The Power of Employer Branding: Attracting Top Talent through a Dedicated Employee-Centric Website
Introduction In today’s competitive job market, attracting and retaining top talent is no longer just about offering attractive compensation packages and perks. It’s about creating a strong employer brand that resonates with potential employees. Employer branding goes beyond traditional recruitment methods; it is the art of showcasing your organization’s values, culture, and unique opportunities to create an enticing workplace. One effective way to do this is by dedicating a section on your website directly addressing potential employees. In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of focusing on employer branding and the impact of adding a dedicated employee-centric section to your website. The Importance of Employer Branding Attracting Top Talent: A compelling employer brand will capture the attention of high-caliber candidates. When potential employees perceive your organization as a great workplace, they are more likely to apply for job openings, increasing your talent pool’s quality and size. Retaining Current Employees: A positive employer brand attracts new talent and fosters loyalty among existing employees. Employees who feel proud of their workplace are more engaged, motivated, and less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere. Enhanced Company Reputation: A strong employer brand can also positively influence your company’s reputation. Word-of-mouth endorsements from satisfied employees can spread within their professional and social circles, attracting more potential talent. Cost-Effective Recruitment: Investing in employer branding can ultimately reduce recruitment costs. With a well-established brand, job openings may receive more qualified applicants, reducing the need for expensive recruitment campaigns. Adding a Dedicated Employee-Centric Section to Your Website Showcase Your Company Culture: This section can highlight the unique aspects of your company culture, such as team-building activities, work-life balance initiatives, employee testimonials, and awards won for workplace excellence. This insight will help potential employees envision themselves as part of your organization. Career Growth Opportunities: Emphasize the professional growth opportunities available within your company, including training programs, mentorship initiatives, and potential career paths. Top talent is often drawn to organizations that invest in their employees’ development. Employee Benefits and Perks: Provide comprehensive information about the benefits and perks offered, such as health and wellness programs, flexible working arrangements, and competitive compensation packages. Transparent communication about these benefits will demonstrate your commitment to employee well-being. Employee Success Stories: Share success stories of current employees who have thrived within your organization. These narratives can inspire potential employees and demonstrate your dedication to fostering talent. Interactive Elements: Consider adding interactive elements to engage potential candidates further. This could include a virtual office tour, Q&A sessions with current employees, or the option to sign up for a company newsletter. Conclusion Employer branding is a powerful tool for attracting top talent and fostering a positive workplace culture. By dedicating a section of your website to potential employees, you can effectively communicate your organization’s values, culture, and unique opportunities. Authenticity and transparency are key; ensure that the information provided accurately represents your company’s ethos. With a strong employer brand and an employee-centric website section, you can create a magnetic appeal that draws in the best talent and sets your organization apart in the competitive job market.
7 Effective UX Design Tips to Capture Visitors’ Attention Online
In the fast-paced digital world, capturing visitors’ attention is crucial for the success of any website. To create a positive user experience and keep visitors engaged, implementing user experience (UX) design principles is essential. Here are seven tips to help you achieve just that: 1. Start with Clear Messaging: Concisely communicate your website’s purpose and value proposition. Use simple language that resonates with your target audience, ensuring they understand the benefits of exploring your site. 2. Embrace Eye-Catching Visuals: Make a solid first impression with high-quality images, icons, and graphics that align with your brand identity. Visuals can evoke emotions and enhance user engagement. 3. Simplify Navigation: Design an intuitive navigation system to guide visitors effortlessly through your site. Organize the menu logically, allowing users to find what they need without frustration. 4. Optimize Loading Speed: A slow-loading website can drive visitors away. Optimize your site’s performance to ensure speedy loading times, keeping users hooked. 5. Prioritize Mobile Responsiveness: With the rise of mobile browsing, prioritize a responsive design that adapts seamlessly to different devices. A mobile-friendly site is essential for capturing a broader audience. 6. Embrace White Space: Don’t underestimate the power of white space. By providing breathing room around important elements, you create a visually appealing and comfortable reading experience. 7. Craft Compelling Call-to-Action (CTAs): Encourage user interaction with clear and enticing CTAs. Guide visitors towards meaningful actions, such as subscribing to your newsletter or purchasing. Incorporate these UX design tips into your website’s development and regularly gather user feedback to fine-tune your approach. You can continuously enhance the user experience to capture visitors’ attention and build a loyal online following.
