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Local SEO in Poole

In the domain of SEO, it would be wise to consider a local company like ourselves for your requirements in Poole. This strategic choice is packed with several benefits that can significantly enhance your business growth.

The primary advantage lies in the ease of communication and collaboration with professionals who reside in the same region as your business. Their firm grasp of the local market allows them to custom-fit their strategies to resonate with your target audience, thereby amplifying the impact of your SEO initiatives and increasing the likelihood of achieving your objectives.

Moreover, the opportunity for in-person meetings and consultations with a local SEO company fosters a robust relationship between your business and your SEO team. It provides a clear insight into their methodologies and tactics. This transparency facilitates open discussions about potential concerns or modifications, thereby streamlining your SEO campaign.

A distinguishing feature of opting for a local SEO company in Poole is their intrinsic understanding of the area. Their expertise in local patterns and preferences enables them to focus on long tail keywords that are region-specific. This tactic can enhance your rankings for local searches, a crucial factor for businesses targeting a distinct geographical zone. Furthermore, favouring local businesses has its merits. By selecting a local company for your SEO demands, you're not only fostering your business's development but also contributing to the local economy's growth. This reciprocity can promote community spirit and nurture formidable relationships with other local businesses.

To sum up, opting for a local company for SEO in Poole holds manifold benefits. From improved communication and collaboration to the emphasis on long tail keywords and the reinforcement of the local economy, it's a decision that can significantly fuel your business's growth in the long term. When evaluating SEO service providers, make it a point to opt for a trusted and seasoned local company. So take a leap of faith - make the wise decision and contact Simply Digital for all your Local SEO in Poole.

Tips for creating a great WordPress website

Creating a WordPress website is one of the most effective ways to expand local business outreach and to improve SEO (Search Engine Optimization). With just a few clicks, it's easy to create a professional-looking site that can serve as a hub for local enquiries.

WordPress allows you to customize your site with various themes and plugins. There are thousands of free and paid options available, so there is something for everyone - from small local businesses to large enterprises. You can quickly implement the look and feel you desire for your website. Additionally, most themes are optimized for mobile devices, ensuring that users have an enjoyable experience regardless of what device they're using.

WordPress also makes it easy to manage content, which is key for local SEO success. Content management systems like WordPress allow you to organize content into categories, tags, posts, and pages – making it easier to target local customers by optimizing keywords and phrases specific to the local area. This means when potential customers search in their local area, they’re more likely to find your website at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs).

To further boost local SEO optimization efforts, WordPress websites feature built-in RSS feeds which allow search engines like Google and Yahoo! crawl through content quickly – helping them index your site faster than ever before. Additionally, you can use plugins such as Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack to optimize individual webpages on your website according to different keywords. This will help ensure that local customers looking for specific services are able to easily find what they’re looking for on your website.

Finally, WordPress offers excellent customer support options if you ever encounter any issues while setting up or managing your website. Whether you need help with choosing a theme or installing plugins – there is an experienced team ready to offer assistance whenever needed.

Creating a WordPress website can be an invaluable tool for local businesses looking to increase their customer base and improve their SEO rankings in the local area. With its powerful customization features, content management system capabilities, RSS feed support, and customer service options – Call Simply digital today for your next new website in Poole.

How to Optimize Your website Posts for SEO

As a tradesman, you know that online visibility is key to attracting new customers. After all, if potential customers can't find your website, they can't hire you! While there are many ways to improve your website's ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs), one of the most effective is to optimize your blog posts for SEO. Not sure how to do that? Check out this handy SEO friendly blog post checklist!

1. Do your research. Before you start writing, take some time to research your topic and identify relevant keywords. You can use tools like Google AdWords Keyword Planner and Moz Keyword Explorer to help you with this. Once you've identified a few relevant keywords, make sure to work them into your content in a natural way. Keyword stuffing will not only make your post difficult to read, it will also hurt your SEO efforts.

2. Make sure your post is well-written and informative. While keyword research is important, it's not the be-all and end-all of SEO. Google's algorithm also takes into account factors like the quality of your content and whether or not it's informative and engaging. So, even if you're using all the right keywords, if your content is poorly written or uninteresting, it's not going to perform well in SERPs. Take the time to craft a well-written and informative blog post—your readers (and your SEO) will thank you for it!

3. Use images and videos. When it comes to website content, a picture is worth a thousand words—and that's especially true when it comes to blog posts. In addition to helping break up large blocks of text, images and videos can also help improve your post's SEO. Just make sure to include relevant keywords in image file names and descriptions, as well as transcripts for any videos you embed in your post.

4. Promote your content on social media. Social media isn't just a great way to connect with potential customers—it's also a powerful tool for promoting your website's content. When you publish a new blog post, share it on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to help drive traffic back to your site. And don't forget to include social sharing buttons on each post so that readers can easily share your content with their own networks!

Conclusion: By following these simple tips, you can optimize your blog posts for better visibility in SERPs—and attract more leads for your business! Just remember to do your keyword research, write informative and engaging content, use images and videos wisely, and promote each new post on social media sites for maximum effect. To explain how we can write SEO content in Poole for your Blogs, call Simply Digital on 01202 984002 or email us at info@simply-digital.co.uk

The benefits of investing in SEO services

If you're running a business, it's important to make sure that you're doing everything in your power to optimize your website and increase your search engine ranking. SEO Services can help with this, and today we're going to talk about some of the benefits of investing in them. Simply Digital Exeter is a SEO Services company that can help your business increase its search engine ranking. We have a team of experts who are dedicated to helping you achieve the results you're looking for.

SEO Services can help businesses to improve their website ranking and visibility in search engines. By improving your SEO, you can attract more visitors to your website, which can result in more conversions and sales. SEO Services can also help to improve the quality of your website's traffic, as it will attract visitors who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. This means that you'll be able to generate more leads and sales from your website with less effort.

Additionally, SEO Services can help to improve your site's usability and user experience. SEO optimization ensures that your website is easily navigable, so users can find what they're looking for quickly and easily. This helps to ensure that visitors stay longer on your website and increases the chances of them making a purchase or taking some other action.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you! Simply Digital Exeter is a team of Exeter SEO experts who can help you to improve your website ranking and optimize your site for search engines. We have a track record of success in helping businesses to increase their online visibility and drive more traffic to their websites. Contact us today for a free consultation on 01392 409357.

