Proliferation

May 31
0

The Pros and Cons of America’ s Top 3 Do-It-Yourself Web Design Programs

By | web development | No Comments

For both small, up-and-coming businesses and individuals alike, building a website is key to determining marketplace success. In most cases, WordPress is the solution, seeing as how the platform stands at the head of the proverbial website design pack as an industry leader. However, there are other options available for consumers.

For the commoner, each and every web building program appears the same: confusing. Conversely, for those with a bit more experience with website design, a lack of options or add-ons can be frustrating. Regardless of your level of experience or website needs, you deserve what will not only satisfy your creative desires, but will also impress a target audience or demographic.

Instead of tackling the painstaking task of unending research, we’ve performed the dirty work for you, unearthing the pros and cons of three of America’s top, do-it-yourself web development programs.

Wix: The Good

Founded in 2006, Wix provides a cloud-based web development outlet for users to build their own HTML5 web and mobiles sites. Since its initial emergence onto the scene of website design, Wix has seen nothing but success. What users enjoy most about Wix is the site’s impressively large selection of professional-grade templates which come complete with an interface built upon intuitive drag-and-drop capabilities, rivaling those of all other industry players.

Additionally, for those first-time web developers, Wix has created an intricate web of on-site help buttons at nearly every digital intersection to make website production as simple as possible.

Wix: The Bad

As is the case with most things, however, there’s some bad to go along with the good. For starters, Wix’s free design plan comes with the baggage of painfully large interface ads. Simply put, there’s no getting around them if you’re looking for an option free of charge. Furthermore, after having chosen a working template, users are unable to change it, should future adaptations need to be made. Lastly, and perhaps most frustrating for customers hoping to make a profit off of their respective websites, this publisher isn’t designed to manage complicated e-commerce demands, making the management of digitally-transferred funds a troublesome dilemma.

Weebly: The Good

Since bursting into the world of web-hosting in 2012, Weebly has done nothing but turn heads. Even those with years of website design experience under their belts are impressed with what the system—touted as the best drag-and-drop website builder—can do for its clients. Headquartered in San Francisco, the company currently hosts over 20 million sites and lays claim to upwards of 1 million unique visitors every month.

More than anything, it’s Weebly’s ease of web-building excellence through simplicity which keeps people coming back for more. There aren’t an excessive number of tools; moreover, those that are offered are extremely simple and straightforward in usability. Also, for those looking for free website design, Weebly is probably your best bet. Even without a startup or monthly payment, the broad range of flexible, modifiable templates is made readily available for all people.

Weebly: The Bad

Unfortunately, Weebly isn’t the perfect solution. There are areas of concern. First and foremost, like Wix, Weebly isn’t capable of handling complex e-commerce needs. Also, though still offering much in the ways of templates, few are those which would quality as being of a “designer-caliber.” Finally, for the mountain of beginner website design enthusiasts, Weebly’s Free and Starter plans are severely handicapped by cumbersome page count restrictions.

Squarespace: The Good

Of the three website builders presented here, Squarespace—pegged as an SaaS-based content management system—is by far the most recognizable. More than likely, you’ve seen the commercials on television and are already more than aware of the blogging and hosting services that are also offered by the company. Based in New York City, Squarespace has built enough rapport with buyers to aggressively compete with the likes of WordPress and GoDaddy.

In large part, the service’s positive reputation has been formed by its beautiful, mobile-responsive templates. Likewise, with respect to Squarespace’s impeccable arsenal of templates, digital responsiveness and adaptability have yet to have been matched by lower-lying competitors. When all is said and done, however, what are quite possibly the system’s biggest selling points are the extensively impressive styling options which are provided for all page builders.

Squarespace: The Bad

Though currently engaged in blazing a designer trail of sorts on the World Wide Web, Squarespace has encountered its own series of flaws and blunders. Take for example the editor and preview screens; they are separate and can’t be viewed at the same time to allow for ease of editing.

