Tag Archives: web and hosting tips

Optimizing Your Mobile App for App Store Discovery

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Hosting

In case you haven’t noticed, there is no shortage of mobile apps on the market right now. Google Play and the Apple app store each have over a million of them. You can find an app for practically anything – from doing your taxes to calculating your BMI, to keeping you from drunk dialing your ex . With so many mobile apps vying for attention, creating the actual app is the easy part. Yet the majority of organizations and developers are not utilizing ASO (app store optimization) to give their labor of love its best chance of success. Here are some great tips for getting your app optimized for the mobile store:   Title and keywords According to mobile development company MobileDevHQ, the app store search is the second most popular way people find apps to download (the first being word of mouth). They also found that apps that use relevant keywords in their titles get 10.3 percent higher search rankings on average. That means that keywords are important here. Think about what keywords you want your app to be known for, and then do a search in the app store to see how relevant they are. Include the keywords that are most relevant to your intended audience in your app’s title and listing description.   Encourage reviews MobileDevHQ also states that user reviews are another big factor when users are choosing which apps to download. You can’t exactly control who reviews your app or doesn’t, but there are some ways to encourage it. First off, integrate some kind of review submission option with your app. You can use a prompt asking users to leave reviews if they’re happy or just provide a link to the review page. Apptentive is one easy way to integrate this option into your apps.  If you have a Twitter following, just ask users to leave a review if they like your work. Once you start getting thousands of downloads, use Applause to leverage your reviews. This free download analyzes your reviews and rates your app across key factors. It’s a bit like Klout for mobile apps. You can use this information to see what people are saying about your app, and to learn how to make it better.   Tweak and experiment It’s okay to tweak your title, change your category, and revise your description after you’ve created your initial listing. In fact, you should definitely do this to see which keywords and categories get you the most downloads. The MobileDevHQ app is great for keeping track of app analytics. Not only do you get detailed performance reports, but the program also has tools to help you select the best keywords. Once you’ve got your ASO in order, generate some buzz around your app. It’s best to get your product out there and on people’s lips as early as you can, as more downloads may mean better app store performance.   Create community A good number of Twitter users are also mobile users. Twitter’s real-time, short message quality goes hand-in-hand with the mobile lifestyle. Create a Twitter account for your brand and create a following. Don’t just Tweet about your app, though. Add your personality to your tweets. You can also join developer forums and other forums relevant to your app to get your name out there.   Release a screen shot This is probably the most underutilized technique of all, but keep in mind that a picture really does say a thousand words. Whet the public’s appetite with a preview of things to come.   Pitch relevant blogs If your app aims to solve a problem in a particular niche, then it might be worth it to pitch to well-known blogs and websites in that industry. For example, if your app focuses on teaching kids to speak a new language, you could get in touch with language learning and K-12 education blogs. The Appstorm app review network also accepts submitted iPhone apps for review.   Update often Devices are always being updated, so make sure that your app remains compatible with newer versions of the most popular devices. Also, keep tabs on user suggestions and incorporate them into future versions to keep your audience happy.   Hire a pro If you’re simply no good at marketing, there’s nothing wrong with sticking with what you know while somebody else does the heavy lifting. Hire someone who knows their way around when it comes to digital marketing, assign the task to someone else on your team, or use an app marketing firm like Appular . Sometimes, it’s best to outsource so that you can focus on what you do best. Above all, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. The number of apps on the market may seem daunting, but the truth is, a lot of them aren’t that great – and most of their creators don’t employ proper ASO. If you have a killer app, half the battle is already won. Continual ASO, along with some solid marketing efforts, will give your app the best chance at getting noticed. Continue reading →

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Getting to Know the New Google Carousel

