Saying a website doesn’t need to be maintained is like saying a car doesn’t need to be serviced.

What is website maintenance?

Why website maintenance services are important?

• Changes to your address and contact details
• New products or services
• Events, promotions and specials

Website maintenance cost

What does our monthly website maintenance include?

Why hire a digital marketing agency when you can do it yourself, right? NO! HOLD. THAT. THOUGHT.

At first glance, marketing seems easy. But with a long list of options including SEO, google ads, social media, email, and content marketing; the digital jargon can leave you feeling confused and slightly overwhelmed.

It’s ok and perfectly normal – we see it all the time.

Truth is, digital marketing is an umbrella term representing different marketing tactics offering businesses the potential to grow in heaps and bounds.

But that growth comes from a particular skill set, a level of experience, time, and resources that you may otherwise not have to carry out your marketing requirements.

In short, the right digital marketing agency can be an asset to your business.
But if you’re not yet convinced that a marketing agency is worth hiring, let's look at why we reckon you should.

EXPERT KNOWLEDGE
In the same way, in which you’re skilled in your line of work, a marketing agency comes equipped with experienced and qualified experts who have a clear understanding of marketing techniques, know their CPC’s from their CPA’s and can help you achieve your business goals.

HELP YOU STAY RELEVANT
The digital world is fast-paced, there are always new developments and trends to keep up with. Agencies are expected to keep up with all the industry changes, customer markets, their target audience, and their competitors to deliver the best possible results.

FOCUS ON RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS
Let's face it – running a business is difficult as is. Many time-consuming tasks carry a lot of weight and demand your attention and focus. Enlisting the help of an agency will lighten the burden and allows you to focus on important more matters: running and growing your business.

SAVES YOU TIME AND MONEY
While it can be argued that the cost to hire an agency doesn’t come cheap, there’s a bigger picture to look at. When you weigh up the cost to acquire digital marketing skills or hiring an in-house person(s) vs outsourcing to an agency, you’ll find the latter to be more affordable in the long-run.
Not only do you cut out the cost of a potential full-time salary and employee-related benefits, but you also determine when and how much you wish to spend.

YOU GET MEASURABLE RESULTS
In the digital world, all things are measurable. And the best way to determine what does and doesn’t work is to measure the results. An agency will help you gain the necessary insight about your business and its performance as well as your audience and what they find most useful.

Now that we’ve established that an agency is well worth hiring, here’s what you can expect to get from a digital marketing agency:

Social media has trickled into nearly all aspects of life and business. Collectively, the platforms are rife with 3.9 billion users looking to share their views and opinions, keep up with the latest gossip and news, and brands wanting to connect with their target audience.

With new platforms springing up and the number of active users growing by millions yearly, the social media bubble is evolving and expanding at a rapid rate. And they are showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

How the Platforms Compare

Conclusion:

While our optimism and hope for a better 2021 runs high, we are still trying to wrap our head around the year that would go down in history as the plot twist no one saw coming.

Lets be honest, the pandemic (in some way) still feels like a dark cloud lingering over us, but, our positive spirits have been restored and we are stepping into this year with our heads held high. And, we are giving ourselves a pat on the back for surviving 2020, and so should you!

But before we rush to hit the reset button, lets take a look at what 2020 had to offer (other than a virus, of course).


WEB PARTNER turns 6

In 2014 we launched with a small team and big dreams. Six years later, and we can proudly say we’ve made our mark as one of South Africa’s best web design agencies.

We are now a team of 30 with talent spanning across web design, google ads, SEO and social media.

We’ve also designed over 10 000 websites and have pocketed many happy, satisfied and loyal clients that we are truly thankful for.

Bonus: we’ve met some amazing and interesting people along the way.


TIKTOK takes centre stage



Oh TikTok, you’ve quite literally, changed the world. The humour and entertainment that the short-format video platform provided was exactly what we needed during a chaotic and controversial time.

But that’s not all - not only did TikTok claim the spot of most downloaded app in 2020, but it levelled status with Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp when it became the fastest platform to reach over a billion downloads.

And while it may be the platform most popular with “Gen Z”, it was a hit with all ages during lockdown.


Online SCHOOLING

With schools being forced to close, students, teachers and parents had to adapt to a new reality of learning: online education.

But this wasn’t the reality for all. For some, the digital divide made it difficult for them to be connected and to participate in e-learning.

Many considered the year a write-off, but all in all, it is said that students adapted well to the change and managed to progress rather than regress.


The ZOOM boom



Who would’ve thought that our work and personal lives would intertwine and unfold via a video-conferencing app?

The app came in handy for work and classroom meetings, and was also deemed the hubspot for social gatherings, parties and even date nights.

Thanks to Zoom we were able to feel a little less isolated and a bit more connected, even if it were from a distance.


ONLINE SHOPPING skyrockets



They say you need to be where your customers are, and online is exactly where the vast majority of us found ourselves during lockdown.

Prior to lockdown, e-commerce was already on the rise, but 2020 saw customers shopping with far more intent. With more and more purchases being made, there was a ripple effect on the courier services.

Despite it being a trainwreck of a year, with lots of lessons and challenges, there were also eye opening moments and moments of opportunity that we’re thankful for.

We wish you all the best for 2021. Remember, believe in yourself and be kind!

Web designers play an important role in bringing a brand’s vision to life and getting their message across. Imaginative, creative and well-versed in technical elements mildly sums up their talent. But while most of their day may consist of design work, a typical day for a web designer entails more than, well, web design.

So, what does a day in the life of a web designer look like?

First…. Coffee
We all appreciate a good cup of coffee to kick-start our day, it’s essentially the antidote to those early morning woes. Coffee = functioning on a better level.

Planning
For a designer, failing to plan is planning to fail. Because they’re usually working on more than one project on a given day, they need to set time aside to plan their daily schedule.

Admin
It may not always be the most enjoyable task, but it’s one that needs to be factored into our daily schedules. Admin for a designer can range from client communication (emails, telephone calls) to paperwork such as status and progress reports.

Briefings
The scope of a project is outlined in briefing sessions, this can take place between a client and the designer or the designer and a project manager. This is where they’ll get insight into the requirements for each project, the goal as well as the deadline.

Designing
A large part of a web designer’s day is dedicated to design work. This is where they work their magic and piece the puzzle together to meet the client's needs. It is also the portion of their day that requires the most focus and attention to detail to ensure they’re producing fully functional websites.

Quiet time
In between all the chaos and craziness, quiet time is necessary for a designer. This helps them with any creative challenges they may be facing and is also an ideal time to think out new ideas and solutions. People have different preferences, so while some may enjoy listening to music during quiet time, reading a book or playing games may help others.

But more importantly, they’re human, and we all need a break, even if only for a few moments.

Research
Web design is a fast-paced industry that is constantly changing and evolving. This means designers have to keep up with all these changes and trends, not only to expand their knowledge but to also maintain a high level of customer satisfaction. And this helps web designers keep up or stay ahead of the competition.

Brainstorming
Getting together as a team and having brainstorming sessions allows you to think and see things from a different perspective. It’s also an opportunity to get feedback from your team, allows designers to creatively feed off one another and can have a positive impact on all other areas that a designer’s day typically consists of.

If the idea of a website and having to put one together stresses you out, don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’ve worked with a couple hundred clients and designed over 10 000 projects, and let me tell you - we’ve had many people look at us as if we’re speaking a foreign language when talking about website elements.

The truth is, a website really isn’t all that scary. If you look past coding and the more technical aspects, it’s actually a fun process to see come to life. Back when websites were in the infancy stage, we didn’t have what is widely known today as website builders such as Wordpress, Joomla, Wix and Squarespace to name a few.

Not only have website builders become an essential part of putting a website together, but they make the design process so much easier.

But what exactly is a website builder, how do you choose one and how does a free website builder compare to a paid website builder?

Don’t stress - sit back and relax while we walk you through all there is to know about website builders for small business.

What is a website builder?

Benefits of a website builder:

• It works on a drag-and-drop technology and an interface design that is user-friendly, so technical skills is not a requirement.
• Because your website files are hosted on a server, you can access and edit it anytime and anywhere with your login details. Added bonus: you won’t lose your files.
• They offer many different template options.
• You can DIY (keeping in mind there will be specific functions, tools and applications that add to the functionality of a website that you may need a professional designer to assist with).
• You’ll be able to have a website up and running in no time.
• Cost-effective
• It allows you to manage and maintain your website

How to choose one?

• Free trial: check whether you’re able to test out a free trial. With the exception of some limitations, most website builders offer a free trial/plan.
• Price: get all the necessary pricing details and check the fine print on any extra costs.
• Support: if you have a website, you’ll most certainly need support (phone, chat, email etc). Be sure to test out the support options they offer before committing to a paid plan.
• Features: this will of course largely depend on the purpose and goal of the website. Will it be for personal or professional use? Do you need a shopping cart to sell products? And check whether they offer decent blogging systems and images galleries, mobile-friendly designs and password protected pages.
• Themes: website builders usually offer a number of themes to choose from, make sure the theme options and its functionalities meet your requirements.

2000 - the year when boy bands reigned supreme, tie-dye and tube tops were fashionable and computer viruses caused widespread panic. Two decades later, and what a momentous time to look back at.

Let’s take a look at some of the things turning 20 in 2020.

The world’s first camera phone was released
It’s hard to imagine a world without the device that allows us to capture every moment of our lives. From selfies, to cute pets or cringeworthy throwbacks. Although camera phones are common today, it wasn’t 20 years ago.

In 2000, the first commercially available cellphone was released and was essentially the start of what is known as MMS today. The J-SH04 was said to have a mere 0.1-megapixel resolution.



Bill Gates stepped down as CEO of Microsoft
A prolific entrepreneur who achieved great success from a young age, Bill Gates is widely known as one half of the brains behind the Microsoft Corporation and for his philanthropic endeavours.

Microsoft is the tech titan founded in 1975 that developed the many software programs used today and helped Gates gain his billionaire status. After many years as both CEO and chairman, the year 2000 saw Bill Gates step away from his CEO position at Microsoft, while remaining chairman.



The dot.com bubble burst
2000 seemed to have been the year that kept giving, both good and bad. The dot.com bubble, also known as the internet bubble, was the rapid rise and fall of internet stock prices that ultimately led to a massive crash in the stock market in 2000.

Sony PS2 was released
The PlayStation experience was every child’s dream in the 2000’s. Following its launch in 2000, the PS2 offered an experience players wouldn’t easily forget. And it quickly became the highest selling and most played console in gaming history.



The final original comic strip of Peanuts was released
Peanuts was a long-running comic strip created by Charles M. Schulz in 1950 released its 17 897th strip on 13 February 2000, one day after Schulz passed.



X-Men was released and paved a path for Superhero Movies
Notably the movie that paved the path for all other Superhero Movies that followed, X-Men premiered in July 2000 and starred Hugh Jackman. The film was a huge success and received raving reviews. Following its success, there were many sequels and spin-offs that have since featured numerous A-listers.



Friends was the most popular sitcom
Who can forget the hit series, Friends that starred many famous faces, including Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Bruce Willis and Tom Selleck to name a few. The popularity of the show led to the “Rachel haircut” being the go-to hairstyle.



The sims was released
Simulation game lovers will agree that the release of The Sims in 2000 was the kick-off for all simulation games thereafter.

The Nokia 3310 was the best-selling phone
Before all the fancy smartphones existed, the Nokia 3310 and its relative, the 3390 were the cool kids on the block. Millions were sold worldwide, and it became one of the most iconic phones to have existed.



Razor scooters were the most popular toy
The way of life in the 2000’s compared to 2020 are worlds apart. Back then, outside play outweighed a cellphone or video games. And every child either owned or wanted a razor scooter.

Fun fact: Not only was it named toy of the year, but sales skyrocketed, with more than 5 million scooters purchased in the first 6 month of launching.



The millennium bug didn’t bite
December 31st, 1999 will not easily be forgotten. As everyone awaited to ring in the year 2000, it was feared that computers might interpret 00 as 1900 and not 2000.

Napster made headlines in the music industry
Today it’s quite easy for us to download, watch or share videos and music. But back in 2000, the hundreds of sites we can access today did not exist. Napster made a name for themselves when they allowed music enthusiasts to illegally download MP3 copies of records.



Survivor debuted
When you’re granted the opportunity to compete for 1 million dollars, stepping into the unknown with complete strangers is a challenge worth the try. Since its debut, Survivor went on to bag several Emmy Awards and is considered one of the best shows of the 2000’s.

Mobile devices quickly shifted from optional to a societal must-have. Statistically it is said that the number of mobile users in South Africa will grow to 39.06 million by 2025, that’s close to 800 000 more users than there currently are in 2020. With the year upon year increase, businesses are having to ensure they’re keeping up with industry standards to meet their audience where they are.

Mobile-friendly web design, unlike traditional web design is formatted and designed to be mobile responsive. It largely contributes to the way people interact with a business and the overall interest they’ll show in it.

Here are a few reasons why mobile-friendly web design is important:

Your audience uses mobile devices
Smartphones are all around us. On average, a household contains between 3-5 electronic devices, and over 50% are mobile devices. This means more people are likely to search for your product or service on a smartphone and, a mobile responsive website will help you better the user experience.

Helps build trust
Mobile-friendly web design helps users access a website with ease. A website that is not easily accessible will result in potential customers losing interest and confidence in your brand.

Google ranking
Mobile-friendly web design is one of the top factors that Google takes into account when deciding how to rank your website. In 2018 Google made an announcement stating that they’ll prioritise crawling mobile versions of websites over desktop versions. This means, a website designed with mobile in mind will have a positive impact on your overall Google ranking.

