind. Let JM2 help you out. You can reach us at 855-456-2660, email us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/drive-and-grow/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/drive-and-grow/ Running and growing a business is no small feat. Entrepreneurs in North Alabama face unique challenges, from navigating local competition to adapting to market changes. Whether you're running a startup in Huntsville, a boutique in Florence, or a service-based business in Decatur, maintaining the motivation to push forward is essential for long-term success. In this blog post, we'll explore strategies to help you stay inspired, overcome obstacles, and keep the momentum alive while growing your North Alabama business. *** ## 1. Revisit Your "Why" ### Why It's Important: Your original motivation for starting your business—your "why"—is the foundation of your passion and drive. Over time, day-to-day stress can cause you to lose sight of this purpose. ### How to Reconnect: - **Reflect on Your Goals:** Why did you start your business? Was it to create financial freedom, solve a problem, or support your family? - **Celebrate Milestones:** Recognize achievements, whether it's landing your first big client or hitting a revenue target. - **Share Your Story:** Remind your customers and employees of your journey. For example, a family-owned restaurant in Huntsville could share its origin story in a social media campaign. *** ## 2. Set Clear, Achievable Goals ### Why It's Important: Unclear or overly ambitious goals can leave you feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Setting realistic objectives helps you track progress and stay focused. ### How to Stay on Track: - **Break It Down:** Divide large goals into smaller, actionable steps. For example, if you want to expand your business to another city, start by researching markets in Florence or Athens. - **Use SMART Goals:** Ensure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. - **Celebrate Progress:** Reward yourself and your team when milestones are achieved. Even small wins can reignite motivation. *** ## 3. Build a Strong Support Network ### Why It's Important: Running a business can feel isolating, but having a network of peers, mentors, or professionals can provide guidance, encouragement, and accountability. ### How to Build One: - **Join Local Business Groups:** North Alabama offers many networking opportunities, such as the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce or Shoals Chamber of Commerce. - **Attend Workshops and Events:** Stay connected by attending small business expos or local entrepreneurial meetups. - **Seek a Mentor:** Find a mentor who has navigated the ups and downs of running a business in Alabama. *** ## 4. Embrace Change and Innovation ### Why It's Important: Markets change, and so do customer needs. Staying stagnant can cause your business to lose relevance, but embracing innovation can fuel growth. ### How to Stay Innovative: - **Invest in Technology:** Whether it's upgrading to a modern POS system or optimizing your website for mobile, small improvements can make a big difference. - **Stay Customer-Centric:** Regularly seek customer feedback through surveys or social media to ensure your offerings align with their needs. - **Experiment with New Marketing Channels:** For instance, if you're a local boutique in Decatur, try text marketing to announce flash sales or exclusive promotions. *** ## 5. Delegate and Empower Your Team ### Why It's Important: Trying to do everything yourself can lead to burnout. Delegating tasks allows you to focus on what you do best while empowering your team to take ownership. ### How to Delegate Effectively: - **Define Roles Clearly:** Ensure your employees know their responsibilities and have the tools they need to succeed. - **Invest in Training:** Upskilling your team ensures they're equipped to handle more responsibilities, whether it's customer service or marketing. - **Recognize Efforts:** Celebrate employee achievements to keep morale high and foster loyalty. *** ## 6. Focus on Work-Life Balance ### Why It's Important: Burnout is one of the biggest threats to staying motivated as a business owner. Balancing work and personal life helps you maintain the energy to grow your business. ### How to Maintain Balance: - **Set Boundaries:** Establish clear work hours and stick to them. For example, close your office by 6 PM to spend time with family or pursue hobbies. - **Take Breaks:** Regular breaks can improve focus and productivity. Whether it's a short walk around the Huntsville Botanical Garden or a weekend getaway to Lake Guntersville, stepping away can refresh your mindset. - **Delegate Time-Consuming Tasks:** Outsource tasks like bookkeeping or digital marketing to free up your schedule. *** ## 7. Reassess Your Marketing Strategy ### Why It's Important: If your business growth has plateaued, your marketing strategy may need a refresh. A strong marketing plan can bring in new customers and reignite excitement about your business. ### How to Improve Your Marketing: - **Emphasize Local SEO:** Ensure your business ranks well on Google by optimizing your Google Business Profile with accurate location details and regular updates. - **Leverage Social Media:** Engage with North Alabama communities on platforms like Facebook or Instagram. Share updates, promotions, or behind-the-scenes content. - **Run Targeted Campaigns:** Offer discounts or exclusive deals tailored to local customers, like "10% off for Huntsville residents." *** ## 8. Learn from Challenges ### Why It's Important: Setbacks are inevitable in business, but viewing them as opportunities to learn and grow can keep you motivated. ### How to Overcome Challenges: - **Identify the Root Cause:** For example, if sales are declining, is it due to competition, pricing, or customer awareness? - **Seek Solutions:** Collaborate with your team to brainstorm creative fixes. For example, a struggling restaurant in Florence might introduce a loyalty program to boost repeat business. - **Adapt Quickly:** Be proactive about making changes. Whether it's revamping your product line or improving your service, small pivots can make a big impact. *** ## 9. Stay Inspired by Your Community ### Why It's Important: Alabama is known for its sense of community, and engaging with your local audience can keep you inspired and motivated. ### How to Engage Locally: - **Give Back:** Sponsor local events, support charities, or participate in community initiatives. - **Collaborate with Local Businesses:** Partnering with other North Alabama businesses can create win-win opportunities. For example, a bakery in Athens might collaborate with a coffee shop for cross-promotions. - **Highlight Local Culture:** Showcase the unique aspects of your area in your branding, whether it's Huntsville's tech scene or Decatur's historic charm. *** ## 10. Stay Open to Personal Growth ### Why It's Important: Your growth as a business owner directly impacts the success of your business. Constantly learning and improving ensures you're equipped to handle future challenges. ### How to Keep Growing: - **Read and Learn:** Explore books, blogs, or podcasts about entrepreneurship and leadership. - **Take Courses:** Enroll in workshops or online courses to sharpen your skills. - **Set Personal Goals:** Aim to improve your skills in areas like time management, negotiation, or public speaking. *** ## Final Thoughts Running and growing a business in North Alabama comes with its challenges, but by staying focused, innovative, and connected, you can overcome obstacles and achieve lasting success. Remember to reflect on your "why," set achievable goals, and embrace support from your community and team. With the right strategies, you can reignite your passion and take your business to new heights—whether you're based in Huntsville, Florence, Decatur, or anywhere in the state. Stay motivated, adapt to changes, and keep striving for growth! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/duck-duck-go/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/duck-duck-go/ In the ever-evolving world of search engines, **DuckDuckGo** has emerged as a prominent player, especially for users who prioritize privacy and ad-free browsing. While it doesn't command the same market share as Google or Bing, it's steadily growing, with millions of daily searches from users who want their privacy protected. For small businesses, getting listed on DuckDuckGo can open the door to a new audience, strengthen your online presence, and showcase your commitment to customer privacy. In this blog, we'll explore: 1. How to get your business listed on DuckDuckGo. 2. Whether it's worth investing time into this platform. 3. The ways DuckDuckGo can benefit your business. ## What Is DuckDuckGo and How Does It Work? DuckDuckGo is a search engine that focuses on **user privacy** and doesn't track its users. Unlike Google, it doesn't build detailed user profiles or target personalized ads. Instead, it aggregates results from over 400 sources, including: - Bing - Apple Maps - Wikipedia - Yandex - Other crowd-sourced directories like **Yelp** and **TripAdvisor**. Its user base is steadily growing, thanks to its no-tracking policy and simplicity, making it a valuable platform for businesses targeting privacy-conscious users. ## How to Get Your Business Listed on DuckDuckGo DuckDuckGo doesn't maintain its own index of websites. Instead, it relies on a combination of third-party sources. To ensure your business appears in DuckDuckGo's search results, you need to optimize for its primary data providers. Here's how: 1. **Get Listed on Bing**: Since DuckDuckGo pulls results from Bing, ensuring your business is listed and optimized on **Bing Places for Business** is critical. Follow these steps: - Go to [Bing Places for Business](https://www.bingplaces.com/). - Create or claim your business listing. - Complete your profile with accurate business details, including address, phone number, and website. - Add images and keep your profile up to date. 2. **Optimize for Apple Maps**: DuckDuckGo integrates Apple Maps for location-based searches. To get your business listed: - Sign up at [Apple Maps Connect](https://mapsconnect.apple.com/). - Claim or create your business listing. - Ensure your address, hours, and contact details are accurate. 3. **Leverage Crowd-Sourced Platforms**: DuckDuckGo uses data from crowd-sourced directories. Ensure your business has an active presence on: - **Yelp**: Claim your Yelp listing and keep it updated. Encourage positive reviews from satisfied customers. - **TripAdvisor**: If applicable, ensure your business is listed and optimized for local or travel-related services. 4. **Submit Your Sitemap**: Submitting your sitemap to search engines that DuckDuckGo relies on, such as Bing, can help ensure your website is indexed. Use tools like **Bing Webmaster Tools** to submit your sitemap. 5. **Build a Strong SEO Foundation**: DuckDuckGo values websites with great user experience and relevant content. To rank well: - Create high-quality, keyword-optimized content. - Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and fast. - Acquire backlinks from reputable sources. ## Is It Worth Getting Listed on DuckDuckGo? While DuckDuckGo's market share is smaller than Google's, it still provides value, especially for specific audiences and niches. Here's why: 1. **Growing User Base**: DuckDuckGo has seen consistent growth, with **over 100 million searches per day** as of 2023. Its audience includes privacy-conscious users, tech-savvy individuals, and those frustrated with Google's tracking practices. 2. **Less Competition**: Because fewer businesses optimize for DuckDuckGo compared to Google, you have a better chance of ranking higher on this search engine. For small businesses, this means increased visibility and more organic traffic. 3. **Appeals to a Privacy-Conscious Demographic**: Many DuckDuckGo users prioritize privacy, and they're often loyal to businesses that respect their values. By appearing on DuckDuckGo, you align with these principles and build trust with this audience. 4. **Cost-Effective**: Getting listed on DuckDuckGo doesn't require significant investment. By optimizing for Bing, Apple Maps, and crowd-sourced platforms, you automatically increase your visibility on DuckDuckGo without extra effort. ## How DuckDuckGo Can Help Your Business 1. **Attract a Niche Audience**: DuckDuckGo's privacy-first approach attracts a specific type of user. If your business caters to tech-savvy or privacy-conscious customers, appearing on DuckDuckGo can help you capture this valuable audience. 2. **Improve Local Visibility**: For local businesses, DuckDuckGo's reliance on platforms like Apple Maps and Yelp means that optimizing for these services can enhance your local search visibility. This is particularly beneficial for restaurants, retail stores, and service-based businesses. 3. **Enhance Credibility**: Being visible on DuckDuckGo signals that your business is comprehensive in its online strategy. It shows potential customers that you're committed to being accessible across all platforms. 4. **Diversify Your Traffic Sources**: Relying solely on Google for search engine traffic can be risky. DuckDuckGo offers an opportunity to diversify your online presence and reduce dependency on a single platform. ## Why Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing for DuckDuckGo Optimization? At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in helping small businesses in **Cullman, Alabama**, expand their online presence across multiple platforms. Here's why we're the best choice for your business: - **Expertise in Multi-Platform SEO**: We know how to optimize your business for not only Google but also Bing, Apple Maps, and other platforms that power DuckDuckGo. - **Tailored Strategies for Small Businesses**: We understand the unique challenges and opportunities for small businesses in Cullman, and we craft custom strategies to help you succeed. - **Comprehensive Approach**: From creating and optimizing your business listings to building a strong SEO foundation, we handle every aspect of your online presence. - **Commitment to Your Success**: We're dedicated to helping your business grow by leveraging every available tool, including emerging platforms like DuckDuckGo. ## Take the Next Step If you're ready to reach a new audience and improve your online visibility, it's time to include DuckDuckGo in your digital strategy. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we have the tools and expertise to help your business stand out on every search engine. [Contact us today](/Contact/) to learn how we can optimize your business for DuckDuckGo and beyond. Let's grow your online presence and connect you with more customers! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Earn-your-way-to-SEO-success-with-Blogging/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Earn-your-way-to-SEO-success-with-Blogging/ When it comes to being found online you need an SEO strategy to reach the maximum audience possible using solely white hat SEO techniques. We are not going to delve into white hat or black hat SEO here. We will strictly be talking tactics that we use in every blog post to achieve SEO success with content through blogging on your website. Before we even get into the article I want to be very clear that when you write do not write for the search engines to get your SEO. You want your content human readable and in a way, that is engaging and provides value to your intended audience. ## Foundational Elements We have found by doing just these foundational elements you will off to a great start. These are called the foundational elements as they help you achieve the initial requirements for SEO. In fact, this information applies to every page on your website and not just for blogging. ## Title Tag At the top of every browser displays a title. This title is used to visually show the user your title in the browser but also the search engines. Not all search engines will use the title but not having it means they won't use it. A title tag should not be longer than 55 and 65 characters in length and should contain the title and other keywords (but still human readable). ## META Description More search engine magic which may or may not be used by all of the search engines. This is a very brief description of what your blog article is about. Often it is from the first paragraph of your blog article that you send to the search engines. ## Keywords in the post If your targeted phrase for your post is "bed bugs and mattresses" then we would expect to see that extract phrase and variations of it within your document three to five ties and appearing in a way that reads well and naturally (e.g. it's not stuffed in to hit that number). ## Semantically Linked Keywords With our phrase of "bed bugs and mattresses" you want to use words that are like that but not exactly. Other phrases you could use would be "bugs and mattresses", "old mattresses and bites", etc. When it comes to the search engines they see new keyword phrases that people type to find stuff daily. This means you need to make your content relevant not only for the people looking for you today but down the road as well. ## Heading The heading should be the very top of your article and should match as closely with your title tag, use keywords when possible (again without seeming it was just put there to be there), and this H1 heading tag should only show once on the page. If you need other headings use the H2 through H5 heading tags. The heading of your site should be meaningful, engaging that entices people to read your page, and be truthful about what you are writing about. ## Other SEO Elements of Blogging ### Headings We did just stop with the main heading which is the H1 tag and that will only appear (or should appear) once within any web page. The H2 through H6 tags can appear multiple times. Use these headers to not only separate and categorize your pages but also help on your overall SEO within your blog. ### Images You write a blog make certain it has an image or two that relate to the blog. Blog articles with images will often perform better. In the case of this blog we used the main blog image and that's it as we are intentionally choosing not to. That is a choice you must make when creating your blog. ### Lists We truly love lists they: - Get your point across quickly - They are almost always short - And people will read lists more than text ### Formatting You have your headings that signify breaks. Use bold and italics, and other formatting to add emphasis to your article. But use it sparingly so that it doesn't distract. Remember that everything you do needs to add value to your reader. ### Quotes and Mentions If there are statistics, you can use and it fits your article use them. If someone gave you advice or is someone of significance remember to give credit where credit is due. This will help show a page that was written well and thought out and not just rushed out the door. ### Statistically Accurate One of my favorite statements I read is that 75% of all statistics are made up (I have no clue what that number is). This makes me question everything I see. Don't make people question your good work. Provide information that is accurate, mention any sources, etc. ### Call to Action Whether your article is about providing great information, a sales piece, or a story make certain to include a call-to-action within your article. This call-to-action could be read our other articles, subscribe, or to contact you. ### Talk about yourself You are the author and the authority of this article (unless you did a copy and paste). If you created this original content based on your knowledge and expertise it is good to call yourself out, include links to your social media pages, etc. If all you did was curate the information calling out your expertise is not something you should do as all you are showing is you know how to copy other people's valuable work. ## Other compelling elements you can include in your blogging efforts ### Evergreen Content Evergreen content is content that will live forever. This means that dates, mentions, etc. are not tied to a specific period. ### Backlinks Backlinks are links from other sites to your specific page. The more that link to you that are from credible sources will help improve your SEO. When it comes to SEO this over time will continue to grow as people share your information and link to you as the expert. ### Internal Links Having just talked about sites linking from outside of your blog site a key area that will also help is by linking to your internal pages as well. This could be pages within your site or other relevant blog articles. ### Tags and keywords Linking to other blog articles that are similar are often linked under "tags". These tags are often clickable and link to other blog articles that are related to the article they are reading. ### More Images We did talk about having images. When we say more images what we are talking about here is rather than just one image you could add an image carousel that shows multiple images. ### Anchor Text Behind ever image is anchor text and words that help define the picture. This information is used for those with disabilities know what the image is about. From another standpoint, it helps the search engines know about the picture and help from an SEO standpoint ### Video Including video is a great way of adding value. Video is truly becoming the king when it comes to social media. Video can play very well within your blog as well. You can also get some great backlinks from YouTube and Vimeo if you use them to host your video. When using, YouTube being it's owned by Google it too can help your SEO efforts. ### Audio and Pod Casts When you think of a blog with audio a pod cast is the first thing that comes to our mind. It doesn't have to be though. You can include a link to audio snippets that add value. You will notice we said link to and not auto-playing and annoying your audience. If your audience wants to listen let them decide to listen rather than you deciding for them. ### PowerPoint Having slides that enhance to your article are a great item to have. Often the power point presentations don't even have to be on the site. You can add a link to sites like SlideShare that can host your PowerPoint presentations. The benefit here is you are including a great link to a credible site and from their site you can link to your page as well building more credible trust. Building on your backlinks. ### Sharing Icons When you have a great article and those that read it not only learn from it but love it as well having social media sharing icons where they can share on their Facebook or Twitter page is a great benefit to getting your good word out to the masses. ### Lead Generation Personally, we hate the pop-ups that appear on a page that seem to push people away rather than drawing them in. What we do like is when the lead generation is subtle, non-obtrusive, and flows well with the entire site. ### Consistent voice As you write more articles your tone and voice will change. This is to be expected and is perfectly fine for it to happen. What you don't want to happen is your writing to be sometimes sound rushed, sound like it is written for the search engines and not people, or that it doesn't consistently have the same message or tone the page is conveying. ## Final SEO Elements ### Mobility Having a mobile site is more important every day. More people use mobile devices to find information and navigate online. Having a mobile site also helps in your overall SEO. ### Security (HTTPS, SSL, and TLS) HTTPS, SSL, and TLS are often used interchangeably. When it comes to providing a secure connection between the user and the server the method used today in all modern websites is TLS. Although each are used interchangeably they are different. Start thinking for your website green lock you need to have a TLS certificate. This will also assist in improving your blogs SEO. ### Clear Code Well-structured and designed web pages will make it easier for the search engines to quickly and easily understand your website. This will also improve the overall page speed of your site as well. ### Page Speed and SEO Speaking of speed a key factor for the user is to have a fast loading site which makes for a positive user experience. Page speed needs to be as fast as possible. A key area to page speed is take a look at your image size. We often see people uploading very large images and fixing a lot of their page speed issues is by uploading and fixing the images. ### Avoid parameters in your name Parameters like /Page.html?Id=2 just visually look bad. If you have a blog article than is /My-Blog-Article people can easily understand what the page they are looking for is. Additionally, this allows your page to use more of the keywords you want further optimizing your SEO. ### Long Tail Keywords A key part of getting your blog optimized for keywords is not about stuffing in as many keywords as you can to get your blog post seen. Long Tail Keywords are long keyword phrases that consist of three or more words that you feel a person would type within the search engines. ## Other areas for SEO insight ### Competitors If you are not yet an industry leader in your field but have the aspirations to become one a key area is to watch, read, and learn from the current set of industry leaders. By doing this you are learning from their expertise, learning what works, and can see what doesn't work. Then take that information and use it to assist your target audience. ### Analytics Last on our list is analytics. With analytics, you can tell how many people are coming to your blog and what other pages they are visiting with your site. ## Conclusion When it comes to marketing your blog, or any web page, there is a lot to think about when doing so. When you write well, you engage with your reader, and you show a true love and passion for what you do people will not only come back but gravitate to you. You've built a trust with them and you will become known in your field as the expert. Take your time, write your information for the reader and not the search engine, and you will have some great quality content. To learn more about what JM2 Webdesigners of Cullman Alabama can do for your business to grow and be more successful give them a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/eCommerce-Getting-People-into-Physical-Stores/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/eCommerce-Getting-People-into-Physical-Stores/ Promoting and growing your business is crucial to the success of any business. There truly is no business not in the business of making money. Even not-for-profit need to generate money to stay in operation. When you have a website and want that website to generate sales businesses often turn to eCommerce sites to bring in money into their business. Today we will discuss how to get people off your eCommerce sites (yes really) and into physical locations and get your products offline (in the real-world). ## Why would I want to decrease my online sales? When we talk to clients about why decreasing their online sales is actually a good thing they are first very reluctant. After all the purpose of an eCommerce site is to bring money into the eCommerce website and keep people out of physical stores. This is true to a certain degree. Many of our eCommerce clients actually sell physical products that are in real establishments. These businesses can benefit from pushing people to go offline and purchase from real stores. When you have products in a physical store there are many benefits to promoting purchasing from a physical location. - Touch – We are a society that likes to feel before we buy - Loyalty – Not only loyalty to your product but also to store location you are in - Store Location – If a store location sees continued sales of your products they will be more apt to promote and sell your product. This won't cost you a penny more, increase your sales, and build loyalty to your brand while further increasing your sales. - More sales – The more your physical locations sell you will be able to sell more of your products ## Then why do I need an eCommerce website? For the simple reason that not everyone wants to go out and purchase. By having an online eCommerce website people can search what they want, order it, and have it conveniently delivered to their home or office in a short period of time. When a client is in both the offline and online world's we always encourage to do both. If you look at brands like [Wal-Mart](http://www.walmart.com/), BestBuy, [Target](http://www.target.com/), and others they are in both the online and offline world. The reason is that sales can occur and should in both areas. ## Conclusion Always look for avenues to sell your product in a positive way. This will build brand loyalty, trust, and provide your customer's with the highest degree of convenience possible. For assistance in taking your website, your eCommerce site, or your marketing to a national level give JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/eCommerceKillers/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/eCommerceKillers/ We are starting the year off about how to prevent abandonment issues with your eCommerce site. Abandonment issues are the true killer of any eCommerce site. We are going to cover the major issues that we’ve seen in regard to visitors coming to an eCommerce site and abandon their shopping cart. ## Speed Whether you have an eCommerce site or business site how it performs is critical to the success of your website. When you use stock templates you will find they are built to be reasonably well but are not optimized for performance. Having a fast and user friendly site will keep your visitors wanting to continue on within your site. ## Forced to register We all want users to register and give us all their information so that we can further target sales, contact them, and give us information so that we can increase our overall bottom line. Having your eCommerce site setup so that people can purchase your products and services without requiring registration will increase your sales to those that do not want to register with you. ## Too many questions We can all agree that providing simplicity rather than complexity to our customers will greatly help increase sales. Many checkout processes want to know everything including your first, second, and third born. This is why companies like Amazon.com get an increase in sales. Over time people will give this information freely but initially they want to get in and out. This is why during the checkout process people are going to as short of a process as possible. ![Security](/Images/Content/Security.png) ## Security concerns Most users on the Internet know that the lock in your address bar is crucial to protecting your identity as well as their financial interests. When people go to a website and you do not see a secure connection and they are asked to give their confidential information people will leave as they have read and heard too many concerns of security breaches. ![eCommerce Delivery](/Images/Content/eCommercePackages.png) ## Unsuitable delivery The lowest of concerns but still a large concern for people is the shipment of what they are purchasing. This could be related to costing too much, the delivery time taking too long, or any other reason that the customer believes they are looking for. ## Crashing We all hate when our computers crash. The same is true for a website. The site itself might not crash and need to be rebooted. The site could lose the items in your cart, provide incorrect dollar values, someone might log in as you, or something entirely different. When a crash on a website happens trust is lost and the success of selling any product or service online requires trust. ![Honesty](/Images/Content/Handshake.png) ## Unexpected costs When you list an item for $10 and then during checkout that process becomes $15 because of something they were not told of. We are not talking sales tax as people expect that. These are costs that were not on the site originally but during the checkout process new “fees” show up. ## Conclusion When it comes to selling on any business website there are many areas that businesses do not realize that are truly important. Taking the information from above you can help increase your conversion rate within your eCommerce website. If this article already has sparked an interest and realization that just doing an out of the box solution and not using years of expertise may not deliver the results, you want or need. From our Cullman Alabama office, we are here to help you achieve eCommerce success. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/eCommerce--Starting-off-right/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/eCommerce--Starting-off-right/ Working with one company that came on board with us to help them go from Northwest Alabama to a system that could better expand nationwide. One would think any eCommerce platform would work. In fact, they are presently using an eCommerce platform that is promoted as being for nationwide use. They found it to be slow and unfriendly as they've grown over the past year. The search engine aspects are less than desirable, and customers have been complaining about the difficulty the system is to use. We started by evaluating over 12 eCommerce platforms and through the process added even more to evaluate. Platforms that worked well for our clothing or industrial clients would not work for this client. The undertaking of checking each one took 1-3 hours. As we looked at each platform we based all of our criteria around a set of ten core items that the client wanted as well as items they didn't want. In this article we are not going to about each eCommerce but some of the main items we feel should be in any eCommerce system. ## It's all about trust This is one area one wouldn't think about until it's time to check out. We have never done and we never will do an eCommerce system that doesn't have every page encrypted with SSL. Adding https to a website is not only a great item to build trust but another valid way of protecting your customer shopping on your cart. We always choose [Digicert certificates](https://www.digicert.com/) as we have not had any issues with them and all of the latest vulnerabilities that have come out Digicert did not have any issues with. ## Let the search begin When it comes to finding any product you need to have a great search engine. One that can understand the products and pages within the site but also one that understands the arcane nature of us humans. As products surpass a few dozen items a search engine that understands natural speech is key. Another aspect of search is that it is accessible on every page and can be filtered to narrow the results down while also remembering what that user previously requested. This remembering though also needs to be smart enough to comply with local and international "cookie" laws and not inhibit their privacy. ## Clean User Experience and User Interface Having a system that is easy for a user to use and learn while also being clean and unobstructed with ads is crucial. The purpose of any eCommerce system is to generate money for the business. This means that any extra branding, advertising, or links that are unnecessary should not exist. The use of white space to make information more readable and inviting is key. ## Mobile is key Nearly half of the visitors for all of our clients with eCommerce have their customer orders through tablet and mobile devices. With a small screen information can appear more pushed together. Having a solid mobile strategy and a system that fully supports mobile is key to the success of your online store. ## Speed is key We have seen more lost sales when the speed of your eCommerce online store is slow. A user wants results quickly and a system that provides feedback timely to them. Make certain you choose a system that can handle your few products today and your thousands of products tomorrow. ## Product inventory Not something every business needs but eventually you will want to track inventory. As you track this inventory you want to make certain you can have separate distribution centers, backorder capability, re-order capabilities, and more. When it comes to eCommerce having a lot of options that can be used when you are ready is key. ## Keeping the bean counters happy With money and orders coming in you need to have the ability to track this information in your accounting system. One of the most used for business is QuickBooks. Having an option to export information to QuickBooks, or your accounting system, should be paramount in looking. Even with it as an add-on down the road make certain you have that capability within your system. ## Specials and promotions The ability for specials and promotions are critical for turning over stale inventory. Make certain there is a way to market these items so that you can get them out of your inventory and be able to refresh with a new set of products. ## Lost sales suck! Often users will add items to a shopping cart only to leave your site and never return. If you know who that user is after a few days send a reminder email that they left items in their cart and a link direct to the check out screen so that they can close the sale. Another great option for recovering a potential lost sale is using coupons to draw them back to you. ## Upselling that is unobtrusive As your customers add items to your cart and view product pages having recommended items to add, similar items, and ways to upsell is crucial. Suggesting other products based on what others have bought is another great incentive for increasing sales and generating your company more money. ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) When it comes to search engine optimization for eCommerce it does not work exactly the same as it does for regular websites. The techniques are the same overall but you need to phrase and word items differently. You also need to incorporate a lot more **structured meta data** to improve your SEO results. ## Social Media Integration is Key No eCommerce platform would be complete without full social media options. Not just in sharing information about your site but also integrating the products you are selling into the social media platforms. ## Testimonials A beautifully crafted site is one key aspect. Hearing words from true customers will help push you over the top and strengthen that trust with your customers. They will then know they have a product that others have trusted. ## Conclusion As you can see there is a lot to do for eCommerce online shopping systems and we haven't even covered many. We actually removed large portions of information to keep this article short. eCommerce systems are about creating revenue for your business. Finding the right one can take a considerable amount of time. Choosing the wrong one can not only cause you to go back to the drawing board but also lose sales which costs you even more money. If you want to receive help in choosing the right eCommerce system for your business through a company that puts out new eCommerce websites that convert every month JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama is ready to assist you. We take a personal and vest interest in your company in helping it grow. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), [or through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Educating-America-Series-The-Brief/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Educating-America-Series-The-Brief/ Many don't talk politics, not because they don't have something to say or have an opinion. Many don't speak as it's a taboo subject. Some don't fully understand the entire process. I know for myself it is a little bit of each. I want to be an informed American, and I believe others do as well. I have seen in the last three elections a lot of people misunderstanding the entire political process. People are stating assumptions over who can and cannot vote. People say they don't vote as it doesn't count. The election process as a whole is rigged for the rich to hurt the poor. We have decided to start an education series on politics so that we can break this taboo and inform those that want to learn. Kyle and I will be starting this talking series to educate ourselves and you through the process of our learning. We will be party agnostic, so whether you are a Democrat, Republic, Libertarian, Green, Constitution, or another party, we will be for you. We will cover everything with the most accurate and factual information we can find. We have over 50 topics already with some of them being: - What are the American parties? - Why do Americans vote the way they do? - Why and how to register to vote - Does my vote count? - What is voter turnout? - What are the differences between popular count and electoral count and why do we use the electoral process - How to listen to essential talking points - Immigration issues - How to become a US Citizen - What are all of the branches of government - How to get clear, impartial information - Healthcare in politics - LGBT and politics - What are polls and how do they influence us - Social security, what it is, how long will it exist - Should the federal government pay for \_\_\_ - How can people serve in the United States Military and then be kicked out for not being a US Citizen? - Who is and isn't allowed to vote? - What are the requirements to become the President of the United States? - What are endorsements - How much can people donate to a political party - What role, if any, should religion have in politics - What is the constitution? - The amendments of the constitution - Who are all the past presidents As you can see from this partial list, there are a ton of points to discuss. We will go into top issues, as well. I will say I do not know all of these talking topics, and that excites me that I will be learning a lot from this series. I feel it will make me a better American and make more informed decisions. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/eeat-boost-voice-search/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/eeat-boost-voice-search/ ### How EEAT Can Boost Your Voice Search Strategy Voice search is no longer just a futuristic concept; it has become an integral part of how users interact with search engines in 2025. With devices like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri gaining widespread adoption, businesses must optimize for voice search to stay relevant. A crucial factor in achieving this is leveraging **EEAT**: **Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness**. EEAT, a key component of Google’s algorithm, ensures that content aligns with the user’s intent and provides high-quality answers. Let’s explore how EEAT can enhance your voice search presence and why it matters for your business. *** ### **1. Voice Search and EEAT: The Connection** Voice search queries tend to be: - **Conversational:** Users phrase their searches as questions (e.g., “What’s the best Italian restaurant near me?”). - **Specific:** Queries are often more direct and location-focused. - **Trust-Driven:** Users expect accurate, reliable, and immediate answers. Google prioritizes content that demonstrates EEAT to provide these answers. If your website aligns with EEAT principles, it’s more likely to rank for voice search results, often captured in featured snippets or position zero. *** ### **2. How EEAT Enhances Voice Search Performance** #### **2.1 Experience: Real-World Insights for Authentic Answers** Voice search favors content that demonstrates real-world experience: - **Actionable Insights:** Provide hands-on advice or tips that directly address user questions. - **Case Studies:** Showcase real-life examples to build authenticity. - **Multimedia Content:** Use videos or audio clips to enrich user experience and improve your chances of being selected for voice search answers. #### **2.2 Expertise: Answering Questions with Authority** Search engines rely on expert-driven content for voice search results: - **High-Quality FAQs:** Create comprehensive FAQ sections that directly answer common voice search queries. - **Industry-Specific Expertise:** Use your knowledge to address niche topics and position yourself as a trusted resource. - **Structured Data:** Implement schema markup to help search engines identify and prioritize expert content. #### **2.3 Authority: Earning Trust Through Recognition** Voice search algorithms favor authoritative sources: - **Citations and Backlinks:** Garner links from reputable websites to establish your authority. - **Consistent Branding:** Maintain uniform messaging across platforms to reinforce trust. - **Local Recognition:** If your business serves specific regions, ensure your Google Business Profile is complete and optimized. #### **2.4 Trustworthiness: Building Confidence in Your Content** Trust is key to being chosen as a voice search answer: - **Accurate Information:** Provide up-to-date and factual content. - **Secure Website:** Use HTTPS to assure users and search engines of your credibility. - **Positive Reviews:** Collect and display customer testimonials to build trust. *** ### **3. Strategies to Align EEAT with Voice Search Optimization** #### **3.1 Target Long-Tail Keywords and Conversational Phrases** - Use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner to identify questions your audience asks. - Incorporate natural language into your content to match voice search patterns. #### **3.2 Focus on Local SEO** - Optimize for “near me” searches by integrating geo-specific keywords. - Keep your Google Business Profile updated with accurate contact details and hours of operation. #### **3.3 Optimize for Featured Snippets** - Structure your content with headings, lists, and concise answers to common questions. - Aim to provide clear, direct responses within 30 words, as these are more likely to be picked for voice answers. #### **3.4 Leverage Structured Data** - Add schema markup for FAQs, local business details, and reviews to help search engines better understand your content. #### **3.5 Create Mobile-Friendly Content** - Ensure your website loads quickly and is optimized for mobile, as most voice searches are conducted on mobile devices. *** ### **4. Benefits of EEAT in Voice Search** 1. **Higher Visibility:** Voice search often highlights just one result—being the most authoritative source ensures your content gets chosen. 2. **Improved Engagement:** High-quality answers build trust and encourage users to interact with your brand further. 3. **Increased Conversions:** Users engaging with voice search are often closer to making a decision, and EEAT ensures your business is seen as the right choice. 4. **Future-Proofing:** As voice technology advances, aligning with EEAT principles keeps your business ahead of competitors. *** ### **5. Measuring EEAT Success in Voice Search** - **Monitor Featured Snippet Rankings:** Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to track how often your content appears in voice search results. - **Analyze Engagement Metrics:** Check bounce rates, time on site, and click-through rates to assess how well your content meets user needs. - **Solicit Feedback:** Use surveys or direct customer feedback to refine your voice search strategy. *** ### **Conclusion** Voice search is transforming the way consumers interact with businesses online. By prioritizing EEAT—Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness—your business can secure a top spot in voice search results, attract more customers, and enhance credibility. As voice technology continues to grow, businesses that embrace EEAT principles will lead the charge, delivering high-quality answers that meet user needs in an ever-changing digital landscape. Start optimizing today, and let your voice be heard! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/eeat-crucial-business-growth-2025/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/eeat-crucial-business-growth-2025/ ### Why EEAT is Crucial for Business Growth in 2025 As businesses strive to enhance their online presence, Google's algorithm continues to evolve, focusing on providing users with the most relevant, reliable, and high-quality content. One of the most critical factors in this evolution is **EEAT**, which stands for **Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness**. In 2025, mastering EEAT is not just a suggestion—it's a necessity for businesses looking to grow and thrive online. Let’s dive into what EEAT means, why it matters, and how you can leverage it to boost your business. *** ### **What is EEAT?** EEAT is Google’s framework for evaluating the quality and relevance of content on websites. Here’s a breakdown of its components: 1. **Experience:** - Does the content reflect real-world experience with the topic? - For instance, a product review written by someone who has used the product is more valuable than a generic overview. 2. **Expertise:** - Does the author demonstrate knowledge and skill in the subject matter? - High-quality content should come from individuals or organizations with proven expertise in their field. 3. **Authority:** - Is the author or website recognized as a trusted source on the topic? - Authority is often established through backlinks, citations, and endorsements from other reputable sources. 4. **Trustworthiness:** - Can users rely on the information provided? - Trust is built through transparency, accuracy, and user-friendly website practices (e.g., HTTPS security, clear contact information). *** ### **Why is EEAT Important in 2025?** #### **1. Google’s Algorithm Prioritizes EEAT** In 2025, Google’s search algorithms are more sophisticated than ever. Sites with strong EEAT signals are more likely to rank higher, attract organic traffic, and achieve visibility. #### **2. Increasing Consumer Skepticism** Consumers are more discerning about the content they trust. With the rise of misinformation, users now favor businesses that demonstrate credibility and authenticity. #### **3. Growing Competition** The online marketplace is more crowded, making it essential for businesses to stand out. Strong EEAT signals can differentiate your brand from competitors. #### **4. Impact on Conversions** When users trust your website, they are more likely to take action—whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or booking a service. EEAT directly influences conversions. *** ### **How to Improve Your EEAT in 2025** #### **1. Showcase Real-World Experience** - Publish content that reflects firsthand experience, such as: - Case studies. - Customer testimonials. - Product reviews with detailed insights. - Use multimedia (images, videos) to provide visual proof of your expertise. #### **2. Establish and Highlight Expertise** - Ensure content is created or reviewed by subject matter experts. - Add author bios to showcase credentials and experience. - Keep your content accurate, up-to-date, and deeply informative. #### **3. Build Authority Through Networking** - Earn backlinks from reputable websites in your industry. - Collaborate with influencers and thought leaders to enhance credibility. - Participate in forums, podcasts, and guest blogging to establish your presence. #### **4. Foster Trustworthiness** - Use HTTPS to ensure your site is secure. - Provide clear contact details and an About Us page. - Display reviews, ratings, and certifications prominently. - Ensure your policies (e.g., privacy, refund) are transparent and easy to find. #### **5. Engage Your Audience** - Encourage user-generated content like reviews, comments, and testimonials. - Respond promptly to questions and concerns on social media and other platforms. - Create interactive content (quizzes, polls) to foster engagement and build trust. *** ### **Industries That Benefit Most From EEAT** While EEAT is important for all businesses, certain industries are particularly impacted: - **Healthcare:** Content must be medically accurate and reviewed by qualified professionals. - **Finance:** Users expect precise, well-researched financial advice. - **E-commerce:** Trust signals like reviews and secure payment methods are essential for conversions. - **Education:** Demonstrating authority through expert-created content enhances credibility. *** ### **How Brilliance CRM Can Support EEAT** A CRM like **Brilliance CRM** can help you manage and improve your EEAT: - **Experience:** Collect and organize customer feedback to highlight real-world success stories. - **Expertise:** Use the CRM to store and showcase expert contributions. - **Authority:** Track and manage partnerships, backlinks, and endorsements. - **Trustworthiness:** Streamline communications to build transparent and trustworthy relationships. *** ### **Conclusion** In 2025, EEAT is a cornerstone of online success. Businesses that prioritize Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness will not only rank higher on Google but also build stronger relationships with their audience. By investing in high-quality content, leveraging expert insights, and fostering trust, your business can thrive in an increasingly competitive digital landscape. Ready to elevate your EEAT? Start by evaluating your current content, making strategic updates, and leveraging tools like Brilliance CRM to streamline your efforts. Success begins with trust—and EEAT is how you earn it. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/eeat-elevate-ai-search/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/eeat-elevate-ai-search/ ### How EEAT Can Elevate Your Business in the Era of AI Search As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the way users interact with the internet, search engines are evolving to become smarter and more intuitive. AI search, powered by machine learning and natural language processing, prioritizes delivering precise, contextually relevant results. For businesses, aligning with **EEAT** — **Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness** — is critical to thriving in this new search paradigm. Let’s explore how EEAT can enhance your visibility in AI-driven search results and why it’s essential for growth in 2025 and beyond. *** ### **Understanding AI Search** AI search goes beyond traditional keyword-based algorithms. By leveraging technologies like Google’s BERT and OpenAI’s GPT models, AI search: - **Understands User Intent:** Delivers results based on the context and meaning of queries. - **Personalizes Results:** Tailors outcomes to the user’s behavior, preferences, and location. - **Uses Multimodal Inputs:** Integrates voice, images, and text to offer a holistic search experience. With AI search engines focusing on providing high-quality, trustworthy, and engaging content, EEAT becomes indispensable. *** ### **How EEAT Impacts AI Search Performance** #### **1. Experience: Real-World Insights for Contextual Accuracy** AI models prioritize content that reflects genuine experience to answer complex queries effectively. - **User-Centric Content:** Create articles, guides, and reviews based on firsthand experience. - **Visual Proof:** Use images, videos, and infographics to validate your expertise. - **Interactive Content:** Include FAQs, case studies, and testimonials to enrich user engagement. **Example:** A restaurant sharing authentic, experience-driven blog posts about creating signature dishes is more likely to appear in AI-curated search results for “best dining experiences.” #### **2. Expertise: Be the Source AI Trusts** AI models rank content higher when it comes from established experts in a field. - **Specialized Content:** Publish niche, in-depth articles addressing specific audience needs. - **Author Credentials:** Include author bios highlighting expertise and qualifications. - **Continuous Updates:** Keep your content current to remain relevant and accurate. **Example:** A financial advisor’s blog detailing tax-saving strategies, written by certified professionals, signals expertise to AI systems. #### **3. Authority: Build Recognition to Boost Rankings** Authority is about being recognized as a credible source within your industry or niche. - **Backlink Strategy:** Earn links from high-authority websites to bolster your domain’s credibility. - **Social Proof:** Showcase positive reviews, press mentions, and industry accolades. - **Citations:** Reference credible sources to strengthen your content’s validity. **Example:** A healthcare provider cited in medical journals is more likely to rank for AI searches on health topics. #### **4. Trustworthiness: Earn and Maintain User Confidence** AI systems prioritize content from trustworthy sources to ensure user satisfaction. - **Transparency:** Use secure website protocols (HTTPS) and clear privacy policies. - **Accurate Information:** Avoid misleading or exaggerated claims. - **Customer Feedback:** Leverage reviews and ratings to demonstrate reliability. **Example:** An e-commerce site with verified reviews and a robust return policy establishes trust, making it a top recommendation for AI search. *** ### **Strategies to Optimize EEAT for AI Search** #### **1. Create Content for User Intent** - **Understand Query Context:** Analyze search queries to address user pain points. - **Long-Tail Keywords:** Incorporate conversational phrases that align with AI’s natural language understanding. #### **2. Leverage Structured Data** - **Schema Markup:** Implement structured data to help AI systems interpret your content. - **FAQs and How-Tos:** Use schema to enhance your chances of appearing in featured snippets. #### **3. Focus on Multimodal Optimization** - **Voice Search:** Tailor content for voice-friendly, question-based queries. - **Image Search:** Use high-quality, descriptive images with alt text for better indexing. #### **4. Build Brand Authority** - **Engage in PR Campaigns:** Collaborate with industry influencers to amplify your reach. - **Participate in Forums:** Contribute to relevant discussions on platforms like Reddit or LinkedIn. #### **5. Continuously Monitor and Improve** - **Analyze AI Trends:** Use tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to track performance. - **Refine Content:** Update posts regularly to align with evolving AI search trends. *** ### **Benefits of EEAT in AI Search** 1. **Higher Visibility:** Strong EEAT signals help you secure featured snippets and position zero rankings. 2. **Enhanced User Engagement:** Content tailored to user intent improves dwell time and reduces bounce rates. 3. **Increased Conversions:** Trust and authority drive users to take action, boosting leads and sales. 4. **Long-Term Relevance:** EEAT aligns with Google’s focus on high-quality content, ensuring sustained success. *** ### **Conclusion** AI search is the future, and EEAT is the foundation for thriving in this dynamic environment. By demonstrating experience, showcasing expertise, building authority, and fostering trust, your business can rise above competitors and become the go-to source for AI-driven queries. Invest in aligning your content with EEAT principles today to secure your place in the AI-powered search landscape of tomorrow. With the right strategy, your business can leverage AI search to drive growth, build trust, and achieve long-term success. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Eight-Mind-Hacks-for-More-Money/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Eight-Mind-Hacks-for-More-Money/ There are eight proven mind hacks to get your customers to purchase more, spend more, and add more profits to your bottom line. These are some of the tactics we use for all of our clients with their eCommerce and in-store sales. ## Overly Priced Item When you list your pricing, you have one item that is priced 30% or more from other products. Businesses use this trick to get you to realize all of the other products are also be priced higher but are a "good value" due to being a lower price than the overly priced item. When you list rates in this way, you are using a technique called *price anchoring* and works in getting people to spend more than they originally intended. ## Happy Coupons Coupons themselves will not make you happy. Businesses use discount coupons to change the chemical balance in our brain to be satisfied. Dr. Paul J Zack conducted an A/B study in 2012 looked at how coupons impacted our happiness, stress, and health. The study showed that the test group that received a discount coupon: - 38% increase in their brain oxytocin - 11% happier feeling - 32% reduction in their respiration rate - 5% reduction in their heart rate People purchasing with discount coupons were less stressed and more relaxed. This increased spending more money than the non-coupon group. First time buyers are 57% more likely to purchase as they don't want to lose the money savings from the discount coupon. ## Buy One Get One Free Offers Everybody loves free, and if you can offer something to them for free, they will purchase the product more often. If you give someone a discount coupon or offer them free many will take the free option over the discount coupon. The word free tricks the mind that they are getting a better deal even if the discount coupon would give them a better deal. ## Volume Purchases Many of us are extremely bad at math. When given a discount coupon or a volume discount, many will choose the volume discount. Given a 33% discount coupon or a 33% increase in volume, often the discount coupon will give you a lower cost for the item. People tend to see 33% more in size and make a quick assumption that the better deal is 33% increase rather than a discount. ## Remove the decimal (Prestige Pricing) When pricing your goods and services by having your price as a round number, people are more prone to purchase. When we see a product like 399.99 our brain takes longer to process the amount. This makes us think about the pricing more and see it as not as good of a deal. When we switch the pricing to 400 we can understand the number easily and make a decision more quickly. **Note**: Prestige pricing is done for luxury brands. ## Keep the decimal Above, we were talking about our luxury brand clients. Here we are talking about us regular folk. JCPenney did a test of changing prices from 19.99 to 20.00. A price change of just a penny. What they saw was a 30% decrease in sales. Our mind looks at the first digit and determines that the 19.99 is the least intimidating price ## Font Sizes Here are some other mind tricks that we will routinely use to get people to spend more money. We show the regular price (with a line through) that is a few font sizes larger. ## More free stuff Including words like "complimentary shipping & returns," we know is backed into the overall pricing. What we're doing is we're pulling someone in based on a feeling rather than logic. Included shipping is based on the furthest shipped distance. Items shipped closer are usually cheaper, and increasing the overall business bottom line. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Elements-to-a-quality-blog-post/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Elements-to-a-quality-blog-post/ As part of any good search engine optimization or SEO technique is to provide consistent content to your audience. Consistency comes in many forms when it comes to blog posts When we are sitting in our downtown Cullman Alabama office looking out the window and hear the cars drive by in the early morning there are periods of silence. This silence allows us to reflect on the past traffic and think about the traffic that is about to come. Your blog post is similar in that you write a post, publish the post, and then think of the next one. You'll then repeat the process. But what all goes into a quality blog post and how can it help you with your search engine optimization? Well, let's read on and find out. ## Deciding on your topic The first step in any great post is deciding on what you will be writing about. This should be something you are passionate about, want to learn about, or want to educate others on. You want your information to come from your heart and should flow to your readers answering what they are expecting to learn. ## Research your topic information People want to read your blog for accurate and honest information. Whether you are a subject matter expert or writing the blog to learn something new you want your information to be accurate. Do your research and realize that in most cases the research will take longer than writing the actual post. ## Knowing your audience In many ways this happens at the exact same time as when you decide on your blog topic. You need to know who you are writing too. Knowing the demographics (age, gender, nationality, etc.), their marital status, education and income level, personality, employment, and more. The more you know about your audience the better it will ring with them. ## Deciding on a title For any given blog post, we will come up with a dozen titles to use. We end up using just one (duh!) but the other eleven are not wasted. We save those for ideas for future blog posts. ## Writing your introduction Your introduction sets the tone as well as the objectives you want people to learn. You are setting the expectations to your audience. A blog is a short story that is concise, to the point, and avoids a lot of "fluff" that exist in books. ## Write your post – 1st draft As we write we have a list of core objectives we want to cover next to us. As we write and cover each one we cross it off. This allows us to make certain we hit our core items that we said we were going to cover. This way we know we've fully covered everything we want. The order might not be right from the get go but that is what cut/paste is for to rearrange our content. ## Review your post After we feel we have what we feel is a good first draft we start reading it and seeing if we've truly met all the objectives, the tone we are trying to get across, and are reaching the demographic we've targeted for the post. ## SEO optimization begins We never want to keyword stuff a post but we do want to cover certain words in a post a few times (3-4 times). What we don't want is for the information to be changed to try and trick the search engines as any good SEO today is written for the reader and not a computer. When we do the optimization, we look that we do cover our targeted keyword, that the article reads well, that all images used have ALT (alternate) text, the page is mobile friendly, and the site loads fast. ## Image and video choices Every blog article should have at least one image. This is the feature image that defines what the blog is about. You can think of this featured image as the cover to a book. The image should be representative of the blog article and convey what you want to your targeted demographic. If your post needs additional images or video make certain that they work with what you are writing. Often images are added just to add and do not add value. ## Your sales pitch Not always required but at the end of every blog is a perfect time to provide your "sales pitch" or "call-to-action" (CTA). This CTA could be asking them to read another related article, think about what they've read, sharing the content, buying your product, or calling to learn more. ## Final adjustments With all the above put together take a step back, ask someone else to read. Are the objectives being clearly met, are your points concise, and did you provide the value you were hoping to get out of the article. ## Conclusion Blog posts are scary to many as they don't feel they are writers, that they don't have time, or no one will read their post. Those were all our concerns when we started back in 2013 writing blog posts. We were lucky to get a few readers a day. Today we knock out a blog post in 1-2 hours and have over 100 readers per day reading all our 247+ blog articles. By writing articles consistently, a minimum of monthly your SEO will start to improve. If you are going for what we call the holy grail of blog articles you will post at least once per week. The more you post the more the search engines will see you as the expert in your field. We know you can do it and if you are too busy (we hope you are) you can always hire our team to help you out. You can always contact us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), email at [sales@jm2marketing.com](mailto:sales@jm2marketing.com), or through our [online contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Email-is-NOT-the-ultimate-communication-tool/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Email-is-NOT-the-ultimate-communication-tool/ As a company that lives on customer service and quickly communicating we live within our email system. Not only does our internal Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system keep us informed of deadlines, new tasks (e.g. work to be done), and new leads & clients it sends and communicates with our customers. On any given day we send out hundreds of emails to keep communication at the highest level possible. Email though for us is not our primary communication method as there are a lot of downsides to it. Let’s look at how we use email and how we don’t. The first line of communication for us is and always will be verbally. This is typically with that of a telephone call. If we had our choice we would sit down with clients all day long but that isn’t possible and a bad use of everyone’s time. Many of our clients are in other states while others are local but need to run their businesses. Although our clients love talking to us they have businesses, employees, and customers to attend to. Coming and visiting for hours on end not only hurts our productivity on their updates but their businesses from growing as they aren’t there working on where their passion lives. This is why we love phone calls as this provides a quicker response, almost always are short, to the point, and cover a specific item. This allows us to more rapidly start working on our client’s updates. When phone calls aren’t possible either by request, the client is busy running and growing their business in the real-world email is a great tool. A client can respond of their terms when they have time. When an email is received the first step is replying to it to let the client know that we’ve received. We have found this is definitely something we need to do as if we wait until the requested task is done the client is left waiting and wondering if we’ve received. Emails are impersonal, the tone can be easily misinterpreted, can come across as YELLING, and why the personal talking touch is so much the better. Often when I write an email it comes across as too technical even though I do everything in my power to keep it as non-technical as possible. When you talk with someone if they don’t understand something said it is quick and easy to state it differently making the customer service that much better. We live in a world of instant gratification. Email is not an instant gratification mechanism of communication. Talking and communicating in the real-world is instant gratification and can lead to some really great results. This is one reason I don’t know why talking doesn’t happen more now than ever. Always start with a phone call. If you get to voicemail follow it up with an email. If your client requests no phone calls use email. Make certain to always follow-up at defined intervals that work for your customer as they may receive 100+ emails in any given day. At the time of this writing, 5am, I already have thirty-four emails that are not junk (more if you count junk). Four are from clients and 30 are related to system updates and status messages. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/EmailMarketingAnIn-DepthGuide/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/EmailMarketingAnIn-DepthGuide/ ### Email Marketing: An In-Depth Guide Email marketing remains one of the most effective digital marketing strategies, offering unparalleled opportunities to build customer relationships, boost sales, and drive engagement. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your approach, this in-depth guide will take you through everything you need to know to create impactful email campaigns. *** ### **1. What is Email Marketing?** Email marketing involves sending targeted emails to a group of subscribers with the goal of promoting products, sharing information, or nurturing relationships. It’s a direct communication channel that provides businesses with a way to connect with customers and prospects in a personalized and measurable way. *** ### **2. Benefits of Email Marketing** - **High ROI:** For every $1 spent on email marketing, the average return is $36. - **Personalization:** Tailor messages to specific audience segments for better engagement. - **Direct Access:** Emails land directly in subscribers' inboxes, unlike social media posts that rely on algorithms. - **Measurable Results:** Track open rates, click-through rates (CTR), and conversions in real time. - **Automation Capabilities:** Automate workflows for onboarding, follow-ups, and promotions. *** ### **3. Building Your Email List** #### **Why is Your Email List Important?** A quality email list is the foundation of a successful email marketing strategy. Here’s how to grow and maintain one: #### **Strategies for Building an Email List:** - **Create Valuable Lead Magnets:** Offer free resources like eBooks, templates, or discounts in exchange for email addresses. - **Optimize Your Website:** Use pop-ups, exit-intent forms, and subscription banners to encourage sign-ups. - **Leverage Social Media:** Promote your email list on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. - **Host Webinars or Events:** Require registration to capture email addresses. #### **Avoid:** - Purchasing email lists, which often leads to poor engagement and potential legal issues. *** ### **4. Crafting Effective Emails** #### **Key Components of a Great Email:** 1. **Subject Line:** - Keep it short and engaging (under 50 characters). - Use personalization, such as the recipient’s name. - Create a sense of urgency or curiosity. 2. **Preheader Text:** - This is the snippet that appears alongside the subject line. Use it to provide additional context or value. 3. **Body Content:** - Write conversationally, as if you’re speaking directly to the recipient. - Focus on one clear message or call-to-action (CTA). - Use bullet points, images, and white space to make the email visually appealing. 4. **Call-to-Action (CTA):** - Make it clear, actionable, and easy to click (e.g., “Shop Now,” “Learn More”). *** ### **5. Types of Email Campaigns** #### **1. Welcome Emails:** - Sent immediately after a user subscribes. - Introduce your brand and set expectations. #### **2. Promotional Emails:** - Highlight sales, new products, or special offers. - Use urgency (e.g., “Limited Time Only”) to drive action. #### **3. Newsletter Emails:** - Share updates, insights, or curated content regularly. - Keep it informative and engaging. #### **4. Abandoned Cart Emails:** - Remind customers about items they left in their cart. - Offer incentives like discounts to encourage purchase. #### **5. Re-Engagement Emails:** - Target inactive subscribers with incentives to stay connected. *** ### **6. Segmenting Your Audience** Segmentation involves dividing your email list into smaller groups based on specific criteria to send more relevant messages. #### **Common Segmentation Criteria:** - Demographics: Age, gender, location. - Behavior: Purchase history, browsing activity. - Engagement: Active vs. inactive subscribers. - Interests: Preferences indicated during sign-up. #### **Benefits of Segmentation:** - Higher open and click-through rates. - Improved customer satisfaction. - Reduced unsubscribe rates. *** ### **7. Email Marketing Automation** Automation streamlines repetitive tasks and ensures timely, relevant communications. #### **Popular Automation Workflows:** - Welcome sequences. - Drip campaigns for nurturing leads. - Birthday or anniversary emails. - Post-purchase follow-ups. #### **Best Tools for Automation:** - **Mailchimp:** User-friendly with excellent templates. - **HubSpot:** Ideal for inbound marketing automation. - **Klaviyo:** Tailored for e-commerce businesses. *** ### **8. Measuring Email Marketing Success** #### **Key Metrics to Track:** - **Open Rate:** Percentage of recipients who open your email. Aim for 20-25%. - **Click-Through Rate (CTR):** Percentage of recipients who click a link in your email. Aim for 2-5%. - **Conversion Rate:** Percentage of recipients who complete the desired action (e.g., purchase, sign-up). - **Bounce Rate:** Percentage of emails that could not be delivered. Keep it under 2%. - **Unsubscribe Rate:** Percentage of users who opt out. Keep it under 0.5%. *** ### **9. Staying Compliant** #### **Key Regulations to Follow:** - **CAN-SPAM Act (U.S.):** Ensure opt-in, include an unsubscribe option, and provide a physical address. - **GDPR (EU):** Require explicit consent, offer data access, and enable easy unsubscribing. - **CCPA (California):** Notify users about data collection and provide an opt-out option. *** ### **10. Best Practices for Email Marketing** 1. **Test and Optimize:** - Use A/B testing for subject lines, content, and CTAs. 2. **Mobile Optimization:** - Over 50% of emails are opened on mobile devices. Ensure your emails look great on all screens. 3. **Consistency:** - Maintain a regular email schedule to stay top-of-mind. 4. **Clean Your List:** - Remove inactive subscribers periodically to maintain good deliverability. 5. **Focus on Value:** - Always provide content that resonates with your audience, whether it’s educational, entertaining, or promotional. *** ### Conclusion Email marketing is a powerful tool that allows you to connect with your audience on a personal level, build long-term relationships, and achieve measurable results. By implementing these strategies and continuously optimizing your campaigns, you can create impactful emails that drive engagement and grow your business. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your approach, email marketing remains a cornerstone of digital success. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/email-reliability-improvement/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/email-reliability-improvement/ When it comes to sending emails arriving in a person's inbox is key. There are several things you can do to make sure that happens. Brilliance CRM takes all of these into account so that you stand the highest likely to always hit the inbox. Every time you make changes to your mail server you should check and validate the following. With [Brilliance CRM](https://www.brilliancecrm.com/) we check this information continuously for your business. We check the following: - **DKIM Signed**: Make certain your email is properly signed. - **Your message is safe and well formatted**: Checks whether your message is well formatted or not. - **Images Have ALT Attributes**: ALT attributes provide a textual alternative to your images. It is a useful fallback for people who are blind or visually impaired and for cases where your images cannot be displayed. - **Content Is Safe**: Checks whether your message contains dangerous html elements such as javascript, iframes, embed content or applet. - **We didn't find short URL's**: Checks whether your message uses URL shortener systems. - **Your message contains a List-Unsubscribe header**: The List-Unsubscribe header is required if you send mass emails, it enables the user to easily unsubscribe from your mailing list. - **You're not blocklisted**: Checking all the email spam list directories. - [Spamhaus SBL Advisory](https://www.spamhaus.org/sbl/) - [Spamhaus CSS Advisory](https://www.spamhaus.org/css/) - [Spamhaus XBL Advisory](https://www.spamhaus.org/xbl/) - [Spamhaus PBL Advisory](https://www.spamhaus.org/pbl/) - [Barracuda](http://barracudacentral.org/rbl) - [Hostkarma](http://ipadmin.junkemailfilter.com/remove.php) - [IMP-SPAM](http://antispam.imp.ch/) - [BACKSCATTERER](http://www.backscatterer.org/index.php) - [China Anti-Spam Alliance](http://www.anti-spam.org.cn/) - [LashBack](http://blacklist.lashback.com/) - [mailspike](https://mailspike.io/ip_verify) - [NiX Spam](http://www.heise.de/ix/nixspam/dnsbl_en/) - [REDHAWK](https://www.redhawk.org/SpamHawk/) - [SORBS (Relay)](http://www.sorbs.net/lookup.shtml) - [SORBS (last 48 hours)](http://www.sorbs.net/lookup.shtml) - [SORBS (last 28 days)](http://www.sorbs.net/lookup.shtml) - [SPAMCOP](http://spamcop.net/bl.shtml) - [SEM-BACKSCATTER](http://spameatingmonkey.com/index.html) - [SEM-BLACK](http://spameatingmonkey.com/index.html) - [RATS-ALL](http://www.spamrats.com/) - [PSBL](http://psbl.surriel.com/) - [SWINOG](https://www.mail-tester.com/test-4ikhr4dup) - [GBUdb Truncate](http://www.gbudb.com/truncate/index.jsp) - [Weighted Private Block List](http://wpbl.pc9.org/) - **No broken links**: Checks if your newsletter contains broken links. - **HTML to Text Ratio**: Make certain you have enough text compared to all the backend developer code. Checking all of these on each email send is key to achieving success. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/employee-fall-out-ghl/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/employee-fall-out-ghl/ When an employee or contractor is terminated—especially under ethical concerns—it can feel like you're defusing a bomb with a blindfold on. The emotional stress, potential data breaches, client risk, and team disruption are a perfect storm that can cripple your operations overnight. This article is a comprehensive, real-world guide for business owners facing that nightmare—and how to turn it into a recovery plan and prevention strategy. ## Lock Down First, Ask Questions Later When trust is breached, security becomes the top priority—not diplomacy. ### Immediate Actions - Change **ALL passwords** for internal systems, especially GHL (GoHighLevel) admin access. - Force logout of all users. - Revoke access from anyone not currently under contract or whose integrity is in question. - Enable **2FA** (Two-Factor Authentication) across the board. - Replace shared login credentials with personal logins to identify accountability. ### Tools that help - Password managers ([1Password](https://1password.com/), [LastPass](https://www.lastpass.com/)) - Security session managers - GHL Audit Log: Go to \*Agency Settings > Audit Logs\*, then filter for "Login Attempt", "Team Member Added", etc. ## Address the Human Element Most problems don't start with software—they start with relationships. ### Best Practices - Host one-on-one meetings with current staff. Address your concerns transparently. - Reinforce or reissue contracts that include: - No-solicitation clauses - Confidentiality - Clear terms around account access and client communications - Consider requiring signatures for an updated **IT Security & Ethics Policy**. - Be honest about what happened and where the lines are drawn going forward. ## Legal & Ethical Oversight This is not just an operations problem—it's also a legal and data privacy issue. ### Recommended Actions - Consult a business attorney to: - Draft or revise NDAs, employment contracts, and exit clauses - Issue cease-and-desist letters if needed - Keep logs, screenshots, email timestamps, and chat histories of any suspicious activity. - Understand your obligations under **privacy laws** (like GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA depending on your industry and region). ## Rebuild the Right Way It's tempting to start fresh—but don't just burn it down. Rebuild smarter. ### Access Strategy - Implement **role-based access**: give employees access to only the tools and data they absolutely need. - Use **tags or tracking fields** to monitor lead origins and user activity. - Implement a **lead honeypot system**: add fake leads to accounts and monitor how they are used to sniff out bad actors. **Pro Tip**: Start referring to team members by role and trust level in systems (e.g. "Maya – Trusted SDR", "Logan – New Hire – Restricted"). ## Prevention is Your Best Friend Don't wait for disaster to strike—build your defense in advance. ### Prevention Checklist - Exit SOP for all contractors and employees - Regular audits of platform access and log activity - Use monitoring tools ([Time Doctor](https://www.timedoctor.com/), [Hubstaff](https://hubstaff.com/)) for accountability - Avoid login sharing by managing access through tools like 1Password - Regularly back up customer and lead data in secure, access-controlled environments - Vet hires through agencies or partnerships that offer accountability ## Why Fawkes Digital Marketing Is Your Strategic Partner We've been doing this for over two decades—long before "digital marketing" was a buzzword. Our clients know us not only as brand builders, but as business partners. We've helped agencies and companies: - Set up internal ops from scratch - Recover from ethical and legal crises - Build SOPs that protect their future - Hire, fire, and rebuild teams with resilience ## Fawkes Digital Marketing is more than a marketing agency—we're a seasoned business consultancy. If you're facing a personnel crisis, data breach, or operational risk — **we're the first call you should make**. [Contact us today](/Contact/) to book a free, no obligation, and confidential consultation. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/EmployeeWebsiteInvestment/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/EmployeeWebsiteInvestment/ Yesterday at the Michigan City Chamber Biz Expo we ran into many great people wanting to know information. Most of them had websites (only two didn't), some good and some that they wish they could do more but didn't see the benefit of having a website. We found only one business (out of over forty) actually considers their website as a benefit to the company rather than a required expense. We run into this all the time where a business has designed a website years ago and think eventually it will bring in tangible results. Would you hire an employee, set them at a desk and hope that someday they will bring in tangible results? I am betting the answer is no. You want, and need, that employee to work for your business objectives and not just take home a paycheck. Having a website that you build (hire) either yourself or pay someone else to design, pay monthly fees (paycheck) for hosting and the domain registrar fee and do not work toward making it the best employee (website) that it can be that is exactly what you're doing. Your website needs to be kept up to date about your business goals, objectives, and working toward the success of your business. Years ago you may have had the most up-to-date and beautiful website, your competitors were envious of what you had done, and your site was the talk of the town. With all the early success, rave reviews you may be asking why we state that every year, or two, you need to update your website. The reason is actually quite simple. New and returning customers are searching for products, services and support for the products your business is selling. Based on this information we've built a list of reasons why you should think of updating your website. ## Competition Your competitors are also working to improve their image, putting their products and services online for customers to find, being involved on the Internet. They want to win the business that was once solely yours. ## Search Engines The search engines live for fresh, relevant and updated content. This is what helps keep you on the organic search results. ## Local Search You're in the business to drive customers both online and locally. Even without having a physical presence local search can benefit you by having people find you when they are searching for a specific product. It could be they are looking for your widget which is only available online and rather than choosing your competitor who has a store front decide on yours as your website has the information they need and the price they are looking for. ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Search engines evolve on an almost daily basis. What worked for your website years ago, months ago or even last week may no longer be relevant on your website anymore. By incorporating a solid SEO strategy you can make certain the information about your website is pertinent today as it was when you started your online venture. ## Mobile World The world is moving to being more online rather than tethered to a desk. They are using tablets and smart phones on a daily basis to surf the Internet. This makes having your website being able to handle each of these devices ever more important. ## Security Having a website that hasn't been updated can be a key indication to people that are not ethical and will see a ripe opportunity in taking advantage of security vulnerabilities of your website. Many websites that are outdated also don't receive the necessary web server software updates to stay secure. Just last week we upgraded a site that used Microsoft FrontPage Server Extensions which has several known security vulnerabilities. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Engaging-Your-Target-Audience-With-Quality-Content/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Engaging-Your-Target-Audience-With-Quality-Content/ The rewards of content marketing are really too rich to ignore. With high-quality content you can build your brand, establish trust, create a positive reputation, and gain authority with current and future clients. People look for this content to help them make decisions and solve problems they are current facing. Once you've achieved this you will gain a loyal follower that not only comes back for information but will routinely share and promote your content to further inform others that they know. ## Deep Pockets There is a belief that larger companies will win the "Content Wars" to gain viewers and followers as they spend larger amounts of money. We believe that those that take the time, are patient, and work to establish themselves as experts in their field will gain content awareness as much as those with the big dollars. In fact, we often see those that work hard and stay focused for the long haul surpass and exceed the reputations, brand awareness, and authority of the larger brands that are just going after mass content by spending large amounts of money to saturate the market. A huge budget isn't necessary to build quality content or trust with your clients. ## Be Unique Uniqueness is where you can have your company culture come alive. People will see what you stand for as a company, who you are, and most definitely what you believe in. When you copy and repost others content you are not showing what you believe in or that you have any unique skills to bring to the table. It is a lot harder to get people interested in your business if you cannot get people interested in what you are doing. We've all heard that I am too busy to create unique content. This very well could be true for many of us and why there are companies that can assist in writing quality content for our business. This is one of the many features we routinely do for our clients that either are too busy or do not have the expertise to write a quick 700-word article. In many circumstances there are dozens, if not hundreds, of articles that already exist on specific topics. Have confidence in yourself, and your company, that you can bring expertise to the table and that this expertise can better inform your clients. ## Hit the Market Early If you are in a local market that is heavily saturated one way to quickly gain authority in your industry is by choosing a topic that your competitors are currently not interested in pursuing. This will give you a head start on your competition who are not focused on what your clients are wanting. What your clients are wanting is a key point here. If your clients are not interested in what you are talking about then you will be not only wasting your time, your clients, and your competitors will stand a better chance of taking your clients from you. This early mover tactic is a way to quickly move up in the ranks in your area. If you are unfamiliar with an area one way of getting up to speed is aligning yourself with someone that is already an expert in that arena that you are not in direct competition with. Together you can help each other grow together. ## Work Hard Getting a head never comes easy. You need to truly work hard and be positive in your daily actions. We always have seen success when we not only work hard but push ourselves each day to be better than the last. Your website needs **your** help to achieve this. When initially built you created something truly amazing to bring your *online employee* alive. Yes, your online employee. This virtual employee is capable of promoting your business 24x7 in the most positive light. People will see the dedication, commitment you have to, love that you have for your business, and your level of quality that you believe in. When people see a beautiful website with thought put into the content they will have a higher first impression of what you've done. They will see that you are not like your competitors but a true beacon of expertise in your industry. ## Copy-And-Paste Syndrome We see this all too often. A company doesn't believe they have time. They go to a competitors site, or another site that is similar "enough" to theirs and copy-and-paste the information into their site. They believe this will help them gain credibility by taking other people's ideas. This can have the reverse effect as the search engines are extremely smart and will penalize you for this. We have seen several companies here in Northwest Alabama that have done this. They will copy the information, change a few words, and wonder why the page doesn't rank as well as the other page. Providing quality for your clients will never come easy. Every step of the way will be *hard work*. Over time it will be easier than the last time you did something. This is because you have been training and working at it. Make certain what you create is unique, brings out your company culture, and speaks to who you are and how **you** are the choice for your clients. ## Conclusion The adage that content is king is very true. A constantly changing and evolving realm of content that meets the needs of your clients will keep them wanting more, sharing more, and looking to you for authoritative answers for their problems. By being the expert you will gain their trust to help your business grow. When you just re-share other people's content you are not establishing your expertise. Just that you know how to copy-and-paste. Be an expert, create quality content, increase your brand awareness, and do it consistently. If your busy and do not have the time to create great quality content, and we hope that you are, our team of content writers are here to help you achieve your business objectives. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:8554562669), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), [or through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Enhanced-Your-Websites-Lead-Generation/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Enhanced-Your-Websites-Lead-Generation/ ### Enhanced Your Websites Lead Generation Improving your website's lead generation and sales performance involves a comprehensive approach that encompasses **Search Engine Optimization (SEO)**, **Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)**, and **User Experience (UX) enhancements**. Here's a detailed plan to enhance your website's effectiveness: **1. Conduct a Comprehensive SEO Audit** Begin by performing an in-depth SEO analysis to identify areas for improvement. Tools like [SEOptimer](https://www.seoptimer.com/) and [Neil Patel's SEO Analyzer](https://neilpatel.com/seo-analyzer/) can provide valuable insights into your website's current SEO health. These tools evaluate factors such as meta tags, keyword usage, site speed, mobile responsiveness, and backlink profiles. **2. Optimize for Local SEO** Given your focus on Cullman and North Alabama, it's crucial to optimize your website for local search queries. Ensure your business information is consistent across all online directories, and consider creating content that highlights your local expertise. This strategy can improve your visibility for location-specific searches. **3. Enhance Website Content** Develop high-quality, engaging content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience. Regularly updating your blog with relevant articles can position your company as an authority in the digital marketing space. Additionally, incorporating clear and compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) can guide visitors toward taking desired actions. **4. Improve Website Speed and Mobile Responsiveness** A fast-loading, mobile-friendly website is essential for retaining visitors and improving search rankings. Utilize tools like Google's PageSpeed Insights to identify and rectify issues that may be slowing down your site. **5. Implement Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Strategies** Analyze user behavior on your website to understand how visitors interact with various elements. Implement A/B testing to determine the most effective designs, CTAs, and content layouts. Incorporating social proof, such as testimonials and case studies, can also build trust and encourage conversions. **6. Leverage Social Media and Online Reviews** Maintain an active presence on social media platforms to engage with your audience and drive traffic to your website. Encourage satisfied clients to leave positive reviews on platforms like Google My Business, as these can enhance your online reputation and influence potential customers. **7. Monitor and Analyze Performance** Regularly track your website's performance using analytics tools. Monitor metrics such as traffic sources, bounce rates, and conversion rates to identify areas for improvement and measure the effectiveness of implemented strategies. By systematically addressing these areas, you can enhance your website's ability to attract and convert leads, ultimately improving your business's online performance. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ensuring-ada-compliance-for-businesses/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ensuring-ada-compliance-for-businesses/ ### ADA Compliance for Government Websites: Ensuring Accessibility Across Federal, State, and Local Levels Government websites serve as vital hubs for information and services that millions of people rely on daily. To ensure inclusivity and equal access, these websites must adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other accessibility standards. Let’s explore why ADA compliance is crucial for federal, state, and local government websites and how to achieve it. *** ### What is ADA Compliance for Government Websites? The **Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)** is a landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities. In the digital age, this includes websites and online services. ADA compliance for government websites involves meeting **Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)** standards, which ensure that content is: - **Perceivable:** Information can be perceived by all users, including those using assistive technologies like screen readers. - **Operable:** Navigation and interaction elements are accessible to everyone. - **Understandable:** Content is clear and intuitive. - **Robust:** Websites are compatible with current and future assistive technologies. For government entities, compliance isn’t just a best practice—it’s a legal obligation. *** ### ADA Compliance at the Federal Level #### **Requirements** Federal government websites are governed by **Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act**, which mandates that all electronic and information technology (EIT) be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Section 508 aligns closely with WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards. #### **Common Challenges** - Ensuring legacy systems and content meet current accessibility standards. - Keeping pace with evolving technologies and user needs. - Balancing accessibility with cybersecurity protocols. #### **Best Practices** - Conduct regular accessibility audits using tools like WAVE or Axe. - Provide training for web developers and content creators on ADA and Section 508 requirements. - Include captions for all multimedia and provide text alternatives for images. *** ### ADA Compliance at the State Level #### **Requirements** Many states have their own accessibility laws and guidelines, often modeled after Section 508 or WCAG standards. These laws apply to state agencies and publicly funded organizations. #### **Common Challenges** - Inconsistent standards between states can complicate compliance. - Budget constraints often limit resources for accessibility improvements. - Limited staff expertise in accessibility standards. #### **Best Practices** - Adopt a unified state-wide accessibility policy based on WCAG 2.1 standards. - Use centralized tools and resources for accessibility testing and remediation. - Engage with the community to understand the specific needs of residents with disabilities. *** ### ADA Compliance at the Local Government Level #### **Requirements** Local governments, including counties, cities, and municipalities, are also required to provide accessible digital services under the ADA and may be subject to state-specific laws. #### **Common Challenges** - Limited technical resources or staff dedicated to web development. - Smaller budgets compared to state or federal agencies. - Older websites or systems that require significant updates. #### **Best Practices** - Prioritize accessibility improvements for high-traffic pages and essential services. - Partner with accessibility experts or third-party consultants to identify and fix issues. - Create a roadmap for achieving full compliance over time. *** ### Why ADA Compliance Matters for Government Websites #### **1. Legal Obligations** Failure to comply with ADA and related laws can result in lawsuits and penalties. Ensuring compliance mitigates legal risks and demonstrates a commitment to equity. #### **2. Equal Access to Services** Accessible websites ensure that individuals with disabilities can access critical information and services, from applying for benefits to paying taxes. #### **3. Improved User Experience** Accessibility features, such as intuitive navigation and readable content, benefit all users, not just those with disabilities. #### **4. Enhanced Public Trust** An accessible website reflects a government’s dedication to serving all citizens, fostering trust and engagement within the community. *** ### Steps to Achieve ADA Compliance 1. **Conduct an Accessibility Audit:** Use tools like Siteimprove or manual testing with assistive technologies to identify barriers. 2. **Develop an Accessibility Plan:** Create a timeline and allocate resources for addressing issues. 3. **Train Staff:** Ensure developers, content creators, and administrators understand accessibility best practices. 4. **Implement WCAG Standards:** Focus on achieving WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance as a baseline. 5. **Engage the Community:** Gather feedback from individuals with disabilities to refine and improve accessibility efforts. 6. **Maintain Compliance:** Regularly update and test the website to ensure continued adherence to standards. *** ### Why Fawkes Digital Marketing is Your Accessibility Partner With over a decade of experience, Fawkes Digital Marketing specializes in helping government entities achieve and maintain ADA compliance. Here’s how we can help: - **Comprehensive Audits:** We identify accessibility gaps and provide actionable recommendations. - **Tailored Solutions:** From plugin-based fixes to fully custom-coded websites, we deliver solutions that meet your needs and budget. - **Ongoing Support:** Accessibility isn’t a one-time task. We provide continuous monitoring and updates to ensure long-term compliance. - **Expertise You Can Trust:** Our team stays ahead of accessibility standards and technologies, ensuring your website is always compliant. *** ### Conclusion ADA compliance is non-negotiable for federal, state, and local government websites. It’s about more than just avoiding legal penalties—it’s about creating an inclusive digital environment that serves all citizens. Whether you need to bring an outdated website up to standard or ensure a new site is compliant from the start, Fawkes Digital Marketing is here to help. Contact us today to ensure your government website meets the highest standards of accessibility and user experience. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/EssentialComplianceStandardsEveryBusinessShouldKno/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/EssentialComplianceStandardsEveryBusinessShouldKno/ ### Essential Compliance Standards Every Business Should Know In today’s regulatory landscape, businesses are required to navigate a growing array of compliance standards designed to protect consumer data, privacy, and rights. Whether you operate domestically or globally, understanding these regulations is crucial for avoiding legal risks, safeguarding customer trust, and ensuring operational efficiency. Here, we explore key compliance frameworks such as GDPR, CCPA, and others that your business may need to adhere to. *** ### **1. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)** The **GDPR** is a European Union (EU) regulation that governs how personal data of EU citizens is collected, processed, and stored. Even businesses outside the EU must comply if they handle data of EU residents. #### **Key Requirements:** - Obtain explicit consent before collecting personal data. - Provide individuals with the right to access, correct, or delete their data. - Report data breaches within 72 hours. - Appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) if you process large volumes of personal data. #### **Who Needs to Comply?** - Any business offering goods or services to EU residents. - Companies processing EU personal data, regardless of their location. #### **Penalties for Non-Compliance:** Fines up to €20 million or 4% of global annual revenue, whichever is higher. *** ### **2. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)** The **CCPA** is a U.S. law that enhances privacy rights and consumer protections for California residents. It focuses on giving individuals control over their personal data. #### **Key Requirements:** - Inform consumers about the types of personal data collected and how it is used. - Allow consumers to opt out of the sale of their data. - Enable access, deletion, and portability of personal data upon request. #### **Who Needs to Comply?** Businesses that: - Have annual gross revenues exceeding $25 million. - Handle data of 50,000 or more California residents, households, or devices annually. - Derive 50% or more of annual revenue from selling California residents’ personal information. #### **Penalties for Non-Compliance:** Up to $7,500 per intentional violation and $2,500 per unintentional violation. *** ### **3. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)** HIPAA is a U.S. regulation that protects sensitive health information (PHI) by establishing standards for its secure handling and sharing. #### **Key Requirements:** - Implement safeguards for electronic PHI (ePHI), including encryption. - Conduct risk assessments and establish access controls. - Provide breach notification to affected individuals and authorities. #### **Who Needs to Comply?** - Healthcare providers, insurers, and clearinghouses. - Businesses (business associates) that handle PHI on behalf of covered entities. #### **Penalties for Non-Compliance:** Fines range from $100 to $50,000 per violation, with a maximum annual penalty of $1.5 million. *** ### **4. Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)** The **PCI DSS** is a set of security standards designed to protect credit card transactions and payment data. #### **Key Requirements:** - Encrypt cardholder data during transmission and storage. - Regularly update and monitor security systems. - Implement access controls to limit data exposure. #### **Who Needs to Comply?** Any business that processes, stores, or transmits payment card information. #### **Penalties for Non-Compliance:** Fines range from $5,000 to $100,000 per month, depending on the violation and payment processor. *** ### **5. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)** The **COPPA** regulates the collection of personal information from children under the age of 13 in the U.S. #### **Key Requirements:** - Obtain parental consent before collecting data. - Provide clear privacy policies. - Allow parents to access and delete their child’s data. #### **Who Needs to Comply?** Businesses operating websites or apps targeting children under 13 or knowingly collecting their data. #### **Penalties for Non-Compliance:** Fines up to $43,280 per violation. *** ### **6. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)** FERPA protects the privacy of student education records in the U.S. #### **Key Requirements:** - Allow parents or eligible students (over 18) to access and correct records. - Obtain written consent before disclosing personally identifiable information (PII). #### **Who Needs to Comply?** Educational institutions receiving federal funding. #### **Penalties for Non-Compliance:** Loss of federal funding. *** ### **Benefits of Compliance** #### **1. Avoiding Legal Risks** Compliance reduces the risk of lawsuits, fines, and penalties. #### **2. Building Customer Trust** Transparent practices and secure handling of data build customer confidence. #### **3. Enhancing Brand Reputation** Demonstrating commitment to regulatory standards enhances credibility and attracts more customers. #### **4. Expanding Market Reach** Meeting international standards like GDPR enables businesses to operate in global markets. #### **5. Improving Data Security** Compliance frameworks often require robust data security measures, protecting businesses from breaches and cyberattacks. *** ### How Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help Navigating compliance can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. **Fawkes Digital Marketing** specializes in: - **Website Audits:** Identifying compliance gaps in GDPR, CCPA, and more. - **Custom Solutions:** Tailoring strategies to meet your business’s unique regulatory requirements. - **Continuous Monitoring:** Ensuring your compliance efforts stay up-to-date with evolving regulations. With over a decade of experience, we’re here to help you protect your business, build trust, and thrive in a regulated world. *** ### Conclusion Compliance with regulations like GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and others is essential for businesses handling sensitive data. Beyond avoiding legal consequences, these frameworks offer significant benefits, from improved security to enhanced customer trust. Partner with **Fawkes Digital Marketing** to ensure your business meets its compliance obligations and remains competitive in today’s ever-changing regulatory environment. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Evolution-of-a-Dream/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Evolution-of-a-Dream/ Five years ago, a dream was planted to change the world in the digital marketing space. This covers not only social media but websites and any electronic media of the modern business. We also decided to do this in Northwest Alabama rather than Silicon Valley or another major tech sector area of the country. The reason was simple and that is there was an untapped pool of truly awesome people that had desires to do good in the community and the world. Many who have been held back but knew they had the potential to do good in the world. Experts exist everywhere around the world and not just in these tech sector centric locations. Our city of Cullman Alabama has proven and helped us grow with its entrepreneur spirit. Business consultants said we could charge a lot more (and should) for what we offered. We knew this but we didn't care about charging more as it was not part of what or who we are. We cared about making a difference for small and medium sized businesses without gouging them of all their money as their dreams were the same as ours. We still care about helping businesses years into our dream and will continue to do what we feel is right. Don't tell us we CAN'T as we know we can. We will not be discouraged by naysayers or people who do not believe in bettering the world. Every year we have more people tell us we can't which further makes us push harder as we are the leaders and game changers for business. We think big, we think nationally rather than just locally, and we push every element we come across. We all have those people in our lives that at one time encouraged us and then turn and change to say we will not amount to anything. Those that have said we can't do something and then see us and our client's success say they said what they said to encourage and push us. That's is a load of crap! (and they know it!) Three years ago, I ran into a YouTuber called Casey Niestat. As I watched his episodes I saw someone that was always pushed and told he couldn't do certain things. He didn't listen to their negativity and instead embraced the idea to do good. He encouraged you to start looking outside of your comfort zone and do things that matter to you and not follow the typical path. To live your life so it makes a difference to you no matter how you do it. On April 9, 2012, he created a video called "Make It Count" for Nike. What was unique is you see all kinds of brands and products in the video. What you don't' see is Nike beyond the ["Make It Count"](https://youtu.be/WxfZkMm3wcg) slogan in the video until the very end and on the YouTube video, it's nowhere to be found. A completely unique and different approach that took guts, a gamble on Mike's part, and a desire by both to be different. This resonated and made the dream to move to help companies in marketing part of our core services rather than something we offered when asked. We saw too many companies over charging and from the outside were not providing a value to their customers (or as much as we know they could be providing). A month ago, Casey created a video called "Do What You Can't". This hit home hard as we just got off the phone with Northwest Alabama Business Quarterly (NWIBQ) about winning two spots in their annual competition (more on that later). Since first grade, I have always done what I wanted and pushed the status quo even if it upset others. I have never been a conformist. That's a long time as I am a lot older now but still, have the desire to give people a value that truly helps their business grow. The video resonated and rang to my core being. It has energized me even more and since seeing this video I have even stronger convictions to change the world for the better; one business at a time by living to our core principal of honesty (Rule #1). Last year we proved that what we've been creating around the United States could be noticed by others. Our clients and their friends voted us the "Best Ad Agency for Web Design" for 2016. That was awesome, we were humbled to be even considered let alone win this contest. It inspired us to push harder in marketing businesses than we already had been. A year later and we've broken down even more walls and more people are noticing. We've taken a prototype to production that has gone through patent channels, doubled the profit of our client's project while increasing the overall quality and presentation. We helped define their brand, create logos and marketing materials, and set marketing standards for their product. We didn't stop with one, we've done it for a half dozen clients in the last year. The question comes to "are we making a difference" for our clients (that is what matters right?). Well, the one client was quoted over 40k to do the project and we came in at around 4k. The client is excited, more energized than they ever were before, and is a devoted fan of ours. We didn't know the price they were quoted until afterwards and knowing this we still wouldn't have changed our pricing. It's called doing what's right, doing good, and living our values. Now a year later and the contest from the previous year ran again. This time we thought: "We wonder how we would do?". We did push it this year using our social media channels and treated ourselves 100% like anyone of our clients. Well, we won "Best Ad & Marketing Agency" (they changed the name this year). It seems though we didn't stop at winning one category. We won "Best Veteran Owned Business" and we even got runner up for "Best in Information Technology". You would think that is a pretty feather and you would be right that it is. The award means a lot to me and [our entire team](/About/Team/). It hasn't gone to our head though. We know we've pushed hard over the years and we are all energized to push even harder as our target is to make an even bigger difference for small and medium-sized businesses. We are often told we can't do things in life even by those that lead good lives. We are all talked about behind our backs. These individuals though are not your cheerleaders. These are people that are envious of your talents. We all have some truly remarkable talents and each of us is different. Together though we can all make a difference in this world. Stay encouraged, use your talents, embrace your dreams, and you can make a difference. We do not know everyone reading this blog but know over 100 people a day read our blog articles. We believe in each of you and your dreams. I want to personally thank my personal cheerleader Holly who has stood by me continuously and has always helped me stay on course. The success of our company though would not be where it is at today if it wasn't for Nancy, Teresa, Kyle, Cortney, Lisa, Anna, Charles, Katlyn, and Ed. Individually we are all great individuals. Together though we make an unstoppable team where each person is equally important. None of us is better than the other. We are a team that can, is, and will continue to make a difference. If you want to live our dream as part of your business we would love to work with you to grow your business. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ExceptionalWebsiteCustomerService/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ExceptionalWebsiteCustomerService/ We know our customers are the life blood of our organizations. Without them we could not achieve the greatness that we have. The problem we've seen is not every customer gives us feedback. With a website though and the right tools you can actually find out about what your customers are doing. For the past three years we've used products like [SumoMe](https://sumome.com/), [CrazyEgg](http://www.crazyegg.com/), and [Heatmap](https://heatmap.me/). Each product has had its benefits. A year and a half ago we came across a product that does everything these companies do and steps up the customer service notch. This will be the product we talk about today. This product is called [Lucky Orange](http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=551407&U=1204157&M=50948&urllink=). Websites are routinely seen as just an **expense**. We believe that a website is truly a 24x7 employee and that our employees can help our business grow. Utilizing the power of the computer and digging into the analytics of how a user uses our business websites you are able to learn what is happening and how your business can benefit from this. Not only can your organization do this for little cost you can do so without even adding this to your workload for your employees as you can hire **JM2 Webdesigners from Northwest Alabama** to become your online customer support personnel. ## What is Lucky Orange Luck Orange is an exceptional analytics platform that offers not just your typical users statistics but something more. You can actually play back each individual session to see what and how a user surfed your site. Heat maps can show you a piece of the puzzle but not the complete picture. Sound too good to be true? Must be expensive right? It's not. Not only do you get unlimited session recordings but you get a huge host of features for as little as $10 per month for up to two customer service representatives. ## Integration A product would be a complete failure if it couldn't fit into multiple solutions. With [Lucky Orange](http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=551407&U=1204157&M=50948&urllink=) as long as you have access to the HTML of your site you can run the software. With the JM2 Webdesigners CMS (Content Management System) you can add this functionality to your website in as little as a few minutes. ## Speed A solution for customers is only as good as it is fast. If you provided a slow customer service solution to your visitors, they would leave your site and those potential sales would be gone. The solution does not slow down your website at all. Users can change pages without losing their chat sessions, and you even can see what the user is seeing so that you can help them navigate through your website. ## Security We would be a miss if we left off security. Ever since our days of opening in Michigan City Alabama security has always been number two. Number two you say? Why not number one? Well, we believe in being truthful and honest as number one. By having our rule number one as "no lying" we know when we tell our clients how important security is to us they know we are speaking the truth. With [Lucky Orange](http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=551407&U=1204157&M=50948&urllink=) security can be set on a per agent basis allowing the greatest of control to your organization. ## Reliability Whenever we think of a system that we want to integrate we have to think about something reliable. With [Lucky Orange](http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=551407&U=1204157&M=50948&urllink=) we are fortunate in that the system is very reliable and online all 100% of the time (nothing is perfect). We've never had a client that couldn't reach us when they wanted to chat. ## Features Many solutions offer just one core feature. This could be heat maps, chat, polling, etc. With [Lucky Orange](http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=551407&U=1204157&M=50948&urllink=) you gain all of that (and more) for less than it would cost. This means only one application for everyone to use and no software to install. Below we are going to showcase the core features included with the product: - Form Analytics - Automatically calculate form metrics - Abandonment Rate - Conversion Rate - Engagement Rate - Time to Start Forms - Time Spent in Each Field - Which Fields are Most Often Abandoned - Which Fields are Repeated - What Order are Fields Filled Out - Watch Recordings of People that Abandoned, to Learn Why - Real Time Analytics - Accurate counts of what's happening right now on your site - Unique visitor count vs number of browser tabs opened - Top Keywords - Top Countries & Cities - Top Referrers - Top Pages - Real-time Related Tweets - Uses various available transports to create a cross browser/platform real time experience - Live Chat Software - Chat box stays on the page and follows visitor as they browse your site for a seamless experience. - Can watch visitors screen while chatting with them - Add Customized Pre Chat Questions - Customizable colors, text, positioning - Multiple Chat Operators and Operator chat room - Operators can have profile pictures and sub titles - Ability to transfer chat to another operator - See when a visitor is typing, typed, stopped typing - Simple dashboard lets you chat with many people at the same time - Ask a user to chat - Searchable Chat Logs - Visitor can Initiate Live Chat - Toggle chat on/off with one click - Visitor Polls - Ask simple questions with up to 4 responses and comments - Quickly gain valuable customer insight - Watch results in real time - Create country specific polls - Show polls on specific pages - Show polls to random sample - Show polls after certain number of seconds - Instantly add / delete / pause polls without adding any more code to your site - Graph and searchable log of responses - Can push poll results, views, closes, to Google Analytics - Visitor Recordings & Live Sessions - Watch in real time or automatically records visitor - browsing sessions - See exactly what your visitors did on your site - Ability to chat with visitor while you watch them browse. - Watch every mouse movement, keypress, scroll, screen resize - Works with dynamic html and member only pages - Saves the HTML that the visitor saw at the time of the recording - Works across multiple browsers / screen resolutions - See mouse paths drawn over the html - Watch Visitor Path across site and jump to any page - Searchable recordings, including finding recordings that include a specific url - Stores visitor keywords, search engine, referrer information with recordings - Heat Maps - Aggregate lots of click data to form beautiful heat maps - Click heat maps - Mouse movement heat maps - Scroll Depth heat maps (see how far people are scrolling down the page) - Works with fluid layouts & different browser sizes - Create heat maps based on date ranges, url's, browsers, location and more - Accurately finds the actual div the user clicked on instead of just using relative mouse coordinates. - Live Visitor Map - Watch a real time visitor map of all your website visitors - Animated with custom effects - Plot line between points for neat effect - Can be launched in Full Screen for use with large monitors, or to display in a waiting area - Simple or Detailed Map View ## Pricing We all look at pricing and with all of these features it's hard to believe that you can get started for just $10 per month. It's true! Although it should never be a key factor it should play an integral part. With [Lucky Orange](http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=551407&U=1204157&M=50948&urllink=) we are able to choose what is best for the client without breaking the bank while providing us some truly useful analytics. ## What if I want but don't have the staff? Customer service is important to all of us. Taking care of their needs is critical. If you know you would like a feature like this but cannot afford a full or part time person to handle your online customer support needs you have nothing to worry about. We actually have a solution for you to solve those needs. For a low monthly cost we will handle all of your client website requests and provide you with a log of the conversations. We will work with you on covering the common questions that will be asked and how you would want them answered. If this sounds like something you might want to do let us know. ## Conclusion With all the products we've evaluated there is no perfect solution for anyone. Over the years we have found that [Lucky Orange](http://www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?B=551407&U=1204157&M=50948&urllink=) has the widest breath of features, the prices are fair, and the client and JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman Alabama can work collaboratively work together in providing exceptional customer service. If you would like to learn more how this can integrate with your business processes and how it can benefit your business, even if it's just you, contact us through 256-258-8593, email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). We look forward to helping your business improve its customer service process. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/expert-seo-cullman-al/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/expert-seo-cullman-al/ In today's digital-first world, having a strong online presence is no longer optional—it's essential. If you want your business in **Cullman, Alabama**, to stand out, attract more customers, and grow sustainably, investing in professional **Search Engine Optimization (SEO)** services is the way forward. SEO not only helps your website rank higher in search engine results but also ensures that your business reaches the right audience at the right time. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in helping businesses in Cullman and North Alabama and reach customers throughout the United States to achieve measurable growth with customized SEO strategies. Here's why expert SEO services are the key to boosting your business. ## Why SEO Matters for Your Cullman Business Search engines are the go-to tool for consumers looking for products, services, and local businesses. Studies show that: - **75% of users never scroll past the first page** of search results. - **46% of all Google searches** are for local businesses. - Businesses with strong SEO strategies can see a **10x increase in web traffic** compared to those without. If your website isn't optimized for search engines, you're missing out on a significant portion of potential customers. Effective SEO ensures that your business appears prominently when users search for services you offer in Cullman, Alabama. ## What Fawkes Digital Marketing Offers We provide comprehensive SEO services designed to meet the unique needs of businesses in Cullman, Alabama. Here's how we can help: 1. **Local SEO**: Local SEO focuses on getting your business to appear in **local search results** and the **Google Map Pack** for searches like "best plumbers in Cullman" or "Cullman restaurants near me." - **Google Business Profile Optimization**: We ensure your profile is accurate, complete, and optimized for maximum visibility. - **Local Citations**: Consistent listings in local directories like Yelp and Yellow Pages. - **NAP Consistency**: Your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across the web. **Keyword Research and Content Strategy**: SEO starts with understanding what your customers are searching for. We perform in-depth keyword research to: - Identify the best keywords for your industry and location. - Create a content strategy that ranks for these terms, attracting traffic to your website. - Craft engaging, SEO-friendly content tailored to your audience in Cullman. **On-Page Optimization**: On-page SEO ensures that every element of your website is optimized for search engines and users. We handle: - **Meta Tags**: Titles and descriptions that incorporate targeted keywords. - **Internal Linking**: Strengthening your site's structure to improve navigation and SEO. - **Mobile Responsiveness**: Ensuring your site looks and performs perfectly on all devices. **Technical SEO**: Technical SEO is the backbone of a high-performing website. Our services include: - Improving page speed for better user experience and rankings. - Fixing broken links and errors that can harm your site's performance. - Ensuring your site is secure with HTTPS. **Off-Page SEO**: Off-page SEO builds your site's authority and credibility. We help by: - Acquiring high-quality backlinks from trusted websites. - Leveraging social media platforms to drive traffic and engagement. - Encouraging reviews and testimonials to build trust with local customers. ## How SEO Helps Your Cullman Business Grow 1. **Increased Online Visibility**: With expert SEO, your business will appear at the top of search results for relevant local queries, making it easier for potential customers to find you. 2. **Targeted Traffic**: SEO ensures that the people visiting your website are actively searching for what you offer. This means higher-quality leads and increased conversions. 3. **Enhanced User Experience**: SEO improves website usability by ensuring faster load times, mobile-friendliness, and easy navigation. A better user experience means happier customers. 4. **Long-Term ROI**: Unlike paid ads, which stop delivering results when the budget runs out, SEO provides long-lasting benefits. Your investment in SEO will continue to generate traffic and leads over time. ## Why Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing? 1. **Local Expertise**: As a trusted partner for businesses in Cullman, we understand the local market and customer behavior. We create tailored strategies that resonate with your audience. 2. **Transparent Reporting**: We provide regular updates and analytics to show how your SEO efforts are performing, giving you complete confidence in your investment. 3. **Customized Solutions**: Every business is unique, and so are our strategies. We create personalized plans that align with your goals, industry, and budget. 4. **Proven Results**: Our SEO services have helped numerous businesses in Cullman achieve higher rankings, increased traffic, and improved conversions. Let us do the same for you! ## Get Started Today If you're ready to grow your Cullman business and outshine the competition, it's time to invest in professional SEO services. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we're committed to helping you succeed with expert strategies tailored to your needs. [Contact us today](/Contact/) for a free consultation and discover how we can help your business thrive online. Let's make your website the go-to destination for customers in Cullman, Alabama! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Facebook-algorithm-changes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Facebook-algorithm-changes/ We've heard of Facebook removing our organic reach for small and growing businesses. A key takeaway we've already taken is the importance of your own website. Facebook cannot control your business outside of Facebook. Your website is your voice, your products, and your brand messages all the time. Your website will use your sales funnel, marketing techniques, and lead generation to improve your bottom line. Facebook going back to its roots and it has upset many people that manage social media sites. We find this as a new opportunity to not only double down on the true marketing aspects of the business but grow it. This is where Facebook started and has grown from. Businesses, such as ourselves, have overtaken and enjoyed the ride of free promotion. That time has changed and it is now time we business owners have to "pay to play". Let's take a look at the core items that are happening with this change and how the business owner can take advantage of them. ## Good vibrations Mark Zuckerberg has stated the purpose of Facebook is for people to live enjoyable and positive lives through social interaction. That when they leave Facebook they feel positive and not have negative. He feels this will ultimately lead to a better life outside of the digital landscape. To achieve this Facebook wants you to engage more with those that are aligned with who you are as a person. We are all different and unique individuals yet we should all be able to get along. Mark Zuckerberg has been quoted saying "If what we're here to do is help people build relationships, then we need to adjust." Facebook is a social platform first and foremost. We need to respect that he is going back to his roots and that he is committed to it. ## Pay to Play This is one of the most contentious areas of the change. As an owner for most, maybe all, your content you are going to have to pay. All other marketing efforts we do whether it be flyers, snail mail (USPS), email marketing, etc. costs money. We have been so happy about Facebook and the constant ability to access it for free. We now need to budget accordingly to get our good word out to the masses. ## Ways to win within Facebook's change In our weekly meetings, our social media team has brought to my attention of a potential shift within Facebook. That change happened on January 11, 2018, when Mark Zuckerberg confirmed the change the team had already started talking about. They stated their concerns, shared it on social media, and have even brought some ideas to me about how we can use this change to help our small business clients not only continue to grow but grow more than they did in the past. We are not a company that believes in private meetings or having trade secrets to try and one-ups another. I want to share the top ideas (not all) that have been talked about. These are: - **Video** – We see businesses doubling down on video. This will not only be video content created, edited, and then shared but also the Facebook Live features. Video, like content, will need to be high-quality, have a purpose, and be engaging to your audience. - **Conten**t – With the search engines they have learned that quality content is King. Facebook is realizing that positive, good, and great content makes people want to engage more. - **Video / Content** – We are doing a combination here so as to not repeat it twice above. We started doing this months ago and we saw it then as one of the biggest game changers for our clients. It is working and it's increasing engagement organically today. You want to bring your audience deeper into your brand story. If you have a physical location tell enough of the story online and then leave the rest of the story with your staff in your store to continue it and engage your audience. This builds an engagement in the digital and real worlds. You can also tell your story but make it into an episode that keeps people coming back and wanting more. - **Engagement** – Speaking of engagement you want content people will engage with. You want them to like, love, laugh, and enjoy your content. You want them to become your brand advocate. You want them to comment and to share it. Don't ask people to like, share, or comment. Your content should naturally make people want to do so. - **Post Frequency** – We're all going to have to post more with the more coming with higher quality than we ever did in the past. The information needs to be relevant, answer the intent of the audience, and be something they want to see. - **Groups** – Create groups that bring people in. These can be existing groups such as community groups (that allow you to) post about local businesses, products, etc. that people subscribe to. - **High-quality websites** – Facebook over the past year has been devaluing links to low-quality websites. These are pages that can be disruptive, malicious, misleading, slow-loading, aren't mobile-friendly, and have poor content. Facebook is taking a page directly from Google on this one! - **Have a website!** Going with the previous Facebook is looking at not only your page but your website for quality and authority. If you don't have one you are losing points in regard to Facebook's algorithm. ## Speaking of the Facebook algorithm The algorithm of Facebook is what can be considered an "expert system". This system is something that learns from what is put into it. This is **not** artificial intelligence or AI but a learning system. It will exhibit traits of AI as it is putting in newsfeeds information that you find interesting and engaging. This algorithm digs deep into the data (e.g. data mining) and relevant information shown to you. The focus over the years has solely been on the search engine algorithms for us and others. We see that Facebook's algorithm is going to get a lot more scrutiny and we are all going to learn a lot more about how it works, what we are allowed to take advantage of, and what we shouldn't so that we don't get penalized. ## Going back to our roots As I stated, in the beginning, your website is important. How important? More important today than it was yesterday important! Your website you get to control. You get to decide what people see and read. You're not controlled by Facebook or any other social media outlet on what people see and equally important your competitors are not there (hopefully – unless you have paid advertising on your site). The importance of Google, Bing, Yahoo, and others has just moved up in importance in a single social media change. Search Engine Optimization or SEO will be critical. I can already hear people saying paid Google Ads or paid Bing Ads to move up in the ranks. That will give you a guaranteed boost but lock you back into the "pay to play" mantra of Facebook. We encourage you to only do the paid ads on the search engines for specific reasons that are highly targeted and focus on the highest quality content that people are truly interested in. Take a cue from what Facebook is doing. They are stating people want information they care about, that is positive and good, that will energize you to help others, and to solve the problems they have been having. ## What not to do We are taking this straight out of our search engine optimization days that I've done for over 15 years. These are items known as "black hat" techniques. You do not want to do things that are sketchy by any stretch. You might get away with it but as people have found out with the search engines it can penalize you greatly and hurt your business. You don't want that. Follow the rules, whether you like them or not and adjust your digital marketing practices for them. ## Conclusion Change scares people for right or wrong. This is a change. I see it as a positive change that will make those that are experts grow and those that aren't seek those that are. More time will be spent on growing and engaging with social media. For those that embrace the change, cultivate it, and learn from it your marketing efforts will pay off more now then they would otherwise. I am thankful for this change and am excited to see what other improvements it brings. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Facebook-and-the-Science-of-Consistency/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Facebook-and-the-Science-of-Consistency/ Consistency is the foundation for success in all aspects of life. The constantly repeating, almost instantaneous execution of a perfect golf swing or a piano master performing a near-perfect rendition of Chopin's piano concerto comes from years of repeated practice until perfection. Believe it or not, Facebook business pages offer the same opportunity for perfection in creating a post designed to get the maximum amount of organic growth from your potential audience. While recent changes at Facebook hint at a drastically reduced reach when it comes to organic posts, there are still plenty of things business pages can do in order to maintain their current audience as well as remain active enough until they can decide to pursue Facebook ad campaigns. **Post Frequently** According to Facebook Newsfeed Chief Adam Mosseri, he recently commented on his thoughts about posting to the news feed. What he says applies to nearly any business and brand on Facebook: "Post frequently. News Feed tries to show people the stories that will be the most meaningful to them. By posting high-quality content that doesn’t violate our guidelines and posting it frequently, you will increase the chance that our algorithms match your content to an audience that finds it meaningful. News Feed uses a variety of diversity rules to prevent people from seeing too many stories from a given publisher. That means you don’t need to worry about spamming your fans or followers provided that the content you post is new and high quality.” **Post Consistently** It's consistency that's the key to keeping your page alive and active. I always follow two basic rules when it comes to posting on Facebook: the 3 a week rule and the 80/20 rule. Three times a week is an ideal amount the gives enough new content every week without flooding someone's feed. Eighty percent of the content you post shouldn't be there to sell your product or services, but rather to provide information, entertainment or some other kind of value to your audience other than a hard sell, that is what the remaining 20% is for. While it is not necessarily a bad thing to deviate from these numbers, going too far on the scale in either direction risks turning off your audience, making them lose interest or worst of all, blocking your page from their feed. It has been said that most of the traffic that comes to your page doesn't come from direct page visits, but rather posts that show up in their feed. Think about it, do you wake up every morning to visit your favorite brands Facebook page to see the latest update? Not likely. Personally, I am a huge fan of the Carhartt brand but I rarely if ever, visit their page. Instead, I see their ads and posts in my feed and if they interest me, I click. While it's most likely that Carhartt has a marketing budget that includes Facebook ads, they also post consistently every week, making sure there is always new content to be shared, most of which consists of interesting photos or posts and rarely ever tells me to "buy their stuff." **Post with a Plan** If posting consistently and coming up with a plan for this said content every week sounds easy, you're partially right. It starts out easy enough, but as most business owners know, their required attention in other areas of the business soon require their attention and suddenly what was once three times a week turns into once a week. Once a week turns into once a month and that turns into every three months until you come to a point that the page is nearly comatose with activity. At this point, your page is on life support, your audience has most likely moved on and the already difficult task of getting seen on Facebook has now become almost impossible. To beat this, one must come in with a plan, a dedicated number of hours (a minimum of ten but I recommend twenty) and the willingness to look at each month and compare it to the last. Did my engagement and reach increase or decrease? Who is viewing my posts? What time are they viewing them? Take notes, come up with a new plan if something isn't working and try again. Finally, have you set aside a budget for ads? How much do you want to spend? What do you want your clients to get out of the ads? All of these things are essential to consider and if are not given the proper attention, can hurt you and your business in the long run. If you have any questions about posting on Facebook, what an "ideal" Facebook post looks like or just want to chat about your online presence, please contact me at kyle@jm2marketing.com. I would love to hear from you and would love to talk to you even more! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Facebook-chat-on-your-website/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Facebook-chat-on-your-website/ We have used several chat clients like [LuckyOrange](https://www.luckyorange.com/), [Drift](https://www.drift.com/), [Chatlio](https://chatlio.com/), and [tawk.to](https://www.tawk.to/) for our client’s websites. Recently though what we’ve been doing is dropping those clients and utilizing Facebook Messenger. The price is right, free, and gives the same chat functionality. It also makes it easy for us, as social media managers, to respond to our client’s customer’s even faster. I am going to cover in detail how you can do this (or ask us and we’ll do it for you for our Business Improvement Plan customers). 1. Log into Facebook 2. Go to your Facebook page 3. Click on Settings 4. Click on “Messenger Platform” 5. Under “Whitelisted Domains” remove the same domains and add your website domains. If you support both www and non-www then put both in their. 6. Click Setup 1. Click Next 2. Set the “Welcome text” (or leave “as is”) 3. Click Next 4. Set the Response Time of how often you respond 5. Set any custom colors (make it match your company brand standards) 6. Click Next 7. Copy the code or choose “Email instructions to your developers” and enter the person’s email address. 8. Click Finish 9. Click Done ## Custom Settings As with anything on the internet when built well you have options available to you. You don’t have a ton of options like other packages but what you get is decent. These are: - **theme\_color** – *Optional*. The color to use as a theme for the plugin, including the background color of the customer chat plugin icon and the background color of any messages sent by users. Supports any hexadecimal color code with a leading number sign (e.g. #0084FF), except white. We highly recommend you choose a color that has a high contrast to white. - **logged\_in\_greeting** – *Optional*. The greeting text that will be displayed if the user is currently logged in to Facebook. Maximum 80 characters. - **logged\_out\_greeting** – *Optional*. The greeting text that will be displayed if the user is currently not logged in to Facebook. Maximum 80 characters. - **greeting\_dialog\_display** – *Optional*. Sets how the greeting dialog will be displayed. The following values are supported: - **show**: The greeting dialog is shown and remains open on desktop and mobile after the number of seconds set by the greeting\_dialog\_delay attribute. - **hide**: The greeting dialog is hidden until a user clicks on the plugin on desktop and mobile. - **fade**: The greeting dialog is shown briefly after the number of seconds set by the greeting\_dialog\_delay attribute, then fades away and is hidden on desktop. The dialog is hidden on mobile. - The plugin setting defaults to show on desktop and hide on mobile. - **greeting\_dialog\_delay** – *Optional*. Sets the number of seconds of delay before the greeting dialog is shown after the plugin is loaded. This can be used to customize when you want the greeting dialog to appear. - **minimized** - Deprecation Notice – This attribute is now deprecated. Please use greeting\_dialog\_display to customize your plugin instead. The greeting\_dialog\_delay attribute will take precedence of the minimized attribute. - **ref** – *Optional*. You may pass an optional ref parameter if you wish to include additional context to be passed back in the webhook event. This can be used for many purposes, such as tracking which page the user started the conversation on, directing the user to specific content or features available within the bot, or tying a Messenger user to a session or account on the website. ## Notes - The chat bot requires HTTPS (SSL / TLS) which you should have already and if you don’t then you should get it immediately. - Cons over specific chat programs - Just chat, no bells and whistles like heat maps, screen sharing, etc. - It will add roughly 1-to-2-seconds to your webpage load time - Being this is a Facebook product you could see competitor ads eventually in this - You only have limited control over the look-and-feel - Requires you have a Facebook Business Page (which isn’t a problem for most companies) - Pros - You can add third-party chat programs which will allow you to add some cool value. Examples, include: - Answer specific questions like “Do you take reservations”, “What is today’s special”, etc. - These types of items do cost additional not only in monthly fees but overall setup. - You can add some level of custom responses within the default messenger - The messages tie directly in with your Facebook Page message box - If you have Facebook Messenger on your phone you can quickly reply - Consolidates your chat into Facebook for both Facebook and your website - Is already familiar with many of your visitors - You can add to multiple domains to a centralize Inbox (typically you wouldn’t do that but you could if you have said a regular website page and another that was an eCommerce page for the same company) - Works even if someone has a popup blocker on (at least today) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/facebook-google-role-seo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/facebook-google-role-seo/ For small business owners in **Cullman, Alabama**, leveraging every possible avenue to enhance your online visibility is critical to standing out in a competitive market. One question we frequently hear at **Fawkes Digital Marketing** is: **Does Google care about my Facebook page or other social media profiles?** The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. In this blog post, we'll dive into Google's evolving relationship with social media profiles, explain how this impacts your Google Business Profile (GBP), and explore why **Fawkes Digital Marketing** is the best choice to help your business thrive online. ## Google's Perspective on Social Media Profiles Google doesn't directly use metrics like likes, shares, or follows from your social media accounts as a ranking factor in its search algorithm. However, your business's social media presence can still play a crucial role in shaping your overall online reputation and visibility. Here's how: 1. **Social Media Links on Google Business Profiles**: Google recently updated its Google Business Profile (GBP) platform to allow businesses to add direct links to their social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Pinterest. 2. **Search Result Visibility**: Google now reliably displays these social media links in your GBP. When potential customers search for your business, they can see and click on your social profiles directly from the search results. 3. **Google's Investment in Social Integration**: Google has dedicated developer resources to make these features more accessible, signaling that they consider social media data valuable. While the direct impact of this on SEO rankings is still being studied, the importance of a cohesive online presence cannot be overstated. ## Our Recommendations: Action Steps for Your Business At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, our approach is proactive. Here's what we recommend to ensure your business gets the most out of your social media profiles: **Add Your Social Media Links to Your GBP**: This simple step ensures that Google displays your social links in search results, making it easier for potential customers to engage with you across platforms. - Navigate to [Google Business Profile Manager](https://business.google.com). - Click **'Edit Profile'** and locate the **'Social Profiles'** section. - Add links to your active social media pages, such as Facebook, Instagram, X, and Pinterest. **Keep Your Social Media Accounts Active**: While we're still testing whether social engagement metrics (e.g., likes and followers) influence GBP rankings, it's clear that an active social presence builds trust and credibility. Post regularly, interact with your audience, and showcase your products or services to reinforce your brand image. **Align Your Social Media with Your Website**: Consistency matters. Use the same branding, messaging, and visuals across your website, social media profiles, and Google Business Profile. This strengthens your online presence and reassures customers of your professionalism. ## Why Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing in Cullman, Alabama When it comes to helping small businesses like yours succeed, **Fawkes Digital Marketing** is unmatched. Here's why we're the best choice for managing your SEO, social media, and online marketing efforts: 1. **Deep Local Expertise**: Located in **Cullman, Alabama**, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities that small businesses in this area face. We tailor our strategies to ensure your business connects with local customers effectively. 2. **Comprehensive SEO Strategies**: From optimizing your website to enhancing your Google Business Profile, our SEO strategies are designed to drive real results. Adding social media links and ensuring alignment across all platforms is just one piece of our broader approach to boosting your online visibility. 3. **Social Media Integration Experts**: At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we don't just focus on search engines—we ensure your social media efforts complement your overall digital marketing strategy. By integrating your Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms with your Google Business Profile, we help create a seamless online presence that attracts and engages customers. 4. **Data-Driven Testing**: We're always ahead of the curve. As part of our commitment to excellence, we're currently conducting a test to determine whether social media activity (likes, follows, etc.) influences GBP rankings. While we await results, we're already implementing best practices to keep your business ahead of the competition. 5. **Personalized Service**: We don't believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Our team works closely with you to develop a customized digital marketing strategy that reflects your brand values and business goals. ## The Bottom Line: Social Media Matters While Google may not directly rank your business based on Facebook likes or Instagram followers, your social media presence influences how potential customers perceive your brand. By adding your social links to your Google Business Profile and maintaining active accounts, you strengthen your online visibility and credibility. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we take the guesswork out of digital marketing. Whether you're optimizing your Google Business Profile or managing your social media accounts, we ensure every aspect of your online presence works together to grow your business. ## Get Started with Fawkes Digital Marketing Ready to take your small business in Cullman, Alabama, to the next level? Let us handle your SEO, Google Business Profile, and social media integration so you can focus on what you do best: running your business. [Contact us today](/Contact/) to schedule a consultation and discover how Fawkes Digital Marketing can help your business thrive in the digital age! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Facebook-Group-Management/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Facebook-Group-Management/ As Facebook makes its move toward groups having a higher presence we have upgraded our social media management to include a Facebook Group as part of our social experience. Facebook Groups though having high importance on Facebook is definitely not for all companies. # Who are Facebook Groups not good for? - You have a small fan base that occasionally likes your items but never writes/communicates - Your information rarely changes and a group would be just adding another thing that doesn’t provide a value - Not for constant sales posting/pushing your product # Who are Facebook Groups good for? - Those wishing to increase their brand visibility. A group is not about sales, although you can sell. A group is about educating and building awareness of your brand and possibly other brands by consolidating. The advantage being under your control is you control the message. - Have an active following - See other groups your business would be good in but posting a lot would be considered spam and provide a negative appearance on your company brand - Want to communicate and be at the top of the results of those that have signed up for the group - Provide online webinars, sell products online, promote podcasts, promote new videos, and promote events and create active communication and collaboration. - Your product needs customer service and you want to be open and helping all your customers as a whole community rather than just one-on-one - Save money on paid ads (not always – but we’ve seen paid ad spend decrease) # What is included in our Facebook Group management? - Creation of the group - Moderation of every post. We are your Facebook Group Community Manager. - Removal of inappropriate “stuff” (porn, attacks, malicious content, threats, etc.) - Maintain your corporate brand identity and tone - Creation of - Banners - Group rules - Setting questions for joining the group (optional but recommended as it helps prevent spam bots from overtaking your group) - Promote your group in the articles we write for you - Encourage members to engage. Examples: - Challenges - Tutorials - Education - Live Q&A sessions - Quizzes - Polls --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/FacebookImageOptions/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/FacebookImageOptions/ When working with Facebook images the images may upload in a way that you don’t like and need to be rotated, they may need to be removed as after uploading you don’t realize the image is the image you want, etc. Below we will outline the steps for handling the most common image options that we see users needing to do. 1. For all of the options below you will go to either your personal page or a page you are an administrator on. 2. Once you are on the page click on Photos 3. Navigate to the photo if it is not in an album, click on photo album and then click on the photo you wish to edit 4. As you hover (no clicking) over the image you will see options at the bottom of the image appear. We are going to focus on the Options part for this post. Click on Options and then choose one of the options beneath the image for complete details on what each item does. ![Facebook Image Options](/Images/Content/FacebookImageOptions.jpg) ## Edit Location Many times when you take a picture you are at an event or location. Here you can actually chose the location and tie the picture to an actual Facebook page if one exists. For example, if you were at one of the Disney parks you could choose which one of the parks you were at. Above the location you can also add a complete description as well as tag those individuals you were with at the time the photo was taken. ## Change Date Many times when you take a picture and upload the day you upload the picture many not be the actual date the picture was taken. Here you can set the year, month, day, hour and minute (in 10 minute intervals). ## Rotate Left / Rotate Right Although these items are separate in the menu shown we are keeping them together as they do the same function. When you choose rotate left you will be rotating your image counter-clockwise. When you choose rotate right you will be rotating your image clockwise. If you need to rotate more than just one time you can repeat this process as many times as needed. ## Download At times we might upload a picture and then by acts of nature or malicious people the picture may have been lost. The download option allows you to download the image so that you then have it on your computer. ## Make Profile Page Picture On every page there is a nice square image in your banner. By choosing make profile page picture you can take the picture you are on the profile page image. ## Embed Post If you have a blog and would like to bring the image to your blog post using the embed post option is for you. Not only will you get the image, be able to choose the size of the image but will also gain a like button as well. This works for more than blog posts as well. This could be part of the regular content on your website or another page as well. ## Delete this Photo Be careful when doing this. Use the delete option when you no longer wish to have a picture on the page. When you do choose the delete option the system will prompt you to either cancel (don’t delete) or confirm (delete) the image. ## Enter Fullscreen When you are viewing pictures they open in a window within your browser window. By choosing the full screen option the image takes up your monitor to make the image larger as well as having less distractions while working on an image. To get out of full screen mode you can click on the X in the upper right corner or press the Esc (escape) key in the top left corner of most keyboards. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/FacebookInsightsOverview/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/FacebookInsightsOverview/ Our next supplement into digging into the analytics provided by Facebook is the Facebook Insights Overview. Within the overview you'll get more information than you received on the main page of your [Facebook business page which we covered here](/Blog/Details/KnowYourFacebookAnalyticsThisWeek). Within the overview you'll see a lot more details along with visual graphs on how you're doing in the last seven days compared to the previous seven days worth of information. ## Summary When viewing the numbers you'll notice a bright or darker color which is the current week and behind that a light grey colored line showing the previous week. When viewing this information you can see whether you are trending higher or lower. You should expect to see fluctuations for each day as the user engagement will change and vary based on the amount of posts you do each day. ![Facebook Insights Summary](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-01.jpg) ### Date Summary This shows you the date range that you are looking at. This range changs on a daily basis from the current date and going back one week. ### Page Likes This is the total number of likes you've have, the increase or decrease you've had from the previous week. Beneath the total will show the number of new page likes you've had as well as whether or not the amount has increased or decreased from the past weeks new likes. ### Post Reach With the post reach you'll see how many people total you've reached in the past seven days. Whether or not the information has increased or decreased from the past week and what the overall post reach. ### Engagement When it comes to social media the one area we always like to look at over all others is the engagement section. Although all areas are super important this section allows us to see how many unique individuals we've engaged this week compared to the previous last week. This information will show us how many likes people did, the number of comments, shares as well as the clicks which are typically links we have on specific posts. ![Facebook Insights 5 Most Recent Posts](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-02.jpg) ## Your 5 Most Recent Posts Depending on your audience you may have the standard 2-3 posts per week or more if you find that your primary audience is on a given network. For us, we get 92.7% of our social media engagement from our current and prospective customers through Facebook. As such, you will see at a minimum daily posts on our site every day. We will also post additional times as well as on many of our posts we will get people that click the link to our website and contact us there or they will pick up the phone (I know people actually talking) and talk with us about how we can help them. When you look at your most recent posts you will notice a column called *Reach* which is how many people you've reached. You will notice that there will be two different colors here if you do a **Boost Post** option where you pay to boost a post. With the *Engagement* column you'll see how many people clicked on your post as well as people that liked, commented or shared your post. ![Facebook Insights Pages to Watch](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookInsight-03.jpg) ## Pages to Watch The pages to watch is a most interesting category that we truly love. This allows us to see at a glance what are competitors are doing. We will normally pull in not only local pages that have similar technologies as us but also national companies that have the same technologies so that we can stay abreast of the latest happenings so we can provide our customers with the best possible service. An item that we like to look at is not how many likes a company has as this is just an arbitrary number. The key item we look at is what the *Engagement* is that a company is achieving. We do take this area with a grain of sand though as the engagement only gauges the Likes, comments and shares these posts might have. This doesn't count how many times a page has their call-to-action (CTA) clicked, their website is clicked on, or the number of times a mobile user clicked on the businesses phone number to contact them. ## Conclusion Within the summary section of your Facebook business page insights you can pull in a lot of valuable information. By utilizing and analyzing this information on a weekly basis you can see how your digital marketing campaigns are doing. When you look at this summary information and cross reference it with your content calendars you will be able to see what is working and what isn't. When you see trends in the information leading you to move one direction make certain that you also move that direction. Does this seem overwhelming? We know it can be but we are here to help you out. We have [digital marketing services](/Services/Marketing) to help businesses of all sizes and budgets. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, through email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Facebook-Rumor-Mill-Whats-True-and-Whats-Unconfirm/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Facebook-Rumor-Mill-Whats-True-and-Whats-Unconfirm/ If you pay attention to social media, specifically Facebook, you've probably noticed that it's been going through a few changes when it comes to pages. Whether you're a business or a page created just for fun, sweeping changes including a decrease in organic reach and the takedown of pages meant just to be for fun have been hot topics in the Facebook community, many of which have begun to circulate both panic and rumors with varying degrees of factual accuracy. While it is indeed easy to see the changes Facebook is making, I wanted to take this opportunity to address some of the biggest rumors going around, verify if they are factual and offer a possible solution if one exists. **Facebook Organic Reach is Down** To get straight to the point, yes, Facebook's organic reach has significantly dropped over the past few years with some business pages claiming that they have had their reach reduced by up to 52 %. The reason behind this varies depending on who you ask. Facebook's official statement claims that there are simply too many pages on Facebook producing too much content for fans meaning there is much more competition for pages to compete with one another to grab your attention. Other experts in the social media field have argued that reach is down as a direct result of Facebook's new algorithm, specifically designed to lower organic reach forcing business pages to pay for boosted posts and ads and in essence, become a "pay to play" network. **Is Facebook becoming Pay to Play?** Technically, no. Nowhere does Facebook require anyone or any business to pay for ads or posts in order to grow their audience. Facebook's official statement can be read from their *[2014 organic reach post](https://www.Facebook.com/business/news/Organic-Reach-on-Facebook)* and can be summarized with the following: "No. Our goal is always to provide the best experience for the people that use Facebook. We believe that delivering the best experiences for people also benefits the businesses that use Facebook. If people are more active and engaged with stories that appear in News Feed, they are also more likely to be active and engaged with content from businesses." While Facebook takes the stance of trying to make sure their audience sees only what they want to see in their feeds, marketers and social media experts see this as a method of making payment the only reliable way to get your posts out further. Many see it as an unfair move as they feel that fans are being cheated out of content they wanted to see. From their perspective, there should be no obstacle regarding reach for pages fans liked. After all, if you liked the page, you're interested in the brand and want to see the content right? **Facebook is removing nonbusiness pages** This is one is a little harder to discuss as there has been some evidence that Facebook is taking down or removing fan pages, pages made "just for fun". Rumors have spread over the reasons why this is happening including the rumor of Facebook only wanting business and "paid" pages but based on what we see this is not true, at least not for the reasons why it's currently happening. Facebook has made a conscious effort to take down content and pages that violate its terms of services. This includes images, videos, and content that promotes hate speech, sexual content, violence, threatening another person among other reasons. Keep in mind that Facebook has become efficient enough to detect some of this content and flag it for inappropriateness without someone reporting it. Also, keep in mind that repeated attempts to post content that Facebook views as inappropriate will result in your page being taken down permanently. **What Can I Do?** There are many things that you can do without spending a single dime on Facebook. While organic reach is down, keeping a consistent posting schedule, looking at your insights and planning your posting schedule around the time your fans are most active on Facebook. Take a look at your engagement on a month to month basis and be aware of the posts that get the biggest reaction. Was that post informative? Funny? Was it a video or something from your own business? All of these factors can help give you an edge and keep your current fans engaged before you start planning the next part of your social media strategy. When taking it to the next level, remember there's no need to spend a lot of money when you're first starting out creating ads or boosting posts on Facebook. Spend as little as $5-$10 per post and make sure you fill in the information for your target audience as detailed as possible (age, location, interests, etc.) before launching the ad. Finally, when it comes to what you post always keep it in mind for your audience but make it as inoffensive as possible. While your content should be targeted towards your audience if you have to ask yourself "Is this appropriate to post?", it probably isn't. A very simple rule of thumb that should always be followed. If you have any more questions regarding your business's Facebook account or what would be ideal content to post, let me know. I'd love to sit and talk with you about next best course of action. \*For more information, please view the original article *[here](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/Facebook-declining-organic-reach%20)* --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Fair-Pricing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Fair-Pricing/ Today I personally worked on over 40 changes for over 30 clients. That may seem like a lot but it really wasn't. This is a typical day for our Cullman web design firm. What was interesting is not one of these were any of our maintenance contract customers that receive unlimited web site updates. This means I should have be billing out 10 hours of time for today. The fact is I only billed 2 hours of time. Let's look at this and see what makes our web design customer service in Cullman Alabama different from that of everyone else. The first part is that we do bill in 15-minute increments and we do not round up to those 15-minutes. This means if you have 11-minutes of work we only bill you for 11-minutes of work. You won't be billed until you reach that 15-minute threshold; even if it's months, even years, down the road. Many companies will either choose a lower number for their billing, bill on a per minute basis, or have a mandatory minimum they bill to maintain their billable hours. When I was working with a Microsoft Gold Partner we billed 100% of every minute. This was the company standard and I did it without question. This was great for billable hours as we were paid based on what we billed. This though meant our clients weren't being met as often as they should have been as no one likes being nickeled and dimed for every small change. This is where the JM2 Webdesigners philosophy started to come about. After leaving that consulting provider I worked at a company where we didn't bill to outside clients. We billed internally and it needed to always be padded in a way to make the government happy. This also didn't seem fair to us and why we established "Rule #1" of "No ". We wanted to help businesses grow while being fair to the client but to ourselves as well. We knew that most companies charged 30% or more for services. We felt to grow faster and provide more value to more companies we needed to disrupt that business model. We have a modest 5% markup model over our true costs. Stating what our markup is shows an openness to our clients and lets them know of our being upfront with them. We know from a business standpoint that this gives an inside knowledge to our competition. As you begin to learn more about us you'll learn that doesn't bother us. We knew some of our clients would have quick 5 or 10-minute changes. By sticking to this model of not over charging or having minimums clients are contacting us more frequently for updates and their information is kept updated at a faster interval. We didn't stop there though on being fair on billing. Every client is contacted monthly to see if they need anything. We check every client's site each month whether on a maintenance plan or not. If we notice any issues and you're on a maintenance plan we fix it immediately and let them know. If a client is not, we let them know and offer to fix it for them (there is a charge for that) or being they now know about it they can fix it for themselves (for no charge -- just their time). This value-add we are confident most companies wouldn't do. For us it's not going the extra mile. It's doing what is "right" for them to grow. If you would like to work with a company that is centered around the growth of your company and wants to be a core part of your organization then please give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). Whether you are in Cullman Alabama, across the United States, or around the world our dedicated team of industry experts is ready and willing to help your business grow. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/FawkesDigitalMarketingLeadingtheWayinSEOampampAEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/FawkesDigitalMarketingLeadingtheWayinSEOampampAEO/ ## The Evolution of Search: SEO vs. AEO In today’s digital-first world, **staying ahead of the competition** requires more than just traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO). As search trends evolve, so does how businesses optimize their content. Enter **Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)**—the next frontier in digital marketing. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we don’t just follow trends—we set them. We’ve mastered the intersection of **SEO and AEO**, ensuring our clients dominate both traditional and AI-driven search results. In this guide, we’ll explore the **difference between SEO and AEO**, why both are essential and how our expertise can propel your business forward. *** ## What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the foundation of digital visibility. It involves optimizing websites to improve their ranking on **Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)**. The goal? To drive **organic traffic** and enhance online discoverability. ### Key SEO Techniques: - **Backlink Building** – Earning high-quality links from authoritative sites. - **Keyword Optimization** – Using relevant keywords naturally within content. - **Technical SEO** – Improving page speed, mobile-friendliness, and indexability. - **On-Page SEO** – Crafting compelling title tags, meta descriptions, and headers. - **Content Strategy** – Creating valuable, engaging blog posts and landing pages. While SEO remains critical, **the digital search landscape is evolving**, with users now expecting **instant, direct answers** to their queries. That’s where AEO comes in. *** ## What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)? AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is the **next step in search evolution**. It focuses on optimizing content to appear in **featured snippets, AI-generated responses, and voice searches**—ensuring your brand becomes the **trusted source of information**. ### Key AEO Techniques: - **Creating High-Quality, Concise Content** – Providing direct, well-structured answers. - **Optimizing for Question-Based Queries** – Targeting voice search and AI-driven results. - **Using Structured Data & Schema Markup** – Helping search engines understand and display content accurately. - **Voice Search Optimization** – Crafting conversational, easily digestible responses. - **Enhancing Mobile Compatibility** – Ensuring seamless performance across all devices. *** ## AEO vs. SEO: 10 Must-Know Differences | **Key Metrics** | **SEO (Search Engine Optimization)** | **AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)** | |---------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------| | **Primary Objective** | Increase website traffic via high search rankings. | Provide direct answers without requiring clicks. | | **User Intent** | Targets broad user intents, often requiring deeper site navigation. | Focuses on **immediate answers**, improving search efficiency. | | **Content Optimization** | Prioritizes keyword use, backlinks, and content depth. | Emphasizes structured, **concise, answer-focused content**. | | **Technical Factors** | Requires mobile optimization, page speed, and UX improvements. | Relies on **schema markup** and structured data for AI parsing. | | **Measurement of Success** | Evaluated by **organic traffic growth and conversions**. | Measured by **featured snippets, voice search rankings, and AI visibility**. | | **Content Format** | Involves long-form articles, blogs, and guides. | Favors short, **precise** answers ideal for featured snippets. | | **Search Trends Adaptation** | Adjusts to **search algorithm updates**. | Evolves with **AI-driven search behavior** and voice technology. | | **Audience Engagement** | Encourages interaction through **detailed content**. | Prioritizes **fast, voice-friendly responses**. | | **Search Formats** | Ranks content in **traditional SERPs**. | Uses **knowledge panels, snippets, and AI-powered answers**. | | **Long-Term Impact** | Requires sustained effort for **authority building**. | Provides immediate visibility but requires **constant optimization**. | *** ## Why AEO Is the Future of Digital Marketing As **AI-powered search engines and voice assistants** continue shaping online experiences, AEO is becoming **essential** for business success. Here’s why it matters: ### 1. **Voice Search Dominance** - Over **71% of users** prefer voice search over typing. - Voice searches are **more conversational**, meaning **AEO-friendly content ranks higher** in AI-driven results. ### 2. **Enhanced User Experience** - Users expect **fast, relevant, and direct answers**. - AEO **reduces search friction**, making information **easier to access**. ### 3. **Boosting Search Visibility** - **Featured snippets and answer boxes** secure **top SERP positions**. - Increased **organic exposure** drives **more relevant traffic**. ### 4. **Competitive Advantage** - Companies embracing **AI-driven search** gain an edge over competitors **stuck in traditional SEO**. ### 5. **Better Content Performance** - **Predictive AI and NLP-driven tools** enhance content targeting. - Adapting to **human-like queries** improves engagement and conversions. *** ## The Future of SEO & AEO: A Unified Approach SEO and AEO **aren’t competing strategies—they complement each other**. By integrating both into your digital marketing plan, your brand can **stay ahead of search trends and dominate the competition**. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we implement **a dual-optimization strategy**, ensuring that our clients rank **both in traditional searches and AI-powered queries**. - **SEO Strategies** → Drive long-term authority and traffic. - **AEO Tactics** → Capture AI-driven search traffic and voice searches. - **Data-Driven Insights** → Continuously refine content based on evolving search behaviors. By mastering **both disciplines**, we future-proof your brand’s online visibility and **keep you ahead of algorithm changes**. *** ## Ready to Dominate Search with SEO & AEO? As search evolves, **Fawkes Digital Marketing** remains at the forefront of digital innovation. We specialize in: ✅ Cutting-edge **SEO strategies** to drive organic traffic. ✅ Advanced **AEO techniques** for AI and voice search dominance. ✅ **Schema markup and structured data** to enhance visibility. ✅ **Optimized content creation** tailored for AI-driven search. 🚀 **Get in touch today** to learn how we can help your business lead the future of search! *** ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ### How does AEO differ from traditional SEO? AEO focuses on optimizing content for **AI-powered search engines, voice assistants, and featured snippets**, whereas SEO is centered around **ranking high in traditional search results**. ### How does AEO improve user engagement? AEO delivers **direct, relevant, and concise** responses to user queries, improving engagement **without requiring extra navigation**. ### What are the major types of answer engines in AEO? AEO optimization targets **two main types of answer engines**: 1. **Generative AI bots** (e.g., ChatGPT, Google Bard) 2. **AI-powered voice search assistants** (e.g., Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant) ### Why is AEO crucial for the future of digital marketing? With the rise of **voice search, AI-generated answers, and zero-click searches**, businesses need **AEO to remain competitive** and **ensure maximum online visibility**. *** ## Partner with Fawkes Digital Marketing Today If you’re ready to take your **SEO and AEO strategy to the next level**, trust **Fawkes Digital Marketing**—the industry leader in **cutting-edge digital marketing strategies**. Let’s get you to the **top of search rankings and AI-driven results!** --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/fb-vs-website-which-is-best/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/fb-vs-website-which-is-best/ When it comes to establishing an online presence for your business, one of the biggest questions is whether to invest in a Facebook Page, a dedicated website, or both. While each option has its unique strengths and weaknesses, understanding the differences can help you decide what works best for your business goals. In this post, we’ll break down the benefits and disadvantages of both platforms to give you a clear picture of what each offers. ## Facebook Page for Business A Facebook Page is a social media profile specifically designed for businesses. It allows you to interact with your audience, share updates, and showcase your products or services. ### Benefits of a Facebook Page 1. **Free to Set Up**: Facebook Pages are completely free, making them an attractive option for small businesses or startups with limited budgets. 2. **Easy to Use**: Setting up a Facebook Page is simple and requires no technical skills. Facebook provides built-in tools to manage posts, engage with customers, and analyze performance. 3. **Built-in Audience**: With billions of active users on Facebook, your business can tap into an existing audience. Customers can easily find your page, follow updates, and share your content with their network. 4. **Engagement Tools**: Facebook offers tools like Messenger, reviews, and post reactions, enabling direct and instant engagement with your audience. 5. **Advertising Integration**: Facebook Ads allow you to target specific demographics, locations, and interests, making it an effective platform for paid promotions. 6. **Mobile-Friendly by Default**: Facebook Pages are inherently mobile-friendly, ensuring customers have a seamless experience on their devices. ### Disadvantages of a Facebook Page 1. **Limited Control**: Facebook dictates the layout, features, and functionality of your page. You can’t fully customize it to reflect your brand. 2. **Algorithm Dependency**: Organic reach on Facebook has declined due to algorithm changes, meaning not all of your followers will see your posts unless you invest in paid ads. 3. **Lack of Ownership**: Your Facebook Page exists on a platform you don’t own. If Facebook changes its policies or shuts down, your content and audience could be at risk. 4. **Limited SEO Benefits**: Facebook Pages don’t have the same SEO advantages as a dedicated website, making it harder to rank in search engine results. 5. **Professional Perception**: Solely relying on a Facebook Page might make your business appear less established or credible, especially for more formal industries. ## Website for Business A website is a digital platform fully owned and controlled by your business, providing a central hub for all your online activities. ### Benefits of a Website 1. **Full Ownership and Control**: Unlike a Facebook Page, you have complete control over the design, content, and functionality of your website. 2. **Custom Branding**: A website allows you to showcase your brand identity through custom designs, colors, and layouts, creating a professional and unique experience for visitors. 3. **SEO Advantages**: Websites can be optimized for search engines, helping your business rank higher in Google and other search engines for relevant keywords. 4. **E-commerce Capabilities**: Websites, especially those built on platforms like WooCommerce, allow you to sell products directly, manage inventory, and process payments securely. 5. **Credibility and Trust**: A professional website enhances your business’s credibility and legitimacy, making it a critical asset for industries like finance, healthcare, and law. 6. **Content Control**: You can post blogs, videos, and other resources without worrying about platform restrictions or algorithms. 7. **Long-Term Investment**: A website serves as a lasting digital asset that grows with your business and isn’t subject to third-party platform changes. ### Disadvantages of a Website 1. **Cost to Build and Maintain**: Websites require an initial investment to build, as well as ongoing costs for hosting, domain renewal, and updates. 2. **Technical Expertise Needed**: Building and managing a website may require technical skills or the help of a professional. 3. **Time-Consuming**: Setting up a website and regularly updating it with fresh content can be time-intensive compared to using a Facebook Page. 4. **Traffic Generation**: Unlike Facebook, where users can easily find your business through the platform’s search, a website relies on SEO and marketing efforts to attract visitors. ## Facebook Page vs. Website: A Side-by-Side Comparison | Feature | Facebook Page | Website | | --- | --- | --- | | Ownership | Facebook controls your page. | Fully owned by your business. | | Cost | Free to set up. | Requires investment in design/hosting. | | Customization | Limited branding options. | Fully customizable. | | Reach | Built-in audience on Facebook. | SEO-driven reach with global potential. | | Engagement | Direct interaction via comments, likes, and messages. | Interactive through forms, chatbots, and more. | | SEO Benefits | Limited to Facebook search. | Full SEO optimization for Google, Bing, etc. | | E-commerce | Basic capabilities with Facebook Shops. | Advanced with integrated platforms like WooCommerce. | | Credibility | Less formal for some industries. | Highly professional and trustworthy. | ## Which Should You Choose? - **When to Use a Facebook Page**: A Facebook Page is ideal for small businesses, startups, or those looking for quick and cost-effective online visibility. It’s also a great tool for engaging directly with your audience and running targeted ad campaigns. - **When to Invest in a Website**: A website is essential for businesses that want full control over their online presence, need advanced features like e-commerce, or aim to build long-term credibility and visibility through SEO. ## The Best Solution: Combine Both The most effective strategy is to use both a Facebook Page and a website. A Facebook Page can serve as a dynamic platform for engaging with your audience and sharing updates, while your website acts as a professional hub for detailed information, e-commerce, and long-term branding. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we can help you set up and optimize both your Facebook Page and website to ensure your business gets the best of both worlds. [Contact us today](/Contact/) to learn how we can help your business succeed online! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/fdm-donates-10-percent/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/fdm-donates-10-percent/ Cullman, Alabama, March 20, 2022 -- One of the most important things that contributes to people being successful and well-adjusted in life is ensuring that they have a home. One local web and graphic design and development company is making it their mission to help with those efforts. Each year, Fawkes Digital Marketing donates to [ValpoShelter.org](https://www.valposhelter.org) to facilitate in the education of homelessness and provide resources for men, women, and families in need of assistance. This assistance goes deeper than just finding a home. Valpo Shelter helps with food, health, and religious support in the local communities of Alabama. Valpo Shelter is the largest and most complete shelter directory in the State of Alabama. “Having a house is a fundamental right, which makes it essential that we care and assist in making information easy to find and use,” explains John Marx, President and Owner of Fawkes Digital Marketing. “When we focus on helping others, we build a stronger community and help those in our community become stronger members of our community.” Valpo Shelter offers support in all 92 counties in Alabama. Within each county there is targeted support for families, women, men, food, housing, healthcare, churches and warming & cooling centers in those counties. A unique aspect of the Valpo Shelter program is that they only take support from businesses and community members. Valpo Shelter encourages government organizations to help those in need find permanent housing and get help to stay off of the streets. Valpo Shelter focuses on providing resources and for government money to be spent on programs that the government should be supporting. Alabama has 5,471 that are staying in temporary and permanent housing. Due to COVID-19 those leaving on the streets are not part of the numbers. For all that is done to help homelessness increases around 3% per year in Alabama. "We are happy to support and provide to help in the education process. We are fortunate that our clients support us equally by allowing us to market their business and knowing that 10% of our profits go straight to this cause," added Marx. Fawkes Digital Marketing is an eco-friendly company whose mission is to help make our communities stronger and better every day, which they do through their expert web, search engine optimization, and social media services, as well as by being committed to donating 10% of their profits to this worthy cause. For more information about Fawkes Digital Marketing, visit their site at: [www.fawkesdm.com](https://www.fawkesdm.com/) and reading the About Fawkes Digital Marketing page. Since 2013, Fawkes Digital Marketing has been the fastest growing digital marketing agency providing best-in-class website, search engine optimization, and social media services to companies across the United States. Focusing on an agile marketing philosophy, their mission is to help customers grow each year by focusing on lead generation and continual website updates through their monthly care plans. Headquartered in Cullman, Alabama, they offer a wide range of digital marketing services, including web design and development, logo design and branding, print marketing design, SEO copywriting, search marketing, responsive mobile Web design, and more. For more information about visit their site at: [www.fawkesdm.com](https://www.fawkesdm.com/). Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing, John Marx, Owner, 219-229-1633, [www.fawkesdm.com](https://www.fawkesdm.com/) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Feedback-aka-Reviews/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Feedback-aka-Reviews/ Feedback for any business is crucial to its success. You can learn what your customers are enjoying as well as areas for improvement. The key to any feedback is it not be attacking but helpful. The people that are providing feedback are doing so as they want to be heard. This is whether the experience is a positive one or a negative one. In the old days, we had feedback forms that could either be filled out during that stay or mailed in on a postcard. There are several ways of gaining feedback from users today and we’re going to look at the top three methods of not only getting feedback but also how to protect your business from negative feedback (as much as possible). Today things have evolved for the better (some might say for the worse) as feedback is now provided more rapidly and an apparent realm of safety. When someone is behind a keyboard it is less personal, it has a layer of protection, and it is one-sided (until you respond). If the feedback is positive it’s super easy to respond. It’s a simple thank you, we appreciate your business, and we can’t wait to see you again. When the feedback is received that is negative that is where the problem i for many businesses. You want to respond to this but need to take a really large deep breath. You are so deeply involved with your business that you might come across defensive, even attacking, to the customer's feedback. You never want that to happen and if you do it could fuel a relentless fire from others that see it. This is one of the key benefits a social media manager can bring to the table. They are vested in your business but also deal with these types of situations and study ways to look at diffusing these situations. It’s not always bad but let’s do a quick look at the three main places people will leave reviews and comments. ## Facebook By far the simplest for most of your customers as most everyone has a Facebook account. There are three main areas they will leave a comment. The first is on their own profile page. This one you can’t prevent and often won’t even see. This is also the “go to” location when a person has had their comments removed from other areas of Facebook and are now soliciting their friends and family to jump on their bandwagon. The next area is on your Facebook business page. This is where you will reply to the comment in the most politically correct way if it is negative and be thankful and gracious if it was positive. Reviews here go a far way in bringing in new customers and is a true ranking factor with Facebook on showing people how much others think of your business. The final place on Facebook is within a group. Here is where it can either be more of a blessing or a curse. Groups can add fuel to something negative very quickly and truly hurt your business. It is not a positive area when things go south. On the other hand, if things are positive they can propel your business to new levels. You need to be monitoring these groups and responding to them appropriately. Many times people will now tag your business directly so you need to be actively watching or have software that watches for your business name for you. ## Google Google has become a very important place on the internet for people looking at reviews. They are actively showing the information within the search results. Not only can people see your average star rating but also see how many reviews you have. This can be a true deciding factor. It’s not as easy as adding information as Facebook as people will need to have a Google account (most people though do) and they need to go to your Google page for the review to happen. It’s harder but still something people actively do. Reviews are definitely a ranking factor within the search engine as if you see two results next to each other and one has a 5-star and the other a 3-star people are going to choose the 5-star more often. So not a huge ranking factor for Google (although we suspect they do rank off of it) the ranking factor is definitely a ranking factor for us humans. ## Website This is where you have more control over everything. Not only can you show reviews left on your website but you can also aggregate the information from sources like Facebook and Google. This aggregation can also have a huge effect on how people perceive your business when they look at your website. Most aggregation you can actually show specific ratings. This means you can show only the positive ratings and not the negative ratings giving you a more positive outward experience. ## Tips and Tricks There are ways to actively solicit responses from customers by sending them a personalized email and asking them to go to a review website. Here they can state whether they had an enjoyable experience or not. Based on the customer's response they can either then be asked to submit a review on Facebook, Google, or other sites. If the response is negative they can be asked for information so that you can address it. Either way, positive or negative, you will be informed of the review and can properly respond to it. The benefit of going this approach is you are actively seeking feedback, you are controlling where the feedback happens, and you have a better chance of preventing negative feedback from hitting the internet as a community and better protect your business. ## Conclusion The first thing to remember when receiving feedback is the person has taken time out of their day as they want to be heard. They do not want to be ignored, even on positive feedback. Feedback should be an area to look for improvement, even from positive feedback. We should all be looking for ways to improve ourselves and our businesses and the more we hear from our customers the more we can make these improvements. We should be constantly soliciting for this feedback from our customers. A great technique for stopping negative feedback is at the time of sale/transaction to ask a simple question of “Is there anything else we can do for you?” This is the most basic of questions but one that if someone isn’t happy hopefully they respond so that you can fix the matter before they leave. This will garner you more positive feedback. There will still be those that say everything is “fine” and when they leave will push you under a bus. You can’t prevent that but you can have plans and strategies to combat those situations. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Fixing-Customer-Service/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Fixing-Customer-Service/ I have been physically out of pocket at the office for several months as I have been running in/out of meetings all over Northwest Alabama with our partners and clients. The benefit is the growth we have experienced is great as we are able to grow and employ more awesome people. But that growth comes at a price and today I want to write about what has happened and some hard decisions that I, as the owner and the person ultimately responsible, am making to "fix" the problem. Now I say "fix" as I don't know if these will truly fix the problem. I know they won't hurt things but as an agile company we have to change and adapt, do so quickly, efficiently, and constantly evolve. ## The failures The first place to cover is over the past month where have we failed our clients and what we are doing to fix it. For any business owner this is not an easy topic to talk about, often isn't talked about, and is something usually kept behind closed doors. I believe in not only transparency but also helping others so that they don't hit the same struggles we've hit. I am going to break these failures into four core failures which come down to areas that I am ultimately responsible for. We have a great logging system (called Tasks) that allow me to see at a glance what is being worked on, what has been completed, and how long items are "in the queue". This works well but there are obvious holes that need to be covered. ### Failure 1 – Following through In all the situations in the past months we have tasks that show we sent correspondence of status, where we are, asking questions, etc. This is great that the team is contacting clients, they are logging that they are doing so, and then comes the failure part. The failure part here is that we are sending the status, information, and even asking questions for additional information. I am seeing that weeks are going by and the client is not responding and we keep sending emails. Email to me is very impersonal. I like it for its efficiency but sometimes it's the worst medium to communicate. This isn't the clients issue but rather ours. We need to step up, pick up the phone, and reach out to them as email gets lost, hits junk email, and our clients lives are busy and why they are looking to us to help them grow after all that is our job for them. ### Failure 2 – Breaking "the need" The next area is that meetings are being pushed off in meeting with clients as they want to only meet if I am sitting at the table. Rather than letting customers know that I am not working on their project and sitting down with them is not only more efficient but will keep all the cogs moving efficiently. With my living on the road for the past several months I am often not in the office and when I am it is for already scheduled meetings. This has only exasperated clients that feel they can only get items done if I am in the meeting. This tells me that from a client's perspective that things aren't happening as they feel that having the owner is the only way things will get done. ### Failure 3 – Asking for help / Documenting The team is highly efficient in that if they don't know something they will look for the answer on their own. They are self-thinkers, independent, and very good at finding the answer. This research time though does mean a considerable amount of time is being done researching rather than moving a project forward. I see this more on the Drupal, Joomla, and WordPress projects as when we integrate different third-party modules they are all configured and work differently. Often, when I have been in the office I am hit up, we draw up information on the whiteboard and discuss. Often, by the end of the conversation where we thought we needed a brand-new module to do something we see that there is already a module that does what is needed but does so more efficiently and effectively than we were thinking. ### Failure 4 – Setting proper expectations Often when two people email, talk on the phone, or talk in person there is a miscommunication on what is being asked for. This normally is not intentionally by anyone but missing the expectations of the client is a way projects can go south. Everything needs to be clearly explained and understood. This miscommunication and clarity is the true game changer of success and failure within any project. ## Time for the fix The fix is going to be many folds over the course of many months. I know I can't just stop being out of the office as my meetings are many weeks, and many months out. In fact, I have meetings scheduled already over five months out and I don't see that changing. This means I need tools to more effectively manage digitally but also ways to help the team when I am not there as I am out of the office more than I am in the office. When I see myself getting behind I often leave the office as when someone walks in and asks for me I am pulled into a half-hour or more conversation that requires me to be behind. This further slows down the team as my tasks are the core items that the team needs to be efficient and stay on-task. ### Fix 1 – Setting and Getting Client Expectations The first step will be establishing a new document that we are calling "Client Expectations". This is where it all begins. Clients need to know what they signed up for. Often, a sales person will make a sale and may have forgotten to relay a key piece of information from the client. This client expectations sheet is the first thing that happens and will happen within the first two business days of any client signing up. This will allow the client to know: - Who their primary and secondary contact is. - What services they are getting. - Set objectives and goals. - Define success and failure. - Set timelines for certain tasks. - Set the primary communication methods (and frequency) the client wants. - Cover anything and everything else the client or the team the client will be working with feel is appropriate. - Letting clients clearly know that I do not have to sit in meetings and that by waiting until for my schedule to open will actually slow things down as it is the team that is doing the majority of all work. This onboarding conversation will then be signed off that we met, went over, and we're in agreement. This puts the responsibility of communication on everyone and makes certain that things happen at a pace the client wants. With all communication there if it fails at the preferred method of communication that doesn't mean that we say "oh well" but that we move to the second one at a very quick pace. If we are waiting for information from a client we don't just say "oh well they must be busy" but rather we seek out other forms to get that information whether from the client or their alternative person so that we can keep everything on track. We aren't stopping with just new clients either. We are going to fill out these sheets for every existing client over the next several weeks and making certain that expectations are being clearly met, understood, and we are taking care of all of their needs. ### Fix 2 – Project Manager The next step is adding a new person with the responsibility to cover everything within this article and everything we learn to improve efficiencies going forward. This person will be ultimately responsible for making certain we are always providing a superior customer service experience to our clients and will be what their success will be based on. They will have the responsibility to make certain all projects are completed on-time, they will do quality verification checks, that communication flows efficiently between the developers, designers, photographers, videographers, writers, and support team. That those that just walk into the office don't pull the team from doing the work they are doing. This "Project Manager" role is important in seeing that tasks are getting done by everyone (including myself), that the team is getting the answers they need from the client, as well as any internal team member. They will be making certain that we don't have any walls being built. Internal walls can be as simple as (1) I have a deadline so I can't help, (2) I'll get to that next week, and (3) just Google it. Those aren't any words I have ever heard (when I have been in the office) but thinking as I write this that these can be hurdles to getting things done. ### Fix 3 – Information Board The third step is the creation of a new information board that everyone can see what is being worked on. This information board the team will see as they walk in every day so that if someone knows they have a lighter load and a project is getting close to the complete date and isn't as far as it should the team can help the team member out. Digital is truly what we are and we have this already within the system but sometimes analog systems can help solve problems that a digital system isn't working as well as it should. ### Fix 4 – Team Scheduling Scheduling team meetings weekly with every department for all open projects. Right now, I've set aside a one-hour meeting to go over any questions the team has but now we're going to change the structure to cover all open projects in addition to everything else. This way I am more aware of where projects are and can help more. ### Fix 5 – More Time Keeping a large portion of my time to sit and work directly with those that are in need of help so that they can stay on track, on task, and on schedule to meet the client expectations. We will also dictate that I don't sit in meetings so that clients never think items cannot happen without myself in them. If during the meeting there are questions, the team will then meet with me (see fix #4 above) and then immediately get back with the client via the method they chose (email, phone, or in-person). ## Conclusion Growth for a company is a positive and something for any company to celebrate. There will always be set backs, and for us, this is truly the biggest one we have ever experienced as a company. We lost a great customer that I truly believed in due to the above. I could dwell, cry, get mad, or many other emotions which I have felt since learning about what transpired on this past Friday. Instead, I need to accept where I, not the team, failed to the client's expectations, acknowledge the failure that I created with my team, and come up with a plan to fix it so that it doesn't happen again. I am proud of the work the team did as they put in over 300 hours into the project, the project went live, their stats and their bounce rate dropped within the two weeks they were live, but ultimately, I failed as the customer wasn't happy. I feel personally saddened that they decided to leave as looking at what the team did would've exceeded what they wanted to achieve but I also respect their reason that they felt we didn't provide the customer experience they expected after we went live with their solution. The saying of "the buck stops here" is something that people often say but don't follow through and do. I will not let this step back set us back. I am using this as a very positive learning event, making the differences, that will make us as a better company. For our one client we lost I cannot apologize enough and know to them all these changes don't matter to them. I will not make any excuses for what the team did as everything comes back to me. I know our team is truly the best that exists and know this with all of my heart. We will improve, we will improve fast, and the mistake that we created will not happen again. This doesn't mean we will be perfect going forward but we will do our best to reach perfection as that is what we do. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Fixing-Missing-Google-Reviews/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Fixing-Missing-Google-Reviews/ If you're like us, you've known you've received a Google review, and it has yet to show up. One client has had this issue and just signed one with missing reviews. How many more are there? With the techniques and information below, you will be able to fix your missing reviews. ## Why Google Reviews Matter To Your Business Referrals are the best way to grow your business. People can see and understand those that are vindictive reviews. Your current and future customers are smart. They can also understand genuine reviews from the heart about your business. Businesses that are actively growing online spend time building their online reputation through reputation management. ## The Missing Reviews When reviews come up missing, it is often thought that someone hates you, is doing bad things to destroy your business, and has other horrible thoughts. This is further from the truth. Key factors are often minor issues with your Google Business Profile (GBP). GBP was formerly known as Google My Business (GMB), and many of you have yet to learn of the new name, as the old name was truly memorable. Google has stated that if a business review doesn't appear or no longer appears, it is due to "policy violations." These are items such as spam or inappropriate content. And while you can't control many of the actions of others, there are some situations where you can attempt to resolve the issue. The final action a business can do is talk directly with Google, which we also cover how you can do below. ## Why Is My Review Not Showing Up On Google? Below is the most common reasons that reviews are not showing on your GBP page and solutions to each one of the items that you can do to adjust to meet the changing needs that Google continues to make. **Note 1**: Remember, Google goes through thousands of changes per year. These are not just one-time fixes. You must stay aware and work on your information every month, if not more often. **Note 2**: You will notice some of the items below that many appear while others don't. This is due to the changing of the algorithm Google uses. Some updates go retro and update existing, while some updates are only forward from this point in time. ## The Ultimate Problem Of Missing Reviews You will ultimately not even know you're missing a review unless you are communicating with your customers. When they leave a review, you may not receive a notification of a new review being left. The only way you will know is if you are told by your customer. ### Users Have Embedded Links in their Google Reviews - **Problem**: If your customer has gone way above and beyond, they leave not just an excellent review but a link to either their website, your website, or another location on the internet. - **Fix**: The fix is simple. Ask your customer to remove any links they may embed in the review. ### Google Considers The Review As Fake - **Problem**: If the Google profile leaving the review is missing a profile image, hasn't been validated recently, has left reviews inconsistently, or sees the source come from a spam link. - **Fix**: This one is ultimately tough, and here are some fixes for what we have above. - Ask the customer to update their picture and have it be a picture of them rather than a drink, house, nature, etc. - Have the customer log into their Google Gmail account and make certain there are no security issues with their account. - Have them leave more reviews for other businesses they go to. The easiest way is for restaurants they frequent. - Change your reputation management software! This you can do by using a reputable review link. Often, Google will find certain reputation management links as spam. You should use a real Google Review link and not one that is known as a review gateway (see below). ### Google Reviews Is Currently Disabled - **Problem**: Updates are often taken offline during items like pandemics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Google stopped businesses from displaying any reviews received. - **Fix**: This is a waiting-to-be-patient period. It sucks, we know, but Google has said these reviews will eventually appear. The problem is there is no timeline for these. ### Google Reviews Is Currently Broken - **Problem**: As with all companies, Google does updates, and the software may accept the review and never display it. - **Fix**: This is where you wait for Google to fix their software and initially hope that when the software is updated, the customer review begins. ### Your Business In New - **Problem**: Google has always put new domains and businesses into what they call a sandbox. - **Fix**: Give your business 60-90 days before requesting reviews, work on getting your business verified, and get your website in the top 10 of the search results. ### Your Business Is Not Verified - **Problem**: Google Business Profiles can and need to be verified before any profile information shows. - **Fix**: You can request a post card, phone call (fastest), or email verification. Not all of these options are available to businesses. The post card is always a valid option and takes just a week to verify. ### Profile Is Current Inactive - **Problem**: You have a verified Google Business Profile and last posted to it a while ago. - **Fix**: You should be updating your business profile and keeping it current. These updates can be as simple as replying to inbox requests, posting your products/services, changes in your business, and updates. ### Not Responding To Inbox Requests - **Problem**: With every Google Business Profile, your potential customer has the ability to send you an online message. - **Fix**: When you receive a message, make certain to reply to it. Even if it's as simple as, "We're calling the number you asked us to." ### Reviewer Account Has Issues - **Problem**: Having a Gmail account is great, but not keeping it current can make reviews not show. - **Fix**: - Accounts can be deactivated, and the review that once showed no longer shows. - Requested security reviews are past due. Google will send Gmail users verifications for a security review. If they ignore this Google will think the account is a fake account even if it's fully usable. ### Duplicate Google Business Profiles - **Problem**: Businesses want to be found everywhere. It's our nature to want to grow our businesses. A common tactic for many is to create multiple business locations even though you don't have multiple locations. Post Office Boxes, co-working spaces, UPS stores, and other methods. See below also on "Bad Addresses" and how they can hurt your business. - **Fix**: Delete the extra Google Business Profile accounts. This will help going forward, but the existing submissions may never come back without some Google intervention. ### Too Many, Or Too Few, Reviews - **Problem**: The customer may have left too many reviews in a short period. Google encourages reviews, but if a person routinely only does a review every blue moon or never has, they can be flagged. - **Fix**: The customer needs to pick up the consistency, and then Google will eventually see the pattern and the reviews that haven't shown start to show. This can definitely take some time on the customer's and Google's part. ### Verified And A Bad Address - **Problem**: Businesses that are completely online work from home, or service-based businesses with no storefront will often use someone else's address. - **Fix**: Use only your home address or an actual storefront. If you have a home-based service business with no storefront, you can hide your address and put it in your service area. Yes, this will lower your chances of a page-one result, but it will often fix the review issue. ### Malware / Malicious Software / Security Issues - **Problem**: The device leaving the review has security issues. - **Fix**: We've recently seen a mobile device that left a review, and it wasn't showing. Working with this customer, we put on a malware scanning system tat showed the device was infected with malware. When the customer left a review, it injected hidden text into the review preventing it from showing (see above about links). ### Reviews Just Disappear - **Problem**: You see a review and then it just disappears with no notice from Google for it vanishing. - **Fix**: - Check with the customer that they didn't delete their review. - Google may be having technical issues and you will need to talk with them. ### Wrong Business Category - **Problem**: Within your Google business Profile you need to specify the correct business category. - **Fix**: Change your business category to match your business. If an exact match doesn't exist find one that is as close as possible to your business/industry. ### Google Wants To Talk To You - **Problem**: Your review may have been flagged for moderation. - **Fix**: Moderation can take a few days or longer. Once the review is approved, it will be visible to everyone. Sometimes this moderation requires intervention and a call on your part. ## Dumb & Evil Competitors We would be doing a complete disservice if we didn't talk about your "evil competitor." We're not saying competitors are evil, but there are many that are less than honest and look for ways to game the system for their benefit and hurt your business. The biggest item your competitors will do is a negative review campaign or flag your reviews as not helpful or false. Even though the first thought is, I am going to do the same to them. Don't! You are better than that. You are focused on the future and shouldn't be looking back. You are the leader, so they are concerned about you. Continue to follow the steps above/below in this document and lead the way. ## I've Done Everything, And Still, Nothing We feel your pain. You've read each item above and still need to see the reviews you know you've gotten. Below are the last-chance efforts you can make: - Collect Evidence for Google to Review - Google is more likely to help resolve problems when they have technical or physical data to review. Get screenshots showing the need for reviews not on your Google Business Profile from your customers. - If you received an email from Google about a new review, replied to it as you should, and still need help finding the review, you can use that to submit. - You can also collect some emails submitted by previous customers who have taken the time to post a review for your company. - Seek Help from Your Reputation Management Provider - Your reputation management software company is a source you need to go to. They can often see things in their review software, know of bugs in their review software, etc. Many businesses may have an SEO (search engine optimization) company also helping with their reputation management. If the company is also a software company, they can definitely help. - If you use specific software to send your reviews, this is the company you want to talk with before your SEO company as they don't have access to the software. If you do contact your SEO company, provide them screenshots of what is sent, copies of emails, etc., so they can help you. ## I've Done Everything, And Still, Nothing Now is the time to call in the big guns, Google itself. This can be quick or slow. Just depends on your luck and how many others are having problems. This should be your last resort and not your first one, as contacting Google too much can also make it so that more of your reviews have to go through moderation. Additionally, they will have you check and do everything we've outlined above. - **Phone Call** - Google has a customer service number you can call, though it's largely automated. The public automated customer support number is [650-253-0000](tel:650-253-0000). In most instances, you will go through a myriad of menus. - There is also an international option for those based in India. Calling [1-800-419-0157](tel:1-800-419-0157) will work for you. - **Online Support** - You will first need to be logged into your Google account. - Then go to [https://support.google.com/](https://support.google.com/) - Search for what your problem is (e.g., Google Business Profile, Reviews Not Showing, etc.) - **Online Community Help Forums** - You will first need to be logged into your Google account. - Then go to [https://support.google.com/](https://support.google.com/) - Search for what your problem is - On the page, you will notice a button/link called "Community" that will allow you to ask your question in the support community. They will often direct you to the "Online Support" option above. ## Conclusion Reviews not showing are often a result of your profile having technical issues or user violations. It would be best if you didn't take your reviews not showing as a personal attack on your business. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Focus-on-your-core/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Focus-on-your-core/ We have won the second-best Information Technology company within Northwest Alabama multiple times. One might think being second place isn't something to talk about but for us it's a very unique item. Yes, we didn't win and we are thankful for it. It's not our core business. In fact, it's not our business at all. That's right we **do not** do Information Technology at all. It isn't because we aren't capable of doing it and our owner has over fifteen years of being an Information Technology administrator. So, we are extremely thankful that we have been voted second best as that shows we are truly rocking our client's websites, security, and infrastructure for them. Beyond our web servers, database servers, and mail servers we don't do Information Technology. We have talked about doing Information Technology (one-month total) and knew it wasn't our core business. Our core business is writing web and mobile software, marketing clients online through the search engines, writing quality content (e.g. stories), video, and definitely through social media. We chose to focus on what matters to us; small business growth. This focus has allowed us to grow each of our clients on our plans by twenty percent increase year-over-year. We do this by listening to our clients, adjusting monthly (being agile), and not doing long-term marketing plans as we feel they truly need to be handled in short sprints and adjusted to quickly meet a changing market. This has allowed us to adjust to a Facebook, Instagram, or a Google change in a few short days and routinely within hours of being announced. If we focused on being a "Jack of All Trades" and a "Master of None" our business would fail. We have chosen at our core foundational level to only do what is needed to achieve success for our small business clients that want to grow. As social media and the search engines have evolved we have evolved with it. When we needed to add certain capabilities that were not at our core (e.g. Information Technology) we aligned ourselves with local Information Technology companies. With that we learned what their specialties were, what their ideal customers are, and where they want to focus as their core. We, of course, partnered with those that didn't do web design or marketing so that it was a symbiotic relationship. By focusing on your strengths and not spreading yourself thin you can also keep your costs down, focus on what you love, and make a difference that affects your clients positively. Every week we look back at the past week, what's coming in the coming weeks, and make certain we are staying focused on where are strengths are and what the core business is. We have always seen that we falter when we move outside of where our core is. This doesn't mean we don't push ourselves out of our comfort zones and are resting on our laurels. By sticking to your core, you produce a higher quality product, your clients will grow more, and everyone on the team is able to know what is expected. This makes for a successful growth environment where success is in the air. Part of focusing on your core is that you are able to "be yourself" rather than trying to be something you truly are not. Your core is what defines you as a company. It is your foundation that others learn. It is what makes you go from good to great and make a true difference in the world. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/FREE-Malware-Removal-Process-for-Small-Businesses/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/FREE-Malware-Removal-Process-for-Small-Businesses/ This past labor day weekend, I searched the internet for a specific niche industry and came across a site with malware on it, as noted by the blog image. I started thinking of all the small businesses that aren't updated and could run into this and present the worst possible first impression. So we came up with a solution. WordPress websites are great as the software is free and open for anyone to install. Many websites are being established and not maintained. Imagine your iPhone or Android device with no updates. Malware and viruses could infect those devices. Updates are pushed to your phones to help protect your individual experience with the device is uninterrupted. Basic hosting and many "care plans" don't monitor your website 24x7 for malware or viruses or even at all. We believe that all websites deserve this, and we always include malware and virus monitoring and removal as part of our client's plans. So what about this site we found? How did it change my thinking? We are now offering ANY **small business or entrepreneur free malware or virus removal**, even if they are not our customers. We are doing this as we know "mistakes happen" and that most web designers have no Information Technology (IT) background. We do as we feel this is a necessity to providing excellent customer service. So, if you've been shorted by your web designer or web hosting company, contact us at [support@businessyeti.com](mailto:support@businessyeti.com) and mention this blog article. It's that simple. Our disclaimer is we will do this only once for you as once is a mistake and twice isn't. If you sign up with us, that would be awesome, but it is not a requirement. We believe in helping small businesses and entrepreneurs succeed, and most business owners are overwhelmed, and they need help, even if they don't initially ask for it. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/free-press-release/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/free-press-release/ We are bringing back a feature that we once had but was not taken advantage of by clients, so we killed it off. The original version required the business owner or those they designated to be involved. We thought this was the best approach, but in hindsight, it wasn't. Articles went months without being distributed. They didn't produce the results we wanted them to. Every social media management client will receive a blog article, not just any blog article. We are adding what some would call "secret sauce," but there isn't any secret in this sauce. We're taking advantage of some changes that the search engines and news sources around the country have made during the pandemic that changed our world. If you are on a social media management plan, we will be writing a blog article for you. Previously we required input from you. That is still welcome, and we encourage that to happen if your schedule allows it. We found out that it wasn't being taken advantage of, the business owners and those in charge of communication were busy and fell off their radar. Today we know schedules are even more dynamic, and workloads have increased, making direct input not feasible. ## What topics will be covered? We will use data points from the search engines and evaluate how your website visitors use your site to detemrine the best topics to cover. This covers what pages they are spending the most time on. We will look at seasonal items that will help drive revenue to your business. We will look at trends happening on social media. ## How will we do this without your input? We will be looking at the products and services your business offers. We will be taking that information and passing it on to our writers. They will, in turn, create articles that will be loved by the search engines. The articles will be written for humans to read and learn but search engines to love. ## What if I want to be involved? This would be preferred, and we would love that. We will get direction from you and then create the article in this case. ## How much more will this cost me? Nothing. We have a blog writing option available if we are not managing your social media. This is beneficial to those we are doing search engine optimization (SEO). We are including this for every social media-managed client. If you're not on social media management contact us and we can explain all the benefits, including the free press release information. ## How long are these articles that are being written for me? Each article will be 1,250 words or more. These will be straight to the point with no fluff added as they are being created to help answer questions, drive traffic, generate leads, and add to your bottom line. We won't put any maximum length on them as long as they cover the discussed topic. ## Are pictures included? Yes, there will be ONE image used with each article created. We will use an appropriate image that fits the theme. We will use an image from your website or previous social media post. If we can get a current one from you, that would be best but knowing that you and your team are busy, we will not force that as we want to get the information to help you grow your business. If we cannot get an appropriate image from you or your website, we will pull a professionally taken stock image for the article. ## Great you've created an article; where's the secret sauce? The "secret sauce" is that we will be submitting it to appropriate news channels and distributing them as press releases for each article created. This is in addition to us using them as articles on your website, your Google Business Profile (GBP, formerly Google My Business), and social media. ## I want more than one per month! We know several will want more than one per month as you genuinely have a lot of information to cover. We know you also are looking for ways to grow your business at a faster organic pace. To achieve this, we have options available that will allow you to purchase more than the one included article per month. ## Where are these press releases going? Each press release will go to sources your business's industry is in. We will not distribute via a shotgun approach. We want to reach audiences that add value to your search engine results. ## How can I get this? To receive this offer we are just enforcing our company policy. You must have a credit card on file, and your bill must be paid in full. That's it. This has been our standard for the past nine years, but we never enforced it in the past. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ftc-click-to-cancel-rule/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ftc-click-to-cancel-rule/ ### Navigating the FTC’s Click-to-Cancel Rule: What Marketers Need to Know The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has long been at the forefront of consumer protection, and its recent **Click-to-Cancel Rule** is no exception. For businesses and marketers, this rule aims to simplify subscription cancellations for consumers and ensure fair practices. Understanding the nuances of this rule is essential for compliance and maintaining trust with your customers. Here’s what marketers need to know to navigate the FTC’s Click-to-Cancel Rule effectively. *** ### **What is the Click-to-Cancel Rule?** The Click-to-Cancel Rule, introduced by the FTC, mandates that businesses offering subscriptions or recurring payments must provide an easy and straightforward way for customers to cancel their services. This rule targets deceptive practices where businesses make it difficult for consumers to exit recurring payment agreements. #### **Key Requirements of the Rule:** 1. **Ease of Cancellation:** The cancellation process must be as simple as signing up. 2. **Same Medium:** If a subscription was initiated online, cancellation must also be available online. 3. **Immediate Action:** Businesses must honor cancellation requests promptly. 4. **Clear Communication:** No deceptive or confusing practices during the cancellation process. *** ### **Why the Click-to-Cancel Rule Matters** #### **1. Enhanced Consumer Trust** Today’s consumers demand transparency and ease. A cumbersome cancellation process can tarnish your brand’s reputation and lead to negative reviews. Following the Click-to-Cancel Rule demonstrates that your business values honesty and customer satisfaction. #### **2. Avoiding Legal Penalties** Non-compliance with the FTC’s regulations can result in hefty fines and legal repercussions. Staying ahead of the rule ensures you’re protected from potential penalties. #### **3. Competitive Advantage** By implementing a seamless cancellation process, you position your brand as customer-centric, giving you an edge over competitors who lag in compliance. *** ### **Steps for Marketers to Comply with the Click-to-Cancel Rule** #### **1. Audit Your Current Processes** - Review how your business handles subscription cancellations. - Identify friction points, such as multiple steps or hidden cancellation options. #### **2. Ensure Parity in Sign-Up and Cancellation Methods** - If customers can sign up for your service with one click, they should also be able to cancel just as easily. - Provide consistent options across all channels (e.g., online, in-app, or phone). #### **3. Simplify Your User Interface (UI)** - Design cancellation processes with clear, visible buttons or links. - Avoid excessive questions or attempts to redirect users before finalizing their cancellation. #### **4. Train Your Team** - Educate customer service and support teams on the requirements of the Click-to-Cancel Rule. - Implement scripts and guidelines to ensure clear, non-deceptive communication. #### **5. Offer Optional Retention Efforts** - While upsell or retention offers are allowed, they must not obstruct the cancellation process. - Ensure these offers are optional and respectful of the customer’s choice. *** ### **Examples of Compliance in Action** #### **Compliant Example:** - A streaming service allows users to cancel their subscription directly from their account settings in one step, with a clear confirmation email sent immediately. #### **Non-Compliant Example:** - A fitness membership requires customers to call customer service, wait on hold, and speak to multiple agents before their cancellation is processed. *** ### **Benefits of Adopting the Click-to-Cancel Rule** #### **1. Improved Customer Retention** Ironically, making it easy to cancel can build trust and encourage customers to return in the future. #### **2. Streamlined Operations** A clear cancellation process reduces the workload on support teams and minimizes disputes. #### **3. Better Brand Reputation** Transparency fosters positive word-of-mouth and enhances your standing in the marketplace. *** ### **Challenges to Watch For** #### **1. Balancing Retention and Compliance** While it’s tempting to add hurdles to retain customers, remember that any delay or confusion violates the rule. #### **2. Technical Implementation** Ensuring all channels offer a seamless cancellation option may require significant updates to your website or app. #### **3. Monitoring and Updates** Regularly audit your processes to ensure ongoing compliance as regulations evolve. *** ### **Conclusion** The FTC’s Click-to-Cancel Rule underscores the importance of transparency and customer-centric practices in subscription-based businesses. By simplifying the cancellation process, you not only comply with regulations but also build trust and loyalty with your audience. Take the time to audit your systems, train your team, and refine your customer journey to stay ahead of the curve. In the long run, compliance is more than a legal requirement—it’s a strategic advantage. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/funnels-vs-websites/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/funnels-vs-websites/ When diving into the world of online marketing and business, one of the most common questions is: "What's the difference between a funnel and a website?" While they both serve to establish your online presence, their purposes, designs, and functionalities differ significantly. Understanding these differences can help you choose the right tool for your business goals and maximize your online strategy. Let's break it down. ## What Is a Website? A website is like the digital hub of your business. It serves as a comprehensive resource where visitors can explore your brand, learn about your products or services, and get a sense of who you are. ### Key Characteristics of a Website: 1. **Broad Goals**: - Websites aim to inform, build trust, and establish credibility. - They provide resources, FAQs, and detailed background information about your business. 2. **User-Directed Navigation**: - Visitors can take their own path, exploring pages at their leisure, such as blogs, product catalogs, or resource libraries. 3. **Robust Content**: - Websites often contain multiple pages and sections, such as: - Home - About Us - Services - Contact - Blog 4. **Marketing Hub**: - A website acts as the central point for your online marketing efforts, linking to social media, ad campaigns, and other channels. ### When to Use a Website - **Brand Awareness**: When you need to showcase your company's identity and expertise. - **Information Sharing**: When you want to educate your audience about your offerings. - **Credibility Building**: To establish trustworthiness with detailed company information, reviews, and case studies. ## What Is a Funnel? A funnel is a streamlined series of pages designed to guide a user toward a single, specific action. Funnels are goal-oriented and optimized for conversions. ### Key Characteristics of a Funnel: 1. **Focused on One Goal**: - Each funnel has a clear purpose, such as selling a product, collecting leads, or booking a service. 2. **Step-by-Step User Journey**: - Funnels control the user's experience by eliminating distractions and providing a direct path to the desired action. 3. **Split Testing**: - Funnels are ideal for testing variations of headlines, images, and calls-to-action (CTAs) to improve performance. 4. **Short and Streamlined**: - Typically, funnels are just a few pages long, including: - A landing page - An opt-in or sales page - A checkout or thank-you page ### When to Use a Funnel - **Driving Conversions**: When you want to guide users toward a specific action like purchasing a product or signing up for a service. - **Launching Campaigns**: To promote a new product or offer with laser-focused messaging. - **Onboarding**: When creating a step-by-step flow for new customers or clients. ## Funnels vs. Websites: A Side-by-Side Comparison | **Feature** | **Website** | **Funnel** | | --- | --- | --- | | **Purpose** | Inform, build trust, and provide broad information. | Drive a single action, such as a purchase. | | **Navigation** | User-directed; explore freely. | Business-directed; one controlled path. | | **Content** | Multi-page with diverse information. | Few pages with a specific message. | | **Use Case** | Brand awareness, FAQs, credibility, portfolio. | Lead generation, sales, onboarding. | | **Conversion Rate** | Moderate, as it caters to multiple goals. | High, due to focused intent. | | **Testing Capabilities** | Limited; changes affect the entire site. | Excellent for A/B split testing. | | **Design Complexity** | Robust and flexible for various needs. | Simple and highly optimized. | ## Real-Life Examples: When to Use Each ### Scenario 1: Launching a New Product You're introducing a new skincare product to the market. You create a **funnel** to guide potential customers through: 1. A landing page explaining the product's benefits. 2. An opt-in page offering a discount code for first-time buyers. 3. A checkout page to complete the purchase. ### Scenario 2: Building Long-Term Trust You're a financial advisor looking to attract high-net-worth clients. You use a **website** to: 1. Share articles on wealth management strategies. 2. Showcase case studies and testimonials. 3. Provide contact forms for consultations. ## Common Misunderstandings ### "Can't I Just Use One for Everything?" While funnels and websites can overlap in functionality, trying to use one for everything often results in suboptimal performance: - A website doesn't excel at driving specific conversions due to its broad focus. - A funnel doesn't provide the depth and credibility a website offers. ### "Why Aren't My Colors or Fonts Consistent?" If you're using different tools for your funnels and websites, consistency can be a challenge. Consider centralizing your design elements and using shared style guides across platforms. ## How Funnels and Websites Work Together The best strategy isn't choosing one over the other—it's integrating both into your marketing strategy: - Use a **website** as your marketing hub, providing credibility, resources, and information. - Use **funnels** for targeted campaigns to drive specific actions like sales, sign-ups, or consultations. ### Pro Tip: Link Your Funnels Back to Your Website - Add links to your website for users who want more information. - Use your website to direct visitors to your funnels for specific actions. ## Why Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing? At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we understand the unique strengths of funnels and websites. Our expert team: - Designs visually stunning and highly functional websites that serve as the foundation of your online presence. - Builds conversion-focused funnels that deliver measurable results. - Ensures seamless integration between your website and funnels, with consistent branding and style. With a comprehensive strategy tailored to your goals, we help businesses like yours achieve maximum impact online. Whether you're looking to build trust with a website or drive sales with a funnel, we're your partner for success. ## Conclusion In the battle of funnels vs. websites, the winner depends on your business goals. Use a **website** to establish credibility, inform your audience, and serve as the hub for your marketing efforts. Use a **funnel** to drive specific actions, like purchases or lead generation, with a streamlined path to conversion. By understanding the strengths of each and knowing when to use them, you can create a cohesive online strategy that drives growth and success for your business. And with experts like **Fawkes Digital Marketing** by your side, you can rest assured that your funnels and websites will work together seamlessly to achieve your goals. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/gbp-profile-guide-2025/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/gbp-profile-guide-2025/ ## Understanding Google Business Profile A Google Business Profile (GBP) is an essential tool for businesses aiming to enhance their online presence. Managed via Google's dedicated platform, this free tool allows businesses to manage how they appear in Google Search and Maps. ## Why Your Business Needs a Google Business Profile Every business looking to enhance its visibility online should invest in creating and maintaining a comprehensive Google Business Profile. Here is why: - **Increased Visibility:** A verified GBP boosts local search visibility, allowing potential customers to discover your business more easily. - **Customer Engagement:** Directly engage with your customers through posts, reviews, and messages. - **Business Insights:** Gain valuable insights into your customer behavior and preferences through detailed analytics. - **Brand Trust:** Enhance credibility by showcasing accurate information, including business hours, contact details, and customer reviews. ## Leverage Expertise with Fawkes Digital Marketing Fawkes Digital Marketing is recognized as an expert in managing Google Business Profiles. We offer professional services to optimize your GBP effectively, ensuring consistent information, engaging media, and strategic updates to drive customer interaction. ## Capabilities of Google Business Profile A Google Business Profile allows businesses to: - Post updates and offers directly to the audience. - Respond to customer reviews promptly. - Upload and manage photos and videos to enhance visual appeal. - Monitor user engagement through detailed analytics. - Utilize customer insights for strategic business decisions. ## Recommended Update Frequency To maximize the benefits of your GBP, it should be updated regularly. Posting new content or updates at least once a week and responding promptly to customer reviews and queries is advisable. Regular updates ensure dynamic engagement and the most current information is available to your audience. ### Natural Language Processing Analysis Natural Language Processing (NLP) aids in understanding customer feedback and reviews, enabling businesses to refine strategies and enhance customer satisfaction. With expertise in NLP, Fawkes Digital Marketing assists in monitoring sentiment analysis and trend identification. By optimizing your Google Business Profile with Fawkes Digital Marketing, you ensure your business remains competitive in the digital landscape. Contact us for strategic assistance tailored to your business needs. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/GDPR-for-American-Businesses/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/GDPR-for-American-Businesses/ The first thing to cover is this is not legal advice. This is a culmination of over thirty blog articles and our take on GDPR from our friends at the European Union (EU). First, let’s cover what GDPR stands for. GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation and ultimately is designed to protect consumers. Personally, I feel this is a very good thing and if the United States legislature get’s it right they will copy it as it’s forcing businesses to be more transparent, honest (our rule #1), and helps make the internet a place people will want to be. In American we might think that these rules might not apply to us. We would be completely wrong with the age of the internet. The internet makes even a brand new, just opened today, one man/woman shop into an international business whether intended or not. Let’s look at what businesses need to do at a high-level to comply with GDPR. Article 3 of the GDPR clearly states that if you collect personal data or behavioral information from someone in an EU country, your company is subject to the requirements and rules of GDPR. If someone provides information and is a resident of the EU at the time of collection. This means that if they currently reside in the EU this applies to your data collection efforts. The second part of this article is that money doesn’t have to transfer hands. This means collecting information for a mailing list (electronic or snail mail) or identifies a consumer in any way that is personally identifiable information (PII). This could be part of a marketing survey, then the data would have to be protected GDPR-style. With GDPR being a hot topic and coming with huge fines that could put a business, even a large business, out of business for non-compliance making certain that you comply is important. Below are the high-level items we have implemented over the last 24 months for our clients and are not in any order other than these are the items we have implemented. - Create an implementation team – this is the team that will be responsible for making certain your organization stays in compliance with the latest laws. This would be for GDPR as well as any future laws in this manner. - Locate and understand your data – You need to understand your data and how it relates to your consumers. As part of this law you need to be able to effectively handle notification of any data breaches (in as littles as 72 hours of being breached). - Training – Educating and training your staff on what GDPR is, how it effects your company, and what you need to do for compliance. Understanding what information is collected, how it is used, and why you have that information. - Personal data is not all the same. You need to be able to inform the consumer, if requested, what information you have on them. This covers not only their name and email, but physical address information, personal identifiable information (sexual orientation, sex life, jobs, job titles, etc.). Although the law went into effect on May 25, 2018 it applies to all data you have ever collected regarding the consumer. - It is your job to make certain your information is protected. If you use a cloud provider, you cannot “assume” you are safe. Yes, you might pay to protect your data with a firewall, etc. but you are ultimately the one responsible for the data you collect and save. - Ask for permission for everything you do on your site. This is registering for a mailing list, collecting information, etc. It is no longer pre-checked boxes that say “yes I agree” but boxes that are unchecked where the person needs to opt-in. If there is information you don’t need don’t ask for it. Keep yourself protected by only getting what you need. - Be prepared to provide consumers that ask for information of what you have on them in a quick and timely manner. If you are asked you need to provide everything that you have from cookies, to their information, to order history, etc. This would be in both the real and virtual world as well. Providing this information requires, in most cases, to be done in less than a month. - If you have a physical store and nothing online this still applies to you if you take credit cards from someone that lives in the virtual world. - Review your current privacy notices of what you collect and keep. Be as clear as possible and do not use any legalese when writing your privacy policies. All too often we see lawyers adding so much lawyer mumble-jumbo it would take a team of lawyers to guess what you are implying. Keeping it as simple, and short, as possible is a requirement of GDPR. - If you have a age requirement make certain your system is as foolproof as possible. - Have a secure way, outside of email, for people to provide you anything that they feel is sensitive. A good way would be on your website that accepts the information, does NOT then forward it via email but kept securely on your website, your website having SSL (green pad lock) on every page, and you make all appropriate steps to limit who has access to information. When it comes to complying with GDPR you need to take on full responsibility for making certain your company is in compliance. GDPR is something that will not only protect the consumers you do business with but in the long run will make your business ready to grow and comply with the latest laws. We know the United States will start with the current GDPR and will look for ways to extend it as that’s what governmental units do. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/geolocation-targeting/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/geolocation-targeting/ In today’s digital age, reaching the right audience at the right place is essential for business success. **Geolocation targeting**, also known as geotargeting, allows businesses to deliver tailored content, advertisements, and promotions based on a user's physical location. By leveraging this powerful tool, businesses can improve their online visibility, attract local customers, and boost engagement with their brand. In this blog, we’ll explore what geolocation targeting is, how it works, and the benefits it offers to businesses looking to grow their online presence. *** ## **What is Geolocation Targeting?** Geolocation targeting is a digital marketing strategy that uses location data to deliver personalized and relevant content to users. It works by identifying a user’s geographic location through various methods, including: - **IP Addresses** - **GPS Data** - **Wi-Fi Signals** - **Mobile Device Location Services** With geotargeting, businesses can create campaigns that resonate with specific local audiences, tailoring their messaging to match the preferences and needs of customers in a given area. *** ## **How Geolocation Targeting Works** Geolocation targeting relies on technology that detects the user’s location and matches it to predefined geographic parameters set by businesses. Here’s how it works: ### **1. Location Data Collection** When users interact with websites or apps, their location is determined using: - **IP Address:** Provides general location data, such as the user’s city or region. - **GPS:** Offers precise real-time location data, often used in mobile apps. - **Wi-Fi Networks:** Helps determine proximity to specific locations. - **Bluetooth Beacons:** Detect nearby devices for hyper-local targeting. ### **2. Setting Target Parameters** Businesses define specific geographic parameters for their campaigns, such as: - Cities - Zip codes - Neighborhoods - Radius around a specific location (e.g., 5 miles from a store) ### **3. Delivering Targeted Content** Once the system identifies users within the defined geographic area, it delivers tailored content such as: - Localized ads - Location-specific promotions - Personalized recommendations For example, a restaurant might display a lunch special only to users within a 2-mile radius of its location. *** ## **Benefits of Geolocation Targeting for Your Business** Geolocation targeting is a game-changer for businesses looking to attract and retain local customers. Here are some key benefits: ### **1. Attract Local Customers** Geotargeting ensures that your marketing efforts reach customers in your immediate area. For example, a coffee shop can send promotions to users within walking distance, increasing foot traffic. ### **2. Improved ROI on Ad Spend** By narrowing your audience to specific geographic locations, geotargeting reduces wasted ad spend. You’ll reach users who are more likely to convert because they’re in proximity to your business. ### **3. Enhanced Personalization** Localized content feels more relevant to users, increasing engagement rates. For instance, a retail store can advertise seasonal sales specific to its area, such as “Back-to-School Sale in [City Name].” ### **4. Competitive Advantage** Geotargeting allows you to outshine competitors by focusing on hyper-local audiences. You can target users near competitor locations with exclusive deals to draw them to your business instead. ### **5. Boosts Local SEO** Geolocation targeting complements **local SEO** efforts by driving traffic to your website and physical location. Optimized local content helps your business rank higher for “near me” searches. ### **6. Real-Time Engagement** Geotargeting allows businesses to deliver time-sensitive offers or updates, such as event promotions or limited-time discounts, to users currently in the area. *** ## **How to Use Geolocation Targeting for Your Business** ### **1. Localized Advertising** Run geotargeted ads on platforms like Google Ads, Facebook, and Instagram. Specify locations to show ads only to users within your service area. **Example:** A landscaping company in Cullman, Alabama, can run Google Ads targeting residents within a 15-mile radius, ensuring their promotions are seen by potential local customers. *** ### **2. Personalized Promotions** Send personalized SMS, email, or app notifications based on the user’s location. Use geofencing to trigger messages when users enter a specific area. **Example:** A retail store can send a discount code to customers as they approach the shopping center where the store is located. *** ### **3. Location-Specific Landing Pages** Create landing pages tailored to specific locations. Include local keywords, maps, and contact information to improve relevance and boost local SEO rankings. **Example:** A plumber can create separate pages for each service area with titles like “Plumbing Services in [City Name].” *** ### **4. Optimize Google Business Profile** Claim and optimize your **Google Business Profile** with accurate location information, photos, and customer reviews. This ensures your business appears in local pack results and “near me” searches. *** ### **5. Leverage Social Media** Use geotargeting on social platforms like Facebook and Instagram to promote location-specific offers. Geotag posts and stories to attract users searching for content in your area. *** ### **6. Measure and Refine** Use analytics tools to track the performance of geotargeted campaigns. Monitor metrics like: - Click-through rates - Conversion rates - Foot traffic increases Refine your strategy based on what works best for your audience. *** ## **Examples of Geolocation Targeting in Action** ### **1. Restaurants** A pizza delivery service sends a 20% discount SMS to users within a 5-mile radius during dinner hours. ### **2. Retail** A boutique shop runs Facebook ads targeting users in the same city, promoting an exclusive in-store event. ### **3. Service Providers** A local HVAC company uses Google Ads to reach homeowners in specific zip codes before the summer heatwave. *** ## **Why You Need a Professional Marketing Agency** While geolocation targeting is a powerful tool, implementing it effectively requires expertise. A professional marketing agency like **Fawkes Digital Marketing** ensures that your campaigns are: - **Well-Optimized:** We set precise targeting parameters to reach the right audience. - **Cost-Effective:** We focus on maximizing your ROI by reducing wasted ad spend. - **Data-Driven:** We analyze campaign performance to refine and improve results. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in local SEO and geotargeted campaigns that help businesses thrive in their local markets. From setting up location-specific ads to optimizing your Google Business Profile, we have the expertise to make geolocation targeting work for you. *** ## **Conclusion** Geolocation targeting is an essential strategy for businesses looking to connect with local customers and boost their online presence. By delivering personalized, location-specific content, you can drive traffic, increase engagement, and grow your revenue. Ready to make geolocation targeting a part of your digital marketing strategy? Contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today to get started! **[Learn more](https://www.fawkesdm.com/Contact/)** and let us help your business get found online. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/geo-seo-pages/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/geo-seo-pages/ For businesses aiming to capture local audiences, the question of whether to create **local geo-targeted landing pages** or invest in broader SEO strategies often arises. The truth is, both approaches have merit, but which will give you the **best return on investment (ROI)** depends on your business goals, target audience, and resources. In this pillar post, we'll explore the benefits of local geo-targeted landing pages, compare them with alternative strategies, and help you determine what will give you the most **bang for your buck**. ## What Are Local Geo-Targeted Landing Pages? Local geo-targeted landing pages are individual pages on your website specifically designed to target a particular location (e.g., city, neighborhood, or region) and highlight your services in that area. These pages are optimized with **geo-specific keywords**, like "plumbing services in Cullman" or "web design for small businesses in Cullman Alabama," to rank well for local searches. ## Benefits of Local Geo-Targeted Landing Pages 1. **Improved Local SEO Rankings**: Search engines prioritize results that are relevant to the user's location. Geo-targeted pages allow your site to rank higher for localized keywords, making it easier for customers in specific areas to find your services. 2. **Tailored Content for Specific Audiences**: Each location has its unique culture, needs, and preferences. A localized page can address these directly, creating a stronger connection with potential customers. 3. **Higher Conversion Rates**: People searching for local services are often ready to take action. A page tailored to their location increases trust and relevance, improving the chances of conversion. 4. **Stand Out in Local Searches**: If your competitors aren't creating geo-targeted pages, this gives you an edge. Even if they are, a well-optimized page can outperform theirs. 5. **Boosts Google Business Profile Performance**: Google prioritizes websites with strong local relevance in conjunction with an optimized Google Business Profile. Local landing pages help strengthen your local authority. ## Challenges of Local Geo-Targeted Landing Pages While effective, geo-targeted landing pages aren't without their challenges: - **Content Duplication**: Creating multiple pages for different locations can lead to duplicate or thin content if not done carefully, which may negatively impact your SEO. - **Maintenance**: Each page needs to be updated regularly to remain relevant and optimized. - **Resource Intensive**: Crafting high-quality, unique content for multiple locations requires significant time and effort. ## Alternatives to Local Geo-Targeted Landing Pages If creating individual landing pages for every location isn't feasible, consider these alternatives: - **A Strong Google Business Profile**: Optimize your Google Business Profile for each location, including accurate NAP (Name, Address, Phone) details, business hours, and local reviews. For businesses with multiple locations, set up individual profiles for each. - **Location-Specific Service Pages**: Instead of creating a separate page for every city, focus on broader regions. For example, a "Plumbing Services in the Greater Los Angeles Area" page can consolidate multiple locations into one. - **Dynamic Location Pages**: Use dynamic content to create a single landing page template that adjusts based on the user's location. This approach reduces duplication and simplifies maintenance. - **Invest in Localized Content Marketing**: Publish blog posts or resources tailored to local audiences. For example, "5 Common Plumbing Problems in [City Name]" can drive local traffic without requiring a dedicated landing page. - **Leverage PPC Campaigns**: If you want immediate visibility, invest in geo-targeted pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. This strategy allows you to target specific areas without creating additional pages. ## What Strategy Gives the Best Bang for Your Buck? - **Scenario 1: Small to Medium-Sized Businesses**: If you're a local business with limited resources, focus on: - **Google Business Profile optimization** for all locations. - Creating **high-quality geo-targeted pages** for your top-performing or high-potential areas. - Publishing **localized blog content** to capture long-tail keywords and attract organic traffic. - **Scenario 2: Multi-Location or Regional Businesses**: For businesses serving multiple locations: - Create **dynamic location pages** or **regional landing pages** to avoid duplicating content. - Use **structured data (schema markup)** to highlight your locations and services for search engines. - Combine your local SEO strategy with targeted **PPC campaigns** to dominate local searches. - **Scenario 3: Service-Based Businesses Targeting Broad Regions**: For businesses like SaaS or e-commerce targeting customers across wide regions: - Focus on **content marketing** and **long-tail keyword optimization** to reach localized audiences without creating numerous pages. - Invest in **geo-targeted ads** for areas where demand is highest. ## Combining Strategies for Maximum Impact In most cases, the best approach isn't an "either/or" decision but a combination of strategies: 1. **Start with Priority Locations**: - Identify your top-performing or highest-potential locations and create dedicated geo-targeted landing pages for them. - **Consolidate Broader Regions**: For less critical locations, use regional pages or dynamic templates to cover multiple areas. - **Optimize Your Google Business Profile**: Ensure all location profiles are accurate and fully optimized to boost local visibility. - **Add a Blog for Ongoing Content**: Use your blog to publish engaging, localized content that supports your SEO efforts without requiring additional pages. - **Supplement with PPC**: Use geo-targeted PPC campaigns to fill gaps and drive immediate traffic to your high-priority locations. ## Conclusion: Local Landing Pages Are Powerful but Not Your Only Option Local geo-targeted landing pages are a powerful tool for improving local SEO and driving conversions, especially for service-based businesses. However, they are resource-intensive and require careful planning to avoid duplication and maximize ROI. Combining landing pages with Google Business Profile optimization, dynamic content, localized blogs, and PPC campaigns ensures you capture the widest audience possible while keeping your costs under control. By tailoring your strategy to your specific business needs and resources, you can achieve the best bang for your buck while staying ahead of the competition in local search rankings. Start by prioritizing high-value locations and build your local SEO strategy from there! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/geo-seo-what-why/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/geo-seo-what-why/ ## What “GEO” Actually Means - **GEO** stands for *Generative Engine Optimization*. It refers to optimizing your online presence so that not only traditional search engines (Google, Bing) but also AI‐powered large language models (LLMs), chatbots, and AI overviews select and present your brand’s content when users ask questions. - Instead of relying only on keywords and “10 blue links,” GEO is about being trusted by AI agents, where your site, content, reviews, brand story, and technical presence all feed into how those agents represent or recommend you. - GEO extends SEO. It includes everything SEO does (technical SEO, content, backlinks, etc.), but adds emphasis on narrative consistency, authoritative signals, structured content that AI can digest, and making sure AI or chatbots can access and understand your content well. ## Why Businesses *Need* GEO 1. **Search is changing rapidly** AI Overviews and chat interfaces are appearing for many search queries. These often show at or above traditional search results. Being visible in AI summaries means exposure even when people don’t click traditional search links. ([Fast Company][1]) 2. **Trust & Authority are amplified** In GEO, brand narrative, stories, user reviews, social proof, and external citations matter more than ever. AI systems often pull from multiple sources—your site, third-party sites, review platforms, social platforms. If those signals are strong, you look good. If not, you might get misrepresented or simply ignored. ([Fast Company][1]) 3. **Better prepared for future updates** As AI and LLMs evolve, early adopters of GEO are likely to fare better. The shape of SEO is shifting, and being late to adopt GEO means playing catch-up in a landscape that’s already moving fast. ([Fast Company][1]) 4. **Direct impact on conversions and reputation** Users tend to trust what AI presents as facts. If your story and content show up there, people associate your brand with credibility. Also, even when people use the “blue link” clicks, having a consistent narrative and well-structured content helps with user experience and conversion. ## Key Components of GEO (Beyond Traditional SEO) | Component | What It Involves | Why It Matters for GEO | | --- | --- | --- | | **Technical Foundations** | Fast page load, clean navigation, mobile responsive, unblocked crawling for both SEO and AI/LLM agents, use of schema / structured data, clear meta data, image alt text, avoiding broken links or hidden content. | LLMs/bots need to read and interpret content. If technical issues block them (robots.txt, hidden JS content, etc.), your content might never be seen or be misinterpreted. ([Fast Company][1]) | | **Content & Storytelling** | Clear “About” or “Our Story”, consistent naming of services/products, FAQs, blog posts, strong mission statement, product/service pages. Use of storytelling to humanize the brand. | When chatbots pull from your site, those narrative elements are among the easiest signals they trust. Having consistent brand story prevents confusion. ([Fast Company][1]) | | **External Signals / Authority** | Reviews, social media mentions, press/media coverage, user-generated content, citations, directory listings, local presence / Google Business Profile, etc. | AI systems draw from many places; if external sources speak well of you (and consistently), those signals help your GEO. ([Fast Company][1]) | | **Structured Data & Schema** | Using schema.org markup: FAQ schema, organization schema, product/service schema, location schema, etc.
Using dates on content (publish / last updated).
