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Blink! And there’s been another update to the social media algorithm released. The latest changes to Instagram put into play in mid-March, has caused a frenzy amongst businesses owners. The new changes mean the Instagram timeline will show posts with high-engagement instead in an order based on the time and date they were posted. It is determined by the type of content Instagram thinks you will be most interested in, your interaction you have with the person or business and the relevance of each post.

What does this mean for your business?
It doesn’t matter whether you have 30 or 30k followers, it means less organic reach (the number of people who saw an unpaid post from you appears on their timeline). You will need to urge your followers to turn on their notifications, so they’ll get a push notification alerting them to an update.

How to navigate the new Instagram changes for your business?
You can still have great success on Instagram if you take the following points into consideration.

Quality content and more of it!
How many times do you have to hear that content still king? These words have almost become cliché. Despite being hammered with this, we continue to see businesses who are too busy to dedicate time to creating relevant, relatable and shareable content. Previously, if you had a well-known, international brand, you could get away with posting substandard content due to the huge amount of followers and paid advertising. Well, the buck stops here! The new Instagram algorithm treats your business the same as a personal page. Great content is imperative to getting attention. The better the content, the more likely people will engage, comment, like and share. As a result, your posts will get shown in other’s timelines.

Evaluate your results
If you’re on Facebook, you’ll know how easy it is to track your analytics. There’s a dedicated page that tells you how well your paid advertising worked, how many clicks, shares etc. With Instagram, it’s up to you to evaluate the behaviours of your followers. This may require a few tests posts at different times throughout the day with trending hashtags. Keep in mind, don’t go hashtag crazy, all you need is a few well-thought, relevant hashtags.

Interaction
Interaction is everything! By this, we don’t mean begging your followers to ensure their push-notifications are on. Use quality content to drive engagement with comments like “tag your friends” or a funny relatable, relevant meme that encourages users to like it.

If you are providing quality content and have good engagement, you don’t need to be worried by the new changes to Instagram. If prior to now you’ve been making little to no effort with little thought put into your content, then this is a game changer. Let us help you get your Instagram content trending. For an evaluation of how you can do Instagram better, contact us today.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is in a constant state of change. Google algorithms and SEO strategies are always being revamped. What worked for improving your rankings last year, doesn’t mean it will work this year. The one thing that never changes is the need for good quality content. There’s simply no substitute for it. Here are our top tips for improving your website ranking through the use of content marketing.

Blog, blog and blog some more

Search engines love new content that ask questions and provide answers, and the more regular you do it, the more traffic it drives to your website. The key to good blogging is to use voice-activated search terms. With more people using mobile devices and turning to digital assistants like Apple’s Siri, Samsung’s Bixby and Amazon’s Alexa, the way the content is written is important. It seems Google also ranks the word news higher than a blog, so if you have a news page that you regularly updated content, you should see an increase in traffic to your website.

Although attention-spans are shorter, longer blog posts are ranking better. Formatting and breaking the blog into readable sections with h4 title tags that summarise each paragraph can make it easier for the reader to digest. If you are struggling to extend your content without padding or waffling, try using Google’s “People also ask” box. This will give you more idea about the type of information people are searching for. Each time you click on a new question, more related questions get generated.

FAQ pages

One of the most valuable and often overlooked pieces of content on your website is Frequently Asked Questions (also known as FAQs). These days people are time poor. They want answers without having to dig for them. Every day people ask search engines millions of questions. If your business provides informative answers to industry-related questions that are being asked, it is a useful way to cash in on search engine traffic, and perhaps get new clients

Use video content

Never under estimate the power of blogging. This is what helps you ranks for specific keywords and increases the amount of web users who visit your site. However, with a constant momentum of YouTube and Facebook live, video content certainly has an important place. YouTube has 1.5 billion users a month, which just goes to show you how much short video snippets are being consumed.

Building quality content can be time consuming, but as you can see it is exceptionally important to boosting your ranking and driving traffic to your website. If you are time-poor and need assistance crafting blog posts, FAQ pages or are not sure why your website is failing to rank, talk to us today.

