Tips

Top SEO Tips to Remember When Promoting Your Website

Getting your website online is only the first step. After that, you need to find a way to market your site to get visitors. Promoting your website with SEO is one of the best ways to do this.

With 67,000 searches performed on Google every second, it doesn’t make sense to ignore SEO for your website. But with all the information out there talking about SEO, it can be hard to figure out where you should start. This post will get you started on the right path.

Keep reading to learn six SEO tips that will help you rank your site on Google.

1. Learn What Your Audience Is Searching For

Content is king when it comes to SEO. The problem is, it can be hard to know what topics to write about on your website. That’s where keyword research comes in.

You can use tools like the Google Keyword Planner to learn what people search for in Google. This tool will give you estimates of the keyword search volume every month. Type a word in, and the keyword tool will provide you with suggestions for keywords that you can target.

Use this data to come up with ideas for blog posts. When writing your posts, you can then integrate your keyword and other similar ideas into your post. This will help your website rank for those terms in Google.

2. Make Sure Your Website Is Mobile-Optimized

Mobile internet use has grown by 504% since 2011. That’s a lot of people that are using their phones instead of their computer to browse websites.

If you don’t provide these people with a pleasant website experience, why should Google show them your website in search results? If your site isn’t mobile-optimized, Google will know and bump your site down in the search results.

To optimize your site, you will need to make your website responsive. This means that whenever someone with a small screen size visits your page, they’ll be shown a different website layout that looks good on smaller screens.

Optimizing for mobile also means being sure that mobile users can load your site in a reasonable time. Every second counts when it comes to page load time.

The first step is to optimize your images. There are compression tools out there that will lower your image file sizes without ruining their quality. Once you finish this, implement lazy image loading on your site so your visitors can see your website without loading the images at the bottom of the page first.

3. Start Optimizing for Voice Search

Text search has dominated information queries since the internet first started to become popular, but that’s beginning to change. With smart devices starting to get good at understanding voice commands, voice search is starting to become more popular.

Because of that, many of the keywords that you would typically optimize your site for will start going down in value. People don’t type the way they speak, so there will be many new search terms that will take their place.

If you can optimize for these terms before your competitors, you’ll get a leg up on the websites that ignore voice searchers.

4. Don’t Ignore Backlinks

Backlinks have gotten a bad reputation over the past few years. That’s because a lot of webmasters have abused them to rank their websites on Google.

But that doesn’t mean they don’t work, and that you can’t use them to improve the SEO for your website. You can think of a backlink as a vote for your site. The higher the reputation a site has that links to you, the more authority you get for your website.

If you can acquire backlinks from several high authority websites, you can see a boost in your Google rankings.

One way to start acquiring backlinks to your website is guest posting. Search for websites that have a similar following to yours and ask if they accept guest contributions to their website. You’ll write a post for their site and include a link in the content that directs visitors back to your page.

It’s a long process, so don’t be afraid to reach out to SEO services to handle this for you. This is one of the easiest ways to acquire traffic for your website.

5. Optimize Your Page Titles

It’s harder than ever to grab a person’s attention on the internet today. Because of this, you need to give your blog posts and pages captivating titles that will grab a person’s attention.

You can do this in two places: your page title and meta description. The page title should tell the visitor exactly what your page is about. Integrate your keyword into the title for Google, and tell searchers what they’ll learn by visiting your website.

Your meta description gives you a chance to talk a little more about your post. Use this space to connect with a searcher.

What problem are they having? What issues does their problem cause? How does going to your website help their problem?

Optimizing these things will increase your click-through rate on search engines. Google wants to rank relevant content, so increasing this will tell Google that your page is answering the questions that their users have.

6. Optimize for Featured Snippets

Google’s goal is the answer the user’s question. To do this, Google created rich snippets to put at the top of their results to answer the user’s question without going to another website.

These snippets can include anything from definitions to lists of products. Google grabs this information from a website they believe does an excellent job of answering search queries.

Because of this, ranking number one on Google isn’t as effective as it used to be. You can be ranked number five and still have a featured snippet at the top of the results.

To get your website there, take a look at the snippets that are currently ranking and research how the website there is doing it. Try to do this on your site so you can capitalize on the snippet position yourself.

Promoting Your Website With SEO Is Worth It

Yes, SEO is a lot of work. But when you put in the work, you’ll reap the benefits long into the future. Use the tips above to start promoting your website.