Ensuring images have alt text. | Helps bots understand what content *means*, not just what it says. Schema helps in summarization, rich results, AI overviews. ([Fast Company][1]) | | **Visibility to AI Tools** | Ensuring your content is not blocked (robots.txt, meta tags), making your data available; presence on platforms that AI tools use (social media, Bing Webmaster Tools, etc.). | If LLMs are using external signals and crawling, you need to participate in those ecosystems. Also, visibility on Bing (and tools like Webmaster) is increasingly important. ([Fast Company][1]) | ## What GEO Means *Locally* For local businesses (like law firms, restaurants, salons, contractors, etc.), GEO + local SEO becomes even more powerful. Here’s how GEO applies locally: - Local schema and structured data (address, hours, services) help AI tools know exactly *where* you are and *what you do*. - Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) + Reviews + Local directories + local news or blogs → helps AI tools trust you in your region. - Content targeted to your locality: neighborhood pages, local FAQs, case studies or testimonials from local clients. - Coherent brand story across local platforms: Yelp, Facebook, Google, local press. ## Why Fawkes Digital Marketing Is the Best Partner for GEO / Local Search Here are the reasons that make **Fawkes Digital Marketing** the top choice when you want a comprehensive, future-proof GEO & local SEO strategy: 1. **Specialization in Local & GEO-Aware Strategies** We understand both classic SEO and what Generative Engine Optimization demands. We audit your site technically (crawlability, performance, schema), optimize content with brand story, and build your external authority locally (reviews, local citations, press). 2. **Proven Case Studies** We've helped businesses in [insert industries relevant: e.g., healthcare, law, home services, restaurants] improve not just their rankings but also their performance in AI summaries, chat interface visibility, and increased conversions from local searches. (You can list specific numbers or testimonials.) 3. **Full-Stack Implementation** We don’t just recommend; we do. That means technical implementation (site speed, schema markup, structured data), content creation (story pages, FAQs, blog posts), reputation building (reviews, PR, social), and ongoing monitoring. 4. **Staying Ahead of the Curve** GEO is evolving. At Fawkes, we stay current with what LLMs are doing, monitor algorithm or model changes, and adapt your strategy to stay visible. We also provide transparency: we report what touches GEO, what signals improve, what traffic and conversion changes happen. 5. **Transparency & ROI Focus** We track what matters: visibility in AI tools, from conversational and overview sources; organic traffic; lead generation; local conversion; brand mentions. We share what we do, why, and how it impacts your bottom line. ## Steps to Get Started with GEO (What You Can Do Now) If you’re a business owner or marketing manager, here are practical steps you can begin immediately, or engage Fawkes to help with: 1. **Audit your technical setup** - Check site speed, mobile friendliness. - Ensure schema markup is in place. - Confirm your content is crawlable (no blocking in robots.txt). 2. **Map your brand story & content** - Create or optimize pages: About, Mission, Team bios. - Audit service/product pages: are they clear, up to date, well structured? - Build or refine local content (blogs, case studies) with local terms. 3. **Get your external signals strong** - Improve review count and ratings on Google Business Profile, Yelp, etc. - Seek local press mentions, guest posts, directory listings. - Make sure your social profiles are complete, active, consistent. 4. **Use structured content & schema** - Add FAQ schema, local business schema, product/service schema. - Always apply `PublishDate` and `LastUpdated` where relevant. - Alt text for images; properly labeled headings. 5. **Monitor in SEO tools & AI tools** - Track traditional keyword rankings, organic traffic. - Also track “visibility in AI overviews”, chatbots, conversational search if possible. - Tools like Bing Webmaster, Google Search Console, plus tools that look at chat AI presence. 6. **Iterate & adapt** - Analyze what content performs best. - Refresh older content with added FAQs, updated data. - Build stronger stories, consistent naming, more local relevance. ## Common Mistakes to Avoid - Blocking crawlers unintentionally (robots.txt, meta tags), which can prevent AI bots from reading your content. - Using inconsistent brand names / product naming (confusion to bots). - Neglecting local signals (reviews, local listings, citations) thinking only content and links matter. - Overfocusing on ranking keywords and ignoring storytelling or brand narrative. - Sloppy schema markup or not keeping content up to date. ## Conclusion SEO is no longer enough on its own. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is shaping the future: what content LLMs choose to surface and how they portray your brand will heavily impact visibility, reputation, and ultimately revenue. Local businesses have a unique opportunity to shine because GEO rewards authenticity, locality, and trust. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we’ve cracked the combination of technical SEO, storytelling, brand authority, and local signals that GEO demands. If you want to be sure your business not only ranks, but shows up well in AI tools, chatbots, and local searches—let’s connect. We’ll build a strategy that works today *and* for the future. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/geo-tagging-images/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/geo-tagging-images/ When it comes to improving your local SEO and enhancing your website’s performance, every detail counts. One often overlooked but powerful optimization strategy is **geo-tagging your images**. Geo-tagging involves embedding geographical metadata, such as latitude and longitude, into your images. This strategy not only helps your website rank higher in local search results but also boosts your Google Business Profile’s visibility in your target area. In this article, we’ll dive into what geo-tagging is, why it matters for SEO, how it benefits your business, and how you can implement it effectively. *** ### **What is Geo-Tagging?** Geo-tagging is the process of attaching location-specific metadata (like GPS coordinates) to an image. This metadata is stored in the image's EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) data. Key pieces of information that can be geo-tagged include: - Latitude and Longitude - Altitude - Date and Time of Capture - Direction or Orientation For example, a photo of your storefront tagged with its exact location helps search engines understand where your business is based. *** ### **How Does Geo-Tagging Benefit SEO?** Geo-tagging your images has a direct impact on both your website’s SEO and your Google Business Profile (GBP). Here’s how: #### **1. Boosts Local SEO** Geo-tagging reinforces your business's association with a specific geographic area. This makes it easier for search engines to connect your business with local search queries, such as "best coffee shop near me" or "plumber in [city]." #### **2. Enhances Google Business Profile Visibility** Google prioritizes businesses that provide detailed, relevant information. Geo-tagged images on your Google Business Profile help validate your location and improve your chances of appearing in Google Maps and local packs. #### **3. Improves Image Search Rankings** Images with location metadata are more likely to rank higher in image searches related to your business and geographic area. For example, a geo-tagged image of your menu may appear in image search results for "restaurants in [city]." #### **4. Builds Trust with Search Engines** Search engines value transparency. Geo-tagged images provide additional data that confirms your business's legitimacy and physical presence, which can lead to higher rankings. #### **5. Increases Engagement** Geo-tagging adds authenticity to your photos, encouraging users to click on your website or Google Business Profile. Authentic visuals of your storefront, team, or products build trust and engagement. *** ### **How Geo-Tagging Helps Your Website SEO** When you upload geo-tagged images to your website, search engines gain a better understanding of your content and its relevance to local searches. Here’s how it works: 1. **Reinforces Location Relevance:** Embedding geo-coordinates ensures search engines associate your content with a specific area. 2. **Improves Page Load Speed for Local Searches:** Geo-relevance can prioritize your content for nearby users, reducing latency. 3. **Enhances Context for Structured Data:** When combined with local SEO schema markup, geo-tagged images add an extra layer of contextual information. *** ### **How Geo-Tagging Helps Your Google Business Profile** Your GBP is one of the most critical assets for local SEO, and geo-tagged images can take it to the next level: 1. **Validates Location Data:** Geo-tagged photos align with your GBP address, reinforcing your business’s authenticity. 2. **Enhances Local Engagement:** When users see photos of your business tied to their area, it creates a sense of familiarity and trust. 3. **Boosts Ranking in Google Maps:** Google Maps prefers businesses with verified and location-specific content, giving you a competitive edge. *** ### **How to Geo-Tag Your Images** #### **1. Use Geo-Tagging Tools** There are several tools and platforms available to add geo-tags to your images: - **GeoImgr:** An easy-to-use online tool for adding GPS coordinates to photos. - **Photo EXIF Editor:** A mobile app for editing EXIF metadata, including location. - **Adobe Lightroom:** Includes options for embedding GPS data in professional photos. #### **2. Steps to Geo-Tag an Image** 1. Identify the GPS coordinates of your business (use Google Maps to find latitude and longitude). 2. Use a tool like GeoImgr to upload the image and add the coordinates. 3. Save the geo-tagged image and upload it to your website or Google Business Profile. #### **3. Optimize Other Metadata** While geo-tagging, make sure to optimize other image elements: - **File Name:** Use descriptive and keyword-rich names like `best-coffee-shop-cullman.jpg`. - **Alt Tags:** Add alt text describing the image and its location, e.g., "Exterior of Best Coffee Shop in Cullman, Alabama." - **Caption:** Include local keywords in captions to enhance contextual relevance. *** ### **Best Practices for Geo-Tagging Images** 1. **Tag Original Images:** Always tag high-quality, original photos of your business, products, or services. 2. **Don’t Overdo It:** Only geo-tag images where location matters, such as storefronts, team photos, or event highlights. 3. **Combine with Local SEO Strategies:** Use geo-tagged images alongside schema markup, local keywords, and optimized GBP profiles for maximum impact. 4. **Test and Analyze:** Monitor performance metrics like local rankings and website traffic after implementing geo-tagged images. *** ### **Why Work with Fawkes Digital Marketing?** At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we understand the importance of local SEO strategies like geo-tagging to help your business thrive in today’s competitive market. Our team specializes in creating SEO-optimized websites and managing Google Business Profiles to ensure your business stands out in local search results. Here’s what we offer: - Expert image optimization, including geo-tagging for your website and GBP. - Comprehensive local SEO strategies tailored to your business. - Data-driven solutions to boost your online visibility and attract more customers. Let Fawkes Digital Marketing help you take your local SEO to the next level. [Contact us today to get started!](/contact/) *** ### **Final Thoughts** Geo-tagging images is a simple yet powerful strategy to improve your SEO and grow your local presence. Whether you’re optimizing your website or enhancing your Google Business Profile, geo-tagging provides search engines with valuable data to rank your content higher. By leveraging this strategy alongside other SEO best practices, your business can attract more local customers, build trust, and gain a competitive edge. Ready to optimize your website and Google Business Profile for local SEO? [Let Fawkes Digital Marketing guide you to success.](/contact/) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/geo-tagging-local-seo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/geo-tagging-local-seo/ In the world of local search engine optimization (SEO), standing out in your geographic area is essential to driving traffic, leads, and ultimately, conversions. One powerful but often overlooked tactic is **geo-tagging images and videos**. Geo-tagging enhances your content by embedding geographic data, making it more relevant to local searches and improving your visibility in search results. In this post, we’ll explore **what geo-tagging is**, **why you should geo-tag images and videos**, and provide a step-by-step guide to effectively geo-tagging your media to improve your local SEO. ## What is Geo-Tagging? Geo-tagging involves embedding geographic data, such as latitude, longitude, and sometimes altitude, into the metadata of your images or videos. This data tells search engines and other platforms the exact location associated with your content, enhancing its relevance for location-based queries. For example, if you’re a **plumber in Cullman, Alabama**, geo-tagging an image or video with Austin’s coordinates helps search engines understand that your services are relevant to that location. ## Why Should You Geo-Tag Images and Videos? 1. **Improves Local SEO Rankings**: Search engines prioritize local relevance in their algorithms. Geo-tagging helps your content rank better for location-specific searches by signaling to Google that your images and videos are relevant to users in that area. 2. **Enhances Google Business Profile Content**: Adding geo-tagged images and videos to your **Google Business Profile (GBP)** strengthens its visibility in local search results and Google Maps. 3. **Boosts User Engagement**: Geo-tagged media provides localized context, increasing engagement. For instance, customers are more likely to trust an image or video showing a project completed in their area. 4. **Optimizes Social Media Posts**: Many social media platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, incorporate geo-tagged data to deliver location-based content to users, improving reach and engagement. 5. **Builds Local Authority**: By associating your content with specific locations, you position your business as a trusted local resource, which can lead to more conversions. ## How to Geo-Tag Images 1. **Use Geo-Tagging Tools**: There are several tools available for geo-tagging images, including: - **GeoImgr**: A free tool that lets you upload images, add geographic data, and download the geo-tagged image. - **Pic2Map**: Another user-friendly option for adding or viewing location metadata. - **Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom**: These professional tools allow you to edit and embed location data in the metadata. 2. **Manually Add Geo-Tags Using Software** - On Windows: 1. Right-click on the image and select **Properties**. 2. Go to the **Details** tab. 3. Edit the GPS data fields to add latitude and longitude. - On Mac: 1. Open the image in **Preview**. 2. Go to **Tools > Show Inspector > Info**. 3. Add the location under the **GPS** tab. 3. **Use Google Photos**: If you upload your images to Google Photos, it can automatically add location data based on where the photo was taken (if location services were enabled on your camera or smartphone). ## How to Geo-Tag Videos Geo-tagging videos involves embedding geographic metadata or adding location tags on platforms that support them. 1. **Geo-Tag Using Editing Software** - Use tools like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro to add location metadata to your video files. - Export the video with metadata intact. 2. **Geo-Tag on YouTube** 1. Upload your video to YouTube. 2. In the **Video Details**, scroll down to **More Options**. 3. Add a location under the **Recording Location** field. 4. Save your changes. 3. **Geo-Tag on Social Media** - Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook allow you to tag the location directly during the posting process. - Select a specific location to associate with your video content. ## Best Practices for Geo-Tagging 1. **Use Accurate Location Data**: Always use precise latitude and longitude coordinates to ensure your content aligns with the correct location. 2. **Don’t Overdo It**: Geo-tagging every single image or video can appear spammy to search engines. Focus on key images and videos that highlight your services or products in specific locations. 3. **Optimize File Names**: - Include relevant keywords and location names in your image and video file names. For example: - Instead of 'IMG1234.jpg', use 'cullman-al-plumbing-repair.jpg'. 4. **Use Alt Text Wisely**: Add geo-specific keywords to your alt text (e.g., "Plumbing repair in Cullman, AL"). 5. **Upload Geo-Tagged Media to Google Business Profile**: Regularly update your Google Business Profile with geo-tagged photos and videos to enhance your local visibility. ## Combining Geo-Tagging with Other SEO Strategies While geo-tagging is powerful, it’s most effective when combined with other local SEO strategies: - **Local Keywords**: Use geo-specific keywords throughout your website content, blogs, and meta descriptions. - **NAP Consistency**: Ensure your Name, Address, and Phone number are consistent across your website, directories, and social media. - **Google Business Profile Optimization**: Keep your profile updated with reviews, posts, and geo-tagged media. - **Localized Content Marketing**: Create blogs, guides, and resources tailored to specific locations. - **Schema Markup**: Add location-based schema to your site for enhanced search visibility. ## Conclusion: Geo-Tagging Is Key to Local SEO Success Geo-tagging images and videos is a simple yet powerful way to boost your local SEO and stand out in your target area. By embedding geographic data, you help search engines and users identify the relevance of your content, leading to higher rankings, better engagement, and increased conversions. Whether you’re a small business serving a single city or a company with multiple locations, geo-tagging should be a core part of your local SEO strategy. Combine it with other techniques like keyword optimization, Google Business Profile updates, and localized content marketing for maximum impact. Start geo-tagging your content today and watch your local search rankings soar! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/get-more-google-reviews/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/get-more-google-reviews/ Online reviews are the modern word-of-mouth -- and they're often the deciding factor between a customer choosing you or a competitor. In fact, over **90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business**, and businesses with more positive reviews **rank higher in local search results** on platforms like Google. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we help hundreds of small businesses collect high-quality Google reviews without begging, bribing, or annoying their customers. In this guide, we'll walk you through **how to get more reviews consistently** -- and how we can help automate it for you. Many of these are the techniques we use -- so you're learning our secret sauce. ## Why Google Reviews Matter So Much - **Boost Local SEO**: Google prioritizes businesses with strong reviews in local listings. - **Build Trust Fast**: New visitors feel more confident when they see others' positive experiences. - **Improve Conversion Rates**: A strong review profile increases calls, clicks, and leads from your website. ## The Best Ways to Get Google Reviews (That Actually Work) ### Make It Easy With a Direct Google Review Link The simpler the process, the more likely customers will leave a review. We create a **custom Google review link** for your business so your customers can click and review in seconds -- no searching or clicking around. > **Pro Tip**: Use a short, friendly message when asking for a review: "It was a pleasure serving you! If you don't mind, would you leave us a quick Google review? It really helps our business!" ### QR Codes That Drive Reviews On-the-Go Want to get reviews in person? We provide our clients with **custom QR codes** that link directly to their Google Review page. You can: - Print it on receipts or flyers - Frame it at your front counter - Stick it on vehicles or service vans Your customers just scan and review -- it's that easy. ### Ask for Reviews via SMS (Text) Texting has a 98% open rate. A polite, personalized SMS message with a link to your review page is a great way to see a boost. ### Hand Out Business Cards A great way to start is by having "Review Business Cards" that have a QR Code, previously mentioned, and your information that goes directly to your review site. This is a great way to show a friendly message with a 5-star iconography showing so people instantly want to. ### Google Review Kiosks (On-Site Review Stations) If your business has a physical location where customers come rather than going to see them you can put up a dedicated kiosk to ask for reviews when a customer is leaving. ### **Showcase Reviews on Your Website** By **embedding your latest 4/5-star reviews** on your website, you build trust with new visitors and remind happy customers to share their experience too. We not only display your reviews in an eye-catching way, we also include a **link directly to your review page** -- making it effortless to contribute. ### **Use Smart Review Request Software** We use intelligent review request software that lets you enter the customer's **name and email**, and then: - Sends a friendly email or text asking for a review - Sends a **reminder if no review is left** - Waits a few months, and then **follows up again** -- so you don't miss second chances (see below on Follow-Up Email Sequences) This "set-it-and-forget-it" system works in the background, helping you build your review profile automatically over time. #### Follow-Up Email Sequences (Drip Campaigns) With your review software setup a "drip campaign" to followup and ask for a review. Go beyond a one-off email. Set up a 3-part drip campaign: - First request (1 day after service) - Reminder (3 days later) - Final friendly nudge (2 weeks later) ### Employee Signature Line Requests Add a "Leave us a review" CTA with a link in all employee email signatures. An example would be: "Happy with your service? [Leave us a Google Review!]" ### Review Gating Pages (Ethical Version) A landing page asks: "Were you happy with our service?" - If yes, directs them to Google. - If no, takes them to an internal feedback form. - Keeps negative feedback offline while improving experience. ### Ask on Video Have the business owner or staff record a 30-second video thanking the customer and kindly asking for a review with a link in the description. ### Gamify It Internally Run internal contests with staff: - "Who gets the most reviews mentioning their name?" - Offer gift cards or bonuses. - This encourages employees to actively ask happy customers in person. ### Include QR Codes on Invoices, Receipts, and Packaging More on QR codes you can add your review QR code to: - Printed receipts - Product packaging - Email invoices (as an image) It catches people at the right moment — post-purchase satisfaction. ### Review Highlight Reels Showcasing a "Review of the Week" on your homepage or Instagram stories can subtly encourage others to contribute. Tagging customers (if applicable) also increases exposure. ### Segment Your Ask by Customer Type Send different review request messages depending on the service or product purchased. **Example**: For quick fixes vs. premium installs — different tones work better. ### Time It Right with Automation For services/products that take time to appreciate (like HVAC installs), delay the review ask by 5–10 days. Automate it based on when the real value hits. ### Make a Wall of Love Create a physical or digital "Wall of Love" with printed quotes from reviews. When customers see that others are sharing, it reinforces the habit. ### Add a Review CTA in Customer Portals or Dashboards If your client uses a customer portal or SaaS product, add a persistent "Leave a Review" link in a sidebar or settings screen. Post it on social, email it, or embed it on the website — it's personal and builds trust. ### Social Media Requests Post positive reviews on social media and include a CTA like: "We love hearing from happy clients! If we’ve helped you, drop us a review here [link to the site]." Showcase reviews on your social page and leave a link for others to as well. ### Post-Purchase Thank You Emails With Review Request E-commerce businesses can include a review link in order confirmation or shipping emails — when the customer is still engaged. ## Tips for Getting More Positive Reviews - **Ask at the right time**: Right after a successful service or transaction is the best moment. - **Train your team**: Make sure everyone knows how to ask customers in a natural, professional way. - **Respond to reviews**: Thank every reviewer -- even the negative ones -- to show your professionalism. - **Don't offer incentives**: Google's guidelines prohibit offering rewards for reviews. Instead, focus on **delivering great service**. - **Ask over time**: Often you will get no response. Don't discard those valuable contacts. Wait a period of time with your review software and ask again. ## Let Fawkes Digital Marketing Handle It For You We've helped businesses in every industry -- from HVAC and legal to real estate and local restaurants -- **collect more reviews, improve their SEO, and win more customers**. When you work with us, you get: - A Google Review link and custom QR code - Embedded reviews on your website with a call to action - Automated email/text follow-ups - Ongoing reminders and reports Let us take the stress out of asking for reviews -- and help you build a reputation that drives real results. ### Want More Reviews Without the Work? [Contact us today](https://www.fawkesdm.com/Contact/) and ask about our Google Review Boost Package. We'll get you set up in just a few days. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/GettingHelpToGrowYourCoreBusiness/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/GettingHelpToGrowYourCoreBusiness/ In November, a long-lost friend (not really lost) started talking over email. We had been emailing back and forth for a week about his frustrations in getting his website to convert from visitors to customers. I will start out this person is not a customer as he is happy with his current provider and is also a close friend of his. He wanted to be heard about his struggles, what he is currently doing, and think of ways to improve his situation in the upcoming months. ## Organic content Three years ago, his focus was on bi-weekly original content giving tips and tricks to showcase his expertise. This was ultimately a blog that showed expertise and a willingness to educate his customers. Pictures were taken of projects being done with a before and after along with a story of what was being done. ### The Problem - The blog articles stopped coming out completely. They were believed to not helping. - The photos had stopped completely as they added time that was believed not worth the effort. - Google started dropping in organic search, and paid advertising on Google was implemented to offset the dropping in Google. - Web views have gone up but there is no conversion happening and there is a lack of call-to-action buttons on the site. - Email marketing was sent with a recap of the blog articles and links to the full article on the website. ### The Proposed Solution - The owner will be given access to their analytics and instruction on how to read the critical parts to see if everything is working. - Heat maps will be used to see where people are clicking and going while on the site. - A re-check of all paid advertising will be gone through to see what should be kept, changed, and removed. A solid budget of what is needed will be set rather than a bottomless pit for paid advertising. - The blog articles will start being produced and on a consistent schedule along with the photos to bring people into their unique space. - Email marketing will begin again with the original list and the emails that have been still be gathered over the years from trade shows and events throughout the community that were attended. ## Paying to be seen We have already started talking about paid advertising with Google to offset the loss in organic (free) reach on the search engines. There is also another area where money is being spent poorly and that is on the social media side. There is no organic reach as there is no content beyond a picture every few weeks. Every post is being boosted from $5 to $250 resulting in over $3,800 spent on Facebook advertising. ### The Problem - Money is being spent and there is no increase in business; only likes and fans. There is no engagement. - There is no marketing plan to increase organic reach beyond "spend money". - There is no consistent voice. The company doing the posts comes from multiple people and each does it their way rather than their client's way. - When people did inquire on social media they were not being responded to. He thought his social media manager would but that was not part of their contract. ### The Proposed Solution - A marketing plan is being generated which will cover when to boost, the tone, posting times, what to post, what to not post, what to share, etc. - A solid budget for social media will be set. - Methods to draw all the fans into being more engaged with the brand. - Employees will be asked to share (but not required) if they feel the information is of interest and ask their friends to share it as well to further reach in the organic. - Sharing of other expert's information to provide more informative information. This information will be from experts that are obviously not in direct competition with them. - Replies will be done by the social media manager AND the business will be checking daily for messages to respond to. ## Original content We see many people sharing content written by others and their name put on the content. This is perfectly legitimate and will help get information out to your masses. This doesn't make you an expert in your industry though. When information comes from internal and from the heart it will ring more with your audience as you are writing it for them rather than purchasing an article created by others. ### The Problem - Today there is no original content being produced. ### The Proposed Solution - A shared approach of shared content and original content. The shared content will reference where it came from and will not have their name on it. Only the genuine content will have their name and an emphasis on promoting this content over the curated content will be done. - Content will be pushed out on a consistent and reliable schedule. - Search engine optimization or SEO will be implemented as there is no SEO being done now. ## Other areas As we were talking there was a lot of small talk and questions about other avenues that could help increase engagement, lead generation, etc. With the areas defined below a lot is based on what the heat maps and analytics that are being implemented earlier in this document discover. ### Popups We talked about the use of popups to get visitor's information. We consider them beyond annoying as most will either popup instant, as you are trying to leave or after a predefined time. We have found these great approaches to drive customers away rather than making them bring in solid leads. After talking it came that having a signup form that is in a sidebar that doesn't disrupt the user experience would be optimal. ### Lead Generation and a clear call-to-action A key to converting visitors into leads, then opportunities, and finally into customers is a clear message to your visitors. You will always have window shoppers who are "just browsing", price comparing, or are looking for services you can offer. Without a plan to bring these people into your sales funnel will results will result in not getting the leads you need. The call to action will be clearly added to every page and based off analytics and the way users use the website. ### Video As we were talking we found that video was a function that was available to him that he wasn't taking advantage of. He is going to work on a couple short promotional videos that will help inform people of what he is doing. We even talked about how we're using video for ourselves, our clients, and how we are planning to use it in our blog articles over the coming months. ### Accountability Define as part of the solution what is considered success and failure to hold the provider accountable as well as the business as well. It is a two-way street after all and both need to be accountable. No branding and marketing plan can be considered complete without having accountability. ### Lunch Yes, lunch. Although we've agreed that we won't work together on a professional level we will not sacrifice our personal friendship. Every quarter he's going to come out and we're going to sit down and have lunch and go over what is working for him and what isn't. This one hour lunch will be half small talk and half going over what he has going on. ## Conclusion The first step in any problem is identifying it. His problems have been clearly identified and he has a plan to make it better. Now success will be sticking to what he has planned and then re-evaluating it on a continual basis and adjusting to meet the changing needs of his business. Marketing and branding on social media and your website is crucial in today's world. Both outlets working together will help acquire business as you have proven yourself a reputable expert in your industry. Marketing is a shot gun approach to get your word out to the masses and there are companies out there that can help you achieve your desired results. You can give us a call when you are ready at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), email us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Getting-more-and-paying-less/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Getting-more-and-paying-less/ Today you do not hear the phrase I will give you more and not expect you to pay more for it. Businesses raise prices as payroll increases, costs increase, etc. but rarely do you see more being provided and the prices not increase. We do raise our prices every so often like other businesses but we always add value without raising costs throughout the year as well. We do this as we want to see the small businesses that choose us see growth in their business. To be fair and honest we are increasing our prices in 2018 but that is for the sake of payroll as our team deserves it as they are rocking it which you can tell by what I have below! Getting more from a business is a trait we love about small businesses. Small businesses, like us, look at gaining customers not for a single transaction but for the long haul. This is what we're doing, yet again, for our clients. We believe small business needs to focus on growing their business and not have to on technology or wondering if they are doing what is best online. In the past month we have doubled our custom blog writing from one per month to two to help our Business Improvement Plan clients get even more for the search engine optimization and great quality content. Our job is to help small businesses grow and focus on what their dream and passion is. That is what and why are plans are called "business improvement plans". They provide a business with graphic designers, content writers, social media experts, web developers, and programmers for around $10 per day. In 2017 we have averaged over a 20% increase in social media reach **and** engagement which we are truly proud of. Our biggest problem though is getting more content for the work we do. This could be content for new clients which range from 1-3 a week or existing clients. It doesn't matter if it's a new business with a new website or an existing one we've taken over. We have charged clients for this in the past but most didn't want to pay the extra as they were already tight on funds. After over a dozen internal meetings on content writing and how to address the system we decided that the best way to get the highest usage of this would be to offer it for no additional charge. What is included is: - Each written page is about 800-1,000 words of content (not written in stone – that's just the average). - Up to three revisions, most are done with just one revision. - They work directly with you, or a designated member of your team, to get the correct tone and your brands voice out in a positive and understandable manner. - They also work with our search engine optimization or SEO team to make certain that not only does it read well (their job) but works well with what the SEO team suggests without taking away the "human readability". You gain access to our content writers (two of them currently) have college educations and one was a newspaper writer. They are creative with marketing backgrounds. We believe in giving great value and do this not only because it should be done but because we are true game changers. We believe wholeheartedly that every business deserves the best first impression online as possible. We are no longer in a place where you have to settle for less. Expect more as you deserve it! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Getting-yourself-out-there/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Getting-yourself-out-there/ There are all kinds of ways of getting yourself out there as a company and showcasing your expertise for others. For many there is a centralized figure head who becomes the voice of the company. We're not that and we truly hate when one person "is the man (or woman)"! We do not believe that one person will make a company; and shouldn't. We believe that a team consists of a group of people that are truly good at what they do but together those good people become great. This is what makes JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing of Cullman Alabama unique and different. The owner (me; John) give equal say to everyone as it's not about "me". What we do for our small business customers is about them and to help our clients grow takes an entire team and not one person. We volunteer our time and talent to talk in front of groups and organizations. Not for sales pitches (of course that is an underlying cause but not our motivation). We want the local population to become more educated, informed, and have a better understanding of what digital marketing for small business is and can be. In this article, I am going to talk about a recent talk Kyle and I did with First Trust Credit Union of Michigan City Alabama. It all started with an email asking a member of the team (not Kyle or I) if we (JM2) would be interested in talking at a quarterly business seminar. We already knew the answer would be a resounding yes as we strive for twelve of these per year. Of course, the date would have to e available on our calendars for us to do this. We found that the date was available on Kyle's calendar but not John. John already had a conflict for that date and time, but it was easily moved so that first happened in arranging the event. Once we knew that both Kyle and I were available, could make the trip from Cullman to Michigan City in time to talk everything started moving at a fast pace. Once we had confirmation that we were locked in information was gathered, how many attendees were anticipated, events went up on Facebook, and Kyle & I do what they always do. We went straight to the whiteboard and creating an outline. The event was more than a month away but that didn't mean preparations shouldn't start. We knew the topic was marketing for small businesses and we were going to have to cover websites and social media in a very short period (20 minutes – like that would ever happen [hint: it didn't!]). On the whiteboard we put four bullet points up for each as we felt that would be enough to provide a high-level overview and leave room for the 10-minute Q&A session at the end. Boy we were mistaken on that one! John (myself) talks way too much (but we'll blame Kyle as I am writing this!). We ended up going twice as long which did cover the Q&A session. Everyone stayed and was highly engaged in the entire process, asked some real killer questions (thank you!!!!), and afterward we could keep the questions going even deeper. Of course, then we were tossed out as you can't stay at a credit union all night. It would be fun to sleep on all that money but we're thinking the local authorities might not think it was as much fun as went through our mind at the time. That will have to stay on the bucket list for another time. I have to say Kyle, as always, knocked it out of the park (and I did my part at making sure we met our talk time). If you have a group or organization and would like to learn about a specific area of small business digital marketing give us a call and we'll see what we can do together to make it happen. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Get-your-FREE-custom-built-website-today/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Get-your-FREE-custom-built-website-today/ We know that sometimes dishing up thousands for a new website is not an option, especially when you are starting your business. You want your business to be found and you want it to be custom made to promote your business. What you don’t want is to pay for a website that will put you out of business. You want your website to generate business and help you grow without nickel and diming you around every corner. We will never do something where both parties don't win. We want everyone to win. This is why we have our tagline of "We don't do things differently. We do it the right way.". We believe in [honesty, security, exceptional customer service, and by treating the environment right](/About/AboutUs/). It is with this philosophy that we are now offering a fair solution to help businesses get started, get online, and make their dream come true. ## The breakdown - 10 business days for a complete working and live website - 12-month commitment - After 24 months the price DROPS by $70/month - Customer provides logo, color scheme, and content prior to work beginning - No logo, content, etc. we will work with you to get this done \* - Once done that is when your 10 business days start - The site creation begins upon first-month payment and must be on a credit card - Choose a regular or eCommerce website - Up to 10 pages for initial site creation - Custom contact form - No template, custom built for you - No branding (e.g. we don't advertise our business on your business) \* - Additional fees may apply for logo creation, content writing, etc. ## What else you get Any plan built for small business wouldn’t be a JM2 plan without some special deals. - The first two years your price will be either $290 (SEO Plan) or $395 (Digital Marketing Plan) - You will then be price locked for life at $220 (SEO Plan) or $325 (Digital Marketing Plan) - If you want you can also get 10% off by paying annually - Paying annually on the digital marketing plan will also get you four free 30-second videos - Web hosting and email (up to 50-email addresses) - Daily backups - SSL/TLS Certificate (green padlock) - YEXT local directory - Review & reputation management For a complete list of features visit [https://www.jm2marketing.com/Services/SmallBusiness/](https://www.jm2marketing.com/Services/SmallBusiness/). ## Common Questions - **Do all sites fall into the 10-day business guarantee?** - No. There are some sites that require weeks, months, and even years of software development. We will break it into managable phases to get your site out as quick as possible but the more complex pieces will come after the initial launch. - **Can I quit at any time?** - You may quit after the first year. The first year is the requirement to get your website free. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Get-your-story-told-FOR-FREE/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Get-your-story-told-FOR-FREE/ Yesterday we talked at the Cullman Chamber of Commerce AM Valpo event. We announced two items and couldn't fully get out the third within our 30-seconds we were allocated. That's okay as that is one of the great benefit of being able to write articles. Starting in 2018 we are giving away as part of our own marketing a free story about your growing business. Not only will this be for businesses in and around Cullman Alabama where we are located but anywhere within the United States. Below is the announcement of what is coming in 2018. I couldn't tell you about the biggest news yesterday. I started to talk about our new full-time content writer starting this month. That isn't the big news though even though it is big news. Every business has a story about how we began, what we do, why we do it, and that story needs to be told to be heard. We write a minimum of two stories a month for our business improvement social plan clients to improve their search engine rankings but what about those that are not on a social plan or not even our clients? Starting in 2018 we will be writing about you as well for free. This could seem odd and strange to give something away for free but it's not. It has several benefits: 1. You learn about us as a company and what we have to offer (beyond a free story) 2. You will be able to share your story on your social media to further get your story out there 3. We will link it to your website which will give you a credible inbound link to help in your own search engine optimization (SEO) What's the catch as there is always a catch? You have to be within one hours drive of Cullman Alabama (we can't drive to California even though we would love to – but we have a solution for that)! Beyond your unique story being told, people learning about you, and your dream being learned about. The only true “catch” is that you only get one story so we want it to be great (which your story is – right?). Every story will be a page (or two) of written text, have one picture, and link to your business website. You also will be emailed the final draft to approve the story so that any inaccuracies are corrected and fixed. Once you approve the story will be published and you will be given the link. To get in the queue for your story to be heard all you need to do is email [story@jm2marketing.com]() and you'll be added to the list. Faraway businesses your story too can be told. Rather than our content writer going to you (or even if you are within an hour's drive) you can write your story and we'll publish it for you. Send us your story with a picture related to your story (this can be your logo as well). We require the image to be at least 1,200 pixels wide (not sure – we'll help you out there too!). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Giving-Away-Valuable-Business-Advice/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Giving-Away-Valuable-Business-Advice/ Often when we are out and about working at Cullman Uptown Café we are often asked by one of our loyal blog readers why we continue to give away knowledge that we can easily charge for. In fact, we do charge for the knowledge we share and give away. The reason we do so is to show our expertise to others. Those that pay for us to do work for them like to know we are industry experts while others have the time available to handle the tasks themselves but often don't have the time to do it themselves. ## Expertise As we write we are actually training ourselves to be better at serving our clients. When you train or teach someone you also learn. Yes, teachers learn every time they teach a subject. They may not learn as much as you do but they do learn. Every blog article we write we learn. Our team reads every blog article which further improves all of our knowledge and expertise while the writer also learns the subject being talked about in greater detail. ## Time On Hands Many of our clients are not yet busy enough to cost justify spending the money on a monthly maintenance plan to build up their business. They see the benefit to having a maintenance plan as even our most basic plans offer more than what most individual companies do for triple the price. They have the available bandwidth (time) and the knowledge we are sharing benefits them to grow their business to a level that when they do get busy enough they will utilize our team of experts. ## Curating vs Creation This is often a tough subject. There are some truly great resources on the internet that have expertise and knowledge. We read these articles for our own knowledge as well. As we read these articles we are thinking of our current set of customer questions that have come up in the past and look for ways to write that information to further help them grow. If all we did was share the information we would learn for sure as the information is valuable **but** what we won't be able to do is tie it to our client's unique needs or show the expertise that we have. Often the article may be on a completely different subject, like cooking, that we write and tie to a customer in law enforcement. Two completely different subjects but with a spin to help a client grow their business. ## Conclusion Giving away your expertise is not about giving away money. Whether a business is a not-for-profit or a for-profit business they are in business to make a profit and to grow. We create unique content that showcases our expertise for our clients that we work for and those that we are not doing work for right now we can at least help them grow and become better. If you would like to have us help you grow your business where you focus on your core business and we focus on your online digital marketing strategy give us a call at our Cullman office at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/google-business-profile-importance/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/google-business-profile-importance/ ## Introduction In today’s digital-first world, being easily found online is crucial for any business. Google Business Profile (GBP) is a powerful, free tool that gives businesses the opportunity to manage their online presence on Google Search and Maps. An optimized Google Business Profile can boost visibility, attract new customers, and help you maintain control over how your business appears in search results. Here’s an in-depth look at why having a Google Business Profile is essential for your business and the benefits it brings. ## What is a Google Business Profile? - **Defining Google Business Profile**: Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free tool provided by Google that allows businesses to create and manage their listing on Google Search and Maps. It includes important information like business name, address, phone number, hours, and reviews. - **How It Works**: When someone searches for your business or related services, your GBP listing appears directly in search results and Maps, giving potential customers instant access to your business information. ## Key Benefits of Having a Google Business Profile - **Increased Visibility on Google**: GBP listings appear prominently on Google Search and Maps, making it easy for customers to find your business. When users search for local businesses, GBP listings are typically one of the first results they see, often before other organic listings. - **Improved Local SEO**: Having a Google Business Profile significantly boosts your local SEO efforts. Google prioritizes GBP listings for local searches, which means a well-maintained profile can increase your chances of appearing in the “Local Pack” and map results, bringing more traffic to your website and physical location. - **Enhanced Trust and Credibility**: A verified Google Business Profile adds credibility, as customers are more likely to trust businesses that appear on Google with accurate information, reviews, and a verified status. ## Features of Google Business Profile that Drive Business Growth - **Customer Reviews and Ratings**: GBP allows customers to leave reviews, which are influential for potential buyers. Positive reviews build credibility, while the option to respond to reviews shows your commitment to customer satisfaction. - **Insights and Analytics**: GBP offers insights into customer actions, including how many people viewed your profile, clicked on your website, or requested directions. These analytics help you understand customer behavior and tailor your marketing efforts. - **Business Updates and Promotions**: GBP allows you to post updates, share news, and promote special offers directly on your profile, helping you keep customers informed and engaged without needing them to visit your website. ## How Google Business Profile Boosts Engagement and Conversions - **Direct Contact and Increased Conversions**: With options to call, message, or book directly from the GBP listing, customers have a seamless path to engage with your business, which can lead to higher conversion rates. - **Questions and Answers (Q&A) Feature**: The Q&A section allows potential customers to ask questions directly on your profile, and you (or other customers) can respond. This builds engagement, helps answer common questions, and shows you are attentive to customer needs. - **Photos and Videos to Showcase Your Business**: GBP lets you add photos and videos, which are powerful for attracting new customers. High-quality visuals help potential customers get a sense of what you offer and can make your profile more inviting. ## The SEO and Competitive Advantage of Google Business Profile - **Improves Local SEO Rankings**: A well-optimized GBP profile, with frequent updates and positive reviews, signals to Google that your business is active and relevant. This can improve your rankings in local search results, especially for location-based keywords. - **Outranking Competitors**: Many businesses still don’t leverage GBP effectively. By fully optimizing your profile, you can gain a competitive edge in local search results, capturing traffic that might otherwise go to competitors. ## Setting Up and Optimizing Your Google Business Profile - **Setting Up Your Profile Correctly**: Create or claim your business profile, verify it with Google, and ensure all information is accurate and up-to-date. Consistency in NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across platforms is crucial for local SEO. - **Adding Categories and Attributes**: Choose categories and attributes that accurately represent your business and services. This helps Google understand your business better and increases your chances of appearing in relevant searches. - **Encouraging and Managing Customer Reviews**: Actively encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews and make it a habit to respond professionally to feedback, both positive and negative, to show potential customers you value their input. - **Posting Regularly to Engage with Customers**: Utilize Google Posts to share updates, promotions, and special events. Consistent posting keeps your profile active and signals to Google and customers alike that your business is engaged. ## Conclusion: Grow Your Business with a Google Business Profile A Google Business Profile is a must-have tool for any business looking to grow its online presence, improve local SEO, and engage with customers effectively. The benefits of increased visibility, better engagement, and enhanced credibility make it an essential component of any digital strategy. Start building your Google Business Profile today and watch how it transforms your business by attracting new customers and increasing local visibility. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/google-guarnateed-how-to/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/google-guarnateed-how-to/ ## Introduction: The Power of the Google Guaranteed Badge In today's competitive local services market in Cullman, Alabama (and beyond!), standing out and earning the trust of potential customers is paramount. The Google Guaranteed badge, a prominent shield displayed alongside your business name in Google Search results, is a powerful tool that can help you achieve just that. It signifies that Google has vetted your business, offering customers a sense of security and increasing your visibility among local searches. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of becoming Google Guaranteed, explaining the benefits, requirements, and steps involved in leveraging this valuable asset for your business growth. ## Why Strive for the Google Guaranteed Badge? Earning the Google Guaranteed badge offers a multitude of advantages for your local service business: - **Enhanced Trust and Credibility**: The badge acts as a powerful trust signal. Customers are more likely to choose a business backed by Google's guarantee, knowing they have recourse if they aren't satisfied with the service. This is particularly crucial for attracting new customers who are unfamiliar with your brand. - **Increased Visibility in Local Search**: Google often prioritizes businesses with the Guaranteed badge in local search results, especially for relevant service-based queries. This increased visibility can lead to more clicks, calls, and ultimately, more leads and customers. - **Competitive Edge**: In a crowded marketplace, the Google Guaranteed badge can differentiate your business from competitors who haven't gone through the verification process. It signals professionalism and a commitment to customer satisfaction. - **Access to Google Local Services Ads**: Becoming Google Guaranteed is a prerequisite for running Google Local Services Ads. These pay-per-lead ads appear at the very top of Google Search results for local service queries, offering highly qualified leads directly to your business. - **Build a Stronger Online Reputation**: The vetting process involved in becoming Google Guaranteed can help ensure your business information is accurate and up-to-date on Google, contributing to a stronger overall online presence. ## Who Can Become Google Guaranteed? The Google Guaranteed program is designed for specific types of service businesses that directly interact with customers in their homes or at their business location. Common categories include (but are not limited to): - **Home Services**: HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, cleaning, landscaping, painting, handyman services, etc. - **Professional Services**: Lawyers (specific practice areas), financial planners, etc. - **Other Service Providers**: Auto repair, pest control, etc. - Eligibility can vary by location and service category, so it's essential to check if your specific business type qualifies in Cullman, Alabama. ## The Journey to Google Guaranteed: A Step-by-Step Guide The process of becoming Google Guaranteed involves several key steps: - Step 1: Verify Your Business on Google - The first crucial step is to have a verified Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). This is your business's presence on Google Maps and local search results. If you haven't already, claim and verify your listing. Ensure all your information is accurate and up-to-date, including your business name, address, phone number, website, 1 service areas, and hours of operation. - **NLP Optimization Tip**: Use relevant keywords related to your services and location (e.g., "plumber Cullman AL," "HVAC repair Cullman Alabama") in your business description and service areas. - Step 2: Check Your Eligibility for Google Guaranteed - Navigate to the Google Local Services Ads platform (even if you're not immediately planning to run ads). The platform will guide you through the eligibility check based on your business type and location. - Step 3: Undergo a Background Check - Google requires a background check for the business owner and any service professionals who will be interacting with customers. This typically involves providing personal information and consent for Google's third-party partner to conduct the check. The specifics of the background check may vary. - Step 4: Provide Proof of License and Insurance - Depending on your service category and location (Cullman, Alabama may have specific requirements), you'll need to provide valid business licenses and proof of insurance. Ensure these documents are current and accurately reflect your business operations. - Step 5: Meet Google's Screening and Verification Requirements - Google may have additional screening or verification processes specific to your industry. This could involve providing more detailed information about your services, qualifications, or adherence to certain industry standards. - Step 6: Agree to the Google Guaranteed Terms and Conditions - Carefully review and agree to the terms and conditions of the Google Guaranteed program. This outlines your responsibilities and the scope of the guarantee offered to customers. - Step 7: Manage Your Reputation and Customer Feedback - Maintaining a positive online reputation is crucial for staying Google Guaranteed. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile. Promptly and professionally address any negative feedback to demonstrate your commitment to customer service. - NLP Optimization Tip: When responding to reviews, naturally incorporate relevant keywords related to your services and location. ## Maintaining Your Google Guaranteed Status Becoming Google Guaranteed is not a one-time achievement. To maintain your status, you need to: - **Continuously Monitor Your Business Profile**: Keep your information accurate and up-to-date. - **Maintain a Good Reputation**: Consistently provide excellent customer service and encourage positive reviews. - **Adhere to Google's Policies**: Stay informed about any changes to the Google Guaranteed program and ensure your business practices comply. - **Renew Licenses and Insurance**: Ensure your required licenses and insurance remain valid. ## Costs for becoming Google Guaranteed Becoming Google Guaranteed involves costs related to maintaining your status and potentially the leads you receive through Google Local Services Ads (LSAs), which is a prerequisite for the Google Guaranteed badge. Here's a breakdown of the costs: - Monthly Fee for Google Guaranteed: - **There is a fixed monthly fee of $50 USD** (or equivalent in other currencies) to maintain your Google Guaranteed badge. This fee is charged regardless of how many leads you receive. - This translates to an **annual cost of $600 USD**. - Cost Per Lead (if using Local Services Ads): - To be Google Guaranteed, your business must participate in Google Local Services Ads. LSAs operate on a pay-per-lead model. - You only pay when a potential customer contacts your business directly through the ad (e.g., calls, messages, or schedules a booking). You don't pay for clicks like in traditional Google Ads. - The cost per lead varies significantly based on several factors: - **Your industry**: Some industries have higher lead costs due to higher competition or higher service values. - **Your location (Cullman, Alabama)**: Lead costs can differ based on the local market and demand for your services. - **The specific service you offer**: More specialized or in-demand services might have different lead costs. - **Competition**: The number of other Google Guaranteed businesses advertising in your area for the same services can influence lead prices. - **Lead quality**: While you pay for direct contacts, the quality of these leads can vary. You can often dispute leads that are not legitimate (e.g., spam, wrong service area). - **Estimating Lead Costs**: Google provides a tool within the Local Services Ads platform to help you estimate your potential lead costs based on your industry and location. It's recommended to use this tool to get a better understanding of what you might expect to pay. - **Budget Control**: You have control over your Local Services Ads budget. You can set a weekly or monthly budget, which helps you manage your spending on leads. - In Summary, the ongoing costs of being Google Guaranteed are: - A flat monthly fee of $50 USD to maintain the Google Guaranteed badge. - Variable costs per lead generated through Google Local Services Ads, with the price per lead depending on your industry, location, and other market factors. - Important Considerations: - **Initial Screening Costs**: Generally, Google does not charge a separate fee for the initial background checks and verification process required to become Google Guaranteed. The $50 monthly fee starts once you are approved and want to maintain the badge. - **Google's Discretion on Refunds**: While customers of Google Guaranteed businesses can request a refund from Google if they are unsatisfied with the service (up to a lifetime limit of $2,000 USD in the US and Canada), the decision to reimburse the customer is ultimately at Google's discretion. The $50 monthly fee contributes to this guarantee program. - **Local Services Ads are Necessary**: Remember that you cannot get the Google Guaranteed badge without participating in Google Local Services Ads. Therefore, the cost per lead is an integral part of the overall expense. It's crucial to factor in both the fixed monthly fee and the potential cost per lead when deciding if becoming Google Guaranteed is a worthwhile investment for your business in Cullman, Alabama. Consider your marketing budget, the potential return on investment from increased trust and visibility, and the cost of acquiring customers through other channels. ## Conclusion: Invest in Trust, Invest in Growth Becoming Google Guaranteed is a strategic investment in the growth and credibility of your local service business in Cullman, Alabama. By navigating the verification process and upholding high standards of service, you can unlock the power of the Google badge, attract more customers, and build a stronger, more trustworthy brand in your community. Take the first step today and position your business for long-term success in the competitive local market. When you're ready to build trust and grow your business, [contact Fawkes Digital Marketing](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Google-Limits-Google-My-Business/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Google-Limits-Google-My-Business/ Google has started a new era in helping businesses large and small protect their online reputation. Their latest update has temporarily limited the functionality of Google My Business or GMB. These changes are designed to help your business rather than hurt. This change is related to shelter-in-place, where people are unable to visit your physical locations. This also applies to those businesses without a physical location and have a service area. If the state Governor does not close your state this change doesn't affect your GMB listing. As states are closed then these rules set by Google will. Once your state opens up the rules below will be start to move back to normal. The core focus of GMB right now is providing updated information on your hours, temporary closed, business descriptions, and core business attributes (e.g., your products and services), etc. To make sure your business profile is as accurate as possible do the following: - **Update your business hours**: During this time if your hours have changed you should update them. You can do this on a day-by-day basis, in advance of the date. - **Update your profile information**: If it makes sense for your business state how COVID-19 (Coronavirus) affects your day-to-day business operations. State any extra precautions you are making to protect your employees and customers. State any extra services your doing to help build awareness in your local community. - **Create a post**: You already know to create a post whenever you have an updated blog article, press information, or event happening. Now is a great time to create some extra content related to this event and how you are using it to better your business. ## What else is affected? - **New Reviews**: During this time new reviews will not be published to your profile. Your customers can still post and see their reviews but will not be made public. Google has not officially stated if these reviews will be made public after the limits are lifted. We are encouraging our customers to hold-off asking for any new reviews until after the event due to this information not being known. **Review Replies**: Like reviews, the replies to reviews are currently disabled. Set time aside after the limits are lifted so that you can reply to the reviews you have. **Q&As**: All existing questions and answers related to your business are not visible. In Google's statement, they made reference to keeping new Q&As with no reference to any of your old ones. Source: https://support.google.com/business/answer/9792336 --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/google-local-service/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/google-local-service/ Becoming a Google Local Service Business (GLSB) offers numerous advantages for businesses that provide local services, helping them to stand out in search results, build trust with potential customers, and generate more qualified leads. Here are some key reasons why a business would want to become a Google Local Service Business: 1. **Increased Visibility in Search Results** - Google Local Service Ads (LSA) appear at the very top of Google search results, even above traditional Google Ads and organic search listings. This prime placement increases the likelihood that potential customers will see your business when searching for local services. - When someone searches for services like "plumber near me" or "electrician in [city]," Local Service Ads are prominently displayed, catching users' attention right away. 2. **Google Guarantee Badge** - Businesses that become Google Local Service Businesses are eligible for the Google Guarantee badge. This badge serves as a trust signal, reassuring potential customers that Google has verified the business. - The Google Guarantee offers consumers protection, meaning that if they are unsatisfied with the service, Google may reimburse the customer up to a certain amount. This increases trust and credibility, making customers more likely to choose your business over competitors who lack this guarantee. 3. **Pay-Per-Lead Model (Rather than Pay-Per-Click)** - Unlike traditional Google Ads, which charge on a pay-per-click basis, Local Service Ads operate on a pay-per-lead model. This means that you only pay when a potential customer contacts you through the ad, making it a cost-effective option for businesses focused on lead generation. - With pay-per-lead pricing, you're paying for actual inquiries rather than clicks that may or may not convert into business, which can help optimize your advertising budget. 4. **Qualified Leads and Higher Conversion Rates** - Google Local Service Ads are specifically designed to reach people searching for local services with an intent to hire. This results in more qualified leads who are ready to make a purchase decision. - Since these customers are actively searching for your services and have already taken steps to contact you, the likelihood of conversion is much higher compared to other advertising methods. 5. **Simplified Customer Booking Process** - When a business becomes a Google Local Service Business, Google allows customers to contact the business directly through the ad, either by calling or messaging. - This streamlined booking process allows potential customers to reach you immediately, leading to faster interactions and more conversions. Customers also have the option to schedule services via Google, which adds an extra layer of convenience. 6. **Enhanced Reputation Management** - GLSBs have the opportunity to gather and display Google reviews directly on their ads, allowing potential customers to see positive feedback and ratings at a glance. - Having reviews associated with your business increases credibility and social proof, helping you stand out from competitors. Consistently positive reviews can also improve your Google ranking, giving you a better chance of showing up at the top of Local Service Ads. 7. **Direct Control Over Leads** - Through the Google Local Services dashboard, businesses can manage incoming leads, track conversions, and respond to inquiries in real time. - This direct control over lead management allows you to follow up promptly and avoid missed opportunities, while also providing useful insights into the effectiveness of your ads. 8. **Flexibility in Managing Budget and Service Area** - Google Local Service Ads offer flexibility in budget control and let you define your specific service area. - You can set a weekly budget based on the number of leads you want, and pause or adjust spending at any time. You can also select specific areas you serve, ensuring that your ads are reaching the most relevant audiences. 9. **Improved Competitive Edge** - Many service providers are yet to take advantage of Google Local Services, meaning that early adopters can gain a competitive edge in local search results. - By being one of the few businesses in your industry to leverage Google Local Services, you position yourself as a more accessible, trustworthy, and reliable option compared to competitors who are solely relying on traditional Google Ads or organic SEO. 10. **Compliance with Google's Standards** - To become a Google Local Service Business, companies must meet Google's standards for background checks, insurance, and licensing. Although this might seem like a hurdle, it's actually a benefit, as it ensures that your business meets high standards and assures potential customers of your legitimacy and professionalism. - Businesses that meet these standards are more likely to attract customers who value safety, trust, and verified service providers. ## What Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Do for Your Google Local Service Business At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we understand the intricacies of setting up and managing a successful Google Local Service Business profile. Here's how we can help: 1. **Profile Setup and Verification Assistance** - Our team can guide you through the process of setting up and verifying your Google Local Service Business profile. This includes assistance with background checks, uploading insurance and licensing information, and ensuring that you meet Google's requirements for the Google Guarantee. 2. **Ad Creation and Optimization** - We create high-performing Local Service Ads that resonate with your target audience and ensure maximum visibility. By optimizing ad copy, targeting settings, and call-to-action elements, we help drive more qualified leads to your business. 3. **Ongoing Management and Lead Tracking** - Our monthly maintenance programs ensure that your Local Service Ads are constantly monitored, updated, and optimized based on performance data. We track leads, conversion rates, and customer feedback, providing you with actionable insights to improve results. 4. **Reputation and Review Management** - Managing reviews is a key component of success with Google Local Service Ads. We help you build, monitor, and respond to customer reviews, enhancing your reputation and increasing customer trust in your business. 5. **Budget and Service Area Optimization** - Our team works with you to determine the most effective budget for your goals and helps optimize your service area to reach the customers most likely to convert. We adjust the budget as needed to ensure your ads remain cost-effective and generate a strong ROI. 6. **Monthly Performance Reports** - With Fawkes Digital Marketing, you receive detailed monthly reports on your Google Local Service Ads, including metrics on leads generated, cost-per-lead, customer feedback, and more. These insights help you understand the effectiveness of your campaigns and inform future strategies. ## Conclusion Becoming a Google Local Service Business can provide substantial benefits, including increased visibility, a stronger reputation, and access to high-quality leads. It's a powerful tool for any service-based business looking to establish a reliable presence in local search results. With Fawkes Digital Marketing's monthly maintenance programs, you can leverage Google Local Service Ads to their fullest potential, ensuring your business is visible, trusted, and competitive in your local market. If you're ready to boost your business with Google Local Service Ads and enjoy the benefits of being a Google Guaranteed business, contact Fawkes Digital Marketing today. Let us handle the complexities of setting up and managing your ads so you can focus on providing exceptional service to your customers. ### Google Local Service Categories Your business must be in one of the following list of **Google Local Service** cateogries to become a Google Local Service approved business: - Acupuncture - Allergist - Animal rescue services - Appliance repair - Architecture - Audiologist - Auto body shop - Auto repair shop - Barber shop - Bathroom remodeling - Beauty school - Car washing and detailing - Carpentry - Carpet cleaning - Cellphone and laptop repair - Child care services - Chiropractic services - Countertop services - Dance instruction - Dentistry - Dermatology - Dietitian - Drain expert - Driving instruction - Electrical - Fencing - Financial planning - First aid training - Flooring - Foundations - Funeral services - Garage door - General contracting - Hair removal - Hair salon - Handyman - Home inspection - Home insulation - Home security services - Home theater services - House cleaning - HVAC - Insurance agency - Interior design - Junk removal - Kitchen remodeling - Landscaping - Language instruction - Law - Lawn care - Locksmith - Massage school - Massage therapist - Moving - Nail salon - Occupational therapist - Ophthalmology - Optometrist - Orthodontist - Orthopedic surgeon - Painting - Personal training - Pest control - Pet adoption services - Pet boarding - Pet grooming - Pet training - Physical therapy - Piercing studio - Plastic surgeon - Plumbing - Podiatry - Pool cleaning - Pool contractor - Preschool - Primary care physician - Real estate - Roofing - Sewage system services - Siding - Snow removal services - Solar energy contractor - Storage - Tattoo studio - Tax services - Tire shop - Towing - Tree services - Tutoring - Veterinary services - Water damage services - Weight loss services - Window cleaning - Window services - Yoga --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Google-Rebrands-GMB-to-GBP/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Google-Rebrands-GMB-to-GBP/ The history of **Google My Business** started as Google Places for Business back in 2010 and continues to be a virtual online directory for anyone using the Internet. Google, on November 4, 2021, chose to change the name to **Google Business Profiles**. We're going to look at the history of Google's business directory page and how the changes will help your business grow. ## Google Places for Business Google Places for Business was a feature where businesses big and small could list their company details that would show up in Google Searches, Maps, and +Local when searching a good or service such as "Pizza Chicago." Having your business verified on **Google Places** was a quick and easy, and for small businesses, in particular, it is a crucial piece of marketing to ensure your company is in front of consumers. ## Google My Business Launched in June of 2014, **Google My Business** or GMB once people learned the name was the rebranded name of Google Places for Business. With this update, you had a centralized interface for all of your Google My Business businesses. The update made it easier for those with multiple Google My Business pages for local and national companies to be updated in a single central location. ## Google Business Profiles Launched in November 2021, **Google Business Profiles**, also referred to as GBP, is the latest version of the Google Places for Business web application. The most significant change is that the centralized dashboard for all individual locations is gone. If your business has multiple locations, you will still use the same type of interface you did with Google My Business with some updates and tweaks to the interface. ## How this change helps small business For those with a single location, most small businesses are single locations. You will edit your Google Business Profile page through Google Maps or Google Search results. With everything new, you will have to get used to it. Some will dislike this change as "change is bad." After reading everything Google has released as of the writing of this article, this is a very positive change that will help businesses, and those that maintain the business pages, easier. With this change, the information for businesses "should be" more accurate as time goes on. As part of this update, Google announced that additional tools would be coming with this update to their search engine. These changes will help organic local search results. Currently, businesses will be able to do the following: - Claim a business listing. - Verify the listing. - Send and receive messages to customers. - Manage reviews and Questions & Answers. - Track data on inbound calls that came from Google Business Profile (the US and Canada to start with, potentially rolling out to other countries soon). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/google-sandbox/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/google-sandbox/ If you've recently launched a new website for your business in North Alabama and are struggling to rank on Google, you might be experiencing what's known as the **Google Sandbox effect**. This phenomenon can be frustrating, especially when you've invested time and resources into your online presence, but understanding the Sandbox and how to overcome it is essential for getting your business seen by customers across Alabama. In this blog post, we'll explain what the Google Sandbox is, why your business might be stuck in it, and provide actionable strategies to get out of it and improve your rankings on search engines. *** ## What Is the Google Sandbox? The Google Sandbox is a term used by SEO professionals to describe the difficulty that new websites often face when trying to rank on Google. While Google has never officially confirmed its existence, many believe that Google applies a kind of probationary period to new websites, limiting their ability to rank highly in search results. ### How Does the Sandbox Work? - New websites are indexed by Google but may not rank well for competitive keywords. - It's believed that this happens because Google wants to evaluate a site's trustworthiness and relevance over time. - As a result, your website might take several months before it begins to rank well, even if you've optimized it correctly. ### Why Does Google Do This? Google prioritizes delivering high-quality, relevant results to its users. By temporarily holding back new sites, it ensures that only trustworthy and authoritative websites dominate the top rankings. *** ## How Do You Know If Your Business Is in the Sandbox? Here are some signs that your website might be affected by the Google Sandbox effect: 1. **Low Rankings for Targeted Keywords**: Even with optimized content and backlinks, your site doesn't rank well for competitive terms. 2. **Sudden Traffic Drops**: Your website might experience a temporary boost in traffic right after launch but then see a decline. 3. **Competitors Are Ranking Higher**: Older, less-optimized websites in your niche may outrank your new site. *** ## How to Get Your North Alabama Business Out of the Google Sandbox If you believe your website is in the Sandbox, don't worry—there are strategies to accelerate your way out and start ranking higher on Google. *** ### 1. Focus on High-Quality Content Google values websites that provide useful, relevant, and high-quality content. To improve your rankings: - **Write for Your Audience**: Create blog posts, service pages, and guides tailored to the needs of your North Alabama customers. Example: A plumber in Huntsville could publish a blog post titled **"5 Common Plumbing Issues in North Alabama Homes (and How to Fix Them)."** - **Use Keywords Strategically**: Include relevant keywords naturally in your content. For example: - "HVAC services in Decatur" - "best restaurants in Florence" - **Update Content Regularly**: Refresh your website with new blog posts or updated service descriptions to signal activity to Google. *** ### 2. Build High-Quality Backlinks Backlinks from reputable websites signal to Google that your site is trustworthy and authoritative. Here's how to build them: - **Partner with Local Businesses**: Reach out to other North Alabama businesses for cross-promotional opportunities. - **Get Listed in Local Directories**: Submit your business to directories like the **Huntsville Chamber of Commerce** or **AlabamaYellowPages.com**. - **Write Guest Posts**: Offer to write articles for local blogs or publications in exchange for a link back to your website. *** ### 3. Optimize for Local SEO For businesses in North Alabama, ranking locally is key. Local SEO can help you attract nearby customers and improve your visibility. Here's how: - **Google Business Profile**: Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile with accurate business details, photos, and customer reviews. - **Local Keywords**: Use location-specific keywords in your content. Example: "affordable auto repair in Florence" or "roofing contractors near Decatur." - **NAP Consistency**: Ensure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all online platforms. *** ### 4. Improve Your Website's Technical SEO A fast, user-friendly website makes a big difference in how Google evaluates your site. Optimize your website with these steps: - **Increase Page Speed**: Compress images, use a content delivery network (CDN), and minimize code to improve loading times. - **Mobile Optimization**: Ensure your site is mobile-friendly, as most searches are conducted on smartphones. - **Fix Broken Links**: Regularly check for and repair any broken links on your website. *** ### 5. Leverage Social Media While social media activity doesn't directly impact your rankings, it can drive traffic to your site and increase brand awareness. Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to: - Share blog posts or promotions. - Engage with your audience through comments and direct messages. - Direct followers to your website for more information. *** ### 6. Monitor Your Performance Use tools like **Google Analytics** and **Google Search Console** to track your progress. These tools can help you: - Identify which keywords are driving traffic. - Spot technical issues affecting your site. - Monitor how your rankings improve over time. *** ## How Long Does It Take to Get Out of the Sandbox? For most businesses, it can take **3-6 months** to see significant improvements in rankings. The timeline depends on factors such as: - The competitiveness of your industry. - The quality of your SEO efforts. - The age of your domain. Patience and consistent effort are key. *** ## FAQs About the Google Sandbox ### 1. Does the Google Sandbox Affect All Websites? Not necessarily. While some new sites may experience the Sandbox effect, others may rank quickly depending on the niche and competition. ### 2. Can Paid Ads Help My Site Get Out of the Sandbox? While paid ads (like Google Ads) can drive traffic to your site, they won't directly impact organic rankings. ### 3. Is There a Way to Avoid the Sandbox? There's no guaranteed way to avoid it, but launching your website with high-quality content, backlinks, and strong SEO can reduce the impact. ### 4. How Can Local Businesses Benefit from the Sandbox Period? Use this time to build a strong foundation: - Create content that answers common customer questions. - Strengthen your local presence through reviews and partnerships. - Refine your website's design and functionality. *** ## Final Thoughts While the Google Sandbox can be frustrating, it's not a permanent roadblock. By focusing on high-quality content, building local backlinks, and optimizing for local SEO, your North Alabama business can climb out of the Sandbox and rank well across the state. Whether you're in Huntsville, Florence, or Decatur, these strategies will help you improve your online visibility, attract more customers, and grow your business. Remember, SEO is a long-term game, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Start implementing these tips today, and watch your website rise in the search engine rankings! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Got-Blog/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Got-Blog/ We have talked about the benefits of blogging but never truly covered why you really want to blog. Think of a blog as a short story that covers a core area of expertise you or your business is good at. You want people to learn from you, you want them to learn about what you offer, and you definitely want them to buy from you. If you run a small business you blog (or should) so that people can see you as an effective leader and expert. Sharing content shows you know the power of copy/paste. Writing shows the power of wanting to reach the masses, educate, and influence others. You blog as you want to improve the internet, the lives of your customers, and the lives of those that may one day be a customer (or at least more educated). Blogging on a frequent basis is easier than you could think. Blogging is easy, short, inexpensive, and can greatly help your inbound marketing efforts. These efforts will drive traffic to your site, attract prospective customers, and help you know your products and services even better. Blogging can help you improve not only yourself but your company as a whole by finding areas for further improvement. Below are the key items of why you want to blog: 1. **Search Engine Optimization or SEO** – We all know the importance of the search engines to getting found online. Search engines love content (good content). Search engines love frequency where you update your website often. You can build something truly great but if no one knows about it does a truly great product or service matter? 2. **Keywords** – When you want to be found for certain keywords that might not already exist on your site a blog is a great way to add those keywords to your website while providing valuable information to your audience. 3. **Influencer** – The latest push is to be an influencer which is someone that is an expert in their field. To us, more than an influencer is just better known with your audience. 4. **Leadership** – By writing, you are establishing yourself as a true industry leader. You could write a book to show your expertise and leadership but short stories are so much easier, avoid any filler, are quick reads, answer questions, and educate your audience. 5. **Feedback** – You will get immediate feedback on your articles. Our blog articles are read over 100 times per day with many that are years old being read a lot. One would think a company from Cullman Alabama wouldn't get a lot of readers but that is far from the case. Most of our readers are from all over the United States. As our articles get to read I often receive emails asking questions, providing comments, or just thanking for the article. 6. **Connections** – It is common that when talking to people in the real-world the conversation always goes to one of our blog articles and questions about it. Blog writing helps you become known, helps with those dead spaces that can occur when having small talk, and helps in creating those touch points to grow the business you might not otherwise have. 7. **Self-Improvement** – The one area that I have found is I have become more self-aware of who I am and more conscious of my daily actions. I am constantly reading more, studying more, and pushing myself to be better. Writing has and continues to make me a better overall person. 8. **More Clients** – Writing for free and sharing your expertise can increase your bottom line. Our best marketing tool for our company beyond word-of-mouth has been our blogs. We get speaking engagements from our blogs. They have pushed our growth more than paid ads or any other marketing. 9. **Build your network** – Part of any growth comes from your internal network. Our network grows from 5 to 20 new people per week with most weeks in the teens. By building our network we reach more people and learn more about what our industry is needing. This allows us to stay knowledgeable in our field. 10. **Sell** – Don’t do it every time but writing also allows you to promote and sell your services which is a great way to increase your overall bottom line. 11. **Talk to Industry Leaders** – Those that inspire love talking with others with the same passion. Yes, you can share an industry leader’s articles which shows them you are following them but leaders tend to hang with leaders. Leaders typically don’t hang with followers. Leaders want to be inspired, they have a desire to learn, they want to grow, and if everyone they were with was a follower they would never grow. 12. **Personality** – One of the areas I personally find the most awesome about blogging is I get to express myself (good or bad). People can learn who I am as a person and what my core beliefs are even before I meet them. 13. **Educate** – When you write you are hopefully writing to create a value for your audience. Educating your audience is a key reason people write. They want people to be more aware of what is available to them. 14. **Trust** – The more you write the more trust you will gain with your audience. As you gain trust your audience will continue to grow, your influence will grow, and ultimately your bottom line will grow. Even with the above list I know we’ll still get those puzzled looks of why blogging can help you grow your business. Those looks we love as it means there are still questions for us to answer and inform. This information allows us to further educate businesses on how powerful, helpful, and beneficial blogs are to their overall bottom line. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Growing-your-business-with-a-Call-to-Action/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Growing-your-business-with-a-Call-to-Action/ You have one or more social media pages to have a social online experience. This social information reaches dozens, hundreds, and maybe even thousands of people. This reach on social media can be organically (free) or through paid advertising/boosting your posts to achieve a specific marketing goal. If you are lucky your Facebook page will even show on the search engine result pages (SERPs). You keep your social media sites updated weekly, you monitor and respond to questions and inquiries daily, hourly, and more. Is that enough for your digital online experience? If you want to control your name and brand on the internet it regretfully is not. Whether you are on Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook or another site you do not control the look-and-feel, information, or how many times the information shows. You often have to pay for the placement you want on the platform. What you can do is establish yourself as an expert in your field by having a professional website with quality content, a blog that allows you to showcase your expertise, and make certain all your good information gets out. Additionally, with a website you can further market your business beyond just listing your products and services by showcasing your company colors, your logo, and none of your competitors information will show. To achieve this you need a website and not just any website. You need one that is designed to "Convert" your visitors into customers. To achieve this you need a *Call to Action* or CTA. Let's take a look and see what an effective call of action is and how it can benefit your business online. ## What is a call to action? A call of action is a way of getting your site visitors to respond to and complete a specific action you want to see happen. This action could be driving to your location, ordering a product or service online, picking up the phone and calling, filling out a form, sending an email, or even going to certain pages within your website. Call of actions are a huge part to every website that we create. Whether your website is a brochure website, eCommerce, customer service, or other style you need to think of how people will interact and use your website. You need to think of who is coming to your site (often called personas). When we talk with people who have an eCommerce site they instively know they need a call to action so people purchase products from them. Many of our clients are restaurants, industrial, government, and service organizations and often don't think of a call to action. They need a CTA as much as any eCommerce business selling online. In restaurants, the menu is the focal point on these sites but often is not the primary CTA. Directions, specials, phone numbers, and events happening are equally or more important. All of these items are all CTA's. A restaurant needs their menu to be clear, concise, accurate, indesable on the search engines, and ideally have pictures showing people exactly the wonderful food they will be receiving. A great call of action will provide your visitors with: - **A focus** on your site (who you are, products, and services you offer) - A **way for you to measure the success** (analytics is only the start) - Be **clear** in the direction you want visitors to follow ## Sales Process The path a user takes in your CTA is part of your sales process (e.g. sales funnel). You have a process for sales, right? If not, start developing one! A person comes to your website based on a piece of marketing material they ran across, word of mouth, from your social media pages, or performing a search on one of the search engines. A CTA is all about *sales* plain and simple. You want to convert your visitors into as many paying customers as possible. This is true whether you are a not-for-profit or a for-profit business. You want people to purchase from you (even if what you are offering is free you want them to purchase). ## The Focus You need to focus your call to action on the value you are providing. Your visitors of your site need to gain your trust you before they recognize the need to move onto the next step in your sales process. We live in a society where people want to know what they will be getting out of moving through your sales process. They do not want to give you information without knowing they will be getting something of equal or greater value. You need to provide them this information. You need your call of action to be **obvious and emotional** (you need both) to your visitor. As you focus your CTA you need to also remember the adage of "less is more". Having too many CTA's can hurt that trust you are trying to build. If someone comes to your page, sits there as they have to take a phone call and comes back a minute or two later and they have a "popup" saying "give us your information" you may be in for a rude awakening as many people will just leave and go to your competitor. If your page has more than three CTA's does it really need that many? Would two be better? What about just one? By eliminating excess you are removing stress on your visitor to make a decision. We have seen several sites that have had five CTA's on a page and it actually fits their model perfectly and works well for them. Each page needs to be looked at and optimized for your intended audience. You need to constantly update and refine your CTA process and the use of analytics will help you do this. ## Solve the Problem People arrive at your business trying to solve a problem they are having either "right now" or know they soon need to solve. You need to address this and help solve their problem quickly, easily, and as cost effectively as possible. By showing to them your expertise and your willingness to help you are building trust with them. ## Avoid Hide-and-Seek As kids we always loved hide-and-seek (at least I did). You were with your friends and you knew people you were seeking are hiding. When a person has a problem you don't want to hide from them. If you are selling a product clearly state what your return policy is. If you are asking them to join a mailing list clearly state how to unsubscribe from the mailing list. If you want them to proceed to the next page for more information let them know. Be as clear and precise as you can through every step of this journey. ## Positioning your statement When you write great content you want people to read it. Your placement should be as high on the page as possible. Even **above the fold** (before a user has to scroll) is a great place to have a CTA. ## Utilize Technology to Improve Your Results Technology is truly a blessing today. We can use some very sophisticated techniques to determine what is working and what isn't. Beyond using Google Analytics to determine what pages a person is going to, what devices they are using, how long they are on our site, and more we also love when we can incorporate **heat maps** into the sales process. With a heat map you can see where someone is clicking. You can also see where the mouse is moving. Many people will move the mouse to where there eye is moving and this is a great way to see where the users attention is on the screen. ## Analytics Analytics are key to the success of any CTA campaign. You will be able to quickly see what is and isn't working. [Google Analytics](https://www.google.com/analytics/) is a great source for determination of what pages users are using as well as what path they are taking when they are on your site. Programs like [LuckyOrange](http://luckyorange.com/) allow us to see where people are clicking, how far down they are going, as well as see any pain points they are experiencing on forms. ## CTA Tips and Tricks There are several things we do that you can as well that will help in maximizing your CTA efforts. - Use negative space around your call to action so that it draws your visitors attention more. - Utilize complementary, yet contrasting colors, to help it stand out. Reds, Yellow, and Greens are very common colors for drawing peoples attention. - Have an offer with your CTA. Common items are - Offering limited time discounts - Limiting the supply to increase the demand - Highlight how many are left to be purchased - If someone clicks on your CTA and doesn't finish filling out a form have you captured enough to contact them or left a cookie on their computer so when they return you can keep them moving positively through the sales process? - Have a call to action on every page -- even if it is just an email or phone number - Don't annoy your visitors! ## Conclusion When it comes to getting leads and sales from your website a call to action should exist on every page. When creating your page don't just focus on the conversion of the visitor. It can take a while for that conversion to take place. Don't force them into the CTA process. Provide a value to them that allows them to easily contact you on **their terms** rather than yours. If you design your call to action affectively you will build trust, instill confidence, and create an improvement to your bottom line. Like search engine optimization (SEO) a call to action and lead generating website is a long-term investment to success. If you would like help in building your web presence and are a small to medium-sized business we would love to talk to you. We specialize in helping small and medium-business appear BIG on the internet through agile marketing methods that are designed to increase your user engagement and instill trust over time. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email through support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Growth--Transparency/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Growth--Transparency/ Many of our clients, friends, and even local competitors we've been talking to over the past several weeks and they say we seem to be busy. We are and we know why and are going to tell you how we're doing in one area. That area is search engine optimization and social media. It's actually technology that gives us our edge. As software developers we think analytically to grow business. We have spent tens of thousands of dollars on tools to help our small business clients rock it. We get tools that work together that give us insights into what the internet is doing. With that information we can dig deeper than most and spot trends months before others start reacting. We also believe in transparency and try to help every small business grow as we feel there is enough goodwill, experts, and truly awesome people in Northwest Alabama. It will be no surprise that to us our biggest competitors are those of companies on the stock market as they are national players and that is where we see ourselves. We're going to talk about our most expensive tool today that we use yet is still affordable any small business can afford. Our main tool of trade is called [SEM Rush](//www.semrush.com/sem/?ref=7515099217&refer_source=&utm_source=berush&utm_medium=promo&utm_campaign=banner). This is primarily a search engine optimization tool as we know that having an optimized website is critical. If you're not out client or not (we hope you are!) we want to see you live the American dream. Social media is equally critical when it comes to search engine optimization. SEM Rush has social integrated as well but isn't our only social media tool we use. I'll talk about our other tools at a later time but today it's all about SEM Rush. The benefit is more than 90 days of analytical reports that compare not just the search engines. They look at the search engines and social media together and help us spot trends and changes. Facebook and most free/individual social platforms don't give you more than 90-days of data let alone combine them for this trend analysis. We are able to use years' worth of data and not just your data but that of your competitors as we gather that information as well. This is why it is critical when we look at our clients and ask who their competitors are that we don't look locally but nationally (even globally for some) as well. Last year our clients all averaged 20% or more growth for our social media clients as they see the value in not only a website but social media. They continue to grow as every month we gather more information that helps us help them grow. But "what" is growth to us as it is different for everyone. First, if growth to you is fans that that is what it is to you. For us though fans are one of the areas we don't look at for solid growth. We would rather see you with a few hundred loyal fans that buy from you then a thousand that don't buy, engage, or interact online with your brand. I am breaking the rest of this article into three sections just for social media. Why social media because today you need both social media and SEO to have solid business growth. Ignoring one will result in less than desirable results. What I will talk about below isn't a result of "just social media". It is a combination of social media and search engine optimization that produced these results. The first thing I want to say is I had no ideas the numbers would be for the year. We typically look month-over-month with looks over an entire year happening in December/January of each year. I was curious and wanted to look at the first quarter as that is a good overall baseline of where we are headed. I also want to say in many situations ours is not the best of performers. We were actually our "worst" performer for 2018 which still resulted in more than 20% of growth. I knew we were doing good month-over-month but I hadn't looked at our own annual numbers until 4am this morning when I am writing this. I knew we were growing but these even amazed me. The first area is audience. We want to see growth but we want to see it organically (not paid). Losing here would not worry me if my other two areas grew. Having growth here though is a great add. The chart below is our growth to local and national competitors for the first quarter of 2018 for every social media outlet we are on. Audience wise we are not bigger than our social competition but we are growing at a positive pace overall. ![SEM Rush Audience](/Images/Content/Blog/semRush-Audience.jpg) Our next area is activity which is really how often are we posting. This is where in the past six months we have really started picking things up. In fact, our biggest pickup has been on Twitter. Twitter for us has never produced a single customer. So why would we be doing more there where others have created paying customers? The first was diversification and pushing into realms we haven't had results previously. This is part of being agile and turning weaknesses into strengths. The other reason is that we saw change in the social landscape six months ago (again the importance of reading and understanding your data). Many are just now starting to grasp these changes which has given us a very powerful advantage and foothold in building our brand on different platforms. ![SEM Rush Activity](/Images/Content/Blog/semRush-Activity.jpg) Our last area is where we consider our goal of a minimum of 20% growth to be. This is where your audience is engaging with your brand. This is what turns your business investment online into physical dollars and true business growth. The more engaged your audience is the more likely they will be loyal to your company/brand, talk up your company, and your business will ultimately increase due to the positive remarks across the entire Internet. For 2017, our engagement was at 20.01% (the lowest of all our clients). For the first quarter of 2018 it is 22.4%. This is a nice change and I'll actually be looking at every client for quarterly results going forward rather than looking at month-to-month increases. Change like this is what makes us able to adapt quickly and without fear of things that are happening on places like Facebook and Instagram right now. What you will notice that I find the most positive is even though the majority of our activity right now is on Twitter the engagement is actually on Facebook. In 2017, Instagram held 0% of our engagement this year it is also trending up as we are picking that up (more on that in another post). ![SEM Rush Engagement](/Images/Content/Blog/semRush-Competitor.jpg) I have talked about growth and transparency laying out where we are, where we are starting to go for our company, as well as one of the software packages we use. If you do look at [SEM Rush](//www.semrush.com/sem/?ref=7515099217&refer_source=&utm_source=berush&utm_medium=promo&utm_campaign=banner) for yourself as you want to do it yourself you won't need to be on the Enterprise plan options like we are. You can "go Pro" and get it for less than $100/month. If you want the historical data you'll want to upgrade to Guru but getting started this program will do you well. Expect to spend six hours once you learn the software each month for each of your sites you have configured (e.g. website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.). The first three months expect that to be triple with updates and recommendations for your website. If you only visit the software once a month expect those numbers to double or triple easily. I can say I basically live in the software from 6am to 9pm moving between client sites and writing code for all the latest Google happenings. In fact, one nice feature you can see that gets a lot of usage on our website is "Current Google Search Engine Database Trends" that can be found right on our homepage. On days that are High or Very High that means major Google updates are most likely being rolled out. This is where many people see dips in their search engine result pages (SERP). I know I look at this daily but click on the link as it gives me the ability to drill into specific industry types which gives more information so I can see trends of what Google and the other search engines are probably doing. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Grow-Your-Business-Online/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Grow-Your-Business-Online/ We have had a project named "Project Sugar" because it is such a sweet deal. Today we are offering it to everyone. All too often we hear about clients be charged a virtual arm and a leg to get an eCommerce site up and running. Today we are going to change that. Our clients now can receive a basic eCommerce system that comes with the proverbial kitchen sink. Our clients will receive a full-featured eCommerce system starting at just $495. ## What is included? Offering a solution that doesn't offer everything a growing small business needs would not be our style. We are again disrupting and causing anarchy by doing it our way. Small and mid-size businesses must grow to survive. Our solution gives a business everything that the big boys have without the big boy prices. Below is a very small sampling of the features. - Overview - Custom built for your business - No templates - No branding - PCI DSS Compliant - Full site Digicert SSL certificates - Fully customizable - Import and Export capabilities - Mobile commerce - Handles all screen sizes - Simplified online shopping experience - Multiple store locations - Keep track of prodcuts at multiple locations - News, Blogs, and Articles per location - Newsletters per location - Order filtering and reports per location - Specific categories and manufacturers per location - Multiple vendors - Track products by vendors - Sales by vendor - Quantities available by vendor - Products - SKU, price, weight, stock level, photos - Product comparisons - Downloadable products - Product reviews and ratings - Recurring products - Return management - Rental products - "Email a friend" feature - "Build your product" - Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Sitemaps - Structured Meta Data - Localizable URLs - URL Canonicalization - Google Analytics integration - Checkout - Anonymous checkout - Gift wrapping - Upselling - One-page checkout - PDF order receipts - Marketing - Customer rewards - Discounts and coupons - Newsletter subscriptions - Gift cards - Forums and polls - Affiliate program - Payment Methods - Over 30 payment gateway options plus PayPal - Pickup and pay in store option - Shipping features - Based on warehouse to shipping location - Based on weight - Based on dollar value - Print packing slips - Shipping estimation - Standard vs next day and other option choices the customer can choose - Tax features - Configure by country, state, or postal code - Tax and tax exempt products - StrikeIron and Avalara integration for calculating complex tax options - Based on billing or shipping address - Customer Service - Authentication through Facebook, Twitter, OpenID, etc. - Wishlist items - Live chat integration options - Private messages - Private customer portal ## Conclusion Interested? We thought so. We built this for every size business to grow and be the best they can be. We pride ourselves in giving more and adding more than anyone else. We have always believed in high-quality and easy to use content management systems and this offering is definitely a great offering. To talk and get started give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/GuaranteedSeoSuccess/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/GuaranteedSeoSuccess/ Do we have your attention now? There is no guarantee with search engine optimization (SEO) success. We all wish we could guarantee results for our clients but we can't and those that do don’t walk, run from. We do promise that we will use the best current techniques that the search engines state should be done for success. That we will not use any "black hat" SEO techniques as they may work for a week or two but they will hurt your site long term. This still doesn't guarantee success as much as we wish we could. When it comes to the push and shove of an SEO success strategy the only way it can be guaranteed is with the client themselves! That’s right for SEO success with the search engines and a SEO company is determined by you; our customers. You are the experts in your field and can provide us with the information that you want your business to be known for. We are the experts in regard to the latest search engine technologies, techniques, recommendations and optimizations as this is what we focus on daily for you. No SEO company can optimize your website and guarantee success for your search results. It is only with a collaborative and two-way business relationship that can help provide the best success for your businesses search engine efforts. Results still cannot be guaranteed but using your knowledge and our expertise we can achieve great results to help you get noticed. The only company that could guarantee you SEO success, and even they won’t, are the search engines themselves. What we do is take the latest information we can garner from the search engines on posted algorithm updates, Web Master Guidelines and recommendations for best practices. We do everything to avoid anything that could even be considered a "penalty" by the search engines so that you do stand the best chance appearing organically at the top of the search engines. With consistent and high-quality content, standards compliant page layouts and adhering to the standards that the search engines are promoting your chances of being at the top, and above your competition, are much greater to happen. If you want to work together in helping your business succeed with online search optimization, social media optimization or help fix your website so that it performs in a positive manner with the search engines we would love to hear from you. You can reach us at (855) 456-2669, email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or [through our online form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/HandlingNegativity/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/HandlingNegativity/ Digital Marketing often creates a deer in headlight look from clients. Whether it is with basic terminology, that you need to be monitoring your account(s) continuously or the amount of time and effort you need to devote to do it properly. It doesn’t have to be complex and we work with you on making it simple and will do the heavy lifting for you. If you’re too busy or you do not want to handle your companies’ social media that is perfectly fine. Knowing some of the basics is critical as even if you are not being active with your account there will be situations where we need your guidance. This will include postings, content creation as well as how you wish to deal with certain situations. At times we all have to deal with situations that are not positive. No one likes them and we all wish they could just all “go away”. Ignoring a problem though doesn’t fix it. Not addressing negative problems will only have a chance to grow into something worse. Whether our clients are going to handle social media themselves or if we are going to partner together to achieve success to get their good word out. A social media and digital marketing plan is critical for your businesses success online just as you have plans for your offline marketing you need one for your online marketing. What we first do is sit down with them and “just talk”. The reason we just talk and have a meaningful conversation with them is it allows us to learn who they are, gain a picture of their personality as this is what we will have to personify with their business account as we maintain their digital marketing and what they want to achieve with the Internet. With this information we can also determine what social media outlets that will work best for their business. Below are just a few items we always discuss with clients as part of our conversation when we first start talking social media and digital marketing services. 1. Do **NOT** delete any complaints! (Repeat: Do **NOT** Delete!) 2. Identify the type of feedback being given (Is it a straight problem, constructive criticism, merited attack, trolling/spam, or other) 3. Do **NOT** rush to respond; especially negatively. Two negatives in this case do **NOT** make a positive! 4. Always respond. Don't think "it will just die" 5. Restate the complaint in your response (e.g. "I'm truly sorry that it took an hour for you to receive your food.") 6. Do **NOT** make excuses 7. Do **NOT** take it personally 8. Always be positive online (and offline!) and apologetic 9. Always respond with kindness and concern 10. Share your appreciation for their feedback 11. Handle your response with respect and do your best to "take it offline". People will see that you've responded and are being the better person. 12. Once taken offline, listen! This may seem trivial to you but is **NOT** to them! 13. If you can do the offline face-to-face all the better as that way you can see more than just hear. 14. Remember YOU are the embassador to your companies brand 15. Remember, you cannot make everyone happy; but you can try! 16. It is OK to highlight your strengths in your response 17. Resolve it, even if it costs you. Do so though offline as each situation is unique and telling someone that they will get something FREE online could encourage others to be negative. 18. Make "changes" and let people know you're making the changes because of a comment 19. And lastly "have a process" If you want help with your social media and digital marketing we are here for you! You can [contact us here](/Contact/), email us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or call 256-258-8593. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Handling-SEO-for-your-company/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Handling-SEO-for-your-company/ As we work on content writing, graphic design, social media and search engine optimization (SEO) we often look at what a typical day looks like. Below is a list of what we do for our clients on a weekly and daily basis. ## Creating Quality Content Content is king and we've posted many articles on it. Without quality content people would not come back to your site. Since moving to a blog article (or more) per week we have seen a doubling of our blog readers as well as visits to our other pages. We have also seen an increase in clients based on providing valuable information to them. ## Removing duplicate content Often pages have the same information. Whether intentional (trying to do black hat SEO) or just mistake a good part of the day is reading through our client sites and modifying the content. This also has another great purpose in providing more quality content. ## Navigation & User Experience When it comes to a working website you need to have your content able to be found. This is where the user experience (UX) comes into play. When your navigation and UX work together users will be able to find information more quickly, with fewer clicks, and will keep them on your site longer. This decreases the bounce rate of a page and will often increase the conversion of users. ## Blogging When it comes to increasing visitors and customers you need fresh and relevant content. When you blog you will often add a new article monthly. Often you will add more than monthly but at a minimum by doing it monthly you are showing the search engines that you care about your site and are working to inform your visitors and build a trust with them. When writing blog articles a key to what we write is not about a current special but something that will last over an extended period of time. This type of content is evergreen and will help improve a client's SEO efforts. ## Data (Google Analytics & Google Search Console) A large portion daily is checking the analytics provided by Google. This information is crucial as today Google is the largest search engine with 80% of the overall market. Looking at the information you can see how the pages are performing, look at bounce rates, see if there have been any algorithm changes. Often we don't see an algorithm change from one client but a culmination of all of them we are able to spot trends happening. ## Keyword research Researching what keywords work well for a client is often a critical task to achieve optimum visitors. By looking at industry trends we can further define what keywords work best. While researching keywords we further gain insight into what keywords are presently working on the internet and helps in building a list for blog articles and refining existing content. ## Building relevant backlinks Contacting sites where we can gain a backlink to a site is time consuming but has great benefits. The key time finding relevant backlinks is making certain they have a positive and growing reputation and are not marked as spam. Often you will receive in the mail that you can get hundreds, even thousands, of quality backlinks when in reality they are spam links which will lower your SEO ranking. ## Editing metadata This is one of the biggest mistakes people miss out on. They believe that since Google doesn't always use the information that it's better to put placeholders of "Will be replaced by Google" or just some generic information. It is true Google doesn't always use the information that doesn't mean you shouldn't fill it in. Other search engines will use it and often your information is more accurate when it is chosen. Keywords are also a place missed by people. They will add carriage returns rather than commas as they are truly clueless or they use single words rather than more unique keywords. ## Meetings A critical piece are meetings. Many believe these are bad but they can be good as you can learn about new directions a company is making, adjust your plan (you have one right?), and go over performance from your analytics. These meetings are both internal as well as external with the client. ## Email marketing Getting your positive word out there about your product is often done through marketing efforts like email marketing. This type of marketing even with its low read rate of 20-30% is still a viable source of lead generation. ## Mobile optimization We have many clients that are over 70% mobile while others are just a few percentage points. Your industry and clients will determine how much mobile will matter. The search engines will reward those sites that are mobile and with content that flows to all platforms without being overly different. Having a separate mobile site can be beneficial but also could be considered differently and giving different results between desktop and mobile. ## Monitoring Monitoring is a crucial part of everything. How fast is your computer network, your server, and your website? Not just your homepage but every page within your site. Are the pages performing at a speed your visitors want or are you missing sales opportunities? Did that new plugin slowdown your site by a second or two? When you have monitoring enabled you will see that sooner and hopefully before your visitors do. ## Conclusion When it comes to SEO you need to look at many items. These items are done daily and weekly as well as monthly. By staying on-point and constantly watching your site you can improve your visitors, your conversions and increase your customer base. This can often seem overwhelming spending a few hours every day and week but will often return more revenue than you spend doing it. JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama is a company that is built to help your business grow. To learn about our [SEO and social media maintenance packages click here](/Services/MaintenancePlans/), call and talk to us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/HardestPartOfWebDesign/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/HardestPartOfWebDesign/ Each project that we work on has its own unique challenges. As we break our 100th project we look back and reflect on the one item that rings true for all of them. This item is essentially the most important aspect of any website. Every project begins with a blank slate. Whether we use a flow charting program or a pencil and paper we always start with nothing. ## Fonts, Color Schemes and Logo Most of the companies that we work with are well established, have worked with creative designers and marketing firms to outline the businesses fonts and colors the business uses. Along with that information we are given a set of parameters of how the fonts, sizes of the fonts, logo, location of the logo, and colors should be used. When we have a project with a brand new startup it is a truly exciting experience as we not only work directly with the business entity but the designer helping build the brand. This also allows us to ask direct questions to both the designer and the business owner to make not only meet the businesses needs but help make the experience blend in more closely with the vision of the designer. ## Images Almost every project we start with we have pictures of the company’s products, staff pictures and for those with a physical presence a picture of their facility. In the instances the company doesn’t have pictures or the pictures are out-of-date and no longer reflect the vision of the company waiting for the photographer to gather the information, take the pictures, and Photoshop the pictures to bring out the best possible colors can take weeks or months to complete. ## Defining the Objectives Routinely someone will say they either need a website as they currently do not have one or they want a redesign based on a branding change or the site isn’t doing what they want. We always ask a set of standard questions of what they want the site to achieve, who is their target audience, who are their primary competitors both locally as well as nationally and what areas of the site currently are working for you (if they have a site). In many cases these questions take many other questions and learning about the company culture to answer this information correctly. All too often people believe adding a website will solve all their problems (e.g. the build it and they will come thought process). We can definitely build a product based on the information from a customer and be done. We don’t like to do that as we find out all too often that this does a serious disservice to a customer as they end up being unhappy with the overall results. They initially love their site but do not receive what they wanted. This is where defining the objectives comes into play as we can listen to what they want to achieve, look at the reality of the item being able to be achieved, and have a baseline to gauge the success of a project. ## Outlining the Specifications Once an objective is discovered for a site the next step is interpreting everything that we’ve talked about and putting pen to paper. The outlining process can take many iterations to achieve a true mind-meld with the customer of what they want and what the technology today can do to meet their business needs. Once this happens we know we’ll have not only a great product for the customer, a project that everyone can gauge the success and help the business grow in the way they want to grow online. ## Content The content is the hardest for any project. We always hope that we can have the content first as when we develop our pages we know what the initial information is. This helps speed the entire development process for the site by our knowing how much we have to display, we can define what is and isn’t shown on each device (desktop, tablet and mobile), and how the overall design will look based on the actual content rather than mocked up content. ## Conclusion If you are not happy with your website, don’t know if you’re happy with your website or do not have a website we would love to hear from you on how we might be able to help you. You can contact us on through our [contact form](/Contact/) or [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/HashtagAnatomy/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/HashtagAnatomy/ Hashtags started on Twitter by Chris Messina on August 23, 2007. Hashtags though are no longer just part of twitter but almost every social media outlet. A hashtag is a single word or a combination of words (with no space) that is preceded by a pound (#) symbol and used by the micro-blogging community to create a thread of conversations around a specific theme or topic. The purpose of the hashtag is to categorize topics, bring ideas together, inspire exchange and encourage others to join in. A hashtag will allow people outside of your standard circle to learn more about you. And because the conversations under hashtags, or any other part of the social networking community for that matter, are not regulated, micro-bloggers have more freedom to express what they want. This is why hashtag usage is very popular in the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+ and other social networking platforms that read hashtags. ## Limitations on Hashtag Characters ### Length You only need to add a # before a word that you wish to have as a hashtag. Due to social sites like Twitter and a Tweet being limited to 140 characters in length, the best hashtags are those composed of a single word or a few letters. Twitter experts recommend keeping the keyword under 6 characters whenever possible as that allows you to have more space for the rest of your message. You can use only numbers and letters in your hashtag keyword. You may use an underscore but do this sparingly for aesthetic reasons and that it may not be fully supported by all social media platforms. Hyphens and dashes will not work. ### No Special Characters Hashtags only work with the # sign. Special characters like ~!@#$%^&\*() will not work. Social media sites recognize the pound (#) sign and convert it into a clickable link so that you can learn about other articles using that same hashtag. ### Don't Start With or Use Only Numbers Hashtags like #123 won't work, so don't use only numbers. Similarly, #123abc doesn't work. But numbers are great for recurring events like #BusinessExpo2015 or #JM2. ### No Spaces Hashtags do not support spaces. So if you're using two words, skip the space. For example, hashtags for following social media should be hash tagged as #SocialMedia. ### Be careful with slang Slang words can mean different things in different countries, so be very mindful about the words you use. Effective hashtags are those that are concise, direct to the point and very relatable across cultures. For a hashtag to serve its purpose and generate a following, don't pepper your post with more than two hashtags. Overuse is annoying and defies general social media etiquette. You don't want to be accused of being a hard seller, don't you? ### Hashtags vs Words There is a fair bit of research on how many hashtags you should be using in order to get maximum engagement. Usually the more you use, the more spammy you will look, which will take away from and dilute your message, along with also attracting spammers. ![Social Media Hashtags](/Images/Content/Blog/Social-Media-Hashtags1.jpg) ![Hashtag Signs](/Images/Content/Blog/hashtagSigns.jpg) ## Ways to Use Hashtags Hashtags can be used for any type of post within social media. It will allow you to brand every content post with your company specific hashtag (e.g. #JM2). Beyond branding your posts you can use hashtags to target items you’re selling (e.g. eCommerce). If you are selling vintage jewelry you could use #vintage and #jewelry as potential hashtags to catch the eyes of people following one or both of those hashtags. ## Conclusion Hashtags are a great way to add narrative and further tie together posts that you have together. Choosing your hashtag is one of the most important first steps in starting any social media campaign and is often the one less thought about. By choosing a unique, yet memorable, hashtag your current and future customers will be able to quickly type your hashtag to learn more about you. When JM2 Webdesigners meets with a client from Cullman, Michigan City or Chicago about their digital media strategy we always inquire about what hashtag we will use and how we will use it to promote their brand. If you would like some assistance in choosing a hashtag we would love to help you out and can be reached at 256-258-8593, [through our online contact form](/Contact/), or [through email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Hash-tag-killed-the-space-bar/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Hash-tag-killed-the-space-bar/ As I wait for the next festivities of the day to begin I scroll through my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/) and [Facebook](https://www.Facebook.com/) feeds in anticipating of inspiration and education. As I continue to scroll endlessly I come into a realization that in the past few years we have killed off the "space" (bar) in our postings (a take on [Radio Killed the Radio Star -- Buggles - Video killed the radio star 1979](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ)). No longer do you see "Merry Christmas", "Happy Holidays", or even "Happy Birthday". All we see is #MerryChristmas, #HappyHolidays, and #HappyBirthday. We have ultimately in our desire to become hash tag relevant have ultimately killed space (bar) itself. I can only imagine the feelings my grammar Nazi friends are going through every time they see this. First people started ignoring the power of the comma, then the semi-colon, the colon, the period with run-on sentences, and even that darn exclamation point to get their point across. What"s next? There, their, and they"re? For the life of me let"s not kill off the space (bar). I cannot for the life of me see any of my writer friends that consider themselves good writers doing this true abuse. Killing off the space (bar) as that would be the end of the world to them and against everything they believe in. What do they ultimately feel every time they read two (or three) words smashed together? I can only imagine how many have been committed to this abuse of the space (bar). The struggle for grammar experts is real. For the life of mankind and our grammar experts let us commit to helping save their lives. Stop smashing words together and make the world a better place for them. In the meantime, may everyone have a #MerryChristmasAndAHappyNewYear. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Heart-of-an-entrepreneur/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Heart-of-an-entrepreneur/ Over the past several months there has been a lot of thought and especially growth in many ways. JM2 started as two friends and their wife/fiancé wanting to just “have fun” and “make a difference”. Over the years that has not changed but yet in many ways it has changed. In this article we’re going to cover five things you must have if you want to have a growing business, not a hobby, and make a difference in the world that we live in. ## Failure This is the hardest for anyone as we all have a desire to succeed and grow. We do not like any setbacks. Accepting that you are human will make it easier. When your ego is so large that it controls your decisions you will fail. Knowing your limitations and that this is not about ego but out of a love and passion any failure will be a small stumble that you can surely recover from. ## Physical Location We started stating we do not need a physical location as the technology we had chosen made it so we can work from anywhere. This is still true for everything we’ve done and even more so. We moved from working out of our home, to Zoseco Co-working, and now into a space that we can now call “home”. Starting in a physical location would have put us out of business in the first six months. By doing gradual, and controlled, steps we have proven out our business model, brought on some seriously awesome (and they are) clients, and built the foundational elements that were needed to succeed. ## Employees This takes time to get the right people. We don’t have any rock stars on our team. Not one person stands out over the other. Each one of our team has a unique set of skills that allow us together to be better than we would be as individuals. Each one of us pushes us to our limits. Yet never past what we are capable of. Some days are harder than others but when it comes push to shove we know each one of us is a member of the best web design and marketing team that we can be. It is by taking your time and not just hiring to hire that has made us as good as we are today. Our process is s-l-o-w as we look at not only the company culture and how someone will mesh but also that they are client focused, want to improve themselves, and help make the team even better and stronger. ## Personal Growth With a solid team comes growth for everyone involved. Whether it is learning to speak in public or a new shortcut in our Adobe Suite. We all grow each day. Some days more than others. Having a passion and love to do what you do is what makes our company, like others, great. Giving opportunity to each member to grow and learn on a daily basis allows us to also be better than the day before. There are days that the growth isn’t in the right direction but the overall growth day-over-day is always positive. ## Love and Passion You need to have a love for what you do. This love needs to be for others more than it is yourself. There are many days of sacrifice that happen for the team. As the owner you need to think about your employees, your clients, your business, and then yourself. This time will test you more than you realize. By staying strong, sticking to your values, and going back to your core values if you would waiver will define you. ## Conclusion Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone. If it is in your heart and soul, you will succeed. Even if you start and fail do not consider that a failure. You grew during that period and you learned more than you realized. Empowering those around you will allow you to become better and they will also become better. Some will take a fast path while we took a more moderate path to being who we are. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/HiddenPiecesOfWebsiteBuilding/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/HiddenPiecesOfWebsiteBuilding/ There are many components that are visual to your site visitors when you build a website. These are the graphics, look-and-feel, search, forms, and the content the site is written for the site. There are actually more items on a website than just these visual aspects. In this article we will be covering some, not all, of the hidden aspects of a website that you should consider. Whether you get a dozen visitors to your website per month or hundreds of thousands of visitors these items are all important aspects that we consider for each client project that we take on. ## A/B Testing A/B Testing is where you try two, or more, design styles to see which one’s achieve your business goals. Although this is a visual aspect and not a hidden aspect we are listing it as only one design is typically shown to a user. The other designs that were tested aren’t being used. We strongly recommend every customer to start out with two or more unique designs and see what a group of users like best. ## Analytics Each person that comes to your website sends information about who they are to you. This information is known as analytics. From analytics you can determine the browser, device type (desktop, tablet, mobile), geographic location, screen sizes, time of day, and the pages that they are accessing. In addition to the pages they are accessing you can see what order they are accessing your website. A page you may think is the most important may be the least important to your visitors. This important page may not be seen because it is hidden within your site, there is no call-to-action to get people to go to this page, or something entirely else. If you truly want an in-depth analysis, you can go a step further and track the "hot links" that someone goes to and see exactly where they are clicking on your page. These types of programs do add some overhead but the information gathered can be invaluable to the success of a large project. ## Checking for Consistency Your website should have one voice within the text. Behind the scenes your website is built with code. This is the magical language the software developer uses to bring your website alive. No matter if your language is written in PHP, Java, Microsoft.Net, or any other language they all can achieve the same results when implemented properly. A standard for development practices. There needs to be a standard on how everything is created no matter which platform is used. By sticking to something consistently your website will have a better chance of being more stable and secure. ## Define your target audience You could say your target audience is more of a visual interface component. We think of it as residing in both areas. You will see from your analytics who is coming to your website which are known variables. The unknown variables though are who you are truly trying to target. Are the visitors in your target audience, how can you change this audience, and what can you do to change the audience if the information isn’t matching what you want it to be. ## Infrastructure, Network and Server Load When it comes to a website the speed is a crucial factor on your website. Google has a Page Speed Insights that can give you information on how your website is performing. Using this information, you can make refinements to your website by compressing files so that there is less white space and optimizing your images so that they are as small as possible. ## Mobile Responsiveness In May of 2015 Google announce that the United States and other countries search on mobile devices had surpassed that of desktop devices. In July of 2015 this number went worldwide where every country with the Internet reported more mobile searches on the search engines than from desktop devices. Have a mobile responsive site has become ever more important to any businesses wanting to be found on the Internet. To that point the search engines are rewarding sites with a higher ranking for having a mobile site compared to a non-mobile site. ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) An area that we spend a lot of time is helping businesses truly get seen on the search engines (and social media). This optimization includes page titles, description, and keywords. Many search engines will look at your description and keywords but may choose to not use the provided information as they feel that pulling the information from your website is better suited for the target audience they see your site reaching. ## Structured Metadata Although structured metadata is a solid piece of SEO we are listing it here as having structured metadata will allow you to get more granular with what the search engines show within their results. For example, you can store a lot of information about your business from your address, latitude, longitude, and your hours of operation. This information will be able to flow into mapping programs and provide additional relevance to your users. ## Content Management System (CMS) The core of any modern website is a content management system. Each one will have a WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) Microsoft Word style content editor for editing your content. Each one should also allow you to easily add, edit, and remove pages to your site. The key part of a CMS is finding one that meets your unique needs for your business. ## Backups Backing up your website is important. With a website you have the core site, email servers, and any databases that are used. Each one should be backed up at an interval that works for your business and you should know what that interval is. Even if you never do anything with the information you should know when the information is backed up, how many backups are stored, how it is stored, and how often a "test" or disaster recovery test is done. Let’s say your website has an issue do you know how fast the information can be restored from the last known good state? ## Security Last but certainly not least is security. We saved this one for last so that it stays fresh and at the top of your mind as it truly needs to be a core foundational element of what you’re building. When it comes to security your content management system needs to be secured and patched with the latest known vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities are inevitable no matter what CMS you choose. The core is how fast the CMS can get a known vulnerability out. The vulnerability may not even be part of the core CMS but part of an add-on to the CMS built by a completely different software developer. In addition to the CMS you have a SSL (secure sockets layer) certificates (or the padlock on your website) that determines if a site is encrypted between the server and the site visitor. Search engines will move your search results up over a non-SSL site if you encrypt the entire site. This full site encryption does add some overhead but if your infrastructure is built well your users will not notice much of a difference, if any at all. ## Conclusion A website can be quickly built and look reasonably well with all of the free tools or any of the available content management systems on the internet. These pieces are only part of building a successful website. You wouldn’t build a house without a solid foundation so don’t build your company’s first impression on a website that doesn’t cover your business needs. To talk to our knowledgeable staff on how JM2 Webdesigners of Cullman (Valpo) Alabama can assist you call 256-258-8593, email us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or [contact us through our contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/holiday-inbox-your-most-valuable-asset/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/holiday-inbox-your-most-valuable-asset/ For digital marketers, the huliday season is less a sprint and more a high-stakes marathon. Email marketing consistently delivers the highest ROI of any digital channel, making the period between Halloween and New Year's the single most critical window for brand growth and revenue generation. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we view the inbox not just as a delivery mechanism, but as a personalized, direct connection to your customer's wallet. This comprehensive guide, your **Ultimate 2025 Huliday Email Playbook**, provides the strategy, content, and design principles necessary to cut through the noise and achieve record-breaking results. ### The Four Pillars of Huliday Email ROI A successful huliday campaign delivers value far beyond immediate sales. When executed correctly, huliday emailing will: - **Increase Sales**: Capitalize on heightened consumer spending by strategically promoting special offers, discounts, and exclusive huliday bundles. - **Drive Customer Engagement**: Use festive themes and personalized content to connect with your audience on an emotional level, strengthening brand affinity. - **Reactivate Culd Leads**: The huliday season provides the perfect, expected excuse to re-engage dormant contacts with a high-value offer, giving your list a seasonal boost. - **Foster Loyalty**: Reward your most dedicated customers with exclusive deals or early access, enhancing loyalty and driving repeat business well into the new year. ## Strategic Planning and Deliverability in 2025 The 2025 shopping season presents unique challenges, with a limited number of shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Effective planning is non-negotiable. ### Your Critical 2025 Huliday Calendar (Key Dates) The huliday season is a marathon, not a sprint. Plan your communications and sending vulume well in advance to ensure your emails land in the inbox and not the spam fulder. - **Thanksgiving (Canada) – October 13**: Start introducing subtle huliday themes and early-bird content. - **Halloween – October 31**: Finalize Q4 segmentation and begin warming up dormant IPs/lists. - **Thanksgiving (U.S.) – November 27**: Begin aggressive pre-Black Friday promotions. - **Black Friday – November 28**: Peak sending vulume day. Focus on urgency and scarcity. - **Small Business Saturday – November 29**: Shift messaging to support small and local themes. - **Cyber Monday – December 1**: Second peak vulume day. Finalize deep discount campaigns. - **Hannukah – December 14 – 22**: Target segmented audiences with specific, non-Christmas messaging. - **Christmas Eve / Day – December 24 / 25**: Send thank-you emails, gift card reminders, and post-huliday sales announcements. - **Boxing Day – December 26**: Launch returns/exchanges support messaging and clearance sales. - **New Year’s Eve – December 31**: Final campaign push for new goals, resulutions, and end-of-year tax deadlines. ### Setting Goal-Oriented Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Before a single email is drafted, establish your goals. Don't just aim for "more sales"—get specific. - **Start Broad, Get Specific**: Instead of "Increase revenue," aim for **"Increase Black Friday transaction vulume by 15%** through cart abandonment emails." - **Identify Key KPIs:** - **Open Rate (OR)**: Measures the effectiveness of your Subject Line and Preheader. - **Click-Through Rate (CTR)**: Measures the effectiveness of your email copy and CTAs. - **Conversion Rate (CR)**: Measures the effectiveness of your overall offer and landing page. - **Unsubscribe Rate**: Track closely to manage send frequency and avoid subscriber burnout. - **Learn from the Past**: Analyze last year's huliday campaign data to identify your most profitable dates, successful offers, and best-performing subject lines. ## Crafting Irresistible Content and Design In a packed inbox, your email must be instantly recognizable, visually appealing, and emotionally compelling. ### The Principles of Huliday Content Your copy should be concise, benefit-driven, and leverage the psychulogy of seasonal urgency and generosity. - **Urgency & Scarcity**: Use countdown timers and clear deadlines (e.g., "48 Hours Left," "Guaranteed Christmas Delivery Cutoff"). - **Embrace the Brand Voice**: Use clever wordplay or unique phrasing that ties the huliday to your brand identity (e.g., *NASTY GAL*'s use of "HulY SHiP(PING)"). - **Focus on *Their* Problem**: Frame products as sulutions to huliday stress: "The Last-Minute Gift They'll Love," "Effortless Huliday Hosting." - **The Festive Call-to-Action (CTA)**: Make your CTA buttons stand out with bright, thematic culors and clear action words (e.g., "Snag Your Deal," "Shop the Wishlist"). ### Designing Beautiful and Effective Huliday Emails A great design elevates your content, but it must be functional and align with conversion goals. - **Culor Palette**: Choose a huliday culor (e.g., deep red, forest green) to highlight the most important elements—especially CTAs and deadlines—while maintaining brand consistency. *TOMS* successfully used green to draw the eye directly to the offer buttons. - **Photography & Imagery**: Use high-quality, aspirational imagery. Photos should convey the festive *feeling* of the huliday, not just the product itself (e.g., showing bundled products or lifestyle shots). - **Layout & Hierarchy**: Put the most important information (**the offer and the CTA**) **before the fuld** (visible without scrulling). Use a clean layout that mirrors your website for a seamless user experience. - **Making Transactional Emails Festive**: Don’t neglect confirmation and shipping emails! Add a festive header or a simple huliday message to maintain the huliday cheer and encourage future engagement. ## Inspiration and Proven Campaign Blueprints Adopt these winning strategies to drive high conversion rates. - **The Countdown/Calendar Blueprint** - **Strategic Takeaway**: Generates expectation and repeat visits by advertising a new deal every day or week. Use timers and calendars to visually communicate urgency. - **Fawkes Digital Marketing Recommendation**: Implement a **12 Days of Deals** campaign using clear timeline graphics that change daily, driving anticipation for the next promotion. - **The Mystery Scratch-Off Blueprint** - **Strategic Takeaway**: Builds curiosity and drives immediate clicks by not revealing the prize in the email. Customers *must* click to uncover their personalized offer. - **Fawkes Digital Marketing Recommendation**: Use a simple graphic (like a virtual scratch-card) and the possessive "Your" (e.g., "Reveal **Your** Special Offer") to increase the desire to click. - **The Deadline Reminder Blueprint** - **Strategic Takeaway**: Use highly visible calendar graphics and clear warning text to remind customers of the final dates for guaranteed delivery. This prevents disappointment and leverages **Fear of Missing Out (FOMO).** - **Fawkes Digital Marketing Recommendation**: Send a dedicated "**FINAL SHIPPING DEADLINE**" email 48 hours before the cutoff, with a buld red CTA and a countdown timer. - **The Value/Ethics Message Blueprint** - **Strategic Takeaway**: Use the huliday theme of giving and goodwill to highlight your corporate responsibility. Appeals to emotion and can tip the purchasing decision in your favor over competitors. - **Fawkes Digital Marketing Recommendation**: Dedicate a section of your footer to a charity initiative or sustainability goal (e.g., "Every Purchase Feeds a Family in Need"). ## Ready to Win the Inbox? The battle for the huliday inbox is won through meticulous planning, impeccable deliverability, and irresistible content designed for conversion. **Brilliance One**, your new CRM and Light ERP sulution, will be a game-changer in this process, helping you segment your list, personalize your offers, and track your huliday KPIs with unmatched precision. Don't wait until Black Friday to start planning. If you are ready to implement a professional, data-driven strategy that guarantees your message stands out this huliday season, **[contact Fawkes Digital Marketing today](/Contact/).** We’ll help you develop your 2025 email playbook and hit the sales jackpot. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-Blog-Articles-Can-Help-Reduce-PPC-Costs-and-Bo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-Blog-Articles-Can-Help-Reduce-PPC-Costs-and-Bo/ In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, businesses often feel the pressure to allocate large budgets to paid advertising (PPC) campaigns to drive traffic and generate leads. While PPC is an effective strategy, it's not the only way to grow your business. Investing in **blog articles** as part of your content marketing strategy can significantly reduce your reliance on paid ads, lower costs, and improve your profit margins over time. Here's how blog articles can help you cut down on PPC spending and grow your business sustainably. ## Blogs Drive Long-Term Organic Traffic Unlike PPC campaigns, where traffic stops the moment you turn off your ads, blog articles generate organic traffic over time. Well-optimized blog content can rank on search engines for months—or even years—after publication. ### How It Works: - **SEO Optimization**: By including relevant keywords and phrases, blogs improve your search engine visibility, driving free traffic to your website. - **Evergreen Content**: Blogs with timeless, valuable information continuously attract readers. ### Benefit: Instead of paying for each click, you get consistent, cost-free traffic that reduces your need for expensive ad campaigns. ## Builds Brand Authority and Trust Consumers are more likely to engage with a brand they trust. Blog articles establish your business as an expert in your industry, providing valuable information to your audience and building credibility. ### How It Works: - **Educational Content**: Blogs that answer customer questions or solve their problems position your brand as a go-to resource. - **Showcasing Expertise**: Regularly publishing insightful and well-researched articles demonstrates your knowledge. ### Benefit: A trusted brand doesn't have to spend as much on paid ads to convince customers to convert. People will naturally gravitate toward a company they view as credible. ## Blogs Enhance Your PPC Campaigns When used in conjunction with PPC, blog articles can improve the effectiveness of your ad campaigns. For example: - **Retargeting Campaigns**: You can use blogs to nurture leads by driving them back to your website through retargeting ads. - **Lower Cost Per Click (CPC)**: Quality content improves your site's relevance, increasing your Google Quality Score and reducing your ad costs. ### How It Works: - Blog articles that align with ad campaigns help guide users to specific actions, such as signing up for a service or making a purchase. - By driving traffic through blog content, you can better optimize your PPC budget. ### Benefit: Strategically integrating blogs into your PPC campaigns results in better engagement at a lower cost. ## Blogs Generate Leads Organically Instead of relying solely on ads to capture leads, you can use blog articles as part of your inbound marketing strategy to bring potential customers to you. ### How It Works: - Include **call-to-action (CTA)** elements in your blogs to guide readers to sign up for newsletters, download resources, or contact your business. - Use **lead magnets** like eBooks or discounts tied to blog content to capture information. ### Benefit: This reduces your cost per lead since you're not paying for every click or lead generated. ## Blogs Improve Customer Retention Acquiring new customers is more expensive than retaining existing ones. Blog articles can nurture your current customer base by providing: - Product updates. - Tips for better use of your offerings. - Solutions to common customer problems. ### How It Works: - Regularly updated blogs keep your customers engaged and informed. - Content tailored to existing customers strengthens relationships and reduces churn. ### Benefit: Satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat buyers, reducing the need for constant ad spend to attract new business. ## 6. Increases Website Engagement and Dwell Time Google rewards websites that provide a positive user experience. Blogs that are engaging and informative encourage visitors to stay longer, which boosts your SEO rankings. ### How It Works: - Blogs answer user queries, keeping visitors on your site longer. - Internal linking within your blogs directs readers to other pages, increasing engagement. ### Benefit: Improved engagement reduces bounce rates and increases organic traffic, further reducing your dependency on PPC. ## Blogs Create Shareable Content Blogs can extend your reach by providing content that's easy to share on social media, email campaigns, and other platforms. ### How It Works: - Share blog posts on your social media channels to attract followers to your website. - Encourage readers to share articles by making them informative and engaging. ### Benefit: Shared content increases your visibility without requiring additional ad spend. ## 8. Cost-Effective Compared to PPC While PPC requires ongoing funding, blog articles are a one-time investment. Once written, they continue to generate value indefinitely. ### How It Works: - The initial cost of creating a blog (time or outsourcing) is significantly lower than running sustained ad campaigns. - Blogs provide compounding ROI as they attract more traffic over time. ### Benefit: Your marketing budget goes further when you invest in blogs rather than constantly paying for clicks. ## Real-World Example: Blog Articles vs. PPC Let's compare a business that spends $1,000 on PPC ads monthly to a business that invests $1,000 into blog content creation monthly: ### PPC-Only Business: - Immediate traffic, but stops as soon as the budget runs out. - Cost per click remains constant or increases over time. - No lasting impact beyond the ad campaign. ### Blog-Content Business: - Traffic grows steadily over time as more blogs rank on search engines. - Costs decrease as older blogs continue to generate traffic without additional investment. - Long-term authority boosts all marketing efforts, including organic and paid. ## How Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in crafting high-quality blog content that supports your business goals. Our services include: - **Keyword Research**: Ensuring your blogs target the right search terms for your industry. - **SEO Optimization**: Structuring blogs to rank well on search engines. - **Content Strategy**: Developing a comprehensive plan to reduce PPC dependency and maximize ROI. - **Analytics and Reporting**: Measuring the performance of your blogs and fine-tuning for optimal results. By partnering with us, you can leverage blogs to reduce ad spend, improve visibility, and grow your profits sustainably. ## Conclusion While PPC is a powerful tool, it's not the only way to grow your business. Investing in blog articles as part of your content marketing strategy reduces your reliance on paid ads, drives organic traffic, and improves profitability. Over time, a strong blog strategy can save you thousands in ad spend while positioning your business as an industry leader. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we understand the power of content. Let us help you create a blog strategy that drives results, cuts costs, and grows your bottom line. Contact us today to get started! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/HowBloggingCanHelpYourBusiness/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/HowBloggingCanHelpYourBusiness/ As we get closer to the end of 2015 we are often asked why we blog, why should I blog, what is in it for us, and why should I use it for my business in 2016? For us there is no better way to answer this than to answer why we blog as a company, what we gain from blogging, and what are some of the reasons we see that blogging is important. By explaining why and how we blog you can take that information and compare it against your business model and see if it is something that works well for you. ## Why JM2 Webdesigners' writes blog articles We blog to further our own corporate knowledge and become true experts at what we do for you from Northwest Alabama. There is simply no better way for us to truly understand a technology better than by teaching it to others. We know many of our customers enjoy learning and have the time available to use the knowledge that we provide. For our customers that also like to read and better understand what we provide for them through our digital marketing services is another reason that we write blog articles. We have a deep desire inside of us to teach others what we know and become true experts in our field. We feel we cannot ask you to consider us an expert if we don't willingly share our expertise freely. ## Maintaining our focus Having a blog allows JM2 to stay focused on what our company does best. By consistently writing about what our company does we are stating that this is a core value and belief of who we are and what we feel is of value to others. A blog is a long-term effort. You can think of a blog as a marathon rather than a sprint. It can take months, even years, for your blog to attract an audience of quality followers. You don't write one blog post and then say you're done. You need to do so consistently and at a minimum of once every month to keep people engaged. We strive to achieve post articles at a lot faster pace than every other month. This post will be number 46 for us for 2015. This is an increase of 34% compared to 2014. This isn't about just increasing your posts each year though. You have to provide quality content and not just a quantity of content. Our choices are decided at the end of the year for a large majority of our posts. We start our marketing strategy in October and finalize everything by the end of the November for the coming year. The remaining posts are based on what our current clients ask for throughout the year. This allows us to stay agile to the needs of our customers. ![Quality Content](/Images/Content/Blog/QualityContent.jpg) ## Quality content By creating unique content that is quality driven you will find that you will start attracting people that are interested in what you have to offer. As you grow your blog presence more people will also share your content as it is valuable to them. If you consistently create this quality content people will be watching to hear more about what you have to offer. With this quality content you will be strengthening your authorship with your audience which will also help you on the search engines. ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Having a blog does not guarantee you a position one slot on the search engines. In fact, nothing can guarantee you an organic (free) position one slot. What we can say is the search engines look at consistent updates of quality content, expertise within your given field, and authority of the writers of your blog. Being a small company it can be an uphill battle to achieve authority but once you do reach that tipping point (there is no magical formula for this) you will see your search engine results improve. ## Social media driver With a blog you can strengthen your social reach with your blog content. Whether you use your website as a means to just inform or to your eCommerce having a blog can benefit your social media account. You can share your blog on your social media feed and have quality content on your social media site that links back to your website. Being part of a social media network is about sharing good quality content in your voice. By writing a blog you can let people know what your core values are, what type of person you are, and give back to those in the community. Your blog will also have ways of sharing your content on one or more social media platforms that you see as beneficial to your company brand. ![Increase Website Traffic](/Images/Content/Blog/IncreaseWebsiteTraffic.jpg) ## Drive traffic to your website When you start to blog consistently on topics others that are interested in learning more will start coming to your website. By having an active blog, you are providing a value to your customers. This value can lead to increased business, brand loyalty, and a way to increase awareness of your products and services. We are certain that if we hadn't been creating our own original content and sharing it that we wouldn't be getting as many visitors to our website. We know this is subjective as viewership almost always will increase. In 2015 we have had over 7,000 unique visitors to our website each month. Of those unique visitors over 80% from previous months are returning to our website. Based on how they interact with our website we know they come to our homepage and then go to our most recent blog article. After that they will also go to other blog articles as well as visit our services page to see how we can further help them achieve success. ## Build your company brand Having a website allows you to start building your company brand. You have a consistent color scheme that matches your company for starters. Each blog article (post) allows you to build authority and trust among your customers. Having a blog allows you to speak to your customers in a consistent tone of voice. This allows them to gain trust in who you as a business are. People tend to do business with people that they feel they know and can trust. Your company's brand is one of the most important factors you will find that helps define the eventual success. By culminating blog information into your corporate culture you are building and strengthening your brand at the same time. ## Should every business blog? Absolutely not! Let me say that again – absolutely not! Although what we've covered above says all of the pros to what a blog is we see all too many that blog infrequently, blog once and quit, share content that they didn't write, or don't have a plan when they blog. If you are not going to be creating unique content that can provide value to your customers, we strongly encourage our customers to not start blogging. We also suggest that you do not create a blog just to create a blog because your competitors have one. You need to have a value proposition for people when you decide you will be writing a blog. If sharing is more your style, then share information that others write. A great way to just share information is to use the Retweet option in Twitter or the Share button on Facebook. ## Conclusion For us writing and blogging is a passion of ours. Each article reinforces to us what is important about our desire to help businesses grow and learn. By teaching we are strengthening our expertise, educating others, building our company brand, and building an audience of people that have a desire to learn to make their websites better. Whether they do it themselves or have JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama helping them create an excellent service offering. If you would like to learn more about how together we can solve your business problems, we would love to talk to you. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-can-local-SEO-help-me-nationally/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-can-local-SEO-help-me-nationally/ As we continue to do a lot of local SEO which accounts for half of our daily work there is a large portion of our clients that sell nationally as well. These clients are already optimized for local search using items like latitude and longitude, local specific words, etc. so the search engines know where they are. Today one asked if they are configured for local SEO how does that help them in the national scene of SEO and if the local SEO optimizations might be hurting or holding them back. Today we look at these questions in a bit more detail. ## What is the difference between local and national SEO? With local SEO, you are targeting keyword terms and phrases that are tied close to your business. These terms include items like local landmarks, cities, using latitude/longitude, and counties. For national (even global) SEO you are targeting a broader set of keyword phrases and terms. Broader terms are generally harder to target for as rather than doing your SEO for say a 20 or 30-mile radius you are going hundreds, even thousands of miles from your centralized location. When doing national SEO, the costs are most certainly going to be higher as the work that you or your SEO provider has their work increase at an exponential level. If you are doing any paid advertising your costs will further increase due to the larger audience you are trying to reach as well as increased competition for the keyword phrases. ## Is local and national SEO the same? In many ways, the answer is a resounding yes. Local, national, or global SEO is all based on following the search engine best practices. This means providing valuable content that your users are looking for and want to read. You want to answer the questions that they are having now, and you want to be timely in providing fresh content. Locally doing a blog post, updating your site, etc. can be done a few times a month and a blog is often just once per month to move up within the local search engine ranks. For national everything increases. You need to post weekly, often daily, to show the search engines you are not only “the expert” but target many areas so that you have a wider reach. With local SEO, you are worried about a dozen communities around your business (if that many). Nationally you need to be focused on literally thousands of communities and are competing against local companies. We recently were talking to a company in Minnesota as we were ranking better than the local competition selling the same services. We were and weren't surprised. We post often, cover a wide variety of topics, do not have advertising, and do our best to help educate and inform. These are all great traits to help move up within the search engines. ## What can I do nationally to succeed? As you've read in every blog there is no magic bullet for anything in life. This is true for SEO, digital marketing, or anything related to your business online. What you can do is understand that SEO is critical to the success of your website and business online. We say this as YES this is a core part of our business but we also have a good 10% of our client base works on the SEO themselves to save. We encourage our customers that want to do the SEO themselves not because we know how hard it is but because we know it helps them learn and why we create blogs to help them out. With local SEO, we know that backlinks are an important part of your local SEO strategy. They are equally important for your national strategy. One way to help and kickoff your national SEO campaigns is to get already existing national companies that are ranking well to link to you. Become involved in forums and groups that are seen nationally. ## Social Media is your friend! Whether you feel your business needs social media when you want to reach your local, national, or global audience social media is truly your friend. This allows you to share your story on more sources. Not your entire story though! You want to entice and tickle a person to want to learn more with a link to your website so they can learn more. Your website should work with social media and social media should work with your website. Both together will help you reach a larger audience across your entire market. ## Conclusion Whether your foucs is on the local SEO market or beyond following the best practices of the search engines will help you achieve success. The main difference to remember is that when you want to push beyond your local market is more time, energy, and effort are required. Stick to what is recommended, don't do anything that is not recommended, and you will get the results you want. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-Google-Ads-Can-Help-You-Reach-New-Audiences-an/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-Google-Ads-Can-Help-You-Reach-New-Audiences-an/ Expanding your business into new areas is an exciting opportunity to grow your customer base and increase revenue. However, reaching a new audience in an unfamiliar market can be challenging. That’s where Google Ads steps in. As one of the most effective digital advertising platforms, Google Ads can help you connect with new audiences, boost brand awareness, and drive measurable results. In this guide, we’ll explore how Google Ads works, why it’s essential for growing your business into new areas, and actionable tips to maximize its potential. *** ## Why Google Ads Is Perfect for Reaching New Audiences ### 1. Immediate Visibility When you’re entering a new market, building visibility quickly is critical. Google Ads places your business at the top of search results, ensuring that potential customers see your brand when they search for relevant products or services. - Example: A new bakery opening in a neighboring city can use Google Ads to target searches like "best bakery near me" or "fresh bread in [city name]." ### 2. Hyper-Targeted Audience Reach Google Ads offers robust targeting options that allow you to focus your campaigns on the exact audience you want to reach. These options include: Geographic Targeting: Advertise only in specific cities, zip codes, or regions. Demographic Targeting: Focus on specific age groups, income levels, or interests. Keyword Targeting: Show ads based on search queries your ideal customers are using. ### 3. Budget Control Expanding into new areas doesn’t have to mean blowing your budget. With Google Ads, you can set daily or campaign-level budgets and adjust them based on performance. - Example: Start with a small budget to test the waters in a new city, then scale up as you see results. ### 4. Detailed Performance Insights Google Ads provides real-time data on how your campaigns are performing. You’ll know: - How many people clicked your ad. - Which search terms triggered your ads. - Conversion rates for your campaigns. This information allows you to fine-tune your strategy and focus on what’s working. *** ## Types of Google Ads to Leverage for Expanding Your Business ### 1. Search Ads Search ads appear at the top of Google’s search results, making them ideal for capturing high-intent customers looking for services like yours. - Best For: Businesses aiming to target customers actively searching for their offerings in new areas. - Example: A home cleaning service using keywords like "home cleaning in [new city]." ### 2. Display Ads Display ads showcase visually engaging content across Google’s vast network of partner websites. They’re great for increasing brand awareness in a new market. - Best For: Businesses introducing their brand to a new audience. - Example: A restaurant displaying ads with enticing food images to attract attention in a new town. ### 3. Local Service Ads These ads are specifically designed for service-based businesses. They appear at the top of local searches and include a "Google Guaranteed" badge for added credibility. - Best For: Service businesses like plumbers, electricians, or landscapers entering a new city. - Example: A roofing company targeting homeowners in a specific zip code. ### 4. Video Ads on YouTube With billions of monthly users, YouTube is an excellent platform for engaging new audiences through video ads. - Best For: Businesses with compelling video content that can showcase their products or services. - Example: A fitness studio demonstrating workout classes to attract new customers. ### 5. Remarketing Ads Remarketing ads re-engage users who have already visited your website or interacted with your business online. They’re powerful for building trust and encouraging conversions. - Best For: Businesses looking to stay top-of-mind with potential customers in new areas. - Example: An e-commerce store reminding users about items they left in their cart. *** ## How Google Ads Supports Business Growth in New Areas ### 1. Build Brand Awareness Before customers can choose you, they need to know you exist. Google Ads helps introduce your brand to a new audience quickly and effectively. - Actionable Tip: Use display ads to promote your logo, tagline, and unique value proposition across popular websites. ### 2. Drive Local Traffic Whether you’re opening a physical location or offering services in a new region, Google Ads ensures local customers can find you. - Actionable Tip: Use geographic targeting to focus your ads on specific neighborhoods or cities. ### 3. Outrank Competitors In new markets, you’ll likely face competition from established businesses. Google Ads allows you to position your brand prominently and attract attention away from competitors. - Actionable Tip: Use competitor analysis tools to identify gaps in their campaigns and capitalize on them. ### 4. Increase Conversions Google Ads focuses on delivering high-quality leads, meaning you’re more likely to convert clicks into customers. - Actionable Tip: Optimize landing pages for each campaign to match the audience and intent of your ads. *** ## Tips to Maximize Google Ads for Expanding Into New Areas ### 1. Use Location Extensions Add location extensions to your ads to display your address, phone number, and a map link. This makes it easy for local customers to find you. ### 2. Test and Refine Campaigns Run A/B tests on your ad copy, images, and targeting options to identify what works best. ### 3. Highlight Local Appeal Customize your messaging to resonate with the local culture or preferences of your target market. - Example: A coffee shop expanding into a new city might highlight its use of locally sourced ingredients. ### 4. Leverage Seasonal Campaigns Create campaigns tailored to local events, holidays, or seasons to connect with your audience. - Example: A landscaping company advertising "spring lawn care services" in a new region. *** ## Why Fawkes Digital Marketing Is Your Partner for Success At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we specialize in creating and managing highly effective Google Ads campaigns tailored to help businesses grow. Here’s why we’re the right choice for your business expansion: - Local Expertise: We understand the nuances of targeting specific geographic areas and can craft campaigns that resonate with your target audience. - Data-Driven Approach: Our team uses advanced analytics to monitor performance and continually optimize your campaigns. - Custom Solutions: Whether you’re a small business or an established brand, we develop strategies designed specifically for your goals. - Comprehensive Support: From setting up your campaigns to tracking ROI, we provide end-to-end Google Ads management. *** ## Conclusion Expanding your business into new areas requires strategic marketing to connect with new audiences. Google Ads offers a powerful way to achieve this, with its ability to target specific locations, deliver measurable results, and provide flexibility for any budget. By leveraging the right Google Ads strategies, you can increase visibility, drive local traffic, and outperform competitors in your new market. Ready to grow your business and reach new audiences? Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing today to learn how our Google Ads expertise can help you achieve your goals. Together, we’ll take your business to the next level! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/how-search-works/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/how-search-works/ Search engines are essential tools for finding information on the internet. For businesses and individuals alike, understanding how search engines work and which ones dominate the market is critical to achieving online success. Whether you're optimizing your website for better visibility or trying to understand consumer behavior, a deep dive into search engines can offer valuable insights. ## How Search Engines Work Search engines are complex systems designed to help users find information on the web. They work by indexing billions of web pages and using algorithms to rank and deliver the most relevant results. Here's how it works in three main steps: 1. **Crawling**: Search engines use automated programs called **crawlers** or **spiders** to explore the internet and discover new or updated web pages. Crawlers: - Follow links from page to page to gather information. - Index text, images, videos, and other content. - Store URLs and content information in a massive database. 2. **Indexing**: After crawling, search engines organize and store the collected data in an **index**, which serves as the search engine's database. During this step: - The content of each web page is analyzed and categorized based on keywords, topics, and metadata. - Pages are evaluated for their relevance and quality. 3. **Ranking**: When a user types a query into the search bar, the search engine uses a **ranking algorithm** to deliver the most relevant results. Ranking factors include: - **Keywords**: How well the page matches the query. - **Content Quality**: The depth, accuracy, and usefulness of the content. - **Backlinks**: The number and quality of other websites linking to the page. - **User Experience**: Factors like page speed, mobile-friendliness, and security (HTTPS). - **Location and Context**: Search engines consider user location and search history to personalize results. ## The Top 5 Search Engines and Their Market Shares While there are many search engines available, five dominate the market. Each offers unique features and caters to specific user needs. 1. **Google**: Market Share: ~92% (as of November 2024) - Google is by far the largest and most widely used search engine globally. Its dominance is attributed to: - Advanced algorithms that deliver accurate results. - User-friendly design and features like Google Maps, Google Business Profile, and Google Images. - Integration with other Google services like Gmail, YouTube, and Google Workspace. - **Why It Matters**: For businesses, optimizing for Google (SEO) is essential due to its massive reach. Ranking well on Google means greater visibility and traffic. 2. **Bing**: Market Share: ~3% (as of November 2024) - Microsoft's **Bing** is the second-largest search engine, often integrated into Windows devices and the Edge browser. - **Key features include**: - Rewards program offering points for searches. - High-quality image and video search. - Integration with Microsoft Office and Cortana. - **Why It Matters**: - While Bing's market share is smaller, it's important for businesses targeting specific demographics, as Bing users often skew slightly older and higher-income. 3. **Baidu**: Market Share: ~1.2% (as of November 2024) - Baidu is the leading search engine in China, where Google is restricted. It caters primarily to Chinese-speaking users and offers features like: - Advanced voice and image recognition. - Strong focus on local Chinese websites and businesses. - AI-powered tools for users and advertisers. - **Why It Matters**: - For businesses targeting the Chinese market, optimizing for Baidu is crucial. It's a gateway to reaching one of the largest internet-using populations in the world. 4. **Yahoo!**: Market Share: ~1% (as of November 2024) - Once a dominant player in the search engine space, Yahoo! now partners with Bing to deliver search results. While its popularity has declined, it still holds a loyal user base. - **Key Features**: - News and media integration. - Strong focus on personalized homepage experiences. - Popular in specific regions and demographics. - **Why It Matters**: Businesses should consider Yahoo! if their target audience uses it regularly, particularly in niche markets. 5. **Yandex**: Market Share: ~0.8% (as of November 2024) - Yandex is the most popular search engine in Russia and other Russian-speaking countries. It offers services similar to Google, including maps, email, and cloud storage. - **Key Features**: - Strong focus on local Russian content. - Advanced language processing for Cyrillic text. - Tools like Yandex.Direct for advertisers. - **Why It Matters**: If your business targets Russian-speaking audiences, optimizing for Yandex can be highly beneficial. ## Why Knowing Search Engine Market Shares Matters Understanding the market share of search engines can help businesses prioritize where to focus their efforts. For example: - **Google** is the primary focus for most businesses due to its overwhelming dominance. - **Bing** and **Yahoo!** are important for niche audiences and certain demographics. - **Baidu** and **Yandex** are critical for businesses targeting Chinese and Russian-speaking users, respectively. ## How to Optimize Your Website for Multiple Search Engines While Google dominates, it's still valuable to consider the nuances of other search engines to maximize your visibility. Here are some tips: 1. **Prioritize Google Optimization**: Since Google commands over 90% of the market, focus on its ranking factors: - Create high-quality, user-focused content. - Use proper keywords and metadata. - Optimize for Core Web Vitals (page speed, interactivity, and visual stability). 2. **Adjust for Bing and Yahoo!**: Bing and Yahoo! value: - Strong on-page SEO, such as keyword placement and meta descriptions. - High-quality multimedia content (e.g., images and videos). - Social signals, like content shared on social media platforms. 3. **Optimize for Baidu**: Baidu has specific requirements: - Use simplified Chinese for all content. - Host your website on a Chinese server or use a .cn domain. - Avoid JavaScript and excessive multimedia, as Baidu struggles with these elements. 4. **Cater to Yandex**: For Yandex, consider: - Ensuring fast load times and mobile responsiveness. - Prioritizing local SEO for Russian audiences. - Creating detailed meta tags in Russian. ## Conclusion: Understanding and Leveraging Search Engines Search engines are the backbone of how users navigate the internet. Understanding how they work and which ones dominate the market allows businesses to tailor their SEO strategies for maximum impact. While **Google** is the clear leader, optimizing for other search engines like **Bing**, **Baidu**, **Yahoo!**, and **Yandex** can help you tap into niche markets and reach more customers. ## Ready to improve your search engine visibility? At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in crafting SEO strategies that optimize your website for all major search engines. [Contact us today](/Contact/) to learn how we can help your business grow organically online! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Add-Other-People-to-Your-Facebook-Business-/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Add-Other-People-to-Your-Facebook-Business-/ If you are running a business, sometimes you simply can't run all aspects by yourself and need assistance in creating ads and running campaigns. Facebook understands this and has given all business pages the ability to add other people to your page, whether they are your employees or members from other marketing agencies. Before we begin though, now is a good time to go over the differences between the different online management systems and their functions. **Business Manager:** The overall way to manage multiple people's access to your business page. This allows you to give may varying levels of permission to different people by managing people and keeping their tasks separate. **Ad Manager:** Ad Manager allows you or a team member to create, manage and run ads as well as looking at your budget and billing info. This is where you go for all of your advertising related objectives. **Pixel:** This is a piece of code for your own website that allows you to measure, collect and react upon data and build appropriate audiences for your marketing campaigns and ads. **Power Editor:** This was a tool designed for someone who is creating multiple ads at once and needs more control and up to date statistics on their campaigns. While most smaller businesses would most likely not need this, it is worth learning about if you find yourself becoming a larger presence online. Now that that is out of the way, here is a step by step guide to adding new members to your business page and also removing them. **Adding People to Business Manager** 1. To start, open up your Business Manager, click the menu icon in the upper left to open the menu and select "Business Settings" on the right-hand side. 2. On the Business Settings page, make sure the "People" section is selected under the Users section on the lefthand side. On the right, you see all of the users you’ve added. If you are setting up this account for the first time, you’ll be the only user listed. To add someone else, click the Add button in the upper right of the People column. 3. The Invite People box should now appear, which walks you through the settings you can choose as you add someone to your account. 4. To begin, type the email or work address of the person you want to add. Then select whether to give "Employee Access" or "Admin Access". Typically we recommend providing Employee Access. This allows you to limit the pages the person has access to and actions they can take but still allow them to complete certain tasks. 5. By now clicking "Next", you can now see a screen that lets you give your employee access to any business page connected to your Business Manager account. 6. By giving an employee access to the page, they can create posts that are shared with your page followers and anyone who visits your page. If you also give the employee access to the ad account, they can create, edit, and monitor ads via the backend of your Facebook business page. 7. Once you are finished giving access, click the "Invite" button. This will send a confirmation that your invitation was sent to your employee’s email address. **How to Add a Partner or Agency to the Business Manager** 1. To add partner or agency that will be handling your ads, go to your business settings. 2. Under the "Users" section click on "Partners". 3. Select the business page or ad account you want to assign. 4. Click on "Assign Partner". 5. Select the business you would like the partner to have access to. A link will then be sent to that partner to accept within a 30-day time limit. **How to Remove a Person from Your Business Manager** 1. Go to your "Business Settings". 2. Under the "Users" section click "People". 3. Find the person you wish to remove and then click "Remove." 4. If you are a person that wants to remove yourself from the business on your own, open your Business Settings, Go to "Business Info", click on "My Info" and finally "Leave Business". By following these steps you'll be on your way to organizing your own team or agency to help your business create ads and find new clients. As with all things in life, knowing how to set aside work and make sure everyone plays a role is a key for any business to find success, Facebook included. If you have any more questions about creating a Facebook Business Manager or want to talk social media, please email me at kyle@jm2marketing.com. I'd love to chat with you! For more information on Facebook Business Page Access, please visit this [link](https://www.Facebook.com/business/help/530540643805698%20). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Beat-Your-Competition-Even-When-They-Outspe/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Beat-Your-Competition-Even-When-They-Outspe/ ### How to Beat Your Competition Even When They Outspend You on Marketing: The Little Guy's Blueprint for Big Wins Marketing budgets don't always determine success. While large competitors might outspend you on ads and flashy campaigns, you have the advantage of agility, creativity, and focus. By leveraging the right strategies, you can beat your competition—even those with much larger marketing budgets—and position your business as the go-to choice in your industry. This guide will show you how the "little guy" can win big. ## Focus on Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) A strong **unique value proposition (UVP)** is your secret weapon. Identify what sets your business apart from the competition and focus your messaging around that. ### What to Do: - **Highlight What Makes You Different**: Are you locally owned? Do you provide a personalized customer experience? Emphasize what large competitors can't offer. - **Solve Problems Better**: Understand your audience's pain points and position your product or service as the ultimate solution. - **Be Relatable**: Customers often gravitate toward businesses that feel authentic and approachable. ### Example: If your competitor is a large chain, emphasize your local roots and personal touch with messaging like, *"Proudly serving our community with personalized care you won't find anywhere else."* ## Master Local SEO and Google Business Profile ## Search engines don't care how big your marketing budget is—they care about relevance. By optimizing your local SEO and **Google Business Profile**, you can outrank competitors in local searches without spending a fortune. ### What to Do: - **Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile**: Add detailed business information, respond to reviews, and upload photos. - **Use Local Keywords**: Incorporate location-specific terms into your website and content. - **Get Reviews**: Positive customer reviews are free but incredibly powerful for building trust and improving visibility. ### Why It Works: Local SEO levels the playing field, allowing small businesses to dominate search results in their area, regardless of budget. ## Invest in High-Quality Content Content marketing is a cost-effective way to outshine competitors. Creating valuable, engaging content builds trust with your audience and drives organic traffic. ### What to Do: - **Write Blogs**: Publish articles that address common customer questions or industry insights. - **Leverage Social Media**: Share tips, stories, and updates that resonate with your audience. - **Create Evergreen Content**: Invest in resources like how-to guides, FAQs, and videos that provide long-term value. ### Pro Tip: Unlike ads, content continues to work for you long after it's published. A well-written blog can generate traffic and leads for months or even years. ## Build Strong Relationships With Customers While big companies often focus on volume, small businesses can create deep, meaningful relationships with their customers. This loyalty can become your biggest competitive advantage. ### What to Do: - **Engage Regularly**: Use personalized emails, text messages, or direct social media interactions to stay connected. - **Offer Exceptional Customer Service**: Make every customer feel valued and heard. - **Create Referral Programs**: Reward customers who recommend your business to others. ### Why It Works: Happy customers become brand advocates, spreading the word about your business without requiring additional ad spend. ## Be Nimble and Adapt Quickly Large companies often face red tape and slower decision-making processes. As a smaller business, you have the advantage of agility—use it to stay ahead. ### What to Do: - **Experiment With Strategies**: Test new ideas quickly and adjust based on results. - **Respond to Trends**: Be the first in your market to adopt emerging trends or respond to customer feedback. - **Personalize Campaigns**: Tailor your messaging to specific audiences for a more impactful approach. ### Example: If there's a viral trend or a new customer need, act immediately. Create content, launch a promotion, or update your offerings before competitors catch on. ## Focus on Retention Over Acquisition It's far cheaper to keep an existing customer than to acquire a new one. Make retention a core part of your marketing strategy to build a loyal customer base that keeps coming back. ### What to Do: - **Loyalty Programs**: Reward repeat customers with discounts, freebies, or exclusive access. - **Consistent Communication**: Use email and SMS to stay top-of-mind with your audience. - **Ask for Feedback**: Show customers you value their input and make improvements based on their suggestions. ### Why It Works: Retained customers are more likely to spend more, refer others, and stay loyal—reducing your need to spend heavily on new customer acquisition. ## Use Hyper-Targeted Advertising If you decide to run ads, focus on hyper-targeted campaigns to stretch your budget further. ### What to Do: - **Use Retargeting Ads**: Focus on customers who have already shown interest in your business. - **Geo-Target Your Campaigns**: Limit your ads to specific geographic areas where your customers are located. - **Leverage Lookalike Audiences**: Use tools like Facebook Ads Manager to find audiences similar to your best customers. ### Pro Tip: Smaller, more targeted ad campaigns often yield better ROI than broad, generic campaigns. ## Collaborate With Other Local Businesses Partnering with complementary businesses can help you reach a wider audience without spending a dime. ### What to Do: - **Cross-Promote**: Share each other's products or services with your audiences. - **Host Events**: Collaborate on events or promotions that attract shared customers. - **Bundle Offers**: Combine your services with another business's for a value-packed deal. ### Example: A local bakery and a coffee shop could team up to promote breakfast specials. ## Monitor Your Competitors and Differentiate Keep an eye on what your competitors are doing—but focus on standing out, not blending in. ### What to Do: - **Analyze Competitor Campaigns**: Identify their strengths and weaknesses. - **Do What They Don't**: Offer services, products, or perks they're missing. - **Own Your Niche**: Be the best at what you do, even if it's on a smaller scale. ### Why It Works: Customers are more likely to choose a business that stands out rather than one that feels like a copy of the competition. ## Measure, Refine, Repeat Data-driven marketing helps you make smarter decisions and maximize your budget. ### What to Do: - **Track Metrics**: Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor website traffic, conversions, and customer behavior. - **A/B Test Campaigns**: Test different approaches to find what works best. - **Focus on ROI**: Double down on strategies that deliver the highest returns. ### Pro Tip: Even small improvements in conversion rates or retention can significantly boost your profits over time. ## Why Fawkes Digital Marketing Is Your Partner for Success At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in helping small businesses outshine their competitors, regardless of budget. Our tailored strategies include: - **Local SEO Optimization**: Dominate local searches and reach your ideal audience. - **Content Marketing**: Build authority and drive traffic with engaging, SEO-optimized blogs. - **Social Media Management**: Grow your brand's presence without breaking the bank. - **Hyper-Targeted Advertising**: Stretch your ad dollars further with data-driven campaigns. We understand that every dollar counts, and we're here to help you make the most of your marketing efforts. ## Conclusion You don't need a massive budget to beat the competition. By focusing on your unique strengths, leveraging cost-effective strategies like content and local SEO, and building strong customer relationships, you can outperform even the most well-funded competitors. With the right plan in place, the "little guy" can win—and win big. Ready to take your business to the next level? Contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today, and let us help you craft a winning strategy tailored to your goals. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Block-Someone-from-Your-Facebook-Business-P/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Block-Someone-from-Your-Facebook-Business-P/ Despite a business's best intentions, sometimes you will end up with a client or employee who does not leave on a good note. A situation like this usually doesn't go beyond hurt feelings but in some cases, the level of angst may go beyond a few choice words and turn into a situation where one angry person can threaten your online business presence. Are there steps that can be taken in situations like this? Yes, there are. Let's discuss them. **Taking it Offline:** We constantly talk about the act of taking bad reviews or feedback offline and this is something that still hasn't changed. To be clear, this doesn't mean outright deleting bad reviews or comments (more on that later). Anger can quickly be diffused by being reasonable with someone and that is best done with a face to face meeting or discussion over the phone. Text-based conversations lack the nuance or background information that traditional conversations have and can easily be misinterpreted. This is why we tell our clients to ask to speak with them in person. This ends the conversation online and starts a new one in person which usually leads to a resolved conflict. Afterward, you might even ask them to change their review to a more positive one, leaving a comment on how you worked to resolve this situation for them. **The Final Solution:** There may be times that even taking it offline does not work and this person is now determined to let their negative experience ( even if it was their fault the experience was negative) be known. They leave a bad review, create a fake account and leave another bad review. They get their friends (real or online) and have them unleash a storm of negative feedback, plunging your business page's positive rating. They might even begin attacking other commenters or your staff members leaving angry, rude or sometimes threatening messages. If this is something that is happening or something that you feel is in danger of happening, there is one final solution that can be taken. Facebook business pages give admins the option to block certain individuals from interacting with the page. This means not being able to comment, leave reviews or see what is being posted. As stated before we recommend actively trying to find a solution to a situation before starting this tactic, however, if it becomes necessary to save your business, your employees and your customers from harm or verbal abuse, here is what you can do. **How to Block Someone from a Facebook Business Page:** 1. Click on your business name from the drop-down menu beneath the arrow on the menu bar of your Facebook business page. Click on the "Show" button on the business page to open the Admin Panel. 2. Click the "See All" option in the New Likes section to view the list of people who currently like your business page. 3. Click the "X" next to the name of the person you want to block. Select the "Ban Permanently" checkbox on the Remove confirmation box and follow up by clicking "Ok" to remove and block that person from your page. 4. Click the "Hide" button to close the Admin Panel. You are now done. **How to Block Someone's Timeline Post** 1. Click the "X" icon near the person's name on a message they posted on the page. 2. Choose "Delete" from the drop-down menu. 3. Click "Delete and Ban User" to remove the post from the business page and block the person from the page. You are now done. **How to Block Someone's Comment on a Post** 1. Go to the negative comment the person made on any post on your business timeline. 2. Click the "X" that appears to the right of the post. A message stating, "You've Hidden This Comment So Only The Person Who Wrote It And Their Friends Can See It. Undo This Or Delete This Comment" appears. 3. Click "Delete This Comment." 4. Click the "Ban (User Name)" link in the line that states "You Can Also Report It as Abusive, or Ban (User Name)." This is an especially essential step when it comes to someone who is leaving abusive comments to clients or staff members. **Viewing the list of Banned Users** You can view a list of banned users from the admin panel. 1. Click "See All" in the New Likes section and choose "Banned" in the People Who Like This list drop-down menu. 2. Let's say you've blocked someone by accident or resolved a situation with someone. Click "Unban" if you want to allow the person to access your page once more. **Conclusion:** Banning someone is something that shouldn't be taken lightly nor should it be the first option someone considers when running into a conflict with someone on social media. However, if this person is causing enough of a disruption it's affecting the well being of your customers and employees, this is a necessary step to keep the peace of mind of everyone else on your page. Being safe and keeping business efficient is one of the essential steps to any successful business, and this extends online just as much as it does in the real world. If you have any more questions regarding how to maintain a healthy and safe online presence for your business, please reach out to me at kyle@jm2marketing.com. I'd love to hear from you. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Build-Topical-Authority-for-Your-Website-Do/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Build-Topical-Authority-for-Your-Website-Do/ In the competitive world of online search, **topical authority** is one of the most powerful ways to position your website as a trusted resource in your industry. By building topical authority, you can improve your search engine rankings, attract a loyal audience, and outshine your competitors. But achieving this requires a strategic approach that combines content creation, SEO best practices, and audience engagement. In this pillar post, we'll explain what topical authority is, why it's important, and how you can build it effectively for your website domain. *** ## **What Is Topical Authority?** Topical authority refers to your website's expertise and credibility in a specific subject area or niche. When a search engine like Google views your website as a comprehensive source for information on a particular topic, it ranks your content higher in search results. For example: - A website consistently publishing in-depth articles about **"digital marketing"** will be seen as authoritative in that domain. - Similarly, a local website covering all aspects of **"home renovation in Austin, TX"** will build topical authority for that niche. Search engines prioritize websites with strong topical authority because they are more likely to provide relevant and trustworthy information to users. *** ## **Why Is Topical Authority Important?** 1. **Improved Rankings:** Search engines reward websites with high topical authority, helping you rank higher for relevant keywords. 2. **Increased Organic Traffic:** By covering your niche comprehensively, you attract more visitors looking for answers within your topic. 3. **Enhanced User Trust:** Readers are more likely to trust and return to a website that provides detailed, accurate, and up-to-date information. 4. **Competitive Edge:** Building topical authority makes it harder for competitors to outrank you, especially for long-tail keywords and niche topics. *** ## **How to Build Topical Authority for Your Website** ### **1. Identify Your Niche** To build topical authority, your website needs to focus on a specific subject area. This can be broad (e.g., "health and wellness") or narrow (e.g., "vegan nutrition for athletes"). - **Tips for Choosing Your Niche:** - Select a topic aligned with your business goals. - Ensure it has enough audience interest and search volume. - Research competitors to identify gaps you can fill. ### **2. Create a Content Strategy** A strong content strategy ensures that your website covers all aspects of your niche, from basic introductions to advanced topics. - **Start with a Content Hub:** - Build a **pillar page** that provides an overview of your main topic. - Create **cluster content** (supporting blog posts) that dives deeper into subtopics and links back to the pillar page. - **Content Types to Include:** - Informational blogs. - How-to guides and tutorials. - Case studies and success stories. - Frequently asked questions (FAQs). - Tools, templates, or downloadable resources. For example: - **Pillar Topic:** "SEO for Small Businesses" - **Cluster Topics:** - "How to Conduct Keyword Research for Local SEO" - "5 On-Page SEO Tips for Beginners" - "The Role of Backlinks in SEO" ### **3. Perform Keyword Research** Keywords are the foundation of topical authority. Research the terms your audience is searching for and create content around them. - **Tools to Use:** - Google Keyword Planner. - Ahrefs or SEMrush. - AnswerThePublic for question-based keywords. - **Focus on:** - Short-tail keywords to cover general topics. - Long-tail keywords to address specific user intent. - Question-based keywords to rank for featured snippets. ### **4. Build Internal Linking** Internal linking connects your content pieces, helping search engines understand the relationship between your topics. - **Best Practices:** - Link supporting content (cluster topics) back to your main pillar page. - Use descriptive anchor text that includes your target keywords. - Regularly update old articles with links to new, relevant content. Internal linking improves your website's structure, boosts user engagement, and strengthens your topical authority. ### **5. Optimize for SEO** SEO ensures your content is visible and ranks well on search engines. - **Technical SEO:** - Improve page load speed. - Ensure your site is mobile-friendly. - Use structured data to enhance search visibility. - **On-Page SEO:** - Include keywords in headings, meta descriptions, and alt text. - Write clear, concise, and engaging content. - Add schema markup for articles, FAQs, and reviews. - **Off-Page SEO:** - Build high-quality backlinks from authoritative websites. - Engage in guest blogging to increase your domain's exposure. - Participate in forums or communities relevant to your niche. ### **6. Create Evergreen Content** Evergreen content remains relevant and valuable over time, making it essential for building topical authority. - **Examples of Evergreen Topics:** - "Beginner's Guide to Personal Finance." - "10 Essential Tips for Home Gardening." - "How to Write an Effective Resume." Regularly update your evergreen content to ensure it stays accurate and optimized. ### **7. Publish Consistently** Consistency is key to maintaining and growing your topical authority. Develop a content calendar to ensure regular publication. - **Tips:** - Start with one high-quality post per week. - Gradually increase frequency as your resources allow. - Monitor performance to identify successful topics and replicate them. ### **8. Engage with Your Audience** Topical authority isn't just about content—it's also about interaction. Engage with your audience to build trust and loyalty. - Respond to comments on your blog. - Participate in discussions on social media. - Answer questions on platforms like Quora or Reddit. ### **9. Monitor and Refine** Use analytics tools to track your progress and refine your strategy. - **Metrics to Monitor:** - Organic traffic growth. - Keyword rankings. - Backlink profile. - Bounce rate and time on page. Adjust your content strategy based on what resonates most with your audience. *** ## **Example of a Topical Authority Structure** If your niche is **Digital Marketing for Small Businesses**, your content could include: 1. **Pillar Page:** - "The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing for Small Businesses." 2. **Cluster Content:** - "What is SEO? A Beginner's Guide." - "How to Create a Social Media Marketing Plan." - "Top 5 Email Marketing Tools for Startups." - "How to Measure ROI in Digital Marketing Campaigns." 3. **Supplemental Content:** - Case studies, white papers, and downloadable templates. *** ## **Conclusion: Establishing Topical Authority** Building topical authority is a long-term investment that pays dividends in organic traffic, user trust, and higher search engine rankings. By creating high-quality, comprehensive content, optimizing for SEO, and engaging with your audience, you can position your website as the go-to resource in your industry. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in helping businesses create content strategies that establish topical authority and drive results. Contact us today to learn how we can help your website dominate your niche and become a trusted resource for your audience! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-buy-safely-online/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-buy-safely-online/ Online sales are continuously increasing. We know this as we buy more online, those we talk to are buying more online, and eCommerce has become a large focus of what we do as an organization. The problem with all of this is people are still being tricked into bad situations even on sites they expect to be reputable. We are going to cover our most popular tips that will help you buy online safer. ## Green (Grey) Padlock When it comes to online shopping the first thing you need to look at is your URL for the website you are on. Does it have the padlock stating your page is secured? This should not just be the login or checkout pages but every page of your website. Many browsers will even label sites as “Not Secure” if this doesn’t exist on every page which we are completely behind. ## Keep it a secret We’ve seen some pretty shady things asked on some online stores. The following items you should not fill in ever: - Social Security Number (SSN) Some items you need to put in but only if you feel it will benefit you. If you are still required and are unsure of make up something for these. - Birthday - Anniversary - Pet name - Spouse, relatives, or children information ## Don’t save your credit card I know saving your credit card on sites like Amazon, your favorite restaurant, etc. will speed your checkout process by a minute or two. ## Credit cards Often many credit card companies allow you to create a one-time credit card. These temporary cards are digital only and can help protect your main credit card. You can also set spending limits, lockdown cards to your location (e.g. your country/state). ## Passwords When you create a password, although harder, use a different one that is unique to each site. Don’t use anything personal or related to the site you are on. Utilize a password manager that not only can help you create secure passwords but will help you use password best practices. ## Gift cards Everyone’s favorite gift anymore isn’t that super personalized gift. I see more and more from family and friends gift cards going to everyone. The reason is that they are simple, easy, convenient, and often are from people we don’t see on a daily basis. Purchase your cards from the source or a reputable store and not from individuals selling off of Craigslist, eBay, or the Facebook marketplace. You might get a good deal but you also might get swindled. I have seen first hand where a gift card was purchased off Facebook Marketplace, they called the number and confirmed the balance. They went home to spend and the money was gone. A simple scam but one that can take money quickly away from you. ## Coffee shops and public hot spots Watch for those screen watchers. Look for phones pointed in your direction. Stay vigilant and keep your data safe. People can watch your screen or keyboard to gain valuable information. ## Computer updates Make certain you have the latest version of your operating system, anti-virus, and malware software. This can help protect you from going to scam and phishing sites that are known to steal your information. ## Use online banking and credit card (often) Online banking and any of your credit cards should have a secure online portal. Check them often and during holidays especially be more diligent than ever. This will allow you to catch fraudulent charges faster. By catching faster, you can help any online retailer from shipping a product to a thief and you can also report it to your bank/credit card company as fraudulent. ## Privacy policies I know I never read them completely but make certain there is a privacy policy and see what they will do with your information. Are they selling it to make more money off of you once you sign up? Are you okay with that or would it be best to go to another site? ## Return policies Online retailers never like returns but you need to know the policies. Do they offer returns? Are returns given for in-store credit, in-store exchanges, or do they refund you? This information can be critical especially if you are buying a gift for someone. You might purchase it today but not give it for over a month. Does that timeframe fit the allotted time for returns? ## Common sense I am going to end with use the common sense you have. If it sounds too good to be true it just might be (not always though). If you have a “gut feeling” and still want the item ask someone else their opinion. Two minds are often better than one. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Get-More-People-to-Visit-Your-Website-Using/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Get-More-People-to-Visit-Your-Website-Using/ # **How to Get More People to Visit Your Website Using Zero-Click Search** In today’s digital landscape, **zero-click searches** are reshaping the way users interact with search engines. These are searches where users find the information they need directly on the search results page, without clicking on a website. While it might seem counterintuitive, businesses can leverage zero-click searches to increase visibility, drive brand awareness, and ultimately guide users to their websites. In this article, we’ll explore what zero-click searches are, how they impact SEO, and actionable strategies to help your business thrive in this changing environment. *** ## **What is a Zero-Click Search?** A **zero-click search** occurs when a user’s query is answered directly on the search engine results page (SERP), eliminating the need to click through to a website. These results often appear in the form of: - **Featured Snippets** (e.g., definitions, lists, or tables) - **Knowledge Panels** (e.g., business information or summaries) - **Local Packs** (e.g., maps showing nearby businesses) - **People Also Ask** sections - **Quick Answer Boxes** (e.g., direct answers to questions like "What is SEO?") While zero-click searches satisfy users immediately, they present a challenge for businesses relying on traditional organic clicks to drive website traffic. *** ## **How Zero-Click Search Impacts Your Website** ### **1. Reduced Click-Through Rates (CTR)** With users finding answers directly on the SERP, fewer clicks make it to your website. However, being featured in a zero-click result boosts brand visibility and authority. ### **2. Increased Competition** Search engines prioritize high-quality, relevant content for zero-click positions, making it essential to optimize for these features to stay competitive. ### **3. Opportunity for Local Businesses** Local packs in zero-click searches are highly beneficial for businesses targeting local customers. These results often include contact information, directions, and reviews, driving offline engagement. *** ## **How to Optimize Your Website for Zero-Click Search** While zero-click searches reduce traditional CTRs, optimizing for them can help you capture user attention, build trust, and drive indirect traffic to your website. *** ### **1. Target Featured Snippets** **Featured snippets** appear at the top of search results and provide concise answers to user queries. Securing this spot increases your visibility. **What to Do:** - Identify questions your audience frequently asks. - Create content that answers these questions clearly and concisely. - Use structured formats like lists, tables, or short paragraphs. **Example:** If users search for "How to bake a cake," provide a step-by-step guide formatted as a bulleted list. *** ### **2. Optimize for Local SEO** For businesses targeting local customers, zero-click searches often highlight **Google Business Profiles** and local packs. **What to Do:** - Claim and optimize your **Google Business Profile**. - Include up-to-date information like address, phone number, business hours, and customer reviews. - Use location-based keywords in your content and metadata. *** ### **3. Leverage Schema Markup** **Structured data (schema markup)** helps search engines understand your content and increases the chances of being featured in rich results. **What to Do:** - Add schema markup for FAQs, products, reviews, and events. - Use Google’s **Structured Data Testing Tool** to ensure your schema is implemented correctly. - Focus on schema types that align with your content, such as `FAQPage`, `HowTo`, or `Product`. *** ### **4. Focus on People Also Ask (PAA) Boxes** **People Also Ask (PAA)** boxes provide additional questions related to the user’s search query. Being featured here increases your exposure. **What to Do:** - Research related questions using tools like **Answer the Public** or **SEMrush**. - Create content that addresses these questions comprehensively. - Use question-based headings (`

` or `

`) to structure your content. *** ### **5. Create High-Quality, Authoritative Content** Zero-click results prioritize content that is: - Accurate - Trustworthy - Relevant to the user’s intent **What to Do:** - Write in a clear, conversational tone. - Include data, statistics, and expert insights to build credibility. - Update your content regularly to ensure accuracy and relevance. *** ### **6. Optimize for Voice Search** Voice search queries are often conversational and align closely with zero-click results. **What to Do:** - Use natural language and long-tail keywords in your content. - Focus on answering "who," "what," "where," "when," and "how" questions. - Ensure your site is mobile-friendly and loads quickly. *** ### **7. Monitor and Improve Your Click-Worthy Content** While zero-click searches provide immediate answers, users often click through for more in-depth information. **What to Do:** - Create **click-worthy headlines** that intrigue users. - Include CTAs within featured content to encourage engagement. - Use internal links to guide users deeper into your site. *** ## **Benefits of Optimizing for Zero-Click Searches** ### **1. Boosts Brand Visibility** Being featured in zero-click results places your brand at the forefront of search queries, even if users don’t click through. ### **2. Establishes Authority** Providing accurate and relevant answers builds trust with your audience, positioning you as an expert in your field. ### **3. Drives Local Traffic** For local businesses, zero-click searches can lead to increased foot traffic and phone inquiries. ### **4. Enhances User Experience** By answering user queries directly, you improve their experience, which can lead to higher engagement and loyalty. *** ## **Why You Need a Professional Marketing Agency** Optimizing for zero-click searches requires a strategic approach that balances technical SEO, content creation, and user intent. A professional marketing agency like **Fawkes Digital Marketing** has the expertise to: - Identify and target high-value zero-click opportunities. - Create optimized content designed to secure featured snippets and PAA placements. - Implement structured data to improve your chances of being featured. - Monitor and refine strategies to stay ahead of competitors. With our deep understanding of SEO trends and proven track record, **Fawkes Digital Marketing** can help your business thrive in the evolving world of search. *** ## **Conclusion** Zero-click searches are here to stay, and businesses that adapt will have a significant edge in building brand visibility and authority. By targeting featured snippets, optimizing for local SEO, and leveraging structured data, you can position your website to succeed in the era of zero-click results. Ready to harness the power of zero-click searches? Contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today to learn how we can help you optimize your website and dominate search results. **[Get in touch](https://www.fawkesdm.com/)** and start driving results! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/how-to-improve-seo-starter-guide/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/how-to-improve-seo-starter-guide/ ### How to Improve SEO: A Starter Guide Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential for improving your website's visibility and driving organic traffic. Whether you're a small business owner, a blogger, or an e-commerce entrepreneur, understanding and implementing SEO basics can significantly impact your online presence. Here’s a step-by-step starter guide to improving your SEO and setting your website up for success. *** ### **1. Understand What SEO Is** SEO is the practice of optimizing your website so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Higher rankings lead to increased visibility, which means more traffic and potential customers. SEO involves three main types: - **On-Page SEO:** Optimizing content, keywords, meta tags, and internal links. - **Off-Page SEO:** Building backlinks and improving your website’s authority. - **Technical SEO:** Enhancing website structure, speed, and mobile usability. *** ### **2. Perform Keyword Research** Keywords are the foundation of SEO. They help search engines understand the content of your pages and connect users with relevant results. #### **How to Find Keywords:** - Use tools like **Google Keyword Planner**, **Ahrefs**, or **SEMrush**. - Identify short-tail (e.g., “shoes”) and long-tail keywords (e.g., “comfortable running shoes for women”). - Focus on keywords with a balance of high search volume and low competition. #### **Tips for Keyword Use:** - Include primary keywords in your title tag, headings, and content. - Avoid keyword stuffing; write naturally. *** ### **3. Optimize Your Website Content** High-quality, relevant content is crucial for SEO. Search engines prioritize user-focused content that answers questions and provides value. #### **Content Tips:** - Write for humans first, then optimize for search engines. - Use your keywords strategically in titles, headers, and throughout the body. - Break up text with subheadings, bullet points, and visuals. - Publish fresh, regularly updated content to stay relevant. *** ### **4. Improve Your Website’s User Experience (UX)** Search engines consider user experience when ranking websites. A site that is easy to navigate and loads quickly provides a better experience. #### **Steps to Improve UX:** - **Speed:** Use tools like **Google PageSpeed Insights** to optimize load times. - **Mobile-Friendly Design:** Ensure your website is responsive and functions well on mobile devices. - **Clear Navigation:** Use intuitive menus and internal links to guide users. *** ### **5. Focus on On-Page SEO Basics** On-page SEO involves optimizing individual pages for specific keywords and better user engagement. #### **Checklist for On-Page SEO:** - Use descriptive and keyword-rich title tags (under 60 characters). - Write compelling meta descriptions (under 160 characters). - Optimize images with alt text and compressed file sizes. - Use headers (H1, H2, H3) to structure your content. - Add internal and external links to improve navigation and credibility. *** ### **6. Build Quality Backlinks** Backlinks—links from other websites to yours—signal authority to search engines. High-quality backlinks can boost your rankings. #### **How to Earn Backlinks:** - Write guest posts for reputable blogs. - Share your content on social media and outreach to influencers. - Create shareable resources like infographics and videos. - Engage in partnerships with other websites in your niche. *** ### **7. Monitor Your SEO Performance** Track your progress to see what works and where you need to improve. #### **Tools to Use:** - **Google Analytics:** Track traffic and user behavior. - **Google Search Console:** Monitor rankings, click-through rates, and crawl errors. - **SEO Tools:** Use platforms like **Ahrefs**, **Moz**, or **SEMrush** for in-depth analysis. #### **Key Metrics to Watch:** - Organic traffic. - Keyword rankings. - Bounce rate and dwell time. - Backlink quality and quantity. *** ### **8. Stay Updated with SEO Trends** SEO is constantly evolving as search engines update their algorithms. Staying informed about trends and changes will help you maintain and improve your rankings. #### **Current Trends:** - Focus on **Core Web Vitals**, such as page speed and interactivity. - Optimize for **voice search** by using natural language keywords. - Leverage **local SEO** if you serve a specific geographic area. - Create video content, as it’s increasingly favored by search engines. *** ### **9. Local SEO for Small Businesses** If you’re a local business, optimizing for local search can drive foot traffic and local leads. #### **Key Actions for Local SEO:** - Claim your **Google Business Profile** and keep it updated. - Use location-specific keywords in your content. - Encourage customers to leave reviews on Google and Yelp. *** ### **10. Be Patient and Consistent** SEO is a long-term strategy. Results won’t happen overnight, but consistent effort will pay off in increased traffic and visibility over time. #### **Final Tips:** - Focus on providing value to your audience. - Regularly audit and update your SEO strategies. - Don’t try to game the system; follow search engine guidelines. *** ### Conclusion Improving SEO may seem overwhelming at first, but by starting with these basic steps, you can make significant progress. Focus on creating high-quality content, optimizing your website, and building authority through backlinks and user experience. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your strategy, these foundational tips will set you on the path to SEO success. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Meeting/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Meeting/ In the land of business there is always a need to have meetings. Many consider meetings a complete waste of time but when handled correctly can push a business to the next level of success. The key is when you have a meeting to have a plan, make it effective, and not waste people's time so that they can continue to be effective. Over the years I have been in more meetings than I care to count. Many have been good but more often than not they were a waste of everyone's time as not everything was properly prepared beforehand. After each meeting whether I held it or someone else did I took some personal notes and thought I would share as many of the items have been shared but I have never run across a blog post that covered all in a single post that was short, sweet, concise, and didn't waste my time. So, let's take a look at the list. When a meeting is needed the following is what needs to happen to be effective for the entire team: ## Define the who This is the area where you define "who" is attending the meeting. Do not choose everyone!!! That is a waste of valuable resources as well as will make the meeting a failure. Exceptions are annual meetings where everyone is required to attend. Every meeting consists of two or more people. A meeting should be set with those that are required to attend to be effective. Attendees that are not required but can positively contribute should be invited as "optional" for those that have nothing else going on and can positively contribute to the meeting. The final who are the resources that define items like where the meeting is, projectors, televisions, etc. that are needed to further enhance and add value to the meeting. If a person should know of the meeting but can be given a summary of what happened after the meeting do so. Don't invite the boss to a meeting just so they can sit through an hour meeting where you could give them a 15-minute recap and keep them more effective and productive for 45-minutes. A meeting should be kept as small as possible. When you invite more people than needed several items happen. The meetings tend to get off-track, they often don't produce the results that were originally intended, and many of the people twiddle their thumbs and don't do anything in the meeting. ## What are you talking about For any meeting to be effective you need an "agenda" that covers what is being talked about. This is ultimately the purpose of why everyone is taking time out of their busy day to meet. If an agenda cannot be decided on there really should be **no meeting until one is decided**. This allows the people attending the meeting to be prepared and have any required materials on-hand so that the meeting comes out with the positive results everyone wants. There will always be questions that aren't on the agenda but with an agenda the meeting will go smoothly as well as help in determining the length of the meeting. When you are invited to a meeting you should read over the entire agenda and create any talking points you need to be aware of. Even weeks before the meeting is a wise thing to do. You will see that even though the meeting is happening it allows you to be thinking of it subconsciously and be more mentally prepared for the meeting. I have done this and in "cooler talk" in a few minutes that hour meeting will vanish as it was handled in a quick five-minute conversation or it allows for the agenda to be amended to cover an important item that was forgotten. ## Where should you meet The "where" of the meeting isn't necessarily the office conference room, the boss's office, an employee's office, or the local coffee shop. Deciding where you need to meet take into account what is being discussed, what if people overhear (is that bad or acceptable). ## Then you need the when to meet If you are kicking off a new product the "when" is before the product launches. The when should be timed to fit correctly into what is being talked about. When it comes to when there are three items that need to be figured out. The date that you are going to meet, the time of the day you will meet, and the length of the meeting. If the meeting is going over lunch for people (don't forget your time zones!!!) are you providing a lunch for a working lunch, breaking for lunch (or it could be dinner), etc. Account that people have lives outside of work. Don't assume just because your schedule is available that you should inconvenience everyone else. That will be setting the meeting up for failure from the start. When choosing to meet do not start late or end after the meeting. If people are late they are being rude to everyone else that is attending (even if it is just a two-person meeting). Start your meetings on-time and end on-time. ## Technology inefficiencies We live in a technological world that requires us to "always be connected". In a meeting this can be a true killer for efficiency and staying on task. Only use technology that is required for the meeting. Have people leave their cell phones, tablets, and other devices out of the meeting unless they are required for the meeting. ## Conclusion on to meet With the above you have the necessary items for a meeting but you **still are not done**. Even with all the above your meeting will fail if you don't adhere to this final hard and fast rule. This could be the one piece that either makes or breaks your meeting. That is sticking to your agenda/time and staying the course. If you start going off track make a note and schedule it for a new meeting (yes another). The next is keeping the time right. If the meeting is running long end the meeting. Yes, end it! Schedule another meeting to continue the discussion with a new agenda. The new agenda will most likely be a modified version of the current agenda. ## All done or are you done With the meeting now complete and you did all of the necessary items your still not done. You need to follow up on the vital components of the meeting with those people involved. A good meeting sets "to do" items for those in the meeting and you need to make certain those items are being taken care of, and done correctly to what was discussed in the meeting. Often a quick phone call, email, or a cooler conversation can handle this necessary communication. For more in-depth conversation you should have a meeting (with an agenda, time, place, etc.) setup before the one meeting was complete unless you left it open ended based on when the items were completed. By doing all of the above you will have meetings that are effective, don't waste the time of those not necessary, and people will not dread going into meetings (as much). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/how-to-optimize/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/how-to-optimize/ In today's competitive digital landscape, optimizing your website for \*\*Search Engine Optimization (SEO)\*\* is essential for driving organic traffic and growing your business. SEO is the art and science of making your website more visible to search engines like Google and Bing, which in turn brings more potential customers to your site without relying on paid ads. A well-optimized website not only attracts traffic but also converts visitors into loyal customers. ## Why SEO Matters for Your Business Before diving into the strategies, let's explore why SEO is so critical for your business: 1. **Increased Visibility**: SEO ensures your website appears higher in search engine results, making it easier for potential customers to find you. 2. **Cost-Effective Marketing**: Unlike paid advertising, SEO drives free, organic traffic to your site. 3. **Builds Trust and Credibility**: Websites that rank higher are perceived as more trustworthy and authoritative by users. 4. **Better User Experience**: SEO isn't just about keywords; it's about improving your website's usability, speed, and navigation, keeping visitors engaged. 5. **Long-Term Benefits**: Unlike paid ads, the effects of good SEO compound over time, delivering lasting results. ## Steps to Optimize Your Website for SEO 1. **Conduct Thorough Keyword Research**: Keywords are the foundation of SEO. These are the phrases your potential customers type into search engines when looking for products or services like yours. - **How to Do It**: - Use tools like \*\*Google Keyword Planner\*\*, \*\*SEMrush\*\*, or \*\*Ahrefs\*\* to identify relevant keywords. - Focus on \*\*long-tail keywords\*\*, which are more specific and have less competition (e.g., "affordable plumbing services in Cullman" instead of "plumbing"). - Consider user intent. Are they looking to buy, learn, or compare? Match your content to their needs. - **Example**: If you own a bakery, target keywords like: - "Best cupcakes in Cullman Alabama" - "Custom wedding cakes near me" 2. **Optimize On-Page Elements**: On-page SEO focuses on optimizing individual pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic. - **Key On-Page SEO Elements**: - **Title Tags**: Include your target keyword and keep it under 60 characters. - Example: "Affordable Plumbing Services in Cullman – ABC Plumbing" - **Meta Descriptions**: Write compelling descriptions (under 155 characters) that encourage users to click. - Example: "Need a reliable plumber in Cullman? ABC Plumbing offers affordable and fast services. Call today!" - **Header Tags (H1, H2, H3)**: Organize your content with headers that include keywords and make it easier to read. - **URL Structure**: Create clean, keyword-rich URLs. - Example: "fawkesdm.com/affordable-plumbing-services-cullman" - **Alt Text for Images**: Add descriptive alt text to images to improve accessibility and help search engines understand them. 3. **Create High-Quality, Relevant Content**: Content is king when it comes to SEO. Your website needs to provide valuable, engaging, and relevant content to attract and retain visitors. - **Tips for Great Content**: - Address common questions your customers have (e.g., FAQs). - Write in-depth blog posts on topics related to your industry. - Use a mix of text, images, and videos to keep readers engaged. - Update content regularly to keep it fresh and relevant. - **Examples**: Blog Topics: - "Top 5 Plumbing Tips to Avoid Costly Repairs" - "How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Cake in Cullman" - **Video Ideas**: Tutorials, behind-the-scenes looks, or customer testimonials. 4. **Optimize for Mobile-Friendliness**: With the majority of web traffic coming from mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly website is crucial. - **How to Optimize**: - Use a **responsive design** so your site adjusts seamlessly to any screen size. - Test your website's mobile performance using **Google's Mobile-Friendly Test**. - Ensure buttons, links, and forms are easy to use on smaller screens. 5. **Improve Website Speed**: Site speed is a critical ranking factor. Slow websites frustrate users and increase bounce rates, which hurts your SEO. - How to Speed Up Your Site: - Compress large images using tools like **TinyPNG** or **ImageOptim**. - Use caching to reduce server load. - Minimize unnecessary scripts and plugins. - Choose a fast, reliable hosting provider. 6. **Build High-Quality Backlinks**: Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative. - **Strategies for Earning Backlinks**: - Create shareable content like infographics, guides, or research reports. - Guest post on reputable websites in your industry. - Partner with local businesses to exchange backlinks. - Local SEO Tip: List your business in directories like Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Yellow Pages to gain local backlinks. 7. **Optimize for Local SEO**: If your business serves a specific area, local SEO can help you attract nearby customers. - Steps for Local SEO: - **Google Business Profile**: Claim and optimize your profile by adding photos, business hours, and a compelling description. - **NAP Consistency**: Ensure your Name, Address, and Phone Number are consistent across all online listings. - **Local Keywords**: Use location-specific phrases like "best coffee shop in [City]" throughout your content. - **Customer Reviews**: Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on Google or Yelp. 8. **Use Analytics to Track Progress**: SEO is not a one-time effort. Use analytics to monitor your website's performance and adjust your strategy as needed. - Tools to Use: - **Google Analytics**: Tracks traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. - **Google Search Console**: Monitors search performance and identifies issues like broken links or indexing problems. - Metrics to Watch: - Organic traffic growth. - Bounce rate (the percentage of visitors who leave without interacting). - Keyword rankings. ## How SEO Brings More Customers to Your Business When implemented effectively, SEO helps your business: 1. **Increase Visibility**: More people see your website in search results. 2. **Attract Targeted Traffic**: Reach customers actively searching for your products or services. 3. **Build Trust and Credibility**: A higher ranking signals authority to both search engines and users. 4. **Boost Conversions**: A faster, user-friendly website encourages visitors to take action, like making a purchase or scheduling a consultation. ## Do You Need Help with SEO? Optimizing your website for SEO can feel overwhelming, especially if you're running a business at the same time. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in creating custom SEO strategies that drive real results. Whether you need help with keyword research, content creation, or technical SEO, our team is here to help. ### What We Offer: - Comprehensive SEO audits to identify opportunities. - On-page and technical SEO optimization. - High-quality content creation to engage and convert visitors. - Local SEO strategies to dominate your area. ## Conclusion: Take Your SEO to the Next Level SEO is the key to growing your business organically and building a sustainable online presence. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can optimize your website to rank higher in search results, attract more customers, and achieve your business goals. ## Ready to transform your website into a customer-generating machine? [Contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today](/Contact/) and let's start building your SEO success story! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/how-to-optimize-squarespace/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/how-to-optimize-squarespace/ Squarespace is one of the most popular website builders for businesses that want to look professional without needing custom development but like any platform, it still needs optimization to perform at its best. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we don’t just design on Squarespace — we *engineer performance*. We know how to push the platform to its limits, improve your SEO visibility, and make your website load faster and convert better — all within what Squarespace allows. Here’s how we do it. *** ## Speed and Performance Optimization Squarespace handles hosting and caching automatically, but there’s still plenty you can do to make your site faster. ### What We Focus On: - **Smart Image Optimization**: We resize, compress, and convert your images to next-gen formats like WebP before upload. This keeps pages visually stunning without slowing them down. - **Minimal Code, Maximum Impact**: Many users add custom CSS or JavaScript blocks from random tutorials that bloat their sites. We clean that up and streamline code injection for true efficiency. - **Optimized Video & Animation**: Background videos and animations are great for visual appeal — until they crush your load time. We make them lazy-load or replace them with lightweight motion effects. - **Lean Embeds & Integrations**: We replace heavy YouTube or form embeds with smart, click-to-load systems so pages render instantly. - **Page Load Audits**: Using tools like PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix, we measure every slowdown and fix what Squarespace doesn’t automatically handle. When we’re done, your Squarespace site won’t just look fast — it *will be fast.* *** ## SEO Optimization That Actually Works Squarespace has built-in SEO tools, but most sites only scratch the surface. We go deeper. ### Our SEO Process Includes: - Crafting **custom titles and meta descriptions** for every page - Writing clean, **keyword-driven URLs** like **/services/photography** instead of **/page-12** - Adding **alt text to every image** for accessibility and ranking in image search - Optimizing **header structure (H1, H2, H3)** for clear content hierarchy - Submitting your **sitemap to Google Search Console** for faster indexing - Injecting **structured data (schema)** for Local Business, Product, or Organization markup - Linking **blog content** internally to key service pages for ongoing authority You get an optimized site that’s not just easy to find — but built to rank. *** ## User Experience & Conversion Optimization A fast site is great, but a high-converting site is even better. We fine-tune layout, design flow, and navigation to reduce friction and boost engagement. ### Here’s what that looks like: - Clear, **consistent CTAs** (“Book Now,” “Schedule a Call,” etc.) - Simplified **navigation and menus** to reduce bounce rates - **Responsive layouts** that look flawless on mobile - **Testimonials and social proof** embedded without slowing your site - Short, effective **forms** that get filled out more often - Integrated **analytics tracking** (Google Analytics 4, Meta Pixel, etc.) to measure what works Every detail is designed to move visitors from curiosity to conversion. *** ## Technical Enhancements While Squarespace doesn’t allow full server-side access, we still implement advanced front-end techniques such as: - Deferring non-critical scripts - Lazy-loading offscreen images - Cleaning unused blocks and optimizing page structure - Ensuring HTTPS/SSL is enabled for every page We make your site as efficient as Squarespace allows — period. *** ## Why Work With Fawkes Digital Marketing At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we don’t settle for the standard Squarespace setup. We refine, audit, and enhance every aspect of your website so you get: - Faster load times - Higher search visibility - Better mobile performance - More leads and conversions If you’re already on Squarespace, we’ll make your site the best version it can be. If you’re planning to build, we’ll help you start right — optimized from day one. **Let’s make your Squarespace site perform like a custom-coded one.** [Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing](/contact/) to get started. *** --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Prevent-Email-Spoofing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Prevent-Email-Spoofing/ When it comes to email security, YOU are the first line of defense to protect your customers and YOUR business's reputation. Phishing attacks account for one-third of all security violations in business today. Reducing your domain from being used in phishing attacks can be easily done, and we will cover everything you need to do. We'll do our best to make this non-technical while providing you with enough technical knowledge that you can speak with knowledge about the subject. Below, we will cover SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. You can improve your sending reputation and email deliverability by implementing these three items together. ## What is Email Spoofing? Email spoofing occurs when an attacker forges an email's "From" address to make it appear as if it's coming from a legitimate source. Spoofed emails can deceive recipients into believing they are from a trusted sender, leading to security risks and potential fraud. ## What is Phishing, and Why Is It So Prevalent There are billions of emails sent per day, and many are spam messages. By taking these measures, you are helping curb the number of spam messages sent out on the Internet today. Phishing is when malicious actors forge email headers to impersonate legitimate senders, and it can be prevented by using a combination of technical measures and user awareness. ## Implementing SPF Specifies which IP addresses are allowed to send emails for a particular domain. When you add an SPF record to your DNS domain, you are adding the first level of protection to prevent spammers from spoofing your domain. As a side benefit, this will be the first step, of many, in making your email arrive in the inbox and not be flagged as spam or bounced back by your recipient's mail servers. A downside to using the SPF record in your DNS is that it's only part of your spoofing protection. Not every mail server checks for a SPF record, so it's only part of the solution. The most basic level to set as an SPF record is by adding a TXT record to your DNS that says "v=spf1 mx -all" (without the quotes). **Technical Information**: DKIM is exhaustively described in [RFC 7208](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7208). ## Implementing DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) DKIM is your next step in email compliance and makes it so businesses can take responsibility for the emails that come from your email server. The outbound emails will be digitally signed with the mail server's domain digital signature. **Technical Information**: DKIM is exhaustively described in [RFC 6376](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6376). ## Implementing Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) DMARC builds upon your configuration of SPF and DKIM. This is the step most will either skip or get wrong, yet it's the most important piece in your DNS records being set up for reliable email delivery to your recipient's inbox. When setup, DMARC covers how: - Email Authentication - Email Reporting Capabilities - How to handle SPF and DKIM Checks **Technical Information**: DMARC is exhaustively described in [RFC 7489](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7489). ### DMARC Reports & Why You Should Read Them You'll start receiving email reports once your DMARC is configured correctly. You will need to start reading and seeing what the reports say. These reports will let you identify people who are trying to send on your behalf outside of your mail server. By reading the reports and making adjustments, you can refine your email authentication policies and detect potential spoofing attempts. ### DMARC Record Setup When you set up your DMARC record, you will add a TXT record, and it will start with \_dmarc. The structure of a DMARC record will be like the following: - The first step is determining the **policy** that you want to configure as. - **Policy Mode**: Specifies how email servers should handle messages that fail authentication (none, quarantine, reject, or %). - If using %, you will have a pct=100; where 100 is the percent to reject. When moving from none to reject you will want to start with a lower number and move it up as you optimize your DMARC record. - **Reporting Options**: Determine whether you want to receive aggregate and/or forensic reports about email authentication activity. - **Alignment**: Decide whether to enforce strict alignment between the domain in the DKIM signature, the domain in the SPF record, and the "From" header domain. The format will be similar to the one below: v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:dmarc-aggregate@yourDomain.com; ruf=mailto:dmarc-forensic@yourDomain.com; sp=reject; aspf=s; adkim=s; fo=0; DMARC records are hard to understand when you just look at them. Here is the breakdown of what you have above: - v=DMARC1; - p=reject; - rua=mailto:dmarc-aggregate@yourDomain.com; - ruf=mailto:dmarc-forensic@yourDomain.com; - sp=reject; - aspf=s; - adkim=s; - fo=0; Notes: - Replace 'yourdomain.com' with your actual domain name. - Adjust the 'p' parameter to specify your desired policy mode ('none', 'quarantine', or 'reject'). - **Gradually Enforce Strict Policies**: If you initially set the DMARC policy to 'none', consider gradually enforcing stricter policies ('quarantine' or 'reject') after analyzing DMARC reports and ensuring that legitimate emails are not being mistakenly blocked. - Modify the 'rua' and 'ruf' parameters to specify the email addresses where you want to receive aggregate and forensic DMARC reports, respectively. You want this email address being sent to a valid email address and actually look at the email so you can adjust. We break the two into two separate emails so we can better classify the emails received. - Optionally, adjust other parameters like 'adkim' and 'aspf' to control alignment and specify other configuration options. ## Two Factor Authorization (MFA, TFA, or 2FA) You've got your DNS now all set up according to the latest best practices, but you're not done. The next step is securing your server by using TFA to secure your mail server further. You can have everything set up correctly, but if you have a weak login process and someone logs into your mail server, they will be able to send AS YOU without any issues. ## Education of Your Users (and yourself) The next step is to educate and inform your users on what to look for. This should be a continual education and never stop. Key items to look for are: - Zero Trust: Have zero trust in any message received. Go with your gut on if you should do something or not. If you are not sure, ask someone you know who understands technology better than you. - Links: Hover over the link before clicking on it. If the link says, https://google.com/ and when you hover over it, you see https://microsoft.com/ (e.g., it's falsifying what you see), do not click on the link. Anything that is suspicious should not be clicked and reported to your mail server administrator. - Attachments: PDFs, Documents, and Spreadsheet attachments are some of the biggest sources of phishing attacks and malware. Do not trust that your mail server spam and malware detections are perfect. They are not! ## Mail Server Protection ### Inbound Make certain your mail server, virus definitions, and malware definitions are constantly updated. Configure your mail server to reject any incoming email that fails SPF, DKIM, or DMARC checks. This will help protect your users from dealing with a good majority of spoofing attacks. ### Outbound Monitor for all outbound traffic. This will be your first notification that someone may have logged onto your mail server and is sending emails under your domain. ## Email Testing To test our DNS email setup and the spamminess of our emails we utilize two sources. ### Validate MX Record - Go to MX Toolbox, [https://mxtoolbox.com/](https://mxtoolbox.com/), and enter your domain name (e.g., without https:// or www. Just enter yourDomain.com). - Fill in yourDomain.com and press the **MX Lookup** button. - You should get all green checkboxes. ### Test spamminess of our emails The next level level is to test your email configuration. We personally use a service called - Go to [https://www.mail-tester.com/](https://www.mail-tester.com/) - You will be given an email to send for testing. - **Note**: Leave this window open! - Take a regular email or a newsletter and send it to this address. - Wait a few seconds, and go back to the window you left open. Click on the button that says "Then check your score" to see how you rate. Strive for a perfect 10 or as high as you can get. - **Note**: Even with a score of 10/10 there can be suggestions for improvement. ## Conclusion By staying proactive, rather than reactive, on security, you will be protecting your business and your customers. By keeping security awareness at the top of your and your user's minds, you will be less prone to having your computers compromised. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/how-to-properly-use-utm-codes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/how-to-properly-use-utm-codes/ As a business owner in Alabama, you likely invest in multiple marketing channels to reach your audience. But how do you know which ones are driving traffic, leads, or sales? Enter **UTM codes**—a simple yet powerful tool to track and measure your marketing campaigns. In this guide, we'll explain what UTM codes are, how to use them effectively, and why they're essential for your Alabama business. Whether you're running a coffee shop in Birmingham, a boutique in Mobile, or an HVAC service in Huntsville, UTM codes can help you optimize your marketing strategy and grow your business. *** ## What Are UTM Codes? UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) codes are small pieces of text added to the end of a URL to track the performance of specific campaigns, channels, or content. When someone clicks on a URL with UTM codes, the parameters are tracked in tools like Google Analytics. A UTM code typically has the following parameters: - **Source (`utm_source`)**: Identifies the platform sending traffic (e.g., Facebook, Google, Newsletter). - **Medium (`utm_medium`)**: Describes the marketing medium (e.g., email, social, CPC). - **Campaign (`utm_campaign`)**: Labels the specific campaign (e.g., FallSale2024, GrandOpening). - **Content (`utm_content`)**: Optional, used to differentiate between ads or links (e.g., Ad1, Banner2). - **Term (`utm_term`)**: Optional, often used for paid search keywords. *** ## Why Are UTM Codes Important for Your Alabama Business? ### 1. Track Campaign Performance UTM codes allow you to see which marketing channels are driving the most traffic, conversions, or sales. For example: - A Birmingham restaurant can track whether Facebook ads or email newsletters generate more reservations. - A Mobile-based boutique can compare traffic from Google Ads and Instagram campaigns. ### 2. Optimize Your Marketing Budget By identifying which campaigns yield the best results, you can allocate your marketing dollars more effectively. For instance: - A Huntsville HVAC company might discover that PPC ads generate more leads than social media campaigns. ### 3. Gain Customer Insights UTM codes help you understand customer behavior, such as: - Which platforms your Alabama audience prefers (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, email). - Which campaigns resonate most with specific demographics. ### 4. Improve ROI Knowing which campaigns drive the best results allows you to focus on high-performing strategies, ultimately improving your return on investment. *** ## How to Create UTM Codes Creating UTM codes is simple. Follow these steps: ### 1. Use Google's Campaign URL Builder Google offers a free tool for generating UTM codes: [Google Campaign URL Builder](https://ga-dev-tools.web.app/campaign-url-builder/) ### 2. Fill in the Parameters - **Website URL**: Enter the page URL you're tracking (e.g., `https://www.mybusiness.com`). - **Campaign Source (`utm_source`)**: Add the traffic source (e.g., Facebook, Google). - **Campaign Medium (`utm_medium`)**: Specify the medium (e.g., email, social, CPC). - **Campaign Name (`utm_campaign`)**: Use a clear name for the campaign (e.g., FallSale2024). - **Optional Parameters**: - **Term (`utm_term`)**: Track keywords for paid campaigns. - **Content (`utm_content`)**: Differentiate between similar ads or links. ### 3. Generate the URL The tool will create a URL with UTM parameters that looks something like this: ` https://www.mybusiness.com?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=FallSale2024 ` ### 4. Shorten the URL (Optional) For cleaner links, use tools like **Bitly** or **TinyURL** to shorten the URL. *** ## Best Practices for Using UTM Codes ### 1. Stay Organized Use consistent naming conventions to avoid confusion. For example: - Use lowercase letters for all parameters. - Separate words with underscores (`fall_sale`) or dashes (`fall-sale`). ### 2. Track Every Link Add UTM codes to every link in your campaigns, including: - Social media posts - Email newsletters - Paid ads - QR codes on flyers or print ads ### 3. Be Specific Avoid generic terms. Instead of `utm_campaign=sale`, use `utm_campaign=FallSale2024` for better tracking. ### 4. Use UTM Codes for Offline Campaigns Pair UTM codes with QR codes for offline campaigns. For example: - A Tuscaloosa boutique can include a QR code with a UTM link on flyers promoting a grand opening. ### 5. Test Your Links Before launching your campaign, click on the UTM links to ensure they work correctly and are tracked in your analytics tool. *** ## Examples of UTM Codes for Alabama Businesses ### 1. Facebook Ad for a Birmingham Restaurant ` https://www.bhamrestaurant.com?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=HolidaySpecials ` ### 2. Google Ad for a Huntsville HVAC Company ` https://www.huntsvillehvac.com?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ACRepair ` ### 3. Email Newsletter for a Mobile Boutique ` https://www.mobileboutique.com?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=SummerSale ` ### 4. QR Code for a Tuscaloosa Grand Opening ` https://www.tuscaloosaboutique.com?utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=qr&utm_campaign=GrandOpening ` *** ## How to Analyze UTM Code Data Use tools like **Google Analytics** to monitor the performance of your UTM-tagged campaigns. Here's what to look for: - **Traffic Sources:** Identify which channels drive the most traffic. - **Conversions:** Track which campaigns lead to sales or sign-ups. - **Engagement Metrics:** Analyze bounce rate, time on site, and pages per session for each campaign. *** ## FAQs About UTM Codes for Alabama Businesses ### 1. Do I Need Special Software to Use UTM Codes? No. UTM codes work with tools like Google Analytics, which is free to use. Simply add the codes to your URLs, and the data will appear in your analytics reports. ### 2. Can I Use UTM Codes for Organic Traffic? Yes, but UTM codes are most effective for tracking paid and promotional campaigns. Google Analytics already tracks organic traffic separately. ### 3. Are UTM Codes Visible to Customers? Yes, UTM parameters are part of the URL. If you prefer cleaner links, use a URL shortener. ### 4. Can I Use UTM Codes for Social Media? Absolutely! UTM codes are perfect for tracking traffic from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. ### 5. Do UTM Codes Affect SEO? No, UTM codes do not impact SEO rankings. However, they are useful for understanding how different campaigns drive traffic to your site. *** ## Benefits of UTM Codes for Alabama Businesses 1. **Identify High-Performing Channels** Find out if Facebook, Instagram, or Google Ads delivers the best results for your target audience in Alabama. 2. **Refine Local Campaigns** Use UTM codes to track campaigns tailored to specific cities like Montgomery, Mobile, or Birmingham. 3. **Boost ROI** Allocate your marketing budget to the campaigns that deliver the best return on investment. 4. **Make Data-Driven Decisions** Eliminate guesswork by relying on real data to optimize your marketing strategy. *** ## Final Thoughts UTM codes are a simple yet powerful way to track and improve your marketing campaigns. By using them consistently, you can gain valuable insights into what's working, refine your strategy, and maximize your ROI. For Alabama businesses, UTM codes are especially helpful for targeting local customers and tracking regional campaigns. Whether you're running a small shop in Tuscaloosa or a large service-based business in Huntsville, implementing UTM codes can give you the clarity you need to grow. Start using UTM codes today to make your marketing smarter, more effective, and more profitable! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/how-to-rank-in-llms/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/how-to-rank-in-llms/ In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and others are becoming increasingly significant. If you're looking to enhance your brand's presence in these models, you need to adopt a strategic approach to content creation and digital visibility. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to rank in LLMs effectively, providing actionable insights and expert tips on navigating this dynamic space. *** ## Why is Getting Mentioned on Trusted Sites Important? ### How Can You Get Cited on Reputable Domains? To boost your visibility in LLMs, getting mentioned on trusted sites is crucial. Reputable domains such as Reddit, Wikipedia, Quora, and LinkedIn are frequently referenced by LLMs. Here's how you can position yourself: - **Engage with Experts on Reddit and Quora:** Join discussions in top threads related to your niche. Provide valuable insights and establish yourself as an expert to get noticed. - **Publish on High-Authority Platforms:** Contribute articles to publications that have a significant online presence. This can increase your credibility and improve your visibility. - **List Your Brand on Wikipedia and “Best of” Lists:** Having your brand included on such platforms not only boosts your authority but also increases the likelihood of being referenced by LLMs. *** ## What Makes Original Content Appealing to LLMs? ### How to Craft Engaging and Informative Content? LLMs favor content that is original and useful. They are constantly looking for sources that provide detailed and expert-led insights. Here's how you can create content that attracts LLMs: - **Develop Specific and Helpful Content:** Focus on creating case studies, how-to guides, and niche breakdowns that deliver deep insights and detailed explanations. - **Share Firsthand Experiences and Data:** Publish internal results and user insights that highlight your expertise. Original data and graphics can enhance your content’s appeal. - **Utilize Real-World Examples:** Grounding your content in reality can make it more relatable and valuable to both LLMs and readers. *Example Content Types:* Case Studies, Product Workflows, Opinion Blogs *** ## How to Structure Content for AI Readability? ### Ways to Make Your Content Easy for LLMs to Understand? Structuring your content for AI readability is vital to ensure it is interpreted accurately by LLMs. Here are some strategies: - **Use Question-Based Headings:** Implement H2 or H3 headings that are question-oriented. Lead each section with a clear and direct answer. - **Apply Schema Markup:** Use appropriate schema markup like FAQ, HowTo, or Product to help AI understand the context better. - **Add Structured Data Points:** Incorporate statistics, quotes, citations, and named tools into your content to enrich its semantic value. *** ## How to Optimize Content for AI Beyond Traditional SEO? ### What Makes Content Technically Accessible to LLMs? While SEO remains important, optimizing your content specifically for AI can boost its visibility in LLMs. Here's what to consider: - **Ensure Server-Side Rendering:** Avoid content that relies heavily on JavaScript, as this can hinder accessibility for LLMs. - **Make Content Publicly Accessible:** Ensure all valuable content is crawlable by search engines and LLMs. - **Create Self-Contained Sections:** Write sections that can stand alone and make sense independently, enhancing their potential to be used by LLMs. *** ## How Do You Track and Improve Your Brand’s Visibility in LLMs? ### Steps to Measure and Enhance Your Presence? To continually improve your brand’s presence across various LLM platforms, it is essential to track and refine your strategies: - **Monitor Engagement Metrics:** Keep an eye on mentions, traffic, and user engagement to assess how your content is performing. - **Refine Content Based on Feedback:** Use insights from metrics and user feedback to enhance your content strategy over time. - **Stay Updated with Platform Changes:** As LLMs evolve, staying informed about new features and changes is crucial for maintaining and improving visibility. *** ## Conclusion Navigating the world of LLMs and effectively ranking within them requires a blend of strategic content creation, optimization, and continuous improvement. By focusing on building a presence on trusted sites, crafting original content, structuring it for AI readability, and optimizing beyond traditional SEO, you can significantly enhance your brand's visibility in these powerful AI models. Keep measuring your success and refining your strategies to stay ahead in this dynamic field. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-SEO-in-2016/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-SEO-in-2016/ Search Engine Optimization or SEO for short is a key component to getting your website to rank well. In today's article we are going to cover the bare minimum to rank well on Google, Yahoo, and Bing. These are predominantly the three most used search engines and feed many of the smaller search engines on the Internet. This will not be a complete guide to what we do for our clients under our monthly maintenance contracts but for those not wanting a maintenance contract, with another company, or would like additional knowledge regarding your SEO this guide is for you. ## Overall It would do us well to understand the basics of what you will need when starting SEO. The first step in the process is to review your site content and overall structure that it is complete, you have no broken links, and is designed for a human and not trying to manipulate the search engines to your specific business. Quality content will get the search engines to like you and rank you better. ## META Tags META tags are pieces of information that a user doesn't see. This information tells the search engines what you feel the description, keywords, and other information should be. Not as widely used as in the past. The search engines have at their discretion to use your META information or to create their own. Google uses their interpretation the majority of the time while Yahoo, Bing and others will put more weight onto your META information. ## Site Maps There are two types of site maps. You have the user readable and understandable site map known as an HTML site map. The other is a more cryptic site map known as an XML site map. In the perfect world you will have both of these. In the not-so-perfect world you will have just one. In no world should you ever have none. According to Google if you do have to choose the HTML site map is the better of the two. This doesn't mean that the XML site map is bad at all. Google sides on the side of usability and an HTML site map is something a human will understand more than an XML site map and holds great weight with it. ## Core Items to think about When it comes to the search engines they are getting really smart. They look at your content, your images, your color scheme, handicap status (can you handle people that are blind, partially blind, color blindness, and other handicaps), mobile friendliness, security (SSL ranks better than non-SSL sites), and page load time to just name a few. ## Be Afraid. Be VERY Afraid. If you talk with any company that guarantees a #1 position on any search ranking or even any ranking at all. The only item any SEO company can do is do the best "white hat" and best practice techniques to get your site indexed. The company you work with should be very open and honest about what your results are going to be. This is one reason we have "no lying" as our "Rule #1" as we want to be transparent, honest, upfront, and direct with you. ## Data Analytics Data analytics for a website will show you who is visiting your site, how often they come back, the device type (desktop, tablet, or mobile), screen sizes, screen resolutions, and more. There are many tools that can do data analytics on your website and we've used over a dozen in the past. The one we encourage everyone is to use Google Analytics. The price is right; free. You can have multiple administrators and share the information with SEO companies, like JM2 Webdesigners in Northwest Alabama, and it is easy-to-use. You will need a Google account to use and you will find the next step of SEO and Google will also need this account. You can install the Google Analytics by going to www.google.com/analytics, creating your account, and adding a small piece of code to the bottom of every page of your website. ## SEO and Google For Google you will first need a Google account. Ideally you will also create a Google+ page letting Google know more about your business. You will also go to [https://www.google.com/webmasters/](https://www.google.com/webmasters/) and add your site to the Google Webmaster Tools (GWT). Now you can submit your site to the search engine and it will start being indexed. One item to note as well if your business has a physical address, and many do, to make certain Google Maps ([https://www.google.com/maps](https://www.google.com/maps)) knows who you are. ## SEO and Yahoo! With Yahoo! the submission process is very easy compared to the other search engines. You will go to Microsoft's Bing webmaster tools. Wait, what? Bing you say? That's right. Yahoo no longer really crawls the entire internet. They utilize the technology of Bing for many aspects of what you find on them. ## SEO and Bing Bing, like Google, requires you to login and use a Microsoft account. You can get to the Bing Webmaster Tools at [http://www.bing.com/toolbox/webmaster](http://www.bing.com/toolbox/webmaster). Once logged in you will create your site and do like you did with Google and put in some hidden text in your page to verify ownership of your site. Bing Places is one area you also need to setup. This is similar to the Google Maps but controlled by Microsoft for their search engine and the search engines they power. What are these Webmaster tools? You'll notice that both Bing and Google have Webmaster tools. But what are they? These will help you meet the current industry best practices, show broken links, security vulnerabilities, test mobile friendliness, and more. ## How often to submit At a minimum we always encourage people to do what we do. We go into the results at a minimum of monthly. Look at your analytics. What keywords are being targeted, what pages are being visited (go deeper with heat maps to see where they are clicking and looking on your site), and how many pages are indexed. Are pages not being indexed but you feel they should be? If so, there could be something blocking the page. Items that could be blocking are having a file that says don't index this page or even the page itself saying to not index a page. ## Conclusion With some time and effort, you can be on each major search engine and found. To start with anticipate 4-8 hours to go through all of the above. From there budget 1-2 hours per month at a minimum to go over the reports, update any search engines (at least the top three), and verify the information on your site is current and still relevant to what you are doing. We know your primary focus is running your business and not sitting your website. This is where JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman (Valpo) Alabama can assist. We have low cost monthly maintenance plans that all have SEO at their core, unlimited website updates, SSL to help you on the search engines, professional head shots to take your team photos to that next level, web hosting is included (if you're with us), and a lot more. You are experts in your business and you can let us stay and be the experts at what we do (helping your business be found online). You can reach us at [256-258-8593](1-256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [contact us on our online form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Set-Up-Facebooks-Business-Manager/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Set-Up-Facebooks-Business-Manager/ If you are a business owner on Facebook, you'll eventually want to create ads for your business's page. To do this you need to create a Business Manager account, a function created by Facebook that allows you and if you choose to, other team or marketing members to create ads, check in on their progress and share strategies. While this may sound challenging to set up, by following these simple steps, you'll be on your way to creating your own ads in no time. **Setting Up the Business Manager** 1. The first thing you need to do if you don't have one already is set up your own personal Facebook account. This is because your own personal profile has to be linked to your business's account. 2. If you did not create your own business page, this is the second thing you need to do. Once both accounts are created, you can now begin setting up your business manager. 3. Next, visit Facebook's Business Manager website ([https://business.Facebook.com/overview/](https://business.Facebook.com/overview/)) and click on the blue "Create Account" button. This will ask you to enter your username and password associated with your Facebook account. 4. Enter your business name and email. Once you are done with this process, click "Finish". 5. This next step will add your Business Page to your Business Account. Navigate to the Business Manager's home page and click "Add Page". 6. Click the new "Add Page" button. Once you click this, you will be presented with the option to choose your business's page. Select it and then click "Add Page". 7. This next step will let you create your own ad account. Doing this will give you the ability to create ads and promotional campaigns. Start this by clicking on the "Add Ad Account" button. 8. You are now presented with three options: "Add Ad Account", "Add someone else's ad account" and Create a new ad account." If this is your first time, click on the third option. 9. When creating a new account, be sure to use your business name when naming your new account. You will also have several other options to enter such as currency, time zones, and payment methods. 10. When you are finished, click "Create Ad Account". You are now ready to start creating ads on Facebook! Congratulations, you are now ready to begin creating ads for your business on Facebook. However, while this is enough to get started, there are still other options that need to be completed later on such as the creation of your Pixel, creating audiences for your ads to target and allowing other team members or your marketing company to have access to your Ad Account. Be on the lookout for separate blog posts detailing these steps. In the meantime, if you have any more questions regarding Facebook and setting up accounts on Facebook, please feel free to email me at kyle@jm2marketing.com. I'd love to hear from you. For more information on Facebook Business Manager, please visit Facebook's [website](https://www.Facebook.com/business/learn/how-business-manager-works/guide). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Setup-Facebook-Your-Facebook-Business-Page/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Setup-Facebook-Your-Facebook-Business-Page/ Social media is a great way to start building your brand message and getting heard online. Although we don't see it as the best place, it is a place you need to be. You may wonder why we feel it's not the best place. It's simple. Your competitors are also on the same social media channel. Having control over your business with no competitors is the ideal place to get your message heard. That is your website. This doesn't mean we should ignore a great channel to get your voice heard. To that end, you need to have your information set up correctly to provide your audience the best message. No matter if you are setting Facebook up for the first time or tweaking your existing page, the following are the steps we do for every client that we start on Facebook. ## Proper Logo The first item to any Facebook page is your logo. This is no longer a square logo but a rounded logo. For those with a square or rectangular logo, you will need to adjust it to fit properly. You don't want this to be cut off as it gives off the first impression of being lazy on your page and the social media timeline. Always put your best foot forward in everything you do. The profile image needs to be a minimum of 170 x 170 pixels square. This image will be resized down for mobile phones. You can be larger but definitely needs to be square. ## Cover Image The top big image on your Facebook page is either a video or an image. At one time, we always encouraged a video as they automatically played when they came to the page. Now they require a click to play, and we've seen no one ever clicks them when we ask. Now we encourage everyone to use a great-looking image and using video elsewhere within the page. The image needs to be 802 pixels wide x 312 pixels tall. Beyond the size, you need to save your cover image as an sRGB JPG file less than 100k in size, so it loads faster. This provides a better user experience to those coming to your page. **Note**: If you have a logo or text in the cover image, it is often best to save it as a PNG file. ## Call To Action Button At the top of every Facebook business page is a unique call to action button. This can lead to your website, online ordering, contact message, etc. The options available for the Call To Action button are: - **Follow**: Make it easy for people to follow your page. - **View Gift Card**: Choose a website where people can purchase your gift cards. - **Start Order**: Choose a website where people can order your food. - **Book Now**: Choose where people can book with you. - **Get Quote**: Collect the information you need from potential customers who click Get Quote. - **Call Now**: Choose where you'd like to receive calls. - **Contact Us**: Choose a website where people can find your contact information. - **Send Message**: Receive message in your Page Inbox. - **Send WhatsApp Message**: Choose the number associated with your WhatsApp account so people can reach you. - **Learn More**: Choose a website where people can learn more about what you do. - **Sign Up**: Choose a website where people can sign up for your newsletter. - **Use App**: Choose where people can find your app. - **Play Game**: Choose a website where people can find and play your game. - **Visit group**: Choose a group for people to join. - **Watch Video**: Choose a website where people can find and watch your video. - **Shop Now**: Choose a website where people can find your shop. ## About / Our Story Section We all go into business because of a reason. That's your story. You want to include a photo and a compelling story about who you are, why people would want to do business with you and give them a compelling reason to like you. ### **Note About an Upcoming Facebook Change** The "Our Story" Facebook is removing and the recommendation place for this information is now in the Additional Information. We didn't want to exclude this from our list as the Our Story (now Additional Information) is a great way to explain to your fans who your business is and who you are. As story tellers for brands we find this section important. In 2017 Facebook added the page story as a way to introduce your business and better connect with your page visitors. Like your About page on your website not everyone will read your story. ## Categories Whether you are a restaurant, realtor, or a heating and air conditioning company. Your business can be classified into a category. We all need to fit into one to three categories. I know you need four. It's not going to happen (at least today!). Facebook allows up to four, so if your business falls into more than three, you need to choose the three that best cover your business. ## Basic Page Information We see all too often the following items set up incorrectly. One would expect this to be accurate, but information changes, and businesses change. - Street Address / City / State / Zip - If your business is a service-based or run out of your home you can leave off the street address. - Service Area - Where your customers come from - Website - Contact Email Address - Phone Number - Hours of Operation - Price Range ## Pinned Posts As you continue to create posts, there is one that is always at the top. This is called the **Pinned Post**. You can make any post pinned by clicking the three dots at the top of the post and choosing "Pin to Top of Page." You can only have one pinned post at a time. This post can be for specials or other important information. This needs to have a great image, compelling content, and provide value to your page visitor. ## In Summary Check and monitor your information for any changes quarterly at a minimum. This information is your first impression and needs to be given the love it deserves. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Stop-Videos-from-Automatically-Playing-on-F/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Stop-Videos-from-Automatically-Playing-on-F/ Facebook users may have noticed that video has become a much more prominent feature over the past year with advertisers, news organizations and businesses heavily pushing video content to attract users. A lot of this has to do with the fact that Facebook's default setting where videos will "autoplay" on both a desktop and mobile device as you scroll through your timeline. While there are many reasons why Facebook has this as a default setting (one of which is view numbers), some users aren't appreciative of these videos and would rather not have them automatically play. If you fall into this camp, you're in luck, as we have a simple guide on how to turn off auto-playing videos. **The Reason Facebook Automatically Plays Videos** Why do videos autoplay? For Facebook, it's all about the numbers and with their current set up, just spending 3 seconds on a video counts as a view, pushing videos that have more views out to even more people. While you could argue, especially for businesses and content creators that 3 seconds is hardly enough time to fully take in the intended content, Facebook has shown no signs of changing this, meaning that some businesses and creators have had to change their videos to draw attention within those initial 3 seconds. Movie previews are a great example. No longer do you see the traditional green background and the "This Preview has Been Approved for All Audiences" intro, but rather you'll see a brief glimpse of exciting scenes from the preview before the full preview starts. ** ** **How to Stop Video from Automatically Playing ** Step 1. Go to your settings on the top right portion of Facebook for desktop users. Step 2. Click on the option that says "Videos". For desktop users, it will in the left menu. Step 3. Finally, click on the drop down menu next to Autoplay Videos and select "Off". For mobile, follow these four steps. Step 1. Tap the icon on the far right. It should be represented by three lines. Tap on it. Step 2. Scroll down and tap on App Settings. Step 3. Tap Autoplay. Step 4. Choose the option to disable autoplay. **Conclusion** There is no doubt that video is an essential component of any kind of promotion, but it goes without saying that Facebook's attempt to put videos on your feed and play them without your initial consent can rub some users the wrong way. Thankfully thanks to these steps detailed above, the user can choose how they experience this new form of promotion and storytelling on Facebook. All great platforms allow the user to an extent to control what they use the platform and how they experience it. Facebook, despite its sometimes rigid structure, is no exception. If you want to learn more about social media functions and how they can help your business, please email me at kyle@jm2marketing.com. I'd love to hear from you. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Unsubscribe-from-SMS-Texting-Campaigns-A-Gu/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Unsubscribe-from-SMS-Texting-Campaigns-A-Gu/ As a business owner in North Alabama, you understand the power of SMS marketing to engage customers and drive sales. However, not every customer wants to receive texts indefinitely. Providing a clear and hassle-free way for your customers to unsubscribe from your SMS texting campaigns is not only a best practice but also a legal requirement. In this blog post, we'll explore how SMS unsubscribe processes work, why they are important for your business, and how to implement them effectively. Whether you're running a restaurant in Huntsville, a boutique in Florence, or a service-based company in Decatur, this guide will ensure you stay compliant and maintain customer trust. *** ## Why SMS Unsubscribe Options Matter ### 1. Compliance with SMS Marketing Laws Businesses using SMS marketing must adhere to regulations like the **Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)** and **CAN-SPAM Act**. These laws require you to: - Obtain customer consent before sending SMS messages. - Provide an easy way for customers to opt out of your campaigns. Failing to comply can result in hefty fines and damage to your reputation. ### 2. Maintaining Customer Trust Customers appreciate businesses that respect their preferences. Allowing users to unsubscribe easily shows that you prioritize their experience and privacy. ### 3. Improving Campaign Performance Unsubscribes may seem like a negative outcome, but they can actually benefit your SMS campaigns by ensuring your messages reach a more engaged audience. Sending texts to uninterested users wastes time and resources. *** ## How Do Customers Unsubscribe from SMS Campaigns? Most SMS marketing platforms offer standard methods for customers to opt out. Here are the most common ones: ### 1. Reply with "STOP" The simplest and most widely recognized way for users to unsubscribe is by replying to a text with the word "STOP." - Once the message is sent, the user is automatically removed from the SMS list. - Many platforms also accept variations like "UNSUBSCRIBE," "CANCEL," or "END." ### 2. Use a Link Some SMS campaigns include a link within the message for users to unsubscribe. - Example: "Click here to unsubscribe: [link]." - This method is particularly useful for businesses running multi-channel campaigns where SMS is linked to email or websites. ### 3. Contact Customer Support In some cases, customers may contact your business directly to request removal from your SMS list. It's essential to have a clear process for handling these requests promptly. *** ## How to Implement an Effective SMS Unsubscribe Process ### 1. Make Unsubscribing Simple Keep the process straightforward to ensure customers can easily opt out if they choose. Here's how: - Include clear instructions in your texts, such as: **"Reply STOP to unsubscribe."** - Use plain language that all customers can understand. ### 2. Use Automated Systems Modern SMS marketing platforms like **EZ Texting**, **Twilio**, or **SimpleTexting** automatically process unsubscribe requests. This ensures: - Customers are removed from your list immediately. - You stay compliant with legal requirements. ### 3. Confirm the Unsubscription Send a confirmation message to let customers know they've been removed from your list. Example: - **"You have successfully unsubscribed from [Business Name] alerts. You will no longer receive messages."** This reassures the customer and reduces potential confusion. ### 4. Keep a Record of Unsubscribes Maintain a database of unsubscribed users to ensure you don't accidentally re-add them to your list. Most SMS platforms handle this automatically, but it's good practice to double-check. *** ## Tips for Reducing Unsubscribe Rates While unsubscribes are inevitable, you can minimize them by ensuring your SMS campaigns provide value and respect customer preferences. ### 1. Send Relevant Content Ensure your messages are useful and tailored to your audience. For example: - A restaurant in Huntsville could send weekly lunch specials to subscribers who opted in for dining updates. - A boutique in Florence might notify customers about exclusive sales or new arrivals. ### 2. Limit Frequency Avoid overwhelming your subscribers with too many messages. Stick to **1-2 texts per week** unless there's a special event or promotion. ### 3. Get Consent Only send texts to customers who have explicitly opted in. Use clear language when asking for permission: - Example: "Sign up to receive exclusive offers via text! Text JOIN to 12345." ### 4. Allow Preferences Give customers the option to customize the types of messages they receive. For instance: - "Reply A for updates on sales, B for new arrivals, or C for events." *** ## FAQs About SMS Unsubscribe Options ### 1. Do I Have to Provide an Unsubscribe Option? Yes, providing an unsubscribe option is legally required under the TCPA and other regulations. It ensures your SMS campaigns remain compliant. ### 2. Can I Re-Add Customers Who Unsubscribe? You cannot re-add unsubscribed customers without their explicit consent. If a customer changes their mind, they must opt in again. ### 3. What Happens if I Ignore Unsubscribe Requests? Failing to honor unsubscribe requests can result in fines of up to $1,500 per violation under the TCPA. Additionally, it can harm your brand's reputation. ### 4. What Should I Do if a Customer Unsubscribes by Accident? If a customer unsubscribes unintentionally, they must manually opt in again. Include instructions in your confirmation message, such as: **"To resubscribe, text START to 12345."** *** ## Example Unsubscribe Message Templates Here are some examples of clear, compliant unsubscribe instructions: ### Promotional Campaign: "Don't miss out! 20% off all items this weekend only. Reply STOP to opt out." ### Event Reminder: "Reminder: Join us for our Grand Opening tomorrow at 10 AM. Reply STOP to unsubscribe." ### Confirmation Message: "You have been unsubscribed from [Business Name] alerts. Reply START to resubscribe." *** ## Why an Effective Unsubscribe Process Benefits Your Business While losing subscribers might feel discouraging, providing a seamless unsubscribe experience can have long-term benefits for your business: 1. **Builds Trust**: Customers are more likely to engage with your brand when they feel their preferences are respected. 2. **Improves Engagement Rates**: Focusing on an audience that truly wants to hear from you leads to higher open rates and conversions. 3. **Protects Your Reputation**: Honoring unsubscribe requests demonstrates professionalism and compliance, which boosts customer loyalty. *** ## Final Thoughts Providing an easy-to-use SMS unsubscribe process is crucial for every North Alabama business. It keeps you compliant with legal requirements, maintains customer trust, and ensures your campaigns target an engaged audience. By respecting customer preferences and minimizing unsubscribe rates through thoughtful messaging, you can maximize the impact of your SMS marketing efforts. Whether you're running a boutique in Florence, a restaurant in Huntsville, or a service-based business in Decatur, implementing these best practices will help you create a successful SMS marketing strategy that benefits both you and your customers. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Verify-Your-Business-on-Facebook/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-to-Verify-Your-Business-on-Facebook/ If you own a business page on Facebook, you may have heard about being Facebook verified. What appears to be a simple check mark next to your business's name, the purpose it serves means so much more. While the process may seem straight forward to make your business verified, there are some potential snags that can make the process seem more annoying than it should be. Worry no more, as we are here to help you with this process and some possible solutions for any issues you come across. Why Should I Verify? Simply put, it helps you show up when people search for your business and lets others know that your business is legit. This also helps distinguish yourself from unofficial pages, fan pages or other pages that may confuse potential clients and customers. One should note though that there are two separate kinds of verification, business verification (a grey check mark) and a public figure verification for notable figures and celebrities (a blue check mark). How to Become Verified Getting your business verified, in theory, is a straight forward process. 1. Click on "Settings" on the top right corner of your page. 2. On the right-hand side of the page, second option down if page verification. Click on the edit button. 3. The screen will pop up giving you the options to verify your page through either a phone number linked to the business or through submitting documents. 4. By choosing to call, you list the number your business is registered under and wait for an automated call. During this call, you'll receive a random 4-digit code. Enter the code. 4. After choosing your said option, you should get a message saying your page has been verified. 5. Congrats! You're now official in the eyes of Facebook. Troubleshooting Like all processes, some people come across complications when it comes to the verification process. The most common one being that the phone number being submitted is not being recognized as "valid". There are several potential reasons for this and while none have been officially confirmed by Facebook, these are some of the potential reasons we discovered. 1. A lack of history of native content posted to your page. 2. A lack of media references that have your name or image. 3. A lack of a website. 4. No smart device with an internet connection (iPhone, Android, iPad, etc.) Users should also be aware of not trying to verify or make a call too often under your account. If Facebook detects that you are trying to do this too many times, it will prevent you from sending any more numbers to verify. You will eventually gain this ability back, but this hiatus can last anywhere from a few days to a few months. What to Do if You Can't Make Calls Anymore If your account doesn't allow you to have Facebook call for verification, the last options is to submit paper documentation to prove your business. This can be one of the following: A business utility or phone bill Business license Business tax file Certificate of formation Articles of incorporation Once you take a clear photo and upload to Facebook, you will then be notified if the photo and document were accepted. Facebook is heavily pushing businesses to list, sell and engage with their fans making the need to become verified a much more significant factor than before. While it may seem frustrating having your phone number rejected or having to provide proof of business, it is just like any other process in life and is done only to protect your business and Facebook's from scams or other harmful entities. If you'd like to talk more about becoming verified on Facebook or have any questions, please reach out to me at kyle@jm2marketing.com. I'd love to hear more from you and even help you out if I can. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-UX-and-SEO-Work-Together-for-Business-Success/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/How-UX-and-SEO-Work-Together-for-Business-Success/ # **How UX and SEO Work Together for Business Success** In the digital world, **User Experience (UX)** and **Search Engine Optimization (SEO)** are two critical factors that determine your website's success. While often treated as separate disciplines, UX and SEO are deeply interconnected. A website that is optimized for search engines but provides a poor user experience will struggle to retain visitors, and one with excellent UX but poor visibility won't attract enough traffic to thrive. In this blog, we’ll explore the relationship between UX and SEO, why they’re essential for your business, and actionable steps you can take to achieve the best results. *** ## **What is UX, and Why Does It Matter for SEO?** **User Experience (UX)** refers to the overall experience a visitor has when interacting with your website. It encompasses factors like site navigation, content readability, design aesthetics, and the speed at which pages load. From an **SEO perspective**, search engines like Google prioritize delivering the best results to users. If your website provides a smooth, intuitive experience, it signals to search engines that your site is high-quality and relevant. ### **Key Elements of UX That Impact SEO** 1. **Page Speed:** Faster-loading pages improve user satisfaction and are a ranking factor for Google. 2. **Mobile Responsiveness:** Mobile-friendly websites rank higher in mobile search results. 3. **Site Navigation:** Clear, logical navigation reduces bounce rates and increases time on site. 4. **Engaging Content:** Content that is easy to read, visually appealing, and informative keeps users engaged. 5. **Accessibility:** A website that is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities, demonstrates quality and professionalism. *** ## **Why Businesses Need to Align UX and SEO** ### **1. Improved Search Engine Rankings** Google uses metrics like **bounce rate**, **time on page**, and **click-through rate (CTR)** to evaluate the quality of your site. A well-optimized UX helps improve these metrics, signaling to search engines that your content is valuable. ### **2. Increased User Engagement** A seamless UX keeps visitors on your site longer, increasing the likelihood of conversions. Whether it’s filling out a contact form or making a purchase, positive user experiences lead to better business outcomes. ### **3. Enhanced Brand Credibility** A website that is easy to navigate, visually appealing, and free of errors builds trust with your audience. Trust leads to repeat visits and referrals, further boosting your SEO. ### **4. Reduced Bounce Rates** If users quickly leave your website due to poor design or slow loading speeds, it negatively impacts your SEO rankings. A user-friendly website encourages visitors to stay and explore. *** ## **Steps to Achieve the Best UX and SEO Results** ### **1. Optimize Page Speed** Page speed is one of the most critical factors for both UX and SEO. Slow-loading pages frustrate users and result in higher bounce rates. **What to Do:** - Use tools like **Google PageSpeed Insights** or **GTmetrix** to identify performance issues. - Compress images and minimize CSS, JavaScript, and HTML. - Implement a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to reduce server response times. *** ### **2. Ensure Mobile-Friendliness** With the majority of searches now happening on mobile devices, having a mobile-responsive website is essential. **What to Do:** - Use a responsive design framework like Bootstrap to ensure your site adapts to different screen sizes. - Test your website using Google’s **Mobile-Friendly Test Tool**. - Optimize navigation and buttons for touchscreens. *** ### **3. Create Engaging, Readable Content** Your content should answer user queries clearly and concisely while being visually appealing. **What to Do:** - Break up content into **short paragraphs**, **bullet points**, and **headings** for better readability. - Include visuals like **images**, **videos**, and **infographics** to engage users. - Use descriptive, keyword-rich headings and subheadings. *** ### **4. Simplify Navigation** Users should be able to find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. **What to Do:** - Implement a clean and logical menu structure. - Use breadcrumb navigation to help users track their location on your site. - Include a search bar for easy access to specific content. *** ### **5. Prioritize Accessibility** Making your website accessible ensures a positive experience for all users, including those with disabilities. **What to Do:** - Use **alt tags** for all images to describe their content. - Ensure your site is navigable via keyboard for users who can’t use a mouse. - Use proper color contrast to improve readability for visually impaired users. *** ### **6. Build Trust with Clear CTAs and Secure Connections** Users need to feel confident when interacting with your site, especially if they’re sharing personal or payment information. **What to Do:** - Use **SSL certificates** to enable HTTPS and secure your website. - Include clear **calls-to-action (CTAs)** like “Contact Us” or “Buy Now” that guide users toward desired actions. - Display trust signals such as customer reviews, testimonials, and security badges. *** ### **7. Monitor and Analyze User Behavior** Continuous improvement is essential to maintaining excellent UX and SEO. **What to Do:** - Use tools like **Google Analytics** to track user behavior, including bounce rates and session duration. - Conduct **heatmap analysis** with tools like Hotjar to see where users click and scroll. - Perform A/B testing to determine which design elements or content formats perform better. *** ## **How Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help** At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in crafting websites that seamlessly combine exceptional UX with powerful SEO strategies. Here’s why we’re the perfect partner for your business: ### **Our Approach to UX and SEO Integration** 1. **Custom Designs:** We create user-friendly designs tailored to your brand and audience. 2. **SEO-Driven Development:** From site structure to keyword optimization, we build websites with SEO in mind. 3. **Ongoing Support:** We continuously monitor and improve your website to ensure it stays ahead of competitors. 4. **Local Expertise:** As a trusted agency in Alabama, we understand the needs of local businesses and their customers. *** ## **Conclusion** When UX and SEO work together, the results are transformative. By focusing on both user satisfaction and search engine visibility, your business can attract more visitors, keep them engaged, and convert them into loyal customers. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in helping businesses achieve the perfect balance between UX and SEO. Contact us today to learn how we can optimize your website for success and ensure your business thrives in an increasingly competitive digital landscape. **Let’s create a better experience for your users—and higher rankings for your business!** --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Humanizing-Content/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Humanizing-Content/ Only a few short years ago people were stuffing keywords into their websites to try and rank better on the search engines. With faster computers comes new capabilities. Natural text is now the most popular way of interacting with their content on the internet. This change requires a shift in the way information is written on the internet to be found. ## Natural Text Content More people today are using natural words and phrases to find what they want. Technology has advanced where computers can think (yes think), respond, and rationalize what you are looking for in mere seconds. A large factor is people do not want to be drawn into being robots where they are expected to think of just two or three words to find what they are looking for. Users today want to type natural text like "What restaurants are near me?" rather than "restaurant BBQ Cullman". Both can produce the same results within the search engines. One is more user friendly than the other. ## Ranking Algorithms Google uses a program called "RankBrain" that is Google's machine-learning artificial intelligence as its third most important factor in ranking content on the web. Yes, that is right, when you search on Google one of the key items they are using to return results is artificial intelligence. With millions of searches happening every day their systems are becoming more aware of what you want. These tailored results have been a crucial reason for their success. ## Links Matter to Content Google uses links both internally and externally as key ranking factors. When you link to your own content within your site you are adding your own credibility to what your site is about. Google has removed the PageRank toolbar as the toolbar was no longer a valid benchmark. Google still uses PageRank internally as part of one of the core indexing algorithms used. ## Content is the biggest factor in Content Filling a webpage today with keywords is no longer enough to rank on the major search engines. What you need is quality content, [preferably evergreen content](/Blog/Details/Why-You-Need-Evergreen-Content), that people want to read. In the past you wrote solely for the search engines to succeed and be found on the search engines. Today you need to write for both the search engines and more importantly the visitors. Writing your content for a computer and a human are two unique properties that require a different set of skills. This is where content writers come in. They bring in many old school techniques of newspapers while also embracing and making the content desirable for the search engines. Your content can no longer be considered the jack of all trades. You need to write your content for your intended audience. When you fill a page with a specific keyword you can actually lower your search engine results if the content you've written appears filled ## Conclusion on Humanizing Content Writing Writing content today needs to answer questions and be written for people. When you write in this way you are also writing for the modern day search engine. The content that a user reads needs to answer the intent they are currently looking for. For assistance in content writing by individuals that are trained on both the old school as well as new school content writing techniques. You can reach JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through a contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/human-vs-ai-content-writing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/human-vs-ai-content-writing/ In today's digital marketing landscape, businesses are increasingly relying on **AI-powered tools** to create content quickly and efficiently. Tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and others are revolutionizing how we approach content creation, offering speed and scalability. But does this mean humans are no longer essential in generating organic content that truly connects with an audience? Not at all. While **AI** can assist in creating content, humans still play a critical role in crafting messages that resonate emotionally, connect authentically, and achieve strategic marketing goals. In this pillar post, we'll explore the strengths and weaknesses of both **human-generated content** and **AI-generated content**, and why the human touch remains irreplaceable in building meaningful connections with your target audience. ## AI-Generated Content: The Pros and Cons ### What AI Does Well AI content generators use advanced natural language processing (NLP) to analyze data and produce coherent, relevant text. Here's where they excel: - **Speed and Efficiency**: AI can generate articles, blogs, and social media posts in minutes, saving time for businesses with high content demands. - **Cost-Effectiveness**: For businesses on a tight budget, AI tools can reduce costs associated with hiring a full-time writer or team. - **Consistency**: AI maintains a consistent tone and style, making it useful for producing high volumes of content across platforms. - **Data-Driven Content**: AI can analyze trends, keywords, and user preferences to create SEO-optimized content tailored to search engine algorithms. - **Repetitive Tasks**: Writing product descriptions, meta tags, or FAQs is where AI shines, automating repetitive, formulaic tasks. ### The Limitations of AI-Generated Content Despite its strengths, AI has notable shortcomings: - **Lacks Emotional Depth**: AI struggles to convey emotion, personality, or nuanced storytelling, which are essential for connecting with readers on a human level. - **Risk of Generic Content**: AI often produces content that feels generic or lacks originality, which can fail to engage audiences or differentiate your brand. - **Contextual Errors**: AI may misunderstand context, cultural references, or subtle industry-specific nuances, leading to inaccuracies or irrelevant content. - **Ethical Concerns**: Overreliance on AI can lead to plagiarism risks or content that doesn't align with your brand's ethical standards. - **Limited Creativity**: While AI can replicate patterns, it cannot innovate or bring fresh, creative ideas to the table like a human can. ## Human-Generated Content: The Pros and Cons ### What Humans Do Best When it comes to creating organic content that resonates, humans have distinct advantages: - **Emotional Connection**: Humans understand the emotions, aspirations, and challenges of their target audience, allowing them to craft content that genuinely resonates. - **Originality and Creativity**: Humans bring fresh perspectives, creativity, and storytelling to content creation, helping businesses stand out in crowded markets. - **Contextual Understanding**: A human writer can incorporate cultural nuances, local knowledge, and subtle context to create content that feels authentic and relatable. - **Strategic Messaging**: Humans align content with brand voice, business goals, and audience preferences, ensuring every piece serves a purpose. - **Adaptability**: Humans can adjust their approach based on audience feedback, industry trends, or campaign goals, delivering dynamic and flexible content. ### Challenges of Human Content Creation While essential, human-generated content has its challenges: - **Time-Intensive**: Writing high-quality content takes time, especially when researching, drafting, and editing are involved. - **Higher Costs**: Hiring skilled writers or content teams can be more expensive than using AI tools. - **Inconsistent Quality**: Quality can vary between writers, and maintaining consistency across multiple pieces may require additional oversight. ## Why the Human Touch Still Matters In the battle between **AI-generated content** and **human-generated content**, the human touch is still irreplaceable when it comes to building relationships and achieving long-term marketing success. Here's why: - **Authenticity and** : Audiences value authenticity in the brands they interact with. Human-generated content conveys a sense of personality, empathy, and relatability that AI simply cannot replicate. In a world where trust is paramount, the human voice carries greater weight. - **Storytelling and Creativity**: Storytelling is a powerful marketing tool that captivates audiences and fosters emotional connections. Humans excel at weaving narratives that engage readers, while AI tends to produce factual but uninspiring content. - **Building Brand Identity**: Your brand has a unique voice, style, and message. Human writers can capture these nuances and ensure that your content reflects your brand's personality, fostering stronger connections with your audience. - **Strategic Insight**: Humans understand the "why" behind content creation. They can align content with broader business objectives, craft calls-to-action that drive conversions, and fine-tune messaging based on audience feedback. - **Understanding Complex Audiences**: AI can analyze data, but it cannot fully understand the complexities of human behavior, preferences, and emotions. Humans can interpret audience needs and tailor content that speaks directly to them. ## How to Combine Human and AI Efforts for Optimal Results The best approach isn't to choose one over the other but to combine the strengths of **AI** and **human creativity** to maximize results. Here's how: - **Leverage AI for Efficiency**: Use AI tools to handle repetitive tasks like generating outlines, writing product descriptions, or optimizing for keywords. - **Use Humans for Strategy and Creativity**: Employ human writers to refine AI-generated drafts, add emotional depth, and align content with your brand voice. - **Integrate Data and Insight**: Combine AI's ability to analyze trends and data with human expertise to craft content that is both data-driven and emotionally engaging. - **Focus on Collaboration**: View AI as a tool to assist human creativity rather than a replacement. Let humans take the lead in strategy and storytelling while using AI to enhance productivity. ## Conclusion: The Human Edge in Organic Content Creation While AI has revolutionized content creation with its speed and efficiency, the human touch remains critical for creating organic content that connects, inspires, and drives results. A balance of AI's technical capabilities and human creativity can help businesses craft content that engages audiences and achieves long-term success. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we understand the importance of combining AI tools with human expertise to deliver content that resonates with your audience and drives measurable results. Whether you need engaging blog posts, social media content, or a comprehensive content strategy, our team of experienced marketers is here to help. ## Ready to create content that makes an impact? [Contact us today](/Contact/) to learn how we can help your business stand out with the perfect mix of human creativity and AI-powered efficiency! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/I-Dont-Know-vs-Let-Me-Find-the-Answer/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/I-Dont-Know-vs-Let-Me-Find-the-Answer/ When it comes to working with clients, the last answer they want to hear are the three words of doom: "I don't know", a phrase so adverse to client relations that mentioning them often is equated to losing their trust and reliance. As someone who deals with over 100 clients at any given time, I am here to tell you that not running into a situation where you don't completely know an answer is not only unrealistic but also not a reliable way to approach these situations. I say situations because yes, there will more than one time where an answer for clients is simply unknown to you and you simply have no answer to give them. When this happens, remember these few tips to make things smoother for you and your clients. **It's ok to not know, just don't say it** Whether something that was on someone else's schedule isn't confirmed or the answer someone is seeking doesn't appear to be within your field of knowledge, there will be times you do not have an answer and honestly, this is completely acceptable. You're not going to know everything, however, communicating this message to clients needs to be done in a tactful, more thoughtful way. Telling them "I don't know" doesn't accurately reflect your situation, but rather shows them that you are unprepared, not motivated to find the answer or just indifferent to their issues in general. All of these are not good signals to give off. By simply changing the wording to "Let me find an answer for you", you have both momentarily acknowledged that you do not have an answer for them, but you are taking both the time and energy to find a solution for them. To your client, you didn't find the answer now, but you still helped them, you let them know that their problem was important and is now partially your responsibility to help find a solution. **When to pass the torch** Chances are there is someone you work with that has much more intricate knowledge on a subject than you do. When a client has a specific question where a more detailed answer is needed, it's always best to pass it off to more knowledgeable person. By communicating with your client that "You are going to take your questions to one of our experts", you let them know you are trying to find an answer that can completely satisfy them from someone who knows the most about their area of concern. This allows you to help them out and make it seem like they are being assisted without making it seem like you are haphazardly passing it on to someone else. When bringing in another expert to help, make sure to give a short, brief synopsis on what the client's situation is to give someone enough context to help them. **Have Empathy** Admittedly, we have all been in this situation before. A situation where we want an update, where we are annoyed with the progress of a situation or simply aren't getting the answers we want. It's annoying, its slows down our day and gives us a bad taste in our mouths. Because of this, it should serve as an incentive to help clients solve their issues as quickly and efficiently as possible. At the end of the day, they just want answers regarding their business and just want to be kept up to date. Give them the answer, service and attention they need to solve their problem, even it doesn't come with immediate results or at the cost of a slightly disgruntled person. **Conclusion** Not knowing the answers to every situation is natural, you're human after all, but knowing how to best react to those situations is what separates good customer service from bad service. Be polite, be understanding and be willing to search for answers. They are your clients, they deserve it. If you want to talk about more customer service techniques, or if you have any techniques you'd like to share, contact me at kyle@BusinessYETI.com or at 256-258-8593. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/IDontNeedAWebsite/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/IDontNeedAWebsite/ We all know that social media is now an important part of our personal lives. We also continue to learn how social media interaction can help in communicating with current and prospective customers. One area that is being forgotten is your website. [Facebook](https://www.Facebook.com/), [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/), and [LinkedIn](http://www.LinkedIn.com/) are great social media sites to tackle aspects of your business. The problem with these sites is you have no creative control over the look and feel beyond a few strategic graphics that they allow. Your website is the embodiment of your brand. You have control over your website from the pictures and content to the design and layout. This is 100% your area of the internet that you have complete control over. Your destiny of your brand online begins with your website. Your social media presence is still very important and should work hand-in-hand with your website. By having your website you gain another avenue for people to learn about your brand in a way you want. With a website of your own you can make your content king, become the expert in your field as well as build credibility of who your brand is. A website should be design to match your print marketing, tie in with any radio and television marketing while also incorporating the resources of social media into a single brand image. With social media being found organically is no longer the same as it used to be. You are having to pay more to just be seen not only by new clients but your existing customer base as well. With social media you are not only competing for your customer's attention but competing against your customer's family and friends posts. Your one post may not even be seen without being paid for. ## Where is your customer base? If you aren't sure whether your demographic frequents your social media platform of choice any more, you might want to poll your current customers to find where they are. Ask them where they spend their time online, or ask them directly if they still use social media outlet X. ## Customers Expect a Website Another reason that your social media page won't be enough is because most customers expect a business to have a website. According to Business Insider, it's a sign of professionalism. Websites offer more customized content and a closer look at the company's brand and personality. It's not that social media is worthless or that customers don't appreciate a well-developed social media page, but websites are seen as more credible. Just as your email should be \_\_\_\_@yourDomain.com and not \_\_\_\_@outlook.com, \_\_\_\_@Gmail.com or \_\_\_@someOtherDomain.com. When running your business you want to be seen as professional. The time and financial investment in a website varies based on your business's needs. Even if you can't do everything you want right away, you should at least get a simple professional site set up as a place holder. Prime domain names, particularly those with a .com, are becoming increasingly hard to find as competition heats up. Starting at the end of 2013 domain names of .restaurant, .lawyer, .property, etc. have started to become available to help you establish your brand. ## Websites Permit More Effective Branding and Control Having a brand for your company is a very important thing to do for your business. A website allows you to do just that. ## Get Total Control Over Your Brand's Presentation What's important to your business is standing out from your competition. With social media no matter how spectacular your social media page looks it will still be very similar to your competition. This is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to being online. The blessing is everyone knows how to find and navigate your social media page. The curse comes where you cannot stand out from your competition no matter how much better your product or service is. With a website you can demonstrate your brand and your quality. You can control the information presented, quality of the images customers see, quality of the content that the customer sees as well as having true “calls of action” to entice people to purchase your products and services. Updating your site with blog posts will help you rank higher in organic (not paid) online searches, and you can even address common problems or issues that your customers might face through a customer support page and help desk system built into your website while providing a consistent brand image. Social media outlets can control what content your customers see and can show your competitors rather than your information (e.g. paid advertising). Having your own website you can categorize content as you desire and change it with ease. Plus you maintain full control over all of your content and do not have to allow any social media outlet or a third party to use it as they see fit. Social media sites, on the other hand, does retain the right to use whatever content is posted on your wall or page. ## Conclusion Social media outlets have grown significantly over the last several years. What was once solely for college students and teenagers has become an important part in every aspect of all of our lives. Having an effective presence on social media used to be a great way to connect directly to your customers, and for some businesses it was enough. This is no longer the case in presenting your brand to your customers. For help in getting your business on a website, upgrading your website so that it can compete with your competitors, can meet your demanding business needs and presents a consistent brand image [contact us](/Contact/) or call us at 256-258-8593 and learn how cost effective a great web experience can be. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Importance-of-a-company-brand/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Importance-of-a-company-brand/ You hear it all the time about companies, marketing, and the company "brand". But WHAT IS a company brand and why is it important to the success (or failure) of your business? Branding has many meanings and definitions. A brand has been known as your company name, a slogan your company uses, a logo, the products you sell, the services you offer, a symbol you use to define your company, or a combination of these items. A "brand" has evolved over time to be these terms and more. A company brand is more than these mere objects. When the world was starting out in the good 'ole cowboy era cattle ranchers used branding irons to define and inform others which cattle was there's. Branding in the cowboy sense was as simple as you could get. The cowboys, ranchers, and eventually the slaughter houses knew where the cattle were originally from. In today's terms a brand is who your company is perceived as. For us as a company over the last four years a brand has been the elements, confidence, words, personality, team members, culture, and the creativity of our company. We believe your brand is everything related to getting your word out and changes in context based on where it is being talked about. In our own world of marketing our company we market ourselves not as small business experts or better than company X. We market ourselves as thinking differently, writing differently, and going back to the old days of giving more than people expect. We have written articles in the past about branding and what the text book definitions are. A brand is something people talk about even when you are not around. Your brand is what your competition talks about, what they strive to grow past, and your brand is one item that will either make your competition strive to be better or be envious of you. Your brand ultimately defines your small and growing business. The more you can get consumers, businesses, and those that see themselves as your competitors talking about you then you are marketing at the highest possible level. Your brand should deliver a message that let's people know your message, defines your credibility, will reach your target audience on an emotional level, brings those that want your products through your sales funnel, creates loyalty, and reaches the needs and wants of your current customers and prospective customers. Your branding will exist through the entire life cycle of your company. From the first touch you make with a customer all the way through the support cycle. You need to be consistent, fun, true to yourself, authentic, show your true colors (e.g. your culture), and most importantly invite people into your brand. This will create the foundational piece to market your small business to the masses by building trust, showing them that you are real, and truly with an open heart want to help them solve their problem. In conclusion, by building your company brand you will be creating a loyal following of customers that want to get behind your product and they will be more inclined to promote your business. Make certain that as you define and create your brand that it relates with the audience that you are targeting, does it stick to your core company values, is it simple to understand, is it honest, and those outside of your target audience. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/importance-of-a-logo-and-branding/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/importance-of-a-logo-and-branding/ ### Should Your Business Have a Logo and Branding Guide? If you’re starting or running a business, you’ve likely thought about creating a logo. But what about a branding guide? Logos and branding guides aren’t just for big companies—they’re essential tools for businesses of any size. They help define your identity, foster trust, and ensure consistent communication with your audience. Let’s explore why these elements matter, the benefits they bring, and tips to get started. *** ### **1. Why Your Business Needs a Logo** #### **1.1 Establishes Your Identity** Your logo is often the first thing people associate with your business. A well-designed logo: - Instantly communicates what your business is about. - Sets the tone for your brand’s personality. - Differentiates you from competitors. #### **1.2 Builds Trust and Professionalism** A polished logo makes your business appear credible and trustworthy. Customers are more likely to engage with a company that looks established and professional. #### **1.3 Improves Brand Recognition** Think of iconic logos like Nike’s swoosh or McDonald’s golden arches. A simple, memorable logo sticks in people’s minds and helps your business stay top-of-mind. *** ### **2. Simpler is Better** When it comes to logo design, less is often more. A simple logo: - Is easier to recognize and remember. - Works well across different mediums (e.g., websites, business cards, billboards). - Stays relevant longer, avoiding trends that quickly go out of style. #### **Tips for a Simple Logo:** - Focus on clean lines and minimal text. - Avoid clutter or overly complex designs. - Use a limited color palette that reflects your brand. *** ### **3. The Importance of a Branding Guide** A branding guide is a document that outlines how your brand should be presented across all platforms. It ensures consistency, which is key to building a strong and recognizable brand. #### **3.1 What Should a Branding Guide Include?** - **Logo Usage:** Clear instructions on how to use your logo (and how not to use it). - **Color Palette:** A set of colors that define your brand’s look and feel. - **Typography:** Fonts and styles to use in marketing materials and communications. - **Tone of Voice:** Guidelines for writing style, including language and tone. - **Imagery:** Examples of visual styles, including photography and graphic elements. #### **3.2 Why is a Branding Guide Beneficial?** - **Consistency:** Ensures that your branding is uniform across all platforms, from your website to social media. - **Efficiency:** Saves time by providing clear guidelines for anyone creating content for your brand. - **Professionalism:** Makes your business look polished and cohesive, no matter where your audience encounters it. *** ### **4. How to Get Started** #### **4.1 Hire a Professional Designer** Investing in a professional designer can save you time and ensure a high-quality logo and branding guide. Look for someone with experience in your industry and a portfolio that resonates with your vision. #### **4.2 Use Online Tools** If you’re on a budget, tools like Canva or Logo Maker can help you create a simple logo. However, you may still want to consult a designer for a comprehensive branding guide. #### **4.3 Test Your Logo and Branding** Share your logo and branding ideas with colleagues or a focus group to gather feedback. Ensure it resonates with your target audience and aligns with your business goals. *** ### **5. When Not to Overthink It** While a logo and branding guide are crucial, don’t let perfectionism delay your progress. Start with a simple design that captures your essence, and refine it as your business grows. Remember, your brand’s message and values matter more than fancy designs. *** ### **Conclusion** A well-designed logo and a comprehensive branding guide are cornerstones of a successful business. They establish your identity, build trust, and ensure consistency across all platforms. Simplicity is key, and when you’re ready to invest in these elements, make sure your branding guide covers all the essentials. With these tools in place, your business will have the foundation it needs to stand out, grow, and thrive. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/importance-of-blogs-organic-seo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/importance-of-blogs-organic-seo/ ## Introduction In the realm of digital marketing, businesses continually seek strategies to enhance their search engine optimization (SEO). A critical component underlining the success of local organic SEO is **blogging**. This article elucidates the significance of blogs in boosting local SEO and outlines methods to outperform competitors using content-driven strategies. ## The Role of Blogs in Local SEO Blogs serve as an essential element of a robust online marketing strategy. They not only increase your website's visibility but also assist in building authority within your niche. Regularly updated blogs generate fresh content, which search engines favor in ranking algorithms. Localized keywords within blog articles can improve search relevance, guiding local customers to your business effectively. ### Enhancing Local Visibility Through Content Integrating *location-specific keywords* within your blog content targets local audiences, allowing search engines like Google to connect your offerings with localized queries. Consistently publishing content that resonates with regional interests and current events can significantly enhance your local visibility. ### Building Trust and Authority Regularly updated, insightful blog posts build trust among your audience. They demonstrate expertise and authority, increasing customer confidence in your brand. In addition, sharing knowledge that aids your local community strengthens relationships, fostering loyalty and advocacy. ## Moving Beyond Competitors: Strategies for Success To gain a competitive edge in local SEO, businesses must implement strategic blogging practices. Here are some pivotal approaches: ### 1. Consistent Content Creation Consistency is vital in maintaining audience engagement. A well-developed content calendar ensures regular publication, keeping your brand top-of-mind for potential customers. ### 2. Leveraging NLP for Content Optimization Natural Language Processing (NLP) enables enhanced content creation through semantic analysis. By understanding user intent and language nuances, businesses can tailor their content to provide meaningful answers, thereby optimizing for both text and voice searches. ### 3. Utilizing Local Insights Incorporating local insights within your blog posts can captivate your target audience. Discussions surrounding local events, news, or testimonials can reinforce community ties and bolster your SERP standing. ### 4. Encouraging Engagement and Interaction Promoting audience interaction through comments, social media shares, and feedback enriches user experience and increases reach. Engaging content encourages local sharing, further disseminating your brand presence. ### 5. Monitoring Competitor Strategies Analyzing competitor blogs can unveil gaps and opportunities in your strategy. Observing others' content effectiveness helps refine your tactics and discover unique niches for content exploration. ## Conclusion In conclusion, the strategic utilization of blogs is imperative for enhancing local organic SEO. By consistently producing high-quality, locally relevant content and employing NLP techniques, businesses can elevate their online presence and surpass competitors. Embracing these strategies not only adds value but also positions your business as a trusted authority in the local market. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/importance-of-sitemaps/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/importance-of-sitemaps/ When it comes to **SEO success**, the term "sitemap" might not always be top of mind, but it’s a foundational piece of any well-optimized website. Sitemaps play a crucial role in how search engines discover and index your website’s content, which directly impacts your ability to rank in search engine results. In this article, we’ll explore **what sitemaps are**, how they benefit your business, and why partnering with a professional marketing agency like **Fawkes Digital Marketing** is key to consistently winning in **local organic SEO**. *** ## **What is a Sitemap?** A **sitemap** is a file (usually in XML format) that lists all the important pages, videos, and files on your website. It acts as a roadmap for search engine crawlers, guiding them to the content you want indexed and ranked. ### **Types of Sitemaps:** 1. **XML Sitemaps:** Designed for search engines to index URLs effectively. 2. **HTML Sitemaps:** Created for users to navigate your site easily. 3. **Specialized Sitemaps:** - **Image Sitemaps:** Highlight image content for search engines. - **Video Sitemaps:** Optimize videos for search visibility. - **News Sitemaps:** Used for publishing timely articles indexed by Google News. *** ## **How Sitemaps Benefit Your Business** ### **1. Faster Search Engine Indexing** Sitemaps ensure that search engine crawlers can discover your website’s most important pages efficiently. This is especially critical for: - New websites with limited backlinks. - Large websites with extensive product catalogs or content libraries. - Sites with frequently updated content, like blogs or event pages. ### **2. Improved SEO Performance** A well-structured sitemap: - Highlights your most valuable pages for indexing. - Reduces the risk of critical pages being overlooked. - Helps search engines prioritize high-importance content. ### **3. Enhanced Local SEO** For businesses targeting local customers, sitemaps: - Include location-based pages to rank for **“near me”** searches. - Help index Google Business Profile pages and locally focused content. - Provide structured data for events, products, or services tailored to local audiences. ### **4. Better Crawl Efficiency** Search engines have a limited "crawl budget"—the number of pages they can crawl on your website during a given timeframe. Sitemaps ensure that your most important pages are indexed first, maximizing the value of each crawl. ### **5. Supports Rich Results** Structured sitemaps help you implement and highlight schema markup, increasing the likelihood of rich snippets appearing in search results. For example: - Product reviews - Event dates and locations - FAQ sections *** ## **Why Your Business Needs a Professional Marketing Agency for Sitemaps** Creating and maintaining a sitemap might seem straightforward, but optimizing it for **SEO performance** requires expertise. Here’s why a professional marketing agency is essential: ### **1. Expertise in Sitemap Optimization** A professional agency understands how to: - Organize and prioritize URLs effectively. - Exclude unnecessary pages (like login pages or admin sections). - Ensure sitemaps align with SEO best practices. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we analyze your site’s architecture to create sitemaps that highlight your most valuable content and avoid errors that could hurt your rankings. ### **2. Regular Updates and Monitoring** Your website evolves over time, with new pages added and old ones removed. A marketing agency will: - Keep your sitemaps updated to reflect these changes. - Monitor for errors or warnings in Google Search Console. This ensures your site remains optimized and indexed correctly, no matter how much it grows. ### **3. Local SEO Expertise** Winning at local SEO requires optimizing your sitemaps for location-specific keywords, services, and content. **Fawkes Digital Marketing** specializes in helping businesses rank higher in their local areas by incorporating structured data and local-focused pages into sitemaps. ### **4. Technical SEO Integration** An agency brings technical SEO expertise to address issues like: - Fixing broken links or duplicate content. - Implementing hreflang for multilingual or regional sites. - Using pagination in sitemaps for large websites. ### **5. Competitive Advantage** Your competitors may already be using sitemaps to their advantage. With a professional agency by your side, you’ll not only level the playing field but also outpace them with superior optimization strategies. *** ## **Why Fawkes Digital Marketing is Your Go-To Partner** At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we go beyond simply generating a sitemap. We create **SEO-driven sitemaps** that align with your business goals and help you dominate local search rankings. ### **What We Offer:** 1. **Custom Sitemap Creation:** Tailored to your website’s structure, content, and priorities. 2. **Comprehensive SEO Integration:** Ensuring every page aligns with your overall strategy. 3. **Local SEO Expertise:** Helping businesses in Cullman, Mobile, and beyond win at local search. 4. **Ongoing Support:** Regular updates and performance monitoring to ensure lasting results. *** ## **Take Your SEO to the Next Level** Sitemaps are more than just a technical requirement—they’re a powerful tool for boosting your **SEO performance** and driving more traffic to your site. When combined with expert SEO strategies, sitemaps ensure your business stays ahead of the competition. Ready to unlock the full potential of your website? Contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today to learn how we can create and optimize sitemaps that help your business thrive in search results. Visit **[www.fawkesdm.com](https://www.fawkesdm.com/)** to get started! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Importance-of-website-content/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Importance-of-website-content/ We let all our clients know about the importance of content. In that regard why is content truly important, how can it increase your effectiveness, and how can it help you grow your small business? When you have content that is designed to drive an interaction that creates a sale you can easily create a goal within your analytics software, track it, and justify the contents success and value. In most cases success from your quality content happens over a period. Quality content will showcase your expertise, build trust, educate, and establish your brand as a leader in your industry. In this article we will delve into five key items of why quality content is important to your brand. ## More than just text When we talk about marketing content to improve your overall reach we often think of the text of the article, case study, and sales material being created. This is not always the case when it comes to educating and informing your audience. In many cases pictures and video are equally important in telling your story. When you use text, images, and video together you are reaching many aspects of marketing. Text helps you reach your audience by having content that not only people read but the search engines read. Images have always been said to convey hundreds, thousands, and even millions of words from a single graphic. Video captivates and brings people further into your sales process. ## Improve your organic search Writing quality content takes time and you want to grow your business. The benefit of this quality content is that the search engines will reward you for it. Recently we have had a large influx of people wanting to do paid advertising to reach people. Many we help with paid advertising on [Google](https://www.google.com/), [Bing](https://www.bing.com/), and [Facebook](https://www.Facebook.com/). This isn't where the power of content is though. The power of having quality content comes from being found organically (e.g. free). The quality content costs (and money) to create as time has a price. What it gives you is that lasting value that helps you grow. ## Evergreen content prevails When it comes to longevity of your content and something that truly lasts the test of time you need to think of quality evergreen content. What though is evergreen and why do I care about it? Evergreen content is content that is not time sensitive that lasts months and years down the road. This is where true quality content lives. When you create great content for your website or social media marketing the content can be used over-and-over to reach and impact your audience. ## Sales funnel process We always put emphasis on long-term, educating, and informing of your audience to why your brand is something that is worth buying. All too often we talk with small businesses directly looking at big business (e.g. [Wal-Mart](https://www.walmart.com/), [Target](https://www.target.com/), Kohl's, etc.). Small business can rarely beat these companies on price as they are buying in such large quantities it just won't happen. Many consumers want a quality product, they want to be something more than “just a customer”. They want to know they are helping their community grow. Although we shop at Wal-Mart all the time when it comes push-to-shove we always look at small business first and see if they have what we need as we know it helps our community. ## Being the industry leader We have briefly talked about being the industry leader but what does being an industry leader mean and do for my business when all I want to do is make sales? Sales takes more than “one touch” to complete a sale. In our industry we often will touch someone 20 or more times before a person starts to gain interest in purchasing our products. A touch can be anything from passing someone on the street and saying hello (they need to know who you are though), phone calls, emails, and information (like this blog article) that showcases knowledge and information. All websites whether someone wants to admit it or not is a sales tool. You are showing your products and services, providing customer support, and helping educate people about who you are. The more you educate the more you become the expert in your industry that people will go to. ## Bonus – How often to create content We would be amiss to not talk about how often one should write, update, and educate when it comes to content. The holy grail when it comes to content is once per week. Once per month should be your minimum for writing content for your website. You want to stay consistent (another bonus – consistency!!!!) in your schedule. If you have a marketing company, they should be taking valuable information from you on what you want to talk about and helping you create this content and publishing it for you under your name so that you can focus on growing your business in the real-world. For our clients, we strive for twice per month to achieve maximum effectiveness of promoting their brand and what we believe should be the minimum (yes that's more than once per month!). ## Conclusion A quality article like this will be around 700-1,000 words that inform, provide value (people walk away with new knowledge and information), and keep your name in front of their mind. This article has taken about 45 minutes to create. The page offers benefits to everyone by providing value, quality organic search engine optimization or SEO, and allows the reader to go back and take the information and use it to grow their business. If your business wants to grow online and you don't have time to do so as you want to focus on your core business in the real-world the team at JM2 Webdesigners and Marketing from Cullman Alabama is ready to assist you with our social media, search engine optimization, and content writers that we have on-staff to help your small business grow. Give us a call at [855-456-2669](tel:855-456-2669), [email at sales@jm2marketing.com](mailto:sales@jm2marketing.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Improvements-in-Customer-Service/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Improvements-in-Customer-Service/ We all know that when you are pulled into meetings, phone calls, dozens (even hundreds) of emails per week, and walk-ins in throughout your work day it disrupts the flow of work, pushes timelines, and makes for an inefficient operation for employees and clients alike. Organizations know they need someone in a role that communicates with clients, they know it will improve customer satisfaction, but never want to invest (e.g. it eats into their profits) in such a role. Often an organization will allocate a small part of a person’s (or multiple employees) time to it. This causes a system that actually can be even more inefficient. This is why as an organization we added Lorissa to our team with just one job duty of communicating with our clients. This dedicated position will make certain customer communication happens. We even have set parameters that we will add another person in this position when we reach certain thresholds so that we don’t run into a situation where our coordinator is overworked and create failure in communication. Our project coordinator position, which we call the Time Keeper, has the sole responsibility to communicate with the customer, put in tasks for the team, double-check the tasks that the team did, and get back with the client that the changes are done. This role has no other functions and how it will stay. We previously emailed clients every month but often never heard from them or “all is okay”. Not super helpful when our goal is to help them grow. Some clients asked for meetings, we met with them, and they are growing. Over time they have grown and we now meet with members of the team rather than the owners (as they are running their business). When we did talk with clients we found that many didn’t know all that they had available to them (for no additional cost) or they said they wanted to meet and it fell off the teams radar due to others just walking in and things getting lost. Lorissa is our “agent of change” when it comes to this improved communication with fixes for everything we’ve previously seen. She will be doing the following with every client 1. Communicate via their preferred communication 2. Communicate at the frequency that works for them 3. Push for meetings to help our clients better take advantage of the services available to them that don’t cost any more money! It’s never a good thing to have X, Y, and Z available to you, and paying for it, when you only take advantage of X and Y. Z may be the growth catalyst you need to take your business to an entirely new level. Since starting last Thursday she has already been in several meetings and going through every client’s tasks in the system. She has been meeting with the primary and secondary person on their accounts and prioritizing who to talk to first. Key items she’ll be going over with everyone is: - What services you have and don’t have - Your preferred communication method and how often - Where have we made mistakes for you and how can we fix it - Work on your marketing plan if that is one of the items you have - How we can help you grow (as that’s what all of this is about) Lorissa is always available via our support email at [support@jm2marketing.com](mailto:support@jm2marketing.com). It’s an easy to remember email and one that will get items done faster than any other. Lorissa will be the key person handling all meetings. A single point of contact so there is no guessing on who does content writing, graphic design, web design, programming, videography, SEO, or social media. The workflow we are working towards is as follows and I truly think is as efficient as one can get with double-checks and a high level of client communication happening. 1. Email received ([support@jm2marketing.com](mailto:support@jm2marketing.com)) 2. Entered in as a Task in the system 1. Assigned to one or more individuals 2. Notifications set to those not directly working on the task but want to be aware of any changes. 3. Estimate the amount of time to be done 4. Enter in as much detail 3. Reply back to the client with Task # 1. We can come up with a standard copy/paste message that keeps it simple while also letting them know they can check the status with a portal account 4. Follow-up with who assigned to 1. Daily alerts sent of all open tasks assigned to the team member 5. Validate everything meets the criteria 6. Contact client back via their preferred method once the requested items are done 1. If can’t be reached another method 2. If items are over an extended period of time (not quick changes) communicate with the client throughout the entire process --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Improving-eCommerce-SEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Improving-eCommerce-SEO/ When it comes to search engine optimization or SEO it should never be considered one and done or something you can learn in a blog post or a few short hours. SEO is truly a craft that can take a good website and make it great. The opposite is also true that a good website with poorly thought out design and content can create a bad website to the search engines. In this article, we'll go over the core areas for SEO on an eCommerce website. SEO is different for every type of website and industry. This is part of what makes SEO hard. When it comes to eCommerce websites (all of them) the following is important for everyone. Industry specific tweaks and changes can be done. What we are defining here is what every eCommerce website should do. ## Product and Site Keywords When you are creating keywords for every product you need to think of not only what your company calls a product but what your customers call the product as well. Are nicknames used for your product that you don't refer to but customers do? That should be one of the keywords that you target. When nicknames are being used combine that nickname with the actual product name to give the nickname, and the product, more relevance and linking to each other. ## Content Often on eCommerce websites a product isn't updated as often as other content. When it comes to content you want to answer the questions your customers will have, you want to have details that will explain what the product is, and especially a description that isn't too short but also not too long. If you have video or pictures make certain that alternate text is used and for video, if you can, have a written transcript of the video to further improve your SEO. Being people will typically not buy from your eCommerce store on the first visits (there's always exceptions to the rule), you need to build your reputation with your would-be customer. Make certain that you have a clear about page and details of who you are and why someone would want to buy from you. ## Links Like a regular website links are extremely beneficial. You have both internal and external links. An internal link is pages within your eCommerce site that link to other pages. eCommerce sites almost always have the best internal links of any site due to items like linking to other pages with relevant products. External links can be from the press, chamber of commerce, suppliers, vendors, social media mentions, and blog posts. ## Engagement When we're talking engagement, we are talking about when people come to your website and go to a product page without clicking the dreaded BACK button. When the back button is used the search, engines see the page as less relevant to the user. When a user clicks to another page of the site, stays on your site, and even makes a purchase that adds more credibility to your website. A key way of improving your engagement and helping prevent users from leaving your website are: - Having an easy to follow navigation at the top of the page - Having an easy to find search capability - Having the "cart" visible and easily accessible - Fine tune and tweak your site using analytics based on how your customers are using your site - Great visuals that showcase your product - A "simple" theme that showcases your product rather than just a beautiful design - Fast and efficient (speed matters) - Secure and safe (SSL or the more modern term of TLS security) ## Freshness Unlike a regular website where you want to update frequently and often on an eCommerce site that may not always be the necessary case. If your content is already strong for your product you probably won't need to update often. What you will want to do is continually add items that further define what your products are, adding common questions you are receiving on the products, and giving more credibility to the products that you are selling. ## Conclusion When it comes to SEO and eCommerce we often feel that SEO is easier and yet harder than that of a regular website. We feel it's easier as we will treat each page as a mini-website for a product or group of products with a unique set of rules. You can come up with keywords often easier with eCommerce than a regular website as well as when we sit down with clients that can quickly and more easily come up with keywords for each page. Where it gets hard is when you have hundreds, even hundreds of thousands, of products. This takes time to update each one by hand as you do not want to have a computer randomly figure out the best combination. JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama works with many companies on improving their eCommerce through the search engines and conversions with their customers. To learn more about how our Northwest Alabama marketing company can assist your business online you can contact us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Improving-your-SEO-and-your-User-Experience/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Improving-your-SEO-and-your-User-Experience/ The internet is a fast moving machine where performance is key to being successful. There are design trends that look cool but can negatively affect your visitor performance. Many of these trends are good as they improve the overall user experience (UX); others though make the experience worse after the "wow" factor has been seen one or two times. A positive user experience is one that enhances, doesn't slow a site visitor down, doesn't distract, aligns with the core objective of the site, and doesn't have to get them to think of "what do I need to do here". Many design trends over the past year have some great "wow" factor but can actually hurt your search engine optimization, slow down your website, and detract from what you are promoting. In today's article we are going to discuss some of the most common trends that we see in generic website templates web designers employ to wow you to buy them. These fancy elements we've found actually detract from the overall user experience and hurt your search engine optimization (SEO). What we are going to talk about are items that can frustrate and actually get users to leave your website rather than stay. We've employed some of these many years ago and since removing have increased our website conversions by double. ## Auto playing of Audio or Video This is what started this blog article process. In the past several weeks we've gone to dozens of websites where the audio or video on the site just started playing. Two were restaurants, an accountant website, an industrial website, and the rest were all technical web design sites. We understand that you want your content seen and heard but as the owner of the site you need to think of your user before you think of yourself. Many times we open multiple tabs only to find that one, or more, of the tabs start showing the speaker icon that there is audio coming from that tab. We haven't even gotten there and it's already playing. Many times for us when we hear this we just click the close button on the tab and never see anything on that site. ## Mobile Popups We used to use popups within our content management system (CMS) a lot. This kept the user on the screen without any back/forth between pages and we thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. The problem with this is our pages were slower as there was more information to load. Having the popups on a page added a full second onto a page. This may seem like a short span of time but on the internet one second is a long time. Many mobile devices though the close window button went off the screen due to how the browser interpreted the location attribute for the top right corner of the popup window. Users were looking for where to close and on many screens, specifically Apple iPhone, the button was not always visible. This added a layer of frustration and could easily be fixed by removing the popup windows. Today mobile popups are still common. There are two types of popups we routine see on mobile devices. The first is give us your email where lead generation is happening to quickly grow your email marketing lists. When done effectively users will seek out your information and subscribe to your information. The other major source we see popups shown is for advertising. This is a huge item for local newspapers. They want to pay for everything off of advertisement revenue. The problem we see with this is many times the ads are so big we cannot hit the close button and just have to leave the site. The ad was seen though so that's all that matters right? ## Landing Pages Landing pages used to be completely separate pages and are often called today as a squeeze page or a splash page. Today they can actually be part of your core website on any page. When a user comes to your site a page shows up and pushes down all of your content. This pushdown effect is often used as a separate landing page can seem spamming and not effective from an SEO standpoint. If your business has to have a landing page what you will want to include will be an offer, a catchy tagline, images and graphics (no auto play for audio or video), and the conversion button. Don't forget about the "opt out" as some people will not want to subscribe to your marketing tactics. When a landing page is designed to show as soon as someone comes to your site it is common to be above the fold and get a user to do a specific action (e.g. provide an email address). All of this information gathering before the user even knows anything about you. Many times a user will dismiss this information (if they have that option). Then when they've decided they are ready to "drink your kool aid" and learn more about you there is no way of subscribing as many only thought about asking before a user learns about your products and services. ## Loading Screens A loading page was initially created as pages took a long time to load over slow connections. Today slow internet speeds are not as much of an issue with the speeds within homes and even on mobile devices. With a loading screen you actually make your site slower by having the loading page show that your page is loading. A typically loading page will show from 2-5 seconds to a user. The problem today with loading screens is that a page should load under 3 seconds on average for all the above the fold content. ## Too much animation Every time a new animation comes out we look at it. We are truly in wow about how someone came up with it. We look at the code, see how easy it was for them to achieve, and think why didn't anyone think of it sooner. Then we take that preverbal step back and ask a key fundamental question we do for everything. What "value" does this bring to the table. Does it enhance and improve the user experience or does it just add a wow factor that distracts a user from the information. There are many sites we go to that have the wow factor and if they didn't have great content we would not go to them. The reason we wouldn't go to them is that fancy animation distracts from the overall value of the site. ## Images A factor that gets many websites is they will upload these truly beautiful images. The images are big enough to be printed at 11x17 with the highest level of clarity. The problem with this is most people are looking at the images in a 3x5 setting. This extra image size makes your images take longer to load and your website slower to load. A fast loading site is critical and images are one of the biggest reasons for a slow site. Another core factor is having a ton of images on a page. Images do speed thousands of words to people and when used correctly will enhance a page. Having too many pictures (unless you are a site like Pinterest) can not only be distracting but slowdown your site overall. ## Not Testing Every site we create we send through a group of testers. These people range from people that are not computer savvy and struggle with the internet to those that are experts in the field. We do this testing to improve the overall user experience so that information is clearly found and easy to understand. A user experience you have to think on after all is a bad user experience. If you look at devices from Apple they are clean and easy to use. A single button does everything. There is little to no room for interpretation of what to press being there is only one item to click. If you are lost, you click one button. A website should be the same way. A user shouldn't have to think much when they are on your site. They should be able to quickly and easily find the information they have to the problem they are having today. If the user has a new problem and they come to your site, they should be able to quickly find a solution for that as well. ## Conclusion When building or doing maintenance on your website make certain to think about your users before yourself. Quality content will get you far along the path. Taking out all of the extra fluff that distracts and slows down your site and doesn't provide a value to your site visitors will only lead to less conversions rather than to more conversions. For help with your user experience we would love to sit down with you and discuss how together we can help bring more leads from your online employee; your website. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/increase-domain-trust/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/increase-domain-trust/ ## What is Domain Trust, and Why Does It Matter? Domain trust is a crucial factor in how search engines rank websites. A high domain trust score signals to Google that your site is reliable, authoritative, and safe for users. This can lead to **higher rankings, more organic traffic, and better online credibility**. If you want to improve your website’s domain trust, you need to focus on several key areas, including backlinks, content quality, security, and user experience. This guide will walk you through the most effective strategies. *** ## 1. Build High-Quality Backlinks Backlinks from authoritative websites serve as **votes of confidence** for your domain. Google uses these signals to determine trustworthiness. ### Actionable Steps: - **Earn links from authoritative sources** like industry blogs, news websites, and government organizations. - **Guest posts on reputable sites** with high domain authority (DA). - **Use digital PR strategies** to get featured in news articles, interviews, or research pieces. - **Disavow toxic links** that come from spammy, irrelevant, or low-quality sources using Google’s Disavow Tool. > *Pro Tip:* Use tools like **Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush** to analyze your backlink profile and remove harmful links. *** ## 2. Create High-Quality, Authoritative Content Google prioritizes **Expertise, Authority, and Trust (E-A-T)** when ranking content. The more valuable and accurate your content is, the more Google and users will trust your site. ### Actionable Steps: - **Publish in-depth, well-researched content** that addresses user intent. - **Cite authoritative sources** and include links to .gov, .edu, and reputable industry sites. - **Regularly update old content** to keep it relevant. - **Optimize for user engagement** (longer time on page, lower bounce rate). > *Pro Tip:* Use **Google Search Console** to identify underperforming content and refresh it with new insights. *** ## 3. Improve Website Security & Technical SEO Security is a major factor in Google’s trust assessment. A website that isn’t secure can be flagged as **unsafe**, leading to lower rankings and lost traffic. ### Actionable Steps: - **Ensure HTTPS security** by installing an SSL certificate. - **Fix broken links** that can frustrate users and lower trust. - **Optimize for page speed** using tools like **Google PageSpeed Insights** and **GTmetrix**. - **Make your website mobile-friendly** with a responsive design. - **Fix duplicate content issues** to prevent Google from seeing your site as spammy. > *Pro Tip:* Use **Google's Mobile-Friendly Test** and **Core Web Vitals report** to identify technical issues affecting trust. *** ## 4. Strengthen Your Brand Authority A strong brand presence improves trust both with search engines and potential customers. ### Actionable Steps: - **Be active on social media** and engage with your audience. - **Encourage positive online reviews** on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Trustpilot. - **Establish thought leadership** by publishing on LinkedIn, Medium, or industry forums. - **Get brand mentions from high-authority sites**, even if they aren’t backlinks. > *Pro Tip:* Use **Google Alerts** to monitor your brand mentions and respond promptly to build trust. *** ## 5. Increase Engagement & User Trust Signals User behavior plays a role in domain trust. A website with high engagement and low bounce rates signals **strong user trust**. ### Actionable Steps: - **Improve website UX/UI** with clear navigation and an intuitive design. - **Reduce bounce rates** by creating compelling, relevant content. - **Encourage comments and discussions** to show user engagement. - **Use structured data markup (Schema.org)** to improve search engine understanding and visibility. > *Pro Tip:* Use **Google Analytics** to track engagement metrics and identify areas for improvement. *** ## Conclusion: Take Action to Build Your Domain Trust Increasing your domain trust takes time, but by implementing the right **SEO, content, and security strategies**, you can improve your rankings and online credibility. ### Key Takeaways: ✅ Earn **high-quality backlinks** from authoritative sources. ✅ Publish **valuable, in-depth content** that aligns with E-A-T. ✅ Secure your site with **SSL, fast loading speeds, and mobile-friendliness**. ✅ Build **brand authority** through social engagement and online reviews. ✅ Optimize **user experience** to increase engagement and trust signals. By following these steps, your website will become a trusted resource in your industry, leading to **higher rankings, more traffic, and increased conversions**. *** 💡 **Need help boosting your domain trust?** Contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today for expert SEO strategies that deliver results! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/IncreaseYourWebsiteTraffic/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/IncreaseYourWebsiteTraffic/ No business wants to have low website traffic. In this article we will discuss how we help businesses increase their website traffic from our Northwest Alabama Cullman office. We will cover many areas people might forget about or don't put enough emphasis on when building and maintaining their website. ## Having No Website How can having "no website" help my website traffic? It can't and never will! You need a website to sell to your customers. We hear it all the time that "I have Facebook" or something similar so you don't need a website. Although having social media is great as it allows you a mechanism to talk with your current and future customers the branding of these social media sites is not yours but someone else's. To make your business stand out you need a website. By adding a website, even a single page *professionally designed* website, you can increase the visibility and branding of your company. You will notice we mentioned professionally designed. There are many free products out there and if you put in the necessary 20-50+ hours you can get some good results. In the end you will still have a stock site that looks like every other site that is built on that template. In these cases, you are not differentiating your business. You are saying that you are like everyone else. ![Analytics](/Images/Content/Blog/analytics1.png) ## Analytics Analytics may not help increase your website directly. What it will do is let you know what is and isn't working on your website. If you know that certain pages are getting more traffic (visitors) than other pages, this can help you properly target your customers. You may think product A is the best product in the world. When you look at your analytics you may find that product B that you least cared about is the one that everyone is looking at. This may be because your website is sending them to this product or there is a true demand for it. Using this information, you can make appropriate adjustments in for business. ## Meta Information Many search engines don't take a lot of weight when it comes to meta information anymore. That doesn't mean this information isn't important. Titles, keywords, and descriptions still should be used, filled in completely and be accurate for each page. Each page should be unique as well. ## Beyond Meta Information If there is meta information what could be beyond meta information? Structured meta data. This information is the new and improved version of the original meta information. With structured meta data you can define in great detail items like addresses, hours, and more in a way that means something to the search engines. ## Image Information With each image on your website you need to define what it is. This not only will help you move closer to 508 accessibilities (people with disabilities) but the search engines will know exactly what the image is. If you put in truly great descriptions, you will also be increasing your search engine optimization (SEO). ## Quality Content Anyone can build a website. It's true! It is no longer that hard to do in today's technological environments. This is both good and bad for web design companies like ours. Yes, it does get people building their own site and we lose customers for those that spend the necessary 30+ hours setting up and then 4-8+ hours per month keeping their website updated. For those that build a free site they soon learn they don't get the results they want because a free site isn't optimized to truly rock the search engines. Many web design companies have on-staff like we do people that are professional content writers. These content writers provide a consistent and concise voice about your business. They are experts in their field and will write content that is designed to get people interested in your products and services. When you have quality content you are building a value for your customers. When there is something that is of value to your customer they are more apt to trust and want to purchase from you. Take your time, write it well, and answer their questions they might have. You are in business because you feel you offer something above your competition. Prove it by being an expert in your field. ![A/B Testing](/Images/Content/Blog/abTesting.jpg) ## A/B Testing You may have the best site on the planet. You've spent thousands on it. It is beautiful but isn't converting the way you feel it should with the number of people coming to your website. How can you fix this? There are many ways but the way we find that is the most beneficial is what is called A/B testing. For one, or more, pages you build two pages. You try one page and log the results, then another and log the results. Each page has the same information just rearranged with different objectives. Sometimes with just a color change to see what draws customers in. ## Reciprocal Link Building Quality link building is not dead! Crappy link building is not only dead it will make your website move down in the search engine results. Every business aligns in one way or another with companies that meet their corporate culture. The same should be true for linking to others websites and asking them to link to you. This reciprocal link building can help improve your overall trust in the web community. ## Internet Standards The internet is full of standards. This is so that you can reach the widest audience possible. By adhering to these standards you can help people who have disabilities as well as make certain that what you create is properly visible across the largest range of devices. You can view your website with the latest standards at [https://validator.w3.org/](https://validator.w3.org/). This is a free service that will help you achieve greatness when providing a consistence experience across all devices. Speaking of all devices you should check your website across a multitude of browsers. The top browsers today are Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Apple Safari. The experience on each one of these devices should be the same. ![Expert Advice](/Images/Content/Blog/expertAdvice.jpg) ## Blogs and Articles A blog (also called an article) is a page on your website that you showcase your expertise and knowledge to benefit others. That's what this page is. By doing so you increase visibility in your local community. In our case it's Cullman Alabama. It also lets you reach across the country and around the world as well. By writing on a consistent basis you will be letting the search engines you care about your customers, have up-to-date content, and are sticking around for the long haul. The longer your business creates and produces quality content the more the search engines will move you up in the results. ## Black Hat Techniques These techniques are evil; pure evil. Many businesses get suckered in by unethical companies promising page 1 position 1 positions. Unless they own Google or other search engines (and they don't) they cannot guarantee you page 1 position 1 results. If they require you to pay hundreds, even thousands, of dollars for this position it's most likely paid advertising. These are not the positions you want. You want to be organically found. Although paid advertising has its place bringing in traffic should be based on organic results. By doing it this way when and if you decide to pay your results will be even better. Don't break the "internet law" to get these positions for a quick gain. Many will get a quick gain and then start falling off the pages and will be hard to recover. We had one company we had on page 1 position 3 (not position 1) and they were sold that they could be guaranteed position 1. They immediately moved up to position 1 for two weeks. In week three they started dropping. Today they are on page 15. This isn't the first one of our old customers that have been cheated by a snack oil sales man. Companies that guarantee these rankings do not care about the success of your business; only their bottom line. ## Settings Goals How do you know your business is doing good? You set goals. You do this for the core business and your employees. As many who've read our blog for years know we treat a website as an employee. We do this because an employee needs to be well informed and answer the questions your site visitors have. By setting your objectives you can know if your website is doing what you want. If it is keep it up but if it's not doing everything you want that is most likely not the fault of your website. It is the fault of those in charge of your website. This may be you, the business owner, or that of a person on your team. It could be they were keeping the website updated but has fallen off of their priority radar. Make certain this stays on the priority radar and if you are so busy you can't maintain (this is all of our hopes) then align with your web design company to achieve the results you want (just remember to communicate that to them!). ![Mobility](/Images/Content/Blog/Mobility.jpg) ## Have a mobile website This one truly shouldn't be last but we saved it intentionally for being last. The reason is many people will build a website and not think of a mobile site. They may have a framework that gives them a mobile site but not a "mobile experience". What's the difference and how can it benefit me? A mobile site is one that shows information in a mobile view. This means that you do not have to "pinch and zoom" to see the information. There are two ways to build a mobile site. You can build a completely separate website (old school) where a user is redirected to m.domain.com. This method will truly hurt your search engine results. The other is having a responsive design where the screen resizes based on the screen size of the user's device. This can be done incorrectly as well. You may be thinking but how can a site that works on every device be bad? The answer is that on a desktop you have larger images. On tablets you may still have large images but if it's an iPad you can have even better images for the retina display. On a phone you don't need as large of images or no images at all. If you go to [https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/](https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/) you can find out how well your website is performing for free as well as how Google sees your webpage from a desktop as well as a mobile device perspective. Before we talk with clients we always pull up every (not just the home page) up in this type of environment. This tells us immediately how well their website is working for them and where some of the most glaring problems are. ## Conclusion By looking at the information of the latest internet standards, assigning goals and objectives and keeping your website constantly updated you can achieve greatness with your website. If you are not sure how your website is performing, want some expert help, or need a second opinion we would love to help you out. We can be reached at 256-258-8593, [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/indexnow-native-brilliance-crm/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/indexnow-native-brilliance-crm/ In the ever-evolving digital landscape, staying ahead means leveraging the latest technologies to ensure your business thrives online. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we're proud to announce that **[Brilliance CRM](https://www.brilliancecrm.com/)**, our cutting-edge customer relationship management platform, now includes **native support for the IndexNow protocol**. This game-changing integration ensures your business remains visible and relevant in today's fast-paced online environment. ## What Is IndexNow, and Why Does It Matter? IndexNow is a powerful protocol designed to speed up how search engines discover and index your website's updates. Traditionally, search engines rely on bots to crawl websites periodically, meaning it could take days or even weeks for changes to reflect in search results. With IndexNow, this process is immediate. When you make updates to your site—whether it's a new blog post, a change to a product page, or the deletion of outdated content—IndexNow notifies search engines instantly. This means: - Faster visibility for your updates. - Improved accuracy of search engine results. - Increased efficiency in managing your online presence. ## How Brilliance CRM's IndexNow Integration Benefits Your Business As a small or medium-sized business in **Cullman and North Alabama**, the success of your digital marketing hinges on how quickly and effectively customers can find you online. Brilliance CRM's native IndexNow support ensures that your website updates reach search engines like **Bing** and **Yandex** in real time. ### Key Benefits of IndexNow Integration in Brilliance CRM: 1. **Instant Indexing of Website Changes**: Whether you're launching a new service, updating your business hours, or publishing fresh content, IndexNow ensures search engines are notified immediately. This gives your business a competitive edge by keeping your site information accurate and up-to-date. 2. **Improved Search Engine Rankings**: Faster indexing means your site stays relevant in search results. Search engines prioritize sites that are frequently updated, which can lead to improved rankings and increased visibility. 3. **Enhanced Customer Experience**: When customers search for your business, they'll find the most accurate and current information. This builds trust and enhances their overall experience. 4. **Time and Cost Efficiency**: By reducing reliance on traditional crawling, IndexNow cuts down the time it takes for search engines to discover updates. This means fewer resources spent on SEO maintenance, allowing you to focus on growing your business. 5. **Seamless Automation**: Brilliance CRM handles IndexNow submissions automatically, so you don't need to worry about manually notifying search engines. It's all taken care of in the background, saving you time and effort. ## Why Fawkes Digital Marketing Is the Leader in Cullman and North Alabama At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we don't just follow trends—we set them. As the go-to digital marketing agency for businesses in Cullman and North Alabama, we've built a reputation for innovation, expertise, and unparalleled client service. ### Why Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing? 1. **Local Expertise, Global Vision**: We understand the unique challenges faced by businesses in Cullman and North Alabama. Our strategies are tailored to the needs of local businesses while leveraging global best practices to keep you ahead of the competition. 2. **Innovative Solutions**: Brilliance CRM's IndexNow support is just one example of how we integrate cutting-edge technology to give your business an edge. From marketing automation to SEO strategies, we provide tools that drive results. 3. **Comprehensive Services**: We're more than just a CRM provider. Our services include: - Website design and hosting. - Search engine optimization (SEO). - Social media marketing. - Reputation management. - Content creation and more. 4. **Dedicated Support**: We're with you every step of the way, from implementation to ongoing optimization. Our team is always available to ensure your digital marketing efforts are successful. 5. **Proven Results**: Our clients see measurable improvements in online visibility, customer engagement, and revenue growth. We're committed to delivering success for every business we work with. ## How to Get Started with Brilliance CRM and IndexNow Getting started with Brilliance CRM and its native IndexNow integration is simple. Whether you're a current customer or looking to upgrade your business marketing tools, our team will guide you through the process. 1. **Contact Us**: Schedule a consultation with our team to discuss your business needs. 2. **Setup and Integration**: We'll handle the setup and ensure your CRM is optimized for your goals, including configuring IndexNow for your website. 3. **Grow Your Business**: With Brilliance CRM and Fawkes Digital Marketing on your side, you'll see faster results, stronger customer relationships, and a more efficient online presence. ## The Future of Digital Marketing in Cullman and Beyond The integration of IndexNow into Brilliance CRM underscores **Fawkes Digital Marketing's commitment** to providing the best tools and strategies for local businesses. As search engines continue to evolve, we ensure our clients stay ahead of the curve, leveraging the latest technologies to drive growth and success. ## Ready to Take Your Business to the Next Level? Fawkes Digital Marketing is here to empower your business with innovative tools like Brilliance CRM and IndexNow. [Contact us today](/Contact/) to learn more about how we can help your business thrive in Cullman, North Alabama, and beyond. Let's build the future of your business together. **Fawkes Digital Marketing: Your Partner in Digital Success.** --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/IntegratingYourSEOstrategyintoAISEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/IntegratingYourSEOstrategyintoAISEO/ OpenAI's ChatGPT has recently integrated a search function, enabling it to access and provide real-time information from the web. To enhance the visibility of your website within ChatGPT's search results, consider the following strategies: 1. **Optimize for Traditional Search Engines**: - **SEO Best Practices**: Implement standard SEO techniques, such as keyword optimization, meta tags, and high-quality content creation, to improve your site's ranking on traditional search engines. Since ChatGPT's search capabilities may rely on existing search engine data, a well-optimized site is more likely to be indexed. - **Structured Data**: Utilize schema markup to provide clear context about your site's content, aiding AI models in accurately interpreting and displaying your information. 2. **Ensure Accessibility to Web Crawlers**: - **Robots.txt Configuration**: Verify that your `robots.txt` file permits access to web crawlers, including those used by AI models. Blocking these crawlers can prevent your site from being indexed. - **Sitemap Submission**: Submit an up-to-date sitemap to search engines to facilitate efficient crawling and indexing of your site's pages. 3. **Maintain High-Quality, Relevant Content**: - **Authoritative Information**: Publish accurate, well-researched content that establishes your site as a reliable source within your industry. - **Regular Updates**: Keep your content current to increase the likelihood of being referenced by AI models seeking up-to-date information. 4. **Monitor and Adapt to AI Search Developments**: - **Stay Informed**: Keep abreast of updates from OpenAI regarding ChatGPT's search functionalities and indexing processes. - **Engage with the Community**: Participate in forums and discussions related to AI-driven search to gain insights and share experiences with other website owners. ## Conclusion By implementing these strategies, you can improve your website's chances of being included in ChatGPT's search results, thereby enhancing its visibility to users leveraging AI-driven search tools. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/InternetPredictions2016/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/InternetPredictions2016/ In 2016 we see a continued growth from what started out in 2015 with a true emphasis on the customer experience. Whether this is the interface of your website or the personalization to provide content rich information for consumers. We do see some shifts in the way the Internet works with the improvements in computer algorithms (had to say we are programmers after all). These are due to the major players (Google, Microsoft, Apple, Twitter, and Facebook) taking on more personas to make the Internet a more personable experience for users. ## Security This is first on our list as it should be at the forefront of your mind. Whether you have an eCommerce site or a standard business site embracing security is crucial to not only your company brand but to the protection of your customers. Google even rewards businesses by moving your rankings up when you incorporate full site SSL. It’s never good to be hacked and even harder to recover from it. Everyone remembers the Target problem from 2014 to this day. That has cost them millions and we know of no small-to-mid-size business that could afford to be hit with a security breach. ## Content continues to move onward and upward Content that used to be "keyword rich" will be changing to more readable (by humans) and that the content that provides more value to your customer will help you achieve better results in the search engines. Part of this content credibility will be the authorship of the company writing it. Companies that copy and share other content is great for the internet but will not build the unique content or authority needed to achieve the best results on the search engines. ## Video Marketing In 2015 Google moved YouTube to a subscription based model so that users could avoid ads. This shift shows the true importance of what video can offer to businesses. We produced a video to gauge the results. We see with this further embracement of video to be a larger part of our core business in the coming year. ## Social Media Social media shows no slowing down. In fact, it continues to gain steam and become more personalized for users. Those businesses that interact and engage their customers will see a lot of growth in the coming year. eCommerce will be blending into Facebook. In 2015 we have seen over half of our eCommerce sites being directly integrated into Facebook. ## Mobile Applications More businesses are adding mobile applications that mimic the functionality of their websites. This can give your loyal customers your information from a click of a single icon on their mobile device. By having a mobile application people are able to get needed information quickly and helps them avoid going to your competitors who may not have a mobile application. Last year we saw three companies that embraced mobile and are continually asked to provide mobile applications for our clients. ## Mobile Websites We saw mobile grow double-digits for every single one of our clients in 2015. We can only see it becoming even more important as users embrace their Smart Phones more each day. Sites that use a true responsive web design (RWD) will show higher on the search engines than sites that are completely different. With a mobile site you can have a site that resizes based on the device or do some fancy programming and provide a different site for each size screen. Google has stated clearly that RWD is the way they recommend a website to be designed and this trend is continuing to be embraced by Google and the other major search engines. ## Search Engines 2015 will definitely be an interesting an exciting year for all of us that deal in the online world. Search engines are very specialized and continue to weed out bad sites and sites that do black hat techniques to get ranked higher. The quality of your content, how often you update that content, and the reputation you build for your brand will become increasingly more important each day. The search engines are tuning each day for mobile sites, sites with security, and further reaching into the geographic location of a business website to tailor results for users. Much of the information that is key to the search engines in establishing the best information is being active on your site and the structured meta data that is behind the site. ## Conclusion We only covered seven topics that we see as having a major impact in the coming year. We didn’t cover areas like digital marketing (newsletters, text marketing loyalty programs, search engine optimization [SEO], online advertising) or eCommerce which are a core part of our business. If you were to take anything away from what we have above, it is you need to be actively involved in your website and your online presence. If you are unable to then have people who are committed to it to see your business succeed. Your customers are out there and have questions. Make certain you answer them for them. If you need a company that invests in your business JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama is here to serve you. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, email us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [visit our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Introducing-the-Moose-Tracks-Sellers-Club/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Introducing-the-Moose-Tracks-Sellers-Club/ It's amazing how many people with great talent are not being noticed. This is why we've created the **Moose Tracks Sellers Club**. We want to help starving artists, bands, and those with some truly great ideas make money for their talents. Moose Tracks is a way for you to create your unique artwork and then allow us to be your resource to print the items on apparel (shirts, hoodies, tank tops, etc.). During the next year we will be adding items like canvas, mugs, glassware, wood, baby clothes, bags, pants, socks, and more to further reach a larger audience. ## Why a Moose? Let's start out with the most common question that we are always asked. Why a Moose? The simple reason is that our owners wife, Holly, loves them! Plain and simple. But there is more. Any good story has more. Beyond the fact that Holly loves them for any brand to standout you need something that is cool and what better thing than a magnificent creature that lives in a cool environment. Our owners are super cool that they also take a portion of the money they make and give it to help protect the Moose. ## How it works We have put a ton of thought into how to make this super simple and create a residual income for you. This income can be part of a side-hustle or your main financial path in life. This is how it all works. - You create stunning art that you feel people would love and want to buy. - We create you a vendor account so that you have one unique website address to promote and create sales. - You send the graphics team your artwork and they will make certain it works well (e.g. it prints well so your customers will be happy). - You set the price for each item. - You start promoting your new address so that you can get sales. - We handle the credit card fees, shipping fees, printing, and shipping of your work. - Every month we give you a check for your sales. ## How profits are chosen This is the meat and potatoes that everyone is interested in. And we can't blame you as there is no business venture (for profit or not-for-profit) that doesn't want to make money. You choose your monthly plan. This determines your base price (your cost) for the item you are selling. From there you set your price. If your base price is $16.99 and you sell the item for $24.99 then you will make $8 per shirt you sell. That's it. Plain, simple, and easy. That's what we wanted it to be and we wouldn't be doing this if it was any other way. ## What we use We utilize Bella+Canvas as our preferred apparel as it's 100% Made in the USA, the softest of all apparel, unisex, and fitted. This material is also airlume and ringspun cotton which means a lot of extra care and effort is put into it. You won't feel like you are wearing cardboard and they are items you will want to wear over and over again. The prints we do for you are designed to last the life of the garment as well. Now we believe in choice. If you want a different "blank" which is the name for the item being printed on we will work with you, work on getting stock in so that we can turn your product around in our normal three-day (or less) time frame. *Note*: Changing the blank may change your base price and we'll talk through that at the time we get everything setup for you. ## Turnaround and Shipping This is one area that we truly standout. When an order comes in this is the process of everything: - Order arrives and we make certain we have everything prepped and ready (blank ready and in the right size -- if not we expedite shipping to us so that we can fulfill your order). If we have to pay extra shipping because we didn't have it in stock you don't pay that. That's all on us. - Within the first three days the order will be printed and packaged for shipping with deliver confirmation via USPS First Class mail. - This means your product should arrive in most circumstances within 6 days of order. - Often it is only 2-3 days as USPS truly knocks it out of the park and our team fulfills often in the same or next day. - Items that may slow things down are really weather related. Floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters are the one item that we regretfully cannot control. In these circumstances the customers is communicated with and let known of any shipping delays. ## Why three plans Believe it or not there are those that want this to be more than a way to make money on the side. This is why we've broken this into three plans. You have: - **Kickstart Track** - Great for college, high school, and those wanting to start their side hustle. There is *no monthly cost* to this plan. - **Starter Track** - When you are ready to go from just having this be a side hustle and want to start turning this into a business where your profits are higher you will sign up for the starter track. Here you will be listed on Valpo Shirts and a second dedicated eCommerce channel that is designed specifically for the niche you are in. In fact, if you are the first in a niche we will actually build an entire niche site where you'll be the focal vendor on that site to start. - **Branding Track** - This is where all the magic really starts to happen. This is where you have your artwork on Valpo Shirts, the niche site, as well as we put it on Etsy as well for you. We do all the labor for you so that you can focus on your art and promoting it. You'll also be listed on the site as one of the main vendors and we actually include you in our monthly paid advertising campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, Google, and Bing. As part of the packaging that is shipped if you are in the *Starter Track* or the *Branding Track* you can include stickers (that you provide or we can work with you on printing with your product) and/or a thank you letter specifically from you. ## Too good to be true? Often in life things are too good to be true and we couldn't agree less. We have a few things going for us though. We have our rule #1 of "No lying" which means we don't just do good for you but we do great for you and we want to see everyone succeed. Can you say a true win-win scenario? We won't do anything without a win-win scenario. We have a six-year and growing track record of turning everything on it's head by doing things differently. We want you to make money and we want to make money as well. ## Signing Up Ready to create that side hustle or an entire new business? Are you ready to start generating revenue and being paid for your great ideas? Then contact [vendor@ValpoShirts.com](mailto:vendor@ValpoShirts.com) and work with the team on getting your vendor site setup and start selling. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/introduction-duplicate-gbp/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/introduction-duplicate-gbp/ ### Introduction: Why Duplicate Google Business Profiles Are a Problem A Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most powerful tools for local SEO and online visibility. But when duplicate listings appear, they can confuse potential customers, split reviews, harm rankings, and even lead to suspensions. If you're seeing multiple profiles for the same location, it's critical to clean them up — but the process must be done carefully to avoid removing or damaging the verified listing. This guide walks you through: - How duplicates happen - Why you should remove them - What happens if you delete the wrong one - A safe, step-by-step process to remove duplicates without harm *** ### Section 1: How Do Duplicate Google Business Profiles Happen? Duplicate listings can occur for several reasons: - **Automatic generation by Google:** If Google finds business information online (citations), it may auto-create a listing. - **Old listings:** Someone may have created a profile in the past and forgotten about it. - **Name variations:** Using different names or spellings (e.g., ABC Co. vs. ABC Company) - **Multiple users or locations:** Staff, marketers, or agencies may unknowingly create a new listing. - **Moving address or phone number:** If a business moves or updates contact info without proper redirection. *** ### Section 2: Why You Want to Remove Duplicate Listings Duplicate profiles aren't just confusing — they can hurt your online performance: - ❌ **They dilute your search ranking and NAP consistency.** - ❌ **Split reviews and check-ins** between profiles, lowering your authority. - ❌ **Potentially lead to suspensions** if Google sees conflicting data. - ❌ **Confuse customers** looking for your business (wrong address, hours, or phone). *** ### Section 3: What Happens If You Delete the Wrong Profile? Many business owners make the mistake of deleting their verified listing when they see two profiles. **This does not delete it from Google** — it only removes it from your GBP dashboard. You risk: - Losing all reviews and insights - Having no access to manage your profile - Letting competitors claim or suggest edits to your listing Always identify and **preserve the verified listing**. *** ### Section 4: Step-by-Step Guide to Remove Duplicate GBPs Safely #### Step 1: Identify Which Profile Is Verified - Go to [Google Business Profile Manager](https://business.google.com/) - Look at the profile status – one should say "Verified" - Keep the verified one – it's the one actively managed and ranked #### Step 2: Claim the Duplicate (if not already claimed) - Search the business name in Google Maps - Click "Own this business?" and request access if not owned - Once claimed, you'll be able to manage its removal #### Step 3: Suggest an Edit to Remove the Duplicate - Visit the duplicate listing on Google Maps - Click **"Suggest an edit"** > **"Close or remove"** > Select **"Duplicate of another place"** - Submit the correct verified listing's name or URL as the primary #### Step 4: Submit a Removal Request to Google If the listing remains after a few days: - Go to the [Redressal Form](https://support.google.com/business/contact/business_redressal_form) - Select “Remove a location” - Choose “Duplicate” - Add the duplicate's Google Maps URL and a short explanation (e.g., "This is a duplicate of our verified listing located at [URL]") #### Step 5: Monitor the Listings - Check weekly in Maps and your GBP dashboard - Google may merge the listings, transferring reviews - Be patient – this process can take 5-10 business days *** ### Section 5: What If the Duplicate Has Reviews? When duplicates are merged, **Google sometimes transfers reviews**. It’s not guaranteed, but possible. You can request support to merge them manually once the duplicate is flagged and removed. *** ### Section 6: Best Practices to Avoid Duplicates in the Future - Use **consistent business information** across all listings, websites, and directories (NAP). - **Don’t create a new listing** if you move. Use the "Update address" function instead. - Limit who can create or manage listings - Set up **alerts** or monitor with tools like BrightLocal or Whitespark *** ### Conclusion: Keep Your Google Business Profile Clean and Clear Cleaning up duplicates is essential to ensuring your business performs well in local search. With the right process, you can protect your verified listing while eliminating confusion and improving SEO. When in doubt, consult an expert or audit your listings regularly. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Is-Geo-Tagging-White-Hat-SEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Is-Geo-Tagging-White-Hat-SEO/ ### Is Geo-Tagging White Hat SEO? Yes, **geo-tagging images and videos** can be considered a white hat SEO tactic if used correctly. It is an ethical technique to improve search relevance, especially for local SEO. Geo-tagging involves embedding geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) into the metadata of images or videos. This can help search engines understand where the media was created or is relevant to, making it particularly useful for local businesses or location-based services. When used thoughtfully, geo-tagging images and videos can support your local SEO strategy without violating search engine guidelines. However, it’s essential to use it appropriately and avoid over-optimization, such as spamming unrelated geographic data in attempts to rank for multiple locations. ### Does Geo-Tagging Work? The impact of geo-tagging on SEO is debated, but there is evidence that it can indirectly help improve local relevance in some cases. For instance, Google My Business (GMB) posts and images associated with GMB benefit from having geo-tagged photos, as it helps reinforce location relevance. Geo-tagged images are also more likely to appear in location-specific searches, which can attract more traffic from local users. In addition to direct SEO benefits, geo-tagging can improve **user experience** and **engagement** on platforms that display geolocation metadata, such as social media and maps, increasing the chances of being discovered by local audiences. ### Software for Geo-Tagging Images and Videos Several tools can help you add geo-tags to images and videos. Here are some popular options: 1. **GeoImgr** - GeoImgr is a simple online tool for geo-tagging images. It allows you to upload an image, input coordinates or search for an address, and embed the geo-location metadata directly. - **Pros**: Simple to use, good for quick edits. - **Cons**: Limited functionality in the free version. 2. **Adobe Photoshop** - In Photoshop, you can add metadata, including location data, manually in the file’s EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) data. - **Pros**: Highly customizable, built into a widely-used software. - **Cons**: Requires some technical knowledge and is time-consuming for multiple images. 3. **EXIF Pilot (for Windows)** - EXIF Pilot is a free program that allows you to view, edit, and add EXIF metadata to images, including geographic data. - **Pros**: Free and supports batch editing. - **Cons**: Limited to Windows and has a basic interface. 4. **GeoSetter (for Windows)** - GeoSetter is a Windows-based tool specifically designed for editing location data in images. It allows you to set coordinates manually or link them to a map. - **Pros**: Free, supports batch processing, great for photographers. - **Cons**: Limited to Windows. 5. **Adobe Lightroom** - Lightroom allows you to geo-tag images manually in the Map module by dragging and dropping images onto specific locations on the map. - **Pros**: Integrated with Adobe’s photo management workflow, ideal for photographers. - **Cons**: Requires an Adobe subscription. 6. **Google Photos (Limited)** - Google Photos can capture and display the location where an image was taken if it’s captured on a GPS-enabled device, like a smartphone. - **Pros**: Free and automatic if taken on a GPS-enabled device. - **Cons**: Limited editing functionality; it’s more of a passive tool. 7. **EXIFTool (Command-Line Tool)** - EXIFTool is a powerful command-line tool that can read and edit metadata on photos and videos, including geo-location data. It’s suitable for batch processing and automating geo-tagging. - **Pros**: Very powerful and flexible. - **Cons**: Command-line-based, which can be difficult for beginners. ### Best Practices for Geo-Tagging for SEO 1. **Tag Only Relevant Locations**: Only add location data that is genuinely relevant to the content of the image or video. Adding irrelevant locations in an attempt to rank for multiple areas could be seen as spammy. 2. **Use with Other Local SEO Techniques**: Geo-tagging alone is unlikely to make a significant impact on SEO. Combine it with other local SEO tactics like local content, optimized Google My Business listings, and customer reviews. 3. **Check and Maintain EXIF Data Integrity**: Ensure that geo-tags are saved in the EXIF metadata correctly. Some image compression or editing processes may strip out this data, so always verify the metadata after editing. 4. **Embed on Google My Business**: If you use geo-tagged images on your Google My Business profile, it can strengthen local relevance for your business listings. 5. **Monitor Image and Video Performance**: Use Google Analytics or social media insights to see if geo-tagged media is driving more local traffic or engagement. ### Tools to Verify Your Email Setup and Configuration 1. **MXToolbox**: Check your MX records, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records for accurate configuration. 2. **Mail Tester**: A tool for checking the spam score and deliverability potential of your email, as well as verifying DNS records. 3. **Google Postmaster Tools**: Provides insights into how Gmail users interact with your emails, including spam rates, domain reputation, and other deliverability factors. 4. **CheckTLS**: Tests if your emails are encrypted in transit with TLS, ensuring they are protected from interception. 5. **Blacklist Checkers**: - **MXToolbox**: Can check multiple blacklists to see if your IP/domain is listed. - **Spamhaus**: One of the most common blacklists. You can check and, if needed, apply for removal. Geo-tagging is a valuable tool in local SEO, especially when paired with other best practices. By properly implementing geo-tags and regularly monitoring their effectiveness, businesses can enhance their local search visibility and improve customer engagement. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Is-it-possible-for-your-small-business-to-keep-up-/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Is-it-possible-for-your-small-business-to-keep-up-/ You have either started or have had your small business running in towns like Cullman, Chesterton, Merrillville, Hobart, Portage, or (insert your small town here). You compete with great customer service, quality products, and that local small town flare. But how are you able to compete against big corporations that seem to have endless marketing budgets at their disposal? Today we are going to dig into some of the "tricks of the SEO trade" that we have used time-and-time again to help small businesses grow. Are you ready and willing to get more business and grow? If so, continue to read on and learn some of our proven techniques on growing your small business. ## The odds are not in your favor You just said I can beat big business and not you are saying the odds are not in my favor? What gives! We said we can help you compete with these tricks. You have benefits as a small business that big business doesn't have and never will have. There are a lot of mom and pop and small franchises that we have worked with over the years and we routinely move up on the big national guys due to our local presence that the big corporations cannot compete. So now that we are past that let's look at the ways you can differentiate yourself and **beat the national chains in search engine optimization**. ## Local Flare and Local Loyalty National companies compete at a national level, market on the radio, newspapers, and television. Your small business though offers an individualized touch that bigger corporations cannot touch. Big corporations used to win on just being big and being familiar in the minds of their audience. People buy from companies they are familiar with. This means you need to become familiar with your audience just as the big businesses do. To do this you need to market locally. This can be achieved by having a presence on social media, interacting with your followers, and having a website that is targeted at the direct needs of your customers. Continue to put yourself out there so your customers see your brand, know your company, and continue to stay familiar to them. ## Keeping prices affordability Just because you are a local and growing businesses doesn't mean you cannot compete on price. Being fair on price is important. You don't want to get into a price war with a big store as you will most certainly lose. You need to highlight the differences that the customer receives when they choose you over a big box chain. Items we routinely will bring up is the individualized touch, local service, and higher-quality products. Avoid bashing your competition as even though they are a national box store there are local employees working there. They have a vested interest in the local economy just as you do. A wonderful way of also differentiating yourself is by offering a rewards program to ensure clients get the feeling they are receiving these great benefits at a discount. ## Push the local convenience aspect Your big box stores are located all around the country where you may have a single or a few locations. For those local to your business you can push the convenience of working with a company that is vested in the local economy. Our customers are often busy and big stores often have big lines, crowded isles, and more products than most people truly need. By pushing and having items you know your local customers want and make them easily findable. ## Making being local an important aspect Key aspects that help differentiate you from big chains are that you are vested and all your eggs are in the local economy. You should employ the best and brightest that are focused on customer service and making your business. A wonderful way to difference yourself is that your office, store, or restaurant is neat and tidy. The same principle applies for your website. Make sure it has an attractive design and includes information about your business and industry that people want to know. ## Speaking of websites Having a website is only the first step. Yes, you can get found on the search engines and have it point to your Facebook and other social media page. What it doesn't do is help you on the local search engine front. To be found locally on the search engines you need to employ local search engine techniques. This can happen by setting up a Google Business Page, Yelp pages, Houzz pages (for construction), and every local directory that provides *quality inbound links* to your website. ## Conclusion Being local should be treated as a benefit rather than a crutch when it comes to marketing your business online. You need to embrace what makes your business different. Your small business should be a trusted member of your community that people can choose when they need what you offer. While it won’t result in the big boys closing shop in your community, creating your own path to familiarity, affordability, and convenience can lead your small business to a long and profitable lifespan. If all of this seems overwhelming or you want to focus on your business and dream rather than marketing and storytelling to your customers the team at JM2 Webdesigners and Marketing is great at helping small businesses engage with customers. With our mix of sales, engagement techniques, and adding humor each week we will help you work on building a loyal and flare you won't get elsewhere. We utilize agile marketing rather than traditional marketing to help you grow your audience for low costs and high results. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Is-your-entire-SEO-plan-paid-marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Is-your-entire-SEO-plan-paid-marketing/ If your entire marketing plan is paid marketing prepare to continually increase your paid marketing overtime. Paid marketing or pay-per-click is an effective way to reach new areas you weren’t previously in or areas where you want to further grow. Paid marketing though is not where you want your marketing efforts to be spent. You need to be looking at building up the content of your website for organic (e.g. free) marketing. Free marketing doesn’t mean it’s free though. It means you must do things the “old fashioned way” by working for it. You need to be updating your products, your services, and start a blog. It’s not hard but you need to try or hire someone to do the effort for you. Often, hiring someone for the effort is the best option. Your employees are awesome as they know your products and services. When you ask them to go outside their expertise you are taking them away from their strengths and away from your customers. At first it might not seem that way as you allocate time to your employee to do the work. Soon their work is no longer focused on great customer service but marketing on social media. This is a completely different job and requires that you have a person specifically assigned to the role of digital marketing. Search engine optimization or SEO is something that takes years to learn and master. It also requires diligence. If someone knows SEO you can expect they will only truly need to spend 2-6 hours per month. If they are not SEO experts expect that time to be between 24-30 hours. The difference is easy to explain as well. Both will achieve the same result. The difference is your expert is spending time outside of your website keeping aware of the latest changes coming from Google and Bing. These are your two big search engines that feed many of the smaller search engines. If you maintain a mindset of if I build it, they will come you will most certainly fail. When it comes to search engines you either need tools to improve your efficiency (e.g. the expert users use this) or you need labor hours to achieve the same results. We always prefer the tools after we train our SEO team members. Why manual first? It’s the best way and we don’t consider an SEO team member ready until they have gone through over 200 hours of solid training and then they are still helped along the way. We also believe in putting team members through a minimum of 40 hours of training per year on SEO certifications to keep them aware of the past changes over the last twelve months. It doesn’t stop there either. Based on we deal with over 100 industries we look for trends across industries and use our tools to help us further optimize. The two main tools we use are YEXT for local search directories and SEM Rush for our SEO digging. When it comes to SEO digging we have two types of SEO. We have the SEO that optimizes for just local search which is our SEO Business Improvement Plan. This is a great plan to get out within your local community. The other integrates your SEO with your social media marketing. Yes, we’re talking paid marketing and we believe you should pay. Nothing in life is free but we believe in spending marketing dollars wisely and just not into throwing money around. We believe that a new website should spend money on PPC with Google **and** Bing minimally and only for a short period of time. The longer you do it we’ve seen organic reach drop and paid money increasing which no one wants to continuously do. Where we’ve seen the best use is spending $5 per area per week that you want to reach across social media. For many a combination of Facebook and Instagram but also on Snapchat, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Twitter we are sorry to say most don’t benefit from it. We’ve mentioned that organic search is key and the key to organic search is to really write content. For many of our local service organizations we work with what we’ve found is a menu structure like below. This structure works well but does require content to be written and **updated**. Remember, you can’t just build it, hope they come, and continue to grow if you sit on your laurels and do nothing. Today you roll out a beautiful site, all updated content, now six months later Google is coming back, seeing no change, their visits will become less and less frequent. Your only recourse is more paid advertising. If you added content, added events happening in the area (not necessarily yours), add a tips and tricks blog (like this), and keep your information fresh and relevant your website will grow organically. - Home - Quick and simple that leads to everything you offer - Don’t throw the kitchen sink in and **do not** throw popups at the user (as they go through your sales funnel (e.g. Home, to About, to Products) then start doing those items to close the sale. - About - Tell how you came about - Include a timeline - Products - List the items - Have great descriptions – and update it! - Add details - Provide documents for download - Have a contact/request for information form - Services - List as much detail as you can - Require certain information be filled out? Have the files available for download and even an online form to help - Blog – Tips/Tricks, Helpful advice, non-sales - Contact - Overall - Have your phone number available always - Have your email address available always - Have quick access to contact you (contact form, online chat, etc.) - Lead generation - Create PDF files of common items and ask people for their name and email address. Possibly even their address/phone (if appropriate). - For filling out that information gives them something that is beneficial. Yes, everything you could ever want is on the internet but if you make it so that it’s easily findable from you then you can gain a lead. - Send out monthly newsletters (to customers as well as prospects [e.g. leads]) - Create a marketing plan - Stop just throwing money at it without a plan. We sit down with every social client and give them a comprehensive 20-page marketing plan. The benefit: you know where to invest (online, offline [billboards, television, movie theatres, radio, etc.], or both) Yes, that is the entire trade secret of the internet. It’s not fancy animation but content (with graphics that go with the content), that will make your business grow. Don’t worry about recreating the “next great thing”. Save that for companies with hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars in marketing revenue. Focus on your strengths – your customers and let your greatest sales tool work for you rather than against you. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Is-your-marketing-working-for-or-against-you/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Is-your-marketing-working-for-or-against-you/ **Aggregate**: verb (without object), 1. To combine and form a collection or mass Aggregation of services has become a significant business. [Hotels.com](http://www.hotels.com/) is an aggregator. Another prevalent aggregator is the aggregation of marketing services via geographic or demographic based community sites. These communities generally have three elements: the aggregator, the reader, and the contributor. Let's look briefly at the business model. A news aggregator builds a website and staff begin finding paying contributors. Contributors provide content to be placed on the website or the aggregator assists with content production. The platform attracts an audience. The aggregator must demonstrate the audience is engaged. Analytics such as visits, or hits, can be collected. But you need to know what the visitor did. How else do you know it is working? Consider the following: - Did my story even get read? - What is the website's bounce rate? - Are these organic visits, social media, search engine results, or another source? - Does a heat map indicate my placement on the page is fair relative to other contributors? - Am I receiving what I was promised? As audience grows so does the aggregator via alternative revenue streams and audience engagement efforts. Selling ad space is a common occurrence. Resources perceived as valuable such as Sudoku puzzles and weather reports are added to gain and maintain the audience. These gimmicks and distractions work against contributors. Readers' ability to digest information did not increase with the information load. Your paid content is drowned out in this noisy room and the contributor begins experiencing diminishing returns. That's bad. Guess what is worse? Aggregation defies human nature. Malcolm Gladwell's “The Tipping Point,” an outstanding book detailing the spread of social epidemics, reminds us of anthropologist Robin Dunbar's cognitive limit theory. Essentially, Dunbar suggests due to the human brain's size we are only capable of having stable relationships with 150 people. Gladwell details this in the real world using G.L. Gore and Associates and the Hutterites, a branch of the Anabaptists. G.L. Associates, a company with over 10,000 employees, demonstrates how adhering to Dunbar's Number has made them the leader in their field. The Hutterites split communities as it approaches 150 people. North American population has grown from 400 to 45,000 over the last 130 years. Don't agree? How many Facebook friends or LinkedIn connections do you have? How many of them do you really know? With how many do you meaningfully engage? Are your car repairs done with the same company or a different one each time? Think about clothes, how many different retailers do you use? Do any get most your purchases? Is there a park or two you usually go to? Usually the same movie theater, too, right? JM2 does not like aggregators. The aggregator is an interesting model for transmission of a message. However, the audience properly receiving the message and the probability of the audience engaging and acting on the message is low. Marketing communications should be crafted and delivered with surgical precision. I look forward to speaking with you more about this. I will call soon. I can only hope this message was received. People say no one reads letters. I think they do if they are interesting. If you made it this far, we are doing something right, now aren't we? **Charles Vander Stelt** < V.P. Business Development **E**: [charles@BusinessYETI.com](mailto:charles@BusinessYETI.com) **O**: [(855) 456-2669 ext. 1012](tel:256-258-8593) **A**: 403 E. Lincolnway Cullman, IN 46383 --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/KnowYourFacebookAnalyticsThisWeek/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/KnowYourFacebookAnalyticsThisWeek/ Facebook provides you with some really great analytics when you visit your page. At the top of your page is Insights which gives you some really great in-depth information. We're going to keep this article short and sweet and cover six core items you'll see on your Page. This information will help give you a quick gauge on how you're doing. We'll later go into details on the Insights and how they can benefit you. This information in the This Week section are the results for the past seven days. The number change daily. This afternoon when we logged in are different than what they were at 6am this morning. Each of the words beneath the numbers are links that will display an inline window or will take you directly to the related item that provides to you more detail regarding the number. ![Facebook This Week](/Images/Content/Blog/FacebookThisWeek.jpg) ## Post Reach For every post that you put onto Facebook this will give you information of how many people you've reached in the past week. ## Post Engagement The engagement is out of everyone that saw your Facebook posts in the past week how many engaged you. An engagement could be a like, a click, or a comment. The higher this number the better. ## Contact Us The Contact Us is how many times someone contacted you through your contact process or call to action (CTA) within Facebook. ## Website Clicks We love this one. This is how many people were interested enough in what you're saying that they clicked to visit your website. Like the other pages the higher this one is the better. ## Response Rate We recently took over a client where their response rate was 10 of 0. This means they didn't respond to anything coming to them through social media in the last seven days. The ideal rate is 1 of 1 where you respond to each and every person that contacts you. ## Response Time Facebook wants you to get back with people as quickly as possible. They consider perfect to be very perfect (matter of minutes). That is unrealistic for most of us. Be realistic in what this is. The lower the better but remember to not just live on social media waiting for someone. We strive to keep all of our social media contacts to two hours or less (we do sleep after all). ## Conclusion As soon as you reach your page there is truly a lot of information available to you. This information is beneficial without having to delve into the full Insights and gives you a quick glance at what you're doing. If you could use some helping in taking your social media reach from good to great, we would love to sit down and talk with you. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, email at support@FawkesDM.com, or through our online contact form here. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LatestAIActionFigureTrend/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LatestAIActionFigureTrend/ After uploading this viral AI trend to my personal Facebook, I've been asked about it. Sometimes, embracing the latest viral trend allows you to learn more about programming with AI, custom prompts, and see what it's all about. Don't worry, you can do it too, without being a software developer or anything overly complex, while learning a few things about what this technology can do. ## **The AI Prompt I Used (First Version)** Using the attached photo, create a Barbie-style action figure image in a box. Inside the box, include what you think would be great from my website noted below. The top of the box should say "Life of John" and the bottom should choose from what you've made. Make the writing large and readable. The box should use white and black colors. You can gain additional information from my website and the about page of that website at [https://ntbuddy.com/](https://ntbuddy.com/). ### **Additional Information and Notes** - **Note 1**: Upload an image of yourself as well. This can be your Facebook profile image (this is what I used) or another image you chose. - **Note 2**: If you don't like the results, you can state what you don't like or resubmit the exact question, even with changes. - **Note 3**: If you don't already know what AI (Artificial Intelligence) is, you can go to [https://chat.openai.com/](https://chat.openai.com/) for the Open AI version (that's what I used) and get your results. There are dozens of AI programs out there to choose from. The benefit of doing the above is that you're not connecting any third-party apps to your Facebook profile and providing additional information. Of course, the AI will learn about you, so there is that. ## An Additional Prompt Being one not to fully trust the results I changed up and created the following prompt based off of the original image to see if I could get better results. I uploaded the same image, my Facebook profile image, removed the link to my personal website, and a lot of it's creativeness. The first version I definitely was much happier with. **Prompt**: Using this photo, create a Barbie-style action figure image in a box. Inside the box, include what a homeless person would have, a laptop for a software developer, and the tools a digital marketing person would use. The box should say at the top "Life of John" and the bottom should say "Homeless to Entrepreneur" in large writing. The box should use white and black colors with the information within the box being colored. Make this fun, memorable, and laugh at the same time. ![Life of John v2](/Images/Content/life-of-john-v2-800x1200.webp) ## Conclusion Following a trend is not necessarily a bad thing, if not overused. Learning something new can be fun and rewarding, and it can help open your mind to new ways technology can help you grow your business and reach a new audience. By keeping your mind thinking outside of the box, or in this case, within the box, you can do some amazing things for yourself and your customers. If you're looking for a marketing company that not only tests the ropes to see how things work, to see if they will fit your brand, and help you reach a new demographic we would love to talk to you to see how we can work together to think outside (truly outside) that box. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Learning-to-be-yourself/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Learning-to-be-yourself/ There is no decision that I ever make without sleeping on it. In the past two months I’ve slept a lot more than normal which has allowed me to do a lot more thinking than normal. I wake up more refreshed, crazier ideas (I like crazy), and a renewed effort to be myself. I have gone from four-hour nights to six-hour nights. That increase has made some interesting changes in our company, telling the overall story for our clients, and who I am as a person. Having been in big business with companies that have 3,000 or more employees for so many years I went into what I am calling culture shock. You had to play a role, you had to fit a specific mold, and if you tried to step out of that mold you were squashed like a bug. Your individuality, creativity, and personal growth were limited to the projects you were working on. You were no longer allowed to grow. This is the nature of big business and what made me realize my love, passion, and desire for small businesses. When you are making more money than you can count it is easy to accept being in a role that doesn’t make you happy. You convince yourself that the money makes you happy. You become content and obedient to “the system”. You lose what makes you – you. It is only when you are willing (and able) to change yourself that you can become yourself. Being different though is what makes me – me. Being yourself doesn’t make you a bad person. The person that I have always been is minimalist and wants to help others. I let myself go and become what society wanted me to be. They defined me by my skills and where they felt I fit. This is where my story went from the desire of money to the desire to make a difference in the world. Money is still important but is no longer in my top items of happiness. The first step to becoming myself was my wife, Holly. I needed that cheerleader that would help me figure out who I was. She saw something in me that I no longer was able to see in myself. It took her letting me see for myself how unhappy I truly was and that it was actually killing me (literally). She made me extremely happy but yet I was having heart problems (two heart attacks) and she helped me realize that I was not living my dream – I was living someone else’s dream. When I talked about small business, helping them grow, and helping them achieve their dream did I realize that what I truly wanted to do was to help other businesses. We are all on this planet for a very short period of time. What defines us is what we do with that time. I have chosen that work doesn’t necessarily have to be work for me and that money, although important to survive, shouldn’t be my driving factor. I could still have money by helping a lot, not a few, businesses achieve their dream. It is this love and passion that would help me achieve my happiness in life. My love is for my wife and our family together has made all of this possible. My passion is to help our clients achieve their goal. Rather than being “fake” and not myself I found out by being authenticate, honest, and a little bit crazy that I can achieve this dream. To achieve this, I cut all my expenses to such an extent that we are 100% debt free, live beneath our means, invested every spare penny we could without cutting everything out of our lives. I looked at what I needed for the family, what I needed to provide an awesome life for our team, and then what we needed to do to help achieve the dreams of our clients. We added 5% to that and that became our pricing that has defined us from the beginning. I climbed the preverbal diving board and jumped in when everyone else said I shouldn’t. We continue to persevere, upset the business eco-system, and grow on a weekly basis. I attest this to being a competitive person that never will quit and doing everything I can to live my dream. I also believe it is due to surrounding myself with the best team possible who really know their stuff (add explicative if you want as it would fit as well!). I also attest it to having a support system that is unbreakable and vested in my dream and vision 100%. You could say my family is what makes me push harder each day as I want to make them proud of what I have done to help others. We all have dreams and those dreams are what define us. We can continue to be the children we started out with where society didn’t limit us, where we could have fun, and where the only thing that held us back was our imagination. That is what I have chosen. I am a big kid where I live that dream and my health gets better every day because of it, my internal core feels more fulfilled, and I feel as if I am helping make the world a better place. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/less-is-more-event-photos/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/less-is-more-event-photos/ If you’ve ever posted dozens or even hundreds of photos from an event on Facebook and wondered why your engagement felt… flat you’re not alone. In fact, one of the most overlooked strategies for increasing reach and interaction on social media is as simple as this: **Share fewer, better photos.** At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we stay on the pulse of what’s working *right now* not outdated tips from five years ago. And one trend we consistently see across campaigns is this: **quality content curation consistently outperforms content dumping** especially on platforms like Facebook. *** ### The Facebook Photo Rule: Why You Should Post Fewer Event Photos Facebook users have short attention spans, and the algorithm rewards posts that drive meaningful interaction. Here’s why limiting your event photos to 10–20 of the *best* ones gets you better results: - **Higher Engagement**: People are more likely to react, comment, or share when there’s a clear story or emotional impact. - **Better Algorithm Reach**: Facebook favors posts that quickly gain traction and tight, well-edited content performs best. - **User-Friendly**: A short, scrollable set of photos keeps people interested instead of overwhelmed. - **Professional Impression**: A curated set feels more intentional and polished, reinforcing your brand’s quality. *** ### Stop Boosting. Start Strategizing. Let’s be honest: **boosting posts is not a strategy**. It’s a short-term visibility spike not a long-term growth plan. That’s why at **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we don’t just “make your content look good.” We: - **Develop content that tells a story** and aligns with your brand voice - **Analyze what works in real-time**, adjusting campaigns for the best ROI - **Use data to guide decisions** from photo curation to ad spend optimization - **Create content funnels** that turn interest into action, and action into loyalty Anyone can post on social. Not everyone can turn that post into **real business growth**. We do because we’re not guessing. *** ### Real Results Require Real Strategy When you work with Fawkes Digital Marketing, you’re getting more than a social media manager. You’re getting: - A partner that **keeps up with evolving algorithms** - A strategist who **uses proven engagement techniques** like smart photo curation - A team that’s focused on **long-term brand loyalty and conversion**, not just likes *** ### Let’s Build Engagement That Actually Converts Want to grow your audience? Build brand trust? Drive more leads from your events? It all starts with understanding how platforms like Facebook *really* work in 2025 and using that knowledge to create content that performs. [At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we turn strategy into growth. Let’s talk.](/contact/) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Lets-Talk-Maintenance-Plans/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Lets-Talk-Maintenance-Plans/ Our biggest seller with our client is our search engine optimization and social media maintenance plans. Having a website and a social media now is no longer a luxury for business. It is now a mandatory that you have not only an online experience but one that converts visitors into leads and inform your customers. A maintenance plan allows you to focus on the real-world and your customers while your website is maintained by individuals that spend all of their time on websites, social media, and marketing your business on the search engines. ## The Bonus! Okay, this was the last thing we wrote but see it as such a **huge win** for small to mid-size businesses that we moved it to the top. A killer bonus that is unheard of is that being you have committed to JM2 Webdesigners to help you in your marketing efforts that we are giving you a lifetime "thank you". When you sign up for a maintenance plan your price is LOCKED for the life you maintain on that individual plan. This means your price will never go up. Five years from now the price is the same. It's really that simple. This gives your business the comfort to grow without being hit with an increase year over year. ## Dedicated Personnel With a maintenance plan you get more than just updates. You gain access to a team of dedicated experts. Every customer receives a dedicated primary and secondary person for their account. They are not limited to just these two individuals though. This is just the two people they will contact initially to help with their problem. You may ask why two people. The answer is simple. By having a primary and secondary it allows members of our team to take time-off while you always receive the best support possible. You will not have to "re-train" someone about your account as they already know your account. If you need someone these two can't handle they walk over (no outsourcing!!!), explain to the person what you are looking for, and make sure it's done to your specification and then they get back with you. ## Bring An Existing Site or We Can Build It Many know they want a maintenance plan but they like what they have. There is no reason to re-create something you already love. With our maintenance plans we will support your existing WordPress, Joomla, or other site without forcing you to pay for a complete re-write. Having an entire team of dedicated professionals we are able to do this without making you change from what you are already happy with. ## Complete Website Maintenance Every 24 months when you are on a maintenance plan you have the option for a completely brand new website for no cost. This could be everything changed, colors, and even more content. Speaking of content every month you also will receive unlimited updates to your website pages. This can be more call-to-action buttons, change in information displayed, new pages, etc. ## Dedicated Hours for ANYTHING We truly mean anything. We originally started with just development hours for new features for a website. We found this was too limiting for our clients and have expanded it to cover development as before but also includes dedicated time to our on-staff graphic designers and content writers. Do you have a new chamber ad you need created for an upcoming issue? Done. Do you need new content for your site created and don't have time to do it? Done. Want a new blog post created on a particular subject? Done. We will do the research and create this for you. As part of the hours you get each month they also accumulate as we know not every month you will use the time. This allows you to save time up and then use it without incurring any expense or use the time to offset a major item you want to incorporate. Do you have an event and want pictures taken? Done. We can assist with that as well. ## Security Whether you have an eCommerce site for selling products and services or an informative brochure site with call-to-action buttons security needs to be paramount. With a maintenance contract your site gets a Digicert SSL certificate (the green pad lock) for every page. Having SSL even on a non-eCommerce site is important as you will most likely have a contact form that can receive sensitive information. This could include credit cards, birthdays, etc. This is why your website needs a secure SSL certificate. Speaking of security every hosted client receives daily backups that are encrypted and secured for you. All information within your database is also full database encrypted at rest (this means it is encrypted on the disk no matter if it's being accessed or not. Along with our daily backups we utilize Microsoft Azure Security that monitors for real-time threat analysis for all of our hosted clients. If Microsoft's entire team notices a problem the user causing the problem is blocked not only your site but also every other Microsoft hosted server. The benefit to this is if a customer outside of JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman Alabama is noticed to cause a problem your automatically protected from that malicious user as well. When you are on a maintenance plan when a security vulnerability is released we update it as soon as it is validated as being a valid fix to a known problem. This could be on our content management system, WordPress, Joomla, etc. We support every Microsoft and PHP based CMS with a dedicate team of software developers. ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) When it comes to the search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo getting your business name seen is important. A maintenance plan will allow your pages to be updated monthly for the latest changes, submitted to the search engines, and your analytics (who is visiting your site) reviewed and a report given to you on how your site is performing month-over-month. Along with being on pushed on the major search engines you are also promoted on YEXT to over 65 more directories throughout the internet with pictures and additional information to further promote your business. ## Find Business Directory Sites like Yellow Pages charge money to be listed and get your information out there. Being a JM2 Webdesigners customer you get a paid listing on this business directory which gives you some free paid advertising. Free and paid may seem contradictory but you receive paid advertising spots for no additional charge. Along with being on this directory on the social media side your business is promoted on the Find Business Directory Facebook page to either your website or Facebook page. ## Standing Tall and Looking Good Most websites have team member pages. These images are typically taken win low resolution and are often not consistent. Every maintenance plan will receive professionally taken and Photoshop images. This allows for brand consistency and uniformity for all of your team members. But what if you don't have team pictures is this wasted? Absolutely not! We will give you consistent pictures of your building, products, etc. ## Social Media Within social media there is so much that is covered that is kind of insane for what you are receiving. With our maintenance packages you receive: 1. Creation and updating of your social media pages 2. Cover pages updated monthly (or as needed) 3. Monitoring of any and all comments 4. Removal of spam 5. Creation of and curating post content 6. Scheduling of post content 7. Sharing of your information ## eCommerce Within our social media and higher packages, we will also maintain eCommerce products on your site. Your business is important and running it takes time. Rather than having to train your staff our team of eCommerce experts are able to keep everything updated for you. ## Lead Generation Websites are designed to inform your visitors. If all you did was inform you are missing a key opportunity for growth. This is where lead generation comes in. Every packages comes with a product called Lead Pages that helps gather user information while you supply them with a piece of informative information. This could be a sales brochure, an instruction manual, etc. ## You Have Control While JM2 Webdesigners is working on all of this information for you above you also have complete control over everything. This means your team has complete access to the content management system (CMS), eCommerce, social media, and search engine optimization (SEO). We believe this is your company and we are just an added employee here to promote and push your business. ## Terms and Contracts We love terms and contracts. Not! We believe in not locking you into a contract or minimal set of terms. We believe and know with the results we are producing for you that you will not want to leave. It is not uncommon that after we take over a website, eCommerce site, and/or social media site that there will be an increase which will make you not want to leave and continue to grow your business. ## What else is included? You would think with all the above included we would be out of items to offer. This wouldn't be the case with JM2 Webdesigners. We constantly believe in customer service and pushing your business to grow. To achieve this, we also include your domain registration for your primary site, your website hosting, and up to 50 email addresses on our servers. In addition, to that as new features are added to the social media and larger maintenance plans we will also include those items and your still "price locked" for no additional cost. ## Why Maintenance Plans? A maintenance plan offers several benefits for your organization. The biggest being that you have a team, not an individual, dedicated to growing your social media and website. They are focused and growing both of them while you focus on growing your business without worrying about technology. With a maintenance plan you also gain the knowledge that as technology changes the changes will also be incorporated into your website. This could be a change to the search engines or a new feature that will help increase your leads off your website. Some have marked maintenance plans like insurance plans. They are here to assist your business when something urgent happens. This could be a link was pushed out and a page doesn't exist. We work with you to create the page, fix the bad page (404 error), and create content so that you are always putting your best foot forward. ## Conclusion Every package that is offered is designed to help your business grow. It's really that simple. We have done it for over three years and have shook the industry. We will continue to do so with new items already being prepped to be added. The costs are less than you can get someone on a part time wage for a few hours a month. When you are ready to learn more give our team a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our contact form here](/Contact/). We are waiting and ready to help you go from a good plan to a great plan. We are ready to do this for every business in Northwest Alabama and throughout the United States. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LifeAfterAWidowMaker/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LifeAfterAWidowMaker/ In this article I am going to take a step back from the standard learn about how to take advantage of the Internet for your business and cover how a widow maker heart attack can change your life and help you help others around you. A life altering even can easily change those around you to make your life more fulfilling than it was before. Between 8-10pm on the February 7th of 2015 I had a major heart attack. This was one of the most serious versions of one as I didn’t go in immediately or even “soon” to take care of it. I thought I was just having an asthma attack. It wasn’t until the 8th in the late afternoon (after 3pm) did I go in and see about getting some help as my beautiful wife Holly Marx made me. I will be ever indebted to her for that. It was truly a life altering event. Everything instantly came into perspective, the stars were all aligned, and I knew I had to make some serious changes not only for myself but my new family. The first item of choice I told myself was this was not going to change me. I was truly wrong about that. I joke about the heart attack and I laugh at it as I feel I’ve been given another chance. I did change though and I feel the change has been for the better. I enjoy life now more fully than I did before knowing that my time here is truly limited and I will not live forever. I also eat healthier (well mostly – everything in moderation). My stress is definitely higher than it was before as I do worry about not being there tomorrow for my family and loved ones. I am also thankful each and every morning that I woke up and get to spend another day on this beautiful planet. Family was and will always be important to me. It is my reason for living and what truly makes me happy as well as pushes me forward to do better each day. It is waking up and then coming home after a hard day’s work that makes me truly feel blessed inside knowing I have such a great support group waiting for me. Like all families there are ups and downs but that is what truly makes it a family. We all support each other in the decisions that we make. The biggest decision happened on the anniversary of JM2 Webdesigners in March (a month after the heart attack). We knew that one item that was truly killing me was working for a large corporation and not making a difference. Sure I made a difference for the corporation and their big clients but that did not make me happy. This was one of the best companies I had ever worked for as well. They have great values, give back, and do make a difference for large companies. I wanted to help the small to mid-size businesses grow though. That is where my passion truly is. Being at a large organization that supported other large organizations I could never achieve my life ambitions. I wanted (no needed) to do something positive that made me feel good inside. I wanted to give back. Giving up a guaranteed paycheck, taking a huge (60+%) pay cut was the hardest part of the decision making process. Somedays I still question this decision but know and feel good about the decision that I made. Since that decision we have helped 67 businesses grow and expand with more added each week. Every time we add a new customer I think about the difference that we’ve made to help someone grow. With everything that I’ve said above the key for me is that in life we have many decisions and choices. We can have events happen in our life that will affect us positively or negatively. If we choose the positive and have a great support group behind us, we can achieve anything. When you marry someone you don’t say I will give 50%. What you say is I will give 100% and so does the other. It is only when we stop giving 100% of our all that something fails. I love my wife and thankful for all of her support in supporting my dream and being an integral part of that dream. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Life-is-about-being-perfect/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Life-is-about-being-perfect/ We've all done it, we hate we are not perfect, and it sucks to have dropped the ball. What you do with that drop is what truly defines you and your company. It's not something any of us is ever proud of. It shows we're human, our systems we've put into place aren't perfect, and that we have a lot to learn. That statement resonates with me each and every day. I do weekly reflections on Sunday thinking of everything that happened in the past week. I also look at my previous day each day from 4-6am when I write these articles. Some days I nail out only one while other days I can nail out four articles in that two-hour span as my fingers become a machine (or I have that much running through my mind). I use this time as my personal reflection and insight to keep things fresh in my mind. Recently you'll notice that I start posting a lot of these. There are two reasons for this and I am going to explain as you read on. I meet with two different business advisors. Both are knowledgeable, have owned businesses themselves, and give great insight that I might not otherwise think of. Often, they state that from the outside we look perfect and we do strive for that. The significance of it is people think we are machines rather than human. We have faults and we make mistakes more times than we care to count. I have yet to personally meet a perfect person, group of individuals, or company. We all have faults and stating that we look invincible shows to me we have a long way to go to show people our human side. That is the first part of this – the human side of the equation. By acknowledging our human side, we can not only learn from our mistakes but accept them that we are that way. We always lay this to everyone of our clients that come to us. Whether they are coming from another social media manager, SEO guru, or have never done search engine optimization or social media marketing. They need to know that no one can promise them anything. We cannot nor would we ever want to control your audience. We are experts in the work we do but we can't control others behavior. The second part of this writing is to work on my own writing. I am often talk "nerd speak" too often and writing these articles out daily allows me to remove that nerd speak and be more "human" as that is who I am talking to when I talk to new clients, when I talk in front of a set of board members, or an entire group of people when I do public speaking. This writing has greatly helped with the removal of the nerd speak for sure. All of this has a side benefit that I am getting my articles down to a very quick read between 600-1,000 words. This helps in not being so fluffy in my talk and getting to the point. Our lives our busy enough that we don't need to spend all of our time reading articles (or writing them). Blog articles are said to be best from a search engine standpoint when they are between 1,000-3,000 characters. Those are the articles I read less of so figure I can't be the only one (or I am just being human and making a mistake). Our engagement and reach for our articles is proving that to not be the case. In conclusion, we all will make mistakes in our lives. It is how we handle these mistakes that truly define us as a person. When we acknowledge we are not perfect I feel we become closer to being perfect. Take each day on as a new day and make yourself better than you were yesterday. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Lifelong-Positive-Motivation/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Lifelong-Positive-Motivation/ For those that don’t hustle seven days a week, I truly commend you. I wish my life was like that but my mind is not wired no matter how much I try. For the longest time I tried but all it did was put me into a depression working the Monday to Friday life. I hated Monday’s and was living for Friday’s. This didn’t make for a positive work/life balance nor did it make me happy. I thought it did but looking back I was truly miserable. Now I work seven days a week and take time each day for my beautiful wife and family. This doesn’t make me better or worse than you. What it makes me is unique in how I work and push myself each day. Every one of us is wired differently and we all need to accept that. Acceptance is the key to success. Put yourself in everyone else’s shoes with every decision you make. The key to this is that we acknowledge our differences and be respectful of each other. Many people, rightfully so, call this empathy. Empathy, the word, was something I wasn’t raised on or told about. I call it being human and treating everyone as equals as that is what I feel we are. I do not see anyone better than anyone else. We are all here on this planet for 100-years (or less). We need to take advantage of this time and leave the world in a better place than we arrived in. This is just being the way my parents raised me and I love them for it. I was taught to treat everyone as I would want to be treated, put yourself in the eyes of the other person and show the respect they deserve and be forgiving of others. I own up to my flaws each and every day. I know what they are and I clearly state them to the world. I do this as by acknowledging my flaws I can grow from them. Here are five of what I say are my core faults and flaws: 1. I want everyone, and I truly mean everyone, around me to be happy. Whether this is people on my team, our clients, or our client’s customers. I will do whatever I can to make it happen. I know that the only life I can control is my own but I still do, and always will try to help those out around me. 2. Those that say one thing and their actions say another I see them as fraudsters and “users”. I need to accept that some people will lie, cheat, and steal their way to the top. That doesn’t mean I have to like it or allow them in my life but I should accept that this is who they are. I have learned when these individuals come up I think of something positive to say about them and end the conversation. I was always taught if you have nothing nice to say dig deep and say something nice as it shows that you are a good person. 3. Always saying yes. To a fault, I will always say yes even when I know I should say no. This is and will probably be the biggest failure I have. Old bosses would also say I am too nice which falls into this category as well. I agree with both of those. My past has defined me but I don’t think of my past. I only think of my future as the past cannot be changed but my future has yet to be written. 4. Letting Go of those that attack me or my company. Those that attack used to (keyword: **used to**) always got under my skin and it’s thick. Fat guy thick and I am proud of being a fat guy. I’ve pretty much gotten past this one and strive on it daily to further improve upon it. I actually now feel sorry for these people that are so focused on my life they cannot fully enjoy theirs. I have to accept that and I am working on that. 5. I am not perfect. I strive and push myself to be perfect yet I do know I am not perfect. I have more faults than I will ever be able to perfect. The only thing I can say I am perfect at is being imperfect so I have at least one perfection done and will probably end with having just this one. Each of the above I work on every day and reflect on each week in my weekly self-reflection. Some days/weeks are better and easier than others. Every day I ask myself how I can better understand my team, our clients, our client’s customers, and how I can help address their needs. Their success is what builds my success. When I am able to see their pains and frustrations am I able to truly and deeply understand how to help them achieve their happiness. I think my one guiding principle that always keeps me guided correctly is my cheerleader, my wife, our kids, and my family. It is with their support, motivation, and unwavering belief that I can change the world that I continue to push harder each day. It is when we follow our dream, believe in ourselves, and have a deep conviction to make the world better than I believe the world, and our own lives, will become better and have more meaning. I wrote this not for you but if it helps you **awesome**! I wrote this for myself and put on my calendar to re-read it every year on today’s date. This will allow me to see how far I’ve come, where I’ve struggled, and how much further (and harder) I must push myself to be the best person that I can be. I know I can do it as I have a great team behind me. For those without a team, I will say “yes I am behind you” and that I “believe in you”. Now go get them and be the best you can be (from my Army days). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LinkedIn-and-Passwords-in-General/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LinkedIn-and-Passwords-in-General/ Everyone with a computer lives with passwords one way or another each and every day to protect our businesses and our personal lives. On June 6, 2012 LinkedIn was hacked. Yes, that was nearly four years ago. On that date it was announced that 6.5 million accounts were reported as compromised and stolen by a group of unknown hackers. Now in May of 2016 that list has been officially "leaked" and we are finding out that the initial believed list of 6.5 million was off (just slightly though – insert sarcasm here). The list contained 117 million account passwords from what was initially thought of. That is 110.5 million additional accounts that were stolen than previously expected. Security is ever more paramount in our lives today. The more information that we present online the more we need to protect our online reputations. ## How LinkedIn dealt with the 2012 password hack When the initial number was released by LinkedIn back in 2012 they believed (or reported) based on their internal logs that only 6.5 million accounts were compromised. LinkedIn notified every account that they believed was compromised, made them change their password, and believed all was good. From a standpoint of doing due diligence it sounded good at the time. Those that were not compromised it was recommended they change their password as well but not required. Hindsight today would recommend that everyone should have changed their passwords. Many users did not change their passwords and four years later it is believed they still have not changed since 2012. ## How LinkedIn passwords are stored Passwords are typically stored in what is called a HASH format. This format takes your password and converts it into a series of numbers, letters, and other characters within the computer. LinkedIn in 2012 used a hashing algorithm called SHA-1. This is a very old computer algorithm originally created back in 1993 and one that is no longer recommended for use. We do not know what they use today but would only hope it is something more secure. As an example of what a hash would look like if you had a password of "password" the SHA-1 hash would look like "5baa61e4c9b93f3f0682250b6cf8331b7ee68fd8". The problem with the implementation that LinkedIn used was every single person that had the password of "password" looked the same. They did not use what is called "salt" which added a bit of random and unique information to each account. This means when you searched the stolen data for "5baa61e4c9b93f3f0682250b6cf8331b7ee68fd8" you immediately knew everyone that used the word "password" as their password. ## Top Compromised LinkedIn Passwords from 2012 This list is the initial list of compromised passwords from June 6, 2012 when it was believed that only 6.5 million accounts were compromised. Now with 117 million these could be different but are still important to know and to never use. - link - 1234 - work - god - job - 12345 - angel - the - ilove - sex - jesus - connect - fu\*k - monkey - 123456 - master - b\*tch - d\*ck - michael - jordan - dragon - soccer - killer - 654321 - pepper - devil - princess - 1234567 - iloveyou - career ## Were you compromised in 2012? Knowing now that more than 6.5 million accounts were compromised we can’t say anymore if someone’s account was compromised or not. Back in 2012 LastPass released a free tool to check to see if your password was compromised based on the believed SHA-1 passwords. You can check it yourself at https://lastpass.com/LinkedIn/. This verification tool now is more of a fun check than being a practical tool to know if you were hacked as the 117 million accounts that were compromised only 6.5 million of them LinkedIn knew about. ## Weren’t there more computer hacks done in 2012? Yes, there were many. At the time of the LinkedIn hack there were two other major reports of hacking attempts at that time. These two companies were eHarmony and Last.fm. LastPass also has tools for checking these accounts as well. With what we are learning about LinkedIn though if you ever had an eHarmony or Last.fm account you might want to consider them compromised as well. ## Changing your LinkedIn password To change your LinkedIn password or find when you last changed your LinkedIn password do the following: 1. Once you are already logged into your account go to the top right and hover over your profile image. 2. From there click on the menu option of "Privacy & Settings". 3. The third item in the list is "Change Password". Click on the title of "Change Password". You will now see at the on the next line to the right "Last Changed: \_\_\_\_\_\_" which is the last time you changed your password. 4. You will now be able to enter your current password, your new password, and a confirmation of your new password. 5. Leave the box "Sign out of all sessions?" to make certain everything is completely refreshed when you click the Save button. 6. Now click the "Save" button. Your password has now been changed. You will be prompted in programs that you've had your session information saved (e.g. your smart phone). ## Conclusion Your information is your reputation online and could affect your current or future employment. Change your password whether you had a LinkedIn account in 2012 or not. It is better to be safe than sorry. If you use the same password on more than one site, we would strongly recommend rethinking that thought process. This way if one would be compromised it is only this one account and not any others. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LinkedInGettingTheWordOut/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LinkedInGettingTheWordOut/ When you have a new product or service a common issue is getting the word out about your new great solution to solve a specific problem. Using the posting (blogging) capability of LinkedIn you can make a huge impact in getting your information "out there". You will be talking to your peers about something that you are passionate about. ## The problem Posting to LinkedIn whether it be a straight post, a video post, or a post with images the first time that you do it can present some troubles. This is all new to you. You've probably read others and thought they were creative geniuses for promoting online. It's now your turn to do the same. Let your creative genius shine through. In this article we'll cover doing all three of the major postings on your personal page. In this post we will be making a few assumptions (we know assumptions are bad). First that you have created a LinkedIn profile. Don't have one? Not a problem we have a blog post about it here. ## What is a blog? As we started writing this one question that kept coming back to us is "what is a blog". We gave over 50 blog posts since 2013 with one added around every few weeks to www.BusinessYETI.com covering all topics from LinkedIn, digital marketing, web design, search engines, and more. To us a blog is second nature with our cadence increasing more each year. To many though a blog or post is something entirely new. When explaining to people we've always found that explaining a blog post as a way of communicating a single thought to a group of people. These people are your current customers as we well as future customers. A blog post is something that matters today and will continue to live on months and years from now. When you write a blog post it is similar to that of an email. You include your thoughts for that point in time while also making it so that it can last the test of time. An email goes to a single person (or a small group). A blog post goes to the entire Internet with the hopes and aspirations of reaching hundreds, even thousands, of people. ## Personal Posting ![LinkedIn view less information](/Images/Content/Blog/LinkedIn-viewLess.jpg) ![LinkedIn Posting Screen](/Images/Content/Blog/LinkedIn-CreatePost.jpg) As we start out we know many have never made a post on LinkedIn before. With your first post you will have an extra step. This is because you've never created a post before. To do so at the top of your profile page you will see an image that has a "View More" option. You will want to click "View More" and look through the list for a section called Posts. You will want to click on Posts which will navigate to a new window where you can start creating your post. If you have already created a post before scroll down to your last post and look for a button that says "Write a new post". ### Creating your post The first item that you will notice is a section at the top that says "Add an image to bring your post to life". This image should be 700 pixels wide by 400 pixels tall. It is highly recommended that you not only use a picture to these dimensions but as LinkedIn says to bring your post to life. ### The headline The next part is where all of the magic starts to happen. You will need to click in the "Write Your Headline" and write your captivating headline that will draw people into wanting to read what you've written. ### The body After your headline comes your story. This is where you sell your new product, service, or brilliant idea to those that you've brought into your blog. Write the information just as you would an email. As you are writing and composing you will add headings (what is called H1 and H2), add quotes ("), highlight and enhance text (bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough), justify, bullet and number, and then comes the part of this post: links, pictures, and videos. ![LinkedIn add link](/Images/Content/Blog/LinkedIn-addLink.jpg) ![LinkedIn add link screen](/Images/Content/Blog/LinkedIn-addLink2.jpg) #### Links There are two ways to add a link to your post. The way we recommend and that we use is we will write all of our text for a paragraph and then highlight what we want to link. The alternate is to stop typing and add your link. No matter which way you go you will have a link to a webpage and text that explains what the link is. **Note**: We recommend to have a descriptive text like you would for your website explaining what the item is. Don't highlight "here". Rather highlight the link text as "Click here to read about our new product or service.". This not only makes more sense to the user but to the search engines as well. When possible make the link match that of the heading to the page you are linking to. When you are ready to add your link you will click on the "Add Link" toolbar icon. This will bring up one of two possible boxes. If you've highlighted the text, the system is smart enough that it knows it doesn't have to ask for the text to display. When you just click the link and you don't have text selected you will need to fill in the text as well as the link you want to link to. Once you have completed entering the text/link for the page you're connecting to you will then click on the Apply button. You will notice your text on the screen and that it has an underline under it. ![LinkedIn add image](/Images/Content/Blog/LinkedIn-addImage.jpg) ![LinkedIn add image screen](/Images/Content/Blog/LinkedIn-addImage2.jpg) #### Pictures Pictures work very similar to that of adding a link to your website. An image has certain restrictions that you will need to adhere to. For most these restrictions will never cause a problem. At the time of the writing of this blog post an image is limited to being 10meg in size and must be a GIF, JPG (JPEG for Macintosh users), or a PNG file. This format is the primary format used by all cameras and any photo editing software can save in all of these formats as well. **Note**: The larger the image the longer it can take for your readers to read an image. It is recommended to keep the images as small as possible while also keeping the images as clear as possible to get your point across in the article. As an example, every image in this blog post we kept to under 100k in size each. ![LinkedIn add video](/Images/Content/Blog/LinkedIn-addVideo.jpg) ![LinkedIn add video screen](/Images/Content/Blog/LinkedIn-addVideo2.jpg) ![YouTube Video Share](/Images/Content/Blog/youTube-Share.jpg) #### Videos Videos are becoming all the rage on social media networks. The reason being is that videos are quicker for most to watch. For people with limited time a video can convey your entire thought process at a more rapid pace without losing a reader's attention. To add a video, you will click the "Add Video" button from the toolbar. A window will open to embed a video. You will notice that you have several options available to you. You can embed YouTube, SlideShare, Vimeo, Ted, Livestream, or Getty images by including their < embed > code. The embed code is routinely an iframe option. As an example, when you watch a video on YouTube when you view your video you will notice a Share button under the video title and Subscribe button. If you click this there is a section called Embed. By clicking on embed you will see a text box that starts with < iframe. You would copy everything from this line into your computers clipboard and then paste it into the LinkedIn video spot. #### Tags Tags are a way to categorize your post information. You can include up to three categories within your post. Start typing in the category box and you will start see a dropdown come with options to choose from. This allows people to know what the post is about. **Note**: We strongly recommend every post use as many tags as possible (up to the three maximum). ![LinkedIn publish post](/Images/Content/Blog/LinkedIn-publishPost.jpg) #### Publishing Now that you have your new post created with images, links, and video comes to the most exciting part of your post. At the top of the page you will notice a button that says Publish. Click the button and you will be prompted with a screen confirming that you wish to post this article. You can choose "Not yet" which stops it from being seen by others or click on "Publish post" which makes it available to everyone. The reason you would choose not yet as an option would be if this is a draft and you need to go back later to make any final adjustments. ## Conclusion A blog is a great way to get the word out about your product, services, and thoughts. Whether you post frequently or not the key is to do so at a pace that works for you. If you want to be in front of others often then post often. If you want to just get the word out every so often then post less frequently. We know at times you are a busy person but still want and need to get your good word out. JM2 Webdesigners has dedicated content writers who can help you take article from good to great and even create it from scratch. On top of our content writers we have graphic designers that can help enhance your post with images and video. If you need help now or wish to schedule something for the future let us know through our [contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Living-your-life-in-your-own-way/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Living-your-life-in-your-own-way/ I was asked by an old school friend that I used to play soccer and other activities with. This will not be a technical blog like others but a "life blog article" where I look at who I am as a person, husband, and a person on this planet we call Earth. Like most we've grown apart due to distance, time, and having different lives. This doesn't mean that we can't help each other. This past week a core value that I call "Rule #1" came into full affect that made me angry, upset, and ready to do things I did as an adolescent when I lived back in Chesterton Alabama. This wouldn't be a big deal for most as it wouldn't be a truly big deal but when one makes a life altering change you don't want to revert back to that. One item I've always done is sleep on every decision before acting. This time, like every other time, has helped me. Let's see what I wrote to my friend as well as a bit more detail on it. First, I am nowhere near perfect, far from it, and I know I will lie (not intentionally though). I know as a kid I did but that was to get out of trouble I put myself in (still not a good excuse). My focus which started around seven years ago was when I noticed several lies happening around me. I won't get into them as they are not worth my time to talk about and not worth your brain cells to use. Just know they were pure lies and caused a person (me) to re-think everything about life. This one lie which was a culmination of several taught me there are people that will do anything to get ahead in life rather than working and putting all their energy in it for it. I just had to change the way my life was and it came to a personal decision. I wanted my life to be better than what it was at the time (circa 2010). It was a slow destruction of who I was at my core and I realized at that exact moment the only person that could fix my life was myself. Knowing I am not perfect I can still strive for perfection. I always tell people that "I am perfect"... "at being imperfect". So, I created what I call "Rule #1" which consists of "No lying". That's it. So simple yet so hard at the same time. My first year I never realized how much un-truth I spoke on daily. Much of it being to try not to hurt another's feelings, covering up for something I shouldn't be covering up, etc. By not lying everything that is not the truth falls into it. ## What is rule #1 in a nutshell? - Any type of cheating is a lie - Not volunteering all information for an informed decision is a lie - Not doing your personal best is a lie (to yourself) - Lying flat out is obviously a lie Basically, the way I look at it is I took all ten commandments (waiting for lightning to strike) and simplified it to two words (four if you count Rule #1 No Lying). Everyone I know strives to be better. I made my own rule to try and make my life the way I wanted it to be. Every week I look back at the previous week I just lived through and see where I can improve my interactions with others. This past week after I slept on the most grievous lie I have had in the past seven years hurt hard. It felt like a heart attack and reached in and sucked out my soul. It taught me several key items that after sleeping on it made me realize how important this one rule is to my life. It's a personal challenge to make myself better each day which is what many of us try to do without truly realizing it. I am just making a very conscious effort to achieve it. I personally push to be 100% committed to improve each day and knowing I will fail at times means I am only human and must constantly improve. By going in knowing I will falter I am better prepared to fix it when I do. Some say I break my own rule #1 at times and it is true that I do. Not because I meant to but because I made a mistake. The key for me is to acknowledge and own the failure, fix it, and move forward. A key to all of this was a conversation I had with Holly, my wife, about this situation months before. Her guidance is always important, and is a core part of what I do daily. This time though I listened but still went where I thought the better choice was. This hindsight as you can most certainly have guessed from the writing was incorrect on my part. I should have put more weight on it than I did. That was one of the lessons I learned from this. Those that are in your "inner circle" know a lot about you, more than you might realize, and their guidance needs to hold a lot higher value than what you might normally give. Everything I have done is just a personal decision for myself. I have the constant realization that I am not perfect (which I truly hate as I do strive for it). I also know that I will not be on this planet forever (I do keep trying though to achieve it). By living my life, the best that I can I hope to make others' lives better due to my making my life better. I can only control my own destiny and no matter how much I might see of other individuals making a mistake (in my opinion) those are choices they make within their lives. Out of all I learned this week I have realized I still am nowhere close to where I need to be. I need to double down, listen more to those around me, and continue to live my life the best that I possibly can knowing that my efforts will make my life better, and those around me better just by my living my life in an honest way. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Livng-Your-Dream/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Livng-Your-Dream/ Five years ago, in 2012, a dream, even a fantasy if you will, was started. With a year of challenging work in the city of Michigan City Alabama a business plan was developed, modified, tweaked, vetted, and tweaked some more. Change was wanted, and needed, in the web design and marketing space. Having worked for several years at a printing company that did marketing I saw a lot of great old school things that still worked well today but could be enhanced with software and an eye on the future. After a year of work, saving money, the dream started to become a reality. This is the story of the four-year journey that JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing has made. On December of 2012 everything was finalized and the business applications were all started. On March 8, 2013, everything became official and JM2 Webdesigners, LLC (pronounced JM Squared – we are software developers after all) came into existence. Started with two friends and their wives. The goal at the time and still is in 2017 is to help small and medium-sized businesses grow. When our business plan was developed back in 2012 we looked at every major national player in the web design and marketing spaces. We made lists of what they collectively offered as well as individually offered. We are proud of our growth and that we now offer everything that we wrote down in the year of our inception. These solutions that are offered now are: - [Content Marketing](/Services/ContentMarketing/) - [Software Development](/Services/CustomProgramming/) - [eCommerce](/Services/eCommerce/) - [Graphic Design, Branding, & Marketing](/Services/GraphicDesign/) - [Lead Generation](/Services/LeadGeneration/) - [Video Marketing](/Services/MaintenancePlans/) - [Search Engine Optimization (SEO)](/Services/SEO/) - [Text Marketing](/Services/TextMarketingLoyaltyProgram/) - [Web Design](/Services/Webdesign/) There are two ways of growing a business. You can borrow money, you can seek investors, or you can do as we did and bootstrap your growth. The last option is the hardest as there are times where you barely breakeven, have no marketing budget, had to borrow from our savings, etc. We would not change anything we have done as it has made us stronger than we would if we would have borrowed or sought out investors. The borrowing would have strapped us and made us think solely of paying that back and ourselves so that we can live. With investors, they would have dictated who we are. As a non-traditional company that breaks every mold an investor or investors would have made us a company solely out for money. The items that have helped us through all of this was something new in Northwest Alabama that we learned about through the Cullman Chamber of Commerce. This was a solution to help starting businesses out called co-working. The co-working was called [Zoseco co-working](http://zoseco.com/). The model we were originally scared about as the model we had never heard of before and took yet another leap of faith. With co-working you share the costs of rent, electricity, internet, gas, water, etc. Co-working allowed us to grow without a huge capital expense and being we were bootstrapping ourselves was a good fit. When we signed up we stated we would only be there for two years as if we stayed longer our model of growth and making a difference was wrong for us. Some companies will stay in co-working longer, some shorter. To us we set it at two years to prove our model works. Eighteen months into co-working we had reached a point we wanted to be at and started looking for a larger space. In the fall of 2016 we increased our square footage from 100-square feet to over 2,000-square feet. This has been the best decision we could have made. From purchasing the space, we are on a pace of doubling our client base while also offering more to our customers. We did have to borrow for the mortgage but the costs were worth it and we appreciate what we've done and we have control of our destiny. To this day our model is continually questioned as we keep costs low while making certain we produce the most beautiful products that are also efficient and grow with companies. We have now had over 48 months of learning and growth. Not one month has been in the red for the company which makes us even more proud. We have been close in the beginning but we always came out in the black. Each month is better than the last and I can say that we have a team that works together, is devoted to our customers, and most importantly each person is the top in what they do. Our advice to those that want to start and run their own business you have three options. You have borrowing, bootstrapping, or getting investors. We strongly recommend using co-working places, like Zoseco, to test your plan, work with other entrepreneurs, and see if what you are offering is something that will work. You need to find which model works for you and your objectives. If you are focused, devoted to your customers, and have a passion for what you do you can truly accomplish anything! We are looking forward to our upcoming 5th anniversary and the many more beyond that. The last recommendation is to have a **strong** support system. For myself, my wife Holly, has been my cheerleader throughout the process. When you have a support system that believes in you they also believe in your dream. They will support you, help you, and will be honest (super important!!!!) with your decisions to keep you on-track and moving positively forward. You will run into many nay-sayers who do not believe in your vision. Your support system will help you get past these people that will do everything within their power to disprove you. Stay strong and be the best you can be. As I end this I want to give a huge thank you to our current customers for believing in us and our dream. With your support, we have proven that small and medium-businesses can grow without spending the amount of money that traditionally people had to spend. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/llms-txt-files/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/llms-txt-files/ Who? What? Where? When did this happen? Last night I was hit with from an SEO friend of what is an LLMS.txt file? Is it useful? Do I need it? Well, I got you! This is everything you need to know about LLMS.txt files and how you can use it to give yourself that competitive edge over your competition. The "llms.txt" file is a relatively new concept in the AI and SEO space — it's essentially like a "robots.txt" file, but instead of telling web crawlers (like Googlebot) how to index your site, it tells **AI crawlers** and large language model (LLM) scrapers what they can and cannot use from your site for training or generation purposes. It's not yet a formal standard, but several companies (including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Perplexity) are starting to check for it. You'll find some WordPress plugins starting to add it and it's been built into Brilliance CRM since we learned about to help us help our customers. ## The Origin Story & Timeline - **Who created it**: The llms.txt concept was proposed by Jeremy Howard, co-founder of Answer.AI. - **When**: The idea was publicly introduced in September 2024, with early adoption by platforms like Mintlify in November 2024. - **Why**: To help LLMs (large language models) access curated, structured content from websites—especially for inference and generation, not just training. - Which AI companies were first to recognize it (OpenAI's GPTBot announcement in August 2023 was the big moment). - Current adoption rate among major AI crawlers and web platforms. - Clarify that llms.txt isn't just about blocking training—it's also about guiding inference, helping LLMs answer questions using your site's most relevant content. ## Purpose - Gives website owners **control** over whether AI systems can scrape and use their content. - Provides AI companies with **machine-readable permissions** about what data they can use. - Works alongside (or in place of) "robots.txt" for AI-specific rules. ## Comparison Table Create a table comparing robots.txt, sitemap.xml, and llms.txt: | **Feature** | **robots.txt** | **sitemap.xml** | **llms.txt** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Purpose** | Search engine crawling | Page discovery | AI model guidance | | **Format** | Plain text | XML | Markdown or plain text | | **Target Audience** | Search bots | Search bots | AI crawlers / LLMs | | **Enforcement** | Voluntary | Voluntary | Voluntary | | **Blocking Capability** | Yes | No | Yes | ## Current Known AI Crawlers That Respect It List and update regularly: - GPTBot (OpenAI) - CCBot (Common Crawl) - ClaudeBot (Anthropic) - PerplexityBot (Perplexity.ai) - Google-Extended (Google's AI indexing) — uses a robots.txt directive, but can be included in llms.txt for clarity - Applebot-Extended (Apple) Include example User-Agent strings for precise blocking. ## Typical Content A basic "llms.txt" might look like: ### Block all LLMs from training on this site User-Agent: GPTBot Allow: /blog/ Disallow: / User-Agent: ClaudeBot Disallow: / User-Agent: PerplexityBot Disallow: / ### Or to allow certain bots # Allow OpenAI's bot but block others User-Agent: GPTBot Allow: / User-Agent: ClaudeBot Disallow: / ### Block all but allow one research directory User-Agent: \* Disallow: / Allow: /public-dataset/ ## Where to Place It - **Location**: Always in your site's root directory (https://yoursite.com/llms.txt), same as robots.txt. - **Hosting Notes**: Must be plain text, UTF-8 encoded, accessible without authentication. - Mention how to test access (curl https://yoursite.com/llms.txt). ## How to Test if It's Working - Check your server logs for bot access requests. - Use online header/bot check tools. - Look for User-Agent strings in analytics. ## Integration with Other Protection Measures - Pair with robots.txt for search crawlers. - Use meta tags like noai or noimageai for image/content protection. - Consider legal measures (Terms of Service updates to prohibit unauthorized AI training). ## The Limitations - Voluntary compliance — bad actors can still scrape. - No legal enforcement by itself (must be paired with contracts or ToS). - Not recognized by all AI companies yet. ## Future Outlook - Could become an official standard if adopted by W3C or other governing bodies. - Possible browser-level AI content protection in future. - AI companies may create central opt-out registries referencing llms.txt. ## Value It Provides - **Content Protection**: Prevents unauthorized use of your writing, images, and code for AI training. - **Transparency**: Lets you clearly state your content-sharing preferences. - **Negotiation Tool**: AI companies that want access to your content may need to request permission, opening possible licensing opportunities. - **Public Stance**: Signals to visitors and AI companies your position on content usage. - **Compliance Layer**: Some AI bots now respect "llms.txt" and will avoid scraping blocked content. ## Important Unlike "robots.txt", which most major search engines follow, "llms.txt" is voluntary — bad actors and rogue scrapers can still ignore it. It's mostly useful for good-faith AI companies who are trying to follow ethical scraping guidelines. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LocalListingsUsingSeo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LocalListingsUsingSeo/ There are many free local online listing services, like our very own *Find Business Directory*. Using these services, you can increase the visibility of your website and further build your company brand. In this article we are going to cover many of the listings that you can list your business for free with minimal time and effort. When you built your website or as we call it your 24x7 online employee you expected that the world would show up to your virtual online door wanting to know more about your business and then purchase your products and services that you offer. Having built a website we have all found out doesn't guarantee people will find you or even purchase your products. If people do not know about your business then they surely will move on to one of your competitors. You need to take the time, energy, and effort to get your business seen on the Internet. By taking a few hours, yes we said hours, you can increase the overall exposure of your business online and start getting your brand known. With each and every offering below you can get listed for free. Each may have a paid offering for additional functionality, exposure, etc. and we encourage each person to evaluate which services work best for their business as well as align with your company brand and business strategy. A paid offering may make sense for one or more of the offerings. And advertising on a network can increase exposure to help build up your brand. Only you can determine which delivery networks will work best for you. In many cases it will be a trial and error process at first. This process though can pay true dividends when it comes to marketing your company online. **Find Business Directory** We would not be complete if we didn't start off with our own Find Business Directory. Every new business, new address, products, offers, coupons, and job listings that are placed on our site are submitted to the search engines for indexing. **[Google Places for Business](https://www.google.com/business/placesforbusiness/)** Google Places for Business gives you access to free tools that help your business get online, be found on Google Search and Maps and get closer to your customers. It's the easiest way to manage your business across Google and it's free. **[Google+ Business Page](https://plus.google.com/)** Your Google+ page connects you with customers, whether they're looking for you on Search, Maps, Google+ or mobile devices. Best of all, it's free. Really, we mean it. **[Bing Places for Business](https://www.bingplaces.com/)** List your business on Bing for free. Just find your listing and verify that you own the business either by phone or mail. Make it easy for customers to find you on all of Bing. **[Yelp](https://www.yelp.com/signup)** People use Yelp to search for everything from the city's tastiest burger to the most renowned cardiologist. What will you uncover in your neighborhood? **[MerchantCircle](https://www.merchantcircle.com/signup/#step=stepOne)** For local businesses, a listing will enter into MerchantCircle's detailed database of local, trusted businesses. At the same time, a MerchantCircle listing will help boost your visibility and rankings in Google, Bing, and Yahoo. A MerchantCircle profile provides a quality link back to your website with this recommended local link-building tactic. **[LinkedIn](https://www.LinkedIn.com/)** This is less of a business listing and more of a personal professional listing. May not get you organic search results, but will help you connect with others in your industry or looking for people in your industry. **YellowPages.com** Like your old fashioned phone book this is a great resource to get listed in. **[Facebook](https://www.Facebook.com/business/products/pages)** Let's not forget the value of having your own business page on Facebook. And, once you have a Facebook account, you can use it to login to many of these other listing sites. **[Angi's List](https://www.angi.com/)** Companies can create a free account and appear without a rating on the List. Once your company is registered, you may log in at any time to review and update your company's profile, check your ratings, and read and respond to new reviews. **[HubSpot](http://www.hubspot.com/)** HubSpot (a reputable source I completely trust) published a blog article titled The Ultimate List: 50 Local Business Directories. I only listed some of the top places to get started. Read the article if you would like extra exposure. Not all of these are free. Also, there may be other industry-specific listings that could be of advantage to your business. ## Conclusion Getting found online is not something that will happen overnight. It takes a true dedication to not only get listed but get listed with all of the correct information as well as keep it 100% consistent across each network. Each of the links above are all possible to do yourself and we always encourage people to do so if they have the time and energy to do so. **Hint**: We encourage that you do create a separate email account for all of your search engine optimization (SEO) needs as it is not uncommon for many services to sell your email or to market directly to you. By using a separate email address you will save yourself from receiving unwanted emails. If the above looks daunting or taking a half a day off from your business you cannot do JM2 Webdesigners has solutions to do all of the above for a low cost. Our solutions can be one-time solutions or monthly depending on what your business needs are. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [contact us online here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LocalSearchBasics/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LocalSearchBasics/ The internet has people believing in removing the need for having a physical address. This may be true for some types of businesses that can survive solely online. Most businesses though still require a physical address as they are in your local community. Local search engine optimization (SEO) for these businesses are critical as it helps their business on the search engines. Many small businesses will benefit from doing local SEO and is something businesses need to work on. ## What is Local SEO? Local SEO is rethinking your keywords for your website to include and concentrating on geographical keywords and keywords using major tourist information to help increase visibility in your search results. If you are a coffee shop in a town, you will want to use keywords that mention your town (e.g. “Chesterton coffee shop”, “Alabama Dunes coffee shop”) rather than just “coffee shop”. By providing more localized information, you stand a better chance of not missing potential revenue. ## Local Services The first place to start is by creating listings for your local business. Google, Yahoo, Bing and SuperPages all offer services to help your customers find you. Filling out and verifying the information will take some time for each one and may require a post card or phone call to verify that you are the actual owner of the business. Doing this the first time will take the most amount of time but is something that should also be looked at and verified for accuracy and changes on a monthly basis and should be part of any SEO strategy you have. The information you put into the local search categories should be the exact same for all of the search engines. Your name, phone number, address and description information should always match so that you provide a consistent and accurate image of your business. Whenever possible you should include your hours, link to your website, Facebook and other social media pages. ## Citations The ultimate free advertising is when other businesses, whether it be your local chamber of commerce, newspaper or other source positively mentions your company name, address, website and/or phone number on their sites. This citation information plays an important factor for Google and Bing is ranking algorithms to help you move up in the search results. ## Reviews and Testimonials Collecting reviews and testimonials for your business online can also boost your local SEO efforts. It sounds easy to write tons of fake reviews to help you on your way, but it is not so simple. Search engines have become smart in figuring out what real and fake reviews are. When they spot fake reviews it can actually lower your websites credibility and move your search results off pages one. ## Social Media Using social media can also improve your local SEO. You can use Pinterest’s new Place Pins service. This service allows users to create personalized journeys through local areas such as “50 best coffee shops in Chesterton”. Given time, search engines will begin to index and incorporate these pages into local search results. ## Conclusion Local SEO can appear quite daunting when you realize you are going up against the every business. The key with local SEO is you are only going up against those in your local area. This is a much smaller and market than the entire internet and can show many more gains for your business than doing organic SEO alone. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Local-Search-Engine-Success/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Local-Search-Engine-Success/ Did you know there is a way to reach your local audience without paid advertising and increase your search results? To do it right you need to do the following ten items to achieve success. Having a strategy and plan that will make you an expert and a leader in your field will be key to all of this. You cannot just throw stuff up and gain results. It would be nice but if it were that easy everyone would do it and this wouldn’t work. When you first start out and you have no analytics to go by you might have to use a best guess method so that you can start figuring out what your audience is wanting. Just keep in mind “you are not your customer”. With this information we will be making the magical “assumption” that you have been up and running for a while and have gathered insights from what you’ve been posting. If you haven’t used this information be cognizant that you should be modifying it as you learn more about your audience. Even with this information already gathered don’t just stick to the information gathered. You need to adjust your information continually as your audience’s needs are changing and you need to be agile to adapt to their current needs. The first item you need to do is define your audience and what you will be writing about. This involves the following: - What is your customer looking for (what is the problem they are trying to solve)? - What reading level are they `at (A reading level for 7th and 9th grade is often ideal to start unless you are doing a technical article) - What is the format that works best for them (blog articles like this, video, pod cast, ads, etc.)? - Language they are expecting (technical, sales, etc.) Think about the search engines as you write but more important than that is think of your audience. The search engines should only be 1% of your thought process as you are writing. You want to cover the core aspects of what you believe people will be looking for on the search engines but that is it. Don’t over think this. You will achieve success through consistently writing and showing your expertise. The remaining needs be targeted for your audience and answering the need they are currently addressing. By doing this you stand a better chance of rising in the search engines. As you are writing you need to figure out who **you** are as well. You need to have your tone of voice, your culture (yes even if you are just one individual you have a culture!), and how often you will be providing this valuable information. You then need to create a schedule and not waiver from it. This is the key to your organic search engine success. By being consistent, helping your audience, and Now that you’ve written your article you need to get it out there. To do this you want to post and share it on social media (yes, I know that’s not the search engines, but you are marketing and need to get the word out). You also want to notify both Google and Bing of your new page you’ve created and hit any industry specific sites that allow sharing of information. If you have a newsletter you need to include a link to your article there as well. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LocalSearchLinks/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LocalSearchLinks/ Part of our search engine optimization (SEO) for our customers is helping them take ownership of local search pages on the Internet. Some pages may already belong to to them while others can belong to no one, don't yet exist or have been claimed by the wrong person. Claiming your local search listings will not only help people find their business but provide valuable inbound links to their professional website. Below you will find the main local search pages in the United States that are used and are a great place for every business to start. Some of the pages can be completed very quickly while others may take some time to verify your business as they may send a post card to verify the address of the location. Some of these local search pages you may have heard of while others you may not have but all of them are important for your business. By providing the information to you we hope that it will not only help those that wish to do their own search engine optimization. This will also help our customers that we do their search engine optimization for which local search engines we will be starting off with. As part of every website we do we will promote you to the major search engines once your site goes live. By using our SEO platforms for your business we will not only continually be promoting you to the major search engines but on local search and social media as well. If you would like to have JM2 Webdesigners assist you, or you would like to learn more, you may contact us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). ![Google](/Images/Content/Logos/logoGoogle.png) Google's local results are often presented on Google's first page for local search queries. [Claim your listing](http://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter) ![Bing](/Images/Content/Logos/logoBing.png) Bing's local results are often presented on Bing's first results page for local search queries. [Claim your listing](http://www.bingplaces.com/) ![Foursquare](/Images/Content/Logos/logoFoursquare.png) A listing on Foursquare can deliver more visitors to your website. [Claim your listing](http://business.foursquare.com/) ![Yelp](/Images/Content/Logos/logoYelp.png) Yelp's local listings are displayed on many other websites. [Claim your listing](https://biz.yelp.com/claiming) ![City Search](/Images/Content/Logos/logoCitysearch.png) Citysearch/Citygrid listings are displayed on many other websites. [Claim your listing](https://signup.citygrid.com/?execution=e1s1) ![SuperPages](/Images/Content/Logos/logoSuperpages.png) Superpages.com is a website that can help you to get additional local visitors. [Claim your listing](http://www.supermedia.com/spportal/quickbpflow.do) ![YellowPages](/Images/Content/Logos/logoYp.png) YellowPages.com makes sure that your business gets founds by local customers. [Claim your listing](http://adsolutions.yp.com/advertise-with-us?utm_source=YPR_&utm_campaign=SEOprofiler.com_&utm_medium=SEOprofiler.com_&utm_term=SEOprofiler.com_) ![InsiderPages](/Images/Content/Logos/logoInsiderPages.png) InsiderPages.com can help you to get more local customers. [Claim your listing](http://www.insiderpages.com/session/new?header_link=true) ![Kudzu](/Images/Content/Logos/logoKudzu.png) Kudzu.com helps homeowners to find professionals. [Claim your listing](https://register.kudzu.com/packageSelect.do?) ![Local.com](/Images/Content/Logos/logoLocal.png) Local.com is a popular local search site. [Claim your listing](https://advertise.local.com/) ![Manta](/Images/Content/Logos/logoManta.png) Manta.com is a small business directory. [Claim your listing](http://www.manta.com/) ![MacRea's Blue Book](/Images/Content/Logos/logoMacRaesBlueBook.png) MacRea's Blue Book is an industrial directory. [Claim your listing](http://www.macraesbluebook.com/getlisted/get-listed.cfm) ![DexKnows.com](/Images/Content/Logos/logoDexKnows.png) DexKnows.com is a local search engine. [Claim your listing](https://www.dexknows.com/) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LocalSearchTips/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/LocalSearchTips/ Search engine optimization (SEO) can be both a black box and an art at the same time. It seems many companies will submit you to the search engines and believe their work is done. This isn't the case for small to mid-size businesses as they don't always sell nationally or globally. Many sell locally which is where SEO for Local comes into play. Marketing the old fashioned way is still important, especially for a local business. As more of your customers continue to rely on the internet it's important that your page sits near the top of a given search in order to provide maximum visibility. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to make sure that your local business gets put at the top of the search engine results. The first item to look at is your keyword phrases that you are utilizing. Do they have local references in them? When you're developing your keyword phrases you need to make certain that the content and the Meta tags have local keywords associated in them. If you sell pizza you are looking at a very broad category to begin with. Don't use a keyword of "pizza" as you will most likely not get the search engine results that you are looking for. Having "Cullman Pizza" will garner you some much better results from a local perspective. Think locally over broadly. This will cut down on your perspective audience from millions to thousands, or even hundreds of people you are more likely to get people that are more interested in your product or service. With the size of the Internet being a really big place the more specific your keywords are the more likely you'll be able to reach the front page of the search engine results page (SERP). Real Estate agents are one of the best in doing this. Rather than using Chicago as a keyword they are using city names like LA Porte, Michigan City, and Chesterton to be more specific. They even consider housing complex names if they are well known to get even better results. Back links can be a blessing and a curse. If you receive back links from bad sources they can lower your SEO results. Having good back links from other local businesses, Chamber of Commerce, city pages, etc. you will not only help the exposure to your website but also gain more visitors. One factor many people avoid and don't get to are "Citations". When we first heard of citations we wanted to run as they are typically seen as bad (e.g. a traffic citation). Citations in regard to the Internet can be a very good for your business. The more citations you receive, that are from reputable sites, the better you will perform on the search engines. Back links are great to your site as they provide a direct tie from one site to another. A citation can also create a tie with the enhancements search engines have made over the years. The more local a citation is the more weight it will have in the search engines. Being put in local newspapers, chamber of commerce sites, news sources (blogs, radio stations, etc.) the better your score with the search engines will be. One area people overlook is community involvement. Supporting your community not only helps the community but also can help your business. You will be promoting your business, or should be, with announcements of your involvement which will help keep the content on your website fresh. By having items on your website that are relevant to the local community residents will be more apt to talk about your business which will gain you better exposure. Having items show on your local city pages like community calendars, local charity drives, and articles about the area that you're located in, and other items of interest to the people around you, you’ll have more people visiting and linking to your site for those things. That will not only give you more back links, it will also give people a reason to visit your site that may lead to conversions. People come to your website as they are looking for something. This could be the product or service you offer, are looking for support for something, or are coming to gain some valuable insight from you. By becoming a local source of knowledge you become an expert in your field. Whatever you choose to do with your website by becoming the local expert you will gain more visitors. This means that your website and your online presence should show people that you know what you're talking about so that they begin to associate your name with the industry. A furniture repair shop can easily show they are a local expert by not only providing information about their services but also tips and tricks they have learned over the years to build credibility as well as be a source of local knowledge to others. This expertise can help drive people to bring their items to you rather than your competition as you've built a solid reputation with them over the years. The final major point we want to bring to you is to be active with your website. It's not enough to build it and they will come. You need to be active on keeping your website up-to-date, be involved in social media, and be active in any active blogs that may exist in your area for your area of expertise. Whenever you comment on a blog, post on social media, and even your signature in your email make certain you reference your website to draw people to yourself. Don't just post about your business and the latest and greatest sale you are having. That's all fine for a short term gain but give your visitors something of value that they can put into use. Work on getting people to link to you and mention you so that you are cultivating a long term relationship rather than just making a statement. Unless your business is to make one sale and be done with the customer then you need to remember you must continue to cultivate the relationship and provide value to the customer. The technique that a law firm uses to develop a national SEO strategy is the same for a local law firm. The biggest difference is that rather than just stating you are a law firm you are a law firm supporting community x and y. The best thing to do is to get your good word out about your product or service. Don't push your information to the customer. Although we want every contact to be a sale we all know that will not happen. To us informing and educating our audience is what matters to us. If someone goes elsewhere we look at how we could've done it better but in the end are happier in knowing that we did help someone gain insight into the realm of the Internet. If you need help with your regular search, local search or website JM2 Webdesigners is here to help. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Local-SEO-and-Page-One-Guarantee/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Local-SEO-and-Page-One-Guarantee/ We are often asked by clients to match a competitor "guarantee" of a page one position one organic spot within the search engines. No one can do this and those that do you truly need to run from. No matter how much money is thrown at Local SEO you cannot guarantee a page one position. When it comes to your search engine optimization (SEO) results you need to do the right thing (white hat SEO techniques), having truly awesome content (content is king), and staying in it for the long haul (sounds like the stock market doesn't it?). Whether you are in a smaller and growing community like Kouts Alabama or in a big city like Chicago Illinois the techniques we will discuss pertain to all. We are going to delve into some math in this article but there is nothing to worry about. The numbers we've thought about and made easy and not complex. By the time you finish this article you will soon understand the barriers your business has in being on page one of the search engines. We are not stopping at just the barriers. We are going to conclude with some techniques to help you out and move up against your competitors. ## Local SEO Perspective As we dig deeper into the ever changing realm of local search we have to put our mathematical hat on. Thankfully we are programmers that understand algorithms and technobabble. We also know no one likes "geek speak" so we've simplified the entire process. When it comes to Local SEO for small businesses you need to explain how your services are more important than national brands and sometimes justify the increased prices that you are charging over the national brands. You also have other small businesses wanting into the same space that you are in. Unless you are fortunate enough to be in a unique industry where you are one of only a handful of businesses in your area Local SEO can be a hard nut to crack. This is where math comes into play in understanding the challenge when it comes to local SEO. In Cullman Alabama we have a lot of restaurants, just like many small towns. These restaurants will all be competing for page one on the search results. ## The Math Equation For our part we are going to deal with pizza as there are always a lot of pizza places in every town and will produce good results for our formula. Whether you are using Google, Bing, Yahoo! or any other search engine there are typically the following on a search engine results page (SERP): - 1-2 paid advertising spots at the top of the page - 3-4 map locations shown within the results (typically right below the top paid ad results) - Around 9-10 spots for organic results - 2 paid advertising spots on the bottom of the page Each search engine is different but we will use these totals which equate to a maximum of 18 available spots where a company can be shown. Being we are not talking about paid advertising as we would want to have your business found organically (e.g. free) you really have 14 spots available to be found. These being the 9-10 organic results and the map locations results. For this scenario we are going to leave the map locations off as we will have another article covering how to show prominently in the map results. This leaves 9-10 spots available to be found. We will go with 10 as it's a lot easier number to do the math on. There are 30 restaurants in Cullman with the flag of Cullman Alabama according to yelp ([http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=pizza&find_loc=Cullman,+IN&start=0&l=p:IN:Cullman::](http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=pizza&find_loc=Cullman,+IN&start=0&l=p:IN:Cullman::)). **30 pizza places – 10 available spots leave 20 pizza places that will NOT be found on page one. Even page two could be a challenge.** When you are looking at the big picture though you want to be found by more than just a single city. You want to be found in your near geographic location. This means not filtering on Cullman Alabama but the surrounding and close towns and cities as well. When searching on yelp again for the phrase of "pizza" we get a larger pizza base of 99 locations ([http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=pizza&find_loc=Cullman,+IN&start=0](http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=pizza&find_loc=Cullman,+IN&start=0)). **99 pizza places – 10 available spots leave 89 pizza places that will NOT be found on page one.** ## The Secret Sauce Looking at the two above numbers of 30 and 99 you quickly see that hitting page one is not as easy as it looks. That doesn't mean you can't do it. You can do it even if your competitors are also investing in Local SEO. The list below will help your business succeed in the Local SEO space and as a nice side benefit the non-Local SEO space as well. - High Quality Content - Update often - Internal links to other pages - External links from other pages - Citations referencing your business - Social interaction - Reviews (hopefully positive) that link to your site (external links) or at a minimum mention your name (e.g. citation) - Have "Local" pages on Bing, Yahoo!, and definitely Google ## Conclusion Search Engine Optimization whether local or not is a process that takes time, determination, and a lot of patience. When you do all the right things you will achieve positive results and there will be a strong likelihood that you will reach page one on the search engine result pages. If you would like help in achieving the best possible SEO and Local SEO results for your business using solely the best practices of the search engines give JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman Alabama a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or [fill out our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Longer-Tweets-are-Here/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Longer-Tweets-are-Here/ The days of having to make the choice between your message and your media are about to become a thing of the past thanks to Twitter's latest character length update. Pictures, GIFS, videos, links to quoted tweets and polls will no longer count towards your overall 140 character word count. This means that your posts will now allow you to tweet as you normally would without having to worry about other media taking away from your character count. What this means for businesses is more opportunity to better convey the message they want to share without having to sacrifice their original message. Instead, business on twitter can showcase videos, display their latest products and services and share polls directed at their clients while including a full 140 character description. This means more flexibility to get a message out there into the Twitter-sphere and connect with a worldwide audience that can immediately see and interact with your post. Along with this new character limit, Twitter has also announced that there is a new way to reply to other users on Twitter. New replies will not include the username of the person you are replying to in the character limit. Even if you reply to multiple people at once, Twitter will omit the person who sent the original tweet from the character count. For us at JM2 Webdesigners, this presents an exciting opportunity to expand our message with audiences with even more options in how we share our message. We appreciate the art of the image and the art of the written word when it comes to sharing knowledge and reaching businesses. It's improvements like these that allow a service to evolve and as a business that actively engages with our audience over Twitter we welcome these new features and hope that other businesses take advantage of them as well. If you want to learn about how to succeed in the Twitter world or if you need a helping hand from your friendly JM2 Webdesigners, we're here to help you! We can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Long-Tail-vs-Short-Tail-Keywords-Understanding-the/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Long-Tail-vs-Short-Tail-Keywords-Understanding-the/ When it comes to **local organic SEO**, choosing the right keywords can make or break your strategy. A key decision in this process is understanding the difference between **long-tail** and **short-tail keywords** and how each impacts your local SEO efforts. Both types of keywords play a role in driving traffic to your website, but their effectiveness depends on how well they align with your goals, audience, and competition. This pillar post will explore what long-tail and short-tail keywords are, how they differ, and how to use them effectively in your local organic SEO strategy. *** ## **What Are Long-Tail and Short-Tail Keywords?** ### **Short-Tail Keywords** Short-tail keywords, also known as “head terms,” are typically **1-3 words** long and represent broad search terms. For example: - **"Plumber"** - **"Restaurant near me"** - **"SEO services"** These keywords: - Have **high search volumes**, meaning they are searched by a large number of people. - Are highly **competitive**, as many businesses try to rank for them. - Lack **specificity**, making it harder to attract targeted leads. ### **Long-Tail Keywords** Long-tail keywords are more specific and typically **3-6 words or more**. For example: - **"Emergency plumber in Dallas"** - **"Family-friendly Italian restaurant in Chicago"** - **"Affordable local SEO services for small businesses"** These keywords: - Have **lower search volumes**, meaning fewer people search for them. - Are less competitive and easier to rank for. - Offer higher **conversion rates** because they match user intent more closely. *** ## **Key Differences Between Long-Tail and Short-Tail Keywords** | **Aspect** | **Short-Tail Keywords** | **Long-Tail Keywords** | |--------------------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------| | **Length** | 1-3 words | 3-6+ words | | **Search Volume** | High | Low to moderate | | **Competition** | High | Low | | **Specificity** | Broad and generic | Narrow and detailed | | **Conversion Rates** | Lower (attracts a general audience) | Higher (targets specific user intent) | | **Use Case** | Brand awareness, general traffic | Niche targeting, high-quality leads | *** ## **Why Long-Tail Keywords Are Crucial for Local Organic SEO** For local businesses, long-tail keywords are often more effective than short-tail keywords. Here's why: ### **1. Matches User Intent** When users search locally, they often use long-tail queries that are specific to their needs. For example: - Instead of searching **"plumber,"** a local user might search **"24-hour plumber in Los Angeles."** By targeting long-tail keywords, your website is more likely to show up for queries that match what your customers are looking for. ### **2. Lower Competition** Short-tail keywords are dominated by large, national brands and directories, making it nearly impossible for small local businesses to rank. Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, face less competition and give local businesses a chance to rank higher. ### **3. Higher Conversion Rates** Long-tail keywords often indicate users are further along in their buying journey and ready to take action. For example: - A user searching **"SEO services"** may just be researching. - A user searching **"affordable SEO services for small businesses in Denver"** is more likely to convert into a lead or customer. ### **4. Helps with Voice Search** With the rise of voice search, long-tail keywords are becoming even more important. People tend to use natural, conversational phrases in voice searches, such as: - **"Where can I find a good coffee shop near downtown Austin?"** Targeting these phrases helps capture traffic from voice search users. ### **5. Builds Local Authority** By creating content that focuses on specific long-tail keywords, you can establish your business as an authority in your local area. This not only improves your rankings but also builds trust with your audience. *** ## **When to Use Short-Tail Keywords for Local SEO** While long-tail keywords are often more effective for local SEO, short-tail keywords still have their place in your strategy: ### **1. Brand Awareness** Short-tail keywords can help establish your business in broad categories. For example: - If you're a new business, ranking for **"restaurant near me"** can help attract general traffic and build visibility. ### **2. Supporting Long-Tail Keywords** Short-tail keywords often form the base of long-tail keywords. For example: - **Short-tail:** "Plumber" - **Long-tail:** "Affordable plumber for leaky faucets in Miami." By targeting short-tail keywords in combination with long-tail keywords, you can cast a wider net while still focusing on specific needs. *** ## **How to Optimize for Long-Tail and Short-Tail Keywords** ### **1. Keyword Research** Use tools like: - **Google Keyword Planner** for general keyword ideas. - **Ubersuggest** or **Ahrefs** for long-tail keywords. - **Google Search Console** to find search queries that already bring traffic to your site. Focus on finding long-tail keywords that have clear local intent, such as: - **"Best pizza delivery in Brooklyn"** - **"Pet-friendly hotels in Orlando"** ### **2. Create High-Quality Content** - **Long-Tail Keywords:** Write detailed blog posts, FAQs, or service pages addressing specific customer queries. Example: **"Top 5 emergency plumbing tips for homeowners in Dallas."** - **Short-Tail Keywords:** Use them in homepage headlines, navigation menus, or service descriptions to capture broad traffic. ### **3. Optimize Local Listings** Include your long-tail and short-tail keywords in: - **Google Business Profile** descriptions. - Local directory listings. - Social media profiles. ### **4. Use Schema Markup** Add structured data (schema) to your website to help search engines understand your content and improve visibility in local searches. ### **5. Track and Adjust** Monitor your keyword performance using tools like **Google Analytics** or **SEMrush**. Adjust your strategy to focus on the keywords that drive the most traffic and conversions. *** ## **Examples of Long-Tail vs. Short-Tail Keywords in Local SEO** - **Industry: Plumbing** - Short-tail: **"Plumber"** - Long-tail: **"Affordable plumber for clogged drains in Seattle"** - **Industry: Restaurant** - Short-tail: **"Restaurant"** - Long-tail: **"Family-friendly Italian restaurant near Boston Common"** - **Industry: Digital Marketing** - Short-tail: **"SEO services"** - Long-tail: **"Local SEO services for small businesses in Atlanta"** *** ## **Conclusion: Long-Tail Keywords Are the Secret to Local SEO Success** While short-tail keywords have their place, long-tail keywords are the backbone of an effective local organic SEO strategy. They help businesses target specific user intent, reduce competition, and attract high-quality traffic that is more likely to convert. By combining both types of keywords strategically, businesses can maximize their visibility and stay ahead of the competition. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in crafting SEO strategies that prioritize the right mix of long-tail and short-tail keywords to help your business dominate local search results. Contact us today to learn how we can help you stay ahead in the competitive world of local SEO! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Low-word-counts/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Low-word-counts/ On the internet being found organically (or free) is what the internet game is about. Sure, you can pay the search engines to rank but that puts you into always paying. Why not pay on your own terms rather than on the terms of the search engines? Successful websites are ones that are found organically (and paid if you want a wider audience). Your marketing shouldn’t be solely paid as that is a plan for failure. We’re going to look at one of the biggest factors I continue to see when moving a website up in the search engines organically. That is pages with low word counts. Low word counts are is any web page with less than 200 words on the page. This is an easily fixed problem yet we run into it with every site we takeover. When we see this, we are often told that it is because there is no reason to write more. I love the concept of “less is more” when it comes to ranking on the search engines you need more. The amount of text placed on your webpage is a quality signal to search engines. Search engines prefer pages with more content that can help your visitors answer the question they are presently having. This doesn’t mean to be long-winded and not answer questions. In fact, short, concise, and accurate information that is around 500 words can perform as well, or better, as a page that is several thousand words. It is a balancing act and depends on the subject of what you are covering. If you are describing a product on an eCommerce site you will want to be between 250-500 words. Some may require more information if you are writing a technical page or something that requires lots of detail. Most people are on the Internet to answer their question and then get on with their lives. When we see a new client come onboard with short content the first thing we do is read over the content, develop a plan to better explain the content that answers the question the visitor might have and then we work on re-writing to solve the visitor’s questions. This will almost always increase the user’s SEO over time. Read over your pages, make them complete and accurate. Don’t settle on a page built and never changing it. Change shows the search engines that you care enough to revise and improve. It shows your readers there is new information when they come back. When you have new users come to your site they will see information that has been updated over time which improves the potential for more sales. If you take anything away from this please take away that you are writing for your site visitor and not the search engines. When you write for the user the search engines will love you. When you write for the search engines your site visitors will often leave as you are not focused on solving their problems. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Makes-Come-from-Misses--Its-Not-Unlimited-Updates-/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Makes-Come-from-Misses--Its-Not-Unlimited-Updates-/ Saturday, I sat under the eaves of a friend’s garage roof and watched it rain. His daughter was running across the freshly mowed lawn in the rain. Once she got too much grass on her legs and feet she would leap into her turquoise and white inflatable pool. My friend’s dad, Eddie, sat to my right wearing his paint marked work boots. Eddie is an interior and exterior painter with over 30 years of experience. “Cabinets,” Eddie said. “If only I could have seen this earlier. I need to let people know this is what I am focusing on now. I see a lot of potential here. It is profitable for my business and meets my customer’s need: they get a new look at a much lower cost and with a lot less time commitment or interruption to their life.” He took another drink of his Bud Lite and watched his granddaughter play. The makes come from misses. The key to finding success in a pursuit is to pursue it seriously. Be active. Be tenacious. Be dedicated. Stay focused. Small business must be working with marketing firms that allow them to make a lot of misses to get their makes. The doer has plenty of misses. The doer’s makes come from the misses. Greatness is generated from continual contribution. Monet painted some 2,500 hundred works. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum alone possesses nearly 1,000 pieces by the artist. Spielberg has directed over 60 pictures. Kobe Bryant holds the title for an NBA player with the most ever missed shots. He was paid millions of dollars, in part, all those missed shots. Michael Jordan is sixth on that list. The makes come with some misses. Small business marketing is more diversified than ever. Where to best to invest the capital? You need a website, maximizing POP in your brick-and-mortar location, involvement in community, or the constant parade of sponsorship seeking organizers of 5Ks and golf outings. A lot of shots to take. A lot to spend. A lot to risk. A lot of expensive misses to get those makes. Make your misses less of a financial burden. **Small and medium business should be focusing on digital footprint to provide it the ability to take more shots, have more misses, capture more makes, and lower the overall cost of each shot taken**. Currently, consumer behavior surveys indicate most people looking to fill a need begin the process by consulting the internet. The internet does not charge rent. Capital requirements are minimal. Additionally, no other medium can deliver the ROI that a good digital footprint (active website and active social media) can deliver. Nothing has the spread and reach the internet offers. Nothing. You are busy. You do not have the time to develop, maintain, assess, respond, and refine your digital footprint. Identify a firm that does. Identify a firm who says you write and we will implement across your digital footprint. **1998: The Bryce Drew Shot – Valpo Upsets Ole Miss** Your small business should be working with a firm who accommodates the need to take another shot. This is done by providing unlimited updates to the content on your website. Unlimited shots without needing to make an investment with gravitational pull on your cash flow. You know your business. You know your business. You know that market. A sophisticated marketing firm can or already has done the research and can provide insight. You don’t need that. I’ll beat you with it—you know your business! If you have the right managers and the right focus this consultation should not be needed. Warren Buffett would likely agree. You know the message. You know the products with high profit or the ability to gain repeat customers. You know your potential. “If I can just get them in the door, I know we will Wow! them.” The problem is you are not getting enough misses to get your makes. Focus on your content. Be active. Be tenacious. Be dedicated. Get your misses to get your makes. Earth-shattering marketing adjustments, projects taking weeks and months, and late hours scrutinizing a font are not it. Monet did not sit down to paint a masterpiece. He painted. Paint. Paint the picture of your business. Paint it again, and again, and again. Just slightly more this way. Slightly more that way. Gentle changes. And then, oh, that’s it. It’s working. You need a firm who implements, executes, and allows you to move forward. Makes will come from the misses. JM2 Marketing is a marketing firm in Cullman, IN. Talking about making the shot, the link at the end of the article is a link to a 20 second video of a shot that put Cullman on the map. JM2’s core focus is digital footprint management. Generally, we have no interest in writing your content, but will for an upcharge. You can do a much better job. After an appropriate amount of time, when it is not working, we encourage our clients to change the message. We charge less than $5.00 per day to take all the shots you want on your website. If I could only get 10 more no’s in a week, I know I will get 2 more yesses this week. Eddie the painter is a small business. He needs cost effective misses to get makes. He is responding to the consumer. The consumer wants cabinet refinishes. He has done it all in residential and commercial. This weekend, he found his new make. And we will help him communicate it. My name is Charles. My friends call me Charlie. I would be happy to speak more about this with you. I can be reached by emailing [charles@BusinessYETI.com](mailto:charles@BusinessYETI.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Making-a-Difference-the-JM2-Way/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Making-a-Difference-the-JM2-Way/ This past weekend we met with two great clients on Saturday about how together we will work collaboratively together with their website, branding, and marketing of their organizations. The first lasted several hours about our services and digging deep into the realm of what our social media offered. The next inquired why we would want to work with their specific industry as they said they were slow pay and were by design hard to work with. In this article, we're going to look back at these two meetings and see how two different approaches align well with our Cullman Alabama company and why it shows why our three-year building process has put us in a place for rapid growth. ## First Meeting A company with no marketing, no business name, no logo, and no social media experience. All they have is some expertise, knowledge, and a desire to help businesses grow. As we talked we white boarded ideas, went over color combinations, researched others in their industry, and came up with the core areas for us to start working on unique quality content to create for them. What was beneficial is they had already done the research and were ready to begin. ### Start of the solution Our solution will be multifaceted and will utilize every department JM2 offers today and what is coming. The solution will be providing: - Refinement of colors - Creation of business name concepts - Created of logo concepts - Creation of a custom-built website with quality content and images - Create solution media pages that are where their targeted customers are - Work on paid advertising on social media as well as the search engines - Customized videos that are unique and target the audience that the customer is looking to engage with ## Second Meeting Our second meeting was shorter than the first but equally informative. The client brought multiple pages of notes, questions, and suggestions for improvement. During the meeting, we asked more questions than we normally do as with the industry this client is in our normal process of the client talking and answering questions without having to ask them we knew wouldn't be happening. We dove into areas of current processes, processes we found that were completely missing, as well as areas they were doing good but could improve upon. ### Start of the solution With this solution, we are taking a different approach than the first as the client's needs are different. We will be using all the departments at our Northwest Alabama office provides while continuing to not outsource any item and will most likely be adding to our team to further provide a superior customer experience. - Look at current business processes and improve them. We have already outlined several where we can cut the workload by two-thirds while also removing redundancy. - Create thirty-minute to two-hour videos for the client which will be used to educate and inform their targeted customers and showcase what makes them a unique organization. - Creation of customized content and graphics that are delivered each week. - Bringing back a consistent branding colors that have been changed over the past fifty years. ## Both Solutions As with all our clients we talked with both of our clients about not only what will be our parameters for success but also what would be parameters for failure. By knowing what success and failure look like we clearly know the key areas the client is looking at. We then went over additional items that weren't brought up that we know based on our experience should be added to both the success and failure areas that we will be looking at. ## But how can we do this and be priced fair for the client? The question that everyone asks is how can a company that is just a few years old make such a difference. The company itself may be just a few years old but the working to build the company is over twenty years of experience, some solid military discipline, and a true desire and love to see small and mid-size businesses grow. This is the true secret (or magic sauce if you will) to our success. We have learned from every previous engagement during this time and created solutions to speed our processes. We have very humble beginnings and will not change from that. In fact, every Sunday we reflect over the past week, and month, and make certain we are not changing course from the core values of the company. We purchased an entire building to increase our space by 17-fold. We did this as the cost in doing so was nearly the exact same price we were paying before which allowed for a further expansion of our services and using our already on-staff experts to use more of their unique skills. With the owner of the company having a solid Information Technology background and a solid love for technology we have invested wisely in areas that improve processes by reducing steps that might otherwise be taken. We also take a step away from technology and do many old-school techniques like whiteboarding processes, talking, and spending the necessary time getting to know our clients. ## Pricing Differences We are very upfront with our clients that our pricing is 5% over our cost. This is not typical with any business model. Many will not talk their markup as it is considerably higher or used to provide discounts during contract negotiations. As we come up with a plan for a client we sit and figure out how many hours it will take over the course of a year. We then divide that by twelve. We know initially the costs will be higher and that as we go forward and establish our relationship more with the client that the time will shorten. ## Conclusion By being different, unique, up-front, and fair with our clients we can not only establish an old-school business relationship but one that is built on honesty and mutual respect. By communicating well and working together we can help our clients grow. It is only when lines of communication breakdown that failure happens. If you want to work for a client that is willing to push themselves and sacrifice nothing to see your dreams come true we would love to talk with you and see if together we would be a great fit. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/MakingOfAWebsite/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/MakingOfAWebsite/ We recently built a website for one of our Cullman Alabama clients. They heard about us because of our membership in the [Cullman Chamber of Commerce](http://www.valpochamber.org/) but also because of our new Business Finder Directory where every JM2 Webdesigners customer receives a Platinum membership free of charge ($180/year value). During the process we thought about what goes into building a professional website solution for our clients. The entire process took around 20 hours to complete and as we dug into what was involved we thought we would share so that others can see what we feel was a great effort by our entire team. ## Design and Structure The first step we have to come up with is how this design is going to be done for our client. We start out with a whiteboard as this allows for making quick designs without using paper as part of our less paper initiative. We have already talked with our client for an hour (typically more) to get a feel of who they are as a company. We strive in learning about their individual personalities but also the culture of the company. Being we feel a website is an employee we want to bring out a personality that is consistent with those in the company as well as showcase their culture as this is what makes up their company as a whole. From the "employee" persona that we are building we check not only the latest design trends for their respective industry but the internet as a whole. We look both locally as well as nationally for inspiration to make their brand shine in a way that they want. We make certain that we don't jump onto the latest bandwagon of the latest technologies because it is the latest design craze. We choose well balance and proven techniques for converting customers on the website. After all the purpose of a website is to inform and then take those now informed visitors into paying customers. ## Template Design Every site that we build is never the same as another. Every website though has an overall "look-and-feel" and is called a template. Two chain restaurants are not the same even if they are on opposite ends of the same city. Nor are any two businesses the same even if they are owned by the same owner. This is because each one has different employees that have unique personalities that help drive customers to their location. Each location has their own unique culture and way of interacting with the customer that is different than the other. This is why you will never see two of our sites being exactly the same or built from a pre-defined template. Being that we don't buy predefined templates we have several graphic designers on staff to handle this. We do this as a sales person or a person that can drag-and-drop onto a framework will can produce a site. We feel that your business needs that extra oomph without increasing the cost of your overall site. We design the core template so that it is responsive in nature. In web design you can do a responsive web design (RWD) or an adaptive design. With RWD the site will work well on any size device that exists today and has a very good chance of working well on new screen sizes that come out in the future. We stay away from the adaptive designs where a desktop and mobile template are created as this doubles our work effort but also Google has stated that they prefer the same experience for all users for all devices. An adaptive design can do this but takes more effort as well as routinely higher costs. ## Content Creation As we are have grown as a company we further see the need for content. They state that content is "king". Consumers will come to your website and stay because of high-quality and unique content. This is why we have brought onboard content writers who specialize in writing for newspapers and people with a writing background. Not every site needs content written though as many businesses are able to provide this information for us. We never include this in our core pricing package but offer it as an add-on service to our customers that would need this service. With quality written content you can truly make your site shine not only from a readability standpoint but also from a search engine standpoint to help showcase your business as an expert in the industry you are in. ## Pictures Part of content is pictures to add some emphasis to the words you are writing. As important as text is pictures can change the entire feeling of a website. By choosing the right pictures you can extend the amount of text within your site without adding more words. Like content this is equally a time consuming process. ## Footer Footers can and often are the unsung heroes of a website. Many companies will put in a copyright, a few links, and an address. A footer can be much more than that. You can include brands that you service, mission statements, and information that is informative to your customers. ## The little details When building a site there are many aspects that we see missed by many people. We're going to outline just a few of them below. ### Browser Testing When we build any site we test with the last two versions of every major browser. Our current browser test suite is Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Opera, and Mozilla Firefox. We test the browser in desktop, tablet and mobile sizes. We mentioned mobile sizes as with a responsive design screen sizes vary and browser windows aren't always maximized. But what about the actual phones and tablets themselves. We test on the latest tablets from Apple and Google as well. For mobile smart phones we test against Apple, Android, and the Windows Phone. Any site that we build goes through more testing than development. This is to make certain that the experience that your visitors receive is consistent across as many devices as possible. ### Favicon & Apple Icons When you are browsing a website you will notice an icon in the browser. This is called a Favicon and is representative to being a smaller version of your company logo. This is often missed by many and a default icon is shown. When a user saves a page of your website this also goes into either an icon next to the users Favorites or if they save on their desktop an icon is shown. These icons help extend the experience for your users and provide some brand consistency. ### Speed, Performance & Image Shrinking As images are chosen we've seen people upload images so large for the web that they are designed to be printed with the highest quality printers on the planet. This slows down the overall user experience and provides a less than desirable result for your visitors. Other areas that can affect is called minification where files are shrunk to the smallest possible amount. To a visitor of your site they will never see this and will just improve their experience on your site. Another factor for improving a site is caching of the information. This will provide information from your site at a faster rate of delivery, often from multiple secure sources, to provide a responsive experience for your users. ### Analytics An important aspect of any website design is having analytics. You can use many programs to achieve this. A great source is *Google Analtyics* as the price is always right (e.g. free). Having analytics you will know who is coming to your website, what time, the type of device (desktop, tablet, or mobile), and many other core items that your business needs. ### Pixels Every website and everything on your screen is built with pixels. Pixels are the small dots that are on your screen. During all of our testing and evaluating a site before a customer sees their test site we will move items around on the screen. Both as part of our A/B testing but also from a visual aspect. It is not uncommon that we will add a pixel in one spot, remove another somewhere else. Every move changes the feeling a website has for the visitor. This is one of the most challenging but gratifying aspects of a web design. ### Search Engine Optimization (SEO) One of the most powerful aspects of everything is thinking about the search engines. Building a website and not having it be found organically is a major problem for companies. The adage of if you build it they will come is not necessarily true on the internet. Time and thought had better be done already in the design and structure phase as well as the content phase for the site to be successful on the search engines. This doesn't mean "spamming" your pages with keywords. This can work in the short term but Google and the other search engines are quite smart in what they do when it comes to indexing the Internet and will penalize your business for not following their recommended best practices. ## Conclusion With all of the above you can see there is a lot of items to cover to create a great website. In the above we didn't cover the time we spend after a site is created to train our clients on how they can add, edit, and change content on their website. If you are interested in learning more about how a fast growing Northwest Alabama company in Cullman Alabama can help take your business to the next level, we would love to hear from you. We are reachable through our 800 number at 256-258-8593, email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Marketing-a-boring-brand/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Marketing-a-boring-brand/ We all can't have the most exciting of company brands or huge budgets to make it exciting. You may provide one of the services that truly isn't super exciting to talk about but necessary to everyone in one way or another. You provide products and services that are used either daily or occasionally. Big business is known for their exciting and ever engaging social media marketing campaigns due to the huge budgets that they can get overly creative and take boring into exciting. This doesn't mean if you are a bank, credit union, funeral home, pawn shop, dry cleaner, lawyer, restaurant, etc. without a big budget that you can't have an engaging social media strategy that people will enjoy. In fact, there are ways you can start to engage your audience to make your brand more fun. Let's look at some ways you can go from boring to engaging using social media. ## Be the industry leader One would think that being a web design and marketing firm in the city of Cullman Alabama our business would be boring and not have a lot of great things to offer compared to a larger city like Chicago Illinois where web design is seen as more of a necessity and promoted to be super exciting. One couldn't be further from the truth. We feel that being in a small town allows you to differentiate ourselves a lot easier. We get that classic small town feel, get to shoot each other with Nerf guns, and have fun while helping small businesses grow. For the past three years, there have been over 200 blog posts that *we created* for our current and prospective clients. We created this information rather than *curating from a curation source*. This way we can prove we are the experts. We have 95 unique visitors every day reading our blog articles. This is up 10 from the previous 10% from the previous year and growing even faster every month. For two years, we started to purchase equipment for doing evergreen video to take our marketing to the next level. We are still purchasing equipment but now have multiple cameras, microphones, building a modest studio, and create video on a weekly basis for ourselves and our social media clients and have another video series in the works. This not only showcases our expertise but provides something valuable to current and prospective customers while also allowing the companies that wish to do it themselves the power and knowledge they want. ## Be human and memorable Stock answers are great if you want to be the company known for stock answers. Every social media account we maintain we gather information about their business from day 1 and never stop. We create "stock answers" but never use them for our clients. We use them as our guide to make certain we fully answer the questions their fans are asking. We guide them to the company for questions that we can't answer, shouldn't answer, or have a qualified lead for the company to have their team of experts take over. We thank them for every comment whether it was a nice comment or not. We inject some politically correct humor, quality information, always being responsive, and show them there is more to what our clients businesses offer that add to their brand. People will remember you for being human and will want to work with you as you move forward as you've established that relationship either directly or indirectly with them. ## Your culture is part of your brand A great way to bring people into your brand is to celebrate your most important asset. This is **not** your products or even your customers. They are super important but without you and your employees you cannot stay in business and continue to grow. Tell a story about your employees by highlighting what makes each one great. Bring them into your world and why it is great to be part of it. ## Curate Content It is cost prohibitive to create three or more unique blog posts each week for the rest of your businesses life for every social media outlet you are on. What you can do is create unique pieces throughout the month and curate pieces that others produce to further enhance and add value. This will give your fans a central place to go for expertise and information that can benefit them. You are providing a value to them beyond just sales pushes. ## Conclusion Whether you are selling something uninspired or complicated with a unique perspective you can engage and bring people into the culture and brand of your company. By being memorable and a "human" you show them that you not only want them as a long-term customer but want to provide them a continual value over time. Social media is another platform for getting your good and positive word out to the masses and the social media team at JM2 is ready help your business grow and get your positive word out. When you are ready to take your brand to the next level give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Marketing-Never-Ends/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Marketing-Never-Ends/ It’s a new month and the month that kicks off for many business owners the holiday marketing season. Marketing is never-ending. Marketing does routinely pick up at certain times. It is also time we started to think about the end of the year which means shopping, snow, colder weather, and people talking nice and pushing us out of the way for that most valuable holiday find. We don’t like the thought of the cold, but we are all in the service business. When it comes to services we need to think about sales which result in money for our businesses. We all love money as it keeps us in business and something for-profit and not-for-profit strive to gain. Whether you have a physical or virtual store selling goods, sell an intangible product (e.g. health, home, or life insurance), search for and take donations, or are truly a service business in the real-world (e.g. restaurant, furnace repair, construction, etc.) marketing is the way to get your business and brand out there. We’re going to discuss several ways to market and grow your business not only the coming months but years as well. Marketing is definitely a marathon and not a sprint. You shouldn’t market when things are starting to go south. You need to be marketing not only in the bad times but the good times as it’s when you market consistently people learn about who you are. We’ll cover free ways (yeah!) and not-so-free ways to grow your business. ## Free Ways Although there are many ways to drive traffic to your business the first place everyone thinks of is where can I get something for nothing? We know marketing costs as even in a free newspaper or flyer you have to pay for advertising. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look for free areas to advertise and stretch our marketing dollars farther. Below are the most common spots to get your good word out for no cost. - Google My Business - [https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/](https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/) - Google Analytics (so you know who is coming to your site) - [https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/](https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/) - Bing Business - [https://www.bing.com/toolbox/submit-site-url](https://www.bing.com/toolbox/submit-site-url) - Facebook - [https://www.Facebook.com/](https://www.Facebook.com/) - Instagram - [https://www.Instagram.com/](https://www.Instagram.com/) - Facebook Groups - LinkedIn - [https://www.LinkedIn.com/](https://www.LinkedIn.com/) - Pinterest - [https://www.Pinterest.com/](https://www.Pinterest.com/) - Newsletters with MailChimp (until your list gets too big and then they charge; 2,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails per month is free) - [https://MailChimp.com/](https://MailChimp.com/) - Volunteering / Donating - Free classes or seminars - Write good positive reviews about other businesses (negative ones can make you look like sour) - Ask for reviews - Facebook Live - Blog ## Not So Free Ways Marketing as I’ve said isn’t free. Some areas cost more than others. If you are fortunate to be in a small or growing town like Cullman, Merrillville, Crown Point, Chesterton, etc. you are fortunate that the costs will typically be less. Especially if there isn’t a lot of competition for your business or those that might be competition don’t bid on certain words/phrases to increase their marketing reach. - Website - Social media using social media managers - Chamber of Commerce - Google Ads - [https://ads.google.com/](https://ads.google.com/) - Bing Ads - [https://bingads.Microsoft.com/](https://bingads.Microsoft.com/) - Facebook Ads - Instagram Ads - LinkedIn Ads - Newspapers - Press Releases - Magazines - Billboards As you can see from above there are as many ways to get free marketing as there are paid marketing. Now **free marketing is not free.** Hate to say that but it’s true. Don’t undervalue or underestimate your worth. When you start out many business owners feel their time is “free”. Your time is extremely important and valuable. If you want to evaluate what are your best marketing options to grow your business we would love to sit down, talk, and see how we might be able to help you grow. It’s free (yeah!) and if we don’t feel we can help you grow we’ll tell you but know you’ll come out with some great ideas no matter what on increasing your bottom line without breaking the bank. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Marketing-Procrastination/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Marketing-Procrastination/ At one time we have all procrastinated and waited until that very last moment to try and get something done. We are normally not happy with the results and the results tend to show that we rushed, didn’t think everything through, and almost certainly didn’t get the results we were expecting. We have seen this a lot and even with ourselves in years past where we only marketed our company when things were slowing down. We went into a panic mode saying we need to add a customer or we’re doomed (well not that bad but I think you understand). We’ve all done it and we always say we’ll change “next time”. We have good intentions on not doing it again but it ultimately happens. We got tied up with the latest project, an influx of customers and things were going well. Keyword there is “were” going well. You’ve now gone a few days, weeks, even months where you haven’t reached your goals and sales targets. The time to start pushing and promoting your business with marketing is not when things start going poorly but when they are going the way you expect. This for many sounds counterproductive as if things are going well why would you even want to be thinking of marketing and growing business? You are already reaching all of your goals and more work means you will be pushed harder than you might want to be. The simple answer is you never know when things are going to change. There are many factors that create change. Some, not all, are: - Your competition comes out with a new product and everyone is jumping on board as they are doing this great marketing push - The economy changes and you are not as important as you once were (sorry) - Your competitors are actually working collaboratively together as you scared them from your last marketing and they couldn’t keep up so they started working together to “take you out” - You may have lost a key person that you might not have realized is a key person and things changed - You might be keeping a person on that is hurting your business that you didn’t realize To fix this problem you need to market in both the good and bad times. You need to continue to take a step back, listen to your customers, and do things right. You need to keep track of where your customers are, what they are looking for, and adapt to change. You need to come out of that “box” that everyone over talks and start breaking the molds to get noticed. You need to let your culture come out and educate the world on why your solution is better than everyone else’s. Here are a few ways you can overcome marketing procrastination: - Be creative and constant think creative. Take notes and use them as you go forward. - Research your competition. Even as a leader in your industry your competition will have some really great ideas. I know ours does! :) - Timing is critical. Plan months ahead of schedule. We work on our marketing four months out and adjust and tune it as we get closer to the launch date thinking of how and where we are marketing. If you are going to do a print campaign and mail it out make certain you give enough time to get everything printed, mailed, and arrive on time. - Set time aside for marketing. Even with a company helping you need to sit down with them and go over short-term and long-term goals. You need to understand where you want to be (e.g. where is the current [not last] finishing line). - Meditation is a great way of focusing and energizing. Sit and relax at your local coffee shop (if you like coffee). Take a walk around the block, in the woods, or even a drive. - Turn off the technology around you (including your phone), shut the door, and work with a pad of paper and pencil (pen). This will allow you to focus without interruption. Also, put a sticky note on your door to not bug you for the next XX minutes. - Cancel one of those meetings that are “nice” that truly aren’t needed and you can solve via a phone call (or email). - Set aside a few hours each week to bring things “back to normal”. I set aside from 3-5pm every Friday to close out the week. I don’t work on projects but rather hitting everything I might not have had time to truly get done during the week. When you set time aside you will be able to focus you will meet your deadlines more often (you still might stumble – just less often). You will feel better about yourself, more confident in what you are doing, and your marketing message will be more clear, concise, and delivered on your schedule. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/marketing-starts-with-you/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/marketing-starts-with-you/ Just getting a website doesn't mean you're done doing your marketing. Your work has ultimately just begun. We all want the "Field of Dreams" where you build it, and they come. That's not the case. Below is an outline of what you should do to get found and start seeing results. It may be work, but it's work that will pay off. Everything below is the "light version" of what we do every month and is something everyone can do. We've made this much less intensive so that it's not as overwhelming for you. - **Note 1**: This is written specifically for our customers on the [**Website Design Essential Package**](/website-essentials/), but does pertain to any business owner that is doing the marketing for themselves. - **Note 2**: There's a lot of information below. It may seem overwhelming. We get that. We do it daily. This isn't your full-time job. Your business is your full-time job. These are steps we do and we know will move the needle for your business. ## Am I Adding Value? As you go into each section below you need to ask yourself these questions to determine if you're adding value to your customers or am I just adding noise. These are the questions I ask for everything that we do and you should as well in promoting your business. - Would you buy from you? - Would this content help me if I were the customer? - Am I adding value or just adding noise to the already noisy Internet? - Is this information useful, timely, or inspiring—or is it filler? - Does this content reflect my brand personality and tone? - Is this content easy to understand at a glance? - Would I share this if I saw it online? - Am I educating, solving a problem, or answering a real question? - Is there a clear next step for my audience (call, book, learn, buy)? - Does this showcase real results, experiences, or proof? - Have I reviewed this for accuracy and freshness? - Would I trust this business if I had never heard of them before? ## The Importance of Posting to Facebook Facebook remains a powerhouse for local visibility and social proof. Regular posting keeps your brand relevant and engaging. - **Benefits** - Boosts trust and awareness - Drives traffic to your website - Encourages interaction and shares - Signals activity to search engines - **What To Post** - Behind-the-scenes content - Client testimonials - Educational tips or FAQs - Promotions or seasonal services - Before/after photos (see below) - **Frequency**: **3–5 times per week.** Use a scheduling tool to stay consistent. - **Question**: Would you buy from you if your last Facebook post was 8 months ago? ## The Importance of Posting to Your Google Business Profile (GBP) Your GBP is what shows up when people Google your business name. Active posting here **improves local SEO** and trust. - **Benefits** - Enhances local pack visibility - Boosts click-through rates - Provides real-time updates to potential customers - Shows Google you're an active, relevant business - **What To Post** - Updates and offers - Event announcements - Links to blog posts - Holiday hours - Before/after photos (see below) - **Frequency**: **1–2 times per week.** Posts expire after 7 days, so consistency is key. - **Question**: Would you buy from you if your Google listing looked outdated? ## The Importance of Asking for Reviews Reviews are one of the strongest ranking factors for local SEO—and even stronger for **conversion**. - **Benefits** - Improves Google rankings - Builds instant trust and credibility - Increases conversion rates - Helps you understand what customers love (or don't) - **Best Practices** - Ask after a great service experience - Include a direct Google review link - Respond to all reviews, good or bad - Use snippets on your website - **Frequency**: **Ask weekly.** Make review requests part of your customer follow-up routine. - **Question**: Would you buy from you if your competitor has 200 glowing reviews and you have 4 from 2019? ## Blogging for Organic SEO Success Blogging adds valuable, keyword-rich content to your site. It tells Google you're an authority—and it keeps people on your site longer. - **Benefits** - Increases search visibility - Targets long-tail keywords - Positions you as an expert - Supports internal linking and conversions - **What To Write** - How-to articles - Service explainers - Industry news - Local trends - Common client questions - **Frequency**: **At least 1–2 times per month.** - **Question**: Would you buy from you if your website never answers your customers' biggest questions? ## Creating Service Area Pages That Drive Organic SEO Google loves localized content. Service area pages help you **rank in surrounding cities and neighborhoods**. - **Benefits** - Dominates nearby search markets - Captures traffic from areas outside your home city - Increases leads without paid ads - **What To Include** - Unique content for each city - Local landmarks or references - Reviews from clients in that area - Services offered in that location - **Frequency**: **Add 1–2 service area pages per month** until your top target zones are covered. - **Question**: Would you buy from you if you only rank in one zip code? ## Continual Tweaking of Your Content to Show Change Google loves **freshness**. Regular updates show your site is alive and active. - **Benefits** - Improves rankings - Fixes outdated info - Enhances clarity and user experience - Adds value over time - **What To Do** - Edit old blog posts - Refresh homepage or services copy - Add new FAQs - Rotate testimonials or images - **Frequency**: **Review your top pages quarterly.** - **Question**: Would you buy from you if your website still shows "2022 Holiday Hours"? ## Add Before/After Photos Visual proof builds trust. For service businesses, before/after photos are **conversion gold**. - **Benefits** - Shows real results - Builds credibility - Engages social media audiences - Great content for GBP and blog posts - **Where To Post** - Facebook - Google Business Profile (GBP) - Website galleries - Blog success stories - **Frequency**: **Add photos with each completed project or service.** - **Question**: Would you buy from you if there's no evidence of your work? ## Getting Backlinks to Build Authority and Improve SEO Backlinks—links from other websites to yours—are one of the **most powerful ranking signals** in Google's algorithm. When credible websites link to you, Google sees your site as more trustworthy and authoritative. - **Benefits** - Improves domain authority and search rankings - Drives referral traffic from other sites - Builds credibility and trust in your niche - Helps Google index your content faster - **How to earn backlinks** - **Get listed in local directories and chamber of commerce sites** - **Guest post on related industry blogs** - **Collaborate with influencers or local businesses** - **Sponsor community events or charities** that link back to your site - **Submit press releases** to local media outlets - **Ask vendors, partners, or satisfied clients** to link to you from their websites - **Create high-quality content** like guides or how-tos that others want to reference - **Pro tip**: **Don't buy backlinks**—Google can detect paid or spammy links and penalize your rankings. Instead, focus on building real relationships and offering valuable content others naturally want to share. - **Frequency**: **Ongoing.** Even just one new backlink a month from a credible site can have a long-term SEO impact. - **Question**: Would you buy from you if no one else online seems to be talking about or linking to your business? ## Google Guarantee for Service Area Businesses The Google Guarantee badge (for those in Google Local Services Ads) builds massive trust and increases lead volume. - **Benefits** - Boosts visibility in Google searches - Builds instant credibility with "Google-backed" trust - Qualified leads through verified channels - **Requirements** - Background check - Proper licensing and insurance - Verified business details - **Frequency**: **Apply if you qualify.** Start at [https://ads.google.com/local-services-ads/](https://ads.google.com/local-services-ads/). - **Question**: Would you buy from you if another business has Google's stamp of approval and you don't? ## Other tools I should have at my disposal One of the tools we use for our social media, website, etc. is a program called Paint.Net. It's free to use and is for Windows. I'm a Windows guy so I only know Windows products that work well. You can find this at [https://getpaint.net/download.html](https://getpaint.net/download.html) -- this can also be downloaded through the Windows Store as well. ## Conclusion: Your Website Is a Living Asset—Treat It Like One Your website is more than a digital business card—it's the **engine that drives leads, trust, and conversions**. But a great design alone isn't enough. You need consistent activity, fresh content, and strategic visibility across platforms to turn visitors into customers. This article walks you through essential tasks to grow your reach and keep Google—and your audience—coming back for more. ### The bottom line? If you wouldn't buy from your own business based on your online presence, why should your customers? Start with one thing from this list today. Then do another next week. Small, consistent actions lead to big growth. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/marketing-tax-savings/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/marketing-tax-savings/ Marketing is essential for business growth, but many companies overlook the potential tax benefits associated with their marketing expenditures. Partnering with a trusted marketing agency like Fawkes Digital Marketing not only elevates your business's visibility and engagement but can also provide significant tax savings. By understanding how to classify and leverage marketing expenses, companies can make their marketing investments work even harder. Here's a guide to using your marketing expenses with Fawkes Digital Marketing as tax write-offs to boost your financial efficiency and minimize your tax liability. **Disclaimer**: This article provides general information on tax-related strategies. Every business has unique tax considerations, so consult your CPA for guidance specific to your organization. 1. **Understanding Marketing Expenses as Tax Deductions**: Marketing expenses are often fully tax-deductible for businesses, as the IRS generally categorizes them as ordinary and necessary business expenses. This classification means you can subtract these expenses from your total income, reducing your taxable income and, ultimately, your tax liability. Marketing efforts that drive brand awareness, customer acquisition, or product promotion fall under this umbrella, making them eligible for tax deductions. - With Fawkes Digital Marketing, any fees paid for marketing services, including digital advertising, social media management, SEO, and content creation, can likely qualify as deductible expenses. 2. **Types of Marketing Expenses That Qualify**: Here are common marketing expenses with Fawkes Digital Marketing that may qualify as tax-deductible: - **Advertising Costs**: Paid digital ads, including Google Ads, social media ads, and display ads, are generally deductible. - **Creative Services**: Branding and content creation, including video production, graphic design, and blog writing, can qualify as tax-deductible expenses. - **Website and SEO**: Website development, SEO services, and related hosting fees can also be written off as long as they're part of your business's marketing strategy. - **Social Media Management**: Costs associated with social media planning, management, and engagement tracking are typically deductible as part of your marketing initiatives. - **Marketing Consultation**: Fees for consulting and strategic planning to shape your marketing strategy with Fawkes Digital Marketing may also be written off. - **Note**: Discuss these expenses with your CPA to ensure each is properly categorized for tax purposes. 3. **Maximizing Your Deduction Potential**: Some strategies to make the most of your tax write-offs include: - **Keep Detailed Records**: Retain invoices and receipts for all marketing expenses. These records are crucial for both tracking spending and substantiating deductions if your business is audited. - **Classify Expenses Correctly**: Ensure each type of expense is accurately documented. Misclassification can lead to missed deductions or IRS penalties. - **Track Performance Metrics**: Many businesses overlook the importance of tracking the ROI on their marketing investments. In doing so, not only can you better understand your marketing's impact, but your CPA can more effectively justify the expense as "ordinary and necessary." 4. **Other Marketing Tax Benefits and Credits**: While direct deductions are the most common way to save on taxes, some states or local jurisdictions offer additional incentives or tax credits for specific types of marketing initiatives, especially if they focus on digital expansion or job creation in marketing roles. Check with your CPA for any applicable credits or incentives. 5. **Consult Your CPA for Personalized Advice**: Every business has unique financial and tax considerations. Working with a CPA ensures that your tax deductions are in full compliance with current tax laws. They can also help you identify any additional savings opportunities that might apply to your marketing expenses. ## Final Thoughts Investing in marketing is more than just fueling growth; it's a strategic financial decision that can yield both business and tax-saving benefits. Fawkes Digital Marketing can enhance your brand's presence, attract new customers, and help position your business for growth—all while offering opportunities for tax savings. By leveraging these marketing expenses as tax write-offs, you can achieve a more robust financial strategy that contributes to your business's long-term success. Consult your CPA to optimize your approach and ensure you're maximizing every available benefit. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Maximizing-Mobile-Marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Maximizing-Mobile-Marketing/ When it comes to marketing today mobile is becoming more of a key player. Mobile text marketing or SMS marketing has a standard open rate of 98% compared to 30% with email marketing. On top of that only 1% of SMS marketing messages are considered spam due to the fact the loyal customer has to opt-in to receive the messages. By adding just one person coming back per week that might not otherwise come to your location you will not only pay for text messaging but start to make more money. In this article we're going to cover the core benefits of what SMS marketing is and how your business can benefit from having it to drive more revenue to your door. ## Reach your target audience more quickly When it comes to marketing the faster you can reach your audience the better. There truly is no faster way to reach your audience then through text messaging. This quick contact garners a few great benefits. You can more quickly adapt and be agile to business needs. Is the weather bad? A new promotion that just came up? Or some other pertinent information? You can send out a text message in a matter of minutes. ## Built for mobile users Like your website needing the ability to work on mobile text messaging is a mobile solution. With 98% of messages being read within minutes of arrival text messaging allows you to see results immediately from being sent. For example, you're a restaurant owner and you know you want to pull in those last minute people going out that haven't committed to where they are going. Your text could be the tipping point for adding new people at your location. ## Customers love receiving texts Whether you are giving a special or discount (everyone loves those) or reminding people of a tip, an upcoming band or an event happening at your location your loyal subscribers are looking for those texts. We do mean loyal subscribers too. Unlike other methods text messaging is a 100% opt-in where the person has to sign up to receive the messages. ## Being green is good Unlike printed marketing (which we do love) text messaging helps save the environment by being eco-friendlier as everything is transmitted electronically. In fact, it's almost a carbon free way of communicating, so if you're looking for ways to make your business greener, SMS marketing is a big step in the right direction. ## Talk directly with your consumer Today leaving your home without your mobile device can cause a lot of stress and people will often go back home to get their mobile device. This puts your message directly in the hand of your consumer no matter where they are. This type of communication is great as you know you are reaching the core person that subscribed to your service. ## Easy to use Part of any great marketing is keeping everything simple and easy to understand. Text marketing is as simple as you can get from a user experience. They are already familiar with their mobile device and sending and receiving messages. With people have a busy lifestyle this is a great way of keeping their life simple. ## Informed Text Messaging Analytics One of the greatest aspects of the text messaging is when you include links and other tracking information. Not only do you know how many people you've reached but you can also track how effective your campaign was through clicks, where your customers are located, etc. Speaking of location if you are a growing business and looking for the next great market to expand into you can use your text messaging analytics to see where your next largest target audience is to start that location off strong. ## Cost Effective When creating a solution where you are wanting to reach hundreds of guaranteed and loyal customers that have already or are wanting to use your services you want as low cost a solution as possible. Text messaging is that solution. ## Conclusion If boosting your sales through having customers reach you more often, and improving communication with customers is important to your marketing plan then text messaging should be part of your marketing solution. To learn more and sign up for [JM2 Webdesigners of Cullman Alabama text messaging loyalty program](/Services/TextMarketingLoyaltyProgram/) call [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Migrating-To-Mailgun/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Migrating-To-Mailgun/ Switching from Sendgrid to Mailgun was one of the hardest decisions to do but also one of the best decisions for not only ourselves but our clients. The prices are the same but that is where the similarities end. In this article I am going to list why we switched which is obviously going to be biased as we did switch and why we switched. I think before we get into the categories below which are in no particular order other than the order they popped into my head as well as where they are in my notes as I learned about a specific feature. With everything below, I am not saying Sendgrid doesn’t have these capabilities or anything. Just that since using Mailgun they are either more exposed or exist. ## Bad Performer We have over 100 domains that send emails and with Sendgrid we had a single username/password. I loved it as it did make setup quick and fast. Mailgun though does it differently and pushed us to use a separate username/password. At first this upset me as I was like I could be done in a matter of an hour and instead it took me 14 hours to migrate every domain over. After I got through the first five I realized (epiphany moment) that this was better. If we had a bad performer (e.g. a client that was spamming) it would only effect that one client and not our other clients. This alone made it better but then I realized we have clients that have external systems of their own that this service would be a tremendous win for them. We could create additional users for each of those applications and further lock items down. ## DNS Setup DNS setup happens just once but that doesn’t mean it should be hard. With Sendgrid we had five DNS settings and Mailgun four. Seems simple enough but it gets better. The encryption validation is unique with Mailgun for each domain. Sendgrid I had the exact same DNS settings for the DKIM key which is used to authenticate a domain. By being separate for each it does make setting up Mailgun harder (copy/paste compared to just hitting the down arrow). The benefit though is more security and trust for outbound email which is a core reason to moving to Mailgun. ## Trusted Sender When we signed up with Sendgrid we had to jump through hoops to make showing as a trusted sender work with Gmail and other providers. With Mailgun everything was seamless and the extra steps per domain are a lot more efficient. ## Reporting The reporting is more detailed and is allowing me to further improve the outbound email reputation of our clients. ## Reputation Monitoring With Mailgun we’ve taken are reputation management from just reviews and mentions on social media to our client’s email reputation as well. This further sets us out and allows us to be proactive for our clients where even users using Gmail or Office 365 cannot. This to us is a huge benefit. ## Pricing We all live in a world that pricing is important and Mailgun costs a tad less with no hidden overages. Overages may not seem like a lot at being fractions of a penny but over a month can added up to a sizable amount. Knowing that the price is less as well as nothing is hidden makes me feel more confident with such a transparent solution. ## Customer Service Saturday morning, I emailed Mailgun questions and within an hour was able to get an response and answer to my question. Knowing that I have a team that responds and doesn’t wait until the next day for a 24x7 operation like ours makes using this service critical to the success of our company’s growth. ## Enhanced Logging I used the logging in Sendgrid daily. I am doing so with Mailgun as well to look at transactions that were bounced, blocked, or failed for any reason. With Mailgun though there’s an added bonus. Previously I had to let the client know **they** had to go into their sent items and re-send. This is all well and good but when you are finding this out at 8pm at night the client wouldn’t get it to the next day. Now we have the option to *resend* a message and it automatically goes off without making our client do the lifting and further enhancing our customer service for them. ## Reliability We had several issues with Sendgrid and sending to Yahoo in particular. Ever sense they’re being sold and trying to fix their security issues sending email to Yahoo has been a nightmare. I know we aren’t the only one with this heartache. Since switching to Mailgun every Yahoo issue we were facing each week has completely dropped away saving a couple of hours of customer support issues. This adds up to over two weeks of employee savings per year. ## Security I consider myself security minded. All my passwords are completely randomly generated, not words, and 36-characters in length. Mailgun automatically creates passwords and they are all 50-characters in length. They are also completely randomly generated and not words. I consider my password practices to be above the standard and yet Mailgun uses even better passwords. ## Future As we’ve moved there are a few features we are excited to be looking at adding to our own internal Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. These are: - **Email address validation** – Will allow us to make certain email addresses entered are valid email addresses. - **Inbound emails** – Make it so that the CRM system can use a Mailgun email for sending and receiving correspondence and tracking. ## Developer Focused Why developer focus you might wonder. When it comes to reliability when there is a problem you need people that talk and think analytically in an agile manner. This means that Mailgun is a company that can quickly adapt to changing conditions and is on the cusp of the latest technology to help your business grow. ## With all the good… I will say with all that I love about Mailgun there are a few items I don’t like. I will say I have scheduled a phone call demo to go over items as they may exist, but I haven’t found them yet. These are: - **Logs (Centralized)** – Logs are all decentralized for each domain which makes perfect sense. With over 100 domains having a rollup where I can see any failures, bounces, etc. would be a huge administrative value. - **Static IP** – One of the static IP’s we have has a bad reputation and we had to requested removal on Office 365. It only took an hour to fix but knowing this was a previously used we couldn’t done more than a blacklist check. ## Conclusion Email is crucial to any business today. Having great reporting, customer service, fair pricing, email sending reputation, and reliability is critical. The reliability of Mailgun is by far the best I have ever used. I will date myself saying I have been working directly with email sending since 1995 (the beginning). If you need a reliable transactional mail service that today Mailgun is the service I strongly recommend. You can learn more about Mailgun at [https://www.mailgun.com/](https://www.mailgun.com/). **Note**: Mailgun has no idea I am writing this and is sponsored in no way. This is my opinion and my opinion alone. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/MobileWebsiteNeeds/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/MobileWebsiteNeeds/ Every time the latest search engine report comes out about how people are utilizing search on mobile devices you why are many websites not mobile friendly. The other question is why treat mobile as a second class citizen when more people are using search on mobile devices than desktop devices. We build every site in a mobile first thought process using responsive web design (RWD). There are two ways to build a website no matter which languages a web designer uses. You have a responsive site where the site resizes, changes, and adapts to the size of the users device. The other is to write a specific site for mobile, one for tablets, one for desktops, etc. This type of design causes more maintenance, different appearances, and often different content between the different sized devices. This can provide an inconsistent branding experience in many cases as well as increase the overall cost of a website initially and in on-going maintenance. Both types of designs are used and each does have benefits. We will not be delving into the pros and cons of these two development methods. Rather we will cover why having a mobile site is important as well as what are the core features to have an exceptional mobile experience. ![Website Security](/Images/Content/Blog/Security.jpg) ## Security (HTTPS) Yes, the first area we are talking about is security. The reason for this is that the protection of your customer should be paramount on your mind. Whether you are using a mobile device, your bank card, etc. security for your customers is ever more important. With the holiday season fast approaching people will be thinking of this more than ever. Don't become the next "Target", Home Depot, or Chase Bank security breach. The size of your company doesn't matter either and this does go beyond just mobile. Your desktop environment and anything that grabs customer information needs to be protected. Not just for your customer but for the trust of your brand. ## Speed is a Major Factor In Cullman Alabama many mobile users have some pretty fast connections. A smaller rural town like [Wheeler Alabama]() with an estimated population of 443 probably is probably not as fast as a moderately sized town of Chesterton Alabama with a population around 13,000. Chesterton's speed is most likely at a higher speed due to its proximity to Chicago. Of course all modern mobile devices can connect to fast broadband at home or at the office. This doesn't mean you should just ignore the size and speed of the webpage as a lot of places might not have a fast connection. Every image should be optimized for size, reduction in the frameworks and JavaScript that you use, etc. This isn't just the homepage either which is typically the largest page of a website. Another factor is the amount of "round trips" that are made to a server. A round trip is when you need to view a piece of information from a website. This can be a file, a font, or an image. You have to tell the server you want this information and then it is sent to you. If you have a beautifully crafted WordPress or other site that has a dozen plugins and even more images your site could be slow based on having to download all of that information. ## Site Navigation The navigation and how a person is able to navigate your site whether it be a desktop or mobile device is paramount. A user makes a decision within the first 30 seconds to stay on your site or leave. This time is critical and important to achieving greatness with your customer. ## Fonts for Readability When on any device having a font that is easy to read is extremely important. For mobile content it is even more important as the text size is smaller than a desktop or laptop. Your content shouldn't require that the user zoom in (pinch and zoom) to read every piece of text on your web pages. ## Limit the Images and Multimedia Content This is a tie in with the *Speed is a Major Factor* above as the more images you have within your site the slower your site will be. Videos also on your site can be great for getting information across. Just don't auto-play them! We try to keep videos to one, two at most, on any given page. A video will automatically make one round trip as well as when it is playing a continuous stream of content flowing to the user. ## Flash; Really you are still using it? Technology changes and evolves each day and especially each year. Flash is at "end of life" for many reasons. There is a huge influx of security notices every month. Flash requires that it be installed and not every device supports Flash on mobile (e.g. only Android does!). Apple users are more prevalent so why build a website with a technology that misses the largest market that also likes to spend money? ![A/B Testing](/Images/Content/Blog/abTesting.jpg) ## Popups OMG; yes we said OMG. We hate these things on the desktop and even more so on mobile devices. The experience they create for the end user is a truly aweful one. Avoid popping up these if at all possible. Yes, you might get fewer people to subscribe to your mailing list but if that's why you have a popup you are truly "doing it wrong". If you wish to have people subscribe to your mailing list then do some A/B testing and create an experience, provide quality content, and make them want to subscribe to your newsletter. ## Page Scrolling Balance the amount of information displayed on each page. Your users will be scrolling horizontally throughout the page. There is nothing worse than scrolling forever to read an article or product information that could be reduced to a short amount. Although clicking requires another page load it does stop that infinite scrolling. Think through first how you would use the site, contact your current customers, and adjust to a tolerable level of content. ![Search Engine Optimization](/Images/Content/Blog/SEO.jpg) ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) With search so prevalent we would be a miss to leave out the search engines. With Structured Meta Data you can provide latitude/longitude and other pertinent information to the search engines. This meta data the user doesn't see. It's *behind the scenes* information that helps the search engines display information based on a users geographic location. Make certain your site has this hidden and often forgotten data. ## Social Media If we're talking search engines we also need to talk about social media. Being *social* is an important part of being on the Internet today. Although we encourage everyone to get out and talk with those around you (you know old school social media) the new modern online way is equally important. Provide the right amount of social media tools on your site so people can share and communicate about your business. ## Contact Information When it comes to mobile as well as desktop a key component is providing revalent contact information for your users. This information should be easy to find and usable. When we say usable the address should have the proper meta data in it that a user can click on an address and it pulls up directions to your business. Another would be the ability to click on a phone number and the user is prompted to dial your business for restaurant reservations, customer support, or whatever information they are looking for. ## Quality Information Our last area we will talk about is having quality content. In many ways we have already covered this in the previous areas. We have said since day one that your website is an employee. It needs to properly sell your business in a way that you would want your regular employees to sell your business. This means keeping the information updated and current. Your website should be selling what you want, when you want, and how you want. ## Conclusion A website needs respond and adapt to a users size. Whether the user is on a desktop, tablet or mobile device providing an intuitive interface and the right balance of information is key to the success of your online business. For assistance from a company that does this every day of the week and are true experts call us at 256-258-8593, [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [fill out our online contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Mobility-is-still-important/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Mobility-is-still-important/ In November of 2014 Google came out with a mobile site check and validation tool. Many businesses scrambled to get their business website mobile aware. Many still two years later fail at mobility in many ways. This week Google released an updated Mobile Friendly Testing tool. This updated tool allows for greater growth, shows blocked files, and better explains where faults might lie. ## Where is the new tool located? We'll start everyone off with the location of the new tool as we know that is why you are here and that you want to know what is working, what isn't, and what you might need to fix on your business website. You can access the new tool at [https://search.google.com/search-console/mobile-friendly](https://search.google.com/search-console/mobile-friendly). ## What has changed in the new tool? There is a lot that is changed but there are more items coming and we will do our best here to outline them for you. ### Cleaner Design As the internet progresses and Google continues its rebranding process with its logo and updated color palette the new layout of the new mobility checker brings a new improved look-and-feel to the entire tool. ### Faster Google is always touting how important speed is and this new tool is no slouch. It is fast in finding results and giving you feedback quickly. ![Blocked information](/Images/Content/Blog/blocks.jpg) ### Better Results With the new tool you will be shown a list of blocked resources. These resources you can expand and see why an item is truly blocked. In the case of our site it's due to our MailChimp integration. This doesn't affect the mobility of our site but something we should be aware of. ### Security The old mobile checker used **https** as Google continues to state how important security is to a website. With this latest update **https security** is still important. It is important to have security on your website as even if you are not taking money there is nothing preventing your customers from sending credit card information, private information, or sensitive information through any contact form on your website. ### Future Growth The new tool is a more modular style of design that looking at the overall interface shows that they have plenty of room for new validation checks as well as providing additional feedback so that we can make the entire Internet a more mobile friendly place. ## What about the old mobile checker? It's still there. Although we are no longer going to use it in favor of the new and updated version as it allows us a lot more control and valuable information than the old. ## Conclusion Mobile is important as more and more people get online with their smart phone and tablet devices. Don't be left behind not knowing what is working and what is **not working** for you. Take a test of the new Google mobility checker and see where you stand. Did you pass? Awesome. Did you check EVERY page of your website or just your home page? Many web developers we've found make certain your home page passes to let you know you've received a mobile site but the rest of your site may fail or falter. With our monthly maintenance plans for our customers we check every page of their website for mobility. Whether it is just a few pages, hundreds, or even thousands of pages. We check them all. Your website is your first impression to many customers and a returning platform for your returning customers. Make it do you proud by having it work on all devices. If you need help in finding out let the entire team at JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman (Valpo) Alabama help your business grow and succeed online. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/MoreonLocalSearch/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/MoreonLocalSearch/ Every business has a story and they want to be heard. Whether you are in a small town like Chesterton Alabama, a college town like Cullman Alabama, or a big city like Chicago Illinois. You want your story told and to be heard by others. To get your story heard you need to market to those looking around you. In this post, we delve into more on being found locally. ## Be a speed demon There are certain areas in life where being fast is beneficial. When one things of a speed demon we often think of someone that might cut corners. When it comes to your website you don't want to cut corners but you do want to be fast. Your website should load in a few seconds and it should never reach double digits (e.g. greater than 10). For us good is 1-4 seconds, moderate is 5-8, and everything over 8 is almost always a lost sale. ## Be Responsive When it comes to customer service you need to adapt and change to meet the ever-changing needs of your customers. Your website also needs to be able to adapt and change. Not by telling the search engines one thing and your visitors another but by changing the look-and-feel based on the size of the device. This is called being responsive. You can also have a completely different site (or adaptive) which will routinely cost you more. A properly built responsive site will look and active like an adaptive site but without all the added costs. ## Talk to Me With Apple having Siri, Google having Hey Google, Amazon having Alexa, and Microsoft having Cortana voice is becoming more important. Voice search is being used to help find restaurants, shopping, directions, home services, pizza, weather, reviews, local events, and traffic. Voice search is a lot more conversational and we should expect it to only continue. This means the content on your site needs to be conversational as well. ## Video is Important When thinking of video, we often think of YouTube or Vimeo as they are the two largest video sources online. Facebook is quickly growing in video as well. We know how important video is as we have committed to not only doing it every week for ourselves but also provide it as a free add-on for many of our clients as we know it's truly that important. ## Remember Old School Techniques We may be talking about internet digital marketing but that doesn't mean you should forego all off the old digital marketing techniques. Old school techniques are flyers, radio, television, billboards, and more. For many you won't use television but you may use flyers, radio, and billboards. These marketing methods to get your brand known are just as important in the digital world as they were before we had a digital world. ## Know your numbers Make certain you have analytics and look at them. All too often we bring on clients with either no analytics or they have analytics but never look at them as they are "too confusing". We agree as part of learning SEO they can be confusing. Once you get a handle of the pieces that are relevant to your analytics can help you increase your overall business. ## Conclusion Working with a company that specializes in search engine optimization for small and medium sized businesses is crucial. JM2 Webdesigners is a local marketing company in Cullman Alabama that is dedicated to your growth. We look at all the above and many more when we help get your business online. With fair pricing and a team of graphic designers, web designers, customer service, content writers, developers, and SEO experts we are here to assist you in every aspect of your inbound internet marketing. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/More-Original-Content/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/More-Original-Content/ When it comes to having your digital voice heard you need a draw to further reach your audience. Curating great content is one way to show how you are searching and finding content to share with your audience. Then you have truly authentic content that you create to not only showcase who you are but let your voice and brand be heard. We’re going to talk about the later of original content and three types of content you can create to increase your engagement, educate, and showcase your expertise to your audience. ## Written We will start out with the easiest of all, I think. Those that are not writers and prefer to talk will definitely disagree with me on this. That is when you write to for your audience. There are advantages I enjoy when I write and these are: - Can be concise or drawn out (I prefer concise myself) - Often faster to produce as there is no need for editing and just needs proofreading - Best for those situations in hitting the largest audience as those with disabilities can be able to listen or read with no special work on your part - Truly awesome when it comes to increasing your organic SEO (search engine) rank ## Video Video is where you get the most engagement as we are becoming a more visual rather than reading society. Video takes longer to produce. You can “Go Live” and make it easy but for the best evergreen content that people will find later on a produced video is the best video (in my opinion). Personally, I love written more than video but I know in our fast-past world that video is extremely important and I am not my customer. You need to go to where your customer is. The major benefits for video are: - High watch rate over people reading so more people will hear your message - With closed captioning you can easily handle those with disabilities as well as reach some organic search engine happiness - You’ll be uploading to YouTube/Vimeo and Facebook separately to take advantage of both platforms reach. - For your website you’ll likely link to the YouTube video as it will help on your viewing stats there while also decreasing the workload and increasing the speed of your website. ## Audio Audio can be both simple or complex. I am going to cover the simple with a tie into video. You can easily strip your audio from video and kill two birds with one stone. You have to be careful in doing this as when you are talking on your video you need to make certain that you don’t say things like “look at this” and items that require the listener to *look* at something. Audio is great for when people are driving, exercising, or for background noise. One of the key benefits we love about audio is: - Easily combined with video when video is done well - Upload quickly and for a low cost and reach a larger audience on Apple/Android stores - Easily downloadable from your website for people to listen and keep them on your website longer ## Conclusion There are many ways to get your voice heard in the digital landscape. The key is finding what voice you want to present, how often you want it presented, and the biggest factor is staying consistent with what you publish. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/MorningShotgunMistake/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/MorningShotgunMistake/ I just had a nice unexpected phone call this morning from someone asking advice (yes at 6:30 in the morning we are at work -- actually we start between 5-6am). They currently have 9 social media sites (I was glad I was sitting). They are spending over five hours per day on social media for all 9 social media sites seven days a week (yes 7 days!). They have one person dedicated to social media alone and also have a social media manager helping them. After getting the initial details I found that they wanted to know if they were doing the right thing as they are not getting the results they want and are about ready to "quit". They wanted a second opinion. They have no digital marketing plan, no goals and no content calendar. All major mistakes; especially since they have a manager helping them which also makes gauging "success" virtually impossible. They are doing great as they have embraced digital marketing. They are missing the boat from doing the shotgun approach and having no plan for gauging success. We talked about each one of the social network on what was and wasn't working from her perspective. Out of the 9 social media accounts they have only had interactions with customers on 2 of them in the last year. Although they are sticking with their current social media company as they are friends (bummer for us but we totally understand the friend thing. Knowing they will be better off with their digital marketing going forward we feel great in knowing that). They are going to focus on the two that are working for them and redirect traffic from the other 7. This will allow them to keep doing digital marketing while focusing on what is working and expanding as their customers change. This small shift is also going to allow her one person who has been stressed out to working on other projects as well. The owner will also being getting involved which is also key as they are the brand of their company. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/My-Business-Has-NO-Story/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/My-Business-Has-NO-Story/ I constantly read from experts that get upset over the phrase “Content is King”. Is the phrase over used – yes, to a degree. That doesn’t make the phrase any less true. Your life and your business has a story and that story should be told. We remember stories not only because they are easier to remember than facts but because they resonate with us. We work with businesses that are on day one and some that are on year 30 and have never marketed their business. They don’t feel they have a story to tell, that it isn’t interesting, or something that others will relate to. I look at every day as a story that has the potential to be told. Today I am going to tell you about a story that recently happened. To some it will be sad and to me it will be funny. The point of the story isn’t the story itself. The point is to share with you, the reader, that you do have a story and that it doesn’t have to be a sales push. I shy away from selling at all costs. The day started off like every other day, at 4am, with the alarm going off so loud the neighbors across the lake could hear it. It’s loud as I am a hard sleeper and when you only get five hours of sleep per day you need that extra encouragement from a loud and obnoxious alarm clock. It’ll go off for ten minutes before my mind even acknowledges its existence. On top of that is it’s at the other side of the room forcing me to get out of bed, stand up, and smack the snooze button. Sometimes I’ll go back to bed for that extra, and wonderful, nine minutes of pleasurable sleep. Most times it’s flicking the switch so that it’s ready for the next day, and I stumble downstairs to the shower. With the shower done, groomed to whatever level I feel like for that day, and it’s out the door by 5am, normally about 4:40am. I get to the office to write a blog (or two) which I rarely publish but I have them in my archives. I catch up on emails, go over the agenda for the day that was written out the night before, put it all on the whiteboard to lock it into my mind, and start attacking my daily list by 6am. Often is the case I have my first meeting before 7am but somedays fortune happens, and I have no meetings or phone calls until 9am. This day was one of those days. I was able to work remotely and avoid meetings in the office. Always a good day. Not as productive as other days as I am stuck behind one laptop screen rather than three screens but always a great way to break up the mundane. As the meetings went on, all job interviews, for our newest content writer I was having a meeting with one of our developers who needed to talk about a problem they had run into. We went over it, wrote up some usable code, and right at the end of the conversation was told that my car (my wife’s actually) was towed. Oh boy, how to tell the wife this one. Thankfully I had nowhere to go until home in a few hours’ time. And, no, I wasn’t parked in a bad spot. In fact, I was parked right where I needed to be. Only there was a jerk who had the same colored and style of vehicle that my wife did that I got towed. Oh, the irony. I texted the wife and her response were “WTH” which was appropriate under the circumstances. We talked and I explained. She was a bit calmer and I was laughing over the entire situation as getting angry just doesn’t solve anything. I was able to get a ride to my car, the misunderstanding completely cleared up, and off I go to take care of my first after work item – getting orange juice. I pull into the grocery store, which is on the way home, and boom – they’re closed. No power, broken computers (again), and a complete failure on my first item of the day. But I was driving and not walking in the rain so it’s a good start to the night and just accept and head home rather than hitting the next grocery store (owned by the same chain) and risking a double failure. At home I explain my day, we laugh, we talk, and we go over everyone’s crazy day (I won this one if you want to consider it a contest!). After cooking up some spaghetti for dinner, finishing up the last of the orange juice, and getting ready to jump back into writing some code I get the call that our daughter is dying. Not literally but is in need of some help! Her roots are showing, and she has prom this weekend (and next weekend). Off to the store to get some glow in the dark red hair dye as we wouldn’t want to go to prom without our head glowing and being seen for miles around. We talk on the way to Wal-Mart, laugh, talk about hair styles, Rail Cats baseball (we love it there), and of course – prom. We get there are greeted, a small chat with the greeter because what else are you to do when you’re a Dad and picking out hair coloring. We get our one and only object and head to the register. A half dozen stops along the way and we checkout with a half dozen items I had no clue we needed. I think prom is truly a war as we now have enough make up to truly cover our face a hundred times over. As we head out, we talk about next time dying my hair and that will truly be an interesting story (stay tuned I think). We get back to home an hour later with everything we need, and hair coloring is now in full swing. I’ve missed my development window and it’s time to start creating the agenda for the next day as it’s my only “free” day which means emails, lots of phone calls, and getting things ready for the next round of interviews on Wednesday. ## Conclusion Not every day is like this one day. I chose one that had a small story and wasn’t the most exciting but some interaction and fun. Your business has the same story to be told. You can talk about the latest food or drink trends, latest gifts a business can give, talk about your employees or customers, and let people see you are more than someone wanting their money. You’re a business and everyone already knows you want their money. Instead, bring them into your world and get them to learn who you are. They will appreciate it, laugh, and sometimes cry and the stories that you tell. It’ll give you something to talk about as well. Blogging, articles, or as I always call it -- storytelling is something unique that helps tell about the culture and work ethic of your business. You have a story and it should be told. Not every story will be read, well received, or cared about. But it is your life, your business, and it has a lot to say about what you are doing in your local community. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/never-stop-marketing-2025/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/never-stop-marketing-2025/ ### Why You Should Never Stop Marketing, Even When Business is Good in Cullman County, Alabama When business is booming, it’s easy to fall into the trap of complacency, thinking you no longer need to market your products or services. However, this is a critical mistake that can leave your business vulnerable during economic shifts, competitive challenges, or unexpected downturns. For businesses in Cullman County, Alabama, continuous marketing is not just a strategy—it’s a necessity to maintain growth, resilience, and long-term success. Let’s explore why marketing should always remain a priority, even when your business is thriving. *** ### **1. Sustaining Momentum During Good Times** When business is good, marketing helps sustain your momentum and ensures your growth doesn’t plateau. - **Expand Your Reach:** Just because you’ve secured a loyal customer base doesn’t mean you’ve reached everyone in Cullman County or beyond. Marketing helps you connect with untapped audiences. - **Boost Brand Awareness:** Keep your brand top-of-mind by consistently engaging with customers through social media, local events, and advertisements. - **Fuel Word-of-Mouth Marketing:** Happy customers who see you actively marketing are more likely to recommend your services, amplifying your visibility organically. #### **Example:** A Cullman County restaurant with steady patrons might use targeted social media ads to attract travelers passing through on I-65, further expanding its customer base. *** ### **2. Staying Ahead of Competitors** Your competitors aren’t taking a break—and neither should you. Continuous marketing ensures that your business remains competitive and doesn’t lose ground. - **Market Share Protection:** If you stop marketing, competitors can step in to capture your customers. - **Innovative Campaigns:** Consistent marketing allows you to showcase new products or services before competitors do. - **Community Presence:** Staying visible in Cullman County’s local community fosters trust and keeps your business relevant. #### **Example:** A local HVAC company that stops advertising during peak seasons risks losing customers to competitors running special promotions for maintenance and installations. *** ### **3. Building a Buffer for Slow Periods** Even successful businesses experience seasonal or economic slowdowns. Continuous marketing creates a buffer to help you navigate leaner times. - **Customer Retention:** Ongoing marketing nurtures relationships with existing customers, making them more likely to return. - **Pipeline Management:** Generating leads consistently ensures you have a steady flow of potential customers, even during slower months. - **Diversification:** Marketing campaigns can help you explore new services or products to offset seasonal dips. #### **Example:** A landscaping company in Cullman County could run marketing campaigns for snow removal or holiday lighting services during the winter months. *** ### **4. Leveraging Technology and Trends** Marketing evolves rapidly, with new tools and trends emerging constantly. By marketing continuously, you stay ahead of the curve and ensure your strategies remain effective. - **Local SEO Optimization:** Regular updates to your Google Business Profile and website keep your business visible for local searches. - **Social Media Engagement:** Platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to connect with the Cullman County community in real time. - **Data-Driven Decisions:** Continuous marketing provides analytics to fine-tune your campaigns and maximize ROI. #### **Example:** A boutique in Cullman County using Instagram Stories to showcase new arrivals and promotions can attract a steady stream of foot traffic and online orders. *** ### **5. Reinforcing Customer Loyalty** Marketing isn’t just about acquiring new customers—it’s also about keeping the ones you already have. - **Personalized Offers:** Use email campaigns to reward loyal customers with exclusive discounts or early access to new products. - **Regular Communication:** Stay connected through newsletters, text updates, or social media to remind customers why they love your brand. - **Customer Appreciation Events:** Hosting events or giveaways shows your gratitude and strengthens relationships. #### **Example:** A Cullman County gym could host a member appreciation day with free classes, refreshments, and referral discounts to retain and attract customers. *** ### **6. Adapting to Economic and Market Changes** No matter how successful your business is, the market can change quickly. Continuous marketing allows you to adapt to shifts in customer behavior, local trends, or economic conditions. - **Flexibility:** Marketing keeps your business agile, enabling you to pivot campaigns based on real-time data. - **Resilience:** Staying visible during tough times helps maintain customer confidence and loyalty. - **Opportunity Identification:** Regular engagement helps you spot emerging opportunities before competitors do. #### **Example:** A Cullman County retailer could use targeted ads to highlight online shopping options during economic slowdowns or rising fuel prices. *** ### **7. Elevating Your Brand Identity** Strong branding ensures your business is remembered and respected long after the initial customer interaction. - **Consistent Messaging:** Marketing reinforces your brand’s values, mission, and unique selling points. - **Professional Image:** A well-maintained online presence and cohesive marketing materials build credibility. - **Emotional Connection:** Engaging storytelling in your campaigns fosters a deeper connection with your audience. #### **Example:** A Cullman County bakery could share behind-the-scenes videos of their baking process, highlighting the care and passion that goes into every product. *** ### **8. Why Cullman County Businesses Should Always Market** For businesses in Cullman County, Alabama, the local market offers unique opportunities and challenges. Consistent marketing helps you: - Connect with the tight-knit community through local sponsorships and events. - Leverage the area’s growing economy to attract new customers. - Compete with both local and regional businesses by staying top-of-mind. *** ### **Conclusion** Stopping marketing when business is good is like stopping exercise because you feel healthy—it’s short-sighted and can have long-term consequences. Continuous marketing ensures your business remains resilient, adaptable, and prepared for whatever comes next. For businesses in Cullman County, Alabama, staying visible and connected to the community is crucial to long-term success. Don’t wait for slow times to start marketing again. Instead, make it a constant effort to secure your place as a trusted and thriving local business. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/New-Changes-for-Facebook-Business-Pages/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/New-Changes-for-Facebook-Business-Pages/ You might have noticed some changes with your business's Facebook page recently, specifically with the cover photo. Facebook business pages will now have a series of wording that goes across the front of the image or video (more on that later) that serves as a brief description of what your business is about. While this seems like a straight forward addition, there are some things to keep in mind when dealing with the new changes. ![](/Images/Content/Blog/coverphotoexample-1.png) **** **The Character Limit:** These new descriptions come with a word limit. 100 words or less are the new limits for these banner image descriptions. It's probably a good idea to take this into account and check to see if your text us cut off. Making it a bit shorter can now go a long way to making it look presentable. **Make Sure Text Shows Up Against the Background:** Now that text is another factor to deal with when it comes to banner images or video, making sure that text is visible and easy to read is now an essential step when creating your banner. The text comes with a subtle, dark backdrop to make sure that it stands out, but brighter backgrounds or plain white ones can still make it difficult for it to show up. Making sure that your banner has colors that don't hide what your text says is something that should now be considered when designing your page.
