Category: Business Tips

Site speed affects the user experience and can directly affect your business. According to internet marketing companies in San Diego, slow websites drive away about fourteen percent of frustrated shoppers who move on to buy from a competing site. More than half of the visitors to your site will not return if they have to wait too long for pages to load. Customer dissatisfaction only begins to tell the story of how website speed can hurt.

Unhappy Customers and No Repeat Sales

Almost half of all internet users expect to wait less than two seconds for a website to load. When your site takes three seconds to load, you can expect the poor user experience to have caused forty-percent of your audience to leave. Even when customers reach your site, they will not stay loyal to your brand if they have to wait too long while pages load. A slow site will cause you to fail to achieve repeat sales.

Low SERP Rank

Google algorithms consider page speed when deciding how it will rank your site in search engine results. The search giant knows what some of the biggest names on the web know: Slow website speeds cause user dissatisfaction and lost sales. Even if your company operates a website with valuable content and great deals, your site can still go unnoticed by search engine users. Slow website speeds cost you severely when trying to drive organic search engine traffic.

Why Your Website Is Slow

More than one problem can contribute to website speed issues. For example, your site could have bloated images or poorly implemented code that puts an undue strain on web browsers. Also, failure to implement HTTP compressing and caching can also put a damper on the way users experience your site. Web sites can also respond poorly if your pages require too many concurrent downloads from your server. Finally, a poor website hosting provider can also make your business website insufferably slow. Bargain hosting packages can sometimes cost you much more in lost sales than you could ever save.

Are you concerned your website is driving current and potential customers away? Get a free website audit from Saba SEO, a San Diego-based SEO agency that helps companies drive traffic to their sites and boost sales through PPC management in San Diego, website design and development, and social media marketing and mobile app development. Call (858) 277-1717 today and get started!

Because freelancers are not employees, it can be a juggling act to effectively manage a professional team of freelance content writers. Following is some advice from local San Diego SEO agency Saba, Inc. to accomplish this feat in a way that is beneficial to company and writer alike.

Provide Clear Guidelines

Few things are more frustrating to both the writer and company than undergoing constant revisions based on guidelines that weren’t clear from the beginning. Be as specific as possible, especially if you have a certain idea in mind. Learn from the instructions that you give, and constantly strive to be as clear and concise as possible with your freelance staff.

Maintain Regular Contact

Freelance writers do crave their independence, but they also like to maintain a connection with their clients on some level. By maintaining regular contact, you will not only get to know them better, but they will begin to respect you as a contract employer as well. Call them or use instant messaging technology to keep the writer on task and on schedule, while making them feel valued at the same time.

Set Realistic Deadlines

While it is understandable that you need something done right away, it is not always realistic to expect 50 polished articles of 500 words each in under a day. If you set deadlines that are realistic, your writers will be able to focus on content and working to ensure that each article is polished prior to submission.

Provide Examples

If you can provide some examples of past work that you really love, this will help your freelancers know exactly what you are looking for. Again, the goal here is to provide enough resources so that each article is submitted correctly the first time. This eliminates a lot of back and forth, and will make you both much happier in the long run.

Pay According to Your Expectations

If you expect the best out of your freelance writing staff, then you need to pay up to that level as well. There are many companies that a writer can choose to work for, so the best will get snapped up in a hurry. If you pay a writer what he or she is worth, then the quality of the writing will almost certainly follow as well.

Saba, Inc. is a San Diego-based online marketing company helping businesses near and far expand their customer base through a combination of SEO, PPC campaign management, and social media. Give us a call us today (858) 277-1717 and ask about a free website audit!

Images can be an effective part of your online marketing efforts, especially since more online searchers are doing their browsing based on visual content. The actual task of finding quality images, however, can be challenging. While stock images can make this task easier, there are both pros and cons of using such images.

Pros

Minimal Expense

Most stock images can be purchased individually or as part of a set, depending on your needs. Many sites charge based on resolution, an expense that’s much less than what you’d pay for a professional photographer.

Fast and Easy

It can take days, if not weeks, to arrange for a professional shoot. Stock images, on the other hand, can be obtained with nothing more than a few clicks and some browsing.

Variety and Quality

Photographers from around the world are always contributing quality images to stock photo sites. The variety of available images is vast, ranging from landscape shots to stock shots of people from all walks of life.

Cons

Not Unique

There is no exclusivity with stock images. You may find that some competitors are using the same shots.

License Restrictions

Read the fine print before using stock images for advertising. Some photos can only be used for editorial use and not marketing purposes.

Design Limitations

Since stock photos can come off as ordinary, you may be limited with how distinctive you can make your brand image. The same is true when it comes to how you design your website and other online content in need of visual enhancement.

However, as a leading SEO company in San Diego, we suggest companies avoid simply using whatever pops up from a Google search since there could be license issues and the quality is notoriously unpredictable. The effectiveness of stock photography throughout your marketing content depends on how it’s used, with reliable sources including iStock, Getty Images, and Veer.

With most online content focused on driving traffic and boosting revenue, there’s something refreshing about a brand that goes beyond the sales pitch. According to leading online marketing companies in San Diego, effectively connecting with audiences on a human level can do wonders for your brand image and, ultimately, your ROI.