5 Actionable Ways to Make Your Website Less Clickbaity
Introduction: In today’s digital age, attention-grabbing headlines and flashy clickbait have become the norm. While they might attract visitors initially, clickbaity tactics can harm your website’s credibility and lead to lower user engagement. To build trust and foster genuine connections with your audience, adopting a more authentic approach is essential. In this blog post, we’ll explore five actionable strategies to make your website less clickbaity and more user-friendly. Craft Honest and Descriptive Headlines: The first step to reducing clickbait on your website is to create honest and descriptive headlines. Communicate what users can expect when they click through to your content. Avoid sensationalism and hyperbole, and focus on delivering real value. Your audience will appreciate your straightforwardness and be more likely to engage with your content. Prioritize User Experience (UX): User experience plays a pivotal role in combating clickbait. Ensure that your website’s navigation is intuitive and straightforward. Avoid intrusive pop-ups and excessive ads that distract visitors from your content. A clean and user-friendly interface will encourage visitors to stay longer and explore further. Deliver on Promises: If your content makes promises in the headlines, fulfill them in the body of your articles or on landing pages. Overpromising and underdelivering can lead to frustration and a negative perception of your brand. Instead, exceed expectations and provide valuable, actionable information that keeps users returning for more. Utilize Transparent Call-to-Actions (CTAs): Replace vague and misleading CTAs with transparent ones that clearly state the action you want users to take. Avoid using misleading phrases like “You won’t believe what happens next” and focus on CTA copy that genuinely reflects the outcome. This will enhance trust and improve user engagement. Showcase Authentic Testimonials and Reviews: Building trust with your audience is crucial to combating clickbait. Incorporate genuine testimonials and reviews from satisfied customers on your website. Authentic social proof will reinforce the credibility of your brand and encourage visitors to engage with your content without the need for flashy gimmicks. Conclusion: By adopting these five actionable strategies, you can make your website less clickbaity and create a more authentic and user-friendly online presence. Prioritize honesty, transparency, and genuine value to build long-lasting relationships with your audience. Remember, a trustworthy website will increase engagement, higher conversions, and a positive brand reputation. Embrace these practices, and your website will stand out for all the right reasons in today’s digital landscape.
Testing User Usability and Other Essential Methods You Should Be Using
In today’s digital landscape, ensuring a positive user experience is crucial for the success of any website or application. To achieve this, thorough usability testing is essential. This process involves evaluating a product’s functionality, accessibility, and user-friendliness to identify areas for improvement. This article will explore the significance of usability testing and highlight other essential methods that can enhance the overall user experience. Usability Testing: Usability testing allows you to put yourself in the shoes of your users and evaluate how well your product meets their needs and expectations. This method involves observing real users interacting with your website or application, recording their actions, and gathering valuable feedback. By doing so, you can identify usability issues, such as confusing navigation, slow loading times, or unclear instructions, which may hinder the user experience. Card Sorting: Card sorting is a technique that helps you organize the content and structure of your website or application. In this method, users are presented with labeled cards and asked to group them in a way that makes sense. By analyzing how users categorize information, you can gain insights into their mental models and preferences, enabling you to create a more intuitive and user-friendly interface. A/B Testing: A/B testing involves comparing two versions of a web page or application to determine which performs better regarding user engagement and conversions. By randomly dividing your audience into two groups and presenting them with different variations of your product, you can collect data on user behavior and preferences. This method allows you to make data-driven decisions and optimize your design based on the insights gained. Accessibility Testing: Accessibility testing ensures that individuals with disabilities can use your website or application. It involves evaluating various aspects, such as screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, color contrast, and alternative text for images. By conducting accessibility testing, you can make your product more inclusive and accessible to a wider audience, enhancing the overall user experience. Surveys and Interviews: Surveys and interviews provide direct feedback from users about their experience with your product. By asking targeted questions and listening to their responses, you can gather valuable insights into user satisfaction, pain points, and suggestions for improvement. This method allows you to uncover user preferences and identify areas where your product can be optimized to meet their needs better. In conclusion, user experience plays a pivotal role in the success of any digital product. By implementing various testing methods, such as usability testing, card sorting, A/B testing, accessibility testing, and user surveys/interviews, you can gain valuable insights into user behavior and preferences. These methods provide actionable data to enhance the user experience, optimize design, and ultimately create products that meet and exceed user expectations. Prioritizing user-centric testing is crucial in today’s competitive market, as it allows you to build meaningful and engaging experiences that keep your users coming back for more.
