We talk a lot about what you should do when it comes to your website and digital marketing, but it's just as important to talk about what you shouldn't do. Avoid these common website pitfalls. DON'T Use Social Media in Place of a Website Social media is fantastic, but don't make the mistake of thinking it can do the work of a website.
Buzz Tips
Buzz Tips - Digital Marketing/Web Design
The Anatomy of a Successful Website
Did you bring your scalpel? We're continuing our dissection of successful marketing tools to narrow in on what makes them work. Today we're slicing open some successful websites to see how they're built. It's Mobile Responsive 80% of people use a smartphone daily, according to Google. If your website isn't ready for them, they won't stick around.
The Anatomy of a Successful Email
Did you bring your scalpel? We're continuing our dissection of successful marketing tools to narrow in on what makes them work. Today we're slicing open some successful emails to see how they're built. For our purposes today, I'm defining "successful" as achieving one of the below: Open Rate above industry averages Click Rate above industry
The Anatomy of a Successful Social Media Post
Did you bring your scalpel? We're starting something new here at BizzyWeb. For the next few weeks, I'll be taking a look at successful social media posts, emails, blog posts and websites to narrow in on what makes them work. Today we're slicing open some successful social media posts to see how they're built. For our purposes today, I'm defining
How You’re Annoying Your Customers (Without Realizing It)
For the first 16 years of his life, my younger brother's name was "STOPJON!." STOPJON! blew raspberries, jumped on the couch, yanked ponytails, trudged mud through the house and threw water balloons. STOPJON! never heard his name unless it was shouted in annoyance. Eventually, STOPJON! matured and graduated to "Jon," but not before leaving a legacy
4 Email Content Ideas for Health Professionals [Infographic]
As anyone in the healthcare industry can confirm: there just aren't enough hours in the day. And as a health professional, your first priority is your patients or clients. You probably know that you should be marketing...but you just don't have the time. Lucky for you, there is a way to do both. Emails aren't just useful for sending out
Watch Out for This Tech-Savvy Gmail Phishing Scam
We all know not to open attachments from email addresses we don't recognize, but what if it's from someone we know? Thanks to the latest Gmail phishing scam, you can't even trust a familiar face. WordPress security tool Wordfence is reporting a wide-scale attack on Gmail users: The way the attack works is that an attacker will send an email to
How to Find Your Perfect Customer
I'm going to be blunt: if you're still thinking of your potential customer pool as "anyone who needs my product/service," you need to stop. If pure need was all the drove purchasing decisions, we wouldn't have the variety of products we do on the market. Think about the divide between Coke and Pepsi, and how passionately customers advocate for
2017 Social Media Image Size Guide [Infographic]
New year, new selfies. 2017 is here and social media isn't going anywhere. Considering that 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual, social media is more important than ever. Start this year off right by making sure all your social media images are primed to pop. Below is our 2017 social media size guide. Remember to save this
The Trends to Pay Attention to in 2017
2016 is finally over. It's time to brush off the dust of last year and step forward into 2017. A lot changed in the digital marketing landscape over the last 12 months. Here are the top digital marketing trends in 2017 that you need to know to keep your business competitive. Digital Marketing - You Have to Be There It may seem obvious, but
How to Get Reviews
You can't afford to ignore online reviews - your customers sure don't. 88% of consumers read reviews to determine the quality of a local business. Before ever picking up the phone, your customers will be searching for your online reviews. If you don't have any, they may not buy. But getting online reviews is a struggle many business owners face.
How to Write Epic Content
Between TV, email and social media, we're all bombarded with so many words a day that they all blur together into a shapeless mush. It takes some truly special content to stand out from the rest. How can you make your online marketing efforts reach the most people? Make it epic. Stories unite us. They define us. There's a reason why stories like
Why Aren’t People Opening Your Emails?
Ever feel like you're just shouting into a void? That no matter how amazingly beautiful your emails are, no matter how Earth-shattering the subject matter, it doesn't even matter because barely anyone is opening them? Don't lose hope! The bad news is that people aren't opening your emails. The good news is that you can fix that. If your emails
How to Make Sure Your Holiday Event Doesn’t Fall Flat
Here's a terrifying reminder: the holidays are almost here. We already gave you some tips for making the most out of the holiday season, but one of the easiest (and most popular) ways to reach out to customers is with a holiday event. Miranda Paquet at Constant Contact has some tips for rocking any holiday event. 1. Decide on a goal Do you
10 Worst Social Media Fails of 2016
Schadenfreude is the German word for "pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune." There are few situations more ripe for Schadenfreude than social media fails. Tweets can be deleted, but screencaps are forever. We're looking back at the worst social media fails of 2016, with tips on where they went wrong. We don't want any of you
Staying in Control of Your Website: Why Your Host Matters
One of the first questions we hear from new customers is: what the heck is web hosting, and why do I have to pay for it? Think of a website as an apartment. You own anything that goes inside your apartment, but you still have to pay rent to live there. In order for your website to appear online, you have to rent out the space. That's where a web
How to Create Compelling CTAs (Calls-to-Action)
Here's a million-dollar question: how do you get people to do what you want them to? It isn't enough to just dump words out into the universe and hope that does something. Whether you're putting together a website, sending out an email, posting on social media or drafting up a blog, you want to drive people toward a specific action. What that
How Do I Market When My Business is Boring?
