SEO Checklist for 2015

“2015 is here - it’s going to be a big year for Digital. With the ever changing landscape of SEO we have created the 2015 SEO Checklist to help businesses to get their SEO Campaign 2015 ready!” It is highly recommended to download the infographics and follow it. We also need your comment to improve our research. So please download and check...

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The Importance of Pay Per Call in 2015

The movie Back to the Future gave us high expectations for technology in 2015, and although we haven’t yet seen flying cars or power laces, we are seeing rapid, ever-changing improvements in mobile technology, as well as a population that relies heavily on mobile technology for anything from organization, to communication, to planning where their next meal is going to be. With over 71% of the United States population relying on smartphones, pay per call marketing is a no brainer, and will continue to develop the landscape for performance based marketing in 2015.

Efficiency

Why is pay per call marketing an important advertising strategy for the New Year? It works. Pay per call marketing is incredibly effective in a mobile world because it matches the consumer to the most relevant results based on their search, most of which happens on mobile devices. If consumers are receiving relevant search results, a business’s ROI is bound to increase. And these results are measurable.  In fact, a study by Mobile Marketer suggests that a 70% of all mobile searches result in action within the first hour. We can compare this to other kinds of advertising, such as banner click through ads, which may reach a wider audience overall, but these results are not always relevant to what the consumer is looking for in the first place. Not to mention, Business Insider studies have shown that consumers have developed what is known as “banner blindness”, rendering most of these click through advertisements almost useless.

Cost Effectiveness

At the beginning of the year, most if not all businesses revamp their budgets, goals, and business strategies. This can mean lowered or more closely managed budgets but a continued need to see growth. The cost effectiveness of pay per call marketing in comparison to other advertising techniques is a fact that’s hard to combat. When looking at click based advertising, a single click would typically cost less than a single call. However, advertisers often forget that they have to pay for every click, which, aside from creating opportunities for click fraud, has the potential to be very costly with very low returns. At this point a quality versus quantity argument has to be evaluated, which ties into the next important factor (i.e. benefit) of pay per call marketing.

Quality

Pay per call ads are niche specific, meaning the consumer calling wants to know more about the search result, and as mentioned earlier, this creates high turnovers. If you find what you’re looking for right away, how much further are you going to search? Nearly every lead you receive is a quality lead with the potential for immediate ROI. Again, compare this to banner ads, which may or may not send you quality leads, though the quantity of visitors has the potential to be greater. Allison Morris explains that 8% of internet users account for 85% of clicks on display ads (and not all of those clicks are from humans).

In an ever continually expanding mobile oriented market, advertisers would be wise to adapt a marketing experience that benefits both the consumer and themselves. Pay per call advertising is an efficient and cost effective way to achieve maximum results while obtaining quality consumer leads. This form of advertising will only continue to expand as the population grows more dependent on their mobile technology. Essentially, pay per call might be the closest thing to flying cars advertisers will have in the year 2015. 

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How to write and maintain an effective blog

Blogging is all about expressing one’s personal ideas and views in his own way of writing. A person develops this style by himself. But to be successful in it, one needs to produce compelling and engaging content consistently. Writing a powerful and effective blog isn't easy and requires analyzing before penning your thoughts down. These few tips might come in handy for you to write an effective blog post.

Decide on a Topic

This is the first and foremost thing that you need to decide, the most crucial component of a blog. What are you writing about? Decide who you are writing for. Your target audience would decide on how effective your blog is. Once you have a target group in mind, start deciding on the topic. Your topic should be engaging enough for the readers to carry on reading, and that too, with interest. Think of a topic that has not been discussed about too often. You do not want your readers to roll their eyes at your topic. So, zero in on something that is unique.