Clients may find it difficult to contact you
A responsive website will adjust to the screen size the user is viewing it on, this makes it easy for them to view or find the information on a website. When a website is not mobile responsive, people will find navigation difficult and this will in turn make it difficult for them to get in touch with you.

Bottom line? Mobile-friendly web design has a positive effect on YOUR bottom line. When people have a negative experience with your website, they’re less likely to show an interest in your brand or to recommend your product or service. And you’re far likely to lose potential clients to your competitors.

To check if your website is mobile-friendly, use Google’s mobile-friendly test. Need a web design company who can help you with a mobile-friendly website? Partner with us!

Google has been no stranger to scrutiny or skeptics who wonder whether Google ads are worth it. But business has evolved, and competition has steadily increased. And the law of the 21st century is simple – for a business to make money, they need to spend money.

Google ads have proven to be a cost-effective form of advertising that allows you to reach your intended target audience.

Below we delve into 6 different ways to advertise with Google.

Search Ads
Search ads are text-based ads that appear above or below organic searches on the Google search engine results page. They are easily identifiable by the “ad” text displayed next to a web address, as indicated below. Search ads allow you to target people specifically looking for your product or service and helps drive targeted traffic to your website.



Display Ads
Google’s Display Network helps you showcase your ads on third-party websites based on user behaviour, interests and more importantly, the context of the website it is being displayed on. Display ads can come in the form of text, static banners, or animated banners and, unlike search ads that are keyword driven, display targets a higher bracket of users to help build brand awareness.



YouTube Ads
Anyone who has ever watched a YouTube video has fallen prey to the ads that pop up before or during the video, or the text ads that display when watching a video.

As a Google owned search engine that accounts for almost one third of internet users and is the second largest search engine, YouTube ads allow you to target audiences according to the specific search terms people are searching for.



Shopping Ads
Google shopping ads are the product listing ads we see at the top of search engines that allows advertisers to showcase their products.

These ads include: all relevant product information, images, pricing, and product reviews.



Gmail Ads
Gmail is a product owned by Google that grants businesses the opportunity to advertise to targeted audiences. In comparison to other ad placements, the cost to advertise is lower, as is the competition and it’s an ideal option to help create brand awareness.



Local search
Local search, also known as Google My Business or your Google Business Listing is a product that allows you to highlight more information about your business, including trading hours and address. Through local extensions and location targeting, brands can reach nearby searchers.



WHICH METHOD IS MOST SUITABLE FOR YOU?
To determine which of the 6 methods will be best suit you, there’s some factors that need to be taken into account:

Target audience

Content writing vs copywriting, what's the difference and why does it matter? Content is all around us - we see it in the material we read, witty ads that encourage people to buy, videos we find interesting, and even in the memes that make us laugh.

These concepts and copy stem from two categories that have been long-standing in the advertising industry: copywriting and content writing. But what exactly is content writing and copywriting?

Let's start by clarifying the obvious, they are NOT interchangeable terms. There are notable differences that allow you to tell a copywriter from a content writer.

OBJECTIVE
The most distinctive difference between the two is the purpose it serves. While copywriting aims to sell, content writing focuses on informing, educating, and entertaining audiences.
Copywriters take the product or service you sell and merge it with your brand's persona to appeal to a buyer's emotions and to drive sales.
Content writers are known to create content that aligns with a brand's voice and is clear in its purpose to help understand a brand.
But although their objectives may differ, both are driven by the goal to entice audiences, whether it is to convert them into sales or to pique interest in a brand through valuable and insightful content.


ROLE
Copywriters are professionals devoted to producing material centred around the marketing goals of a business. Content writers on the other hand aren't necessarily limited to professionals; it can include authors, bloggers, or even CEOs who are capable of producing content.

TYPES OF COPY
The internet birthed an era that's seen marketing methods evolve drastically. Copywriting, which was traditionally recognised in advertising has since shifted and come in varying forms, including:
Slogans
Taglines
Email marketing campaigns
Press releases
Online ads (social media campaigns, Google advertising)
Offline ads
Scripts for video, radio, or TV commercials
Brochures
Web content
SEO content

TYPES OF CONTENT
Much like copywriters, content writers are universally recognised for their ability to produce content across a multitude of channels, including:
Blogs
Social media
Newsletters
Books and E-books
Podcasts
Magazine
Radio and TV
SEO content

In a world where content and copy is constantly evolving, having both content writing and copywriting as part of your strategy will contribute to successfully meeting your goals.

In a world that has no shortage of devices that come in many different sizes, web design had to evolve and adapt to better meet the needs of the users at the other end of these devices. For those familiar with the term responsive web design, you’d know that a responsive website can kill many birds with one stone.

Lets dive into the concept of responsive web design and why it is important.

What is responsive web design?
In short, responsive web design refers to a way of designing a website that allows it to adjust to the size of the device users are viewing the website on. These include mobile phone, tablet and desktop viewing.

Why is responsive web design important?

From recipes to tutorials, vlogs and explainer videos to name a few; video content, in recent years has been on the rise and has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

TikTok, a predominantly GenZ platform has taken the world by storm with short-form videos and made quite the name for themselves. And more recently, Instagram started making waves with their newly launched feature called Reels that have left many wondering, will Instagram be giving TikTok a run for their money with Reels?

Here’s what you need to know:

What is TikTok?
TikTok, formerly known as Music.ly is a social network launched in 2016 that allows you to create, edit and share short-form video and follow other accounts. Their aim is to inspire creativity and bring joy with short, fun and trendy videos. To date, the app has accumulated over 1 billion users worldwide, most of whom are aged between 16 and 24.

What are Instagram Reels?
Much like TikTok, Instagram Reels is also a short-form video feature launched by Instagram that allows you to edit your reels by including music, adding filters or changing the video speed.

What’s the difference between TikTok and Instagram Reels?
The main difference between the two is the length of the videos. While TikTok allows up to 1 minute videos, Instagram Reels are limited to only 15 second clips.

Secondly, although Facebook stated the launch of licensed music, no announcement has been made on what type of music will be permitted on the platform.

Many have dubbed Reels a replica of TikTok, and believe it will live up to or exceed TikTok’s standard. This begs to ask the question - should TikTok be concerned about the threat Reels poses?

Why Reels are said to have the upperhand:

In an industry that is overpopulated with agencies and freelancers alike, a good internet design company is hard to come by. Cheap offers and fancy designs may seem attractive, but what purpose would it serve if it adds little to no value to your business?

Your website is a long-term investment that serves as both the online face of your business and the tool that will help you reach potential customers, so careful consideration needs to go into choosing an internet design company.

Here are some factors to take into account and to add to your criteria list when partnering with a web design company:

Credibility (portfolio, reviews)
A company’s portfolio and reviews from clients can attest to their credibility. Thanks to the internet and social media, we can verify their credibility by doing research in advance. This also helps determine whether they fit the profile of what you’re looking for in an internet design company.

Price
Web design prices will vary vastly, you can expect internet design companies to quote you anything between R500 to R50 000. This, of course needs to fit within both your budget and requirements. Make sure the price matches the value you’re getting from the design company you choose to partner with.

Hidden cost (maintenance, hosting, emails)
Most times people assume web design pricing is all-inclusive, but it’s not. Your domain registration, hosting, emails and website maintenance doesn’t necessarily fall under what you’re quoted for the design of your website.

Some agencies and freelancers don’t communicate this with clients, so it’s important to clarify these things upfront, and to get it in writing.

Deadline / turnaround time
When you pay for a website, you don’t want to wait months until it’s up and running which could potentially result in losing out on business. Get confirmation in advance what the turnaround time will be.

Support
In the likelihood of anything going wrong, for instance, your email account getting hacked, you’ll need technical support. Get full disclosure from your designer about whether assistance in this regard is offered, and if it’s included in the price or as an extra charge.

Why choose Web Partner?

• Affordable monthly packages - we offer monthly packages from R299 a month.
• Credible - we’ve completed over 10 000 projects and have a 4.8 Google rating from our clients.
• No hidden costs - our packages are all-inclusive, but does not include your marketing expense.
• Strict deadlines - we’re a deadline driven company and commit to a 5-day turnaround time upon receipt of all content.
• Support - we have an in-house support team who will promptly attend to any issues you may have.
• Free maintenance - while most agencies may charge a set or monthly maintenance fee, we offer 1 hour free monthly maintenance with any of our packages.
• We have a marketing department - with a marketing team skilled in Google ads, SEO and social media, we can help with the next step in growing your business once your website is up and running.

Internet users strongly rely on search engines to provide them with the content they’re looking for. Google in particular is not only noted as the largest search engine, but statistically also accounts for over 85% of search traffic on desktop and mobile devices, globally.

As marketers, we’re constantly having to stay on top of industry changes to have a clear understanding of these components and how they can positively or negatively influence advertising.

We sat down with our in-house Google specialists, who collectively have more than 20 years’ experience in Google advertising and got some valuable insight. While they deem Google a worthy investment that can yield excellent results, they raised some key mistakes to avoid.

Low quality score on your landing pages

Broad geo-targeting

Not doing conversion tracking

Not implementing negative keywords

Bidding broad

When you’ve invested time and money into getting a website up and running, a lack of traffic, and more importantly, quality website traffic can be frustrating and bad for business.

Below, we dive into some factors that contribute to your website’s performance and what can be done to improve its overall performance.

You are not advertising
The internet is a jungle that’s anyone’s game. Lots of traffic (potential customers) means lots of competition. When you’re not advertising your website (business), you can’t expect to make money.

And while advertising usually comes at a cost, there’s ways in which you can help market your website that carries little to no advertising cost.

• Ramp up your SEO game, it’ll help with your organic rankings.
• Include your website link on your social media pages and in your email signature.

Your website is not ranking
Ranking in search engines increases your website’s visibility, and this directly impacts the amount of visitors your website will get. When people search for your product or service, you want to rank on the first page.

To do so, there are a few factors you’ll want to consider:

• Understanding what SEO is and how it will benefit your business.
• Installing Google analytics, it helps you monitor and analyze data from all platforms.
• Installing Google search console, it helps you understand and improve how Google perceives your website.
• Installing an SEO plugin, like Yoast or SEOprofiler.

Irrelevant content
Content will always reign supreme in all aspects of the digital realm. That is why your content should be relevant, unique and engaging.

• Make sure your website isn’t text heavy, if it contains too much text, people will lose interest.
• Check for spelling and grammatical errors. You don’t want to come across as unprofessional.

Your website is not secure
The internet is laden with hackers and viruses that pose a threat to your website. When your site not is secure, visitors will be hesitant to visit your website or share their information with you. This can ultimately result in a negative reflection of your business.

To safeguard your website against potential threats, you need to:

• Install an SSL certificate
• Do constant backups
• Make use of anti-malware software
• Update your website from time to time

It’s not indexed
Indexing a website simply refers to the process by which a search engine adds web content to its index by means of “crawling” to gather and process the data from pages.

Here’s how to get your website indexed:

• You need to submit your website to search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, Ask.com etc)
• Install Google Search Console and Google Analytics

Website loading speed is slow
There’s nothing as frustrating as visiting a website, only to find that the contents thereof takes ages to load. This will cause your visitors to lose interest, and will result in them leaving your site.

Not mobile-friendly
Perhaps 10 years ago a website designed for mobile viewing wasn’t as relevant. But times have changed, and mobile usage has drastically increased. This means, designing with mobile in mind is one of the most important factors as the number of mobile users outweigh PC users.

Outdated
Updating an outdated website is like giving a house a fresh coat of paint. It’ll look as good as new and is more likely to get people’s attention. More importantly, an outdated website doesn’t perform well and won’t give you a good return on investment.

Staying on trend and changing with the times will increase your chance of getting website visitors.

In order for your website to yield the results you’re hoping for, it’s worth noting that none of the above factors act in isolation. Collectively, it will help improve your website and improve its visibility.

A fully designed website from as little as R299 a month? The surprise in people’s tone or facial expression often makes it sound too good to be true. But if you’re wondering whether it’s true or possible, the simple answer is YES, it is.

Throughout the 6 years that we’ve been operating, we’ve always believed and maintained that every business, regardless of how big or small you are should have a website. And more importantly, you shouldn’t have to put your house up for sale to afford one.

On average, agencies tend to charge between R7 500 - R15 000, or more for a website. And this price doesn’t always include the cost to maintain the site. So, you’re essentially looking at a once-off design fee plus an additional hourly rate for maintenance that can range anywhere between R350 - R500 an hour.

With the number of small businesses in South Africa increasing at a rapid rate, we know and understand that paying a large lump sum is not always feasible for small businesses.

And for this reason, we have chosen to position ourselves as the “web partner” every small business needs.

Packages

We have 4 pricing options that accommodates both your needs and budget.

1. Splash page website
A splash page is a static one page website that contains your company details: logo or company name, contact details (contact number, email address) and services.

This option generally suits start-ups with a limited budget. Although it is only a one-page website, you’re still able to display your services and have a business email.

What is included?

• Splash page only
• .co.za domain name
• 1 email address
• 1GB hosting

Price: R99p/m

2. Startup website
Our startup package is ideal for businesses that requires a little more than what a splash page offers, but doesn’t contain a large amount of information.

What is included?

• .co.za domain name
• 5GB hosting
• Complete website design up to 5 pages
• 3 stock images
• 5 email addresses
• 1 hour free monthly maintenance and support for any updates and / or changes
• A gallery with images of your products (no individual product listing)
• List of your services
• Mobile-friendly and mobile responsive

Price: R299p/m

3. Business website
If you’re an established business in need of a website that can accommodate a large amount of content, then a business website will be the perfect fit.

A business website is generally best suited for blog or news sites, product catalogues or guesthouses to name a few.

What is included?