If you’re looking to take advantage of your new SEO traffic, you need a plan to monetize your traffic. Head back to our blog to read our latest marketing strategies.

Living with MS: 5 Tips For Dealing With Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an intensely painful neurological condition that affects over 2.3 million people across the globe.

The pain from MS can keep you from doing the things you love the most and spending time with those you care about. But an MS diagnosis doesn’t mean you have to be a shut-in for the rest of your life.

Living with MS gets far easier once you learn how to manage it. Here are five tips to help you start your journey.

1. Educate Yourself

Learning that you have MS can be scary, to say the least. But as the saying goes, knowledge is power.

By learning about the disorder, you can get a better sense of what you can expect. Dive into every (well-sourced) book, article, and journal you can find that deals with MS and soak up as much info as you can.

The good news is that you’re already off to a good start. By reading this article you’re increasing your chances of a happy, healthy life!

2. Stay Cool

Bad news for those who live in a high-temperature area or love the heat: Heat tends to worsen MS symptoms by a considerable amount.

While heat doesn’t bring on any new symptoms, it does heighten the effects of pre-existing issues like fatigue, headaches, and mental fogginess.

Fortunately, heat tends to be easy enough to counteract. Keep your home A/C set to a comfortable temperature and invest in cooling aids like gel packs and light clothing.

3. Lean on Your Professional Support System

You already know that your friends and family care about your well-being. But don’t forget that you have a whole professional network of experts that care about you, too!

Great multiple sclerosis services aim to understand what you’re going through. Your doctors and physical therapists will do their best to ease your pain and provide helpful advice. So don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and give them a call.

4. Do Your Best to Say Active

When your MS is acting up, hitting the gym is the absolute last thing you want to do. Still, research indicates that maintaining an active lifestyle can keep the pain associated with MS at bay.

Go easy on yourself. You don’t need to run a marathon to stay active. A simple walk around the block a few times per week is more than sufficient.

5. Stay Well-Rested

The fatigue that comes with MS is bad enough as it is. But when you consider how MS causes a whole array of sleep issues, it can seem as though there’s no winning.

While you can’t offset all of your fatigue, you can minimize it by taking a few simple steps.

For starters, go to bed and wake up at the same time each night. A regular sleep schedule can improve the overall quality of your rest.

And if you’re struggling with muscle pain, tell your doctor. You may need medication to help relax your muscles.

Final Thoughts on Living With MS

Living with MS can feel downright impossible at times. But don’t give up. By following these five tips, you can improve your quality of life and help keep your MS at bay.

For more helpful lifestyle content, be sure to check back with our blog!

Moving Cross Country: The Top Tips You Need to Know for a Smooth Move

Over 40 million Americans move annually. While the reason for these moves is different, the amount of work and stress involved in this process is universal. If you are considering moving across the country, there are a few things you need to do to make this process easier and more manageable.

Trying to move cross country on a whim can create a lot of problems and undue stress. The key to successfully moving cross country is getting an early start on planning and packing.

The following are some of the things you should consider when trying to make a long distance move the right way.

Create a Plan and Stick to It

The first thing that needs to happen when figuring out a move is imminent is the creation of a plan. This plan needs to include everything from what needs to be packed to important dates surrounding the move.

Having a plan of attack will keep you on track and can help you avoid making mistakes. Instead of creating a plan and ignoring it, you need to follow it to the letter. Without structure, a long distance move will become one huge headache.

Writing down what needs to be done during the move and when you need to be out of your existing residence is crucial. Looking at this plan on a daily basis can help you figure out how much progress is being made towards your in goal.

Moving Cross Country Is Easier with the Help of Professionals

Most people lead very busy lives. Working a job and raising a family can take up a lot of your time, which is why trying to fit a move into your schedule can be difficult. Trying to take on the work involved in a long distance move alone is a bad idea.

Hiring seasoned professionals, like the ones at Ft Dearborn Relocation Movers is crucial. With this professional help, you can get your stuff packed and transported in a hurry.

A professional moving company will have the manpower and the equipment needed to get this job done. The money paid to a moving company will be worth it considering the results they can provide.

Detailed Box Labeling Is a Must

If you decide to handle the packing process on your own, then be careful about what is put into each of these boxes. Ideally, you want to pack one room at a time. By doing this, you can keep the packing process organized.

As you pack items, be sure to label the boxes in detail. Doing this will help you figure out where the boxes need to go once they arrive at the new house.