Baby Boomers Embrace Online Shopping: Meeting the Digital Needs of a Growing Generation
The rapid growth of online shopping has revolutionized the retail industry, capturing the attention of diverse consumer demographics. One group that has embraced this digital transformation is the Baby Boomer generation. In this blog post, we will explore an article from Miva that sheds light on the increasing trend of Baby Boomers engaging in online shopping and discuss the strategies businesses can employ to cater to this tech-savvy and influential demographic. The Rise of Baby Boomers in Online Shopping: According to the article, Baby Boomers, typically born between 1946 and 1964, are becoming an increasingly important segment of the online shopping market. As this generation reaches retirement age and becomes more comfortable with technology, their shopping habits are evolving. Miva highlights that Baby Boomers have significant purchasing power, accounting for a considerable portion of consumer spending. Understanding the Preferences and Needs of Baby Boomers: To effectively tap into this growing market, businesses must understand the unique preferences and needs of Baby Boomers. The article reveals that this generation values convenience, product quality, and excellent customer service. They appreciate user-friendly websites, clear product information, and a smooth purchasing process. Tailoring Online Shopping Experiences: Miva suggests several strategies for businesses to create personalized online experiences that resonate with Baby Boomers. First, optimizing website design for ease of use and intuitive navigation is essential. Implementing larger font sizes, clear headings, and prominent call-to-action buttons can improve usability for this demographic. Additionally, providing comprehensive product descriptions, high-quality images, and customer reviews helps build trust and confidence in the purchasing decisions of Baby Boomers. Businesses should also ensure that their websites are mobile-friendly, as a significant number of Baby Boomers use smartphones and tablets for online shopping. Building Trust and Offering Support: Building trust with Baby Boomers is crucial for successful online interactions. The article emphasizes the importance of establishing secure payment options, prominently displaying trust symbols such as security badges, and offering reliable customer support channels. Baby Boomers appreciate the ability to speak to a knowledgeable representative who can address their concerns promptly. Embracing Social Media and Email Marketing: Contrary to common misconceptions, Baby Boomers are active on social media platforms and respond well to email marketing. Businesses should leverage these channels to engage with this demographic, share relevant content, and offer exclusive promotions. Crafting tailored messaging that speaks to the values and interests of Baby Boomers can significantly impact their purchasing decisions. As Baby Boomers increasingly turn to online shopping, businesses have a unique opportunity to cater to their needs and tap into their substantial purchasing power. By understanding their preferences, optimizing website design, building trust, and leveraging digital marketing channels effectively, businesses can create personalized online experiences that resonate with this influential demographic. Embracing the digital needs of Baby Boomers is a strategic move that can drive growth and success in the ever-evolving e-commerce landscape.