Marketing trends come and go, but there is one strategy that continues to be crucial to the success of your business. It’s a trend both Amazon, Tesla, Buzzfeed and even Trip Advisor have utilised well. We’re talking about the art of storytelling. It doesn’t matter how much capital you invest or that the operational side of your business runs like clockwork. Without storytelling and painting a really compelling vision for your customers, you may find your brand is easily forgotten.

At the end of the day, your company won’t be remembered for having an amazing website (although that does help) or for the time you posted a video of your CEO undertaking the #cinnamonchallenge and it went viral. The most powerful weapon in your marketing arsenal will be your ability to tell stories.

People connect with stories, and studies have proven individuals are much more easily able to retain facts when they are outlined within a narrative. Statistics reveal only five to ten per cent of people are able to recall facts and figures when delivered in a dry format (Lecturing without storytelling, PowerPoint presentations without making it relatable).

Stories provide customers with the ability to imagine how the products would fit into their lives. Infomercials are a great example of this. As annoying as you may find them, they solve relevant problems through the art of narration.

Testimonials, frequently asked questions using real life examples, blogs and list articles are just a few ways you can use this strategy.

You can have the most well-thought out business model, the latest in technology and the backing of incredible staff, but without wonderful storytelling, will anyone listen? Maybe, but they’re not likely to remember.

Story telling is an art. If you are ready to take your storytelling to the next level, talk to us today and discover the XDesigns Advertising difference.

On the completion of the design of your website and being published online, one might heave a sigh of relief. The job is done, you can sit back and concentrate on the next task at hand—wait, not so fast. Websites are in a state of constant flux; constantly updating content, looking for ways to improve performance, ensuring your users are having the ultimate customer experience.

Being able to evaluate your website involves asking yourself a series of questions about copy, readability, and functionality. Look at your website from the point of view as a prospective customer.

The first aspect of website you need to assess is the overall appearance.

• Does the website looks professionally designed?
• Is it pleasant to the eye?
• Are the images taken by a professional or have you just provided your designer with point-and-shoot photos you snapped on your phone, without thinking about visual composition?
• Do I scan the copy without stopping to read it properly?
• Are the content details easy to find on the homepage or do I have to go searching for them?
• Is the product or service I am selling obvious?
• Does the website meet the company’s branding guidelines?
• Are the correct logos used?
• Is there a powerful, yet straightforward call to action?
• How does the website look when viewed via different Internet browsers? E.g Safari, Chrome, FireFox
• How does the website look when viewed with a smartphone?

Customer expectations When logging on to a website, as a user there are some functionality you simply expect to happen and if it doesn’t, it can be frustrating and result in a bounce to another website with a better user experience.

•  Does the page load quickly or is it image-heavy and seem to download too slowly?
• Do the social media links appear on the homepage and correctly hyperlinked to a social media page which is regularly updated?
• Has the phone numbers throughout the website been turned into direct dial links for easy dialing? (This is especially important for mobile device users)
• Does the subheaders and body text outlining the company’s services link through to internal pages within the website?
• Does my website appear as being secure and trustworthy?
• Are the contact details on the homepage?

Content experience

• Content is exceptionally important to search engine rankings. It must be informative without keyword stuffing to avoid being penalised by Google. Ask yourself the following questions:
• Is the content clear and concise, while providing enough words (minimum of 600 words) to be considered a legitimate source of information by Google?
• Are the main keywords used in the first couple of sentences and in the title tags?
• Is the website too text-heavy or too image heavy without enough explanatory content?
• IS the blog regularly updated?
• Does the website use a variety of media (e.g; Videos, audio, infographics?) and downloadable takeaways which aid SEO?

Depending on how observant you are, you make have noticed websites use HTTP or HTTPS preceding their to the web address. The S stands for secure and denotes that data captured is encrypted, shielding it from being intercepted by third parties.

Using the https protocol has always been a pre-requisite for any website catching sensitive details such as credit card numbers. Until recently the secure sites were mostly online shopping carts and bank websites, basically any website where you were required to enter credit or debit card details.

Google has been undergoing changes this year, marking websites requiring passwords and logins that haven’t been loaded over https as insecure. From October, any websites that have info request form fields requiring users to enter their details to also be added to https—otherwise they too will be marked as not secure.

