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In-House vs. Outsourced SEO: Which to Consider for Your Business

Author: Mario Diaz

In-House vs. Outsourced SEO: Which to Consider for Your Business

Posted on by Mario Diaz

 

Do you sometimes feel like your business gets lost among all the competitors in Google search results? It’s hard to make your business stand out, especially online. Some companies invest tens of thousands of dollars in Google Ads campaigns, and small businesses can sometimes find themselves struggling to keep up. Fortunately, there is an affordable way to ensure your business stands out on the crowded search engine results page. 

Many companies turn to outsourced SEO services to put their business on the front page of Google search results. Why do businesses outsource SEO instead of doing it in-house? It has to do with time and effort. 

In the article below, you’ll find a list of things to consider when you’re deciding whether to outsource SEO projects. Read on to ensure you’re aware of all that goes into search engine optimization. 

Keyword Research Takes up a Considerable Amount of Time

To those who aren’t familiar with SEO blog writing, it may seem like an easy job that can be done in a few hours. The truth is, writing effective SEO articles is a multi-step process that can take up your whole week if you don’t outsource your SEO efforts. First, you’ve got to conduct keyword research. This requires that you become familiar with an SEO tool like Ahrefs.

Once you’ve identified a keyword or keyphrase that you think you can rank for, you’ll have to search that keyword or keyphrase in Google and find out what types of posts are ranking on the first page. Are they lists or how-to guides? How long are they? 

These are the questions you’ll have to answer. If you decide to outsource SEO services, you can let someone else handle this research for you.

Finding Backlinks Takes Time and Requires Connections

A backlink is a link on another website that leads back to your website. An SEO outsourcing company will generally find backlinks for you as part of its service package. Backlinks are a great way to help your content move up the search results page.

These companies have the time to email marketers at other companies and publications and ask for backlinks. Outsourcing SEO agency companies also generally know who to reach out to to get these backlinks. It is possible to find backlinks on your own, but outsourcing this work to an SEO company is a more efficient use of resources.

Now You Know Why Companies Choose Outsourced SEO Services

Unless you employ an SEO expert who had plenty of time to write blogs and perform keyword research, it’s usually a good idea to go with outsourced SEO services. Even if you do have a dedicated SEO marketer on your team, an SEO agency can help take some of the work off their plate. If you’re ready to kick your SEO efforts into overdrive, you can get in touch with the SEO experts at Enfuse. 

Posted in SEO

5 Ways to Boost Your Small Business Website Traffic

Posted on by Mario Diaz

The average American spends over six hours online daily. Your small business could be claiming a percentage of that time – and see a surge in growth as a result. But with billions of sites all vying for the same attention, how can you increase your website traffic?

Here are five ways you can get visitors to look at your small business’s website!

1. Build a Great Site

The first thing you can do to boost website traffic is to create an appealing site. It should be well-designed and easy to navigate if you want people to look around.

You also need to make sure your site looks great on mobile as well. Half of web traffic now occurs on smartphones.

Keep up with online design trends to avoid becoming out of date. The cleaner your design, the more appealing and long-lasting it will be!

2. Create Content

Your product or service alone may not garner the attention you need to increase website traffic. In order to create customers, you can create an audience first. Start a blog, podcast, or other creative venture related to your business and watch your website traffic soar!

Creating content is a great way to get repeat visitors as well. While your ultimate goal may be to boost your numbers, a loyal customer base may get you much further!

3. Use SEO to Increase Website Traffic

SEO stands for search engine optimization. Basically, it means using specific strategies to show up higher in search results. Examples include using keywords, descriptions, and internal links.

Ranking high in search results is important because it guides people who are actively looking for your products and services to your site. Think about the last time you went beyond the first page of results and you’ll realize just how valuable practicing SEO can be for your business website traffic!

4. Connect to Social Media

A lot of people use social media to fill most of their online time. You can find ways to be seen by using marketing strategies that cater to each site. There are professionals who can help you perfect your online presence, and boost business website traffic!