A Guide to Designing Accessible Websites for the Visually Impaired
In today’s digital age, it is essential to ensure that websites are accessible to all users, including those with visual impairments. By creating websites that are inclusive and cater to the needs of the visually impaired, we can provide equal opportunities for everyone to access and engage with online content. In this blog post, we will explore the key principles and practical tips outlined in HubSpot’s article on website accessibility for the blind. Understanding the Importance of Website Accessibility: The article from HubSpot begins by shedding light on the significant number of individuals affected by visual disabilities and the challenges they encounter when accessing websites. By making websites accessible, we not only empower visually impaired individuals but also enhance the user experience for all visitors. Key Guidelines for Website Accessibility: Proper HTML Structure: Creating a well-structured HTML document is fundamental for accessibility. By using semantic markup, screen readers can accurately interpret and convey the content to visually impaired users. Optimizing Images with Alt Text: Including descriptive alternative text (alt text) for images enables individuals using screen readers to understand the visual elements on a webpage. This practice ensures that important information is not missed. Descriptive Link Text: Instead of using generic terms like “click here” or “read more,” it is crucial to use descriptive link text that provides context. This helps visually impaired users navigate the website more efficiently. Color Contrast: Consider individuals with low vision by optimizing color contrast. Using tools to check and adjust color contrast ratios ensures that text and images are legible for all users. Resizable Text Options: Provide users with the ability to resize text to suit their preferences. This feature is particularly beneficial for individuals with visual impairments who rely on larger text sizes for improved readability. Avoid Solely Color-Coded Instructions: It is important to avoid using color as the sole means of conveying information. Incorporate additional visual cues or text instructions to ensure all users can understand the content. Keyboard Accessibility: Some visually impaired users rely on keyboard navigation. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that all website elements, such as menus and forms, can be accessed and operated using keyboard commands. The Role of User Testing and Continuous Improvement: To ensure the effectiveness of website accessibility efforts, the article emphasizes the importance of user testing. By involving individuals with visual impairments in the testing process, valuable insights can be gained to address any accessibility issues and make necessary improvements. Inclusivity should be a priority when designing websites, and catering to the needs of the visually impaired is an essential aspect of achieving accessibility. By following the guidelines outlined in HubSpot’s article, we can create welcoming and usable websites for all users. Let’s embrace the power of accessibility and contribute to a more inclusive online world.
Enhancing Website User Experience (UX) with Heatmaps
Introduction: In today’s competitive digital landscape, providing an exceptional user experience (UX) on your website is crucial for attracting and retaining visitors. To achieve this, it is important to understand how users interact with your website and identify areas for improvement. One powerful tool that can assist you in this endeavor is heatmaps. In this blog post, we will explore how heatmaps can be used to optimize UX and help you create a website that truly resonates with your audience. Understanding User Behavior: Heatmaps offer valuable insights into user behavior by visually representing their interactions on your website. By analyzing these heatmaps, you gain a deeper understanding of how users navigate and engage with your content. They reveal patterns such as where users click, how far they scroll, and which elements they interact with the most. Armed with this information, you can make data-driven decisions to improve UX. Optimizing Content Placement: Heatmaps allow you to determine the most effective placement for crucial elements on your website. By identifying popular sections and analyzing user interactions, you can strategically position important content like call-to-action buttons, forms, or key messages. By doing so, you increase the chances of capturing user attention and driving desired actions, ultimately improving conversions. Identifying Frustration Points: Heatmaps play a vital role in identifying frustration points and areas of confusion for your visitors. For example, if a significant number of users abandon a page without scrolling, it could indicate a lack of engaging content above the fold. By recognizing these pain points, you can take proactive measures to enhance usability, remove barriers, and ensure a smoother user journey. Mobile Optimization: With the increasing dominance of mobile devices, optimizing the mobile user experience is paramount. Heatmaps can provide insights into how users interact with your mobile interface, including touch gestures and scrolling behavior. By analyzing mobile heatmaps, you can make informed decisions to enhance the mobile UX, improving responsiveness, and catering to the specific needs and preferences of mobile users. A/B Testing and Iterative Improvements: Heatmaps are an invaluable tool for A/B testing and iterative improvements. By comparing heatmaps from different versions of your website, you can evaluate the impact of design or content changes on user behavior. This data-driven approach allows you to make informed decisions about which variations yield more desirable outcomes. By continuously testing and refining your website based on heatmap insights, you can enhance UX over time and ensure it evolves in line with user expectations. Conclusion: To thrive in the digital landscape, prioritizing user experience is essential. Heatmaps provide a visual representation of user behavior, allowing you to gain valuable insights into how users interact with your website. By leveraging this information, you can strategically optimize content placement, identify and address frustration points, enhance mobile experiences, and engage in iterative improvements. By making data-driven decisions based on heatmap analysis, you can create a website that not only captivates your audience but also delivers an outstanding user experience that keeps them coming back for more.
