Google & Facebook Advertising

Hi all,

We are really busy leading up to Christmas which is not something any of us expected, in some ways we were looking forward to a relaxing wind down of a turbulent year for some of our clients and us to a lesser degree. Being honest we are in the right type of business because even though we have faced and are facing tough ecconomic times the online World is buzzing more than ever.

The topic I would like to talk about today is Google Ad Words and Facebook ads, both very different but together can boost profits. The trick as always is in your preparation of the advertising and the whole campaign from impression, click to order to email.

Google:

Google is very much about finding the search terms that pay, if you advertise on too a generic term like say “printer” as you sell printers then you will get click from those searching for inks, parts, servicing, reviews and others who are not interested in what you offer. This will cost you a lot of money and more than likely lead to a wasteful unsuccessful campaign. You need to use longer search terms that will reduce volumes of people searching but those that do use the search term are more likely to be interested in what you do. It is much better to have quality over quantity in Google.

For example if you sell HP printers then effective search terms could be “HP printer best prices” or “HP colour printer prices”. For our clients we use the Google keyword Tool and others to work out where the most cost effective traffic will be for our client, the holy grail is finding relatively low competition search terms but well targeted leading to low click costs but good conversion results!

Your advert needs to have a call to action, it needs to make the potential customer click. We always set up a good few adverts to see which adverts performs the best. Anyone with a little experience will think this is obvious but we have seen many trying to take short cuts or thinking they somehow know the best thing to say!

PLEASE BE AWARE:

Many of our clients have been contacted by Companies on the phone saying they can guarantee getting them on the first page of Google. They make a big thing about and say they can do it for only 60 – 120 pounds a month. I have to explain to my clients that it is not good and here is the reason why:

“They are talking about Google Ad Words because Organic results can not be guaranteed, what they do is quite simple, get you near the top for the first few weeks which will cost them at least some of the money you give them. Then they drop you down to position 6-8 on the right hand side, still on page 1 of Google like they said they would. Only now the month advertising is costing them less than half of what they charge you. What a great money earner. You will be lucky to recoup your money back.”

This was confirmed when I went and gained a new client who had a 100 a month fee paid monthly for 5 search terms, we both checked over several days and his listing didn’t even come up! A waste of money – DONT DO IT!

Get in touch with a Company who knows what they are doing, someone who can meet you.

Facebook:

Facebook is different as you do not target specific search terms from people searching, you are targeting geolocation, age, gender and other options you find in Facebook. This means you are advertising to people like an electronic bill board on one of the most popular social networking sites in the World.

The way you advertise is different from Google and should be treated as such for example lets say you offer training for a new career. In Google you would find good search terms and base your adverts text around those search terms. In Facebook you can promote “start a new career” or “Want a new career?” – You also have an image you can upload in Facebook which should be designed professionally. Visual impact counts.

You can also use Facebook advertising to promote your facebook page, increase your social media presence, although we recommend you start by gaining business first.

Using both facebook and Google ads together can be a powerful online advertising & marketing medium. You have researched both and constructed variations of Ads, both provide a good click volume with users spending at least some time on your website. Job done?

No

Your landing page must try to capture the person who has clicked (thanks Michael), showing them exactly what they want. For example if you get a click from someone looking to buy a HP printer (everything about your ad has lead to a high probability of this) then the page they come to must show them the HP printer they were looking for or the type of printers they will be interested in, for example if they searched colour your landing page should only show colour printer options. Do not kid yourself people will spend lots of time trying to find what they want from your home page!

