So, you’ve just set up your website, and you’re excited to see the visitors rolling in and your analytics going up! However, you’re finding a completely different result to what you expected… it doesn’t seem that anyone has really noticed your new business website at all.
Don’t worry, it happens a lot! Getting your business out there can be a complicated web of trickery, and there’s a bit more effort you need to put in to really watch those numbers climb up. And this post is here to help you achieve that; make sure you take the points below into account.
You need selected keywords to bring some real attention to your website, to ensure it pops up as a top result when someone searches for something related to your company. And any digital marketing agency worth their salt is going to tell you that these keywords need to be more specific than general!
Your keywords need to be something specific to you, that clearly shows what niche you're in, to help eliminate the main bulk of the competition at the same time. Doing so will help you to corner your own little market, by giving you the chance to make it big in a small, profitable slither of the market at large.
Are You Creating Enough Content?
Next, you need to be rolling out content on a regular basis; most website owners find that once or twice a week works best, but you could try to post daily if you’re trying to create a splash as soon as possible. And if you’re working without a blog at the moment, it’s time to create one centered on your brand and the many different applications your product/service has!
Be sure to create both evergreen and trendy content here, to help give you a portfolio of both short term and long term pieces. This combination will help to bring in attention via hype, and then get your visitors to stick around for more.
Are You Making a Spectacle of Yourself?
Finally, there’s a fine line between bringing in some notice for your website, and making a big spectacle of yourself. It’s the difference between creating content that’s relevant to your website and creating random content that clearly shows you’re trying to capitalise on every single trend. Because the latter can get very annoying to a viewer, and will turn them off very quickly!
So take it slow, make content that revolves around you, and make sure your social media is regularly updated (but not overloaded) with images, links, and hashtags. Draw in the right audience, focusing on leads you’ve built, rather than wildly post in the hopes of attracting anyone and everyone.
To attract visitors to your new website, you’re going to have to answer the three questions above. But once you do, you can be sure you’re working on the right track, and you’ll build that mailing list in no time!
Developing an app is now easier than ever before. However, there are still many careful considerations that need to be made if you want your app to be a success. Below are 10 important things to consider when building an app.
What is the purpose of your app?
You shouldn’t build an app just because it’s the hip and trendy thing to do. There needs to be a clear purpose to building an app - and there should be clear benefits for its users.
For instance, if you own a gym, creating an app could be useful for allowing members to easily scan themselves in, as well as potentially allowing them to track their workout (the app could be linked up to machines in the gym to digitally track performance). You could even offer vouchers to loyal members that can be used in local restaurants or shops, which could serve as an added incentive to download the app, as well as helping to retain members at your gym.
The app may even be your product. Perhaps you have a creative idea for a mobile game or personal finance app. In this case, there is a clear purpose to the app.
Make sure that your app isn’t just a copy of your website or a copy of your company software. You should also make sure that there isn’t an existing app out there that already serves your purpose.
Will you build it yourself or hire developers?
You have two choices when developing an app: build it yourself or hire developers.
If you’re a skilled programmer, you may feel up for the challenge of coding your own app from scratch. There are also free and cheap drag-and-drop app builders out there that require no programming know-how - these are useful for creating simple apps.
Hiring developers may be better suited if you want to create a unique or complex app. Most companies choose to hire developers. There are various different types of developer to choose from including small companies and large companies, depending on the complexity of the app you’re designing, which leads onto the next important consideration...
How complex will your app be?
Will your app have a basic purpose (such as serving as a digital loyalty card)? Or will it be very complex (for instance, an AR app)?
The complexity of your app is important to consider as it will affect the type of developer that you should hire and the amount of maintenance that is likely to be required to keep it running. A complex app is also likely to cost more, which leads onto the next point...
How much will your app cost?
The cost of developing an app can vary. You can code an app from scratch yourself for $100 - or you can pay developers $1,000,000 to create the next Uber or Tinder.
The majority of good quality company apps cost between $10,000 and $100,000. When creating a basic small company app, you should expect the price to be towards the lower end of this range. When creating a complex enterprise app, you should expect the price to be towards the higher end of this range.
Game apps can meanwhile cost between $5,000 and $250,000 to build depending on the complexity.
How will you fund your app?
Most people don’t have $10,000 lying around to spend on an app - let alone $100,000. You should consider how you will fund your app. This could be via a business loan or it could be via the help of investors.
When choosing a business loan, shop around for rates. It’s worth exploring a range of bank loans and private loans. Some app development companies may even offer finance.
When choosing to use investors, consider whether to crowdfund or to pitch to angel investors. Crowdfunding can be more straightforward but slower.
How fast do you want the app to be developed?
You can spend years developing an app or you can develop an app in a series of weeks.
In order to develop an app quickly, you’ll need a team of developers and you’ll need to be willing to pay more. There are some developers that specialise in rapid application development. This is much faster than the traditional ‘waterfall’ development method.
Slower development may be better suited if you are on a budget and feel that there is no rush to get it built.