Take Time to Enjoy the Move

Some people get so wrapped up in the stress that comes with moving cross country that they forget to enjoy this experience. This is why you need to stop and smell the roses during this process.

Are you looking for more engaging and informative content? If so, be sure to check out the other blogs on our website.

SEO for Law Firms: 5 Brilliant Tips to Get Your Law Firm on the Google Front Page

The demand for legal services in the United States is strong. In fact, the nation is expected to add 65,000 new lawyers in the next seven years. While legal professionals are in demand, there is also a fierce competition to attract new clients.

One of the most effective resources to draw new business is Google. This leaves many legal executives wondering how to get the firm’s website on a Google search’s first page.

Read on to learn more about SEO for law firms. SEO is a certain way to drive web traffic and grow your customer base.

1. Start a Blog

The first step to boosting web traffic is starting a legal blog. For starters, this is a place to show off your firm’s legal expertise. Here you can tackle complicated topics and give pro bono legal advice.

A legal blog is where you will execute Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies. Publishing quality content, accompanied by SEO tactics, is a certain way to attract new clients.

2. Use Targeted Keywords

The algorithms that Google uses to rank websites rely heavily on keywords. Envision a scenario in which a prospective client is searching for divorce lawyers near Los Angeles.

Google then searches the web for hyperlinks including the keyword used by the client. Each blog post or webpage on your website should strategically use targeted keywords. In this case, write a blog post about hiring the best divorce lawyers near Los Angeles.

Start off by brainstorming targeted keywords that prospective clients are likely to use. There are tools like Google Keyword Planner that will help you research effective ones. Then generously incorporate these keywords into new blog posts.

3. Authority Anchors

Becoming a legal authority in your specialized field has SEO perks. By producing quality content and building a sterling reputation, online resources are certain to link to your website.

Some refer to this as a backlink. To get the ball rolling, you can pay legal directories a small sum to backlink to your page.

Another easy way to create backlinks is by registering with the Better Business Bureau. Some find success by offering small scholarships so that colleges backlink to your website.

4. Share on Social Media

Increased web traffic has a positive impact on your Google ranking. A proven method for driving traffic to your site is sharing content on social media.

For example, prospective clients may see a preview that says GLM believes a 5X return is required to grow your business. Then, they are redirected to your website when they click on an image or hyperlink.

There are a few different social media platforms that are effective for lawyers. Facebook has the most users and is best for attracting local business.

However, Millennials and Gen Z prefer video content over written articles. Social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram are video-friendly.

A Recap of SEO for Law Firms

SEO is a powerful tool for driving traffic to your website. Steps like using targeted keywords are certain to improve your Google rating.

If you enjoyed this article about SEO for law firms, check out our blog for more great content.

Top Financial Tips Young Investors Must Remember

Did you know that the Social Security Retirement age keeps increasing and will rise to age 67 for those born 1960 or later? It’s important to invest young so you can retire when you want no matter the age! Young investors have certain tips and tricks they abide by which will lead to higher returns.

You can be a young investor, and have all of your dreams and goals come true for your savings. In this article, you’ll learn all about investing the right way and tips for investing young. Read on to discover these tips and be sure to implement them! 

1. Young Investors

Dreaming of investing and building your savings? The first and most important thing to do is to start! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, just know that you can learn by doing. When you’re a young investor you have time on your side, you’re young so have plenty of time to study the market and strengthen your strategies.

2. Compounding

Investing young you can take advantage of what’s called compounding. Compounding is a return earned on your principal and past returns. If you have your money in an investment account, it’s the percentage you earn on top of the original investment and previous earnings. 

If it’s a traditional bank account it’s the interest on that amount plus past interest earned over time. As you see here, the sooner you begin investing the more compounding can happen! 

3. Hold a Diversified Portfolio and Risk Take 

Investing is also about taking risks to build. One of the best ways to invest money in your 20’s is to build a diversified portfolio. It’s great to have your savings, but you’ll want to invest as well to build up your savings and never to put your eggs in one basket. 

It’s important to use stocks, bonds, and assets because the more places you have your money, the lower the chances of losing a lot of money. 

Would you like to be a rich and young investor? Check out Ari Rastegar.

4. Make Regular Contributions 

When you’re investing young, you’ll want to make regular contributions in your investment accounts. You’ll want to come up with a certain % that comes out of your paychecks and into your investment accounts.