Testimonials are Key to Credibility
Testimonials have the highest content marketing effectiveness rating – 89% Unless you’re IBM, Apple, Nike, Google, eBay or another category brand leader, you need to build your credibility by associating your business with the respected third parties with whom you partner or do business. You can have a strong value proposition and compelling calls to action clearly laid out on your website, but every potential customer visiting is thinking, “This sounds good… now where do I find proof that what they’re saying is actually true?” The simple answer is in your third party testimonials, references and endorsements. To prove your quality and service claims, you need witnesses. The reputation and legitimacy of your organization is important for users to know before they decide to do business with you. People coming to your website will probably not accept the messages you’re promoting at face value. The fact is, what you say about yourself is less believable than what other people, especially those in positions of respect, say about you. It follows that what others say about you is more believable, so why wouldn’t you include plenty of testimonials and references on your website to make it a trustworthy resource for your visitors? Consider this statistic from a 2013-2014 survey of content marketers published by SocialMediaToday: “Customer testimonials have the highest effectiveness for content marketing at 89%. This tells us that 89% of the real experts, the people who actually implement online marketing for their companies and measure the results, rate testimonials as the single most effective aspect of content marketing. Go ahead and make your promise to your target audience, but be sure to back it up with a variety of third party testimonials and endorsements. Following are six of the most common forms of website testimonials and third party references. 1. Written Testimonials by Named Sources Quotes coming from named individuals carry more weight than those from anonymous sources. What or who is more credible, an unknown title or a real person representing herself and her organization? For example, when giving credit to a testimonial, instead of citing “office administrator for a major law firm,” cite instead “Anna Marie Medeiros, vice president of administration, Brenner, Rothschild & Clement.” If a person is willing to put their name on a quotation and make it public, you know they are risking their reputation by endorsing a business or product. This is clear evidence of your performance value. Testimonial Tip: For written testimonials, it’s usually best to 1) get permission, 2) write the testimonial yourself but in the client’s voice, 3) have the client sign off or edit. This technique makes it much easier for your customer and will speed up the process for you. 2. Video Testimonials Real people – real customers talking sincerely as they extol the wonderful benefits of doing business with you is proof that you’re the real thing. If possible, get a respected celebrity customer on video for your business and you’ll have pure marketing gold! In most cases, short video clips can be taken with a good smartphone because all you really need is decent picture quality and audible sound. Spontaneous and candid moments tend to work well in personal shares such as testimonials. You need to make people more comfortable about further engaging with you or your website. Below is an impromptu video testimonial of a Parker Web Services client that we feature on our website. 3. Third Party References Displaying respected business partners as well as organizational certifications and endorsements on your website engenders confidence in your company’s ability to compete and win in the market. When your company is involved in its industry and community, working closely with well-respected entities or individuals, you should make these relationships known on your website. Borrowing the brand value of respected organizations builds more equity in your own brand. 4. Case Studies Make the testimony tangible. Tell a true story about how your solution solves a client’s problem or how specific customers receive a superior experience, more convenience and better value from your website and service team. You’re giving visitors solid, provable facts about your products & services as well as a third party endorsement. Your website visitors can take comfort in knowing that you deliver what you promise. 5. Published Articles and Advice Columns If your business attracts trade media or broadcast coverage and your competition remains comparatively obscure, guess whose brand name gets the first Google search? If you have any relatively recent press coverage in a positive light, make it visible on your website. Invite publishers, editors and reporters in your industry media to consider the newsworthiness of your company’s unique accomplishments and post any positive media coverage you get about your company/product/services. Write expert advice articles that contain valuable information to your customers and work with editors to get them published. Liberally share these expert advice articles online to further build your respect as a thought leader in your market. 6. Awards Winning recognition for community service, business excellence, best-in-class technology, etc. further builds confidence among prospects in your target audience. Display your industry/trade/community service awards with the appropriate visibility. Don’t brag, but do allow visitors easy navigation to where they can find your company’s accolades. Work on Your Relationships and Deliver! So how do you get powerful testimonials and third party references to use on your website? Simple. If your relationships are good, you ask for them. It’s important to have conversations with your customers or other constituencies about your intentions to use their testimonials to improve your website’s effectiveness. Consider any cross promotional opportunities and be ready to back up your testimonials with swift inquiry responses and great customer service. After all, your customer is staking their reputation on you so you can improve your own. The last word: Third party testimonials and endorsements are like earned gifts. It’s your responsibility to honor your relationships and reputation by delivering what you promise while your customers and associates back you up. Parker
