It’s now a must: any business wanting to drive up its sales must have a digital presence. However, you need to do it the right way to generate additional revenue or good quality leads.

Where to begin? What are the important elements to better sell your website?

Amauta Marketing, an agency specialized in web posting and social media management, aims at the best practices to target and diversify your potential customers on the web.

Add a Blog to Your Website

No matter what product or service you want to promote, it is always possible to write content about it!

Adding a blog section to your website is also a great way to boost your ranking on search engines such as Google and Bing. A good blog post also provides more information on situations where your clientele might need your company’s services.

A well-optimized blog using SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques makes your site available to a wider audience of Internet users, who often ask questions to Google… questions that your company may have an answer to!

An effective SEO strategy applied to a website creates a natural search engine optimization of your website through thoughtful content to please Google, which places it higher in search results. If your content is unique and relevant, it will also appeal to readers. This snowball effect often implies more traffic to your site on the long run!

These techniques, combined with interesting content, create an attractive, informative and easily accessible site to anyone with questions related to your field of expertise.

Adapt Your Website’s Display to All Smart Screens

A large portion of web traffic is now on smart devices like our phones and tablets. Therefore, your website should be designed to be responsive to adapt to all web browsers and devices.

A responsive website automatically adapts to any device on which it is displayed. Just think of Facebook, to name an easy example to keep in mind. The website does not display the same way depending on the device whether you are viewing it on a computer web browser or directly on your smartphone, its presentation is not the same.

A website intended to be optimized for all screen sizes is easier to navigate, giving you the chance to better sell your goods and services through your web presence.

Social Networks, A Must for Your Website

You have search engine optimized content, a responsive website, you just need to plan an effective strategy for your social networks!

It’s easy to get lost in the performance indicators suggested by social networks to measure the engagement of your target audience (comments, interactions, etc.). Start by defining a clear objective aiming to guide the content that will end up on social networks. Do you want to give better exposure to your services, increase your brand’s visibility or have a natural connection with your customers? Here is where you can start to think about it.

In addition to diversifying your traffic sources, you will have a good overview of your target audience thanks to the data collected by these social networks. An analysis of this data allows you to get an overall picture of your clientele to better adapt your approach over time.

If you combine interesting content, well adapted to the realities of SEO and a responsive website, easily accessible on social networks, your website will generate more traffic, which translates into more clients and more web traffic.

Amauta Marketing to Assist You from A to Z

If you don’t know where to start or if you want to take your website to the next level, Amauta Marketing helps you express your most complex digital marketing requests and actively respond to them.

Amauta Marketing offers a wide range of services, among which: measurable results, a turnkey website service for small and medium-sized businesses, and much more. If you want to work with a team of seasoned professionals who pays close attention to your needs, look no further!

Digital technologies never cease to evolve at a rapid pace. How can you ensure that your website is still a competitor in the race? By making 5 key changes for the benefit of your visitors, your brand image, and your business goals. Here are the steps to consider:

  1. Secure your website

It is now essential that the URL address of your website starts with “https”. Google algorithms take that into account and if you do not make this update, your website is running the risk of not ranking highly on search engines. Also consider the loading speed of your website. It shouldn’t take more than 2 seconds.

  1. Play the proximity card

Customers love to do business with local companies. Clearly indicate your address or the name of the city where your company is located. You can also create a company page with the Google My Business free geo-tracking service, used often by smartphones. Remember, make sure you can always be easily reached by telephone or email.

  1. Offer a one-of-a-kind service

You are only one click away from your competition. Today, you have 2 to 3 seconds to entice the Internet users and 8 seconds to convince them to stay on your website. Offer a one-of-a-kind service and the benefits of it. You can mention your experience, certifications and showcase your customer testimonials.

  1. Provide clear information and a variety of content

People consume content differently depending on the time of day or their needs. Think of offering clear information in a variety of formats, including texts, photos, or short videos (not more than 1 minute each). Display very clearly call-to-action buttons to avoid user impatience.

  1. Improve your SEO

To generate organic, or natural, search results of a website, Google uses more than 200 criteria. To keep your website high in the rankings takes some expertise, and you need to pay attention to your SEO strategy. Well-managed Google Ads campaigns improve your SEO knowing that 90% of Internet users searches are done on this search engine.