Content is King

This is quite a cliché by now, don’t you think? But this tradition has its roots dug quite deep already and is very true. Your content should be appealing and powerful. You already know that your content cannot obviously be a copy and paste from the internet. It needs to be original. The most you can attempt is to take some reference from the internet and its vast resources, but never a duplicate. Choose a distinct topic, and you already win half the battle. Your content will be a detailed reflection of the topic. If you still wish to write about something that has been virtually talked about often, then think of a unique content. You could try a different aspect or a fresh and original perspective to go with your topic. Your content should not be redundant. Try facts that are recent. This would automatically make your content up to date. So summing it up, your content should be:

• Original
• Not repetitive at all
• Directly addressed to the reader. This makes the post interactive and, therefore, more engaging.
• Thoroughly researched and mistake-proof (I mean, correct, mostly)
• Clear and concise

Remember ‘less is more’. So, refrain from exaggerating.

Use Examples

Bring in a little life to your blog. Try examples. Real life examples are instrumental in breaking down complicated concepts and simplifying them for your readers. Give examples that the common people generally encounter frequently. Maneuver those to talk to them, surface that interest in them, or, if that is not applicable, build that interest. This is in your hands. Include case studies, surveys, and statistics. These appeal a lot to the readers. Relate all the difficult concepts that you have put forward with these examples. This would help to make your blog compelling.

Think of a Great Heading

A catchy heading would make your blog stand out among the rest. Think up a heading that would grab the reader’s attention while he is scrolling down and rejecting the blogs by just going through the title. Your title should be able to make him linger on it, so that he clicks it open. Now, if he opens it, half your battle is conquered. Your content will do the rest.

Another thing that you should keep in mind is that you can include sub-headings to separate your paragraphs. I’ll tell you why. It’s a busy world we live in. People are running around all the time and so are their eyes while going over your blog. Your readers might skip a few paragraphs if they find it too lengthy, but in doing that, they might miss out on a few points that you have covered right there. A sub-heading would help the reader understand your intention for every paragraph clearly. So, misinterpretation would not be a risk.

Try Using Bullet Points

Using bullet points or numbering your data systematically makes your content more engaging and pleasing to the eye. Thick paragraphs make it monotonous. Break them into smaller ones. Remember it’s all about making your blog more captivating.

Read and Re-read for Mistakes

A few stupid mistakes in a delightful blog post is a disappointing let down and you do not want that. Therefore, read what you write. Check for mistakes. But there is a shortcoming in this suggestion. If you read your content after writing, you are likely to miss out on a few mistakes. But you might not always find a proof-reader or an editor to go over your work. Try this. Keep your content down and finish your other works. Come back when you are done and go over the blog again. You are bound to find the mistakes this time. Trust me when I suggest this since it is a well tested procedure.

Keep the above guidelines in mind and follow your instincts. You are bound to get a whopping number of visits for your blog post. Remember to be dynamic and consistent all the way. 

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The Benefits of Using TLS/SSL on Your Website

Attached is the PDF, which defines what TLS and SSL encryption are and why encryption is beneficial. It also helps to debunk some of the reasons sites haven’t started using encryption yet, and how they are creating vulnerabilities for both themselves and their customers. We encourage you to use this information for save business.

Download PDF

If you are interested in learning more about TLS/SSL security, check out SingleHop.com. They are a cloud hosting company which offers a free security certificate with every purchase of their virtual private cloud. Their expertise helped create the PDF above to help keep others safe when surfing the web.

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How to Budget Your Business Expenses for 2015

Having a monthly budget for any business is essential. The sole purpose for having a budget is to measure goals and evaluate spending on advertising, outsourcing, or expansion plans. Having a budget dramatically reduces anxiety. Once the details have been worked out on paper, you will then know every single month where your money is going. There is no longer a need to borrow money from one account to pay another account. Creating a budget can be a little time-consuming, but it is worth it. It's a good idea to have vendor invoices and recent bank statements nearby when starting the process.

1. Identify Spending Categories. Evaluate where your money is going every month. Make a list of monthly expenses and categorize them. This list will vary by business size and type. By using your bank statements and invoices, you can accurately list expenses rather than relying on your memory. 

