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Should you Redesign your Website in 2023?

Posted on by Roger Licup

Should you Redesign your Website in 2023?

It’s not always easy to know if the time has come to redesign your website. Many business owners feel that as long as the site is getting a reasonable amount of traffic and generating sales, they should leave it alone. The reality is that sometimes the traffic slowly decreases, and the owner doesn’t know it. It’s also likely that an older website isn’t attracting new, potential customers, which means the business is relying on a current customer base that could already be in a dwindling phase.

Here are some unmistakable signs that your website is in need of a facelift.

It’s Not Performing Well on Mobile Devices

Most of your customers use mobile devices when using the internet. If your website doesn’t load quickly and smoothly onto the mobile device, the visitor will back scroll and visit the competition’s mobile-friendly website.

Content Updates are Getting Increasingly Difficult

While websites have evolved a great deal, the one thing that hasn’t changed is the fact that content is king. You need fresh and interesting content to hold your customer’s attention and to make sure your website enjoys a high search engine rating.

The problem is that as your website gets older, content becomes harder to update. A very simple web design project will equip your website with the new or updated tools needed to quickly load fresh content onto your website.

Your SEO Could be Better

Have you checked your search engine ranking recently? Is your website still appearing on the first page for all of your keywords? If it’s not, there’s a chance that the problem isn’t your content. It could actually be that your website simply isn’t equipped with the newest things the web crawlers look for when ranking a website. A quick and easy web redesign project will help restore your site to its previous high rankings.

You’re Not Keeping Up With the Competition

Take a look at a few of your direct competitors’ websites. How does yours match up? While you don’t want your website to be a carbon copy of theirs, you also don’t want your website to feel like a vintage example of how things were once done.

Have you decided it’s time to revamp your website? Contact us and learn how easy and effective upgrading can be!

Top Website Design Factors for 2023

Posted on by Roger Licup

Top Website Design Factors for 2023

You already know exactly how important your website is to the average customer. If your landing page doesn’t catch their attention in just a few seconds, they will move on to your competitor’s site.

While most business owners have gotten good about making sure they have an appealing website when they first launch their business, they tend to drop the ball when it comes to updating their website. It doesn’t take long before the website develops a dated appearance.

Make 2023 the year that you dedicate a portion of your resources to updating your website. Before you start, take some time to familiarize yourself with this year’s top website design trends.

Get Rid of the Stock Images

Gone are the days when you could post a few generic stock photos on your website and call it good. In 2023, your customers want to feel an instant connection to your web-based business. Custom images are one of the simplest and most effective means of doing this.

Customer photos and illustrations that are both high quality and very symbolic of your business not only give your web-based business a unique vibe your customers instantly respond to, but they also help you cement your brand.

If you’re going with photos, you should consider hiring a photographer who not only takes amazing photos and can create a custom portfolio of images for you to use but also understands the type of photos that generate the best response when incorporated into a website.

If you’re interested in adding some illustrations to your website, consider visually stimulating ones that can include:

  • Gradient changing illustrations
  • 3D designs
  • Layered graphics

Explore Parallax Scrolling

Parallax scrolling is one of 2023’s hottest webdesign trends. Not familiar with the term. Parallax scrolling is a technique currently being used in web design that allows the background to move at a slower rate of speed than the foreground images. This gives the entire page a cool, three-dimensional appearance. Until recently, parallax scrolling was most commonly used in game design, but more companies are embracing it and incorporating it in their 2023 web redesign projects.

Time to Start Creating Grids

Over the past couple of years, grids have become a bigger part of modern web design, and it looks like the trend will continue in 2023. If you’re not already using a CSS Grid Layout, now that you’ve decided to give your website a facelift, the grid is something to seriously consider.

The advantages of using a grid in your web design include the following:

  • A pleasingly clean aesthetic
  • Better complex responsive web design
  • Better compatibility with all browsers
  • Improved layout options

Feel free to contact us at 209-521-4748 for more information about 2023 web design trends that will help your website pop.