When done well this not only will set you up for the future but will make sure it’s a steady amount that won’t hurt the bank. 

5. Save More as You Age 

When you’re in your 20’s you might have more goals such as buying a home, paying off student loans, or purchasing a car. It’s great to have those goals, but also make sure you’re saving and investing. 

As you age, you’ll want to invest more. When you’re young, you can invest and still go after your goals, once you reach those goals, you can increase your investing percentage. Along with raises, you might not even notice the increase! 

6. Avoid the Seven Layer Dip of Fees 

When investing, the choices can be overwhelming and confusing about what’s considered smart investments young adults. You’ll want to seek guidance from a financial advisor or broker to avoid large fees and losses. 

Watch out for these fees:

• Mutual Fund Surrender Penalties 
• Mutual Fund Fees
• Brokerage Trading Commissions
• Wrap Management Fees
• Internal Mutual Fund Operating Costs
• Markups on New Issue Securities and Bonds
• 12b-1 Fees

Always speak with your advisor about these fees and avoiding them! 

7. Never Withdraw Early from Your 401-K

 Your 401(K) is used for retirement and if you take money out too soon you can receive hefty fees. There’s a 10% tax penalty for withdrawing early from the IRS. 

It’s a good idea to have an emergency fund in case of a job loss, unexpected expenses such as work needed for your home, etc. This emergency fund is important so you won’t have to withdraw from your 401(K) and suffer from taxes!

8. Ignore Competition

Healthy competition is fine, but if you’re seeing celebrities on tv or people you know who are wealthy, avoid trying to keep up with them. If you’re not at that point yet financially, it’s best not to rush it, and better to keep your goals in mind. 

Remember, you want to be young investing, but also smart about it so you don’t wind up bankrupt! Don’t go investing with money you don’t have and wrack up the bills because you can’t pay off your student loans. 

If you’re looking at your friends traveling and their lush lives, keep in mind they might have just put that on a credit card, and might not be saving for the future. Focus on yourself and your life. Educate yourself on investing and bettering yourself with reading as many books and researching as much as possible! 

9. Automate Investments 

One of the best things you can do for your investments and saving time is automating your investments as much as possible. This will teach you to save over time and remember that you’ll have money for yourself plus for investing. A 401(K) is one way to do just that!

From your job sign up for your 401(K) and have them take your pay automatically out of your check. You can also automate your high-yield savings account and a brokerage account.

Next Steps

In this article, you learned all about young investors, and the tips they use for the biggest profits. Remember to come up with a goal and plan, and then make it happen.

You can invest as you learn, don’t worry about learning as much as possible at first. As you learn while investing, you’ll be able to see what works and what doesn’t. Before you know it you’ll be compounding and so glad you invested young! 

Would you like to learn more for everything from content strategy to inbound marketing? Check out our articles!

What Is Content Writing for a Security Company? 5 Security Writing Tips to Know

With more than 2 million blog posts being written daily, it’s hard to know how to stand out. If you’re still wondering what is content writing versus what is blogging, you need to look at a few sites currently promoting your industry. Writing for a security company means doing research and it should start with learning about how to write content.

Here are five tips to get you started.

1. Headlines Mean a Lot

How many times have you shared an article after just reading the headline? Don’t be ashamed, we’ve all done it.

That’s because in our fast-moving era of scrolling feeds and “hot takes”, there just isn’t enough time to read every article that gives us a strong emotion. Your headlines need to trigger emotions and make readers want to learn more about given topics. 

The desired result of most online content begins with a click. If you can’t get that click, then you can’t get the rest of the results you’re looking for. Take the guesswork out of headlines and just hit the nail on the head whenever possible by going for the reader’s gut.

2. Make Your Hook Sink in

Once you get a click, you then only have a few seconds to attract your reader to learn more. The first sentence needs to be informative but leave them asking more questions. It should either be a strange fact or a question that you propose to answer.

However, it also has to be emotional. Capture their attention and then lead them into the first point. This ensures that they’ll read more. 

End each major section by iterating a clear point and you’ll get them through to the end. This will bring your rankings up in search results, as you get people to spend more and more time on your site.

3. Research Matters

Law enforcement has lots of data all about security issues. If you’re writing about home security, personal security, or cybersecurity, you’ll find no shortage of info.

Use this to your advantage by adding stats and memorable information. It gives your writing credibility and shows that you’re willing to back up your claims. 

