Google Image Search – Tip of The Day

by Paula Lay on November 22, 2011

in SEO

Today’s handy tip of the day comes direct from Google. From their Facebook Page:

Tell Google that you want images, and we’ll give you images. No, really: add the word “images” or “photos” to your query and you’ll see more images at the top of your results page.

For example:

Add Image to Search

This is an addition to Google’s Image Search Engine, which returns images in the results based on keywords entered or ‘best guesses’ when dragging and dropping images into the search field.

So Should I Optimise My Images for Search?

Most definitely! One of the key ways to optimise your images is simply to give them a descriptive file name. Not only is it personally beneficial for identifying and organising your image files, it will increase your search visibility for the millions of users who search for product or location specific (to name a few) images that tie in with your business. Rather than keeping your cameras naming convention (IMG_0001.jpg anyone?), take into consideration what users would search for, like ‘joes-cafe-sydney.jpg’, ‘cup-coffee.jpg’, ‘coffee-beans.jpg’ and so on.

Here’s a little bit of joy for your Wednesday!

Mystery Google Search

{ 0 comments }

E-Web’s New Millionaire Minds!

by Lorraine Owens on November 22, 2011

in Company News

Over the weekend, a group of around 15 E-Webbers went to the T Harv Eker Millionaire Mind Intensive seminar. This was a 3 day seminar from Friday – Sunday that went for 14 hours a day (12 hours on Sunday)… talk about intensive!

It is hard to condense 3 full days worth of learning into one small blog post, but I am going to try!

When we arrived there were around 2,500 people all seated in plastic seats waiting for T Harv Eker, self-made millionaire and motivational speaker, to come on stage. The first thing that ran through my mind was that this was going to be a very long, tedious weekend and these chairs were not going to be comfortable for that long… This mindset was what I needed to learn to change.

Throughout the weekend there were multiple exercises and notes to take down. The most memorable would be changing your mindset to “The way you do anything, is the way you do everything”. This way of thinking has already started to change the way I do things. I used to think that I could do some things 80%, 50% or 20%, and still be able to give 100% to other things - but now I know this isn’t the case.

There were many ups and downs throughout the weekend, some people storming out because they disagreed with things, some people crying when they realised how different things could have been if they had of known this stuff earlier, and even a couple of sneaky naps during the sales pitches (there are always sales pitches at these events but this is how they make their money so I respect that).

Overall, the weekend seminar was a pleasant surprise. If you want to know the specifics of the day, you need to attend the next seminar … I have a “no spoilers” policy for these sorts of things, since there were some very memorable moments over the weekend which need to be experienced first-hand. Going in with an open mind and no expectations would be my advice.

E-Web Marketing now has many millionaire minds sitting right here in our office thanks to our time investment of a single weekend … I wonder what E-Web is going to become in the coming years because of this …

 

{ 1 comment }

E-Web Marketing Interviewed on My Business Magazine for Best Employer Award

by Gary Ng on November 22, 2011

in Company News

Check out our latest interview in My Business magazine! Having recently won Best Employer at the My Business ActionCOACH Awards, E-Web Marketing explains how and why we created our culture of HSF.

{ 0 comments }

Mobile Websites – What You Should Be Doing

by Kevin Dam on November 18, 2011

in Mobile Marketing

Though Mobile Marketing is still a relatively young industry, there are two rules of thumb that you should always consider when creating a mobile website:

  1. What are users trying to achieve when they are searching on their mobile devices?
  2. How much time do you think they have if they are searching in this way?

Thinking about the likely answers to these questions, it quickly becomes apparent that mobile users are looking for information on the go, and they want it fast. Whether finding out the best place to shop for a bargain, where to eat, train timetables, or even the weather, mobile users are defined by their readiness to take action.

SEE ALSO: 10 Million More Reasons to Build Your Site for Mobile Devices

But the implications of Mobile Marketing don’t stop there. You also need to think about how mobile websites can be used to increase your online visibility via SEO ranking factors, and how to enhance the mobile user experience. By covering your bases, you stand a better chance of not only attracting mobile visitors, but impressing them enough that they come back time and again.

Ranking Factors

1. Sitemaps – Submit the sitemap for the mobile version of your website to major search engines. Google has two crawlers: Googlebot for traditional desktop sites, and Mobile-Googlebot for mobile specific sites. Being included in one index doesn’t necessarily guarantee you’ll be found in the other.