Our approach to Competitive research

Our method is very fast and helps you get buy-in from other similar websites as they will recognize parts of your work that they're going to be presenting in their output. It's also very beneficial to building these strong connections with them as they'll be able to see how you're going to present your work. We can get this done in just a day or two depending on how long it takes to get the information from other departments.

One of the first steps that we should take is to check an audience research tool. For instance, by presenting your work in an online setting, such as Moz's True Competitor.

Before we start working on this, we make sure that we have the necessary overlap between two lists. For instance, if we have a list that says that your competitors are your local competitors, then we make sure that the list in your tool says it is your competitors also overlaps.

This method is very fast and helps you get buy-in from other similar websites as they will be able to recognize parts of your work that they're going to be presenting in their output. It's also very beneficial to build strong connections with them as they'll be able to see how you're going to present your work online

How Is SEO Affected By AI?

AI can enhance the tools needed to produce the right keywords and ensure that there is a more extensive variation. This will help with understanding and clarifying the context needed for a website, to keep things clear and simple. Clear content is important, both in a practical and visual sense. AI can improve Google’s capability to understand whether the content is relevant or poorly constructed.

Using AI for analysing data is a modern, helpful process. We used to do it manually, which could be a tedious task and could only be done by those who knew about Google Analytics. Nowadays, AI can help to keep things refined, improving the analytical process and the way any problems can be predicted and solved. It can also keep up with any changes Google’s algorithms have over time, giving rankings a boost, keeping things focused and giving people great customer service. Call simply digital today for a free website review and report on SEO in Poole and Exeter.

Should You Add An Image?

You may have a website that you want to give an uplift. Perhaps you have a new business you’re trying to promote and get more views for? Getting pictures for your website will not only look visually pleasing, but it will also help it to gain more views and conversions, from traffic increasing. This is due to our inquisitive natures and likelihood of potential customers clicking on new images that may have caught their attention. Having something to look at on your website can help improve customer experiences and will give them information on a product you may be selling. There’s a good chance anyone visiting will scroll through your site to have a good look and therefore enquire about a sale, which will also give your business a boost and give a great impression.

Due to having new pictures, your search engine rank will benefit, as well as your SEO improving and bringing more interest. This can also be improved with the use of social media, especially if the content is shared and there are reviews from happy customers, which shall bring more interest and help to keep your product promoted. Call us today if you are looking for help with SEO in Exeter or Poole.

The Benefits Of YouTube For Businesses

By utilising YouTube to advertise your business, you will find your chances of being high up on search rankings improving. Due to being owned by Google, using YouTube is a good option to give your company a boost and potentially priority during searches.

Using YouTube means a huge number of possible customers will be interested. Considering that YouTube has over 30 millions visits a day, there is great potential to get interest in your business, particularly from those who watch on their mobile phones. You will also find that all ages go on YouTube for numerous reasons, so you will likely get attention depending on who your business is aimed at.

By using a video to advertise your brand, you can convey emotion and interesting delivery that a simple message can’t. If you keep it engaging, you will peak more interest. After all, if your title and thumbnail caught their eye in the first place, then they are more likely to stay and watch the whole video. Just reading a page means they can scroll past any information. You also don’t necessarily have to have the video just on YouTube itself, as you can get the video embedded on to your own website. This will catch the eye of anyone who comes to your page, therefore improving traffic and interest, whilst potentially giving your business some new customers. Call Simply Digital today for more help in creating your personalised Business Youtube video in Exeter.

What Sort Of Online Ad Should You Get?

When you have a new business you want it to do the best you can from the beginning. So, by getting it out there and advertised you will give it the best chance you can. There are several ways you can do this.

Mobile Adverts: These days most internet users are on their smartphones, scrolling through the internet and clicking links. You could have potential clients just on the other side of the screen! By using SMS marketing, banner ads on social media and apps, you could catch their attention and get a loyal customer.

Social Media: Social media is a good way to get your business out there. For instance, just from creating a Facebook page you can get the public interested, particularly if you're aiming at a certain target audience. If you share information on social media such as Instagram or Twitter you may find it peaks the interest of others.

Search Engine:Target audience is a factor again, due to potential customers looking up your company and clicking on ads (for example, on Google). If you're using PPC then you'll only be charged when an interested viewer clicks on the advert. This is an option if you're budgeting.

Visual Ads: Banner ads are a good idea due to the popularity of display ads, but Youtube is also important, due to being used by several millions of people every day. If you can get a video advert done for your company this will help spread the word and help to get your business recognised.

If you are in a trade and want a state of the art Tradesman website in Bournemouth or Exeter, call us today on 01202 984002.

The Benefits Of SSL

SSL stands for ‘secure sockets layer’, which is a certificate that gives a secure, safe connection within the internet between a website and a browser. Having the certification means your site is defended against any hacking, which is particularly crucial if you’re dealing with sensitive data, such as payment information. Having a secure encryption in place will help keep the trust in anyone using your website. Even if there is a breach of data, it will be hard to understand due to the high level of encryption.

Anyone using the site will know if it is protected by a padlock icon in the address bar at the top. There is also an indication in the URL itself with ‘https://’ instead of ‘http://’. If you spot these on a website, it provides evidence of a website having an SSL certificate. It will also help to stop users going on to potential phishing websites, which can look like official sites. This can lure interested customers and steal their data, so taking care is important.

A benefit of having an SSL certificate is how high your website will rank on search engines. SSL and HTTPS were added as a ranking element by Google. A site that doesn’t use SSL is unlikely to be high up on the list. Google is supportive and encourages SSL certification for websites. Potential customers may avoid your website if you don’t have it, particularly as they will be warned it is not a secure site.

So having an SSL certificate benefits both you and your customers. It keeps their data safe and helps them feel secure and trusting of your site, as well as giving you the chance to have regular visitors and a high ranking online. Call today for your Website SSL certificate in Poole.

