4 Social Media Tips Your Business Should Know

I have written about the importance of social media for your business before but I can’t emphasize it enough especially after seeing that Facebook is approaching a billion users. Now I know that some of those billion users are fake but, still think about how many people you know that doesn't have a Facebook account. Not many I am sure. Social media has turned into a way this generation of people both young and old keeps in touch, communicates, and really uses it as a release. So if you own a business you must take advantage of all the social media you can but how do you do this? This isn't going to be an advice article but instead I am going to let you in on some tricks that many small businesses don’t know about social media. These tricks will give your company the competitive advantage you need over you competition. Being able to use social media effectively can be exactly what your business needs to take it from where it currently is to the next level and beyond. Below are a few tricks I have learned during my time working in the Scottsdale web design industry:

1. Humanize – People coming to your social media pages don’t want to see a company they want to see individuals and follow individuals. This is why it is extremely important to show them that there is an actual human behind the scenes and not a business. No matter what people tell you corporations and businesses are not human. This is especially true to online businesses as many times a customer and employees never interact so this allows for interaction.
2. Research – Once you have built a relationship with your followers then you can begin asking questions for feedback. This information that you will obtain will be extremely valuable and the best part about it is that it will be free. This is why it is important to keep your followers engaged with your page.
3. Media – Social media allows you to build relationships with media reporters. By doing this you can try to get them to do a story on your business. A story on the local news or in the local newspaper can give you a boost that your business may need at the moment.
4. Build Excitement – If you are unveiling a new product or service you can build excitement for the product or service prior to even releasing it. This is important because it will allow time for your product or service to gain traction and when you release it you will already have customers lined up.

These are just some of the many tricks that you can use to begin running a successful Social Media Marketing campaign. Now I know SEO and PPC for your business are extremely important but taking time to understand social media can be just as effect for your business. If you would like to discuss how your social media marketing plan with one of our professionals please contact us today.

Social Media Mistakes You Can't Afford To Make

In a social media driven age most businesses are likely trying to capitalize on the social media craze. Some have figured out how to successfully market their business on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook while other businesses have not been so successful. Some of the businesses that are unsuccessful with their social media marketing campaigns are very successful at marketing their business just not via social media. So why do some businesses struggle to market their business on social media platforms when they can market and be successful other ways. It is simply because the same strategies that work in other marketing avenues don’t work on social media platforms. You have to know exactly what you trying to get the visitor to do and have to put your sales approach on a forever hold. Let’s take a look at some major mistakes companies make while trying to market their business on social media platforms. The list below is the mistakes I have noticed while working in the field of Phoenix web design.

1. Plan – Many small business owners go into their marketing campaign thinking that they know how to sell and will do the same things that have worked for them in the past. WRONG this will not work. You need to understand how social media works and develop and follow a clear plan.
2. Marathon – Don’t think of your marketing strategy as a 100 meter dash think of it as a marathon. Many people get all excited and two days later don’t have any sales so they stop posting and interacting with their social media fans. A stagnant social media page will cause fans to either leave or forget you even exist.
3. Battles – Social media sites are not the place to have battles about your business. Don’t engage in a war with upset customers on your social media page. This looks really bad and hundreds or even thousands of people will get to witness it.
4. Self-Promotion – Social media platforms not a place for self-promoting yourself. People on Facebook and Twitter are looking for interaction that is why it is so important you are constantly updating your accounts and giving people a reason to follow your business.

As a Phoenix web Design Company we have seen the importance that social media marketing can have on a business. Social media can be the thing that really takes your business to the next level with all the new business that it can create. However for as many good things that social media can do for your business there is just as many bad things. You don’t want to get caught posting something that can get you in hot water. I once worked at a job that taught me if it can get you on the news you probably shouldn’t do it. You must be very careful with everything you post online. If you would like help with your social media marketing campaign please contact HireAWiz today to discuss a plan that may work for you. 