Social Websites Get Better Results
Socially interactive websites generate more referral traffic. So much of website maintenance centers on attracting and keeping a steady, growing stream of visitors from your target market going to your website. Your goal is to get them to interact with your brand and generate revenues. Therefore, everything about your offers and calls to action should be about strengthening your relationship with customers, prospects and other users of your website. When you think about it, everything positive in your business is the result of a relationship that enabled a transaction or other favorable initiative to happen. As business relationships are also social relationships, how do you go about nurturing your social relationships with your web users? If you’re one of the B2B holdouts who still thinks social engagement of a business audience is all fluff and of little real impact, consider the fact that Google and the other search engines favor websites with more social referral traffic and rank them higher. This is because people who click shared links in social media are opting to consume the message based on its relevance to their specific interests. Google raises your website’s authority as a trusted resource in your category when people recommend or share your page links. Jayson DeMers writing recently in Forbes makes a few points on why a socially active Internet presence is so important for today’s businesses. “Social media is useful because it encourages more external sites to link to your content, and the more diverse external links you have, the more authority you’ll gain in Google’s eyes. Of course, the catch to this is that you have to have high-quality, authoritative content to begin with. Otherwise, you’ll have nothing to use to attract links.” We couldn’t agree more, which is why we’re so big on blogging and dynamic content. You need to give visitors fresh, relevant content to keep them coming back and a blog offers fertile ground on your website for that very purpose. DeMers goes on, “Social sharing contributes to a brand’s authority much in the same way that external links do. To search engines like Google, any indication of a verifiable external source validating your brand or your content is grounds for an improvement in domain authority. So, if you can get five people to share your Facebook post, that’s great, but if you can get 1,000 people to share it, that’s even better. Likes, shares, favorites, replies, and retweets all count toward this increased authority.” Maintaining lively social action on your website will continually send diverse visitors back and forth between your social pages, your website and the outbound links to which you want to associate your business. Backlink traffic from desired sites to your website can be pure SEO gold. When you devote effort into building social capital from your brand into the content on your sites, visitors will always have something new to check out and additional messages of yours to share. Then it follows that the more targeted website visitors, the more chances to convert them to paying customers. Keeping your website socially interactive takes commitment just like any other worthwhile marketing endeavor. It begins with having a social media strategy that’s congruent with your overall brand strategy and business goals. Your website should have its social share links displayed with the appropriate emphasis, depending on what type of business you’re in. For example, some websites show live feeds of their Twitter and Facebook page posts. Effective ways to make your website social Lisa Parkin writing in the Huffington Post Business blog offers 4 powerful ways to attract social web user interaction. We highlight them below: Highlight top survey results – People want to know what others think and generally trust reputable consumer opinion survey data. They are apt to share it socially, especially when it validates their ideas. Install social commenting tools – This may seem like an obvious step, but many website owners never get to it. Naturally, 2-way conversations are what stimulate even more social interaction. Include user content – Contests and promotions are fine but a powerful method of showcasing user content is allowing product and service reviews on your website. It provides users a real glimpse into your strengths as well transparency into any weaknesses – areas your customers can help you improve. Make it easy to subscribe – Web visitors should see that you offer valuable information and updates. Make it simple for them to get it. For example, offer users the option to provide their email address OR sign up via Facebook. Parkin offers this key piece of advice as an ideal to shoot for when designing your social website and maintaining its content: “When a user comes to your site, it’s important that any piece of content is one click away from being shared on social media.” Perhaps not every piece of content on every website should be so fluid, but the more easily shareable, the more people will share, and the more links clicked. We can add a last word by saying that building a strong social following on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, your blog and with email is a whole other vitally important effort which goes beyond today’s post topic. However, if making your website more social has been one of your marketing goals, Parker Web Services has the technical know-how and development experience to customize and maintain website content, including strategically embedded social media, on almost any currently supported platform. Feel free to contact us at 1-877-321-2251. Parker Web prides itself on providing a top-notch website experience. Schedule a call today.