2. Estimate Expenditures. Now that your expense list is completed, a price will be assigned to each category. How much do you spend every month on a specific item? You may want to start off with expenses that are usually the same every month, such as rent and salaries.

Now, you can start working with expenses that vary from month to month such as utilities, office maintenance, office supplies, and sales commissions. Although you cannot predict future expenses, bills that vary every month can be totaled up for the last 12 months and then divided by 12. This will give you a good estimate for the year. 

There may also be some expenses that accrue infrequently, such as building repairs. These can be some very large expenses, so you may want to start budgeting for them now. For instance, if building maintenance was $3000 last year, you may want to budget the same amount or a little more for the upcoming year.

3. Track Spending. Keeping track of your expenses is not only important for tax purposes, but it also allows you to see where your money is going. Give yourself a couple of hours per week to enter your expenses in your accounting software, for this will make things easier for you in the long run. When paying bills or making large purchases, you may want to think about whether the services or products are necessary. Wanting something is completely different from needing something.

4. A Balanced Budget. Now that all of your numbers are in place, you can begin subtracting your expenses. Make sure that you are not spending more than you earn. If your expenses exceed your income, then you will need to cut back. If you have made every possible cut, then you will need to evaluate your business goals. How many sales are needed to balance the budget? How many additional clients do I need? How many products do I need to sell?

If you input your receipts in your accounting software on a daily basis, you will always be caught up. This is the best way of managing your money. Most of today's accounting programs allow you to budget expenses, so budgeting is not as difficult. By taking these steps, you will be well on your way to having a balanced budget. 

Aubrey Moulton is a writer for Nethosting.com. In her spare time, she loves to go hiking on local Utah trails and spend time reading.

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5 Tips for Choosing the Right Domain

The domain that you choose for your website will affect all of your future online marketing efforts. You can make things very easy or very hard on yourself in subsequent months simply by picking the right or the wrong domain name.

Below are a few ways to know that you are picking the right domain name for your online company.

Your name is short and easy to remember:

Remember that people will be typing in your domain name constantly. In online promotion, there is no promotional tool that you can use to put your domain name in front of your audience all the time. You need to make it easy to remember.

Your domain name describes what your business is about:

Ideally, your domain name should be a long tail keyword that you are optimizing for within the major search engines. Barring that, you should at least be able to make a case for how your domain name describes your business. If you are having trouble, you can look on the Google keyword tool to find keywords that search engines deem relevant to your business purpose.

Your domain name is unique:

Your audience should be able to pick out your business from another without a great deal of confusion. If your domain name is similar to a company that already has a foothold in the market, then you are doing yourself a disservice by naming yourself something similar. You may even be getting into legal trouble if you do this. Do not give established companies the leverage that they need to put you out of business before you even get started. Stay away from trademarks and names that have been copyrighted over many years.

Your domain name has a good suffix:

You should have the proper suffix for the type of business that you are running. Although there are many new suffixes that may give you more leverage with your prefix, .com is the go to suffix that is trusted by most people. You should always try to get a .com domain name first.

Finally, your domain name should be short:

Find some way to shorten your domain name into something that is easy to type. The longer that your domain name is, the more likely that your audience will make a mistake when they are typing it in.

It is also good if you leave out special characters when you are picking your domain name. Try to go for a name that has only letters. Stay away from "l33t" speech as well. Not everyone speaks in letters and numbers, so you can never be sure whether people will get the joke if you replace "e" with "3."

If you follow the tips above, you are sure to have a domain name that people will enjoy typing in. They will remember it as a bookmark for your company, giving you more business as they spread the word among their friends. Remember to make it as easy as possible for your audience to find your business, and you can never go wrong picking a domain name.

 

Aubrey Moulton is a writer for Nethosting.com. In her spare time, she loves to go hiking on local Utah trails and spend time reading.

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10 Best Ways to Promote Your Local Business

Throughout a financial decline, consumers have less money to use. This signifies that when they’re prepared to purchase, you want your local business to be at the forefront of their mind. 