The more places you can be found the better, and each social media account can serve as a funnel linking straight to your website!

5. Use Ads

One final way to improve website traffic is to use ads! Ads are one of the easiest ways to get people to notice your small business. However, you still need to do your research before you invest in a campaign.

The type of ad you choose will depend on the needs of your business. You can pay for ads on social media if you’re looking for a broader audience. Or, drive traffic to your site through offline advertising if your target market is more local.

Start Boosting Your Site’s Traffic Now

If you want your small business to succeed, focus your efforts online! Start using these tips to improve website traffic today!

Want more help making your website the best it can be? Contact us to get started on your project!

Posted in SEO

4 Reasons to Hire a SEO Professional For Your Business

Posted on by Mario Diaz

The market for SEO services is worth approximately $40.92 billion. Businesses realize the importance of keeping themselves at the top of search engine queries. They also know that it can be too complex of a task to handle themselves. Outsourcing SEO has a positive impact on every aspect of your business, from your marketing efforts to your sales numbers and everything in-between. Read on to learn 4 reasons you should hire an SEO professional.

1. Top-Ranking Web Results

SEO is critical because customers refuse to search through pages and pages of links. In fact, they expect their answer to come immediately without the need for clicking on anything.

A zero-click search shows the answer to a search query at the top of the results page. When they do click on a link, over 25% of users choose the first result that appears.

Professional SEO web design keeps you at the top of the list. When combined with marketing efforts, it also ensures that clicks get converted into sales.

2. Convenience

There are several types of SEO, from on-page and off-page to local and organic. Anything can affect them, including your website, reputation, and location.

An SEO professional can help you with all of this free you up to focus on other areas of your business.

3. Data and Analytics

An SEO professional has access to apps and databases that would require you to pay a large subscription fee. They use these tools to provide essential data and analytics you can’t get anywhere else.

Starting an SEO marketing campaign with no information about the customers you’re marketing to is like shouting into an empty room. Creating a website with no analytics about who’s visiting it is like putting up a poster about your business in a random neighborhood and hoping a potential customer will see it.

You need the data that an SEO professional provides to get meaningful, measurable results from your business efforts.

4. Experience and Adaptability

The world of online search results is like a massive forest, and you need a qualified SEO guide to help you get through it. They’ll use their experience to create the best possible online presence for your business.

SEO tips quickly become outdated as the volatile world of the internet changes. For example, recent changes include:

  • The need for short, scannable paragraphs
  • The domination of mobile searches
  • The rise of influencers

An SEO professional can adapt to these changes and help you do the same. They’ll suggest ways to reach your modern customer base using information about what they’re searching for and where.

Where to Find an SEO Professional

An SEO professional is an advisor who understands the digital world and helps you use it to its fullest capacity. These experts use their experience and adaptability to create high-ranking links that convert to sales, provide useful data and analytics, and provide a convenient suite of services to reduce the burden on you.

Finding the right one requires more than typing “SEO professional” into Google and choosing the first result; you need to do enough research to find a trustworthy company with proven results.

Enfuse is ready to give you the SEO help you need. Contact us today.

Posted in SEO

Web Design Features to Attract Customers

Posted on by Mario Diaz

One of the best ways to attract new customers to your business is by creating a well-designed website. But not every owner has the proper training to bring their design visions to life. There are plenty of professional web designers out there who can help. The market for this industry has grown by an average of 4.4% every year for the past five years. Using best practices in design can be the difference between a website visitor and a customer. Here are five effective web design features a professional can implement to attract new customers to your business website.

Choose a Simple Yet Applicable Theme

It might be tempting to choose a web design theme with tons of unique features and elements, but professionals know these are off-putting for visitors. Too many features on your page will leave people confused.

Use simple typography and space out your content enough, so it’s easy to read. Refrain from using too many images and colors as well. This will help potential customers focus on your website’s main selling points.

Add in Great Content to Important Pages

Businesses shouldn’t assume that potential customers will navigate to every page on their websites, searching for the important pieces. They need to hook readers from the get-go, especially in important places like the homepage or main service pages.