Make sure to link back to the content that you use. This is just part of building a good rapport with other websites but also gives your readers the ability to learn even more.

4. Optimize Everything

Search engine optimization is vital to survival online. If you want to ensure that you get to the top of search results, your content needs to contain lots of short paragraphs that are snackable.

It also has to include your most important keywords as many times as possible. Keep it easy to read, well organized and use reputable links.

5. Don’t Forget to Edit

In the world of editing and especially online content, nothing is sacred. Don’t be afraid to toss out some great ideas for the sake of brevity. If they’re good, turn them into another post.

Check out docurex.com for more ideas on keeping it short.

Still Wondering “What Is Content Writing”?

If you’re wondering what is content writing and how it should be different than anything else you write, try looking at other sites and blogs. There are some great security websites out there to help you learn more.

For an example of great security writing, keep browsing our blog.

Getting Approved: The Top Tips for Applying for Social Security Disability

In 2016, the Social Security Administration (SSA) paid out disability benefits to 10.2 million people. 88 percent of those people were disabled workers. During the same year, the SSA terminated benefits for 820,372 workers.

Applying for disability is trickier than it should be. The SSA asks for a high burden of proof, and it doesn’t hesitate to stop and investigate further. 

Will you get approved for disability benefits? Read these tips before you apply to increase your chance of getting the check you believe you deserve.

1. Gather the Right Documentation

If you qualify for Social Security disability payments, then you need all the essential documentation to prove it. That means providing medical evidence demonstrating both the existence of your disability and the severity of it.

When you apply, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will ask for records from physicians and hospitals for review. They particularly want to hear from your current doctor (one who knows your medical history) via a medical opinion, which tells them more about your past and current situation than just the records.

Remember: the SSA only gathers documents from “acceptable medical sources.” Your GP, optometrist, podiatrist, and speech pathologist count. However, chiropractors and psychologists do not.

2. Fill Out Your Paperwork Early and Correctly

You must be out of work or not have worked in a significant capacity for one year before applying for disability. That means you can’t earn more than $1,220 per month or have significant assets, like disability income replacement products from https://www.carterinvestments.com/about-us.

Once that year is up and you have, apply right away.

The SSA’s initial review takes 30 to 90 days to approve or deny your claim. Your waiting period depends on the records needed, how quickly you provide them, and your ability to fill in all the relevant forms correctly.

Any delays translate into waiting longer for your check.

3. Don’t Stop Your Medical Treatment

Your treatment plays a significant role in your case.

If following your prescribed treatment won’t restore you to full working health over the long-term, you have a robust application.

Quitting your medical treatment – whether by choice or due to cost – damages your chances.

If your records lapse or you discontinue treatment, doctors will inform the SSA during the process. Most disabilities recognized by the SSA do require long-term treatment, and if you stop following the protocol, it casts doubt on your application. The SSA can deny you benefits if they find you are “treatment non-compliant.

Regardless, failing to attend appointments and take prescriptions as directed can be detrimental to your health. Given that many disabilities are progressive in nature, you should understand that allowing treatment lapses can be fatal.

4. Seek Legal Help if Necessary

If the SSA continually denies you or you have concerns about getting approved, consider seeking help from a disability lawyer.

Statistics show that when everything else is equal, you are more likely to get a disability check when you have legal representation. Your lawyer will take 25 percent of your backpay, but for some, it is better than not getting a check at all.

Don’t Let the SSA Stop You from Applying for Disability

Applying for disability isn’t easy. The SSA aims to keep people who can work in their jobs. It doesn’t hand out disability benefits, and it will take them away if you no longer qualify.

Are you looking for more employment-related content? Check out our Careers and Jobs resources for more helpful information.

7 Key Tips for Finding the Perfect Financial Advisor

You want to grow your wealth and the easiest way to do that is by working with a financial advisor. And there are plenty to choose from.

Believe it or not, there are more than 200,000 financial advisors in the United States. And with so many, finding the perfect financial advisor can feel like a challenge.

It doesn’t have to be. Read on for a few simple tips to help you find the best advisor for your financial goals.

1. Think About Your Goals

Financial advisors help you build wealth over a long period of time. But they’re better able to do this if they understand your goals.

Think about what you want to accomplish with your investments.

Are you looking to increase your monthly income? Do you want to aggressively save for retirement? Or are you planning for your future to give your family the life you’ve always imagined?

