Marketing Hints, Tips and Advice

ChatGPT Ads: What It Means for Local Businesses

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:06:44 GMT

Is it time to act now, as most businesses wait until something is obvious

You might not have noticed, but something quite important has just started happening in the marketing world.

ChatGPT has begun showing ads.

It’s very early days… but the signs suggest this could become a serious new way for businesses to get customers.

Let’s break it down in plain English.

So… what’s actually happening?

In the first six weeks of ads being live, the company behind ChatGPT — OpenAI — is already on track to make around $100 million a year from ads .

That’s impressive on its own.

But here’s the bit most people are missing:

�� Less than 20% of users are even seeing ads yet

So this isn’t fully rolled out. Not even close.

Right now:

Only a small portion of people see ads
About 85% of free users could see them eventually
Over 600 advertisers are already testing it

In simple terms:

This thing has barely started… and it’s already working.

Why this matters

At the moment, access is quite restricted.

But that’s about to change.

What’s expected next:

Businesses will be able to run ads themselves (no gatekeepers)
Ads will roll out to more countries
A senior ads expert (from Meta/Facebook) has been brought in to grow it fast

Once that happens, it becomes:

Easier to advertise
More crowded
More expensive over time

Sound familiar?

This has happened before…

If you’ve ever run ads on:

Google
Facebook

…you’ve seen this exact pattern.

Early days:

Cheap clicks
Less competition
Great results

Later on:

Everyone piles in
Costs go up
It gets harder to stand out

The people who win are usually the ones who get in early — not first, but early enough.

What about ad quality?

This is actually one of the more interesting parts.

OpenAI has said:

�� Less than 7% of ads are considered “low quality”

That’s a good sign.

Why?

Because if ads stay relevant and useful, people don’t ignore them.

And when users don’t ignore ads… they keep working. (Unlike some platforms where ads just become noise.)

The bigger picture

This isn’t a little experiment.

Ads will clearly be a big part of how ChatGPT grows over the next few years — alongside paid subscriptions.

So realistically, we’re going to see:

More ads appearing
Better targeting (showing the right ad to the right person)
More businesses jumping in

What should you actually do?

You don’t need to rush out and start running ads tomorrow.

But you shouldn’t ignore this either .

If you’re already using:

Google Ads
Facebook/Instagram Ads
Any sort of paid marketing

�� Then this is something to keep an eye on as the next potential channel .

Straight talk

This is one of those moments where:

It’s proven enough to take seriously
Still early enough to get an advantage

And those windows don’t stay open forever.

Most businesses wait until something is obvious…

By then, it’s usually more expensive and harder to get results.

Common AI Mistakes Small Businesses Make And How To Avoid Sounding Like Everyone Else Online

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:27:24 GMT

AI should save time and reduce the stress of staring at a blank screen

As mentioned in my last article, AI can be brilliant for small businesses.

It can help you write faster, come up with ideas when your brain feels empty, and take some of the pressure off when you are wearing ten different hats.

But there is a problem.

A lot of small businesses are using AI in ways that make their marketing sound flat, generic, and strangely forgettable.

You read a post, an email or a website paragraph and think, “I have seen this exact thing somewhere before.” That is because, in many cases, you probably have.

The issue is not AI itself. The issue is how people use it.

If you are a small business owner, here are a few of the most common mistakes I keep seeing, and how to avoid blending into the background online. ��

Mistake 1: Copying and pasting the first draft

One of the biggest mistakes is treating AI as a finished writer rather than a starting point.

You type in a quick prompt, it gives you something that sounds polished enough, and you post it without changing much.

The trouble is, AI often gives you the safest, most average version of an idea. It is clean, but it is not you.

That is why so much AI-written content sounds the same.

It is full of tidy sentences, vague advice and phrases that could belong to almost any business in any town.

To avoid this, use AI for the bones, not the full body.

Let it help you structure an idea, generate angles or tidy up rough notes, but always add your own voice afterwards.

Ask yourself:

Would I actually say this to a customer?
Does this sound like my business?
Is there a real example, opinion or story I can add?

That extra layer is what makes the content feel human.

Mistake 2: Using bland prompts

If you give AI a vague instruction, you will usually get a vague result back.

For example, if you ask it to “write a LinkedIn post about customer service”, it will probably give you something painfully generic about putting customers first and delivering excellent experiences.

It will not be wrong, but it will not be memorable either.

A better prompt would be:

You are a professional Social Media Manager and Customer Experience Specialist with a talent for crafting engaging, empathetic, and brand-aligned content.

‘Your objective is to write a compelling social media post that highlights the importance of excellent customer service. The post should build trust, demonstrate brand values, and encourage interaction from the audience. The post should be written for a professional audience on LinkedIn. It needs to be professional yet conversational, avoiding overly corporate jargon. The tone should be empathetic and solution-oriented.’

Better prompts create better content.

Instead of being broad, be specific. Include your audience, tone, location, type of business, and what you actually want the piece to achieve.

The more detail you give, the less generic the result tends to be.

Mistake 3: Letting AI remove your personality

Small businesses often win because of personality. People buy from businesses they trust, like and remember.

The danger with AI is that it can smooth out all the rough edges that make you sound real.

Suddenly, your website sounds like a corporate brochure. Your emails feel over-polished. Your posts lose the humour, honesty or local flavour that made them yours.

That is a problem, especially if your business relies on relationships.

Try keeping a short list of phrases, opinions and expressions you naturally use.

Think about how you speak on the phone, how you explain things in person, and what customers often say they like about dealing with you.

Then feed that into your content process. Tell AI what your tone actually is. Better still, rewrite key lines yourself.

If your content could be copied onto a competitor's website without anyone noticing, it needs more personality.

Mistake 4: Believing polished means persuasive

AI is very good at making things sound neat. That does not always mean it is convincing.

A lot of AI-generated copy sounds professional on the surface, but says very little underneath. It uses nice words without making a strong point. It fills space without creating trust.

Good marketing copy is not about sounding clever. It is about being clear, relevant and believable.

So before you publish anything, strip it back and ask:

What is the actual point here?
Is this useful to the person reading it?
Have I said anything specific enough to feel real?

Specific beats polished every time.

Mistake 5: Saying what everyone else is saying

This is where things really start to blur together.

When hundreds of businesses use AI to write about the same topics in the same way, everything starts sounding identical.

“We are passionate about helping businesses grow.” “We provide tailored solutions.” “We pride ourselves on excellent service.”

None of that is offensive. It is just forgettable.

If you want to stand out, you need stronger points of view.

That does not mean being controversial for the sake of it. It means saying something honest.

Maybe you think most marketing advice is too complicated.

Maybe you believe small businesses do not need more tools, they need more consistency.

Maybe you have seen first-hand that a simple follow-up email works better than endless posting on social media.

Those kinds of opinions give your content shape. They make it sound like it came from a real business owner, not a machine.

How to use AI without sounding like everyone else

AI works best when it supports your thinking, not replaces it.

Use it to:

Brainstorm ideas when you are stuck
Turn rough thoughts into a clearer structure
Rework content for different platforms
Save time on first drafts

But do not let it do all the talking.

Your experience, your stories, your customer conversations and your opinions are the part AI cannot truly replicate. That is the part people connect with.

So yes, use AI. It can save time and reduce the stress of staring at a blank screen.

Just do not hand over your voice in the process.

Because the businesses that stand out online will not be the ones using AI the most.

They will be the ones using it well, while still sounding human, honest and unmistakably themselves. ✨

AI for Small Business Owners: Simple Ways to Use It When Budgets Are Tight

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 17:10:14 GMT

Can AI reduce a bit of pressure in your day-to-day jobs

If you run a small business, you have probably heard people talking about AI as if it is either going to save the world or take everyone’s job by Friday.

In reality, for most small business owners, it is neither of those things.

What it can do is help you save time, reduce a bit of pressure, and make day-to-day jobs easier when money is tight and you cannot afford to hire extra people.

That is where AI becomes useful.

For a local business owner, the biggest benefit is not doing something flashy.

It is getting help with the jobs that eat into your day. The sort of tasks that need doing, but do not directly bring money in.

Start with the boring jobs first

The best place to use AI is usually not the big, exciting ideas. It is the repetitive admin that slows you down.

AI can help you:

draft emails to customers
write first versions of social media posts
turn rough notes into something readable
summarise long documents or meeting notes
create ideas for blog posts, newsletters, or offers
rewrite website text so it sounds clearer
organise FAQs from common customer questions

Used properly, that can save hours every week.

Use AI as a starting point, not the finished job

This is the bit that matters most.

AI is brilliant at helping you get started when you are staring at a blank screen. It is far less reliable if you copy and paste everything it gives you without checking it.

Think of it like a junior assistant. It can help with ideas, structure, and first drafts, but you still need to apply your experience, your judgement, and your personality.

That matters even more if you are a local service business. People buy from people they trust. If your content suddenly sounds robotic, over-polished, or full of nonsense phrases, it will do more harm than good.

Where AI can genuinely help a small business

1. Writing everyday customer communication

If you send similar emails again and again, AI can help speed that up.

For example, it can help draft:

follow-up emails after an enquiry
polite replies to common questions
appointment reminders
review request messages
simple check-in emails for existing customers
You still need to make sure the facts are right, but it can save you from writing the same thing from scratch every time.

2. Creating marketing content faster

A lot of small business owners know they should post online more often, send emails, or update their website, but they run out of time.

AI can help you turn one idea into several pieces of content.

For example, you could take one customer question and turn it into:

a Facebook post
a short email tip
a blog topic
a website FAQ
a script for a quick video
That is useful when your budget is limited because it helps you get more value from the ideas you already have.

3. Improving your website wording

Many small business websites are held back by unclear wording rather than poor design.

AI can help you simplify what you are trying to say, tighten up long paragraphs, improve headlines, and make service pages easier to understand.

That said, it should not replace your real knowledge of your customers.

The strongest website copy still comes from knowing what people worry about, what they want, and what makes them choose one business over another.

4. Helping with ideas when you feel stuck

Sometimes the hardest part of marketing is not the writing. It is knowing what to say in the first place.

AI can be useful for brainstorming:

blog topics
seasonal promotions
subject lines
ways to explain your services more clearly
answers to common objections
content ideas based on customer questions

It is especially helpful on busy weeks when your brain is full and creativity has gone out the window.

5. Tidying up internal processes

AI is not only for marketing.

It can also help with behind-the-scenes tasks such as:

drafting basic process documents
creating checklists
summarising phone notes
turning messy thoughts into step-by-step instructions
helping write training notes for staff

For a small team, that can make the business feel more organised without paying for expensive systems.

Start with free or low-cost tools

If funds are tight, do not fall into the trap of thinking you need a huge software stack.

You probably do not.

Start with one or two tools and one or two problems you want to solve. That might be saving time on emails, getting help with social posts, or improving your website wording.

Google’s Latest Algorithm Update: What It Means for Local Businesses

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 15:15:06 GMT

Sometimes the basics really do work!

If you’ve ever felt like Google is changing the rules just when you’re getting the hang of things, you’re not alone!

This month, Google rolled out another algorithm update - and while that might sound technical, the impact can be very real for local businesses up and down the UK.

�� What’s Changed?

Google’s newest update is all about rewarding genuinely useful, relevant content and cracking down on spammy tactics.

The focus is on making sure searchers find businesses that actually help, not just those who play the SEO game.

��️‍♂️ Who’s Affected?

If your business relies on local customers finding you via Google (think double glazing in Chelmsford, opticians in Leeds, or landscapers in Cambridge), this update matters.

 It especially impacts those who:

Rely heavily on Google Business Profile for leads
Use lots of location keywords or generic content
Haven’t updated their website or reviews in a while

�� 3 Practical Tips to Stay Ahead:

Update Your Google Business Profile Regularly

Add fresh photos, answer questions, and keep your hours up to date. Google loves an active profile!

Encourage Honest Reviews

Ask happy customers to leave genuine feedback - don’t be tempted by shortcuts. A steady stream of real reviews signals trust.

Focus on Useful Content

Write for your customers, not just for Google. Answer common questions, share recent projects, and keep things local and relevant.

�� Real Example

After the last update, an osteopath in Stoke saw a boost in enquiries simply by updating their photos and responding to reviews.

 Sometimes the basics really do work!

How Double Glazing Companies Can Win More Local Customers (Without the Jargon)

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 14:59:19 GMT

You need to be the name potential customers can trust

Standing out as a double glazing company is about more than just installing windows – it’s about being the name people trust in your area.

Here’s a set of straightforward, real-world tips for double glazing and home improvement businesses keen to win more local customers.

�� Showcase Your Local Projects

People want to see who’s already trusted you. Use your website and social media to post before-and-after photos from real jobs, mentioning the area or even the street (with your customer’s blessing).

For example, “Installed new sash windows on Billericay High Street.” It’s a simple way to show you’re active and reliable in your community.

��️ Collect and Use Customer Reviews

After each project, ask for a review while the experience is fresh.

A quick text or email with a review link works wonders. Highlight these reviews on your site and on Google.

Up to 88% of homeowners often read reviews before making a decision, so recent, positive feedback could tip the balance in your favour.

If you want to make life even easier, the Customer Feedback Centre can gather reviews on autopilot .

It sends out review requests automatically, tracks responses, and helps you keep a steady flow of new testimonials coming in.

This means you can focus on your work, knowing your reputation is growing in the background.

�� Keep Your Google Business Profile Fresh

Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing people see.

Make sure your details are up to date, add new photos regularly, and reply to every review in a friendly, genuine way. It shows you’re responsive and care about your reputation.

�� Offer Honest, Simple Advice

Many people are baffled by double glazing jargon.

Share short blog posts or tips that answer common questions in plain English, like “Do I need planning permission for new windows?” or “Is triple glazing worth it?”

This builds trust and positions you as approachable rather than pushy.

�� Be Easy to Contact

Your phone number and email should be visible on every page.

Respond quickly, even if it’s just to say you’ve received their message. Fast, friendly replies can win jobs away from slower competitors.

�� Connect with Other Local Trades

Get to know builders, roofers, and estate agents in your area. A simple recommendation from a trusted local business can lead to new work, especially if you return the favour.

At the end of the day, people want to work with those they like and trust. Keep your approach down to earth and focused on helping, not just selling.

How to Keep Potential Customers on Your Website (and Gently Guide Them to Your Services)

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:33:47 GMT

Let's keep potential customers on your site long enough to actually become customers

Let’s set the scene. Imagine you’ve spent good money (and plenty of time) getting your website up and running.

You’ve got a smart logo, a few nice photos, and all your services listed.

But people are popping by, having a quick look - and then vanishing quicker than a British summer.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

For many local business owners, the real challenge isn’t just getting people to visit your website - it’s keeping them there long enough to actually become customers.

So, how do you stop them from clicking away and start turning visits into real business?

�� First Impressions Count - Big Time

The moment someone lands on your website, they’re making snap judgments. Is it easy to read?

Does it look trustworthy?

Is it clear what you actually do? If your homepage is cluttered, slow, or full of jargon, most visitors won’t stick around.

Use plain English, clear headings, and a friendly photo or two to show you’re a real, local business.

�� Make It Easy to Navigate

Ever landed on a website and felt lost? If people can’t find what they need in a couple of clicks, they’ll give up.

Keep your navigation simple - think “Services,” “About,” and “Contact,” not a maze of drop-downs. And always have your contact details visible (bonus points for a local phone number).

�� Build Trust at Every Step

People buy from those they trust. Add real customer reviews, local case studies, and clear guarantees.

A photo of your team or your van outside a familiar landmark goes a long way.

Show you’re not just another faceless business - you’re part of the community.

⚡ Speed (and Mobile-Friendliness) Matters

If your website takes ages to load, most people are gone before you can say “buffering.”

Make sure your site is quick and looks good on mobiles - most of your customers are browsing on their phones these days.

�� Guide, Don’t Goad

Instead of shouting “BUY NOW!” at every turn, offer helpful advice and make it easy for people to take the next step.

A simple “How can we help?” contact form or a free local tips guide works wonders. Remember, people hate the hard sell - especially here in the UK!

��️ Tie It All Together

When you combine clear, honest content with easy navigation and a sprinkle of personality, you keep people engaged.

And when visitors feel comfortable, they’re far more likely to pick up the phone or send an enquiry.

That’s where your services come in - because sometimes, a professional touch is what turns a curious clicker into a loyal customer.

Why Great Photos Make (or Break) Your Website: Trust, SEO & Getting Noticed Online

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:43:41 GMT

If your website looks dated, empty, or full of obvious stock images, potential customer wont hang about long

Have you ever clicked onto a local business website and instantly felt confident you’d found the right people?

It’s rarely just the words that do that. Most of the time, it’s the photos.

Because the truth is… people decide how they feel about a business in seconds. And if the website looks dated, empty, or full of obvious stock images, they don’t hang about long.

They hit back, open the next option on Google, and you’ve lost them before you’ve even had a chance.

For local service businesses, good photography isn’t a “nice extra”.

It’s part of how people decide whether you’re trustworthy, professional, and worth contacting.

First impressions happen fast

If you turned up to a job looking scruffy and unprepared, it wouldn’t exactly fill someone with confidence.

A website works the same way.

Clear, genuine images make your business feel real. T

hey show pride in your work and help potential customers picture what they’ll get from choosing you.

Whether it’s a neat kitchen install, a fresh driveway clean, or a friendly team in uniform — it’s reassurance without needing to say a word.

A simple rule: real beats perfect.

A slightly imperfect photo of your actual team will always feel more believable than a glossy stock image of strangers pretending to “have a meeting”.

Google doesn’t “see” your photos… but it does understand them

Images can help with SEO, but only when they’re set up properly.

Google relies on clues, like filenames and alt text, to work out what an image is showing.

If every photo is called something like IMG_4893 , it doesn’t add any helpful context.

But something like:
essex-plumber-bathroom-installation.jpg

…gives Google (and your visitors) a much clearer idea of what’s on the page.

And there’s another win here: properly sized images help your site load faster. Slow sites frustrate visitors — and Google notices that too.

Quick tip: resize and compress photos before uploading. You’ll keep the quality, without slowing the site down.

Photos build trust before you even speak to someone

Most people aren’t comparing you to one competitor — they’re comparing you to five.

So when they land on your site, they’re looking for proof you’re genuine.

They want to see that you exist, that you do real work, and that other people trust you.

That’s why photos like these do so well:

Your team (faces matter — people buy from people)
Your van and branding
Work in progress (not just finished “after” shots)
Before-and-after examples
Happy customers (when appropriate)

It all adds up to: “Yep, these look like the real deal.”

And that feeling is what turns a visitor into an enquiry.

Great photos help you stand out when everyone looks the same

A lot of local business websites blend into one. Same layout, same wording, same generic “we’re friendly and reliable” messaging.

Your photos are one of the easiest ways to show personality — without trying too hard.

Maybe it’s the behind-the-scenes snaps. Maybe it’s your work being done properly and neatly. Maybe it’s a “day in the life” feel.

Even little touches help people remember you — and feel like they know you.

Final thought

If you’re updating your website, don’t stop at tweaking the wording.

Strong photos make people trust you faster, stay on your site longer, and take action more often.

And as a bonus, they give Google more reason to take you seriously too.

Small job for this week:

Add 5 real photos to your website — your team, your work, your van, anything authentic — and see if your enquiries feel a little warmer and more confident.

P.S. If you’ve got a photo you’re proud of from a recent job, get it on your site. It’ll do more for your credibility than another paragraph ever will. ��

Do We Still Need a Website When Everyone’s on Social Media?

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:30:15 GMT

A decent website is still one of the smartest assets your business can have

If you run a local business in the UK, you’ve probably asked yourself this at some point:

“Do I actually need a website… or can I just rely on Facebook/Instagram?”

Because let’s be honest — social media is where the noise is.

You can post a job, upload a photo, reply to comments, and you might get three enquiries before you’ve even finished your tea.

It feels quick, easy, and way more “alive” than a website you built years ago and forgot about.

But here’s what I’ve learned after working with loads of service businesses…

Social media can bring attention.

A website helps turn that attention into proper enquiries.

Social media is great… until it isn’t

I’m not here to slag off social media. It works.

Local trades can do really well from it:

a roofer posts a “before and after” and gets shared around town
a cleaner gets tagged in a “Can anyone recommend…?” post
a removals company puts up a last-minute availability slot and fills it the same day

It’s brilliant when it’s flowing.

The problem is… you don’t control any of it.

One day, you’re getting loads of reach. The next day, your posts barely get seen.

Or worse — you wake up, and something’s happened to your account.

Locked.

Restricted.

Removed.

No explanation!

No one to speak to. You’re just sitting there refreshing your phone like it’s going to magically fix itself.

That’s not a business plan. That’s hoping for the best.

A website is the one thing you actually own

Your website isn’t rented space. It’s not depending on a platform deciding whether you’re “allowed” to show up this week.

It’s yours. Properly yours.

You can put your prices on there. Your service areas. Your gallery/before & after photos. Your FAQs. Your offers. Your reviews. Your contact details. The list is endless…

And it’s always there, 24/7 — even when you’re busy, on a job, or switched off for the weekend.

People still check websites before they commit

Even if someone finds you on social media first, most people still do the same thing next:

They go looking for something that reassures them.

And in 2026, for a lot of customers, that reassurance looks like:

a clear website
real photos
proper reviews
a service list that makes sense
a contact page that doesn’t feel sketchy

Because customers don’t just want to know you exist …

They want to know:

Are you legit?

Are you consistent?

Will you turn up and be reliable?

Will you do a decent job?

If you’re asking someone to spend decent money — bathroom fitting, landscaping, physio sessions, new windows, whatever — they want to feel safe choosing you.

A Facebook page alone doesn’t always give that feeling.

Google still sends the highest intent leads

Social media is brilliant for being seen.

Google is where people go when they need something now .

You know the sort of searches:

“blocked drain repair near me”
“best garage doors in [town]”
“emergency plumber open today”
“osteopath Essex”
“removals company Billericay”

That person isn’t browsing for entertainment. They’re hunting.

And most of the time, the businesses that show up strongest are the ones with:

a decent website
a clear service page
local SEO basics in place
fast loading pages
reviews and trust signals

Social might get you attention… but Google often gets you the customer who’s ready to book.

Your website is where the decision happens

Social media gets someone interested. Your website is what helps them decide.

It’s the place where you can answer the questions people always ask, like:

“How much do you charge?”
“Do you cover my area?”
“Can you do weekends?”
“How quickly can you start?”
“Are you insured?”
“What happens next?”

And instead of replying to the same DMs over and over, your website can do the heavy lifting for you.

Even better — you can build pages that match what people actually want, like:

“Prices”
“What’s included”
“Recent work”
“Reviews”
“About us”
“Get a quote”

Simple. Clear. No messing.

It’s not “website OR social” — it’s both doing different jobs

This is the bit people miss. Social media is the shop window that piques people's curiosity. Your website is the front desk that takes the booking.

They work really well and best together when you use them properly:

✅ Social = visibility, posts, trust, community

✅ Website = clarity, confidence, enquiries, control

If someone sees your Instagram post, likes the vibe, and then visits your website and it’s clean, clear, easy to navigate and professional…

That’s when they think:

“Yep. These are the ones.”

So… do you still need a website in 2026?

In my opinion?

Yes — if you want consistency.

Not because websites are trendy. But because:

customers still trust them
Google still relies on them
they convert better when people are ready
and they protect you from being too dependent on one platform

Social media is brilliant — keep it ticking over.

But if you’re serious about getting steady enquiries and looking like the real deal…

a decent website is still one of the smartest assets your business can have.

How Google Decides Who Ranks: A Plain-English Guide for Local Businesses

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:58:05 GMT

Simple Truths About Getting Found Online in Your Local Area

Ever noticed how some local businesses always seem to show up first when you search on Google?

It’s not luck, and it’s not magic.

There’s a bit of method behind it - though, to be fair, sometimes it feels like Google’s keeping its cards close to its chest.

Let’s forget the jargon and talk about what actually makes a difference for local businesses like ours.

☕️ Let’s start with the basics:

If you’re a window installer in Southend, but your website never mentions “window installation” or “Southend,” Google’s got no reason to put you in front of people searching for those things.

It’s a bit like running a chippy but forgetting to put ‘fish and chips’ on the sign outside.

�� Trust matters

If you’ve ever picked a plumber because your neighbour swears by them, you’ll get this. Google looks for signs that real people trust you - reviews, testimonials, and whether your business details are up to date.

If you’ve got a pile of five-star reviews and your phone number actually works, you’re already ahead of the game.

�� Are people talking about you?

No longer is it a conversation down the pub; it’s now moved online. If your business pops up on local directories or a mate’s website gives you a mention, Google takes notice.

It’s like being recommended by the regulars at your local.

�� Can people actually use your website?

Ever tried to look up a business on your phone and given up because the site’s a mess? Google hates that too. Make it quick, tidy, and easy, and you’ll keep both Google and your customers happy.

�� Keep things fresh

You don’t need to write essays, but a bit of news now and then - maybe a new service, a team member’s birthday, or a recent job - shows you’re still around and switched on.

Here’s the thing:

You don’t need to outsmart Google. Just be clear about what you do, make it easy for people to trust you, and keep your online presence alive. The rest tends to follow.

And if all this still feels like a mystery, don’t worry - you’re not alone. Most of us would rather be out serving customers than fiddling with websites.

If you’ve got a question or you want the real story behind the rankings, just ask. I’ll always give you the honest answer - no waffle, no robots.

Attracting More Local Patients: An Osteopath’s Guide That Actually Works

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:15:36 GMT

Being brilliant at what you do isn’t always enough to keep your appointment book full

If you’re an osteopath, you probably didn’t get into this line of work because you love marketing.

Most of the osteopaths I’ve met are in it for the people - they want to help people get back on their feet (sometimes literally).

But here’s the rub: being brilliant at what you do isn’t always enough to keep your appointment book full.

I’ve spent years helping local businesses around the UK - osteopaths included - get noticed online.

Here’s what I’ve seen work, without any of the waffle or tech jargon.

Google: Your Clinic’s Best Friend

Let’s face it, when someone’s back goes, they’re not flicking through the Yellow Pages, that’s so 1900’s.

They’re on Google, probably on their phone, searching for help nearby. If your clinic isn’t showing up, you’re missing out.

One of our clients was barely getting a trickle of new enquiries.

We tidied up her Google Business Profile - added some photos of the clinic, made sure her opening hours were bang on, and asked a couple of regulars to leave honest reviews.

Within a month, she started to get calls from people who’d never heard of her before.

The trick? Keep it simple.

Make sure your details are right, and don’t be shy about asking happy clients to leave a review.

If you find it awkward to ask, or just never get round to it, there are products like the Customer Feedback Centre that can do the asking for you - completely on autopilot.

It sends a gentle nudge to your patients after their appointment, making it easy for them to leave feedback while it’s still fresh in their minds.

That way, you keep the reviews coming in without lifting a finger.

Your Website: Not Just a Digital Brochure

I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen lovely osteopaths with websites that look like they were built in the Stone Age.

No offence, but if your site’s slow, confusing, or looks odd on a mobile, people will just move on.

An Osteopath in Chelmsford added a big, friendly “Book Now” button and a short video introducing himself.

He told me patients mentioned the video - they felt like they already knew him before stepping through the door.

That’s the power of showing a bit of personality online.

Little things matter: make it easy for people to contact you, answer questions they might have (like parking or what to bring), and show your face - it builds trust.

Tell Real Stories

People trust people. If you’ve helped someone get back to running after a knee injury, or eased a mum’s back pain so she can pick up her toddler, share it (with their permission, of course).

An osteopath who started sharing short stories on his blog - nothing fancy, just a few lines about the people he’d helped.

It wasn’t long before new patients started saying, “I read about how you helped that runner - I’ve got a similar problem.”

Social Media: Keep It Local

You don’t need to be everywhere. Pick one or two places where your local community spends time - usually Facebook or Instagram.

Share clinic updates, tips for looking after your back, or even the odd photo of your clinic dog (if you’ve got one).

People love seeing the human side of a business.

Don’t Overthink It

You don’t need a marketing degree to get more patients. Just focus on being helpful and genuine online, the same way you are in your clinic.

Little tweaks - like updating your Google listing, making your website friendly, and sharing real stories - can make all the difference.

And if you ever feel stuck, ask your patients how they found you, or what made them book. Their answers are often the best marketing advice you’ll get.

Why Every Service Deserves Its Own Page: The Human Approach to Google Rankings

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:21:46 GMT

Google rewards websites that put people first - simple as that

Google’s number one goal?

To help people find the most useful, relevant answers to their questions - fast.

If your website isn’t making that easy, no amount of clever SEO wizardry will get you to the top of the search results.

The Real Secret: Be Helpful First

You can tinker with meta tags and page speed all day, but if your site doesn’t have clear, helpful pages that answer what your customers are actually searching for, you’ll always be fighting an uphill battle.

Google rewards websites that put people first - simple as that.

Why One Page Per Service or Product?

Direct answers win : If someone’s looking for “emergency tree surgeon in Essex” and you’ve got a dedicated page for that, written in plain English, you’re far more likely to show up than if all your services are lumped together.

No jargon, just real talk: Your customers aren’t searching for “bespoke relocation logistics solutions” — they want “house removal company in Essex” or “help moving home.” Use the words your clients actually use, not industry buzzwords.

Build trust : A dedicated page lets you explain exactly what you do, how you help, and answer common questions or worries. That’s reassuring for both Google and your potential clients.

What Makes a Page Truly Useful?

Clear language : Write as if you’re having a conversation with a real person, not a robot ��

Answer real questions : Think about the queries your customers ask on the phone or by email. Address them on your page!

Show proof : Include reviews, case studies, or examples where possible. Social proof goes a long way.

Easy navigation : Make it simple for visitors to find the page they need, without hunting around.

Quick Wins for Your Website

�� List every main service or product on its own page

��️ Use the exact phrases your customers use

❓ Answer common questions or concerns directly on the page

�� Keep it friendly, clear, and jargon-free

Final Thought

Google isn’t looking for trickery - it’s looking for genuinely helpful, relevant content .

If you make it easy for your customers to find what they need (and speak their language), you’ll make it easy for Google to rank you higher too.

P.S. If you’re not sure what your customers are searching for, just ask them! Their words are SEO gold.

The Two Lines That Could Double Your Website Clicks

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:55:38 GMT

We're talking meta titles and meta descriptions!

You've spent time and money getting your website just right. The design looks professional, the content explains what you do, and you've even sorted out your local SEO.

But there's a problem – people still aren't clicking through to your site when it appears in Google search results.

The culprit? Those two little lines of text that appear under your business name in search results.

They're called meta titles and meta descriptions, and they're quietly costing local businesses thousands of pounds in lost opportunities every single month.

What Are Meta Titles and Descriptions?

Let me explain this without the technical jargon. When someone searches for "garage doors in Basildon" or "osteopath near me," Google shows a list of results.

Each result has three parts:

The blue clickable headline – that's your meta title

The web address – your URL

The grey description underneath – that's your meta description

These two elements are your shop window in Google. They're what convince someone to click on your business instead of the one above or below you.

And here's the thing – most local businesses get them completely wrong, or worse, don't even bother setting them properly.

Why They Matter for Local Businesses

Here’s an example: a tree surgeon in Wickford. His website was appearing on page one of Google for "tree surgeon Wickford," but he was barely getting any clicks.

When I looked at his search result, the meta description said: "Welcome to our website. We offer various services. Contact us today."

Utterly useless, right?

We changed it to: "Professional tree surgery in Wickford: fully insured, qualified with 12 years' experience. Free quotes, emergency call-outs, we clear all waste. Covering Essex."

His click-through rate more than doubled within a fortnight. Same ranking position, same website, just better wording in those two lines.

What Makes a Good Meta Title for Local Search

Your meta title needs to do three jobs in about 60 characters:

�� Tell people exactly what you do

�� Include your location

✨ Give them a reason to choose you over your competitors

Here's a simple formula that works brilliantly for local service businesses:

[Service] in [Location] | [Key Benefit or USP] | [Business Name]

For example:

"Osteopath in Rayleigh | Same-Day Appointments | Co Name"
"Kitchen Fitting Essex | 20 Years' Experience | [Co Name]"

Notice how each one immediately tells you what they do, where they are, and why you might want to click?

That's what you're aiming for.

Crafting Meta Descriptions That Actually Work

Your meta description has more space to work with – roughly 155 characters. This is where you can really sell yourself, but you need to be strategic about it.

Include these elements:

✅ Your main service and location (again – repetition helps)

✅ What makes you different from competitors

✅ Social proof if you've got it (years in business, qualifications, awards)

✅ A gentle call to action

✅ Any urgent benefits (same-day service, free quotes, emergency availability)

Here's what not to do:

Generic waffle like "We pride ourselves on excellent service"
Keyword stuffing that reads like a robot wrote it
Missing out your location entirely
Forgetting to mention what you actually do

Common Mistakes I See All the Time

The "Welcome to Our Website" disaster – This tells searchers absolutely nothing useful. It's like having a shop sign that just says "Shop."

Leaving it blank – If you don't set these yourself, Google will just grab random text from your page. Sometimes it works out okay, but usually it's a mess.

Writing for Google instead of humans – Yes, keywords matter, but if your description reads like "Plumber plumbing plumbers Basildon emergency plumber 24/7 plumber," nobody's clicking that.

Being too modest – British business owners are often too humble. If you've been trading for 25 years, say so. If you're Which? Trusted Traders approved, mention it. This is your chance to show off a bit.

Forgetting mobile users – More than half your searchers are on phones. Keep your most important information in the first 120 characters because that's all they'll see before the "..." appears.

A Quick Checklist

Before you publish any page on your website, run through this:

�� Is my meta title under 60 characters?

�� Does it include my service and location?

�� Is my meta description under 155 characters?

�� Have I mentioned what makes me different?

�� Would I click on this if I was searching?

�� Does it sound natural when I read it aloud?

That last one is crucial. If it sounds awkward or robotic when you say it out loud, rewrite it.

The Local Touch

Here's something many businesses miss – you can tailor these for different service areas.

If you cover multiple towns, each location page should have its own specific meta title and description mentioning that area.

So your Basildon page shouldn't have the same meta description as your Southend page. Make each one relevant to that specific location, and you'll see better results.

It's Not Just About Google

I know I've focused on Google here, but these same principles apply everywhere your business appears online – Bing, directory listings, social media.

Anywhere someone might see a snippet of text about your business before deciding whether to click through.

Think of it as your elevator pitch, but for the internet.

The Bottom Line

Getting your meta titles and descriptions right won't magically shoot you to number one in Google.

But if you're already ranking reasonably well and not getting the clicks you deserve, this could be the missing piece.

It takes maybe an hour to go through your main pages and rewrite these properly. That's an hour that could genuinely double your website traffic without spending a penny on advertising.

And if you're thinking "this sounds like a faff, I just want someone to sort it for me" – well, that's exactly the kind of thing we do. But even if you never work with us, please don't leave these blank or filled with generic nonsense. Your business deserves better than that.

Want help making sure your website is working as hard as it should be? Give us a ring on 01268 439917 or drop us an email at info@getcustomersfast.co.uk – we're always happy to have a chat about what might work for your business.

Is Blog Content Important for Local SEO Marketing?

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 16:49:00 GMT

Helpful articles that can boost your local SEO and can bring customers to your door

Running a local business keeps you flat out. Between serving customers, sorting paperwork, and keeping everything ticking over, who's got time to sit down and write blog posts?

But here's the thing - if you want your business showing up when people in your area search Google, blogging isn't just nice to have.

It's one of the most powerful tools in your local SEO toolkit.

Let me show you why it works and how to actually do it without spending hours staring at a blank screen.

Why Blogging Boosts Your Local SEO

�� More Pages Mean More Chances to Get Found

Every blog post you publish creates another page on your website. Another opportunity for Google to find you.

Another chance to rank when someone searches for what you do.

Think about it - if you've only got five pages on your site, you're competing for attention with those five pages.

Publish twenty helpful blog posts, and suddenly you've got twenty-five pages working for you.

Each one targeting different search terms people actually use.

�� Answer Questions Before People Ring You

Your customers ask the same questions over and over, don't they?

Blog posts let you answer those questions online, where people are already looking for help.

Say you're an osteopath in Southend. Someone's woken up with terrible lower back pain, and they're Googling "should I see an osteopath for back pain" at half six in the morning.

Your blog post pops up, explains what osteopathy can help with, and ends with your booking details.

Guess who they're calling when your practice opens?

