http://www.nbm.com.au/blog.atom.xmlNew Business Media Blog2024-03-28T14:28:50+00:00New Business Mediahttp://www.nbm.com.au/hello@pivotalagency.com.auOur New Copywriting Services - Bloghttp://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/our-new-copywriting-services-blog-2062015-09-28T14:00:00+00:002015-09-28T14:00:00+00:00When it comes to online writing whether youâre producing a 1,500 word article or typing a 140 character tweet â content is (and in our opinion always will be) king! High quality content that finds the right blend of information, originality and personality is going to prove successful no matter what! With our ever-growing digital lifestyles there is an even bigger demand for businesses to be digitally switched on.<h2>Blogs</h2>
<p><br />When it comes to online writing whether you’re producing a 1,500 word article or typing a 140 character tweet – content is (and in our opinion always will be) king! High quality content that finds the right blend of information, originality and personality is going to prove successful no matter what! With our ever-growing digital lifestyles there is an even stronger demand for businesses to be digitally switched on.</p>
<p><strong>Why We Love Blogs<br /></strong><br /> In a world of computer screens, smart phones and tablets people often crave a more personal connection when it comes to interacting with businesses via digital media. When done correctly writing a blog is an ideal way to “click” with your online audience. Blog’s allow you to have a voice and to tell your businesses story – strengthening the personal connection between you and your consumers. </p>
<p>As the blogging phenomenon continues to grow, it is becoming a highly competitive and sought after feature in all businesses. The common misconception that blogging is only suitable for particular industries is just not the case anymore. From travel, beauty and cooking, to languages, finance and mechanics there is always a niche following looking for a blog! <br /> <br /> The top three reasons your business should use a blog:</p>
<ol>
<li>To share knowledge, ideas, insights and industry news</li>
<li>Increase your business’s professional reputation (both online and in person)</li>
<li>Attract new clients and establish a long standing relationship with these valuable customers. </li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Let Us Help – We’d love to! <br /> </strong><br /> The most difficult task of blogging by far is coming up with new content, especially when it’s writing for yourself. What’s needed is someone who can look at your site from a new perspective and see the bigger picture. Our copywriter can offer you a fresh mind, some much needed inspiration and bring something new to the table. This in turn will be beneficial for both your readers and for your business!<br /><br />For more information on our blog writing and other copywriting services <a href="/contact">contact </a>the team at NBM today! <br /><br /></p>Our New Copywriting Services - Emailhttp://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/our-new-copywriting-services-email-2072015-09-28T14:00:00+00:002015-09-28T14:00:00+00:00The e-newsletter has come a long way since its paper counterpart. Nowadays technology enables us to create, design and distribute newsletters from the comfort of our own computers. Not only are e-newsletters a time and cost effective alternative, but email campaigns also have the added bonus of quality templates and striking design features.<h2>Email Newsletters </h2>
<p><br />The e-newsletter has come a long way since its paper counterpart. Nowadays technology enables us to create, design and distribute newsletters from the comfort of our own computers. Not only are e-newsletters a time and cost effective alternative, but email campaigns also have the added bonus of quality templates and striking design features. </p>
<p><strong>Why We Love e-newsletters</strong><br /> Email Newsletters are considered by many as the most professional and trusted option when it comes to online business communication. Not only do email campaigns offer excellent marketing and branding solutions, but they allow you to establish one-on-one contact, forging a deeper relationship between customer and business. <br /> <br /> In addition to this, the added bonus of being able to customise email content means your business can successfully meet the individual needs and interest of your clients. For example, by enabling the client to have input into what service or products they’d like to know more about, as well as how often they’d like to hear from your business (eg daily, weekly, or monthly emails) means a more valuable experience for both customer and business.</p>
<p>Dan Oshinsky, Director of Newsletters at <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/tools/email">Buzzfeed</a>, has deemed email marketing as an essential tool and says “<em>Nothing else is as effective at building personal relationships with customers. If you want your business to succeed, start building your email list on Day 1” </em>– wise words Dan! <br /> <br /> <br /> <strong>Let Us Help – We’d love to! <br /> <br /> </strong></p>
<p>Whether you already have an existing e-newsletter or you’re thinking of starting a new campaign, email is the perfect way to communicate with your current and potential clients on a regular basis.<br /> <br /> Our copywriter can provide assistance every step of the way, from the research and planning stages to writing and editing the final product. If you’d like to know more about this or any of our other digital services please <a href="/contact">contact NBM</a> today. <br /><br /></p>
<p>References: <br /> <em>Why email marketing </em>2015, viewed 29 September 2015, < <a href="https://goo.gl/Nw9aAs">https://goo.gl/Nw9aAs</a>>. </p>Our New Copywriting Services - Social Mediahttp://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/our-new-copywriting-services-social-media-2082015-09-28T14:00:00+00:002015-09-28T14:00:00+00:00Imagine a business thatâs open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and has the potential to reach millions of customers on a national and international scale â seems too good to be true right? Well this is essentially what social media can do for your business!