• Complete website design up to 25 Pages
• .co.za domain name
• 25 email addresses
• 25GB hosting
• Dedicated designer
• High converting landing pages
• 5 stock images
• 1 hour free monthly maintenance
• Mobile-friendly and mobile responsive

Price: R499p/m

4. Shopping cart
With a shopping cart design you can easily and conveniently sell your products online.
What is included?

• Unlimited products - we load the first 20 products/items/listings and give you full guidance and access to load more at your convenience
• An online ordering system
• An integrated payment gateway (we recommend: PayFast, Shopify or PayGate)
• Full product image and descriptions
• .co.za domain name
• 25 email addresses
• 50GB hosting
• 1 hour free monthly maintenance
• Mobile-friendly and mobile responsive

Price: R699p/m

How it works
Our process is fairly simple. If you wish to sign up for any of our packages, our sales team will make contact and can assist with any questions you may have. They’ll forward the necessary documentation to start the process

Once we’ve received the completed paperwork, we then proceed to either register or transfer your domain.

In the interim, a project manager will get in touch to guide you through the content requirements (check our FAQ) for your website. When we have all that is needed, your website will go into production.

Within 5 working days we’ll present the first draft, this way, you’re able to check that all is in order and advise on any changes if or where necessary.

When you’re 100% satisfied, we’ll make your website secure, mobile-friendly and submit it to Google for indexing before going live.

A website is instrumental to the online success of any business. And for this reason, we believe every business, both big and small, should have a website. More importantly, we believe a website should be affordable.

But what exactly is affordable web design and what does it entail? Firstly, affordable does not mean cheap. Affordable refers to reasonably priced, while cheap implies low cost and low quality.

As a web design company who has helped 1 000’s of small businesses in South Africa, we’ve destigmatized the notion that affordable translates to low quality websites.

We’ve grown to understand not every business can afford the price tag most agencies put on a website. And our ability to provide businesses with an affordable website that doesn’t compromise on quality or functionality has set us apart from many other web design agencies in South Africa.

Furthermore, our affordable web design promise to small businesses ensures:

• We meet our clients’ needs and standards
• We strive to constantly improve and stay on top of industry trends and technological changes.
• We make it our mission to keep your website on trend and updated.
• We offer affordable website design packages that fit your budget and needs.

In addition to affordability, we believe in transparency, and allow you to make changes to your website when necessary. With Joomla and Wordpress CMS (Content Management System) as the backbone systems of our designs, we make it convenient for you to have complete access to your website.

If you’re looking for a company who can help you get your business online and grant you access to affordable web design in South Africa, get in touch with us!

Entrepreneurship can be as exhausting as it is exhilarating. The perks and potential may seem exciting, but of course, there are obstacles along the way that can derail and demotivate us. And just as there are myths about entrepreneurship, there’s (many) hardcore truths most business owners can attest to.

Every entrepreneur fails at least once

It might be hard to believe, judging by the success of some companies, but entrepreneurs are no strangers to failure. For some, failure only came knocking once, while others have had to experience it multiple times.

Before co-founding LinkedIn and investing in PayPal and AirBnB, Reid Hoffman created the online dating and social networking site, SocialNet that failed.

It’s not for everyone

We can all dream of being our own boss and owning a business that is successful, but not everyone is built to be an entrepreneur. Is this a bad thing? Absolutely not. The work an employee puts in helps carry the company. Being an employee who brings value to a company with a certain skill-set is as ok as being an entrepreneur.

You have to work hard.

A business won’t work unless its owner does. There’s no truer truth! Owning and running a business doesn’t mean dreaming up an idea that magically runs on autopilot. Business owners hustle hard and should be willing to do the hard yards themselves when necessary.

There’s no guarantees

Like anything in life, there are no real guarantees when you decide to embark on the joyous journey of becoming an entrepreneur. You have to take the good with the bad and expect the unexpected. Running a business is a process you go into blindly with many plot twists. Know and prepare for the possibility of it potentially not working.

Forget about balance

If being busy is “not your thing”, then don’t consider starting a business. Entrepreneurs tend to be busy most of the time. At times, work commitments will have to take preference and personal relationships will fall out of balance.

It requires many sacrifices; like time with your loved ones, money, sleep and the many benefits of a balanced life. But in the end, entrepreneurs deem the rewards they get to reap worth every sacrifice they’ve had to make along the way.

If you’re a seasoned entrepreneur, kudos to you! To those considering starting a business or if you’re new to entrepreneurship, we wish you many years of success on your journey.

Ask any business owner if running a business is easy and they’ll tell you that you need hair on your teeth to deal with the daily ordeals that come with the title; business owner / entrepreneur.

Seriously, imagine a page long list of problems before you’ve even managed to have your morning cup of morning! This is the reality of entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurs wear many hats; number cruncher, admin, sales, customer service, mediator or even barista if you’d please.

But, lets be frank, it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s an equal amount of positives to running your own business. And, to do so, you’ll need a few skills to crush it in business.

Stress and Time Management

If lavender is meant to relieve stress, then entrepreneurs should probably bath in it. Stress is a part of the package any owner would much rather wish away. And while we can’t expect them to be perfect beings, being able to effectively manage business stress at least 60% of the time gets them closer to superhuman status.

Money Management

If ever there was a top spot competition for entrepreneurial skills, money management would be one of the strongest contenders. They say, if you can manage money, you can manage anything.

The priority for any entrepreneur is to make decisions that will contribute to the growth of the company. And money plays an important role in many decisions that need to be made.

It can determine the success of the business, keep it from failing, help reduce or eliminate unnecessary costs and, more importantly, impact the profitability of the business.

Problem-solving

If you can’t solve problems, then you shouldn’t be in business. There’ll be unhappy clients demanding your attention, internal issues or processes that aren’t making your ship sail smoothly. But see these as a drop in the ocean of all the issues that can arise.

Problem-solving is a two-part skill; first there’s the ability to be able to identify the problems, and then, there’s finding the solutions that will help move the business forward.

Communication

Communication in business will take many directions - communication with employees, customers, suppliers or service providers and investors. And it will come in many forms; a business owner will need to listen, relay, interpret and motivate. Strong communication skills will help build trust, solve problems and give your business a better sense of direction.

Resilience

Stress, problems, a lack of focus, losses and rejection are beasts that business owners are no strangers to, and factors that can break a business. But drive and determination will keep you and your business progressing in the direction it needs to go.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your business won’t be an overnight success. There will be highs and lows along the way, but when you nurture your entrepreneurial skills, you better your chances of growth.

Did you know, there’s competition lurking at every corner ready to snatch up YOUR potential customers. This can impact your success as a brand, so you need to be thinking about how you can set yourself apart from the competition.

A website is one of the easiest ways to reach an audience. But is yours getting the attention it deserves? If the answer is no, why not? And more importantly, how can you change things up to make sure it’s getting the attention it should?

Here’s 5 ways in which you can make your website more attractive:

Logo

When people visit a website, a logo is one of the first things they’ll suss out. As an element that lives everywhere - on your website, social media pages, marketing material, in your email signature and on invoices or quotes - a logo can really make or break a brand.

Captivating a users’ attention with a good, quality logo that best represents your brand not only improves how people perceive and interact with your brand, but also contributes to your overall online presence.

Balance

Overdone websites are distasteful. You want to convey the right message and attract the right audience. Striking the perfect balance between text and visuals will make your site more attractive and will help make for a better converting website.

Complementary Colours

Your colour scheme is your signature, using colours that complement one another will add to the visual value of the website.

They should tie in with your logo, be a clear representation of your brand and shouldn’t be visually overpowering. Using the wrong colour combination can detract from your brand message.

Easy to read fonts

The user experience is as important as the information you wish to put forth. Fonts are one part of the design that expresses your personality. And often, not much thought goes into it.

Fonts should first and foremost be readable. Fancy fonts, although “pretty” are not always ideal to use on a website.

Secondly, when using more than one font, try ones that best complement one another or ones that belong to the same font family.
People won’t bother reading all the information on your website, they’re prone to skim. How you use fonts is just as important - making certain words bold, capitalised or italic will help draw attention to important pieces of information.

Good quality graphics

The use of good quality graphics cannot be emphasized enough.

Here’s how to use images and videos the right way on your website:

Will you defend yourself if you have NO legal knowledge or experience? If not, why would you want to design your website yourself if you’re not a professional web designer?

With all the DIY resources, tools and tutorials at our disposal, there’s a false perception that designing your own website is easy. Of course it’s possible to try it yourself, but it’s not recommended.

Ever tried to navigate your way around the backend of a website? Do you know how to code, align, do section breaks and resize elements? Can you make a website mobile responsive? If this sounds foreign to you, it’s obvious you should not attempt designing your own website. These are a few areas of design experienced web designers are skilled and knowledgeable in.

So, here’s 5 reasons why you should hire a professional web designer to design your website.

1. Saves you time and money
In this day and age, who has time and money to waste? Whether you’re a solopreneur or a team; you’re trying to run your business to make money - this means managing staff, finances, sales and all the nitty gritty tasks that consume your day. It also leaves little to no time to properly learn how to design a website. And even the basics may take months to grasp.

But any website, whether done by a professional or an amateur will require more than just the basic design skills. You’ll end up directing your customers to a poorly designed website, and you’re likely to lose them to your competitors.

2. It will look professional
Professionalism sells! Designers have an eye for detail and know how to make a website aesthetically appealing through balance. They know how to get the right text to image ratio. Where and how to use the correct colour schemes and the right fonts that contributes to the overall look of a website.

3. A professional knows the do’s and don’ts of web design
When a potential customer lands on your website, you want to make sure it ticks all the design boxes. First and foremost, you’d want it to be mobile responsive. When people find it difficult to navigate their way around a site on mobile devices, they’re more likely to leave the site.

Security is key. Every website needs to have an SSL certificate to make it safe and secure to browse. Having a “this site is not secure” notification pop up will immediately direct your website visitors away from your site.

Additionally, designers will have knowledge in implementing the following:

• When and where to add page or section breaks
• How to distribute call to actions
• Optimizing images to load better on pages
• Proper navigation

4. It gives you a marketing advantage
A website and marketing goes hand-in-hand. People want to know who you are and what you do. Having a website allows potential customers insight into who you are as a brand, enables you to rank in the business listing, and this further adds to your credibility and can give you a competitive edge.

5. You’ll have technical support
Designing a website is merely one part of getting a website online. The domain needs to be registered and you’ll require monthly hosting. You’ll stumble across many companies offering domains and hosting to you, but it’s important that you partner with the right service provider.

More often than not, these services are offered at a cheap rate and clients find themselves in a loophole of struggles - little to no technical support, communication issues, systems crashing and so much more. Getting professional support will ease the burden.

As a professional web design company offering affordable website design packages, we strive to meet all your design needs.

You can get your website designed by our professionals that;

• Saves you time and money
• Looks professional
• Offers technical support
• Gives you a marketing edge
• Is secure and responsive
• Includes monthly maintenance

If you’re a small business owner in search of a professional web designer to help you get your business online, we’re here to help you! Give us a shout, pop us a mail or send us your details and we’ll get our team to contact you.

The shift to remote working for companies, both big and small was a no-brainer. With lockdown being put in place and businesses already facing restrictions and obstacles, there was a need to act swiftly. Four months later and remote work has now become the new normal we’ve needed to embrace.

While the concept of working remotely has risen in popularity over the years, there’s much concern about whether it will be temporary. Will it phase out? Will there be positive or negative long-term consequences?

Given the circumstances we’re in, this is what we currently know and foresee:

• The numbers will continue to rise

It's predicted that the aftermath of the virus will linger for at least the next 2 years, if not longer. This reality places businesses in a position where they need to be tactful in their decision-making. For safety and financial purposes, the option to work remotely makes sense.

Many have started settling into this “new normal”, and we reckon more companies will jump onto the bandwagon. Those already doing so will consider remote work as a new or long-term option.

• Businesses and workers benefit

There’s been much debate about whether remote work is a viable option for businesses in the long-run, but studies have shown it’s potentially a win-win situation for employees and employers alike.

Of course, there’s advantages and disadvantages on either side of the scale, but with the freedom and flexibility that remote work allows comes increased productivity, focus and a better sense of responsibility.

• Decrease in stress levels

Stress is known to have a huge impact on many aspects of our lives: mental, physical and emotional well-being; all of which can affect both our work and personal life. Working remotely can help improve your work-life balance.

More so, employees can better plan their personal lives. There'll be a significant decrease in the added stress of transport costs or related issues like traffic or taking time off.

• Operational costs will be lower

With the economy taking a major knock, businesses closing down and an overall decrease in revenue for many companies, the financial burden of working remotely compared to employees working from the office is far less.

Overall, working remotely means adapting and looking at life in general through a new lens.

Despite being the largest and fastest growing search engine, Google has faced much scrutiny over the years. Many have and still continue to question whether there is actual value in advertising your business on Google.

Lets consider a real life scenario:

Pete, who resides in Cape Town has an issue with his roof that requires fixing. He doesn’t have a roof repair buddy on speed dial, so he does what most people would do, searches for one on Google.

Within a few minutes, Pete was able to find someone who does roof repairs within his area and had his issue resolved the same day.

So, to demonstrate its true value, we’ve decided to debunk some of the most common Google advertising myths you’ll find.

Google advertising costs a fortune
FALSE. You can start with as little as R50 a day (that’s true) and gradually increase your ad spend over time. What’s even more exciting is that you’re able to pause or stop your ads as you see fit.

This means your ad spend is within your control. If you find that the search volume is lower over weekends, compared to weekdays, you can set your campaigns to run Monday to Friday and have them paused over weekends.

Google ads doesn’t work
This statement couldn’t be further from the truth. With all the searches within Google daily, it is one of the most effective ways to advertise your business. It won’t work if you don’t know how to use it. This is why it would be best to consider enlisting the help of a professional.