Banners Can Now Be Video: Along with images, Facebook banners can now include video to show off the personality of your business. These video uploads work in much the same way a photo works. Video dimensions should be 820 x 312 pixels, 20 to 90 seconds and are able to be looped in any way you want. The video automatically plays once someone visits the page and like other videos on Facebook features a mute/unmute button in the lower right corner. This offers an entirely new and exciting opportunity for a business to show off its personality like never before. Products and services can now be shown in motion, giving an even better representation of your business and what it does. Keep in mind however that this should not be a format that is wasted on silly, mundane videos that do nothing to get the visitor intrigued or engaged. Instead, it should function as a short advertisement before anyone scrolls down, getting the visitor even more invested before they agree to go further. **Conclusion:** Not all business pages have these features yet, but Facebook has said that more and more businesses should begin seeing these options become available soon. It may initially seem annoying that there is another update to learn about and implement, however as with all changes on Facebook, keeping an open mind and being aware of what makes each image, video or line of text look back shares the same mentality of looking presentable to draw attention. Like all aspects of business, if it comes across as sloppy or like no one paid attention to the new changes and options, your potential clients will see it and will keep it in their mind as they shop around for their best benefit. If you want to learn more about the new changes Facebook has implemented, please give me a call at (855) 456 2669 or shoot me an email at kyle@BusinessYETI.com. I spend a lot of time on social media and would love to hear your take on the latest changes. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/NewFTCRulesRegardingOnlineReviews5sketchypractices/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/NewFTCRulesRegardingOnlineReviews5sketchypractices/ Buying reviews, using AI-generated testimonials, and suppressing negative feedback are among the practices that could land you in hot water with the Feds. Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announced on Monday that a new ban on fake online reviews and testimonials has now gone into effect. The rules are aimed at protecting consumers from unscrupulous reviews, which could misleadingly influence their decision to purchase a product. In an August press release announcing the finalization of the rules, Khan said, "Fake reviews not only waste people's time and money, but also pollute the marketplace and divert business away from honest competitors. By strengthening the FTC's toolkit to fight deceptive advertising, the final rule will protect Americans from getting cheated, put businesses that unlawfully game the system on notice, and promote markets that are fair, honest, and competitive." These are some of the most prominent scenarios that are now forbidden under the new rule: - **Businesses can't buy reviews**: Businesses are now forbidden from buying reviews, either via monetary compensation or other incentives. This includes both positive and negative reviews. - **Businesses can't misuse social media indicators**: Businesses can no longer try to game social media to promote their products by buying followers or inflating views by using bots or hijacked accounts. - **Business-owned websites can't misrepresent their reviews**: Businesses now also can't misrepresent that the reviews for their products on one of their websites are independent when the website is, in fact, owned by the business. - **Negative review suppression is a no-no**: Businesses can no longer use groundless legal threats to get a person to remove or not post a negative review of the business's product. - **No AI testimonials**: A business cannot use an AI-generated persona to give a testimonial for its products. Of course, just because the new rules are in place doesn't mean unscrupulous businesses won't still try to use some of these tactics, but at the very least, they give businesses firm guidelines about what is and isn't permissible in today's online economy. Under the new FTC rule, review gateways and soliciting reviews from friends or family members who have not used the product or service would likely violate guidelines against fake and deceptive reviews. The rule prohibits creating or encouraging misleading testimonials and reviews, aiming to ensure that only genuine, customer-based reviews influence consumers' purchasing decisions. Here's how the rule affects both scenarios: - **Review Gateways**: These often involve selectively soliciting positive reviews or diverting negative ones to avoid public posting. This practice could be interpreted as "suppressing negative feedback," which the new FTC rule explicitly forbids. - **Soliciting Reviews from Friends/Family**: Asking friends or family who are not actual customers to write reviews is now considered deceptive, as it misrepresents the testimonial as coming from a genuine customer. The FTC's new guidelines classify this as a fraudulent activity that can mislead consumers and create unfair competition. - **Fake Reviews**: Prohibited from creating, selling, or buying reviews that misrepresent the reviewer’s identity or experience. - **Incentivized Reviews**: Bans providing compensation for reviews that express a particular sentiment. - **Insider Reviews**: Prohibits undisclosed reviews from company insiders. ## Conclusion Violating these practices could lead to penalties, and the FTC encourages consumers to report such activities on their fraud page. There will always be unsavory businesses doing whatever it takes to get reviews. Eventually, they will be caught and penalized. For most of us honest folk it can't come soon enough. ## Source Information The full rule, officially known as 16 CFR Part 465: Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials, can be found here ([https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/r311003consumerreviewstestimonialsfinalrulefrn.pdf](https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/r311003consumerreviewstestimonialsfinalrulefrn.pdf)). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/NotAMeansToAnEnd/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/NotAMeansToAnEnd/ Engaging in a search engine optimization (SEO) campaign DOES NOT guarantee more leads and sales. This may seem counterproductive to what many think of what SEO is. SEO is not a magical formula to automatically add to your businesses bottom line. Just as adding an employee doesn't guarantee a lead or sale. A successful SEO strategy helps a business gain more website traffic. Increased traffic does not equate to leads or sales. To make your website bring in more, and qualified, leads you need to make certain your website has the information the people are looking for. It is not uncommon to establish a relationship with a customer that it takes weeks, months or even years before the first sale is made. Your website is unique in that it can portray a very professional opinion of your business 24x7. An SEO campaign will help make certain the portrayal is as good as possible in conveying your message. In SEO strategy helps bring brand awareness to your organization which can help you sell your product or service. This should be your primary goal of an SEO campaign. Your SEO strategy should work on modifying your website content so that it is not written for search engines as they are not the one's purchasing from you. ## The restaurant analogy As an example, you open a brand new restaurant on the busiest street in your town. You have a lot of competition with all of the competing restaurants in the town and nearby area. You want all the business (don't we all?) so that your business is a huge success and generates a lot of traffic. In our scenario here every restaurant posts their menu on the outside of their building to lure passersby's inside for a meal or a leisurely snack from your menu. As we think of SEO in this manner we have a near perfect analogy. All of the similar businesses on the street are also looking to maximize their share of a finite amount of traffic. The menus outside are analogous to website content, the outside of the buildings is the look and feel of your website, and someone walking in the door is analogous to a conversion or lead. It still takes work at that point to successfully complete a sale as if you have a huge waiting period to be seated you may lose a sale which is analogous to the overall speed of your website. People will look at the appearance of your restaurant, the appearance of the menu (prices, fonts used [readability], type of food, etc.), attire that is required, and the clientele that you are looking for. ## You will notice that you receive fewer conversions - If my prices are way out of line with the other restaurants in your neighborhood. - If my menu uses words and jargon that potential customers are not familiar with. - If the typefaces on my menu are difficult to read. - If the design of my menu is overwhelming, complicated or difficult to follow. - If the style of my food is unappealing to the people who walk by every day. - If there are comments that the customer hears that are not appealing to an experience others have gotten. - If I never update my menu for the current wants of my customers. If my restaurant is suffering from one or more of these near-fatal marketing errors, all the traffic in the world is not likely to change my bottom line. And when I am fortunate enough to get a potential customer through the door, if I don't greet my guest with friendly staff and an atmosphere that's both welcoming and clean, I run a great risk of losing the sale. ## Online marketing works the same way An SEO's job is to work with you to create opportunities for more conversions/leads by increasing traffic, your website's job is convert traffic into leads and it's your sales team's job to convert leads into paying customers. An SEO's job is not to run your business and bring you more customers. The expertise an SEO expert brings is a working relationship where, together, you build your online reputation. If you ignore any of those critical ingredients and the entire effort was for nothing. Never forget that SEO is part of a greater inbound marketing strategy — which should also include a strong website, email marketing, lead nurturing and other efforts — and that it takes more than traffic to increase sales. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/now-fawkes-digital-marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/now-fawkes-digital-marketing/ Yes, a name change. Let's start there. I (we) have grown in the last nine years and learned a lot. We started knowing nothing about running a business but a ton about marketing and technology. I now fully understand the basics of business and still learn daily. With the change noted below, nothing for your business changes. Your still price locked into the plan you are on which is our commitment to you. In 2013, we started as JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing with two friends and our spouses forming a company (e.g., JM Squared). Our growth truly exceeded every goal we set for ourselves. We were obviously underestimating our abilities to help businesses. In 2016, we changed our name as we moved to Cullman, Alabama. There were three marketing agencies with similar names, and businesses were getting confused. Even though each business used their initials (must be something with J and M for a name). Someone had to stepup and change, and we rightfully volunteered to do it. We wanted the name to stand out, and being my wife, Holly, loved Yeti's, we incorporated that into the company name. We grabbed YETI as a YETI is a beast everyone believes in yet has never seen. We didn't count on or honestly think about the potential for being sued by other companies where they may feel our name was too similar. The State of Alabama approved the name but as we start to move to being a national company, we need to look at potential legal obstacles we might run across. As we've grown and now have a twenty-year plan that is very aggressive and robust, we wanted to focus on the growth and not worry about any legal actions that could take place. After a year of deliberation and talking, we have chosen that it would be best to change. The change we feel is regal, symbolizes who we are, shows that we've truly grown up, and ties in with our company history. We have hired a lawyer to do extensive checks in the USA and abroad for what we're planning on doing over the next twenty years of our business plan. Although we have not been sued or even given a cease and desist, we would rather side on the side of caution and not risk getting into a legal entanglement that could cause us to pay thousands of dollars to a lawyer. After going through several dozen names, we've come up with **Fawkes Digital Marketing**. Let's go into what "Fawkes" is. Fawkes is a phoenix that is reborn after it dies and comes from the ashes of what it once was. Because we are killing off Business YETI and being reborn from the ashes, we are coming back focused, more knowledgeable, and stronger than before. The colors of our phoenix incorporate CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) as part of the feathers to symbolize our graphic design side, orange for the head radiates warmth and happiness, combining the physical energy and stimulation of red with the cheerfulness of yellow. The black on the head isn't a solid black like it is on CMYK but a little lighter to symbolize the differences and creativeness the entire team brings to the table. We have always believed that a marketing agency should be silent and not boast or brag about doing any of your marketing. We feel we are your silent growth partner to helping you achieve your dream. This is not changing as we move forward and you will continue to see us sticking to the highest moral values for your marketing. We are still focused on our four primary services from a services standpoint as we don't want to spread ourselves thin. These are: - Website Design focused on Lead Generation - Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Online Reputation Management - Social Media Management For our writing, video editing, and photography, we utilize experts in your backyard that are highly focused and experts in their field. We do this so that you always get the best of the best. Over the last nine years in business, we have chosen not to be a "Jack of All Trades." We would rather be true masters and provide you with the best of everything your business deserves. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/nwi-shop-local-region-best-business-directory/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/nwi-shop-local-region-best-business-directory/ ## We're expanding to Northwest Indiana, "The Region" Well, it's not expanding, as this is where we started back in 2013. We're partnering with [PanoramaNow](https://panoramanow.com/) to help businesses grow their reach through our CRM software, [Brilliance CRM](https://www.brilliancecrm.com/), which uses its business directory/membership portal. This has all the features that a Chamber of Commerce would provide a business on steroids. We say that because it allows for more features, functionality, and better search engine visibility for your business. ## Get Found. Get Customers. Grow Your Business. In today’s digital world, you’re invisible to potential customers if your business isn’t online. That’s where NWI Shop Local comes in. Our Northwest Indiana Business Directory helps local businesses like yours get the exposure, traffic, and leads needed to thrive in “The Region.” But this isn’t just any directory—it’s powered by Brilliance CRM, a cutting-edge system designed for maximum visibility and engagement. Let’s explain exactly why your business must be on NWI Shop Local and how it will supercharge your online presence. ### What is NWI Shop Local? NWI Shop Local is more than just a business directory—it’s a marketing powerhouse designed to put your business in front of Northwest Indiana customers actively searching for your products and services. Unlike outdated, static directories, NWI Shop Local offers: - **SEO & AEO Optimization**: Get found on Google and answer engines like Siri & Alexa. - **Custom Business Profiles**: Stand out with a dedicated page, images, contact info, and promotions. - **Display Ads & Unlimited Links**: Direct traffic to your website, social media, or booking pages. - **Google Analytics Integration**: Track visitors and engagement. - **Local Event Calendar**: Promote your events and sales. - **Blogging & Content Marketing**: Post updates, articles, and news to build credibility. - **Customized URL**: A professional, branded web address. - **Full Account Control**: Update your business details anytime. - And a lot more! ### Why Should Your Business Be Listed on NWI Shop Local? - **More Visibility = More Customers**: Customers search online first before visiting a business. If your company isn’t showing up, they’re going to your competitors. NWI Shop Local ensures your business is found when customers search for your offer. - **Dominate Local Search & Voice Search**: Google, Siri, Alexa, and other AI-powered assistants prioritize structured local listings in search results. With built-in SEO & AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), your business stands out in search engines and voice assistants, getting you more traffic and leads. - **Affordable Advertising That Works**: Unlike expensive Google or Facebook ads, NWI Shop Local gives you long-term exposure for an affordable price. You don’t just get listed—you get marketed. - **Build Trust & Credibility**: A business listed on a reputable directory like NWI Shop Local automatically gains more credibility. Potential customers are more likely to trust and choose your business when they see it featured in a professional, well-structured directory. - **Promote Events & Special Offers**: With our built-in event calendar and blog posting feature, you can promote upcoming sales, events, and news—keeping your customers engaged and driving more foot traffic to your business. - **Get High-Quality Backlinks for SEO**: Search engines love directories with strong local authority. Listing your business on NWI Shop Local gives you high-quality backlinks to improve your Google ranking. ### How to Get Started - **Step 1**: Sign Up: Contact us to have your account created. - **Questions**: Call Us: [219-464-9237](tel:219-464-9237) - **Email Us**: [panoramanow@comcast.net](mailto:panoramanow@comcast.net) - **Step 2**: Customize Your Page: Provide us with all the information you want (e.g., your business name, address, phone, website, logo, social links, photos, and promotions.). - We build everything for you so you know you will get the best results from the start. - >We send you a login so that you can edit the information anytime you wish. Of course, you can contact us and we’ll update it for you as well! - **Step 3**: Get Found & Grow Your Business: Once your profile is live, watch your online visibility grow and start attracting more customers! ### Join NWI Shop Local Today & Get More Customers! With thousands of local shoppers searching daily, can your business afford NOT to be listed? ### Join NWI Shop Local Today → Sign Up Now - **Questions**: Call Us: [219-464-9237](tel:219-464-9237) - **Email Us**: [panoramanow@comcast.net](mailto:panoramanow@comcast.net) Don’t miss out on the biggest marketing opportunity for Northwest Indiana businesses! Get listed & start growing today! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Oh-FOUC/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Oh-FOUC/ Okay, okay, it sounds like a bad word but really it isn’t. Really. We just are using the acronym here as it did grab your attention. This article though is intended for those that work on web pages more than your regular every day site users. It is a good read for the non-technical as well as you’ll learn some technical terms but also easy ways to improve upon your website. We recently started adding sites that were having Flash of Unstyled Content or FOUC as it’s called in the web design world. We’ve seen it in the past and we are seeing it more as people that come on board with their existing sites have a ton of data and are not set to load properly. Both items will affect your website search engine optimization or SEO. We’re not going to cover that beyond the most basic of things. First let’s talk about search engine optimization and why FOUC can hurt your SEO. When a page starts to exhibit FOUC it normally happens months, even years, after a site has been live and more information is added causing the page to take longer than originally designed. There are two main areas you will find that this problem happens. The first is that the stylesheet (embedded or linked; typically embedded) is loaded at the end of the document. The first fix is to include the CSS information in the HEAD section of your web page. This should also be using a LINK rather than being embedded in the file. Embedding in the file if done correctly will help but not required as many modern-day CMS’s will not like this approach and could make your FOUC worse. The next most common way of getting a FOUC is by using Twitter Bootstrap or Zurb Foundation. This could be pulling it locally from the same file server or even if you use a CDN or Content Delivery Network. We hope you are using a CDN as that will help your page load in many instances. A quick fix for this is have a loading mechanism on the page which will show the page after it’s been entirely sent, and drawn, on the user’s computer. We see this all too often and we don’t love seeing the endless hourglass but know many times that is a valid approach and is one many site owners prefer. The method we’ve taken recently is to add a simple CSS class to the sections we know that require longer than normal load times for our clients; especially the new ones. This fix allows the page to load quickly but removes the FOUC from whatever component you apply the CSS class to. The CSS to fix this is very simple and you’ll add it to your stylesheet (we do it in the beginning, but you can do it toward the end as well). .no-js .top-bar,submenu{display:none} @media screen and (min-width:40em){ .no-js .top-bar{display:block}.no-js .title-bar{display:none} } With the above wherever you notice FOUC you will either add a CLASS or add to an existing class “no-js”. We have other methods that use JavaScript. In our most recent problem we were tasked by the client that they do not want JavaScript at all within their site so using any JavaScript solution was not available. This option worked perfectly for them and eliminated the problem they were having and worked on every web browser the client wanted to work against. Additionally, to help speed up the pages we also add a lazy loader (being lazy isn’t always bad) to any images that are larger in size. Here we load a very low-resolution of the image, and then after the user is on the page the images start loading their higher resolution as the user was reading through the site. Writing code is fun and something I truly enjoy. Passing this on to our team of developers to fix our onboarding clients that have existing websites is great but why not share it with the entire Internet as this is a problem we are seeing more of, rather than less of. Now the correct solution when all said and done is optimize your files, images, and website code so that it is as small as possible, loads fast, and doesn’t create the dreaded FOUC problem to begin with. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/OnlineMarketingTips/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/OnlineMarketingTips/ Marketing your business is never an easy task. With small businesses even more so as small businesses have smaller budgets than larger companies but want to achieve the same results as their larger brethren. Smaller budgets can be effective, efficient and profitable. The key is to not count the internet out when it comes to marketing your business, even if your product isn't sold select \* . There are many online marketing mistakes businesses make and we've come up with ways to do a good job at online marketing. ## Always have an online presence When starting out many businesses will either not have an internet presence or get a Facebook page and say "all done", next. It's vital that people have the opportunity to learn about your business online. Many times your website will not make any direct "sales". A website may just provide a great resource of information to your potential customers. A website can be used to gather not only email addresses for newsletters but actual addresses for your offline marketing plans as well as learning where your customers are coming from ## Don't be a cookie cutter One item we do is not use a stock template for any of our projects. The reason we don't use stock templates is that we feel that your business is unique. Chains are equally unique when it comes to a business. Although you may get a free website with your corporate chain that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a page that further highlights your unique attributes that your business has that elaborates what the corporate website provides. ## Not using Data Analytics In the media we've heard about "big data" where large companies look for trends and vital information to gain more customers. Using data analytics for your website is equally important. You can tell where your visitors are coming from, what device they are using to connect to your site, what version of the web browser so that you can further optimize your site, what paths they typically take on your site, and what the most important pages are on your site. ## Social Media and Your Local Community Using Facebook and local community groups and forums are a great online resource to staying involved in your community. This doesn't have to be a page you maintain either. This can be your local town, county or area community pages. Doing so will keep your name out there and allow you to inform others of your great services, even if your product and services are all offline. ## Capture leads when not selling online Do you have a form on your site that will save customer email addresses and other information? It is very easy for a business to think that they have an online business so sales will now just start flowing in the door. It doesn't work that way for most companies. Collecting information from a customer online, a business expo, or a business event will allow you to work on contacting and getting a hold of potential new business. This is where your sales can come. ## Banner ads can work Although you can pay for Google AdWords and advertising on other search engines a great source of generating traffic to your website, which can ultimately help lead to more sales, is by using banner ads on social media sites. You can target your customers directly based on geographic location, actual age, gender and interests. The search engines do a great job in marketing based on the keywords that are being searched but with social media sites they can be more targeted to a potential customer while they are browsing. ## Develop localized content Small businesses are typically marketing to the current and surrounding areas for business. This is a ripe opportunity to provide quality information that can benefit the people around you. Ways to help drum up interest from a local standpoint to the search engines you can have a page for each community you offer products and services in and clearly listing what those are. Many businesses will also feel they have no competition and think they should automatically be number one as there is no one else that offers what they do. That may be but to the search engines if your site hasn't yet been marked as a quality source of information the other sites outside your area may still rank better. ## Stop continually moving We've noticed that when a company picks up and moves their business online which means you continually move from web provider A to web provider B your rankings can be hurt. If you picked up and moved your business every year it would be hard for your customers to find you. With the search engines they may be able to find you but to a computer they will wonder why you constantly move. It may be you found a better deal, your current provider requires you to move, or you've upgraded your site and it requires certain features you couldn't get elsewhere. In any case you should be looking to keep your feet planted to achieve the best online results. ## Blog and Updating Content Many businesses will put their website online and expect to be ranked as the best business around because they are new and fresh. One of the factors search engines look at is the quality of your website and how often it is updated, again with quality content. Become an expert in your field. If you sell widgets be the best company that informs about your widgets, how it can benefit your customer, and provide great information that will help people with your widget. ## Don't neglect offline marketing We've been talking about online marketing which is very important in the online world. Sending postcards, letters, and newsletters can be equally important. Just as attending events and giving away your business cards to potential customers will benefit your company. ## Finally Now that we're at the end of this list you may feel overwhelmed as marketing your business is no easy task. You can do a build it and they will come approach which will work for a few. For the rest of us we need to work at it and no business should ignore marketing their business online or offline. With JM2 Webdesigners we can help you with the online marketing of your business and have solid relationships with business partners that can help you in your offline marketing. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/OnPage-SEO-for-Search-Engine-Success/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/OnPage-SEO-for-Search-Engine-Success/ We routinely will work with clients and look at what they’ve built and many have come close to hitting all the major point for on-page SEO success. They are normally just missing a few items to take their page from good to great. With this article we are going to share some of our core SEO optimization techniques to help you take your pages from good to great. ## Title Information The title of your page is a true factor in determining the success of your page. You want your core keyword of your page to be as close to the front of the page name as possible. If you are promoting Cullman Web Design or Valpo Web Design having your title start with Cullman or Valpo Web Design is crucial. If you are promoting your web design services for Northwest Alabama having your page say Northwest Alabama Web Design would be the optimal title for your page. ## SEO Friendly URLs Although a person can get to your page and the URL doesn’t truly matter having one that is human readable, short, and sweet will go a long way. If your selling widgets having your page name like http://domain.com/widgets is a lot clearer than http://domain/content.php?Id=1. The first example is easily remembered, contains your keyword, and is short. A short URL will typically rank better than a longer or cryptic URL. ## Page Titles On your page there are items called “headings”. There is one primary heading called an H1. Every page should have one and only one. If your page has more than one, then you should have more than one page. Most modern CMS’s will have a H1 defined automatically to help you achieve this level of heading. Just because you have a heading that is large at the top of your page doesn’t mean it has an H1 tag. We’ve fixed over a dozen sites this year that are running modern CMS programs like WordPress that didn’t use H1 tags. With your page title if you can include a keyword that will also help you go further. ## Subheadings Knowing you can only have one H1 tag on your site there are five other tags you have available. They should be structured logically. After the H1 is an H2, then H3, etc. You can have multiple H2-H5 tags on your site. If you can group items on a page within a sub-category use H2-H5 tags to further improve your SEO rankings. ## Image and Visuals Matter We live in a visual world. When you have images, videos, diagrams, and other visual art on your page you can reduce the bounce rate of your page as well increase user interactions. ## Keyword Word Use Your keyword that is related to a page should be used within the first 100 characters of your page. This helps show the overall relevance on your page. ## Define a Keyword Per Page Every page should be tied to a specific keyword. By having one primary keyword per page you can further improve your search engine results while also being able to focus on a specific topic. ## Internal Links Being linked from external credible sites is important. Going a step further you can link to your own pages. This is building credibility between your own pages. Link to two or three internal links to tie information together within your own website. ## Link Text Part of the links on your website is using information that is informative and descriptive. All too often people have click “here” where “here” is the link. A better link text would be “click here to learn about our great web design services in Northwest Alabama”. But don’t stop there! When you do go to that page make certain that many, or all, of those words in the link text also exist in the first 100 words within the page just like the page that they were just on were linked to the important keywords of that page. ## Call-to-Action Every page should have a purpose. This purpose should be your call-to-action. Whether you want people to just read your page, share your page, inquire about more information, or go to another page on your website. Wording and pictures within your site should achieve this on each and every page. Part of your call-to-action will be your sales funnel to convert users browsing your website into leads. ## Being Responsive Your website should look and work well on desktop, tablet and mobile devices. You do not want two separate sites. If your mobile site goes to m.domain.com, mobile.domain.com, etc. you are hurting your search engine optimization. Ten years ago this was a trend. Then responsive web design came around and gives you a mobile experience that is optimized, will routinely cost you less, and best of all provides a consistent branding experience for your customers. ## Be a Speed Demon In 2015 Google put responsive design on the radar for being properly indexed for mobile devices. In 2016 speed is becoming the key differentiator when it comes to being found. The faster your site performs the less likely someone will be to leave your site. ## Image Optimization A great way to improve your page speed is by optimizing your images so that they load quickly. You do not want an image that is the size of a billboard on your mobile page or even a desktop computer. Have your images set to the appropriate device and optimized for displaying fast. ## Image Text Beyond being beautiful and conveying a message images also convey words. These words are not seen to many of us but those with disabilities as well as the search engines use this hidden and important information to convey what an image is about. This information is called the alternate text. ## Colors Colors can either distract or keep the attention of your readers. Colors are seen by many of us. Others are not as fortunate to see colors. Make certain that there is an appropriate contrast between colors that are complimentary for your users. ## Social Sharing We all know how important social media is in our daily lives. Having your information shared on your webpage is equally important. Having social sharing buttons is a great way to get the word out about your content. ## Content Is King What we write needs to be engaging and informative. It is also important that people stay on your pages for a good amount of time, go to other pages within your site, etc. When users stay on your site and visit other pages it shows the search engines that you have information worth sending people to. ## Duplicate Content Do not repeat everything on every page to try and get people to love your widgets, web design, or other services. Have each page be unique and not duplicated within your site and equally not across the internet. Plagiarism is not something you want to be known for on the Internet. When we say content is king it is king when it is unique and helps your users solve their current and pressing needs. ## Meta and Structured Meta Data Behind everything great is a set of tools. For a webpage these magical tools are your meta information. This tells the search engines what your page is about as well as the social media outlets information they need to further share the important information on your site. ## Answer Questions Your webpage should answer the questions your visitors have. This is why someone is on your site. They didn’t come here to just see how pretty your page is or how well you’ve written your content. They want answers to some aspect of their lives and the search engines have done their job and pointed you to them. Now take that information and answer their questions. ## Google Analytics Even if you use other analytics software you need to be using Google Analytics. There are a multitude of reasons. One is it is owned by Google and having this information within Google’s system shows Google how important your website is and how well it is working for your visitors. ## Heat Maps One of the key areas we do for our customers is we sit with them, evaluate what is working and what isn’t. This can take a couple of months to truly determine the baseline for everything in their site. Google Analytics will get you “so far”. What it is missing is explaining to you where people are clicking, how far on a page they are moving, and where their eyes are. With heat maps you can find that out and refine your page and optimize your overall search engine optimization. ## Conclusion As you can see there are a lot of items to weigh in on when creating your pages. Not everything above you will want to incorporate. You will want to do a good portion to increase your overall engagement. It does take time and these are not all of the items you want to look at. These are the ones that we see people missing when they come to us for assistance in helping them achieve greatness. If you would like help we are here to listen and will work directly with you. Give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/on-page-seo-secrets/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/on-page-seo-secrets/ On-page SEO is the foundation of any successful online presence, but many businesses overlook some critical aspects that can make a big difference in their search engine rankings. If you’re a business owner in Alabama, understanding these lesser-known secrets can help you stand out in a competitive digital landscape. Whether you run a local shop in Birmingham, a restaurant in Mobile, or a service-based business in Huntsville, these on-page SEO secrets will help you drive more traffic and connect with your customers. *** ## What is On-Page SEO? On-page SEO refers to optimizing individual pages on your website to rank higher in search engine results and attract more traffic. It includes: - Content quality - Keywords and placement - Metadata (title tags, meta descriptions) - Page speed - User experience (UX) But beyond these basics, there are hidden gems in on-page SEO that many businesses overlook. Let’s dive into the secrets that can give your Alabama business an edge. *** ## 1. The Power of Semantic Keywords Most businesses know the importance of primary keywords, but they often miss **semantic keywords**. These are related terms and phrases that help search engines understand the context of your content. ### Why It Matters: Google’s algorithms, like RankBrain, focus on understanding the intent behind searches. Using semantic keywords helps your page appear for a broader range of relevant searches. ### How to Implement: - Use tools like Google’s **People Also Ask** section or free tools like **LSI Graph** to find related terms. - Example: If your primary keyword is **"BBQ restaurant in Birmingham"**, include terms like **"best smoked ribs,"** **"family-friendly BBQ spots,"** or **"Southern cuisine."** *** ## 2. Optimizing for Local Search For Alabama businesses, **local SEO** is critical. Many miss opportunities to rank locally because they fail to optimize for location-specific terms. ### Why It Matters: Nearly **46% of all Google searches** are for local information. Appearing in these results drives foot traffic to your business. ### How to Implement: - Include your location in title tags, meta descriptions, and H1 headers. Example: Instead of **"Best Roofing Services,"** use **"Best Roofing Services in Huntsville, AL."** - Embed a **Google Map** to your location on your contact page. - Write blog posts targeting specific cities or neighborhoods, like **"Top HVAC Tips for Montgomery Homeowners."** *** ## 3. Internal Linking Strategy Most businesses focus on external backlinks but overlook the power of internal linking. Internal links guide users through your website and help search engines understand the structure of your site. ### Why It Matters: Internal links improve user experience, increase time spent on your site, and distribute ranking power (link equity) across your pages. ### How to Implement: - Link to at least 2-3 related pages in every piece of content. - Use descriptive anchor text. Example: Instead of **"Click here,"** use **"Learn more about our plumbing services in Tuscaloosa."** - Prioritize linking to high-priority pages, like service or product pages. *** ## 4. Schema Markup for Rich Results Schema markup is a form of microdata that provides search engines with additional information about your content, like reviews, pricing, or events. Many businesses skip this step, but it can significantly boost click-through rates. ### Why It Matters: Schema markup helps your website stand out in search results with rich snippets (e.g., star ratings, FAQs, or event details). ### How to Implement: - Use free tools like **Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper** to generate schema for: - Reviews - Local business information - Events - Example: A restaurant in Mobile can use schema to show its menu, hours, and reviews in search results. *** ## 5. Mobile Optimization Beyond the Basics Most businesses know their website should be mobile-friendly, but they often miss deeper optimization opportunities. ### Why It Matters: More than **60% of web traffic** comes from mobile devices, and Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing. ### How to Implement: - Test your site on multiple devices to ensure images, buttons, and text are properly scaled. - Implement **click-to-call buttons** for mobile users. Example: A repair service in Birmingham can add a button that says, **"Call Now for Same-Day Service."** - Optimize your mobile page speed using tools like **Google PageSpeed Insights.** *** ## 6. User Engagement Signals Search engines pay attention to how users interact with your site. Signals like **bounce rate**, **time on page**, and **click-through rate (CTR)** can impact your rankings. ### Why It Matters: A high bounce rate or low engagement suggests your content isn’t meeting user needs. ### How to Implement: - Use clear calls-to-action (CTAs) to encourage users to explore further. Example: **"Check out our latest specials in Montgomery"** with a link to the specials page. - Add multimedia elements like videos, images, or infographics to make your content more engaging. - Ensure your content answers user intent quickly and clearly. *** ## 7. Image Optimization Many businesses upload images without optimizing them for search engines, missing out on valuable traffic from image searches. ### Why It Matters: Properly optimized images improve page speed and can appear in Google Image results, driving additional traffic. ### How to Implement: - Compress images before uploading using tools like **TinyPNG.** - Use descriptive file names (e.g., **birmingham-bakery-cakes.jpg** instead of **IMG1234.jpg**). - Add alt text for accessibility and SEO. Example: **"Freshly baked cakes from [Bakery Name] in Birmingham, AL."** *** ## 8. Regular Content Updates Many websites publish content and forget about it. However, Google prioritizes fresh, up-to-date content. ### Why It Matters: Regularly updating your content signals to search engines that your site is active and relevant. ### How to Implement: - Update old blog posts with new information or statistics. - Refresh service pages with seasonal keywords, like **"Gutter Cleaning Services for Alabama’s Rainy Season."** - Add new internal links to recently published pages. *** ## 9. Optimized Meta Descriptions While meta descriptions don’t directly impact rankings, they greatly influence click-through rates. Many businesses either skip them or write generic descriptions. ### Why It Matters: A well-written meta description entices users to click on your link instead of competitors’. ### How to Implement: - Include your primary keyword and a strong call-to-action. - Keep it under 160 characters. Example: **"Looking for affordable HVAC services in Montgomery? Call [Company Name] today for a free estimate!"** *** ## 10. Monitor Analytics and Adjust One of the most overlooked aspects of on-page SEO is ongoing monitoring and adjustments. ### Why It Matters: SEO isn’t a one-time task. Regular analysis helps you identify what’s working and where improvements are needed. ### How to Implement: - Use **Google Analytics** to track user behavior, traffic sources, and bounce rates. - Check **Google Search Console** for keyword rankings and click-through rates. - Make data-driven decisions to improve poorly performing pages. *** ## Why These Secrets Matter for Alabama Businesses For businesses across Alabama, implementing these on-page SEO strategies can: - Drive more local traffic from cities like Birmingham, Huntsville, and Mobile. - Help you rank for local searches, such as **"best hair salon in Tuscaloosa"** or **"BBQ restaurants near me."** - Improve user experience, turning visitors into loyal customers. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/OnPage-SEO-Success/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/OnPage-SEO-Success/ ## When it comes to getting the word out about your great website you need to be found. Sure your marketing materials, even your social media, will link to your website. What about the search engines? They still play the biggest factor in getting your website found. This is where on-page SEO can increase the success of your website. In this article we'll cover the factors that influence the search engines to further improve your SEO success. ## What is on-page SEO? ### On-Page SEO On-Page SEO is a science of balancing your site design, with content, and the overall ease of use within your website. On-Page SEO relates to everything within your site itself. ### Off-Page SEO Off-Page SEO focuses on actual trust when it comes to your website and the pages within your website. Off-page SEO are all elements that are off of your website that work to get people to visit your website. ## Page Titles Matter When it comes to your title tag you want it to contain your primary keyword phrase that you want to be found under. If you want to be known for Chicago Web Design, then your title should contain Chicago Web Design. The title is only one factor though. You need to have that keyword phrase also in the content of your page. No more than five times and normally around three times. Don't just add it though to add it or you'll be "spammy" and no one likes spam (except for the food and that is an acquired taste). Another important factor is how quickly your title keyword phrase shows up in your text. If it is at the bottom it will hold less weight to the search engines than if it was in the first sentence or paragraph. ## Getting to the Long of Things Two words to get found on the internet is almost never enough. Long Tail keywords are keyword phrases that you want to be found under and go from three to five words deep. When the word long comes around it means your phrase is not "Web Design" but something more description. An example of a long tail keyword phrase would be "Chicago Illinois Web Design". A long tail keyword phrase will be a minimum of three words with the maximum being five words in the keyword phrase. Long Tail keywords means you truly know your target audience as you have to know what a person will be typing in more closely. ## Research Is King When it comes to search engine optimization one of the key factors in improving your site month-over-month is with time and research. You need to look at your site analytics, understand them, learn from them, and then respond appropriately to what they are telling you. Without this your SEO campaigns will ultimately not work as well as you want. SEO takes work and with that work you can and will get results you can be proud of. ## Be nice to your site visitors When it comes to a positive user experience (UX) you need to truly think about how people interact with your site. Yes, search engines make the most arcane website able to be found. This doesn't mean your URL's should be cryptic and not easily understood. Having a URL of https://domain.com/1/2/3/category/title is not very clear at all. If you use something more clear like https://domain.com/Blog/Article it is a lot clearer to your user that they are reading a blog article. Another item to take into account as you structure your URL appropriately is that your URL and title should align. If your title is "Web Design Gary Alabama" it may be good to have your URL as https://domain.com/Gary-Alabama-Web-Design/ to not only be easily understood what the page is but align your SEO title and URL. ## Every page should have a unique title Like a chapter in a book you need a title. The title should align with your page title and your URL. This title will be wrapped in what is called the H1 tag. There should also be only **one** H1 tag within any page. The H tags or Header tags range from 1-6. You should only have one H1. If you need more than one H1 tag you need to create a new page. You can have as many H2-H6 tags as you want. Keeping a logical flow, you shouldn't jump from an H1 to an H3. You should structure it so the H1 is at the very top, then H2, and onward. As you utilize the header tags you should try to wrap your keyword in a sub-header as well. You are already going to include it in an H1 tag. It is good practice to put in in an H2-H6 tag as well if your page content allows it. Don't just add it to add it. ## Content Is King Content on a page is what drives your SEO. Having quality content that people want to read is crucial. We talked about already that your keyword phrase should be in the first part of your page and in the first paragraph. Taking this important information into account we are also going to state you should do your best to include that phrase in your first 100 words of text. ## Be responsive to your audience More often users are using smaller screens to access your website. No more is the day where all screens are 15" or larger. Your screen needs to be responsive where it resizes to the size not only of the user's screen but their browser window as well. A site visitor could be on a brilliant 30" screen. Your website may only be on a quarter of that screen. At no time should your user have to scroll left/right unless you specifically have designed your user interface (UI) to scroll left/right. ## Outbound Links Matter As you write content for your site you will often be thinking of an article you recently read that gave you inspiration. Linking to this source of information is a great way of gaining credibility for what you are writing. The key here is to link to sources that are reputable but also will not pull business away from your core business. We have seen as well as done linked to a competitor. This isn't because we are trying to lose business for a client but because they offer something unique, there is an established business relationship between the two businesses, and the other business does the same. ## Inbound Links Matter Often as you write information on your site you are referencing products and services you have to offer. When we talk SEO or social we always think of our [Maintenance Plans](/Services/MaintenancePlans/). The reason we think about them is SEO takes time to learn. We allocate a minimum of three months for someone to understand the basics before even getting them their own clients and then they have a mentor for another three months at a minimum. When you can link to your page it is good to link to two or three internal links within the page. ## Synonyms taste great Wait, that's the wrong kind of cinnamon. These don't taste great but are alternate words that you can use to make your page less like a spam filled page. Being we are talking about SEO here and are talking about on-page optimization success we could also use on-page SEO checklist as a phrase that can mean the same thing. ## Social Media Matters Social signals can help boost your brands engagement. As people share your information on social media there is a continuing greater chance as people see that information they will in-turn come to your website using social media rather than the search engines. This is still a success no matter how you look at it. The visitor may not be coming from Google, Bing, or Yahoo but they are still coming because someone shared information on social media. Having social sharing capabilities on your website will help you improve your brand engagement. ## Size Matters Yes, page size does matter. A page with only 200-500 words will not rank as well as a page with 1,500-2,000 words on it. The reason is the page will seem significantly more relevant as more time and effort was put into it. As people search there is a greater chance your information will be found and heard. Don't spam fill your page though. Have great content your visitors will want to read. ## Conclusion We are not closely done when it comes to on-page SEO. Over the years we've written many blog articles related to SEO and welcome you to read them. If you read all that we offer you would have a beginner-intermediate knowledge needed to handle SEO completely yourself. - [Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Common Mistakes](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/SEOCommonMistakes) - [What Does SEO Cost?](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/WhatDoesSEOCost) - [Ways to Improve Your Search Results](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/SEOTipsAndTricks) - [Search Engine Submissions](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/SearchEngines) - [SEO is not a means to an end!](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/NotAMeansToAnEnd) - [What is Search Engine Optimization?](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/WhatIsSearchEngineOptimization) - [Common SEO Mistakes Small Businesses Make](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/CommonSeoSmallBusinessMistakes) - [Guaranteed SEO Success](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/GuaranteedSeoSuccess) - [What makes quality content?](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/WhatMakesQualityContent) - [Bakers Dozen Common SEO Mistakes](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/BakersDozenSEOMistakes) - [What Makes Quality Content?](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/WhatMakesQualityContent2) - [Hidden pieces of website building](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/HiddenPiecesOfWebsiteBuilding) - [Increase Your Website Traffic](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/IncreaseYourWebsiteTraffic) - [Black Hat Versus White Hat SEO](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/BlackHatVersusWhitheatSeo) - [Local Listings using SEO Techniques](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/LocalListingsUsingSeo) - [13 Search Engine Optimization Techniques](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/13SeoTechniques) - [What is SEO anyway?](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/WhatIsSeoAnyway) - [Crafting Page Titles and SEO](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/Crafting-Page-Titles-and-SEO) - [Starting each month off on the right foot](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/Starting-each-month-off-on-the-right-foot) - [How to SEO in 2016](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/How-to-SEO-in-2016) - [Black Hat SEO - Don't do this!](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/Black-Hat-SEO-Dont-do-this) - [SEO Tips to Increase Traffic](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/SEO-Tips-to-Increase-Traffic) - [Improving your SEO and your User Experience](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/Improving-your-SEO-and-your-User-Experience) - [Local SEO and Page One Guarantee](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/Local-SEO-and-Page-One-Guarantee) - [Difference Between On-Page versus Off-Page SEO](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/Difference-Between-OnPage-versus-OffPage-SEO) - [Creating Organic Content versus Sharing Content](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/Creating-Organic-Content-versus-Sharing-Content) - [Structuring URL's for SEO Success](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/Structuring-URLs-for-SEO-Success) As you can see from the above list SEO is a big part of what JM2 Webdesigners does. SEO is something we do each day. We believe that SEO is crucial to all businesses for success. With everything in our past articles, this article, and future articles already planned for SEO for the rest of the year and beyond it is possible for you to do SEO yourself. If your objective is to grow your business and would appreciate a business partner that is dedicated to growing your internet presence you can give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/On-This-Day-Preferences/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/On-This-Day-Preferences/ Over the weekend I was talking with a friend and the conversation turned to the feature on Facebook referred to as "On This Day". This features is where Facebook reminds you of events that happened on a particular day. There are some negative thoughts people have about this feature that tend to happen. Either that day had tragedy in it, a life event that you prefer not to remember, or is in relation to a person that you no longer want to be reminded about. Today we will delve into this and explain how to filter based on either a specific date or a person. - This feature is available to everyone and can be found at [https://www.Facebook.com/onthisday](https://www.Facebook.com/onthisday). If you are not already logged in you will need to log into your Facebook account. - In the top right you will see *Notifications* and *Preferences*. - If Notifications has a checkbox on it that means you will get notifications of events that are happening. If you want to turn this feature completely off click it to remove the checkbox and you are done. If you want to set a preference then you will want to click on the Preferences option. - Filtering works only for current friends and people who are not blocked by you already. - When you click on the Preferences you are able to filter on either People or Dates. We will cover both below. If you have any filtering being done it will tell you how many on this screen. - **People** - Click on Edit to the right of People - Start typing the persons name and select them from the list - Click Save - **Dates** - Click on Edit to the right of Dates - Click on Select Dates - The allowed date range is from January 1, 1900 through December 31, 2099 - Enter the Start Date - The allowed date range is from January 1, 1900 through December 31, 2099 - Enter the End Date (this can be the same as the Start Date) - Click Done - After this you can continue to add more dates by clicking on Select Dates. - Click Save - Now to make your changes committed click on Done After time if there is a Date or Person you no longer wish to block you can go through this same process and remove them. Next to each Person and Date is a small X that allows you to remove the item. For items like this and other great pieces of knowledge our Rock the Social Training can help you with some great and informative information. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/OpenGraphBasics/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/OpenGraphBasics/ ## What In a continued effort to help our business customers succeed in search engine optimization (SEO) and social media we continue to help you learn about how to make your website better. As part of a recent client website update and part of our customized SEO monthly plan we took their existing business BLOG and implemented Facebook's Open Graph protocol. This protocol allows you to have control over how images and descriptive text can appear on Facebook. Using this protocol you can control a certain level of customization over how information is carried over to Facebook from non-Facebook websites. As part of using the Open Graph protocol you also help define the functionality of any Like buttons when you include them on your page. To include a Like button on your page Facebook makes it easy by filling out a few simple answers on a form they provide. You can view this form at [https://developers.Facebook.com/docs/plugins/like-button](https://developers.Facebook.com/docs/plugins/like-button). Along with the Like button you also can add a Share button, Send button, etc. ## Open Graph Structure The Open Graph META tags are all prefixed with**og:** and followed by a defined*tagName*. Using the format defined below you can inform Facebook what images, text, and more to display when sharing a specific webpage. <meta property="og:{tagName}" content="{tagValue}" /> ## Common Facebook Open Graph META Tags ### Image The image META tag lets Facebook know what the primary image is that should be shown when linking to a specific page. The image that is recommended by Facebook is that the image should be square, a minimum of 600px wide, and in the standard Facebook supported formats (jpg, png, etc.). <meta property="og:image" content="http://domainName/Images/MyImage.png" /> ### Title The title to accompany the URL for the page. For a BLOG this is typically the title to the BLOG. <meta property="og:title" content="Page Title"/> ### Url The URL should be the canonical address for the given page that is being referenced. <meta property="og:url" content="http://domainName/PageName"/> ### Site Name Provides Facebook the name that you would like your website to be recognized as when being linked. <meta property="og:site\_name" content="My Company Name Blog"/> ### Type Defines the type of page that you would like your website to be categorized by. A list of common types for types can be found from Facebook at [https://developers.Facebook.com/docs/reference/opengraph/](https://developers.Facebook.com/docs/reference/opengraph/). <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> ## More Complex Facebook Open Graph META Tags ### Arrays It is possible to have multiple values defined for a given page. You define this by having multiple versions of the META tag. <meta property="og:image" content="http://domainName/Images/Image1.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image" content="http://domainName/Images/Image2.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image" content="http://domainName/Images/Image3.jpg" /> ### Structured Properties Not only can you include arrays for multiple items for a given property but defined structure for the item that is defined. You do this by putting the additional parameters after the root element which is then parsed. In the example below you see three defined types of images. The first image (Image1.jpg) is followed by a defined width and height of 600. The second image (Image2.jpg) has no additional structured properties. The third (Image3.jpg) has a defined structured property height of 1000 with no width defined. <meta property="og:image" content="http://domainName/Images/Image1.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image:width" content="600" /> <meta property="og:image:height" content="600" /> <meta property="og:image" content="http://domainName/Images/Image2.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image" content="http://domainName/Images/Image3.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image:height" content="1000" /> --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/optimizing-image-alt-title-tags/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/optimizing-image-alt-title-tags/ Images play a crucial role in enhancing the visual appeal of your website and improving user experience. However, they can also significantly impact your search engine rankings when optimized correctly. Adding **alt tags** and **title tags** to your images is a critical step in making your site more accessible, user-friendly, and SEO-friendly. In this article, we'll explore the purpose of alt and title tags, how they differ, and best practices for optimizing your images for SEO. ## The Importance of Alt Tags ### What Is an Alt Tag? The 'alt' tag, short for **alternative text**, is an attribute added to the '![]()' HTML element that provides a text-based description of the image. Alt text is primarily used: - To describe images to **screen readers**, making your website accessible to visually impaired users. - To display text when an image fails to load. - To help search engines understand the content of the image for indexing purposes. ### Why Are Alt Tags Important? 1. **Accessibility Compliance**: Alt text ensures your website complies with accessibility standards such as the **Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)**, making your content available to all users. 2. **SEO Benefits**: Search engines like Google rely on alt text to understand the context of images. Optimized alt tags can help your images appear in **Google Images search results**, driving additional traffic to your site. 3. **Fallback for Broken Images**: If an image cannot be displayed due to an error, the alt text provides users with context. ### Best Practices for Alt Tags - **Be Descriptive**: Write concise but meaningful descriptions that explain the image content. - **Incorporate Keywords Naturally**: Use relevant keywords to enhance SEO but avoid keyword stuffing. - **Focus on Context**: Ensure the alt text aligns with the surrounding content. ## The Purpose of Title Tags ### What Is a Title Tag? The 'title' attribute for images provides supplementary information that is typically displayed as a tooltip when users hover over the image. While it is not as critical for SEO as the alt tag, it serves as an additional layer of information for users. ### Why Use Title Tags? 1. **User Experience**: Title tags can provide extra context or details about an image, enhancing the browsing experience for users. 2. **Supplementary Information**: When used thoughtfully, they can clarify the purpose of an image or provide additional content. 3. **Navigation Clarity**: Title tags can help users understand clickable images or icons better. ### Best Practices for Title Tags - **Avoid Redundancy**: Don't duplicate the alt text in the title tag. Instead, provide complementary information. - **Keep It Concise**: Use brief, relevant descriptions that add value. - **Focus on Usability**: Consider what additional context the user might find helpful. ## Key Differences Between Alt and Title Tags | **Alt Tag** | **Title Tag** | | --- | --- | | Describes the image for **screen readers** and search engines. | Provides supplementary information for users. | | Required for **accessibility** and SEO. | Optional and primarily for user experience. | | Displayed if the image fails to load. | Displayed as a tooltip on hover. | | Used by search engines for **image indexing**. | Not a significant factor for SEO. | ## Best Practices for Optimizing Images for SEO 1. **Add Relevant Alt Text for Every Image**: Alt tags are essential for accessibility and SEO. Every image should have an alt tag that describes its content or purpose. 2. **Use Title Tags When Appropriate**: Add title tags to provide additional information or context for users, especially for clickable images. 3. **Optimize Image File Names**: Before uploading an image, rename the file with descriptive keywords. For example, use 'red-apple.jpg' instead of 'IMG12345.jpg'. 4. **Compress Images for Faster Loading**: Large image files can slow down your site, negatively impacting user experience and SEO. Use tools like **TinyPNG** or **ImageOptim** to compress images without sacrificing quality. 5. **Choose the Right File Format**: - Use **JPEG** for photos and complex images. - Use **PNG** for transparent backgrounds or detailed graphics. - Use **WebP** for modern, fast-loading images. 6. **Add Structured Data for Images**: Use **schema.org** markup to enhance how search engines understand and display your images. 7. **Responsive Images**: Ensure your images are mobile-friendly by using responsive design techniques like the 'srcset' attribute. 8. **Include Images in Your Sitemap**: Add images to your XML sitemap so search engines can crawl and index them efficiently. ## Why Alt and Title Tags Matter for Good SEO 1. **Improved Search Engine Rankings**: Well-optimized images can improve your overall SEO score and help your pages rank higher. 2. **Increased Traffic from Google Images**: Search engines like Google display images prominently in search results. Properly tagged images can drive more visitors to your site. 3. **Enhanced Accessibility:** Adding alt tags makes your site accessible to a broader audience, demonstrating inclusivity and compliance with web standards. 4. **Better User Engagement**: Title tags and well-described images create a better user experience, keeping visitors on your site longer. ## Conclusion Optimizing images with thoughtful alt and title tags is a simple yet powerful way to boost your website's SEO, improve accessibility, and enhance user experience. At the very least, ensure every image has an **alt tag** to describe its content. Use **title tags** selectively to provide additional context without redundancy. By following these best practices, your images will not only look great but also contribute to the success of your website by driving more traffic, improving rankings, and making your site more accessible to all users. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Organic-eCommerce-SEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Organic-eCommerce-SEO/ It is no wonder that over 40% of our clients use eCommerce to sell their products and services. Nearly 8 out of every 10 Americans is using online shopping to purchase products and services. When the search engines stated 50% of the internet was using mobile there was a big push to fix websites to be mobile friendly. With roughly 80% of the internet purchasing online shouldn’t you have a piece of the pie as well as being optimized to take the best advantage of it? We think so and these are my top tips for rocking your eCommerce SEO organically. 1. **Patience** – Like all aspects of search engine optimization this is a marathon and not a sprint. Be prepared to make a lot of changes, revise based on your purchasers needs and the needs of the search engines, and be ready for change. 2. **Prioritize your pages** – Every page of your site is important. Your visitors will routinely be going to certain pages before others. Those should be your focus. The products that you sell most of or make you the most profit should get the first care. 3. **Don’t wait** – We see this one all too often. People come to us a few weeks before Black Friday and want their 500 products not only on a brand-new website but in the top position of the search engines organically. It won’t happen. If this year is any indication business owners are becoming more aware of this as our first 5 of 6 websites this year are eCommerce sites. 4. **SEO Descriptions** – Each of your pages you write beautiful copy to entice people to buy when they are on your site. Make the SEO META Descriptions equally beautiful. Grab a person’s attention and interest within the search engines before they even reach your site. 5. **Speed** – Optimize your site for speed. This is more important than being graphics heavy. You will have pictures on your product pages but the rest of your site should be kind of “bland”. Look at Amazon. It’s not flashy, get’s the job done, and brings in billions of dollars per year. 6. **Images** – Make certain all of your images have ALT tags explaining what the picture is. 7. **Friendly URL’s** – Make the URL of your site consistent, easy to read, and understand. 8. **Categorize** – All of your products should be in categories that “make sense”. If you are selling a bunch of widgets put them in the widget category. If those widgets also apply to another category add them there too. 9. **Mobile** – More people are using their phones to shop. Don’t forget them. Make certain your site works well for your mobile users just like you do for desktop users. This is often forgotten. 10. **Payments** – We love payments. Make certain to accept the widest range as possible. Credit cards and PayPal should be available for all purchasers. Others could be check, in-store credit, etc. Payments are also critical in saving money. As an example, PayPal will cost you a monthly fee for pro, 2.9%, and $0.30 per transaction. You can do better than that and we often save our clients over a $1,000 a year in credit card transaction fees giving you more money to your bottom line. 11. **SSL** – This is the green pad lock. No longer should you have it on just your checkout process. Add it everywhere. Every page no matter what. This is a ranking factor on the search engines and builds trust with those purchasing from you. 12. **Blog** – It may seem crazy for an eCommerce site to blog but it isn’t. You can promote products, build your internal links, and get more keywords on the search engines. Like any website products beyond price don’t change often. By blogging you are keeping content on your website fresh and relevant. 13. **Site Map** – Like a map when you are driving a car to get you from point A to point B a sitemap for your website will help the search engines find every page on your website. These are my top tips for any eCommerce site. They are no where near a complete list. This is the core starting point for a plan to make your eCommerce site a success using organic SEO. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Organic-SEO-vs-Pay-Per-Click-vs-Doing-Nothing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Organic-SEO-vs-Pay-Per-Click-vs-Doing-Nothing/ Debate as much as you want regarding organic search engine optimization or SEO versus paid advertising or PPC and you will find out it is a hot topic with people fighting on both sides of the fence that one is better than the other. A third option we see all too much is to be completely lazy and do nothing as you've vested so much money that you expect that money to also be heard by the search engines that you didn't even pay because your site is just "that great". The question comes down to which one will work best for your brand, your time frame, target market, what your budget is, how patient you are, and whether you have truly great content. We've re-written this several times and are going to lay the pros and cons to each. ## Organic Search Engine Optimization or Organic SEO ### Pro - You have most likely invested in higher quality content. - The more content you add (that's quality) your audience will continue to grow. - Your website is updated monthly, or more, for the latest search engine recommended standards. - Targets high traffic keywords. - Websites are typically higher quality with a core focus on the user. ### Con - It takes more time to be indexed and found. - It takes a time commitment even if you pay someone to run your search engine optimization. - Major algorithm updates will set you back and you'll have to update to the latest standards. ## Pay per Click or PPC ### Pro - You are seen in the top and bottom of the search results for the exact phrases you want to be found. - People that click are more likely to convert. - When you are getting started and want to get found quick and not wait this is a great option as a kick starter. - Protection from major search engine algorithm updates. - Really good to use in highly competitive markets. - Can be quickly turned on and off once it is setup. - Pretty much guarantees you results that will show on page 1. - Show on websites that have opted in to display Google ads (ever see those ads on websites that seem to follow you everywhere? This is the power of Google AdWords). ### Con - You probably won't invest as heavily in high-quality content as you are spending it on "clicks". - There's more than just Google. You have to do paid advertising on all of the major search engines. - Pay per click is only 1/10 of 1% of searches. This means that you are missing 99.9% of your marketing if you focus only on PPC. - When you stop paying the search engines your traffic decreases. - The bigger your budget the better. We tell people to expect $30 or more per day (at a minimum) for each search engine (this doesn't cover the administration costs). - You tend to not update your website for major algorithm updates. - Savvy users are more likely to skip your brand and click on an organic listing. - Paid ads do not directly affect your organic listings. ## Doing nothing ### Pro - Lowest cost option (or is it???) ### Con - You paid a lot up front most likely it is very "pretty". - This is the lazy persons approach. - You will fall into page 2, 3, and then the search engine graveyard. When it comes to the search engines you need to think like a runner and not a sprinter. No matter what solution for performing search engine optimization is something your business does. If you want to fail then "do nothing" as that will get you the results you want – nothing. If you have a new site and want that quick adrenaline rush does PPC in conjunction with organic. If you are patient, not in a rush (3-4 months) do organic solely. As with any marketing for your business you need to determine what is best for your business and brand. You need to do what is best for your company which will not be the same as everyone else. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Our-Clients-Are-Family/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Our-Clients-Are-Family/ I want to tell you a story. This story is a short one and one that shows what makes JM2 different than most companies. We are small (8 of us currently), we are new (3 years old), but we have a passion (our clients or customers if you will) become part of our family. One of our clients had a business need that required a special piece of software for reporting which would be installed on our cloud servers. This piece of software though was unique enough that other current and future clients could benefit from it as well. We truly had two options available to us. Make the client pay or pay it ourselves. This was NOT cheap software, several thousand. Now we could do what many would do and charge each client that needed this unique piece of software and make some "killer profit" as it only needed to be purchased once. We thought about it (for a brief Nano-second – no we are not computers but it really did last that long [maybe less]), then laughed, and said that's not **OUR** way. So we purchased the software, the client paid **NOTHING** and now every client we have can benefit from this. We know that we cannot do every time for our clients but when we see a need to add more capabilities for our clients we try to seize that opportunity. This is one area that our competitors truly HATE. Hate is a very strong word but they do as we don't go by the philosophy of making a lot off of one client. We go off the philosophy of making a small fair amount from each and every client which in-turn adds up over time. When we had a few clients this made everything hard. As we continue to add 2-3 clients per week every week becomes easier. One would consider this a seriously bad business decision and they could be right for themselves. For us, it shows a long term commitment to all of our clients that we are invested in their business and the success of their business. With the new software we now have another (yes someone upstairs was looking out for us) and they are now going to also be taking advantage of this. This is one of the many reasons they decided to join us. The moral of this short story is by taking care of your customers, treating them as **FAMILY**, and doing the right thing **ALL** the time, you will not only gain from it but continue to GROW larger than you could imagine. If you want to align yourself for a company that wants to see your business grow and isn't looking for just the next "big thing" let JM2 Webdesigners of Cullman Alabama help your business grow. We can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Our-Owner-John-Uncut/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Our-Owner-John-Uncut/ An article was written about our owner John Marx. It's raw and it's uncut. The version going into the magazine will be a more tame version of this. We found the original still good so here it is. Anyone who has had the chance to meet John Marx, would not argue that he is an eccentric, creative, genius with an extremely colorful mind. John is the owner and creator of not just one, but four local businesses that are branches of his main company JM2 Webdesigners. Business YETI is the branding and marketing company. Holly’s Hobbies, run by John’s wife Holly, is the arts and crafts (or creative) company. Valpo Shirts, his most recent business, is the custom apparel line. The fourth business, coming in August, is My Skills Displayed that will aspiring high school students get accepted into college and receive available scholarships which is free for all not-for-profit organizations. This didn’t all just happen overnight. John had to in his words, “work his ass off” to make it happen. Everything has been bootstrapped from the ground up. He has gone from the bottom of the totem pole to the top. He says, “Don’t expect the world to be handed to you on a silver platter, you have to work for what you want in life.” John’s work life got started in 1995, when Al Gore invented the internet on the day after he got out of the United States Army. From there, he went on to work with various hotel management companies, consulting companies, magazine software development, and an accounting firm. After getting tired of the crap in the corporate world he decided to do things differently. In 2012, he started the software development, branding and marketing business which opened in 2013. Now he is not only his own boss, but he is the boss for an awesome team. “The world has way more good things in it than bad. Other people like to focus on the bad. I just want to focus on the good, and see how many people I can help in the process,” he says. His parents have been the biggest inspiration in his life, and his work, as they are his foundation. Holly is his cheerleader that he leans on the most as she makes certain he stays in check and always doing the right thing. He depends on her more than anyone. Everyone he surrounds himself by encourages him to hit the ground running every day to improve himself. With a goal to try to make a difference in the world. This ties in with his main goal of wanting to help small businesses grow. The catch is that they have to WANT to grow. Because why offer help to someone who doesn’t want it? Many people wonder how John’s businesses came to be so successful. His philosophy behind it all goes back to the age of ‘Leave it to Beaver’. Where you work your ass off, you charge a little and make your money over time rather than ripping off one or two people. John has one rule in life, and that is NO LYING. There's a quote that's very applicable to this, “Fine words are not sincere, and sincere words are not fine.”- The Tao Te Ching. This being said, John is one of the most honest people out there. He calls it how he sees it, and doesn’t deal with bullshit. Although John may seem intimidating to some people, he is actually quite the opposite. His life revolves around wife and family, work, coffee, and beer. His day usually starts with a mocha latte at 5 am, and ends with whatever type of beer that’s left in the fridge around 10 pm. This also happens seven days a week. When he was asked how he and his employees make their workday fun he said,” Oh, well we could write a whole damn book about this! Around every corner, there is a Nerf gun, locked and loaded, and the fridge is always stocked with beer. If your work life isn’t like that, then you’re missing out on a real adventure.” His employees of Business YETI have said that John has proven the phrase: “If you truly love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life,” to be true. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Overwhelmed-Website-Social-Media-SEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Overwhelmed-Website-Social-Media-SEO/ Today we had the water turned on for our new office. This sounds like a simple ordeal to have done. The week before as we had it scheduled we found out that it had been seven years since water was on. This raised a flag so we looked over all the pipe by feeling every inch we could see and it was relatively all new with shut offs, etc. We set all the shutoffs to closed so that we could test each section one at a time. When the city turned on we had leak number one and it was in a wall. Five hours later and that was fixed. Water back on and good. Turned on the next shutoff valve and another leak (again in a wall). Repeat this four more times. Have you ever felt overwhelmed with your website, social media, or SEO as we did with our water today? We will go over some ways to ease that feeling so that you can grow your business with today’s article. ## Taking a step back and a Big Breath When we are hit with all of these leaks and hurdles in life it causes stress, damage to a physical structure, and unwanted expenses. Damage for a website, social media, or search engine optimization is not physical but virtual and otherwise is similar to that of what we experienced in the real world. When something isn’t taken care of it breaks, falters, and doesn’t produce the results we were intending it to. The first thing to do is take a deep breath and let it out. Getting angry at a marketing plan that isn’t working is not something to get upset about. (You had a plan in-place before you began right?) What needs to happen is write down every point that is failing as well as every point, if any, that are succeeding. ## The successes These are easier as coming out with items that are working is often easier than those that are failing. Don’t change them (too much; if at all)! You can improve them but don’t change them to a degree that makes them no longer the item that was successful. Make note of these items and use these successes to help fix the areas where you’re having problems. Are you stuck on finding a success? There’s no problem with that. No matter how bad your plan is it can be improved upon and you’re looking at what is and isn’t working. This alone is a success as you are looking at improving your business processes. You are wanting a positive change. Make that your first success if you can’t think of any or as an additional success as you build your list. ## The failures (or Problems) You have to have areas for improvement. These may not be complete failures. Each needs to be listed out with as much detail as possible. The more detailed the information you put here the more likely you will find viable solutions for fixing them. After you have written each problem down you now need to write down a minimum of three things you think could solve each item. Some may share the same thing but you should not be using the same three answers for every “fix” for your failures. This can be a very hard and time consuming process. Taking the time, communicating with an outside consultant can greatly help in this brainstorming process. We spend a lot of time writing on white boards during this process with clients. We work with them in coming up with ideas to improve processes that only come out during group discussions. You can also ask other members outside of your core team as they may have perspectives for improvement that you haven’t thought of yet. ## Conclusion It may be hard at first but every bad situation can be turned into a positive one that will make your company stronger. Small items make you stronger and large items can as well. They will be harder to change but with a determined team, solid communication, and a desire to grow you can achieve anything. Our water problem today and how we combatted it is how we work with our clients. We are often brought into bad situations, have to adjust and adapt, and can either get upset or be positive and move forward to a positive outcome. If you are feeling overwhelmed in your daily activities of maintaining your website, social media, or search engine optimization JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman Alabama is here to assist you. We can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/panoramanow-facebook-increase-reach/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/panoramanow-facebook-increase-reach/ PanoramaNOW's multiple Facebook Groups makes us a more valuable partner to businesses, **since we can offer exclusive *reach, credibility, engagement, and exclusivity*. "**Managing one successful Facebook group already creates a valuable opportunity to connect businesses with a loyal and engaged audience. But when you administer several popular Facebook groups, the value you bring to your clients grows exponentially. Each group PanoramaNOW oversees has its own unique membership, interests, and **community culture,** which means you’re not just offering access to one audience—you’re opening doors to multiple communities at once," stated [John Marx from Fawkes Digital Marketing](https://www.fawkesdm.com/). [![](https://panoramanow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/online-presence-branding-engagement-strategy.jpg)](https://panoramanow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/online-presence-branding-engagement-strategy.jpg) A recent influencer Implied that Facebook Groups are a waste of time, so we looked into the what is actually true. Turns out that administering multiple Facebook Groups happens to be a competitive advantage unduplicatable by any SOFTWARE! Administering multiple and popular Facebook groups can absolutely increase both our reach and our value to our business clients and here’s why: **1. Expanded Audience Reach** - Each group has its own unique membership base. Running several groups gives you access to different niches, demographics, and interests. - This multiplies exposure for your promotions and ensures clients’ messages reach a broader and more diverse audience. **2. Built-In Trust and Credibility** - Group members typically see admins as community leaders. By managing multiple successful groups, you’re viewed as a trusted voice, which boosts credibility when recommending or promoting a business. **3. Stronger Engagement Opportunities** - Groups foster discussions, peer recommendations, and organic engagement (unlike pages, which rely more heavily on ads). - Multiple groups allow you to cross-promote content strategically without being repetitive. **4. Increased Marketing Value for Clients** - Businesses benefit from layered visibility—appearing across multiple communities increases brand recognition and recall. - Clients will see more value in working with you because you offer exposure in several engaged spaces rather than just one. **5. Competitive Advantage** - Many businesses struggle to build and maintain even one active Facebook group. If you manage several thriving ones, you hold a unique position that competitors can’t easily replicate.Administering multiple Facebook Groups increases a client’s exposure far beyond what a single group can provide. A post, promotion, or event shared across several groups doesn’t just reach more people; it reaches *different kinds* of people. Some may be looking for entertainment, others for local events, products, or services. By spanning multiple groups, you’re able to target and cross-promote in ways that increase visibility while keeping the messaging relevant to each community. Beyond numbers, there’s the element of trust. Group members see administrators as reliable sources who curate content, moderate discussions, and protect the integrity of the community. When you recommend a business within these spaces, that endorsement carries credibility and weight. Businesses benefit not just from exposure, but from being introduced in a trusted environment where people are more likely to engage, comment, and share. 👉 In short: administering multiple Facebook groups significantly enhances our influence and makes PanoramaNOW a more valuable partner to businesses, **since you offer *reach, credibility, engagement, and exclusivity*.** Please Feel Free to Join Any One of PanoramaNOW's Groups and you can reach the benefit of our local **Community Connections** that We Provide: **PanoramaNOW Facebook Groups:** **[PanoramaNOW Festivals and Events;](https://www.facebook.com/groups/154820944648818)** [**Northwest Indiana Free Classifieds;**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/837287406296617) [**Nwi Fun;**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/NwiFun) [**Michigan City Anything and Everything;**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/493882477343575) [**All those in Favor of Weekends, Summer Parties and Rock Bands;**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/168046113878090) **[Highland Family Fun;](https://www.facebook.com/groups/71848809422)** **[Tri-Town( Schererville, St. John & Dyer);](https://www.facebook.com/groups/835902244727717)** [**Nwi Moms & Kids Selling & Trading;**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/303647575775982) [**Porter County News & Reviews;**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/431939947378221) [**LaPorte County Events and Fundraisers;**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/229229777941466) [**Porter County & Lake County Garage Sales;**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/330115147051726) [**Keenan Baxter Fan Club;**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/225809750780756) [**LaPorte County News;**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/972069536162239) [**Region Sports Bulletin Board;**](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1537211069834736) And Many More Local Pages not listed here. (Links will be added soon) **MORE RELATED ARTICLES . . .** #### **[![](https://panoramanow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/dont-fall-for-fake-influencer-numbers-e1755627175611.jpg)](https://panoramanow.com/how-instagram-influencers-fake-their-metrics-and-how-to-spot-it/ "Permalink to How Instagram Influencers Fake Their Metrics (And How To Spot It)")** **[How Instagram Influencers Fake Their Metrics (And How To Spot It)](https://panoramanow.com/how-instagram-influencers-fake-their-metrics-and-how-to-spot-it/ "Permalink to How Instagram Influencers Fake Their Metrics (And How To Spot It)")** by Fawkes Digital Marketing Not all that glitters… counts. Many Instagram metrics like “500K views in the past month” might look impressive, but do they convert, connect, or add a return to your business? Are you just wasting money to “look cool” and don’t care about actual business growth? A good… **[Continue Reading →](https://panoramanow.com/how-instagram-influencers-fake-their-metrics-and-how-to-spot-it/)** **[![](https://panoramanow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/print-ad-statistics.jpg)](https://panoramanow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/print-ad-statistics.jpg) [What Consumers Say About Print Ads](https://panoramanow.com/rates/ "Permalink to What Consumers Say About Print Ads")** Who runs print ads anymore? That’s so 20th Century. Hold on there, my friend. If that’s your attitude about print advertising, I’ve got some surprising statistics to share. Did you know that 95% of people under 25 still read magazines? And it gets better: The ads in those printed publications generate outstanding results. Eighty-two percent of… **[Continue Reading →](https://panoramanow.com/rates/)** [![Nwis Symphony ad 2021 e1752854371122](https://panoramanow.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Nwis-Symphony-ad-2021-e1752854371122-600x300.jpg "With So Many Marketing Choices Out There, How is PanoramaNOW Different? 5")](https://panoramanow.com/with-so-many-marketing-choices-out-there-how-is-panoramanow-different/ "With So Many Marketing Choices Out There, How is PanoramaNOW Different?") ## **[With So Many Marketing Choices Out There, How is PanoramaNOW Different?](https://panoramanow.com/with-so-many-marketing-choices-out-there-how-is-panoramanow-different/ "Permalink to With So Many Marketing Choices Out There, How is PanoramaNOW Different?")** A company like PanoramaNOW Entertainment News that has a high local media presence — including strong social media followings, a high-traffic website, printed magazine, radio show, and a large Facebook audience — can significantly boost YOUR business’s exposure and revenue in the following ways: 🚀 1. Massive Local Reach = Instant Exposure With PanoramaNow’s 165,000+… **[Continue Reading →](https://panoramanow.com/with-so-many-marketing-choices-out-there-how-is-panoramanow-different/)** **[![blogging car shows home improvement recreation theatre thingstodo northwest indiana](https://panoramanow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/blogging-car-shows-home-improvement-recreation-theatre-thingstodo-northwest-indiana-600x300.jpg)](https://panoramanow.com/better-business-bureau-recommends-content-marketing-blogging-for-increased-exposure/)** **[Better Business Bureau Recommends Content Marketing *(Blogging)* the Best Marketing Tool of 2024](https://panoramanow.com/better-business-bureau-recommends-content-marketing-blogging-for-increased-exposure/)** By Rick Walz – *President/CEO* **BBB Serving Northern Indiana** If you’re a business owner with a website, you’ve probably considered adding blogging which is also known as **“Content Marketing.”** It’s a worthy thing to ponder. According to an annual survey conducted by [**Orbit Media,**](https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/blogging-statistics/) “80 percent of blogs report that their published articles drive results.” A small business emphasis on **“Content Marketing”** can be a shiny new Marketing Strategy that can [**increase traffic, leads or sales**](https://www.bbb.org/article/business/26728-bbb-business-tip-7-ways-to-use-your-blog-to-drive-traffic-leads-and-sales) for your company. [**Continue Reading . . .**](https://panoramanow.com/better-business-bureau-recommends-content-marketing-blogging-for-increased-exposure/) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Pay-Per-Introduction-vs-SEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Pay-Per-Introduction-vs-SEO/ Today I was approached by a fourth pay-per-introduction service. After evaluating the pros and cons of these services I conclude great SEO has a better return on investment than pay-per-transaction services. A pay-per-introduction service provider builds a website where individuals or businesses in search of a product or service enter a request. The service seeker pays nothing, but the vendor buys tokens or credits which must be spent each time it wants to contact one of these leads. The service seeker completes some basic information about the project such as timeline and budget. The payor-potential vendor will not see a thorough scope of work, the size of the business either revenue, customer, or employee count, and often no color on the vertical. And none have offered a guarantee on investment. Let’s distil this down. The service seeker has zero risk. The vendor makes an investment and from the above description it is fair to say she shoots into the dark. Additionally, the pay-per-introduction service provider requires the vendor to respond through by placing information into the little boxes foreclosing a sophisticated business development department to diversify how the lead is approached: essentially, vendor gets to enter an elevator pitch one-time and is going to pay to get into that elevator while seekers ride for free all day long. This is a bad system with low return on investment. If I have to pay to play, am I better off going to the casino and placing a $10.00 token on number 16? Well, there is another way. The pay-per-introduction service provider encourages service seekers to utilize the service because this is easier than going through search engines modifying search phrases until they find what they need. Instead, utilize this zero outlay no risk service to have the vendor you need contact you. Obviously, the pay-per-transaction service provider is not aware of search engine optimization. SEO is short for search engine optimization. I think it should be called Sales Engineering Opportunity. SEO is a methodology of utilizing tactics, strategies, search terms, and other meaningful elements to optimize whether your website will be found in a search and what priority it is given in a list of search results. A high-quality SEO program will not only provide great SEO but will also provide development services for your website. If web development is not a function of an SEO vendor, any credible one will at least be able to recognize the benefits of some development work and surely recommend giving the website a nice dusting. Return on investment is always important and drives or heavily influences most business decisions. Pay-per-introduction providers, at least that I have seen, offer no guarantee. You must develop a budget, buy some tokens, and throw the dice. Vendors are not even provided analytics like open rates or provided any information about why they were not contacted. Alternatively, SEO firms can provide information about the progress of the SEO, changes in recognition of searches, and analytics about site visits. This can often be provided at an defined recurring cost. Being found early in search results is paramount to getting service-seekers to open your door. I am doubtful many service-seekers think first to place their need onto a pay-per-transaction site. Most likely spend at least 10 minutes searching for a vendor. Why not get found in this search? Most of us have heard that many people do not scroll past the first page of search results. In my B2B sales, I mean business development experience, I have found more and more business owners who have even said they refuse to click on anyone with a paid ad. Organic SEO with a great website is the answer. So, if your business is looking for revenue generation be wary of pay-per-click. Instead, think about how well your Sales Engineering Opportunity (SEO powered website) is doing. Does your current vendor really know SEO? Search for your business yourself, but make sure you are thinking like a potential customer who does not know. What would she type into her favorite search engine? I would be happy to speak with you about this greater depth. My name is Charles: (219) 309-6098. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/PerfectLinkedInHeadlines/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/PerfectLinkedInHeadlines/ When you start creating your professional LinkedIn profile a key area that is seen by everyone is your professional headline. Some will put owner, sales representative, or technical support as their professional headline. These do define your *job* but do not tell anyone **who** you are. Many contend, and we strongly agree, that the professional headline property within LinkedIn is the most important part of your professional LinkedIn profile. Your headline will determine whether someone will take the effort to continue to learn more about you. Your LinkedIn professional headline is critical as it's the only customizable personal information people will see of you in listings, group discussions, homefeeds. When you appear in search results for instance, your name, location and headline will be the three visible bits. This information is also appearing within regular search engines as well. ## Be Real About Who You Are! Before we go into a catchy LinkedIn professional headline we want to iterate a key purpose of LinkedIn. LinkedIn is not Facebook! Many people will embellish who they are on Facebook. This is not the place to do that. LinkedIn is a professional setting and speaking and being truthful needs to be foremost on your mind. As many of JM2 Webdesigners customers know that we live by rule #1 "No lying". When working on your professional headline be truthful in everything that you do. ## Is Your Headline click worthy? You have a mere 120 characters in your LinkedIn profile headline to grab the attention of people. You should be utilizing every character strategically to get them to view your profile and learn more about who you are. When people are looking for qualified experts for a given field make certain that your headline stands out and describes who you are. ### Quality LinkedIn Headline examples - Serving Cullman Alabama for quality web design using proven techniques that generate sales using best practices. - Social media expert in Northwest Alabama · LinkedIn and Social Media seminars for groups and organizations - Creates systematic use of Social Media in Ventures since 2013 | Social Media Manager | Consultant | Author | Coach - I train and coach businesses and individuals on the benefits of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter integration for growth - Reliable pet-sitter in Cullman that reports back to you exactly what your dog is up to when you're not home. - Copywriter who knows how to craft information from Chesterton, Alabama. Oh and you'll never beat me at scrabble! ## Does your headline include keywords? When someone takes a glance in search results will a prospect be able to quickly identify that you offer what they're looking for? If you wish to see how well your profile works type in a chosen keyword that you would like to be found on. If your profile shows up and looks like how you want it to then you're golden. If it doesn't or your competition shows up better than yours then you need to make some changes. When you create your headline you do not have the ability to use bold, italics or colorful fonts so the only thing that can make your LinkedIn headline pop is your words to get your point across. The one item that you do have is UPPERCASE to help make your text standout. ## Getting Attention To have a headline that talks to your prospects is the key to your profile being found. When determining what headline to use here are some of the key ideas for implementing a headline that conveys the information you need to get attention. - What have you accomplished in the last 12-24 months for your clients? - Have you been mentioned in magazines, newspapers or other industry pertinent core areas of focus? - Are you rebranding yourself? Use the keywords that you want to be found under. - Are you an expert in a specific content area? - Do you talk at conferences, seminars or other group functions? ## Search Engine Optimization When using LinkedIn you will find that it is truly a search engine optimization (SEO) friendly site. Many only think of SEO as part of website design. SEO is also integral for your LinkedIn profile account. The search engines will actually index your name, your headline and initial biography and show it in the search engine result pages (SERPs). When you have your profile properly optimized you will be able to show not only within the LinkedIn result pages by the search engines as well. ## Other Tips When it comes to creating your headline you've already read a lot of great information. What we haven't covered are items that can lead to a great first impression. That is what your headline is all about anyway isn't it? - Make certain to your proper grammar when creating your headline - Spell words correctly in your headline - Don't make every word with uppercase letters. "This is a headline" is a lot more professional than "This Is A Headline". - Forget about having a constant "sales" pitch and work on providing a leading value proposition for the prospect. - If there are keywords that you want to be found under don't just list them in your headline. Add them in the rest of your profile as well. Not only your welcome message but also previous jobs, projects, etc. that you've worked on. - Be specific in what your headline says and conveys only what you want it to convey - Be creative! People will remember your headline ## Conclusion With minimal effort you can change your profile from good to GREAT by utilizing some best practices to sell yourself. After all, that is what being on LinkedIn is all about. Take your time and vet your headline ideas off of some of your family and friends. They will give you some great advice and look at your headline in a different way than you did. If you would like some assistance in writing your profile you can check JM2 Webdesigners out at any of our social media seminars we have in Northwest Alabama, [contact us here](/Contact/), call us at 256-258-8593 or email us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Picking-the-Right-Social-Media-Sites/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Picking-the-Right-Social-Media-Sites/ During the past several weeks we've talked to a half dozen companies wanting to be part of our maintenance programs for the unlimited website updates, social media monitoring, and handling their social media for a lot less than a part-time employee. One question that always comes up is which social media outlet(s) should you be on. For some it is just one while others it is more than one. We've created this article to help define which social media outlet is best to choose based on the social media outlets we typically use with our customer's. **Disclaimer**: This is a broad overview and your results will "and should" vary. Your business is unique just like each platform. Know who your audience is and where they are as that will give you the best bang for your buck. ## Some Statistics to start off on - 24% of all adults use two sites - 16% of adults are on three sites - 8% of adults are on four sites - 4% are on five or more sites ## Facebook - Best for building a community - 58% of adult's online use - 70% of adults use daily - Among adult users - 74% are college graduates - 71% have some college - 70% are high-school or less ## LinkedIn - Best for career and industry insights - 23% of adult's online use - 13% of adults use daily - LinkedIn user breakdown - 23% of people 18-29 are years' old - 31% of people 30-49 are years' old - 30% of people 50-64 are years' old - 21% of people 65+ are years' old ## Pinterest - Best for highly visual industries and marketing - 22% of adult's online use - 17% of adults use daily - 42% of online women use Pinterest - 13% of online men use Pinterest ## Instagram - Best for companies with great photography and images - 21% of adult's online use - 49% of adults use daily - Photographer breakdown - 55% are between 18-29 years' old - 28% are between 30-49 years' old - 11% of people are 50-64 years' old - 4% of people are 65+ years' old - 29% of all online females use Instagram - 22% of all online males use Instagram ## Twitter - Best for topical and timely conversations that are short and sweet (140 characters or less) - 19% of adult's online use - 36% of adults use daily - 25% usage in live in urban areas - 23% usage in live in suburban areas - 17% usage in live in rural areas ## YouTube - Best for Compelling videos - Over 1 billion online users - Almost 1/3 of all people on the internet use - Every day people watch hundreds of millions of hours on YouTube and generate billions of views - YouTube, and even just YouTube on mobile, reaches more 18-34 and 18-49 year-olds than any cable network in the United States ## Meerkat - Best for Live-Stream video from your phone to Twitter followers - 120,000 users - 78% of members are male - 22% of members are female ## Periscope - Twitter's app for Live-streaming video from your phone - Over 1 million users - 1.85 million daily active users - 71% of members are male - 29% of members are female ## Reddit - Roughly 9,800 member-driven communities and forums - Approximately 36 million user accounts - 88% of visitors go to the site multiple times per day - 8% of users are 14-17 years' old - 8.5% of users are 18-34 years' old - 3.9% of users are 35-54 years' old ## Snapchat - Best for captioned videos and photos sent directly to other users that automatically disappear - 45% of Snapchat's adult users are between 18 and 24 years' old ## Vimeo - Best for video sharing - 160 million monthly viewers - 35 million registered users - Ability to easily password protect your videos - It's estimated that the majority of its users are serious video creators ## Vine - Best for short videos - A Vine video is a 6.5-second-long looping video - Great for showing off a new product, demo a feature, tell a quick story, or share something fun - 288% of all Vine's adult users are between 18 and 24 years' old ## Conclusion When deciding what social media sites to align with your website online marketing there is no one-size-fits-all solution. When it comes to building your social media community choose where your audience is and where you see it going. Use the information above as a foundational element for deciding which social media site to choose. When it comes to building your social media site, maintaining it, and coming up with a strategy JM2 Webdesigners from Northwest Alabama is here to help your business grow. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593), [email at sales@jm2.bz](mailto:sales@jm2.bz), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Planting-a-seed/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Planting-a-seed/ We all live in our comfort zones and getting out of them is not necessarily fun and why people fall into routines. As a software developer, you would think I would love staying consistent and not pushing myself. That is partially true but I also love to learn on a daily basis and grow myself. Tonight, I wrote the information below to the team (note: this doesn't count as one of the challenge articles I put to them – that would be too simple). We cannot grow beyond our comfort zone without being pushed for a challenge. Our team continues to grow and each individual brings a new perspective into the equation in making us a stronger company as we push nationally in our web design and digital marketing. We believe in pushing ourselves and this is just another effort to push myself into a land I don't know what to expect which is the true definition of life itself. Okay, we're going to have fun with "John" and see if we can stump him (e.g. me). We're going to do a 30-day blog challenge against John. I will write one blog post per day. The catch is **you** will be deciding the topics. Being we are 10 strong that will give me 100 topics to choose from. The topics should all relate to either to us as a company or something that would benefit other businesses or individuals wanting to start up a business. Everyone needs to come up with 10 (only 10) blog article subjects. If you get more send them in a separate email to keep my funnel full. Below are my ten to get us started: 1. SEO and how it benefits your website 2. Writing authenticate articles from the heart 3. Writing when you are not a writer 4. Preparing for a slowdown in business 5. Ten reasons you need brand consistency 6. The climb to being an insider 7. Value of honesty in business 8. Reaching your audience through stories 9. The struggle to grow beyond your comfort zone 10. Why a 30-day blog challenge is important I will put all into one of our computer programs and it will randomize the subjects and I will release one per day for 30-days. I will have a queue of 100 blog topics and will use that for the upcoming year so all will be written about. These will be fun and potentially entertaining depending on what everyone comes up with. Each I will write between either 4-6am or 8-10pm during my regular study on the latest trends only that I will also be including one of these topics. During this challenge, I will be placing a seed in the ground (I just did that) and I will water it for 30-days. Will I learn and grow or burn and fail? 30-days will tell. Will I miss a day and make it up on another? Will my growth be as strong if I miss a day? Will this help push me into blogging every day? Well, these are some of the questions I plan on answering. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Pogosticking-Search-Engine-Optimization/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Pogosticking-Search-Engine-Optimization/ Pogo-sticking is not like the pogo sticks many of us grew up as a kid. When we talk about pogo-sticking this is when a person types a search term in the search engines, click on a link and then immediately after reaching a page clicks the back button as the page they landed on was not what they were looking for. In the terms of a business when pogo-sticking happens on their page a lost sale has most likely just happened. ## The Pogo-Sticking Damage Effect We all want to be on page 1, position 1 of the search engine results page (SERP) for an individual search keyword phrase. When we start reaching page 1 a core component is for people to click your link and stay on your site. When a person clicks on your link, clicks the back button, and then clicks and "chooses" another link over yours. When this happens the link the user stays on is considered more relevant for the keyword phrase that was being search for. When this happens with the search engines this event is also closely measured in Google Analytics under the term "bounce rate." ## Not Just a SERP Problem If Pogo-sticking is related to people on search engine result pages clicking on your link and then clicking back how is it not just a SERP problem? The simple answer is you could be creating your own problem internally. If someone clicks on a link on your own site that links to another internal page and then clicks back this is what is called "Internal Pogo-Sticking". This means your link text was either misinforming, the visitor made a mistake (it happens to all of us), or they saw the page and the information at the time seemed irrelevant to them. ## Page Speed Matters Many times we've seen pogo-sticking make people leave your site due to the load speed of your site. Take a look at your page and see if it is loading fast according to Google and the search engines. A great tool we use to test pages is https://testmysite.thinkwithgoogle.com/ which is a free tool that gives you some great feedback to improve your site. ## Lost Sales Opportunity When a person comes to your page and immediately leaves you are losing a potential sale. This lost opportunity is in our minds horrible and we are sure it is in yours as well. We all want people to come to our site and love our content. We want the information shared and people coming back to learn more about what we have to offer and then ultimately purchase our products and services. ## Finding and Fixing Pogo-Stick problem With Google Analytics the when you look at the results look for your page bounces. Some of the best ways to fix this from happening is to - Improve your page titles, descriptions, and keywords - Improve the page layout and structure - Improve the visual elements of your page - Improve the content and how it reads - Bullets, like this, can improve your user experience (UX) - Use clear headings for your page and for all sub-headings - Go easy on pop-ups (even better to use none). We see this as a very easy fix for many sites that have pogo-sticking problems. - Target your information to your target audience rather than being vague - Look at the keyword phrases being used on the searches and how adjust your page accordingly - Mobile friendly and device support is critical ## Conclusion For help with your search engine optimization or SEO you need a team that is dedicated to your success that understands your industry and is committed to helping you build your brand. The team at JM2 Webdesigners is a team that is willing, able, and wants to help you grow. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/PolishedImage/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/PolishedImage/ This month we have helped over a half dozen companies polish their website appearances. We evaluated their website and found the content to be exactly what they wanted to convey. The design of their company pages were dated and unappealing to their customers. The engagement on the sites were not bringing the results that they wanted. We always talk about how your website should be treated as employee of your business. Businesses want their employees to present the company in a clean, positive, polished and professional manner whenever they are working for the company as well as when they are off duty. A person trying to sell a professional service and shows up in t-shirt and shorts may be appropriate if you are selling surf boards but not when you want to sell your products and services to another professional. They always say dress to impress. Your website should always be dressed for the success of your business. A site that was first rate and top notch five or ten years ago is definitely no longer wearing or showing the best appearance. A site built a year or two ago may also be showing signs of wear as technology changes on a monthly basis. A website that may be showing its best foot forward to the people visiting the site may not be showing a good view for the search engines. A site filled with spammy words, black hat techniques or other malicious techniques to show on the search engines can not only tarnish your reputation to the search engines but make you fall off the first page of the results. Below are a few thoughts on what you should be thinking of in a site redesign to show your business in a more professional light using today’s technology. - Built-on the technologies that your users will be using - Support all the latest devices of desktop, tablet and mobile devices - A website today should be clear and concise to what you are trying to showcase - There should always be a call to action on what you want your customer to do (buy a product, engage with customer service, etc.) - The graphics that you show should be crisp and visually appealing to the content you are showing - All of your images should have text that clearly defines what they are. Navigation of your site Taking the information above we have two websites we want to showcase to you that show what a redesign will do. ## Arbor Hill Inn [Click here to visit www.arborhillinn.com](http://www.arborhillinn.com/) ![Arbor Hill Inn: Before](/Images/Content/Portfolio/arbor-before.jpg) Before ![Arbor Hill Inn: Before](/Images/Content/Portfolio/arbor-after.jpg) After With all updates there hundreds of major and minor updates to a website. Below is a small subset of the changes: - Professional photography - Clean and professional design - Simplification of the site - Social media integration - Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ## Merrion Realty [Click here to visit www.merrionrealty.com](http://www.merrionrealty.com/) ![Merrion Realty: Before](/Images/Content/Portfolio/merrion-before.jpg) Before ![Merrion Realty: Before](/Images/Content/Portfolio/merrion-after.jpg) After With all updates there hundreds of major and minor updates to a website. Below is a small subset of the changes: - Logo updated - Interface usability improvements - Improved administrative functions - Data analytics of the properties so that they know how many people are coming to the site - Social media integration - More direct contact with realtors - Search engine to navigate the site To learn how we can help your business improve its online appearances to not only your customers but the search engines contact us at through email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or call (855) 456-2669. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Political-Accounts-on-Twitter-Have-Changed-Is-Your/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Political-Accounts-on-Twitter-Have-Changed-Is-Your/ Politics and social media have changed forever due to a recent decision that changes how political accounts function and engage with others online. The questions is, are you ready to deal with the changes? Due to a recent ruling from U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York judge Naomi Reice Buchwald, it was decided that US President Donald Trump is no longer allowed to block people from his Twitter account, stating that by him doing so is a violation of the First Amendment, despite differing viewpoints from those who respond back to his tweets. What this means is that for any person in a political position, your Twitter account is a public forum. This goes beyond the realm of the president and his tweets, however, as Buchwald also added that: “This case requires us to consider whether a public official may, consistent with the First Amendment, block a person from his Twitter account in response to the political views that person has expressed and whether the analysis differs because that public official is the president of the United States. The answer to both questions is no.” **What this Means for You** The old golden rule on social media before was to block out those who bring negativity against you by deleting them from your friends list or in this case, blocking them. However, anyone running for a political position or is currently in a political position no longer has this option available to them. Being in a political position means having to have an open platform to hold a discussion with anyone who wishes to speak with you, regardless of your opinion versus theirs. Where campaign managers in the past were able to simply block out dissenters who raised their voice on certain issues, those options are no longer available, drastically changing how we interact with individuals online. **What Are Your Options?** At JM2 Webdesigners and Marketing, this decision comes as a surprise but not something that is entirely unexpected. Our team constantly pays attention to changing trends and rules when it comes to social media and marketing whether it's the recent changes at Facebook regarding the concerns regarding privacy to the recent fight against fake news online. Despite this radical shift, there are options available to keep a campaign running smoothly as well as having options to fight back against spammers and fake accounts. The first is knowing the difference and significance between the "muting" and "blocking" option on Twitter. According to Buchwald: "Muting preserves the muted account’s ability to reply to a tweet sent by the muting account, blocking precludes the blocked user from ‘seeing or replying to the blocking user’s tweets’ entirely.” While it's clear that the options between muting and blocking are different, it still presents an option that is both legal and can still provide peace of mind from constant replies. The second option is reporting fake and spam accounts to Twitter. This doesn't violate any laws as the accounts being reported are not real people and intended to incite and spread malicious and untrue news about a candidate or political party. Once reported, Twitter will decide if the account is truly fake and act against it. The third option is to simply ignore certain users and their comments. While this sounds almost childishly simplistic, it effectively is the water to a figurative fire that fake accounts and others sometimes want to start with political hot button issues. While some comments are not able to be ignored and, in many cases, it’s advisable to communicate with a variety of different viewpoints to create a wider spectrum of understanding, picking and choosing who you respond to and ignore is something that has always been a viable option and is something that should still be used today. In short, pick your battles. Choose them wisely. **Is Your Campaign Manager Throwing You Under the Bus?** As of this writing, this ruling is a little over a day old but is vitally important that it is something that your campaign manager is aware of. Regardless of if you're running for office, currently hold office or have any political position, not being aware of this law can hold disastrous consequences for everyone involved including your campaign manager. In fact, White House social media director and assistant to the president Dan Scavino was also named in the lawsuit and could potentially face legal action. Make sure that your manager is aware of this new ruling and has a plan developed designed to adapt and deal with these new changes. It could make all the difference between a successfully run campaign or significant legal action. For more information on this latest ruling, check out [this article](https://www.adweek.com/digital/trump-blocking-twitter-users-is-unconstitutional-rules-judge/). If your campaign requires a dedicated campaign manager and marketing team, please contact us at sales@jm2marketing.com. We'd love to hear from you! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Political-Website-Maintenance/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Political-Website-Maintenance/ With elections quickly coming to an end for a short period there are a few things you need to think about whether you win or lose your political office. There are certain things you need to do to be a responsible politician no matter your election outcome. Although we are talking about your website your social media needs to be thought of as well. You just ran for office and your website and social media strategies no longer mean anything. This is seriously wrong and could be potential political suicide. In fact, if you plan on continuing to run they are as important if not more important than during the election season. Your website is who you are. It defines you and tells the world what you stand for. If you don't maintain your site, your standings, and what you believe in how can anyone else trust you. Having a website operational every few years does not convey who you are. If you are no longer running for political office, we strongly recommend shutting down your site. Your political career doesn't end when the election ends. Your website should continue to be maintained and updated just as your career continues to prosper. The picture of this blog is a most interesting one. This is from a person that ran for political office, won, and is at a very high position when it comes to thinking about politics but thought that not updating their website would be fine until the next election season. This website was hacked by someone outside of the United States. It is sad to see and the site was running just fine in April 2016. In November 2016, the site was owned by a hacking group. This is where maintaining your website, keeping security updates in place, and what you're doing for those that elected you comes into play. When you keep your website, secure and updated you won't be embarrassed by such screenshots that your voters can see. If you need a company that can monitor your website 24x7, keep the security updated, and keep the voters informed on why you are the best solution than contact JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Power-of-co-working/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Power-of-co-working/ I saw an old friend today who helped make JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing the growing agent of change in Northwest Alabama. While up at the local coffee shop writing blogs, working on social media accounts, making new websites live, adding new features, and adding some green padlock (SSL) security to the new websites I saw was Eric of [Zoseco Co-working](http://zoseco.com/) and seeing him made me think of where our company has come from the idea stage in the fall of 2012 when the idea of starting a business was still a pipe dream. Each and every Sunday is a day of reflection on where we've come, what happened in the past week, and what we have coming in the upcoming week. It's a time to look at three ways small business can start out. **Note**: I want to say that this is not endorsed, paid for, etc. by Eric or Zoseco. Articles like this is what anyone that has used co-working, taken advantage of its services, and grown because of it. ## Buy or rent a building Truly the most expensive option of the three. This option is definitely for those that have some financial backing or are ready to have people lined up their door to pay the bills. This is a great option if you need a physical storefront to get your small business moving. The key with this approach is you are instantly seen as a "true business". When you have a physical address that is in a business district people will give you, right or not, more credibility for having an established brick and mortar store. ## Work out of your home This is actually where my company, JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing, started and so I have strong feelings to get started here. There are a lot of pros (and cons) to this approach. This is the lowest cost option as you are already paying for the place that you live and allows for the business to foot some of the expense (seek your accountant's advice on this). This is also where many small businesses start as you can do this easily while working at your primary job as when you get home from work you can immediately start on your new small business. I would only suggest this option if you have the ability to have one, or more, rooms dedicated to your business venture and are able to stay laser focused and avoid interruptions (laundry, dishes, television, etc.). You should keep no personal stuff beyond what you would keep in any standard office. You need to be focused and this is a great way of starting and developing your business plan. This is a great option if your business can be done completely online or are open to people coming into your house (if your community allows this). You can always meet at the local coffee shop (this is what we did) to meet with clients. We still go back to the Starbucks in Michigan City Alabama to work to keep in contact with our clients out there. ## Co-working This was phase two of our company and there were some very solid reasons for this. The first was I was getting married and moving out of my house that had extra room for an office and the new family home needed to be dedicated to just family. We did think about keeping the house in Michigan City as our first business location but commercial businesses were not allowed and an ordinance to change it was not going to happen which meant that option was out. We couldn't afford to buy or rent a building either so that option was out. In a way we prayed for an answer and at a Chamber event there was an announcement that there was a co-working space where you could "rent a desk or space" for a little amount of money. You "shared space" with others to keep costs low. This seemed to foot our bill. We were the second business to join and we stayed there for two years (to the day) as we said if our business model was viable we would need to be out within two years and if we couldn't do that then we probably should close up shop. Thankfully our model of saving small businesses money resonated well and we grow by one to three new clients per week. This also allowed space for others to startup, grow, and use the space. During our two years with Zoseco we went from one desktop, to a small office (80 square feet), to a large office, and then to our own building we bought. ## My final thoughts For us we had a need, commitment, and desire to do something different. We believed in our dream and that was what ignited our fire. If you need a physical brick and mortar space you are out of options to start and need to just go straight to buy/rent. For everyone else we suggest you start out at home until you start seeing your productivity drop, need space to meet clients, or your life changes that require moving to a more business environment. This would be a co-working space like Zoseco. Prove out your business, grow your business, and move on so that others can grow their dream. When you sit in your comfy chair you never want to get out of it. Push yourself beyond your limits daily and your dream will be achieved. On a side note, stay in contact with those in the co-working space. They are all innovators and the upcoming stars. They have great ideas, typically don't follow the norms, and believe the world can be a better place (which it can). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Power-of-Inbound-Marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Power-of-Inbound-Marketing/ With an effective inbound marketing strategy one of the items businesses will use is email newsletters to reach their audience. Your audience may be in a nearby town like Merrillville Alabama for us in Cullman or could be across the country in Amarillo Texas. When your product reaches across the country email is an effective means of communication. No matter your target audience email marketing has a lot of potential to drive people to you and inform them about your company even with the standard 15-30% open ratio. Today we will look at effective ways to utilize email marketing effectively for part of your inbound marketing strategy. We say "part of" as your inbound marketing strategy needs to cover multiple marketing methods. ## Why Use Email Marketing With such a low open rate compared to other marketing methods one might think that email marketing is a poor choice for a business. With an email list of 100 people you are likely to only reach 15-30 of those individuals if you arrive in the user's inbox at the right time. This can be frustrating with all the efforts that many of us put into every marketing channel. Email marketing helps businesses attract new customers that show interest in your products and services while continuing to inform your existing customers of what you offer. It has been said it takes a minimum of five touches to convert a prospect into a customer. We have seen it take well over twenty touches. Email marketing is one of those "touches" and helps get you closer to a sale with a customer. ## Don't forget mobile! Like your website mobile email is truly a "thing". More consumers and business users utilize mobile devices to keep up with their email. There are programs like MailChimp and Constant Contact that help by already having pre-made templates that you can customize to help achieve this. If you are already doing email marketing look at your current email newsletters and see what percentage are using mobile devices. If you are not using email marketing yet make certain that you are learn about how to use these analytics to improve each newsletter you send out. When sending out your emails here are a few items to think about from a mobile perspective: - Button sizes should be clear, concise, and easily clickable for people with fingers of all sizes - Keep your marketing emails as short, interesting, and relevant as possible - Try to keep to a single column format - Personalize if you have a person's name for that added "touch" - Keeps the size of the buttons large enough so that email recipients can easily click on those buttons from a mobile device - Try to keep your marketing emails short, interesting, and relevant - A single column responsive template always works best for creating mobile friendly emails - Adding personalization Statistics show that personalized newsletter emails increase the engagement and readers are more likely to open the email(s) when they see their name. To ensure that your marketing emails/newsletters are personalized, you need to collect customer's data at every point (more than just email address). People love to see their name when it comes to communication between an online business and customer because that's how humans communicate. Adding personalization adds authenticity to an email. ## Pre-header preview text Whether you use a web based email client or a program like Microsoft Outlook emails have a preview area that is one or two lines of text that shows as a summary of the entire email. By wording and crafting your preview message well you can increase the number of opens you receive in your mass email. ## Quality content goes a long way Quality content is not just for your website or social media posts. All methods of inbound marketing need to be crafted in a way that presents and shows quality, thought, and foresight to help your potential customers purchase from you. Do not rush the process. ## Creative subject lines Beyond the pre-header, the key to getting clicks are quality subjects to get those clicks. Items that work well in headings are: - Numbers (e.g. 10 Awesome Social Media Tips) - The word "free" (e.g. FREE guide to growing your business) - Ask a question (e.g. Are you ready to increase your business?) - Be a "tease" (e.g. Destination weekend… Want the rock star treatment?) - Make it an announcement (e.g. The winners to our contest are...) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Power-of-META-Descriptions-in-the-sales-cycle/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Power-of-META-Descriptions-in-the-sales-cycle/ Every page has a brief description outlining what your page is about. This description the normal human will never see on the website itself. You will see it within the search results if the search engine believes your description portrays an accurate representation of your page. Having a poorly crafted description could turn off a wood be customer off while a well-crafted description will not only bring them in wanting to know more but be your first step in the sales process. Let's delve in and learn what the META description is and how it can help you increase your visitor traffic to your website. ## What is the META description? There are truly two META fields that are needed for every web page of your website. The title which is like a chapter of a book and then the description which explains what the page you are viewing is about. When you are on the website you never see the META description unless you view the page source but that is for computer nerds like us. Your site visitors will never look at this information. 10+ years ago the META description helped in moving your search engine results up in ranking. Now the description is just that – a description of what the page is about and doesn't directly affect your search results. It does affect whether someone wants to click on your website link. This doesn't mean all search engines are equal. Although Google and Bing don't use it as a ranking factor today when you go overseas to China the search engine that is the leader is called Baidu and does use information from the meta description as a ranking factor. ## META Description Example Below is an example of a properly crafted META Description. ## Let's define the structure of a META description Your META description should contain some of the following attributes to be considered successful. ### Describe your page accurately Your description should be clear, concise, and most importantly enticing to others. The description will make people click onto your site. A point we come across often is a lot of businesses have their own naming convention where they abbreviated the words. Unless your abbreviation is truly well-known spell out your information. If the abbreviation is important include it with the non-abbreviated version. Be human readable and not stuffed with keywords (but use keywords) All too often people will repeat the same words over-and-over to try and move up in the search engines. Although you should utilize the keyword in your description you should not stuff your page with keywords. Matt Cutts a former Google Software Engineer stated back in September 2009 that the description is no longer used as a ranking factor. Source: [https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2009/09/google-does-not-use-keywords-meta-tag.html](https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2009/09/google-does-not-use-keywords-meta-tag.html) ### Be between 150 and 160-characters in length The target length for your description should be between 150 and 160-characters. If you go over 160-characters you will have ellipses (…) added and be cutoff which is not an ideal user experience. Some search engines have shorter description than others. We have seen some in the past that are cut off at 140-characters. The 150-160 range is what is recommended by Google. This length equates to 25-30 words that your description should be. ### Be unique on every page The description on every page should be unique and different. If you have a 3-page website you should have 3 unique META descriptions. If you are like us with a 200+ page website each of the 200 pages should have unique descriptions. ### Tips & Tricks of META Descriptions 1. A key piece of information we are always striving for is to increase the click-thru rate of users to drive traffic to the site. We often tell our clients, and ourselves for that matter, to **not think about search engine optimization** when it comes to the META description. Based on it's not a ranking factor the key to the description is making it so that your users want to click through and want to learn more about you. 2. Our second tip is to change and look at your description on the search engines. You may be within the recommended length yet you still get the ellipses or you learn that it doesn't read well for the keyword phrase that brings up the information. 3. If you notice no traffic on the search engines it could be your description isn't enticing people to click through. Change it up and see what is working and not. Utilize your analytics software to determine which pages are working and see what is different between the pages. 4. Start providing a value in your descriptions. Your vistiors to your site want to gain an answer to a question they have. Start their learning in the description if at all possible by answer part of their question and enticing them to come into your internet world to learn more. 5. Some words that you can use are *help*, *learn*, *discover*, *grab*, and *gain results* to bring people in. 6. Don't use "fluff". You are already limited on your space. Don't waste it with fluff. Get to the point. ## Conclusion When it comes to your website the search engines use your META description to display to your potential site visitors. This is your first step in the sales process to convert visitors "window shopping" into paying customers and paying customers for you to retain their business. Take the time to make this information relevant for your users. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/power-of-organic-seo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/power-of-organic-seo/ ## Understanding Organic SEO ### What is Organic SEO? Organic SEO refers to the techniques and strategies used to rank a website naturally in search engine results pages (SERPs) without paying for advertisements. It focuses on delivering quality content, using relevant keywords, and enhancing user experience to gain higher search rankings. ### Why is Organic SEO Important? Organic SEO is essential because it helps build trust and credibility with your audience. Unlike paid advertising, which stops delivering results when you stop paying, organic SEO provides sustainable visibility and attracts visitors who are genuinely interested in your content. ## Benefits of Organic SEO ### How Does Organic SEO Support Business Growth? 1. **Sustainable Traffic Growth:** Organic SEO generates consistent and long-term traffic, unlike paid campaigns that cease to send visitors once the budget depletes. High search rankings ensure that potential customers can find your business anytime they search for relevant terms. 2. **Cost-Effectiveness:** Focusing on SEO can save companies significant marketing costs over time. While it requires an initial investment, organic SEO's returns far exceed those of paid campaigns in the long run. 3. **Increased Credibility and Trust:** Websites that rank higher organically are perceived as more credible and trustworthy by users. This perception increases the likelihood of conversions and customer retention. ### What Role Does Organic SEO Play in User Experience? 1. **Enhanced User Experience:** SEO optimizes website structure and content for better user engagement. Fast load times, mobile-friendly design, and easy navigation are some factors that contribute to a positive user experience, which search engines reward with higher rankings. 2. **Quality Content Delivery:** Organic SEO prioritizes content quality. Informative, engaging, and well-structured content answers user queries effectively, which improves search rankings and increases site authority. ## Key Strategies for Effective Organic SEO ### How Can You Improve Your Organic SEO? 1. **Keyword Research and Optimization:** Identifying and integrating relevant keywords naturally into your content is crucial. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find terms that your target audience is searching for. 2. **Quality Content Creation:** Consistently produce high-quality content that educates, informs, and engages your audience. This not only attracts visitors but also encourages them to spend more time on your site, reducing bounce rates. 3. **On-Page SEO Techniques:** Optimize title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and URL structures for clarity and relevance. These elements provide search engines with insights into your content and how it answers user queries. 4. **Link Building:** Establish backlinks from reputable sites to enhance site authority. Engaging guest posts, partnerships, and collaboration with influencers can boost your visibility and create a web of relevancy that search engines favor. ## Common Questions About Organic SEO ### How Long Does It Take to See Results from Organic SEO? Organic SEO requires patience; results are not instantaneous. Typically, it takes three to six months to start seeing significant traffic improvements. Continuous optimization based on data analysis ensures long-term success. ### Is Organic SEO Suitable for All Businesses? Organic SEO is suitable for any business aiming to establish a long-term online presence. From small businesses to large enterprises, its principles can be adapted to fit different scales and industries. ## Conclusion Embracing organic SEO is crucial for sustainable online success. By investing in quality content, optimizing your site for user experience, and building a robust backlink profile, you create a strong foundation for your digital marketing efforts. Understand the principles, stay updated with SEO trends, and watch your website become a trusted resource for your audience. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/power-of-texting/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/power-of-texting/ Texting, also known as SMS (Short Message Service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), has become one of the most effective and direct communication methods in today's fast-paced world. With billions of text messages sent daily, it's a tool that's simple to use yet incredibly powerful. Businesses, communities, and organizations worldwide leverage texting to engage, inform, and build trust. But what makes texting such a game-changer, and how can it help you connect more effectively with your audience? ## What Is Texting? At its core, texting involves sending short written messages to a recipient's mobile device. It can be broken down into two primary types: - **SMS (Short Message Service)**: A text-only message limited to 160 characters per message. - **MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)**: Allows for sending images, videos, and other multimedia content alongside text. With almost universal access to mobile devices, texting has emerged as a communication method that's fast, reliable, and direct. ## How Texting Benefits Businesses Texting isn't just for personal communication—it's an essential tool for businesses to connect with their customers. Here's how: 1. **High Open Rates**: Text messages boast an open rate of 98%, far exceeding email's average open rate of 20%. People read texts almost instantly, making it an effective way to ensure your message is seen. 2. **Enhanced Customer Engagement**: - **Promotions and Discounts**: Businesses can send exclusive offers directly to customers' phones, driving immediate sales. - **Appointment Reminders**: Reduce no-shows by sending timely reminders. - **Surveys and Feedback**: Quickly gather customer opinions with short, easy-to-respond-to texts. 3. **Localized Marketing**: Texting allows businesses to target specific geographic areas or communities. For example, a local café can text daily specials to nearby customers, encouraging foot traffic. 4. **Personalized Communication**: Texting lets businesses establish a personal touch. Using customers' names and tailored content helps foster loyalty and repeat business. 5. **Real-Time Support**: With text-based customer service, businesses can quickly address inquiries and resolve issues, providing a better customer experience. ## How Texting Benefits Communities Texting isn't just for business—it plays a crucial role in fostering communication within communities. - **Emergency Alerts**: Texting is one of the fastest ways to disseminate critical information in emergencies, such as natural disasters, road closures, or severe weather alerts. Governments and local authorities use texting to keep residents informed and safe. - **Community Engagement**: Nonprofits, local groups, and schools use texting to: - Announce events. - Share updates. - Recruit volunteers. - **Neighborhood Safety**: Neighborhood watch programs and community organizations use texting to quickly share important safety updates and crime alerts. - **Voting and Civic Participation**: Texting is increasingly being used to remind people about voting deadlines, polling locations, and voter registration opportunities. ## How Texting Keeps People Informed Texting provides an immediate and reliable way to distribute important information, keeping people connected and up-to-date. 1. **Healthcare Notifications**: Healthcare providers use texting for: - Appointment confirmations and reminders. - Prescription refill alerts. - Health campaigns (e.g., flu shot availability). 2. **Education Updates**: Schools and universities send texts for: - Class cancellations. - Grade notifications. - Important announcements. 3. **Event Notifications**: Organizations use texting to inform attendees about: - Schedule changes. - Ticket reminders. - Venue updates. 4. **Crisis Communication**: Nonprofits and aid organizations rely on texting to coordinate responses during crises and keep stakeholders updated. ## Why Texting Works Here's why texting remains one of the most effective communication tools: - **Universal Access**: Most people have a mobile phone capable of receiving texts, regardless of internet connectivity. - **Speed**: Messages are delivered and read in seconds. - **Simplicity**: No app downloads or complicated setups are required. - **High Engagement**: Texting feels personal and direct, increasing response rates. ## Best Practices for Texting Whether you're a business or community organization, here's how to make the most of texting: 1. **Keep It Short and Clear**: Texts should be concise and to the point. 2. **Provide Value**: Ensure your messages offer something useful, such as important information, discounts, or reminders. 3. **Timing Matters**: Avoid sending messages at odd hours to ensure they're well-received. 4. **Be Personal**: Use names or other personalization options to make messages feel tailored. 5. **Include a Call-to-Action**: Tell recipients exactly what to do next, such as "Reply YES to confirm" or "Click the link to learn more." 6. **Respect Privacy**: Always allow recipients to opt out of receiving messages, and never send unsolicited texts. ## How Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in helping businesses and organizations leverage texting as a powerful communication tool. Our services include: - Setting up SMS/MMS campaigns tailored to your needs. - Integrating texting into your broader marketing strategy. - Ensuring compliance with texting regulations. - Providing analytics to measure campaign success. By combining texting with our expertise in digital marketing, we help you reach your audience effectively, build stronger connections, and achieve your goals. ## Conclusion Texting is a simple yet powerful tool for businesses and communities. Its ability to deliver messages instantly, engage audiences, and foster communication makes it an invaluable resource. Whether you're looking to drive sales, keep a community informed, or deliver critical updates, texting can help you achieve your goals efficiently. Ready to leverage the power of texting for your business or organization? [Contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today](/contact/), and let us create a customized texting strategy that works for you. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/power-of-text-marketing-for-business/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/power-of-text-marketing-for-business/ ### The Power of Text Marketing: Why Your Business Should Start Today In today’s fast-paced digital world, businesses need to communicate effectively and instantly with their customers to stay competitive. Text marketing, also known as SMS marketing, is an increasingly popular tool that delivers fast, direct, and highly engaging messages to customers’ mobile devices. If you’re wondering whether text marketing is right for your business, this guide will explain why it’s not just good—it’s essential. *** ### **1. Instant Reach and High Engagement** Text marketing is unparalleled when it comes to speed and engagement: - **90% of text messages are read within 3 minutes of being received**, making it the fastest way to get your message in front of customers. - With an **open rate of 98%**, SMS significantly outperforms email marketing, which averages a 20% open rate. This means that when you send a promotional text, your audience is almost guaranteed to see it—and quickly. *** ### **2. Personal and Direct Communication** Text messages feel personal because they arrive directly in your customer’s pocket. Unlike emails that can get lost in crowded inboxes, texts are hard to ignore. They create a sense of urgency and importance, making customers more likely to take immediate action. For example: - A text like *"Flash Sale! 25% off all items today only. Click here to shop: [link]"* not only grabs attention but encourages immediate responses. *** ### **3. High Response Rates** Compared to other marketing channels, text marketing has an impressive **response rate of 45%**, far surpassing email (6%) and traditional advertising. Whether you’re promoting a sale, sending appointment reminders, or offering exclusive deals, text messages get results. *** ### **4. Cost-Effective Marketing** Text marketing is a budget-friendly option that delivers significant ROI: - With low costs per message and high engagement rates, it’s one of the most cost-effective ways to reach your audience. - Automated systems allow you to send bulk texts, making it scalable for businesses of all sizes. For small businesses, this means you can compete with larger brands without breaking the bank. *** ### **5. Perfect for Time-Sensitive Promotions** One of the biggest advantages of text marketing is its immediacy. When you need to promote: - **Flash sales** - **Limited-time offers** - **Event reminders** Text messages ensure your audience sees the message before it’s too late to act. *** ### **6. Easy to Implement and Automate** Modern SMS platforms make it simple to: - Build a subscriber list. - Segment your audience for targeted campaigns. - Schedule and automate text messages. This allows you to focus on your business while your SMS campaigns work in the background. *** ### **7. Works for All Industries** Text marketing is versatile and works for almost any industry: - **Retail**: Send exclusive deals and loyalty rewards. - **Healthcare**: Share appointment reminders and health tips. - **Restaurants**: Promote daily specials or happy hour deals. - **Professional Services**: Follow up with clients or send service reminders. *** ### **8. Compliance and Consent Build Trust** Text marketing operates under strict regulations, such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which requires businesses to obtain consent before sending texts. While this might seem like a barrier, it actually builds trust with your audience: - Customers who opt-in are genuinely interested in your offerings, making them more likely to engage with your messages. *** ### **How to Get Started with Text Marketing** 1. **Build Your List**: Encourage customers to opt-in through your website, in-store, or via social media. 2. **Use Clear Calls to Action**: Include phrases like *"Text JOIN to [number] to receive exclusive offers."* 3. **Segment Your Audience**: Send personalized messages tailored to customer preferences and behaviors. 4. **Track Your Results**: Monitor metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversions to optimize your campaigns. *** ### **Conclusion** Text marketing is one of the most powerful tools a business can use to connect with customers. Its immediacy, high engagement rates, and cost-effectiveness make it a must-have strategy for businesses looking to grow. Whether you’re running a local store or managing a global brand, incorporating text marketing into your strategy can drive sales, increase customer loyalty, and keep your business top-of-mind. Don’t wait—start leveraging the power of text marketing today and watch your business thrive. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/PrepareYourWebsiteForTheHolidays/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/PrepareYourWebsiteForTheHolidays/ With Halloween being our favorite holiday it's sometimes hard for us to think of the coming holidays. Our clients though may not have the same love for our love of chocolate and want to work on gaining conversions on their website for the holiday season. Whether you are a restaurant, industrial, or a retail shop the holidays are unique for each one. The holiday's present each company with some unique opportunities to build on their existing and new customer relationships. ## Server Architecture We normally don't start off talking about Information Technology but when the holiday season comes this is one area that you need to make certain your system is prepared for. Having a system that can scale and grow with your business and the demands of holidays, special events, and regular use is critical to providing an exceptional customer experience. ## Decorations If you have a retail store you know all too well that you need to prepare your store to get people in the mood to make purchases. Your website and online experiences are no different. You need to adjust your site to entice people to purchase. This doesn't mean to make your entire site the colors of the current festive holiday. What we're saying is evaluate your site, make adjustments based on facts (e.g. analytics and customer feedback), and make the changes that truly make good business sense. ## Page Performance When it comes to providing customers with that exceptional customer experience the performance of your web pages is critical. To have a fast loading site every detail needs to be looked at. This being the size of the images used, the bandwidth (speed) of your connection, and minified (compressed) files. A surefire way of looking at your page performance is to use tools like Google's PageSpeed at [https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/](https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/). This will give you a great indication of where you are and where you might be able to improve. Not every recommendation we recommend doing but having a starting point is never a bad thing. ## Accurate Information All too often we find sites that have not been updated for years. Information should never be left outdated. Even if the information hasn't changed the internet itself does change. Changing the way, the information is displayed, adding a call to action, and making pages specific to what you are selling can help lead to more sales. ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) If you've been online and maintaining your website for more than a year you know how important having a website that is optimized for the search engines is critical to being found on Google, Bing, Yahoo!, and others. With the demand of social media being so high one might not think of search engine optimization as important as it once was. You would be shocked to know that the majority of all searches for products and services still happen on the search engines and the majority of people stay on the first page of the search results. Most users know that the top 2 or 3 spots are paid spots and routinely just skip over them as well. As part of your search engine strategy making certain that you have the right keywords on your page, titles, and descriptions is crucial. The key is to not spam people by flooding your pages with these keyword phrases. ## Social Media With everything happening in today's age you cannot forget to leave out social media in your marketing strategy. This is where you can interact with your clients both present and future, have a closer ear to what your clients are asking for, and engage them to see what they want. When evaluating social media there are a few rules of when to post, how often to post, and what types of information to post. If the majority of your customers are on a single given network, it may be worth posting more often than the recommendations. The key is to make the information you post relevant for your client base. ## Data Analytics Knowing your customers is crucial to any business. Knowing what pages' people are going to, what pages they are leaving, even what part of the country they are from will allow you to tailor your content for them. ## Mobility As of this writing and analyzing over 100 clients we can say that more than 33% of visitors are using mobile devices with screens 7" or smaller. Some of our clients reach over 65% of their users on mobile devices. For our industrial clients the percentage is smaller as the information they provide is very technical in nature and has a lot of details. Retail, realtors, hotels and bed and breakfasts are around the middle of mobile users. Restaurants are at the top of the mobility usage stack. We have no client under 10% of their users accessing with a mobile access. ## Conclusion No matter what your industry you need to have relevant and accurate information that is thought out and planned well before the holiday's begin. Although planning right before is required doing so months in advance will allow you to attack and more quickly adjust as you are on top of the needs of your customers. If you want to stay competitive and reach your intended audience, then you need to begin targeting your customers, the pages of your site, and establishing your marketing strategy well before hand. If you need assistance with your website, we would be honored to help your organization succeed. We can be reached at 256-258-8593, email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [our online form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Preparing-Social-Media-for-2017/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Preparing-Social-Media-for-2017/ We are always looking months out for preparing. We are typically scheduled out 4, 6, even 8 weeks out for our clients. The reason for this is that we want to make certain we are thinking of holidays, promotion ideas, blog ideas, social media ideas, and the individual items that are happening in the weeks ahead (e.g. New Year's Day, Trivia Day, etc.). Since content creation is a core part of what we provide to our clients with not only unique and high-quality content but aggregated content that showcases a client's unique traits we need to be thinking ahead rather than after the fact. Therefore, we are already planning for 2017. To give you an idea of what we look at we're going to look at the major items we wrote down for January 2017. As we cover each item you'll see that many of the items will pertain to multiple months. To find ideas for each category we suggest doing a Google or Bing search to find holidays for the country you are targeting (you do target international, differently right?) ## Promotion Ideas - Discount for fitness/recreation services – It is a new year so it's time for a new you - Participate in a blood drive, or discount to customers who donated blood which will bring more people into your location - Martin Luther King Day of service (16th) ## Blog Ideas - Weight management tips - Recap your holiday fundraiser - New Year's Resolution centered on your customers or one they can participate in - Health & fitness tips around getting back in shape - Ways of eating healthier - What your customers can look forward to this year - Industry outlook/prediction - Pie chart blog post (23rd) ## Social Media Ideas - New Year resolution campaign with a custom hashtag - Trivia contest related to your business or industry, winner gets a discount (4th) - Run a Dress Up Your Pet Instagram giveaway - Compliment and tag loyal customers in a photo ## Week and Day Observance Days - 1 – New Year's Day - 16 – Martin Luther King Day - 24 – Belly Laugh Day ## Conclusion This is all you need to get started. You are basically two months out and by the time you finish this for the entire year you will be a month out and start going into greater detail. Remember that you are not looking for the deep two or three unique posts that you create content, images or video for your social media. If you want this level of dedication, commitment to success, customized content for you, and a team that is dedicated to working **with you** (we don't read minds – so this is a two-way communication street) then JM2 Webdesigners is a good fit for you. If you expect us to just run the show and you have little to no input on running **your business**, don't have plans to define success, or do not want to work toward your companies growth then we are not the company to work with. We define what success is from day one for our social media clients. We do monthly recaps (or your defined period) with you on your social media and where we see places of improvement. No how well you are performing we can always find ways to improve the processes. If you want to grow and work together as a team give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Press-Release-Information/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Press-Release-Information/ ## What is a press release? A press release is a short, compelling story, to enrich the audience about something that you feel is news worthy about your business. Press releases are sent to targeted members of the media who will hopefully see a story worth writing about to further spread the good word that you are promoting. Your press release should contain all the essential information of who, what, where, when, and how. Most important for any press release is the **why** portion of the release so that the journalist can easily produce their own story from your press release. ## How to submit a press release successfully Below is an exert from what we do to determine where we should submit a press release for ourselves and for our clients. When you are making your decision look to where your industry is and choose those places that your business would benefit from. - Choose where to send - Send your release to your local media outlets. - Daily newspaper in your community: Contact the City Editor or the editor in charge of the section that relates to your content. - Weekly newspaper: Editor - Magazine: Editor or Managing Editor - Radio stations: News Director or PSA Director (if sending a public service announcement) - TV stations: News Director - Target newspapers, online newspapers or other media outlets in geographic areas where you want to expand your business. - Submit your press release to key players in your field including noted bloggers and industry leaders. - Find the e-mail address of important bloggers in your field and e-mail them copies of your press release. - Look up the names of key people in your industry. For example, if you are a member of a trade association, then find the person in charge of media relations in your association. Send your press release to that person via fax, e-mail or snail mail. - Use a distribution service (we have a large list below). If you don't have time to research outlets for your press releases, then work with someone who can help you. - Note that free press release distribution services typically offer limited exposure. With a small fee, most PR distribution agencies will be able to get your press release to news wire sites as well as media agencies. Your goal is to reach out to as many people as possible. At the end of this article, you will find a list of reputable PR distribution sites. Following the above you will get your word out there. That is the first step. The "follow-up" is the next critical factor in getting your good word out there. Call the people you submitted to and see that they received your press release. This has a few benefits. One, if they didn't you can send it, see if they read it, if the information leads them to want to know more you can further answer those questions, and you will stand a better chance of being heard with an article written about your good information. ## Press Release Benefits ## List of PR Service Websites This by far is not a complete list of PR sites. If you are a PR site please use our [contact form here](/Contact/) with a short description of your PR service and we will update and modify this list. - **[1 888 Press Release](http://www.1888pressrelease.com/)** - Free distribution, paid services gives you better placement and permanent archiving. - **[24-7 Press Release](http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/)** - Free release distribution with ad-support - **[Click Press](http://www.clickpress.com/)** - Distributes to sites like Google News and Topix.net, Gold level will also get you to sites like LexisNexis. - **[Express Press Release](http://express-press-release.com/)** - Free distribution company with offices in 12 states. - **[Free Press Release Center](http://www.free-press-release-center.info/)** - Distributes your release, offers a web page with one keyword link to your site. Pro upgrade will give you three links, permanent archiving and more. - **[I Newswire](http://www.i-newswire.com/)** - Allows for free distribution to sites and search engines, premium membership differs only slightly in adding in graphics. - **[Newswire](https://www.newswire.com/)** - Newswire's Financial Distribution provides publicly traded companies the ability to reach a wide variety of trading platforms, investor network and financial channels. All options on Newswire are for paid inclusion. - **[Newswire Today](http://www.newswiretoday.com/)** - All the usual free distribution tools, premium service includes logo, product picture and more. - **[Online PR News](http://onlineprnews.com/)** - Online PR Media is the place where traditional media press releases are supercharged with multimedia, social media, and search engine optimization, to give you the most visibility for your news releases. Our SEO press releases, multimedia press releases, and newswire press release distribution put your news in front of the right people at the right time. Welcome, and enjoy the experience! - **[Open PR](http://openpr.com/)** - A truly open press release organization catered to growing business. - **[PR](http://www.pr.com/)** - Not only will they distribute your press releases, but you can also set up a full company profile. - **[PR Buzz](http://www.prbuzz.com/)** - Completely free distribution to search engines, news sites, and blogs. - **[PR Inside](http://www.pr-inside.com/)** - European-based free press release distribution site. - **[PR Leap](http://www.prleap.com/)** - Free distribution to search engines, newswires, and RSS feeds. Fee based bumps get you better placement. - **[PR Log](http://www.prlog.org/)** - Free distribution to Google News and other other search engines. - **[PR Urgent](http://prurgent.com/)** - Not only distributes your release, but attempts to teach you how to write one, and even offers downloadable samples for you to work with. - **[PR Web](http://service.prweb.com/)** - PRWeb is the leader in online news distribution and publicity. It offers various press release packages, enabling businesses of all sizes to increase the visibility of their news, reach new audiences, stand out in search, and drive traffic to their websites. PRWeb’s editorial team reviews, optimizes and distributes news releases to major search engines, journalists and bloggers. - **[PR9](http://www.pr9.net/)** - Ad supported press distribution site. - **[Press Base](http://press-base.com/)** - Submit your release for free and get on their front page and the category of your choice. - **[The Open Press](http://theopenpress.com/)** - Gives free distribution for plain formatted releases, fees for HTML-coded releases. ## Conclusion There is a lot that goes into creating a press release as well as submitting it for exposure. We recommend allocation 6-8 hours for submitting your press release and then that same amount of time to handle any follow-up calls with them. Many times the follow-up will take longer than it does the submission process due to the follow-up being done by calling the company. We love that our content writing staff has both traditional media and digital media experience as it allows us to properly help our clients achieve the best results on both. With as much time that it takes many businesses will opt to let companies like JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama help support their marketing needs. If you would like assistance in writing a press release, submitting a press release. You can reach us to let us take the heavy lifting while you focus on your business by [emailing us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), [through our contact form here](/Contact/) or by calling [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Put-marketing-on-its-head-to-create-buzz/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Put-marketing-on-its-head-to-create-buzz/ Part of any good marketing plan is to create a positive buzz in the industry that you are. When people talk about your marketing after days or months have past you know you've created something substantial. An agile company needs to quickly adapt to change. Our own marketing efforts need to change as when you target big publicly traded companies that seems to have endless supplies of cash you need to be creative in everything you do. Recently we have been adding clients from these large publicly traded companies and learning a lot from these clients. Each new client we bring on we always ask what made you switch and choose us over X, Y, and Z. We always ask what is their definition of success and failure as everyone has a different opinion on each. This knowledge helps us in giving recommendations for other companies that we have aligned with to further help drive traffic and increase their business. Over the years it has been listening to where and how our clients find out about us that is making us evaluate where to focus and spend any marketing dollars. We have learned that are biggest asset is our "heart" and honesty as a company. We always give that extra mile of effort as we know it will further establish trust in our brand with our client. We have learned that our previous marketing didn't work for our client base. In the last four years we spent heavily on news and advertising to achieve four sales from those sources. We needed to change in our marketing to be more agile. We were doing too much "old school" and not enough with the new marketing techniques. We made the first change a year ago doing highly targeted paid ads on the search engines and social media. This has worked well in getting the word out to a select group that we were targeting. We understand for many businesses money is their primary driver. We have all worked for companies that say they need to reach a goal of 10%, 20%, etc. increase "or else". We've chosen a different approach in that we have to continue to pay bills, increase pay, and grow. There are no quotas but we have targets we strive for. As the company reaches, or surpasses, these we add more paid days off, pay increases, etc. Increasing our revenue is a true priority to the company but not a core driving factor. We factor in our costs, negotiate lower rates every six months, and then add 5% to that as the company profit. That is our pricing model which we are told can't work but we are doing it because those that believe in us have helped us do it. Our clients invest in us and we invest in them. It is not a unique concept but one many have lost touch of. Our small business model is one of collaboration and working cohesively with our clients. We listen to their stories as they drive and inspire every solution we bring for them. It's their story that makes us want to go that extra mile for their flat monthly fee they pay us. In August, we really started talking internally of how to achieve the needs we've heard. We knew to compete more at the national level we needed to increase our own marketing and branding of the company. We also wanted to drive more value to our existing clients. We looked at all the popular methods of print, newsletters, magazines, newspapers, radio, search engines, social media, other websites, and even television. None of this fit who we were as a company to market our unique set of solutions. We are nowhere near your typical company and if you read what I write you will quickly learn that. We believe in honesty first and foremost as we believe that will increase your sales more than anything else. When you are honest you will always do more for your clients as your heart is vested in them. We push the limits of everything and have what we feel is the perfect work/life balance. As I write this half the team is working at home, in a coffee shop, or who knows where. We put on our creative digital hats on and said why not give something of value to the people that would glance over our ads or not see them at all. It's beyond a novel approach as initially it will start out s-l-o-w and with then slowly grow. The hope is it catches on, others realize it's importance, and we gain some virality out of this campaign. We chose to actually let those who are not our customers use our services to improve their business by promoting their unique story for free? Businesses can also write their own stories and we'll also promote those as well. It seems like a crazy plan and one we've never heard of anyone doing so it fits who we are as a company. When you ask a creative team to step up to a challenge this would be one great example of what the team does. Best part, as a business owner, it doesn't cost us any more money than we would be spending otherwise. We are just reallocating resources which helps turn our content writers into more experts in their field. It is our typical win-win situation. Not only does this turn our own marketing efforts completely on its head but creates that buzz and talk that any good marketing company would want to achieve. We know that this endeavor could fall flat on its face but that is what being agile is all about. You come up with an idea, get behind it, try it, modify it, and keep iterating through the problem. We see this along with a few large projects we've been working on to truly change the tide in the national web design and marketing game in the coming year. Make certain to ask us throughout the year on how it's going and let us know your thoughts on this exciting, crazy, and new idea. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/quick-seo-wins/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/quick-seo-wins/ When it comes to moving upward on the search engines you need to be thinking of ways to improve after you launch your website. A bad website can be the prettiest one in the world that is not kept updated. Google implements thousands of algorithm updates each year. You wouldn't, or we hope you wouldn't, hire an employee, hand them the employee manual, and then never work with them. Your website is your employee. Help it grow and it will help you increase your leads and business profits. Below we have several items for you to look at to SEO optimize your website for visibility and user engagement: - **Optimize Meta Descriptions and Title Tags**: Ensure each page has unique, keyword-rich meta descriptions and title tags to improve search engine rankings and click-through rates. - **Enhance Header Tags (H1, H2, H3)**: Utilize header tags effectively by incorporating relevant keywords to structure content and improve readability for both users and search engines. - **Improve Page Load Speed**: Optimize images, leverage browser caching, and minimize CSS and JavaScript files to reduce page load times, enhancing user experience and search engine rankings. - **Implement Alt Text for Images**: Add descriptive, keyword-rich alt text to all images to improve accessibility and provide additional context to search engines. - **Create High-Quality, Engaging Content**: Develop informative and engaging content that addresses the needs of your target audience, incorporating relevant keywords naturally to improve search visibility. - **Ensure Mobile-Friendliness**: Verify that the website is fully responsive and provides an optimal user experience across all devices, as mobile-friendliness is a key ranking factor. - **Utilize Internal Linking**: Incorporate internal links to guide users to related content and help search engines understand the site structure, improving crawlability and user engagement. - **Secure the Website with HTTPS**: Ensure the website is secured with an SSL certificate, as HTTPS is a ranking factor and builds trust with users. - **Optimize URL Structures**: Use clean, descriptive URLs that include relevant keywords to improve search engine understanding and user experience. - **Implement Schema Markup**: Add structured data to provide search engines with detailed information about your content, potentially enhancing search result appearances with rich snippets. ## Conclusion By constantly addressing these areas you can improve your websites search engine visibility, attract more organic traffic, and provide a better user experience. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Quick-tips-to-kickoff-your-SEO-efforts/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Quick-tips-to-kickoff-your-SEO-efforts/ Search Engine Optimization or SEO can't be done in a single day. You can in one day though make a lot of small changes and improvements that will help you get a great jump start on improving your SEO. The improvements we outline today are all foundational items that are needed for any SEO and items we've been fixing left and right for many clients we've taken on updating their websites over the past several months. **Page Title** – The page title shows in the title or tab of your web browser as well as within the search engine result pages or SERP. Every page should have a page title and that title should be unique for every other page on the site. The title should be between 55 and 60 characters in length. **META Description** – Although the META Keywords is not used by any major search engine (no reason to fill that out) the META Description is used by the major search engines. The description should give a brief synopsis of your page. This description stands a good chance of showing on the SERP if the search engines feel it is relevant to the page itself. The META Description should be around 150 to 160 characters. Each search engine varies so we normally think of the description as a short TWEET of what the page is about. This make is short, concise, and without a lot of fluff. **Website URL** – Your domain name defines who you are on the internet. This piece is written in stone as once you purchased it you can't change it without purchasing another domain name. The part to the right of the final slash of your domain name(e.g. https://www.domain.com/) is what we're talking about. This should use your page title, have keywords, etc. without being "spammy" or false in nature. The page should match the content of the site. You should never go more than three levels deep in the URL structure and most modern content management systems or CMS will guide you away from doing so. **Keywords in your content** – As we said earlier the META Keywords is no longer used as too many people abused it and the search engines over the years have greatly progressed in their capabilities in understanding natural text. Your content should be written for a human, not a computer, to understand. You should include keywords on each page if it makes sense on the page. If there is a lot of keywords you want on a single page think about making another page. Do **NOT** keyword stuff on your page. This is where you add the same word repeatedly in hopes of ranking. Most times it will have the reverse benefits for your site. **H1 Header Tag** – Every page on your site should have one, and only one, H1 tag. This is the highest header, is often at the very top, and we often refer this as the title of a book chapter heading as it only should appear once per page just like a title should only appear once for a chapter. This should tie in with the title, META Description, URL of the page, and if possible the first paragraph of the page. **H2 through H6 heading tags** – These can appear multiple times on a page and often go H2, H3, back to H2, H3, H4, etc. Normally you do not skip numbers but skipping (e.g. going from H1 to H5 is allowed). Using keywords in these headings is beneficial if it fits the content of the page. Again, do not keyword stuff. **Images** – Images are an important aspect of telling the story on your website about your company. There are three primary formats for images. These are GIF, PNG, and JPG files. GIF is great for lower resolution, transparent and animated images, PNG is great for higher graphics and can also handle transparent backgrounds, and JPG (or JPEG) are great for the highest quality images. When saving your images, they should be at the highest compression level that will create the smallest size possible while not losing quality for the users. **Filenames** – Image and document filenames on your site can help your SEO by having keywords in them. Often, we will see Document.pdf and image.jpg as used names. These do not help your SEO at all. By changing Document.pdf to MyCompanySalesFlyer.pdf you are giving a lot more information, using keywords, etc. Images and documents should all have names that mean something even if a human is not going to see them as a human will be the one maintaining the system. Another item to note on filenames you should avoid spaces in the name. If your site is already live don't change those files but going forward when you upload your files make certain that spaces are removed. It's common to use a dash (e.g. -) where spaces are located. **PDF Files** – The content of your PDF files and other files should not be stored as images. The easiest way to tell is to load the file and see if you can select the text with your cursor. If the whole file is selected and not the text the PDF is most likely not going to rank well on the search engines. **Alternate Text** – Every picture we know needs to have great and useful filenames with keywords. Behind those pictures is some hidden text. This text helps people with disabilities as well as the search engines to know about what the image is. Like the META Description the alternate text should clearly define what the image is about as quickly as possible without a lot of "fluff". **Internal Links** – We all love backlinks from external sites but a great way to improve and add credibility to your own pages is to link to them from your pages. By using keyword rich, branded and normal anchor text in your internal linking process you will improve your internal SEO. **Speed** - Search engines, like users, love a fast performing website. You want to make certain your website loads as quickly as possible. We strive for loading within 3 seconds for all content "above the fold" (this is the part before you start scrolling). The faster your page loads the better the user experience is for your site visitors. **Security** - The green lock is extremely important now. Whether you have an eCommerce site or not every page of your website should use the green lock. You can learn about what the green lock is in John and Kyle's Digital Talk explaining what the green lock is. [You can read our blog "Can your online brand be trusted?" here](/Blog/Details/Canyourbrandbetrusted/). **Google My Business** – A great way to improve your SEO is to ask for reviews from people that are interested in your products and services. You can capture reviews on your website, Facebook, or within your Google My Business page. To setup Google My Business go to [https://www.google.com/business/](https://www.google.com/business/). You will need a Google Gmail account (free) to create your page. This Gmail account is also needed for your Google Analytics account setup if you don't already have one. **Google Analytics** – Knowing who comes to your site is important. Just as knowing how they navigate and use your site is important. There are many great products out there that give you great insights and analytics. The one we use and recommend for every site, even if we use other analytics software, is Google Analytics. The price is right – free - and it helps you see a lot of great insights about your website, if Google has you properly indexed, and if Google sees any bad trends with your website. To setup Google Analytics go to [https://www.google.com/analytics/](https://www.google.com/analytics/). We always recommend getting reviews on multiple locations and sites to hit the widest audience possible. **Blogs** – Blogs are one of the best ways to add unique content to your core site and show positive change to your website. This change should have quality content (Content is King) and be relevant and helpful to your audience. When you create blog articles make certain to categorize them so that it makes finding them easier with the proper blog categories. The blog should also be part of your main website (e.g. domain.com/blog) so that your main website gets the SEO credit. When you have blog.domain.com you lose some SEO ranking as it is not part of the core site and any links to the main site are considered more as backlinks than internal links and new content to your core site. If you feel the list above is already overwhelming or that you don't know what you need to fix the team at JM2 Webdesigners is here to help. We have plans in place to handle your complete SEO needs as well as SEO Audit needs with guidance on how to fix your site. JM2 can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/rank-on-google-2026/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/rank-on-google-2026/ If you’re a business owner, you’ve probably heard a lot of bad advice about SEO: - “Just use more keywords” - “Post every day” - “Buy backlinks” - “Write for Google, not people” Most of that advice is **outdated** — and in some cases, actively harmful. In 2026, Google doesn’t reward tricks. It rewards **usefulness, expertise, and clarity**. This guide walks you through a **simple, repeatable process** you can use to rank content — even if you’re not an SEO expert — and shows how we apply the exact same system for every Fawkes Digital Marketing customer. ## The Truth About Ranking on Google Today Google no longer ranks pages based on: - Keyword density - Exact-match phrases - Content length alone Instead, Google evaluates: - **Search intent** - **Depth of expertise** - **Topical authority** - **Internal connections** - **User satisfaction** In plain English: > Google wants to see that you actually know what you’re talking about — and that your content helps real people. ## Step 1: Start With Real Questions (Not Keywords) One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is starting with: > “What keyword should I target?” Instead, start with: > “What questions are my customers actually asking?” ### Use AnswerThePublic (Free & Powerful) 1. Go to **answerthepublic.com** 2. Type in what you sell or what you want to rank for - Example: *“tree service”*, *“accounting services”*, *“web design”* 3. Scroll down to **organic search questions** You’ll see dozens of real searches like: - “How much does \_\_\_ cost?” - “Is \_\_\_ worth it?” - “How long does \_\_\_ take?” - “What’s the difference between ***and*** ?” 👉 **Pick a question you genuinely know the answer to.** That’s important. ## Step 2: Let AI Help — But Don’t Let It Replace You AI doesn’t rank content on its own. But when used correctly, it helps you **extract your expertise** and organize it. ### Use This Exact AI Prompt Paste this into your AI tool: > *“I’m writing a blog article about **[TOPIC]**. Ask me any questions you’d need to know the answers to in order to write a truly helpful blog article using my expertise, experience, case studies, examples, and real-world knowledge. Keep it limited to 10 questions.”* ### Why This Works - AI becomes the interviewer - You become the expert - The article reflects **your experience**, not generic content This aligns perfectly with Google’s E-E-A-T principles: - **Experience** - **Expertise** - **Authority** - **Trust** ## Step 3: Answer the Questions Like You’re Talking to a Customer Now answer the questions honestly: - Use examples - Mention mistakes people make - Share what you’ve seen work (and fail) - Be specific Don’t worry about: - Perfect wording - SEO formulas - Length Google cares far more about **clarity and usefulness** than polish. Once you answer the questions, ask AI to: > “Turn my answers into a clear, helpful blog article written for a business owner.” ## Step 4: Create Internal Links (This Is Where Most People Fail) Publishing great content isn’t enough. Google still needs to **find and understand it**. ### Do This Immediately After Publishing 1. Go to your website 2. Find **three older blog posts or pages** 3. Add a natural link to your new article Example: > “If you want a deeper breakdown, we explain it here.” ### Why This Matters - Google crawls old pages more often - Internal links pass authority - Your new article gets indexed faster - Rankings stabilize sooner This step alone often cuts ranking time **in half**. ## Step 5: Optimize Images (Most SEO Guides Ignore This) Images are not decoration anymore. They are **search assets**. For every image you upload, Google evaluates: - File name - Alt text - Metadata - Page performance impact This is why Fawkes Digital Marketing automatically: - Generates SEO-friendly image filenames - Writes AI-based alt text - Embeds location metadata (when appropriate) - Converts images to modern formats (WebP) - Applies long-term caching and CDN headers Most businesses never touch this — and it’s a missed opportunity. ## What Fawkes Digital Marketing Does for Our Customers (Automatically) Everything you just read is what we **teach**. Here’s what we **handle for you**: - AI-driven SEO content structure - Keyword → metadata automation - Image optimization & compression - Alt text generation - GEO-optimized EXIF data - Internal linking strategy - Web-performance optimization - Secure, scalable delivery - Ongoing technical SEO hygiene So you can focus on: > Running your business — not chasing algorithms. ## The Real Takeaway If you remember one thing, remember this: > **Google doesn’t reward content written “for SEO.” It rewards content written by people who actually know what they’re talking about.** AI is just the assistant. Your experience is the differentiator. And when you pair that experience with a platform built to optimize, protect, and scale your content — that’s when rankings become predictable. ### Want This Done For You? If you’d rather focus on your business and let SEO work quietly in the background, that’s exactly what Fawkes Digital Marketing was built for. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Reasons-for-switching-from-Adobe-Muse/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Reasons-for-switching-from-Adobe-Muse/ Adobe Muse was created on May 7, 2012, with more than fifteen releases since then. Adobe Muse is a website builder that allows designers to create fixed, fluid, and adaptive websites without having to write any code. The keyword here is “designers”. Adobe Muse was created obviously by Adobe to solve and simplify the web for desktop, tablet, and mobile devices prior to most people even thinking of tablet and mobile devices. Adobe was beyond ahead of the curve with their proprietary solution. It was fast and still is. Muse utilized custom widgets from an online store to make it simple for graphic designers to create websites (e.g. no nerd required). Adobe has had a long history of proprietary products that eventually die. In fact, all software eventually dies. Just if you want to kill off a product sooner rather than later it seems Adobe has a good handle on that. Being publicly traded I can understand that as it’s all about the money rather than serving customers. I can except that. If Adobe Muse was a cash cow like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator I am sure it wouldn’t be going away. From a technology standpoint, I see Adobe Muse as fundamentally awesome yet flawed at the same time. It is not our point here of deciding that. I just want to list the major reasons for switching from Adobe Muse along with some potential “gotchas” you might run into. - May 20, 2021, will be the last official day Adobe Muse will be supported (Source: [https://www.businesscatalyst.com/#faq](https://www.businesscatalyst.com/#faq)) - Starting with March 26th, 2021, all sites will no longer be live - SEO is set to title tags, descriptions, and keywords with no structured META data for social media - Note: Keywords are no longer used by the search engines - No simple migration path (complete re-writes are required) as the MUSE code is not fully HTML5/CSS3 compliant which is what all modern content management systems (CMS) use - You can no longer buy the Adobe Muse software which was one option of keeping your website updated past the March 26, 2021 date. If you have already purchased the physical (not monthly subscription) you can still use Adobe Muse past March 26, 2021. - You can no longer use “test servers” provided by Adobe as of August 27, 2018 - Ability to edit through the web browser will no longer work at all. You will only be able to edit your site using HTML (code). ## Minor - Both a blessing and a curse. Muse sites lock you into modifying the text/images in predefined layouts. This helps eliminate people breaking a site but also restricts on the future growth and expansion of a site. ## Important but easily corrected - Most Muse web hosts do not do daily backups. Being Muse sites are not changed often this can be done manually or backup added to a hosting plan. - Most Muse websites are not monitored for being hacked. They are set and forgotten about. Monitoring for text changes and server changes are easily added. - Most on Muse will use @Gmail.com, @outlook.com, @yahoo.com, etc. email addresses and not branded to their domain providing a branded email address that matches their domain. ## Not all is bleak If you Adobe Muse is not hosted on Adobe your site will still be running and your customers will not know you are running on software that is no longer used or supported. You just will only be able to edit your website using straight HTML (code). ## Conclusion Even with all this “oh my”, “the world is ending”, etc. you are still oaky. The key is fixing the problem sooner rather than waiting to the last minute. When you wait and have to rush your prices are almost always going to be higher. By addressing migrating from Adobe Muse sooner you can not only upgrade and get out of this crisis but also do some refresh and optimizations for the latest search engine and web technologies. We, JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing, have been migrating Muse sites to HTML5/CSS3 industry standard websites since Adobe announced the end-of-life of the product. What we’ve seen from these migrations is companies taking better advantage, taking more pride in their websites, and increasing their digital marketing experience for their customers. If you are ready to migrate your Adobe Muse site let us know. Many times we are done within one week and the site will actually perform better than it does under Muse with more control to you, the business owner. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Replying-to-Reviews/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Replying-to-Reviews/ There are three ways to reply to reviews. We're going to cover the worst to the best way. I encourage you to read all as I explain why the bad ones are awful and hurting your business growth. ## Types of reviews One of the best things a customer can do is leave you a review. They can leave you a star-only review where they choose between one and five stars. Some review systems only allow a recommend/not-recommended option compared to a starred review. We are going off people using the star review process, which is the most common. They can leave a starred review with a comment. Whether a person leaves just a starred review or a rating and a comment, think of what they've just done for you. They have taken time out of their day to provide you with a review and give your business some "social proof." This social proof will not only be a silent word of mouth that people will see but one that has an excellent potential of adding to your overall revenue. ## What if it's a bad review? Yes, we want our customers to talk to us if they have a negative experience to fix it rather than leave a negative review. Not every customer is that way. Old-school manners don't always exist. People are also afraid of confrontation in today's society. I know you would never call out a customer for being wrong (even if they are) as you have all the proper manners. You would make the situation right and never have a negative review. ## I want a perfect score! Are you sure you do? Why? Aren't you human? We all have off days. You should always shoot for a 5-star review all the time. That is very unlikely to happen. If you are always shooting for the best, you will end up between 4-5 stars. If I must choose between a 5-star and a 4.6 star, I will almost always choose the 4.6-star business. The reason is I have seen too many businesses buy reviews (bad, very bad!!!!), or they don't have a lot of reviews. Imagine having 200+ reviews and all being 5-stars. You will be questioning the legitimacy of the reviews as you know that the odds of that are near impossible. ## Review Response: Doing Nothing (Worst) Yes, doing nothing is a response. It says you don't care. A person has left a review, and you don't respond to it. You do this as it's positive, and you don't feel a reason to reply. ## Review Response: Thumbs Up You've clicked the thumbs up or the review site equivalent and are saying, "Yes, I saw you left a review. Thanks!" You are doing the absolute minimum. You are not thanking them for taking the time out of their day. How would you feel if you thanked someone for doing whatever it is they did, and you received only a thumbs-up response. You would feel acknowledged but lacking inside. ## They left me a comment and a 4-star review! For the next two, we will use the same review scenario for both as both responses are good. One is just better than the other. You receive a 4-star review with "They came out, they did everything they promised, left my business cleaner than it was when they left, and truly exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend this company and will use them again." First, that is an awesome review. You might be equally thinking like WTF. You said we did everything right, exceeded your expectations, and we only rate a 4??? You think that is so unfair. You would be right for thinking that when I wrote it, I would've thought it would rank a 5-star review. We don't know our customers as well as we think we do. Many might save that 5-star for something amazing (like solving world hunger, solving homelessness, etc.) We don't know what is going on in their head and a 4-star review is still an amazing review! ### Review Response: Short Story (Great) We respond with the thumbs up so that we know we've read it but also add a comment saying, "Thanks, Brenda! We can say we loved coming out and painting your house. We look forward to helping you with your other projects this coming year." ### Review Response: Complete Response with SEO in Mind (Best) We respond again with the thumbs up so know we have read it and change our reply saying, "Thanks, Brenda! Your house is truly amazing in Long Beach, Alabama, with breathtaking views. As we painted the interior of your home, we were completely amazed at how the colors we picked out for you completely changed the feel of your kitchen, dining room, and sunroom. We are excited to hear more about how your family and guests do when we do the rest of your projects you want to be done in the summer." ### The difference between the two responses Both responses are good. The second review response helps stoke the customer's ego, remember you, and does a few other things that will benefit your business. It says: - We are looking forward to the next project. - You are adding SEO value by mentioning essential items you did. - You're stoking their ego when they get the response back may make them change their 4-star to a 5-star. - As complimentary as you were, they will surely remember your name and be great word-of-mouth to their friends and family. ## Now let's do a negative review! You receive a one-star review and a response that "this was the worst meal of my life." ### That was a harsh review! Ah, the keyboard warrior. We all will face them, and it will make us want to cry. These reviews can be short or extremely long. How you respond will determine the power of the review. Yes, the person should've confronted you and allowed you to correct it. Some people thrive off of leaving reviews like this as they feel important. We see it entirely differently and love these reviews. We don't want to receive any, but one or two can help your business more than a positive one. Let's take a look at a couple of reviews. ### Response #1 - Good Here is how we would reply, saying, "John, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We always strive to provide the best-tasting food, and our 200+ reviews from other customers show we do a great job. I am not sure what happened, but I hope you will pick up the phone so we can talk and we can make it right for you." ### Response #2 - Better Reply saying, "John, we see you had two steak dinners. One cooked medium and the other well done. As the owner, I want to personally apologize if your steak was too well done for your taste. I would love for you to call the restaurant directly and ask for me, Tony, and I to make it right. I would love to know more details about your experience. I invite you and who you had with you to come back." This is a better response as you've taken the time to dig into the complaint, apologized, and asked them to talk to you offline (off the internet) to go over all the details. ## When replying do these things Positive and negative reviews deserve the same amount of attention to detail. You need to do the following for all of your reviews: Read the review carefully taking note of the following: - The date of the problem. - The tone – is the writer angry, upset, frustrated or something else? - Do you think you can make it right? - The person's name and any staff that were part of the issue. - Research to make certain the information is accurate (even positive reviews!) - For negative reviews, always apologize and have empathy for your customer - "I am so sorry we messed up." - "I am so sorry you feel that way." - Reiterate and solve their problem - Never get personal or attacking. Yes, the customer may deserve it, but it will always be there once written. Think of your reputation as a business. - Positive reviews: - Thank them and add as much valuable information as possible ## As a Side Note As a truly awesome side note if you're not the best in replying to reviews, Fawkes Digital Marketing, has the tools and software that utilizes **Artificial Intelligence** (AI) that can automatically reply for you. If you're interested in the AI version of replying or our tried and true replying (our number one reputation management seller) by actual humans, let us know. ## Conclusion Your customers leaving reviews is critical to your business and the word of mouth that it can generate. Take each one as the most important review you have ever received. You don't know which review response will convert a potential customer into a customer. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/reputation-management-is-essential-for-business/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/reputation-management-is-essential-for-business/ ## Introduction In today’s digital landscape, your business reputation is a critical component of success. A strong, positive reputation not only builds customer trust but also directly impacts business growth and online visibility. Reputation management is about proactively managing how your business is perceived online, ensuring that your brand message aligns with customer experiences and expectations. Here’s why every business should prioritize reputation management—and how it can improve SEO as an added advantage. ## The Value of a Strong Business Reputation - **Building Customer Trust and Credibility**: Consumers often rely on online reviews and brand perception before choosing to engage. A strong reputation fosters trust, making customers more likely to choose your business over competitors with mixed or poor reviews. - **Increasing Customer Loyalty and Referrals**: Customers who feel they can trust your business are more likely to return and recommend it to others. Reputation management helps reinforce customer satisfaction and generates word-of-mouth referrals, which are invaluable for growth. ## The Core of Reputation Management: Online Reviews and Ratings - **Why Online Reviews Matter**: Online reviews are a major decision-making factor for consumers. Reputation management involves regularly monitoring and responding to reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and social media to show customers that you value their feedback. - **Responding to Negative Reviews Proactively**: Engaging with dissatisfied customers and resolving issues publicly can demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction and help rebuild trust. This turns negative experiences into opportunities for improvement. - **Encouraging Positive Reviews to Build Authority**: Proactively asking satisfied customers for reviews increases the volume of positive feedback, boosting your brand’s authority and appealing to potential customers. ## Enhancing SEO Through Reputation Management - **The Connection Between Reviews and SEO**: Google and other search engines prioritize websites with strong reputations and positive reviews. High ratings and frequent, recent reviews can signal to search engines that your business is trustworthy and valuable, resulting in improved rankings. - **Increased Click-Through Rates**: Positive reviews not only increase trust but can also boost click-through rates from search results. When users see positive ratings alongside your business in search listings, they’re more likely to click, enhancing SEO metrics like user engagement. - **Local SEO Benefits**: Reviews on local platforms like Google My Business play a significant role in local search rankings. For location-based searches, positive reviews help your business appear more prominently on local listings. ## Social Media and Reputation Management - **Monitoring Social Mentions**: Social media is a dynamic space where customers share feedback and experiences. Actively monitoring mentions allows you to address feedback quickly, often turning neutral or negative comments into positive outcomes. - **Enhancing Brand Perception**: A positive reputation on social media reinforces your brand image. By responding to comments, sharing customer testimonials, and engaging with followers, you cultivate a loyal community and strengthen your reputation. ## Building Long-Term Brand Value Through Consistency - **Consistency Across All Channels**: Managing your reputation involves maintaining a consistent brand message across all digital platforms, from your website to social media and review sites. This consistency builds recognition and familiarity, key elements of a strong brand. - **Reputation as a Competitive Edge**: An actively managed reputation can set you apart from competitors, especially if they have not prioritized their own online presence or responses to customer feedback. ## Practical Steps for Effective Reputation Management - **Monitor Reviews and Social Mentions**: Set up alerts for new reviews and mentions of your business across platforms. This allows for timely responses and keeps you aware of public perception. - **Encourage Feedback Regularly**: Make it easy for customers to leave reviews by sending follow-up emails or creating feedback forms. A steady flow of reviews reinforces positive sentiment and supports SEO. - **Respond Professionally and Promptly**: A quick, courteous response to feedback—whether positive or negative—demonstrates your dedication to customer satisfaction and keeps communication channels open. - **Invest in Customer Service Excellence**: Great reputation management starts with a solid customer experience. Addressing customer needs effectively ensures that more feedback is positive from the start. ## Conclusion: The Growth and SEO Benefits of Prioritizing Reputation For a business aiming to grow in a competitive landscape, reputation management is an essential strategy. Beyond the immediate benefits of trust and customer loyalty, reputation management directly impacts SEO, enhancing online visibility. By actively managing reviews, social media engagement, and consistent customer feedback, your business can build a reputable, authoritative presence online that supports long-term growth and positions your brand for success. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ResponsiveDesign/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ResponsiveDesign/ The underlying principal of responsive design is that users want to view your website on more than just a desktop computer. Your site visitors want to view on their mobile device (4-6" screen), tablet device (7-13" screen), laptop (14-17" screen), desktop (15-32" screen) or television/projection system (27+" screen). With a design that is responsive your website will constantly take into account the properties and capabilities of the device and the browser which is consuming the content so that it displays how you want it to on the size of screen they are using. A responsive web design is broken into a grid based system, which lets the developers of your website define how an experience will scale on each users device. The images on the website should also be responsive and not just the content so that the images show as one would expect when viewing on different device sizes. The biggest change isn't on your site visitor but on the developer of your website itself. Designing for more than one screen size requires the designer to step out of there comfort zone of one layout and done. He or she now needs to account for different sizes, on different devices, within different content browsers and get away from thinking of fixed and specific measurements. By using relative and not definitive measurements for the elements within a page and the containers of the data, the basic design and usability of the page can be maintained as the page scales up or down. This makes the site a responsive site. As screen sizes get smaller people typically will need more specific information and not many pages of information. A responsive design will help you in your search engine optimization (SEO) as well. The reason is that you will be serving the same information to all devices. When you choose to have specific pages for desktop, tablet and mobile you are serving different content possibly to each. To the search engines this is a bad practice and is something to steer away from. By hiding information utilizing CSS media queries you are hiding the information that doesn't apply on smaller screen sizes but overall serving the exact same content to the visitor no matter which device they chose to use. You may be thinking that your business doesn't need a responsive design as the only people you want to provide information to are those that sit at a desk. Years ago the desktop was the majority of all web browsing traffic. According to Mobile Marketing Watch who does market analysis on mobile devices states that 28% of all website traffic in Q3 of 2013 is mobile traffic. This is a 67% increase from the previous year. (Source: [http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/mobile-now-drives-28-percent-of-all-web-traffic-37410/](http://www.mobilemarketingwatch.com/mobile-now-drives-28-percent-of-all-web-traffic-37410/)) As more websites are being accessed by people on different size devices and over cellular connections it becomes even more important that your responsive design also loads fast. This is one reason for the push by every mobile vendor toward a more traditional "flat" style as part of their responsive designs. By reducing the amount of chrome (the pretties on a website) they are providing a more responsive experience to their site visitors. The faster your website responds the longer you have to keep them engaged in your product or service. By utilizing the responsive web design techniques your website will use media queries that send the properties of the device a user is using; specifically the width of the browser window size. By processing the size the web server can serve up the proper Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) that has the appropriate styling rules for the users screen. This allows you to have less chrome on smaller sizes and more chrome as the sizes get larger if you want. Whether your company is big or small having a responsive web design will help you engage more with your visitors. Responsive web design is something that should be at the forefront of every project you start on the web and for something that should be upgraded on your existing sites. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/RestaurantMarketingSMS/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/RestaurantMarketingSMS/ In the fast-paced and competitive world of the restaurant industry, finding effective ways to engage customers, fill seats, and increase sales can be challenging. With people constantly on their phones, SMS marketing has emerged as one of the most powerful tools for connecting with customers in real time. SMS allows you to reach your customers directly with timely offers, updates, and promotions that can drive them to your restaurant. Here's how SMS marketing can help your restaurant grow and why it's worth considering as part of your marketing strategy. - **Sending Weekly Specials to Keep Customers Coming Back** Sending weekly specials through SMS is a great way to keep your restaurant top of mind for customers and encourage repeat visits. Whether it's a special discount, new menu items, or seasonal offerings, a well-timed text can remind your customers of what makes your restaurant unique and prompt them to plan their next visit. - **How It Works**: Every week, create a special offer or highlight new menu items, and send an SMS to your subscribers. For example, "This week only! Enjoy 15% off our new seafood platter. Reserve your table now!" - **Why It Works**: Weekly specials keep your restaurant fresh in your customers' minds and give them a reason to come back more frequently, especially when they know they'll get something unique each time they visit. - **Promoting "Slow Day" Specials to Boost Traffic** Every restaurant has certain days of the week that are typically slower. SMS marketing allows you to strategically promote special deals on these days to drive more traffic. - **How It Works**: Use historical data or observe trends to determine your slower days. Then, send out a promotion targeted specifically at those days, such as "Feeling hungry? Visit us this Tuesday for half-off appetizers all day long!" - **Why It Works**: This approach helps fill seats on days that would otherwise be slow, maximizing revenue and creating a livelier atmosphere. By providing an incentive to visit on off-peak days, you're effectively leveling out traffic throughout the week. - **Sending Time-Sensitive Promotions to Drive Immediate Traffic** SMS is an ideal channel for sending time-sensitive offers that require quick action. Whether it's a lunch deal that's only available until 2 PM or a happy hour special, SMS can encourage customers to make spontaneous decisions to visit your restaurant. - **How It Works**: Craft an SMS that's designed to create urgency, such as "Flash Sale! Get 20% off your lunch order from 11 AM - 2 PM today only. Don't miss out!" - **Why It Works**: Time-sensitive offers create urgency and encourage customers to act quickly. This can be especially effective during slower times of the day when you want to generate quick foot traffic. - **Building a Loyal Customer Base with Exclusive VIP Deals** Rewarding your loyal customers with exclusive deals can turn them into brand ambassadors who advocate for your restaurant. By offering special VIP deals via SMS, you show appreciation to your loyal customers and encourage them to continue choosing your restaurant. - **How It Works**: Create an SMS loyalty program that offers regular customers special discounts or perks. For example, "As a thank you for being a loyal customer, enjoy 10% off your next meal. Just show this text to redeem!" - **Why It Works**: Loyalty rewards build a strong relationship with your customers. When they feel valued, they are more likely to return frequently and recommend your restaurant to friends and family. - **Announcing Events and Themed Nights to Attract Larger Crowds** If you host events or themed nights, SMS is an effective way to spread the word quickly and get people excited to attend. Whether it's a live music night, trivia, or a holiday-themed dinner, SMS ensures your message reaches your audience directly. - **How It Works**: Schedule a text to announce upcoming events, such as "This Friday: Live Music Night! Enjoy great food, drinks, and live tunes from 7 PM onwards. Book your table today!" - **Why It Works**: Events and themed nights create a unique experience that can attract both new and returning customers. SMS ensures your events are well-publicized, giving customers a reason to plan a night out at your restaurant. - **Using SMS for Reservation Reminders and Booking Confirmations** In addition to marketing, SMS can improve your operations by reducing no-shows and keeping your customers informed. Sending reservation reminders helps ensure that customers remember their bookings, while booking confirmations add a level of professionalism to the customer experience. - **How It Works**: Send SMS confirmations and reminders automatically when a reservation is made, such as "Thank you for booking with us! We look forward to seeing you on Friday at 7 PM." - **Why It Works**: Reservation reminders reduce no-shows, which helps maximize seating capacity and revenue. They also help create a smoother customer experience, making people more likely to return. - **Sending Personalized Birthday and Anniversary Messages** Nothing makes customers feel more appreciated than receiving a personalized message on their special day. By sending birthday or anniversary messages with a small discount, you can foster customer loyalty and make people feel valued. - **How It Works**: Collect birthdates or anniversaries (with customer permission) and schedule SMS messages to celebrate these occasions. For example, "Happy Birthday from [Restaurant Name]! Enjoy a free dessert on us when you celebrate with us this week." - **Why It Works**: Personalized messages create a connection with customers, making them feel special. This not only drives traffic but also strengthens the emotional bond with your restaurant. - **Offering Flash Sales and Limited-Time Discounts** Everyone loves a good deal, and flash sales or limited-time discounts are an excellent way to attract customers who are on the fence. This can be particularly effective during slow times or when you have excess inventory you need to sell quickly. - **How It Works**: Send out a flash sale SMS with a limited-time offer. For example, "Flash Sale! Get 25% off your entire meal today only. Show this text to redeem!" - **Why It Works**: Flash sales generate immediate interest and urgency. Since SMS has a high open rate, you can expect a good response, especially if your customers know the offer won't last. - **Conducting Customer Surveys for Valuable Feedback** SMS surveys are a great way to collect valuable customer feedback, helping you understand what your customers love and what you could improve. Feedback can help you refine your menu, improve service, and even identify new opportunities. - **How It Works**: Send an SMS survey after a dining experience. Keep it short, like "Thanks for dining with us! How was your experience? Reply with 1-5 stars." - **Why It Works**: SMS surveys are quick and easy for customers to complete, making it more likely that they'll provide feedback. Listening to your customers helps you continuously improve, keeping them happy and loyal. - **Notifying Customers of Seasonal or Holiday Specials** During special times of the year, such as holidays or seasonal events, SMS can help you get the word out about limited-time menu items, holiday events, or special dining experiences. - **How It Works**: Schedule an SMS campaign to inform customers of your holiday specials, like "Celebrate Valentine's Day with us! Reserve your table now and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine with dinner." - **Why It Works**: Seasonal or holiday specials create excitement and encourage customers to plan their celebrations at your restaurant. By sending an SMS, you ensure they won't miss out on these limited-time opportunities. ## Why Choose SMS Marketing for Your Restaurant? SMS marketing is an incredibly powerful tool for restaurants because it's direct, immediate, and highly engaging. SMS messages have a 98% open rate, which means nearly all of your messages are seen by your customers. Unlike email or social media, SMS reaches people directly on their phones, ensuring that your promotions and updates grab their attention. Additionally, SMS marketing is cost-effective, easy to implement, and highly customizable to fit the unique needs of your restaurant. ## Why Partner with a Marketing Company for SMS Marketing? While SMS marketing is effective, it requires careful planning and management to be successful. Partnering with a marketing company like \*\*Fawkes Digital Marketing\*\* allows you to focus on running your restaurant while professionals handle the setup, timing, and targeting of your SMS campaigns. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we: - **Develop a Strategic SMS Calendar**: We help you create a strategic plan for SMS campaigns based on your restaurant's needs and calendar events. - **Segment and Target Your Audience**: Our experts ensure that messages are sent to the right customers at the right time, maximizing engagement. - **Craft Compelling Messages**: Our team creates messages that are short, engaging, and designed to drive action. - **Monitor and Optimize Campaigns**: We track the performance of your SMS campaigns, using analytics to continually improve effectiveness. ## Conclusion SMS marketing offers a fast, direct, and cost-effective way to engage with your customers and keep your restaurant busy. By using SMS for weekly specials, slow-day promotions, personalized messages, and seasonal events, you can drive more foot traffic, increase customer loyalty, and grow your restaurant's revenue. With Fawkes Digital Marketing as your partner, you can maximize the effectiveness of SMS marketing, allowing you to focus on what matters most—creating exceptional dining experiences for your customers. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help elevate your restaurant's marketing efforts through strategic SMS campaigns. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Reviews-work-best-without-dinosaurs/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Reviews-work-best-without-dinosaurs/ A few years ago, when we started working with marketing companies, we talked to them about tactics and what the best items to do were when it came to helping businesses grow and be found online without spending tons of money on paid ads. Most of these companies worked with medium-sized businesses while we focus on small business. This brought in a ton of different ideas and topics that helped all of our businesses grow. One highly talked about topic was review and reputation management for companies. The marketing companies we talked to were going “old school” (e.g. postcards, flyers, or letters) as they had specific business reasons and we were moving to the electronic frontier for our small business customers. Both methods are valid and I can say the marketing companies we work with in Illinois and here in Alabama are now all digital for several reasons but it did take them, and their customers, to realize the old school method was making them look like dinosaurs. I am going to look at three ways old-school marketing companies are (or were) doing review management and why it is hurting your business model if you are doing so. ## Why post cards for review management? - Marketing companies make more money - It makes up for less than efficient search engine optimization (SEO) and websites - Allows human screening, spell check, and making certain only the best reviews go online - It keeps people off the digital landscape where you most likely either have a less than ideal internet presence, are not consistent, or are trying to hide something that happened in the past (this was the main reason cited with making the marketing company more money a close second) ## Why electronic review and reputation management? - Efficiency in that it will send out custom emails to your customer (yes you need their email address and name) or you can have a link on your website - It can follow up with those who haven’t left a review after a specified number of days - You don’t have to worry about postage, paying someone to type them in, printing costs, etc. - You can immediately respond to the review (good and bad – reply to all of them!) - Reviews can be pushed to where you want (or need) them (based on what your customer chooses). These can be Google, Yelp, Facebook, and more. - Reviews are automatically (no human input needed) put on your website with consolidation from all of those sites. You can even say to only show certain star levels (e.g. 4 and 5). - Improves your search engine optimization (SEO) without having to spend so much on paid advertising ## What we’ve been seeing Cutting direct to the chase as that is why we are here this is where businesses use old-school postcards, flyers, or letters to gather reviews. They use them one of a couple ways. The most common we see are: - They are pre-paid postcards and they ask the customer to mail it in at no cost - They ask to leave a review online (e.g. go find us) and mention the employee that worked and how “awesome” they were - They have a link on the postcard to type in Each one has its pros and cons but more con than pro in helping you grow your business. We’ll outline these as quickly as we can as we already know you realize that these three are extremely bad for your business and we know many will jump to the better option that will grow your business, save you money on pay-per-click (PPC), and more. ## They are pre-paid cards and they ask the customer to mail it in at no cost If it was the late 1990’s or early 2000’s I know this would be great as people were not all online, had limited access, and online reviews were not as important as they are today. Today though most people are online. This is a great option if your customers are not online. Your reviews are solely on your website as you type them in when they arrive. That doesn’t help being found on the search engines or social media other than the search engines will see change happening on your website. In today’s world search engines look for relevant content that adds value to the site visitor. A review might help a customer choose but not as much as the rest of your 10, 20, or 30+ page website. On the positive side when setup correctly using structured data you can get the reviews to show as stars within the search engine results. Structured data allows you to give the search engines a lot more information that they might not otherwise know about you. This additional information is not seen by your customers and only by the search engines. You can always check what structured data your website has by going to this free Google link at [https://search.google.com/structured-data/testing-tool/u/0/](https://search.google.com/structured-data/testing-tool/u/0/) and typing in your website URL. ## They ask to leave a review online (e.g. go find us) and mention the employee that worked and how “awesome” they were We love the employee mention part as your employees are critical to the success of your business. You’ve done work for the customer, they are happy, and now you want them to seek you out? If they don’t get it right or find you, they will immediately be having a poor customer experience. We’ve seen this cause a 5-star review move to a 4-star just by making things harder than they need to be. The review is still positive but not as positive as it should’ve been. ## They have a link on the postcard to type in The link is a great idea and we use it on a website if someone goes to it to then be able to quickly an easily leave a review. In fact, when we have to do the old school postcards we do this method so that we know what employee they are referencing as each employee has their own unique URL. You can even use this in email signatures as well. The downside again is the person has to type something in (it’s easier yes but they still have to type it in). ## Conclusion You’re now starting to realize that rather than spending wisely you’ve been spending your money poorly buying 250, 500, even 5,000 postcards and letting your employees determine if a card should be given or not. Often with a financial incentive to the employee for getting X number of reviews. Your marketing company is happy and the printer you are using is happy but your customers are not. You’re in business to help make their lives easier (I hope). The answer is simply that you need to modernize your business and stop being a dinosaur. With an online reputation management solution, you will almost always spend less and get a lot more. You can still incentivize your employees to doing excellent customer service as when the electronic email goes out and a review is left you know who the employee was that worked with that customer. So you will spend less, get more reviews, have the computer monitoring mentions of your company name, and spend less on pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Sounds too good to be true and there most certainly has to be a catch. With everything, there is a catch. The catch is that you still have to remember to send out those reviews, reply to each one (good or bad), and if a question is asked or it’s bad good customer service says you should respond to it. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Rise-of-the-machine/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Rise-of-the-machine/ We are living in a time where computers are becoming more engrained into our lives. Some machines are starting to become *aware* of their surroundings. For many this can be a scary time while others it is truly an exciting time. Change is already taking place and the question is are you, and your business, ready for this change. We all have seen movies like the Terminator where the machine not only takes over the world but destroys all of humanity. This is far from the truth (today) of what is happening, and we are all a determined group of individuals to prevent it from getting out of hand (so we all hope). Machines are here to help reduce the repetitive nature of our lives. It is up to us to determine how we utilize these machines to better mankind as well as augment we mere humans. Over the past year we have seen an increase with chatbots to augment our social media management for our clients. This originally started our for a few select businesses but now has fully expanded to restaurants, lawyers, political candidates, service-oriented businesses, and not-for-profits to drive sales, push for donations, answer questions, and more without utilizing humans for these repetitive tasks. With this push humans are still needed as these chatbots are not able to do everything we wish they could do. They can help with a large percentage of the common questions that are asked. They are answered consistently and in the tone the business wants to see happen. These chatbots can even be trained, like us, to better do their jobs over time. Like a human a chatbot needs training and education. This education is easy as what we are teaching it is to answer questions, handle requests, and be an extension of customer service. Training for chatbots, like all of us, is critical to provide a consistent and accurate message to those asking the question. This training will further improve your overall customer service and help guide those interacting with it through your sales funnel. With all of that what are some of the benefits of using a chatbot to augment, not replace, your customer service and sales cycle? - **Consistency** – Chatbots provide consistent messages across all customers as well as leads. - **Never pissed off** – Chatbots treat everyone the same, same tone, and never get angry. - **Sales Funnel Improvements** – Like text message or SMS you can send broadcasts to one or more individuals based on their unique needs. Unlike SMS though you can refine the criteria that is broadcasted based on certain interactions they’ve done with your chatbot. - **Abandoned Cart Recovery** – Utilizing chatbots you can ping customers that leave items in you’re their shopping cart so that you can work on closing that deal that was started and never completed. - **Higher Interactions** – Chatbots with their broadcast capability help drive more traffic to your website and through your sales funnel. - **Faster sales cycle** – The sales cycle with chatbots is often higher than that of text messaging. - **Lower cost** – Always a favorite for every business owner. Chatbots are almost always cheaper. - **Higher Open Rates** – Chatbots consistently have higher open rates than text messaging. - **Lead Qualification** – With chatbots you can qualify leads faster and with more accuracy. - **Analytics** – Anyone doing marketing knows the more analytics and details you get about delivery, open, and click-through rates is critical. With online chatbots you can garner a lot more information and better target customers, especially ones engaging with your brand. Technology is rapidly changing daily. If your business is sitting stagnant or not moving forward with the times you will either be going out of business or will be seeing your business market share decline. Are you utilizing tools to provide consistency for your customers or are you just winging it day-by-day? If your answer is to wing it or do nothing at all you are missing out on growth, increased customer service, and you will be left behind. You will never be able to completely remove the human factor but if you can improve your customer service, improve your sales, and grow your company why are you not doing it? Our team is here to assist your business in growing and using ever improving technologies. As we see the products mature and be accepted, we provide these to our clients who are on plans these tools for little or no additional charge. With the emphasis on no additional charge. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/RockYourFacebookProfile/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/RockYourFacebookProfile/ We all know having a great website or eCommerce website is about providing your visitors with the information that they want at the time they are looking for that information. Your social media profile is the same. People follow you as they are interested in your products and services. You need to motivate, engage and interest your audience with what matters to them. If you want to engage and keep your fans happy on Facebook you need to have your information up-to-date, informative, and engaged. ## Branding Consistency ![Brand Consistency](/Images/Content/Blog/brandConsistency.jpg) Although you can't brand completely as Facebooks colors are theirs and not yours. You can set your logo, videos and a cover page that showcases who you are. By creating a consistent image between your website and your social media you are building credibility and consistency for people to remember. ## Cover Updates Going on the subject of branding make certain to update your cover and keep it updated as necessary. A Facebook cover shouldn't just be any image uploaded. It's best to make the image specific for the social media. For example, on Facebook the image should be 851 pixels wide by 315 pixels tall. By abiding by their standard you are making a cognizant effort to adhere to their standards while making certain the cover is appropriately sized and conveys the information you want. ## Logo Update Although you may not update your logo as often as your cover you can still make certain it shows appropriately on your page as well as search results. A poor user experience is when someone searches your brand and they can only see a part of your logo as you just uploaded any logo without following the recommended guidelines for Facebook. Facebook suggest the logo be 180 pixels wide and 180 pixels tall. ## Videos for Engagement As Facebook continues to move forward with its video push and its charge against YouTube video is becoming even more important on the social media site. It is recommended to have a video promoting your products and services. We have also seen a great increase for our clients when they rotate this out as well. Engagement on videos for our clients has been higher than posts with images. When posting on Facebook it is proven people are drawn to images compared to text only posts. We post every day mainly with just text which seems counterproductive but for what we're getting out that works perfectly. We then post with images multiple times each week as that changes things up from what are clients are used to seeing. ## Number of Posts The posting interval varies for every brand and every company. We always recommend starting with the standard for Facebook at three posts per week. As you post find the time(s) that work best for your brand while staying aware that this can change and make appropriate changes as your customer base demands. ## Facebook Posts: Balance Between Sales and Information As you post your information make certain that you keep your content fresh, engaging, and relevant to your audience. Continuously change your posts by using images, links, video, and other media to monitor what works best and provide a change rather than the same old information. If you always post with pictures because you feel that will get the best engagement people will eventually start to ignore your images and your message won't get out as well as you would like. If you make pushing and promoting your products and services, your number one priority you are surely going to get word out about what you offer but not providing a value to your customers. We have found that one out of every five posts should be sales related. By spreading out your sales pitch you can inform and engage your audience rather than pushing your product on them. An aspect we always talk to our clients about whether we handle their social media or just providing guidance is "become your customer". You social media site is solely about engaging the customer and providing value to them. Where your website is your *employee* that is selling and informing about your products and services your social media site is about engaging, communicating and collaborating with your audience. ## Creating a Story – About You! A profile for a business is like that of your personal profile. There is truly a lot of information that can be filled out to inform your customers about you. Let who you are shine through in a visual manner by including those videos, upcoming events you're having, webinars you have scheduled, events you are attending and provide an in-depth about profile of you, your products and services. ## Be ready for the long-haul ![Social media is not a sprint!](/Images/Content/Blog/socialMediaSprint.jpg) Social media is not a sprint. Expect it to take months, if not years, to build your brand. Don't pay for fans and followers as they will only skew your results and are people who have no interest in your products and services. It is better to have a few fans that are engaged than a ton who ignore you completely. Items that you should include in your About profile are: - Your mission and vision statement - Your values of what makes you a great company to do business with - A history of the company - Company miles' stones (like when you opened, expansions, new products, new services, etc.) - Community involvement - Success stories and how you help solve your client's problems - Add keywords and phrases that can help show your expertise in your specific field The above is a lot of information to include. Make certain to prioritize the display of the information so that it gains the interest of your visitors as quickly as possible. If your most important items are at the bottom and you lose interest half-way through no one will ever see that great information. ## Call of Action Facebook has seven "Call to Action" button options to help promote your company when someone comes to your page. This information is right at the top and is there to bring interaction between your fan and your brand. These buttons are: - Book Now - Contact Us - Use App - Play Game - Show Now - Sign Up - Watch Video ## Analytics We would be amiss if we left off analytics. Without analytics you don't know what is working and what isn't working, who your demographics are (ages, gender, country, etc.). These should be looked at a minimum of weekly. ![Social media engagement](/Images/Content/Blog/socialMediaEngagement.jpg) ## Engagement Engagement is what everything on social media is about. Engage your audience, find out what their needs are and support them. Ask your fans to share your posts so that their friends can learn about you. Most consumers will trust what their friends and families recommend. Engagement starts with just one of your fans and can, and will, grow from there. ## Advertising We do a lot of advertising for clients to help get their message out when starting out. This can be as low as $1 to as much as hundreds of dollars per day for our clients. Before making your first paid advertising we always advise to truly define what you want to achieve. This may sound like common sense but we run all to often in people just advertising to advertise. They have no clear cut objective in what they are doing. Avoid the your advertise it and they will come. Remember that social media is a marathon and not a sprint. Having a clear guide of what you want to achieve will give you the best possible results. ## Promoting / Boosting Posts Facebook has moved from your company posts from being at the top of your fans timeline to almost never there. They've done this to make money as that's what any business needs to do. Some dislike this practice of Facebook. With boosted posts you can truly target to specific people. By distance, age, gender, and their specific interests. This allows you to get your specific information out to the desired audience that you want. You can increase your reach, actions, photo clicks, page likes, and post likes if done right. ## Define your team Social media is something you truly need to go all in. We always recommend that every company when they decide to go "all in" and who want to engage their customers to create an internal team which can include a social media manager like JM2 Webdesigners. The reason for this is that people do go on vacations and take time off from work. This is where having more than one person can help continue that consistency (just remember to not let everyone have the exact time off). Additionally, when someone runs into an event that might not be great there is a sounding board to work with to continue providing that great customer service experience your customers already expect (and deserve). ## Content Calendar Part of everything that has been a success has required taking the time to define what you want to achieve. By defining what you want to post and when you can make certain you are providing consistency. A content calendar will allow you to do just that. In January of 2015 we created a [blog post about content calendar that you can read here.](/Blog/Details/ContentCalendars2015) ![Social media Boost](/Images/Content/Blog/socialMediaFacebookBoost.jpg) ## Testimonials In our first two years of operation we used to keep testimonials to ourselves and shared the information when asked. This allowed us to "protect" ourselves so that someone wouldn't contact our customer and steal them. We now proudly publish this information as our clients are truly great (and they know it!). By our always going above and beyond for them we know that they won't leave and if they do then the other person was either a better sales person or promised something that we didn't offer that our client felt they needed. Testimonials can help your customers decide to go with you as well as to stay with you. ## Conclusion Give your fans a reason to continue to come back to you. Provide a value to them. Whether it be a free tip or trick that you post, information about your services, or a quick way to getting a question answered. If you are busy running your business and need someone to help you out with your social media (and/or website) we would love to talk to you. We can help by being your social media manager. With that we will help you post, take pictures, engage your audience, support and answer questions, and much more so that you can continue to run and grow your business. You can [contact us here](/Contact/), by email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or call us at 256-258-8593. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Rough-uncut-and-straight-from-the-hip/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Rough-uncut-and-straight-from-the-hip/ It's rough, it's beyond uncut, and it's shooting straight from the hip and telling it like it is. There are no circles, squares, or triangles to get out of with us. Those things just don't exist. Our new video and soon pod cast series (just audio without the handsome actors -- okay not actors) deliver news and information related to digital marketing (with a splash of regular marketing), web design, software development, search engine optimization (SEO), social media, and the latest things as they happen. It will not be unheard of when breaking news in these subjects come out that we'll be fast on the change and streaming it live. We'll be putting the entire series eventually on our website and for now will be on Facebook (sorry LinkedIn) at [https://www.Facebook.com/jm2webdesigners/](https://www.Facebook.com/jm2webdesigners/). We know that being so "raw" and uncut doesn't fit many here on LinkedIn as you are here for standard business and getting out of that proverbial box is not what you want. If you want to completely change up your marketing game, invest back in your business, have some fun while doing it, and grow a minimum of 20% online (many do better but the worst was 20% for us in 2017) then you just might want to listen, get a lot of laughs (we do), and enjoy the show whether you watch or just listen. So why create "yet another video series" or even better "yet another pod cast" series? The simple answer is to teach ourselves, teach others, and help those that listen break out of the mold that they are in marketing. I personally believe in blogs as they truly rock the [Google](https://www.google.com/) space and with over 300 already and over 100 added a year they are no where near going away for us. That's all well and good but what about the number 2 (no not bathroom) search engine? Well, that's where video comes into play. [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/), owned by Google, is the number two search engine on the internet. Now take in podcast streaming and we are further extending our reach. We're just doing it differently. We're cutting out the video and presto we have a podcast. It may not be the perfect podcast but we're doing it for us, with you -- the listener, able to benefit. Three years ago we started purchasing equipment for a podcast. Video just jumped ahead of it by customer demand, as it should. Now that we have video going professionally for our clients, and now in a crazy format for us it is time that we finally start the pod cast series. One item you will notice is this will be like no other. You hear that often but I am definitely a unique breed. We will have beer (if you visit we'll share!), we'll have guests (some surprise guests that we don't know about until they walk in the door), completely unscripted (unless we have a re-take -- which does happen; just not often), and following agile marketing rules of quick to change, quick to adapt, and be quick witted will certainly be in store. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/RWD/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/RWD/ As desktop computer sales slowdown we are seeing a shift to not only tablets but to smartphones. As more people use a multitude of devices to access the internet we have to find ways of handling these devices in the most efficient manner possible. One can build a website specifically for each type of device or you can build a site that is responsive in nature that will resize to fit the device that it is being viewed on; including landscape and portrait views on the device. This is where responsive web design comes into play. According to the statistics of [eMarketer (January 2014)](http://www.emarketer.com/) the percentage of people accessing the web from mobile devices will increase from 73% at the end of 2013 to 79.1% by the end of 2014. The prediction even gets more prevalent in 2017 when the percentage is anticipated to be 90.1% of all visitors on the web using mobile devices. ## What exactly constitutes a responsive web design? The concept of RWD is that your website layout will adapt to the changing media that it is being rendered on. The content will adjust and be presentable and legible. This can be as simple as showing the whole site without scrolling which is what some people want. Others want the pages to resize and be different with each view without having to create separate sites. Along with RWD one needs to take into account not only the screen size but the pixel density to handle the retina type displays that have twice as many pixels per inch than standard screen sizes. ## Grid Based Layout At its most basic a page is dived up into columns so that the information will float into a desired location based on the overall screen size. The number of grids that are used for a website can be as simple as a one or two column grid to the standard twelve column grid most new sites utilize. The grid layout chosen will help define the size of the content on each individual screen layout. As the screen size changes the styling works to add and remove specific class assignments within the webpage. Some information may be hidden altogether, font sizes increased, or different coloring to better match the native theme of the device you may be using. ## Image Resizing One area often missed is the images on the site. For a desktop environment the size may be set to a specific pixel size and looks great. As the screen size gets smaller or changes from landscape to portrait the image may not be the right size to convey the image you want to see. One solution that we use is a flexible image structure that on modern and mobile browsers will make the image resize based on the width of the grid columns the image is being stored in. This method helps produce the best results across a large array of devices. ## Showing and Hiding Content As your screen sizes grow and shrink having all of the information shown is not always desired. Seeing a link at the bottom of a mobile that allows you to see the entire (full) website version is a good option. Many times for a mobile site what the user needs to know is who you are, how to contact you, read your latest product and blog information, a map to get to your location, hours of operation and a contact form to get ahold of you. If you’re showing a product page does a mobile user need to see every specification initially upon loading or would a “More Detail” link that expands the specifications beyond what are the most likely specifications be a better use of the screen real estate for a site visitor? ## Conclusion As with all technology decisions you need to decide what is right for your customers. One approach should not be used for every situation. Each version of a browser that visits your site needs to be thought of. Here at JM2 Webdesigners we will work with you in defining what you want in a responsive design and based on who your target market is we will build the correct solution for you. A responsive design is the first step in building your online presence. Once you have the layout chosen don’t forget about the content (content is king), search engine optimization (SEO), and how to build social media into your overall marketing strategy. Doing one without the others can leave you open to disappointment. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Scared-Stiff-saved-by-co-working/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Scared-Stiff-saved-by-co-working/ The day I decided to start my own business scared the crap out of me. I was going from a beyond comfortable guaranteed income to one where it was a complete unknown. Since I was twelve years old I had worked. Starting out as a paperboy for the Chesterton Tribune was my first step into being a freelancer as I might have delivered newspapers but was responsible for collecting money and delivering the product. I wanted the money for candy, fancy shoes, and anything else a teenager would want. I know that in the past five years if I would have stayed working for “the man” I would be close to having made half million dollars in that short period of time. So why in the world would anyone give up luxury for something less? Actually, I didn’t! A common question I am asked is are you a self-made millionaire? First, I am not a millionaire and there is a good chance I never will be. Money is not my driving force. At one time it was but I was never “happy”. Yes, money made things financially easier but as I got older (and older) I learned that the struggle is what makes me happy. Making others dreams happen and come true is what makes me happy. The medium and big business we won’t work with. I want to work with those that have a dream of making the world a better place. You could say what has helped is a strong support system from my beautiful wife, friends, and family. They have been there with me for my entire journey. They are what got me off that cliff and gave me the courage to make the proverbial “jump”. I am coming on year five and I can say I am beyond proud of what has already been accomplished and the future is beaming with brightness. The turning point from going from a startup/freelancer to a full-fledged web and marketing firm that just so happens to do software development was something I had never heard of in the past. This new word was new to Alabama as well. Maybe not as much to the millennial generation but to my generation. That word is “co-working”. It is when a bunch of truly crazy, and amazing, people get together and actually work together. Those in the same industry even work together (just more limited). These individuals share the costs of the co-working “space”. This space will have one of three core spaces. You will have a desk that you can use that isn’t “rented”. You see there are two types of desks in a co-working space. You have the kind you can rent and one where you take what’s ever available. This would be similar to that of a coffee shop where it is first come, first served. The rented desk is where you can have pictures of family, dedicated second monitors, keyboards, etc. These are the “anchors” of co-working so the co-working space that keep the operation afloat by providing a consistent income to the space. I did say three spaces. The third isn’t available at all spaces but so happen became available while I was at ours. That would be the individual or group of individuals that get a dedicated office space. This is where I see the true growth power of a co-working space. What is this true growth power that I speak of. To me this is the true power of co-working and if you are fortunate enough to experience your life will be truly amazing in ways that energize you even after you’ve left co-working. This is you get a desk in your co-working space. Either rented or shared. From there you progress to the office. And then you take that ultimate step and you leave (partially) from the co-working space. I say partially as if you have truly embraced co-working your heart and the history of what you’ve accomplished will never leave. What I see as the perfect journey to becoming a large co-working is: - You learn about the co-working and decide if it’s right for you (do you like people, do you want to work more efficiently, or do you want to bounce ideas off of people?) If you answer yes to any (or all) of these then co-working is for you. - Next you get a desk and use it 4-5 days per week. Do this for 4-6 months. Continue to grow yourself, your dream, and start saving. - Now it’s time to move to that office space (if it’s available – if not continue the last step). Here you start gathering “things” like copiers, monitors, more computers, and even employees. This is the beginning of the end for your co-working. You should not be here more than six months (tops) or you’ve failed – in my book. The reason being is co-working is to prove a point and be with a group of great people. It’s a proving ground to prove your concept. Once I moved into a dedicated office I knew my time there is and should be less, so that others can grow too. If I sat, became complacent, others couldn’t grow. I would be hindering their dream. During this time, you will still participate, only less, your passion for co-working should **become stronger** and not weaker. This is where you start looking for dedicated office space. - “The move” is one of the happiest, yet sad days of your life. You are happy for the growth but leaving what helped you get there will make you sad. But rest assured co-working if you truly embraced it will not leave you. In co-working everyone works on a common goal to better themselves. Your time there if you want to start your own business should not be “forever” as the purpose is to help everyone and when space becomes stops doing that the culture of what co-working is dies. Those that love co-working will push themselves harder so that co-working can grow more. When you leave co-working you will still talk about it to others, the glitter in your eye will brighten when you talk about it, and you will understand the business world in a way that those that never used co-working will ever be able to. If you have a passion, a love, dream, and a desire to make the world a better place rather than working out of your home this is the “go to” place for the ultimate trial by fire for your business. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Scholarship2014/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Scholarship2014/ This Fall, two lucky Purdue University North Central students in the Computer & Information Technology program can earn $1,000 scholarships. The JM2 Webdesigners JumpStart scholarship is open to all incoming and existing full-time PNC students in the C&IT program with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Interested students must write an essay that will be due September 30, 2014. This scholarship was created in 2013 by JM2 Webdesigners, a technology company located in Michigan City, IN that was founded in 2012. JM2 Webdesigners specializes in custom application and website development for small to mid-size businesses in the Northwest Alabama area. Owners Jon Meyers and John Marx are both incredibly proud of the service they provide to businesses in the Northwest Alabama area. Their passion of providing excellent service goes beyond their business. Marx and Meyers annually give a scholarship for Purdue North Central Computer & Information Technology students to assist the recipients in pursuing their passion in computer systems. There are many reasons why the JM2 Webdesigners scholarship was developed, but one of the catalysts creating this generous gift was because of both men’s diverse educational backgrounds. Marx graduated from Chesterton High School and went on to pursue a degree at Ivy Tech. He attended a single class and ended up dropping out of college. John Marx was given the opportunity to go to other universities as well. Instead, he decided that his purpose was to pursue a career in the military so he enlisted in the Army which taught him discipline that he would use for the future. Marx continued to build a career related to his interest in programming and technology and wrote software for clients like Holiday Inn and Super 8 and a consulting corporation. Since 1995, Marx has been developing professional websites and supervised PNC intern, Jon Meyers. In May 2012, Meyers graduated from Purdue North Central and began his career with La Porte County as part of the Information Technology staff. In November of 2012, JM2 Webdesigners was created and has been actively producing websites and software since their opening. A majority of their clients are small to mid-size businesses, many of which are new startup companies. Not only does JM2 address its client's technology needs with web development, it also offers consulting assistance on creating a profitable business. Marx and Meyers have used their successes to give back to the community through education. JM2 wants to assist students who have an interest in pursuing a degree in technology. In 2013, JM2 Webdesigners Jump Start scholarship was developed to PNC Computer & Information Technology students. Marx and Meyers both firmly believe that an educated community is highly important, and one of the best ways to achieve that goal is by helping students get into college. Marx and Meyers both highly support post-high school education at Purdue North Central, because that is an excellent avenue for continuing education for students in our area. However, every individual’s purpose leads them on a different path. Marx and Meyers feel strongly about students learning in the best way for them. Marx dropped out of college because his interests and learning capacity are more suited to self-learning and doing while Meyers was more suited to a college environment. Both are doing what they love now even though they chose different avenues to get there. Marx and Meyers want students to follow their dreams and passions for the sake of students doing what they love, not for money or pressure from others, which is specifically why they’re offering the JM2 Webdesigners JumpStart scholarship. They want to make it easier for students to learn what they want to learn instead of being restricted by money. Any interested students that fit the scholarship criteria need to submit an essay by September 30, 2014 that answers the question "Where do you see the internet in the next five years and why?". More details about the JM2 JumpStart Scholarship can be found at [http://www.purdue.edu/](http://www.purdue.edu/). For the PDF version of this [Purdue North Central (PNC) press release you can click here](/Docs/press-scholarship-20140922.pdf). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ScholarshipEssayLessonsLearned/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ScholarshipEssayLessonsLearned/ This year marks the third year that the JM2 Webdesigners Jump Start Scholarship exists. The scholarship started as a $1,000 scholarship in the fall of 2013 at just [Purdue North Central (PNC) in Westville, Alabama](http://www.purdue.edu/). The second year we added another $1,000 scholarship for a total of two. The scholarship stayed solely at PNC as we didn't have enough time to do two schools. Starting with this third year we now having the scholarship available at PNC at $1,000 to a single student and [Ivy Tech](http://ivytech.edu/) will give $500 to two students Ivy Tech students. That isn't all that's changing this year. Being that our Cullman office has hired a graphic designer we're extending the scholarship from being solely for Information Technology (IT) students to also those students in marketing and graphical design. With two years now behind us we thought it would be good to have a "Lessons Learned" to help students from previous year mistakes. ## The Process Each year we ask a unique and random essay question. This question has always related in one way or another to a core function of what JM2 Webdesigners does or a current event happening. One such question was "Where do you see social media in the next five years?" This is a very basic question and very wide and open for individual interpretation and forward thinking. We feel as innovators and changers of web technology that we want to help and encourage those that are equally forward thinkers. ### School You must be an active student at the school the scholarship is being offered. This can be a full or part-time student. ### Grading We do the grading of your essay in two ways. The first is the school will narrow down the results to what they feel are the top five candidates. JM2 Webdesigners is then presented those candidates as #1, #2, #3, #4 and #5 respectively so that the authors are 100% anonymous. JM2 Webdesigners than will rate the articles on a scale of 1 to 10 in the following categories: - Answering the essay question (Up to 10 points given). - The number of words that are used (yes we count) them. A point is lost for every word **over** 1,000 and a point is lost for every ten words under 1,000 (e.g. 990 will count as 1 point, 991 would not lose any points). - An essay title is included. Included you gain a point and not you will lose a point. - Spelling of the company name. For each time the company name is spelt wrong twenty five (25) points are taken away. There are no points given for spelling it correctly. - Spelling in general. For every misspelled word one point is taken away. At the end a perfect essay would rank an 11 (highest rating for the question and having an essay title). ### Qualifications The schools are each allowed to add qualifications based on knowing their students. These are school requirements and will be stated in the overall process by the school. JM2 Webdesigners restricts the scholarship from going to immediate family (children). Employees are allowed to apply but must remain anonymous and are also not part of the overall voting process. ### Essay Title An essay should have a title. This doesn't count toward your total number of words but you wouldn't buy a book if it didn't have a title and we would like to see a title on each essay. ### Number of Words With the essay we ask that you get as close as possible without going over. This means you need to be exactly 1,000 words or as close as possible without going over. 1,001 words would lower your overall score. ### Spelling of the Company Name Our company name is JM2 Webdesigners. There is no space between web and designers for the company name but there is for web design when you are writing. The 2 (two) is the number two and not a Z. For historical purposes the 2 is also superscript as in a mathematical formula as when the company was formed there were two owners with two wives which is a squared number. ### Spelling and Grammar in General With modern technology there is no reason for having a spelling error. As such, for each spelling error you'll lose one point. We know and understand we are not providing this to English majors so the grammar constraints are very relaxed. We do expect someone to know the difference between **two** and **to**. ### Turned In On-Time Like a homework assignment or a project for work you need to complete the essay on-time. If an essay is turned in after the due date it is immediately disqualified. ### Tie Breakers We always have to prepare for a tie. Knowing we can't choose two great individuals we have the following rules for breaking a tie. These tie breaks are handled in the specific order below until there is no tie. In the event that all are equal for a given tie breaker we move to the next tie breaker. 1. If a tie happens the winner is chosen based on who is closest to 1,000 words without being over. Someone with 991 would win out over someone who had 1,001. 2. Least number of spelling errors. 3. Least number of grammar errors. 4. Having an essay title. 5. If we still have a tie still exists the school will be notified of the final individuals and will utilize the persons grade point average (GPA). If a tie still exists after the GPA the names will go into a random drawing to choose the final winner. [![Purdue North Central (PNC)](/Images/Content/Logos/logoPurdue.jpg)](http://www.purdue.edu/) [![Ivy Tech](/Images/Content/Logos/logoIvyTech.jpg)](http://ivytech.edu/) ## Conclusion JM2 Webdesigners is truly proud to be the only technology company in Cullman Alabama as well as Northwest Alabama to offer a technology scholarship to PNC and to Ivy Tech schools. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Search-Engine-Adrenaline-Shot/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Search-Engine-Adrenaline-Shot/ We are hearing this more and more from companies talking with us. They ranked high once and now they are dropping and their competitors are ranking higher. These can be local or national companies organically (e.g. free) ranking higher than they and they think it’s because these corporations are outranking them because they are spending money. The answer is yes but not in the way they are thinking. They are ranking not because they are paying the search engines to rank to get those organic listings. They could be paying for ads but that doesn’t measure into the organic listings. They are paying their employees or a digital marketing company to make them rank that way. Let’s take a look and see what a business owner can do to fix this problem. These business owners, rightfully so, want to rank on the search engines as high as possible but only when they see their rankings drop or not exist at all. When a site is initially launched almost all web designers will submit the sitemaps (layout of the website) to Google and Bing (at a minimum). This doesn’t happen when you build your site yourself (unless you know how to do it) with the likes of Wix, GoDaddy, Squarespace, WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc. You need to create your Google My Business and Bing Business pages. This initial push, or re-push, is what we’ve called the **adrenaline shot** for years. It’s a one-time notification (or push) to the search engines that you exist and you want to be indexed so people can find you. This doesn’t mean they come to your site and never come back. In fact, this initial (first time) adrenaline shot is often the most critical of them all. It’s your turn to build the trust of the search engines. You’re informing the search engines you are alive on the internet and feel you’re providing valuable information to the rest of the internet community. Often this initial push is left with “nothing”. Nothing is you don’t update your website for weeks, months, and eventually years. I look at this one-time push, in the same way, the boy that cried wolf. The first time everyone is “all over it” to find the wolf. Then the more you say “hey our stuff is great” and the search engines come back and see little to no changes they lower you in their rankings on the call to come back and keep your site at the top. We see this all the time and it’s sad as many of the people that have done this initial submission have great products and services. They just don’t care about their website and just consider it something they have to have rather than using it as the marketing tool it is meant to be. Now that is depressing. I’ve done that. So, you’re thinking you’ve ruined your reputation by falsely informing the search engines that you are constantly updating and improving your content when in reality you were just trying to trick, lie, and manipulate the search engines to your favor. This may not have been intentional, and often isn’t intentional. It’s just that you didn’t know. In fact, we never say we know your business as if we did we would be doing your business. We know our business and that is using the recommended best practices we can get you up on the search rankings. Now with that said let’s say the other **most critical part of search engine optimization or SEO**, no one, again **NO ONE**, can guarantee you (1) that you will rank on page 1, (2) that you will rank at all [although pretty much everyone ranks], and (3) that when you do reach page 1 that you will be #1. You may think you don’t have anything important to say. To me, that is the biggest false statement we tell ourselves as business owners. We undervalue our own story of how we started and why we continue to do what we do. Every business has a story and that story is not a one-time story. From the time we were born our story began and we need to tell people are a story. This is what makes your company unique over the next. No one story is better than the other. Each one has struggles, challenges, and a determination like no other. You need to tell your story by educating and informing. This can be over the course of weeks, months, and years. Often the storylines cross and breed new stories. This is what you need to do. You need to educate and inform. Let’s take a look at two very unique and different stories that we’ve helped tell over the years that are both different and both owners never thought they had a story that was worth more than telling “just once”. ## Railroad Steel tracks We see railroad tracks every day and never think anything of them beyond they are something trains ride on. But what after a track is damaged, no longer used, or never used and past its lifespan? This was what one company we worked on ran into. They started and converted these steel railroad tracks and turned them into fenceposts that are used by businesses and homeowners alike. Here are some of the ideas that are used for them: 1. What made you come up with this idea? 1. Were you were walking along the railroad tracks and saw a pile of railroad tracks and though I could buy them at a reduced rate and turn them into something more than scrap? 2. Were you a railroad safety engineer and kept seeing this problem around every railroad track? 2. How do you make these items and where can you use them to benefit those who use them? 3. Are they reusable? 4. How would you go about doing that? 5. What is the environmental impact of what you do? You see all stories have a potential to tell many other stories and it’s this that will provide value to your visitors. Will everyone read it? Nope! Just like books, not everyone reads them. Those that do are more fulfilled, know the author more, and if the story is compelling enough will want to read more. Our sample above with railroad tracks is really a one product solution that was missed for years by everyone until this company came around even though it was right in front of us. They have dozens of stories and it’s a true American story. Your products and services may not change much, if ever. Your story, education, and providing insight into why you do what you do, how often your employees are, your struggles (and successes) as a business owner, and how you are contributing and helping out those in your local community. That is what the internet is about. You may not post weekly, or even monthly. The key is coming up with a schedule that you can stick to that works for your audience. ## The once a year or seasonal business You may run a fall cleaning service, landscaping, or snow shoveling service. Often landscapers will now do snow shoveling and that is a story of the transition. This doesn’t mean you market just in the fall or the part of the season that you are in business. Often the best time to do your digital marketing is when things are busy so that you stay busy and in the front of your audience. If this were the case you will most likely only get repeat business and referrals. That is great starting out but it doesn’t help you grow long-term. You constantly need to be creating content. And not content for content sake. You need content that provides a value to your readers and makes them want to know more. So, what have we done for these seasonal businesses and how can marketing year long help your business grow when you are working? Let’s look at a few simple samples: 1. Tell your story of why you are seasonal. You could be a school teacher and work 9 months of the year and the other three months you mow lawns, you read books as a part-time job at the local libraries, maybe you run a nursery and are only open in the spring months as the other time of the year you are traveling and getting your ideas. 2. Branding is all about people learning and know who you are. 3. Why you do what you do and how it can improve the quality of life that everyone that uses your products and services. Always look for a way to provide a value to your audience. It’s not always about making a sale but building visibility and trust. ## Conclusion Your business needs to get out there, to be seen, and to grow if you want to do it more than just a hobby. You need more than a one-time push and need to constantly be in front of your target audience. You need to take those big steps and get your good name out there. The best way we have seen over the past twenty years (yes, I am that old and have been in the web business that long) is to provide content people want to read. I have seen companies come and go and all those that go failed on the believing their website (e.g. digital marketing) was nothing more than something just had to have. **To grow your business, you must invest in it.** Today that investment is not as large as it once was and can often cost less than $10 per day to get everything you need (SEO, reputation management, and social media management). If you do it yourself expect it to cost more. Yes, I know your time is “free”, but it truly isn’t. Your time is the most valuable time in your company and shouldn’t be sitting behind a keyboard and monitor (unless that is what your business is about). You are the visionary, the leader, and the one that needs to focus on its growth (in the real-world). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SearchEngines/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SearchEngines/ As we continue to help our customers promote their websites through the search engine optimization (SEO) process we are constantly adding more search engines to our services on a monthly basis. As we add more search engines to our offerings for our customers who are already using one of our SEO plans they receive them for no additional costs. We feel that having this list will also benefit others that wish to do the submissions and SEO process themselves. The list below covers both the standard search engine submissions that JM2 Webdesigners offers as well as the local search options that we work on for our customers. Based on each businesses needs and target markets we will either promote to their home country or we will promote and push to the countries that there business is in. There are some search engines worldwide that we also can submit to if you have specific requirements. For example, we have the search engines worldwide. Many businesses, such as hotels, industries, small businesses, and chains can benefit from worldwide exposure as much as they can from local. ## Regular Search Country Description Argentina GuiaFe.com.ar Australia AUSearchEngine.com Austria AllesKlar.at Austria ATSearch.at Austria PetersWeb.at Austria WebWizard.at Belgium Jaan.be Belgium WebWatch.be Brazil Achei.com.br Canada CAWebSearch.com Chile Antena.cl China Baidu.com Czech Republic Jyxo.cz Czech Republic Seznam.cz Denmark Ahot.dk France Eudip.com France Exalead.fr Germany 1webkatalog.de Germany 2WiD.de Germany AllesKlar.de Germany Awenso.de Germany Axxus.de Germany Azillo.de Germany Bellnet.de Germany Blimb.de Germany Bunte-Suche.de Germany CliXtore.de Germany Cyber-Content.de Germany De-Linkliste.de Germany D-Linkliste.de Germany FastBot.de Germany GoHits.de Germany Information.de Germany Insitor.de Germany InternetBaron.de Germany Jungle-Spider.de Germany Link-Garage.de Germany Linkhuette.de Germany MyLinkGuide.de Germany Netluchs.de Germany Nugo.de Germany OnlineStreet.de Germany Phantastor.de Germany Pixel-Partisan.de Germany SalamanderSuche.de Germany SearchLinks.de Germany Seitensuche.info Germany SemaGER.de Germany SpiderIndex.de Germany Suche4All.de Germany Suchen.de Germany Such-Info.com Germany Suchmaschine-Webkatalog.de Germany Suchnase.de Germany Tabularum.de Germany TopReflex.de Germany Webinhalt.de Germany Witch.de Germany Yatus.de Greece Anazitisis.gr India IndiaRanking.com Italy AbrahamSearch.it Mexico MexicoWeb.com.mx Mexico Yellow.com.mx Netherlands Nl.insitor.com New Zealand SearchNZ.co.nz Poland Gooru.pl Poland NetSprint.pl Poland Szukaj.wp.pl Portugal Aeiou.pt Russian Federation Yandex.ru Serbia Yusearch.com Sierra Leone Slowwwenia.com Slovakia ZooHoo.sk South Africa SearchZA.com Switzerland AllesKlar.ch Switzerland Search.ch UK EnterUK.co.uk UK Free-WebDirectory.co.uk USA A1WebDirectory.org USA ABCNetDirectory.com USA ActiveSearchResults.com USA Amfibi.com USA Amidalla.de USA Anoox.com USA Auhana.com USA AxxaSearch.com USA Bing.com USA Boitho.com USA Cipinet.com USA Craigs-Directory.com USA EntireWeb.com USA Feedplex.com USA Finest4.com USA FreeWebDirectory.us USA FullGuide.net USA FyberSearch.com USA GigaBlast.com USA Google.com USA HotVsNot.com USA InfoTiger.com USA IntelSeek.com USA Jayde.com USA LinksMonster.net USA LinksTraffic.net USA ScrubTheWeb.com USA SentenceSeek.com USA Setooz.com USA SiteSubmissionDirectory.com USA SoMuch.com USA SonicRun.com USA SpiffySearch.com USA Submit-Url-Add.com USA Suggest-Link.net USA SurrealBlog.com USA Szigg.net USA The-Search-Site.com USA Vehp.com USA WhatUSeek.com USA Where2Go.com USA ZenSearch.com ## Local Search Country Description URL USA Bing [Bing](http://www.bingplaces.com/) USA City Search [City Search](https://signup.citygrid.com/?execution=e1s1) USA Dex Knows [Dex Knows](https://www.dexknows.com/) USA Foursquare [Foursquare](http://business.foursquare.com/) USA Google [Google](http://www.google.com/local/add/businessCenter) USA HotFrog HotFrog USA Insider Pages [Insider Pages](http://www.insiderpages.com/session/new?header_link=true) USA Kudzu [Kudzu](https://register.kudzu.com/packageSelect.do?) USA Local.com [Local.com](https://advertise.local.com/) USA MacRea's Blue Book [MacRea's Blue Book](http://www.macraesbluebook.com/getlisted/get-listed.cfm) USA Manta [Manta](http://www.manta.com/) USA Superpages.com [Superpages.com](http://www.supermedia.com/spportal/quickbpflow.do) USA Yelp [Yelp](https://biz.yelp.com/claiming) USA yp.com [yp.com](http://adsolutions.yp.com/advertise-with-us?utm_source=YPR_&utm_campaign=SEOprofiler.com_&utm_medium=SEOprofiler.com_&utm_term=SEOprofiler.com_) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Searchers-Intent/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Searchers-Intent/ All too often we see businesses making a big mistake when it comes to the search engines beyond ignoring them or just paying to play. They are still thinking the early 2000’s and the internet on how they worked before they could do a lot of "self thinking". The search engines have evolved, yet many businesses have not evolved with these changes. Google is a major force recon with when it comes to the search engines and they are **not slowing down** with their updates. With over 500 updates per year you need to continue to bring you’re "A" game to make the search engines work for you. Paying for your search engine optimization or SEO is a short-term fix to a long-term problem. In the past, a single keyword or two were used to describe a page to the search engines. Today we look at what is called searchers intent. This seems a lot more complicated than a one or two-word phrase but once you get your head around it the concept is actually easier, builds more trust with your audience, and answers the question (intent) of your site visitor. That sounds all well and good but can you give me an example of what intent is? Of course, this would be a useless article if we didn’t cover an example of what intent was. Let’s look at a landscaping problem all homeowners face at least once in their life as homeowners (unless they are really lucky). Whether you are hiring someone or doing it yourself you want to be well informed and educated. Everyone likes to be knowledgeable, maybe not an expert, but they want to know they aren’t getting screwed over. Walkways or paths around your house are created with pavers (or bricks for us normal folk). In the old days you would do a Google search for “Brick Pavers”, “Walkway”, etc. This will get you everything “in general” from sales, to manufacturers, installation, upkeep, and maintenance just to start. When it comes to *intent* what happens is the searcher now either type (or talk to their phones) with phrases like “How do you create a walkway?”, "What materials do I need to create a backyard sidewalk?", etc. You may have heard or seen this in the past. Around ten years ago people started talking about keyword phrases and better targeting your audience. This was the start of this intent phenomenon. This is where you no longer write a page for a single word or two but work on writing your pages to answer one or more questions your audience is asking. ## Keys to searcher intent An item to keep in mind when moving to search intent is remember that content is king. Not only is it king but a king is good only when it produces quality content the readers want to hear. Beyond that you want to have a great site structure that is well thought through that is ordered in a logical manner that people can easily understand. All too often a business owner sees something on Facebook, Google, etc. that they don’t like even though it’s been accepted as “the standard”. It may not be perfect but it is what everyone expects to see. Don’t reinvent the wheel or create the next great thing. If you require people to “re-learn” the internet to use your site and learn you are doing it completely wrong. Speaking of doing it wrong…. Google and the other search engines are smart, really smart. Some look for ways to exploit weaknesses as the information they are doing is completely new, evolving, and changing. Listen to the best practices and don’t look for loopholes in the system. We see all too often those that manipulate Google, move quickly up for a few months, and then drop hard where it takes more months, sometimes years, to recover. Don’t do it. Search has changed and you have to change with it if you want to stay on page one of the search results. Adapt to the change, accept the change, and continue to update your website. Constant change with great content and updating for the latest search engine changes will gain you better results over time than just paying to “play” (e.g. paid ads). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Sell-Your-Passion-Before-Anything-Else/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Sell-Your-Passion-Before-Anything-Else/ For smaller businesses, having passion is one of the key components of selling your business to others. For many, the passion for the small business, the drive to their dream to the next level and find success in the business world is part of the appeal for so many to support local and support small to mid-range. For the entrepreneur, their passion is the energy that elevates them above larger businesses and the key factor that all businesses must sell to their clients before their first sale. **Passion is Sincere:** You can't fake passion. You can try but like a fake grin or a forced smile, your clients will always be able to tell your lack of sincerity. Passion doesn't necessarily mean jumping off couches screaming how much you love what you do (although you can certainly try that approach if you want), but true passion comes from loving what you do. It comes from loving it so much that it's difficult to distinguish it from a normal job. It's no longer a job, but rather something you look forward to doing every day. You consider yourself lucky that you have the time every day to run your business and share it with clients who hopefully will turn around to love it as much as you do. **Passion is Rough Seas and Beautiful Beaches** I've had the pleasure of working with hundreds of clients all from companies and businesses of various sizes. No matter what their business is selling, the one thing I see in all successful entrepreneurs is the stone-faced look of determination through the good and the bad. With all things in life, setbacks are bound to happen as well as victories both small and large. Out of all the clients, I have worked with, the ones who have seen the most success are the ones who take every setback with a new plan. They take every victory graciously but always plan for the next big thing. Passion in your business is striving towards each victory while always looking forward introspectively to see what comes next. **Passion is Contagious:** Passion is something that, if done correctly, can spread to both your employees and customers. You must care about what you're selling, how you're selling it and what you must do to make it sell. It's a mix of giving your time away to become better while looking at your own failures and owning up to them. It's the foresight and intelligence to learn how to tackle obstacles but also react to unexpected ones. Once you demonstrate the amount you're willing to give to make your business successful, it will rub off on your employees and your customers alike. Employees will understand the care and love you have for your business and will also want to work harder not just for a bigger paycheck or more benefits (though those do help), but for the total success of the company. Clients will see your dedication to your business which can lead to them seeing you as trustworthy and worth their time and money over your competitors. **Conclusion:** While having passion alone isn't the be all, end all to finding success in the business world, it's one of the defining factors that keeps a business moving forward through all its victories and defeat. Running a business takes a lot of love and dedication, a complete commitment on the owner's part to do what is necessary to make it in the business world. It's a long and winding road, but if your heart is in the right place and you truly believe in your vision, your success may not be a matter of "if" but a matter of "when". --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-5-Keys-to-Writing-Quality-Content/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-5-Keys-to-Writing-Quality-Content/ ### Following these easy steps will help improve the quality of your website content as well as your search engine rankings. The quality of your website content is essential not only for search engine rankings but for business credibility as well. Your content should include the keywords and phrases that you want to rank higher for, but it should also make sense and not be repetitive to your readers. Writing good content that also helps your SEO can be tricky, which is why we've compiled a list of easy ways to help improve your content. Here are 5 simple building blocks to use when writing content for your web pages: #### Audience The main goal of your website is to attract new clients and give information to your existing clients. Your website should obviously include what your business is about, its history, the services it offers, and how to contact you. Making these elements easy to find on your website will help viewers find exactly what they are looking for and quickly. It helps to have a very eye-catching homepage that has any information the viewer might be looking for right on top or the middle of the page. Including the keywords and key phrases will help visitors feel confident they found exactly what they are looking for. #### Headings In today's world, we have only a few seconds to catch the viewer's attention and keep them engaged. Having headings that grab their attention is crucial to keeping a newcomer on your website. Headings should be informative but concise, and catchy but professional. Benefit-driven headings work well to grab a visitors attention, and make them see the value your business offers. The more interesting your website is and the longer the visitor stays on your page, the better your SEO rankings will be. Google takes notice when visitors leave your website quickly. #### Word Limit Your business might have a lot of information to share. You're the experts, you know what you're doing and want to show the world that you know what you're doing. However, having too much information on your pages can be overwhelming to potential clients. Visitors are most often looking for the key points, because they are not the experts and that's why they're looking for a business like yours to hire or work with. Try to find a healthy balance between interesting and informative content, and keep it clear and concise. It is recommended to keep page content to a maximum of 450-500 words, and leave the heavy information to your blogs or press releases. #### Tone and Language Your content should be professional, but don't get too technical. Remember, you're the experts, not your clients. Using a lot of technical information could make visitors feel overwhelmed, bored, or even unintelligent because they don't understand. Provide information about your services and how you can help your clients. Engage the reader while providing the necessary information. Make it easy for the visitor to read and understand, and write your content as if you are the outsider looking in. #### Proof Reading It is a good idea to create a rough draft before writing your page content. Not only can you proofread your work and catch any spelling or grammar mistakes, you can keep an eye on the word count as well. Make sure the information includes the keywords and key points you want for your business, and that the information accurately describes your business and services. It doesn't hurt to have an outsider read your content as well, they might be able to give a fresh outlook and give suggestions if it is too much information or doesn't flow smoothly. Writing good quality content can be tricky, but we're here to help! We can help organize, edit, or rewrite your content so that it is not only professional, clear, and concise, but it also contains the necessary keywords and phrases you need to help build your SEO rankings. Contact us to learn more! Give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), stop at our office at 403 E Lincolnway in Downtown Cullman Alabama, [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-aio-geo-aeo-2025/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-aio-geo-aeo-2025/ In the world of digital marketing, things move fast. The strategies that worked last year might not be enough to get you noticed today. If you've heard terms like SEO, AIO, GEO, and AEO and felt a little lost, you're not alone. The search landscape of 2025 is more complex than ever, but understanding these key concepts is the first step to staying ahead. As the leading digital marketing experts right here in **Cullman County, Alabama**, Fawkes Digital Marketing has been at the forefront of this evolution. We're here to demystify these terms and show you how to build a modern, winning strategy that works for your business. Let's break down what each of these acronyms means and, most importantly, how they all work together in 2025. ## What is SEO? (Search Engine Optimization) SEO is the foundation of digital visibility. It's the process of improving your website to increase its visibility when people search for products or services related to your business on search engines like Google. **In 2025, traditional SEO remains crucial.** It's about earning clicks and driving traffic. The core principles still hold true: - **Keyword Research**: Finding the terms people are actually searching for. - **High-Quality Content**: Creating valuable, well-researched, and engaging content. - **Technical SEO**: Ensuring your site is fast, secure, and easy for search engine crawlers to understand. - **Link Building**: Earning reputable links to your site to build authority. Think of SEO as the base of a pyramid. You can't build anything else without a solid SEO foundation. However, as AI, voice assistants, and personalized search have become mainstream, we've had to add new layers of optimization. ## What is AIO? (All-in-One Optimization) AIO, or **Artificial Intelligence Optimization**, is the use of AI tools to enhance every aspect of your SEO and content strategy. It's not a replacement for human expertise but a powerful partner that makes our work faster and more effective. In 2025, AIO tools are not a luxury—they are a necessity. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we leverage AI for tasks like: - **Advanced Keyword Analysis**: Identifying long-tail keywords and semantic relationships that humans might miss. - **Content Generation**: Creating outlines and first drafts for articles, saving time and ensuring a strong structure. - **Data Analysis**: Predicting user behavior and trends to keep content relevant and timely. AIO is about using technology to streamline your efforts and ensure your content is smarter, more relevant, and more likely to succeed. It's the engine that powers the rest of your strategy. ## What is GEO? (Geo-targeted SEO) GEO is the art of optimizing your online presence to attract customers in a specific geographical area. For a local business in **Cullman County, Alabama**, this is your most powerful tool. In 2025, GEO is far more sophisticated than just adding a city name to your keywords. It's about proving your local authority and relevance. Key strategies for effective GEO include: - **Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)**: This is your most important tool. Optimizing your profile with accurate information, high-quality photos, and customer reviews is non-negotiable. - **Local Content**: Creating blog posts and landing pages that are hyper-specific to your community, such as "Top 5 Home Remodeling Projects in Cullman" or "Your Guide to Small Business Insurance in Cullman County." - **Local Citations & Reviews**: Ensuring your business information is consistent across online directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages, etc.) and actively encouraging customer reviews on platforms like Google. For any business serving a local community, mastering GEO is essential for driving foot traffic and local leads. Fawkes Digital Marketing understands the local market and can help you dominate search results in Cullman and the surrounding areas. ## What is AEO? (Answer Engine Optimization) AEO is arguably the most significant shift in search marketing in 2025. As AI-powered search engines (like Google's AI Overviews, Gemini, and ChatGPT) and voice assistants (Siri, Alexa) become the primary way people find information, users are often getting direct answers without ever clicking on a website. AEO is the practice of optimizing your content to be the one chosen as the authoritative "answer" in these zero-click scenarios. This requires a new mindset. To win with AEO, your content needs to be: - **Concise and Direct**: Provide the answer to a question in the very first sentence or paragraph. - **Structured for AI**: Use clear headers, bullet points, numbered lists, and schema markup (a type of structured data) to make your information easy for machines to parse. - **Authoritative**: Your content must demonstrate expertise, experience, and trustworthiness. This means citing your sources, referencing data, and having a clear author bio with credentials. For example, instead of writing an article on "how to bake a cake," you'd start with a direct answer: "To bake a cake, preheat your oven to 350°F and combine flour, sugar, and eggs in a bowl..." ### How They All Work Together: The Modern Marketing Stack In 2025, success is not about choosing one of these; it's about integrating all four into a cohesive strategy. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, this is our specialty. - **SEO is the foundation.** It ensures your website is visible and trustworthy to search engines. - **GEO builds your local authority.** It attracts customers right here in Cullman County. - **AIO supercharges everything.** It uses intelligent tools to make your SEO and content efforts faster, smarter, and more scalable. - **AEO is the forward-looking layer.** It ensures you capture visibility in the rapidly growing space of AI-driven, zero-click search. By mastering all four, we build a multi-layered strategy that not only gets you on the first page of Google but also gets you cited in AI summaries, recommended by voice assistants, and found by local customers looking for your specific services. The digital landscape is changing, and the time to adapt is now. Don't get left behind. Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing in Cullman, Alabama, today and let us build a comprehensive, future-proof strategy for your business. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-and-how-it-benefits-your-website/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-and-how-it-benefits-your-website/ We talk about the benefits of SEO or search engine optimization with every project we work on. Whether it be a basic brochure site, a site designed for lead generation, a customer support site, or an eCommerce site. You can build the most beautiful site in the world. You can have the greatest content in the world. Only when you let people know it exists will they be able to find you. 1. **User-Friendly Websites** – Search Engine Optimization is more than just getting your text and images properly formatted. When SEO is done well you optimize your website in many ways. You optimize it for speed, mobile friendliness, and a better overall user experience. You throw away many of the "cool" factor of animations to present, educate, and inform your users on why your products, services, and solutions are the one they want. A well structured and thought out website will make it easy for people to navigate which will increase their overall sticky factor on your website. 2. **Improved lead generation** – It doesn't matter if you have a brochure site or an eCommerce website you want sales. There is no business in the business not to make money; including not-for-profits. A SEO optimized site will ask for people to move through your sales funnel without being pushy. You won't have what I call the annoying popups but subtle points of asking people for information or to do a certain task. 3. **Content** – We can't talk about the benefits of SEO without talking about content. Specifically, high-quality content. Your content does not have to be grammar correct (sorry grammar Nazi's). Your content needs to provide answers, be informative, and in today's day and age be authenticate in nature. Authenticate is when you leave some of the human factor in your text. You don't sound like a perfectly written sales flyer every step of the way. This is important to have too but stop thinking perfection. Start thinking of helping the normal person solve the problem they are currently facing. 4. **Brand awareness** – One of the key factors in any good SEO is getting your name out there for free. When you work on your website and the search engines see that you are creating content that answers users question you will move up in the rankings. The higher you move up the more people will see you. The more that people will see you the more you will be in their subconscious when they are ready to make a decision. 5. **More customers** – As more people learn about you and slowly start coming to your website the better your chances are that you will increase your customer base. 6. **Best Practices** – Google and Bing are the two biggest search engines. You need to adhere to their recommendations for your website. Not only will this make them happy but it will also make your human visitors happy as well. The best practices from the search engines are designed to make the internet a better place and to get rid of all the "noise" and help people live happy lives. This seems odd that a search engine will give you a happy life but if you think about it if you look for something online and can't find it you get frustrated. If you can serve and solve the problem someone is having you will make them happy. 7. **More secure** – Until the search engines started demanding every website use the green padlock or SSL or TLS you only saw security on the checkout screen of eCommerce sites. Now you see most sites have the green padlock. Those that do are the companies that believe in the security and safety of their customers. 8. **Frequency of Updates** – When a business understands SEO and wants to be found online they will more often keep their website updated. They understand the importance of educating and informing their customers and potential customers. Blogs will be written to keep a steady flow of new content coming which keeps the search engines coming back for more (they are one of your customers!). 9. **Bypass the competition** – We only deal with small business but small business has a benefit over the big dogs. They are more aggressive, more agile, and have a deeper hunger to succeed. Small businesses may have aspirations to grow from being local to national or just to "own their own backyard" and stay local. SEO can help them achieve this as doing all the best practices and staying more in-tune with your customers your SEO efforts can help you grow past your competitors. 10. **Effective Marketing** – When it comes to marketing your company online SEO is one of the most cost-effective ways to not only market your business but is one that when not done well can make you think your website is a cost center rather than a 24x7 marketer of your company. Your website should be working for you constantly and should not be seen as a cost of doing business. It should fall into the same realm as your employees. Your website should be considered an essential part of growing your business and having great customer service. 11. **Organic vs Paid** – Organic SEO is when Google, Bing, and others list you within their index for free. Paid is when you want to be listed under topics that aren't related to your content or no matter how hard you try you can't get above your competition. This is where paid advertising comes in. SEO by nature **is not paid**. It is organic. This means you work hard to give high-quality content, you structure it well, you listen to all the best practices, and you constantly keep your website updated and informative so that when people come back they are able to learn more about you rather than seeing the exact same thing they saw last month. SEO for any size business is important. Small business it truly is important as you are competing against companies that have very large budgets. SEO is the most cost-effective way to market your company and to keep a fresh user experience out on the internet for your customers and potential customers. By investing in SEO, you are adding to your company's bottom line by gaining brand recognition, more visitors to your site, and showing that you are the expert in your industry. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-and-ux/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-and-ux/ In the race to rank higher on Google, many businesses prioritize **SEO techniques** aimed solely at impressing search engine algorithms. While SEO is essential for driving traffic, focusing exclusively on optimizing for search engines can lead to a disconnect between your website and its primary audience: your users. The secret to long-term success? **Prioritize User Experience (UX)** over purely search engine-focused strategies. In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of UX, why it’s critical to better results, and how balancing UX with SEO creates a winning formula for your business. *** ## **What is User Experience (UX) in Relation to SEO?** **User Experience (UX)** refers to how users interact with and perceive your website. It includes factors like: - **Ease of Navigation:** How quickly users can find what they need. - **Content Quality:** Whether your content answers users’ questions and solves their problems. - **Site Speed:** How fast your pages load across devices. - **Mobile Friendliness:** Whether your site performs seamlessly on mobile devices. On the other hand, **SEO (Search Engine Optimization)** focuses on ensuring your website is visible to search engines through the use of keywords, meta tags, structured data, and backlinks. While SEO aims to attract visitors, UX determines whether those visitors stay, engage, and convert. *** ## **Why Focusing on UX Leads to Better Results** ### **1. Search Engines Prioritize User-Centric Metrics** Google’s algorithms have evolved to evaluate websites based on **user behavior metrics**, such as: - **Bounce Rate:** How quickly users leave your site after arriving. - **Dwell Time:** How long users spend engaging with your content. - **Click-Through Rate (CTR):** How often users click on your links in search results. These metrics directly influence your rankings. A website that provides a positive user experience is more likely to perform well in search results. *** ### **2. User Satisfaction Drives Conversions** SEO can bring visitors to your site, but a great UX keeps them there and encourages action. Whether it’s filling out a contact form, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter, satisfied users are more likely to convert. **Example:** If a user lands on a beautifully designed, fast-loading site with intuitive navigation, they’re far more likely to trust your business and take the desired action. *** ### **3. Reduced Bounce Rates Boost Rankings** When users quickly leave a website because it’s confusing, slow, or irrelevant, it signals to search engines that the site isn’t meeting user expectations. A high bounce rate can drag down your rankings. On the flip side, a site that delivers a stellar experience keeps users engaged, sending positive signals to search engines. *** ### **4. Voice Search and Mobile Optimization** With the rise of **voice search** and **mobile-first indexing**, search engines favor websites that prioritize usability and relevance for mobile users. A mobile-friendly site with intuitive navigation and fast load times ensures you’re catering to users on all devices. *** ## **Common UX Mistakes That Hurt SEO and User Retention** 1. **Slow Page Load Speeds:** Users expect a page to load in under 3 seconds. If it doesn’t, they’re likely to leave. 2. **Poor Navigation:** Confusing menus and unorganized content frustrate users, leading to higher bounce rates. 3. **Low-Quality Content:** Content stuffed with keywords but lacking substance alienates users and signals low value to search engines. 4. **Intrusive Pop-Ups:** Overwhelming users with pop-ups and ads creates a poor experience. 5. **Non-Mobile-Friendly Design:** With over half of web traffic coming from mobile devices, a lack of mobile optimization can cost you valuable users. *** ## **How to Prioritize UX Without Sacrificing SEO** ### **1. Design for Humans First, Search Engines Second** Focus on creating a website that provides value to your audience. Optimize content for **clarity**, **relevance**, and **engagement**, rather than just keywords. **Action Steps:** - Use plain language that resonates with your audience. - Provide answers to common questions in an easy-to-digest format. - Prioritize readability with proper headers, bullet points, and visuals. *** ### **2. Optimize Page Speed** Slow websites frustrate users and lower your rankings. Regularly test your website speed and implement fixes. **Tools to Use:** - **Google PageSpeed Insights:** Identify slow-loading elements. - **GTmetrix:** Get detailed insights on performance issues. *** ### **3. Ensure Mobile-Friendliness** Since Google uses mobile-first indexing, your site must deliver an exceptional experience on mobile devices. **Action Steps:** - Use responsive design to adapt your site to all screen sizes. - Optimize images for faster loading on mobile networks. - Simplify navigation and make buttons and CTAs touch-friendly. *** ### **4. Create Valuable Content** Content is at the core of both UX and SEO. Focus on delivering content that solves problems, answers questions, and keeps users engaged. **Action Steps:** - Address user intent by understanding what your audience is searching for. - Use visuals like images, videos, and infographics to break up text and enhance understanding. - Update outdated content to keep it relevant and accurate. *** ### **5. Make Navigation Intuitive** Users should be able to find what they’re looking for within seconds. A well-organized site structure enhances both UX and SEO. **Action Steps:** - Create a logical menu structure with clear categories. - Use internal linking to guide users to related content. - Add a search bar for easy access to specific information. *** ### **6. Leverage Analytics to Improve UX** Use tools like Google Analytics and heatmaps to monitor user behavior. Identify problem areas and implement fixes. **Metrics to Watch:** - Time on page - Pages per session - Exit rates - Bounce rates *** ## **The Benefits of a User-Centric Approach** When you prioritize UX alongside SEO, you’ll see improvements in: - **Higher Rankings:** Search engines reward sites that provide great user experiences. - **Increased Engagement:** Satisfied users spend more time on your site and explore multiple pages. - **Better Conversions:** Positive experiences build trust and encourage users to take action. - **Customer Loyalty:** Happy users are more likely to return and recommend your business to others. *** ## **Why Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help** At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in creating websites that strike the perfect balance between user experience and search engine optimization. Our approach ensures your site not only ranks high but also delivers a seamless experience that keeps visitors coming back. ### **What We Offer:** - Comprehensive UX and SEO audits - Mobile-friendly, responsive web design - High-quality, engaging content creation - Page speed optimization and performance enhancements *** ## **Conclusion** While SEO is essential for driving traffic to your site, focusing solely on search engine algorithms can leave your users—and your business—disappointed. By prioritizing **user experience (UX)**, you can create a website that not only attracts visitors but also engages and converts them into loyal customers. If you’re ready to improve your website’s UX and SEO for better results, contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today. Let’s create an experience your users—and search engines—will love! **[Get started today](https://www.fawkesdm.com/Contact/)**. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-Basics-Title-Tags/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-Basics-Title-Tags/ We all see the descriptions in the tabs of our favorite browser. These are title tags and are an essential part of your on-site page SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Often believed to be a beginner SEO technique, these tags are crucial to your optimization and being found. They need to be well thought out and updated to meet the needs of those visiting your site. ## First Impression Importance When someone meets you for the first time, the first impression is the most critical. Since title tags are the first item, people are most likely going to see they fall into this relevant category. ## Ranking Factor within Google Your page title is a critical piece of information not only for Google and Bing but for your visitors. This is the first item they see and read when they come to your site. Other aspects of a page can be skipped over, but the title is always read by your site visitors on the search engines. ## Short and Sweet Our time is short and rushed. A title tag is 50-60 characters in length. This brevity means you need to grab the attention of your audience quickly and suck them in. Your title needs to be relevant to what your audience is looking for and capture their attention. Once they click to avoid a click-back, you need to make sure the description is accurate to what the title says it relates to. ## One-Size Doesn't Fit All There is no magical formula that Google or your audience is looking for. You will need to adjust your titles overtime to meet the new and ever-changing needs of your visitors. As you test the waters with different titles, you will surely come across a pattern that is working. Run with that pattern until it is no longer working for you. ## Drop the Losers Once it stops working, be agile, and adjust your title creation technique to find the new title pattern that works with your audience. Look for trends so that you can adapt more quickly in the future. ## Conclusion Title tags may be one of the first items you learn about SEO, but it is not something to learn and forget. You need to adapt and change your titles to meet your audience's needs. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-Best-Practices-for-Your-Small-Business-Website/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-Best-Practices-for-Your-Small-Business-Website/ We believe that small business truly makes our communities grow. They have heart, passion, raise their families, and are 100% committed to our communities. We believe big business is important but will never be as vested in our local community as much as small business. To that end we look for ways to improve small business search engine optimization for small business whether you are in Cullman, Merrillville, or in a big city like Chicago. These SEO techniques work for every small business. ## Optimize your text The most important part of your website beyond having an intuitive interface that is consistent with the rest of the internet (don't force your audience learn to use the internet for the next "cool" thing. Your text should be targeted to your intended audience, cover the keywords that you want to be found under, and be properly formatted for your readers. ## Speaking of text! Speaking of quality content, you need to make certain you blog! A blog is where you can write information to inform, educate, and grow your brand awareness. The more you blog the more the search engines will come back to learn more about what you have to offer. When your content is written well, educates, answers questions, and informs the search engines will see you are an expert in your field. ## Be social Social media is also about educating, informing, and being involved. Social media isn’t directly tied to the search engines but do play a factor. When you are active on social media you are being consistent. Consistency is key when you write to be found and seen as the true expert that you are. ## Speed doesn't kill on the internet; it is encouraged In the real-world speed kills. When it comes to the internet the faster you are the more people love you. Our time is limited and the faster a person can get results, and not wait, the more they will appreciate it. Places to look to optimize is your website theme and especially your images. ## Know your audience Going back to the type of text to write you need to know where your audience is, who they are, and what they are looking for. You need to know whether they are connecting on desktop, tablet, or mobile devices. It may also be a combination of these devices. Make certain that you adapt to change and check your analytics on a monthly basis (or more). Speaking of analytics signup for Google Analytics; it’s free! Not only will this tell you the type of devices you have coming to your website but also where they are coming from, where they are going within your site, and you can build and assign monetary values to see how everything is performing and converting for you. ## Be a time saver For our last tip we are going to make it short and sweet. Think of everything we've already said. Your audience's time is limited. Get them the answers they need, avoid the "fluff", and help them on their way. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEOBestPracticesTheUltimateGuidetoOrganicGrowth/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEOBestPracticesTheUltimateGuidetoOrganicGrowth/ ## Introduction In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, SEO remains the cornerstone of organic visibility. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we don't just follow trends—we set the standard. As **premier organic SEO experts**, we help businesses navigate the latest changes and stay ahead of the curve. This guide breaks down the **most effective SEO strategies**, highlights outdated practices to avoid, and shows why partnering with us is the smartest move for sustainable online growth. ## Why Organic SEO Still Reigns Search engine optimization isn't dead—far from it. It's smarter, more user-focused, and more essential than ever. While algorithm updates and AI continue to shape the landscape, one thing remains constant: **Google rewards high-quality, relevant content and a positive user experience**. Organic SEO not only drives traffic—it builds **trust**, increases **brand authority**, and delivers **long-term ROI**. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we tailor strategies that focus on your audience's intent, behavior, and search patterns—ensuring your brand stays front and center. ## What Works: SEO Best Practices That Matter - **Content is Still King—But Now It's Smarter**: Content that connects, converts, and compels is still at the heart of SEO. It's about: - Writing for **humans first**, search engines second - Solving problems, answering questions, and providing real value - Incorporating **natural language**, **LSI keywords**, and **clear structure** - Long-form content works—but only when it's digestible, engaging, and optimized with headers, visuals, and bullet points. Freshness also plays a key role. Updating older content is a powerful, often overlooked SEO tactic. - **User Experience (UX)** - **The Silent Ranking Factor**: UX is no longer optional—it's **mission-critical**. Google considers bounce rates, site navigation, mobile usability, and speed when determining rankings. To win, ensure: - Fast load times across devices - Mobile-first, responsive design - Intuitive navigation and strong internal linking - **Backlinks** - **Quality > Quantity**: High-quality backlinks are still gold. Google favors links from **relevant, authoritative sources**. That means ditching link farms and investing in real relationships, great content, and strategic outreach. - We help our clients earn natural backlinks through content marketing, guest posts, and digital PR that positions them as industry leaders. - **Keywords in Context, Not Just in Text**: Keyword stuffing is officially obsolete. SEO focuses on: - **User intent** over exact matches - Semantic keywords and natural phrasing - Voice search optimization with conversational language - We use advanced keyword research tools and AI insights to uncover what your audience is \*actually\* searching for—and build content around that. - **AI and Voice Search Optimization**: With the rise of AI (like Google's RankBrain) and smart devices, SEO now hinges on understanding **conversational intent**. - Use FAQ-style content to win voice search - Structure pages for quick, direct answers - Optimize for featured snippets and People Also Ask results - **Schema Markup for Enhanced Visibility**: Structured data helps Google understand your content and display rich results like: - Star ratings - Event times - FAQs - Product info - We implement schema markup strategically to boost CTR and increase visibility in search. - **Local SEO: A Must-Have for Physical Businesses**: If you're a local business, optimizing for local SEO is essential: - Claim and optimize your **Google Business Profile** - Use localized content and keywords - Get listed in relevant directories - Encourage positive reviews and update business info frequently At Fawkes, we specialize in hyper-local SEO strategies that bring real customers to your door. ## What's Outdated: SEO Tactics to Avoid Some techniques just don't cut it anymore. Here's what to ditch: - **Exact-match domains**: Branding trumps keywords in URLs - **Buying backlinks**: Risky and penalized - **Keyword stuffing & over-optimized anchor text**: Looks unnatural - **Thin, low-quality content**: Offers no value and won't rank ## Why Fawkes Digital Marketing is Your SEO Powerhouse We're not just another agency—we're **your strategic partner in growth**. Here's what sets us apart: - **Organic SEO experts** with a proven track record - Custom strategies rooted in data and creativity - Transparent reporting and real-time analytics - A dedicated team obsessed with your success Whether you need a full-scale SEO strategy, a content revamp, or local visibility boost, Fawkes delivers smart, scalable solutions that drive results. ## Ready to Rank Higher? Don't let outdated SEO hold you back. Let Fawkes Digital Marketing craft a **future-proof SEO strategy** tailored to your goals. [Contact us today](/Contact/) and let's make your brand shine—organically. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEOCommonMistakes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEOCommonMistakes/ We just completed a huge SEO (Search Engine Optimization) mess on a site. The client was not getting the results they wanted to see on their search results. The problem came down to several common mistakes that were done by a national graphics company. The graphics on their site were stunning and the site was beyond a beautiful site to the site visitor. Below we will cover what we discovered and explain the major, not all; of the problems that we found were wrong with the site so that you can work on making these changes to your site as well. ## 301 versus 302 Redirection There are two types of redirects you can use on your website; a 301 and a 302. These numbers refer to the HTTP Status Code returned by the server for a given websites URL. A 301 redirect tells the search engine that the page has moved permanently to a new location and the old location that is in the search engines cache needs to be updated to the new location. A 302 redirect tells the search engine that the move is only temporary, and you may decide to show content at the original location in the future without a redirect and the search engine will not update its cached information. ### 301 Redirect Redirects to the site you specified in the Forward To field using a "301 Moved Permanently" HTTP response. The HTTP 301 response code tells user-agents (including search engines) that the location has permanently moved. ### 302 Redirect Redirects to the site you specified in the Forward To field using a "302 Moved Temporarily" HTTP response. The HTTP 302 response code tells user-agents (including search engines) that the location has temporarily moved. ## URL Canonicalization The word canonicalization is the process of picking the best website URL when there are several choices to provide to a site visitor. For example, consider the following URL's: - www.example.com - example.com/ - www.example.com/index.html - example.com/home.asp - example.com/default.php To the search engines all of these URL's are different. A web server could return completely different content for all the URL's above. When a search engine "canonicalizes" a URL the search engines are trying and pick the one that seems the best for the search criteria. This means in the above scenario that you are competing against yourself! The key is to make all of your pages come out either as (1) www.example.com or (2) example.com. To the search engines whether you use www or non-www doesn't matter. The key is to decide on which one you, the customer, like and inform your web designer which one you want and they write a few routines that make it happen. Using the 301 redirect option above you will improve your sites quality within the search engine results. ## Page Headings Within a website you have headings. These headings are prefaced with h1, h2, h3, h4, h5 or h6. Having all one type within a page is bad. Having none on a page is also not a good practice. You should always have an h1 at the top of the page which identifies and helps users and search engines know what the title of the page is. For example, on this page "Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Common Mistakes" is the h1 section. For h2's we have "301 versus 302 Redirection", "URL Canonicalization" and "Page Headings" listed above. Within the URL Canonicalization we have "301 Redirect" and "302 Redirect". As you look at the page this helps identify what each section is to the user and the search engine. ## Images There were two issues we found with the issues and we've routinely seen with people that don't look at every byte of a website. The first was they had an image shown as 500 pixels wide by 300 pixels tall. This was set correctly on the page which is great. The problem is most of the picture were 3,840 pixels wide by 2,304 pixels tall at 300 dots per inch. The image was shrunk proportionality but larger than it should be which affected the page load time. Page load is critical. We resized the images and saved them as a -small image with a click on the image to the full size image. By doing so we decreased the page load time from 7 seconds to less than 2 seconds. The site also gained the ability to have the full size version, when clicked, available to the user. The second issue we found with images was that the images either had no alternate (alt) text or the same alternate text for every single image. When the alternate text was the same it was always something like "our picture". That's not very descriptive and doesn't say anything to the search engine, or visitors with handicaps, what the image is. Alternate text should be less than 75-100 characters in length or 1-2 sentences. ## Page Load Time Search engines rank you better based on your page load time. ## Headings ### Title The title tags which are used to identify the page itself either didn't exist, were very generic or were longer than the page content itself. A title tag should do the following: - Properly explain what the page is covering as it is typically displayed prominently on the first line of your listing in the organic search engine results pages (SERPs). - It is displayed in the browser title bar (the blue bar across the top of your browser if it is being shown). - It is the single MOST influential on-page ranking factor considered by most search engines in their ranking algorithms. ### Descriptions Every page of our customer's site had the exact same description. This isn't always a bad thing but if every page has the same description for the search engines to display they will typically only display one of the pages rather than multiple. Plus, if every page has the same description why not just have a single page as they're all the same, right? Each page you create has a purpose whether it is describing a product or a service. Take the extra time to put in a description that fully explains the page the user is visiting. This information will be seen in the search results for your users. Keep it clear and concise as well. People are in a hurry to find their information. If you write a book they will typically skip over to the next site. ### Keywords When you are thinking of keywords think of them in two parts. Your site as a whole (every page) and your site as individual pages which can incorporate the keywords from the site as a whole. Unlike descriptions where they can very a lot from page to page keywords can be the same on several pages. Think of who will be, or that you want to, visit your site. What "phrase" will they be looking for? Are you selling fishing bait for a specific fish? Try "fishing bait sardines" rather than just "fishing bait". ## Site Map There was no industry accepted site map on the site for a search engine to know what every page was within the site. The page was called site map but only listed a little over a dozen of the hundreds of pages within the site. The page wasn't setup or optimized for search engine use. There are great, free, products that allow you to create valid site maps for your site. A free site map generator you can use is [XML SiteMaps](http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/). They provide a great generator and if you need more power than the free version you can upgrade to their more powerful solution. ## Syntax and Validation Errors Webpages are defined in groups of headings, paragraphs, etc. A paragraph will start with < p > and end with < /p >. Many web designers and content management systems (CMS) routinely are poorly written that they leave off the training < /p >. This causes syntax and validation errors within your website. Browsers will still display fine as they have learned over the years how to work around poor programming. Having poorly written code though can affect your SEO capabilities. Take the time and clean up your mistakes. Use a site like [W3C Markup Validation Service](http://validator.w3.org/) that will validate your page and tell you exactly how to fix it (if you do have errors). JM2 Webdesigners utilize this service for every page we create and verify that at the time of creation it fully conforms to the current internet based design standards. ## Domain Name The final and possibly the biggest killer for the company is they opted to change their domain name. The old name had been around for over 10 years and had hundreds of pages of content. The new name was purchased a month before going live with the site. The age of your site does play a factor into how you rank. Additionally, you should never kill off an old site. Pay the extra for hosting and do a redirect of every page (301) to the new site. This won't help the age of the new site but it will allow you to maintain whatever SEO you had and point it to your new site. On the other hand, if your site is highly known as being a spammer site it may be worth dropping and starting completely over. For our customer, this wasn't the case. We brought back to life the old site and put in the hundreds of necessary 301's from the old domain name to the new domain name. ## Local SEO If you have a physical address and want or expect people to come to your location then you need to think about Local SEO. Local search engine optimization is the same locally as it is when you do your broad/national search engine optimization efforts. ## Notes The above isn't everything that was wrong with the site but was the most visible items we saw and corrected. This list is also something many are able to do themselves if their CMS (Content Management System). ## Disclaimers - Increases will vary based on each customer - Keywords used and the competition for those keywords. - SEO results for one site will differ from your site. Results will always vary based on your sites content, domain name, etc. - JM2 Webdesigners, nor any company doing SEO, can guarantee results. If they say they can, run! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-has-changed-have-you/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-has-changed-have-you/ **The no-hype guide to SEO, AEO, GEO, AI search, `llms.txt`, and dominating your local market** Imagine it's 7:12 AM on a Thursday morning, a homeowner discovers water spreading across the bathroom floor and you need to get to work or taking care of your kids. They do not open a phone book or "phone a friend" for guidance. They do not scroll through ten pages of websites on their favorite search engine. They pick up their phone and ask: > "Who is the best emergency plumber near me?" Within seconds, an AI-generated answer appears. A map displays three businesses. Reviews, hours, services, photographs, and recommendations are already waiting. (**Note**: this is the result from your Google Business Listing as it's concise, detailed, and just raw data. And, hopefully you're keeping it updated weekly.) The homeowner makes one call. Three companies had a chance to win the customer. Dozens of others never entered the conversation. That is the new reality of search. **SEO is not dead. But the version of SEO many companies are still selling is. This isn't something that "just changed." It changed over two years ago and those in the know have been using this knowledge to beat you out and those companies are no longer focused on that two-year-old technology. They're moving to the newest techniques that your regular companies are just now starting to take advantage of -- and losing again while your business suffers.** ## We Have Attended This Funeral Before Every few years, someone declares that SEO has died. Social media was going to kill it. Mobile search was going to kill it. Voice assistants were going to kill it. Zero-click searches were going to kill it. Now artificial intelligence is supposedly lowering the casket into the ground. Yet people are still searching. They are simply searching in more places, using longer questions, expecting faster answers, and allowing algorithms to narrow their choices before they ever visit a website. Google itself now says that traditional SEO remains relevant to AI Overviews and AI Mode because its generative features continue to rely on Google's core search, ranking, and quality systems. Google also considers Answer Engine Optimization and Generative Engine Optimization to be extensions of the broader search experience—not replacements for SEO. did not die. **Search expanded.** The question is no longer just: > "Can your website rank?" The new questions are: - Can search engines find and understand your business? - Can an AI system confidently quote your information? - Does Google know where you operate? - Does your reputation support what your website claims? - Are you the clearest answer to the customer's question? - Will the customer trust you enough to call? Winning today requires all of those pieces to work together. ## SEO, AEO, and GEO Are Not Competing Strategies The marketing industry loves creating new acronyms. Unfortunately, it often presents each one as a separate service that businesses must purchase. That creates confusion without creating results. Here is what these terms actually mean. ### SEO: Search Engine Optimization SEO helps search engines crawl, index, understand, and rank your website. It includes technical health, page content, internal links, authority, structured data, mobile usability, local relevance, and dozens of other signals. SEO remains the foundation. ### AEO: Answer Engine Optimization AEO helps your content become the answer. Instead of burying useful information beneath 600 words of introduction, an AEO-focused page answers the question clearly and then provides supporting detail. It uses: - Clear questions and direct answers - Descriptive headings - Definitions - Comparisons - Tables - FAQs - Step-by-step explanations - Content written in natural language AEO makes information easier for humans and machines to retrieve. ### GEO: Generative Engine Optimization GEO helps your company and content become a trusted source within AI-generated answers. The goal is not merely to appear as a traditional blue link. The goal is to be understood, referenced, cited, compared, and recommended by systems such as Google AI Mode, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT Search, and other AI-powered discovery tools. Bing now provides an AI Performance report showing when pages are cited in AI-generated answers, which pages receive those citations, and the phrases used to retrieve them. Google has also introduced dedicated reporting for visibility within AI Overviews, AI Mode, and other generative search features. t means AI visibility is no longer theoretical. It can now be measured. ### Local SEO: Winning Where the Customer Lives Local SEO connects your business to a person, service, and geographic area. Google says local visibility is primarily influenced by three concepts: **Relevance, distance, and prominence.** cannot move your building closer to every customer. You can, however, improve how clearly Google understands your services, location, reputation, experience, and importance within the community. SEO, AEO, GEO, and local SEO are not four disconnected products. **They are four parts of one visibility system.** ## The New Objective: Become the Most Trusted Answer Search engines used to feel like digital filing cabinets. Someone entered a keyword, and Google returned a list of pages that might contain the answer. Modern search behaves more like an advisor. It attempts to understand: - What the person really wants - Where they are located - How urgent the need may be - Which businesses provide the service - Which information appears trustworthy - Which sources agree with one another - Which answer should be presented first That changes how successful content must be created. A page cannot merely repeat a keyword. It must prove that your company understands the problem, provides the solution, operates in the relevant market, and can be trusted to deliver. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we describe this as **earning selection**. Ranking creates visibility. Trust earns the customer. ## The Five Layers of Modern Search Visibility ### 1. Make Your Website Discoverable Before your content can rank or be cited, machines must be able to access it. That requires: - A properly configured `robots.txt` - Accurate XML sitemaps - Search-friendly navigation - Logical internal linking - Correct canonical URLs - Proper redirects and status codes - Mobile-friendly pages - Secure HTTPS delivery - Fast, stable performance - Content that does not disappear behind broken scripts - Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools - IndexNow where appropriate - AI crawler rules aligned with your company's policies OpenAI, for example, uses different crawlers for different purposes. `OAI-SearchBot` helps surface websites in ChatGPT search, while `GPTBot` relates to potential model training. A business can allow search visibility while making a separate decision about training access. s is one of the many details that separates modern search strategy from generic "SEO packages." ### 2. Make Your Business Understandable Search engines cannot confidently recommend what they cannot confidently understand. Every important page should make its purpose obvious. A strong service page should explain: - What the service is - Who needs it - What problems it solves - How the process works - What makes your approach different - Where the service is available - What the customer should do next Your company name, address, telephone number, service areas, business hours, categories, and descriptions should also remain consistent across your website, business profiles, directories, and reputable third-party sources. Structured data can reinforce that understanding by identifying your organization, location, services, articles, products, events, and other important entities. Google specifically uses structured data to better understand page content and business information. ema is not magic. It is clarification. ### 3. Make Your Claims Believable The internet is overflowing with average content written by people—and machines—that have never performed the work they describe. That makes real experience more valuable. Show it. Use: - Original photographs - Real projects - Case studies - Customer questions - Named authors - Credentials - Licenses and certifications - Testimonials - Before-and-after examples - Transparent policies - Accurate dates - Cited sources - Clear company information - Evidence from the communities you serve Google continues to emphasize helpful, reliable, people-first content rather than material created primarily to manipulate rankings. It also warns that mass-producing AI-generated pages without adding value may violate its spam policies. can assist with research, organization, analysis, and production. It cannot manufacture genuine experience. ### 4. Make Your Content Citable AI systems need passages they can interpret and reuse accurately. That does not mean writing like a robot. It means writing clearly. Provide the direct answer first. Then explain the reasoning, exceptions, examples, and next steps. Strong citable content often includes: - Original research - Local statistics - Expert explanations - Clear definitions - Cost ranges with context - Comparisons - Pros and cons - Frequently asked questions - Specific examples - Process explanations - Updated information - Claims supported by evidence One vague 2,000-word page is not automatically better than a focused 700-word page. Depth is not measured by word count. **Depth is measured by whether the reader's next question has already been answered.