How much communication is necessary with developers?
Do you want to pitch your idea and leave the rest up to your developers? Or do you want to be involved every step of the way?
Some developers may prefer one method over the other. This is worth enquiring into when hiring a developer so that you can keep the right level of communication. A more hands-off approach may be better when designing a basic app, while a more complex app may require a lot more communication between developer and client.
Which devices will your app be available on?
Separate apps will need to be coded for iOS and Android devices. iOS apps tend to be faster, easier and cheaper to build. That said, there are more Android users than iOS users. In most cases, it’s worth focusing on one first and then building an app for the other platform if this is successful.
How will you test your app?
Testing your app before you launch it will help you to iron out any bugs. Developers will usually be able to do some of this testing. You may also be able to hire third-party testers to look for bugs.
It could also be worth testing your app on consumers. This can help you to make sure that your app is user friendly. Continuous testing could be worthwhile for constantly improving your app and giving customers the best experience.
How will you promote your app?
If you don’t promote your app, no-one will know it exists. The best way to market an app depends very much on the type of app. If you’re designing a company app, you may be able to promote it on your website, via company emails and in your store. Promoting a mobile game app meanwhile may require looking into in-app advertising, getting reviews from mobile game publications and promoting your app on social media. Make sure that you’ve developed a marketing strategy before your app is ready to be made public.
Instead of interrupting your customers as they go about their day, and fighting for their attention, why not draw them to you like moths to a flame? Of course, that is the very essence of inbound marketing. Although, to be successful with this type of marketing you will need to know about the specific tactics you can use. Luckily, the most effective ones are documented below.
Keyword optimization continues to be one of the most powerful tools used for inbound marketing. The reason for this is that when you successfully optimize your keywords for search engines, you will land higher in the search engine rank positions (SERPs).
Of course, the further up you are the much more likely your business will be to get a click-through from interested parties. That is, they will come to you!
However, getting your keyword optimization right can be tricky, especially as the algorithms used by Google are always changing. The good news is several tactics can help here. The first of which is to create high-quality content where keywords and long-tail phrases are organically placed. This is important because search engines can tell the difference between a genuine post with useful info and one that is just focused on keyword stuffing. Indeed, if you try the latter you are likely to be penalized by said search engine and find yourself much further down the SERPs than you want to be.
Another option is to make use of the most important keywords to your business in meta tags. These are the short blurbs that you see underneath the listing title when the search results are returned. However, if you choose to use meta tags remember that they should be no longer than 150 characters, and only cover each keyword once.
Use a marketing hub
Another way that you can make it easier to get more inbound marketing leads is to centralize all your marketing efforts. This means using a single hub where you can control your content creations, emails, automation, and even SEO.
HubSpot, in particular, is a popular choice for this function. Although, collecting all of your marketing efforts in one place can be a bit confusing, to begin with. Not to mention the stress of getting the most out of all the features and functions available to you.
The good news is that by working with a HubSpot partner you can significantly simplify this process. Indeed, with a partner's expertise and experience you can avoid many of the issues that businesses encounter when swapping to a marketing hub, something that will ensure your inbound efforts stay as effective as possible even during the transition.
Get involved in the discussion
Last, of all, don't forget that another great way of getting inbound marketing leads are active on social media. In fact, by being part of your target audience’s daily life on social media you can gain a lot of advantages including trust, and reputation, as well as encourage inbound marketing more directly.
To do the latter you must, like, comment, and follow especially brands that are similar to your or are operating within your niche. Additionally, be sure to get involved in discussions and engage and interact with your followers, as these are the people that are most likely to become your customers when the time comes!
In particular, a great way of doing this is to respond when your brand is tagged or shared. After all, you won't just increase regard with the people that are doing the tagging, but you will be reaching a wider audience as well.
Every business needs an amazing website if they are going to stay relevant, so there is plenty of work out there for a successful web development company. If you have experience in the industry already and you are looking for ways to move your career forward, you might decide to start your own web development company.
There are a lot of elements that you need to get right if you are going to be successful, but finding the right talent is the most important. Without a team of expert web developers, you won’t be able to provide an amazing service and build a good reputation. So, how can web development companies find the best talent?
Develop Young Talent
Skills like coding are becoming more important in the education system and kids are learning them from a much younger age. If you want to find the best web developers for your business, you should think long term and develop young talent. There are some great companies like Whitehat Jr that teach math and coding skills to young kids. If you invest in things like this and build relationships with educational facilities, you can then start offering internships and entry-level jobs to promising young web developers. You can then draw from a talent pool of talented web developers and help them improve their skills.
Invest In Technology
People in the web development industry are likely to have a keen interest in tech. If you don’t invest in the right tools, potential candidates will be very unimpressed with your business and they are unlikely to accept a position. If you can’t offer the same tools that other businesses are offering, you will soon fall behind. Investing in the right tech will also improve the quality of the websites you build. It’s equally important that you can demonstrate to potential employees that you have a good grasp of all of the most important web technologies.
