What You Need to Know About SEO, SEM, and PPC

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |SEO |What You Need to Know About SEO, SEM, and PPCDid you know that a staggering three quarters of internet users don’t click past the first page of search results on Google? This is the reason why search engine optimization, or SEO, has been and still is a dominating force in the world of digital marketing. However, while SEO is arguably the most important factor to consider, it is not the only factor that is going to help you maximize your online sales. SEO can and should be combined with both SEM and PPC for optimal results.

Here is what you need to know about all three.

SEO

SEO refers to the practice of optimizing your company’s website for search engines. In other words, the ultimate goal of a good search engine optimization strategy is to rank higher in search results, something that MackMedia can help you to ascertain. SEO is comprised of both on-page and off-page factors. On page factors refer to those aspects of SEO that you can control on your own website, including metadata, user experience (UX), keywords, alt tags, and internal linking. Off-page SEO refers to the aspects of SEO that happen off of your website, but have a direct effect on your website’s rankings. Off page factors include backlinks, domain authority, and social promotion.

PPC

PPC refers to pay per click advertising via search engines. Essentially, you decide on a budget for your campaign and create ads that display on Google or on various social media platforms (most platforms have their own PPC tools and procedures). You only pay a specified amount if and when someone clicks on your ad. Generally, the ad directs the person to your website and drives a specific CTA, often resulting in a conversion or at least commencing/progressing the buyer’s journey. You have the power to set a specific budget per day and/or per month so that it is impossible to overspend.

Many business owners put more effort into PPC because it promises immediate results and automatically takes their ad to the top of the Google search results. Many also opt to make use of PPC because they believe that it positively affects their organic rankings. However, this is a myth. No matter how much you spend on PPC advertising, it will not alter your organic rankings in any way.

SEM

SEM is short for search engine marketing and it is very similar to PPC. Most experts will tell you that PPC is a large part of SEM, but that SEM extends further than just PPC itself. While PPC is generally more focused on paid advertising via search engines, SEM is focused on paid advertising across the digital board, including on third party websites like online directories, Amazon, and YouTube.

At the end of the day, a great digital marketing strategy will encompass SEO, SEM, and PPC in order to generate maximum results and maximum brand awareness. Not sure how to get started? It is always a good idea to consider hiring a professional digital marketing company for assistance if you do not feel secure enough in your own skills. That way, you can reap all of the rewards without having to put in the extra effort.

How to Manage Risk with Captive Insurance Companies

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |captive insurance companies|How to Manage Risk with Captive Insurance CompaniesInsurance is a complicated, yet important, aspect of any company. It’s what lets companies behave confidently, assured that if they face damages as a result of taking poor risks, they’ll be able to cope. Yet, not all businesses can be covered by traditional insurance companies.

For them, there are captive insurance companies that cover businesses that traditional insurances find too risky. And captive insurance companies manage to do this in a simple, yet effective, way. The business owns the insurance company itself and relies on itself to cover any damage it may endure while operating.

Only large companies can afford to use captive insurance companies, since having one requires having enough money to dole out insurance. For the most part, captive insurance companies are a way to prove that you have the money to make risky plays. And that’s not all they can do for a company.

To learn how captive insurance companies helped large businesses, keep reading below!

Captive Insurance Companies Put You in Charge of Risk

No matter what kind of business you’re in, your company will have to take on a level of risk. Doing business requires that you behave in ways that can cost you more money than you make, and there needs to be some way to recoup your losses. Most of the time, traditional insurance helps you do this.

Yet, there are some kinds of companies that traditional insurance companies don’t cover. These are large companies in risky industries that insurance companies simply can’t afford to cover. Luckily, companies this large usually have enough cash on hand to invest in captive insurance.

When a company invests in a captive insurance company, it is free to behave however it wants. It doesn’t need to follow a policy created by a traditional insurance company. Instead, it creates its own policies and controls how much risk it can take on.

