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Does Your Page Speed Measure up?

11/27/2022

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We all know the importance of a high ranking when it comes to internet searches, but the components of those rankings can often be overlooked. Many web creators throw around a lot of SEO buzzwords and talk about boosting rankings, but how often do they get into specifics? Here at Swift Digital Marketing Agency, we dig deep. We know what it takes to achieve and maintain a great ranking, and we use this knowledge to give our clients rock star results!

Importance of Page Speed

Page speed is just one example of a ranking component that we've mastered. Google actually dings pages that load too slowly, causing them to drop in rank, even if they are excellent by every other metric. Additionally, your visitors will find interaction with a sluggish interface frustrating to deal with. This will, in turn, harm your engagement metrics causing your ranking to decrease even more... (see where we're going with this?).

Don't let something as straightforward as page speed cause your rankings to drop. No one wants to see a spike in abandonment rates for any reason, especially something that is so easy to fix! Let us help you measure and increase your loading times, and make your site more attractive to search engines and prospective customers.

You can count on Swift Team as your SEO partner. We use clean code and techniques that greatly increase page speed, giving your rankings and UX a boost. Work with us and see your page speeds, rankings, and engagement metrics outshine the competition month after month!

Submit this Form to get a call from us or call Swift Digital Marketing Agency at (216)339-6041
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How to Advertise on Social Media

11/9/2022

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How To Advertise on Facebook in 2022. The times may be changing, but knowing how to advertise on Facebook is still an essential skill for most marketers.

Advertising on Facebook isn’t dead. Despite new players on the social media scene — TikTok, we’re looking at you —  knowing how to advertise on Facebook is still an essential skill for most marketers.

Right now, if you advertise on Facebook, your ads can reach 2.17 billion people — in other words, close to 30% of the world’s population. Plus, the platform’s active user base continues to grow.

Sure, these are impressive numbers. But Facebook is all about getting your message in front of the right segment of those people. The users who are most likely to be interested in buying your products or services.

Keep reading to find out everything from how much Facebook ads cost to how to plan your first campaign.

What are Facebook ads?

Facebook ads are paid posts that businesses use to promote their products or services to Facebook users.

Facebook ads are usually targeted to users based on their:
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  • Demographics
  • Location
  • Interests
  • Other profile information

Businesses set an ad budget and bid for each click or thousand impressions the ad receives.

Like Instagram, Facebook ads appear throughout the app, including in users’ feeds, Stories, Messenger, Marketplace, and more. They look similar to normal posts but always include a “sponsored” label to show they’re an ad. Facebook ads include more features than regular posts, like CTA buttons, links, and product catalogs.

To get your brand in front of more users, ads should be a component of any Facebook marketing strategy.

How much does it cost to advertise on Facebook? There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to Facebook ad budgets. The cost of Facebook ads depends on several variable factors, including:
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  • Audience targeting. It usually costs more to put your ads in front of a narrower audience as opposed to a broader one.
  • Ad placement. Costs can change between ads shown on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Campaign duration. The number of days and hours a campaign lasts impacts the final cost.
  • Competitiveness of your industry. Some industries are more competitive than others for ad space. Ad costs usually increase the higher the product price is or how valuable the lead you’re trying to capture is.
  • Time of year. Ad costs can fluctuate during different seasons, holidays, or other industry-specific events.
  • Time of day. On average, CPC is lowest between midnight and 6 am in any timezone.
  • Location. Average ad costs per country vary widely.

Setting campaign costs according to objectives. Setting the right campaign objective is the most important thing you can do to control Facebook ad costs. Getting this right also increases your chance of success.

Cost-per-click benchmarks vary according to each campaign objective. There are five core campaign objectives to choose from:

  • Conversions
  • Impressions
  • Reach
  • Link clicks
  • Lead generation

Average cost-per-click varies between different Facebook ad campaign objectives. For example, on average, an impressions campaign objective costs $1.85 per click, while a campaign with a conversions objective costs $0.87 per click.
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Choosing the right objective for your campaign is key to reaching goals while lowering costs.

Types of Facebook ads

Marketers can choose between different Facebook ad types and formats to suit their campaign goals, including:

  • Image
  • Video
  • Carousel
  • Instant Experience
  • Collection
  • Lead
  • Slideshow
  • Stories

The wide range of Facebook ad formats means you can choose the best ad type that matches your business goal. Each ad has a different set of CTAs to guide users to the next steps.

Here are each of Facebook’s ad formats explained in more detail:

Image ads. Image ads are Facebook’s most basic ad format. They let businesses use single images to promote their products, services, or brand. Image ads can be used across different ad types, placements, and aspect ratios.
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Image ads are a good fit for campaigns with strong visual content that can be shown in just one image. These images could be made from illustrations, design, or photography.

You can create one with just a few clicks by boosting an existing post with an image from your Facebook Page.

Image ads are simple to make and can successfully display your offering if you use high-quality imagery. They’re suitable for any stage of the sales funnel — whether you want to boost brand awareness or promote a new product launch to increase sales.

Image ads can be limiting — you only have a single image to get your message across. If you need to display multiple products or show how your product works, the single image ad format isn’t the best choice.

Video ads

Just like image ads, video ads on Facebook let businesses use a single video to showcase their products, services, or brand.

They’re especially helpful for product demos, tutorials, and showcasing moving elements.
Video can be up to 240 minutes long, but that doesn’t mean you should use that time! Shorter videos are usually more engaging. Facebook recommends sticking to videos under 15 seconds.

Video ads can add some movement to any user’s feed, like this short and sweet video ad 

The downside of video ads is that they’re time-consuming to make and can become expensive. A carousel or image ad may be a better fit for simple messages or products not requiring demos.

Carousel ads

Carousel ads showcase up to ten images or videos that users can click through. Each has its own headline, description, or link.

Carousels are a great choice for displaying a series of different products. Each image in the carousel can even have its own landing page that’s specifically built for that product or service.

This Facebook ad format is also helpful for guiding users through a process or showcasing a series of related products by separating each part across different sections of your carousel.

Instant Experience ads

Instant Experience ads, previously known as Canvas Ads, are mobile-only interactive ads that let users engage with your promoted content on Facebook.

Using Instant Experience ads, users can tap through a carousel display of images, shift the screen in different directions, as well as zoom in or out of content.

Facebook suggests using five to seven images and videos in each Instant Experience ad for the best chances of engagement. Premade templates also help you save time and repeat your key theme throughout the ad.

Collection ads

Collection ads are kind of like immersive carousels — taking the user experience a step up. Collection ads are mobile window-shopping experiences where users can flick through your product lineup. More customizable than Carousels, they’re also full screen. Users can purchase products directly from the Collection ad.

Businesses can also choose to let Facebook algorithms select which products from your catalog are included for each user.

Collection ads are a great choice for large businesses that sell a variety of products and services. Smaller businesses with a more limited product line may be better suited to other ad types like Carousels.

Lead ads are only available for mobile devices. That’s because they’re specifically designed to make it easy for people to give you their contact information without a lot of typing.

They’re great for collecting newsletter subscriptions, signing someone up for a trial of your product, or allowing people to ask for more information from you. Several automakers have successfully used them to encourage test drives.

Slideshow ads

Slideshow ads are composed of 3-10 images or a single video that plays in a slideshow. These ads are a great alternative to video ads because they use up to five times less data than videos. That makes slideshow ads a top choice for markets where people have slower internet connections.

Slideshow ads are also a great way to get started for people without video-making experience.

Stories ads

Mobile phones are meant to be held vertically. Stories ads are a mobile-only full-screen vertical video format that allows you to maximize screen real estate without expecting viewers to turn their screens.

Right now, 62% of people in the US say they plan to use Stories even more in the future than they do today.

Stories can be made up of Images, videos, and even carousels.

Stories provide more creative freedom than regular image or video ads. Businesses can play around with emojis, stickers, filters, video effects, and even augmented reality.

The drawback of Facebook Stories is that they’re not placed in Facebook feeds, so users may not see them as much as other Facebook ad formats.

Facebook Stories also require different formatting than video or image ads, so you may need to create original content just for Stories.

How to post ads on Facebook. If you already have a Facebook business page (and you should), you can head straight to the Ads Manager or Business Manager to create your Facebook ad campaign. If you don’t yet have a business page, you’ll need to create one first.

Facebook offers 11 marketing objectives based on what you want your ad to accomplish.
Here’s how they align with business goals:
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  • Brand awareness: Introduce your brand to a new audience.
  • Reach: Expose your ad to as many people in your audience as possible.
  • Traffic: Drive traffic to a specific web page, app, or Facebook Messenger conversation.
  • Engagement: Reach a wide audience to increase the number of post engagements or Page follows, increase attendance at your event, or encourage people to claim a special offer.
  • App installs: Get people to install your app.
  • Video views: Get more people to watch your videos.
  • Lead generation: Get new prospects into your sales funnel.
  • Messages: Encourage people to contact your business using Facebook Messenger.
  • Conversions: Get people to take a specific action on your website (like subscribe to your list or buy your product), with your app, or on Facebook Messenger.
  • Catalog sales: Connect your Facebook ads to your product catalog to show people ads for the products they are most likely to want to buy.
  • Store traffic: Drive nearby customers to brick-and-mortar stores.

Get A Proposal

Swift Digital Marketing Agency can help teach you how to advertise on social media. If you’re looking for an in-house team of social media advertising experts who are experienced with all types of social media advertising, we are is here for you.

But most of all, we’re known for the relationships that we forge with our clients. We’re not looking to take over your company’s social media endeavors, we’re looking to become an extension of your marketing team.

We’ll get to know your business and care for its success like it’s our own — because it is.

If you’re interested in learning how to advertise on social media from the experts, Swift is here to help.
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Contact us online for a free quote or give us a call to learn more!

​Join our mission to provide industry-leading digital marketing services to businesses around the globe - all while building your personal knowledge and growing as an individual.
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Top Benefits of Social Media Marketing

11/2/2022

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Social media is a powerful way for businesses of all sizes to reach prospects and customers. People discover, learn about, follow, and shop from brands on social media, so if you’re not on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, you’re missing out! Great marketing on social media can bring remarkable success to your business, creating devoted brand advocates and even driving leads and sales.

  • What social media marketing is, with benefits, stats, and tips.
  • How to build a social media marketing strategy and a plan to carry it out.
  • The seven best social media marketing platforms and how to use them

What is social media marketing?

Social media marketing is a form of digital marketing that leverages the power of popular social media networks to achieve your marketing and branding goals. But it’s not just about creating business accounts and posting when you feel like it. Social media marketing requires an evolving strategy with measurable goals and includes:

  • Maintaining and optimizing your profiles.
  • Posting pictures, videos, stories, and live videos that represent your brand and attract a relevant audience.
  • Responding to comments, shares, and likes and monitoring your reputation.
  • Following and engaging with followers, customers, and influencers to build a community around your brand.
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Social media marketing also includes paid social media advertising, where you can pay to have your business appear in front of large volumes of highly targeted users.

Benefits of social media marketing.

With such widespread usage and versatility, social media is one of the most effective free channels for marketing your business today. Here are some of the specific benefits of social media marketing:
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  • Humanize your business: Social media enables you to turn your business into an active participant in your market. Your profile, posts, and interactions with users form an approachable persona that your audience can familiarize and connect with, and come to trust.
  • Drive traffic: Between the link in your profile, blog post links in your posts, and your ads, social media is a top channel for increasing traffic to your website where you can convert visitors into customers.
  • Generate leads and customers: You can also generate leads and conversions directly on these platforms, through features like Instagram/Facebook shops, direct messaging, call to action buttons on profiles, and appointment booking capabilities.
  • Increase brand awareness: The visual nature of social media platforms allows you to build your visual identity across vast audiences and improve brand awareness. And better brand awareness means better results with all your other campaigns.
  • Build relationships: These platforms open up both direct and indirect lines of communication with your followers through which you can network, gather feedback, hold discussions, and connect directly with individuals.

The bigger and more engaged your audience is on social media networks, the easier it will be for you to achieve your marketing goals.

Call Swift Digital Marketing Today! (216)339-6041


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What Is Website Design?

10/30/2022

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At first sight, website design to a viewer appears to be the visuals seen on a web page. But the fact is that a whole gamut of techniques and skills are involved in creating a web page design to give it the desired results.

So, web design is about deciding on a lot of elements such as the layout, graphics, colors, fonts, structure, content, text styles, interactive features, imagery, interface, standardized code, etc. It involves a wide range of skills and disciplines. Professional website design is the one that maintains an appropriate balance in the different elements and ensures consistency and integrity of the design.


Website design has become inevitable to do business and highlighting its online presence in the modern competitive markets. It contains all the information like details of a company, its products or services, contacts, blogs, and much more. Professional web design has the ability to create a desired corporate identity of a business and delivers its brand message to the target audience.

A creative web page design is a tool also for better conversion rate, by which a company can achieve steady growth in sales and revenue. Moreover, user-friendly online web designs build trust for products or services, which is essential to creating a stable, loyal customer base.


Who needs a professionally designed website?

Website design is an integral part of doing business in this digital age. But who really needs a professionally designed website? Well, all those enterprises who must ensure a dominating online presence and wish to stay ahead of competitors look for outstanding modern website designs.

So, practically every company be its logo design agency, website designing agency, brochure designing company, or any type of company in a hard-fought competitive market looks for a unique website to stand out.

Such a professional website design has brand colors and fonts, relevant images, icons, content, etc. elements that reflect the company's business values and message. A well-thought-out web page design is a requirement to engages visitors with user-friendly features and convert them into potential customers.

Contact Swift Digital Marketing Agency at (216) 339-6041.
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Modern Website Design

10/30/2022

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In the digital realm, a website is an essential element for businesses, irrespective of their size and type. It helps them increase their brand presence via the Internet breaking the geographical boundaries. A professional website design itself can be used to attain various marketing strategies in order to help your business surge. Thoughtfully created website designs have a far outspread reach than any other form of marketing tools.
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The increasing visibility is one of the factors that necessitate having a site with clean web page design. A professional web design arouses the curiosity of the visitors to dive in further. Whether you’re into construction, food & drink, education, or any such business, Swift Digital Marketing Agency is a single-point destination for all your graphic design needs.
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How to Create an Effective Digital Marketing Strategy

8/15/2022

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In this post, you’re going to learn exactly how to create and implement an effective digital marketing strategy, step-by-step.

So, if you want to learn how to use digital marketing to grow your traffic, this strategy guide is for you.

What is a digital marketing strategy?

A digital marketing strategy is a plan of action that describes how to use one or more online marketing channels to reach your target audience. It has a list of steps and specific digital marketing goals.

Having a digital strategy is important because it will help you orchestrate the different online marketing strategies so that they all work towards achieving your business goals.

Together with his team, they will make sure that every marketing activity is part of your digital marketing plan.

How to create a Digital Marketing Strategy

These are the steps to follow to create an effective marketing strategy.
  1. Specify measurable business goals
  2. Identify your target audience
  3. Understand users needs and search intent
  4. Create a content marketing library
  5. Start with SEO as early as possible
  6. Explore paid advertising channels
  7. Use email marketing segmentation and automation
  8. Take advantage of new traffic sources
  9. Use retargeting and personalization
  10. Work on conversion optimization
  11. Evaluate and revise your strategy

1. Specify measurable business goals

The first step in creating a digital marketing strategy is to specify your business goals. In other words, to determine what you want to accomplish with digital marketing.

Any goals you set have to be measurable and well-defined. Everything in a digital marketing campaign is measurable (from start to finish) and you need to take advantage of this and form a digital marketing plan that has specific milestones and targets.

Some typical goals are:

  • Raise brand awareness
  • Increase organic traffic
  • Make more sales
  • Get more email subscribers
  • PPC campaigns
  • Get more Facebook followers
  • Get more YouTube subscribers

While the above is a good starting point, they are still vague. A better version would be:

Raise brand awareness by:

Increase organic traffic by:
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  • Getting higher rankings for keyword X
  • Publishing new content targeting keyword Y
  • Updating existing content that meets criteria A and B
  • Run an email outreach campaign to get X links

A good way to come up with measurable goals is to use the top-down approach. Start by specifying your goals in business terms and then translate that to digital marketing goals.

Here is an example to understand this better.

A typical step could be, “Publish 3 new blog posts per week”, which needs to be broken down further to specify which/topics keywords the blog posts will target and what would be the expected outcome in terms of traffic increase.

Experienced digital marketing specialists know that this is not always easy to calculate because digital marketing is a dynamic industry and changes all the time. But, having a detailed plan will help you adjust your strategies so as to get closer to your goals as possible.

The bottom line is that you need to have a digital marketing plan to follow and not start running campaigns on different channels without knowing what you want to achieve. It goes without saying that your plan has to be realistic, taking into account the competition and complexities of your industry.

Also, to be able to analyze data and make informed decisions, you first need to track it correctly and accurately so, having a good analytics system in place is more than essential.

2. Identify your target audience

The second step is to identify your target audience. In other words to specify in detail who you want to target with your campaigns.

Some marketers, place this as the first step in the process and this is not wrong. What is certain is that this is an exercise you need to perform in the early stages and before finalizing the next steps of your marketing strategy.

What does identifying your audience means? Specifying in detail the characteristics of people that might be potentially interested in your offerings.

In your audience identification, you should include things like:
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  • The countries/areas your potential customers live in
  • Their age group
  • Gender
  • Educational background
  • Marital status
  • Family status
  • Occupation
  • Their interests

Learn as much as you can about your audience

The exact details depend on the industry you’re in and the products/services you are trying to promote.

A good way to start crafting your buyer personas is to analyze the data you already have available.

Digg into your Google Analytics reports, Facebook audience insights, Google Ads reports, and start creating your customer profiles.

3. Understand users needs and search intent

Once you know the profile of your target customer, the next step is to use different techniques and try to understand their needs and how they express this when searching for information using a search engine or a social network.

There are two ways to approach this process. The first method is to take the typical digital sales funnel and identify what your customers might need at each stage.

Digital Sales Funnel

The second method is to take the different customer profiles created above, and come up with a  separate sales funnel for each.

This is my recommended method because it makes it easier to set up and run dedicated digital marketing campaigns for each customer profile.

Let me give you an example to understand this better.

So, by analyzing each buyer persona separately, you can come up with a more accurate plan of how your content, products, or services can help them solve their problems and needs.

Search Intent

In the digital marketing world, the needs of users are expressed through search queries. When a user types a search query in Google, it has a specific intent and if your content/products or services do not satisfy it, your digital marketing strategy will fail.

That’s why it is important to perform keyword research from the very beginning and capture all topics, keywords, and phrases throughout the buyer journey, from awareness to conversion.

Social media networks don’t reveal the ‘searchers’ intent’, what happens then?

It’s true that users browsing Facebook may not have a specific intent in mind but they have a particular profile.

To increase your chances of targeting the right type of audience, you can analyze the profile of your search visitors (using Google Analytics) and using custom audiences to find matching audiences (Lookalike Audiences) on Facebook.

Always use any available data that you have as your starting point for research. The results will be more accurate than using data that is external to your website.