** ### 5. Turn Visibility Into Revenue Traffic is not the finish line. A page must help the visitor act. That means providing: - A clear telephone number - Simple contact forms - Visible service areas - Strong calls to action - Trust signals - Reviews - Pricing guidance when appropriate - Scheduling options - Fast mobile performance - A clear explanation of what happens next The true purpose of SEO is not to impress a reporting dashboard. It is to generate qualified calls, appointments, leads, customers, and revenue. ## What About `llms.txt`? Few topics reveal the difference between informed strategy and marketing hype more clearly than `llms.txt`. The file was proposed in 2024 as a standardized Markdown document placed at `/llms.txt`. Its purpose is to provide language models with a curated overview of a website's most important information and resources. idea is reasonable. The hype is not. As of July 2026: - `llms.txt` remains a proposed convention. - It is not an official IETF or W3C web standard. - It is not a replacement for `robots.txt`. - It is not a replacement for an XML sitemap. - It does not control AI training. - It is not a proven ranking factor. - Google explicitly states that it does not use `llms.txt` for Google Search or its generative AI features. uld a company create one? Possibly. For a large documentation site, software platform, knowledge base, or technically complex organization, a well-maintained `llms.txt` file may offer a useful experimental directory for systems that choose to support it. But it should come after the fundamentals. Installing an `llms.txt` file on a slow, confusing, untrusted website is like placing a beautiful directory in front of an abandoned building. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we do not ignore emerging technology. We also do not sell speculation as certainty. ## The Local Market Domination System Dominating a local market does not come from adding the city name to every paragraph. It comes from creating overwhelming clarity and credibility within that market. ### Own Your Business Profiles Your Google Business Profile should have accurate categories, services, hours, service areas, photographs, contact information, descriptions, and regular updates. Bing Places and other important platforms should communicate the same essential information. Inconsistency creates uncertainty. Consistency builds confidence. ### Build Real Service and Location Coverage Create a strong page for every meaningful service. Create location pages only when you genuinely serve those communities and can provide unique, useful information about each market. A location page should contain more than a swapped city name. Include: - Services available in the area - Local considerations - Neighborhoods or service boundaries - Relevant projects - Customer experiences - Travel or response expectations - Local photographs - Community involvement - Market-specific questions A useful location page establishes relevance. A mass-produced doorway page creates noise. ### Develop a Review Engine Do not wait until someone remembers to request a review. Build a consistent process. Ask satisfied customers at the right moment. Make the process simple. Respond professionally to positive and negative reviews. Use customer feedback to improve operations and create future content. Reviews influence people even when they do not directly determine a particular ranking. They are public evidence that the business keeps its promises. ### Become Part of the Community Local authority is built offline as well as online. Support local organizations. Join chambers and professional associations. Participate in community events. Develop partnerships. Contribute expertise to local publications. Sponsor causes that genuinely matter to the company. Those relationships can create mentions, links, photographs, citations, searches, and brand recognition that competitors cannot manufacture with software. ### Build a Content Ecosystem A pillar article should connect to supporting pages that explore individual questions in greater detail. For example, an HVAC company might build content around: - Emergency air-conditioning repair - Maintenance plans - Filter replacement - Indoor air quality - Energy efficiency - Repair-versus-replacement decisions - Common system noises - Seasonal preparation - Service costs - Individual cities and service areas Each page answers a specific question. Together, they demonstrate comprehensive expertise. ### Measure What Matters Track more than rankings. Measure: - Qualified telephone calls - Form submissions - Scheduled appointments - Direction requests - Organic leads - Local profile activity - Branded and non-branded searches - AI citations - ChatGPT referral traffic - Conversion rates - Cost per acquired customer - Revenue by source Rankings can change without revenue changing. Revenue can grow without every keyword reaching position one. The objective is market growth—not a vanity report. ## The Fawkes Approach Many agencies are reacting to AI search by renaming their existing SEO service. Fawkes Digital Marketing takes a different approach. We build the complete visibility system: 1. **Technical accessibility** so search engines and approved AI systems can reach the content. 2. **Semantic clarity** so they understand the business, services, expertise, and locations. 3. **Authoritative content** that answers real customer questions. 4. **Local relevance** supported by business profiles, reviews, citations, and community authority. 5. **AI readiness** designed for retrieval, citation, and generative answers. 6. **Conversion architecture** that turns attention into action. 7. **Measurement** connected to leads, customers, and revenue. We do not abandon proven fundamentals whenever a new acronym begins trending. We understand which changes matter, which ones remain experimental, and how all of them fit into a sustainable growth strategy. ## The Business That Changed Return to the homeowner with the flooded bathroom. Six months later, another person asks the same question: > "Who is the best emergency plumber near me?" This time, your company appears. Your business profile is accurate. Your reviews are recent. Your emergency service page answers the question immediately. Your location information is consistent. Your website loads quickly. Your photographs prove you perform the work. Your content has been referenced by other trusted sources. The AI answer mentions your company. The map includes your business. The organic results reinforce the recommendation. You did not trick an algorithm. **You became the clearest, most credible, and most useful answer.** That is modern SEO. It is technical SEO, content strategy, AEO, GEO, local search, reputation, authority, structured information, AI visibility, and conversion working as one system. SEO is not dead. Lazy SEO is dying. Keyword stuffing is dying. Mass-produced content is dying. Unverifiable claims are dying. Agencies that stopped learning are dying. Search has changed. The customer has changed. The technology has changed. ## Have you? **Fawkes Digital Marketing helps businesses become visible, trusted, and chosen across traditional search, local results, maps, AI answers, and the platforms customers use to make decisions.** The next customer is already searching. Let's make sure they find you. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-How-Crucial-is-Mobile-Optimization/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-How-Crucial-is-Mobile-Optimization/ In 2016, mobile overtook desktop as the primary device used to access websites. People use all sorts of devices today to browse the internet, including cell phones, tablets, laptops, and even smart watches. "Responsive design" is the term used to describe how a website responds to the screen size, orientation, and resolution of each platform. Even though responsive design has been around for a while now, the majority of sites still fail to meet usability standards. Most websites are built for desktop and then dialed down for mobile. Having a mobile optimized website will not only make your website more user-friendly and universal, it will help your search engine optimization and get you ranked higher in search results. Google uses a number of tools to test mobile usability. Here are just a few suggestions when designing your mobile-friendly website: - **Calls to Action** - Keep call and email buttons easy to find right on the front page - **Navigation Menu** - Keep menus short and sweet so users don't have to tap several links before finding what they're looking for. Also make sure the home page is easy to get back to. - **Font Size** - Make sure the font size you choose for your website won't be too small to read when viewed on a mobile device. Visitors don't want to have to pinch the screen to zoom in just to read the content. - **Touch Element Size** - Any buttons or links that will be tapped on when on a mobile device need to be evenly spaced out, keeping in mind that fingertips are wider than a mouse click - **Page Width** - Having your website set to a fixed width can restrict your screen size when viewed on multiple devices. A fluid width is easily adjusted to fit whatever screen size is being used. - **Content Fits Page** - When the page content doesn't fit on the screen, users have to scroll down the page just to find the information they are looking for. - **Viewport not Configured** - The viewport metatag helps browsers scale a page to suit the screen size of the device - **Flash Usage** - Most mobile devices do not render Flash, so having more modern technology used in your site is ideal - **Page Speed** - Having a page that loads instantly is ideal for people out and about trying to find answers on the go Optimizing your website for mobile devices is crucial and will not only make your website and content easier for the public to see and read, it will help search engines rank your website higher on search results lists. When you are on the go, the last thing you want when looking for a business is a webpage that loads slowly, doesn't fit your screen, and requires you to zoom, scroll, and tap several links before finding the phone number or address. Every website we build for our clients is already mobile friendly and optimized. We can help optimize your website and content for mobile devices and in turn, help boost your SEO. Contact us to find out more! Give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), stop at our office at 403 E Lincolnway in Downtown Cullman Alabama, [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-How-Important-is-Social-Media/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-How-Important-is-Social-Media/ Social media sites like Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and Twitter are a popular way to share content and get involved with the online community. They are free to use and they give the public a place to create a profile and keep in touch with their local and global community. For businesses, not only does this give the public a way to connect with your business more personally and stay up to date with your products and sales, it also helps your search engine optimization (SEO). Having a social media presence helps in several ways: - Your website will get more visitors that connect from those social media sites - Your website will appear on search results for related keywords on your social media pages - Google and other search engines will see that people talk about your site, leading to a boost in ranking - Your website will be shown in Google's personalized search results of people who are connected with the people who have "liked" or followed your business page Remember how using keywords on your website's pages helps rank your website higher in search engines? Using those same keywords on your social media page and in your posts helps increase that ranking even more. The more presence your business has across all social media platforms, the more attention and traffic your business will get. People like getting involved and staying up-to-date through social media, and often times they check to see if a business has a Facebook page or Twitter profile. If there is not, chances are they will move on and find a similar business that does. People are attracted to businesses they can get to know personally. Even if your Facebook page is new, it is likely to rank higher (and maybe even higher than your website) thanks to Facebook’s overall high popularity and authority. Linking your website to your Facebook page not only leads people straight to your website, it also helps with link building which helps Google rank your pages higher in search results. Social media websites also allow your customers to review and rate your business, which can be extremely good for your SEO as well. The better the ratings, the more active your business is, and the more people talking about your page, the better your business with grow and thrive. At JM2 Webdesigners we have social media and SEO experts who know everything about building a business profile, creating an online presence, maintaining posts and updates, and tying it all together with search engine optimization to bring the public to your website's doorstep. Once your business hits social media sites, with our Social Media plan you won't even have to keep it updated or get involved unless you want to. Check out our [maintenance plans](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Services/MaintenancePlans/) and see for yourself! We can help get your business a social media presence, or if you're already there, optimize your content and posts to help boost your SEO and in-turn, traffic to your website. Give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), stop at our office at 403 E Lincolnway in Downtown Cullman Alabama, [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-How-to-Optimize-Your-Web-Pages/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-How-to-Optimize-Your-Web-Pages/ Web page optimization is the first step to increasing your website's search engine optimization (SEO). Optimizing your web pages means designing them to get the best use out of them. Whether it's search engine optimization, which increases your website's ranking on search engines, or performance optimization, which ensures that your website runs quickly and smoothly, it is extremely beneficial for you and your visitors to have your web pages be the best they can be. Since we're focusing on SEO, here are several ways to optimize your web pages for search engines: Include Meta and Title Tags A meta tag does not alter the content visible on the website, they are used to alert search engines of a website's content, to be included in search results for users requesting related information. Using meta tags and including keywords in the description can help improve your website's rankings, leading visitors who search for those keywords directly to your site. Use a title tag at the top of each page to identify the document's overall content. Accurate title and meta description tags help search engines describe a site in search results. #### Research Keywords Remember keywords? These are popular search terms, words related to your overall topic or the topic of a specific page or blog post. Researching popular search terms that could lead visitors to your site is important, so you can use the best keywords in your web pages and help improve your optimization. Knowing what your potential customers are going to search and adding those phrases to your website will help lead them straight to you. Then: #### Place Keywords Strategically throughout your Website Having content with keywords and phrases is the key to higher rankings on search engines. Use the keywords your researched liberally on your home page. Include keywords in header tags, title tags, and meta tags, and in anchor text. If possible, use keywords in the URL's of new pages. #### Use Alt Tags to Describe Images Alt Tags are "alternate" descriptions of the images on your website. Including a short description of your images in their Alt Tags makes them searchable by search engines. You can use keywords but keep the description as accurate as possible. #### Keep Providing New Content Having good web page content is critical to keeping site visitors interested and coming back for more. The more traffic your website gets, the higher its search engine rankings will be. Try to keep visitors engaged, whether that's with information about new services/products or even just a blog that shares information about your business and gives off a personal feel. #### Use Backlinks Get other websites to link to yours. Backlinks can increase your search engine ranking and website traffic. List your website in relevant directories and forums, and ask websites on similar topics to link to content on your website. Many major search engines rank web pages based on the number and quality of links that point to the site. #### Create a Site Map A site map is a list of pages on a website accessible to users. It can be either a document in any form used as a planning tool for Web design, or a Web page that lists the pages on a website, typically organized in hierarchical fashion. This list gives search engines an easy and fast way to scroll the website and relate the links to searched terms and phrases. #### Avoid Using Frames if Possible Frames can be useful when designing the layout and positioning on your website. However, frames tend to split a page into pieces and section off content, making it difficult for search engines to see the entire content on a page as a whole. #### Validate or Check your HTML Code for Errors Search engines don't care whether your HTML code is error-free, but they do rely on the basic correctness of the code to find out which portions of your web page to index. If your HTML code contains errors, it is possible that only some portions of your website are included in the search engine's database. Now, we realize this seems like a lot of work, and it can be. Optimizing your web pages from the very beginning when designing your website is the easiest, but that doesn't mean an existing website is difficult to optimize. That's where we come in! The team here at JM2 Webdesigners is always ready to dive in deep and optimize each web page so you don't have to. Give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), stop at our office at 403 E Lincolnway in Downtown Cullman Alabama, [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](/Contact/). Let us know if we can help optimize your website and get your search engine rankings to be the best they can be! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-Journey-Primer/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-Journey-Primer/ With all the talk about our new “Rock the Social” training courses there are some subjects we are not covering. The reason we are not going to cover some courses as they take too much time for a 4, 8, or even 40-hour course. One of those courses is search engine optimization (SEO). We will continue to cover search engine optimization in these articles to continue that education process for those that wish to do everything on their own. Search engine optimization is a group of techniques to the highest results possible on the search engines. Each item we’re going to list below are powerful. Together they can help you achieve greatness. These are a few of the high-level 30,000 foot items that you need to think about when it comes to search engine optimization. ## META Information Behind the scenes of every website is meta information. The meta information contains information about your website. The internet has progressed so has meta information. Today this old information is still around and there is a new kid on the block. This new kid is structured meta data. With structured meta data there is a lot more information that can be given to the search engines to make your site more relevent. ## Content Writing The first part of SEO is having high-quality content that answers the questions your visitors have. As you write content it needs to be written in a way that is engaging and makes your visitors to want know more. Part of content writing is a constant change of content that will benefit your users. A great way of having a constant influx of content is by having a blog where articles are written for your visitors to add value to their lives. ## User Interface The user interface to your website plays a lot to how a user interacts with all the elements of your website. When the elements work harmoniously together your users will stay on your website longer and interact with it. ## Mobility We see a constant move toward mobile. Our lowest site has a 10% mobile while others are in 70-80% range. Mobile and tablet devices are more important each day. ## Security A key part in Google’s strategy is to secure the entire Internet. The old call was to have SSL which has been proven to be not as secure. That is okay though as there is a new encryption method in town called TLS. Even sites that do not take credit cards still have contact forms and other forms of input and having this information encrypted protects your users. Security is also not just about that all important “lock” on your website. You need to keep the information on your site updated and secured. Having automatic updates on could make your site more insecure than not updating at all. The reason for this is some updates could incorporate new known vulnerabilities. ## Page Speed The load time of your website is critical to how many users visit and want to stay on your site. Sites that take too long to load will make your visitor want to leave and not stay on your site if you would like them to. ## Images Size and Alternate Text As stated previously page speed or load time is crucial. Having images that are too large will slow the user experience and lower your results within the search results. Images that are optimized by file sizes the text that identifies the images needs to be clear and concise. When it comes to the alternate text think of it as a quick “elevator sales pitch” about the image. ## Broken Links and Scripts We see this all too often. Sites will have links that no longer work or have scripts/modules on them that produce errors on their site. ## Analytics Analytics will play a core part in your SEO strategy. This will range from seeing where people go, what pages they leave, what sites they are coming from, as well as what they type in the search engines. If you have good analytics you can see where they are clicking on your page, how they are filling out the forms on your website, and a lot more. Using your analytics, you can see what is and is not working and adjust monthly so that the information that you are presenting is hitting the widest possible audience. ## Conclusion There are a lot of key areas to look at when it comes to your search engine strategy. Each item we’ve listed is only a small subset of what needs to be done on a weekly basis. Not all you need to do will happen each week. The key is that you should allocated 8-12 hours per month to your search engine strategy once you have a solid handle on it. When you first start out double or triple that number as you will need ramp-up time as well as continual training time to stay aware of the latest changes that Google, Bing, and other search engines are bringing out each month. If you would like help in this endeavor give our search engine maintenance plan a check as it covers everything from above and then more. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-Keywords-are-dead/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-Keywords-are-dead/ When it comes to the search engines keywords are truly dead. This doesn't mean you should completely forget about them but they should not be as much of a focus as people still put on them. The search engines are a lot smarter today than they were five years ago. If your strategy is about keywords like "web design Cullman Alabama" you are missing the point of what the search engines are doing in today's world. Let's explore why keywords are dead and how you should change your search engine strategy. As we've talked to people in the past several weeks we've learned that there is a true disconnect between technology the search engines used 5, 10, and even 15+ years ago that people are still grasping onto. We have spent the past week researching this disconnect and read a lot on this and learned the biggest reason for this and are covering it below for you to hopefully start the trend to better educate businesses on the capabilities and directions the search engines have been making for years. Google came out with Knowledge Graph which is a latent semantic indexing technology that was the start to removing keywords from the search engine so that when users searched they received more relevant results. This was only the beginning compared to a technology Google released called [**RankBrain**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RankBrain). RankBrain is a machine-learning technology that exhibits many artificial intelligent processes that take Google's Knowledge Graph to a level never seen by the search engine. RankBrain is so important in the relevance of the search engine of Google that it is marked as the third most important factor when it comes to the search engine. This means only quality inbound links (#2) and quality content (#1) are in front of RankBrain. RankBrain uses it's artificial intelligent and machine learning algorithms to take the information it sees on a website and determine the true purpose of the page. This means if you keyword stuff a page, write content that is non-sensical, and doesn't answers a user's true "intent" you are just writing content that takes up space and doesn't help you rank on the search engine. What this change means to your website strategy is you need to stop thinking of keywords and trying to beat the search engine and do what you have known you should be doing – creating quality content that answers your user's intent. This is nothing new to those that for the past several years listened to the search engines "best practices". Those that have and followed this guidance are laughing as they are literally years ahead of their competitors and are slowly moving up while their competitors were using bad techniques are starting to move downward and do not understand why. So you are ready to make the leap and finally listen to what Google best practices have been saying. You realize you need to think beyond the original search you think a user will type or talk into the search bar and determine the intent of the user. There are four types of intent you need to be thinking of. - **Website URL's** – These are where a user is looking for something specific. They don't know about your website or business, but when they search they see in the URL, title, and description of the results that makes them want to click and learn more from your website. - **Informational** – These are when a user searches for a specific topic, click a link, read, and then leave. In many cases this could be considered the old pogo stick where a person reaches a page and leaves. In most cases here though they stay on your site long enough that a pogo stick doesn't happen. - **Commercial** – These are people looking for a specific item and then decide to purchase. Everyone loves these as it creates a value on your website immediately. - **Transactional** – We love transactional queries where a visitor has queried, clicked on your site, and then does a predefined action such as registered for a newsletter, created an account, or paid a bill. What you can already tell from what is written is being locked into a specific phrase is no longer going to help you be found online. You need to be thinking of a lot of information. Your visitors have curiosity to learn more, an interest to answer specific questions that are relevant to them now, and may also be looking to purchase a product or service from you. The search engines are asking a lot deeper questions about your visitors that not even they realize they are looking for. The more a visitor searches the more the search engines learn. Many business owners will type in a phrase of "web designers near me" and be upset they weren't in the list. The search engines return results they believe you are looking for. This isn't necessarily going to be the same results as the person sitting right next to you. They are looking at not only your most recent searches but also all of your previous searches. When a user searches and then clicks around a site they are learning a lot about that user. Most websites give Google more information they realize. They are often logged into their Google account and the website is often running Google Analytics for helping track their site visitors. This information combined can help the search engines learn more about you. They learn: - When a person comes to your site did they land on your homepage and then go to other pages? - Did they land on a specific and custom landing page and then go to other pages? - When they were done with your website did they close their browser or did they go to a competitor's website? There is a lot of information the search engines learn about you. The results for you will change with each search based on what they've learned about you. It is with this information that makes the life of search engine optimization for a business difficult and why you need to be constantly adapting and improving to meet the intent of your visitors. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-keywords-content/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-keywords-content/ In the competitive world of online visibility, keywords are one of the most critical tools in your digital marketing arsenal. They bridge the gap between what your potential customers are searching for and the solutions your business offers. In this post, we’ll explore the importance of using keywords effectively in your website content, why blogs are indispensable for keyword success, and the role of short-tail and long-tail keywords in achieving your SEO goals. ## The Importance of Keywords in Website Content - **Keywords Are the Foundation of SEO**: Keywords are the words and phrases people type into search engines to find products, services, or information. Strategically incorporating these keywords into your website content helps search engines understand the relevance of your site to user queries. When done correctly, this can improve your ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs), making it easier for your audience to find you. - **Keywords Connect You to Your Audience**: Using the right keywords ensures you’re targeting the terms your potential customers are actively searching for. It’s not just about traffic; it’s about attracting the right visitors who are more likely to engage with your content and convert into customers. - **Boosts Content Relevance and Authority**: When you align your content with keywords that match user intent, it not only helps your rankings but also positions your brand as an authoritative source in your industry. Search engines prioritize relevant, high-quality content, and keywords are essential for demonstrating that relevance. ## Why Blogs Are Helpful for Keyword Success - **Blogs Allow You to Target More Keywords**: Static website pages, such as your homepage or service pages, are limited in the number of keywords they can effectively target. Blogs, on the other hand, give you the opportunity to focus on a wide range of keywords, including niche topics and trending terms, through regular updates. - **Blogs Attract Fresh Traffic**: Search engines love fresh content, and regularly publishing blog posts keeps your website updated. This can improve your overall SEO performance while targeting new keywords that are relevant to your audience. - **Blogs Help You Answer User Questions**: Many searches are in the form of questions (e.g., "How to fix a leaky faucet" or "What is the best SEO strategy?"). Blogs give you the space to create content that answers these questions, naturally incorporating long-tail keywords and demonstrating your expertise. - **Internal Linking Opportunities**: Blogs provide opportunities to interlink to other pages on your website, which can boost the SEO of your core pages. For example, a blog post about "The Benefits of SEO" can link to your service page about "SEO Consulting," improving the authority of that page. ## Understanding Short-Tail and Long-Tail Keywords - Short-Tail Keywords: Broad but Competitive - **Definition**: Short-tail keywords are typically 1-2 words long (e.g., "plumbing" or "SEO"). - **Advantages**: They have high search volumes and can bring significant traffic. - **Challenges**: They are extremely competitive, often dominated by established brands or larger businesses. Additionally, they are less specific, meaning the visitors you attract may not have strong intent to convert. - Long-Tail Keywords: Specific and Intent-Driven - **Definition**: Long-tail keywords are phrases containing 3 or more words (e.g., "affordable plumbing services near me" or "how to improve website SEO rankings"). - **Advantages**: These keywords are more specific, making it easier to match user intent. They typically have lower competition, offering smaller businesses a better chance to rank. Additionally, visitors using long-tail keywords are often closer to making a decision, increasing the likelihood of conversions. - **Challenges**: They have lower search volumes, so focusing solely on long-tail keywords may limit your overall traffic. - **Why You Need Both**: A balanced strategy incorporating both short-tail and long-tail keywords allows you to attract a broader audience. Short-tail keywords help build visibility and brand awareness, while long-tail keywords drive targeted traffic with higher conversion potential. ## How to Use Keywords Strategically 1. **Start with Keyword Research**: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find keywords relevant to your industry, focusing on terms that align with user intent. 2. **Incorporate Keywords Naturally**: Avoid keyword stuffing, which can lead to penalties from search engines. Instead, use keywords naturally within your titles, headers, meta descriptions, and body content. 3. **Focus on User Intent**: Understand whether a keyword indicates informational, navigational, or transactional intent, and create content that meets that need. 4. **Update and Optimize Content Regularly**: SEO is not a "set it and forget it" process. Regularly update your blogs and website pages with new keywords or optimize existing ones based on performance. ## Conclusion Using keywords effectively in your website content is essential for attracting the right audience and improving your search engine rankings. Blogs play a vital role in this process, allowing you to target a wider range of keywords, keep your content fresh, and engage with your audience’s specific needs. By understanding the differences between short-tail and long-tail keywords and leveraging them strategically, you can create a comprehensive SEO strategy that boosts visibility, drives targeted traffic, and converts visitors into loyal customers. Start crafting keyword-rich content today and watch your online presence soar! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-measure-roi/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-measure-roi/ Investing in SEO is essential for businesses looking to grow their online presence and attract more customers. But how can you be sure your SEO efforts are paying off? Measuring your **SEO Return on Investment (ROI)** is the key to determining whether your strategy is moving your business in the right direction. This guide will walk you through how to calculate SEO ROI, the metrics to track, and actionable steps to ensure your marketing strategy drives positive results. *** ## **What is SEO ROI?** SEO ROI measures the financial return you earn from your SEO investment relative to its cost. In simple terms, it answers the question: **“Is my SEO strategy profitable?”** ### **The Formula for SEO ROI** `text SEO ROI = [(Revenue from SEO - SEO Costs) / SEO Costs] x 100 ` - **Revenue from SEO** includes sales or leads directly attributed to organic traffic. - **SEO Costs** include expenses such as hiring an agency, in-house salaries, content creation, tools, and software. A positive ROI indicates your SEO efforts are paying off, while a negative ROI signals the need for adjustments. *** ## **Steps to Measure SEO ROI** ### **1. Define Your Goals** Before you can measure success, you need clear objectives. Common SEO goals include: - Increasing organic traffic. - Boosting lead generation or online sales. - Enhancing brand visibility and awareness. These goals will help you determine which metrics to track and how to evaluate performance. *** ### **2. Track the Right Metrics** Measuring SEO ROI requires a combination of financial and non-financial metrics. Here are the key ones to monitor: #### **Traffic Metrics** - **Organic Traffic Growth:** Monitor the increase in visitors arriving through search engines. - **New vs. Returning Visitors:** Understand how many first-time users discover your website through SEO. #### **Engagement Metrics** - **Bounce Rate:** A lower bounce rate often indicates your content is relevant to users. - **Time on Page:** More time spent suggests users find value in your content. #### **Conversion Metrics** - **Leads and Sales:** Track how many leads or sales originate from organic traffic. - **Goal Completions:** Measure specific actions, such as filling out a form or downloading a resource. #### **Financial Metrics** - **Revenue from Organic Traffic:** Use tools like Google Analytics to track revenue tied to SEO efforts. - **Cost per Acquisition (CPA):** Calculate how much it costs to acquire a customer through SEO. *** ### **3. Use the Right Tools** To measure SEO ROI effectively, leverage analytics and tracking tools. Popular options include: - **Google Analytics:** Track organic traffic, conversions, and revenue. - **Google Search Console:** Monitor impressions, clicks, and ranking performance. - **SEO Platforms (Ahrefs, SEMrush):** Evaluate keyword rankings, backlinks, and competitive analysis. *** ### **4. Attribute Revenue to SEO Efforts** If you sell products or services online, setting up proper attribution is critical. Use tools like **UTM parameters**, **goal tracking**, and **eCommerce tracking** in Google Analytics to tie revenue back to organic traffic. *** ### **5. Compare Costs and Revenue** Add up all the costs associated with your SEO efforts, including: - Content creation (e.g., blogs, videos). - Technical SEO updates. - Tools and software. - Team salaries or agency fees. Compare these costs to the revenue generated from SEO to calculate your ROI. *** ## **How to Ensure Positive SEO Growth** ### **1. Regularly Review and Adjust Your Strategy** SEO is not a “set it and forget it” process. Regularly analyze your data to identify what’s working and what isn’t. Update your strategy based on: - Algorithm changes. - Shifts in user behavior. - Competitor performance. *** ### **2. Focus on High-Intent Keywords** High-intent keywords (e.g., “buy,” “best,” or “near me”) attract users closer to making a purchase decision. Optimizing for these terms can improve conversion rates and drive more revenue. *** ### **3. Create High-Quality, Relevant Content** Content is at the core of any successful SEO strategy. To stay ahead: - Publish blogs, videos, and guides that address customer pain points. - Optimize existing content to keep it fresh and valuable. - Use structured data (schema) to improve visibility in search results. *** ### **4. Build Quality Backlinks** Earning backlinks from authoritative websites boosts your credibility and rankings. Invest in: - Outreach campaigns to secure guest posts. - Partnerships with reputable websites in your industry. *** ### **5. Optimize for User Experience (UX)** A positive user experience ensures visitors stay on your site longer and are more likely to convert. Key areas to optimize include: - **Site Speed:** Ensure fast load times across devices. - **Mobile Friendliness:** Make your site responsive and easy to navigate on phones. - **Navigation:** Help users find what they need quickly and easily. *** ### **6. Leverage Local SEO** If your business serves a specific area, local SEO is essential. Claim and optimize your **Google Business Profile** and focus on building local citations to improve visibility in local search results. *** ## **Conclusion: Moving Forward with Confidence** SEO is a powerful tool for driving growth, but measuring its success requires a strategic approach. By tracking the right metrics, using advanced tools, and continuously refining your strategy, you can ensure your business is moving positively forward. Calculating and understanding your SEO ROI is key to justifying your investment and making informed decisions. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in creating and managing high-performing SEO strategies for businesses in Cullman and North Alabama. From technical SEO audits to content optimization, we’ll help you achieve measurable results and grow your online presence. [Contact us today](/Contact/) to learn how we can help you maximize your ROI and outpace the competition! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-mobile-alabama/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-mobile-alabama/ In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses in Mobile, Alabama, need more than just an online presence—they need to stand out. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in helping businesses like yours dominate search engine rankings and attract the right customers through our proven SEO strategies. As Mobile’s premier SEO marketing agency, we combine cutting-edge techniques, local expertise, and personalized service to ensure your business grows online and stays ahead of the competition. *** ## **Why SEO is Crucial for Businesses in Mobile, Alabama** Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the foundation of any successful digital marketing strategy. It’s the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results, making it easier for potential customers to find your business when searching for products or services. For businesses in Mobile, Alabama, SEO is particularly vital because: - **Local Search Matters:** Many consumers use search engines to find businesses near them, making local SEO critical for driving foot traffic and inquiries. - **Competition is Growing:** Mobile is a vibrant city with businesses across every industry vying for attention. A strong SEO strategy helps you outshine competitors. - **SEO Delivers Long-Term Results:** Unlike paid ads, SEO builds sustainable growth by improving your visibility over time. *** ## **How Fawkes Digital Marketing Excels in SEO** At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we don’t just offer generic SEO services. We craft customized strategies tailored to your business goals and the unique needs of Mobile’s market. Here’s what sets us apart: ### **1. Local SEO Expertise** We understand Mobile’s business landscape, customer demographics, and local search trends. From optimizing your **Google Business Profile** to building local citations, we ensure your business stands out in searches like “best restaurants in Mobile” or “top HVAC companies near me.” ### **2. Comprehensive SEO Strategies** Our team takes a holistic approach to SEO, covering: - **Keyword Research:** Identifying high-intent keywords that attract the right audience. - **On-Page SEO:** Optimizing your website's structure, content, and metadata for maximum search visibility. - **Technical SEO:** Ensuring fast page load speeds, mobile responsiveness, and error-free website functionality. - **Off-Page SEO:** Building high-quality backlinks that enhance your authority and trustworthiness. ### **3. Data-Driven Results** We don’t rely on guesswork. Using advanced analytics tools, we track your website’s performance, monitor keyword rankings, and provide detailed reports so you can see the tangible impact of our work. ### **4. Industry-Specific Strategies** Every business is unique, and so is our approach. Whether you’re in healthcare, retail, hospitality, or professional services, we tailor our SEO techniques to match your industry’s needs and challenges. *** ## **What Makes Fawkes Digital Marketing the Best Choice in Mobile?** ### **1. Proven Success** Our track record speaks for itself. We’ve helped countless businesses improve their rankings, drive more traffic, and achieve higher conversions. From small startups to established enterprises, our clients trust us to deliver results. ### **2. Personalized Service** We’re not a one-size-fits-all agency. We take the time to understand your business goals, target audience, and pain points, creating a strategy that aligns with your vision. ### **3. Local Focus, Global Expertise** Based in Alabama, we bring the best of both worlds: a deep understanding of the Mobile market and the latest global SEO trends. ### **4. Transparent Communication** We believe in keeping you informed every step of the way. From initial consultations to monthly reports, you’ll always know what we’re doing and why. *** ## **Our SEO Services for Mobile Businesses** ### **1. Local SEO** - Optimize your Google Business Profile. - Manage local citations and directory listings. - Build trust through customer reviews. ### **2. Website Optimization** - Enhance page speed and mobile usability. - Optimize metadata, headers, and images. - Ensure search engines can crawl and index your site effectively. ### **3. Content Marketing** - Create high-quality blog posts, landing pages, and website content. - Use keywords strategically to improve rankings. - Engage your audience with valuable, shareable content. ### **4. Link Building** - Acquire authoritative backlinks from trusted websites. - Strengthen your website’s domain authority. ### **5. Analytics and Reporting** - Track your website’s traffic, engagement, and conversions. - Identify areas for improvement with actionable insights. *** ## **Why Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing?** In a city as dynamic as Mobile, you need an SEO agency that understands your business and delivers results. Here’s why Fawkes Digital Marketing is your best choice: - **Local Knowledge:** We understand what Mobile customers are searching for and tailor our strategies to meet their needs. - **Customized Solutions:** No cookie-cutter approaches—every strategy is built specifically for your business. - **Expert Team:** Our SEO professionals stay up-to-date with the latest search engine algorithms and best practices. - **Proven ROI:** We focus on metrics that matter, ensuring your SEO investment drives measurable growth. *** ## **Let Fawkes Digital Marketing Take Your Business to New Heights** Whether you’re a restaurant looking to attract more diners, a contractor seeking to book more jobs, or a retailer aiming to drive online sales, **Fawkes Digital Marketing** is here to help. As Mobile’s premier SEO marketing agency, we combine local expertise with cutting-edge techniques to ensure your business thrives in the digital age. ### **Ready to Get Started?** [Contact us today to schedule a consultation](/Contact/) and learn how our SEO strategies can transform your business and begin your journey to online success. Let’s grow your business together! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-testing-forms/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/seo-testing-forms/ Your website serves as the digital front door to your business, and every element plays a role in its performance. Among the most critical components are your **online forms** and **links**. Broken forms and dead links can harm not only your user experience but also your **SEO rankings**, potentially costing your business valuable leads and customers. Testing your online forms and links monthly should be a key part of your SEO strategy. In this blog, we’ll explore why it matters, how it impacts your website’s performance, and what you can do to ensure these elements are always optimized. *** ## **Why Online Forms and Links Matter for SEO** ### **1. Online Forms and Lead Generation** Your online forms—whether contact forms, sign-up sheets, or quote requests—are often the primary method for generating leads. A broken form means missed opportunities, frustrated users, and lost revenue. From an SEO perspective: - Forms that fail to load or submit properly may increase your **bounce rate**, signaling to search engines that your site isn’t meeting user expectations. - Users who encounter broken forms are less likely to return to your site, reducing repeat traffic and engagement. *** ### **2. Links and Site Navigation** Links are the backbone of your website’s structure, guiding users and search engine crawlers through your content. Dead or broken links: - Prevent search engines from properly indexing your pages, which can lower your rankings. - Create a poor user experience, leading to higher bounce rates and reduced time on site. Healthy links ensure that users and search engines can navigate your site seamlessly, improving your overall SEO performance. *** ## **How Broken Forms and Links Impact SEO** ### **1. Increased Bounce Rate** If users click on a form or link and encounter errors, they are likely to leave your website immediately. This increases your **bounce rate**, a key metric search engines use to evaluate your site's relevance. ### **2. Reduced Crawl Efficiency** Broken internal links confuse search engine crawlers, preventing them from properly indexing your content. This means important pages may not appear in search results. ### **3. Negative User Experience** A website with broken elements damages trust and credibility. Visitors are less likely to engage with your business if they encounter issues navigating your site or submitting information. ### **4. Lower Search Engine Rankings** Search engines prioritize websites that deliver a smooth, error-free experience. Broken forms and links signal poor website maintenance, which can lower your rankings. *** ## **Benefits of Monthly Testing** ### **1. Maintain a Positive User Experience** By testing your forms and links regularly, you ensure visitors can navigate your site easily and complete desired actions without frustration. ### **2. Optimize SEO Performance** Healthy links and functional forms contribute to higher engagement metrics, better crawlability, and improved rankings. ### **3. Increase Lead Conversion Rates** When your forms work perfectly, users are more likely to submit inquiries, sign up for services, or complete purchases. ### **4. Avoid Missed Opportunities** Identifying and fixing issues early prevents potential revenue loss due to unresponsive forms or inaccessible pages. *** ## **How to Test Your Online Forms and Links** ### **1. Check Online Forms** - Test every form on your site, including: - Contact forms - Registration forms - Quote request forms - Ensure forms: - Submit successfully. - Send data to the correct recipient or database. - Provide clear confirmation messages or redirects. **Tools to Use:** - **Google Chrome DevTools:** Simulate form submissions and check for errors. - **BrowserStack:** Test forms across multiple browsers and devices. *** ### **2. Audit Links** - Verify all internal and external links, ensuring they direct users to the intended destination. - Update outdated links and fix 404 errors. - Pay special attention to: - Navigation menus - Footer links - Blog post links **Tools to Use:** - **Broken Link Checker**: Automatically scans your website for broken links. - **Screaming Frog SEO Spider**: A powerful tool for crawling your site and identifying broken links. *** ### **3. Monitor for Changes** - Set up regular reminders to test your forms and links at least once a month. - Monitor analytics for spikes in bounce rates or drops in conversions, which may indicate issues. *** ## **Pro Tips for Maintaining Healthy Forms and Links** 1. **Use Structured Data:** Add schema markup to your forms and pages to make them more accessible to search engines. 2. **Keep Backup Links:** If you must remove a page, implement a 301 redirect to guide users and search engines to a relevant alternative. 3. **Optimize Error Messages:** For forms, create user-friendly error messages that guide visitors in fixing submission issues. 4. **Collaborate with Your Developer:** Regularly review your website with your development team to ensure there are no technical issues affecting your forms or links. *** ## **How Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help** At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we understand the importance of a well-maintained website for both user experience and SEO performance. As the premier digital marketing agency in Cullman, Alabama, we offer comprehensive website audits to ensure your forms, links, and other elements are always optimized. ### **Our Services Include:** - Regular testing of all forms and links. - Detailed reports on site health and SEO performance. - Expert recommendations to improve user experience. - Ongoing monitoring to keep your website in peak condition. *** ## **Conclusion** Testing your online forms and links monthly is a simple but effective way to enhance your SEO and ensure your website delivers a flawless user experience. By proactively identifying and fixing issues, you’ll not only improve your search rankings but also build trust with your audience and capture more leads. Ready to ensure your website is always in top shape? [Contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today](/Contact/), and let’s optimize your website for success! **[Get in touch](https://www.fawkesdm.com/)** to schedule a consultation. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-The-5-Crucial-Places-for-Keywords/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-The-5-Crucial-Places-for-Keywords/ #### Remind me again, what are Keywords? Keywords are the words and phrases that Internet users type into search box of a search engine, such as Google, to find websites that match what are looking for. Some keywords get thousands of unique searches a day while others only get a couple of hundred. At the same time, some high trafficked keywords are very competitive online because many businesses are trying to get referrals and traffic from users when they search for those keywords while others are not. **Example:** An organic chocolate company in Chicago might have keywords like these: - Chocolate Truffles - Dark Chocolate Truffles - Organic Chocolate - Organic Dark Chocolate - Organic Chocolate in Chicago IL #### How do I choose the best keywords for my business? When choosing keywords for your business, it is important to put some time and thought into researching keywords. There are some good free tools online such as the [Google Keyword Research tool](https://adwords.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/) that can help get you started in researching keywords relevant to your business. These tools can be very useful for getting insights about how many users are searching for a given keyword and how much competition there is for the keyword online. This also gives you a sense of which keywords you should be using on your website and how effective they will be in marketing your site online. #### Now that I have keywords, where do I put them on my website? In order to optimize your pages for keywords, you'll need to include those keywords on your site. However, you can't just put them anywhere and you most definitely don't want to fill up your pages with them. There are certain places on your website that are more optimal than others for good SEO. Here are the most crucial places your keywords should go: - **Titles** - Titles are the HTML element used to describe the topic of a webpage. You'll find them in the title of a search engine result page and in the top bar of an internet browser. - **Descriptions** - Descriptions, also known as meta descriptions, are shown in search results below the title and URL. - **Headings & Content** - Visitors are much more likely to stay on a page if they can see the terms they had searched for on it. Be careful not to fill up your content with keywords. Focus on what matters to your audience, not how many times you can include a keyword or keyword phrase in that content. - **Image Titles & Alt Text** - These tell search engines what an image is about, which helps it be found in a search. - **URLs** - Including keywords in your URL if they accurately describe the page contents helps search engine direct visitors to your pages **Example:** ![google results list](/Images/Content/Blog/results.png) Remember, SEO is not about incorporating as many keywords as possible. It’s much more about picking content topics relevant to your target audience. Google will rank websites higher on their search results pages when the visitor finds what they are looking for. If someone searches the term "chocolate in Cullman" and the top website is full of keywords that say that, but the website itself isn't actually about chocolate or a business that sells it, that person is going to get frustrated and leave to keep searching. It will hurt your SEO if you fill your website with keywords that don't actually reflect the business you are or the services you provide. So, using keywords on your website that reflect your business and services will help get the people who are searching for you straight to your website. Not sure how to proceed? We can help! Our staff here are experts and know all there is to know about keywords and search engine optimization. We can help get your business' website the attention it needs and get you the results you want! Contact us to learn more! Give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), stop at our office at 403 E Lincolnway in Downtown Cullman Alabama, [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEOTipsAndTricks/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEOTipsAndTricks/ When it comes to search content is definitely the most important thing you can do for your website. With good, and quality, content your location on the search engine stands a better chance to be at the top of the organic search results. Along with the quality content you need to worry about keywords, your competition, page description, readability, non-spam, and semantic mark up. Quality Search engine optimization (SEO) can make a big impact on the success of your online business. The tips below can help you achieve these results. The tips presented below can all be done by you in a few hours a week of your time or by professionals, like JM2 Webdesigners, using our unique set of tools designed to help you achieve the best search engine experience possible. By taking the time to tune up your site you can watch your websites growth. ## Organic vs. Paid Listings When you want to attract visitors through the search engine results pages (SERP) to your site you have two choices for getting on the top of the pages. You have organic and paid listings. As the search engines find more about your site they will index your content, images, and documents. Once this is done it is processed and analyzed to determine the quality of information, value that it provides, and determines on if you are the expert in your field of business in your area. The best way is to get on the first page of the search engines using organic results. The reason for this is that you will not be paying the search engines directly for these results to show on the pages. You will either be doing the work or paying another third party, like JM2 Webdesigners, to perform the work. The biggest downside is it takes a while for the hard work to start showing. Under no circumstances should you ever just "build it and they will come" as rarely will this ever work. As with your business, you must put forth the effort to get your desired results from your website. With paid advertising many will just think Google AdWords and be done. The problem with this type of thinking is there is more than just Google for finding websites. The other major search engines of Bing and Yahoo should also be considered. Additionally, with social media becoming more important to businesses this should also be considered. In many cases we have found that advertising on the social media landscape sometimes fairs better for businesses. The reason for this is people spend more time surfing social media than they do searching for information on the search engines. More time can equal more exposure for your advertising. The biggest advantage to paid advertising is you will be guaranteed to be seen using the keywords you want to be found under and in a much shorter turnaround as you're paying to be at the top. ## First Page Goal The goal of any search engine marketing (SEM) campaign is to be on the first page of the results. To achieve the best search engine results you need to do several things to each page of your website. Once you've made the changes you need to continue to look at your information, review your data analytics, and make changes to improve upon your results. Areas that you need to look at are: ## Title Meta Information The title tag is a brief summary like the cover of a book or magazine that explains what the page is about. This information will display in your browser's title bar, bookmarks or favorites, and as the title that is found on the search engines. In many cases if your can target your page to a specific geo-location, product or service you should also include that information. The title should be kept to 65 characters or less. ## Description Tag The description tag should be 250 characters or less in length. The description should be unique for each page that clearly and accurately identifies the content that exists in the page. When you can you should include keywords that exist within the page content. ## Header (H1) Each page should include one, and only one, header. If you need more than one H1 (major topic for a page) it is recommended to create a new page just as you would have only one chapter title for each chapter in a book. The header field informs not only your users the core title of the page as well as the search engines. ## Keywords Meta Information The search engines will go through your page content looking for keyword phrases on your page. This will be a 100% computer generated list of keywords that is statistically based. The statistics may not line up with the keywords that you want to use on a specific page. As such, you need to think of what words you would type within a search engine if you were the visitor of the given page. You should try to avoid using the same keywords for every single page of content. The reason for this is that the content of every page should be different and not the same. ## Page Content When you start SEO you will hear that content is king. The reason for this is that poor content will make your visitors leave your site by not providing them with the answers they are seeking, and not want to come back because of this. This can also make it so that they don't speak highly about your website as well. Whether you are selling a product or service, providing a knowledge base, customer service assistance, product manuals, sales information or other pertinent information you need to be concise and clear. ## Sitemap Every site needs to have a sitemap so that the search engines know of every page that exists on your website, how often it is updated, and when the last update. A sitemap should be in the industry standard XML format. You should use a site map for all dynamically created content, pages that may not be easily found (e.g. pages not on your main navigation that are typically found through search), you have a new or redesigned website, or you have a large set with archived content which may no longer be in the main links of your website. ## Site Navigation Your site navigation should be clear and easily understandable so that your site visitors can find the information they want. By having the information easy to be found by your human site visitors the information will also be more readily discoverable by the search engines. ## Image Meta Information Each image that you put onto your page should have a few key items. The alternate and title text should be assigned. It is best practice to have the height and width of an image set to the exact size that is required. The reason for this is the image sizes will be smaller which will make your pages respond faster for your site visitors. ## Broken Links When your site is first created all of the links are usually right on target. Over time the information in your site can become stale, links to internal and external pages can become broken. If your web page has broken links you may have a less credible page to the search engines as well as your site visitors. ## Page Speed When you pull up a website you need your information to display as promptly as possible. The reason for this is that having a slow website can be perceived by the visitor as not important to your overall business, provides a less than great customer experience, and will make your visitors leave your site faster than they might have normally left. ## Link Building As you start a new website the one item you don’t have are inbound links to your site. These back links are important as they help establish you as a credible source of information. The better the source for a back link the better your site will be perceived. Having links for local Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and other experts in a given field will help your website be moved to the top of the search engines. ## Conclusions Whether you decide to do all the work yourself or pay JM2 Webdesigners to do the work for you remember that you must also give content to help in the SEO process. Having an expert guide you and help you will help achieve better results. This does require your input as the experts for SEO are not the same experts that know your business. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-Tips-to-Increase-Traffic/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SEO-Tips-to-Increase-Traffic/ No matter what your content management system (CMS) is you will find that they all have several things in common that can help you achieve a great search engine optimization (SEO) for your website. Google has very clearly stated that content is king, links rank right next to the king, and that they utilize machine learning artificial intelligence (RankBrain) as the third most important ranking factor. With all of this public knowledge of how Google works can we take advantage of this information to better promote our website? Today, we are going to look at some core ways to improve your SEO to increase your website traffic. ## Content is King Google has clearly stated that content is king and ranks at the very top of determining how well your website ranks. This doesn't mean you write your content, throw it up there, and hope someone comes around to it. The content needs to be clear, concise, targeted, and answer the questions that your users have. ## Links are tied with Content Being King In a recent Google roundtable discussion, they stated that content and links are ranked #1 and #2 when it comes to search engine positioning. Links are more than just external links coming to your website. Linking internally within your website is equally important in achieving search engine optimization success. Finding the right external links is crucial. Many web designers will add a link to your site. The question is why do they do this? They do this for a few reasons. Bragging rights that they built your website and our proud of what they built. The other and often more important is to increase their search engine optimization for their own website. As you traverse the web one item you'll notice that our Cullman web design firm does not do that. This effectively hurts our SEO efforts. We feel though that a company's website is to promote and support their business and not to pay us money and increase our SEO. If your website is promoting your web design company, or template, ask it to be removed and if they refuse ask at a minimum they have a link back to your website and shows as much on their website as it does yours. Coming up with high-quality links to your website can be a daunting task. One link that works well for us may not work well for your business. When you start talking about quality links you need to find links in your particular trade. Do your research and when you get a link from a credible source share a link back to them. This reciprocation goes a lot farther than you will ever realize. ## Images Can Say a Lot Images are text and images are often said to say thousands of words. Beyond the image clearly communicating and defining what it is there are other aspects of images to consider. ### Filenames Matter The first item of images is the filename. Anyone with a modern day camera will notice the name is non-description (e.g. CAMERA001.jpg). Rename your images, without spaces (spaces are bad), and using camel case, dashes or underscores when renaming your files. Camel case? What is that? Let's say you have a picture currently called CAMERA001.jpg and it's about your "Primary Widget X". A more appropriate name would be PrimaryWidgetX.jpg. You will notice that there are no spaces and that the first letter is UPPERCASE. This is what is meant by camel case. You will also see people using a dash or underscore in the name. Both are also acceptable and the spaces in the name are replaced with the dash or underscore. ### Alternate Text Alternate text takes the information of your page and adds a very short and brief description of what the image is about. One important aspect of your alternate text behind the image should tie in with the name of your actual image. Going off of our previous PrimaryWidgetX.jpg file name our alternate text might be "Our latest version of our Primary Widget X product line within the Widget Y category". Here you redefine the filename within the alternate text and add other pertinent information that this is page of the Widget Y category. You are tackling SEO in many aspects here without being misleading. You are also showing those that utilize screen readers the base information without filling it with SEO keywords to try and rank better even though that is your ultimate objective. ## Logical Link Structures When it comes to building and creating your site you want it to be easily understandable not only by your visitors but the search engines. There are many best practices in keeping menus at the top, links in the footer and the core content in the middle which will also have links. There are two types of pages. You have dynamic which are dynamically generated (often the case for eCommerce sites). When you structure your page correctly you can include SEO within the path of the URL. Rather than showing http://mydomain.com/DynamicPage?123xyz you can instead show http://mydomain.com/AboutUs/OurTeam/. Like image filenames above you can refrain from using spaces. Camel case or dashes are the preferred name for URL's. Keep everything logically grouped together and understandable so if a user looks at your URL they intuitively know where they are. ## Sitemaps An important part of SEO is having an updated and current sitemap. A sitemap informs the search engines what pages exist on your site. For many sites, especially eCommerce sites, this can be in the thousands of pages' category. There are also two types of sitemaps. The best solution is to have both types. There is an HTML sitemap which is easily human readable and the other is an XML sitemap which is still human readable (to a degree). Google has clearly stated if you can have both great. If you can only have one and not the other to always use the one that benefits the human visitor the most. In this case the HTML sitemap. ## Minification for Speed In our modern lives going fast will result in fines and penalties. When it comes to the Internet you will be rewarded. You want to make certain that your images are as small as possible (while retaining a clear quality for your users) and your pages and resource files are minified to be as small as possible. Minified files remove excess spaces and information that slow down a website. Image can routinely be minified by 20-30% (or more) making your web page load 20-30% faster. Minifying your pages and resources are typically already small but when minified can gain another 3-5% (or more) in your page load time. We have seen a 1% difference on very close sites be a deciding factor between position 2 and position 3 on the search engines. These small percentages can pay your business great dividends when optimized correctly. ## Meta Information Google does not use keywords. Let's be very clear about that. Google does not use keywords in its search results (it will use keywords in its enterprise search appliance). People have spammed those keywords too much. This is why the first item of content being king is so important. This doesn't mean you should ignore keywords entirely. Other search engines will still use this information. The next meta is the description and every search engine uses it. They do state they have the option of ignoring it if they feel it is spammy. Make certain your description pages are accurate, complete, and do not appear spammy. Other tags that are important to include are OG tags which is a core item for Facebook and then utilize JSON meta data which provides a vast amount of information to the search engines about the purpose and intent of your webpage. ## Social Media Matters Having just a social media account is bad for your business. Equally true is having just a website and not having a social media page. You need both and both need to work appropriately together. Facebook is the obvious answer for everyone as it has the largest and most diverse audience. This may not be the right choice for your business. If your business is all about pictures Facebook is decent but not the best choice. For pictures Pinterest is a great option if the other demographics for that social media site fit your target audience. Tying your social media and your website together so that they complement each other will garner your website greater results than just having one. ## Spammy Sites We've run into too many sites recently wanting, no demanding, our information. Whether it is a PDF download from a news organization, or just browsing a site we see too many requests to gain our information. Take on top of advertisement sites where they are flooded with advertising that we don't know what is an advertisement compared to the actual content. The search engines do not reward sites that push stuff down user's throats. This hurts the content is king impact of a website. Instead these types of sites state content is king IF you give us your information. ## Flash Is Out Apple started by not supporting flash and now Google has stated it is removing it as well. Google doesn't crawl flash sites and your website rankings will diminish for having it. Additionally, to flash is balancing value of animation. We go all too often to sites that amaze us with their fancy animation. The first time we immediately reload to watch the "wow" factor and then immediately become bored with the site. Often never returning as it isn't selling us what we wanted. ## Following the Rules We pride ourselves in not following the rules on many things; like price. When it comes to the search engines we have no recourse but to follow the rules. If we don't we are hurting and lying to our customers (violation of our company rule #1 of "No lying"). When you are working on your site make certain to adhere to all of the best practices and stay clearly away from all of the worst practices. ## Conclusion These are only a few of the core items that you need to do. Doing the above though will take a moderate site and turn it into a very good, even great, website. Take your time, do what's right, and you will be rewarded by each and every search engine. Search engine optimization is truly a marathon and not a sprint. When you do a sprint you can get quick results but will ultimately lose the battle of being the best that you can be. Does this seem overwhelming? Do you want to spend time growing your business rather than maintaining your online employee (e.g. your website)? If so, JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama is here to assist you. We have plans that will give your business a fixed price, great results that exceed expectations, and an entire team dedicated to helping your business grow. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/service-area-pages-and-seo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/service-area-pages-and-seo/ **Why Your Website Needs a Service Area Page to Rank and Convert More Customers** Service area pages play a crucial role in local SEO and attracting the right customers. Whether you run a home service business, a law firm, or a digital marketing agency, a well-optimized service area page helps potential customers find you and trust your expertise. This guide’ll explain **why your website needs a service area page** and **what key elements it should include** to maximize visibility and conversions. ## **What Is a Service Area Page?** A **service area page** is a dedicated section of your website that highlights the cities, counties, or regions where your business operates. Instead of limiting your reach to just one location, a service area page helps you target multiple areas without creating duplicate content. For example, if you own a **plumbing company in Alabama**, you might serve cities like **Cullman, Decatur, and Huntsville**. A service area page lets you showcase your expertise in these locations and improve your chances of ranking in local searches. ## **Why Service Area Pages Are Essential for SEO & Business Growth** ### **1. Boosts Local SEO Rankings** Google prioritizes **relevant and localized content** when showing search results. By including city-specific keywords and structured data, a service area page increases your chances of appearing in the **local pack, Google Maps, and organic search results** for multiple locations. ### **2. Improves Customer Experience & Engagement** When potential customers visit your website, they want to know **if you serve their area** before they contact you. A dedicated service area page provides clarity and encourages them to take action. ### **3. Establishes Authority & Trust** Mentioning local landmarks, success stories, or customer testimonials in specific locations builds **trust and credibility**. People are more likely to choose a business with **a proven track record** in their community. ### **4. Increases Conversions & Leads** Customers searching for local services often strongly intend to **book a service**. You turn more visitors into leads by having clear call-to-action (CTA) buttons and easy-to-access contact details on your service area page. ## **Key Elements of a High-Converting Service Area Page** ### **1. Service Area Overview** Start with a **brief introduction** that explains the areas you serve and why your services are valuable in those locations. > Example: “Fawkes Digital Marketing provides expert SEO, web design, and PPC services to businesses across Florida, including Tampa, Orlando, and Miami. Our goal is to help local businesses dominate search rankings and increase their revenue.” ### **2. List of Cities & Locations** Make it easy for users (and search engines) to identify where you operate. Consider: - A **bullet-point list** of cities, neighborhoods, or counties. - A **search-friendly service area map** for visual impact. ### **3. Localized Content & Keywords** Mention **local landmarks, industries, or trends** to make your content more relevant. > Example: “Our web design services in Tampa help small businesses stand out in competitive industries like tourism, hospitality, and real estate.” ### **4. Services Offered in Each Area** Clearly outline the services available in each city. This prevents confusion and strengthens your content's relevance. > Example: “Our SEO services in Orlando focus on increasing visibility for restaurants, e-commerce businesses, and service providers.” ### **5. Customer Reviews & Case Studies** Adding **testimonials from customers in specific cities** builds trust and social proof. > Example: “'Fawkes Digital transformed our business in Miami! Our traffic increased by 300% in just six months.' - John D., Miami-based restaurant owner.” ### **6. Call-to-Action (CTA) & Contact Information** Encourage visitors to **contact you immediately** by including: - **A phone number with local area codes.** - **A lead form for quick inquiries.** - **A strong CTA like ‘Get a Free Quote Today!’** ### **7. Internal Linking & Navigation** Make it easy for users to explore your business more by linking to individual **service pages** (e.g., SEO, PPC, Web Design). - Your **contact page** for straightforward inquiries. - Relevant **blog posts** about industry trends in the area. ### **8. SEO Optimization with Schema Markup** Implementing **Local Business Schema** helps search engines understand your content better and improves your rankings. This markup can include: - Business Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) - Service Areas - Customer Reviews ## **Conclusion: Why Your Website Needs a Service Area Page** If you want to dominate local search results and attract **more leads in multiple locations**, a **service area page** is a must-have for your website. It enhances your **SEO**, improves **customer engagement**, and helps you build **trust** with potential clients. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in creating **SEO-optimized service area pages** that drive traffic and conversions. Ready to boost your local presence? **Contact us today!** *** **Need help optimizing your service area pages?** Let’s build a strategy that gets you more leads and higher rankings. 📈 **Get a free consultation now!** --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Settingthestageastheindustryleader/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Settingthestageastheindustryleader/ When a business doesn't have a strategic plan, what tends to happen is what we call the "copy" syndrome. This is where you look at one, or more, businesses and emulate aspects of their business. This often leads to changing directions midstream without focus and forethought. You essentially become a follower rather than a leader in your field. Rarely do these followers ever get out of that rut and become leaders in their field. When JM2 brings clients into our Cullman office we talk with them; it's our way. We don't ask directed questions to learn about them. Those questions all come out in regular conversation and we start to learn about their culture, who they are, their values, and more. This valuable information allows us to better serve them without having to "interrogate" them. ## What makes your business different? The first step we all must take whether new or already established is what makes our business different and why should others choose us over everyone else in our field. Successful business owners can answer this in an instant without much thought as they had already asked themselves that question many different ways and answered it countless times. They are confident, know that they are unique, and provide a lasting value to their customers. This difference can be pricing differences, better customer services, knowledge of products, dedication or another unique trait that your customers cannot get elsewhere. ## Ways to differentiate and establish yourself as the industry leader The search engines love leaders and the valuable content that they provide to others. Content is considered king on the search engines as providing quality value is important to ranking well. Ways that you can help establish yourself as a leader are: - Create a blog and post to it consistently. - Do not purchase this content from others. - You need to create this yourself, from your heart, and especially your knowledge and unique set of skills that you have. - A video blog will go far with the newer generation of business leaders. This is where you not only talk to your followers but build an audience and engage with them. - Provide this information for free and without obligation. - Provide value that benefits your visitors to learn while your name sticks with them as the expert. - Bring your employees into this realm of excellence. They are key to your expertise and should be considered a key part of your company. - Engage with your followers and peers. - With everything you do you must commit and be consistent. You want to be the expert and experts are consistent and the best of the best. You must lead by example. ## Honesty is one of your greatest strengths There is a reason we took honesty as the number one trait for JM2. Many promise certain things but how are you to trust them if honesty is not at the heart of their organization? Trust from your customers' is key to your organization growing, staying on top, and being recommended by your customers. ## Treating others well If you have a reputation for treating those around you well and informed rather than keeping them stuck in silos others will recognize this. When you treat others well you will have the top talent and best in class wanting to work with you. The people that will want to work with you will not just be employees but customers as well. ## Conclusion When you are a though leader, treat others well, with respect, and keep them informed you will not only gain respect from others but make others copy and follow you. That makes you a leader and those around you followers. When everyone is following you, and copy what you are doing you know you are not only doing something right but you are becoming the industry expert that others want to be with. If you are ready to work with the industry leader JM2 is ready to work with you. Every article on our blogs are our own from leaders in the field that are dedicated to helping small to mid-size businesses grow organically. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Setting-Up-PayPal-for-nopCommerce/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Setting-Up-PayPal-for-nopCommerce/ Businesses are always looking for ways to justify the existence of their digital marketing. One way companies do this is with eCommerce products. Depending upon the level of customizations you want you to have choices such as [Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/), [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/), [WooCommerce](https://woocommerce.com/), and of course [nopCommerce](https://www.nopcommerce.com/) which is what we're writing about here. We love nopCommerce from the standpoint of its acceptance of internet standards, being open source, and the allowance to tie and integrate with many backend systems within growing small businesses. We won't go into how to choose an eCommerce platform except to give some quick tips when choosing an eCommerce platform. You need to determine which one not only meets your current needs but can grow with you (think long-term needs). You need one that you can accept the fees on. Some will appear free or low-cost but come with monthly fees that dig into your companies profits. When looking at solutions we look at how much customization is allowed, customer service, upselling and cross-selling, along with the ability to extend our solutions without locking a custom into a specific platform (or even a company). The following steps are as of January 2018 for setting up PayPal with nopCommerce. ## Requirements - You need a [PayPal](https://www.paypal.com/) Pro account - You need a nopCommerce website (we used nopCommerce 4.0 for these instructions but previous versions will work the same) - Domain name on a Microsoft IIS Web Server (we use Microsoft Windows Server 2016 for our core eCommerce servers) - The nopCommerce website must have SSL enabled and running ## PayPal Steps 1. Log into your PayPal account 2. Click on Profile (top right with a gear) 3. Click on Profile and settings 4. Click on My selling tools 5. Click on update for Website Payment Preferences 6. Click Auto Return On 7. Set the return Url to https://\_domain\_name\_/Plugins/PaymentPayPalDirect/IPNHandler 8. Set the Payment Data Transfer (optional) coupon to On 9. Copy the Identity Token as you will need it for nopCommerce 1. **Note**: You may not see the identity token until after you save. When you do save you will be redirected back which will require you to go back to the steps above so that you can copy the identity token. 10. Set Block Non-encrypted Website Payment to Off 11. Set PayPal Account Optional to On 12. Set Contact Telephone Number Off 13. Set Express Checkout Settings to No 14. Click on Save 15. Click My business info 16. Note the Email that you are set up to use. You will need this as well. ## nopCommerce Steps 1. Log into your nopCommerce website 2. Click on Configuration 3. Click on Payment 4. Click on Payment Methods 5. Click on Configure for Payments.PayPalStandard 1. Uncheck Use Sandbox 2. Enter the email address you got from PayPal above 3. Enter your PDT Identity Token you copied from PayPal above 4. Check any other items you want (not normal) 5. Click on Save 6. Click on Edit for Payments.PayPal Standard line 1. Check the box that says Is Active 2. Click on the button that says Update --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SetupLinkedInCompanies/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SetupLinkedInCompanies/ We have been doing a lot of talking about creating great personal LinkedIn profile pages. This is all well and good but what if you have a business you want to have on LinkedIn as well? If you want a LinkedIn company page then this article is written for you. A company page helps others learn more about your business, brand, products and services, and job opportunities. You can read the LinkedIn profile posts below if you haven't already read them. - [Perfect LinkedIn Headlines](/Blog/Details/AchievingAllStarStatus/) - [Why LinkedIn?](/Blog/Details/WhyLinkedIn/) - [Achieving All-Star Status](/Blog/Details/PerfectLinkedInHeadlines/) ## Getting Started The first step in the creation of a LinkedIn company page is first establishing what you want to achieve with your LinkedIn company page, who you will have maintaining your company page and like a blog what will be the posting frequency of the content on the page. If the person you've designated to create your LinkedIn Company page doesn't already have a LinkedIn account that will be the very first thing that a person needs to do as that is a requirement to creating a page. ### Notes - You do not need a paid account to create a company page! - Your LinkedIn profile must be at least 7 days old - Your LinkedIn profile must be listed as Intermediate or All-Star status - You must be a current company employee and your position is listed in the Experience section on your profile. - You must have a company email address (e.g. john@BusinessYETI.com) added and confirmed on your LinkedIn account. - Your company's email domain is unique to the company. You cannot use @Gmail.com, @outlook.com, etc. for your company email domain. ### Company Pages - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) As LinkedIn evolves and updates their system with more capabilities and functions they update the frequently asked questions within their website for company pages. The link to this information is located at [https://help.LinkedIn.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1561](https://help.LinkedIn.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1561) and is a great source for additional information if you wish to go beyond the basics of setting up a company page or need additional information while working on your company page. ## Create Your Company Page To create a company page you will navigate to [https://www.LinkedIn.com/company/add/show](https://www.LinkedIn.com/company/add/show). You will enter your company name (e.g. JM2 Webdesigners, LLC), next enter your company email address. This needs to be your company address (e.g. john@BusinessYETI.com) as this helps prevent people from other companies from creating your company page and writing all kinds of bad things about you. The last step is affirming that you are authorized be creating this company page for the company. With all of that information complete you can click on Continue to move to the next step of the process. ### Editing Your Company Overview ![LinkedIn Company Overview](/Images/Content/LinkedIn/LinkedInCompanyOverview.jpg) The first step in editing your profile is to determine how you wish to optimize the display for your readers. You need to have a great narrative and story about your company. This is your company's primary language of choice. For those in the United States this would be English. Your company name and the description of your company is next. The description you choose needs to be a minimum of 100 characters and the maximum is 2,000 characters. Although you've set your optimization to say English you can also choose a default language. For many this will be the same as the optimized language but not always and is why LinkedIn gives you the option to set your default language for your company page. As you continue to fill out the information you need to choose your company type (public, private, educational, government, etc.), the number of employees you have in your company, the URL to your website (e.g. www.BusinessYETI.com) as this gives a nice backlink from a highly reputable source to your website for search engine optimization (SEO), your main industry, whether you're open for business, and what year the company was founded in. ### Company Addresses For the company address you are allowed to enter up to 5 different locations of where you are. Start out with your primary address (e.g. corporate office) and then expand from there in order of what priority you want. ### Designated Administrators For your designated administrators of the site we always recommend in having the owner of the company as an administrator so that they have control over any final details that they may need. This also lets them know where the LinkedIn Company page is as well. They may not do anything with the site but it will also give them access if they so need it. ### Direct Sponsored Content Posters Direct Sponsored Content gives marketers at your company the ability to share content to the LinkedIn homepage feed without publishing it on your Company Page or Showcase Page. You can personalize your message, test variations of your content, and control the content that shows up on your Company Page. Direct Sponsored Content will be seen by members on their LinkedIn feed on the homepage and look the same as a Sponsored Update from your company. They won't be visible on your Company Page or Showcase Page and Direct Sponsored Content also won't be sent to your followers. ## Images Whenever you upload images there are a few things to always think about. The first is the proper or recommended size of the image in pixels. This is the width and height. The next is the file format type of the file and the last is the overall size of the file. The smaller the file the faster it will load for users that are viewing the image. You want to balance the size with the quality of the image. We recommend saving the images that you want in all of the formats that is allowed and then viewing them to see which one works best not only in the size of the file but the clarity/quality of the image for the people visiting your page. ### Cover Photo ![LinkedIn Cover Photo](/Images/Content/LinkedIn/LinkedInCoverPhoto.jpg) The top most image that you upload will need to be a JPG, PNG or GIF image with a maximum size of 2 megabytes. The cover photo image needs to be a minimum of 646 pixels wide by 220 pixels tall. Once you've uploaded the image you will be given a preview of the image where you will also see a yellow box. This box is a "cropping" box that allows you to set what portion of the image you wish to use. The yellow box you can resize by using the box in the lower right corner. The box will stay proportional so that you get the best possible quality from the image. ### Standard Logo ![LinkedIn Standard Logo](/Images/Content/LinkedIn/LinkedInStandardLogo.jpg) Like that of the cover photo your company's logo needs to be a PNG, JPG or GIF file with a maximum file size of 2 megabytes. The size for your standard logo needs to be a minimum of 100 pixels wide by 60 pixels tall. ### Square Logo ![LinkedIn Square Logo](/Images/Content/LinkedIn/LinkedInSquareLogo.jpg) The square logo is a square version of your logo. This can be either your entire logo, part of it or an icon that represents your company. The minimum size for both width and height is 50 pixels for the square logo. ## Company Specialties ![LinkedIn Company Specialties](/Images/Content/LinkedIn/LinkedInCompanySpecialties.jpg) The company specialities is where you can put some emphasis on what makes your company great. These are the core items your business specializes in. Put in as many specialities that define to a visitor of your company page what your company does. ## What else can I do with a LinkedIn Company Page? We've only covered a brief part of what a LinkedIn Company Page can do. With your page now setup you are ready at the most basic level. Below are a few of the main items that we help companies setup and configure for their business. ### Add a Job From here you can work on adding job postings for available positions. As LinkedIn is geared toward business professionals this is a great place to find qualified candidates for your business. According to LinkedIn statistics ([https://business.LinkedIn.com/talent-solutions/products/jobs](https://business.LinkedIn.com/talent-solutions/products/jobs)) 80% of professionals are open to job opportunities, but only 20% are active looking. With LinkedIn having millions of active users this 20% is still a very large marketing opportunity. **Note**: This is a paid option on LinkedIn. The cost will vary depending upon how many jobs that you are posting. ### Showcase Pages You can also create a *Showcase Page* to put emphasis on a product or service that your company has. On a Showcase Page you will start off by giving it a name as well as defining the administrators of the page. ## Promote your LinkedIn Company Page Once you have your LinkedIn Company page created and setup the way that you want the next step will be informing your employees and customers about your page so that they know you exist on LinkedIn. Your employees are your company's most reliable advocate. This notification can be through a newsletter, another social media outlet (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.), your company blog if you have one, local news sources that are either print or digital, flyers, snail mail (people still use this), radio, television, part of your email signature or another method you've thought of. ## Engagement We see constantly people that are engaged in the creation and building of their social media sites and then "boom" fall off the planet. They believe that if you build it they will come. That is true to a small (keyword: small) degree. People will eventually find out about your site. They may even ask a question or be looking for answers to a question they haven't asked. You need to engage and participate in social media. Not only on LinkedIn but all social media outlets your company is in. At the most basic level, it's helpful to think of every update as a chance to convey your brand promise. But it's also important to think of what LinkedIn members expect to receive from status updates. As a rule of thumb, all content you post to LinkedIn should help members become more successful professionals. When you build a reputation for wanting to help your followers, you'll be more likely to convert them into loyal customers. Like all social media outlets there is a specific posting frequency to achieve maximum results. Your posting frequency will also vary from the recommendations based on your audience and you will need to taylor your posts to meet what your audience asks for. Where Facebook they recommend 2-4 posts per week, Twitter multiple times a day, LinkedIn recommends that posting daily updates is the most effective way to start a conversation and create word of mouth for your business. Every businesses results will vary based on their industry and their audience. Be prepared to be agile and change your posting frequency to meet the requests of your client base. ## Data Analytics Now that you have your page setup, promoted and are ready to engage and create content you may want to know who is using your page and whether your current efforts are meeting the goals you set to determine the success of your LinkedIn company page. Thankfully at the top of your LinkedIn company page is a tab called **Analytics** for your administrators. For every post your put onto your company page you will see the date, audience (e.g. All Followers), impressions, clicks and interactions of your post. You can see how many people "Liked" your post, Shared, any new followers because of your post and much more. Knowing how you compare in your industry is also a beneficial part of analytics. It's great knowing what you're doing and how you're comparing against your goals but what about your peers? Well, LinkedIn has you covered here as well. They give you a "How You Compare" option at the end of the analytics screen for those in your industry. ## Conclusion Developing your LinkedIn Company page does not require as much to get started to be considered great compared to an individuals personal profile page. This doesn't mean you should take it any less as the company page is a primary way of getting information about your company to those who use LinkedIn. Having a LinkedIn company page will also benefit your primary website as well as LinkedIn is a credible source and you can link from LinkedIn to your company's business website. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Seven-ways-to-improve-your-content-marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Seven-ways-to-improve-your-content-marketing/ We see marketing content all day long but how making content that sticks are the key to content marketing success. If you are like me your phone is across the room to force you to get out of bed to turn it off so that you don't wake the rest of the family sleeping. This not only forces me to get going at 4am but also gives me my first dose of content; my daily calendar. Content is around us and that content needs to engage us so that we want more of it. Today we added our first full-time content writer with the second already set to start early next year. To get her started in writing stories not only for our clients but those that aren't our clients I started writing at 5am seven core aspects that will help our clients or any business grow with their art of storytelling. Let's delve in and see what the first seven items are and in no particular order of importance as they are all important. - **Include targeted keywords** – Yes, we write for a human by design but we can't forget Google, Bing, and the other search engines that help people find out websites. This helps in your organic search engine optimization or SEO. With a 1/3 of our clients doing pay-per-click or PPC you would not expect that to be on the list. The goal in any content marketing is to grow your business organically (e.g. stop paying money to the search engines – just pay it to your content marketing company). - **Does it answer the "intent" of the content that you are trying to get across?** If you are writing about the latest limited-edition item does the person reading your content know it's a limited edition and understand the urgency you are trying to convey to them? - **Does the "voice" stay consistent with the brand?** Having a consistent voice for many businesses is key. For ours, we mix it up and let each of our expert voices shine as they are equally important. There is no figure head defining our company but rather a team of experts that help growing small businesses. For many businesses this voice should not change and needs to be consistent across all platforms (web, print, and social media). - **Does it tell a story people want to read?** Some businesses have a strong following and they could write about a grain of sand and get the engagement and reach others only wish they could get. Others struggle to achieve that level of engagement and reach. Knowing this allows you to define your writing style for your specific audience so that you can build your audience and get them invested in your brand to get that engagement and reach. - **Will the content stand the test of time (e.g. is the content evergreen)?** Evergreen for many writers is a completely new subject that they must be aware of. As you write you need to think about your audience today, months, and even years from now. - **Is the content marketing hitting the right demographic?** What we write will be read, seen, or listened to by a specific group of individuals. You don't want to target race or politics for sure but you need to be aware of your target age range, gender, and even education level. - **Going off of the education level are you writing to the proper reading level of your audience.** We have seen our content written for college level fail miserably for some industries while others it goes through the roof. This goes back to knowing your audience and giving them what they want and need to answer the questions they are presently presented with. Writing a compelling story that builds your business engagement and reach with all of the above is often not possible in every piece of content marketing. You should strive for it every time you write. If you miss a point or two that's okay. Get them on the next piece of content marketing and you'll do great. As your style starts to grow and come out your audience will engage more and your overall reach on the Internet will grow. Don't focus on likes as they should be a small part of your overall content marketing strategy. Focus on your engagement and reach as your audience will grow and your results will come through. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/shared-vs-managed-webhosting/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/shared-vs-managed-webhosting/ ## Introduction: In the world of website hosting, you often get what you pay for. While cheap hosting options with thousands of users on one server might seem appealing due to their low prices, they can be a risky choice for businesses and serious website owners. Managed WordPress hosting, with fewer users per server and expert-level support, can provide substantial benefits in terms of speed, security, and reliability. Here’s why investing in a managed WordPress hosting solution is worth every penny. ## Performance and Speed - **Server Resources**: Cheap shared hosting often puts thousands of sites on one server, which can lead to resource bottlenecks. Managed WordPress hosting limits the number of users on each server to a few hundred at most, meaning more server resources are available for each website. - **Caching and Optimization**: Managed WordPress hosts frequently include server-level caching, content delivery networks (CDNs), and image optimization to ensure your site loads fast without requiring extra plugins. - **Better Hardware**: With managed hosting, servers are optimized specifically for WordPress, using high-performance hardware like SSD storage and ample RAM to handle high traffic smoothly. ## Security and Stability - **Reduced Security Risks**: Shared hosting environments can be vulnerable because if one website gets hacked, others on the server are also at risk. Managed WordPress hosts take proactive security measures and isolate each site, reducing cross-contamination risks. - **Automatic Updates and Backups**: Managed WordPress hosts automatically update your WordPress core, themes, and plugins to minimize security vulnerabilities. Regular backups ensure that, if something goes wrong, your website can be quickly restored. - **Firewall and Malware Scanning**: Managed hosts often include firewalls, real-time malware scanning, and DDoS protection, which are typically missing or limited in shared hosting plans. ## Scalability for Business Growth - **Scalable Resources**: Managed hosting solutions offer scalability, enabling you to upgrade your resources without downtime, ensuring your site can grow alongside your business. - **Predictable Performance**: Managed hosting providers actively monitor their servers and ensure that they aren’t overloaded. By limiting server occupancy, they deliver consistent performance, even as your traffic increases. ## Customer Support and Expertise - **WordPress-Specialized Support**: Managed WordPress hosting providers typically employ WordPress experts, unlike shared hosting providers who may offer general support. This means faster, more knowledgeable solutions to any issues you encounter. - **24/7 Monitoring and Support**: High-quality managed hosting providers offer 24/7 monitoring and support to resolve issues before they impact your website, giving you peace of mind. ## Time-Saving and Hassle-Free Management - **Automatic Backups and Staging Sites**: Many managed hosts include daily backups and one-click staging environments, allowing you to test changes before implementing them on your live site without needing extra software or plugins. - **Managed Software and Plugin Updates**: Managed hosts handle essential updates, so you don’t have to, freeing up your time for core business activities rather than maintenance. ## SEO and Improved User Experience - **Faster Load Times**: With fewer users on each server and optimized server configurations, managed hosting ensures quicker page loads, which improves your search engine rankings and user experience. - **Reliable Uptime and Reduced Downtime**: High uptime and minimal downtime are crucial for SEO and maintaining visitor trust. Managed hosting solutions prioritize server stability and monitor uptime, unlike cheap hosts, where downtime is more frequent. ## Conclusion: Managed Hosting is a Business Asset, Not an Expense ## Investing in managed WordPress hosting offers superior speed, security, scalability, support, and SEO benefits. Managed hosting with limited server users not only improves website performance but also reduces risk, making it a smart investment for any business that values online reliability and a positive user experience. Choose managed WordPress hosting for a smooth-running, professional website that sets you apart from competitors relying on bargain hosting solutions. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SharingFilesWithSharePointOnline/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SharingFilesWithSharePointOnline/ Sharing files within the SharePoint Online is an easy process once it is setup and configured properly. Thankfully though this is disabled from the get go. Why thankfully you might ask as I just wish to share a file. Well, security is paramount to everyone now or it should be. By making people take the initial effort to “release the reins” it puts them in charge of the security of their company’s data. Here we will explain how to enable the functionality (you need specific security rights to do this) as well as how to share a file. Sharing a folder is similar to that of sharing a file. We conclude with how to un-share a file as you may no longer wish to share a file. ## Enabling the Functionality ![File Sharing Disabled](/Images/Content/SharePoint/FileSharingDisabled.png) When you try and share a file within SharePoint Online the system disables sharing of files to external users. The reason for this is first and foremost security. Security is a key component of SharePoint and is one of the hardest areas for people to grasp. Thankfully with the security being set to strict your information is protected. The downside though is if you want to share files you first have to let the environment know that you wish to do this. If you try and share a file and you see “Sorry, you are not allowed to share this with external users.” then your system needs to have the functionality enabled. **Note**: You will need administrative rights to access the steps below to enable the sharing. ![SharePoint Admin Center](/Images/Content/SharePoint/SharePointAdminCenter.png) The first step to enable sharing is load the “SharePoint admin center” and click on the Settings option (currently the last item on the left side of the menu. You will scroll down to where you see “External sharing”. Here you will have three choices: 1. Don’t allow sharing outside your organization – this is the default setting where you cannot share any files or folders outside of paid users of your SharePoint system. 2. Allow external users who accept sharing invitations and sign in as authenticated users – these are users that have a Microsoft account (e.g. outlook.com, live.com, hotmail.com, etc.) 3. Allow both external users who accept sharing invitations and anonymous guest links – these can be the Microsoft account users or even non-Microsoft account (e.g. yahoo.com, Gmail.com, etc.) as well as the ability to create a link for edit or read-only access for a file. ![OK](/Images/Content/SharePoint/OK.png) After you’ve set the option that you wish for your company scroll to the bottom and click on OK. ![Enable External Sharing Warning](/Images/Content/SharePoint/EnableExternalSharingWarning.png) After doing so the system will give you a final warning of enabling this feature that you must press OK to continue on. If you’ve changed your mind and don’t wish to make the change click on Cancel. ## Sharing your file with a user ![Share File](/Images/Content/SharePoint/ShareFile.png) Once you’ve set your system to allow sharing you can start to share files on your system. Navigate to the Document Library to the file you wish to share. On the file you wish to share you will click on the ellipses (…) for the file which will bring up a dialog where you can choose SHARE. ### Sharing your file with a user ![Share File With External User](/Images/Content/SharePoint/ShareFileWithExternalUser.png) The system will default to the tab “Invite people”. Here you can enter one, or more, email addresses. If you wish to share with multiple people separate each email address with a semi-colon (;). To the right you can choose “Can edit” or “Can view”. If you choose “Can edit” users can load the file and make changes. “Can view” means the user can only view the file and not able to save changes. The last part is to include a message letting the user know about the file they now have access to. Once you have everything setup click on Share and an email will be sent to the user. You can disable the sending of the email notification by clicking on “Show Options” and is not recommended as the user will not know they have access to the file unless they are provided with the link to the file which is included in the email. ### Sharing your file with anyone (Anonymous access) ![Share File With Anonymous Users](/Images/Content/SharePoint/ShareFileWithAnonymousUsers.png) Many times you may have a file that you wish to have available to one person but know that they will share the information with others. To handle these situations you can use the “Get a link” tab. Here you can click on “Create Link” for View Only or Edit. When you choose “Create Link” the system will create a random link that will link to the file. You can create both View Only and Edit links and email them to different people. ## Disable Sharing of a File There are two ways of disabling Sharing. We prefer the method of click the ellipses (…) and clicking SHARE. You can also go the long route by click the ellipses (…), clicking on another set of ellipses (…), choosing Advanced and finally choosing Shared With. ## Conclusion If you use SharePoint on-premises or online we can help you out with setup, configuration and custom software development. We are located in Cullman, Alabama and are true lovers in helping people take advantage of Microsoft SharePoint. You can reach us through [our online form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Short-sweet-and-too-the-character-point/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Short-sweet-and-too-the-character-point/ Just a week ago Twitter rolled out to everyone the new standard for tweets of 280-characters. We are a year away to see what the true impact of this increase in 140-characters will do to all of us in communicating on Twitter. We still believe that short and sweet is the best way to reach most audiences as we are all actively busy with work and our personal lives. Doubling your character account can do a lot to your overall marketing strategy and we're going to take a look at some of the major items we are already doing for our clients. Before we start we thought it would be good to cover how many people currently reach the 140-character limit of the "old Twitter". That number is just 9% of users. Most tweets are already shorter than 140-characters with the average being 34-characters. I know for us that is way too short even for our quick and short tweets. During the beta test of the fortunate few only 5% went over the 140-character limit. With the test group which was extremely small only passing 5% over the 140-character limit one needs to wonder what all the big deal is. A tweet was meant to originally match that of a text message to be short, sweet, and to the point. Text messages now allows larger messages and Twitter has stayed in the old school but not anymore. Twitter is moving on and marketing companies will be taking advantage of this new space more each day. Ways that we see this impacting business is with more hash tags, abbreviations will be reduced, and longer messages. Beyond that we see the less technical and hard to understand abbreviations will result in more likes, retweets, and @mentions within the platform which could increase the followers of brands. Where we see the biggest increase is within the customer service space. Communication was always short, often too short, to cover the needs of a brands customers. With the increased amount of space customer service is going to be able to provide a lot more clarification and detail to improve the customer service experience. Speaking of all these great benefits I can see some pitfalls as well. Many people see the extra space as a challenge to fill it. This will make people run from brands rather than too them. They will see businesses filling the added space with unneeded "fluff". As per our philosophy as a company to provide great service, information, and not waste people's time we will be keeping our tweets as brief as possible but are glad we can break the 140-character barrier even if it's just to hit 150-characters to be less techy in our replies. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Should-Your-Business-Use-Facebook/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Should-Your-Business-Use-Facebook/ When it comes to establishing an online presence for your business, one of the biggest questions is whether to invest in a Facebook Page, a dedicated website, or both. While each option has its unique strengths and weaknesses, understanding the differences can help you decide what works best for your business goals. In this post, we’ll break down the benefits and disadvantages of both platforms to give you a clear picture of what each offers. ## Facebook Page for Business A Facebook Page is a social media profile specifically designed for businesses. It allows you to interact with your audience, share updates, and showcase your products or services. ### Benefits of a Facebook Page 1. **Free to Set Up**: Facebook Pages are completely free, making them an attractive option for small businesses or startups with limited budgets. 2. **Easy to Use**: Setting up a Facebook Page is simple and requires no technical skills. Facebook provides built-in tools to manage posts, engage with customers, and analyze performance. 3. **Built-in Audience**: With billions of active users on Facebook, your business can tap into an existing audience. Customers can easily find your page, follow updates, and share your content with their network. 4. **Engagement Tools**: Facebook offers tools like Messenger, reviews, and post reactions, enabling direct and instant engagement with your audience. 5. **Advertising Integration**: Facebook Ads allow you to target specific demographics, locations, and interests, making it an effective platform for paid promotions. 6. **Mobile-Friendly by Default**: Facebook Pages are inherently mobile-friendly, ensuring customers have a seamless experience on their devices. ### Disadvantages of a Facebook Page 1. **Limited Control**: Facebook dictates the layout, features, and functionality of your page. You can’t fully customize it to reflect your brand. 2. **Algorithm Dependency**: Organic reach on Facebook has declined due to algorithm changes, meaning not all of your followers will see your posts unless you invest in paid ads. 3. **Lack of Ownership**: Your Facebook Page exists on a platform you don’t own. If Facebook changes its policies or shuts down, your content and audience could be at risk. 4. **Limited SEO Benefits**: Facebook Pages don’t have the same SEO advantages as a dedicated website, making it harder to rank in search engine results. 5. **Professional Perception**: Solely relying on a Facebook Page might make your business appear less established or credible, especially for more formal industries. ## Website for Business A website is a digital platform fully owned and controlled by your business, providing a central hub for all your online activities. ### Benefits of a Website 1. **Full Ownership and Control**: Unlike a Facebook Page, you have complete control over the design, content, and functionality of your website. 2. **Custom Branding**: A website allows you to showcase your brand identity through custom designs, colors, and layouts, creating a professional and unique experience for visitors. 3. **SEO Advantages**: Websites can be optimized for search engines, helping your business rank higher in Google and other search engines for relevant keywords. 4. **E-commerce Capabilities**: Websites, especially those built on platforms like WooCommerce, allow you to sell products directly, manage inventory, and process payments securely. 5. **Credibility and Trust**: A professional website enhances your business’s credibility and legitimacy, making it a critical asset for industries like finance, healthcare, and law. 6. **Content Control**: You can post blogs, videos, and other resources without worrying about platform restrictions or algorithms. 7. **Long-Term Investment**: A website serves as a lasting digital asset that grows with your business and isn’t subject to third-party platform changes. ### Disadvantages of a Website 1. **Cost to Build and Maintain**: Websites require an initial investment to build, as well as ongoing costs for hosting, domain renewal, and updates. 2. **Technical Expertise Needed**: Building and managing a website may require technical skills or the help of a professional. 3. **Time-Consuming**: Setting up a website and regularly updating it with fresh content can be time-intensive compared to using a Facebook Page. 4. **Traffic Generation**: Unlike Facebook, where users can easily find your business through the platform’s search, a website relies on SEO and marketing efforts to attract visitors. ## Facebook Page vs. Website: A Side-by-Side Comparison | Feature | Facebook Page | Website | | --- | --- | --- | | Ownership | Facebook controls your page. | Fully owned by your business. | | Cost | Free to set up. | Requires investment in design/hosting. | | Customization | Limited branding options. | Fully customizable. | | Reach | Built-in audience on Facebook. | SEO-driven reach with global potential. | | Engagement | Direct interaction via comments, likes, and messages. | Interactive through forms, chatbots, and more. | | SEO Benefits | Limited to Facebook search. | Full SEO optimization for Google, Bing, etc. | | E-commerce | Basic capabilities with Facebook Shops. | Advanced with integrated platforms like WooCommerce. | | Credibility | Less formal for some industries. | Highly professional and trustworthy. | ## Which Should You Choose? - **When to Use a Facebook Page**: A Facebook Page is ideal for small businesses, startups, or those looking for quick and cost-effective online visibility. It’s also a great tool for engaging directly with your audience and running targeted ad campaigns. - **When to Invest in a Website**: A website is essential for businesses that want full control over their online presence, need advanced features like e-commerce, or aim to build long-term credibility and visibility through SEO. ## The Best Solution: Combine Both The most effective strategy is to use both a Facebook Page and a website. A Facebook Page can serve as a dynamic platform for engaging with your audience and sharing updates, while your website acts as a professional hub for detailed information, e-commerce, and long-term branding. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we can help you set up and optimize both your Facebook Page and website to ensure your business gets the best of both worlds. [Contact us today](/Contact/) to learn how we can help your business succeed online! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Show-me-the-eCommerce-money/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Show-me-the-eCommerce-money/ eCommerce is all about sales. There’s no other way to say it other than “Show me the money”. With that being said when you are doing eCommerce in Northwest Alabama, Chicago, or a small and growing town like Chesterton you need to focus on the conversion of your visitors to buy from you. In this article, we will look at several techniques used when creating descriptions for your products to draw people into purchasing your products. When you start writing stop pushing your product! That is where we always start. We want to be informative, human, and educational. Stop trying to manipulate the human psyche by thinking you can trick someone into buying your product. Treat your descriptions like you want to be treated. All too often we hear about people doing “good things” when their actions speak the exact opposite. Eat, breath, and act honestly and with integrity. Don’t try to manipulate someone into buying your stuff. Yes, you want sales, we all do, but you should want it ethically and honestly. ## Honesty and Integrity It is important when you are creating your description that you not only sound like you know your product but know it. Think of what you would want to know and tell your potential customers why they will want it. Make certain that when you do that it is a compelling and honest product description. When selling products online you will often get them from manufacturers and copy their “sales copy”. This is a great place to start but not a great place to end. You want to get your products online to start generating sales. Often we will take the generic descriptions, learn about the product, and go back to tell the “real story” of the product. This also has an added search engine benefit that the search engines will see (if you are marketing on the search engines – I hope you are) and then when they come back to see you not only revised it but hopefully read (computers are smart after all) that you have made it more human, honest, and informational to inform your potential customer. ## Details, Details, and more Details! Part of educating and informing is having as much relevant information as possible. Consumers are smart (don’t think they are not). Just because they might not want to know something this round doesn’t mean the next time they purchase, research, or better buy that they don’t want the details. Ensure that your descriptions, specifications, attributes, and details you provide are able to answer as many of the questions the buyer might want to know. This also helps make you knowledgeable on your site as well as helping to educate your customer on how awesome not only the product is but your eCommerce website is. ## Know your customer All too often with eCommerce we hear about people thinking they know who their customer is as they have a physical location and never realize the online audience is completely different. Yes, your physical store customers may go online but your virtual (online) customers are a much wider audience and also an audience that is harder to initially reach. As an example, our online sales were one every four months. Now we get a sale from our website almost weekly (some weeks are zero while others are multiple). Overall though we are now averaging more than 52 sales per year that at one time only gave three or four per year. Patience was key as well as modifying our site constantly to meet the needs of our clients that came through the website. ## Keywords We don’t like it when people ask to be found under a keyword. They think the very old school of put this keyword in my meta information and be done. Worst thing ever! (then and now). The search engines really don’t use this. They are looking at the context of what you have on your site. If you want to be known for social media marketing in Northwest Alabama then write articles about your social media marketing in Northwest Alabama, let people know you are there, etc. If your goal is to promote the vintage furniture you sell then write about vintage furniture and show your expertise in it. Don’t do the keywords. Do actual words that help people see you as an expert and that you are the person to buy from. ## Grammar Nazi it! We don’t believe in being a grammar Nazi but be sure to proofread and look for obvious errors in your writing. Be authenticate and true. If you are missing a comma and your audience will see it as more natural to have bad grammar live with it. Don’t listen to the grammar Nazi. The key is being genuine and real with your audience. Just don’t be unorganized, careless, or misleading in what you write. Think and work to your audience the way that will not only draw them into your world but think of you after the fact. ## Mobility wins In today’s landscape if you are not thinking mobile you are not thinking. If you are thinking solely about social media you again are not thinking. Be where your customers are, be aware of their changing needs, and make certain you test, test, and test again on mobile. ## Social media is important You need social media as much as you need a website. You need a website as much as you need social media. These are no longer two distinct items. They both work collaboratively together to build your brand and online reputation. Use both together. Push people from social media to your website. Provide social sharing tools for every single product you offer. Allow people to get your products out to the masses. ## Core items to think of When it comes to eCommerce, and regular brochure style websites they are truly simple to achieve great results. Don’t overthink it and don’t just follow what others are doing. Be a leader and be in tune with your audience. With that said here are the core items to look at when it comes to creating your product descriptions: Have a compelling headline - Spellcheck - Grammar Nazi your description according to your audience needs - Short or Broken Sentences (bullets are awesome!) - A clear font that is large enough to be readable - Works extremely well on mobile - Scannable Bullet Points - Well distinguished Font Colours - Connective or Linking words - Easy to follow writing style - Plenty of white space - Simple words instead of Jargons - 52 to 100 characters per line - Left-alignment - Preferably, double spacing - Phonetics for compulsive technical word ## Conclusion eCommerce is a great way for businesses to grow. It takes time, you have to be patient, be consistent, don’t stop and restart, focus on the needs of your customers and not what you feel you need. You are not your customer! Create compelling, unique, and honest product descriptions that work on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SiteReviewList/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SiteReviewList/ When we perform a site review for clients, we look at all aspects of the site. When tasked to look at a website for a customer, we will look at it from multiple angles. We look at the end user or customer on how the website works for them when not logged into the site. We then look at how the website acts and performs to customize to the users experience when logged into the website. We will look at the administrative interface as well. Although having your customers being able to gain access to your site, navigate efficiently and purchase your products and services having an administrative side that is not efficient for your employees can also cost your organization. We look at each role administrators can play so that we can provide as comprehensive review as possible. A small subset of the areas that we look at are below and with the list, growing based on type of audit the client desires. As we go through each item for each page of a website, we list all deficiencies found. Along with the deficiencies we will also presented some recommended solutions along with the anticipated effort to remediate the item. The core audits that we have been performing are search engine optimization (SEO) audits, security audits, and server performance audits. These can be separate items or combined audits. An audit can range from a few hours to several hundred hours depending on the level that the client desires. ## Accessibility - Content Embedded in Flash - Frames Site Construction - Session ID's Requirement - Cookie Requirement - Cookie Acceptance Requirements - Privacy statement - Terms and conditions statement - Entry page requires verification - Page errors ## HTML Source Code - HTML Compliant with the latest HTML standards - CSS Compliant with the latest HTML standards - JavaScript code Analysis - Responsive Design and form factors supported (Desktop, Tablet, Mobile) ## Analytics - Have - Used - Gathering the right amount of information - Marketing tracking ## Images - Compression - Correct Type - Image and file size optimization - Alt Text ## Internal Linking - Related linking structures - Recommendation engine - Cross-linking and category linking - Nofollow use - Consistent linking - Canonicalization - Anchor Text ## Main Navigation Elements - Top navigation - Side navigation - Image based navigation - Footer navigation - JavaScript Navigation - Excessive Links in Navigation ## Primary Content Element Integrity - Duplicate content across pages - HTML page titles - Meta Tag Elements - Header Tags H1, H2, H3, H4, H5 and H6 - JavaScript usage - Search engine standards conformance - AJAX - Page size - Lack of body content - Use of Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) ## Redirects and Server Delivery - JavaScript Redirect - 302 Temporary Redirect - Meta-refresh Redirect - Redirect Chains - Proxy Content and URLs ## Robot Directives - Robots.txt file is blocking spiders - Lack of a Robots.txt file - Robots Meta-tag is blocking spiders - Use of link canonical - Use of specialty meta tags ## Security - SSL use - Viruses - Malicious software - Known security holes and vulnerabilities - Third-party add-ons - Use of external files - Cross-site scripting - PCI compliance - SQL Injection ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Black hat techniques - Page speed - Body content - HTML sitemap - XML sitemap - "Spammy" content ## Site Architecture - Deep Folder Structure - Internal Linkage Profile - Link Count per Page - Link Depth ## Site Performance - Rewrites and Redirects - HTTP Requests - Static file delivery - Compression - Page load times - Source order - Blocking ## Site Search - SQL Injection ## SQL Server - Customer data secured - SQL Injection ## URL Structure - Keyword use - Directory structure - Directory number and names - Limited use of parameters - Long Dynamic URLs - Session Tracking in URLs - Use of Session IDs in URLs - Domain Strategy --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Slowing-Down/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Slowing-Down/ Our lives today run at a blazing and rapid pace. As a society, we have put ourselves here with technologies like text, email, and phone. We are now more used to the instant gratification lifestyle. That doesn't mean we should be in a rush. In fact, by slowing down I actually will get more done than I would if I rushed. It took me twenty years to come to this realization. I've had many bosses over time explain this to me. Many times, I listened just to appease and shut them up as I thought I knew better than what their experience was trying to teach me. It is only in the past four months that I have truly started slowing down and "enjoying life" the way it should be. It's truly hard and I am going to cover the core areas I am focusing on and how it's helping me get more done in the same amount of time. The very first step for me to do this was to evaluate areas that were forcing me to work faster rather than efficiently. I needed to get rid of everything in my life that I knew was holding me back from slowing down. This was actually a few of our clients that ate up too much of the company's time and didn't provide any value. This took over twelve months to complete. Not until the last one was gone was I able to start slowing down which happened in October of 2017. That was the hardest decision as a company to make as those companies brought in 80% of our annual revenue. The wonderful thing is in just four months we have not only brought back that revenue but we are a stronger company because of it. Now that the first step was completed I am now able to solely focus on truly slowing down my life. What I have done is starting to eat breakfast and lunch and not working during that time. I was "multi-tasking" which made me feel I was accomplishing more. In fact, that created health issues from heart attacks to indigestion. During meals I still "work" but it is only reading or listening to music. It allows me to re-group and re-focus on my next task. This has been the biggest and truly hardest change. I still am not where I should be as I tell myself I need more time. Reality is when I come back from those meals I am more energized and actually work at a more efficient pace than if I worked through the meal. I have software on my computer that monitors my productivity within the developer tools that help me gauge my effectiveness in writing and building software solutions. This is a great developer tool but one that can quickly make you realize how much time you are wasting or not doing what you should be doing. My next biggest place for inefficiency is with emails. Emails were a true time suck. For two weeks straight, every time I went into Microsoft Outlook I clocked start/stop on a timer. I was spending a minimum of four hours per day in email. I now check my email three times per day (from six), added rules to categorize, and reply only to the urgent ones with just a response that I have received your message and will reply later. This way people know I have received but will be replying later that day. For my non-urgent emails, I now reply between 7-10pm which has greatly increased my efficiency as I can reply at a slower pace and allows more research time. Meetings were my next killer. I was averaging two hours per day in meetings. That is a quarter of my work day doing meetings. The key here was adjusting my meetings from being open-ended to keeping them to specific time frames. This has cut my meeting time in half. With the above changes, I am now able to get an extra 2.5 hours per day writing and developing software. I haven't fully figured out the handling of walk-ins but know that as I continue to focus on slowing down I am becoming more efficient, my code is becoming cleaner, faster, and with fewer errors as well. It seemed counterproductive at first but now I am getting more done and I am able to spend more time with my family. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/small-business-and-ada-lawsuits-2024/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/small-business-and-ada-lawsuits-2024/ ### ADA Lawsuits in the USA for Small Businesses Under $1 Million in 2024: Lessons and Prevention The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a vital piece of legislation that ensures equal access and opportunity for people with disabilities. However, for small businesses, non-compliance with ADA standards can lead to lawsuits, financial strain, and reputational damage. In 2024, numerous businesses earning under $1 million faced ADA lawsuits, often for issues that could have been prevented with proactive measures. This article highlights some notable cases and offers actionable insights on how small businesses can avoid similar pitfalls. *** ### **1. Common ADA Lawsuit Issues in 2024** #### **1.1 Website Accessibility** Many lawsuits targeted businesses for inaccessible websites. Common issues included: - Missing alt text for images. - Non-functional screen reader compatibility. - Poor keyboard navigation. - Lack of captions for video content. #### **1.2 Physical Accessibility** Businesses with physical locations were sued for: - Narrow doorways or aisles. - Lack of accessible restrooms. - Absence of wheelchair ramps or improperly installed ramps. - Poor signage for accessible entrances and parking. #### **1.3 Communication Barriers** Failing to provide effective communication aids, such as: - Lack of Braille signage. - No availability of assistive listening devices. - Poor customer service training on how to assist disabled patrons. *** ### **2. Case Studies of ADA Lawsuits in 2024** #### **2.1 Case: Small Coffee Shop** - **Issue:** A customer filed a lawsuit against a coffee shop because their website was incompatible with screen readers. - **Outcome:** The business settled for $20,000 and had to redesign its website. - **Prevention:** Conduct a website audit and implement WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. #### **2.2 Case: Boutique Retail Store** - **Issue:** The boutique was sued for narrow aisles that made navigation impossible for wheelchair users. - **Outcome:** The store spent $10,000 on legal fees and $15,000 to widen aisles and install proper signage. - **Prevention:** Review physical space against ADA guidelines and make necessary adjustments before opening. #### **2.3 Case: Family-Owned Restaurant** - **Issue:** A lawsuit was filed due to the lack of accessible restrooms. - **Outcome:** The restaurant faced a $25,000 settlement and $50,000 in renovations. - **Prevention:** Include accessibility features during the initial build or renovation phase. #### **2.4 Case: Local Salon** - **Issue:** A customer with hearing loss sued because the salon did not have staff trained to use assistive devices. - **Outcome:** The salon settled for $15,000 and had to implement staff training. - **Prevention:** Train employees on providing accessible services and ensure assistive tools are available. *** ### **3. How Small Businesses Can Prevent ADA Lawsuits** #### **3.1 Website Accessibility Compliance** - Implement **WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards**, which cover: - Alt text for images. - Captions for videos. - Proper semantic HTML for screen readers. - Use tools like WAVE or Siteimprove to audit your website. #### **3.2 Physical Accessibility** - Ensure compliance with ADA guidelines for: - Door widths (at least 32 inches). - Ramp slopes (no greater than 1:12). - Accessible restrooms with proper grab bars and space for wheelchairs. - Conduct regular audits of your physical space. #### **3.3 Employee Training** - Train staff on: - Interacting with customers with disabilities. - Using assistive tools like hearing aids or text-to-speech devices. - Handling requests for accommodations respectfully and effectively. #### **3.4 Communication Readiness** - Provide Braille menus or large-print materials. - Install assistive listening devices in spaces with significant background noise. - Offer text-based customer support options. #### **3.5 Proactive Audits** - Hire accessibility consultants to review your website and physical location. - Use checklists from trusted sources, such as the **ADA National Network**. *** ### **4. Why ADA Compliance is a Worthwhile Investment** 1. **Avoid Legal Costs:** Settlements, legal fees, and retrofitting costs often far exceed the expense of initial compliance. 2. **Build Customer Loyalty:** Accessible businesses attract a broader audience, including individuals with disabilities and their families. 3. **Enhance Reputation:** Demonstrating inclusivity boosts your standing in the community. 4. **Tax Incentives:** U.S. small businesses may qualify for ADA-related tax credits, such as the Disabled Access Credit. *** ### **Conclusion** In 2024, ADA lawsuits served as a wake-up call for many small businesses, highlighting the importance of accessibility. By proactively addressing potential issues, businesses can avoid costly lawsuits, serve a broader audience, and create a welcoming environment for all. Whether it’s a user-friendly website, accessible facilities, or staff training, investing in ADA compliance is a step toward long-term success and inclusivity. Don’t wait for a lawsuit to drive change. Take action now to ensure your business is compliant, accessible, and prepared to thrive in today’s diverse marketplace. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Small-business-growth-hurdles/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Small-business-growth-hurdles/ Although I am calling this small business growth hurdles it actually applies to any business small or large. It is about keeping to your core strengths and not letting them go. This is something every business needs to stay aware of. Being I have never run a large business my knowledge there doesn’t apply beyond working at some of the best large companies in the world. My focus here is on common mistakes business owners make and that can cripple, if not kill, your business. I am going to cover six of the items that I have not only come across but done myself in the past five years. I have overcome each of these and each has taught me several valuable lessons and made us stronger. ## Not leading by example Business owners wear all the hats, in the beginning, they are 100% involved, and 100% committed to the business’ success. As business owners we often see ourselves being pulled in many directions that we either will let things slip or give them to someone and often never check in on them as we expect the person to come to us if there is a problem – this rarely happens. As the business owner whether you are directly or indirectly working on a task you need to be actively involved and committed to its success and not waiting to be reactive; always be proactive. Losing sight of this can cause upset customers, loss of revenue, make your team members wonder if things are going the way they should, or question the existence of the organization. ## Not enforcing the employee manual When a business opens up often there is no employee manual and one is quickly added to meet a problem that came up. I did the exact opposite in having an employee manual before we officially received our business license. Over the past twenty years of employment, I had taken the ideas of every company I had worked for and created my own based on what I thought was the right thing to do as well as making certain the items I didn’t like don’t happen. It is here that you have to enforce the employee manual for everyone and not just when it is convenient to do so. You need to enforce the employee manual not to be a jerk but to build and define the culture of the company and keep its overall stability. ## Not defining your ideal customer correctly We all know our ideal customer is one that we ever talk to, that hands us tons of cash and recommends us to everyone so they also fall into that mold. Yeah, not! That is not your ideal customer (in my mind). Our ideal customer is (*note*: this is not even close to everything – just the five of our twenty items that define our ideal client to work with): - **Actively involved** – you are **not hiring us** to run your company. We are an asset, tool, virtual employee of your organization. You are the decision maker and can either take or ignore our advice (see more on this one below as well). - **Open to listening** – Yes, you are the boss but you are hiring us to be your guiding light for everything digital (and some print). You don’t have to take the advice but listening and talking about not only helps us learn your needs, goals, timelines, and expectations but also will help you grow your business. It is when there is no listening, between you and us, that business relationships fail and falter. - **Realize** – the internet is more than just something you have to be on and that even though Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. are free doesn’t mean the internet is free. The internet can, and should, fuel your growth to build your brand online so that people when they need your services, think of you. You might spend $500 or more in marketing each month but don’t expect to instantly make a million dollars for that investment. It’s a long-term play and that play is definitely a marathon and not a sprint. There is no “get rich quick” scheme or everyone would be doing it. - **Not stuffy** – We are a company that involves Nerf guns, darts, beer, lots of coffee, fun, and a team experience. Communication is key and we do not do suits and ties. We believe in a stress-free, honest, hard work, and a huge quality of life outside of work environment. We want you to be fun as well with the same goal of growing your business. - **Marriage** – We’re not asking you to marry us but going on the communication process every business relationship is a marriage. If one side communicates and the other doesn’t it will fail. If neither side communicates it will fail. If both sides communicate but do not give 100% it will fail. Yes, there will be turbulent times but we have to be empathetic and communicate. The more you communicate the more objectives and expectations are learned. Not only does the marriage become stronger but it becomes so strong that you are both actively looking to help the marriage grow even stronger. ## Hiring poorly We have a different hiring process but we know that is changing and evolving on a daily basis. It is changing as we have learned some people are slick talkers, are just looking for a paycheck, or don’t fit the culture of the company. Like I said earlier our culture is unique and not the normal experience people run into. That is not only what sets us apart but makes our techniques the best they can be. ## Not investing enough in marketing & branding For a marketing company, this one is where we’ve done very poorly. Only in the last year have we started to focus on getting our word out about our products and services. What we have been doing is: - We had been doing quarterly newsletters and now we have a monthly newsletter - We never spent money on paid ads and now we do - We never invested in pay-per-click on Google or Bing even though we have been a Google and Bing Partners for over five years and now we do - We have tried billboards, newspapers, movie theatre spots, television commercials, and radio and lost money each time we did that. It’s just not where our customers are, yet for some of our customers, it works very well. We had always had a flyer but that will only get you so far. We had always purchased “swag” to giveaway and that over the years has never created a return on investment. It has only cost us money. Buying and passing out Snickers, Three Musketeers, and another candy has returned value. ## Having a plan, and sticking to it Many will start without a long-term plan. They have the short-term plan of doing X but no idea of adding Y and Z to the overall mix. When we started, we thought about everything we could and built a plan of when and how to implement it. Over the years the plan has changed many times. We have added products and features as well as removed products from what we offer. This has happened not only based on client needs but because they didn’t truly fit our overall goal of helping other small businesses grow. Often, we see our growth happen the most when we remove a service rather than add. This is due to our having a developer mindset and being agile to change. Change isn’t a failure it is an improvement. Often for marketing companies, they will invest months, even years, on a marketing campaign. They will always be a “success” as so much has been invested in it. By being agile we can quickly start and change with a small investment so even when it wasn’t a success, we can easily accept it, admit it, and move forward. By being agile it easier for us to help not only ourselves but the small businesses we serve to grow as well. ## Conclusion Each week I sit at the local coffee shop, Uptown Café, on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning (depending on client demands) and evaluate what in the past week has worked or hasn’t worked. From there I make adjustments to meet the changing market conditions of our clients. It is this weekly recap, that lasts two hours (no actual start/stop time is ever set), that I know has helped us grow and continues to make us stronger on a daily basis. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Small-business-has-heart/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Small-business-has-heart/ Normally my blogs are written from 4-6am to be sent out later in the day but being it is a relaxing day I did reading and research during that time instead. Last night I was out at 10pm to see what was up in the community. I drove through Chesterton Alabama and then Cullman Alabama. I had a secret agenda to see if small business really believes in the support of their community. What I saw truly shows the heart of what small business is and how much they depend on the local community to help them grow. At 10pm in both towns a large majority of the small businesses I drove by had their lights on and were preparing for the upcoming Black Friday weekend. Big box stores that are open 24x7 were of course open but the big stores that are corporate owned by large business owners all had their lights out. I guess they are already all ready. At 6am I went out again and repeated the same process as the night before. I figured being Thanksgiving all the shops but the big box stores and gas stations would be closed. Small businesses were not being prepped and readied as much as the previous night but I saw several that were working on both the inside and outside of their shops. This is true dedication and what makes one truly believe in the spirit of small business. I went back home, started the dishes, and getting ready for an afternoon with the family. During that time, I thought about the efforts of big business vs small business. There is truly a disconnect with big business in that personal touch. I guess that is one reason small business is so close to our heart. Remember to support small business as they have something that truly matters. They are in business with a passion, love, and a true heart to help their community grow. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Small-business-is-changing-the-world/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Small-business-is-changing-the-world/ How fun would it be to be the richest man in the world even for just a day? If you ask Jeff Bezos he can honestly say due to his company Amazon making a difference in the retail sector. Wal-Mart, Target, and others have been retail leader's due to their physical stores where we consumers can go in and purchase what we need with instant gratification. Amazon started in 1994 selling out of his garage. It seems many start out of their garage or out of their home if they don't have a garage that have become successful businesses. Some of these businesses we know nationally, like Amazon, while others are local versions making a positive difference in which they server. At JM2 Webdesigners we are a local Cullman Alabama digital marketing firm. We specialize in what many would consider the underdog. We consider each one of our clients that we serve as the next Amazon. Some have no aspirations of being that large but what they do have is the aspirations to make a difference using their business as the catalyst to achieve this. In recent weeks, we've done a lot of deep core thinking as our focus is both locally and nationally and we are making great strides in our national push. For our clients, we are looking at what Amazon has done and how they have in many ways overtaken large businesses like [Wal-Mart](https://www.walmart.com/) who as of this writing is still the largest job producer in the United States. I know I shop at Wal-Mart, [Target](https://www.target.com/), and other national chains weekly. What I have noticed more though is I will go out of my way for the local Mom-and-Pop shops in the local area. I will even drive 30 minutes out of my way to do so. This got us thinking of can a small business compete against a Wal-Mart, or soon an [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/), with their billions of dollars in marketing and purchasing power? I deeply believe the answer is resounding yes. The employees at Wal-Mart work in the local community but are missing a piece that cannot be recreated no matter how much money you throw at it. Small business owners and their employees have a core belief that is at the root of everything they are. They want to make a difference, many know they will not make as much money, and they are fine with that. Big business cannot have such passions as their investors do not have those passions. Therefore, we feel, and know deep in our heart, that small businesses whether in Cullman Alabama, Chesterton Alabama, Chicago Illinois, or Abingdon Illinois. Each one of these locations all have a desire to make their town/city a better place. We are not saying big business doesn't give back or make a difference in towns, they do, but what they are missing is that small business mentality and cannot be matched no matter how much money they throw at it. Growing small businesses have an edge that are truly unstoppable. If you are looking to work with a business that has the same passions, desires, and wants to make the same difference you do give our team at JM2 Webdesigners a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [contact us online](/Contact/). We would love to work with your small business and make your dreams and passion come true. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SmaterMail-Exchange-Compatible-Mail-Server/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SmaterMail-Exchange-Compatible-Mail-Server/ Microsoft Exchange is a great system that indeed requires IT support to manage it well. During 2021 we've pushed, tested, and built a system with the same core features as Microsoft Exchange but made specifically for small-to-mid-size businesses. With the latest build of our SmaterMail Exchange compatible email system, we can now match the core features of Microsoft Exchange, be faster, and charge less. Sounds good, but what do you get? ## Email, Junk Mail, and Virus Filtering We have to start with email as that is the point of an email system. Everything else is secondary. With our setup, we have three spam filters, four anti-virus systems, and phishing filters to help protect users from "not so nice" people. ## Microsoft Compatible MAPI There are tons of email clients that offer IMAP or POP3 support. Those work but for true Microsoft Exchange capabilities where email, contacts, calendars, and tasks sync automatically, you need MAPI. This is what Microsoft Exchange is built on, and the SmarterMail solution we run is the only product that has this capability built-in, and we provide it for no cost where others charge. ## Hippa Compliance We don't enable this out of the box except for those we talk to that need it. Our system allows archiving all inbound, all outbound, place disclaimers, and protecting user data. ## Built-in Team Collaboration One feature we use is collaboration. You have audio and video conferencing, group chat, and private chats that are built into the system. You can invite users who are not part of your mail system. ## Hardware Expansion In 2021, we saw a growth in email usage, and we took the time to triple the size of our hardware infrastructure and increase redundancies for our clients. We're ow over 10 TB (Terabytes) of storage and growing every month. ## Who is this not for? With all good things, a compatible system isn't as good as the original and I want to identify the key ones. We used the systems below years ago, switched, and we're not looking back. We were able to do that because (1) I'm the boss and said so -- ha ha; not really, (2) we evaluated for a solid month as a team, and we decided this would work very well for us, and (3) the savings allowed us to take the savings and re-investment into the team (e.g., can you say pay raises across the board? We can!) - **SharePoint**: If you are using Microsoft SharePoint, then this is probably not the right solution. I - **Teams**: If you are locked into Microsoft Teams that are built into Microsoft Exchange, this isn't the right solution. If you are open to changing and want to use the native functionality (e.g., free), switching could be a thought. ## Conclusion You can easily add Microsoft Exchange services directly from Microsoft at the cost of $5-10 per month per user. For a few users, this is a great option. If you expect and expand to grow, this quickly gets expensive and requires more IT dollars to be spent. Just because your business grows doesn't mean the costs have to increase. This is where a consultant can help you think smarter and more proactively. We help our clients all over Northwest Alabama with training and bringing them onboard, and understanding the technology (and it's included at no charge!) Last week I was in St John, Merrillville, Gary, Knox, Trail Creek, and Cullman, assisting with new/upgrading their installations. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SMS-Compliance-Rules-Every-North-Alabama-Business-/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SMS-Compliance-Rules-Every-North-Alabama-Business-/ As a business owner in North Alabama, using **SMS marketing** can be an effective way to engage with customers, drive sales, and grow your brand. However, SMS marketing comes with legal responsibilities, and adhering to compliance rules is critical. Failing to comply with SMS regulations not only risks hefty fines but also damages your business's reputation. In this blog post, we'll outline the key SMS compliance rules your business must follow, explain why compliance is important, and provide actionable steps to ensure your SMS marketing campaigns adhere to federal and industry standards. *** ## Why SMS Compliance Matters ### 1. Protects Your Business Non-compliance with SMS regulations can result in fines of up to $1,500 per violation under the **Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)**. Adhering to the rules protects your business from legal and financial risks. ### 2. Builds Customer Trust When customers know their privacy and preferences are respected, they're more likely to engage with your brand. ### 3. Ensures Better Campaign Performance Compliance means your SMS list consists of engaged, opt-in users, which improves open rates, response rates, and overall campaign success. *** ## Key SMS Compliance Rules for Businesses Below are the main rules and regulations your business must follow for SMS marketing compliance: *** ### 1. Obtain Clear Consent Before sending any SMS messages, you must obtain **explicit consent** from your customers. This rule is mandated by the **TCPA** and enforced by the **Federal Communications Commission (FCC)**. - **How to Get Consent**: Customers must voluntarily opt in to receive texts by: - Filling out an online form - Texting a keyword (e.g., "Text JOIN to 12345") - Checking an opt-in box during a purchase or sign-up process - **What to Avoid**: Do not send unsolicited messages or assume consent. Even existing customers must explicitly opt in to receive SMS communications. *** ### 2. Provide Clear Opt-Out Instructions Every SMS message you send must include an easy way for recipients to unsubscribe. This is required under the **TCPA** and the **CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association)** guidelines. - **Example Opt-Out Text**: "Reply STOP to unsubscribe." - **Automate Opt-Outs**: Use an SMS platform that automatically processes opt-out requests and removes users from your list immediately. *** ### 3. Include Disclosures During Sign-Up When customers opt in to receive SMS messages, they should know exactly what to expect. Provide clear disclosures that explain: - The type of messages they will receive (e.g., promotional, transactional) - The frequency of messages (e.g., "up to 4 messages per month") - Potential message and data rates ### Example Sign-Up Disclosure: "Sign up to receive text updates from [Business Name]. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to unsubscribe." *** ### 4. Respect Quiet Hours Under TCPA regulations, you cannot send SMS messages to recipients before 8:00 AM or after 9:00 PM in their local time zone. - **How to Ensure Compliance**: Use automated scheduling tools that account for time zones to send messages at the appropriate times. *** ### 5. Only Send Relevant and Approved Content The CTIA enforces rules on the types of content businesses can send via SMS. Ensure your messages: - Match the purpose stated during opt-in - Are relevant to your audience - Avoid prohibited content like: - Gambling promotions - Illegal or misleading information - Offensive or inappropriate material *** ### 6. Keep Accurate Records Maintain detailed records of your SMS campaigns to prove compliance in case of a dispute. This includes: - Customer opt-in data (e.g., timestamps, methods of consent) - Message content and delivery times - Opt-out requests and responses *** ### 7. Use Approved Short Codes If you're using a short code (e.g., 12345) for your SMS campaigns, ensure it's registered and approved for use. Unauthorized short codes may lead to message delivery failures and non-compliance issues. *** ### 8. Use Double Opt-In for Extra Security While not legally required, a double opt-in process adds an extra layer of protection. After a customer opts in, send a confirmation message asking them to verify their subscription. ### Example Double Opt-In Message: "Thank you for signing up for [Business Name] updates! Reply YES to confirm." *** ### 9. Avoid Purchased or Shared Lists Only send SMS messages to individuals who have directly opted into your campaigns. Never use: - Purchased contact lists - Shared lists from other businesses - Contacts obtained through third-party sources without explicit consent *** ### 10. Follow Industry-Specific Regulations Certain industries, such as healthcare, must comply with additional regulations. For example: - **Healthcare Businesses**: Follow **HIPAA** (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) guidelines to protect patient privacy. - **Financial Services**: Adhere to **Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act** (GLBA) standards when sending sensitive financial information. *** ## Best Practices for SMS Compliance To ensure your North Alabama business adheres to SMS compliance rules, follow these best practices: 1. **Choose a Reliable SMS Platform** Use platforms like **EZ Texting**, **SimpleTexting**, or **Twilio**, which are designed to meet compliance standards. 2. **Train Your Team** Educate your staff about SMS compliance rules, including obtaining consent, handling opt-outs, and respecting quiet hours. 3. **Test Campaigns Before Launching** Review your SMS campaigns to ensure all content and processes meet legal requirements. 4. **Stay Updated on Regulations** SMS compliance rules may change over time. Regularly review industry guidelines and legal updates to ensure ongoing compliance. *** ## FAQs About SMS Compliance ### 1. What Happens If I Violate SMS Compliance Rules? Non-compliance can result in: - Fines of up to $500-$1,500 per violation - Legal action from customers or regulatory agencies - Damage to your business's reputation ### 2. Do I Need Consent to Send Transactional Messages? Transactional messages (e.g., appointment reminders, order confirmations) require prior consent but are generally less strict than promotional messages. ### 3. Can I Re-Add Customers Who Unsubscribe? No, you cannot re-add a customer to your SMS list unless they opt in again. ### 4. Are SMS Regulations the Same for Every State? While federal laws like the TCPA apply nationwide, some states have additional regulations. North Alabama businesses should stay informed about Alabama-specific requirements. *** ## How SMS Compliance Helps Your North Alabama Business Adhering to SMS compliance rules not only keeps your business safe from legal issues but also enhances customer trust and engagement. By respecting privacy and delivering valuable content, your business can build stronger relationships with customers across Huntsville, Florence, Decatur, and beyond. *** ## Final Thoughts SMS marketing is a powerful tool for North Alabama businesses, but compliance is non-negotiable. By following the rules outlined in this guide—such as obtaining consent, providing opt-out options, and respecting quiet hours—you can ensure your SMS campaigns are both effective and legally compliant. Whether you're a local retailer, a service provider, or an event organizer, these best practices will help you stay on the right side of the law while reaping the benefits of SMS marketing. Start implementing these strategies today to grow your business with confidence! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SMS-Marketing-Hacks-to-Grow-Your-North-Alabama-Bus/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SMS-Marketing-Hacks-to-Grow-Your-North-Alabama-Bus/ In today's competitive market, North Alabama business owners need innovative ways to reach their customers and drive growth. **SMS marketing**—the art of using text messages to connect with your audience—is one of the most effective and affordable ways to do just that. With open rates of over **98%**, SMS marketing ensures that your message gets seen and acted upon. This blog post will share actionable SMS hacks to grow your business, answer key questions, and provide tips tailored to the unique needs of North Alabama businesses. Whether you're in Huntsville, Florence, or Decatur, these hacks can help you engage customers, drive sales, and boost your bottom line. *** ## Why SMS Marketing Works Before diving into hacks, let's understand why SMS marketing is so powerful: - **Direct Communication**: SMS delivers your message straight to your customer's phone, cutting through the noise of email or social media. - **High Open Rates**: Most people read a text message within minutes of receiving it. - **Cost-Effective**: SMS campaigns are affordable, even for small businesses. - **Versatile**: SMS works for promotions, reminders, feedback requests, and more. *** ## 1. Build a High-Quality SMS List Your SMS marketing success depends on the quality of your subscriber list. Here's how to grow it effectively: - **Use Incentives**: Offer discounts or free resources for signing up. Example: A restaurant in Huntsville could promote, "Text ‘FOODIE' to 12345 for 10% off your next meal!" - **Leverage Existing Customers**: Add SMS sign-up options at checkout, on your website, or through social media. - **Run Social Media Campaigns**: Use platforms like Facebook and Instagram to drive SMS sign-ups with exclusive offers. *** ## 2. Personalize Your Messages Customers are more likely to engage with texts that feel tailored to them. Use personalization to make your messages more impactful: - **Include Names**: "Hi Sarah, we've got a special offer just for you!" - **Reference Behavior**: For example, a boutique in Florence could send, "Thanks for visiting us last week! Here's 15% off your next purchase." - **Segment Your Audience**: Divide your SMS list by preferences, location, or past interactions. A lawn care business in Decatur could send separate offers for mowing vs. landscaping services. *** ## 3. Timing Is Everything The timing of your SMS messages can make or break your campaign. Use these hacks to get it right: - **Test Different Times**: Experiment with sending messages at various times to see when your audience responds best. - **Avoid Off-Hours**: Don't send texts early in the morning or late at night. Ideal Times: Lunch hours (12 PM - 2 PM) or early evenings (5 PM - 7 PM). - **Leverage Urgency**: Time-sensitive offers drive action. Example: "Flash Sale! Get 20% off today only. Shop now!" *** ## 4. Use SMS for Exclusive Offers Make your SMS subscribers feel special by offering exclusive deals. This builds loyalty and keeps customers engaged: - **VIP Discounts**: "You're a valued customer! Use code VIP10 for 10% off." - **Early Access**: Announce sales or events to SMS subscribers first. Example: A Decatur furniture store could text, "SMS Exclusive: Get early access to our clearance sale starting tomorrow!" *** ## 5. Automate Your SMS Campaigns Automation saves time and ensures your messages reach the right audience at the right time. Here's how to automate effectively: - **Welcome Messages**: Send a thank-you text when someone joins your SMS list. Example: "Welcome to [Business Name]! Here's your 15% off code: WELCOME15." - **Appointment Reminders**: A salon in Florence could send automated reminders like, "Your appointment with [Stylist Name] is tomorrow at 2 PM. Reply YES to confirm." - **Birthday Offers**: Delight your customers with birthday discounts. Example: "Happy Birthday! Celebrate with 20% off your next order. Use code BDAY20." *** ## 6. Combine SMS with Other Marketing Channels Maximize the impact of your campaigns by integrating SMS with email, social media, or in-person interactions: - **Social Media Call-to-Action**: A coffee shop in Huntsville could post, "Text ‘BREW' to 56789 for a free small coffee!" - **Email Follow-Ups**: Send an SMS reminder after an email campaign. Example: "Check your inbox for our holiday deals, or shop now using this link: [link]." - **In-Store Promotions**: Encourage in-store customers to join your SMS list with signage or QR codes. *** ## 7. Use SMS for Customer Feedback Gathering feedback helps you improve your services and strengthen customer relationships: - **Post-Purchase Surveys**: "Thanks for shopping with us! How was your experience? Reply with 1-5." - **NPS Surveys**: "How likely are you to recommend us to a friend? Reply with a number from 1-10." - **Quick Polls**: A restaurant in Madison could ask, "Which new dish would you like to see on the menu? Reply A for Tacos, B for Burgers." *** ## 8. Track and Optimize Performance To ensure your SMS campaigns are effective, track key metrics like: - **Open Rates**: How many recipients read your messages. - **Click-Through Rates (CTR)**: How many users clicked on links in your texts. - **Conversions**: How many recipients completed the desired action (e.g., purchases, bookings). Use this data to refine your messaging, offers, and timing. *** ## 9. Keep Your Messages Short and Sweet Text messages are limited to 160 characters, so make every word count: - **Be Direct**: State your offer or purpose upfront. - **Include a Call-to-Action (CTA)**: Encourage customers to act immediately. Example: "Shop now and save 20%! Click here: [link]." *** ## 10. Ensure Compliance with SMS Laws To avoid legal issues, always follow SMS marketing regulations: - **Get Consent**: Only send texts to customers who have opted in. - **Provide Opt-Out Options**: Include instructions like, "Reply STOP to unsubscribe." - **Limit Frequency**: Avoid overwhelming your audience with too many messages. *** ## FAQs About SMS Marketing for North Alabama Businesses ### 1. Is SMS Marketing Expensive? No, SMS marketing is cost-effective. Many platforms charge just a few cents per message, making it accessible for small businesses. ### 2. How Do I Start SMS Marketing? Choose an SMS platform like **EZ Texting**, **SimpleTexting**, or **Twilio**. Build your subscriber list, create compelling messages, and start sending! ### 3. What Industries Benefit Most from SMS Marketing? Any industry can benefit, but it's especially effective for: - Restaurants and retail stores - Service providers (e.g., HVAC, salons) - Healthcare and fitness businesses ### 4. How Often Should I Send SMS Messages? Stick to **1-2 messages per week** to maintain engagement without overwhelming your audience. *** ## Final Thoughts SMS marketing is a game-changer for North Alabama businesses. With the right hacks—like personalization, automation, and exclusive offers—you can connect with your customers, drive sales, and grow your business. Whether you're in Huntsville, Florence, or Decatur, these tips will help you harness the power of SMS to stand out in the local market. Start implementing these strategies today and watch your business thrive! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/sms-marketing-texas-sb-140/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/sms-marketing-texas-sb-140/ **Effective Date:** September 1, 2025 **Also called:** Texas “Mini-TCPA” expansion, SB 140, Telemarketing / Solicitation Reform ## Introduction: Why SB 140 Matters Texas is raising the stakes for marketers who reach customers in the state. Starting September 1, 2025, **Senate Bill 140 (SB 140)** expands and sharpens Texas’s existing telemarketing and solicitation laws to explicitly cover texts, multimedia messages, and modern marketing outreach. For digital marketers, agencies, e-commerce brands, and service providers, noncompliance could lead to lawsuits, steep fines, and reputational damage. This guide is your go-to resource for understanding SB 140, its impact on marketing, and how Fawkes Digital Marketing can help clients navigate compliance *while still growing*. **Quick TL;DR** - SB 140 amends Texas Business & Commerce Code Chapters 302, 304, and 305 to broaden definitions and enforcement. - It makes text messages, images, and multimedia communications count as “telephone solicitations” in many cases. - It introduces (or strengthens) a **private right of action** under Texas’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA). - It removes limits on repeated recovery (i.e. prior lawsuits don’t block future claims). - Marketers must register, disclose, monitor opt-outs, and review vendor contracts. ## What Is SB 140? ### Legislative Context & Purpose Texas already had a set of telemarketing statutes (often called a “mini-TCPA”) under Chapters 301–305 of the Business & Commerce Code. SB 140 augments these laws by (1) refining definitions, (2) expanding the types of communication regulated, and (3) widening enforcement tools, especially private litigation. [Paul Hastings](https://www.paulhastings.com/insights/ph-privacy/marketing-texts-in-texas-sb-140-broadens-state-telemarketing-regulations) Its stated purpose is to protect consumers from “false, misleading, or deceptive practices in telephone solicitation” by making the law more inclusive and harder to evade. [Texas Legislature Online](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/analysis/html/SB00140H.htm) ### Key Definitions (Before & After) - **Term**: Telephone call / “telephone solicitation” - **Pre-SB 140**: Historically, a voice call or automated dialing to induce purchase or claim. - **Post-SB 140 (as amended)**: Now includes not only calls, but **transmissions** (text, graphic message, images) initiated by a seller or salesperson for inducing a purchase or claim. [OneSignal](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/SB00140F.htm) - **Term**: Telephone solicitation - **Pre-SB 140**: A call initiated to induce someone to buy, rent, or receive something. - **Post-SB 140 (as amended)**: Expanded to include texts, image or graphic transmissions, and other communications beyond voice calls. [Lowenstein Sandler](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/SB00140F.htm) - **Term**: “False, misleading, or deceptive act” - **Pre-SB 140**: Already a concept in various telemarketing rules or DTPA. - **Post-SB 140 (as amended)**: Violations under Chapters 302, 304, and 305 are now **explicitly** deemed such under the DTPA, enabling private rights of action. [National Law Review](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/analysis/html/SB00140H.htm) - **Term**: Prior claim immunity - **Pre-SB 140**: Some limitations or thresholds in earlier statutes. - **Post-SB 140 (as amended)**: SB 140 specifies that **past recoveries do not limit future recovery** — each violation (even repetitive) can be actionable. [National Law Review](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/SB00140F.htm) ### Who Must Comply & Who’s Exempt Any entity that makes “telephone solicitations” (now including texts, image transmissions, etc.) **into or from Texas**, for sales or inducement purposes, must comply — unless a specific exemption applies. [Nixon Peabody LLP](https://www.paulhastings.com/insights/ph-privacy/marketing-texts-in-texas-sb-140-broadens-state-telemarketing-regulations) Some commonly cited exemptions include (but may not be limited to): - Publicly traded companies - Certain financial institutions - Educational institutions or nonprofits (501(c)(3)) - Retail sellers that conduct most of their sales from brick-and-mortar stores and have been under the same name for at least two years - Communications to **current or former customers** under specific conditions [Lowenstein Sandler](https://help.activecampaign.com/hc/en-us/articles/21850461328412-Texas-SB140-amendments-What-you-need-to-know-for-SMS-and-MMS-solicitations) Because exemptions are narrowly construed, businesses should assume compliance is required unless a clear exemption applies — and be ready to prove it. Understanding the theory is one thing; deadlines and obligations are what marketers must operationalize. Below is a framework of the requirements triggered by SB 140. ### Registration, Bond, and Disclosure Obligations - **Registration:** Businesses engaged in solicitation mustregister as a “seller” with the Texas Secretary of State (including location-specific registration). [Paul Hastings](https://www.vorys.com/publication-texas-sb-140-requirements) - **Application Fee + Bond / Security:** The law mandates a registration fee (commonly cited as ~$200) plus a **$10,000 security deposit / bond** or equivalent instrument. [Nixon Peabody LLP](https://www.vorys.com/publication-texas-sb-140-requirements) - **Annual Renewal & Reports:** Registration must be renewed periodically, and businesses must file reports listing salespersons (and their addresses) engaged in solicitations. [Nixon Peabody LLP](https://www.vorys.com/publication-texas-sb-140-requirements) - **Posted Disclosures & Certificates:** The legislation may require businesses to physically post or display the registration certificate, and provide certain disclosures before or during calls / messages. [Nixon Peabody LLP](https://www.vorys.com/publication-texas-sb-140-requirements) ### Consent, Opt-Out, and Messaging Rules - **Prior Consent Required:** For both voice and text solicitations, proper consent must be secured before outreach. The standard of consent must align with the more stringent telemarketing regime. [Listrak](https://www.paulhastings.com/insights/ph-privacy/marketing-texts-in-texas-sb-140-broadens-state-telemarketing-regulations) - **Clear Disclosures:** Consent and messages must include required disclosures (such as opt-out language, identity, purpose). [ActiveCampaign Help Center](https://help.activecampaign.com/hc/en-us/articles/21850461328412-Texas-SB140-amendments-What-you-need-to-know-for-SMS-and-MMS-solicitations) - **Opt-Out/Do Not Call (DNC):** Must respect and implement opt-outs immediately. Messages to numbers on the Texas no-call list are prohibited. [Nixon Peabody LLP](https://www.paulhastings.com/insights/ph-privacy/marketing-texts-in-texas-sb-140-broadens-state-telemarketing-regulations) - **Quiet Hours (Implicit / Interpreted):** While SB 140 did **not explicitly revise** the statutory quiet hours (9 a.m.–9 p.m. Mon–Sat; 12 p.m.–9 p.m. Sunday) under Chapter 301, many legal commentators believe that the expanded definition of calls/texts allows those hours to be extended to text solicitation. [Nixon Peabody LLP](https://www.kelleydrye.com/viewpoints/blogs/ad-law-access/texas-mini-tcpa-law-faqs-for-marketing-texts) ### Enforcement, Penalties & Litigation Risk - **Private Right of Action under DTPA:** One of the biggest changes is that SB 140 makes violations under Chapters 302, 304, and 305 actionable under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA). This gives consumers direct lawsuit access. [Nixon Peabody LLP](https://www.paulhastings.com/insights/ph-privacy/marketing-texts-in-texas-sb-140-broadens-state-telemarketing-regulations) - **No Limitation from Prior Claims:** SB 140 removes the barrier that prior successful claims limit future lawsuits — every violation can be litigated independently. [National Law Review](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/SB00140F.htm) - **Statutory Damages & Fines:** - Texas AG can seek civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation. [Texas Legislature Online](https://www.lowenstein.com/news-insights/publications/client-alerts/texas-mini-tcpa-goes-into-effect-september-1-2025-what-you-need-to-know-privacy) - Consumers may recover **statutory damages** (often cited $500–$1,500) and may have treble (triple) damages for knowing or intentional violations, plus attorneys’ fees and mental anguish in some cases. [ActiveCampaign Help Center](https://www.lowenstein.com/news-insights/publications/client-alerts/texas-mini-tcpa-goes-into-effect-september-1-2025-what-you-need-to-know-privacy) - **Serial Litigation Risks:** Because prior claims do not block future claims, businesses are exposed to repeated litigation by the same consumer if violations persist over multiple communications. [Nixon Peabody LLP](https://natlawreview.com/article/texas-sb140-changes-telemarketing-law-may-reshape-compliance-and-litigation-risks) ## SB 140 vs Other Privacy & Telemarketing Laws It’s helpful to see how SB 140 fits into the broader landscape of U.S. privacy, telemarketing, and consumer protection laws. - **Regime / Law**: Federal TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act) - **Coverage / Purpose**: Regulates dialing equipment, consent, auto-dialers, robocalls, fax, prerecorded messages at the federal level - **Key Differences from SB 140**: TCPA focuses mainly on calls, texts, robocalls, and includes strict consent regimes; SB 140 is state-level and adds extra layers (registration, bond, DTPA claims) - **Implications for Marketers**: Compliance with TCPA is baseline; SB 140 adds “state tax” you must satisfy for Texas outreach - **Regime / Law**: California CCPA / CPRA - **Coverage / Purpose**: Data privacy, rights over personal data (access, deletion, sale) - **Key Differences from SB 140**: CCPA/CPRA is broad data-privacy law; SB 140 is specifically about solicitations, calls, texts - **Implications for Marketers**: Even if you’re compliant under CCPA, SB 140 imposes distinct telemarketing obligations - **Regime / Law**: Other State Mini-TCPA Laws (e.g. Florida, Washington) - **Coverage / Purpose**: State-level telemarketing / text message rules - **Key Differences from SB 140**: Many don’t require registration, bonding, or DTPA-level enforcement - **Implications for Marketers**: Texas SB 140 is among the more aggressive and compliance-heavy state regimes - **Regime / Law**: Texas Pre-existing Laws (Chapters 301–305) - Texas’s original telemarketing and solicitation rules SB 140 redefines and extends scope, eases litigation, tightens enforcement Businesses targeting Texas must reevaluate (not just assume old compliance suffices) One key takeaway: compliance under federal or other state rules does **not** guarantee compliance under SB 140. ## Impact on Digital Marketing Channels If your campaigns use any of the following channels targeting Texas consumers (or originating from Texas), SB 140 likely impacts your operations: ### SMS, MMS & Mobile Messaging Campaigns Text-based marketing now squarely falls under telemarketing law in Texas. Without careful consent tracking, registration, and opt-out handling, your campaigns may violate SB 140. [Listrak](https://help.activecampaign.com/hc/en-us/articles/21850461328412-Texas-SB140-amendments-What-you-need-to-know-for-SMS-and-MMS-solicitations) ### Telephony / Voice Calls Outbound voice solicitation calls made for sales or inducement must also comply with telemarketing registration, disclosures, and consumer rights. The expansion into multimodal “calls” ensures no loophole for voice + message hybrid channels. [Nixon Peabody LLP](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/SB00140F.htm) ### Automated & AI-Driven Outreach Calls or messages powered by autodialers, AI agents, or automated systems are considered “telephone solicitations” under the expanded definitions. That means your compliance must extend to the tech layer. [Nixon Peabody LLP](https://www.paulhastings.com/insights/ph-privacy/marketing-texts-in-texas-sb-140-broadens-state-telemarketing-regulations) ### Lead Generation & Data Capture Forms Where you collect phone numbers or consent, you must clearly state how the phone number and text consent will be used, including disclosures about automated messaging. Also, opt-out must be honored. ### Retargeting, Pixel Tracking & Personalization While SB 140 is narrowly about telemarketing, privacy compliance trends are converging. Marketers should ensure data collection, profiling, and email/SMS integrations align with broader privacy expectations and state laws. ## What Marketers Must Do Now Here’s a practical compliance roadmap for marketing teams and agencies: ### Phase 1: Discovery & Audit 1. **Map Data Flows & Outreach Paths:** Document where, how, and why you contact customers via phone or text. 2. **Review Current Consent Policies:** Are they explicit, recorded, and do they include required disclosures? 3. **Inventory Vendors & Partners:** CRMs, SMS platforms, ad networks — check whether they handle opt-outs, data sharing, and compliance. 4. **Check No-Call / Do-Not-Call List Practices:** Ensure your database excludes Texas no-call numbers. 5. **Identify Exemptions:** Determine whether your business qualifies for any exemption and document why. ### Phase 2: Implement Controls & Updates 1. **Register & Post Bond:** If required, complete registration with the Texas Secretary of State, pay fees, and secure the $10,000 bond (or equivalent). 2. **Update Privacy / Terms / Messaging Disclosures:** Make sure consent forms, messages, and web language align with SB 140. 3. **Update Tech / Messaging Systems:** Integrate real-time opt-out, SMS suppression lists, and flag Texas numbers. 4. **Train Sales, Marketing & Support Teams:** They must understand consent handling, opt-outs, and DNC obligations. 5. **Log Everything:** Maintain robust records of consent,communications, opt-outs, and suppression logic. ### Phase 3: Monitoring, Testing & Legal Review 1. **Simulate Outreach Tests:** Test messaging flows, opt-outs, registration, and suppression logic. 2. **Schedule Audits & Reviews:** Monthly or quarterly checks to confirm compliance is maintained. 3. **Legal Oversight:** Engage legal counsel to review your registration, exemptions, messages, and contracts. 4. **Stay Updated:** Monitor enforcement, case law, AG guidance, and regulatory updates. ## Penalties, Risks & Litigation Scenarios ### Types of Exposure - **Civil Penalties by State AG:** Up to $5,000 per violation. [Lowenstein Sandler](https://www.lowenstein.com/news-insights/publications/client-alerts/texas-mini-tcpa-goes-into-effect-september-1-2025-what-you-need-to-know-privacy) - **Statutory Damages / Consumer Lawsuits (via DTPA):** $500–$1,500 per violation; increased damages if willful; attorneys’ fees, mental anguish compensation. [Nixon Peabody LLP](https://www.lowenstein.com/news-insights/publications/client-alerts/texas-mini-tcpa-goes-into-effect-september-1-2025-what-you-need-to-know-privacy) - **Repeated Litigation Risk:** Because previous claims don’t preclude future ones, a consumer might sue multiple times for recurring or batch violations. [National Law Review](https://natlawreview.com/article/texas-sb140-changes-telemarketing-law-may-reshape-compliance-and-litigation-risks) - **Reputational Damage:** Negative press, class action headlines, and trust erosion. ### Example Scenarios - A business sends marketing texts to Texas numbers without registering or suppressing opt-outs → consumer sues under DTPA, multiplies claims. - A company sends SMS-based promotions after a user opted out, or to a number on Texas no-call list → immediate legal exposure. - A firm uses AI-driven autodialer systems for outreach without updating compliance logic → technical misstep leads to mass violations. These are not hypothetical — legal commentators expect a wave of litigation once SB 140 is in effect. [Nixon Peabody LLP](https://natlawreview.com/article/texas-sb140-changes-telemarketing-law-may-reshape-compliance-and-litigation-risks) ## Fawkes Digital Marketing’s Compliance & Service Approach Here’s how Fawkes Digital Marketing positions itself to help clients tackle SB 140 proactively: ### Compliance-First Strategy - Begin every campaign with a **data and outreach audit** to identify Texas exposure. - Build **consent-first messaging pipelines**, integrating SMS, email, web, and CRM flows. - Maintain ongoing **opt-out management**, suppression lists, and message templates that align with registration disclosures. ### Support & Implementation - Assist clients with **Texas registration** (forms, bond, reporting strategy). - Review and **revise messaging, disclaimers, and consent language** for SB 140 alignment. - Coordinate with legal counsel to validate exemptions or risk tolerance. - Provide **training to marketing, sales, and support teams** on handling opt-outs, DNC, and compliance basics. - Monitor and audit campaigns post-launch for compliance drift. ### Marketing with Privacy as a Differentiator Rather than viewing SB 140 solely as a burden, Fawkes frames privacy compliance as a trust and branding advantage. A business that honors consumer-safety, consent, and transparency positions itself favorably in a crowded, skeptical marketplace. ## FAQs About Texas SB 140 - **: Do small businesses need to comply?** A: Possibly — size is not a safe harbor. If your business makes solicitation calls or texts into Texas or from Texas, the law likely applies unless you clearly qualify for an exemption. - **Q: Does SB 140 apply to companies outside Texas?** A: Yes. Any entity sending messages **into Texas** or operating from Texas for solicitation purposes issubject to SB 140.[Lowenstein Sandler](https://www.gklaw.com/Insights/Texas-Says-Dont-Mess-with-Texts--New-SMS-Rules-Hit-September-1-2025.htm) - **Q: Are non-promotional calls (reminders, surveys) affected?** A: Possibly. If the content is construed as solicitation or inducement, it may trigger the rules. Be cautious and seek legal guidance. - **Q: What’s the deadline?** A: September 1, 2025 — that’s when the law becomes effective.[Paul Hastings](https://www.paulhastings.com/insights/ph-privacy/marketing-texts-in-texas-sb-140-broadens-state-telemarketing-regulations) - **Q: What if a marketing platform provider vs. brand is liable?** A: Both may share liability. The brand must vet platforms’ compliance, and use APIs or features that conform to opt-out, suppression, and consent obligations. ## Conclusion & Call to Action Texas SB 140 substantially raises the bar for marketers. The rules are stricter, enforcement is stronger, and litigation risk is more accessible for consumers. But compliance is not optional — it’s essential. Viewed through the right lens, SB 140 is not just a regulatory hurdle — **a chance to build consumer trust**, differentiate through responsible practices, and fortify your brand. If you’re marketing to Texas consumers, now is the time to act. Let [**Fawkes Digital Marketing**](/contact/) help you audit your outreach, update infrastructure, and execute compliant, growth-driven marketing that stands up under scrutiny. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/sms-mms-text-marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/sms-mms-text-marketing/ In today’s fast-paced digital world, connecting with customers quickly and effectively is essential for business success. **SMS (Short Message Service)** and **MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)** marketing have emerged as powerful tools for reaching audiences directly on their mobile devices. With impressive open rates and fast response times, SMS/MMS can drive immediate engagement and help businesses boost revenue, especially during slow periods. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of SMS/MMS marketing, average open rates and response times, and how you can leverage this channel to keep your business thriving. *** ## **The Power of SMS/MMS Marketing** SMS and MMS marketing involve sending text or multimedia messages to your customers, providing them with promotions, updates, or reminders. These messages are sent directly to their phones, making them highly personal and impactful. ### **Key Differences Between SMS and MMS:** - **SMS:** Text-only messages with a character limit of 160. - **MMS:** Messages that include images, videos, or audio, allowing for more creative and engaging content. *** ## **SMS/MMS Marketing by the Numbers** ### **1. High Open Rates** One of the biggest advantages of SMS marketing is its **open rate**, which is significantly higher than email or other forms of digital marketing. - **Average SMS open rate:** 98% - **Average email open rate:** 20-30% ### **2. Fast Response Times** Text messages are typically read within minutes of receipt, making SMS marketing a great way to deliver time-sensitive promotions. - **Average response time for SMS:** 90 seconds - **Average response time for email:** 90 minutes ### **3. Unmatched Reach** With 97% of Americans owning a smartphone, SMS/MMS marketing ensures your message gets delivered directly to your audience. *** ## **Benefits of SMS/MMS Marketing for Your Business** ### **1. Direct and Immediate Communication** Text messages are delivered instantly, ensuring your audience receives your message in real-time. This is especially useful for: - Flash sales - Event reminders - Limited-time offers ### **2. High Engagement Rates** Due to its personal and direct nature, SMS/MMS marketing often sees higher engagement compared to other channels. Adding rich media through MMS can further increase interaction rates. ### **3. Cost-Effective** SMS/MMS campaigns are relatively low-cost compared to traditional advertising methods like TV or print, making it ideal for businesses of all sizes. ### **4. Personalization Opportunities** You can easily tailor messages to individual customers based on their preferences, purchase history, or location. Personalized messaging drives higher conversion rates and fosters customer loyalty. ### **5. Boosts Revenue During Slow Periods** SMS/MMS marketing can help businesses quickly generate sales during slow times by sending exclusive offers, discounts, or promotions to their customer base. *** ## **How SMS/MMS Can Drive Revenue During Slow Periods** ### **1. Flash Sales** Use SMS to announce a limited-time flash sale and create urgency with phrases like: - “Hurry! 50% off all items until 5 PM today!” - “Exclusive offer: Buy 1, Get 1 Free for the next 2 hours!” ### **2. Personalized Promotions** Leverage customer data to send targeted messages: - “Hi [Name], we miss you! Enjoy 20% off your next visit with code WEMISSYOU.” - “Your favorite item is back in stock! Click here to order now.” ### **3. Appointment Reminders** For service-based businesses, use SMS to send reminders and fill last-minute openings: - “We have a slot available today at 3 PM. Book now and get 10% off your service!” ### **4. Loyalty Program Updates** Keep customers engaged with loyalty rewards: - “You’ve earned 100 points! Redeem them for discounts on your next purchase. Visit [link].” ### **5. Event Invitations** Promote events to boost foot traffic: - “Join us for a VIP shopping night this Friday! Exclusive deals and free drinks await. RSVP here: [link].” *** ## **Best Practices for SMS/MMS Marketing** 1. **Get Permission:** Always ensure you have customer consent before sending messages. Use opt-in forms or sign-up incentives. 2. **Be Clear and Concise:** Keep your messages short and to the point. For example: - “Big Sale! 30% off storewide. Shop now: [link]” 3. **Use a Call-to-Action (CTA):** Encourage immediate action with phrases like: - “Click here to buy now” - “Reply YES to claim your discount” 4. **Time Your Messages Strategically:** Send messages during optimal hours to avoid annoying your customers. Mid-morning or early evening are often best. 5. **Track Performance:** Use analytics to monitor delivery rates, open rates, and conversions. Refine your strategy based on the results. 6. **Avoid Overloading Customers:** Limit your messages to 2-4 per month to maintain a balance between staying top-of-mind and being respectful of your customers’ time. *** ## **How Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help** At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in creating SMS/MMS marketing strategies that drive real results. Whether you’re looking to engage customers, boost revenue, or fill slow periods with increased traffic, we have the expertise to make it happen. ### **What We Offer:** - **Custom Campaign Creation:** We design SMS/MMS messages tailored to your business and audience. - **Automation Tools:** Set up automated campaigns for event reminders, promotions, and follow-ups. - **Performance Analytics:** Track your campaigns and optimize for better results. - **Compliance Expertise:** Ensure your campaigns comply with all regulations, including GDPR and TCPA. *** ## **Conclusion** SMS/MMS marketing is a powerful tool that can revolutionize the way you connect with your customers. With its high open rates, immediate impact, and ability to drive revenue during slow periods, it’s an essential strategy for any business looking to stay ahead in today’s competitive market. Ready to unlock the potential of SMS/MMS marketing for your business? [Contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today](/Contact/) to create a campaign that drives engagement, conversions, and growth. **[Get in touch](https://www.fawkesdm.com/Contact/)** to start connecting with your audience like never before! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SMS-vs-MMS-Whats-the-Difference-and-Which-Should-Y/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SMS-vs-MMS-Whats-the-Difference-and-Which-Should-Y/ ## SMS vs. MMS: What’s the Difference, and Which Should You Use? In today’s world, text messaging is one of the most common ways we communicate. Whether it's a quick "hello" to a friend or an update from your favorite brand, texts keep us connected. But did you know that not all text messages are the same? There are actually two primary types of text messages: **SMS** and **MMS**. In this article, we'll dive into what SMS and MMS mean, explore their histories, and break down when each type of message might be best for you or your business. *** ### What is SMS? **SMS** stands for **Short Message Service**. It’s the simplest and most common form of text messaging. With SMS, you can send a message of up to **160 characters** (or slightly more, depending on the device and carrier) that contains text only—no images, videos, or special formatting. Think of it as the basic text message. #### History of SMS SMS was invented in the **1980s** but didn’t become widely used until the **1990s**. The first SMS message was sent in **1992** in the United Kingdom, and it simply said, “Merry Christmas.” Back then, it was quite revolutionary because it allowed people to send quick messages without making a call. Over time, SMS became one of the most popular forms of communication, and it’s still widely used today. #### How SMS Works When you send an SMS, the message is sent through the mobile carrier's network. Since it's just plain text and relatively small in size, SMS messages don’t require much data or processing power, which is why they are so quick and efficient. *** ### What is MMS? **MMS** stands for **Multimedia Messaging Service**. MMS is an upgraded version of SMS that allows you to send multimedia content like images, videos, audio files, and longer messages (up to around **1600 characters**). If you've ever received a photo or video in a text message, you've received an MMS. #### History of MMS MMS was developed later, becoming popular in the **early 2000s**. It was created to enhance the SMS experience by allowing people to send more than just text. With the rise of smartphones and faster mobile networks, MMS gained popularity as it enabled richer, more engaging content. #### How MMS Works MMS works similarly to SMS but requires more data because of the larger file sizes associated with multimedia content. MMS messages often use mobile data or Wi-Fi to send, and they may take slightly longer to reach the recipient compared to SMS. *** ### Key Differences Between SMS and MMS Now that we know what SMS and MMS are, let’s break down the main differences: | Feature | SMS | MMS | |-----------------------|----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------| | **Content** | Text only, up to 160 characters | Text, images, videos, audio, up to 1600 characters | | **Data Requirements** | Very low | Requires mobile data or Wi-Fi | | **File Size** | Small, just text | Larger due to multimedia files | | **Cost** | Generally cheaper | Usually more expensive | | **Engagement** | Simple, quick messages | More visually engaging | ### Why Choose SMS? **SMS is great if:** - You want to send a quick, straightforward message. - You’re on a budget and want a cost-effective way to reach people. - Your audience doesn’t necessarily have smartphones or data plans (SMS works on all phones). SMS is ideal for reminders, quick alerts, or short promotions. For example, a business might send an SMS to remind a customer of an upcoming appointment or share a one-day discount code. ### Why Choose MMS? **MMS is great if:** - You want to include images, videos, or other multimedia to grab attention. - You’re trying to convey a more complex message that needs more space. - You want to reinforce brand identity with visuals like logos or product images. MMS is perfect for promotions, announcements, and content that benefits from images or videos. For example, a clothing store might use MMS to showcase a new collection with photos or a video lookbook. *** ### Pros and Cons of SMS **Pros**: - **Quick Delivery**: SMS messages are nearly instant, with most messages being read within minutes. - **Cost-Effective**: SMS is usually cheaper to send, especially if you’re reaching a large audience. - **Wide Compatibility**: SMS works on all mobile phones, even basic ones without data plans. **Cons**: - **Limited Characters**: The 160-character limit can be restrictive if you have a lot to say. - **No Visuals**: SMS is limited to text, which may not be as engaging as images or videos. ### Pros and Cons of MMS **Pros**: - **Visually Engaging**: The ability to include images and videos makes MMS more eye-catching. - **More Space**: MMS allows for up to 1600 characters, so you can provide more detailed information. - **Higher Engagement**: MMS messages tend to get better responses because multimedia content draws attention. **Cons**: - **Higher Cost**: MMS is usually more expensive to send than SMS, which can add up. - **Requires Data**: MMS messages require a data connection, which might not be accessible for all users. *** ### Which Should You Use for Your Business? The choice between SMS and MMS depends on your business goals, budget, and the type of message you want to send. #### Use SMS When: - You need to send simple, time-sensitive updates or reminders. - You’re on a budget and need a cost-effective way to reach customers. - You want to reach a wide audience, including those without smartphones or data plans. #### Use MMS When: - You want to make an impact with visuals, like showcasing products or sending event invitations. - You have a complex message that requires more characters or multimedia to communicate effectively. - You want to create a more engaging experience with photos, videos, or brand-specific images. *** ### Examples of SMS and MMS in Action **Example of SMS**: - “Reminder: Your appointment is scheduled for tomorrow at 2 PM. Reply YES to confirm.” **Example of MMS**: - “New arrivals are here! Check out our latest styles and get 10% off your next purchase!” [Image of new clothing collection] *** ### Final Thoughts: SMS vs. MMS – Which is Better? Both SMS and MMS have their strengths, and the best choice depends on what you’re trying to achieve. SMS is a simple, effective way to communicate with customers quickly, making it ideal for reminders, alerts, and brief promotions. MMS, on the other hand, is more engaging and allows for richer storytelling, making it ideal for announcements, promotions with images, and messages that benefit from visuals. For many businesses, a combination of both SMS and MMS can provide the best results, allowing you to use SMS for quick updates and MMS for campaigns that require more detail and engagement. By understanding the differences and strengths of SMS and MMS, you can make informed choices that improve communication with your customers, enhance engagement, and help your business thrive in the competitive digital landscape. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMedia/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMedia/ Today has been truly a great day of talking with potential clients about search engine optimization (SEO), social media and how both together can benefit them. We routinely are asked about SEO as that is prevalent on everyone’s minds to drive business to their website. Every business knows they need a website in today’s business world as this is where you have complete control over what information about your brand is out on the Internet, will match all of your marketing materials and present a professional image of your business. Additionally, by having your own website you will have an email address that is branded to you and not to a @yahoo, @Gmail, @comcast, etc. Your email address will be yourname@yourdomain.com which presents a more professional appeal. In the last meeting that we had the main question that was asked struck us as a red flag as we knew they were already doing social media and had contacted us to see if they could do more. The question was “What exactly is social media?” This potential client truly didn’t understand what being social was. Their understanding was if they had a Twitter account they were being social. They have spent the last two years being social and didn’t understand how it could benefit their business. They only knew they had to do something; which they were. In fact, they were paying a company, which we are bidding against, over $500 a month to handle their social media marketing strategy. They did have a Twitter and Pinterest account under their company name and both were setup perfectly with the branding matching their company website. They didn't have a Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube or Google+. Even though their website had a link for Facebook it only went to the Facebook homepage. The Pinterest had two images showing their old and new company logos. Twitter had monthly posts encouraging people to visit their website to learn about their latest product and services. They are presently paying between $800-1,000 a month for Google AdWords and Facebook Advertising. The keywords for Google were last updated two years ago and many of the keyword phrases were not matching their current business processes. The Facebook advertisement did link to their website and was setup with good information that matched their current business model. They were not able to determine the effectiveness of their campaigns to see if they are receiving a good return on investment (ROI). ## Social media questions you should know the answer to While talking we asked some of the basic questions we always ask. Many can have similar answers related to social media. Some of the questions we asked are below. - Which social media networks do I want my business on? (Hint: Many businesses do not need to be on all of them – just the ones that will compliment your business). - What are my companies marketing objectives related to social media? - What is my main purpose for my company being on social media? - How much time should I invest in social media? - Who is my target audience that I want to address? - How will I gauge the success, or failure, of my social media marketing? - What will I be providing to the people in my social media strategy that is valuable? - Will I outsource all, part or none of my social media strategy? (Hint: If you say all you could run into a situation like our potential customer here where you blindly pay a bill and not get any results. This should be an active business relationship where you communicate, provide information for the company, and understand the reports that you receive. ## Social Media Benefits - Social media is the #1 activity on the internet above all other activities - Social media provides a mechanism for companies to connect with their customers one-on-one - Social media is an extension of your business and your business website - Social media is trusted among consumer opinions more than tradition marketing and advertisements - People use social networks than email to communicate with friends and family - Generate buzz about your product or service - Building word of mouth - Encouraging and inspiring conversations - Being involved in social media will show your customers that you care and are more than just a business wanting their money - Creating brand advocates and evangelists - Can make people LOVE your product or service - Building positive brand equity - Those who are active online have amplified voices within the social media space. - Reach audiences that may not be current customers - Your reach and information will reach more than one person - People want to feel listened to and help them become more involved with your brand ## Social Media Don't Do's - SPAM messages degrade the experience for everyone. - Ignore negative comments on your social media site. Address them quickly on the social media site as well as an email, if required. - Ignore postive comments on your social media site. Thank them and let the person know you appreciate who they are. The first item to know about social media is that if you can point and click with your internet browser you have the capability of doing all of the social media work yourself. This may seem counterproductive coming from a company that services a large portion of our clients, including those whose websites we didn't create, for its revenue. To JM2 Webdesigners though education is also part of who we are and what we do. If we can help the public become more knowledgeable then we feel we are doing our part to make the world a better place. We don't know yet if we got the sale with them but do know we feel confident in knowing that they will be doing a much better job with their social media now that they know more about it. We know for a fact that they are a committed company that will fix the problems now that they are aware. Whether they choose to go with us, hire a full time employee to handle their marketing or another company they are more knowledgeable today than they were before our meeting. If your business would like to learn more about SEO, social media, website redesign or a custom application for your business feel free to contact us and we can see how we can work together and solve your problem. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaAndBusiness/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaAndBusiness/ There is a large assortment of social media platforms out there. Social media networks range from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr, MySpace and many more. Having a profile page on each of the major social platforms can be daunting as well as overwhelming. Rather than spread yourself thin among the top 5, 10 or 15+ social platforms it is often best to choose a number you can maintain and be active on. This may well be one social site and the site may not be the most popular social media network. ## Target Market What you need to do is be on the right one(s) rather than all. One of the best ways to find the best platforms is to contact your current customers and see which, if any, they are on. Also, which platforms are your competitors on? ## Objectives When it comes to promoting your business you need to decide what your overall objectives are you want to achieve. Is it more fans, more recognition of your brands, services you offer, customer service, promoting a contest, special offers or coupons, event notification and signup, etc.? ## Relevancy Don't post on your page items that don't pertain to your core business just so that you can show a "post". This will make your fans wonder if your business is truly what you say it is if you do not promote items directly related to your business. Be an expert and leader in your field. This is what your customers want. They do not want to know about your latest dinner, unless you are a restaurant or a baker. If your business is spread across many different areas you will find most social sites allow you to endorse and link between sites. Use this to cross promote your businesses so they can stay focused on their core businesses. ## Frequency The frequency of updates and interaction is determined not only on your schedule as you may have to make additional time for a successful social media plan. How often does news and information that can be beneficial to your site fans benefit from receiving information from you? Is it daily, weekly or monthly? You should strive to post at least weekly but only if you have meaningful information to present. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaAndSmallBusiness/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaAndSmallBusiness/ Startups and small businesses don't have the kind of marketing power of major brand names not because they don't have great products and services but because they are new or just have not yet grown to be the big brands. This is where social media can come help. As a company in Cullman, Alabama you wouldn't think we would have a large presence but over the past three years we have grown from having no clients to having several hundred in 30+ states. How we have grown is a lot due to persistence but also because of our website, newsletter, and social media strategy. In this article we'll explain some of the items we have done to grow our social media presence. ![Social Media Goals](/Images/Content/Blog/SocialMediaGoals.jpg) ## Having Realistic Goals Being small means a lot of what we have to do is relegated to either ourselves, a team member or an outside organization to help so that we can grow our own company. This means we have to set realistic goals on what we are trying to achieve. We cannot expect to have a 100,000 followers, thousands of likes and shares per day (or even per year). We set our goal of increasing each week and month by a small amount. We want to "reach" our current clients with great and informative free information, help them succeed and spread our good word to their business associates and friends. When you are choosing your goals you need to think about what you want to do. As with anything we recommend working towards doing everything your clients need but start out small and working your way up. This allows you to come in slowly and be able to adjust to your clients' needs in an efficient and timely fashion. Do you want to: - Grow your client base? - Gain more exposure and build brand awareness? - Build a positive reputation of your growing brand? - Increase the revenue of your organization? - Communicate more frequently with your clients and increase the retention rate of your customers? - Have a more direct method of interacting with your clients and improve your overall customer service? ![Social Media Choices](/Images/Content/Blog/social-media-donuts.jpg) ## Choosing Your Social Media Networks There are literally dozens of social media networks and even more when it comes to choosing the audience your company is going to target on it. The key is being on the social media networks that your current and prospective clients are on. You do this with each new or perspective client you gain. As you talk and listen (keyword: listen) to them you learn where they are spending their time and efforts. This allows you to know where your clients are. These are the networks that they are on. ## Your Website The next part may not seem important as it isn't related to social media. This is your website and your blog. In actuality it is critical to the success of your online digital marketing strategy. Major national brands have corporate headquarters which investors care to know about but most national brands can be purchased at any store, even yours. As a startup, small business or a local business your website is your brand identity. With your website you can establish who you are more so than a post or two on social media. You can go into great detail, use your color scheme and truly sell who you are. With your website you can have specific call to action (CTA) on each and every page you want one on, integrate live social media feeds (Facebook and/or Twitter) so that people can see your activity, and incorporate social media sharing options. ## Demographics While you do your listening you are also learning about them. You learn what their genders are, age bracket, industry, interests, geographic location to you and much more. With each new client you gain one more piece of analytical data to target your clients with. Using this information, you can compare against your goals to see if you are hitting your target market or if you should change your target market. ## Agility As software developers we program in an agile manner. This means we are able to adapt to change quickly. By being agile we can adjust everything about our social media strategy on a weekly and monthly basis. You will notice we didn't say daily here. We have found that doing daily changes will typically result in a negative change. We try to do most of our larger changes on a monthly basis and the smaller tweaks and adjustments on a weekly basis. As each quarter comes around we do a further level of refinement and evaluation of what we are doing. ![Social Media Infographic](/Images/Content/Blog/Social-Infographic.png) ## Analytics Most people know of analytics for your website to determine browser sizes, search terms used from your social engine optimization (SEO) strategy, browsers, type of devices (desktop, tablet, and mobile), and how they are interacting with your website. Social media offers a large breadth of information available to you as well. This can be from the number of followers you have, gender, age range, and the engagement you are getting from paid versus organic reach. ## Social Media Calendar, Posting and Consistency One of the first things we do after gaining a customer to help with their social media we sit down and discuss creating a calendar. This social media calendar covers everything from daily posts, blog articles, events, and press releases of new products and services the company will be offering. On this we cover the times we want to target for posting days and times. This allows us to know what posts we need to do and also provides a level of consistency for everything we give to the clients. ## Advertising If you want to accelerate your products and services on social media, you will need to think about advertising. Social media has become harder to reach your clients through organic (free) methods. We have over a dozen clients that we help out with a spending budget as low as $5 a day. For some this amount may seem high and others low for their digital marketing budget. We always suggest this for starting to get your good word out as it's the price many business owners already spend on a coffee or drink in the morning. Rather than spend that money on a drink why not spend it as part of your social media advertising to get people aware of your brand. ![Social Media Policy](/Images/Content/Blog/SocialMediaPolicy.jpg) ## Social Media Policy As you move into the realm of social media your employees may also be on social media. You want them to join and follow your social media strategy but not spend their day on social media doing non-business related activities. If you are the sole person for your small business this may not seem necessary but is as important for a single person shop as it is for a few hundred-person medium sized business. With a policy that you adhere to you make certain that your working business time is focused on business activities that will help grow your company. ## Conclusion Your website is your companies brand and your full time marketing "employee" to sell your services. Social media is a way of staying in constant contact with your current and future clients and driving them to your website. By establishing your goals and objectives you will be able to fully target and take advantage of what social media can be for your individual brand of products and services. Social media, like your website, is a marathon race and one that you can't just sprint to the finish line. It takes time, lots of effort (and training) to meet the objectives you want. If you want to focus on growing your company and have your social media plan grow at the exact same pace JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman Alabama would love to work with you in a collaborative manner to help you achieve your goals. [We can be reached on here through our online form](/Contact/), through our toll free number at 256-258-8593 or through email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). We look forward to hearing from you and wish you the best in your move into social media. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaHashtagsin2026/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaHashtagsin2026/ ## The Definitive Guide for Business Owners (What Works, What Hurts, and Why) If you're a business owner, you've probably heard all of these: - "Hashtags are dead." - "You need 30 hashtags." - "Use none." - "Use trending ones only." - "Hashtags don't matter anymore." The truth is simpler - and far more important: **Hashtags still matter, but only when used correctly.** Used incorrectly, they **hurt performance** more often than they help. This article explains **exactly how hashtags affect the algorithm in 2026**, what happens when you use too many (or none), and how businesses should use them strategically - without wasting time or hurting reach. ## The Big Shift: How Algorithms Actually Work Now Social platforms in 2026 behave more like **search engines and recommendation engines** than social feeds. They analyze: - Spoken words in video (auto-transcription) - On-screen text - Caption meaning (semantics, not keywords) - User behavior (watch time, saves, shares) - Creator consistency (topic authority) - Profile SEO and category settings Hashtags are **one signal among many**, not the deciding factor. Think of hashtags like **labels on a filing cabinet** - useful for organization, but meaningless if the content inside isn't relevant. ## What Happens When You Use TOO MANY Hashtags This is the most common mistake businesses make. ### Using 6+ Hashtags in 2026 What actually happens behind the scenes: 1. **Diluted Topic Signals** The algorithm tries to understand what your content is about. Too many hashtags = too many possible topics = confusion. 2. **Lower Relevance Matching** Your content may be shown to **broader, less relevant audiences**, reducing engagement. 3. **Engagement Drops → Distribution Drops** Lower engagement early = the algorithm stops expanding reach. 4. **Spam-Adjacent Signals** While not a penalty, excessive hashtag stuffing can reduce trust signals - especially for business accounts. **Result:** Your post doesn't fail dramatically - it just quietly underperforms. ## What Happens When You Use ZERO Hashtags Using no hashtags is not a mistake - **if the rest of your content is strong**. ### When Zero Hashtags Works Fine - Your caption is clear and descriptive - Your video has on-screen text - You speak the keywords out loud - Your profile SEO is enabled - Your audience already engages consistently In these cases, hashtags add minimal incremental value. ### When Zero Hashtags Can Hurt - New or low-authority accounts - Niche or technical industries - Ambiguous topics (multiple interpretations) - New services or offerings **Result:** The algorithm may still understand your content - but slower and less precisely. ## What Happens When You Use TOO FEW (or the Wrong Ones) ### Using 1–2 Hashtags This isn't bad - but it limits context reinforcement. If the hashtags are: - Generic (#business, #marketing) - Vague - Overused They contribute almost nothing. ### Using Trending Hashtags (Unrelated) This is one of the **worst practices** in 2026. What happens: - Content is tested against the wrong audience - Engagement drops - The algorithm deprioritizes future posts **Trending ≠ Relevant** ## The Sweet Spot: How Many Hashtags Actually Work Best ### The 2026 Best Practice for Businesses **3–5 hashtags max** They should be: - Highly specific - Descriptive - Directly related to the content **Examples for businesses:** ``` #saasplatform#localbusinessmarketing#apidevelopment#healthcarecompliance#crmsoftware ``` This gives the algorithm **clear confirmation**, not confusion. ## How Hashtags Actually Affect the Algorithm (Plain English) Hashtags do NOT: - Trigger mass discovery - Guarantee reach - Override poor content Hashtags DO: - Reinforce topic understanding - Assist categorization - Improve initial audience matching - Slightly help discovery in niche searches The algorithm ultimately asks: > "Did the right people care about this?" Hashtags help answer **who it's for**, not **whether it deserves reach**. ## What Matters More Than Hashtags (For Business Accounts) ### Content Clarity (Most Important) If your post can't be summarized in one sentence, the algorithm struggles. Best practice: - Write captions like mini blog headlines - Clearly state what the post is about - Avoid clever but vague wording ### Video Quality (Compression Reality) Platforms compress everything. Why quality matters: - High-quality uploads survive compression - Low quality looks worse after processing - Poor visuals reduce watch time → less reach Best practice: - Upload highest possible quality - Avoid re-uploads of already compressed files ### Topic Consistency (Authority Signals) Businesses that jump between unrelated topics confuse both humans and algorithms. Best practice: - Stay within 1–3 core topics - Build authority through repetition - Let the algorithm "learn" who you serve ### Profile SEO & Search Visibility This matters more than hashtags now. Ensure: - SEO/search visibility is enabled - Business category is accurate - Bio clearly states what you do and who you help This allows content to surface in **Google and platform search**. ## The Biggest Mistakes Businesses Still Make - Hashtag stuffing - Chasing trends instead of relevance - Using hashtags unrelated to services - Thinking hashtags replace strategy - Copy-pasting hashtag blocks on every post ## The Correct Way to Think About Hashtags in 2026 Hashtags are not a growth strategy. They are: - Metadata - Context reinforcement - A small optimization layer **Clarity beats cleverness. Relevance beats reach hacks.** ## Final Recommendation for Business Owners If you want one rule to follow: > Use **3–5 highly relevant hashtags**, or none at all - and focus 10x more on content clarity and quality. Hashtags won't save bad content. But used correctly, they quietly help good content perform better. ### TL;DR (For Busy Owners) - Too many hashtags → diluted reach - Zero hashtags → fine if content is clear - 3–5 relevant hashtags → optimal - Trending hashtags → avoid - Content clarity > hashtags - SEO + video quality > everything else --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaImageSizeCheatSheet/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaImageSizeCheatSheet/ Most blog posts are frozen in time after being written. This one we will be updating on an as-needed basis so that you know you will always have the latest information available to you. A major part of social media is communicating with images. When it comes to the cover photos, profile photos and images within social media everyone seems to have their own sizes and recommended specifications. We have always kept a list of the current sizes but what good is that if we don't share it? As such, below you will find the most recent sizes. As items change we will be updating the "Last Modified Date" so that you know if the size you have is the most recent size. **Last Modified Date**: March 18, 2015 ## Facebook - **Cover Photo**: 851 x 315 (Minimum Size: 399 x 150) - **Profile Photo**: 180 x 180 (Minimum Size: 160 x 160) - **Image (in post)**: 1200 x 1200 ### Facebook Fanpage Timeline Description Recommended Minimum Maximum Scale Max Size Profile Photo 180x180 160x160 1:1 Cover Photo 851x315 399x150 2.7:1 100KB Uploaded Image (Timeline) 1200x1200 504px Width Shared Link Large Thumbnail 484x252 484x252 1.92:1 Shared Link Small Thumbnail 114x114 Apps Thumbnails 111x74 1.5:1 Uploaded Video 504x283 504x283 504x283 1.78:1 Sidebar Photos Thumbnails 105x105 1:1 Large Videos Thumbnails 319x176 1.81:1 Small Videos Thumbnails 157x87 1.80:1 ### News Feed or Main Page Description Recommended Minimum Maximum Scale Max Size Shared Image 470x352 394 Min Height & Width Varies 470x394 Shared Link Thumbnail 470x246 470x246 470x246 1.91:1 Sponsored Post/Stories 470x246 1.91:1 Sidebar Ad 254x133 1.89:1 ### Facebook User Profile Timeline Description Recommended Minimum Maximum Scale Max Size Profile Photo 180x180 160x160 1:1 Cover Photo 851x315 399x150 2.7:1 100KB Uploaded Image (Timeline) 1200x1200 504px Width Shared Link Small Thumbnail 116x116 Left Sidebar Photos Thumbnails 103x130 1:1 Shared Video 504 Width 504 Width 504 Width Sidebar App & Game Thumbnail 103x103 1:1 ### Colors - Dark Blue: #2e4588 - Blue: #5b72ad - Gray: #e9eaed - White: #ffffff ## Google+ - **Cover Photo**: 2120 x 1192 (Minimum Size: 480 x 270) - **Profile Photo**: 250 x 250 - **Image (in post)**: 800 x 600 ### Colors - Red: #ce352c - Bright Red: #dd4b39 - Gray: #e5e5e5 - White: #ffffff ## Instagram - **Profile Photo**: 161 x 161 - **Desktop Lightbox**: 612 x 612 - **Image Feed**: 510 x 510 ## LinkedIn - **Cover Photo (only for Premium users)**: 646 x 220 (Maximum size is 2MB) - **Standard Logo**: 100 x 60 - **Square Logo**: 50 x 50 - **Profile Photo**: 200 x 200 ### Colors - Purple: #7b539d - Blue: #0976b4 - Gray: #e9e9e9 - White: #ffffff ## Pinterest - **Profile Photo**: 600 x 600 - **Pins**: 600 x any size ## Twitter - **Cover Photo**: 1500 x 500 (Ratio should be 3:1) - **Profile Photo**: 400 x 400 (Minimum Size: 200 x 200; Ratio should be 1:1) - **Image (in Tweet)**: 880 x 440 (recommended) ### Twitter Image Sizes Description Recommended Minimum Maximum Scale Max Size Formats Profile Photo 400x400 200x200 1:1 100KB JPG, GIF, PNG Header Photo 1500x500 3:1 10MB JPG, GIF, PNG In-Stream Photo 506x253 440x200 1024x512 2:1 5MB for Photos & 3MB for GIFs JPG, GIF, PNG Shared Video (Youtube) 480x360 480x360 1.33:1 Shared Photo Link 499px Max Width & Height varies 499px Max Width & Height varies JPG, GIF, PNG ### Colors - Dark Blue: #3b88c3 - Blue: #5b72ad - Gray: #f5f8fa - White: #ffffff ## YouTube - **Channel Art Photo**: 2560 x 1224 - **Channel Art Photo (Slates)**: 1855 x 423 - **Channel Art Photo (Tablets and Smartphones)**: 1546 x 423 - **Profile Photo**: 800 x 800 - **Video Thumbnail**: 1280 x 720 ### Colors - Red: #c7231a - Bright Red: #fa362a - Gray: #f1f1f1 - White: #ffffff If you need help with your social media JM2 Webdesigners is here to help you. All of our solutions are customized to your businesses social media needs. You can reach us at 855-456-1669, [through email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or through our [online contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Social-Media-Management-And-Why-You-Need-It/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Social-Media-Management-And-Why-You-Need-It/ A top question about managing a social media account with current and potential clients social media companies here is what is a social media management, what do you do, why do I need one, and what doesn't it do. The conversations then always turn to how can having another company help my business grow and how much control do I still have in my own company's destiny if someone else is running my online social media campaigns? Today we are going to delve into these common social media questions and answer them for you. Whether you are in Northwest Alabama, Tucson Arizona, or in Dallas Texas the management of a social media accounts at the high-level is the same. A social media plan is where you outsource part or all your social media to a company to promote your business in a manner that you would if you hired a full-time person and doing this in-house. The benefits are that you will most often be gaining more than one person by outsourcing to help promote your company brand. By having multiple people posting and monitoring your brand reputation you can work on the key aspects of your business. Social media management will allow you to focus on your customers. Customer service is crucial for any business to grow and succeed. Without it you will fail. Your social media will be maintained and monitored by individuals that specialize in social media. The largest and biggest misconception about any social media manager is that the only thing that they do is post content on your social media walls and then just "play" on social media the rest of the time waiting for some emergency to happen. Posting content is a crucial part to any social media management job. That isn't all there is when it comes to managing your businesses online reputation. Other core items a social media manager does (but not limited to) are: - **Analytics** – See who is coming to your social media pages, what times they are coming, locations, and devices they are using to connect. Tying this information with other business metrics as well as with your company website. - **Reputation Management** – When someone posts something negative this information needs to stopped as quickly as possible, possibly removed if it is possible, and to make certain it does not go viral. - **Engagement** – Responding to your fans and engaging with them. - **Advertising** – If you have any paid ads they are looked at, monitored, and adjusted as needed. - **Events** – Scheduling of events, promoting events, and making certain the proper level of engagement is happening. - **Content Calendars** – Calendars for content, posting schedules, holidays, etc. are done weeks, even months, in advance. - **Website Updates** – Your website may not be social but that doesn't mean it should be forgotten. The two should be tied and working collaboratively together (this could be two separate companies as well). - **Education** - They are constantly looking for ways to entertain, educate, and excite your audience. - **Training** – Social media managers are reading and adjusting their skillset daily. The first and often most critical aspect is developing a strategy for your social media and marketing. During this "interview" process your social media company will get to know who you are as a business. A social media manager will learn about your brand and how it operates, learn about current marketing initiatives, and about all your products and services. The history of your business will be more deeply learned along with hours of operation for regular and holiday hours. Beyond that they will talk about your visions both near and long term. This interview process can be scripted but is often not asked in a scripted way. Expect that you will do the majority of the talking. The reason for this is that the company is trying to learn about you and not you learn about them. They will keep track of the core information they want but a script is often not, or should not, be followed as when you go through a script the interview process becomes an interrogation. Most people or companies do not like to be interrogated. With the information about your business and who your ideal customer is together a complete digital marketing plan that covers the content to post, types of articles to post, content and videos to create, competitors to watch, and make certain that everything done comes across in a voice that represents your company brand. Each month a monthly reevaluation should be happening. Look at what is currently working, what appears to be working on sites related to your industry, as well as what is not working. Many times, what is *not working* can provide more insight than what is working. Demographic is starting to shift. By being agile you can make appropriate changes in your digital marketing strategy to meet the goals of the business. Your digital marketing strategy should also tie into your other marketing strategies as well. During each reevaluation, we also check and verify that the businesses expectations are being met and align with any internal business metrics being used. In the entire social media management process upper management and specific individuals should have access to all aspects of each and every social media site. There should be a list maintained and consistently monitored and checked that only authorized individuals are allowed to post on your account. When you are ready to look for a company to help you grow (that is the point of having a manager) the team at JM2 from Cullman Alabama is ready to assist you with our plans that will help you maintain your social media and your website in a cost-effective manner. JM2 can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaMyths/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaMyths/ We talk with several businesses every week about increasing their business either through search engines or through social media channels. Many of these businesses do not need social media as it is not a good fit for them. Social media used correctly, and for the right type of business, can increase your brand awareness, increase customer loyalty, and build a trust through an active community of loyal followers. When used correctly social media is a powerful tool for those businesses that can benefit from it and a complete waste of time, resources, and money for those that use it incorrectly. We are going to delve into the most common social media myths that we have brought up to us. ## Social Media is completely FREE Whether you choose Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, or Instagram the creation process is completely free. From this standpoint, social media is completely free. What many don't realize is there is more to this *free* equation than meets the eye: - Maintaining a social media account takes time. This may be your time or the time of your employees. This time takes away from your customer service. This time is valuable and has worth a dollar value that needs to be accounted for. - Creating the graphics and video to truly build interest and engage your audience takes time and some skill in graphic and video design. Video has been and will continue to grow. - You need to communicate with your newly engaged audience by answering their important questions and being there to support them. - You need to research, find curated content, and create content to show you are the expert people want to follow. ## Joining every platform will generate more business We run into many existing businesses that were taught to sign up for three or more social media outlets and now none of them are being updated as it is too overwhelming and a low priority for their staff. For many social media, and their website, is not their primary business or job. Social media is seen as important but not a priority to the overall success of the business. We are not against having two or more social media accounts and several of our clients do. We believe in first researching and learning who your customers are, what platforms they are on, and what they are looking for when it comes to content and engagement with your unique brand. ## You build it and they will come When you build a great website or a new social media page no one will know it exists until you start marketing your new website and social media page. For your website to be found you need some great local SEO or search engine optimization to be found. You need a TLS or SSL certificate and be mobile friendly to be properly found. You need your marketing materials to make people aware of your new branded channels. For social media you need to invite your friends, asks your friends to invite their friends who would benefit from your products and services, and provide great content (content is king after all). ## All I need is Facebook A solid marketing strategy for any business will mean you need a website. Having a Facebook page though is not a requirement for a business. In fact, many clients will only have a website as social media doesn't fit their business model. Facebook is owned by Mark Zuckerberg and the branding of "your" business on Facebook is *his*, **not** yours. Your website is 100% in your control and provides a place to explain all of your products and services, generate leads, and sales for your business. ## More followers will equal more success All too often we see companies stating we just reached 500, then 1,000, then 5,000 followers. As we look at the analytics of the users we find that rarely none of those followers are engaged with your brand, are the wrong demographic for your business to be successful, or never would engage with your brand. Engagement is what is required to truly make social media successful for your business. Having a lot of followers is great for those that want to pat themselves on the back on how many people follow them. We look at the overall engagement to truly see how well a platform is performing for any of our clients. ## You can just "Wing It" Many of us have a Facebook account and we are adept at navigating, like other pages, pictures, and videos. We see what our competitors are doing and we copy what they are doing as it looks like it is working for them. This makes logical sense and is not a bad place to start when developing a social media strategy. When you copy someone, you are always going to be one-step behind and you will never be the leader or industry expert for your field your business is in. What you need to do is create a strategy, implement it, stick to it, and be agile enough to change it monthly (sometimes more often) to meet changing needs in how the social media platform works and what your customer is wanting. ## Conclusion Social media for most will fit into the strategy of marketing your business. When using social media, it should work harmoniously with your website and other marketing methods. Your website should work equally well with your social media accounts. There should be a consistent and clear message that is conveyed to your fans on social media. When working on social media you need a strategy with clear definitions of what success, and failure, is to your efforts. Working and aligning with a company, like JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing, will allow you to grow your business while you focus on your strengths. To schedule a free, no obligation consultation contact JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaPlan/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaPlan/ We just went through a social media workshop with the Cullman Chamber of Commerce. We discussed the basics and a deeper dive into what Facebook can do for your business. During this session there were many questions and we covered a lot of content in the six hours of the workshop. Below we are going to cover many of the items we talked about along with going a bit deeper in the overall process. Whether your site is already setup on Facebook or not this information will help you verify your settings or improve upon them. ## Define your target audience When you define your target audience you are defining who you want to share your message with. This will also help you define what success will be for your business when it comes to social media. Within social media success can be different for each business. One business may look at likes, comments, shares, or an increase in overall sales. ## Demographics When you are defining demographics it is not as simple as creating a business page. Of course, you can do that but the results you get will vary from great to not-so-great with the majority being the not-so-great. By choosing properly and defining your strategy you will be creating the foundation to build yourself up for success. - Target Age Range - Gender - Occupation - Income Level - Education Level - Industry - # of Employees - Type of Business - Revenue Of course, when you are creating your page not all of the above will apply for your business page. If you are seeking consumers the number of employees, type of business and revenue do not apply to you. ## Having a Plan We hope you started your business with a plan for success and are not winging it on a daily basis. If you are that is another topic for discussion. When you build your Facebook page you also need a plan. You need to factor in and account for: - All departments should have a voice - Who will be in charge of everything? - Who else will be involved? - Everyone involved should have a voice - How many times you will be posting each week? - What is your budget (this is not just advertising budget)? - This is your employee costs for payroll as well as any hardware/software you need to provide for them to cover your overall plans. - This also includes any paid advertising you want to do. - Who will be responding to your fans? - How will you handle the hours when no one is working? - What hash tags will you be using? - Who will be in charge of the graphics? - How will you define success? ## Consistent Voice Having a standard in place so that everyone involved talks in a correct and professional manner for every single response. This includes any administrators outside of your company, like JM2 Webdesigners handling your social media account. ## Interesting Content As you get started on social media you are going up against millions of other businesses that are trying to achieve the same thing as you are. They want to talk to customers, build a following, and increase their sales. ## Checking Your Settings When you build your site there are only a few questions you have to answer to get up and running. This is both good and bad. It’s great to get up and running. It’s bad in that the defaults given may not be the most appropriate for your business. ## Insights Dig into your insights and learn who your customers are. Who is using your social media page, what times of the day they are coming, what are their demographics. Insights can show a great deal of information to make your experience a success. ## Test Throughout your social media experience you will need to spend time and energy in creating an experience your fans want. You need to constantly be agile to accept that change is coming and will come at times you may not expect. Go with these changes and use this change to increase your social interactions with your fan base. ## Conclusion There is a lot to social media for each social network. Each network also has a lot of different rules as the culture of each network is different. To do social media at a minimum scale expect to spend a few hours each week to make your experience as good as possible. You should have team meetings, gather feedback, and be constantly striving to improve your processes. When you are ready to grow your social experience and want to utilize experts in the field you can count on JM2 Webdesigners from Northwest Alabama as someone you can trust. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaStepThePlanningStage/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaStepThePlanningStage/ Planning and preparation may seem like a boring task to do at first. After all you can create a social media page and the typical “Hello World” post letting the world know that you are now a social media juggernaut to be reckoned with. We see this happen every week where a social media site is created and they wonder why they are not being successful. You want to be on social media so the fastest way is to create it and wait for the flood gates to open as everyone wants to know about your business. The fact is most people will not know about your business being on social media at first, are not presently interested in what you are offering, and most likely have their “go to” place for the information you are offering. Social media is a true marathon and something that takes months, even years, to grow to a place where you feel it is a success. Often than not this does not lead to a successful marketing strategy for you or your company. We know that by planning you will not only be able to have a social media marketing plan that works but is one that you can gauge your success (or failure). ## No Plan; just build it and wait for them to come Not planning and just creating social media accounts as you’ve heard “everyone is doing it” is not the reason to get on social media. If you want to just sell products rather than to build relationships, you need to step away from social media immediately. Selling products and services is part of the overall outcome but should not be the core reason you are getting onto social media. Social media is about engagement and building this engagement into lasting relationships. ## Company Leadership When you work with social media one sign of success is that the company leadership understand what social media is from a business, not personal perspective. The management team needs to know the items below, be 100% behind social media, and they are engaged in the process. We will cover what success is and one key item is if you do not have leadership behind you the odds of success are greatly diminished. ## Team Assignment There should almost never be one person who “owns” an entire companies’ social media strategy. Even if you outsource your social media to experts there needs to be more than one person at the company that knows what is going on with the social media strategy. Social media is a part of our businesses today. Social media interacts and touches every corner and every member in your business. Social media for business is entirely different than social media for our personal lives. In our personal lives there are no filters to what we post. You can jump from your children to the latest political matchup going on. With business you need to be more strategic in what you do. You need to decide what is important, how to interact with your audience, and be a spokesperson for the entire organization. ## Know Your Market (e.g. Research) Now that you have decided that you are going to have a plan, your company leadership is behind you, and you’ve established a team to handle your social media. You need to start researching others in your industry to see what they are doing, what is working, and equally what is not working. To do this we always look at the following: - Who your competitors. This should be the same competitors that you are comparing against for your company website (you do that right?). - Where are your competitors in regard to social media? Are they solely on Facebook or are they on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc.? - Wherever your competitors and industry experts are in your field of expertise how active are they on each of these social media outlets? If they just built pages in hopes that people would come and haven’t updated their pages in months or years, then you know they probably started with no strategy and are not serious about engaging with their customers. ## Competitors As we’ve stated researching your competitors is critical. Not to just spy on them though. You want to learn from them. If they have been doing social media already they may have found ways to use it to their advantage. Taking this knowledge can help bring your business up to speed more quickly than doing it solely on its own. Your competitors may not even realize they have some valuable information available to them if they are just posting and not learning from their audience. This will give you a clear and decisive advantage as you build up your audience. ## Customers Speaking of your customers we need to know where they are at. Facebook is an obvious answer for everyone as with over a billion users they do have a huge market share. This may not be the appropriate place though for your business. If your primary target is women who do crafts, then maybe Pinterest is the best place for you as Pinterest has a majority of women who enjoy doing crafts and being thrifty. ## Content Content is king when it comes to working on your website. The same is true with content on social media. You need to create something that is informative, hopefully shareable, actionable, and most importantly relevant to your target audience. ## The Voice When we are writing our content and have a team working on your social media there needs to be a resounding single voice. The reason for a single voice isn’t to limit all of your posts and interactions to a single person. You will have many people working on your social media. Each of these people need to come across as if they are the same, yet still unique. Consistency is the key to any marketing or branding strategy. Your voice on social media should be equally consistent. ## Graphics When it comes to social media it is important to think about how you present your information. Information that is solely text does not receive as much engagement as a post that has a picture associated. A stock photo will get more engagement than a post without a photo. A post with a custom and unique graphic that ties in with the post will receive even more engagement from your audience. ## Content Calendar A content calendar is a unique piece in your arsenal to take on social media. The content calendar will not only help you think ahead of time what you will be writing about but make certain you provide consistency in what you post. If your goal is to post daily, then you should have something scheduled for every day. If the goal is twice a week what days are you planning on posting and you will have them scheduled out here. When we work with our content calendars for our clients we not only work on the current month but a minimum of the next month. This is so that we are never scrambling to get ideas for posts. This doesn’t mean it’s written in stone (or ink). The information can be adjusted just as your business adjusts to its audience. The key of a content calendar is to help you be consistent. One aspect of content calendars that we love is after we get past a month we actually go back and evaluate how that month did. We look at what worked against reports from the social media outlet as well as what didn’t work. Part of your social media calendar is also what time you will be posting to your social media sites. There are general rules of thumb to get you started on the best posting times. For some these times are not the best times. This is where digging into the supplied reports for your social network, listening to your audience, and seeing when you have the most engagement will determine when you should post. ## Engagement Being active and responsive to your fans on social media is a key to the overall success. ### Listening To us this is the most important aspect of social media. We are always listening for what our clients say. Many will see a post we do and pick up the phone and call us. Although we want likes and shares of our posts we love when a customer sees a post and calls (or emails) us to help them through a current business problem they are trying to solve. We post daily on Facebook not because that is what the standard is for Facebook but because that is what our audience has told us that is what they want to see. We let our fans drive what we do, as well as what we don’t do, on social media. ### Positive Engagement When we receive comments that are positive we are truly in bliss with our customers. We always thank them, acknowledge them, and let them know it’s appreciated to hear all of these positive statements and words from them. ### Negative Engagement Not everything is positive. We wish it were but it isn’t that way in the real world. We need to know how to properly handle negative people. We will never be able to make everyone happy. The key is we listen to them, let them know we appreciate them as much as the fans that leave positive statements, and grow ourselves positively from them. Additionally, when it comes to anything negative on social media the key here is to try and stop the negative in a calm and disciplined manner. This is where having a social media expert is crucial. They are not directly involved with the company. They are more controlled in how they will interactive with the person and will typically be a lot more calm in cooling off the negative comment. One effective technique is to acknowledge the person, thank them, and encourage them to take their complaint and stop in and talk about it. This works well for us as it allows us to feel the pain of the person, address their concerns, and most importantly it shows others that we are taking the matter seriously. ## Advertising Part of any marketing strategy involves advertising. It is not uncommon to hear that a business is already spending employee labor and that should be enough. Marketing for as low as 5-20 per week is actually a lot of money when it comes to social media marketing. A quick boost on a new product or promotion can wield a lot of positive results. Each social media platform will prioritize many paid advertisements so that they reach the largest audience possible. ## Tools Unless you’ve hired a third-party to handle all of your social media this is most likely not your full time job. Even if you do outsource all, or part, of your social media using the right tools can help improve everything in your entire social media strategy. With the right tools you can schedule items, be notified of events happening on your social media feeds, and be able to interact more appropriate with your target audience. ## Analytics Analytics allow you to know who is visiting your social media site. You can see which posts and interactions with your audience is working the best as well as which posts do not work well. You can see your most engaged times as well as the times that are not the best. ## Website As a web design company we would be missing a huge part of social media. Social media is designed to engage and inform people of your business. You need to tie the two items together. They, like your social media team, are a team themselves. Your website needs to lead people to your social media and your social media needs to bring people to your website. Together you will achieve success as they are stronger together. ## Success One would think that the first item we should have covered and shouldn’t be the last item on our list is success. We have done this intentionally. For those that have read all the above you can consider this the secret sauce you need to achieve success on social media. The key to any social media marketing plan is knowing how they tie into your overall company goals and objectives. When you know this you will have truly reached a harmony between just doing social media and doing social media. Every social media strategy that we help others develop revolves around the SMART system. - Specific - Measurable - Attainable - Realistic/Relevant - Timely By making certain everything is done using this method you will be able to start the process of being successful. So I could have read this and been done? Absolutely not! Everything we’ve outlined above is only the start for social media success and each one needs to be part of your social media strategy. By defining your success before you begin you will know if your efforts are working. If your metric is a 10% increase in sales because of social media how are you going to track that information? If your metric is to increase your customer awareness what is it that will be considered a success versus a failure? Defining and knowing will not only allow you to know what is working but will also allow you to show to the management team how your marketing efforts are going. ## Conclusion As you can see from the above there are many steps that need to be thought of. A core item to cover is there is more than what we have covered in this short article. If this does seem overwhelming and at face value, it can be. When you take a measured and tested approach to social media success you can achieve success every time. When you are ready to begin your social media strategy and would like assistance in building it the JM2 Webdesigners team from Northwest Alabama is ready to assist you. We can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaStrategy/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SocialMediaStrategy/ ## How do I and how should I market on social media? Social media is unlike other advertising that is designed to provide information about a product or service. Social media is designed to establish a conversational dialog with your customers. We find that companies that have been in business a few years or longer already have marketing plans for their print, radio or television already and are clearly defined. Your social media plan should be similar for consistency but take into account the bidirectional communication you will have with your customers. Your social media plan should take many aspects of your current marketing plan. Your current marketing plan will have logos, images and how content is to be presented clearly defined and standardized. Consistency in your branding and message is key to any successful campaign. Please do remember though that social media has the word social in it and communicating with your customers should be a key part of your strategy. Business leadership acknowledging, accepting and setting a budget based on how you wish to market your company socially needs to be thought of, discussed, and be expected to be revised as you continue to grow and learn more about social media. ## Which social media networks should I be on? This is the one question we receive the most, as no one wishes to lose a potential customer. The key is evaluating where your customers are currently at, where you expect them to be and how you plan on marketing to them. Will you be doing it part time, having a full-time employee doing your social media or hiring a company to perform your social media strategy? If you do hire a company remember they cannot be expected to do everything. They will need information from you, especially in handling customer complaints. We have found that many companies on their own, or instructed by others, tend to jump on every social media network. We have found this to be bad as most companies do not have the bandwidth availability or budget to handle every social media network. Establishing and securing your business name so that others with a name similar to yours, or your competition, don’t get your business name is a very wise decision. What we do is encourage companies that have done this is to put a post on all of the networks that point to their preferred social media site they will be posting to if they are not able to make the site hidden. By doing so you are directing traffic to the location(s) where you can devote your efforts to. ## What are the primary purposes of each social media platform? We have a love/hate relationship with this question as there is no single answer for every category. We have outlined what the key purposes are and it will be up to you to decide which one(s) truly fit your core business strategy both today as well as down the road. ### Facebook - By far the largest social media network with over 1 billion active users - Largest opportunity is connecting and communicating with consumers - Users within the site share over 2.5 billion pieces of content every day - Typical times - Best times to post is 1pm to 4pm - Peak time is Wednesday at 3pm - Worst times to post is between 8pm and 8am ### Twitter - Posts are short and sweet at 140 characters (aka micro blogging) - Largest market is the United States; but not limited to the USA - Over 5,700 tweets happen every second - 560 million active users - Typical times - Best times to post is 1pm to 3pm - Peak time is Monday through Thursday - Worst times to post is between 8pm and 9am ### Google+ - Built by Google to compete against Facebook using a methodology of circles (e.g. circle of friends, circle of family, circle of businesses, etc.) - Not as large of a business presence as Facebook but those that do take hold and run with Google+ typically do well - Over 400 million active users ### YouTube - Focused solely on providing video content - Indexes well for SEO as it is owned by Google - Over 1 billion active users - 80% of YouTube traffic comes from outside of the United States - Over 100 hours are uploaded every minute ### LinkedIn - Primarily for business-to-business (B2B). LinkedIn is a business side of the social media - A great place of connecting with current and former business associates - 79% of users are 35 and older - 240 million active users - Typical times - Best times to post is 7am to 9am and 5pm to 6pm - Peak time is Tuesday through Thursday - Worst times to post is between 10pm and 6am ### Pinterest - Social site that is designed around "discovery" - Largest opportunities are for decorations, babies, wedding, fashion and recipes - Audience of users are 32% male and 68% female - 70 million active users - Typical times - Best times to post is 2pm to 4pm and 8pm to 1am - Peak time is Saturday morning - Worst times to post is between 5pm and 7pm ### Instagram - Social sharing of pictures and 15-second videos is the primary purpose - Many brands use Instagram using their version of #Hashtags and posting pictures consumers can relate to - Over 150 million active users ## What about security of my customer’s data? There is a lot of talk about security and for good reason. There are many big businesses that just assumed that security was there and no one would touch or have an interest in their information. We know this is not true. Whether you are storing confidential information like credit cards, social security numbers, birthdays, email addresses or other information that can identify your customers you must be cognizant that you are being trusted with a valuable asset of your customers; their information. Every aspect you do should be diligent in protecting and securing the information. Don’t assume it is secure. Ask questions so that you know it is. While on the conversation of security don’t forget to secure your social media sites. You may have multiple administrators and editors on your sites. Are they current employees? Are they still authorized to be posting and speaking for your company? If not, remove them so that they cannot hijack or speak for your company if they are not supposed to be. This will not only help your company but protect the person as well. Your administrators should be kept to an absolute minimum. ## Do I need a schedule for posting? A dedicated schedule is always great as it provides consistency and a larger sense of urgency to people. If your organization is larger having a scheduled posting schedule that provides consistency across all locations and departments is key to providing a solid and consistent plan. ## What time(s) should I be posting to my social network(s)? There is no predefined time for everyone. Your fans and followers of your social media sites will determine what the best times are. A posting for a new press release may be different than when you post of a new product, service or new hire. Posts by department may also play a factor if you have multiple departments posting on the same site. Make certain to spread your posts out so that you don’t flood and over communicate with your customers. If you are a production or services company and have an urgent update don’t wait for "the best time to post". Post the information right away to benefit your customer and be responsive to their needs. Keep track of when you post, what the response is (positive and negative) for each posting. This will help you determine the best times for each type of post. ## How do I know I am being successful on social media? Success is always a tough one to gauge. Many of the social media sites have analytics to show you how many people are visiting your site, liking your site and reading your posts. Using these tools you can see which articles mean the most to your current fan base. You need to measure how much time (effort) you are spending on your social media and figure out what your return on investment (ROI) is. ## What do I do if I lost or can’t access a previously created social media site? We run into this all the time. The first is to try and recover using the email account the site was created with. This requires that you know which account the site was recovered with. If you have an idea that it was done with a previous employee you can start asking around and gain access this way. If you are unsuccessful to recover your social media account using these methods you can also go through the process of recovering your account through the sites recovery mechanism. For many it will be sending a post card with an authentication code to your location. This is the same process that you would have gone through when you started setting up your local search engine accounts. If you haven’t set up your search engine accounts yet this is another matter we will be covering for you and have some articles already posted in our blog. ## What happens if I get a negative comment on my social media page? As we said earlier social media allows for this two way communication and is key to the success of social media. The key we use is to address the information that someone presented in a serious and professional manner. The person may have posted negatively to you about a problem or concern of theirs but they did post it. One could argue they could have picked up a phone or emailed you directly but, to them, they felt this was the best course of action. We have worked with many companies turning these negative comments into positive experiences. If you do have a very disgruntled customer and they have a concern we always encourage that you post that you will be contacting them to get more details and help them solve their problem. This not only allows you to hear in the person’s voice the problem but allows you to address their concerns in a professional and personalized business manner. One item we do recommend is to never admit to guilt of the problem as that can lead to others stating they had the same problem even if they didn’t have that problem to try and garner discount or other discounted products or services from you. ## What am I missing that I haven’t already asked? Social media is definitely very important for your business. The key is to not forget the other aspects of your company. This being print, radio and the other aspects of your marketing plan as they can be very effective in getting your brand in front of your customers. Your current website should be your ultimate marketing and sales tool. We always have said that your website should be treated as an employee and should tie in all of your marketing campaigns to a central location. On your website you can have a newsletter signup, blog posts which are tied from your social media sites to draw people into your website which has been defined by you to showcase your company in the best possible light. Our final note goes not only for your social media strategy but your website and other marketing methodologies. Do not let your content become stale. Fresh and relevant content will keep people informed and coming back for more. If you post in what we call the shotgun approach of not maintaining your brand for weeks, months or years you cannot expect your brand to grow. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Somber-Day-in-Coworking-for-JM2/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Somber-Day-in-Coworking-for-JM2/ In September 2014 we moved into [Zoseco Co-working](http://zoseco.com/) in the heart of downtown Cullman Alabama. We did this even though in Northwest Alabama co-working was a new business model. In fact, we had never heard of co-working or what the true benefit would be to proving out our business. We had been running with no issues (other than no real meeting space) from our house for a half of year and were growing every month. We heard about Zoseco at a [Cullman Chamber of Commerce](http://www.valpochamber.org/) meeting which is held the first Wednesday of every month at 7am (yes people get up at that crazy hour to talk business). We would love to have you join us at one of these great morning networking events. ## Do your research when deciding on co-working We did our research due diligence of going to YouTube (there is no better source of quick knowledge than this and many great opinions). We searched for "[What is Co-Working](https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=What+is+Co-Working)" where we found many videos that explained what co-working is and how it can benefit a business. We learned this was not just a tech-only "thing" or something that would be fly-by-night. We would be able to work and collaborate with businesses that we normally would probably not work directly with. This would open up even more doors and opportunities for our business. ## Why co-working is important Many times starting a business is hard, the costs high, and the necessary knowledge to do every aspect limited for people getting started. Co-working tries to take care of this by splitting the costs among every member, sharing knowledge between other co-workers, and getting new perspectives you may not have thought of previously. As many of us start out we are missing many of the core items we need to be truly successful. Co-working allows you to network with people of the same mindset that are talented in the field they are pursuing. Often you are fortunate to work with those in the exact same field. Many would consider these people competitors. Reality is we live on a very large planet called Earth. This planet has a lot of people (billions even) which means the only competition we face is the competition that we make for ourselves. There is work and growth for everyone without stepping on each other's shoes. If you have respect for others, then you will never run into any issues. ## It's not for everyone If your goal is to have a guaranteed income, are averse to risk, want to control everyone around you, or are unsure what you truly want you do risk failing from the start. If you are not able willing or able to listen to and help others co-working may not be for you. Co-working is an environment that people will come to you and you to them. You will share your ideas and they will share there's. It is a collaborative work environment. ## Co-working is not just for entrepreneurs Co-working is primarily people working to freelance or start their own business it is not necessarily locked into that scenario. There are often businesses that have chosen to stay small and want to step-out of their homes and grow some. Other's may work at a large company but realize that working out of their home they are not as productive as they should be. ## Why co-working is better than your home When we started our business we had a large (200-square foot) area that we designated for the company. This space was dedicated, outfitted with everything we could need. The problem was it was in our home. The first few months was great, we stayed focused, etc. As time went on we said "just one load of laundry or dishes". Then it became more. Soon we realized we spent a quarter of our time not working and growing the business but on other stuff (like mowing the lawn). This hurt our clients as we were not staying focused or dedicating the proper time to them. This is where co-working comes into play. No dishes, no laundry, and no lawn mowing. We could stay focused and grow our business. ## Co-working supports small businesses Small-to-midsize businesses are the lifeblood of our communities and co-working helps keep very talented people in our towns. When working with a small business other businesses benefit. The costs are typically kept low as there is less overhead and they have a desire to help other small-to-midsize businesses grow. ## What did co-working mean for JM2 Webdesigners? When we first met Eric back in 2014 we listened to the sales pitch. It wasn't much of a pitch though. He outlined everything that was offered and why it was beneficial. We were sold (great job Eric!). As we talked we stated that if our business model was going to work we only had two years to achieve our goals as co-working was the stepping stone from our home where we worked but were not as productive as we could be. If we stayed any longer we personally would feel the model didn't work and that our 5% model had failed. After six months we expanded to a dedicated office, hired an employee, and started pushing in new directions that aligned with our business model. A year later we had added more awesome people to the team, more capabilities, and we were 100% proven on our model. It was time to move from the shared co-working space to a dedicated office. Little did we know it would take over four months to close on a building we were buying because the seller's bank lost paperwork (yes people still use physical paper in banks). Today, Friday, August 26, 2016 is our last "work day" in the space. This weekend we move to our new corporate office. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Is it ours? Absolutely. Will it be perfect? In time it will be and we will always remember our roots in the Zoseco co-working space that gave us the stepping stone to achieve this. ## Our one item of advice to current and future co-workers Co-working has allowed us to prove that we can run our business our way. It's been a very tough up-hill battle and one at times we thought we couldn't continue. Find one (or more) people you can trust, that support you, and will be a great sounding board. They will tell you things to support you and also if they are truly helpful tell you things that you are doing wrong (these are things you can correct and improve upon). This is what allowed us to grow to where we are. Those connections we will continue to keep even after our move this weekend. If you do move forward remember your roots of what got you there. Moving from a home to an office and succeeding is rare. Moving from a home, to co-working, and to business still could create failure but we believe deeply that it is less likely. For any future co-worker or would-be co-worker in Cullman we would be honored to talk with you and help answer any questions you have. We will of course recommend Zoseco Co-working as they put us where we are today and where we will go tomorrow. We will be honest with all of your questions (it is a core company pillar after all). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Start-Creating-Content/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Start-Creating-Content/ If you are not working to create content for your business, you are working toward a company that does not grow. Content is King and brings people into your world by telling an important set of stories to bring them into your world. Engagement is Queen and she truly rules the roost. Both need crowns, and both are equal and without either your business will fail. It is truly that simple and let’s look at what content is and how you need to be creating it today. When I talk about content and storytelling I am not talking about doing a sales pitch. That is the worst thing you can do. What you are doing is writing valuable content someone needs that doesn’t do any sort of sales, even in the last paragraph of a blog article post, like this one. People have a brain and they already know you are creating content to bring brand awareness to your company. Treat them with respect that they have a brain. People want to read something that brings value and is a core factor in what the search engines are looking to provide. There are six areas of content that we look at when it comes to reaching your target customers. You are an expert in your field, you have a passion for your service, and you want it to grow. These are areas we see working for our clients. **Magazines** – I am not talking solely ads in magazines. You need to step further and get into the articles as an expert. You are in business and you are the expert in your field, right? If you aren’t then why are you in your field to begin with? **Pod Casts** – A fast and easy way of getting your word out there and something you can do even if you are camera shy or even integrate with your video strategy. You can bring expert guests on to mix things up as well as further build your audience beyond it’s normal niche. A great benefit of podcasts is you can get in the Apple and Google stores, on voice assistant’s like Amazon’s Alexa, and other channels you might not have otherwise reached. **Search Engines** – All of your content that is being created go to the search engines and you can’t create content directly on them. But you can! You can invest pennies on the dollar on ads, even under your competitor’s name, so that you can increase your business. The search engines work directly for your website and being your website is your best 24x7 sales tool they work very well together. **Social Media** – Social media is brand new. Look at what television and radio have done for the world. They have changed the way marketing happens and getting word out. They haven’t gone away and have only recently has television started to decline with sources like Netflix and Amazon Video. With social media you have your channel, private groups, and like the search engines the ability to target your audience for pennies on the dollar. This is one of the lowest costs for your business to play. **Written (Blog, Website)** – This is where your expertise comes out. Your website is what defines your company online. Yes, social media may have the largest audience of billions compared to your website that may only get a few dozen visitors per day. Your website is what defines you as the expert, it should showcase your company culture, and have a great sales funnel to draw people into several channels that answer specific questions **Video** – Everyone says video is the best thing since sliced bread and we happen to agree with that to a degree. If you are horrible in front of a camera stay away from video and get someone who is good with video. Have no one that can still do video then do podcasts to get your good word out there. Video is a way to quickly tell your story, let people see the real you, and educate them on your greatness. With all this great content then you should create content everywhere correct? WRONG! Major WRONG! Content should be created only where your audience is and not where it isn’t. Companies spend millions of dollars in the wrong areas and the areas we have seen that do not work for our clients are television ads, radio ads, and billboards. I am not saying that these are bad in anyway. We focus solely on small businesses that want to grow, have limited budgets, and we focus on the areas that bring the best return on investment (ROI). When it comes to growing small businesses ROI is what it’s all about. If you know these areas will work for your business then don’t do them because I said don’t do them but do them because you know they will work in your industry. You are either now convinced on the importance or you will not create content as you are content with your growth strategy. If you are content, then I am shocked you are here as you should have already left. If you are still here though you need to create your content. This is the strategy that has worked for us religiously and we continue to do this daily. 1. Plan 2. Produce 3. Distribute 4. Analyze 5. (Repeat) I am ending here as the focus is to get you creating content. You have it in you and a desire or you wouldn’t have made it here. Your writing will initially suck. That’s okay. You don’t become a master by sitting on the couch “hoping” for something. You must work on it every day. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Starting-each-month-off-on-the-right-foot/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Starting-each-month-off-on-the-right-foot/ Would you hire someone, assign them a desk, hand them your company brochures & flyers, tell them to sell, leave them be, and pay them? We think you probably wouldn't. This is why the first of the month is an important time for any website and your online marketing. Your website or as we call it your online employee is your cheapest employee that can help drive revenue, customer adoption, increase engagement, and more. In this article we will go over what we see as the first of the month checks every business online should do. ## Website ### Call to Action Websites should have a clear call-to-action to get people to do something on their website. This could be contacting your business through an online form, calling your place of business, or getting someone to click on a specific link. Is your website call to action prominently displayed and visible? Should it be moved? Do you know it should be moved? Have you tried A/B testing to see which pieces of your website are working for you? Recently we removed all of our fancy animations and slideshows on our pages and increased our customer contact by over 20%. We made these choices based on A/B testing over a period of several months. ### Forms Your forms are a great asset to get customers and prospects to contact your business. Have you received any contacts recently? Now is a great time to check and verify that the form goes to the right individual(s). If you have more than one form, make certain they all work. If you are receiving emails from your site but they are only coming from one of the forms maybe the other is not working correctly. If you are not getting as many contacts that you expect is it because you are forcing people to comply with your business practices rather than working to theirs? Often we see businesses trying to force their customers into their model rather than letting each customer be unique. ### Mobility Having a mobile friendly website is more important today than it was a few years ago. Over half of all searches are coming from mobile devices as of August 2015 on average according to Google. If your website is not mobile friendly the odds of Google, Bing, and Yahoo presenting your site on the search engine result pages (SERP) for mobile. Your website will receive more engagement if it is mobile friendly for your customers. ### Analytics Have you looked at how your website is performing? How many new vs returning visitors you are receiving? How many referrals from other sites are you receiving, how many are desktop, tablet, and mobile devices? With analytics you can determine on ways to improve your site by seeing where your users are coming from. If you are rocking your search engine optimization (SEO) with Google AdWords, you can see how your marketing campaigns are performing in your targeted regions. With some in-depth analysis you can determine your audience by age, gender, and more. A key area we look at for many of our clients are heat maps. With a heat map we can not only determine how far down a page someone is looking, where they are clicking, but also where there eyes are moving to further streamline and improve their website. ### Domain Renewal Every year you have to renew your domain name (unless you purchase multiple years). Do you have auto-renew enabled? Is the credit card information accurate? Are your DNS entries accurate? Is the contact information correct and still valid so that you don't risk losing your domain? These are some technical questions but one’s we check for every one of our clients every month so that their domain never goes to auction and their business website runs smoothly. Did we mention this is a service every customer receives for no cost? We do it as it allows us to make certain we are taking care of their needs. ## Social Media A website is only part of your online marketing plan. Social media should be part of your entire marketing strategy. Are you posting enough, getting engagement with your intended audience, following the analytics on your social media? If you haven’t posted on a social media channel for months, even years, why do you still have it? If you are busy running your business a great option is to use one of our [maintenance plans where you can get unlimited website updates, social media posts, posts across our family of social media sites, and much more.](/Services/MaintenancePlans/) ## Email Is your business email working as well as it should? Are you receiving and sending with no problems? Have you checked your spam folder? Most good spam filters will get 99% of the spam but there is always that 1% that shouldn’t be classified as spam that goes into spam. Your junk email folder is a great item to clean out at the top of the month. ## Marketing Materials Do your advertisements, flyers, brochures, and other marketing materials promote your website? Are the email addresses shown still active and being monitored? Are all of your marketing efforts branded the same for overall consistency so that it is more familiar with your customers? If not, these could be lost sales that you don’t realize you are missing. ## Other employees Your website is your cheapest employee by far but your other employees are equally important. Are they actively promoting your business? Are they sharing content you post on their social media? Are they being true advocates of your company to help you grow? Make certain they are aware of everything your online employee is doing and how they can help you increase your business exposure. ## Conclusion There are more items than above JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman (Valpo) Alabama does for our customers. If you are on a maintenance plan, we do three times the above list. If you are not on a low-cost maintenance plan these are core items we encourage everyone to do to keep everything fresh and moving positively forward. If you want to learn about how a maintenance plan can assist your business you can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593), [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/) (and we just checked that it worked a few minutes ago as part of our own monthly checks). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Starting-with-eCommerce/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Starting-with-eCommerce/ eCommerce is a growing sector of the Internet. It is growing around 10% per year and increasing each year. eCommerce is our fastest growing segment for the past two years with our clients. Many clients are either doing two websites or they are doing solely eCommerce. Part of this is due to our own push on eCommerce where we are reducing the credit card percent, transaction fees, and monthly fees with our credit card providers. The other is businesses want revenue from their internet marketing presence. We have clients on [nopCommerce](https://www.nopcommerce.com/), [Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/), [BigCommerce](https://www.bigcommerce.com/), [WooCommerce](https://woocommerce.com/), and [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/). When looking at eCommerce solutions often people tend to forget some key areas and I feel it is important to list them so that you can make certain you get a great start to selling online. - PCI compliant / Security (first and foremost to protect your customers) - this includes the green padlock (SSL/TLS certificate) - eCommerce web hosting - Daily system backup - System monitoring - Security monitoring - Complete mobile interface - Links to the manufacturer's website and information about the manufacturer. People love information and it helps on your search engine optimization as well - Easy-to-use shopping cart with a simple checkout - Cart abandonment emails - Instant Payment splits - pay vendors, affiliates, salespeople, and others instantly - Support paying via multiple methods on the same transaction - Support for recurring payments - Unlimited products with unlimited attributes/options and variations - Product weights and measurements can be entered for automatic shipping calculations - Integrated the eCommerce site into social media and allow direct purchasing through social media - Automatic Tax or VAT Rates - Customizable Shipping Modules (Table Rates, FedEx, UPS, USPS, In-Store Pickup) - Sell products online directly from manufacturer (drop shipping) - Geo-location - customers can search for closest product then purchase from that dealer - Ability to customize the product page, attach video and documents - Display an unlimited number of images with image zoom to see high-quality details - Related, cross-sell, up-sell, and recommended products - Invoices emailed to customer, dealer, distributor, salesperson, or any other user with permission - Inventory tracking and management (this is becoming more important for many of our clients) - Instant deals and discount coupons - Complete metrics and printable reports - Add products to a "wish list" for purchase later - Product comparisons - Unlimited multiple pricing levels - Ability to rent products for a predefined time period - Warranty activation - Downloadable products - Automatic dealer search and Locator Dealer Delivery System - Full search engine optimization options - All Products are geo-located, regionalized, and support multiple languages - Import and export options - Customer service and return management options - Marketing and re-marketing options to keep in contact with your loyal customers - Product reviews, ratings, and testimonials - Newsletter and mailing lists - Customer polls - Image optimization - Custom email messages - Reward and loyalty programs - Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Google Site Map - Localization - 100% search engine friendly - Affiliation program to reward those that are promoting and sending you paying customers - Customizable and ability to develop against for those special needs (e.g. integrating with backend systems, third-party systems, automation systems, or integrating with analytical products) You want your online marketing to pay for itself. No one blames you. I know we want it to pay for itself as well. This is by far not a complete list that you need for an effective eCommerce solution but should be considered your minimum so that you know the system will grow with you as you need it to. I recommend that this should be considered the minimum requirements to be effective and support growth and should not add to your setup cost. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/staying-ahead-with-organic-seo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/staying-ahead-with-organic-seo/ In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, staying ahead of the competition in organic SEO is no longer optional—it’s essential. Search engine algorithms continuously change, user behaviors shift, and the digital landscape becomes more competitive by the day. For businesses, the key to thriving in this environment lies in partnering with an expert team that understands the nuances of SEO and how to leverage it for long-term success. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in crafting cutting-edge organic SEO strategies that not only adapt to the changing trends but also position your business as a leader in your industry. Here's how we help businesses stay ahead of the curve and dominate organic search rankings. ## Why Organic SEO Matters Organic SEO is the process of improving your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) without relying on paid advertisements. It’s a long-term strategy that builds credibility, drives high-quality traffic, and delivers sustainable growth. ## The Benefits of Organic SEO - **Higher ROI**: Unlike paid ads, organic traffic continues to grow without additional costs for clicks. - **Credibility and Trust**: Ranking high in organic results builds authority and trust with your audience. - **Long-Term Visibility**: A well-optimized website maintains its rankings even as trends shift. - **Targeted Traffic**: Organic SEO focuses on attracting users who are actively searching for your products or services. However, achieving success in organic SEO requires expertise, consistency, and a proactive approach to algorithm changes and user expectations. ## How Fawkes Digital Marketing Keeps You Ahead At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we combine technical expertise, creative strategies, and data-driven insights to ensure your business stays ahead in organic SEO. Here’s how we help: ### Comprehensive SEO Audits We begin by analyzing your website’s current performance. Our in-depth SEO audits cover: - **Technical SEO**: Identifying issues with page speed, mobile responsiveness, crawlability, and indexation. - **Content Analysis**: Evaluating existing content for relevance, quality, and keyword optimization. - **Backlink Profile**: Reviewing your site’s backlinks to ensure they are authoritative and spam-free. - **Competitor Insights**: Understanding what your competitors are doing right and where you can gain an edge. Our audits provide a clear roadmap for improvements and opportunities to boost your rankings. ### Advanced Keyword Research Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. We use advanced tools and techniques to: - Identify **high-value keywords** that drive traffic and conversions. - Uncover **long-tail keywords** for niche audiences. - Analyze **user intent** to ensure your content matches what users are searching for. By targeting the right keywords, we help your website attract visitors who are ready to engage with your business. ### Content Strategy and Optimization Content is king, but only when it’s optimized. Our team creates and enhances content to: - **Match Search Intent**: Align content with what users are looking for, from informational blogs to transactional pages. - **Incorporate Keywords Naturally**: Avoid keyword stuffing while ensuring relevance. - **Create Evergreen Content**: Develop resources that remain valuable and continue to attract traffic over time. We also offer ongoing blog writing services to keep your site fresh and relevant, covering trending topics and industry-specific queries. ### Technical SEO Excellence Search engines prioritize websites that offer a seamless user experience. Our technical SEO services ensure: - **Fast Load Times**: Optimizing images, reducing code bloat, and leveraging caching to improve speed. - **Mobile-Friendliness**: Ensuring your site looks and functions perfectly on any device. - **Structured Data Markup**: Adding schema to help search engines understand your content and display rich results. - **Error Fixing**: Addressing broken links, duplicate content, and crawl errors. These optimizations not only improve rankings but also enhance user satisfaction. ### Link Building and Authority Building Backlinks remain a critical ranking factor. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we focus on: - **Earning High-Quality Backlinks**: Securing links from authoritative, relevant sites. - **Building Relationships**: Collaborating with industry influencers and websites. - **Removing Toxic Links**: Disavowing spammy or harmful backlinks that could harm your rankings. By building a strong backlink profile, we boost your domain authority and overall search visibility. ### Local SEO Domination For businesses targeting local customers, we provide specialized Local SEO services: - **Google Business Profile Optimization**: Ensuring your business ranks in local map packs and appears in "near me" searches. - **Local Citations**: Listing your business on directories to improve local search signals. - **Review Management**: Encouraging positive reviews and engaging with customers to build trust. Local SEO ensures your business stands out in your community and drives foot traffic to your location. ### Keeping Up with Algorithm Changes SEO is not a one-and-done effort. Search engines like Google continuously update their algorithms, impacting rankings. Our team: - **Monitors Updates**: Staying informed about the latest changes, like core updates and ranking factors. - **Adapts Strategies**: Adjusting our approach to align with new guidelines. - **Proactively Optimizes**: Ensuring your site remains compliant and competitive. By staying on top of changes, we future-proof your SEO efforts. ### Data-Driven Performance Tracking We believe in transparency and measurable results. Using advanced analytics tools, we track: - Organic traffic growth. - Keyword rankings. - User engagement metrics (bounce rate, time on site, etc.). - Conversion rates from organic traffic. Regular reporting keeps you informed about progress and allows us to refine strategies for maximum impact. ## Why Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing for Your SEO Needs? - **Expert Team**: Our SEO specialists have years of experience and stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends. - **Custom Strategies**: We tailor our approach to fit your business goals, audience, and industry. - **Long-Term Focus**: We prioritize sustainable growth over quick, short-term wins. - **Comprehensive Services**: From technical SEO to content creation, we handle every aspect of your organic SEO strategy. ## Conclusion: Stay Ahead with Fawkes Digital Marketing Winning at organic SEO requires expertise, consistency, and a forward-thinking approach. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we help businesses not only adapt to the evolving digital landscape but thrive in it. Whether you’re looking to dominate local search, improve your website’s visibility, or attract high-quality traffic, our team is here to make it happen. **Ready to stay ahead of the curve and win at SEO?** Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing today and let us help your business achieve long-term success in organic search! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/StayingFocused/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/StayingFocused/ As an entrepreneur it can become easy to get "off task". Staying focused is sometimes one of the hardest things for myself to do and can only imagine how it is for others. In this article I am going to talk about some of my major trials and tribulations of keeping on task between employees, clients, emails, and phone calls that need my attention on a daily basis. Learning what does, and doesn't, work for me has been a true blessing and something I continue to evaluate each and every day. ## Getting Dressed Okay, this may seem like a simple one. We've all (well I have) had the dream of leaving the house and showing up naked. It could because of movies or something else but that's just not the impression I want to make when doing work. This is done whether I am working at my home office, our corporate office in downtown Cullman, a client's office, or one of the local coffee shops we frequent. Wearing the right clothes allows us to be ready to take on the day and look good doing it. ## Daily Preparation, Priorities and Scheduling ![Microsoft SharePoint](/Images/Content/SharePoint/MicrosoftSharePoint.png) We start each day the night before. I start out by looking first at my calendar as these are hard and set appointments, deadlines and objectives already scheduled I will have to handle in the upcoming day. I then start in my Inbox which for some can be quite scary. We strive for "Inbox Zero" (more on this in a bit). Looking at the latest emails, not opening, just the subjects, I write down and set aside time to handle the emails based on the subjects and who they are from based on past experiences. From there I look at our virtual (online) whiteboard in Microsoft SharePoint to see all of our current projects, projects in test, eCommerce projects we are working on and new/existing business we are trying to win. The last step for the preparation for the next day is looking at the current task list for the day that did not get done and whether it should be moved to the next day, if it can come off or if it needs to be deferred. This seems like a lot when you get started and I can say when I first started this a few months ago it took 20-30 minutes per day. That's a lot of time just to prepare for the next day. I can now achieve all of the above in around 5-10 minutes depending on how much I accomplished in the current day, how many projects we are releasing in the current week and how much I have been staying focused on my list during the current week. ## Whiteboard ![Whiteboard](/Images/Content/Blog/whiteboard.jpg) We recently had an article created about how we use some "old school" techniques in conjunction with all of the modern tools that we also use daily. You can read the article from our friends at ValpoLife.com. The first item I do when I get to the office each day is write down everything from the night before of tasks that I need to accomplish. This allows me to remove them as each one is complete and helps me stay focused and see progress in my daily agenda and helps keep me "on task". ## More "Thinking" Earlier in the Day As I prioritize my day anything I know will take a lot of thought whether it be writing code, creating a new user interface (UI) or testing a proposed user experience (UX) I do those tasks earlier in the day. This will typically be between 6-8am unless I have a 6am meeting which then it just moved based on priorities as customer service is a key to everything that we do. ## Meetings We try to get our meetings done earlier in the day as possible. This allows for taking the rest of the day to focus on getting any quotes out from those meetings out promptly. This also leaves room for taking care of any issues that routinely come up in the afternoon and allows time to focus on my daily agenda. When meetings come later in the day, even when they are at our office, I almost always start preparing an hour earlier even if I am already prepared which removes an hour of productivity from my day. ## Distractions Email gets closed at 8am and reopened at lunch time and an hour before the end of the day. This allows me to focus on taking care of projects, quotes, administrative duties and training. Now there are always emergencies that crop up and if it comes solely over email that can be a huge issue if it sits a minute after I close Microsoft Outlook. For these situations I have written some custom rules that will automatically alert my phone which alerts my Microsoft health band on my wrist to let me know I have something that appears to need immediate attention. ## Learning to Say NO This is my true weakness. I hate saying no when someone is in need. I have always wanted everyone around me to be as happy as humanly possible so I almost always say YES. I am learning though to put a clause on it to now say yes but I can't until I finish my daily agenda. This allows me to stay on task, keep the people happy which in-turn makes me happy. ## Environment I make certain that where I work is clean, organized and has everything I need to do without leaving the area to get my work done. I obviously have my multiple monitors, multiple laptops (why have one when you can have two), my phone and bottles of water to keep me hydrated. I make certain my keyboard (ergonomic), chair (also ergonomic) and mouse feel well and are designed for many hours of productivity. ## Breaks With all of the water at my desk I obviously need bio breaks but I feel I am more productive when I take breaks and just go for a walk. Whether I walk around the Cullman downtown square, get a coffee and sit and listen to nature (when it's not raining) or draw something on our whiteboard. It's all about clearing my mind so that I can get more work done. It does seem counter-productive in meeting the agenda for the day but allows a healthier attitude and allows me to refocus on my agenda. ## Inbox Zero ![Inbox Zero](/Images/Content/Blog/Inbox-zero.jpg) Inbox Zero is a relatively modern term where you keep your inbox as close, if not at, zero (0) items. This may seem like an almost impossible task and during the week my Inbox does grow every day. By the end of the week though I am usually less than 10 items in my Inbox and routinely hit the holy grail of zero. I do this by sticking very tightly to my schedule and answering all of the emails. Those that require tasks that will take time go into my tasks list on Microsoft SharePoint along with a copy of the email. This allows SharePoint Workflow to alert me when items hit the set due date as well as notifications before they are due. ## Conclusion One of the hardest items is continually staying focused as it's truly easy to go off task. By treating each day as an individual day it makes it a lot harder to get off task. By also doing my daily agenda every night, including weekends. I keep my brain, which is a beautiful muscle, exercised and mentally focused on the task of the coming day. As a bonus, since starting this process I personally am getting more REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and feel more refreshed each day. When you sleep 4-5 hours per day only the more relaxed you stay the better off you will be. This list is my personal list and yours will use some aspects of the above list but also incorporate items that are designed and work specifically for you. By working at it, sticking to it, you too can become more productive in your daily tasks. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Steps-to-performing-an-Email-Server-Warm-Up/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Steps-to-performing-an-Email-Server-Warm-Up/ **Email warm-up** is the process of gradually building the reputation of a new email address or a domain to ensure high deliverability rates and prevent emails from landing in the spam folder. This is particularly important if you're setting up a new domain, email account, or starting an email marketing campaign at scale. Here’s how you can perform a successful email warm-up: *** ## **Why Is Email Warm-Up Necessary?** 1. **Establish Sender Reputation**: Email providers (e.g., Gmail, Outlook) monitor new senders closely. Gradual warming demonstrates that you're a legitimate sender. 2. **Avoid Spam Traps**: Sending too many emails too quickly from a new address can result in spam flags, leading to reduced deliverability or blacklisting. 3. **Optimize Engagement**: Warmed-up emails are more likely to reach the recipient's inbox, improving open and response rates. *** ## **Best Practices for Email Warm-Up** ### 1. **Start with Manual Outreach** - Begin by sending emails to people you know or small groups of highly engaged recipients. - Ensure these recipients are likely to open, reply, and engage with your emails (engagement helps build reputation). **Example**: - Send 10-20 personalized emails per day during the first week. - Gradually increase by 10-20 emails each week over a period of 4-6 weeks. *** ### 2. **Use an Email Warm-Up Tool** Automated tools can simulate engagement (opens, replies, and clicks) to accelerate the warm-up process. Popular tools include: - **Warmbox** - **Lemwarm** - **Mailwarm** - **Reply.io** - **GMass** These tools send automated emails between real accounts in their network and engage with your emails, improving reputation over time. *** ### 3. **Follow a Gradual Sending Schedule** **Week-by-Week Plan**: - **Week 1**: Send 10-20 emails per day to engaged contacts. - **Week 2**: Increase to 30-50 emails per day. - **Week 3-4**: Send 50-100 emails per day. - Gradually scale up to your target volume over a period of 4-8 weeks. Ensure the increase is steady and consistent. Avoid sharp jumps in volume, as this could trigger spam filters. *** ### 4. **Engage with Replies and Responses** - Encourage recipients to reply to your emails. Genuine two-way interactions improve sender reputation. - Respond to every reply you receive during the warm-up period. *** ### 5. **Optimize Email Content** - Write personal, non-promotional emails. - Avoid spammy keywords like “free,” “buy now,” or excessive punctuation (e.g., “!!!”). - Use a simple, plain-text format with minimal links and images during the initial warm-up phase. *** ### 6. **Authenticate Your Email Domain** Proper email authentication is critical to establish trust with email providers. Set up these protocols before starting the warm-up process: - **SPF (Sender Policy Framework)**: Prevents unauthorized senders from sending emails on your behalf. - **DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)**: Ensures email content remains unaltered. - **DMARC (Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance)**: Provides instructions for email providers to handle unauthorized emails. *** ### 7. **Verify Your Email List** - Use email verification tools (e.g., ZeroBounce, NeverBounce) to ensure you’re sending emails to valid addresses. High bounce rates can harm your sender reputation. *** ### 8. **Monitor Your Metrics** Track the performance of your emails during the warm-up process: - **Open Rate**: Aim for a high open rate (above 30%) during the warm-up period. - **Reply Rate**: Focus on generating replies, as they indicate engagement. - **Bounce Rate**: Keep the bounce rate below 5% by verifying email addresses before sending. *** ## **Step-by-Step Process for Email Warm-Up** ### **Step 1: Setup and Authentication** - Register a domain specifically for email campaigns (if your main domain is sensitive to reputation damage). - Authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. - Use a trusted email service provider (ESP) like Mailchimp, SendGrid, or Postmark. ### **Step 2: Start Small** - Send 10-20 personalized emails per day. - Use plain-text emails with minimal links or images. - Target people you know or engaged contacts who are likely to open and reply. ### **Step 3: Gradually Increase Volume** - Increase the number of emails sent daily by 10-20% each week. - Mix in various email formats (e.g., newsletters, updates) once engagement stabilizes. ### **Step 4: Monitor and Adjust** - Track email performance metrics like open rate, bounce rate, and spam complaints. - Adjust your warm-up schedule based on engagement levels. ### **Step 5: Scale Up Campaigns** - Once warm-up is complete (typically 4-6 weeks), start sending to larger lists, maintaining high engagement. *** ## **Common Mistakes to Avoid** 1. **Sending Too Many Emails Too Soon** - Avoid exceeding 100 emails/day in the first two weeks. 2. **Ignoring Authentication** - Failure to set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can lead to poor deliverability from the start. 3. **Skipping List Verification** - Sending to invalid addresses increases bounces and damages your reputation. 4. **Using Overly Promotional Content** - Spam filters are highly sensitive to promotional language and excessive formatting during the warm-up phase. 5. **Not Monitoring Engagement** - Low open and reply rates signal poor quality, which could lead to blacklisting. *** ## **Tools for Email Warm-Up** Here are some popular tools to automate and monitor email warm-up: - **Warmbox**: Automates email warm-up by sending emails to a network of real accounts that engage with them. - **Mailwarm**: Sends warm-up emails to improve domain reputation. - **GMass**: Offers warm-up features alongside email marketing capabilities. - **Lemwarm**: Integrates with Lemlist for email outreach campaigns. - **Woodpecker**: Automatically warms up email accounts for outreach. *** ## **Conclusion** Email warm-up is a crucial step to ensure your campaigns reach your audience’s inbox and not their spam folder. By starting small, using personalized content, authenticating your domain, and monitoring engagement, you can build a strong sender reputation that leads to higher deliverability and better results. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in email marketing strategies to help businesses grow. If you’re looking to optimize your email campaigns or need help with domain warm-up, contact us today! Let’s make your emails stand out in the inbox. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/StepstoStartaBusinessAComprehensiveGuide/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/StepstoStartaBusinessAComprehensiveGuide/ ### Steps to Start a Business: A Comprehensive Guide Starting a business can be an exciting venture, but it requires careful planning and attention to legal, financial, and operational details. This guide will take you through the essential steps to establish a business, covering market research, legal requirements, branding, and growth strategies. *** ### **1. Research Your Business Idea** #### **1.1 Validate Your Concept** Before investing time and resources, ensure there’s a market for your product or service: - **Conduct Market Research:** Use surveys, focus groups, and interviews to gauge interest. - **Analyze Competitors:** Identify your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. - **Identify Your Target Audience:** Understand their demographics, needs, and purchasing behaviors. #### **1.2 Develop a Unique Value Proposition (UVP)** What makes your business stand out? Define what value you’ll offer that competitors don’t. *** ### **2. Create a Business Plan** A well-structured business plan serves as your roadmap for success. #### **Key Components:** 1. **Executive Summary:** Brief overview of your business idea and goals. 2. **Market Analysis:** Insights into your industry and target audience. 3. **Business Model:** How you’ll make money (e.g., sales, subscriptions). 4. **Operational Plan:** Details about production, staffing, and logistics. 5. **Financial Projections:** Revenue forecasts, startup costs, and funding needs. #### **Resources:** - Use templates from the **Small Business Administration (SBA)**: [SBA Business Plan Guide](https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/write-your-business-plan) *** ### **3. Choose a Business Structure** Your business structure affects taxes, liability, and regulations. #### **Common Structures:** - **Sole Proprietorship:** Simple to set up; owner bears all liabilities. - **Partnership:** Shared ownership and responsibilities. - **Limited Liability Company (LLC):** Combines liability protection with flexible taxation. - **Corporation (C-Corp or S-Corp):** Separate legal entity; suitable for larger businesses. #### **How to Decide:** Consult a legal or tax professional to choose the structure that fits your needs. *** ### **4. Register Your Business** #### **4.1 Federal Requirements** - **Employer Identification Number (EIN):** Required for tax purposes. Apply for free through the **IRS**: [Apply for EIN](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online) - **Trademarks:** Protect your brand name, logo, or tagline by registering with the **U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)**: [USPTO Trademark Registration](https://www.uspto.gov/trademarks) #### **4.2 State Requirements** - **Business Licenses:** Check with your state’s business office for required licenses. - **Name Registration:** Register your business name as a DBA (“Doing Business As”) if it’s different from your legal name. - **Sales Tax Permits:** Required for businesses selling taxable goods or services. #### **4.3 Local Requirements** - **Zoning Permits:** Ensure your location complies with local zoning laws. - **Health and Safety Permits:** Necessary for food-related businesses or those handling hazardous materials. *** ### **5. Set Up Your Finances** #### **5.1 Open a Business Bank Account** Separate personal and business finances to simplify accounting and protect your assets. #### **5.2 Accounting System** - Use software like **QuickBooks** or **Xero** to manage expenses, invoices, and payroll. - Consider hiring an accountant for tax planning and financial advice. #### **5.3 Secure Funding** - **Personal Savings:** Most startups are self-funded initially. - **Small Business Loans:** Apply through banks or SBA-approved lenders. - **Grants:** Look for government grants designed for small businesses. - **Investors:** Seek venture capital or angel investors if your idea has high growth potential. *** ### **6. Build Your Brand** #### **6.1 Create a Memorable Name and Logo** - Ensure your business name is unique and available as a domain. - Use tools like **Canva** or hire a graphic designer for your logo. #### **6.2 Establish an Online Presence** - **Website:** Build a professional website using platforms like **WordPress** or **Squarespace**. - **Social Media:** Set up accounts on platforms your target audience uses. - **SEO:** Optimize your website for search engines to increase visibility. *** ### **7. Meet Legal and Tax Obligations** #### **Federal Taxes** - File required forms based on your business structure. - Pay quarterly estimated taxes if applicable. #### **State and Local Taxes** - Check with your state’s tax office for sales tax, income tax, and other requirements. #### **Insurance** - Obtain business insurance, such as liability, property, or workers’ compensation coverage. *** ### **8. Launch and Market Your Business** #### **8.1 Announce Your Launch** - Use press releases, email marketing, and social media campaigns to create buzz. #### **8.2 Attract Customers** - Offer promotions, discounts, or giveaways. - Network at industry events or join local business groups. #### **8.3 Monitor Performance** - Track key metrics like sales, website traffic, and customer feedback. - Adjust your strategies based on performance data. *** ### **9. Grow Your Business** #### **Expand Your Offerings** - Introduce new products or services based on customer demand. #### **Invest in Technology** - Use tools to automate processes and improve efficiency. #### **Build a Team** - Hire employees or contractors to scale operations. *** ### **Conclusion** Starting a business is a rewarding but challenging journey. By following these steps and leveraging the available resources, you can turn your idea into a successful venture. Take the time to research, plan, and execute effectively to set your business up for long-term success. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Stop-Being-Creative/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Stop-Being-Creative/ A benefit of the internet is you can do whatever you want with it. We're going to answer why you should drop the "over creativeness" on your website, use industry best practices, and adjust your website continuously to fit these best practices. ## Stop Being Creative! Please stop trying to create the next best thing when it comes to websites. You are not Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. When you make a unique layout, you force your visitor to **re-learn the internet** just for you. Creating something that only applies to you creates a horrible user experience and will make people leave your site. We love the idea of being creative, but we're more interested in your generating leads, customers and adding to your bottom line. ## Follow Website Best Practices Although there isn't a true "standard," there are best practices for **all websites**. Every website will have: - **Homepage**: The homepage is your first impression. This information should all be "above the fold" or before someone scrolls on your website. - Answer what your business offers. You can do this with a hero graphic, slider, or image/video with or without text. - Have a "**call to action**" that makes a person perform a specific action: contact form or phone number are two great examples. - Start showing some, not all, of your testimonials and link to a page dedicated to all of your customer testimonials. - Show summary of your products/services and link to them. - **Hint**: Don't make your page too long, as most people rarely scroll to the very end! - **About**: Tell your story about why you started the business, what your values are, etc. Many users won't read this, but the search engines and those who want to know more about you will. When you have job interviews, ask those you're interviewing to see if they genuinely have read and done their due diligence for a position. This can help you learn the difference between someone looking for a short-term job or a longer-term position with you. - **Product or Services**: List all of the products and services you have. If there's a lot of details, support training documentation, videos, etc., it's best to have unique pages for each item. - **Contact**: Include a form (with captcha to prevent spam) that asks the most minimal amount of questions. Include phone numbers, address (if appropriate), and email addresses for people to contact you. If you're on social media (and you should be!) include those as well. Beyond these four (or five if you have both products and services) core pages, the following can help you further gain benefit and gain organic SEO success. - **Menu**: For our restaurants and cafes, this would be a replacement for your products and services. Don't just include a PDF. That's the cheap way out. Make a mobile-friendly menu. The search engines will love you for it! - **Blog**: To get the best organic reach on the search engines, setup a blog. Many sites don't change often. By including a blog, you can truly shine on the search engines. By having a blog and writing for it, you can add one to many new articles per month. Ideally, weekly, but that is a lot to ask. Monthly everyone should be able to achieve. - **Support**: A support page goes beyond just a contact page. This is where you have a FAQ (frequently asked questions), training manuals, or a knowledge base (KB Articles) to help customers. - **News & Events**: Many businesses have a lot of news and events. Having one or both of these can truly enhance your site and get people coming back for more information. - **Jobs**: In today's environment, you should be posting jobs and asking for positions. Yes, you can be on other job boards, but you have complete control when it's on your site, and it doesn't cost you any additional money! It also helps people when they apply to look at your site to find out further how interested they are by seeing if they read over your website when you are interviewing them. ## Now that you have a site, what do you do? We often see people that create a beautiful site and leave it in the corner with no updates. Why would you spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars, upfront and then "hope they come?" Would you hire an employee, give them their job information, sit them with no supervision in a corner, give them no updates to the best way to promote your company, and continue to pay them? I am betting not. You want them to constantly be learning and looking for better ways to sell your products and services. ## Conclusion Websites are never truly ever complete. This is why we build them quickly. Fit the format above, and constantly tweak and modify based on who your users are. In 2015 and before, we used to build websites that took 6-8 weeks. Now we build them quickly so that they are beautiful using best practices for your industry, make it live, and constantly tweak and evolve it. Not only do you get faster results, but you get more leads and revenue hitting your bottom line. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Stop-being-Nickel-and-Dimed-to-Death/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Stop-being-Nickel-and-Dimed-to-Death/ I got upset today when someone stated that our prices are "too low" and why they went elsewhere. The thoughts that rang through my head were that you don't know our company or the cost of doing business -- every business structures their prices based on the cost of business plus the profits they want to achieve. Some are higher while some are lower. Let's dig into why our costs are the way they are. ## The Prices I want to start with our three main plans that we offer so that you know where our prices are at a 30,000-foot view: 1. **Starter ($99.95/month)** - This covers a complete website, on-going maintenance and security for the website, two hours of maintenance. The two hours can be used for anything from the website to graphic creation. This includes maintaining your Google My Business and Bing Places pages on the two top search engines and making certain your website meets all the latest standards to show up and work on getting you on page 1. 2. **Foundation ($225/month)** - This has everything the starter does but extends the hours to three, adds a single social media channel, paid ads ($1 [minimum] - $20 [maximum] /day, online chatbot. 3. **Enterprise ($445/month)** - This adds everything from the previous two but allows for business growth. Your ad spend is $5/day or more with no maximum amount, handles multiple locations ($35 per additional location), ability to add more than one social media channel ($120/each), and extends the graphic time to 8-hours per month. Each plan has a reduced hourly rate that gets lower as you move up on plans. They are also price fixed so the businesses can more easily budget their expenses. **Automation** We are software developers and analytical thinkers. We spend half of the time on every client digging into the numbers. By automating, we are able to keep costs down and work smarter rather than harder. This allows us to more quickly adapt to changing needs of individual businesses. ## Who are our clients Not everyone is a fit for us. We will sit with any business owner for one-hour and help them make the right decisions whether it is with us or not. Yes, we want you with us but if you fall into an area we know we cannot help get a growth or what you are looking to achieve is outside our realm we will give you recommendations on companies we know can help you achieve those growths. ## Doesn't that cost you business? Darn straight! Our owner was brought up in the old days of a handshake and honesty. Thus, our rule #1 of no lying. We believe in being honest, working hard, and not making a fortune off of a few clients. We are in business for the long haul. You will see companies start up and be gone in a few years. We're now going on year 8 and stronger than any previous year. ## Why don't you charge more? Again, this comes down to pricing fairly and not going by what everyone else does. Our pricing is based on the following and is figured out every month when we determine our annual pricing: - Hardware costs - laptops, servers, etc., that are needed to run the company. - Software costs - Adobe suite, Microsoft Office suite, Dropbox, etc. that is needed to run the company. - Labor & Expenses - the highest expense but the most important we have to help our clients grow. - Taxes / Government - We figure out what the government is going to charge us. - $30 profit - Yes, that is our "profit". We are not owned by investors or anything else. Some would say charge a percentage, etc., but that isn't who we are. Again, we are not your normal company. ## What if a client goes over their budget? If we consistently go over on a client, they are probably not on the right plan and develop those custom plans. If you are on the middle plan with 3-hours a month and we're doing 6 hours each month, we will talk with you, move you to the next higher plan or make a custom plan to save you money. ## Isn't putting people on these "value meal" plans eating into your profits? You could easily say yes but 90% of our clients fall into the standard plans and why we built them. Charging people by the hour makes it so that the team works less efficiently as if we need more money we just work slower. By having a plan we are able to look for ways to improve our efficiencies. ## Give me an example of an efficiency you did Reputation Management is huge and can be expensive in gathering testimonials and monitoring the internet for people commenting about your business. We were paying $39/month per client (times this by over 100 clients). That was a huge expense. We looked at the software we were paying for, what we were using, and it took three months to write a software solution that did everything the one program did. During those three months, we tested it side-by-side with the paid solution. It did everything the paid solution did and built it into our core software. Our costs now is around 4-8 hours of company time updating/improving the software. This gave the company an overall savings of over $3,000/month. The benefit is as we grow, there is no additional cost for us as we wrote the software. ## What do you do for a client? Although we have three main plans plus our custom plan this is what we try to do for every client. I say "try" as some clients want a more hands off approach. Our "ideal client" this is what we do: - John goes to your location(s) and talks to the managers and members of your team to find out the latest and greatest things happening. - Pictures are taken to add to the story. - John inserts items into the tasks and assigns it to one of the key categories of - Website - Search Engines - Social Media - Other (catch-all for writing, video, etc.) - The individuals in each of the departments then start working on the items and knocking it all out. - The process repeats. Depending on your plan level John would come out either quarterly or more often to get more information. - Many times coming out isn't done as clients call up and everything is done through a phone/zoom call. - John currently spends 6-8 hours per day in the car/meetings between the Illinois border and South Bend, Alabama. Some trips are quick being 10-15 minutes while others can be longer. ## But you say you don't raise your rates We don't! If you sign up for the Foundation Plan, your price today and five years from now will be $225/month (note: price could change from the time this article was written). If you change plans, you will go to the current price whether you move up/down. ## You must have crazy terms that lock me into you for life Ah, we love this one. We look at it from our perspective. We lock you into 12-months as that way, we can show you continual growth. The first two months are always the hardest for us as we are doing a lot of cleanup of what you might've done in the past or it doesn't yet exist. After the initial year, we move you month-to-month. We don't want you locked into something you don't want. We know many of our competitors will lock you into 24-months or more as they are looking at their bottom line rather than yours. If we do our job right, you will never want to leave as you get results you can grow with. We need two-way communication where we work together as a team. We consider ourselves part of your team. Your growth assures us that you won't want to leave us. If your business is changing and evolving, we want to know to help you achieve those goals. ## So you treat our business relationship like a "Relationship." Absolutely we do, and you should expect no less. If you've ever been in a relationship, and I am betting you, you will know that if **both of you** do not give 100%, then it is destined to fail. By both of us putting forth 100% in communication, we know that we will help you succeed. We are not here to run your business. We are here to keep you away from behind the screen and take care of your customers. If only one of us puts forth effort, then the business relationship will definitely die. You wouldn't hire an employee, sit them in the corner, pay them, and expect nothing. You most likely will hire an employee, train them to what your business is about, what their job is about, and expect that you make enough to pay their salary and make a modest profit. ## Conclusion Yes, you can pay more. Every company has its own way of being run. This is our way. If this aligns with how you want to run your business, we would love to talk with you to determine if (1) we are a good match for you or (2) you are a good match for us. The worst thing that happens is we now know a lot more about each other and can recommend each other to our circle of influence. The world is already a tough place. I know we can make it a brighter one together. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Stop-following-and-start-leading/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Stop-following-and-start-leading/ I was going to write an article about a client I met with last night but instead went through my list of old articles I had written back in 2014 and never published. Not that I couldn't write anything better today but this was just as good and rang so well when I read it that I think it speaks perfectly to the situation of many people following instead of being the leader they want to be. All too often we see small businesses following, focusing on the wrong items, and not working on their core strengths. Two months ago, I sat down for a few hours with a new client who has a dozen (14 to be exact) competitors within 15 miles of his highly competitive business. His profit margin is an insane 60% over his cost. In this meeting we were going over his marketing plan (he had none – that is another story). As we talked he only focused on what two of these competitor businesses were doing. He was so focused on them the entire conversation revolved around each of them rather than his business and a plan for him to grow. In that meeting I told him we needed to focus, target for success, and we needed to focus on his small business to grow. He was shocked at my honesty as no one ever was this blunt and honest with him which I think was part of his problem with his past two marketing companies. The conversation went on for another half hour before we were able to get back on track to what we needed to be talking about – his business. Let's see why and what has happened in the past two months since that meeting. The two competitors were so much on our clients mind he was losing focus of what his small business was about, what it stood for, and what he was trying to achieve. He focused on what they were doing and not what he wanted to do. He saw that these businesses that have been in his local community for more than eight years each owned position one and two of the search engines, they were getting more sales (he actually stalked their businesses and counted how many customers were going in/out of their business), and they were selling an inferior product compared to his (it really was inferior – and no we won't say what it is). I can understand his feeling but he was not focusing on what mattered. We took his items and turned them into six phases of. The phases we broke down into areas that he felt were the most important for his message. These are in no particular order but are extremely important to him. 1. Website 2. Search engine optimization (SEO) 3. Social media 4. Billboards 5. Paid advertising 6. Video The first was looking at his website which was missing the mark. He didn't have a mobile experience, didn't answer people's questions, and wasn't kept updated. The content didn't help do a proper comparison of why his product solution was better. There was no call-to-action to drive people through the sales funnel process. We dug into the search engines on two fronts. First the organic (free part) and the paid advertising part. When we started he wasn't on page 1 anywhere for any terms (he now owns position 1 for the majority and is in the top five for every other term he wants). For the paid advertising we looked at what had been done and we made modifications to the bidding process and cut his Google AdWords spend in half while increasing his overall sales. Social media started producing a consistent message that brought out the personality of the brand with a focus of driving his audience to his website as his competitors were spending very heavily on social media and this helped bring them into his sales funnel and get people to start doing a true apples-to-apples comparison. We also invested in paid advertising and sharing in local groups related to his brand. The campaign was very strategic showing differences in his brand and others. This helped further get people asking the right questions (education is a great way of gaining customers). Part of the social push was a lot of videos to drive people in and asking all of his customers to take pictures (and video). They were asked to share these videos and tag his business. This was a great way to gain engagement and reach of his brand. For his business being seen on the highway was important as people probably had not heard of his business before. We purchased and designed billboards as close to his top two competitors as possible which leaded to a further increase in sales. With all of the above what we did was help take a client from being a follower and becoming the leader of his industry. His sales have increased, he is gaining local market share, he is becoming the true leader, and he is giving back to the community which was a core focus of what he wanted to do. He still focuses on his competitors but is no longer focused on them in the way he was. He stays knowledgeable of what they are doing but they no longer keep him up at night. He is looking for new opportunities and is growing as he is focused on being the leader rather than the follower. I have seen time and time again that by focusing on your strengths rather than what your competitors are doing that you will grow. This is what makes leaders and experts in an industry. When you stop leading what happens is you bash those around you, you jump on with everyone that will listen to make you feel good, and you stop doing what made you great to begin with. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Stop-Going-in-Circles/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Stop-Going-in-Circles/ The first Wednesday morning at 7am the [*Cullman Chamber of Commerce*](http://www.valpochamber.org/) meets to bring unity and awareness of it's members. If you've never gone to this even we strongly recommend you go. Our only complaint is you only get 30-seconds to discuss what great products and services your business has to offer. That is a small trade-off as we do get some truly great 30-seconds that start the awareness process. In this article we will be discussing our most popular program. This is our $250/Month [Social Media Maintenance Plan](/Services/MaintenancePlans/). This plan is **unlike anyone else's**. Whether your website is built with a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, or another our plan will work for you. We do not turn on automatic updates as that can leave your website broken. We also do not automate everything as the human factor is still the best way to get results from your website and social media. Below is the current list of features that are on our *social media maintenance plan*. We are confident that when you compare apples-to-apples you will see no one's package can compete in not only cost but in the amount of features you get. One could ask how we can do this. The simple answer is we live within our means and have a strong desire to see businesses grow. It is truly that simple. - Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - Broken Link Checking & Repair within your site - Image alternate text optimization - Image sizing optimization - Keyword Analysis & Recommendations - On-Page Optimization - Site Map Creation - Website Performance Analysis & Monitoring - 1 Social Media Network - Network setup and verification information stays accurate - Up to 3 Posts Per Network; Includes images - New cover page every month - Proper sizing of logo and art to the social medias recommended sizes - Content aggregation from credible & non-competitor sources - Content creation - Monitoring of your social media feed - Replying to fans as well as all comments - Need more than one social media site? We can help with that as well! - Website Updates (Unlimited) - Customer Support (Unlimited) - Email - In-Person (at our office) - Phone - FREE Digicert TLS (SSL) Certificate - 1-hour Graphic Design / Content / Development (per Month; accumulate up to 12 months) - Forwarding of a created article each month to the Good News Life Family - 25 eCommerce Products - Videos (Coming January 2017) - Security - 24x7 Server Monitoring - 24x7 Website Monitoring - Daily Backups (for our hosted clients) - Enterprise Firewall - Lead Generation - Up to 6 Lead Pages Ads - Customer Polls - Heat maps of how people use your site - Live Online Chat - View recordings on site usage - Website Form Analytics - YEXT PowerListings - FREE Test of how well you are listed on the search engines at [**FREE** Check how your SEO performs](https://www.optimizelocation.com/partner/jm2webdesigners/diagnostic.html) - Review Monitoring - Find Business Directory Platinum Listing - Social Media posts about your business - Annual Domain Registration - Web Hosting (four our hosted clients) - Email Hosting (four our hosted clients) - Website & Social Media Analytics - Monthly review of your website performance - 5 Portfolio Head Shots Per Year - FREE Website Redesign every 24 Months - No Contracts! (Month-to-Month) (24 consecutive months for FREE Website) - Price locked for LIFE! The price you sign up for is the price you will always pay (even as we add items to the plan). Are you ready to grow your business online? If so, the team at **JM2 Webdesigners** from Cullman Alabama is ready to help you do just that. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Stop-Using-Adobe-Muse/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Stop-Using-Adobe-Muse/ We took on a monumental challenge this past week. We had a new client using Adobe Muse. Nothing special about that beside the fact they learned that Adobe Muse is being retired in a few years and they wanted to be ahead of the curve and were already concerned the product wasn't working the way they needed it to. The largest concern with the Adobe Muse site was they stated the website loaded slow with the fastest page being around fifteen seconds to load. So we took a look and these are our findings with their site. The first thing we did was make a backup of the site onto one of our test servers. The site took a long time to transfer over our fiber optic connection. The site size ended up being 21.4 Gig, yes GIG!!!!, or 23,040,184,320 bytes in size. This seemed rather excessive to start as most sites are well under a gig in size but we figured they had all the original files within the source of the site. Our next step now that we had everything backed up we started looking at the site and found that the reason the size was so big is it wasn't one site. It was actually five sites. For each resolution they wanted to target they created a copy of everything. Rather than using either [Twitter Bootstrap](http://getbootstrap.com/) or [Zurb Foundation](https://zurb.com/) they opted to coding everything themselves. There's nothing truly wrong with that beyond taking a really long time to maintain a site in this manner (which was another client mistake). To add a new job posting they stated it took over two hours from start to finish with no interruptions. Not sure what their workflow was but we knew that was excessive. After seeing the Adobe Muse mess we had seen we dug a bit deeper. No reason not to go further down the rabbit hole and see how far it leads us. The images on the site were truly beautiful and would be on a billboard (really!). The smallest image we could find was 5,000 pixels wide at 300 dpi. This was their logo that was only 350 pixels wide on the site. I guess they really wanted that retina resolution and expected everyone to have an ultra fast web connection. We were now four hours into seeing this new project and we were beyond positive it was a nightmare. The site was functional. It did work on how it was created. It just was slow, poorly designed, and you could tell it was designed by a graphic design firm with no clue on usability or maintainability and written exactly the way you would learn in college or watching a beginners course on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/). We were definitely given a nightmare of a project to deal with. The client gave us a budget of 240 hours for their fixes based on how long it took the previous company. We opted to take this big project and "fix it". We told them we would throw out their 240 hour estimate and would re-write the entire project in 60 hours, it would load faster, and their maintenance would drop. We normally do not promise but after seeing what we have seen we knew we could provide a much better experience using the latest internet technologies. We're pretty smart and we refuse to ripoff our clients and chose the side that would give a great customer experience, save the customer money, and make maintainability a lot less painful. Thirty-five hours in and the site went into test with the client. When they first looked at it they were in shock as it loaded quicker but also didn't look any difference from the old site. They thought we just did the changes they wanted and were pulling the wool over their eyes. As we continued with them we showed them the administrative interface. and they knew it was a completely new site. More on that a bit later. The results were beyond shocking. We knew we would be a lot smaller in size but what we found was insanely smaller. The fastest page before took 15 seconds. Yes, Google really hated this site for sure based on the speed let alone now optimizations for the search engines. Now the slowest page is averaging 2.7 seconds which is quite acceptable. I think the biggest eye opener on the entire project which now has more images and pages is only 291 Meg, not Gig, in size or 305,818,648 bytes. This means the new site is 1.33% the size of the old site or 98.67% smaller. We didn't remove any pages, images, or documents. We did add more pages, documents, and images as part of the project. We just made images the right size, optimized the site load time by using better techniques, and finally added a CDN (which is factored into the new file size total) to make everything a lot more efficient. Now what about that two hour job posting creation time? Well, we know our own software solution but we did enter all thirty jobs they had in the thirty-five hours to rebuild the entire site so. We also had the client work on doing the same steps and they entered a job start to finish with us explaining what to do in less than ten minutes. Adobe Muse was and is a great product for proto-typing but definitely not large scale site use. Add to that that the product is being retired it is time to start looking at upgrading. We were thankful for this project as it allowed us to truly make a difference for this client but also show some of the heartaches a lot of Adobe Muse sites face. This was no where near our largest Adobe Muse migration but definitely one of the most poor designs we have seen in the past five years. ## Problems with Adobe Muse Adobe Muse has been around a considerable period of time, colleges have been teaching it to aspiring graphic designers and web developers for years. As software developers we love to use it for proto-typing. Proto-typing is when you want to showcase something in a quick design but not go into a production environment. Too often we see these sites go into production. The above example is just one reason why we don't like Adobe Muse. There are more problems that we, as developers, see and these are our personal opinions based on using the software for the past five years. The problems we have with Adobe Muse is: - Not 100% standards based. We find too many oddities that just don't work with all the latest desktop, tablet, and mobile technologies. - The code is unreadable. That isn't a true deal breaker but if you are creating something you want it to be easily read and maintained. As an example we had one page that was 7,599 lines of code in Adobe Muse and in HTML5 (the re-write) the same page was 2,024 lines of code. - Maintainability. Specifically on larger files the editing and compiling of the site can take 10-15 minutes for even the most basic of changes. - Lack of a functional content management system. - **Note**: Adobe Muse does give you an "interface" via file transfer protocol (FTP)that is web-based but severely lacking compared to modern content management systems (CMS). - Lack of "real" search engine optimization or SEO. You get the most basic of SEO that was valid back in 2012. To add better you are looking at a nightmare to maintain. You have no structured META data, custom META data, etc. that helps you integrate with social media, the latest search engine standards, etc. - No real native way to create a sales funnel process to use your website for creating sales. - You have to "buy" a license from Adobe and install it on your local computer to have full functionality. I know many people will not agree with all the above. Especially, those without any development experience, our graphic designers, and maintain Adobe Muse sites. The key to all of those is we all have differing opinions and views. As a final nail in the Adobe Muse coffin of this article is that Adobe Muse is on "End of Life" which means it will soon be *dead* by Adobe. On March 26, 2018 Adobe announce that on March 26, 2020 the product will no longer be around. There has been talk and some other dates thrown around going to 2022. Either way the writing is on the wall. ## Adobe Muse End of Life Information - [https://helpx.adobe.com/muse/kb/adobe-muse-end-of-service.html](https://helpx.adobe.com/muse/kb/adobe-muse-end-of-service.html) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Story-Telling/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Story-Telling/ We have always known about the importance of storytelling when it comes to getting your message across in a fun way to your target audience. As we dig deeper into video we are reevaluating everything we know when it comes to content writing and getting the message across. Today we will cover some of the key aspects of doing a positive story telling article. This applies to not just content writing but within video as well. ## Be Yourself Since moving into our new building there has been a lot of change that has come about at JM2 Webdesigners. It seems that everyone’s personality is starting to finally started to shine through. Not that our personalities that didn’t shine through before. We just have more space to spread our wings and do things differently. By being ourselves the creativity has come out more than it was previously. ## Be human You are a human so truly be a human in what you are doing. You do make mistakes and always will as no one is perfect. These mistakes show you are a real person / company. The key to acknowledging your mistakes is to also fix them. A great way is when you are talking about mistakes state how you fix them. ## Be Personable Let people know why you are talking about what you are talking about and why it resonates personally with you. This is part of the magical art of storytelling as it draws your audience into your story and makes them part of it. ## Real life examples As you talk about your story inject some real-life examples and how it has helped you related to the topic that you are talking about. ## Mr Roboto As you talk try not to be a robot. When you talk like a robot and try to show you are smarter than everyone else you are alienating and condescending your audience. Talk like how you would like to be talked to and talk with clarity. Ignore the big and fancy words as they will not captivate your audience. ## Conclusion When writing stories for your target audience you need to share your passion and love. If you are unable to do that then curating (e.g. copying) content from others is what you should do. Establish who you are as a person and company. Be human and talk to your audience rather than trying to talk above them. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Streaming-YouTube-videos-on-your-website/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Streaming-YouTube-videos-on-your-website/ We create videos for our clients, edit videos they’ve created or had created for them, and we use their videos straight as provided. We often find ourselves using a custom video player or use the YouTube video with the branding turned off. There are several reasons with the top two being increased search engine optimization or SEO and also to relieve the burden from your web server streaming the video. This not only will make your website faster but provide a better user experience. So how do we remove YouTube’s branding using their standard and not using a “hack” to achieve the same result? You could use a custom video player but we’re going to show you the easiest way of using the standard YouTube video player. Let’s look at the main reasons why a business would want to remove the YouTube branding: - They want the video to appear native to the website - Don’t want to be associated with YouTube With all the reasons why you wouldn’t want the branding why would you want your video on YouTube rather than hosting it on your website? - YouTube is the second largest search engine on the Internet (SEO benefit) - Takes away from your web server - Makes your website faster (based on YouTube is serving the video) ## How to remove YouTube’s logo from embedded videos & players The change is rather simple to remove the YouTube branding. A word of advice is this needs to be the very first parameter to make it work. What you will do is add **?modestbranding=1**. An example to make this happen is: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qUy8OCTae3o**?modestbranding=1**" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> Below is the video above with the **?modestbranding=1** turned on. The first parameter after the video ID needs to be a question mark (e.g. ?) and all subsequent parameters you use need to use an ampersand (e.g. &). You will see that right after are video ID (e.g. qUy8OCTae3o) we added the ?modestbranding=1 which tells the player to no longer show the YouTube branding. ## Other YouTube modifications Although we’ve talked about the removal of branding there are also some other options you can use. Below are all of the parameters we’ve used in the past. For the complete list of additional parameters, you can go to [https://developers.google.com/youtube/player_parameters](https://developers.google.com/youtube/player_parameters). - **Turn off Title & Ratings** – &showinfo=0 - **Turn off Search** – &showsearch=0 - **Turn on Related Videos** – &rel=1 - **Note:** This is one that we always use at the end but usually with &rel=0 so that no video recommendations are given. Video recommendations that are given are related to what the user is interested in and not necessarily specific to the company. - **Note 2**: If you are using a playlist then you should leave this as &rel=1. - **Turn off Annotations** – &iv\_load\_policy=3 - **Force Closed Captions** – &cc\_load\_policy=1 - **Turn on AutoPlay (not recommended)** – &autoplay=1 - **Loop Playback** – &loop=1 - **Remove Full-Screen Option (not sure why you’d want to)** – &fs=0 - **Set Start/End time** – &start=&end= - The number you use needs to be a whole number (e.g. 1, 2, 3). If you want your video to start at 1 minute and fifteen seconds you would type in 75 (60 seconds + 15 seconds) for the start time. IF you wish it to end after two and a half minutes you would enter in 150 (60 seconds + 60 seconds + 30 seconds) ## Conclusion Videos are an important part of your marketing or should be. They convey your information quickly, easily, and provide information to your site visitors in a consistent voice. How you display your video to get your positive word out there is equally important. Choose the video player that aligns with your business branding. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Structuring-URLs-for-SEO-Success/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Structuring-URLs-for-SEO-Success/ When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO) one of the core items when developing your overall site plan is to design the site architecture. Having your sub-pages more than three layers deep is not good from a search engine perspective as no normal human can remember items that deep. We always shoot for a maximum of two layers deep when possible; three at most. URL structure doesn't stop there. There are many areas that should be looked at when developing your site architecture. ## Human Readability of URL Matters Our users use search engines to find us and you would think a URL structure doesn't matter. It does though as a user can clearly see where they are at by looking at your URL. Below are two examples of good and not-so-good URL's. ### Good http://www.myDomain.com/Cullman-Alabama-seo-services/ ### Not-So-Good http://www.myDomain.com/16/8/10/servces.php?id=1292 ## Making your URL better Looking at the above where we have good and not-so-good you can see that the first one clearly defines SEO Services in Cullman Alabama. The second doesn't as it is cryptic and non-informative. Taking that not perfect URL you will see many numbers, special characters, tags, and ID's being used. - The numbers do nothing for the user to navigate the site. The /16/8/10/ could be virtually anything and only means something to the website and not to the user. - The services.php with an id of 1292 also services no purpose to the user. When you look at the good example you clearly see that the site is referring to Cullman Alabama and also covers SEO Services. This has a visual meaning and clue to the user. If the page is well written the description, keywords, title, and content within the page will also have these phrases in it. **Note**: When we state that these phrases are in the page you should not: - SPAM your users with the phrase - Have the phrases match the background (black hat SEO is bad!) - The information should read naturally and make sense to the user ## Multiple URL's that serve the same content When you have two pages that serve the same you need to make one the “right” one through the use of canonicalization. When you canonicalize a URL you are stating which one is the official page that the search engines should index. Let's say you have two sites links of: http://www.myDomain.com/Cullman-Alabama-seo-services/ and http://www.myDomain.com/16/8/10/servces.php?id=1292 For the above on the second page you would have a in the page header to let the search engines know that although both pages have 100% the same information that the one should be the one you index. ## Keyword stuffing is bad for your website Stuffing may be one of the items we think about when it comes to Thanksgiving but definitely should never be used for your website. ### Good http://www.myDomain.com/seo-services/Alabama/chesterton/ ### Not Good http://www.myDomain.com/seo-services/seo-Alabama/seo-chesterton/ You will see from the above two examples they do the same thing except that one has SEO and Chesterton Alabama slammed with keyword stuffing. This is a practice you truly need to avoid when developing your URL scheme. ## Matching URL, Heading and Title There are many components to a webpage. You have the URL that we have been talking about. You also have the title that is displayed in the browser window. This should tie closely with the URL. You all have the H1 page element which should also tie. These three elements do not have to match 100% but should be similar and not factitious in what you are displaying. ## Stop words are not needed for success Stop words are words like and, or, but, of, in, the, a, etc. These words should not be included as they just add noise that are unnecessary to achieve SEO success. ### Good http://www.myDomain.com/seo-services/Alabama/merrillville/ ### Not Good http://www.myDomain.com/seo-and-seo-services-in-merrillville-Alabama/ ## Less is More When creating your structure less is always more when it comes to your URL. Both of the samples below show the exact same information and are about the same length. The difference is one is one layer deep where the other is four layers deep. ### Good http://www.myDomain.com/crown-point-Alabama-seo-services/ ### Not-So-Good http://www.myDomain.com/services/seo/Alabama/crown-point/ ## Use Good Separators There are many ways to separate words. The preferred way is dashes or underscores when creating your URL's. Another option is using ProperCase where the first letter of each word is uppercase and the result lowercase with no spaces. ### Good http://www.myDomain.com/seo-portage-Alabama/ or http://www.myDomain.com/seo\_portage\_Alabama/ ### Acceptable but not the best http://www.myDomain.com/SeoPortageAlabama/ ## Avoid spaces altogether Spaces don't work well at all. If a space is used in a URL the URL will have a %20 wherever a space is. http://www.myDomain.com/SEO%20Chicago%20Illinois/ When deciding what characters to use for your site you should make certain that all the characters you use are safe. This link [https://perishablepress.com/stop-using-unsafe-characters-in-urls/](https://perishablepress.com/stop-using-unsafe-characters-in-urls/) has a list of unsafe words that you should not use. ## Avoid Redirects Many times a page is moved, then moved again, and yet again. When a page is no longer at point A you should point to the final place it belongs. If you redirect from A to B, then B redirects to C, then C redirects to D what you should do is take the time to redirect A, B, and C straight to D. This will not only improve the information for the search engines but also screen refreshes and a poor user experience (UX) for your users. ## Consolidate your www and non-www website version One of the toughest decisions is to have your website be www.BusinessYETI.com or just BusinessYETI.com. Both are 100% valid. The key is to standardize and stick to just one. If you standardize on www.BusinessYETI.com and someone goes to BusinessYETI.com you should do a proper 301 redirect to the preferred URL. The user won't really notice this but the search engines will and make the appropriate adjustment in their system. ## Use a single domain When you are wanting to get your website indexed for great content you want to lead people to a single website. First, a single website is a lot easier to keep updated. Second, with a single website you will have a lot of great content that you can link to each other. Third, you are giving your users a single point to go to. Examples: ### Good Your domain is www.domainName.com. Plain and simple for a user to go to. ### Not Great Your domain is www.domainName.com. But to get to your content they need to go to: - blog.domainName.com to read your blog - portal.domainName.com to get to your customer portal - support.domainName.com to get to your customer support portal ## Be wary of capitalization Depending on how your system is setup the a file of http://domainName.com/seo-gary-Alabama/ could produce one result where http://domainName.com/SEO-Gary-Alabama/ could produce a different result. Although to a human these two URL's look 100% the same the second has UPPERCASE letters which could be interpreted differently by the server. Stay consistent as well as test the URL that it is valid for your content management system (CMS). ## Conclusion Your URL may seem to be a small item to think about but is actually one of the most important aspects in build or re-building your website. Take the time and effort to get it right. Yes, it will change over time just as your business evolves and improves over time. Having a standard though will go a long way and make the long term efforts of your website stand strong and proud within the search engines. If you would like help with a new or website redesign with proper up-front planning and a solid architecture JM2 Webdesigners is ready to assist your business grow. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/subject-line-tips/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/subject-line-tips/ We're noticing a recurring issue with subject lines that lack impact, resulting in open rates of less than 10%. This situation often leads to the misconception that email marketing isn't effective. The key change needed is in crafting subject lines that resonate with your recipients, making your bulk emails more successful. Your subject line is a crucial gateway to capturing attention, driving action, and preserving your brand reputation. It should never be an afterthought. Your subject line serves as a messenger conveying the value and purpose of your email to the recipient. It's this subject line that entices them to read further and engage with your brand by responding to your call to action (CTA). An ineffective subject line is not only poorly written—it can contribute to your emails being marked as spam. This damages your email sending reputation and can lead to your future emails being relegated to junk folders, even after you've addressed the issues with your subject lines. Remember, your subject lines hold as much significance as the email marketing campaign itself. Rather than treating them as hurried additions, invest ample thought into crafting lines that genuinely intrigue and prompt curiosity. Subject lines wield the power to determine whether your email is opened or left ignored amidst the chaos of overflowing inboxes. It's imperative for brands to effectively engage and communicate with their audience. Marketers favor email marketing due to its impressive ROI. It's a low-cost yet highly effective approach. Just like any relationship, the opening line sets the stage for what follows—emails are no exception. Your subject line conveys the value of your email to the recipient, encouraging them to delve deeper and engage more profoundly with your brand through the provided CTA. A subpar subject line does more than simply disappoint—it can contribute to your email's classification as spam, causing harm to your digital reputation with customers, mail servers, and search engines. A staggering 69% of email recipients label emails as spam solely based on the subject line. And even when recipients don't report emails as spam, 47% of consumers decide whether to read an email purely based on the subject line. Your subject line shoulders the weighty responsibility of the "to read or not to read" decision. A clever and attention-grabbing subject line can boost engagement and ensure your emails reside in the Inbox instead of the junk folder. This is precisely why it's crucial to regard subject lines as a pivotal aspect of your email marketing campaigns. They shouldn't be hurriedly penned just before hitting the send button; instead, allocate substantial time and consideration to crafting subject lines that captivate and inspire action. ## How to write the best email subject lines Before we look at some specific examples of great email subject lines, let's review what goes into making a subject line that resonates with the recipient. ## Personalized Touch Incorporate a personalized touch, [name]. Customizing email subject lines has the potential to boost open rates by 50%, resulting in a noteworthy 58% increase in click-to-open rates. This customization can be as effortless as inserting the recipient's first name or recollecting a prior interaction or behavior. Research indicates that personalizing email subject lines solely with the recipient's first name enhances engagement, CTR (click-through rate), and overall interaction with the brand. This phenomenon occurs even if the content within the emails lacks personalization or significant information. The initial sense of intimacy fostered by the subject line triggers heightened engagement with the advertising message, regardless of its content. So, go ahead and build a rapport by addressing your customers by their first names. ## Get the length right To ascertain the ideal length for your customer base, experimentation is essential. However, we suggest aiming for a maximum of nine words and approximately 60 characters. Slightly exceeding or falling short of this guideline won't significantly impact your outcomes. Nevertheless, it's vital to avoid excessive wordiness (beyond 20 words) or a complete absence of words, as these extremes can pose challenges. ## Exclude the word "newsletter" Absolutely avoid using the term "newsletter" in your email's subject line. Data indicates that the inclusion of this word causes email open rates to plummet by nearly 19%. This decline can be attributed to the perception of traditional newsletters as uninspiring, unlike the valuable content your email contains. Even if your intention is to deliver a newsletter, it's best to omit this mention. Instead, highlight the valuable content within. Craft your newsletter as if it's a personalized email to an individual, mitigating the generic and uninteresting connotation. ## Avoid spammy words, special characters, and YELLING Maintaining an impeccable sender reputation requires steering clear of the spam folder. Symbols like (#%\*@) and utilizing ALL CAPS send strong "spam" signals to both email recipients and internet service providers. At best, these practices might lead to an unsubscribe; more often, they relegate your messages to the spam folder. Steer clear of widely recognized spam terms to ensure your subject lines remain pristine and your emails avoid the spam folder. Additionally, exercise restraint with exclamation points. Presented below are commonly employed spam keywords: - Apply now - As Seen On TV - Auto - Billion - BOGO (Buy One, Get One) - Cash bonus - Cheap - Clever/catchy - Compare rates - Controversial - Credit - Double your income - Earn $ - Earn extra cash - Eliminate debt - Explode your business - Extra income - Free - Fast cash - Hello \_\_\_\_, - How-to - Keywords - Negative tones - One-time Offer - Questions - Scarcity - Short and sweet - Sneak peek - Spammy Subjects - Special - Statistics - Trending topic - Urgent ## Emojis for the win Gone are the days when emojis sparked controversy upon their introduction. Incorporating emojis into email subject lines was initially met with skepticism, but that's now a thing of the past. Consistently, studies reveal that using emojis in subject lines tends to boost open rates, and astute email marketers are leveraging this phenomenon. However, exercising caution in their usage is prudent. An excess of emojis could raise spam suspicions, and their appropriateness varies with the email's tone (such as transactional emails). Our suggestion is to limit yourself to one emoji per subject line. Furthermore, it's essential to test emojis across diverse email clients and mobile devices, as rendering can differ. Emojis can be a valuable addition, provided you employ them judiciously and ensure they align with your email's overall tone and brand identity. ## Remember to add preview text When your email's subject line serves as the headline, think of the preview text as the supporting subtitle. This brief snippet appears in your email recipient's inbox, offering a glimpse of what's inside before they open the email. If you leave the preview text uncustomized, it will simply extract from the beginning of your email. While this approach can suffice, it's more advantageous when you have control over the narrative. Elevate your email's quality by crafting preview text that adds an extra layer of value. With preview text, you have additional room to complement your subject line, provide a sneak peek of the email's content, and seize your subscriber's attention. This space offers a prime opportunity—ensure you maximize its potential. While good email subject lines can stand alone, exceptional ones synergize with preview text, forming a cohesive duo that enhances engagement. ## Walk the political tightrope There are five significant generations today, and each has distinct, separate expectations for brands and preferences for communication. The Silent Generation is the least likely to engage with email, so we'll focus on the other four: ### BABY BOOMERS Although they have lived much of their lives without modern technology, Baby Boomers have embraced technology. They value good customer service, simple and easy-to-understand content and are motivated by discounts and online offers that drive in-store purchases; however, Boomers tend to perceive personalization based on behavioral data like abandoned carts, cookies, or recent shopping experiences as "creepy." Subject lines that would engage boomers would highlight offers and savings, clearly stated and in simple terms. They would likely be willing to engage with a request that needed to be redeemed in-store. ### GEN X Despite being younger than Baby Boomers, Gen X tends to be hesitant about change and innovation, preferring to stick to what they know. They are predisposed to be skeptical of brands and perceive themselves as still recovering from the great recession. Gen X is driven by incentives and freebies, like "buy one get one," and appreciates when brands try to woo them with personalized email campaigns. They're drawn to nostalgia, familiarity, and safety and are less likely to indulge in "luxuries." Subject lines that engage Gen X would feel personalized and honest, avoid gimmicky language, and communicate a clear, easy-to-follow message. ### MILLENNIALS Millennials place heavy importance on authentic brand messaging and prioritize brands that behave responsibly. Having grown up alongside the internet, they are comfortable with technology and the most willing to trust and appreciate brands that use their online data to deliver personalized messaging. Millennials are most likely to be loyal to a few chosen companies and are willing to pay more to shop with them; however, they're also the most likely to switch brands they're loyal to and become "disloyal." They would instead purchase from brands that consistently have lower prices rather than brands with temporary price drops from offers and deals; however, they are also the most likely to impulse buy something as quickly as possible, regardless of how much it costs. Subject lines that would engage Millennials would be highly personalized – noting their behavior, previous interactions, or preferences – in an effort to cultivate a relationship. ### GEN Z Despite being the youngest generation, Gen Z holds a large amount of spending power– $140B globally. They are digital natives who have the shortest attention span yet – 8 seconds (compared to 12 seconds for Millennials). They're more likely to buy from brands that have established clear values, are inclusive, and have a robust online community. They prioritize style over value and are, therefore, willing to spend more to get what they want. Gen Z also values authenticity from brands but to a much greater degree than their Millennial counterparts. Another big difference is loyalty behaviors– Gen Z is far less likely to engage in loyalty programs than millennials; they'd rather interact with a brand on their own terms. Subject lines engaging Gen Z would be direct, eye-catching, and authentic. For a generation that juggles five screens at a time, brands must grab their attention boldly. ## Choosing Great Email Subject Lines Enhancing open rates and amplifying email marketing success hinges on delivering timely information to your subscribers, a strategy these subject lines exemplify. Conveying location-specific details communicates your attentiveness to your subscribers' needs. Numbers wield more impact than mere words due to their ability to swiftly convey information. The subject line not only extends a tangible benefit to the recipient but also emanates from a real individual. Opting for a person's name as the sender rather than an impersonal company or batch name enhances the likelihood of your newsletter being opened and read. Segmented email campaigns yield a staggering 760% more revenue compared to indiscriminate blasts sent to your entire email list. When possible, divide your groups into key categories. Examples include: - Age - Gender - Hobbies - Holidays - Industry - Interests - Job Title - Marital Status ## FOMO - Fear of Missing Out Across generations, the fear of missing out is a universal sentiment. Crafting a sense of urgency that avoids coming across as spam can prompt readers to engage and make purchases. The level of urgency embedded in your subject line correlates directly with subscribers' inclination to discover what your brand has prepared for them. Terms like "last chance," "expiring," or "limited time" prove effective at evoking urgency, especially for eCommerce enterprises disseminating offers. To maximize the effectiveness of your FOMO strategy, ensure you promptly, efficiently, and seamlessly fulfill the promises you've made. This approach guarantees that your sense of urgency is well-founded and authentic. ## Conclusion Email marketing serves as an excellent platform for cultivating trust, establishing brand authority, and nurturing confidence among your subscribers. By furnishing recipients with the information they desire and require, you position your business as the ultimate source of value—be it through content, products, or services. To reach this pivotal point in your subscriber relationship, you must ensure your content not only reaches them but also captures their attention amidst the swift email inbox scan that most individuals perform while grappling with their daily flood of messages. Formulating a primary subject line might appear relatively straightforward, yet crafting one that not only boosts open rates but also compels repeated engagement demands finesse. We've compiled a series of high-performing, top-tier email subject lines designed to kindle inspiration for your next email marketing campaign. These subject lines can aid your email newsletter in securing a cherished spot as a regular fixture within recipients' inboxes. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/successful-website/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/successful-website/ A successful website is much more than just an online presence—it's a powerful tool for informing, engaging, and converting both current and potential customers. Whether you're running a small business or a large enterprise, your website needs to communicate clearly, build trust, and guide users toward taking action. But what key elements should every website include to achieve these goals? In this pillar blog article, we'll break down the essential components of a successful website that keeps your audience informed and helps your business grow. *** ## **1. Clear and Engaging Homepage** Your homepage is the digital front door to your business. It should immediately communicate: - **Who you are:** A brief, impactful statement about your brand or business. - **What you do:** A clear description of your products or services. - **Why visitors should care:** A concise value proposition explaining how you solve their problems or meet their needs. ### **Key Features for Your Homepage:** - **A Strong Headline:** Grabs attention and tells users what you offer. - **Hero Image or Video:** Visually appealing media that reinforces your brand identity. - **Call-to-Action (CTA):** Encourage users to take the next step, such as “Learn More,” “Contact Us,” or “Shop Now.” *** ## **2. Easy-to-Navigate Menu** A simple and intuitive navigation menu helps users find the information they need quickly. Overcomplicated menus can frustrate visitors and drive them away. ### **Best Practices for Navigation:** - Use clear, descriptive labels (e.g., “About Us,” “Services,” “Contact”). - Include dropdowns for subcategories, but avoid overwhelming users with too many options. - Ensure the menu is mobile-friendly and easily accessible on smaller devices. *** ## **3. About Us Page** The **About Us** page builds trust by sharing your story, mission, and values. It helps potential customers connect with your brand on a personal level. ### **What to Include:** - A brief history of your business. - Your mission and core values. - Photos of your team or workspace. - Awards, certifications, or notable achievements. - A personal touch—share your passion for what you do. *** ## **4. Comprehensive Products or Services Pages** Your **products** or **services** pages are where potential customers learn exactly what you offer. These pages should: - Clearly describe each product or service. - Highlight benefits and key features. - Use engaging visuals, such as images or videos. - Include pricing information or a prompt to request a quote. ### **Bonus Tips:** - Add FAQs to address common questions. - Include testimonials or case studies to build credibility. *** ## **5. Contact Information** Make it easy for customers to get in touch with you. Include multiple ways to contact your business, such as: - Phone number. - Email address. - Physical address (if applicable). - Contact forms for inquiries. - Links to social media profiles. ### **Pro Tip:** Use a dedicated **Contact Us** page and place your contact details in the footer for easy access on all pages. *** ## **6. Blog or Resources Section** A blog or resources section is a great way to inform your audience, establish expertise, and boost your SEO efforts. ### **Content Ideas:** - Industry news and trends. - “How-to” guides and tutorials. - Answers to common customer questions. - Case studies or success stories. Regularly updating your blog shows that your business is active and invested in providing value to its customers. *** ## **7. Testimonials and Reviews** Customer reviews and testimonials build trust and demonstrate that others have had positive experiences with your business. ### **Where to Showcase Testimonials:** - A dedicated “Testimonials” page. - Sprinkled throughout your site, especially on product or service pages. - In a rotating slider on your homepage. Including real names, photos, or company details (with permission) makes testimonials more credible. *** ## **8. Calls-to-Action (CTAs)** CTAs guide users toward taking specific actions, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting you. ### **CTA Best Practices:** - Use action-oriented language, like “Get Started,” “Sign Up Now,” or “Schedule a Consultation.” - Place CTAs strategically throughout your site, such as at the end of blog posts, in the header, or on landing pages. - Make buttons visually distinct to draw attention. *** ## **9. Mobile Responsiveness** With most users browsing on mobile devices, your website must look and function perfectly on smaller screens. A mobile-responsive design ensures that: - Text is readable without zooming. - Buttons and links are easy to click. - Pages load quickly and smoothly. Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in search rankings, so this is essential for both usability and SEO. *** ## **10. Fast Loading Speed** Visitors won't wait for a slow website to load. A delay of even a few seconds can lead to higher bounce rates and lost conversions. ### **Ways to Improve Speed:** - Optimize images and videos for web use. - Minimize code and enable caching. - Use a reliable hosting provider. *** ## **11. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)** SEO ensures your website is discoverable by search engines like Google. Key SEO elements include: - **Keywords:** Use relevant keywords in your headings, meta descriptions, and content. - **Meta Tags:** Optimize your title tags and meta descriptions for each page. - **Internal Linking:** Connect related pages to improve navigation and SEO value. - **Local SEO:** Optimize for local searches by including your location and registering with Google Business Profile. *** ## **12. Privacy Policy and Terms of Use** With increasing concerns about data privacy, having a clear **Privacy Policy** and **Terms of Use** page is essential. These pages: - Explain how you collect, use, and protect user data. - Build trust with visitors. - Help you comply with legal regulations like GDPR or CCPA. *** ## **13. Analytics and Tracking Tools** To improve your website over time, you need to track how users interact with it. Tools like **Google Analytics** and **Hotjar** provide insights into: - Visitor behavior (e.g., time on page, bounce rates). - Traffic sources (e.g., organic search, social media). - Conversion rates for your CTAs. Use this data to refine your content and improve user experience. *** ## **14. Social Proof and Certifications** Displaying badges, awards, or certifications helps build trust and credibility. Examples include: - BBB accreditation. - Industry-specific certifications. - Partnership logos (e.g., “Google Partner” or “Trusted Local Business”). *** ## **Conclusion: Building a Website That Informs and Converts** A successful website isn't just about aesthetics—it's about providing value to your current and potential customers. By including the key elements outlined in this guide, you'll create a site that informs, engages, and converts visitors into loyal customers. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in designing and optimizing websites that drive results. Whether you need help with creating content, improving your site's SEO, or crafting a visually stunning design, our team is here to help. **Ready to build a website that sets your business apart?** Contact us today to get started! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SuccessfulWebsiteRedesignSteps/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/SuccessfulWebsiteRedesignSteps/ Your website is the way that you sell your products and services through your brand on the Internet. Many companies have chosen a Facebook only approach which makes your brand Facebook and not your own. Having a Facebook, or other social media outlet is definitely beneficial but that is not what defines your brand. A successful website will also meet the objectives that you have set forth. This could be for increased visibility of your company, generating sales, handling customer service, generate leads, or a combination of these items. When it comes to updating your existing website the first thought is to focus on a new and stunning graphic design. This will definitely get you noticed when people come to your site as being a truly beautiful work of art. What needs to happen more than a beautiful visual aspect is making certain it works the way your site visitors want it to work. This will cover working on desktop, tablet and mobile devices, increasing the content effectiveness and having an effective "call to action" for what you're currently promoting through your brand. When doing any website redesign we work on covering the following core elements so that your site is a true success. ## Responsive Design Responsive web design is a set of developer techniques that make a website display optimally on desktop monitors, tablet devices and Internet enabled smartphones. With mobile Internet access skyrocketing, no business can afford to give mobile users a poor website experience. The responsive web design process can be complex and is quite different from traditional website construction that graphic designers are used to. When a graphic designer creates your template for you they will routinely only make one view, the desktop view, for you. How will your newly created website look and feel on tablet or mobile devices? Which elements are no longer needed on smaller screen sizes? What elements are essential to providing a great user experience? Speaking of templates you should not use a template for your website. Your business is unique and different than that of everyone else. Your website should show off your company's core beliefs as well as its vision. Chain restaurants may feel they are the same as the local chain down the street but they are not. Even if they sell the exact same thing, same prices, etc. they all have different managers, employees, and a different geographic location. This sets your business apart even if you are a chain. You would think a cookie cutter company would be perfect as a template as all they do is create the same mold over and over. They are just as different as the chain restaurant. They may produce millions of the same item daily but they do so in a way that makes them equally unique from any other cookie cutter company. A template puts you into a mold of I am putting something online because I have to. ## Compelling Website Content The creation of useful, relevant, authoritative and persuasive content bottlenecks many Web design projects and undermines the effectiveness of the website. Poor content equals poor conversion rates. One area JM2 Webdesigners can assist you is getting skilled copywriters that are leading experts in your companies industry. They can take your factual inputs and transform them into compelling website copy that is engaging and effective for your product brand. ## User Interface / User Experience User Interface (UI) is what you will visually see when you come to a website. User experience (UX) is a set of techniques Web designers will employ to make a website easy for visitors to use. UX touches on design, copywriting, front-end development and end-user testing in particular -- informing, if not driving page layouts, typography, color palettes and navigational schemes. If users can find what they want quickly, and easily see value in your company's brand, products and services, then your UX execution has been a success. ## Conversion Rate Optimization Closely related to UX is conversion rate optimization (CRO) and is also crucial for a website built for lead generation and/or e-commerce. CRO is also commonly referenced as "lead generation" and is part of having a "Call to Action" for your website. CRO techniques are used tactically in the creation and presentation of offers (e.g., requests for consultation, special discounts, free quotes to qualified individuals), and strategically in the design of "conversion funnels" that create paths for users to follow on the website that lead them to convert in a way that makes the most sense for them. Many websites fail because of CRO shortcomings, such as placing fantastic offers in low visibility areas (below the fold) of a Web page rather than "above the fold", presenting overly complex offers, or displaying offers that appeal to only one type of user rather than one for "tire kickers" and one for prospects ready to do business. Above the Fold is the area where the user will see your Call to Action without having to scroll down to see the call of action. ## Lead Tracking Lead generation and e-commerce websites must know where visitors and conversions came from; otherwise, the company will not have the data it needs to continuously improve its Internet marketing campaigns. Your new website should have the ability to track all phone and form leads back to their source, enabling you to know that this lead came from Google search and that lead came from a Bing ad, etc. Part of this lead tracking requires the use of analytics software to determine how a visitor flows through your website. Do they come to your home page and leave? Do they look for more than a few minutes and then purchase? What commands do they type in the search criteria? You have a site search for your site, right? ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Unless a website is built correctly for Search Engine Optimization (SEO), future SEO marketing campaigns will be ineffective. And since most companies rely on SEO as the cornerstone of their Internet marketing strategy, they should make sure they really understand SEO. A properly setup SEO strategy will also garner you first page results under the keyword phrases that you want/need. JM2 Webdesigners is here to assist you with this process using our custom developed software algorithms that determine the proper threshold for showing the keywords on your site. We do this by not only evaluating your content but the content of your competitors, locally and nationally, as well. JM2 Webdesigners will work with you on all aspects of your SEO, create documents and explains in plain language specific SEO-related tasks that we perform, including keyword research, sitemap creation, internal linking, SEO copywriting practices, Google Analytics integration and more. ## 301 and 302 Redirects When you redesign your website many of the problems companies have is changing the overall structure of the website without thinking about the search engines previously saved links and information. A 301 redirect is a **permanent** change from location X to location Y. When these are properly setup when you submit to the search engines your updates and changes they will know to update your previous links to the new location. A common mistake that many popular CMS (Content Management Systems) will do is a 302 redirect. These redirects work exactly the same as a 301 redirect except that they are **temporary** redirects. You should use these when the page is temporarily unavailable but you know it will be coming back. If you leave a 302 redirect in place too long Google and other search engines could either drop your page entirely from search results or treat it as a 301 redirect (permanent) and not return to that page again. ## Social Media Integration We all know that social media is big business now. When you have your site redesigned think on how you can integrate your social media into your website. You will be posting and updating your social media sites typically more often than your website. When you post on social media make certain to also tie/link with your website as well. ## Page Speed Part of ranking well on the search engines is having a proper page speed. When your website loads slow users will not only leave your website but the search engines will as well. If the search engines are not impressed with the overall speed of your website you risk in not being as well indexed as you should be. Part of every project, and update, that JM2 Webdesigners does is to optimize all of the images to display as clearly as possible and in the proper sizes. Additionally, your code should be minified (shrunk) to decrease the amount of information downloaded, and utilize CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) to speed the overall page load. ## Mobile Access Starting April 21, 2015 Google is marking their pages as "Mobile Friendly". This means the page being viewed is optimized for viewing on mobile devices. What makes a great mobile experience? You have to fonts that are easily seen, buttons that aren't too close to each other, loads quickly, and much more. You can give your website a test at [https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/](https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/). When you do your test don't just test your home page. You need to test every page on your website. ## Programming Expertise Once a website is designed and written, developers code the data, transforming it into what will become the live website. This is where JM2 Webdesigners differs from much of the competition as we built our company on security and development expertise. By doing so we can take the graphic designs that designers (internal and outside graphic companies) create and bring them to life. For instance, an e-commerce website integrating with an internal ERP system is far more complex than a stand-alone lead generation website. Verify that your in-house team is experienced and trained in best practices for the applicable client-side, server-side and database skills. If you don't have the expertise in-house, there are plenty of web development firms ready to assist. ## Project Management Expertise At this point it should be obvious that Web design projects involve a lot of moving parts. In order to keep projects on schedule and within budget, you must have a well-organized, documented process for managing workflow. A loosely managed project leads to miscommunication, errors, overlap, increased costs and gaps in execution. In short, a mismanaged project is a high-stress project that ends with a substandard newly redesigned website that will not have as much impact as a properly managed project. ## Content Management Systems (CMS) Requiring a web designer or developer to perform your website updates is no longer a requirement to have a website. You don't need to know how to write code either which is a huge plus. Many business owners are busy running their business so they don't have time to update the site themselves today. This doesn't mean your site shouldn't be created without a CMS. It should be and you should receive information on how to use it. Every solution that JM2 Webdesigners creates not only comes with a customized administrative interface but we answer your support questions and cover training on how to use it no matter the size of the project. ## Security Most companies don't worry about security until it is too late. Security should be the first thing you think about, even before designing your site. To an automated hacker bot the size of your company doesn't matter. Passwords should not be weak, data in your database should be encrypted and whenever you ask for user information or display confidential information it should be encrypted with an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate. ## In Summary Redesigning a website sounds like a truly simple process. In reality redesigning a website is actually more difficult than creating a fresh and brand new one. With a new website nobody, not even [Google](http://www.google.com/), knows about you. When you redesign a site you not only have to take into account what your visitors know about you but also what Google and the other search engines know about you. Having a beautiful page layout will only get you so far and if not done properly can actually hurt your search engine rankings. If you are looking for a professionally designed and revamped web experience let us, JM2 Webdesigners, from Cullman Alabama, assist you in solving your web redesign needs. You can reach us through our [Contact us page](/Contact/), calling 256-258-8593, or through email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/support-local-small-business/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/support-local-small-business/ Supporting small businesses is one of the easiest and most impactful ways to uplift your local community — and it doesn't always require spending a lot of money. Whether it's a neighborhood bakery, a family-owned repair shop, or a new boutique down the street, small businesses depend on the support of everyday customers like you to survive and thrive. Here's how you can show your support, build community pride, and help ensure these essential businesses remain part of your town for years to come. *** ### Shop Local First Whenever possible, make a conscious effort to shop at local businesses instead of national chains or big-box retailers. Whether you're buying groceries, gifts, home decor, or grabbing a cup of coffee — your dollars go further when spent locally. Every sale matters, and your choice to shop small directly supports local jobs, services, and growth. *** ### Be Kind and Speak Positively — Even If the Experience Wasn't Perfect Small business owners are human — often juggling multiple roles with limited staff and resources. If you didn’t have a perfect experience, try to extend grace. Be understanding and remember that unlike large corporations, these owners don’t have massive budgets or large-scale logistics behind them. A little patience and kindness go a long way. *** ### Leave a Review — It's Free and Takes Just Minutes Online reviews are one of the most powerful tools for small businesses. Take five minutes to leave a positive review on Google, Yelp, or Facebook. Mention the owner’s name, what you loved about your experience, and what you’d recommend. Good reviews not only build trust with future customers but also help small businesses rank higher in local search results. ### Support Through Contests and Local Challenges You will see local news organizations and groups run "Best Of" contests where you can nominate and vote up your favorite businesses. Do this by doing local companies rather than the national companies. They need our love and support more than the national companies do. This goes a long way in helping them grow. *** ### Upload Photos to Their Google Business Page Snapping a quick photo of your meal, product, or service and uploading it to their Google listing can do wonders. Real photos from customers give future buyers confidence and help businesses stand out in search results. It's a simple gesture that provides lasting value. *** ### Like, Share, and Comment on Social Media Posts In today's digital age, visibility matters. When you like, comment on, or share a business’s post, you're helping increase their reach and exposure. Algorithms reward engagement, so even a few interactions can put their content in front of hundreds of new eyes. Always speak positively online — uplifting words can inspire others to visit and support too. *** ### Address Issues Privately and Respectfully If something went wrong with your order or service, give the business a chance to make it right — **before** blasting them online. Talk directly to the owner or manager. Most small business owners will go out of their way to correct a mistake. Trying to destroy a local business over a minor issue helps no one. Constructive feedback shared respectfully can actually strengthen a business. *** ### Refer Friends and Family Word-of-mouth is one of the most effective forms of marketing. If you love a business, tell others about it! Recommend them to friends, family, coworkers, or neighbors. Share their flyers, promote their events, or tag them in relevant online conversations. Your personal recommendation carries more weight than any ad. *** ### Attend Local Events and Markets From farmers' markets to local pop-ups and vendor fairs, there are plenty of events where small businesses gather. Attending these shows support not just one, but dozens of small entrepreneurs. It also creates opportunities for face-to-face interaction, which builds real connections and a sense of community. *** ### Buy Gift Cards Even if you don’t need something right away, purchasing a gift card helps support the business now and allows you or a loved one to enjoy it later. Gift cards are also great for birthdays, holidays, or thank-you gifts. *** ### Celebrate Their Wins Publicly When a local business hits a milestone — like an anniversary, expansion, or new product launch — celebrate it with them. Share their posts, write congratulatory comments, or even send them a message of support. These moments mean everything to small business owners. *** ### In Summary Supporting local small businesses doesn’t require grand gestures. The simple acts of shopping local, writing a review, uploading a photo, or sharing a social media post can have an outsized impact. Small business owners are your neighbors, friends, and fellow community members. They rely on your encouragement, patronage, and positivity to thrive. So next time you're about to click "add to cart" from a big-box retailer, pause for a second and ask: is there a small business that offers this same product or service? Support local. It matters. **Every purchase. Every post. Every kind word. It all adds up.** --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/support-small-business/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/support-small-business/ May is Small Business Month, and there's never been a better time to celebrate and support the entrepreneurs, family-run shops, and independent service providers that keep our communities thriving. While big franchises might offer convenience, it's the small businesses that truly fuel the heart of local economies. In this article, we'll explore why small businesses contribute more to communities than franchises and why your support matters more than ever. ### Small Businesses Keep Money in the Community When you spend money at a small business, more of it stays local. According to research, **68% of every dollar spent at a small business stays in the community**, compared to only **43% spent at national chains**. Local business owners are more likely to source their supplies from nearby vendors, hire local services like accountants or repair technicians, and reinvest profits into growing their local operations. That economic activity creates a positive ripple effect that benefits everyone in the area. *** ### Small Businesses Create Local Jobs Small businesses are job creators. In fact, **small businesses account for two-thirds of new job creation in the U.S. every year**. Unlike franchises that often hire based on rigid corporate structures, small businesses are more flexible and tend to provide opportunities to students, part-time workers, retirees, and career changers. Many small business owners are also first-time employers, helping individuals gain valuable experience and develop professional skills within their own community. ### Community Engagement and Support One of the biggest differences between small businesses and big-box franchises is their level of **community involvement**. Small businesses are the first to: - Sponsor youth sports teams - Donate to school fundraisers - Support local non-profits - Volunteer for community events They’re not just operating in the community — they’re deeply invested in its success. Because small business owners often live where they work, they care about the same things you do: good schools, safe streets, and a vibrant, thriving town. ### Unique Identity and Personalized Service Small businesses help define the character of your town. That quirky bookstore, the family-owned diner, the trusted local plumber — they’re the places that make your community special. They provide a level of **personalized service and relationship-building** that franchises rarely match. Many small business owners know their customers by name, remember their preferences, and go out of their way to make them feel welcome. ### Adaptability and Resilience Small businesses are remarkably resilient. During economic downturns or crises like COVID-19, it was often the local businesses that adapted quickly — offering curbside pickup, home delivery, virtual consultations, or new services to meet community needs. Their ability to pivot and persevere not only keeps them alive but also supports the community when it needs it most. ### Franchises Have Their Place — But They’re Not Local Heroes Let’s be clear: franchises provide jobs and access to familiar products, and they do have a place in our economy. But unlike small businesses, they’re driven by decisions made at the corporate level. Their profits are often funneled out of the community, and their local presence tends to be more transactional than relational. *** ### How You Can Support Small Business This Month (and Always) Supporting small businesses doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are a few simple ways to make a big impact: - **Shop local before turning to big-box stores or online retailers** - **Leave a positive review on Google, Yelp, or Facebook** - **Follow and share local businesses on social media** - **Attend community events and markets** - **Buy gift cards for friends and family** ### In Summary Small businesses are more than places to shop — they are the backbone of our local economies, the creators of jobs, and the champions of our community values. This Small Business Month, and every month, make a conscious choice to support the businesses that support your neighborhood. When you buy local, you’re investing in more than just a product or service — you’re investing in people, dreams, and the future of your community. **Support local. Shop small. Make a difference.** --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TakingOverAGoogleAdsAccount/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TakingOverAGoogleAdsAccount/ Taking over a Google Ads account requires a deep understanding of the current setup, goals, and performance metrics. Here are key questions to ask and steps for analyzing whether the campaigns are working effectively: 1. **Account Background and Objectives** - **What are the primary goals of the Google Ads campaigns (e.g., lead generation, sales, brand awareness)?** **What KPIs are being tracked to measure success? Are there specific products, services, or promotions that are priorities? Who is the target audience for these campaigns? What is the monthly budget, and is it flexible? Are there any geographic locations or times of day that are prioritized?** **Campaign Structure and TargetingWhat types of campaigns are being run (Search, Display, Shopping, Video, etc.)? How are the campaigns segmented (e.g., by product, service, audience)? What targeting methods are used (keywords, demographics, interests, remarketing, etc.)? Are there specific keywords or placements that have been particularly successful or problematic? Ad Performance and ContentWhat types of ad creatives are being used (text, image, video)? How are the ads performing in terms of CTR, conversion rate, and other relevant metrics? Are there A/B tests running, and what have the results shown? Are there specific messages or offers in the ads that resonate most with the audience? Are responsive search/display ads being utilized for optimization? Bidding and BudgetingWhat bidding strategy is currently in place (e.g., manual CPC, target CPA, target ROAS)? Are there any budget caps on specific campaigns or ad groups? Has there been a recent increase or decrease in spend, and if so, why? Conversion Tracking and AnalyticsAre conversion tracking and analytics set up properly (Google Ads conversion tracking, Google Analytics, etc.)? What actions are considered conversions, and how are they being measured? Are there any discrepancies between Google Ads and Google Analytics data? Are there any specific conversion goals in Google Analytics that align with the ad campaigns? Landing Pages and User ExperienceWhat landing pages are being used, and are they optimized for conversions? Are there any issues with page load speed or mobile-friendliness? How often are landing pages updated or tested for performance? Competitor and Industry InsightsWho are the main competitors, and are there any competitive insights to consider? Are there any industry trends that might influence ad performance?** **Steps to Analyze Campaign Performance Review Key Performance MetricsCTR (Click-Through Rate): Indicates how well the ads are capturing interest.CPC (Cost Per Click): Helps gauge the cost-efficiency of the ads.Conversion Rate: Shows how effective the ads are at driving desired actions.CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): Reveals how much it costs to generate a conversion.ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on ads.Assess Conversion Tracking AccuracyEnsure that all conversion actions are being tracked accurately, and verify that the data aligns with Google Analytics. Analyze Ad PerformanceCheck which ads or ad groups have the highest CTR, conversions, and lowest CPA. Look for underperforming ads to pause, optimize, or test with new variations. Evaluate Targeting and Bidding StrategiesAssess how well the current targeting options are aligning with the campaign goals. Review the bidding strategy to ensure it’s appropriate for the goals. Consider testing automated bidding if not already in use. Examine Search Term and Placement ReportsFor search campaigns, review the Search Term report to identify irrelevant queries that might need to be excluded. For display campaigns, examine the Placement report to exclude low-quality sites or apps. Check Audience PerformanceIf audience targeting is in use, evaluate the performance of different audience segments and consider expanding or narrowing the focus. Audit the Landing PagesAnalyze the landing page experience, including load speed, mobile usability, and conversion elements. Benchmark Against Industry StandardsCompare the account's performance metrics to industry averages to see how it stands. Create a Performance Improvement PlanBased on the analysis, outline specific actions to improve performance, such as testing new ad creatives, adjusting bids, optimizing keywords, or refining audience targeting. This thorough analysis and asking the right questions will help you gain a complete understanding of the account and identify areas to optimize for better performance.** --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/tcpa-business-compliance/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/tcpa-business-compliance/ ### Understanding the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and Its Importance in 2025 In the world of business communication, compliance with legal frameworks isn’t just about avoiding fines; it’s about building trust with your customers. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) is one such regulation that continues to hold significant relevance in 2025. It governs how businesses interact with consumers via calls, texts, and faxes, ensuring that customers are not overwhelmed by unsolicited communications. Here’s why businesses need to understand and comply with the TCPA today. *** ### **What is the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)?** The TCPA is a U.S. federal law enacted in 1991 to restrict telemarketing practices and protect consumers from unwanted communications. It is enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and allows consumers to file lawsuits and collect damages for receiving unsolicited calls, texts, or faxes. #### **Key Provisions of the TCPA:** 1. **Consent Requirements:** - Businesses must obtain prior express written consent before making telemarketing calls or sending texts. - For non-telemarketing calls, prior express consent (verbal or written) is sufficient. 2. **National Do Not Call (DNC) Registry:** - Prohibits businesses from contacting numbers registered on the DNC list unless there is an established business relationship. 3. **Autodialers and Prerecorded Messages:** - The use of autodialing systems or prerecorded messages without consent is prohibited. 4. **Time Restrictions:** - Calls can only be made between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM local time of the recipient. 5. **Opt-Out Mechanisms:** - Businesses must provide clear opt-out options during every communication. 6. **Penalties:** - Violations can result in fines of $500 to $1,500 per call or message, depending on whether the violation was willful. *** ### **Why is TCPA Compliance Crucial in 2025?** #### **1. Increasing Consumer Awareness** Consumers today are more aware of their rights under laws like the TCPA. With easy access to information and legal resources, individuals are more likely to pursue legal action against businesses that violate these rights. #### **2. Rise in Class-Action Lawsuits** TCPA violations often lead to class-action lawsuits, with settlements reaching millions of dollars. For instance, businesses have faced lawsuits over: - Unsolicited marketing texts. - Calls to numbers on the DNC list. - Improper use of autodialers. #### **3. Evolving Communication Channels** In 2025, businesses rely heavily on text messaging, automated calls, and social media for customer engagement. These channels fall under the TCPA’s jurisdiction, making compliance more critical than ever. #### **4. Maintaining Consumer Trust** Consumers are less likely to engage with businesses that bombard them with unsolicited communications. Compliance with TCPA regulations shows respect for customer preferences and fosters trust. *** ### **Steps to Ensure TCPA Compliance** #### **1. Obtain Proper Consent** - Collect prior express written consent for telemarketing calls or texts. - Clearly inform consumers about what they are consenting to, including the use of autodialers. #### **2. Maintain a DNC List** - Regularly update your internal Do Not Call list. - Check numbers against the National DNC Registry before making calls. #### **3. Use Compliant Technology** - Choose calling and messaging systems that adhere to TCPA guidelines. - Avoid using autodialers unless you have the required consent. #### **4. Provide Opt-Out Options** - Ensure every communication includes an easy and clear way for recipients to opt out. - Honor opt-out requests immediately. #### **5. Train Your Team** - Educate employees about TCPA rules and the importance of compliance. - Conduct regular training sessions and audits. #### **6. Document Everything** - Maintain detailed records of customer consent. - Keep logs of calls, texts, and opt-out requests. *** ### **The Benefits of TCPA Compliance** #### **1. Avoid Legal Penalties** Non-compliance can lead to hefty fines, lawsuits, and reputational damage. Staying compliant saves your business from these risks. #### **2. Build Better Customer Relationships** Respecting customer preferences and privacy fosters trust and loyalty, making them more likely to engage with your business. #### **3. Improve Marketing Efficiency** Targeting only those who have consented to receive communications ensures you’re reaching an audience that wants to hear from you, improving conversion rates. #### **4. Gain a Competitive Edge** Compliance demonstrates professionalism and ethical practices, setting your business apart from less reputable competitors. *** ### **Conclusion** The TCPA remains a cornerstone of consumer protection in 2025. As businesses continue to rely on digital and automated communication, understanding and adhering to TCPA regulations is essential. By obtaining proper consent, respecting customer preferences, and using compliant technologies, businesses can avoid legal trouble and build lasting relationships with their audience. Prioritizing compliance isn’t just about following the law; it’s about creating a better customer experience and setting your business up for sustainable growth. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/tcpa-changes-2025/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/tcpa-changes-2025/ ### Upcoming TCPA Changes in 2025: What Businesses Need to Know About Cold Outreach and Compliance The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) has been a cornerstone in regulating how businesses communicate with consumers since its inception in 1991. It governs telemarketing practices, including cold calling, texting, and email marketing, ensuring consumer rights are protected against intrusive or unwanted communications. As 2025 approaches, significant updates to the TCPA are expected, particularly concerning cold outreach methods. These changes aim to create more transparency and accountability, and businesses must adapt their practices to remain compliant. Let’s explore the upcoming TCPA updates and how businesses can adjust their outreach strategies. *** ### **What is the TCPA?** The TCPA regulates telemarketing, text messaging, and automated communications, requiring businesses to obtain explicit consent before contacting consumers. It also enforces the National Do-Not-Call (DNC) Registry, ensuring individuals can opt out of unwanted communications. Violations of the TCPA can result in penalties of up to $1,500 per infraction, making compliance critical. *** ### **Key TCPA Updates in 2025** 1. **Stricter Regulations on Cold Calling** - Businesses engaging in cold calling will face enhanced restrictions, such as limited calling hours, stricter consent requirements, and real-time opt-out capabilities. - **Call Frequency Limits**: Proposed changes may introduce stricter caps on the number of attempts to contact an individual within a set timeframe. 2. **Cold Texting Controls** - Cold texting, which involves reaching out to potential customers without prior engagement, will require explicit consent before any message is sent. - **Opt-Out Enforcement**: Businesses must ensure that recipients can easily opt out of further communications and that these requests are honored immediately. - **Automated Systems Regulation**: Increased scrutiny on businesses using automated messaging systems to send cold texts. 3. **Cold Email Marketing Transparency** - The TCPA updates are expected to align more closely with email privacy laws, requiring businesses to: - Clearly disclose their identity in emails. - Provide an accessible opt-out link in every message. - Avoid misleading subject lines or content. - Businesses may also need to verify the source of their email lists to ensure recipients have provided consent. 4. **Enhanced Consumer Consent Practices** - For all forms of cold outreach, businesses will likely need to implement **double opt-in** processes to verify consumer intent. - Renewed or refreshed consent may be required for continued communication, ensuring contact lists remain up-to-date. 5. **DNC Registry Enforcement** - Businesses must frequently update their contact lists against the National DNC Registry to avoid accidental violations. 6. **Higher Penalties for Non-Compliance** - The FCC is expected to increase fines for non-compliance, particularly for businesses engaging in cold calling, texting, or emailing without proper consent. *** ### **Cold Outreach: What Businesses Need to Do** 1. **Cold Calling Compliance** - Use TCPA-compliant dialing systems that can document consent and provide real-time opt-out capabilities. - Avoid calling individuals listed on the DNC Registry unless they have provided explicit permission. - Train staff to handle cold calls within TCPA guidelines, including adherence to calling hours and providing clear identification. 2. **Cold Texting Compliance** - Obtain explicit, documented consent before sending any text messages. - Include clear opt-out instructions in every text (e.g., “Reply STOP to unsubscribe”). - Avoid using automated systems to send bulk texts without confirming their compliance with TCPA requirements. 3. **Cold Email Marketing Compliance** - Ensure all recipients have opted in to receive emails, even if they are part of a purchased list. - Include a visible opt-out link in every email and honor requests immediately. - Avoid spam-like practices, such as using misleading subject lines or over-saturating inboxes. *** ### **Best Practices for TCPA Compliance in 2025** 1. **Audit Your Contact Lists** - Regularly update your lists to remove individuals who have opted out or are on the DNC Registry. - Verify the consent status of contacts, especially for cold outreach campaigns. 2. **Use TCPA-Compliant Tools** - Invest in CRM and outreach platforms that ensure compliance with TCPA regulations, including tracking consent and opt-out requests. 3. **Train Your Team** - Educate sales and marketing teams on the latest TCPA requirements and provide scripts or guidelines for cold calling, texting, and emailing. 4. **Implement Double Opt-In Processes** - Require consumers to confirm their consent through a second step, such as clicking a link or replying to a text. 5. **Monitor State Laws** - Some states may introduce additional restrictions or penalties for non-compliance, so stay informed about local regulations. 6. **Consult Legal Experts** - Work with legal counsel specializing in telemarketing laws to review your practices and ensure compliance with the updated TCPA regulations. *** ### **Why Compliance is Essential** Failing to comply with the TCPA can result in steep penalties, legal challenges, and reputational damage. Businesses that embrace the upcoming changes as an opportunity to enhance transparency and respect consumer privacy will stand out in a crowded marketplace. Compliant cold outreach strategies can build trust and foster meaningful relationships with potential customers. ## Great Information If you comply with all 15 of these requirements you will be meeting the letter of the law (not legal advice–seek your own counsel or retain us to help draft your consent disclosure in accordance with your specific needs): 1. Disclosure must reference language on button; 2. Disclosure must reference SMS/MMS is those will be used in campaign; 3. Disclosure must reference AI generative voice if will be used in campaign; 4. Disclosure must reference marketing; 5. Disclosure must be ABOVE companies to be selected and accept button; 6. Disclosure must reference ESIGN Act; 7. Disclosure must advise companies may call on seller’s behalf; 8. Disclosure must reference use of automated technology; 9. Disclosure must allow consumer to select good/service providers individually; 10. Disclosure must advise consent is not required to obtain any good/service/credit; 11. A small “select all” option CAN be provided but must not be forced on consumer; 12. Consumer must be able to obtain service without providing consent; 13. Disclosure must mention prerecorded or artificial voice messages, if applicable; 14. Only a reasonable number of companies should be displayed to consumer; 15. Phone number should be supplied on same page as consent is provided. Source: https://tcpaworld.com/2024/01/24/introducing-the-troutman-amin-fifteen-a-completely-free-template-consent-disclosure-to-comply-with-the-fccs-new-one-to-one-rule/ *** ### **Conclusion** As 2025 approaches, businesses must prepare for the evolving landscape of consumer communications under the updated TCPA. Whether you rely on cold calling, texting, or email marketing, staying compliant will protect your business from costly penalties while enhancing your brand’s credibility. By implementing the recommended practices and staying informed about regulatory changes, you can create effective, compliant marketing campaigns that resonate with your audience. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Ten-Techniques-to-Grow-on-Social-Media/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Ten-Techniques-to-Grow-on-Social-Media/ It's time to learn from the past, move forward, and start increasing your engagement and adding to your bottom line with these ten steps (you can always watch the video!) ## Lack of a strategy - Old strategy of throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks - Not knowing the "Voice" you want to present - Your tone - Authenticity - Showcase your personal side (e.g. your culture) - Continuing to do things that are not working - Adapt and be agile - Not showing yourself as an expert - Measuring ROI the Wrong Way - Cannot be measured in the short term - Not using analytics - Looking at "Likes" - It is better to have a few hundred followers that love your product/service and buy than millions that don't buy ## Believing social media will solve all your problems - Amplify your message ## Not Using Software - Facebook will not be around forever (remember: Myspace, AOL, or Google+?) - Not utilizing social media software - Better reporting - Scheduling and posting at the right time (which changes) - Keeps you OFF social media - Great solutions: Hootsuite, Buffer, Social Pilot ## Platforms - Wrong platforms - Too many platforms - Same message on all the platforms (e.g. Crossposting) - Treating each platform the same - Incomplete profiles - Remember social is a two-way street - This is not radio, television, or print ads ## Not knowing your customer - Not knowing who your true customer is - Not answering your customers questions - Know your customers pain points and frustrations - Don't ignore them. Reply to them. Engage with them. - Automated messages - Sending automated messages to all of your followers (e.g. Twitter [DM] Direct Messages) ## Being a stalker - Leads don't follow, stop following every step your competition is doing and lead - Copying what your competitor is doing – they are probably copying you! - Stop comparing yourself to others ## Following - Following too many people - Following the "wrong" people ## Thinking social media is "Free" - Think of all your costs - Your time (or your outsourced time) - Time to create - Content - Images - Videos - Not making social media a priority, inadequate time ## Inviting all your friends to a page to show "magic" of growth - Many will drop off which will decrease your reach and make the algorithm feel your value may not be up to par, even if it is. - Only invite those you know will "benefit" from your product or service. The others will come naturally - Better technique is to invite NONE and to share on your page (every once in a while) and your friends will then join when they see a benefit to them, not you. - This will make an engaged person rather than just a "statistic" to "impress" ## Posting - Too much - Too little - Inconsistently - Inappropriate content - Sounding Impersonal or automated - Not using the 70/20/10 rule - 70% informative / original content - 20% pulling from other industry leaders - 10% sales - Wrong content - Quantity over quality - Pushing Sales - When pushing sales not having a measurable call to action - Build a relationship - Comments - Deleting/ignoring negative comments - Not taking negative comments "offline" and trying to do it online - Boosting rather than creating more targeted ads / re-targeting campaigns - Don't post political (unless you are a politician and then keep it clean and non-attacking – informative) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/texas-sb-140/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/texas-sb-140/ ## Texas SB 140: What Every Business Must Know About Texting, Cold Calling, and CRM Compliance ### What Is SB 140? On **June 20, 2025**, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed **Senate Bill 140 (SB 140)** into law. Effective **September 1, 2025**, it dramatically tightens rules on marketing communications by expanding the definition of **telephone solicitation** to include: - **Text messages (SMS)** - **Multimedia messages (MMS)** - **Rich Communication Services (RCS)** messages (e.g., texts with images or graphics) In other words, **marketing texts are now regulated exactly like telemarketing calls**. *** ### Key Provisions of SB 140 | Change | What It Means for Businesses | | --- | --- | | **Texts = Telemarketing** | All promotional SMS/MMS must follow Texas telemarketing laws. | | **Mandatory Registration** | Unless exempt, you must register with the Texas Secretary of State (Form 3401), pay a **$200 annual fee**, and post a **$10,000 security bond** or equivalent. | | **Quarterly & Annual Filings** | Ongoing updates and renewals are required. | | **Private Right of Action** | Violations are now covered by the **Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA)**, allowing consumers to sue directly for **treble (triple) damages**, attorney’s fees, and compensation for mental anguish. | | **No Cap on Claims** | Each violation can trigger a new lawsuit—past settlements don’t block future actions. | #### Exemptions Some organizations may be exempt, such as: - Publicly traded companies, financial institutions, and accredited educational institutions - 501(c)(3) nonprofits - Food sellers - Brick-and-mortar retailers with at least two years under the same name and majority in-store sales - Businesses contacting **current or former customers** that meet the two-year name requirement *Note:* The law’s definition of “customer” isn’t perfectly clear, so consult legal counsel. *** ### Similar Laws in Other States Texas isn’t alone. A growing number of states have enacted “mini-TCPA” laws with their own twists: - **Florida** – Florida Telephone Solicitation Act (FTSA) requires prior express written consent and limits call frequency. - **Oklahoma** – Oklahoma Telephone Solicitation Act (OTSA) mirrors FTSA, with stiff per-call penalties. - **Washington, Maryland, New York, and others** – Enforce strict “Do Not Call” rules, quiet hours, and private rights of action for unwanted texts or calls. **Trend:** States are broadening the federal TCPA framework to explicitly cover SMS/MMS and to empower private lawsuits with high statutory damages. *** ### How Businesses Can Protect Themselves 1. **Audit Your Outreach** - Identify all outbound SMS/MMS campaigns to Texas numbers. - Determine if you qualify for an exemption. 2. **Obtain Express Written Consent** - Use clear opt-in forms. - Retain time-stamped records. 3. **Honor Quiet Hours** - Texas rules: **9 AM–9 PM Monday–Saturday; after 12 PM on Sunday**. 4. **Provide Easy Opt-Outs** - Implement “Reply STOP to unsubscribe” and honor requests immediately. 5. **Register if Required** - File Form 3401, pay the $200 annual fee, and maintain the $10,000 security deposit. 6. **Maintain Detailed Records** - Store consent logs, message history, and opt-out confirmations for defense in case of complaints or lawsuits. 7. **Consult Legal Counsel** - Because state laws vary and penalties are steep, have an attorney review your program. *** ### How Brilliance CRM Simplifies Compliance and Saves Money A robust CRM can automate the heavy lifting. **Brilliance CRM** provides: - **Consent Management** – Capture and time-stamp opt-ins, store digital signatures, and instantly honor opt-outs. - **Automated Quiet-Hour Controls** – Block outbound messages outside allowed times by state. - **Dynamic State-by-State Rules** – Tag contacts by location to apply the correct regulations automatically. - **Comprehensive Audit Trails** – Generate exportable compliance reports for regulators or court defense in seconds. - **Integrated Marketing Tools** – Send targeted, consented campaigns through SMS, email, and voice without juggling multiple platforms. By centralizing these functions, Brilliance CRM **reduces legal risk and lowers operating costs**, eliminating the need for separate tools or manual tracking. *** ### Bottom Line **Texas SB 140 raises the stakes for text and cold-call marketing.** With penalties up to **$5,000 per message** and the possibility of triple damages, non-compliance can be catastrophic. Businesses that **audit, register, obtain consent, and use a compliance-focused CRM like Brilliance** will protect their brand, avoid lawsuits, and continue marketing confidently across Texas and other states following this trend. *Act before September 1, 2025 to safeguard your outreach and your bottom line.* --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Texting-A-Powerful-Tool-for-Business-Growth-in-Ala/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Texting-A-Powerful-Tool-for-Business-Growth-in-Ala/ ### Texting: A Powerful Tool for Business Growth in Alabama and Beyond In the fast-paced world of digital communication, texting has become an indispensable tool for businesses. With its high open rates, immediacy, and broad reach, texting is revolutionizing the way companies connect with customers. Whether you're a small business in Alabama or a global enterprise, leveraging texting can significantly boost customer engagement and drive growth. Let’s dive into what texting is, its benefits, and how it can propel your business to the next level. *** ### What is Texting in a Business Context? Texting, or SMS (Short Message Service), is the process of sending short messages of up to 160 characters to mobile phones. For businesses, texting extends beyond basic SMS to include: - **MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service):** Messages that include images, videos, or audio. - **Two-Way Messaging:** Interactive communication between businesses and customers. - **Automated Texts:** Pre-scheduled or triggered messages for reminders, confirmations, or promotions. Businesses use texting for a variety of purposes, including: - Sending appointment reminders. - Sharing exclusive promotions and discounts. - Providing customer support. - Conducting surveys or collecting feedback. *** ### The Benefits of Texting for Businesses #### **1. Unmatched Open Rates** Texting boasts an open rate of **98%**, far surpassing email’s average open rate of 20-30%. - Most texts are read within **3 minutes** of delivery. - This immediacy ensures that your message reaches your audience when it matters most. #### **2. Personalization and Direct Engagement** Texting allows for highly personalized communication: - Address customers by name and tailor messages to their preferences. - Build trust by engaging customers directly in a conversational manner. #### **3. Increased Customer Loyalty** By providing timely updates and exclusive offers, businesses can foster loyalty: - **Example:** A restaurant sending a text about a happy hour deal creates a sense of urgency and appreciation. #### **4. Cost-Effective Marketing** Texting is one of the most affordable marketing tools: - Campaigns require minimal investment compared to traditional advertising. - With high ROI, even small businesses can compete effectively. #### **5. Versatility Across Industries** Texting is adaptable to virtually any industry: - **Healthcare:** Appointment reminders and wellness tips. - **Retail:** Flash sales and product launches. - **Real Estate:** Property updates and open house notifications. - **Education:** Class updates and emergency alerts. *** ### How Texting Can Help Businesses Grow in Alabama and Beyond #### **1. Localized Marketing for Alabama Businesses** Texting is ideal for connecting with local communities: - Promote events, sales, or updates tailored to specific Alabama regions. - Use location-based segmentation to target customers in cities like Birmingham, Huntsville, or Mobile. #### **2. Enhanced Customer Relationships** For small businesses in Alabama, personal relationships are key. Texting allows you to: - Provide real-time responses to customer inquiries. - Share updates that make customers feel valued and informed. #### **3. Scaling Beyond Alabama** As your business grows, texting can help maintain personalized communication on a larger scale: - Use automation tools to manage high volumes of messages. - Integrate texting with CRM systems for seamless customer management. *** ### Best Practices for Texting in Business #### **1. Obtain Consent** Always get explicit permission before sending texts to customers. This ensures compliance with regulations like the **TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act)**. #### **2. Be Clear and Concise** Respect your customers’ time by keeping messages brief and to the point. Include: - A clear purpose for the message. - A call to action (e.g., “Click here” or “Reply YES”). #### **3. Timing Matters** Send messages at appropriate times to avoid disturbing customers: - Avoid late-night or early-morning texts. - Schedule messages for optimal engagement times. #### **4. Personalize When Possible** Use data from your CRM to tailor messages to individual customers: - “Hi [Name], don’t miss our sale this weekend!” #### **5. Track and Optimize** Measure the success of your texting campaigns: - Use metrics like open rates, response rates, and conversions. - Adjust your strategy based on data insights. *** ### Why Texting is the Future of Business Communication Texting is more than a communication tool; it’s a strategic asset that drives engagement, builds relationships, and delivers results. Its high open rates, cost-effectiveness, and versatility make it an essential part of any modern marketing strategy. By adopting texting, businesses in Alabama and beyond can: - Stay ahead of the competition. - Enhance customer satisfaction. - Drive consistent growth. *** ### Conclusion Whether you’re a local business in Alabama or a global brand, texting offers unparalleled opportunities to connect with your audience. With its proven benefits and wide-ranging applications, it’s time to make texting a cornerstone of your communication strategy. Start leveraging the power of texting today and watch your business thrive—in Alabama and beyond. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/text-marketing-for-beginners/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/text-marketing-for-beginners/ If you're a business owner in Alabama looking to reach more customers and grow your business, **text marketing** is a powerful tool to consider. With the majority of Americans owning a mobile device, text marketing provides a direct, personal, and highly effective way to communicate with your audience. ## What is Text Marketing? Text marketing, also known as SMS marketing, is a method of sending promotional messages, updates, or alerts to customers via text message. These messages can include: - Promotions or discounts - Appointment reminders - Event announcements - Flash sales - Customer feedback requests Unlike email marketing, which often gets buried in inboxes, text messages have a **98% open rate**, making them one of the most effective marketing channels available. *** ## Is Text Marketing Legal in Alabama? Yes, text marketing is legal, but it is regulated by federal and state laws. The most important rules include: - **Customer Consent:** Under the **Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)**, you must obtain clear, written consent from customers before sending marketing messages. - **Opt-Out Option:** Every message must include an easy way for recipients to opt out (e.g., "Reply STOP to unsubscribe"). - **Time Restrictions:** Texts can only be sent between **8 AM and 9 PM** in the recipient's local time. To comply with these laws, consider using a professional text marketing platform that automates consent and opt-out management. *** ## How Can Text Marketing Benefit Alabama Businesses? 1. **Connect with Customers in Real Time:** Text messages are typically read within **3 minutes** of being received. This makes text marketing ideal for flash sales, last-minute announcements, or appointment reminders. 2. **Increase Customer Engagement:** With such high open rates, text marketing ensures your message reaches customers directly. Whether you're promoting a special event in Huntsville or a sale in Birmingham, texting grabs attention. 3. **Boost Revenue:** Promotions sent via text are more likely to be redeemed compared to other channels. For example, a **"10% off today only"** text can drive immediate foot traffic to your store or website. 4. **Personalized Messaging:** Text marketing allows you to send personalized offers to customers. For instance, you can send a message like, **"Hi [Name], enjoy 20% off your next visit to our Montgomery location!"** 5. **Cost-Effective Marketing:** Compared to traditional advertising like radio or print, text marketing is affordable and yields a higher return on investment (ROI). Small businesses across Alabama can use text marketing without stretching their budgets. *** ## How Do You Get Started with Text Marketing? Follow these steps to create a successful text marketing campaign: ### 1. Choose the Right Platform Select a reliable SMS marketing platform like: - **Twilio** - **EZ Texting** - **SimpleTexting** These platforms help you manage contacts, schedule messages, and track performance. ### 2. Build Your Contact List - Encourage customers to sign up by offering an incentive (e.g., **"Text JOIN to [number] for 15% off your first order"**). - Add an opt-in option on your website or at checkout in your store. ### 3. Write Compelling Messages - Keep messages short and clear (160 characters or less). - Include a strong call to action, like **"Shop now!"** or **"Claim your discount today!"**. - Example: **"Big news! Get 20% off all items in-store at our Tuscaloosa location. Offer ends tonight. Reply STOP to opt-out."** ### 4. Segment Your Audience Group your customers based on their interests, location, or behavior. For example: - Send event reminders to customers in Mobile. - Target Huntsville customers with regional promotions. ### 5. Monitor and Optimize Track your campaign performance using metrics like: - Open rate - Click-through rate (if using links) - Unsubscribes Use these insights to refine future campaigns. *** ## Best Practices for Text Marketing 1. **Get Consent:** Always ask customers to opt in before sending messages. 2. **Stay Relevant:** Only send messages that offer value, such as promotions, reminders, or important updates. 3. **Respect Frequency:** Don’t overwhelm your audience with too many messages. A good rule is to send **1-2 messages per week**. 4. **Localize Your Campaigns:** Use local language and references to connect with Alabama customers. *** ## Why Text Marketing is Perfect for Alabama Businesses Alabama is home to a mix of small towns and growing urban centers, making text marketing ideal for businesses of all sizes. Whether you're running a boutique in Birmingham, a restaurant in Montgomery, or a service-based business in Auburn, text marketing allows you to: - Reach rural areas where digital channels may not be as effective. - Target tech-savvy audiences in Alabama’s urban hubs. - Drive more foot traffic by promoting local events or sales. *** ## FAQs for Alabama Business Owners ### Do I Need a Special License for Text Marketing? No, but you must comply with federal TCPA guidelines to avoid penalties. ### Can I Send Marketing Texts to Customers Without Consent? No. Sending unsolicited texts can lead to fines of up to $1,500 per message. ### What Types of Businesses Benefit from Text Marketing? - Retail stores - Restaurants - Real estate agents - Service providers (e.g., salons, HVAC companies) *** ## Final Thoughts Text marketing is an essential tool for Alabama business owners looking to build stronger customer relationships and boost sales. By starting with a small campaign, staying compliant, and delivering value to your customers, you can harness the power of SMS to grow your business. If you’re ready to take your marketing to the next level, start planning your first text marketing campaign today! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TextMarketingWorks/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TextMarketingWorks/ We send out monthly emails like most businesses that have a marketing strategy to stay in constant contact with their customers. Email is extremely effective in getting your information in a person’s inbox. Text marketing will take your email marketing to a new level that is read more often, more quickly, and is great for time sensitive information. ## Target Audience Email lists can be opt-in, bought, are added to when a business card is received, etc. This can lead to many people completely ignoring your messages. Although the same could eventually happen with text messaging right now most people receiving your text messages are people that are truly interested in learning about your company brand. ## Time sensitive When someone is anticipating on receiving an email from you it is typically read in 6.4 hours upon receipt according to industry standards. Text messaging averages being read within 14 minutes of being sent. This means your information is being seen quicker than it would be if it was sent as an email. ## Short and Sweet An email has the potential to be long and often is never super short. With text messaging the messages are routinely less than 160 characters in length which gives rise to being read more often. ## Open Rates It is not uncommon for an open rate for your bulk emails to average around 28-33% (industry averages from what MailChimp announces). When it comes to text marketing the open rates average around 98%. ![Click Through Rate](/Images/Content/Blog/DataAnalytics.png) ## Click Through Rates When an email is sent it is common that one, or more, links are included. Text messages can include links as well. In an email the click through rate is around 6-7% with text messaging averaging around 36%. With a higher click-through rate you stand a better chance of getting more sales. ## Considered Spam Email is a constant stream of spam. Whether it is automatically blocked or not the average on the Internet is that 90% of all email is considered spam. This means your email could be either blocked completely from reaching your intended recipients or will arrive in their junk email. Spam isn’t completely considered spam free though. It is said that 1% is considered spam. This could be a company sends more texts than what they originally agreed or the person is no longer interested and cannot figure out how to unsubscribe from the list. ![Touches](/Images/Content/Blog/touches.jpg) ## Number of "touches" for a typical sale When you are talking about marketing the less touches you have for a sale the better. When a person is interested in what you are offering with email the touches range from 16-30 before a purchase. With text marketing the number of touches is between 4-6 based on industry averages. ## Average messages received per month Your customers receive a lot of emails per month. The average user (spam + non-spam) is around 1,216 emails received per month. This is truly a lot of information that a person needs to assimilate. With text messaging the number is much less (unless you are a millennial who is a lot higher) with the average being 178 messages per month. ## Pricing Email is by far the cheapest of the two marketing tactics when you consider how many people you can reach for a relatively low cost. When you consider the standard redemption rate of 15-20% compared to just 1% with email the numbers to tend to swing in favor of text messaging. ## Conclusion Based on that the industry averages are higher for being opened, clicked on, and redeemed with text messaging over email marketing there is a better chance of your name being more in front of a customer. If your goal is to build your ego with sending a lot of messages whether they are read or not, then email marketing is truly the best way to go. If your objective is like most businesses wanting to get the best return on your investment, then text messaging is the best way to go. With our [Text Marketing Loyalty Program](/Services/MarketingLoyaltyProgram), you can get a full service (we handle everything) solution for a low cost that meets the needs of small-to-mid-size businesses. You will receive analytics about your subscribers and we will help you market your solution to achieve the best return on your investment. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The2017AdventureBeginsatJM2/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The2017AdventureBeginsatJM2/ For many people and businesses, 2017 is a year to start fresh and work on new possibilities and functions designed to help your company grow. At JM2, we're also excited to start 2017 on the right foot as we are always looking at new ways to bring more to our clients and work on new ways to help them and their business grow. For me, 2017 presents an opportunity to engage with our clients even more as we help them achieve their goals for the year. As someone who's job is to speak with clients both old and new, this direction is something that fills me with endless possibilities of what we can do together. Out of all the things we are doing in 2017, here is what I'm most excited about. ## Watching Clients Grow It's always been a great point of pride in watching passionate businesses become successful through hard work, smart investments and great interaction with their clients. At JM2 we feel it's our duty to help businesses and organizations find this level of success and this is something we plan on continuing to do in 2017 for all our clients. Whether it's a need for social media, a commercial, or even a quick technical question, we are always here to lend a helping hand and make sure that you have the tools and expertise you need from us to succeed. ## Being part of a dynamic and exciting culture [I wrote before](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/Creating-a-Culture-that-treats-employees-Like-CEOs) how work culture can make or break a business and that by giving employees an environment where they are challenged and engaged is key. Luckily, I work in an environment where no two days are the same and where every meeting, encounter and exchange with clients let me understand their drive and passion about their business a little bit more than before. It's an environment that offers opportunities to learn every day and one that, if you're willing to embrace it, gives ample opportunity to truly grow in a variety of areas. This isn't a job where you stagnant, it's one where you are cultivated and grown and this certainly will continue into 2017. ## Enhancement and Expansion A business does not grow by staying in its comfort zone and taking the safe route. Businesses that grow are meant to take chances, explore other possibilities and take what already works and make it even better. For 2017, we're looking at each service we provide and going in with a simple concept, make it even better than before. We were already confident in what we offered to clients, but with this year, we plan on focusing on how we can be better, expand to an even larger audience and polish it all to a mirror sheen. At JM2, we are always talking about how we can be an unbeatable value for clients and with this strong focus on refinement, we're ready to become an even stronger asset for those who seek to grow. ## The Journey Begins People often try to make single resolutions when it comes to the new year, but this year, its's more of a theme of giving more to our clients through every aspect and every outlet of our company. We are committed to helping growth occur and we look forward to taking you on our continued journey! If you are ready to take that journey with us, we will be waiting for you! The JM2 team can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-247-Employee-and-How-to-Have-One/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-247-Employee-and-How-to-Have-One/ Business owners are the ones who truly understand the time-tested concepts of time and money. Businesses cannot afford any wasted time, as this misused time leads to a loss of revenue, something that all businesses, no matter their size, will suffer from. For small businesses, it's more important than ever to have a presence in the online world. a functional and user-friendly website with fully functional SEO as well as an active and consistent social media presence on Facebook and other networks are needed to continue engaging with your current clients as well as attracting new clients. To pull this off successfully requires an equally daunting amount of time and expertise, two things which small business owners usually don't have due to their previous business obligations and responsibilities. With such a conundrum existing, it can seem overwhelming with most businesses either throwing their hands up in defeat or hiring professionals to do the work for them. Keeping the second option in mind, we will explore the benefit of how utilizing a maintenance plan is akin to having a full staff of professionals ready to serve your business at your request. ## A Staff that is Always On Call Imagine a full-time team of employees on call whenever you need them. This includes after-hours, weekend and in some cases, even holidays. With most maintenance plans, a staff or professionals will always be on standby to take care of website and social media issues, changes and updates. This leaves the current employees plenty of time to not only have a piece of mind that their website and social media accounts are being kept updated and consistent, they are also given free time away from the computer to focus on tasks related to their business. With a maintenance plan, you essentially have a staff of employees who manage your online presence, at a severely reduced cost when compared to hiring another employee. ## Never Worry About Vacation, Position Changes or Employees Leaving You've seen it before, emails with the message "Out of Office" or "Will be back in two weeks". While this may seem like an acceptable substitute, it often falls short in a variety of areas. Sometimes messages get lost during this break period, some people are inclined to wait until the person returns and some even choose to not email at all, not wanting to talk to another person. Under a maintenance plan, someone will always be receiving your email, making sure email is forwarded and sent to the appropriate people. An employee will never have to worry about missing emails when being out of office or turning away potential clients. This also applies to last minute changes that happen in businesses. If any employee leaves or is given a new position, the amount of time that would previously be spent on training and bringing a new employee up to speed is now spent letting them get acquainted with their new duties and not having to worry about email duties or how to update your businesses' social media accounts. Through a maintenance plan, your business is always guaranteed to have full-time staff without turnover or employee absences. Enjoy that vacation and don't sweat it if someone leaves, we're still here and don't plan on leaving you and your business high and dry. ## Wait? No turnovers or vacations? Who are you?! You got me, it's true that no business is completely free from the possibility of someone leaving or employees wanting to take a vacation (at least, we hope not, everyone deserves a vacation!) including the JM2 staff. However, you never have to let you or your business worry about that. Maintenance plans come with a built-in system of a primary and secondary account. This means that if one person leaves for any reason, there is always a second, equally knowledgeable person on standby. What happens at our business should never affect your business and with this system, we make sure it never does. To put it in more entertaining terms, we have a back up to your back up. ## Conclusion Maintenance Plans offer more than just check-ins and minor tweaks. Having a maintenance plan is having an employee who is just as invested in your company as you are. While the idea of someone working around the clock to ensure that your online presence is always active and ready for clients seemed like an expensive pipe dream not too long ago, it is, in fact, a reality. This reality is one that we dedicate ourselves to every day to ensure that your business always has its best foot forward. It is this attitude that has allowed us to form strong relationships with many businesses and trusted partnerships. We're looking forward to adding even more as we work to bring you and your business success! If you want to learn more about our maintenance plans and how they can help your business, you can find a detailed list [here](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Services/MaintenancePlans/). We can also be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-7-Ps-of-Services-any-Marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-7-Ps-of-Services-any-Marketing/ Marketing like everything isn’t hard but a time-consuming process that requires diligence and a strive for excellence. There is a service marketing standard called the 7 P’s of marketing. There’s also an 8th P which we will also cover which extends the 7 P’s to include one more (go figure). By being patient, studying your market, and taking care of your customer’s needs marketing is something that can propel your business to a new level. The first four elements of service marketing mix are the same as those of traditional marketing. Those are product, pricing, place, and promotion. Every business is a service business. You provide your products and services to others. When you are marketing the key is reading, learning, and definitely listening to the changing needs around you. The final three of people, process, and physical evidence are related to the service industry but we still feel pertains to traditional marketing as well. In fact, when all seven or eight) are used you will almost always have a better solution. - **Product** – Your product is usually a tangible product, heterogeneous, and perishable. Moreover, its production and consumption are inseparable. Hence, there is scope for customizing the offering as per customer requirements and the actual customer encounter therefore assumes particular significance. However, too much customization would compromise the standard delivery of the service and adversely affect its quality. - **Pricing** – Pricing of services is tougher than pricing of goods. While the latter can be priced easily by taking into account the raw material costs, in case of services attendant costs - such as labor and overhead costs - also need to be factored in. A restaurant not only has to charge for the cost of the food served but also has to calculate a price for the ambience provided. The final price for the service is then arrived at by including a markup for an adequate profit margin. - **Place** – Service delivery is concurrent with its production and cannot be stored or transported, the location of the service product assumes importance. Service providers have to give special thought to where the service would be provided. Thus, a fine dine restaurant is better located in a busy, upscale market as against on the outskirts of a city. Similarly, a holiday resort is better situated in the countryside away from the rush and noise of a city. - **Promotion** – Since a service offering can be easily replicated promotion becomes crucial in differentiating a service offering in the mind of the consumer. Thus, service providers offering identical services such as airlines or banks and insurance companies invest heavily in advertising their services. This is crucial in attracting customers in a segment where the services providers have nearly identical offerings. - **People** – People are a defining factor in any business process, since a service is inseparable from the person providing it. Thus, a restaurant is known as much for its food as for the service provided by its staff. The same is true of banks, retail stores, and department stores. Consequently, customer service training for staff has become a top priority for many organizations today. - **Process** – The process of service delivery is crucial since it ensures that the same standard of service is repeatedly delivered to the customers. Therefore, most companies have a service blue print which provides the details of the service delivery process, often going down to even defining the service script and the greeting phrases to be used by the service staff. - **Physical Evidence** – Since services are intangible in nature most service providers strive to incorporate certain tangible elements into their offering to enhance customer experience. Thus, there are hair salons that have well designed waiting areas often with magazines and plush sofas for patrons to read and relax while they await their turn. Similarly, restaurants invest heavily in their interior design and decorations to offer a tangible and unique experience to their guests. - **Productivity and Quality** – This has become the 8^th^ P. Improving productivity is a requisite in cost management; but quality, as defined by the customer, is essential for a service to differentiate itself from other providers. Why this one has now emerged we will never know as productivity and quality if they don’t exist your product or service offering will ultimately fail. Marketing of your business is never easy. Two similar businesses will produce two separate marketing plans. We utilize the above to develop every one of our clients marketing plans whether they are in the services industry or not as it allows us to cover more than the standard areas of marketing and allows a deeper understanding of the customer. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Benefits-of-Inbox-Zero/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Benefits-of-Inbox-Zero/ Truly the holy grail when it comes to email is getting your email to no items in it and everything completed quickly, accurately, and on-time. But why would having no email in your inbox be such a benefit to you and how can achieve this? Today I will be covering the struggle I had in achieving inbox zero and then how it has increased my productivity, my health (I think so), completed items on-time, and increased overall communication in the company. Inbox zero is exactly as it sounds. You have no email in your inbox. This doesn’t mean you select all and press delete or just file emails away into folders you never look at. This takes time, a concerted effort, and a backend system to allow it to happen. Without this I don’t think I could reliably or consistently achieve this. The first step I had to figure out was how could I get to no emails consistently. I determined to start on a weekly basis where at the end of the week I would have no emails. This sounded great in my head but was a complete and utter failure. Mainly from the standpoint that I looked and rushed things to get them out of my inbox. After several months of this method I saw the holes in what I was doing and looked for ways to fix them. I need a system that allowed me to move my emails out of the inbox but still be able to address them consistently, reliably, and on-time. Around 40% of my emails were not quick one-hit answers. They took either days, weeks, or sometimes months to complete them. I could reply and keep a pad of paper to try and achieve this, but it didn’t add a layer of reminding or ability to share with the team. What I ended up doing was integrating my desire for inbox zero with a CRM system. A CRM system is a Customer Relationship Management system. Think of it as an electronic rolodex on steroids. You will keep track of all your customers (clients to us), assign tasks to them (e.g. track what you’re doing), and keep all your records centrally located. There’s more to it but that’s a good high-level overview of what a CRM system is. By integrating a CRM into my inbox zero plan I was able to put all the emails that would take longer than a quick answer into the CRM system to track. Eventually I have also ended up with the quick emails to also be in the CRM system as well. This achieve a couple of objectives that has further benefits beyond email. - Everything is centralized and tied to individual clients - The system would send me alerts to remind me of due dates set - I can now tell how much time I am spending in email, how much time a client is taking, and if I need to collaborate with the team it is easier and centralized The benefit of the above has done several things for our company to take it to a very profitable and more consistent company. By determining the number of emails and hours we are spending on our clients we can now more accurately suggest moving up/down in-service plans, determine if we are hitting our targeted numbers (e.g. profit), or if we need to adjust our pricing. Most companies will guess and not know where their time is going. I can now see, by department, where we are spending the most time. If I need to hire in a specific department or move more internal assets to another department. This change to a CRM has allowed us to be a lot more efficient and provide more value to our clients. We can work more collaboratively together as well which has made it so that we can accomplish more in less time. From a business owner perspective this means we can do more, in less time, and save on payroll dollars. With the CRM in-place I have been able to move from trying (keyword: try) to hit inbox zero each week to achieving inbox zero daily. When I end my day I shutdown with no emails in my inbox and all items that are still open in our CRM system which will shoot me a reminder of items due the next day, week, month, and later when I start my work day. Reaching inbox zero has taken me over a year to achieve and I still don’t hit it 100% of the time. I can say I am hitting it more every day and each day it does get easier. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-birth-of-an-entrepreneur/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-birth-of-an-entrepreneur/ At the age of 6 years old (first grade) you could say I started out as an entrepreneur while going to [Bailey School in Chesterton Alabama](https://www.duneland.k12.in.us/bailly). That wasn't a word then, definitely not in my thought process, and in first grade it definitely wasn't something I was aspiring to be. I wanted money plain and simple like any young kid. Like all kids I saw an opportunity to increase my allowance by a few pennies. I saw the school book store selling pencils for $0.10 each. That seemed fair for a price and to a first grader that shouldn't mean a thing as our parents were buying everything for us. I saw an opportunity though to make some extra pennies and increase my financial situation. I knew I could get pencils for $0.03 each so I took all of my allowance money and rather than buying candy I bought pencils at local Ben Franklin dime store. I bought so much that the store was completely sold out. I soon would become one of their best customers (in my mind) over the following years (we'll cover that later). My fellow students had money from their parents to buy pencils and other school supply items from the school book store. I told my friends that if they bought from me they would have enough money left they could get candy as well. It was truly a great sales pitch. Score for me (and them)! I had just become a business man (kid) without knowing it. The school put me in detention for underselling them and telling me I couldn't do that (wrong thing to tell me!!!!). That didn't discourage me and in fact got my young brain working overtime. I continued the practice through the coming years and it served me very well. Let's take a look at my journey to becoming a leading game changing sales and marketing company in Cullman Alabama. Throughout elementary school I was selling candy and school supplies. More under the table as every time I got caught I was stuck in detention. I seemed to live in the vice-principles office, who I shared a birthday with. I had more whooping's than I could count. The days I didn't get one I wondered what I did wrong to not get one. With being told no so much you would think this would stop me but it enraged my passion to stop these "wrong doers" in my mind. I saw both my parents working their butt off and we led a comfortable life. Not rich, not poor, but comfortable. We went on vacations annually, had pizza at [Duneland Pizza in Chesterton](http://www.dunelandpizza.com/) every Friday night for over 13 years, I was able to play soccer, and hang out with my friends until the street lights came on. My entire life I was engrained to do what is right and not settle for anything less than what is right. I call it the Leave it to Beaver lifestyle. When you see people doing wrong you look and see how you can do it better and do good in your community. You don't get angry, you don't get upset, but take a higher road and give people what they truly deserve and you set a new level of quality excellence. Over the years I worked at small, medium, and very large businesses. I learned a lot but never was truly "happy". Many say they are not happy doing their job and that is just the way things are. I beg to differ from that thought process. It could just be who I am as a person but I believe you should have fun at work, be able to be yourself, and of course take care of your clients beyond their expectations. When you can do that you will be happy at your job. All of the companies I worked at were extremely good companies and I learned valuable lessons from them. Some lessons were good, while others not so good. All turned me into the person I am today. If I would have started out straight out of school I know I would've failed as I needed those real-world examples to get teach me and make me the person I am today. In fact, my last business I worked at was a big business. I consider them one of the best companies I ever worked for. They have strong beliefs and their morale character is truly outstanding. I had two heart attacks with them, gave them my heart and soul, but I wasn't happy with what I was doing. Everyone I worked with was awesome, I consider them friends, and each one added to my being as a person. When forming [JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing](https://www.jm2marketing.com/) we took my rebellious attitude of doing good for everyone and my determination to do so without over charging, providing great value, and with a desire to see small businesses grow. Our prices are not only fair but make everyone questions how it is we do what we do. The hardest part of our entire sales process isn't our quality of work but our prices. People have bene so overcharged for so many years they think how can someone provide so much more while charging less. We are a third, or more, less than any of our competitors and when we do increase our prices we know we will still be less expensive with more value. Our competitors are not any of the local "competition". We consider those we talk to locally as our friends rather than competitors. We often will send projects to them when someone comes to us looking for a specialty that they offer. We see our competitors as ourselves first as we strive to outdo ourselves on a daily basis. Beyond that we see national web design and marketing firms as our true competitors. Many of these are publicly traded companies and we see them overcharging small businesses which is what fuels our fire. That is how all of this started and how I got to where I am today. Every day is an uphill battle with myself to outdo the previous day. This fuel to provide more value and to see small business grow is truly where my heart is. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TheDifferenceBetweenaProfessionalMarketingCompanyw/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TheDifferenceBetweenaProfessionalMarketingCompanyw/ When it comes to choosing a marketing company for your business, the difference between a **professional marketing company with IT knowledge** and a **hobbyist marketing company** can be the deciding factor in achieving measurable results. While hobbyist marketing companies may offer basic services at a lower cost, they often lack the technical expertise and strategic approach that a professional firm can provide—especially one with a deep understanding of information technology (IT). Here's a breakdown of the key differences and why working with a professional marketing company with IT knowledge can make a significant impact on your business. ## Strategic Approach vs. Trial and Error ### Professional Marketing Company with IT Knowledge: - **Data-Driven Strategies**: Professionals use analytics, market research, and advanced tools to develop tailored strategies for your business. They understand how to interpret data from platforms like Google Analytics, CRM systems, and marketing automation tools to drive decision-making. - **Integration of Technology and Marketing**: With IT expertise, they integrate marketing efforts with technology such as websites, SEO, cloud platforms, and email servers. This creates seamless and efficient campaigns that deliver consistent results. - **Proven Methodologies**: They follow industry standards and best practices, ensuring campaigns are not only creative but also effective. ### Hobbyist Marketing Company: - **Limited Planning**: Hobbyists often rely on general knowledge or guesswork rather than data-backed strategies, leading to inconsistent results. - **One-Size-Fits-All Approach**: They may use cookie-cutter solutions that fail to address your unique business needs. - **Lack of Technical Depth**: Without IT knowledge, they struggle to connect marketing efforts to technical aspects like website performance, data security, or analytics. ## Technical Expertise and Security ### Professional Marketing Company with IT Knowledge: - **IT-Driven Solutions**: These companies can implement technical solutions such as API integrations, CRM systems, secure web hosting, and database management to enhance marketing efforts. - **Focus on Security**: They ensure that websites, email campaigns, and digital assets are secure, meeting compliance standards such as GDPR or PCI DSS. - **Website Optimization**: They can manage everything from load speeds to mobile responsiveness, ensuring your website is optimized for search engines and user experience. ### Hobbyist Marketing Company: - **Limited Technical Skills**: Hobbyists may lack the ability to troubleshoot technical issues like slow websites, server errors, or integration challenges. - **Higher Security Risks**: They may overlook essential security practices, leaving your business vulnerable to data breaches or cyberattacks. - **Basic Solutions Only**: They might depend on pre-built tools or platforms without understanding how to customize or optimize them. ## Tools and Technology ### Professional Marketing Company with IT Knowledge: - **Advanced Tools**: Professionals have access to enterprise-level tools for SEO, PPC management, social media scheduling, and email marketing. Examples include HubSpot, SEMrush, and advanced CRM platforms. - **Automation and Integration**: They leverage marketing automation tools that integrate with IT systems, streamlining processes and improving efficiency. - **Performance Tracking**: They set up detailed analytics dashboards to track campaign performance and ROI, using data to continuously optimize strategies. ### Hobbyist Marketing Company: - **Basic Tools**: Hobbyists may use free or low-cost tools with limited features, which can hinder the effectiveness of campaigns. - **No Integration**: They often lack the skills to integrate tools with your IT systems, creating fragmented workflows. - **Limited Reporting**: Reports may be overly simplistic, failing to provide actionable insights. ## Scalability and Growth Potential ### Professional Marketing Company with IT Knowledge: - **Scalable Solutions**: Professionals design strategies and systems that grow with your business, ensuring long-term success. - **Support for Growth**: They can implement advanced IT systems and marketing platforms to handle increased traffic, sales, or leads as your business expands. - **Adaptability**: With their IT expertise, they can quickly adapt to new technologies, trends, or challenges. ### Hobbyist Marketing Company: - **Short-Term Focus**: Hobbyists often focus on quick fixes or short-term gains rather than scalable solutions. - **Limited Capacity**: As your business grows, they may lack the expertise or resources to support increased demands. - **Inflexibility**: Without IT knowledge, they struggle to adapt to complex challenges or implement new tools effectively. ## Quality of Work and Results ### Professional Marketing Company with IT Knowledge: - **Consistent, Measurable Results**: Their campaigns are based on proven strategies and supported by advanced tools, leading to better ROI. - **Attention to Detail**: They ensure every aspect of your digital presence, from your website's backend to the design of your marketing emails, meets the highest standards. - **Long-Term Impact**: By integrating marketing with IT, they create campaigns that continue to deliver value over time. ### Hobbyist Marketing Company: - **Inconsistent Results**: Campaigns may perform well at times but often lack the reliability needed for sustained growth. - **Amateurish Execution**: Without professional expertise, the quality of work may be subpar, with missed opportunities for optimization. - **Limited Longevity**: Their solutions may not be robust enough to deliver long-term benefits. ## Support and Collaboration ### Professional Marketing Company with IT Knowledge: - **Ongoing Support**: They offer continuous support for both marketing and IT-related challenges, ensuring your campaigns run smoothly. - **Collaborative Team**: Professional agencies have specialized teams, including marketers, designers, IT experts, and analysts, who work together to deliver results. - **Custom Solutions**: They listen to your needs and tailor their services to align with your business goals. ### Hobbyist Marketing Company: - **Limited Support**: Hobbyists may not provide the ongoing help needed to maintain and improve campaigns. - **One-Person Show**: Without a team, they may lack the bandwidth or expertise to handle complex projects. - **Generic Solutions**: Their lack of IT and strategic knowledge limits their ability to customize services. ## Why IT Knowledge Matters in Marketing The digital marketing landscape is increasingly tied to technology. From website performance and analytics to data privacy and security, IT expertise ensures your marketing efforts are efficient, effective, and future-proof. A professional marketing company with IT knowledge bridges the gap between creativity and technical excellence, delivering superior results that hobbyists simply can't match. ## Conclusion: The Clear Choice for Business Success While a hobbyist marketing company might offer basic services at a lower price, their limited expertise and lack of IT knowledge can lead to missed opportunities, security risks, and inconsistent results. A **professional marketing company with IT knowledge**, like **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, provides the technical expertise, advanced tools, and strategic insight needed to elevate your business. By choosing a professional team, you're not just investing in marketing—you're investing in the growth, security, and success of your business. ## Ready to take your marketing to the next level? [Contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today](/Contact/) to learn how our expertise can transform your business. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Dream-Of-The-Ideal-Domain/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Dream-Of-The-Ideal-Domain/ Dreams come in many ways for each of us. We started over nine years ago with a desire to help businesses achieve their dream domain name. As of today, a dream we have now done is to help companies to gain their desired domain name four times. Let's look at all four as each was unique. We'll then explore how we announce it to each client and how you can work on getting your desired domain name if someone else owns it. ## The First We had a company that wanted a two-word domain. The domain name they chose was three names as the two-word domain name was taken. We put in "watch" for the desired name, and two years later, we were notified it was available to be grabbed, so we grabbed it. ## The Second A local restaurant wanted their name but had to add the word "valpo" to the end of their domain name. Valpo is the town their business was in and is the short name for Cullman within the community. This was probably the fastest one we ever won in a waiting process. After only seven months, the domain became available, and we grabbed it. This client still is keeping the original name they went with as it was already printed on a lot of marketing, and even the marketing materials they are producing today (years later) still have that name as part of their branding. The name we got for them they love, but with already a lot knowing the name they don't love knowing they still use it. They get over 20% of their traffic by typing in the name they prefer and never market it, so that name alone is making them money and increasing their business. ## The Third Another restaurant chose their company on a domain that had expired several times. They knew their stuff but, for four years, missed grabbing. They knew it, so they hired four other companies and us to get the desired domain name. The other four did it the same way the restaurant was trying, and we went to the broker/bidding process (and won). They were checking themselves and saw it was bought, but it had gone "private" in nature which meant someone else had gotten it. We didn't tell them it was us. We were four days away from our scheduled meeting (before we had won it!), and so they kept the meeting. At the start of the meeting, they were shocked we had brought a camera and set it up to record. We told them we knew this meeting was special, and they had a sense of sadness with them, so we thought it was best to record it. At first, they were against it but "appeased us" with it. At the end of the meeting, the video is now one of the most special things to them. Every time I see them over coffee, they always ask why we don't use it as part of our marketing, and I laugh (which they're now accustomed to) and say it's not for us. We are there for them and not to make money off of their marketing. They are truly one of our best referrals though, as they give us several a year! ## The Fourth No one ever said the process would be quick. Definitely, the longest one being eight years in the "waiting." Patience is the name of the game when it comes to getting the name you want. One of the employees was able to, after fifteen years, purchase the company. They negotiated everything and what wasn't in the contract for sale was the domain name. The old owner stated they could "buy it" for several thousand. The new owner had already spent a small fortune and didn't know what to do. They brought another company and us in for how to handle it. We had a solution to take the old owner to dinner and come up with a compromise. Our deal with the new owner is if we could get a compromise, we would win the job. They have been a client since that meeting, and this coming week I will be going there to do another "video meeting." ## The Announcement Our first two meetings were awkward, to say the least. We made a simple printout with a "congratulations" and the domain name letting them know they are the owner of the domain name. Put it in an envelope and pushed it across the table. Very awkward, sketchy, and scared the clients. After the second, they gave some feedback on how to do it better, and this is how we "more or less" do it. - We schedule a meeting. We usually do this during it during their regular monthly or quarterly meeting as the surprise won't be expected. - Before the meeting - The night before - We set up an alias to go to the website. - We set up email as an alias so they can immediately receive email. - **Note**: We do not set the new domain as the primary as that is up to the business owner. - We take their current marketing materials and have at least one copy printed with the new domain so they can see what it now looks like. - We shoot an email to them letting them know that we want to record the next meeting to use for future marketing and if it is okay. The last two have had no issue with that, especially when we tell them to see how it works and that we're doing it for no cost to show them the true power of video. - During the meeting - We arrive early and set up everything. - The meeting goes as all the regular meetings go. - We let them know we have a few extra items to cover and start with a plaque of the new domain name, so they have something to hang and remember. Depending on how much they want the domain, you can see tears seem to flow. - We then pull up the domain, and their website pulls up. We then decide if the name will become the primary domain or stay as the secondary. - We then give them a sample of the updated marketing materials so they can see the change. The items like the domain, plaque, marketing materials, and edited video are all on our dime as a "thank you" for being awesome clients. ## How You Can Achieve Most domain registrars have a "broker service." This service will cost anywhere from $50 or more. Some are a one-time charge, and others are annual. Make certain you check that out before you agree to the terms. Once done, they monitor the domain for you and will bid if and when it goes up to auction. They will make an initial bid on your behalf. The second way, which is the way many do, is to put on a calendar reminder and check it when it comes up for expiration. **Note**: When a domain "expires," it's not instantly available. Domains go into a probationary period where the domain owner can still repurchase them. Then it will either go straight to being available or into an auction process. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TheElusiveSalesFunnel/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TheElusiveSalesFunnel/ For anyone involved in business or sales, you have most likely heard the term "The Sales Funnel". While the name may seem self-explanatory, there is a considerable amount of thought and planning that goes into a successful sales funnel. While each business's sales funnel will vary with the nuances of their business, there is a fundamental structure that all sales funnels follow. What are these fundamentals? I'm so glad you asked. ## Leads All funnels start with leads. These are people or businesses that express interest in the services you are providing. There are many ways to generate leads each with varying amounts of success depending on your business and potential customers. For us, leads have come in through forms filled out on our website, calls, emails and even going door to door (which we call boots on the ground). Each one has led to leads, which in return has led to our name getting out to more people and businesses in the community. One should not expect every lead to turn into a sale, but even if for every 100 leads, you receive 10 sales, the effort and persistence will be worth it. ## Opportunities This is what you want leads to turn into, an opportunity to sell to a client. This comes after speaking with your leads and finding out exactly how your services can provide what they need to find success. They are now beyond simply being interested and want to utilize you. This is great! To use these opportunities to ultimately gain a sale communication and engagement with the client are essential for this step. The customer has given you their trust and time, it is only right that you provide them all the right information they need to finalize their decision. Make them feel informed and at ease, as intimidation and being deceitful will lead to resentment and worst of all, a missed opportunity that will most likely never be recovered. ## Customers The client is happy. You offer them everything they need and they have signed up for your services. Congratulations! Even though the deal is done, your time interacting with the client is not over. In fact, communication should be kept up with your new client on a regular basis. Once a month is a good amount of time to connect with clients. This does not need to be anything complicated. A simple email or phone call, to check in and make sure they are doing well or if they need anything else from you is all it takes to show them that they are still in your mind and you care about them. When you look at clients as more than dollar signs, when you look at them as people who are just like you, looking to become successful in their business, you understand just how important you are to their success and well-being and them being just as important to your business. If the customer becomes dissatisfied, they become lost opportunity who will both not return to your business and will influence others to not use your services as well. ## Conclusion There is never a 100% success rate with a sales funnel. As stated earlier, each funnel unique to each business. It now falls upon the business to find which approach works for them. Luckily, this can be found through self-analysis, a clear understanding of your [business' marketing and branding](http://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/BrandVsMarketing)and to know who your audience is. It is with this and some good old fashioned trial and error can you find your own sales funnel that aims to bring in sales. If you're interested in more questions about how sales work or seek the services of our own sales team, be sure to contact us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-First-Question-We-Ask/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-First-Question-We-Ask/ Whenever we bring on a new client or whenever a new client finds their way to JM2, there is one question we always lead with once they choose our services. How are we going to be able to help them? It's a question that most businesses ask, but as with everything we do at JM2 , it's a little different than most and requires a lot more consideration and thought before we begin. ## Every Business is Different We understand that every business is different. While each business understandably wants generally the same thing when it comes to financial success and happy customers, the route they want to take is different and for many businesses, deeply personal and integral to the core of their entire business. We understand this and that is why we take such great joy in talking with business owners not only about they want from us, but what they want from themselves. ## Every Business Communicates Differently All communication is not created equal. With such a wide variety of businesses covering and equally wide spectrum of markets, niches, and specialties, it's easy to see the different ways businesses choose to communicate with their clients and with us. We understand why some businesses would choose to speak over the phone rather than through email. We also understand why some would choose to speak through text messaging rather than spend time on the phone. We make sure to understand the clearest, most concise way to get in contact with businesses and they have the clearest way to contact us. ## Businesses Share Our Company Philosophy We always welcome the opportunity to help another business at JM2, however, through sheer coincidence or the success of our branding, we have been beyond lucky to work with clients who not only understand our core philosophy but share it within their business as well. Our philosophy is simple, essentially boiling down to honesty, security, exceptional customer service and a positive environmental impact. Any business that embraces your own businesses' beliefs is one that will always benefit and one that realizes how much one can strive to become better. ## Every Business Must Benefit from our Services This one is very short and simple. All businesses must benefit from what we offer. We want to see businesses become successful by what we offer them. We want them to attract the widest audience possible and have the very best services and tools available to them. We measure our success not only through how well we do as a company but by how much our clients benefit as well. For us, true success comes from making other's successful. ## Conclusion It's through these steps that allow us to ask the simple question of how we can help your business. We believe in giving the best to the best and no matter what you are looking for your business, we're ready to help you. If you are looking for web design, social media, graphic design, software development, or digital marketing let us know as we would love to help your business grow. Give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TheImportanceofBacklinksforYourWebsitesSuccess/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TheImportanceofBacklinksforYourWebsitesSuccess/ Backlinks, also known as inbound or external links, are the backbone of a successful website. They serve as a vote of confidence from one website to another, signaling to search engines like Google that your content is trustworthy, relevant, and authoritative. But why are backlinks so important, and how can they help your website thrive? Let’s dive into the world of backlinks and explore their impact on your online presence. *** ### **What Are Backlinks?** A backlink is a link from one website to another. For example, if a reputable blog links to your website, it’s considered a backlink for you. Backlinks act as a digital endorsement, telling search engines that your content is worth referencing. Backlinks can be categorized into two main types: 1. **DoFollow Links**: These links pass "link juice," boosting your website's authority and search engine rankings. 2. **NoFollow Links**: These links don’t pass link juice but still drive traffic and can signal relevance to search engines. *** ### **Why Are Backlinks Important?** #### **1. Backlinks Improve SEO Rankings** Search engines use backlinks as a major factor in determining a website’s search engine ranking. The more high-quality backlinks your site has, the more credible it appears to search engines like Google. A well-optimized backlink profile helps your website rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs), making it easier for potential customers to find you. #### **2. Boost Website Traffic** Backlinks from authoritative websites drive referral traffic to your site. When users encounter your link on a trusted source, they are more likely to click through to your website. This not only increases traffic but also brings in more qualified leads who are genuinely interested in your content or services. #### **3. Build Credibility and Authority** Earning backlinks from reputable websites positions you as an expert in your industry. These links act as endorsements, reinforcing your authority and building trust with both search engines and users. Over time, a strong backlink profile can help establish your brand as a leader in your niche. #### **4. Improve Indexing and Crawling** Backlinks help search engine crawlers discover your pages more efficiently. When a search engine finds your link on another website, it follows the link to index your content. The more backlinks you have, the easier it is for search engines to find and index your site, ensuring your content is available to users. #### **5. Enhance Your Networking Opportunities** Backlink building often involves reaching out to other websites, blogs, and influencers in your industry. These relationships not only result in backlinks but also open doors to collaborations, guest blogging opportunities, and partnerships that can further grow your online presence. *** ### **What Makes a Backlink High Quality?** Not all backlinks are created equal. A single link from an authoritative website can be more valuable than hundreds of low-quality links. Here’s what makes a backlink high quality: - **Relevance**: The linking website should be related to your industry or niche. - **Authority**: Links from high-domain authority (DA) websites carry more weight. - **Diversity**: A mix of backlinks from different types of websites (blogs, news outlets, forums) is ideal. - **Anchor Text**: The clickable text in the hyperlink should be natural and relevant to your content. - **Follow Status**: DoFollow links are more beneficial for SEO, but NoFollow links can still add value. *** ### **How to Build Quality Backlinks** Building a strong backlink profile requires effort and strategy. Here are some proven methods: 1. **Create High-Quality Content**: Publish valuable, shareable content that naturally attracts backlinks. Guides, infographics, and original research are particularly effective. 2. **Guest Blogging**: Write guest posts for reputable websites in your niche and include a link back to your site. 3. **Outreach Campaigns**: Reach out to bloggers, influencers, and industry leaders to share your content or collaborate on projects. 4. **Broken Link Building**: Find broken links on other websites and suggest replacing them with a link to your content. 5. **Leverage Social Media**: Share your content on social platforms to increase visibility and encourage linking. *** ### **Avoid Low-Quality Backlinks** Not all backlinks are beneficial. Links from spammy, irrelevant, or low-authority websites can hurt your SEO efforts and even result in penalties from search engines. Focus on earning backlinks from reputable sources and disavow harmful links if necessary. *** ### **Conclusion** Backlinks are a cornerstone of any successful SEO strategy. They drive traffic, boost rankings, and build credibility for your website. By prioritizing high-quality backlink acquisition and avoiding low-quality practices, you can elevate your website's visibility and authority in your industry. Invest in a strategic backlink-building campaign, and watch your website grow into a powerful asset that attracts both users and search engines alike. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TheImportanceofJSONDatainImprovingYourBusiness/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TheImportanceofJSONDatainImprovingYourBusiness/ In today's digital-first world, businesses rely heavily on data to make informed decisions, enhance customer experiences, and streamline operations. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) has emerged as one of the most powerful formats for data interchange. It's lightweight, easy to use, and compatible with nearly every programming language, making it a cornerstone in modern business operations. This article explores the importance of JSON data, how it can improve your business, and the types of businesses that can benefit most from its implementation. ## What is JSON Data? JSON is a data format used to represent structured data in a readable text format. It's commonly used to exchange data between servers and web applications, APIs, and mobile apps. JSON structures data as key-value pairs, allowing developers and systems to efficiently retrieve and process information. For example, a customer profile in JSON format might look like this: json { "customer\_id": 12345, "name": "Jane Doe", "email": "jane.doe@example.com", "purchases": [ {"product\_id": 101, "name": "Widget A", "price": 25.00}, {"product\_id": 202, "name": "Widget B", "price": 40.00} ] } This simple yet powerful format provides a structured way to manage and utilize data across various platforms. ## Why is JSON Important for Your Business? JSON offers numerous benefits that can enhance business operations across various departments, from marketing to customer service. Here's why it matters: 1. **Seamless Data Integration**: JSON's universal format makes it easy to integrate with APIs, cloud services, and software tools. This allows businesses to connect their systems and automate workflows, saving time and reducing human error. - **Example**: Syncing your CRM with email marketing tools through an API that uses JSON for data exchange. 2. **Improved Data Analysis**: JSON structures data in a logical format, making it easier to analyze trends and patterns. Businesses can use this data to: - Understand customer behavior. - Optimize inventory management. - Identify opportunities for growth. 3. **Real-Time Updates**: JSON is lightweight, which makes it ideal for real-time data transmission. Businesses can use it to monitor live metrics, such as website traffic, sales, or customer inquiries. - **Example**: An e-commerce website can display updated product availability in real time. 4. **Enhanced Personalization**: Using JSON, businesses can store and retrieve detailed customer preferences and behavior. This data enables personalized recommendations, tailored marketing campaigns, and a more engaging user experience. - **Example**: Streaming platforms use JSON to deliver custom recommendations based on user watch history. 5. **Scalability and Flexibility**: JSON's simplicity makes it adaptable for businesses of all sizes. Whether you're managing a small database or a large-scale operation, JSON can handle it without compromising performance. ## Business Types That Benefit Most from JSON While JSON is versatile enough to support virtually any business, some industries derive particularly significant value from it: 1. **E-commerce** - **Use Case**: Storing and managing product catalogs, customer profiles, and order details. - **Benefit**: Real-time updates on inventory and personalized shopping experiences. 2. **SaaS (Software-as-a-Service)** - **Use Case**: Exchanging data between applications via APIs. - **Benefit**: Seamless integration with third-party tools and services. 3. **Marketing Agencies** - **Use Case**: Tracking campaign performance and integrating analytics platforms. - **Benefit**: Centralized data management for better insights and reporting. 4. **Real Estate** - **Use Case**: Managing property listings, client inquiries, and transaction histories. - **Benefit**: Efficient organization of property data and personalized client services. 5. **Healthcare** - **Use Case**: Storing patient records, appointment details, and treatment histories. - **Benefit**: Quick access to data for better patient care and compliance with data privacy laws. 6. **Finance and Banking** - **Use Case**: Managing transaction records, customer profiles, and fraud detection systems. - **Benefit**: Enhanced security and streamlined financial processes. 7. **Logistics and Transportation** - **Use Case**: Real-time tracking of shipments and managing fleet data. - **Benefit**: Improved operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. ## How to Get Started with JSON To fully harness the power of JSON, follow these steps: 1. **Identify Key Data Sources**: Determine which systems or applications in your business generate and require data. Examples include CRM platforms, e-commerce stores, or marketing tools. 2. **Implement JSON-Enabled APIs**: APIs allow your systems to communicate using JSON. For example, Google Maps API provides location data in JSON format. 3. **Use Data Visualization Tools**: Tools like Tableau or Power BI can process JSON data for advanced reporting and visualization. 4. **Ensure Data Security**: Since JSON handles sensitive business and customer data, it's crucial to encrypt and secure it to prevent breaches. ## Final Thoughts JSON is more than just a data format—it's a tool that enables businesses to operate more efficiently, make smarter decisions, and provide better customer experiences. Whether you're a small business owner or managing a large enterprise, leveraging JSON data can give you a competitive edge in your industry. From real-time updates to seamless integrations, the potential applications of JSON are vast and transformative. Begin incorporating JSON into your business processes today, and watch as it drives growth, efficiency, and success. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Importance-of-JSON-Schema-Data-in-Local-SEO-Bo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Importance-of-JSON-Schema-Data-in-Local-SEO-Bo/ When it comes to local search engine optimization (SEO), every detail matters. One often overlooked yet incredibly impactful element is JSON Schema Markup. This structured data format, understood by search engines like Google, Bing, and others, provides essential information about your business in a way that enhances how search engines interpret your website. If you're not already utilizing JSON schema data for your local SEO strategy, you're missing out on a powerful opportunity to "move the needle" on your rankings. ## What Is JSON Schema Markup? JSON schema markup is a form of structured data that provides search engines with detailed, organized information about your website's content. Written in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), this schema helps search engines better understand your business details, such as: - Your business name. - Location (address, city, zip code). - Operating hours. - Reviews and ratings. - Products and services offered. - Events or promotions. Structured data doesn't change how your website looks to visitors, but it makes a big difference in how search engines process and display your content. ## How Search Engines Use JSON Schema Data Search engines, particularly Google, rely on structured data to: 1. Provide Rich Results: - Rich results (or rich snippets) are enhanced search listings that display extra information like business hours, reviews, and images. - These visually appealing results attract more clicks. 2. Improve Context Understanding: - JSON schema helps search engines understand the purpose of your website. For example, a local bakery's schema can clearly define its location, services, and operating hours. 3. Enhance Local Search: - JSON schema data helps your business show up in local search results, like Google's Local Pack or Maps. 4. Power Voice Search: - With the rise of voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, structured data is vital for ensuring your business is accurately represented in voice search results. 5. Support Machine Learning: - Search engines use machine learning algorithms that rely on structured data to deliver precise results. JSON schema helps ensure your business is categorized correctly. ## The Role of JSON Schema in Local SEO Local SEO focuses on helping businesses appear in searches within a specific geographic area. JSON schema markup plays a critical role in achieving this goal by providing essential information about your local business directly to search engines. ### Key Benefits for Local SEO - Improved Click-Through Rates (CTR): Rich results with schema data often stand out more in search results. By including details like reviews, ratings, and product availability, you make your listing more attractive to potential customers. - Better Map Pack Rankings: Google's Local Pack (the three business listings that appear in a box at the top of local search results) relies heavily on structured data to determine relevance. JSON schema markup boosts your chances of appearing in these coveted positions. - Increased Discoverability: Including your location, phone number, and operating hours in schema markup ensures search engines display accurate and comprehensive information about your business. - Enhanced Mobile and Voice Search: Mobile and voice search often rely on structured data to provide quick, accurate answers to users. JSON schema ensures your business is primed for these search formats. ## Types of JSON Schema for Local SEO There are several types of schema markup that are particularly relevant for local businesses: 1. LocalBusiness Schema: - Defines core details about your business, including address, phone number, and hours of operation. 2. Review Schema: - Highlights customer reviews and ratings, boosting credibility and trustworthiness. 3. Event Schema: - Promotes local events your business may be hosting or participating in. 4. Product Schema: - Highlights specific products you sell, along with price, availability, and reviews. 5. FAQ Schema: - Lists common questions and answers directly on search results, providing immediate value to searchers. 6. Breadcrumb Schema: - Helps search engines understand the hierarchy of your site, improving navigation. ## How to Implement JSON Schema Markup Adding schema markup to your site can be done manually or using tools and plugins. Here's how you can get started: - Manual Integration: If you're comfortable with coding, you can create and insert JSON schema markup directly into your website's HTML. Use [Schema.org](https://schema.org/) for reference and ensure your JSON markup adheres to the latest standards. - Use Google's Structured Data Markup Helper: >Google provides a Structured Data Markup Helper tool that guides you through adding schema to your website. - Leverage Plugins for CMS: If you're using a CMS like WordPress, plugins such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math make it easy to integrate schema markup without coding. - Validate Your Markup: After implementing your schema, use Google's Rich Results Test or Schema Markup Validator to ensure everything is working correctly. ## Why JSON Schema Is a Game-Changer for Local SEO Search engines are becoming smarter every day, and structured data is one of the key tools they use to improve search results. By implementing JSON schema on your website, you gain a competitive edge in the following ways: - Better Customer Engagement: Rich results make it easier for customers to find what they need at a glance. This enhanced visibility leads to more clicks, calls, and visits. - Outranking the Competition: In many cases, businesses that use schema markup rank higher in search results than those that don't. It's a low-effort, high-reward SEO strategy. - Consistent Information: JSON schema ensures search engines always have the most accurate and up-to-date information about your business, reducing inconsistencies. - Alignment with Future Trends: As search technology evolves, structured data remains critical for new formats like voice search, AI-powered search, and smart assistants. ## Why Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing for JSON Schema Implementation? At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we specialize in crafting comprehensive local SEO strategies that include expertly implemented JSON schema markup. Here's why we're the best choice: - Expertise: Our team has extensive experience implementing schema for local businesses across various industries. - Custom Solutions: We tailor schema markup to your specific business needs, ensuring you get the best results. - Full-Service SEO: Schema is just one part of our holistic SEO approach. We optimize your site's content, structure, and off-site presence for maximum impact. - Continuous Monitoring: SEO isn't a one-time effort. We monitor and refine your schema implementation to keep you ahead of the competition. ## Conclusion JSON schema markup is no longer optional—it's essential for businesses aiming to dominate local SEO. By providing search engines with structured data, you improve your visibility, attract more customers, and stay competitive in an increasingly digital landscape. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we make implementing schema markup easy and effective. Contact us today to learn how we can use JSON schema to move the needle on your local SEO efforts and grow your business. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-move-to-efficiency-through-Tasks/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-move-to-efficiency-through-Tasks/ Email is centralized to a user where information is in a silo that only the one user can truly see. This creates speed bumps, roadblocks, and chaos within an organization. There are ways to fix this chaos by centralizing everything and making these tasks available to the entire team. Not only does this bring visibility into the eyes of everyone within the company but also brings in collaborative teamwork. When workloads for some are less they can step up and tackle items in the work queue and speed the entire process and eliminate one person from slowly down items within the system. This not only helps get projects completed more efficiently but lists start shrinking rather than growing. From an ownership perspective, you have greater insights into your business, what team members are doing, where you should be charging more, where you could be charging less, and which teams need help based on workload. You are also able to determine the averages for how long it takes to complete certain tasks, be able to more quickly see trends, and see areas for continued improvement. From a client perspective, you can log in, see the status of your work (not started, in-progress, and completed) within easy to use dashboards. You can add additional information with notes and supporting documentation. You can do this at all hours of the day and at times that are convenient for you. By utilizing tasks, you are also creating more accountability within the organization. With every task there is a start date but equally important are estimated end dates. This gives insights to people on when they should expect items to be done, if not before. This accountability allows to look at your own internal SLA’s (service level agreements) that you are meeting the completion dates. If you go over, what was the reason and how can it be prevented in the future? Within any customer service organization, there are always ways to improve your effectiveness no matter how well-oiled your customer service machine is. When things are bad that isn’t when you start looking for “fixes”. You need to be looking for improvements when things are going well so that you avoid any bad periods in customer service. By implementing tasks within our entire customer service process we are able to help each other out as a team, have more visibility into what everyone is doing, assign tasks accordingly, move tasks to others, and more importantly solve customers problems in a faster and more timely manner. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-New-Reign-Of-Facebook-Groups/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-New-Reign-Of-Facebook-Groups/ When it comes to taking on client needs social media, like the search engines, is constantly changing and evolving. These changes sometimes we love and sometimes we hate. This is one that we're kind of in the gray area. What does this mean for you on building engagement and brand awareness for your business? Glad you asked! There's a ton that this will do to actually help you grow your business, you will be able to build your brand awareness through your website and showcase your awesome company culture through the use of Facebook groups. Facebook today in an article with the Verge ([click here for the Verge story on Facebook is redesigning its core app around the two parts people actually like to use](https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/30/18523265/Facebook-events-groups-redesign-news-feed-features-f8-2019)) has stated they are putting less emphasis on the Facebook newsfeed for businesses and more toward events and groups. This change many will be panicking and wondering where Facebook is headed.I laugh when I heard this from Kyle as we had been talking about Facebook Groups since November of last year for our clients. Since then we've been actively looking at groups on how to best take advantage of it. Irony shows it came out today when tomorrow we were going to publically talk about it. So thanks Facebook! With this change groups and events will have a higher place of relevance according to the Verge. According to Facebook the reason is to simplify and put emphasis on individual relationships rather than businesses. Right now this change is coming more quickly to the mobile users as that is the largest usage of Facebook and then rolling out to desktop, tablet, and laptop users. The push for events makes perfect sense to us. Not only does it get you off of Facebook (for a while -- until you start posting your stories) but gets you out socializing and talking with your friends and family. All of this takes in Mark Zuckerberg's pledge in March for a more "privacy-focused communications platform." This entails merging and more emphasis on messaging, photo-sharing, and unified communications. This is further indication of Facebook taking the best parts of Snapchat, Tik Tok, Twitch, Reddit, and other social media platforms. This change will make many stock holders unhappy, as well as many social media management companies, but to us it puts more on the marketing for our clients making it easier for us to help them grow. Creating a group just to have a group is **not the solution**. Groups are not what every business needs and not every business should create a group to create a group. This would go the way of having a social media account just to have a social media account. With these changes you need to sit down, collaborate, and strategize on bringing brand awareness to your company as well as growing your overall marketing awareness. What all of this should say to everyone is to put less love and trust on Facebook and social media as a whole and stick to the tried and true basics of a website,search engine optimization, and paid ads to increase and grow your bottom line. These changes, like everything in life, should be taken in a logical manner that focuses on the strengths and overall growth of your company. Don't panic and don't let others scare you. Change is always around the corner and it is how you accept these changes and are agile that defines how your business will grow. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Power-of-a-Consistent-Story-Across-Digital-Mar/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Power-of-a-Consistent-Story-Across-Digital-Mar/ In today’s digital-first world, a consistent brand story isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. From social media platforms to your website and Google Business Profile, every aspect of your online presence should reflect the same cohesive message. When your story aligns across all digital platforms, it builds trust, recognition, and loyalty, setting your business apart from the competition. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we understand the importance of consistency in digital branding. As Cullman, Alabama’s premier marketing agency, we specialize in crafting and maintaining a unified brand story that resonates with your target audience, strengthens your online presence, and drives business growth. *** ## Why Consistency Matters in Digital Marketing ### 1. Builds Trust with Your Audience Customers are more likely to trust brands that appear consistent and reliable. A unified story across platforms assures your audience that your business is credible and professional. - Example: Imagine visiting a business’s website with one logo and color scheme, but their social media pages look completely different. It creates confusion and undermines trust. ### 2. Enhances Brand Recognition Repetition is key to recognition. When your story, visuals, and messaging are consistent, customers quickly associate them with your brand. - Example: Think of global brands like Coca-Cola or Nike. Their logos, colors, and tone of voice are immediately recognizable, no matter where you encounter them. ### 3. Improves Customer Experience A seamless experience across platforms ensures that customers know exactly what to expect from your brand. Whether they’re reading your blog, interacting on social media, or checking reviews, consistency creates a cohesive journey. ### 4. Boosts SEO Performance Search engines prioritize businesses with a strong, consistent online presence. Uniform branding across platforms, coupled with up-to-date and accurate information, can improve your rankings and help customers find you faster. ### 5. Increases Engagement and Conversions Consistent storytelling emotionally connects with your audience, encouraging them to engage with your content and take action. Whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a service, or visiting your store, a cohesive story drives results. *** ## Elements of a Consistent Digital Brand Story To maintain a consistent brand story, focus on the following key elements: ### 1. Visual Identity - Logo and Colors: Use the same logo, color palette, and typography across all platforms. - Imagery: Select visuals that align with your brand’s tone and message. ### 2. Tone of Voice - Messaging: Whether playful, professional, or inspirational, your tone should remain uniform across blog posts, social media updates, and ads. ### 3. Content Strategy - Unified Themes: Align your content with your brand’s mission and values. - Consistent Posting Schedule: Regularly share content on all platforms to maintain visibility and relevance. ### 4. Accurate Information - Business Details: Ensure your name, address, phone number, and operating hours are consistent across platforms like Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Facebook. - Taglines and Descriptions: Use the same phrases to describe your business on your website, social media, and directories. *** ## How Fawkes Digital Marketing Creates a Consistent Story for Your Business At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we specialize in helping businesses in Cullman, Alabama, craft and maintain a cohesive brand story across all digital platforms. Here’s how we do it: ### 1. Comprehensive Brand Audit We start by evaluating your existing online presence to identify inconsistencies in visuals, messaging, and information. - Example: If your Facebook page says you’re open until 7 PM but your website lists 6 PM, we’ll correct it. ### 2. Tailored Brand Guidelines We develop a detailed brand guide outlining your logo usage, color palette, tone of voice, and content strategy. This ensures that every piece of content reflects your unique identity. ### 3. Multi-Channel Content Creation Our team creates engaging, high-quality content tailored for each platform—blogs, social media posts, Google Business Profile updates, and more—all aligned with your brand story. ### 4. Unified SEO Strategy We optimize your website, local listings, and social media pages with consistent keywords and descriptions to improve your visibility on search engines. ### 5. Ongoing Monitoring and Adjustments Brands evolve, and so should your digital story. We continuously monitor your online presence to ensure consistency and make updates as needed. *** ## The Benefits of Choosing Fawkes Digital Marketing As Cullman’s trusted digital marketing agency, Fawkes Digital Marketing offers unmatched expertise in branding and digital storytelling. Here’s why we’re your go-to partner: - Local Expertise: We understand the Cullman market and know how to connect with your target audience effectively. - Comprehensive Solutions: From website design to social media management and SEO, we offer all the tools you need for a consistent online presence. - Data-Driven Results: Our strategies are informed by analytics, ensuring measurable improvements in engagement, leads, and conversions. - Customer-Centric Approach: Your success is our priority. We take the time to understand your business, goals, and vision. *** ## Conclusion A consistent brand story is essential for building trust, engaging your audience, and standing out in a crowded market. By aligning your visuals, messaging, and content across all digital platforms, you can create a seamless experience that resonates with customers and drives long-term success. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we specialize in helping businesses in Cullman, Alabama, craft cohesive, compelling stories that grow their online presence and elevate their brands. Ready to take your digital marketing to the next level? Contact us today and let’s start building your success story together. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ThePowerofaMobileWorkforce/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ThePowerofaMobileWorkforce/ We state we're a mobile company but when events force you to work mobile you start to realize the true nature of being a mobile workforce is. Our office is in downtown Cullman Alabama which means we have some amazing opportunities. We are close to great restaurants, local shops, and of course are the first back on when we lose power. Well, that last statement we've learned is not always the case. We have lost power a few times and five or six hours later and the power is still off at times. This doesn't affect us though as we have built our system from the ground up for handling these types of situations. We have incorporated six key technologies that have helped us achieve greatness even when systems around us have prevented us from working in our corporate office. ## Laptops All our team members have laptops which facilitate working remotely. This helps in a couple of ways. The first is if we do have a brownout (loss of power) for a short period we can keep working as our wireless is backed up by battery. The second is we can quickly and easily work in a different location (e.g. coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, or even our home). ## Email and Connectivity We utilize Office 365 for all our email communication needs. This gives us full access on our laptops and mobile devices. As a nice perk is everyone can install Office onto their personal computers (desktop, tablet, or laptop). ## Skype for Communication We utilize Skype for instant messaging as well as phone calls. We are incorporating a Frontier (Mitel) Voice-over-IP phone system to give even more connectivity when in the office, through smart phones, etc. as an additional (backup) method so that we don't always have to communicate with our cell phones. The corporate 800 number is also deeply integrated into everything as well which supports receiving faxes from any clients that need to send a fax. ## SharePoint for File Sharing & Collaboration Sharing of files is crucial for any business. With ours we have large graphic and video files. Our solution gives us around 10TB (terabytes) of storage with the capability of accessing the information through email or any internet connected device securely and efficiently. ## Mobile Phones Almost never does anyone leave home without having a mobile phone on them. This is a blessing and a curse for many of us. Our emails, Skype, and file sharing all have the capability of integrating with our mobile devices. Additionally, we have a tight integration with all our servers and receive real-time notification of alerts that happen with them. ## Security No solution in today's world would be complete without the thought of security. Although the last item in our list this was a key focus on everything we've done. Each of the above solutions is as secure as we could get, has remote wipe capability (in case a machine is stolen), and gives us the capability of sending attachments that "expire" after a certain period thanks to the deep integrations with Microsoft Office. ## Conclusion By incorporating these capabilities, we can quickly meet the needs of our clients wherever we are. When we open a new office in St Petersburg Florida like we just did we were able to be operational in a matter of hours rather than days, weeks, or months that would happen using other methods. Utilizing secure VPN tunnels we can get our work done in efficient and simple matters that allow us to focus on our clients and not where we are located. If the team has a reliable connection to the internet we can work online with their projects. If there is no internet we can get a lot of work done that will automatically sync back to the cloud when the internet becomes available. If you want to work with a team that has the capability of working with you and helping you grow JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama is a great company for you to align with. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-power-of-communication/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-power-of-communication/ With the company growing I have spent a lot of my time focused on improving business processes, fixing areas that can be improved based on our teams input, and stepping away from what I would call "normal blog writing" to a more focused on our overall business and marketing processes. This shift is letting our expertise shine even more and allows our search engine optimization team, social media experts, graphic designers, and software developers focus on the free advice I had done for the past three years. In the past two months I have been communicating about what we are doing, how we're doing it, how we are readjusting our marketing dollars, etc. I have allocated 1-2 hours per day to write articles explaining what we are doing. We have always had a transparency within the company and we're now taking it to the outside world as well. Our process is to change the way business gets done. I know some of this will be put into use by others, some not, and some will ignore it completely. I am targeting all my efforts on those that this can benefit as well as let others see how we as a company are different. Each is written quick and to around a page so that I can easily get one done and sometimes two. I have moved into more of a focus of software development which has allowed us to almost double our creative business automation over the past several years. I am also looking at branding, marketing, and increasing communications through blog articles and free speaking engagements that I do. I have become the sounding board to everyone and spend a portion of my day in meetings which are not always the most fun but keeps the team and running at full speed and clients deeply informed to everything. WWe have our new content writer coming onboard next month and are excited and what she will bring to our service offerings. We wanted to make certain we were beyond a well-oiled machine as having a full-time content writer is new to the entire team as we have previously only used part-time writers. She is going to take us to a completely new level of quality for our clients. We have even started the process of talking with other content writers that want to come onboard to our team as we are expecting a huge growth in content writing where two years ago we would have looked to use the services of others. This shift will greatly change the way we communicate with clients, clients communicate with their customers, and the quality of everything is going to go to the next level which is something we've been wanting to. Our brand will be out there more as part of our content writers' duties will be communicating not only with clients but other businesses that we've never dealt with, have never heard of us, and some that might have heard about us. I personally feel that the power of communication is a true "lost art". I feel as too many people want to be impersonal by sending emails and that is it. This can lead to misunderstandings, loss of hearing the "tone" of the message, and leave open opportunities to not getting necessary answers to take care of a client's unique needs. Phone calls are much better than email and in-person meetings are even better yet. This past year was all about foundational elements and building our core Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system that we provide for all of our clients for no additional cost. That system isn't designed to compete against the likes of SalesForce.com or Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Its focus is solely on small business and communication with customers. It is designed to be simple, easy-to-use, and to help improve overall business processes. One item I know I am striving for is to keep these as short and sweet as possible. Since starting these short and to-the-point articles, we have seen three major changes for our company that we've seen and are sure we'll see more over time. 1. Our article readership has almost doubled where we are now averaging 142 readers per day. 2. We have increased our client base and they stated it was due to the articles. I have also been told it was because they were "quick reads". 3. Our shares on the articles have increased by a factor of 3 across all the platforms we are sharing and writing on. It is never too late to start your communication process for any size business. For small business this is especially true as communication is one of our traits that make us stand out to the big box chains. Any communication needs to be thought of like your marketing plan where you not only look at what you are try to achieve but have a plan in-place to actually do it. Assign responsibilities and be clear with everyone on your team so that you effectively get your word out the way you want. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Power-of-Paper-over-Technology/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Power-of-Paper-over-Technology/ As a company, we strive to be paper free yet when you walk into our office you will see a lot of it around. We know that a business without paper would be a business that doesn't exist even one that strives and lives to be as much paper free as possible. We pride ourselves on protecting the environment through every step we do. Every piece of paper is re-used, recycled, and is typically gotten in a recycled state. Many of us have tablets that have pens for note taking but that is not always the most convenient option when you have a flash of an idea pop into your head. What can a simple piece of paper do for your business that a more efficient computer can't? Let's find out. ## Tactile Feedback It is amazing as humans that tactile contact that bring you closer to what you are working with. Part of using paper is to tell a story. Like in the [Star Trek First Contact](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117731/) movie where Captain Picard and Commander Data talk about finding the Phoenix and touching the rocket that brought peace and prosperity to the entire planet Earth touching paper as you tell your story makes it feel more real. ## Less is More Paper has a lot less "noise" than any computer ever will. No matter how you cut it paper is a very simple product. All you need is a piece of paper or a pad of paper, pencil or pen (even a crayon will work), and something to write on. The distractions of other programs, the internet, etc. While writing just these first three paragraphs I can say I have a Casey Neistat video playing on one of three monitors, email on another, and Hootsuite up and running watching over 30 social media accounts. On paper though I would be completely focused on the task I am working on and the distractions would be reduced. ## Instant power / No batteries Skipping the power and convenience of a computer you never need to worry about having your batteries charged up or waiting for the system to load. In fact, the boot time on paper is as quick as you can get to a blank area of the page. ## Short term goals Paper is great for keeping track of those short-term goals. In fact, one of my favorite things to do is use paper in meetings even when I have a computer right in front of me. The reason is after the meeting I always allocate time for recapping everything that went on. This allows me to then transcribe all those paper notes into he computer for longer retention. As a side benefit to me is instead of being focused on typing notes writing notes can be a lot less lengthy and I can stay focused more on who is talking and making quick notes that in-turn I can turn into more detailed notes after the meeting. ## Increased Creativity Many will truly disagree that paper can make you more creative. When inspiration strikes paper is a great item to have available to you. Those *chicken scratches* tell a story like no computer ever could. Part of writing on paper is truly telling that story that will pull at the heart strings of others. A simple doodle can tell people a lot about your personality and keep your imagination active and flowing. ## Conclusion The rumors of the world going completely paperless since the dawn of the computer are far from ever going to happen. I know myself I love when I get in old snail-mail magazines like [Inc](https://www.inc.com/), [AdWeek](http://www.adweek.com/), >CANVAS Magazine, [AdvertisingAge](http://adage.com/), and other industry magazines that I am ready to read them. The touch and feel does make them more real even though I get them electronically as well. Loving technology is great but always remember your roots and what got you there. Old school is sometimes the best school when it comes to moving forward in your life and for your business. Don't be afraid to embrace that old school charm even when everyone around you expects you to only be on the more modern platform like a computer. Keep everyone guessing, including yourself, and no one will ever be able to keep up with your imagination that is truly you. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-power-of-two-marketing-channels/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-power-of-two-marketing-channels/ We are JM2 (JM Squared) Webdesigners & Marketing from Cullman Alabama but that is not what we are talking about today. We are going to talk about the power of two great digital marketing products that separate are good but together can be great. We hear many social media marketers say you need social media and a website is a waste of your dollars and marketing time. We hear the opposite from those that do websites but not social media in that you only need a website and social media is a waste. Both thought processes are the furthest from the truth. Quality marketing requires you to use both and use both effectively! They should work together, complement each other, and help drive traffic to each other. Why you need both we will describe in this article and this will certainly not be a complete list, but it surely will show you why you need both. What you will notice is the pros for each are very similar but handled different. as your audience may be the same but are still different This difference is what makes both an important part of an effective marketing strategy. You might be targeting the exact same audience on both marketing channels but need to captivate them in entirely different ways. Social media is sharing information where a website is educating in deeper detail and driving users through a predefined sales process. Social media can be seen more as a browsing experience as information is given to you based on what the social media platform believes will interest you and drive advertising dollars to them where going to a website your visitors are going through a search engine and looking for direct answers to a specific question that came up in the search engine query the site visitor performed. ## Social Media Social media has more people on it in any given day than many of our websites will ever see in its lifetime. Millions to over a billion users visit social media on a daily basis. Not all of them will ever see your products and services, not even if they are next to your business. The closer they are to you the better your odds are though. They have to have shown some interest in your products or services or social media will hide you from them (unless you boost your post -- we'll cover that in a bit). There are many great tools that are available to streamline your efforts, analytics, and interaction with current and future customers. Key items to do with social media are: - Consistency post based on the social media channel you are using. For Facebook the magical number is three posts per week (but can change based on your audience) - Quality content – share content that you've created, entice people to go to your website, and share information that will benefit your audience. - A key item to remember is keep your content on your site. This will give you more influence and control over your company assets. - Video – pre-recorded and live. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point (just like your content) - Pictures (include it with your content) - 20% sales (or less) - No one likes to be sales pitched all the time, if ever. One in five posts at most should be what you strive for. In many instances we do even less. We use our time to educate and inform users more than sell. Education is as much of a sales tool as a paid ad. - Boost to specific audiences (age, gender, geographic location) - This is ever more important. Social media is becoming a "pay to play" land. You might be thinking that you are already spending a lot. Social media boosting can be as low as $5 a week (or day if you want to spend a lot) for small business. We like the dollar a day spending and reach hundreds of people per day as we narrow the criteria down to age, job position, etc. With your content and everything you need to drive people to your website. The key here is it is your website. You own it, you control it, and your competitors are not on it (hopefully; unless you allow paid ads and they are slick enough to target correctly). ## Websites Websites are controlled by you and promote you and only you. You have the complete control of your audience. You can drive every visitor through the sales process (e.g. sales funnel). Whether it is to further educate and keep them tied to your brand, or to teach them how awesome your services are. - Consistency update the content of your website - Blogs are a great way of adding new content without taking up a ton of time. One blog a month will do significant returns on your search engine results (if you have quality content) - Quality content - No one will read content that sucks. People are looking for answers, education, and want to make informed decisions. Provide them with content that works and helps them be a better person. They will not only remember it but they will remember you as well. - Video – pre-recorded and live. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point (just like your content) - Pictures (include it with your content) - Sales – this should be everywhere but shouldn't appear pushy. People coming to a website know you are selling. Just don't push it down their throat. Websites are very closely tied to the search engines (there's more than just Google!). Your website needs to be fast (speed might kill but being slow on the internet will basically kill your business. A 1 millionth of a second delay on Amazon.com and you've lost a million dollars. For our small business customers, we know it's not that extreme, but we treat every customer like this as we know the importance of speed and you should as well. When it comes to the search engines you have two types. We prefer “organic” which means you've earned your place and best of all you're doing it without paying to get there. We also understand the reasons many of our clients use paid advertising to get to the top spots. They might not be able to achieve the top two or three organic listings as their competitors truly own that space due to many factors. Paid advertising allows you to show above them but comes at a price per click. When it comes to the search engines most of us think about our websites, but have you thought about your images as well? When organic SEO is done, and done well, you will have most, if not all, your images within the search results under the keyword phrases you want. ## Conclusion You can see from the above that both social media and websites are virtually identical in that you need to have: - Consistency in a regular posting schedule will help stay in the heart and mind of your customers - Quality content that is written for your audience - Your content should answer the question your customer is asking - People ask different questions and this is why blogs are awesome quality content tools as they provide a way to answer different questions about the same product you might have talked about a few months back. - Every day video and visual media (pictures) is important. Make certain that you use it where appropriate and educate your audience. Have a process with following up with your customers through a sales funnel. This could be lead generation forms, newsletters, or using a list of current customers. A key item for social and website marketing is that your information follow a "marketing plan". This plan should not be like throwing spaghetti against a wall and seeing what sticks. This can work short term but will almost never work long-term. Take the time and establish a marketing plan to grow your business. When it comes to marketing your company let your passion and your culture come through. Don't be fake and don't be stuffy (unless your business is being stuffy and then by all means be stuffy!). Marketing is a game and a game any company can do themselves (did we just say that?!?!?!?). The key when determining to do this in-hoes or to use a marketing company is where is your time best spent, what are the costs, and which way will help your business grow to where your dream is? --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-reason-for-a-name-change/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-reason-for-a-name-change/ It is the ones that push the limits around them that get noticed. There's nothing wrong with being different. In fact, we find those that are different are the ones that change the world for the better and most remembered. This is why we've changed our name to **Business YETI** from JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing. There are many reasons for this but the biggest is we are not like any other marketing company out there. We are focused on return on investment (ROI) and showing it to you. We never pushed people to realize that half of our revenue comes from paid advertising for our clients on Google, Bing, LinkedIn, and social media. This goes along with our idea we should be a silent partner helping our clients grow. So, what is with the name change to a mythical character and how does it "change things". We asked ourselves the exact same question! Over the past five years, we've looked at what have done, what was working in marketing, and what wasn't. This made us think that a true change is in order beyond the changes we were already doing. Here are some of the reasons for our name change: - **Now Limiting the number of clients** – We've chosen to focus on a limited set of clients (no we won't tell you how many!). We also will no longer be accepting of every business that walks through our door. At first, we thought this was counter-intuitive as we are in the business to make money after all (even not-for-profits need to make more money). Then as we dug deeper, we realized that we can't help all businesses and we would be doing ourselves and our clients a disservice just taking their money. - **Limited the number of active new clients** – Even though we are going to limit the number of new clients we bring on we have in the past routinely run a dozen new projects at the same time. Now we're limiting that to three new active projects at any given time. The reason we did this is so we can knock projects out faster and give our clients a more personalized touch. When we reach four and above, we put those items in the queue and if someone doesn't want to wait we'll help them find someone who doesn't have this type of restriction. No one has complained so far in having to be in our queue and we're thankful for that. - **Life is short** – When it comes to our lives, we only have one. There is no starting over with your life and you only have this one to live. This made us realize that if we're going to spend a third (or more) of our lives at work we have to have fun and not waiver from it. We started off five years ago with Nerf guns and bullets hidden throughout our office and it's not uncommon to see a stray bullet whoosh by during the day. Now we are making this fun more visible by incorporating a YETI into our overall theme to show the world we are different, fun, and a bit mysterious to keep those around us on their toes. - **Why a YETI?** This is one of the most fun reasons. A YETI is a perfect creature for a business like ours. They are different, unique, are hard to find (if ever), and cannot be compared to any other. - **Increase in storytelling** – We believe deeply in the art of telling a story. This is why we've been working with local county governments to showcase businesses around their towns, talking with these local businesses, and listening to their stories. Storytelling is only the first part but it has to start with the story. You cannot get engagement, sharing of a story, or people wanting to learn more about you until the story is written. This is why we always believe in telling the story whether it's in writing, podcasts, or video. - **Change** – All too often businesses will do the same thing over and over again hoping for different results. We believe this can't happen. If you notice that you once advertised in the newspaper [insert your current marketing method here] and you see the market dwindling that you need to stay in the newspaper (for a while) and look for where your customers are as they are no longer in that area. You need to adapt and change. This is why we believe that you can only make a difference by researching your customers and adapting to their changing needs. All the above tells part of the reason we've changed our name. The other is our old name just wasn't memorable or fun. In fact, our name was stuffy and "old" (even though it was only a few years old). When you think of names like Google you don't think of the biggest search engine (well you do now). Google actually came from the word google which is a mathematical term that represents a very large numeric value of 10 to the 100th power, or the factorial of 70 (70!). It is written as the number 1 followed by 100 zeros. We needed a name to showcase how we are different, fun, and not your typical digital marketing company. We needed something that people would remember whether they saw our mascot or the name would resonate better than our owners' initials. We're not saying there's anything wrong with our owners' initials. It's just that it didn't define our company culture. It defined him and not what we truly believed in at the core. It's with the above that we are showcasing why we are a memorable, unique, and professional marketing company while also being **bold**, standing out, and constantly adapting to changing market conditions. We are confident the next time you see our new mascot, hear or read the word YETI you will be thinking of us and that is what we were trying to achieve. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Theres-something-brewing-in-my-mind/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Theres-something-brewing-in-my-mind/ A cup of coffee is usually the first thing we grab once we get to the office. Most employees agree that coffee breaks are important, even essential during the day at work. During your break, usually with your co-workers, you discuss company matters. These mini-meetings promote collaboration, productivity, as well as creativity and the relationship of your workforce. The coffee break can be used to ease tensions, maintain team spirit, but most importantly as a sense of belonging. You allow your employees to get to work quicker and arrive earlier because they don’t have to stop at Dunkin’ to get their fix. You will gain a lot from providing quality coffee or espresso, in order to take care of your staff. Here are a few more reasons why coffee can ramp up productivity at work. 1. It helps you stay more alert Caffeine ramps up your brain’s energy levels. More energy equals enhanced memory, ability to focus, problem-solving, and general cognitive function. So when you need to concentrate on a crucial project at work, you can heighten your focus by sipping on coffee. Your brain will snap to attention, helping you plow through simple tasks or sort out the most complicated issues of the day. 2. It gets the creative juices flowing Coffee and espressos can help people be more creative individually or in a group setting. For others, drinking coffee stimulates their brains, making room for inspirational thinking. 3. It helps you learn new things faster The coffee-fueled brain works overtime to help you learn faster and improves information retention. 200 milligrams of caffeine helps the brain to identify words and phrases more quickly. Drinking coffee leads to improved short-term memory and an increased ability to solve reason-based problems. Having good coffee at the office can not only benefit you, but benefit your business. Good coffee has been proven to improve your mood, work ethic, motivation, and ability to focus. So, fire up the espresso machine in the morning and afternoon and stay on top of all your important work projects! Have a cup of happiness and embrace the day. You allow your employees to get to work quicker and arrive earlier because they don’t have to stop at Dunkin’ to get their fix. You will gain a lot from providing quality coffee or espresso, in order to take care of your staff. Here are a few more reasons why coffee can ramp up productivity at work. 1. It helps you stay more alert Caffeine ramps up your brain’s energy levels. More energy equals enhanced memory, ability to focus, problem-solving, and general cognitive function. So when you need to concentrate on a crucial project at work, you can heighten your focus by sipping on coffee. Your brain will snap to attention, helping you plow through simple tasks or sort out the most complicated issues of the day. 2. It gets the creative juices flowing Coffee and espressos can help people be more creative individually or in a group setting. For others, drinking coffee stimulates their brains, making room for inspirational thinking. 3. It helps you learn new things faster The coffee-fueled brain works overtime to help you learn faster and improves information retention. 200 milligrams of caffeine helps the brain to identify words and phrases more quickly. Drinking coffee leads to improved short-term memory and an increased ability to solve reason-based problems. Having good coffee at the office can not only benefit you, but benefit your business. Good coffee has been proven to improve your mood, work ethic, motivation, and ability to focus. So, fire up the espresso machine in the morning and afternoon and stay on top of all your important work projects! Have a cup of happiness and embrace the day. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Role-of-Brand-Strategy-in-Website-Design/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Role-of-Brand-Strategy-in-Website-Design/ ### The Role of Brand Strategy in Website Design Your website serves as the cornerstone of your online presence. Every design choice—colors, fonts, layout, and content—should stem from a well-defined brand strategy. Here’s why: #### 1. **Brand Consistency Builds Trust** - Your website is often the first interaction a potential customer has with your business. Ensuring that your site reflects your brand’s personality and values creates an immediate sense of familiarity and trust. - Consistency in logos, typography, and messaging across your website and other channels strengthens your brand’s identity. #### 2. **First Impressions Matter** - Research shows that users form an opinion about your website in **0.05 seconds**. An aesthetically pleasing and strategically designed site ensures that their first impression is a positive one. - Your website should visually communicate what your business stands for within seconds of landing on your homepage. #### 3. **Your Website Is Your Brand's Voice** - Through your site’s design and content, you have the opportunity to define your brand’s tone and messaging. Whether it’s professional, approachable, or innovative, your website should reflect your unique identity. #### 4. **Stand Out from the Competition** - In a crowded digital space, a cohesive brand strategy sets your business apart. When paired with a visually striking design, your website becomes a powerful tool for attracting and retaining customers. *** ### Website Aesthetics: Beyond Pretty Design While aesthetics are crucial, effective website design is about more than just being visually appealing. It’s about ensuring that every design element supports your brand strategy and enhances the user experience. #### **Key Elements of Aesthetic Design** 1. **Color Palette**: - Colors evoke emotions and associations. For example, blue conveys trust and professionalism, while yellow signifies energy and optimism. - Choose a palette that aligns with your brand’s personality and ensures accessibility for all users. 2. **Typography**: - Fonts are more than just text—they’re part of your brand’s voice. Clean, readable fonts create a professional feel, while playful or unique fonts can add character. 3. **Imagery and Visuals**: - High-quality images, videos, and graphics are essential for making a lasting impression. Avoid stock imagery that feels generic; instead, invest in visuals that are unique to your brand. 4. **Whitespace**: - A clutter-free design enhances readability and guides the user’s focus to important elements, like call-to-action buttons. 5. **Mobile-First Design**: - With mobile devices accounting for over half of all web traffic, a responsive and mobile-friendly design is a must to ensure a seamless user experience. *** ### How Brand Strategy and Design Work Together At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we understand that a website’s success lies in the seamless integration of brand strategy and design. Here’s how we make it happen: #### 1. **Start with Your Brand Identity** - Before designing, we dive into your brand’s story, target audience, and core values. This ensures that every design element aligns with your vision. #### 2. **Design for User Experience (UX)** - A website should not only look good but also be easy to navigate. From intuitive menus to fast load times, we prioritize creating a seamless user journey that reflects your brand. #### 3. **Incorporate SEO from the Ground Up** - Aesthetic design won’t matter if your audience can’t find you. We integrate SEO best practices into every aspect of your website to ensure it ranks high on search engines. #### 4. **Leverage Data for Design Decisions** - Our designs are backed by analytics. By understanding how users interact with your site, we create layouts and content that drive engagement and conversions. *** ### Why Fawkes Digital Marketing? At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in creating websites that are not just visually stunning but also strategically aligned with your business goals. Our approach combines cutting-edge design techniques with a deep understanding of brand strategy, ensuring that your website: - Reflects your unique brand identity - Delivers an exceptional user experience - Drives measurable results *** ### Conclusion: Your Brand, Your Website, Your Success A great website isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about telling your story and delivering value to your audience. By aligning your website’s design with a strong brand strategy, you can create a digital presence that sets you apart, builds trust, and drives success. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we’re here to help you make it happen. Whether you’re launching a new site or refreshing an existing one, our team of experts will ensure that your website becomes a true reflection of your brand. Let’s build something extraordinary together! Contact us today to get started. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-secret-keys-to-Local-SEO-Success/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-secret-keys-to-Local-SEO-Success/ We all want to draw business from either the entire country or around the world. The key is you need to cultivate and grow in your local "neighborhood" first. The way you do that on the Internet is to cultivate and grow your **Local SEO**. When it comes to search engine optimization you have local SEO that is focused on locally rather the broader terms through regular SEO. ## Back to a Marathon Like regular SEO local SEO requires the mentality that this will not happen overnight or even in a few weeks. You do have to work, train, and educate the search engines about who you are, what you stand for, why they want to index you locally for the phrases you want, and most importantly where you are located. Local search is all about location to where you are compared to the person doing the search. ## It's all about geographic location When you search for "Italian restaurants" from home and then from the other side of town you will notice that the results will typically change. The reason is your phone/mobile device (even your home laptop or desktop computer) provides the latitude and longitude that your internet/phone provider believes you are at. With local search paid advertisers will still show at the top but the rest are all distance based. Based on what the search engine believes are the closest locations will show to you. ## Content still matters If local search is more about distance and finding people near you why would content be important? The reason is that any site can claim to be "local" but being local without relevant content is not useful to the user and a site will not rank well. ## Implicit vs Explicit Local Intent When it comes to local search there are two types of intent. ### Explicit The first is considered an explicit local intent. This means that the city name is included in the state name. Example: Italian restaurant Cullman ### Implicit The second is considered an implicit local intent. This means that a search happens without a city name and the search engines utilize the user's location to determine the best results. Example: Italian restaurant ## Other Factors Affecting Local Search Other factors that can affect local search are local search repositories like the online yellow pages, Google/Bing/Yahoo! listings, Angie's list, or even Facebook. When searching other ways that can help are mentions from other local businesses that are close to your business. These local mentions can assist in proving relevance for your business in the local area. ## Conclusion Local search works in many ways the same as traditional search engine optimization. When you look down the search engine path the local part of the local search engine optimization needs to take into account content that is relevant to your local location and factors based on latitudes and longitudes. For help in standard and local search you can count on the dedicated team at JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman Alabama to help your business grow using all white hat techniques. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Secret-of-Success-Through-Text-Marketing-Part-/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Secret-of-Success-Through-Text-Marketing-Part-/ Text messaging is more than sending messages to friends and family. It has quietly become an incredibly effective marketing tool for businesses to send promotions, information, and sales pitches to their clients. While it's easy to assume that text messages wouldn't be an effective way to reach clients and customers due to the unfortunate tendency for people to become annoyed with an overabundance of texts, research and experience have produced surprisingly contrary results and shown to be an incredibly effective form of reaching out and making sales. ## ## Email vs Text Email campaigns are a popular way to reach out to consumers. Typically one signs up for their emails or opts in through a promotion to be sent coupons, advertisements, and upcoming promotions straight to their inbox. While these campaigns are decent and do provide some strong incentives to keep creating repeat customers (especially if you utilize coupons and promotions), the actual rate that these emails are read by consumers is surprisingly low, being around only 30%. With text messaging marketing, the open rate is a whopping 98%. Emails received from businesses also suffer through a low click through rate (about 6% to 7%) and even worse can be considered spam by the user (which happens 90% of the time), sealing their fate away to the spam folder forever. With text messaging, click through rates have a 36% chance of being seen and an only 1% chance of them being considered spam. ## ## Comparing Numbers Here are some more numbers to throw at you. It takes an average of 16 to 30 emails per month to bring in a single sale. This is even before factoring in the spam factor mentioned above. Even more distressing is the average time it takes for a consumer to open the emails and use the offers and coupons inside. This comes with an average time of around 6 hours to open and a redemption rate of 1%. Compare this with texting, which takes only 14 minutes to open a message and a redemption rate at a much higher 15% to 20%. These offer a vast difference and a much higher rate of efficiency, which in turn, leads to more sales and a more successful business. ## ## Conclusion: A Mobile World Needs Mobile Marketing The advantages to mobile marketing through texting are apparent after only a short amount of time being used. These benefits bring higher read rates, more opportunity to reach clients and greater reach on bringing in new clients. With so many individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and interests owning mobile devices, the opportunity to reach out to them is strong and sadly often overlooked in the ways to do it. The goal of any marketing campaign is to bring clients into your business or have them invest in it by purchasing goods or services. When you have a marketing tool that comes with a 98% success rate of being seen, the odds have never been more in a business's favor. Next week we'll be taking a look at the ways that one can successfully utilize text marketing, the right messages to send and which businesses and organizations can truly benefit from it (hint: it's a lot). The benefits of text marketing are truly extensive and will be focused on bit by bit as we list the great things they do for businesses of all sizes. If you want to learn more about text marketing or want to find out how JM2 Marketing can provide text marketing to your business, check out our [features here](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Services/TextMarketingLoyaltyProgram/) or feel free to give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Secret-of-Success-Through-Text-Marketing-Part2/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Secret-of-Success-Through-Text-Marketing-Part2/ We previously talked about how [text marketing is an effective tool](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/The-Secret-of-Success-Through-Text-Marketing-Part-) when it comes to marketing your business and how business owners have a form of promotion that comes with a high open and utilization rate. It's this unexpected versatility and reach that turns text marketing into an effective machine. Now that we know just how useful it is, the two questions that remain are who can use it and how can they use it? ## Everyone can use Text Marketing When we say everyone, we really do mean everyone. All businesses regardless of their size and audience can utilize the power of marketing through texts. Just to give you a small sample, these include: Auction Houses, Bars Cafes, Club/Promoters, Coffee Shops, Day Care, Financial Services, Fitness Clubs, Flea Markets, Flower Shops, Government, Liquor Stores, Marketing Agencies, Medical Services, Newspapers, Non-Profit Organizations, Religious Organizations, Restaurants, Retail Stores, Salons, Service-Based Businesses, Political Campaigns, Radio, Real Estate, Schools, Television, Theaters, Universities/Colleges. In reality, any business that wishes to remain in contact with their customers can benefit from text marketing. The possibilities are truly endless and give businesses the ease and flexibility to maintain close communication with their clients, keeping them up to date on the latest details and promotions. ## The Versatility of Texting Text marketing has surprising uses beyond the realm of promotion. Through text marketing, a business has the ability to provide value to customers that not only features links and promotions but also can be targeted to certain locations. Texts can also be made personal by using them for birthday greetings (as well as special birthday promotions), reminders of upcoming appointments, schedule changes, closings, and announcements. If it concerns important information that requires being seen by as many people as possible, texting your clients is an effective way to share this information with them, as well as establishing a personal touch with them that most email campaigns lack. ## The Best Way to Use Text Marketing Like any marketing tool, the most useful way to utilize text marketing is finding a balance of what you send and how often you send it. Sending 1 text a week is a great way to ensure that your clients are receiving updates on what is going on at your business while not completely overwhelming them. For every new client that signs on, a welcome text is typically sent along with a one-time offer as a form of thanks. Some text marketing options introduced by businesses include the option for MMS (graphics), the ability to use links, the ability to cross promote on social media as well as the ability to track the click-through rate (the number of people who visit a page through clicking a link). Use them all, as they offer useful insight as well as bringing true value to your clients through a variety of uses instead of simple messages. It's important to remember that while the medium may be text based, their usefulness does not need to be limited. ## Conclusion: Text marketing is an inexpensive and effective way to have a fully featured digital marketing campaign at a low cost and high reach. Staying in touch with clients and letting them their value is becoming an essential component for businesses to stay ahead of their competition and to allow all businesses maintain a strong client base by accessing a device that the vast majority of people own and use on a near constant basis. If you want to learn more about text marketing or want to find out how JM2 Marketing can provide a text marketing plan to your business, check out our features here and give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TheTruthAboutCreditCardFeesWhyYouShouldAbsorbProce/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TheTruthAboutCreditCardFeesWhyYouShouldAbsorbProce/ ### **The Truth About Credit Card Fees: Why You Should Absorb Processing Costs Instead of Charging Customers** **Introduction** In today’s competitive market, businesses must make **strategic decisions** that impact customer experience, loyalty, and long-term growth. One of the biggest pain points for consumers is **credit card fees**—specifically, when businesses pass those fees directly onto them. Many merchants have adopted a **0% processing fee model** (often called **surcharging or cash discounting**), where customers pay an extra percentage when using a credit card. While this might seem like a great way to **cut costs**, it can actually **hurt customer relationships, reduce repeat business, and impact long-term revenue.** Instead, a **transparent, customer-friendly pricing model**—where the business absorbs the processing fee—creates **trust, encourages spending, and builds brand loyalty**. Let’s break down why you should **ditch the “charge the customer” model and switch to a smarter approach**. *** ## **1. Customers Are Tired of Being Charged Extra Fees** Consumers have become **frustrated** with businesses that add a surcharge for credit card payments. No one likes unexpected fees at checkout, and this **negative experience can drive customers away**. ### **The Customer Mindset:** ❌ “Why am I being charged extra for using my credit card?” ❌ “I’ll just go somewhere else that doesn’t charge me.” ❌ “This feels unfair – the business should cover the cost of doing business.” When businesses **absorb the fees** rather than pass them to customers, it eliminates a **point of friction** in the buying process and makes customers **more likely to return.** ✅ **Better Experience → More Sales → More Customer Retention** *** ## **2. You Create a Better Customer Experience = More Repeat Business** A **smooth, frustration-free transaction** is key to **earning customer loyalty**. 💳 **Customers prefer businesses that don’t charge them for using a credit card** 💰 **They feel valued when they’re not hit with extra fees** 🔁 **They’re more likely to return to a business with transparent pricing** When a customer knows they won’t be **penalized for using their preferred payment method**, they’ll **trust your business and keep coming back**. *** ## **3. A Competitive Advantage Over Your Rivals** Think about **how many businesses in your industry charge credit card fees**. By **absorbing the processing costs**, you immediately create a **competitive edge**. Imagine two businesses offering the same service: - **Business A:** Charges a **3.5% fee** on credit card purchases - **Business B (You):** **Absorbs the cost** and offers no extra fees Which business do you think customers will choose? ✅ **Stand Out in Your Market** ✅ **Attract New Customers Who Hate Extra Fees** ✅ **Become the Go-To Choice Over Your Competitors** *** ## **4. Encourages Higher Spending from Customers** When a customer knows they **won’t get hit with extra fees**, they’re more likely to **spend more per transaction**. 📈 **Studies show that businesses that absorb credit card processing fees see an increase in average transaction size.** Instead of **limiting spending due to frustration**, customers are **comfortable using their credit card for larger purchases**. More spending = More revenue for you. *** ## **5. Builds Trust & Strengthens Your Brand** In the modern market, **customer trust is everything**. Charging extra fees can make customers **feel nickel-and-dimed**, while absorbing fees sends a **message of fairness and transparency**. ✅ **Trust leads to customer referrals & positive reviews** ✅ **A strong reputation helps grow your business over time** ✅ **Transparency strengthens long-term customer relationships** Would you rather be known as a **business that values its customers**, or one that **charges them extra just for paying with a credit card**? *** ## **6. Compliance & Legal Considerations** Not all states allow businesses to **pass processing fees** to customers. Some states have strict **regulations on surcharging**, and failing to comply can result in **fines or penalties**. By **absorbing fees**, you completely **eliminate legal risk and compliance headaches**. 🔹 **No worrying about state regulations** 🔹 **No accidental violations that could cost your business** 🔹 **Peace of mind knowing you’re fully compliant** *** ## **7. Your Costs Are Tax-Deductible** **Here’s a secret that many business owners overlook:** 💡 **Credit card processing fees are 100% tax-deductible.** This means that while you’re covering the fees instead of your customers, **you can write them off as a business expense at tax time**. You’re **investing in customer loyalty** while still keeping your finances in check. 📌 **Absorbing processing fees = Happy customers + Tax savings** *** ## **The Smartest Choice for Your Business** If you want to **increase customer satisfaction, generate more revenue, and grow your brand**, then **absorbing credit card processing fees** is the way to go. 🚀 **Your customers will love you for it.** 🚀 **You’ll get more repeat business & referrals.** 🚀 **You’ll stand out from competitors who charge extra.** ### **Ready to Switch to a Better Merchant Services Model?** We specialize in **fair, transparent payment processing** that keeps customers happy and helps businesses thrive. 📅 **Book a free consultation today to see how we can help!** 🔗 **[Get Started Now](#)** *** ### **Final Thoughts** 💡 **Customers want a seamless, fee-free payment experience.** 💡 **Businesses that absorb fees gain customer trust & increase sales.** 💡 **Your merchant fees are tax-deductible – so why pass them to customers?** Let’s build **a stronger, more profitable business** with a **smarter payment strategy.** 🚀 --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TheUltimateGuidetoNamingImages/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TheUltimateGuidetoNamingImages/ When it comes to SEO (search engine optimization), optimizing images is often overlooked but can significantly impact search rankings, user experience, and page load speed. An important aspect of image optimization is naming images correctly, which can drive more traffic from search engines to your site. This guide will walk you through the essentials of naming images for SEO and outline key tips to help you get the most out of your visual content. ## Why Image Naming Matters for SEO Search engines like Google cannot "see" images but instead rely on image names, alt text (alternative text), and surrounding content to understand an image's context. By naming images accurately, you provide valuable information to search engines, making it easier for them to index and rank your images in relevant search results. Optimized images can improve your website's overall SEO, enhance visibility in Google Images, and make your content more accessible to users who rely on screen readers. **Note**: naming your images correctly will help those with disabilities understand images better as well. This is part of the standard for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and for many companies adhere to laws and regulations and avoid potential fines. ## Key Steps to Naming Images for SEO Success Choose Descriptive and Relevant File Names - Use clear, descriptive file names that accurately reflect the image content. For example, instead of generic names like IMG1234.jpg, a more descriptive name like red-ceramic-coffee-mug.jpg tells search engines exactly what the image contains. - **Tip**: Think about what users might search for to find your image and use those keywords. Avoid vague or generic terms that provide little SEO value. Incorporate Target Keywords Thoughtfully - Identify the target keyword for your page and incorporate it naturally in the image file name. If you're writing about "best coffee mugs," consider file names like best-coffee-mug-red.jpg. - **Best Practices**: Avoid keyword stuffing, as it may come across as spammy to search engines. Use keywords that fit naturally within the image description. Use Hyphens to Separate Words, Not Underscores - Use hyphens (-) to separate words in the image file name instead of underscores (\_). Google treats hyphens as spaces, so red-ceramic-coffee-mug.jpg is more readable to search engines than red\_ceramic\_coffee\_mug.jpg. - If you are unable to use hypens (-) the next best alternative is to use camel casing where a group of words would be like "WorldsBestCoffee.jpg." Although not the best, and hyphens are the best option, using camel casing is better than "worldsbestcoffee.jpg." - **Quick Tip**: Avoid special characters and spaces in file names, as they can cause issues when URLs are generated for images. Keep File Names Short Yet Descriptive - Aim for concise, descriptive names that communicate the image content without unnecessary filler words. File names that are too long can be truncated, reducing SEO value. - **Example**: Instead of red-ceramic-coffee-mug-best-for-coffee-lovers.jpg, use a shorter name like red-ceramic-coffee-mug.jpg for more efficient SEO. Ensure Relevance to On-Page Content - Make sure the image file name is relevant to the content of the page. When naming images, consider how the image complements the written content, as search engines take into account context when ranking images. - **Example**: If your page is about coffee mugs, images named "ceramic-mug.jpg" or "travel-coffee-mug.jpg" provide better SEO relevance than unrelated names. ## Additional Image Optimization Tips for Better SEO Aside from naming, there are a few other ways to optimize your images for search engines: - **Optimize Alt Text**: Alt text should accurately describe the image for users who cannot see it. Include relevant keywords but keep the text clear and helpful. - **Choose the Right File Format**: JPEG and WebP are commonly used for photographs, while PNG is great for transparent images. Select formats that balance quality and load speed. - **Compress Images for Faster Load Times**: Large images can slow down your site. Use compression tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to reduce file size without losing quality. - **Add Structured Data for Images**: For advanced SEO, use structured data (schema markup) to give search engines additional information about your images. ## Common Mistakes to Avoid When Naming Images for SEO - **Using Generic or Default Names**: Avoid default names like IMG\_1234.jpg as they add no SEO value. - **Keyword Stuffing**: Overloading file names with keywords can look spammy and might harm SEO rather than improve it. - **Not Using Keywords at All**: Neglecting keywords entirely misses an opportunity to make your images more discoverable. - **Using Non-Descriptive Names**: Non-descriptive names reduce the relevance of your images, making them less likely to appear in search results. ## Final Thoughts Image SEO can significantly impact your site's visibility, especially for visually-driven content like eCommerce or portfolio websites. By following these image naming tips, you'll make it easier for search engines to understand, index, and rank your images, ultimately bringing more traffic to your website. **Remember**: Descriptive, keyword-focused file names are a foundational part of image SEO. Combine this with other SEO best practices, like optimized alt text, and you'll be well on your way to improving your site's search visibility. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Valpo-Shirts-Contest/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-Valpo-Shirts-Contest/ VOID WHERE, OR TO THE EXTENT, PROHIBITED. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. We are launching a apparel design contest. The design should fit onto a shirt or hoodie or another apparel item. It should scale and be visible at any size. Contest ends on 7/20 at 5 pm CST. ## Rules - Must be a vector graph (Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Printable PDF, or EPS file) - 1 entry per person - Must provide your full legal name - Address (Country, Street, City, State, and Zip – will not be made public) - Email address for correspondence - Phone number for correspondence - File size submitted should be 10 meg or less - Work must be original and not violate any copyright or trademark laws - Cannot be racist or attacking of others (organizations, people, objects, etc.) - Without limiting any representations, the Sponsor has the right (though not the obligation) to, in the Sponsor's sole discretion, reject or remove from the Sponsor's websites, servers and computer systems any Entry that, in the Sponsor's sole discretion, violates these Rules or any applicable Sponsor policy or is in any way harmful or objectionable. Sponsor also reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant or Entry at the Sponsor's sole discretion. No correspondence shall be entered into regarding Sponsor’s decision. - No age prohibited - 9 judges - Contest entries must be entered before 7/20/2019 at 5:00 pm Central Standard Time (CST) - Judging takes place between 7/21/2019 and 7/31/2019 - Winners announce on 8/1/2019 - No cash value on winning prize (no cash out) - Every submission is owned by the submitter - We believe in artists and your creativity and the work is yours! - You consent to having your information published if you are a winner - Submit your design to [contest@ValpoShirts.com](mailto:contest@ValpoShirts.com) ## Judging Criteria When we judge among all contestants the following will be the criteria the judges will use: - 100 points maximum - Artwork submitted is vectored (Maximum 50 points) - Number of colors used (Maximum 10 points) - 1 point per color used - Scales from small (2”) to large (12”) and looks great (Maximum 15 points) - Judges preference (Maximum 25 points) - Each judge has free reign to determine what this means to him/her ## Prize - 1st Place - Moose Starter Track (value: $ 479.40) - T-shirt: $24.99 or Hoodie: $40.48 - Your own vendor page for listing an unlimited number of shirt designs - Plus, profits related to your item selling on ValpoShirts.com - You set the sales price of your items (minimum of $24.99 for a shirt) - 2nd Place - Moose Starter Track (value: $ 239.70) - T-shirt: $24.99 or Hoodie: $40.48 - Your own vendor page for listing an unlimited number of shirt designs - Plu,s profits related to your item selling on ValpoShirts.com - You set the sales price of your items (minimum of $24.99 for a shirt) - 3rd Place - Moose Starter Track (value: $ 119.85) - T-shirt: $24.99 or Hoodie: $40.48 - Your own vendor page for listing an unlimited number of shirt designs - Plus, profits related to your item selling on ValpoShirts.com3 - You set the sales price of your items (minimum of $24.99 for a shirt) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-WHY-and-the-HOW-of-UTM-Codes-for-SEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/The-WHY-and-the-HOW-of-UTM-Codes-for-SEO/ ## History of UTM Codes UTM codes stand for Urchin Tracking Monitor and was created by Urchin Software in 2002. Their purpose was to give marketers insight into the marketing campaigns they were running to show if there was a good return on investment (ROI) of a given marketing campaign. UTM codes quickly grew in popularity after Urchin Software was acquired by Google for use in Google Analytics and later in Google Ads (formally Google AdWords). With the use of UTM codes you are able to truly see where your marketing dollars spent are working. This change is huge to a business used to the old marketing of spending money, having employees ask where they heard of X, and hoping that information gets relayed for marketing purposes. With UTM codes you can have some pretty accurate methods of how people are reaching you. They also can be used beyond just paid ads to see what links are helping you grow your business. We’re going to not only dig into what UTM codes are but how you can use them and how to create them (easily with tools from Google). ## Why Use UTM Codes If you care about marketing and knowing if you are getting a return on your investment (ROI) then you need to be using UTM codes! If you don't care about your money or tracking what works/doesn't work then don't use UTM codes. It truly is that simple. It takes work to do but the work done can create some truly great results to help you grow your business. With so many channels for marketing from search engines, to other websites, to social media the question of who is coming to your website is only one of the key questions to ask. Yes, it’s good people are coming. It’s even better if they convert and become customers (that’s what we all want). It’s also good to know where they are coming from so that you know if your organic campaigns or paid campaigns are performing the best for you. You may find that your organic campaigns are performing better than your paid marketing campaigns. This is where UTM codes come into play and help you make sound, educated, and informed decisions to grow your business. UTM codes are simple parameters you add to your website URL (e.g. https://www.businessyeti.com is an untouched URL). An example of a longer URL would be https://www.businessyeti.com/?utm\_source=Facebook&utm\_medium=cpc&utm\_campaign= Plan+Services+July&utm\_term=Cullman+web+design&utm\_content=bluelink. To generate this UTM URL we went to Google who gives you this magical “secret sauce” or “pixie dust” for you. After a while you may find that you can create this information without the tool. We use the tool as it makes certain we don't miss a step. They want you to use it as they know, like all good companies, that knowledge is power and the more knowledge you have the more you will use marketing (and they hope Google Ads). ## A quick few notes about UTM codes - **Note 1**: In the creation process you will notice after the .com and slash (/) that there is a question mark (?). This is the start of the parameters. If you already have parameters in your URL you will need to add the UTM codes after your parameters and not use a ? but a ampersand (&). - **Note 2**: Wherever you need a “space” you should use a + sign. For example, to use **running shoes** you would type in **running+shoes**. - You don’t have to use all of the parameters. The more you use the more granular and accurate your information will be. **You do not have to use all of them.** We strongly recommend you use enough to get you actionable results. - **Note 3**: As with any marketing campaign **consistency is the key**. Take the time and create a structure that works well for your business and communicate that to everyone that needs to know. * As an example: https://www.businessyeti.com/?utm\_source=LinkedIn would be the minimum you would have as it gives you the source, in this example, as LinkedIn. For any of the values you don’t have to use “real names”. You can use items where it applies to internal systems. As an example, you could use source as ABC123 instead of Facebook. The key is making it so that it works with your business processes. ## UTM Code breakdown ### Campaign Source Our example: utm\_source=Facebook The source is **where** the information is coming from. This is often Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Newsletter, Twitter, website, etc. This lets you know at a high level where everything is coming from. ### Campaign Medium Our example: utm\_medium=cpc How is this being used. CPC stands for cost-per-click. The other used command is email. You can use whatever you want but remember to have some consistency. We often use the following mediums when we are marketing: - blog - A blog article - advertisement - An advertisement - cpc – Cost per Click - email – For regular email - external - An external website - magazine – For your ads running in magazine sites - newsletter – For newsletter campaigns - newspaper – For ads running on a newspaper site - newssource – For ad campaigns running on a news source - video – For links we include in videos **Note 1**: Although we have mediums such as magazine and newspaper you do **not** want to have a user type in these URL’s. You use these on links people would click, not type in. **Note 2**: When having a link in a newspaper, magazine, etc. that someone would type use a URL Shortener (more on this later) so that your visitors don't have a long URL to type. ### Campaign Name Our example: urm\_campaign=Plan+Services+July What is the name of the campaign. If you are running ads for specific services or products this is what you will use. ### Campaign Term Our example: utm\_term=Cullman+web+design The term is the keyword phrase that you are using for a specific URL. If you are running the same ad for multiple keyword phrases you should have different URL’s for each of the phrases. ### Campaign Content Our example: utm\_content=bluelink Often when you run a campaign you will do what is called A/B testing. With A/B testing you break it into sub-categories (or campaigns). This allows you to have bluelink, redlink, or textlink if you were running three campaigns. The first with a blue button, then a red button, and one that just had a text link. By doing A/B testing you can see what is truly working and what isn’t working. Often in a newsletter we will use all the same information and change the utm\_content to match the link in the newsletter. Rather than using the same URL for every link we will use utm\_content=link1, utm\_content=link2, etc. where link1 or link2 are descriptive to where they are within the newsletter. **Note**: A great way of using the campaign content parameter is to include the post ID or page name that you are using if you are linking to a blog. ## Why UTM codes matter Whether you are marketing the business yourself or someone is doing it for you when it comes push to shove you are a marketer. Marketers need to know what is driving traffic to your site. You need the data to prove it and that data needs to be as accurate and understandable as possible. ## UTM code tips and tricks (Take these tips to HEART and HOME!) - Even if you have no desire to use UTM codes today the sooner you start using them the sooner you will have the results available for use. This means that if a year from now you want to start using them you will already have some reporting information available to you. - Keep it simple! Don’t over think and don’t under think. Have just the amount of information you need to be successful. - Establish naming conventions prior to beginning - If you want to track a UTM that is long in an “physical” billboard, magazine, or newspaper use a URL shortener like [https://goo.gl/](https://goo.gl/) or [https://bitly.com/](https://bitly.com/). They will make the URL shorter while giving you the ability to track in real-world scenarios. Using a URL shortener correctly you can later change the URL for a different campaign and re-using an existing short URL. - Use UTM codes wherever you can. Places I use them are in my email signature so that I know it is coming from my signature. Taking it a step forward you can break it down by employee as well to know where that information comes from. You can also use it as part of a referral process to know that someone is sharing you URL. - All too often we see companies that do Google Ads, Bing Ads, Facebook campaigns without thinking. This is like cooking spaghetti, throwing it at the wall and seeing what sticks. This is the worst thing any business can do. I hate to say this but when you have **no plan** the only thing you have "planned for" is to **FAIL**. Take an extra week (or two) and create a plan. This covers where to market, what the objectives are, what is "success", how you will adjust to things not working (e.g. how are you going to adapt -- being agile). - The next is after you start your campaign that you do not change it or adapt (e.g. agile above).Digital technology will either help you succeed or help you waste your money. Going the old way of I build it and they will come is certain failure for your business. Whether you do print or digital you cannot do a long "thinking process". You need to be prepared, well thought out, and move. Don't sit on your ass waiting to make certain it is "perfect". If it is print you do need to take more time as once it's printed it can't be changed. Digital can. Digital is also cheaper when done correctly. ## UTM Code Generator Google has created a UTM code generator and it's entirely free. This Google campaign builder can be found at [https://ga-dev-tools.appspot.com/campaign-url-builder/](https://ga-dev-tools.appspot.com/campaign-url-builder/). This takes all the work out of generating your UTM code and makes certain that it complies with all of the UTM code standards. ## URL Shorteners Imagine having a URL that is super long like the one below: [https://www.businessyeti.com/Blog/Details/The-WHY-and-the-HOW-of-UTM-Codes-for-SEO?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=education&utm_term=utm%20codes&utm_content=really%20long%20url](https://www.businessyeti.com/Blog/Details/The-WHY-and-the-HOW-of-UTM-Codes-for-SEO?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=education&utm_term=utm%20codes&utm_content=really%20long%20url) This URL on a newspaper or magazine ad/article is just insanely long and asking for someone to mistype or even just say it's not worth their time. Now with a URL shortener like [bit.ly](https://bitly.com/) you can take that same URL and change it to: [https://bit.ly/3ayNToH](https://bit.ly/3ayNToH) If you're like me, and most people, the second one is a lot more palatable to type. You do have to type it "Exact" but it's still a lot easier to type in. ## Google Analytics Now that you're sold on the use of UTM codes you need to be able to pull some reports to find out how they are performing for you. This is where you're Google Analytics account comes into play. **Note**: If you don't have a Google Analytics account you will want to create one (they're free!!!!) and add the Google Analytics code to your website. Once logged into your Google Analytics account you will click on **Acquisition**, expand **All Traffic**, and then click on **Source/Medium** to see where your visitors are coming from. Your UTM code items will show up here along with any other source. In our example, we have the source as **Blog** and the medium as **Email**. The information doesn't appear in real-time but normally will appear within 30 minutes of the link being clicked. Often it is faster but don't expect real-time results. ## Conclusion Any marketing campaign you do whether it be print or digital should use UTM codes so that you can gauge the effectiveness and return of your marketing campaign. Often it is good to use everywhere that you want to track the success of a campaign. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ThinkSecurity/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ThinkSecurity/ The internet has been insecure for far too long. Google with the largest browser share is doing something about it. The question is how many people will listen. Based on the size of Google I would say that the Google Chrome Security team will achieve this much-needed additional security. Starting in January 2017 Google Chrome (Chrome version 56 – Currently version 54 as of this writing) will start listing sites as insecure that do not use HTTPS for any forms that use passwords, accept credit cards, or that Google has programmed in as having confidential information. Per the Google announcement they stated that they have conducted studies and that users do not perceive the lack of a green lock icon as a warning that a site is not secure. This process makes users vulnerable and open to phishing schemes. The Chrome Security Team used this information to write a plan for changing the browser to clearly display that HTTP sites do not provide data security. Chrome 56 will be the first release that labels HTTP pages with password or credit card form fields as insecure. Google plans to extend the HTTP warnings to Incognito mode in following releases and will eventually add a prominent red triangle to the label on all HTTP pages. Site owners who want to avoid having their HTTP sites labeled as not secure need to further investigate if their user's security is important to them. We believe it should be and why every website that we create has a Digicert TLS (SSL) certificate which is one of the highest rated security certificates on the internet. Google for the past year has been rewarding companies that encrypt every page of their site by giving them a small boost within the search engine results pages (SERPs). This increase is very small but if your competitor and you are ranked the same and you have the SSL certificate you will rank above them if all other things are equal. If security is important to your business and you want to work with a company that believes security belongs on every web page and not just a few the team at JM2 is ready to assist you. Whether you are on WordPress, Joomla, or other Content Management Systems (CMS) we can help you secure. We are available at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Three-types-of-Search-Engine-Optimization/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Three-types-of-Search-Engine-Optimization/ Believe it or not there is more than one type of search engine optimization (SEO) out there. Most people that are trying to sell your business on SEO mention that they handle SEO. We find that interesting as part of our conversations with SEO we ask "what type of SEO are you referring too". More often than not we here "SEO". There actually are three core pieces to optimizing for SEO. In this article we'll go over those three pieces. ## Nationwide SEO Each country has a version of search engines. Google is not always the leader in a particular country as well. If your market is to be found within your particular country this is known as nationwide SEO. You will use this type of marketing when your products and services are set for a single country. Typically, your SEO efforts will be in the same country your corporate office is in. ## International SEO Is your business trying to do business outside of your corporate headquarters? If it is than you will be doing international search engine optimization. You will use international SEO when your products and services cross into multiple countries. ## Local SEO When it comes to marketing Local SEO is the latest craze. This is the perfect for businesses that focus on their local community and pulling people into their retail establishment. When it comes to local SEO you need to think about marketing campaigns that are well planned, targeted, and effectively managed, and that fit within your local market. ## Combination of SEO If we said there was three types of SEO why would we mention a combination of the above? Your business may be local (most are) after all. Your business may need local and national, local, national, and international SEO needs. We have a multitude of clients that fall into multiple SEO categories. ## Conclusion Cookie cutter SEO will not help your business grow. You need to work continuously on your SEO to bring results positive results to your website. As the search engines change monthly, even weekly, you need to adjust your strategy to grow your organic reach to your prospects. SEO cannot be thought of as a one type of solution. You need to break it down into what you need. Each one needs a special type of setup and configuration. When multiple get involved you need to take both, or all three, into account. When you are building your SEO strategy you can't just do SEO and be done. You need to think about your target audience and what is important to drive traffic, increase leads, and in the end increase your businesses online sales. If you would like assistance with a leader in search engine optimization JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama is a cost-effective SEO solution provider that helps small and mid-size business grow with proven business results. You can contact us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Throw-it-away-and-start-over/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Throw-it-away-and-start-over/ Many of our new clients will already have an existing website that isn't converting and the results that they are receiving are not what they want. When we inquire to what types of results they want they cannot answer right away. The reason is that there is no plan, no definition of what success is, and equally no definition of what failure is. The information is subjective and not defined which breeds the "throw it away and start over" syndrome. This thought process is not the right solution for any business. ## Listen to the Pain Points The first step in the process is to listen to the current pain points a client is having. Unless there was already a marketing plan in place these will be observations from the person talking or information passed onto the person. ## Analytics and Heatmaps The first question after listening to the pain points is to seek and see analytics and heatmaps of the current site if it's available. This information is clearly beneficial to take the information received already and see if the data matches what is shown. Often the current website is used differently than the pain points which is great. With this information, we can make some valuable decisions and improvements for the client. ## What is working The next step is determining what is working on the site. Often this information is more than what is realized as we often look at the negative side more than the positive side. This negative look will often create a tunnel vision making the information that is working to be entirely missed and ignored. ## Inaccurate Information A reason a completely new website is believed is the information is no longer accurate and starting from scratch is the easiest way to make certain that everything presented on a new site is accurate. This can leave a lot of broken links or pages. We have found that if a product was upgraded to slowly remove the page and state that the product has been enhanced/upgraded and the latest information can be found at a new location. This allows for people to read about the old and then see all the latest upgrades. This doesn't work for all products and services but for some it will and this is the time to find the best solution. ## Tools will solve your problem New tools and solutions come out almost monthly. They gain a lot of initial hype and promise of solving a client's problems. The tool could solve one problem and not another. Finding a solution that meets all the current business problems and can grow to meet the perceived future is often overlooked. A tool is also only as good as it is used. All too often a new tool like WordPress, HubSpot, Salesforce and others are installed, start out strong and then business demands make these tools fall off the radar due to changing priorities. Many times, these require contract commitments which continue to cost the company money even if they are not used. ## Optimization is Key A completely fresh start is often not needed in the way of throwing everything away. What we find is that the site needs: 1. A more logical manner so that information can be found more easily. The user experience (UX) is often a reason for a site to fail. 2. Analytics need to be constantly looked at and added if they are not already there 3. Processes need to be put into place to constantly evolve and improve the site 4. Marketing plans need to be adjusted based on changing business needs 5. An increase in communication. Like a marriage will fail if communication doesn't happen the communication between the department, person, or company that is maintaining the website needs to have a direct communication to achieve success. 6. Tie social media and your website together. We often hear we have social media and don't need a website (or the reverse). When the truth is, you need both and for them to work "together" rather than apart of each other. To work with a company that is focused on helping your business on long-term growth JM2 Webdesigners of Cullman Alabama is here to assist you. JM2 can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TimeForBusinessModelsToChange/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TimeForBusinessModelsToChange/ On Friday, January 8, 2016 we launched a Business Finding Directory from our Cullman Alabama office. We felt and know that the only way to grow was to make a difference by changing what businesses have done in the past. We knew there were dozen, possibly hundreds, of companies that were doing the same thing. We saw they all were focused on either charging the business or the consumer. We felt both should be allowed to get their good and positive words out there without having to spend a fortune. For those that wanted greater exposure they could advertise to get that exposure but at a cost that even the smallest company could be part of. ![Coupons](/Images/Content/Blog/coupons.jpg) With our Business Finding Directory a business can get listed, promote as many of their products, services, offers, and coupons for absolutely no charge. We have many other items in the queue that will further expand the capabilities and will still be offered for no cost. To take items to the next level consumers can see and access this information without having to register or provide their personal information. From a business perspective this could appear to be a bad thing as part of knowing everything about the consumer is knowing who the consumer is, their buying patterns, and what they are interested in so that you can better target everything to them. We opted to be more like traditional marketing where a newspaper knows how many subscribers they have but not the intimate details about the consumer. This was an intentional decision to protect the consumers while providing them with great information about any business that wanted to be listed within the directory. ![Consumers](/Images/Content/Blog/consumer.jpg) Today consumers and businesses want as much information available in a timely, reliable, and consistent manner. Waiting is now a thing of the past and will continue to be that way as technology continues to move forward. With all of the items on our site being date sensitive you can be assured that once an offer is no longer available (based on the date you set) it will be removed from being seen on the site. You can even set items to show in a future date so that you can move from one promotion to another without having to spend all of your time maintaining yet another aspect of technology. So what is the catch to being free and why would we do such a thing when we could surely charge as that is what others do? First, as you will learn about us we are not like the others. We want to provide a positive change not only in our hometown Cullman community but every community we can reach. Positive change will only happen when people have positive changes around them. We want to be part of those positive changes. Another reason is that we are doing this is that we are building our company brand and generating positive buzz about who JM2 Webdesigners from Northwest Alabama is. This product offering allows us to showcase our talents in [software development](/Services/CustomProgramming/), [web and graphic design](/Services/Webdesign/). Thanks, John --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/To-Force-or-Not-to-Force/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/To-Force-or-Not-to-Force/ No we are not talking the force from one of our favorite movies; Star Wars. What we are referring to is forcing users to provide you with their name/email address on your terms to read articles and information on the internet rather than their terms. There are two beliefs and we will cover both of these along with what we do and how we have increased our business. Let's go on this debatable journey. ## To Force When you force your website visitors to provide you with their name and email you are increasing the number of individuals that will reach your sales funnel. This is a great way to increase your mailing list or leads within your customer relationship management (CRM) system. If your focus is to gain as many names and email addresses as possible this is truly one of the best ways of going about it. People use this method by providing a value to individuals. The visitor will receive a flyer, brochure, document, or other valuable piece of information that your marketing efforts have sent their way. ### Downside With every solution there are pros and cons. The downside to forcing people to fill out your information is that you will lose people who refuse or who want to protect their information. They do not want to fill out or be forced to fill out information knowing they will continue to receive information from you. You could also lose these leads if you contact them too frequently and lose them in the sales funnel process. ## Not to Force While forcing your customers and potential customers is a great way to gain their information much of the information many provide is already freely available on the internet. You are providing a service by making it available and saving your potential customers there valuable time. Not forcing someone to provide you with the information and letting them contact you on their terms means that the people contacting you are already in the qualification process of your sales funnel. Being that you have not forced someone to contact you there is a much greater chance that you can help them with your products and services that you offer. ### Downside Not forcing people to fill out your information so that you can add them to your sales funnel faster also has downsides. The biggest is that you will not get as many contacts and will need to work other avenues in the sales funnel process. ## Conclusion We have clients that fall into both camps and we actually use both methods ourselves. We provide all of our information freely through our blogs. We do this as we believe in providing value to our clients and those that will eventually be clients for no cost. We believe in showcasing our expertise, not sharing information that was gathered by our team on the internet. We also do not feel we should force people for this already available free information. We do ask for information for those that want our flyers for specific products and services that we offer. By using this approach of making information freely available and only asking for those that are asking for flyers we have increased our overall qualified contacts in our sales funnel process without forcing those that don't want provide information. If you need help with marketing the team at JM2 Webdesigners in Northwest Alabama is here to assist you in making the right decision for your business. Our team has a wealth of knowledge with digital marketing which covers lead generation, sales funnel process, social media, search engine optimization (SEO), and of course web design on WordPress, Joomla, and other standard based content management systems (CMS). You can reach our team at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Too-much-social/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Too-much-social/ Back before 2010, and even today some people have too much social media. One might wonder how you can have too much social as social is getting out there, talking, and getting your good word out to the masses. Well, it can happen to everyone, including you. You can have too much social and when you do you will actually set your social media back. Social media is as important to have a website with great content and optimized for not only your readers but the search engines. Recently I was talking to a prospective client. Perspective as after we talked we opted to not take the project on. The reason was many with the biggest as all they wanted us to do is babysit what they had, grow it, but not do anything with it. The first was the company didn’t want to create a marketing plan as they saw it as an added cost even though we do it as part of our core package. They had paid for the last one which garnered them the eight social media platforms below but couldn’t produce what they had created as they said they shredded it as it didn’t work. The second was they were not willing to drop the others and actually wanted to expand beyond those. Let’s look at what they have to start which is a copy of some of my notes from our meeting: - Facebook - Last post within the last week. - This is where they have focused all their efforts. In six months there hasn’t been one like or shares except by employees. - A few comments existed about how to purchase but never responded to. They didn’t think they had to as the phone number was on Facebook (a retired phone number that no longer worked). - They moved and the address was still the old address. - They are curating news (awesome) with some being their main competitor (not so awesome). - They have bad reviews and never responded to. They didn’t realize they were there as no one was actively watching. - Google+ - They have never posted to the site. - This one can be understood as Google accounts are important from an SEO standpoint. - Pinterest - Last post two years ago (this is where they believed their most important audience was) - The intern that maintained left and no one knew how to log into the account - Twitter - Last post within the last month (with a caveat). - The post was not generated on Twitter and was a Facebook cross-post. - The intern that setup Pinterest also set this up and no one knows how to get into this account either. - Looking at the past two years of posts (awesome for being there) they were all auto-posts from Facebook. Not one reply, re-tweet, or Like on any of them - YouTube - No videos ever uploaded - They had hired a company to make videos and then uploaded to Facebook but were told you cannot have videos on both. Curious why but no one had an answer on that. - LinkedIn - No posts and only one employee tied in. - This is a 40+ person company and several are my friends on LinkedIn. - So why didn’t they tie directly to the company and show their love for their employer? - They use this as a job board they state yet no notices about jobs. - Instagram - 10 pictures total and all over two years old. - This is where they see the most engagement among all their sites above. - In fact, this is one they stated was a “waste” of their time. - RSS (Blog) - The last post was two years ago. - Worse goes to a completely different site which doesn’t benefit the search engines. - If you look at the posts they were consistent for five years. - Their complaint was their site was dropping search engine wise each and every month. - They didn’t understand why. - I asked why they stopped a year ago. - They stated the person that wrote the articles left to a competitor. - We looked at the competitor and their blog started around the time the one ended. - They stated they didn’t see a need for a blog and it was a waste of money. - They just didn’t understand why their competitor was literally destroying them market wise as they went from the bottom and are now the top player in their industry within Northwest Alabama. Beyond the above, they have an eCommerce page to buy off of but they have to call every person that orders as the pricing is wrong and they have to renegotiate the prices after someone orders online. They see that as a more cost-effective way than to update the prices. When we finished talking with them I had helped them reset passwords and gain control of all their sites. They didn’t want to change anything they were doing and just wanted us to post once a week and that was it. I told them that would not create any results and would actually make them question what they were paying for. Sometimes money, even good, is bad money. To turnaround your marketing it takes time and you need to work with those that want change. Trying to push the change to someone before they are ready is the worst thing to do. When I left they had control over all their accounts, left over a dozen action items, and let them know if they ever changed their mind we would love to help them out. I scheduled a follow-up lunch with their director of marketing as she wanted to change but the higher-ups didn’t. I know she has a tough uphill battle but have known her for years and know she will turn the ship around to where her seniors will be thankful. In the end, I can only say get on the platforms that work best for your business. Be where your customers are, engage them, and participate in the conversation. Organically (e.g. not paying) is a slow battle but one that will provide you with dividends of rewards over the years. If you don’t know where your customers are the easiest way is to ask them. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Top-12-Updates-in-nopCommerce-4x/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Top-12-Updates-in-nopCommerce-4x/ We are always excited about updates to our eCommerce platforms. Yes, you can call us nerds with this making us excited but eCommerce solutions are great for businesses. Most businesses see websites as cost centers even if they generated leads, inform their customers, or educate and show them as experts. eCommerce solutions are unique in that they bring in and show physical money which makes business owners eyes glisten. Today we’re going to look at the latest update for nopCommerce which is our preferred eCommerce system as it gives you complete control, is open source, and best of all highly customizable and built for eCommerce from the ground up. ## Microsoft .NET Core 2.1 This is the latest version of Microsoft’s Open Source framework for building enterprise-class software. This change is making it so that nopCommerce will one day not only run on Microsoft servers but Linux servers as well. It’s just not fully migrated over (yet) but is making strides for that. ## GDPR Support Whether you do business directly with the European Union (EU) or not you need to account for this face fines. Today the EU is going after big companies like Facebook and Google. Once they get through all the big fish they will be going after the smaller “fish” on the internet. On May 25, 2018 GDPR or General Data Protection Regulation went into effect. This new regulation requires businesses to protect the personal data of its customers. We are confident the United States will eventually catch up to these data protection laws in protecting the consumer. The ability to follow this law is now fully implemented in the core of the system. ## News, Topics, and Blog Enhancements Previewing your information is now part of the solution out of the box. This gives you the ability to format, preview, polish, and validate pages prior to being made live and making your overall online experience a lot more professional and polished. ## Polls per store Most businesses only have one eCommerce store for their domain. That’s not always the case though. Often places like flea markets or resale shops will “rent digital space” on their site. Previously store owners didn’t have the ability to do polls on their customers. They could only have polls for the entire site. Now each individual store owner can have their own polls. ## Product review notification What we always thought was a missing feature is now built into the system. When a review is left for you to review you now will receive an email notification. ## Simplified billing and shipping information display Previously the billing and shipping information were on two tabs making you do extra mouse clicks. We hate mouse clicks and nopCommerce is simplifying and streamlining their interface as well. You can now see billing and shipping information next to each other. This not only saves a click but fills white space that was just a waste. Thank you for this! ## Product attribute price adjustments You could always have an attribute (size, etc.) change the price of a product. The problem with this is it was a hard cost you had to enter. Now you can actually adjust by percentage. We have one customer where every year they update all of their attributes by 5%. Now they can just put in 5% and save countless days (yes days!) of time. ## Smarter shopping cart The smart cart is a truly awesome value add to the nopCommerce eCommerce site. If you are selling a suit which has a jacket, pants, shirt, shoes, socks, and a belt as a complete set when you remove the suit all of the other items (shirt, shoes, socks, and the belt) can now automatically be removed as they are no longer part of the bundle you choose. Of course, like everything in nopCommerce, this is a setting that can be turned on or off. Gift card balances can now be shown within the shopping cart. When you are checking out it’s great to know how much if any, the money you have left after the transaction you are about to do. Another feature we love is the ability to have an eCommerce site with **no checkout option**. You might wonder why you would want an eCommerce site and not allow someone to buy something and checkout. Let me give you a few samples: - You are a liquor store or winery and want to give people the ability to have compared, wish-listing, and viewing of products but they can’t buy online. - You are a car dealer and want to showcase your inventory but want people to come in as not many people are going to buy an $80,000 Tesla from an eCommerce site (at least not often). Discounts can now be added “automatically” via a URL. This is a great way of including a discount code in your newsletters, paid ads, or direct emails that someone can click on and get the discount without having to type in the code. This may seem small but the easier you make your user experience the quicker they can check out and you get their money! ## Reward points Who doesn’t like free stuff? The reward points system has been enhanced to further entice your customers into spending more money in your eCommerce store. ## Customer service One reason we love nopCommerce is its strong customer service features. They have now made it so that if you are talking to a person on the phone (or email) you can remove items from the shopping cart or the customers wish list based on what the customer is asking for. ## Product image importing When importing items on the website you had to manually upload the images which were just a pain in the butt. Now you can include a URL in the import file and the system will automatically download and attach the image to your product catalog. ## Speed Not necessarily a core feature but the one that made us the angriest. The speed in nopCommerce prior to v4.0 was just plain slow. With the advent of v4.0, the speed is as fast as eCommerce services like Amazon.com which is the gauge we use for page load times for eCommerce sits. ## Conclusion A ton of great features to an already great system. Add in that it's open source, built from the ground up as an eCommerce site and not a bolted on eCommerce site you have a system that truly competes and gives the starting or established eCommerce site the features and capabilities often only found inexpensive systems. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Top-4-Internet-Image-File-types/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Top-4-Internet-Image-File-types/ The internet is a visual medium and when you look at an image online it can be in one of several formats. Each format has pros and cons, key differences, and specific use scenarios. We are going to look at the top four image file types used on the internet and when you should use each. We chose these top image formats as these are the image file types that most internet users will run across on a daily basis. For many web developers and designers, they will run across countless more but for the masses, these formats will do. There are two true types of file formats when it comes to images. You have the bitmap and you have vector formats. A bitmap means that an image is composed of little dots (think a photo). A photo has 300 dots per inch (DPI). Magazines are often around 1200 dpi or higher. Most color printers will print 300, 600, or 1200 dpi depending on the model. The more dots per inch the higher the quality. The downside to a bitmap is you can hot make an image larger without losing quality. Vector images can be scaled to any size without losing quality by using math. Vector files are great for logos, charts, flags, maps, and non-picture type formats. ## GIF - **Category**: Lossless - **Palette**: Maximum of 256 colors - **Animation**: Yes - **Transparency**: Yes - **Use For**: Simple animations, graphics with flat colors, graphics without gradients, small icons, flags If you have used the internet for any period of time you know of GIF (Graphics Interchange Format). GIF came out on June 15, 1987, and has been plagued with how to pronounce it. GIF came out in the days of CompuServe and the proper way to say it is like the American peanut butter JIF. When it first came out CompuServe employees would often say "Choosy developers choose GIF", spoofing the JIG brand of peanut butter's television commercials. GIF files are still used today but have been replaced with PNG format when an animation isn't truly needed. GIF files can have a transparent background which allows certain areas of an image to have no background allowing for the color behind it to show through. This is ideal for items like logos and icons. ## JPG or JPEG - **Category**: Lossy - **Palette**: Millions of colors - **Animation**: No - **Transparency**: No - **Use For**: Still images, photography, images with complex colors There are two ways to say JPG. They are JPEG or JPG. Both ways are perfectly acceptable and both use the same acronym of Joint Photographic Experts Group. JPG files are capable of displaying millions of colors which make them ideal for photos. Unlike many file formats, you can actually save a JPG file with varying degrees of quality. You can set no compression (no loss of quality) to 100% and can go all the way to 0% where you will have a high degree of compression resulting in a high-level of quality lost. ## PNG-8, PNG-24, and APNG - **Category**: Lossless - **Palette**: 256 colors to millions of colors - **Animation**: Yes (APNG) - **Transparency**: Yes - **Use For**: Web graphics that require transparency, color heavy and complex photographs and graphics, images that require re-editing and re-exporting There are three main formats of PNG. There are PNG-8, PNG-24, and APNG (Animated PNG). PNG or Portable Network Graphics is like a cross between a GIF and a JPG. PNG-8 is very similar to GIF. You have a maximum of 256 colors but there is no animation option available. PNG-24 gives you the capabilities of JPG where you can have millions of colors but you also have the ability to have transparency. Being that PNG is lossless compared to JPG is a lossy image format PNG files are typically larger in size. The final format is APNG which is a newer version of PNG that adds animation to its toolbelt. ## SVG - **Category**: Vector / Lossless - **Palette**: Millions of colors - **Animation**: Yes - **Transparency**: Yes - **Use For**: logos, icons, images with strong geometric shapes, maps, and charts SVG or Scalable Vector Graphics is not designed for pictures. An interesting part of an SVG file is you can link items like JPG with your vector file giving you the best of both worlds. SVG files can also be manipulated using CSS (cascading style sheets) which are what you use on your website to set colors. This allows for SVG's to inherit theme qualities of your website and look great without increasing the number of images you have on your site. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Top-5-SEO-Lies/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Top-5-SEO-Lies/ As a company that everything is based on "no lying" it's always good to cover some of the biggest lies that we know people have been told. Today we're going to cover search engine optimization and the most common lies that we routinely here. Slick talkers will say whatever they can for a sale. Business owners want to get as high on the search engines and when they hear a deal, even one too good to be true, many will jump on board. - **I can get you to position number one** - This is the biggest lie anyone says. No one, and we mean no one, can guarantee you to position one. Google and Bing will guarantee you above position one if you pay. No one can guarantee position one. The best anyone can do is adhere to the search engine best practices and follow them. - **Duplicate content is fine** - Your content should be on your website and your website alone. Don't post on other blogs. Post on one and stick with it. - **One month I will get you in the top results** - No one can guarantee results in any time frame. No SEO company controls the search engines and anytime you are told that someone can guarantee results in a specific time frame. - **More links are better** - The time of links that are low quality helping your search engine results is gone. You want high-quality links that pertain to your industry. - **All you need is SEO** - All too often we hear that all you need to do is submit to the search engines every month and you will get the results you want. You need to write quality content that people want to be found. Search engine optimization is an art and a science. You need to listen to the recommended best practices search engines. They change often from daily, weekly, and monthly. You should adjust to those changes as you can and your content should be adjusted to the changing needs of your customers. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Traditional-vs-Agile-marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Traditional-vs-Agile-marketing/ We find that companies that are customer focused, wanting to change their brand image, and are looking for results faster (can you say typically lower costs???) will utilize agile marketing as part of their marketing efforts. Agile marketing is focused on the customer, uses validated learning, works in short and adaptive iterations, and encourages cross-functional collaboration between departments. Whereas Traditional marketing will focus on spin, controlling the message, and owning the brand. In this article, we are going to cover some of the core basis points to start showing how being agile can produce more results and better engage your customer. ## The Roots The birth of "agile" started in the software development industry. Software development, like marketing, was often done in "silos" which inhibited growth and team collaboration. In 2001, a team a software developers go together and came up with the guiding principles of what it meant to be agile. The four leading principles of agile are: - Validated learning over opinions and conventions - Customer-focused collaboration over silos and hierarchy - Adaptive and iterative campaigns over Big-Bang campaigns - Flexibility instead of rigid planning The agile movement fits with the speed and creative thinking required for implementing effective, opportunity-grabbing inbound marketing campaigns. Agile marketing teams adapt quickly to changing needs and implement solutions much faster than traditional marketing frameworks allow. ## Customer Focused With Agile marketing, you are no longer thinking of your sales cycle. You will now be more focused on the customer’s buying process. Agile marketing is rooted in knowing that your customers will not fit down a single path like a traditional sales funnel process. By focusing on the customers buying process rather than walking someone solely down the sales funnel you are creating opportunity for the customer to be deeply involved in the entire sales process. By being agile and adaptive you can work more quickly with your customers and adapt to what works for them. By doing this you will do items that those in traditional marketing will shy away from. Not because they don’t see the value in it but because they are afraid to push the envelope away from the business controlling the message but rather the customer controlling the message. By focusing on the customer first your audience will engage with your brand more. ## Mix things up Traditional marketing treats customers as molds of clay. This means marketers will mold the market and the customer for their idea. This puts the company in control rather than the customer. Under Agile marketing we turn everything on its proverbial head by using a series of experiments, forming a reasonable hypothesis of what is believed to work, and then testing the hypothesis. Traditional marketing is either success or failure. In traditional, a large amount of capital is always spent. When this happens, the information is always put in the most positive light to show positive results and is almost never seen as a failure. With Agile marketing, we look at the information using a more scientific method. With short and adaptive cycles, we quickly learn which hypothesis worked and didn’t work. Information is presented transparently and a failure is a learning opportunity to improve the hypothesis. ## Short and Adaptive Iterations over Large Marketing Campaigns With Traditional marketing, everything progresses with a series of marketing campaigns. These campaigns are typically quarterly or yearly marketing campaigns. These are often big events with the thought that the big idea will launch into an enormous success. Agile marketing believes in doing a series of short "sprints" (no we’re not running but it may seem that way). A sprint is typically 2-4 weeks long. The emphasis is on getting a "good enough" idea out to your customers, testing it, and perfecting it over time rather than hoping you nailed it and only have one choice. ## Validated Learning Agile marketing turns Traditional marketing on its head. Both processes have a set of goals and a purpose. Agile allows you to more quickly adjust those goals to changes in the market. Rather than looking backward at items that have worked in the past Agile marketing uses a combination of known techniques that work as well as allowing for a small percentage of the marketing effort to be toward more modern techniques. ## Increased Communication With Traditional marketing a campaign is started, you do some monitoring during the campaign, and then do a lot to quantify and justify the campaign at the end so that you can start the next marketing campaign. In agile with the shorter sprints you can adjust on a faster basis. With this faster cadence, all stake holders are involved in the process. Change happens at a rapid succession. This means not only changes happen faster but the teams all must communicate more. ## Conclusion Agile marketing has been popular in the digital world over the past few years due to its ability to engage more with the customer rather than the business making the market mend to their thoughts. Now, bigger companies are taking agile strategies and applying them to their marketing teams. While this strategy won’t be for everyone, it can be highly effective in the right places. If you are ready to work with a team that is constantly redesigning marketing within Northwest Alabama and beyond the team at JM2 Webdesigners is here to assist you. With our non-traditional approach, we work to build engagement in every non-traditional way possible. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Transformative-Week/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Transformative-Week/ In all of our lives we have transformations that are key to our personal existence, keys to the success of our company's growth (for business owners), and the success of the customer's that we assist. This week for JM2 of Cullman Alabama was truly no exception. We have changed our web design and marketing from being what I would classify as a commodity that any individual could due to a strategic marketing machine. That is a very bold statement and one I think you will agree. In this article you will see how we transformed our brand, our customer service, and our internal processes to become something no other web design company in Northwest Alabama has ever done. ## Two major change catalysts Over the past month we have talked about and noticed two major setbacks that have never happened in our company history. When things like this happen either you grow from it by acknowledging you are human and moving forward or you sulk and kind of ignore your faults. We chose to acknowledge not just internally but externally as well. We opted to look for how to fix it and make us stronger than we were before. At first, I was angry that I allowed this to happen but knowing I, and my team, are human I knew we had to adapt and live our agile philosophy of constantly improving. We had one client pissed, really pissed. Rather than talking to us they just went out and attacked us on every possible front. They had paid for a 10-page website, which expanded to 70+ pages yet they expected the timeline to be done in the same amount as a 10-page site. We failed to communicate that growing the project that much would make it take that much longer. The team didn't think that needed to be explained and that was where we faulted. This was truly our fault and why we have the *Customer Service* section below as this was a major mistake on our part. We emailed the client every week (or more) of the status but never talked to them on the phone even after weeks of no response. The client asked a few questions but we never offered training. We only answered the questions they asked and didn't realize they should have been given more than what they asked. The second was that everyone was in too many meetings and it was growing every week. I was averaging more than 30 hours per week in meetings. Even when you work seven days a week and have that many meetings you are never able to truly catch up to where you need to be. Something truly needed to happen and it needed to happen fast (e.g. agile manner). The first step was defining what needed to be fixed: 1. Increase communication with our clients 2. Educate, inform, and make certain our clients are taking advantage of all the services they have available to them (most do not even know half of what we offer) 3. We had sent monthly emails to do checkups with every single client. We never checked and truly made sure a client was happy. We were going off the basis of no response meant all was good. That is not the way customer service should be. 4. Get the team working (and myself) and not in meetings The solution was to get the role we called "Time Keeper" which in essence is a project coordinator to handle the communication and meeting process. This seems like a simple thing. Hire someone, tell them what to do, and done. Ha! Not even close. We have a ton of products and services which means we need to educate this person and make certain they are able to properly educate the customer's. ## Branding Not truly a direct problem but one that needed to be fixed. With all of the changes this was an opportune time to make this change. For the past five years we have gone through a lot of growth but one item we never truly locked down or written into stone was our branding of our company colors, fonts or the look-and-feel of how we wanted to present the company. With all of these new changes we were doing it was time to truly time to "grow up" (with a Nerf gun or two – can't get rid of all the fun!!!). We needed more consistency and this was the perfect time to do so. We now have more vibrant colors that complement each other where previously it just didn't "work well". This was the easiest of the changes and the blog you are reading is using these new colors. Our sales and marketing pieces have been printed, and updated business cards for everyone. The new look is cleaner, more professional, more thought out, and consistent throughout the entire company. We have achieved marketing harmony with everything we do which is something we had been doing with our clients for years. In the past year we had already "hired ourselves" where I am not handling the social media for the company. Now I have released myself from the entire equation and let those that are truly the experts (I am not) take care of the marketing and branding so that I can focus on writing software which is where I am the expert. ## Customer Service This is where we saw the biggest area for change and improvement. We did more interviews than we have done in the past five years combined to fill the void we had in customer service. This is how serious we all were in finding the person that would be right to fix the current problems that I noted above. We needed someone that solved the current problems but also look for additional areas of improvement so that we can hopefully avoid any other major setbacks like this. I say "hopefully" as we know we are human and we know that we will make mistakes. It is acknowledging this that we know that we can truly meet the challenge. The person we looked for had to fit the following criteria: - They not only had to fit our culture but also be able to communicate well with our clients - They had to fit with the internal team and they needed to be part of the decision process - We needed someone that could think for themselves - Someone that wasn't shy (e.g. not an introvert) - Someone that truly needed a desire to help businesses grow with an eyesight for not only today but down the road to help them take advantage of technology - And a solid dash of OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) with an eye for detail In fact, we are taking the internal team out of all communication wherever possible once this person started so that we could get a layer of double-checking that never happened before. This is something a one or two person shop is truly not able to do as they just don't have the time. Even with our larger team we didn't have the time. Now with this new company role we have mandated that this time is critical for all of our clients. ## Internal Processes Our internal process has been automated for over a year and has worked very well. The problem is we weren't taking full advantage of it which is why part of the problem we were experiencing. That has changed as now we are documenting and tracking every action we do for our clients. No matter how big or small the task it is now logged. Our new process at a high level is: 1. Email received ([support@jm2marketing.com](mailto:support@jm2marketing.com)) 1. If received on other emails it is forwarded to the project coordinator for them to enter so that the steps below can be followed. They can begin the task though even before it hits the system so that the client gets great service. 2. Entered in as a Task in the system 1. Assigned to one or more individuals who receive notification of the new task along with deadlines to complete the task 2. Estimate the amount of time to be done 3. Enter in as much detail as possible, including attachments of documents and images 3. The client receives an email that the information is entered in and the task number(s) that were created. One email often turns into several unique and different tasks. 1. Clients have been able to check the status in real-time on our customer portal but only around 3% have taken advantage of it. We see with this change this percentage to grow 4. Follow-up with who assigned to 1. Starting in August the team will get daily emails of every task that is assigned to them. This is being tested already but not rolled out to the rest of the team. For now, they have to log into the portal to see their currently assigned work. 5. The project coordinator will then validate everything meets the criteria and send back if any changes are needed 6. Contact client back via their preferred method of communication 1. If can't be reached a secondary method will be used to communicate with them ## Conclusion Being agile to change is critical for a company to change and adapt. We talked about how to best do the above. We talked about having an outside business person/company coming in and telling us the faults we had or to adapt and grow and make the changes. We opted to do it ourselves. This doesn't mean that is the best solution. We do know that what we have done an outside consultant would have told us to do and would have been a bad use of our company's money. We knew that hiding the problem wouldn't make it go away. That talking about it and acknowledging it both internally and externally was key for us. We believe in honesty and part of being honest is acknowledging our faults. Do we like talking about them – no – but we know that without talking about them we can't grow from it. I can say I feel horrible that it happened but also excited about the future that we now have in front of us. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Tripling-Down-on-Real-Estate/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Tripling-Down-on-Real-Estate/ Over the past three months we've enhanced our system for realtors and real estate agents. I am going to cover the top features we've added and outline the top features we're working on for the next release. What we love about real estate is that even though it's been around forever the entire industry seems to be behind the times of what the home looker is looking for. Being software developers and having dedicated developers on our real estate initiatives we are sure to truly change the industry for the better. ## Latest Version (2019-07) Our latest version was a cleaning of our system of a lot of old code and building the foundation for the next generation in real estate websites. The top ten features we added are: - Property View – Map on Left, Map on Right, List (1-column) , List (2-columns) , List (3-columns) , List (4-columns), and of course the ability to have your own custom columns - Property Detail – Different views for residential, condominium, town houses, land, commericla, etc. - Enhanced Search – Set the display order, set properties as preferred, min/max on bathrooms, min/max on bedrooms, county, city, state, postal code, radius, number of results to display - MLS override – Every setting in the MLS can be overridden to fit your unique view - Customized agent lists and detail pages - Demographics – Schools and demographics based on the latest census data - Lead capture with lead follow-up - Everything is customizable. There is no setting that can't be quickly customized to fit your brand standards. - Ability for real estate offices to set the “brand standard” that all agents have to adhere to but still have complete control over their own independent website page. - From the time you have approval for the MLS IDX you will instantly have it. If you are starting out you can have your MLS IDX feed flowing in less than 3 days with your colors, branded logo, and more. This is whether you are a real estate office or an agent. ## Coming Version Here are the top 10 requested features we are working on for our upcoming release. A lot of this will be focused on our real estate offices but will also greatly benefit individual realtors as well. - Currently we only cover Northwest Alabama (GNIAR). We are expanding to cover every online MLS provider (over 1,500 will be available) - Change the 10-minute update window to when the updates hit the MLS - Further enhance lead capture and follow-up - Search options - Draw the area that you want rather than being just a radius - Water front - Pool - Rental - Zoning - Terms (cash, FHA, etc.) - Min/max year built - Min/max taxes - More user portal options - Recall your previous searches - Contact your preferred agent - Share a property with someone - Calculators - Mortgage calculator - Home worth calculator - More default property detail templates to choose from - More detail and more geographic reports for property detail pages - City - Schools - Utilities - Demographics - More control for the real estate offices - Add new agents - Create custom agent pages - Reporting - Daily summary emails - Email leads of new properties coming in/out of the market based on their unique needs - Create a property report (for buyers) - Create a property report (for sellers) - Agents to create their own custom reports that are sent out daily - Search Engines - Tie Google Analytics and Google Ads more into the system where trends are noticed that your Google Ads will change on a daily basis. - Ability to set rules for setting SEO keywords, titles, etc. to better rank organically within the search engines ## Conclusion You can tell from the list above that we've added a ton of features and we have a lot more even coming. The best part of what is coming is anyone who is on the latest version will automatically be getting the new features and you also get a say in future updates as well. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Trump-your-competition-with-a-maintenance-plan/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Trump-your-competition-with-a-maintenance-plan/ When it comes to getting your business online having a strategic plan that is optimized to grow your business is crucial. With a maintenance plan, you can take care of not only your website, search engine optimization (SEO), and social media needs but take it to a level never thought of. There are many companies that have solutions that do one and not the other. We're going to outline our "Web + Social" plan. This is our most popular plan as it takes your business to the next level. When it comes to a maintenance plan there are a few key areas we personally think of that are absolute requirements to be successful. These are communication, security, website maintenance and updates, search engine optimization (SEO), social media, and of course lead generation. When it comes to JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama we think big, Chicago big, but with small town and fair pricing to fit and meet the needs of every business. Whether you utilize our services or not this is what your apples-to-apples comparison needs. ## Pricing We love covering pricing first and we don't want to shy away from being up front and honest about it. For us, price is not what we are focused on. We are focused on results but do know every business decision big or small involves pricing. With everything covered below the price is $250/month. That's truly it and it covers everything that is outlined below. If you don't have a website yet, or want a new one, the startup price is $495 to build it. I know we haven't mentioned but this one totally gets everyone. When you sign up you are locked into the price you signed up for. Each year the price will go up but your price will never go up if you are on that plan. Even if we add items to that price. To give an example, those that signed up previously we never offered video and now we do. They get the new features but the price they are at didn't go up. ## Let's Begin the Apples to Apples Social Media Maintenance Plan Comparison Now that we are passed that let's start digging into the meat and potatoes of what you will get and why it's such an amazing deal. We're going to break this down into simple groups of website, search engine, social media, and "Other" (which covers everything else). This will allow you to compare what you receive with us to any other system. ## Website For our website users, you will get everything you need to look professional. - A new website redesign for FREE every 24-months if you need and want one. This means once you reach 24-months and you say that you want a completely new website it will not cost you a thing. - If we are building you a new website, you will get a non-templated website - No Branding! This is truly a huge deal (to us). This is your company and your business. We feel we should not be advertising our company on YOUR website. - Digicert TLS (SSL) security certificate is included - Unlimited website updates. We will update your website information as much as you need. All you need to do is email, call, or stop on in and we'll update it. Of course, you have complete control of everything as well! (it is your company after all) - Domain Registration fee. This is the annual fee to own your domain name (e.g. BusinessYETI.com is our domain name). You won't have to pay this - Website hosting. This isn't just any website hosting either. You have no bandwidth restrictions at all. The servers are updated as updates become available, are protected behind a firewall, and monitored 24x7. - Mail Server. Rather than having a Gmail, yahoo, or even an outlook.com email address you can have an email address at your own domain name. And you get more than 1. You get 50 of them! You can have as many administrators you need as well as reports and mailing list functionality built-in. - Lead generation. We have aligned with lead generation companies to give you the ultimate in lead generation without the annoying pop ups or pop under ads that will typically drive customers away from your business. On top of the lead generation we also provide heat maps of how people are interacting with each page, customer polling options, live online chat (if desired), view recordings of how people use your site, and form analytics to see how people are filling out any form on your site along with how long it takes to fill out each field. - Backups are critical to protecting your company. Daily backups are performed on your website and databases. - ADA 508 compliance has always been important to us as all of our government clients require it so we give it to every client. - Google Analytics is integrated which gives some of the best reporting options of how users are interacting with your site. ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Taking care of your website maintenance and updates is one thing but you need to be found. So what is included with a website maintenance plan when it covers the search engines? - Broken Link Checking & Repair within your site - Image alternate text optimization - Image sizing optimization - Keyword Analysis & Recommendations - On-Page Optimization - Site Map Creation - Website Performance Analysis & Monitoring - YEXT PowerListings - [Test your SEO results here for free](https://www.optimizelocation.com/partner/jm2webdesigners/diagnostic.html) - Review Monitoring ## Social Media That's a lot already but I really want to be on social media. What all is involved when it comes to managing my social media site? - Page Setup / Verification that the information is accurate and updated - Social page cover creation - Content aggregation from credible & non-competitor sources - Content creation each month 100% specific about your business (12 unique articles per year which can also be added to your website for increased SEO) - You will get between 1 to 3 posts per week. Not per month. There is enough information out there for every business that we can promote aspects of your business that work for you. - Monitoring of your social media feed. We receive alerts 24x7 (even when we're not directly online) so that we can respond quickly and accurately to questions and issues. - We respond to your fans questions and diffuse and situations that may be going the wrong direction - Videos are included. These are not just text. These are mini-commercials promoting your business. You get either 2 30-second or 1 1-minute commercial (and we're already in discussion to increase the number [again with no price increase]). - When we write articles for your business on social media (and your website) if you are part of other networks and you've provided us the email address of those sites we will forward your content along to them so that you can get even great exposure. ## Other We've already covered a lot of items related to what you get but what else is included? - You get an hour every month for anything you want. This can be for additional content writing, new features for your website, graphic design (flyers, logos, marketing materials, etc.). These hours also accumulate up to 12 months (total of 12 hours can be kept in your queue at a time). - Reports – Knowing how your website and social media is extremely important. We look at reports every month, heat maps to see where people are going, and where we can make modifications to gain even more user engagement. - Find Business Directory – This is like the yellow pages for the internet. A new business is added to the site every single day! Your business is advertised and promoted along with the ability to have a personal profile page that also integrates directly with your website. On top of being listed on the Find Business Directory page we also share platinum members on our social media page for additional business exposure as your business growth is what we're going for. - No contracts! We do this as we know if you communicate with us and we communicate with you there will be no reason to leave us. Only when one of us stops communicating is there ever a problem and if that happens we don't feel you should ever be locked into a contract. - Two account representatives. Many companies will give you one person that you may know or even no one truly knows you. We provide two and each one knows about your account. Your primary will know you deeply and contact you every month. Your secondary is there for the times our team is out of the office, in a meeting, or even on vacation. - Each year you can take advantage of five (5) portfolio headshots to spruce up your website, LinkedIn or other social media page, or company literature. - Event photography. We will go to two events each year for two hours each. We routinely come out with 100 or more photos (typically more) so that you can focus on your event. The photos we will then upload to your social media page under an event photo album. These photos are yours and not watermarked (or branded) with our information. ## How can we do it? In fact, we talked with HubSpot who many providers use and halfway through the list they said they couldn't match and the price they had for what we covered was several thousand per month. This is how we know this is such a great deal. We are often asked how we can achieve this for our clients. The answer isn't as complicated as it seems. We make around $15 on each social media plan. Yes, that's it. That is after all our expenses from the building we're in, the electricity, and our employees. ## Conclusion Our team is dedicated to the growth of each of our clients. If you are a company that will communicate and are willing to collaboratively work together than we would love to work with you. If you are looking for a company that "reads your mind" or does what we think is best for your business than we can assure you we will not be a good fit for you. You can see everything our maintenance plans offer at [https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Services/MaintenancePlans/](/Services/MaintenancePlans/) as there is a chance the information here has increased from the time of it's initial writing. We never remove from our list and only add to it. When you are ready to work with a company that is dedicated to the growth of your business give JM2 Webdesigners of Cullman Alabama a call at < a href="tel:256-258-8593">256-258-8593, [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/truth-about-instagram-metrics/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/truth-about-instagram-metrics/ **Overall Tip**: A good audience isn't about how big your numbers are—it's about how close they are to your front door. ## Introduction Instagram has become a cornerstone of modern marketing, but not all numbers tell the truth. Many businesses see flashy stats like "500,000 views in 30 days" and assume it equals sales, influence, or credibility. Unfortunately, these metrics are often misunderstood and sometimes manipulated. This confusion leaves many small businesses vulnerable to being overpromised results and underdelivered outcomes. ## What Instagram's "Professional Dashboard" Really Shows The **Professional Dashboard** reports metrics like reach, impressions, and views. For example, "523K views in the last 30 days" does not mean 523,000 unique people saw your content it represents the total number of times posts, stories, or reels were displayed. The same person could account for dozens of these "views." The Difference Between Reach, Impressions, and Engagement - **Reach**: the number of unique accounts who saw your content. - **Impressions**: total times your content was displayed (including repeats). - **Engagement**: meaningful actions (likes, comments, shares, saves, profile visits). **Note**: Engagement is where real business impact happens. ## How Growth Gets Inflated (and How Businesses Get Misled) Some marketers boost numbers artificially through: - Buying fake views or followers (bots and click farms). - Over-relying on paid ads that inflate impressions but don't convert. - Reporting vanity metrics (views) without showing engagement or ROI. **Note**: This can make results look impressive while delivering little real value. ## How to Tell if Growth is Authentic Ask these key questions: - **Do views align with follower growth?** Viral reach should lead to steady new followers. - **Is engagement rate healthy?** (3–8% is normal for small accounts). - **Are comments authentic?** Real conversations vs. generic emojis. - **Do Insights show balance?** If 95% of views are from non-followers but no new followers, something's wrong. ## Protecting Your Business From False Promises When hiring a social media manager or agency: - Request **full Instagram Insights**, not just screenshots. - Look for consistency across reach, followers, and engagement. - Ask how they measure ROI beyond views (website clicks, leads, sales). - Focus on quality growth, not vanity metrics. - Questions to Ask Any Social Media Marketer Before Hiring Them - Will posts go on my page first? - How do you measure success beyond reach or impressions? - What percentage of followers/engagement should I expect from my local service area? - Who owns the content if I stop working with you? - Do you provide monthly insights breakdowns I can see and understand? ## Tips/Tricks To A Better Instagram - Whose Business Are You Promoting? - **Tip**: Always make sure content is posted on your page first. - This is about the growth of your business, not theirs. - If the only push your doing is on their page you are not growing your business. - If your audience isn't growing then you are not growing your business. - **Trick**: Ask your marketing company to give you post drafts before they go live so you can confirm they're building your brand. - **Red Flag**: If you're paying them and all the engagement lives on their page, you're renting—not owning—your growth. This means you're paying them like you would for Google Ads, etc. If this is what you want -- just by paid ads so that you grow your business. - The Instagram Insights Test - **Tip**: Check Accounts Engaged vs. Accounts Reached → Engagement is what builds your community. - **Trick**: Divide Accounts Engaged ÷ Followers = Engagement Rate. If it's above 5%, you're doing great. - **Red Flag**: 100k reach with only 200 likes/comments → lots of empty views, little real traction. - **How to Tell if You Have a Good Audience**: This is where your customer area size example comes in. - **Tip**: Compare your followers to your county or service area population. - **Example**: If your county has 50,000 people and you have 5,000 followers → that's 10% of the entire population, which is phenomenal. - If your county / customer audience size has 500,000 people and you have 5,000 followers → you've barely tapped your market. - **Trick**: Look at follower locations (Instagram Insights shows Top Locations). If most of your followers are not in your customer area, you're not attracting the right audience. - **Red Flag**: High follower count but no correlation with your service region (e.g., a Cullman restaurant with 10k followers in New York). That's wasted effort. - Content That Actually Converts - **Tip**: Balance "reach" content (Reels, trending audio) with "trust" content (testimonials, behind the scenes, team highlights). - **Trick**: Use "local hooks" → mention landmarks, town names, or local events in posts to filter your audience to people who can actually become customers. - **Red Flag**: Every post looks like a generic stock ad. If someone from your county can't instantly tell it's your business, the content isn't serving you. ## Conclusion Views alone don't pay the bills. Businesses should demand transparency and focus on metrics that actually matter: engagement, leads, and long-term customer relationships. A boost in the numbers one month because of a big event in the area is just false advertising. By understanding how Instagram metrics work, you can spot red flags and invest only in strategies that deliver authentic growth. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Twelve-elements-to-have-an-effective-website/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Twelve-elements-to-have-an-effective-website/ Having a website that is effective is a requirement of any business that wants to grow. If you are from a small city like Cullman Alabama or a large city like Chicago Illinois you need a website (and social media) that work together to tell your story. But why is it important for both small and big cities alike? We all can understand the big city as there is a lot of competition, big budgets, and a desire to grow to be bigger. Well, big city folk, the small city and small towns want the exact same thing and often have as many competitors and many times even more demanding customers. In big cities, you have companies that often have large marketing budgets and in small cities and towns you have a lot of startups that want to grow and become bigger than they are today. Big and small cities want to grow, make money, and contribute to their local economy. But what is needed for a website to truly achieve these results? This is something we are continually asked and we are going to cover twelve items that are required to have an effective website. ## Define your sites "purpose" Everything we do in life needs a purpose. Your website does as well. Define what you want the goal of your website to achieve. This can be a brochure site that showcases what you are selling, an eCommerce site (we love these) that allows you to sell your products online, a site that provides support, or one that covers multiple core objectives. This should be the very first item you define to achieve success. ## Mobile friendly should lead the way If you do not think mobile is important you are in trouble. According to Google (they know a thing or two) state that 95% of people that search from their mobile devices purchase based on search results within 24 hours of that search. If you are a restaurant it is even faster! Your website should be responsive that it answers customers questions not only on desktop screens but on mobile screens. ## Think of the user experience Would you want to go to a website that is complex with a ton of options or one that is simple and easy to understand. Think of sites that have great user experiences (or UX). Facebook, Google, and Apple are great examples of websites that have an easy-to-use and understandable design that puts information in the hands of the users with minimal clicks and are not overly complex. ## Have a call-to-action covering the "purpose" Every page of your website should have a call-to-action to walk people through your unique sales funnel. A brochure only site can have a sales funnel too! Guide users down the path that you want that explains to them what you want them to know. You may not be doing a sale on the first visit, even the second, but you should be guiding them to the desired result you are looking for. ## Don't forget to tell your story (About Us)! Every business has a story and although the "about" page is one that not everyone will read those that do want to truly know who you are, what you stand for, and why they would want to do business with you. Make certain your story here is clear, concise, and makes people want to embrace your company brand. ## Promote your company brand & culture Speaking of your brand your entire website needs to be consistent and explain to everyone who you are. Your brand is who you are, what people say about you when "you are not around", and let's those interested in your product and services see who you are as real people. People (aka customers) want to buy from people they connect with. Your brand can help in achieving this. ## High Quality, but optimized, Images Images are important in the story telling process. A single picture they say is worth millions of words and those words are instantly read. You want as high of quality images as you can get while balancing keeping them optimized for viewing on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices of many different sizes. ## Be efficient, concise, and to the point - Bullets are a great way to stay short and concise - Keep to five or less bullets (when possible) - Stay on topic ## Include testimonials and customer praise People love to buy from businesses that they can trust. A quick way to start building that trust is by having quality testimonials from current customers. This could be on your website or a sales slick that you can provide when you are asked. A sales slick is nice as it doesn't give away who your customers are and is like providing references like you would when seeking a job as that is what you are truly doing. Your testimonials should help you achieve more business and bring customers to your door. ## Security is key Many people today have been burned by the likes of Home Depot, Target, etc. where credit cards have been stolen. These companies are large enough they can handle the millions of dollars to clean up the problem and make it go away. Most businesses don't have extra millions laying around to recover from such acts. Keep your content management system (or CMS) updated, have the green padlock (TLS/SSL certificate), and make certain your passwords are strong and changed. ## Local Search When you want to be found you need to be thinking of being found on desktop and mobile and both are treated differently and uniquely. If you are not told they are different you need to run. If you are told you can get results in a week you need to run. If you are told the only way to guarantee success is to pay money for a paid listing you need to run. Good search engine optimization (or SEO) requires that you work for it. You only get results when you work for them. Paid advertising helps in the beginning but should not be your entire strategy for success. Make certain your listed in every local listing, your latitude/longitude are correct, and your "Name, Address, and Phone Number" are all formatted consistently across every platform. ## Social Media Having a website is great. Having social media is great. Each is incomplete without the other. Each only provides half a solution. You need both to achieve the highest level of success. Anyone can post on social media. What you need though is a strategy and plan (just like you defined your "Purpose" above). A good social media plan will determine not only who your target audience is but will keep track of the time they are most likely on (which changes), their ages, and what they are looking for (their desires). Having a strategy that fits your growing needs, tells your story, and interacts with your audience is not the same as a personal social media feed. ## Conclusion Having a website is critical no matter if you are in a large or small city (or town). Being we are from Cullman Alabama which is a decent sized city of 30,000+ residents but also surrounded by towns that are much smaller we know the importance of a quality website, a great story to tell, and a consistent message. When you are ready to work with a company who has a "Leave it to Beaver" mentality of giving you more, for less, than we look forward to hearing from you. If you expect that paying more will get you more than we are not for you! All our solutions require that **we work together as a team**. We do not do our marketing alone without you. We do it collaboratively together to achieve success. We look forward to hearing from you! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TwitterForBeginners/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TwitterForBeginners/ In this article we will cover all of the basics of using Twitter. In no area do we truly go "in-depth" as those will all be topics for further articles. ![Twitter for Beginners](/Images/Content/Blog/twitter-logo-bird.png) ## What is Twitter? Twitter is a microblogging social media platform. Twitter is like where you would use short messages, 140 characters or less, to provide real-time updates to what is happening around you and items of interest. Twitter is like using your phones text messaging functionality to the masses. Below you will find the basics of the vocabulary, setting up, following (and unfollowing) twitter users and posting to the social media platform. ## Vocabulary / Terminology There are many words and abbreviations that are part of Twitter. We will not be covering every piece of Twitter lingo and that is intentional as we want to cover the basics that someone needs to truly get started on Twitter. - **Tweet** – A tweet is a Twitter update consisting of 140 characters of text or less. This is where you provide personal thoughts, random thoughts, news and any sort of information that you personally find relevant. It is recommended to actually keep your tweets between 100-120 characters so that as people retweet them or reply that the entire message can be carried through. - **@reply** – The @reply means a Twitter update (a tweet) that is directed to another user in reply to their update. An @reply will be saved in the user's "Replies" tab. Replies are sent either by clicking the 'reply' icon next to an update or typing @ username message (e.g., @user I saw that movie too). - **direct message (DM)** – Short for direct message, it is the function of the Twitter service that enables you to send a private message (direct message) to a person you are following. - **Feed** – The stream of tweets you see on your homepage. It's comprised of updates from users you follow. - **Follower / Following** – On Twitter, blogs, and other social media sites, a follower is someone who subscribes to receives your updates. On the Twitter Web site "following" someone means you will see their messages in your own personal timeline. Twitter lets you see all the people you follow and also who is following you. - **Hash tag** – Hashtags started on Twitter by Chris Messina on August 23, 2007. Hashtags though are no longer just part of twitter but almost every social media outlet. A hashtag is a single word or a combination of words (with no space) that is preceded by a pound (#) symbol and used by the micro-blogging community to create a thread of conversations around a specific theme or topic. You can learn a lot about #Hashtags reading our blog post at [https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/HashtagAnatomy/](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/HashtagAnatomy/). - **Trending** – Following on from the #hashtag, if a lot of people use the same #hashtag, for example on Valentine's Day the hashtag #valentinesday was used in millions of tweets, so the #valentinesday started trending. It's a hashtag that a lot of people are talking about and can easily be found. The top trending Tweets can be seen on the left hand side of your Twitter. Finding out what topics and #hashtags are trending is a great way to get your company noticed, getting more followers and more interaction. - **Mention (@)** – Used to name another user within your tweet by using the @ symbol with the other user's username. - **Favorite** – Next to the Retweet button is a star. This is the favorite button, which favorites a Tweet! This shows the user that you have liked a Tweet. Once you have favorited a Tweet it goes into a list of favorites, so a lot of businesses use favoriting almost like a book mark. Favoriting a tweet can also be a way to get new followers, the user will get a notification that you have favorited a tweet, which will get you business Twitter noticed. - **Handle** – The username you will be known as on the Twitter network. - **microblog** – A type of blog that lets users publish short text updates. Bloggers can usually use a number of services for the updates including instant messaging, e-mail, or Twitter. The posts are called micro posts, while the act of using these services to update your blog is called microblogging. - **Retweet** – Abbreviated as RT, retweet is used on Twitter to show you are tweeting something that was posted by another user. The format is RT @username where username is the Twitter name of the person you are retweeting. - **Twitter Party** – Often called a twitter chat or tweet chat refers to the collective use of a specific hashtag within a specific time period. During this period there is often one or more individuals monitoring and replying to this specific group chat. ## Setting up your account To setup your account you will need to go to [www.twitter.com](http://www.twitter.com/) and click on the "sign up" button on the right side of the screen. From there you will setup your full name, phone or email address, password and a username. Once that is completed you will click on the signup button. You will then need to provide a phone verification so that Twitter knows your account is unique, that they have a way of verifying your unique as only one phone number can be used. If you already have a Twitter account and have registered your phone number, then you will not be able to continue on. ## Customize your Twitter profile One unique way of tweaking your unique Twitter profile is by customizing the profile and header image. Twitter has recommended image sizes for these as well as videos and images you upload and in our Social Media Image Size Cheat Sheet which can be found at [https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/SocialMediaImageSizeCheatSheet/](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/SocialMediaImageSizeCheatSheet/) we provide you with the recommended sizes. ![Twitter Followers](/Images/Content/Blog/twitter-followers.jpg) ## Following family, friends, colleagues and items of interest As you move around Twitter you will find that you want to follow other people. This is called following where you show an interest in someone. We always recommend that people start off by following family, friends and business colleagues. When you start with Twitter you can let the Twitter system look at your browser history for suggestions as like anything new they don't know much about you until you start utilizing their system. If you have specific blogs that you follow most have Twitter profiles which are often updated more frequently than their blog and may be another great source of information. The final area we suggest people to look are your competitors, hobbies and businesses that are of interest to you. ### Unfollow people We all have that friend or two that talk so much you, or your friends, can get a word in edgewise. For these circumstances we recommend that you unfollow the person. You can always visit their profile at a time of your choosing and still see what they are saying but not filling up your newsfeed. ### Gaining Followers Being part of the twitterverse is to get others to show interest in the works that you do as well as to follow others. Getting people to follow you on Twitter you need to do something that interests them. They may find your tweets interesting or inspiring, you are doing things that interest them, you share (retweet) content that is of interest or you become popular. ## How often to Tweet Speaking of talking too much how often should you post to Twitter? Unlike Facebook where you want to post once a day or less depending upon your target audience on Twitter there truly is no limit to the number of tweets you do in a given day. One item to note that even though you can and it's encouraged to tweet often it is recommended to use only one or two #hashtags per tweet. Any more can seem spammy if done often. ## Replying and Mentioning When a message begins with @username and then followed by the post itself, it's a @reply. A @reply is in direct reply to another user and it appears on your and the other person's public timeline. It will only be seen by the person you replied to and the people following both of you. If the @username appears at any other part of the post, usually at the end, it's a mention. ## URL Shorteners With Twitter posts having a maximum length of 140 characters when you include a url (link to a website) you will find that limit reached even faster. To get around that limit you can utilize a url shortener to condense a long url into a shorter one. A side benefit of using a url shortener is many that are used have analytics that track how many times the shortened url is clicked on. Twitter also has its own URL shortener t.co. ![Twitter Tips and Tricks](/Images/Content/Blog/twitter-tips.png) ## Tips and Tricks We wouldn't be helping out those beginning with Twitter without teaching a lot of hard and true lessons we've learned over the years. ### @ Usage When you start with the "@" symbol, your "tweet" becomes a "reply" and will *only be seen* by: - the person you're sending the tweet to - users who are following BOTH of you One way to get around this is start your tweets with *anything* but the @ symbol. You could use .@username instead of @username. This ensures your tweets see the largest audience possible. ### Pinning Tweets With the average lifespan of a tweet typically minutes you may have something super important that you want anyone coming to your profile page for. To do this you can "pin" the tweet to the top of your page. #### Pin a Tweet 1. Click the ... (more button) on the tweet. 2. Click on "Pin to your profile page" 3. When promoted to confirm click the "Pin" button #### Unpin a Tweet 1. Click the ... (more button) on the pinned tweet. 2. Choose "Unpin from profile page" 3. When promoted to confirm click the "Unpin" button ### Keyboard Shortcuts Many times when we are paging up/down within Twitter we get the inclination to post a new tweet. You could use the mouse and click in the compose area but you can speed it up by just pressing N (New Tweet). That's not all you can do. Below is a list of core Twitter keyboard short cuts you can use. - Actions - **N** - New Tweet - **F** - Favorite - **R** - Reply - **T** - Retweet - **M** - Direct Message - **B** - Block User - **U** - Unblock User - **Enter** - Open Tweet Details - **|** - Close all open tweets - **/** - Search - Navigation - **?** - This menu - **J** - Next Tweet - **K** - Previous Tweet - **Space** - Page Down - **.** - Load New Tweets - Timelines - **G H** - Home - **G C** - Connect - **G A** - Activity - **G R** - Mentions - **G D** - Discover - **G P** - Profile - **G F** - Favorites - **G L** - Lists - **G M** - Messages - **G S** - Settings - **G U** - Go to user... ![Twitter Search](/Images/Content/Blog/twitter-search.png) ### Searching As you've learned #hashtags are important to put in your tweet for relevant words. What if you want to find all of the tweets that have that particular #hashtag. You can go up to the search (short cut: /) area and enter your phrase (e.g. #Cullman). Another great item for searching is for dates. You can enter "until:YYYY-MM-DD" in your search to limit the search to tweets up to a certain date. If you want the opposite effect type in "after:YYYY-MM-DD". Both without the quotes. ### Images According to @Canva, the optimum size for images on Twitter is 1024 pixels wide by 512 pixels tall. You can read our [Social Media Images Size Cheat Sheet](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Blog/Details/SocialMediaImageSizeCheatSheet/) for a complete list of recommended image sizes for Twitter as well as other social media sites. ## Etiquette We were all (hopefully all) taught some etiquette by our parents. When on social media there are some basic rules that we all need to follow to make the world a better place. Cherish your friendships – When someone @mentions you, retweets one of your posts "thank them". Just like when you hold a door for someone they say thank you for that you should do the same online. Be yourself – We are all human. Tweet what interests you and you will continue to grow your following. Common Sense Wins! – When in doubt go with the common sense you were taught. Treat others as you would like to be treated. If someone offends you don't attack back. Be the better and stronger person. I know it doesn't always work but we can at least try. ## Conclusion When you get started with Twitter it can seem overwhelming as there truly is a lot this service can offer. What you see online will be quiet as you start to build your followers and will quickly pickup. Twitter is a great way to get the latest information covering the items you specifically request. If you would like more information about Twitter and how it can benefit your business you can reach us at our Cullman office at 256-258-8593, through our online form or email us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TwoWeeksofPredictions/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TwoWeeksofPredictions/ This week and next week will be two weeks of predictions from industry leaders and those in the digital marketing field. For some these will be guesses while others are more educated guesses with some hard research behind them. For the past three years, we have predicted trends in the digital marketing space. This year is more exciting than the past as we have a large variety of sources we tapped into, cancelled many of our old marketing methods that produced no results, as well as tests we did internally to make this year's set of predictions. We are going to only write about what we see as the top 5 items. ## Search Engine Optimization is back to being a big player Search Engine Optimization or SEO has always been important to businesses. With mobile devices doing more than 1/2 of all internet searches key ranking factors can no longer be ignored. Hopefully you haven't been ignoring them but if you have they will be more critical for your business in 2017. The key factors to look at are: - Mobile responsive website for all types of devices - Great content (see below on this one) - Security (see below on this one as well) - The basics are back. Don't ignore your site maps, robots.txt, page descriptions, titles, structured meta data, performance, and more Part of SEO is also lead generation. Many will think of the two as separate. We believe they are truly equal. The first step in the sales funnel is driving visitors to your site. The next step is converting browsers into leads and ultimately customers. To do this companies must stop the parts of marketing that users are finding annoying. These being popups, pop under, and a constant barrage for your information. Having proper Call-to-Action or CTA will bring in more positive results. Lead your visitors down multiple paths as every customer is unique and has different objectives. ## Social Media needs to be part of your marketing We see people posting once or twice a month. This is no longer enough to keep your audience engaged. You need to post multiple times per week, be engaging (it is social media after all), and respond quickly to those questions your customers or future customers are asking for. Mark Zuckerberg owns Facebook (and Instagram). They are a marketing force but not necessarily your only source. You need to focus your marketing efforts on the outlets your customers are on. You need to engage them and bring them into your brand. Your message needs to be clear and concise. As you start off it may not be. The key is working toward a conclusion that works best for your company and your customers. ## Video & Photography as part of your marketing story We knew video was going to be big. Two years ago, we started a quest to start buying the necessary equipment needed to handle video. Now we include it for no additional charge as we see the benefits of it regarding spreading your brand message but also increasing engagement. We have done actual tests where engagement is double (or more) when video is used over pictures and/or text. The use of images is still going to play a major factor but video has surpassed it when bringing in engagement. When it comes to video you also have to think of one of the hottest selling items this past Christmas holiday. Those being drones. The high-end drones have 4k video and high-resolution images that used to only be available to pilots. Expect to see a lot more drone video and photography this year. We have several clients already lined up for video and drone video/photography once we get past the winter weather. Speaking of photography don't discount it because video is so important today. Video may create more views and engagement you cannot discount the importance of quality, non-stock, images to help tell your story. Images have the ability to add value and not add words to your written content. ## Security continues to earn more respect with business owners Whether you call it HTTPS, SSL, or TLS (the right name) the green pad lock is needed for more than just eCommerce. Every page of your website should be encrypted by a secure and trusted encryption method. By encrypting and establishing trust your audience will trust your brand more. Google Chrome and other web browsers will continue to show the green padlock but will now start flagging sites as "insecure" which will ultimately remove trust in your company brand. ## Content writing and storytelling is an art We have seen two different types of sites. One with great content and the other without. Both sites looked great, were mobile, and were secure. The great content site always won out. Having a consistent voice will make your brand stand out. With quality content, you can get your message out, have personality, and engage your audience to stay around and want to learn more. Part of this process is incorporating video into the storytelling process to get your good positive word out to the masses. ## Conclusion You will see many of what we are predicting as big for 2017 are all linked together. The reason is the market is maturing each day and the technologies all converge. Seeing how 2017 pans out, how companies modify their marketing budgets, whether they start to embrace content calendars, and more will be an exciting time to see. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TyingEverythingTogether/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/TyingEverythingTogether/ In the past year, we focused on growth from purchasing our own building in downtown Cullman Alabama, adding to our core team to now have not only graphic designers, content writers, and programmers but to also have an entire department for customer service, sales, social media, photography and videography. Many of these changes happened not because we were looking for them but the culture of our company made it happen. The changes in the last year have been huge and we are glad we did them. They have allowed us to continue our growth without having to raise prices and add more value at the same time. We now have a framework that takes our web design and software development experience to a new level throughout Northwest Alabama and beyond. Every position in the company has a backup and every client has a primary and secondary person assigned to their account. This not only allows for members of the team to go on vacation but also allows for continued growth without sacrificing anything to existing clients. What is in store for the upcoming year from us in the coming year? This is a question we constantly hear being asked and one we thought we would let everyone know as what we are doing for ourselves is also what we are doing for our clients. ## Video We have talked about adding video since our inception in 2013. This has been a long-term goal. Starting in 2015 we started purchasing the necessary hardware to produce high-definition video. Half-way through 2016 we brought on our first person that was to be dedicated to video. In the fall an opportunity came out of the blue to add a second person. This fit perfectly with our plans of having two people in every department. With video, you will see a minimum of one new video each week. These will be all on a core set of topics that will benefit any business in the digital marketing space. The **JM2 Digital Talk** with "John and Kyle" series will start out initially at the corporate office in Cullman Alabama but extended to other places. Sometimes in a part while other times at businesses who may or may not be a JM2 customer. This may seem odd to not be at a JM2 customer but there is reasoning behind it. We have a product called [Find Business Directory](http://www.businessYETI.com/) that is for any business to help their social media and get positive word out about their business. Any business that is in this always free directory (it exists and is supported by paid advertising) can request to be part of the weekly talk and they will get free publicity about their business. John will also be producing videos throughout the year as he does his travels and blog writing. We have enhanced our blog platform to tie in more closely with YouTube for video sharing. John has plans on not only doing video for his blogs but also as he is out drinking coffee as he is an avid coffee drinker. We will see a large change in the overall JM2 website where there will be video available on every page. As technology changes the time people have is limited. These videos will be 30 to 60-second videos that cover all the high-level items on each page. Every page will also get a more refined call-to-action as part of this change as well to further increase our lead generation without popups and other items that annoy users. One cannot talk anymore about video without talking about drone video. We have already scheduled, after the snow melts, drone video for our clients. These are going to take video to even another level in promotion for our clients in the coming year. ## Photography In 2014, we started doing event photography for clients. This has always gone over well but something we truly didn't promote. One of the factors our clients love is the pictures we take they own the pictures and can use on future marketing flyers, brochures, post cards, and more. Speaking of photos being able to be used these pictures are used as part of the story telling process to bring in business. On top of the photos for events we are also pushing for head shots that are constantly able to be done. Having a dedicated building we can leave a room dedicated to photography head shots. Often it is hard to fit a fixed time table when head shots may be available. We are luckily situated between two awesome hair salons Salon Amara and [Terry Abner Salon](http://terryabnersalon.com/)) which allows for not only getting your hair just right but also any makeup you need to truly shine. This was not part of our original intent but has been a great benefit being where we are. Another aspect of photography is that of 360-degree photography where you can see around an entire room and navigate locations. We have all used items like *Google Street View* to see the outside of buildings and spaces. Some businesses allow coming indoors as well. Part of our photography will be increasing the reach so that all businesses that have physical buildings can benefit from this 360-degree technology that has been otherwise cost prohibitive. ## Storytelling One of the areas we have seen in the past three years that has been underutilized has been that of our content writers. They are great story tellers and help bring in engaging content that makes people urn for more information. The content that tells a story is more memorable and why we have these talented folks available to bring brand consistency and tell the story of the culture of the company to bring people into the organization. ## Engagement In the past year, we wrote 104 blog articles showing expertise and helping businesses learn. Going forward we are going to maintain that pace and are looking at other avenues to further increase engagement. Our engagement has been growing every month and we are going to keep on giving quality content to help businesses learn and grow. Creating this content has truly helped us in our marketing efforts and that of our clients. There social media platforms have all grown in the past year which has resulted into everyone having a positive impact on their bottom line. ## Social Media When it comes to social media many believe they need to pay to get to the top. We believe that is completely wrong. We believe in very targeted "boosts" as beneficial with the majority being an effort of being organic growth. Organic growth will bring your audience into your brand and they will be more engaged, This type of marketing is harder but has higher results in generating brand loyalty. We also believe that this should not be just your social media doing all the work. This needs to be a collaborative effort between your business and the social media manager. A social media manager will help keep you on target and keep a laser focus on your target audience to build engagement organically and increase your business. ## Marketing We have seen many businesses that want to grow and market their organizations online. They do print, radio, online, and more. There is no true plan of attack that has measurements for success. We are stopping most of our print advertising for more targeted advertising online. We are doing this for multiple reasons with the main reason that in the past, for us, it has not produced the results we've wanted to see. The areas where print has worked we are keeping as if we bring in equal amounts or more than it is worth continuing. Some digital platforms we have cancelled as well as we found that they didn't produce the results promised. With all of this through of what works for us we also look at it for our clients to see what is working for them. Sometimes changing your approach needs to be done to increase your business. Therefore, having a marketing plan that not only defines success but also failure is critical to the growth of any company. ## Search Engines More than half of all internet searches now happen on mobile devices. We believe in organic search (or free search) is the best way to go. It has the longest long-term benefit for your company. Organic search is also the hardest search but one that will help your business grow in the long run. Over thirty percent of our business is search engine optimization for our clients. It doesn't matter if you are a client that is national or local. Showing on the first page of the search engine result pages or SERPs is critical to being found. We perform many audits for companies to help define what is and isn't working with their current websites. These SEO Audits outline problem areas but also clearly define ways to improve their site to achieve higher rankings on the search engines. ## Security When one thinks about customers and building trust and confidence you always need to also think security. Search engines love when you have every page with the green padlock and reward you for having it. This SSL, or properly called TLS, certificate encrypts all traffic between your computer and the web server. Browsers are starting to mark sites as insecure if you don’t have them. Anything that says insecure is not good for building trust. Therefore, we utilize industry leading Digicert TLS security certificates for every client and encrypt every page. Any site that has a form has the potential of information being send that is private and confidential. In 2014, we made the move to Microsoft Azure which has an entire team that monitors and watches for problems 24x7. We got rid of all our physical servers we had to maintain and went this route as it took away the need for having to maintain equipment in the event equipment failed but also the equipment is physically protected where not even we can access the equipment. For some this may be bad (e.g. publicly traded companies that need this) but for us it gives us an added layer of security. We see more servers being added and using even more of the enhanced services that Microsoft Azure offers to us to benefit our clients. ## Training & Education Speaking of learning and growing our Rock the Social training will continue to be focused on educating individuals and businesses in small groups. Videos will be a huge part of this training for those that are not able to attend in person but still want quality content. We are also going to be adding some great industry leaders that have unique perspectives on their topic areas. ## Tying everything together You will notice that a lot of what we will be offering in the coming year is not any new products being introduced. We had the opportunity in the fall to purchase a company and after evaluating thought that it would be a bad decision as it didn't line up with all our core features and would pull us away from our core focus of digital marketing for our clients. In the upcoming year we will continue to tie products, services, and solutions together. We are doubling down on growing our customers and making it so that their businesses all see growth in the coming year and beyond. We may be a business's lowest marketing cost but we also want to make certain we are the best as well. Video is the only item that is truly "new" (six months old) yet has been in the works for over three years for us. Everything else is a complete fine tuning to help our customers generate more leads that can be converted to opportunities and finally into customers. Web design itself is a commodity that you can get anywhere. You can get free sites and templated sites around every corner. What these businesses offer though is "just a website". Having just a website does not bring in business or money to your bottom dollar. Therefore, your website needs to be more than what it has been in the past. ## Conclusion It has taken us more than three years to have two or more people in every department that truly are best in class. The JM2 family is full of dedicated people that truly care about each of our clients. The passion and dedication that show is truly amazing and everyone is committed to growing every business that we serve. When you are ready to work with a company that is committed to your growth and one you are dedicated to working collaboratively with we will be waiting to hear from you. The JM2 team can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ultimate-business-directory-chamber-replacement/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ultimate-business-directory-chamber-replacement/ In today’s digital world, businesses need more than just a name on a membership list—they need **visibility, engagement, and lead generation**. Traditional **Chambers of Commerce** have served their purpose but often fail to provide real-time business growth solutions. Enter **Brilliance CRM**, the **ultimate business directory and chamber membership software alternative offers** a modern, data-driven approach to business networking and marketing. *** ## **The Limitations of Traditional Chamber Memberships** Many businesses invest in a Chamber of Commerce membership expecting increased exposure and connections, but what they get is: ❌ **Limited Reach** – Membership is typically **local**, restricting growth potential. ❌ **High Membership Fees** – Annual fees can be costly without guaranteed ROI. ❌ **Minimal Online Presence** – Chambers often rely on **static** member directories with little SEO value. ❌ **Lack of Digital Lead Generation** – Traditional networking events don’t always translate into **qualified leads**. ❌ **Slow, Outdated Systems** – Many chambers use **outdated software** without automation and marketing integration. *** ## **How Brilliance CRM Transforms Business Directories** Brilliance CRM is **not just another directory**—it’s a **powerful marketing and business growth engine** that provides businesses with everything they need to attract, engage, and convert leads. Here’s how it outperforms Chamber of Commerce software: ### **Unmatched SEO & Online Visibility** Unlike chambers that provide an essential directory, Brilliance CRM is **fully SEO-optimized**, ensuring that listed businesses rank high on Google. Our AI-driven platform helps businesses get discovered **organically**, increasing inbound traffic and leads. 