Does Website Hosting Impact SEO Performance?
It is now estimated that there are over 330,000 hosting providers in the world, though not all of them are created equal. Some can provide much better levels of service than others at the same rates. But if you are setting up a website, do you know how important hosting is?
If not, then we can help you understand them. Read on as we discuss website hosting and how it impacts your SEO performance.
What Are Website Hosting Services?
When people access the files required to run your website, they type in your domain address. This sends them to the server where all your files, code, and images are stored. Your website hosting is the company that owns the server you place these on.
Hosting is vital as it can impact your SEO performance. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a set of principles that impact your ability to rank higher on search engines. This gives you access to organic traffic which you can convert into leads.
How Does Bad Hosting Impact My Website SEO?
If you want to know how to rank higher on Google, then SEO is key. It can be broken down into three broad areas which you need to address if you want to rise higher in the search engine rankings.
The three areas are on-page SEO, off-page and technical. Good hosting services can help in a lot of the technical SEO areas, which are concerned with the efficiency of your website, its security, and how it runs.
Slow Page Speed
Your page loading speed is a factor used by Google to calculate SEO rankings. If low bandwidth hosting is causing low page speed, you will suffer. When you have shared hosting, the provider may have too many websites on the same server.
A slow page speed also impacts another factor, known as your bounce rate. This is a measure of how long people stay on your website, telling search engines how relevant your content is. If the page takes too long to load and they leave, you lose SEO juice.
Security
Low-cost hosting providers will let anyone onto their shared servers. If scammers and spammers get on, they can use the server to steal data. Google will also deprioritize servers that house these spam websites, even if yours is not one of them.
Server Downtimes
Another factor that can increase your bounce rate is when your server goes down, which can happen frequently with bad hosting. This does not only increase your bounce rate further, but it can cost you lost business and revenue.
Server errors are an extension of this. They usually occur when too many people try to access your files and the server can't handle them. In this case, you need to find a provider that can cater to your needs.
Choosing a Provider
Getting the right website hosting provider will all depend on your individual needs. Even if you are opening a small blog, plan for growth. You may need more resources in the future than you expect when you start.
Optic Marketing should be your first stop. From SEO services to the building of your site, all of your needs can be catered for with our company. Contact us here and let us help craft your digital presence.
Must-Have Social Media Tools for Small Business Owners
Social media management is a vital organ of modern business. Entrepreneurs with the right social media tools can become an unstoppable force in their field.
But while maintaining a social media marketing strategy can feel like a full-time job in itself, the right tools can save not only time but money. It's about working smarter, not harder!
So, what are the must-have social media tools out there designed to make life easier? Keep reading to find out.
Sprout Social
Sprout Social is a monster of a tool! It claims to be an all-in-one solution to your social media management needs. Features include data analytics, scheduling posts, organizing content across platforms and managing communication. This tool has been praised for helping small businesses understand their audience and keep up with marketing trends. It syncs many, if not all, of the social media platforms in your inventory.
Sprout Social continues to expand its functions to facilitate social media management, and although a paid service, it continues to be worth every penny.
Tailwind
Pinterest is the unsung hero for driving external traffic to business websites and online shops. When it comes to this objective, no social media platform holds a candle to Pinterest. Unfortunately, it's often forgotten for its tedious nature of "pinning" posts for the sake of consistency.
However, Tailwind is an app that allows you to schedule pins weeks, even months, in advance. Setting a couple of hours a month aside will ensure that Tailwind is consistently pinning while you continue to manage other aspects of your business.
Later
Later has multiple functions that focus primarily on Instagram. However, it does have scheduling functions for other platforms like Pinterest, Facebook etc.
While it is popular for scheduling posts, its unique strength has to be its rich analytics dashboard. Its detailed Audience Insight reports can help you schedule your posts in the most effective way. Again, this is a paid service, but the benefits far outweigh the sacrifice.
Hubspot
Hubspot is not solely a social media management tool, it's a general marketing tool. For many, this is the be-all and end-all of digital marketing tools. Like Sprout Social, it prides itself in being everything you need for social media marketing. What makes it unique, though, is its sophisticated CRM system.
While Hubspot's higher tier subscriptions may be a little exps¡nsive for some small businesses, it's clear that this program has many functions to build an effective small business social media campaign.
Make the Most of Social Media Tools
The amount of attention you pay to social media management can make or break your business. There are far more tools out there than the ones mentioned in this article. But this gives you a taster of just how easy digital marketing can be with the right social media tools.
If you need a little more support with your brand's social media strategy, why not contact us for more hands-on guidance in giving your business the marketing it deserves?