4 Mistakes Small Businesses Make When Using Social Media

If you are a small business owner then the chances are you have considered moving into the social media world if you haven’t already. The hundreds of millions of users that are on social media websites are just too much to ignore no matter what size of business you are running. Large corporations can spend money and bring in experts but what about the small businesses how do you know you are operating a successful social media marketing campaign? Many small business owners make some very crucial mistakes when using social media. These mistakes can make it where there business never gets off the ground in the social media world and will ultimately cost you costumers and money. Nobody wants to miss out on business especially when it is so close. Let’s take a deeper look at what we have found being a Phoenix web design company.

                Mistake # 1 – Many small businesses owners jump onto their social media accounts and see all the users and their salesman side kicks in. Immediately they start trying to hard sell all the users and this instantly turns people away from your business. Remember social media sites are a place for you to educate, collect email addresses, encourage participation, and promote giveaways and events but not to sell.

                Mistake # 2 - Don’t go onto your social media pages and start talking non-stop about your company or you as an individual. I am sure you have that friend or you have met people who all they want to talk about is themselves. Nobody likes to hear people ramble on and on about how great they are and the same goes for businesses on social media websites. People want things that will benefit them not things that are being shoved down their throats.

                Mistakes # 3 – You can’t compete against a large corporation so don’t try. Don’t go and find large corporations and try to move in on their customer base because it simply won’t work. You have your target audience and you need to spend your time targeting them. There is hundreds of thousands of people with in that target audience that you have not got as a customer so take the time to target them.

                Mistake # 4 – Most small business owners have a penny pinching side to them and in many ways this is a good thing as it helps you run a successful business. You need to forget that side when it comes to social media marketing because even though the sites say sign up for free to be successful they are not free. You need to advertise on them, spend time making your sites look nice, offer free promotions and doing things that help your likes. If you do all this properly you are sure to have a high ROI.

These are some of the major mistakes we see on a regular basis. We are in the Phoenix web design field so we witness frequently as clients come to us for help. Take the time to step back and figure out exactly what it is you are wanting your social media pages to accomplish and then go back and look at your page and pretend you are a customer is it something you would want to read or something that would annoy you because of the sales pitchiness of it?

Importance of a Website That Leaves a Lasting Impression

Are you looking at creating a website for your business or do you already have a website? Either way your website needs to create a lasting impression on your clients. When looking at Phoenix web design many businesses tend to go cheap and by doing this they are usually choosing a freelance developer who just graduated from college or they are choosing an outsourcing company. Both of these options can end up costing your business in the long run.

When a client visits your website you want them to not only think you have a great website but you want them to remember it. Creating that lasting impression on clients will build up the branding of your company. Branding is key as you know the all the super successful companies in this country have branded themselves well. If I say Nike instantly you can picture both their logo image and slogan. It is a Swoosh with “Just Do It” as there slogan. So you see how important branding is for your company.

Not only will a memorable website help with branding but it will also help with advertising. The better you do to give your visitors a great user experience the more likely they will tell their friends. Living in a world with Social Media being so popular something as simple as a great Phoenix web design can make your website and company go viral. Being able to connect with your current and potential customers via social media is a huge advantage.

Part of creating that website that leaves a lasting impression is making your website Social Media friendly. Have icons so if one of your website visitors likes a product or a certain article it takes two clicks for them to be able to share it via email, Facebook, Twitter and other Social Media websites. A website is a huge investment for a business as it can truly take your business to that next level so you want to equip your website with all the tools it needs to work at its 100% capacity.  

Besides having your website social media friendly you also MUST have it mobile compatible. We are living in a world today where more and more people are surfing the internet on a mobile device whether it be a smart phone or a tablet. This number is only going to increase because of the convenience of being able to do so. As technology advances and mobile devices will be able to perform the same functions as a computer less and less people will want to be confined to their computer that is at home when they can do the same thing on the go. So I repeat making your website mobile compatible is a must.

