Are you an effective or successful coach?

So you’re probably thinking, isn’t that the same thing?

Well in this instance, no it’s not. Let me explain:

As a coach, you help to bridge the gap between where your clients are, and where they want to be. When this is achieved, that’s what makes you an effective coach.

This is just one side of the coin though.

The flip side is – Do you also have strategies in place that consistently attract clients and create a sustainable & profitable income?

Because this is what makes you a successful coach.

When your marketing strategies are on point, you’re not only bridging the gap for your clients, but for your business as well. Ask yourself these 3 questions:

• Are you attracting clients (ongoing and new) that are generating consistent cash flow?
• Are your services sustainable? That is, is the way you’re coaching sustainable in the long term? (think burnout – is that a potential problem?)
• Is your pricing on point? Are you creating an income that will sustain and motivate you?

If you answered yes to these, kudos to you! Give yourself a high-five because you’re a successful coach!

So back to effective Vs successful. Consider these scenarios:

Effective: You’re an amazeballs coach who provides massive value to your clients, but you struggle with marketing and attracting leads.

Successful: You’re a marketing superstar who can sell ice to Eskimos… but can’t quite get the results your clients want yet.

I trust you see my point. Essentially, you can’t have one without the other… At least, not for long anyway.

Being both effective and successful is the secret sauce to creating a lasting and fulfilling career as a coach.

This is one of the reasons I personally wanted to specialise in supporting the coaching industry. If there are gaps in your coaching, there are plenty of ways to fill them:

• Getting coached yourself
• Allowing time for more practice and experience
• Additional education, etc.

And, there’s no mad rush for this. In fact, it’s an ongoing process anyway; there’s always something new to learn and develop.

The successful side of things though is a bit trickier…

Not everyone has the luxury of taking their time to grow, let alone scale their business. No matter how big our dreams are, we all have other important aspects of our lives, not to mention bills to pay!

I find this heartbreaking because I firmly believe that anyone, regardless of experience or background can achieve success in business. You just need the right tools, resources and support to help get you there. Thus the services that I offer in terms of coaching websites, website support and website marketing.

Additionally, this is one of many reasons that I also created Coach Connect Australia, to provide an effective tool to help coaches in their journey of creating both an effective and successful business.

I’m not going to blabber on that Coach Connect Australia is a silver bullet solution… because it’s not:

• The directory should complement your other marketing efforts (website, social media etc.). It should not be the only egg in your marketing basket.
• It can increase your visibility online, but the quality of the content you provide and how compelling it is… falls to you.
• How you nurture leads and eventually convert them, also falls to you.

Like all marketing efforts, a holistic approach will help set the stage for long-term growth.

The good news is, that in addition to the many benefits of directory advertising, CCA also provides resources to help our community get the most out of their listing, as well as support their other marketing efforts.

You can see what has been added already on our regularly updated resources page here.

Please Note: Everyone can see the archive of all resources, but only those with a paid listing with CCA can access each individual resource.

Help me help you!

(Yes, I stole that from Jerry Maguire ?)

I genuinely want to support the coaching community as much as possible, so if there’s a specific area of your business where you could use some more guidance, I would love to know!

Disclaimer: My background is in web design and online marketing so I don’t claim to be an expert in ALL things. One of my zones of genius though is I’m big on very thorough, evidence-based research and standing on the shoulders of giants.

So why not leverage my time and skills? Hit me with your feedback, questions and gaps you need to fill.

Shoot me an email, or submit a resource topic request on CCA here.

The services I offer become more valuable when I can better serve you. And that value can be translated to both your clients and your business.

It’s a win-win for everyone.

All the best,
Libby
Coaching Website Specialist
Rivmedia Web Design

The post Are you an effective or successful coach? Discover how to be both! appeared first on Rivmedia Web Design.

Creating Your Ideal Customer Avatar

In this article, we explore the importance of defining your ideal customers so you can confidently create marketing strategies that work.

Before we dive in though, do any of these situations sound familiar?

• You struggle to write content & social posts because you aren’t sure what your customers really want from you
• Or perhaps you are blogging, posting on social media and all that jazz… but getting poor engagement
• The marketing strategies you’re running don’t seem to inspire customers to take action
• You’re investing substantial hours in time (probably $$$ too) in advertising but not getting a great ROI
• When you do get leads, something just isn’t hitting the mark and your conversions are low
• Customers who aren’t ideal have been buying from you, and the outcomes aren’t great (for them and you) because the fit just isn’t quite right.

If you answered yes to any of these, know that you’re not alone. A lot of business owners struggle with this piece of the marketing puzzle.

Only by having a crystal-clear picture of who you want to reach, can you purposefully tailor your messaging to your target market. Only then can you have the strongest impact on your audience.

So, do you know exactly who you’re selling to?

It’s very easy to get caught up in what you’re selling and overlook who you are selling to. As a result, if you’re not reaching the right people in the right way, it doesn’t matter how good your offerings are… If you’re messaging isn’t on point, you won’t reach your sales goals.

But here’s where so many businesses come unstuck: Fear.

Fear that if you focus on a smaller group of people that it will restrict your business. The fact is though, if you try to help everyone, you’ll never help anyone.

When your marketing is communicated to a broad audience it becomes generic, uninspiring, and won’t address the specific problems your ideal customer wants to be solved. You won’t speak directly to the psychological drivers that influence their buying decisions.

This results in a lack of empathy, connection and subsequently, a lost sale.

Essentially, your ideal customer (AKA customer avatar, ideal client, buyer persona, ideal customer profile) forms the foundation for ALL your marketing efforts. So, if this isn’t on point, it can be like the kiss of death for your business.

What is a Customer Avatar / Ideal Customer Profile?

A Customer Avatar is a semi-fictional character that is based on your ideal customer. You create one by gathering demographic and psychographic data:

• Demographic data refers to things such as age, marital status, location, etc.
• Psychographic data is about a person’s personal traits such as fears, frustrations, wants, needs, buying motivations, and more.