The Advantages of E-Commerce

E-commerce is a benefit for both potential customers and businesses. Some advantages of using e-commerce for customers are the costs being more affordable. Traditional shop prices are usually higher, particularly as e-commerce websites sometimes offer promotions or discounts. During COVID-19 particularly, customers find it safer and more suitable to stay at home whilst shopping, without the worry of bad weather or queues. They also get the advantage of having a wider range of products, as online you can buy from several countries. The great thing about e-commerce, is the information you can research if you’re not sure about a purchase. You can read reviews, descriptions and compare brands and websites. You also save time, as you don’t have to worry about travelling to and from your shopping destination.

E-commerce is also more affordable for businesses due to not needing a physical shop, meaning set costs are cheaper. E-commerce can be automated, which means less employees are needed. Advertising is also more financially efficient, due to social media being used as a marketing platform. Another benefit is the data received online, particularly through Google Analytics, that helps shopping experiences to be more efficient. Using e-commerce, businesses can target an expanded customer base, due to being able to sell to different countries, not just your own area. Due to being automated, your business can be open 24/7.

One more advantage of e-commerce is the ability to grow the business and the website, just from a few edits. There is no need for a bigger physical shop, no need for a bigger area, or more staff. You have the comfort of knowing that your business and potential customers are in safe hands online during these strange times. For more details on E Commerce websites in Poole call 01202 984002.

The Importance Of A Mobile-Friendly Website

In this modern world many people will own a mobile phone, whether it be used for browsing, shopping or social media. With this in mind, it’s a chance for businesses to thrive, knowing how often people use their phones. If you want to reach potential customers, then you need to cater to their preferences. Optimising your website for this reason means it will fit mobile screens easily, therefore creating a positive user experience and not a stressful one.

Nowadays, mobile phones are used more often than desktop computers or even laptops. Mobile-friendly websites had to start taking priority, so Google started ranking websites that were optimised for mobile higher than others.

By having your website mobile-friendly, it reaches out to a bigger client base. As your website will be optimised, it should function correctly and look stylish. Customers will be able to scroll through your website, buy your products and contact you with ease. If your site isn’t optimised and the font at least 14px, customers will have to zoom in to get their information, something that can put them off straight away.

Website speed is also a factor, so make sure you have nothing slowing down the loading time, such as images that need compressing, or using old animation such as Flash.

Of course, your customers may want to switch back to desktop occasionally, so as long as you have that option they can decide what sort of experience they want that day. If you are thinking of a new website or looking for SEO in Exeter, Devon or Poole, call Simply Digital for a sensible quotation.

A Major Google search update this Summer

Google has plans to make a major Algorithm update this Summer to include Page experience. This new update will have an effect on many normal websites, so it is important that owners are aware of this and know how to both check its effect and how to offset any negative effect.

Page experience will include the factors that Google have been promoting over the last few years, such as Website page loading speed, safe browsing using HTTPS, mobile friendliness as well as ease of navigation and inclusion of alt text for images. For more details of our services including SEO in Poole, call on 01202 984002.

Google update to local organic search results

Google has confirmed that the large upheaval in local search results observed by many Digital Marketing companies in mid-November, is due to the addition of Neural matching to its platform. It has now added the name “Nov.2019 Local Search Update” to the Google core search algorithm updates.

Google states that Neural matching helps it to better understand searches that have local intent, without using a local company or business name. They started using this in 2018 to better understand search questions and help them improve query relevance and mapping within their Algorithm.

The result of this extensive change has meant many local search results have moved around wildly from week to week and even day to day, leaving many Business owners with listings that have disappeared from the Google first page for the first time in years. We at Simply Digital are monitoring all the movements for our own clients, in order to determine how to move forward within these new parameters.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been designed to automatically detect any potential offensive and tasteless content on websites such as Facebook. However, the system did not automatically detect the New Zealand Mosque shooting video, which led to the video spreading quickly online and being seen by many people before being deleted. Guy Rosen, Facebook’s vice president of Integrity, stated that their artificial intelligence system for detecting offensive videos is not perfect. It is most likely that the reason why this video was not detected was because the AI deals with massive amounts of content which is all similar, whereas, any shooting attacks like this are so incredibly rare that it wasn’t able to be detected immediately.

Bill Gates, Microsoft’s co-founder compared advanced AI to nuclear weapons, and that in the global AI research race that the United States is losing their edge and that compared to other countries, they are slipping and not as dominant as they once were. Bill Gates also mentioned that he would want AI to be able to help improve medicine and health around the world. To speak with one of our experienced team about SEO in Poole or anything to do with online marketing in Devon or Dorset, call simply digital on 01202 84002.

Do you know Google will shortly flag your website?

If your website does not have an SSL certificate, then Google will be flagging your website as “unsafe” in 2019. E commerce websites that sell products online have had to have an SSL certificate for a couple of years now, but soon this will be needed on every website to avoid being flagged up by Google as an “unsafe browsing area”.

An SSL certificate is visible in the top left corner of your computer browser as a “green padlock”, and this padlock holds a key that is issued with the SSL certificate, that your company has been validated and checked by an independent SSL provider and that your business details have been checked, including your address and telephone number.

It is not just Google that will be doing this to websites, the Chrome browser has already started marking websites as “unsafe” when visitors try to access a website without a certificate. To learn more about SSL certificates in Poole, call simply digital on 01202 984002.

Virtual Reality used to treat Acrophobia

Virtual Reality, so loved by Gamers is being utilised to help people get over their fear of heights. Oxfordvr which is a spinout company of Oxford University and part of Oxford Sciences Innovation is using Virtual Reality systems to treat a range of mental health conditions and fears. Currently ‘VR Therapy’ is being used to cure a fear of heights. One in five people are significantly affected by Acrophobia.

In a randomised trial of 100 people that had been living with a fear of heights for an average of 30 years those that received the VR Therapy, on average experienced a reduction in their fear of heights by 68%.

The participants of the trial were reassessed a month later by questionnaire which revealed that 69% of them no longer had a fear of heights.

Online blogs are a great way to market your business, talk to Simply-Digital about your online marketing campaign.

More than half the world’s population now online!

It has now been established that more than half of the world population, approximately 4.02 billion people, regularly use the internet to connect with friends and family on social media, to watch videos and streaming channels and to find information regarding goods and services.

The advances in technology and digital communication has been rapid and widespread and new innovations are introduced and marketed regularly. Whether you like it or not information technology has become an integral part of our everyday lives, whether for social purposes or business use.