Resources to Learn More About Digital Marketing

  • How to learn digital marketing – a step-by-step guide with learning resources to help you understand how digital marketing works.
  • Best digital marketing courses – the best online digital marketing courses to follow and become an expert in no time.
  • Digital marketing certificates – a list of accredited programs to follow and get certified in digital marketing.


4. Create a content marketing library

The next strategic step you need to make is to create a library of content assets. You know your audience and their needs, now it’s time to create various types of assets to use in your campaigns.

A digital asset can be a blog post, infographic, image, video, podcast, cover image, logo, and anything else you can publish on your website or social networks.

Content Types

In the digital marketing world, this is what content marketing is all about. Content marketing is important because it’s the process used to decide what kind of content to create, when, and where to publish it.

I prefer to execute this step in the beginning and before running any campaigns because it’s more efficient to have a pool of content assets ready in advance rather than having to do this every time you’re about to start a campaign.

When you follow the steps in the order described in this guide (set goals, create customer personas, identify needs, and search intent), then you have all the information you need to work on your content assets.

It’s also easier to assign the content creation part to the different members of your team to work in parallel.

Content Marketing Strategy Plan

5. Start with SEO as early as possible

A strategic decision to make that can positively impact your digital marketing efforts is to start with SEO as early as possible.

SEO is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies but it has a caveat. It takes time to work.

Unlike other digital marketing strategies, when you start an SEO campaign, it may take 4 to 6 months to generate any results. This is a long time to wait so most marketers tend to focus on other digital channels first (like Facebook Ads, Google Ads).

That’s a good approach but the common mistake is that they forget about SEO and only re-visit SEO after they realize that they cannot build a successful digital marketing campaign based solely on paid advertising.

So, a better strategy is to allocate a portion of your marketing budget from the very beginning on SEO related tasks. In parallel, you can start working on your paid campaigns and other channels.

This way, you’ll reach a point sooner where most of your traffic and sales will come from SEO and rely less on paid ads. In business terms, this means an increase in revenue and profit and this is exactly the goal of a successful digital marketing strategy.

How to get started with SEO

SEO is a huge topic. Search engines take hundreds of parameters into account before they decide which webpages to show in the results for a particular query.

To make it easier to handle, SEO can be broken down into three main sub-processes: Technical SEO, On-Page SEO, and Off-Page SEO.

SEO Overview

Each process is responsible to optimize your website for a number of parameters that will eventually lead to higher rankings and traffic.

SEO is important because the majority of search traffic is distributed to websites that appear in the first 5 positions of the search results. So, if you want to get traffic from search engines, you need to appear in the top positions for search terms related to your business.

The best way to get started with SEO is to follow a step-by-step approach:

Step 1: Review your technical SEO and make sure that search engines can access and index your content without any problems. This is important since any issues at this stage will be catastrophic for your efforts.

Step 2: Optimize your content for search engines. In Step 4 above, you will create content that satisfies the needs of the user. Before publishing, you need to make sure that it’s SEO optimized.

This means, giving the right signals to search engines (through your titles, descriptions, headings, etc) to help them understand your content better.

Step 3: Promote your website and content. One of the most important SEO ranking factors is how other websites on the Internet ‘think’ of your website. If other relevant websites trust your website and they express this through a backlink, this is a strong signal to Google that your website deserves to be on the top positions.

If SEO is something that you haven’t done before for your website, the best way to approach this is to add it to your digital strategy and assign this task to SEO experts.

You can also use the resources below to learn more.

6. Explore paid advertising channels

When you start an online business, you know in advance that a large portion of your marketing budget will be allocated on PPC marketing (paid ads).

But, not all PPC platforms are the same. Based on your previous analysis (steps 2 and 3 above), you need to choose which platforms are more suited for your audience.

You can use the table below to get an idea of how the user profile looks for the most popular social networks.

Social Media Platforms Demographics.

For example, if you have an eCommerce website selling directly to consumers (B2C) then Facebook is probably a good choice. If on the other hand, you are targeting Business executives, then LinkedIn is more appropriate.

Run Pilot Campaigns First

The best way to find out which platforms to incorporate in your digital marketing strategy plan is to run pilot campaigns.

A pilot campaign will not waste your budget and at the same time, it will give you enough data to make an informed decision. A common mistake made by digital marketers is to blindly allocate all their budget on one channel because it’s the trend without testing or considering all of the available channels they can use.

Here is a list of the most popular advertising platforms you can use to reach your target audience:

Facebook Ads – ideal for all kinds of businesses. Works better for B2C. The best platform to raise brand awareness.

Instagram Ads – suitable if you want to reach a younger audience.

Twitter Ads – Business oriented. Great for informing your community of updates.
Linked Ads – Strictly for business-related advertising. Use it to reach decision-makers.
Google Ads – The most reliable platform to get targeted traffic to your website through paid search ads.
Google Display Ads – Use it for retargeting purposes and to reach your audience in the various Google products (YouTube, Gmail) and thousands of websites that participate in Google AdSense.
Bing Ads – Not as powerful as Google but a good alternative to get more search traffic to your website.

7. Use email marketing segmentation and automation

The end goal of a digital marketing campaign is to generate more revenue for a business. But in order to get to your ultimate goal, you first need to consider micro-conversions.

Micro-conversions are actions taken by users that are part of the funnel that leads to sales.

For example, while one of my goals is to sell my digital marketing course, an intermediate goal is to get people to subscribe to my email list (micro conversion).

I consider this an important step because I know from my statistics that a large percentage of people that subscribe to my list, will eventually convert.

The same concept can be applied to any business or product. You need to give incentives to users to sign up for your email list and then send them personalized emails that will help them make the final decision, which is to convert by buying your products or services.
An important element to make this work is segmentation and automation.

With email segmentation, you segment your list into groups of people that share the same interests and send them customized content.

For example, people registering to my list to download the SEO Checklist will get different email content than people who register to receive my posts updates.

If email marketing is a new concept for you, then you can realize that it involves a lot of work and that’s where email automation comes into play.

Here is a visual example of how email automation works.

Email Marketing automation example.

With email automation, you can orchestrate the whole process to run without intervention and manual work. Your job is to set up the automation campaigns, monitor their performance, and take corrective actions.

In addition to micro-conversions, email marketing is a great way to raise brand awareness and build a community around your brand. This is something that can positively influence the performance of all your digital marketing campaigns.

Resources to Learn More About Email Marketing

  • What is email marketing – An introduction to email marketing for beginners.
  • How to grow an email list – Simple techniques you can use to increase your email list fast.


8. Take advantage of new traffic sources

A complete digital marketing strategy should not only take into account the traditional online marketing channels but should also cater to new digital marketing strategies that rise to the surface.

To be more precise, at the time of writing this post, there are a number of new channels that you can explore like:
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  • Google Discover Ads
  • Google Shopping Search
  • Google Shopping Ads
  • Tik-Tok
  • Optimizing your content for voice search
  • Optimizing your content for Google rich snippets​

These channels are new and most probably less competitive than established channels. This means you can get better results at a lower cost.

Will these help your strategy? The only way to find out is to test them by running pilot campaigns (as explained above).

9. Use retargeting and personalization

So far, all of the above strategies are related to how you can reach more people but it’s equally important to follow up on users that already know your brand, but are not yet customers.

This is known as ‘retargeting’ or ‘remarketing’. With retargeting, you can show specific ads to users that visited your website (or social network page) but did not convert.

How Remarketing Works

It’s a very powerful technique that has higher conversion rates and less CPA (cost per action) than other marketing techniques.

The ‘marketing rule of 7’ (established in the 1930s by marketers), states that prospects are more likely to convert if they see or hear an ad, at least 7 times.

Unsurprisingly, it is a rule that is applicable today, and remarketing is the way to implement this.

The most popular platforms to run remarketing campaigns are Facebook and Google Display Network.

The concept is simple. You connect your website with Facebook and Google by adding a piece of code provided by the platforms.

You then create custom audience lists that include the people who visited your website but did not convert.

You then create campaigns and ads that are shown to these users as they browse Facebook or visit other websites on the Internet.

To make remarketing more effective, you can also add the element of personalization. Instead of treating all visitors as one group, you can add rules to show different ads to people based on the actions they took on your website.

For example, you can create a retargeting campaign for people that added an item to their shopping cart but did not checkout. To give them an incentive to come back and finish the process, you can offer them a discount via coupon code.

As a matter of fact, retargeting should be a strategy to include in your digital marketing plan from the early stages. This way you’ll maximize the return for any money spend on paid ads or SEO.

10. Work on conversion optimization

Another area that needs to be part of your overall marketing strategy is conversion optimization.

I can tell you from experience, that 90% of digital marketing campaigns focus on how to get traffic and forget about conversion optimization.

What is conversion optimization? In simple terms, conversion optimization is the process to follow to optimize your website so that a higher percentage of your visitors will perform the desired actions.

This starts with your website design, content, landing page optimization, email signup forms, shopping cart, checkout process, and other elements that contribute (directly or indirectly) to conversions.

One of the techniques to use is A/B testing. By applying a/b testing principles you can measure the effect on conversions by carefully changing parts of your website or sales funnel.
I’ll not go into the details on how to perform A/B testing or conversion optimization (you can follow the links in the resources below to learn more), but from a strategic point of view, it’s important to add conversion optimization activities in your digital marketing plan.

Here is an example of how a conversion optimization plan looks like:

Conversion Optimization Plan

You can add it as a step to be executed as part of a single campaign or as part of your general strategy review process.

What I advise my team to do is to review conversion optimization after a campaign is considered to be optimized in terms of traffic.

In other words, it’s better to try and optimize your campaign to get as many visits as possible with the lower cost and then start testing different landing pages, messages to see which one performs better in terms of conversions.

As a rule of thumb, when doing A/B testing, you should focus on specific changes so that you can accurately measure their effect on conversions.

Resources to Learn More About Conversion Optimization

  • How to improve your landing page conversion rate – Simple principles to follow to increase conversions from your existing traffic.
  • A/B testing principles – How to correctly run a/b tests and improve your conversion rate.

11. Evaluate and revise your strategy

Digital marketing is a highly dynamic industry. ‘Rules’ change all the time and it’s extremely important that you evaluate and revise your digital marketing strategy to stay current and relevant.

Digital Marketing

The best way to evaluate your campaign is to do it based on KPIs and other metrics. The most important metrics for any kind of digital marketing campaign are:
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  • Number of website visits
  • Cost per visit
  • Cost per conversion
  • Click-Through Rate
  • Number of Conversions
  • Number of micro-conversions
  • Time on site
  • Bounce rate
  • Number of social shares
  • Number of comments

If you have a good analytics system in place and can track these for every campaign that is part of your strategy, then it will be easier to make informed decisions.

Don’t forget that part of your evaluation should be to look for new channels you can add to your strategy.

It’s always a good idea to take a look at your competitor’s strategies and identify which of their strategies you can include in your marketing mix.

Key Learnings

A digital marketing strategy is a plan that describes in detail how to use various digital marketing channels to grow your business.

To create an effective digital marketing strategy, you start by defining your goals. Then through research, you identify the characteristics and needs of people to target with your campaigns.

Once you have this information, you translate that into content marketing assets, having always in mind the ‘intent’ of the user. Creating the right type of content that can satisfy the user’s needs, it’s a critical success factor.

Then you start with SEO. SEO is the most effective digital marketing channel but it’s not the fastest one. While waiting for your SEO to generate results, you can start testing paid advertising channels by running pilot campaigns.

Once you figure out which channels are more likely to work for the satisfaction of your business goals, you concentrate on those.

Besides generating traffic to your website, you also need to incorporate other strategies for converting traffic to customers such as email marketing, retargeting, and conversion optimization.
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At regular intervals, you should evaluate and revise your strategy to include new traffic sources and trends.

Call Swift Digital Marketing Agency at (216) 339-604. We can create a successful digital marketing strategy for your company.
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Digital Marketing

8/15/2022

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We help clients make core transformations in marketing strategy and operations to power growth through digital advantage.

Digital marketing is no longer about merely adding online channels to the media mix; it is about integrating digital into all facets of marketing. Our global expertise across digital analytics, market research, technology, business design, and online strategy helps clients bring the full potential of digital marketing to bear on their business.

​What we do

Digital marketing engagements are typically multifaceted, solving for specific digital marketing challenges while building ongoing client capabilities. In addition to defining new roles and responsibilities and helping develop businesses, we address technology infrastructure and identify potential partners. We work with clients primarily in three core areas:

  • Harnessing digital marketing to transform business effectiveness. We help clients drive higher sales productivity and other performance gains through digital marketing. This shift involves mastering multichannel to generate distinctive and practical insights from digital sources as a starting point for clients to develop new contact strategies, streamline planning and execution processes, and upgrade internal capabilities.
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  • Optimizing the customer experience across channels. We work with clients to integrate the flow of the customer experience across channels (e.g., face-to-face, telephone), opening up new lead sources, supporting sales for smaller-value transactions, and creating new models for service. We continuously provide new and practical perspectives on the evolving Customer Decision Journey, and work with clients to make the deep, transformational changes needed to support new strategies and capability demands.
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  • Developing and helping implement new growth models. We design appropriate business models and map development pathways for new opportunities by combining insights from digital with an integrated customer experience approach. These new sources of growth can be new products and services or new forms of media that better engage and convert existing online visitors. We also design radically new customer experiences that drive more demand for our clients’ existing offerings.
    ​


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High Quality Web Design Company

7/9/2022

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In need of a web design company to create a sleek and attractive modern website?

We’re experts at designing you a visually striking website across all devices. Our mastery of design principles results in beautiful UIs and well-organized content layouts. From the second your users land on your website, they’ll be in awe of the marvelous design that greets them.

We’re not happy and won’t rest until your website is a lead-generation that converts.

In need of a web design company to create a sleek and attractive modern website?

An Eye for Beauty. 

We understand that websites need more than stellar UX to be successful. Our design know how empowers us to appreciate what colors, balance and shapes work together in harmony to produce a truly aesthetic web experience.

In addition to design savvy, we offer you expertise in vital areas that guarantee website success, like SEO, UX and CRO.

Our team offers you comprehensive web design services that run the gamut from ideation and design to successful launch and revenue acceleration.


Dedication to Lead Generation. The most important goal of any website is to generate leads. At Rise, we understand that better than anyone, which is why we focus on perfect SEO, UX and CRO to turn your website into a lead-generation machine.

Meticulous Planning

Building a user-friendly and lead-generating website is complex because it takes meticulous planning and successful execution. Our expert team’s tried, tested and true site-building process ensures a high-quality build that’s within budget and meets deadlines, every time.

A Full-Service Agency.

When your needs extend beyond your website, we’re still able to help. Our skilled team members also specialize in:
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  • Branding
  • Copywriting
  • Digital Marketing & SEO
  • E-Commerce
  • Google Ads
  • Mobile Apps
  • Sales Automation
  • Social Media
  • Technical Integrations​​

Your success is always the result of a collaborative, team-based effort.

Call  (216) 339-6041 To Begin Your Design with Swift Digital Marketing Agency

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What Is Brand Identity? And How To Develop a Great One.

7/5/2022

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Just like your personal identity makes you uniquely you, your brand identity is the special sauce of your business that sets you apart from every other Tom, Dick and Harry, Inc. on the block. And your brand identity design? It’s what shapes your company.
​
But what exactly is brand identity? What does it have to do with design? And how do you shape a strong brand identity that takes your business to the next level? Here’s the breakdown:

Table of Contents
  • What is brand identity?
  • How to develop a strong brand identity
  • Design: the foundation of your brand identity
    • Developing your brand design
      • Typography
      • Color Palette
      • Form/Shape
    • Designing your brand identity
      • Logo
      • Website
      • Product Packaging
      • Business cards
      • Email design
    • Create a Brand Style Guide​

What is brand identity?

What does the term brand identity mean?

Brand identity is the collection of all elements that a company creates to portray the right image to its consumer. Brand identity is different from “brand image” and “branding,” even though these terms are sometimes treated as interchangeable.

The term branding refers to the marketing practice of actively shaping a distinctive brand. Brand is the perception of the company in the eyes of the world.

Let’s dig a little deeper.

Let’s say you are a middle school student. As an awkward pre-adolescent, you want to be perceived as cool and get invited to sit at the best table in the cafeteria. But you can’t just force other people to have that image of you. In order to develop this brand, you need to do some work.

So you make sure you watch the right YouTube channels so you always know the latest meme. Maybe you start working on your free throw. And cultivating on an impression of Mr. Archibald, your science teacher. These actions are the work you’re putting towards develop your desired image; they’re your branding.

Finally, you need to make sure you look the part. You save up your money to buy the new Adidas shoes everyone covets. You get a new haircut. You try out for (and join) the basketball team.

Those tangible elements—the shoes, the haircut, the team membership—that’s brand identity.

Your brand identity is what makes you instantly recognizable to your customers. Your audience will associate your brand identity with your product or service, and that identity is what forges the connection between you and your customers, builds customer loyalty, and determines how your customers will perceive your brand.

How to develop a strong brand identity

Know who you are. Before you know what tangible elements you want to make up your brand identity, you need to know who you are as a brand.

A colorful, playful & fun brand identity design by pecas

Who you are as a brand is made up of a few key elements:
  • Your mission (what’s your “why?”)
  • Your values (what beliefs drive your company?)
  • Your brand personality (if your brand was a person, what kind of personality would they have?)
  • Your unique positioning (how do you differentiate yourself from the competition?)
  • Your brand voice (if your brand was a person, how would it communicate?)​

These elements are what define your brand, and before you start building your brand identity, it’s important you have a clear understanding of each.

If you’re having trouble figuring out who exactly you are, don’t sweat it. Sometimes, all you need is a simple brainstorm to help you get clarity on who you are as a brand.

Ask yourself:
  • Why did we start this business?
  • What are beliefs and values that are important to us as a company?
  • What do we do better than anyone else?
  • What makes us special?
  • If we could describe our brand in three words, what would they be?
  • What are the three words we would want our customers to use to describe us?​

You can also check out this awesome branding workbook from consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. While this workbook is geared towards personal branding, the strategies will work for any type of business model.
Once you’ve locked in who you are as a brand, it’s time to build the identity that will bring your brand to life and show who you are to the people who matter most: your customers.

Design: the foundation of your brand identity

Just like your Adidas built the brand identity of your middle-school-star-athlete persona, your design is what will build the brand identity of your company.

Your corporate design assets are the tangible elements that will determine how your brand is perceived. Things like your logo, your packaging, your web design, your social media graphics, your business cards and the uniforms your employees wear.

In other words, nailing your design = nailing your brand identity = building a successful business that’s an accurate representation of who you are as a brand.

So, how exactly do you nail your design and build a brand identity that will take your business to the next level?

Developing your brand designBefore you start creating your design assets, you need to start from the ground up and lock in the basics of your design structure: the building blocks of your brand identity.