Is Video Marketing Important? | Modesto Video & Media Marketing

Posted on by Roger Licup

Video marketing takes time and requires resources that aren’t always readily available to people. These two things make some business owners question whether video marketing is something they should really invest in.
The short answer is yes.

Video marketing is an investment that will ultimately pay off in a major way. According to data collected by Image Works, 55% of marketers who included videos in their email marketing campaigns experienced a higher click-through rate. The numbers go even higher when the videos are used in social media marketing programs.

The good news is that as long as you stick to a few simple tricks. Video marketing isn’t difficult and it will quickly generate a high return on your investment. All you have to do is follow a few basic tips.

Invest in good video equipment. Posting a grainy, dark video with poor sound quality is worse than posting no video at all. Not only should you invest in a video camera or smartphone camera that takes high-quality images, but you should also make sure you have a good light source and a high-quality microphone. Yes, these can seem expensive when you purchase them, but the good videos will quickly pay for the equipment. Plus, as long as you take care of this equipment, it will last a long time.

Know exactly what you want to do with the video. Before you start shooting, know what the goal of the video is and create a script that allows you to get to the point quickly. Keep your video content condensed and to the point, the same way you would if you were creating a blog post.

Keep things short. Customers don’t want to spend an hour watching a promotional video. They’re busy. They have other things to do. Keep your videos as short as possible. If you find that the content requires a longer video, break it into sections and post each separate video as a different part. Edit the different sections in a manner that the viewer feels compelled to click on the next part. Make sure you link all the video parts.

Create some buzz around your video marketing campaign. If you have an exciting new product launch or think you’ve created a video your followers will love, don’t be afraid to hype it. Create short little teaser videos and post those.

Don’t be afraid to ask your followers to help you generate video content for you. Encourage them to create videos with your products, post them on their social media page, and tag your business in the videos. Not only is this create valuable content and improve your business’s visibility, but it can also serve as an inspiration for future videos that you want to create!

What All Successful Video Marketing Programs Share

Posted on by Roger Licup

Videos have taken the marketing world by storm and it’s easy to understand why. There are several reasons why video marketing is so successful.

  • People can watch videos out of the corner of their eye while they do other things, like clean the house and work on the computer
  • Videos allow out to really demonstrate how a product works and how it could improve the average consumer’s life
  • Videos can be short, informative, and entertaining
  • Videos are easy to share.

While there’s no denying that a successful video marketing program can take just about any business to the next level, it’s also impossible to ignore that not all video marketing programs are created equal. Some are considerably more effective than others.

When you observe a few successful video marketing programs, you’ll notice that they have a few things in common.

Videos are Routinely Posted

Businesses that are good at video marketing know that they have to routinely update their content. The ones that are really serious about developing a profitable video marketing program create a calendar that shows all the dates that they want to post fresh video content. Not only does the calendar help them to stay on track, but they can also use it to figure out when each aspect of their next video needs to be started and when they must finish it.

The Videos Stay on Point

Good marketing videos are the ones that have a clear goal. The producers don’t try to fit lots of additional information into the video. The video has a clear purpose. It’s better to divide a large video into much smaller, concise videos than to post one long video that frequently hops from one topic to another.

Good Call to Action

Individuals who have put together a solid video marketing program understand the value of a good call to action. They never post a video that doesn’t have one. Not only should your videos have a distinct call to action, but they should also be a natural part of your sales funnel.

The Videos are High Quality

Posting high-quality and effective marketing videos isn’t difficult. You don’t need expensive recording equipment. You do need something that takes a clear video, a good light source, and a quiet location. If your video is dark, shaky, or full of loud background noise, you’ll lose both viewers and potential customers.

Do you think your video marketing program needs an overhaul but aren’t sure what to expect? Contact us today! We can’t wait to help you out!

What Every Start-Up Business Owner Needs to Know About Digital Marketing

Posted on by Roger Licup

What Every Start-Up Business Owner Needs to Know About Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing

Getting a start-up up and running isn’t easy. It’s not uncommon for a person to get so involved with the process of developing their business idea, turning their vision into reality, and acquiring the financial backing they require to forget about things they’ll need down the road, like a good digital marketing plan. The fact that start-ups require a slightly different digital marketing plan than an already established brand with a solid customer base makes creating a successful marketing program more challenging.