Oddly enough, while still considered an industry leader, if you’ve spent any time researching page-building programs, then you already know that Squarespace is infamous for having lag-ridden, drag-and-drop features. As a final word of caution—which for many might be seen as a blessing, more than anything—this channel’s Style Editor is thorough to the max, causing many to find themselves slightly overwhelmed.

Whatever your web building project might entail, odds are that you’ll be content with any one of the aforementioned website builders. That being said, in order to be completely and totally happy with your site, it’s important to pay attention to the subtle details. With the specifics having been presented here, the power is now yours to make great things happen out on the ever-expanding Internet.

Fusion 360 - The Pros and Cons of 3 Web Design Programs (Fusion 360 Web Development)

May 31
0

3 Tips for Gaining an Edge With Headlines

By | content marketing | No Comments

In today’s day and age, more information is being consumed than ever before. With social media, smartphone apps and improvements in the ways of personal technology making the world an increasingly smaller place, the need to grab people’s attention through marketing is of the utmost importance.

These days, with so many surrounding distractions, gaining and keeping the attention of the masses—especially in the digital realm of communication and marketing—has never been more difficult. That being said, with a well-written headline in place, an audience is much more likely to listen. The tricky part, however, comes with creating the very headline that will not only get people to slow down and click, but to actually ingest your brand’s information.

The Importance of Headlines

Believe it or not, in decades past, larger publications such as the New York Times and Wallstreet Journal had people on staff whose only job was to pump out gripping headlines. While many traditionalistic publication entities have been replaced by booming websites, blogs and content marketing agencies, the need for alluring headlines remains. Presently, eight out of every 10 people will read a headline in its entirety. Unfortunately, when it comes to reading the very piece that’s being promoted, only two out of every 10 people will finish what they’ve started.

In fact, many editorial, social media and content marketing experts have gone as far as claiming that a writer should spend half the time it takes to write a persuasive article on the piece’s headline alone. If you’re struggling to keep up with your competitors in the ways of of social shareability and click-through rates, seek to improve your headlines through a few quick and simple tips:

1) Short, Sweet and Succinct

Headlines that drag on for nearly an entire sentence do little to quickly captivate readers. If anything, the faulty practice gives off a sense of desperation. Furthermore, from an SEO perspective, lengthy headlines do more bad than good, seeing as how Google’s algorithm will only account for the first 65 characters of a headline.

As if Google’s refusal to churn long-winded headlines through its famous algorithm wasn’t enough to turn you and your marketing agency off to headline wordiness, studies have shown that, as headlines are scanned, audiences only notice the first and last three words. With less to take in, audience retention skyrockets as short, engaging headlines are read. Ideally, a headline shouldn’t go over 6 words in length.

2) The Power of Words and Numbers

Obviously, the building blocks of a good title are words. Reverting back to the days of elementary English, it’s easy to see that adjectives—authoritative adjectives, to be exact—are the stuff of compelling captions. Mighty adjectives raise intrigue with a target demographic and are essential to driving traffic to any digital destination. Additionally, use negative words as a way of tapping into an audience’s insecurities.

Even numbers have their proper place in headlines. Numbers bolster a piece’s efficiency and necessity. Statistically, the larger the number in a headline, the more social interaction a pushed piece is pegged to receive. Lastly, for ease of interpretation, always use digits rather than words.

3) A Formula for Success

Oftentimes, in order to increase a task’s simplicity, formulas are required. Producing attractive headlines is no different. Courtesy of Quick Sprout, the following formula was produced for the benefit of journalists, public relations specialists and content marketing firms everywhere:

NUMBER OF TRIGGER WORD + ADJECTIVE + KEYWORD + PROMISE = HEADLINE

Take for example this mediocre headline: “How to Content Market.” After being drug through Quick Sprout’s useful formula, a better result is formed and ready for publication: “5 Top-Tier Ways to Content Market Through Pinterest.”