Once you know what your goals are, write them down. It’s okay if they change over time, but this will give your advisor a starting point. And with that starting point, they’ll be able to create a strategy to help you meet those goals.

2. Know How Much You Can Invest

Unfortunately, some financial advisors require that their clients have a minimum amount of investable assets. If you don’t have enough, you won’t be able to work with them.

Think about how much you have on-hand to invest. If it’s just a few hundred dollars, you’re probably better off waiting or finding an alternative. But if you’ve saved up and are ready to get serious about your future, a financial adviser is the smart choice.

That said, it’s okay to start out on your own, especially if you don’t have much to invest. Robo-advisors offer a low-cost alternative to traditional financial advisors. And many investment platforms allow you to directly make trades on your own.

Keep in mind that if you go this route, you’ll want to be careful. Remember, investing on your own means you’re relying on your own experience and knowledge of the industry.

For most people, this means slower growth and less return on investments. And sometimes, it can mean catastrophic losses.

The last thing you want to do is lose all of your hard-earned money on investments that weren’t the right choice for your needs.

3. Get Referrals from People You Know

The best place to start looking for the perfect financial advisor is by talking to your friends, family, and coworkers. Online reviews and internet searches can only tell you so much.

But the people you know are likely the people you trust to recommend products and services anyway. Ask if they have any financial advisors they’ve worked with in the past. And don’t be afraid to ask what they thought about their services.

If they’re comfortable working with them and had positive experiences in the past, you’ll likely receive the same quality service.

And don’t be afraid to ask the people you know if they have any advisors they didn’t like. This will help you narrow down your choices.

4. Look at Their Credentials

Experience does matter when it comes to managing your investments and growing your wealth.

When researching advisors in the area, pay close attention to their credentials. Look for distinguishing certifications like the Certified Financial Planner distinction or fiduciary status.

These help ensure that you’re able to work with an advisor that’s out to help you, not just make a fast buck. You’ll also want to pay attention to their educational background. Remember, you’re paying them to help you make sound financial decisions.

5. Schedule Several Consultations

Remember, you’re looking for an advisor that you can work with for many years to come. And that means you’ll need to interview several advisors before you can find the one that fits your needs best.

Schedule consultations with at least three advisors and see which one you feel most comfortable with.

They should be willing to listen to your concerns and able to answer your questions in a way that you understand.

If at any point you feel uncomfortable, don’t agree to work with them. It’s okay to leave the office feeling like you need to keep looking. Don’t give up. You’ll find the perfect financial advisor eventually.

6. Make Sure Your Comfortable with Their Fees

Financial advisors charge for their services in different ways. Some expect a flat fee each quarter while others charge commission on each trade or investment.

There’s no right or wrong method, but you need to make sure you’re comfortable with how they charge for their services. And you need to be able to afford what they charge for their services.

Before leaving the consultation, make sure they explain their fee structure in detail. If you have any questions or concerns, ask them during the appointment. And if the advisor can’t explain things in a way that makes sense to you, keep searching.

7. Check Online for Complaints

Online reviews are not the best way to judge a financial advisor’s skills or reputation. In fact, most are anonymous and those complaints may not even be real.

Instead of relying on sites like Yelp and Google, dig a little deeper. Sites like FINRA’s BrokerCheck allow you to research individual financial advisors and firms to assess their reputations.

If anyone filed complaints against the broker, you’ll know what they were and what, if anything, happened to resolve the issue.

And if there are no problems, their record will be clean.

Final Thoughts on Finding the Perfect Financial Advisor

Finding the perfect financial advisor takes time and effort. You need to meet with advisors in order to know if they’re the right choice for your needs.

Be patient, do your research, and choose an advisor that you’re comfortable with. This way, you’ll have someone in your corner for the long-run.

Looking for more helpful tips and advice to grow your wealth? Check out our latest posts.

Building Loyalty: Tips for Making and Maintaining Happy Customers

Keeping customers is one of the most challenging things about running a business. However, if you can improve your customer retention, you’ll save time and money. 

On average, it costs about five times more to acquire new customers than it does to retain current customers. Focusing your marketing dollars and time to build loyalty is going to pay off much better in the long run. 

How do you make happy customers that keep coming back? It starts with you and how you treat your customers in a few critical areas. 

Do What You Say

First things first: keep your promises. 

Customers can quickly sniff out a company that doesn’t honor its policies. Whatever you promise for a sale, a service, or a return, make sure you follow through exactly as promised. 