So here is a little crib sheet you should always think about when using Google or Facebook advertising:

1. What is your advertising aim (sell, promote get emails?)
2. What cost is acceptable to gain 1 x your focus (e.g. you would pay more per conversion for higher valued sales)
3. What is your initial budget for a campaign (normally per day)
4. Google – list and research search terms to find search terms that get results
5. Facebook – write down your target audience (using Facebook profile info as a guideline)
6. Setup both campaigns using your researched information (check other ads)
7. Create a minimum of 4 ad variations – 10 is better!
8. Facebook get a professional creative ad designed
9. Create or get your web designers to create  a landing page specifically for your adverts (one for Google & one for Facebook)
10. Have an incentive, discount code so you know if from Google or Facebook
11. Make sure your landing pages are focused on your aim (at the begining)
12. Get a few people to check out the process before going live to proof to make sure you are happy you have done all you can
13. Make your campaigns live

If in doubt always get a professional in, we for example set up the campaigns for our clients, doing the research, ad text, ad images and the landing pages. We then instruct the client on what we do how we do it and provide some training. This then empowers our clients to understand better what is involved and to get involved themselves.

Our web page on Google Ad Words and Pay per Click

I welcome any comments below especially from any one else who has good experience with Google Ad Words and Facebook and would to share some other useful info!

Thanks for reading

Realistic goals of SEO and your web design

Hi all,

Has been a great day for taking pictures and video clips for one of our clients in Cheltenham, we have been waiting for a great day and today was that day.

Just a quick blog about SEO and the realistic goals you should set for your website, there is nothing more frustrating that a potential client saying

“Another Company said they can get me on the first page of Google search for ****** ******** keywords within a month.”

Really?

In my experience in SEO which is pretty reasonable I would say the chances of a Company employing “white hat” ethical techniques to your website suddenly on the front page above all the other well established websites is very remote. The only way I can see this happening is either the competition is extremely weak for those keywords, they mean Google maps or pay per click advertising.

From our point of view at AS Design…..

We say that medium competitive marketplaces on-line take on average between 3-6 months to start showing on the first or second page of Google for your chosen keywords when done correctly & locally. Very highly competitive keyword and keyword phrases are probably better left alone, there are less competitive keyword phrases to go for. For example if the most popular keyword phrase shows 50,000 times a month in searching and the listings are dominated by aged aggressive SEO websites then your chance in beating them is very costly and time consuming, not impossible but expensive! You would be much better off finding a keyword phrase that gets say 3000 hits a month and the competition is a lot less.

Lets face it 100 clicks out of 3000 hits is much better than no clicks out of 50,000!

So you must understand where and how your website is going to tackle your marketplace.

Realistic goals, well you must look at a website as a medium to long term business activity, it is not a quick fix (of course pay per click can give quick results but still requires time and the right keyword density) nor a flash in the pan idea. The internet is HUGE business, it is where many people now search for services and products, it is a great way to get reviews and information. You need to carve out your Organisations online presence and maintain it for success. Look at 12 months to gauge your success not 5 mins!

I work closely with my clients at AS Design and if I think a client is not taking the internet seriously or has the wrong expectations I honestly and diplomatically correct

hope everyones mOnday has been good.

Thanks

Adam
Webmaster

http://www.gloswebsitedesign.co.uk

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Reasons why building your own website is the wrong choice

If you can be bothered reading the post please play the short video clip!

You only have to search online for web design and you will come across many solutions for building your own website, these solutions come in many different forms from those where you pick designs and add text to slightly more complicated software giving you a feeling of tailored web design. The prices range from a “one off” £99 to £20 a month plus. Sounds good doesn’t it when experienced web designers charge £500 – £3000 for a website?

Let us explore the financial side, for arguments sake lets say you decide on a monthly service costing £35 a month, in a year you have paid £420 for a basic do-it-yourself website. Yell.com charge around £600 a year for a 2-3 page basic website. So you now have your wesbite live, great exactly how are people going to find your website? Do you expect people to find your website when searching? Does your website have user friendly navigation, SEO (search engine optimisation), statistics to let you understand how your website is performing and is the design you have picked the same on many other websites who have used the same service?