The building blocks you’ll want to determine before you create your design assets include:

TypographyTypography refers to—you guessed it—the font (or type) you choose for your branding materials. It’s particularly important to choose logo fonts and brand fonts wisely. There are four major types of typography:
  • Serif fonts (like Times New Roman or Garamond) have what look like an anchor (or to some people, little feet) on the end of each letter. This classic typography is great if you want your brand to appear trustworthy, traditional, and just a little old school.
  • If “serif” is the foot, “sans serif” is without the foot. Sans serif fonts (like Helvetica or Franklin Gothic) are letters that have smooth edges and lack the anchor or “feet” of their serif counterparts. Sans serif fonts give a more sleek, modern feel to brands.
  • Script typography emulates cursive handwriting (so much for all those cursive lessons in elementary school!). These fonts (like Allura or Pacifico) can be a great way to add a luxurious or feminine feel to your brand.
  • Display fonts are kind of in a league of their own. Each display font has a specialized element, whether it’s an unusual shape to the letters, outlines, shadowing, or a more artistic/hand-drawn edge (think Metallica’s lightening bolt font). Want to make a bold statement and create a brand identity people won’t soon forget? A display font is a great way to do it.
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The typography you choose will say a lot about your brand, so choose your fonts wisely.

Color palette

A brand guide with brand colors by ludibes

Next up is color. People—your potential customers included—have psychological ties to different colors, and using branding colors and logo colors strategically can have a serious impact on how your brand is perceived by your audience.

Here are what the colors of the rainbow (plus a few extras) can do to help your brand identity:
  • Red: Red is the color of passion and excitement. It’s the perfect choice if your brand identity is loud, youthful, and exciting.
  • Orange: Orange is another high-energy color and is great if you want to appear friendly and playful. It’s used less commonly than red, so will also make you stand out.
  • Yellow: Yellow, the color of sunshine, is all about happiness. The cheerful vibe makes it a good choice if you want to feel fun, accessible and affordable.
  • Green: An incredibly versatile color, green can be used for just about any brand. Culturally, though, when people see green, they think two things: money or nature. If your brand is tied to either of those things, green is an especially good choice.
  • Blue: The most universally appealing color in the spectrum, blue can help your branding to appear more stable and trustworthy, so if you’re looking to appeal to a wide demographic—and get them to trust you in the process—go with blue.
  • Purple: Purple is the color of royalty, so if you’re going for a luxurious feel in your branding, this a safe bet.
  • Pink: Right or wrong, pink is culturally tied to femininity, so if your brand is targeted towards women, pink should be a definite contender for your brand color. It’s also a great color for brands with a soft or luxurious identity.
  • Brown: Brown is perhaps the least use color in all of branding, but that could actually work to your advantage! Any time you do something different, it helps you stand out. Brown can also help people to view your brand as rugged or masculine.
  • Black: If you want to be viewed as modern or sophisticated, there’s nothing as classic and effective as black.
​
Form/ShapeWhen it comes to your designs, you also want to think about form and shape. This subtle but effective element that can be used to reinforce the desired reaction from your customers: so, for example, a logo that is all circles and soft edges will inspire a very different reaction from a logo that’s sharp and square.

Here’s how different forms can shape your brand identity (pun intended):
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  • Round shapes—like circles, ovals, and ellipses—are all about the warm and fuzzies. Brands that incorporate round shapes can create feelings of community, unity and love. The rounded edges can also be viewed as feminine.
  • Straight edged shapes—like squares, rectangles, and triangles—make people think strength and efficiency. The no-nonsense lines create a feeling of stability and trustworthiness, but you need to be careful: if the shapes aren’t balanced out with something fun, like dynamic colors, they can feel impersonal and fail to connect with your customers.
  • Straight lines also have their own implications: vertical lines suggest masculinity and strength while horizontal lines suggest tranquility and mellow vibes.
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Designing your brand identity

Your brand identity is made of many elements. Once the building blocks of your design are created, it’s time to work with a designer to bring your brand identity to life and translate who you are as a brand into tangible design assets you can use in your marketing.

Your brand identity can be expressed in any number of elements. Depending on the nature of your business, one asset or another may be more or less important.

For example, a restaurant should put a lot of thought into their menu and physical space. A digital marketing agency, however, needs to focus more on their website and social media pages.

Common elements of brand identity include:

Logo design is the cornerstone in your brand identity. When working with your designer, you want to aim for your logo to tick off the following boxes:


  • Clearly communicates who you are and what you value as a brand;
  • Is visually appealing: simple, clean and uncluttered goes a long way;
  • Is classic, not trendy: the last thing you want is for your logo to go out of style in 6 months;
  • Plays along with your industry’s standards—and if you veer off, do so deliberately;
  • Makes a lasting impression on your audience.
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You also want to make sure that your design partner delivers your logo in multiple formats (like a black and white version or multiple sizes) to ensure you always have the logo you need—and that each is in line with your brand identity.
Learn more on how to design the perfect logo.

Website

​Your website is one of the most representative aspects of your brand identity. Especially if you’re running an online business or a digital product, your customers will definitely check your website out before deciding to do business with you. Your website is where your brand identity should come through in full force.

Learn the building blocks of effective web layouts.

Product packaging

Rose Finch gin bottles designed by sikarame. lIf your product is a physical one, then product packaging is key to attracting the right customers. Whether you’re thinking about the bottle of a cold-brew beverage, or the mail you’ll send to your customers who purchased clothes from your ecommerce business, don’t underestimate the value of good design in improving the experience – and driving both loyalty and repeat purchases. Packaging is an awesome opportunity for your design to shine.

Business cards. If you’re doing any sort of business development (and who isn’t), you’ll want to stock up on business cards. A well-designed card offers the chance to reinforce a positive opinion of yourself in the eyes of potential clients or customers. When it comes to business card design, keep it simple: your company logo on one side of the card and your key personal details on the other side should suffice.

Learn how to design the perfect business card.

Email design

​Email is a great way to engage your customers and drive business. But most people are at inbox overload, so if you want to grow your business via email, you need the right design strategy to set yourself apart from the clutter. Think about the purpose of the email.

Are you trying to make a personal connection? Then keep it short, sweet, and simple. Are you trying to educate? Then format it well so it’s easily readable and scannable and add a few images to make it pop. Are you trying to tell your customers about a new clothing line you launched? Make a few stunning product images the focus.

Create a brand style guide

A brand style guide is a must to preserve your brand identity.Once you’ve got your design assets, you want to make sure they’re used in the right way, which is why you’ll definitely want to create a brand style guide. This document—which outlines your design assets, when and how to use them, as well as any design do’s and dont’s for your brand—will ensure that any future design is in line with your brand identity and generates the right perception with your audience.
Consistency is key to create a strong brand identity. You wouldn’t want your brand to look totally different on social media than it does on your website. That would confuse customers and make your brand feel less trustworthy and professional. So, make sure to always stick to a brand guide that covers all the different elements of your brand identity. That’s what is going to enable you to build brand recognition and brand loyalty in the long term.

Brand identity in a nutshell…

​Your brand identity is what sets you apart from the endless sea of competitors and shows your customers who you are and what they can expect from working with you. And if you want your brand to be perceived in a positive light, it’s crucial that you nail your brand identity and create designs that accurately portray who you are to your customers. And now that you know how to nail that identity, it’s time to start designing.
​

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Top Tips and Ideas For Interactive Web Design

7/5/2022

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Web design is unique because it takes both a designer and a user to make it work. After all, the whole purpose of putting a design on an interactive medium like a computer is so that users can, well, use it. Interaction is also a good measure for how engaged a site visitor is because if they’re interacting, they’re paying attention. Good interactive web design will compel the user to engage with a website, scroll down and consume more content, to navigate to other pages, to share with a friend and, of course, to click that call-to-action button.

One of the challenges interactive web designs face is that there are so many ways a user can interact with a page, and even more ways that the page can respond. Some interactive designs will create a seamless user experience, giving the user feedback and directing them on what to do next. Some will be less obvious, the responses mismatched to the user’s action, or worse, nonexistent.

In order to learn how to tell a good interactive website experience from a bad one, we’re going to take our lessons from the pros. Here, we’ve compiled useful tips for interactive web design by rounding up some of our favorite examples and discussing what makes them work.

1. Take advantage of loading screen time

Loading can be one of the biggest obstacles to the web browsing experience. A business can put so much money and effort into building an outstanding, beautiful website, but if it takes more than two seconds to load, research has shown that the visitor becomes exponentially more likely to leave before seeing any of it. It’s fair to assume that users experience loading as a negative experience.

But loading screens can also be an opportunity. If you have the user’s attention, why not make the most of it? These moments provide an unexpected and, therefore, extra special opportunity to impress users through animations. They’re a novelty chance to show off brand personality and engage and excite users. Often, these animations actually give the user a sense of progress with a loading bar (or something similar) to demonstrate how much time remains before the user accesses the next page.

Ideally, these loading screens offer users something to do, such as a game to play while they wait, which creates a fun, interactive experience.

The point is that loading doesn’t necessarily mean a negative experience for the user. They don’t even have to only be quick and painless—sometimes, they’re the most exciting part of a website.

2. Organize information through animated scrolling

Scrolling is one of the simplest and most intuitive interactions that a user can make. But just because the user might not think about scrolling, doesn’t mean the web designer shouldn’t be! There are plenty of ways that designers have capitalized on scrolling animations to give the user a sense of dynamic movement throughout a website. Let’s go over some common ones.

A popular technique has been to trigger specific animations to activate as the user scrolls through the website. It’s pretty magical in bringing visuals to life and it creates the illusion that the page the user is accessing is actually being built up, in real time, in response to their interaction.

Parallax scrolling (aka asymmetrical scrolling)

A similar technique that has been gaining traction is parallax scrolling. This type of movement involves say two objects on a screen moving at two different speeds, as the user scrolls down the page. The result is a simulation of 3D depth of movement, as foreground objects usually move faster than background objects.

Scrolling page transitions

And finally, designers can use full page transitions, in which the traditional smooth scroll is replaced with either a jump to the next screen or a wholesale page change. This can create a dramatic effect, introducing not only new page elements but sometimes an entirely different color scheme, making the website feel brand new with every scroll.

Overall, these scrolling animations give users important feedback on their interaction—letting them know that they’ve just entered a new section of the website and should expect a change in the type of information being delivered. In short, they provide clear hierarchy and organization in an impressive, interactive package.

3. Breakup vertical movement with sliders and carousels

Carousels are so-called because they condense website content into rotating sections that the user can cycle through, much like the turnstile motion of a real-life carnival counterpart.

They are becoming more common on websites due to the increasing popularity of swiping interactions in mobile apps. Because they are essentially a form of horizontal scrolling, they provide the user a much needed break from the endless monotony of vertical scrolling.

But this is not the only reason why you might want to break up vertical movement. As we mentioned earlier, users tend to associate downward scrolling with progressing to a new part of the website. Carousels and sliders, on the other hand, allow web designers to incorporate more context to each section, since the user isn’t technically leaving them.

This means rather than cluttering the page with all the necessary information at once, carousels collapse site elements into more bitesize segments, allowing the user to cycle through them bit by bit.

This works best when the content is similar in format, so group together either product images, profiles or customer testimonials etc. They’re also useful for showcasing variations, such as products that come in different colors. In terms of animating these carousels, styles range from straightforward left-to-right transitions, to card shuffling, to a rotating wheel animation that’s reminiscent of retro viewmaster slides.

4. Blow up the navigation menu

Like swiping, hamburger menus are another common trend of mobile/app design that has made its way onto desktop websites. Even if the hamburger icon itself is not present, users are generally familiar with the idea that the navigation does not need to be displayed at all times. Users know that it’s there and that they can interact with it when needed. Hiding the menu can give the rest of the web page space to breathe and at the same time, the menu’s reveal is yet another interactive web design opportunity.

Since users are now choosing to pull up the menu, many designers are answering that call with navigation that takes over the entire screen. This allows for big typography, descriptive images and snazzy hover animations.

Going big with menu interaction makes sense: navigation is all about control. The user is effectively steering the ship and emphasizing the menu helps the user visualize the weight of their power over the page. All in all, menu designs are staying hidden until needed, at which point they become larger than life. If you ask me, it’s a nice change from the grey top-of-the-screen, nested lists of yore.

5. Replace forms with user questionnaires

One of the most onerous parts of interacting with a website is entering information. Users are generally wary of giving out their information on a website. The best way to mitigate this is by making the process less like filling out a form at the doctor’s office and more like a get-to-know-you question-and-answer session.

In fact, a prime example of this technique in action has come from tax services like some tax preparation companies who break down tax forms into simple, easy-to-understand questions. This is especially helpful for services that have multiple potential products to sell to a site visitor and need to help narrow down their choices by understanding their needs, tastes, budget, and more.

When it comes to animation in interactive web design, the small movements are what really sell it. And when you consider that the purpose of a website’s animation is often feedback (like letting the user know what they can and can’t interact with or whether they’ve done the right thing), it makes sense that this feedback works best on a subconscious level.

Animations that draw too much attention to themselves can be distracting to the user, overshadowing whatever feedback they were meant to impart in order to show off the animator’s skill. This is where micro-interactions come in.

Micro-interactions are a broad category that describe all of the little ways that a user might interact with a page. Some examples of micro-interactions include hovering over something, closing out of a window, pulling to refresh, and clicking icons such as star ratings, bookmarks, notification bells or add to cart.

In terms of animating micro-interactions, some popular styles include turning a button green, transforming an icon into a checkmark, or an outgoing circle that accompanies a click like an adorable, baby shockwave. The goal is to let the user know that they’ve made a successful change to the page and the design of micro-interactions should be simple and satisfying to this end.

Interactive web design is good web design

At the end of the day, interactive web design is what the internet was made for. Out of the many reasons a visitor might have to check out a website, they are ultimately there to interact, not just to find the information they need but to experience it. This is why a website that fails to capitalize on these interactions can easily get lost in competition. The tips we’ve provided here are a great place to start to make sure this doesn’t happen.

Want to get the perfect website for your business?  Call Swift at (216) 339-6041.

Work with our talented designers to make it happen.

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Web Design For Cosmetic Companies

7/5/2022

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A great website shows the world who you are, makes people remember you, and helps potential customers understand if they found what they were looking for. Websites communicate all of that through color, shape and other design elements. Learn how to make your cosmetics website tell your brand’s story.

​f you own a business, you need a website. But I’m going to guess as you’re reading an article on how to create one, you probably already know that.

by 2ché for sparkingmatt. What you’re realizing is that while using the internet is a pretty straightforward task, designing, building and creating a website is pretty flippin’ complicated. You want it to look nice. You want it to be easy to use. You want people to be able to find it on Google. You want it to actually help you convert visitors into clients… But how do you do all that? And more importantly, how do you do it right?
Our Ultimate Guide to Web Design will walk you through the process of getting a website step-by-step:
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  • What you need to know to get started
    • Who’s who
    • Domain names and hosting
    • Structure and content
    • Functionality
    • CMSs
  • How to get your website created
    • Templates
    • Custom solutions
    • Hybrid solutions
  • How to design a custom website in 7 steps
    • Determine what you need and hire a designer
    • Start with wireframes
    • Design the look and feel
    • Create templates for all pages
    • Work with a developer to code your design
    • Fill in the content
    • Do user testing

What you need to know to get started

Learn who’s who in the world of web design and development
​
When you design a logo for your brand it’s pretty easy to hire one person to do the job and have it turn out great. That’s not necessarily the case when creating your website. While there are individuals or agencies out there that offer an end-to-end solution, it’s not unlikely that you’ll end up working with more than one person on your adventure to build a website. Here are a few of the char
acters you may encounter on your journey:

Web designers are, well, designers. They take your ideas and turn them into a pretty (or badass) mockup that shows what your future website will look like. This is typically done in Adobe Photoshop or a similar type graphics program.
UX (user experience) or UI (user interface) designers focus on how your layout design impacts your users. For example, they’ll help you decide where to put buttons to get more people to click them, or how to structure your navigation to make your site flow as seamlessly as possible. (There is a difference between UX and UI. 

This article explains it well.) Oftentimes, there is overlap between UX/UI designers and web designers; if you’re looking to save money, it shouldn’t be too difficult to hire a freelancer that has both skill sets.

Web developers—also sometimes called engineers or coders—are magical folks who have learned to speak computer. They take the pretty (or badass) mockup your designer made and translate it into a coding language so it can be displayed on the web. To further complicate things, there are many different coding languages out there, and most developers specialize in one or a few.

Front end developers specialize in the things we see when we look at a website (e.g. rendering images, text, animations, drop down menus, page layout, etc).

Back end developers on the other hand specialize in what’s going on behind the scenes and are necessary if your website needs to communicate with a database. (If you’re going to have a shopping cart, user profiles, or want to be able to upload any content on your own, you’re going to need a database.)

SEO specialists, content strategists, and copy or content writers may also be experts you want to consult as you build your website. They can help you figure out what needs to go on your site to help the right people find it (via search engines) and decide to buy once there.

Acquire a domain name and hostingJust like if you were opening a brick-and-mortar business, the first thing you need to do when you’re building a website is to rent a location.

When you get web hosting you’re renting server space at a data center, much like this large one in Nevada.

Web hosting is the physical space where the assets for your website will live. All those images and text and databases actually require a physical server to host them.

While you can buy your own and put it in your office/house/garage, the vast majority of people and businesses rent hosting space through a company. Hosting (like rent) is typically paid monthly.

For most businesses it will be in the $5-$20/month range, but could be much higher if you have large data needs. Here’s a list of recommended web hosting companies, but you may want to check with your web developer before purchasing (as they may have a preferred vendor).

Your domain name is what people type into their browser to get to your site (e.g. 99designs.com). Typically it is your business name. To get a domain name, you register it with a domain registrar. You will have to pay a small fee (generally less than $10/year) to purchase and retain the name. Most hosting services also serve as domain registrars; that’s generally your best bet as it’ll be the easiest to setup.

Finally, you will need to point your domain name to your servers which basically tells the internet that when someone types your domain into their browser, it should look on this server warehouse to find the right pictures and text to display. While this process isn’t complicated, it can be confusing.

This is a step you can try to DIY (the support team at your web host or domain registrar can help you) but is also something your web developer can easily help you do.

Think about structure and gather the content for your websiteYour web designer or developer is not going to write the about page on your website or take photos of your products for your store. You’re going to have to provide all of the content as well as provide the general structure of the site.

For structure you’ll want to think about what pages you need, common ones include:
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  • Homepage
  • About page and/or contact page
  • Blog
  • Product directory
  • Individual product pages
  • Terms and conditions
  • Gallery
  • Landing pages/marketing pages for promotions
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Each of these types of pages will need to be laid out and designed, and each one will need to have content on it.
You don’t necessarily need to have content finalized at this stage in the process, but you do need to have an idea of what content you’ll want on your site and a plan for how you’ll get it. Do you need to set aside time to write copy (or hire someone to do it for you)? Should you hire a photographer to take product photos? You will need to provide all custom imagery (like your logo or photos of your team) for the site, but a web designer can probably help you source stock imagery if you want.

What is stock imagery? (And how to use it right.)

Pro tip: your designer (especially if they have UX/UI experience) may have some great ideas for content and structure you haven’t thought of. It is likely worth having a discussion with them early in the process.