As you can Phoenix web design is very important to your business so you want to hire a company that knows how to create a successful website. You want a website that is going to grow your business not a website that is up just so you can say you have one. A website is a great investment but you must give your website the tools so that it is able to help grow your business to that next level and it starts by selecting the correct Phoenix web design company. 

3 Reasons Your Business Needs a Mobile App

We are seeing a change from people surfing the web via a desk towards people surfing the web via a mobile device. I am sure you have noticed how convenient it is to be able to pull out your phone or tablet to surf the web. Whether, you are away from home or just surfing the web while doing other things it is nice to no longer have to sit in front a computer in order to surf the internet. Not only is using mobile devices convenient but they offer some new and cool technologies such as mobile apps. Mobile apps are something that is not only cool and addictive but they are also something that can be used for your business. Mobile apps give you an opportunity to reach your customers like never before. You now will be able to reach customers directly on their phone. If I were to tell you that as a business owner you would be able to advertise directly on people’s phone 10 years ago you would have jumped at the possibilities. Now we are fortunate enough to live in an era where it is no longer just a dream but a reality.  So what advantages do mobile apps provide businesses?

1. Set Your Business Apart – You can no longer set your business apart by simply getting a website for your business that has now become the standard. You must invest in cutting edge technology like mobile apps and beat your competitors to the punch.
2. Direct Contact – If somebody is looking for your product or service and have your app right on their mobile device the chances are good they will use you rather than going online and searching through Google which would give them a chance to find one of your competitors.
3. Branding – A mobile app will allow somebody to have your brand right on their phone. It will help dramatically with your companies branding.

There are many more reasons to build a mobile app for your company but you must know that mobile apps have the potential to take your business to the next level. You must contact your local Phoenix web design company and get an app built right away. HireAWiz is an elite phoenix web design company that would not only help you develop an app that would take your business to the next level but also cares about your company growing and would use are experience and expertise to help your company reach the next level.

3 Reasons Your Business Needs a Mobile Website

Is your business falling behind? If your business’s website has not yet went mobile then you are not only falling behind the times but are about to lose out on many customers that your competitors are taking from you. Think about how many people you know own a smart phone or a tablet. Probably pretty close to everyone you know. Now think about how many of them use their mobile device to surf the web. Again, probably almost all of them including you and your family. So if everyone you know is using a mobile device just imagine how many people may be looking for your website or will be looking for your website in the future that will be using a mobile device. Can you really afford to take the risk of not having a mobile website? Being an Arizona web design specialist I am going to take the time to tell you some of the main reasons why you and your business can’t afford to go without a mobile website.

   1)     SEO - How can a mobile website help SEO?  Google now has a separate index for mobile devices.         This has yet to be watered down like the search engines currently are. If you start now you may be able to get your business ranked without the time and work it will take to get your website ranked on the search engines for non-mobile devices.

   2)   Lost Traffic – By not having a mobile website you will lose traffic that would have visited your site if                                              you had a mobile website. If someone were to search for your website on their mobile device your website will appear broken causing the user to leave and likely going to one of your competitors.

   3)   Competitive Advantage – In order for you to gain a competitive advantage you must obtain new technology before your competitors. Now I can promise you that many of your competitors already have a mobile website however there will be competitors who have not gotten one yet.

By getting a mobile website for your business two things will happen. One you will start getting the customers that were going to your competitor’s website because they couldn’t view yours and two you will gain a competitive advantage over your competitors that don’t yet have a mobile website. Contact an elite Arizona web design company today so that they can begin developing your new mobile website and see your business grow. 

3 Steps to Running a Successful Business

Every business has a goal to be successful or why would of they went into business in the first place? There are some things that customers expect from business owners that will ultimately be the deciding factor if they are successful or not. The reason customers are the deciding factor is because without them your business will make zero money and you will soon go out of business. So what are your customers looking for? Being in the Arizona web design field we have worked with many different businesses in many different fields and there are certain things that separate a successful business from a business that doesn't make it. You definitely don't want your business to be a fly by night business so I am going to tell what things you must always do no matter what as a business owner.