�� Show You Know Your Stuff

Anyone can claim they're good at what they do.

Blogging proves it. When you share practical advice that actually helps people, you're demonstrating expertise in a way that "About Us" pages never can.

People want to hire businesses they trust. Writing helpful content builds that trust before you've even spoken.

�� Google Likes Websites That Stay Active

A website that hasn't changed since 2018 makes people wonder if you're still trading.

Google thinks the same way. Fresh content tells search engines your business is alive and kicking.

You don't need to publish daily. Even monthly posts show you're keeping things current.

�� Give Your Google Business Profile Something to Share

Your Google Business Profile and your blog work brilliantly together.

Publish a post, share it as a GBP update, and you're driving people back to your website whilst showing Google you're creating valuable content.

What Blogging Actually Does for Your Business

Beyond the technical SEO stuff, here's what regular blogging delivers:

People spend longer on your website, which Google notices
You've got genuinely useful content to share on social media instead of just promotional posts
Potential customers arrive already knowing you're helpful and knowledgeable
Most of your competitors probably aren't blogging consistently, so you stand out
Blog posts keep working for months and years after you publish them

Finding Topics Your Customers Actually Care About

Right, blogging matters. But what do you write about? Here's where to find ideas that'll resonate with people in your area:

�� Write Down What Customers Ask You

This is gold. Every question a customer asks is a blog post waiting to happen. Keep a note on your phone and jot them down as they come up.

"How long will this take?" - there's a blog post. "What's the difference between X and Y?" - another one. "Can I do this myself or do I need a professional?" - perfect.

These aren't random topics you've dreamed up. They are the questions real people in your area are asking right now.

�� Check What Google Suggests

Search for your main service on Google - "landscaper Southend" or whatever fits your business.

Scroll down to the "People Also Ask" boxes.

Those questions came from real searches. Each one's a potential blog topic.

You'll often find questions you hadn't even considered, but that clearly matter to your potential customers.

�� Look at Your Search Console Data

If you've got Google Search Console running (and you really should), check what search terms are already bringing people to your site.

You'll spot patterns and questions you can expand on with dedicated blog posts.

Sometimes you'll find you're ranking on page two for a valuable search term. Write a proper blog post about it, and you might jump to page one.

�� See What Others Are Writing About

Have a nose at what businesses in your industry are blogging about. Not to copy them - that's pointless - but to spot gaps or angles they've missed.

They may have written about a topic, but made it too technical. You could cover the same ground in plain English.

Or they've written something generic that you could make locally relevant.

�� Listen to What People Discuss Online

Local Facebook groups, industry forums, even Reddit - these places are full of people asking questions and sharing problems.

That's your blog content right there.

Someone posts "Can anyone recommend a good plumber? My boiler's making a weird noise" - there's your next blog post: "Five Boiler Noises You Shouldn't Ignore."

�� Plan Around Seasons and Weather

Your business probably has busy periods tied to seasons or weather. Write content that anticipates these before they arrive.

Roofers can write about storm preparation in autumn. Gardeners can publish spring planting guides in February.

Mechanics can cover car winter checks.

Get your content out there before people need it, and you'll be the business they find when the need becomes urgent.

��️ Make It Local

You're not competing with national companies. You're targeting people in your local area - wherever you work. Make your content reflect that.

"Preparing Your Southend Home for Coastal Weather" works better than generic "Home Weatherproofing Tips."

Local angles help you rank for local searches and make your content more relevant to the people you actually want to reach.

Keeping It Realistic

Look, I know you're busy. Writing blog posts every week sounds exhausting when you're already working fifty-hour weeks.

Start small. One post a month. That's it. One helpful article that answers a question your customers actually ask.

Consistency beats frequency every time. Twelve solid posts spread across a year will do more for your SEO than four posts in January followed by eight months of silence.

Here's the Truth About Blogging and Local SEO

Blog content works. Businesses that publish helpful, locally-focused content consistently dominate local search results.

They're the ones potential customers find first and trust most.

You don't need fancy writing skills. You just need to share what you already know in a way that helps people.

Answer their questions. Solve their problems.

Show them you understand what they're dealing with.

Start with one post. Pick a question you answered for a customer this week. Write down your answer in plain English. Add a local reference or two. Publish it. Job done.

Do that every month and you'll build a library of content that brings customers to your door whilst you're busy doing the actual work you're good at.

We Can Handle the Writing for You

Of course, knowing blogging matters and actually finding time to write are two different things.

If you'd rather focus on running your business whilst someone else handles your blog content, that's precisely what we do at Get Customers Fast.

We'll write regular, locally-focused blog posts tailored to your industry and your customers' questions.

Helpful articles that can boost your local SEO and can bring customers to your door.

Want to chat about how we can take blogging off your plate? Give us a ring on 01268 439917 .

The 5 Local Marketing Moves That Actually Worked in 2025 (And Why Your Competitors Are Already Planning to Use Them in 2026)

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 13:19:21 GMT

2025 has been a strange year for local service businesses

Home improvement businesses that embraced these strategies didn't just get more calls - they became the go-to choice in their area. Here's what made the difference.

2025 has been a strange year for local service businesses. Some struggled.

Others have grown, probably not as much as they would have wanted to, but a lot of that is down to the current unstabliaiblity lead by the political and financial climate going on in the UK and across the globe.

Something they haven't got any control over.

Here are the five things that business owners have got control of:

1. Your Google Business Profile became your shop window ��

Most people still think their website matters most. It doesn't. Your Google Business Profile is now the first thing potential customers see when they search for your services.

The businesses doing well treated their GBP like it actually mattered. Weekly posts. Replying to reviews within a day.

Fresh photos from recent jobs. One of our clients - a rendering specialist - started uploading before-and-after shots every week.

Four months later, their enquiries had increased.

Google's algorithm favours businesses that stay active.

If your last post was months ago and you've ignored your reviews, you might as well be invisible.

Google doesn't care how good your work is. It cares whether you're engaged.

What you should do: Block out 20 minutes every Monday. Upload a photo from last week. Reply to any reviews.

Check your opening hours are correct. That's it. Twenty minutes could be the difference between your phone ringing or staying silent.

2. Reviews stopped being optional ��

You've heard this before, I know. But something changed this year. People don't just read reviews anymore - they expect them.

If you've got fewer than ten reviews, or your most recent one is from 2023, potential customers assume you're either brand new or not very good.

The businesses getting reviews weren't bribing people or begging. They just made it easy.

They asked at the right moment - when the customer was happy with the finished job - and sent a link that took 30 seconds to click.

One of our home improvement clients went from three reviews to 42 in six months. Their conversion rate jumped 35%.

When someone's comparing three quotes, they pick the business that looks established. Simple as that.

What you should do: Build asking for reviews into your process. When you finish a job and the customer's pleased, ask them.

Send the link by email or text. Make it as easy as possible. Do this every single time.

3. Local directories became the quiet winner ��

This surprised me. With everyone banging on about Instagram and TikTok, the businesses dominating their local area were the ones listed everywhere online.

Checkatrade, Yell, Trustpilot, trade directories, smaller local sites. It's boring work.

But it works. Google looks at how many trusted sites mention your business when someone searches in your area. The more places you're listed properly, the higher you rank.

Businesses that got themselves on 25 to 50 directories saw steady ranking improvements all year. It's like building proof across the internet that you're legitimate. Google pays attention to that.

What you should do: Start with the obvious ones - Checkatrade, Yell, Trustpilot, plus any directories specific to your trade.

Make absolutely certain your business name, address and phone number match exactly on every single listing.

Inconsistencies confuse Google and damage your rankings.

4. Websites that actually converted beat pretty websites ��

Uncomfortable truth time: your website probably looks fine. But does it turn visitors into customers?

The winners this year weren't the businesses with the fanciest designs. They were the ones that made it dead simple for visitors to get in touch. Big phone numbers.

Contact forms that didn't ask for your inside leg measurement. Fast loading on mobile.

A double glazing company had a new site earlier this year.

Their old site looked decent enough, but the contact form was buried three clicks deep and asked for eight different bits of information.

It was stripped back - massive phone number, tap-to-call on mobile, contact form asking for name, number and a quick message. His enquiries increased as a result of this.

Your website exists to get you work. That's it. It's not there to win design awards.

What you should do: Open your website on your phone right now. Can you ring your business in one tap? Can you fill out the contact form in under 30 seconds?

If the answer's no, fix it. This could be the best hour you spend all year.

5. Showing up consistently beats doing things perfectly ⏰

This is what separates growing businesses from stagnant ones. The most successful local companies this year weren't doing anything clever. They just kept showing up.

Weekly GBP posts. Monthly emails to past customers. Adding new projects to their website and asking for reviews after every job.

None of this is rocket science, but most businesses do it for a few weeks, get busy, then forget about it for half a year.

The ones that built these tasks into their weekly routine - even if it was only 30 minutes - saw results compound over time.

Better visibility. Stronger reputation. The phone kept ringing even when things went quiet for everyone else.

What you should do: Pick one thing from this list. Commit to doing it every week for three months. Just one thing. Don't try everything at once. Build the habit first.

Add more later.

Here's the thing

None of this is groundbreaking. You won't see these tactics hyped up in the latest marketing trend report. But they work. They worked for hundreds of local service businesses in 2025, and they'll work even better in 2026 for anyone smart enough to actually implement them.

Your competitors are reading stuff like this too. The difference is whether you'll do something about it or just nod along and forget about it by tomorrow.

If you want help with any of this, give us a shout. This is what we do at Get Customers Fast - we handle the marketing so you can focus on the work you're actually good at.

Ring us on 01268 439917 or email info@getcustomersfast.co.uk .

Here's to 2026 being your best year yet. ��

SEO Tactics Every Business Owner Should Know

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 12:04:52 GMT

Below are some SEO tactics that actually make a difference

Running a business means you've got enough on your plate without worrying about algorithms and search rankings. But here's the thing - if people can't find you online, they're finding your competitors instead.

I'm going to walk you through some SEO tactics that actually make a difference. Nothing fancy, nothing that needs a degree in computer science. Just stuff that works.

1. �� Sort Out Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is where most people first see your business. Someone searches for what you do, and boom - there you are (or there you should be).

Get these right:

Update your hours. Especially around Christmas and bank holidays, when everything goes a bit wonky
Stick photos up regularly. Real ones from actual jobs, not stock images of people in suits shaking hands
Reply to reviews. Yes, even the grumpy ones
Use those posts to share what you're up to

I had a client who hadn't touched their profile in two years. Opening hours were wrong, photos were ancient, reviews were unanswered.

Fixed all that in an afternoon, and enquiries started dripping through.

For many service businesses, the competitive advantage lies in appearing first for local searches. If you're operating in the South East, mastering your Google Business Profile is the critical first step.

For those based near Basildon, consulting with Google Business Profile experts in Basildon can provide a significant, immediate advantage. They ensure your critical business details are spotless, your photos are engaging, and every review - good or grumpy - is handled professionally.

This comprehensive approach directly impacts your visibility in the all-important local "map pack " . Remember, sustainable growth isn't accidental; it requires consistent, targeted effort.

If you are serious about driving high-quality enquiries and outranking your nearby rivals, you need a robust focus on local SEO in y our area . It's the strategy that keeps delivering

2. �� Check Your Website on Your Phone

Right now, grab your phone and look at your website. Go on, I'll wait.

Does it look alright? Can you actually press the buttons without your thumb hitting three things at once? Does it load before you lose the will to live?

Most people browse on their phones these days. If your site's a mess on mobile, they're gone. Probably to whoever shows up next in the search results.

3. ��️ Think Local with Your Keywords

Nobody's searching for "plumber" and scrolling through pages hoping to find one near them. They're typing "plumber Basildon" or "emergency plumber near me" or "who can fix my boiler in Southend right now".

Here's what works:

Stick your town in your page titles
Mention local areas in your content where it makes sense
If you cover multiple towns, give each one its own page
Use the words people actually say, not what sounds clever

A roofer in Chelmsford shouldn't have a homepage that just says "Roofing Services". Make it "Roofing Services in Chelmsford - Emergency Repairs & New Roofs". Tell Google where you are.

4. ⭐ Collect Reviews Without Being Annoying

Reviews matter. Google looks at them, customers read them, and they separate you from businesses with nothing to show.

But don't be that person offering a fiver for a five-star review. Google knows, customers know, and it looks desperate.

Do this instead:

Ask when you've just done a great job and the customer's happy
Send them a direct link so they don't have to faff about finding you
Write back to every review with something personal, not a copy-paste job
Don't bribe people. Seriously, don't

One genuine review from Mrs Smith, who's chuffed with her new kitchen, beats a hundred dodgy ones from "John D" and "Sarah M".

NB: The Customer Feedback Centre is your complete, personalised reputation solution. This single platform collects, amplifies, presents, and oversees all aspects of your online reviews and feedback, custom-branded to your company and tailored for local service providers. Learn more>>

5. �� Answer Questions People Actually Ask

Your customers are typing questions into Google. If you answer them on your website, Google sends those people to you.

Questions worth answering:

How much does your service cost around here?
What should someone do when they've got the problem you solve?
How do they pick someone good in your trade?
What are the common cock-ups in your industry, and how do you avoid them?

Write like you're chatting to someone, not like you're trying to impress your old English teacher. Nobody wants to read an essay.

6. �� Get Your Business Listed in Directories

Online directories help Google determine that you're a legitimate business, not someone with a website created in their spare time.

Start here:

Yell
Thomson Local
Free Index
Bing Places
Whatever directories exist for your specific trade

Ensure that your business name, address, and phone number match exactly everywhere. Google becomes suspicious if you're listed as "J Smith Plumbing" in one place and "John Smith Plumbing Services Ltd" elsewhere.

7. �� Make Your Website Faster

Slow websites wind people up. They also wind Google up. Neither of those things helps you get customers.

Quick fixes:

Shrink your images before you upload them
Bin off any plugins you installed once and never used again
Pay for proper hosting, not the cheapest thing you found on Google
Turn on caching if your site does that

If this sounds like gibberish, ring your web person and tell them to speed things up. Worth every penny.

8. �� Don't Hide Your Contact Details

I've seen websites where finding a phone number is like a treasure hunt. Why make it hard for people to give you money?

Make it obvious:

Phone number at the top of every page
Contact form that actually sends you the message
Map showing where you're based
Email address that's easy to spot

The easier you are to contact, the more people contact you. Shocking, I know.

9. �� Stick Some Videos Up

Videos are massive right now. You don't need a film crew - your phone's fine.

Film this stuff:

Quick tips about your industry
Before and after shots of your work
Happy customers saying nice things about you
You actually doing the work

Upload them on YouTube and showcase them on your website. Google owns YouTube, so it definitely pays attention.

10. �� Keep an Eye on What's Happening

Set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Both free, both tell you useful stuff like:

Which pages people look at
What they typed into Google to find you
Where your visitors come from
Which pages lead to people actually getting in touch

Check them once a month. If something's working, do more of it. If something's not, try something else.

Right Then

SEO's not rocket science. Do these things regularly, and you'll get found more often. Simple as that.

It takes time, though. Anyone promising overnight results is taking advantage of you. But stick with it, and the results keep coming, unlike paid ads that stop the second you stop paying.

Do half this lot consistently and you're already doing better than most of your competition.

If you’re unsure, help is around the corner.

Why Building an Email List is Better Than Buying One

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 15:51:23 GMT

Quality matters far more than quantity.

Look, I understand the appeal. Someone rings you up or sends a flashy email promising 50,000 "targeted" contacts for a few hundred quid.

Instant audience. Instant results. Sounds brilliant, doesn't it?

Except it's not. Not even close.

I've watched businesses make this mistake more times than I can count, and it never ends well.

Buying email lists is one of those things that appears to be a clever shortcut, but it actually sends you backwards. Fast.

Here's why building your own list - even if you're starting with your mum and your mate Dave - beats buying one every single time.

�� What Actually Happens When You Buy a List

Picture this: you've just paid good money for 10,000 email addresses. You craft what you think is a decent email, hit send, and wait for the phone to start ringing.

Instead? Crickets. Or worse - angry replies and spam complaints.

Nobody knows who you are

These people never asked to hear from you. They didn't visit your website, request information, or express any interest whatsoever.

You're a complete stranger landing in their inbox uninvited.

Most will bin your email without reading it. Some will report it as spam just to make sure you never bother them again.

Your reputation gets trashed

Gmail, Outlook, and other email providers keep score. When loads of people ignore your emails or mark them as spam, those providers notice.

They start filtering your messages straight into junk folders - or blocking them entirely.

Suddenly, even the people who want to hear from you can't see your emails anymore.

You could end up in serious legal trouble

GDPR isn't a suggestion. It's the law. You need proper consent before emailing anyone for marketing purposes.

Bought lists don't come with that consent, no matter what the seller claims.

One complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office and you're looking at fines that could cripple your business.

The quality is usually terrible

Half the addresses are probably dead. The other half might be spam traps set up specifically to catch people doing exactly what you're doing.

You've paid for a list that's about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

�� Why Your Own List is Worth Its Weight in Gold

Building an email list takes longer. There's no getting around that. But the difference in results? Night and day.

These people chose you

Every single person on your list gave you their email address because they wanted to. They're interested in what you do.

They might need your services now, or they might need them in six months, but either way, they've invited you into their inbox. That changes everything.

You're building real relationships

When someone subscribes, that's the start of a conversation.

Each email you send is a chance to show them you know your stuff, that you understand their problems, and that you're someone they can trust.

Trust turns into customers. Customers turn into repeat business and referrals.

Your emails actually get read

A small list of people who care about your business will outperform a massive list of strangers every time.

Better open rates. More clicks. More enquiries. More sales. That's what matters.

You're not breaking any rules

When people opt in, you've got the consent you need. No legal worries. No sleepless nights wondering if the ICO is going to come knocking.

Nobody can take it away from you

Facebook changes its algorithm and suddenly nobody sees your posts. Google tweaks its rankings and your website drops off page one.

But your email list? That's yours. Direct access to people who want to hear from you, no middleman involved.

�� Dead Simple Ways to Grow Your List

Right, so how do you actually build this magical list from scratch? Here's what works:

Give people a reason to hand over their email

Create something useful - a guide, a checklist, a video tutorial - that solves a specific problem your ideal customer has.

Stick it on your website and ask for an email address to get it. Simple as that.

Make subscribing easy

Place a sign-up form in your website footer. Add one to your contact page. Use a pop-up if you're feeling brave (just don't make it annoying).

The easier you make it, the more people will do it.

Talk about it

Mention your newsletter when you're chatting to customers. Stick it in your email signature.

Post about it on social media. You'd be surprised how many people will subscribe just because you asked.

Start with people who already know you

Your existing customers trust you. Send them a quick email asking if they'd like helpful tips delivered to their inbox.

Most will say yes.

Run a giveaway

Offer something relevant to your business as a prize and ask for email addresses to enter. Just be upfront that entrants will also get your regular emails. No sneaky business.

�� S mall and Engaged Beats Big and Bored

I'd rather have 50 subscribers who open every email and occasionally pick up the phone than 5,000 who couldn't care less.

Quality matters far more than quantity.

Start small. Be patient. Focus on being genuinely helpful rather than constantly flogging your services.

Your list will grow, and when it does, you'll have something genuinely valuable - an audience that actually wants to do business with you.

While an email list is an invaluable owned asset, remember that it works best when combined with robust public visibility.

Even if you're nurturing leads via email, potential customers will still check your public face online.

Don't neglect the fundamentals of getting found in your area.

This means you must optimise your Google Profile for local businesses in your area by regularly updating hours, responding to reviews, and posting fresh content.

Your reputation is built across multiple platforms, not just the inbox.

An engaged email list subscriber may become an excellent reviewer or referral source, boosting your overall efforts in local SEO in your area.

Focus on both the private conversation (email) and the public visibility (search) to secure your long-term growth.

That's the difference between a bought list and one you've built yourself. One's a waste of money and a potential legal nightmare.

The other's an asset that keeps paying dividends for years.

How Double Glazing Companies Can Get More Customers Online

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 15:27:12 GMT

Your website needs to shout out that you are trustworthy

Over the years, I've worked with dozens of home improvement businesses. One pattern keeps showing up - they've got a website, they're doing good work, but the phone isn't ringing like it should.

When we look under the bonnet, it's usually three or four basic things letting them down. Nothing complicated. Just stuff that's been overlooked.

If you run a double glazing company, this article might save you a fortune in lost business.

The Big Problem Nobody Talks About

Double glazing isn't cheap. You're asking someone to spend five, six, maybe ten thousand pounds plus on their home. They're going to live with those windows for the next twenty years.

So they're careful. They look around. They read reviews. They compare prices. They're not daft.

But then they land on a website that's basically screaming "CALL US NOW FOR A FREE QUOTE" without giving them any reason to trust you first.

It's like a bloke walking up to you in the street and asking for your phone number. You'd tell him to sling his hook, wouldn't you?

Trust Comes First, Sales Come Second

When someone visits your website, they're trying to answer one question: are you any good and trustworthy?

That's it. Everything else is noise.

�� Photos That Actually Show Something

Before and after shots work. But not if they're blurry rubbish taken on a phone from six feet away.

Get decent photos. Show the whole house if you can. Take them from the same angle so people can see the difference. Write a caption underneath: "Replaced 14 windows in Rayleigh, took us two days, customer was over the moon."

Details matter. They make it real.

�� Reviews Are Worth Their Weight in Gold

This is the bit that drives me mad. You've done brilliant work. Your customers love you. But those reviews are all over the shop - a couple on Google, one on Facebook, maybe someone mentioned you on Checkatrade.

Meanwhile, your competitors have 47 five-star reviews on their homepage and you've got three buried on a page nobody ever clicks.

Here's what works:

Ask for reviews while the job's still fresh

Don't wait a month. Send them a text or email with a link the day after you finish. "Thank you for choosing us - if you're happy with the work, would you mind leaving us a quick review?" Most people will do it.

Place some reviews on your homepage

Not hidden away. Right there, where people can see them, including their names. Have a ‘Reviews’ page along your main navigation - quick to find and great for SEO.

Reply to everything

Good reviews, bad reviews, all of them. Even just "Thanks John, pleasure working with you" makes you look professional. And if you get a negative review? Deal with it calmly. Other people are watching .

�� Tell People Where You Work

I've lost count of how many websites say "serving the local area" without mentioning where that actually is.

If you're based in Basildon and you cover a twenty-mile radius, say so. List the towns. Mention them in your content. If someone in Wickford searches for double glazing, Google needs to know you're relevant.

It's not rocket science, but half the companies out there don't bother.

Simple Website Fixes That Work

Right, practical stuff you can actually do.

�� Your Homepage Has Five Seconds

Someone lands on your site. They need to know three things straight away:

What you do
Where you do it
Why they should care

If your homepage is just a massive photo with some vague slogan, you've already lost them.

�� Most People Are on Their Phone

They're sitting on the sofa, thinking about those draughty windows, and they pull out their phone.

If your site's a mess on mobile, they're gone. Make your phone number clickable.

Load your photos quickly.

Don't make them fill out a form that takes ten minutes on a tiny screen.

�� Give Them Some Idea of Cost

Yeah, every job's different. Yeah, you need to see the property first. I get it.

But you can still give a rough idea.

"Most three-bed semis in Essex cost between four and seven grand for full double glazing, depending on how many windows you've got and what style you want."

That's not a quote. You're just helping people work out if they're wasting your time or not.

�� Show You're Legit

FENSA registered? Been trading for fifteen years? Got proper insurance? Stick it on your website.

Little badges and logos might seem daft, but they add up. People see them and think "okay, these lot are proper."

The Bit Everyone Forgets

Most inquiries don't turn into jobs straight away. Someone calls you, you go and quote, then nothing happens.

The companies making proper money are the ones who follow up. Drop them an email a week later: "Just checking in - any questions about that quote?", then follow that up with a quick phone call.

That's not pushy. That's just being professional.

And if they don't bite? Stay in touch. Send them something useful once a month.

Tips for looking after windows. Heads up about a winter offer. Half of them will come back when they're ready.

Where to Start

If your website's not pulling its weight, you're not alone. Most home improvement companies are too busy actually doing the work to worry about their online presence.

Start simple:

Get more reviews.
Make sure people know where you work.
Check your site doesn't look rubbish on a phone.

Those three things alone will make a difference.

And if you're doing a great job with an excellent product, but the phone's still quiet? That's a marketing problem, not a quality problem. Marketing problems can be sorted.

Why Your Local Service Business Can’t Afford to Ignore Google Business Profile in 2025

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:34:19 GMT

Why Your Local Service Business Can’t Afford to Ignore Google Business Profile in 2025

In today’s world, when someone in your area needs a plumber, electrician, cleaning service, or any home-service business, they’re likely to pull out their phone and type something like “plumber near me” or “electrician [your town]”.

Your business’s online presence matters more than ever.

If you don’t actively manage your Google Business Profile (GBP)—formerly Google My Business—you’re effectively invisible in a significant part of the local marketplace.

Let’s walk through why a local service business simply can’t skip GBP in 2025, what’s changed, and what you should do about it.

What is a Google Business Profile — and why it matters

A Google Business Profile is a free listing Google shows for local businesses when someone searches for a service in their area.

It includes your name, address, phone, hours, photos, services, reviews, and more.

When set up and optimised well, your GBP acts like a mini landing page inside Google.

It’s often the first (sometimes only) thing a prospect sees. Ignoring it is like having a shop in a busy street but turning off your sign. Here’s why it has become essential:

Local intent dominates search
Nearly half of all Google searches now carry a local intent.
Foot traffic follows online discovery
More than three-quarters of consumers who search “near me” visit a business within a day.
Better conversion per view
Complete GBP listings are far more likely to get clicks than incomplete ones.
Calls and direction requests come through your listing
On average, most weekday business calls come from Google Business Profiles.

These aren’t just nice-to-have numbers. There’s evidence that a well-optimised GBP can turn searchers into real customers.

What’s different in 2025: Raising the stakes even higher

If you thought “just listing” your business was enough, things have changed. The landscape of local search is evolving. Here’s what’s new in 2025 and why your GBP matters more now than ever:

AI and smarter search

Google is getting smarter.

Its AI and algorithms are interpreting more than just keywords - they analyse review sentiment, freshness of updates, and how well your listing aligns with user intent.

Your GBP is not a static card; it is evaluated as a living data point.

Freshness and activity count

Updating your listing often matters more now. Posts, new photos, updated services, and timely replies signal to Google that your business is active and trustworthy.

Stale listings are at risk of being pushed down or ignored.

New GBP features and filters

Google continues to add local features, such as special hours, temporary closures, holiday information, and links to videos or posts.

Voice search and conversational queries are becoming increasingly common, so your listing needs to be prepared to answer them.

Ad verification is tied to your profile

Google now requires verification of GBP to run Local Services ads in many regions.

If your GBP is unverified or inconsistent, your ads can be suspended. Ignoring GBP may block you from key paid channels.

What a strong GBP actually does for your local service business

Let’s get practical. What benefits do you gain when you properly set up and manage your Google Business Profile?

1. You show up where customers search

If someone searches “carpenter near me” or “roof repair [city name]”, Google often shows a local pack —a block of three local business listings.

Google Business Profile signals are among the top factors in determining whether you appear in search results. Getting into that top three can dramatically boost your visibility.

2. You build trust and social proof

Reviews are front and centre in your GBP. Positive reviews and higher star ratings help signal quality to both users and Google’s ranking algorithms.

Responding to reviews shows you’re engaged and care about your customers.

3. You attract more qualified leads

With your GBP listing featuring a click-to-call button, directions, and a link to your website, it serves as a direct channel for leads.

For many service businesses, GBP is one of the primary sources of new customer calls and appointments.

4. You reduce reliance on paid ads

A strong GBP can improve organic visibility, especially in local searches. Over time, that means less dependence on paid ads.

When your profile and reviews are solid, people are more likely to trust your business without you having to pay for every click.

5. You gain insights to refine strategy

Google provides analytics around your GBP, including the number of views, directions requests, calls, and clicks your listing receives.

You can see which services people clicked on more and optimise accordingly.

The risks of ignoring your Google Business Profile

Putting your GBP on the back burner isn’t without consequences. Here’s what you risk:

Loss of visibility — Competitors with optimised listings will appear ahead of you in local searches.
Missed lead opportunities — Prospects will call, click, or navigate to competition instead of you.
Decline in trust — A half-filled or outdated profile signals neglect.
Broken paid campaigns — Your Google Local Services ads may be suspended if your GBP isn’t verified or consistent.
Algorithmic penalties — Google may downrank listings that seem inactive, inconsistent, or low in signal strength.

Ultimately, your business might not exist online. And when most customer searches start on Google, that’s a risk few service businesses can afford.

How to make your Google Business Profile work for you

Here’s a checklist to build and maintain a GBP that helps grow your local service business—not just exist.

Claim and verify your listing
Verification unlocks essential features.
Fill in every field accurately
Include business name, categories, address/service area, phone, website, hours, services, and descriptions.
Add quality photos and videos
Show your team your office, tools in action, and before/after work.
Get and manage reviews actively
Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews and respond to each one.
Make regular posts
Share offers, news, photos, and updates to keep your listing fresh.
Monitor analytics and user behaviour
See which search terms bring traffic and which services are clicked.

7. Keep everything consistent across the web
Your name, address, and phone number must match your website and directories.

8. Adapt to new features and changes
Be ready to adopt new elements that Google rolls out.

A possible roadmap (first 90 days)

Weeks 1–2 : Claim & verify the listing. Add all basic info.
Weeks 3–4 : Start collecting reviews.
Weeks 5–6 : Publish your first GBP post. Monitor engagement.
Weeks 7–8 : Address negative reviews. Optimise descriptions.
Weeks 9–12 : Track analytics, adjust services or posts, and keep posting weekly.

Even within three months, you’ll begin seeing more calls, direction requests, and interactions.

Conclusion

If your local service business is serious about growth, ignoring your Google Business Profile in 2025 is no longer an option.

The gap between you and your competition might already be widening because they understand how GBP feeds visibility, trust, and conversion.

Your listing is your digital storefront in the eyes of your community.

Give it the attention it deserves. Fill it out, keep it complete, and let it become one of your strongest sources of leads.

If you need help optimising your Google Business Profile or crafting a strategy that turns searchers into customers, reach out to Get Customers Fast .

We can help you turn your listing into more calls, more bookings, and more business.

�� Start now: https://www.getcustomersfast.co.uk/

Outrank, Outshine, Outbook: The Ultimate GBP Strategy to Leave Your Competitors in the Dust

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:30:37 GMT

A Step-by-Step GBP Strategy to Dominate Local Search and Win More Customers

In today’s digital-first world, winning in local search means being visible before your competitors. And it all starts with your Google Business Profile (GBP) .

At Get Customers Fast , we help small businesses rise to the top—boosting visibility, credibility, and bookings in one streamlined strategy.

Let’s unpack how to Outrank, Outshine, and Outbook your competitors with smart GBP tactics.

Why GBP Optimisation Is Non-Negotiable

Nearly 46% of all Google searches are for local information—your next customer is right around the corner, and they’re looking now.
76% of people who search “near me” visit a business within a day. If you're not ranking high, you're losing footfall—and revenue—to rivals.
Complete GBP listings drive action: profiles with images get more direction requests; those with posts, updated contact info, and recent reviews enjoy stronger engagement.

In short: optimising your Google Business Profile isn't optional—it’s essential.

Strategy Breakdown: Outrank, Outshine, Outbook

Here’s how to unlock the full potential of your GBP across three core stages:

1. Outrank: Be the First Pick on Google Maps & Search

Claim and verify your profile —this unlocks full access and builds legitimacy.
Ensure NAP consistency —your Name, Address, Phone number, and website must match everywhere online. Google rewards accuracy.
Choose accurate categories to align your services with what people search for.
Write a clear business description . Keep it under 750 characters, front-load keywords naturally, and avoid keyword stuffing.
Leverage GBP Insights —track how customers find and interact with your profile, then refine your strategy.

2. Outshine: Build Trust with Real Content & Interactions

Add high-quality visuals — logos, cover photos, and product images. Profiles with images tend to attract more engagement.
Feature your services/products with photos, pricing, and CTAs from the GBP manager.
Prompt and respond to reviews — positive reviews build trust, influence rankings, and show you're active and engaged.
Use Q&A to your advantage — answer common questions before customers ask. This builds clarity and earns trust.
Regular GBP posts — update about new offers, events, or tips. Fresh content signals activity to both Google and your audience.

3. Outbook: Make It Easy for Customers to Act

Enable appointment/bookings links , especially if you’re a service that requires advance reservation.
Add menus or service lists , if relevant—think restaurant menus or salon services—making conversion seamless.
Use product/service sections where relevant to highlight what you offer and include “Book Now” or “Get Quote” buttons.
Track performance metrics —bookings, calls, website clicks. Adjust based on data to improve results over time.

Fresh Figures You Can Lean On

46% of Google searches are local—almost half your potential customers are searching your area right now.
76% of “near me” searches result in an in-person visit within the same day—GBP is a direct path to footfall.
Profiles with images get significantly more direction requests and actions than those without.
Complete listings with descriptions, services, photos, and reviews dramatically boost ranking and engagement.

Quick Tactics Checklist

Claim & Verify – Claim and verify your Google Business Profile to unlock all tools.

NAP Consistency – Keep your name, address, and phone number accurate across every platform.

Categories & Description – Select the right categories and write a clear, keyword-friendly description.

Images & Listings – Upload quality visuals, and include services and product details.

Reviews & Q&A – Ask for reviews, respond promptly, and address common questions.

Posts & Updates – Share regular posts with events, tips, and promotions.

Convertability – Add booking, menu, or appointment links to drive action.

Track & Tweak – Use GBP Insights to monitor performance and adjust your strategy.

This comprehensive strategy is particularly crucial for building a strong online presence in specific markets. For example, mastering local seo for service businesses essex can be the key to outshining competitors who are still relying on outdated marketing tactics. As a leading google business agency basildon , we understand the unique challenges faced by local businesses and tailor our approach to drive tangible results. By implementing these tactics, your business gains not just visibility, but also a direct channel for customer engagement, transforming your Google Business Profile from a simple listing into a powerful lead-generation tool.

Why It Works

This GBP strategy works because it meets customers where they are—searching on mobile, Google Maps, and local searches.

It gives you visibility (Outrank), credibility (Outshine), and action (Outbook)—all in one optimised profile.

At Get Customers Fast , we make this process easy. You don’t need hours of SEO training or guesswork. We handle GBP optimisation so you get noticed, trusted, and booked—without stress.

Next Step: Begin Your Local Visibility Boost

Ready to take the lead? Book your free 15-minute Local Visibility Boost Session —no pressure, just real guidance tailored to your business. Let’s make your Google Business Profile your strongest marketing tool.

Dominate Your Local Market: How Google Business Profile Optimisation Turns Searches Into Customers

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 18:50:03 GMT

Simple strategies to turn Google searches into real-world sales.

Did you know that nearly 46% of all Google searches are for local information? That means millions of people in your area are looking for products and services every day.

The question is, are they finding you?

If your business isn’t appearing in Google’s local search results, you could be losing customers to competitors who have taken the time to optimise their Google Business Profile (GBP).

Let’s explore how a well-optimised profile can turn those searches into loyal customers.

What is a Google Business Profile?

A Google Business Profile, formerly known as Google My Business, is your online shopfront.

It allows you to control how your business appears in Google Search and Maps, showing key details such as your opening hours, reviews, photos, and contact information.

A complete and up-to-date profile helps you appear when people search for the services you provide in your area. It also builds trust, increases visibility, and encourages engagement.

Why Google Business Profile Optimisation Matters

A fully optimised profile improves your visibility in local searches, making it more likely that people will discover your business.

This can position your listing at the top of Google Maps results, where customers often look first.

Your profile also makes it easy for customers to connect with you in a single click, whether they want to call, send a message, or book an appointment.

Businesses with optimised profiles often see a rise in calls and enquiries. Positive reviews add social proof, with 88% of people trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Finally, a well-maintained profile can drive more footfall when people search for “businesses near me.”

Key Features of a Strong Google Business Profile

Your information should be accurate and consistent across all platforms, including your business name, address, telephone number, and opening hours.

Photos and videos make your profile more appealing, and profiles with images receive significantly more direction requests than those without.

Regular posts and updates keep your profile fresh, whether you are promoting products, announcing events, or sharing service updates.

Encouraging and responding to customer reviews also creates a positive impression and shows that you value feedback.