Since August 2015 it stands that over 14 Million Australians are using Facebook, 13 Million are on YouTube and 5 Million have an Instagram account. This growing population of online users further illustrates the need for businesses to be pro-active when using their social media platforms.<h2>Social Media </h2>
<p><br />Imagine a business that’s open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and has the potential to reach millions of customers on a national and international scale – seems too good to be true right? Well this is essentially what social media can do for your business! </p>
<p>Since August 2015 it stands that over 14 Million Australians are using Facebook, 13 Million are on YouTube and 5 Million have an Instagram account. This growing population of online users further illustrates the need for businesses to be pro-active when using their social media platforms.</p>
<p><br /> <strong>Why We Love Social Media<br /> </strong>According to Amy Jo Martin, founder and CEO of <a href="http://digitalroyalty.com/">Digital Royalty</a>, “every time you post a photo, or update your status, you are contributing to your own digital footprint and personal brand”, and with over a million Twitter followers to her name we think Amy may be onto something here!</p>
<p>Nowadays your social media account is one of the first places a person discovers your business and is the first impression they get of what your business has to offer, so where you sit in the digital scheme of things is pretty crucial.</p>
<p>Where businesses are concerned, social media should be treated as the online equivalent of customer service. This means that just as you would serve a customer in person, you should always aim to be helpful, considerate and provide a high standard of service online. What you choose to share and how you interact with your clients on social media can deeply impact your businesses performance off-screen. <br /> <br /> From a customer’s perspective social media is by far the quickest way for them to get in touch with you, your brand and what your business is doing. With this in mind it is essential that a great deal of planning, research and time should be invested into your business’s social media. <strong><br /> <br /> Let Us Help – We’d love to! <br /> </strong><br /> Social Media is omnipresent and forever evolving – and here at NBM we understand that trying to keep on top of this whilst running a business can sometimes become all too much. There isn’t enough hours in a day to run your business, attend meetings, and complete all that paperwork, yet alone update your social media sites on a regular basis – that’s where we come in!</p>
<p>These social media platforms are ideal for both small and large businesses and NBM can give assistance with content for the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Facebook</li>
<li>Twitter</li>
<li>Instagram</li>
<li>LinkedIn</li>
<li>Google+</li>
<li>Pinterest</li>
</ul>
<p>Like what you see? Let's talk! For more information about this or any of NBM’s other copywriting services please <a href="/contact">contact </a>us today.</p>
<p><br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>References:</p>
<p>Cowling, D 2015, <em>Social Media Statistics Australia – August 2015</em>, viewed 23 September 2015, <<a href="http://goo.gl/8Dxwyg">http://goo.gl/8Dxwyg</a>>.</p>
<p>Hendricks, D 2015, <em>13 Social Media Tips From Top Executives</em>, viewed 29<em>September 2015, <</em> <a href="http://goo.gl/aoos7D"><em>http://goo.gl/aoos7D</em></a><em>>. </em></p>
<p> </p>Have you heard about the 'Business Performance Pack'?http://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/have-you-heard-about-the-business-performance-pack-2052014-04-09T14:00:00+00:002014-04-09T14:00:00+00:00Our mission at NBM is to help your business grow by crafting and executing digital strategies to engage your target market and improve business processes. That's why it's our pleasure to introduce you to the National College of Business. The National College of Business offers...<p>Our mission at NBM is to help your business grow by crafting and executing digital strategies to engage your target market and improve business processes. That's why it's our pleasure to introduce you to the National College of Business. The National College of Business offers tailored tools such as courses, events, resources + more to help your business succeed.</p>
<p><em><strong>Below is a free offer from the NCB that we'd recommend jumping onto!</strong></em></p>
<hr />
<p>At the National College of Business we believe that small businesses are the heartbeat of the Australian economy and that EVERY business owner has the right to succeed. </p>
<p>As a result, we have created a Business Performance Pack, designed to provide business owners with both clarity and actions to take, to improve their business. </p>
<h2><strong>The “Business Performance Pack” Includes:</strong></h2>
<ul type="disc">
<li>An 8-page Business Performance Report -"52 Ways to immediately improve of your business"</li>
<li>A Business Performance Checklist designed to identify areas of your business that can be fine-tuned to drive better performance</li>
<li>2 x Tickets to a Business Results Workshop</li>
<li>60 Minute DVD - The 7 Ways to profit from the Future: Smart ways to take advantage of global trends to reap for your business!</li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>PLUS: Leadership Essentials:</strong></h3>
<ul type="disc">
<li>How to keep your head clear and focused on the activities that produce the greatest results. </li>
<li>How to fully engage your team and your clients in a way that has them take action. </li>
<li>AND the three R’s to winning any game and staying on top! </li>
</ul>
<h2><strong>Here's what people had to say… </strong></h2>
<blockquote>
<p>"After attending the event with Simon, I went home and applied what I learnt. The next day I pick up 3 new contracts which over the next 12 months will be worth $200,000 to the business"<br /><em>Rob - Regal Security</em></p>
<p>"Some of the content I had heard before, but as it was pointed out in the seminar, it's only action that produces results. It was the kick in the backside I needed to move forward"<br />Michael - Restaurant Owner.<em><br /></em></p>
<p>"The business performance checklist is simple, but effective. It's helped me find holes in the business that I didn't realise were there"<br /><em>Erin - Import/Export. </em></p>
</blockquote>
<p><a class="button" href="http://www.clarityandgrowth.com.au/?utm_source=NBM%20Website&utm_medium=Blog%20Post&utm_campaign=NBM%20Blog%20Post" target="_blank">Download your complimentary pack today!</a></p>Google Apps - Your Office, Anywherehttp://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/google-apps-your-office-anywhere-2042014-03-26T14:00:00+00:002014-03-26T14:00:00+00:00At NBM we're big fans of Google Apps!