2. Images and video – Though images and video can engage desktop users, mobile users are a different breed. Overloading your mobile site with content that takes a long time to load will frustrate mobile visitors who don’t want to wait.

User Experience

1. Make it obvious – Aspects of your mobile website that you want the user to interact with should be made to look as such. Mobile visitors don’t have time to browse through every pixel of their screen to find your telephone number.

2. Enable Click-to-Call – People still like speaking with people, especially if they want to book a restaurant or similar. Make sure your contact number renders as visible text, not a slow-loading image file. Or even better, enable Click-to-Call so they can touch the button and dial through straight away.

SEE ALSO: Mobile Marketing: The Next Stage in Evolution

With the above being just the tip of the iceberg, there are many other things to consider before creating a mobile website, or any form of Mobile Marketing campaign. One common discussion is whether or not a mobile website should be made, or if a mobile app is the better way to go. I will go into detail about this in the near future so stay tuned!

{ 0 comments }

2011 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Win for E-Web Marketing

by Gary Ng on November 17, 2011

in Company News

For the fourth year in a row, E-Web Marketing is honoured to be included in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 List, which recognises the fastest growing Australian companies in the technology sector.

  • #31 in 2011
  • #43 in 2010
  • #24 in 2009
  • #26 in 2008

After gaining a bit of ground from last year, the E-Web Marketing team is abuzz with excitement and determination to do even better in 2012. Our growth level is a direct reflection of how effectively we are able to help our clients’ business grow. The higher we get, the higher we want to go in future, because it means we are taking more and more online businesses with us.

Our latest accolade has reinforced our motivation to take our digital marketing strategies to new levels, so we can better serve our existing and future clients. We already have various initiatives under top secret development to be rolled out over the next 12 months, that we cannot wait to share with you!

I’d like to thank my amazing team for their hard work – this is truly a testament to your dedication and skill. And on behalf of everyone at E-Web Marketing, I’d like to thank our loyal clients for standing by us in 2011. It’s a peerless privilege to be trusted with your online marketing campaigns, and to be allowed to contribute to your success. I’m confident that 2012 will bring new and better opportunities and victories for all of us.

{ 0 comments }

Keywords that Convert

by Raimundo Campbell on November 17, 2011

in SEO

I hear it time and time again: “I want to rank at the top of Google for this keyword”, and “I only want to rank for these keywords – the rest don’t matter.” It seems that many businesses today believe that ranking for the highest searched, most competitive keywords in their respective industries is the only way to meet their business and website goals.

Sure, broad generic keywords drive thousands of searches, but do these competitive search terms really generate the most website conversions: sales, leads or enquiries?

To start, let’s go through a few examples of both broad keywords, and what SEO practitioners relate to as “long tail keywords” (keywords comprised of three or more words).

Broad Keywords:

  • Chairs
  • Furniture
  • Air conditioner
  • TV
  • Digital cameras

Long Tail Keywords:

  • Buy dining chairs online
  • Cheap furniture online
  • Fujistsu wall mounted air conditioner
  • Samsung 40” lcd TV
  • Canon ixus 1000 HS

This is all good and well, but what does it mean..?

Put yourself in the shoes of a perspective customer. You’re looking to buy a chair for your living room, so where do you start? You’re not yet sure where to buy the chair from, the style of chair, the price you want to pay. To initiate your research, most would agree, Google would be the place to start.

What kind of keywords would this user input to start their research and get some inspiration?

Chair, chairs, stylish furniture, furniture ideas (broad keywords right?)

After some research, the user eventually decides that they want to purchase an “Eames replica wire chair”. As they now know exactly what they are looking for, they now need to find is a retailer that sells this particular product. Now, how would they find this … Google perhaps?

What kind of keyword do you think the user would input to find his or her desired product?

Eames replica wire chair, cheap Eames replica chairs, buy Eames replica chair online (long tail keywords)

Can you see how more specific keywords would drive more qualified visitors? If this user is directed to a website that offers exactly what they are looking for, there is a significantly higher chance of them converting into a paying customer. Whereas broad keywords are often searched by window shoppers who are not exactly sure what they are looking for.

