latest news – Page 3

Measuring Advertising Results

When measuring the results of advertising, not all marketing efforts get credit since results are not always measurable. Sometimes the smallest understated touch points affect a consumer the most on the path to purchase.

We found you online.
The internet is today’s Yellow Pages – it’s where consumers go when ready to make a purchase, so it often gets all the credit for making the sale.

Customers who “find you online” are likely influenced by other marketing factors first, so resist investing all of your marketing dollars online.
Other influences result in the name of a company/product/service “jumping out” to the consumer searching for information.

It takes five touch points to internalize a marketing message.
Cultivating awareness takes approximately five touch points – the interactions between your audience and raising awareness of a company/product/service:

These touch points can include any combination of media: direct mail, company sign, TV, business card, radio, newspaper, Chamber of Commerce literature, place-based network (ex.: gas station, DMV, elevator), word-of-mouth, etc.
The key is that none of these can work on their own. A “media mix” delivers the best results and internalizes a marketing message.

Trust your intuition.
Advertisers should re-examine measurability and not be afraid to use intuition. Although certain touch points do not always get proper credit for final “purchasing” activity, they are critical to getting the word out.

Source: Media Strategies Inc.

Clairemont Auto Care

Clairemont Auto Care Website

Clairemont Auto Care builds its reputation on exceptional customer service, integrity, and professionalism. Due to their stellar reputation in the community, we built their online reviews right in to their website to show everyone what quality customer care looks like, and to give other customers the chance to review them in one convenient location.

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Mobilegeddon- don’t let your website get left behind!

You may have heard the term mobilegeddon in the news. While not the most creative term, what the word is talking about is nonetheless something you should be concerned about as a small business owner. Essentially Google has altered their search algorithm to rank certain websites higher. Specifically, websites that dynamically change their appearance based on the device they are being viewed on – called respnsive design – are given priority in search results. If you haven’t designed your website to handle responsive design, it’s time to get moving! If you’re unsure of whether or not your site is ready for mobilegeddon, you can view your website on a phone or tablet and look for certain differences. Does the site appear exactly the same on all devices? It shouldn’t. Tablet and mobile devices should get a different site that is formatted for easier reading at smaller sizes. Side bars, widgets, menus, etc. typically will be removed or incorporated in a differnt way, perhaps as an extension of a single column. If this seems a bit confusing, you can use Google’s site evaluation tool for responsive design. Simply go to https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/ and then in the URL box type in your website. Google will tell you if you’re ready or not. For further reading, we recommend this this article explaining of what is happening. If you’re unsure of where to start to get your website ready for mobilegeddon, why not contact us? We can help get your site on the right track to being ready for mobilegeddon… and anything else that might impact your site!

What is SEO? I keep hearing this term, why do I need it?

Well, if you’re one of Growth Spark Media’s clients, you don’t need SEO because we do it all for you! But for those inclined to learn more about what it is and why it’s important, there’s a great beginner’s guide to the subject on Moz. Granted, Moz is ultimately trying to sell you their products, but the guide is a very good one regardless. Check it out and see a small piece of what Growth Spark Media does for you as a client!
http://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo

Don’t get lost in a sea of average businesses. Stand out. Get found.

Get found. That’s the first step of making your business successful online. The competition to be found on search engines gets tougher every day, but not to worry- we’re here to make sure you get found easily, above your competition. Potential customers trust businesses whose web presence reflects their professionalism and vision. However, we know not everyone has the time to learn about modern web design, SEO, online presence, or even maintain a website. You’re trying to run a successful business, which is a very full-time endeavor. That’s where Growth Spark Media comes in. We create and manage your entire presence online so new customers can find you quickly and easily… and when they do find you, what they’ll see is modern, elegant and professional- reassuring them of your business.

Make sure you’re delivering a product that gets high marks from your customers. Get focused.

Getting found easily online is only the beginning of a successful Internet presence. Once you’re found, potential customers have to like what they find. The best way to do this is actually quite simple- and probably something you’re doing already. Just deliver the best product or service you can, earning high marks from your customers. If your customers like you, our program can take that and turn it into a powerful online reputation. We do all the work, you just encourage your customers to review your business online. Using this we can boost your rankings, search engine results, and most importantly your online reputation. Word of mouth can work for some people, but online reputation can often play a much bigger role in driving the awareness and trust of your product. So, make sure you’re delivering a product or service that will satisfy your customers. Get focused!

Turn satisfied customers into your own loyal army online. Get followers.

When a customer likes a product or service, they are often very loyal. This is great for repeat customers, but you may be missing out on the other advantage of having satisfied customers. Word of mouth can become extremely amplified on social media. We’ll help you turn your customers into a loyal army online, telling others about how great your product is. New customers try out your product, like it, follow you online, and the cycle continues to get followers.

You’ve gotten found, you’ve gotten focused, and you’ve gotten followers. Now get growing!

Get found. Get focused. Get followers. These steps make up the spark in Growth Spark Media. We’ve helped you get this far, but now it’s up to you to take the business to the next level! However high you’re reaching, Growth Spark Media can handle the online presence management from site to search, so you know you’ll always have that covered. Now, get growing!