Traditional advertising in the form of printed directories and brochures have been replaced with brochure type websites which can be updated regularly with new images or content at little or no cost. The majority of people use their smartphone to search for goods and services so it is essential that your website should be mobile and tablet friendly.

Security is uppermost in many people’s minds, particularly with identity theft and phishing emails trying to steal bank and credit card details. The GDPR legislation that has recently been introduced by the UK Government is aimed at protecting personal information provided through contact forms on websites. So, for a business, if you receive emails from potential customers your website needs to be GDPR compliant.

An SSL or green padlock certificate is a way of demonstrating that your business is bona fide so when someone visits your site they can be assured that they are entering a ‘safe browsing zone’ and they are not in danger of being hacked. This is being heavily promoted by Google and several of the search engines, Chrome, Safari, Firefox are either warning people when they visit a site without an SSL certificate or marking the site as unsecure.

Choosing a website designer can be tricky. Most people have a ‘friend’ that can build a website for them either for free or at a really cheap price. What generally happens is that the website may look good, but it doesn’t appear in any searches, so it doesn’t generate any enquiries. A website is your online brochure and a potential income stream if the SEO is set up properly. Simply-Digital have been improving the online presence of businesses since 2011 providing a friendly, approachable response to all clients, new and existing.

Personal Data In The Technological Age

Since the Cambridge Analytica scandal, data protection has become serious business. The collection of personal data has expanded beyond what anyone could have imagined.

In the technological age, our constant internet connections, fitness trackers and social media attachment is making collecting our personal data easier, which is increasingly being exploited by corporations and governments.

These data collectors try to convince us of an easier, more convenient lifestyle, taking in our characteristics, behaviours and relationships however the risk of misuse is a major concern.

The political firm Cambridge Analytica is a prime example of personal information being misused as they obtained political opinions of over 50 million Facebook users in attempt to influence voter behaviour in the 2016 US presidential election.

The fear for consumers at this stage, even since the European General Data Protection Regulations act is the quantity of data companies have about us and that data already collected could still be leaked. For example, Acxiom analytics which collects and analyses product purchase data has collected data related to private personal healthcare, even though they have no access to healthcare data.

Privacy does not have to be the inevitable price of technology, in fact technology can enhance privacy better than traditional controls whilst continuing to maintain accuracy of analysis. When thinking about personal data and technology, it is important to frequently review and adapt practices to address new risks and protect your personal data.

To find out more about Social Media services, website security or GDPR, talk to Simply Digital today.

Tips on Running a Local Facebook Business Page

Facebook Business pages have a lot to offer local businesses. To explore the full potential of your page you need to familiarise yourself with Page Insights.

Insights provide you with a wealth of information, from the best time to post to engage your followers, to how many times people viewed a particular photo or video on your page. By getting familiar with your customer base, you can learn what is best to post and when.

In general, Wednesday and Sunday evenings between 6pm and 9pm are the most popular times on Facebook, when traffic is at it’s highest, but this may be different for your business. If time is limited for you being a successful business owner, it is possible to write your posts when you have a moment and schedule them to be posted at the highest times of traffic to your site.

For small, locally based business, it is highly recommending that you network and connect with as many local business pages and groups as possible. The more shares, likes and comments your page receives, the larger the reach your page will have. This means that more people in the local area will be aware of your presence and remember your name for their future needs.

For more tips on running your social media pages, talk to Simply Digital.

Mark Zuckerberg will not face a Parliamentary committee

March 2018 has not proven to be the best month for the Facebook share price, with Facebooks worldwide reputation in tatters, Mark Zuckerberg has been asked to appear in front of the UK parliamentary committee but has refused. He must have eyes on the Facebook share price as he has agreed to appear before a US Congress commitee to face questions about the suspension of Cambridge Analytica's parent company "Strategic Communication laboratories" from using any further data supplied to them by Facebook.

The Canadian freelance developer turned whistle-blower Christopher Wylie, has been giving evidence to the UK Parliamentary committee this week, where he claims that the misuse of raw data supplied by Facebook, contributed to the success of the Trump presidential election campaign. His claim is based upon the fact that the Cambridge Analytica database was used by the Trump Campaign to smear the reputation of Hilary Clinton, by targeting certain voters within the US, to push across their messages.

John Mueller from Google Reveals Details on the new Mobile-First Index.

During the SMX Munich John Muller from google revealed a few new pieces of information about their mobile first index.

Google will be notifying site owners when their site has been moved to their mobile first index.

Google has started moving approved sites to the new index. Google is working on contacting the site owners when the new index has been put in place for their website but so far no one has been contacted as of yet.

There is one main way to check if your site has moved to the new index and that is by checking your sites desktop traffic and see if it has dropped a bit compared to mobile visits.

John Muller said that the mark up on your mobile site will be important in the future as google may not be referencing your desktop version as a website.

If you are looking to build a new mobile website then contact Simply Digital

SSL certificates to protect your website visitors

An SSL certificate is used is to encrypt your sensitive information and that of your visitors when sent across the Internet.

When you have an SSL certificate and a green padlock on your website, the information becomes unreadable to everyone except for the receiving server you are sending the information to, hence protecting you from hackers and identity thieves.

We are now offering this to all new and existing clients to help improve visitor experiences.

What is content marketing and how does it work?

A website with interesting, informative content is always going to be more successful at naturally appearing on the first page of a local search result than a site with poor qualitycontent. This type of website will need to rely heavily on paid for advertising to get it noticed.

 

As the search engines have become more sophisticated and users are more comfortable at using the internet to find goods and services the use of specific words in searches is often replaced with a more general descriptive sentence, if this information is included in the content on your web pages the search engines will pick it up and include your site in their page results.Websites that include well written information about the company and their goods and services a blog or 'FAQs' on their website, demonstrate their knowledge of their industry and their market place.

 

When customers go online they are looking for someone they can trust, an 'expert', to purchase from or to undertake their project. Apart from recommendation the only way they can decide whether your company is right for them is by the information included on your site. If the content accurately reflects your business and demonstrates your knowledge of your industry more sales will be made and visitors to your site are more likely to recommend your business to others, based on what they have discovered about you online.