Finally, serving as nothing more than a friendly reminder, know that manipulative headlines are unethical and should never be used. Regardless of industry, professional position or level of editorial experience, if you’re an active writer, your relationship with headlines should be a strong one. By simply implementing the strategies presented here on a consistent basis, you’ll be more than pleased as to what your headlines will accomplish for both you and your content’s reputation on the World Wide Web.

Fusion 360 - 3 Tips for Creating Dynamic Headlines (Fusion 360 Content Marketing)

May 31
0

Proper Social Media Posting: How Much Is Too Much?

By | Social Media | No Comments

Believe it or not, on social media, there’s a strikingly sensitive balance between being pleasantly informative and coming off as painfully annoying. Unfortunately, many digital marketing agencies are completely oblivious to this and have their clients paying top dollar to bombard their respective social audiences with posts which—though useful—are a bit cumbersome when forced.

Your brand may have found and produced incredible content for a specific target demographic, but unless people are pleased with the amount of information being pushed to them on their precious feeds, the result promises to be less than positive. Seeing as how many marketing agencies are struggling to find a healthy equilibrium with social posting, the question begs to be asked: How much scheduled social posting is too much?

Facebook

On Facebook, it’s especially key that fresh, intriguing content be published. Simply put, if what you’ve scheduled to publish isn’t of the highest quality, you’re doing both yourself and your client few favors. Recently, SocialBakers.com studied three months’ worth of Facebook content from a few of America’s leading brands and discovered that each of them is publishing posts through Facebook, on average, about once a day.

Furthermore, the aforementioned group also found that when companies and marketing agencies post only once a week, audience connection is lost. However, when posting more than twice a day, consumer displeasure increases. As a general rule of thumb, posting three times per week should be considered a floor, whereas 10 posts a week should be viewed as a ceiling of sorts.

Twitter

As far as Twitter is concerned, the more the merrier—tweets that is. Twitter is arguably the Internet’s greatest social tool for joining any one of a specific community’s numerous conversations. Almost single-handedly through Twitter, many brands have solidified themselves as industry leaders.

Research shows that when at least three to five tweets a day are pushed to a group of followers—regardless of size—the proverbial ball of user engagement beings to roll. That being said, logically, the more you tweet, the more opportunities your fans have to interact with you and your company. If you’ve got a robust social team with the time and energy to tweet and interact, the sky’s the limit. For smaller, up-and-coming businesses, however, focus on hitting that three to five tweet sweet spot in order to develop a real, reputable Twitter presence which can easily transfer into something more prosperous in the near future.

LinkedIn

By and large, LinkedIn is viewed as a low volume/high value social network. Originally, LinkedIn was created as a platform through which individuals could network with industry-specific employees and businesses to identify advantageous professional opportunities. While still true in today’s day and age, the site has become a channel for brands and marketing agencies to launch a masked—though positive—advertorial voice through content marketing.

To get the most out of LinkedIn, it’s recommended that a minimum of two posts per week be produced. Conversely, no more than 5 posts per week should be published. Once again, on a top-tier site like LinkedIn, it’s imperative that you be promoting only insider business savvy, interesting facts and tips for industrial prowess.

Pinterest

Most people associate Pinterest with the female, do-it-yourself crowd; however, in recent years, Pinterest has made a name for itself as a timely avenue for marketing agencies to visually bolster organic content.

With fields of interest like fitness, technical gadgetry and fashion leading the way as Pinterest’s top pinning topics, companies from all sorts of backgrounds have seen success through this interactive outlet. For those who’ve seen great success through Pinterest, anywhere between five and 30 large, high-resolution images are being pinned each day. Statistically, Saturdays, afternoons and evenings are the best times for tapping into audiences for communal interaction.

Whatever experience you’ve had with social media, it’s vital to remember the following: each represented industry brings with it a series of social challenges for marketing agencies which must be met with a series of strategic adaptations. Needless to say, as social media scheduling is mastered, digital reputation and market reach are guaranteed to improve.