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Hosting

Wouldn’t it be convenient if Google users could perform a search – say, for example, for the best local Mexican restaurant – and then be presented with the top search results, along with full color pictures at the top of their screens? Well, wish no longer – this is exactly what the new Google local search carousel does. It’s an eye-catching way for users to review local results in restaurants, nightlife, and other attractions. Though the carousel previously only showed up on tablets, it’s been live for desktop search in certain situations since June.   Where Can I Find It? Google doesn’t guarantee that the carousel will show up in regular search, but it does appear in Google maps when a user searches by category. As of now, it’s only available in the U.S and for English language searches, though Google will likely roll out more languages and locations in the future. The company also plans to expand the carousel to include more business verticals aside from restaurants and hotels.   How to Get On the Carousel Google selects businesses to appear on the carousel in the same way it selects top search results: via its search algorithms. Remember that Google’s aim is to bring the best, most relevant search results to its users. Businesses that use SEO best practices and that update their websites regularly are most likely to get on board the carousel.   What is Good SEO? SEO best practices are always evolving, but here are just a few things to keep in mind: Relevant keywords. If you know that your customers are likely searching for “nail salon in Phoenix, AZ,” use those keywords in your header, your body content headings, and throughout your website. You can find more related keywords by using the Google Adwords keyword tool . Just remember to use keywords in a natural context, instead of simply throwing them on the page in a spammy fashion. File names. It’s also a good idea to use keywords when naming pictures, video, and other files for use on your website. Off-page SEO. This category encompasses all SEO strategies that happen outside of your website, including the generation of backlinks from other sites, review websites, and social media outlets. List your website with online business directories like Google+ Local. Get involved in social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter if you aren’t already. Submit helpful guest blog posts to industry-related blogs. These are great ways to build your online reputation, and to build some quality backlinks and social proof in favor of your business. Content quality. If your website has a blog or new article directory, keep in mind that Google’s algorithms look at the quality of your content – not just how many keywords it contains. Search engines also use social signals (such as Facebook “Likes” and shares) to gauge how popular content is. Update your content regularly and make sure it’s stuff that your readers will actually find relevant, helpful, and worthy of sharing with others.   How Effective Is Google Carousel? Though this feature is relatively new, firms are already rolling out studies to measure just how effective Google carousel is at promoting businesses. Two in particular, Local U and Ethical SEO conducted separate experiments with a total of 112 respondents. Local U presented their respondents with the  search results page “pizza in Denver,” and asked them to click on the page location that most appealed to them. The Google map received 32% of clicks, while the first image in the carousel received 13%, and the first organic result received 11% of clicks. Ethical SEO used the term “Chicago restaurants” in their query, and found that respondents clicked on the carousel results 48% of the time. Interestingly, the third and eight carousel results, not the first, were the ones with the most clicks. When asked, users cited the amount of reviews as a factor in determining which carousel result to click on. These findings suggest that Google carousel is indeed effective at grabbing the users’ attention. In general, the search results with the highest ratings and most appealing pictures tend to do the best. As Google expands this feature to include more businesses, more experiments with bigger sample sizes will likely be done to better gauge the extent of the carousel’s effectiveness.   The Bottom Line The local carousel is just one more tool that Google has employed in its mission to bring top content to its users. If your business is already using best SEO practices, including having established a great reputation on the web, then keep doing what you’re doing. If you’re not already using best SEO practices, looking for and implementing ways to improve your online presence gives your website the best possible chance of being included in the carousel search results. Continue reading →

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15 Ways to Expand Your Brand’s Authority