If you are an online retailer, and you want to drive more qualified users to your site, have a think about what kind of keywords YOU would search for when looking to purchase a product online. At the end of the day, it’s a matter of quality vs. quantity. Increasing the number of relevant users who know exactly what they are looking for, will result in higher website conversion rates – and greater success for your business.

One last handy hint: if you’re an online retailer with e-commerce tracking linked up with your Google Analytics, you can have a look to see what keywords have generated the most revenue. What kind of keywords are they – broad or long tail?

{ 0 comments }

My Ethnic Business Awards finalist thank you speech

by Gary Ng on November 17, 2011

in Company News

First posted on www.garyng.com.au.

I had a great time at the Ethnic Business Awards at Sydney’s Four Seasons Hotel last Monday! It was a great honour to be recognised as a finalist among the many successful businesses established by migrants to Australia.

For the Small Business category for which we were a finalist, Michael Cejnar of MicroPace took the top prize. I want to congratulate him and all the other finalists.

The only regret I had on the night was that I didn’t say my thank you speech on national TV, as there are some really special people I wanted to thank. So, I’m going to do the next best thing and get them to read it on my blog.

Thank you Joseph Assaf and the Ethnic Business Awards team! – The Ethnic Business Awards promotes multiculturalism and embraces ethnic diversity within Australia. We are a better country for what Joseph Assaf and his team have promoted through the EBA.

Joseph Assaf and Gary Ng
With EBA founder Joseph Assaf

Thank you NAB, Media Sponsors and other Sponsors! – The award would not have been possible without the generous donations of the founding sponsor, NAB, as well as other sponsors for supporting the spirit of this event.

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa! – My Grandma was the person who supported me moving to Australia as a child. If she and my Grandpa had not been willing to take up the burden of taking care of me, I don’t know where I would be right now. I also miss all the yummy food she cooks for me.

Thank you Dad and Mum! – My parents have always been very supportive of everything I do. Because of this, I was able to walk my own path and thrive, knowing that I had their love and support should I ever need it.

Thank you Papa and Mama! – I would not be at the award tonight without my parents in law helping us babysit our 2 boys, Davis and Gavin. They are constantly in the background supporting and helping us every step of the way.

Thank you Doreen for being the forever giving person you are and I love you dearly for it! – Some say behind every successful man there is a woman to support him, and this is so true in my case. My lovely wife Doreen has been like the unsung hero, taking on the strenuous task of looking after our two children and keeping our household running every day. When I see everything that Doreen does, I believe absolutely that being a fulltime mum is harder than going to work!

My wife is amazing!

Thank you to All Past and Present Clients! – E-Web Marketing would not be where we are without the support of our extended family, our clients. The opportunity you give us to help your business grow is what motivates us to jump out of bed each day and give it our all.

Thank you to Everyone at E-Web! – It was my name that was nominated as a finalist, but E-Web Marketing is not a team of one, it is a team of many. We have come a long way through the years to build our company from a home office, to a family of over forty people and an environment that is currently ranked by BRW as the #2 Best Place to Work in Australia. Every single one of you should be very proud of your achievement. This is just the beginning of the journey – the exciting part is when we start to inspire other companies and people to start constructing their work days and work cultures around the vision of Happiness, Success and Fun. We have much work in front of us and I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to be going along for the ride.

Thank you Joshua Hay, it’s time for us to celebrate! – Special mention has to go to Joshua Hay, our COO, who was there at the very beginning and has been an integral part of growing the E-Web vision to where it is now.

I’m looking forward to next year already!

p.s. The award will be aired on SBS2 this Friday (18/11) at 8:30pm

{ 0 comments }

10 Million More Reasons to Build Your Site for Mobile Devices

by Paula Lay on November 16, 2011

in Mobile Marketing

The latest report from Australian telecoms research firm Telsyte  predicts that the usage of smartphones will grow from the current figure of 8.5 million to 18.5 million over the next four years. To state the obvious, that’s a whopping growth of 10 million users!