Website Content Maintenance: Fresh, Frequent & Fashionable
Fresh, relevant website content increases targeted traffic naturally. Who wants a stale, 3-day old bagel for breakfast when there are fresh ones coming out of the bakery just this morning? Your local café is serving them up with a variety of your favorite toppings – daily, and that’s why you go there. Stop to consider the stale content that has been sitting on your website since it was launched. Are you one of those business owners who launched a nice new site, complete with your first 2 or 3 blog posts, then moved on? If your most recent blog post or content update is dated, say February, 2014, your site is stale and probably getting very little attention from your target audience. Your site basically died last year if that’s the case. What has your company been doing for all this time? What about your social pages? What exactly is your online presence saying about the relevancy of your company within its industry – today? Consumers as well as business people have insatiable appetites for new information that can help or entertain them. Hunger for knowledge needs to be satisfied frequently. Stale websites, like stale bagels, just don’t attract customers hungry for a fresh serving of something good. When returning visitors come to your website, looking for what’s new and find exactly the same content as their last visit, you’ve just given them permission, if not encouragement, to visit your competition’s websites. They’ll visit your competitors to find out what’s new in your market! Make your website the authoritative source! To be a leader in your market, or the thought leader in your industry, your website needs to reflect your genuine professionalism. Our slogan applies here: “Keep your website as professional as you are!” A big part of website professionalism is publishing industry-leading information – regularly and often enough. Google and other search engines rank your website based on how often you update your content as well as the quality of content in your updates & posts. Matt Richardson, writing for Formstack, explains how search engines like Google work. “Search engines send “spiders” or “bots” around the web to “crawl” sites’ contents and follow their links, noting any changes along the way. These spiders come around on a schedule. If your site gets crawled, say, once a week and they notice a consistent change ever time, they’ll return more often. Hot, frequently updated sites like big news sites will get crawled multiple times per hour. If they don’t see changes after repeat visits, your site appears inactive and they’ll come around less often.” Here’s a real kicker: “If you aspire to show up in searches for the latest trends, but haven’t been updating or blogging consistently, your rankings may lag behind by up to several weeks. This is one reason why blogs are so important for SEO. Blogs let you post a regular stream of content relevant to your topic and search terms.” Because blogs are the most common way organizations keep their audiences informed on a frequent basis, Google has been steadily adding weight to blog content. They’ve designed their sophisticated algorithms to find web searchers’ information based on the contextual, situational and relational quality of the content. In simple terms, Google wants to serve up fresh and valuable content to its searchers. Out of date content is irrelevant, and because it’s easily detected, Google will screen it from top search results. It’s easy to understand why quality of content is important. Now you know why frequency of updates is just as crucial to a visible and high performing website. Blog and news pages are your social share points! When people find links to your website content in social shares and then click them, it tells Google and the other search engines that your site is attracting attention and this validates referral traffic. Social referrals are a strong indication of being an authoritative resource – people are willing to refer friends and business associates to your blog article or website because it proved to be valuable for them. The search engines index social media content on popular social platforms, like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Google, in particular, has made it very clear that they’re giving more weight to social media signals, both from your company’s own social media pages and other accounts which are interacting with your brand and linking to your site. Social media are great places to engage and introduce your brand to new people, but from there you need a way to “leave the party together.” Your website is the best place online for a more “intimate” relationship. Posting valuable information to your blog gives you a place to which you can readily invite visitors – a place where you control the message and conversation. Your blog is a great platform to share videos as well as written articles. A blog is also a great enabler for the content marketer. It provides you and ideal mechanism to publish content worth sharing socially. You can keep it fresh, relevant and entertaining to your specific audience. Frequency is your friend. Now the question becomes, how often should you post new content? Matt Richardson offers broad and general guidance. “It’s hard to prescribe an exact formula and depends in which medium you’re posting – on your site, on your blog, or on your social media profiles. For blogs and website updates, generally once a month or more can be adequate for a small business, unless you’re expected to always keep up with the bleeding edge news…” In reality, many small businesses have increased blogging frequency to weekly or semi-weekly with positive results and no complaints from followers. Your SEO Consultant or Website Maintenance Provider should be able to provide further guidance based on your unique situation. Consult with them or Parker Web Services to get recommendations on frequency of website/blog updates as well as what kinds of content to post. For most businesses, Social