Create content that resonates with your target market. Show them you speak their language and understand what types of products or services they’re searching for.

Responsive Web Design Elements

With the advent of mobile technology, people are using their phones more than ever to browse the web. That means you need to ensure your website is adaptable to such a framework.

There are plenty of content management systems (CMS) out there that use responsive themes. But for specific elements that aren’t rendering quite right on mobile browsers, it’s best to consider hiring professional web design companies.

Ensure Website Speed is Optimized

No one wants to visit a website that takes forever to load. People want to be presented with the information they’re looking for; if they don’t find it, they may search elsewhere.

Use Call-To-Action Buttons

Call-to-action buttons and links are website elements that encourage visitors to purchase, fill out a form, or make any other form of conversion. The placement of these elements, their styling, and wording can have a major impact on potential customers.

Spend some time A/B testing placements and designs for these buttons to see how people interact with them. A reputable web design agency can help implement these changes and analyze their impact.

Start Attracting Customers With a Web Design Company Today

Implementing effective web design features doesn’t have to be a difficult process. Working with professionals will ensure best practices are followed and the elements reflect your company’s brand.

Did you find this article helpful? If so, we invite you to explore our other web design articles today!

What Are the Basics of Brand Identity Design?

Posted on by Mario Diaz

You only have a few seconds to make an impression on your next potential customer. 80% of people remember what they see, compared to 10% what they hear and 20% what they read.

You want to ensure that all the elements in your business are cohesive and consistent with forming a good first impression of your target audience.

This guide will show you the basics of brand identity design and how you can use it to stand out from your competitors.

What Is Brand Identity Design?

Brand identity is all visible elements that your business uses to create an image in the customers’ minds. Brand identity includes the colors, font, logo, and design. Your brand identity is what makes your business visually stand out from competitors.

Brand image is different from brand identity, although most people use them interchangeably. Brand image refers to how your business appears to the public.

Some brand identity design examples include Apple and Vans. They are both timeless brands and have instantly recognizable visual elements. Apple is known for its modern and sleek design, while Vans is most know for its checkerboard shoes.

Developing a Strong Brand Identity

Before you can build your brand identity, you must have an understanding of the basics. Knowing the foundation of your business will help you immensely when you are ready to contact a professional to help with brand identity design services.

Know Who You Are

Before you dive into creating your logo and brand design visuals, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself:

  • What is your mission?
  • What values or beliefs drive your company?
  • What 3-4 keywords would you use to describe your brand?
  • What sets you apart from your competitors?
  • What is the personality of your brand?

These questions are essential in forming your brand identity. From there, you can create visuals that represent your brand’s unique qualities and personality. For example, if your brand personality is fun and exciting, red is an excellent color to express that, and a unique font would look better than a modern one.

Fonts

Once you have the foundation of your brand personality, you will want to start choosing the font. There are four significant types of fonts:

  • Serif
  • Sans Serif
  • Script
  • Display fonts

Be careful when selecting the right font for your logo, as the font psychology behind your selected typography can say a lot about your brand.

Color Palette

Once you have chosen a font that represents your brand accurately, the color palette comes next. People have psychological ties with specific colors, so the color palette you select can significantly impact your customers.

Logo

Now that you have your brand foundation, typography, and color palette, it is time to start your brand logo design. It is best to keep the design simple, so it is legible and recognizable. If people do not understand what the logo is, it may not positively impact them.

Avoid trends when creating your logo, as you want the logo and your brand to be timeless. It should communicate who your business is and have a lasting impression on your customers.

Let Us Handle Your Brand Identity Design

Now that you have a basic understanding of what brand identity design is and how you can use it in your business, why not let the professionals help you?

We specialize in logo design, brand identity design, web services, and more. Contact us today to discuss how we can help your business have a positive lasting impression on your customers.