Determine what functionality you need

When someone visits your website, what do you want to happen? Are they just getting information about your product or service, like a phone number or opening hours? Do they need to be able to purchase goods? Is their main goal to read blog articles or learn a skill? Are they filling out a form for a quote? Should they be able to create user profiles and upload their own information?

Your functionality needs are going to determine how you can get your site developed and who you need to work with. They will also have a huge impact on your budget, so you’ll need to have it sorted out in order to get accurate quotes.
Understand what a CMS is and decide if you need one


A CMS (Content Management System) is a database and web application. Essentially, it allows users (like you and your colleagues/employees) to upload content to go on different parts of your site. If you want to be able to regularly edit text or change photos on your website and you don’t know how to code you will need a CMS!

There are a lot of CMS options out there. There are fantastic out-of-the-box options for common use cases (e.g. WordPress for blogging, Shopify for hosting an ecommerce site, Six for building out a profile). But if you need advanced functionality (like you’re hoping to build the next Facebook or Uber or 99designs) you’re going to have to have it custom developed.

How to get your website created

Template sites and builders

Hire freelancers for a custom solution

If you want to have more control over the look and functionality of your site, your best bet is to hire one or more freelancers to help you build it. This is great for getting exactly what you need at a fair cost, but will likely require you to be more hands-on.

We recommend searching through designer profiles to find someone whose style matches what you had in mind. Alternatively, if you want to get lots of design ideas. We’ll help you write a brief. Designers from around the world will read it and send you their ideas for your site. You give feedback to refine the designs, and ultimately choose your favorite(s) as the winner.

Keep in mind you may need to hire both a designer and a developer for your project, though there are some freelancers who do both. Make sure you clarify up front so you can budget (both time and money) accordingly.
Pros:

  • Get exactly the look and functionality you want
  • Reasonable costs (though it obviously depends on the freelancer and your specific needs)

Drawbacks:

  • You may need to hire multiple people (web designer, UX/UI designer, developer)
  • Requires more time and input from you

Hire freelance designers for a hybrid solutionIf you want a custom look, but don’t want to invest in completely custom development, you’re in luck! It’s possible to start with an out-of-the-box template solution, and customize it with your own unique template.


Note, this is also possible with several other template sites (for example, you can create custom templates or modify existing ones for Shopify or Squarespace) so if you would rather use one of those platforms, that’s also an option. Note that in any of these cases, the design still does need to be translated into code, so make sure you ask if your designer can do that, or know that you will have to hire a developer.

Hire an agency for a custom end-to-end solution

Web design and development agencies are experts at what they do. They will not only be able to guide you to help you make the right decisions, but they’ll be able to take you from wireframe to fully developed site. Of course, all of that comes at a premium cost. This is a great option for companies with complex needs, or those for whom cost is less of an issue.

Pros:

  • Fewest headaches; you’re working with experts who will walk you through the entire process​

Drawbacks:
  • You’re likely looking at a high price tag

How to design a custom website in 7 steps

1. Determine what you need and hire a designerHave you got your domain name figured out? Do you know what functionality you need? A list of the pages you want designed? Do you have a plan for gathering all of the custom content you need to fill out your website?

Awesome! Time to hire a designer. To find the right one, you’ll want to look through portfolios. Think about your brand’s personality and determine if the designer is a stylistic match. (For example, do you want something edgy and modern or fun and playful?) It’s generally a good idea to look for designers who have experience in your industry, or with the specific type of site you’re looking for. If you’re a photographer, look for designers who have galleries in their portfolio, if you sell goods, look for one who has experience with other ecommerce companies.

 Time to hire a designer

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Swift Construction Website Design Services Proven to Increase Leads & Sales

5/10/2022

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Want more construction contracts and booked projects? It all depends on having a great construction website. 
​

Your website is not an online brochure—it’s your 24/7 virtual sales rep, capable of generating a massive amount of leads and sales. Regardless if you’re in commercial or residential construction, your target audience expects a seamless, engaging website experience--75% of consumers have judged a company’s credibility based on its website design.

If your website is outdated, doesn’t attract traffic, doesn’t convert visitors into leads, or simply isn’t up to your satisfaction, you need professional construction website design services.

Swift Digital Marketing Agency specializes in designing websites for construction companies that not only look great but also rank well in search engine results and convert your visitors into clients. Let us help you redesign your website and turn it into your number one sales and marketing tool!

​
CONSTRUCTION WEBSITES

Construction Website Design Services Proven to Increase Leads & Sales

Want more construction contracts and booked projects? It all depends on having a great construction website. 
​

Your website is not an online brochure—it’s your 24/7 virtual sales rep, capable of generating a massive amount of leads and sales. Regardless if you’re in commercial or residential construction, your target audience expects a seamless, engaging website experience--75% of consumers have judged a company’s credibility based on its website design.

If your website is outdated, doesn’t attract traffic, doesn’t convert visitors into leads, or simply isn’t up to your satisfaction, you need professional construction website design services.

Blue Corona specializes in designing websites for construction companies that not only look great but also rank well in search engine results and convert your visitors into clients. Let us help you redesign your website and turn it into your number one sales and marketing tool!

  • LET’S TALK: (216) 339-6041!
​
Our Custom Construction Website Design Services

​From small general contractor website designs to large construction company websites, we have the website services for you.

  • CUSTOM MOBILE FRIENDLY WEBSITES The world has gone mobile—more than 50% of all general contractor website queries happen on a mobile device. Can your website handle it? We design your website with mobile in mind—optimized and coded for the most up-to-date mobile SEO practices.
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  • CUSTOM WEBSITE DESIGN SERVICES You get a website unique for your construction company—either completely custom or designed from the best-converting templates. Depending on the complexity, we usually create custom websites. Learn more about our Swift Website Design.
​ ​
  • LANDING PAGE DESIGN & OPTIMIZATION. What does it take for a landing page to convert a lead to a booked job? We know the answer. With the right components and copy, we can improve your site’s performance. Learn more about our landing page design and optimization services!
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  • WEBSITE COPYWRITING. Your website should be your construction company’s #1 sales and marketing tool. Does your website content represent your best pitch? If you need compelling, SEO-friendly copy and content for your website, learn more about our turnkey copywriting services!

What Does it Take to Have a Sales-Driving Construction Website Design?

Wondering why your competitors are outperforming you? It most likely has something to do with their website and what’s on it. The best construction websites are visible in search engines, mobile-friendly, fast, secure, and have an optim
al user experience.
​
  • Your website needs to be visible – When we say visible, we mean in search engines like Google. Over 90% of online experiences begin with a search engine, so your builder or construction website needs to be optimized for the best search engine optimization (SEO) practices. When you choose our website design company, you’re guaranteed to have a website optimized for SEO.
​
  • Your website needs to be mobile friendly – 52% of all U.S. online traffic now comes from smartphones and tablets, and 57% of users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site.  If that’s not enough to convince you, Google also ranks mobile websites higher in the search engine results.
​
  • Your website needs to be fast – When building construction websites (or any general contracting website) speed is essential. Website visitors need to see something happen on your site in under three seconds. If not, 40% of them will leave and go to another website. Even a one-second delay can cause a 7% reduction in conversions.
  • Your website needs an optimal user experience – Once your page loads, users form an opinion in 0.5 seconds. They expect to be able to find information easily and quickly—especially from a mobile device
  • Your website needs to be secure – Data breaches and hacked consumer information have been big topics of discussion recently—and your website visitors know this. If your website has any place where users can fill in personal information (even if it’s just a phone number and email address) it needs to be secure. Google also gives preference to secured websites in the search results.
  • If your website is missing one of these necessities, your bottom line will suffer—a single bad experience on a website makes users 88% less likely to visit that website again. 

    HOW MUCH DO WEBSITE DESIGN SERVICES COST?
​
  • One question we get a lot is “How much does a website cost?”
    Truthfully, you can find websites for pretty much any price—but you get what you pay for.
    Here’s what goes into the cost of a website:
  • Hosting –  This is the service or company providing space on the internet for your website. Hosting providers include WPEngine (our recommendation if you have a WordPress website), GoDaddy, InMotion, and others.
  • Domain name – This is shown as www.yourcompany.com, and is usually a yearly payment.
  • Design – Some designs are free, other cost money.
  • Plugins and extensions – Typically, the more plugins you want, the more expensive a website gets.
  • The complexity of design – The more customized your website is, the more expensive it will be.
​

Our web design services aren’t one size fits all—there are no cookie-cutter solutions, at least not from the best companies. A good website design agency will help you figure out the best type of website for your business. What’s important is that your website is beautiful, thoughtfully laid out, and lead-focused.

SHOULD I USE A TEMPLATE OR HAVE MY CONSTRUCTION SITE CUSTOM-DESIGNED?

Choosing between a template and a custom-designed construction site will depend on your needs and your budget. Most small businesses will do just fine with a proven template, but if you have a large company, have specific needs, or want a website that doesn’t look like any of your competitors’ you should go for a custom website.

WHAT’S THE AVERAGE LIFESPAN OF A  WEBSITE?

Your website is not a set-it-and-forget-it marketing asset. You need to continually update it to keep up with the modern customer’s expectations. When you’re building construction websites you always need to keep in mind that the average website has a life expectancy of 2-5 years, so be sure to pick a design and platform that won’t be too difficult to update.


  • A professional construction web design and marketing company, like Blue Corona, can help with this. Did we mention that we use years of data to guide our construction website templates? You’re guaranteed to get a high-performing, lead-driving website.​
​
  • If your budget is limited, we have a huge library of website design templates and layouts proven effective for SEO and for converting visits into leads. Looking for something completely custom? We do that too. It doesn’t matter whether this will be your first website or a simple SEO tune-up of your existing website, you’ve come to the right place.
 
  • To put it simply, your website should be beautiful, thoughtfully laid out, and lead-focused. A professional web design and marketing company, like Blue Corona, can help with this. Did we mention that we use years of data to guide our designs? You’re guaranteed to get a high-performing, lead-driving website. ​
 
  • Why Clients Love Our Construction Websites​
 
  • You have a lot of choices when it comes to web design companies, so why choose us? As a business owner, your website should work for you. Since 2007, Swift has specialized in custom, sales-driving contractor web designs, including commercial and home construction websites. Our work ranges from highly customized, enterprise-level commercial web portals down to affordable residential contractor websites for small businesses—we guarantee you’ll find something you like. From design to content, our team will handle it all to give you a turn-key website:

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN YOUR WEBSITE DESIGN PACKAGES:
​
  • Hosting and coding
  • Ready for a new construction website? Check out our website design portfolio and view some of our best residential construction websites and commercial construction websites. See something you like? Contact us today!​​
  • LET’S TALK
  • ENTER YOUR WEBSITE BELOW TO GET STARTED
  • LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CONSTRUCTION MARKETING SERVICES AND INSIGHTS
  • Construction Marketing Services
  • SEO for Construction
  • Pay Per Click Advertising for Contractors
  • Internet Marketing Guide for Contractors
  • Essential Advice for Contracting Websites
  • More Blog Posts on Contractor Marketing
  • Graphic design
  • Advanced analytics tracking
  • Optimization for SEO
  • Existing content import
  • New content creation
  • Lead form creation and tracking
  • Website compatibility across all browsers and devices
  • Integration with social media pages
  • XML sitemap creation and submission
  • And more!​ ​

    ​Contact Swift Digital Marketing Agnecy

Submit
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What is Digital Marketing?

4/17/2022

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Digital marketing is the act of promoting and selling products and services by leveraging online marketing tactics such as social media marketing, search marketing, and email marketing.

When you get down to it, digital marketing is simply marketing.

It's how today's businesses are getting their message in front of their best prospects and customers.

Rule #1 in marketing is to make the right offer at the right time and in the right place. Today, your customers are online: hanging out in social media, staying updated on news sites and blogs, and searching online when they have a need.
​

Digital marketing puts you in those same channels, so your best prospects can see you, learn more about you, and even ask questions to learn more about you and your products or services.

If you're new to digital marketing, it may feel overwhelming to think about mastering all the online marketing tactics used in digital marketing.

We get that...

And yes, there are different tactics you'll need to learn. But they all work together to create a foundation for your business: attracting prospects, nurturing relationships, and making offers your audience will appreciate and respond to.
​

Let's take a closer look at how that happens.

How Does Digital Marketing Work?

In many ways, digital marketing is no different than traditional marketing. In both, smart organizations seek to develop mutually beneficial relationships with prospects, leads, and customers.

But digital marketing has replaced most traditional marketing tactics because it's designed to reach today's consumers.

As an example...

Think about the last important purchase you made. Perhaps you purchased a home, hired someone to fix your roof, or changed paper suppliers at your office.

Regardless of what it was, you probably began by searching the Internet to learn more about available solutions, who provided them, and what your best options were. Your ultimate buying decision was then based on the reviews you read, the friends and family you consulted, and the solutions, features, and pricing you researched.

Most purchasing decisions begin online.

That being the case, an online presence is absolutely necessary—regardless of what you sell.

The key is to develop a digital marketing strategy that puts you in all the places your followers are already hanging out, then using a variety of digital channels to connect with them in a multitude of ways...

...Content to keep them updated with industry news, the problems they're facing, and how you solve those problems...
...Social media to share that content and then engage with them as friends and followers...

...Search engine optimization (SEO) to optimize your content, so it will show up when someone is searching for the information you've written about...

...Advertising to drive paid traffic to your website, where people can see your offers...

...And email marketing to follow up with your audience to be sure they continue to get the solutions they're looking for.
When you put all these pieces together, you'll end up with an efficient, easy-to-operate digital marketing machine. And while it looks intimidating to build that machine from scratch, it's as simple as learning and integrating one digital marketing tactic at a time.
​

Which is why we've put together this guide: To help you build or refine your own digital marketing plan without the false starts and missteps that come with doing it alone.

What Are the Benefits of Digital Marketing?

Having a strong digital presence will help you in multiple ways:
  • It will make it easier to create awareness and engagement both before and after the sale
  • It will help you convert new buyers into rabid fans who buy more (and more often)
  • It will kickstart word-of-mouth and social sharing—and all the benefits that come with them
  • It will shorten the buyer's journey by presenting the right offers at the right time

Learn the Strategies That Get Real Results

Be aware, the digital marketing scene is ever changing. Gurus, podcasts, and bloggers declare a tool or tactic hot one week and dead the next.
​

The truth is, digital marketing is less about "digital" and more about "marketing," largely because digital marketing has come of age. Its fundamentals have already been established.

At Swift, our objective is to clear the confusion about the tactics that work and how to use them to grow your business. We stand firmly against the so-called "gurus" who promote the next "shiny object" or "quick fix" that will reportedly kill email marketing, digital advertising, or search engine optimization.

Here, we're all about the fundamentals.

As you'll see in this guide, these 8 core disciplines of digital marketing will be critical to your business growth today, tomorrow, and for years to come. Each of these disciplines will be covered in depth in a chapter of this Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing as shown below.

About The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing

Digital marketing isn't magic, and you don't need to be a computer whiz to be good at it. If you offer a product or service that the market desires, you can successfully market them in digital channels using the strategies taught in this guide.

The Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing doesn't present hype about the latest flashy tactics in marketing—digital or otherwise. Instead, this resource covers foundational disciplines such as content marketing, social media marketing, and email marketing, always in the context of the goals that businesses care about.
​

These goals include acquiring new leads and customers, monetizing the leads and customers you already have, and creating communities of brand advocates and promoters.
Areas we serve

  • Philadelphia
  • Washington
  • Dallas
  • Baltomore
  • New York City
  • Tampa
  • Boston
  • Altanta
  • Pittsburgh
  • Charlotte
  • Detroit
  • Orlando​
​
Contact us today to start! 
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The Ultimate Guide to SEO in 2021

10/13/2021

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What is the first thing you do when you need new marketing ideas?

What about when you decide it’s time to change the way you keep the books finally? Or even notice a flat tire in the car?


My guess: you turn to Google. But did you know that 89% of B2B buyers and 81% of online shoppers do the same? Faced with a problem, challenge or even a choice, they google it. Simply.

And so, it’s a cold, harsh truth that without at least some presence in Google, your business is unlikely to survive long.

In this guide, you’ll discover a strategy to build this presence — Search Engine Optimization (SEO.)

You’ll learn what SEO is, how it works, and what you must do to position your site in search engine results.
​
But before we begin, I want to reassure you of something.

So many resources make SEO complex. They scare readers with technical jargon, focus on advanced elements, and rarely explain anything beyond theory.

I promise you, this guide isn’t like that.

In the following pages, I’m going to break SEO into its most basic parts and show you how to use all its elements to construct a successful SEO strategy. (And to stay up-to-date on SEO strategy and trends.

Keep on reading to understand SEO, or jump ahead to the section that interests you most.

  1. What is SEO?
  2. How Google Ranks Content
  3. How to Build an SEO Strategy
  4. How to Measure SEO
  5. Local and Black Hat SEO
  6. SEO Resources

What is SEO?

At its core, SEO focuses on nothing else but expanding a company’s visibility in the organic search results. It helps businesses rank more pages higher in SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages.) And in turn, drive more visitors to the site, increasing chances for more conversions.

When asked to explain what SEO is, I often choose to call it a strategy to ensure that when someone googles your product or service category, they find your website.

But this simplifies the discipline a bit. It doesn’t take elements like different customer information needs into consideration. However, it does reveal its essence.

In short, SEO drives two things — rankings and visibility.

Rankings

This is a process that search engines use to determine where to place a particular web page in SERPs.

Visibility

This term describes how prominent a particular domain is in search engine results. With high visibility, your domain is prominent in SERPs. Lower search visibility occurs when a domain isn’t visible for many relevant search queries.

Both are responsible for delivering the main SEO objectives – traffic and conversions.

There is one more reason why you should be using SEO. The discipline helps you position your brand throughout almost the entire buying journey.

In turn, it can ensure that your marketing strategies match the new buying behavior. Because, as Google admitted themselves — customer behavior has changed forever.

Today, more people use search engines to find products or services than any other marketing channel. 18% more shoppers choose Google over Amazon. 136% more prefer the search engine to other retail websites. And B2B buyers conduct up to 12 searches, on average, before engaging with a brand.

What's more, they prefer going through the majority of the buying process on their own. 77% people research a brand before engaging with it.

Forrester revealed that 60% of customers do not want any interaction with salespeople. Further, 68% prefer to research on their own. And 62% have developed their own criteria to select the right vendor.
What’s more, this process has never been more complicated.

Finally, Demand Gen’s 2017 B2B Buyer’s Survey found that 61% of B2B buyers start the buying process with a broad web search. In comparison, only 56% go directly to a vendor’s website.

But how do they use search engines during the process?

Early in the process, they use Google to find information about their problem. Some also inquire about potential solutions.

Then, they evaluate available alternatives based on reviews or social media hype before inquiring with a company. But this happens after they’ve exhausted all information sources.

And so, the only chance for customers to notice and consider you is by showing up in their search results.

Featured Resource
​
  • 22 SEO Myths to Leave Behind in 2020

How does Google know how to rank a page?