This information helps you to understand your ideal customers better and target them specifically, rather than taking a hit & miss approach with a generalised audience.

Why having a Customer Avatar is the secret sauce to a successful business

At the foundation, knowing your ideal customer allows you to hone your marketing efforts to high-quality leads. Then, create messaging that resonates with them in the most compelling way possible, persuading them to buy.

This is by no means manipulative or salesly. You’re simply helping your perfect customers to achieve their desired outcomes because what you’re selling is exactly what they need…

And just like that, your sales process becomes simple, smooth, and much more likely to have a positive result.

Conversely, doing this also limits or even polarises those you don’t want to sell to.

As harsh as that may sound, it’s just as important. If you don’t target your marketing wisely, there’s a possibility that people who are not your ideal customer could buy from you. You may find it hard or even unpleasant working with them, simply because they’re not the right fit.

Plus, because they’re not the right fit and what you offer is not quite right for them, a positive outcome is less likely, and customer complaints are a real possibility… no one wins.

– “You can’t be all things to all people”
Joseph Abboud, American menswear fashion designer & author.

The more you can refine your ideal customer, the better you’ll understand what they want, how to reach them, how to get them to buy, and most importantly, how to give them the outcome they desire.

Plus, your marketing campaigns will be tailored to the exact type of people you want to work with… Everybody wins!

Before you can sell anything effectively, you need to understand your ideal customer completely. Then, integrate this knowledge across your entire business and marketing strategies.

Your Ideal Customer Profile: What to include

There are 5 major components to creating an ideal customer profile which include:

1. Demographics – To paint a clear, more personalised picture. This will help you to target & reach more quality leads.
2. Frustrations & Fears – The problems that your ideal customer wants to move away from. Plus, how these pain points make them feel so you can truly empathise and build a connection with them.
3. Wants & Desires – What they want to gain, how that will benefit them and the positive experience they will have as a result.
4. Transformations: Before and After States – What your ideal customer can expect to experience before and after purchasing your product, and how you can use that transformation as a highly effective motivator.
5. Buying objections and purchase drivers – Determining what might stop your ideal customer from buying and conversely, what will motivate them to buy. Knowing and addressing both will give you a huge advantage in your sales conversions.

Using it in your marketing strategies

Digital marketing has numerous elements. Social media, content marketing, email marketing, product descriptions, and the list goes on. Each discipline comes with its own skill set and way of being implemented.

Your ideal customer profile however is something that is applied across the board. For example:

• Blog Posts: Knowing your ideal customer will help you to determine which topics to write about on your blog. You will know what will be the most engaging and helpful to them. Even what kind of tone and language you should use that will be the most appealing.
• Products: Knowing your ideal customers’ wants and needs will help you create products that are exactly what they are actually looking for. Then, describe and present them in a way that speaks to their needs and inspires them to buy.
• Social Media: Choosing which platforms to invest the most in will become clearer. Which one/s your ideal customer spends the most time on, and when. As well as what content they are most likely to engage with.

All your marketing efforts will improve once you are crystal clear on who your ideal customers are. That’s where the Customer Avatar Worksheet comes in!

With this practical and quickly actionable document, you’ll be able to create highly targeted content that speaks directly to your ideal customers. It will help you to find new customers, create meaningful connections with them, improve your sales cycle and subsequently drive more conversions.

Ready to dive in?

Great! You can complete the worksheet online (via google docs) or download it as a Word Document to complete n your computer (or print and write on if you’re old school! ?). I’ve provided some instructions below… don’t stress, it’s easy!

Google Docs Instructions:

1. Follow this link to the worksheet and sign in to your Google account if you’re not already
2. Go to File, click Make A Copy, and then save it to your Google Drive
3. Once you click OK, your copy of the resource will open and you’ll be able to start editing it

Microsoft Word Instructions:

1. Follow this link to the worksheet
2. Go to File, click Download
3. Select Microsoft Word and save it to your desired location. Easy Peasy!

Pssst! Before you go. Are you an action-taker who would like more guidance?

The above worksheet to create your ideal customer profile template is a great start and will help you implement better marketing strategies. Want to take an even deeper dive though to ensure you really nail down your ideal customer?

We offer an online course that will give you a greater understanding, and we’ll walk you through the process step-by-step.

You will learn:

• What an ideal customer profile is exactly, how it can be used to refine & improve your marketing, and why it is the secret sauce to a successful business
• How to go about collecting data and what critical pieces of information to include so you can target higher-quality leads
• How to identify the frustrations, fears, wants & desires that your ideal customer has & the emotions associated with them so you can make them feel heard & understood, and genuinely build a connection.
• The psychology behind buying choices and what switches your product or service from a “nice to have” to a “must-have”
• Factors that might stop your ideal customer from buying and conversely, what will motivate them to buy. Knowing and addressing both will give you and your sales team a huge advantage in gaining new customers and increasing your sales conversions.
• What your ideal customer can expect to experience before and after purchasing your product, and how you can use that transformation as a highly effective buying motivator.

Our courses are about taking action, not just consuming content.

This course was created to save you time, money & frustration, not to add yet another thing to your to-do list that ends up collecting digital dust on your computer.

Our step-by-step guides will give you the resources to confidently take action that will move your business forward, so you can finally get the results you desire!

Sound good?

Learn more about the Ideal Customer Avatar Course.

The post Successful marketing: It starts with your ideal customer appeared first on Rivmedia Web Design.

We’re at the start of the New Year which is often a time when people think about making updates to their websites. One change that is incredibly important to make is also a task that so many overlook. Your website copyright date.

