Business Development Archives - Alive Media - Web Design and Digital Marketing Agency

April 26, 2023

What is Digital Marketing and Why is It Important to My Business?

In today’s digital age, it is almost a necessity for every business to have an online presence. While we still seek recommendations from friends, the majority of people use the internet to research products and services before making a purchase decision. This is where digital marketing comes into play. Digital marketing has become an essential tool for businesses of all sizes and industries. It enables businesses to reach a target audience through various digital channels such as search engines, social media, content marketing, and more.

When used effectively, it provides a cost-effective approach to engage prospective clients. Here are a few reasons why:

Increases Brand Awareness
Digital marketing allows businesses to reach a wide audience and increase brand awareness. With more than 4.6 billion people using the internet globally, businesses can use digital marketing strategies to reach audiences efficiently. A creative and intentional approach can help your business stand out from the pack, and multiple digital channels – including social media, search engines, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising – can be used concurrently to keep your business top of mind.

Targets the Right Audience
One of the biggest benefits of digital marketing is that it allows businesses to target the right audience. Traditional marketing strategies like television or radio ads can be expensive and often reach a broad audience that may not be interested in the product or service being advertised. With digital marketing, businesses can target a specific audience based on demographics, location, interests, and behavior. This ensures that the right people see your website and online activities, making them more likely candidates to engage with your business.

Increases Engagement and Builds Relationships
Digital marketing provides businesses with an opportunity to engage with their audience and build relationships. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram allow businesses to connect with their customers, answer their questions, and respond to their comments. This engagement can help your business build trust with your customers and give them the confidence to engage in a purchase.

Generates Leads and Sales
Digital marketing can help businesses generate leads and sales. By using targeted advertising, businesses can attract potential customers to their website or social media pages. Once on your website, your business can use a variety of techniques to convert those visitors into leads or sales. This can include offering free trials, providing relevant and informative content, or offering exclusive discounts.

Quantifiable Results
One of the most significant benefits of digital marketing is that it provides measurable results. With traditional marketing strategies, it can be challenging to track the effectiveness of a campaign. However, digital marketing activities generate detailed analytics that can be used to optimize and adjust an online campaign. This allows your businesses to see which strategies are working and which ones need to be adjusted.

Digital marketing is an essential tool for businesses of all sizes and industries. It provides businesses with an opportunity to develop brand awareness, target specific audiences, increase engagement, generate leads and sales, and stay ahead of competitors. If you are ready to use digital marketing for your business, reach out to Alive Media today. We are your local experts for website and logo design and digital marketing, including search engine optimization (SEO), PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, social media marketing, online content creation, and more.

September 1, 2017December 14, 2017

Will Google Security Update Affect My Website?

Beginning in October 2017, Google Chrome (an immensely popular browser, with more than 70% of the market share of web users) will mark non-secure website pages that contain input fields for credit card and password fields as “Not Secure” in the URL bar. With identity theft being a hot-button issue, many visitors to your site will not complete steps in the registration or payment process when seeing your site is not secure, and will take their business elsewhere.

At Alive Media, we can ensure your website is verified and secure by installing an SSL certificate. Not only will this allow your site to display the secure protocol (https) but will help raise your search ranking (SEO).

Contact us TODAY to set up an appointment to learn more about making Alive Media your online team for web security and organic (non-paid) search ranking.

Portions of today’s post were sourced from a newsletter from JTR Solutions.

May 17, 2016December 14, 2017

Which Payment Processor Should I Use On My Website

One of the questions I often get asked is “Which payment processor should I use on my website to accept online payments?” As a business owner, maybe you’re developing a new e-commerce store or just want to incorporate the ability to take payments online. As you begin to do research solutions to use, I want to give you some options to consider. Check out the video below to see what some good options are and also to learn some of the vital questions to ask.

So as you begin to consider options for a payment processor for your website and business, here are some really important questions to ask and get clarity on:

Is it mobile ready? If you are in a business where you need to be able to take payments when away from your office or using your mobile phone/iPad, will you able to process a payment easily on that device?

Is it easy to use for customers and easy to get paid? What is this process going to be like for my customers when they check out? When they make a payment, is it going to be easy for them to do? For you the business owner, is it going to be easy for me to get the funds transferred to my bank account?