How to Optimise Your Profile

Verify Your Profile – This unlocks all features and shows customers your business is legitimate.
Select Accurate Categories – Choose categories that match your services and include relevant terms in your description so you appear for the right searches.
Use High-Quality Visuals – Showcase your products, services, or team with professional photos that represent your brand well.
Encourage Reviews – Ask satisfied customers to share their experiences and respond to every review to build trust.
Track Performance – Use Google Business Insights to see how people find you and what actions they take, then adjust your strategy accordingly.
Post Regularly – Keep customers informed with promotions, tips, or updates to maintain interest and engagement.

A Local Success Story

Consider Jane, a photography studio owner in a busy city. Before optimising her profile, most of her clients came through word of mouth, and her online presence was minimal.

After following these optimisation steps, her bookings increased from five to nearly thirty per month in just three months.

Many new clients said they found her through Google, proving how effective an optimised profile can be.

This success story highlights a key takeaway: a generic online presence isn't enough. True growth comes from a targeted approach. Our expertise in local seo for service businesses essex is specifically designed to help companies like Jane's thrive. We go beyond simple profile setup, implementing strategies that build authority and trust within your local community. As dedicated basildon google business profile experts , we focus on turning your online listing into a powerful asset. By optimising for local search intent, we ensure that when a potential customer in your area searches for a service you offer, your business is the first one they see.

Why You Shouldn’t Ignore Google Business Profiles

Over 76% of people who search “near me” visit a business within a day, and most local searches happen on mobile devices.

If your profile isn’t optimised, competitors can easily outrank you. In today’s digital marketplace, ignoring your profile means missing out on valuable customers.

Get Started Today

You don’t have to spend hours figuring out how to optimise your Google Business Profile.

At Get Customers Fast , we help local businesses build a strong reputation that boosts their rankings and attracts more local leads.

Our strategies are tailored to your brand and audience, ensuring your profile stands out, earns trust, and converts visitors into customers.

Stop losing business to competitors and start improving your local visibility today.

Let’s optimise your Google Business Profile using your reputation for maximum exposure.

The Most Common Web Design Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) 🚫

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 13:46:14 GMT

Don't let daft mistakes cost you business when they're so easy to fix

Right, let's have a proper chat about websites. I've been doing this for years now, working with all sorts of businesses across Essex, and I keep seeing the same bloody mistakes over and over again.

It's doing my head in because these business owners are losing customers left, right and centre - and they don't even know it.

The mad thing is, most of these problems are dead simple to fix. You don't need to be some tech wizard or spend thousands of pounds. You just need to know what you're doing wrong.

So here's my list of some of the biggest website disasters I've come across, and how to sort them out without breaking the bank.

Stop Making Your Homepage All About You ��

Right, this one's a bit tricky because I'm not saying awards and certificates are rubbish - they're brilliant for building trust.

But here's the thing: they shouldn't be the first thing people see when they land on your website.

When someone's boiler's packed up on a Sunday night, they don't want to read your CV. They want to know you can fix their problem, fast.

Lead with that, then back it up with your credentials.

Let's pluck a plumber out of the air. His old homepage started with "Surrey's premier heating specialists with decades of combined experience and multiple industry awards."

All true, but it made him sound like every other plumber out there.

Now if we change his headline to "Boiler Broken? We'll Have You Warm Again Tonight" and then put his Gas Safe registration, customer reviews, and industry certifications right underneath.

Same credentials, but now they're supporting his promise instead of replacing it.

People want their problem solved first, then they want reassurance that you can actually do it. Give them both, but in the right order.

The trick is: lead with what they get, then prove you can deliver it. Your awards and certificates are the proof, not the promise.

Where's Your Phone Number? ��

This drives me absolutely mental. Someone needs to call you for whatever reason - they want to call NOW. But can they find your number?

It's either microscopic text at the bottom of the page, or buried three clicks deep on some contact page that takes forever to load.

By the time they find it, they've already called your competitor.

Stick your number at the top of every page. Make it massive. Make sure it works when people tap it on their phones.

This isn't rocket science.

Your Website Looks Pretty Ropey on Phones ��

Half the websites I see look alright on a computer but turn into a complete dog's dinner on phones.

Text so small you need a magnifying glass, buttons you can't press without fat fingers, and menus that don't work.

Here's the thing - most people are looking at your website on their phones these days. If it doesn't work properly, you're basically telling them to get stuffed.

Get your phone out right now and look at your website. Can you read it without squinting?

Can you find your number and actually call it? If you're struggling, so is everyone else .

Those Fake Photos Aren't Fooling Anyone ��

Oh, don't get me started on the stock photos. You know the ones - some woman in a hard hat grinning like she's just won the lottery, pointing at absolutely nothing.

Or the chap in pristine overalls who's clearly never held a spanner in his life.

These photos are about as convincing as a chocolate teapot. They make your business look fake, generic, and boring.

Get your phone out and take some real pictures. Your actual van, your actual team, your actual work. Even a slightly wonky photo of you fixing someone's tap is worth ten of those fake stock images.

Your Menu's More Confusing Than IKEA Instructions ��

Some websites have menus with about fifteen different options, half of them using words that nobody actually uses in real life.

"Solutions." "Offerings." "Capabilities."

What does any of that mean?

If I need my gutters cleaned, I don't want to hunt through your "domestic solutions portfolio."

I want to click on "Gutter Cleaning" and be done with it.

Keep it simple. Use normal words that normal people use.

Your customers aren't trying to impress anyone - they just want to find what they need without getting a headache.

Where Are Your Happy Customers? ��

Your website's got no reviews, no testimonials, nothing to show that real people have actually used your services and lived to tell the tale.

Before anyone hires a tradesman these days, they want proof you're not going to do a runner with their deposit or make a right mess of their house.

Show them your Google reviews , stick up some testimonials, put photos of jobs you're proud of.

Even if you're just starting out, ask your first few customers to say something nice about you.

Most people are happy to help if you've done good work for them.

Your Website's Slower Than a Wet Weekend ��

Nothing kills a website faster than making people wait around. If your site takes ages to load, people will disappear and find someone else.

We're all impatient these days.

Usually it's because someone's chucked massive photos straight from their camera onto the website without thinking.

Or they're using hosting that's cheaper than chips and about as reliable.

Sort your photos out before you upload them.

And don't be tight with your hosting - spend a few extra quid and get something decent. It makes all the difference.

What Am I Supposed to Do Next? ��

Someone visits your website, likes what they see, then... nothing.

There's no clear way to get in touch, no obvious next step. They close the tab, thinking they'll call later, then completely forget about you.

Every page needs to tell people what to do. "Call Now." "Get Your Free Quote." "Book Today."

Make it obvious, make the buttons stand out, and don't make people think too hard about it.

The Bottom Line ��

Your website doesn't need to win any fancy design awards. It needs to win customers.

That means being clear, honest, and easy to use - not flashy or complicated.

Most of these problems can be sorted in an afternoon. Start with the big ones - make sure it works on phones and people can actually find your contact details.

Then work through the rest when you've got time.

Don't let these daft mistakes cost you business when they're so easy to fix. Your website should be working as hard as you are to bring in new customers.

Sort these out and you'll be amazed how quickly things improve. More calls, more enquiries, more customers. What's not to like?

A Guide to Social Media Advertising in 2025: What UK Service Businesses Need to Know

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 15:33:18 GMT

Is it time to grow beyond your current capacity

Social media advertising is one of those topics that splits opinion in the business world.

Some business owners swear by it, but others reckon it's all smoke and mirrors. The truth sits somewhere in the middle. ��

Before I dive in, let me be clear - not every business needs to rush into paid advertising tomorrow.

If you're already getting plenty of work through word of mouth, referrals, or other marketing channels, then brilliant. Keep doing what's currently working for you.

But if you're finding it harder to reach new customers, or you want to grow beyond your current capacity, then social media advertising might be worth exploring.

A local business owner from Romford recently mentioned he'd been getting fewer enquiries from his Facebook posts.

Turns out, what used to reach 400 people was now barely hitting 50. That's when we started talking about the changing landscape of social media.

How Things Have Shifted Over the Years ��

The social media platforms have gradually moved towards a pay-to-play model.

It's not necessarily sinister - they're businesses too, and they need to make money somehow.

But it does mean that organic reach (people seeing your posts without you paying) has declined quite a bit over the past few years.

This doesn't mean organic posting is dead - far from it.

A well-timed post about a job you've just finished can still get decent reach, especially if people engage with it quickly.

But if you're relying solely on organic reach to find new customers, you might find it's getting tougher.

The upside? Many of your competitors probably haven't adapted to this change yet, which could work in your favour if you decide to explore paid advertising.

Let's Have A Look Where Your Customers Actually Spend Their Time ��

Facebook and Instagram - The Steady Favourites

These platforms still have the largest user base in the UK, spanning all age groups.

Your potential customers are definitely there, whether they're scrolling during their lunch break or catching up in the evening.

The targeting options are quite impressive - you can show your ads to homeowners in your local area who've shown interest in home improvement content.

It's not magic, but it's pretty clever.

Take Trudy, who runs a small gardening business in Hertfordshire. She started with a modest £5 daily budget on Facebook, showing before and after photos of her garden transformations. Within a couple of months, she was getting 2-3 enquiries a week from it.

Not earth-shattering numbers, but enough to keep her busy and growing steadily.

LinkedIn - The Professional Network ��

If your services are aimed at other businesses - office cleaning, commercial maintenance, business consultancy - then LinkedIn might be worth considering.

The costs are higher than Facebook, but you're reaching decision-makers directly.

A chap I know who runs a small IT support company spends about £20 a day on LinkedIn ads targeting small business owners.

He gets maybe 2-3 good enquiries a week, but they tend to be higher value jobs. For him, it works out well.

TikTok - The Unexpected Option ��

I'll admit, when TikTok first appeared, I thought it was just teenagers doing dances. How wrong I was.

The platform has matured significantly, and the average user is now in their late twenties - prime customer age for many service businesses.

The beauty of TikTok is that it still rewards authentic, genuine content.

A quick video showing your craftsmanship or explaining a common problem you solve can reach thousands of people without spending a penny on advertising.

YouTube - The Learning Platform ��

People often overlook YouTube when thinking about social media, but it's where many potential customers go to research services or learn about problems they're facing. Creating helpful, educational content here can establish you as the local expert in your field.

Thinking About Budget (If You Decide to Try It) ��

If you do decide to dip your toe into paid advertising, start small. There's no need to blow your entire marketing budget in the first month.

Many successful local businesses start with £100-200 per month on one platform - usually Facebook - and see how it goes.

If it brings in customers and pays for itself, then you can gradually increase the budget or try other platforms.

The key is treating it as a test rather than a massive commitment. You can always pause or stop campaigns if they're not working for you.

What Seems to Work Well ��

The most successful ads I've seen from local service businesses are refreshingly simple. No fancy graphics or corporate polish - just real work, real results, and real people.

One of the best performing ads I came across was from a gas engineer who simply filmed himself explaining why a customer's boiler had broken down and how he'd fixed it.

Shot on his phone, no script, just genuine expertise shared in a helpful way. It cost him about £30 in advertising and brought in several new customers.

Customer testimonials work well too, but they don't need to be professionally produced. A happy customer saying a few words about your work, filmed on their phone, can be incredibly powerful.

Measuring What Actually Matters ��

If you do start advertising, focus on the numbers that matter to your business, as all businesses are different:

How much does each enquiry cost you?
What percentage of enquiries become paying customers?
Are you making more money than you're spending?

Most platforms provide tools to help track these metrics, although it can take some getting used to.

Staying Within the Rules ��️

Advertising standards are quite strict in the UK, particularly regarding before-and-after photos and claims about one's work.

The golden rule is simple: only photograph and show work you've actually done and don't make promises you cannot keep.

Stick to genuine examples of your work and honest testimonials from real customers, and you'll be fine.

Looking Forward ��

The platforms are getting better at showing ads to people who are genuinely interested in your services.

The artificial intelligence behind the scenes is actually quite helpful - it learns who's most likely to become your customer over time.

Voice search is also growing, with an increasing number of people using smart speakers to find local services .

Something to keep in mind for the future.

Should You Give It a Go? ✅

Honestly, it depends on your own situation.

If you're already busy and happy with your current customer flow, then there's really no urgent need to start advertising online.

But if you're looking to grow your business, reach new customers, or find it's getting harder to get noticed, then it might be worth exploring.

The businesses that seem to do well with social media advertising aren't necessarily the biggest or most tech-savvy.

They're often the ones who start small, learn as they go, and stick with it long enough to see what works for their particular business.

Your potential customers are definitely online, but whether social media advertising is the right way to reach them depends on your specific situation, goals, and budget.

If you're curious, consider starting with a small test, such as £50-100 over a month, and see what happens.

You might be pleasantly surprised, or you might decide it's not for you. Either way, you'll know for certain rather than wondering "what if."

Social media advertising isn't a magic solution, but for many service-based businesses, it has become a valuable tool in their marketing toolkit.

The question isn't whether you should definitely do it, but whether it might be worth exploring for your particular situation.

Local SEO Guide: 10 Easy Wins for Ranking in Your Area

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:08:14 GMT

Be consistent and think like your customers

Right, let's talk about something that'll actually make a difference to your business – getting found by people in your area who need what you offer. I've been helping local businesses with this for years, and honestly, most of the advice out there makes it sound way more complicated than it needs to be.

The thing is, if you're an Osteopath in Brighton, you don't need to beat every Osteopath in the world – just the ones down the road. That's brilliant news because it means local SEO is actually achievable for normal business owners who haven't got time to become Google experts .

Here's what actually works, based on what I've seen with real businesses:

1. Sort Out Your Google Business Profile (And I Mean Properly) ��

Look, I can't tell you how many times I've looked at a business's Google profile and it's half empty.

It's like having a shop with no sign on the front – people walk right past.

Fill in everything. And I mean everything. Your opening hours, phone number, what you actually do, photos of your work.

I had a client who was a kitchen fitter, and he was getting beaten by competitors until we added proper photos of his kitchens. Suddenly, his phone started ringing more.

Don't just upload any old photos either. Show your work, your van, your team.

People want to see who they're dealing with before they pick up the phone.

2. Get Your Business Details Right Everywhere ��

This one drives me mad because it's so simple, yet half the businesses I work with had it wrong. Your business name, address, and phone number need to be exactly the same everywhere online .

I'm talking identical. Not "High Street" on one site and "High St" on another. Not your mobile number in some places and your landline in others. Google's like that friend who notices everything – if your details don't match up, it assumes you're not the same business.

Spend a morning checking this. It's boring work, but I've seen businesses jump up the rankings just by fixing this basic stuff.

3. Actually Ask for Reviews (Most People Don't) ⭐

Here's something that'll surprise you – most of your happy customers would leave you a review if you just asked them.

But most business owners are too embarrassed to ask.

Don't be. When you finish a job and the customer's happy, just say "If you're pleased with the work, would you mind leaving us a quick review on Google?" Most people will say yes.

I know a kitchen renovator in Wimborne who went from 3 reviews to 47 in six months just by asking every customer. His bookings doubled.

It's that simple.

4. Write Like You Actually Live There ��

Instead of trying to rank for "double glazing" (good luck with that), go for "double glazing in Romford"..." These are the searches that actually turn into phone calls.

But don't just stuff these phrases into your website randomly. Write about local stuff. Mention the areas you cover, talk about local landmarks, discuss problems that are specific to your area.

I had a roofer who started writing about the specific roofing problems you get in Victorian terraces around his patch. His website traffic went through the roof (no pun intended).

5. Create Pages for Each Area You Cover ��

If you work across multiple towns, don't try to cram everything onto one page. Create separate pages for each area.

But here's the key – don't just copy and paste the same content with different town names. That's lazy and Google spots it a mile off. Write proper content for each area.

Talk about local issues, mention specific streets or landmarks, include testimonials from customers in that area.

6. Get Listed in the Right Places ��

Online directories are like the modern Yellow Pages, except there are hundreds of them. You don't need to be in all of them – just the ones that matter.

Start with the obvious ones like Yell and Thomson Local, then look for industry-specific directories. If you're a plumber, get listed on plumbing directories.

If you're an accountant, find accountancy directories.

Just make sure your details are consistent (back to point 2 again).

7. Connect with Other Local Businesses ��

This is where it gets interesting. Links from other local businesses tell Google you're part of the community. But don't think about it as "link building" – think about it as networking.

Join your local Chamber of Commerce. Sponsor the local football team. Partner with businesses that complement yours. I know a painter who partnered with a local estate agent – they refer customers to each other.

8. Make Sure Your Website Works on Phones ��

Most people searching for local services are on their phones. They're driving past, they need something fixed, they search on their phone.

If your website takes forever to load or looks rubbish on mobile, they'll call someone else. Make sure your phone number is easy to find and clickable. Test your website on your own phone – if it annoys you, it'll annoy your customers.

9. Add the Technical Stuff (Or Get Someone To) ��️

There's some technical code called schema markup that helps Google understand your business better. It tells Google exactly what you do, where you are, and how to contact you.

If you're not technical, don't worry about the details – just ask whoever looks after your website to add it. It's like putting up a clearer sign for Google to read.

10. Keep Talking About Local Stuff ��

Google loves websites that get updated regularly with fresh content. Start a blog and write about local topics within your industry that matter to your customers.

If you're a gardener, write about which plants work well in your local soil. If you're a builder, discuss local planning regulations. If you're an accountant, talk about business rates in your area.

This stuff positions you as the local expert, and Google notices.

What Actually Happens When You Do This ��

I'm not going to promise overnight miracles because that's not how it works. But I've seen businesses go from invisible to fully booked just by getting these basics right.

The key is consistency. Pick a few of these strategies and do them properly rather than trying to do everything at once and doing it badly.

Start with your Google Business Profile – that's the biggest quick win. Then work on getting your business details consistent everywhere. After that, start asking for reviews.

Your competitors probably aren't doing this stuff properly. Most local businesses have terrible online presence because they think it's too complicated. It's not – it just takes a bit of time and effort.

The customers are out there searching for what you offer right now. The question is whether they'll find you or your competition. Get these basics right, and they'll find you instead.

Ready to Get Started? ��

Pick one thing from this list and do it this week. Don't try to do everything at once – you'll just get overwhelmed and do nothing.

Most of this stuff you can do yourself. It's not rocket science, it's just about being consistent and thinking like your customers.

And remember – every day you don't do this, your competitors might be. Don't let them get ahead of you.

How Important Is It That My Website Is Mobile-Friendly?📱

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 15:00:46 GMT

Simply put: your customers expect your website to work on their phone

Right, let's get straight to the point. If your website looks rubbish on a phone, you're losing customers. End of story.

I had a call last month from a roofer in Cambridge. "Andrew," he said, "my phone's gone quiet. What's going on?" So I pulled up his website on my phone. Nightmare.

The text was so small I needed to zoom in! The phone number? Buried somewhere you'd never find it. His contact form? Forget about it - you'd need the patience of a saint to fill that thing out on a mobile.

Here's What's Actually Happening Out There ��

Most people - and I mean most - are searching for services on their phones now.

Think about it. When did you last fire up your laptop to find a local plumber?

You didn't.

You grabbed your phone, probably while standing in a puddle in your kitchen.

That roofer I mentioned! Once he sorted his mobile site, his enquiries went through the roof - pardon the pun - within weeks.

Same business, same services, just a website that actually worked on a phone.

What Does Mobile-Friendly Really Mean? ��

It's not rocket science, but it's more than just shrinking everything down. Your website needs to work properly on a phone.

That means:

People can read your text without squinting or zooming in. Your phone number is massive and clickable. Your contact form doesn't make people want to chuck their phone at the wall. Everything loads quickly - and I mean quickly.

I tested this with my own dad. Gave him a local business website to navigate on his phone. Watched him get frustrated within 30 seconds. "This is too fiddly, Andrew. I'd just ring someone else." That's your customers talking right there.

Google's Not Messing About��

Google made it crystal clear years ago - mobile matters. They've been pushing mobile-friendly sites up the rankings and burying the rest. It's not coming, it's here.

Right now.

I've got clients (who don’t use our website services) who've seen their Google rankings drop because their websites were stuck in 2010.

Meanwhile, their competitors with decent mobile sites are showing up first. Guess who's getting the calls?

Why Local Businesses Get Hit Hardest ��

Here's the thing about service businesses - people need you when they need you. The heating's broken, the car won't start, your back has gone. They're not getting their laptop out and start browsing leisurely. They're stressed, they're on their phone, and they want answers fast.

But it's not just emergencies anymore. People live on their phones now. They're scrolling through Google while watching telly, checking out local services during their lunch break, or researching contractors while waiting for the kids after school. Your phone's always in your hand, isn't it? Same with your customers.

So someone who is looking for a gardener while having their morning coffee. They found three local companies, but only one had a website that actually worked on a mobile.

Guess who would get the call?

Not the other two, that's for sure. And this isn't an emergency - just someone browsing casually who wouldn't be bothered with a fiddly website.

A local business owner told me that he lost three emergency call-outs in one evening because his website was impossible to use on a mobile. Three jobs, probably worth £500+ each, gone to competitors.

That's £1,500 lost because of a website that didn't work properly. But he's probably losing just as much from people who browse during quiet moments and move on when his site's too much hassle.

The Mistakes I See Every Single Day ��

These same problems keep cropping up:

Tiny text everywhere - If I need to zoom in to read your opening hours, there's a problem.

Buttons you can't actually press - Ever tried tapping a button that's smaller than your fingertip? Maddening.

Websites that load slower than a Sunday afternoon - Three seconds feels like forever when you're in a hurry.

Pop-ups that take over the entire screen - Nothing says "go elsewhere" like a pop-up you can't close.

What Happens When You Get It Right ��

The difference is night and day. I've seen landscapers go from a couple of enquiries a week to six or seven, just by sorting their mobile site. Same business, same services, just a website that doesn't make people want to throw their phone out the window.

An Osteopath who had been wondering why their phone had gone quiet suddenly finds it ringing again.

Roofers who thought the work had dried up realise they'd just been accidentally turning customers away.

It's not magic - it's just common sense. Make it easy for people to contact you on their phone, and more people will contact you.

Make it difficult, and they'll ring someone else instead. Simple as that.

The businesses that get this right don't just see more enquiries - they see better enquiries too.

People who can easily navigate your site and find what they need are more likely to be serious customers, not just tyre-kickers.

Test Your Own Site Right Now ��

Stop reading this and grab your phone. Go to your website. Try to find your phone number. Try to fill out your contact form. Be honest - would you persevere with this if you were a customer?

Better yet, give your phone to someone else and watch them try to contact you through your website. You'll see exactly what your customers are going through.

Sorting It Out ��

Look, this isn't something you can ignore anymore.

Every day you leave it, you're handing customers to competitors who've got their act together.

The good news? It's fixable.

A properly responsive website - one that works on phones, tablets, everything - isn't some mystical thing. It's standard practice now.

The Reality Check ��

Your customers expect your website to work on their phone. Google expects it. Your competitors are probably already doing it. The only question is: how long are you going to keep losing customers before you sort it out?

I've seen too many good businesses struggle because they ignored mobile. Don't be one of them. Fix it now, before your competitors get any further ahead.

Getting Your Social Media Branding Right: Our Guide for UK Service Businesses 🎯

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 14:09:48 GMT

Your social media branding is often the first impression potential customers have of your business

Let's be honest – most business owners think social media branding means sticking their logo on Facebook and hoping for the best.

But here's the reality: your customers are scrolling through social media every day, and if your branding looks thrown together or inconsistent, they'll scroll right past you to your competitor who's got their act together.

Proper social media branding is about showing up consistently across all platforms so your local customers recognise you instantly, trust what you're offering, and choose you over the business down the road.

Whether you're a home improvement company in Essex, an optician in Manchester, or an accountant in Birmingham, getting your social media branding spot-on can be the difference between becoming the go-to business in your area or blending into the background.

What Exactly Is Social Media Branding? ��

Think of social media branding as your business's personality online. It's how you present yourself across platforms like Facebook , Instagram, LinkedIn , and X (formerly Twitter) . Your branding includes everything from your profile pictures and cover photos to the tone of voice you use in your posts and how you respond to customer comments.

The key word here is consistency . Your osteopathic clinic shouldn't sound like a corporate law firm on LinkedIn and then switch to teenage slang on Instagram. Your customers need to recognise you instantly, regardless of which platform they find you on.

Why Does Social Media Branding Matter for Local Businesses? ��

Here's the thing – your potential customers are scrolling through social media every single day.

In fact, the average Brit spends over two hours daily on social platforms.

That's two hours where they could be discovering your business, or completely overlooking it if your branding doesn't grab their attention.

Strong social media branding helps you:

Build trust before customers even contact you
Stand out from competitors in your local area
Create memorable impressions that lead to referrals
Establish yourself as an expert in your field

The Building Blocks of Effective Social Media Branding ��

Your Visual Identity

Your visual branding is the first thing people notice. This includes your logo, colour scheme, fonts, and the style of images you share.

Top tip: Use the same profile picture across all platforms.

This could be your logo or a professional headshot if you're the face of your business.

Consistency here means customers will recognise you instantly, whether they're on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Your cover photos should also work together to tell your brand story.

A local gardening service might use images of beautiful gardens they've created, whilst a fitness trainer could showcase client transformations or action shots from training sessions.

Your Voice and Tone ��️

This is where many businesses get it wrong. Your tone of voice should reflect your business personality whilst remaining professional and approachable.

Are you the friendly, chatty type who uses plenty of emojis and casual language?

Or are you more formal and authoritative? There's no right or wrong answer, but whatever you choose needs to be consistent across all your social media platforms.

For example, if you're a local mechanic, you might adopt a straightforward, no-nonsense tone that reflects your practical approach to solving problems.

A beauty therapist, on the other hand, might use a warmer, more nurturing voice that makes clients feel pampered and cared for.

Content Themes and Topics ��

Your content should consistently reflect what your business is about. Bear in mind that this doesn't mean all your posts need to be a sales pitch – far from it. Instead, consider the themes that matter most to your customers.

A local electrician might share:

Safety tips for homeowners
Behind-the-scenes glimpses of interesting jobs
Before and after photos of electrical work
Seasonal advice (like Christmas light safety)
Customer testimonials and reviews

The key is mixing educational content, social proof, and personality-driven posts that show the human side of your business.

Platform-Specific Branding Considerations ��

Facebook

Facebook is still the king for local businesses. Your Facebook page should feel welcoming and informative. Use your cover photo to showcase your services, include your opening hours and contact details prominently, and make sure your About section tells your story clearly.

Instagram

Instagram is all about visual storytelling. Your feed should look cohesive when someone visits your profile. This does not mean every photo should be identical, but they should feel like they belong together - like having a uniform. Consider using a consistent filter or colour palette.

If you're targeting other businesses or professional clients, LinkedIn is crucial. Here, your branding should be more polished and professional. Share industry insights, business tips, and showcase your expertise.

X (Twitter)

X is perfect for quick updates, industry news, and engaging in conversations with your local community. Your branding here can be slightly more casual, but still professional.

Common Social Media Branding Mistakes to Avoid ❌

Inconsistent posting schedules:

Posting five times one week then disappearing for a month confuses your audience and hurts your visibility.

Mixing personal and business content inappropriately:

Keep your personal opinions about controversial topics separate from your business accounts.

Ignoring negative feedback:

How you handle criticism publicly shows your professionalism and customer service standards.

Using poor quality images:

Blurry, dark, or unprofessional photos reflect poorly on your business standards.

Copying competitors exactly:

Inspiration is fine, but your branding should reflect your unique business personality.

Building Your Social Media Brand: A Step-by-Step Approach ��

Step 1: Define your brand personality. Write down three words that describe your business character.

Step 2: Create a visual style guide. Choose your colours, fonts, and image styles.

Step 3: Develop your voice guidelines. How formal or casual will you be? What phrases will you use regularly?

Step 4: Plan your content themes. What topics will you regularly cover?

Step 5: Set up your profiles consistently across all platforms.

 Step 6: Create a content calendar to maintain regular posting.

Measuring Your Social Media Branding Success ��

Track metrics that matter to your business goals:

Follower growth in your local area
Engagement rates on your posts
Website traffic from social media
Enquiries and bookings generated through social platforms
Brand mentions and customer reviews

Remember, it takes time to build a strong social media brand - it doesn't happen overnight. It takes consistent effort and patience, but the results – increased local visibility, customer trust, and business growth – make it absolutely worthwhile.

Your social media branding is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. Make it count, keep it consistent, and watch as your local reputation grows stronger with every post. ��

Getting Your Website Seen: 5 Proven Strategies for Maximum Visibility 🌟

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 11:46:38 GMT

Your website deserves to be seen, and with the right approach, it will be

Your website might be the digital equivalent of a beautiful shopfront, but if it's tucked away down a back alley where nobody can find it, what's the point? ��

Getting your website the visibility it deserves isn't about fancy tricks or expensive gimmicks – it's about understanding what actually works and consistently putting in the effort.

1. Master Your Local SEO Game ��

If you're a service-based business, local SEO should be your best mate.

This isn't about competing with Amazon or massive corporations – it's about being found when someone in your area searches for what you do.

Start with the basics: ensure your business name, address, and phone number are consistent everywhere they appear online.

Your website, Google Business Profile, and social media accounts – they all need to match perfectly. Google gets confused easily, and confused Google means invisible you.

Create location-specific pages if you serve multiple areas. An Osteopath serving both Benfleet and Rayleigh should have dedicated pages for each location, not just a generic "we serve Essex" page.

Write about local landmarks, mention local events, and use the language your local customers actually use.

2. Write Content That Actually Helps People ✍️

Here's the thing about content – it doesn't need to be Shakespeare, but it does need to be useful.

Write about the problems your customers face every day. If you're a heating engineer, don't just write "we fix boilers."

Write about "Why your boiler keeps making that weird noise at 3 am" or "5 signs your boiler needs attention before winter hits."

Think about the questions you get asked repeatedly. Those are your content goldmines.

Every frequently asked question is a potential blog post that could bring someone to your website. And when they find genuinely helpful information, they're more likely to trust you with their business.

However, ensure that it remains conversational – write as if you're explaining something to a friend, not delivering a university lecture. ☕

3. Speed Matters More Than You Think ⚡

Nobody waits for slow websites anymore. If your site takes more than three seconds to load, people are already clicking back to Google to find someone else.

It's harsh, but it's reality.

Simple fixes can make a massive difference: compress your images before uploading them, choose a decent hosting provider (not the cheapest one you can find), and avoid loading your homepage with every widget and animation known to mankind.

Your website should work perfectly on mobile phones, too. More people browse on their phones than on computers now, so if your site looks rubbish on a mobile, you're losing customers every single day.

4. Build Relationships, Not Just Links ��

Getting other websites to link to yours is still important, but forget about buying dodgy links or spamming other sites. Focus on building genuine relationships within your local business community.

Join your local Chamber of Commerce, sponsor a local football team, or partner with complementary businesses.

A genuine link from your local business association's website is worth more than a hundred fake links from random websites.

Write guest posts for local publications or industry magazines. Share your expertise genuinely, and the links will follow naturally.

It takes longer than shortcuts, but it actually works in the long term.

The Reality Check ��

Honestly speaking: improving your website's visibility takes time and consistent effort.

There's no magic button that suddenly makes you appear at the top of Google overnight.

Anyone promising instant results is likely trying to sell you something that won't work in the long term.

But here's the good news – most of your local competitors aren't doing this stuff properly either.

By consistently applying these strategies, you'll gradually pull ahead of businesses that are hoping their website will somehow promote itself.

5. Keep an Eye on What's Working ��

You can't improve what you don't measure. Set up Google Analytics (it's free) and actually look at it regularly. Which pages get the most visitors? Where do people leave your site? What search terms bring people to you?

Don't get overwhelmed by all the data – focus on the basics.

Have more people found your website this month than last month? Are they staying longer on your website? Are they contacting you?

These simple metrics tell you if your visibility efforts are paying off.

Your Next Steps ��

Pick one strategy from this list and focus on it for the next month. Don't try to do everything at once – that's a recipe for doing nothing well.

Master one approach, see results, then add the next strategy.

Remember, your website's visibility isn't just about being found – it's about being found by the right people at the right time with the right message.

Focus on being genuinely helpful to your local customers, and the visibility will follow.

Your website deserves to be seen, and with the right approach, it will be. The question isn't whether these strategies work – it's whether you'll stick with them long enough to see the results. ��

What Makes a Poor Website? 🚫 The Costly Mistakes That Drive Customers Away

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 14:18:26 GMT

Your website should work for your business, not against it

We've all been there – you click on a website link, wait for what feels like an eternity for it to load, then struggle to find what you're looking for before giving up in frustration. ��

As a business owner, the last thing you want is for potential customers to have this experience with your website.

Your website is often the first impression people get of your business, yet so many companies unknowingly sabotage their own success with poor web design choices.

Let's explore the most common website mistakes that could be costing you customers – and more importantly, how to avoid them.

Slow Loading Times ⏰

Nothing kills a first impression faster than a website that takes forever to load. In today's fast-paced world, people expect websites to load within 2-3 seconds maximum.

If your site takes longer than that, you're likely losing potential customers before they even see what you offer.

Common culprits include oversized images, too many plugins, cheap hosting, and bloated code.

Think of your website like a shop front – if customers had to wait five minutes for your door to open, they'd walk away and visit your competitor instead.

Confusing Navigation ��

A poor website often feels like a maze with no clear path to the exit.

When visitors can't easily find what they're looking for, they'll abandon ship faster than you can say "contact us."

Your navigation should be intuitive and logical.

If someone lands on your homepage, they should be able to find your services, pricing, and contact information within one to two clicks.

Avoid fancy menu names that sound clever but confuse visitors – stick to clear, descriptive labels that everyone understands.

Mobile Unfriendly Design ��

With over 60% of web traffic now coming from mobile devices, having a website that doesn't work properly on phones and tablets is business suicide.

A poor website either doesn't display correctly on mobile or requires users to pinch and zoom to read the content.

Mobile-unfriendly sites don't just frustrate users – Google actively penalises them in search results.

If your website isn't responsive, you're not just losing visitors; you're losing visibility in search engines too.

Outdated Design and Content ��

Nothing screams "unprofessional" like a website that looks like it was built in 2005.

Outdated design elements, old colour schemes, and ancient stock photos make your business appear behind the times.

Equally damaging is outdated content.

If your latest news post is from 2019 or your team photos show people who left years ago, visitors will question whether your business is still operating.

Fresh, current content shows you're active and engaged with your customers.

Poor Contact Information ��

One of the biggest website sins is making it difficult for customers to get in touch with you.

Burying your contact details in a hard-to-find corner, providing only a generic contact form, or worse – having incorrect phone numbers or addresses – creates unnecessary barriers between you and potential customers.

Your contact information should be prominently displayed on every page, preferably in the header or footer.

Include multiple ways to reach you: phone, email, and physical address if relevant to your business.

Overwhelming or Cluttered Layout ��

A poor website often tries to cram everything onto one page, creating a chaotic mess that overwhelms visitors.

Too many colours, fonts, images, and competing elements make it impossible for users to focus on what's important.

Good web design follows the principle of "less is more." White space is your friend – it helps guide the eye and makes your content more digestible.

Focus on one clear message per page and use visual hierarchy to guide visitors through your content.

Lack of Clear Call-to-Actions ��

Many websites fail because they don't tell visitors what to do next.

Without clear call-to-action buttons or instructions, potential customers might browse your site but never take the next step to contact you or make a purchase.

Every page should have a clear purpose and guide visitors towards a specific action, whether that's calling you, filling out a form, booking an appointment, or requesting a quote.

Make these actions obvious and easy to complete.

No Social Proof or Testimonials ⭐

People trust other people's opinions more than marketing messages.

A website without customer testimonials, reviews, or case studies misses a crucial opportunity to build trust and credibility.

Social proof doesn't just mean testimonials:

It can include client logos, awards, certifications, or even simple statements about how long you've been in business.

These elements can help your visitors feel confident about choosing you and your services.

Technical Issues and Broken Links ��

Not sure if you're aware but nothing undermines professionalism like a broken link, or an error message, or even forms that don't work properly.

These issues make visitors question your reliability and lack of attention to detail.

Regular website maintenance is essential. Check your links regularly, we suggest monthly, test your contact forms, and ensure all features work as expected.

A well-maintained website reflects a well-run business.

The Bottom Line ��

Your website should work for your business, not against it.