Wanting to know more? Get in touch with us to discuss this further.

 

 

The Web is evolving at a rapid pace and it is important to be on top of trends in web design, particularly if you plan on redesigning your website in 2017.

How will new websites look this year?

  1. Mobile adaptation :

We cannot stress it enough, if your website is not responsive, it is time to get on board. This year Google is launching Mobile-first indexing which will index the content of mobile websites and rank them accordingly. Don’t be left behind.

  1. Content will always be king this year:

Did you know web attention span is around 8 seconds so think about condensing your information to increase speed and ease of reading.

  1. Design inspirations:

Flat Design is a recent type of website design with pastel colours and minimalist icons with no symbolic reference to the real world. Internet users got bored of this trend to the benefit of Material Design which fundamentally is the same as Flat Design but with the addition of perspective, geometric shapes, shadows and movement. Benefit: This type of design is very legible, simplifies the content and reduces website downloading time.

Remember that loading speed is now part of the primary criteria to get better referencing on Google. As for Almost Flatit proposes a variation using shadows and depth and movement effects. Benefit: A more realistic design for users, while staying light and simple. The minimalist trend called typo first proposes XXL typefaces, extravagant sometimes with numerous dynamic texts and layer images which will work together with website’s parallax scrolling. With the Edgy trend, colours, shapes and visuals become more and more extravagant. This latest trend comes from the Edgy Art movement and it’s all about using strong, even provocative, images. It uses Pop Art codes but without the shocking intent. Keep in mind that these web design styles do not work for all types of companies or brand images. Focus on Skeuomorphism, this trend, launched by Apple, is about imitating real objects shapes to represent digital apps with the same feature.

  1. New colours:

2017 will be a year for boldness, contrasts, with a mix of relaxation, vitality, vibrant colours and being close to nature. It is the end of pastels and cold colours.

Sources: pantone.com and engelvoelkers.com

  1. Animations, micro-interactions, scrollingfor more engagement:

We’ve noticed a strong come-back of GIF images bringing interactivity to push your promotion further, your blog posts and newsletters (to be use with care). Parallax is also a new trend in 2017.

Micro-interactions

  • Social Network toolbar to encourage visitors to share your content.
  • Animations on your call to action buttons such as a mouse over change of colours to increase the urge to click and increase conversion. Do not over do it.
  • Vertical scrolling is still in the game.

We also see being added a column with a grid structure with boxes or screens in multiple images to cut through and lighten content. In a nutshell, we’ve noticed the addition of animations and dynamic effects as well as progressive reduction of graphic elements known as statics.

Final advice

  • Personalize your logo or brand on Google Maps: it is a good way to distinguish yourself from your competition in particular in large cities such as Montreal.
  • Consider adding a completely autonomous conversation platform with chatbots or a simple chat/SMS system with representatives behind the screen to answer your clients in real time.

If you are planning the design or the redesign of your website in 2017, get in touch with us. We’ll tell you about our complete WordPress website design service.

Today, more than 50% of consumers use mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to search for information on the web, visit a website or make a purchase. People are increasingly abandoning their desktops and laptops since they have their mobile devices with them all the time. This is why your website design should adapt to smaller mobile devices. In fact, your design should adapt to all devices i.e. desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone. What you want is to create a unique and optimized experience for users independent of the device being used. A traditional website with fixed width doesn’t do it anymore. Unfortunately, there are still many companies with non-responsive websites. If you have competition in your market or your company needs to be online to generate revenues, here are 10 reasons why you need a responsive website sooner than later.

Reason #1: Google recommends it

Google now sees responsive websites as the best practice to follow to optimize mobile users online experience and reach this targeted audience. Google will show preference for responsive websites on its search engine if the search is made from a mobile device. This is particularly true for local search. When we remember that Google owns 90% of the market, it is essential to fully understand the reach and scope of a responsive website on your business growth.

Reason #2: One website, many devices

Providing a positive user experience through multiple platforms and screen sizes is the most critical aspect of designing a responsive website for today’s mobile world. For example, if you’re at work looking for a birthday gift on your smartphone, and then you go home and keep searching on your desktop, if the website is responsive, you won’t have to redo all the search steps to find the product. A responsive website really simplifies your life and your clients will be grateful.