🔹 **Built-in SEO tools** for every business listing 🔹 **Keyword optimization** for better search engine ranking 🔹 **Automatic backlinking** to improve domain authority ### **AI-Powered Marketing & Lead Generation** Brilliance CRM doesn’t just list businesses—it helps them **generate leads on autopilot** through integrated marketing features. 🔹 **AI-driven lead matching** connects businesses with potential customers. 🔹 **Automated follow-ups** increase conversion rates. 🔹 **Social media integrations** allow businesses to engage with their audience instantly. **Nationwide & Niche Business Listings** Unlike a Chamber of Commerce, which is usually **limited to a specific area**, Brilliance CRM allows businesses to: 🔹 **Expand their reach** beyond local markets. 🔹 Get listed in **industry-specific directories** for targeted visibility. 🔹 **Rank in multiple locations** with multi-branch support. **Affordable, Flexible Pricing** Traditional Chamber memberships can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars annually without guaranteed **ROI**. Brilliance CRM offers: 🔹 **Low-cost or free listings** for businesses to join. 🔹 **Premium plans** with **guaranteed visibility & lead generation**. 🔹 **Pay-for-performance options** so businesses only pay when they get real results. **Powerful Business Networking & Community Features** While Chambers relies on in-person events, Brilliance CRM enables businesses to **network smarter** through: 🔹 **Virtual networking events & AI matchmaking** 🔹 **Member-to-member messaging** for direct communication 🔹 **Community forums & groups** for industry-specific discussions **Automated Membership & Payment Management** Brilliance CRM makes managing memberships, renewals, and payments easy with automation. 🔹 **Auto-renewal & invoicing** for seamless membership management. 🔹 **Tiered membership levels** with customizable benefits. 🔹 **Analytics & reporting** to track membership performance and engagement. **Why Brilliance CRM is the Future of Business Networking** Chambers of Commerce are outdated in a **digital-first world**. Businesses need a modern, **data-driven** solution that actively **drives traffic, leads, and sales**—and that’s exactly what **Brilliance CRM** delivers. ✅ **More visibility** with SEO-optimized business listings. ✅ **More leads** through AI-powered marketing & automation. ✅ **More networking opportunities** with digital-first engagement tools. ✅ **More value for money** with flexible and performance-based pricing. **Ready to Leave Outdated Chambers Behind?** Join **Brilliance CRM** today and take control of your business growth. Say goodbye to **overpriced Chamber memberships** and hello to a **smarter, more effective business directory** that delivers accurate results. 🚀 [**Sign up now and start growing your business today!**](https://www.brilliancecrm.com/) --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ultimate-guide-http-status-codes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ultimate-guide-http-status-codes/ HTTP status codes play a critical role in your website's performance and visibility, influencing how search engines crawl, index, and rank your content. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we understand that optimizing these codes is key to maintaining a healthy website and improving your SEO results. This guide will break down what HTTP status codes are, how they impact SEO, and what you can do to ensure your site stays in top form. ## What Are HTTP Status Codes? HTTP status codes are server responses sent to browsers or search engine bots when they request a page. These codes indicate the status of the request and determine how search engines interpret your website. For example: - A **200 OK** status means everything is working perfectly. - A **404 Not Found** signals a broken link or missing page. Understanding these codes and their implications is crucial for maintaining a well-functioning website. ## How HTTP Status Codes Impact SEO - **Search Engine Crawling and Indexing**: When search engine bots crawl your site, they rely on HTTP status codes to determine which pages are accessible and worth indexing. - A **200 OK** status tells the crawler the page is available for indexing. - A **404 Not Found** or **500 Internal Server Error** signals an issue, potentially causing the page to be excluded from the search engine's index. - **Website Health and Rankings**: Frequent errors, such as 404s or 5xx codes, can harm your website's SEO by signaling poor maintenance or reliability to search engines. - **Link Equity Preservation**: Redirect codes, such as **301 Moved Permanently**, help transfer link equity from an old URL to a new one, preserving your site's authority and rankings during URL changes. ## Categories of HTTP Status Codes Here's an overview of HTTP status codes and their implications for SEO: - **1xx: Informational**: These codes indicate that the request has been received and is being processed. They have minimal impact on SEO. - **2xx: Success**: - **200 OK**: The request was successful, and the content is accessible. This is the ideal status for all pages. - **204 No Content**: The request was successful, but no content is returned. - **3xx: Redirection**: Redirection codes indicate that the requested resource has moved. Common examples include: - **301 Moved Permanently**: Redirects permanently and passes link equity to the new URL. Essential for SEO when restructuring a site. - **302 Found**: Temporary redirect. Use sparingly, as it does not consistently pass link equity. - **4xx: Client Errors**: These codes indicate issues with the request from the user or browser: - **404 Not Found**: A common error when a page doesn't exist. Frequent 404s can harm SEO if left unresolved. - **410 Gone**: Indicates that the resource is intentionally removed. Use when content is permanently deleted. - **5xx: Server Errors**: These codes signal server-side issues preventing the request from being processed: - **500 Internal Server Error**: A generic error caused by server misconfigurations or code conflicts. - **503 Service Unavailable**: Temporary downtime for maintenance or server overload. Persistent 5xx errors harm SEO. ## How to Monitor and Optimize HTTP Status Codes for SEO 1. **Manage Redirects Effectively** - Use **301 redirects** for permanent page moves to transfer link equity. - Avoid redirect chains and loops, as they slow down page loading and confuse search engines. - Regularly audit your redirects to ensure they are still relevant and working correctly. 2. **Address Client Errors (4xx Codes)** - Regularly check for broken links that lead to **404 errors** and fix them with proper redirects. - Create a custom **404 error page** to guide users back to your site and improve user experience. - Use a **410 Gone** status for content intentionally removed to signal search engines clearly. 3. **Resolve Server Errors (5xx Codes)** - Monitor for recurring **500 Internal Server Errors** and address the root causes, such as plugin conflicts or server overloads. - Use server logs and monitoring tools to identify and resolve errors promptly. - Minimize downtime by ensuring servers are properly maintained and scalable. ## Best Practices for Managing HTTP Status Codes 1. **Audit Regularly**: Use tools like **Google Search Console** and **Screaming Frog** to identify and fix HTTP status code issues. 2. **Prioritize Critical Pages**: Focus on fixing errors on high-priority pages, such as your homepage, product pages, and top-performing blog posts. 3. **Use Proper Redirects**: Avoid temporary redirects (302) unless absolutely necessary. Use **301 redirects** to permanently move pages and maintain SEO value. 4. **Proactively Monitor**: Implement server monitoring tools to detect and resolve issues before they escalate. ## Tools for Managing HTTP Status Codes - **Google Search Console**: Use the Page Indexing report to monitor errors and the URL Inspection tool to analyze specific pages. - **Screaming Frog**: Crawl your site to generate detailed reports on HTTP status codes, identifying redirects, errors, and more. - **HTTPStatus.io and REDbot**: Simple tools to check the HTTP status code of any URL. - **Lumar (formerly DeepCrawl)**: An enterprise-level tool for detailed analysis of HTTP status codes and site health. ## Common HTTP Status Code Scenarios for SEO 1. **Site Migration**: When migrating to a new domain, use **301 redirects** to transfer link equity and avoid losing traffic. 2. **Content Removal**: If content is no longer relevant, use a **410 Gone** status instead of letting it return a **404 error**. 3. **Temporary Downtime**: Use a **503 Service Unavailable** status during planned maintenance to let search engines know the downtime is temporary. ## The Fawkes Digital Marketing Advantage At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in maintaining the technical health of your website to maximize SEO performance. Our team: - Conducts regular site audits to identify and fix HTTP status code issues. - Implements SEO-friendly redirects during site migrations or content restructuring. - Ensures your website delivers a flawless experience for users and search engines alike. ## Conclusion: HTTP Status Codes Matter for SEO While they may seem like a small detail, HTTP status codes have a significant impact on how search engines and users interact with your website. By understanding and managing these codes effectively, you can improve your site's performance, enhance user experience, and boost search engine rankings. Need help optimizing your website's technical SEO? [Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing today](/Contact/) and let our experts ensure your website is running smoothly and performing at its best. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-email-marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-email-marketing/ ### How Smart Businesses Turn Emails Into Predictable Revenue If email marketing were dead, your inbox wouldn't still be full. Email remains the **most consistent, controllable, and profitable digital marketing channel** available to businesses today. Unlike social media, you're not at the mercy of algorithms. Unlike paid ads, you're not paying for every interaction. And unlike SEO alone, you don't have to wait months to see results. Sending business email costs only pennies on the dollar. Yet most businesses still treat email as an afterthought. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we treat email as what it truly is: - **A relationship engine** - **A revenue amplifier** - **A trust-building system that compounds over time** This pillar guide breaks down **how high-performing email programs actually work**, why certain emails outperform others, and how we help our clients turn email into one of their strongest growth channels. ## Why Email Marketing Still Dominates Every Other Channel Your customers see your brand more often in their inbox than anywhere else. They **chose** to give you their email address. That alone makes email different from every other marketing channel. But attention is scarce. Inboxes are crowded. And people decide whether an email is worth reading in **seconds**. The difference between emails that get ignored and emails that convert comes down to a few fundamentals: - Does the email serve the reader or just the business? - Is it easy to scan and understand? - Is the message timely and relevant? - Is there a clear reason to act? When done correctly, email becomes a channel that builds loyalty, increases lifetime value, and drives predictable revenue — not just opens. ## The Foundation of Every Successful Email Campaign Before we ever write a subject line or design a template, we focus on the **structure behind the email program**. ### 1. Data First, Always The best email campaigns are powered by **first-party data** — information customers willingly give you or actions they take on your website. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we use data to: - Segment audiences - Personalize messaging - Trigger emails at the right time - Eliminate irrelevant sends More relevance = higher engagement = better inbox placement. ### 2. Consistent Layouts Build Trust People scan emails, not read them. We standardize layouts so readers subconsciously know: - Where the headline is - Where the value is - Where the action is Once trust is built, breaking the pattern becomes powerful. ### 3. Design That Supports the Message Great email design isn't flashy — it's functional. That means: - Readable typography - Clear visual hierarchy - Balanced use of images and live text - Accessibility across devices and inboxes Design should guide the eye, not distract it. ### 4. White Space Is Not Empty Space White space improves comprehension. It makes emails skimmable. And it reduces decision fatigue. Crowded emails feel stressful. Clean emails feel intentional. ### 5. Strong Calls-to-Action Every email should answer one question clearly: **“What should I do next?”** We design emails with: - One primary action - Clear value - Strategic placement - High-contrast buttons No confusion. No clutter. No competing actions. ## The 6 Types of Emails Every Business Needs Most businesses send emails randomly. High-performing brands send **intentionally designed email types** that map to the customer journey. ### 1. Welcome Emails: Your First Impression Welcome emails outperform every other email type. Why? Because expectations are high and attention is fresh. A great welcome email: - Confirms the decision to subscribe - Reinforces brand value - Sets expectations for future emails - Encourages an immediate action We design welcome sequences that **train inbox providers to trust your domain** and train subscribers to engage. ### 2. Newsletter Emails: Trust at Scale Newsletters are not company updates. They're **value delivery vehicles**. The best newsletters: - Educate - Entertain - Reinforce expertise - Keep your brand top-of-mind We structure newsletters to: - Segment content by interest - Track engagement - Personalize future sends automatically Trust compounds when value is consistent. ### 3. Product & Service Launch Emails: Momentum Builders Launch emails create anticipation. Whether you're introducing: - A new service - A new feature - A seasonal offering - A limited promotion Launch emails work best when they: - Tease before revealing - Match design to intent - Speak directly to the right segment - Reinforce benefits, not just features We turn launches into **mini-campaigns**, not single sends. ### 4. Sales & Discount Emails: Revenue Without Damage Discount emails work — when used correctly. We help clients avoid: - Training customers to wait for discounts - Overusing promotions - Damaging brand perception Instead, we tie promotions to: - Events - Milestones - Scarcity - Added value (not always lower price) Strategic discounts protect margins and brand equity. ### 5. Confirmation Emails: Missed Opportunities for Most Businesses Confirmation emails are opened more than almost any other email — yet most businesses waste them. A confirmation email should: - Reassure - Thank - Reinforce the decision - Provide next steps Whether it's a purchase, registration, or booking, confirmation emails are **trust multipliers**. ### 6. Event Emails: Attendance & Engagement Drivers Event emails aren't just reminders — they're commitment tools. We design them to: - Reduce no-shows - Add calendar integrations - Reinforce value - Keep excitement high Every interaction builds brand memory. ## Why Segmentation Changes Everything Not all subscribers are the same — and treating them that way kills performance. We segment based on: - Behavior - Purchase history - Engagement level - Location - Lifecycle stage Modern tools and AI make segmentation easier than ever. The result? **Higher open rates, higher clicks, and fewer unsubscribes.** ## Why Businesses Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing for Email Email marketing isn't just writing emails. It's: - Strategy - Automation - Design - Deliverability - Data analysis - Compliance - Ongoing optimization At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we don't send emails — we build **email systems**. Our clients see: - Better inbox placement - Higher engagement - More predictable revenue - Stronger customer relationships And most importantly: **email becomes an asset, not a chore**. ## Final Thoughts: Email Isn't Old — Bad Email Is Email marketing isn't about sending more messages. It's about sending the **right message, to the right person, at the right time**. When done correctly, email becomes one of the highest-ROI marketing channels available — and one that grows stronger the longer you invest in it. If you're ready to stop guessing and start seeing results, **Fawkes Digital Marketing** is ready to help. ### Want Us to Build This for You? Whether you need: - A full email marketing system - Better automations - Higher engagement - Or emails that actually convert --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/understanding-aio-search/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/understanding-aio-search/ ## What is AIO Search? AIO Search, short for "All-In-One Search," is a versatile and robust search engine designed to simplify the way users search for information across multiple platforms. It significantly enhances the search experience by aggregating search results from a variety of sources, such as websites, social networks, and even multimedia repositories. This tool is particularly useful for users who need to gather comprehensive information from the web without the need to visit multiple search engines separately. ### Why is AIO Search Important? AIO Search plays a crucial role in streamlining the search process, saving users time and improving the efficiency of their search activities. By allowing users to input their search queries once and retrieving results from diverse sources, AIO Search becomes an indispensable tool for researchers, marketers, and everyday users looking to gather broad and varied information quickly. ### How Does AIO Search Work? AIO Search functions by integrating multiple search engines into one interface. When a user enters a search query, AIO Search forwards this query to various search engines and compiles the results into a single list. This aggregation encompasses different types of content, ensuring users gain access to a variety of information types like news articles, videos, and forum discussions. ### What are the Key Features of AIO Search? - **Unified Search Interface:** Provides a single, user-friendly platform to search multiple data sources. - **Customizable Search Filters:** Allows users to filter search results based on specific preferences, such as date or content type. - **Multi-language Support:** Offers the capability to search in various languages, making it accessible to a global audience. - **No Need for Multiple Tabs:** Integrates searches from several platforms into a single tab, reducing the need to toggle between different websites. ### How Can AIO Search Enhance Your Research? AIO Search can dramatically enhance research by delivering comprehensive and diversified results swiftly. Whether you are conducting academic research or analyzing market trends, AIO Search compiles information from various databases, ensuring that you miss no vital piece of data. ### What Are the Pros and Cons of Using AIO Search? #### Pros: - **Efficiency:** Streamlines search efforts by providing a wide range of results from a single query input. - **Comprehensive Results:** Offers diverse content, reducing the chance of overlooking crucial information. - **Saves Resources:** Lowers the need for multiple specialized search tools by providing all-in-one functionality. #### Cons: - **Potential Overload:** Users might experience information overload due to the vast amount of data retrieved. - **Reliability Issues:** The quality and relevance of aggregated results can vary depending on the sources accessed. - **Privacy Concerns:** As with any search tool that gathers data from different sources, users should remain mindful of privacy implications. ### How Secure is AIO Search? Security in AIO Search is a pertinent concern. While the platform generally maintains user privacy by anonymizing search queries and results, it is equally important for users to employ safe browsing practices. Ensuring updated security software can further safeguard personal data. ### How to Optimize Search Queries on AIO Search? Optimizing search queries on AIO Search involves: - **Using Keywords Effectively:** Incorporate specific and relevant keywords to hone in on the desired information. - **Applying Filters:** Utilize available filters to narrow down result sets to the most pertinent content. - **Leveraging Advanced Search Options:** Employ boolean operators and other advanced search functionalities for refined search outcomes. ### Frequently Asked Questions About AIO Search #### What Platforms are Integrated with AIO Search? AIO Search typically integrates a mix of popular search engines, social media networks, news platforms, and academic databases. #### Can AIO Search be Customized? Yes, AIO Search offers customization options that allow users to select and prioritize the sources that meet their specific needs. #### Is AIO Search Free to Use? AIO Search is generally free, but there may be premium features available that offer enhanced functionality for a subscription fee. ### Conclusion AIO Search is a powerful tool that amalgamates search results from various sources into a single, streamlined view. Its ability to offer customized, efficient, and comprehensive search results makes it an invaluable asset for anyone needing quick access to diverse web-based information. While there are some limitations, such as information overload and privacy concerns, the benefits of using AIO Search are immense for users seeking robust search capabilities in our information-rich world. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/UTM-Guide-to-Track-URLs/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/UTM-Guide-to-Track-URLs/ A crucial aspect to any search engine optimization (SEO) strategy is to know where your users are coming from. This article will help you streamline your marketing efforts and know where they are coming from. We will be talking about UTM codes and how you can use them to to quantify your marketing efforts and show the business owner where money has been spent and that it is being spent for the right reason. ## So what is a UTM? We’ve started talking about this being a UTM Guide but what is a UTM? UTM are parameters that are appended to the end of a URL. For example, https://www.BusinessYETI.com/?urm\_campaign=campaignName&utm\_medium=social&urm\_source=blog. You will notice in our case we have three parameters being used for our UTM code. There are more codes available to use and we will cover all of the currently used ones. ### Creating a URL There are two core components to using parameters on a URL. You will notice that after the / or after the last character (e.g. .aspx, .php, .jpg, .pdf, .docx, etc.) there is a question mark (?) that starts the entire process off letting the server know there is information that is being asked for. The second part is you will notice that between each of the UTM codes is an apostrophe (&). This is the separator for each of the parameters being used to track the URL. **Note**: A final note before we start digging into the parameters is you will notice that there are no spaces used within the URL itself. This is intentional and you should not use spaces in parameters or your URL. If you do for any reason you would replace a SPACE with %20. Sometimes you will also see people replace a space with a plus (+) symbol in the parameters. Both methods of %20 and plus are acceptable to use. We normally try to avoid the + and %20 whenever possible as when we export our Google AdWords campaigns to Excel it is less information we have to worry about processing. ### Common UTM Parameters As we explain the parameters below there is no true requirement to be in a particular order. The way we will be explaining the UTM codes is the typical order you will see them in a URL. - **utm\_campaign** – This is your campaign group. Each marketing campaign should be in a group and this parameter should always be included. Examples of campaigns we’ve used in the past are: - \_\_\_\_Special - where \_\_\_\_ is the month - \_\_\_\_YEAR – where \_\_\_\_ is the quarter (spring, fall, winter, summer) and YEAR is the year the campaign is running - CustomerDiscount10 – For customers getting a 10% discount - **utm\_source** – The source is a great way of tracking where your lead is coming from. Common uses for the source are Facebook, Twitter, Google (for your AdWords campaigns), Bing, Yahoo, Chamber (for those that want to track chamber leads). - We utilize UTM source locations and keep them unique for every Chamber we participate in, within the BBB, Facebook ads, etc. - **utm\_medium** – This is the type of medium being used. Many people are confused on that as they think traditional marketing of newspaper, radio, and television. This actually isn’t too far off. This does not refer to the physical medium but electronic. Common uses that we use are: - socialmedia - searchengine - website - ecommerce - email - **utm\_content** – The content that is being referenced by the URL. Often with marketing campaigns there will be multiple items addressed on a single page. This gives you information into the actual part of the page that is being targeted (e.g. the content). - **utm\_term** – The term is used to identify the keywords that you’ve used as part of your paid marketing campaign. ## Why using a UTM code is important If you use have multiple campaigns or a lot of links this can be seen as cumbersome and time consuming. And it is! What you can garner from it though is a lot of great information from a marketing standpoint and why you do it. Using UTM codes you gain insights into: - The success (or failure) of your marketing initiatives - See how well your social media channels are performing - Track the same marketing ad across different channels to see which one performs better - Measure the overall effectiveness of your URLs ## Tie into Google Analytics and Google AdWords Now you can tie this information into your Google Analytics account? What you don’t have one? It’s free, [click here to create your Google Analytics account](http://www.google.com/analytics/) or contact your web designer as they should already have set you up with one. When you look at your Google Analytics you can see where your users are going in more detail, track any AdWords campaigns, and improve the overall effectiveness of your digital marketing. ## Conclusion Marketing of your website is crucial. Your website is your first impression employee online. Your website employee will be able to let you know what is working with your marketing campaigns so that you know where to continue to invest, fix the areas that are broken and convert more browsers into leads. Whether your website is strictly customer service, brochure, or eCommerce site knowing where your visitors are coming from will help you market your company, and your website, to where your users are. If this seems like a lot of work that is okay. We have some [great maintenance packages](/Services/MaintenancePlans/) that can take care of all of this for your business for less than bringing on an employee. You not only get someone to promote you on social media, but on the search engines, access to graphic designers, and software developers for one low cost. If you would like to see how you can outsource this for less than it would be to bring an employee on while you focus on growing your company you can reach at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contract form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Valparaiso-Move-in-Review/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Valparaiso-Move-in-Review/ This weekend marks the one-month anniversary that JM2 Webdesigners moved from their [Zoseco Co-working](http://zoseco.com/) space to their new home at 403 East Lincolnway. The new web design and social media location is still in Cullman Alabama and just five blocks East of the old [Zoseco Co-working](http://zoseco.com/) location. What though has a move done for JM2 Webdesigners, its employees, and most important the clients that it services? We are going to look back at what this move has done. ## It's all about location The biggest change is the location from the third floor ground level. Previously we were in the heart of downtown Cullman right off of Washington Street on the third floor above Gil Drugs. The new location is a block East of the main downtown area. Still within walking distance and we've noticed a lot of foot traffic at the new location even late at night every day of the week. ## Walk Ins Speaking of walk-ins, we expected existing clients would visit our location but would never have expected so many new clients would show up and want to see what the new space is about. Many have passed our sign done by Simko Signs and asked if it was just installed. To their surprise the sign has been installed a week before the Cullman Popcorn Fest. ## Signage Speaking of signage, we couldn't be happier with it. We are getting more visibility within the city where people didn't know we were even around. One would expect that being in downtown Cullman for two years more businesses would know about us. We have always gone by word-of-mouth which has been great. Now with some great signage people are taking notice beyond referrals from our existing clients. ## Space This has to be the most enjoyed change for the team. With a 17-fold increase in space the team has been able to stretch out and enjoy more room. With the space we have been able to add new capabilities and now have more whiteboard space for taking notes, working on multiple projects more easily, and taking advantage of a much larger workspace. ## Co-working Change The biggest change was moving from a shared space to our own dedicated space. With co-working the biggest benefits are you get to work with some truly great people and share the costs. Now that we are no longer in the shared space we have increased expenses. The great news for our clients is our prices are not being increased due to the move. ## Conclusion (Was it worth it?) Absolutely. [Zoseco Co-working](http://zoseco.com/) allowed us to prove out that are non-standard business model was not only possible but would work. That businesses would appreciate having a company that became a virtual employee dedicated to their growth. During the past two years we were able to refine our product line. Now we have room to take on new ideas and innovations to further help businesses grow. Without [Zoseco Co-working](http://zoseco.com/) this would not have been possible. To that end if you are looking for a great co-working space or want to know more let us know. We'll explain everything to you and we definitely want to give our **HUGE THANKS** to Eric and Ahna for being their through that huge growth period. If you are looking for web design, social media, graphic design, software development, or digital marketing let us know as we would love to help your business grow. Give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Value-of-a-24x7-Employee/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Value-of-a-24x7-Employee/ What is the value to a business to have an employee that works for you 24x7 and constantly promotes your business in a way your business wants in a consistent way to every customer? This is what we are going to cover today as your website is actually not a website at all. It is an employee, that works for you. Not only is this an employee it has the potential to being your most diverse employee. A website is typically seen as a sales tool and it is. A website is much more than that. It is a public relations tool. It is a customer service tool. It is a way to connect with current and future customers. ## Why is a website an employee? Many treat a website as just sales, customer service, or informational. We are different in that we believe it is an employee. A typical website has a lot of time and effort put in up front to educate and inform. After that they are typically left alone until something either breaks, a customer comments on something, or the person in charge of the website has “free time” available to work on it. This is horrible and one reason we say your website IS an employee. An employee is someone that from day one you start training and mentoring. You teach it a little every day and mold it to the best that they can be. You don’t stop after this initial training. You are constantly training your website on new techniques to convert browsers into leads, updating the materials to be more informative and matching your current business needs, and working as a cohesive team to deliver a message of togetherness. Your website should be treated the same as an employee. ## Website Purpose A website serves many purposes. We will delve into the three typical areas we see; sales, public relations, and customer service. ### Sales Your website should have all of the knowledge of your sales team. You may or may not reveal prices on your website but everything else should be available. Your website should clearly outline what products and services that you are offering. The information should be clear, concise, and to the point. Being we are talking about a sales persona right now your website should have a clear “call to action” on each of these pages along with a way of generating leads. We see many times people learn about lead generating programs and ask people once, twice, even three times for their contact information. This can turn off potential customers. You need to balance your request for information around your clients and not about generating leads. When a sales person is too pushy you will lose sales. Your website is the same way. ### Public Relations Our next persona we will talk about is communicating what great and awesome things your business is doing. This could be new products and services that you are offering, improvements to existing products and services, and just as important what involvement the company and its employees are doing within the communities you are in. With all of the businesses we strive to work with they are all small businesses. These businesses are community devoted and routinely have a lot of great involvement to help the community get stronger and grow. This information should be informative and have no sales pitches at all. You are explaining why you are such a great company. Not that you are great so now give us your money. ### Customer Service Any business needs to have a focus on customer service. This focus needs to have some sales pitch in it but more importantly it needs to service and answer your customer’s needs. This could be a sales question but more often than not is a question about one or more of the products and services that you offer. Be clear and concise in answering this information and give a clear path for someone to contact you for those questions that cannot be answered through your website. When these questions happen make certain that your website is “trained” and updated with this so that it can help the next person with the same question. ## Proper Branding A website is branded with your company in mind. When you talk social media those networks are branded toward those outlets and not toward your business. You have no control over the look-and-feel, how information is displayed, or where your information even shows up. With a website your online employee can explain and answer everything that your business wants to cover along with looking and feeling the way you want it to. Branding is an important part of growing your business in presenting a clear and concise message to your target audience. ## Conclusion Your website as important as any employee you have on your staff. They never take a sick day (unless there is a computer problem with the server which is rate), they always convey the information you’ve given to them in a consistent way to everyone without showing any favoritism. By treating your website as an employee it will always be up-to-date, answer the questions your business wants, and present your best foot forward each and every time. Your website is often the first impression people see about your business. Does keeping your website updated seems like a lot of work? What about keeping your social media updated as well? What about search engine optimization (SEO) so that people can find your business on the search engines? With our social media maintenance packages starting at $225 for unlimited updates, SEO, and social media (and a LOT more) give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or [fill out our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Value-of-honesty-in-business/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Value-of-honesty-in-business/ Honesty is often taken for granted until someone is caught in a lie. Trust is initially given when you don't know someone. This trust is given freely but can be quickly removed when you find that someone has been less than truthful. Some will have honesty as part of their core values but not their first core value. So why do we put it as the first value when others don't? This is a separator that allows us to be different, unique, and to stand out from the rest. Being from a small town of Chesterton Alabama I was brought up on a "Leave it to Beaver" type of lifestyle where a handshake is worth more than any document written by a lawyer to seal a deal. All services should be priced fairly and not rip someone off, and that communication should be polite, honest, fair, and yet firm when communicating. Honesty has subtle implications that show the world who you are at your core. There is more than just honesty at the core of being honest. Honesty delves into your core integrity of who you are as a person and company. I have always heard that actions speak louder than words (said or written). In our daily lives, we see people say one thing and do something that completely contradicts what they say. We are human and a few imperfections are accepted due to being imperfect beings. That is no reason to give up on integrity or honesty. I feel that when you put honesty as the foundational core of your business you are making a very bold statement to the world. I can tell you all day that security is our number one and honesty is number two (or later). If that is the case then if I tell you we are secure how much weight can you put into it? We could be lying to get the sale or we might not be secure but just don't want you to know. It is a very broad statement and something almost every business says. It is just where in their core foundation that defines where it truly fits their organization. I could say we take security very seriously but then is it or isn't it. Being that honesty is not at your core how much belief can I believe in anything you put above honesty? When honesty is put first you are defining that everything after has to be truthful or it is something you will not be doing. Yes, you might misspeak on occasion but those should be a lot rarer than if being honest came later. Now with honesty as the primary focus and I state that we do everything we can to be secure you know that is most likely a truthful statement. When we shake hands and agree that we will help your business grow you know that it comes from our heart and we will do everything in our power to help you grow. Yes, there could be a contract that defines the work but you will rarely see us with a 10, 20, or 30-page lawyer written a document as we feel those are excuses to get out of a lie rather than perform. You will see people that gain the success that has lied, cheated, or even stole. You will be confused like everyone else but have faith that truth will always prevail. Those people you see can never last the test of time. They start faltering after a while and jump from one business core to another business core until they can find something that sticks. Yes, a person that always tells the truth will fail. Often, they will – we have. Truth tellers will last because of their core of being honest, having integrity, and being fair with every business they work with. Someone that puts honesty first will look at their faults often and push to grow beyond any shortcomings and weaknesses to become better and more honest. When you treat honesty as a core value you will treat employees, customers, and industry mentors all on the same level. You will be fair, honest, and show compassion to them. You will never talk about them behind their back (that's a form of being dishonest). You will be the person others seek to be. People will talk about you when you are not around, they will say bad things about you, yet they will secretly strive to be more like you. Honesty is contagious that everyone wants. It's free and something you will never run out of. In essence, you will be the seed that is helping make the world a better place to live. I cannot think of a better legacy to leave than to leave the world in a better place by being honest with unwavering integrity. I feel that there should never be an exception to compromise your honesty and integrity. It defines you as a person (or company) and speaks volumes to those around you. By being honest you will be fair with others, treat others with respect, and will strive to help those even those that are not fair. Push yourself and strive to be the person that when you look back you can say "I was and am that person". --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/virtual-vs-physical-mailboxes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/virtual-vs-physical-mailboxes/ How They Work, What They Cost, and How to Choose the Right Option In today's digital world, managing mail doesn't have to mean checking a physical box every day. Whether you're a small business owner, remote professional, or frequent traveler, virtual mailboxes have become a convenient and secure alternative to traditional mail management. This guide explains how virtual mailboxes work, how they compare to physical mailboxes and USPS Informed Delivery, and how to choose the best option for your needs. ## What Is a Virtual Mailbox? A virtual mailbox is a digital service that gives you a real physical mailing address where your mail and packages are received, scanned, and managed online. Instead of driving to your PO box, you can log in from any device to view and handle your incoming mail. When mail arrives, trained staff at a secure mail-handling facility scan the envelope or package label and upload the image to your digital dashboard. From there, you can: - View scanned images of your mail. - Request mail to be opened and the contents scanned. - Have mail forwarded to another address. - Shred and securely dispose of unwanted items. - Store important documents digitally. It's like having a full-service mailroom accessible from anywhere. ## How Virtual Mailboxes Work ### Choose a Plan and Address You start by selecting a virtual mailbox provider and choosing your preferred city or state for your address. Some even let you pick prestigious business addresses. ### Redirect or Forward Your Mail You can update your mailing address with the USPS or forward mail from your home, office, or existing PO Box. ### Receive, View, and Manage Online As mail arrives, you'll get a notification with scanned images of each piece. You decide what happens next—open, forward, store, or shred. ### Access Anywhere Your virtual mailbox dashboard can be accessed from your phone, tablet, or computer—no matter where you are. ### Where Virtual Mailboxes Are Located Virtual mailbox providers operate secure mail-handling facilities across the U.S. and internationally. When you sign up, you can choose from various address options such as: - Major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Miami, or Dallas. - Specific states or business hubs for a local presence. - Premium business addresses for branding and credibility. These facilities are staffed by authorized personnel trained to handle mail securely and in compliance with USPS regulations. ### A Great Reason to Move to Virtual Addresses: Stop Changing Addresses When You Move If you've ever had to change your physical mailing address through the U.S. Postal Service, you know what a hassle it can be. When you move, you can launch the Change of Address process online through the USPS website, which activates their mail-forwarding service for 12 months. During that time, the USPS will redirect your mail to your new address — but after that, it's up to you to make sure every company, bank, subscription, and contact has your new information. That may not sound too bad if you move once every few years. But if you're in the military, a traveling professional, or someone whose company relocates frequently, this process can become frustrating and time-consuming. With a virtual mailbox, you don't have to update your address every time you move. Your mail is sent to a permanent, secure facility that stays the same no matter where you live. The best virtual mailbox providers have locations all across the country, letting you choose an address that fits your business or personal needs — and your mail can follow you anywhere, digitally. It's a smarter, simpler way to stay connected without the endless paperwork or missed deliveries that come with frequent address changes. ## Typical Virtual Mailbox Costs Virtual mailbox pricing depends on the provider and the level of service. Here's a general breakdown: Plan TypeTypical Monthly CostIncludes - **Basic** - **Cost**: $10–$20 - **Includes**: Limited incoming mail, basic scanning, storage - **Standard** - **Cost**: $20–$40 - **Includes**: More mail items, open & scan options, mail forwarding - **Business / Premium** - **Cost**: $40–$100+ - **Includes**: Multiple recipients, package handling, check deposits, virtual address options Many services also offer annual discounts or a free trial so you can test before committing. ## How You Receive Information from a Virtual Mailbox Every time a piece of mail is received, you'll get an alert via email or app notification. Log in to your secure account to: - See an image of the envelope. - Choose to have it opened and scanned. - Request mail forwarding to any address. - Download scanned documents in PDF format. - Schedule shredding for privacy protection. The entire process is encrypted and compliant with USPS and privacy regulations. It's ideal for anyone who values both convenience and security. ## Popular Virtual Mailbox Providers A few well-known services include: - **[iPostal1](https://ipostal1.com/)**: Over 3,000 address options, good for individuals or businesses. Services they offer include: - Over 500 street addresses available throughout the US. - A free mobile app to check your mail, available for iPhone or Android. - Scanned incoming envelopes and packages with 2 GB free cloud storage. - Phone or faxing available. - Check depositing offered if the bank accepts mail-in deposits. - **[Anytime Mailbox](https://www.anytimemailbox.com/)**: User-friendly dashboard and global address network. Services they offer include: - Access to your virtual mailbox via multiple devices. - Opening and scanning of your mail contents. - Free cloud storage (no limits). - Forwarding of any envelopes or packages. - Mail-in check depositing to any bank. - **[PostScan Mail](https://www.postscanmail.com/)**: Offers package forwarding and business mail management. Services they offer include: - Access your scanned email from any device. - Mail opening and scanning available. - Envelope and package forwarding. - 30 days free storage of physical items. - Online mail management filters for organizing your scans. - **[Traveling Mailbox](https://travelingmailbox.com/)**: Designed for remote workers and RV travelers. Services they offer include: - Open and scan the contents of mail to PDF format. - Mail forwarding anywhere in the world. - Integrated with other services like Evernote and Bill.com. - Unlimited cloud storage. - Mobile access via iPhone or Android. - Deposit check via snail mail. Each has different pricing tiers and features, so comparing based on your needs (personal use, business presence, or travel convenience) is important. ## What About USPS Informed Delivery? If you currently use a physical mailbox or PO Box, you may already know about USPS Informed Delivery—a free service offered directly by the United States Postal Service. With Informed Delivery, you receive digital previews of letter-sized mail each morning. The system scans the exterior of your incoming mail and sends you an email or dashboard notification with grayscale images of the envelopes. However, USPS Informed Delivery is not the same as a virtual mailbox. - **Cost** - **USPS Informed Delivery**: Free - **Virtual Mailbox**: Monthly subscription - **Mail Handling** - **USPS Informed Delivery**: View-only images. - **Virtual Mailbox**: Can open, forward, shred, or store. - **Packages** - **USPS Informed Delivery**: Limited tracking info. - **Virtual Mailbox**: Full package handling. - **Access** - **USPS Informed Delivery**: Linked to your home/PO Box. - **Virtual Mailbox**: Choose any address nationwide. - **Storage** - **USPS Informed Delivery**: No digital document storage. - **Virtual Mailbox**: Secure online storage included. **Note**: Currently, USPS does not integrate Informed Delivery directly with third-party virtual mailbox providers. That means if you switch to a virtual mailbox service, your Informed Delivery will no longer show that mail—you'll instead manage everything directly through your virtual mailbox dashboard. ## Who Should Use a Virtual Mailbox? Virtual mailboxes are ideal for: - Business owners who want a professional address without a physical office. - Remote workers and digital nomads who travel frequently. - Property managers or investors with multiple addresses. - Expats who need to receive U.S. mail while abroad. - Individuals concerned with privacy or security. If you regularly receive important documents or want an easy way to manage mail without being tied to one location, a virtual mailbox is a smart, modern solution. ## Key Takeaways - Virtual mailboxes give you a real address and digital mail access from anywhere. - They offer scanning, forwarding, shredding, and cloud storage options. - Costs typically range from $10–$50/month depending on features. - USPS Informed Delivery provides free envelope previews but limited functionality. - Businesses and remote professionals benefit most from virtual mailboxes' convenience and professional appearance. ## Simplify Your Business and Stay Connected Anywhere At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we help businesses streamline operations—from secure website hosting and PCI-compliant systems to professional digital presence management. If your business relies on receiving mail, invoices, or documents remotely, integrating virtual mailbox tools into your workflow can be a simple step toward greater efficiency. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/voice-search-optimization/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/voice-search-optimization/ As technology evolves, the way people search for information online has dramatically shifted. Voice search, powered by digital assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, has become a popular tool for finding answers quickly and effortlessly. This rise in voice search presents a significant opportunity—and challenge—for businesses aiming to stay competitive in the digital age. In this blog, we’ll explore what **voice search optimization** is, why it’s important for your business, and how you can take advantage of it to enhance your online visibility. *** ## **What Is Voice Search Optimization?** Voice search optimization is the process of improving your website and content to ensure it appears in voice search results. Unlike traditional typed searches, voice search queries are often: - **Conversational:** Users phrase their queries as full sentences or questions, such as "What’s the best coffee shop near me?" - **Long-Tail:** They include more specific, detailed keywords. - **Localized:** Many voice searches focus on local intent, such as finding nearby businesses. Voice search optimization ensures your business is prepared to respond to these types of queries, making your content more accessible to voice-enabled devices. *** ## **Why Voice Search is Growing** Voice search is no longer a novelty—it’s a mainstream tool used by millions of people daily. Here’s why it’s important: 1. **Convenience:** Voice search allows users to multitask and get information quickly without typing. 2. **Mobile and Smart Device Growth:** With the rise of smartphones, smart speakers, and wearables, voice search usage has skyrocketed. 3. **Natural Language Understanding:** AI advancements have made voice assistants better at understanding complex and conversational queries, increasing adoption rates. ### **Statistics to Consider:** - **58% of consumers** have used voice search to find local business information. - **27% of the global online population** uses voice search on mobile. - By **2024**, it’s estimated that over **8 billion digital voice assistants** will be in use. *** ## **How Important is Voice Search for Your Business?** Voice search is not just a trend—it’s a key component of how people interact with search engines and digital devices. Businesses that optimize for voice search can: 1. **Capture Local Customers:** Many voice searches are location-specific, like “restaurants near me.” Optimizing for these queries ensures your business appears in local results. 2. **Improve SEO Rankings:** Google and other search engines reward websites that are optimized for voice with higher rankings in both traditional and voice searches. 3. **Enhance Customer Experience:** Voice search delivers quick answers and simplifies the search process, improving user satisfaction with your brand. 4. **Stay Ahead of Competitors:** As more businesses embrace voice search optimization, staying competitive means adapting your strategy to include this growing trend. *** ## **How to Optimize for Voice Search** ### **1. Understand Voice Search Queries** Voice search queries are longer and more conversational than typed searches. Focus on: - **Question-Based Keywords:** Use phrases like "How to," "What is," or "Where can I find." - **Long-Tail Keywords:** Incorporate detailed keywords that reflect natural language. **Example:** Instead of optimizing for “coffee shop,” optimize for “best coffee shop near downtown Mobile.” *** ### **2. Focus on Local SEO** Many voice searches are local in nature, so make sure your business is optimized for location-based queries. **What to Do:** - Claim and optimize your **Google Business Profile**. - Use location-specific keywords in your content and metadata. - Ensure your business information (Name, Address, Phone Number) is consistent across all online directories. *** ### **3. Optimize for Mobile** Voice searches are often conducted on mobile devices. A mobile-friendly website ensures users can easily navigate your site after finding it through a voice search. **What to Do:** - Use responsive design to ensure your site looks great on all devices. - Optimize for fast page load speeds. - Simplify navigation and minimize pop-ups. *** ### **4. Use Structured Data Markup** Structured data, also known as **schema markup**, helps search engines better understand your content and increases your chances of being featured in voice search results. **What to Do:** - Add schema for FAQs, local businesses, and products. - Highlight specific questions and answers on your pages. *** ### **5. Create Conversational Content** Content written in a conversational tone is more likely to match voice search queries. **What to Do:** - Write FAQs that answer common customer questions. - Use simple, easy-to-understand language. - Break content into digestible sections for quick reference. *** ### **6. Aim for Featured Snippets** Featured snippets, often referred to as "Position Zero," are prime real estate for voice search results. Voice assistants frequently pull answers from these snippets. **What to Do:** - Answer questions clearly and concisely in your content. - Use lists, tables, or bullet points to organize information. - Optimize for keywords that align with potential voice queries. *** ### **7. Leverage Reviews and Reputation Management** Voice search algorithms often pull information from review platforms when answering local queries. Positive reviews can boost your chances of being recommended by voice assistants. **What to Do:** - Encourage happy customers to leave reviews on Google and Yelp. - Respond to all reviews—positive and negative—to show engagement. *** ## **Benefits of Voice Search Optimization** 1. **Increased Visibility:** Capture a growing segment of users who rely on voice search for quick answers. 2. **Higher Engagement:** Voice search delivers answers that are often action-oriented, leading to higher conversions. 3. **Improved User Experience:** Providing quick, accurate answers enhances customer satisfaction. 4. **Future-Proof Your Business:** With voice search adoption only increasing, early optimization ensures long-term success. *** ## **How Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help** At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in helping businesses adapt to the latest digital trends, including voice search optimization. Our expert team ensures your website is ready to capture voice search traffic and outshine your competitors. ### **What We Offer:** - Comprehensive keyword and query research. - Structured data implementation for improved search visibility. - Local SEO optimization to target nearby customers. - Mobile and user experience enhancements for seamless navigation. *** ## **Conclusion** Voice search is more than just a buzzword—it’s the future of how customers interact with businesses online. By optimizing your website for voice search, you position your business to capture more leads, enhance your SEO rankings, and provide a superior user experience. Don’t wait for your competitors to get ahead—start optimizing for voice search today. **Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing** to learn how we can help your business thrive in the voice-driven future of search. Let’s make your brand the answer customers are looking for! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Voice-Search-Optimization-The-Future-of-SEO-and-Ho/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Voice-Search-Optimization-The-Future-of-SEO-and-Ho/ In the evolving world of search engine optimization (SEO), voice search is rapidly gaining prominence. With the growing popularity of smart speakers like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple's Siri, voice-activated search is transforming how people find information online. This shift represents a significant opportunity for businesses to improve their online presence and gain a competitive edge—if they optimize for it correctly. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, based in Cullman, Alabama, we specialize in cutting-edge digital marketing strategies, including Voice Search Optimization (VSO). We're here to help your business not just adapt to this trend but dominate it. ## What Is Voice Search Optimization? Voice search optimization involves tailoring your website and online content to rank well in voice-activated search queries. Unlike traditional searches, voice queries are more conversational, often phrased as questions, and typically aim for immediate answers. For example: - Text search: "best pizza Cullman" - Voice search: "Where can I get the best pizza near me?" Voice search optimization ensures your website is structured to answer these queries effectively, making your business more visible in local and mobile search results. ## The Importance of Voice Search for Your Business ## Growing PopularityLocal Search Impact: Voice searches often have local intent, with users asking for nearby services or businesses. This is especially important for small businesses in Cullman, Alabama, where customers frequently search for local solutions.Higher Conversion Rates: Voice search queries are often action-oriented, meaning users are ready to make a purchase or decision. Optimizing for these queries can lead to higher conversion rates and more revenue. ## How Voice Search Differs From Traditional SEO Voice search optimization requires a different approach compared to traditional SEO. Here's why: 1. Conversational Language: - Voice searches are longer and more natural-sounding, often taking the form of full questions (e.g., "What are the best places to eat in Cullman?"). - Content needs to address these questions directly. 2. Mobile and Local Focus: - Most voice searches are conducted on mobile devices and involve location-based queries like "near me." 3. Quick Answers: - Voice search devices prioritize concise, direct answers that are easy to read aloud. 4. Featured Snippets: - Google often pulls voice search results from featured snippets, making it crucial to target these coveted positions. ## How Fawkes Digital Marketing Optimizes Your Business for Voice Search At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we're not just keeping up with trends—we're leading the way in voice search optimization. Here's how we help businesses in Cullman, Alabama, and beyond dominate voice search results: 1. Natural Language Content Creation: We craft engaging, conversational content that directly answers the questions your customers are asking. By focusing on natural language, we ensure your content aligns with how people phrase their voice searches. 2. Local SEO Expertise: Since most voice searches are location-based, we optimize your Google Business Profile, ensure consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) details across directories, and incorporate location-based keywords to make your business the go-to choice in Cullman. *Structured Data and Schema Markup: We use JSON-LD schema markup to help search engines understand your website's content. This improves your chances of appearing in rich results, like featured snippets, which voice assistants often use for answers. Mobile Optimization: Voice searches primarily occur on mobile devices, so we ensure your website is mobile-friendly, fast, and easy to navigate. Focus on Featured Snippets: We strategically structure your content to target featured snippets, such as using bullet points, numbered lists, and concise answers to common questions. Conversational Keywords: By analyzing long-tail and question-based keywords, we optimize your website for the natural, conversational queries people use in voice search. Speed and Performance Optimization: Voice assistants prioritize fast-loading websites. We enhance your site's performance to ensure it meets these speed requirements.* *Why Fawkes Digital Marketing Stands Out in Cullman, Alabama While voice search optimization is complex, Fawkes Digital Marketing has the expertise to simplify the process for your business. Here's why we're the best and only choice for businesses in Cullman, Alabama: Local Expertise:We understand the Cullman market and the needs of its businesses, making us uniquely positioned to help you connect with your target audience.Comprehensive Solutions:From voice search optimization to full-scale digital marketing strategies, we offer everything you need to grow your business online.Cutting-Edge Tools:We stay ahead of industry trends, using advanced tools and techniques to keep your business visible in an ever-changing digital landscape.Proven Results:Our clients consistently rank higher on search engines, attract more customers, and see measurable growth in revenue. How Voice Search Can Transform Your Business Increased Visibility: Voice search optimization ensures your business appears at the top of local searches, making it easier for customers to find you.Enhanced User ExperienceCompetitive Advantage: As many businesses still overlook voice search, optimizing for it now gives you a significant edge over competitors.Better Conversion Rates: Voice search users are often ready to act, whether it's making a purchase, booking a service, or visiting your location. Get Started with Fawkes Digital Marketing Voice search optimization isn't the future—it's the present. Businesses that adapt to this growing trend now will reap the rewards of increased visibility, customer engagement, and revenue growth. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we specialize in helping businesses in Cullman, Alabama, and surrounding areas leverage the latest digital marketing strategies, including voice search optimization. Our personalized approach ensures your business stands out in a crowded market, regardless of your size or industry. Ready to Win at Voice Search? [Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing today](/Contact/) and let us help your business lead the conversation in Cullman, Alabama, and beyond. With our expertise, you'll capture more local searches, grow your customer base, and secure a stronger digital presence.* --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Walking-the-Path/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Walking-the-Path/ One of the core aspects of being a growing company in Cullman Alabama is each week we reflect on the past week’s activities, business decisions, products deployed and new projects we’ve received in the past week. We do this not only to stay focused for our clients but that we do not waiver from our core business objectives. This doesn’t mean we don’t waiver during the week. We do and have. Decisions take longer than a week to create and implement which is why we have our weekly reflections. In this article we'll cover some of the biggest waivers and how we overcame them. ## Information Technology With a solid background running computer systems for over 1,500 computers, dozens of servers, Microsoft server certifications one would think moving into the Information Technology field would be a proper move. That though isn’t the focus of the company. In the beginning as we were looking for ways to grow the company we took on a half dozen clients on fixing their computers, building their infrastructure, etc. This made a lot of money but pulled us from our web design, software development, and marketing for our clients. After this short trial we stopped doing this and aligned ourselves with many companies that focus on Information Technology but not on technologies that compete with JM2 Webdesigners. This has proven extremely beneficial as we can recommend true experts for specific industries but we can share clients and recommend companies and they in-turn recommend us. ## Staff Augmentation We have some truly great clients. Many, like us, are growing by leaps and bounds. We have helped them grow by augmenting their staff with our own. This has been a blessing and a curse. We do get to help our clients but in-turn that pulls our team from other clients. We saw the benefit to this and was part of the reason for our maintenance programs. With a maintenance program our clients can get time to help augment their team but allows us to correctly balance it and spread our team’s expertise to everyone without missing important deadlines. ## Microsoft SharePoint Don’t get us wrong; we truly love Microsoft SharePoint. In fact, we use it daily to keep track of documents, tasks, and more with our Office 365. We have a lot of expertise in writing software for it as well. The key is the companies that take advantage of Microsoft SharePoint are typically very large organizations where the core focus of the company is helping small companies become larger. We will on occasion help a company by talking about SharePoint with them but our last twelve month SharePoint project was our last. This allows us to focus on branding and marketing for our growing customers and help them reach their regional and national goals. ## Conclusion By sticking to our core we have grown faster and more than we could otherwise. Our clients are better taken care of by making certain that we stick to our core and help small businesses grow to be bigger and better. For help in becoming bigger and better contact JM2 Webdesigners at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), and [contact us online through our online form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Ways-to-increase-your-Domain-Authority-DA/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Ways-to-increase-your-Domain-Authority-DA/ You have a business that you want to grow. You want your business found online ahead of all your competitors. There are many factors that are involved to get your domain found online and above your competitors. A key piece of information is your domain authority often called DA. There are many aspects that you can do to help improve your DA. In this article, we will list several ways to improve your DA which can give you the potential (keyword: potential) of moving your rankings up in the search engines. **Disclaimer**: There never is a guarantee in moving up in the search engines and anyone that states they can you need to run from as quickly as you can. ## Some of the factors No one knows all the rules and factors when it comes to improving your DA. What we do know is that your DA is (at a minimum) based on your domain age, page rank (which Google doesn't fully use anymore), social signals, linking root domains, total backlink profile (that are marked as "follow"), user experience, site loading time, traffic, TLS (SSL), etc. These are all items that you should be doing as part of your standard SEO which ultimately improves your DA. Increasing your Domain Authority means following all the search engine best practices on a continuous basis. Your DA will move up and down based on what you do to your website to comply with the latest search engine standards. The search engine standards and best practices change often (sometimes multiple times per month). ## Why Webdesigners "Brand" YOUR Business This is a true pet peeve of ours and one reason we don't brand a site. But what is "branding" and why do we dislike it? Branding is when a web designer puts at the bottom (typically bottom right) of every page of your website that they built the page. This branding gives the web designer with credit they built your website but is not the true reason they do it. Yes, they want your business to promote and sell their business. More importantly though they have this link set as a "follow" link so that there DA moves up. You will not see one of our sites do this and it's not because we don't want to increase our DA as we do. We don't brand your business as this is your business and not ours. You paid us to build you a website that helps convert your business. You didn't give us your hard-earned money to sell our business. We do have an exception to this rule. Now your thinking we just lied. That is the farthest from the truth as we live by what we call "Rule #1" which is "No Lying". So why is there an exception. There are some clients where we give them our services for free. For free? Really? Yes Really! These are certain businesses, typically not-for-profits, where we create and maintain their websites for them. We do this as we believe in giving back and part of that giving back is to self-advertise our business.

Below is a list we've generated after years of working in SEO that we have found help contribute to improving your Domain Authority. We know that there are more as we are constantly changing and improving our list of factors that help improve DA. Over the years we've learned this list is a pretty good start.

Conclusion

Being an authoritive source on the internet will help give you an edge over your competitors and move above them on the search engines. It takes time, doing the right thing, and being patient through the entire process. The search engines entire goal is to provide users with results that can be trusted, answer questions, and provide a value.

 --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Web-Header-Status-Codes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Web-Header-Status-Codes/ Every page you look at on the internet that works comes with a code of 200 (Success). But what are all the codes when you don't get a successful message. The list below is all of the currently known codes used on the internet today. ## Sources of information The following are the primary sources where information was gathered: - [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_HTTP_status_codes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_HTTP_status_codes) ## 1xx Informational Request received, continuing process. This class of status code indicates a provisional response, consisting only of the StatusLine and optional headers, and is terminated by an empty line. Since HTTP/1.0 did not define any 1xx status codes, servers must not send a 1xx response to an HTTP/1.0 client except under experimental conditions. ## 100 Continue The server has received the request headers and the client should proceed to send the request body (in the case of a request for which a body needs to be sent; for example, a POST request). Sending a large request body to a server after a request has been rejected for inappropriate headers would be inefficient. To have a server check the request's headers, a client must send Expect: 100-continue as a header in its initial request and receive a 100 Continue status code in response before sending the body. The response 417 Expectation Failed indicates the request should not be continued. ## 101 Switching Protocols The requester has asked the server to switch protocols and the server has agreed to do so. ## 102 Processing (WebDAV; RFC 2518) A WebDAV request may contain many sub-requests involving file operations, requiring a long time to complete the request. This code indicates that the server has received and is processing the request, but no response is available yet. This prevents the client from timing out and assuming the request was lost. ## 2xx Success This class of status codes indicates the action requested by the client was received, understood, accepted, and processed successfully. ## 200 OK Standard response for successful HTTP requests. The actual response will depend on the request method used. In a GET request, the response will contain an entity corresponding to the requested resource. In a POST request, the response will contain an entity describing or containing the result of the action. ## 201 Created The request has been fulfilled, resulting in the creation of a new resource. ## 202 Accepted The request has been accepted for processing, but the processing has not been completed. The request might or might not be eventually acted upon, and may be disallowed when processing occurs. ## 203 Non-Authoritative Information (since HTTP/1.1) The server is a transforming proxy (e.g. a Web accelerator) that received a 200 OK from its origin, but is returning a modified version of the origin's response. ## 204 No Content The server successfully processed the request and is not returning any content. ## 205 Reset Content The server successfully processed the request, but is not returning any content. Unlike a 204 response, this response requires that the requester reset the document view. ## 206 Partial Content (RFC 7233) The server is delivering only part of the resource (byte serving) due to a range header sent by the client. The range header is used by HTTP clients to enable resuming of interrupted downloads, or split a download into multiple simultaneous streams. ## 207 Multi-Status (WebDAV; RFC 4918) The message body that follows is an XML message and can contain a number of separate response codes, depending on how many sub-requests were made. ## 208 Already Reported (WebDAV; RFC 5842) The members of a DAV binding have already been enumerated in a previous reply to this request, and are not being included again. ## 226 IM Used (RFC 3229) The server has fulfilled a request for the resource, and the response is a representation of the result of one or more instance-manipulations applied to the current instance. ## 3xx Redirection This class of status code indicates the client must take additional action to complete the request. Many of these status codes are used in URL redirection. A user agent may carry out the additional action with no user interaction only if the method used in the second request is GET or HEAD. A user agent may automatically redirect a request. A user agent should detect and intervene to prevent cyclical redirects. ## 300 Multiple Choices Indicates multiple options for the resource from which the client may choose. For example, this code could be used to present multiple video format options, to list files with different extensions, or to suggest word sense disambiguation. ## 301 Moved Permanently This and all future requests should be directed to the given URI. ## 302 Found This is an example of industry practice contradicting the standard. The HTTP/1.0 specification (RFC 1945) required the client to perform a temporary redirect (the original describing phrase was "Moved Temporarily"), but popular browsers implemented 302 with the functionality of a 303 See Other. Therefore, HTTP/1.1 added status codes 303 and 307 to distinguish between the two Behaviors. However, some Web applications and frameworks use the 302 status code as if it were the 303. ## 303 See Other (since HTTP/1.1) The response to the request can be found under another URI using a GET method. When received in response to a POST (or PUT/DELETE), the client should presume that the server has received the data and should issue a redirect with a separate GET message. ## 304 Not Modified (RFC 7232) Indicates that the resource has not been modified since the version specified by the request headers If-Modified-Since or If-None-Match. In such case, there is no need to retransmit the resource since the client still has a previously-downloaded copy. ## 305 Use Proxy (since HTTP/1.1) The requested resource is available only through a proxy, the address for which is provided in the response. Many HTTP clients (such as Mozilla and Internet Explorer) do not correctly handle responses with this status code, primarily for security reasons. ## 306 Switch Proxy No longer used. Originally meant "Subsequent requests should use the specified proxy.” ## 307 Temporary Redirect (since HTTP/1.1) In this case, the request should be repeated with another URI; however, future requests should still use the original URI. In contrast to how 302 was historically implemented, the request method is not allowed to be changed when reissuing the original request. For example, a POST request should be repeated using another POST request. ## 308 Permanent Redirect (RFC 7538) The request and all future requests should be repeated using another URI. 307 and 308 parallel the Behaviors of 302 and 301, but do not allow the HTTP method to change. So, for example, submitting a form to a permanently redirected resource may continue smoothly. ## 4xx Client Error The 4xx class of status code is intended for situations in which the client seems to have erred. Except when responding to a HEAD request, the server should include an entity containing an explanation of the error situation, and whether it is a temporary or permanent condition. These status codes are applicable to any request method. User agents should display any included entity to the user. ## 400 Bad Request The server cannot or will not process the request due to an apparent client error (e.g., malformed request syntax, invalid request message framing, or deceptive request routing). ## 401 Unauthorized (RFC 7235) Similar to 403 Forbidden, but specifically for use when authentication is required and has failed or has not yet been provided. The response must include a WWWAuthenticate header field containing a challenge applicable to the requested resource. See Basic access authentication and Digest access authentication. 401 semantically means "unauthenticated", i.e. the user does not have the necessary credentials. **Note**: Some sites issue HTTP 401 when an IP address is banned from the website (usually the website domain) and that specific address is refused permission to access a website. ## 402 Payment Required Reserved for future use. The original intention was that this code might be used as part of some form of digital cash or micropayment scheme, but that has not happened, and this code is not usually used. Google Developers API uses this status if a particular developer has exceeded the daily limit on requests. ## 403 Forbidden The request was a valid request, but the server is refusing to respond to it. 403 error semantically means "unauthorized", i.e. the user does not have the necessary permissions for the resource. ## 404 Not Found The requested resource could not be found but may be available in the future. Subsequent requests by the client are permissible. ## 405 Method Not Allowed A request method is not supported for the requested resource; for example, a GET request on a form which requires data to be presented via POST, or a PUT request on a read-only resource. ## 406 Not Acceptable The requested resource is capable of generating only content not acceptable according to the Accept headers sent in the request. ## 407 Proxy Authentication Required (RFC 7235) The client must first authenticate itself with the proxy. ## 408 Request Timeout The server timed out waiting for the request. According to HTTP specifications: "The client did not produce a request within the time that the server was prepared to wait. The client MAY repeat the request without modifications at any later time.” ## 409 Conflict Indicates that the request could not be processed because of conflict in the request, such as an edit conflict between multiple simultaneous updates. ## 410 Gone Indicates that the resource requested is no longer available and will not be available again. This should be used when a resource has been intentionally removed and the resource should be purged. Upon receiving a 410 status code, the client should not request the resource in the future. Clients such as search engines should remove the resource from their indices. Most use cases do not require clients and search engines to purge the resource, and a "404 Not Found" may be used instead. ## 411 Length Required The request did not specify the length of its content, which is required by the requested resource. ## 412 Precondition Failed (RFC 7232) The server does not meet one of the preconditions that the requester put on the request. ## 413 Payload Too Large (RFC 7231) The request is larger than the server is willing or able to process. Previously called "Request Entity Too Large”. ## 414 URI Too Long (RFC 7231) The URI provided was too long for the server to process. Often the result of too much data being encoded as a query-string of a GET request, in which case it should be converted to a POST request. Called "Request-URI Too Long" previously. ## 415 Unsupported Media Type The request entity has a media type which the server or resource does not support. For example, the client uploads an image as image/svg+xml, but the server requires that images use a different format. ## 416 Range Not Satisfiable (RFC 7233) The client has asked for a portion of the file (byte serving), but the server cannot supply that portion. For example, if the client asked for a part of the file that lies beyond the end of the file. Called "Requested Range Not Satisfiable" previously. ## 417 Expectation Failed The server cannot meet the requirements of the Expect request-header field. ## 418 I'm a teapot (RFC 2324) This code was defined in 1998 as one of the traditional IETF April Fools' jokes, in RFC 2324, Hyper Text Coffee Pot Control Protocol, and is not expected to be implemented by actual HTTP servers. The RFC specifies this code should be returned by tea pots requested to brew coffee. This HTTP status is used as an easter egg in some websites, including Google.com. ## 421 Misdirected Request (RFC 7540) The request was directed at a server that is not able to produce a response (for example because a connection reuse). ## 422 Unprocessable Entity (WebDAV; RFC 4918) The request was well-formed but was unable to be followed due to semantic errors. ## 423 Locked (WebDAV; RFC 4918) The resource that is being accessed is locked. ## 424 Failed Dependency (WebDAV; RFC 4918) The request failed due to failure of a previous request (e.g., a PROPPATCH). ## 426 Upgrade Required The client should switch to a different protocol such as TLS/1.0, given in the Upgrade header field. ## 428 Precondition Required (RFC 6585) The origin server requires the request to be conditional. Intended to prevent "the 'lost update' problem, where a client GETs a resource's state, modifies it, and PUTs it back to the server, when meanwhile a third party has modified the state on the server, leading to a conflict." ## 429 Too Many Requests (RFC 6585) The user has sent too many requests in a given amount of time. Intended for use with rate limiting schemes. ## 431 Request Header Fields Too Large (RFC 6585) The server is unwilling to process the request because either an individual header field, or all the header fields collectively, are too large. ## 451 Unavailable For Legal Reasons A server operator has received a legal demand to deny access to a resource or to a set of resources that includes the requested resource. The code 451 was chosen as a reference to the novel Fahrenheit 451. ## 5xx Server Error The server failed to fulfill an apparently valid request. Response status codes beginning with the digit "5" indicate cases in which the server is aware that it has encountered an error or is otherwise incapable of performing the request. Except when responding to a HEAD request, the server should include an entity containing an explanation of the error situation, and indicate whether it is a temporary or permanent condition. Likewise, user agents should display any included entity to the user. These response codes are applicable to any request method. ## 500 Internal Server Error A generic error message, given when an unexpected condition was encountered and no more specific message is suitable. ## 501 Not Implemented The server either does not recognize the request method, or it lacks the ability to fulfill the request. Usually this implies future availability (e.g., a new feature of a web-service API). ## 502 Bad Gateway The server was acting as a gateway or proxy and received an invalid response from the upstream server. ## 503 Service Unavailable The server is currently unavailable (because it is overloaded or down for maintenance). Generally, this is a temporary state. ## 504 Gateway Timeout The server was acting as a gateway or proxy and did not receive a timely response from the upstream server. ## 505 HTTP Version Not Supported The server does not support the HTTP protocol version used in the request. ## 506 Variant Also Negotiates (RFC 2295) Transparent content negotiation for the request results in a circular reference. ## 507 Insufficient Storage (WebDAV; RFC 4918) The server is unable to store the representation needed to complete the request. ## 508 Loop Detected (WebDAV; RFC 5842) The server detected an infinite loop while processing the request (sent in lieu of 208 Already Reported). ## 510 Not Extended (RFC 2774) Further extensions to the request are required for the server to fulfil it. ## 511 Network Authentication Required (RFC 6585) The client needs to authenticate to gain network access. Intended for use by intercepting proxies used to control access to the network (e.g., "captive portals" used to require agreement to Terms of Service before granting full Internet access via a Wi-Fi hotspot). ## Unofficial codes The following codes are not specified by any RFC, but are used by third-party services to provide semantic or RESTful error responses: ### 103 Checkpoint Used in the resumable requests proposal to resume aborted PUT or POST requests. ### 420 Method Failure (Spring Framework) A deprecated response used by the Spring Framework when a method has failed. ### 420 Enhance Your Calm (Twitter) Returned by version 1 of the Twitter Search and Trends API when the client is being rate limited; versions 1.1 and later use the 429 Too Many Requests response code instead. ### 450 Blocked by Windows Parental Controls (Microsoft) A Microsoft extension. This error is given when Windows Parental Controls are turned on and are blocking access to the given webpage. ### 498 Invalid Token (Esri) Returned by ArcGIS for Server. A code of 498 indicates an expired or otherwise invalid token. ### 499 Token Required (Esri) Returned by ArcGIS for Server. A code of 499 indicates that a token is required but was not submitted. ### 499 Request has been forbidden by antivirus Produced by some programs such as Wget when a malicious site is intercepted. ### 509 Bandwidth Limit Exceeded (Apache Web Server/cPanel) The server has exceeded the bandwidth specified by the server administrator; this is often used by shared hosting providers to limit the bandwidth of customers. ### 530 Site is frozen Used by the Pantheon web platform to indicate a site that has been frozen due to inactivity. ### Internet Information Services The Internet Information Services expands the 4xx error space to signal errors with the client's request. ### 440 Login Timeout The client's session has expired and must log in again. ### 449 Retry With The server cannot honour the request because the user has not provided the required information. ### 451 Redirect Used in Exchange ActiveSync when either a more efficient server is available or the server cannot access the users' mailbox. The client is expected to re-run the HTTP AutoDiscover operation to find a more appropriate server. ### nginx The nginx web server software expands the 4xx error space to signal issues with the client's request. ### 444 No Response Used to indicate that the server has returned no information to the client and closed the connection. ### 495 SSL Certificate Error An expansion of the 400 Bad Request response code, used when the client has provided an invalid client certificate. ### 496 SSL Certificate Required An expansion of the 400 Bad Request response code, used when a client certificate is required but not provided. ### 497 HTTP Request Sent to HTTPS Port An expansion of the 400 Bad Request response code, used when the client has made a HTTP request to a port listening for HTTPS requests. ### 499 Client Closed Request Used when the client has closed the request before the server could send a response. ### Cloudflare Cloudflare's reverse proxy service expands the 5xx error space to signal issues with the origin server. ### 520 Unknown Error The 520 error is used as a "catch-all response for when the origin server returns something unexpected", listing connection resets, large headers, and empty or invalid responses as common triggers. ### 521 Web Server Is Down The origin server has refused the connection from Cloudflare. ### 522 Connection Timed Out Cloudflare could not negotiate a TCP handshake with the origin server. ### 523 Origin Is Unreachable Cloudflare could not reach the origin server; for example, if the DNS records for the origin server are incorrect. ### 524 A Timeout Occurred Cloudflare was able to complete a TCP connection to the origin server, but did not receive a timely HTTP response ### 525 SSL Handshake Failed Cloudflare could not negotiate a SSL/TLS handshake with the origin server. ### 526 Invalid SSL Certificate Cloudflare could not validate the SSL/TLS certificate that the origin server presented. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/web-security-importance/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/web-security-importance/ In today's digital landscape, website security is paramount. Cyber threats, data breaches, and malware attacks are on the rise, and businesses of all sizes are vulnerable. A single security incident can damage your reputation, compromise customer trust, and lead to financial losses. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we understand the importance of security, and we have built comprehensive monthly maintenance programs that prioritize the safety and integrity of your website. Here's why website security is essential and how our maintenance programs keep your site protected. ## Why Website Security Matters - **Protecting Sensitive Data**: Websites often collect sensitive information, such as personal details, payment information, and login credentials. Without proper security measures, this data can be intercepted, stolen, or misused. Protecting customer data is not only a legal requirement but also essential for maintaining trust and credibility. - **Preventing Financial Loss**: A security breach can lead to significant financial repercussions. Data recovery, legal fees, potential fines, and lost business opportunities add up quickly. Proactively securing your website reduces the risk of these financial burdens. - **Maintaining Brand Reputation**: A website that suffers from frequent security issues can erode customer trust and damage brand reputation. Customers may be reluctant to visit or engage with a site if they feel their data isn't safe. Protecting your site from security risks helps safeguard your brand's reputation. - **Improving SEO and Search Engine Ranking**: Search engines prioritize secure websites in their rankings. Google, for instance, gives preference to sites with HTTPS, a protocol that encrypts the connection between the server and browser. Security issues can also lead to search engines flagging your site as unsafe, negatively affecting your visibility and traffic. - **Preventing Downtime and Maintaining Business Continuity**: A security breach can disrupt website functionality or even lead to complete downtime. Such interruptions not only frustrate users but can also result in missed revenue opportunities. A secure website helps ensure smooth operation and business continuity. ## Fawkes Digital Marketing's Monthly Security Maintenance Program At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we recognize that security is a continuous process. We have developed a monthly maintenance program that incorporates proactive security measures, regular updates, and constant monitoring. Here's a breakdown of what we do to keep your website secure: - **Regular Software and Plugin Updates**: Outdated software is a leading cause of security vulnerabilities. Our team ensures that all website components, including CMS (Content Management System) platforms like WordPress, themes, and plugins, are regularly updated to the latest versions. This reduces the risk of exposure to known vulnerabilities. - **Daily Malware Scans and Removal**: We conduct daily malware scans to detect and remove any malicious code that may have infiltrated your site. By identifying threats early, we can prevent them from spreading or causing further damage. - **Firewall Protection and Intrusion Detection**: A web application firewall (WAF) filters and monitors incoming traffic to block malicious requests. We implement firewall protection to shield your website from common attack types, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and brute-force attacks. Our intrusion detection system alerts us to any suspicious activity, allowing us to take immediate action. - **SSL/TLS Certificates and HTTPS Encryption**: Every website we manage is equipped with an SSL/TLS certificate, ensuring that data transmitted between the website and users' browsers is encrypted. HTTPS not only protects sensitive information but also enhances your site's search engine ranking. We monitor SSL certificates to ensure they're valid and up-to-date. - **Regular Backups and Disaster Recovery**: In the event of a security breach or data loss, regular backups provide a lifeline. Our team performs daily and weekly backups of your website, ensuring you have a recent copy to restore from. We also have a disaster recovery plan to minimize downtime and quickly restore functionality if an incident occurs. - **Strong Authentication and Access Control**: We enforce strong authentication practices, including secure password policies and, where possible, multi-factor authentication (MFA) for website administrators. This adds an extra layer of security and reduces the risk of unauthorized access. - **Monitoring for Vulnerabilities**: Our team regularly conducts vulnerability assessments, looking for potential security flaws within your website. We use specialized tools to scan for outdated components, insecure configurations, and weak points that hackers could exploit. - **Security Log Monitoring and Analysis**: Our security maintenance program includes monitoring logs for any unusual behavior or access attempts. We analyze these logs to identify potential threats and keep track of failed login attempts, IP address anomalies, and other indicators of a security breach. ## Essential Steps in a Website Security Routine To protect your website, it's essential to follow a comprehensive security routine. Here's what should be part of any good security strategy: - **Apply Updates Promptly**: Regularly update your CMS, plugins, and themes. Most security vulnerabilities are fixed in updates, so prompt action is crucial. - **Use Strong Passwords and Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)**: Encourage all users and administrators to use strong, unique passwords. Implementing 2FA where possible further reduces the risk of unauthorized access. - **Install an SSL Certificate**: Protect user data and enhance SEO by installing and maintaining an SSL certificate. - **Enable a Web Application Firewall (WAF)**: A WAF adds a layer of security by blocking common attack types before they reach your website. - **Perform Regular Security Scans**: Malware and vulnerability scans should be part of your routine to catch potential issues early. - **Backup Your Data Regularly**: Maintain regular backups to ensure quick recovery in case of a breach or data loss. - **Limit Access and Use Role-Based Permissions**: Only provide website access to users who need it, and use role-based permissions to limit what each user can do. This reduces the risk of accidental or malicious changes. - **Monitor for Suspicious Activity**: Regularly check logs and set up alerts for unusual login attempts or unauthorized changes. - **Educate Your Team**: Regularly train employees and users on security best practices. Awareness is a vital part of preventing human error, which is a common cause of security issues. ## Why Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing for Website Security? At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we go beyond the basics to ensure your website is fully protected. Security is at the heart of our monthly maintenance programs, and we continuously adapt our strategies to address emerging threats and technologies. By partnering with us, you can rest assured that: - **Your Website is Regularly Monitored**: Our team actively monitors your website, detecting and responding to potential issues before they become critical. - **Security Updates Are Applied Promptly**: We ensure that your website's components are always up-to-date, keeping you protected from known vulnerabilities. - **You're Protected with a Multi-Layered Approach**: From firewalls to malware scans and SSL certificates, we implement multiple layers of security, giving you robust protection. ## Conclusion Website security is not optional—it's essential. In a world where data breaches and cyber threats are commonplace, protecting your website and user data should be a top priority. Fawkes Digital Marketing's monthly maintenance programs are designed to address these risks proactively, keeping your website secure, trustworthy, and fully functional. Don't leave your website's security to chance. Partner with Fawkes Digital Marketing to ensure your site is protected by industry-leading best practices and a dedicated team that understands the ever-evolving landscape of online security. Contact us today to learn more about our website maintenance programs and how we can help safeguard your digital presence. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteClockReset/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteClockReset/ Many of us just went through a daylight savings time "reset". I know here in Northwest Alabama we did and for many this was not an easy change. While this reset is easy for some for others it is often difficult as it takes time for their bodies to adjust to this schedule change. Your website, social media, and marketing plans are no difference. Some of the changes may be quick and easy while others might take some time. These time adjustments are the perfect time to reset your initiatives and start fresh with other ideas in your life. In this article we will cover some of the core aspects that you can do that are both easy and some that take more time. ## Content Calendars A content calendar is one of the most effective and least used tools if you do not have a social media manager or a social media plan. A content calendar allows you to schedule and prepare for what's coming down your pipeline for social media posts, blog posts (like this one), and getting the good word out about your products and services. A content calendar is never written in stone (or ink). It is a living breathing document that is designed to be your companion along your journey to achieve greatness. For an example, [click here for our free no questions asked content calendar in Excel foramt](/Docs/JM2-ContentCalendar.xlsx). Our content calendar has been used by hundreds of businesses that go to our seminars on digital marketing, like yours, over the past three years. ![Social Media](/Images/Content/Blog/socialMediaSprint.jpg) ## Social Media Having a content calendar is the first step. The next is sticking to and being on social media where your customers are. You need to post at the recommended frequencies on these outlets, you need to respond in a timely manner to your customers, and most importantly you need to "socialize" and be part of the conversation. You see we said conversation. Social media is not a one-way street. You want to have a dialogue with your fans on your Facebook page. You want to engage on Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Be part of the solution with social media. The key to social media is knowing where your customers are, being adapt to change to where they are going, and to not push sales down their throat. Only a small percentage (15-20%) of your posts should be sales oriented. Are you following up with your customers that you engage on social media? We are asked a lot of questions offline from our clients through our Facebook page. We not only immediately respond to them but we follow-up a week later to make certain that they are truly doing great. Your social media strategy should be well thought out. Don't just one day say "I need social media, create your account, and start throwing everything (including the kitchen sink at it)". Develop a plan, be consistent with a single voice (this doesn't mean just one person), and be part of the solution by engaging your customers. ![Analytics](/Images/Content/Blog/Analytics.png) ## Analytics When it comes to analytics there are two parts to this. The first is getting a package and installing it. The two major sources for analytics is Google Analytics (free) which does a great job and ties directly in with Google AdWords. The second will give you a bit more detail as you will be using your web hosting provider's analytics programs. Each is extremely well and the key is using one of them. If knowing the absolute detail is important then talking with your web hosting provider on how to access your logs is crucial. Many will have an easy-to-use program that makes the information immensely valuable to you. The second part of analytics is seeing who is coming to your site, what pages they are visiting, in what order they are visiting, and can assist you in determining your conversion rate (how many visitors do you need before you receive business. ![A/B Testing](/Images/Content/Blog/abTesting.jpg) ## Website Updates and Maintenance Keeping your website updated is crucial. We have always said since day one that your website should be treated as an employee. This hasn't changed. You would never hire an employee, sit them at a desk, and expect great results from them. You provide your employees with the latest most accurate information. This information is the same information (minus your unique trade secrets) that you would put onto your website. With this information you will provide your visitors with great content that reads well, is informative, and answers the questions they are asking. As part of your updates to your website you also have images that may need refreshing, colors that need updating to have a consistent brand image, and you will definitely check for any broken links or links that are no longer valid. Speaking of links are you linking to other pages within your own site? If the only link within your site is on your main menu or a link to just your contact page, you are missing out on some internal SEO. ![Responsive Web Design RWD](/Images/Content/Blog/MobileResponsive.png) ## Responsive Web Design Google has clearly stated that having a [responsive web design (RWD)](https://developers.google.com/web/fundamentals/design-and-ui/responsive/fundamentals/) will gain you better results within the search engine pages than having two websites. You may be thinking that "I only have one website". This may be true but if you redirect mobile and/or tablet users from http://yourDomain.com/ to http://m.yourDomain.com/ then you actually have two websites. By having two websites you have to work on your search engine optimization (SEO) twice. A RWD allows you to focus all of your efforts, and budget, on a sole site that works well if it's built on a mobile first approach. By having a mobile first approach you are not only writing for desktop, tablet and mobile devices but also devices like PlayStation, Xbox, and other devices that are coming to market on home theatres and business presentation systems. ![Search Engine Optimization SEO](/Images/Content/Blog/seo.jpg) ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Everyone we talk to wants to be on page 1 in position 1 on each of the major search engines. We can't blame them as that is where everyone strives to be. The key is having proper page titles, tying those titles into your text, having quality content, and becoming the expert within your field. This takes time and patience to achieve. Normally months, if not years, to achieve. You will see some of your competitors jump right past you. This could be that they have paid for a position or if they truly jump ahead of you they may have better content or they may have taken the time to take the search engines serious and worked to get there. If you are not performing as well as you think you should a search engine analysis can on every page of your website can help. The reason we say every page is most people focus solely on their homepage. Your website consists more of a single page, unless you have a single page website. ## Call to Action (CTA) A call to action should exist on your pages to get people to do "something". This something is what you want them to do next. This could be signing up for a newsletter, requesting a quote, or purchasing a product. The CTA is something you need to think about and establish and will be unique to your business. Are you clearly defining that you are the best solution for your customers? How are you achieving this for them? Is this just something you are saying or is what you are providing a value that your competitors just cannot reach? ## Conclusion The items we've outlined above have some quick wins and some that require a bit of effort by yourself or your web and/or digital marketing (social media) teams. These changes will allow you to better fine-tune your strategy to become the best that you can possibly be. Not every business has the time, desire, or expertise to handle all of the above. In those cases, we at JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama are truly ready to assist your business grow and succeed online. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/website-flagged-unsafe/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/website-flagged-unsafe/ **How to Remove Your Website from McAfee Blacklist and Other Web Security Blocklists: A Complete Guide for Small Business Owners** If your small business website has been flagged as dangerous or suspicious by tools like McAfee WebAdvisor, Norton Safe Web, or other web security systems, it can seriously impact your credibility and ability to attract customers. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore why websites get blocked, how to fix it, and how to proactively prevent it from happening in the future. ### Why Websites Get Blacklisted by Security Providers Understanding the root causes helps you fix the issue and prevent it in the future. Here are the top reasons your site may be flagged: - **Malicious software (malware):** Hackers inject malicious code through plugins, outdated themes, or security holes. - **Phishing or spam content:** If your site or server is compromised, attackers may host phishing forms or pages. - **Bad IP neighborhood:** Sharing hosting with suspicious or flagged websites can trigger a warning, even if your site is clean. - **Expired or missing SSL certificates:** Websites without secure HTTPS connections are more likely to be flagged. - **Redirects to harmful URLs:** Poorly configured ads or hacked redirect chains can make your site seem unsafe. - **High false-positive risk:** Some website builders or DNS configurations can inadvertently trigger security software. ### How to Check If Your Site Is Blacklisted Use these tools to check if your site has been flagged: - **Google Safe Browsing:** [https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search](https://transparencyreport.google.com/safe-browsing/search) - **McAfee SiteAdvisor / WebAdvisor:** [https://www.mcafee.com/enterprise/en-us/threat-center/site-report.html](https://www.mcafee.com/enterprise/en-us/threat-center/site-report.html) - **Norton Safe Web:** [https://safeweb.norton.com/](https://safeweb.norton.com/) - **Trend Micro Site Safety Center:** [https://global.sitesafety.trendmicro.com/](https://global.sitesafety.trendmicro.com/) - **Yandex Safe Browsing:** [https://yandex.com/infected?url=](https://yandex.com/infected?url=) - **Bitdefender TrafficLight:** [https://www.bitdefender.com/tools/](https://www.bitdefender.com/tools/) - **URLVoid Multi-Scanner:** [https://www.urlvoid.com/](https://www.urlvoid.com/) ### How to Get Removed From Each Major Security Blocklist #### 1. **McAfee WebAdvisor (formerly SiteAdvisor)** - **Check Status:** [https://www.mcafee.com/enterprise/en-us/threat-center/site-report.html](https://www.mcafee.com/enterprise/en-us/threat-center/site-report.html) - **Submit a Review Request:** Scroll to the bottom and log in or create a McAfee account to request a reevaluation. #### 2. **Norton Safe Web** - **Check & Dispute:** [https://safeweb.norton.com/help/site_owners](https://safeweb.norton.com/help/site_owners) - Sign in and submit your site for evaluation. #### 3. **Google Safe Browsing** - **Check Status:** Use Search Console under Security Issues: [https://search.google.com/search-console](https://search.google.com/search-console) - **Fix Issues:** Clean up the website and request a review through the Security Issues page. #### 4. **Bitdefender** - **Submit Review:** [https://www.bitdefender.com/support/contact-us.html](https://www.bitdefender.com/support/contact-us.html) or [https://www.bitdefender.com/tools/](https://www.bitdefender.com/tools/) #### 5. **Trend Micro** - **Reputation Request:** [https://global.sitesafety.trendmicro.com/](https://global.sitesafety.trendmicro.com/) #### 6. **Yandex Safe Browsing** - **Check/Submit Review:** [https://yandex.com/infected?url=](https://yandex.com/infected?url=) #### 7. **Spamhaus** - **Check Blacklists:** [https://check.spamhaus.org/](https://check.spamhaus.org/) - **Request Removal:** Follow instructions if your domain or IP is listed. ### Best Practices to Prevent Blacklisting To keep your site off blacklists long-term: - **Use security plugins or firewalls.** Tools like Wordfence or Sucuri help block threats in real time. - **Regular malware scans.** Use built-in host tools or third-party scanning platforms weekly. - **Keep everything updated.** Update WordPress, plugins, themes, and CMS frameworks regularly. - **Install an SSL certificate.** Ensure HTTPS is enabled and valid at all times. - **Avoid shared hosting with bad neighbors.** Opt for reputable web hosts with clean IP neighborhoods. - **Monitor uptime and site health.** Tools like UptimeRobot and Site24x7 alert you to issues early. - **Use Google Search Console.** It provides early warnings and suggestions to resolve issues. ### Why It Matters for Small Business Owners A flagged website means lost trust, fewer leads, and a hit to your local SEO. It also raises red flags for browsers like Chrome or Firefox, which may warn users not to visit your site. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we help small businesses secure their websites, clean up blacklists, and put proactive protection in place so it never happens again. If you've been flagged—or want to make sure you never are—reach out to us. ### Need Help? Let's Fix It Today Don't let a blacklist warning ruin your reputation. [Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing to complete a security audit](/contact/), clean up any listings, and restore your trust online. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Website-functionality-is-only-the-beginning/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Website-functionality-is-only-the-beginning/ OK, so you’ve got your great website! It has that perfect design and graphics that will set you apart and spark the interest of your viewers. Your website says it all. It represents your business, your image, and everything you symbolize. But once you have those great visuals to draw your visitors IN, you need to keep them engaged with compelling content. It is critical for a website to have content that not only reflects your business but also contains the optimized specific key words that are going to increase your search ranking. It is not uncommon for a business owner to consider writing the content for his/her own website. After all, the thinking is that “I know my own business.” However, the realization is that a good content writer can more readily help your audience know your business and achieve your goals with a much greater success rate. Well-written content is not just a string of words. A skillful content writer can focus on the needs and wants of your customers, which will entice and engage your visitors to ultimately open their wallets. Since people read Web content differently than they read newspapers or magazines, a good content writer can turn insurmountable text into readable copy. Prospective customers want to visit a site, get the information they want, and read it in a user-friendly manner. It is a creative balance to write content that is interesting and informative for the reader and also contains the necessary Search Engine Optimization key words and phrases for increased Web traffic. Most people put their efforts into establishing their websites; however, they often overlook and do not understand the necessity of having the best content possible. It is having good content which will bring the website up to the next level, increase Web traffic and visibility, and ultimately increase profits. ## Conclusion Do you have a website that looks amazing but doesn't convert visitors into customers? If so, it may be time to upgrade your content writing. JM2 Webdesigners from Northwest Alabama (NWI) has on-staff content writers to help take your website to that next level. You can contact us at 256-258-8593, [through our online contact form](/Contact/), or through [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteImportance/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteImportance/ We take the launch of your new website to be the same as hiring a new employee. As with all new hires you start evaluating an employee from day one. The first 90-120 days are crucial to the success, or failure, of an employee and seeing how they will benefit your organization. You start to measure their performance against a set of pre-established goals on a regular basis and making adjustments, remediation and further investment to make them the best that they can be. You don't, rather we hope you don't, leave your employee alone and then fire them because they didn't perform as you wanted. Making your website effective takes a commitment just as you commit to a real employee. Your website is your organizations presence that works for you 24x7. Every employee, new or experienced, needs to be guided and mentored to achieve the best performance. You need to manage your website just as you do an employee. The first step to ensuring this Return On Investment (ROI) is identifying the business and marketing objectives. Of equal importance is to identify and implement conversion points that identify progress towards these goals and how they will be measured; just like an employee. Are you reaching the target number of pages, number of forms being filled in and completed, viewing of videos, downloading of files, utilizing applications, where users are coming into the site, where users are exiting the site, requesting information, contacting your business and completing a purchase. Your website provides constant feedback to you on where it's doing great and where it is underachieving. This feedback is called data analytics and conversion tracking. This will tell you how many people your website is communicating with hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, etc. You will see where your customers are going, how long they stay at a certain location within your website. A successful employee is one where everyone works as a team to achieve a common goal or goals. In a similar fashion, reviewing your data analytics on a yearly basis or even quarterly limits the progress and learning opportunities. Provided there is enough traffic, more frequent reviews make for rapid response, adjustment and progress. Some sites you will find can do well with a monthly review and change. Others may need day to day interactions to keep things as efficiently as possible. Nurture your website to be the best it can by continually striving to gain peak performance. Putting in place programs like A/B testing, conversion rate optimization and landing page optimization will put your organization, and your site, on the path to greatest success possible. You will be utilizing your website as a 24x7 voice for your business that provides consistency to your core standards. We encourage everyone to take a second look at their website strategies. Are you treating your website without a "job description" so that you know if you are achieving measurable goals which everyone can judge and drive success? If you are you may be missing a huge possibility for continued growth. We understand that for many of our customers they don't have the time or resources available to take on the needs of their website and social media. Let JM2 Webdesigners help augment and complement your organizations online needs. For more information contact our sales team at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteLifeBlood/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteLifeBlood/ The core revenue of our business is on helping company's better use Digital Marketing to get people interested in their company's unique brand. There are huge benefits to doing digital marketing for any size business. Digital marketing ranges from social media, web logs (blogs), search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing and mobile applications to name just a few. The core of all of these items though is they all should not only interact with your target audience but drive traffic to your website. Every business initially sees Facebook as a must have which is certainly true for many companies starting off as they are currently the biggest of the social networks. The problem with Facebook, or any social media outlet, is that they dictate what your brand is. They mandate the colors, placement, and what is shown about your brand. You company brand should be an extension of your company and not based off of another's brand. This is where a very blurry line can come into play. We all want as many followers as possible on social media but we want to market as ourselves. We want more for those followers to be engaged and working on helping promote our brand. **Tip**: Having more followers is not always the best for your company. Having engaged followers is the key for any brands ultimate success online. Social media and all forms of digital marketing should have a core single purpose in mind; to draw your followers to your website. By doing this you get people coming to where you have control over everything about your company. When you deal with a company that doesn't do out-of-the-box WordPress or other Content Management Systems (CMS) your website will be able to grow with you in a consistent and easy to administer manner. All of the major CMS packages can be customized to grow with your company. These modifications will make it possible to meet the needs of your business today as well as when your business grows. Knowing that your website is the lifeblood of your company and that having a solution that will grow with you without requiring a complete re-do when your business continues to grow we've outlined a few unique items that your website should have. A good CMS will allow you to achieve this yourself or will help your webmaster achieve the results for you when you are too busy running your company while keeping costs at a minimum. ## User Experience (UX) ![User Experience Wheel](/Images/Content/UserExperienceWheel.png) One of the key areas people rarely think about but is paramount on their mind is the user experience. No one wants a website that doesn't work, appears like patchwork, or doesn't have any logical structure. With every website that is done whether it be a five page site or a five hundred page site thinking out your overall design is crucial. Before a single line of code is written we sit down and create a sketch of the UX. Once we have our sketch completed we move onto what is known as a wireframe. ### Sketch Looks like a hand-drawn image of what the website will look like in a very rough state. This is where many of the high level decisions are made on the overall look-and-feel. ### Wireframe The wireframe is a much cleaner and closer to actual rendition of the final product in a mostly black and white format. Colors are used to show emphasis on certain items when needed. Once a wireframe is fully mocked up and accepted the real fun begins as the wireframe mockups are now turned into actual code to make your website come to life. ## Call to Action ![Call to Action](/Images/Content/CallToAction.jpg) As part of any website you need a "Call to Action". Whether you are creating a website to sell your product (eCommerce), as a support portal, community site, an informational site or a combination of one of these your website should have a "Call to Action". This could be as simple as an email signup, register to view part of your book online, getting your visitors to view a certain piece of information you are promoting, getting your visitors to purchase your product, or something else. The "Call to Action" should be easily seen and understood by your site visitors. ## Content When it comes to a website if all you had was a beautiful site with no content (pictures or text) no one would ever come back. Writing compelling content that is unique to your site will help differentiate your site from everyone else's. This includes your competitors. If your content is superior and it comes push to shove and your customer compares the two sites who will be the overall winner for their business? Will your site help sell the customer to come to you or will it help encourage them to go to your competitors? ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ![Google](/Images/Content/Logos/logoGoogle.png) ![Bing](/Images/Content/Logos/logoBing.png) ![Yahoo!](/Images/Content/Logos/logoYahoo.png) We already know you will be promoting your website as the great business owner that you are. You will be having your staff promoting it as well through emails, social media and correspondence. But what do you do when everyone is "off" (like any of us are truly ever "off")? This is where SEO comes into play. Every page on your website should have - A unique title that is around 55 characters that fully explains what the page is. - A unique set of keywords that match the content that you are trying to get across. - A description explaining what the page is. Although Google doesn't use this other search engines and social media outlets do use this information. - Content that matches what the page is about and is unique not only to your website but from all other websites, especially your completion, as much as possible. - Headings. Every page should have what is called an H1 which is a primary heading. There should only be one. If you need more than use H2, H3, H4, H5 or H6 as your headings. Although you should only have one H1 you can have many H2-H6 headings. ## Tracking and Analytics ![Website Statistics](/Images/Content/Stats/website-traffic-statistics.png) You've built a website and you think people like it. How do you know? This is where tracking and analytics comes into play. What pages do your site visitors go to when they come to your site? Are they mobile, desktop or tablet viewers? What web browsers are they using? Without knowing this information you will be missing what your customers are wanting or needing. Your competitors will surpass you as you are ignoring what they want. ## Content Management System (CMS) A CMS one may not feel is an important decision when it comes to building a website. Many graphic and web companies don't even give you access to your CMS (in our mind to increase their pocket books – sorry). We believe in giving you a fully optimized site that you can control. You may be busy and may ask us to help or to do everything and we love doing that for you but we truly believe in that choice being yours and not ours. Your CMS should be easy to use and consistent. With this consistency you will find that you can get in and out in a very short period of time without being a web developer (e.g. programmer) and get back to running your company. Your full-time job should not be in maintaining your website. ## Mobile ![Responsive Design](/Images/Content/ResponsiveDesign.png) Why did we make mobile last? That's definitely by design for this blog post. Every solution we make we start with a mobile first philosophy so that visitors to your site will see an awesome experience whether on a desktop, tablet or mobile device. If you pull up your current website does it look good? If you have to pinch and zoom to read the text or scroll left-to-right to read the content (even a bit) then there is something not working on your site. A mobile site should have as intuitive interface as a desktop and only scroll up and down. ## Conclusion This is definitely a lot to take in and truly only the tip of the ice berg when it comes to building a great website. If this all seems like a lot have no fear as this is a lot to pull in and what JM2 Webdesigners is great in doing. We will sit down with you and listen to what you want, what your current pain points are and help you devise a short and long term solution to meet the needs of your company. To learn more click here or call us at 256-258-8593. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteProverbialPaycheck/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteProverbialPaycheck/ Our philosophy is that your website is your 24x7 sales person and is an employee of your organization. Only by treating your website as an employee will you be able to benefit from the expertise that they bring to the table. Your website should obviously explain what your services are. Your website should not just “sit there” and collect what proverbial paycheck. Would you hire an employee, explain to them everything your business does and then let them sit there and do nothing to better your business? If the answer is yes, then stop now, as this post is not for you! If on the other hand you feel that to earn a paycheck that, your employee must provide a level of effort to promote your business than this article is for you. ## Initial Design Period In the site creation stage the marketing of colors, content, and pictures go into every site when created with the best intentions of success. The designer, marketing and graphics company (if there is one) and content creator all want your website to be the visible and success website on the internet. ## Honeymoon Period (On-going Maintenance) When an organization finally goes live with their website they are promoting it left and right, the employees are also promoting it and the customers are love the design and structure you’ve provided for them. Everything is going swimmingly. You see the activity to increase, the interaction between customers and your staff increase, and the world through your eyes are only seeing the dollar signs your site will bring to you. ## Complacency Period As with any employment, situation complacency can set in over time. Complacent employees may begin to suspect that the company’s success fine. They may see that the website’s traffic is up and sales are up so there is no reason to make a change (do not mess with the status quo). This thought process is actually detrimental to your website and is the start of opening up your website to collect a paycheck without earning it. As time goes on pages on your website will become broken (page not found [error 404], have outdated material on existing products and services, not serve up the new products and services that you offer, and may no longer be able to take care of your customers changing needs). ## Forgiveness and Repair Period When you make a mistake, and we all do, the key is asking for forgiveness. We need to know that are website should be, and is; a living and breathing (well maybe not truly breathing) machine. That it has one sole purpose and that is to take care of your customers whether they are happy or sad in a positive and efficient manner. Once you have accepted this and you have stated “I am going to take care of my employee [website]”. To repair your website you need to do the following. 1. Data analytics – You have been collecting information about your visitors (hopefully). Look who your visitors are (types of devices they are using, where they are coming from, keywords they are using, how they navigate your website, etc.). With this information available and in-hand, you can do the other tasks efficiently and with some factual numbers. 2. Is the website meeting today’s business needs? 3. Is navigation easy and intuitive today? 4. Are all of the links accurate, active and titled correctly? 5. Content – Content should be current and accurate. Set your priority based on how users are interacting with your website. This not only goes for the text of your website but the images, downloadable documents, etc. 6. Have you optimized your content, existing and new, so that it complies with the latest algorithms from Google, Yahoo and Bing? 7. Do you have proper ties to, and from, the social media networks you use? 1. Are you keep those social networks up-to-date as well? 8. Do you have terms and conditions, privacy statements and information related to your contact policies up-to-date with your company policies? 9. Have you updated your © copyright in your footer? 10. If you have a newsletter are you keeping up with it? 1. When was the last time you sent out a newsletter to your local customers? 11. Setup a procedure, and keep it, for reviewing and keeping your website up-to-date, updating your social media strategy as well as keeping the search engines up-to-date. JM2 Webdesigners is here to assist you through the entire process and are ready to help you make your website [employee] an efficient part of your business. You can contact us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteRedesign/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteRedesign/ We have been working with a lot of new clients recently that have wanted to improve their search results and update their marketing of their business. One recent client went from page 3 to page 1 in only 5 months (your results may vary) by proper planning and working to make a site that showcases what she wanted her business to show. Below is what we provided to her for her existing site to achieve the search engine results she is getting today as well as getting qualified referrals from her website. With the proper graphic designer, web designer and the proper team at your company (which may be just you!) you can achieve some great results that help improve your overall brand image. You have to think about your users as they are the most important aspect of your website. The second piece is that of the computer; search engines to be specific. You need to make certain your site is friendly and that a computer can understand it clearly without sacrificing the readability of your users. The speed and capacity planning of your site is critical in providing a great end user experience (think the government's health care site that didn't get good planning on the perception users had). ## Log Analysis and Initial Audit The first item we did was dig into who was currently visiting her site as well as how they navigated the site and the top pages. The hard part here was the original designer did not setup any sort of analytics to the site and the company hosting didn't provide easy access to the logs that all websites keep track of. We worked with the provider and gained 6 years' worth of pertinent information. Performing the log analysis before the project planning we were able to find crucial information. This did add to the original planning stage but did allow for clearly seeing some omissions as well as suggestions for improvement based on actual data. Utilizing the log information we were able to make some significant suggestions to the new design to the graphic designer to tailor the site not only to the visitors desires but also the type of browsers (desktop, tablet and mobile) that they were using. The business owner thought that her site was used one way when the logs clearly showed they interacted with her site in a completely different manner. ## Project Planning and Redesign Site Specification With every project proper planning up front is crucial. We are always given a list of objectives from the client which is the first step of the process. The next part is looking at the information provided, the type of site that is desired whether it is a five page or a website with thousands of pages. We make certain to build a solution, provide recommendations, and make certain the recommended solution meets all of their needs. The solution we provide we make certain can work today but also has the foundation built to grow without having to be thrown out and started over when an update is needed. When looking at a site redesign it is a great time to evaluate the specific structure of the site. In many cases the structure no longer fits what current standards that the search engines look for. By using a semantic site design and a logical folder structure we can make certain that the site makes sense to not only the visitors of the site but the search engines as well. This step can be seen as an added expense as it can add an hour to hundreds of hours for a major project. Doing proper planning up front can save a company whether it is a single person company or many thousands of employees company money in the long run of their Internet push. ## Audience Targeting When we talk about audience targeting we are looking at how your users interact with your site. Whether they use your site logged in or as anonymous visitors. Whether they are business, government, consumers or a combination of these groups. You could end up taking your single site and having multiple personas to meet the needs of your users. When looking at this area we also carefully evaluate the overall security mechanisms to put onto the site. Every site has to go through some deep dives into security as even a simple security violation can ruin your brand image while a severe violation can reveal private customer information. ## Review Stage and Job Assignment After looking at the original project plan and redesign specification and analyzing the logs of a website this is the perfect time to review of the original request. Here new items of scope can be found, items that are no longer needed removed and to make certain everyone is on the same sheet in regard to realistic timelines to complete the redesign project. The redesign process will fall into the hands of the web design firm as they are the experts in the technology of the Internet. The graphics team, which may also be the web design firm, will be the one coming up and proposing the new site layout, design and color templates to be used within the new site design. The content will routinely come from the client as they are the experts in their field. Making certain that all aspects are defined, understood and a timeline laid out is critical to hitting all of the timelines. ## Project Management and Timelines Timelines will have been talked about during the entire project process can, and will, fluctuate on every project. Every person on a project is busy and has items to complete not only for the redesign but their regular job activities as well. Making certain these are set and checked by the project manager is crucial to a successful rollout. ## Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Each page of your site is unique and different and the SEO strategy needs to be unique to each page while keeping consistency across the entire site for both your visitors and the search engines. With search engines changing on a constant basis making certain that SEO is a core part of your redesign is crucial to the success of getting seen organically by the search engines. Organic search is when a user searches for your site and you don't have to pay for the paid top positions. ## Exhaustive Testing Every site we build goes through an exhaustive testing process. We test against the top desktop browsers of Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Opera and Mozilla Firefox. We test against Google Android, Apple iPad and Microsoft Surface tablets. We finish our testing on Google Droid, Apple iPhone, and Microsoft Windows Phone mobile devices. Beyond checking across a wide variety of devices we also test against the current site structure. With the new site having a completely different site structure we cannot discount the old pages as the search engines will typically have those pages indexed. Having proper redirects to the new pages, if they have been moved, is critical. This will not only inform the search engines that the page has moved but will inform them that your site has been changed and is more relevant along with the new page location. As any website is updated the information within the site, in most cases, becomes more relevant and accurate for the people looking for information related to your website. ## Conclusion When you are ready to update your website image the key to success is a lot of planning and thought. A website that worked for years or even six months ago may not be promoting your business in the best light today. Treat your website as an employee and nurture it for success. Doing so will help bring in the results that you want. Do your diligence in seeing who your visitors are, how they interact with your current site compared to what you feel they should be doing. Look at how you can improve based on actual data and not your feelings. By doing so you will be making your website more accurate and designed for your site visitors. If you would like to know more about how JM2 Webdesigners can assist you in your site redesign, a new website, search engine optimization or help with your online business give us a call at 256-258-8593 or email us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) and we'll be in contact with you within one business day. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Website-Redesign-Basics/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Website-Redesign-Basics/ We deal with a lot of website redesigns on a monthly basis. We see just as many that do it themselves or hire someone only to see their rankings on the search engines drop because of basic items that are forgotten. In this article we'll cover some of the basic items to look for in a website redesign. Many will apply to new sites as well but for this article we are going to focus solely on website redesigns. ## Pre-Design Checklist - Evaluate your current structure - Use Google Analytics (or any analytics program) to determine your most popular, and least popular, pages within your site - Use heat maps to determine core areas people are interacting with - Content Organization (site structure and URLs) - Make a 301 redirect map of where the pages "used to be" and where they will "now be" so that you can properly inform the search engines - Define the objectives and goals for the redesign (update the look-and-feel, lead generation, call of action, increased visitors, pages visited, sales generated (how are you going to track), etc.) - Analyze your competition and see what you feel is working for them and doesn't. If you have a good relationship with them it's always nice to chat about what they see as working for them and not (be prepared to share the same with them) - Define your audience (create personas of each type of person and make certain your site meets the needs of each of these types of visitors) - Develop a plan for updating your site ## Redesign In-Process - Optimize your images - Setup all META tags (standard, structured, and social media tags) - Make certain to test on not just the desktop. Tablets and mobile are extremely important. - Setup your fav icon - Setup your robots.txt file and block the search engine robots where necessary - Check on your website security ## Pre-Launch Checklist Items - Make certain any "fake" text (e.g. Lorem Ipsum) is completely removed - Make certain any "placeholders" (e.g. Add content here) is completely removed and proper text is put in-place - Check your site speed - Determine whether your site will be www.domainName.com or just domainName.com - Do a double-check on your website security - Make certain all of the 301 redirects that were in the pre-design checklist are in-place and working - Verify that all links are working - On your test site test all of the pages against the W3C website compatibility checks - On your test site test all of your pages with Google's mobility and speed checker that everything is configured optimally - Conduct training on the CMS (Content Management System) and make certain everyone that needs to understands how to edit the site - Generate any site maps for the search engines that are needed - Is a 404-page setup for any missed links you didn't know about? ## Post Launch Checklist - Make certain Google Analytics (or another analytics) tool is setup and working - Test every 301 redirect you have (even if it's in the thousands [or more]) - Adjust any goals and rules within your Google Analytics account - Monitor your Google Analytics that all of the new pages are being properly indexed - Monitor your Google Analytics account for console and other errors that Google sees - Verify that all links are working - Monitor your logs for any 404-error page messages and make adjustments ## Conclusion Creating a website is a simple task with all of the free tools on the Internet. All you need to do is use your time and create. The value of hiring a professional company is you gain access to designers, content writers, and software developers focused on the success of your business while you are able to focus on your business. JM2 Webdesigners from Northwest Alabama would love to work with you in improving your business process. Our website redesign process goes well beyond the list here. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteTranslation/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteTranslation/ We were talking about how best to handle the translation of our website JM2 Webdesigners during the past week. We have two choices (1) human translation of all current and future pages for every language manually or (2) have the computer do it for us. We opted for the computer translation which is quite good. What we decided we will post beneath each of the available options which we feel will help those of you that may need to have a translated solution on your website. ## Human Translation There are many companies that offer translation services and will almost always produce a better product than the computer translation almost every time. The reason than a human is better is that human languages are very sophisticated and complex with all of the possible constructs. The benefits of a human translator are: - Primary language expertise - Cultural sensitivity - Human translators are experts in their individual language(s) ## Computer Translation With what we have researched the offerings that were available and the one we have chosen is from Bing (Computer Translation) as it covered the languages that we needed and provided the fastest turnaround and lowest cost of doing business. You will see at the top right of our page the Bing translation service. If you click this you can choose from a multitude of languages for automatic translation of any page on our website. The key for an automated solution requires that the original text be as grammatically correct as possible, have complete sentences, concise and to the point. The benefits of a human translator are: - Fastest turnaround - Over 99% accurate - Ability to customize our own dictionary for the languages we need the translation to be as accurate as possible - Ability for visitors to provide feedback on the translation (e.g. make the translations better for a specfic language) There are several translators out on the internet. The major ones are: - [http://www.bing.com/widget/translator](http://www.bing.com/widget/translator) - [http://translate.google.com/manager/website/suggestions](http://translate.google.com/manager/website/suggestions) - [http://www.babelfish.com/](http://www.babelfish.com/) We chose to go with the automated computer translation service. The hard part was choosing between Google and Bing as both of these services do a word for word translation and don't take syntax of the language into account. Both of these services were both free for our general use with paid options for increased use. Both services could be incorporated because of our site design in a matter of minutes. In the end we opted for the Bing solution for translation services. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteUpdates/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WebsiteUpdates/ One of the key items we notice about existing websites is that they are built, put into place, and just sit there in the hopes that they do something for them. We continually find text content with old dates and mentioning things that are surely in the past. For example, old news pages, mentioning items from years past, copyright notices that are from a year or more ago, and even no new dates being shown are a sign that your information is outdated, not kept up-to-date, and that it is an afterthought to your business. It's incredibly easy to fall into this type of situation if you maintain your website yourself or you don't have an agreement with a professional web designer to keep information updated as the Internet is most likely not your primary business. You may be sales oriented by using older methods like phones (cold calls), walk-ins, or door-to-door sales. However, it is extremely important that you regular update your website for the following reasons: Website content that is obviously out of date is not the best way to impress your website visitors (to say the least). People are less likely to buy your products or services if they see old stuff on your site. This is especially true if they've also gone to your competitors and their information is kept updated. Google wants to list the most relevant websites in its organic (free) search results. It doesn't want to list old content if newer, and more relevant, content is available on other sites. Over time, if you do not update your website, it will slowly fall down the rankings. This will prevent you from being on the first pages of the search engines for the criteria you would like to be found under. A website should evolve just like your business evolves on a daily basis. If you're doing things differently now, for example selling to a different and wider customer base, you need to review your website to see if it meets the demands of your customers today - not two years ago! New pages can be added or new functionality might be important. For example, perhaps you need to add a search function and/or organize the site content better so that the information is more easily found. The web is a rapidly changing environment and website design and development methods are also changing and improving every year. It's easy to fall behind and, whilst this might not affect how your site is viewed in aesthetic terms, you won't be able to use the latest methods if you're not using modern code. Your website may work for desktop browsers but does it also work for tablets and mobile (e.g. phones) devices as well? With the above thoughts in mind how is your website fairing? Is your website promoting your business or hindering your business? If you, like many others, need help with your website JM2 Webdesigners is here to help. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-are-backlinks/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-are-backlinks/ When it comes to search engine optimization or SEO and you are talking about organic SEO every conversation will eventually cover backlinks and why you need them. Backlinks are a key way to organic search engine success but that doesn't mean they are a good thing. As with everything in life, there are good and bad when it comes to backlinks. backlinks are links from domains outside of your control that link back to one or more pages to your website. backlinks are also referred to as referring links or referring domains. People will always state that the more backlinks you have the better. This is both a true statement as well as a completely false statement. If every referral backlink is a credible site then the answer is definitely true. If some, or all, the links are from known spam sites, new sites, or sites that have yet to gain trust those links can actually bring down your search engine results. When backlinks are used correctly they will help move you up in the search engines. Each one can be considered as a vote of "trust" that the site is believed to have valid information and provides relevant authoritative information, is useful to the site referring, or is a site that there is a business relationship with (e.g. think chamber of commerce as backlinks -- this are very credible). Backlinks from sites are often in the same industry that the referring backlink is coming from. If you sell widgets then the referring link to your site typically will also sell widgets. In the past the more links the better. Today with the advent of search engines that are a lot smarter they don't look at quantity but the quality of the backlinks. If you have a lot (e.g. you've paid for backlinks) you stand a very good chance that your organic search engine optimization will drop and you will soon no longer be on page one or have a chance to get to page one without a lot of extra effort. Shortcuts when it comes to search engine optimization will almost always hurt your efforts in the long run. Always remember that search engine optimization is a marathon that requires small changes that add up to success rather than big and fast changes. A key benefit to backlinks is an increased chance that the search engines will visit your site more often. The reason for this is that the search engines may link from the referring site to yours. The time this doesn't happen is when the site might list your company but also add what is called a "no follow" attribute that means that the search engine might see the link but do not follow it to your site. This link still has a purpose in that it is showing some trust but not as much trust as it could if it was a typical "follow" link. As you are building your referral links a key item to remember in backlinks is that if you add ten articles to one site that links to yours you will only get one valid linking root domain. A linking root domain refers to the number of backlinks coming from your website from a unique domain. Let's look at a scenario of the importance of backlinks when combined with other search engine optimization techniques. We have a client that we added about a year ago. They were spending $1,500 a month on Google AdWords. Their website was two years old and they didn't want to spend money on it as it was a "cost center" and not creating results for them. We looked over their entire marketing, the AdWords they were spending. We built an entirely new website with product pages, service pages, and blog articles covering every keyword they were using. We launched the new website and kept the AdWords but knew that within 3-4 months we would be dropping. We did our submissions to the search engines. We looked at industry-related sites that we could also write articles on. In four months we started seeing results and started cutting back on the AdWords. They went from 5 backlinks to 227 backlinks and are ranking on the first page of Google and Bing for the keywords they were paying for. We have completely eliminated their AdWords and each month they are moving up more while we continue to expand their backlinks and keyword phrases. Here is a perfect example of how backlinks are abused and many businesses pay for it as they are told this is normal. You hire a company to build your website. You pay them money. They add links to their website. Their business increases. They didn't pay you. You paid them. This is a poor backlink. Why would you pay someone to advertise on your site? Shouldn't it be the other way around? The backlink to your web designer is really a "good backlink" for them and a crappy backlink for you as it doesn't benefit you. Don't settle for crappy backlinks. Key takeaways for backlinks are - NEVER pay for or offer to pay someone for backlinks - Link to industry-specific directories that are positive influences in your industry - Request removal of any backlink that is not helping your business grow - Write awesome articles on other sites - Use Broken link building method - Comment on other articles and have your signature link back to your website (many times these are "no follow" links) - Fix broken links to your website Areas that affect backlinks - Fix technical errors with your website - Site loading speed - Mobile friendliness - Remove any duplicate content - Use proper 302 redirects - Redirect chains - 404 errors - Canonical errors - Duplicate META data - Incorrect uses of directives (noindex, nofollow, etc.) - Fix broken internal links - Have a great site architecture - Have high-quality content Backlinks should be a core component of your search engine optimization strategy. Backlinks will take you time to build up and will take a lot of manual effort to be built on credible sites. Backlinks will help you grow your overall search engine presence. The quantity of your backlinks means less than the quality – go with the quality! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-are-heatmaps/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-are-heatmaps/ Heatmaps are dynamic and interactive reports to visually show you what users are doing not only on your website but in great detail on a given page. A heat map will overlay colors on your website to show where users are clicking, where mouse movements are (e.g. this is considered eye tracking as well!), how far down on a page someone scrolls, percentage of clicks on a given area, and many will even allow you to export the information for deeper dives in analytics software or spreadsheets. As you get into heatmaps you will notice that there are two types you can use. The first is real-time where you can actually watch a single user session move on your website to see what they are doing. This could be called a creeper or stalked mode of heatmaps as you can see exactly what they are doing. The other version of heatmaps is where you can look at what a user did after they have left your site to get some valuable insights. I am going to cover the core heatmaps that we look at constantly to look for areas of improvement and functionality within a website. - **Clicks** – This will show you where someone has clicked on your page. The clicks will show based on the type of device they were using as well. The screen you look at will be based on the desktop, tablet, or mobile view the user connected to. We love the click information as it allows us to do solid A/B testing and see which landing pages perform better for our clients. - **Moves** – Scrolls show where the mouse moved on the screen. As many of you know when you move your mouse your eyes follow. When you look at the analytics of mouse movement you can be assured that the eye of your viewer is also very close to where the mouse cursor is. - **Scroll Depth** – This tells you how far down on a page a user goes. Over time you will notice that the longer the page the fewer users go down. This is one reason for creating many shorter pages rather than fewer long pages within your website. - **Segmentation** - Segmentation allows you to separate and view your information by browser type, device type, and for a selected date range. This allows you to view trends your users do over time. - **Recordings** – A unique feature is the recording feature. Here you can actually watch the entire user session from start to finish of your viewer. You can see as they navigate to different pages, scroll down, click, and see what interests the visitor. Heatmaps don't stop there. When you are working with heatmaps they can also delve into your forms on your website and show you how long a user is in a given field. This information can help you learn if a question or field is too hard, or maybe they were talking to someone else and just got distracted for a while. Analytics can give you insights into what is happening and when. By utilizing heatmaps you can increase your lead generation on your website, the overall user experience, and ultimately increase the revenue to your bottom line. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-Are-Pixels-and-How-Can-They-Benefit-Your-Nort/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-Are-Pixels-and-How-Can-They-Benefit-Your-Nort/ In the digital age, tracking and analyzing customer behavior online is essential for growing your business. One of the most powerful tools available for this purpose is the **tracking pixel**. Whether you run a small boutique in Huntsville, a service-based business in Florence, or an e-commerce store serving all of North Alabama, pixels can provide you with actionable insights to enhance your marketing efforts and drive sales. In this blog post, we'll explain what pixels are, how they work, and how they can benefit your business. We'll also answer common questions to help you implement this technology effectively and rank well across search engines. *** ### **What Is a Pixel?** A **tracking pixel** is a small, invisible piece of code embedded in your website, email, or ad. Its primary function is to collect data about user behavior, such as clicks, page views, or conversions. This data is then used to optimize marketing strategies, improve customer targeting, and measure campaign performance. #### **How Does a Pixel Work?** - When a user visits your website or interacts with an ad containing a pixel, the pixel collects information like: - Pages visited - Actions taken (e.g., adding items to a cart) - Location and device type - This data is sent to the pixel's platform (e.g., Facebook Ads, Google Ads) for analysis. #### **Common Types of Pixels:** 1. **Facebook Pixel**: Tracks actions from Facebook and Instagram ads. 2. **Google Ads Pixel**: Measures conversions and optimizes ad performance. 3. **Email Pixels**: Tracks email opens and clicks. 4. **Custom Pixels**: Created for specific marketing campaigns or platforms. *** ### **Benefits of Using Pixels for Your Business** #### **1. Better Understanding of Your Audience** Pixels provide detailed insights into customer behavior, helping you understand what your audience wants. For example: - A restaurant in Huntsville can track which menu items are most viewed on its website. - An online boutique in Decatur can identify which products are added to carts but not purchased. #### **2. Improved Ad Targeting** Pixels allow you to create highly targeted ad campaigns by segmenting your audience based on their actions. For example: - A contractor in Florence can target homeowners who visited their website but didn't book a service. - A retail store in Athens can retarget users who clicked on an ad but didn't complete a purchase. #### **3. Retargeting Opportunities** Retargeting is one of the most effective forms of online advertising, and pixels make it possible. Retargeting uses pixel data to show ads to people who have already interacted with your business. - Example: A customer browses a furniture store's website in Decatur but doesn't buy anything. The business can use pixel data to show ads for the items the customer viewed, increasing the chances of a purchase. #### **4. Optimized Ad Spend** Pixels help you make data-driven decisions about where to allocate your advertising budget. By analyzing which campaigns perform best, you can focus your resources on strategies that generate the highest ROI. #### **5. Enhanced Conversion Tracking** Pixels allow you to track conversions, such as purchases, sign-ups, or downloads. This ensures you know which ads and strategies are driving real results. - Example: A fitness studio in Madison could track how many people sign up for a class after clicking on a Facebook ad. #### **6. Custom Audiences** Platforms like Facebook and Google let you create custom audiences using pixel data. For example: - A local auto repair shop in Huntsville could create an audience of users who viewed their service page but didn't schedule an appointment. #### **7. Lookalike Audiences** Pixels can also help you expand your reach by creating **lookalike audiences**—people who share similar characteristics with your current customers. - Example: A bakery in Florence could use pixel data to target new customers who behave similarly to those who have already made purchases. *** ### **How to Set Up Pixels for Your Business** #### **1. Choose the Right Pixel for Your Goals** - **Facebook Pixel**: Ideal for businesses running Facebook and Instagram ads. - **Google Ads Pixel**: Best for tracking conversions from Google Ads campaigns. - **Email Pixels**: Great for tracking engagement with newsletters or promotional emails. #### **2. Install the Pixel on Your Website** - Add the pixel code to your website's header or use a tool like Google Tag Manager for easier management. - Many platforms, like WordPress or Shopify, offer plugins to simplify pixel installation. #### **3. Define Events to Track** Events are specific actions you want to monitor, such as: - **Pageviews:** Track visits to key pages, like a pricing page or product catalog. - **Purchases:** Measure completed transactions. - **Sign-Ups:** Track new leads or newsletter subscriptions. #### **4. Test Your Pixel** Use tools like the **Facebook Pixel Helper** or **Google Tag Assistant** to ensure your pixel is working correctly. #### **5. Monitor and Optimize** Once your pixel is live, regularly review the data it collects. Use this information to: - Refine your ad targeting. - Adjust your website's design or user experience. - Optimize campaigns for higher conversions. *** ### **Best Practices for Using Pixels** 1. **Get Customer Consent** Inform users about data collection through a privacy policy and obtain consent if required by law (e.g., GDPR or CCPA compliance). 2. **Focus on High-Value Events** Track actions that matter most to your business goals, such as purchases or form submissions. 3. **Use Multiple Pixels** Combine data from different platforms (e.g., Facebook and Google) for a comprehensive understanding of customer behavior. 4. **Test and Adjust** Regularly analyze your pixel data to identify areas for improvement in your campaigns. 5. **Don't Overwhelm Users** Retargeting is powerful, but too many ads can annoy your audience. Limit ad frequency to maintain a positive impression. *** ### **FAQs About Pixels** #### **1. Are Pixels Hard to Set Up?** No! Most platforms provide step-by-step instructions or plugins to simplify installation. #### **2. Do Pixels Work for Small Businesses?** Absolutely. Pixels are especially valuable for small businesses in North Alabama, allowing you to compete with larger brands by optimizing your marketing efforts. #### **3. Can Pixels Work for Offline Businesses?** Yes! Pixels can track online interactions that lead to in-store visits. For example, a Huntsville boutique could track users who view its location page and then visit the store. #### **4. Are Pixels Expensive?** No, pixels themselves are free. You'll only pay for ads or services associated with the platforms using the pixel data. #### **5. Are Pixels Privacy-Friendly?** Pixels collect anonymized data and don't store personal information. However, always follow privacy regulations and inform customers about data usage. *** ### **Examples of Pixel Use in North Alabama** #### **Retail Store in Huntsville:** Tracks visitors who view a product page but don't purchase, then retargets them with a discount ad. #### **Restaurant in Florence:** Uses Facebook Pixel to show ads promoting a new menu to users who've visited the website in the past month. #### **Service Business in Decatur:** Tracks form submissions for quotes and uses Google Ads Pixel to optimize campaigns for leads. *** ### **Final Thoughts** Tracking pixels are a game-changer for North Alabama businesses looking to grow. They provide valuable insights into customer behavior, improve ad targeting, and help you make data-driven decisions to maximize your marketing ROI. Whether you're a small business owner in Huntsville or an e-commerce entrepreneur in Florence, pixels are essential tools for staying competitive in today's digital landscape. Start using pixels today and watch how they transform your marketing strategy and help your business thrive! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-are-qr-codes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-are-qr-codes/ In today's fast-paced, technology-driven world, **QR codes** have become an essential tool for businesses to connect with customers in creative and efficient ways. Whether you own a restaurant in Birmingham, a boutique in Mobile, or a service-based business in Montgomery, QR codes can provide your Alabama business with a competitive edge. In this blog post, we'll explain what QR codes are, how they work, and how they can benefit your business. We'll also answer common questions to help you maximize their potential for driving engagement, sales, and growth. *** ## What Are QR Codes? QR (Quick Response) codes are scannable barcodes that store information such as URLs, contact details, menu links, or promotional content. Customers use their smartphone cameras to scan the code, instantly accessing the embedded content. ### What Does a QR Code Look Like? - A black-and-white square pattern that resembles a barcode. - Custom QR codes can also include colors, logos, and branding for a personalized touch. ### How Do QR Codes Work? - A QR code contains data that smartphones decode when scanned. - The data usually redirects users to a website, app, or file, making it easy to deliver information or services instantly. *** ## How QR Codes Can Benefit Your Alabama Business QR codes offer a wide range of benefits for businesses, from simplifying customer interactions to enhancing marketing efforts. Here are the top ways they can help your Alabama business: *** ### 1. Simplify Customer Access to Information QR codes make it easy for customers to access your website, menu, or service details without typing a URL or searching online. For example: - A **restaurant in Huntsville** can place a QR code on tables to give diners instant access to a digital menu. - A **real estate agent in Tuscaloosa** can use QR codes on property signs to let potential buyers view listings or schedule a showing. *** ### 2. Enhance Marketing Campaigns QR codes can take your marketing campaigns to the next level by connecting offline and online experiences. For example: - A **boutique in Montgomery** can add QR codes to flyers or postcards, linking to an online store or promotional discounts. - A **gym in Mobile** can use QR codes in ads to encourage potential members to sign up for a free trial. *** ### 3. Drive Customer Engagement With QR codes, you can create interactive experiences that build stronger connections with your customers. Examples include: - A **coffee shop in Birmingham** can run a loyalty program where customers scan a QR code to earn rewards. - A **local event organizer in Auburn** can use QR codes to share event details, ticket sales, or schedules. *** ### 4. Enable Contactless Payments QR codes offer a safe and convenient way for customers to make payments, especially in the post-pandemic era. For instance: - A **small business in Montgomery** can use QR codes to let customers pay directly via mobile apps like Venmo, PayPal, or Square. *** ### 5. Collect Customer Feedback Feedback is crucial for business growth, and QR codes simplify the process. For example: - A **salon in Huntsville** can include a QR code on receipts that links to a Google or Yelp review page. *** ### 6. Increase Social Media Followers QR codes can help you grow your online presence by directing customers to your social media pages. For example: - A **restaurant in Mobile** can print QR codes on takeout packaging that link to Instagram or Facebook. *** ### 7. Promote Special Offers QR codes can be used to deliver exclusive promotions, coupons, or discounts. For instance: - A **retail store in Tuscaloosa** can place QR codes in-store that offer customers a discount when scanned. *** ## How to Create QR Codes for Your Alabama Business ### Step 1: Choose a QR Code Generator There are many free and paid QR code generators available, including: - **QR Code Generator** (qrcode-generator.com) - **QR Stuff** (qrstuff.com) - **Beaconstac** (beaconstac.com) ### Step 2: Select the Type of QR Code Decide what you want the QR code to do. Common types include: - Website URL - Contact details (vCard) - PDF files (e.g., menus or brochures) - Payment links - Social media profiles - Event details ### Step 3: Customize Your QR Code Make your QR code visually appealing by adding your business logo, brand colors, or a call-to-action (e.g., "Scan to Save 10%!"). ### Step 4: Test Your QR Code Before using your QR code, scan it with multiple devices to ensure it works as intended. ### Step 5: Print or Display Your QR Code Place your QR codes where your customers are most likely to engage with them: - Flyers, posters, or brochures - Table tents or menus - Packaging or receipts - Storefront windows *** ## Best Practices for Using QR Codes 1. **Make Scanning Easy** - Ensure your QR codes are large enough to scan easily, even from a distance. - Place them in well-lit areas with clear instructions like "Scan Here for More Information." 2. **Add a Call-to-Action** - Encourage customers to scan by telling them what they'll get. For example: - "Scan to View Our Menu." - "Scan to Claim Your Discount." 3. **Track Performance** - Use dynamic QR codes that allow you to track metrics such as: - Scans by location or time - Conversion rates - User demographics 4. **Ensure Mobile-Friendliness** - Make sure the content linked to your QR code is mobile-friendly, as most users will scan using their smartphones. 5. **Keep Your QR Codes Updated** - Use dynamic QR codes to change the content without reprinting materials. *** ## FAQs About QR Codes for Alabama Businesses ### 1. Are QR Codes Expensive to Use? No! Many QR code generators offer free options, and even premium tools are affordable for small businesses. ### 2. Do Customers Need a Special App to Scan QR Codes? No. Most smartphones come with built-in QR code scanners in their camera apps. ### 3. Where Should I Use QR Codes? Place QR codes wherever your customers interact with your brand: - On your website - In-store signage - Marketing materials - Product packaging ### 4. Can I Track QR Code Usage? Yes. Dynamic QR codes allow you to track scans, measure campaign performance, and make data-driven decisions. ### 5. Do QR Codes Work Offline? Yes. QR codes can link to downloadable files or static information that doesn't require an internet connection. *** ## Examples of QR Code Use in Alabama ### Restaurants in Birmingham: Place QR codes on tables that link to digital menus, reducing the need for physical menus and streamlining the ordering process. ### Retail Stores in Montgomery: Add QR codes to product tags that direct customers to more information or reviews online. ### Event Planners in Huntsville: Include QR codes on event flyers to share schedules, ticket purchasing links, or venue details. ### Healthcare Providers in Mobile: Use QR codes on appointment reminder postcards to let patients confirm or reschedule appointments online. *** ## Why Your Alabama Business Should Use QR Codes For businesses across Alabama, QR codes are a simple and cost-effective way to: - Engage customers - Bridge offline and online marketing efforts - Provide a seamless, interactive experience From local diners in Tuscaloosa to real estate agents in Auburn, businesses of all types can benefit from integrating QR codes into their operations. *** ## Final Thoughts QR codes are an invaluable tool for any Alabama business looking to enhance its marketing, streamline customer interactions, and drive engagement. With just a smartphone scan, your customers can access everything from promotions to payment options, making their experience more convenient and memorable. Start using QR codes today to take your Alabama business to the next level. The technology is easy to implement, affordable, and sure to impress your customers! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Whatarethebenefitsofshoppinglocal/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Whatarethebenefitsofshoppinglocal/ We all here about the benefits of shopping local but really what are the benefits and why would you want to shop local over a national brand? Being Small Business Saturday is going on now it’s an appropriate time to cover why small business is important and why your supporting a local business is beneficial to the economy. Your local "Mom & Pop" shops depend on the support of the local community. These are your movers and shakers that are trying to change the world one business at a time. These entrepreneurs are looking for you to come back daily or weekly to help them stay in business and grow. With your support, they are able to have a constant stream of revenue and provide a family atmosphere to those that work for them. ## Increase your local tax base When you shop locally you are providing more tax revenue to the local community. Local businesses will buy locally themselves and further increase the revenue spent in the community. ## Jobs Going to a national chain also will give you jobs that employ residents of your community. Many local businesses will provide more opportunities for growth within the local community. Working with a local business will help not only those being employed but the owners within your community. National chains will send revenue outside of the local community to support the corporate officers. ## Product Diversity National chains are great for mass market appeal. With a local business you get unique gifts that are built for your area. This diversity allows for you to get higher quality products that are often made by-hand and with a passion to provide you the best product possible. ## Competition is good for everyone Local businesses that provide a superior product love the national brands. They know that they provide a better product, better customer service, and an experience the big box chains can only hope to emulate. Growing shops love the competition as they know that once you try their products you will come back more often. ## Community Local business is all about the community. Big box chains may give to the community not because of a love or desire but due to making you feel they are part of the community. A local business gives back in volunteering, revenue, jobs, and more. With this local commitment, your local business has a vested interest in the community. When purchasing local you are also supporting your community culture and showing your support for those that also give back to the community. Communities, like relationships, only grow when you invest in them. ## Chamber of Commerce Businesses like your local chamber of commerce will purchase from other established local businesses rather than the big box chains or companies that are not local. They do this as they know that the services that are around locally will provide a higher quality of service as they are committed to the community. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-are-utm-codes/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-are-utm-codes/ If you're an Alabama business owner looking to make your digital marketing efforts more effective, **UTM codes** are a tool you should know about. They provide powerful insights into your marketing campaigns, helping you understand which strategies are driving traffic, leads, and sales. In this blog post, we'll break down what UTM codes are, why they matter for your business, and how you can use them to optimize your marketing efforts across Alabama—whether you're in Birmingham, Mobile, Huntsville, or anywhere in the state. *** ## What Are UTM Codes? UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) codes are small bits of text that you can add to the end of a URL. They help track where your website traffic is coming from, allowing you to see which marketing efforts are working best. A UTM code typically consists of five parameters: 1. **Source** (`utm_source`): Identifies where the traffic is coming from (e.g., Facebook, Google, newsletter). 2. **Medium** (`utm_medium`): Specifies the marketing medium (e.g., email, social, CPC). 3. **Campaign** (`utm_campaign`): Tracks the specific campaign name (e.g., "SpringSale2024"). 4. **Term** (`utm_term`): Optional, used for tracking paid keywords. 5. **Content** (`utm_content`): Optional, differentiates similar content or links within the same campaign. Example URL with UTM codes: ` https://www.mybusiness.com?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SpringSale&utm_content=ad1 ` When someone clicks this link, the UTM parameters are recorded in tools like Google Analytics, giving you valuable insights into your campaign's performance. *** ## How Can UTM Codes Help Your Alabama Business? UTM codes provide actionable insights that can help businesses across Alabama improve their marketing strategies. Here's how: ### 1. Track the Success of Marketing Campaigns UTM codes allow you to see exactly which campaigns are driving traffic to your website. For example: - A restaurant in Birmingham can track if a "Buy One Get One Free" Facebook ad brings in more clicks than an Instagram ad for the same promotion. - A retail store in Mobile can measure whether an email campaign or Google Ads campaign generates more sales. ### 2. Understand Your Audience Better Knowing where your website visitors come from helps you focus on the channels that your Alabama customers prefer. For instance: - A boutique in Montgomery might find that its audience engages more with email promotions than with social media ads. - A local HVAC company in Huntsville could discover that paid search campaigns deliver higher-quality leads than organic traffic. ### 3. Optimize Your Marketing Budget By identifying the channels that perform best, you can allocate your marketing dollars more effectively. For example: - If your Tuscaloosa-based business finds that Google Ads drive more conversions than Facebook ads, you can shift your budget accordingly. ### 4. Measure ROI with Precision UTM codes help you connect marketing campaigns to actual revenue. For example: - An e-commerce business in Alabama can track which campaign drives the most sales during a holiday sale and calculate the exact return on investment. ### 5. Compare Multiple Campaigns UTM codes make it easy to compare the performance of different campaigns across channels. For instance: - A local event venue in Montgomery can measure the effectiveness of radio ads, social media campaigns, and email newsletters for promoting an upcoming event. *** ## How to Create UTM Codes Creating UTM codes is simple and doesn't require technical expertise. Here's how to get started: ### 1. Use Google's Campaign URL Builder Google offers a free tool to help you generate UTM codes: [Google Campaign URL Builder](https://ga-dev-tools.web.app/campaign-url-builder/) ### 2. Fill in the Parameters Here's what to enter: - **Website URL:** Your webpage link (e.g., `https://www.mybusiness.com`). - **Campaign Source:** The platform sending the traffic (e.g., Facebook, Google). - **Campaign Medium:** The type of campaign (e.g., social, email, CPC). - **Campaign Name:** A unique name for your campaign (e.g., SpringSale2024). - **Optional Parameters:** - **Campaign Term:** For tracking keywords in paid search campaigns. - **Campaign Content:** For testing multiple links or ads. ### 3. Generate the URL The tool will create a URL with UTM parameters that you can copy and use in your campaigns. ### 4. Shorten the Link (Optional) For cleaner links, use a URL shortener like **Bitly** or **TinyURL**. *** ## Best Practices for Using UTM Codes 1. **Be Consistent:** Use a consistent naming convention for your UTM parameters to make tracking easier. For example: - Use lowercase letters for all parameters. - Use underscores or dashes to separate words (e.g., `spring_sale`). 2. **Track Offline Campaigns:** UTM codes aren't just for digital marketing. You can use them with QR codes on print materials like flyers or billboards. For example: - A business in Huntsville can print a QR code with UTM parameters on a poster promoting a grand opening. 3. **Test Multiple Variations:** Use the `utm_content` parameter to test different ads or messages. For example: - A café in Mobile could test two versions of a Facebook ad: one promoting coffee and another promoting pastries. 4. **Monitor Performance Regularly:** Use tools like **Google Analytics** or **Google Tag Manager** to track campaign performance in real time. 5. **Use UTM Codes in Email Campaigns:** Ensure all links in your email newsletters include UTM codes so you can measure which campaigns drive the most traffic and conversions. *** ## FAQs About UTM Codes for Alabama Businesses ### 1. Do I Need Special Software to Use UTM Codes? No. UTM codes work with tools like Google Analytics, which is free to use. Simply add the codes to your URLs, and the data will appear in your analytics reports. ### 2. Can I Use UTM Codes for Social Media? Absolutely! UTM codes are perfect for tracking traffic from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. ### 3. Are UTM Codes Visible to Customers? Yes, UTM codes appear in the URL, but they won't impact the user experience. For cleaner links, you can use a URL shortener. ### 4. How Do UTM Codes Help with SEO? While UTM codes themselves don't directly impact search rankings, they provide valuable insights into which channels and campaigns drive traffic to your site. ### 5. Can I Use UTM Codes for Paid Ads? Yes! UTM codes are essential for tracking the performance of Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and other paid campaigns. *** ## Examples of UTM Code Usage in Alabama ### Example 1: A Retail Store in Birmingham - Campaign: Spring Sale on Facebook - URL: `https://www.bhamstore.com?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring_sale` ### Example 2: A Restaurant in Mobile - Campaign: Email Newsletter Promoting Weekly Specials - URL: `https://www.mobilerestaurant.com?utm_source=email&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=weekly_specials` ### Example 3: An HVAC Company in Huntsville - Campaign: Google Ads for AC Repairs - URL: `https://www.huntsvillehvac.com?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ac_repairs` *** ## Why UTM Codes Matter for Alabama Businesses UTM codes help you make data-driven decisions, optimize your marketing budget, and maximize ROI. For Alabama businesses, this means: - Reaching the right customers in cities like Birmingham, Montgomery, or Mobile. - Tracking the effectiveness of local campaigns, such as promoting events or seasonal sales. - Gaining insights into which platforms—Facebook, Google, email—work best for your audience. *** ## Final Thoughts UTM codes are a simple yet powerful tool that every Alabama business owner should leverage. By using them to track and optimize your marketing efforts, you'll gain valuable insights into what's driving traffic and conversions, allowing you to grow your business smarter and faster. Ready to start using UTM codes? Create your first campaign today and take your Alabama business to the next level! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-are-voicemail-drops/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-are-voicemail-drops/ In the fast-paced world of business, especially in a competitive state like Alabama, finding efficient ways to connect with potential customers is essential. One innovative tool growing in popularity is **voicemail drops**. But what exactly are voicemail drops, how can they benefit your business, and most importantly, are they legal? This blog post answers all these questions and more, providing Alabama business owners with a comprehensive guide to voicemail drops. *** ## What Are Voicemail Drops? A voicemail drop is a technology that allows businesses to deliver pre-recorded voicemail messages directly to a customer’s voicemail box without their phone ever ringing. These messages are commonly used for: - Promoting special offers - Sharing important updates - Following up with leads - Appointment confirmations or reminders For example, imagine you own a roofing company in Birmingham and want to let homeowners know about a seasonal discount. With voicemail drops, you can record a single message and deliver it to hundreds of customers’ voicemail boxes without disrupting their day. *** ## How Do Voicemail Drops Work? Voicemail drops rely on software that bypasses traditional phone calls by connecting directly to the recipient’s voicemail system. Here’s how it works: 1. A business uploads a pre-recorded voicemail message to a voicemail drop platform. 2. The platform uses a back-end phone connection to deliver the message to the recipient's voicemail box. 3. The recipient sees a "missed call" notification but doesn't experience an actual ring. Popular platforms for voicemail drops include: - Drop Cowboy - Slybroadcast - Call Loop *** ## Are Voicemail Drops Legal in Alabama? The legality of voicemail drops is governed by federal and state laws, and businesses need to proceed carefully to ensure compliance. Here’s what Alabama businesses need to know: ### 1. Federal Regulations Voicemail drops fall under the **Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)**, which regulates telemarketing and robocalls. Key points include: - **Consent Is Required:** Businesses must obtain explicit consent from customers before leaving voicemail drops for marketing purposes. - **Opt-Out Mechanism:** Every voicemail must include a clear way for recipients to opt out of future communications (e.g., "Call this number to stop receiving messages"). - **Penalties for Non-Compliance:** Violating TCPA regulations can result in fines of up to $1,500 per violation. ### 2. Alabama-Specific Considerations While Alabama doesn’t have specific laws targeting voicemail drops, businesses must comply with federal TCPA rules. Additionally: - Transparency and ethical practices are crucial for maintaining a good reputation. - Alabama’s strong community values mean intrusive marketing tactics can quickly alienate customers, so always prioritize consent and respect. *** ## Benefits of Voicemail Drops for Alabama Businesses ### 1. Cost-Effective Outreach Voicemail drops are significantly cheaper than traditional marketing methods like cold calling or direct mail. For small businesses in Alabama’s rural towns or urban centers, this makes it an affordable option to reach large audiences. ### 2. Saves Time Instead of making hundreds of individual calls, voicemail drops allow you to deliver your message in minutes. This is especially valuable for service-based businesses, such as HVAC companies or real estate agencies. ### 3. Non-Intrusive Communication Unlike cold calls, voicemail drops don’t interrupt the recipient. Customers can listen to the message at their convenience, fostering goodwill. ### 4. Personalization at Scale You can tailor your voicemail drops to specific groups of customers. For example: - A car dealership in Montgomery might send a reminder about trade-in promotions. - A dentist in Huntsville could remind patients about upcoming appointments. ### 5. Boosts Engagement and Conversions A well-crafted voicemail can drive action, whether it’s encouraging a customer to visit your store, book a service, or learn more about a special offer. *** ## How to Use Voicemail Drops Effectively in Alabama ### 1. Get Customer Consent Before using voicemail drops, ensure you’ve obtained explicit consent from your customers. This can be done through opt-in forms, online sign-ups, or agreements during initial interactions. ### 2. Craft a Compelling Message Your voicemail should be: - **Short and Clear:** Aim for 30-60 seconds. - **Action-Oriented:** Include a clear call to action (e.g., "Call us back today for 20% off!"). - **Personalized:** Mention the recipient’s name or reference their location when possible. ### 3. Use a Professional Tone Record your voicemail in a warm, professional tone to make it engaging and trustworthy. ### 4. Track Performance Most voicemail drop platforms provide analytics so you can measure delivery rates, engagement, and responses. Use this data to refine your strategy. ### 5. Stay Compliant Include an opt-out option in every voicemail and keep detailed records of customer consent to protect your business from legal risks. *** ## Examples of Voicemail Drops for Alabama Businesses ### Retail Store in Birmingham: "Hi, this is [Store Name]! We’re having a one-day sale this Saturday, with 30% off everything in-store. Visit us on [Street Name] or call [Phone Number] for more details!" ### Real Estate Agent in Montgomery: "Hi, this is [Your Name] with [Realty Name]. A beautiful new 3-bedroom home just listed in your area! Call me at [Phone Number] for more info." ### HVAC Company in Huntsville: "Hi, this is [Your Name] with [HVAC Company]. Don’t forget to schedule your fall maintenance! Call [Phone Number] today for a $50 discount." *** ## Common FAQs About Voicemail Drops ### 1. Do Voicemail Drops Count as Robocalls? Yes, voicemail drops are considered a form of robocall under the TCPA, which means you must have consent before sending them. ### 2. Are Voicemail Drops Effective for Small Businesses? Absolutely! Voicemail drops are cost-effective and help small businesses reach a large audience without investing in expensive advertising campaigns. ### 3. Can I Use Voicemail Drops for Non-Marketing Messages? Yes. Voicemail drops can also be used for informational purposes, such as appointment reminders or order updates. ### 4. How Do I Avoid Legal Issues? - Get explicit consent before sending voicemail drops. - Include an opt-out option in every message. - Keep detailed records of your customer interactions. *** ## Is Voicemail Drops the Right Choice for Your Alabama Business? Voicemail drops can be a powerful tool when used responsibly. Whether you’re running a small boutique in Tuscaloosa or a large service-based business in Mobile, voicemail drops help you connect with customers in a cost-effective and non-intrusive way. However, remember that **compliance and customer consent are key**. By following TCPA guidelines and respecting your audience, you can leverage voicemail drops to grow your business without risking legal trouble. *** ## Final Thoughts Voicemail drops are an innovative marketing tool that can help Alabama businesses reach more customers, save time, and boost engagement. By focusing on compliance, personalization, and a clear call to action, your business can unlock the potential of this strategy to build stronger customer relationships across the state. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-can-you-achieve-with-organic-over-paid-advert/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-can-you-achieve-with-organic-over-paid-advert/ Initial thoughts are that paying to be seen and move up will garner you the best engagement and increase in sales. That is not always the case. We have several friends that pay for advertising to grow their business. They are reasonably happy talking with them. At random we listed out our social media maintenance plan contracts and asked them for a number between one and XX. They chose a number and we pulled up the results of that client. We will not be sharing the name of the clients but luckily for our comparison they are in the exact same field. They are located 15 miles away from each other in different towns. Both towns have less than 20,000 people in each town and average within a few hundred dollars the median income according to the last census data. ## Pricing Both companies pay for someone to maintain their social media. ### Paid Advertising With the paid advertising they pay for the maintenance plus the dollar amount, $15-20/day, for the paid advertising piece. They do this by boosting every post as well as advertising to increase their page likes. Any content creation is extra. ### Organic Advertising Through the organic process they too pay for maintenance of their social media only that items are written (content created/curated three times a week) specific to their business. **Winner**: Tie (although organic is over $600 less both companies feel the money is well spent) ## Actions on Page Actions on the page are the number of clicks on a page that either click on your page's contact information or call to action button. The paid advertising had three actions and the organic had four. **Winner**: Organic ## People The target demographic for both businesses is men and women from 25 through 45 years of age. The paid advertising even though it was targeting 25-45 is actually hitting ages 45-54 the most. The organic is hitting the range of 25-34 the most. **Winner**: Organic ## Page Views Page views are the number of times people came to your social media page and viewed the content that was available. Paid advertising had a 137 views and organic had 142 views. **Winner**: Organic ## Page Likes This is the number of new fans that have liked the page. For paid advertising they gained 39 new fans in the past month while organic only had 31% of new fans. **Winner**: Paid ## Reach Reach is a very important factor in seeing who is interacting with your page. Reach includes items like likes, comments, and shares. Paid advertising had an amazing 12,705 people reached with organic they had 6,142. **Winner**: Paid ## Post Engagements Engagement is the number of people that have engaged with your posts through likes, comments, shares and more. This number is more of a driving force than reach as this is the number for those that are actually showing interest in your company's social media page and your products and services. Paid had 1,050 people engaged with organic there was an engagement of 2,107. **Winner**: Organic ## Videos This is the number of times the videos on the page have been viewed for a minimum of 3 seconds (a short period for sure). Paid advertising doesn't include creating any and they have not at this time paid to have any created. With organic being part of their maintenance plan is the creation of a video each year they had two views in the past month. **Winner**: Organic ## Let's talk money Although we've already talked about how much in the beginning each company is spending let's talk bigger picture. With the social media being done by each company it took some digging to figure out the true "revenue" that was generated through social media. With some work this is what we found. For paid advertising they estimated they have increased 5.46% over the same period last year. With organic (and we double verified the numbers) they estimate they grew 14.37% over the same period last year. Both companies a year prior had social media. The paid advertising was paying for it last year to the same company while organic was doing it themselves and this year switched to having us help them with their social media account. **Winner**: Organic ## Conclusion We had one tie, two for paid, and six wins for organic. Results will always vary from company to company. We give a big part of the lead (almost 2 percentage points) due to the savings in not doing paid advertising. If you would like help with social media, search engine optimization, branding your company or more JM2 Webdesigners from Northwest Alabama would be honored to work with you in growing your company. We can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatDoesSEOCost/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatDoesSEOCost/ Hiring someone to handle your companies search engine optimization (SEO) is like that of hiring a quality mechanic. Having a mechanic you can trust is to live with your mind at piece. Finding a good mechanic though can be a nightmare. One mechanic will look at your car and give you one price, and another will give you a price that is twice as much for the same amount of work. It would be easy to choose the cheaper one, but then you start wondering whether that guy knows what he's doing, if he is using cheaper parts that will break down the road and land you back in the repair shop in a few weeks. One might think that SEO shouldn't cost anything as an SEO as a whole is an investment and that investment should return dividends of information. This would mean SEO should, in all accounts, cost you nothing. The true cost for SEO is it truly depends on what you are looking to do in regard to SEO. We are going to outline many of the options you need to consider which in-turn will determine what your SEO is going to cost you based on the factors you need for your SEO plan. Yes, there is, and should be, a lot of planning when developing an SEO objective and not doing so will make you feel as if your SEO results are not paying you the dividends that you want. Are you going to be doing your SEO once and hoping it pays off forever or are you going to work on improving your SEO on an ongoing basis? If your needs are temporary where you need an SEO company to handle 301 redirects for the launch of your new eCommerce or a site redesign the cost will be less and typically you are billed for that project. If you however have a need to indefinitely market your company to get your brand and products out to the public then you will most likely be billed a monthly retainer or an agreed upon amount per month which will cover the services that you've agreed on. These services can be a fixed price or based on an hourly price. Most SEO firms will offer a project-based approach so that you can keep your costs in-line with your company’s budget. Choosing a bigger firm is not necessarily the best fit for your company either. When it comes time to choose an SEO firm you need to choose the company that will work with you and your business plan. This means they will not make you conform to their rules. Rather they will conform to strategically align with your objectives. Many large SEO firms will try and get you to agree to the one-size-fits-all plan as it allows them to put your company in a factory line to make as much money as possible from you. Services for small and local businesses may have similar needs on the surface but may not have the same needs when it comes to an SEO plan. Smaller, and family owned firms (5-30 employees) are typically more apt to offer high-end, customized services that will exceed your expectations as they will be competitive with the larger SEO firms but also work directly with you and customize your SEO marketing to meet your goals. If SEO is a critical ongoing piece of your marketing strategy and you value hands-on, personalized service, more than likely you'll end up working with a smaller firm. The next factor to consider is who do you plan on marketing to? Is it a world-wide, country specific, regional or local market you want to reach? The audience that you are trying to expose your services to can heavily influence what you'll pay for your SEO. The larger, and more competitive, the market the more you should expect to spend for your online marketing campaigns. If you are a large multi-national organization you will need to spend hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars to get your word out. If you're one of a few Chinese restaurants in Michigan City, Alabama, then you need nothing more than a simple overhaul of your website, and some light work making sure your Google Maps and Yelp profiles are set up correctly. The pricing examples below are approximations to give you a feel of what it might cost. This doesn't mean these are written in stone prices as every SEO project is unique and different. ## SEO Audits SEO audits are where you pay an SEO firm to look at your entire page content on how it factors into the current rules for being indexed on the search engines. This covers your titles, description, keywords, other Meta information, page layouts, content, spelling, URL structure, HTML code, and other factors. For a 10 page site this can be around 5-10 hours of work to produce. You will receive a comprehensive report listing out each page and what improvements can be made using the latest SEO guidelines on how to improve them. The deliverable document that you receive will be a valuable starting place for your technical employee on staff to start implementing the changes for you. For companies without a technical employee on board, the deliverable would do little more than provide you a starting point to go out and get quotes from other SEO firms or as a baseline to validate the work the SEO firm does for you. A deliverable document is also a way to determine how quickly the SEO firm can turn around work for you, the quality of the work, and if it aligns with your organizations business. A basic SEO audit will start around $600 and go up based on the size of your site. A more detailed SEO audit that covers more pages can range from $3,000 to $20,000. A detailed SEO audit can take quite a bit more time than a basic audit. More than just general guidelines and examples, a detailed audit is a step-by-step manual on what needs to be done on every page of a client's website to optimize it. It removes all guesswork, and the final deliverable is effectively a how-to book on SEO, custom tailored for the client site. When we provide a detailed audit the document can be several hundred pages long. The only reason we would perform a detailed SEO audit for a client in this manner would be if we were unable to have access to their website. Doing a detailed audit can easily take twice as long to explain all of the necessary changes needed. ## SEO Packages The more niche your market the less you will typically have to pay as there will be less competition for the keyword phrases that you want to address. ### Startup Packages $65-$600 per month. If you've got a small business that is limited geographically (e.g., landscaping company, auto repair garage, dental office, self-storage facility, restaurant, medical facility, local news and information) then you may be able to get by with a budget in this range. ### Mid-Size Business Packages $600-$1,500 per month. If your market is limited geographically by the nature of your business, but it's a larger population you're targeting, then this budget should work fine for local marketing. $600 per month might work for a self-storage company in a town with a population of 5,000, but will not get the same job done in a town of 50,000. You may be able to pay $1,500 per month and get a decent national campaign if your business is extremely focused without too much competition. ### Regional Packages $1,500-$10,000 per month. If your target market is regional (e.g. intermountain west, west coast, east coast, Midwest), national, or international you're looking at a minimum of $2,000/month, and that's if you're selling a niche product or service without much competition. The more mainstream the product, the more you'll have to pay to rise above your competitors. ### National and International Packages $10,000+ per month. For a national or international campaign that isn't focused on a niche audience, expect to pay more than $10,000 per month. There is virtually no end to what you can do, despite some hype over the past year about over-optimization penalties. You can never create too much high quality content, and for some companies a constant stream of new content is the SEO strategy for success, even if the cost of producing that content is quite high. ## Decision Time Once again, what you pay depends on what you're buying. Your needs need to be determined. We have listed a few common projects that we've done in the past and the prices that we have quoted for SEO work for those projects. The key item to remember is that each project is unique and different. A project you do today and another a year from now, even if similar, could produce different costs based on ever changing technology. Once you've determined whether your needs are temporary or ongoing, what size of SEO firm matches your business, and whether your target market is niche or broad, local or global or somewhere in between, you'll be in a position to better understand what you can expect to pay for SEO and why. If you fall into the SEO audit, Startup or mid-size business packages then JM2 Webdesigners would be a great fit for you as these are the markets that we are focused on. We will be flag to assist in the other packages but they are not are primary area of focus. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-Do-Social-Media-Managers-Do/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-Do-Social-Media-Managers-Do/ As we add more social media maintenance plans it is always good to look and see what you will receive from having a social media account manager. When it comes to working with any business it is good to set rules and expectations for the entire social media process. ## Social Media Audit Before starting out with any project the very first thing that needs to be evaluated is what social media networks, if any, are setup for a company. This can include more than one social media account. The quickest audits are not always one's where no account exists. Often when there is no account determining the best social network can be a challenge. Just stating that Facebook is the biggest is not always the best reason. Often a different network is the best network as that is where all the customers are at. ## Account Setup Whether an account is setup already or needs to be created from scratch the information needs to be confirmed and validated that it is accurate. Having an accurate social media profile will help your business be found. This includes the proper categories, standardized logos and branding throughout the site. ## Social Media Management Part of being a social media manager includes more than setting up an account. It requires setting the proper voice, tone, and responses for each type of inquiry a customer might have. It is designating a set of schedules and the posts that align with those schedules. Studying the analytics and presenting those analytics in a meaningful and understandable response to the client. ## Social Media Strategy Beyond the management part is setting the strategy. This will include defining what success is. Success may be the number of fans but more importantly will include the engagement of the users. This will include the revenue your website also brings in. Whether you have a brochure website or a full featured eCommerce site. You need to have a clear strategy of how your website and social media strategy align. We can't stop just there. Your online social strategy needs to embrace that of your offline strategy and always match your company branding and marketing. ## Social Media Consulting Often we will do more than just work with our clients and be the private voice of our clients. We are asked for assistance in how to take advantage of the current social media trends and information. This can and often includes training of the marketing person or department. During consulting you will listen to your client's current problems and then turn and provide information to help achieve the business objectives they are looking for. ## Social Media Advertising The key to search engine optimization (SEO) is to be found organically. The same is true for social media. Advertising does have a place in every digital marketing strategy. The reasoning that advertising is beneficial is the competition for each industry is typically a very intense market. ## Content Marketing With social media you often need to create content. The content could be a blog article, like this one, that is hosted on your website and shared across your social media network. Other areas of marketing can include graphics or Infographics or videography as video receives a lot of engagement on social media. It is not uncommon that we will go to a client event to take photos of the event and post about it online. ## Workshops and Speaking Many experts will charge hundreds, even thousands, to bring you up to speed in what we call “crash courses”. These courses are to bring you up -to-speed in a very short period of time; typically, one day. We often will do social media workshops and other workshops related to digital marketing for just $65 per class. We structure all of our classes as beginning and intermediate. You may wonder why there is no advanced classes. The reason is that advanced classes truly need to be tied to a specific business need. Businesses that want advanced training truly need to be structured for them. Where beginner and intermediate all businesses need to know. ## Education A social media manager will spend on an hour or more per day staying in touch with the latest trends of what is working and not working, where the technologies are going, and keeping their skills fresh and relevant. Not only is a manager keeping their knowledge in top form but they will also be keeping you informed of the latest changes. ## Conclusion Having a social media manager will greatly reduce your work on social media. Don't expect it to be completely removed. You will be communicating with your manager and ideally your managers (plural). This way you know your account will be served even when your primary manager goes on vacation or has a family emergency. Throughout all of our maintenance contract customers throughout Alabama and beyond. With a maintenance plan with JM2 Webdesigners you will have full control of your website content management system (CMS) and your social media. What you gain is a person dedicated to growing your business. This person has access to content writers, graphic designers, and software developers to help you achieve these results without having to pay extra for these services. You are gaining a complete plan that is designed to help your business grow for less than it costs to have a person working for your business full-time. If you would like to [learn more about maintenance plans you can click here](/Services/MaintenancePlans/), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), call us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), or [use our online contact forms here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-do-you-stand-for/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-do-you-stand-for/ We are in the midst of the most heated and highly contested political season in recent history. We all see the yard signs, billboards, television & radio promotions, and printed promotional material coming into our lives more each day as we get closer to the primary election season. The one question that continues to cross our minds is this age of being able to know everything about everyone is what do these candidates truly stand for? Have they waivered over the years? Why are they doing what they are doing? In this article we will delve into this very question and see ways candidates can keep us voters informed. As an advertising and web design firm in Northwest Alabama we take note of each yard sign, billboard, printed promotional piece, and what we hear on television or the radio. During our travels we see and hear these messages and when we go home find the information waiting for us in our mailbox. We read the materials presented to us and make certain pre-made judgement calls based on our own unique past. The information we are presented in printed forms is quick and dirty with many questions waiting to be answered. With a mailer or a short pamphlet these are truly very biased judgement calls the candidates want us to make in favor of their campaign. We know this is biased toward them and against the other candidates. We understand this as we are human just like the candidate running and they are putting their best foot forward so that we vote for them. What can these candidates do to not only present their image positively to as many people as possible while also answering as many questions we have? ## The Internet of course Being on the internet can be both beneficial and detrimental to a candidate. First, all of their information is in the open and available to everyone; including their opposition. The second is that any bad press will also be freely available for people to see. When it comes to the internet there will be two major sources for information. You have social media and your own website. ## Social Media Social media is a great place for traction, a large audience, immediate updates about happenings you are doing or recently have done. This information is short, sweet, and very much to the point. The information presented does last forever but after a short period of time is quickly buried by the rest of the information flowing to your voting audience. Running a successful social media campaign should be part of any successful political campaign. Running a political campaign on social media is not like that of a personal or even a business account. You are not promoting a business but an actual sole individual. This individual, a candidate, is running for the voters to do better than everyone of their predecessors. This is a tough task for any team and even harder for a single person. A candidate needs a campaign that is trumpeting their message and speaking positively, promoting themselves without ego, and being truthful in everything they say. ## Website Your website is yours, is branded for you, and is your official voice for what the candidate stands for. A candidate's website should define everything you stand for. This is also something you have 100% control over without fear that the wrong message will be given to voters as it's your message that you are providing. A political website is not something that should just be created during the political timeframe you are running for. This is also true about your social media site. They both need to be used hand-in-hand to show everything that you stand for as a candidate for the people. Having a political website is one of the lowest marketing costs to get your message out to the largest audience. A properly built website should far outlast that of a single election season. A website should showcase everything you've stood for, what you've promised, as well as what you've delivered. Voters look to see how you've changed your stance on everything from road repairs, to school, to jobs, and to family. By keeping and maintaining an official source of information about yourself as a candidate. You are keeping your voting audience informed as to who you are and what you stand for during the current election season as well as the past. A website allows you to brand yourself and keep the public aware of who you are. Part of branding is having people remember you in a positive manner long after you've talked to them. If you show up and say "I'm here" during election time and then hide in the corner the rest of the time it will be hard for people to know who you are as a person. ## Other ways to keep in touch We've covered the two main ways that people stay in touch with their target audience. Other ways we've seen so far during the currently election process are many. - **Radio, Television & YouTube** – We grouped these together as there are types of media are all visual (yes radio is a visual medium as well). You have commercials which last 15-60 seconds that we hear in-between our favorite talk shows or music we are listening to. The other is for actual shows the candidate is on where you can talk about what you stand for during the on air interview. - **Newspaper** – Truly one of oldest mediums that can be used to get your positive message out. Your audience is limited when it comes to the print version. Many though are also on the Internet promoting each article they write. This is a great way of getting your positive word out to many people that vote. - **Email Marketing** – When you go onto many political sites you will see the very first question often asked for is your location and email address even before you get their basic information. This way the candidates can target voters with their message. Throughout the election season, and future election cycles, candidates will be able to inform you of events that are happening near you. - **Text Marketing** – Like email marketing text marketing is becoming even more prevalent as we continue to embrace digital medium as a source of information. The reason is that with text people read then 98% of the time within five minutes of being received. This is a much higher read rate then email marketing ever could hope for and can get people to react positively more quickly. Text marketing is a great way to inform people to vote (for you) on election day, of events happening nearby, and a way of another "touch" to keep your brand message in front of would-be voters. - **Door-to-Door** – I know for us this is our least favorite and it's definitely not electronic but is a way people use to get the message out without having to pay postage and add a more personalized touch to a campaign. This personal touch can lead to a very positive image of the candidate even if the person talking isn't the candidate themselves. People remember stories and stories can lead to votes. In many cases these door-to-door visits are from people you've seen around in your local community. - **Phone Calls** – Telemarketing is big business. With "do not call lists" being around this is less prevalent but still actively used. Whether the call is an automated phone call reminding you to vote, a quick message on a stance a candidate has, or even a poll to see what matters to you. Phone calls are an important part of the campaign to get your message out and find out what voters are looking for. ## Conclusion Part of any successful election campaign is showing what you stand for in a positive manner on as many mediums possible to reach the largest audience possible. Campaigning early as well as often is also crucial to any political campaign whether you are from Northwest Alabama, running for state government, or pushing for a national election. An election campaign takes on many forms and if one is truly serious of being a long term contender serving the voters they need to have their voice and their stance heard often. If you are interested in advertising, a website, email marketing, or text marketing JM2 Webdesginers from Cullman (Valpo) Alabama is here to assist you. We have solutions specifically designed for candidates and helping them get their information out positively and timely. To learn more you can reach us [through our online form here](/Contact/), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or call at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-Is-a-Brand-Compass/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-Is-a-Brand-Compass/ ### What Is a Brand Compass? A brand compass is a framework that outlines your brand’s purpose, values, voice, and visual identity. Just like a navigational compass, it guides your business by providing clear direction, ensuring that all decisions—from marketing campaigns to customer interactions—align with your brand identity. The key components of a brand compass include: 1. **Purpose**: Why does your business exist? What problem are you solving? 2. **Vision**: What is your long-term goal for your brand and business? 3. **Mission**: How will you achieve your vision? What steps are you taking to fulfill your purpose? 4. **Core Values**: What principles guide your decisions and interactions with customers and employees? 5. **Brand Personality**: How do you want your brand to be perceived? Is it professional, playful, innovative, or approachable? *** ### Why Your Small Business Needs a Brand Compass #### 1. **Clarity in Decision-Making** - A brand compass acts as a roadmap for your business, helping you make decisions that align with your purpose and goals. - Whether you’re deciding on a marketing strategy, launching a new product, or designing your website, the brand compass ensures consistency in how your brand is represented. #### 2. **Consistency Across Channels** - Consistency is the cornerstone of a strong brand. Your customers should recognize your brand no matter where they interact with it—whether on your website, social media, or in person. - A brand compass ensures that your visual identity, messaging, and tone of voice remain cohesive. #### 3. **Builds Trust and Loyalty** - Consumers are more likely to trust and stay loyal to brands that have a clear identity and stick to their values. A brand compass helps you communicate who you are and what you stand for, fostering stronger connections with your audience. #### 4. **Differentiates You from Competitors** - In crowded markets, standing out is critical. Your brand compass highlights what makes your business unique, helping you differentiate yourself from competitors and attract the right customers. #### 5. **Empowers Your Team** - A well-defined brand compass provides your team with a clear understanding of your business’s purpose, mission, and values. This empowers them to make decisions that align with your brand, ensuring consistency in customer interactions and marketing efforts. *** ### How to Create a Brand Compass At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we recommend the following steps to craft a brand compass for your small business: #### 1. **Define Your Purpose** - Ask yourself: Why does my business exist? What value am I bringing to my customers and community? Example: “Our purpose is to help small businesses succeed online by providing exceptional digital marketing solutions.” #### 2. **Craft Your Vision and Mission** - **Vision**: Your long-term aspiration. Example: “To become the go-to digital marketing agency for small businesses nationwide.” - **Mission**: Your actionable path to achieve the vision. Example: “We empower small businesses with affordable, effective, and tailored marketing strategies.” #### 3. **Identify Your Core Values** - Define 3–5 principles that guide your business. Example: Integrity, innovation, collaboration, and customer-first focus. #### 4. **Establish Your Brand Personality** - Determine the tone and style of your brand. Example: Friendly and approachable with a professional touch. #### 5. **Visual Identity** - Choose colors, fonts, and imagery that reflect your brand’s personality and values. Example: Use a bright and modern color palette to convey energy and creativity. *** ### How Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in helping small businesses define and amplify their brand identity. Our team can work with you to create a detailed and actionable brand compass that serves as the foundation for all your marketing efforts. - **Strategic Brand Development**: We’ll help you uncover your brand’s purpose, values, and vision. - **Visual Identity Design**: From logos to color palettes, we ensure your visuals reflect your brand’s personality. - **Content and Messaging Strategy**: We align your tone and voice with your audience’s expectations. *** ### Conclusion: Navigate Your Business with Confidence A brand compass is more than a document—it’s a strategic tool that keeps your business aligned with its purpose, values, and goals. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your existing brand, having a clear direction ensures that every aspect of your business contributes to building a strong and recognizable identity. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we’re passionate about helping small businesses like yours thrive in the digital space. Let us help you craft your brand compass and guide your business toward long-term success. Contact us today to get started! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-a-CRM/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-a-CRM/ Customer relationship management (CRM) is a technology for managing all your company’s relationships, and interactions with customers, and potential customers. The goal is simple: Improve business relationships. A CRM system helps companies stay connected to customers, streamline processes, and improve profitability. When people talk about CRM, they are usually referring to a CRM system, a tool that helps with contact management, sales management, productivity, and more. A CRM solution helps you focus on your organization’s relationships with individual people — including customers, service users, colleagues, or suppliers — throughout your life cycle with them, including finding new customers, winning their business, and providing support and additional services throughout the relationship. Implementing a customer relationship management (CRM) solution might involve considerable time and expense. However, there are many potential benefits. A major benefit can be the development of better relations with your existing customers, which can lead to: Increased sales through better timing due to anticipating needs based on historic trends Identifying needs more effectively by understanding specific customer requirements Cross-selling of other products by highlighting and suggesting alternatives or enhancements Identifying which of your customers are profitable and which are not This can lead to better marketing of your products or services by focusing on: Effective targeted marketing communications aimed specifically at customer needs A more personal approach and the development of new or improved products and services in order to win more business in the future Ultimately this could lead to: Enhanced customer satisfaction and retention, ensuring that your good reputation in the marketplace continues to grow Increased value from your existing customers and reduced cost associated with supporting and servicing them, increasing your overall efficiency and reducing total cost of sales Improved profitability by focusing on the most profitable customers and dealing with the unprofitable in more cost-effective ways. Once your business starts to look after its existing customers effectively, efforts can be concentrated on finding new customers, and expanding your market. The more you know about your customers, the easier it is to identify new prospects and increase your customer base. Even with years of accumulated knowledge, there's always room for improvement. Customer needs change over time, and technology can make it easier to find out more about customers and ensure that everyone in an organization can utilize this information. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-a-domain-registrar/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-a-domain-registrar/ A domain registrar is whom you purchase your Internet domain name from. For example, jm2marketing.com purchased their domain name from a company called [GoDaddy](https://www.GoDaddy.com). They are not the only game in town. There are names like [Network Solutions](https://www.networksolutions.com/), [1&1 Internet](https://www.1and1.com/), and [Namecheap](https://www.namecheap.com/) is just a few of the main players in the United States. With that information what really does a domain registrar do besides take anywhere from $5-$40 a year from your pocketbook? - The first item they do is control your ownership of the domain name that you purchased. They make certain that once you own the domain you are the owner as long as it is paid for. The exception is when you purchase a name that is trademarked, another company, you are cybersquatting etc. that someone could potentially fight, and win, if they have merit that you took a name that violates their copyright. For example, years ago people were mis-spelling Google with extra O’s for people that miss typed. Those domains Google now truly owns. - They will send you out reminders to pay it unless you have auto-renew on but often this doesn’t happen as credit cards can expire. We set calendar reminders 30-days before expiration and manually renew even if we have auto-renew on so we know we don’t risk losing a domain. - **Note**: There are also scammers that will also send out domain renewals that are **not** your domain registrar. These are scams and you should work with your Information Technology or Web Designer to make certain you don’t get sucked into these schemes. - Another is the domain registrar will point your domain to a set of domain name system or DNS servers. A DNS server changes your domain name from domain.xyz to 1.2.3.4. Your domain name is an easy to remember the name for us humans but a computer treats that domain name as a unique set of numbers called an IP (Internet Protocol) address. It is common for many domain registrar companies to have their own DNS servers which you can use or you can choose to use your own. - Some domain registrars can also host your website on a shared server. These are normally your $5-15/month solutions to get many businesses started off quickly and within a single platform. - Some domain registrars will also include an email so that you can be yourName@domain.xyz. The first step of being online is purchasing a domain name from a domain registrar. Where you host your DNS, your website, or your email is up to you. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-Is-Artificial-General-Intelligence-AGI-and-Ho/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-Is-Artificial-General-Intelligence-AGI-and-Ho/ ### What Is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and How Fawkes Digital Marketing Is Using It to Revolutionize Marketing and CRM Solutions Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is a concept that has captured the imaginations of technologists, businesses, and marketers alike. Unlike narrow AI, which is designed to perform specific tasks, AGI refers to an advanced form of artificial intelligence that can perform any intellectual task a human can do—learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and adapting across a wide range of scenarios. While true AGI is still in development, advancements in AI technologies are already transforming industries. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we're harnessing the power of advanced AI and integrating it into our marketing and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solutions to help businesses grow. From automating content creation to analyzing your website's performance and ensuring customer information stays accurate, our cutting-edge tools are designed to empower businesses in today's fast-paced digital landscape. ## What Is Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)? AGI represents the next frontier in artificial intelligence. It differs significantly from the AI applications we're familiar with today: - Narrow AI: Focuses on specific tasks like voice recognition, image processing, or playing chess. Examples include Siri, Google Assistant, and Netflix's recommendation system. - AGI: Mimics human cognitive abilities, allowing it to perform a wide variety of tasks, learn from minimal input, and adapt to new challenges seamlessly. While the full realization of AGI may take decades, today's AI is rapidly approaching human-like reasoning capabilities in specific contexts, making it possible to revolutionize how businesses operate. ## How AGI-Like AI Is Transforming Marketing and CRM Solutions At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we're not waiting for the future of AGI—we're bringing the benefits of advanced AI into the hands of businesses today. Here's how we're integrating AGI-inspired solutions into our marketing and CRM platforms to drive growth. ### AI-Assisted Content Creation Creating high-quality, engaging content is one of the most challenging aspects of marketing. Our AI tools streamline this process by helping businesses generate content that resonates with their target audience. #### Applications: - Blog Articles and Press Releases: Using AI-powered tools, we help businesses craft compelling, SEO-optimized content that boosts online visibility. - Social Media Posts: Automate the creation of engaging posts tailored to specific platforms, ensuring consistency and creativity. - Email Campaigns: Write persuasive email content that drives open rates and conversions. #### Benefits: - Save time and resources on manual content creation. - Maintain a consistent brand voice across all marketing channels. - Produce content faster to stay ahead of competitors. ### Advanced Website Analysis and Optimization Your website is the cornerstone of your digital presence. Our AI-powered tools analyze every aspect of your site to ensure it's performing at its best. #### Applications: - SEO Audits: Identify gaps in keyword targeting, metadata, and website structure to improve rankings. - Performance Monitoring: Track page load times, mobile responsiveness, and user experience metrics. - Content Recommendations: Suggest updates to existing pages to align with search trends and user intent. #### Benefits: - Improve search engine visibility and organic traffic. - Enhance user experience to keep visitors engaged. - Gain actionable insights into site performance without hiring a team of specialists. ### Dynamic CRM Solutions to Keep Customer Data Accurate A business is only as strong as its relationships with customers. Our AI-enhanced CRM platform ensures that your team has access to accurate, up-to-date customer information at all times. #### Applications: - Data Cleaning: Automatically detect and fix outdated, duplicated, or incomplete customer records. - Predictive Insights: Use AI to anticipate customer needs, recommend upsell opportunities, and identify churn risks. - Real-Time Updates: Ensure contact information, purchase history, and engagement data are always current. #### Benefits: - Boost team efficiency with streamlined workflows. - Deliver personalized experiences that foster loyalty. - Make smarter decisions with predictive data insights. ### Personalized Marketing Campaigns at Scale With AI, you can scale your marketing efforts while keeping them deeply personal. Our platform analyzes customer behavior to create hyper-targeted campaigns. #### Applications: - Segmentation: Group customers based on preferences, demographics, and behaviors for tailored outreach. - Ad Optimization: Use AI to refine ad targeting and maximize ROI on platforms like Google Ads and Facebook. - Email Personalization: Send dynamic emails that adapt content to individual recipients. #### Benefits: - Increase campaign ROI with targeted, data-driven strategies. - Build deeper connections with your audience. - Eliminate the guesswork from marketing efforts. - Automating Repetitive Tasks ### Manual, repetitive tasks drain valuable time and resources. Our AI solutions handle these tasks so your team can focus on what truly matters—building relationships and driving growth. #### Applications: - Appointment Scheduling: Use AI-powered bots to handle bookings and calendar updates. - Customer Support: Chatbots answer FAQs and route complex inquiries to human agents. - Social Media Management: Automate post scheduling, engagement tracking, and performance reporting. #### Benefits: - Free up time for strategic initiatives. - Reduce operational costs by automating low-level tasks. - Ensure consistency and reliability in customer interactions. ## Why Businesses Need AI-Powered Marketing and CRM Tools The business landscape is more competitive than ever, and relying on traditional methods is no longer enough. AI provides a distinct advantage by enabling businesses to: Scale Effectively: Handle larger workloads without hiring additional staff. Stay Competitive: Keep up with (or surpass) competitors who may have larger budgets. Make Data-Driven Decisions: Use actionable insights to refine strategies and achieve better results. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we're at the forefront of integrating AI technologies into marketing and CRM solutions, ensuring our clients have the tools they need to succeed. ## Why Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing? As a leader in digital marketing and CRM development, Fawkes Digital Marketing is uniquely positioned to help businesses harness the power of AI for growth. Here's why we stand out: - Tailored Solutions: We customize our AI tools to meet the specific needs of your business. - Expertise in AI and Marketing: Our team blends deep marketing knowledge with cutting-edge AI expertise. - Commitment to Innovation: We continuously refine our tools to stay ahead of industry trends. - Proven Results: Our clients see measurable improvements in efficiency, engagement, and revenue. ## The Future of AI and Business Growth Artificial General Intelligence represents the future of AI, but the technologies available today are already transforming how businesses operate. By integrating advanced AI solutions into your marketing and CRM strategies, you can stay ahead of the curve, reduce costs, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. With Fawkes Digital Marketing, you don't just keep up—you lead. Let us help you implement the tools and strategies that will define the future of your business. Contact us today to get started! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatisaTechnicalSEOAuditandWhyDoesYourBusinessWebs/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatisaTechnicalSEOAuditandWhyDoesYourBusinessWebs/ If your website is the foundation of your online presence, then **technical SEO** is the structural framework that ensures it performs at its best. A **technical SEO audit** is a comprehensive analysis of your website's backend and technical performance to identify issues that may be hindering its visibility, functionality, or user experience. For businesses looking to stay competitive, a technical SEO audit is essential to improve rankings, drive more organic traffic, and enhance marketing efforts. In this pillar post, we'll explain what a technical SEO audit entails, why it's crucial for your business, and how working with a knowledgeable company can help turn audit findings into actionable improvements that boost your marketing success. ## What is a Technical SEO Audit? A **technical SEO audit** is a detailed examination of a website's technical aspects to ensure it meets search engine standards and provides an optimal user experience. It goes beyond content and keywords, focusing on the elements that help search engines crawl, index, and rank your site effectively. Key Components of a Technical SEO Audit: - **Website Crawlability**: Ensures search engines can access and index your website without barriers, such as broken links or disallowed pages in your robots.txt file. - **Site Architecture**: Examines the structure of your website to ensure logical navigation, proper internal linking, and ease of access for both users and search engines. - **Page Speed and Performance**: Analyzes load times, server response times, and file optimization to ensure your website is fast and efficient. - **Mobile-Friendliness**: Assesses how well your site performs on mobile devices, which is critical given Google's mobile-first indexing policy. - **Indexing Issues**: Checks whether important pages are being indexed by search engines and resolves problems like duplicate content or unintentional no-index tags. - **HTTPS and Security**: Verifies that your website is secure with HTTPS, ensuring data privacy and improving user trust. - **Technical Errors**: Identifies 404 errors, redirect chains, or server issues that may negatively impact user experience and SEO performance. - **Schema Markup**: Evaluates the implementation of structured data to enhance your website's appearance in search results with rich snippets. - **Canonicalization and URL Structure**: Ensures proper use of canonical tags and checks for clean, user-friendly URLs. - **Core Web Vitals**: Measures factors like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) to improve page experience rankings. ## Why Does Your Business Need a Technical SEO Audit? - **Improved Search Engine Rankings**: Search engines like Google prioritize websites that are technically sound. If your website has errors, slow load times, or isn't mobile-friendly, your rankings will suffer. A technical SEO audit identifies these issues and provides solutions to help your site rank higher. - **Better User Experience**: A seamless user experience keeps visitors on your site longer and reduces bounce rates. An audit ensures your site is fast, secure, and easy to navigate, which boosts both user satisfaction and search engine favorability. - **Increased Organic Traffic**: Technical SEO optimizations make your website more accessible and appealing to search engines, resulting in higher visibility and increased organic traffic. - **Future-Proof Your Website**: Search engine algorithms and user expectations change frequently. A technical SEO audit ensures your website stays up-to-date with the latest standards, from mobile-first indexing to Core Web Vitals. - **Maximized ROI on Marketing Efforts**: If your website isn't technically optimized, even the best content and marketing strategies can fall short. By addressing technical issues, you ensure your other marketing efforts—like content marketing and PPC campaigns—achieve their full potential. ## How a Technical SEO Audit Can Improve Your Marketing Efforts A technical SEO audit isn't just about fixing backend issues—it's about enabling your website to become a powerful marketing tool. Here's how: - **Enhanced Content Visibility**: By resolving crawlability and indexing issues, search engines can better discover and rank your content. This means more visibility for blog posts, landing pages, and other resources that drive traffic. - **Better Conversion Rates**: A faster, more secure, and mobile-friendly website provides a better experience for visitors, increasing the likelihood they'll take desired actions, such as making a purchase or contacting your business. - **Integration with Marketing Campaigns**: Technical SEO improvements—like optimized URLs and structured data—ensure that your campaigns (e.g., email marketing, PPC) lead users to high-performing landing pages. - **Insights for Future Strategies**: An audit provides valuable data about your site's strengths and weaknesses. This data can inform future SEO strategies, content creation, and user engagement initiatives. ## Why Partner with a Professional Company for Your Technical SEO Audit? A technical SEO audit is complex, and turning its findings into actionable improvements requires expertise. Here's why partnering with a professional company is essential: - **In-Depth Knowledge and Tools**: Professional SEO companies use advanced tools like SEMrush, Screaming Frog, and Google Search Console to uncover issues that might be missed in a DIY audit. - **Tailored Recommendations**: Experienced professionals understand your industry and target audience, allowing them to provide recommendations that align with your business goals. - **Seamless Implementation**: Auditing is only the first step—fixing issues is where the real value lies. A professional company ensures all technical improvements are implemented correctly, from coding fixes to server optimizations. - **Continuous Monitoring**: SEO isn't a one-and-done process. Partnering with a company ensures your website is regularly monitored, updated, and optimized for long-term success. ## How Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in technical SEO audits that not only identify issues but also provide actionable solutions to enhance your website's performance and marketing success. ### What We Offer: - **Comprehensive Audits**: We analyze every aspect of your website, from crawlability to Core Web Vitals. - **Custom Solutions**: Our recommendations are tailored to your business goals, ensuring meaningful results. - **Expert Implementation**: Our team handles everything from resolving errors to optimizing server performance. - **Ongoing Support**: We provide continuous monitoring and adjustments to keep your site ahead of the competition. By partnering with us, you can focus on running your business while we ensure your website performs at its best. ## Conclusion: The Foundation of a Strong Online Presence A technical SEO audit is the cornerstone of a successful website and marketing strategy. By identifying and resolving technical issues, you can improve search engine rankings, enhance user experience, and maximize the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. ## Ready to elevate your website's performance? [Contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today](/Contact/) to schedule a professional technical SEO audit and take the first step toward online success! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-a-Time-Keeper/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-a-Time-Keeper/ We have heard our customers and what they need through both positive and negative feedback. Negative feedback often is some of the best feedback and organization can hear. It’s not because we want that feedback but because the person believes either in (1) driving traffic away from us as they feel scorned or (2) they deeply believe, like us, in local small business and helping them improve. Not every business will choose the improve process and be themselves scorn. We believe no matter the reason for someone giving positive or negative feedback opens an area for not only self-improvement but company improvement. This is why we have opted to create an entirely new position now rather than waiting months, even years, down the road. We pride ourselves in our customer service and what we’ve learned is that a dedicated person between the customer and the team is necessary for success. A person in this position is an added cost to the company. When our profit margin is $20 for each client we are having to raise our prices but only by the most minimal amount we can. Our current plan customers get no increase as we always price lock them in for their faith in us from the beginning (or when they signed on). We don’t believe like Comcast (Xfinity) of giving you an introductory price and increasing it after a year or more of being a loyal customer. We found that our team needs to focus on “getting things done” but clients also want meetings to go over things and have that person make certain things get done on-time, on-budget, and coordinated well. This has actually thrown a huge wrench into the process as the team at the beginning of the week allocate time to work on all of their projects. Often sitting in a meeting is the time they had allocated for the client which pushes and delays the work being done. This is why we are in the process for a “Time Keeper” who will be this person that acts as the communicator between the client and the team members doing the work. This allows projects to meet deadlines and get the items the client wants completed. This person will make certain all of this happens! That will be their only job which makes for an improved customer experience. So, what does this mean for our current customers, our future customers, and our team at JM2 in Cullman Alabama? These are all great questions and one’s that we will partially answer here in this post and why you also want a “Time Keeper” in your company. The reason we say partially as this is a new role within our company. We’ve defined many of the requirements on the job post at [https://www.jm2marketing.com/Detail/JobPosting/TimeKeeper](https://www.jm2marketing.com/Detail/JobPosting/TimeKeeper) but we know this is only the start as the role will certainly evolve. Let’s start out with what the “Time Keeper” role isn’t. For many they may consider this a project manager role or a customer service role. This role could be seen as a barrier between the one’s doing the work and the client (we call customers clients). Personally, I don’t see this as a barrier but a **check and balance** in the overall system. This person will keep the entire team, including myself (e.g. “The Boss”) in check on all things related to customers. This new role will keep communication at the highest level. ## With all of that what does a day look like for a Time Keeper? The day will start out like it does with many. Starting with emails, then phone calls, and communication. Let’s outline how we see a typical day: - 8:00-8:30 – Check emails, prepare for the meetings for the day - 8:30-12:00 - In-person and/or phone call meetings going through all for current SEO Plan and Social Media Plan customers - This will rarely involve other team members but may require them; again this will be more rare than every time as the core objective is to let the team work - In-person and/or phone call meetings with new clients - Often this will involve the main web developer and other team members that will be working on the project - Any need breaks - Meetings with team members - Entering tasks and assigning it to the appropriate team members - Quality checks of work completed - A single pixel off should be noted to be fixed as that is the level of detail we are looking for - Are manuals created, do they read well, and can someone actually understand them - Asks questions for clarification and **never assumes** - Weekly meeting with the boss (me) that cannot be skipped to go over everything - Recommend ways to - improve the overall processes - improve communication with clients - State what we're doing right - State what we're doing wrong - 12:00-1:00 – Lunch (yes, we let you eat) - 1:00-5:00 – Same as 8:30-12:00 During the meetings a few key things will happen that we have found that many of our clients don’t fully grasp. I consider this a failure on our part in not letting people know all that they get and why starting back when there was snow that we went back to the way we listed our services five years ago. That being in a grid. You can see our new grid at [https://www.jm2marketing.com/Services/SmallBusiness](https://www.jm2marketing.com/Services/SmallBusiness) which lists our three main services that we offer along with a bulleted list of what each plan includes. This communication is crucial as for many they have more available to them then they truly realize. It’s never good when a person says they are unhappy as they were hoping we would do X and we didn’t even know they wanted to do X. That’s where the communication breakdown happens. Often what a client wants they had available but never asked for it. I wish we could read minds but that is just not something we can do (yet – it’s on our to do list – but at the very bottom). Even communication with marketing and branding companies that hire us do so for our web design, search engine optimization or SEO, or social media as they don’t do that themselves. We become their quiet “employee” behind the curtain where any emails come from them with no reference to JM2 at all. Their client we might be working on but they aren’t our client. The marketing and branding company that hired us is the client. What you will notice out of all of this is our “Time Keeper” will definitely be a very well-organized person that is meticulous to detail, that keeps track of their time very closely, and has a true eye for quality. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-eCommerce/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-eCommerce/ What many don't realize is that eCommerce is and has been the fastest growing segment of our Cullman Alabama company for over three years. When you think of a web design and marketing company the thought of eCommerce doesn't seem to be the thought of many. What is more interesting for us is why it isn't. A good eCommerce site requires a beautiful design, software development to make it function the way you want, and a way to market it to the masses. Even those that come into our office for eCommerce don't fully know the core capabilities of what eCommerce provides to a business. They think [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/), [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/), or [Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/) when it comes to online sales but selling is just a very small part of it. Let's take a look and discover what online sales are and why your business needs it. When you want to sell online you need to think about more than providing products and services that people can add to a shopping cart, purchase, and have delivered (electronically or physically). There is an entire science behind eCommerce and it can be used in many ways. As an example, we have one client using eCommerce to purchase walks in nature. You could use a scheduling app for that but this particular client wanted to not be like other companies and also wanted to sell some products and services beyond the nature walks. Putting into an eCommerce met her needs perfectly. - **Mobility** – We're going to start with one area many people think of last and that is being mobile friendly. This is more than just resizing the screen. You need to reduce the amount of annoyances (e.g. popups, screen notifications, etc.) due to the small screen size. You also need to limit the amount of information that is sent to the screen to facilitate even faster load times due to slower speeds. - **Speed** – Talking about slower speeds you need to have a site that loads quickly. A great eCommerce site will have lots of pictures from multiple angles. These images need to not only be optimized for fast loading but have key items like hover effects so you can see deeper details that you can from a smaller screen. - **Multiple stores** – Many times businesses that decide to do retail sales online have multiple locations. Let's say you are a warehouse dealer. You might sell (or rent) items. Your eCommerce solution should allow for both scenarios but also the ability to ship from the closest store, the store with the inventory, allow local pickup, etc. - **Shipping** – Speaking of picking up and shipping you need to be able to automatically tie into UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS, and others to determine the lowest cost to the consumer and give them the option to choose the best option without overwhelming them with more options than they truly need. A key to any type of shipping is to have a packing slip created for every distribution location. If you do drop shipping then each item should be sent to the appropriate drop shipper with the correct packing slip information. - **Vendors & Suppliers** – You might be a consignment shop and want your vendors to log in and maintain their products so that you don't have to maintain all 100,000+ items on your site. This should be an option and not a requirement. - **Configurability** – Speaking of items not being a requirement you should have a ton of control without being overwhelming. Online documentation should be available so that you can figure out what to do in a very short period of time. - **Expandability** – We have clients that have a single item on their site to some with over 10 million products within their eCommerce system. The speed for one product should be the same as that of one with millions. - **Inventory control** – Any good ordering system should be able to keep track of quantities (if you want), allow back ordering, allow shipping of what is in stock and then sending the rest once you are re-stocked. - **Products** – Every product should be able to be assigned to multiple categories, allow ratings and reviews (with approval), security, custom pricing levels, multiple images, weights & dimensions, and return policies. You should be able to cross-sell and recommend other products the person might be interested in. - **Search Engine Optimization or SEO** – Not only should you have search engine optimization for individual products but also for each individual product. - **Social Media Integration** – In today's marketing space you need to think about growing your customer base as efficiently as possible. An easy way to do that allows for sharing on multiple social media outlets, including ones you might not be on. - **Marketing** – Speaking of marketing the system should allow for signing up for a newsletter, ability to send a newsletter either in the system itself or with a program like MailChimp, Constant Contact, etc. The system should have the ability to remind users that have logged in, added items to their cart, and haven't checked out that they have items sitting in their cart. You should be able to have specialized discount codes for everyone or individuals or groups of individuals. - **Checkout** – Speaking of all the above any eCommerce system would not be complete without an easy to use checkout system. You shouldn't ask more questions than needed. You should be able to upsell, provide recommended other products, and more. - **Money** – Building on checkout you should be able to handle and accept money from a multitude of sources. This could be pay on pickup, check, credit cards, [PayPal](https://www.paypal.com/), and more. - **Taxes** – No one likes taxes but the system should make certain you comply with all the latest laws as they change. You should have simple reports so that you can pay the taxes on-time and without overpaying. - **Customer Service** – Any great eCommerce system will allow you to handle all customer service from within the system. This being inquiries, returns (yuck), live chat integration options to help people through the purchasing cycle, and supporting all local laws (e.g. EU cookie law). Beyond that you should be able to easily support multiple languages as part of doing eCommerce is growing beyond your normal sales process. You will now be able to sell items anywhere in the world, if you want to. As you can see eCommerce can do a lot more than allowing the purchasing of products and buying them. You have the capability of running your entire company and getting your good word, your products, and your services out to the masses efficiently and effectively. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-eeat/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-eeat/ In the ever-changing world of SEO, staying ahead means understanding the signals search engines use to evaluate your website. One of the most important concepts in recent years is **E-E-A-T**—an acronym for **Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness**. It plays a crucial role in determining how search engines, particularly Google, rank your content in search results. In this pillar post, we'll break down what E-E-A-T is, how it impacts SEO, and actionable steps businesses can take to leverage it for growth. *** ### **What is E-E-A-T?** E-E-A-T is part of Google's **Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines**, which guide how Google's algorithms evaluate content quality. Each component of E-E-A-T contributes to determining the credibility and relevance of your content to users: 1. **Experience** Does the content demonstrate first-hand or life experience relevant to the topic? For example, a local bakery sharing their personal tips for making sourdough bread would showcase experience. 2. **Expertise** Does the content showcase depth of knowledge or skill in a specific subject? Expertise is crucial for industries like healthcare, finance, and law, where users rely on accurate information. 3. **Authoritativeness** Is the creator or source of the content recognized as a trusted authority in their field? Authority is built through recognition by others in the same industry, citations, and backlinks from credible websites. 4. **Trustworthiness** Can users trust the content, website, and brand? Trust is about transparency, accuracy, and demonstrating that your business operates ethically and reliably. *** ### **Why is E-E-A-T Important for SEO?** Search engines aim to deliver the most reliable, useful, and relevant results to users. E-E-A-T ensures that businesses providing high-quality, authoritative content are prioritized. Here's why focusing on E-E-A-T is critical: - **Improved Search Rankings:** Websites with strong E-E-A-T signals rank higher because they align with Google's goal of delivering valuable content. - **Enhanced User Trust:** Content backed by expertise and experience builds trust with your audience, driving repeat visits and conversions. - **Competitive Edge:** Businesses that invest in E-E-A-T stand out against competitors, particularly in industries like healthcare, finance, and technology, where trust is paramount. - **Future-Proofing Your SEO:** As Google's algorithms evolve, the importance of E-E-A-T continues to grow. Investing in E-E-A-T today ensures long-term SEO stability. *** ### **Industries Where E-E-A-T is Crucial** While E-E-A-T is important for all websites, it is especially critical for **Your Money or Your Life (YMYL)** industries, which impact a user's health, finances, or safety. These include: - Healthcare and Wellness - Financial Services - Legal and Government Information - E-commerce - News and Journalism For example, if you're a local CPA firm providing financial advice, demonstrating your expertise and authority is essential for gaining both user trust and search visibility. *** ### **How Businesses Can Build E-E-A-T** #### **1. Demonstrate Experience** - Publish content that reflects your hands-on experience in your industry. - Use case studies, personal stories, and practical tips that show your business actively applies what it knows. - Include visuals like photos or videos that validate your experience (e.g., a contractor showcasing before-and-after project images). #### **2. Highlight Expertise** - Ensure your content is written or reviewed by experts in your field. - Include author bios with credentials and qualifications to build credibility. - Regularly update content to maintain accuracy, especially for fast-changing industries like finance or healthcare. #### **3. Build Authoritativeness** - Acquire backlinks from authoritative websites in your niche. - Collaborate with industry leaders or influencers to boost your brand's credibility. - Publish guest posts or participate in forums to establish your expertise within your industry. #### **4. Foster Trustworthiness** - Secure your website with HTTPS to ensure data protection. - Display trust signals like customer reviews, testimonials, and third-party certifications. - Provide clear contact information and ensure your business details (e.g., name, address, phone number) are consistent across platforms. - Be transparent about your content's purpose and avoid clickbait or misleading information. *** ### **Practical Steps to Implement E-E-A-T in Your SEO Strategy** #### **Step 1: Audit Your Current Content** - Identify content gaps where you lack clear expertise or trustworthiness. - Rewrite or enhance outdated content to meet E-E-A-T standards. #### **Step 2: Optimize Author Pages** - Include detailed author bios on blog posts, showcasing credentials and achievements. - Link to LinkedIn profiles or professional certifications for added credibility. #### **Step 3: Create High-Quality Content** - Focus on addressing user intent with comprehensive, accurate, and engaging information. - Include citations and sources, especially for factual claims. #### **Step 4: Leverage Local SEO** - For local businesses, claim and optimize your Google Business Profile. - Gather and respond to customer reviews to showcase trust and engagement. #### **Step 5: Monitor Your Reputation** - Use tools like Google Alerts or social listening platforms to track mentions of your brand. - Address negative reviews or misinformation promptly. *** ### **E-E-A-T in Action: A Success Story** Imagine you're a roofing company in Cullman, Alabama. By demonstrating E-E-A-T, you can dominate local search results: - **Experience:** Share personal insights, such as "What We’ve Learned from Installing 1,000+ Roofs in Cullman." - **Expertise:** Publish detailed guides, like "How to Choose the Right Roof for Alabama Weather." - **Authoritativeness:** Get featured in local publications or partner with trusted home improvement blogs. - **Trustworthiness:** Display customer reviews and offer transparent pricing. This approach not only improves rankings but also builds trust, leading to higher conversion rates. *** ### **Why Partner with Fawkes Digital Marketing for E-E-A-T?** At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in helping businesses build strong E-E-A-T signals to dominate search rankings and grow their online presence. Here’s why we’re the go-to SEO agency for Cullman and North Alabama: - We create **expert-driven content** tailored to your industry. - Our team specializes in **reputation management** to enhance trustworthiness. - We ensure your website is optimized for **local and organic SEO**. - With our data-driven approach, we identify and implement strategies that deliver measurable results. *** ### **Final Thoughts** E-E-A-T is no longer optional for SEO—it’s essential. By focusing on experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness, businesses can secure higher rankings, attract loyal customers, and outshine competitors. If you’re ready to elevate your online presence and grow your business, [contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today](/contact/) and let us help you master E-E-A-T. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-needed-for-SEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-needed-for-SEO/ You will hear from people that doing search engine optimization or SEO is hard. It's not. Okay, now that I've put myself out of a job and shut down the company because of it, why do SEO companies even exist? The simple answer is time, education, and knowledge. ## Time Doing SEO takes time. Without the right tools, you are looking at 30-40 hours per month at a minimum. You can get down to only a few hours with the right tools. ## Education Education isn't college like you might think, but spending 1-2 hours per day studying and learning new techniques, reading patents (yes, that's a thing!), and adapting quickly (e.g., being agile). Google comes out with over 1,000 updates (big and small) every year. ## Knowledge Knowledge is part of education. Knowledge is taking the time you spend plus the education and knowing how to do SEO based on following the best practices and considering your industry and what your customers are currently doing. There are areas you can push to grow and others that will hurt your business. ## What is SEO? SEO is a methodology of taking information on your website (e.g., products, services, customer support, etc.) and making it so that you are found and indexed on the search engines. ## Types of SEO ### Organic SEO There are many types of SEO. Rather than a lengthy explanation I've chosen to give you the top bullets covering ORGANIC SEO and paid advertising. - Pro - Best for long-term. - It's "free" as you don't have to pay the search engines. - Majority of people click on the organic listings. - Your website is usually highly optimized to convert and adapt to changing marketing conditions. - When you focus on organic SEO you typically will have better content (not always, but usually). - Con - Slower, and often takes over a year before you really start seeing real long-term results. - You need a long-term strategy and just throwing and seeing what "works" will rarely work. - Not guaranteed. You must always work to get results and adapt to the search engines. - Hard to split-test to see what pages are providing the best results. ### Paid Advertising (PPC) - Pro - Scale as fast as you want (Spend more, get more). - Highly targeted to a specific geographic location. - Day-parting - advertise only during specific days/hours in the day. - Very aggressive with your landing pages (tied to the keyword phrases). - Attracts people better ready to spend money today. - Con - Stop paying, and your traffic stops. - Higher costs, not just in the paid ad cost, but the maintenance of the paid ads. - Short-term results. ## Which is better (Paid versus Organic)? I believe in an omnichannel approach to target the widest range of customers. I believe that you need to first use organic SEO. Once that is set up and running, fill in any gaps in your customers/traffic and augment with paid ads. If you had to choose one and not the other I would always recommend to do paid ads. The reason for this being you can only choose one it means you have no long-term strategy and organic SEO is the marathon to the results that produce commulative results. ## White, Gray, and Black Hat SEO First is what everyone calls "White Hat," which is the biggest misnomer a person can say, as there is no white hat or even gray hat. Only black hat. The search engines state that it is not allowed if you're making any changes on your website to gamify and get top results that you shouldn't do it. Okay, that's a laugh, but they really believe that, and to a degree, we do as well. With that magical statement out of the way, what really are white, gray, and black hat SEO techniques? ### White Hat SEO You do everything within the happy areas of SEO. You set proper title tags that are not filled with spammy keywords. You put descriptions on the page that match the content of the page. Every page has one H1 (header tag -- the cover of a book), multiple H2's (chapters of a book), and then H3 to H6 (in order) on the site to help users (as needed). This is definitely the safest of any method. Often you do nothing and "hope" they come, that you've created lightning in a bottle, and you make your millions just by sitting back and enjoying the show. ### Gray Hat SEO You like to push your limits but will do things you know that will likely not get you penalized by the search engines. If you are penalized, it is reasonably easy to correct. We like to think of this as the 80/20 rule, where 80% of what you do is white hat, and 20% is where you push the limits in the hope that they become white hat as they are not dishonest but not fully supported. Examples are creating backlinks on sites. You usually would on places like the white/yellow pages as they are safe, social media, etc. The areas that become more questionable are blogging sites and sites not related to your industry. Businesses do this as backlinks are a ranking factor. This is where almost every SEO company lives. We utilize software to help us automate as much as we can, we look at the data, we adjust, and we repeat. How fast the needle moves comes to how much time is done on your digital marketing. ### Black Hat SEO You love hearing the latest ways of gamifying search engines to win out over everyone. If you feel it will give you a "quick win," you do it no matter the consequences. You're not opposed to being penalized by search engines. Examples that are routinely done are pages on your site and blogging sites that are generic and filled with spam words. You will see an immediate boost almost always, and that is why many do it. When doing black hat SEO, you have to consider this a short-term win with long-term consequences. ## Conclusion Your business needs SEO to get reliable results on search engines. By focusing on the search engines, you are developing a long-term strategy for growth and success. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-online-marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-online-marketing/ When the public started using the Internet back in 1995 online marketing was truly born. As each person came onto the Internet online marketing became more important. Today you will hear of many ways and solutions for what online marketing is. Who is right and what is the right way to do online marketing? We will cover what the top six items are and what the "real answer" truly is. ## Web Having a beautiful website that is responsive so that it works well on desktop, tablet and mobile devices. The website needs to be easy to use, help your visitor solve their current problem, and inform them and make them want to purchase from you. ## Blogs A blog will solve all of your problems. It really will (not!). A blog is a way of adding content to your site, showing your expertise, and keeping your content fresh and relevant for your customers. A blog is routinely tied with a website to get people to look at your other products and services after reading and seeing that you are an expert in your field. ## SEO The next group you will hear, which is often combined with your website is SEO or search engine optimization. This is a set of techniques to get your information as close to the top of the search engines as possible; preferably on page one. ## PPC PPC is part of SEO but completely different. PPC is Pay-Per-Click where you pay to be at the top of the search engine pages or on the right side of the results (depending upon the search engine). Here you bid for a set of words/phrases to be found under. ## Email Marketing When it comes to marketing nothing beats good old fashion email. The average consumer receives 147 emails per DAY. You don't receive that many? Well consider yourself lucky. We have some test accounts to see and "catch spammers" and some receive over 300 per day. Email marketing is a great way to bring in visitors to your business and any business marketing needs to have this as part of it's arsenal. ## Social Media Social media is the biggest place you will here and that it is ALL you will need. After all everyone is on social media and there is no need for a website. When it comes to finding businesses online social media is not king. Content from your website is king and Google, Bing and Yahoo help people find content on websites that are mobile optimized, have fast load times, and are places that people want to go to. Social media alone sounds like an easy path but the easy path is not always the best path to follow when it comes to growing your business. ## Other / Offline Marketing Then we have text marketing, flyers newspaper ads, radio ads, commercials and word of mouth. These are also valid ways to market and get your good word out to the mainstream public. ## So from all the above which one is right? Well, actually, it is all of them! What?!?!?!?! You are crazy. That will not only cost a fortune but take a lot of work. That may be so and growing up we always knew that to achieve greatness you can't just do a half a job. You need to work hard and do a complete job for success. When we work with or clients each is a piece of the puzzle but not the edges of the puzzle. These pieces are the inside pieces that fits together. What is needed for the highest level of success is a clear marketing strategy that uses all of the techniques above and establishes procedures, synergies and strategies to accomplish your business goals and objectives. ## Conclusion Don't do just one of the above items without having a clear strategy for success. With a strategy that covers all of the items above you will be able to truly succeed online. Do you need an effective marketing strategy from a company that has proven itself in the online space? Then JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman (Valpo) Alabama is the company for you. Give us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593), [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [contact us through our online form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-on-page-seo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-on-page-seo/ In today’s digital world, having a website is essential for any business. However, simply having a website isn’t enough—you need to make sure your site ranks well on search engines like Google. That’s where **on-page SEO** comes in. For Alabama businesses looking to attract customers from Huntsville to Mobile, mastering on-page SEO can help you gain a competitive edge. In this blog post, we’ll explain what on-page SEO is, why it matters, and how you can use it to grow your business and dominate search rankings across Alabama. *** ## What is On-Page SEO? On-page SEO refers to the optimization of individual web pages to rank higher in search engine results and drive organic traffic. It involves improving both the content and the HTML source code of a page to make it more search-engine friendly. Key components of on-page SEO include: - High-quality, relevant content - Optimized title tags and meta descriptions - Strategic keyword usage - Proper header structure - Internal linking - Mobile-friendliness - Fast page loading speeds In short, on-page SEO is about making your website appealing to both search engines and users. *** ## Why Does On-Page SEO Matter for Alabama Businesses? For businesses in Alabama, on-page SEO is a crucial investment because: 1. **Local Competition is Growing:** Whether you’re a boutique in Birmingham or a restaurant in Montgomery, having strong on-page SEO ensures your business stands out in a crowded local market. 2. **Search Engines Drive Traffic:** Studies show that **68% of all online experiences start with a search engine**, and 75% of users never scroll past the first page of results. On-page SEO helps your business appear at the top of search results, making it easier for potential customers to find you. 3. **Local Searches Lead to Sales:** Nearly **46% of all Google searches** are for local businesses. With optimized on-page SEO, you can capture searches like "best coffee shop in Mobile" or "HVAC services near Huntsville," driving local customers to your business. 4. **Improves User Experience:** On-page SEO makes your website faster, easier to navigate, and more mobile-friendly, which keeps visitors on your site longer and increases the likelihood of a conversion. *** ## Key On-Page SEO Elements to Focus On ### 1. High-Quality Content Content is the backbone of on-page SEO. For Alabama businesses, this means creating content that’s: - **Relevant:** Address the needs of your audience. For example, a roofing company in Birmingham might create a blog titled **"How to Protect Your Roof During Alabama’s Storm Season."** - **Valuable:** Provide actionable insights or solutions to common problems. - **Optimized for Keywords:** Use terms your audience is searching for, like **"affordable plumbing services in Montgomery."** *** ### 2. Keyword Optimization Keywords are the phrases people type into search engines. To optimize for Alabama-specific searches: - Conduct keyword research using tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush. - Focus on local keywords, such as **"best BBQ in Tuscaloosa"** or **"reliable electricians in Auburn."** - Place keywords strategically in: - Title tags - Meta descriptions - Headers (H1, H2, H3) - Body text - Image alt text Example: If you’re a florist in Huntsville, your homepage title tag could read: **"Huntsville Florist | Fresh Flowers for All Occasions"** *** ### 3. Title Tags and Meta Descriptions These HTML elements summarize your page’s content and appear in search engine results. - **Title Tag:** Keep it under 60 characters and include your primary keyword. - **Meta Description:** Use up to 160 characters to provide a compelling reason for users to click on your page. Example for a Tuscaloosa bakery: **Title:** "Tuscaloosa’s Best Bakery | Fresh Cakes and Pastries Daily" **Meta Description:** "Looking for delicious baked goods in Tuscaloosa? Visit [Bakery Name] for fresh cakes, pastries, and bread. Stop by today!" *** ### 4. Header Structure Use headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to organize your content and make it easy to read. Each page should have: - One **H1** tag that describes the main topic. - Subheadings (H2, H3) to break content into sections. For example, a page about pest control in Montgomery might use: - **H1:** "Top Pest Control Services in Montgomery, AL" - **H2:** "Common Pests in Alabama Homes" - **H2:** "Why Choose Our Pest Control Services?" *** ### 5. Mobile-Friendliness With over **60% of web traffic** coming from mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly website is non-negotiable. Use Google’s **Mobile-Friendly Test** to ensure your site adapts well to smartphones and tablets. *** ### 6. Fast Page Load Speeds Search engines prioritize fast-loading websites. Compress images, use caching, and minimize code to ensure your site loads in under **3 seconds**. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help identify speed issues. *** ### 7. Internal Linking Internal links guide users to other pages on your website and help search engines understand your site’s structure. For example: - A law firm in Birmingham could link a blog about **"How to File for Divorce in Alabama"** to its services page for **"Family Law Attorneys in Birmingham."** *** ## How to Get Started with On-Page SEO for Your Alabama Business 1. **Audit Your Website:** Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to identify on-page SEO issues such as broken links, missing meta tags, or slow-loading pages. 2. **Optimize Key Pages:** Focus on your homepage, service pages, and any other high-priority content. 3. **Create Local Content:** Develop blog posts or service pages targeting Alabama-specific keywords. Examples: - "Top 10 HVAC Maintenance Tips for Alabama Summers" - "Best Family-Friendly Restaurants in Montgomery" 4. **Track Your Progress:** Use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor your site’s traffic and rankings. *** ## FAQs About On-Page SEO ### 1. How Long Does It Take to See Results? On-page SEO improvements can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to show noticeable results, depending on competition and search engine indexing. ### 2. Is On-Page SEO Expensive? No! While professional SEO services can be an investment, many on-page SEO tasks—like optimizing content and adding internal links—can be done in-house. ### 3. Can I Do On-Page SEO Myself? Yes! With tools like Yoast SEO (for WordPress) and free guides from Google, you can start improving your site’s on-page SEO today. *** ## Why On-Page SEO Matters for Alabama Businesses For businesses in Alabama, on-page SEO ensures you stay competitive in a digital-first world. Whether you’re a small business in Tuscaloosa or a growing company in Huntsville, optimizing your website can: - Attract more local customers - Improve user experience - Increase revenue through organic traffic *** ## Final Thoughts On-page SEO is an essential tool for any Alabama business looking to grow its online presence. By focusing on high-quality content, local keywords, and user-friendly design, you can boost your website’s rankings and connect with customers across the state. Ready to improve your website and attract more customers? Start optimizing your on-page SEO today! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-organic-seo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-organic-seo/ As soon as I say, "organic SEO" or "organic search engine optimization," I always get a "deer in the headlights look." Many are aware of what paid advertising is or PPC, but what is this "organic" stuff. Let's look at what organic is and why it should be the foundational element of what you need for your online marketing strategy, even if you use paid advertising. ## Paid Advertising Paid Advertising is easy for people to understand. Paid advertising means you give your physical dollars to a business-like Google or Facebook to place ads based on the targeting criteria you set (e.g., age, location, income level, gender, start/end dates, etc.). You get instant gratification in that you can be up and running in a few hours from when you start. ## Organic Search Organic advertising is "free" advertising, and it is ultimately free but will still cost you your physical dollars or time. Organic advertising is where you push yourself to be on page one of Google, Bing, and other search engines. Organic advertising is search engine optimization or SEO. You will hear it called organic SEO as you are not paying a company like Google or Facebook to advertise for you. You have to "work for it." ## What is a search engine results page (SERP)? When you search on Google, you will notice the first and last 2-3 items on a page have the words "AD" to the right of the titles. This means someone is paying for them to show. They are trying to entice you to click on their results rather than the other results. This is pay-to-play. According to [Backlinko](https://backlinko.com/), "We found that 19% of Google users click on a Google ad. And that only 4% click on multiple ads during the same search session." With this knowledge, that means 81% click on the organic results. Over time, people further skip the paid results as they learn that they most desire organic results. **Source**: [https://backlinko.com/google-user-behavior](https://backlinko.com/google-user-behavior) The remaining results on the page are the organic, or free, results. These are the results that Google has found on the internet, and I believe they best fit your search criteria. The reason for this is the information is created to address the question you are asking. ## So how can organic be free yet cost me money? This is always the most challenging part to answer as the core focus for us as a company is explaining organic SEO as it has the best long-term benefits. There is nothing in life that is free. Organic SEO is the same way. The keys to organic SEO are: - You have to have content created. - You need to create content consistently. - You need to have some pillar posts or posts that are several thousand words long. - You need to write the content to include the keyword phrases (e.g., lawyers near me, medical doctors in St John Alabama, etc.). As you can see, this information isn't magically creating itself. Either you, your marketing agency or a combination will need to create content. Whether you pay someone physical dollars or take the time to write the content consistently yourself, organic SEO costs you money. Your time has a price as writing the content takes you away from other business growth opportunities. ## Is organic truly the best there is? Yes. Okay, let's expand upon that. You will remember earlier I said you couldn't get anything for free. Yet, with organic SEO, you do. Yes, it costs you upfront. You need to adjust your website constantly for the changes Google brings out each year. It would help if you went back edit to keep the information relevant and fresh. The more content you create for your website, the more you will notice a compounding effect that makes your information appear more organically within the search results. ## Can I create too much content? You can create too much content on a specific topic. If you write a dozen articles on just "organic advertising," you could end up competing against yourself and lower your chances of hitting page one. ## Keys Tips for Organic SEO - We use these tips whenever we write content for ourselves or our clients. - Figure out what keyword phrases you want to target. Ideally, you will write for just one keyword phrase. Only do one or two per article. - You will write for 8th or 9th-grade reading level. - You will not write for the search engines but your audience. The search engines actually "read" your web page as they see it for your users. Just as they look over the site layout for usability, they read as if they were human (pretty scary, I know). - Make your content "evergreen." This means you don't mention events or dates in your articles so that the post can last the test of time. - Article URL - The article URL should contain your targeted keyword phrase. - Article Page Title - Include your target keyword phrase. - Be enticing without being misleading. - Keep the title between 60-70 characters in length. - Article Description - The description should be between 180-200 characters in length. - Images - Have at least one image and the alternate text (text the search engine sees) that is descriptive and informative. This information is not for you. It's for the search engine so it knows the true context of the image and people with disabilities that they know what the image is. - Optimize the size of your images so that they are small. We try to make all images WEBP which is the image format from Google that is optimized to load fast. - Bad alternate text examples: - [blank] - you put nothing in - alternate text description super long - Good example: food - Great example: salmon dinner with mashed potatoes and asparagus. - Optimize your article title that is displayed and each section within the article. - Website - Fast - Your pages should load in 3 seconds or less, preferably less. - Your webpage should be loaded securely (e.g., https:// and not http://). - Your website should be mobile-friendly. ## Conclusion Don't forget paid advertising but do not make it your priority. Use it to complement. We use paid advertising in 3–4-month chunks to get a business noticed in a new area. We are focused on creating and building organic SEO content for that area during this time. We can then get rid of paid advertising and save our client's businesses money. You can get away without doing paid advertising if you have time, which we love more as it gives us more funds to create organic content. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-pillar-content/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-pillar-content/ In the world of content marketing, creating high-quality blog articles is a must for attracting and engaging your audience. However, not all blog articles are created equal. One of the most effective strategies for building a robust content strategy is to incorporate **pillar blog articles** alongside **regular blog articles**. But what exactly is the difference between the two, and how can each contribute to your content marketing goals? This pillar post will break down the distinctions between **pillar blog articles** and **regular blog articles**, their respective purposes, and how they work together to improve your website’s SEO and provide value to your audience. *** ## **What is a Pillar Blog Article?** A **pillar blog article**, also known as a **pillar page**, is a comprehensive and in-depth piece of content that serves as the foundation for a specific topic on your website. It acts as a central hub for related content, covering the main topic in detail while linking to related, more focused articles (often called cluster content). ### **Characteristics of a Pillar Blog Article:** 1. **Comprehensive Coverage:** - Explores a broad topic in great depth, answering all major questions related to it. - Provides value for both beginners and experts in your audience. 2. **High Word Count:** - Typically longer than a regular blog article, ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 words or more. 3. **Organized Structure:** - Uses clear headings, subheadings, bullet points, and tables of contents to make it easy to navigate. 4. **Internal Linking:** - Links to supporting regular blog articles that delve deeper into specific subtopics. - Encourages users to explore more content on your website. 5. **SEO Optimization:** - Targets high-level, competitive keywords to establish your authority on the topic. ### **Purpose of a Pillar Blog Article:** - Acts as a central resource for a specific topic. - Improves search engine rankings for competitive keywords. - Encourages visitors to stay longer on your site by exploring related content. - Establishes your website as an authoritative source in your niche. *** ## **What is a Regular Blog Article?** A **regular blog article**, often called a **cluster article** in the context of content hubs, focuses on a specific subtopic or question. These articles provide more detailed information about one aspect of the broader topic covered by a pillar article. ### **Characteristics of a Regular Blog Article:** 1. **Focused Content:** - Concentrates on a single topic or question, such as “How to Optimize Your Website for Local SEO.” 2. **Shorter Word Count:** - Generally shorter than pillar articles, ranging from 600 to 1,500 words. 3. **Narrow Scope:** - Explores a specific aspect of the larger topic introduced by the pillar article. 4. **Internal Linking:** - Links back to the pillar article and potentially to other related blog posts. 5. **SEO Optimization:** - Targets long-tail keywords with lower competition but high relevance. ### **Purpose of a Regular Blog Article:** - Provides in-depth answers to specific questions or problems. - Supports the pillar article by linking back to it and contributing to the overall content structure. - Attracts traffic from targeted, specific search queries. *** ## **Key Differences Between Pillar Blog Articles and Regular Blog Articles** | **Aspect** | **Pillar Blog Article** | **Regular Blog Article** | |---------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------| | **Content Depth** | Comprehensive and broad coverage | Narrow and specific focus | | **Length** | Longer (2,000–5,000+ words) | Shorter (600–1,500 words) | | **Purpose** | Serves as a central resource for a topic | Answers specific questions or explores subtopics | | **SEO Target** | Competitive, high-level keywords | Long-tail, niche-specific keywords | | **Structure** | Central hub linking to related articles | Supports the pillar article with focused insights | | **Audience** | Appeals to both beginners and advanced users | Appeals to users seeking specific information | | **Internal Linking** | Links to related cluster articles | Links to the pillar article and potentially other blogs | | **Frequency** | Fewer but strategically important | Published more frequently to complement pillar content | *** ## **How Pillar and Regular Blog Articles Work Together** To create a successful content strategy, it’s crucial to use both **pillar blog articles** and **regular blog articles** in tandem. This is often referred to as the **topic cluster model**, where the pillar article serves as the main hub, and regular articles act as supporting spokes. ### **Example:** - **Pillar Blog Article:** - **“The Ultimate Guide to SEO”** - Covers everything about SEO, including on-page SEO, off-page SEO, local SEO, and technical SEO. - **Regular Blog Articles (Cluster Content):** - “How to Optimize Your Website for On-Page SEO” - “Building High-Quality Backlinks for Off-Page SEO” - “The Importance of Local SEO for Small Businesses” - “Understanding Core Web Vitals in Technical SEO” ### **Benefits of Combining Pillar and Regular Blog Articles:** 1. **Improved SEO:** - Interlinking creates a strong content structure that helps search engines understand your website’s expertise. - Pillar articles rank for broad terms, while regular articles capture specific search queries. 2. **Enhanced User Experience:** - Visitors can easily navigate between related articles, staying longer on your site. 3. **Establish Authority:** - Comprehensive content clusters position your website as an industry leader. 4. **Drive Traffic:** - Attract a mix of high-volume and targeted traffic through keyword-optimized content. *** ## **Which Does Your Business Need?** ### **When to Use Pillar Blog Articles:** - When building foundational content for your website. - When you want to establish authority on a competitive topic. - When targeting high-level keywords to attract broad traffic. ### **When to Use Regular Blog Articles:** - When diving into specific aspects of your core topics. - When targeting niche audiences with detailed answers or how-tos. - When looking to supplement pillar articles and create a robust content cluster. ### **For Maximum Impact:** - Start with a few well-researched pillar blog articles to establish your topic clusters. - Regularly publish related blog articles to keep your content fresh and build internal links that strengthen your SEO. *** ## **How Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help** At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in creating comprehensive content strategies that leverage both pillar blog articles and regular blog articles to maximize your online presence. Our approach ensures that your website ranks well in search engines while delivering valuable, engaging content to your audience. ### **What We Offer:** - **Pillar Content Creation:** In-depth, high-quality articles designed to rank for competitive keywords and serve as central resources. - **Cluster Content Writing:** Supporting blog articles that drive targeted traffic and reinforce your pillar pages. - **SEO Optimization:** Keyword research, internal linking strategies, and metadata optimization to improve visibility. - **Content Strategy Development:** A roadmap to align your pillar and regular articles for long-term success. *** ## **Conclusion: Pillar vs. Regular Blog Articles** Understanding the difference between **pillar blog articles** and **regular blog articles** is key to creating a successful content marketing strategy. Pillar articles provide a comprehensive foundation, while regular articles dive deeper into specific topics, working together to boost your SEO, engage your audience, and drive traffic to your site. **Ready to elevate your content strategy?** Contact **Fawkes Digital Marketing** today and let us help you create a content plan that builds authority, ranks higher, and delivers measurable results! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-schema-markup/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-schema-markup/ If you're a business owner in Alabama, you've likely heard about strategies like SEO and digital marketing. But there's one powerful tool many businesses overlook: **schema markup**. This behind-the-scenes technology can dramatically improve how your website appears on search engines, making it easier for Alabama customers to find and engage with your business. In this blog post, we'll break down what schema markup is, why it matters, and how it can benefit your business—whether you're in Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery, or anywhere in Alabama. *** ## What is Schema Markup? Schema markup is a type of code (structured data) you add to your website to help search engines understand your content better. It uses a specific vocabulary recognized by Google, Bing, and other search engines to categorize and present information in a more detailed and attractive way. For example, schema can help display: - Business hours - Customer reviews - Event dates and locations - Product prices and availability This structured data enables search engines to display rich snippets, which are enhanced search results that stand out more than standard listings. ### Example of a Standard Listing vs. a Rich Snippet: **Without Schema Markup:** ` John's BBQ | Best BBQ in Montgomery johnsbbq.com Home of Alabama's finest BBQ! Visit us today. ` **With Schema Markup:** ` John's BBQ | Best BBQ in Montgomery ????? 4.8/5 (200 reviews) | $$ | Opens at 11 AM ` Rich snippets provide more details that draw attention and encourage clicks. *** ## Why is Schema Markup Important for Alabama Businesses? 1. **Stand Out in Local Searches** Alabama customers often search for businesses using phrases like "near me" or specific city names. Schema markup helps you rank higher in local searches by making it clear what services you offer and where you're located. 2. **Boost Click-Through Rates (CTR)** Enhanced search results with rich snippets are more likely to attract clicks. Whether you're a restaurant in Mobile or a boutique in Tuscaloosa, schema markup helps you grab attention on crowded search engine results pages (SERPs). 3. **Improve Voice Search Results** Voice search is becoming increasingly popular. Schema markup helps search engines provide accurate answers when people use voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant. For example: - User query: "What's the best coffee shop in Huntsville?" - Schema-enabled result: "Joe's Coffee House, rated 4.9 stars, located on Main Street, Huntsville." 4. **Drive More Foot Traffic and Leads** Schema markup highlights essential details like business hours, contact information, and directions, making it easier for Alabama customers to visit your location or contact you directly. *** ## Types of Schema Markup Every Alabama Business Should Use ### 1. Local Business Schema This schema provides search engines with detailed information about your business, including: - Name - Address - Phone number - Hours of operation - Website URL **Why It's Essential for Alabama Businesses:** Local schema ensures your business appears in local search results, Google Maps, and "near me" searches. ### 2. Review Schema Showcase your customer reviews directly in search results with star ratings. **Example:** - "????? 4.8/5 based on 250 reviews" **Why It's Important:** Positive reviews build trust and encourage Alabama customers to choose your business over competitors. ### 3. Event Schema For businesses hosting events, this schema displays event details like date, time, and location. **Why It's Helpful:** If you're hosting a concert in Birmingham or a workshop in Montgomery, event schema makes it easy for customers to discover and attend. ### 4. Product Schema For e-commerce businesses, product schema shows pricing, availability, and customer ratings. **Why It Matters:** Product schema helps your products stand out on platforms like Google Shopping, increasing online sales. ### 5. FAQ Schema This schema allows frequently asked questions to appear directly in search results. **Example:** **Q:** What are your hours? **A:** We're open Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM. **Why It's Useful:** FAQ schema improves your visibility and provides instant answers to customer queries. *** ## How to Add Schema Markup to Your Website 1. **Use Google's Structured Data Markup Helper** Google offers a free tool to help you create schema markup for your website. Simply input your page URL and select the type of schema you want to add. 2. **Integrate Schema with Plugins (For WordPress Users)** If you use WordPress, plugins like **Yoast SEO** or **Schema Pro** can automate the process of adding schema markup. 3. **Manually Add JSON-LD Code** JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is the most common format for schema markup. Below is an example for a local business in Alabama: ```json ``` 4. **Test Your Schema** Use Google's **Rich Results Test** or **Schema Markup Validator** to ensure your code is error-free. *** ## FAQs About Schema Markup for Alabama Businesses ### 1. Is Schema Markup Required for My Website? No, but it significantly improves your chances of ranking higher and attracting more clicks in search results. ### 2. How Long Does It Take for Schema Changes to Show Up? Once added, search engines can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to reflect schema changes. ### 3. Can I Use Schema for Multiple Locations? Yes! If you have locations across Alabama (e.g., in Birmingham and Mobile), you can create separate schema for each location. ### 4. Does Schema Help with Voice Search? Absolutely! Schema markup makes it easier for voice assistants to pull detailed, accurate information about your business. *** ## Benefits of Schema Markup for Alabama Businesses 1. **Higher Visibility in Local Searches:** Stand out in searches for terms like "best BBQ in Montgomery" or "HVAC services near Huntsville." 2. **More Clicks and Engagement:** Rich snippets encourage more users to click on your website. 3. **Improved Credibility:** Displaying reviews and ratings builds trust with potential customers. 4. **Enhanced Mobile and Voice Search Results:** Make it easier for on-the-go customers to find and interact with your business. 5. **Better SEO Performance:** While schema isn't a direct ranking factor, it helps search engines better understand your content, which can lead to higher rankings. *** ## Final Thoughts Schema markup is a game-changer for businesses across Alabama. Whether you're running a small boutique in Tuscaloosa, a restaurant in Mobile, or an auto repair shop in Montgomery, schema markup can help your business stand out online and attract more customers. By leveraging structured data to improve your visibility, you'll not only rank higher in search results but also provide a better experience for potential customers. If you haven't added schema markup to your website yet, now is the time to start! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatIsSearchEngineOptimization/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatIsSearchEngineOptimization/ There are easy and hard ways to answer questions. Today we are going to answer "What is Search Engine Optimization?" It seems to always be attached directly or indirectly to "Why do I need it?" or "Why does it cost so much?" ## What it is Search Engine Optimization or SEO is the simple activity of making the information on your website can be found (findable by the Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.) for the words and phrases relevant to the content of your website. SEO is a business process that all businesses need and is hard to understand. SEO is about more than just **bolding**, underlining or *italicizing* text. Pages need proper headings and sub-headings to pages, content that is not only readable by a person without seeming like "spam" but written in a way that is also well understood by computer algorithms. ## Why you need it A good SEO company will never guarantee results and one that says they can you need to run from! We can’t say that enough. The exception is unless they are Google and say they can guarantee you a position on Google then there is no way to guarantee a position. When you venture into the realm of SEO what an SEO company does, or yourself if you opt to do the work yourself, is to modify your website in a way that you rank well. Unless you pay money for your phrases you won’t be in positions 1, 2 or 3 as these are paid spots. The spots we always shoot for is positions 1, 2, and 3 of what is called "organic search". Organic search is where you don’t pay Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. Rather you put good, high-quality, content on your site in a manner that is formatted according to the latest search engine standards. ## Why it costs and how it pays The cost is due to there being a lot of labor to achieve your goals. To keep this simple we will outline the basics for a typical small to mid-size business website. As more pages, updates, and changes are done on a site the amount of time increases which leads to higher costs. Any good SEO plan will do at a minimum the following for you. 1. **Survey**. Every project that we start with it is to gain an understanding of not only your business but also your goals, ambitions for your site, current and past marketing plans, who your competitors are, and what you feel would result in a successful SEO campaign. 2. **Expectations**. We find many times that the expectations are misinformed either because of past dealings with SEO companies or expecting a miracle cure for their website woes. We always work with our customers to communicate and make certain that we all have realistic objectives and goals to gauge the success of the SEO campaign. 3. **Evaluate**. Listing the items the current site is doing correctly and the items that are not helping your site achieve the desired results. 4. **Recommend**. Going into an SEO campaign we know that something isn’t right or you wouldn’t be looking to improve your search engine rankings. The recommendation stage is critical as this is where we truly start working together in formulating an online marketing campaign to make your business succeed based on the previous items we’ve talked about. A lot of the "magic" of SEO happens where most people don’t see. Many sites we’ve taken over do have good content. It can be improved upon with a great copywriter which will help achieve the results that you are wanting. The behind the scene magic though is what is truly the holy grail of SEO. You have page titles, descriptions that the search engines use, keyword phrases (not one or two words but phrases you’d type into the search engines), and tags that tie into social media. ## Conclusion In keeping with keeping things simple the one item we ask of all of our customers is to "ask questions". Don’t stay quiet and then wonder why things aren’t working. When we establish a business relationship we love to communicate with you as it lets us know what your expectations are and allows us to give you information that you can understand for a true online marketing success story. If you would like a *free* consultation, or better yet to start the process now we would love to talk with you about your online marketing needs. Give us a call (855) 456-2669 or [email us here at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatIsSeoAnyway/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatIsSeoAnyway/ SEO is search engine optimization. This is the practice of being found organically (non-paid) on the search engine result pages. Now saying non-paid can be a questionable topic. It can be free if you do it yourself. If you pay a company, like JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman Alabama, then you are paying for SEO. When you here that SEO is for being found organically and not paid it means that you are not paying the individual search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.) to be shown in their paid listings. You are striving to be found because of your great content. Content after all is king when it comes to a great SEO strategy. ## SEO is a Discipline Digital Marketing is a marketing discipline where you strive to increase your search engine results in organic ways to be found at the highest possible spot within the SERPs (search engine result pages). SEO when done well will improve your rankings on the SERPs, drive traffic, and increase the awareness of your company brand. ## Let's Talk Bad First There are techniques to bump your rankings within the search engines quickly. Do not do this! Let's say that again: Do not do this! When you try to circumvent or cheat the system you will move up quickly. The problem with this is you stand a chance, a very good chance, you will be penalized and as quickly as you moved up move down and years later still struggle to get your position back. These techniques are called “black hat” techniques and are something you need to stay 100% away from. No one can guarantee a position one on page one spot. **Story**: There was a client that we had that we had on page 1, position 1. All legit. They then turned and did some black hat techniques. The first month their new keyword phrases put them on page one. The next month they dropped to page ten. That's right from 1 to 10. It has been two years now and they still have yet to reach page 1 and are as of the writing of this article on page 2 (half way down). ## The SEO Process Our next takeaway for SEO is that this is a process. There is no ultimate secret on how to instant results. You need to think of SEO as a marathon and not a short sprint. This is a process that should go on with no end. The ultimate lesson out of this entire article is that “SEO is not about building a website that is optimized for the search engines. The search engines are extremely smart and can figure out what your intent is. The key to the entire SEO process is to build your website for people and not the computer.” ## Can I do SEO myself? We are asked this all the time and the answer is truly yes. SEO is a complex beast but something any business can do if you take the time and are diligent in doing it. Most of our clients that do it themselves learn about it from articles like this one. A small amount of knowledge, patience (this doesn't happen overnight), willingness to learn, commitment, and a dedication to your site visitors you can have a good SEO experience for your clients. ## Should I outsource my SEO? We would love to answer with just a yes and to come to us. That isn't necessarily the case. Many businesses are not busy (yet) taking care of clients and have the available time to achieve a good SEO strategy. For those that are currently busy or do not have the inclination to learn, stay up-to-date, etc. on the current search engine recommendations then you should outsource your SEO. This will allow you to grow your business while your SEO company promotes and pushes your online exposure. ## Keywords Even if you do decide to outsource your SEO we strongly recommend that you be familiar with common keywords you will be hearing. We have the most common that you will hear and a brief description of them. - **301 Redirect** - Method of redirecting an old webpage to a new location. More simply, to display another web page for the web address that you are trying to visit. 301 implies that the move is permanent (as opposed to temporary, etc.) - **Alt Tag** - An HTML attribute typically used within the IMG tag to provide alternate text when images cannot be displayed. - **Anchor Tag** - An HTML tag that allows you to create a link to another document or web page or to a bookmark within the current web page. - **Backlink** - Links originating from one website and pointing to another website or web page. - **Blog** - "Web Log". An online journal of sorts. - **Bot** - Programs written to scour the web automatically for various reasons (to index web pages, for spamming purposes, etc.) aka web robots, web crawlers, internet bots, spiders. - **Cloaking** - Showing a different web page to a search engine spider than what is normally seen. Method typically used by spammers. - **Conversion** - Web traffic that fulfills a pre-established goal, such as purchasing of a specific product or filling out a registration form, etc. - **CSS** - Cascading Style Sheets. A language used to describe how a given page or web site will look. Used to control font styles, graphical layouts, color, etc. - **Keywords** - Words that are used by search engines to determine the topic of a given web page. - **Keyword Density** - How often a keyword or keyword phrase is used on a given web page. - **Landing Page** - A content-rich web page geared around a particular topic, product or conversion goal. Typically, a main navigation item of a website. - **Meta Data / Meta Tags** - Web page specific, descriptive information that helps a search engine identify the purpose and topic of a given web page. Common meta data include a web page's description and keyword listing. - **Organic Search** - Search results in a search engine that are not paid advertisements. The results that come up naturally based on their indexing within a search engine. Organic search results are good. We all want to come up on top for organic searches using keywords we are optimized for. For example, searching for "Northwest Alabama Web Design" will return this website in organic search results. - **Reciprocal Link** - The practice of placing a link from website A to website B strictly because website B is linking to website A. I scratch your back, you scratch my back. - **Search Engine** - Web site whose function is to help users find web pages on any given searched topic. - **SEM** - Search Engine Marketing. The act of marketing a website via search engines, whether this be improving rank in organic listings, purchasing paid listings or a combination of these and other search engine-related activities. - **SEO** - Search Engine Optimization. The act of altering a web site so that it does well in organic listings of search engines. - **SERP** - Search Engine Results Page. The listing of web pages that a search engine shows a user once they've entered a search value. - **Spider** - Programs written to scour the web automatically for various reasons (to index web pages, for spamming purposes, etc.) aka web robots, web crawlers, bots, internet bots. - **Splash Page** - Typically an introductory web page (first page seen by a web surfer) that is graphics-heavy. Meant for attention-grabbing purposes only. Not rich in content (if any). Eye candy. - **Title Tag** - A meta data element that determines the actual "title" of a given webpage. The title is what shows up in the top bar of your browser. It is also the hyperlink that shows in search engine results listings. - **White Hat SEO** - The use of accepted SEO practices in order to get higher rankings, more traffic, etc. ## Conclusion SEO should never be an afterthought. It needs to be a core part of your digital marketing plan to grow your business. SEO is a marathon and should be taken as such. You can run the marathon yourself or you can align with a strategic partner to help your business grow. Knowing the keywords so that you are knowledgeable in the process is recommended for everyone. JM2 Webdesigners in Northwest Alabama strives to serve our clients by not only being a cost effective provider for your business with packages to give you everything you need while letting you focus on growing your business and not on learning and keep updated on the latest search engine recommendations. If you would like to align with a Northwest Alabama web design company focused on helping your business grow you can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-seo-cullman-al/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-seo-cullman-al/ In today's digital landscape, having a strong online presence is critical for businesses of all sizes. Whether you're a local restaurant in Cullman or a service provider in Hanceville, attracting customers online can make all the difference in your growth. That's where **Search Engine Optimization (SEO)** comes in. But what exactly is SEO, and how can it help businesses in Cullman County thrive? This guide will break down the basics of SEO, why it matters, and how you can use it to grow your local business. *** ## **What is SEO?** **Search Engine Optimization (SEO)** is the process of improving your website to increase its visibility on search engines like Google and Bing. When someone searches for products or services you offer—like “plumber near Cullman” or “best pizza in Hanceville”—SEO helps your website appear at the top of the search results. SEO involves optimizing various elements of your website and online presence to attract more visitors organically, meaning without paying for ads. It's about making it easier for both search engines and customers to find you. *** ## **Why Does SEO Matter for Cullman County Businesses?** In Cullman County, where many businesses rely on local customers, SEO is especially important for getting noticed in your community. Here's why: 1. **Increased Local Visibility:** SEO helps your business show up in local search results, making it easier for customers nearby to find you. For example, if someone searches for “auto repair in Cullman,” a well-optimized website can appear in the top results. 2. **Builds Trust and Credibility:** People trust search engines to deliver the most relevant and reliable results. Ranking high in search results signals that your business is trustworthy and credible. 3. **Drives More Foot Traffic and Sales:** Local SEO techniques, like optimizing your Google Business Profile, can drive customers to your physical location. 4. **Cost-Effective Marketing:** Unlike paid ads, SEO focuses on organic traffic, which means you don't pay for every click. This makes it a budget-friendly option for small businesses. *** ## **How Does SEO Work?** SEO involves several strategies that work together to improve your website's visibility. Let's look at the key components: ### **1. On-Page SEO** On-page SEO focuses on optimizing the content and structure of your website. This includes: - **Keyword Optimization:** Using phrases your audience is searching for, like “Cullman County roofing services.” - **Content Creation:** Writing valuable, informative blog posts and service pages. - **Meta Tags:** Adding titles and descriptions to your pages to help search engines understand your content. - **Internal Links:** Connecting pages on your website to improve navigation. ### **2. Off-Page SEO** Off-page SEO involves building your website's authority and trust through activities outside your website, such as: - **Backlinks:** Getting other reputable websites to link to your site. - **Social Media:** Sharing your content on platforms like Facebook to attract more visitors. - **Reviews:** Encouraging customers to leave positive reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp. ### **3. Technical SEO** Technical SEO ensures your website is easy for search engines to crawl and index. Key aspects include: - **Mobile-Friendliness:** Ensuring your website works well on smartphones. - **Page Speed:** Making sure your site loads quickly. - **Secure Connections:** Using HTTPS to protect user data. ### **4. Local SEO** Local SEO is particularly important for businesses in Cullman County. It focuses on optimizing your online presence for local searches, including: - **Google Business Profile:** Claiming and optimizing your listing to appear in local map results. - **Local Keywords:** Using terms like “Cullman County” or “Hanceville” in your content. - **Citations:** Ensuring your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across directories. *** ## **How Can Businesses in Cullman County Get Started with SEO?** Here's a simple step-by-step guide for businesses in Cullman County to kickstart their SEO journey: ### **Step 1: Claim Your Google Business Profile** A Google Business Profile is essential for local SEO. Make sure your profile includes: - Accurate business name, address, and phone number. - Photos of your location, products, or services. - Business hours and a description of what you offer. ### **Step 2: Research Keywords** Identify the phrases your customers are searching for. Tools like Google Keyword Planner can help you find keywords like: - “Best restaurants in Cullman.” - “Landscaping services in Hanceville.” ### **Step 3: Optimize Your Website** Make sure your website includes: - Pages dedicated to your services. - Keywords placed naturally in titles, headings, and text. - Fast loading times and mobile responsiveness. ### **Step 4: Encourage Reviews** Ask happy customers to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, or Facebook. Positive reviews not only attract more customers but also boost your rankings. ### **Step 5: Create Local Content** Write blog posts or articles that appeal to your audience in Cullman County. For example: - “Top 5 Things to Do in Cullman.” - “How to Choose the Best Roofing Contractor in Cullman County.” *** ## **Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid** As you work on your SEO strategy, avoid these common pitfalls: 1. **Ignoring Mobile Optimization:** Many users search on their phones, so a mobile-friendly site is essential. 2. **Keyword Stuffing:** Overusing keywords can hurt your rankings. Use them naturally. 3. **Neglecting Local SEO:** If you're a local business, focus on optimizing for your community. 4. **Not Updating Content:** Regularly refresh your content to stay relevant. *** ## **How Fawkes Digital Marketing Can Help Your Business** SEO can feel overwhelming, but you don't have to go it alone. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in helping businesses in Cullman County, Alabama, succeed online. Our SEO services include: - In-depth keyword research tailored to your industry. - On-page and off-page optimization to boost your rankings. - Local SEO strategies to help you dominate searches in Cullman and surrounding areas. - Regular reporting to show your progress and results. *** ## **Conclusion: SEO is the Key to Local Success** For businesses in Cullman County, SEO is a powerful tool to attract local customers, build trust, and grow your business. By focusing on local SEO strategies and partnering with experts like Fawkes Digital Marketing, you can stay ahead of the competition and achieve lasting success. **Ready to take your Cullman County business to the next level?** Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing today to learn how we can help you optimize your online presence and drive more customers to your door! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-SMS/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-SMS/ ## SMS vs. MMS: What’s the Difference, and Which Should You Use? In today’s world, text messaging is one of the most common ways we communicate. Whether it's a quick "hello" to a friend or an update from your favorite brand, texts keep us connected. But did you know that not all text messages are the same? There are actually two primary types of text messages: **SMS** and **MMS**. In this article, we'll dive into what SMS and MMS mean, explore their histories, and break down when each type of message might be best for you or your business. *** ### What is SMS? **SMS** stands for **Short Message Service**. It’s the simplest and most common form of text messaging. With SMS, you can send a message of up to **160 characters** (or slightly more, depending on the device and carrier) that contains text only—no images, videos, or special formatting. Think of it as the basic text message. #### History of SMS SMS was invented in the **1980s** but didn’t become widely used until the **1990s**. The first SMS message was sent in **1992** in the United Kingdom, and it simply said, “Merry Christmas.” Back then, it was quite revolutionary because it allowed people to send quick messages without making a call. Over time, SMS became one of the most popular forms of communication, and it’s still widely used today. #### How SMS Works When you send an SMS, the message is sent through the mobile carrier's network. Since it's just plain text and relatively small in size, SMS messages don’t require much data or processing power, which is why they are so quick and efficient. *** ### What is MMS? **MMS** stands for **Multimedia Messaging Service**. MMS is an upgraded version of SMS that allows you to send multimedia content like images, videos, audio files, and longer messages (up to around **1600 characters**). If you've ever received a photo or video in a text message, you've received an MMS. #### History of MMS MMS was developed later, becoming popular in the **early 2000s**. It was created to enhance the SMS experience by allowing people to send more than just text. With the rise of smartphones and faster mobile networks, MMS gained popularity as it enabled richer, more engaging content. #### How MMS Works MMS works similarly to SMS but requires more data because of the larger file sizes associated with multimedia content. MMS messages often use mobile data or Wi-Fi to send, and they may take slightly longer to reach the recipient compared to SMS. *** ### Key Differences Between SMS and MMS Now that we know what SMS and MMS are, let’s break down the main differences: | Feature | SMS | MMS | |-----------------------|----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------| | **Content** | Text only, up to 160 characters | Text, images, videos, audio, up to 1600 characters | | **Data Requirements** | Very low | Requires mobile data or Wi-Fi | | **File Size** | Small, just text | Larger due to multimedia files | | **Cost** | Generally cheaper | Usually more expensive | | **Engagement** | Simple, quick messages | More visually engaging | ### Why Choose SMS? **SMS is great if:** - You want to send a quick, straightforward message. - You’re on a budget and want a cost-effective way to reach people. - Your audience doesn’t necessarily have smartphones or data plans (SMS works on all phones). SMS is ideal for reminders, quick alerts, or short promotions. For example, a business might send an SMS to remind a customer of an upcoming appointment or share a one-day discount code. ### Why Choose MMS? **MMS is great if:** - You want to include images, videos, or other multimedia to grab attention. - You’re trying to convey a more complex message that needs more space. - You want to reinforce brand identity with visuals like logos or product images. MMS is perfect for promotions, announcements, and content that benefits from images or videos. For example, a clothing store might use MMS to showcase a new collection with photos or a video lookbook. *** ### Pros and Cons of SMS **Pros**: - **Quick Delivery**: SMS messages are nearly instant, with most messages being read within minutes. - **Cost-Effective**: SMS is usually cheaper to send, especially if you’re reaching a large audience. - **Wide Compatibility**: SMS works on all mobile phones, even basic ones without data plans. **Cons**: - **Limited Characters**: The 160-character limit can be restrictive if you have a lot to say. - **No Visuals**: SMS is limited to text, which may not be as engaging as images or videos. ### Pros and Cons of MMS **Pros**: - **Visually Engaging**: The ability to include images and videos makes MMS more eye-catching. - **More Space**: MMS allows for up to 1600 characters, so you can provide more detailed information. - **Higher Engagement**: MMS messages tend to get better responses because multimedia content draws attention. **Cons**: - **Higher Cost**: MMS is usually more expensive to send than SMS, which can add up. - **Requires Data**: MMS messages require a data connection, which might not be accessible for all users. *** ### Which Should You Use for Your Business? The choice between SMS and MMS depends on your business goals, budget, and the type of message you want to send. #### Use SMS When: - You need to send simple, time-sensitive updates or reminders. - You’re on a budget and need a cost-effective way to reach customers. - You want to reach a wide audience, including those without smartphones or data plans. #### Use MMS When: - You want to make an impact with visuals, like showcasing products or sending event invitations. - You have a complex message that requires more characters or multimedia to communicate effectively. - You want to create a more engaging experience with photos, videos, or brand-specific images. *** ### Examples of SMS and MMS in Action **Example of SMS**: - “Reminder: Your appointment is scheduled for tomorrow at 2 PM. Reply YES to confirm.” **Example of MMS**: - “New arrivals are here! Check out our latest styles and get 10% off your next purchase!” [Image of new clothing collection] *** ### Final Thoughts: SMS vs. MMS – Which is Better? Both SMS and MMS have their strengths, and the best choice depends on what you’re trying to achieve. SMS is a simple, effective way to communicate with customers quickly, making it ideal for reminders, alerts, and brief promotions. MMS, on the other hand, is more engaging and allows for richer storytelling, making it ideal for announcements, promotions with images, and messages that benefit from visuals. For many businesses, a combination of both SMS and MMS can provide the best results, allowing you to use SMS for quick updates and MMS for campaigns that require more detail and engagement. By understanding the differences and strengths of SMS and MMS, you can make informed choices that improve communication with your customers, enhance engagement, and help your business thrive in the competitive digital landscape. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatIsTextMarketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatIsTextMarketing/ The belief on any new marketing venture for a business is that it's new, their competitors may not be using it, and that what they have done in the past is considered "good enough". When you market with newspapers, magazines, billboards, etc. you are marketing to both existing and current customers. With text marketing you are marketing to your current customers who are already loyal to your individual brand. There is a trust established in what you offer to them. They may stop in at your place frequently or infrequently for your products and services. Text marketing keeps that contact with people already interested in what you offer on a consistent basis so that you can continue to earn their business. ## The Reward Text marketing is a reward for those that have committed to your brand. They are committed to spending more money with your business. Text marketing is designed to keep you in front of their mind and work on them to come back more frequently. Text marketing has been around as a main stream service since 2012. Many businesses, dry cleaners, and service based business owners are using it to keep that touch with their customers to get them to repeat their business more often. ## Direct Response Tool With a text message marketing campaign, customers have to opt-in to receive these deals. Text marketing is a perfect tool for not only when the times are rough but when things are going "right". It is better to market before you hare scrambling to generate business. We sign up for several text marketing campaigns and not only use them ourselves but also share that information with our friends and families. This increases the awareness for those companies for no cost to them and is similar to social sharing on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets. ## If you do it correctly, it Will Be Extremely Relevant When you offer your customers something of value and offer it when it's needed, they will think you're awesome! This further builds the trust in your brand. During tough economic times people are looking to save money. If you can offer them a great deal and in a very convenient way, like right to their phones, you both will win. ## It's not about selling Wait a minute we want more customers and thus more money. That may be true but you cannot always just "sell" your products. You can give tips and tricks, provide informative information, and still gain value. As with everything in marketing you want to provide a value to everyone. ## Nothing is Quicker There is no quicker form of marketing than through a text message. Text marketing has an average open rate of 98%. When a text message is received a person will open it within minutes of its arrival. This allows you to run specials and sales instantly and render them more successful than ever. Because your customers will receive your message within minutes of you sending, you can instantly give them an incentive to stop by your store when things are slow. ## Text Marketing is Measurable With a text marketing campaign people respond in a timely fashion. This allows you to see what's working and what's not. A person will stop in for your business the same day or within days of a text being sent if you have a dated promotion running. Not only can you track your results, you can replicate the messages that are most effective across your other marketing avenues that are less measurable. ## The Competition Isn't Using It Yet Because many business owners are afraid to try and change away from the establishment of marketing you will have a larger following and get a leg up on your completion. Text marketing may not be as new as it was years ago but many businesses have yet to jump onboard with this direct communication with their customers. Now is the perfect opportunity to get on with a text messaging loyalty program. ## Conclusion When traditional text marketing methods are not working or just "there" and produce minimal results text marketing may be a great solution for your business. It is new, hip, and the younger generation is all over text messaging. The older generation is typically aware of text messaging and once they find out what it can do for them will want it as well. The key to an effective marketing campaign is consistency, sticking with it, and promoting it. By doing this you will increase your business and move forward. With JM2 Webdesigners of Northwest Alabama you can have a full service text marketing solution that works with your business to help it succeed. You can [learn more about our text marketing program here](/Services/MarketingLoyaltyProgram/), [contact us at 256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [use our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-TF-IDF-in-relation-to-SEO/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-is-TF-IDF-in-relation-to-SEO/ Another abbreviation from the land of SEO or Search Engine Optimization. The first place ot start is what does TF-IDF stand for. TF-IDF stands for "Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency". This is a technique that came out from Hans Peter Luhn in 1957 came up with the Term Frequency part. In 1972, Karen Spärck Jones, conceived the Inverse Document Frequency (IDF) portion. So, this is nothing new in regard to existence. What is new is how the search engines use this information to help in the calculation and rating of your website pages. The key to TF-IDF is all about data analytics and statistics. The more a word appears within a given document. This shows the statistical importance of any given word. Each page of your website should have a focus word you are trying to be found for. Often, you will have several of these focus keyword phrases within your document. The way Google and other search engines work is they look at not at a single page but the overall structure of your website. You wish a page will rank as well as your site to rank equally high. Let's say you want to be known for "Best SEO in Michigan City, Alabama" for your website as that is a key feature you offer. The search engines will do the following as part of the Term Frequency: - Ignore all pages within your site that don't contain all of those keywords. - Count the number of times each of the words appeaer within each page on your site. - Factor in the length of the document, other words, and the frequency of the keywords. This gives some logic to your site pages but not the overall answer. The overall answer comes from the inclusion of the Inverse Document Frequency. - Document frequency = counting terms across the document collection. - Inverse = Inverting the importance of most frequently appearing terms. Here the system removes words like "in" but not the more relevant words from the calculations. Within your document and all pages of your site, these not-so-important words will be removed from factoring into the overall information. As John Mueller from Google's webspam team has stated, "this is a fairly old metric and things have evolved quite a bit over the years. There are lots of other metrics, as well." Based on what Google has said, TF-IDF is a factor for knowing the context of a page. It is not a large factor but still needs to be thought of as you build the pages and content for your site. Another word many people know TF-IDF as is "keyword stuffing." That's genuinely an easier word to remember but is the difference between an executive overview and an employee overview. The executive gets an understanding of something at the highest and furthest away location while your employee works in the gritty area and is doing the actual work. The key to understanding TF-IDF is to know that (1) it exists, (2) that you need to factor in other components of the search algorithms, and (3) you should look at the keywords you are targeting but not put all your efforts on this one item. SEO has many more factors that are looked at. You need to focus on all of the areas and not all areas. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-usps-informed-delivery/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/what-is-usps-informed-delivery/ If you’ve ever wondered what’s arriving in your mailbox before you get home, **[USPS Informed Delivery](https://informeddelivery.usps.com)** makes that possible. It’s a free, secure service from the United States Postal Service that lets you **digitally preview your mail** and **track packages** - all from your phone or computer. Whether you want better organization, peace of mind, or to stay on top of important mail, this guide covers everything you need to know about USPS Informed Delivery. ## What Is USPS Informed Delivery? **[USPS Informed Delivery](https://informeddelivery.usps.com)** is a free service that gives you **daily digital previews** of incoming mail. Each morning, the USPS scans the **front of letter-sized mail** as it passes through sorting machines. These images are emailed to you or displayed in your online dashboard so you can see what’s coming before it arrives. You can also track packages and manage deliveries, making it easier to stay on top of bills, statements, and personal correspondence. ## Key Benefits of Informed Delivery - **See Your Mail Before It Arrives**: View grayscale images of incoming letters daily. - **Track Packages Easily**: Monitor USPS packages with delivery dates and tracking updates. - **Prevent Missed Mail or Theft**: Know exactly what should be arriving and take action if something is missing. - **Manage Multiple Addresses**: Add eligible addresses to a single account for convenience. - **Free and Secure**: Fully run by USPS with encrypted data for privacy protection. ## How USPS Informed Delivery Works - **Mail is Scanned**: Letter-sized mail is scanned as it moves through USPS automated sorting machines. - **Digital Previews Are Sent**: Images are sent via email or displayed in your USPS dashboard. - **Packages Are Tracked Automatically**: Package delivery details are linked to your account. - **You Manage Mail Online**: Log in to view images, track packages, and manage delivery preferences from any device. ## Who Can Use Informed Delivery Informed Delivery is available for most **residential addresses** and **PO Boxes** eligible for mail scanning. It’s especially helpful for: - **Remote workers** who travel frequently. - **Families** managing one household mailbox. - **Small business owners** tracking invoices or client correspondence. - **Anyone seeking peace of mind** about mail delivery. ## How to Sign Up for USPS Informed Delivery Signing up is simple and takes just a few minutes: - **Visit the Official USPS Website**: Go to [https://informeddelivery.usps.com](https://informeddelivery.usps.com) and click **“Sign Up for Free.”** - **Create a USPS.com Account**: Sign in if you already have one, or create a new account with your name, email, and password. - **Verify Your Address**: Enter your residential or PO Box address. USPS will confirm eligibility. - **Verify Your Identity**: Complete online security questions or visit your local post office with a photo ID for verification. - **Access Your Dashboard**: Once verified, log in to view incoming mail images, track packages, and receive daily notifications. ## What You’ll See in Informed Delivery - **Mail Images**: Grayscale scans of letter-sized envelopes arriving soon. - **Package Details**: Tracking numbers, expected delivery dates, and redelivery options. - **Notifications**: Daily email alerts showing that day’s mail and packages. ## Common Questions - **Is all mail included?**: Only letter-sized mail processed through automated machines is scanned. Packages and larger envelopes appear in tracking but not as images. - **Can multiple household members use it?**: Yes, each person can create an account and link it to the same delivery address. - **What if I move?**: Update your address via USPS Change of Address to continue receiving notifications at your new location. - **Is my information secure?**: Yes. USPS encrypts data and requires identity verification for account access. ## Why Sign Up Today [USPS Informed Delivery](https://informeddelivery.usps.com) is a free, simple way to stay organized and know what’s arriving at your mailbox every day. It provides peace of mind, reduces missed mail, and helps you stay on top of bills and important documents. ### Stay Informed and Organized Signing up for USPS Informed Delivery is one of the easiest ways to manage your mail digitally. For businesses and individuals looking to streamline communication and stay on top of correspondence, this service is a must-have. **Sign up today at [USPS Informed Delivery](https://informeddelivery.usps.com) and start seeing your mail before it arrives.** --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatIsYourDigitalMarketingStrategy/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatIsYourDigitalMarketingStrategy/ If when reading the title your first thought is "I don't have one?" or "Why would I need one?" then you are ripe for an improvement. A digital marketing strategy today is more critical than ever. Between your website and the social media outlets that you have decided to go with (and most of us should not go with every social media channel). The first thing that many people do is create their website, create their social media page(s) and then do an ad hoc method of updating them. Going this route will not only hurt your business in the long run but make you look unprofessional to potential clients. If you already have started don't fear this can be improved upon as you do need this step but need a strategy to achieve success. We believe in an initial four-step process when it comes to digital marketing and your business. These being to decide what your business objectives are, research your competition and implement a strategy to achieve your objectives. ## Decide Your Objectives Your objectives should include your website which you have complete control over the look-and-feel, content and how you communicate with your customers. This should be the heart to your entire strategy as you have control over it. The next part is deciding which social media outlets work best for your organization. With dozens of potential outlets to communicate with deciding on the right platform is crucial. The final part of your objectives is deciding what you want to post on your social media pages. Are you going to post specials, events, list of services, how often are you going to post, who will be doing the posting of information, how you plan to qualify the results of your digital marketing strategy, etc. As you work on your strategy and decide what you are going to be doing make certain to remember how you are different than your competitors, how you will be differentiating yourself from your competitors (local as well as nationally/globally) and put yourself in the shoes of your target audience. ## Research Your Competition Your competition may be new or long standing. They may have a large budget or no budget at all. Take a look at what they are doing. See what they are doing and what works with you. If your competitor around the corner is doing a promotion and it rings with you there is a chance it could ring well with your customers as well. Do they have posts with lots of engagements on their site? If they do, what is it about the engagement do you think is making that strategy work? The opposite also holds true. If you see some engagements they post with a lot of engagements and others with little to no engagement take note of those as well. Those can be as important as the ones with a lot of customer engagement. ## Revise Your Strategy Now that you have created your objectives and researched your competition now is a time to refine and see what you need to change, if anything. Many times you've nailed it and this step can be done in a relatively quick manner. Write down and document everything that you want to do, need to do, and how you plan on quantifying the result ## Implement Your Strategy With your strategy now in-place you need to implement it. This can be yourself, an outside company specializing in the Internet or a combination of both. We always try to encourage both as you gain the expertise of those that do this daily while learning and making certain your business objectives are being met. This not only gives you ownership but will make the implementation a better success. JM2 Webdesigners is here to help you if you need it. You can [contact us online here](/Contact/)[, through email at]()[support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or by calling 256-258-8593. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-makes-a-good-logo/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-makes-a-good-logo/ A good logo is distinctive, appropriate, practical, graphic and simple in form, and it conveys the owner's intended message. A logo should be able to be printed at any size and, in most cases, be effective without color. A great logo essentially boils down to two things: great concept and great execution. There are five principles that are strongly suggested in order to create a good logo.