While fixing these issues might seem daunting, remember that even small improvements can make a big difference to your customer's journey and, ultimately, your bottom line.

The good news?

Most of these problems are completely fixable with the right approach and expertise.

Whether you tackle them yourself or work with a professional, addressing these common issues will help ensure your website becomes a powerful tool for growing your business rather than a barrier to success.

Remember, your website is working 24/7 to represent your business – make sure it's putting your best foot forward! ��

Why Every Small Business Needs a Website: Your Digital Shopfront That Never Closes 🏪

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 11:14:44 GMT

Every day without a website is a day you're missing out on potential customers

Picture this: It's 11pm on a Sunday night, and someone in Poole has a burst pipe. They're frantically searching Google for "emergency plumber near me" – but your brilliant plumbing business doesn't have a website. Guess who they're calling instead? Your competitor who shows up first in the search results with a professional website that screams "we're open for business!" ��

If you're still on the fence about whether your small business needs a website, let me share why it's not just important – it's absolutely essential in today's digital world.

Your Website is Your 24/7 Sales Assistant ��

Unlike your physical shop or office, your website never sleeps.

It's working for you at 3am when potential customers are browsing on their phones, during bank holidays when you're enjoying time with family, and even when you're busy serving other customers.

Think about your own behaviour – when did you last look up a business's opening hours by calling them? Exactly.

Your customers expect to find information about your services, prices, and contact details online, whenever it suits them.

Without a website, you're essentially putting up a "closed" sign 24/7.

First Impressions Count More Than Ever ��

Your website is often the first interaction potential customers have with your business. In fact, studies show that people form an opinion about your business within 0.05 seconds of landing on your website. That's faster than you can say "professional services!"

A well-designed website immediately communicates that you're legitimate, established, and trustworthy. On the flip side, having no website at all can make potential customers question whether you're still in business or professional enough to handle their needs.

Local Customers Are Searching for You Right Now ��

Here's something that might surprise you: 46% of all Google searches are looking for local information.

That means nearly half of all searches include phrases like "near me," "in Dorset," or specific town names.

When someone searches for "optometrists in Canterbury" or "garden landscapers Cheshire," Google wants to show them the most relevant local businesses.

Without a website, you're invisible in these searches.

You could be the best business in your town, but if you don't exist online, you might as well be in another country! ��

Your Competitors Already Have Websites ��

Let's be brutally honest here – while you're debating whether you need a website, your competitors are busy attracting your potential customers online. They're showcasing their work, collecting enquiries, and building their reputation through customer reviews and testimonials.

Every day you delay getting online is another day you're handing business to competitors who took the digital plunge. It's like choosing to advertise in a newspaper while everyone else is on social media – you're simply not where your customers are looking.

Websites Build Trust and Credibility ��

A professional website with customer testimonials, case studies/before and after photo, and clear contact information builds trust before customers even pick up the phone.

It shows you're established, reliable, and proud of your work.

Include photos of your team, showcase completed projects, and display any certifications or awards you've earned.

This transparency helps potential customers feel confident about choosing your business over faceless competitors.

Cost-Effective Marketing That Actually Works ��

Traditional advertising like newspaper ads or Yellow Pages listings cost hundreds of pounds and disappear after a short time. Your website, however, is an investment that works for years, attracting customers 24/7 without ongoing advertising costs.

Plus, you can track exactly how many people visit your website, which pages they look at, and how many contact you. Try getting that level of detail from a newspaper ad!

Control Your Online Reputation ��️

Without a website, you have no control over how your business appears online.

Customers might find outdated information on directory sites, or worse, only see negative reviews without any context about your excellent service.

Your website lets you tell your story, showcase your best work, and provide accurate, up-to-date information about your services. You're in the driver's seat of your online presence.

It's Easier Than You Think��

Many small business owners avoid getting a website because they think it's too complicated or expensive. The truth is, creating a professional website has never been easier or more affordable.

You don't need to learn coding or spend thousands of pounds. Professional web design services can create a beautiful, functional website that represents your business perfectly and attracts local customers.

The Bottom Line ��

In today's digital world, not having a website is like not having a phone number – it makes you virtually impossible to find and contact. Your website is your digital shopfront, your 24/7 sales assistant, and your most powerful marketing tool all rolled into one.

Every day without a website is a day you're missing out on potential customers who are actively searching for your services. The question isn't whether you can afford to get a website – it's whether you can afford not to have one.

Ready to give your business the online presence it deserves? Your future customers are waiting to find you! ��

The Hidden Heroes of Your Website: Why Meta Titles and Descriptions Matter More Than You Think 🎯

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:08:57 GMT

You don't need to be a technical expert to improve your meta titles and meta descriptions

When you're running a service-based business, every detail of your online presence counts.

Today, we're discussing two crucial elements that many business owners often overlook – meta titles and meta descriptions. Don't worry if these sound technical; by the end of this article, you'll understand exactly what they are and why they're so important for your business.

What Are Meta Titles and Descriptions? ��

Think of meta titles and descriptions as your website's shop window display. Just like you'd carefully arrange your physical shop front to attract customers walking past, these elements are what people see when your business appears in Google search results.

Meta Title: This is the clickable headline that appears in blue text when someone searches on Google. It's the first thing potential customers see about your page.

Meta Description: This is the short snippet of text that appears underneath the title in search results. It gives people a preview of what they'll find on your page.

Here's a simple example: If someone searches for "plumbers in Chelmsford," they might see: ��

Why Do They Matter So Much? ��

1. They're Your First Impression

When someone searches for your services, your meta title and description are often the first contact they have with your business. A well-written title and description can be the difference between someone clicking on your website or scrolling past to your competitor.

2. They Help Google Understand Your Business

Search engines like Google use these elements to understand what your page is about. When you clearly describe your services and location, Google can better match your business with people searching for what you offer.

3. They Improve Your Click-Through Rates ��

Even if your website appears in search results, people still need to choose to click on it. Compelling meta titles and descriptions act like mini-advertisements, encouraging people to visit your site rather than your competitors.

4. They Set Proper Expectations

A good meta description tells visitors exactly what they'll find on your page. This means the people who do click through are more likely to be genuinely interested in your services.

What Makes a Good Meta Title? ✅

Keep It Under 60 Characters Google typically displays the first 50-60 characters of a title. Anything longer gets cut off with "..." which doesn't look professional.

Include Your Main Service and Location If you're a local business, always include where you're based. "Roof Repairs in King’s Lynnl" is much better than just "Roof Repairs."

Make It Descriptive but Compelling Instead of "Home Page," try something like "Scrap Car Collection Thurrock | Instant Quote."

Put Important Words First Front-load your title with the most important information. People scan quickly, so grab their attention immediately.

Crafting Effective Meta Descriptions ��

Aim for 150-160 Characters This is the sweet spot where Google typically shows your full description without cutting it off.

Include a Clear Call to Action Phrases like "Call today," "Book now," or "Get your free quote" to encourage people to take action.

Highlight What Makes You Different Do you offer 24/7 service? Free estimates? 20 years of experience? Mention it here.

Use Natural Language Write for humans, not search engines. Your description should read naturally and make sense to real people.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't Stuff Keywords Repeating the same words over and over looks spammy and puts people off. Write naturally.

Avoid Duplicate Descriptions Every page on your website should have a unique meta description. Avoid copying and pasting the same text everywhere.

Don't Leave Them Blank If you don't write meta descriptions, Google will create them automatically – and they're rarely as good as ones you write yourself.

Don't Make False Promises Your meta description should accurately reflect what's on your page. Misleading descriptions might get clicks, but visitors will leave immediately if they don't find what was promised.

Real-World Example ��

Let's say you run a gardening service in Southend. Here's how you might write meta elements for your main page:

Poor Example: Title: "Gardening" Description: "We do gardening services and lawn care and hedge cutting and garden maintenance."

Better Example: Title: "Professional Garden Services Southend | Lawn Care & Maintenance" Description: "Transform your garden with our expert landscaping and maintenance services in Southend. Free quotes, reliable service, and 15 years of experience. Call today!"

See the difference? The second example is specific, includes the location, mentions benefits, and has a clear call to action.

Getting Started Today ��

You don't need to be a technical expert to improve your meta titles and descriptions. Most website platforms like WordPress make it easy to edit these elements. If you're not sure how, ask whoever built your website to show you – it's usually just a matter of filling in a couple of text boxes.

Start with your most important pages: your homepage, main service pages, and contact page. Even small improvements to these can make a noticeable difference to your website traffic.

Remember, good meta titles and descriptions are like having a skilled salesperson working for your business 24/7, convincing potential customers to choose you over the competition. They might be hidden in the code of your website, but their impact on your business success is very real indeed.

Unlocking the Power of Email Marketing: 5 Strategies Small Businesses Can Implement Today

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Tue, 27 May 2025 14:58:20 GMT

The goal isn't just to land in your subscribers' inboxes – it's to deliver value

Email marketing remains still as one of the most effective ways for small businesses to connect with customers, build relationships, and drive sales.

Even though the rise of social media along with other digital marketing channels, email still continues to deliver an impressive return on investment – with some studies have suggested an average of £42 for every £1 spent! ��

But creating an effective email marketing strategy isn't just about sending the occasional newsletter.

It requires thoughtful planning, consistent execution, and an understanding of what resonates with your audience.

Below is our five most practical email marketing strategies which you can implement to boost engagement and drive results.

1. Build a Quality Email List ��

The main foundation of all successful email marketing campaigns is a quality list of subscribers who are genuinely interested in your business.

Many small business owners make the mistake of purchasing email lists or adding contacts without permission.

This approach violates GDPR regulations (which can lead to hefty fines) it also results in poor engagement rates and damages your sender reputation.

Instead, focus on organic list-building methods:

Add a sign-up form to your website that offers something valuable in return, such as a discount code, free guide, or exclusive content
Collect email addresses at physical locations or events using a tablet or sign-up sheet
Create a lead magnet to solve a specific problem for your target audience
Include an option to subscribe in your email signature

Remember, it's so much better to have a smaller engaged list of subscribers than a large list of uninterested contacts. Quality will always win over quantity when it comes to email marketing! ��

2. Segment Your Audience for Personalised Communication ��

Once you've built your email list, the next step is to segment it based on relevant criteria.

Segmentation allows you to send more targeted, personalised messages that resonate with specific groups within your audience.

For a small service-based business in Essex, you might segment your list by:

Location (e.g., Basildon, Chelmsford, Southend)
Service interest (based on which pages they've visited on your website)
Customer status (prospect, new customer, loyal customer)
Engagement level (active vs inactive subscribers)

For example, Pete's Plumbing & Heating in Basildon might send different emails to:

New homeowners in the area who might need boiler servicing
Existing customers who haven't booked a service in over a year
Commercial property managers who require regular maintenance

By tailoring your message to each segment, you will see a more higher open rate, click-through rates, and conversions. ��

3. Subject Lines Need Be Compelling To Get Opened ✉️

Your subject line is the gatekeeper to your email content. It doesn't matter how brilliant your email is, without a compelling subject line it won't make an impact if it doesn't get opened.

Here are some tips for creating subject lines that stand out in crowded inboxes:

Keep it short and sweet (around 40-50 characters)
Create a sense of urgency or curiosity
Personalise when possible (using the recipient's name)
Avoid spam trigger words like "free," "guarantee," or excessive punctuation
Test out different approaches to see what your audience resonates with

For a local business, try including your location in the subject line to increase relevance. "New Drainage Solutions for Basildon Homeowners" will likely perform better than a generic "Our Services" subject line.

Remembering to deliver on the promise of your subject line in the email content – as clickbait might get opens initially, but it will over time erode trust. ��

4. Establish a Consistent Email Schedule ��

Consistency is definitely key in email marketing. Whether it's weekly, fortnightly, or monthly - your subscribers should know when to expect communications from you.

A consistent schedule helps to:

Keep your business top-of-mind
Build anticipation for your content
Establish trust and reliability
Prevent subscriber fatigue or surprise

For most small businesses, a monthly newsletter supplemented with occasional promotional emails for special offers or events works well.

However, the right frequency depends on your specific audience and the value you can consistently provide.

Whatever schedule you choose, stick to it!

It's best to use an email marketing platform which will allow you to schedule your emails in advance so that when you have time, you can prepare your upcoming content in batches. ��

5. Measure, Analyse, and Optimise Your Results ��

The best bit about email marketing is that it provides immediate, measurable feedback on your efforts. Take advantage of this by regularly reviewing your email performance metrics.

Key metrics to track include:

Open rate (it's good to aim for 20-25% or higher)
Click-through rate (again a good benchmark is 3-5%)
Conversion rate (how many recipients took your desired action)
Unsubscribe rate (should be under 0.5% per email)
Overall list growth rate

Use these insights to refine your approach. If you find certain types of content consistently perform better than others, create more of it.

If a particular subject line format drives higher open rates, adapt your strategy accordingly.

A/B testing is another powerful tool in your email marketing arsenal. Test one element at a time (subject line, send time, call-to-action placement) to identify what works best for your unique audience. ��

Wrapping Up

Email marketing remains one of the most cost-effective and direct ways you can communicate with your customers.

By building a quality list, segmenting your audience, applying compelling subject lines, using a consistent schedule, and continuously optimising based on results, you'll be able to create an email marketing strategy that drives real business results.

Remember, the goal isn't just to land in your subscribers' inboxes – it's to deliver value that keeps them looking forward to your next email. ��

What email marketing strategies have worked best for your business? We'd love to hear about your experiences.

What is Local SEO and How Does It Work

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Tue, 20 May 2025 14:30:58 GMT

Local SEO Is A Must Have

Have you ever wondered how some local businesses seem to pop up right at the top of Google when you're looking for services in your area? ��

That's not luck or magic – it's Local SEO in action!

What Exactly is Local SEO?

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is simply the process of making your business more visible in local search results.

Think of it as putting up digital signposts that help potential customers find your business when they are searching for the products/services you offer in their area.

For example, when someone searches for "roofers in Maidenhead" or "acupuncturist near me," local SEO determines which businesses appear at the top of those search results.

And trust me, being at the top matters – a staggering 75% of people don't usually scroll past the first page of search results! ��

Why Local SEO Matters for Your Business

If you're running a service-based business in the UK, Local SEO isn't just ooh that's nice to have – it is essential to your business.

Here's why:

It brings in customers who are looking to buy �� People searching locally often have urgent needs and are ready and willing to make a purchase decision.

It levels the playing field �� It gives small businesses the ability to compete with larger companies for local visibility.

It's cost-effective marketing �� Compared to traditional advertising, Local SEO offers an excellent return on your investment.

It builds trust �� Appearing in local search results adds credibility and trust to your business.

How Local SEO Actually Works

Let's break down how Local SEO works in simple, non-technical terms:

1. Google Business Profile (GBP) - Your Digital Shopfront

Your Google Business Profile (it used to be known as Google My Business) is like your shop window on the internet.

It shows your business hours, location, contact details, and customer reviews. Setting up and optimising your GBP is the foundation of Local SEO.

To get the most from your GBP:

Make sure all your information is accurate and complete
Add high-quality photos of your business
Respond to all customer reviews (good and bad!)
Post regular updates about offers, events, or news

2. Local Citations - Getting Your Name Out There

Citations are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) across the web. Think of them as digital references that confirm your business exists where you say it does.

The key with citations is consistency – your business details need to be exactly the same everywhere they appear online.

Even small differences (like "Street" vs "St.") can confuse search engines and hurt your rankings. ��

3. Reviews - What Others Say About You Matters

Reviews are gold dust for Local SEO. When customers leave positive reviews, it tells Google that your business is trustworthy and provides good service.

Encourage happy customers to leave reviews, and please always respond thoughtfully to all feedback – even the negative ones.

How you handle criticism says a lot about your business! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

4. On-Site Optimisation - Your Website Matters Too

Your website really needs to send very clear signals to Google about your location and services.

This includes:

Creating location-specific pages if you serve multiple areas
Including your address and phone number on every page (usually in the footer)
Using location keywords naturally in your content
Having a mobile-friendly website (this is non-negotiable in 2025!)

5. Local Content - Show You're Part of the Community

Creating content that's relevant to your local area shows Google that you are genuinely connected to the community you serve.

This might include:

Blog posts about local events or news
Guides specific to your area
Case studies of local clients
Information about local partnerships or sponsorships

Common Local SEO Pitfalls to Avoid

Even with all the best intentions in the world, many businesses often make these common mistakes:

Inconsistent business information �� Make sure your NAP details are identical everywhere.
Ignoring reviews �� Not responding to reviews (especially negative ones) is a huge missed opportunity.
Keyword stuffing �� Please don't go cramming location keywords unnaturally into your content can actually hurt your rankings.
Neglecting mobile users �� If your site isn't mobile-friendly, you're losing a huge amount of customers.
Forgetting to track results �� What gets measured gets improved!

How to Get Started with Local SEO

Ready to boost your local visibility?

Here's a quick action plan:

Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile - This should be your first priority!
Check your NAP consistency - Make sure your business details are the same across all platforms.
Encourage reviews - Ensure you set up a simple system to ask your satisfied clients for their feedback.
Optimising your website - Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and it's important to clearly show your location and service areas.
Create local content - Start producing content that demonstrates your local expertise.

The Local SEO Success Story

Let me share a quick example. Pete's roofing company in Southampton was struggling to compete with his competitors.

After implementing some basic Local SEO strategies – optimising his Google Business Profile, encouraging happy customers to leave reviews, and creating content about local events – Pete saw a 35% increase in new customers within just six months.

His business appears at the top of local searches, and he's even had to hire additional staff to keep up with demand! ��

While Pete's success in Southampton is inspiring, the same principles apply directly to local markets across the region. If you operate a service business in the South East, mastering local seo essex is your competitive advantage. Implementing a focused strategy, starting with a fully optimised google business profile basildon , ensures that your business capitalises on local search intent. This local focus is critical because it tells Google exactly where you operate and who you serve, driving high-converting local traffic directly to your business instead of your competitors.

The Bottom Line

Local SEO isn't rocket science, but it does require attention to detail and consistent effort. The good news is that many of your competitors aren't doing it well, which creates a perfect opportunity for your business to shine.

By following the steps outlined above, you can significantly improve your local visibility in local search results and bring in more customers through your door.

And please remember, Local SEO is a marathon, not a quick 100m sprint – the businesses that maintain their efforts over time are the ones that ultimately win the local search game. ��

Need help getting started with your Local SEO strategy? Feel free to reach out – helping local businesses grow is what we do best!

DIY Website Builders: The Hidden Costs Behind That 'Easy' Website Solution 🤔

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 13:10:50 GMT

While the monthly subscription might seem affordable, the real costs often hide in plain sight

Are you tempted by those flashy adverts promising you can build a professional website in just a few hours? ��

As a small business owner, it's natural to consider platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress.com when you're just starting out. They certainly make it sound easy enough – drag, drop, and voilà!

But before you go ahead and jump right in, let's have an honest chat about what you're really signing up for.

The True Cost Isn't Just Money ��

While the monthly subscription might seem affordable (usually £10-30 per month), the real costs often hide in plain sight:

1. Your Time: Even with 'easy' builders, you'll spend countless hours:

Learning the platform
Designing your pages
Writing content
Fixing things that don't look quite right
Time that could be spent serving your customers!

2. Lost Business Opportunities: Here's where it gets expensive…

Amateur design can hurt your credibility
Poor mobile responsiveness frustrates potential customers
Basic SEO settings might leave you invisible to local searches

"But How Will My Customers Find Me?" ��

This is the million-pound question! While DIY platforms offer basic SEO tools, they often fall short in crucial areas:

Local SEO: Most small businesses need local customers. DIY builders typically lack the robust local SEO features needed to compete in your area
Technical SEO: Important elements like schema markup, proper header structure, and loading speed optimisation often get overlooked
Google Business Profile Integration: A crucial element for local businesses that's rarely optimised properly in DIY solutions

The Real Numbers Speak Volumes ��

Consider this: If your DIY website misses just two potential customers per month due to poor visibility or unprofessional appearance, and your average customer value is £5,000 (as many service businesses experience), that's £120,000 in lost revenue over a year!

When DIY Might Work (And When It Won't) ⚖️

DIY website builders MIGHT be suitable if:

You're just testing a business idea
You need a temporary online presence
You have plenty of spare time to learn and maintain it

They're NOT suitable if:

Local search visibility is crucial for your business
You need to compete in a crowded market
Your time is better spent serving customers
You want to present a professional image

The Value of Going Pro

Choosing a professionally built website might cost more at the start, but it usually pays off in the long run. You’ll benefit from:

Local SEO that actually helps people find you
A mobile-friendly design that turns visitors into customers
A polished look that gives people confidence in your brand
Ongoing support to keep things running smoothly
More time for you to focus on growing your business

The Bottom Line ��

While DIY website builders might save you money initially, they often cost significantly more in lost opportunities and time investment. As a service-based business owner, your time is better spent doing what you do best – serving your customers and growing your business.

The Tiny Icon That Makes a Mighty Impact: Why Your Website Needs a Favicon 🎯

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 14:22:52 GMT

A favicon is the small, square image that appears in your browser's address bar

Have you ever noticed that little symbol next to a website's name in your browser tab? You know, the tiny Facebook 'f', the Twitter bird, or the Amazon arrow? That's a favicon - and while it might seem like a small detail, it's actually a powerful tool for your business! ��

What's a Favicon When It's at Home? ��

If you haven't been there, picture this: you have 15 browser tabs open at once, and you're trying to find that one website you need.

Without favicons, it's like trying to find your car in a massive car park where every vehicle looks the same. Frustrating, right?

A favicon (short for 'favourite icon') is that small, square image that appears in your browser's address bar, tabs, bookmarks, and mobile home screens when someone saves your website.

Think of it as your website's tiny digital logo.

Why Your Business Can't Afford to Skip This ��

Quick story for you - I'd been helping out a local car and van rental business owner who was puzzled about why his website didn’t come across as polished as his competitors'. On the surface, everything looked fine. But there was one tiny thing missing: the favicon. Instead of his logo, there was just that default grey globe in the browser tab. It seems small, but little details like that really do make a big difference.

Here's why favicons matter:

1. Brand Recognition ��

Your site will instantly be recognisable in crowded browser tabs
Helps strengthens your visual brand identity
Your customers will be able to find you much easier when browsing multiple tabs

2. Professional Polish ✨

Shows attention to detail
Makes your site look complete and trustworthy
Sets you apart from competitors who haven't bothered

3. Mobile Matters ��

When someone saves your website to their phone's home screen, your favicon becomes the icon they see. No favicon? You'll get a boring screenshot instead. Not very professional, is it?

The SEO Secret Nobody's Talking About ��

While favicons aren't a direct ranking factor, they do influence your site's performance in sneaky ways:

Higher engagement rates (people can find your tab easily)
Lower bounce rates (better user experience)
Improved brand recognition (people remember your site)

Getting It Right: The Technical Bits ��

Here's what makes a cracking favicon:

Keep it simple (it's tiny, remember!)
Make it recognisable at 16x16 pixels
Ensure it works on light and dark backgrounds
Use your logo or initials if you're stuck for ideas
Ensure it's a PNG with a transparent background

Real-World Success ��

A local home improvement company added a simple house-shaped favicon to their site. Small change, but their bookmarking rate increased by 15%! Why? Because their site looked more professional and was easier to find in crowded browser tabs.

The "Browser Tab Test" ��

Try this: Open your website alongside five competitors'. Can you spot yours instantly? If not, you know what needs fixing!

Ready to Get Started? ��

Your favicon might be small, but it's working 24/7 as your tiny brand ambassador. It's one of those small details that separates the professionals from the amateurs.

Need Our Help?

If you would like our help in creating or implementing a favicon, we can do just that. Sometimes it really is the smallest changes that can make the biggest difference to your website's success.

Remember: In the digital world, every pixel counts. Make yours work harder for your business! ��

Why Your Website Might Be Driving Customers Away (And How to Fix It!) 🤔

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 13:56:06 GMT

Your website isn't about looking flash - it's about getting customers

Picture this: You're out shopping in a shopping centre, trying to find that perfect pair of trainers. The shop's a maze, price tags are impossible to read, and there's not a shop assistant in sight. Frustrating, right?

That's exactly what your website visitors feel when they land on a confusing website. And trust me, after helping dozens of businesses sort out their websites, I've seen it all.

Let me share some real-world fixes that actually work (not just theory from some fancy marketing textbook!) ��

The "3-Second Rule" Test ⏱️

A local double glazing company whose website took ages to load. Turns out, he'd uploaded photos straight from his iPhone - each one was massive! His bounce rate dropped by 40% after we sorted the images. Here's what you can nick from his success:

Resize your photos before uploading (you can use FreeConvert it’s free)
If you're on WordPress, bin off any plugins you haven't used in 3 months
Check your hosting - that bargain basement deal might be costing you customers

Make It Dead Easy to Get in Touch ��

A Tall Tale: A potential client recently told me she'd visited three accountants' websites. She chose the one who had their mobile number prominently displayed because, in her words, "they seemed more approachable." Brilliant insight!

Pop your contact details where they're easy to spot:
Top right corner of every page
Footer (with your actual opening hours - none of that 24/7 nonsense if you're not)
A proper "Contact" page with your business address and a map

Stop Making Your Website a Maze ��️

Remember Woolworths? You always knew where to find the pick 'n' mix, right? Your website needs that same clarity.

A local estate agent simplified their navigation from 12 menu items to 5. Their viewing requests went up by 30%. Why? Because people could actually find the properties!

The Mobile Test That Never Fails ��

Try this: Pull out your phone, go to your website, and pretend you've got a cuppa in one hand. Can you navigate everything with just your thumb? No? Time for some changes.

Real-life example: A restaurant owner couldn't understand why their online bookings were low. Turns out, their booking button was impossible to tap on mobile. One quick fix later, and their bookings shot up.

The "Gran Test" ��

If your nan can't figure out how to use your website, it's too complicated. Simple as that.

Quick fixes that work:

Ditch the fancy fonts
Keep your paragraphs short (like this one!)
Use proper buttons, not just linked text
Add breathing space around important bits

Here's What Your Customers Actually Want ��

After reviewing hundreds of websites, here's what visitors actually click on most:

1. Prices (or at least some indication)

2. About page (they want to know you're real)

3. Contact details

4. Recent work/case studies

Make these dead easy to find, and you're already ahead of 90% of your competition.

The Best Advice You've Never Heard ��

Want to know the real secret to better website experience? Stop trying to be fancy. Your visitors aren't there to admire your web design skills - they want to solve a problem.

Need a Fresh Pair of Eyes? ��

Sometimes you're too close to see what's wrong. If you're scratching your head about why your website isn't converting, give us a call. We'll take a proper look - no marketing waffle, just honest advice about what's working and what isn't.

Remember: Your website isn't about looking flash - it's about getting customers through your door. Make it easy for them, and they'll thank you with their business. Simple as that!

Why Your Marketing Isn't Working (And What I Learned From My Friend) 💭

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:29:19 GMT

Is your website text too professional?

A friend of mine completely messed up last month. Properly messed up.

He’s a marketer, and after years of telling businesses to keep their marketing simple, he caught himself writing the most pompous, overblown rubbish for his own website. His wife read it and just laughed. " What happened to keeping it real? " she asked. ��‍♂️

She was right. He’d fallen into the trap he warns others about.

So, he scrapped everything and started fresh. Today, I want to share what he taught me because I bet you're making some of the same mistakes he did.

The Wake-Up Call ��

Picture this: He is sitting at his desk, proud of his newly written website copy. Words like "innovative" and "cutting-edge" are everywhere. Feeling pleased with himself.

Then one of his oldest clients rings up.

"What's happened to your website?" he asks. "It reads like you've swallowed a business textbook."

Ouch.

The Real Problem ��

We're all scared of looking unprofessional. I get it.

But here's what he had learnt the hard way - trying to sound professional usually ends up making you sound untrustworthy.

Think about it. When was the last time you trusted someone who couldn't explain what they do in plain English?

Three Hard Truths ��

1. Nobody cares about your "innovative solutions"

They care about whether you can fix their problem. That's it.

2. Big words don't make you look clever

They make you look like you're hiding something.

3. Perfect isn't trustworthy

Show some personality. Share some mistakes. Be human.

What Actually Works ��

Recently, I helped an Osteopath with his marketing. He was worried his writing wasn't professional enough. But you know what? His best marketing was a simple message, his slogan was ‘Removing Pain & Discomfort From Your Body’

Now, that's what his patients really care about.

The Fix ��️

Here's what my friend did to sort out his own marketing mess:

Deleted every "professional-sounding" phrase
Wrote everything like he was explaining it to me, a friend
Added real stories from actual jobs
Keep it simple
Made it practica l

The Results ��

Know what happened? More calls. More emails. More actual business.

It turns out that people prefer working with humans who admit they're human.

A Challenge For You ��

Look at your marketing right now. Your website, your emails, your social posts. Mark every word you wouldn't use in normal conversation.

Now, delete them all.

Scary, isn't it? But necessary.

What To Do Tomorrow ��

1. Read your website out loud

If you feel like a prat saying it, change it.

2. Tell a real story

Share something that went wrong and how you fixed it.

3. Show your personality

Add some life to your writing. Some character. Some you.

The Bottom Line ��

Your customers aren't looking for perfection. They're looking for someone they can trust. Someone who knows their stuff but isn't afraid to be real about it.

My friend learned this lesson the hard way. Don't wait until your oldest client has to ring you up and tell you you're talking rubbish.

Keep it real. Keep it simple. Keep it you.

Need help making your marketing more human? Give us a ring on 01268 439917. No fancy chat, just honest advice about getting more customers.

Marketing Chat From My Desk 🫖

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 14:03:05 GMT

Proper advice about getting more customers through your door

I am sitting at my desk in Langdon Hills. The tea's gone cold again.

Been on the phone since early this morning. It's the same old story from every caller.

" Got this fancy website, but no one's ringing us ."

Had a peek at their sites. Wow. ��

One's a local builder. His website's got more big words than my kid's English homework. Going on about "construction solutions" and "property enhancement."

Do me a favour. ��

Showed him what his competitors are writing:

"Need an extension? We'll pop round today for a chat. Free quote."

Simple, isn’t it?

Some marketing firm charged him a grand for writing fancy rubbish. I could've got a lot of Indian takeaways for that.

Speaking of money down the drain... ��

In one of the other chats I had, the lady said she’d spent three months' profits on some London crowd to "boost her online presence."

Translation: They've stuck her face on Facebook.

Really getting wound up now. ��

Look, if you're reading this, do yourself a favour. Get your nan to read your website . If she don't get it, bin it.

Proper marketing is dead simple:

Talk like a normal person
Stick your prices up front (well, maybe not always)
Answer your phone
Help people out

That's your lot.

Want me to prove it? Get in touch, and I’ll be able to show you what's working for our businesses just like yours.

Reckon your marketing needs sorting? Give us a call on 01268 439917.

We won't give you the fancy London chat. Just proper advice about getting more customers through your door.

The £50 Marketing Trick That Saved A Local Chippy

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 15:05:11 GMT

How to get your customers back...

Ever popped into your local chip shop and wondered how they stay busy while others struggle?

Recently I had a chat with Pete from who runs a fish and chip shop.

"I was proper worried last summer. The new kebab shop across the road was stealing all our Friday night regulars."

But Pete's story isn't about losing customers - it's about how he got them back.

And here's the kicker: it cost him less than a tank of petrol.

The Problem ��

Pete's shop had been a local favourite for 15 years. Same spot, same great chips, same friendly banter. But something wasn't working anymore.

"My son kept banging on about Google reviews and all that," Pete laughed. "I thought it was a load of rubbish, if I'm honest."

The Lightbulb Moment ��

One quiet Tuesday, Pete spotted something interesting. A young mum had driven 20 minutes past three other chippies to get to his shop. Why?

She'd seen photos of his homemade tartare sauce on Google.

The £50 Game-Changer ��

Here's what Pete did:

• Bought a decent phone holder (£15)

• Grabbed some proper lighting (£35)

• Started taking snaps of his daily specials

But here's where it gets clever...

The Real Secret ��

Pete didn't just post pictures of fish and chips. He shared stories:

• The time he taught his grandson to peel spuds

• His dad's secret mushy pea recipe

• Behind-the-scenes prep at 6am

"People love seeing what goes on back here," he grinned. "Had a bloke come in yesterday saying his kids wanted to see where the 'magic happens'."

The Results ��

Three months on:

• Friday nights? Packed

• New faces? Loads

• Best bit? Regular customers coming in more often

"It's not rocket science," Pete shrugged. "People want to know there's a real person behind the counter."

Quick Tips from Pete ��️

1. Show your face

"Don't hide behind your logo. Customers buy from people."

2. Share your routine

"Even boring stuff like prepping veg - people love it."

3. Keep it real

"No fancy filters. Just honest photos of honest food."

The Bigger Picture ��

Pete's story isn't just about a chip shop. It's about any local business competing with bigger players or newly launched businesses.

It's about turning your everyday work into content that connects.

Your Turn ��

Got a phone? Got a business? You've got everything you need to start. Take a page from Pete's book:

• Snap a photo of your morning prep

• Share a quick story about your day

• Show the faces behind your business

The Bottom Line ��

Marketing doesn't need to cost the earth. Sometimes, the best stories are already right there in your business - you just need to share them.

Want to chat about making your business more visible locally? Give us a call.

We promise not to bang on about algorithms - just honest advice about getting more customers through your door.

P.S. Pete's Friday nights are still booking up fast. Maybe it's time to try that tartare sauce for yourself? ��

Why Your Best Customers Might Be Slipping Away

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 12:49:06 GMT

...And What to Do About It ��

Whilst walking in town centres and high streets now, there are empty shops where thriving businesses used to be. I was thinking about why some local service businesses flourish while others fade away. The answer often boils down to one thing - l ooking after the customers you already have .

The Wake-Up Call ��

Jane (not her real name), an osteopath, was puzzled as to why her appointment book had gaps.

Her treatments were brilliant, and her prices were fair, but something wasn't clicking.

It turned out she was so focused on Facebook ads and leaflet drops that she'd forgotten about Sandra, her Tuesday regular, who'd been coming for three years but hadn't been in for months.

"I was chasing new faces," she admitted, "while my regulars were drifting away."

The Storage Success Story ��

There's a family-run storage facility that's got it sorted. Instead of just handing over keys and waving goodbye, they've turned storing stuff into a proper service. They snap photos when you move things in, mark out your space clearly, and even remember if you need a hand carrying the heavy bits.

"Most storage places treat units like empty boxes," the owner told me. "We treat them like people's memories."

The Double-Glazing Difference ��

Remember the old days of pushy window salesmen? Well, times have changed.

A double-glazing firm that's ripping up the old rulebook. Rather than the hard sell, they're building relationships .

Every installation comes with a proper aftercare plan.

They pop round after the first winter, check the seals, adjust the hinges. No charge. Just proper service.

Result? Their customers' neighbours are now their new customers.

Moving People, Moving Hearts ��

Here's a gem from a removal company. They noticed something - moving house is stressful enough without trying to remember where everything is. So now they take photos of how furniture was arranged in the old house. This helps people set up their new place exactly how they like it.

A simple touch has, a massive impact.

The Back-Care Brigade ��

Two chiropractors recently taught me something valuable. One sends automated birthday emails to clients. The other remembers that Mr Thompson's back plays up after he plays golf on Wednesdays and sends him stretching reminders the next morning.

Guess which one has a waiting list?

Real Talk Time ��

Looking after existing customers isn't rocket science. But it does need actual effort. Real conversations. Proper care.

What's Working Right Now:

• Personal check-ins that show you remember details

• Aftercare that goes beyond the basics

• Solutions to problems before they happen

• Being human, not corporate

The Numbers Don't Lie ��

Here's something worth knowing: Happy customers typically spend 33% more than new ones. Plus, they tell their friends, which is real word-of-mouth, not just Facebook likes.

Making It Work For You ��

Start small. Pick five customers you haven't heard from lately and send them a message. This should not be a sales pitch - just a genuine "How are you getting on?" Maybe mention something specific about their last visit or purchase.

Watch what happens.

Because here's the truth - in a world where everyone's shouting about being the best, simply being thoughtful stands out .

Your Next Step ��

Look at your diary. Who haven't you heard from in a while? Any gaps in your appointment book? They might be telling you something.

Remember - it's not about fancy CRM systems or complicated loyalty schemes. It's about treating people like people, not walking wallets.

And sometimes, that's all it takes.