You can’t track the ROI
Like many other platforms, you CAN track the ROI. Google allows you to implement conversion tracking so you can see how your campaigns are performing.

My competitors can waste my budget
While this is a valid concern for any business owner considering Google advertising, it’s worth knowing, Google takes invalid clicks and click fraud seriously.

Your campaign performance report will easily allow you to identify any suspicious activity. This, in addition to IP address tracking can be reported for further investigation. So, it is highly unlikely that your budget can be wasted by your rivals.

People don’t click on ads
This is a major misconception, people search Google with intent, so ads are not merely for show. Google’s policy is simple: you only pay when people click on your ad. When your ads are relevant to what the user searches, people are likely to click on your ads and you will get results.

It doesn’t work for small businesses
Many times people think small businesses can’t compete, but Google advertising works just as well for small businesses as it does for large corporations. You don’t have to have a big budget to compete or to see a return on investment.

I can do it myself
Although it is possible to do it yourself, you need to be knowledgeable in the do’s and don’ts of Google advertising, and with time professionals have managed to master these skills. Getting an experienced Google expert to assist with your advertising will not only save you time, but you’ll save on money too and get a better return on investment.

Need professional assistance with advertising your business on Google? Get in touch with our experts, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The web design industry can be extremely intimidating for those unfamiliar or new to it. Not only does it contain its own language but there’s so much web jargon and terms that goes along with it.

For designers, these terms have become second nature, so lets look at some of the most common web related terms you’ll stumble across.

301 Redirect:
A 301 redirect is a term all designers are familiar with, it’s the term used when one URL (Uniform Resource Identifier) permanently redirects to another.

This usually happens when you change URL’s, have broken pages, content is deleted or is no longer useful, when a website is redesigned or domains are merged.

404 Error:
When a 404 page error appears, this means the page you’re trying to access doesn’t exist on the website. 404 errors commonly appear when a page has been deleted from the site or the URL has been misspelled.

CSS:
CSS, also known as Cascading Style Sheet refers to the script created to lay out and style pages on a website. This can include anything from colour, size, spacing of the content to font changes.

Hosting:
Without hosting, your website can’t be accessed. Hosting is the web servers used to “house”, serve and maintain all the files of websites.

Domain:
A domain name is simply the name of your website, it is what people typically type into a browser when searching for your website. Domain names are unique to every business, and your domain name can be claimed by having it registered with a domain registrar.

Shopping Cart:
Shopping carts are e-commerce sites specifically designed for businesses that sell products that allow customers to purchase goods online.

CMS:
Content management system is a type of software that uses a database to manage content when designing a website.

Although they are not specific to web design and are used for marketing purposes too, they play a vital role in the management of website content.

HTTP:
HTTP, short for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is regarded as the foundation of the world wide web used to load pages with the use of hypertext links and to transfer files on the internet.

HTTPS:
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure is the secure version of HTTP, where data is transferred over a secure network.

Cache:
Cache refers to a type of hardware or software component that stores data so that the data can easily be accessed for future use.

Cookies:
Cookies is the data your browser saves to help keep track of your website visits and activity.

Slider:
Slideshows on a website are typically referred to as sliders used to display information. They’re used for images, text and even video.

Header:
The top section of a website is known as the header, it is usually what people see first when opening a website.

Footer:
Footers are found at the end of a website, they’re the opposite of the header. They generally display company details such as contact information, copyright, social icons and privacy policies to name a few.

While these are but a few everyday design terms we’ve compiled, there are hundreds, if not thousands of web related terms designers and design agencies are familiar with.

If social media engagement hasn’t been part of your social strategy - you need to start making it a priority. In our previous post, Understanding Social Media Engagement, we delved into what Social Media Engagement is and why it’s important.

But understanding it is one part of a two-part problem, so, lets look into some practical ways in which you can improve your social media engagement with a few simple steps.

1. Consider your offering
While this doesn’t seem like an important step to some, it’s by far one of the most crucial steps. All your marketing efforts and the interaction your brand will receive is centered around:

WHAT you’re offering - are you product or service focused? If you’re offering multiple services or products, what’s your core business?

WHO you are targeting - are your products or services aimed at professionals, youngsters, business owners, kids, different audiences?

2. Understanding the platforms
In the world of social media, there’s no shortage of platforms where you can market your product or service. But no two platforms are the same. Each one caters to different audiences and won’t offer the exact same return on investment.

When you have a clear understanding of what each platform offers, the type of business / product it is intended for and the audiences that live on each platform, you better your chances of creating the right content and targeting people who should be interacting with your brand.

Facebook
Not only is Facebook the largest social networking platform, it is also the most versatile. It works really well for both products and services, and allows you to reach and target different groups of audiences, anywhere.

Example: A baker (product) can use Facebook to target his or her audience by showcasing examples of their work, doing live tutorials or sharing DIY recipes.

A personal trainer (service) can share at-home workouts, health tips and suggestions and conduct Q&A sessions.

LinkedIn
Also known as the hub for professionals, LinkedIn tops the chart for connecting professionals across a multitude of industries. Whether you’re job hunting or recruiting, LinkedIn is a great B2B marketing platform and an ideal source for seeking out opportunities, talent and skill. 

Twitter
For all things news, trending and buzzworthy, you can count on Twitter to be the most effective platform in bringing you news on the go or the daily scoop. It has been successful in connecting people and allowing them to share their thoughts with a large audience. 

Instagram and Pinterest
Instagram focuses more on sharing your own images, while Pinterest is about curated content. Despite this difference, they’ve both gained popularity for being a source of inspiration for ideas. 

YouTube and TikTok
Video content and the use of platforms like YouTube and TikTok has seen exponential growth over the last 5-10 years. Next to images, video content is easier to digest and allows you to communicate better and faster with your intended target audience.
With the above in mind, here’s what you should and shouldn’t do to improve your social media engagement:

DO

• Make your content relevant and interesting 
• Be human
• Be consistent 
• Engage with your audience by responding to comments and answering questions
• Invest in Facebook and Instagram live chats
• Make it less about you and more about your audience
• Keep up with what’s trending 
• Adapt
• Use video and images

DON’T

• Opt for text-heavy posts
• Oversell
• Avoid generic and impersonal communication 
• Take too long to respond to comments and messages
• SPAM

Social media engagement is all about interaction. The output (engagement) strongly depends on the input (effort invested). Just as a plant will grow if it receives the right amount of water and sunlight, so will your brand.

But beware, that growth (engagement) won’t happen overnight. Your plant (business) won’t be watered at the same time or receive the same amount of sunlight every day. It will adapt to its environment and with time, you can reap the rewards (customer loyalty and trust) from the fruit it bears.

Google has been a highly resourceful search engine that has revolutionised and given life to our online experiences. For businesses just starting out or those that are already established, it’s important that your customers are able to find you online. Since Google’s aim is to help people find businesses closest to where they are, a Google My Business listing will not only help potential customers find you on Google, but it will greatly contribute to your online success.

So, what exactly is a Google listing and how do you go about getting one?

Google My Business is an all-in-one free (that’s right) tool that allows you to manage and control your digital presence in local Google search engines and Google Maps. You can post updates, connect and engage with your audience, gather reviews for your product and service.

Take a look at the image below, when your business name or keywords related to the product or service you offer is entered into Google, (eg: web design companies in Bellville), you’re likely to appear in search results.

To start the listing process, first you need to create your listing, then the account has to be verified. Once those steps are completed, you can then optimise the account for search, and to better promote it.

Step 1: Creating your account

Google has simplified the process by guiding you through each step.

First, you want to ensure you’re logged into an existing Google account. Once logged in, head on over to https://www.google.com/business/ to start the process.

Once you’re on the Google My Business homepage, you want to establish whether there is an existing listing for your business, this is if you’ve previously created a listing.

When you click on manage, you’ll be redirected to the following page where you can either find your business or start setting up a new listing.

If there is an existing account, you can proceed to claim it. If it’s a new account, you’ll proceed to the page that requests your business name, the category that best describes your business.

If you have offices or a physical store, you can include this, as it will show on Google Maps or when people are searching for you. Hereafter, you’ll have the option to include additional areas you may serve or deliver to customers (if applicable).

Include all the necessary contact details that will help customers get in touch with you, all contact details you enter . Here, you can also include your website. And if you do not have one, Google allows you to create a free, basic website (this will not include your official domain registration or emails and hosting).

You have now successfully completed step one and can start managing your content within your Google My Business Listing.

Step 2: Account verification

You’ll need to confirm that the business is yours by verifying the account. Google permits account verification in two ways, you can either;

Have a postcard mailed to the address under which you’ve listed the business. For businesses based in South Africa, this usually takes roughly 21-22 days to arrive via post. The card will look as follows, and you’ll need to follow the steps on the card to proceed with verifying your Business Listing.

Although this method is the easiest, it’s worth noting that not all businesses are successful in verifying via email or phone. If your business is eligible, you’ll be prompted to either complete this step via email or phone, to which the code will be sent.

You’ll be taken through a series of additional steps to complete your listing;

Listing your services Adding your business description Adding images of your business - this can be products, your offices or images relevant to the service you offer.

Thereafter you’ll be directed to your business listing dashboard where you can start filling in all relevant information to optimise your listing.

Step 3: Optimising your listing

Optimisation is key to getting your customers to find your business. It’s worth mentioning, an optimised listing requires constant and consistent efforts. It’s not about adding a lot of information, it’s about adding the right and most relevant information.

• Focus on content that is most relevant to your customers
• Have images that will appeal to your customers
• Be sure to manage and respond to reviews (both good and bad)

An optimised account includes the following:

• A cover image that is a clear reflection of your company, since it will be displayed at the top of your listing, it needs to be the correct size and resolution.
• Regular posts to keep visitors informed and up to date. Don’t post for the sake of posting, your content should at all times be purpose-driven.
• Responds to customer reviews.
• Allows for direct messaging.

Like any other efforts invested into getting your business seen, a Google My Business listing is an investment that’ll pay off in the long-run. To get started with your listing, head on over to https://www.google.com/business/, or if you need professional assistance, get in touch with us and we’ll help you set up a fully optimised listing.

We’re all familiar with the term “what’s trending”. Every year there’s a round-up of new trends you can expect to see make waves. Ones that’ll grace us with their presence a little while longer and others that have outlived their 5 seconds of fame.

Lets take a look at what’s hot and what’s not in the world of social media:

TikTok 

TikTok, the social platform that has taken centre stage and continues to shine bright during quarantine. Move over Gen Z, you’ll find a number of Millenials and Gen X users who can give you a run for your money. 

Launched in 2016, this 4-year old platform currently stands at 800 million users worldwide. Impressive, right?! As a short-form video platform, TikTokkers can create original content, recreate scenes from movies or music videos and so much more. Their mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy - both of which they’ve nailed. 

Did you know, of the 800 million users TikTok has, 500 million originate from India?  

Video content

YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram lives - need we say more? Video is big, and we’ll continue to see it increase in popularity for some time to come. 

Why is this great for business? For one, you better your chances of reaching a wider audience. Add in video’s ability to help you better communicate your message to your current and potential customers, your competition will have the odds stacked against them. 

And while some may say it’s an investment that can cost a fortune, that’s not entirely true. Although you may need specialised equipment or a professional to shoot or edit advanced video content. It is highly possible to produce DIY videos your audience can relate to. 

And speaking of relatable content, real and raw (unedited and unscripted) videos have become a big deal and have a massive impact on audiences. 

Communities / Groups 

Communities and groups have somewhat been underappreciated. But consider all the Facebook community and business / networking groups you belong to, you’ll see there’s more worth in them than we’re willing to give it credit.  Groups and communities have been around for a while. It’s where like-minded individuals join to share ideas and knowledge. 

In 2020 we’re saying YAY to  rallying your supporters together in a brand community to keep them informed and interested. 

Instagram likes

If you’re one to count the number of likes your Instagram posts get, brace yourselves, Instagram has started hiding likes! While this has only been implemented in Canada, the US and a few other countries, we can most certainly expect to see it be rolled out in South Africa too. This hot topic has had many naysayers disapproving of the idea, but here’s what you need to know:

CEO, Adam Mosseri announced, the reasoning behind making likes private or hiding them is to make it less about competition and more about connecting and conversations. 

Check out the clip where he explains why likes are being hidden

https://twitter.com/i/status/1192962986224128005 

There’s however no reason to freak out. Likes won’t disappear, instead, it will be hidden to your followers and will only be viewable to you. How will this impact businesses? There’s no major impact on brands, the only difference is, brands will now be forced to shift their focus to becoming more creative with their content and how their audience connects and engages with the content. And in our opinion, that’s all-in-all a step in a more positive direction for businesses. 

Paid advertising

“If you want to make money, you need to spend money”, so profound and so true. Social media platforms in South Africa collectively have over 1 million users on EACH of the major platforms. 

That’s a lot of potential business! And with targeting becoming more and more precise, social media platforms are allowing you to reach more people faster and more effectively.  

Social listening

Many speculated and questioned, is this real? Are brands listening in on conversations? Yes, but not in the secret agent kind of way. Social listening is merely a way for brands to suss out what people are saying about a brand / industry by keeping a watch on online conversations. 

If you’re going to sell your product or service to an audience, you need to have an understanding of who you’re selling to and what they need or want. 

When you listen, you learn; and when you learn, you’ll sell better and faster. 

Below are some of the not so hot trends we can see fade out on social media. 

Long video ads

Who doesn’t love a good video ad? Video is progressing rapidly, but no one is truly intrigued by a 3-minute long video ad. If it’s relevant, to the point, catchy and creative; your ad will appeal to the masses. Ideally, you want your ad to be between 30-90 seconds long. In doing so, it’s easier for the viewers to digest, you can easily hook them and they’re far more likely to take action.