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Hosting

Having trouble standing out in your industry?  Tired of fighting against bigger brands when it comes to market share?  It’s time to expand your brand’s authority! Any of the following techniques can help you to gain an edge – no matter how crowded or established your field may be:   Idea #1 – Release a whitepaper Whitepapers are research-based document that educate audiences on specific subjects.  Create a good one with your brand’s name on it and you can be sure it’ll be sent far and wide on industry social channels.   Idea #2 – Write an ebook Either write your own ebook or hire a ghostwriter to develop something you can put your name on.  Give it away for free and watch your brand’s authority soar.   Idea #3 – Develop an infographic Infographics are highly shareable.  By creating your own (whether by hiring a marketing agency to do so or by using infographic creation tools ), you’ll get your name out within your industry.   Idea #4 – Launch an email crash course Educational email courses are a great way to build brand authority as they’re free and highly attractive to potential customers.  As an added bonus, they’re easy to develop using traditional email management services or technique-specific programs like Drip .   Idea #5 – Start an educational YouTube channel People love video, but truly great internet videos are few and far between.  You don’t need to spend a fortune to create a good video, but releasing a channel that’s packed full of informative, engaging videos is a great way to attract brand attention.   Idea #6 – Release a podcast Though simple, podcasts can be incredibly popular – especially amongst listeners with long commutes.  Create your own business-branded podcast and you’ll have direct access to prospective customers’ minds for as much as an hour at a time.   Idea #7 – Sponsor a social media contest Everybody loves free things, which is why social media contests tend to attract so much attention.  Spend a few hundred dollars on a great giveaway item and tie contest entries to some type of social participation.  Within a few weeks, you’ll have more brand interest than ever before.   Idea #8 – Interview an industry expert The great thing about interviewing industry experts is that they come with their own built-in audiences.  Use Skype to record a video interview with your chosen expert and then post the resulting clip to your website.  Your profile will increase by association and you’ll experience a flood of inbound traffic from the expert’s promotions.   Idea #9 – Connect with journalists Journalists are always looking for great sources for their next projects – you can be that source!  Join a service like Help a Reporter Out and you’ll be entered into a database from which journalists pull expert sources.  Just one interview in a major news publication can do a world of good for your brand.   Idea #10 – Get a book deal  If you fancy yourself a talented writer and have a good story to tell, a high profile book deal can be a great way to boost brand recognition.  Obviously, this isn’t the easiest path to walk, but if you’re successful, the brand-building results can be huge.   Idea #11 – Speak at industry events Want to put yourself in front of a room full of your peers and be granted automatic expert status?  Sign up to speak at industry events.  Not only will you expand your brand’s authority, you might even be paid for the privilege!   Idea #12 – Sponsor industry events Not the speaking type?  You can still use industry events to boost your brand’s recognition by sponsoring panels, sessions, gift bags and more.  To do so, pick an event that’s highly attended within your industry and get in touch with the event’s organizer for more information on sponsorship opportunities.   Idea #13 – Create your own industry event Of course, if you’ve got the time and money to do so, you can always create your own branded industry event.  It’s a major undertaking, but it’s guaranteed to boost your company’s profile.   Idea #14 – Volunteer at industry events One last way to leverage the power of industry events is to volunteer.  It isn’t glamorous work, but it will put you in touch with a number of influential people.  Once the event is over, they’re sure to remember your good works.   Idea #15 – Add a charitable initiative TOMS has it “buy one, give away one” shoe sales project.  Warby Parker donates one pair of glasses for every set sold.  Getting involved in a charitable initiative isn’t just great for brand-building – it’s great for the world at large.   What other techniques have you used to build your brand?  If you have other recommendations, share them in the comments section below! Continue reading →

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How to Optimize Your Bing Local Profile

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Hosting

Most potential customers find their local businesses by sitting down to search online. They often do so by searching for their city and the type of business they’re interested in. For example, if they live in San Francisco and need the help of a contractor, they are likely to search for “San Francisco contractors”. More than anything else, this is how users are currently finding their service providers. As a result, it’s very important to make sure your business is well positioned to rank highly in the search engines for these specific keyword phrases. When discussing search engine optimization, many companies focus on Google to the exclusion of all other search engines. Still, traffic to your website is important, no matter what the referral source is. That’s why making sure you optimize all your profiles – including your Bing Local profile – is so important. So if you haven’t already, sit down and take the time to optimize your Bing Local profile in order to drive traffic to your website using the following tips:   Claim Your Business Listing It’s very easy for businesses to set up listings that they never visit again. This can make it difficult for search engines and customers alike to determine which businesses are still in operation – or whether the information on the page is even accurate. Claiming your business listing is an easy way for you to verify that the information on your page is correct and that you’re an active participant in your business. While you’re doing this, make sure to add a branded image to your profile and to verify that your business information is indeed correct. Check that your address, website URL and phone number are all accurate so that you can really get the most out of your Bing Local listing.   Set Your Hours of Operation Bing Local has a great feature that allows businesses to set their hours of operation. When you’re open, an icon appears on your listing indicating you’re open. This lets customers know that they can call or visit you right away and receive an instant response. Especially if you’re open for more hours than your competitors, this is a great way to get an edge in the marketplace.   Strategically Add Categories and Specialties Adding categories to your Bing Local business profile can help you to rank higher in search engine searches. Be sure your listing includes what category your business falls into. From there, be creative in adding all the possible descriptions for your business. For instance, if you’re a lawyer, you’d want to add the individual categories for lawyer, attorney, legal, legal services and more. From there, look at your firm and any additional services you offer. If you have a paralegal, add that to your categories as well. This ensures that, however potential customers search for what you’re offering; you have a great shot at showing up in the search results.   Develop Citations In order to rank well in Bing searches, it’s important to have citations and inlinks incorporated into your profile. These citations can include links to sites like YP.com, Superpages.com, Yahoo! Local, Manta, Judy’s Book and more. Sites known as vertical directories – like Restaurants.com, Dentists.com, Contractors.com, etc. –can also help add to your citations and inlinks. These sites are great ways to drive traffic, but they also add power to your Bing Local profile. In essence, every link your business has adds to its credibility with the search engines, earning you higher rankings. It’s worth noting, however, that in order for these citations to truly help your business profile, they should be filled out fully and accurately.   Incorporate Deals into Your Profile Bing appears to have integrated with Groupon so that adding information on any deals you’re currently running can add oomph to your profile. You can also directly add deals into your profile through the Bing Business Profile. This lets any deals you’re running be offered directly to those who have found your profile through search. This is a great way to help convert leads into sales directly through your Bing Local profile. Optimizing your Bing Local profile is a great way to rank higher in Bing searches. This is important when it comes to driving traffic to your website and – ultimately – cornering more of your target market. As search continues to become more important for local businesses, knowing how to and taking the time to optimize your Bing Local profile can make a major difference for your company’s success. Are you currently using your Bing Local profile? If so, how has it helped your business? Continue reading →

