Slow Website? Find out Why with the Dotcom-Tools Speed Test!

No one likes a slow website. In 2008, this was somewhat acceptable, but in 2018 where most people have blazing fast internet in the palms of their hands, patience has dwindled for slow-loading websites.

Nowadays, most people expect websites to load in under 3 seconds, and there’s a significant amount of research showing that people will bounce or abandon a site very quickly (and not return) when the load time exceeds 3 seconds. In addition to users disliking slow websites, search engines like Google also factor website speed into their ranking algorithms and demote slow sites in the search results. Therefore, having a speedy website is a must!

What Can Be Done About Slow Loading Websites?

Most people know that slow loading websites aren’t good, but they have no idea how to fix them or where to start. This presents a big problem, because most sites that could be fixed by simple optimization sit and remain slow because their owners don’t know where to begin.

According to Web Hosting Buddy, there are a variety of causes for slow-loading websites, such as poor quality web hosting companies, overloaded servers, large images, unoptimized code, DNS issues, and other problems.  

Luckly, Dotcom-Monitor offers a free suite of testing tools on Dotcom-Tools.com, including a website speed test that runs from 25+ locations around the world. No other tool like this exists online, and it’s a great resource because it’s completely free to use.

How to Test With Dotcom-Tools

1. Visit https://www.dotcom-tools.com/website-speed-test.aspx and input your website’s URL. You can test your home page or specific inner pages.
2. Complete the quick captcha, and then choose your browser type. Dotcom-Tools offers 7 different browsers types, including iOS and Android for testing mobile-responsive websites.
3. Choose your testing locations, then click “Start Test.” The test will begin running in a round-robin fashion from all of the various datacenters around the world.
4. View your detailed results by clicking on the page load time. This will generate a waterfall chart where you can see every single element on the page, the size, and how long it took to load.
5. Analyze the waterfall chart to see where you can make improvements. Large images, long wait time, lack of caching are all areas that can commonly be improved.
6. Click on the “Summary” and “Performance” tabs to see a breakdown of the best and worst performing elements, including various charts and graphs that help summarize the information.
7. Finally, click on the “Host” tab to see where externally loaded resources are hosted and the performance of these elements.

Running a speed test with Dotcom-Tools will give you an incredibly accurate picture of why a particular website is slow and how to fix it. This is something that you should consider when looking at improving the performance of any website instead of flying blind. Next time your website is running slow, be a data driven webmaster and use a speed test like the one at Dotcom-Tools.com in order to ensure that your site is running as fast as it should be.

The post Slow Website? Find out Why with the Dotcom-Tools Speed Test! appeared first on SEM Blog.

source https://www.emarketed.com/blog/dotcom-tools-speed-test/

5 Twitter Tactics We Can Learn From Trump

President Trump has thrown “social media rules” out the window. No other president has been as active on Twitter, or any social media platform for that matter and has even called himself “the Ernest Hemmingway of 140 characters”.

From attacking celebrities to what some call threatening a world war here are 5 things Donald Trump has taught us not to do when it comes to our Twitter strategy.

1. Avoid Typos

Covfefe anyone? Whether you have millions of followers or not, taking a little extra time to check that your published content is correct is essential. Not only do you want to make sure there are no spelling errors, double check for basic grammatical mistakes and that your links are working. Quotes should be properly cited, articles should come from reputable sources and stats should be factual. These things only take a few moments and can make or break how audiences view your brand. The last thing you want from your followers are comments that say your link is broken or that you used the wrong form of “there”.

“Unpresidented” “No challenge is to great” “Hearby” “Our deepest apologizes” “honered to serve” are just some of the embarrassing typos from President Trump that Twitter has a field day with. These mistakes can make your company seem careless, unprofessional and put a dent in your credibility, some may even say incompetent.

2. Brand Consistency

Whichever industry you are in, it can sometimes be beneficial to join in on the cultural conversation and leverage certain trending topics, albeit they pertain to your business. For example, if you sell sporting goods, keeping up with trending hashtags during the Olympics makes sense and can be valuable to both you and your followers. However, when you are the President of The United States, it might be best not to take multiple jabs at Meryl Streep at the Oscars. If something seems off-topic for your brand and you’re reaching for it to make sense for you, leave it alone.

