Why Digital Marketing Expertise is Critical for Startups

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With the rise in the number of startup businesses, how can you ensure your startup will succeed and stand out from the competition? Many startups claim to implement digital marketing practices, yet most don’t invest enough time and money, and have little or no knowledge of effective digital marketing strategies. According to a startup study from Profoundry, “71% of the startups researched did not have a documented digital strategy in place.” This post will explore the importance of digital marketing for startups and ultimately why outsourcing may be the best option.

Because of the increase in startups across the globe, it’s no surprise that online presence can “make or break” the success of a startup. Brand awareness and customer acquisition are two of the main benefits that effective digital marketing strategies can provide. Listed below are a few introductory steps to internet marketing that every startup organization should implement to start on the right track.

Beginning Steps

1. Website Development:
Depending on what the product or service is, it should typically start with the creation of a professional website. Without this, everything else that follows becomes difficult or unfeasible. Although a decent investment is required when outsourcing to a developer, it is worth it in the long run. Unprofessional websites or not having one at all is setting your business up for failure. Check out Our Work and see what website development solutions Onimod Global has to offer.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO):
Having a website is one of the first steps for startups, but if it is not optimized for search engines how will it drive traffic? Ensuring that your startup’s website is highly optimized will require a lot of SEO knowledge and time. There are many components of SEO that involve “on page” optimization like paying attention to title tags, content, meta descriptions, keywords, and internal link building. There are also “off page” optimization tactics like blogging and utilizing local directory sites. Click Here to run a free scan and see how well your website currently ranks online. Ultimately, outsourcing SEO efforts to an experienced agency is your best bet to increase online visibility for your startup and rank well for relevant searches.

3. Social Media Marketing:
Once your website is fully developed and optimized for search engine visibility, social media marketing is the next step to follow. Creating accounts on as many social media platforms as possible (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus) will only benefit your organization by creating more visibility. According to Statista’s Report in 2016, “89% of startup owners indicated that social media initiatives have greatly increased exposure for their businesses.” A presence on social media not only increases exposure, but it also has the potential to increase SEO, develop a loyal following, and can even establish thought leadership within your industry.

Why Outsource to an Experienced Agency?
This is a typical question that most startups have, and why should an investment to an advertising agency be made? The answer is pretty simple – knowledge and experience. One of the worst moves a startup can make is investing money into their marketing budget without having any knowledge of where their customer base lies and how to effectively generate leads/conversions. A lack of internet marketing knowledge is one of many reasons why today’s startups fail in a digital world. Outsourcing to an experienced agency like ours ultimately ensures success and a positive ROI for your startup in the long run.

View our digital marketing expertise at Onimod Global  and see how our experienced agency could help fuel your next startup endeavor!

Contact Us: At Onimod Global we are a full scale digital marketing agency that serve our clients’ needs in website development, SEO, SEM, Social Media, E-Mail Marketing, and much more. Feel free to reach out to us on our Contact Us Page and see what digital marketing solutions we can provide for you.

Client Website Launch: Midwest Solar Control

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Midwest Solar Control (midwestsolarcontrol.com) is the Midwest’s premier 3M Authorized Prestige window film dealer offering the highest-quality products in the industry. In need of a new website and better SEO presence, our website development expertise at Onimod Global has taken Midwest Solar Control to the next level.

Objective:
To build Midwest Solar Control a highly functional website from scratch with engaging content and an enhanced SEO presence. At the same time we wanted to ensure device accessibility through Responsive Web Design. Midwest Solar Control didn’t just need an appealing website, they needed to showcase their window film expertise and generate as many new business leads as possible.

Onimod Global’s Strategy:
We implemented an effective Website Development and SEO strategy to develop a highly responsive website. We built a robustly designed and developed website that empowers Midwest Solar Control to attract clients and create a user friendly experience.

Old Website:

Current Website:
Chicago website design agency


Massive Upgrades:

  • Enhanced on-page Call to Action Tools
  • Enhanced SEO Presence
  • Custom Design
  • Increased Security
  • Mobile Responsive Upgrade
  • Custom Back-end for easy client-side updates.
  • Clear Navigation
  • Enhanced on-page Menus
  • Advanced Firewall
  • Job Application Portal
  • Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
  • Full-width Image and Transparent Headers
  • Redesigned News section


Contact Us: If you’re an organization like Midwest Solar Control seeking an upgrade in website development or any other digital marketing services, feel free to reach out to our expertise at Onimod Global on our Contact Us page. Also be sure to check out our other work by viewing our Case Studies!

5 Ways To Improve Your Ecommerce Business

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It’s not much of a surprise, but the ecommerce market is continually on the rise. According to Statista, “from 2010 to 2013, total U.S. retail ecommerce sales increased from $167.3 billion to $263.3 billion. In 2014 that number jumped up to $304.1 billion.” Although this article was published two years ago, the trends tell us that the ecommerce market will continue to boom as many organizations are integrating ecommerce platforms to account for the demand. Listed below are a few ideas that will help improve any organization’s ecommerce business.

Prioritizing SEO:
As the ecommerce market continues to grow, the direct result is more organizations “fighting” for first page search engine results. Therefore, ensuring that your ecommerce site is highly optimized is very important. SEO and ecommerce essentially go hand in hand with one another. Some aspects of SEO to pay attention to are using rich keyword phrases, placing your site on directory listings, having a secure site (SSL installed), and frequently checking up on site speed.

Monitor Competition:
If you’re seeking to gain a competitive advantage in terms of ecommerce, paying close attention to competition is key. This involves researching prices, marketing tactics, and anything else competitors are doing that works. Being competitive with pricing is especially important due to the amount of options that are out there in the ecommerce world for related products. Although high profit margins are extremely important, having insufficient pricing can make or break ecommerce success.

Social Media Engagement:
With millions of users, the potential for finding consumers through social media in today’s market is huge. Many consumers enjoy the engagement that social media has to offer. Spending a lot of time on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and Google Plus can be rewarding in the long run. Creating engaging content, interacting with customers, and even sponsoring some posts are all good starting points to reach possible customers.

Mobile Optimization:
Due to a massive presence of mobile traffic, optimizing your ecommerce site for mobile devices is essential. According to Digital Commerce 360, trends are showing that “mobile devices will play an increasingly important role as worldwide consumer spending via mobile will jump from $204 billion in 2014 to $626 billion in 2018.” This shows the importance of mobile optimization and how if it’s not a priority for your ecommerce business, the chance of becoming irrelevant in the future is likely.

Blogging:
Related to SEO, having a blog and consistently producing content can exponentially increase ecommerce site traffic. Using relevant keywords in posts and frequently sharing on social media platforms are two aspects of effective blogging. Also be sure to add multiple call to action links that will direct readers to landing pages on your site. It’s clear that blogging takes time, yet time is the only drawback of blogging. Search engine algorithms like Google and Bing reward engaging and relevant content, therefore there’s no reason any ecommerce organization should avoid blogging.

Contact Us: For more information regarding digital marketing expertise, visit the Onimod Global Website. Check out our Case Studies and see how our clients like Vipply and Rent Letters are excelling in ecommerce.

Digital Marketing Advice From Procter & Gamble’s Chief Brand Officer

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Marc Pritchard, chief brand officer of Procter & Gamble, had many things to share with the attendants of the most recent ANA’s Masters of Marketing Conference.

Kristina Monllos of Adweek reported on the event, and gave keen insight into Prichard’s presentation. Prichard referenced his many years of experience working with the P&G brand, and the struggles it has faced through digital marketing and advertising.

The same concerns are often echoed in the experiences of all marketers. Everyone grapples with challenges in their marketplace and the positioning of their own brand. There are always new ways to innovate, create, and improve upon what already exists.

Prichard hit on the following main topics as ways for a brand to rethink their digital marketing tactics:

  • Transparency
  • Ad Quality
  • Mass One-to-One Marketing
  • Messages For Good

Transparency

Brand transparency is a rapidly increasing area of concern for consumers. It has become the norm to assume that advertising and marketing is dishonest and untrustworthy.

In order to convince people that your brand is truly the best choice for them, you need to gain their trust. Consumers won’t believe just anything that you tell them. In today’s market, potential customers prefer to be shown rather than told about a brand.

So how do you go about showing off your brand’s trustworthiness? For more insight into the subject of brand transparency, take a look at another Onimod Global Blog, “The Importance of Transparency in Digital Marketing” by clicking HERE.

Ad Quality

The quality of your advertisements is what will determine its relevance. Major search engines like Google have no greater purpose than to provide the most relevant results for its users.

Google makes continual updates to its algorithm to maintain its search engine’s integrity. Click HERE to learn more via our article, “What Google’s Algorithm Adjustment Means for Digital Marketing.”

Another key aspect of quality ads is their frequency. You want to make sure that you are showing your ad to the right consumers, but don’t overdo it. In the case of P&G, Prichard explained the brand’s struggles with ad frequency by saying, “Excess frequency is a massive source of waste, and it really annoys consumers. No wonder ad blockers are growing 20 percent a year. I mean, how many times does a person need to see a toilet paper ad to get the point?”

Mass One-to-One Marketing

The title of this digital marketing topic is a bit perplexing. After all, how can something be unique and personalized while also being applied on a mass scale? The meaning behind this idea is to make an ad as personable as possible, while also applying it to a large audience.

This complex concept is often put to use in many ways that you may already be familiar with. For instance, if you have recently made a purchase through Amazon, then you will likely receive a follow up email from Amazon asking you to review the product. Amazon sends the same follow up message to thousands of other users, but only if they have selected to purchase that individual product.

Messages For Good

It is a bit unclear as to what Prichard meant by “messages for good” in Monllos’ article. This may be referring to a cause marketing strategy, which has proven to be very successful for many brands in recent years.

It may also be discussing the development of an advertising strategy that will withstand the test of time. In order to leave consumers with a clear idea of a brand, you have to make sure you are delivering a consistent message.

Prichard announced that the brand’s shifts in digital marketing strategy are, “about two-thirds complete on these steps today and should be largely finished by the end of 2017.” Keep an eye out to see the meaning of this fourth and final brand objective unfold through P&G’s digital marketing efforts in the following months.

Brand New(s)

In the meantime, stay up to date on the latest digital marketing news by visiting the Onimod Global Blog today! Our team is constantly working to provide expert insight into digital marketing trends all over the world. Click HERE to visit our blog and learn what your brand may be missing!

5 Fascinating Digital Marketing Stats So Far in 2017

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2017 has been an interesting year so far in the digital marketing world, with some surprising stats and trends. Some of the stats listed are from Christopher Heine’s article in Adweek that caught our attention.

1. Yelp ahead of Snapchat in Ad Revenue:
According to eMarketer, “Yelp will make close to $720 million this year in digital ad sales in the U.S. compared to Snapchat’s $640 million.” This statistic was surprising at first considering the social media giant that Snapchat has become in recent years. Not to say $640 million a year in ad revenue is a bad thing, but it will be interesting to see if Snapchat makes any adjustments for advertisers before the end of the year.

2. Google and Facebook Dominate:
This one didn’t come as much of a surprise compared to the other stats listed. eMarketer also projected that “63% of all digital ad sales by the end of the year will come from Google and Facebook. In numbers that is equivalent to $35 billion for Google and $17.4 billion for Facebook.” This shows the dominance of Google and Facebook in the advertising world and we would expect this trend to continue if companies are experiencing positive returns on investments.

3. Pinterest Making Improvements:
Pinterest has been making some massive improvements as of late regarding their advertising options. According to Heine’s article, “Pinterest advertisers now have access to 5,000 interest categories that will roll out in the next couple of weeks.” With this upgrade from Pinterest, engagement rates are expected to increase by a significant amount and cost-per-clicks are projected to decrease.

4. Uber Lawsuit:
It’s been recently reported that Uber is pursuing a lawsuit against a mobile advertising company called Fetch Media. Heine’s article states that “Uber is suing Fetch Media for at least $40 million accusing the company of improper billing for fraudulent ads falsely taking credit for app downloads.” We’ll see how the lawsuit plays out, but this is significant because it could potentially ruin the reputations of other mobile ad companies.

5. Trouble Tracking Ad Spend:
Digital marketers losing track of ad spend may come off as a surprise, but an article from Marketing Week found this to be evident. Apparently “only 36% of digital marketers are confident that their campaigns are targeting the appropriate audiences.” They also found that “nearly a quarter of digital marketers don’t consistently track their campaigns whatsoever.” These two statistics really jumped out to us because monitoring digital marketing campaigns is essential to making sure ad dollar is used efficiently.

Contact Us:
For more information regarding digital marketing expertise, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!

What Google’s Algorithm Adjustment Means for Digital Marketing

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Nearly every digital marketer in today’s society utilizes Google as a primary form of advertisement. With more than 6.5 billion searches being made each day, the need to rank well on Google’s search results page is imperative.

Whether you are optimizing a website to rank well on its own, or spending a few dollars through Google AdWords, the changes coming to Google’s algorithm will have a significant effect on those advertising efforts.

Most Recent Update

Google continually updates its algorithm to show the most relevant results to users as possible. The latest update arrived on August 19th.

There is never one single cause of an algorithm adjustment. Instead, the adjustment is meant to target many different areas in order to improve overall quality of the search results displayed by Google.

Glenn Gabe, columnist for Search Engine Land and Search Engine Watch, investigated the algorithm change and gave his opinions on how he thought it would affect marketers. According to Gabe, Google advertisers should avoid:

  • Use of Deceptive Advertising: deploying deceptive, aggressive, or disruptive advertising can be detrimental to a site’s quality. Instead, gear your site toward the user and their needs. Do not bombard them with full-screen ads and site redirects.
  • Broken User Interface Elements: We have all had an experience where we click on a link and receive some sort of “404 error: Page Not Found” message. Make sure that your site works properly and does not contain any of these pesky UI flaws.
  • Low Query-Based Relevance: This element should be obvious. If a search term does not apply to your site, then it should not be ranking well for that term. Google’s goal is to provide the user with exactly what they are looking for. If your site isn’t helpful to the user, then it’s as good as gone from the top search results list.

Gabe suggests using the following methods to improve advertisements in the wake of the algorithm update:

  • Category (Tag-like) Pages: WordPress sites often include the option of adding a category and various tag to each page. Gabe noticed that even some sites that showed an overall downward trend since the algorithm update still had positive numbers to report for these category pages.
  • Full, Quality Content: Try to fill your site with all of the best information possible. This does not mean that you need to write pages and pages of content, it just means that you need to clearly state what you can do for the consumer and why you can do it best.
  • Open User Experience: Allowing users to add their own comments to content on your site is a great way to add value. This may be in the form of a review or an actual comment on a certain post or news article.

Location Improvements

Google has also shown an increased interest in the prominence of local businesses on their search results page. After all, a restaurant located in New York City will prove of little use to a young woman in Seattle looking for a bit to eat after work.

As Google begins to favor local establishments, it becomes more and more important for all kinds of businesses to make sure that their location is conveniently and correctly displayed across various platforms. For example, you will want to make sure that the address you have listed on Facebook perfectly matches the one listed on Yelp.

Evaluate Your Business Today!

Interested in getting this information about your business for free? Run a free scan of your business with Onimod Global today to see your locations listed across over 50 online directories! This scan will also provide you with several other measurements to see how well your company site performs. To run a free scan please CLICK HERE.

Google Partners Launches Digital Sales Certification Exam

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Google has announced that the Google Partners program has launched a new certification exam – Digital Sales. Google Partners is a program that provides agencies access to free training and exclusive tools, as well as the guidance and support to help businesses successfully advertise on Google. Advertising agencies that are members of the Google Partners program like us at Onimod Global contain certified employees and are companies trusted by Google.

According to Google, the “Digital Sales Certification Exam has been created to assess and increase partner sales representatives’ effectiveness in selling Google digital solutions to businesses.” There are a total of five parts to the exam which include planning, the open, identifying, recommendations, and the close.

The planning section involves networking, prospecting potential clients, and preparing for the pitch. The open is about delivering an effective pitch, positioning, and setting up meetings. The identification part is just about asking questions and discovering what potential clients need. Recommendations consist of delivering solutions and how to solve client problems. Lastly, the close section is about handling objections, closing the sale, and how to generate referrals.

Contact Us: Here at Onimod Global, we are a member of the Google Partners Program and all of our employees are Google certified in many areas. If you’re a business seeking an upgrade in brand awareness, website development, or any other digital marketing service feel free to reach out to us at Onimod Global on our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

5 Simple Ways to See if Your AdWords Account is in Trouble

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Google AdWords is the most common form of digital advertising. The use of its search, display, and shopping networks have an incredible impact on consumers who are conducting daily searches online.

Unfortunately, even the best digital marketing tools can come with potential problems and limitations. Keep reading to find out which pitfalls are most important to avoid inside of Google AdWords.

AdWords Audit

The following are key areas inside of AdWords that, when left unchecked, can create serious problems:

  • Wasted Money: In the case of effective ad spend, less is more. Although it may seem smart to have a campaign filled with keywords and 10 slightly different ads, this can actually lead to huge losses. Entrepreneur reports that on average, only 12% of keywords in any given AdWords account are responsible for all conversions produced. That means that 88% of those keywords are a total waste of money.
  • Bad Landing Page: More than half of all Google ads redirect the user to the site’s homepage. This is not necessarily a bad strategy, especially if you are only concerned about brand awareness and simply driving people to your site so that they can get a feel for your business. However, if the primary objective is to produce conversions or leads, then the homepage isn’t going to be enough. For this type of ad, you should use a specific landing page that clearly states the message you wish to deliver to consumers, and a simplified way for them to actually convert.
  • Disorganization and Poor Management: The structure of your AdWords account is also incredibly important. If you don’t properly title and organize campaigns, then it is going to be incredibly difficult for you to keep track of what ads are running and why. Also, if no one is regularly updating the account, then errors are sure to follow. The more time spent inside of the Google AdWords platform, the better.

Get it Right, The First Time

Try to avoid all of the aforementioned problems by starting your AdWords account off on the right foot with these strategies:

  • Keyword Research: Since you want to choose your keywords carefully, make sure that there is some logic behind your choices. The best way to do this is to look at old data. Find out what worked well, and what did not in previous campaigns. If you are starting from scratch, you may want to use a trial-and-error approach. Experiment with different keywords until you can clearly identify which are the most successful.
  • Extensions: Adding short sitelink and callout extensions to your ad can greatly increase its value to a consumer. Providing users with easy access to popular pages, or your business’ phone number makes the process much more efficient. Such efficiency and convenience is a huge concern of consumers today, so give them what they want with a simple extension.

Updates From Onimod

Our team of experts is constantly watching current events in digital marketing. We produce several blog posts each and every week to keep our readers up to speed on the latest in the industry.

CLICK HERE to take a look at the Onimod Global blog today!

New Client Website Launch: West Suburban Garage Doors in the Chicagoland

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West Suburban Garage Doors (westsuburbangaragedoors.com) is a garage door services company serving areas of the Chicagoland including Oak Park, Hinsdale, Elmhurst, Downers Grove, and other cities. In need of a new website and better SEO presence, our website development expertise at Onimod Global has taken West Suburban Garage Doors to the next level.

Objective:
To build West Suburban Garage Doors a highly functional website from scratch with engaging content and an enhanced SEO presence. At the same time we wanted to ensure device accessibility through Responsive Web Design. West Suburban didn’t just need an appealing website, they needed to showcase their garage door expertise and generate as many new business leads as possible.

Onimod Global’s Strategy:
We implemented an effective Website Development SEO strategy and API Integration to develop a highly responsive website. We built a robustly designed and developed website that empowers West Suburban Garage Doors to attract clients and enable them to become consistent conversions.

Old Website:
West Suburban Garage Doors

Current Website:


Massive Upgrades:

  • Enhanced on-page Call to Action Tools
  • Parralex Effect backgrounds
  • Enhanced SEO Presence
  • Mobile Responsive Upgrade
  • Custom Design
  • Enhanced on-page Menus
  • Advanced Firewall
  • Custom Back-end for easy client-side updates. 
  • Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
  • Full-width Image Headers
  • Increased Security
  • Job Application Portal
  • Clear Navigation
  • Redesigned News section
  • 2 Color Transparent Header


Contact Us: If you’re a ROI driven business like West Suburban Garage Doors seeking an upgrade in website development or any other digital marketing services, feel free to reach out to us at Onimod Global on our Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you!

Mobile Search Traffic has Taken Over Desktop

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It’s no surprise that the quantity of mobile searches has eclipsed desktop searches in the past 2-3 years. The rate of mobile/tablet searches compared to desktop will continue to rise in the future as well. According to Brightedge, it’s reported now that “57% of all search traffic is coming through smartphones and tablets. Compared to 43% from desktop searches.” Listed below are some factors as to why mobile search traffic will continue to surpass desktop.

One of the reasons this remains the case is simplicity and convenience. Smartphones are typically on us at all times and that allows for convenient search engine access at the “tip of our fingers.” Literally in the click of 2-3 buttons, a Google search can be conducted on any smartphone or tablet. This trend isn’t going anywhere in the near future as well. According to the Pew Research Center “Approximately three quarters (77%) of all adults in America today own a smartphone.”

Evolution of Mobile Users

Image from the Pew Research Center

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The “always on the go” mentality of society today is another reason for increased mobile search traffic. Everyone’s got something going on and people are always on the move. Moreover, the direct result of this mindset is a large volume of search traffic coming from mobile devices. Lets say you’re out and about trying to find a place to eat for instance. What’s the first instinct that comes to mind – mobile searching on Google. “Best restaurant in the area” or “best places to eat in the city” are common searches that would be used in these scenarios. In the end, mobile search traffic will continue to flourish and it’s up to advertisers to know how to adapt to this trend.

Contact Us: For more information regarding digital marketing expertise, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!