Let's face it: we can't all be the cool kids. You know the type: those renegade, cutting-edge startups that shake the status quo. Some of us have to be the doers - the invisible forces that keep the world turning. Sometimes our product isn't sexy and our services are, well, kind of boring. At least when it comes to social media, blogs and website
5 Ways to Rock the Holiday Season
You can't deny it any longer: it's now officially Pumpkin Spice season. The plastic bats are coming out of hibernation, skeletons are gracing storefront windows and you can't walk three feet without seeing orange. Now's the time to dust off your strategy and start gearing up for Holiday 2016. Even if you're not selling a tangible product, you can
How to Use Email Marketing Automation, Without Turning Your Subscribers Off
Do you want more time in your day? Of course you do. While you're busy juggling all your obligations, it's easy to overlook marketing. Email marketing is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to connect with your audience...but who has the time? That's where email marketing automation comes in. Set it once, then walk away.You don't have time
8 Online Tools Every Business Needs
We spend so much time chasing after the shiniest new toy that it's easy to get sidetracked from the basics. Today we're tacking it back, slowing it down and giving you a play-by-play of the 8 tools your business needs online and how we can help you get there. Every business is different, but when it comes to online marketing there are 8 tools every
5 Social Media Tips for the Trades
Show of hands: who set up their social media, posted a couple of times and then never returned?Don't worry - we get it. You're trying to run your business. And you may be thinking: "What do I even talk about?" It's easy to look to big brands with their flashy videos and professional photos and get discouraged. But here's the thing: you
The What, When, and Who of Successful Emails [Infographic]
Jason Fidler, Constant ContactHere at Constant Contact, we’re always uncovering new data to help you create effective email campaigns.Whether it’s providing the best time to send emails based on the industry you’re in, or taking a look at what types of content result in the best click-through rates, we work hard to ensure that small businesses and
Email Marketing Myths and Misconceptions
by Ryan Pinkham, Constant Contact Email has never played a more prevalent role in our day-to-day lives. With today’s mobile technology, most people are never far from their email inbox, which is exciting news for businesses and organization trying to stay in touch with current and potential customers. But even in today’s hyper-connected world,
4 Ways to Make Your Call-to-Action Buttons More Effective
by Dan Shewan, Constant Contact Whether you’re preparing to send an email blast or running a paid search campaign, your calls to action can make or break the success of any digital marketing initiative.A persuasive, compelling call to action (CTA) can convince even the most hesitant prospect to convert, but there’s more to it than just a tempting
A Simple Social Media Strategy: Attract, Engage, Convert & Monitor
The growth of social media marketing over the past few years has been astounding; the latest estimates show that in five short years, social media use by businesses has grown from 10% to 84%! Using social media to promote your business, products and services has proven itself an effective marketing tactic, but where to start? For best results on
Social Media is 10 Years Young
Can you believe it's only been 10 years since Facebook was founded? It seems like only yesterday that "friend" was just a noun and "tweet" was simply a sound made by our feathered friends. But only 10 years? That seems so young. Social media has quickly grown to become an integral part of most companies' marketing strategies. Check out this
4 Simple Steps to Improve Your Social Media Advertising
In today's online world, social media advertising is an important component of any strategic marketing plan. You carefully research your keywords, messages and target audience, but are you using a scientific approach to ad design? According to a recent Social Media Examiner article, your senses are bombarded by more than two billion bits of data
Image Copyright: How To Avoid Infringement
When creating content on the web, one question we come across often is image copyright. With it being so easy to right click and save any old image found on the Internet, it may seem appropriate to use it for your purposes. This post is all about using copyrighted images for your own use and what to watch out for so you don’t run into trouble
Social Media: The Danger Of Allowing Your Platforms To Become A Ghost Town
Do you ever have an exceptional customer service experience at a company and later seek them out via social media to connect with them? You’d like to share your experience on their page, but when you find it, there are two likes and there hasn’t been a post for over a year. After reading this blog, you’ll understand the dangers of allowing your
FREE Buzz Builders Webinar @ noon CT for 11/28: Pinterest Business Pages
Pinterest is an incredibly popular new social network, and this month businesses have been officially invited to pin along with new Pinterest business pages! In this week's Buzz Builder webinar, learn how to setup your new Pinterest Business page and use it to start driving traffic to your website for real results. We'll show you how to convert
Buzz Builders Webinar for 9/26: Pinterest
Have you heard of Pinterest? It’s a fun way to share photos and videos on the web that’s like a virtual pinboard for sharing the things you love. People create boards for any topic -- from wedding ideas to food tips, and from recipes to their favorite art. If you’re searching for a home, Pinterest is a great spot to find ideas for home decoration,
Buzz Tip: Sell your house on Facebook!
(Note, Buzz Tips are a special feature provided each week in partnership with WCCO Radio's Real Estate Radio Hour. BizzyWeb is the Web and Social Media Partner of the show, which is the top-rated radio show Saturday mornings in Minnesota. Listen Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. on WCCO 830 AM.) Sell your house with Facebook! This is Dave Meyer at
Getting started on Google Plus
Google Plus is a great way to connect with friends and business associates, and Google is taking some big steps to make G+ an essential business tool. Google Places has been moved to Google Plus Local, there's now the ability to manage pages for your organization, and of course there's Hangouts - which is probably the funnest and most useful tool
Buzz Tip: Get a FREE Buzz Report!
(Note, Buzz Tips are a special feature provided each week in partnership with WCCO Radio's Real Estate Radio Hour. BizzyWeb is the Web and Social Media Partner of the show, which is the top-rated radio show Saturday mornings in Minnesota. Listen Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. on WCCO 830 AM.) Get Your Free Buzz Report This is Dave Meyer with
Buzz Tip: LinkedIn
(Note, Buzz Tips are a special feature provided each week in partnership with WCCO Radio's Real Estate Radio Hour. BizzyWeb is the Web and Social Media Partner of the show, which is the top-rated radio show Saturday mornings in Minnesota. Listen Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. on WCCO 830 AM.) This is Dave Meyer with BizzyWeb, designers of the Real