Ensure You’re Allowed to Use Captive Insurance

Not all industries can use captive insurance since they create the possibility to reduce the amount of oversight in companies. Captive insurance companies create the risk that wealthy business owners will create shady tax havens for themselves. They may store money in captive insurance companies to avoid having to pay tax on it.

Using one can land you in severe legal trouble, and you may need to spend more than you save using them. So, talk to a lawyer and make sure your captive insurance company is set up correctly. It helps avoid risk, and that’s what business is all about!

Captive Insurance May Not Be For Everyone

Captive insurance companies are complex businesses that don’t exist outside of larger corporations. When a company gets big enough, it can eventually use a captive insurance company to take on new kinds of risks. Yet, for average business owners, they may not be worth the cost.

Average business owners can keep reading our website instead, to learn how to make the best decisions for their company. We understand the kinds of risks you’re used to taking, and we’ll guide you through it no matter what!

How to Finance a New Vehicle

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Finances Article |Finance a Vehicle|How to Finance a New VehicleAfter your home, your vehicle is one of the biggest purchases you’ll make, whether it’s a car, truck or motorhome. Unless you already have savings, you might be looking to finance a vehicle, and there are many options for doing so, but it can be confusing when working out what’s best for you. Here are some ways you can pay for your next vehicle.

Cash

If you have decent savings and don’t like being in debt, then paying upfront in cash could be your best option. While it means you own the vehicle outright, there are pros and cons to paying in one lump sum, such as:

You may be excluded from certain dealership deals
You no longer have that money in your account if an emergency comes up
If you get a decent interest rate on your savings, as a low-interest loan may mean more money in your pocket overall
If you do decide to pay in cash, make sure you get the best possible deal, check out lots of dealerships and see what special offers or extras you can negotiate.

Vehicle Loans

If you’re planning to borrow to finance your car, then specialist vehicle loans are often the cheapest way. You choose your vehicle, so you can take your time looking at the Bailey Autograph and other new motorhomes, and you fill in an application, either online or through the dealership. Normally, they’ll ask for a down-payment, but there are often deals available for those with little or no deposit. You’ll then have a choice of the length of the loan, and you can find out your repayments.

Some auto loans pay off the entirety of your balance, while others are ‘conditional purchase’ type schemes where you get lower payments, but have to pay a balloon payment at the end of the term if you want to keep the car. If you change cars a lot, you might want to pick the latter, but if you would rather own the car at the end, then you should aim to pay it off.

A Standard Loan

If your credit is good and you’re always getting loan offers, then you may decide to take out a standard bank loan to finance the car. This gives you many of the advantages of being a cash buyer, including flexibility, but again it means you can miss out on special offers such as free extras or services. You should calculate your monthly payments compared to rates offered by auto loan companies, and if possible, try to take out the loan over a shorter term to save on interest. If you aren’t getting good loan rates, take a look at your credit file to see if there’s something holding you back.

When it comes to financing a vehicle, you have plenty of options, many of which will depend on your income, credit rating, and whether you’re buying used or new. It’s important to look through all options and compare rates to ensure you get the best possible deal.

6 Strategies for Staying Ahead of The Competition

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Staying Ahead of The Competition|6 Strategies for Staying Ahead of The CompetitionIt can be hard to stay ahead of the competition when you operate in a competitive industry, as there will always be brands looking to lure your customers away. Staying ahead of the competition will require constant work. When you stand still, you will lose out to other brands. You need to be aware of key strategies for building your competitive advantage, improving the customer experience, and keeping the competition at bay.

1. Competitor Research

The most efficient way to stay ahead of the competition is to research your competitors carefully. Identify what their strengths and weaknesses are and find ways in which you can use this information to your advantage by making timely and informed business decisions.

2. Differentiate Yourself

Differentiating yourself from the competition is a great way to stand out from the crowd and provide a unique experience for your customers. Identify a unique selling point that will appeal to your target customer, and you should soon start to notice an improvement in your customer base and further cement your position as an industry leader.