Ok, so it’s not as exciting as adding new products, changing some images, or uploading a new blog post. But, it’s more important than most people realise, for 2 crucial reasons:

1. To build trust and boost your brand’s reputation
2. To protect your hard work and IP (intellectual property)

A quick note: The following information is for guidance only. I’m not a solicitor so this is not legal advice. It is written based on my knowledge of online marketing, website best practices, and Australian copyright law.

Now that I’ve covered my bum ? ?… For those that aren’t well-versed in website copyright, I have provided a quick and straightforward explanation of what it entails below. Then we can dive into why keeping it up-to-date is so important.

What is a website copyright notice?

It is a notice saying that the work within the website is owned by you and is protected by copyright laws. This protection gives you the right to control how your material is used and most importantly, prohibits others from copying or using it without permission.

The good news for Australians is that as soon as you publish material online (blog post, written content, photos etc.), copyright ownership is automatically applied.

Things get a little more complicated when it comes to your website’s code and design, but that isn’t relevant to this particular post (important to chat about it with your web developer though). The main thing you need to know is this:

With the exception of working directly for an employer (does not include freelancing), unless they agree to transfer it, the person who created the material owns the copyright.

If you want more information on copyright issues concerning the creation and management of websites, the Australian Copyright Council has a very useful Fact Sheet you can download here.

If copyright is automatically applied, why do I need a copyright notice?

In short, because some people suck. ?

Content theft is prevalent on the internet. A common (and annoying!) misconception is that if something is online; because it’s readily available you are welcome to do what you please with it. This is not true. ?‍

Another reason is that some people are just jerks who steal content instead of investing the time and/or money to create their own. ?

Adding a copyright notice on your website is not a legal requirement to assert your rights, but it does make your ownership of the content clear and will hopefully help to discourage theft.

Why an up-to-date website copyright notice is so important

1. To build trust and boost your brand’s reputation

When a visitor lands on a site that has last year’s date (or worse, even older! ?), many will assume the content is also outdated and therefore of low value.

Or, it could even leave them with the impression that if the owner can’t be bothered to stay on top of such a simple task, what else are they neglecting? Are they lazy, disinterested or just don’t care?

We all know how important first impressions are and your website is often the first place people will go to check out your business. When it comes to websites, people do judge a book by its cover and will form an opinion quickly.

So, an outdated website can often come off as unprofessional and negatively influence how a customer perceives your business.

I explore this further in this article too if you’re interested:
How often should I redesign my website?

Your copyright date may be a small piece of the puzzle, but it all adds up and contributes to how you are perceived online.

Conversely, displaying the correct date will subsequently have the opposite effect.

You will help to build trust and authority by leaving visitors with the impression that your site is up with the latest trends and information. It also demonstrates that your website and online presence matter to you, and in turn, so do your customers.

2. To protect your hard work and IP

As mentioned above, content theft is sadly not uncommon, so by including a current copyright notice you are providing yourself with some extra protection. It also helps should an infringement occur and you need to take legal action.

A lot of time and/or money goes into creating the content that goes up on your website. So, having that content stolen can be really disheartening (not to mention aggravating!). Hence, doing what you can to avoid this experience is…

How to nail your website copyright notice

To be the most effective, you want your notice to be visible on every page of your site, which is why you will usually find it within the footer.

And, to be valid, it needs to include 3 parts:

1. The copyright symbol ©, or the words “Copyright” or “Copr.”
   (You can use one or the other, or both.)
2. Current year
3. Name of the copyright owner

Current year: As websites are regularly updated, you have two options here. You can either provide the current year (2023).

Or, a date range indicating the year of original publication to the most recent (2014-2023). Either option is fine, it’s just a matter of preference. I personally prefer to keep it simple and just have the current year.

Name of the copyright owner: For individuals, you can simply use your name. It’s preferable that you use your legal name (i.e. not a pseudonym, handle or alias).

For businesses, you need to use your registered company name (not trading name) for the notice to be valid. For example, here’s my copyright notice: © 2023 Rivmedia Pty Ltd.

You will observe that it states Rivmedia Pty Ltd as that is my company name. Rivmedia Web Design is my trading name and as such is not a legal entity that can own IP.

Final Thoughts

Keeping your copyright date current is one of the simplest tasks to complete yet can have an impactful result. More so when combined with staying on top of your other updates and marketing strategies also.

So, kick off the New Year on a positive note. Show your visitors that you are up to date, that you care, and you’re on your game ?

Need help with your website updates or marketing strategies?

Chat with me today to create a digital marketing plan for your best year yet!

The post Kick-Start the New Year with this simple, yet important website update appeared first on Rivmedia Web Design.

Practical advice to stay competitive and get the most out of your digital marketing in 2021

No one can predict what is in store for the business world post-COVID-19. What we do know for sure is that when the pandemic forced everyone indoors, they turned to the internet to consume information and shop online, making digital marketing a top priority for all businesses.

With our ever-increasing busy lifestyles and the convenience the online world provides, this shift in habits is unlikely to go back to how it was before the pandemic, the consumer landscape has changed forever.

So, in order to stay competitive, businesses need to continue to evolve.

If you’re in the process of building or revitalising your digital marketing, here is some useful information and actionable steps to help you stay on track.

Smart digital marketing tips post-COVID

Today, there’s no telling when the post-COVID era will happen exactly. But what’s certain is that after the pandemic ends, businesses will continue to work on rebuilding themselves or may even need to start from scratch.

Brick-and-mortar industries might have to work harder to reach an ideal level of stability. However, the future seems brighter for online businesses, as more shoppers have been and will continue to make purchases online because it’s cheaper and more convenient — with or without a pandemic.

This means that when businesses and people recover from the effects of the pandemic, all your digital marketing efforts will continue to pay off and provide your business with that competitive edge.

But if you haven’t ramped up your digital marketing strategy before, now is a good time to start by implementing these tips:

1. Update your website.

Now is the time to do a site audit and see your website for what it is. Does it load slowly? Does it look old-fashioned? Is it functional, responsive, and user-friendly?

