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DBC Digital | Plumb Marketing Services
  • Expertise
    • Digital Marketing
    • Video Marketing
    • Website Design
    • Creative Studio
    • Print and Mailing Services
      • Marketing Express Program
  • Work
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • Free Consultation
    • Refund and Delivery Policies
    • Terms of Service
  • Upload Your Files

Archive for WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT – Page 3

Posted by DBC Digital on
 July 31, 2014

Why Paid Facebook Ads Make Sense

Social media has created great channels for business promotion, and at virtually no cost. Most social platforms have very crude strategies for generating funds through advertising. Facebook has led the pack in terms of generating revenues off of an advertising system, and it has quickly generated huge sums of money, with annual earnings exploding into the hundreds of millions.

And yet, most businesses eschew ad spending entirely and squeeze value out of Facebook without putting any money down. It’s long been a great strategy for reaching a digital audience, but this opportunity is changing–and eventually, it will disappear. Even though you can still get results from Facebook for free, there are some great reasons why it’s time to start paying.

Facebook Organic Reach is Declining

Reaching your audience through Facebook may be free, but it’s much more restricted than it once was. Currently, brands enjoy only a six percent reach on any piece of content they post. This means that if you post a status update to your audience of 1,000 Facebook followers, only about 60 of them will ever see that content.

That’s a big change from years past, and it illustrates Facebook’s long-term goals: The company wants to wean brands off of free self-promotion and convince them to instead pay for the results it once dispensed pro bono. Fair or not, this is the company’s primary strategy, and the change is inevitable. In the not-too-distant future, brands will be able to post all they want on Facebook–but without paying to promote their posts, hardly anyone will ever see the content.

The Facebook Display Network is Huge

The upside is that Facebook’s advertising audience is massive: More than one billion users are regularly active on the site. A big potential audience means that companies can add numerous filters onto their promoted posts that limit who sees the content. When utilized correctly, brands can ensure that their paid posts are only seen by the most relevant consumers.

If you choose to pay for a high volume of exposure, you will quickly find that a single post can be seen by tens of thousands of users, if not more. These users can then choose to follow your brand, which creates additional viral potential. Promoted Facebook posts, in other words, can directly increase the value of your organic results. As far as digital marketing goes, only Google paid search offers a larger potential audience.

Paid Search Does Not Come at the Cost of Organic Sharing

Eventually, businesses will get no organic exposure from their Facebook pages. But that’s not the case yet, as many companies are eager to point out. As far as the immediate future is concerned, it’s still possible to get exposure and enjoy the benefits of viral sharing without giving Facebook a dime. So why bother with spending money on ads?

The reason is simple: Paid advertising does not impact your organic exposure in any way. When you purchase promoted posting space on Facebook, you’re reaching people that otherwise might never discover your brand. And if those consumers choose to follow your Facebook page, you’ll enjoy a modest bump in organic reach for as long as Facebook makes this available.

 

The future is tough to predict, particularly when Facebook is cryptic about its future plans. But they seem to be pretty clear on one thing: sponsored posts will be a necessary expense for businesses within the next few years. By adopting this campaign strategy now, you can get ahead of the game and build a healthy lead in brand reach and engagement. Contact DBC Digital today to take advantage of this opportunity.

 

 

Greg Sherwood is CEO of DBC Digital, a marketing agency based in Denver, Colorado.  With over 30 years of marketing experience with traditional and inbound (internet) marketing, Greg helps mid-sized businesses get a better return on their marketing dollars.  

You can reach Greg at (303) 357-5757 or at dbc@dbcdigital.com

Categories : PUBLIC RELATIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING, WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT
Posted by DBC Digital on
 July 17, 2014

Analyze Your Inbound Marketing with These Tools

If If you aren’t using data to analyze your inbound marketing campaigns, you aren’t taking advantage of marketing on the Internet. Plenty of campaigns bear similarities to traditional forms of marketing–display networks are akin to billboards, video advertising has parallels with TV commercials, and so on. But billboards and TV commercials can’t touch what makes their online counterparts so incredibly valuable.

That’s right, it’s data. Everything is trackable online, from the clicks a consumer makes online to the user profiles of those online consumers, even to the length of time those consumers spend on a single web page–everything can be documented in data. These troves of information can offer incredible insights to marketers when they are properly analyzed.

To do that, you need an analytics solution. Many are available online, and some of the best ones come at a low-cost, or even for free. You need at least one of these solutions to help guide your strategy going forward, as you make small strategy shifts that optimize each campaign. Here’s an overview of the best options.

1. Google Analytics

Google Analytics is the obvious go-to for most businesses. It’s simple to use, offers in-depth data, and is geared toward small business owners. Even if you do struggle to understand the platform, there are a number of tutorials that walk you through the basic processes you will need to know in order to maximize the value of Google Analytics.

And there’s incredible value: not just because it’s a great data tool, but also because it’s free when you integrate it with Google AdWords. If you’re doing paid search campaigns, AdWords is a no-brainer, even before you through in Google Analytics for free.