Reason #3: Easier to manage

Owning a traditional website as well a responsive website means two Google Ads campaigns, two SEO campaigns and separate Google Analytics reports which could be complicated to manage. Managing one website is easier.

Reason #4 : Positive user experience

When mobile users land on a non-responsive website, they have a tendency to leave right away, and in result, a business opportunity is missed. In fact, if a user lands on your website and becomes frustrated because it is tough to navigate, according to Google Think Insights on Mobile, there’s a 61% chance that they will leave to go to another website. On the other hand, data shows that a positive experience on a responsive website make the user 67% more likely to buy a product or service. It is imperative to update your website, so it adapts to mobile devices.

Reason #5: The importance of your web presence
If you have incorporated a business blog and a social networks strategy in your web marketing campaign, you have probably noticed a significative increase in your mobile traffic. A recent ComScore study shows that 55% of social network consumption (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram) happens on a mobile device. By being active on social networks, and by adding links to your responsive website, you will notice an increase in activity of users and visitors. And If your links are shared, your website will get a higher ranking on search engines.

Reason #6: Better for your SEO

As a general rule, responsive websites adapted to mobile devices work better and are easier to maintain. If you decide to create a separate responsive website, remember that you will have to build this website domain authority and reputation from scratch. Who needs that much trouble? It is much easier and more profitable to update your existing platform and make your website responsive to mobile devices. You will then keep your existing traffic and the domain name you already have.

Reason #7: Friendliness is a must for small business

The majority of people uses their smartphone many times a day to go on the web. This routine inevitably brings a reduction in web surfing on desktops. More than 90% of mobile users search for local business on their smartphones. These mobile users invariably contact the business within 24 hours. Consequently, the more your company is friendly i.e. responsive, the more you will increase your sales.

Reason #8: S for speed 

Content for each page on a mobile device or tablet should load within 1 or 2 seconds as per Google Page Speed Developers. Your visitors are busy people and if the website takes too long to load, they won’t wait. They will click away from your website and visit one of your competitor’s instead.

Reason #9:  First E-commerce, now M-Commerce

Over the last five years, the most important e-commerce growth sector is m-commerce. In other word, using mobile devices to make online purchases. It accounts for 74% of e-commerce growth. Professionals believe in mobility so this will continue to grow e-commerce in the coming years. This spectacular expansion has incited small business to reorganize their business websites. You can also benefit from this m-commerce growth and convert mobiles users into faithful clients.

Reason #10: Simple and not costly

To put a responsive website in place, one that is adapted to mobile devices for your business, doesn’t have to be expensive. As is typical with new technology, prices are much lower now. You can get a dynamic and fluid web destination without having to dig a big hole in your budget. In many cases, you won’t even have to build your website from scratch. Your developer is more than qualified to explain the best possible options for you.

The future is mobile!

As you’ve noticed, having a mobile-friendly website is an indispensable tool for your web marketing campaign. Since mobile devices will become more popular than office desktops over the coming years, your company shouldn’t miss the opportunity to generate additional sales. At Amauta, we are responsive website production specialists. Get in touch with us today to better understand how we can help you.

The shift to mobile is well underway in Quebec

Over half (52%) of the Quebec adult population owned a smartphone or a tablet in 2013. Furthermore, 9 out of 10 adults who own a tablet use it to surf the web while the ratio is 3 out of 4 for smartphones, according to a NETendances mobility survey in 2013.

 

Google’s new mobile features

Google will announce a new mobile-friendly algorithm on April 21st, 2015, and here is a look at what we know and how we should adapt. There is no mystery, Google is leading the mobile revolution, Google is the largest supplier of (Android) mobile platforms in the world and the most important search engine. Google is also the largest seller of mobile apps.

 

Google will redesign its search algorithm to favour responsive websites

According to Google Webmaster Central, Google is about to launch the most significant mobile algorithm yet:

“Starting April 21st, we will extend our usage of mobile friendliness as a major factor of page ranking. “

In a few days, you will see a major algorithm update. In fact, this change will have more impact than Penguin or Panda.

What’s a responsive website?