During your site audit, make sure you identify information, photos, and other media or content that require updating. Fix errors and take note of page loading times. Check out competitor websites to find out if there’s anything you’ve missed or information you should be providing but isn’t there.

Ensure your website is mobile-responsive and if it isn’t, brace yourself for the possibility of needing to build an entirely new website.

>> See our tips here to help you get the most out of your current website as well as questions to ask to determine if it’s time to re-develop.

2. Post content regularly on social media.

If you have social media accounts set up for your business, start using those to reach out and engage with your audience.

Social media is a great space to put the word out about your company, products, and services, even on a tight budget. There’s also plenty of content you can include in your social media calendar, including:

• Updates about your products/services, including launches
• Sale or discount promotions
• Photos or videos of your offerings
• Content that gives your audience an insider’s look into what goes on in your business
• Live selling or promotions
• Games, quizzes, surveys
• Content about or from your brand ambassadors
• Testimonials and reviews
• A featured employee of the month
• Corporate social responsibility events or programs
• Videos or images that resonate with or relate to your brand

>> Check out more awesome social media posts ideas by Sprout Social

3. Improve customer service.

There are plenty of opportunities to show your leads and customers you care by providing personalised and prompt customer service. This includes answering enquiries and replying to comments or reviews in a timely manner. Your staff needs to not only be able to address questions and comments but also be trained on how to respond properly to negative reviews and when to escalate certain complaints.

Customer service continues to make a big difference in how loyal consumers are to certain brands. By providing your customers seamless, professional customer service, the more loyal they’ll be and more likely to refer your business to their own network.

4. Optimise your consumer database.

In the course of conducting your business, you would have collected a number of email addresses, social media accounts, and mobile phone numbers. Use these to your advantage in creating integrated email and SMS blasts and social media campaigns.

You should also dig into your customer database and take time to get to know your buyer personas and who your customers really are. You can also tap into your leads and see if you can reconnect and engage with them so they turn into customers.

5. Outsource some of your digital marketing tasks.

If you have a small team or budget and do not have the expertise to handle digital marketing tasks, it might be time to look into outsourcing these to digital marketing experts. These include website development — which we can definitely help you with — plus website marketing, social media marketing, e-commerce store setup, and so on.

This way, you won’t need to hire full-time employees to perform these highly specialised functions. Instead, you’ll have access to the expertise you need for as long as you want, minus the big budget for salaries and benefits.

Business growth post-COVID

One of the biggest and hardest lessons companies worldwide have learned from the pandemic is that the most agile businesses that can easily adapt to changing times not only survive but also thrive amidst crises like COVID-19.

This business agility pertains to companies being able to work with an online business model — or, at the very least, having an online presence. So don’t get left behind.

For your web design or digital marketing needs, you can find plenty of info here on our website, or feel free to get in touch with us for a chat. We can work together to build or boost your digital presence and optimise your business growth.

Further Resources:

• Why is Responsive Design So Important? – Why does responsive design matter? Why do you need it? Get all your questions about website responsiveness answered here.
• Why Will the COVID-19 Crisis Boost Digital Marketing in the Future? – The coronavirus crisis may seem like a huge threat to businesses but digital marketing may in fact take a great leap forward as a result.
• Effects of Covid-19 on digital marketing – The pandemic has compelled businesses to transition online to showcase their products and services. This, in turn, has prompted brands to create content that is contextual and relevant in order to garner a larger mindshare from their customer base.

The post Post Covid-19: Now is the time you need to elevate your digital marketing appeared first on Rivmedia Web Design.

Negative Online Reviews and how to deal with them

It’s never pleasant receiving poor feedback but negative online reviews are not necessarily a bad thing & can actually be used to your advantage.

In this digital age, online reviews now play a huge role in influencing customer’s buying choices. According to a recent survey by Bright Local a whopping 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation (see full survey results here). With that in mind, I often hear concerns from new businesses about setting up social media accounts or listing their business on directory websites purely because of their fear of possibly receiving negative online reviews.

In my opinion, this is nothing to fear; not only do the benefits of online reviews far outweigh the risks but as strange as it may sound, receiving negative feedback is not necessarily a bad thing.

Negative Online Reviews can actually be used to your advantage for a number of reasons:

• You’re human and humans aren’t perfect so seeing the odd negative comment among your list of reviews can make them more authentic (and not just a heap of 5-star reviews submitted by your friends!)
• If other potential customers see that you are actively handling problems (and not ignoring unhappy customers) this is going to give them greater confidence in you.
• You may just receive some feedback that helps you to improve your products and/or services; contributing to the growth and ongoing success of your business.

How to Respond to Negative Online Reviews

Respond promptly, but take a deep breath first

People expect a quick response in the online world so you need to deal with this promptly, but at the same time when you are best equipped to do so. Understandably you might feel sad or angry after reading negative online reviews but the worst thing you can do is respond to them when you’re still upset. So go grab a coffee & some chocolate and deal with it after you’ve cooled down and have a clear head.

Be professional and understand the customer’s point of view

There’s nothing worse than reading a response to a negative review that is defensive, making excuses, or sometimes even rude; even if you disagree with their comments or if they are being unreasonable you need to be polite, professional and keep your personal thoughts to yourself. You need to try and understand why the customer has posted it and what their pain points are if you hope to have a successful outcome.

If the review is valid:

If they have a justifiable complaint, take responsibility for it and do what you must to address the situation. Most people understand that sometimes things just don’t go quite to plan, but if you take ownership of it and resolve the situation you’ll earn their respect and they may even change their review as a result. Furthermore, if other current or potential customers see this, it will give them greater confidence in your customer service.

If the review is unfair:

No matter what you do, there will be the odd occasion where someone just cannot be satisfied and may even be unreasonable. In these cases, again address the customer’s complaint and make it known what steps you have taken to resolve the issue. Even if they don’t change/remove their review, most people understand that some people just cannot be pleased, but if you at least demonstrate that you have tried everything to make a difficult customer happy, it’s only going to reflect positively on you.