Why Most Local Businesses Are Wasting Money on Marketing (And What to Do Instead)

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 14:04:50 GMT

Don't compete with the big national companies

Ever had that sinking feeling after spending a fortune on marketing, only to hear crickets? �� You're not alone.

A local plumber who'd blown £2,000 on Facebook ads. The result? Two calls and zero jobs. Ouch.

Here's the thing - most local businesses are pouring money down the drain because they're copying what the big national companies do.

But here's what they're not telling you...

The Local Business Marketing Truth Bomb ��

Your local plumbing business doesn't need to compete with British Gas. Your building firm doesn't need 100,000 Instagram followers. And your cleaning company definitely doesn't need to spend a grand on fancy video equipment.

What you actually need is dead simple:

Get Found When It Matters ��

Picture this: Someone's boiler's packed in. They're not scrolling Instagram for heating inspiration - they're frantically Googling "emergency heating engineer near me."

Quick tip: Make sure your Google Business Profile shows up when locals are searching. Update it weekly with photos of real jobs you've done.

Share genuine customer reviews. It's free marketing that actually works.

Talk Like a Human ��️

A removal company's opening paragraph on their website was written like some corporate robot: " We facilitate residential relocation solutions utilising innovative transportation methodologies. "

Mate, no one talks like that down the pub.

Best to switch it to: "We'll move your stuff without breaking anything, or we'll pay for it."

Bookings could double in a month.

The Power of Local Knowledge ��

Here's something the marketing gurus won't tell you - being local is your superpower.

When a potential customer sees you know their area, magic happens. Mention local landmarks. Talk about local events. Share stories about helping people in their neighbourhood.

Example? A carpet cleaner mentions specific local schools he's worked in. Parents trust him instantly because he's part of their community.

The Secret Nobody Talks About ��

Want to know the real secret to local marketing? It's boring. Dead boring.

It's showing up consistently. Posting regular updates. Responding to every review. Following up with customers.

No fancy tricks. No complex strategies. Just good old-fashioned reliability.

This focus on local visibility and genuine engagement is precisely why sophisticated local seo essex strategies consistently outperform broad national campaigns. You need to be the definitive answer for those "near me" searches. Ignoring this essential step is like operating a local business without signage. For service providers, this means regular updates to your google business profile basildon are mandatory. We specialise in helping businesses in the Basildon area shift their marketing spend from low-converting ads to high-converting local organic traffic. It’s about being reliable online so you can be booked offline.

What Next? ��

Pick ONE thing from this list and do it properly for the next month. Don't try everything at once - you'll drive yourself mad.

Need a hand? Pop us an email or call us

Remember - you don't need to be everywhere. You just need to be where your local customers are looking…

Why Most Local Business Websites Are Secretly Losing Customers (And How to Fix It)

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 14:58:04 GMT

Your website shouldn't be a maze

Ever walked into a shop where everything's a mess, the staff ignore you, and you can't find what you're looking for?

That's exactly what your website might be doing to potential customers right now! ��

Sarah is a chiropractor who couldn't figure out why her gorgeous new website wasn't bringing in appointments.

It turns out she was making the same mistakes I see every day while helping businesses.

Let's dive into the real problems (and proper solutions) that actually work.

The "We're Here!" Problem ��

Picture this: You're walking down the high street, and there's this amazing coffee shop.

But the sign's so small you almost miss it, and you can't tell if they're even open. Frustrating, right?

Your website might be doing the same thing. I came across a website and their phone number is at the bottom of the page!

Yeah, it may be on every page, but who's scrolling all the way down there when all they want is a quick call?

Quick Fix: Ensure your contact details are clearly visible - where they can't be missed – top right corner, on every single page.

Also make sure your opening hours are easy to spot!

The Mobile Nightmare ��

Here's a shocker – I just checked 20 local business websites in Essex.

Want to guess how many looked proper on my phone? Only 8! The rest were like trying to read the paper through a letterbox.

True story: A local garage lost £1,200 worth of bookings in one week because customers couldn't tap the 'Book Now' button on their phones.

The button was there, but it was playing hide and seek with their thumbs!

Sort It: Grab your phone right now. Open your website. Can you easily:

Tap to call?
Book a service?
Find your address?

If not, you're leaking customers faster than a dodgy tap.

The "Where Am I?" Muddle ��️

Remember when your sat-nav sent you to the wrong end of the industrial estate? That's how customers feel when they land on a confusing website.

Bear in mind that if someone is trying to book a local window cleaner, for example, they would have to bounce between five different pages to find the prices.

In the end, they would give up and call someone else. That window cleaner lost a job because their website was playing Twenty Questions!

The Fix:

Clear menu labels (none of that clever-clever stuff)
Prices where people can find them
Services explained in plain English
A big, prominent button for your most popular service

The Trust Problem ��

Most business owners don't realise that people are nervous about spending money with companies they don’t know.

Dave, a caterer, couldn't understand why his website wasn't converting. His food was brilliant, but his website looked like it had been built in 1995.

There were no reviews, no photos, and nothing to show that he wasn't some random bloke with a few bowls of crisps and nuts.

Trust Companies That Actually Work:

Recent customer reviews (real ones, not those generic "Great service!" ones)
Before and after photos too
Certificates and qualifications
Local area mentions
Real photos of you and your team (not stock photos!)

The "Call Us Maybe" Mistake ☎️

Stop making people work for it! I see too many websites where customers must jump through hoops to contact the company.

Quick story: a cleaning business added a simple WhatsApp button to their website recently. Bookings went up 40%!

Why? Because people could message them, while they were thinking about it.

Make It Easy:

Add multiple ways to contact you
Include a WhatsApp option (people love it)
Put a simple contact form on EVERY page
Make your phone number clickable on mobile

The Bottom Line ��

Your website shouldn't be a maze - it should be more like your favourite local pub: welcoming, easy to navigate, and inviting you to return.

Need help sorting your website? Give us a bell. We speak plain English, not tech waffle.

Local Marketing Gems Most Businesses Haven't Discovered Yet

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 14:13:07 GMT

Keep track of where your new enquiries come from

Look, I'll be honest with you - after working with dozens of businesses, I've noticed something interesting. There are some absolute marketing gems that most local business owners walk past every single day without realising it. Let's chat about them, shall we? ��

The Google Business Profile Gold Mine

Picture this: You've set up your Google Business Profile (yes, that thing that used to be called Google My Business), and you're getting a few calls here and there. But here's what most people miss - it's not just a digital business card. It's your 24/7 shop window.

A roofing company started posting before-and-after photos of completed roofs (with permission, of course). Within two weeks, their profile views increased. Why? Because people love seeing real work from real local businesses.

Quick Win: Next time you finish a job for a customer, or have successfully treated a patient, snap a photo and pop it on your profile. Add a brief story about how you helped solve the customer's or patient's problem. Real stories beat generic posts every time.

The Facebook Groups Secret

Here's something funny - while everyone's obsessed with their business page followers, there's a goldmine sitting right under our noses. Those local Facebook groups? They're absolutely buzzing with potential customers.

True story: An osteopath spent months trying to grow her Facebook page. Then she started genuinely helping people in local groups by answering questions. No selling, just helping. Guess what? She's now the go-to osteopath within her area.

Smart Move: Find three active local groups where your customers hang out. Spend 15 minutes each morning just being helpful. There is no sales pitch needed.

Team Up with Other Local Businesses

This one's cheeky, but it works brilliantly. Think about it: What other local businesses do your customers use? Not your competitors, mind you, but complementary businesses.

Here's an example: A mechanic could team up with a local mobile car valeter and a dent repair specialist.

It makes perfect sense, right? When customers bring their cars in for a service or MOT, they can also have them properly cleaned or have those annoying car park dents fixed while they're waiting.

The mechanic isn't losing any work - instead, they're improving their customers' experience. Plus, when the valeter or dent specialist spots mechanical issues during their work, guess who they recommend?

It's a win-win, and customers love getting everything sorted in one go.

Try This: Write down three local businesses your customers might use before or after they use yours. Give them a call for a coffee and a chat about working together.

Got a work's Van? View it as more than just a way to travel from A to B.

You're actually driving around with unused advertising space. But hold on - I don't mean plastering your van with boring old contact details.

A good example of this would be a local dog groomer putting a huge photo of a happy, freshly groomed dog on their van with the text "Does your pooch need a pamper? ��" It gets people smiling - and more importantly, remembering.

Top Tip: Make your vehicle memorable, not just informative. Use humour or eye-catching images that make people do a double-take.

Local Events - But Not How You Think

A double glazing firm recently did something different at their local Home Show. Instead of the usual sales pitch, they created an interactive "Energy Savings Calculator" station.

Homeowners could enter their window measurements and current heating bills into an iPad and instantly see how much they could save with different types of glazing. They even had a thermal imaging camera that showed how much heat people's homes might be losing. This was proper clever stuff, and homeowners were queuing up to check their potential savings.

The reason it worked? They weren't just trying to sell windows - they were helping people solve a real problem: rising energy bills. Plus, it gave everyone something interesting to take home (their personalised savings report), rather than just another leaflet that ends up in the recycling bin.

Give This a Go: Think about how you can make your next local event interactive and fun. People remember experiences, not sales pitches.

Making It Actually Work

Here's the thing - none of these ideas are rocket science. But they work because they're genuine, local, and personal. That's what customers love.

Start small. Pick one idea that feels right for your business and give it a proper go for a month. Keep track of where your new enquiries come from (just a simple notebook will do).

Remember, the best marketing often doesn't feel like marketing at all. It's just about being helpful, being visible, and being yourself.

Need a hand getting started? Give us a bell on 01268 439917 or drop us an email at info@getcustomersfast.co.uk . We love chatting about this stuff (maybe a bit too much, if we're honest!)

How to Use Social Proof to Skyrocket Your Service Business Growth

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:24:59 GMT

Potential customers want reassurance before they choose your service

Are you looking to give your service business a serious boost? �� Let's talk about one of the most powerful tools in your marketing toolkit - social proof. In today's digital world, potential customers want reassurance before they choose your service, and that's exactly what social proof delivers.

Why Social Proof Matters ��

Think about the last time you tried a new restaurant or hired a tradesperson. Did you check the reviews first? Of course, you did! That's social proof in action, and it's precisely what your potential customers are doing before they choose your service.

Let's dive into practical ways you can harness social proof to grow your business:

1. Customer Reviews: Your Golden Ticket ⭐

Getting genuine customer reviews should be at the top of your priority list. Here's how to do it right:

Ask for reviews at the perfect moment - right after you've delivered excellent service
Make it dead simple - send a direct link to your Google Business Profile
Respond to every review, good or bad, showing you're engaged and professional
Use a mix of platforms - Google, Trustpilot, and industry-specific review sites

2. Case Studies: Show, Don't Just Tell ��

Nothing beats a proper success story. Create case studies that:

Focus on specific problems you've solved
Include real numbers and results
Feature quotes from happy clients
Show clear before-and-after scenarios

3. Social Media Testimonials: Spread the Word ��

Turn your happy customers into brand advocates:

Share customer feedback on your social channels
Create eye-catching graphics with client quotes
Use video testimonials for maximum impact
Encourage clients to tag your business in their posts

4. Trust Badges and Certifications ��

Show you mean business with:

Industry accreditations
Professional memberships
Security certificates
Awards and recognition

Making It Work for Your Business

The key is to be genuine and consistent. Here's your action plan:

1. Set up a simple system to collect feedback regularly

2. Create a schedule for sharing testimonials across your platforms

3. Update your website to showcase your best social proof

4. Train your team to ask for reviews at the right time

NB: There is a plug-and-go service that makes it easy to implement this action plan. It automates feedback collection, shares testimonials, and updates your website with social proof, all without actually speaking to your clients/customers. Find out more.

Common Mistakes to Avoid ⚠️

Don't fall into these traps:

Using fake reviews (it's illegal, and customers can spot them)
Ignoring negative feedback
Overwhelming visitors with too many testimonials at once
Forgetting to update your social proof regularly

Measuring Success ��

Keep track of:

Review response rates
Conversion rates before and after adding social proof
Engagement in social proof content
Changes in enquiry quality

Remember, building social proof takes time, but it's worth every effort. Start small, be consistent, and watch your service business grow through the power of other people's positive experiences.

Top Tip: Create a 'Success Stories' section on your website where you regularly add new case studies and testimonials. It's like having your satisfied customers selling for you 24/7! ��

Getting Started Today

Begin with these simple steps:

1. Audit your current social proof

2. Identify your happiest customers

3. Create a simple feedback collection system

4. Start sharing authentic customer stories

Remember, in the service industry, trust is everything. By effectively using social proof, you're not just marketing your business - you're building a reputation that will attract clients for years to come. ��

Reviews: The Hidden Powerhouse Behind Service Business Growth

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 15:32:37 GMT

If you're like most people, you probably check reviews first

Let's have a proper chat about reviews, shall we? If you're running a service business, those little star ratings and customer comments are worth their weight in gold. Here's the real story about why they matter so much...

The Trust Game ��

Think back to the last time you needed a tradesperson. What's the first thing you did? If you're like most people, you probably checked their reviews.

It's funny how we trust complete strangers to help us make decisions, isn't it? But that's precisely what happens thousands of times each day across the UK.

Let's Get Real About Numbers ��

I was chatting with a local renderer who said something fascinating - after building up 50 genuine reviews, his quote acceptance rate jumped from 40% to 75%.

That's not just a nice bit of social proof; that's proper money in the bank!

Here's what we know for sure:

Most folks won't even consider a service without checking reviews first
Positive reviews often mean you can charge more (yes, really!)
Bad reviews aren't the end of the world (more on that in a bit)

The Local Business Advantage ��

Here's something interesting - when you're running a service business anywhere in the UK, reviews pack an extra punch. Why? Because we Brits love a good recommendation, especially when it comes to local services!

Your reviews affect:

How easily people find you on Google
Whether customers trust you enough to pick up the phone
How you stack up against the competition down the road

The Money Side of Things ��

Let's talk brass tacks. Good reviews mean:

More people saying yes to your quotes/proposals
Higher-value jobs coming your way
Less time convincing potential customers
More word-of-mouth referrals

But Here's the Thing... ��

Reviews aren't just about getting more customers. They're about understanding what makes your business tick.

 Every review tells you something valuable about your service:

What makes your customers happy
Where you might need to up your game
What sets you apart from the competition

The Google Game ��

Remember when the Yellow Pages was a thing? Now it's all about Google, and reviews play a massive part in whether you show up when people are searching.

A steady stream of good reviews tells Google:

You're a legitimate business
People trust you
You're active in your local area

Making the Most of Good Reviews ��

Smart business owners use their reviews everywhere:

On their website (front and centre!)
In their marketing emails
During sales conversations
On their vans and business cards
Within their Advertising
On any signs or site boards

When Things Go Wrong ⚠️

Bad reviews happen. Even the best businesses get them. But here's the secret - a few less-than-stellar reviews can actually make your good ones more believable. It's how you handle them that counts.

Looking Ahead ��

The way customers leave and read reviews is changing. We're seeing:

Reviews becoming more detailed
Customers expecting faster responses
Mobile reviews becoming the norm
More video reviews popping up

Wrapping It Up ��

Your reputation is everything in the service industry. Reviews aren't just nice to have - they're essential for growth. They're the modern version of word-of-mouth but with a much bigger reach.

The Bottom Line

Every positive review is a brick in the foundation of your business's future. They build trust, bring in new customers, and help you grow your service business in ways that advertising alone never could.

Need Help?

Then look no further than The Customer Feedback Centre.

It is an 'all-in-one' bespoke solution that is fully branded to your business and builds, grows, promotes, displays, shares, and manages all of your online reputation under one umbrella. It has been specifically designed for local service-based businesses just like yours!

For more information visit: Customer Feedback Centre

5 Local SEO Secrets That Most UK Business Owners Miss (But Shouldn't!)

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 14:50:23 GMT

Local SEO isn't rocket science

Ever walked past that busy local café and wondered why they're always packed while others struggle?

Chances are, they're not just making great coffee – they're also winning at local SEO! ��

As a local business owner, you're probably tired of seeing your competitors pop up everywhere while your business seems invisible online.

Let's change that, shall we? Here are five often-overlooked local SEO tricks that could give your business the boost it needs.

1. Your Business Name Matters More Than You Think ��

Here's something most people don't realise – how you list your business name across the internet actually impacts your local visibility.

I recently came across a Chiropractor who had three different versions of his business name online:

J. Smith Chiropractors
John Smith Chiropractic Centre
John Smith & Partners Chiropractic Clinic

The result?

Google will be confused, and its rankings will suffer. Pick one version and stick to it everywhere.

2. The Hidden Power of Local Business Schema ��

Think of schema as your business's digital ID card. While your competitors are probably ignoring it, adding local business schema to your website tells search engines exactly what you do and where you do it.

It's like giving Google a detailed map of your business!

3. Photos Are Your Secret Weapon ��

Did you know businesses with more than 100 photos on their Google Business Profile get 520% more calls than the average? (And no, they don't need to be professional shots!)

Take photos of:

Your team in action
Your premises (inside and out)
Your products or services
Happy customers (with permission, of course!)
Local landmarks near your business

4. The "Near Me" Trick ��

Here's something clever: Include phrases like "near [your area]" in your website's content.

For example, if you're a dentist in Manchester, don't just say "our dental practice." Say "our Manchester dental practice near Piccadilly Gardens."

5. Reviews: It's Not Just About Getting Them ��

Everyone knows reviews are essential, but here's the bit most miss: responding to reviews in a way that includes your location and services. Instead of just saying "Thanks for your review!", try:

“Thank you for choosing our Brighton home improvement company for your double glazing. We're so pleased your new windows were exactly what you wanted!”

The Bottom Line ��

Local SEO isn't rocket science, but it does require attention to detail and consistency.

Start implementing these tips today, and you'll likely see improvements in your local visibility within a few months.

Want More Customers? Here's What's Actually Working in 2025!

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 12:05:17 GMT

Here's something most marketing blogs won't tell you

Look, I get it. Marketing your business can feel like throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks.

After working with hundreds of UK service businesses, from home improvements to osteopaths, I've noticed something interesting – the businesses that grow fastest aren't always doing the flashiest things.

They're just doing the simple stuff really, really well.

So, grab a cuppa, and let's chat about what's actually working right now. ☕

The 'Google My Business' Gold Rush ��

Remember when having a website was enough?

Those days are long gone. Recently, I was chatting with Russell, a local double-glazing company struggling to get noticed.

His first job? Sorting out his Google Business Profile (yes, that's what they're calling it now).

Here's what worked for Russell:

He started posting weekly photos of his actual work (not those generic stock photos!)
Responded to every single review within 24 hours
Added his exact service areas (not just "Greater London")
Started using the Posts feature to share knowledge and tips

The result? He's now booked weeks in advance. Not too shabby

Getting Found Locally (Without Breaking the Bank) ��️

Being visible in your local area isn't rocket science, but it needs some elbow grease.

Here's the thing – you don't need to be everywhere; you just need to be where your customers are looking.

Try this:

Get listed in local business directories (but only the ones that matter)
Team up with complementary local businesses (like estate agents if you're a cleaner)
Create content about local events or news related to your industry
Make sure your contact details are exactly the same everywhere (sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised!)

Real Customer Stories Sell (But Only If They're Genuine) ��

Mike a garage door specialist in Essex, tried something brilliant.

Instead of just asking for reviews, he started taking "before and after" photos of every new garage door installed. He shared these on his social media.

The result? His booking rate doubled in just six weeks.

Email Marketing That Actually Works ��

Now, before you roll your eyes at another email marketing tip, hear me out.

The key is to be useful, not just promotional. One of our clients, a personal trainer, sends out a weekly email with:

One quick healthy recipe
A 5-minute workout anyone can do at home
A client success story

Simple stuff, but his open rates are through the roof because it's actually helpful!

Building Trust Through Proof ��

Here's something most marketing blogs won't tell you – people are getting better at spotting nonsense.

That's why genuine social proof is worth its weight in gold.

What works now:

Real photos of your team at work
Actual customer testimonials (video ones are gold dust!)
Industry certifications that actually matter
Behind-the-scenes content showing how you work

The Secret Sauce: Your Existing Customers ��

Want to know the easiest way to get new customers?

Look after your current ones!

Start a simple referral programme – nothing fancy, just a genuine thank you and perhaps a discount on future services for both parties.

Taking Action (Without Getting Overwhelmed)

Here's what I want you to do right now: pick ONE thing from this list.

Just one. Try it for a month. See what works. Then add another.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a successful service business.

Need a Hand?

If all this sounds great, but you're thinking "I barely have time to make a cup of tea, let alone do marketing," give us a call.

We help busy service business owners like you get more customers without the headache.

The 15-Minute Morning Routine That's Helping Local UK Businesses Attract More Customers

andrew@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Andrew Hurrell) — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 13:12:39 GMT

Stay visible and valuable to your local customer base without overwhelming your schedule

We all know running a local business means wearing multiple hats. Between serving customers, managing staff, and handling paperwork, marketing often takes a back seat. But what if you could boost your local presence by spending just 15 minutes each morning?

Here's a practical routine that's working wonders for service businesses across the UK.

The Power of the "Daily Fifteen"

7:45 AM - Customer Response Check (5 minutes)

Start your day by quickly scanning any overnight messages or reviews. Whether it's a glowing review from a satisfied customer or a question from a potential client, being one of the first businesses to respond each day makes a remarkable difference.

A Manchester-based electrician recently shared how this simple habit helped him secure three new contracts in a month - simply because he was the first to respond to early-morning enquiries.

7:50 AM - Local Pulse Check (5 minutes)

Spend five minutes checking your local community Facebook groups or local news websites.

Is there a street fair coming up? Perhaps roadworks affecting your area?

This local knowledge helps you adjust your service delivery and shows customers you're truly part of the community.

A Leeds beautician recently boosted her bookings by simply posting helpful alternative parking suggestions when roadworks began outside her salon.

7:55 AM - Daily Connection (5 minutes)

Make one meaningful interaction online. This could be:

Congratulating another local business on their achievement
Sharing useful information about your area
Answering a relevant question in a community group
Posting a quick tip related to your industry

A Bristol plumber doubled his emergency call-outs after regularly sharing simple maintenance tips in local Facebook groups. He wasn't selling - just helping - and people remembered him when they needed services.

Why This Works in Today's Market

The "Daily Fifteen" works because it taps into what today's customers really want: responsiveness, local knowledge, and community connection. While your competitors might be spending hundreds on flashy advertising, you're building genuine local relationships that lead to long-term customer loyalty.

Real Results from Real UK Businesses

A Nottingham physiotherapist reported that this routine helped her maintain a steady stream of new clients without any paid advertising. Her secret? She used her daily five minutes of local pulse checking to spot and connect with new fitness groups in her area.

Making It Work for Your Business

The key to success with the "Daily Fifteen" is consistency over intensity. You don't need to write essays or create elaborate marketing campaigns.

Simple, genuine interactions work best.

Adapt the routine to your business:

Trades: Focus on seasonal maintenance tips
Professional Services: Share industry updates that affect local businesses
Health Services: Connect with local wellness initiatives
Retail: Highlight community events near your shop

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Don't use this time for hard selling
Avoid getting drawn into long social media sessions
Skip the generic business posts - keep it local and personal

Measuring Success

You'll know this routine is working when:

People mention seeing you "everywhere" locally
You receive more direct messages asking about services
Customers reference your helpful tips when booking
Other local businesses start reaching out for collaboration

The Bottom Line

In today's digital age, it's easy to get caught up in complex marketing strategies. But for local service businesses, success often comes from simple, consistent actions that build community connections. The "Daily Fifteen" routine helps you stay visible and valuable to your local customer base without overwhelming your schedule.

Remember: Your biggest advantage as a local business isn't your marketing budget - it's your ability to be present and responsive in your community. Make these 15 minutes count, and watch your local presence grow naturally.

How to Make Your Business Stand Out With SEO Services

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 06:28:46 GMT

Are you looking for a way to make your business stand out from the competition?

If so, investing in SEO services could be the answer you’re looking for. In this article, we’ll explore how your business can make its mark with SEO services.

What Is SEO?

SEO, or search engine optimisation , is the process of improving a website's visibility on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

By using a combination of techniques and strategies, SEO aims to improve a website's ranking in search results. The higher a website ranks, the more likely it is to be seen by users searching for relevant keywords.

Why Is SEO Important for Your Business?

With many businesses competing for customers' attention, it's crucial to stand out in search engine results , regardless of whether you're an online shop or not.

By investing in SEO services your business can improve its online visibility, attract more traffic to your website, and ultimately generate more leads and sales.

How Can Your Business Make Its Mark With SEO?

1. Conduct Keyword Research

Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO campaign.

By identifying the keywords and phrases your potential customers are using to search for your products or services, you can optimise your website to appear in search results for those terms.

You can use various online tools available to help with keyword research.

2. Optimise Your Website

Once you have identified your target keywords, it's time to optimise your website accordingly.

This involves changing your website's content, structure, and code to make it more appealing to search engines.

Some key areas to focus on include:

Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: These are the snippets of text that appear in search engine results. Ensure they contain your target keywords and accurately reflect the content on your website.

Content: Your website's content should be high-quality, informative, and relevant to your target audience. Use your target keywords naturally throughout your content, but avoid overstuffing your pages.

Site Structure: Your website's structure should be easy for search engines to navigate. Use clear, descriptive URLs and organise your content into logical categories

3. Build Backlinks

Backlinks, or links from other websites to your site, are an essential factor in SEO . The more high-quality, relevant backlinks your website has, the more authoritative it appears to search engines.

There are many ways to build backlinks, such as guest posting on other blogs or participating in online forums.

4. Monitor Your Progress

SEO is an ongoing process , and it's important to monitor your progress regularly to ensure your efforts are paying off.

You can hire an SEO agency to use tools like Google Analytics to track your website's traffic, keyword rankings, and other vital metrics. They will use this data to make informed decisions about how to continue improving your website's SEO.

Conclusion

Regardless if you're an online shop or a brick-and-mortar store with a website, SEO services can benefit your business.

It will help you stand out online, attract more traffic to your website, and generate more leads and sales.

By conducting keyword research, optimising your website, building backlinks, and monitoring your progress, you can improve your online visibility and stay ahead of the competition.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

Responsive Design and Its Importance for Your Business

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 06:35:30 GMT

An established website is crucial for your business in today's digital world. Nearly everyone is using the internet to find information about products, services, and businesses like yours.

Your website is a great step to showcase your brand , engage with your customers , and provide valuable information about your company.

Responsive design is an essential part of web design and digital marketing that allows your website to look good on any device. Users can view your website regardless of their screen size or device.

Here are the following reasons responsive design is essential for your company:

1. Ease of Management

As a business owner, your website is one of the most important tools for connecting with potential customers and showcasing your products and services.

Unfortunately, many companies, especially small ones, don't have the time or luxury to refresh or update their website regularly.

This can lead to a website that looks outdated, lacks current information, or isn't up to modern website design standards.

With responsive design, you only need to change one website version, which will automatically adjust to fit any device.

This makes website management much easier and more efficient.

2. Enhanced Your User's Experience

User experience (UX) plays a crucial role in digital marketing by influencing conversions and customer retention.

It encompasses a customer's overall impression when they engage with your website or application. A positive user experience can be the deciding factor between a successful campaign and one that fails to make an impact.

Responsive design guarantees a favourable experience on your website, regardless of the device being used.

This is particularly vital for your business, as it can lead to higher conversion rates and lower bounce rates.

3. Cost Effectiveness

Many entrepreneurs don't want to put up a website and incur the cost of hiring a web designer in fear of investing money only to see no returns.

However, a website with a responsive design can help keep your costs low.

Responsive websites are easier to maintain and can be built faster than traditional websites.

This is because a single website can target all devices, meaning there's no need to create separate websites for each device.

This approach means you'll spend fewer hours spent on development and less money spent on hiring a web designer.

4. Flexibility

When creating digital marketing strategies , you must be flexible so you can adapt to changes in the market and make the most of new opportunities.

Responsive websites offer this flexibility so you can easily adapt to different screen sizes and devices.

This means you can quickly update your website to carry on with the current trends and technologies without needing to rebuild it from the ground up.

This flexibility lets you quickly adjust your marketing campaigns to target your audience better.

Final Thoughts

Responsive design is essential for your business if you are looking to succeed in the digital marketplace.

It allows your company to ensure your online presence is consistent across multiple devices and platforms, thereby ensuring that your potential customers have an enjoyable experience when they visit your website.

Aside from that, it will help your business improve its SEO ranking , as search engines prefer websites with a mobile-friendly design.

With a receptive design, your business can ensure its website looks great and functions properly on all devices, helping to increase your customer base and revenue.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

How to Nail Your Local SEO and Ensure Your Local Business Website Delivers

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 21:57:07 GMT

Local SEO ( Search Engine Optimisation ) is an important part of your business's digital marketing strategy.

Optimising your local SEO can increase your business's visibility , drive more traffic to your website, and generate more leads and sales.

To ensure your local business website delivers, you need to take steps to nail your local SEO:

Why Does Having a Website with Excellent Design Matter for your Local Business?

A good website design for your business is critical for attracting and keeping customers. It increases the your business's visibility , establishes credibility and trustworthiness, and communicates your business's values.

It also helps customers easily find your products and services your business offers and allows customers to quickly contact your business for information.

Moreover, a good website design will help your business stand out from your surrounding competitors , differentiate yourself from other local businesses, and create a memorable buying experience for prospective customers.

Why Local SEO Matters for Your Business Website

Local SEO is hugely important when it comes to increasing the visibility of your business website.

By optimising your website towards local searches and improving its local presence through directory listings and citations, your business can gain more customers locally and increase your marketing reach.

Local SEO will put your business at the top of the search rankings when people are looking for services, products, or businesses near them, allowing you to take advantage of the close proximity of customers.

In addition, customers are more likely to trust you as a local business and are more likely to be repeat customers, meaning more leads and higher profits.

How to Nail Your Local SEO and Ensure Your Local Business Website Delivers

Here are some key areas that need to be addressed to ensure local SEO success:

1. Optimise Your Content

The best way to ensure local SEO success is to optimise your content .

This means using relevant keywords and phrases that are specific to your area so that it is easy for local customers to find your website.

Additionally, you should ensure your content is relevant and engaging , as this will help improve your search engine rankings and visibility.

You should also consider optimising your metadata, such as title tags and meta descriptions, which helps to show search engines what the content is about.

2. Develop Local Links

Link building is another key factor in local SEO success.

Developing local backlinks, or links from other websites in your area is a great way to increase visibility and improve your search engine rankings .

You should focus on developing links from local websites and directories, as this will help to boost your website and make it more visible to local customers.

3. Utilise Social Media

Social media is another vital element of local SEO .

Setting up accounts on popular platforms, such as Facebook and X (formly Twitter), will help you connect with local and potential customers.

You can build relationships and increase website traffic by actively engaging with your audience and showcasing relevant content.

Additionally, you should ensure you are utilising local hashtags so that your content is visible to the right target audience.

4. Add Your Business to Online Directories

Adding your business to online directories is a great way to increase your visibility and reach local customers.

You should submit your website to reputable directories and make sure they are optimised with relevant content and images.

Additionally, you should ensure the information is accurate and up-to-date, which will help improve your search engine rankings.

5. Monitor Your Performance

The final step in ensuring local SEO success is to monitor your performance.

You should use analytics tools to track your website’s performance and ensure your efforts pay off.

You should identify any areas that are underperforming and focus on optimising them to achieve the desired results. By doing this, you will be able to ensure your local SEO strategies are on track and helping you to reach your goals.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can ensure your local SEO success and guarantee your local business website is delivering great results. It is important to remember that SEO is an ongoing process , and you need to continually monitor your performance and make changes accordingly. With the right strategies, you can ensure that your local business website delivers and achieves the desired results.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

Why Content Marketing is Key for Digital Marketing Strategies

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 14:49:30 GMT

D igital marketing is the process of using technology to promote your products or services .

It can be done through various channels, including email, social media, search engines, and websites. One of the most important aspects of digital marketing is content marketing.

What is Content Marketing?

Content marketing which is sometimes referred to as ' Inbound Marketing ', is a type of digital marketing that focuses on creating and sharing your content to attract and engage with your target audience.

Your content marketing can include blog posts, videos, podcasts, infographics , and other forms of media.

The goal of content marketing is to build your relationships with your audience and to increase your brand awareness.

Why Content Marketing is Important

1. Builds Trust and Authority

Content marketing can help to build trust and authority in your brand.

By providing helpful and valuable content, you can establish yourself as an expert in your field and build relationships with your audience.

This can help to build loyalty and trust in your brand and make it easier for customers to make purchasing decisions.

2. Increases Visibility

Content marketing can help you to increase the visibility of your brand.

Creating content that is optimised for search engines can help you to increase your organic search rankings of your website and make it easier for your customers to find you.

Additionally, sharing your content on social media can help to reach a larger audience and increase brand awareness.

3. Generates Leads

Your content marketing can be an effective way to generate leads.

By creating content that is interesting and valuable to your target audience, you can encourage them to take action and sign up for your services or purchase your products.

4. Drives Conversions

Content marketing can help to drive conversions by providing information that helps to persuade your customers to make a purchase.

By creating content that speaks directly to your target audience, you can create a personalised experience that encourages your customers to make a purchase .

5. Enhances Customer Relationships

Content marketing can also help to enhance your customer relationships.

By creating content that is valuable and helpful to your customers, you can build relationships with them and create loyalty.

Additionally, by providing content that is tailored to their needs, you can create a personalised experience that will keep customers coming back.

How to Build a Content Marketing Strategy

1. Identify Your Target Audience

The first step in creating a successful content marketing strategy is to identify your target audience.

Who are you trying to reach?
What do they care about?
What are their pain points?

Once you have identified your target audience, you can create content that speaks directly to them and their needs.

2. Define Your Goals

Once you have identified your target audience, you need to define your goals.

What do you want to achieve with your content marketing strategy?

Do you want to increase conversions?

Drive more traffic to your website?

Build relationships with customers?

It’s important to define your goals so that you can create content that is tailored to achieve those goals.

3. Create a Content Calendar

Once you have identified your target audience and defined your goals, you need to create a content calendar.

This will help you stay organised and ensure that you are creating content regularly.

4. Monitor Your Results

Finally, you need to monitor your results.

This will help you determine what is working and what isn’t.

You can use analytics tools to measure the performance of your content and make adjustments as needed.

Content marketing is a powerful tool for driving conversions and building relationships with customers.

By following these steps, you can create a successful content marketing strategy that will help you reach your goals.

Conclusion

Content marketing is an essential part of a successful digital marketing strategy.

By creating valuable, engaging content, your business can attract and retain customers, build trust and loyalty, and ultimately grow your customer base.

Content marketing also helps your business to target your audience more effectively, build brand awareness, and increase your visibility in search engine results.

With the right approach, your content marketing can be a powerful tool for driving traffic, leads, and conversions. You should invest in quality content to ensure your digital marketing efforts are successful.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

Sensible Reasons to Hire a Reliable Digital Marketing Agency

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 16:45:03 GMT

Digital marketing companies offer various services to help you achieve their marketing objectives.

Some businesses specialise in a particular marketing channel (like social media or paid search).

Others offer a more comprehensive selection of digital marketing services .

We'll discuss how a digital agency may improve your company's marketing efforts and the services they offer to help you reach your business objectives.

1. Increase Channel Reach

Online marketing gurus can help you reach more viable marketing channels, increase your social media following , build a content strategy that generates website traffic, and maximise your online presence.

For instance, if your social media campaigns are doing well but still need to drive unpaid traffic to your website, you can hire a company that specialises in generating SEO-optimised content through activities such as keyword research, which helps generate inbound traffic.

2. Conserve Funds

Agencies can give you personnel from all digital marketing specialisations. Your business must hire numerous full-time staff to provide all the services that a full-service agency can.

Doing so saves money on new employee onboarding and long-term salary and benefits commitments.

A marketing agency also provides discounted access to premium marketing materials.

Paid services such as SEO (search engine optimisation)trackers, PPC (pay per click) management tools, and competition analysis tools might be game-changers for your marketing team.

Still, they can be relatively inexpensive for small businesses to acquire.

Paid services such as SEO (search engine optimisation)trackers, PPC (pay per click) management tools, and competition analysis tools might be game-changers for your marketing team.

Still, they can be relatively inexpensive for small businesses to acquire.

3. Gather New Ideas

A web development business may assist you in improving your website design by studying user behaviour to determine where your website is succeeding and where it may fall short.