We’re not saying longer videos don’t work, but when we consider audience preferences, shorter ads in present times have far more of an impact and a higher conversion rate. 

Generic visuals

Marketing has evolved to such an extent, it is now perceived as an extension of your customer service. Brands are digging deep and focusing on connecting with their audience on a more personal and relatable level. Images play an important role in this communication and connection, so generic images just won’t cut it on social media anymore.

Here’s some key points for getting your message across with visuals on social media:

• Authenticity is EVERYTHING - be true to who you are

• Design with your audience in mind - what’s intriguing to them?

• Research what’s hot - trends exist for a reason 

As marketers, graphic and web designers, trend watching is a BIG deal - mostly because it is relative to the success businesses experience online. And we’re all about putting our best foot forward for our clients.

An unprecedented event like the Coronavirus will have us question more what will break us and believe less in what can potentially make us.

In times when uncertainty surrounds us and we’re faced with obstacles that can severely impact what we’ve achieved and still hope to achieve, we begin questioning our survival.

To help your business rise to the top during bad times and remain at the top during good times, there are some fundamentals every business needs to survive.

1. Have a plan

Every business has a foundation on which it is built. All your decision-making, failures and success will be centred around the plan you have in place. It helps you decide which decisions to make when, keep track of the goals you set out to achieve, ensures everyone’s on the same page and prevents chaos from erupting.

2. Invest in knowledge

Knowledge is power! To grow professionally, we need to continuously invest in becoming knowledgeable. For teams especially, learning skills such as communication and teamwork are as important as the professional skills needed to fulfill their roles within the business. Knowledge will have a direct impact on the success of your business.

The knowledge and skills we acquire through learning allows us to:

• Achieve more goals
• Have a better understanding of our customers, their needs and how to properly meet them.
• Build more meaningful relationships with both employees and customers.

3. Be willing to adapt

Stressful situations can completely throw us off course. But just as adaptation is necessary in our everyday lives and everyday situations, it is equally important in business, and even more so during a crisis.

Adapting shows resilience to a stressful time and an openness to change. Your business’ ability to evolve and adapt to change will help you tackle problems and make room for new and better opportunities.

4. Take risks

Business 101: you need to be willing to take risks! Risks mean choosing to face the fear of uncertainty, regardless of whether that risk will pay off or not. When you take risks, you learn valuable lessons that will help you make better decisions in future.

The benefits of risk-taking:

• It builds confidence
• Helps you step out of your comfort zone
• It can help take your company from good to great

5. Set goals

Your success in business is only as good as the goals you set and the effort you put into achieving them. Goals play a pivotal role in the long-term vision of the company. They drive motivation and determine. The more goals you set, both big and small, the more focus you’ll gain, and the more that helps determine what you truly want.

In business, challenges and change is inevitable. Your business can thrive one day and the next you’re dealing with a blow that you didn’t anticipate or plan for. Your survival in business runs parallel to your survival as a human being.

Have you ever wondered how so many of the brands you follow or admire on social media manage to have messaging that is on point, images that are visually appealing and videos that are creatively constructed? They seem to just know how to appeal to their audience.

The hype around social media and the importance of social media marketing won’t die down anytime soon. And the need for a social presence is becoming more and more evident.

But, what exactly is social media marketing and why should business owners note its importance?

Social media marketing is the use of social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok etc) to promote your business and to connect with an audience.

Through social media marketing and establishing a social presence for your brand, you can:

1. Create brand awareness

As internet users, we spend a large portion of our time on social media, and with over 1 million social media users on each social platform in South Africa (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn), you want to be where your audience is.

By creating content relevant to your product or service, providing information about your business and sharing your portfolio; you can increase your social following and engagement on your social media pages.

2. Make money

For the majority, the goal is to make money from the efforts invested into social media marketing. But you need to be tactful in your approach to sell, when you come across as too salesy, you’ll discourage people from taking action.

So, how do you target the people you’re looking to connect with? You can offer incentives for participation in contests or do launch giveaways. Any promotional content you put in front of your audience that aims to convert should be end-game driven, but your audience and their needs and wants still need to be kept in mind.

3. Keep an eye on the competition

No matter the industry you are in, there will always be another company or an individual you’re having to compete with. And with more and more service providers entering the market, this can make it hard for you to compete.

Keeping an eye on your competitors allows you to assess where their strengths and weaknesses lie, how much of a threat they pose and the opportunities you can identify to better your product or service.

4. Connect with your audience

Social media is at its core all about connecting. Keep in mind that people buy from people. Through connection, you can build meaningful relationships and rally a team of loyal supporters. Make responding to their questions or comments a habit. Ask for their input and feedback. And make an effort to understand their interests.

Creating your social media marketing strategy

Your efforts will prove to be fruitless if you don’t have a plan (strategy) that details what you wish to achieve, when you wish to achieve it, how you plan to go about achieving it and why you’re taking certain steps to achieve your goals.

To build your social strategy, you need to:

1. Determine who your audience is

You need to have a well-rounded idea of who you are wanting to target. Who it is you’re ideally looking to sell to. Think about the needs and wants of these individuals and how you can or plan to fulfil it.

Your ideal customer can be characterised based on:

Location - where they are situated. Are you looking to target people based in a particular area or nationwide?

Age - what age group does your ideal customer fall into?

Gender - is your product or service best suited to men or women?

Interests - does your ideal audience have any definitive interests and buying / spending habits?

Example: I am targeting women in South Africa (nationally) aged between 20-50 who have an interest in makeup and spend on average between R800 - R1 000 per month on makeup products.

2. Set goals

It’s important that you give careful thought and consideration to what exactly it is you wish to achieve. For some, the goal might be to increase sales, while others may wish to grow their following. Whatever your goals are, keep the S.M.A.R.T principle, as demonstrated below in mind.

3. Determine which platforms you’ll target your audience on

Social media platforms have as many differences as they do similarities. And although they’re all great in helping brands create awareness, the platform(s) that best suit your business strongly depends on where your audience spends their time and the product or service you offer.

Example: you’ll have a better chance of finding professionals on LinkedIn, while teens and young adults live on Instagram and TikTok.

This is not to say you can’t market your brand on multiple platforms. Your messaging is what will differ based on the platform and the audience each of them are intended for.

4. Creating content that’s interesting

The content you create and distribute across the various social media platforms need to serve a purpose. As a general rule of thumb, your content needs to:

• Educate / inform people about your product or service and industry.
• Be engaging (funny, interactive like Facebook or Instagram lives)
• Motivate people to take action
• Show that you’re knowledgeable and in the know
• Have relevance
• Show that you care

5. Put a schedule together

Content that is planned and scheduled in advance will save you time, make it easier for you to track how your content is performing. You will get a better indication of what’s working and what’s not working for both your brand and your audience.

Facebook’s scheduling feature makes it easy for you to schedule a number of posts in advance.

For scheduling of multiple posts across multiple platforms, third-party apps like ZohoSocial, Buffer, Sprout Social and Hootsuite will help you plan all your content and provide you with feedback reports and insights.

6. Measure the results

Input = output. It’s important that you measure and track the results of your efforts, this will give you a good indication of how to plan your social campaigns and content calendars.

Your goals will determine the metric by which you measure your results.


With so many factors to consider, we understand social media marketing can be overwhelming. But to ensure you get the best return on investment, it’s important that your social efforts are done right.
 

Henry Ford once said, “coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

Teamwork in the workplace and the importance thereof often sounds like an overstated subject. Some may even deem it a topic that’s a waste of time. But a company is only as strong and as successful as the crew helping its captain steer the ship in the right direction. And while conflict and challenges are inevitable, when teamwork is encouraged and part of your core values, you leave little room for error and chaos, and can set your business up to operate like a well-oiled machine.

Increases productivity

Pushing to get the most from your team is counter intuitive when you’re not getting the best out of them. Clear communication, encouraging collaborative efforts and setting individual and team goals will help get your team to be both efficient and effective, in a way that lends itself to achieving the long-term goal of the company.

Promotes Unity

People differ vastly; in personalities, beliefs and their work ethic. This can sometimes be a recipe for disaster. But when individuals join forces and work together, instead of against one another, they’re bound to be much stronger.

To promote unity within your team, and to get everyone on the same page, you need to:

Have strong leaders
Make communication a priority
Define and communicate the company goals
Define the role each person plays

Boosts morale

We spend a large portion of our days surrounded by those we work with, so it’s important that a sense of inclusivity and working together, as a team, remains one of your key missions. When the morale boosters outnumber the barriers, you’ll have a disciplined and confident team who’ll be motivated and enthusiastic about the mission you’re working towards.

Here are a few ways in which you can boost your team’s morale:

Pay attention - pay attention to the individual and collective needs of your team.
Social interaction - although it may not be necessary for work employees to form friendships outside of the work environment, it is good for your team to get together outside of work so they don’t feel like an object of labour.
Team meetings - effectiveness won’t be short lived if you make regular meetings a priority.
Check in vs check up - when you check in with your team, as opposed to just checking up on them regularly will make them feel valued and important.
Recognise and reward - help drive your team by recognising their efforts, showing appreciation and giving credit or rewarding hard work where it is due.

Improves learning

Employees are likely to learn better and better develop their skill when they’re working as part of a team and learning from fellow employees. Contributing to your team’s learning and fostering an environment that encourages innovation and creativity will in turn contribute to the success of the company.

Your team is central to the performance of the company, and when a spirit of togetherness is fostered, it pushes teams to perform better and helps your business rise to greater heights.

In today’s world, you’re bound to hear about the importance of digital marketing. While some see the value in it, others deem it an overemphasized topic or a buzzword that carries little to no value.

Often, this comes from not having a good enough understanding of what digital marketing truly is and how essential it is to any business in modern times. As illustrated below, digital marketing is simply using the internet and electronic devices to promote a product or service to a target audience.

So, why does digital marketing matter so much and why should business owners invest in it? A stats report released by statista.com shows there are 22 million internet users in South Africa, and this number is expected to grow even more in the years to come.

• Facebook: 17.6 million users
• LinkedIn: 7.6 million users
• Twitter: 8.3 million users
• Instagram: 3.6 million users
• WhatsApp: 1.5 million users
• YouTube: 1.9 million users

With these numbers in mind and taking into account how much of our day is spent on our phones or in front of our PC’s - either searching the internet, watching videos or browsing and posting on social media, this is where relationships and connections between businesses and their audience is formed. Any business can generate business from at least one, if not all of these platforms.

There’s the assumption that digital marketing is about social media, but social media is not all-encompassing, it is merely one aspect of digital marketing. And before we look at the importance of digital marketing, lets take a deeper look into the types of digital marketing your business can benefit from.

Google Advertising

People all over use Google to search for products, services or ideas. With Google ads, you too can be found on Google and drive relevant and quality traffic to your website that can convert into leads and sales. Coined the platform that offers the best ROI and the fastest results, Google advertising can help put your business on the map.

Search Engine Optimization

A site that ranks well in search engines will have website traffic streaming in. And although the focus is more organic and requires ongoing work, once you identify the keyword and phrases your target audience uses, you can get good results from having a website that has been optimized for search.

Social Media Marketing

Social media has become an essential part of our daily lives and our existence. For engagement and brand awareness, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are great to engage and interact with your clients. With a bullet-proof social strategy, you can take your business to greater heights.

Video Marketing

The use of video as a marketing tactic has skyrocketed the last few years, and video will keep making waves. From explainer videos, to introductory and funny videos - all of which aims to increase engagement and awareness.

Content Marketing

Content, in all its forms drives to get customers to take action. This can be done through a targeted video campaign, content you distribute on social channels as well as the content that may live on your website that your audience will find useful.

Email Marketing

Considerably one of the most effective and easiest ways to reach your target audience, email marketing allows you to speak directly to them, get customer insight and feedback and build long-term relationships. The key to a successful e-mail marketing campaign is not to spam or oversell. You need to make your customers feel valued.

HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD INVEST IN DIGITAL MARKETING:

• It’s cost-effective - contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a huge advertising budget for digital marketing. Provided it is done right, and by professionals who are skillful and knowledgeable, you can save a ton of money.
• There’s a good return on investment - the output will outweigh the input when you properly invest in digital marketing for your business.
• It can easily be measured and adjusted - the results can be measured and adjusted as needed. You’ll go through some trial and error to find out what exactly works best for both you and your audience.
• It’s targeted - you can reach your audience precisely where they’re investing their time and money.
• Perfect for creating brand awareness - when you share useful, relevant and engaging content with your clients, you can reach new people and gain loyal followers and supporters.

The key to digital success is ensuring you have a strategy in place that aligns with your goals, that proper planning has been invested into it and that it’s executed properly.

If you’re looking for some experts who are knowledgeable and skilled, get in touch with us.

We live in a world that is as visual focused as it is tech-driven and with 2020 marking a new decade, design trends are expected to peak even higher than before.

The evolution of design has made designers an integral part of the world we live in. With their craft and creativity revolutionising all visual elements that forms part of our daily lives, designers have continued to hype us up. If the predicted 7 Graphic Design Trends in 2020 is anything to go by, we look forward to what’s to come in the years to come.

Monochrome
For some, the use of a single colour may seem boring. But this minimalistic trend has been on the rise in both graphic and web design. Its simplicity helps place emphasis on elements we wish to have stand out. If you’re aiming for a neat and professional look, a monochromatic colour scheme will achieve just that.

A touch of vintage
Being able to draw inspiration from an era where the tools designers have at their disposal today didn’t exist, makes us respect the design gods from the 50’s and 60’s. The 21st century differs vastly from the vintage era. These legends handed modern day designers the design baton, and we can expect to see elements of vintage to shine in 2020 to carry on the classic and timeless legacy.