Twitter has been around for over 10 years, it may be a good idea to take some time and go back and scrub old tweets that are inconsistent with your company’s current philosophy. You don’t want any new tweets to be incongruous with older tweets. Many Twitter users are retweeting Trumps cringeworthy older tweets that simply didn’t age well. Users have been digging up tweets that are direct contradictions of his current policies. Now not everyone has archives of hypocritical tweets waiting to be uncovered, however cleansing your account for things that are simply off brand is constructive.

3. Too Much Self-Promotion

Some people have social media strategy down to a science. There is Gary Vee’s, “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” method, which is basically engage, engage, engage self promote. There is also the 5:3:2 method that’s about balancing your content and focusing on your audience, not yourself. If your entire Twitter presence is just self-promotion you’re not adding anything of value for your followers. Constant self-promo will get you unfollowed or even blocked.

Trump is infamous for being self-congratulatory and constantly tooting his own horn, often referring to himself as a genius and tweeting exaggerated approval ratings. He does this so often that when he does tweet about others it seems disingenuous.

4. Listen and Express Empathy

No, you don’t have to jump on to every #prayfor_____ trending topic you see for the sake of retweets. However, you do want your company to be able to show that they care. In the case of a natural disaster or national tragedy sharing your opinion or “hot take” or placing blame on somebody is the wrong thing to do.

After a hurricane hit Puerto Rico, Trump condemned the San Juan Mayor on her poor leadership abilities. Perhaps tweeting words of reassurance for the Puerto Rican people or providing a link where people can donate would have been more productive. Capitalizing on a tragedy is also a big no-no and may brands have learned this the hard way.

Using your Twitter account to listen is severely overlooked. If a customer uses Twitter to complain, address them and offer to speak to them via DM or provide them a customer service number to get their issue resolved. Having an all out Twitter feud with a customer in front of other followers will hurt you in the end.

5. Being Creative Doesn’t Mean Being Controversial

Being consistent doesn’t mean you can’t be creative, and being creative doesn’t mean you have to be controversial. Trying something new in your social media strategy is a good thing. How will you know something works if you’re not constantly experimenting?

However, a lot of brands can land themselves in hot water when they try to be funny or they try to be risqué. Getting a second, third or 4th opinion on your tweet before you click send can save you from irreparable damage if that tweet goes awfully south. Going viral for a tone-deaf tweet can label your brand ignorant for years.

Although it was once advised to keep politics hush, some brands are going full steam ahead. If your brand is against racism, sexism and homophobia and passionate about certain social issues then speaking out on a matter might be important to you. These days more consumers want to know what companies stand for or if you stand for anything at all.

Culture is changing and brands removing themselves from anything remotely controversial are actually alienating a lot of their audience. Some brands that have spoken out against the president have seen overwhelming support while other brands that have expressed their political stances have been hit with the dreaded b word- boycott.

The post 5 Twitter Tactics We Can Learn From Trump appeared first on SEM Blog.

source https://www.emarketed.com/blog/5-twitter-tactics-from-trump/

10 PR Techniques for Boosting Your Brand

When you cut yourself, do you look for a Band-aid or a plastic bandage? How about when you need to blow your nose, do you ask for a Kleenex or a tissue? What about when you are having lunch at a fast-food restaurant, do you order a Coke or a cola?

These labels are proprietary eponyms, and they are the climax of brand awareness. The brands are so well-known that they have taken over the generic names for parallel products in your own language.  For a product or brand to become a proprietary eponym is the peak of brand awareness. (sorry, Pepsi).

Although you may achieve this with your business, that does not mean you cannot do more for your brand awareness. You just need the right techniques for boosting your brand.  

Though there may not be a quick fix for making your product a household name, the following are 18  brand-boosting strategies to assist with launching or continuing your efforts. You may not be as popular as Frito-Lay, but it can not hurt to try, right?  Along with these techniques, I found this post on the best PR Tools and Software that is a great resource.

The following is the ten leading pieces of advice for boosting your brand.  

1. Referral Programs

Who does not like perks? Users will happily spread the word about your service or product when they know they will get an added perk. Dropbox, for example, is a brilliant referral program that can growth hack any business.