Search engines have a single goal only. They aim to provide users with the most relevant answers or information.

Every time you use them, their algorithms choose pages that are the most relevant to your query. And then, rank them, displaying the most authoritative or popular ones first.

To deliver the right information to users, search engines analyze two factors:

  • Relevancy between the search query and the content on a page. Search engines assess it by various factors like topic or keywords.
  • Authority, measured by a website’s popularity on the Internet. Google assumes that the more popular a page or resource is, the more valuable is its content to readers.

And to analyze all this information they use complex equations calledsearch algorithms.

Search engines keep their algorithms secret. But over time, SEOs have identified some of the factors they consider when ranking a page. We refer to them as ranking factors, and they are the focus of an SEO strategy.

As you’ll shortly see, adding more content, optimizing image filenames, or improving internal links can affect your rankings and search visibility. And that’s because each of those actions improves a ranking factor.

Three Core Components of a Strong SEO Strategy

To optimize a site, you need to improve ranking factors in three areas — technical website setup, content, and links. So, let’s go through them in turn.

1. Technical Setup

For your website to rank, three things must happen:

First, a search engine needs find your pages on the Web.

Then, it must scan them to understand their topics and identify their keywords.

And finally, it needs to add them to its index — a database of all the content it has found on the web. This way, its algorithm can consider displaying your website for relevant queries.

Seem simple, doesn’t it? Certainly, nothing to worry about. After all, since you can visit your site without any problem, so should Google, right?

Unfortunately, there is a catch. A web page looks different for you and the search engine. You see it as a collection of graphics, colors, text with its formatting, and links.

To a search engine, it’s nothing but text.

As a result, any elements it cannot render this way remain invisible to the search engine. And so, in spite of your website looking fine to you, Google might find its content inaccessible.

Let me show you an example. Here’s how a typical search engine sees one of our articles. It’s this one, by the way, if you want to compare it with the original.

Notice some things about it:
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  • The page is just text. Although we carefully designed it, the only elements a search engine sees are text and links.
  • As a result, it cannot see an image on the page (note the element marked with an arrow.) It only recognizes its name. If that image contained an important keyword we’d want the page to rank for, it would be invisible to the search engine.

That’s where technical setup, also called on-site optimization, comes in. It ensures that your website and pages allow Google to scan and index them without any problems. The most important factors affecting it include:

Website navigation and links

​Search engines crawl sites just like you would. They follow links. Search engine crawlers land on a page and use links to find other content to analyze. But as you’ve seen above, they cannot see images. So, set the navigation and links as text-only.

Simple URL structureSearch engines don’t like reading lengthy strings of words with complex structure. So, if possible, keep your URLs short. Set them up to include as little beyond the main keyword for which you want to optimize the page, as possible.

Page speedSearch engines, use the load time — the time it takes for a user to be able to read the page — as an indicator of quality. Many website elements can affect it. Image size, for example. Use Google’s Page Speed Insights Tool for suggestions how to improve your pages.

Dead links or broken redirects.

A dead link sends a visitor to a nonexistent page. A broken redirect points to a resource that might no longer be there. Both provide poor user experience but also, prevent search engines from indexing your content.

Sitemap 

A sitemap is a simple file that lists all URLs on your site. Search engines use it to identify what pages to crawl and index. A robots.txt file, on the other hand, tells search engines what content not to index (for example, specific policy pages you don’t want to appear in search.) Create both to speed up crawling and indexing of your content.

Duplicate contentPages containing identical or quite similar content confuse search engines. They often find it near impossible to determine what content they should display in search results. For that reason, search engines consider duplicate content as a negative factor. And upon finding it, can penalize a website by not displaying any of those pages at all.

Featured Resource

  • How to Conduct a Technical SEO Audit

2. Content

Every time you use a search engine, you’re looking for content— information on a particular issue or problem, for example.

True, this content might come in different formats. It could be text, like a blog post or a web page. But it could also be a video, product recommendation, and even a business listing.

It’s all content.

And for SEO, it’s what helps gain greater search visibility.

Here are two reasons why:

  1. For one, content is what customers want when searching. Regardless of what they’re looking for, it’s content that provides it. And the more of it you publish, the higher your chance for greater search visibility.
  2. Also, search engines use content to determine how to rank a page. It’s the idea of relevance between a page and a person’s search query that we talked about earlier.

While crawling a page, they determine its topic. Analyzing elements like page length or its structure helps them assess its quality. Based on this information, search algorithms can match a person’s query with pages they consider the most relevant to it.

The process of optimizing content begins with keyword research.

Keyword Research

SEO is not about getting any visitors to the site. You want to attract people who need what you sell and can become leads, and later, customers.

However, that’s possible only if it ranks for the keywords those people would use when searching. Otherwise, there’s no chance they’d ever find you. And that’s even if your website appeared at the top of the search results.

That’s why SEO work starts with discovering what phrases potential buyers enter into search engines.
The process typically involves identifying terms and topics relevant to your business. Then, converting them into initial keywords. And finally, conducting extensive research to uncover related terms your audience would use.

With a list of keywords at hand, the next step is to optimize your content. SEOs refer to this process as on-page optimization.

On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization, also called on-page SEO, ensures that search engines a.) understand a page’s topic and keywords, and b.) can match it to relevant searches.

Note, I said “page” not content. That’s because, although the bulk of on-page SEO work focuses on the words you use, it extends to optimizing some elements in the code.

You may have heard about some of them — meta-tags like title or description are two most popular ones. But there are more. So, here’s a list of the most crucial on-page optimization actions to take.

Note: Since blog content prevails on mostwebsites,when speaking of those factors, I’ll focus on blog SEO — optimizing blog posts for relevant keywords. However, all this advice is equally valid for other page types too.

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  • Guide to On-Page SEO Strategy

a) Keyword Optimization

First, ensure that Google understands what keywords you want this page to rank. To achieve that, make sure you include at least the main keyword in the following:
​
  • Post’s title: Ideally, place it as close to the start of the title. Google is known to put more value on words at the start of the headline.
  • URL: Your page’s web address should also include the keyword. Ideally, including nothing else. Also, remove any stop words.
  • H1 Tag: In most content management systems, this tag displays the title of the page by default. However, make sure that your platform doesn’t use a different setting.
  • The first 100 words (or the first paragraph) of content: Finding the keyword at the start of your blog post will reassure Google that this is, in fact, the page’s topic.
  • Meta-title and meta-description tags: Search engines use these two code elements to display their listings. They display meta-title as the search listing’s title. Meta-description provides content for the little blurb below it. But above that, they use both to understand the page’s topic further.
  • Image file names and ALT tags: Remember how search engines see graphics on a page? They can only see their file names. So, make sure that at least one of the images contains the keyword in the file name.

The alt tag, on the other hand, is text browsers display instead of an image (for visually impaired visitors.) However, since ALT tag resides in the image code, search engines use it as a relevancy signal as well.

Also, add semantic keywords — variations or synonyms of your keyword. Google and other search engines use them to determine a page’s relevancy better.

Let me illustrate this with a quick example. Let’s pretend that your main keyword is “Apple.” But do you mean the fruit or the tech giant behind the iPhone?

Now, imagine what happens when Google finds terms like sugar, orchard, or cider in the copy? The choice what queries to rank it for would immediately become obvious, right?

That’s what semantic keywords do. Add them to ensure that your page doesn’t start showing up for irrelevant searches.

b) Non-Keyword-Related On-Page Optimization Factors

On-page SEO is not just about sprinkling keywords across the page. The factors below help confirm a page’s credibility and authority too:

  • External links: Linking out to other, relevant pages on the topic helps Google determine its topic further. Plus, it provides a good user experience. How? By positioning your content as a valuable resource.
 
  • Internal links: Those links help you boost rankings in two ways. One, they allow search engines to find and crawl other pages on the site. And two, they show semantic relations between various pages, helping to determine its relevance to the search query better. As a rule, you should include at least 2-4 internal links per blog post.
 
  • Content’s length: Long content typically ranks better. That’s because, if done well, a longer blog post will always contain more exhaustive information on the topic.
 
  • Multimedia: Although not a requirement, multimedia elements like videos, diagrams, audio players can signal a page’s quality. It keeps readers on a page for longer. And in turn, it signals that they find the content valuable and worth perusing.

3. Links

From what you’ve read in this guide so far, you know that no page will rank without two factors — relevance and authority.

In their quest to provide users with the most accurate answers, Google and other search engines prioritize pages they consider the most relevant to their queries but also, popular.

The first two areas — technical setup and content — focused on increasing relevancy (though I admit, some of their elements can also help highlight the authority.)

Links, however, are responsible for popularity.

But before we talk more about how they work, here’s what SEOs mean when talking about links.

What is a backlink?

Links, also called backlinks, are references to your content on other websites. Every time another website mentions and points their readers to your content, you gain a backlink to your site.

For example, this article in Entrepreneur.com mentions our marketing statistics page. It also links to it allowing their readers to see other stats than the one quoted.

Google uses quantity and quality of links like this as a signal of a website’s authority. Its logic behind it is that webmasters would reference a popular and high-quality website more often than a mediocre one.

But note that I mentioned links quality as well. That’s because not all links are the same. Some — low-quality ones — can impact your rankings negatively.

Links Quality FactorsLow quality or suspicious links — for example, ones that Google would consider as built deliberately to make it consider a site as more authoritative — might reduce your rankings.

That’s why, when building links, SEOs focus not on buildingany links. They aim to generate the highest quality references possible.

Naturally, just like with the search algorithm, we don’t know what factors determine a link’s quality, specifically. However, over time, SEOs discovered some of them:
​
  1. The popularity of a linking site: Any link from a domain that search engines consider an authority will naturally have high quality. In other words, links from websites that have good quality links pointing to them, work better.
  2. Topic relevance: Links from domains on a topic similar to yours will carry more authority than those from random websites.
  3. Trust in a domain: Just like with popularity, search engines also assess a website’s trust. Links from more trustworthy sites will always impact rankings better.

Link BuildingIn SEO, we refer to the process of acquiring new backlinks as link building. And as many practitioners admit, it can be a challenging activity.

Link building, if you want to do it well, requires creativity, strategic thinking, and patience. To generate quality links, you need to come up with a link building strategy. And that’s no small feat.

Remember, your links must pass various quality criteria. Plus, it can’t be obvious to search engines that you’ve built them deliberately.

Here are some strategies to do it:
​
  • Editorial, organic links: These backlinks come from websites that reference your content on their own.
  • Outreach: In this strategy, you contact other websites for links. This can happen in many ways. You could create an amazing piece of content, and email them to tell them about it. In turn, if they find it valuable, they’ll reference it. You can also suggest where they could link to it.
  • Guest posting: Guest posts are blog articles that you publish on third-party websites. In turn, those companies often allow including one or two links to your site in the content and author bio.
  • Profile links: Finally, many websites offer an opportunity to create a link. Online profiles are a good example. Often, when setting up such profile, you can also list your website there as well. Not all such links carry strong authority, but some might. And given the ease of creating them, they’re worth pursuing.
  • Competitive analysis: Finally, many SEOs regularly analyze their competitors’ backlinks to identify those they could recreate for their sites too.

Now, if you’re still here with me, then you’ve just discovered what’s responsible for your site’s success in search.
The next step, then, is figuring out whether your efforts are working.

How to Monitor & Track SEO ResultsTechnical setup, content, and links are critical to getting a website into the search results. Monitoring your efforts helps improve your strategy further.

Measuring SEO success means tracking data about traffic, engagement, and links. And though, most companies develop their own sets of SEO KPIs (key performance indicators), here are the most common ones:

  • Organic traffic growth
  • Keyword rankings (split into branded and non-branded terms)
  • Conversions from organic traffic
  • Average time on page and the bounce rate
  • Top landing pages attracting organic traffic
  • Number of indexed pages
  • Links growth (including new and lost links)

Local SEO

Up until now, we focused on getting a site rank in search results in general. If you run a local business, however, Google also lets you position it in front of potential customers in your area, specifically. But for that, you use local SEO.
And it’s well worth it.

97% of customers use search engines to find local information. They look for vendor suggestions, and even specific business addresses. In fact, 12% of customers look for local business information every day.

What’s more, they act on this information: 75% of searchers visit a local store or company’s premises within 24 hours of the search.

But hold on, is local SEO different from what we’ve been talking all along?

Yes and no.

Search engines follow similar principles for both local and global rankings. But given that they position a site for specific, location-based results, they need to analyze some other ranking factors too.

Local search results look different too:

  • They appear only for searches with a local intent (for example, “restaurant near me” or when a person clearly defined the location.)
  • They contain results specific to a relevant location.
  • They concentrate on delivering specific information to users that they don’t need to go anywhere else to find.
  • They target smartphone users primarily as local searches occur more often on mobile devices.

For example, a localpack, the most prominent element of local results, includes almost all information a person would need to choose a business. For example, here are local results Google displays for the phrase “best restaurant in Boston.”

Note that these results contain no links to any content. Instead, they include a list of restaurants in the area, a map to show their locations, and additional information about each:

  • Business name
  • Description
  • Image
  • Opening hours
  • Star Reviews
  • Address

Often, they also include a company’s phone number or website address.

All this information combined helps customers choose which business to engage. But it also allows Google to determine how to rank it.

Local Search Ranking Factors

When analyzing local websites, Google looks at the proximity to a searcher’s location. With the rise of local searches containing the phrase, “near me,” it’s only fair that Google will try to present the closest businesses first.

Keywords are essential for local SEO too. However, one additional element of on-page optimization is the presence of a company’s name, address, and phone number of a page. In local SEO, we refer to it as the NAP.

Again, it makes sense, as the search engine needs a way to assess the company’s location.

Google assesses authority in local search not just by links. Reviews and citations (references of a business’s address or a phone number online) highlight its authority too.

Finally, the information a business includes in Google My Business — the search engine’s platform for managing local business listings — plays a huge part in its rankings.

The above is just the tip of the iceberg. But they are the ones to get right first if you want your business to rank well.

Call Swift Digital Marketing Agency Today at (216)339-6041.

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Research shows that you can tell a lot about someone's personality, politics, status,  just from looking at their cloth

9/29/2021

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Your clothes tell a story about you.


​
​Fashion is an Art


​       If you've ever watched the rehearsal process of a play, then you know just how powerful clothes are. Even in the very early stages of a project, professional actors will come to practice in certain clothing pieces that make them feel more like their character.

Perhaps it's an old pair of shoes, a long and heavy skirt, or a bandana that helps them get just the right swagger, grace, or edge. A few weeks later, when they're closer to opening, they'll have an actual dress rehearsal with their real costumes.

​It's pretty amazing to see how the right clothes bring the performances up to a whole new level and transform the actor into the character! As business professionals, we can actually learn a lot from this.
​
Like it or not, your clothes and presentation communicate volumes about you as a person. The question is not whether you care about fashion, it's more about what you're communicating intentionally or unconsciously through your fashion choices.

Just as the actor in the right costume moves and speaks differently, so does the everyday person.

Your clothes tell a story about you. If you want to show that your work is clean, sharp, and to the point, you need to dress in clean lines, sharp creases, and (yes) points on your shoes and tie.

Even the way you wear your glasses speaks volumes about you and your work!
 Clothes You Wear Actually Change the Way You Perform
If you've ever watched the rehearsal process of a play, then you know just how powerful clothes are. Even in the very early stages of a project, professional actors will come to practice in certain clothing pieces that make them feel more like their character.

Perhaps it's an old pair of shoes, a long and heavy skirt, or a bandana that helps them get just the right swagger, grace, or edge.
A few weeks later, when they're closer to opening, they'll have an actual dress rehearsal with their real costumes.

It's pretty amazing to see how the right clothes bring the performances up to a whole new level and transform the actor into the character! As business professionals, we can actually learn a lot from this.
​
Like it or not, your clothes and presentation communicate volumes about you as a person. The question is not whether you care about fashion, it's more about what you're communicating intentionally or unconsciously through your fashion choices.

Just as the actor in the right costume moves and speaks differently, so does the everyday person.

Your clothes tell a story about you. If you want to show that your work is clean, sharp, and to the point, you need to dress in clean lines, sharp creases, and (yes) points on your shoes and tie.

​Even the way you wear your glasses speaks volumes about you and your work!
Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place.

"A fashion designer creates clothing, including dresses, suits, pants, and skirts, and accessories like shoes and handbags, for consumers. He or she can specialize in clothing, accessory, or jewelry design, or may work in more than one of these areas.

About the fashion designers. They work in a variety of different ways in designing their pieces and accessories such as rings, bracelets and necklaces.

Because of the time required to bring a garment onto the market, designers must at times anticipate changes to consumer desires.

Fashion designers are responsible for creating looks for individual garments, involving shape, color, fabric, trimming, and more. 

Fashion designers play a major role in our world. Their talent and vision play a big role on how people present themselves. They influence society and the way they choose to express themselves. 

Designers conduct research on fashion trends and interpret them for their audience.

Their specific designs are used by manufacturers. This is the essence of a designer's role; however, there is variation within this that is determined by the buying and merchandising approach, and product quality;

for example, budget retailers will use inexpensive fabrics to interpret trends, but high-end retailers will ensure that the best available fabrics are used.

Some clothes are made specifically for an individual, as in the case of haute couture or bespoke tailoring. 


Other high-end fashion designers cater to specialty stores or high-end fashion department stores.

​Large designer brands which have a 'name' as their brand such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Justice, or Juicy are likely to be designed by a team of individual designers under the direction of a design director.


Designing a garment

Some fashion designers sketch their ideas on paper, while others drape fabric on a dress form, another term for mannequine.

When a designer is completely satisfied with the fit of the toile (or muslin), they will consult a professional pattern maker who then makes the finished, working version of the pattern out of card or via a computerized system. 


History: The Chéruit salon on Place Vendôme in Paris, 1910

Fashion design is generally considered to have started in the 19th century with Charles Frederick Worth who was the first designer to have his label sewn into the garments that he created.

Before the former draper set up his maison couture (fashion house) in Paris, clothing design and creation was handled by largely anonymous seamstresses, and high fashion descended from that worn at royal courts.

Worth's success was such that he was able to dictate to his customers what they should wear, instead of following their lead as earlier dressmakers had done.

The term couturier was in fact first created in order to describe him. While all articles of clothing from any time period are studied by academics as costume design, only clothing created after 1858 is considered as fashion design.


It was during this period that many design houses began to hire artists to sketch or paint designs for garments.

The images were shown to clients, which was much cheaper than producing an actual sample garment in the workroom. If the client liked their design, they ordered it and the resulting garment made money for the house.

Thus, the tradition of designers sketching out garment designs instead of presenting completed garments on models to customers began as an economy.


During the Make{able} workshop, Hirscher and Niinimaki found that personal involvement in the garment-making process created a meaningful “narrative” for the user, which established a person-product attachment and increased the sentimental value of the final product.

Otto von Busch also explores half-way garments and fashion co-design in his thesis, "Fashion-able, Hacktivism and engaged Fashion Design".

World fashion industry

Seven countries have established an international reputation in fashion: France, Italy, United Kingdom, United States, Japan, Germany and Belgium.