What kind of fees and cost are associate with using this processor? Be sure to ask about the fine print. Ask how much it costs per transaction and how much it is on a monthly basis. Some payment processors charge a monthly fee just to have that service while others just charge a small fee per transaction.

Will this processor grow with my business and are there limits? As business owners, we hope our businesses will grow. It is important to know will a payment processor scale and grow as my business grows or will there be a limit on how much I can process per month.

As you begin to research with merchant account or payment processor to use, take your time, do your research and then ask the right questions. As you do that, you’ll be able to identify the best payment processor for your business growth and that will fit your needs.

Hoping that you find the best fit for your website and business!

Alan Jones

Alive Media

May 29, 2015December 14, 2017

Social Media Marketing: Best Business Practices

Alive Media’s own Alan Jones (owner/creative director) had the pleasure of speaking to fellow business owners recently at a seminar hosted by the North Augusta, SC Chamber and local SCORE organization. We welcomed the opportunity to share particular trends in Social Media, which platform is best for certain types of businesses, tips when using Facebook for advertising and some practical tools & methods to increase effectiveness.

Here are some of the basic thoughts on social media that we shared during our time:

1. One of the most effective tools we find in utilizing Social Media for your business is to begin with a marketing plan and calendar. This plan will ensure that consistent and relevant information is being posted on a regular basis and puts you top of mind to consumers. Creating a calendar for your plan keeps you on task for when and what times of day to post.

2. With all of the many Social Media platforms to work with, we strongly suggest that you begin with one at a time and master each one before moving to another. In other words, don’t get overwhelmed feeling like you have to know EVERYTHING about Social Media to be effective. Find which one carries most of your ideal customers and begin engaging with them there. Answer questions, post relevant articles and just create the relationships that will build trust and credibility in their minds.

3. Integrate visual Social Media into your marketing efforts. One of the largest trends today includes photos and video. Platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and Vine are exploding in the Social Media world and one of the best ways to advertise your products and or services is to Show them what you can do.

If you need assistance with designing a marketing plan and marketing calendar or guidance on which Social Media platform to begin with, feel free to contact us for a consultation. We partner with businesses on helping them implement social media and even handle their social media marketing for them.

Welcome! If this is your first time reading our blog, thank you for stopping by! We share videos and blog articles about topics relating to website design, online marketing, social media, business strategies and more. We would truly be grateful if you’d share our work with your network to help others succeed in marketing their business.In order to serve business owners, we put together a FREE guide entitled 10 Critical Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Web Designer. By asking the right questions BEFORE getting your next website project started, it will make all the difference in assuring it is a success! Click Here To Download

March 25, 2014December 14, 2017

Is Search Engine Optimization foreign to you?

“WHO” implements and maintains our SEO?

“WHAT” is SEO?

“WHERE” do you start?

“WHEN” do you set up your SEO?

“WHY” is SEO important?

“HOW” does SEO work?

WHO: Alive Media offers several different SEO packages to meet the needs of your growing business, no matter how small or big your business is! Just email us at info@alivemediaonline.com for more questions.

WHAT: SEO communicates to the search engines your intentions so they recommend your website for relevant searches. Search engines want to do their jobs as best as possible by referring users to websites and content that is the most relevant to what the user is looking for. It is a process of organizing and sorting titles, headings, content, keywords, links and tags in best possible way for Bing, Google and Yahoo to find your pages.

WHERE: Keyword strategy is important to implement on your website, but it should also extend to other off-site platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, etc. Being consistent with keyword phrases within these platforms will only help your branding efforts.

WHEN: A great time to implement your SEO is when you’re considering a site redesign, or planning to launch a new site.

WHY: SEO will help you position your website to be found when people are searching for particular topics. It is not enough these days just to have a website. The search engines add in the values of popularity and links to determine page ranking.

HOW: So how is relevancy determined in SEO?

Content: The title of the site, the text on the page, and descriptions that are given should all have real value, substance and be useful to the keywords given.
Performance: How fast is your site and does it work properly? Some key performance measures for SEO is a mix of branded keywords, how well pages on your site drive search engine traffic, visitors per keyword, and having unique pages on your site because the more content you have the more useful your site is to the consumer.
Authority: Making sure your site have good enough content to build relationships. This indicates to the search engines that your content is a trusted source of information.
User Experience: How does the site look? Is it easy to navigate around? Does it look safe?