 

It's important to remember that your website relies on good quality content for it to be found by the search engines. Being at the top of a search result won't happen just because the website looks good; if the page content isn't informative and relevant the chances are you won't receive many enquiries. Search engines cannot tell from the pictures on your website what you are selling or the service you are providing. Good quality pictures are essential to keep your customer on your page, but first you need to get them there and the only way to do that is by the written information you provide on your pages.

 

Standing out from the crowd is difficult, customers have access to hundreds of options at the click of a mouse, understanding the importance of the quality and relevance of the content on your site will not only help you move to the top of the page rankings but it will inform your target audience that you are a company that can be trusted and relied on to provide the service they are looking for.

6 Tips to improve your website user experience

We all know how important it is to create a good user experience when visitors land on your website. Here are the 6 most important factors that you can change yourself, without going for a complete website re-development, to help make it a 'great visitor experience' and to stop them leaving your website in under 10 seconds.

Easy to navigate

Your menu bar is the GPS system for your website, so if you know where you want to go, the menu bar will get you there. New visitors to your website however will not be familiar with your layout, so a clear pathway is essential to guide users through your website with text and images that indicate the ideal order for looking at your content

A consistent layout

A critical part of the user experience is a website that is easy to use and also has a consistent brand image across all pages. Placing contact details in similar places on each page helps guide the reader through your content and bring them to the important part of the website: How to contact you

Active Links

If you want to generate the largest amount of enquiries from your website, you have to get the visitors to take action. This can be in a number of ways by clicking buttons, contact forms or a phone number and you should create at least one of these active links on every web page. There should ideally be a way to get in contact with you without having to click on the 'Contact' page.

Fast Page Loading

Google values how important consumers are, and takes page load speed into consideration when it comes to where it ranks your website. The most effective way to speed up your website is by indexing your database of content, by organizing this into relevant categories it helps to speed this process up, and this will reflect in your overall load speed. Finally the Google page speed test will give you a specific look at what’s causing your site to load more slowly and how to eliminate the problem, take the Google page speed test now.

Use only high quality images

Visitors do not like looking at a pixelated image or an image that can’t be zoomed in, even if it is relevant to the content. Using low resolution images reflect badly on the standard of the services you provide, so use attractive imagery as an effective way to keep visitor attention.

Relevant Content

If you want your website to score well with all of the search engines, such as Google, it will need plenty of content that is relevant to your services quality, relevant content can help build trust in your business, improve your search engine rankings, and make the overall appearance of your site more attractive to your online visitors.

How to attract more business from your website

Have you asked yourself what your website is for? Have you got a clear idea of how your website can help your business be more successful? In order to attract more traffic to your website it is important to understand how people search online and what they are looking for. Recent research shows that there are normally four things people are looking for when they go online.

  • Informational: answers a question or clarifies an uncertainty.
  • Navigational: drives the searcher to a pre-determined destination.
  • Commercial Investigation: aids researching and implies a future transaction.
  • Transactional: aids the searcher in making a purchase or completing a specific task.

Aims

The aim of your website should be to provide clear, relevant information and give them a reason to buy from you. Look at your site from their perspective. Does your site give the answers and information you would need to make a purchase? Is it easy to navigate? Are your full contact details easy to find?

Intentions

Normally when people search online their intention is to buy, not always straight away, but by understanding your market place and what your customers needs are you can adjust your content to answer their questions in a clear, relevant and direct way. If your site is user friendly and gives the answers they are looking for chances are they will bookmark it and return at a later date.

Improve

Have a good look at your current website. Once you’ve identified areas for improvement spend time rewriting your content. Tell your customers’ story. Use trust-building words, case studies, and factual information to back up your claims. Your keywords will fall in naturally. Your focus should be more on the reader’s experience with your content. If you do this you will naturally show the search engines that you’re site is relevant.

Review

Reviewing your sites performance should be a consistent part of your strategy. Markets and needs change so to be ahead of the game you should keep a close eye on how your site is performing. It can take time for content changes to have an effect on your overall position on the page rankings, but it you follow these simple steps and be patient, you will find that your site will start to move up the rankings and you will receive more valuable enquiries from your target audience

Build Trust through your Content

Getting people to believe and trust what you say is vital if they are going to buy from you. One of the ways to do this is to supply proof. This can be in the form of photographs, video and testimonials. Most people’s purchases are evidence based, either from personal recommendation or from research backed up by testimonials or reviews. By focusing on providing facts in your content you’ll prove to your audience that you understand why they have visited your site and you have given them the answers they are looking for.

Get a free assessment today

If you would like a free assessment on your current website and how it can be improved with relevant content and Testimonials or to make it Mobile Friendly just complete our online form, or call one of our team on the numbers below.

The Importance of Testimonials on your Website

When your potential customers visit your website for the first time, what do you think are the most important elements they are looking for? Services you offer? Easy navigation? Visually attractive images? Authoritative‘information?Of course, all of these things are important but they need to work well together to create a website that, on the whole, makes sense. With all things to do with web design, there isn’t just one answer to apply to all possible scenarios, as each visitor has their own distinct reason for checking out your site and their own website preferences.

One of the most important parts of your website is the ‘Testimonials’ section.

If you do not build websites, you may not even immediately notice if a site you are visiting lacks testimonials from satisfied customers. It’s not an immediately necessary way to highlight your product or service, but for many visiting customers, it is the key piece of evidence to determine that you can provide actual value to them. In fact customer testimonials have the highest effectiveness rating for all types of content marketing, with a rating of 89%.

Why are Testimonials so Important?

Testimonials provide a perfect way for you to show solid evidence of the service you provide as a business; however your potential customers’ are on their toes for deception. It’s only natural as nobody wants to spend their money on a service that may not be fully delivered. As consumers, we’re all more willing to believe in what’s being advertised if we can identify with the source of the information, Testimonials is the perfect way to do that. View the Example below, which highlights the reviews and also links to actual websites.

Some Best Practices

As long as your past customers have had a positive experiences with your service, testimonials are pretty hard to mess up, but here are some ways to make them great:

Checkatrade profile

Many businesses already have an online review system with an independent company like Checkatrade, Rated people or Trustatrader, but forget to make reference on their website. Your current rating and connection to this body should be a highlight of any testimonial page, using their logo and a hyper link to your profile page with them.