The "big four" fashion capitals of the fashion industry are Paris, Milan, New York City and London with Paris often being considered as the World's fashion capital.


Most fashion houses in the United States are based in New York City. On the US west coast, there is also a significant number of fashion houses in Los Angeles, where a substantial percentage of high fashion clothing manufactured in the United States is actually made. 

Beverly Hills, particularly on Rodeo Drive, is globally renowned for its fashion design and prestigious shopping. Burgeoning industries in Miami, Chicago, Dallas, and especially San Francisco have developed as well.

A semi-annual event held every February and September, New York Fashion Week, is the oldest of the four major fashion weeks held throughout the world. 

​Parsons The New School for Design, located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City, is considered one of the top fashion schools in the world.

There are numerous fashion magazines published in the United States and distributed to a global readership.

Examples include Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Cosmopolitan.


American fashion design is highly diverse, reflecting the enormous ethnic diversity of the population, but is largely dominated by a clean-cut, urban, hip aesthetic, and often favors a more casual style, reflecting the athletic, health-conscious lifestyles of the suburban and urban middle classes.

Red carpet fashion: Italian actors Gabriel Garko and Laura Torrisi wearing designer formal wear at Venice Film Festival, 

If you’re working on a fashion-related online store project, or thinking of putting one up on your own, looking through a showcase of websites may help you get some ideas and inspiration.

As a clothing  designer, appearance is importance . Everything you show to current and prospective customers has to demonstrate your sense of style. This is an aesthetically pleasing web design for high fashion  is mportant.

With that in mind, appearance is not the only factor you should take into consideration when designing your site.

To be a successful marketing tool, a clothing retailer’s website has to not only attract the eyes of visitors, but also create an easy process for browsing and buying merchandise.


This page will give you an idea of why and how you can combine attractiveness and functionality to create a successful website for your business, as well as a few other considerations to keep in mind.
​

Keep reading if you want to learn more, or if you're searching for professional web design services.

What makes a fashion website great?

Web design is a lot more than just the fonts and colors you see on a web page—it also impacts the functionality of your website.

A dynamic website provides necessary information, enables communication, and builds trust for your brand. Web design for stores must do the same by ensuring a few key things.

Brand consistency. Visiting your website should feel like walking into a virtual store. It should include the same sense of style, colors, tone of voice, and general personality your store provides.

​Remember, your website is your online introduction, so it should give people a sense of what they would experience in person.

Searchability: Good design makes a website easy to navigate and easy to search.

Web design is a complex process.

Simple navigation is the key. Certain design elements make the site easier to navigate. Consider creating a few main categories with drop-down menus that have more specific results.

This gives your site a less cluttered appearance and reduce the time it takes users to find the pages they are looking for.


Search boxes are also a great tool. If a potential customer already knows that they want a specific style, a search bar will help them find it. 

If you are an established brand, you already have a logo and color scheme that people associate with your company and values. You probably also have a certain aesthetic or style within your designs. 

If you are still working on establishing your brand, your website can be a great place to start. Make your color and logo decisions before launching your site, and then use them as guidelines for the rest of the process.

You want to give your visitors a cohesive idea of what your brand stands for.


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SEO Strategy

9/24/2021

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While Google keeps us on our toes with all the algorithm updates they keep rollin' out, one thing has stayed pretty consistent for inbound marketers looking to optimize their websites for search: keyword research.
Well, the need to do keyword research has stayed the same. How you actually do it hasn't.


What Is Keyword Research?

Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing search terms that people enter into search engines with the goal of using that data for a specific purpose, often for search engine optimization (SEO) or general marketing. Keyword research can uncover queries to target, the popularity of theses queries, their ranking difficulty, and more.

 Why Is Keyword Research Important? 

Keyword research provides valuable insight into the queries that your target audience is actually searching on Google. The insight that you can get into these actual search terms can help inform content strategy as well as your larger marketing strategy. However, keywords themselves may not be as important to SEO as you may think.

More and more, we hear how much SEO has evolved over just the last 10 years, and how unimportant keywords themselves have become to our ability to rank well for the searches people make every day.

And to some extent, this is true; using keywords that exactly match a person's search is no longer the most important ranking factor in the eyes of an SEO professional. Rather, it's the intent behind that keyword, and whether or not a piece of content solves for that intent (we'll talk more about intent in just a minute).

But that doesn't mean keyword research is an outdated process. Let me explain:

Keyword research tells you what topics people care about and, assuming you use the right SEO tool, how popular those topics actually are among your audience. The operative term here is topics -- by researching keywords that are getting a high volume of searches per month, you can identify and sort your content into topics that you want to create content on. Then, you can use these topics to dictate which keywords you look for and target.

For an inside look into how Ahrefs can aid you in your SEO keyword research, check out our case study and exclusive interview here.

By researching keywords for their popularity, search volume, and general intent, you can tackle the questions that the most people in your audience want answers to.

I'm going to lay out a keyword research process you can follow to help you come up with a list of terms you should be targeting. That way, you'll be able to establish and execute a strong keyword strategy that helps you get found for the search terms you actually care about.

Step 1: Make a list of important, relevant topics based on what you know about your business.To kick off this process, think about the topics you want to rank for in terms of generic buckets. You'll come up with about 5-10 topic buckets you think are important to your business, and then you'll use those topic buckets to help come up with some specific keywords later in the process.

If you're a regular blogger, these are probably the topics you blog about most frequently. Or perhaps they're the topics that come up the most in sales conversations. Put yourself in the shoes of your buyer personas -- what types of topics would your target audience search that you'd want your business to get found for? If you were a company like for example -- selling marketing software  you might have general topic buckets like:


  • "inbound marketing" (21K)
  • "blogging" (19K)
  • "email marketing" (30K)
  • "lead generation" (17K)
  • "SEO" (214K)
  • "social media marketing" (71K)
  • "marketing analytics" (6.2K)
  • "marketing automation" (8.5K)

See those numbers in parentheses to the right of each keyword? That's their monthly search volume. This data allows you to gauge how important these topics are to your audience, and how many different sub-topics you might need to create content on to be successful with that keyword. To learn more about these sub-topics, we move onto step 2 ...

Step 2: Fill in those topic buckets with keywords.Now that you have a few topic buckets you want to focus on, it's time to identify some keywords that fall into those buckets. These are keyword phrases you think are important to rank for in the SERPs (search engine results pages) because your target customer is probably conducting searches for those specific terms.

For instance, if I took that last topic bucket for an inbound marketing software company -- "marketing automation" -- I'd brainstorm some keyword phrases that I think people would type in related to that topic. Those might include:


  • marketing automation tools
  • how to use marketing automation software
  • what is marketing automation?
  • how to tell if I need marketing automation software
  • lead nurturing
  • email marketing automation
  • top automation tools ​

And so on and so on. The point of this step isn't to come up with your final list of keyword phrases. You just want to end up with a brain dump of phrases you think potential customers might use to search for content related to that particular topic bucket. We'll narrow the lists down later in the process so you don't have something too unwieldy. 

Although more and more keywords are getting encrypted by Google every day, another smart way to come up with keyword ideas is to figure out which keywords your website is already getting found for. To do this, you'll need website analytics software like Google Analytics. Drill down into your website's traffic sources, and sift through your organic search traffic bucket to identify the keywords people are using to arrive at your site.

Repeat this exercise for as many topic buckets as you have. And remember, if you're having trouble coming up with relevant search terms, you can always head on over to your customer-facing colleagues -- those who are in Sales or Service -- and ask them what types of terms their prospects and customers use, or common questions they have. Those are often great starting points for keyword research.

Step 3: Understand How Intent Affects Keyword Research and Analyze Accordingly

Like I said in the previous section, user intent is now one of the most pivotal factors in your ability to rank well on search engines like Google. Today, it's more important that your web page addresses the problem a searcher intended to solve than simply carries the keyword the searcher used. So, how does this affect the keyword research you do?

It's easy to take keywords for face value, and unfortunately, keywords can have many different meanings beneath the surface. Because the intent behind a search is so important to your ranking potential, you need to be extra-careful how you interpret the keywords you target.

Let's say, for example, you're researching the keyword "how to start a blog" for an article you want to create. "Blog" can mean a blog post or the blog website itself, and what a searcher's intent is behind that keyword will influence the direction of your article. Does the searcher want to learn how to start an individual blog post? Or do they want to know how to actually launch a website domain for the purposes of blogging? If your content strategy is only targeting people interested in the latter, you'll need to make sure of the keyword's intent before committing to it.

To verify what a user's intent is in a keyword, it's a good idea to simply enter this keyword into a search engine yourself, and see what types of results come up. Make sure the type of content Google is closely related to what you'd intend to create for the keyword.

Step 4: Research related search terms.

This is a creative step you may have already thought of when doing keyword research. If not, it's a great way to fill out those lists.

If you're struggling to think of more keywords people might be searching about a specific topic, take a look at the related search terms that appear when you plug in a keyword into Google. When you type in your phrase and scroll to the bottom of Google's results, you'll notice some suggestions for searches related to your original input. These keywords can spark ideas for other keywords you may want to take into consideration.

Want a bonus? Type in some of those related search terms and look at their related search terms.

Step 5: Use keyword research tools to your advantage. Keyword research and SEO tools such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Ubersuggest can help you come up with more keyword ideas based on exact match keywords and phrase match keywords based on the ideas you've generated up to this point. This exercise might give you alternatives that you might not have considered.

How to Find and Choose Keywords for Your Website

Once you have an idea of the keywords that you want to rank for, now it's time to refine your list based on the best ones for your strategy. Here's how: 

Step 1. Understand the three main factors for choosing good keywords.Before choosing keywords and expecting your content to rank for them, you must curate keywords for three things: 

1. Relevance

Google ranks content for relevance. This is where the concept of search intent comes in. Your content will only rank for a keyword if it meets the searchers' needs. In addition, your content must be the best resource out there for the query. After all, why would Google rank your content higher if it provides less value than other content that exists on the web?

2. Authority

Google will provide more weight to sources it deems authoritative. That means you must do all you can to become an authoritative source by enriching your site with helpful, information content and promoting that content to earn social signals and backlinks. If you're not seen as authoritative in the space, or if a keyword's SERPs are loaded with heavy sources you can't compete with (like Forbes or The Mayo Clinic), you have a lower chance of ranking unless your content is exceptional. 

3. Volume

You may end up ranking on the first page for a specific keyword, but if no one ever searches for it, it will not result in traffic to your site. 

Volume is measured by MSV (monthly search volume), which means the number of times the keyword is searched per month across all audiences. 

Step 2: Check for a mix of head terms and long-tail keywords in each bucket.

​If you don't know the difference between head terms and long-tail keywords, let me explain. Head terms are keywords phrases that are generally shorter and more generic -- they're typically just one to three words in length, depending on who you talk to. Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, are longer keyword phrases usually containing three or more words.

It's important to check that you have a mix of head terms and long-tail terms because it'll give you a keyword strategy that's well balanced with long-term goals and short-term wins. That's because head terms are generally searched more frequently, making them often (not always, but often) much more competitive and harder to rank for than long-tail terms. Think about it: Without even looking up search volume or difficulty, which of the following terms do you think would be harder to rank for?


  1. how to write a great blog post
  2. blogging
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If you answered #2, you're absolutely right. But don't get discouraged. While head terms generally boast the most search volume (meaning greater potential to send you traffic), frankly, the traffic you'll get from the term "how to write a great blog post" is usually more desirable.

Why?

Because someone who is looking for something that specific is probably a much more qualified searcher for your product or service (presuming you're in the blogging space) than someone looking for something really generic. And because long-tail keywords tend to be more specific, it's usually easier to tell what people who search for those keywords are really looking for. Someone searching for the head term "blogging," on the other hand, could be searching it for a whole host of reasons unrelated to your business.

So check your keyword lists to make sure you have a healthy mix of head terms and long-tail keywords. You definitely want some quick wins that long-tail keywords will afford you, but you should also try to chip away at more difficult head terms over the long haul.

Step 3: See how competitors are ranking for these keywords.

Just because your competitor is doing something doesn’t mean you need to. The same goes for keywords. Just because a keyword is important to your competitor, doesn’t mean it's important to you. However, understanding what keywords your competitors are trying to rank for is a great way to help you give your list of keywords another evaluation.

If your competitor is ranking for certain keywords that are on your list, too, it definitely makes sense to work on improving your ranking for those. However, don’t ignore the ones your competitors don’t seem to care about. This could be a great opportunity for you to own market share on important terms, too.

Understanding the balance of terms that might be a little more difficult due to competition, versus those terms that are a little more realistic, will help you maintain a similar balance that the mix of long-tail and head terms allows. Remember, the goal is to end up with a list of keywords that provide some quick wins but also helps you make progress toward bigger, more challenging SEO goals.

How do you figure out what keywords your competitors are ranking for, you ask? Aside from manually searching for keywords in an incognito browser and seeing what positions your competitors are in, Ahrefs allows you to run a number of free reports that show you the top keywords for the domain you enter. This is a quick way to get a sense of the types of terms your competitors are ranking for.

Step 4: Use Google's Keyword Planner to cut down your keyword list.

Now that you've got the right mix of keywords, it's time to narrow down your lists with some more quantitative data. You have a lot of tools at your disposal to do this, but let me share my favorite methodology.

I like to use a mix of the Google's Keyword Planner (you'll need to set up an Ads account for this, but you can turn your example ad off before you pay any money), and Google Trends.

In Keyword Planner, you can get search volume and traffic estimates for keywords you're considering. Then, take the information you learn from Keyword Planner and use Google Trends to fill in some blanks.

Use the Keyword Planner to flag any terms on your list that have way too little (or way too much) search volume, and don't help you maintain a healthy mix like we talked about above. But before you delete anything, check out their trend history and projections in Google Trends. You can see whether, say, some low-volume terms might actually be something you should invest in now -- and reap the benefits for later.

Or perhaps you're just looking at a list of terms that is way too unwieldy, and you have to narrow it down somehow ... Google Trends can help you determine which terms are trending upward, and are thus worth more of your focus.

Best Keywords for SEOUnderstand that there's no "best" keywords, just those that are highly searched by your audience. With this in mind, it's up to you to craft a strategy that will help you rank pages and drive traffic. 

The best keywords for your SEO strategy will take into account relevance, authority, and volume. You want to find highly searched keywords that you can reasonably compete for based on: 


  1. The level of competition you're up against. 
  2. Your ability to produce content that exceeds in quality what's currently ranking.
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And ... You're done! Congratulations! You've now got a list of keywords that'll help you focus on the right topics for your business, and get you some short-term and long-term gains. 

Be sure to re-evaluate these keywords every few months -- once a quarter is a good benchmark, but some businesses like to do it even more often than that. As you gain even more authority in the SERPs, you'll find that you can add more and more keywords to your lists to tackle as you work on maintaining your current presence, and then growing in new areas on top of that.

Keyword Research Don't forget to share this post!
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Content Marketing Service

9/17/2021

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Revenue-driving content marketing services

Content marketing is one of the most powerful digital marketing strategies. With the ability to double website conversion rates, as well as drive brand awareness and website traffic, content marketing is essential to increasing your company’s revenue.

With Swift Marketing Servies as your content marketing services partner, you can expect custom content that follows search engine optimization standards. Even better, you can count on transparency — no hidden fees and no secret strategies.

What are content marketing services?

Content marketing services are digital marketing services that include planning a content marketing strategy and creating, distributing, promoting, and tracking content to achieve specific business goals. Content types include articles, blog posts, videos, infographics, podcasts, ebooks, and more.

Content marketing services: Our process

 It’s what all our clients receive with their Swift  content marketing service package.

We even offer custom packages to match your company’s unique needs.

If you’re unsure about which of our packages are right for your business, you can always contact our knowledgeable strategists online. They can offer advice, as well as suggestions, as to whether a basic, aggressive, or market leader plan is right for your company.

Plus, they can answer all your questions about the various content marketing assets, which include:
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  1. Long-form content
  2. Blog posts
  3. Micrographics
  4. Infographics
  5. Online guides
  6. Videos
  7. Slideshares
  8. And more!​​

No matter which content marketing service package you choose, from our basic to our market leader plan, you can expect our team to deliver a competitive strategy and marketing campaign that reaches your company’s goals.

We Form Longterm Partnerships

Over 90% of Swift clients continue partnering with us into year 2 of their campaign.

Speak with Us Today!

Learn more about some of the features of our content marketing services:
1. Content strategy and keyword research

First, our content marketing team will work with your business to fully understand your company, goals, and industry. Then, we’ll help you develop a custom content marketing strategy, designed to help your site content rank in search engine results and convert customers.

A core part of our content strategy is keyword research. By researching the keywords that matter to your audience, our team can develop original and valuable evergreen content that drives high-quality traffic to your website.

How do we know which keywords to choose, though?

As your content marketing service provider, we look at several factors when conducting keyword research, including:

  • Search volume: It’s important to create content for keywords with a fair number of monthly searches. While a higher search volume is great, it doesn’t necessarily translate to achieving your goals, which is why we also consider keywords with a lower search volume.
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  • Competition: Depending on your website’s SEO status, it can prove challenging to rank in search results for high-competition keywords. That is why our organic SEO services are a perfect addition to our content marketing services.
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  • Cost-per-click (CPC): Another factor to consider during keyword research is the CPC. By referencing this number, our team can determine the potential value of the keyword to your business, as well as to your competitors.
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  • User intent: One of our most critical considerations during keyword research is the user intent. If you create content that doesn’t answer the user intent behind the keyword, then it won’t perform. That’s why our team investigates a keyword’s user intent in-depth.
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Once we finish our keyword research, we move onto developing a content plan for you.

2. Content development

Next, our services focus on creating a content project management schedule. In this step, we build a content calendar for your strategy. We also establish a deadline for writing and delivering the content to your team for review.

The amount of content we develop depends on your content marketing services package:

  • If you have the basic plan, we develop three pieces of content each month
  • If you have the aggressive plan, we develop six pieces of content each month
  • If you have the market leader plan, we develop 10 pieces of content each month
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During this stage, your dedicated account manager also provides you with a walkthrough of our preferred platform for project management. Feel free to ask them questions, and they’ll be happy to answer and help you troubleshoot any issues.

3. Content creation

A core part of our content marketing services is content creation.

With the expertise of our talented project managers, as well as specialized writers and graphic designers, we create multiple types of content, including long-form content, blog posts, infographics, online guides, voice optimized content, white papers, and more for your company’s strategy.

Every strategy is different too, based on your unique needs.

While a pharmaceutical company’s digital marketing strategy, for example, may focus on awareness and education, an ecommerce store’s may emphasize immediate action. These focuses can result in different content type, like video for a pharmaceutical brand and blog posts for an ecommerce business.

Our team of editors then review each piece of content to ensure it matches your branding standards. Once your dedicated account manager looks over your deliverables, they’ll forward them to your team for feedback.

If you have any requested changes, our team takes care of them fast.

4. Content optimizationsIn addition to our writers optimizing your content for search, your dedicated account manager will too. For example, if you’re launching a piece of long-form content on your website, they create a compelling title tag and meta description for it.