Google Apps is simply a collection of Google services tailored towards businesses, many of which you may already be familiar with. They include: Gmail (Email), Google Drive (Document Editing and File Storage), Google Calendar, Google+ (Social).<p>At NBM we’re big fans of <a href="http://www.google.com/intx/en_au/enterprise/apps/business/">Google Apps</a>.</p>
<p>We migrated our office to Google Apps in early 2013 and we’ve loved having complete access to all our emails from anywhere in the world. The tagging, searching and sorting features in Gmail are also very useful for staying in control of our inboxes.</p>
<p><em>But first, a bit of background of what it is.</em></p>
<p>Google Apps is simply a collection of Google services tailored towards businesses, many of which you may already be familiar with. They include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Gmail (Email)</li>
<li>Google Drive (Document Editing and File Storage)</li>
<li>Google Calendar</li>
<li>Google+ (Social)</li>
</ul>
<p>You can access them using your web browser or the official iPhone and Android Apps. This enables you to access emails, collaborate on documents in real-time and check your calendar from anywhere in the world. Google Apps is ideal for those who work in and out of the office.</p>
<p>Google Apps is everything you know and love about Google’s current services. Your email address becomes a Google Account so you can easily access other Google sites like YouTube and Google Maps. However, with Google Apps there’s a few extra perks.</p>
<p>Firstly, you get double the storage (30GB instead of the normal 15GB). You can also use your business’s own domain name for emails which looks more professional than “@gmail.com”. Sharing documents and email accounts between staff is also much easier. IT Admin’s will also appreciate the security controls, high uptime and service level agreements available.</p>
<p>So what does it cost? Just $5/user each month and there are no setup or admin costs. You only pay for the number of users you need. Extra storage is also available for those with massive email inboxes or those who need to store large files in the cloud.</p>
<p>How can you get started on Google Apps? If you already use Outlook or Mac Mail, we suggest you get in contact with an IT professional who can help you migrate your emails into Google Apps. If you’re a new business and don’t have email accounts yet or have any other Google Apps questions, ask us, we’re here to help.</p>The Hummingbird Update and Secure Searchhttp://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/the-hummingbird-update-and-secure-search-2032013-09-29T14:00:00+00:002013-09-29T14:00:00+00:00It has been a big week in the world of search engine optimisation. Google search turned 15 and announced the Hummingbird algorithm update and quietly switched all searches to secure search. What does it mean for your SEO strategy?<p>It has been a big week in the world of search engine optimisation. <a href="http://insidesearch.blogspot.com.au/2013/09/fifteen-years-onand-were-just-getting.html">Google search turned fifteen</a> on Thursday and announced the Hummingbird (so called because it is “precise and fast”) algorithm update at a press event hosted in the garage where it all began – in recognition of Google’s humble beginnings.</p>
<p><img style="float: left; border: 1px solid black; margin: 5px 10px;" title="Google Garage Days" src="/images/editorimages/google-garage.jpg" alt="google garage days" width="286" height="286" /></p>
<p>In typical Google style the details were thin; however it is clear the Hummingbird is not a Panda or Penguin style update. This is the biggest change to the algorithm in twelve years affecting an estimated 90% of search. Hummingbird is “designed to let Google quickly parse entire questions and complex queries and return relevant answers, as opposed to looking at queries on a keyword-by-keyword basis” said <a href="http://www.webpronews.com/hummingbird-is-googles-biggest-algorithm-change-in-12-years-2013-09">Chris Crum from Web Pro News.</a></p>
<p>Amit Singhal, Google senior vice president and one of its earliest staffers, said, "When I joined Google, people would be amazed when a simple query for a website would work. As they became more comfortable, they began to ask more complex questions. Hummingbird," he said, "is the result of that foundational rethink."</p>
<p><a href="http://searchengineland.com/google-hummingbird-172816">Danny Sullivan from Search Engine Land</a> spoke to Amit Singhal and Ben Gomes, after the event for more details; conversational search was confirmed as the major reason for the overhaul and while conversational search had already been implemented “it had only been doing it really within its Knowledge Graph answers. Hummingbird is designed to apply the meaning technology to billions of pages from across the web, in addition to Knowledge Graph facts, which may bring back better results.” wrote Sullivan.</p>
<p>Now before you go scrambling to check your rankings, if you have not noticed a drop in traffic over the past month it’s unlikely you will now, while the announcement was only made last week, Hummingbird was rolled out almost a month ago.</p>
<p>If however you log into your Google analytics account and realise all your keyword data has disappeared into the dreaded black hole of “not provided” searches, you may feel cause for genuine concern.</p>
<p>Almost 2 years ago <a href="http://analytics.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/making-search-more-secure-accessing.html">Google announced the beginnings of the move to secure search</a>. At that time Google explained “When a signed in user visits your site from an organic Google search, all web analytics services, including Google Analytics, will continue to recognize the visit as Google ‘organic’ search, but will no longer <em>report the query terms</em> that the user searched on to reach your site. Keep in mind that the change <strong>will affect only a minority of your traffic</strong>. You will continue to see aggregate query data with no change, including visits from users who aren’t signed in and visits from Google ‘cpc’.”</p>
<p><a href="http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2296351/Goodbye-Keyword-Data-Google-Moves-Entirely-to-Secure-Search">Thom Craver from Search Engine Watch</a> this week reminded us that <a href="http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/">Matt Cutts</a> said at the time that it was estimated that the amount of ‘(not provided)’ visits "even at full roll-out ... would still be in the single-digit percentages of all Google searchers on Google.com."</p>
<p>The move to secure search means that <em>all search queries</em> from Google will now display in Google Analytics as “not provided” regardless of whether or not the user is signed in to a Google product.</p>
<p>More so now than ever it’s imperative that Webmaster tools is correctly connected to your analytics account <em>and</em> that you are treating the information from Yahoo and Bing as important and valuable.</p>
<p>Like it or not, the fact is that keyword data is still available to Adwords advertisers, so having a comprehensive multi-channelled digital strategy in place is a very good idea; that is, you should be utilising Google Adwords and Social Media as well as <a href="/seo-search-engine-optimisation">Search Engine Optimisation</a> to maximise the effectiveness of your web presence.</p>