The truth is the internet is HUGE business, with 80-90% of home owners searching for local services online, Yellow Pages & Thompson Directories dying a death, internet advertising over taking all other forms, 80% of home having access to high speed broadband and the young generations living on-line how can you even consider designing your own website? Those of us who have learned and keep ourselves up to date with the ever changing Google, Yahoo & Bing know how difficult it can be to get our clients towards the top ranking in these search engines. A website is an investment and you should get an expert to create and maintain your online presence.

A few questions you should consider, do you know what is involved in SEO? Do you know what the top keywords are for your industry and what your current keyword density is in your website content? How have you named your different pages and what navigation have decided upon and how will the search engines such as Google see this navigation? have you submitted a sitemap?

If you have no idea what I am talking about and your so called “cheap” build your own website software does not answer these questions then you are wasting your time and money.

Be smart get a web master to do it professionally.

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Google makes changes

Hi all,

We have seen Google change the way searching is done over the last few months, we have noticed the testing at weekends and finally the new side options when searching. With Google still representing approx 80% of meaningful searches for products and services you can never ignore Google changes to searching. If you do you could see your website/online presence decrease and not even realise until you notice the negative impact on your business. What does the changes mean to you without being to nerdy or technical?

Well basically Google has started to give fresh content some meaning, new content will come up near the top, then when aged a few days will go back down the search engine rankings – having been judged on how popular web surfers have found it. This is a way of Google trying to get rid of that out of date info that plagues the searching and really it is a good thing for the users. We have been promoting Blogs & social media for sometime now and it is has just become more important than ever in keeping fresh relevant content to your business online. It is exactly what Blogs are designed for!!

We say dont let your online presence fade, keep your content up to date on your website, failing that get some kind of Blog going to help keep your content fresh and relevant.

Of course we can help with that www.gloswebsitedesign.co.uk

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Social Marketing

The concept of Social marketing is not new. People who would like to share the latest information that have come across in their network of friends or people whom they already know is termed as social marketing. The only aspect it differs from the ordinary marketing concepts is that, social marketing is aimed at channels for promoting a product or service without concerning about the value. This means that it is a non-profit methodology that companies or individuals consider as per their personal interests. As there is no profit involved, the information can be circulated through various social networking websites as per the details a marketing strategy consists of.

One of the finest examples of social marketing is the campaigns that will be conducted on a regular basis to glorify the disadvantages of smoking. This has proved to be beneficial as larger volumes of surfers have come to know about the negative consequences of smoking. The factor that plays an important role is that how social marketing is done. If it is done through offline, then exemplary messages must be displayed that can remain in the minds of people for a longer period of time. Online media is powerful but will last for few moments. Hence, it must be utilised in an innovative manner with the inclusion of ideas and marketing methods.

Social marketing favours those people more who are in requirement of information. There are people who would like to contribute to social marketing websites in the form of articles and blogs. Taking the concept of marketing through social networking websites to the next level, proper networking is created by people among their known circle and by forming new contacts after some initial research. The involvement of corporates is being seen as a latest trend in the case of social networking and marketing. Glorification of an idea in the most appropriate form holds the key regarding the success of any social marketing campaign.

We Love Social Marketing!

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www.gloswebsitedesign.co.uk

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Internet Marketing

Marketing of goods and services through the Internet has given to a new way of marketing known as Internet Marketing. This concept of online marketing will work when a majority of the potential clients prefer to shop online. The efficient utilisation of media regarding the advertisement of goods and services is what marketing using the Internet as its communication channel is all about. It is implemented in an effective way through many different concepts. One of them is Search Engine Marketing, where products relevant to consumer’s search will be advertised. These are banner ads that will be displayed readily for which companies pay certain amount to the websites.

Search Engine Optimization

This is the most ethical way of promoting one’s own products and services. The strategy involves submission of articles on a regular basis to websites that keep a track of all the articles according to the category. Articles give useful information about a product such as its benefits, features and limitations. The quality of an article will be gauged upon the keywords used and their intensity. People who are involved with the task of search engine optimisation are named Search Engine Optimisers. Other factors that determine search engine optimisation are meta tags and descriptions.