Fusion 360 - Social Media and Proper Posting Frequency (Fusion 360 Agency)

May 28
0

10 Filtration Points to Know If You’re Actually Producing Quality Content

By | content marketing | No Comments

From here in Utah to the most booming of metropolitan locations out on the East Coast, content marketing specialists are constantly pitching clients about the production of the exact same thing: quality content.

While the benefits of the aforementioned content type are well known—search engine rapport, a more spacious market reach and a reputation as an industry-leader—many are the content marketing “experts” who are left scratching their respective heads asking, “What is quality content?”

If you or a fellow content marketer has ever asked that very question, we’ve prepared a list of the top 10 filtration points to help properly determine if what’s being produced is of great value to consumers or just another advertorial annoyance.

1) Write for an Audience, Not for Search Engines

Believe it or not, this is a huge issue for content marketers. You’d think that for professional marketing writers, making certain to direct all written content towards a specific audience would be easy. That being said, it’s not. If your target audience is a group of industry professionals, don’t speak down to them. However, if your body of readers is new to a particular field, be simple and concise without demeaning the very eyes which keep you employed.

2) Content Accuracy and Relevancy Is Key

This goes without saying, but quality content is build upon a foundation of accurate information. Even if you’ve already proofread your piece one or two times, it’s never a bad idea to go back and check just to make certain that all sources are properly cited and given due credit. Furthermore, be sure to only use data—everyone loves quantitative information—that’s still relevant in today’s day and age. Nothing is more frustrating than a piece on social media marketing with statistics from 2007.

3) Inspiration, Education or Entertainment

Any written piece should do at least one of three things: inspire, educate or entertain. If you’ve written something that does little more than bore, interrupt and annoy, you should probably consider a swift revision of what’s been created. Also, it’s impossible to spend too much time on titles and headers. Seriously, they set a reader up for what’s to come next and build the very kind of intrigue that’s needed to transform content into a liquid marketing state.

4) Be Direct In Helping a Reader Accomplish a Particular Task

There’s a reason for why eHow and WikiHow attract digital masses so easily: they provide something of value. It’s not that every article or story has to be a “how to” piece, but everything should help a reader accomplish a particular task.

5) Unique Value for Readers to Learn From

Unbeknownst to many working in the field of content marketing, there’s a great difference between “unique content” and “unique value.” The ideal here is to publish only the later. Says Nate Dame, founder of Propecta, in a piece he wrote for SearchEngineLand.com, “Any good writer can rearrange words on a page to create content that doesn’t technically appear anywhere else on the Internet. But good content offers a unique value by providing readers with insights and actionable takeaways that no one else does.”

6) Socially Shareable

Remember, if it’s not something that you’d feel confident sharing with both friends and colleagues on Twitter and Facebook, you shouldn’t expect that others to do so. While informative  content is inherently important, social shareability is often determined by the title of what’s being pushed. Write strong titles that balance creativity with concision and purpose.

7) Thematic Organization By Way of Subsections

Apart from keeping content tight and well-written, it’s critical to make sure that everything is well-organized. Truthfully, written transitions can be difficult to produce for the writer and hard to follow for the reader. When themes are organized by way of subsections and bullet points, it’s much easier for information to be digested at a rapid rate.

8) Be Leery of Keyword Stuffing

Obviously, keyword stuffing has never been a good SEO or content marketing strategy. Still, even those who are wholeheartedly committed to white hat SEO practices are prone to a accidentally overuse a primary keyword. After a piece’s rough draft is completed, it’s always a good idea to use your computer’s Command+F or Ctr+F term search options to make sure that keywords aren’t being used in abundance. If they are, take a few minutes to replace a handful of them with appropriate synonyms.

9) Include Links to Helpful Sources

This really should come as a bit of a no-brainer to any active content marketer or SEO professional, but—when writing—include links to good sources that will help build your piece’s credibility. These links should only lead readers to other reputable, high-quality site’s where further information can be obtained.