Dropbox offers current users an extra 500 MB of storage space for each referral they make up to 16 GB. Before Dropbox became so popular, this referral program helped generate loads of word-of-mouth advertising, which is why it is so successful today.  The strategy contributed to a massive number of registers and saving the company billions in advertising dollars.

2. Impressive Guest Content

Great content is everything to a website. One way to help get your brand established on the web is to provide gorgeous looking, extra valuable content to share as a guest on other blogs. Despite what others may tell you, guest posting is a robust method to have your name known in your industry.  

However, cheesy content will not cut it—you will need to guest posting high-quality stuff, or you will do more damage than good.  By creating valuable, memorable content, you will make a lasting impression when you readers share you with their audience.

3. Infographics

Infographics are a colorful and smart strategy to share interesting marketing stats and data. These content dynamos often get shared near and far, making them a fantastic tool for building brands and thought leadership.

A really good infographic can gather thousands of social likes and shares while bringing in thousands of valuable links as well.

4. Freemium with Credit

There are tons of online products that will let a user choose a free version (freemium) which includes a credit line or watermark. It will also allow users to upgrade to a paid version which will permit the user to replace the mark with their logo or remove it altogether.   

Even though users will choose the free version, they are still promoting the brand to other users. That leaves the door open for many new users to go for the paid version.

Offering a freemium product means getting your brand in front of more viewers, which will build your brand by pulling in paying customers.    

5. Local Partnerships

Another excellent brand building technique is to get associated with local partnerships. That is incredibly vital for local-oriented companies. However, it can also be applied for other companies as well.

Partnering with local companies to hold joint intro festivals and seminars are very lucrative for all parties. You can donate to local charity events and sponsor local sporting events and teams. Having your brand plastered all over events and festivals can do massive things for your brand.    

6. Car Wraps

Who does not stop to look at a car completely wrapped with excellent graphics? The tried-and-true strategy for building your brand is a having a car wrap. A car wrap is a customized graphic design that most often covers an entire car (except windows).    

They attract a massive amount of attention, and it is a fabulous way to guarantee wherever you go, people will become familiar with your brand. Wrap your personal or company vehicle and see what happens.  

7. Freebies

No matter what it is, everybody loves free giveaways! All you must do is plaster your brand name on Frisbees, pens, koozies, basically, anything and give it away at local events.   

8. Social Media Contests

Hold a social media contest where users send a video or photo and let others vote for their favorite contestant. Those who take part will share the link with family and friend to gain votes. In return, you are building your brand awareness as a result.   

9. Social Focus

With social networks growing by leaps and bounds, trying to cover social media marketing on each one is a fool’s errand. If your company best avenue is on a specific network, do not be afraid to place most of your energy into just a few.

For example, if you have a lot of photos on your site, Pinterest and Instagram may be your best bet.  Twitter may be the way to go for B2B businesses.

Understand where your target audience hangs out and place your focus on those networks.  You will not want to abandon other social media sites entirely, however, save your best efforts for what you know works.

Not certain about your main network? Dig around into analytics to find where your heavy hitting referral traffic is coming from the most.  

10. LinkedIn Publishing

As mentioned above, guest posting is a fantastic avenue for getting your brand name out across the web. Recently, LinkedIn began allowing users to publish to post on their website via a publishing tool. If your post garnishes enough attention, it could end up on the LinkedIn home stream for numerous users.

As a bonus, a post attached to your own LinkedIn account helps launch you as a thought leader. You also can establish your company post and blog there—just be sure to promote and share your post once they get published.  

With these techniques for boosting your brand, you will be a leading brand in no time. Keep in mind that even Pepsi did not become a super-star brand overnight. Consistency and determination are what you put your brand out to the world.  

The post 10 PR Techniques for Boosting Your Brand appeared first on SEM Blog.

source https://www.emarketed.com/blog/10-pr-techniques-boosting-brand/

4 Important Rules to Make Marketing Videos More Engaging

Engaging videos are able to retain, interest, stimulate, and connect with viewers – all of which are important for marketing. And while it is true that videos are naturally quite engaging, you will have to tap into and leverage that potential.