What this essentially means for those who have their own websites, is that unless your website has been added to the https protocol, it will be displayed as non-secure.

Why this could be detrimental to your website
In a world where cybercrime, hacking and scamming are steadily on the rise, assuring users their details are safe is paramount. Unsecure sites may result in visitors bouncing from your site or shopping cart for fear of having their identity and details captured by a third party.

An unsecure site will also affect your SEO rankings. Now is the time to move to https. October 2017 is merely weeks away. Don’t wait until your site is adversely affected. With the installation of an SSL/TLS certificate, a green padlock will display—giving users peace of mind when they visit your website. To learn more about how to make your website secure and ensure your website stays ranking in search engines, contact XDesigns Advertising, We’re here to help every step of the way.

One of the biggest challenges for both new and established business, even corporate conglomerates who have a lion’s share of the market, is social media advertising. Ideas you thought were golden may not have generated as much interested as you anticipated.

If your Facebook campaigns aren’t eliciting the results you hoped, it’s time to re-evaluate and try these tried and tested methods.

We’ve worked with a huge range of clients, helping them demystify the world of social media advertising with great results. Going forward to 2017, we thought we’d share a couple of ways you can try out. It’s exciting once you start to see the campaign taking effect.

If your business sells a service – you might be a tiler, a masseur, a nutritionist or a real estate agent, the advertising method that’s proved the most successful is some sort of voucher offer. Ever wonder why Groupon or coupon-based websites are so popular? It’s because people can’t resist a bargain or a free offer.

Let’s say you’re a personal trainer – why not offer the first consultation and training session free? Don’t think of it as missing out on 30 minutes you could be paid for, but as an investment on free word of mouth advertising. What happens if that one client decides they were so happy with the consultation and training program, they sign up with you for a year? Even if they don’t utilise your service, they’re bound to tell their friends about you who may be more serious about their fitness.Perhaps you could training sessions and bring a friend for free? The options are endless.

Just keep it simple with no strings attached. Ask yourself what would make you click on the link.Branding ads with a daily presence of Facebook is a basic way of getting your name out in the community. It only requires a small spend each day. You might boost an educational video or an interesting blog. So when you do have a big promotion you need to hit a home run, you can build up an audience of people who already know what your business is about. Use this straightforward strategy and you have a receptive audience.Lead magnets designed to glean customer details are invaluable. Offer tangible rewards for opting in. As a nutritionist, in exchange for providing email details or subscribing to regular updates you could reward your prospect with a 7-day meal plan for clean eating. A real estate agent might offer advice on how to sell your home at auction or the opportunity to opt in to an informative webinar.

Try putting these three advertising methods into practice. If you need assistance, we’re only a phone call or email away. Our clients are located throughout Australia, Sydney, Castle Hill, Norwest, Parramatta, Ryde and Seven Hills.

It’s still surprises us how many people have the misconception that developing a your business brand only requires a new logo and matching office stationary. Renowned big names like Reebok, Sony and McDonalds have a whole team of creatives strategizing and designers working full-time on evolving their brand. It takes time and investment. Not every company has access to those types of resources and when whether you’re starting out or rebranding, it can be all too easy to overlook some of the common aspects of branding.

1.Thinking it’s just about having a new logo
A new logo added into a new flash website and office stationary does not constitute a
brand. Branding encompasses every aspect of your business, the way people think and feel about your people when they see your logo, hear your name, use your products.

2. Not having a call to action
A call to action is an instruction that prompts a response from a potential customer or client, whether it’s picking up the phone, signing up for an email newsletter or purchasing a product. Without a call to action, how are your customers to know what you expect from them?

3. Not asking for the sale.
Knowing how and when to ask for a sale and how to ask for the sale is imperative. It’s
easy for a customer to say no if you ask for the sale too early or go about it the wrong
way, but it’s a bigger sin, not to ask for the sale at all.

4. There’s no consistency
How do potential customers learn to identify your brand? It’s through consistency. The public is often dubious about trusting brands they don’t recognise. A unified look from your website, to your print ads, to your brochures and social media networks is vital for brand recognition.