10) Proofread Like Your Life Depends On It

There’s a reason that this point comes in as a final placeholder on this list: every single time, it’s the last thing that should be done before a piece is published. Realistically, it doesn’t matter how incredible a written article, “how to” piece or blog post is, if there are blatant grammatical errors present, nobody will take you or the brand that you represent seriously.

Regardless of industry, as awesome content is produced, awesome results will most assuredly ensue. Take the necessary time to make quality content marketing a conscious focus and both you and your clients will be more than satisfied with what’s to come.

May 28
0

3 Reasons for Why Marketing Agencies Must Include PR In Their Game Plans

By | public relations | No Comments

If you were to go up to just about anybody on the street and ask them to speak of the differences between marketing and public relations, odds are that you’d find yourself hunting for the answer for quite some time. Though subtle, the differences between the two advertorial fields are gargantuan enough that, in recent months, some of the world’s largest and most successful marketing agencies have opened their own PR divisions.

In December of 2014, for example, Havas Worldwide Johannesburg made way for Havas PR to come into full effect. Likewise, just this month, the Black Snow Group decided to take the PR plunge. Could the biggest of PR’s pillars and marketing differentiators—relationship/reputation maintenance, networking and procurement of owned media—really be enough to push the globe’s biggest powerhouses of marketing into full-fledged PR involvement? Apparently, many certainly feel so. Here’s why:

1) The Field of Communications Is Changing

Simply put, traditional marketing no longer works and marketing agencies have taken notice. Yes, there are a few industries that might still benefit from a radio advertisement or highway billboard, but they are few and far between. What was once television commercials and flyers is now sponsored tweets and link-driven articles. No longer do consumers—regardless of industry—want to feel that they’ve been sold.

Instead, they’re demanding transparency and quality with the information that’s being given them. For that very reason, social media and SEO-driven article integration have taken the marketing world by storm. In the near future, in order for complex marketing solutions to be both developed and implemented, public relations will need to play an important role.

2) From a Business Standpoint, PR Is a Necessity

While marketing and advertising certainly fall under the canopy of “professional communications,” public relations, when combined with the aforementioned disciplines, ensures that all communicative channels are efficiently addressed. Long gone are the days when funds devoted to public relations where considered expendable.

Says Chris Verrijdt, Head of Havas PR, “These days, with information being consumed at the rate and across the channels it is, it would be naïve to keep PR out of the mix. Earned and owned media are integral to the conversation our clients have with their customers. Real time and right time communication is a necessity rather than a luxury.”

3) Through PR, the Client Always Comes Out On Top

Truthfully, it’s nearly impossible that a client fail to benefit from the services offered by a reputable PR team. Marketing agencies—specifically content marketing agencies—from all over the world can agree on one thing: “content is king.”

At this point, it’s the biggest buzz-centric phrase that the realm of professional communications has to offer, but it’s true. Public relations places a great deal of emphasis on content and, through content, the solidifying of a specific brand as an industry leader.

By creating helpful, informative content, not only is reputation enhanced, but leaders, potential clients and investors are drawn to a business. Needless to say, whatever your specific company’s marketing needs may be, public relations can help.

May 28
0

3 New Interactive Design Tools for Web Developers Looking to Make a Splash

By | web development | No Comments

Technology and the development thereof changes quicker than just about anything and keeping up can be a difficult matter. What was once new and exciting, in literally just a matter of months, is now branded as being nothing more than old and mundane.

Joined at the hip, when technology advances, so too does the world of web development. Whether you’re a seasoned web designer or looking to build your first blog, it’s important to stay up to date with the latest trends to more fully connect with your target audience.

1) New and Improved Animations and Transitions

Thanks to the likes of HTML5, Javascript and CSS, web development specialists from all over the glove are now able to provide a more enjoyable experience for their respective site visitors through animation. While the concept of animation might not be all that new, in today’s day and age, without them, you’re definitely shooting yourself in the proverbial foot. Animation can be anything from a bouncing icon to a basic cartoon that plays in the background while a page loads.