4 Email Marketing Examples for Home Services
It's estimated that millennials spend 6.4 hours a day reading their emails. However, it's not only this age group that finds themselves glued to their screens and refreshing their inbox...
Most of us are victims of the internet culture when checking our emails is normally one of the first things we do in the morning. For many businesses, email marketing is becoming their main advertising tool.
So, here's how to make the most of the platform and a list of some email marketing examples to get you inspired.
The Top 4 Email Marketing Examples
When it comes to building a successful email marketing campaign, there are a few strategies that work best for home services and their target audiences.
One of the most common questions marketing agencies get is, how do you start an email campaign? The first part is to gather the information of your target audience and optimize it through personalized content.
Take a look at these top email marketing examples to help you get started.
1. Terminix
This pest control company uses subject lines to its advantage. For example, one of their emails read "Termite swarms are now in your area" which is an effective way of grabbing the attention of readers.
You can use this method to engage subscribers but also create a sense of urgency. This will encourage them to reach out for help and use your business.
2. Portland Plumbing
If you want to focus on your long history of reliable and functional service then Portland Plumbing is a great example. Their home services email marketing is centered on highlighting their trustworthy brand.
Another way to use emails is to build trust with your target audience by reinforcing why they should pick you, which you can create through client testimonials and storytelling.
3. Heaven's Best
Sometimes, less is more when you're crafting your email content. Heaven's Best keeps its text minimal and carefully chose a design to represent its message.
This stops readers from being overwhelmed with endless paragraphs.
Email marketing ideas like this are a guaranteed way to get more people to subscribe to your business as your messages are quick and easy to read.
4. Handy
Handy sends emails that involve the reader in their business. They ask them to vote for their most hated household chore, or what they struggle with when cleaning the house.
This gives your subscribers active input into the brand which is ideal for building genuine interest and loyalty from your consumers.
Use Email Marketing to Your Advantage
As you can see from these email marketing examples, there are many ways to use this advertising tool to your advantage. No matter if you want something more personal or minimal, there's a choice for every brand.
However, if you have no idea where to begin and you need a little more help after reading this article, then we have you covered.
As a marketing agency with a diverse skillset in branding, web design, and other forms of marketing there's nothing we can't handle. Reach out to find out more today.
4 Advertising Tips for Plumbers That’ll Make Your Business Blossom
As of 2022, there are nearly 200,000 plumbing businesses in operation. You're competing against several other plumbers and companies for business every single day, so you need to learn some valuable ways to stand out.
Professional plumber advertising and marketing will help you win your share of customers so you can serve to your community and earn plenty of revenue in the process.
These four advertising tips will help you become the best plumbing professional possible.
1. Give Out Cards and Information
Using business cards can still create amazing results when used genuinely. Don't think of them as passe. Think of business cards as a necessary way to remain on people's minds and to leave your contact information.
You can also put together a brochure of information that you can hand out to generate repeat business and earn new customers.
2. Start a Plumbing Blog
Blogging is one of the main strategies that people use today when they'd like to get better search engine optimization results. Blogs are valuable because they're an easy way to share information with people about the things you do best.
Longer blog posts are ideal today because of their effectiveness and the fact that they offer more value. The average blog post today is about 2,200 words in length.
You can get more out of your plumbing blog by hiring professional writers that can capture your tone and write well-researched, quality content. Add some high-resolution images to your blog, along with 3 to 5 different authoritative links.
3. Make How-To Plumbing Content
When you teach people about plumbing, you will become their guru on the subject for a long time. People today gravitate to video because it's the easiest content to take in.
Plumbing professionals should learn to master video content to connect with the widest audience. You can post plenty of how-to videos on YouTube.
When you post useful videos, such as helping people learn how to unclog toilets or tighten plumbing connections, you'll have an easier time growing your traffic and selling your services. A digital marketing company can help you with editing and adding graphics to your video content.
4. Get Involved in the Community
Plumbing is one of the most local types of business. You can always sell courses and books online, but for most plumbers, local customers are their bread and butter.
Get involved as much as you can in your local community so that you become a regular fixture in it. Don't limit yourself to plumbing-related issues. You can donate to schools, hold canned food drives, or even start a competitive softball team.
People will feel more inclined to do business with you when they see you regularly showing up in the community.
Advertising Tips for Plumbers
These four advertising tips for plumbers need to be part of your regular repertoire. Plan your plumbing company's goals so you can figure out advertising strategies that will work.
Optic Marketing Group can help you tell your story so that it resonates with customers of all types. To learn more about how we can help with your digital marketing strategy, drop us a line or call us at (844) 700-4781.