Artistic typography
When lettering is combined with elements of art, it shows next level, innovative creativity. While plain text can be impactful, using both 2 and 3-dimensional shapes with it can better captivate an audiences’ attention in 2020.

3D
Dimension in design brings a visual to life. Realistic effects in visuals have been making waves and continue to be a growing trend. We foresee designers pushing more boundaries with 3D in 2020.

Masking
Letter and image masking is achieved by applying a layering effect to images or text. This design technique gives an image a modern look and feel and makes specific features of the design pop. Although a trend we will see throughout graphics in 2020, masking has been used in web design too.

Metallics
Not too long ago metals like gold, silver and rose gold became a craze in all things design. It’s sophisticated, elegant and classy effect it gives off makes your brand all the more attractive. Incorporating metals and using it in conjunction with a variation of branding techniques, like embossing will make your brand look luxurious.

Bolder and brighter colours

Go bold or go home, not entirely how the saying goes but if you’re not prepared to experiment, your brand will fail to stand out from the crowd. Bright and bold colours pop, attracts attention, represents fun and makes you relatable. The advantage graphic designers have is grounds to be as experimental with big, bold and bright colours.

These graphic design trends in 2020 will become the benchmark for all foreseeable designs. Using these elements in isolation or combining them in both your website design or visuals will make your brand stand out in 2020.

Imagine a world without Google - the online library we turn to when we’re in search of products or services, ideas and inspiration and recipes or motivation. Home to billions of resources, Google has greatly impacted our professional and personal lives for years and will continue to do so for years to come.

As big of a resource as Google may be, some may question whether Google advertising is worth the investment for businesses. Like anything, it’s a balancing act - Google will have as many naysayers as those defending its honour. With digital transformation taking place all around us, some are failing to keep up or get with the times. The effect on their business? Losing out on the value and potential Google has to offer.

That brings us back to the question, are Google ads truly worth the investment? When done correctly, YES! And here is why it’s considered one of the best lead generation tools:

Offers the best ROI
First and foremost, the value and success rate of Google advertising for most businesses, compared to social media, other search engines and offline marketing is far greater.

To support this statement, we’ll get stuck into more detail down below.

It’s CONTROLLABLE
You have complete control over your ads and can start, pause or stop them at any time. This means you won’t unnecessarily eat away your ad spend. Lets say you’re going on holiday and won’t have the time to monitor your ads or wish to not run it for the period you’re away - you can pause whichever your campaigns and start them again at a time that is convenient to you.

Budget allocation is entirely within your control, you’re free to spend as much or as little as you want on your ads for the day. This means if your search volumes are higher weekdays and there is not as much traffic weekends, you can allocate a lower budget to your weekend spend. And if Google ads are new to you or you have limited funds available, you can start small and increase your spend as need be.

Additionally, you can decide what position you wish to rank in Google and whether you wish to advertise only on Google or both Google and Google search partners, which are Google approved websites such as Gumtree and OLX.

You can be SPECIFIC

With Google being a targeted search engine, you can specify;

The exact area you wish to search, what searches you want Google to include or exclude,

You can target by your preferred demographic; the two main segmented groups being age and gender. If you’re looking for a targeted platform that’s geared toward displaying the most relevant search results and offers high-quality leads, Google is the perfect place to advertise your business.

In saying this, and to properly benefit from the results Google has to offer, you need to understand:

1. Although Google is great for many service-based offerings, there are some niches that won’t work as well on Google. For more on this, find out if you’ll best on Google or Facebook here.
2. You need to have a website that is optimized with the correct landing pages and more importantly, your Google account has to be set up properly.

If you’re in need of expert advice or need a Google specialist to assist you, get in touch with us.

Facebook and Google, two platforms that have respectively earned the trust and support of many and have positioned themselves as advertising space that helps bring in the buck for many businesses.

With both platforms receiving large volumes of traffic and both generating leads for businesses through pay per click ads, one can understand why many would wonder which is best for their business.

To determine which is better, you have to delve deep and conduct proper and extensive research. You need to give consideration to the nature of your business, your goals; both short and long-term, what’s your budget, your competitors - these are all determining factors factor when weighing up which platform is best suited for your business.

Before we get into the above factors, lets first look at what each platform is and isn’t.

Facebook
Best known for its social benefits, Facebook is a great community-driven platform that is perfect for creating brand awareness and engaging with your audience. Between the two, it is also a more affordable advertising platform.

Google
A more targeted, keyword-driven platform that offers fast and immediate results. Your ads are guaranteed to only display people type in specific search terms and you only pay when they click on your ad.

With the above in mind, lets take a closer look at those determining factors:

Nature of your business - the product or service you offer largely determines which platform will yield a better return on investment when we’re looking at Facebook vs Google ads. Google works best for service-focused businesses (not all), including the likes of construction, plumbing and paving contractors. While Facebook, on the other hand, is an ideal “marketplace” for most products and services that aren’t search-driven.

The bigger benefit in Facebook is its ability to help create brand awareness, and together, they work great for any business.

Goals - consider your short and long-term goals; if you’re looking to get immediate results and quality leads that have a higher conversion rate - Google would be your go-to platform. If the goal is to build your brand into an authority position and create a brand presence, Facebook will work best.

Budget - many times people make the mistake of budgeting incorrectly or allocating ad spend to the wrong platform. If you have a budget of R500 and your business is best suited for Google, and your goal is to get leads that convert; your best bet is to allocate that R500 towards Google ads. While the “audience reach” on Facebook may be enticing, Google is more targeted and can give you a better return on investment for your R500. Where your budget permits, you can do a split between Google and Facebook advertising, this way you can get high converting leads and build your credibility as a brand on social media.

Competition - competitor analysis is crucial. You need to look at who and where your competitors are targeting people. This allows you to compare and better your own marketing efforts.

The major difference between Facebook and Google ads is one is a paid social platform, while the other is a paid search platform When these factors are taken into account, that is largely determined by who you’re targeting, your budget and the overall goal you’re hoping to achieve.

Social media engagement is just another term for interaction that aims to build relationships and awareness. Its purpose is less about promotion and more about connecting an audience to a particular brand.

Many times the focus for businesses becomes the product or service they offer and how to promote it to increase sales. And although the ultimate goal for many businesses is to generate more income, people often find constant sales pitching overbearing, which discourages them from taking action and puts a divide between the audience and the brand.

The focus and efforts should, therefore, be invested in connecting with your audience, rather than selling, as the connection will have a direct impact on growth and how these connections can convert into clients.

In 2018 Facebook released a video explaining that they will prioritise personal posts over brand focused posts. This caused quite the frenzy and businesses started experiencing a sudden decline in their audience reach which in turn made it difficult for them to promote their brand.

The misconception of social engagement was evident, and there seemed to be a lack of understanding of how to build connections and content that would encourage meaningful interaction.

To properly connect with your audience, you need to understand what they need and when they need it as well as what they want and expect. More importantly, your connection with your audience will be deeply rooted in the authentic brand voice they are able to identify you by.

Take Nando’s for instance, they take controversial subjects and put a humorous twist to it. It’s what they are known for, and it is how they connect with their audience and drive social engagement. What’s the unique brand voice that is helping you drive social engagement? If you’re unsure of how to identify or build your brand voice, connect with us and let us help you be uniquely you.

Content aside, social media engagement is about more than just what your audience can or will find interesting. Many have started turning to social media to seek feedback from brands, making social platforms a line of customer care too. And as a business owner, you’ll find it to be as much of a learning hub for you as it will be for your audience.

Through social media, businesses can connect with their audience and establish and better understand customer needs through live chats and Q&A’s.

To better understand social media engagement and to implement the correct processes to improve social engagement, you need to overcome the overuse of promotional posts and connect and interact with your audience the same way in which you would with brands you connect with.

With so many different social networking platforms that allows you to connect with people, nothing connects professionals from across the globe quite like LinkedIn.

Of its 675 million global users, 7 million are from South Africa. Professional networking is a good way to develop professional relationships that can help boost your career or grow your business.

So, how exactly can you use LinkedIn to your advantage? Check out our 5 top tips that’ll help you better your networking skills on LinkedIn.

Have a complete profile

You want to ensure you make a good and lasting impression when people land on your profile.

• A good quality, professional profile picture is important.
• Provide a detailed overview of who you are and what you do in the summary section.
• You can use the cover image space to highlight your profession or something that fits your personality.
• Make sure you provide as much detail about your work history as possible. And list the current position you hold.
• Include all formal qualifications and certificates you may have received.

Post often

You need to make an effort to have consistent activity on your profile. But unlike Facebook, your content should be engaging and relevant to your industry in order for you to build better connections.

Add your link to your social profiles

Adding your LinkedIn profile link to other social profiles like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram drives connections to your profile and helps increase your professional network. You can also include it in your e-mail signature and your resume.

Send thank you messages

Not only is it courteous to send a thank you message when people have sent you an invite to connect or when they accept yours, but it also acts as a great conversation starter with a professional you’re looking to engage with.

Recommendations / Endorsements

Recommendations and endorsements are testimonials of your skills and emphasizes your professional capabilities. You can ask former or current employers or people you have worked with to endorse a particular skill set or for a recommendation. And you can do the same for others.

Don’t be afraid to connect and engage with people within your industry. Professional networking is an ideal way for you to build meaningful relationships and connections with other professionals. It can present many opportunities for you as a professional and for your business.

The worldwide effect of the Covid-19 pandemic has been devastating. With over 1 000 confirmed positive cases to date, the impact on our people and the rapid spreading of the virus has forced the government to take drastic measures to flatten the curve.

With the country on a 21-day lockdown period, the outbreak of the Coronavirus has had a crippling effect on small businesses and the economy as a whole.

Small businesses were first in line to bear the brunt. The sudden and hard hit forced many businesses into fight-or-flight mode. While some were faced with the harsh reality of permanently having to close their doors, others are preparing for the road to recovery.

It’s a scary time for small businesses. They’re faced with many concerns - how they’ll survive the aftermath, the financial pressure and lack of income to sustain themselves. Some have salaries, rent and overheads to pay. And with so much uncertainty, the next steps are unclear.

For all small business owners overcome with worry and concern:

Be proactive
Your business cannot afford you to become complacent. Now might be the perfect time to invest time and energy into the aspects of the business you may have neglected or struggled to get to previously.

Take time to reflect
If you think back to where you started and where you’re wanting to be, which areas of the business work and which doesn’t work? How can you rectify the wrong and better the right? Take time to reflect to determine what can be done to keep your business moving forward.

Be prepared
No one saw the outbreak of a virus coming and we didn’t quite prepare for the impact it was going to have. With the numbers growing, be prepared for the likelihood of it getting worse before it will get better.

Communication is crucial
Whether you’re a team or a one-man show, clear communication is absolutely necessary right now. Find the right processes and tools that’ll work best for you and your team to effectively communicate with one another, clients or suppliers.

Be a positive support
Now more than ever, support is crucial. The people serving our country during this time of crisis need the support of the nation. You as business owner, your staff and fellow business owners need support and positive reinforcement. Use this as an opportunity to be a motivation.

Surviving the Covid-19 effect and rising above the ashes is possible, we believe all hope should not be lost and we should all stand together in support of businesses affected.

Does growing your business into a million dollar company seem far-fetched? If so, change your thinking, own your goals and adopt the mindset of a millionaire!

Lets be real, the rags to riches narrative makes the road to success seem easy. But it’s not! There are obstacles and challenges along the way.

Even billionaires like Bill Gates and Richard Branson failed and fell. But they got back up and their dreams worked because they did.

The premise of a million dollar mindset is smart thinking and smart decision-making, and when put into practice, these two principles can transform your business.

Below are some key steps in developing a million dollar mindset:

Keep learning - our learning days are never over, especially not in business. We live in a world filled with millions of resources that allows us to further our knowledge. Think of all the books, videos, articles and podcasts we have access to. When we learn more, we better both our understanding of things and our skills.

Adapt - business will always require us to adapt, whether it’s our thinking or our approaches. Changes in technology, a fluctuating economy, an increase in competition - these are all contributing factors that’ll force us to adapt in business.

Take risks - risks are a double-edged sword, the fear of what could go wrong overshadows the possibility of what could go right. You need to be willing to take risks, regardless of whether it will have a good or a bad impact on your business.

Focus on your goals - setting goals and working on ways to achieve them is important. You need to consider what your short and long-term goals will be. And keep in mind that hurdles along the way will take you off course, but the more you stand firm in what you wish to achieve and the more you place your focus on those goals, you better your chances of achieving them.

Invest wisely - the true value of money is seen in how you choose to invest it. Forget recklessly spending your money on material things that carry little to no long-term value. Consider options like property or shares. Skill and talent is also an investment that can benefit your business.

In business; the pressures, doubts and fear of failure can be a major setback but you need to confidently take charge of your thinking and believe in the value you as an entrepreneur bring.

👍 We share this information,
so that you do not make the same mistakes we have.

It's extremely important that you understand
a Website is not going to promote your business.

WTF are you talking about Brian?

If you think that spending money on a website, will give you a return on investment,
Then STOP Now, because IT WILL NOT!

OK, so you get a website for your business

It looks stunning, smart and really awesome.

Now what?

Who is going to see your website?

Nobody is going to see it.

You going to send it to friends and family?
You will add it to your business card or a brochure?

So who do you Really want to see it?

Potential clients, that's who - Clients that are searching for your product or service online.
 

So how will they find your website?

DIGITAL MARKETING

I go to Google and I search for your service or product and I find your website.
I'm on Facebook and I see your business in my feed.
I'm watching a video on youtube relevant to your product/service and ahaa, here I see your business.