2. Moz Analytics

If you’re focused on analytics for search marketing purposes, Moz Analytics is a great solution. It specializes in using data to improve SEO performance for various campaigns, and it offers a wide range of data to help you track your results. Moz Analytics also accommodates social media marketing and content marketing efforts, too, but if your primary focus is search marketing, this could be the right tool for you.

Moz Analytics costs $99 per month, which isn’t cheap for small businesses. But if you make an earnest effort to use the data when improving your campaigns, it’s a great option.

3. KISSmetrics

The great thing about KISSmetrics: its platform is beautiful. Users can navigate the solution easily, and it offers great data analysis that offers some insights and perspectives you won’t find with other solutions.

The biggest barrier for most businesses is going to be the cost. KISSmetrics packages start at $150 per month and go up. Additionally, the data isn’t comprehensive when it comes to traffic analysis, so you will probably need to complement KISSmetrics with another analytics tool that gives great Web traffic insights.

4. Clicky

analyzeStraddling the line between free and subscription-based, Clicky has a lot to offer small businesses. It has comprehensive analytics tools that rival what Google Analytics has to offer, and there’s no delay in receiving that data–results can be monitored in real-time.

The biggest challenge of Clicky is that it isn’t the easiest platform to use. If you’re averse to technology already, it may be more of a headache than it’s worth. But keep in mind that Clicky is completely free until you surpass 3,000 page views. In other words, you get some time to get the hang of things–and to start driving traffic to your website–before you’re asked to put money down.

If you’re ready to start analyzing data and building your digital strategy, contact DBC Digital today.

 

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Categories : SEO, STRATEGY, WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT
Posted by DBC Digital on
 October 24, 2013

Smart Marketing: Stretch Your Budget and Maximize Your Return

 

Smart Marketing: Stretch Your Budget and Maximize Your Return

The economy may be recovering, but many businesses remain leery of misstepping and falling back into financial tumult. America’s business world is coming off a confidence-rattling economic recession that showed many organizations just how volatile their good financial standing can be. This is especially true for small businesses, which already face small margins for error.

Downturns such as the recent financial crisis remind us that, even in apparently good economic times, frugality and efficient spending are always good habits. Companies looking to install or expand inbound marketing practices within their company might be leery about the up-front investment and whether or not that will produce financial gains. But one of inbound’s greatest advantages is the ability to implement it on a small scale, and with a limited budget. Even small organizations strapped for cash can find ways to leverage inbound for big results. Here are four tips to help you get the greatest marketing bang for your buck.

1. Do your research before you spend money

First off, you’ll want to get a sense of where you can go online to find your target audience. While the goal of inbound marketing is to bring those consumers directly to your website, it’s not possible to market across the entire World Wide Web. You’ll need to concentrate on certain areas and websites, and a little market research can be invaluable in that sense.

Once you’ve nailed down your target audience, you can use your newfound knowledge to develop an effective targeting strategy, especially as it relates to keywords. Keywords are what will drive traffic to specific pages and blog posts on your website, and keywords will also be used if and when you invest in a pay-per-click advertising strategy. PPC ads can make you a lot of money through increased traffic and conversions, but you can also lose a lot needlessly if you aren’t targeting consumers correctly. This is why research is so essential.

2. Develop low-cost campaign channels

Some inbound marketing is more expensive than others. A website is essential, and publishing new content is very important in today’s world of SEO. To some extent, the costs of your most essential campaigns will be fixed. But other channels offer great value at little to no cost.

When you’re looking for cost-effective inbound marketing, social media is your best bet. Major networks like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are free for business users, and they can create residual value by allowing you to collect and grow a body of social followers — all of which may be current or prospective customers. You can promote your original content through those channels to squeeze extra value out of your website, and partnerships forged through those networks can help you reach new clientele.

3. Start spending slowly, then increase as the results come in

When you start putting money into these inbound channels, it’s important not to go hog-wild until you get some confirmation of results in return. Some strategies take longer to develop than others — it will be months, for example, before your original content produces significant upswings in traffic, and most social media strategy requires a minimum of six months to set roots and really take hold. But others, such as banner advertisements, should start producing referrals right away.

You’ll want to get a decent sample size before you make any rash decisions — for example, five referrals that don’t produce sales won’t be representative of your overall conversion rate — but take a cautious, balanced approach toward inbound spending until you get enough information to make a decision either way.

4. Divert resources toward campaigns delivering the highest returns

Over time, some campaigns will prove to be successful, while others won’t earn back the money you spend. And among your successes, some will be far more productive than others. It’s important to remember that your inbound strategy is never set in stone — because your resources are limited, you can’t afford to keep pouring your time and money into sub-par channels. As data comes in and you analyze the results, make continual tweaks and changes to maximize your potential return-on-investment. Never put all of your eggs into one basket, but give the greatest weight — and financial support — to the campaigns offering the greatest rewards.