Below are ten of the best ways to promote your local business. 

1. Create an Elevator Pitch:

You must be advertising constantly. Consequently, you will require an enthralling elevator pitch. Studies reveal the typical attention span of an adult is around 6 to 8 seconds. If you effectively draw them in, you only have a short time to persuade them to look into purchasing your merchandise or service. 

2. Influence Your Neighborhood:

What’s happening in your neighborhood? Become familiar with your idyllic client and dwell on how and where they occupy their free time. Then look for chances to get ahead of your client with your promotional message.

3. Aerial Advertising:

People don’t catch sight of aerial billboards on a daily basis as they do with roadside billboards, so it captivates them. They finish what they are doing, draw attention to it, and mention it to their friends. Be sure to have your brand name prominent so viewers know who created the amazing banner flying above. 

4. Join Forces:

Assemble a band of synergistic, non-competitive companies in your neighborhood and start promoting each other’s businesses. By working together, you can increase your customer base as you’ll be influencing new individuals. 

5. Network:

Networking necessitates a time obligation and it doesn’t offer immediate fulfillment, but a dedicated network is one of the best advantages any business person can contain. 

6. Hand Out Advertising Merchandise:

Dispensing publicity products with your business’s labeling is an imaginative and lucrative way to upsurge transactions and generate brand recognition. Research has confirmed that together with cumulative transactions and leads, advertising domains produce benevolence and have a keen return on investment. 

7. Ask for Recommendations:

Most people state they are eager to offer a referral if requested, but not many refer customers on their own. Referrals make it simpler to meet new clients. If you aren’t inquiring them, you are neglecting prospects. 

8. Build Connections:

It is a lot less costly to retain a customer than it is to get a new one. That’s why creating great relationships with your client base is vital. One of the means you can do this is by opening an email promotion. 

9. Present Coupons:

Coupons are an effective way for numerous businesses to entice new clienteles. Studies show that people will go out of their way to utilize a coupon, evidencing that this technique is effective in increasing your client base. 

10. Try Free Trials or Samples:

If someone has the chance to come across your product or service, it is likely they will wish to buy more. In today’s market, people are more at ease buying something they were able to experience initially.

These ten marketing approaches will help you draw clients, build connections, and finally, keep your brand at the forefront of future clients’ minds. It’s not solely about the funds you have put in, it’s about the time and determination you invest, and especially, the significance it has for your clients. 

Bonnie Mahan is the owner of Skyvertising.com, a leader in aerial banners. 

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4 SEO Tactics to Avoid (and What to Try Instead)

When you're planning your site's SEO strategy, it's important to do some careful research. Best practices in the world of search engine optimization are constantly changing and evolving: Tactics that used to send a site soaring in the rankings may now get you penalized by Google. Let's take a look at a few SEO tactics that you should avoid at all costs.

1. Keyword Stuffing: Even though it's well-known that stuffing your content with keywords is a surefire way to lose your ranking, this practice can still be seen on many websites. Rather than focusing on keyword density, try to direct your efforts toward creating fresh, engaging content for your readers. Develop a set of related keywords and natural phrases that you can sprinkle into your content instead of relying on a specific long-tail keyword.

2.  Buying Backlinks: When you're building a backlink profile, bigger isn't always better. Resist the temptation to purchase a quantity of backlinks: This practice is likely to backfire and end up hurting your rankings. The SEO power of backlinks is derived from the validity and authority of the sites that contain the links, and cheaply-purchased backlinks usually come from sketchy sites. Link building should still be an important part of your SEO strategy, but you'll have better luck developing a smaller number of links from high-authority sites. Try reaching out to influential blogs and sites in your niche to ask for a backlink, or consider creating a guest post for one of these authoritative sites.

3.  Duplicate Content: Many websites make the common mistake of having the same content appear on more than one of their web pages. When search engines see duplicate content, they can't determine which copy of the content to index; in most cases, the content never shows up in search results. There's no way to bypass the hard work of writing original content for each and every page on your site, but the SEO benefits of unique content will justify the time and effort.