They can also help verify that your site is up to date with SEO guidelines and any new compliance issues that may have slipped through the cracks, ensuring that your site performs appropriately across multiple browsers, operating systems, and devices.

While email marketing is one of the older digital marketing channels, it is still an excellent method to communicate with your existing clients through newsletters or frequent blasts with product deals.

It can be used creatively, such as automatic lead nurturing . Suppose you get up to date on the latest email innovations.

In that case, an email marketing agency can swiftly create an email marketing plan that incorporates automation, personalisation and messaging geared to reaching and converting your target clients.

Combining their web marketing expertise with your industry experience can lead to fresh ideas for getting your brand in front of a more significant portion of your target audience.

4. Spend less time

If you are a small business, generally you may be the owner that play many responsibilities inside your company.

In addition to managing your staff, operations, and inventories, you may be responsible for identifying new product opportunities, closing sales, and cultivating leads.

Taking on all of these responsibilities could consume a great deal of your time.

Hiring an agency to do the more specialised work lets you and your in-house marketing team concentrate on your core skills while you supervise the more effective marketing strategy.

Bringing in a digital marketing business can also save managers time by handling most of the implementation.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that digital marketing agencies can help you reach your company's goals by offering experience, resources, and a fresh look at your current strategies.

As long as you're working with an agency with a proven track record in delivering successful campaigns and staying up to date on the latest trends, you'll find that hiring a digital marketing agency makes sense for your business.

If you need SEO services to increase your ranking, it would be best to work with a digital marketing agency!

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

5 Reasons to Hire a Digital Marketing Agency

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 18:24:38 GMT

Are you looking to give your business an edge? If so, then a digital marketing agency can be the perfect solution!

In today's digital world, having a strong digital presence is essential to the success of your business.

From building a website to optimising content for search engines, digital marketing professionals can help you reach your goals.

Here are five reasons why you should consider hiring a digital marketing agency:

1. Expand Your Business Online

Taking the plunge into digital can feel intimidating, but it is essential for staying afloat and keeping up with your competition.

With the right digital marketing agency, you can manage the transition and establish your online presence with minimal effort.

They can help build your website, start a social media campaign, and manage your email list. All this will allow you to focus on running your business as usual and leave digital marketing to the experts.

2. Access Resources You May Not Have

If you don't have the budget to hire a full-time digital marketer, you can still reap the benefits of a digital marketing agency.

You can save money by taking advantage of the resources they have access to that would otherwise be expensive.

Doing it yourself may take longer and cost more money, so it's worth looking into the return on investment a digital marketing agency can bring.

They can help you reach a new target audience that you may not have been able to reach before, and their services may pay for themselves.

3. Get More Customers

When you use a digital marketing agency for your pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, you invest in a service that can help you get the most out of your ad spend.

The agency will design your ads to look more professional and target the right audience.

This means that you are more likely to get more people interested in your ad and, ultimately, get a better return on your investment.

4. Help You Focus on What You Do Best

Hiring a digital marketing agency can give your business a competitive advantage because they are experts in the field and can provide you with the best strategies and tools to reach your goals.

They have the experience and knowledge to quickly learn and use the latest tools and techniques so that you don't have to learn or experiment independently.

This saves you the time and effort it would take to become proficient in digital marketing.

5. Rest Knowing That Everything Is Handled Well

Hiring a full-time employee for digital marketing can be expensive and time-consuming, but hiring a digital marketing agency can save time and money.

With an agency, you don't have to worry about recruiting the right people since they already have highly skilled employees.

This also frees up some of your resources to focus on growing and scaling your marketing efforts.

Conclusion

Hiring a digital marketing agency can be a great decision for your business. It can help you save time, money and effort while allowing you to reach more customers. With a digital marketing agency, you can focus on what matters the most to your business and get the most out of your marketing efforts.

Investing in a digital marketing agency is a smart and effective way to grow your business in today's digital world.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

Keeping existing customers loyal

Tue, 26 Sep 2017 13:47:11 GMT

You should do everything possible to keep your customers happy

Attracting new customers can be an expensive business.

Yes, it's exciting when a new client comes on board.

Yes, there's the thrill of the chase, the satisfaction that comes with making the sale.

But the fact is that it costs around eight times less to hold on to an existing customer.

That got your attention didn't it?

Keeping your existing customers loyal to your business is around eight times cheaper than going out and selling to new people.

Therefore, it makes perfect sense that you should do everything possible to keep them happy.

So what can you do to encourage your customers to continue buying from you?

Stay In Contact

If someone makes an enquiry, make sure you respond, even if it's to say 'sorry but that's not something we can do'.

If someone places an order, acknowledge receipt quickly so they know that everything has gone through correctly.

If you sell online, you can use the auto-reply feature in your e-commerce package; if your sales procedure is a little more basic, an email will suffice.

When it comes to returns, again, you need to contact the customer to let them know you have received it once they arrive.

And complaints also need to be dealt with in a friendly, professional and timely manner.

Deliver On Your Promise

The old adage, 'under-promise and over-deliver' is true – you want to make sure that you live up to customers' expectations.

Make sure you can fulfil orders on time, deliver a service in the way you've described, and have the knowledge and information they're looking for.

Give them a great experience and they're going to not only buy again from you, but also tell their friends and family about your business.

Stay Up-To-Date

You may have a few staple offerings that have served you well for years.

However, it is important to stay up-to-date with any trends that may have an impact on your business.

New products, updated services, competitions, offers, timely news – they all keep you looking fresh and interesting, which keeps your customers interested in you.

Sort out any issues quickly and professionally

Like it or not, you can't be perfect all the time. If you make a mistake, rectify it in a efficient, professional and friendly manner.

Do what you can to ensure the customer knows you are sorry for any inconvenience, and that you are doing your best to rectify the situation.

Customers will appreciate a call far more than an automated message and a discount or small gift will work wonders.

Problems don't have to be 100% negative – think of a complaint as an opportunity to learn more about how others view your products and services.

For example, if a certain product is consistently complained about, perhaps it's time to update, improve or remove it from your product list.

It is also the chance to put your customer service skills into practice.

Remember too that you need to put up a united front.

Even if another member of staff has made an error, it's all about remaining positive rather than critical.

Apologise but don't criticise your colleague.

Stay Proactive

Once a business seems to be ticking over, it's all too easy to become complacent.

Don't – stay proactive or before you know it, that sales pipeline has dried up.

It's important to continually review your service by carrying out regular customer satisfaction surveys.

This doesn't need to take much organisation – all you need to do is call or email a selection of customers to ask for their feedback.

In certain industries, utilising the services of a mystery shopper could provide you with an insight into your customers' experience when buying from you.

Reward Loyal Customers

Too many times we hear about massive discounts for new customers, while long-term customers get nothing. Why should they stay loyal when they could make substantial savings buying elsewhere?

Why not set up loyalty scheme that features unique rewards for people that continue to buy from you? Offer discounts based on the amount of products they purchase, two for one offers, free gifts etc. It is important to remember that you shouldn't then offer the same rewards to first time customers – if you do, it's likely you will alienate your longstanding customers.

Customer retention may not be as exciting as the thrill of landing a big client, but it really is the foundation of any successful business. Look after your core customer base and they will look after you. It really is as simple as that.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

5 tips to create great blog titles

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 00:00:00 GMT

People mistakenly believe that good content alone will draw an audience

With millions of blogs posted every week, it’s a tough enough challenge getting people to read your articles – let alone share them.

People mistakenly believe that good content alone will draw an audience. The truth is a title is the most critical part of a blog and is the decider as to whether it’s read or ignored.

Get the title wrong and you won’t even have a chance to show off your impressive writing skills.

The following five tips will help you write blog titles that’ll win your web visitors and search engine rankings.

1. Make it appealing

Many Twitter followers share articles they’ve never even read simply because of the strength of a title. Such titles are dramatic, possibly controversial, and are designed to get people talking.

They are also very ‘cool’ as the mere act of sharing them is designed to add credibility to the Twitter user.

You, and others, like to read exclusive information so phrases like ‘Ten things you didn’t know…’ engages readers and grabs your attention.

2. Use numbers

Newspaper journalists learn very early in their training about the power of numbers.

Numbers placed early on in a title draw your the reader’s interest and instantly stand out. A title using a number such as: ‘5 tips for avoiding a parking fine’ is better than ‘Avoiding a parking fine’.

3: Ask the questions the public are asking

Let’s not forget, part of the reason we’re writing a blog is to increase our SEO ranking . If you want to maximise website traffic, write a blog based on a frequently searched for question.

There are a number of ways to find out what people are searching for, not least on Google Suggest . This is Google’s automatic drop down suggestion tool based on previous searches.

In such question-led titles, the idea is to answer the question fully within the body of the blog. This will help increase the number of visitors to your blog.

4. Include a keyword

The use of keywords in your titles will do wonders for attracting visitors to your site. However, don’t over cram a title with keywords it still needs to be appealing. Audiences can smell a rat and if they doubt your authenticity, they might never visit again.

Your titles should be below Google’s limit of 70 characters for every title tag line. This will ensure readers know what they’re getting immediately.

5: Help people improve themselves

Titles which help people to improve themselves, especially in their professional roles, are very popular. People are always looking to get better at something.

Titles incorporating numbers and offering self-improvement are an instant draw. Examples include: ‘50 ways to increase your salary potential’, ‘10 tips to make you a better manager’ or ‘ the 3 most important things to have on your website ’ .

I hope this post has inspired you to write bigger and bolder titles. It really is worth doing your homework. A title might only be a few words but it’s the gateway to bigger audiences and increased brand awareness.

If you found this article of interest then feel free to share below.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

Five simple ways of collecting email addresses

Tue, 13 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Have your efforts to grow your customer database been half-hearted of late?

Have your efforts to grow your customer database been half-hearted of late? Have you taken your foot off the pedal when it comes to collecting new customer contact details?

If the answer is yes, then you’re not alone. So we thought we’s share with you our five simple ways of collecting email addresses.

In my experience, many businesses lose momentum after an initial push to gather customer data.

Some even ask me for how long should they go on collecting customer details.

The truth is you should never stop collecting customer email addresses. Many people change their email addresses when they move jobs while others choose to opt out of receiving your email content.

Some people even keep an email address exclusively for marketing content – and rarely, if ever, look at it.

What does this mean for your business? Well, your customer database will continue to shrink until you eventually reach nobody.

Collecting your customer email addresses should be second nature to you and given the same level of importance as stock taking and keeping on top of your accounts.

Fresh addresses should be continually added so you never run out of an audience.

Your customer email addresses are the route to future sales and no company can afford to neglect them. The challenge is acquiring them.

Consumers have become marketing savvy and will only give away their personal email address if they have a true desire to receive content from the business.

Many have come up with innovative ways to avoid receiving junk mail (such as the junk mail address they provide to everyone).

If you’re struggling for inspiration, then the tips below will help you to entice your customers to leave their personal email address – and come back for more!

1. Develop a lead generation offer

It’s a true fact that nothing is likely to convince a customer to sign up for your email content more than a free offer.

This can be a money-off coupon, a loyalty scheme or a free e-book or whitepaper.

Giving something away will help you to reach a wider audience than might have otherwise captured but to keep these onboard your future content needs to be captivating.

2. Include an email sign-up tab on your social media pages

The benefit of adding a sign-up call to action on your Facebook page, blog or on LinkedIn is the fact that you’re making life easier for people interested in what you have to say.

Visitors to your pages might not bother to hunt around on your website to sign-up for your newsletter but they could be convinced if it’s right in front of them.

3. Feature a promotion on a partner website

Tap into the audience of some of your business network to attract fresh customer email addresses.

Affiliate companies and businesses offering services which compliment your own offering will have the most valuable pool of customers to draw upon.

4. Take a stand at business exhibitions and trade shows

There’s little point in collecting email addresses of people who have no need for your service.

A good way of reaching the right audience is to be present at industry events and tradeshows which are specific to your line of work. Visitors will be in the ‘active phase’ of sourcing information.

5. Motivate your current subscribers to recruit ‘friends’

One of the best ways of doing this is to include a ‘ share with friends ’ on your email content and on your website/blogs. This will make it easier for your subscribers’ networks to opt-in to your list.

There are many more ways to grow your email address list.

The important point that I’ve hopefully managed to convey during the course of this article is that you remain motivated to gathering new contact addresses. Standing still isn’t an option.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

Do You Fast Forward The TV Ads

Tue, 06 Jan 2015 00:00:00 GMT

Consumers have evolved and so has marketing.

If you think about it, us consumers have never really enjoyed being interrupted by advertising.

But something changed with the arrival of the web and the inevitable information overload that followed.

Consumers are now much better at filtering the information received and now ‘switch off’ when it suits them.

So, where does this leave you when it comes to getting your company’s message across?

In a very tricky position if all you rely on is traditional marketing efforts.

Consumers have evolved and so has marketing.

Not just yourself, but many people have grown intolerant to receiving unwanted marketing messages.

You can perform your own homework when it comes to brand research and products and can quite capably zone out when this information is thrusted upon you.

You can and will fast-forward the TV adverts when they are not of interest.

You can delete unwanted promotional emails.

And you can leave a website within seconds of arriving if bombarded by sales messages.

Such filtering ability has undeniably affected the success of traditional marketing strategies.

These techniques rely on direct sales communication with the consumer such as traditional television, radio and print advertising, billboards, direct mail, cold calling and email marketing.

They also rely on using other people’s mediums to get the message across – and you have to pay for the pleasure of doing so. This makes outbound marketing a costly exercise.

So is there an alternative?

Yes many, but the biggie is called inbound marketing .

You become responsible for building and nurturing your own audience on your own medium. This could be a blog , social media or a website or all of them.

You’re communicating with people who actually want to receive the information you’re generating because it adds value to their daily lives.

People don’t read newspapers like they used to.

People can’t so easily be sold to on email.

It’s quite hard to get the message across if you’re in business.

That doesn’t mean to say the days of traditional marketing are dead but modern day business owners need to get through the noise.

And you have to be more creative.

You need to grow and nurture your own audience through publishing relevant content.

These audiences can include existing customers you're looking to achieve more sales with.

You can also include potential customers searching the web for retail advice and information.

You can become the provider of choice.

The most important part of an inbound marketing strategy is content.

By providing valuable, quality information free of charge you will establish relationships, trust and build brand awareness/loyalty.

Every business wants to generate traffic into their website.

However, by focusing on those people who are in the active stage of product research, you’re attracting people to your business who are much further down the sales funnel.

These are the people you’re more likely to convince to try out your product or services.

This all sounds brilliant. And it is. But of course with every strategy there are cons.

The biggest as far as inbound marketing is concerned is that the results aren’t immediate.

It takes time to nurture audiences.

How long is impossible to say because every business is different.

But the reality is it does work.

My own clients are proof that it works. It just takes patience and commitment to producing quality, relevant content that adds value.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

7 tips to promoting a blog post

Tue, 23 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT

How simple is blog writing

You’ve come up with a brilliant idea for a blog post. You’ve carried out your research. And you’ve written up your thoughts into brilliant and engaging copy.

All you have to do is sit back and wait for the million visitors to click on and read.

If only life or rather blog writing was that simple.

True, some controversial blog posts have attracted instant worldwide attention. But by and large, the only way a blog is going to get ANY attention is through active promotion.

Business owners are always telling me that they’re no good at promoting themselves or their business.

Unfortunately, I cannot give them the answer they want.

Self-promotion cannot be avoided if you want a successful business. There’s no other way of getting your business the audience it needs to flourish than good old-fashioned promotion.

And that includes your blog.

Regardless of your current website visitors or your ‘Twitter’ followers, you should never stop looking for new ways of promoting what you write.

There are always new prospects to attract and a blog can help you reach these people and convert them into customers.

The list below shows you just some of the ways you can increase your blog audience through active promotion:

1. Announce your new blog on your social media profiles

Most businesses have social media accounts on Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn where they communicate with their current audience.

Every time you publish a new blog post, make sure you announce it to your followers and provide a link.

The goal is to encourage your current followers to share your blog with their friends and colleagues, thus increasing your reach.

2. Comment in forums and on other people’s blogs

The purpose of a blog is to build an online presence. You can really enhance your online presence through commenting on other people’s blogs and building a reputation in the area you specialise.

Be careful to avoid too many promotional statements about your own work, you can generate interest simply by your expert comments.

3. Respond to your own readers

A blog should be a live conversation, providing opportunity for interaction.

Owners of small to medium sized businesses are extremely busy but this is no excuse to neglect their readers.

If they’re leaving comments on your blog post, respond to them and initiate an ongoing conversation. This can draw new people to your blog.

4. Use your customer data lists to email a teaser for your blog

The importance of a customer database has been the subject of many previous blogs.

This is one of those situations in which this data can be hugely valuable to your marketing efforts.

Emailing a brief teaser alerting your customers to your blog and providing a link to make it easy for them to read will increase your readership.

5. Networking

The likes of LinkedIn has made it easier for businesses to connect but it’s not the only way of gaining an audience.

Good old-fashioned ‘face to face’ networking is as pertinent today as it always has been so next time you visit that business breakfast meeting or that industry seminar, be sure to alert your new acquaintances to your blog.

6. Invite a guest blogger to post on your site

If you have an industry colleague who is casting waves in the blog world, why not get them to post on your site to capitalise on their audience?

Some of the people who will be directed to your blog through association might want to stay.

7. Tease your next blog

Newspapers have long recognised the benefits of teasing exclusive articles in advance to increase demand and readership.

You can achieve the same sense of anticipation through your social networking groups and your customer database.

The important point to remember, however, is that you have to have a good store of blogs in reserve.

There are many ways of promoting a blog and you’ll get better the more you write. Monitor how the best bloggers promote themselves to find out what else you could or should be doing.

We hope you found our 7 tips to promoting a blog post’ useful. If you have a question regarding this article then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

Five secrets to creating viral blog posts

Tue, 16 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Convincing hundreds of people to read your blog

The goal of any business creating a blog is to attract an audience. How do you convince hundreds of people to read your blog instead of single figures?

The answer is by posting blogs which spread virally.

So here our five secrets of creating viral blog posts.

A blog can perform a huge amount of publicity work and marketing for you without costing you a penny.

It can also reach a much wider target market than traditional marketing efforts such as direct mail because there are no geographic boundaries with the internet.

Blog writing is easy . But writing blog content that is shared among a bigger audience isn’t so straightforward and takes practice.

In reality, most small to medium-sized businesses don’t need to attract millions of people to their blog posts or social media pages.

A good measurement of success is simply increasing the reach that your blog posts achieve rather than trying and failing to write the kind of popular content that crashes websites.

Remember, you have your reputation to build so it’s important to avoid making too many controversial or shocking statements that could get you noticed but will also alienate your customers.

If your blog posts only usually attract a few dozen readers and you can manage to double this simply by writing more sharable content then this should be viewed as a success.

The following five secrets will help you to write better, relevant content which has a greater chance of going viral.

1. Come up with an emotive title

Titles are incredibly important when it comes to creating great viral blogs. The subject of your blog has to strike a chord with a mass audience.

2. Use images and video

Photos and videos are instantly appealing to web users. Even if you use the video to sum up some of the comments made in the content of your blog, this will have a more magnetic effect.

Additionally, Google owns YouTube and this means any video originating from the site will be placed favourably in search engine rankings.

Carry out some key word research to see what videos are ranking highly as a basis for your own blog title.

Photos also make blogs more attractive to the eye and can be a factor in the popularity stakes if they’re unusual or original.

3. Use social media

Few blog posts go viral without any effort at all on behalf of the author.

Usually, the creator will have marketed the blog itself through social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and chat forums.

If your own audience likes your blog post, you can rest assured they will share it, saving you lots of legwork.

4. Examine other viral blog posts

One of the best ways of increasing the attention your blog posts receive is to study other articles which have gone viral. Pay attention to the language used and the titles of the blog posts.

5. Write lots of blogs

Not every blog you write will gain worldwide attention but if you write regularly, then naturally you have a better chance of posting something that will attract a bigger audience.

Any business which has a blog to attract and communicate with current/potential customers should be writing a minimum of two articles per month to be beneficial and preferably four or more times a month.

A blog is a great way of building a relationship with your customers and reaching out to new ones but don’t get carried away.

A business blog shouldn’t be searching for notoriety. It should be resonating with lots of people who could potentially benefit from your product or services.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

How to capitalise on glowing customer references

Wed, 03 Dec 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Lack of time

One of the most frequently cited problems within small to medium-sized business management is the lack of time to do anything proactive.

When a business runs on a skeletal staff structure, invariably the business owner takes on far too much responsibility.

This often means they neglect hugely important aspects of their business which could secure them a healthier and more profitable future.

One such area is customer feedback

Surprisingly few small business owners understand the potential opportunities that await them if only they paid more attention to the views and opinions of their clients.

Customer feedback is vitally important for two reasons.

Firstly, it helps businesses keep on top of their game and improve any areas of service which are weak.

Secondly, and most importantly, it provides a channel to attract new customers and develop brand recognition and loyalty.

If only they realised it, businesses have access to an unlimited sales team prepared to promote and persuade without a penny in return.

Why? Because they are so happy with your product or service, they’re prepared to shout about it – and it is these glowing references which will turn your reputation from a mediocre outfit to an industry-leader.

So how do you capitalise on good feedback?

To take advantage of free, positive publicity, you need to provide a platform for your customers to report their happy experiences in a public arena.

Usually, this means providing a facility on your website which allows customers to leave a comment.

‘But I’m so busy, I don’t have time’, is something I hear frequently from the business owners I meet.

There is a solution. Technology.

Innovative software such as Review Manager enables businesses to collect lots of feedback by doing very little.

The system sends customers an email asking them to provide feedback. This is uploaded automatically on to your website and available for all prospective customers to view.

But what if the feedback is negative?

This kind of technology now has the capability of differentiating negative publicity from positive and ensuring the former is filtered so that it never has a chance to affect your image.

This is a perfect solution for time-pressed business owners who still want to reap the benefits of word-of-mouth promotion.

Encouraging customers to fill out feedback forms can be notoriously difficult face-to-face.

Success very much depends on the personality and sales skills of your employees and not everybody gets it right.

Customers often respond better to such requests by email when they can fill out their comments in their own time at their own leisure.

With information collected and uploaded electronically, no member of staff needs to be taken off their duties to process the information – it can start working for you straight away.

I hope this article has encouraged you to place more importance on the unseen sales team all businesses have but few really appreciate. Often, the simplest tweaks in a business can mean the difference between survival and success.

Is your companies reputation important to you? If so why not look at putting it on autopilot...book a free demo today and we will show you how the customer feed centre tool works.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

Seven reasons why customer testimonials can revitalise your business

Mon, 24 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Customer testimonials play a much more important role than simply offering a means of improvement

Have you ever wondered why some businesses make a big deal about getting their customers to publicly rate their services?

It seems like a lot of hassle and effort to go through just to find out how and where they need to improve – and carries the risk of negative publicity.

The truth is, customer testimonials play a much more important role than simply offering a means of improvement. They are also the key to generating sales.

There is nothing more convincing to your prospective customer looking to buy your new product or service than your past customer’s glowing reference.

Testimonials have been used for many years in recruitment.

A CV isn’t complete without one or two referees whose task is to convince an apprehensive employer that the candidate in front of them is suitable for the job.

Customer testimonials have the same function and can bring untold benefits to your business if used in the right way.

If you’re in any doubt of their value, the following list of advantages might convince you otherwise:

1: Promotes engagement

The most successful businesses take time to connect with their customers and build up a relationship.

Communication is vital to generating repeat business and your customers will feel important and included if they believe you respect and value their comments.

2: Increases customer confidence

Consumers sometimes need a nudge to try a new brand or product and there is no better way of instilling this confidence than by promoting the positive experiences of your existing customers.

Modern consumers do their homework before taking a chance on a new product or service and if your website makes research easier for them, you’re more likely to convert them to a sale.

3: Boosts employee motivation

Businesses should never underestimate the power of positive feedback on their workforce.

Your employees who are told they are doing a good job will feel pride in their work and will be more motivated to offer good service in the future.

4: Encourage repeat business

Modern businesses need to strike a balance between nurturing their existing customers and seeking out new ones.

Giving your customers attention – like inviting them to comment on the services – will make them feel valued and appreciated.

This is more likely to make them want to use you again in the future.

5: Enhance search results

I’ve written many blogs on the importance of good content on your website to improve your positioning in search engine rankings.

Testimonials can enhance this and ensure people looking for you can find you easily.

6: Manage negative publicity

It’s impossible to control everything said about your business but with new software it is possible to ensure that everything your customers says about you on your website is positive.

Sophisticated software can now differentiate between good and bad comments and ensure only glowing references are uploaded onto your pages.

I hope you found this article on 'Seven reasons why customer testimonials can revitalise your business' useful.

Utilising customer testimonials is a cost-effective marketing tool that no business should ignore.

Why not look at automating this process by booking with Customer Feedback Centre . The tool that manages your business reputation on autopilot.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

The Unpaid Sales Force - you already have, but didn't know about

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT

You would like an entirely motivated team helping you to succeed

Would you turn down the offer of a workforce of several thousand employees, entirely motivated towards helping you succeed?

What’s more, this workforce is willing to champion your cause and sing your praises without actually getting a penny in return?

So who is the unpaid sales force - you already have, but didn’t know about?

It might sound too good to be true but in fact every business has the potential of recruiting a huge, unpaid workforce prepared to do anything to make their company work.

Already in place

Where do you find such perfect and eager volunteers?

The answer is: you already have them - your customers.

Sales are obviously essential to a successful business.

But the mechanism in which those sales are achieved is equally important.

Businesses which truly engage with their customers are not only securing further sales, they are also developing part-time advocates/promoters for their company – people prepared to spread the good word about their products or services to bring more success.

Engagement

Customer engagement is so important to business.

Why?

Because the laws of ‘word-of-mouth’ still apply as much today as they always did.

If you don’t bother to engage or connect with your customers, they could potentially work against you and highlight your inadequacies to others.

Feedback

The best way of convincing someone to try your products or services is excellent feedback from existing customers.

If your business isn’t utilising the positive views and experiences of your current and past clients, then you’re missing out.

So how do you ensure the voice of a silent majority is heard to give your business a kick start?

You provide a system which makes it easier for your customers to provide their testimonials – testimonials which can be published on your website for the world to see.

There are sophisticated online systems available which help you to collect positive feedback from your customers for online publicity purposes.

These systems send out automated emails to your customers asking for their opinions on customer service quality.

You are then responsible for where and how these comments are utilised for the purposes of reputation-building.

Importantly, many of these systems have the ability to sift through the negative comments thus eliminating any potential for online negative exposure.

Weight in gold

Customer testimonials are worth their weight in gold.

They are more influential than any offer, discount or promotion because they reduce the risk of a new prospect making a wrong choice.

We hope you found this article on 'The Unpaid Sales Force - you already have, but didn't know about' useful.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

Why you need to collect your customer’s email address

Wed, 12 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Too many businesses are losing sales opportunities

Too many businesses are losing sales opportunities because they don’t bother to connect with their customers.

It’s important why you need to collect your customer’s email address.

It’s no longer an excuse to say that customers don’t like giving away their email address so we won’t bother.

Nobody is beyond persuasion when it comes to giving their email address away to a commercial business – particularly if they think they might get something out of it (think about the many voucher-based websites offering those who sign up discounts for their favourite brands/restaurants).

Obtaining email addresses is as important to your business as taking a delivery address for an order.

You would never forget to ask a customer where they want their products to be delivered but businesses frequently fail to ask the same customer for their email address.

Are you getting close and personal with your customers?

If you’re in business and you’re not seizing the opportunity to get personal with your customers and obtain their email address then you’re missing out .

It might not be easy to get those precious email addresses but rewards work wonders and you’ll be grateful for that list when it’s time to market your new product.

If you want to communicate with your customers and potential clients and develop long-lasting and fruitful relationships, then you need to know their email address.

An email is completely free to send but it opens up unlimited opportunities for future product marketing, launches and discount offers.

Lots of businesses shy away from asking their customers for their email address in the mistaken belief that it breaches their privacy.

Consumers are used to being asked their email address now in every shop or store they buy from, nobody is likely to be offended.

An email database is probably one of the most important assets within a business. It allows you to feed targeted information/offers/news to your customer groupings thus developing stronger relationships.

Consumers who are fed relevant information that helps to make their life easier will be more inclined to use the business over and over again.

An easy way to ask for an email address

A surprising number of businesses provide no online facility on their website for their customers to leave their email address. Placing a noticeable ‘sign-up’ box on your homepage should be a priority.

This is the easiest way of capturing customer email addresses. There are no awkward questions at checkout or no hostile replies.

The only people signing up to your database are people who genuinely want to hear what you have to say.

Being able to communicate directly with your prospects puts you in a more advantageous place. These people have already bought from you or have expressed an interest in doing so.

They are willingly signing up to find out more about you and you will be able to track their response.

You’ll also be able to personalise your message from their previous purchase history.

If this article on ‘ Why you need to collect your customer’s email address' hasn’t convinced you that you need to be doing more to obtain customer email addresses, then have a look at your competitor’s websites.

Successful businesses capitalise on the knowledge they have of their customers. The only way to do this is to get to know them better – over email.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

Would your website pass an MOT?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Would your website pass an MOT - is there such a thing?

Far too many business owners regard website construction as merely a box-ticking exercise. So would your website pass an MOT?

A website designer is paid to assemble some case studies and key messages, create some attention-grabbing artwork and logos and package these into 10 beautifully designed webpages which are never to be tinkered with again.

If this is your approach to your website, then you may as well save your money.

A website should never be regarded as a one-off investment. Websites need to be fluid and flexible and evolve with their visitors.

Longevity

A website is a lifelong commitment, not just a launching platform. It needs to constantly improve and reinvent in order to remain relevant to its audience and make their lives easier. It needs to be maintained.

Website MOT

Just like cars, websites need regular health checks. We book in for our MOT every year to ensure our vehicle is roadworthy and will get us from A to B. A website is no different and should be regularly tested to ensure it remains easy to navigate. So would your website pass an MOT?

Its internal links should flow effortlessly, there should be no technical glitches and – most importantly – content needs to be relevant to target audience.

The last point is one of the most important in terms of website management. You wouldn’t get in a car and expect to travel from A to B without fuel. Similarly, if you don’t feed your website relevant content how do you expect your potential customers to travel to your web domain?

Rewards for new regular content

Search engines reward websites which consistently update their pages by moving them higher up in search rankings. This helps potential customers find you and diverts quality traffic to your site. It also keeps regular visitors coming back to see what is new.

It’s not enough to upload new content every few months. If you want to give yourself the best opportunity of attracting new visitors then this needs to be a fortnightly or weekly task. People don’t want to read a newspaper over and over again because it’s old news. The same can be said for your website.

Analytics

Aside from content, business owners shouldn’t ignore their web analytics. If you have data about what your customers are and aren’t looking at then start evaluating it.

Find out what article titles attracted the most interest and those that didn’t and base future strategies on this insight. When you make changes, track the response to give you an idea of how well it has been received.

A website is an interactive advert opening your products and services up to a global audience. The fundamental goal of every website is not just getting people through the door it’s also about closing the deal. If you neglect your website, then it will impact on sales.

Free website review

If all this makes sense then your first port of call should be to arrange an independent review of your website to find out what it is you’re doing right and how you could do things better. Why not take up our free website video review as a starting point to discover what simple changes you can make to increase quality traffic to your website?

5 tips to get people to read your blog

Tue, 28 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT

How to make a blog readable

So you thought you had cracked blog-writing once and for all with interesting, conversational style, grammatically perfect prose? Wrong.

Great blog-writing is as much to do with format as it is about good content.

So how do you get people to read your blog…?

Don’t get me wrong - writing inspiring, engaging and informative copy is a must . But your efforts will be worthless if you post one long lump of text.

The reality is people read differently while online than they do reading a newspaper or magazine.

Web visitors are inclined to skip large passages of information in an effort to identify the information they really want.

The buzz word for this process is ‘scanning’ and you’ll find plenty of articles online telling you how to create ‘scannable’ content .

Really this means creating blogs or articles that are clearly formatted to cater for the experienced web reader.

The perfect blog , in my opinion, should aspire to the principles of a great soap opera, allowing people to dip in and out whenever they like yet still be able to grasp the gist of what is going on.

This guide is aimed at helping you to correctly format your website copy so that it appeals to audiences rather than turning them away.

1: Consider title carefully

People will be drawn to your page to find out information they want to know. Make sure your title reflects this and gives them a clear idea of what knowledge you are offering.

An obscure title is unlikely to win you any clicks regardless of whether the content is perfect.

If you are trying to solve a customer’s common problem in your blog, ask the question in your title.

2: Lead with your conclusion

It might go against everything you learnt at school or university but it really is important in online writing to summarise your most important point in the first paragraph.

This is one example of online writing which is not so different from print media as journalists also use this approach in their introduction to ‘hook’ the reader.

Your online reader will probably skim the rest of your blog from the intro down but the higher up you bring your most important points, the longer they will be convinced to remain on the page.

3. Break up your text

Nobody wants to read a webpage that is crammed with words. Web users have become accustomed to receiving well-presented information with lots of white space.

Short paragraphs provide a natural break in the text and pictures to illustrate key points help to invigorate overcrowded pages.

4: Use lists

Following on from the tip above, lists are a great way of delivering bite-sized chunks of information – exactly what web users want.

People are looking for specific information when they enter a Google search. Only a proportion of your copy will be of interest so make it easy for this information to be retrieved.

5: Use bold headings

Headings are another way of signposting web users to different areas of your blog to help them arrive at their chosen destination swiftly.

An article is likely to cover a number of areas relating to the same subject. Separating these categories by headings makes your article easier to digest.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

5 tips to writing a blog

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Tue, 14 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Important tips to bear in mind when writing a good blog

The size of your business has no relevance as to whether or not you should feature a blog on your website. So many small business owners ignore online content marketing opportunities in the mistaken belief that it is for solely for large or multinational companies. So what are the 5 tips to writing a blog?

The advantages of content marketing are available for every business to grasp - small or large – regardless of whether they have a marketing budget or not.

Writing good blogs

Blogging is one way every business can attract customers to their website. Some of the most profitable and well-recognised brands in the world feature a blog on their website.

A blog will help you to drive traffic to your website, increase your search engine rankings, enhance your brand positioning and help you to build stronger customer relationships. Following our 5 tips to writing a blog will increase rankings, etc.

But just as having a website doesn’t automatically open the door to millions of new customers - neither does simply having a blog.

A blog needs to be a well-written, engaging piece of content that speaks directly to your customers, answering their questions and satisfying their interests.

It is not an opportunity to sell your products, but a cleverly disguised opportunity to bolster your credibility.

So here's our 5 tips to writing a blog

A blog should form one of the most important aspects of your online content marketing strategy. But to reap the benefits, you have to get it right. The following five tips are crucial to good blog writing , so what are our t tips to writing a blog?

1. Ensure your blog is scannable.

People read online content differently to the way they read fiction, scanning the page for individual titles and visual clues that will direct them straight to the information they want to read.

Reading online is slower than reading from a newspaper so scanning becomes an important reading tool for the web visitor . To make your blog scannable, use lists where appropriate which naturally break up text.

Also use formatting such as bold and capitals to create further emphasis on a page and separate the text by the use of bold sub-headings and titles. Another good tip is to use pictures, photos and videos to illustrate your poin t and attract attention.

2. Think carefully about length.

Following on from the first tip, it goes without saying that web readers are an inpatient bunch. Most web visitors have a short attention span and will click out of a blog in less than a couple of minutes.

If you want to generate content that is read by the masses, keep your content short and succinct, and no longer than 1,000 words.

3. Title of the blog

The title of a blog is critical to how well it is received (and whether it’s read at all)

The goal of any business (aside from generating quality web traffic) is to secure a large audience for their content.

You do this by encouraging people to ‘like’ and ‘share’ the blog among their social media networks and followers.

To gain exposure for your blog, the title has to be attention-grabbing and appeal to your potential customers. It should be simple and to the point and contain a short or long-tailed word that will increase the article’s SEO rankings.

4. Frequent blogs

Once you’ve created a blog page on your website, it’s important that you update it as much as possible.

A blog is a way of regularly updating your website with content which affects search engine rankings.

If you’re trying to promote loyalty among your customers, then be consistent about how often you update your blog.