• On the one hand, you want to demonstrate that you care about your customers. Righting a wrong or working with a customer to make sure they have what they need goes a long way. 

• On the other hand, unhappy customers love to tell everyone. Your reputation is always at stake. Customer satisfaction goes a long way toward earning positive reviews and customer referrals. 

Offering a steadfast return policy is an excellent way to ensure your customers are happy. No one wants to live with a product that doesn’t work or isn’t what they expected. 

Don’t make customers work too hard to return a product. If it’s an easy process for them to communicate with you and receive a satisfactory solution, they’ll keep you in mind for future purchases. 

Consistent Communication

Customers love good communication. Whether it’s an update about tracking for an order or a heads up about special offers, providing consistent communication is part of making customers happy. 

Be Proactive

Sometimes waiting too long to reach out is enough to lose a customer. Proactive communication keeps you top of mind with customers. 

Be careful not to spam email inboxes with too many messages. Communicating too frequently is an easy way to make customers unsubscribe and shop somewhere else. 

However, don’t wait until a customer reaches out to you. Follow-up after a sale or service. Send exclusive offers to current customers. Ask for feedback instead of waiting for a customer to come back to you.

Be Responsive

When a customer reaches out to you or leaves a comment on your website or social media pages, respond promptly. Don’t wait more than 24 hours to respond to a customer message. 

Putting off a response to a complaint or failing to resolve a situation quickly turns customers off. A complaint doesn’t go away if you ignore it. Great companies respond to every legitimate issue with prompt apologies and a resolution. 

This goes for good comments, too! Acknowledge a customer who posts a positive review or sends a grateful email. 

Listen to Feedback

If you’re communicating regularly with customers, you’ll get plenty of feedback. It’s critical to listen to feedback and react in positive ways. 

You don’t have to do everything that every customer suggests. You’ll know when you’re getting useful feedback that can help the customer experience rather than people wanting changes to try and get more out of you.

With the feedback that requires action, make sure your customers feel heard. Tell them you’re considering what they have to say and you’ll get back to them. 

When customers feel heard, they feel valued!

Reward Loyalty

Customers love receiving something for nothing! They also love gifts for engaging in social media or other contests. 

Be selective and strategic when offering discounts or gifts. The right incentives or thank-you gifts at the right time can help you keep loyal customers longer. 

It’s essential to avoid creating a customer base that only purchases when there’s a discount or free offer. You don’t want customers who are solely motivated by what you give them.

However, with genuinely loyal customers and fans, a gift or reward goes a long way if it has perceived value. Rewards don’t have to be expensive. Prioritize thoughtful rewards over expensive gimmicks to keep customers. 

Consider things like an exclusive discount, free shipping for VIP customers, or special occasion gifts. Give according to the season. Branded corporate Christmas gifts for your best customers not only makes them feel special, it’s good advertising for your brand. 

Say, “Thank You”

If you can’t offer gifts, that’s okay! Start with what you can do. 

Thanking your customers might seem obvious, but it’s easy to overlook. You can get caught up in chasing sales, shipping orders, and working on other aspects of your business. You might think you thanked your customers without really doing it.

The words “thank you” go a long way toward happy customers. If you’re wondering how to keep customers in one of the simplest, more cost-effective ways, being thankful for their purchase is simple and meaningful.

They won’t know it if you don’t tell them, but it’s important to do it right. Thanking customers—personally and individually—without asking for another purchase in your thank-you message is a powerful way to engage with customers. 

Feeling appreciated helps customers come back for more. 

Be the Expert

If you sell something or provide a service, be the expert. Customers are more likely to buy from companies that know what they’re doing. 

People don’t always know what they need. When you can provide options or the solution they need, they’ll remember that you’re an expert.

Being the go-to expert can lead to more customer referrals, too.

Happy Customer Keep Coming Back!

If you’re losing customers or your business survives on one-off purchases, try focusing on what you can do to make happy customers. 

It might not be about anything you’re doing wrong. It could be a matter of what more you can do right.

The more happy customers you have, the better success you’ll have for your business. Be sure to check out some of our articles about marketing and promoting your business to build your customer base. 

Top 11 Tips for Holiday Resort Marketing

Almost everyone has a travel destination on their bucket list. Even as we age and settle down, we still continue to travel with our families. However, while the need to travel is constant, the trends surrounding travel destinations shift, influencing how people sort out accommodation needs.