That is how you promote your business.
A website alone will not do this.

Your website becomes the destination for potential clients to find your business on all the various platforms.

Some of your clients are on Facebook, some LOVE Instagram.

You have to present your business on those platforms and drive those clients to your website.

Ok, so the client found your website.

Website looks awesome, you listed all your products and services, but still they don't phone you. Why?

• Because your website is boring
• you are not connecting with your customer
• you have a poor user experience

You must have high converting landing pages with content the user find interesting and they want more information.

You must have CTAs - Call to Actions

You cant just show your visitors who you are and what you offer.

You must ask them to take action eg.
Fill in the form and a consultant will contact you
Complete your details below for more information
Click here to contact us now

You have to tell them what to do.

I can guarantee you that any startup business can be successful from day 1.

If its not, its because your digital marketing is crap.

AND forget about doing everything yourself
(every successful business owner will tell you - employ professionals for everything)

Yes Brian, but experts are expensive - Nonsense!

You can get access to Experts that will not break the bank.

If you really want to boost your business immediately, speak to an Expert now

As the largest and fastest growing networking platform with a primary focus on professional networking, LinkedIn has made it their mission to help small businesses grow effectively. LinkedIn Open for Business, a product specifically designed with small businesses in mind, helps make you discoverable and easily connects you with potential clients and fellow professionals.

Like many other social networks, there are several ways in which LinkedIn can benefit your business and help it grow.

Brand Awareness

By now, creating a name for yourself is a no-brainer. Social media has become the perfect tool to help create awareness, get your message across and to educate your potential audience on the product or service you offer. The rewards you can reap from LinkedIn are endless and can help position your brand as an industry leader.

The key to effective marketing on LinkedIn is ensuring your profile is optimized. You need to provide as much detail as possible. It is important to complete all relevant fields; including your About Us, clearly displaying your logo, contact details, location as well as your company size on your page. The more insight you provide, the more people you’re able to reach.

Business Connections

A gold mine for networking with professionals globally, LinkedIn is not only ideal in building meaningful relationships with fellow business owners and/or service providers both locally and internationally, but making connections in business can also help increase your sales.

Attract more clients

For most businesses, the primary objective is to generate income. While social platforms function as a means to connect and engage with your audience, the end goal is to have these connections and engagement translate into sales.

Getting your brand name out there on social networks like LinkedIn will better your chances of attracting and converting the right clients.

Find skilled staff

Sifting through dozens of resumes and conducting interview upon interview to find the right people who possesses the necessary skills can be a tedious process. With LinkedIn, you’re able to narrow down your selection, saving you time and money. The added benefit is that a platform like LinkedIn can also help attract potential candidates, and instead of you having to find them, they can find you.

Positions you as credible

Credibility in the digital age is crucial. Competition is everywhere and you need to stand out above the rest. Having a social presence can help you build trust with your audience. LinkedIn also allows you to show off your accomplishments and achievements, which further contributes to your brand’s credibility.

As a professional networking platform, LinkedIn can help make your business a success!

While there are elements within a website that are constantly changing, there are some basic components that have consistently set a good website apart from a bad one. When people think good vs bad design, they consider the look and feel of a website. And although a valid point to consider, the elements that make up a good website goes beyond its appearance.

When people visit a website, they expect the browsing experience to be as effortless as possible.

Good Elements:

Responsive

Mobile FIRST! We can’t emphasize this enough, a responsive website is non-negotiable. Since majority of your website visitors will likely view your site on their mobile device, you need to ensure your website adapts to different screen sizes. This means your focus needs to be placed on the content. With the website’s objective in mind, display all content according to that which will take priority.

Clear call to action

One of the main goals of a website is to get visitors to take action, this means your call to actions have to be strategically and clearly featured throughout your website. Any good website will have a call to action in both the first and last sections. Without a clear call to action, your visitors won’t know which steps to take next. If the aim is to have them fill out a form, sign up for a newsletter or purchase a product, your instructions have to be as clear and as understandable as possible.

Text to image ratio

Text heavy sites are as bad for business as websites that are laden with images. A good balance between text and imagery makes it easy for visitors to browse your website, find the information they are looking for and to take the necessary action.

Bad Elements:

Poor navigation

Navigation bars and menus are the defining element that’ll either make a website useful or useless to your visitors. Like call to actions, these need to be strategically and carefully displayed. Bad navigation will result in members not knowing what to do next and this will make browsing unfriendly to your visitors.

Lack of contrast

A lack of or low contrast website is dull and boring. Having contrast between all the elements adds prominence and character to your site. To get a well-balanced website; consider variations of big and small elements, texture, the colours you’re using or different imagery styles.

Mismatched colours

Your brand colours are crucial to your business, and it’s important to consistently use your colours throughout your branding, on your website as well as your social media. If your brand colour scheme is made up of a selection of colours, it may not be necessary to use all your colours throughout your website. Using colours that will complement one another will make your site attractive to visitors.

With so many elements to consider and the barriers they pose to helping you achieve your website’s objective, it’s important that you design with your user in mind.

Facebook – the social network that is not only the largest, but the most used worldwide. What started out as a simple networking platform in 2004, has since grown into an empire that dominates the online space, thanks to CEO and Founder, Mark Zuckerberg and his associates.

While the world went through the Facebook craze phase, businesses initially got little to no benefit from this platform that was launched with the initial intention to connect people around the world.

Fast-forward to 2020, and Facebook now has features and functions that allows you to track and analyze data, set up campaigns and get insights that helps you better understand your potential customers.

Now positioning themselves and gaining recognition as a platform that not only connects people with people, but also businesses with businesses and businesses with potential customers.

Facebook, and social media in general has revolutionized the way in which we think about marketing and how we go about it. More so, compared to other means of advertising, it is said to be the cheapest form of marketing. This allows businesses with big and small advertising budgets to benefit from what Facebook has to offer.

Why is Facebook good for business, you ask? It CONNECTS and CONVERTS. If we consider the marketing funnel, which in layman’s terms is simply the customer journey from when they connect with or learn about your brand to when they convert into an actual, paying client.

1. Awareness

When meeting people for the first time, we make a point of introducing ourselves. When potential customers are initially introduced to your brand, before connecting with them, the idea is to create awareness. The more people become aware of your brand, the better they will connect with you.

2. Engagement

Once you’ve crossed the awareness hurdle, you want to ensure that you consistently engage with your audience and them with you. When you post something that resonates with them you’ll get likes, shares and comments.

3. Conversion and Loyalty

The purpose of awareness and engagement is to drive conversion and retain loyalty. Once a potential client becomes an actual sale, you want to ensure they continue choosing your brand or recommend you to others in search of your product or service.

When we take this funnel into account, in conjunction with the amount of active Facebook users who is or can be potential clients and things like Messenger and Marketplace that seems to be a hotspot to buy, sell and advertise; there is endless potential for your business on Facebook.

If you’re running a business; big or small, reality is, regardless of how hard you try, it just won’t be possible for you to satisfy each and every client. While good service and great feedback may be what you ultimately aim for, you have to take the bad with the good.

Reviews have become a common way in which customers either express their appreciation for good service or a means to complain and notify society of how terrible your product or service was. Lets be honest, reading words such as “horrible”, “worst” “unsatisfactory” or “I wouldn’t recommend them” is not particularly how you wish to be perceived by potential clients. There’s two sides to every coin, while it may be possible that you’re at fault, and despite society conditioning us to believe that the customer is never wrong, there is a big possibility that the customer may very well be wrong.

Getting reviewed can be scary and there’s a REAL fear of how damaging it can be to your business’ reputation. Thanks to a multitude of platforms like Google, Facebook and Hellopeter, the fate of the feedback you receive is left in the hands of those who choose to review your product or service.

As South Africa’s leading Design Company, we have the highest amount of reviews on Google, 224 reviews to be exact. Your customers matter, and so does their feedback. While good reviews counts in your business’ favour, it is easier to get a bad review than it is to get a good one. Having said that, the fear of negative feedback should not be a crutch holding you back from getting insight from clients. You should be ASKING FOR REVIEWS, and here’s why:

Honesty and transparency can help you improve

Getting honest input from your clients can help you identify potential problems and find possible solutions that will help better your product and service offering. This will benefit your business in the long-run.

Shows you’re open to criticism

No one likes to be criticized, and criticism in business is a particularly hard pill to swallow as people aren’t aware of all the behind the scenes work you and your team put into your product or service. When you show that you welcome feedback, both good and bad, it helps strengthen your brand.

It's good for your SEO

While Google takes many factors into account when it comes to rankings, reviews will help contribute to and boost your positioning in search engines.

Adds to your credibility

People tend to seek out feedback before they make use of a product or service. If your business doesn’t have any reviews for you to be judged by, potential clients will more than likely seek assist elsewhere. This in itself, has proven to show just how much reviews matter and how it can help your brand.

It will increase sales

Sales and credibility goes hand in hand. People will buy from businesses who are credible and part of their buying decision lies in what the feedback has been from those who have used your product or service.
In saying that, soliciting reviews the wrong way will have a negative impact on your brand, and ultimately your sales. Having friends and family members review your product or service online is a tactic that has little to no benefit to your business.
When asking for reviews, it is important to help your clients understand WHY you are requesting a review. Clearly outlining that you’re potentially looking to better your product or service offering will aid in getting honest feedback.
 

Advantages of Paying Monthly

• Domain Registration/Renewal Inclusive
• Hosting Inclusive
• Updates/Maintenance Inclusive
• E-mails Inclusive
• Support Inclusive

By now, the known value in having a website for your business is a no-brainer.

With options that includes a ridiculously expensive once-off fee and a fixed-term contract, your enthusiasm for having a website has probably depleted by now.

We get it; whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in business for a while, there’s a constant hustle to bring in business. You have to take an unpredictable and unstable economy into account, no two months will bring in the same amount of business for you and with additional expenses to cover, paying a large once-off fee or investing in a fixed contract can be risky.

Not to worry, there’s a third alternative that has a little light at the end of the tunnel for you and your business. Monthly web design packages – what’s the big deal and why should you pay for a monthly web design package? It’s bang for your buck!

Unlike once-off fees that can be in the 1 000’s, the monthly design option is a smaller investment that is both affordable and cost-effective.

A website is not a once-off task!

Like most things, it requires consistent care. Be it in the form of ensuring it’s running safely and securely or maintaining it on a monthly basis. Did you know, most times once-off packages do NOT include the maintenance and/or updates and changes your site will require? That’s right, these extra costs usually come at an additional hourly or once-off fee.

If you have a website that requires constant maintenance and upkeep or updates and you’re not tech savvy or capable of implementing these changes yourself, the long-term cost will add up substantially. We reckon those additional extras you’ll be paying for can be better invested in marketing and growing your business.

There’s more to a website than just the design, you have to factor in:

• Domain registration
• Hosting
• Maintenance
• E-mail setup and support

With our monthly web design packages, we offer all of the above as well as a design that is modern, functional, purpose-driven and trendy and will help get your business on the map.

If you’re looking to compete in the market, you HAVE TO have an online presence, and more importantly, a website. Perhaps 10 years ago its relevance didn’t hold up, but websites have since become the backbone of many businesses, both big and small. Think of it as your digital home – a place where you get to invite guests over to introduce them to your brand and the product or service you offer.

Your customers are adapting to the digital age and all it has to offer, and so should you. Below we outline 10 Reasons Why It Is Important to Have a Website.

1. Tells people who you are and what you do

2. 24/7 access

3. Builds credibility

4. Keeps customers informed

5. Helps generate business

6. Your competitors have one

7. Allows you to target a wider audience

8. Important for marketing

9. Showcases your portfolio / testimonials

10. Cost-effective

Thanks to technology, you no longer have to rely on door-to-door efforts to reach your target audience. A web and social presence has become a BIG DEAL and business owners are no longer asking how a website or social media will benefit their business, instead, they are asking how to go about getting their business online.
If your business is not yet online and you’re looking to reap the rewards from the many benefits the online space offers, we’ve compiled a list of the 7 magic things to consider when building websites. This 7-step strategy will help keep your business relevant and on track.

1. Plan and invest time

Consider a house for a second, before adding all the bells and whistles that’ll make it aesthetically appealing, the architect has to carry out the planning process and the construction team needs to lay the foundation and work on the structure. The differentiating factor between a successful and a dismal website is the amount of time you invest in it.
When proper planning and time is invested, you increase your pool of potential clients. Think of time as a three-fold factor; your website allows you the opportunity to advertise, advertising results in brand awareness and brand awareness leads to sales.

2. Creativity is crucial

If your website is 10 years old and lacks personality and character, it may be time to ditch the dusty design and wow your audience with a fresh, modern look that’ll help elevate your brand status. With access to a worldwide search of epic designs, you’re spoilt for choice. Research trends and styles that best represents your brand. DON’T copy your competitors or opt for a style that doesn’t suit who you are and what you do.

3. Purpose-driven and audience-specific

A home is designed with enough room to cater to the entire family and with careful consideration for their individual needs. To make it a win-win for both you and your customers, consider how you can best accommodate them and align your design with their needs in mind.
Before you start designing your website, ask yourself what purpose it will serve and who your target audience will be. Make a list of what you wish to achieve through your website and what message you’re wanting to convey to your audience. Be sure to design your website with a goal in mind.

4. Consider the competition

While your competitors may pose a threat, they also serve a valid purpose. They teach you how to set yourself apart and dominate your industry. What’s their unique selling point? Are they offering discounts and specials or free delivery? Are they producing killer content that resonates with their audience? Evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and identify how they are fulfilling the needs of consumers.