4.  Neglecting Mobile Site Design: The importance of a good mobile site can't be stressed enough. According to a study by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, 61% of consumers who visit a mobile-unfriendly website are likely to head over to a competitor's' site instead. If that statistic doesn't motivate you to create a user-friendly mobile design, there's even a SEO benefit to have a strong mobile site: Google now takes the existence of a mobile version into account when determining the ranking of websites. There's no better time than today to develop a mobile design that will work on a variety of different devices.

As you can see, many SEO strategies that were effective in the early days of search engines are hopelessly outdated today. You need to adapt your strategy to meet the changing requirements of the current search engine landscape. If a method seems too good to be true, it probably is. By avoiding some of these gimmicky tactics, you can focus on a solid SEO strategy that will get your website the results it needs.

Aubrey Moulton is a writer for Freeguestpost and has over six years of blogging experience. She enjoys Netflix marathons and reading.

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My 9 Wordpress Plugins for your Blog

Are you a setting up your blog with no real idea of what plugins you need for your blog?  As I have been building my website on Wordpress over the last 6 months, I have found several helpful Wordpress plugins that have been useful in maintaining my website security, managing my image sizes, helped with lead generation and overall functionality of my website. Here is my current must-have list of WP plugins for your blog.

1. Smush. It - Install this free plugin to your WP site and it will compress your images, saving file space and improving your websites performance.

2. 404 to start - Install this free plugin if you want to design a custom 404 page (this is the website page that people get redirected to if they click on a dead page on your website). You can redirect all 404 page not found errors permanently (or temporarily) to the start page or any other site/page you like. You just create a new page and then link it to 404 to start in settings. I use this form an optimize it to get leads to my email list. This plugin is perfect for people who use OptimizePress as they does not currently have a template for 404 pages to customize. Click on the picture below to view my entire customized 404 page.

 

3. Webpage Test - Use this free tool to test your website speed. Just enter your web address and get your results.

4. Author bio box - This free plugin is great! It allows you to create a customized biography with links to your social media pages.

 

5. Keyword Tool IO - This keyword search tool gives you keywords that people are using to search for things on Google. Get 750 keyword suggestions to help you with content creation for your KeywordTool.io is one of the best keyword research tools available today

6. Click to tweet this free tool allows you to create tweetable text that can be placed within your blog post. This encourages people to click and tweet a useful fact or quote, thereby promoting your blog post to their followers. You can enter hashtags and a unique weblink to your blog post. See an example below.

7. Hello bar is a free opt in option that ads a compelling header opt in form that you can customize. You can use it for promoting your offer or directing people to like your social media pages. I use it to promote my opt in report.See my example below.

 

 Click on the hello bar right now to grab my free list Building Ideas!

8. Use any font - this free plugin allows you to override your WP theme font and install a new font. This is an easy plugin to use. Just get your API key are enter your font name and you’re all set!

 

9. OptinMonster is the #1 lead generation and email list building tool. You to create lightbox popups, floating footer bars, slide-ins, and other highly effective optin forms. OptinMonster also comes with built-in A/B testing functionality, robust analytics, and powerful exit-intent technology. This is a plugin you must pay for but by far the best for lead generation.

  

Share with me below what some of your favorite Wordpress Plugins are for your blog.

Written by Jolynn Oblak

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Schooling must adapt to the changing contours of information technology and connectivity - Robotics

Schooling must adapt to the changing contours of information technology and connectivity. STEM education especially in computer programming and robotics is becomingly increasingly important day by day in all walks of the economy. Most of the low skill, routine, assembly line jobs are being routed to automated performers. Human intelligence is increasingly being put to implementing non routine tasks, flooded with new information, intelligent, autonomous and highly adaptive technology. Schools, therefore, must shape up the foundational skills of students, including independent, critical and creative thinking, curating and implementing new ideas. These skills shall prove to be integral to future job markets and to employees in order for them to be progressive and efficient. 