Take it offline if necessary

If things don’t go quite to plan, it might be prudent to take the conversation offline. Provide them with your direct contact details so you can deal with it privately; any continual negative back-and-forth that is public won’t be helpful to anyone.

If it comes to it, ask for the review to be removed

If the review is intentionally malicious or breaks any rules (swearing, personal attacks, etc.) you can reach out to the site owner and ask for it to be removed. This can be a slow process sometimes or the site owner might disagree with you, so it’s always best to try everything else first and remember to keep your cool.

Learn and move forward

It’s never pleasant receiving a negative review but you can also turn it into a positive by learning something from it. As a result of the negative feedback you can:

• Address any flaws in your products and/or services that might have been previously overlooked
• Re-write some of your website copy or terms & conditions to give customers more accurate expectations
• Adjust some of your business practices to address the issues raised
• Learn how to avoid certain problems in the future or if they do arise, be able to deal with them appropriately

Final note: “How many people are completely successful in every department of life? Not one. The most successful people are the ones who learn from their mistakes and turn their failures into opportunities.” Zig Ziglar

More Helpful Links

Here are some related articles you might find useful:

• Online reviews – a guide for business & review platforms:
  This guide has been designed to help you ensure the integrity of reviews on your site or about your business…
• Local Consumer Review Survey:
  This survey explores how consumers read and use online reviews. The information contained in this survey helps businesses and digital marketing agencies qualify the value of consumer reviews and how reviews impact consumers’ opinions and actions when searching for local businesses…
• Google+ It’s more important than you think:
  We all know that reviews play a huge role in online marketing and influencing a customer’s buying choices. As Google is by far the most popular search engine, having reviews on there is super important!…

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Google My Business It’s more important than you think

As Google is by far the most popular search engine, maximising your presence on there is vital to any business. How you set-up & use your Google My Business profile is more important than most people realise.

Google My Business – Who uses that?

Launched with a heap of buzz back in 2011 Google My Business was supposed to be the next BIG thing when it comes to social media platforms, but the platform never really seemed to take off.

However, for business owners, the fact that Google My Business for personal users is somewhat of a ghost town is irrelevant, it’s still really important to set up your local business listing; here are the main reasons why:

1. Google Places – When people are searching for local businesses, the google places results will always show up first before the organic ones, so you want to be included in that list! To be in the list you first need to make sure your location and business categories are set up correctly so particular searches will show your page. Where you rank in the results depends on a few factors such as the information you provide, reviews, and so on.
2. User Experience – When someone searches for your business specifically, they get to see your Google My Business profile result giving them quick and easy access to your basic contact details, opening hours, link to your website, and online reviews which is really handy.
3. Ranking – If you want to succeed online, everyone knows that a good google ranking is very important, and listing your business with google can help contribute towards a higher ranking.

Setting up a Google My Business page is pretty quick and easy to do, simply Click here to Claim Your Google My Business Business Page and follow the instructions from there, and remember as discussed in a previous article, if you work from home you can hide your residential address from public view and just display your suburb – see the info for that here: New Website – Now What?

Once that’s done you can just leave it at that if you wish, or you could go one step further and share a few things on there as well. Google My Business was built for SEO (i.e. showing up in search engine results) so anything that you share there has a good chance of showing up which is just another helpful way to drive traffic to your site… and it’s free, so why not?!

But wait, there’s more – Google Reviews!

We all know that reviews play a huge role in online marketing and influencing a customer’s buying choices. Recent figures show that around 90% of customers will research products or businesses online and often will trust online reviews more than personal recommendations from friends or family. As google is by far the most popular search engine, having reviews on there is super important!

When potential customers see you in local google places search results, as mentioned they are always displayed first and will show how many reviews you have and your average star rating (if you have 5 or more).

Even if you have tonnes of reviews elsewhere (such as Facebook or Yelp) if you don’t have any on google, in these local results it looks like you have none, and if your competitors do, users might be more inclined to check them out instead.

So how do you get Google Reviews?

To leave a review, customers must have some sort of account with google, such as Gmail, YouTube, Google Drive, etc. If they don’t have one of these, they will need to create one before proceeding; it’s quick and easy so hopefully, this won’t turn them off continuing.

How to make getting Google reviews a little easier…

The easier you can make it for your customers, the better chance you have of getting them to leave you a review.

So rather than have them search for your business first an even better way is to simply provide your clients with a direct link to your review form; then all they have to do is click on it!

Google doesn’t make this easy though (annoying right!?). There are a few steps you have to take in order to get this direct link and to make sure it works both on desktop and mobile, but as this method is by far the quickest and easiest, it’s definitely worth doing.

So how do you get this direct link? Well here’s where I bribe you:

If you’re already a customer of ours, hopefully, you are thrilled with what we have done for you, or perhaps you discovered us through this article section of our website and have found it useful?

If so, one of the kindest compliments we can receive from you is… yep you guessed it – a review!

And as a thank you for leaving us one, I would be happy to provide you with the direct link to your own review page (like mine below) so you too can quickly and easily ask your own customers for reviews. Just shoot me an email and I’ll hook you up!

>> Click here to leave Rivmedia Web Design a review on Google! <<<

Thanks in advance, we really appreciate you taking the time to help us grow our online reputation and I hope this article helps you do the same!

More Helpful Links

Here are some related articles you might find useful:

• 7 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Google+ For Your Business:
  Even if you have heard about Google+, you may be asking yourself what the point is of investing time and money into another social network, especially when sometimes it seems…
• Beyond Social: The Benefits To Google+ For Business:
  People outside the industry tend to think it’s just another social network (and one that no one is using). The truth is, whether the network is popular or not, Google loves it when you play in their sandbox.
• Google+: Do’s and Don’ts for Small Businesses:
  The jury may still be out on the value of Google+ for personal users, but for small businesses, Google+ can’t be ignored. Google+ isn’t just another social network a small business can use to boost its online presence, but it’s also the ultimate resource to maximize visibility on Google search pages…

The post Google My Business: It’s more important than you think appeared first on Rivmedia Web Design.