5. Mobile-friendly

When people visit your home for the first time and Google maps fails to pinpoint your location, you’re likely to direct them by pointing out buildings or signs they can easily identify with. Your website is no different, with most of your website traffic coming from mobile users, navigation should be as effortless as possible.
If your site is not designed with mobile users in mind, you’re likely to lose visitors. Looking to attract a wider audience, rank higher in search engines and outshine the competition?  Make sure your content (text, images and videos) flows and loads as well on a mobile device as it would on desktop.

6. Maintenance

Technology is not indestructible, problems and website upkeep is inevitable. Do you possess the technical skills and knowledge to fix problems when they arise? If you’re not tech savvy, the help of an experienced designer or developer may be necessary. While some designers may charge once-off maintenance fees, investing in a monthly retainer can save you both time and money.

7. Cost

We tend to consider the cost of anything we need or want. Often asking ourselves if it’ll be a worthy purchase or whether it fits within our budget. Let’s be honest, some things are truly worth a good amount of money. Your website is one of them. Cost essentially depends on a few elements – is it a straightforward 1 or 3-pager, or do you need a fully-fledged e-commerce site that requires some technical skills?
Will it be a DIY website or do you need the help of an experienced web designer? Who’ll do the domain registration and monthly website hosting? For your convenience, we’re your all-inclusive Web Partner offering premium and professional design packages at remarkably affordable prices.

To ensure your website yields an effective ROI; you need to be flexible to change, willing to adapt and open to growth.

Website design prices in South Africa can range anywhere between R500 to R50 000. Ultimately, the price of a website largely depends on two factors – what you need and who you’re getting it from.

With web design in South Africa skyrocketing in the last 10 years, the demand for websites; both professional and personal has increased. You have the self-proclaimed web designer vying against the seasoned professional and agencies at different prices. A designer worth his money knows what good design entails. The amateur who lacks the necessary skill and experience, and offers template-based designs may not deliver on or guarantee the quality and functionality that a website requires.

For the naïve business owner, the “cheaper” once-off price tag can be enticing and a step in the wrong direction. Asking what the cost of a website should be is kind of like asking what your restaurant bill will come to before you’ve had a look at the menu. There are a number of elements that will contribute to the final cost of a website – you need to take into account your EXACT requirements.

Consider what you do

Are you offering a product or a service? If your website is product-oriented, will you require a shopping cart or e-commerce functionalities? Consider what it is you do; do you offer a product or a service?

Number of pages

Will it be a simple, straightforward one-pager or will there be product categories or services that requires an unlimited number of pages?

Hosting and Maintenance

In order for your website to remain live, the monthly hosting cost as well as domain registration is a must. Often, this, along with the maintenance a website requires gets overlooked. In addition to the design fee, you need to keep in mind the extra costs that will make up the final cost of a website.

While these are only a few elements to consider, we recommend business owners discuss every detail with the designer in advance. It is important to know what you’re getting for the price you’re quoted.

For an affordable solution that doesn’t compromise on quality, get in touch with our team to find out more about our web design pricing options.

The cost these days to simply design a website might shoot through the roof, or there might be a company that offers you a web design at a reasonable price. A company, like ours, we offer a monthly service where the maintenance to your website is free for an hour each and ever month, after that, we start the billing.

So, where do we start when we are looking for the exact cost to design and maintain a website? Break it down, start at the cost of the website design, your platform, your requirements, the layout and from there, depending on the service you provide or the product you want to sell, the maintenance cost can be discussed.

Unfortunately websites do not maintain themselves, the best web design strategy is to change and update all the time, keep up to date with the trends and with what’s new. There are some companies that might forget to budget when it comes to maintenance cost but this is because they think they will be able to maintain and update their own website. This is possible, depending on the platform on which your website has been designed on, and offcourse your own skills.

The cost of a proper website and it being designed to your exact requirements could become pricey and at the end of the day you still run the risk of not being completely satisfied even after you have put in an entire days work with your designer.

After our website has gone live and is fully functional with the added bonus of it being mobile friendly as well, it is possible that the maintenance costs to your site could be significantly lower than you imaged. Its done, its complete, its live and it is exactly the way you want it to be and to look.

Social media, it has become part of our daily routines, its part of our lives and our lives are all over social media. What better way to do marketing than on Social Media. Anyone who is anyone has an online profile, be it personal or business related, you can find anyone, anywhere.

Social Media Marketing is the simple process of gaining traffic and attention to your site via Social media. These programs usually focus their efforts on creating content that will attract the attention and encourage the readers to share the content across their social networks.

Using Social Media Marketing enables any small business that is looking to reach their customers, on a different level. Social Media Marketing is a form of internet marketing implementing numerous social media networks in order to achieve their marketing communication as well as their branding goals.

Social Media Marketing can bring remarkable success to your company, it connects you to so many different networks, it just needs to be implemented correctly.

SEO, short for Search Engine Optimization, simply refers to the process of increasing and improving the amount and quality of traffic directed to your website through organic search results in search engines.

To better understand this process, it’s important to know the basic factors that SEO consists of:

• URL structure - a URL structure can be as complex as it is simple, and getting it right will simplify the process of directing and guiding your website visitors. For smaller websites with fewer pages, URL structures will be more generic, example (www.webpartner.co.za/services; www.webpartner.co.za/about; www.webpartner.co.za/contact).

Bigger websites with many pages, products or categories may require more specific and unique URL structures. (www.webpartner.co.za/services/website-design)

Top tip: Make sure you properly plan your URL structures in advance.

• Meta descriptions - in layman’s terms, a meta description is a brief description below the search term heading that helps describe a page, and contains keywords that will help with your ranking.


• Keyword density - the number of times a specific or range of keywords appear relative to the total number of words a piece of copy, like a website page or blog post consists of. Its purpose is to determine the relevance of a particular keyword or keyword phrase. Using keywords or phrases too many times (keyword stuffing) will negatively affect your rankings and makes for poorly composed content.


• High quality backlinks - backlinks are links from one website to another that are used as ranking factors and play a crucial role in your SEO strategy.


• Meta tags - are hidden pieces of text in a page’s source code that describes the content of a page and helps tell search engines what pages are about.


• Page load speed - the time it takes for content on a page to completely display. When pages take too long to load, visitors will leave your website. This results in an increase in your website’s bounce rate and negatively impacts your rankings.


• Quality traffic - many people strive to get traffic to their website, but quality trumps quantity. The better the quality of the traffic, the better it will convert.


• Alt text - also known as image tags provide descriptions to better understand what an image and page is all about. It is especially helpful for the visually impaired and makes for a greater overall user experience.


• Engaging content - meaningful, engaging and relevant content will keep your website interested for longer and has a positive impact on your bounce rate.


• No broken links - broken links are harmful to your website and make for a negative user experience when visitors browse your website. It impacts your ranking within search engines and can make you lose out on potential customers.

It’s important to note that while SEO can greatly improve and increase your visibility and ranking, it won’t yield results overnight. It’s an investment that takes time but benefits your business in the long-run.

With an estimated 5 million searches conducted on Google daily, implementing an SEO strategy will help you be at the top of search engines when people search for your product or service. This will also have a direct impact on your conversion rate.

How much you pay will all determine on what you want from your SEO service provider. The bigger the project the bigger the budget has to be, SEO and Adwords go hand in hand and the better your marketing campaign, the better business you can expect to get from your SEO efforts.

One of the most important factors to always remember is that SEO is a process, you will not get results over night, or even in a month’s time. You could expect a bit of feedback within 3 months but much like building muscle and losing weight, time and effort has to be put in, and offcourse, money.

How big is your company? Are you well known or simply just starting out? What kind of market are you looking to target? Are you selling a product or marketing a service? These are all important factors to keep in mind when asking how much should you pay for your SEO services. If you are just starting out, meaning you are still relatively unknown, you could expect to be paying a bit more in order to get your name and brand out there.

There is a difference between what you should pay for your SEO services and how much you can expect to pay. As previously mentioned, what you should pay all depends on what you want from your SEO service provider. You have to make sure that you are paying for proper SEO techniques as well, so be sure to use a reputable SEO company.

A landing page is, in short, any page a user lands on that allows you the opportunity to present an offer, get their details to make contact and convert them into a paying client.

Sounds fairly simple. Some text, a call to action and visuals or a video should do the trick, right? Not really. Unless you have high converting landing pages, you’re wasting your time and potentially money too.

So, what’s the big deal with high converting landing pages?

Its benefits

• A strong headline and sub-headline that encourages users to take action.
• A minimum of 3 call to actions (an email address, contact number and contact form)

• Do A/B testing (highly recommended) to determine which one will perform better and essentially offer a greater return on investment.
• Includes images or videos that are relevant and helps relay your message. (note: do make sure they don’t negatively impact the page loading speed).
• Copy that is concise (clearly conveys what you’re offering)

Ok Great, your website is up-and-running and now we need to get your business growing.

Online Marketing is the most cost effective marketing you will ever do for your business.

Yes it is true that there are millions of internet users, but remember that not all of them is interested in your business.

The key is to find the users that want your product or service and ensure that we get your business in front of their eyes.

So where do you hangout online?

• Do you Search for Businesses on Google, Yahoo, Bing?
• Do you Socialise on Facebook?
• Do you watch videos on Youtube?
• Do you Browse Gumtree for New or Used Products/Services?

Above are some of the platforms you want to present your business on.

On Google you can be Found

• Top 4 Ad Positions (Google Adwords)
• Maps Listing (Google My Business)
• Organic Rankings (Google SEO)

On Facebook you can Target Users that shows interest in your Product or Service.

On Youtube you can have Text Ads or even Video Ads shown when someone watches a video related to your Product or Service.

The Internet offers endless opportunities to promote your business online.

The key is

• Targeted Advertising
• Analyse Stats
• Measure your ROI

So where do we start?

Google

Because most users go to Google to search for a specific Product or Service with the intent to browse or buy.

We submit your Website to Google to ensure that they index your site.

Indexing only means that your site is now in the engine, but does NOT mean your site will be found on Google..

We also submit your site to Google My Business, which is a listing on Google Maps so that your site can be found for Local Search Terms.

Google Ads allows us to get your Business found on the 1st Page of Google in the Top 4 Positions for specific keywords related to your Product/Service.

SEO

The process of optimizing your website for the keywords users use to search for your product/service, but more importantly, the specific search terms they use that is providing you with leads and most importantly Sales.

These search terms can be found within your Adwords Campaign, making the optimization process targeted and not a guessing game.

Facebook

Conversation marketing is huge at the moment. The opportunity to engage and socialise with potential clients. To discuss your product or service in a more relaxed environment.

Remember that Online Marketing allows us to Track each and every cent you spend on Advertising, so we can accurately Analyze your ROI.

If you want to Grow to the next level and market your business online, do not hesitate to contact us for a strategy discussion.

There are so many different avenues you can follow when it comes to marketing, be it online or offline. The choice is still ultimately yours, but unfortunately you have to go with the times and from the looks of the things, there is still an ongoing debate on which is better for your company.

You get the odd business owner who has been in his industry for over 10 years and he will stand firmly behind is marketing campaign, be it print advertising, email advertising, brochures and business cards etc. what has been working for him for over a decade, according to him will continue to work for him, meaning he doesn’t need anything else.

Offline Advertising or Marketing can refer to many different avenues ranging from the traditional print such as brochures, pamphlets and business cards, to radio and television ads. These are considered to be a bit more costly as a lot of effort is put in especially when it comes to radio and television ads. Brochures, pamphlets and business cards are simple, they are all the same design and its generally a once off design, the cost comes in when the designs are intricate and the printing is to be done on high quality materials and of course the amount of business cards and pamphlets also pays a role in printing. When it comes to printing, both quality and quantity are to be considered.

Online marketing is an avenue that is mostly taken these days, making use of the internet marketing services is something that every business owner should be considering and possibly implementing as soon as possible. It is considered to be a lot more affordable that off line marketing. There are so many options to choose from when doing online marketing and not to mention the amount of free online platforms that are available to you, such as Gumtree, OLX, Locanto and more.

Business owners that have been in their industry for 20 years and more would rather stick to what they know, word of mouth and relying on their returning clients, that’s fine, but if you want more clients, if you want to grow your business and if you want almost immediate conversions than online marketing is the way to go.

One of the most common misperceptions in web design is that once completed, your website will not require any further maintenance.

This can come from a lack of industry knowledge or being ill-advised by design companies or freelancers who fail to communicate the importance of maintaining a website and website maintenance costs in advance.

Before we dive into cost, lets look at what website maintenance entails:
Updates and changes
Depending on the product or service you offer, you may require regular updates or changes; which can include contact details, an address (businesses with more than one location may require additional branches to be added), images or content that needs to be changed or updated. This may also include expansion of your product or service offering.

Testing and improvements
Content Management Systems like Joomla and Wordpress offer thousands of different features and functionalities to ensure your website does what you need it to do.

And these generally need to be tested or improvements to perform as it should. This is usually the case when plugins need to be updated or new functions and features are launched.

Backups and monitoring
When you fail to do regular backups and monitoring of your website content, you risk losing all your data, which may result in having to start from scratch.

While some may find no issue implementing these changes themselves ( depending on the complexity of the task). Others who aren’t well-versed in web design or simply don’t have the time to tackle the task may need some assistance with such changes.

Website maintenance costs:
Because every website is different; in terms of its offering, functionality and features, it is difficult to put a fixed cost to website maintenance. Depending on how much work a website may require, design companies or freelancers will generally quote on the scope of the project, or charge a fixed monthly hourly rate.

What are our website maintenance costs?
We don’t believe in charging our clients exorbitant fees, so when you sign up for any of our packages, we include 1 hour free monthly maintenance for any updates or changes you require.

If you’re looking for maintenance only, we have package options from as little as R299 an hour, once-off or monthly.