Decide whether you’re going to update it daily, weekly or monthly and then stick to it. A blog should be updated at least fortnightly to have any real impact on search engine rankings.

5. Connect with customers

Many businesses forget that a blog is a strategy for helping them to connect to their customer. To make any kind of connection either socially or online, we need a two-way conversation. This is why it’s important to invite comment from your audience.

By including a comment section, you will gain valuable feedback from your customers and a better understanding of their lifestyles and what they want out of your services.

If you do feature a comment facility, ensure you keep an eye on the comments as damaging posts can undo your hard work and reputation building.

I hope this article on '5 tips on writing a blog' explains more about the process of blogging and how, if used correctly, it can act as a window of opportunity. Small businesses have much to gain by pushing out their own relevant content, whether this is on a blog, a website or social media platform.

Giving it all away for free

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Why should I give away my business secrets for free?

Content marketing can terrify businesses which sell knowledge and expertise as a commodity.

I’ve lost count of the times business owners have questioned my decision to publicise my marketing secrets free of charge when I’m usually paid for what I know.

Giving it all away for free

So why am I – or many other businesses for that matter - giving it all away for free? The simple answer is because it wins business.

For decades, manufacturers have given away gifts and free samples of products to entice consumers to buy. It can take a great leap of faith to switch from one brand to another but if you give away something of value in advance you will gain trust and credibility.

How many of us crazed our parents as a child to switch to a new cereal because of the free toy it offered?

The strategy hasn’t changed much but the prize has. In modern marketing, we are giving away knowledge.

Businesses can become very precious about the knowledge and ‘secrets’ they possess. Many feel uncomfortable about divulging them for fear that it will give their competitors an advantage. Such reasoning is extremely foolish.

Why

Because it is incredibly arrogant to believe that you’re the only business in the world that possesses that information. One click on a Google search will show you an altogether different picture.

There are literally thousands of sites which offer free marketing tips and advice. They’re all giving away their secrets for success in business because their customers respect authority and credibility. There are no pioneering approaches to marketing that nobody has tried before.

Sharing insight and knowledge is not going give your competitors the recipe for success. It’s also unlikely to be used by potential customers on a DIY basis. Consumers who are searching for DIY tips are never going to buy anything from you in the first place.

What it will do, however, is provide your potential customers with something of value which will enhance their lives. This in turn will promote credibility, trust, brand awareness, and brand loyalty.

Like it or not, consumers are being trained every day to expect trade secrets to be given away freely. Businesses across every industry are making their secrets, knowledge and expertise available to everybody free of charge.

Even fast food giant McDonalds has posted video clips showing customers how to make their favourite burger sauce.

Consumers expect every business to offer an unrestricted customer service portal whereby all their questions are answered. Giving away content is not to be feared but embraced. It is the best way of establishing meaningful, long-lasting and fruitful relationships with the people you need to be a success.

I hope this article has made you feel a little more confident about sharing your business secrets. Giving really does translate into receiving as far as inbound marketing goes and is something every business should grasp.

Why does inbound marketing rank higher than outbound marketing?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Why choose inbound marketing over outbound marketing?

Consumers have never really enjoyed being interrupted by advertising. But something changed with the arrival of the web and the inevitable information overload that followed. So why does inbound marketing rank higher than outbound marketing?

Consumers became much better at filtering the information they received and began ‘switching off’ when it suited them.

Where does this leave the marketeer? In a very tricky position if all they rely on is an outbound marketing philosophy.

Consumers have evolved and so has marketing. People have grown intolerant to receiving unwanted marketing messages.

They can perform their own homework when it comes to brand research and products and can quite capably zone out when this information is thrust upon them.

We can fast-forward TV adverts, for example, when we’re not interested. We can delete unwanted promotional emails. And we can leave a website within seconds of arriving when we get bombarded with sales pop-ups.

Such filtering ability has undeniably affected the success of outbound marketing strategies. These are marketing techniques which rely on direct sales communication with the consumer such as traditional television, radio and print advertising, billboards, direct mail, cold calling and email marketing.

They also rely on using other people’s mediums to get the message across – and you have to pay for the pleasure of doing so. This makes outbound marketing a costly exercise.

With inbound marketing on the other hand, you’re responsible for building and nurturing your own audience on your own medium. This could be a blog, social media or a website or all of them.

Inbound marketing embraces the power shift that has occurred which has given consumers freedom to make informed decisions about what they buy. You’re communicating with people who actually want to receive the information you’re generating because it adds value to their daily lives.

People don’t read newspapers like they used to. People can’t so easily be sold to on email. It’s quite hard to get the message across if you’re in business.

That doesn’t mean to say the days of outbound marketing are dead but modern marketeers need to get through the noise. And they have to be more creative.

Businesses need to grow and nurture their own audience through publishing relevant content. These audiences can include existing customers they’re looking to achieve more sales with.

They can also include potential customers searching the web for retail advice and information. You can become the provider of choice.

The most important part of an inbound marketing strategy is content. By providing valuable, quality information free of charge you will establish relationships, trust and build brand awareness/loyalty.

Every business wants to generate traffic into their website. However, by focusing on those people who are in the active stage of product research, you’re attracting people to your business who are much further down the sales funnel.

These are the people you’re more likely to convince to try out your product or services.

This all sounds brilliant. And it is. But of course with every strategy there are cons. The biggest as far as inbound marketing is concerned is that the results aren’t immediate.

It takes time to nurture audiences. How long is impossible to say because every business is different. But the reality is it does work. My own clients are proof that it works. It just takes patience and commitment to producing quality, relevant content that adds value.

If you found this article of interest then feel free to share below. Also you can receive our updates direct into your inbox by clicking here and completing your details.

What is inbound marketing

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT

What is inbound marketing all about?

Today’s world of business is crammed with fashionable marketing terms and abbreviations. You won’t be alone if you’ve never come across the term ‘inbound marketing’ before - so what is inbound marketing.

But if you think the internet will give you any clarity on what inbound marketing is about, think again. One click on the search button will find you even more confused than you were before.

So, for the purpose of this blog , I’m going to try to remove some of the science and give a basic explanation of what is inbound marketing all about.

In short, inbound marketing is the name given for a style of marketing that’s aimed at helping customers to find your business. Importantly, this marketing technique is designed to draw customers to you before they’ve even decided they want to make a purchase.

Once the customer arrives at their destination, the plan is to nurture this curiosity into brand loyalty to develop sales leads.

It’s about coaxing the toe-dippers to become full-on swimmers, to use a simple analogy.

Traditional marketing concentrates on securing exposure in other people’s publications whether print or online. A press release is specifically driven towards getting coverage in somebody else’s newspaper or website, for example.

These tactics while expensive can be very effective. However, the businesses which adopt them are utilising a platform for exposure that someone else has created.

The difference with inbound marketing is that businesses develop their own platform for recognition and in the process gain their own audience.

How does a business build its own audience?

The main way businesses build their own audience is by providing relevant and interesting content to feed their potential customers.

Modern consumers search for information online or they consult their social networks – both avenues can be harnessed to bring these people to you.

There are a number of ways in which content can be offered to the consumer. Whichever way you choose to deliver your content, there are two crucial rules to bear in mind.

Rule 1

The first is to make sure your content is helpful and relevant to potential customers – even if they never intend to buy your product. If your content contains too much sales talk, then it will have a counter effect on your audience.

Consumers are clever and they are highly-experienced at searching online. They won’t be fooled by a piece of copy pretending to be informative in the headline when actually it is littered with promotional material. This kind of copy has no value to the individual and they will quickly lose trust.

If your content literally spells out your intentions to make a sale then you’ve missed the point. Successful inbound marketing is not so much about closing the deal as it is about building relationships and loyalty.

Rule 2

The second most important rule to consider when drafting content is that it is relevant to your audience. In much the same way as people switch off with sales talk, so too do they when faced with irrelevant content.

How do you remain relevant?

This is where your data collection material comes in useful. Good businesses use the personal data they have collected from their customers to establish groups. These groups are organised according to interests and buyer personas. They might also be segmented according to what stage they are at in the buying process.

Content needs to be targeted to these different groups to ensure relevance. You wouldn’t send mortgage information to a student living in halls of residence, for example. Such a move has no value to the potential buyer.

What are the advantages of inbound marketing?

There are numerous benefits to inbound marketing. One of the biggest is greater brand awareness.

Traditionally, companies had to spend money on adverts to gain any kind of brand presence. Now, the rules have changed and businesses can create an audience slowly and organically and at a substantially reduced cost.

A huge proportion of purchases begin with a search online. Buyers let their guard down when actively searching for information online and this can be exploited by businesses if they follow the two simple rules mentioned previously.

So ‘What is inbound marketing’ - Inbound marketing is a clever, subtle way of developing lead generation. It can be highly successful if emphasis is given to building and strengthening relationships rather than a quick sale.

Another advantage to inbound marketing is increased brand loyalty. Every business wants to get people talking about their products or services. But even more important is getting these people to prefer your products and services to any others.

Companies which consistently appear high on search engine rankings are associated with quality, trust and brand leadership. Search engine positioning is actually free publicity – and enhances brand awareness.

Through posting relevant, quality content, you will be able to communicate with potential customers at a very early stage of the buying process. The links you build with potential customers at this early stage could last a lifetime so it’s important you get it right.

Expectations

One of the hardest things to manage with inbound marketing is expectations. Business owners like to see fast results. But inbound marketing doesn’t usually deliver instantaneous success, it is something that needs to be nurtured – just like the audiences you are trying to cultivate.

It’s more of a long-term strategy and something that needs to develop gradually over time. The results can be significant for those who stick with it and continue to grow their audience. But it requires a degree of patience and a willingness to devote time without seeing any immediate rewards.

Inbound marketing will cost you very little. Can you afford to ignore it?

I hope this article gave you a clearer idea of what inbound marketing is and how it can help your business. I hope we have answered the question ‘What is inbound marketing?’

There are numerous channels to display your content from social media and blogs through to your own website. Remember, content is key and whichever platform you use, ensure your content is relevant and helpful.

Why have a website?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT

There is much more to a decent website than fancy logos and cleverly-designed pages

Web design is big business and companies spend thousands of pounds every year to ensure theirs is up there with the best. But there is much more to a decent website than fancy logos and cleverly-designed pages. Unless your website is getting customers through your door then it’s pretty pointless. So why have a website?

Why have a website?

A website is one of the most powerful marketing tools available to modern businesses. But too many company directors focus on the aesthetics. While these are important, pretty websites alone aren’t going to increase your profits.

Business owners need to be clear from the start that the purpose of an online presence is to generate leads - not win beauty contests. I’ve learnt this the hard way.

As the owner of four franchises, I’ve had the luxury of having websites built for me and customers actually paying to feature on my website.

When I started a business from scratch, however, I was very much on my own. It’s been a process of trial and error ever since to get it right and I’m still learning every day. But my goal is clear; my website has to generate business.

Lots of businesses have a website designed for them and never look at it again. This has absolutely no value to the company at all. A business needs to track and measure the success of its website through the number of leads generated and how many of these are converted into sales. If it’s not working, then something needs to change.

There are millions of websites with bells and whistles on but they fail to produce anything from a marketing point of view. There are no personal details captured and no sales.

It’s like paying for a large advert but not receiving any calls in response

Web design should not be a box-ticking exercise. If used correctly, a website can be a company’s most powerful asset. We work with several companies whose websites are producing phone calls day in and day out.

A website has a job to do. The end result has to be beneficial to the company. Your web visitors might not yet be ready to buy anything, but they’ve found your site because they’re interested in what you have to offer. Make sure you keep them there by providing a compelling ‘call to action’.

If you would like more help on what constitutes a good website, visit my previous blog How many seconds do you have before you lose a web visitor? If anything it’s a reality check on how quickly you need to engage a visitor before they get bored.

If you found this article of interest then feel free to share below. Also you can receive our updates direct into your inbox by clicking here and completing your details.

Should a business have a Facebook page?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Is having a Facebook page important?

There’s no denying its popularity. But is Facebook really the answer to every business’s success?

Many company owners believe that it is and are spending vast financial resources on it without knowing whether it’s working or not.

In reality, only a small percentage of people see the posts on your wall. The early days of Facebook might have been different when businesses could nurture a massive audience quite easily. Today, there’s huge competition and unless you supplement your page activity with paid advertising, you’re unlikely to get the kind of attention you dream about.

Business owners need to ask themselves whether the time and money they are spending on Facebook is delivering what they really want. And that’s the tricky part. What do you want from Facebook?

If it’s to drive more traffic to the company website then it’s a great platform to do this. If it’s to provide a cost-effective way of communicating with customers, again social media is a good way of doing this. But be realistic about potential sales and whether or not either route is going to deliver this.

Don’t set aside budget costs for social media if it’s unlikely to provide a return. Not every business needs to develop global brand awareness or even reach out to its customers on such a huge scale. And those that do might be better off opting for ‘pay to play’ if they want to achieve quick, instant exposure to their target audience.

Facebook is probably not a bad avenue to explore in this respect. Facebook has its users’ data, addresses, interests and social circles because we tell them everything. It can target advertising according to all these personal lifestyle factors effectively.

Facebook adverts are a much better way of measuring sales success as there is tracking throughout to demonstrate how that advert has been responded to.

It really depends on the industry you’re in and whether or not Facebook can offer you anything concrete. If I was talking to a local painter and decorator for example who was looking at Facebook as a business solution my advice would be yes, by all means build a page of likes.

But don’t throw all your energy into this and certainly don’t employ someone to do it. It would be more worthwhile to consider Facebook advertising alongside any attempt to build an audience.

Facebook is like all things. Anybody can create a page, whether or not it works and produces enquiries is another matter. Businesses need to weigh up the benefits available to them and respond appropriately.

I hope you found this article useful. It can be a battle to convince some businesses to embrace social media. But it’s often more of a challenge to get some to reign in their reliance on social media when it’s not delivering results. It’s really a question of realism and understanding what marketing activity works for you and what doesn’t.

If you found this article of interest then feel free to share below. Also you can receive our updates direct into your inbox by clicking here and completing your details.

How many seconds do you have before you lose a web visitor?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Thu, 04 Sep 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Five tips to keep visitors on your website

The average web visit is said to last less than a minute. This means if you don’t grab the attention of your visitor within this time, they’ll depart your page as quickly as they arrived.

So how do you hold the attention of web users for longer?

Good websites are not just about pretty pages and beautifully-written content. They are about creating a good user experience.

If your web analytics aren’t filling you with joy, then read on for the common mistakes that drive people away.

1: Pop ups

Any website that bombards its visitors with pop-ups as soon as they arrive is going to turn them off - big time. The use of pop ups after a minute is marginally more acceptable but the content has to be worth staying.

2: Deception

Web visitors will not tolerate trickery. If you’ve brought them to your site under false pretences, don’t expect them to stay. Some businesses set up deliberately misspelt domain names to redirect traffic from big businesses or international brands to their own site.

This tactic rarely works as people leave immediately upon realising their mistake. If you want to convert visitors to sales then you need to draw quality traffic. That is, people who are actively looking for what you can offer.

Your content needs to appeal to your market and answer everything they need to know.

3: Complex navigation

Web users aren’t a very patient bunch and if they can’t find what they’re looking for in an instant, they’ll click the back button.

Navigation needs to be simplistic. You need to know what your customers want to know first so that you can signpost that information easily.

One way of doing this is to avoid overloading the site with information. Visitors don’t need too many options, just the important ones that answer their queries.

A busy homepage is one of the biggest turn-offs for web visitors. Keep it simple in both content volume and design. (note to one’s self, work on my home page!!)

4: Buried information

At the risk of stating the obvious, make sure key information is within easy reach. People become bored if they have to hunt around.

A hotel, for instance, needs to direct visitors to the room booking option by a prominent button/link. A business that wants people to sign up to its mail list needs to offer a fast route to the contact form.

5: Video-only home page design

The use of video on a web page can help bring it to life and deliver a personal message to your customers. But websites which only offer video as a means of introduction – with no supporting text – can turn people away.

Web visitors who don’t have time to watch a video will leave if there’s no text-based information about the company. Let’s not forget, many people surf the internet at work and a site which presents all of its information in video form will quickly get shutdown by the user.

There are many reasons why a website is a turn off with users, this article merely skims the surface. As a business, your main drive should be to engage with your customers. Put yourself in their shoes and think about what it is you hate about websites.

You’ve less than a minute to make an impression so make sure you get it right.

What is PPC?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT

What is Pay-Per-Click advertising?

Pay Per Click advertising is where the seller of a product or service pays a small fee to the search engine provider (eg, Google) whenever a searcher clicks on the seller’s advert which leads to a page on the seller’s website .

Google is easily the most used website for PPC advertisers, although PPC is also available on Yahoo, Bing, YouTube, Facebook, etc.

So, what are Google Adwords?

For the seller , they are a ’hook’ to lure a potential customer to look at the particular product or service which they are offering.

For the searcher , GoogleAds represent potential solutions to something they want to find or know more about.

To Google , they are a way of introducing a buyer to a seller in return for a small fee.

How do GoogleAds work?

It is best to think of what you would do if you wanted to sell something (say, a stamp collection) at an auction using the services of your local auctioneer. You would

Give the auctioneer your personal details
Find out which section of the auction your stamps would be sold in
Provide details of the stamps that you wanted to sell
Agree on a minimum price that you would be prepared to accept
See that your stamps were included in the auction sale document
Pay the auctioneer’s fee once the stamps had been sold

Translated into how this would work with GoogleAds, we have

Set up an account with Google
Organise your products/services into Campaigns
Input the keywords which you expect a searcher will type into Google
Specify the maximum cost you would be prepared to pay for each click
Complete Google’s Ad template with details of your product/service
Pay Google for the number of clicks which your Ad has attracted

What happens next?

So you have set up your GoogleAds account, created a Campaign, added some keywords, decided on your budget, and written an appealing Ad which is now waiting for an opportunity to show itself to the big wide internet world.

Let’s assume that your business sells quality lawn mowers.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the outskirts of a quiet market town in Dorset, a keen gardener sits in his armchair contemplating what to do about his treasured lawn mower which has just ground to an ear bursting halt, accompanied by clouds of black smoke.

He reaches for his laptop and pulls up Google. In his mind he knows that he wants the same make of mower which lasted him for so many years and always cut his lawns to a high standard. He wants it delivered and would like to try it before making a final decision.

He types ‘Mountfield petrol mower’ into Google.

When creating your keyword list, you included the phrase ‘ quality petrol mowers ’ which Google’s technology immediately recognises as being very close to the gardener’s search terms, so it triggers your Ad to be shown, along with another 10 advertisers who also have Ads with similar keywords.

In the wording of your Ad you have said:
‘Quality petrol mowers for
next day delivery. Mountfield
specialists. Try before you buy.
www.dorsetlawnmowers.co.uk ’

Google automatically highlights any of the search terms which match the wording of your Ad. This attracts the attention of the gardener and he clicks on your Ad. Two things happen as a result.

Firstly Google will charge you for the click ( the exact amount will depend on a number of different factors , but it won’t be any more than the amount you specified when you set up the Campaign).

Secondly the gardener will be taken to your web site – you can even take him straight to the page that has information about Mountfield mowers - which will show your contact details and should contain a suitable ‘ call to action’ (eg, Call now for details of our Try Before You Buy offer).

The gardener is impressed with the range of Mountfields that you sell and the opportunity to try out a couple of mowers, so he calls you to discuss the options. This eventually turns into a sale, which means that for a nominal fee you have gained a customer and made a profit on the sale . The perfect world!

Alternatively the gardener may have decided that your Ad didn’t match what he wanted and so he clicked on a competitor’s Ad. However, although not the outcome you wanted, it didn’t cost you anything .

The third possibility might have been that the gardener liked your Ad enough to click on it (so you pay Google their fee) but, for whatever reason, didn’t find your web site sufficiently appealing to get in contact with you or leave his details for you to contact him.

How can I tell whether this is working for my business?

Being able to measure your return on investment (ROI) is very important with any form of marketing, and PPC is no exception. Fortunately Google provides some helpful tools so that you can work out what extra business Adwords is bringing in and compare it with what it is costing you.

The most useful of these tools is Conversion Tracking , which lets you know when a searcher has clicked on your Ad and completed an action that you have specified. For example, on your ‘landing page’ (ie, the page which the searcher is taken to immediately after he has clicked on your Ad) you have a form which you want prospects to complete, giving you their name and telephone number.

Once they have filled in and submitted the form, they are taken to a ‘thank you’ page which thanks them for submitting their details and informs them that you will call them to answer any questions that they may have about your product or service. T his is known as a Conversion .

So how does Google let you know about this Conversion?

As part of the process of setting up Conversion Tracking, Google generates a few lines of HTML code which need to be added to the rest of the code that sits behind your Thank You page – a simple process that should take your web site developer no more than 5 minutes to complete.

When the searcher clicks on your Ad, Google adds a temporary ‘cookie’ to his internet folder. Google tracks the cookie, and if the searcher reaches your Thank You page (ie, he has completed the action you were hoping for) it matches it to the above HTML code and records a Conversion which you can see in your Adwords reports.

You can easily establish whether this prospect buys from you , because you now have his details, and therefore what your return has been from this piece of marketing.

If you have an e-commerce website , Google also has the capability to let you include a value (eg, the amount that the customer pays you) for each item that coverts. This means that you can get very precise information about the performance of your Adwords campaigns.

What else do I need to know?

What you have read about so far is a fairly stripped down explanation of GoogleAds.

It is certainly possible to add more detail, but until you have got the basic concept firmly in your head, any extra information may provide unnecessary distractions . Indeed, whilst GoogleAds are a very powerful marketing tool, they are multi-layered and it is best to learn and understand one layer at a time.

Nevertheless, here are some of the things that they can do which will help with your business marketing:

Reporting

details of the search terms potential customers have used
a report telling you which keywords have led to Conversions
details of the number of clicks each keyword has received
graphs showing the number of impressions (ie. times your Ad has been triggered) versus the number of clicks it has received – known as your Click Through Rate

Analysis

Reports telling you where ( geographically ) your clicks/conversions have come from
Reports telling you what operating system a searcher has used, or whether the click has come from a mobile phone or tablet
Reports on the length of time visitors have spent on your site, including specific pages
Reports on which position your keywords have appeared in Google’s Search Results
Reports telling you which pages visitors leave your site from

Merchant Store

A related account where product details, including photos , can be uploaded for display on Google Shopping

E-Commerce

An additional reporting system enabling you to see the income generated from each on-line sale as well as which keyword led to the sale

What’s the next step towards earning money from Adwords?

You have a couple of options here. Firstly you could visit:

https:// adwords . google .com/um/StartNew Account

where you can input your details and start to set up your account. There are help pages which will guide you through the basics and soon have you up and running. However, on a cautionary note , this is rather like learning to drive a car by reading what to do from the owners’ handbook!

Alternatively you could call a national provider of PPC services. You’ll find that they have ‘ one-size-fits-all ’ packages to suit any budget, ideally theirs, and will sign you up to a contract with an end date somewhere over the horizon.

Finally, there is an altogether more logical solution. ‘Logical’ because you wouldn’t spend weeks under the bonnet of your new car trying to understand the relationship between all the parts before taking it for a drive. Neither would you, hopefully, purchase a motor insurance policy which was applicable to all vehicles , from mopeds to juggernauts.

This solution is to work with an experienced Adwords practitioner who will take the trouble to find out how your business works, what makes your customers tick and what your customer base currently looks like, and even what you’d like it to look like.

Then, once all the preparation has been done, will set up an Adwords campaign with keywords and Ads which are appropriate to your market , ensuring that everything is measurable so that you can see what your return is on your investment.

The other significant benefit to this solution is that you won’t feel that you are being left in the dark . You will receive regular performance information along with reviews which will explain the significance of the figures , so that you will have a good understanding of Google Adwords and what it is doing for your business, without having to do the hard graft .

Adrian Stephenson

Author: Adrian Stephenson

Adrian is one of the UK’s leading authorities on the subject of PPC and runs a company which offers a managed service to help you maximise the results you can get from this form of advertising called ‘done for you PPC’

Are the days of direct mail and telemarketing really over?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Social networking has transformed the way people communicate

There’s no denying it, social networking has transformed the way people communicate. What was once a platform for online conversation is now the source of all conversations and few people live their lives without some attachment to social media.

Social networking is a marketeer’s dream, providing those in the industry with a vehicle for broadcasting their message to the masses.

Most businesses have adopted a social media strategy of some kind, recognising its power to connect with and nurture customers.

Are the days of direct mail and telemarketing really over?

What has happened to traditional marketing tools such as direct mail, email marketing and telemarketing as a result? Not surprisingly, they have lost popularity as businesses invest greater resources into online communication and messaging.

But is this a wise move?

Can a business really reach all of its customers and potential customers by focusing on social media alone?
Are they missing a trick?

My view is that they are indeed missing out by following such a one dimensional approach. Older marketing methods can be just as powerful as they always were and continue to play a valuable role in today’s marketing. The challenge is to ensure these are executed in the right way to achieve the maximum impact.

Many business owners latch on to LinkedIn , Facebook and Twitter in panic. But just because their popular mediums it doesn’t mean every campaign should be launched via social media. Customers are all different and will respond differently to various marketing approaches.

It’s impossible to give an accurate figure about the influence social media has over buyers, as some have in the media. The buyer’s journey is complex and involves a number of influences, none of which are exclusively one medium or another in my opinion.

Social networking should never be regarded as a guaranteed sales channel. Direct mail and other traditional forms of marketing have their place today and can still be just as effective.

People have become so used to emptying email trash, that receiving a letter or leaflet in the post can have real novelty value. It can also steal their time in a way that social media can’t.

Effective marketing incorporates a range of media channels. Businesses should co-ordinate their brand awareness and message delivery across social networking, email, direct mail, websites and telemarketing.

Collecting statistics on which of those generate the best response will help guide future marketing activity.

If you would like to read more about how to measure your marketing/advertising campaign success, read my blog The £145K big advertising gamble .

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How accessible are you?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Do you find it hard to delegate your duties?

As a small business owner it can be difficult to delegate your duties to somebody else. Many entrepreneurs fear their enterprise will crash down around them without their presence at the helm, overseeing everything.

But if you answer every phone call and respond to every email and text that comes your way, then you’re not using your time effectively. More importantly, you’re not giving yourself time to complete your most crucial tasks. Growing your business and winning new customers.

Business owners need to ask themselves how available they are to their customers.

Being accessible to customers both new and old is very important but too much accessibility is unproductive. If you’re always being dragged away from projects then nothing will ever get completed.

In my own business, there are occasions when I feel it’s right to answer the phone and I do. But I will only answer the phone if I can.

If I’m tied up on a project which needs finishing, the phone will be answered by someone in the office. If not, then it goes through to our virtual office where it will be answered in my own company name. We can then return the call when it’s right for us.

On a personal level, I don’t give out my mobile phone number unless it’s the right thing to do. Generally, this is for the customers who spend more money with me and warrant a higher level of assistance.

Everything we do in this industry isn’t life or death and I’m accessible by phone or email. I will return calls promptly but I have to use my time effectively – otherwise nothing else would ever get done.

I talk to lots of business owners who never get the time to pull their staff together for a team meeting. These meetings are hugely important for boosting morale and ensuring staff feel included and informed.

For those business owners who don’t employ anyone else, time spent answering calls can consume hours of valuable time. With little left for critical business functions such as ordering supplies, etc… this can quickly result in disorganisation.

A virtual call answering service is an ideal solution. Customers are important to every business and are critical for profit. Ensuring their calls are answered and are dealt with by a human being will keep them on your side until you have quality time to set aside to respond to their call.

I hope this article has made you think about how accessible are you - whether you’re too accessible or not accessible enough.

Good customer service is vital to keeping old customers and attracting new ones but you also need to value your own time.

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The three most important things to have on your website

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT

A website is a must-have tool in a world where consumers continuously turn to Google for retail advice

A website is a must-have tool in a world where consumers continuously turn to Google for retail advice. But creating an appealing and usable website that achieves what it’s supposed to do isn’t always straightforward.

A website should have

Regardless of the design and content quality, a website needs to have three key features to stand any chance of success. These are a landing page, a reason for the customer to want to leave their contact information and a contact form.

Landing pages

Spending money on advertising or social media is pointless if you fail at the final hurdle. To achieve real value, a customer needs to be driven to a specific page relating to their enquiry. This will help you to convert interest into a sale.

Any marketing effort that drives a consumer to a company home page will fail. Potential customers will not waste time sifting through unwanted information to find what they need. They will move on.

Landing pages are focused on converting visitors into leads. They will target a specific customer group or the traffic generated via a specific campaign. They allow you to offer customers something of value or download your special marketing offers.

Landing pages should provide extra information about the product or service advertised. They should also provide an opportunity to capture information about your visitor.

Offer something of value

The drawback of advanced communication has been information overload. Modern consumers are very skilled at avoiding advertising and detecting sales pitches in the information they are sent. This means businesses have had to get clever in how they choose to reach out to their customers.

Business should engage with consumers by offering something valuable. This doesn’t have to be of monetary value - although an offer or discount will always be appreciated. Many consumers value information and the offer of free advice is enough to entice many customers to sign up.

Contact form

A contact form is your means of generating new leads. It will also help you engage with your customers in the future and enhance marketing activity.

The most important point is to keep a contact form simple. Web users will be suspicious of long and complicated forms which ask for too much information. This is your first interaction with your audience so keep it simple to gain trust.

The best contact forms include a strong call to action. This is a concise statement or button that they can click to get exactly what it is they want. A ‘Get your free report’ link or ‘Redeem your voucher’ button, for example.

There are numerous examples online to help get your contact form just right. Maximise your own chance of a sale by learning through others’ mistakes.

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What are long tailed keywords?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Long tailed keywords are a type of keyword phrase that contains between three and five words

SEO is a free or low-cost marketing tool. It can substantially increase website traffic. However most experts agree that to convert these visits into sales you need to be more specific in who you target.

This is where long tailed keywords can help.

Long tailed keywords are a type of keyword phrase that contains between three and five words.

These words are used to define the contents of a web page. Like all keywords, long tailed key words help businesses to become listed in search engine results pages.

However they are much more specific and draw less traffic. Although this seems contradictory, in reality this technique draws higher quality traffic and results in a greater number of conversions.

Web users searching for these key terms are already committed to finding and purchasing whatever they are looking for.

Forward-thinking businesses invest a considerable amount of time identifying long-tailed keywords which relate to their business sector.

The process allows them to establish a niche market. It may perhaps be smaller than their competitors but offers the same level of potential.

Example

So although both companies might be offering plastic raincoats. The business which narrows down its content to ‘pink rose plastic raincoats’. They filter out any customer looking for purple, brown or yellow plastic raincoats. This increases the possibility of a sale.

Research

To really benefit from this marketing approach. You will have to find out which long tailed keywords are actually being searched for and this means research.

Consumers have become expert internet searchers and use very natural language to find what it is they’re looking for.

A long tailed keyword phrase will utilise this language and is likely to sound very colloquial.

Individually, each word is less commonly searched for but together they add up to account for a large proportion of search-driven traffic.

In modern times, Google has become the solution for people looking for answers.

People want instant responses and explanations to their problems. Search engines offer this efficiency.

Long tailed keyword searches are the most popular type of search.

Long tailed keyword searches are estimated to represent 70% of all search traffic!

Users have grown more confident in the capacity of the search engines to answer their query specifically rather than them having to sift through pages of results to identify what it is they’re look for.

The beauty of long tailed keywords is the fact they are less competitive to rank for which means you can carve out a smaller market that offers better ROI.

Research has shown the consumers who used long-tail search questions are more qualified and easier to convert.

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How do you write the perfect group email?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Email marketing is a popular and cost-effective sales strategy

How do you write the perfect group email?

Most businesses have wholeheartedly embraced email marketing and the opportunities it presents to extend customer loyalty, increase brand awareness and reach out to new potential customers. However, not every firm is achieving the results they could with an email marketing strategy and many would achieve greater success by paying attention to an important theme: personalisation.

Email marketing is a popular and cost-effective sales strategy and can strengthen the relationship your business enjoys with its customers. But customers are all different and they all have different reasons for wanting or needing your product or service. Clever email marketing embraces these differences and personalises communication so that it resonates with different groups of customers and delivers more effective end results.

Writing a blanket email to 4,000 customers will have little impact. Similarly, no business has the time or resources to write 4,000 individual emails. What is the solution? Segmented email marketing which targets groups of customers according to tastes, trends, buying habits and demographics. Segmentation is an important marketing process for any business and lends itself perfectly to email marketing because it allows you to tailor your approach into smaller, focused lists instead of large advertising campaigns which provide more limited scope for differentiation.

Segmented email marketing has a much higher open and click rate. This means more people are likely to open and respond to an email campaign than if a blanket marketing message had been sent across an entire customer base. One of the hardest skills to master in email marketing is devising an appropriate subject line which appeals to a customer and encourages them to click the email open and read. It’s all about relevance and a personalised subject line is critical to ensuring your chosen message reaches your target audience. How many times have you received a marketing email only to instantly switch off when the subject line refers to something that doesn’t affect you such as a student discount offer when you’re in full time professional employment or a discounted mobile phone contract when you’ve just tied yourself in to a two-year deal? With no relevance there’s no sale and the marketing strategy fails. However, is can be equally harmful to be over-familiar with the recipient of your emails. Awareness of identity fraud is much higher than it has been in the past and consumers are distrustful of communication that addresses them by name especially if it is overly used throughout the copy of the email. It’s much better to have personalisation that appeals to a subscriber’s individuality or previous buying habits is far more acceptable approach and achieves a greater response rate. Again, this is to do with relevance and directing the recipient’s attention to goods or services that they’ve previously shown an interest in.

In conclusion, blanket messages with the same standardised content and key messages are not nearly as effective as targeting communication to specific groups which share similar characteristics. We need to cater for all our customers’ needs and respond to their individual problems to gain the kind of loyalty we need.

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What is segmentation?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Successful marketing relies on the ability to specifically target the people who are really interested in what you have to offer

Most small businesses don’t have the time or the budget to treat every one of their customers individually however there has to be some recognition that not every customer has identical needs to each other. Segmentation is really the process of separating customers into groups by interests or demographics which really allows businesses to target their clients more uniquely rather than adopting a policy of one rule fits all. By grouping or tagging their customers in this way, companies can maximise their marketing work and deliver a greater conversion rate than if all customers were treated exactly the same. Ideally, businesses would do this for every single customer however this is impossible and segmentation offers a practical alternative.

How we segregate our customers depends very much on the business involved. Groups might be identified in terms of the way the customer came through the sales funnel or perhaps by their interest in a particular product. Customers may want your product or service for different reasons and they might want different quantities. Some customers may shop exclusively online and be open to digital marketing while others might only shop in a specific supermarket and respond only to traditional print advertising. Some segmentation groups are based on lifestyle habits such as drinker and non-drinker while others may be focused on income levels and distinguish between student and professional. When it comes to international marketing, a frequently used segmentation approach is to group by country and the generalised characteristics of the nation and its people including tastes and trends.

Successful marketing relies on the ability to specifically target the people who are really interested in what you have to offer, not those who have no interest. It also requires a variety of different communication mediums to ensure key messages reach the target audience.

Businesses use a range of grouping techniques. Psychographic segmentation seeks to distinguish personality traits among customers while behaviouristic segmentation groups by consumer behaviour patterns including frequent/infrequent purchase, brand loyalty. It can be a useful tool to differentiate customers who will always buy your product regardless of trends and those who frequently switch between brands depending on special offers and pricing.

One of the most common types of segmentation is distinguishing your business customers from your consumer markets. Banks and transport providers such as airlines and train companies need to do this very well as they are two very distinct markets. While business markets contain a much smaller pool of new customers when compared with consumer markets, these customers can be much more valuable in terms of the average annual spend on travel or the amount they have available to invest.

Every business can benefit from segmenting its customers, particularly smaller firms which don’t have the resources to waste on unnecessary marketing. Segmentation can help businesses identify their most and least profitable customers so that the little funds they do have available to invest deliver the desired outcome. Don’t leave segmentation on the backburner until your business grows, chances are your competitors are already successfully grouping their customers.

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How important is good copy?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Many businesses underestimate the importance of good copy

Many businesses underestimate the importance of good copy. Even in today’s technologically-savy world, we still stumble across websites that can only be described as ‘functional’ at best. This can be a costly mistake as customers will naturally seek out those competitors which offer them a more valuable, supportive service experience.