Images

If the customer can visualize that experience as opposed to just reading about it, the pitch is all the more compelling. Websites that have imageless testimonials are really wasting that space, because the immediate reaction of most visitors will be one of scepticism. If I can see the person or the finished project, I can more easily imagine getting genuine value from it. So take high quality images and attach those to the review.

Video

Another thing to consider is the use of video.Video testimonials are even more effective for visualizing the experience you’re selling. It can be done with a camera phone or have a professional voice over added afterwards.

Page Placement

Whether you decide to go with photographs or video, placing your testimonials in a functionally sensible location will play a role in their effectiveness. When visitors come to your website, the testimonials shouldn’t be the first thing they see. They will need to know about your Goods and services first before they see your past customers gushing about your business. Remember just using thumbnail images will not do, they need to be the width of the full page, and they’ll want the option to enlarge it once they start looking closer.

Get a free assessment today

If you would like a free assessment on your current website and how it can be improved with Testimonials or to make it Mobile Friendly just complete our online form, or call one of our team on the numbers below.

30th June 2015

Google search has changed


Google has now implemented its biggest change to search in 3 years, by revising the way it responds to search requests by actively promoting sites that are mobile and tablet friendly to the top of the results, at the expense of those that do not have that facility. If you have not yet read what this can mean for your business, then have a read of this recent article in the Guardian newspaper.

Test if Google rates your website Tablet friendly


Getting Tablet and mobile friendly will help your customers who view your website on their tablet and smartphone, as they look at your website content and contact form, the website will re-configure itself so the user can see all the information much more clearly with larger fonts and layouts. This latest change was communicated back in January so many of your Competitors will have already changed their own websites to ensure their sites are responsive to mobile and tablets, they may well jump above your position on the first page. You can check if your website is mobile friendly by clicking this link and entering your domain name.

Change your site to WordPress or HTML5


The reason these changes are being made is due to the rise in usage of Tablets and Smart Phones to browse online, Google has recognised that many websites are not mobile friendly and is taking steps to change this. The best solution to tap into this market is to have your website designed in HTML5 or WordPress. With over 11 years of continual development and an open- source philosophy it's no wonder that WordPress is the most popular website system worldwide. It is extremely flexible and can be adapted to suit your business as it grows. This means your business can confidently move with the times and embrace changing trends.

The website above is built in WordPress, which allows a great deal of flexibility in design and is fully compatible with tablets and smartphones. You can see some examples of recently built HTML5 and WordPress Websites featured on our website Portfolio page.

12th May 2015

Advice on getting more quality online enquiries


As everyone becomes more familiar with using the internet, and the Search Engines get better at answering our search queries it has become apparent that searches are often more complex and key words alone will not always provide the right answers to get your site noticed.

Research shows that there are normally four reasons that drive a search. These are:

  1. 1. Informational: answers a question or clarifies an uncertainty.
  2. 2. Navigational: drives the searcher to a pre-determined destination.
  3. 3. Commercial Investigation: aids researching and implies a future transaction.
  4. 4. Transactional: aids the searcher in making a purchase or completing a specific task.



Is your Site providing the answers?


To keep abreast of this ever changing world it's important to review your site on a regular basis and make the necessary adjustments to keep your site in the spotlight. Here are some ideas to consider.

  1. 1. Look at your existing content, especially the home page. Put yourself in your customers' shoes and ask yourself if the site supplies the information they are looking for.
  2. 2. Think about the Intent of the person visiting your site - why would they seek you out, does the content on your site give them the right answers? If you can understand your customers' intentions you may be able to identify a missed opportunity or area for improvement.
  3. 3. Optimize your site. Once you've identified the areas where your content fails to meet the mark, it's time to optimize. Tell your customers' story. Use trust-building words, case studies, and factual information to back up your claims. Your keywords will fall in naturally. Now, your focus should be more on the reader's experience with your content than trying to show search engines that you're relevant
  4. 4. Be Patient. Once you've made the changes monitor your site to see what's working. It can take time to become effective but after a week of any adjustments going live you should be able to see a difference in your analytics.







May News

88% of your Customers read online reviews

Everyone agrees that the most powerful form of advertising is word of mouth, or recommendation. A recent study showed that 88% of customers spent time reading online reviews before making a decision.

Your website is the perfect medium to showcase your business and explain to visitors why they should choose you above all the other sites they might visit that day. The one factor that will make you stand out from the crowd is your testimonials from satisfied customers.


You have 15 seconds to make an impact.

Most people visit a website for less than 15 seconds, if they don't find what they are looking for in those first few moments they will be off your page and on to another one. Your website should be professional and visually appealing, easy to navigate and uncluttered too, so that your visitor can find the information they are looking for in order to make the crucial decision whether they are going to buy from you.


How to make them stay

Give your website visitors what they are looking for - Proof! If you can back up your services with genuine reviews from really satisfied customers, maybe with before and after pictures, your prospective customers will be able to make an informed decision as to whether your Company is right for them and make an enquiry.

Websites like 'Checkatrade' and 'Rated people' have grown because customers want the reassurance that they are employing someone that can fulfil their needs. Your own website should link directly to these Trade sites to reinforce your credibility and build on the confidence that these brands have successfully achieved.

April News

Google search changes today

Today Google will implement its biggest change to search in 3 years, when it revises the way it responds to search requests by actively promoting sites that are mobile and tablet friendly to the top of the results, at the expense of those that do not have that facility. If you have not yet read what this can mean for your business then read this last weeks' article by tech magazine.

Test if Google rates your website Mobile friendly

Getting mobile friendly will help your customers who view your website on their tablet and smartphone, as they look at your website content and contact form, the website will re-configure itself so the user can see all the information much more clearly with larger fonts and layouts. This latest change was communicated back in January so many of your Competitors will have already changed their own websites to ensure their sites are responsive to mobile and tablets, they may well jump above your position on the first page. You can check if your website is mobile friendly by clicking this link and entering your domain name.

Change your site to WordPress or HTML5

The reason these changes are being made is due to the rise in usage of Tablets and Smart Phones to browse online, Google has recognised that many websites are not mobile friendly and is taking steps to change this. The best solution to tap into this market is to have your website designed in HTML5 or WordPress. With over 11 years of continual development and an open- source philosophy it's no wonder that WordPress is the most popular website system worldwide. It is extremely flexible and can be adapted to suit your business as it grows. This means your business can confidently move with the times and embrace changing trends.