1.  Honesty -  Whether you are an Arizona web design company or restaurant you must be honest with your customers. You may be able to pull a quick one on a few customers but word will get around and you will not only lose out on repeat customers but the chances of any new customers will be slim. This leads me into my next point.
2. Reputation - If your business gets a bad reputation you might as well pack up shop and move to another city or even country because reputation is everything. Reputation is important in the Arizona web design field however it is much more important in a service industry like a restaurant or a hotel.
3. Customer service - Great customer service can keep your customers coming back even if there is a store down the street that has better prices.

These are 3 things that your business can't afford to be bad at. If you lack in any of these areas then you will likely begin losing business. There is a reason fortune 500 companies spend millions of dollars on surveys to see how good their employee's customer service is. They realize that great customer service can set them apart from their competitors. A great website can help with all these areas. Contact us today to find out what HireAWiz can do for you. 

Top 5 Social Media Websites for Your Business

Social media websites are now playing a key role in advertising for businesses. With Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all have hundreds of millions of users which, company wouldn’t want the opportunity to reach that amount of people? Each social media platform has a different way the business can reach potential customers and with the proper strategy can put your business over the top. Social Media websites can really put your business over the top and that is why if you don’t have any social media accounts for your business now is time to get them as your competitors definitely are taking advantage of this. Working in the Phoenix web design field these are the top Social Media websites for your business to use. 

       1) Facebook – With over 900 million Facebook users the opportunity to reach potential customers is extremely high. To assist businesses Facebook setup their marketing strategy similar to Google where you can place an ad and Per Per Click or you can even pay to increase the amount of your likes that see your post.
   2)  Twitter – There isn’t a better place to promote special deals or events. Most Twitter users like Facebook are checking their accounts daily if not 10 or 11 times daily. This allows you to reach a higher volume of your followers.
   3)  LinkedIn – LinkedIn is for business professionals so this not only a great place to advertise your business but also to network with other business professionals. You never know what type of business partnerships will develop.
   4)  YouTube – What better way to showcase your business than with a video. People don’t want to read a book so if you have content people generally just skim over the content to get to the section that they want. YouTube allows you to place cool videos about your company. You can even get creative and add your pets and family into the commericial
   5)  Wikipedia – Wikipedia is one of the most searched websites for information. If your company has a Wikipedia page it isn’t only great advertising but also gives your company a great backlink for your SEO campaign. One thing to keep in mind is to read the terms and agreement carefully because Wikipedia really has stringent requirements to prevent promoting and spam.

Being in the Phoenix web design industry these are the top 5 Social Media site for your business. However there are a bunch more social media websites that can have a positive impact on your business but for every Social Media page you add to your business the more time that you have to update them.

4 Ways To Drive Traffic To Your Website

A website with no traffic going to it is worthless. You can create a website that looks and works exactly like Facebook but it doesn't make your website worth as much as Facebook is currently worth. Why is this? Because Facebook has over nine hundred million users and unless your website has somewhere close to that your website won't be worth near the amount that Facebook is worth. Now I know that this is an extreme example but I am wanting to show you the importance of getting visitors to your website. So how do you get visitors to your website? I am going to share some tricks that I have learned over the time I have worked for HireAWiz which a Scottsdale web design company.

1. Become an expert - Whatever it is that your website is marketing make sure you are an expert. You want people to come to your website when they are looking for answers about that particular subject. HireAWiz for example is an expert on custom Scottsdale web design, mobile apps, SEO, Social Media Marketing among other things. Our clients will come to us when they have questions regarding these topics.
   
2. Pay Per Click - Pay per click is a great way to drive instant traffic to your website. You can control your budget and only pay for the people that click on your ad and visits your website.
   
3. Social Media- With so many people having Social Media accounts this a great way to drive traffic to your account. You will need to be creative and get people engaged but if you can do this you will notice the traffic to your website sky rocket. The  benefits to this are two fold as this will also help you with SEO which is our next suggestion.
   