As you can imagine there are lots of factors that affect how engaging your marketing videos will turn out to be, but as a good place to start there are four important rules that you need to follow:

• Plan it so that it has a short duration

Try to plan every marketing video so that the duration is short – somewhere in the 15 to 60 second range. The fact of the matter is the shorter the video the more likely you are to be able to retain viewers, and more of them will be around for you to convert them with your call to action.

Considering your video is going to be short, it must also be direct. That means that you need to strip away any fluff during the planning phase, and distill it down to its most basic elements.

• Optimize the first few seconds

During the first few seconds (normally about 8 to 10 seconds at most), most viewers make a decision to either keep watching or click away. That is why you need to optimize the first few seconds so that you are able to best convince them to stay and continue watching.

One of the most effective ways to do that is to get to the heart of the matter and let viewers know what the video is about and more importantly how it will benefit them. Let them know what problem of theirs it could solve, or what they stand to gain.

• Design the video to provoke an emotional reaction

The most engaging videos are invariably the ones that provoke an emotional reaction, which is why funny, inspirational, sad, touching, or even outrageous videos go viral so frequently. Be sure to use that fact in your marketing videos, and design them to provoke some kind of emotional reaction too.

While it can be tricky to pull that off, using storytelling elements that make viewers feel invested in the subject is a good place to start. Also always remember that it is easier for viewers to connect with people rather than faceless objects or brands – so frame your video accordingly.

• Track, experiment, evaluate and analyze everything

Ultimately the key to making your marketing videos more engaging, is to improve them iteratively over time. For that to happen you’ll need to track their engagement, experiment and try new things, then evaluate and analyze the results.

If you do all that, you should be able to slowly but surely learn more about your target audience, and be able to tailor your videos so that they are more engaging to them.

Of course in addition to these rules, it is important that you create videos that are visually interesting and impressive enough to capture the attention of viewers. For that you may want to try using Movavi Video Editor as an MP4 editor that will help you to compile, tweak, and improve your videos to your satisfaction.

Within Movavi Video Editor you’ll find pretty much all the features you could possibly need to come up with engaging and impressive videos. It can be used to merge clips together, trim out unwanted parts, enhance the video quality, apply special effects and filters, add captions, include audio tracks, and much more.

The best part is that while you may be worried about how complicated it can be to edit videos – there’s really no need for concern with Movavi Video Editor. Simply put it will provide you with an intuitive and user-friendly experience that will let you edit your videos quickly and painlessly – even if you have absolutely no prior experience at all.

The post 4 Important Rules to Make Marketing Videos More Engaging appeared first on SEM Blog.

source https://www.emarketed.com/blog/4-video-marketing-rules/

5 Reasons Why Yelp is Important for Your Business

Small or growing businesses need to take advantage of every opportunity they can to get more exposure and bring in more customers online. Yelp was created to help people find good local businesses that they can trust to deliver good products and customer service. For businesses, yelp can also be a vital part of your marketing strategy.

Yelp has more than 80 million unique visitors every month and many of those visitors write reviews about their experience with a particular business. Fortunately the vast majority (about 78%) of those reviews range from neutral to great with very minimal negative reviews. People can use yelp to find your business and read positive recommendations about what you do.

These are some of the main reasons Yelp is helpful for business owners:

1. Influence People at the Right Moment

The moment when someone is looking for a business on Yelp is at a critical point when they are ready to make a purchase. If they see your Yelp page and read a positive review they can be easily influenced to use your business and possibly continue to be a customer for years to come. When people are reading Yelp reviews they are usually on the verge of becoming a customer and a couple positive reviews will be enough to get them into your store.

People use Yelp not just as a way to see what businesses are close by in their area but as a way to help them make purchasing decisions. Most Yelp users make a purchase soon after seeing a listing and they may write their own positive review if they have a good experience at your establishment.

2. Respond and Interact with Customers

Should you receive any negative reviews or complaints on your Yelp page, you can use the site as a way to address these issues either publicly or privately. This can be a powerful tool to make your business appear invested in each customer’s experience and responsive to correct any potential issues. You can show empathy and caring for people who have a bad experience which can still leave people with a good impression of you in spite of the negative review.