What to Expect During the App Development Process

Posted on by Mario Diaz

Are you a business owner in the Los Angeles, Orange, or Riverside area of California? Do you want to gain new customers and strengthen your brand? Developing an app for your business is a great way to start. If you want your app to look clean, modern, and professional, it’s a good idea to work with an app development company to bring your vision to life.

Keep reading this guide to find out what to expect during app development, from start to finish.

Planning

Once you have an initial idea for your app, your app development team will work with you to help realize your vision.

When you and your app development team have decided exactly what kind of app your business needs, they’ll get you a full specification. A specification is like a blueprint for your app, so you can make sure everything looks good.

Mobile apps are a quickly growing market, taking up almost 50% of e-commerce in the U.S. But don’t worry; your team will know how to make an app stand out in the crowd.

Customer Experience

Once you approve the specification, your team will get to work on UX and UI design. This is how they make sure that customers enjoy interacting with your app.

UX stands for User Experience; in other words, do people have a good time using your app?

UI stands for User Interface, which is the way that customers will interact with your app. What buttons they’ll be clicking on, the way they’re redirected to other pages, and the general visual aesthetic of your app are all part of the UI design.

Research shows that 88% of online shoppers would not return to a website that gave them a bad user experience. Hiring a team of trained professionals to handle UX and UI design will help you retain as many customers as possible through your app.

App Development and Testing

The next step in the app development process is called full-stack development. In this step, your developers will work on both the front and back end of your app.

Basically, they’ll ensure that all the commands that your clients can give the app are properly coded into it, that data can be properly stored on it, and a bunch of other behind-the-scenes stuff that is essential to your app working well.

After that, they’ll test every page of your app to make sure everything works, loads quickly, and won’t give your customers any unexpected errors.

Final Stages

Once your app is ready to go, your development team will handle putting it on app stores. Time to celebrate! Your business is one step further toward success.

The last step in the app development process is ongoing; your team will always be with you to make any necessary improvements or updates to your app.

Start Developing Your App

You might be wondering: how long does it take to make an app? What app features will my specific business need? How much does app development cost?

Get in contact with an app development company today to start designing your product and get those questions answered.

Get your company on the app store, sit back, and watch your business grow!

7 Tips for Developing an Instagram Marketing Strategy That Works

Posted on by Mario Diaz

With almost one billion active users, Instagram is one of the world’s most popular social media platforms. But with so many users, your content has to be high-quality to stand out. To ensure your getting the most out of your account, we’ve put together 7 key tips for Instagram marketing. Keep reading for easy and effective steps you can take to improve your social media marketing presence today!

1. Use Hashtags

Hashtags are how users on Instagram search for accounts and content. If you want any chance at being found by new and repeat customers alike, you’ll want to make sure you’re using hashtags.

Create your own hashtags to promote products and services, and use established ones to boost traffic. Be sure to stay on top of what’s trending to increase your chances of being found through organic searches.

2. Write Creative Captions

While Instagram is an image-based platform, you can write captions up to 2,200 characters long. The first two lines of your caption will be visible without clicking to see more.

Captions are your opportunity to use your brand’s voice, and you should be taking advantage of it. Just remember that users typically don’t read long paragraphs, so keep it brief unless you have a great story to tell.

3. Use a Business Profile

If you’re using Instagram for your business, you’ll want to use a business account. These accounts offer more features than personal ones do, like Instagram ads and Instagram shopping.

4. Keep It Varied

To keep users coming back for more, you need to make sure you vary your content as much as possible. Instagram only allows you to post videos and photos, so make sure to change subjects and themes when you can.

While the focus should always be your industry and business, repeating content makes it harder to grow a following. Shake it up when you can to ensure your account is worth visiting.

5. Establish a Brand Aesthetic

It’s important to keep a consistent visual theme throughout your posts. While you should vary your content, your brand’s colors and personality should run through each of your posts.

This becomes especially important when several people contribute to your Instagram posts, so be sure to keep things consistent across your social media content.

6. Engage With Users

Social media isn’t just about posting pictures, it’s about being social! Because of this, it’s important that you interact with users on Instagram. Make comments, use the like button, and contribute to conversations on your posts.