Let us break this down and explain how Alive Media can best assist you with your business and SEO needs! Call us today if you have any questions so we can help you in this area!

August 8, 2013December 14, 2017

New Site Launch – Evans Fitness Club

Evans Fitness Club – Website and Ipad Kiosks

A modern fitness club with state of the art equipment deserves to have an equally impressive website and that’s exactly what Evans Fitness Club has. With a website, Evans Fitness Club can showcase its 50,000 square foot facility on the web together with its high tech exercise equipment which are difficult to find in other facilities within the area.

The website contains all information regarding the fitness facility complete with contact numbers and emails, hours of operation and the management that keeps the place running. Various fitness programs can also be accessed through the site like yoga, Pilates, bootcamps and group exercises with their corresponding schedules. For interested parties, they can ask assistance through the site from members of the customer service team or the sales team. Contact information is available on the website.

iPad kiosks are the latest additions to the facility that could very well facilitate training and efficiency at Evans Fitness Club. Through these iPad kiosks, members can view their schedules as well as the programs the club offers. Training will be smooth-sailing and a lot more manageable with their help.

With an updated training facility, effective training programs, helpful and accommodating coaches plus a website from our web design team, Evans Fitness Club easily becomes the benchmark all other fitness centers tries to measure up to.

July 24, 2013December 14, 2017

New Site Launch – Healing Hands Physical Therapy

We just launched the Healing Hands website so check it out! They have an integrated an E-brochure on their site, navigation, click on categories, drop down repeat menus, interactive diagrams, along with a professional layout to best serve their clients!

Don’t Trust Your Body to Just Anyone! Check out Healing Hands and see how they can help you! At Healing Hands Physical Therapy they will evaluate and recommend the best treatments for your condition. The therapists are experienced and specialize in therapies for injuries, post-surgery and most medical conditions. They relieve pain and restore movement through touch, movement, cold laser light, physical exercise, therapeutic massage and deep muscle stimulation. For children, adolescents and adults of all ages, Healing Hands Physical Therapists help you Get in Motion quickly and as pain free as possible!

Do you or your company have the website you need to best represent your business? Let us help.

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July 23, 2013December 14, 2017

New Site Launch – Imago Salon and Day Spa

We just launched a new website for Imago Salon and Day Spa. Imago Salon is a full service salon and also offers manicures, pedicures, facials, waxing, tanning, and more! The salon was opened in 1995 and is located in downtown Aiken, South Carolina. The staff at Imago Salon and Spa is your one-stop-shop made up of an awesome staff, to make you look and feel fabulous!

We are proud to show off the new site we designed for Imago. Check out Imago Salon and Day Spa and let us know how we can help you design the website for your needs, to increase exposure for your business, or add convenience for your customers.

We are here to help.

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Check out our website Alive Media Online.

March 29, 2011December 12, 2017

Augusta, The Masters and Your Website

The Masters® practice rounds begin in less than a week. Personally, this is one of my favorite weeks of the year. During this week, much of the national eye, really international, focuses on our community in Augusta, GA and the Augusta National. It really is a fun part of living in the CSRA.

For local business owners that have a brick and mortar storefront, it’s also a great opportunity to take advantage of the thousands of guests the tournament brings. That’s a much welcomed business boost, especially in the current state of the economy. If you’re a business owner, you no doubt have spent a good bit of time and resources in getting ready. Have you considered your web presence in those preparations?

If not, here’s a scenario to consider: A tourist is in town for the tournament. They’re looking for a place to eat dinner at that evening or looking for something to do. There’s a high probability that they will be searching for places using their smart phone or laptop. If they’re driving, it’s more likely they’ll be grabbing their iphone or droid and searching for a place online.

Here are some questions to think through:

Do I have website? Is it one that I would be proud to show off and for people to see?
Do I have some promotional items ready? Maybe a special Master’s week deal?
Is my website high enough in the search engine listings so that it can even be found?
Should I have a mobile version of my website or will my current site work?
Do I have social media connections to the site (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) so that customers can keep up to date with sales, product offerings, new releases, etc.?
Is my website current and up to date?