Email Marketing

Even this concept is a cost effective solution offered to customers on a constant basis. It involves the circulation of emails to prospective clients who would like to go for the services offered by a specific company. The best advantage that any company can get through effective email marketing is that the products and services can be advertised in the best way without disturbing the privacy of a person. Also, the information can be produced in a comprehensive way that lets an end user have a glance at a company’s features in a lesser amount of time. The failure of email marketing is negligible when they are targeted at the right customers in a right time.

AS Web Design provide SEO and Email Marketing Services at Excellent Rates.

Head on over to and take a look!

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The Importance of Branding

Branding is the process of creating a unique identity to a product through which it can be readily identified. The importance of brand value has been realised by major companies long ago and they have benefitted the most with the evolution of Internet as a major channel for marketing and brand promotion. But why should this be the preserve of the large corporations? The same principles apply to businesses of any size. The process of branding is considered to be important for businesses and products. A company distinguishes itself from the rest of the crowd through the projection of its brand value.

Brand Awareness

The first thing that concerns involved parties is how to promote brand value. The process of creating brand awareness is a tactical one. People who are already associated with the similar field or people related to the field of advertisement know better on how to create awareness among the relevant channels. Because of the increase in the extent of brand importance, people are so oriented towards the concept of the brand that they are ready to shell out any amount of money owing to the brand value. At AS Design we can provide unique branding for a fraction of the price you would be expected to pay ordinarily.

Creation of a Brand

Of all the tasks that are involved with brands, the most crucial one is the creation of your brand. Businesses should want to create brand awareness to promote their brand and services, an appealing brand is necessary at every stage to ensure the highest levels of success. Most of the premium companies spend huge amounts in letting strategists control their brand in the belief that it will produce a deep impact. While creating brand, it is important for a person to know about the kind of fields that the company deals with. We believe that the only person who needs to control the direction of their branding is you, not a strategist or marketing man.

Brand Retention

Retaining the brand value is as important as that of its creation. There are instances wherein some companies gain huge profits with the mere exchange of brands. This is possible only in the case of those brands that have already established a proven among the customers. When a company retains a brand, the brand value will remain intact. Also, it gives a feeling of stability for the buying public consider that company to be reliable. Branding for a company or a product involves the creation of a logo, which is a small picture that relates to it in some or the other way. That simple visual cue, can have the biggest of impacts.

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Call Adam now on 07909 442819

The Power of Email Campaigns

The differing aspects that play a vital role in the successful execution of an email campaign are many. Innovative emails with produced using HTML templates that are customisable according to the requirements of you can prove to be worthy when they are combined with an effective campaign.

Scheduling Email Campaigns

The success of any email campaign depends upon the day and time when it is scheduled for release. Knowing the market allows email campaigns to be sent out at the optimal time for the largest number of opened emails. Send it at the wrong time, and most if not all will be ignored. Campaigns organised through emails enable you to keep in constant touch with potential and existing clients. The ideas involving effective marketing can be shared to a maximum extent between the involved parties. As the purpose of email campaigns are already defined, they save your time in explaining to the end user about its need. In fact, all the services and products that are on offer can be explained in a nutshell to the relevant people whom you are targetting.

Target Audience

The finer points of the success of an email campaign lies with the sole aspect of whom you are targetting your emails at. If you are concerned about business circles, your point should be made clear and in a concise manner. Listing the major features with which a customer is going to benefit could be highlighted through proper font size and style. In what other way can you reach so many potential clients at once without incurring massive costs?

Reaching Expectations

When campaigning, the major aim should be to exceed the expectations of a business or potential client. Soft denials can be expected in the case that a client is not interested. However, through email campaigns it is possible to reach a client which might otherwise never know of your existence. If you can meet or exceed the expectations of your contacts you will make an everlasting impact which could even fain you referral business.

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