Your website is your most important online asset… isn’t it?

For most businesses, it’s reasonable to think that your website is your most important online asset, but you would be wrong. Your domain name is, because no matter how awesome your site is, without the domain name no one will see it.

You might be screwing your face up now thinking how is this possible seeing as you got your domain name when your web designer built your site… But did you?

You would be surprised just how many domain names out there aren’t actually owned by the business, but rather by their web designer. So technically, this means that you have no control over your own website.

You might not realise yet just how big a deal this is but consider this one scenario; if your web designer (and owner of your domain) closes their business, who is going to make sure your domain (and probably website hosting too) is kept active?

If payments aren’t made and it lapses, your website goes down, and as the domain and hosting accounts aren’t in your name to rectify this… well you’re in a bit of a pickle!

Have I got your attention? Great, then please keep reading:

When creating a new website, many people will first find themselves a web designer and let them take it from there. One major aspect of creating a new website though is purchasing a domain name and hosting; the importance of which is often grossly underestimated.

If you’re not 100% clear with what the above terms mean, I’ll quickly explain before we delve further:

• A “domain name” is the address by which people visit your website, for example, www.yourwebsite.com. You have to purchase it through a domain registrar and pay an annual fee to keep it. Your domain name is just a name, it is not your website;
• For that, you will need “web hosting” to attach your domain name to. Your web hosting account is where all the files that create your website are stored and also requires on-going payments to remain active.

It’s similar to when you get a phone number; you’re given a number such as (equivalent to your domain name) and then you purchase a monthly phone plan to host that number (equivalent to your web hosting). You have to have both; one doesn’t work without the other.

For most people new to websites, purchasing a domain name and hosting can be a little daunting, so the task is carried out by their web designer, but as such, it is often done in their name, not their client’s and the consequences of this aren’t always explained fully or the client may not even be aware.

At Rivmedia we insist that all of our clients manage their own domain name and hosting as we believe it is in their best interests to do so. Here’s why:

• Firstly, if you buy something directly rather than through a middle man you will save money which is an obvious advantage
• Your domain name is an asset, it has value; it is very much a part of your business as your company name, logo, and so on, so why would you want it owned by anyone else?
• With the above in mind, what if you were to sell your business down the track? The website would obviously be included in the sale but if you don’t actually own your website’s domain and/or hosting… Well, that’s going to complicate things.
• What happens if your designer closes their business, retires, or as sometimes sadly happens, just disappears and never returns your emails or phone calls? How are you going to ensure your domain and hosting stay active?
• Or furthermore, what if you want a redesign of your site but through a different designer, or want to move your hosting elsewhere if you’re unhappy with it or simply found a better deal?

All of the above can, and has happened.

If you aren’t in control of your domain and/or web hosting, moving to new providers becomes that much more complicated if the account isn’t in your name. If we refer back to our phone analogy, imagine trying to call Telstra to change your phone plan when you aren’t the account holder?! Ummm… nightmare!

Unfortunately, I have been contacted several times by clients who have found themselves in this very situation, and believe me if you can avoid it, you should!

At this point, I do want to make very clear that I am not trying to tarnish other designers and I’m not saying that those who purchase your domain and/or hosting are wrong or unprofessional. In the majority of cases, they’re just trying to make the process of getting your new website easier.

Regardless, I personally don’t agree with this for the above reasons. In short, by taking ownership yourself you save money and a valuable part of your business is owned by you, not your web designer.

My clients can also have peace of mind knowing that in the future should I happen to move away from web design (I don’t foresee this happening anytime soon but you never know!) they won’t be left in the lurch. They will own and have full control over their domain and hosting so they will not have to go through the frustrating and sometimes costly process of transferring ownership.

Conclusion

For those just starting out:

I strongly urge you to own your domain and hosting from the start, purchasing them is actually much easier than you think, and we’re happy to walk you through it step by step. Afterward, you can give access to your domain and hosting to whoever you please, such as a web designer to build your site for you but at the end of the day, you will always have ownership and control over them.

For those who already have a website:

If you don’t own your domain and/or hosting, you will have to contact your designer and request that they transfer ownership to you, sometimes administration fees may apply.

In most cases, your designer will hopefully oblige but sadly there are the odd few that may hold your domain hostage and you might have to take the matter further with the domain registrar (where the domain was registered).

For your hosting, how you handle this can vary depending on who the hosting is set-up through (your designer’s own hosting, reseller account, etc), but in most cases, you will have to cancel the hosting you have set up with your designer and create your own account. Transferring the website is a whole other issue and in most cases will require professional assistance, so be prepared that there will be costs involved there too.

I hate ending articles on a negative tone but sadly this is the nature of the situation you could face if you don’t own your domain and/or hosting. So again, my advice is to avoid it to begin with or if you’re already in this situation and would like help, the first article below is very informative or you are welcome to get in touch with me and we can discuss some options.

More Helpful Links

Here are some related articles you might find useful:

• How to Rescue Your Website from the Clutches of a Bad Web Designer or Bad Web Host:
  Learn how to move your website without the cooperation of your existing web host or web designer.
• If you want to lose control of your business, let your web designer buy your domain name:
  If you let your web designer buy your domain name you have effectively transferred control of your business to them.
• Don’t Let Your Web Designer Own Your Domain and Accounts:
  We’re currently working with two businesses who are suffering because they don’t own their domains; their web designers do. Both are trying to move their websites, but they’ve hit a roadblock because they don’t own their domains.