<p><a href="/contact">Contact us to discuss your digital marketing needs today</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Unquoted Sources:</p>
<ul>
<li>http://www.seobythesea.com/2013/09/google-hummingbird-patent/</li>
<li>http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57604841-93/google-search-now-powered-by-a-hummingbird/</li>
<li>http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/26/google-recently-made-a-silent-shift-to-a-new-search-algorithm-hummingbird/</li>
</ul>
<div><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div>
<div>
<p> </p>
</div>
</div>
</div>Web Development, Design and Programminghttp://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/web-development-design-and-programming-2022013-09-09T14:00:00+00:002013-09-09T14:00:00+00:00Web design, Web development and Web programming - ever wondered just what's the difference? Many people use the term web designer as a catchall term for a person or a company that is involved in the creation of a website however there is a difference between what a web designer, a web developer, and a web programmer does<p>In Part One of the series of posts – <a href="/blog-view/beyond-brisbane-web-design-what-is-a-digital-201">What Is A Digital Agency</a> we wrote an overview of the services NBM offers and here in Part Two we’ll look in a little more detail at Web Development.</p>
<p><strong>Web development at NBM involves:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/web-design-brisbane"><strong>Web design</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/sitehq-cms"><strong>Content Management Systems</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="/web-application-development"><strong>Web Application Development</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<p>“The World Wide Web has become a major delivery platform for web development which is a variety of complex and sophisticated enterprise applications in several domains. In addition to their inherent multifaceted functionality, these web applications exhibit complex behaviour…”</p>
<p><strong>Wait, wait, wait…I’m just kidding. </strong></p>
<p>If you wanted to read the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_development">Wikipeadia explanation of web development</a> you’d have gone to Wikipedia right? But I’m sure you do want to know…</p>
<p><strong>The difference between the Web Designer, the Web Developer and the Web Programmer.</strong></p>
<p>Many people use the term ‘web designer’ as a catchall term for a person or a company that is involved in the creation of a website however there is a difference between what a web designer, a web developer, and a web programmer does. Most reputable digital agencies have designers, developers, and programmers to cover all aspects of a client’s web development needs.</p>
<p><strong>In the simplest terms:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>The Web Designer: designs the <em>look and feel of the web pages </em>and is concerned with the user interface such as the layout, images and graphics that will be used</li>
<li>The Web Developer: writes the <em>code for the web pages</em> (i.e. HTML, CSS, PHP etc.) so that among other things they work as they are intended and are displayed as designed</li>
<li>The Web Programmer: <em>writes code in server languages</em>, (i.e. ASP, PHP, Ruby, etc.) & connects the website with the database to create the logic for an application or software.</li>
</ul>
<p>As the term suggests, a web designer is involved in the design of a website. A web designer is primarily concerned with the customer-facing aspect of a site. They also need to consider usability issues and designs a site that visitors will want to visit and be able to easily navigate and that will turn these customers into leads or sales. A web designer will use graphics programs like Adobe Photoshop to create representations or concepts of what the site will look like.</p>
<p>The web developer then brings these flat concepts to life & turns them into fully functioning websites with elegant animations & effects. Web developers use such scripting languages as HTML, CSS, Javascript & PHP.</p>
<p>The term ‘web programmer’ is often used interchangeably with web developer, however here at NBM, the term web developer is reserved for our specialists who develop web based applications using the fundamentals of rich media and server-side scripting while the term web programmer is reserved for our specialists who deal with the functionality and database of the website. Programmersare capable of coding custom web applications that need to be created from scratch like booking and ordering systems, membership portals and store locators, the developer integrates the front end styling and makes sure these interact with the rest of the site as they should while the web designer makes sure everything looks appealing and fits in with the overall website design.</p>
<p>Hopefully this has helped resolve some of the confusion surrounding <a title="web design and development" href="/">web design and development</a>, and while it’s not something everyone needs to spend time reflecting on, it is particularly important to those considering what kinds of services will be needed to build the custom website they have in mind. Keep an eye out for Part 3 in our Series: Digital Marketing – coming soon.</p>Beyond Brisbane Web Design - What is a Digital Agency Anyway?http://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/beyond-brisbane-web-design-what-is-a-digital-2012013-07-22T14:00:00+00:002013-07-22T14:00:00+00:00New Business Media (NBM) is a full service digital agency which in essence means we are sure to have experience in creating a custom digital solution that will meet your needs, whatever your needs may be. Over the next few weeks we'll be looking at the different services that NBM offer in detail, outlining the importance of each of the services and hopefully you'll see why entrusting such services to experts is essential to the long term success of your web presence.<p>New Business Media (NBM) is a full service digital agency which in essence means we are sure to have experience in creating a custom digital solution that will meet your needs, whatever your needs may be. Over the next few weeks we’ll be looking at the different services that NBM offer in detail, outlining the importance of each of the services and hopefully you'll see why entrusting such services to experts is essential to the long term success of your web presence. The topics covered will include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Online Stores and Responsive Mobile Designs</li>
<li><a href="/web-development">Web Development</a></li>
<li>Digital Marketing</li>
<li>Social Media Management</li>
</ul>
<p>Today we're looking at Online or eCommerce Stores and <a href="/responsive-mobile-development">Responsive Mobile Designs</a> as services offered by New Business Media.</p>
<h2>Ecommerce Website Specialists </h2>
<p><strong>Online Stores</strong> – NBM have extensive experience and expertise in creating commercially focused <a title="eCommerce web design brisbane" href="/ecommerce-store-design">eCommerce websites</a> for a range of online businesses. Hiring a digital agency that knows from experience what makes an effective and successful online store is a crucial first step in creating a platform for your customers to find and buy from you online.</p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p align="center"><a href="/portfolio-view/buy-fruit-210"><img src="/images/editorimages/buyfruit-screenshot.png" alt="Buy Fruit - Brisbane Ecommerce Web Design" width="431" height="271" /></a></p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;" align="center">Buy Fruit: Innovative eCommerce solutions combined with community integration make this site a hub for Queenslanders looking to stock their fruit bowl from the comfort of their own home. Social media integration and responsive design is the cherry on top. </p>
<p><a href="/portfolio-view/rugs-a-million-200/e-commerce-4"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="/images/editorimages/rugsamillion-screenshot.png" alt="Rugs A Million - NBM Ecommerce Web Design" width="431" height="271" /></a></p>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p>Rugs A Million : NBM answered the call with this modern design, including a massive <a href="/ecommerce-store-design">online store</a> offering hundreds of rugs for sale online, as well as daily deals, special offers and a specialized search function to ensure customers can find exactly what they are looking for quickly and easily.</p>
<p> <a href="/portfolio-view/filtertech-australia-63/e-commerce-4"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="/images/editorimages/filtertech-screenshot.png" alt="Filter Tech - Responsive Web Design Service" width="431" height="271" /></a></p>
<p>Filter Tech: Catering to a range of clients from different industries means that this <a href="/ecommerce-store-design">eCommerce store</a> had to be highly customized to allow for a range of price, product and other variances. Also featuring in-depth technical data and specialized industry information, Filtertech Australia has it covered when it comes to the sale and supply of filtration products online.</p>
<h2>Responsive Web Design Services</h2>
<p><strong>Responsive Mobile Designs</strong> – conversion rates for ecommerce sites on mobile and tablet devices almost doubled from 5.42% and 5.95 % in January 2012 to 10.44% and 10.58% in January 2013* (interestingly referrals from <a href="/social-media-marketing">social media marketing</a> account for a growing 3% of ecommerce conversions). What this means is that if you thought nothing would be used to access the internet more frequently than a laptop or desktop computer it’s time to swallow your pride and admit you were wrong.</p>
<p>Mobile and tablets are here to stay and if your website is not responsive you could lose many potential customers who simply can’t access the information, goods or services they are seeking.</p>
<p>The internet trend prediction of <a href="http://www.kpcb.com/partner/mary-meeker">Mary Meker</a> made in 2008 that mobile and tablets accessing the internet would surpass desktops and laptops by 2014 may not have been too far from the money.</p>
<p>All new <a>website design, development and redesign</a> entrusted to NBM are built to respond to the size of the display visitors are using, no matter how big or small. Using responsive technology to adjust the way your website is displayed on different devices means that only one website needs to be updated and maintained and that your message, goods and services are accessible to every visitor that arrives on your site, no matter what device they used to get there.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><em>*Source – <a href="http://www.smartinsights.com/mobile-marketing/mobile-marketing-analytics/mobile-marketing-statistics/">Smart In sights: Mobile Marketing Statistics 2013</a></em></p>SEO Tips for Writing Website Contenthttp://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/seo-tips-for-writing-website-content-2002013-06-19T14:00:00+00:002013-06-19T14:00:00+00:00In the online world of Search Engine Optimisation, the saying goes that 'Content is King'. But finding the right balance between writing content that appeals to both users and search engines can be a difficult one to find. Here are some basic tips to keep in mind while you are writing your websites content to ensure that it is effective for SEO purposes.<p dir="ltr">In the online world of Search Engine Optimisation, the saying goes that 'Content is King'. But finding the right balance between writing content that appeals to both users and search engines can be a difficult one to find. Here are some basic tips to keep in mind while you are writing your websites content to ensure that it is effective for SEO purposes.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Write for users, not for robots</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Don’t write your copy just to appeal to the search engines. The latest Google algorithms prefer natural content rather than obvious SEO content, so make sure that what you are writing will appeal to target audience because there is no point getting SEO traffic if your content doesn’t convert traffic into customers.</p>
<p><strong>Forget about keyword density and keyword stuffing</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Using your SEO keywords in your copy should be organic, not forced. If you are using all of your keywords in every sentence it will result in jumbled text that doesn’t read well to customers, which will affect your SEO in a negative way. Use the keywords in a natural and organic way so that your text reads and flows well.</p>
<p><strong>Integrate related keywords, synonyms, and grammatical variations into your content</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">Search engines use technology called Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) to match search results to the intentions of the person performing the search. Using synonyms, related keywords and grammatical variations make your content more relevant, without keyword stuffing.</p>
<p><strong>Focus on writing long, in-depth, quality content</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">The average listing on the first page of Google has 2,000 words on the sites homepage. In-depth information and articles have been shown to perform than short superficial content. Aim for content that delivers value to the reader and provides real insight, however DON’T write lengthy copy just for the sake of pleasing search engines – try to find the balance.</p>
<p><strong>Write content that answers common questions from prospects</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">If you find that you are answering the same questions day after day, these are probably the same questions that your prospective clients are typing into search engines looking for answers. Providing content that delivers credible answers is a sure fire way to generate traffic. Provide them with better, more in depth information than your competitors and they’ll buy from you!</p>How to: Social Networking for Business | Part 3http://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/how-to-social-networking-for-business-part-3-702013-06-05T14:00:00+00:002013-06-05T14:00:00+00:00Welcome to the third and final installment in our social networking for business series. You've learned all about which social networks you should be using, as well as how often you should be using them. Now it's time to find out about content - what exactly should you be saying?<h2>What should I be posting?</h2>
<p>Welcome to the third and final installment in our social networking for business series. You’ve learned all about which social networks you should be using, as well as how often you should be using them. Now it’s time to find out about content – what exactly should you be saying?</p>
<p>This is the part of the process where many businesses fail to make the most of their social networking opportunities. The bottom line is irrelevant or uninteresting content will not give the right impression of your business to your customers, which can have a dramatic negative effective on your business. No-one wants that.</p>
<p><strong>Get Engaged</strong></p>
<p>Photos, text, videos and links all encourage your friends and followers to interact with your business in a different way. The number one thing that you should aim to achieve in social media is engagement. Here are some ideas about the types of posts you should consider to encourage engagement:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Showcase products/events</strong> – show friends what is involved in creating the new product/event, behind the scenes pictures and information are good examples of this.</li>
<li><strong>Showcase the organization</strong> – helps to show fans and clients who you are and makes you more approachable</li>
<li><strong>Use the timeline</strong> – Use the ‘timeline feature’ to tell your story. Add important events and milestones to build up brand ‘heritage’</li>
<li><strong>Polls</strong> – The Facebook ‘polls’ widget enables you to engage with more of your community in a way that is valuable to both you and them. Polls are also favored by ‘edgerank’, meaning that they will usually be seen by more of your audience than a normal post would.</li>
<li><strong>Jump on a meme</strong> – Funny content spreads, and a humorous entry will help to show your organizations sense of humor. IF you’re feeling game, rather than sharing an existing image or video, create your own!</li>
<li><strong>Caption this competition</strong> – Typically they don’t need a real prize, but caption comps are a great way to encourage interaction between your followers. Try and pick a funny image for the best result.</li>
<li><strong>Funny and cute posts work</strong> – pretty self-explanatory, a funny or cute picture will always be commented on and shared more often than any other type of picture.</li>
<li><strong>Simple ‘fill-in-the-gaps’ posts</strong> – These types of posts are great for encouraging engagement with your site, e.g. “my favorite thing to do on a rainy day is ________________”</li>
<li><strong>Ask questions</strong> – posts that ask questions are shown to increase engagement by encouraging commenting, see below:</li>
</ol>
<p>A good mix of these types of posts will encourage your friends and followers to get involved with your business, resulting in increased brand awareness whilst attracting potential new customers too!</p>
<p>Well there it is, the three steps to successful social networking for business! We hope that you have found this series helpful and that you are now well on your way to a rewarding social networking experience for your business.</p>
<p>As always, if we can help you with your social networking, website design and development or online marketing, please give us a shout. Or, friend us on Facebook, twitter or Google+ to stay in the loop, and possibly find out more helpful tips!</p>How to: Social Networking for Business | Part 2http://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/how-to-social-networking-for-business-part-2-692013-05-27T14:00:00+00:002013-05-27T14:00:00+00:00Welcome to part 2 of our 3 part Social Networking for Business series. In our first installment, we helped you to figure out which social media sites are likely to work best for your business. Now that you know which sites to use, the next part is working out how often you should be using these sites to connect with your customers.<h2>How often should I post?</h2>
<p>Welcome to part 2 of our 3 part Social Networking for Business series. In our first installment, we helped you to figure out which social media sites are likely to work best for your business. Now that you know which sites to use, the next part is working out how often you should be using these sites to connect with your customers.</p>
<p><strong>How often should I post?</strong></p>
<p>Deciding on a posting schedule can be a delicate balancing act. Being bombarded with dozens of posts a day is nobody’s idea of fun, while one or two posts a month is unlikely to help you to achieve the results you want. <strong>The ideal posting pattern for maximum engagement is one or two posts per day</strong>. Now I know that this seems like a lot, but I’m about to show you a way to ensure that this is manageable for your business.</p>
<p>The key to ensuring that the timing of your posts is consistent is a Post Schedule. A schedule can be done weekly, fortnightly, monthly or even quarterly depending on how you prefer to allocate your time and should be the single most important part of your social media campaign.</p>
<p><strong>Creating a Post Schedule</strong></p>
<p>A post schedule is a simple and quick way to ensure that your social networking sites never appear to be forgotten or abandoned. Essentially, it is a simple calendar that has the details of all your posts ready to go for the week, month or quarter. Most people find it easiest to sit down and complete their posting schedule at one dedicated time, essentially creating a month (or however long you want) worth of content in a couple of hours. Your post schedule should have this essential information:</p>
<ul>
<li>The post content – i.e. the actual wording of your post</li>
<li>The platform that the post is to be published on</li>
<li>Any images or links that accompany the post</li>
<li>The date and time you want the post to be published</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Scheduling the posts</strong></p>
<p>To ensure that you don’t forget to publish the posts from your brand new post calendar, most social networks have a scheduling tool that allows you to upload posts to be published at a later date. If you intend to publish single posts across a number of platforms (i.e. the same post to Twitter, Facebook and Google+ at the same time) there are third party tools that can help you with this too (our favorites are Hootsuite and IFTTT)</p>
<p>So there you have it, part 2 of our 3 part series done and dusted. Part 3 will be uploaded soon, helping you to determine the best content for your social networking accounts. Stay tuned!</p>
<p>If you have any questions about your Social Networking presence, or anything web related get in touch today.</p>How to: Social Networking for Business | Part 1http://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/how-to-social-networking-for-business-part-1-682013-05-15T14:00:00+00:002013-05-15T14:00:00+00:00Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and others have been around for a while now and show no sign of dying off anytime soon. So with more than 11 million Australians expected to log on to at least one social media site in 2013, there is huge potential for business owners to promote their wares online.