The website above is built in WordPress, which allows a great deal of flexibility in design and is fully compatible with tablets and smartphones. You can see some examples of recently built HTML5 and WordPress Websites featured on our website Portfolio page.















February News

Google and Samsung are planning to compete with Apple in the area of mobile payments. Apple launched its Apple Pay app in October last year and has partnered with many major retailers and app makers.

Google has agreed a deal with Softcard and several US telecoms companies in order to strengthen its Google Wallet app which should allow it to compete more effectively in this expanding market. The app will be installed on certain Android phones in the US. This will allow consumers to store debit and store cards on their smartphones so they can use their phones to pay for items using their phones.

Samsung has recently acquired LoopPay , a company specialising in mobile payments and it is expected that they will launch a wallet app of their own in the near future.

January News

Apple appear to be planning the release of a smaller 4 inch ‘iPhone 6S Mini’ later this year, together with the updated iPhone 6s and 6S Plus. This smaller device, aimed at users that dislike the larger screen of the iPhone 6, will probably be similar to the iPhone 5S, but include some adjustments to the components, to make it more affordable. Although this sounds as it if it will just be an updated iPhone 5c it is rumoured that the design will be based on the newer curved design of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Reports suggest that the iPhone 6S may have the new A9 processor onboard. This is a joint project between Apple and Samsung. The chip should use 35% less energy and offer 20% more power and it could be 15% smaller than previous processors leaving more space for battery packs and other components.

November News

Andy Rubin, who started the Android project at Google, is to step down shortly after nine years with the technology giant. Andy Rubin, has also worked for Apple, now plans to help start-up firms in the technology sector. Google said he created "something truly remarkable" in the Android platform, with a billion plus happy users. ‘’Thank you," said Google's chief executive and co-founder Larry Page.

Mr Rubin has recently been working on the technology giant's robotics project and was behind a recent takeover by Google of six robotic companies as part of a reported attempt to develop a rival to Amazon's new drone delivery system.

September news

IPhone 6 launched in the UK

Apple has now unveiled two new iPhones, the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the larger screen 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus both have larger screens and a completely new iPad styling with ultra thin body and rounded corners, both new phones offer faster processors, better cameras, and surprisingly the new ApplePay payment system. Colours will be different too with Gold, Silver, and Space Gray, and are available with much larger storage capacity of 16, 64, and 128 GB.

Camera features are improved on both Phones with sensor upgrades, improved tone mapping, better noise reduction, and new "Focus Pixel" technology, which improves the phone's ability to select autofocus point with the iPhone 6 Plus having optical image stabilization. There will be no waiting in the Uk as both phones will be available at the same time as the US, pricing will be £539 and £619 respectively, you can expect initial stock to sell out quickly.

July News

Cloud Back up Services

A huge technology change is taking place throughout the UK as all types of business are migrating their files and back up from the office to the cloud, and is happening at a massive rate. Small businesses have embraced the change much quicker than larger businesses, and this may be due to the amount of data stored locally. Large National corporations are in the middle of staging a major migration from the world of onsite IT and self-managed storage and security, to the future of storage –the cloud. It may seem strange that the larger corporations are the last to do this, but it needs to be remembered that corporations aren’t people, and mostly simply don’t have the flexibility to test out innovations like the cloud, until they are sure it is the way forward. They tend to move slowly because they have to, their business models have been built over time and they do not change direction on a whim, now finally they’re starting to take action and are basing this action on a good fundamental: cutting operational cost.

The first step in to this arena for most large Corporations began with customer relationship management (CRM) software, and this success has paved the way for other services and now, the ability to divest themselves of costly IT equipment and maintenance, the land it stands upon, the buildings that house it, and all those employees needed to run it all.

This isn’t the end for IT professionals, in the business environment, they will always be needed, but many jobs that were dependent upon the on-site hardware will be lost in the short term future, as corporations look to shift the majority of their functions into the cloud. There will be some who will adopt the hybrid cloud approach, which essentially means local servers working together with the cloud for a more balanced approach. Cloud service providers that offer safe security services will continue to play a role in keeping data safe and those that provide secure tablet/ mobile applications that help personal clouds for individual employees will be popular. Third party providers that continue to offer improved mobility solutions are also being embraced by many businesses looking to resolve business transition problems, as a way to embrace the new increasingly mobile workforces of today.

June News

Google to produce 100 driverless cars

Google has announced a prototype driverless car, it has designed, without a steering wheel or normal controls, that will work on stop or Go commands. These cars will undergo stringent safety testing so that they can bring the technology to the world safely.Google have a huge research department where they have for several years been testing everyday cars equipped with computers, sensors, navigation equipment designed to drive themselves without human commands, but this new concept car has been secretly developed from scratch and will have no human control, other than an emergency stop button.

Google say the aim was to run extended tests in California where Google is based, as a way of improving road safety and transforming mobility for millions of people, The concept car is not much larger than a toy car and has two seats, a screen displaying the route and a top speed of 25mph, a multiplex of sensors which allow the vehicle's computer to determine its location and surroundings, according to Google.

May News

Etihad Airlines is bidding to attract more mega wealthy technology wise travellers with the coming launch of ‘The Residence’ believed to be a cabin complete with three rooms, large screen TVs and your own private butler, within the airline's A380 Airbus. Each A380 in Etihad's fleet will have a 125 square foot ‘Residence room’, available for single or double occupancy, with luxuries like a reclining sofa in the living room, a six foot full length bed in the bedroom and a shower in the bathroom. The living room will boast 32-inch TVs with dual controls and noise-cancelling headsets, a 27-inch LCD screen TV in the bedroom, offering live TV and a Panasonic entertainment system, it will be Wi-Fi enabled, and all the technology will also feature a touchscreen unit that controls every element of the automated cabin, with ambient and mood lighting and window shading. Guests will have touch controls to adjust their seat position, firmness, in-seat massage or call the personal butler to press the buttons for you.