Though seemingly simple, these detail-oriented animations and transitions make a site’s navigability all the more pleasant. Sure, they’re visually appealing, but without them, site context feels awkward and visitors often find themselves struggling to understand quite how they’re supposed to interact with what’s being digitally presented. As reported by TheNextWeb.com, the primary function of site animations and transitions are as follows:

  • “Animated notifications
  • Revealing information
  • Highlighting content
  • Collapsing forms and menus
  • Scrolling, especially fore one-page websites”

Even though animation is widely being used by web development experts, there’s always a great deal of disparity between those who know what they’re doing and those who are relatively new to the design game. Simply put, users are going to expect high-quality, pixel-perfect design and anything less than that is bound to be lambasted by visitors. Needless to say, take the necessary time to create animations and transitions worthy of your target demographic’s attention. In the end, you’ll be glad you did.

2) Webgraphics Are Now Replacing Infographics

The advent of social media has made the quick, timely consumption of information a necessity for digital marketers. For graphic designers working at advertising and marketing agencies, this meant—and still means, to be honest—that helpful infographics needed to be produced at an astounding rate. They’re visual. They’re engaging. They provide a tremendous amount of information in an easy-to-read format. What could be better? Webgraphics.

Webgraphics are similar in function to infographics, though they are entirely interactive, thus helping to improve upon user engagement. Thanks to invaluable tools such as HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery, your site can provide site visitors with an interactive experience through the brilliant colors and slick animations that webgraphics provide.

3) Micro Interactions: The Most Minute of Digital Interactions

Unbeknownst to most web and app users, hundreds of micro interactions take place each and every day. Micro interactions are the simple experiences that link a user with another digital entity. For example, if a Facebook friend of yours likes a photo that you recently posted and your phone dings, you’ve just been part of a micro interaction. Though small and insignificant to those without a background in web development, micro interactions are of the utmost importance. In fact, recently, FastCo Design went as as far as pegging micro interactions as “the future of design.”

If you’re still not convinced, imagine how long it would take you to completely abandon a site if you couldn’t quickly set your username and password or control the amount of push notifications that your mobile device receives. These are very real issues that web development experts face on a daily basis. By properly understanding and implementing micro interactions, a user’s experience is enhanced and a return visit is bound to occur. Generally speaking, micro interactions should seek to bring about the following:

  • Help accomplish a specific task, such as logging in or setting an alarm
  • Link two relevant elements like a website and smartphone
  • Make an adjustment, according to user preference
  • Check specific data or information, such as an area’s weather or traffic

Whatever your web development needs might entail, by continually working to stay informed with what’s going on in the world of website design, you’re bound to keep both clients and customers satisfied.

May 20
0

The Numbers Behind Advertising Costs

By | advertising | No Comments

For as long as businesses have been around, they’ve been promoting themselves to consumers in an effort to bring in more money. Generally speaking, the most successful companies have managed to produce advertising greatness to make such an occurrence a reality. In the following video, we present some of our favorite advertorial campaigns and the actual costs associated with them:

May 19
0

8 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Marketing Agency

By | digital marketing | No Comments

Regardless of industry, it’s important that marketing—specifically digital marketing—be given proper attention. Whether it be a matter of web development, graphic design, video production or content marketing, without the help of professional advertisers, marketing quickly becomes more of a headache than a money-making endeavor. That being said, if the wrong marketing agency is brought onboard, a similar headache is bound to take place. In order to ensure that a positive relationship be formed, there are certain questions that should be asked before anybody signs on the proverbial dotted line.

Fusion 360 - 8 Tips for Finding the Best Marketing Agency (Fusion 360 Agency)

May 17
0

SEO: a Worthwhile Investment

By | SEO | No Comments

Truthfully, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been working as a digital marketer for ages or recently nabbed an initial internship to get your start in the industry, one thing has remained constant in recent years: SEO is vital for marketplace success on the World Wide Web.