Take Advantage Of Remote Working Practices
Limiting yourself by geographical locations drastically reduces the pool of talent that you can draw from. The thing is, remote working practices are becoming more common and in the web development industry, it’s particularly easy for people to do their jobs from home. If you embrace remote working practices and invest in the right project management tools to ensure things run smoothly, you can then start hiring from all around the world. This means that you no longer have to make sacrifices and you can hire the best possible people for the job.
Fix Your Company Culture
Company culture is very important in the tech industry. Most tech companies have a relaxed culture that is focused on flexibility and collaboration. When people are looking for web developer positions, they will be searching for companies that embody those values. So, assess your company culture and consider making some changes to create the kind of atmosphere that people in the tech industry are looking for.
If you follow these steps, you will be able to attract the best talent to your web development company.
Whether you’re CEO of your own business, beginning your entrepreneurial hustle, or working within a large business, a high productivity drive is what sets apart the winners from the losers. You can have the best ideas in the world, but if you don’t have the motivation or energy to see them through, you’ll be doing the ideas (and yourself) a disservice. So, if you’re looking for productivity tips, then you’ve come to the right place.
1. Plan
To-do lists aren’t going to set the world on fire, but they can seriously increase productivity and keep you organized. It’s recommended to do these the night before or at the end of your working day. Write down what you want to accomplish the next day. If putting pen to paper isn’t your thing, there are loads of online to-do list tools you can use.
2. Get single-tasking
Multitasking is not the way forward - it’s a sure-fire way of getting nothing done quickly. So, pull it back, and focus on one thing at a time. You will immediately notice how much more focused you are. By placing all your focus on one thing, you can get it done quicker and better, and on to the next task.
3. Outsource where necessary
There is no need to bang your head against a wall to complete something that’s outside of your expertise. Boost your productivity by placing your energy where it can make a difference, not where it can’t. For example, if you need a marketing expert then you can call upon Joey Armstrong, and for a project manager, utilize a person or online tools.
4. Take breaks
It could sound counterintuitive, but taking breaks can help your focus. By setting a time to step away from your laptop, breathe, have a cup of coffee, or go for a walk, and see how much better you feel when you get back to work. If you find this difficult, it could be necessary to schedule these in to your day, so you don’t miss them.
5. Notice your patterns
Do you work better in the evening? Or are you a morning person? By understanding your working patterns, you can work with yourself rather than against yourself. If you find you work better at a certain part of the day, you can use these specific times of the day to complete tasks that are particularly taxing. Meaning you always stay on top of your game.
6. Remove distractions
That could mean removing the TV from your eye-line or turning your phone on Do Not Disturb while you’re working. Some people consider using noise-cancelling headphones or dedicated focus music to keep them going. Whatever helps you - make sure to use it every day to keep your productivity levels high.
7. Look after yourself
Ensure you’re getting enough sleep every night to aid your concentration and make sure you’re fuelling yourself properly with good food and proper hydration. These are the bedrock of proper concentration.
If you want to reach the pinnacle of your niche tech sector, you must constantly push the boundaries with regard to the projects that you produce. You’re never going to get anywhere in your career if you consistently play it safe, which is why you must make an effort to improve your design capabilities on a regular basis.
Quite simply, if you want to prove to the world that you are capable of rubbing shoulders with the giants in your field, you can never afford to stand still. Put the following advice into practice, and make sure you go above and beyond to optimize your next project.
Invest in the right tools
It doesn’t matter how skilled or experienced you are as a tech-design professional — if you don’t have the right tools at hand, you aren’t going to optimize your next project. It is for this reason why you must stock up on all the solutions you need to improve your overall workflow.
When you take on the challenge of sourcing better equipment, be sure to head straight to the Octopart search engine for electronic parts. Here, you will be sure to unearth everything you need to ensure the success of your next tech project. Whether you’re looking for connecting tools, electromechanical solutions, or test equipment, you will be sure to find it on this tech distribution database.
Spend time with like-minded individuals
Who you choose to spend your time with will have a profound impact on your technical capabilities. With the right people by your side, you will be sure to learn new skills on a daily basis. This will then make you much more likely to provide a well-rounded service in your niche tech sector.
For advice on what you must do to surround yourself with people that actively push you to succeed, be sure to click here.
Check out tech-based content
If you want to produce a cutting-edge level of service that is truly befitting of today, you simply must keep your finger on the pulse of the latest tech trends and advances. To perform this all-important task, you’re going to need to check out new tech-based content as often as you can.
Thankfully, the Internet is now full of platforms that provide insightful tech advice and guidance on a daily basis. Here are ten of the very best tech blogs that you should consider subscribing to:
So, you want to optimize your next tech project? If you’re to achieve your specific goals and aspirations in this sense, it’s imperative that you heed the above advice. Once you invest in the right tools, surround yourself with like-minded individuals, and check out tech-based content, your skills as a tech design will be sure to improve. Ultimately, this will help you to carve out an authoritative personal brand for yourself in your niche sector.