First, if you’re the creator of a start-up that suddenly realized you haven’t done a thing to promote your enterprise, it’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up. It happens. The good news is that it’s never too late to create and utilize a digital marketing plan.

Second, get to know exactly what it takes to successfully use digital marketing to promote a start-up.

Nail Down Your Brand

You can’t expect to launch a successful digital marketing program for your start-up if you don’t already have a good idea of what your brand is. The aspects of creating a successful brand include:

  • Decide what kind of vibe you want to project
  • Choose a few suitable colors that will be incorporated into all of your branding material
  • Create a unique, eye-catching logo that matches your industry and start-up’s personality
  • Design a website that helps drive home your brand. The colors, wording, images, etc. should all be on brand.

Start Creating Website Material

Now that you’ve started to figure out your brand, it’s time to turn your attention to the next phase of digital marketing: the website. Not only does your website need to reflect your brand, but it also has to appeal to your target market. Fill it with content that your target market will find interesting.

  • Don’t forget to blend some SEO-friendly key phrases into your content.
  • Resist the urge to make all your content into a sales pitch
  • Create a schedule for uploading new content
  • Include a solid call to action with all of your content
  • Remember that short blocks of content are more effective than long blocks of text

Combine Digital Marketing Ideas

There was a time when you could focus all of your marketing resources on one platform and use just one or two forms of marketing but those days have passed. These days, it’s important to spread yourself out and promote your start-up through a lot of different channels.

  • Don’t forget to use:
  • Influencers
  • Video Marketing
  • Several different social media platforms
  • Pay-per-view marketing
  • Referral marketing
  • And more

How are you handling your start-up’s digital marketing needs? Do you need help or simply want to see if there’s a more efficient way you could be using digital marketing to promote your start-up? Feel free to contact us for suggestions.

Does Your Successful Business Need Social Media Marketing?

Posted on by Roger Licup

Does Your Successful Business Really Need Social Media Marketing?

social media marketing modesto

If you thought that because it’s 2022 and you’ve managed to create a successful business, you can grow lax on your social media marketing, it’s time to think again. Rest assured, there is another business currently sitting out there, waiting for you to drop the ball on your social media marketing so that they can swoop in and steal all of your loyal customers.

Social Media Marketing is an Excellent Way to Showcase your Business’s Customer Service Skills

Yes, we just said that you can’t get lazy with your social media marketing, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep creating promotional posts. Make 2022 the year that you turn your social media accounts into a customer service extravaganza. Encourage your customers to use their social media accounts to share stories about your business. When they do, reply to those posts. Not only does this help boost your business’s visibility, but it also provides you with the means to connect with your customers.

You should also use your social media accounts to respond to questions and concerns your customers discuss. This is a great opportunity to show how your business is really connected to your customers, and how you’re willing to make adjustments to your program and identify and correct holes in your customer experience.

Focus on Developing Authenticity

Instead of dedicating your social media marketing program to promotional and brand recognition posts, your accounts develop authenticity. Create posts that show your product out in the real world. Encourage your customers to create short video snippets of your products and tag you in the posts. Explore alternative ways to use your products. Not only does this type of marketing program help create brand authenticity, but it also creates outside recommendations that studies show are more effective than company-led promotions.

Explore Other Social Media Platforms

Now that your business is successful and you’ve gotten a handle on how to best utilize your current social media platforms, use 2022 to explore other platforms that you’re not as familiar with. Not only does this provide you with a way to revitalize and reuse some of your old marketing material, but you’re also putting yourself in a position where you can easily adapt to any new marketing trends and platforms that come along in 2023.

What are you doing to keep your social media marketing interesting for your established and successful business?

Tips for Creating a Brand for your New Business in Stockton

Posted on by Roger Licup

The problem that many business owners just like yourself run into is that they don’t know what steps should be taken to create the strong brand they envision.

The good news is that there are some things you can do to help you learn what makes a good brand image.