5. Not having a branding strategy session
A branding strategy session is practical discussion session with the objective of
producing a consistent and persuasive brand. Branding Agencies help you eliminate
the common branding mistakes, identify any pitfalls and provides tools you can take
away and help ensure your company is portrayed in the way you intended it to be.

To avoid making these common branding mistakes, book a branding strategy with
XDesigns Advertising today. Our clients are located throughout Australia, Sydney, Castle Hill, Norwest, Parramatta, Ryde and Seven Hills.

I’ve got a website. It works…sort of, so why bother getting it revamped?

In this day and age, you don’t just need a website – you need an awesome website that will help you reach your sales targets. Did you realise the longer your website is in a state of disrepair, the more money you are losing from potential customers who bounced from your page in search of one of your competitors because a) they couldn’t find what they wanted b) they couldn’t easily find your contact details or c) your website didn’t even rank in their search engine results because your page is not mobile responsive or optimised for the web.

There’s more to an awesome website than just being redesigned. Here are the top elements you need to take into consideration.

Website Copy

A new look website provides the opportunity to re-evaluate and refresh the text on each webpage. Ask yourself does the headlines and body copy add anything of value to the page. Does it represent your new branding? Is it easy to read? Have you answered all the questions a potential client may want to know?

Evaluate your Analytics

Your analytics from your old website can reveal a lot. What pages and content were the most popular? Where were visitors to your website spending the most time? How long did they spend visiting each page? This can help give guidance on what to add or delete from your new website.

Discuss with your designer what you want to achieve with the new website. Where do you intend people to land when they click your website link and which page will they link to next?

Optimise your website for search engines

Keep in mind you will need to redirect all of your former website pages to the new website, if you wish to keep your current search engine optimisation (SEO) rankings. If you’ve never had SEO on your former website, then making sure your new one is optimised, is not negotiable.

How does the future look?

Once the graphic designer and website team have published your website, what happens next? Will the design elements be able to be modified as your business evolves? Do you have the capabilities to change content yourself or will you be reliant on contacting a specialist, every time you need to update it. Have an idea of how you might see your website changing in the future, so your designer is aware of your future goals.

Define your website’s main goals

You need a more defined goal than just wanting a pretty website, that’s fast and mobile response. Think about what you want your website to achieve. Do you want to capture leads, unplanned sales or repeat customers? Do you need lead magnets to get users to subcribe to regular updates.

Getting your website redesigned can be a daunting task, but XDesigns Advertising can talk you through each of the above steps and help you create a website to take your business to the next level.

Wonder why your website is under performing after you’ve got to so much trouble to ensure you have excellent content marketing? It’s likely because your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is not up to scratch.

You might have an amazing website with great content, but what’s the point if no one can find you on the internet.

Don’t believe the rumours that SEO is now obsolete now Google has updated their algorithms.

So let’s take a look at the five ways SEO could be ruining the potential of your website.

Not using SEO at all

The biggest mistake you can make is to believe that with Google’s upgrades to new algorithms replaces SEO. Having your website optimised still counts and unless you incorporate SEO.

Trying to skimp on costs of SEO

Don’t use a friend that’s volunteered to optimise your site for free, or opt for just any company that promises you the cheapest deal. In life, you get what you pay for, so this is one area you don’t want to cut corners on. There’s no point having killer content if no one can find you on line.

Expecting SEO to generate results overnight

It takes time, you can’t expect to update your SEO practices and see the results in Google Analytics the very next day.

Believing SEO is magical

SEO is important, it’s not like waving a magic wand and suddenly there’s so much traffic trying to get to your website, it breaks the internet. All components of your website combine with SEO. If your site is not mobile responsive, doesn’t look professional or have great content, then SEO is not going to miraculously save your business.

Having a non-responsive website

Unless your website has been optimised for mobile devices, Google’s new algorithms means your site won’t show up in search results for smartphone and iPad.

If your website is underperforming or you’re not sure whether your SEO is up to scratch, contact the team with the know-how – Xdesigns Advertising. They will answer all your questions openly and honestly. Call them now on 1300 881 204 and ask for a website overview. Get the SEO Checklist for your Website Today.