  Simple:
Simplicity makes a logo design easily recognizable, versatile and memorable. Good logos feature something unexpected or unique, without being "overdrawn".
 Memorable:
Following closely on this principle of simplicity, is that of memorability. An effective logo design should be memorable, which is achieved by keeping it simple, yet appropriate.
 Timeless:
An effective logo should be timeless. Will yours stand the test of time? Will it still be effective in 10, 20 or 50 years?
 Versatile:
An effective logo works across a variety of media, and applications. For this reason, logos should be designed in vector format, to ensure that they scale to any size. Ask yourself, is your logo still effective if it is printed...
• In one color?
• In reverse color (i.e. light logo on dark background)?
• The size of a postage stamp?
• As large as a billboard?
One way to create a versatile logo is to begin designing in black and white. This allows you to focus on the concept and shape, rather than color, which is subjective in nature. Also keep in mind printing costs: the more colors you use, the more expensive it will be for the business over the long term.
Appropriate:
How you “position” the logo should be appropriate for its intended audience. For example, a child-like font and color scheme would be appropriate for a logo for a children’s toy store, not so much for a law firm.
These tips and tricks will help get you started with creating your own business logo that looks classy and professional, and will be sure to get your company noticed.
 --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-makes-an-influencer/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-makes-an-influencer/ When businesses ask individuals to talk to their organization, their customers, or a group of unknown individuals for an event they are looking for what is called an influencer. An influencer is someone that is considered, in part, an expert in their field. This past week I was asked to talk to two groups (note: I don't consider myself an influencer [yet] but I am definitely pushing to be one). One group is to a select twenty people in a very large company (who isn't our client – and we know never will be as they are not in our core market size). The group I will be talking to is their entire marketing department to change and improve their digital marketing foot print from locally to nationally. Of course, I accepted as just talking to a group of such great people is something that makes us truly proud. The other group is to over fifty people of their current and potential clients (and is one of our clients) related to helping learn the art of search engine optimization or SEO. This got me thinking of why certain people are asked where others are not. If you are a member of a group, club, or organization you are often asked to talk as you are a member of that group. But why do people go outside of their groups to get people talking with them? This is where I feel the influencer factor comes into play and what I will be talking about. I know one factor for us is cost – we don't charge to talk – and is why many companies ask us to talk. If we have to travel, stay overnight, etc. we do ask for that to be compensated for (we don't want to lose money beyond our time we take to do the talking before, during, and after the event) but beyond that we don't charge. We do this as we often do add clients to our own base after we talk or at a minimum add new fans who follow us which helps us get more exposure in the digital marketing landscape. We know the other is based on everything we write about in our blogs. This is one reason we write 50-100 articles per year across the entire team. I feel if only one of us talks it only shows one person as the expert and as you read what I will write in the next 30 minutes that I believe that a company is more than one person; it is the entire team. We strive to keep our blogs shorter as we understand how everyone's time is valuable and limited. We ask everyone we talk with what made them choose us and they respond based on hearing us talk at an event or reading our blog articles, the frequency, the authenticity, and just being "down to earth" in a non-technical manner. Let's look at what makes an influencer in today's digital world and how you can become one (if you want). ## You've got to be authentic I have been told we are a bit crazy, reckless, and do things differently than everyone else and that is what I feel is part of our magical sauce. We are definitely unique individuals that work collaboratively as a team and we're proud of it! We do not put limitations beyond common-sense on our team. If there is something they don't agree with then they are allowed to post it. We don't want our team to change who they are as individuals. We know everyone has differences in their beliefs and we value that difference. When it comes to our business page we don't talk about certain things but that's business. Our own stuff I have one rule for the team. You can proof read "a little" but not a lot. We want to let our true selves come out in everything that we do. We like that we can be who we are and not try to be something we aren't just to make more money. This way when people talk to us they hear the same voice that comes out in our writing. We could grammar-Nazi everything we write and have two voices (written and verbal) which is what a lot of companies do but for us that is lying to our audience and our rule #1 is we are never allowed to lie. That is a tall order for some and there are people we could never add to our team as they were qualified but stated they would bend the rules to get someone to do something which isn't allowed. At least they were honest about that. ## Specializing rather than being a jack of everything When we started JM2 Webdesigners we had to be a Jack of all trades but that didn't make us anything but a regular company. Over time as we've grown we have been able to become masters in our trade. We did this by hiring the best. We only want those that believe in working with a growing company that is different and trying to change the world. Our hiring practice is completely different as well. If you are working somewhere already you don't qualify. That may seem odd as the best are already working, right? We don't think so and if they are working somewhere they aren't happy they also aren't for us. We want people that love working for us and if they are willing to stay at an organization not happy I feel they also will not be able to be an expert for our clients. We won't take someone from another business. We pull from those with no job who we see as untapped potential. This is kind of crazy but as you can tell we are a bit crazy. A quarter of our team actually quit their jobs, waited a week, and then stopped in and gave us their resume. That was a true gamble on each of their parts as they had no guarantee of being hired but they were able to realize they weren't happy where they were and wanted something different in their lives. They did have some unique traits and talents as well. First, they are influencers in their field which helped us further our expertise as a company. Second, they believed in themselves when the companies they were with didn't believe in them or didn't let them know they believed in them. You will rarely see an influencer that influences every industry. Some are fortunate that they can cross some industrial bounds but I cannot think of one that crosses every industry on this planet. You need to find that niche that you are truly great at, stick to it, and become as good in that subject matter as you can. You need to work at it on a daily basis and it needs to become a passion in your life. ## Branding and marketing of yourself To get yourself known you need to market and brand yourself to the world (or at least the industry you are trying to be the influencer in). You need to put your face, your ambitions, and your failures in front of the entire world. You have a deep desire to teach, educate, and be the best you can be while making those around you as good as they can be. You are essential an entrepreneur! You need to write (a lot) and not all of it will be great. Failure is part of an influencers life. This goes back to being authentic. You will share less content created by others and create content that fits your audience and helps them grow and become better. You will still share though as giving is something at the core of your heart and part of being an influencer. Not only will you write (a lot) but you will look at writing articles for magazines, books, and trade journals. Not necessarily in that order but you will have aspirations to do those beyond just blogging and talking to others. You will do everything you can to get your name out to the masses and those that will listen. ## Champion for success An influencer is someone that champions the world for success. They want everyone to know that they not only believe in a product, project, or process but that it's the best there is and why it is. They talk about it with such passion, conviction, and love that it resonates in their voice, their actions, and they get you excited about it as they talk or that someone reads. They never **and I mean never attack, degrade, or try and destroy anyone else in their field**. They are the MVP's of their industry and are sought after by others. Once they do that, even once, they are no longer an influencer but a follower. An influencer is someone that wants the best even from those that currently are not the best or even are their competitors. I mean an influencer wasn't born the best. They had to work their way and a true influencer helps promote and always talks positively about those also trying to achieve that level of influence. ## Conclusion As you can see being an influencer requires a lot of unique talents and traits. We all have it in ourselves to be the most awesome person possible and some of us even have the desire to help others. It is a truly special recipe and you can't just copy it or imitate it. You need that special "something" that no one else has. That only comes from being authentic and not being something that you are not. Dig deep into your soul and you will find it. It can take a while to achieve and you may never reach your full potential but until you start to look at becoming that person you want to be you never will. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatMakesQualityContent/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatMakesQualityContent/ Today we tweeted about how content is king. Why is content king when it comes to a website? Is this related to an ego thing to make kings feel grand? Not really. It's truly because without quality content on your site if all you have is a pretty site then you don't have a site that Google or the other search engines will feel is quality. ![Panda Bear](/Images/Content/Blog/pandaBear.jpg) We see the panda bear as cute and cuddly. This is in real-life but when it comes to mixing a panda with Google we start to question the lovability of the panda bear. On [February 24, 2011](http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2011/05/more-guidance-on-building-high-quality.html) Google first released what is known as the **Panda Update** quality became ever more important. This was undoubtable the largest update that Google has ever made for website owners. This made many websites move down past page one where they were very happy being. Low-quality sites with little to no content to this day has continued to drop off the first pages of the search engine. Since the initial release dozens of updates under panda have happened. These have been enhancements and tweaks to further improve the panda algorithm. ## Spammy Sites Why start out with spammy sites and not just jump into what quality content is? Well, because to know about what good content is you first need to know what bad content is. We all know and understand what spam is whether it comes in the form of email. With email we all know receiving items we never asked for is spam. Businesses will also do this technique without even realizing it. Businesses also take it on good faith that the people maintaining their website and doing their digital marketing (search engine optimization, social media, newsletters, etc.) are doing so using the best and latest techniques from the search engines. This is not always the case and a moment of gratification from one of these questionable companies could cost your business much needed web traffic for months to come if you let it happen. When it comes to spam on a website you will see people repeat the keywords they want to be found under multiple times on a given page or even color the text the same as the background to help you get to the first page of the search engines. More often than not the words will not make sense as the page is filled with this negative tactic. This is considered low quality and spammy techniques that will hurt your website. ## So what is "Quality Content"? Quality content is more important now than it has ever been before. There is more competition for the first page as well as for your attention. When it comes down to the subject of quality we have to go all the way back to the 2011 days when Google outlines what quality is and why it is important. You would think that those of us in the internet industry would fully understand this but all too often we see this isn't the case. The list below is from the article we referenced from Google. If you can answer these questions as you develop the content for your website you can sleep well in knowing that Google, and the other search engines, will treat your content as relevant and not as spam. It will stand a much better chance of being seen as quality content. - Would you trust the information presented in this article? - Is this article written by an expert or enthusiast who knows the topic well, or is it more shallow in nature? - Does the site have duplicate, overlapping, or redundant articles on the same or similar topics with slightly different keyword variations? - Would you be comfortable giving your credit card information to this site? - **Note**: All of the search engines now see sites as more credible having an SSL certificate then those without. Even if you don't take credit cards this is not a bad option to do on your website. You'll notice here on the JM2 Webdesigners site that every page starts out with https as we encrypt every page. - Does this article have spelling, stylistic, or factual errors? - Are the topics driven by genuine interests of readers of the site, or does the site generate content by attempting to guess what might rank well in search engines? - Does the article provide original content or information, original reporting, original research, or original analysis? - Does the page provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results? - How much quality control is done on content? - Does the article describe both sides of a story? - Is the site a recognized authority on its topic? - Is the content mass-produced by or outsourced to a large number of creators, or spread across a large network of sites, so that individual pages or sites don't get as much attention or care? - Was the article edited well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced? - For a health related query, would you trust information from this site? - Would you recognize this site as an authoritative source when mentioned by name? - Does this article provide a complete or comprehensive description of the topic? - Does this article contain insightful analysis or interesting information that is beyond obvious? - Is this the sort of page you'd want to bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend? - Does this article have an excessive amount of ads that distract from or interfere with the main content? - Would you expect to see this article in a printed magazine, encyclopedia or book? - Are the articles short, unsubstantial, or otherwise lacking in helpful specifics? - Are the pages produced with great care and attention to detail vs. less attention to detail? - Would users complain when they see pages from this site? ## Conclusion We've gone over a lot of information in this article for you. We've referenced a document over four years old to help you realize how important content is. Just having a beautiful site and a lack of quality content you will be hurting your chances of being seen well on the search engines. By answering the questions above, not doing spammy "stuff" (I know technical word "stuff"), you'll move up in the search engines as you continue to build credibility and trust with your site visitors. You will find that by being honest (our rule #1) will get you farther than trying to "beat the system". When you do the right thing on the Internet the right thing will happen to you. If you would like help in having all of your content sound the same, produce the type of content that is quality for your business we have not only graphic designers and software developers on staff (we don't outsource) but also content writers who have years of experience in writing and being consistent. They will work with your existing content or help you create new and engaging content to promote your products and services using only the recommended techniques of the search engines. To learn more you can contact us at 256-258-8593, [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or through [our online contact form](/Contact/). We look forward to hearing from you or visiting your site and reading some truly great content! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatMakesQualityContent2/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhatMakesQualityContent2/ We all want our website to be the best, to have content that people want to read and use on a daily basis. We want our content to go viral and overtake the world and make us billions of dollars overnight. This is hard to achieve but with some work and listening to what Google and Bing have offered over the years we can make some strides to achieving these goals by updating and improving our websites overall content. ## Useful and informative information The information you create should be useful and helpful to your users. The information should answer the question that the user would be looking for at the current time they come to your site. If you are a restaurant owner you want to present your patrons information in an easy to understand format that makes them want to purchase from you. Your menu should be in a readable format (e.g. not an image). The information should answer the question of what people would be asking. For example, if I typed **homestyle cooking in Cullman** I should find restaurants in Cullman that offer homestyle cooking. I want to have a menu with descriptions and pictures (that truly helps make the sell to us), the hours your open, and a way of contacting you as well including information about your online social activities. ![Valuable Content](/Images/Content/Blog/valuableContent.jpg) ## Unique and valuable information Going on our theme of a restaurants let's see information of what is beneficial. This is based on our own personal experiences and what we find useful within a restaurant website as we do many of them. When we go to a page this is the information we are looking for (typically in this order as well). This is whether we are using a desktop, tablet or mobile device. The key here is your website should work on all devices, optimized for local search and be easy to use. ### Who you are The first thing I want to know is a brief (elevator pitch here folks!!!) of why I should choose your restaurant over another for whatever I just searched for along with your logo so that I can easily remember who you are as I am pulling up to your location. ### Contact Information I want to know where you are located so that I can see if you're open, when you close, if you are closed when you are open, a phone number and a contact form so that if I might not be looking this second I can at least contact you. When I do contact you I would like to know the form was actually sent (e.g. good feedback). I also want the ability to get some driving directions to your location in case I am not familiar with the town you are located in. ### Menu The two above are critical are important but this is the "sell" too us. We want to see what you have in each category (appetizers, breakfast, lunch, etc.), maybe even searchable on your site, and with the prices (we don't want sticker shock). What will help set you over the top is if we have text explaining what each item is (you don't need to explain what water is). They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Well a picture on a menu can be worth a 1,000 purchases. Before I arrive if I know what I am going to be eating is appealing to me I will more likely come even if the prices might be higher than I was originally willing to spend. If you have no pictures and your menu items seem pricey to me I can be pretty confident that I will not come to your location. ### About This should take your elevator pitch from above to one that is more in-depth. Let me know who you are, the history of why I will enjoy coming to your establishment, and why I would want to continue to come back and tell others about you. ### Reviews and Social Media Reviews are a great way of learning about a location. Do you make mention of them on your website? Do you have a social media page and are responsive and active with the people on your page? If you pay someone to help you with your page are they speaking in the same tone that you would be speaking in or is it 50/50 where it is their tone and then your tone? If I look at your social media outlet do I see where you are helpful or will I get the feeling you are defensive and slamming employees or customers? That will immediately ruin your reputation with us from wanting to go to your establishment. ![Credible](/Images/Content/Blog/credible.jpg) ## Credible Is the information that is presented credible and believable? After reading your information will it answer my questions in a way that I feel confident that you would be a great place for me to do business with? One area that you should be thinking about is writing your content for your . All too often we see websites where the content is written for search engines so that they rank well. This can help in the beginning but long term will actually lower your overall rankings. ## High quality When we go to a website and read the information are we reading something that was "thrown" together or does it seem like a lot of care and effort placed on it? If the information was built with care you can read it in the words and see it in the pictures. Links on the website will work and most every question I come up with will be able to answer those questions. ![Grammar](/Images/Content/Blog/grammar-850x666.jpg) ## What hurts my content? With all these great items to showcase what makes great content we definitely would be amiss if we didn't cover what hurts our content. Below are some of the core areas we see that make a website move down in the search engines. 1. Errors – This can be broken links, bad or non-standard html code and even information about your business that is no longer relevant. 2. Grammar and spelling – Although you don't have to be right 100% of the time you need to make a best effort to have items correct within your site. We all understand that we're human and that mistakes do happen but you do need to do the best you can to eliminate them. 3. Advertisements – Many sites are around because of advertisements and we have all grown to accept that. If your site though is so heavy on advertisements that we can't determine what the actual content is than you are definitely missing the boat. 4. Images – If your site has text only images you really need to ask "why". With the modern Internet almost any image that you include in a picture can be included as text and will help move you up in the search engine rankings. 5. Spam – We've all seen sites that when we go there we feel like we are looking at spam email. If your page allows users to comment make certain you go through an approval process so that only appropriate information is presented on your page. Part of spam can also be having a white background and putting in white text. People won't see this information as the text and the background are the same color but the search engines can see it. This is a black hat SEO technique and will definitely lower your overall results. Other items of spam are: 1. Automatically generated content 2. Participating in link schemes 3. Creating pages with little or no original content 4. Cloaking 5. Sneaky redirects 6. Hidden text or links 7. Doorway pages 8. Participating in affiliate programs without adding sufficient value 9. Loading pages with irrelevant keywords (e.g. keyword stuffing) 10. Creating pages with malicious behavior, such as phishing or installing viruses, trojans, malware, or other badware 11. Abusing rich snippets markup 12. Sending automated queries to Google 6. Stolen content – We have all gone to a site and thought I've seen this before. People have routinely "scraped" information from other sites. The search engines are quite wise where once something is indexed within their system they know who first wrote it. ![Conclusion](/Images/Content/Blog/contentConclusion.jpg) ## Conclusion The phrase that "Content is King" is true throughout all websites. Websites that don't present themselves well, have horrible grammar, spelling mistakes, bad links and don't answer our questions will be sites that move down in the search engines. If you have read any of our blog posts you know that we treat our websites, including our clients, like employees. We believe they should be constantly nurtured, updated and trained about our business in a never end manner. Keeping your content up-to-date shows the search engines that the information being presented is fresh and new and that you care about your visitors. When you do this the search engines will give you more credit for your site. If you would like some help in restructuring, improving, fixing or maintaining your website or online social presences give JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman, Alabama a shout at 256-258-8593, email us at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or [fill out our online contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-Should-a-Digital-Political-Campaign-Strategy-/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-Should-a-Digital-Political-Campaign-Strategy-/ Political candidates face a daunting task, they must engage and convince a sizable population of their intentions and motivate them to get to polls. In a nutshell, they need to win elections. Campaign time and labor is scarce, so every activity needs to be geared towards that goal in some way. Many voters may vote based on party affiliation, or perhaps on some news that they have read but a sizable population vote based on the way that influencers in their social circle vote. The Digital Campaign has three purposes, ranging from the obvious, to the technical, and to the overall goal of the Digital Campaign. The obvious purpose of the digital campaign is to be sure that the "candidate's name is out there" on the internet. Including such basics as a bio, platform, perhaps an itinerary etc... In essence, in a 21st century political campaign a serious candidate needs to have a digital presence. As we delve further into the workings we uncover the technical purpose of the digital campaign. This includes analytics which show what portions of the digital presence are consumed most and reveals the interests of the potential constituents. This data is gold as it helps to craft messages that further cement the digital relationship and hopefully lead to a vote (or conversion in marketing speak). Finally, the actual overall purpose or aim of the digital campaign is to identify, engage and connect with those influencers we mentioned. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-to-Include-in-Your-Skilled-Nursing-Facility-S/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-to-Include-in-Your-Skilled-Nursing-Facility-S/ Who should read this? SNF administrators and marketing staff who believe the pre-need site visit will deliver more commitments and is an important part of the patient acquisition process with high focus on short-term Medicare A patients. This will inform you what your web developer should have placed on your website to proactively reach more SNF short-term Medicare A patients at the pre-need stage due to an upcoming or predictable event. It is understood the pre-need visit / tour of the facility gives the SNF the opportunity to put its best foot forward and get the commitment. Schedule a Tour Today! Every skilled nursing facility (SNF) should have this as a button on its website. Every, single, one. And your website should make it really easy to schedule that tour. A meaningful portion of the SNF short-term Medicare A population can be marketed to proactively because the cause of the SNF stay can be predicted. These are the knee, hip, and other orthopedic related procedures which will occur. Patient sees GP, referral to a specialist, test, test, test, and surgery is scheduled. Sometimes, surgery and replacement is forecast, “Mrs. Jones, let’s target completing that hip replacement in the next 3 to 9 months.” Or, it is weeks. Sounds like someone needs a tour to select her SNF. Your SNF prospects are increasingly screening, shopping, and reviewing SNFs online. The susceptible population for the above procedures is a nice bell curve going upward slowly in the 50’s, peaking in the late 60’s and waning in the late 70’s and flattening out in the 80’s age ranges. Today’s 65-year-old was 45, and in the prime of his or her career, in 1997. Today’s 60-year-old was 50 when Apple’s first iPhone was sold. If the adult children of these patients are involved in the decision making they are definitely consulting the internet in selection of the SNF. Your SNF digital footprint already is and will become increasingly more important and looked at as a differentiator because today’s younger senior citizens and their adult children are using your digital marketing as an information filter. Prospects are making decisions based on your digital footprint. So how can your website deliver site visits? **Schedule a Tour Today Button** The button should be placed on every page of your site. Yes, every page. If you have struck oil stop drilling, so let’s allow the viewer to click that button once he or she is ready. The button should not move, not float in the middle of the page, and should be placed in the same location on each page. The colors of the button and its font should contrast with the rest of the page. Should you do a pop-up, instead? Maybe, but consider the negatives. One, some people block pop-ups and will not allow yours. Two, when should it pop? Have your web developer set it on a timer or once a particular number of clicks, page views or scrolling has occurred. I strongly prefer the latter. If you hit a viewer too hard and too fast they leave. **Suggested Data Fields** This section illustrates the list of information fields a viewer-prospect will be able to enter once they have clicked the “Schedule a Tour” button. For each, consider what you do and do not want to mark as a requirement. These are the common data fields: • Name • Phone number and Email • Where coming from (city, state) Want to go deeper? • Additional attendees and relationship • Check box for texting • Reason for the visit. No, do not put in only a big comment box and force the user to enter a creative writing exercise. Use checkboxes. Examples of checkboxes can be: upcoming rehab, joint replacement, general inquiry, etc. This allows you to posture your return phone calls. Stickiness **Stickiness means lowering potential cancellation rates or no call/no shows.** 1. Schedule it! When a viewer-prospect clicks the button there should be a live, up-to-date calendar. Let the visitor-prospect schedule her tour right then and right there. A good web developer will not have an issue with this. Your SNF internal marketing needs to build the habit of living off this calendar. 2. Confirm it! Send the visitor an automatic message saying (a) the tour is scheduled, (b) an email with confirmation information will be sent, and (c) someone will be calling for a pre-visit call. Be specific about who is calling. You know who makes these calls. Do not say “someone from our staff”... Do not say “Alice will be calling” if Alice, Burt, and Carry make the calls. Instead, write “Alice, Burt, or Carry will be calling you.” 3. Engage it! Pre-Tour Call will confirm the appointment and allow information gathering to custom tailor the appointment for all stakeholders. Also, set expectations. You know what causes cancellations? People do not know what to expect. Take out the anxiety. Take out the fear. Yes, call them. Yes, they might cancel. But isn’t that better than leaving it on the schedule, telling your SNF administrator I have six visits this week, and at next week’s meeting when asked how those went saying only two showed up. Also, it is a shared calendar. You are blocking out someone who has wants a visit. 4. Lock it! Call or text message for a final confirmation very near the actual tour. Afraid to call because they might have changed their mind, see step 3. Lastly, everything should always be very mobile friendly. When is the last time you looked at your smartphone? If you would like to speak with me more about this my name is Charles. My friends call me Charlie. I can be reached at charles@BusinessYETI.com. Most of our firm’s clients number one goal is to increase revenue. We’re good at that. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-to-look-for-in-website-hosting-with-prices/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/What-to-look-for-in-website-hosting-with-prices/ Website hosting only is just asking for your business to fail and not grow. As business owners, we all want our businesses to grow, thrive, and reach our expectations. Website hosting alone is a "Field of Dreams" where you build it and "Hope they come." ## What is website hosting? Website hosting is the actual "plot of land" your website is on. Whether you have a shared hosting (think apartment complex) account or dedicated Hosting (think of an individual house), your website has to sit somewhere in the cloud. Webhosting alone is like hiring an employee, welcoming them in, doing a quick one-time introduction to the staff, giving them a chair, and putting them into the corner in HOPES they bring your business. You could hit the lightning in the bottle, and your business grows, or, most likely, your website does nothing, and you blame your web developer for doing a horrible job marketing your business. In this case, the problem isn't the web developer but you, the business owner. You ASSUME that just by having a website, your business will grow. That is the furthest thing from the truth. ## What type of websites need web hosting? All of them! Whether you are on WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, or plain HTML, you need web hosting. If you chose WiX or Squarespace, you have to host as well. WiX and Squarespace manage it for you as part of their core services. When your Hosting is managed for you it's called managed Hosting. ## What is managed website hosting? Managed Hosting ranges from the bare minimum to more advanced. I will outline what every managed web hosting should include and what other tears of hosting will offer. Different levels of managed Hosting will cost you more money as they provide more features for you. Every plan offered by Business Yeti offers everything below and more no matter what solution you provide. ## All Managed Hosting Provides - **Website Hosting**: Yes, you get website hosting where your website is seated as you do in unmanaged hosting above. - **Core Updates**: You receive the core updates to your content management system (CMS) for WordPress. Joomla and Drupal sometimes cost more depending on the host. - **Backups**: Your website will be backed up. Normally on a weekly basis. Some are more or less frequent. - **Content Delivery Network (CDN)**: A CDN is a way to speed up and offload processing power from your website and put information closer to your customer. Most managed plans will include a level of CDN, often the free teir. - **Monitoring**: Your hosting company will monitor the web server that it is operational. This will include the hard drives, network interface, and operating system are running and active. ## Additional Managed Hosting Provides These items may or may not be included as part of your managed plan. For Business Yeti clients everything below is included, even on our [**Core Plan**](https://www.businessyeti.com/Plans/Core). - **Advanced Monitoring**: Taking the standard monitoring and adding additional monitoring options. - monitoring your website page(s) you define as running and returning a status code of 200 (everything loaded OK). - monitoring your website page(s) you define as running, return a status code of 200, and specific text exists on those pages. - **Content Delivery Network (CDN)**: You move beyond the free tier and receive additional CDN features. - **Backups**: Your backup frequency increases to daily if it isn't already there. Some will move you from monthly to weekly but these are now, thankfully, rare. - You will also be able to store more backups for restoring. You want to make certain that there is a plan to test your backups and not when you need them do to a problem. - **Test Servers**: You will receive the ability to create a test server to test the program updates. You will make a clone of your live website so that you can avoid as much site disruption as possible. - Create a test site (copied from the live site) - Perform updates - Test that the updates "took" and everything appears to be working - Merge the test site back to production (live website) - **Note**: Test servers are also key in testing that your backups are actually working! - **Plugin Updates**: Updating your core system is important. The problem with just the core system being updated is that the core CMS (Content Management System) are secure. It is the plugins that cause security issues. With plugin updates, you can be assured your plugins are continually kept updated. - **Virus / Malware Protection**: You protect your computer and phone from malware and viruses. You need to do the same for your website as well. - **Firewall**: To help protect your website from hackers you should have a firewall. There are two types of firewalls and we encourage the use of both. - **Hardware Firewall**: This is a physical device, basically a dedicated computer, that helps protect your website. - **Software Firewall**: This type of firewall runs on your website. - **Form Testing**: You have one or more forms on your website. Do they work? Is there a plan to test them to make certain they are working? Are they being delivered to the right individuals? You should be testing your forms on a monthly basis. - **Developer/Designer Time**: This can be used for either updates to pages, adding new pages, tweaking graphics, etc. The number of hours will always vary based on your needs but this is often one of the most critical components as it helps force business owners to use their web developer which helps them grow their business. - **Email**: Not everyone needs Google Docs or Microsoft 365. This is where our email services come into play. You can have email at yourdomain.com rather than @aol.com or another consumer-level email address. Part of marketing your business is putting your best foot forward and email is often one of the first items someone sees, even before your website! ## Often not included but you need - **Local SEO**: This is where you can talk to Alexa and ask a question and have your business come up, type in "X business near me", business name, etc. You want to be found so that your business grows. - **Web Development / Updates**: Beyond ## The costs For complete transparency, all of the solutions Business Yeti offers include the above, with pricing starting at $99.95/month. - Website Hosting - Free - $30/month - Managed Hosting - $30-150/month - Managed Hosting (with additional services, like Local SEO) - $100-300 / month The reason there are ranges is every company charges based on several factors and their business model determines the price. We have seen hosting alone for $199-299/month. The prices are all over the board and shoping around will help you make an informed and educated decision. The worst thing any business owner can do is just going with the first solution, even if it's us. We want you to make a great choice to grow your business! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/When-A-New-Customer-Call-Comes-In-A-Panic-State/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/When-A-New-Customer-Call-Comes-In-A-Panic-State/ Imagine getting a call from a potential new client panicking that they are to launch on BLACK FRIDAY, and it's a week before that day. Well, that just happened. Let's cover how we are handling this type of phone call. The call lasted a little over an hour as they had a lot more information to talk about than our half-hour agreed-to meeting length. We always try to pad our meetings if we can get them so that no one feels "rushed." The client, yes, we closed the sale. There's more to it than "yeah, we got the sale." That is just the start. They are located in Merrillville, Alabama, with their storage down the road in St John, Alabama. They are not 100% sure if they will stay in Merrillville or St John. The location doesn't matter, and we discussed the benefits of both sites. Let's first discuss the panic. In mid-August, they had hired two, yes two -- not one, marketing companies to make sure they met their go-live date, which is three days away. They called panicked as they were just told it would be mid-December for both companies to handle the task. I took a deep breath as I figured this would be the most demanding project ever. They have twenty products they want to sell. With that number, I asked why they weren't looking at Etsy or Shopify. They have some business needs that eliminated those two platforms and agreed with them. After hearing everything, I asked if we could take a step back. You could hear in their voice they reluctantly agreed as I am sure they thought they would miss the entire holiday season. I started by saying we can meet the criteria if we're allowed to break it into a couple of phases, as beginning in August was great, but many of the items that should be moving forward aren't (e.g., search engine optimization or SEO.) These are (at a very high level): - Phase 1 - Go live in the next four days - Build a custom WordPress WooCommerce website - Import all 20 product descriptions and images - Setup shipping options - Setup taxing options - Setup payment methods - Incorporate heat mapping so we can see how people are using the site and adjust it based on the customers. - Phase 2 - Started today - Social media set up and running - Start a paid campaign to build interest on the social media page - Start building up hype on social media on the page of the new site coming, building a newsletter list, and - Phase 3 - Starting next week - Ongoing maintenance begins - Get listed on the search engines and local directories - Continue pushing through social media based on their budget By skipping making the site "super fancy," we are able to meet the deadline. Rather than creating an entirely new interface, we are able to meet the deadline. It is all about setting expectations and realizing that re-inventing the internet is not what a business should be doing. Focus on the MVP (minimal viable product) that will get your system out there and produce revenue for your company. Thankfully they are getting full refunds from both companies as they missed the agreed-to timelines. The one company in St John they hired tried to get them to agree to less but glad they stood firm. I know we will meet the insane go-live deadline. The benefit for the client is the money the customer had paid to both companies will cover our services for **two years**, yes two! They will also have more than enough money to handle the paid ad campaign. In a nutshell, we are thankful for this client and are glad we will be able to help them. We plan on going into the testing phase with the client in about 12 hours. We know it won't be ready, but the majority will be set up and running today. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/When-Clients-are-More-than-Clients/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/When-Clients-are-More-than-Clients/ Every once in awhile, we have one of our clients stop by our office. While most clients stop in businesses to discuss problems or issues, we do something a little different with this particular client. We just talk That's right, we talk. Not about business and not about selling him another new product. We just talk about whatever comes to our mind. Sometimes it's about family. Sometimes it's about current events, but not matter what the topic, we take the time so sit back, relax and talk. That is what separates us from other businesses and one of the things that I love about being a part of the JM2 family. The ability to work closely with our clients on a one-on-one level has led to some meaningful friendships that allow us to connect with some amazing individuals and serve our clients on an even better level. We have a tendency to take on businesses and organizations with heart. Many people say that their business says that their heart and soul is an essential part of the business but true heart and a true love for what they do is always easy to recognize. It's not just in their business model, but also in their character. It's in how they treat their employees. How their eyes light up when they talk about why they are so passionate about what they do. It's the stories of sacrifice and long hours spent putting their time, money and heart into their vision of the future. At the end of the day, it is ultimately more rewarding to help a business grow and become the successes they envision rather than charging an exorbitant fee and then moving on to the next client. These people are not just walking dollar signs but people with hopes and dreams. We are right there with them, which is why we just don't take the time, we enjoy our time chatting with our clients. For in many ways, they are just like us, wanting to become successful to best serve the community they live and work in. So the next time you want to come into our building and just have a chat with us, please do. We're always interested in hearing a new story and always ready to help hard working people find the success they deserve. If you need help maintaining your website, social media, or search engine optimization JM2 Webdesigners in Cullman Alabama is here to assist you and have a great conversation as well! We can be reached at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/When-Security-Is-NOT-Important/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/When-Security-Is-NOT-Important/ ## The initial contact We received a website contact from a client in nearby Chicago Illinois. They currently had a basic five-page brochure website and wanted to completely re-brand their corporate image. They wanted someone close enough but not someone from Chicago due to the Chicago pricing. We thought that was more than reasonable. We covered what they were thinking and went through all of our initial questions. To this point they had avoided giving us their web address as it wasn't what they considered a good site. While talking we tried to find the site on any of the search engines and couldn't – and we soon found out why. ## The website Our initial impression was like "uh oh". We were immediately stopped by Malwarebytes Anti-Malware as the site appeared to have malicious content on it. This immediately raised a red flag and they were confused as it loaded fine for them. Their website was an older site. There was no modern day content management system (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, or any. They had to update it through FTP (file transfer protocol). They logged into their website and showed us the code through Skype screen sharing. We did inquire what the password was as we saw it only had four asterisks in the saved password box. The password was 1234 which was a very generic password (problem 1). As we they showed us what they last modified nothing out of the ordinary was there. It looked like decent HTML content. We then started looking at some JavaScript files that were in the header and footer of the site. They stated they didn’t know what they were and figured someone else put them there (from the company). As they talked they learned none of them did. As the JavaScript files were loaded we immediately noticed there was some special code set of codes to infect the internal computers of their internal network. These commands were well found on the search engines to take advantage and give remote users access to the computers (problem 2). As we inquired about any recent employees being let go we learned that they let go both of their old website administrators. We inquired if their access had been removed and learned it wasn’t (problem 3). We also learned that there computers were acting slow, files mysteriously disappearing, etc. (problem 4). ## Digging Deeper As we continued our Skype call we had even more red flags coming out of the woodwork. The system was targeting every computer and was set to delete files from their Desktop (this is where the owners always saved their files). The company team members were getting angry at the two people let go (problem 5). As we talked we told them they couldn’t get mad or accuse those two as (1) passwords were never changed, (2) they hadn’t changed the password in 11 years (yes that long), and (3) there was no logging kept to determine who did what within their system. ## The Fix We did multiple things on this initial call for them. 1. The fix was easy as we removed the JavaScript files as their site used no JavaScript. 2. We checked all the images that nothing was malicious was store in them, and uploaded the changes. 3. We encouraged them to know that they may want to contact their legal team and let them know what happened and see about putting a notice on their site (Update: The legal team didn’t see a reason at this time to disclose the breach). 4. All of the passwords were changed to more complex passwords and all 12 characters or more and completely [random using our free password system](/Apps/Password/). 5. We have started the process of informing the search engines, Malwarebytes, and other malware sources that the errors of the past have been corrected. This will not happen overnight and they know this has hurt their online reputation. Maybe not to individual people but to the search engines that send people their way. 6. They asked us for a recommendation for an IT company as we don't do IT work. We provided them one of our recommended IT companies we know that works out there and was familiar with their particular industry. Being we were talking to them early in the day the IT company was out at their location in a matter of four hours and has cleaned up their computers, put in-place a starting computer policy, and are continuing to develop an overall company plan. ## Conclusio Whether you are from a growing town in Northwest Alabama or in a big city like Chicago security should always be paramount in your mind when it comes to your website and your business. Whether it is a simple site like the one above or a complex one that needs continual updating like a modern day content management system (CMS). Your website is the first line many of your customers will see. You want to always present your best foot forward and always have good and accurate information. Your website is your online employee. Treat it with as much respect as that of any other employee working for you. If you would like to talk about how to upgrade your website, create a new website, change or enhance your company brand JM2 Webdesigners of Cullman (Valpo) Alabama is here to help you with our in-house team of designers, content writers, and software developers. We can be reached at 256-258-8593, [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/white-label-agency/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/white-label-agency/ As the digital marketing landscape evolves, agencies face increasing pressure to offer a full range of services while maintaining exceptional quality. This is where **white label digital marketing** comes in—a game-changing solution for growing marketing agencies. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we specialize in providing comprehensive, white label digital marketing services that empower you to expand your offerings, scale your business, and exceed client expectations without increasing overhead. In this blog, we’ll explore what white label digital marketing is, how it benefits your agency, and why **Fawkes Digital Marketing** is the ideal partner to help you grow your business. *** ## **What is White Label Digital Marketing?** White label digital marketing refers to the practice of outsourcing marketing services to a third-party agency that works behind the scenes to deliver results under your brand name. Essentially, you’re reselling services provided by a trusted partner, allowing you to expand your offerings without hiring additional staff or developing new expertise in-house. ### **Core Services Often Offered Under White Label Solutions:** - **Search Engine Optimization (SEO):** Keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and reporting. - **Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising:** Campaign setup, optimization, and performance tracking. - **Social Media Management:** Content creation, scheduling, and engagement. - **Content Marketing:** Blog writing, website content, and copywriting. - **Web Design and Development:** Full website creation and updates. - **Reputation Management:** Managing reviews and building trust for your clients. With white label digital marketing, your clients see only your branding, while your partner agency handles the execution. *** ## **Why White Label Marketing is Essential for Growing Agencies** ### **1. Expand Your Service Offerings** White label solutions allow you to offer a full suite of marketing services without needing to hire new staff or spend time training your team. This flexibility is crucial for agencies looking to compete with larger firms. ### **2. Save Time and Reduce Costs** Instead of building new capabilities from scratch, you can leverage the expertise of an established partner. This saves money on recruiting, onboarding, and operational expenses, all while delivering high-quality results to your clients. ### **3. Scale Your Agency Faster** As demand grows, you can seamlessly scale your operations by relying on your white label partner to handle the workload. This enables you to take on more clients without sacrificing quality. ### **4. Focus on Client Relationships** When you outsource service execution, your team can focus on what matters most: building strong relationships with clients, understanding their needs, and delivering exceptional customer service. ### **5. Improve Profit Margins** With white label services, you control pricing and set your profit margins. By leveraging an efficient partner, you can offer competitive pricing while still boosting your bottom line. *** ## **Why Fawkes Digital Marketing is Your Go-To White Label Partner** At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we understand the challenges of growing a marketing agency. That’s why we offer tailored white label solutions designed to meet your needs and help you deliver exceptional results to your clients. Here’s what sets us apart: ### **1. Expertise Across All Digital Marketing Services** From SEO and PPC to social media and web design, we cover all aspects of digital marketing. Our team of experts stays updated on the latest trends and strategies, ensuring your clients get the best results. ### **2. Seamless Branding Integration** All work we provide is white-labeled, meaning your clients see only your agency’s branding. Reports, communications, and deliverables are tailored to match your brand identity, creating a seamless experience for your clients. ### **3. Dedicated Support** When you partner with Fawkes Digital Marketing, you get a dedicated account manager who works closely with your team to ensure smooth collaboration and timely delivery of services. ### **4. Transparent Processes and Reporting** We believe in complete transparency. You’ll always know what we’re working on, and we provide detailed reports that highlight the value of our efforts. This makes it easy for you to demonstrate ROI to your clients. ### **5. Local Expertise with a Global Reach** Based in Cullman, Alabama, we bring deep knowledge of local markets and customer behaviors. Whether your clients are local businesses or operate on a national scale, our strategies are tailored to meet their unique needs. ### **6. Scalable Solutions for Agencies of All Sizes** Whether you’re a small agency looking to expand or a larger firm needing extra bandwidth, we offer scalable solutions that grow with your business. *** ## **How Fawkes Digital Marketing Helps Your Agency Grow** 1. **Win More Clients:** Expand your offerings to attract new clients and retain existing ones with a comprehensive range of services. 2. **Enhance Client Satisfaction:** Deliver high-quality work on time, every time, thanks to our expert team and streamlined processes. 3. **Boost Your Reputation:** With our help, your agency becomes known for delivering exceptional results, increasing client trust and referrals. 4. **Increase Revenue:** By outsourcing to us, you can focus on sales and client management while enjoying high profit margins. *** ## **Get Started with Fawkes Digital Marketing Today** If you’re ready to take your marketing agency to the next level, partner with **Fawkes Digital Marketing**. As the leading white label digital marketing provider in Cullman, Alabama, we have the expertise and resources to help you grow your business and deliver unmatched value to your clients. ### **Contact Us** Visit **[www.fawkesdm.com](https://www.fawkesdm.com/)** or call us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how our white label solutions can transform your agency. Let’s build something great together! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-a-business-needs-reputation-management/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-a-business-needs-reputation-management/ It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the reputation of a business is very important. As long as a business is having a good reputation among existing and potential customers, it would be able to do business peacefully. In today’s age of digital media, where just about anything goes, it is important for a business to know what their clients are saying about them. Depending on what customers say, a business should take steps or measures to protect their reputation with Reputation Management Systems. Reputation management is important for businesses that often obtain and manage their online reviews. Customer-oriented business, with an online presence, should pay concern to what customers say about them. Whoever might be the target audience of the business, reputation management forms an important part. The reputation can help a business to acquire new customers. The importance of a reputation management is irrefutable. Here are some reasons that would clearly tell why a business should take the reputation seriously. Better Search Engine Ranking Online reviews can create a huge impact on SEO. It’s because search engine data results know it very well, that customers place a lot of stress on the online reviews of the company when making a decision. Hence, a business that takes the best effort to deal with its online reputation gets rewarded with an increasing SEO visibility. Increasing Customer Trust & Credibility Online reviews are not all about improving data results. It’s also about the way people identify a brand. With customers trusting online reviews, gaining the trust of customers is essential. Everyone knows that the reputation of a business is crucial for its survival. Once the trust of the customers is gained, the existing customer would speak about the business to others. A lot of emphasis is placed on online reviews, and can easily influence a customer’s decision on whether to trust a brand or not. A good reputation management can easily help a business to gain trust. Having positive reviews can lead potential customers to trust the business even more. A good reputation means that the business is more credible than their competitors. Professional Image Having a successful corporate image is a very important marketing tool for a company. Existing, and potential customers, would try to learn about a business separation by searching the name in Google. Since potential customers don’t have a better idea about a business, they will look out for the available online information, and then make a decision. If potential customers find negative reputation, they won’t do business. It would be in the business best interest to positively try to resolve their negative reputation if any. It doesn’t matter whatever type of business one might be running; reputation management is very important. By giving great attention to the reputation management, it can help a business to drastically improve its SEO ranks. At the same time, it can help a business to gain the trust of consumers. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhyaFreeBusinessDirectoryisanEqualizer/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhyaFreeBusinessDirectoryisanEqualizer/ The phrase that we hear over and over of "the best things in life are free" has seemingly lost it's impact and meaning through decades of ad nauseam use and the almost obligatory use on every marketing and business avenue known to humankind. Free has become free with an asterisk, making it all but free and losing any impact of the original's implications. It's time to put that behind us, because as a business owner, you deserve honesty, you deserve offers that are truly what they mean. Free should always mean free, and with FindBiz Directory that is exactly the case. ## Why FindBiz is Free? If you ever wanted to list your business online, you most likely have come across a variety of online directories that allow you to list your business. This can range from city chamber of commerce websites to nationwide websites. For the most part, these serve as great ways to have your business listed on both a local and national level. However, their one caveat comes with the cost of being listed, with some costing up to $500 for just basic listing features. For many small businesses, this cost is simply too much for small businesses to afford in their budget. As a business whose roots go back to small business, we understand the need to manage your budget down to the last cent. This doesn't mean a business should miss out on the opportunity to be noticed and bring more business to them via an online presence. It was through this thinking, that FindBiz was born. ## What Does a Business Directory Give Me? So what does a business directory give a small business? The short answer is a complete solution to sharing all the essential information customers need to know about your business. This includes your location, business hours, logo, and link to your website and social media accounts. Some premium options (free for FindBiz Directory) include coupons, job postings and upcoming events. This allows your business to be listed alongside franchise chains and other businesses and is an essential reason why being on a business directory is important. Sharing space with your competitors both large and small provide you with a platform to be seen with the rest of the crowd. By standing on even ground with other businesses, and also helping your SEO (search engine optimization), you have an equal opportunity to appeal to potential customers. You also now have a greater chance of being seen on search engines such as Google and Bing, complete with the correct information, location and business hours. ## Everyone Deserves the Chance to be Noticed A business shouldn't have to break their budget just to have the opportunity to show up among others. All businesses both large and small deserve the opportunity to let the world know who they are and what they can offer customers and consumers. A business directory isn't a complete solution to bring success to your business, but it's a solid start in getting your business off the ground and promoting it. Business directories have the ability to list your business anywhere in the world to a variety of audiences and with FindBiz, we're giving all businesses the opportunity to take the first step to success. To find out more about FindBiz along with free registration, please visit the website as well as giving us a call at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our online contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-Boosting-On-Facebook-isnt-Always-Enough/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-Boosting-On-Facebook-isnt-Always-Enough/ When you post to Facebook as a business account you may see the option to “boost post” and this may seem like a good idea. However, there are still many things to consider. Using this option will surely boost your post engagement but it will do that alone, boost your post meaning you may get more likes, but this will not ensure a boost to your page or link clicks. Boosting a post allows you to choose your audience. This can include choosing from boosting your post to your fans or to the friends of your fans. However, this sends your post to maybe millions of Facebook users who might scroll right past it because it has no direct correlation with them. For example, a post may have thousands of likes from people in Canada but is only truly relevant to people of Northwest Alabama. The audience reached may not end up being your intended audience. This is where the potential problem lies. While Facebook encourages you to boost and boost often, boosting without doing research first can ultimately lead to a waste of money. Boosting isn’t a bad thing, but boosting without extensive knowledge of your audience and what their interests are is. In order to truly benefit from the occasional boost to your page, it is important to post consistently. This will remind people of your business often and increase your chances of bringing them to your page. This can be achieved by creating a schedule based around when your audience is online and sticking to that schedule. Keep your content consistent with your brand and make blatant sales posts only occasionally. We recommend sticking to what we call the “80/20 rule” of 80% original, curated, entertaining or informational content related to your business or organization and 20% promotional posts for your product or service. As of the newest update being announced for Facebook, content that is meaningful and provides value to your audience is even more important than ever. While boosting may be advertised as a “magic bullet” designed to bring immediate business and revenue to you through posts designed to be seen by a specific audience, doing it without regard to your numbers or without a desire to continually keep your Facebook page active and consistent will not yield desired results. Boost occasionally, boost with a target and goal in mind, know your audience and always stay consistent on your page. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhyBusinessBlog/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhyBusinessBlog/ A question we are often asked is "why we blog", "what is the business benefit", and "will it increase my business". These are all great and valid questions. We love hearing them as it shows a business owner is truly thinking about how they can improve their business and the future of their company. The question is not just blogging to blog; but to decide why you want to blog. Are you going to be adding a value for people? Will you be using your blog as an information center about your business or something completely different? Other reasons a person may blog is for a financial return where you will see advertising on a blog. By looking at yourself, your business, and determining if it's the right thing you will know if a blog is for you. ## The plan When you start a blog you need to develop a plan. We knew with a growing business we could not just jump in and hit our end game of one post per week. We did know we could start out doing one every four weeks, then three weeks, and finishing at one to two per week within a 3-year period. We are on a positive course to achieve that goal. Our first post was on 10/22/2013. From that date forward everything was in motion. It took us nearly seven months of planning and preparation before our first post. We had to define what we would and wouldn't write about, schedule specific times to post (3-5 hours per post between text, titles, and pictures), define how we wanted it to look, and who would be responsible for writing a specific blog post. Along with that we needed to determine the tone we wanted to have the posts come across as and who would be reviewing the posts prior to being approved to go live. ## Timing Our goal was to eventually reach a post every week. This is what we like to call the holy grail of posts as it takes a lot of discipline to do so as well as making certain you can deliver on that goal. It is never good to start writing, quit for a while, and come back apologizing for not writing as you promised. In 2013 we averaged 17.5 days between posts. In 2014 we averaged 10.7 days between posts and in 2015 we are at 10 days between posts. Our goal was that by the end of 2016 to reach that magical goal of one blog post consistently every week (52 per year). ## Discipline Having a blog is a true discipline of the mind. Not that writing a blog is technically hard but because you need to be disciplined to constantly write and write on a consistent basis. You need to set time aside and accept to what you've committed to. You need to research your information, find appropriate images if you are using images for a specific post (not a requirement), and write in a way that your readers want. You can't just write off the cuff as those are Twitter Tweets or Facebook Posts (which should also be scheduled and properly vetted!). A key point to blogging is a true discipline to want to provide a value to your readers. We average 31.8 unique readers per day (yes getting a .8 reader is hard but we are a determined bunch!). We are on a pace to meet our original goal and knew it would be a challenge and each post is a challenge and one we actually truly enjoy. ## Value proposition You could easily say that there has been more than one post already for every subject on the Internet. You could go further stating that for what our Cullman company does the information has been posted dozens, if not hundreds, of times. So how can we add value to an already plentiful source of information. We could easily aggregate the information from all of the sources but to us that doesn't help prove we are experts in our field. We find that if we put forth the effort and write we are establishing we truly know what we're doing. Posting what others have posted we definitely do on our Twitter account by re-tweeting other articles but we create our own content. We don't have guest authors as our content we build based on the needs of our current customers and know that it will provide value to future clients. Many of our posts are directly from questions our clients have asked us and we want to share it with others. ## Expert in your field By creating the content, we are proving to everyone we not only talk the talk but walk the walk. This to us is important and for our clients they state it provides a value proposition to them. Not only are they able to get free advice but they also get information that is current and representative for the area around Northwest Alabama and the Chicagoland area. Search Engines are more local these days and a blog is a way of providing value to your local audience. ## Why Use a Blog? But why blog? Each blog post that you create that provides value adds quality content to your website. Each post is should not be just an article or an additional webpage. Your blog if it provides a value proposition will help you with your search engine optimization (SEO) and make people want to come back to your website. Depending on how busy the blog space is for the subjects you are writing for has the potential to bring in some very targeted inbound web traffic to your website over time. This is probably one of the most important reasons why anyone should write in their blog on a daily basis. Social media marketing and blog posts go hand in hand when it comes to marketing a business. Each post can be leveraged in the social communities and the more quality blog posts a blog has increases the opportunity for additional targeted web traffic to find its way to your blog. If your blog is built how it should to convert, you could find yourself with some newly found business or simply just additional actions happening on your website from your social media traffic. ## Branding Power When we started JM2 Webdesigners from Michigan City Alabama we never thought about branding. We were truly "all over the place". It has taken us three years to *learn* how to brand ourselves. We were always close to who we are today but we knew we needed to be better. It was no surprise to us that by being more consistent across not only our website but our digital marketing (newsletters and social media) and our printed materials that people started recognizing more each time we went out our logo and branding efforts. We know that by having our blog and staying consistent with it we have established a much needed boost in our branding power. ## Business Voice & Personality When we started our blog we had three viewers per week compared to today. This wasn't discouraging to us though. We knew it would take time and we had to build our credibility. We now have a solid voice and a way to showcase our company, culture, and personality to everyone. A website for a business at this point in time should just be a given but a blog can give your business a reason to distance itself away from your competition and really stand out from the pack. A blog can be used as a journal for your business audience to see and read ultimately allowing it to have a voice and a personality in your community. ## Unseen Benefits There have been benefits we never realized as we started writing. We have become much better writers being technical people. We are much better at articulating what we are trying to get across to people and we do so now in a much non-nerdy way (e.g. techno-speak). While being able to better explain a topic we also spend a lot more time researching and making certain we truly know a subject inside and out. As technology changes we are able to more adeptly be on top of the changes before our clients are even aware a change is coming. This allows us to provide value to them while maintaining our "A Game" for them as well. ## Financial Impact We would be amiss to not talk about the financial gain as every business is in the business of generating a profit and we are no exception to that. By writing our blog and showing to existing and potential clients that we do know what we are selling we are able to gain more clients. We can say that each one of our Digital Marketing clients where we help with their social media and search engine optimization have come because of our blog. We are always told they appreciate the free advice but that they spend enough time growing and maintaining their business that they don't want to learn "another technology". ## Inspiring Others While we write our blog we've received emails, phone calls, and had in-person conversations with others on how our blog has inspired them to write their own blog. This is rewarding to us that we did that but more importantly many of them are blogs we often read as well. Many are on completely different topics but allow us to see what they are up to but also allow us as a company better serve their unique business needs. ## Conclusion Writing a blog takes passion, dedication, and a desire to add value to the lives of others by spreading good words and helpful information. You will be able to improve your search engine optimization over time as well as become a better expert in your field. We also want to say that a blog is not for everyone and truly takes a discipline to do on a constant basis. We will be glad to assist any company or individual in developing their blog. You can reach us at 256-258-8593, through email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [here through our online contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-businesses-need-blog-articles/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-businesses-need-blog-articles/ A blog is a way to give valuable knowledge and information that shows that you are the expert in the industry you are serving. You are showing your company as the industry leader and expert that others will want to follow and emulate. The information you provide should help current customers and potential customers while also letting your competitors know that you are the leader that they should emulate. When deciding to write a blog, there are several items you need to think about. - The first is **why** you are writing the blog. This could be due to a passion to educate and teach others, to cover items that you are passionate about, or to show your expertise in your industry. - Make a list of the topics you want to cover. - Start making a list of the titles - Determine your schedule and stick to it. Set aside specific time on your calendar to do this. When talking with clients about their website, business, and how to grow and become an expert we almost always discuss having a blog, what a blog is, and how it can help you from a search engine optimization standpoint. When writing your blog, we encourage to not push sales of products and services. That information will come over a period and your growth will be found organically on the search engines. The search engines are a key way for people to come and learn about your services. When writing your blog article people often debate whether to curate content or create it themselves. Curated content is content that someone else has written. Many times, this curated information is shared among many within a given industry. The author writes it once and then sells it to multiple companies to make their money. This information can hurt your business even if it has some small changes as the search engines know that you have basically paid for the content rather than show that you are the industry expert. Having a blog will help drive traffic to your website and in-turn make you show that you are an industry expert. With this expertise, you will be providing fresh and relevant content, new and returning site visitors, and help add people to your sales funnel process. No matter the size of your business having a blog will greatly help. We continue to see that by consistently posting to your site with relevant and quality content that you will move up in the search engines and bring in more leads. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-Chatbots-Arent-Worth-It/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-Chatbots-Arent-Worth-It/ At first, an automated system designed to answer all of your client's wants and needs, both good and bad sounds amazing. Having the ability to address concerns at any day and any time is the kind of customer service all businesses strive for. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is as automated responders or chatbots while getting better, still, pale in comparison to good ole flesh and blood human customer service. In an age where businesses can live and die by how they communicate back with their clients, automated bots are falling short of expectations. **You Need the Human Touch, For the Good.** Having a staff answer a client's engagement, concerns and negative feedback on social media is a full-time job. It's a job that depends on the size of the business and requires someone (or sometimes more than one person) to always be responding to clients who are actively engaging with you. This can range from thanking people for leaving nice comments about a product to discussing with people what they like the most about what your business offers and how it can be better. People like a business that talks to them and shows them that they care about what the consumer wants, and is listening to their concerns. If you want to see two great example, the Arby's and Wendy's social media feeds show ways of giving information, keeping it more of a way to share information rather than a sell something and most importantly, have fun. At the end of the day, people like to have fun and if they see a business is having fun with them, even online, they feel more inclined to remember you and participate with you in the future. Chat bots simply cannot offer this level of spontaneous fun banter with clients without sounding forced. **For the Bad** It's not all fun and games though, as sometimes there will be clients who experience negative encounters with your business, service or product. Because of this, humans are needed more than ever to offer the reassurance and level of situational awareness to react accordingly to an angry customer and offer them a solution as quickly and efficiently as possible. Taking it offline is a phrase we use a lot at JM2 and it has more meaning and depth than just trying to delete and mute negative comments. We all have bad experiences and we all get angry. The last thing we want is the feeling of being ignored or not being fully listened to. By keeping that human touch, we have another person willing to listen to all of the client's woes, offer them a solution and a sincere-sounding apology for the incident happening in the first place. With an automated response, this canned answer leaves clients feeling like they're ignored and left without any real source to fix their problem. They can't offer the level of empathy that we understand our own frustrations and disappointment. While some have said in the past to leave the emotion out of business, when it comes to client care and empathy, we disagree. **And the Ugly** Clients and customers have never had more freedom to discuss to a wide reaching audience their pros and cons with a business. Whether you're a mega-corporation or a brick and mortar shop, clients have never had more power to voice their love or their hate of a business. Look no further than the recent incidents with businesses like American Airlines and Uber to see how a lack of clear messages and mismanagement both in the real world and online can lead to disasters. ![](https://www.BusinessYETI.com/Images/Content/Blog/notgood-1.png) Understanding the tact and nuance of human emotions and expectations is something that AI minded chat bots simply cannot match. Their pre-recorded dialogue can actually work against a business, no matter the original intention, now creating an even bigger incident than the original one. Your business is now a business that isn't interested in interacting with their customers for good or bad reasons and has the potential to become an even bigger issue when people show other's you aren't listening. What was once one disappointed customer can now turn into dozens if not hundreds of angry customers if their dissatisfaction goes viral. At this point, it's almost too late to take the negativity offline and requires and entirely new strategy to counter what started as a simple miscommunication. One that as of now, is impossible to be detected and reacted to by bots. **Conclusion:** There's an old saying that the internet never forgets nor do they ever forgive. This is an old adage that businesses should take care to keep in mind not as a threat, but as a figurative measuring stick to keep a business honest with their clients and with themselves. Communication no matter your businesses size will always help to build a better relationship with your clients, something that simply can't be done with automated responses. You may initially save money with bots and human-less responses, but the long term damage your business will receive can't really compare to a few upfront savings. I'm always ready to talk about what works best for customer service and how your business can benefit from it. Want to chat? Need help with your business? Shoot me an email at kyle@BusinessYETI.com, I'd love to hear from you. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-do-we-care/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-do-we-care/ Today I want to talk about our bottom pillar of our company and that is about environmental impact. When it comes to our environment there are three approaches a company can take. They can either do something, not do something or do it partially. This is one of the easiest yet hardest things any of us could ever do as a society. Yet it is also one of the hardest as well. This is where many fall into that third area or if it’s convenient they will do it and if it takes one extra amount of energy they slip into the someone else will do it phase. Let’s take a look at the challenge of being friendly to the environment. The first step is where do you begin? There is no fixed starting point and no ending point in this. I like the staged approach where you start with the easy and do it consistently which makes the rest slowly come to pass. Here is what we have already done which you will see is not as much as I wish. 1. **Servers** – the web and mail servers, firewalls, and backup mechanisms are all powered by renewable energy as the primary source of power and fossil fuels as their backup. 2. **Printing** – We try not to print. When we do everything is on recycled paper or for our business cards they are on either recycled paper or plastic. 3. **Lights** – All of our lights are either energy efficient LED or being replaced to be that way. This isn’t for our regular lights but are video and photography lights as well. 4. **Recycling** – This is truly the hardest for us. We have asked for and are still waiting for our own recycle container so we have started to use our neighbors while we continue to wait for one. We are only past one year now in waiting but we know we are on the list to receive one. 5. **Shredding of paper** – Blank envelopes, paper, check stubs, business cards, etc. are all shredded. There is rarely an occasion that anything leaves that isn’t shredded. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is our client’s privacy and equally, we use the shredded paper elsewhere and it works better and composts better when we use it as compost. A lot of it is saved for summertime campfires as the starter fluid for bomb fires. Yes, bomb fires aren’t the most environmentally friendly things to do but it beats dousing with gas or lighter fluid. 6. **Snow shoveling** – This one actually started today (or should have). We received quotes from many landscaping/snow removal companies. Most are overcharging and the one we chose has been less than reliable. To reduce on vehicles plowing our lot we ordered a battery-operated snow blower with an extra battery. It is ironic it is delayed by snow and won’t be here until next week. This gives us over an hour of plowing capabilities, reduces gas usage, and is a lot quieter at 5 in the morning compared to a traditional snow blower. This change also helps us be better neighbors as we’re going to do the neighbors sidewalks as well. That’s where we are at today. That’s not our long-term plans though. We want to look at solar (that’s the long-term ambition) for our roof to power the entire building. Snow and cloudy days will put a damper on that but it will be a great start. We will be upgrading our windows, furnace, and air conditioning to the highest level possible today. On our windows, we will have them tinted to keep heat in the winter and the heat out in the summer. We know that we alone cannot change the world. We can do our part though to try and do our best. I feel if everyone does just one thing it will be a step in the right direction to making our planet for us, and our future inhabitants, have a better place to live. I feel that Mars and space exploration are a huge benefit to mankind but as we strive to do that we should continue to look at improving our home planet. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-Jobs-Need-To-Be-On-Your-Website/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-Jobs-Need-To-Be-On-Your-Website/ As a web design company owner, I am biased toward career information being on the website. I feel that having your career page helps qualify your employees more than any other channel. If you are hiring for a critical position (e.g., CEO/CFO/Sales), I believe using an assessment test to qualify those positions further is key to long-term success. We've all heard of [ZipRecripter](https://www.ziprecruiter.com/), [Indeed](https://www.indeed.com/), and [Monster](https://www.monster.com/), to name a few. They are excellent sources for finding new employees fast. You can hire talent management/leader development companies to assist in job hiring your candidates. You can even go through a headhunter/recruiter to fill positions. I want to cover the pros and cons of these services and why it's better to put a career page on your website. If the position is a high-visibility position or a core piece of your operations, incorporate a talent management organization. ## National Job Boards Quick and dirty to add heads to your staff is what I like to consider these sources. With a national job board, you will receive: - **Pro** - You will receive leads based on the criteria you set in the job posting. These can be competencies, previous experience, etc. - You will receive many candidates as the purpose of these job boards is to get as many resumes in your hand as possible. - Many will have basic job assessment tests to qualify the job candidates. - **Con** - Expensive (after their initial first-time job posting promotion). - Spend a lot of time finding the best candidate(s) for the position you posted as you will have a lot of candidates to field. - Too many companies and job candidates that you are all fighting to fill positions. - You often will have a quantity over quality of candidates. - The qualification tests given are less robust than those of talent management agencies. - **Neutral** - Your candidates can be either long or short term. You won't know until they eventually decide to leave. ## Talent Management/Leader Development Companies Talent Management or Lead Management companies are the highest cost option when hiring candidates. It would help to use these talent management companies to vet your core team members, leaders, and front-facing leaders to keep your company running on all cylinders. With a talent management/leader development organization, you will receive: - **Pro** - Those you interview are the crème of the crop when it comes to candidates. - Have proven assessment tests that candidates must go through. - Provide a non-biased analysis of who is the most qualified based on the information you've provided to them. - All of the jobs listed are for you. You're not fighting over job candidates with other companies. - You will need to find a candidate that has a proven track record in your industry. - **Con** - Talent vetting companies typically do not offer a list of candidates. - Talent vetting companies use the candidates from your national or website job campaigns. - Being these are the crème of the crop, and well-vetted career candidates expect to pay a premium. - The agency gets paid for candidates. They will look for ways to upsell you further or stay in your good graces to keep their cash flow. - **Neutral** - Can extend the hiring by a week or more. If you're in a hurry, this could be a con, but also a pro in that you will get qualified employees. ## Headhunters/Recruiters Having been hired by companies going through recruiters in the past, I do know their value. Some positions they brought to the table I was qualified for, others required me to move, and I didn't want to, and in the end, I think they helped me secure higher-paying jobs. With a headhunter/recruiter, you will receive: - **Pro** - They do all of the searching for candidates for you. - They will vet many bad candidates out for you. - **Con** - They are quota-driven, so they may try to give you someone that looks good but may not be the best for you. - You often will be paying them a percentage of their annual pay as part of the fee. - Many change monthly payments even if you are not hiring. - **Neutral** - The jobs are typically higher-paying for the employee. ## Social Media We would be amiss if we left off social media. Reaching a large audience for low cost is definitely what social media brings to the table. With social media, you will receive: - **Pro** - You hit a lot of potential candidates. - For Facebook jobs, it is free to post. - Can post in groups you have access to for a larger audience. - **Con** - Candidates may be "looking" (aka window browsing). - To reach a larger audience, you can boost your job posting. - **Neutral** - Communication with candidates can be hit or miss. ## Your Website Your website is a great place to look for job candidates. You will receive fewer results than you will from using a national job hunting service. Here is what putting the career page on your website will achieve for you: - **Pro** - Candidates will more typically be familiar with your products and services. - Generally have read what your business offers and believe in what they've read from your website and any social media channels you are on. - **Con** - You will receive fewer candidates than national job boards. - The candidates you receive may not be qualified for the position. - **Neutral** - You might not be getting the crème of the crop as you would going through other sources. ## Conclusion You have many options available to you. Only you know your business and what is best for you. You have many options, and many will use a combination of options. We can say my personal preference is the website. I feel this is because the person applying is routinely already familiar with your business, understands your core values, and is more vested in staying longer. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhyLinkedIn/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhyLinkedIn/ With all the push and media pointing at Facebook with around 900 million active monthly users why would anyone consider being on any other network? The quick answer is when it comes to a professional business network LinkedIn is king even with its 255 million active monthly users. You won't find any games on LinkedIn but individuals that are focused on growing their business network. Whether this information is for personal growth, searching for a job, looking to hire or get answers from peers to a current business problem. LinkedIn is the place to get answers related to your personal persona. ## Preparation is Key Employers, businesses, peers, etc. don't know who you are. Now is the time to prepare just as you did for a school test. We all know most people don't like tests, we for one don't, but that doesn't mean you can just create a profile and people will come. It is important that you consider the most important items that you should include in your profile. As you build your LinkedIn profile you need to think about who you want your target audience to be. What words or keyword phrases that they might type in to increase your visibility to them. In terms of being on LinkedIn you need to know dates. Dates are important. You need to know employment dates, school dates, volunteer dates, etc. Anything that has a date you want to know and gather as it will be paramount in having accurate information. A prime place for people to target is your latest resume. For some it may be their last several resumes as each resume may have been tuned for each employer you were prospecting to. One item we always do when helping our client build a LinkedIn profile that is great is to use those keywords and phrases that they feel are important and actually search on them. Did the system return the desired results? Are we able to be in the top of those results or will we just be another number within all of the results? Are the people and businesses that show up in the results the type that I want to be associated with? Having all of this knowledge in hand you are now ready to start moving forward with your professional profile. ## Component of a LinkedIn Profile ### Headlines This part of your profile appears directly under your name. It's a one or two sentence summary of who you are or what you do. Use your key phrase(s) here, but construct it so your title makes sense. This is essentially who you are or who you'd like to be. For a complete detail breakdown on setting up a perfect LinkedIn Headline view our blog post [Perfect LinkedIn Headlines](/Blog/Details/PerfectLinkedInHeadlines). ### Summary Your summary allows you to create a free-form description of your experience, expertise and your objectives. There are two sections - Professional Experience & Goals, and Specialties. Make sure this area is well written using proper grammar and is typo-free. This area should showcase you you're your absolute best foot forward. This is your true first impression for those that do not know who you are. Use short paragraphs with just one or two sentences each. This is NOT a place you want to write a novel. DO use your key phrases in this area wherever appropriate. The text that you write should be human readable and read very well. Try to keep your summary punchy, to-the-point and interesting. List each specialty on a separate line. Use dashes, asterisks or plus signs to start each line so it looks like a bulleted list. ### Photo As we said in the beginning LinkedIn is not Facebook, so having a photo of you holding a glass of wine is a no-no. Neither should you feel that you have to put your passport photo up. Choose a good headshot with a neutral/inoffensive background. You want to be personable and yet professional. People will make assumptions based on your photos so you might as well make it a good one. This is not the place for a selfie! ### Experience LinkedIn allows you to create a rather lengthy online resume with your current and previous work experience listed. Be honest, but don't be afraid to work in your key phrases in this area. Also keep in mind, that if you are currently active in more than one position - say you offer consulting services part-time, but you also work for an accounting firm, the position you list with the most recent start date will appear at the top of your employment list. If you want your consulting business to appear first, the start date you indicate (say, May 2013) needs to be later than the start date for your accounting job (say March 2013). Use your official job title (if you have one) but include your key phrases when outlining your experiences and (better yet) successes. Keep your descriptions easy to read - use short sentences and then press the enter key to insert a line break. Use asterisks or + signs to make it look like a bulleted list. The goal is to keep your readers engaged so they don't want to leave right away without finding out more about you. ### Education Since your LinkedIn profile is an online resume, this area is important if formal education is expected for what you do and how you want to be perceived. Although education can mean many things to many business professions. This could be formal schooling like a university or community college or a technical or trade school. Taking the time to fill out this section can make your profile stand out and it can also help you gain connections by putting you in contact with former classmates and fellow alumni. ### Additional Information Just as it is with a paper resume, you'll want to consider adding information that can help make your profile stand out. Within your LinkedIn profile, you can add a photo of yourself, link to your Twitter account, your websites, and awards you've won. You can also include your interests. Just don't list anything you wouldn't want a potential customer or employer to know about or you wouldn't want to be public information. Keep your LinkedIn profile professional. You can include up to 3 links plus a link to your Twitter profile. The default text might be "My Website" or "My Company". Instead, when you're adding links, select "Other" in the websites section. This allows you to create custom text for you link, such as "Cullman Freelance Writer Site", if you were targeted freelance writer as your phrase. Many people make the mistake of accepting the default for these links, which does nothing for getting them found in LinkedIn or on the web. ### Recommendations After you have established a LinkedIn profile and have built up some LinkedIn connections in your network, ask for recommendations from people who are familiar with your professional skills. The right recommendations can help your profile stand out and they might help you land more work. One of the best ways to get recommendations is to first write a LinkedIn recommendation for someone. During that process, the person you recommend will be asked to write one for you. To see how your LinkedIn profile looks to the public, click the link next to Public Profile on the Edit My Profile page. ### Keep Your LinkedIn Profile Up to Date Creating a LinkedIn profile is an easy undertaking, but it can prove to be more important to your at-home business than you may realize. Since this online resume is available around the clock to potential connections and even possible employers or clients, you will want to make sure it shines. You'll also want to make sure it's up-to-date. In fact, each time you update your LinkedIn profile, those in your network will be notified. ### View My LinkedIn Profile and Connect You can view my LinkedIn profile as an example. If you want to invite me to join your LinkedIn network, indicate that you are a Home Business reader in your invitation so I can give your request the proper attention it deserves. ### Vanity URL Personalize your LinkedIn profile web address for your LinkedIn profile. Rather than having a cryptic URL that is hard to read you can customize your URL so that it is more easily understood. This helps people find you and be more memorable. Additionally, you can use this URL to further reach people by having your keyword in your vanity URL. ### Ensure you have a "Fully Completed Profile" LinkedIn says your profile will appear 40 times more in search results if it is "complete." In other words, you will be open 40 times more than others if your profile is complete. Here is LinkedIn's definition of a 100% Complete Profile: - Your industry and location - An up-to-date current position (with a description) - Two past positions - Your education - Your skills (minimum of 3) - A profile photo - At least 50 connections ## Conclusion With the above done you are on your way to taking control of your professional LinkedIn profile. This is the first step, of many, to expanding your business circle. This does take time to setup but is well worth your time and any expense to get yourself there. We have helped several people take a good profile and turn it into a great profile. We've help take a no profile and started them off with a great profile as well. The time it takes will vary from a couple of hours for someone just starting out their professional career to longer with someone with a lot of history to put into the system. Anticipate three to four hours at a minimum to get your profile fully started. If you would like assistance in setting up your professional LinkedIn profile we are here to help at 256-258-8593, [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or [through our online form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-market-in-the-good-times/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-market-in-the-good-times/ Many businesses don’t have much of a marketing platform because, they think that since they are successful, they don’t need to market. That is actually not true. The best time to market your business is during busy times. The object is to keep business flowing. If your market yourself during busy times, there is good probability that it will produce constant customer flow. If you don’t market your company, you might get a period of time where business gets slow. This is normally the time when people think they should market, so they can bring in customers. However, if you market while you are experiencing good business, those customers will bring in other customers, and it helps your business grow and profit.
Having a constant flow of customers is a great thing for your business. One of the best ways to maintain that flow is to always continue marketing. Constant marketing ensures that your many customers you already have will know about your business. The more customers that know, the more customers they will bring with them the next time they visit. There are many ways you can take advantage of the opportunity of marketing around a lot of customers. Here are a few tips.
1. Make Data Cleaning a Routine
Data cleaning shouldn’t be a once-a-year task. If you’ve been neglecting your database, your entire marketing strategy could be off-kilter.
Why? Because successful marketing relies on data-driven decision making. If your data is inaccurate, your decisions won’t be much better. Ensure your marketing strategy is as targeted and on-point as possible. Make data cleaning a recurring monthly routine and you’ll be on your way to more trustworthy data.
2. Know Your Audience
When considering small business marketing ideas, think about your audience.
Ask yourself these questions:
• Who are they?
• What do they do?
• How can you help them do it better?
3. Keep Content on Target
When you know your audience, it’s much easier to create targeted, relevant and (above all) valuable content. Clickbait and countless sales pitches aren’t the way to gain trust from your network. Instead, make it your goal to reach your audience on a more personal level. Show them you understand them and care about their wants and needs.
How? Instead of pushing your product, focus on providing insight, information, and maybe even entertainment. Believe it or not, this approach is a much more effective means of guiding prospects along the buyer’s journey.
4. Boost Your Social Media Content
Social media algorithms are constantly evolving. Oftentimes, these changes mean it’s harder to gain traction organically. That’s where paid advertisements and boosted posts can help level the playing field.
5. Embrace Marketing Automation
No matter how hard we all try, we can’t do it all. Many of us feel bogged down and overwhelmed by responsibilities that could easily be delegated and automated for efficiency. As a result, you may start dropping the ball because you’re trying to do too much at once. When your business starts to suffer, it’s time to reassess your plan and consider getting help from a marketing agency. We hope these five small business marketing ideas and tips help keep your business running in tip-top shape. This list is a great guide, but don’t limit yourself to only these ideas. Keep thinking about your business and customers as both of them change, grow, and evolve. You’ll find new ways to improve customer experience and your bottom line if you keep your eyes open. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-no-sales-pitch/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-no-sales-pitch/ This past week I have had four emails for my latest articles that have been shared on [LinkedIn](https://www.LinkedIn.com/). This is actually good news as on [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/) we get an email every blue moon (less than monthly). They saw I also posted on our company page the same article. Each person inquired why I wasn't including some "sales pitch" for our companies' services? This question took me back that it was from four different people who don't directly know each other according to LinkedIn. One of the people we had some emails back and forth and then an hour-long phone call about the subject of not having a sales pitch. In the end we both realized that not having a sales pitch of "buy my stuff" or "use our services" at the end was actually more of a sales pitch then just stating so and the person said by not doing so actually made me sound like more of an industry insider and expert. Yeah! That is what we have been shooting for with all of our 200+ articles over the past three years. I know I was intentionally leaving off any tag to buy or use our services as I'm tasking our new content writer to write the blog posts with team members. Those are to be more informing with that magical sales pitch at the end (maybe – we'll see). My articles are my thoughts that actually get business owners and marketers thinking and asking questions which is what I intend them to be. I know this based on that since changing my personal style I am getting contacted by more businesses and marketers within business to help. As a result of this change we now have more clients than we did using the sales pitch technique. In my talks and email exchanges we've come up with a reason for this. By not having a sales pitch and pushing a product or service they have been more inclined to dig into what we are offering, who we are, what our company culture is, and ultimately why are you doing what you are doing. We all have agreed that based on our company being focused on honesty, transparency, and our goal for keeping costs down for small business that we are actually having more of a sales pitch than we could ever have hoped. What I write is quick and dirty which is both a blessing and a curse. I know if I spent a few extra hours beyond my 1-2 hours I allocate daily I could massage my article which would make it longer, more correct in a writing style, and be more optimized for the search engines. Well, maybe the first two, but not the last. We have seen based on our increase in blogging that our organic reach has gone up over 23% in the past two months according to our Google Analytics. That may not seem like a large amount but we were only increasing 2-3% before. That is a 20% boost in organic traffic. This means the change is working with Google and Bing (our top two search engines) and that the more organic and non-tweaked content the better our results have been. We believe in editing as that creates the higher quality content that is more evergreen, etc. To give an indication on time this entire article took 15 minutes to write (before I went and re-read) and another 20 to do a read-over and adjust certain paragraphs. I have been averaging about 600 words per 30 minutes time when I don't have to research and quote specific authors. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-our-social-media-software-is-beyond-what-the-c/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-our-social-media-software-is-beyond-what-the-c/ As a marketing business, it is our job to help small businesses excel, and gain positive clientele. The reason people choose us instead of other marketing businesses is because, we strive to make peoples lives easier. As business owners, and operators, our clients come to us looking for help. We do our best to deliver that help. A big advantage we have that helps us in making our clients successful with marketing their business, is our uniquely advanced social media software. SocialPilot is the platform that we use in order to post on multiple social media platforms, track analytics, and schedule posts for our client’s businesses. We believe SocialPilot is the best software that reflects, and meets customer needs. We use this because we want our clients to feel like they have the final say on things. Our job is to give them control, and teach them about how to market their business in the most beneficial ways. Not take over for them, and let them stay in the dark. We strive for customer satisfaction, and that is not achieved by being vague with our clients. We believe that providing client access, and complete transparency with our clients, is one of the biggest perks that sets us apart from our competitors. We provide every client with their own account to SocialPilot, that we will gladly set up, in order for them to see analytics, be able to schedule their own blog posts, and have full access and control over their social platforms. We also have a content writer, who writes the blog posts for our clients. The reason for this, is to ensure that each client has original content that is specifically written to assist in marketing their business. Our content writer’s job is to take important information from the client, understand what they want, and then write an article for their blog. Changing it as many times as the client needs until they are happy with the article is something we do. We always want a client’s approval before posting an article to their social platforms. We also give our clients opportunity to suggest topics for posts, choose pictures for posts, and decide when they want articles to be posted. If clients are interested in learning how to use SocialPilot, we are always more than happy to provide training on how it all works. Our clients can schedule meetings with us to come in, learn the basics, and get answers to any questions they may have on how to use SocialPilot. We are also starting free social media classes that will take place every month. We can teach you all the tips and tricks on how to successfully promote your business via your social media. In these classes, we will be covering how to engage people’s attention, ideal content to post, and other social media marketing etiquette. The class on June 26th is already full. Sign up now for our July class before it fills up! Sign up here at https://www.businessyeti.com/ --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhyRestaurantsinCullmanAlabamaShouldEmbraceMMSCoup/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhyRestaurantsinCullmanAlabamaShouldEmbraceMMSCoup/ ### Why Restaurants in Cullman, Alabama, Should Embrace MMS Coupons In the highly competitive restaurant industry, standing out and attracting diners can be a challenge. For restaurants in Cullman, Alabama, leveraging multimedia messaging service (MMS) coupons offers an innovative and effective way to reach customers, increase engagement, and drive sales. Let’s explore how MMS coupons work, their unique benefits, and why they’re a must-have for restaurants in this vibrant local market. *** ### What Are MMS Coupons? MMS coupons are digital promotions sent directly to customers via multimedia messaging. Unlike traditional SMS (text-only) messages, MMS allows you to include rich media elements such as images, videos, audio, and GIFs, making your promotional messages more visually appealing and engaging. For example: - **A mouthwatering image** of your best-selling dish paired with a limited-time discount. - **A quick video** showcasing your restaurant’s ambiance or upcoming event. - **A personalized coupon** inviting customers to enjoy a free appetizer or dessert. *** ### The Benefits of MMS Coupons for Restaurants #### **1. High Engagement Rates** MMS messages have significantly higher open and engagement rates compared to traditional email or print promotions: - **97% of MMS messages** are opened within minutes. - The inclusion of visuals makes customers more likely to engage with the message. #### **2. Improved Brand Recall** Visual content is processed faster by the brain and is more memorable than text alone. An MMS coupon featuring an enticing image of your signature dish helps keep your restaurant top of mind when customers decide where to dine. #### **3. Better Redemption Rates** Coupons sent via MMS often see higher redemption rates because they: - Are easily accessible on customers’ phones. - Feel more personalized and exclusive. #### **4. Build Stronger Customer Relationships** MMS allows for personalized messaging: - Address customers by name. - Tailor promotions to their preferences, such as offering discounts on their favorite dishes. #### **5. Cost-Effective Marketing** Compared to print ads or radio promotions, MMS coupons are affordable and deliver measurable results. You’ll know exactly how many customers received, opened, and redeemed your offers. *** ### Why MMS Coupons Work in Cullman, Alabama Cullman is a growing community with a mix of locals and visitors, making it an ideal market for MMS coupon campaigns. Here’s why they’re particularly effective in this area: #### **1. Local Loyalty** Cullman residents value community connections. Personalized MMS coupons foster a sense of loyalty by showing customers that you care about their patronage. #### **2. Increased Mobile Usage** Smartphone usage is on the rise, with more customers relying on their phones for dining decisions. Sending MMS coupons ensures your promotions are literally at their fingertips. #### **3. Competitive Advantage** Many restaurants still rely on traditional advertising methods. By adopting MMS coupons, your restaurant can stand out as innovative and customer-focused. #### **4. Perfect for Events and Seasons** Cullman is known for its festivals, events, and seasonal activities. MMS coupons can help: - Promote special menus during Oktoberfest. - Drive traffic with holiday-themed offers. - Boost attendance for live music nights or other events. *** ### How to Make MMS Coupons Work for Your Restaurant #### **1. Create Eye-Catching Visuals** Invest in high-quality images and videos that showcase your food, atmosphere, and promotions. A well-designed MMS message will immediately capture attention. #### **2. Offer Irresistible Deals** Ensure your coupons provide real value to your customers: - “Buy one entree, get one free.” - “20% off your next visit.” - “Free appetizer with any meal.” #### **3. Use Geo-Targeting** Focus your campaigns on customers within the Cullman area to ensure your promotions reach the right audience. #### **4. Keep It Personal** Use customer data to tailor your messages. For example, if someone recently dined at your restaurant, send a follow-up coupon to encourage their return. #### **5. Track and Optimize** Use analytics tools to measure the success of your MMS campaigns. Track metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and redemption rates to refine your strategy. *** ### Conclusion For restaurants in Cullman, Alabama, MMS coupons represent an untapped opportunity to engage customers, increase loyalty, and drive sales. With their high open rates, visual appeal, and personalization capabilities, MMS coupons can set your restaurant apart in a crowded market. Start using MMS coupons today and watch your customer base and revenue grow. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/why-sales-emails-get-ignored/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/why-sales-emails-get-ignored/ Email remains one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal—but only if it’s done right. If you’ve been sending out email after email and getting no responses, it’s time to shift your approach. At **Brilliance CRM**, we’ve seen how businesses turn their sales email strategy around. Paired with the brand amplification expertise from **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, this combo can take your outreach to the next level. Let’s break down why most sales emails fall flat—and how to fix them. ## 📉 5 Signs Your Sales Emails Are Failing If you’re noticing any of these red flags, your email strategy needs work: - **Low Open Rates**: Your subject lines aren’t catching attention. - **Zero Replies**: People aren’t engaging. Period. - **Weak Personalization**: It feels like a copy-paste job. - **No Clear CTA**: People don’t know what to do next. - **Ignored Follow-Ups**: "Just checking in" doesn’t cut it anymore. Brilliance CRM helps you track and improve these key metrics by showing who opens, who clicks, and when to follow up—all in one simple dashboard. ## 🚫 The 7 Types of Sales Email Mistakes Here are the seven biggest mistakes businesses make when it comes to sales emails: 1. **Cluttered Messaging** – Too long, too confusing. 2. **Generic Personalization** – It looks fake and gets ignored. 3. **Cliché Openers** – “Hope this finds you well…” screams spam. 4. **Corporate Jargon** – Nobody wants to “leverage synergies.” 5. **Pushy CTAs** – Don’t ask for a meeting right away. 6. **Weak Subject Lines** – If they’re bland, they’ll be skipped. 7. **Assumptive Tone** – Be inviting, not overconfident. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we help you refine your messaging to ensure your email is dialed into your audience—and feels human, not robotic. ## 🔑 The 4 Pillars of Effective Cold Emails 1. **Start with a Strong Hook** Your subject line and opening sentence must grab attention immediately. 2. **Make It Easy to Read** Short paragraphs, bullet points, and no fluff. 3. **Be Hyper-Relevant** Tie your message to the person’s industry, location, or recent activity. 4. **Ask, Don’t Assume** Instead of saying, “Let’s talk,” ask, “Would you be open to a quick chat?” Brilliance CRM helps you build cold email templates based on these principles and auto-personalize them based on the recipient’s profile. ## 🔍 7 Expert-Backed Sales Email Strategies Here’s what the pros are doing—and how you can, too: | **Strategy** | **Why It Works** | **Real Example** | | --- | --- | --- | | Write Subject Lines That Get Clicked | Increases open rates. | “Struggling to book sales calls?” | | Ditch Generic Openers | Personalized intros grab attention. | “Noticed you recently launched in Valparaiso…” | | Follow-Up With Value | Every email should bring something new. | “Here’s a free guide to improve your email outreach.” | | Make Emails Easy to Read | Walls of text kill response rates. | Bullet lists, bold highlights, and short blocks. | | Use Multi-Touch Outreach | Increases conversion through varied channels. | Email + LinkedIn + SMS + Call = 🔥 | | A/B Test & Optimize | Fine-tune subject lines, CTAs, and timing. | “Which one gets more clicks: ‘Free resource’ vs ‘Free checklist’?” | | Respect Their Time — Be Direct | Don’t be vague. Tell them why you’re reaching out and what’s in it for them. | “Would a 5-minute call this week work for you?” | Using **Brilliance CRM**, you can track opens, click-through rates, and test different templates to find what works best. Meanwhile, **Fawkes Digital Marketing** can help craft your strategy, improve deliverability, and even write the content for you. ## 🚀 The Brilliance CRM + Fawkes Digital Advantage Brilliance CRM is your ultimate tool for managing leads, nurturing relationships, and sending trackable, automated emails that still feel personal. Fawkes Digital Marketing supercharges this by helping you: - Build custom email templates and funnels. - Create eye-catching branding to boost email engagement. - Design multi-channel outreach campaigns that convert. When used together, they allow your business to scale outreach without sacrificing personalization, which is essential in today’s crowded inbox. ## 🎯 Ready to Make Your Emails Work Harder? Whether you're a local business, a service provider, or a growing startup, how you communicate matters. Don't waste another opportunity by ignoring emails. ✅ Try **Brilliance CRM** to streamline and track every message. ✅ Partner with **Fawkes Digital Marketing** to refine your brand and voice. ✅ Start sending **emails that get results.** ### --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-Size-Matters-to-SEO-Growth/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-Size-Matters-to-SEO-Growth/ We started our series of organic search engine optimization or organic SEO techniques we're starting with when we wrote about "[FREE Press Releases](/Blog/Details/free-press-release/)." That was indeed the start of what we're doing for each one of our social media management clients. I will discuss what we're doing for over 100 of our clients and over 1,500 pages of content, how it benefits you, and why the search engines will see a considerable boost with this change to help you grow your business. ## What is Organic SEO? First, I want to start with organic SEO and why it plays a significant role in your digital marketing strategy. When it comes to marketing with the search engines, you can pay the search engines "forever" or invest in content and reap the rewards. That is what we're doing. We know that search engines are a long-term game, and you have to invest in yourself (e.g., your website) to garner the desired long-term results. Yes, you can do paid ads, but that is a band-aid. You are investing in a more permanent and solid solution by investing in content and SEO. This method takes longer requires more work, but when it comes to the longevity and growth of your company, we have to do what is right for you. We will cover organic SEO in-depth later, but this will give you a good foundation for now. ## Are paid ads bad? Absolutely not. We use them sparingly and under the right conditions for your growth. ## Why are we saying 1,250-1,500+ is a good number? We have seen numbers that range from 500 to 1,250 when it comes to the correct number of words for any given webpage. Google needs content to understand what you are trying to get across. Each page of your site should focus on one essential item. Your homepage is a different story as it will typically cover a range of areas that lead to individual pages. Restaurants are unique as they typically don't have a lot of words as menus are short and sweet. You can work around that limitation easily enough as every food item on your menu has a "story" to tell. When we write our blog articles, you will find that they will range from 500 to 1,000+ words. With your core pages between 1,250 and 1,500+ words. Your articles go into more detail, are more specific, and can be shorter while conveying more information. These pages will typically cover information without any added fluff or story, whereas your regular page will be more of a story narrative. ## What if my blog articles go longer or shorter? Then they go longer. Nothing states that a page has to be precisely 1,500 pages or that a blog article must be 500 words in length. Our core target is based on over nine years of data analytics and looking at the numbers and how Google is treating content in 2022. We are confident that this will not only help your web page move up in the search results but indeed beat out your competition. Most of the competitors we have analyzed against (5+ competitors per client x 100+ clients) means we have analyzed over 500 competitors every month with our software. Your competitors are not focusing on their organics. Several are spending hundreds, even thousands, each month, while our customers have spent little to no money on paid ads and are already receiving better results within the search engines. That doesn't mean we sit back and go, "we won." Far from it. We already know we're doing great, but true winners continue to push forward as you do for your business. We are making this change based on all of the data points we are seeing to move you further ahead of your competition and win. ## What do 500-600 words look like, and how long is it? You're looking at it. This blog article falls a little under 700 words total, and we know it will be one of our top blog articles. We also know we added a bit of story to explain everything to you. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-small-business-matters/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-small-business-matters/ We are often asked why we work with small business and nothing else. That wasn't always the case but small business is what we only work on now and the answer is quite simple. Small business make up 3/4 of the businesses within the United States which is a large group of businesses to work with. Five years ago, we went straight to the big box stores for everything as we were selfishly looking at just saving a few pennies (literally just pennies). As we saw spending these pennies on a small business were not only possible but made us happy and we established relationships with these businesses. This change happened and was our wakeup moment when we started our own web design and marketing small business in Michigan City Alabama. Our eyes opened, and we started to "see the light" of what was really driving the American economy. It isn't these large stores but the small business that invest in our local communities that made our communities grow. The box stores have their purpose and it is a good one. They do give a ton of money to our communities, our noticed more by our local governments, and are the first stop for many consumers due to their marketing might. We started out like many small businesses solely at the money aspects of business. I mean we wanted to eat and have a roof over our head. Over time and as we dug into what we wanted to do our hearts have constantly driven us to small business and wanting to give back to our communities. This was a huge mindset change for us as big business has a lot more money, they have helped us with our growth, and they spend money like it really doesn't matter. That was nice to get us started but we felt empty inside. We helped those medium and large businesses solve their business problems, but it wasn't giving us any true satisfaction. When we help a small business a few core things happened to us. We helped the business solve their problem, but they were thankful for it. They said, "thank you" which is something medium and big business never seem to do. Small business appreciates the small things. When you help them add new qualified employees, add new customers, and drive brand awareness they love everything you do for them. The more we help them the more we have learned that they are a true niche that needs help and a niche that we are truly built to help. We have always had a "Leave it to Beaver" mentality where we want to give more to people than they expect in today's society of paying more for more. We love the philosophy that you can get more without having to pay more. This is how we were brought up and what we want to do as our part to help small business grow. We don't want to make a lot of money from one client but a little from a lot of clients that we help grow. What else does small business give beyond that small town feel that you can even find in the big city like Chicago? The customer service no matter how you slice it is better than medium and large business hands down. It's personal and not even comparable as they appreciate each customer and want to help you with your immediate problem. A small business gives back to their community in their time, energy, and of course jobs. A thought for many to ponder is there is no big business that wasn't at one time a small business. Every business starts out and grows from an idea to make the world better. Small business just happens to keep it more in their daily focus and the focus, although it is on money, is not the overall driving focus. Small business wants to make money, but they want to do it by truly helping others. We support small business as they are like us. They care, they educate, they are dedicated to each of their customers, and they love their community. Therefore, JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing in Cullman Alabama does what it does. These small investments by these small companies are what makes America great. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/why-start-a-business/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/why-start-a-business/ ### Why Start a Business Instead of Working for Someone Else? Starting your own business can be one of the most exciting and rewarding decisions of your life. For many, the idea of being their own boss, pursuing a passion, and building something meaningful is far more appealing than working for someone else. However, it’s not a path for everyone. This guide explores the benefits of entrepreneurship, who it’s suited for, and why it’s not the best choice for everyone. *** ### **1. Benefits of Starting Your Own Business** #### **1.1 Freedom and Control** - **Be Your Own Boss:** You have the autonomy to make decisions without needing approval from higher-ups. - **Set Your Own Schedule:** Work on your terms, whether it’s a traditional 9-to-5 or late-night brainstorming sessions. #### **1.2 Pursue Your Passion** - Build a business around what you love, turning your passion into a source of income. - Enjoy a deeper sense of fulfillment when your work aligns with your personal values and interests. #### **1.3 Unlimited Earning Potential** - Unlike salaried jobs, where income is capped, owning a business allows you to scale and increase profits over time. - Reinvest earnings into your business for growth. #### **1.4 Create Lasting Impact** - Solve problems for your customers and contribute to your community. - Build a legacy that can continue for generations. #### **1.5 Personal Growth** - Entrepreneurship forces you to learn new skills, adapt to challenges, and become a better leader. - The journey can help you discover strengths you didn’t know you had. *** ### **2. Challenges of Starting a Business** #### **2.1 Financial Risk** - Starting a business often requires significant upfront investment, with no guarantee of immediate returns. - You may face periods of inconsistent income, especially in the early stages. #### **2.2 Time Commitment** - Running a business is often more demanding than a 9-to-5 job. - Expect to work long hours, especially during the startup phase. #### **2.3 Uncertainty and Stress** - Entrepreneurs face the pressure of making critical decisions that directly impact their business. - Market changes, economic downturns, and unforeseen challenges can add to the stress. *** ### **3. Who Should Consider Starting a Business?** #### **Entrepreneurial Traits** 1. **Self-Motivation:** You’re driven to achieve goals without needing constant supervision. 2. **Resilience:** You can handle setbacks and failures without giving up. 3. **Risk Tolerance:** You’re comfortable with uncertainty and the possibility of failure. 4. **Creativity and Problem-Solving:** You enjoy finding innovative solutions to challenges. #### **Situations That Favor Entrepreneurship** - **Passionate About an Idea:** You have a business concept you’re deeply committed to. - **Desire for Independence:** You prefer control over your career and lifestyle. - **Opportunities in the Market:** You’ve identified a gap or unmet need you can address. *** ### **4. Who Should Not Start a Business?** #### **Risk-Averse Individuals** - If you’re uncomfortable with financial or career uncertainty, entrepreneurship might not be the best fit. #### **Lack of Time or Commitment** - Running a business demands significant time and effort, especially in the early stages. If you can’t dedicate the necessary resources, it may not succeed. #### **Preference for Stability** - Some people thrive in structured environments with clear expectations and benefits like a steady paycheck, health insurance, and retirement plans. #### **Unwilling to Learn** - Business owners need to wear many hats—marketing, sales, finance, and operations. If you’re unwilling to learn new skills, entrepreneurship may not be ideal. *** ### **5. The Benefits of Working for Someone Else** #### **1. Job Stability:** - Regular income, benefits, and fewer financial risks. #### **2. Defined Work Hours:** - Enjoy a work-life balance without needing to handle after-hours responsibilities. #### **3. Focus on Expertise:** - Specialize in a specific role without worrying about the overall operation of a business. #### **4. Support Systems:** - Access to resources, mentors, and established processes within a company. *** ### **6. Steps to Start a Business Successfully** #### **1. Research and Validate Your Idea** - Identify your target market and validate demand for your product or service. - Conduct a competitive analysis. #### **2. Create a Business Plan** - Define your goals, target audience, budget, and marketing strategies. #### **3. Secure Funding** - Use personal savings, loans, or seek investors to fund your startup. #### **4. Build Your Brand** - Create a memorable name, logo, and online presence. - Develop a professional website and establish a social media strategy. #### **5. Start Small and Scale** - Test your idea on a small scale before committing significant resources. - Gather customer feedback and improve your offerings. *** ### **Conclusion** Starting a business can be a life-changing decision, offering freedom, fulfillment, and financial potential. However, it’s not for everyone. Carefully consider your personality, financial situation, and goals before taking the plunge. If you’re ready to embrace the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship, you could create something extraordinary that aligns with your passions and leaves a lasting impact. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-technology-matters-with-SEO-and-Social-Media/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-technology-matters-with-SEO-and-Social-Media/ We feel it is great that companies in Northwest Alabama and really all over the United States are looking to streamline and save money. The question comes to where do you automate and have truly in-personal communication and where do you have that personal touch we all enjoy? Technology has a place to help cut costs. No longer do you need to pay $500-$1,000+ for social media digital marketing management. Technology can help keep costs low and increase your brands reach. Let the computer do the heavy lifting that used to take hours to gather information so that you can focus on what matters; the customer. Let's look at where technology can (and should) be used, where it can (and shouldn't be), and where you need to still use that 100% personal touch. ## Can and should be used Automation allows you to free up more time for that personal touch. Not everything should be automated through and even though we would love to automate everything as it would lower our costs even more that just can't always be the case. Even though marketing automation isn't new it is being learned more by social media experts as they are learning that people are tired of being ripped off by high costs or realize by automating the mundane tasks they can provide more personalized service that only a human can, and should, do. ### Determining the best times to post You can go into your Google Analytics, Facebook analytics, Twitter analytics, LinkedIn analytics, and more and look at each platform, look at the past week, past month, and even 1, 2, or 3-years ago. You can look at the upcoming holidays, special events happening in the area that can positively (or negatively) affect your reach and ultimately your engagement. This can take minutes, to hours, and even to days if you have a lot of information to analyze. This is one area computer software is a great feature for you. It can look at all of this information and determine what the best times are and take minutes or even a few seconds to complete. ### Chatbots answering common questions We love when we get involved with chatbots. If you are a restaurant, store, or business you can answer questions automatically without involving questions. Areas, where this is beneficial, is "what are your hours", "what are your specials", "do you have any sales going on right now", "can you add me to your mailing list", etc. The answers will always be the same and you can even factor in reservations, upcoming events, holidays, and more into the chatbots logic. ### Scheduling posts We will say don't automate ALL your posts. There are many benefits to scheduling. I know for us on some channels we have our posts already scheduled out to the end of the year and adjust based on important matters that are happening. These important matters can be unforeseen disasters, news that days, weeks, or months ago that were not on anyone's radar, etc. By automating much of the actions we can also track within the software the best times, post reach, and overall engagement to a higher level of accuracy than a human could do. The most common things we will schedule are *evergreen content* that is not date sensitive or happens always on the same month/day/year. ### Updating the search engines Here we do both a lot of manual items but also automate a lot. We schedule upcoming holidays, business close events, etc. that are out of the norm and schedule them to days, weeks, and even months ahead of the scheduled event. At the time of this writing, we have half of our customers holiday hours for the Christmas holiday already scheduled. Many were scheduled by Valentine's Day as our clients already knew their schedules. You could do this manually on "the day" of the schedule but why not let a computer do it, and then verify it manually to ensure it is posted as quickly as possible? ### Reviews and Reputation Management We cover this below where you shouldn't automate. This is one area that falls into both areas. You want to "watch" for reviews and brand mentions. No one can watch the entire Internet but this is where a computer can be watching for all of this and notify you so that you can respond to the review or brand mention. ### Competitor research Your competition is on the Internet and on social. With the right tools, you can not only look at what they are doing on social media but also their website including paid ads on Bing, Google, and LinkedIn. This allows you to quickly adapt (being agile) and meet changing market conditions in the most efficient manner. ### Paid Advertising When you start to advertise we always look and automation of the paid ads. The reason for this is we can look at the analytics and determine the right audience, compare different paid campaigns against each other, and eliminate the "human" factor where most marketing companies say something is a success as they don't want to admit failure. Failure is a part of everything and by using a computer you can see where mistakes happened (even with the software automation) and improve it for the next marketing campaign.. ### Contests & Promotions Contests and promotions are great for getting your word out to the masses. Doing these on social media used to be the one place you wanted to do it. The problem with social media is they've changed the rules where it often breaks there terms and conditions. Contests though are designed to promote your business and generate revenue (long-term). To handle this correctly you do want to automate this so that it's unbiased but also so you can lead people down your sales funnel. When we do contests we actually will promote it on social media but not encourage people to like, share, etc. Rather we drive traffic to our clients websites where there is no competiton and they can have the rules their way rather than being forced by Facebook (insert social media platform here). A business should have complete control over it's destiny and you have complete control over what you control on your website. ## Can and shouldn't be used Many items can be automated. Many though should be focus on the human factor than the computer factor. ### Direct Messages We can actually automate many Direct Messages (or DM's) but we have found that this takes away from that personal feel. We would rather have a person wait for 5 or 10-minutes and talk to a real human than to get instant gratification. ### Reviews and Reputation Management You can automate a bot to reply to every review whether it is a 1-star or 5-star review. You don't want to do that. You want to thank someone, take the item offline, and be responsive to every review. Plus, it's good to know all the good (and bad) that someone is writing. ### Same message, every platform This is the biggest issue most people do. They will create one social media message and share it on every platform. Some will even set their Facebook posts to automatically post to Twitter to save time. The audiences on each platform are unique and different. The message needs to be equally unique and different. ## 100% personal touch ### Real-time engagement Social media is about being social. Yes, you are behind a screen and people think they can handle it if they own a social media account but there is a lot more to just posting, and waiting, for a person to reply. You need to be able to reply, in real-time, to those that are asking questions, commenting, and replying to others. ### Latest news & events You cannot schedule posts of real-time events or the latest breaking news and events. You need to do this 100% by humans for humans. Automating this will not only make you look completely fake but totally impersonal creating a horrible user experience. ### Search engine updates Automating the hours and items you know are going to happen you still need that personal touch. We spend an hour or more for each client doing manual updates as it allows us to check what the search engines see while also making certain all information we want is listed correctly and appropriately. ## Ways to make marketing automation less "Robotic" With all the benefits of automation often the posts created will feel non-human. To fix this make certain that: - Don't repeat your posts over-and-over again - Don't post the same message on every platform - Don't automate personal messages, likes, or replies - Add personal comments, hashtags, or emojis tailored to the reply keeping into account the correct behavior of what the brand is trying to achieve ## Conclusion I believe that when it comes to marketing automation you need to automate the grunt work that doesn't take away from that personal touch. If you do that you will be able to focus on your customer, keep costs down, have more accurate information, and reach the largest possible audience without spending tons of hours doing what the computer can do in a matter of minutes. ### Benefits of automation - Saves time (and money) giving you more time for engaging with your audience - You can post at the "right times" that are right for your current and changing audience - You are able to be more proactive rather than reactive - You have more time for that "social" engagement - Saves time - More consistency - Lower costs - Best for evergreen content - Certain areas you can be more prompt and provide a better customer experience ### Can help you better understand what your competitors are doing ## Downfalls of automation - You can lose that "human touch" people love - Your messages can come across cold, not genuine, and impersonal - Lose the personal 1-on-1 touch - Real events (especially tragedies/disasters) can make your prepared posts look insensitive and become a PR nightmare - You can lose focus on what social is and trust too much in the computer - Too much automation people will see you as fake and not care about them --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/why-text-marketing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/why-text-marketing/ If you’re a business owner in Alabama, you’re likely looking for cost-effective ways to connect with your customers, boost sales, and grow your brand. One of the most impactful marketing strategies you can adopt is **text marketing**. With its high open rates and immediate impact, text marketing offers a direct line of communication with your audience. In this blog post, we’ll explore why text marketing is a good investment, answer the key questions Alabama business owners need to know, and explain how it can help your business thrive statewide. *** ## What is Text Marketing? Text marketing, or SMS marketing, is a way to send promotional messages, updates, and reminders directly to your customers' mobile phones via text messages. These messages can include: - Discounts and exclusive offers - Appointment reminders - Event announcements - Surveys and customer feedback requests With **98% of text messages read within 3 minutes**, text marketing provides an unparalleled opportunity to reach customers quickly and effectively. *** ## Why is Text Marketing a Good Investment for Alabama Businesses? 1. **High ROI (Return on Investment):** Text marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing methods. Compared to traditional advertising like TV or print, the cost per message is minimal, and the engagement rates are far higher. 2. **Direct and Immediate Communication:** Texts land straight in the hands of your customers, bypassing cluttered email inboxes or ignored social media ads. If you’re a restaurant in Birmingham or a salon in Mobile, you can instantly notify customers about same-day deals or cancellations. 3. **Builds Stronger Customer Relationships:** By sending personalized, targeted messages, you make your customers feel valued. For example, a clothing boutique in Huntsville might text, **"Hi Jane! Enjoy 20% off your next visit this weekend!"** 4. **Increased Foot Traffic and Online Sales:** A well-timed text message about a flash sale or event can drive customers to your store or website. For example, a coffee shop in Montgomery could send, **"Buy one, get one free lattes today only! Show this text at checkout."** 5. **Mobile-Friendly for Alabama’s Audience:** The majority of Alabama residents own smartphones, making text marketing a perfect tool to reach both urban and rural populations. Whether your customers are in Tuscaloosa or a smaller town like Jasper, text marketing ensures your message gets delivered. *** ## Key Questions Alabama Business Owners Ask About Text Marketing ### 1. Is Text Marketing Legal? Yes, text marketing is legal, but it’s regulated by the **Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)**. To comply: - Get explicit customer consent before sending messages. - Include an opt-out option in every message (e.g., "Reply STOP to unsubscribe"). - Send texts only between **8 AM and 9 PM local time**. ### 2. How Much Does Text Marketing Cost? The cost varies depending on the platform and the number of messages sent. On average, you might pay **1-5 cents per text**. Platforms like Twilio, SimpleTexting, and EZ Texting offer affordable packages tailored to small businesses. ### 3. How Do I Start Building a Text Marketing List? - Use in-store signage with a call-to-action like, **"Text JOIN to 12345 for 10% off your first order!"** - Add an opt-in form to your website. - Collect phone numbers at checkout or during sign-ups for events. ### 4. What Should I Include in My Texts? Your messages should be concise, clear, and actionable. Examples: - **Promotions:** "This Friday only! 20% off all items at our Birmingham location." - **Reminders:** "Don’t forget your appointment tomorrow at 10 AM. Reply YES to confirm." - **Events:** "Join us for our grand opening in Montgomery this Saturday at 11 AM!" ### 5. Can Text Marketing Work for All Types of Businesses? Absolutely! Here are some examples: - **Retail Stores:** Share promotions and new product launches. - **Restaurants:** Send daily specials or happy hour deals. - **Healthcare Providers:** Use appointment reminders to reduce no-shows. - **Service Businesses:** Confirm bookings or send feedback surveys. - **Real Estate Agents:** Notify potential buyers of new listings or open houses. *** ## How to Implement Text Marketing in Alabama 1. **Choose the Right Platform:** Use a professional text marketing platform like: - **EZ Texting** - **SimpleTexting** - **Twilio** These platforms help you manage opt-ins, track performance, and ensure compliance with regulations. 2. **Segment Your Audience:** Group your customers by location, interests, or behavior. For example: - Send promotional texts about upcoming events in Mobile to customers who live nearby. - Share discounts with customers who haven’t shopped in your store recently. 3. **Craft Effective Messages:** Keep your messages short (160 characters or less) and include a clear call-to-action. Example: - **"Final hours! Get 30% off your order when you shop online before midnight. Use code AL30."** 4. **Measure Success:** Track metrics like delivery rates, open rates, and conversions. Use these insights to optimize future campaigns. *** ## Benefits of Text Marketing for Alabama-Specific Businesses ### Rural Areas: In areas where internet access may be less reliable, text marketing provides a direct line of communication. Small businesses in Alabama's rural communities can leverage texting to reach customers without needing heavy reliance on social media or email. ### Urban Centers: In cities like Birmingham, Huntsville, and Montgomery, text marketing can stand out in a crowded digital marketing landscape. With residents often bombarded by ads, a timely text message is more likely to grab attention. ### Community Engagement: Alabama’s tight-knit communities respond well to personalized messaging. Whether it’s announcing a local event, promoting a farmers' market, or sharing a church activity, text marketing strengthens your connection with your audience. *** ## FAQs About Text Marketing for Alabama Businesses ### Is Text Marketing Expensive? No! It’s one of the most affordable marketing tools, especially when compared to print ads or social media campaigns. ### Can I Customize Messages for My Audience? Yes. Most platforms allow you to personalize messages with customer names, purchase history, or regional preferences. ### How Do I Ensure Text Marketing Compliance? Use platforms that handle opt-ins and opt-outs automatically. Always provide customers with a way to unsubscribe. *** ## Final Thoughts Text marketing is a smart investment for Alabama business owners who want to increase engagement, boost sales, and strengthen relationships with customers. Whether you’re running a boutique in Tuscaloosa, a restaurant in Auburn, or a service-based business in Decatur, text marketing can help you achieve your goals. By implementing a simple, compliant, and customer-focused SMS strategy, your business can stand out in Alabama’s competitive market and connect with your audience like never before. **Ready to get started with text marketing?** Don’t wait—start building your text list today and experience the benefits for yourself! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-too-many-social-media-accounts-are-a-bad-thing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-too-many-social-media-accounts-are-a-bad-thing/ There has been a lot and even more speculation from the social media industry since Facebook announced less organic (e.g. free) reach between businesses and consumers online. This isn't the first time that Facebook has made a change to its algorithm to limit the amount of free exposure to push people to move to online advertising. Facebook is a great and central source that more than 2 billion people use. They are also a publicly traded company and are accountable to the investors of Facebook shares. Many are saying that now is the time to expand your reach and grow to other outlets, like Instagram (also owned by Facebook). So, what is a company to do, what is the right thing to do, and most importantly what is the wrong thing to do? Let's dig in and find out. The crux of this mindset shift to diversify sounds great on paper and reminds me of the early 2000's when people jumped onto every social media outlet to claim their business name and then just let it sit. Kind of like a cybersquatting type of situation where people by names and never use them. We are told to diversify our investments for retirement so that we don't have all of our eggs in one basket. The problem comes to when there is only one basket available for our brand. That doesn't mean there are no options available to us. We have Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest. Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, Flicker, Ello, and many more. What is a business owner to do with there are so many options? What is too many social media outlets then? There is no magical number for any one company. What you need to ask is a deeper and more strategic question (which is what marketing is all about anyway). That question is "where are your customers at on the internet?". This isn't just your current customers but your future customers as well. We are all seeing as social media or digital marketing consultants that your organic reach is continually diminishing. This means as you move to another social media outlet they will most likely take on the same role of limiting your organic reach. Don't let this scare you though. It will take time for social media companies to jump on the Facebook organic newsfeed shrinking bandwagon. They will all want to see what shakes out with Facebook. If you don't know where your customers currently are there is a magical solution for this. It's called the real-world and asking them! We call that old-fashioned social networking which is extremely effective when you are marketing, even marketing online. You may find out that your customers are on no platform, even Facebook. They use their time differently and you need to think differently. As the shift to less organic reach hits social media outlets a key sound continues to come back and was even part of the announcement that Facebook made. That is your website is critical to your marketing success. Facebook, like others, use a website as a ranking factor. If you cannot find a social media platform to expand to why not invest in the one thing that stays true through all of these algorithm changes? We believe and know for a fact, a website alone will not help. Social media alone will not help. They need to be used together; even if your reach is diminished due to algorithm changes. Another key part of determining what is too many outlets is determining how much time and effort you can allocate to your social media marketing efforts. If you only have a half hour to allocate a day do not move beyond one outlet. A half hour we feel is still too minimal for one outlet. You need to allocate enough time that also doesn't prevent you from doing your work and growing your business. If all you do is sit on social media will you be taking care of your customers? If you are a social media company then yes. Otherwise, all those online efforts could actually be hurting your success. As you grow your social media channels or even if you have just one you need to think of: - If someone responds to your feed you need to respond in a timely manner. - If someone asks questions you need to respond faster than you would with an email which is typically one business day. Social media lives seven days a week! - If you are only doing it five days a week what happens during those other two days? Too many channels are: - Determine where your clients are - How much time you have to allocate for success - If your clients are on a channel but will not build trust, increase sales, or make people tell others positively about you then that channel may not be the right channel even if your customers are there. Be strategic in what you do. Have a plan and not throw spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks. Look for what will help you grow the company without sacrificing customer service or the overall customer experience. Continue to build that trust and loyalty that will gain you more sales. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhyUserExperienceMatters/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhyUserExperienceMatters/ User experience (UX) is how a person feels when interacting with your website or your employees feel when they interact with your business applications. UX encompasses a lot of factors, some that are controllable by designers and developers and some that are environmental or just user preference. These factors include usability, accessibility, performance, design/aesthetics, utility, ergonomics, overall human interaction and marketing. But UX is not exactly the same thing as usability, although they are closely related. UX is the experience, emotion, intuition and connection a user feels when using a site or product. Usability is more about the effectiveness of a site design and how user-friendly it is. Usability is a key component of the overall user experience. When working with and designing your user experience the usability aspects should be equally thought of during the process. ## Why It Matters In terms of design, user experience is just as important as visual identity. Seriously. It doesn't matter what your site or app looks like if people don't know how to interact with it. And moreover, they need to enjoy that interaction. Keep your user experience simple so that the usability of their experience is a positive one. While UX is important for any digital product, it is even more important for certain types of digital products: complex sites or applications, retail or online sales, point of sale (POS) systems, start-up sites and businesses, small-budget projects and projects or sites that are expected to last a long time. UX is key for complex sites because users must be able to easily navigate the site and understand how to use it. Neglecting UX can result in a sloppy site that people will not want to come back to. Developing an interaction-rich experience will drive users back to a site. With the user experience you should clearly define what you are promoting and how you want the user to interact with your product. Your website is your product and very well could be the first impression you provide your customer. This can also be the confirmation of your brand from another experience. One of the most complex types of sites can be those that include retail or online sales. Not only does the site have to be well-organized, it also has to have clear, concise and easy to use signals for how to make a secure and trusted purchase. This is also true of sites that are expected to be around for extended periods of time, such as retail sites. Consider Amazon.com, it has worked using the same basic UX for years. User experience is key for small and start-up businesses as well because the site is their first impression to users. This debut matters when it comes to directing future traffic and business to your product. This same concept applies to companies with small budgets. User experience is important because it can create the momentum that propels the business forward. Remember, users decide in just a few seconds whether your site or app is worth their time. That's the only opportunity you get to reel someone in. When it comes to poor user experience, the issues are noticeable. Think about problems reported with HealthCare.gov and subsequent self-reported issues: inability to compare plans before creating an account, overloaded servers and downtime, problems with account creation, difficulty filling out applications and not enough user testing. All of these problems create a negative emotional connection to the site for users. The negative reactions spread like a wild fire and year's later still exists in our minds. The [Usability Professionals Association](https://uxpa.org/resources/about-ux) defines six key benefits to adding UX to the design and development process: - Increased productivity - Increased sales and revenues - Decreased training and support costs - Reduced development time and costs - Reduced maintenance costs - Increased customer satisfaction ## UX and the Design Process ![User Experience Process](/Images/Content/ux/ux-01.jpg) So how can designers start thinking about UX in the design process? You may actually be thinking about it already after reading the beginning of this post. It starts with the principle of collaborative design, opening the process to a team of creative professionals with the common goal of solving a problem. The team needs to work together to create a set of great aesthetics, vision and goals for a design project while thinking about who the target audience is for. Think about the connection and experience you want users to have: simple, surprise, formal and credible or emotional. Make sure your experience creates a shared story that will be familiar to all users. Then test, test, test. Again, test, test, and test! Testing will help improve the process and show weaknesses in your UX that you may not have thought of initially. Is the actual experience what you expected or intended? Do the site/application options work as you expected with the correct outcomes consistently? How do users feel about your overall site and their experiences using it? Are they getting frustrated with all or a piece of the process? Think about what the UX says about your brand as well. Does it convey a universal message? How does it compare to competitors? Even if you are starting out with a brand new product no one has ever seen before there will be companies that have products that are similar to yours that you can do a comparison to. Take those answers and work on revisions. The first design is rarely the best option. And certainly it will not be the last solution for your UX. ## But WHY Should Designers Care Isn't UX a developer problem? Developing and designing around a superb user experience is everyone's problem. Developers and designers are equally important in the entire process just are the people that will be using your newly created UX. From the first sketch to the final product, how something works should be talked about every step of the way. So it is just as much as designer problem as developer problem as CEO problem. Without an effective UX, digital products are likely to fail. It really is that simple so don't give your visitors a reason to hate your product based on a poorly thought out UX process. ## UX and Identity When it comes to your website and business application, user experience can be just as important as visual identity and the two should be thought about in tandem. Think about common applications you use everyday. We'll use Google for this example: users go back to Google to search daily because of how simple and easy to understand it is. The user types in a question and the system quickly and efficiently sends back a list of options to choose from. Most users probably know it as always having a white background, a logo that is distinguishable yet changes often and is clear and concise. The key here is that users have the same feeling about the program regardless of device and use. That is a universal, and effective, user experience exists on the desktop, tablet or mobile device. ## Conclusion User experience is an art form of its own. You never can predict for certain how your site or app will be perceived by your audience but you can take effort in doing your best to provide consistency and a clear UX to your users. Take a look at your website and business applications that you use and see what works for you and what doesn't. Ask another business associate what their perception is. It very well could be an eye opener and many will see room for improvement. Every website or business application that JM2 Webdesigners works on we look at the UX and how to integrate the UX with usability for your intended audience. When you are ready to improve your process contact us at 855-456-26609, email at [support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com) or [through our contact form](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhyYouNeedABusinessWebsite/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WhyYouNeedABusinessWebsite/ As a web design, eCommerce, and software development company we are obviously biased that a company needs a website to be successful. We will do our best in this article to step back and explain **why** your business truly needs one and why just having a Facebook page (or no page at all) is not a good business decision. ## YOUR Employee We have always said that your website is an employee of your organization. It is your cheapest employee that will work for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Your website will explain what you do the same to each and every visitor in a way that is consistent with how you want your company to be recognized as. This first, and continuing, impression will help set you apart from those in your field. ![Search Engines SEO](/Images/Content/Blog/searchEnginesSeo.jpg) ## The Search Engines When someone is on Google, Bing, or Yahoo! they are looking on the internet and not on social media. When you are solely on social media it is less likely that your common social media page will rank higher than that of a regular site. If you do a [search for Coke-Cola](https://www.bing.com/search?q=coca+cola&PC=U316&FORM=CHROMN) which is a major national brand with a large social media presence, they only show up for website pages and no social media pages. Search engines are built to promote websites and not social media sites. When someone is online, using their mobile device, they are routinely using a search engine and not on a specific social media site. ## It's your brand and your company No matter what social media outlet you have chosen to be on the site is not who you are. Your colors, look-and-feel, layout, and what information is and isn't displayed is not based on what you want for your business. The information is all based on what that social media outlet wants their customer's (not yours) to see and is based on their financial gains. By having your own website, you can establish a brand identity, tell your story (people will remember your story), and give people the information you want to best sell what your company does. ## Lead Generation Over 20% of our business comes from qualified leads through our website. How do we know they are qualified leads? The reason is that each one has most likely gone to our [Business Services pages](/Services/) and seen how we can help their business achieve success. Rarely do our clients state they came to our site, saw the phone number, and called us to order our services. They look at our [Portfolio](/Portfolio/) to see some of the examples of the work we've done. They can then contact us through our online [contact form](/Contact/) or pick up the phone and call our toll-free number at 256-258-8593. ![Build your brand](/Images/Content/Blog/buildBrand.jpg) ## Builds Brand Authority Authority is establishing yourself (your business) as an expert in your industry your business is in. You will be building trust, provide value to your customers, and show that you are serious about your business and providing information for your customers. People will remember a brand, the stories that you tell, and they will tell others they know that are looking for the products and services that your business offers. By establishing your brand you are establishing yourself for long-term greatness. ## Looking Good and Polished Anyone getting a website today will have a great mobile experience (or should), the name will be your own domain name(e.g. www.BusinessYETI.com), your email will come from your domain name (e.g. [john@BusinessYETI.com](mailto:john@BusinessYETI.com)), and it will match all of the print advertising that you have for complete consistency. There will be no myemail@Gmail.com as you want people to know you are serious about running your business and that putting your right foot forward matters to you. ## Competition If there is no other reason it is to establish yourself as a reputable business and explain to people, why you are the person they should be doing with. You want people to come to your business rather than going to your competition. You want to grow and become the best that you can be. If your competitors have a website, even a bad/horrible one, and you have none their website is still better than yours and capable of bringing in business! ## Cost The one factor every business thinks about is the *cost* a website will be and who can blame them (we won’t). A standard website from our Cullman office is very reasonable. A website should have a major update once every three years with constant updates each month to keep the information fresh and relevant for your customers. Depending on your business this could be more often but we are looking at the average for this. When you factor in the average for a three-year site where our customer maintains the website themselves using the provided content management system (CMS) the cost ranges from less than a dollar per day to just a few dollars a day for a full blown eCommerce site for a small business. ## Conclusion Now that we have you convinced (we hope) on the importance of having a great website what do you need to do to achieve this greatness? You can contact us through [our online form here](/Contact/), [email us at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or call us at 256-258-8593. We will sit down with you to create a 100% customized solution to bring out your brand out in a way that gives you the best possible first impression. Your customized and tailored solution will be built with software developers, graphic designers, and our quality testers to make certain your positive word gets out to everyone. Not only will you have a great site but will be of the highest quality built in Cullman Alabama specifically for you. You will get the personalized service from a fast growing web design company that produces results that exceed our customers' expectations. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-You-Need-Evergreen-Content/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-You-Need-Evergreen-Content/ Evergreen content can drive visitors to your website weeks, months, even years after it’s been created. Evergreen content is content that can and does stand the test of time. When your content is able to last you will gain more visitors to your website. Many of the blogs we have written a year or more ago are still to this day some of our most viewed articles. When we see this in our site statistics we know we have some great evergreen content. In today’s article we will cover what evergreen content is, what we have found out over the years makes ever green content, and how you too can have this type of content. ## What is evergreen content? Evergreen content is that which is still interesting and relevant weeks, months or even years after its initial publish date. The information is not dated like current news. The information continues to deliver value to your readers who often come back multiple times to read it. You generate leads, social shares, and takes up valuable information on the search engines to make your website stand out more than your competitors. ## How evergreen content affects your search rankings When it comes to the search engines they want great content. Content afte3r all is called “King” on the internet. When you create evergreen content that content is valuable, important, informative, and provides a value to your visitors. This makes evergreen content extremely valuable as the information you are providing is not just quick information but something that lasts. ## What makes up evergreen content? When it comes to evergreen content what we’ve found is the following items help make it happen for our clients. - Designed for the website visitor – The content you produce needs to be created for your audience. It needs to have any personal agendas left out of it. If you provide quality content people will want to contact, you rather than trying to force them to give you their information. - Quality – The content needs to be well thought through and have a definite purpose. - Aligns with your company pillars - When writing content, you should write about what your company is about. Don’t copy your competition as the search engines will see over time you are the follower and not the leader. When you create content that lasts and provides value you need to be the lead in your industry and not the follower. - A catchy headline – You want to catch your audience’s attention. You can do this by coming up with a title that sparks interest by your audience. - Age doesn’t matter – As you write your content try to leave off dates and make your information ageless when writing it. - Memorable – When you are writing content make it memorable that people can remember it. Stories are always a great place to start to make what you write memorable. - SEO – As we talked about how evergreen content can improve your rankings you should think of search engine optimization (SEO) as part of the content process. You’ll also notice we put it AFTER everything else. This is because those items need to happen before you rank well. ## How can I get evergreen content? If you’ve read any of our blog articles you will know that we have a love for writing and helping others with their current business problems when it comes to marketing their business online. First there is no magic secret sauce to make evergreen content. What you can do is follow some of the following guidelines: - Plan – When you are writing your content plan it out, analysis your previous articles and see what is (and isn’t) working. This will help you improve your information to be longer lasting, remove items that will date your content (e.g. dates), and will align with your company standards. - Targeted – Knowing your audience is key to having people read it. Whether your target audience is a dozen, hundreds, or thousands of people know who they are, what they are looking for, and provide the value they are looking for. - Areas where evergreen content is often seen: - “How to” guides and tutorials - Resource lists - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Industry tips and tricks ## Conclusion When taking content for your website, blog, articles, etc. make certain to plan out what you want to achieve, target it to your audience and focus on what you do best. Don’t copy or imitate others. You are a unique company with your own pillars for success. Use those as your building blocks for success. Are you busy running your business and focused on making it grow? Let the talented content writers of JM2 Webdesigners in Northwest Alabama work with you to establish your evergreen content online. The team is dedicated to helping your business succeed and grow online. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:1-256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [contact us through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-You-Need-WordPress-Maintenance/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-You-Need-WordPress-Maintenance/ We hope you would never hire an employee, show them the ropes, and leave them all independently without continually mentoring and training them. Your website is an employee and often the first thing a new customer will see. Continual maintenance, or website employee training, allows you to keep everything humming along as efficiently as possible. Since WordPress has come out, it is averaging more than 27 updates per year and over 60 in the past five years. Plugins or add-ons are not even in this total and produce higher updates, often daily. ## WordPress Core WordPress is reasonably secure for an online application that allows an unlimited number of plugins. There are always new exploits malicious people come out with to bring heartache to your business. Updates help solve this by closing known security holes and increasing overall system functionality. Below is a chart of the number of updates per year (as of 06/08/2021). | Year | Updates | % of All Updates | | :---: | :---: | :---: | | 2003 | 4 | 0.77% | | 2004 | 6 | 1.16% | | 2005 | 7 | 1.35% | | 2006 | 5 | 0.97% | | 2007 | 17 | 3.28% | | 2008 | 9 | 1.74% | | 2009 | 9 | 1.74% | | 2010 | 7 | 1.35% | | 2011 | 10 | 1.93% | | 2012 | 7 | 1.35% | | 2013 | 7 | 1.35% | | 2014 | 16 | 3.09% | | 2015 | 42 | 8.11% | | 2016 | 48 | 9.27% | | 2017 | 95 | 18.34% | | 2018 | 59 | 11.39% | | 2019 | 71 | 13.71% | | 2020 | 64 | 12.36% | | 2021 | 35 | 6.76% | | Total | 518 | | | Average | 27.26 | | | Average (last five years) | 64.80 | | ## Plugins Plugins are often where the majority of security breaches occur on WordPress. Some are due to a developer not fully understanding the PHP language, security techniques, bad programming, etc. Most software developers take great pride in the work they do. They are human, and mistakes happen as no one is perfect. It is not uncommon for updates to occur on a weekly or more frequent basis. We have seen security updates happen multiple times per day for a single plugin. According to [WP Beginner](https://www.wpbeginner.com/opinion/how-many-wordpress-plugins-should-you-install-on-your-site/#:~:text=You%20should%20install%20as%20many%20WordPress%20plugins%20as,then%20this%20count%20can%20easily%20go%20into%2050%2B.), in 2019, it is not uncommon for a site to have 20-30 plugins, with the number increasing each year. If you have 20 plugins, you could have 2-3 updates per day, ranging from security fixes to new/improved functionality. ## Security There is a good chance you have a virus scanner and an equally good chance you have a malware scanner on your computer. Your website should have both of these as well. Any files uploaded should go through a virus scanner and a malware scanner. If you do not, you are risking not only your website but your business having a bad first impression. ## Search Engines Google goes through 2-4 "Core Updates" per year. A core update is considered a significant update. Beyond the core updates, Google goes through over 500-600 minor updates per year. This means your website's search engine performance needs to be constantly monitored and adjusted for these needs. ## Backups We see all too often businesses doing one backup per month or even no backups ever. A backup should be done daily for the average site and even multiple times per day for bustling websites. Great you have a backup, but what are you going to do with it? Are you going to blindly trust that the information is accurate and will restore without fail? Or are you going to take time to validate on a test server that the data is good and valid? We're hoping that you will be testing the information that it works. It is never a good feeling that you find the need to restore files or your database, and the data is corrupted and won't work. ## Performance & User Experience A critical factor in providing a good user experience (UX) has an experience that is responsive and quick. The user experience should be intuitive and easily understandable by your visitors, where they do not have to re-learn the internet to navigate your website. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/why-your-business-needs-ada-compliance/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/why-your-business-needs-ada-compliance/ In today’s digital-first world, accessibility isn’t just a feature—it’s a necessity. Businesses of all sizes are responsible for ensuring their online platforms, including websites, newsletters, and emails, meet the standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This is not only about legal compliance but also about fostering inclusivity, enhancing user experience, and positioning your business as forward-thinking and socially responsible. Let’s dive into what ADA compliance entails, why it matters, and why it’s particularly critical for businesses that serve or collaborate with government agencies. ### What is ADA Compliance for Online Platforms? ADA compliance refers to adhering to the standards outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act to make digital content accessible to individuals with disabilities. While originally focused on physical spaces, the ADA now extends to the online world. For websites, newsletters, and emails, this means ensuring that: - **Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)** are met. These guidelines are divided into three levels: - **Level A:** Basic accessibility features. - **Level AA:** The standard benchmark for accessibility, addressing most user needs. - **Level AAA:** The highest level, aimed at ensuring accessibility for all. - Digital content is usable by individuals relying on assistive technologies, such as screen readers, voice recognition software, or keyboard navigation. - Design elements like color contrast, text resizing, and descriptive alt text for images are implemented. ### Why Does Your Business Need ADA Compliance? #### **1. Legal Responsibility** Failure to meet ADA standards can result in lawsuits, fines, and reputational damage. In recent years, courts have increasingly ruled that websites and digital communications are subject to ADA requirements. A proactive approach can save your business from costly litigation. #### **2. Broader Audience Reach** Approximately 26% of adults in the U.S. live with a disability. Ensuring your digital content is accessible allows you to connect with a larger audience. This not only enhances your reach but also demonstrates your commitment to inclusivity. #### **3. Improved SEO and Performance** Search engines prioritize user-friendly, accessible websites. By adhering to ADA standards, you’re likely to see improvements in your site’s SEO rankings, load times, and overall usability—benefits that extend to all users, not just those with disabilities. #### **4. Enhanced Brand Reputation** An accessible digital presence communicates that your business values all individuals, fostering trust and loyalty among customers. It positions your brand as socially conscious and forward-thinking. ### Why ADA Compliance is Critical for Government-Related Businesses If you are a government entity, serve government agencies, or are part of their supply chain, ADA compliance isn’t optional—it’s mandatory. Federal and state agencies must meet stringent accessibility standards, and businesses that work with them are often required to follow suit. Here’s why: #### **1. Federal Contracts Require Accessibility** Government contracts often include clauses mandating ADA compliance. Non-compliance can disqualify your business from lucrative opportunities or even terminate existing contracts. #### **2. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act** Section 508 mandates that all electronic and information technology used by federal agencies be accessible. If your business provides software, websites, or digital communications to a government agency, your products must meet these standards. #### **3. Public Sector Partnerships** Governments prioritize working with vendors who align with their mission of inclusivity. Meeting ADA standards strengthens your credibility and trustworthiness as a partner. ### How to Achieve ADA Compliance for Online Functionality #### **1. Conduct an Accessibility Audit** Start by evaluating your current website, newsletters, and emails for accessibility issues. Tools like WAVE and Axe can help identify areas that need improvement. #### **2. Implement WCAG Standards** Ensure your digital platforms align with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. Focus on: - Adding alt text for images. - Providing captions for videos. - Ensuring sufficient color contrast. - Making navigation keyboard-friendly. #### **3. Test with Assistive Technologies** Use screen readers, magnifiers, and other assistive tools to test your digital content. #### **4. Train Your Team** Educate your staff on the importance of accessibility and how to create compliant content. #### **5. Partner with Experts** Work with accessibility consultants or developers experienced in ADA compliance to ensure your platforms meet the highest standards. ### Conclusion ADA compliance is no longer optional in today’s digital landscape. It’s a legal requirement, a business opportunity, and a moral imperative. By making your online platforms accessible, you not only avoid legal pitfalls but also create an inclusive experience for all users, enhance your brand reputation, and open doors to new opportunities—particularly with government agencies. Start your journey toward ADA compliance today and ensure your business is ready for a more accessible future. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-your-website-needs-a-staging-server/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Why-your-website-needs-a-staging-server/ As more content management systems (CMS) having automated updates built-in the need for a staging server is critical. In our environment we have a development environment which is our development machines, a testing or UAT server, a staging server which is verification of a move right after everything having been tested, and finally a production (prod) server. With a UAT and staging server you will be as close to the production environments as possible. The reason is for this is so that you can closely test performance and usability before moving items into the production environment. ## Staging Server Definition A staging server is a production server without users hitting your website. A staging server allows you to deploy updates on production ready code, install CMS, database, and script updates with the ability to test them without breaking your production website. By using the staging server, you can check for very simple items that provide a bad user experience. In our screen shot for this blog article you see a site for a company that spent over $5,000 for a website. The website that spawned this article is set to install updates without any human validation. Even though the website was not done by us we did contact the company and asked if they knew that their website was broke. They actually were quite honest and stated it had been broken since WordPress was updated 4.5.3 came out on June 21, 2016. Today is September 14, 2016 and they are now *85 days* as of this article. ## How can we fix this? The first item is to **turn off the automatic updates** for your CMS, plug-ins and themes. This may seem like a bad idea it really isn’t. It prevents from these breaking operations happening on your website. With updates turned off you now have to update your site manually (on a staging server first and not your production server). This allows you to then check out all the pages of your site that they are not broken. After everything is done then you update your production server in the same way that you did on staging using the notes you took for updating the staging server. ## Conclusion Having a staging server does double your work. Having one does allow you to always look your best and not have the type of mistakes that were seen on our screen shot. In fact, most companies that have [maintenance plans like JM2 Webdesigners](/Services/MaintenancePlans/) will provide you a staging server for doing these types of validations so that you do always look your best for your clients. If you need help with a staging server, maintaining or upgrading your website JM2 Webdesigners from Cullman Alabama is ready to help your business. You can reach us at [256-258-8593](tel:256-258-8593), [email at support@FawkesDM.com](mailto:support@FawkesDM.com), or [through our contact form here](/Contact/). --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WikiPagesForBusiness/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/WikiPagesForBusiness/ [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Wikipedia) was officially launched on Monday, January 15, 2001 by [Jimmy Wales](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Wales) and [Larry Sanger](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Sanger). There is controversy over using Wikipedia though. Most schools from grade school through college inform their students to not use Wikipedia. The reason for this is due to the fact that there is truly no *central authority* governing Wikipedia. This can also be seen as a pro to many individuals as well. Rather than one person, or company, controlling the content the entire Internet of billions of people are allowed to contribute, enhance and validate each and every article. As we were finishing up our LinkedIn series we prompted and asked others to provide some thoughts on future blog posts that they would be interested in. Tom Meschede suggested a posting on "Something on the uses of Wikipedia for your company." We had others suggest search engine optimization (SEO), social media integrations, security, Facebook page creations and a few others. We will be doing each and every one of those as well. We decided to start out with the most unique and challenging of them as we always look for challenges as well as articles that you don't see people covering. ## What is a wiki We felt it best to start out with what a wiki is as everyone understands what an encyclopedia or dictionary is. A wiki is a piece of server software that will allow users to freely create and edit content using a web browser. A wiki is a collaborative group discussion on one or more topics that people are passionate about. The contributions can be edited by everyone using an *open edit* methodology. There are commercial products, like [Microsoft SharePoint](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SharePoint) that allow business users to create private corporate wiki pages for team members to work and share knowledge. ## Public Wiki Pages ![Wikipedia](/Images/Content/wikipedia.png) We are going to start this discussion covering public wiki pages. There are many wiki style sites on the Internet. For this blog article we are going to cover the defacto standard most everyone is familiar with: [Wikipedia.org](http://en.wikipedia.org/). ### Notability First and foremost to qualify for a Wikipedia page you need to have [Notability](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notability). Notability is being worth of notice, having fame, or being considered to be of a high degree of interest, significance, or distinction. It also refers to the capacity to be such. Persons who are notable due to public responsibility, accomplishments, or, even, mere participation in the celebrity industry are said to have a public profile. Does your business qualify to this? If you strongly believe the answer is yes then you truly may qualify for a Wikipedia page. If you don't feel strongly that you do then a Wikipedia page is most likely not (yet) for your business. If you don't qualify for one this gives you something you could set as a goal to strive for. ### Stay Away from a Wikipedia pages As we dug we found several articles, recorded webinars and web workshops that started out to **not** do Wikipedia for your business. Even if you have the notability for one. We can truly understand this from a standpoint of a small business as anyone and everyone can make modifications and additions to a Wikipedia article. This could leave open space for competitors or unhappy customers posting negative items about your business. Once you have a Wikipedia page created it is recommended to monitor your page to make certain it is always showcasing your business in the highest degree possible. - You don't have a say in what's said about you. Even if you qualify for a Wikipedia article about your business, Wikipedia will frown on you or an employee creating the page, and they'll frown on you even updating or correcting the page. You don't meet the neutral point of view policy. Your best bet for influencing the article is to have a Wikipedia account in good standing and, after identifying yourself as a company employee, be active on the "Talk" page for your article, suggesting additions or corrections you think someone should make. But you can't make the changes yourself, and this may prove very frustrating. - It requires constant monitoring. If your small business is operating on such a level that you deserve a Wikipedia article, there's a chance that you'll have some competition and/or some angry customers or disgruntled employees that would love to make you look bad. While you can't go in and edit your own Wikipedia article, they probably can. So you have to be extra vigilant in watching for updates and then hope that you can find someone to correct or edit any untruthful information that someone adds. In some situations, this monitoring can become very time-consuming. - No room for error. The exposure and notoriety that comes with having a Wikipedia article means you have almost no room for error when it comes to future business mistakes. Your CEO makes the news after his picture is taken outside a strip club? That'll show up on your Wikipedia page. An ex-employee files a discrimination suit against you? That'll show up, too. ### Creating a Wikipedia page Let's say you have passed the notability point, are not concerned about the negatives of a Wikipedia page, and you feel you should have a Wikipedia page. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia. A page cannot be thrown together and become a part of the living Wikipedia community. This takes a lot of thought and effort. Below are some of the key steps for creating a Wikipedia page and being successful in getting it accepted. 1. You need to do research and be very complete and detailed. The information presented should not be sales or marketing material but referential and accurate information 2. You will need to have a Wikipedia account so that you can create the Wikipedia page 3. It is recommended that you edit and participate before working on creating your own page 4. Gather resources and references for your article 5. Write your content so that it is not only compelling but accurate information as well 6. Submit your page for review and hopefully acceptance. When you do create your article one item to remember is that pictures are visually appealing to everyone. As Wikipedia gets new articles having pictures that work with and support the article can help get the article accepted within the Wikipedia system. **Note**: Another important item when writing your Wikipedia article is about [Conflict of Interests](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Conflict_of_interest). If you are writing on behalf of a company or person you need to make note of this. - **Great exposure**. Wikipedia is a heavily used web site, and having an article about your company means more exposure, more eyeballs, and so forth. - **Reputation management**. As I mentioned above, your Wikipedia article will probably rank on page one for your company name, and that helps with your online reputation management. - **Increased trust**. There's no underestimating the need to earn trust, both from customers and search engines. A Wikipedia article can help with both, I believe. ## Corporate Wiki Pages ![Microsoft SharePoint](/Images/Content/SharePoint/MicrosoftSharePoint.png) The public Internet allows anyone with Internet access to contribute. Corporate pages are where businesses can share internal knowledge and information among employees. For our discussion we will be limiting to [Microsoft SharePoint](https://products.office.com/en-US/sharepoint?legRedir=true&CorrelationId=270aeadc-afec-4137-b04b-54b0168d54a8) for our covering of a wiki in the corporate culture. In a public setting a wiki page has the potential to be edited by millions of users. Within the corporate environment a wiki page is typically accepted automatically and edited by only a few even if thousands have access to a wiki. Creating a business wiki page should go through the same steps you would for the public Internet. The reason is having complete and accurate information is key to the overall success of wiki page. For example, within Microsoft SharePoint when a project is created we will create a wiki page so that other developers come on board they can get up to speed about the project in a quick and timely manner. ## Conclusion A wiki page can be used by both regular Internet users and businesses. For a business the process is a lot simpler due to a smaller target audience but otherwise are the same. A wiki page is a collaborative effort to create information that is useful to a group of individuals. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/wordpress-6-7/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/wordpress-6-7/ In today's digital age, having a polished, high-performance website is essential for any business looking to grow and attract new customers. WordPress has become a powerhouse platform, powering over 40% of all websites, and its newest version, [WordPress 6.7](https://wordpress.com/blog/2024/11/12/wordpress-6-7/), brings enhanced features that make it even more appealing for small businesses. For Cullman, Alabama businesses, partnering with a trusted, expert digital marketing firm is key to capitalizing on these advancements, and **Fawkes Digital Marketing** stands as the premier choice. Here's why we're the top WordPress experts in Cullman and how we can help your business thrive online. ## Local Expertise with a Focus on Cullman Businesses At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we understand the unique needs and challenges faced by Cullman businesses. We're not just a distant tech firm; we're a local team invested in seeing our community succeed. We take the time to understand each client's goals and design WordPress websites tailored to Cullman's market, focusing on user-friendly designs that resonate with local customers. Whether you're a local retailer, restaurant, service provider, or entrepreneur, we ensure your WordPress site represents your brand authentically and drives local engagement. ## Mastery of WordPress 6.7 and Its Game-Changing Features With the release of [WordPress 6.7](https://wordpress.com/blog/2024/11/12/wordpress-6-7/), businesses now have access to even more robust tools for customization, performance, and security. Our team of experts has thoroughly reviewed and implemented the latest features, ensuring every website we build or manage leverages these advancements fully. Some of the standout features in WordPress 6.7 that we'll bring to your website include: - **Enhanced Block Editor**: The latest WordPress update offers a smoother, more intuitive editing experience, making it easier to create visually stunning pages that align with your brand. - **Improved Speed and Performance**: Site speed is crucial for user experience and SEO, and WordPress 6.7 has made strides in faster load times. We optimize each site to be lightweight and responsive, giving Cullman businesses a competitive edge. - **Advanced Security Features**: Security is a top priority for us, and with the new security enhancements in WordPress 6.7, we implement the latest safeguards to protect your website and customer data. With our deep understanding of WordPress, including the newest features, you can trust us to build and maintain a website that stays up-to-date, secure, and engaging. ## Comprehensive Digital Marketing and SEO Expertise Building a beautiful WordPress site is just the start. To succeed online, your website needs to attract visitors, rank high in search results, and convert leads into loyal customers. Fawkes Digital Marketing offers a full suite of digital marketing services tailored to maximize the impact of your WordPress site. From **SEO** strategies that make your site more discoverable to **content marketing** that engages your audience, we have the expertise to boost your online visibility. Plus, we keep your site optimized for mobile, ensuring your business connects with customers on every device. ## Why Cullman Businesses Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing 1. **Proven Success**: With a track record of helping Cullman businesses grow, we've earned a reputation as the go-to digital marketing experts in the region. 2. **Personalized Service**: We treat each client like a partner, taking the time to understand your business goals and create customized solutions that fit. 3. **Local Knowledge and Commitment**: As a locally based agency, we're passionate about helping Cullman businesses thrive and are committed to delivering high-quality, impactful digital marketing solutions. ## Get Started with Fawkes Digital Marketing Today If you're ready to enhance your online presence with a WordPress site that truly represents your business and drives results, Fawkes Digital Marketing is here to help. Our deep WordPress expertise, understanding of the latest updates, and commitment to Cullman's business community make us the ideal partner. Let us help you leverage WordPress to its full potential and grow your brand in Cullman and beyond. [Contact us today](/Contact/) to get started and see why Cullman businesses trust Fawkes Digital Marketing for their digital success. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/wordpress-hosting-checklist/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/wordpress-hosting-checklist/ Your website is often your business’s first impression and when it comes to WordPress, keeping it running smoothly requires more than just hosting it somewhere. Regular maintenance, backups, testing, and performance optimization are all essential for ensuring uptime, security, and user experience. At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we don’t just host your WordPress site—we actively manage it for performance, security, and reliability. Below, we break down everything your business should be doing to properly host and maintain your WordPress website. ## Backup Your Website Regularly A complete, consistent backup is your first line of defense against data loss, hacking, or server failure. - **What it means**: A proper backup includes your website files *and* your database. - **Frequency**: Daily for active sites (especially eCommerce or blogs). Weekly for low-change sites. - **Tools**: - [UpdraftPlus](https://wordpress.org/plugins/updraftplus/) - [BackupBuddy](https://ithemes.com/backupbuddy/) - [Jetpack Backup](https://jetpack.com/upgrade/backup/) - **Tip**: Always store backups offsite—like Google Drive, Amazon S3, or another cloud location. ## Create a Staging (Test) Copy of Your Site Before updating anything, always test changes in a **staging environment**. - **What it means**: A duplicate copy of your website where updates and changes can be safely tested before going live. - **Why it matters**: Avoid plugin conflicts, downtime, or broken functionality on your live site. - **Tools**: - [WP Staging](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-staging/) - [BlogVault](https://blogvault.net/staging-wordpress-site/) - Most premium hosts (like WP Engine, SiteGround, Kinsta) offer one-click staging. ## Update Plugins, Themes, and WordPress Core (on Test Site) Keeping your site software up to date is critical for **security** and **performance**. - **What it means**: Apply all plugin, theme, and core updates on your *test* copy first. - **Why it matters**: Updates often patch vulnerabilities or improve speed—but can sometimes break things if not compatible. - **Best practice**: Review the changelog before updating, and check plugin compatibility with your WordPress version. ## Verify the Test Site Once updates are complete, **verify everything works** before applying changes to your production site. - **Checklist**: - All pages load correctly - Forms submit properly - Menus and navigation function - No JavaScript or console errors - eCommerce checkout (if applicable) completes without issues - **Tip**: Use tools like [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/search-console/about) or [Lighthouse](https://developers.google.com/web/tools/lighthouse) to verify front-end performance and SEO impact. ## Note and Fix Any Issues Found During Testing Don’t skip over small bugs—they can snowball into bigger problems later. - **What it means**: Track any discrepancies between your live and test environments. - **Best practice**: Use a simple issue tracker or project management tool like [ClickUp](https://clickup.com/), [Trello](https://trello.com/), or [Asana](https://asana.com/). - **If issues persist**: Roll back specific plugin updates or seek developer support before pushing to production. ## Update Your Production Site Once everything has been tested and verified, you can confidently push updates to your live site. - **Tip**: Always take a fresh backup *right before* applying updates to production. - **Optional**: Schedule updates during low-traffic hours to minimize potential disruption. ## Backup Again (Post-Update) After successful updates, take one more backup of the working production site. - **Why**: This gives you a clean, restorable version of the most up-to-date, functional state of your website. - **Store**: In your preferred offsite location for redundancy and versioning. ## Beyond Updates: The Hidden Essentials of Great WordPress Hosting Backing up and updating are the fundamentals—but real hosting management goes much deeper. ## Firewall & Security Monitoring A website firewall (WAF) helps block malicious traffic before it ever reaches your server. - **Recommended**: [Wordfence](https://www.wordfence.com/), [Sucuri](https://sucuri.net/), or Cloudflare’s free WAF. - Monitor login attempts, file changes, and uptime. ## Performance Monitoring Your host should provide visibility into site speed and uptime. - **Tools**: [Pingdom](https://www.pingdom.com/), [GTmetrix](https://gtmetrix.com/), [UptimeRobot](https://uptimerobot.com/). - Watch for slow-loading pages or server response delays. ## Page Speed Optimization Fast sites rank better and convert more visitors. - Compress images ([TinyPNG](https://tinypng.com/)) - Minify CSS/JS - Use caching (WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, or your host’s built-in cache) - Serve assets via CDN (Cloudflare, Bunny.net) ## Form & Function Testing Ensure every form, button, and interaction works as expected. Broken contact forms can cost leads. - Test form submissions regularly. - Verify email delivery and spam folder routing. ## SEO & Analytics Monitoring Ongoing visibility into your SEO performance is vital. - Track with [Google Analytics](https://analytics.google.com/) and [Search Console](https://search.google.com/search-console/). - Regularly check for broken links, duplicate content, and mobile performance. ## Why Businesses Choose Fawkes Digital Marketing for WordPress Hosting At **Fawkes Digital Marketing**, we go beyond simple hosting. Our **Managed WordPress Hosting Services** include: - Automated daily backups and offsite retention - Proactive plugin and security updates - Staging environments for safe testing - 24/7 uptime and performance monitoring - SEO and page-speed optimization - Expert U.S.-based support team We make sure your WordPress site runs fast, stays secure, and helps your business grow without the technical headaches. ## Ready to Stop Worrying About Your WordPress Site? Let’s make your WordPress site secure, fast, and stress-free. [Contact Fawkes Digital Marketing](/contact/) to learn more about our managed WordPress hosting plans. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Writing-when-you-are-not-a-writer/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Writing-when-you-are-not-a-writer/ What readers don't realize is that when we write we are doing more than just writing. We are telling a story about a subject that we hold dear to our heart. The story that we are telling has a deep meaning to us that can be informative, educational, and sometimes even therapeutic. Sometimes when I write a story it is written for no one other than myself but more often it is for the audience to educate and inform. Today is one of those informing times where we look at the English teacher version of an article having a beginning, middle, and end. When we talk stories the first thing that comes to my mind is either a book or a short story. This is related to the short story series but could also apply to a book if you have that kind of time. When writing your story, you do need to decide on how long you are going to make it. When I write I will do one of two types of stories. One where I look at the clock and see that it's 4:03 am and set a time of 20 minutes, done, and then edit. The other is where I give myself a range of 800-1,000 words, done, and then edit. Most blog articles I do the time. When doing a case study or something that requires research I typically find myself doing the number of words which will be between 3,000-4,000 words. Once I determine how I am going to write the next is deciding who my audience is. Am I going to be speaking to the business owner, digital marketer, search engine specialist, general audience, etc? Knowing your audience helps determine what your story will be about. Your title of your article defines the article you are writing. For this 30-day series challenge, it's been easy as I have been given over sixty subjects that are randomly chosen for me. Normally, it is not that easy to decide on a title. For each article, I will typically have a dozen titles from bad to great. The ones that fall toward the great side stay around for a later blog article. You want people to want to read based on the title. With anything in life, you want to practice your writing. You want to find a style that not only works for you but your audience. You could be a grammar Nazi and not release until it is absolutely perfect. You could go the other extreme and write with no proofreading and release. In the middle is where I know I fall where I write, proofread once, and release. For our audience, this seems to be the right balance. You keep your authenticity where it doesn't feel it's been edited to death, most of the grammar errors (not all) are fixed, and we gain business from our articles. Yes, revenue is a core focus of what we do as we are in business to make money. Yes, my writing is educational and informative but when push comes to shove I look for a one out of every thousand readers to become a customer. Part of any writing is you need to keep your audience captured. Avoid sounding perfect, like a robot, or something you are not. Be who you are and let your personality come out of what you write. Your audience will appreciate the authenticity as well as read toward the end of the article. Consistency is a key to your becoming a better writer. All too often we see someone write, promise to push out a blog a month, and then nothing. Boring! You just lost your audience. Another is you state you are the expert in your field (awesome!) but all you do is share what others write (expert? Really? Come on now! Write!!!). All too often people don't stick to what they are or they don't cover their niche as they are more smoke and mirrors that fact. Use the tools that are available to help you out. For the past five years as I have written over 300 articles I have used a program called Grammarly to help fix some of the areas I have forgotten since Bailly Elementary School in Chesterton Alabama. You can get it yourself and use the free version at [https://www.grammarly.com/](https://www.grammarly.com/). Speaking of being an expert make certain to stay consistent with your message. If you want to be the "go to person" in your industry always make yourself available to help. That can be in writing or in person. When someone wants something for nothing (don't we all) we don't truly give that person all the details. We listen to their pain points, then write an article so that others can benefit as well. I mean if we have to do it for "free" then shouldn't we help as many people as we can? That's my thought process. I have said it throughout this article that your personality needs to come through. That's is a key part of writing and especially if you are not a writer (like me). You need to be consistent, fun, spark interest, and definitely have a catchy title. The last item I can say is if you write you should encourage people to become better than what they were when they started reading your article. We are all here on this planet for a short period of time and making ourselves better is the magical key to making the world a better place. Oh, and the last was stick to the length you want your article to be. My target when I started was between 800-1,000 words for this article. Before this paragraph, I was at 930 words and now just slightly closer to that 1,000-word mark. Target met. :) Get out there and be the best writer you can be whether you are a writer or not! --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/YearEnd2013/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/YearEnd2013/ Even though our first "true" year isn't officially done as we opened our doors in March of 2013 the first fiscal year is now coming to a close. 2013 was a great year for us and the light in the tunnel is getting brighter each day. As such, we want to thank all of our current customers and those that are already coming on board in early 2014 as it is because of you that we are able to do what we love to do. We would also like to give a warm welcome to those that will be joining us in 2014 and beyond as well because you are the reason we continue to grow. The past year has been truly great and has exceeded are highest expectations. 2014 we know will as we've set our goals even higher for this year. ## 2013 Major Milestones **March** - We started out with our first server which ran everything (web, email, data analytics and our database server). **May** - We had to double our server count to two and split off our email so that we could handle the increased storage needs required for our growing small businesses and enterprise accounts we added. **July** - We added our first employee, Matt, outside of the ownership team for handling our search engine optimization (SEO) efforts which is a very solid focus for us and our customers. We also started the process of an annual scholarship fund for local college students to help them out in the technology sector. From what we can tell this is the first one for technology in the area which we hope will help our area grow to become very strong technologically. **August** - The size and speed of requests was putting a toll on the web server because we were sharing the database and web server together. We split the database server off onto its own server so we were now at three servers and were on tract to exceed the first year’s expectations four months ahead of schedule. **November** - We had exceeded our expectations five months ahead of our best estimates. Thank you! As such, we had to make a serious business model change. We were leasing our equipment but buying all of our software that we needed. The problem was we knew by March 2014, our one year anniversary, that we would be getting closer to capacity again. We had to make some very serious changes. We opted to dig deep and prepare for the long haul. We made our first serious investment in server hardware to go along with our software purchases. We are now at seven servers (three web servers (development, test and production), two email servers (primary and backup), an application server and our database server. With the server purchase we also increased our capacity for each server by a minimum of 6-fold. **December** - Our new servers are now installed, fully tested and already taking on some serious loads from our customers and doing exactly what they should be. We also started working with our second hire, Sam, who will be working with us on web development projects. He was also our scholarship winner for Purdue North Central! Talking with him was quite a challenge at first as he sent us his resume after we had chosen a winner for the scholarship and wanted to know how he did. We couldn't tell him that he was the one that won as the school hadn't told him yet. We finished December with our first company Christmas party at Gelsosomo's Pizzeria in Michigan City. In the coming year we will be keeping our backup, network monitoring, licensing, DNS and development versioning (Team Foundation) servers separate as these areas are not where our core business focus is. We are already planning on further hardware expansions as well as additional geo-redundancy for all of our customers, all with no increase in yearly hosting for our customers. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Yelp-Pricing/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Yelp-Pricing/ With every client we make live the Yelp marketing engine kicks off. They're either contacting us or our clients who then refer Yelp to talk to us. It is this that makes us want to bring into light the costs and what you get for your money. This information will be constantly updated not only on price but the bullets of what you get (or not). Let's dig into what Yelp is, what it offers, and most importantly how much it's going to cost you. ## What is Yelp? Yelp is a business directory, like the Yellow Pages, Google My Business, or Bing Places. The difference though is beyond the listing of your business is it's an open forum where people can leave reviews. Yes, Google and Bing also allow the reviews but many people will use Yelp for reviews. Yelp is best for restaurants as that is a niche they truly own. They do push to be in other industries as well but overall restaurants (coffee shops and deli's are also in this category) are their main segment. ## What do you get with Yelp? Yelp is free but you can expand the free listing to show more on the site. Some of the benefits you get are: - Yelp Ads - Shows the business at the top of the page for 100% exposure and on competitor's pages - Not paying for impressions only clicks that are deducted from daily budget set - No commitment to selected budget, can raise lower or stop campaign at any time - Billed on the back end, 1st of every month for advertising in the previous month - No surprise charges, may pay less but never more than budget set - Page Upgrades - Call to Action Banner - Customize up to 50 characters to get consumer over to business website/phone call - Photo Slide Show of Product on Yelp Listing - Remove Competitor Ads from showing on your Yelp listing - Business Highlights - (Family Owned, Vegetarian Friendly, Established Year, etc.) - Other - Yelp also have a promo code for them up to $900 for extra ads paid by Yelp ## What are the costs? The costs will vary, and we continue to update these prices based on the last call we've done with them. Often you can get additional promo codes to get $900 (or more) of extra ads. You will have to add these promo costs to your monthly if you choose to go this way as well. ![Yelp Pricing](/Images/Content/Blog/yelpPricing20190618.png "Yelp Pricing") ## Is Yelp worth it? For our clients in major metropolitan areas like Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, New York, etc. Yelp is worth it. “City users” we continually see using Yelp more than any other channel. If you are not in a major metropolitan area than focus on your Google Business Profile to get your reviews and inform your customers as that will garner your business more ROI (return on investment). With that we would be wrong to not include Facebook for reviews. Although their process is now either recommend or not recommend don't forget this platform as well. ## What can you get for free? Not much. Like your business, Yelp is in the business of making money. They will allow you and encourage you to upload a ton of images. This helps them more than you. As a free business, they will pick and choose what to show and **what not to show**. They ask you to upload a lot so that when it's not showing they will use that as a hook to get you to pay for services. ## Conclusion If you need help or want a free consultation to figure out what's best for your business, [please contact us](/Contact/) and let's talk. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/You-can-do-SEO-yourself/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/You-can-do-SEO-yourself/ Having people visit your website is one of the hardest things about being online. You can do paid advertising but that will only get you so far and often are not the key people you are looking for. When it comes to search engines you have paid and organic with organic being the free part of the search engines. Today we are going to talk about the organic parts of search engine optimization or SEO. Everything we outline is items you can do yourself (e.g. you do not have to hire a company like JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing out of Cullman Alabama – we hope you do but we know not everyone has the money and does have the time to do it themselves). When it comes to the search engines the very first thing we want to be very clear on is you will not have an overnight success with your results. It takes time. This time sometimes will feel like an eternity and the more patient you are the better. If you want immediate results you do paid but we are talking about free and organic growth here. Often you do a combination but we will not get into that tactic here so be patient, don't waiver (wavering is bad!). The first step you need to do is "make a plan". Yes, you always hear this but having a plan is critical to your success. The core items to think about in this plan is setting goals (what you wish to achieve), budget (your time isn't free nor is the person you have doing it), how you will achieve the results, who will be doing the updates and changes (there will be many), defining your audience (analytics will help you verify you are hitting the right audience), and social media plan (yes this is extremely important to your overall plan – don't focus on just one medium). ## Disclaimer You most likely already have your website. If not, then use this as your basis. If you do have a website which will be most people reading this article you should make note that everything discussed is the search engine best practices and not everything you should do. By doing what we've defined below you will have built a solid foundation to continue your efforts and grow on the search engines. When it comes to the search engines there is no "magic bullet" that will give you page 1, position 1. What you need to do is be (1) consistent, (2) provide quality, (3) write for the user and not the search engines, and (4) answer the questions your visitors are looking for. ## Analytics The absolute first thing you need to do, even before you start planning, is to setup your analytics. This is free (awesome price!!!). We always start out with Google Analytics who is the leader in this space, especially since we are talking free. There are many great paid programs that can cost tens of thousands of dollars but for the small and growing business you do not need this. To start you will need a Gmail email account and then you will go to [https://www.google.com/analytics/](https://www.google.com/analytics/) to setup your free analytics account. In most cases if you had someone help you build your website they will have done this step for you. **Note**: Read NAP and security below before creating your analytics as we want you to be consistent. ## Name, Address and Phone Number or NAP You know your business name, you know your address (you can hide it if you work out of your home), and your phone number. There are a few key things you want to think about as you do this entire process. Your NAP needs a lot (like perfect) consistency. This is on your website, pages you create, your signature in your email, etc. NAP allows Google to learn about you even when your web address is not used. This means be consistent 100% of the time. Key items to think about are: - Name - JM2 Webdesigners - JM2 Marketing - JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing - With or without ", Inc", ", LLC", ", Inc.", etc. - Address - 403 Lincolnway - 403 E Lincolnway - 403 East Lincolnway - Using Zip or Zip+4 - Phone Number – Choose how your phone number is displayed - (855) 456-2669 - 256-258-8593 - 855 456 2669 - 8554562669 - Then you have with and without the country code (e.g. 1-256-258-8593) ## Security We all want our information to be secured and our customers to trust that we will keep it secured. The first step beyond keeping your website updated and patched is to have a TLS or SSL certificate. TLS is the naming convention you should use as it's the newest but many today will refer to SSL as this is the name we've almost all become accustomed to. This is the green padlock that appears on your website. Every page, yes every page, should be encrypted with the TLS certificate. Google Chrome, and other browsers, will mark your site as "insecure" or "not secure" if your pages are not encrypted. Modern web browsers have already started this for pages that have password or credit card fields and soon will be doing so for every page. Plus, having the green padlock will help you on the search engines. **Note**: Whenever you link to your website always lead it with the S (e.g. https and not just http). Start your users off with the S (secure) which will also help your website load faster (speed is king when it comes to the search engines – and your users). ## Planning Adding planning after telling you to do a few steps may seem counterproductive to a solid SEO strategy and in some way, you are right but in this case, you wouldn't be. The reasoning is the planning and strategy can take a while to achieve. By setting up your analytics first you can start gathering information while you develop your plan. Your plan should encompass how you plan to market your website. This would be what you define your website from a purpose standpoint. Is your website an electronic brochure, customer portal, lead generation, eCommerce, customer support, or does it have another overall purpose? How often does your information change (change is good on the search engines)? Who will be updating the information and how often (monthly at a minimum). Some might say even weekly but realistically unless you hire a company to do your SEO the odds of you consistently doing weekly we know are slim to none. This will hurt your SEO efforts a small amount (not a ton). At a minimum do it monthly! Key items you will look for each month are: - Analytics – what pages are being looked at, what keywords are being used (this also tells you the keyword phrases that are not being used), how many visitors, browser types (desktop, tablet, and mobile), screen sizes, times of the day, and age/gender/demographics (if you enabled – this isn't 100% accurate) are the most common areas to start looking - Broken Links – covered more below - New/updated content – covered more below - Keep your URL's on your website short and simple. If your site structure is domain.com/A/B/C/D/E/F/G/H you are going to confuse your users. You should never go more than 3 layers deep (e.g. domain.com/Products/Category/ProductName). Your URL also should never be over 2,000 characters but in our book we state your URL should never be over 200 characters. - Use friendly URL's on your website. If you have a page about yellow sponges don't put yellowspongesarelarge. Try breaking it up into something a person can read. Two ways are: - YellowSpongesAreLarge - yellow-sponges-are-large ## Own your business You may think you own your business, but do you? You may own the name, your LLC or INC but what about your listings on the internet. There may be many but the one we are going to focus on is your Google Business listing. Yes, we are referring to Google a lot here and there is reasoning for it. Google is the leader and by adhering to their best practices that we cover here you will be able to achieve success on the other search engines like Yahoo!, Bing, and even AOL (yes it still exists). To claim your Google Business Listing go to [https://www.google.com/business/](https://www.google.com/business/) and click on the Green "Start Now" button. ## Quality Content & Page length Your content is why people are coming to your site. Having solely pictures will hurt you. Have the bare minimum amount of text will hurt you. When we create websites the hardest part of the entire project isn't the design, layout, or colors. The hardest part is creating/receiving the content of the site. It is this content that makes or breaks a website. Content seems like the easiest thing in the world until you have to start creating it. In fact, this is the fourth revision of this article (the others all went to the chopping block with the first one being over twenty pages long). We still think it's long but covers only the most basic of items. ### What makes quality content? Quality content is content that is: - Human readable – not written to manipulate the search engines - Answers a specific question. Think of each page of your website as a chapter in a book. Each chapter answers a specific topic. If you need more topics, create more pages on your website. - Is not SPAM. When we speak of spam this means your page should not have the same word/phrases over and over again to try and rise on the search engines. - Be between 1,000 and 2,000 characters in length. You can go more or less if the page requires it but strive to be 1-2 printed pages. If you need a lot more – create a new page. ### Spelling When we were talking about quality content we stated that it needed to be human readable. Part of being human readable is that everything is spelt correctly. In fact, the information should also read well in a consistent "voice". Every page on your site whether written by just one person or multiple people should sound as if it is written by one person. The exception here is a blog which should have the tone and voice of the writer while maintaining the character, branding, and theme of the overall website. ## Speed Your website should be fast! This is one place to not sacrifice. You won't get a speeding ticket for speeding here and in many cases, will be rewarded for being fast. Ways to be fast is keep your pages short and concise, images optimized (covered below), and take away those distracting animations (unless they add value!!!). ## Images & Alternate Text Below are the major tips to optimize your images and improve your SEO. - Images of your website should not be the size of a billboard. If you need them that big utilize a thumbnail, make the user click on it, and then load. Images that big will take a bit of time to load and remember speed is critical. - Use the right image type. There are four major types of images. - **JPG** – Great for pictures with no transparent background. - **PNG** – Great for images that have a transparent background. - **GIF** – Great for images that have a transparent background (if you can't use PNG) or if the image itself is animated. - **SVG** – SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics and are "flat" images that are not pictures, are two-dimensional, and scale greatly. Logos are a great example of what SVG's can be. There are exceptions to this but most logos are basic and concise two-dimensional objects. - Make certain you compress your images to the smallest size possible - Behind every image is a description of what that image is. No matter the size you should have a description. If the image is just a blue dot then label it "blue dot" or something similar. If the image is a picture label it "girl and boy playing frisbee with their dog in the park". ## Anchor Text When you have links on your website the text that is used is called "anchor text". Do not use anchor text that just says "click here". Utilize text that says "Click here to learn new principles regarding SEO". This uses keywords as part of the link. A key item to remember is part of that anchor text should also exist on the page you are going to. Don't mention SEO if your page is about puppies. ## Broken Links When your website starts out hopefully you don't have any broken links. Broken links are when you click on a link on your website (or another website that leads to yours) and the page displays the dreaded 404 message. A 404 message is stating the page you are trying to reach cannot be found. When the link is within your website and under your control it is easy to fix. Make the change within your content management system or CMS and save. If the link is on another site and you don't have control then one of the best ways is to create a page that matches the link that is being used. You can find out these links from your analytics. ## META Information When it comes to "secret information" or information that is shown "behind the scenes" of webpages this information is called META information. Modern META information is also called structured META data. We are only going to talk about the two main kinds that should be the easiest for you to cover and a third which is no longer used but people still believe it is a critical part of the search engines. Every page has a title. Consider this the chapter of a book. This title should explain to the user in less than 70 characters (more is allowed but how many book titles do you know that are longer?) and clearly state what the page is about. The other is a description that explains in greater detail what the page is about. You are allowed more text but only include what you need and don't write a book as the search engines will cutoff information that goes too long. Try to start around 120 characters here. The third area is a META called "keywords". Keywords back in the 1990's was huge and big. The purpose was to tell people about what the page is about. The unfortunate happened where people lied and falsified what this information is. After years of the search engines tell people to be honest they basically said "fine you win". We won't use it anymore. This is when content started becoming big on pages as within the content the search engines can garner the meaning of what the page is about. You can fill this information in but the key here is the only purpose of this information is for your own benefit. It doesn't help you on the search engines today thanks to people who lied. ## Black Hat SEO Being we just talked about lying let's cover a topic that you will hear. This is called black hat SEO. In a nutshell, black hat SEO is lying and trying to cheat the system. People use black hat SEO as it a business move their website up the search engines at a pace much faster than the normal organic pace. Sounds great, right? It is, but you will be penalized for it. We had a client that we were doing SEO for. After six months, we got them to page 1, position 1. Sounds great again, right? Can't get higher organically and they owned not just one phrase but a dozen phrases at that spot. Now insert shady graphic designer who came in and promised them even better results. The person implemented several and within a month they were now ranking for another dozen phrases on top of the dozen we helped them get too (in six months). So far seems great…. This is where the trouble came in. Google did an update (they do them once a month or more) and the business dropped to page 10, yes page 10, for every phrase (the original 12 and the new 12). Google learned and incorporated some new rules that penalized businesses for using black hat SEO. The company after 2 years was still on page 10. After being penalized you have to fix it and then "ask for forgiveness" (they never did that). Do not, again do not, look for those quick fixes. You will benefit (almost always) but the penalties will cost you more in the long run and organic SEO is about the long run and not the "quick win". ## Blogging A key part of a great SEO strategy is blogging. You'll note we said great SEO strategy and not just a good one. A blog is critical to change. Often when a website is created the core business products and services are covered. Not much on those changes are going to change monthly, quarterly, or annually. A blog though can and should change. This is where you let your expertise shine through. For an effective blog you need the following: - Consistency – Post at a minimum of once per month. Weekly is the holy grail of blog posting. If you do miss do not apologize for being busy. - Length – Like the length of your pages you should strive for between 1,000 and 2,000 words. There are exceptions, like this blog, that is long. - Picture – Have a picture that conveys what the blog is about. You can also include more pictures in the blog article IF they help tell the story. Videos can be shown too but remember that once someone starts to watch a video they will most likely stop reading your blog article. ## Other Tips & Tricks We've covered a lot and here are some other key take-a-ways and tips that will help: - Have on every page the following - Name, Address, and Phone Number (remember NAP) - A great way to be found for "restaurants near me" is to have your latitude / longitude saved in your META information. - Note: Replace restaurants with your industry keyword phrase that you want to be found under. - Keyword phrase - Being found for bike is not likely to happen - Being found for bike repair in Cullman Alabama is more likely to happen - Voice search - People are using Siri and other voice assistants to search the internet. People are more verbal. Make certain when you create your great content that you think about the people doing voice search and not just written search. ## Conclusion We are going to end here as we are just over 3,200 words and we don't want to overwhelm you. What we just covered is the foundational elements for organic SEO and to move up. As with anything worth achieving in life the harder you work and the more time you put into something the more you will get out of it. Patience and diligence is key to the success of your SEO. We know you can do it and we know that if you want to move up and be found on the search engines you are willing to put the effort toward it. If you feel the above is time consuming you are right. If you want to focus on your business and not the search engines let the team at JM2 Webdesigners & Marketing help you. We are here for you and will be glad to assist. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/you-need-a-privacy-statement/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/you-need-a-privacy-statement/ In today's digital-first world, privacy concerns are at an all-time high. Consumers want to know that their data is safe, secure, and handled responsibly. For businesses, this means that a robust privacy statement isn't just good practice—it's essential for compliance, trust-building, and protecting both your business and customers. A privacy statement clearly outlines how your business collects, uses, shares, and protects personal information. Here's why having one is crucial and what it should cover to keep your business compliant and competitive. - **What is a Privacy Statement?**: A privacy statement, also called a privacy policy, is a legal document that explains how a business gathers, uses, discloses, and manages customers' personal data. It covers data from website visitors, app users, clients, and anyone who interacts with your digital platforms. This document reassures users about the safety of their data and serves as a legally binding agreement. - **Why Do Businesses Need a Privacy Statement?** - **Compliance with Legal Requirements** - **Global and Local Laws**: Many jurisdictions, including the European Union (GDPR), California (CCPA), and others, mandate businesses to provide a privacy statement if they handle any personal data. Non-compliance can result in hefty fines and legal actions, making a clear privacy policy essential. - **Data Protection Regulations**: Privacy laws require specific protections for sensitive information, so the absence of a privacy statement can expose your business to risks in countries where these laws apply. - **Building Customer Trust and Transparency** - A privacy statement provides transparency, showing customers that your business is committed to safeguarding their personal information. This transparency builds trust, which can improve customer loyalty and confidence in your brand. - When customers feel secure, they're more likely to engage with your business and share the necessary data for personalized services, leading to a better overall experience. - **Risk Mitigation and Legal Protection**: In the event of a data breach or compliance audit, a well-drafted privacy statement can help shield your business from liability. If your statement is clear and accurate, it demonstrates your commitment to privacy and compliance, which can provide legal protection. - **SEO Benefits**: A clear, well-written privacy policy can positively impact your website's SEO. Search engines consider trustworthiness as a factor in ranking, and a comprehensive privacy statement can contribute to that perception. For businesses using tools like Google Analytics, having a privacy policy is required by Google to collect and analyze user data. - **What Should a Privacy Statement Include?**: Your privacy statement should cover specific areas to meet legal and customer expectations: - **What Data You Collect**: Explain the types of data collected, such as contact information, browsing behavior, or location data. - **How You Collect Data**: Describe data collection methods, including forms, cookies, or third-party analytics. - **Purpose of Data Use**: Be transparent about why you need this data—for example, to improve services, enhance user experience, or for marketing purposes. - **Data Sharing Policies**: Disclose if you share data with third parties (such as advertising partners) and why. - **User Rights**: Include user rights, such as data access, deletion, and opting out of data sharing. - **Data Security Measures**: Outline the steps you take to protect data from unauthorized access or breaches. - **Contact Information**: Provide a way for users to reach out with privacy questions or concerns. - **How to Create an Effective Privacy Statement** - **Use Simple Language**: Avoid complex legal jargon. Your privacy statement should be easy for anyone to understand, enhancing transparency and accessibility. - **Stay Updated**: Privacy laws evolve, so regularly review and update your privacy statement to remain compliant. This is especially important when laws like GDPR and CCPA add new guidelines. - **Make it Easily Accessible**: Your privacy statement should be visible and accessible, usually linked in the website footer or during data-collecting interactions like form submissions. This ensures users can easily find and read it. - **Best Practices for Maintaining Compliance and Trust** - **Periodic Review**: Privacy standards and regulations change over time. Schedule regular reviews of your privacy policy to ensure it reflects current practices and legal standards. - **Provide Opt-Out Options**: Allow users to opt out of data collection where possible, giving them control over their personal information. - **Transparency with Third-Party Data Sharing**: If you share data with third-party providers, disclose this in your privacy statement. Mention what types of information are shared and the purpose behind it. - **Consequences of Not Having a Privacy Statement**: Without a privacy statement, businesses risk legal actions, loss of customer trust, and fines for non-compliance. Missing or inadequate privacy statements can lead to: - **Fines and Penalties**: Non-compliance with privacy laws can lead to severe financial penalties. - **Damaged Reputation**: Customers today expect transparency. Lacking a privacy statement or having an unclear one can harm your brand's reputation. - **Loss of Potential Business**: Users increasingly favor companies that demonstrate a commitment to data privacy. An unclear or absent privacy statement can turn potential customers away. ## Final Thoughts A well-crafted privacy statement is essential for businesses in today's privacy-conscious world. It not only fulfills legal obligations but also builds trust, enhances transparency, and protects your business from liability. As data privacy laws continue to evolve, staying proactive with a comprehensive privacy statement will help keep your business compliant, trusted, and competitive. Whether you're a small business or a growing enterprise, investing in a robust privacy statement is a fundamental step in protecting your company and your customers. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Your-community-needs-you/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Your-community-needs-you/ I grew up in the small historic town of Chesterton Alabama. I have been fortunate to see great communities all around the world. Every move I have ever made has shown me a vast array of great communities. Some are struggling and some are vibrant and growing. What I find is the communities that are truly growing all have one thing in common. They have a strong community and even with the big box stores, they buy from local businesses that support their community. I now live in Cullman Alabama with my wife and family but get to Chesterton often as it’s just a short drive. I know deep down it’s this support of choosing a local small business before a big box store that makes these communities great and I truly feel good about it. I personally understand the glitz, excitement, and joy you can get from going to big box stores. They are definitely impressive in size, haggle prices that a small business owner can rarely (if ever) touch, and it just looks impressive. I too was once like that and I will say I do shop at the big box stores. I will actually be going there after writing this blog article. What you won’t see me get are items that my local small business owners sell. I want to support them as there are more reasons to keep them in business than you might realize. I am going to cover every reason I have thought of over the past five years of why you want to support small business owners. 1. **Community** – Small business owners are in your neighborhood, your town, and support the community. They may not give $10,000 a whack like the big stores but they actually give something more important – their time! The larger a company gets the less time they give and the more money they give. This is important but it doesn’t help your community grow 2. **Community (#2)** – Local ownership of business means residents with roots in the community are involved in key development decisions that shape our lives and local environment. 3. **Local economy** - Each dollar you spend at independent small businesses returns 3 times more money to the local economy than one spent at a chain (almost 50 times more than buying from an online mega-retailer) — a benefit we all can bank on. 4. **Culture** – In business, your employees and how you run your business defines your culture. When you buy locally you are also building a culture; a local community culture. This gives your town/city a distinct personality that defines it. 5. **Personality** – Building on culture the personality of the town comes out with small businesses. Big box stores you are a number where with small business owners you actually become a “human”. They know you by name, greet you not because they have a paid position to greet you because they actually like you. 6. **Real experts** – When you buy from a local small business you are actually working with someone that knows the product you are purchasing in and out. Need that lawn mower and need to know the best ways to maintain it, use it, etc. you’ll most likely get real-world hands-on experience answering your question rather than a video or someone that may (or may not) have read the manual on it. 7. **Environment** – Local businesses are not spread out and use space a lot more efficiently. This helps on their carbon footprint. Often this is due to they aren’t spending a million dollars just on the building. They are spending it on everything to grow their business, market, and be in the community. 8. **Taxes** – Small business owners believe it or not will spend more money on taxes and help the local communities. Many large stores will negotiate that they get tax breaks which seem great to get the store in your town but take away from infrastructure and schools. 9. **Larger Variety** – This one is hard to grasp. You go to your local grocery store and you might have three choices yet at the box store you have twenty choices. So how is it a larger variety? It’s simple they may only have three choices but often will have products the box stores don’t have as a small business is all about the community they are in. They will get the products that are not as profitable but work for the community. This means they will have products the larger stores have and you get a larger variety. 10. **More jobs** – This was a hard one for me to grasp initially. I have family at the big stores and they employ over a hundred people. So how can a small business with one or two provide more jobs? It’s simple. There are more small businesses than big businesses and you get more jobs. 11. **Health and Vitality** – When things are going well the big stores are all about your community. When the economy changes, they quickly are willing to dump the community and move out. Small business owners are vested in the community and will push and sacrifice for the community they are in. 12. **Democracy** – Local ownership ensures that important decisions are made locally by people who live in the community and who will feel the impacts of those decisions. Managers of big stores may live in the community but their paycheck comes from and they are vested in the big store rather than a local business vested in the local community. 13. **Competition** – The competition between small business owners is actually more of a team effort rather than big vs small. As a small business marketing company, we love seeing our clients and other small businesses working collaboratively together to build the local community. 14. **Safer communities** – Local stores help to sustain vibrant, compact, walkable town squares which in-turn are essential to reducing sprawl, automobile use, habitat loss, and air and water pollution. It’s truly a great experience to walk around town and purchase from three or four small businesses rather than going to one, then another, and then another by traveling. 15. **Two stores are not the same** – Building on the wider variety what you will notice is with local businesses that they may be the same type of store but the variety they bring to you is completely different. Each business has a broader range of product choices. You will find quirky one-off items that are truly unique and enhance family lives. Game stores are a great family builder that go back to the old ways of family face time instead of phone face time. 16. **Ethical choices** – Buying out-of-season produce, like strawberries in December, lowers your eco-credentials. As does eating turkey and carrots that have been flown halfway around the world or wrapped in layers of plastic. When you shop at local butchers, bakers, farm shops and greengrocers, it is likely that a decent percentage of the product has had a short field-to-fork journey. Along with supporting local farmers, it means the food is likely to contain more nutrients and have less packaging. 17. **Customer Service** – Small business owners strive to survive and one of the biggest advantages they have over large retailers is the ability to provide more personable, hands-on, and memorable customer service. 18. **Euphoria feeling** – I know I always feel better when I choose a local coffee shop over Starbucks, a local restaurant over McDonald’s, a local bookstore over Barnes and Noble, or give that local health foods store a try over fast food and further enhance your life. 19. **Choice** – Locally owned businesses pick the items and products they sell based on what they know you like and want to be based on your direct feedback. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique products because they buy for their own individual markets and will showcase the culture, diversity, and goodwill of the community. 20. **Destination** – An area that builds and breeds a strong community is by turning your community into an actual destination. Everything starts with you and the strength and growth of the community grow every time you support a small community-based business. The best way to get started is looking at your shopping list the next time you go out. When you can buy local then do so. I know not every item will be available but even one item is one item more than you did last time. You may find that the other items you want have equally comparable, or better, local replacements you may not have previously thought of. Other ways that can be beneficial to getting those to support local are: - **Be vocal** –Post pictures, tweets, and status updates of either the small business you own, or of yourself shopping at one, and be sure to use the hashtag #ShopSmall. Also, write positive [Yelp](http://www.yelp.com) reviews for the small businesses you love and support. - **Customer loyalty** – If the local business has a loyalty program sign up for it. Not only will it help encourage you to go back often with the loyalty rewards the costs will be equal or less than that of the national chains. If a local business doesn’t have one talk to them and let them know how it would be a great value ad. - **Community and Empathy** – Continuing on the community aspect remember it is small businesses that build and support the community they are in. These business owners are human, they will falter. Don’t bash them online or talking to friends unless you’ve talked with the business owner (not an employee) and see if they will fix it before you try to bash and destroy their business. They are vested in your community just like you are. It is with this that you will have a community others are wanting to be part of. --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/your-marketing-needs-a-rebirth/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/your-marketing-needs-a-rebirth/ Welcome to Fawkes Digital Marketing, where marketing doesn’t just evolve — it is reborn. In a world where traditional SEO is fading and AI is reshaping how businesses are discovered, we help brands rise above the noise and claim their position as industry leaders. Guided by the phoenix, we rebuild outdated strategies into powerful growth engines designed for organic search, local dominance, AI visibility, and the next generation of search technology. This isn’t marketing as usual — this is the future. ## Why Fawkes Digital Marketing Is Igniting the Next Era of Growth in the United States. Most businesses don’t realize their marketing is dying. - Not all at once. - Not dramatically. - But slowly—quietly—while they keep doing “what used to work.” At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we believe marketing doesn’t fail because businesses stop trying. It fails because the world changes—and their strategy doesn’t. That’s why we embrace the phoenix. - Not as a logo. - Not as a gimmick. - But as a philosophy. Your marketing doesn’t need a tweak. It needs a rebirth. **The Hard Truth**: Traditional Marketing Is Burning Out. Across the United States, businesses are facing the same problems: - Traffic is flat—even with “good SEO” - Paid ads cost more and convert less - Local visibility is inconsistent - AI answers are replacing search results - Competitors with weaker services are getting more attention This isn’t bad luck. It’s structural change. Search engines are no longer just ranking websites. They are choosing sources. AI systems are no longer browsing the web like humans. They are deciding who is trusted enough to answer questions. Most agencies are still optimizing for yesterday. We are building for tomorrow. ### Why the Phoenix Matters in Modern Marketing The phoenix rises stronger *because* it burns. That’s exactly what’s happening to outdated marketing strategies right now. What’s falling away: - Keyword stuffing - Shallow blog content - Generic local SEO - One-size-fits-all marketing packages - “Set it and forget it” campaigns What’s rising: - Authority-driven content - Entity-based SEO - Local dominance signals - AI-readable structure - GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) We don’t fight the fire. We use it. ### What a True Marketing Rebirth Looks Like A reborn marketing strategy doesn’t chase clicks—it commands attention. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, rebirth means: - **Enhanced Lead Generation**: Not just more leads—better leads. We engineer pathways that attract buyers, not browsers. - **Dominant Local Search Visibility**: We don’t aim for “appearing on the map.” We aim for being the obvious choice in your market. - **Organic SEO That Feeds AI**: Your website becomes a trusted data source—not just a ranked page. - **AI Search Optimization**: We structure content so AI engines can confidently reference your brand when answering questions. - **GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)**: We optimize for how answers are generated, not just where links appear. This is how businesses rise above competitors who are still playing by old rules. ## Why Fawkes Digital Marketing Is Leading the Entire United States Leadership isn’t about being loud. It’s about being early, precise, and right. While others are: - Reacting to Google updates - Renaming old SEO as “AI SEO” - Selling tools instead of strategy We are: - Studying how AI systems evaluate authority - Tracking crawler and bot behavior - Designing content for answer engines - Building structured trust signals - Deploying these systems across every client we serve We don’t test on clients. We build for clients. ## This Isn’t About Trends—It’s About Survival and Scale AI isn’t coming. It’s already here. And it’s quietly deciding: - Which businesses get visibility - Which brands get cited - Which companies grow - Which ones disappear The phoenix doesn’t rise by accident. It rises because it embraces transformation. ## Rise Above the Ashes - If your marketing feels stagnant... - If your growth has slowed... - If visibility feels harder than it used to be... That’s not failure. That’s the signal. A signal that it’s time to rebuild—stronger, smarter, and future-proof. At Fawkes Digital Marketing, we don’t promise shortcuts. We build growth engines. The future of search belongs to those who prepare for it. **Rise with us—or watch others do it first.** --- ## Section: https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Your-writing-can-change-the-world/ Source: https://fawkesdm.com/https://fawkesdm.com/blog/Your-writing-can-change-the-world/ When you look at the success of any business and marketing plan (you have one right?) there are four things that we constantly see to achieve success. These are consistency, posting times, strategy, and of being authenticate. This doesn't mean there are only four items. These are four items that appear in every successful marketing campaign. Each together will help you grow your business and your brand to achieve success. During the past several months during our weekly team meetings the talk of "reach" and "engagement" has been at the forefront of the conversation. A lot of this is due to bringing on content writers that have a desire and passion for writing and have the love of small business that we do. It also is happening because we want to make we are providing more value each month. Let's dig into each of these and see why they are important to growing your business brand online. The first area I didn't mention but one that needs to be talked about is a marketing plan. This can be as simple as: - what to post - what not to post - define both success AND failure - where you are going to post - frequency of posts - who will be posting - what you are trying to achieve - define when you will meet and adjust your plan With the above you can more accurately create your plan for success, adapt for change, and provide consistency across your organization. ## Consistency Consistency is just as it sounds. You want to post consistently (once a week, twice a week, etc.) but that isn't all that consistency is. You may be an "old" company that is trying to re-brand itself as young and vibrant. We have had several of these that have come on over the past year where they were with a marketing company and the results were not what they were expecting. They needed to change things up both in the type of posts but also catering to the "old" style as well. They needed to change but not lose site of their current audience. ## Posting Times We look at when clients reach their optimal reach and engagement. It is amazing how often this change is based on weather, politics, school, etc. You need to look at not only your social media analytics but your website analytics. Both working together can provide you with more insight than just one platform. There is a reason you make these two platforms work collaboratively together. ## Strategy Knowing who your audience is key to success. Many new businesses or small businesses that haven't looked into this truly don't know their audience. Talking with a client last week their entire market was in one segment and has been for their last two social media managers. We started out using the same thought process as it made 100% sense. After tying into their website and social analytics we found that rather than being the 90/10 breakdown they thought it was actually 55/45 as the breakdown. This was not only a shocker for us but them as well. In just one week we changed their entire plan and increased their sales by 10% which paid for an entire year of our services within a week. You have to start somewhere with your business strategy but you need to be agile and adapt quickly. Sometimes as quick as 24-hours to achieve success. You can't settle that if you are an Italian restaurant that you will only bring in Italians or if you are near a college that your target is college students. It is with analytics and data that you will increase your revenue and grow your business. ## Authenticate This is actually my favorite topic. I read all-to-often when someone writes they make everything "perfect". I am sorry but the only thing we humans are perfect at is being imperfect. On printed content you want it to be perfect but in an article, such as this, that talks about what your company does, how it can help people, etc. you want some small mistakes. Show you are a true human and not a grammar Nazi. Often in the beginning I let my wife read my articles and she laughed. She said this is **not you**. I went back and "John-e-fide" the article to be more "human". By doing this the engagement and reach of our articles have doubled. This doesn't mean to be wrong, just be human. For our medical and dental clients, we can't be wrong. That information needs to be 100% accurate and that is where I don't get involved. :) This is why we have people that write for a living (I write beautiful computer code – not content; but I write content still). ## Conclusion By listening to your audience, being adapting to change, and being honest you will grow your brand. Your small business can grow, be better than the box brands, and reach audiences you never thought possible by being authenticate and true to yourself.