4. SEO - Being ranked on top of Google or Bing's search engines for relevant keywords can bring your website a lot of traffic and good news, you won't have to pay for every click like you do with Pay Per Click.
   

You can see how important traffic is to your website and hopefully these tips will help you begin driving traffic to your website. Remember having a custom Scottsdale web design is extremely important as well because if you begin getting traffic to your website you will want the website to convert the visitor to a customer. In a world where people have a hard trusting websites you need to be and look as professional positive to ensure them that your website is a safe and secure place to do business.

Whether you have a blog for your business in order to help with your SEO, your blog is a source of income, or you blog for fun there are some things you can do to make your blog much more effective. There are thousands of blogs about Phoenix web design alone so what is it that sets the great blogs apart from the average and bad blogs? As blogs have become more popular the competition is fierce that is why you must make your blog as optimized as possible.

1. Great content - Many bloggers think they are helping there blog but are actually making a mistake by writing their blog more for search engines rather than for their readers. Nobody wants to go to a blog and read a blog that is unnecessarily stuffed with random keywords. You must write a blog that is both attention grabbing and makes sense to the reader.
   
2. Images -Many bloggers think that by adding images it adds to the appeal of their blogs and they are right in a sense. However you must be smart with the images on your blogs. They must be placed properly and should be images that make sense. You don't want to write a blog about Phoenix web design and then place an image of your favorite football team in it. This doesn't make sense and will leave your readers scratching their heads.
   
3. Titles - A title is the first thing that the reader is going to see and is likely to decide if they want to read the article or not. Try giving your blogs eye-catching titles. This will be something you can experiment with and see how you can get the best response. Remember to make sure the title still describes what the blog is about though.
   
4. Social Media - You must advertise your blog and let them know that it is out there to be read. One of the best place to do this is via social media. Start sharing your blogs on your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts.
   
5. Website - Make sure that the website's look and feel is professional. People don't want to go to a blog that looks like a high school kid created it. Having a bad website can make your blog less credible.
   

Having a blog is extremely competitive that is why you must do the things you have control over great. Find a subject that you are passionate about and begin writing blogs. Do know that their are thousands if not millions of other people writing blogs about the same thing that you are so think outside the box and be creative.

Is an eCommerce Website Cheaper Than a Store Front?

Are you looking at starting a business? If you are then one option that you have probably looked into is creating an eCommerce business. Now an eCommerce website can appear expensive and can scare people off but when you compare it to the idea of renting out a store front then an eCommerce business doesn't only give you some major advantages over your store front competitors but also is the more cost effective way to go. I know you may have been quoted over $10,000 depending upon the complexity of the website you were looking at building but I am here to tell you even if you were quoted $50,000 you would still be getting a steal compared to your local store front.

To make my point even stronger I am going to use some fairly conservative numbers. Because we are a Phoenix web design company we are going to use store front spaces to rent in Phoenix, AZ.  Now lets say you need a fairly small place of 700 square feet and some of the cheaper costs I have found is $8.00 per square foot per month. At this rate you would be paying $5,600 per month to rent out your space. We will add in utilities, insurance and all other miscellaneous costs and we will say you would be paying a very conservative $6,500.  That will bring your cost up to $78,000 a year that you will be paying that on a yearly basis. Now you see how even a $50,000 website doesn't look so bad?

You can get a pretty amazing eCommerce site for $50,000 you will likely spend somewhere between $3,500 and $10,000 for an eCommerce site and this makes your start up costs much cheaper by choosing an eCommerce business rather than a store front. There are many other reasons to go with an eCommerce solution such as being able to reach a much broader market and the number of people you can market too.
Hireawiz is a Phoenix web design company that would be happy to discuss with you in detail a solution that would work for you business. Our goal is to see your company succeed and hopefully you will use us as your business because more successful.