In today’s consumer-driven society, a website is often the first contact or introduction a prospective customer will have with your business and it has the ability to literally make or break a sale. Quality content will help you build or cement your reputation and win the respect of your target consumer market – both of which are essential to maintaining and attracting customers. Poor and uninspiring content, on the other hand, will be an immediate switch-off to new clients and send them in the direction of your competitors, regardless of how loyal they have been in the past.

One of the goals of producing regular, informative copy on your website or social media pages is to strengthen the relationship you share with your customers and instil a degree of trust and dependability. To achieve this, businesses need to be addressing the individual needs of their customer base and responding to their common problems so that they can present solutions.

There has been a marked departure from traditional Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) techniques which crammed too many keywords into website articles, giving them a false, computer-generated feel which alienated customers and made them doubt the authenticity of the company.

Consumers aren’t fooled by unnatural, heavily stylised content and will quickly lose trust. Good copy flows naturally, like conversation, and feeds knowledge to the customer without them necessarily realising they have learnt anything. Good copy should reflect originality and creativity and above all provide value to your customers. Websites which are badly-written and empty of value have no purpose and will do very little to secure new customers.

SEO will still help you boost your search engine rankings but this should never be undertaken at the expense of well-written content. Google is continually adapting its search processes to place less importance on keywords and more on quality content. As well as being accurate and informative, website articles have to be unique to rank high on search lists.

One of the most important aspects of writing good quality content is identifying a suitable, attention-grabbing headline. A good headline needs to feature keywords that your target market actually searches for but has to make customers want to read it. Since the birth of SEO, consumers can decipher between good content and mildly disguised drivel and will not give the latter the time of day. A clever title that balances optimisation goals with a desire to be informative will be treated much more seriously.

Good clean copy with no grammatical or spelling errors is essential to protecting reputation but another objective should be developing shareable content. Keywords can help increase website traffic but a thoroughly-researched, thought-inspiring and well-written article can travel the globe at the click of a button giving your business an international stage. Social media sites such as LinkedIn , Twitter and Facebook provide a platform for businesses to build a brand and those businesses which pursue engaging and impactful copy will maximise their audience through the additional sharing facilities of these mediums.

I hope this article has explained why going above and beyond in terms of your website copywriting is worthwhile. Every firm relies on its ability to continuously attract and maintain customers. Your website is the frontman for your business and needs to match the professionalism and customer service skills you pride yourselves while on the job. Shoddy copy will only serve to undermine the good work you’re achieving in reality.

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Have you got the foundations right?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Every business ultimately wants to increase its customer base

There’s an old saying not to run before you can walk and nowhere is this truer than in business. Time and time again, businesses spend vast sums of their budget on advertising, marketing and branding designs only to fail at the final hurdle – their website.

There’s absolutely no value in embarking on any kind of marketing strategy that has the principle aim of getting customers through the door if the door you’re opening them to is an empty building. Poor website design, complex navigation and irrelevant, inaccurate content will repel potential customers and send them running in the direction of a firm that values simplicity and quality – which is likely to be your competitor.

Every business ultimately wants to increase its customer base but the key is to get the basics right in the first instance before singing from the rooftops about what you can offer.

Whenever I ask a business owner why they don’t have a website (or a very good one) I always get the same two responses, either: ‘my products can’t be sold online so is there any point?’ or ‘my business is only small so I don’t really need one’. Both viewpoints completely underestimate the power of the modern consumer, who searches for information online before they ever make a physical purchase or visit to a business to complete the transaction. Customers expect every business to have a website and a good-quality one at that. People base their perceptions of a business on the standards and professionalism of its website and if yours is notably absent or lacking in quality, then without doubt you will lose customers.

Frequently, businesses shell out on expensive advertising campaigns without considering whether their website could benefit from an overhaul first. Any customers arriving at a landing page as a consequence of an advert will be bitterly disappointed to be greeted by anything less than professional. You only get one chance to make a good impression and your reputation depends on getting it right first time.

The same goes for building a database. Firms spend a lot of time acquiring information from their customers to build databases which provide them with targeted marketing opportunities in the future. However, precious information about people’s likes, interests and buying habits are inconsequential if they are not backed up by a wells-structured website that reinforces branding ideas and delivers appropriate, market-specific key messages.

A website would be much better perceived as a constantly evolving artwork than something that is fixed and complete. Consideration needs to be given to the functionality and the presentation of a website every time a firm embarks on a fresh marketing campaign to ensure it supports and reinforces the messages being delivered to the customer. Websites have the power to enhance and damage reputations and the consequences of getting it wrong can last a lifetime.

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Want to be on the front page of Google?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Thu, 29 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT

It makes good business sense to gain a prominent place on Google

Most businesses, regardless of the sector, wouldn’t complain at being listed on the front page of Google.

It makes good business sense to gain a prominent place on Google’s search rankings and certainly won’t do you any harm.

But how do you get there?

Thankfully, there’s more than one way of doing it and it doesn’t have to cost the earth.

A good first step if you haven't already completed this, is to claim your FREE
Google Business Profile and create a listing page for your business.

Another method of increasing ranking position is to use Google’s advertising platform, Google Adwords .

Google Adwords is a pay per click system which utilises adverts when people search for phrases linked to your sector or specialism.

In this instance, you pay Google to appear for certain key words relevant to your business.

This is a very quick and efficient way of appearing high on Google’s search listings but such a presence will vanish when it’s switched off.

One of the natural and organic ways of featuring on search engine listings is to feed Google what it wants to know.

In a process known as content marketing , businesses write and publish articles that are highly relevant to the sector.

Quite often such articles answer the most popular Googled questions to help direct traffic to your website.

Search engines can differentiate between good content and bad content so there has to be a degree of quality to the article and content must be posted regularly.

Creating a relevant video is a good way to increase search engine position . Google owns YouTube which means videos originating from the site score very high in search engines.

By using appropriate, SEO-driven titles for your video, you will further increase the position it will appear in a key word search.

It doesn’t matter how much you promote your video, if viewers do not find the content and meaning valuable in anyway, it will not have the popularity needed to give it a rankings boost.

To create a good video title, it’s important to carry out some keyword research to see how people search for related content. Google will allow you to use their FREE Keyword Planner Tool if you create an AD account with them.

Following this, it’s advisable to complete the same search on YouTube to see how the highest ranking videos have gone about it.

Get Customers Fast, as our name suggests, helps you get customers for your business.

What's the true value of a customer?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Wed, 21 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT

What kind of value does a new customer bring to a business

What kind of value does a new customer bring to a business? It’s tempting to just focus on the now and measure success by the numbers of new faces coming through the door rather than appreciating that one or two quality customers offers a higher return in the long-term which is the true value of a customer.

One of the things some businesses commonly get wrong is to measure advertising or marketing value on how many new customers they get through the door. A hairdressing business, for example, might spend £300 on an advert in a local magazine and expect to receive at least enough enquiries to cover the cost of the advertising fee plus another £300 because they’ve heard somewhere that advertising should effectively ‘double your money’. This would involve attracting 10 to 15 new clients, each spending between £40-£50, in order to be deemed worthwhile. However, in reality, advertising doesn’t work like that. A business might only receive one to two new clients following an advert, especially when it is only placed once, and this simply isn’t enough to satisfy most business owners who want an immediate return on their investment.

What some business owners are failing to see is longevity and the bigger picture. The first customer who walks through the door could become a customer for life and spend at least £40 a month over the next 20 years. That could be worth up to £3,000 in a five year period alone from that initial £300 advertising investment.

Just two phone calls from an advert could be worth thousands of pounds in the long-term and businesses need to start appreciating the long-term value of customers. You might not always recoup the rewards from marketing or advertising upfront, it might be a steady process.

Following the initial advertising investment, businesses need to work hard on keeping the new customers they attract. A happy customer will return time and time again and research shows that loyal customers do not just spend more over time, they also spend more each time they shop or use your service. So what might start out as a quick cut and blow dry could later become a full head of highlights, cut, style and pedicure/manicure.

If you have a question regarding the above, the please call us here at Get Customers Fast on 01268 540373 .

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What are the benefits of video marketing?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 19 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT

There's so much power behind video marketing...

There's so much power behind video marketing, you only need to say your message once and it then has the potential to reach not just hundreds of people but thousands...

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How much should a website cost?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Tue, 13 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Getting a new website can be as easy as 1,2,3

An important question to ask yourself is what would you like from your website! Why not watch this short video shedding some light into the cost of a website - surprisingly it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.

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What is a CRM?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Fri, 02 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Successful businesses rely on good customer relationships

Surprisingly, many business owners have never heard of a CRM and of those who are familiar with the term, many have no idea what it is and what it means. CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management and is basically a computerised system which manages a business’ customers and any data or information associated with them. Why is it important to have a CRM? Because a CRM helps you to manage your customer relationships more efficiently and effectively and ensures as your business grows you have the infrastructure in place to keep on top of your customer accounts – all of which is essential for successful marketing.

With a CRM system, you can store contact information for current and prospective customers, file accounts and record leads and sales opportunities in one location. This computerised filing system can be accessed by every member of your team and if your CRM system operates in the cloud you can access this important information any time anywhere to further increase your efficiency as a business.

Successful businesses rely on good customer relationships but they also rely heavily on communication, both internally and externally. As your business grows, you may require multiple departments - departments which will need to communicate with each other and with the same customers. A CRM system is essential for ensuring that customer information is shared across an organisation to avoid duplication and to maintain professionalism. Customers quickly lose confidence and patience in a business whose sales team besieges them with calls – even when they’ve expressed no interest in the product or service on many occasions. A CRM provides a centralised information system that monitors connections and keeps staff up-to-date with customer contact.

A CRM system can be as basic or as sophisticated as your business demands and may evolve over time to accommodate your changing needs. It offers the opportunity to send large numbers of customers’ customised emails, record social media data or provide a snapshot of business performance/productivity. While a traditional notecard or spreadsheet system might serve its purpose for very small, new business launches, it’s unlikely to sustain a growing business which requires more sophisticated customer relationship management.

I personally cannot see how any business can manage without one. My own CRM system contains all of my contacts and how I contact them. I couldn’t send an email to 500 customers without one and it’s very much the focus of my marketing and sales activity.

For my own business, I use the Intouch sales and marketing CRM system which helps me to keep all of my clients and contact information in one place. Another good system for small businesses which is equally affordable is the US CRM system Infusion soft which again provides a platform to enable businesses to organise their customer data.

If you’re unconvinced on whether a CRM system can really help your business and whether it’s worth the investment, it might be worth finding some internet case studies on how it has helped other companies to manage their customers. The proof is always in the pudding and you can gain a lot of value from looking at how businesses in the same sector as your own manage their customer relationships. We can all learn a lot from each other and I hope this blog post has opened your eyes to the wonders of the CRM.

*in the interests of being open, the links to Intouch and Infusion are both affiliate links meaning that we’ll receive a small commission in return for introducing their services, if you go on to be one of their customers

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What is the difference between marketing and advertising?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Many business owners use the terms ‘marketing’ and ‘advertising’ interchangeably

Many business owners use the terms ‘marketing’ and ‘advertising’ interchangeably, as if they both mean exactly the same thing. Although they share many similarities, ‘marketing’ and ‘advertising’ are very distinct and understanding these differences can keep your customer acquisition strategy on the straight and narrow.

Marketing

Marketing is the activity most businesses will carry out before launching a new product or service in the marketplace. To market a product successfully, businesses need to have a clear understanding of their customer and their individual needs. This will include finding out what prospective customers are willing to pay for a particular product or service, who are the competitors in the market and what is the business’ unique selling point. Packaging design, company logos and anything else which helps to establish the brand will be tailored towards the target audience to increase sales.

Marketing covers a wide range of activities which includes advertising, market research, sales, public relations and customer feedback and satisfaction. Importantly, marketing isn’t a one-off activity and is more of a sustained business process which helps to nurture and strengthen the relationship your business has with new, existing and potential customers.

Advertising

Advertising is an activity used to sell a product or service to the market place. At the core of advertising is a desire to raise awareness of the existence of your product or service to your target customer and how it can benefit them. How is this different from public relations, another marketing technique? Well in advertising, business owners have full control of the message disseminated to the public while in public relations, an owner only has control until the message is released to the media who then decide how they will portray it to the television, radio or newspaper audience. This can be positive or negative.

Every product is advertised differently, it’s never a one rule fits all policy. Advertising a sale for example will be totally different to advertising new stock. Advertising is usually a paid-for marketing activity and can encompass radio and television advertising, newspaper and magazines, door drops, flyers, brochures, cold calls, mail shots and web-based advertising.

Marketing should always precede advertising activity as advertising design and language will need to be geared towards the target customer. Advertising is just one part of a wider marketing plan and is usually the one which involves the most upfront investment, so naturally business owners need to get it right. Forking out thousands of pounds on advertising campaigns which provide little return is a wasted effort.

Before an advertising campaign is launched, business owners need to do their homework to find out the media channels preferred by their target customer to ensure their message is received. It’s no good advertising on social media channels when the large majority of your target customers read the local newspaper.

Nearly every business owner is familiar with what advertising is but fewer have an understanding of marketing. This can be risky when a business owner throws all his eggs into the advertising basket and forgets that other work is needed to nurture and maintain relationships with new and existing customers.

As you can see, ‘advertising’ and ‘marketing’ are really quite different and shouldn’t be used in isolation from one another. Both of these useful techniques can help grow your business but it would be useful to do some further research on how to develop a marketing strategy to ensure you use any budget you have wisely in today’s economic climate.

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How to produce copy that ranks for your business?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Good content marketing doesn’t have to cost the earth

Good content marketing doesn’t have to cost the earth and even if your marketing budget is non-existent it doesn’t mean you have to miss out. Every business owner is capable of achieving improved website traffic with strategically-worded online content but the extent to which you can convert interest into sales depends on a number of factors including the quality of the written content.

SEO is all about finding keywords – phrases that customers use when searching for a product or service. Initially, businesses purely focused their SEO efforts on short tailed phrases which contain one or two words that literally defines the product/service being searched for such as ‘tree surgery’ or ‘arboriculturalist’. However, ranking with short tailed words has become increasingly competitive and smaller businesses just couldn’t compete with the larger enterprises in their capacity to churn out keyword rich content.

Long tailed keywords

In the last five years, however, businesses have switched their attention to long tailed keywords which are less common but offer a much better chance of ranking on search engines. A long tailed keyword is a combination of between three and six words that is highly specific to the product/service being searched for and could feature the model, price and product features in one short statement or question.

The beauty of long tailed keywords is the fact that the consumer is usually at a later stage of the purchase process, having already carried out some preliminary research, and is now comparing prices. This consumer is much closer to purchasing the product and is therefore easier to convert.

To provide the best chance of ranking with long tailed keywords, businesses need to identify the phrases that their customers are searching for and this requires a little research. A good place to start is to temporarily step into the position of the consumer and imagine what words you would use to search for a particular product.

There are a number of free tools, however, that offer some insight into popular long tailed key word searches including Google’s ‘Suggest’ and ‘Related Keywords’. Google Suggest automatically drops down when you begin typing into the search field and offers keywords that have actually been searched for. Additionally, when you’ve carried out a search, Google provides a set of related keywords at the bottom of the search page which contain long tailed key words.

Another effective tool is to check out the websites of your competitors as chances are they have already carried out keyword research and are using them through their website content to generate traffic. This makes your job a little easier however it’s important to remember that to rank your content must be at least 70% unique otherwise you will undo all your hard efforts.

Forums and messageboards are another source of long tailed keywords as members often lead with a query that they would also enter into a search engine. Such comment threads provide an insight into what your customers would like to know about your industry and can offer a plentiful supply of keywords. Long tailed keywords reflect natural language and conversation so there is no better place to identify what this dialogue consists of.

There are also a number of websites which specialise in providing long tailed keyword phrases including Ubersuggest , Google’s Adwords and Google Analytics .

Consumers now expect to be given the answer to their FAQ on a product or service online – even if it’s not a particularly positive enquiry. For this reason, businesses need to approach content marketing as an extension of their customer service responsibilities.

Are you data obsessed

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Does your business have a system in place

With the advance of technology and modern communication channels, businesses can target the whole world with their products and services because, technically, most of the world is accessible. Such a marketing strategy would be very expensive and require significant resources but it would be the wrong thing to do in any case. This is because 99.9% of the world is probably not your business’s typical customer and it makes far better sense to target people who are interested in what you have to offer. The way to do that is by collecting personal data.

Does your business have a system in place for capturing the email/postal address, name and telephone number of someone who phones your business to enquire about your product or services? Similarly, is there a system in place to record personal details when an interested customer contacts you with a question via your website? If the answer is no then you could be missing out.

Data can be extremely helpful for targeted marketing campaigns and takes the hard work out of sales but the only way to do it right is to become data obsessed. Everyone you speak to, regardless of whether or not they buy anything from you, has to be entered onto that system or software so that you can start communicating with that person in the future. Future sales and profitability depend on you becoming data obsessed.

Contrary to what you might think, you don’t need to invest in a complex computer programme to record the personal data of your potential customers – a simple spreadsheet will work. As long as you ensure all call handlers are aware of the need to collect data and how to do it, the system should work.

We are currently using an affordable solution from a Uk based company called intouch CRM .

Data collection is a crucial tool, enabling businesses to make good decisions. It is important that business owners develop a profile of their ideal customers so that these potential customers can be reached without wasting time and money on those who are likely not to be interested in your products or services.

Primary marketing data can be collected in a host of ways. Questionnaires and comment cards are effective if the information you require is wide ranging. This method is particularly useful for tailoring your products and services according to customer tastes.

Customer data should be the foundation of all your sales and creative work including your website, marketing material and any public relations work you carry out. Knowing who your customer is and reflecting this in the way you communicate as a business dramatically improves your prospects of a sale.

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What is a blog?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

In past years a blog would have been best described as a written diary, but in today’s internet age and very simply put, a blog is an online journal with dated entries that any Internet user can view. Authors post and edit content without the need for extensive technical knowledge. New posts appear at the top of the page, and older material is automatically placed in an archive. Many people, companies and nonprofits maintain blogs. They usually focus on a single subject, such as a certain industry or social issue.

Features

The typical blog offers various interactive features. Visitors may or may not need to register before using them. Common examples include polls, comment areas and search boxes. People often post comments at the end of each entry and may engage in discussions with the author or fellow readers. Some bloggers allow commentators to place links alongside their messages.

Many blogs have some of the same features as standard Web pages. It's normal to find a list of related websites in one of the sidebars; this is called a "blogroll." Some blogs also contain advertisements, photos, contact information or "about us" pages. If there are multiple authors, they might provide profiles of each writer.

Why are blogs important?

Some people run blogs as a hobby, but blogging can also be a beneficial career or business strategy. It may showcase the author's expertise in a certain field. For example, people are more likely to hire an electrician with a blog that demonstrates his or her knowledge about wiring. Frequent updates encourage people to return and read more. This builds trust over time and forms a valuable connection with customers and potentials customers.

Blogs also attract possible clients by providing useful content. When people search for helpful information on ‘circular saws’ and find information on a hardware store's weblog, they might be influenced by the sales pitch or product links on the same page. Other bloggers or social media users may link to high-quality entries, supplying more traffic and potential customers.

Platforms that allow you to set up a blog

When a person or business starts blogging, it's necessary to choose a platform. This is the software that processes, stores and organises entries. It also provides the interfaces that visitors and authors see. The two most famous examples are Blogger and WordPress.

Services like Ghost and Blogger host blogs on their servers, so authors don't have to install any software or register domain names. Blogger is operated by Google and makes it easy for users to earn money from its AdSense contextual ads.

On the other hand, programs like WordPress.org allow blogs to be added to existing websites. Some bloggers create subdomains for this purpose, such as weblog.example.com . WordPress is generally free, and it can be fully customised. It features a large variety of plugins and over 70 language options.

Some lesser-known platforms continue to power a number of blogs. Movabletype offers sophisticated business packages. Typepad has a monthly fee, but it's easy to set up and doesn't impose any limits on storage space.

The bottom line is that blogs help businesses attract and retain more customers at relatively little expense. They also enable individuals to achieve greater success in specific professions. However, this is only possible with the right strategy and techniques. A successful blog needs quality content, an appealing design and a reliable platform. To attract repeat visitors, the author must update it on a regular basis as well.

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The benefits of content marketing

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT

What are the benefits of content marketing - Content Marketing is an affordable way for businesses to market themselves online, and has many benefits:

Content marketing builds customer engagement

Very little of non-trivial vale gets sold without the buyer having a conversation with the business first, and it’s basically up to you to kick these conversations off. Putting out interesting, thought-provoking, fun, edgy and just-plain-useful articles is a brilliant way to start conversations off with people who are interested in what you do, but not necessarily ready to buy.

90% of consumers find custom content useful.
70% of consumers prefer to learn about a company through articles, not ads.

Your prospects will appreciate the information you put out as it will help them decide what and when to buy, and will keep your business in mind when they make that decision.

Content Marketing is great for SEO

“Content is King” according to Google. It’s well known that a website with lots of relevant content on it will do better in searches than more lightweight sites, in fact Google are so keen on content that they’re rolling out a special section in the search results for “in-depth articles” of over 2000 words.

Google also rewards sites which have multiple links back from different channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other blogs and websites, so multiple-channel content marketing is very much something every company should be doing.

Content marketing draws in more marketing

Content marketing also allows you to pick up traffic for those “long tail searches”, such as “pain-free laser hair removal” rather than “beauty salon”, that actually account for around 50% of all searches relevant to your business… and which you’re probably currently missing out on.

Content marketing promotes your expertise

By providing sensible, useful information about your products, services and business niche you are positioning yourself as an expert in your field, in fact you’re proving it in the quality and range of the information you put out. This gives confidence to your prospects as they consider their purchases.

Content marketing gives you an edge

There might be dozens of other companies out there who do what you do and are as qualified and competent as you, but… they’re not putting this content out, and you are, so you’re the business that will get the kudos, the prospects and the leads. There’s still an edge to be had here.

Content marketing benefits are long lasting

Whilst it costs time and/or money to produce good content and distribute it, it basically lasts forever. It won’t be tomorrow’s chip paper; in fact the value of good content improves over time as people discover, share and bookmark it. It’s an investment that should continue to pay dividends long-term.

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What is content marketing

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

So what is content marketing - content marketing is the art of communicating with your customers and prospects without selling.

Without selling! Why would any profit-seeking business want to do that!?

Well don’t worry, the “marketing” bit is still relevant; sales and profits are still the aim here, it’s just a subtle way to go about it. Instead of pitching your products or services, you deliver information about them and your business niche that informs, educates and assists your prospects and buyers.

Don’t forget every time you’ve searched for some information online and found what you need, someone has spent time uploading that information and given it to you for free. Providing such information about your niche for others to use, for free, is great marketing, since it’s drawing people to your business every day.

Just as a small example - I booked both a villa and car hire through companies I discovered via Twitter last year, where they’d cross-posted useful information about my destination. I’d never have found them otherwise.

Content is King

Way back in 1996 no lesser expert than Bill Gates predicted that “ No company is too small to participate…those who succeed will propel the Internet forward as a marketplace of ideas, experiences, and products - a marketplace of content.”

Indeed, the Internet is the best place to do content marketing, and businesses large and small are reaping the rewards. The rise of social media and the ease with which content can be shared has massively increased the opportunities available.

Content marketing is not just for big brands either; small business owners have an even greater opportunity to provide meaningful information and advice in an engaging way because they are closer to their customers.

Distribution

It’s alright having lots of lovely content but you also need some way of getting it front of those people who want to read it. Your website is the obvious place, but there are so may other channels such as:

Blogs
Webcasts and Podcasts
Ebooks
Microsites
Widgets
Email Newsletters
Online Communities
Social Media
Videos
Mobile Apps

The old “sales funnel” idea doesn’t work online, but if your business delivers consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers through (some of) these channels, they will ultimately reward you with their business and loyalty.

In a world where interruption marketing no longer has an impact, content marketing can offer an effective, affordable approach with long-term benefits.

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Can you afford to rely on voicemail?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Small businesses need to find a solution

It perplexes me why many small businesses spend thousands of pounds on advertising every year with the intention of directing traffic to their website or acquiring new sales when they don’t bother to pick up the phone when it rings. The world may have moved on technologically, but most people still only trust a business which has a real person behind it – and someone they can physically talk to when they need them. The hard work not to mention expenditure on advertising is literally pointless if a customer only ever hears an answering machine and it’s a huge irritation of mine.

There’s a school of thought that if new customers really want to get hold of you then they will (even if it’s by different means). In my experience, this view is mistaken. Perhaps a very small percentage of people will try emailing or will wait for someone to get back to them but more often than not it’s too much hard work and the customer will simply go to a competitor instead – one that is contactable!

Options available

Small businesses need to find a solution and there’s one or two approaches. You can hire someone to answer the phone and do admin at the same time but this is a very expensive option and will bring with it all of the associated expenses of becoming an employer. The other option, and in my view the most favourable for the small business, is a virtual assistant – someone who works remotely for a host of firms and effectively answers the phone when you’re unavailable. This can be after five rings, when your line is engaged or simply during out of hours when the business closes. The phone will be answered in the company name and even if the call handler simply takes a message and offers to get someone to call back it means the customer has a contact point – and most importantly it’s a human being!

Why do all the hard work if you fail at the final hurdle? This is typical small business syndrome and business owners need to get out of this mindset. Are you prepared to leave money on the table? Businesses need to be responsible for their customers and this means making themselves available.

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Embraced change to expand your business

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMT

One of the challenges facing business owners today is the ability to move with the times.

One of the challenges facing business owners today is the ability to move with the times. As the owner of a marketing company, even I find it a struggle to keep up with every new gadget or gimmick promising to transform business success.

I appreciate it can be overwhelming to consider new and innovative ways of marketing a business, especially if you started up decades ago. Many business owners are trapped by a ‘if it isn’t broke don’t try and fix it’ philosophy, preferring to keep on using traditional advertising strategies because they’re still getting customers through the door. This stems from a fear of change and unfamiliarity with the fresh tactics being used by other businesses. However, all of these business owners want more customers and to do this they need to embrace innovation.

Apathy is dangerous for business. It’s far better for business owners to seek out the services of someone who can help them modernise their communication efforts than it is to bury their head in the sand and ignore it. My business is no different to anyone else’s and has had to evolve over the past decade to remain current and relevant to the way businesses now operate. There are so many new media platforms which can bring positive benefits to your business. Before I’ve ever met somebody in the physical world, the hard work of getting the introduction is carried out in a virtual world. Business to Consumer businesses can now have conversations with potential customers’ effortlessly on social media and get their services noticed by a much wider audience.

Every business needs to evolve. Without embracing change you run the risk of driving your customers away to your nearest competitors.

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Is having a company video worth it?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMT

YouTube, Vimeo?

A few years ago, nobody was using video to promote their business. In today’s world of business, everyone is using it and for good reason. Like television, video offers people a multisensory experience and this makes it easier for them to understand the information being presented. They can passively consume what they’re watching without any real thought – all of which is an advertiser’s dream.

YouTube/Google

Modern businesses work very hard to generate traffic to their website and a promotional video can really help. Why? Because YouTube is owned by Google – the most popular search engine in the world – and if you broadcast a good quality video on YouTube with an appropriate SEO-driven title, Google will reward you by ranking it in their search pages.

Consumers are all different. Some people get more out of watching a video while others prefer to receive their information in text form either online, in a letter or in a text message. Successful businesses use all of these mediums to communicate to their customers so they widen their appeal.

Featuring a video is a great way of selling products and it’s not as hard as it looks. Once you’ve made one, you’ll find the next one easier and not as daunting. One thing small businesses should not be doing is hiring a professional video company to shoot it for them. Cheesy corporate videos have no sales value and can actually switch people off from what you’re selling. Consumers respond much better to raw video footage which is a little rough around the edges because it gives them a closer look at the people behind the scenes of the business. Natural, non-professional videos always outperform staged and contrived corporate videos.

People will often click on a video first before reading any text on a website so it should rank highly on your web strategy. It also allows you more control over the sales process because a customer clicking on a video link is much more likely to watch it until the end unlike text information. This gives you longer to deliver your sales pitch.

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Whatever is list building?

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMT

List building has become somewhat of a buzz phrase recently

List building has become somewhat of a buzz phrase recently but many business owners are still none the wiser about what it actually means or whether they should be doing it or not. List building is exactly what is says it is - building a list. Unlike a ‘shopping’ list or a ‘to do’ list, however, list-building in business is the development of a database of potential customers, that is customers who have already expressed an interest in your products or services and have given their permission for you to contact them. Such a list is extremely valuable and can, if utilised in the right way, speed up the selling process and increase conversions.

In its simplest form, a list can comprise the personal details (email address, correspondence address and/or telephone number) of all the people you have already sold something to which can be stored on an Excel spreadsheet for future marketing projects. There are so many marketing opportunities for businesses which have a list of prospective clients including e-broadcasting, direct mail and promotion via social media. It also gives businesses important data about the buying habits of their customers, what products they like or dislike, which can make selling much easier and more successful.

Whichever type of business you run, whether it’s online or from shop premises, you need to stay in touch with your potential customers. Building a list is one of the most cost-effective ways of attracting new business and can become very fruitful in the future if the information gathered is handled in the right way. It’s also a great way of increasing traffic to your website and social media pages which should already be promoting your goods and services.

If you’re still dubious about whether an email list is of any real benefit to your business, then check out your own inbox as there’s likely to be at least two newsletters from companies which have gleaned your email address from you. Have a look at how they’re using their list to keep in touch with customers and promote their products. A simple data gathering exercise now can bring huge dividends in the future.

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Six tips to getting your press release published

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Too many businesses make the mistake of forgetting PR altogether

If you’re a small to medium-sized business then chances are there isn’t room in your budget for a professional public relations service. Too many businesses make the mistake of forgetting PR altogether either because they haven’t the confidence to try it out for themselves or the time. Generating positive media coverage is essential to building a brand and thanks to the onslaught of social media networking it also doesn’t have to cost anything.

My advice to modern businesses is to ignore PR at your peril because if you’re not controlling the environment around you in regards to what message you want your potential customers to be receiving, then you can guarantee your competitors are. I mentioned social media briefly because of the range of opportunities it presents for business growth. However these are too vast to discuss in one article and for the moment I want to focus on one of the more traditional mediums – the local press – and how a small business without a public relations manager might seek to get positive coverage in their local rag.

Before the days of the internet, newsroom fax machines spilt out paper by the second as companies jostled to win their press release a coveted spot in the local news pages. With the advance of technology, such physical paper jams are a thing of the past but in their place have come flooded inboxes. News editors can now dismiss your press release at the click of a button which means you’ll need to pull out all the tricks of the trade to get yours read – let alone printed .

Here are six tips to help:

Choose a good headline. News editors are busy people and might not even bother to open your email if you don’t flag it up appropriately. A headline needs to contain the most interesting aspect of your release and really sell it to the news editor.
From the headline onwards, a press release should contain the most important and interesting information in chronological order. Your message needs to be delivered in the first paragraph so you can grab attention. Press releases which leave the ‘news’ until paragraph four will inevitably end up in the recycling bin.
You don’t always have to have ‘news’ to send out a press release. PR experts make a lot of money spinning information which is already available within the business. Journalists love figures because they tell a story much more vividly than flowery language. Data is a great way of getting your business featured in your local newspaper, especially if you can identity a trend.
Where possible, send a photograph with your press release. Column inches equals publicity and the bigger your article appears in the newspaper, the more attention it will receive.
Include a quote from yourself or anyone within the business which can help colour the story. Quotes bring articles to life and will allow you to describe things more colloquially. But avoid waffle as releases which contain more than one or two pages will be an instant turn-off.
Make sure you include your contact details. If a newspaper wants to turn the information in your release into a bigger story or feature, they’ll want to interview you and arrange their own photographs. So I hope these top simple tips will help so the next time your company has got something to shout about, it may well now get heard !!

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The £145k big advertising gamble

suzanne@getcustomersfast.co.uk (Suzanne Taylor) — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 00:00:00 GMT

Investing money into marketing

In an economic climate where every penny counts it still astounds me that so many businesses are failing to measure the impact of their advertising or marketing efforts. This became obvious the other day when I got chatting to the owner of a business which is still going strong after more than 20 years. During a conversation about marketing I asked where the business currently spent its marketing budget and was reliably informed that not only had the same advert had been placed in the same local newspaper for two decades, the firm had absolutely no idea on whether or not it was actually working. This strikes me as a very costly gamble, particularly when you consider that the cost of placing the advert amounted to some £145,000 over the years it had been run and is still running!!

What business today can afford such expenditure without proof that there has been any return on investment in the shape of fresh business? The reality is nobody can and small businesses need to ensure they are investing their money into marketing approaches which are proven to really work for them.

One such approach is tracking software which monitors the business generated by specific adverts. Advertisements are assigned a unique telephone number and when a potential customer calls that line the software will automatically record the data. Such systems are very cost effective and are available for as little as £5-£10 per month which includes a batch of call minutes.

Call tracking isn’t just limited to newspaper advertising and is available to use with a range of mediums including billboards and web advertising. If you’re forking out for a £500 advert every month then it makes sense to invest a little technology to help you decide what is providing you with the best conversions so that you’re no longer relying on guesswork.

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Marketing Hints, Tips and Advice

ChatGPT Ads: What It Means for Local Businesses

Is it time to act now, as most businesses wait until something is obvious

So… what’s actually happening? ﻿

Why this matters

This has happened before…

What about ad quality?

The bigger picture

What should you actually do?

Straight talk

Common AI Mistakes Small Businesses Make And How To Avoid Sounding Like Everyone Else Online

AI should save time and reduce the stress of staring at a blank screen

Mistake 1: Copying and pasting the first draft

Mistake 2: Using bland prompts

Mistake 3: Letting AI remove your personality

Mistake 4: Believing polished means persuasive

Mistake 5: Saying what everyone else is saying

How to use AI without sounding like everyone else

AI for Small Business Owners: Simple Ways to Use It When Budgets Are Tight

Can AI reduce a bit of pressure in your day-to-day jobs

Start with the boring jobs first

Use AI as a starting point, not the finished job

Where AI can genuinely help a small business

1. Writing everyday customer communication

2. Creating marketing content faster

3. Improving your website wording

4. Helping with ideas when you feel stuck

5. Tidying up internal processes

Start with free or low-cost tools

Google’s Latest Algorithm Update: What It Means for Local Businesses

Sometimes the basics really do work!

�� What’s Changed?

��️‍♂️ Who’s Affected?

�� 3 Practical Tips to Stay Ahead:

Update Your Google Business Profile Regularly

Encourage Honest Reviews

Focus on Useful Content

�� Real Example

How Double Glazing Companies Can Win More Local Customers (Without the Jargon)

You need to be the name potential customers can trust

�� Showcase Your Local Projects

��️ Collect and Use Customer Reviews

�� Keep Your Google Business Profile Fresh

�� Offer Honest, Simple Advice

�� Be Easy to Contact

�� Connect with Other Local Trades

How to Keep Potential Customers on Your Website (and Gently Guide Them to Your Services)

Let's keep potential customers on your site long enough to actually become customers

�� First Impressions Count - Big Time

�� Make It Easy to Navigate

�� Build Trust at Every Step

⚡ Speed (and Mobile-Friendliness) Matters

�� Guide, Don’t Goad

��️ Tie It All Together

Why Great Photos Make (or Break) Your Website: Trust, SEO & Getting Noticed Online

If your website looks dated, empty, or full of obvious stock images, potential customer wont hang about long

First impressions happen fast

Google doesn’t “see” your photos… but it does understand them

Photos build trust before you even speak to someone

Great photos help you stand out when everyone looks the same

Final thought

And as a bonus, they give Google more reason to take you seriously too.

Small job for this week:

Do We Still Need a Website When Everyone’s on Social Media?

A decent website is still one of the smartest assets your business can have

Social media is great… until it isn’t

A website is the one thing you actually own

People still check websites before they commit ﻿

Google still sends the highest intent leads

Your website is where the decision happens

It’s not “website OR social” — it’s both doing different jobs

So… do you still need a website in 2026?

How Google Decides Who Ranks: A Plain-English Guide for Local Businesses

Simple Truths About Getting Found Online in Your Local Area

☕️ Let’s start with the basics:

�� Trust matters

�� Are people talking about you?

�� Can people actually use your website?

�� Keep things fresh

Here’s the thing:

So… what’s actually happening?

People still check websites before they commit

8. �� Don't Hide Your Contact Details