Take a Look at Your Competition

No, you don’t want your brand to be just like that of your competition. When all is said and done, you’re going to want your business to stand out, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t turn to the competition when it’s time to start branding your own business.

Look for common themes that each of your competitors has incorporated into their branding. The reason these themes are common is that your target market identifies with them. You’re going to want to build your own brand around these themes. Once you have mastered the theme for your industry, you should be able to build your brand around it until you have something that’s both unique and effective.

Know Exactly What you’re Business’s Value, Purpose, and Definition Are

When creating a brand for your up-and-coming business, make sure you can easily identify what your company’s purpose is, what industry it suits, and what values you plan on breathing into it. Once you know this, you can use words that reflect your business’s purpose, values, and definition in every piece of marketing and branding material you create.

Consistency, Consistency, Consistency

Take a few minutes to look at the companies within your industry that have crashed and burned. In many cases, the reason the company failed was that they weren’t consistent with their brand, especially as they started spreading out across various social media channels. Instead of simply making random posts, treat every single piece of material you place on your social media accounts as a tiny piece of your brand. Make sure each post, tweet, and image connect back to your business. This can be done using keywords, colors, and images.

A Professional Touch Never Hurts

If you’ve done as much branding research as you can stand, and still aren’t sure how to brand your up-and-coming business, it’s time to talk to the professionals. We have the experience and resources needed to help you build a brand that will resonate with your target market and withstand the test of time.

Should You Revamp your Brand? | Tracy Branding Services

Posted on by Roger Licup

Should You Revamp your Brand? | Tracy Branding Services

tracy branding services

You invested a lot of time, energy, resources, and love into the brand that defines your business. You’ve grown attached to your brand and hate the idea of saying goodbye to it almost as much as you hate the idea of starting all over.

While it’s easy to understand why you don’t want to embark on a rebranding adventure, there are times when discarding your current brand and coming up with something different is in the best interest of your business.

Not sure if revamping is the right move for you to make? Here are a few suggestions that might help you decide.

Does Your Brand and Your Vision Still Harmonize?

One of the reasons you selected your original branding concept was because you felt it was a perfect reflection of your business. The problem is that ideas, businesses, and visions evolve. Brands don’t always do the same. Take a good hard look at your current branding and ask yourself if it still harmonizes with the vision you have for your business’s future.

In addition to exploring how you currently feel about your business and brand, take a look at what you think will happen in the future. Based on industry predictors are you going to need to do a major overhaul of your business in order to keep up with the competition? If you see big changes in your business’s future, not is a good time to consider a brand revamp.

Are you Still Proud of Your Current Brand?

Do you still take a great deal of pride when you talk about your brand, or do you find you’re reluctant to bring it up? Does it feel silly? Dated? No longer reflective of your business? If you can honestly say that you’re as in love with your brand today as you were when you first developed it, it’s fine to keep going the way you are. If you answered no to those questions, it might be time to contact us and discuss either a complete brand revamp or tweaking a few things that have started bothering you.

Are you Still Using the Same Business Model?

Compare your current business model with the one you used when you first branded your business. The odds are pretty good that you had to tweak your business model to accommodate rapid market shifts and changes in your customer base. If your business model has made significant changes, it’s likely that it’s no longer in synch with your brand.

Digital Branding Tips That Benefit Startups

Posted on by Roger Licup

Digital Branding Tips That Benefit Startups

fresno-branding-agency

Creating a startup is exciting. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity to follow your passion, potentially see a business grow into something huge, and create something you’ll always be proud of. No matter what industry your start-up is part of or how or large/small it is, it will benefit from digital branding. Now is the best time to get your digital branding in order.

Reasons you need to already be working on digital branding for your startup include:

  • It gives you a leg up on your competition
  • It helps you focus
  • You can use it to build a successful marketing campaign and generate early excitement
  • Digital branding can actually improve your understanding of your target market, making it easier to connect with the perfect customers
  • Early digital branding saves you both time and money and lays the groundwork for a successful ROI

Have a Plan of Attack

When you turn your attention to digital branding for your startup, you need to have a strong strategy. 2022 promises to be a competitive year. If your startup is going to survive, you can’t afford to waste any resources on a poorly executed brand.