The result is optimized content for not only users but also search engines. By optimizing your content for both parties, we provide your content the best foundation for success — meaning it will not only resonate with your target audience but also rank well in search results.

You'll see content marketing, as well as SEO results with Swift Marketing Team as your content marketing services provider.

5. Content promotion

Content promotion enables you to boost brand awareness, and it exposes more people to your message. As more people connect with your content online, you’ll reap the benefits of increased site traffic, conversions, and revenue.

We can also use paid strategies, like pay-per-click, to promote your owned media across the web. Social media advertising, for instance, is an excellent content marketing campaign strategy for content promotion.

6. Monthly reporting

We don’t stop after creating and promoting your content!

Our content marketing solutions include custom reporting that allows you to monitor your return on investment (ROI) and drive the best possible results from your marketing efforts.

As a part of our aggressive and market leader content marketing service packages, you receive a monthly content marketing strategy report. Your dedicated account manager compiles this report, which includes tons of helpful information you can share with your company’s decision makers.

By partnering with our full-service marketing agency, you don’t have to worry about creating this content. We develop and launch your content marketing strategy for you. Plus, we feature an experienced team of writers with backgrounds in manufacturing, retail, and a slew of other industries.

Keep reading to learn more about the pricing and deliverables for our services.

Why invest in content marketing services?

For businesses that want to reach their target audience with web marketing, content marketing is a must. Even if your company operates offline, the best content marketing services offer value. With a powerful content marketing strategy, you can connect with audiences a few blocks away or halfway around the world.

That connection leads to several noteworthy benefits, including:

Grow your business

Consumers use the Internet for everything, from posting videos of their cats and dogs to finding products for their new home. In addition, 80 percent of consumers use the Internet for researching services or products — and when it comes to local searches, those have increased.

Online visibility is critical, which is where content marketing comes into use. With a strategic content marketing plan and our leading content marketing agency, you can connect with consumers in varying stages of your buying funnel.

Build your brand awareness

Your brand is one of the most valuable things your company owns. It defines your business, as well as contributes to the retention and loyalty of your clients. It also influences their purchase decisions, which is why building brand awareness is imperative.

With our content marketing management services, you can increase awareness of your brand among your target audience. However, it takes time to build brand awareness. This is why content marketing is an ongoing strategy — just like search engine optimization (SEO).

Like SEO, content marketing delivers long-term revenue and brand awareness for your company. With increased brand awareness, you can expect more shoppers to choose your company when they’re ready to buy.

Why? For weeks, months, or maybe even years, you’ve provided them with high-quality, informative content. This quality content has provided value by answering their questions and offering them guidance.

Research also confirms that content marketing is a powerhouse when it comes to brand awareness. 

Increase your revenue

Another reason why companies invest in content marketing? Its rising conversion rate. 

Better yet, think of your competition. With our competitive content marketing services, you gain a competitive edge in your marketplace. That edge helps your company earn more valuable leads and clients — limiting the growth of your competitors.

The result is a business that’s expanding its market share and revenues.

Reach your target audience

Content marketing also appeals to how modern consumers shop.

When researching a product or service, shoppers read almost 12 pieces of content before purchasing. While some of that content comes from non-competitor websites, such as an industry news site, users arrive on competing sites as they read more.

With content marketing agency's services, you can prevent that.

Our award-winning team will create a personalized strategy that includes not only bottom of the funnel content but also middle and top of the funnel content. That kind of strategy helps you connect with users in the early, middle, and later stages of the buying funnel.

Then, when your target audience makes their buying decision, it’s your company they choose.

Expand your consumer base

Before they buy, consumers want to learn about your business — but in a non-promotional way. In fact, prefer getting to know a company through content, like articles or blog posts.


By considering every step of your buying funnel in your company’s business and content marketing strategy, you have the potential to expand your consumer base. With a bigger following, you can boost the other benefits of content marketing, like increased conversions and brand awareness.

As your partner, you can trust Swift Marketing Team to deliver those perks. 

Maximize your digital marketing ROI

With the ability to create a long-term source of revenue for your business, our digital marketing content services maximize your investment. With a bigger ROI, your company can reinvest in your online marketing strategies, as well as expand your business and its services.

While content marketing’s ROI varies, it does deliver better results than traditional marketing.

The best part is that our content marketing services focus on developing evergreen content for your business. This content attracts new consumers on a routine basis and stays relevant over time.

Become an industry leader

When consumers research their next purchase, they search for information from reputable sources. With our content marketing management services, your business will become an industry-trusted source for your niche market.

That kind of reputation lends itself to several benefits, including:

  • People trust your company: When people trust your business, it’s an immense win. With compelling and informational content, your company can build that trust with users early — which can solidify your business as their top pick.
  • People share your content: With high-quality, high-value content, it’s natural for people to share it. By sharing your company’s content with friends, family, and coworkers, your business attracts the attention of people in your target audience.
  • People choose your company: The best benefit of becoming an industry-trusted source is the conversions. It becomes an easy decision for users to call your business, purchase your product, or visit your store because you are the best in the industry.
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Like earning the number one position on the first page of search results for a high-value keyword in SEO, it takes time for your company to evolve into a recommended resource for the industry. That is why content marketing is an ongoing, long-term strategy.

What do content marketing services include?

Content marketing services involve:

  • Creating a strategy
  • Planning a content schedule
  • Creating custom content
  • Optimizing content
  • Distributing content
  • Promoting content
  • Tracking and reporting on results​

What types of content are used in content marketing?

Content marketing solutions can involve a wide range of content types. Some examples include:
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  • Blog posts
  • Articles
  • Infographics
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • Ebooks
  • Podcasts
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Why use content marketing services?Content marketing services can help your business:

  • Reach your target audience online
  • Build your brand
  • Establish your brand as an authority in your industry
  • Convert prospects into customers
  • Improve the ROI of your marketing

Why choose Swift Marketing Services for the best content marketing services?

It’s a great question, and there are plenty of reasons to choose our content marketing services. Swift is a top content marketing company.

A Partner Businesses Trust

Their focus on ROI and their innate ability to communicate this information in a way that I understand has been the missing link with other digital marketing firms that I have used in the past.

Get started on your content marketing strategy by requesting a free quote online or calling us at 216-339-6041!


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What is a brand mission and how to define it

9/15/2021

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How do you boil down the entirety of your brand’s goals and impact into a few short sentences?

This is where your brand mission comes in. Your brand mission will be a cornerstone in every other aspect of your branding process. And it will help your audience understand the purpose of your brand and what it aims to accomplish.

Let’s learn more about mission statements, why they’re important, and how to draft one.
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A brand mission statement clearly communicates a brand’s purpose, objectives and how it plans to serve its audience. It is action-oriented and gives readers an idea of what your business does and what impact it wants to make. This statement may shift over time as the company grows and redefines its goals.

Asana’s mission statement is a great example of how a brand mission can be broad yet specific to the company’s goals.
Its mission is “to help humanity thrive by enabling the world’s teams to work together effortlessly.”

The message gets straight to the point and is descriptive enough that defines what Asana stands for. The brand missions incorporates the larger impact the brand wants to make as well as the more practical role it plays in its user’s lives.

Brand mission vs. other elements your brandIt can be easy to confuse the brand mission with other parts of your branding, like brand voice and brand identity. While they are related, each of these elements plays a different role in shaping your brand. Here’s how:

  • Brand mission: The mission statement aims to create an emotional connection with your audience. It describes the brand’s purpose and why it exists.
  • Brand voice: Your brand voice is the style in which your brand talks to your audience. The voice you use to communicate says a lot about your brand. Some brands take on a very authoritative and professional voice, while others tend to be more playful, humorous or sarcastic. Your brand voice should reflect your audience and the way you want your brand to be perceived.
  • Brand identity: Brand identity tends to define the visual elements of your brand. Easily identifiable details such as your brand colors, fonts or general aesthetic will make up your brand identity.

What is a brand mission statement?

Many brands create a style guide or brand guide that illustrates every aspect of their brand. Style guides includes their mission and vision statements, brand voice and brand identity.

Mission statements vs. vision statements

Whereas your mission statement defines your brand’s goals, objectives and approach, the vision statement describes the long-term impact you want to make with your mission.

More simply stated: the mission describes what your brand aims to achieve and how you will achieve it. The vision statement defines where you want those achievements to lead in the future.

Why are mission statements important?

Defining a clear mission for your brand will help you identify your target audience. Once you have a clearly defined mission statement, you can tie everything your brand does to that mission. It can act as a perfect elevator pitch when presenting your brand to a new audience. It can also be an excellent barometer for determining whether new projects align with your overall brand mission.

Your mission statement should be a defining factor for both your audience and your employees. A brand mission statement should also be a framework that your employees can follow when making decisions or speaking on behalf of the organization. Lastly, the mission statement can be an important factor to present to potential partners and investors and easily convey the value that your brand brings.

Creating your brand mission statement

Defining something as integral as a mission statement can seem like a daunting task if you’re just starting.

A great first step is to research some of the mission statements of other brands in your industry. Of course, your mission statement should be authentic and representative of your brand. But you can draw inspiration from how other brands have defined their missions.

Next, make a list of your brand’s goals and the impact you hope to make to your audience, and in the world. Your mission statement should also reflect your long-term goals. Even though you can adjust the statement as your goals shift, you should write your brand mission with longevity in mind. It should reflect the larger purpose of the brand and stay relevant for at least 2-3 years.

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Here are a few questions to ask during the process of crafting a brand mission statement:
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  • In what ways does the brand add value to its audience?
  • What is the larger impact you want to achieve by offering this help?
  • Are these goals actionable and realistic?
  • Can the brand embody this mission in every aspect of the organization?

Keep it conciseYour mission statement doesn’t need to be long. A few concise sentences will suffice. You can have a longer and more robust internal business plan for employees. But the mission statement you share with the public should be succinct.

TED’s mission statement is exactly two words: Spread Ideas.

It’s a perfect representation of their brand that is known for sharing short yet highly valuable content for virtually anyone. Their mission statement gets straight to the point and is perfectly on-brand with what they stand for as a company.

Make it a team effort

When crafting a brand mission, it helps to have people from all areas of your organization involved in the process. Your social media team is likely well-positioned to help refine the brand mission and implement it into social media content. When you have the first draft of a mission statement ready, gather feedback from employees. Their feedback is valuable in understanding whether your mission carries itself internally. Employee feedback may be able to highlight gaps between the mission itself and the internal culture of your brand.

How to embody your brand mission in all aspects of your organizationHistorically, brands have avoided taking controversial stands in politics and other sensitive topics. Today, people are looking more closely at which brands align with their values. Consumers are becoming more critical of which brands they advocate for.

According to our research, 53% of consumers feel more connected to brands whose values align with their own.

Brand authenticity, especially on social media, is more important than ever. If your brand mission is not authentic and aligned with your actions, your audience will notice.

Recently, many brands have made public statements of support and adjusted their missions to include initiatives on racial injustices and representing diversity. On the surface, these statements seemed well-intentioned. But consumers realized that, in some cases, these statements didn’t reflect in the organization’s actions.


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    With the level of resources and information available to the public, performative support on social media is not enough. Consumers want to see how a brand’s actions back up the statements they make.

    When creating a mission statement, brands need to make sure that they’re ready to embody that statement fully. That means observing how they can make changes in all aspects of their organization, both internally and in the public eye.
    Your brand mission needs to be reflected in all aspects of your organization. This includes your hiring process, internal communication practices, marketing and everywhere in between.

    Final thoughtsEven though you want to get your mission statement right, it’s important to remember that you can always adjust it. The statement should be broad enough to reflect the brand’s long term mission, but that doesn’t mean it can’t change. As a brand changes and sets new goals, the mission statement can shift to reflect that growth and change. It’s a good idea to revisit the mission statement every 2-3 years to make sure it still aligns with the brand’s goals and purpose.
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    As the social media landscape changes, consumers will continue to push brands to have more intentional missions. To learn more about how to adapt your brand to be more socially conscious, check out our blog highlighting how brands can create change in the era of the conscious consumer.

    Categories
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    • Branding & Creative
    • Marketing ​
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    How to Create Your Vision, Mission, and Values

    8/29/2021

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    Starting a new business is exciting: There’s a fresh idea, a million to-do lists, and all the passion and drive to bring an idea to life.

    As the brainstorming process gives way to a concrete plan, it’s essential to take time to articulate the vision, mission, and values behind your new endeavor. These are three key elements of the foundation of your brand identity. When you take the time to fine-tune your brand basics, you’ll have greater focus, more motivation, and a better sense of how your business shows up in the world — and online. A solid brand foundation can save time later, simplifying creative decisions and providing clear context to any employees, partners, or collaborators.

    Read on to learn more about how to identify your vision, write your mission statement, and craft a list of your business’s values.
    • Consider your mission statement vs. your vision statement
    • Identify your vision and beliefs
    • Write your mission statement
    • List out your business’s values

    Consider your mission statement vs. vision statement Unlike the vision statement — which focuses on the big picture — your mission takes the abstract ideals of a vision and translates them into action. Since your vision statement is the why, your mission statement is the how. Learn how to craft both statements below.

    Identify your vision and beliefs

    Though it may feel rudimentary, taking the time to clarify your vision and beliefs is the key to establishing meaning behind your mission. Moving forward, many business decisions stem from the core beliefs of a business, so it’s worth the effort to hone in on what you care about and are building into your business from the start.
    In order to figure out your vision, start by considering the following questions:
    • What’s the problem my business will solve?
    • Why am I personally invested in providing a solution?
    • Do others care about this problem, and are they seeking a solution?

    Write your mission statement

    Once you’ve identified the problem you’re solving with your vision statement, get to the root of your mission statement by asking yourself:
    • What are the concrete details of how I will solve this problem? Does it involve developing a product, creating a service, writing a book, or something entirely different?
    • Is the solution attainable to create? Do I have the financial or physical resources? Do I enjoy doing this work?
    • Will that solution serve your clients and customers, and provide a satisfactory solution?

    List out your business’s values

    Unlike your mission, values aren’t tangible objects or plans. Instead, they’re the core ideals of your company that inform decisions moving forward. Strive to identify roughly five or six values to create a complete guide of the principles that govern the way your business shows up.

    Ask yourself:
    • What makes me feel proud of my work? For example, is it the fact that this product has never existed before? Maybe I value innovation. Is it because I know this will positively impact the world? I likely value making a difference.
    • What are my favorite traits of the three people I most appreciate? If they’re honest, I probably value honesty. If they’re funny, I may value the power of humor, and integrate playful touchpoints throughout my business. If they’re open about themselves, it’s possible I value vulnerability.
    • What do I admire in other businesses? For example, if I respect their social media presence, I may value community engagement. If I appreciate that they showcase client feedback on their site, maybe I value transparency.
    Every business is different, and there are no wrong answers. Reflecting on how others run their businesses can help improve how you imagine your own business.

    Start building your brand with us!

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    Franchise Marketing Statistics You Should Know in 2021

    8/23/2021

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    Running a franchise business puts you in a unique position when it comes to promoting your business online. In franchise marketing, for example, the franchisee must align their strategies with corporate marketing guidelines to ensure centralized messaging across the business. However, the franchisor must also recognize that most of these strategies don’t apply at the local level, which is precisely where franchise digital marketing excels.

    In franchise digital marketing, an experienced franchise marketing agency or marketer devises and applies franchise marketing tactics that deliver growth to a franchise while remaining consistent with corporate marketing guidelines. 
    Finding the right franchise marketing strategy is one of the biggest challenges franchisees face. That’s why most franchise owners rely on the expertise of an experienced franchise marketing agency to help them build the right strategy.

    In this blog, we’ll share with you franchise marketing statistics that you can use to inform your franchise marketing strategy. Peruse our franchise marketing statistics 2021 list to glean helpful information that can improve your marketing methods.

    State of the Franchise Industry2020 was a challenging year for franchise businesses all over the world. Both franchisees and franchisors, in particular, are still reeling from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Let’s take a look at a few statistics that provide greater insight into the current state of the franchise industry.

    • The U.S. economy shrank by 3.5 percent in 2020 (The Guardian, 2021).
    According to the Bureau of Labor, 20 percent of businesses fail in the first year, and this increases to about 50 percent by the fifth year. But in 2020, a staggering 60 percent of companies failed due to the effects of the pandemic. 
    • The number of franchise establishments declined by 2.6 percent in 2020 (FRANdata, 2021).
    In the past year, the franchise industry lost about 20,000 business locations, leading to a loss of over 900,000 jobs. This statistic paints a grim picture of what franchise businesses endured at the height of the pandemic.
    • Despite significant losses, franchised businesses still contributed $670 billion to the U.S. economy in 2020 (National Franchise Association, 2021).
    Despite losing so much during the pandemic, franchised businesses were still able to support over 7.5 million jobs nationwide, which contributed to more than 3 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is proof of the franchising industry’s resilience.
    • Experts predict a net gain of 26,000 franchised small businesses in 2021 (FRANData, 2021).
    With the economy starting to recover thanks to a steady vaccine rollout, experts see 2021 as a year of more franchise growth. This growth more than offsets the declines felt in 2020, corresponding to a GDP contribution of over 7 percent. 

    Franchise SEO StatisticsBecause franchises carry brands that are already widely known and accepted, consumers are generally more comfortable working with these businesses. But unless consumers are aware of a location near them, they still won’t be able to visit your store or acquire your service. That’s why franchise businesses need SEO to improve their local visibility. Take a look at the franchise SEO section of our franchise marketing statistics 2021 guide to help you implement a local SEO strategy. 
    • Nearly three-quarters of internet users will primarily use their mobile devices to access the internet by 2025 (Forbes, 2021).
    In the mobile-first era, optimizing your website for mobile access future-proofs your business. Supplement your enterprise marketing campaigns with a local SEO strategy that prioritizes mobile users. 
    • Forty-six percent of all searches on Google are looking for local information (Go Gulf, 2019).
    Through local SEO, you can capitalize on local franchise marketing stats 2021 and capture the intent of consumers who are looking for businesses like yours near them. This is one of the best ways to inform your audience about a franchise location that they can easily access.
    • Forty-nine percent of Google searches are zero-click (Jumpshot, 2019).
    Zero-click searches occur when a user is able to obtain the information they need from search engine results pages (SERPs) without having to click on a single link. Franchisees and franchisors can benefit from zero-click searches, optimizing content for Google’s featured snippets by answering consumer questions. Another method is optimizing your Google My Business profile and adopting local SEO tactics so your store is featured on the local three-pack.
    • Nearly 70 percent of Google Assistant requests are made up of natural language searches (Google, 2017).
    More searches today are made using natural language thanks to the rise of voice search. In effect, search engines like Google are getting better at finding the context and intent behind a search and not just finding the exact match in keywords. By optimizing your content for semantic search, you can respond to customer queries while also improving your chances of landing a featured snippet.