You can also interact with people that leave positive reviews to show that you appreciate all your customers and their feedback about what you are doing. Thanking people for their positive response can help encourage more positive reviews and communication between you and your customers.

3. Create a Brand Image

With a Yelp business listing you can add your own content so that you have more control over the way your business is presented. Yelp customers can add their own photos along with their reviews but they may not always be the best images. Adding your own photos to the business listing can be a good way to tailor your brand image and make your Yelp page look more appealing.

You can claim your Yelp page and upload your own personal business photos so that people have a better first impression of you. Creating your own Yelp listing or claiming an existing one lets you have more control over the content that is available for customers to see.

4. Use Yelp as an Authority

In terms of internet marketing, Yelp is useful for website rankings and getting your business seen online. In SEO terms, Yelp is considered an “authority” site meaning that it can carry more weight and help boost traffic to your site. If you claim your Yelp listing you can add a link directly to your website and it will boost your rankings in Google.

With a link to your website people can read a brief overview of your business and then click through to a landing page where they will have more information and can make a purchase or reservation.

5. Make it Easier to Find Out About You

With Yelp you can add listings that provide people with crucial information about you that they can see immediately when they search in Google. Your Yelp can list your location in Google Maps, your business hours and a description of the items you have. Restaurants can have a menu available for customers to view online.

Having this information readily available through Yelp can make it much easier for people to find your business and make a quick decision about whether to visit your store. This is especially useful for mobile or voice searches when people are looking for information on the go. Someone in the area can find you because your location is close and they know you are currently open.

If you don’t have a Yelp listing or haven’t claimed an existing one there are numerous benefits to getting more involved in Yelp. With Yelp you can provide a way for customers to find and interact with you so that everyone benefits.

The post 5 Reasons Why Yelp is Important for Your Business appeared first on SEM Blog.

source https://www.emarketed.com/blog/5-reasons-yelp-important-business/

8 Tips to Become a Guest Blogger

One of the most effective strategies in building up more traffic to your website or blog is to create content specifically for other more established companies. Guest blogging on other websites can be an easy way to see a huge jump in traffic and get people more familiar with you and your brand. Using the existing visibility of another business can give you a much needed boost as you make more connections online.

Becoming a guest blogger can be a major benefit to you but it can take some effort to get involved in this type of blogging. You’ll need to know how to give the company what they want so that you can both mutually benefit from the exchange. Once you become a frequent guest blogger you can enjoy a steady flow of traffic to your page.

There are some tips on how to become a guest blogger:

1. Write High Quality Content

Before attempting to blog for another company make sure that your writing quality is up to par for what an established business or “authority” blog would expect. The subject matter of your blogs should show a certain amount of expertise and be free from any grammatical errors. Most importantly your content should be interesting and appealing to readers in a way that encourages people to like, share and interact with the post.

2. Start Small

If you have never attempted to guest blog before and are relatively unknown, you will have to work your way up to eventually posting on authority sites. Look for smaller, lesser known sites that might be interested in publishing your content. Find blogs or sites that are in your same niche industry and represent the type of brand that is similar to yours.

3. Work on Your Guest Post Pitch

In order to connect with another site and ask them if you can write a guest blog you will need to be able to sell yourself and your brand in a way that convinces them it will be a beneficial exchange. Developing a good “pitch” is essential in helping you to get other businesses interested in posting your content. Write a template email for your pitch that tells them who you are, why you are a fan of what they do and how your expertise can help them.

4. Customize Your Pitch for Each Company

It is helpful to have a template for when you offer to guest blog for someone but don’t send out a generic email to every person you contact. Make sure to customize the pitch and be specific about what you like about them and tailor your writing to the style that they represent. The more specific you are the less your email will seem spammy or insincere.

5. Look at Existing Guest Posts

Whatever type of blog you are hoping to guest post for, it is important to have an idea of the tone and style that they expect from their bloggers. Read and review their existing guest posts so that you can fit your style to what they present to readers. You should always produce the best content that you can but make sure to customize it to suit each blog and you will have more success.

6. Don’t Get Discouraged

When you are just beginning to try getting your content on other blogs there may be many cases where the company rejects your pitch or simply ignores you. The rejection may not have to do with you or your writing but just that they don’t need a certain topic or aren’t looking for a new guest blogger. Don’t take any rejection personally and make sure to continue pitching to as many blogs as possible.

