This is a question that most small business owners struggle with every 1-2 years. After all, a website redesign project is a big commitment, not only in dollars but also in time. Small business owners know that their website is an integral part of their business and reputation. An outdated website conveys many things to customers and prospects, usually none of them good.
At CharmLab, we work long-term with clients to help them grow their business volume and hone their message and content in New Hampshire where we are based, and many more across the U.S.A.
After helping so many new business owners launch their branding and online properties, we have learned a few big, yet very common mistakes that business owners make when starting their online marketing programs.
Most new businesses can figure out a business card, a logo and pricing of their services. But where the rubber meets the road, business owners don't use FREE Social Media platforms to move the needle and attract new business.
Old.
Slow.
Boring.
Can't get around as easily anymore.
A lot of extra stuff hanging around.
Can't do anything you really need.
Not Responsive.
There is no doubt that Steve Jobs was a man ahead of his time in many respects. He saw the problems with Adobe Flash back in 2010 when Apple stopped supporting the platform on all its iDevices. At the same time, he wrote an open letter "Thoughts on Flash."
Search Engine Optimization or SEO is one of those acronyms that make business owners cringe. Every time you read an article, see a video or get an annoying call to "Claim your Google listing", people are telling you different things about how to improve your SEO. Keywords, meta tags, meta descriptions, a lot of the things that once were important, no longer are. Check out our 17 SEO Myths.
If you are like most business owners I know, the mere mention of Google has you cowering in a corner. They are like the hottest person in school and you have to go out our your way to get them to notice you because they have plenty of others vying for their attention. As the leader of the pack, other search engines usually follow their lead, so almost anything you do to improve your Google ranking with other search engines.
If you build websites, it's a question that you get asked all the time, "How much does a website cost?" My short reply is “How much does a car cost?’’ As most developers know, this analogy is fitting because the cost depends on many factors: size, performance, functionality, design, platform, etc. There's no standard price. You have to decide what's best for your company and your budget.
Mobile Devices, smart phones and tablets, have taken the internet by storm. In 2015, mobile internet users will outnumber desktop internet users. Both segments are huge and still growing. Neither should be overlooked.
There has been a lot of press about Mobilegeddon and Google's new algorithm that penalizes sites that aren't "mobile-friendly." You can read about it here. While your search rankings and SEO on Google are important, the underlying reason that Google released this update is even more important: usability and user satisfaction.