The post Your website is your most important online asset… isn’t it? appeared first on Rivmedia Web Design.

Free DIY Website Builders – Pros and Cons

When creating a website for your business, the first important decision you will make is what platform you will choose (CMS, HTML, etc.) and if you’re going to try to build it yourself or hire a professional.

When it comes to the platform, check out the following article on how to choose which one is best for your business:

Which website platform is best for my business? (Part 1)

“Limited Budget” is often synonymous with new businesses, so free DIY website builders can be understandably quite appealing. There are many pros and cons to using a free website builder, which we will discuss in this post.

Pros

• It’s free, obviously. Every new business or start-up is carefully counting their dollars, so a free website can leave what money you do have available to invest in other things.
• DIY website builders usually don’t require any coding and are designed for people who might only have basic computer and word processing skills. Depending on your skill level you may need to educate yourself through some online articles/forums, but generally, this should be minimal.
• They are often built to be customisable by the user, and depending on the platform can sometimes be optimised for mobile devices.
• Some offer third party widgets or apps to be applied to your site, making it easier to run and add extra functionality.

Cons

• Most free websites are free because they offer low-quality materials and functionality and/or include their own URLs and branding. Furthermore, they often have a limited amount of templates for free accounts so many websites can often start looking very similar. This can greatly affect the first impressions that people will get from your business.
• If you want to remove the platform’s branding or have your own URL in the majority of cases you have to pay for that privilege so they don’t end up being free anyway.
• If you have absolutely no experience in making a website, or anything related to computers, then even the easiest to use templates and interfaces could be very time consuming and tedious to learn how to use.
• The point of every website is not just to look great but be functional. With free website builders, you may be sacrificing functionality for price and your customers may get frustrated and look to your competition instead.
• Just because the free DIY website builders don’t cost you anything does not mean that it is a good value for money. The above-listed cons could seriously damage your credibility and ability to turn clicks into purchases.
• Switching hosts and moving your website is a massive pain in the butt, so if you plan on using a free website just for now and upgrading later when you’re making more money, you’ll probably regret it.

Conclusion

If you have read to this point you will hopefully agree that free DIY websites aren’t the best option for your business; at the end of the day, you get what you pay for and consider this; if something can be given away for free, what is it worth?

However, perhaps you’re still saying, “but that doesn’t change the fact that I have a very tight budget and can’t afford a professional designer. I have no choice right now.”

Not true!

I’ve been in your shoes so believe me I understand, my first website was actually one of those free Yahoo Geocities static websites (years and years ago!!) I think it may have even had a flashing star background; it makes me cringe just thinking about it… But at the time I had no money and no other option!

It’s actually one of the reasons that I get the most satisfaction with working with new and small businesses. These days, you have to have an online presence, but I genuinely appreciate that not everyone can easily budget for a quality website, particularly when you’re just starting out which is precisely why I offer flexible payment options to help you get the website you want without having to compromise because of financial restraints.

Ready to get a professional website?

Great! Welcome to the big leagues!

Rivmedia Web Design specialises in creating high-quality, purpose-driven websites that convert visitors into customers. Get in touch with us today and let’s chat about getting your dream website up and running.

Helpful Links

Here are some related articles you might find useful:

• Start Digital – Why you shouldn't use a DIY website builder
• Web Savvy Marketing – Why DIY Websites Are Many Times a Horrible Mistake
• Flying Solo – The REAL Reason Why Free Website Builders Suck…

The post Free DIY Website Builders – Pros and Cons appeared first on Rivmedia Web Design.

Does Your Business Need a Website?

So it goes without saying that as a web designer I’m obviously biased when it comes to this topic. However, that doesn’t negate the fact that there are numerous points here that all businesses cannot afford not to consider.

If you are a new business owner, you are trying to navigate the treacherous waters of marketing and advertising, branding, and creating an image that people learn to trust and believe in.

In the world of the Internet and technology, a website is one of the first things that you should create. It may be a significant investment at first, but without a website, your business is going to be seriously lagging behind the competition. A website can be your single most important tool in expanding your business.

If you’re not online, you don’t exist

We all remember how vital mediums such as the Yellow Pages used to be for business – remember the not happy Jan commercials? lol.

Then came the internet and a massive disruption to the status quo. the vast majority of consumers will go online now to find local businesses, but more than that, they will also use your online presence as a source of information to “suss you out” before getting in touch. If you can’t be found online, you may as well not exist and your potential customers will go to your competition instead.

Lends credibility to Your business

Today, when your potential customers are looking for a product, they first go to Google. If you do not have an online presence, not only will you lose potential customers, but your customers will think that you are outdated and out of touch with their needs.

A website will give your business credibility in the modern consumer’s mind and an attractive, strategically designed website will of course draw in even more credibility.

It can actually save you time and money

Many people have the misconception that a website is a marketing tool alone, which is far from true! In addition to being an effective marketing tool and another avenue of income should you sell through it, your website can actually save you time and money. It can provide your customers with all the information they are looking for and at the same time, pre-qualify them before they get in touch with you.

Just think how much time you would save in emails and calls if the information customers seek is readily available to them online? And at the same time, if the products and services you provide aren’t quite right for them they won’t waste your time in getting in touch with you to begin with!

Keeps customers informed

Your website is really the first thing that people will see and gives the first sense of what your company does and sells. Customers will rarely come into your office, or call you for information nowadays. Rather, they look for your website. They can find most of the information that they want and need from you.

With email newsletters customers can sign up for, you can keep your customers up to date with the latest information from your brand, whether you want that to be weekly, monthly, or any other period of time. You can keep your customers involved and informed on the goings of your business without having to take too much time out of your schedule.

Showcase Your individuality

A website is how you will make yourself stand out from the crowd, and show what makes you a better option than your competition. This is vitally important in the world of Google searches, where hundreds of thousands of businesses will all be vying for the attention of your customers.