7. Interact with Other Blogs

Becoming a guest blogger can be easier when you become a part of an online community and are already interacting with other sites. If you leave comments on the site and express interest in what they do by engaging with them you are more likely to leave a good impression. When you are already communicating with people on the site they will recognize you as someone who has valuable opinions and cares about what they are doing.

8. Promote Guest Posts

If you do become accepted as a guest blogger make sure to promote your post as much as possible. The other site will appreciate it if you share their content and contribute to promoting them on your own site. Do all you can to benefit the host site and they will be more likely to ask you back to blog again in the future.

The more guest blogs you write the more you will build your reputation as a writer and be able to experience the benefit on your own website. Word hard and write often and you will begin to see the results you want.

The post 8 Tips to Become a Guest Blogger appeared first on SEM Blog.

source https://www.emarketed.com/blog/8-tips-become-guest-blogger/

Are Social Media Influencers Right for My Brand?

One of the more recent trends in marketing that has become a staple for businesses online is the use of social media influencers to recommend and sell products. Building an audience on social media can be difficult for struggling brands that need to get the word out about what they do. Social media influencers provide an outlet for businesses to more easily reach people on social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Some brands might see social media influencers and the impact they have but wonder whether it will really work for them. Do social media influencers work for every type of brand? It is in fact possible to find the right influencer for your brand as long as you know who your target audience is and where to find them.

The myth that social media influencers and the platforms they use are only for millennial audiences is not true. Older generations use social media and can also be influenced by recommendations online but you need to find the place where your demographic “hangs out”. Social media influencers can have a tremendous impact on your brand if you use them to your advantage.

Understanding Social Media Influencers

The reason businesses are so interested in social media influencers is that they often speak directly to a large audience online. Influencers have built up their own following simply by being themselves and creating interesting content that people want to see. Their followers tend to listen to what they say and trust in their taste because it always comes across as completely genuine.

Even though followers of an influencer may feel that this person recommends products based on their own positive experience, the reality is that many are paid to promote certain brands. However, people see them as an authority in their field of influence and because of their existing relationship with their audience, influencers can have an affect on people’s purchase decisions. Social media influencers have a larger than normal following, but also usually have a niche audience that they are speaking to.

A common and increasingly popular example of a social media influencer is the “beauty guru”. This is a person on YouTube or Instagram that has been recognize by their followers as having special knowledge or expertise in makeup or beauty related products. They often test out new products, create tutorials or find creative ways to review or talk about beauty items.

Social media influencers exist in all kinds of different niches and as long as they are seen as an authority on a certain topic, people will be influenced by what they say. An influencer could be a celebrity, an industry expert, a content creator or just everyday people that become well-known online. No matter what type of brand you have, there is most likely an influencer that can help you promote your products or services.

Identifying the Right Influencer

How do you find an influencer that works for your brand? The first thing to think about when looking for a social media influencer is what you consider to be your brand message. You need to know beforehand what you want to say about your brand and what you want people to know.

In addition to developing your brand message you also need to know who your target audience is and what kinds of things they are looking for. Your target audience needs to be both people you want to reach and those who are more likely to be interested in purchasing your products. You don’t want to waste effort marketing to an audience that would have no need or no interest in your brand.

Once you have a better idea of your target audience you will need to find an influencer that has many followers in that audience. This doesn’t mean looking for an influencer with the most followers but looking for someone that matches your brand the most and speaks to the right demographic. Your influencer should share a similar message to your brand and an audience that is more likely to buy from you.

A great way to start looking for effective influencers is finding people that already like and mention your brand online. When someone genuinely loves your company their message is going to feel more authentic to followers and they won’t see it as an advertisement. If they are already interested in your brand then it is more likely they are good fit as far as their message and the type of content they create.

When you find the right social media influencer you will be able to have a direct channel to communicate with your target audience. Start developing relationships with social media influencers now so that you can create more loyal fans online.

The post Are Social Media Influencers Right for My Brand? appeared first on SEM Blog.

source https://www.emarketed.com/blog/social-media-influencers-right-brand/