Remember: Inbound can always be scaled to meet your budget and your company’s needs. DBC Digital brings years of experience and innovation to its work in marketing Denver businesses in the digital age. If you’re looking to take advantage of this digital marketing opportunity, contact us today at 303-357-5757 or dbc@dbcdigital.com.

Categories : SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING, WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT
Posted by DBC Digital on
 June 15, 2012

Inbound Marketing: Writing Website Content

So, you have a website. Good for you! As a small business owner, you probably don’t have a professional creative staff to write copy for it though. You kinda, sorta know what you want to say but you don’t know how to say it in a way that will make sense to the people you want to reach…your prospects!

Many small and medium businesses make the mistake of merely touting the features of their widgets and their services. Your prospects might think that’s all good, but what they really want to know is this:

How is any of this going to help ME?

What you need is content that resonates with the value that your prospects are seeking. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Establish your target audience. Be specific. If you’re targeting other business owners, say so. If you want to reach stay-at-home dads, let your site’s content express that.

 

  • Identify their need. This can be stated through a question or statement, as in “Looking for a reliable roofing company?” When people see that you understand their concern, they will gravitate towards your content.

 

  • Get them WHERE they’re hot. Some of your prospects will be ready to buy immediately. All they need is an order form on your site. Others need to be educated. For these, a free “Call-To-Action” offer is often beneficial. It establishes you as a reliable, knowledgeable partner who wants to help your prospect find a solution. If your prospect isn’t quite ready to buy, but is well-educated on the benefits of your products, you’ll want to include contact information so specific needs can be discussed individually. By getting your prospects where they are, you’re building your sales pipeline. You know what to do from there! Sell, sell, sell…

 

  • Direct them to your website. Here’s where some education and expertise will come in handy. You need to promote your site every time you have an opportunity. Publish it on your business cards, flyers, phone listings, etc. Make sure your content is rich with keywords and phrases, but not artificially so. Google and other search engines are not kind to businesses that attempt to blatantly manipulate their procedures.

If you’re just beginning to establish an online identity through your website, or perhaps reassessing the one you’ve had for awhile, we hope these tips will help you. What have you found helpful in your website marketing strategy? We welcome your contribution through our Comments section below.

 

Categories : INTERNET MARKETING, WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT
Posted by DBC Digital on
 June 6, 2012

Top 5 SEO Tips for Inbound Marketing

While Search Engine Optimization can seem a little intimidating when you are just getting started, even a novice can get a lot closer to the first page of Google’s search results by following these top 5 SEO tips for inbound marketing. It’s simpler than you might imagine.

 

1. Your Web Page’s “Page Title”

The first thing Google does when it indexes your website is to look for SEO keywords and keyphrases in your webpage titles.

Your primary SEO keyphrases work in conjunction with the SEO keyphrases in your URL and the lead paragraph of your content. As such, it’s critical to the success of your inbound marketing campaigns to be aware of these Google cues.

The title tag has been – and probably will always be – one of the most important factors in achieving high search engine rankings.

In fact, fixing just the title tags of your pages can often generate quick and appreciable differences to your rankings.

 

2. Lead (First) paragraph SEO

Begin your article with a statement that repeats the page heading and offers a summary explanation of the content’s title.

By making your opening paragraph as meaningful and as closely related to the page header and keywords as possible, you help Google to rank that page of your website higher in its search results.

 

3. Image/Photo SEO

Images serve as powerful inbound marketing tools by drawing attention to the visual appeal of your message. But remember, Google can’t actually “see” any pictures or images on your site.  You have to help Google by including descriptions or “alt” tags with the image.  An alt (alternative) tag tells Google what the image is so it can index the image as part of your website.

 

4. URL SEO

Your URL of a page or site should tell a lot about the content of the page. The presumption is that if your blog or site is about dogs, you will have “dog”, “dogs”, or “puppy” as part of your page name. Try developing your page’s URL directly from your Page title. That’s a highly effective way to strengthen your ranking while reinforcing the impact of your message.

 

5. SEO facelifts (Bottom Line…)

Harnessing the potential strength of your inbound marketing SEO is critical to getting your message found by readers and prospects.

However, when all is said and done, Google actually prioritizes the quality of your content over the quantity of your SEO key phrases in determining your rankings.

Just as doing a little cosmetic surgery on a mannequin still won’t give it life, the content on your website and its “share-ability” by those that are interested in your topic will help you improve your search rankings much more than just a bunch of keywords.

Go ahead and write your content (blogs, website text, etc.) as naturally as possible, then go back and judiciously use the SEO tools outlined above.

Providing great content for your readers will encourage them to share your words with others which not only helps your search rankings, but generates more business!

Try these tips out for yourself and let us know how it’s working.

While there are volumes of SEO techniques, there are only a few that truly make a significant difference.  What are your essential tips for those just starting down the SEO trail? 

Please share your thoughts and suggestions with us.  Our readers appreciate your knowledge!

 

 

Categories : INTERNET MARKETING, WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT
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