    Franchise Advertising Statistics

    Franchise advertising plays a pivotal role in driving franchise growth. With its precise targeting options, utilizing these methods can prove cost-effective for your business. Whether you’re using a centralized advertising model for enterprise marketing or a decentralized model where franchisees have free rein, taking advantage of franchise advertising services can make a significant impact on your business. Take a look at this franchise advertising section of our franchise marketing stats 2021 list for insights.
    • Ninety-three percent of consumers use the internet to find businesses in their local area (BrightLocal, 2020).
    In a separate study, 72 percent of consumers use search engines to find local businesses. These franchise marketing stats 2021 and the one that follows show you why your franchise advertising strategy should include search ads.
    • The top three ad spots on search engine results pages attract 40 percent of all the clicks on the page for queries with high commercial intent (WordStream, 2020).
    Queries that have high commercial intent are called transactional searches. They can either be product-, industry- or brand-focused and done by people at the end of the buyer journey. These are the types of searches that you want to target with franchise PPC ads because they are closer to converting. Just like in SEO, occupying a higher ad spot corresponds to a higher likelihood of landing that sale. 
    • Consumers are 4X more likely to click on a paid search ad on Google (63 percent) than any other ad network (Clutch, 2018).
    When using search ads, the best platform to use is Google. Google owns 70 percent of the market share for ads, which means it has a more extensive ad network than any other platform. And with billions of users using Google Search daily, your ads could potentially enjoy higher visibility. 
    • Seventy percent of searches made through a mobile device result in a customer taking action within an hour (Main Street ROI, 2019).
    Many different factors can affect the success or failure of your advertising campaigns. But taking a mobile-first approach to PPC ads increases the likelihood of your target audience being able to see your ads, which also improves your odds of landing a conversion.

    Franchise Social Media StatisticsThe power and reach of social media should not be underestimated in today’s digital landscape. Both franchisors and franchisees understand the value of social media, which is why more and more multi-location businesses rely heavily on social media for their franchise marketing efforts. Below are some social media statistics for franchisees and franchisors to guide your social media efforts.

    • The number of active social media users grew by 9 percent to pass the 3.8 billion mark in 2021 (Smart Insights, 2021).
    This statistic shows that there are numerous viable social media channels to use to grow your online presence. Depending on your industry and whether you’re a business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) organization, you can use such platforms as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to create a robust online presence.
    • Social media is the leading franchise marketing channel for 55 percent of businesses in the United States (The Entrepreneur, 2019).
    Today, social media is a crucial part of a brand’s online presence. Franchise businesses, in particular, look to social media to build a consistent online presence while expanding their influence across different locations. 
    • Ninety-one percent of social media users access their favorite social platforms through their mobile devices (LYFE, 2019).
    Mobile optimization isn’t just for SEO and PPC. By ensuring that your social media posts are optimized for mobile users, you provide greater access to a larger audience. You can do this by keeping posts short, the size and layout of images mobile-friendly and your links pointing to mobile-optimized landing pages.
    • Seventy-one percent of consumers are more likely to recommend a brand to their social circles after having a positive social media experience (Ambassador, 2018).
    Social media gives you a direct channel to connect and interact with your followers and prospective clients. By offering a positive experience, you can show them that you care, which also humanizes your brand. With the right approach, your social media marketing activities can result in increased word-of-mouth. 
    • Here are the top four reasons why consumers will unfollow a brand on social media (Fast Company, 2020):
    1. Poor Quality of Product or Support (49 percent)
    2. Poor Customer Service (49 percent)
    3. Irrelevant Content (45 percent)
    4. Too Many Ads (45 percent)


    Social media listening is an integral part of running a successful franchise. This allows you to get a feel of what resonates with your local audience. Keep track of your social analytics and consistently engage your audience in conversation to gain more insights into their preferences so you can create content tailored to their interests. 

    Franchise Email Marketing StatisticsWhen it comes to enterprise marketing, the impact of email marketing isn’t just about sending emails to your contacts. Because branding is vital in corporate marketing, being able to deliver marketing emails directly to your audience’s inbox allows you to deliver a centralized message while still providing relevant, personalized content. Here are some email marketing statistics to guide your enterprise marketing campaigns.
    • Only 44 percent of franchise business owners engage their customers with a newsletter campaign (FranchiseSoft, 2019).
    A staggering 56 percent of franchises miss out on aggressive franchise growth just because they fail to engage their customers through email marketing.
    • Twenty-one percent of emails are opened within the first hour of delivery (GetResponse, 2020).
    Data from the same study reveals that an additional 41 percent of emails are opened within the next two hours of delivery. It just goes to show that emails are still one of the fastest methods of delivering marketing messages.
    • Franchises have generated 320 percent more revenue when they automated their email marketing sequences (FranchiseSoft, 2019).
    Automation offers so many advantages for the busy franchise owner. It frees up your time while still allowing you to nurture leads, provides a personalized experience, increases your targeting while reducing cost and allows you to execute your excellent marketing strategy perfectly. 
    • Franchise newsletters receive an average open rate of 22 percent (Smart Insights, 2021).
    That means you can easily reach 22 percent of your email subscribers directly through their inbox. Note that these are average figures across all industries. Your open rate could be higher with a better strategy.
    • Seventy-six percent of people expect a welcome email when they subscribe to your list. Those who receive one show 33 percent more engagement with the brand (invesp, 2021).​
    Welcome emails are your best opportunity to establish a relationship with your subscribers quickly. But as it turns out, it’s not just you who’s eager to start the relationship. According to the statistics above, 76 percent of people expect you to make a move after they subscribe. Once you do, they show more interest in your brand.

    ConclusionIn this blog, we shared some of the most insightful franchise marketing statistics to guide your marketing strategies. We hope that you were able to glean information from our franchise marketing statistics 2021 guide that can help your franchise expand its influence and generate more growth.

    Franchise marketing can be tricky because it requires a clearly defined strategy that benefits both the brand and its franchise holder. For franchise digital marketing strategies to work, the corporate office must provide their franchisees a certain level of freedom with their franchise marketing strategy to tailor their methods to their local audience.

    If you need assistance from a top-level franchise marketing agency to generate success for your franchise, Swift Digital Marketing is here to help. We have worked extensively with both franchisees and their parent companies in assisting them to expand their franchise’s influence. Partner with an established agency that understands what it takes to build a successful franchise marketing strategy. Give us a call at (216)339-6041 or to schedule a consultation.
    ​

    Filed Under: Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Email Marketing. 



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    May 15th, 2021

    5/15/2021

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    Web Designer Secrets For Creating a More Professional Brand​

    These past couple weeks I’ve been working with one of my website design clients, making updates to the original brand and website I created a while ago.

    As I’ve revisited fonts and tweaked colors, I’ve found myself using designer knowledge and experience that I’ve learned over the years.

    I decided to share a few designer secrets with you in this post.

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    ​​I decided to share a few designer secrets with you in this post.

    Whether you are designing your own brand and website or hired a designer to create these elements for you, this blog will be helpful for you to discover how to create a more cohesive and professional brand.

    How to Use a Logo Font

    Truth be told, a logo is one of the most recognizable elements of a brand. Most often it is the center and of your website. It is used in business cards, and it is a focal point you have with prospective clients.


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    ​And if I had to guess, your primary logo font is probably distinctive.

    As a brand and web designer my goal is to choose a logo font that stands to create a brand recognition with your audience and to differentiate your brand from any other brands in the industry.
    For the sake of being cohesive, you may have used that same logo font for things like website headers and blog post graphics.
    But the more your logo font is used outside of your logo, the less distinctive it becomes. For this reason, experienced designers often refrain from using logo fonts for anywhere else.
    Consider some of the most recognizable brands like COCO CHANEL and Tiffany & Co. Very rarely you will see their logo fonts anywhere heir logo fonts on any of their other graphics? Very rarely, if ever.

    Does that make it any less recognizable? No! In fact, it makes the logo stand out even more.

    The brand fonts for headers and body text are consistent throughout the rest of COCO Chanel, but logo fonts aren’t used anywhere else.
    ​

    The same should be true for your primary logo font. Make it stand out more by refraining to use it anywhere else!
    ​

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    ​Choose Contrasting Fonts

    Knowing which fonts pair well all boils down to one major component: contrast. The best font pairings are usually those that are very different from one another.

    The contrast doesn’t need to be extreme, but it should be noticeable. Your body text could be either be a simple serif or sans serif font. It should be easy to read.

    You can have a little fun with header fonts by pulling in a display or script font, increasing the weight of the font, or simply by making it all in caps.
    ​

    These contrast rules category, weight, and size aren’t just for your headers and body text; they also apply to the fonts that are included in your logo.

    Utilize Structure

    Our brains are naturally wired to rank items of importance when we view a design.

    Every time you look at a website or a menu, you look at the elements of a page in a certain order based on visual cues, probably without even realizing it!

    This ranking is called hierarchy, and good designers intentionally use it to call your attention to the things they want you to look at first, second, third, etc.

    There are five primary design principles that help create hierarchy in a design:
    ​
    • Scale - Larger objects attract more attention than smaller objects.
    • Color - Our eyes are immediately drawn to bold, contrasting pops of color.
    • Proximity - Objects that are close in proximity are often related.
    • Contrast - Dramatic shifts in size and color or size signal a change and in turn, grab attention.
    • Alignment - Order is created through alignment; because our eyes naturally follow lines.
    ​
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    ​Anytime I’ve designing anything for a brand, whether it’s a blog post graphic, content upgrade, or a website page, I consider which items I would like for people to see first, second, third, etc.


    Then, use at least one of the five principles above to call more attention to the most important elements of your design.

    Pay Attention to Negative Space

    When designing graphics for a brand, there are many instances where it necessary to find a place for a text on the image.
    ​Placing a text in the open space surrounding the subject of your photo will create a professional look. Not only does it make the text more noticeable, but it also makes it easy to read.

    It seems so simple, but paying attention to the negative space with a website design can make a big difference in creating either an amateur or a stand-out graphic.

    Maintain Consistency

    Don’t frequently switch up the core elements of your brand.
    ​

    You might get the itch to add in a new brand color or change up your fonts, especially if you’re in a creative field. Truth be told, brand recognition is formed by using the same design elements over and over again.
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    So make up your mind and stick to it. You’ll have a much more cohesive, professional brand as a result!

    Making seemingly small changes like utilizing hierarchy and negative space may seem insignificant, but they can have a big impact on how your brand and website design is perceived.
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    When developing a brand, most of us are not sure how many colors to include and how to use the colors together.


    Do these struggles sound familiar? If so, I have some great news for you. Coming up with a distinct color palette doesn’t require too many special skills.
    ​

    All you need is a basic understanding of color psychology, a little creativity, and the following four steps!

    Common Color Associations

    Yellow is a go-to color for happiness, warmth and positivity. If you ever need an attention grabber, use this color. This color is attention-grabbing. This is the reason why taxis are yellow. ​
    Men usually perceive yellow as a lighthearted and childish color. This is the reason, why you don’t see it very often in expensive product advertising for car manufacturers or men’s clothing stores. Yellow is also viewed as spontaneous.

    Some common associations with yellow include sunshine, warmth, cheerfulness, curiosity, happiness, joy and playfulness.

    Blue is perceived as serene, trustworthy and loyal. It’s a popular color with financial institutions such as IBM, Bank of America, Citibank and Chase. No wonder, that social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn communicate through this color its message of stability and trust.
    Blue is also a popular color for promoting products related to cleanliness such as water purification filters, detergents. Not to mention, air and sky airlines, air conditioners, sea cruise lines, and bottled water.

    This color is usually avoided in restaurant logos and food packaging because it’s said to suppress appetite. Studies have also shown that blue is the preferred color of men.​
    Some common associations with blue include confidence, authority, dignity, loyalty, security, serenity, and success.
    ​

    Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes freshness, growth, serenity, and healing. It also brings strong emotional relation to safety and balance. Darker greens are closer related to money, banking, and wealth. At the same time lighter greens have more calming effect.

    Some common associations with green include friendliness, harmony, freshness, harmony, health, eco, healing, inexperience, money, and nature.


    Red color is often associated with energy of action of adventure, drive, energy, excitement, love, passion, and vigor, nut sometimes war and danger. This is also the color passion, desire, love and power.
    This powerful color is an emotionally intense color. It allows for very high visibility, and is often used to grab viewers’ attention.

    Think red tag clearance sales and “Buy Now” buttons. Red has also been known to stimulate appetite, so it’s frequently used by food industry brands like McDonald’s, Frito Lay, Nabisco, Kellogg’s, Heinz, and Chick-Fil-A.
    ​

    Orange is less intense than red but still packs a lot of punch; it’s energetic and warm. Like yellow, orange is also associated with joy, sunshine, and playfulness. You often find it used in logos to stimulate emotions or even appetites.
    Some common associations with orange include creativity, enthusiasm, lightheartedness, and youth.
    ​

    Purple is color closely associated with royalty, luxury, nobility and extravagance. It is a very rare color in nature, many relate it to creativity and mystery. ​
    Other common associations with purple include mystery, fantasy, nobility, royalty, and sophistication.
    ​

    Pink is a feminine color that conjures feelings of delicateness and innocence. It is worth noting that bright and vibrant shades of pink often evoke a modern appeal. Overall, pink is known to be light-hearted and friendly.

    Common associations with pink include romance, gentleness, softness, gratitude and appreciation.


    Brown indicates nature and utility. This color is often used in logos related to law and construction. It is simple, simple and warm.

    Common associations with color brown is earthiness, depth, roughness, richness, and utility.

    Black represents authority, elegance, and power. It’s associated with intelligence, but it’s also associated with evil and grieving. It’s a serious color that evokes strong emotions.

    ​Common associations with black include class, authority, distinction, mystery, formality, seriousness, elegance, and tradition.

    Tones, Tints and Shades

    Tones, shades and tints, also have an effect on how the color is perceived.

    Tones are created by adding white and black to the main colors. When you hear that the color needs to be “toned down,” what it means is that its intensity needs to be dropped.

    By adding different amounts of white and black to a color subdues its intensity.

    Tints of color are created by mixing a choice of color with white. They convey more peaceful, lighter, and less energetic feel. It is considered more feminine.
    ​

    Shades of color could be created by mixing adding a shade of black to the pure color. This adds a mystery and a darker feel. They’re often considered to be more masculine.

    Now that we have learned about the color psychology, let’s put this knowledge into practice. Where do we start? Let’s figure out how to choose a color palette for your brand.

    Here are three helpful steps:

    Step 1: Let’s Gather Color Inspiration

    Now that we know so much about the psychology of colors, you probably have an idea of one or two colors that would be fitting for your brand.

    With these colors in mind, what you can do is to create a secret Pintrest board and collect images that incorporate them. This will allows you to collect images on the board that represent the look and feel you want for your brand to evoke.

    As you play with pictures and images, look for color similarities. You’ll be more than like me see a trend in the colors you gravitate toward.

    Shades of gray, white, and gold are consistently seen throughout her Pinterest board, and they were all very appropriate for her ideal clients and the overall aesthetic of her brand. Check out The Yellow Cape Code brand:
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    Once you’ve gathered inspiration, gather at least six colors for your color palette.

    I love creating color palettes in Adobe Illustrator, but it is also could be completed through Adobe Color CC, but I love creating color palettes in Adobe Illustrator. The eyedropper tool is especially useful for pulling colors from inspiration photos!

    Shades of gray, white, and gold are consistently seen throughout her Pinterest board, and they were all very appropriate for her ideal clients and the overall aesthetic of her brand.

    If you’re having trouble coming up with your initial colors, you can also take a look at Adobe Color CC and Designspiration.net.

    Adobe Color CC is a fantastic tool that allows you to glance through preexisting color palettes for inspiration, look through different color rules, create and save color palettes. I prefer to look through the Most Popular categories under the Explore tab.
    Designspiration.net is a great site for both design and color inspiration. You can search for designs that include certain colors by clicking “color” at the top of their website. Truth be told, it is so easy to get sucked in and lose track of time on there.

    If that’s the look you’re going for, you might consider using a monochromatic color palette, too. However, be cautious and use an array of light and dark tones to create contrast if you go in this direction.

    Analogous color palettes is helpful in exploring colors that sit next to each other on the color wheel. They show a family of colors and they create a pleasing and relaxed palette. Analogous color palettes usually include all cool colors or all warm colors.

    For example, if brand primarily uses analogous colors: orange, green and black. They’re all warm colors from the same side of the color wheel.

    However, this analogous palette is a little less relaxed than most because of the pop of contrast added by their use of black.
    ​

    Depending on the look and feel you’re trying to achieve with your brand, you might choose to add a complementary color if your six colors are analogous. This will allow your brand stand out and become more distinct.
    ​
    A strong palette includes a balanced mix of dark, medium and dark tones, regardless of whether it uses a monochromatic, analogous, or complementary color scheme.

    Be sure to have at least one dark shade in the mix? If not, add black to one of the colors to create a darker shade or replace one of your existing colors with a darker color.

    Do you have at least one light color in the mix? If not, add white to one of the colors to add a lighter shade or replace one of your existing colors with a lighter color. ​

    Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel, so complementary palettes often include both warm and cool colors. I usually strive to create complementary color palettes when I’m designing a brand. Not only does this type of color combination create more dimension, but it also creates balance.

    For example, the colors of this brand by MaeMae & Co. include both cool colors (shades of green and mint) with warm colors (shades of peach, orange, and pink).

    These complementary colors create dimension and interest because they’re opposite each other on the color wheel; the hues one color family has, the other lacks and vice versa. They create a nice balance.

    Think about your color combination you’re currently starting with. Is it monochromatic, analogous, or complementary? Does that work for the overall direction of your brand? If not, make adjustments as needed.

    If your is colors are monochromatic, consider adding colors that are next to your main color on the color wheel to transform it into a relaxed, understated analogous palette or add colors that are opposite your main color on the color wheel to transform it into a balanced, vibrant monochromatic palette.

    If your six colors are all warm, analogous colors but you’re hoping for a creative palette with dimension, add a cool color from the other side of the color wheel. And vice versa.

    And if your six colors are complementary but you’re going for a less-vibrant, understated, and refined brand, you might consider taking out some colors from one side of the color wheel so that they’re all warm or all cool colors.

    Step 2: Include Both Light and Dark Tones
    ​

    One of the largest issues that I see when selecting a color I see among inexperienced brand designers is the use of a color palette that lacks contrast. ​
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    New Step 3: Choose Dominant and Accent Colors 

    Now that you’ve settled on a color combination and a good mix of light and dark tones, it’s time to decide on 1-3 dominant colors and 3-5 secondary colors.

    You usually won’t use every color in your palette for each collateral item, logo variation, or page of your website, so determine which colors will be used most often and which will be used as accents.

    Make adjustments to your palette to ensure that the colors you’re using include an array of dark and light tones. This adds contrast and versatility to your brand and website.

    Do you have to use six colors? Of course not - you’re free to add more or less colors depending on the aesthetic you’re trying achieve.

    However, knowing the fundamentals of color combination, contrast, information about dominant and accent colors is helpful in being intentional about your brand that could be used for in social media and website design. It allows for the marketing process to be streamlined and versatile.

    Call Swift Digital Marketing Agency today (216) 339-6041.

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