Left unexposed at early stages of education, most middle school students experience a mental handicap in science and technology. Such students then begin drawing away from the fields of computer and information science, engineering, and the physical sciences. The inculcation of mathematical, analytical and logical aptitude in students suffers as they are unexposed to the strategic problem solving and organisational training in STEM. No wonder the domain of information and technology has constantly employed toppers, nerds and geeks.  In a future job market constantly vetted with data and technology“ science and technology is increasingly coming out of the black boxes of 'nerds'. Technological infiltration will become deeper and broader in all domains of life including and most importantly, education and workplace. No vocation can then choose to ignore technological and professional productivity brought in by the information technology systems. Robotics education would therefore go a long way in creating productive workers, capable of being effective decision makers and strategic problem solvers, irrespective of their fields.

Majorly all the students these days are pro at basic computer skills and internet operations, long before they even join elementary school.  Ironically, sometimes even in high schools, students lack even the most basic knowledge of coding. The essence of coding is that it enables students to recognise the actual working of a computer, the real execution of programs and communication. Programming languages allow students to effectively  communicate with the computer, exposing its actual working mechanism, providing a deep seated knowledge of information systems and artificial intelligence. Most students and parents feel that introduction to computer programming and computer science is a course relevant only for college students. This is a MISTAKE. Students in fact must be exposed to programming at a very early age. Programming enhances and feeds on the analytical and logical abilities of children.

Contemporary curriculum focusses on integrated learning of Math, Science, and Technology. Mathematical skills remain absolutely important to programming of robots. Students are required to implement decisions regarding the actions of the robot which requires skills of calculation, geometry, optimisation and measurement. While students directly engage in computer programming, robotics can expose students to ideas of spatial concepts and geometry. The principles of physics, as well as electrical and mechanical engineering can also be delivered in a hands on manner as students understand about electronics, motors, sensors and actuators. Robotics also represents a great pedagogical tool for learning and application allowing students to hone skills such as problem - solving, strategic analysis, cooperation and develops their high order thinking faculties. Robotics exposes students to the domains of mechanics, electrical circuits, and applied mathematical reasoning, all of which are otherwise perceived to be bland and inanimate by students.

Most schools worldwide have started embracing digitisation of education however the implementation remains greatly superficial. Students however now need to switch roles from being passive consumers of modern technology to active creators and designers of modern information technology systems. Various tools are available that allow students from K-12 to learn computer pogromming skills. Scratch is a free tool designed by MIT media labs for children 6 years and above and allows them to learn and create various gaming and animation projects which they later share with other community members. ALICE is a free and open source 3D programming tool which teaches essentials of animation and storytelling to kids. Lego pioneered with Lego Mindstorm which is essentially a robotics kit containing sensors, motors, programming language guidance for kids and adults.

Most effectively, robotics can be taught as a part science or technology curriculum, however various cross curriculum paths are also viable. Educators worldwide have designed robotics curriculum as a mix of theoretical and practical exercises. It includes building complex robots, solving problems, optimisation attributes, multiple programming and testing activities, animation and gaming activities, as well as informal activities such as robotics clubs, robotics tournaments, various inter school robotics training and participation programs. Students are not merely supposed to design, build, and program robots for fun filled activities but they also develop research solutions to real world problems. Working with robots engages students actively in direct learning and creative problem solving techniques. Students are encouraged to take independent initiatives after careful planning and optimisation. Students create flow charts, plan their steps in detail, understanding the action and reaction fundamentals. group based activities and robotics tournaments and Lego leagues also enhances cooperation, leadership, sharing, team management, communication skills and various other life skill attributes. Robotics is a perfect way to inculcate fun in an otherwise complex and scary subject of science and technology.

Schools and education societies worldwide need to invest in robotic education resources, including training for teachers who must be made comfortable in embracing digital classroom techniques and incorporating the learning and understanding of these in their curricula. 

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