This shows that you are active and engaged in your content, and is a good way to keep users coming back to your page.

7. Post at the Correct Times

Depending on your business, some times are better to post than others. To make sure your posts are seen by as many of the right people as possible, consider your audience and when they’re active.

If you aren’t sure what time is the best to post, there are plenty of guides online to help you out.

Get Social With These 7 Instagram Marketing Tips

When it comes to promoting your business on Instagram, you’ll need a good plan to keep up with your competitors. These 7 tips are the perfect tool for improving your Instagram marketing strategy!

Looking for more advice on web design to marketing? Check out the rest of our site to learn more from our digital experts!

How Long Does It Take to Design a Website?

Posted on by Mario Diaz

Nearly 90% of customers are less likely to return to a website if they have a bad experience.

Building a website isn’t a simple matter of adding some images and text. It takes careful planning, thoughtful design, and time to craft the perfect site that your visitors will enjoy.

The question is, how much time?

This article answers the question of how long does it take to design a website.

Read on to discover the five phases of building a website. Learn the benefits of a professionally designed site versus doing it yourself. And estimate the time needed to create a site that will best promote your West Coast brand online.

The Process of Designing a Website

When asking how long does it take to build a website you must consider the various phases of design to launch:

  1. Discovery phase
  2. Design phase
  3. Development phase
  4. Alteration phase
  5. Launch

The discovery phase is the foundation of any design project and involves researching how the site will best serve your needs. That includes researching your customer base, their expectations, and competitor sites.

Discovery results in a project specification, the first step of which is the design phase.

Design and Development

User Experience or UX measures how users interact with a website and if they enjoyed their visit.

Fundamental to UX is structured navigation and pleasing aesthetics.

Users want a professional image that inspires confidence. They must be able to find the content they’re looking for and benefit from it.

Professional website designers like Enfuse will create wireframes to steer this process. You’ll see how your site will work and mockups give a taste of the end result.

The real work begins during the development phase when coding and image editing takes place. This includes responsive design so your site will work on a mobile device or any size of a screen.

Alterations and Launch

During the alteration phase, you have the ability to fully test your site and make any changes.

We show you how to edit the content yourself through the WordPress CMS platform. When you’re happy, we set the site live and you can track your visitors through the analytics tools.

How Long Does It Take to Design a Website?

Now you know the different stages of designing a website, how long before launch?

The answer depends on your own unique requirements and how quickly you can provide content.

Our clients typically see their sites go live within 4-6 weeks. That time period covers all phases of development including alterations to mockups.

Don’t forget that once your website is online you need to market and promote it. That will continue throughout your site’s lifecycle and will help push you up the search engine rankings.

DIY vs Professional Website Design

You might be wondering why you couldn’t just create a website yourself. Online services state that building a website takes a few hours so why invest in weeks of work?

The difference between DIY vs professional website design is the end product.

Customers can spot a professionally designed site as soon as they arrive. It will inspire them to do business with confidence and will better promote your brand.

That takes time but it’s time well spent.

Building a Website That Works

How long does it take to design a website?

At Enfuse, we average around 4-6 weeks for a custom-built site that will draw visitors and keep them coming back. We work alongside our clients to ensure they receive the website they deserve.

If you’re local to Orange, Los Angeles, or the Riverside areas of California, start a project by contacting us today.

What Are the Different Types of Digital Marketing?

Posted on by Mario Diaz

With more interactions happening online than ever before, businesses need to have an online presence to give them the ability to engage with online consumers. Considering that 93 percent of all online experiences start with search engines like Google, having an established online presence will lead consumers to your brand rather than the competition.

There are a few different ways of connecting with consumers online or digital marketing options that can help you engage with potential online shoppers.

If you are looking to grow your online presence, keep reading this comprehensive guide to discover the different types of digital marketing and how they can help your business grow.