April News

Has Apple finally shot itself in the foot with the imminent release of two large screen i Phones? The hugely popular Apple's iPad Mini may find itself competing shortly in a world with not just one but two new large screen iPhones, according to recent chatter, Apple will bump up the screen size on its next iPhone to 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches later this year. Many believe that consumers might update to the new iPhone 6 to get the bigger screen instead of buying a new iPad mini, however there were similar concerns when Apple first introduced the iPad Mini in 2012 in direct competition to its older larger brother but Apple still benefits no matter which product is being chosen by its customers.

March News

It’s been a long time in coming, but at last Microsoft has launched Office for the iPad, and by all accounts it is taking the US by storm, with Word becoming the most downloaded app within hours of going live stateside. It is not possible to get exact figures just yet on the actual download numbers, but Excel and PowerPoint also fill the top 5 positions. Apple customers have been asking for a similar product for years with no really good options available directly from the world’s most profitable company, Microsoft have now made their premier products available to their big competitor, so how much will this all impact on Windows? We will all find out later this year.

February News

Brands and Trademarks are registered within various categories, with each offering different goods, products and services, so it’s possible that similar designs can each be trademarked if the companies concerned are not competing in the same market, however the cost of copying a brand are very punitive so it is best to take legal advice if you are not sure or get your own brand registered to stop others from copying you. We find if a client asks us to copy, they do not really need a designer at all.

January News

Latest figures released recently says smartphone penetration in the US is up to 63.8% , and as expected Apple remains the top individual smartphone with 41% market share followed by Samsung at 26%with all others losing market share to the two market leaders. Google remained the top mobile website with 87 percent audience reach, while Facebook continues to be the top mobile app.

December news

At Simply –Digital we have found a high demand for web design services and SEO in the county of Devon, so will shortly be opening a new office in Exeter to cover the county with a dedicated team based at Exeter business park, not far from the Met office.

November news

Google have just launched the Nexus 5 smartphone, it is the fifth generation of the Google-designed Nexus Android which is says is now faster, slimmer and even better. The Nexus line represents the best of Google in a smartphone which is built by its’ manufacturing partner LG, and gets involved directly with the creation of the hardware as well as producing the software. The Nexus 5 is as close to the iPhone’s business model, of producing everything under one umbrella, as is possible with an Android platform and although built by LG, it is a Google phone through and through, the result is real competition to the iPhone 5s to retail at under £300. Businesses wishing to take advantage of customers searches on these smartphones need to have their own standalone mobile website and re-direct code entered in their current website, click here for more details.

October news

Simply-digital is having an autumn push on ‘online services’, from mobile websites to online video content that allows consumers to view a 60 second online video showing exactly how each business delivers its services. We are hoping new businesses that join us will enrol in a full menu of online content, obviously a well built website is key, but also getting an online stand-alone review platform, a mobile website for smartphone users and making use of our SEO services to get their online message across to their consumers.

Slower start for the I phone 5s

Apple's latest version of its hugely popular smartphone, the iPhone 5s, is not enjoying as good a start as its last offering the I phone 5 and its lower spec brother the iPhone 5c is selling even less, according to an a report citing statistics from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners. It was a bold move by Apple to simultaneous launch two iPhone models so initial feedback and consumer reactions are likely to mean a re-structuring in the supply chain towards the more popular model and colours on offer; Apple shows no sign of a decline as yet in the smartphone market.

16th October 2013

Foiling the Hackers

Hackers are causing a headache for many small businesses in the UK by breaking in to business websites and using them to send out tens of thousands of Spam E mails nightly advertising all types of fake goods on secondary websites they run from Eastern Europe. Here at Simply Digital we recognise the treat is real and can cause an innocent website to be blocked by Search Engines, so we have recently updated the security on each and every website we host.

9th September 2013.

Fingerprint technology

We have been hearing news on the next iPhone update and that it is likely to have a fingerprint scanning feature through iOS 7, fingerprint security is widely accepted as the next security level to be developed for smartphones although Apple have not yet made a formal announcement on the subject, it could be will us by early 2014.

Online Video Production

Simply Digital announce that they can now produce a 60 second business services video for your own website, we can use photos of your work and your company branding to tell a story of your business that can be uploaded to your website and You Tube, with a professional voiceover giving a really easy to understand explanation of what your business has to offer, click here for more details.

Google Chrome

Google's Chrome is Britain's second most popular browser, a sign of the internet giant's increasing grip on the UK search market.
Three years after launch, Chrome last month captured 22% of UK users and marginally overtook Mozilla's Firefox browser, according to the web metrics firm Statcounter. Microsoft's Internet Explorer is losing market share to Chrome but remains the most popular browser for UK users with 45% – although it has a head start by being pre-installed on almost all computers sold in Britain. Apple's Safari is UK number four, with a 9% share. Google's rise in the browser market is in part down to nationwide advertising – Chrome is the first Google product advertised on British TV – but is largely attributed to its speed.
Lars Bak, the Google engineer responsible for Chrome, said the goal had never been to attract a huge user base, but to energise a dormant browser market: "Speed is a fundamental part of it, but it's also about the minimal design and the way it handles security. If you as a user try [to load] a webpage and it feels snappy, it's really hard to go back [to another browser]. It has shown that people spend more time interacting with the web." Unlike most of Google's talent based at its Mountain View headquarters in California, Bak works from a converted farmhouse in the Danish countryside two hours from Copenhagen. He has become obsessed with speed, and despite numerous tests that show Chrome outstrips all rivals, he thinks it could be much faster. "You should never be happy with [existing] speed," he said. "Of course it gets harder to make substantial gains, but it's all healthy competition. From the beginning we wanted everybody to be fast, and now all browsers are fast. I'm absolutely flabbergasted [by the improvements made by rival browsers]."
Chrome is the number three worldwide, with a 20.65% market share according to Statcounter. But analysts expect it to edge ahead of Firefox, which has dipped steadily since January. Microsoft's Internet Explorer has also fallen heavily, to 43%, with warnings about security vulnerabilities. Google last month announced its Chromebook laptop, based on its browser and seen as another ambitious attack on Microsoft; it will be made by Samsung and Acer, companies that previously made computers running Microsoft's software.
Unlike most computers, the Chromebook has almost no capacity to store and hosts most data online in a "cloud". Bak said: "The Chromebook is really important because it tries to simplify the machine – it is basically no maintenance, which means you can cut the price. If all you are doing is using a browser it's a fantastic tool."

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