Why Building for Mobile Matters

Smartphones

  • By 2013, more people will use mobile phones than PCs to get online
  • Mobile searches have quadrupled since 2010
  • 71% of users expect a mobile site to load as fast as a desktop site
  • 57% of consumers would not recommend a business with a bad mobile site
  • 40% of users will turn to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experienceE-Web Marketing's Mobile Site
  • 95% of smartphone users have searched for local information. Of this 95%, 90% will act within 24 hours
  • 50% of mobile searches lead to purchase

Source: http://www.howtogomo.com

Depending on the nature of a business, this is set to increase both the traffic and revenue generated by consumers who use their smartphone as a primary mobile device. With million of users already on mobile devices, Go Mo  (a Google initiative) has been launched to prepare your businesses site to be more pocket friendly.

Find Out How Your Site Appears to Your Customers!

One of the features of Go Mo is to find out how mobile friendly your existing site is based on the nature of your business and factors including site speed, text size and visibility of contact information. The feature also generates a free report available for download with advice and best mobile practices for building your site for the web.

So really the only question you should be asking yourself is: have you created a site for mobile devices for your business yet?

 

 

{ 1 comment }

All About the AdWords Geographic Performance Report

by Gabriela Serrano on November 14, 2011

in Pay Per Click (PPC)

The Geographic Performance Report allows you to look at your campaign’s performance in different geographic regions. You can access it in the Google AdWords interface under the Dimensions tab.

You can break down the report data by Country, Region and Town/City. You can also customise the information you want to see for each region: Impressions, Click Though Rate, Clicks, Conversions, etc.

How to use the report information

The Geographic Performance Report is used to understand which regions are performing well against your campaign objectives. These may be number of conversions, cost-per-conversion, number of impressions, or various other metrics. For instance, the Geographic Performance Report may show that the high cost-per-conversion for specific regions is increasing your campaign’s overall cost-per-conversion. If a campain goal is to keep your conversion costs as low as possible, you can then make an informed decision to exclude these regions.

Let’s look at this example in more detail. Say your campaign is spending most of the budget in NSW, but Queensland has a much lower cost per conversion. In this case, you may want to create a separate campaign for Queensland and allocate it as much budget as possible.

When to use the report information

The Geographic Performance Report can be most valuable when:

  • You have well-structured accounts
  • Your products/offerings are geo-specific
  • Your account targets a single location that drives high traffic at an inefficient cost per conversion

While not a core report within AdWords, the Geographic Performance Report can still be very useful, specifically for geo-focused accounts and/or more mature accounts looking for additional optimisation.

However, using this report should not take priority over basic AdWords best practices, such as improving ad Quality Scores, improving CTR, or optimising your landing pages. Once you have the fundamentals down, the Geographic Performance Report will become much more valuable.

 

Please leave a comment if you have any questions about the report, or about AdWords in general. I’d love to help you out with the answers!

{ 1 comment }

Free Google Business Photos – Put Yourself on the Map!

by Paula Lay on November 11, 2011

in Local Search

Google Business Photos

On top of map directions, static photos, videos and street views for business listings, Google have rolled out interactive 360 degree views inside business locations.

Users browsing street view in Google Maps will be able to come off the streets and get a virtual tour of the interior of your location. For example, users looking for the perfect ambient environment for a restaurant or hotel will be able to tour dining areas, private function rooms, hotel facilities and outdoor areas with the ability to zoom in and out on your unique selling points. This will be extremely beneficial for potential customers in the research phase of the decision making process – and extremely beneficial to you as well, if you have great photos to show off to them!

From the Google Business photos FAQ page:

What are the benefits of requesting a photo shoot of my business?

Just as you can’t judge a book by its cover, you can’t always judge a business by its exterior. Interior photographs and panoramic imagery are a great way to show potential customers what your business is really like. By enhancing your Place page, business photos will help showcase your business to potential customers.

Check out the interior 360 degree tour of Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym and their great use of Business Photos with their vertigo inducing rock climbing walls:


View Larger Map

While this feature is still relatively new, there is no doubt that this will play a part in Google SERPs. And with the speed that Google innovates, you can bet it will be sooner rather than later. Combined with improving the search results for “freshness”, getting your business photos added to your Google Place page will probably improve its ranking potential, since Google favours Place pages that are 100% complete.

All businesses in Australian Capital cities are eligible to register their business for free photos taken by Google photographers using street view technology. To register, simply fill out the online form from Google Maps. For more insight, here’s a short video by Google on the benefits of Business Photos:

This is a great opportunity to showcase your business and differentiate yourself from your competitors. And watch this space for E-Web Marketing’s Business Photos!

{ 0 comments }

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →