As a digital marketing agency, most of the work we do is creative work, which means we have to work, most of the time, in front of a computer. For a few years, we thought about going remote until we became a fully remote team at the end of 2017. It was something that we had been planning for a while, so when the opportunity arose, we took it. I’m glad to say it’s been a great decision, but it took some time for us to get used to it. Now with “more people in lockdown than were alive during WWII,” we decided to write the Working-from-home starter guide. This doesn’t apply to everybody. It depends mostly on the kind of work you do. If you are one of those fortunate enough to be able to work from home, then here are some tips to make this transition as stressless as possible. While this is something that has worked for us, it doesn’t mean that it is a set in stone. You should try to see what works for you and adapt it from there.
Set a schedule
This one might not seem so obvious. You are home, you have the flexibility of working whenever you want unless there is something critical, or videoconferences going on. But working from home is a two-edged sword. It can help you to work less while being more productive, or it can suck you into putting more hours without making a difference in your productivity. Set a schedule when you will be working and when you are “off” work. Your working hours do not have to be the same as your regular office hours (if your job allows it). Here is a personal tip: you do not have to set all of your working hours back to back. Set schedule breaks, or chunks of the day to rest or do something else. I like to work early and put in two hours of work while it is quiet and try to put my more creative work in there (more about this later). After that, I usually take about an hour off so I can spend breakfast time with my family. Then, I work for about three more hours and then I can relax a bit. Then, depending on the amount of work I have left for that day, I might work a bit more or sometimes I call it a day.
Dress up for work
There are plenty of studies that show that what we wear affects our psychology. I know working from home might sound like a great time to stay in your PJs all day and be relaxed, but wearing the clothes you would usually wear to work helps you get in the “working” mental state. It also helps you set boundaries. If you are done working for the day, then changing your clothes to what you would normally wear at home after coming home from the office, will also help you “turn off.” Remember, we are habit creatures, and simple cues, such as our garments, have a significant impact on our state of mind. So, when you are ready to work, wear the part.
Set a Dedicated Working Space
This goes back to habits and cues. Having an area that you can call “office” at home might trigger your brain into “productivity mode.” If you have an extra room in the house that can be set as a work office, then its idea. If you just have a corner in your room that will work, then set up there. Try different areas until you find a space that works for you. For example, my wife likes to work out of our bedroom. I prefer the living room. Find an area that works for you and make it yours.
Know Your Rhythm
We all have times of the day when we are more productive than others. Science tells us that we all have predefined circadian rhythms that determine patterns for our brain activity. Remember, how I said I like to wake up early and work for a couple of hours while it is quiet? Well, it took me a while to figure that out. I tried doing my productive work, in the morning, during lunch, in the afternoon, even in the late hours of the night. I really tried many hours until I hit my sweet spot for intellectual work. So get to know yourself and find the best productive hours and dedicate them to work. It doesn’t matter if the dishes need to be washed or if you need to walk the dog, once you find what works for you, commit that time to work. As a side benefit, you will find out it will take you less time to get your good work out.
Get the right equipment
I know this is not ideal, but you might have to invest some money to get the most out of your home office setup. Having a slow computer is super frustrating and don’t even get started in an uncomfortable chair. If you need to be in videoconferences often, then find a good microphone and web camera, your colleagues will thank you. Here is what I’ve invested in during the years:
A secondary screen: Yes, all computers have displays, but a secondary, or even tertiary screen if possible, boosts productivity by 20 – 30% according to a study. I personally have three screens: One that I keep for communications, chats, emails, videoconferences. A second one that I use for my main activity at the moment, where I am focusing my attention. The third screen is used as a reference for my main work.
A good ergonomic chair: You will be sitting most of the day, so why sit in a bad chair? A good chair improves not only your productivity but also enhances your health according to this study.
A good set of noise-canceling headphones: There will be times when there will be noise around you when you need to focus. Maybe your kids are laughing in the background, perhaps it is the construction work across the street, the TV on the other room (as I’m writing this my kids are playing video games about in the room next to me), or sometimes you just need to “zone out.” A good set of noise-canceling headphones can have a significant impact on your concentration. This will also allow you to have fewer distractions while talking during video conferences. Most new headsets also include a microphone, which will also improve the quality of your voice during teleconferences.
Final comments
Again, this guide is not a set of rules, it is just a guide. Pay attention to when you have good work days and figure out what made them better and try to repeat those actions to see what works best for you.
What have you noticed is best for you? Let us know in the comments.
Phidev, a remote U.S. company based in El Paso, TX, is looking for someone who has a strong understanding of how design translates to web and digital experiences and that is organized enough to work from home.
As part of our team, you will work on a broad range of projects – from designing and developing web and app layouts, navigation and functionality to designing innovative app experiences and maintaining brand consistency across various digital channels.
This is an incredible opportunity to get down into the trenches of a growing digital agency, work with cutting-edge technologies, and solve challenging problems daily. As a UX/UI/Graphic designer, you will work on projects and communication pieces that engage our customer’s audiences, including, but not limited to, interactive websites, digital advertising, magazine, and smart-phone apps.
Every one of our projects is a team effort and you’ll need to work well with project managers, developers, and designers.
If you love experimenting with technology, have some serious design skills, and are obsessed with creating lasting user and brand experiences, then keep reading!
Qualifications:
- Advanced (mostly written) English
- Proficiency and experience designing and executing in the digital space
- A well-versed knowledge of Sketch App, Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, Premier.
- Knowledge of HTML/CSS, responsive design principles, and standard UX web practices (preferable)
- Have a reliable workstation with access to a reliable internet connection.
- Experience designing and testing web and mobile marketing collateral
- Experience with WordPress is a big plus
For this position you need to be
- a teamwork player.
- a problem solver.
- be able to manage your own time.
- responsible.
- creative.
- an effective communicator.
Please include your portfolio along with your CV to jobs@phidevinc.com
Phidev, una compañia estadounidense basada en El Paso, Texas, trabaja de manera completamente remota y atiende clientes en todo Estados Unidos, busca personal capacitado que tenga una comprensión sólida de cómo el diseño se traduce a experiencias web y digitales que pueda trabajar desde la comodidad de su hogar.
Como parte de nuesto equipo de diseño gráfico, trabajarás en proyectos y piezas de comunicación que atraigan audiencias de nuestros clientes, incluidos: sitios web interactivos, publicidad digital, redes sociales, revistas y aplicaciones para smart-phones, entre otros. Si te gusta experimentar con tecnología, tienes habilidades avanzadas de diseño, y te apasiona crear experiencias digitales duraderas, ¡entonces sigue leyendo!
Requisitos:
- Buscamos a una persona proactiva, creativa, profesional, con liderazgo y comprometida con el trabajo.
- Experiencia en diseño digital e impreso.
- Experiencia en HTML/CSS y diseño web (preferente)
- Experiencia en manejo y desarrollo de WordPress (preferente pero no indispensable)
- Contar con equipo de cómputo y connección a internet estable.
- Conocimiento en diseño gráfico, web, ilustración y edición de video.
- Herramientas: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, y Premier; Sketch App.
- Nivel de Inglés avanzado.
Aptitudes:
- Solución de problemas
- Trabajo en equipo
- Flexibilidad de horario
- Responsabilidad
- Mente creativa y analítica
- Disciplina
- Comunicación efectiva
- Trabajar bajo presión
Interesados favor de mandar portafolio de trabajo y CV a jobs@phidevinc.com
A very common question when you meet a new person is “What do you do for a living?”. It’s a question that is part of everyone’s basic repertoire in American networking. When I tell people that I work at a Digital Marketing agency, it is common for them to ask what that means. We all do digital marketing in some way or another, even if we don’t know it so I’ve decided to take some time and write this article to help clarify what Digital Marketing is.
The fancy definition of Digital Marketing:
Digital marketing encompasses all marketing efforts that use the internet therefore, an electronic device. This includes utilizing different marketing channels such as websites, social networks, search engines, online ads, emails, case studies, and event text messages to connect with existing and prospective customers.
Basically, if you are using a device with a screen or a device that utilizes the internet, to try to reach new customers or to keep existing ones, then you are doing digital marketing. Have you ever sent an email to try to convince someone to buy your product or service or to maintain a relationship with an existing customer? Well, then you are a digital marketer!
Digital Marketing Tactics and Examples:
A good digital marketer utilizes free and paid digital marketing at their disposal to accomplish and/or support their business goals. Here are some examples/areas of digital marketing starting with the most obvious.
Social Media:
We are all familiar with social networks such as Facebook. Within digital marketing, we use these networks to help people discover, promote and generate leads for your business. Here are the most common social networks:
- Snapchat
Email Marketing::
According to a study from Statista, the daily number of emails sent per day is close to 300 billion! It is safe to assume, that a big chunk of that number is for marketing. We at Phidev, send over 1,000,000 marketing emails a month. Email marketing consists in using emails to communicate with your audience to promote content, events, discounts, products, etc. Some examples of email marketing campaigns include:
- Welcoming a new customer
- Sending a prospect an email for a meeting/demo
- Following emails sent to website visitors who downloaded something or requested more information
- Sending holiday promotions for e-commerce websites or loyal subscribers
- Sending emails to people who added something to your website cart but did not complete the order.
- Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O.):
This is the process of making changes to your website (and outside your website) to have it rank higher on search engines, such as Google, for certain search terms, increasing your website traffic and online exposure.
Content Marketing:
This area of digital marketing has a big overlap with Search Engine Optimization. Content marketing consists in creating content to attract new leads or customers. Activities of content marketing include:
- Blog and (guest blog) posts
- Infographics
- Outline brochures or lookbooks
- Ebooks and whitepapers
Online Ads / Pay-per-click (P.P.C.)
Pay-per-click is the process of bringing targeted/selected visitors to your website by paying publisher networks to display ads. Depending on the type of campaign you are running, most of the time you only pay when people click on your ad and you actually get a visitor. One of the most common PPC campaigns is using Google Ads (Phidev is a Google Partner) to search your business on top of the search result pages. Other publisher networks include:
- Paid Facebook Ads
- Promoted Tweets on Twitter
- Sponsored Messages on Linked In
- Sponsored Instagram Posts
- Snapchat Geo-Filters
- Spotify Ads
Affiliate Marketing
This is a type of marketing where networks will pay you to promote someone else’s products/services on your website or your social networks. Examples of this include:
- Producing videos and hosting video ads through the YouTube Partner Program.
- Posting affiliate links on your social network accounts.
- Producing stories/posts about specific products/services
Online PR
This is pretty much the digital aspect of the offline counterpart. On online PR, you look for content creators, such as blogs, news websites, etc to talk about your company, product or service
- Reporter outreach via social media
- Engaging online reviews of your company
- Engaging comments on your personal website or blog
Automation
This is somehow the glue that ties it all together. Digital Marketing Automation refers to the process of automating repetitive tasks and moving them from one area to another to save you time. This includes automating:
- Email newsletters sequences (Send emails when the recipient takes certain actions or some time has elapsed)
- Social media post scheduling
- Contact list updating
- Lead-nurturing workflows
- Campaign tracking and reporting
What Are the Benefits of Digital Marketing?
The goal of digital marketing is to support and accomplish business goals. One of the main benefits of digital marketing is that you can measure results right away. You can measure your return on investment from day one. You can see if your money, time, and efforts are worth the effort or not.
At the same time, you can start gathering useful information that will help you make better decisions. Decisions based on data instead of intuition. Some of the data you can gather include keywords being used to find your website, demographics of your audience, such as age, gender, interests, etc.
You can use this information to prioritize your efforts. For example, if only 10% of your traffic comes from organic search, then you know you probably need to work some more on SEO to increase that number. If most of your leads come from your social media campaign, then you know you should also spend more time there.
With offline marketing methods, it is really hard to assign attribution. Was it the flyer or the poster at the coffee shop that brought that new customer in? Was it the billboard on the main highway or was it your radio ad that initiated that call? Digital marketing does not have that problem as every medium and conversion can be attributed to the channel that initiated it. You can identify your customers’ online patterns and behaviors so you can focus on attracting more people like them.
Another benefit is its cost per reach. If you are ready, you can easily start a worldwide campaign within a day. With traditional marketing methods, it would be really hard to do it. Also, the cost to start a digital marketing campaign is minimal compared to that one of the traditional marketing methods.
We hope that after reading this article, you have a clearer idea of what digital marketing is, what its advantages are, and if you are not already doing it, that it has convinced you to start growing your business with Digital Marketing! Please let us know if you have any questions on the comments below.
For the longest time, businesses have followed certain business models that allow them to communicate with their customers. However, like everything else, these business models/strategies change, they evolve. Businesses should always keep themselves informed on what is relevant and on the new technologies that will allow them to reach their customers in an easier and more efficient way. New strategies are introduced and businesses have to “adapt or die”. One emerging trend in B2B marketing is account-based marketing, ABM. Here is what you need to know…
What Is ABM?
Account based marketing mainly focuses on addressing the marketing needs of organizations by connecting directly with specific groups of clients and/or stakeholders. Marketing and sales have always been interrelated; however, through ABM, sales and marketing work hand in hand to target certain groups, accounts, on a more personal level.
Just like targeting a specific person, ABM aims to target particular accounts that group individuals who have similar interests, goals, and buying patterns. This allows for businesses and marketers to tailor marketing campaigns specifically for these accounts. One of ABM’s top priorities is to generate high-quality leads that can turn into sales. Since last year, about 92% of companies have said they recognize the value in ABM and are planning to invest in technologies and programs to implement ABM into their business plan. When looking for reasons to implement this strategy into your marketing plan, the benefits by far outweigh any reservations you might have.
What Are Some Of The Benefits Of Using ABM?
Like we mentioned before, ABM allows your business to create more personalized and focused marketing campaigns. By targeting a specific account, your chances of obtaining leads increases because you know exactly what they are looking for and you tailor the campaign to suit said interests. ABM done right will:
- Establish more personal and lasting customer relationships. Lets your customers know that you care about their business.
- Create more organic leads. A happy customer is twice as likely to refer your business.
- Allow you to create highly tailored and targeted campaigns. The more specific to the customer’s wants and needs the best chance that it’ll result in a sale.
- Deliver the highest ROI of any B2B marketing strategy or tactic.
- Help you coordinate contact and lead information in a manner that you can manage your marketing towards them.
Taking The Leap Towards ABM
You might ask, “if ain’t broke, why fix it?”. Well, your business model might not be broken but without ABM, it is certainly incomplete and therefore not a threat to your competition. In a business world that seems to keep on multiplying, standing out and being top of mind in the customer’s mind is becoming more and more difficult. There is just too much noise out there. Account-based marketing is all about fortifying relationships with the customers. Therefore, it is something you should really invest time and experience into. For more information on how you can best utilize this tool to your advantage contact us today.
In this new era of technology, how businesses target their audiences has changed exponentially. The digital world has provided countless channels where you can expose your business to potential costumers. Regardless of what your business does or sells, exposure is everything. Actually, the more eyes you have on your business the more possibility of it expanding and succeeding on a larger scale. With this in mind, Facebook ads might just be the missing piece for your marketing plan.
How Social Media Changed Business Marketing
Nowadays, the majority of people can be reached through digital media. 81% of the US population to be exact. Let’s say that out of that 81%, the average person spends 1.72 hours online on the different social networks. Out of those 1.72 hours, 50 minutes are spent only on Facebook. Imagine having 50 minutes in which you can reach your customer and convince them to engage with your business. Whether this means buying your product/service or simply liking your Facebook page, every engagement counts.
Facebook began as a social networking site where you could find your friends and interact with them online. It opened a world of possibilities. Suddenly you could reach out to family members living far away, or reconnect with old high school friends with just the click of a button. In the same manner, the possibilities of using this platform to market to large audiences became a new prospect for businesses. Consequently, with time, Facebook evolved into one of the most reliable forms of social media and a highly trackable tool for marketers. Through Facebook ads, Facebook has been able to create partnerships with the big data brokers like Epsilon and Datalogix; allowing Facebook to offer a more commercial approach for marketers.
Benefits of Facebooks Ads
If you considering investing in Facebook Ads for your business here are some main benefits for you to consider
Targeting:
Facebook is first and foremost a socializing network with its main purpose being connectivity. This connectivity allows marketers to reach a wider audience. How? Through likes, comments, and shares. For example, you like a Facebook Ad that appeared on your timeline. By liking it, your friends can see that you liked it, and that might drive them to click the ad as well. The same applies to comments and shares of Facebook Ads. They all cause a ripple effect causing your Facebook ad to spread further than just your targeted audience.
However, it is really important to know who your audience is. Mostly because you need to know exactly for whom you’re writing the ad. You have to make them care enough about it to make them engage with it. The first step to define your target audience is to specify: who they are, where they are located, what they like, and how they behave online.
Measurability:
Marketing is highly defined by the numbers. It is crucial for marketers and business owners to be able to see the results of their marketing efforts. Technologic advances now allow for a much easier way of measurement when it comes to marketing online. Facebook Ads have an incredibly easy system that can test ads with great ease. Facebook Ads give you a very detailed review of how your ad is performing across your selected audience. You can easily see how many people liked, commented, or shared your ad. Additionally, you can see how many people it reached organically or through budget allocated to it. From all the data you gather, you can then assess how to better target your future ads.
Affordability:
Now, more than ever before, marketing to millions at a time is not only possible but incredibly affordable. The cost per Facebook ad depends on a variety of factors. Targeting range, quality of the ad, and even the time of the year your ad is published are factors that influence the cost of your ad. Digital marketing is no longer a foreign concept for marketers, in fact, it has become the norm. This means that is your business does not try to reach its audience online, then it is losing an essential percentage of their potential audience. With the low prices set for Facebook ad campaigns, there is really no logical reason why not to take advantage of all the benefits it provides your business.
Decide To Benefit From Experience
The benefits of using Facebook ads to market your business really are countless. However, at the end of the day it all comes down to you and what your main business goal is. Therefore, when you do decide that Facebook ads are the next step for the marketing efforts you have to be informed. It takes much more than simply sponsoring a post, it takes time and dedication, researching the analytics and understanding the metrics. For this particular reason, a professional agency can be instrumental in reaching the right people at the right time. Phidev can help you understand who your audience is and how to reach them on the different social networks. Contact us today and begin expanding your business.
What is the most important aspect of your business? Well, for some it might be the number of sales for each quarter, for others, it might be website traffic. However, one common factor, essential even, for all businesses is their brand image. How recognizable your business is to your consumers. Anyone can immediately recognize Coca Cola’s brand or McDonald’s’ simply by looking at the colors or listening to their slogan. Having a consistently recognizable brand gives your business an advantage over the competition. Nowadays, you can’t have a recognizable brand without an online presence. And in order to have a prominent online presence, you need memorable web design that stands out.
How Web Design Can Take Your Brand To The Next Level
Let’s just make something clear: first impressions do count. And even if you are not supposed to “judge a book by its cover,” sometimes it is unavoidable. That first impression when the consumer visits your site will define if they want to do business with you or not. If they can’t find what they are looking for right away or if your site keeps freezing up and taking a long time to load, your ‘potential’ consumer will move on. Perhaps to your top competition. Web design consists of much more than the look of the page, it encompasses the functionality and efficiency of the website’s navigation.
Web design is in a way like architecture. You are laying the foundation of what will become a larger structure. Your web design lets you map out how you want your consumers to interact with your business, from what items/services to showcase all the way to purchasing on your site. Through good web design, you are able to take your consumer through a journey and making their online experience all that more enjoyable.
Using Web Design To Attract And Keep Consumers
Today’s business world is greatly impacted by the online world. If your business does not have a website, social media channels, or any type of online presence it looses credibility and therefore the trust of the consumer. You just need to have an online destination for people to find your business. Not only that, but you also need for that online destination to provide your consumers with the information they are looking for.
One of the most surprising revelations discovered in research is the fact that design elements are essentially more powerful than content, in terms of mistrust. Your business’ image defines what your consumer thinks of you. Are you professional? Is your business trustworthy? Are you reliable? If your web design looks sloppy and amateurish, your consumer might think your business is unprofessional and take their business to your competition. If you have your consumer’s trust, you will have their business for longer.
By now, you understand the importance of SEO for a business’ online presence. Well, SEO does not only matter in terms of content; it is also a prominent factor in the design of your website. Professional web designers understand the importance of SEO compatibility in your site, which is why they create SEO compliant sites that can be navigated faster and easier. This will only increase your chances of recognition across online channels.
Taking Your Website On The Go
Additionally, having an online presence allows you to transfer your information to mobile format. In doing so, you are making your business even more available to your consumers. All of these things provide you with endless opportunities to reach your consumer and grow your business. However, it is not as easy as it sounds. You need your web designer to be well informed of how to format your web design to a mobile design. And just like with web design, they need to ensure the functionality of the mobile format.
You might be skeptical about contracting an outside agency to help you with your web design. But, if you really think about it, your business’ design is not something you want to take the easy way out. This is what will define your business and what will help you maintain lasting relationships with your consumers. For more information about how you can improve your web design, contact Phidev today and be one step closer to having the flawless brand of your dreams.
Digital Marketing Analytics: The digital era brought with it a world of new and efficient methods to track a business’s progress and consequent success. A big part of a business’ success relies on analyzing it constantly and understanding what makes it grow. Every business needs to set short and long-term goals in order to prosper. Some of those goals include business growth, customer satisfaction, increase in brand awareness, and financial stability. You might ask, “What is the best way to track if you are on your way to reaching these goals?” Actually, through digital marketing analytics, you can study your strategies and test if they’re working towards achieving your goals.
Why Should You Consider Digital Marketing Analytics?
Time and time again you’ve heard that the key to success for any business is ‘quality over quantity’. There is no point in providing your consumers with endless content if it’s not going to engage them or result in a purchase. Here is where digital marketing analytics comes into play. In order to create engaging content, you need to study your audience and evaluate what truly captures their attention.
Digital marketing encompasses everything from websites, social media networks, Google ads, to email marketing. Through all of these channels, you can develop a strategic plan to reach your audience. For example, if you want to expand your audience, you might consider promoting your business through Google Ads. If your goal is to keep your audience happy and engaged, you provide them with lively content through social media. Therefore, to successfully target your consumers and incite them into interacting with your business you have to ask yourself two fundamental questions:
- What are they looking for?
- Where are they looking for it?
Given that everything is tracked through different channels, you can find the answer to these questions by conducting a thorough digital marketing analysis. Firstly, digital marketing analytics can tell you how many people viewed your campaign. Not only that, but it can also let you know what other things those people are likely to search for next and/or purchase. Additionally, through digital marketing analytics, you can have a day to day analysis of how your online ads are performing. Ultimately, digital marketing analytics can provide you with the information needed to take your business to the next level.
Why Should You Consider a Professional Agency To Help Me Understand My Analytics
According to the Wall Street Journal, “spending on marketing analytics is expected to jump from 7% of marketing budgets to more than 12% in the next three years.” The continued growth of budget spent on digital marketing and its analysis indicates the rapid growth in importance and relevance in the industry. Most of that percentage is invested in companies that can help you understand the numbers and how to use them to your advantage. Keeping track of all your channel metrics can be a tricky business because not all the online programs are reliable. A professional agency helps your business be protected from scams and fraud.
Don’t leave your business’ success up to chance! Take advantage of the benefits offered by digital marketing analytics and optimize your business. Phidev can help you keep track of all of your online metrics and can keep your business current. Contact us at phidevinc.com today for more information.
Social media is everywhere! Do you remember a time when social media wasn’t part of your everyday life? We cannot! And it just keeps evolving. The latest way social media has integrated into our lives? Through our favorite brands and businesses. 97% of marketers are currently participating in social media. This means that the majority of brands and businesses have seen the benefits of social media and are taking action. What started as simply social networking sites, have evolved into an innovative digital marketing strategy for businesses.
In 2015 social networks earned an estimated $8.3 billion from advertising. This number is expected to keep increasing. Which means business either get with the times or get lost in a sea of competition. To get the most out of it, you need to know how to engage with your audience and give them what they want. Additionally, in order to accomplish this, you also need to understand why you are doing a social media campaign.
5 Benefits of Social Media For Businesses
- Increased brand recognition and brand loyalty
If you are an already well-established brand, chances are you have a very steady ingress of consumers. The real feat is keeping those consumers engaged. Through social media, you can create a lasting relationship and develop real brand loyalty. Having this type of direct access of communication creates a more human perception of your brand/business. This in change gives your consumers more incentive to keep coming back to you for their purchasing decisions. It gives your business legitimacy and credibility. - Quantity and quality of content
Social media is great because it allows you to create the kind of content that you want and as much as you want. Being active on social media acts as a “signal” for search engines, which can result in higher search engine ranking. The higher up your brand/business is, the more exposure you’ll get and the better chances of conversion you’ll have. Therefore, having engaging and constant content can increase the chances of growing a business. - Custom audience
It wasn’t long before social media networks discovered the value of providing their services for marketing purposes. Through a personal brand/business’ account, you can execute entire digital campaigns that can be carefully tracked and adjusted. All through a single click of a button. With this type of digital marketing campaign, you can specify who will receive your campaign, when they’ll receive it, at what time of day, and how many times a day. You can segment campaigns by things like location, company, job title, gender, and age/demographics, interests, behaviors, and connections. This gives businesses a more immediate and successful way to reach their audience. - Direct and immediate customer service
More than half of the population in the world owns a smartphone, which gives your brand/business direct access to your consumer and vice versa. If they have a question, request, concern, or complaint about your brand, services, or products they can utilize one of the different social media platforms to let you know. Most businesses allow consumers to write reviews and send direct messages on the different platforms (such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). - Affordability
One of the most important factors for a business is its budget. Yet, much of the time, businesses prefer to invest in things other than advertising and marketing. This is social media’s greatest advantage, it is incredibly affordable. The posting of content is completely free of charge. The only money you have to invest in these campaigns is when you customize the reach and demographic of your campaign. You can set your post as a sponsored post or boost it to reach a greater audience. However, in order to do this correctly, you have to conduct extensive research to learn about your audience’s behavior online.
How do you go about curating your social media presence?
Realistically speaking, the advantages of using social media for your business far outweigh the disadvantages. A well-structured campaign can grant you access to a whole other section of your audience you had not targeted before. Additionally, it can make your brand/business stand out from the crowd. Professional agencies specializing in digital marketing and social media campaigns have the necessary tools to ensure that your campaign reaches the right people at the right time.
A professional agency can establish your brand/business at the top of search engine results through extensive research and careful analysis of each campaign.
For more information on how a social media campaign can benefit your business contact us at Phidev.
“There’s an app for that.” How many times have you heard this phrase?
Ever since mobile apps came into the market they took over in almost every category (utilities, productivity, gaming, entertainment, lifestyle, social networking, and news). It is true that there is an app for everything. In fact, you can plan a whole vacation through mobile apps! From choosing a vacation destination to booking your flight to reserving a restaurant for dinner and reviewing that restaurant afterward, life is simply made easier through apps.
Why would this be important for your business you may ask? Well, 68% of Americans own a smartphone. That is more than half the population in the US alone. That 68% of the population spends around 162 minutes on their smartphone daily! Which means that by having a smartphone app available for your consumers you can reach a wider audience and generate more profit your business. Whether it is a product or a service you provide your consumers the benefits of having your own business app can make your business grow exponentially.
Benefits of mobile apps for your business
- Build & cultivate customer loyalty
Mobile apps allow business to have a more direct and instant connection with their consumers. This closeness creates a relationship between your business and the consumer that evolves to brand loyalty. One clear example is Starbucks. Through their star point system, they keep their consumers coming back to earn more rewards each time. - Reinforce your brand
When it comes to the top of mind awareness in the consumer’s mind, you want to be number one. This means that when the consumer thinks of a product or service, your business will be the first they recall. - Increase your visibility
You can increase your visibility by offering promotions and discounts in your app and keeping your consumer engaged. By doing this you are more likely to reach your consumer in those 162 minutes the average American spends on their mobile device. - Increase your accessibility
Through increased exposure across mobile devices, you are accessible to your consumer anywhere and anytime. Imagine sending a discount notification, which creates a visit to your app and results in a purchase, all just in a matter of minutes! - Connect you with on-the-go consumers
People always seem to be on the go. Going to work, going to the gym, going for coffee. They may not always have access to a computer, but on the go, they always have their smartphone with them.
Benefits of mobile apps for your customers
- Easy access to your inventory
Purchasing a product has never been easier. Not only can your consumers do it online, but you can format your mobile app to keep their information. This way they don’t have to fill out their information each time they want to purchase something. - Get notifications of special events, launches, etc.
Notifications remind consumers of what your business has to offer them. This may not always result in a purchase, but it does result in the top of mind awareness. - Have one-touch access to your contact information
The simpler you make the purchasing process for your consumer the more likely they are to take action. By having all of your business’ information accessible through the click of a screen you minimize the time they have to spend actually making the purchase. - Make fast, seamless appointment scheduling
If it is a service which you offer, then through your mobile app, the consumer is able to find your phone number, address and even make appointments. Making appointments has never been easier.
Why a professional mobile app has increased value
In the near future, mobile apps are going to be a standard and fundamental component of any business. Not only do they make the purchasing process easier and quicker, but they build a lasting relationship with the consumer. Additionally, they provide another source of advertising and marketing for your business. For all of these reasons having a well-functioning mobile app, able to handle all the actions and users that your business requires is a must. Creating an app is not as straightforward as creating a website on your own. There are different software requirements for different apps and/or different types of smartphones. The software needed for an iPhone is not the same as the one needed for an Android. Hiring a professional will not only give you the full functionality that your business needs, but it will give it the style and design that will resonate with your brand.
The short and sweet answer is yes. An essential function of every business is to keep expanding by attracting more consumers and retaining their existing client base. As a business owner, you have to be constantly and continuously improving and finding new ways of reaching potential consumers and keeping current consumers engaged. A very effective way to accomplish this is through email marketing.
Technology has evolved at a very fast pace and now you have an array of options where to make your business visible. Seems like social media has taken over. Yet, time and time again, email marketing has proven itself to be highly efficient. So much so that 91% of adults in the US say they like to receive promotional emails from the companies they do business with.
The Importance of Mobile-Friendly Businesses
Email marketing allows you to keep your consumer updated with all your latest news. In today’s day and age, roughly 2 billion people own a smartphone and use it daily. This means your email marketing campaign can reach your consumer directly on their smartphone. This allows businesses to have direct access to the consumer. For example, imagine launching a new product and in a matter of a click in their screen, your consumer can purchase it.
By formatting your email marketing for mobile devices, you create a direct link and communication to your consumer. The ‘proximity’ generates more opportunities to expand and grow your business while creating a lasting relationship with your consumers. By being immediately available to your consumer, you cut some of the time-consuming steps that discourage the consumer from taking action. As a result, this gives your consumer endless opportunities to find your business through the touch of a screen. Whenever and wherever they want.
Additionally, the change of administrations happening this year will impact the economy. Whether for better or worse it is still uncertain. Therefore, businesses have to be smart about how they spend their money, making sure to invest in things they know will generate profit. Advertising and Marketing are essential tools to help a business grow. They allow the customers to be constantly reminded of your business’ existence. With the top-of-mind awareness of your business, you remind your customer of their need for your specific service and make them engaged again.
Hiring a Professional Agency To Help You Maximize Your Email Marketing Strategy
Multiple factors come into play when marketing your business which might discourage business owners from investing in these services. Maybe you don’t have the time to create online campaigns. Or maybe you don’t think there is enough content to create the campaigns. When you hire a professional agency to help you conceptualize and strategize your email marketing campaign, you are investing in a long time service that will only benefit your business. As a result, you have more time to dedicate to your business while you also reach them on the go.
Over the years the percent of online consumption has steadily increased. As a survey showed, around 51% of shoppers made their purchases online. Therefore, by making your content directly available for your consumers you are increasing your chances of raising awareness and attracting new consumers. Ultimately, the only way your business grows is by being visible and by having old and new consumers who are engaged with your message. There is no logical reason why you shouldn’t try email marketing to help your business grow.
Contact us today to learn more about the endless possibilities available to you through email marketing.
According to research conducted by Google, “89% of visits to advertiser’s sites from ad clicks would not have occurred without ad campaigns.” This means that investing in online ad campaigns (Search Engine Marketing) does, in fact, pay off. It is something that pays in the short-term and the long-term.
SEO takes time to place your website on the first page of your selected keywords, in the meantime, an effective way to get in front of potential customers is through Search Engine Marketing.
What is SEM?
Search Engine Marketing (or SEM) is a fancy name for online advertisement, among other things. Some people consider SEO to be part of SEM but not everybody agrees. Here at Phidev, we like to think of them as separate, while SEM encompasses a similar process to SEO. The main difference between the two is that Search Engine Optimization is organic – which means that page views happen naturally (without you having to pay for clicks) and SEM is paid search results to bring people to a specific section of your website.
Most SEMs efforts are done in the “campaigns”, this means, you have a budget and you want to promote a specific product or service within your website. So you do your keyword research and with data in hand, you begin by creating a campaign.
When managing an online (SEM) campaign there are countless of factors that contribute to your campaign’s success and consequent business growth. Either if you are doing this by yourself or decide to hire an agency, you will find out that there are a lot of terms you will need to get familiar with to better understand what is going on with your campaign in order to improve your results.
Here is a quick and dirty list of terms you will need to know when you start doing SEM.
Advertising Strategies
Once you decided you want to go ahead start advertising online (and you should), the next step is to define what advertising strategy you will use. For the most part, there are three different strategies.
Pay-Per-Click or PPC
There are different strategies used to run campaigns online, one of them is, Pay-per-click or PPC. This means that you will be paying everything someone clicks on your ad to take them into your website. For example, imagine you are running a restaurant and you have selected “Best Tacos” as a keyword. Then, you will run a PPC campaign this keyword. This means, your ads will show when someone types “Best Tacos” in Google. Your ad might show, but you will only be charged when someone actually clicks on your ad.
Cost-Per-Mille (Thousand) or CPM
Depending on the objective or your campaign, PPC might not be the right strategy for you. Another, advertising strategy available for you is Cost-per-mille or CPM, in which, instead of paying every time someone clicks on your ad, you decide you want to pay per impression instead. This might help you get a lot more eyeballs into your ad but might not necessarily bring traffic or convert your visitors.
Cost-Per-Acquisition or CPA
Another strategy for your SEM campaign is Cost-per-acquisition or CPA. In this strategy, you decide you want to pay only when someone makes a predefined action once they are on your website. Let’s say you are only willing to pay when someone makes a reservation to your restaurant by submitting a form. Someone will see and click on your ad, visit your website, but you will only pay once the visitor fills and submits your reservation form. This strategy is directly related to sales, and most people might think it is the best strategy since you are basically paying per performance. However, depending on your business objectives it might not be the right strategy for you.
Components of Search Engine Marketing
Once you have selected your strategy there are many other things you will need to know in order to successfully run a marketing campaign online.
Cost-Per-Click or CPC
When you are running a PPC campaign, another term you will need to know is Cost-Per-Click or CPC which is the amount you are paying per click or visitor into your site. So, in a PPC campaign, your ad can be displayed to a hundred people, but if only one of them clicks on it, you will only pay for that click.
The cost-per-click depends on a lot of factors, but mostly on how many other people want the keyword for that ad.
Landing Page
A landing page is the section of your website you want people to visit right after they click on your ad. A lot of people, especially when they are starting into SEM, make the mistake of setting their homepage as their landing page. You want your landing page to be as relevant to the ad as possible, for example, if you are advertising “tacos” then send your visitors, to the taco section of your site.
Geo Targeting
Geo-Targeting means you want to display your ads to people in a specific geographical area. If you are advertising snowboards, you will want to geotarget your ads to cities or regions that have snow and/or skiing areas/resorts.
Device Targeting
With many different devices available, with device targeting, you decide in which device your ad should be displayed, whether on your mobile, personal tablet, or desktop. For example, if you are advertising an Android app, you wanna make sure only people on Android phones get your ad, as you don’t want to waste your hard-earned ad dollars on people on iPhones as they won’t be able to install your app.
Audience Targeting
This refers to targeting a specific group of people who share similar interests and therefore will have similar purchasing habits. Going back to the snowboard example, you might only display your ads to people who have expressed an interest in extreme sports and/or snow boots.
Ad Scheduling
Defines what days your ad will be displayed and at what times of the day. Depending on your audience’s online searching and purchasing habits you can determine the best time to show your ads. This might also make sense if you are running a campaign that invites the visitor to call you for a specific reason. You want to make sure your ad displays only when your business is open and someone will be available to pick up the phone.
Conversion Rate
This one is really important and if you are working with an agency, something you will want to pay attention month-to-month.
Placement
Refers to the place on the website where your ad is going to be located. It can be either on the header part of the web page or aligned to the right, you decide what works best.
Re-marketing
Also, know as cyber-stalking, Remarketing is a tactic that is highly underutilized. Re-marketing refers to displaying ads only to people who have visited your website. It can be even more specific and you can display ads only to people who made a specific action within your site, for example, placing something into their shopping cart on your website but that did not finish the checkout process. This is a hot lead that you want to close.
So, now what?
The availability to track all this information allows you to use the best methods of advertising to optimize your business. It is a matter of utilizing all of the tools available to you in order to achieve your business goals.
The online marketing world is a highly populated one, which only means that it is a very competitive one as well. In such a competitive environment, it is your job to make your business stand out from the crowd. It is a matter of advertising your business in the right place, at the right time, with the right strategies and tactics.
Want to learn more about search engine marketing and how it can help your business grow? Request a Free Consultation to see how we can help.
If you own a business and have an online presence, chances are you have heard the term SEO a few times. If you don’t know by now, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It serves as a marketing effort focused primarily on expanding visibility organically in search engine results. This is particularly important since search engines are the primary method of online navigation. Around 97% of consumers look online before buying a product or service; which can potentially help or hinder your business. When considering if SEO is the right move for your business consider this.
When it comes to online presence, Relevance is KEY.
What you have to understand as a business owner is that using SEO is as much a marketing tactic as a branding play. Through SEO you can specify how and where your customers can find you online. By researching keywords you can develop content that will attract people to your website and essentially create a larger online audience. The content you put out there on your website has a big impact on how search engines such as Google and Yahoo rank your website on search results. Having a prominent and relevant online presence not only gives you higher positioning and organic traffic but it automatically increases your credibility as a business.
The true merits of consistency for your website
However, you have to curate your website constantly, and carefully. It is a never ending process. Your website audience is dependent of your website content and your website content is dependent of the use of keywords which comes from correctly using SEO in your favor. Customers should feel like they are visiting a page that is current and up to date with the outside trends. Otherwise, they’ll simply go to a better and cooler website, a.k.a. the competition. This is the part where the lack of Search Engine Optimization can hinder your business. If you do not customize your website to what you have to offer or utilize all the tools available to you, your customer will not find you online.
Should I hire professional SEO Services?
No one can truly guarantee a #1 ranking on Google or a highly trafficked website, so be wary of people or companies who do or who email you out of the blue. However, there are a few things you can do to make sure your website attracts the right people. It all starts with deciding to use SEO to optimize your website.
The best way to accomplish this is by hiring professionals to help you apply your findings to your website. A professional SEO team can help you with: advanced keyword searches, content development, expertise in specific markets and geographies, and review of site content and structure. Sure, you can probably manage all of these. However, SEO agencies can also provide technical assistance which include, hosting, redirects, and error pages. All of which require more professional assistance, so much so that even Google hires professionals to help them with it.
Have more questions on how to optimize your webpage?
Contact us today!
Update: This position has been filled and is no longer available.
Phidev is on the hunt for the perfect Graphic Design Intern!
We’re looking for someone who has a strong understanding of how design translates to web and digital experiences.
As an integral member of our team, you will work on a broad range of projects – from designing layouts, navigation, and functionality to designing innovative app experiences and maintaining brand consistency across various digital channels. This is an incredible opportunity to get down into the trenches of a growing digital agency, work with cutting-edge technologies, and solve challenging problems daily. As a Graphic Designer Intern, you will work on projects and communication pieces that engage our customer’s audiences, including, but not limited to, interactive websites, digital advertising, magazine, and smart-phone apps.
Every one of our projects is a team effort and you’ll need to work well with directors, project managers, developers, and designers.
If you love experimenting with technology, have some serious design skills, and are obsessed with creating lasting user and brand experiences, then keep reading!
Qualifications:
- Proficiency and experience designing and executing in the digital space
- A well-versed knowledge of Illustrator, Photoshop, Sketch App, and InDesign
- Experience in and knowledge of HTML/CSS, responsive design principles, and standard UX web practices
- Experience in interactive design of large scale website projects, edgier campaigns, promotional materials and brand experiences
- Experience designing and testing web and mobile marketing collateral
If you:
- Pride yourself on impeccable visual design, relentless attention to detail, and always push yourself to make things ever-simpler
- Have excellent communication skills that enable you to present concepts and designs to internal teams and non-creatives
- Successfully manage multiple projects simultaneously and can handle a fast-paced work environment with deadlines, new challenges, and changing priorities
- Are self-motivated, innovative, possess strong organizational and time-management skills, and have a problem-crushing attitude!
- Have experience with print design and know how to setup files for larger printing press runs
Then this job is perfect for you!
If you own any kind of business, a website becomes an extension of that business. Through your website, you provide your clients with a strong professional online destination, where they can explore what your business has to offer them. Many will agree that not having a business website is representative of a missed opportunity, and having a bad website can actually be detrimental to your business.
Regardless of the type of business you own, having a website is a vital part of your business because it gives it a certain level of credibility. Nowadays, if your business does not have a website, it is not relevant. According to BIA/Kelsey and ConStat 97% of consumers look online before buying a product or service. With this in mind, the main question is: “Should I hire an agency to do my website or should I do it myself?”
When creating a website there are 5 main things to consider:
Time
Ask yourself, do you have the time to invest in creating your website? One of the first mistakes you can make is underestimating the process of creating a professional website. Consider the fact that creating, setting up, and populating a website can take a substantial amount of time out of your day to day business. From choosing a layout style, setting up a domain and linking it to the appropriate hosting provider, to constantly maintaining it afterward, your website needs constant care and attention.
Design Skills
Most people fail to realize how important content is. This may include but is not limited to, logo design, copy structure, and custom graphics creation. The “look” of your website reflects your business’ brand and communicates the type of business you are. Your logo alone represents a big part of your business’ image, it is what people will remember most. Using the right design programs to develop your logo and graphics has a real and direct impact on your business.
Writing Skills
Poorly written copy can have a negative impact on your business. In addition to what you communicate with the look of your website, you also have to ensure the information you provide your customer is understandable. The copy for your website has to describe your website’s purpose in a way that it keeps your clients interested.
Money
The key concern many business owners face is, “How much money am I willing to invest in a business’ website?” The idea of hiring a company to create a professional website for your business may seem a little bit daunting at first. But think of it this way, you are making a long-term investment that will directly and positively impact your business’ success. Pricing your website design and development can be subjective depending on the functionality of the website and what resources you decide to use. On average a professional website can be priced anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to a few thousand.
Technical Knowledge
Sure, you might opt for a drag and drop template; however, depending on the type of business you own and how it operates, you need to think ahead on the type of functionality you want your website to have. The more you require of your website, the more elaborate your website structure becomes. Hiring a professional team/company to help you create your business’ website can be the best option for you and your business. There is an invaluable merit to the vast knowledge and experience a professional website developer can provide to you.
In Conclusion
All in all, hiring a professional team to design and create your business’ website is the smartest and most practical decision you’ll make for your business. A team of professionals can provide you with the best techniques and latest formatting tools to make your website reflect the best of your business. By having a grade-A, professional looking and functioning website, you are ensuring your business’ stability and success for the future.
Ready to grow your business digitally? Contact us and together we’ll create a professional website that will do just that!
Our clients have been asking recently why is it that we are using HTTPS instead of HTTP on our websites and what the main difference is.
Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is a way in which your browser communicates with web servers. The main difference from regular HTTP is that it is secure. HTTPS encrypt all information sent to and from your computer and the web server. That’s why it is a requirement on e-commerce websites to protect your credit card data.
On 2014, Google announced it will use https as a ranking signal. This means it will give a small boost in search results to websites that implement HTTPS. Late last year, it announced again, that it will index HTTPS websites by default. Making HTTPS a bit more important. For this particular reason, Google has been promoting HTTPS everywhere.
Do you really need HTTPS?
It depends if you are going to accept any type of sensitive information such as credit card information, social security numbers, and/or sensitive business information, then yeah. You should use HTTPS. If not, then here is what to consider:
Advantages:
- A small Search Engine Ranking boost: This means that when someone is looking for specific information, with the implementation of HTTPS, your website would be the first choice for the user. HTTPS give your website that extra boost. This is can be considered part of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy.
- Security: All information is encrypted, and it is also verified (integrity). This means that no-one can do a “man in the middle” attack, or pretend to be your website. This provides your business with guaranteed security and ease of mind.
- Trust: This is more of a psychologic factor. People might feel better doing business with a website that is encrypting all information. Assuring your clients of the security of their information allows you to build a business partnership based on trust.
Disadvantages:
- Cost: Even though the cost of SSL certificates (what you need to implement HTTPS) has dramatically decreased over the last few years, it will still increase your yearly web costs. You also need a static IP per parent domain, which incurs an extra cost.
- Speed: Even pretty much seamless, encryption information takes some time and processing power.
In general, we do recommend securing your site. It is a tool that will let you expand your business website and allow you to reach a wider audience.
Let us know if you have any questions or if you need help making your website secure.