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Domains & Hosting, Metaphorically Speaking

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Hosting

A topic that seems to generate a fair amount of confusion among those new to building websites is that of domain registration, web hosting, and the difference between the two. One of the best ways to effectively explain the difference is by using analogies.  This is especially true because in today’s society, there seem to be two groups — “techies” and everyone else. If you are a techie, you probably wouldn’t be reading this. My goal is that after reading this page, you’ll feel competent and comfortable enough to discuss these topics with a techie and feel like you’re on the same page.   Domains are Television Shows? A domain is like the name of a television show. Every show on TV has a different (unique) name. Imagine the confusion that would result if this were not the case [Related Article: Tips for Choosing Your Domain Name ]. A website is like the show itself. All the files, text, code, graphics, etc. that make up a website are like the props, sets, actors, lighting, sound, etc. that comprise a TV show. Before a show goes into production, it is just a name, or concept. You can register a domain and choose not to create a website, although you may have grand ideas or a general concept of the kind of website you’d like for your domain to have someday. A hosting provider is like a network that provides studio space (disk space on a server) for the show (website) and also broadcasts it into people’s homes (like when visitors view your site in a browser).   Web Hosting is an Art Store? Another way to look at web hosting is that it is similar to an art store. An art store provides you paint, brushes, canvases, and other tools you need to paint a masterpiece, however the art store does not create the actual painting for you. You purchase the tools you want to use from the art store, and then use those tools to build your website. Or hire a painter to paint a picture for you. Similarly, a web hosting company like HostGator, provides you with a variety of tools that you can use to build your website, such as a server and web space where you can upload your files, control panels that make it easy to configure your hosting account, and even provides the ability to install scripts like WordPress, or use one of our many site building solutions. However, the web host does not actually create your website. You can choose to build it yourself using the complimentary tools provided, or hire a web designer to develop your site for you. We specialize in providing the tools you need to build your website. But just like an art store, HostGator does not actually build the site for you. This is your creative space, allowing you to build the site of your dreams, any way you choose with the tools provided (and of course, you can always provide your own).   A Word on Domain Registration Let’s get a little more in-depth now. First we’ll take a closer look at domain registration. You can register a domain name at any domain registrar and then host it with HostGator. This is because domain registration and web hosting are two totally different things (just like a TV show’s name and its network are two entirely different things, although they do work together).  To host a domain that is registered elsewhere with HostGator, all that needs to occur is the updating of what are called nameservers.  Nameservers tell your browser not only which hosting company (TV network) a domain (TV show) is with, but also which server (think of a big broadcasting antenna) it is located on. When you sign up for web hosting with HostGator, we send you our Welcome Email. This email contains, among other items, the nameservers for your hosting package. You’ll need to log into your account with your domain registrar and update the generic or predefined nameservers already there with the ones that we sent you in the Welcome Email. HostGator has produced video tutorials to assist you with updating nameservers at many of the major registrars. If your particular registrar isn’t listed, I recommend watching two or three of these videos anyway to get the general idea of how the procedure works: HostGator Video Tutorials – Managing Your Domain With Another Registrar Now let’s move on to hosting. Assuming you already have a registered domain, you now either 1) wish to build a website (or have one built for you by a designer) or 2) have a functioning website.  You will need hosting 1) for the disk space that the website files will reside on and 2) so that the website can be transmitted to visitor’s browsers or phones.   Hosting Packages are Swimming Pools?  Why Not?! We have various types of hosting packages available.  In sticking with our analogy theme, here they are explained via a swimming pool metaphor: How Do I Choose Which Hosting Plan Is Right for Me? No matter which pool is right for you, happy swimming!  Um, happy art-making?  Happy television show production?  Happy hosting! Continue reading →

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