Responsive Web Design signifies that the page is using the same URL and the same code as on a desktop, tablet or smartphone, but the display gets resized according to screen size. A dynamic website allows the content to adapt to different screen sizes while using the same URL and same code. One of the benefits of RWD is that you only have to update one version of your website instead of two.

 

How to know if your website is mobile-friendly?

To know if your website is mobile-friendly, you just need to launch your website on the Google mobile-friendly test-page : https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

Another way to check if it is responsive is to surf your website on a mobile device. If the SERP log sports the mobile-friendly tag, then you’ll know that you’re fine with Google. Finally, you could test your website in the Google Webmaster Tools tab to discover all the pertinent recommendations allowing to improve mobile usage.

 

This algorithm shift will be important

This modification will affect mobile searches in all languages throughout the world and will have a significant impact on search results.

 

What will be the real impact of this important algorithm shift?

First and foremost, we know that this update will be wider than Penguin or Panda. We also know that mobile is present in almost all Google events. It seems that non-optimized pages will be found at the bottom of mobile ranking. All pages without mobile optimization will stop showing in expression ranking. We can forecast that SERP results on longtail keywords first page, past a certain threshold of frequency, will showcase mobile-friendly pages.

 

The algorithm will evaluate each page individually

One important aspect of this mobile algorithm is that it will analyze mobile compatibility on a page per page basis instead of an entire website. What does that mean practically? If your website has optimized mobile pages and other pages that are not, Google will look at it separately and push forward the optimized ones. Google will not penalize a whole website based on few non-optimized pages.

Furthermore, if a website is well designed and mobile compatible, then this algorithm should not be a big problem. There are definitely some websites with some optimized pages and others without, but generally a website is either mobile friendly or not.

This algorithm operates in real time

Google explains that this algorithm operates in real time, so, technically, you can redesign your website any day and as soon as Google notices the changes, the website will start benefiting from new referencing by the mobile-friendly algorithm.

 

Obviously, Google can’t evaluate a website mobile friendliness only by analyzing the search page and index. If the page is not mobile compatible as of April 21st, but becomes mobile-friendly as of April 25, we suppose that Google’s next indexation should be in a position to identify it as responsive.

 

What works on a desktop also works on a mobile device… sort of

Google is already a search engine featuring web pages compatible with desktop and mobile. For example, page loading speed, will have impact on desktop and mobile search.

We can assume that some features good for the office will be just as good for mobile, as long as the page has a mobile-friendly design. We have to keep in mind that the algorithm can start differentiating diverse factors that are actually regrouped into one and the same thing.

 

 

App indexation will be taken into account in search results

App indexation is a new functionality of this algorithm and will be exclusive to websites associated with Android apps. According to Google Webmaster Central: Starting today, we will start using information from indexed apps as a ranking for users that have installed the apps. The aim of this feature is likely to tighten the link between mobile search and mobile apps.

 

What should you do now?

It will be imperative to adapt to this new mobile digital marketing universe. Google has shown the way:

  1. Make your website mobile-friendly. Responsiveis even better.
  2. Solve all mobile usage problems in Google Webmaster Tools.
  3. If you have an Android app associated with your website, get deeplinkedand index it as soon as possible.
  4. Watch closely your parameters and follow deployment of the algorithm shift as of April 21st.
  5. Keep learning, listening, testing your website to adapt to search engines evolution such as Google.

You can measure your website’s performance by analyzing the way mobile Internet users can complete their tasks and meet their objectives. There are ways to design your website to ensure an optimal user experience on mobile devices. Above all, concentrate on your user interface’s cohesiveness to create a unified experience amongst the different platforms.

According to MediaPost: “Above all, buyers on mobile buying sites look for ease of usage. 48 % of participants have indicated that it was the most important quality of all mobile websites.”

 

So, what are you planning of doing for your website before April 21st?

The work required to transition to a mobile compatible website depends on your development resources, your business model and your level of expertise.

Amauta Marketing can help you adapt your website and make it mobile compatible plus do everything in its power to make sure it shows in the first Google search engine results.