3. Retain Existing Customers

If you are to defend your position, then it is vital that you are able to retain your customers. The competition will be trying to lure your existing customers away, but you can avoid this by providing a high-quality product/service at a competitive price, by making customer service a priority and through rewarding loyal customers.

4. Improve Customer Experience

Ultimately, customers want to have a positive experience, and they will always gravitate towards a brand that can provide this for them. Improving the customer experience with the help of an experienced contact centre consultancy can help you to retain your current customers, whilst also benefitting from customer referrals. If an individual has a good experience with your business, they will become advocates. These figures are invaluable when staying ahead of the competition.

5. Increase Marketing Efforts

It is much easier to maintain your position when you stay in the mind of the consumer. Increasing marketing efforts can increase your visibility, establish your brand is a key player in the industry and keep the competition at arm’s length.

6. Plan for Growth

Sometimes, a company is so busy looking over their shoulder that they forget to look forward and plan for the future. While you certainly need to think about the competition behind you, you must always be moving forward and have plans for your own growth. This will require staying current on industry trends, embracing new technology, tackling new markets and expanding your offering.

It is vital that businesses know how they can stay ahead of the competition so that they can maintain a positive reputation, attract and retain customers, and cement their position as an industry leader. These are a few of the most effective strategies which will help you to thrive in a competitive industry and be the brand that consumers turn to when they are looking for a positive experience.

A Small Business Guide to Coping with the Festive Rush

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Festive Rush|A Small Business Guide to Coping with the Festive RushFor most businesses, the festive period is tough, especially those that are focused on retail. You might be busier than ever before, which is excellent in many ways. You might be making more money, finding new customers, and growing your business much more successfully than you ever have before. But, while big companies cope with the festive rush easily, for small businesses, especially those battling through their first festive period, it can be hard to keep up. Many small businesses find that quality and customer service suffers while they are busy and that everyone has a hard time dealing with stress.

But it doesn’t have to be like this. The holidays can be fun, profitable, and great for business. Here’s a look at some of the things that you can do to help your business cope with the festive rush.

Plan Ahead

It might seem a little late to plan if you haven’t started already, but depending on the nature of your business, you might still have a little while before the hectic period kicks in. Plan and prepare as much as you can. Make sure your staff levels are right, think about opening extra and consider any sales and offers that you plan to run, and how they might affect your business. You may also want to prepare things like packing, deliveries, and anything else that you can do in advance to make life easier.

Get Some Extra Help

Remember, you don’t have to do it all alone. You can hire temporary staff to cover the busy period. You could outsource work to Managed IT services. You could even hire freelancers and VAs to take care of your social media feeds and other online work. Getting help can ease the strain and help the festive period go more smoothly.

Prioritize Your Tasks

When we’re busy, prioritizing is more critical than ever. You might have a massive to-do list. It might be so big that you couldn’t possibly get it all done. So, prioritize. Do what you need to, leave the rest for a quieter time.

Leave Non-Essentials for a Quiet January

Most retail businesses have a quiet January. You might be a little busy for the first few days if you are running sales, but things quickly die off. Leave any jobs that aren’t essential, such as deep cleaning and stock counting, until January.

Have a Cut Off Date

Let your customers know your cut off dates. Have clear information about the end of sales and offers, as well as your last dates for Christmas deliveries. If you are taking time off over the holidays, let people know these dates now, so they are prepared.

Simplify Processes

Try to make things easier for you and your team by simplifying tasks and cutting unnecessary work. Try to streamline as much as you can, and things will run more smoothly when it’s busy.

Look After Yourself and Your Team

When it’s busy, you need to be able to work at your best. This means looking after yourself and your team. Make sure everyone has time to rest, fill your break room with healthy snacks, and take the time to celebrate the hard work and success.