1. Define Your Brand’s Personality

Is your brand more serious in nature, casual, or somewhere in between? The tone you set for your brand is going to determine how you interact with your target audience.

2. Remain Engaged and Available

Post content on a regular basis and pay attention to what’s actually being said by your followers. Rather than constant selling, contribute content that’s informative and engaging.

3. Communicate in Relatable Terms

Unless you’re doing B2B selling, use relatable language with the content you present. Use language that conveys a clear message and connects with your audience.

4. Invest in Your Audience

See your target audience as more than an accumulation of “likes” and followers. Take time to build relationships and educate your audience about your brand rather than focusing solely on conversions.

5. Set the Pace for Your Interactions

Think about how your interactions reflect on your brand. Does it really set a professional tone for a CEO to appear to be tweeting 24/7, even if a lot of it’s done through automation?

6. Invoke Emotions

Understand what strikes an emotional chord with your audience. If your customers are especially concerned about the environment, for instance, emphasize the “green” aspects of your business.

7. Encourage Real Interactions

Determine what really interests your customers. Talk to your audience and not at them by bringing up topics likely to encourage real discussions and interactions.

8. Share Visual Content

Whether it’s participation in a community event or employee photos, showcase the human side of your business. Extend the exchange by encouraging your audience to share their own visual content.

Saba SEO is a trusted online marketing company based in sunny San Diego. In addition to helping businesses across the U.S., Canada, and Australia establish build their brand through SEO and social media, we also provide web design and development services. Reach out by calling (858) 277-1717 and learn more about our services or request a free consultation!

Increasing customer retention rates by as little as five percent can boost profits anywhere from 25 to 95 percent, according to a Harvard study. The challenge with keeping customers loyal, however, is the increased fickleness of consumers today. For this reason, it’s important to be mindful of what keeps customers loyal when putting together a marketing plan.

Engagement and Communication

Customers today expect to be “talked to” and not “talked at” via carefully worded ad content. Effectively communicate with customers by:

•  Choosing appropriate social media marketing platforms
•  Responding to customer concerns quickly and sincerely
•  Presenting fresh, engaging content

Shared Values

Customers tend to be loyal to brands that share their values. Dive into your demographics to determine what your customers care about the most and find commonalities you can emphasize in your content.

Stroking Egos

Customers like to a feel a brand is representing who they are, which often extends to the images and wording used in online content. Knowing such details is going to involve really digging through available data to determine things like aspirations and goals common among your target audience.

Effective Selling

Customers are picky about how they’re targeted, right down to how things are worded. “A minimal shipping fee” is likely to be more effective than “plus a $5.00 shipping fee.” Words like “free” and “new,” and “instantly” will always have a universal appeal when it comes to selling.

Responsive Customer Service

Customer loyalty is heavily dependent on the quality of customer service. An unsatisfied customer has an amplified voice via social media and online review sites that can dissuade customers–or turn away ones previously loyal.

Rewarding Loyalty

Customers like it when their loyalty is appreciated. The biggest obstacle with rewards programs is overcoming that initial hesitation, which can be countered by offering an instant reward, as in a certain percentage off or free shipping

Want to learn more about your current customer base as well as how to attract new customers? Saba SEO is a trusted San Diego online marketing company dedicated to helping our clients increase visibility and grow and succeed in their specific niche. Reach out today at (858) 277-1717 and request a free consultation.

Trade shows can be a great way to connect with an audience likely to be receptive to what you have to offer. While participating in and preparing for trade shows requires an investment on your part, such events can bring in more than enough profit to justify the effort. Taking the right steps ahead of time can help maximize your ROI.

1. Choose the Right Location

Just because a trade show fits within your industry doesn’t mean it’s the right show for you. Do some research and only participate in trade shows likely to have enough targeted prospects present to make it worth your time and money.

2. Establish Your Goals

Are you looking for potential business partners, or is your primary goal to generate sales? After selecting a show, outline your objectives for what you hope to accomplish with your participation so you’ll have realistic expectations ahead of time.

3. Determine How You Will Participate

Once you know your objectives, consider the best way to achieve those goals at a trade show. Booths are great for showcasing new products and technology. However, a sponsorship can increase brand visibility and speaking can highlight your industry knowledge.

4. Coordinate Schedules

Make sure everyone is on the same page with schedules when it comes to who will be manning the booth, roaming the floor, speaking, or participating in meetings. A spreadsheet of assignments can help with coordination.

5. Have a Media Plan

Reach out to reporters covering news and events, like trade shows, within your industry. If possible, focus on something particularly newsworthy about your company that somehow relates to current industry trends.

6. Promote It

Promote your trade show participation. Generating attention via your website, blog or various social media platforms is a great way to boost attendance.

Don’t forget to follow up with any connections you make at the show. Finally, maintain your energy with nutritious meals or snacks throughout the event.

For more information about successfully marketing your business, contact Saba SEO at (858) 277-1717. We are a full-service San Diego internet marketing agency with a commitment to helping our customers grow and succeed.