For more information on our web services, visit our website at: https://www.amautamarketing.com/services/

 

A website is like a shopping window, a window the whole world can look inside. It is the first impression Internet users will have of your company. Yet, almost one third of entrepreneurs create their own website and make mistakes. In the end, this harms their businesses directly, ending up costing them money. The best advice is to call a specialized web marketing agency to develop your website, instead of jumping into an expensive adventure. But if you are intent on DIY, here are some pitfalls to avoid while creating your website:

No call-to-action

Your call-to-action is most often a clickable button. It starts with an action word (Click Here, Enter to Win, Call 1 800, etc.) to provoke the Internet user to do something. If your contact info isn’t obvious, clients will question why they are visiting this website or wonder what you have to offer to fulfill their needs. Yet, 93% of small and medium size businesses have a website with no email address and 49% don’t have a telephone number on the home page.

Obsolete design

Creating a website entails the web interface i.e. architecture, page organization, tree and navigation. Effective web design takes in consideration specific constraints specific to the Internet such as bandwidth, usability and accessibility. Around 41% of entrepreneurs wishing to improve their website estimate that design is their most important factor.

Complicated updates

When you update your website yourself, you risk losing precious time especially if you don’t have an easy to use CMS (Content Management Software). In fact, 64% of business owners think that updating their website is a major challenge. And 25% declare that maintenance costs are the main obstacle to updating their website.

No stats

Without data analysis linked to their website, companies are depriving themselves of an essential information source with which to measure their website performance. They can’t identify their website’s strengths and weaknesses, Internet user’s navigation preferences and ways to increase conversions. Yet, 75% of companies still don’t use any analytic tool such as Google Analytics. And 60% estimate that they do not have the necessary competencies to first understand the data, but also to solve problems and improve their website.

Non-existent or inefficient search rankings

The search ranking performance of your website is essential since it allows your potential clients to find your company when they are searching for your products or services. However, 26% of small and medium size businesses’ websites do not show on search engine results because their Google ranking is non-existent or too weak.

Not linking to social networks

By allowing your clients to share their experience with your company on social networks, you gain access to their contact network, and increase your visibility.

Not mobile compatible

Now a days, most Internet users consult websites on their mobile devices. Without responsive technology, small and medium size businesses are shortchanging themselves of a wide clientele. Yet, 60% of websites aren’t mobile compatible.

Lack of IT support

Without a dedicated IT technician, small and medium size businesses are exposing themselves to security breaches or expensive programming errors. When collaborating with experienced web marketing professionals, IT support is often included in the website creation costs. In total, 44% of small and medium size businesses have been victims of cyber-attack with an average cost of $8,670.

Offer your customers a professional, functional website, with elegant design, mobile compatibility and search engine optimization for a better interaction with your company.

Looking for an expert to review your website? Get in touch with the web marketing experts at Amauta Marketing either by telephone at (514) 907-2131 or by email at info@amautamarketing.com

 

For the majority of companies, a website is the key destination for Internet users and a place for online shopping. Integrate these elements to your website to generate traffic, attract new clients and increase your sales.

  1. Optimize your website to improve conversions

Entice consumers to get in touch with you via a telephone number, a contact form or a direct chat tab. 66% of small companies do not have the contact form option to request information. Source: BIA/Kelsey

  1. Add a link to your social network pages

Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn help prospects obtain the information they need to make a purchase, particularly reviews from other consumers. 7 out of 10 Quebec social network users (69.8%) follow at least one organization, company or personality on social network. Source: NETendances 2014

  1. Make your website mobile friendly

Offer a simple click to call option, utilize geotargeting (Google Maps), and offer business hours and product or service information. 46% of consumers use their smartphone to do a product and service search and geotargeting of companies. Source: Marketing Land

  1. Create a blog with relevant content

Develop useful and easy to understand articles to your prospects and make them easily accessible and sharable on social networks. Optimize your website content for search engine referencing with relevant keywords. 28% of people interviewed have declared sharing content with more than 100 colleagues and 59% of buyers share it with more than 25 colleagues. Source: CMO Council

  1. Use captivating videos

Use captivating videos to establish your credibility and attract visitors with product demonstrations and client testimonials. 85% of Internet users will screen a product video that triggers their interest for a least 1 minute. Source: eMarketer

  1. Make your website easy to use

Pages that take too long to load, broken links, pages using Flash and difficult navigation, are inconveniences that could make your prospects walk away. 40% of Internet users will leave a web page if it takes more than three seconds to load.

Source: Econsultancy