If you merely do what is expected of you, and blend in with the rest of the crowd, your business will flop. You must be able to show why customers should spend their money and time on you, rather than the other businesses in the market. Your website is the strongest way to do this.

Targets a wider market

A website will be able to spread all over the Internet, and all over the world. There are no borders to the Internet. This means that your market is instantly broadened by having a website. You have the possibility of meeting with customers from every continent, and being able to easily communicate with them. You are no longer limited to your country, but your market is the international market.

Without a website, you are limited to your local area, with only traditional methods of marketing available to you and your business.

Helpful Links

Here are some related articles you might find useful:

• Do You REALLY Need A Business Website? For the vast majority of businesses, the answer is yes! Your website is important as the hub of your online presence for your business. But just having a website won’t cut it anymore…
• 6 Reasons Why a Website is Important for your Business If you have a business and don’t have a website, you are losing out on great opportunities for your business…

Decided you need a website?

Great! Welcome to the big leagues!

Rivmedia Web Design specialises in creating high-quality, purpose-driven websites that convert visitors into customers. Get in touch with us today and let’s chat about getting your dream website up and running.

The post Does Your Business Need a Website? appeared first on Rivmedia Web Design.

Tips for Starting a New Business

Starting a new business is an exciting and empowering experience, it can get a little daunting or even confusing at times though, so here are some basic steps to get you started in the best way possible.

1. Choose and register your business name

Sounds pretty simple right?

And you may already have chosen your business name, but before locking anything in, we suggest asking yourself the following:

1. Is it easy to spell and pronounce? (there’s nothing worse than trying to “google” a business name when you can’t spell it correctly)
2. Is it memorable?
3. Is it available? (both the business name itself through ASIC and the domain i.e. www.yourbusinessname.com.au)

Even if you don’t plan on getting a website straight away, it’s a good idea to lock in the domain name anyway so you have it ready to go. It’s also a good idea to “google” any potential business names to make sure there isn’t something similar out there already that you don’t want to be associated with or that might cause confusion.

It would also be prudent to do a Trademark search and consider if it is something you may want for your business. If someone else has already registered a Trademark and is providing similar goods and services, it is irrelevant if you have registered the business name with ASIC and you could be breaching trademark rights.

Relevant Links:

Check business availability through ASIC
Check domain name availability through Netregistry
Conduct a Trademark search through the IP Australia website

2. Choose a Business structure

The four main business structures used by small businesses are; Sole traders, Partnerships, Trusts, and Companies.

There are advantages and disadvantages for each so we recommend conducting some research of your own to understand them and which would best suit your business. We also highly recommend finding yourself a good accountant and seeking their advice as to which structure they would recommend for your business from a taxation point of view.

There is a wealth of information on business structures and types within the business.gov.au website.

3. Do the research and have a plan

Before investing a tonne of time and money, we recommend getting in and doing the hard yards with both research and planning. Believe me, it will pay off in the long run and possibly save yourself some heartache.

I’m going to assume you’re already well educated in whatever product or service you plan to provide but have you done any market research?

Not only do you need to know all about your potential customers; what they want, where you will find them, and how to convert them to existing customers; but you also need to know your competitors as well.

Who are your competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What point of difference are you going to offer to separate yourself from the competition?

Keep in mind that marketing is essential to any business, so it’s important to make it part of your ongoing business plan.

So what about the business plan – If you’re groaning I totally understand, writing them is tedious and a lot of work but they do help you to identify your goals and therefore figure out how you are going to attain them. Your business will grow and evolve over time so it’s also wise to revise your plan accordingly.

“Always plan ahead. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.” -Richard Cushing

Here’s another great resource from the business.gov website on how to write a business plan.

4. Branding and Getting Online

Now comes the fun part, sorting out your branding, and getting online!

Branding is more than just a logo, it’s how your customers identify and experience your business. Your branding can literally end up everywhere; on your business card, website, uniforms, print materials, and more, so getting the concept, quality, and impression you want to make right to begin with is pretty important. Again, pre-planning and putting some thought into your initial brand and logo design is important and will save you time and headaches in the long run; re-branding is a major task and one you want to avoid.

Getting Online – No matter what business you’re in, having a website these days is a must; more and more consumers are using the internet as the first place to look for the products and services they need so if you’re not online, you don’t exist! There are 3 primary types of websites, HTML, CMS (such as WordPress), and E-Commerce and you need to decide which type you need. There are pros and cons for each so do some research and speak to your web designer about what would work best for you and your business.

5. Be persistent, be prepared, be adaptable!

Initially, it’s pretty exciting starting a business, then the reality of how hard it can be, kicks in and it can be overwhelming but if you can push through it, it can also be very rewarding!

So here are our final tips:

Be persistent – passion is not enough, you need to work your ass off. Success won’t happen instantly, you need to work for it, and keep trying.
Be prepared – there will be bumps and setbacks along the way but don’t look at them as failures, use them as a learning experience and stay positive.
Be Adaptable – Always be thinking of ways to evolve your business; how can you do better? How can you embrace new trends and technology? Never stop re-evaluating, there is always room to improve and grow.

Helpful Links

• BEC Business Advice – BEC Business Advice delivers advice and assistance to local businesses across the Riverina and southern, and west NSW. From startup to social media & beyond.
• Wagga Wagga Business Chamber – As the leading advocate for business, the Chamber is proud to be a vital part of the Wagga Wagga community and is a strong campaigner for its broad and diverse member businesses to help build a climate of growth and success that benefit the whole community. From the moment you join, you can increase your networking opportunities and take advantage of the many benefits of being a Chamber Member.

Ready to get started?

Rivmedia Web Design specialises in working with start-ups and we love seeing people’s entrepreneurial dreams come true! Get in touch with us today and let’s chat about getting your dream business up and running.

The post New Business – 5 steps on how to get started appeared first on Rivmedia Web Design.