1. Search Engine Optimization

As so most people are utilizing the power of search to find things like:

  • Where to eat
  • Places to stay
  • And to find entertainment

It has never been more important for businesses to practice good search engine optimization habits in order to put their brand in a position to be found through a basic search. With 32 percent of individuals engaging with the first result to appear in Google, being visible is a major competitive advantage.

2. Pay-Per-Click

Pay-per-click or PPC is another common digital marketing type that businesses will utilize in order to increase the number of visitors to their website. When it comes to PPC, it’s essentially a form of buying visitors instead of obtaining them organically like you would with search engine optimization.

Businesses will often use PPC with search engines to promote their business. Each time a user clicks the link, the business will pay a small fee.

3. Social Media Marketing

One of the most successful kinds of digital marketing is through the use of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

According to insights from the PEW Research Center, over 72 percent of adults in the U.S are currently on social media. That’s a massive market just waiting to be captured. A few ways of connecting with users on social media include:

  • Posting informative content
  • Engaging with users
  • Answering questions
  • And offering freebies or raffles

Social media can be an excellent place to grow your customer base. However, it’s also easy to ruin your brand name by posting the wrong types of content – make sure to be mindful of content posted on social media.

4. Email Marketing

The tried and true email marketing may seem like an outdated form of communication for businesses. However, it can still be a great way of connecting with consumers and helping to build a community of followers.

According to the 2019 Marketing Email Tracker, the return on investment (ROI) for email marketing can be up to 42X. Meaning for every dollar spent on marketing for email, the return can be $42!

What Types of Digital Marketing is Right for You?

It can be intimidating to start marketing online with so many different types of digital marketing to choose from and begin to implement. Different types of businesses will often require various digital marketing types in order to connect with their target market and keep them engaged with the brand.

If you are considering giving your online presence a boost, contact us today, and we can help you get started on your digital marketing journey.

What Is the Main Difference Between SEO and SEM?

Posted on by Mario Diaz

Did you know that there are over 1.7 billion websites on the internet? All of these sites are vying for the coveted top spot in the search engine results pages. Your digital marketing strategy will help to take your website there. You may have heard of SEO and SEM; both are designed to help you drive traffic to your website. But do you know what the difference between the two is? In this article, we’ll take a look at the main difference between SEO and SEM.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization. SEO relates to anything that you do to improve your organic search results.

There are several facets of SEO. The main types of SEO are:

  • On-page SEO- This helps your content rank higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs)
  • Off-page SEO– This refers to getting links to your site placed on other, high authority pages
  • Technical SEO- This improves the performance of your site to aid ranking
  • Local SEO- This helps your business appear on maps and on Google’s Local Pack

Common SEO tactics include keyword optimization, link building, mobile optimization, and improving page load speeds.

What is SEM?

SEM stands for search engine marketing. SEM utilizes paid advertising to help you position your website higher in the search rankings.

SEM involves setting up ads and optimizing them. This strategy may also be referred to as pay-per-click (PPC) marketing.

Google Ads is one of the most popular places to start when implementing this strategy.

SEM centers around keyword optimization, so in many respects, it shares similarities with SEO.

What Are the Benefits of SEO?

The main benefit of SEO is that you’ll rank high on the search results pages. It generates organic traffic based on people’s search terms.

This means that the traffic is effectively free, although you may need to pay to have your site optimized, you won’t pay by the click like you will do with SEM.

What Are the Benefits of SEM?

Much like with SEO, the main benefit of SEM is that your website will rank at the top of the search results. This time, it is listed as an ad.

The benefit of SEM is that it is a great way of guaranteeing traffic to your website. An SEM strategy should be employed alongside an SEO strategy.

The Difference Between SEO and SEM

The main difference between SEO and SEM is that SEO is free and organic, whereas SEM is paid for. Both SEO and SEM are powerful tools that are essential in any digital marketing toolkit, and both are very beneficial.

Both SEO and SEM serve the same purpose; that is to get your website to appear as high as possible in the search results.

If you’d like help with your marketing and SEO needs, get in touch with Enfuse today.