Do you need to attract more tourism to your holiday resort? Here are 11 tips for resort marketing to try!

1. Know Your Clients

Are you a high-end hotel? Are your conference facilities your biggest selling point? It is important to identify your selling points and reflect that on your online communication. Speak in a tone that is appealing to the business, give an aura of professional, without being too stuffy.

Similarly, if you are targeting budget travelers, then ooze that personality. The tone you set in your marketing communications ought to be consistent across all your platforms. Once you have narrowed down your profile and that of your target audience, draw them to your online platforms by offering small discounts.

These will be a great source of reviews after the visit, both on your platforms and independent ones like Tripadvisor.

2. Instagram Marketing for Your Resort

Social media is a great marketing tool. You should use all your different platforms to build a community around your resort. However, each platform works uniquely with respect to the different features they offer.

Instagram, for instance, is a great avenue for publishing pictures and videos. People will often share amazing experiences with the people in their lives via Instagram and will often tag their service providers as well as their locations while at it.

Make sure you are part of the conversation by making their stay great even before your guests arrive. Make your guests excited about their stay before they arrive by publishing beautiful pictures of your resort taken from different angles. Accompany the pictures with amazing captions to further reel in your visitors.

3. Run Promotions and Special Offers

Promotions are a great way to garner publicity for your resort. Get your online community to act as your marketing tool by offering a free night for two or a meal at your resort’s restaurant. Have them share why they would like to stay at tour resort, for instance, tagging their friends and family.

Award the promised package to the user with the highest number of engagements by the end of the stipulated period of time for the promotion.

4. Partner With Online Personalities

In a world where social media influencers often command a bigger audience than mainstream celebrities, you need to work with them to effectively market your resort. The first step is to set aside a budget for this. Based on your budget, identify a YouTube personality or travel blogger that speaks to the audience you have marked as your target audience.

Approach them with an offer to visit your property and create content around it. If their asking price is higher than you are willing to spend, don’t fret. Instead, approach someone in the same industry but fewer followers. They are known as micro-influencers and are a lot cheaper.

The key to picking the right micro-influencer to market your resort is not in the number of followers they have but in their engagement rate. Make sure to check what percentage of people interact with their content compared to their number of followers.

5. People Love Stories

How do you attract tourism in a market that is already flooded with resorts? Visual storytelling is the best way to go about this, especially in the age of social media.

Share beautiful images of your resort a few times a week and try and incorporate a story within the captions. This could be in relation to your chain of resorts as this resort does, your location, or even the tourist destinations in the area.

The caption should be written in a conversational tone and should offer more information on your property or the particular service highlighted in the photo. Use niche hashtags to boost the photo’s performance.

6. Respond to Queries

When marketing your resort online, queries are one of the best ways to develop leads and convert them into bookings. Be warm in your responses, courteous and patient as this is an opportunity to build your brand.

Be sure to answer your queries within the hour they are posted, to improve your ranking.

7. Twitter as a Resort Marketing Tool

Twitter is a great platform to engage with your potential visitors but you can also use it to attract visitors to your resort. Share links to your promotions and offers on Twitter and do not forget to geotag the tweets. This way, you are sure to reach tourists looking to travel to your destination.

8. An Updated Website

A website is like your ‘office’ but on the internet. All your social media activity is bound to lead your audience to the resort’s website. Make sure it is updated with all the offers, correct pricing, and contact information.

9. Promote Events in Your Resort and City

If a huge festival or event is planned at your city, then it is bound to draw a huge number of tourists to your location. Capitalize on this by posting about the event on your social media platforms. Some of the attendees, who might be looking for accommodation, will surely get in touch with you.

10. TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a great platform for visitors to leave impartial reviews but there is also room for you to advertise your resort. Write a brief but detailed description of your resort, the amenities and services offered and do not forget to add photos.

11. Paid Resort Advertisement

As part of your marketing plan, you might need to run paid advertisements for your resort. Contact a reputable marketing agency in your area to help you with this.

Content Is the Reason Search Began in the First Place

Before travelers make a booking at your resort, high chances are that they will have done a fair amount of research online. This might be via search engines such as Google or on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Bearing this in mind, create an online profile for your resort and the kind of business you hope to attract.

If you follow these steps in your resort marketing, you are bound to see a surge in your resort bookings. Read our blog for more information on branding your resort.