But what is the best way to promote your business on social media sites? Which sites should I be using and how often? Is there any REAL benefit to social media? I'm glad you asked, here's the answers...<h2>Which Social Networking sites should I be using?</h2>
<p>Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and others have been around for a while now and show no sign of dying off anytime soon. So with more than 11 million Australians expected to log on to at least one social media site in 2013, there is huge potential for business owners to promote their wares online.</p>
<p>But what is the best way to promote your business on social media sites? Which sites should I be using and how often? Is there any REAL benefit to social media? I’m glad you asked, here’s the answers…</p>
<p><strong>Which Social Media Sites Should I Be Using?</strong></p>
<p>There are literally hundreds of social networking sites out there, with each one slightly different to the next. Ideally, most businesses should have active accounts on the three main sites: Facebook, Twitter and Google+. These three sites will usually have the biggest impact for your business when it comes to customer interaction and online visibility.</p>
<p>Other more niche sites such as Pinterest and LinkedIn are also useful for certain business types. For example If your business relies on nurturing business relationships with clients in a professional field LinkedIn would be beneficial, whereas a business that produces or sells beautiful clothing or homewares would be ideal for Pinterest.</p>
<p>One way to help you decide which sites might be beneficial for you is to see what your competitors are doing currently. Do they have one or two well-maintained profiles? Are they using any specialized niche sites? How many followers or friends do they have? This information can be helpful when deciding which sites for you to use.</p>
<p><strong>Do I REALLY need to be using Google+?</strong></p>
<p>We hear this one all the time: “Google+ is a bit of a ghost town, why should I bother updating it?” The answer is for your SEO results! Google+ profiles and pages are one of the simplest and easiest ways for you to improve traffic to your website. Regular posting on G+ might not be terribly effective when it comes to engagement, but it WILL improve your visibility online.</p>
<p>Well that’s it for Part 1 of our 3 part series on Social Networking for Business. Stay tuned for part 2, which will give you some excellent strategies and tips around how often you should be updating your social networking account.</p>
<p>If you have any questions about Social Networking for YOUR business, contact us today.</p>How to write a blog post (and improve your SEO ranking!)http://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/how-to-write-a-blog-post-and-improve-your-seo-672013-02-27T14:00:00+00:002013-02-27T14:00:00+00:00Blog writing can be a daunting task, here are fours simple tips to help you to write engaging blog posts that improve your SEO results<p>Blogging is fast becoming an excellent tool in improving SEO results, in turn bringing more views to your website and business. However for many business owners, writing an effective blog can be a difficult task. With these four handy tips, we’ll show you how to write an effective, useful and unique blog that will improve your business.</p>
<h2>Content</h2>
<p>Content is always the most important thing to consider when writing a blog post. It should give the reader a reason to continue reading, make the reader excited about something or educate them on something that they didn’t know before. In short, you need to give them a reason to want to read your blog. The biggest tip to achieve this is… <strong>Be original</strong>! Have something unique and fresh to say! A guaranteed way for you blog to be ignored by readers is to for it to have the same information (presented in the same way) as every other blog. Try using your own voice and writing in a more casual and conversational way to help readers to connect with you as a person, rather than a business.</p>
<h2>Length</h2>
<p>Length is a very important piece of the blog writing puzzle. Too long and you will bore your readers, too short and readers could be annoyed or frustrated at the lack of detail. Unfortunately there is no ‘hard and fast’ rule for blog length. The key is to <strong>consider your audience and write to suit them</strong>. Is your target market busy mums? Keep it short with lots of subheadings, dot points and lists. Targeting professionals? A bit longer will be fine, the length of an average news article is perfect. Trying to reach retirees? Your article can be longer than average and contain more detail.</p>
<p>From an SEO perspective, posts should be at least 250 words. In general, your blog post should be at least a couple of paragraphs, but not so long that your target audience doesn’t have time to read it. If you have a lot to say on the one idea, consider a series on the topic. This allows you more detail and will give your readers a reason to come back for the next installment.</p>
<h2>Keywords</h2>
<p>From an SEO perspective, your website and business keywords are extremely important. They are the words that customers use to find your business online, and in a way define what your business is about. Blogging is an excellent way to improve your search rankings for particular keywords that you might be missing out on. My tip for improving keyword ranking through blog posts is <strong>to identify one keyword (or keyword group) and focus on that topic</strong> for your blog post. If you try to incorporate too many keywords into the one blog your post can quickly become a jumbled, unorganized mess. Focusing on one keyword allows you to explore the topic and establish yourself as an expert in that field. Take it in turns to write posts about different keywords and see your results grow!</p>
<h2>Scheduling</h2>
<p>The number one reason many blogs aren’t successful is that the owner or writer is often too busy to establish and maintain a regular posting schedule. Regular posting is ESSENTIAL to engage and keep readers and to achieve the SEO results you want. <strong>Try creating a ‘blog calendar’</strong> – set aside an hour and write a list of possible blog topics. Now, take a calendar and write each topic on your calendar, spacing the posts evenly apart (2 per week is ideal, 1 a week will be fine if your strapped for time). Congratulations! You have now created a blog calendar! Stick to the calendar as close as possible to ensure that your posts are consistent and regular.</p>
<h2>Scanning</h2>
<p>Writing for the internet is very different to writing anywhere else. Studies have shown that our eyes don’t read as effectively from screens as they do from paper, making it difficult to grab and hold the attention of a prospective reader. The answer is to make your writing scannable. No, not with barcodes, but with<strong>easily identifiable cues and prompts</strong> to guide the readers’ eye:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Lists</strong> – people are drawn to lists as they present information in a neat and ordered way.</li>
<li><strong>Formatting</strong> – use BOLD, italics and underlines to emphasize important points. Your eye will naturally be drawn to these differences within blocks of text</li>
<li><strong>Headings & subheadings</strong> – try and break your content down into logical sections and title them appropriately.</li>
<li><strong>Get to the point</strong> – If you have an important point to make, say it first rather than hiding it in a block of text that not all viewers may read.</li>
</ul>
<p>So there you go, the key to writing an effective blog post in one neat blog post! If you have questions about blog writing, SEO or anything online<a href="/contact"> drop us a line</a>, we’d love to hear from you! </p>Images and the internet - Size DOES matter!http://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/images-and-the-internet-size-does-matter-662013-02-08T14:00:00+00:002013-02-08T14:00:00+00:00Looking at adding or updating some images on your website? Make sure you follow these golden rules when it comes to images size to avoid slow loading sites that chew up your bandwidth.<p>The internet is full of images - big, small, weird and wonderful. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find ANY website these days without at least a handful of images. Images help us to visualize data, add value, provide information and in general just make everything look a little bit nicer. But images can be a double edged sword for many websites.</p>