Start out by putting together a content plan that will generate solid SEO results and reflects your brand. Develop your content early and create a release plan so that you’re constantly posting new content that boosts your search engine ranking and gives your customers a reason to continually visit your website. Every few months, check Google and other major search engines and see if they are making changes that will impact your SEO strategy.

Get Analytical

2022 is shaping up to be the year when data-driven analytics drives search engine results. You need to sit down and come up with data that appeals to your customers and will keep your search engine results high. The best way to do this is by creating a marketing profile, and getting analytical data on your consumer base and their habits. Use this data to start creating and ultimately promoting your brand.

Don’t Be Afraid to Stand Out

Don’t fall into the trap of mimicking your competition’s branding. Yes, you can look at what they’re doing and use it as a kind of blueprint for your own digital marketing plan, but don’t try to mimic it completely. Consumers not only respond to creativity but having a digital branding plan that’s a little different makes you memorable.

Know Your Target Market

2022 is competitive. Consumers are working with limited time and financial reserves. They don’t have time to deal with products/services that don’t interest them. Spending money on a consumer expert who can create a detailed profile of your target market is money well spent. You can use their report to streamline your content, your PPC, and your social media efforts so that you only attract high-value visitors who are highly likely to make a purchase from your startup.

Contact us and learn how we can help your startup grow with a solid digital branding platform.

Start-Ups and Web Design

Posted on by Roger Licup

It’s no secret that a good website is one of the most important marketing tools a business has at its disposal. It’s even more important that start-ups have an outstanding website.

  • Start-ups in a variety of industries rely on their websites to:
  • Start establishing a brand message
  • Provide detailed information about your business, your goal, and how investors can get involved
  • Share your start-up’s story
  • Help create target-driven traffic
  • The website is a relatively low-cost form of marketing

Considering the overall impact your website has on the current and future success of your website, you can’t afford to be casual with your web design. Several things need to be incorporated into your website to ensure maximum impact.

Intuitive Navigation

Not everyone who visits your start-up’s website will be after the same information. Investors are looking for different things than the members of your target market. Intuitive navigation ensures that every visitor can quickly and easily access the information they’re looking for and not have to shift through a bunch of content they’re not interested in.

The Design Must be Mobile Friendly

Each year, the general population is relying more on their mobile devices, particularly smartphones. Your website must load quickly and accurately on phones, which means it has to be mobile-friendly. Designing a mobile-friendly website means using a navigation system that’s easy to read and utilize despite the smaller screen, making sure the pages load quickly and formatting the content so that the viewer can simply scroll down and not make much effort to read the pertinent content.

Strong Brand Identity

One of the hardest things many start-ups struggle with is creating a website that generates a strong brand identity. A website that reflects brand identity is even more important for start-ups than established businesses because the brand identity is most likely the only thing the members of your target market will notice.

Your start-up website needs to;

  • Reflect your industry
  • Create a visceral reaction in visitors
  • Be consistent across different platforms
  • Be instantly recognizable
  • Be reflected on every single webpage

Strong Call-To-Action

Your website needs to feature a strong call to action that inspires visitors to perform the desired action. Exactly what this action does depends on your short-term goals. Some start-ups want visitors to sign up for a mailing list, others invite people to jump into a sales funnel, others want a specific piece of content to be looked at, while other start-ups seek investment inquiries.

The Website must be Visually Appealing

The website’s design has to be subtle, consistent, and visually appealing. It also has to make an outstanding first impression. If the website is cluttered, has cumbersome blocks of text, or is just badly laid out, your visitors will move onto a different website without reading a single line of your posted content.

Contact us today and learn how we’ll help you create a website that will turn your start-up into an industry superstar.

 

MHD Group provides results driven solutions that elevate brand awareness above the competition, motivate buyers and ensure customer loyalty by effectively integrating branding strategy, graphic and web design, marketing, digital media and public relations.