<p>Finding the balance between an image that looks good AND works well for your website can be difficult, but here are a few tips. The most important lesson here is…</p>
<p align="center"><strong>Size DOES matter!</strong></p>
<p>One of the most common mistakes we see when it comes to images on the internet is file size. Ever visited a site where the text loads quickly but you’re left waiting as the images slowly load pixel by pixel? This is usually because the image is not optimized for the web.</p>
<p><strong>Total file size</strong></p>
<p>The general rule when saving an image file for use on the internet is to make sure that the file size is <strong>100kb or smaller</strong>. This may seem tiny, but really anything larger than this and images start to make your website run slowly and eat up your sites bandwidth.</p>
<p><strong>Resolution</strong></p>
<p>Resolution is measured in DPI or dots per inch. Lower resolution images have fewer ‘dots’ of colour per inch, meaning that images are not as detailed when zoomed right in, but they also have a smaller file size (remember the 100kb rule from before?). If you are printing or scanning, resolution is usually quite high (around 300dpi). The normal resolution for viewing on a computer/laptop monitors is <strong>72dpi</strong>. Anything higher is a waste, as this is the highest resolution that computer monitors can display. Resolutions of 100dpi+ are only useful in specific circumstances on modern smartphones and tablets which have high resolution screens.</p>
<p><strong>Display size</strong></p>
<p>How wide or tall does your picture need to be to sit well on your site? On the internet, size is measured in pixels, so your image should be measured in pixels too. If you’re uploading images from a digital camera then it is likely that your image is going to be WAY too big to be uploaded straight onto the web. Now, the rule for display size is <strong>to always save the image at the size you actually need it</strong>, not the size it is currently. Uploading a thumbnail? Your image should be around 100px X 100px. Need a banner image? Try 800px X 100 px. The actual size you need will vary depending on your site, so play around with this part and you’ll be able to work out the size you want.</p>
<p> <img class="scale_with_grid" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="display image sizes" src="/images/editorimages/online_display_advertising_sizes_small_image.gif" alt="display image sizes" width="400" height="400" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Some examples of display size images that are regularly used on websites.</em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p>That’s all well and good, I hear you say, but I’m not a fancy web designer, <strong>how do I actually DO these things?!</strong></p>
<p>The good news is that it has never been easier to make your images web ready. There are literally hundreds of programs that are capable of saving image files for the web. Here are some easy options:</p>
<p><strong>Microsoft Paint</strong></p>
<p>Yes, the program that you use to draw stickmen is useful for sizing your images too! Open your image and just press ‘resize’, select the size you want in either pixels or as a percentage of the original size (remember the display size rule above) and hit save. Simple!</p>
<p><strong>Picasa</strong></p>
<p>This free image editing software from Google is also able to help you optimize your images for the web. Firstly you will need to download Picasa (available from <a href="http://picasa.google.com/">http://picasa.google.com/</a>). Now, open your image and select file then export picture to file. Here you can resize the image by pixels and select the resolution you need.</p>
<p><strong>Adobe Photoshop</strong></p>
<p>If you have Photoshop installed on your computer you have probably the best possible tool for saving images for the web. Open your image in Photoshop and then go to file and Save for Web. This nifty instrument will give you complete control over how your image will be saved, it even gives you a preview in your web browser! You can control the size, file type, resolution all from the one menu.</p>
<p>And there you have it! Beautifully optimized images that make your website look great WITHOUT slowing it down or chewing up your bandwidth allowance!</p>
<p>If you would like more information on how to make your website even more effective, <a href="/contact">contact us </a>today for a free web strategy session. </p>Mobile Device usage is on the rise, how will your website respond?http://www.nbm.com.au/blog-view/mobile-device-usage-is-on-the-rise-how-will-your-652013-01-29T14:00:00+00:002013-01-29T14:00:00+00:00Almost 17 million Australians will use their mobile devices to access websites in 2013. How will your website look to these users?<p>Over the last few years Australia has witnessed a boom when it comes to mobile technology and its use. The 8th annual <a class="vt-p" href="http://www.aimia.com.au/ampli">Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index</a> recently uncovered some amazing statistics:</p>
<ul>
<li>The number of Australians who own a smartphone rose from 63% in 2011 to <strong>74% </strong>in 2012</li>
<li>The number of Australians who own a Tablet rose from 16% in 2011 to a huge<strong> 40% </strong>in 2012</li>
<li><strong>87%</strong> of Aussies are expected to own a smartphone or tablet (or both!) by mid 2013</li>
<li><strong>77%</strong> of mobile users access websites from their mobile device</li>
<li><strong>86%</strong> of users like to use a combination of websites and mobile applications</li>
</ul>
<p>That equals almost <strong>17 million</strong> Australians who will use their mobile devices to access websites in 2013, making the 17 million dollar question… <strong>How will your website look to these users?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><img class="scale_with_grid" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="k-3 teacher resources" src="/images/editorimages/blog_images_mobile_usage_is_on_the_rise.jpg" alt="responsive design example" width="629" height="331" /> </strong><em style="color: #ff6600; text-align: center;">A great example of effective responsive web design - <a href="http://www.k-3teacherresources.com/"><span style="color: #ff6600;">K-3teacherresources.com</span></a> website across iPhone, desktop and iPad.</em></p>
<p>As companies like Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and more continue to release new mobile devices, screen sizes are continually changing and evolving. A customer using an Apple iPad, for example, might see your website very differently to another customer using a Samsung Galaxy, and vice versa.</p>
<p>The key to ensuring that your website looks the way you want it to look to <strong>ALL</strong> users is a responsive website design.</p>
<p>So what is responsive website design (or RWD)? RWD is essentially an approach to website design that provides the best possible viewing experience for the customer. That means minimal zooming, panning and scrolling, resulting in a website that is visually appealing and – most importantly – functional across any size screen.</p>
<p>The key strength of a responsive website design is it’s functionality. A great responsive design is able to adapt to whatever size screen it is displayed on. It will look like a modern, mobile website from your smartphone or tablet, and will look like an amazing full scale website on your desktop computer as well.</p>
<p>Implementing a responsive design for your website can be done in a number of ways. You can create a new website that utilises responsive technology for a new look and feel as well as increased usability over mobile devices. Alternatively, you could integrate responsive design into your existing website to make it more user-friendly, without a huge change in the overall look and feel.</p>
<p>So, is a responsive website design the right thing for your business? If you are looking for increased functionality, better audience engagement and improved conversion rates then the answer is going to be a resounding YES!</p>
<p>To find out how NBM can help your business to implement a responsive web design for your new or existing website <a href="/contact">contact us</a> today.</p>