The market is flooded with options when it comes to hiring professionals for designing your website. So, what do you do; go for the cheapest agency out there? Certainly not. Building a website is the first step you take for marketing your business digitally. And you want it to be as strong as possible. Hence, although hiring a website design and development company can be a confusing task, it is worth the hard work. Remember that your search doesn’t end the day you find the best web design agency out there. More than that, you need to find the one that provides likeable services which suit your needs. Having said that, here is a list of questions to ask a web design company and to yourself before you hire them. Are they experienced?The best way to judge a company is by studying their previous work deeply. Since building a website is usually a one-time task, it is important to hire people who know what they’re doing. And that they are doing it very well. You can go through their online portfolio, client list, and testimonials to get an idea of their quality of work. Their knack for creativity, their sense of design, and their understanding of their clients’ needs all reflect in it. One more thing you can check is if their clients are from different industries. For example, a web design agency that is mostly into making websites for creative sectors may not be equally furnished with a finance-based website. It is always a good idea to check if they have a varied client background, or if their client category matches yours. Don’t shy away. If you’re wondering, “what question should I ask a web designer?”, this is the most critical one to ask. Only with their experience can they ensure fruitful results for you. Do your project requirements match their services?Before you start looking for professionals, you need to be very clear about what you want from your website. Whether you are re-branding your business, revamping your website, or creating one from scratch, all play major roles in deciding which kind of company to hire. Because no matter how accomplished an agency is, if they do not provide services that are critical for your website, there is no good in hiring them. It is a must to see that their professional website design services intersect with how you have imagined the work and process to be like. What are their ideas like?Are they creative? Are they courageous, and willing to explore new things? Do they have their own ideas, and do they listen to yours? All these questions decide whether you’ll be satisfied with the end product or not. If you are looking for something unique, the company should be capable to think out of the box. If your website is a bit challenging, they should be able to churn out exceptional results. If you already have a concrete blueprint of your website in your head, they should be able to accept the good inputs. And at the same time, they should be able to dismiss the bad ones without blindly following your instructions. What is their process?This is one more valuable insight on how to choose a web design company. It is important to know the details of their work style in order to trust them with your project. By studying their web design process, you can figure if they’ll be able to meet your deadlines. Moreover, their capacity for organising reflects in the kind of work they can produce. Most importantly, this will give you an insight on whether or not they have a marketing department. Without it, your website is just another pretty page lying undiscovered on the internet. Thus, design, development, and marketing should be given equal importance for a sustainable web design. Which services are included?When you hire a web designer, you should first get a thorough idea of which services are included and which aren’t. We recommend that you go for someone who provides UX focused designing. UX, or user experience, is that one feature of a website that surpasses all others. The website should be designed keeping the user in mind. Their convenience and liking should be a priority and not just an aspect. Additionally, the design should be responsive. Which means that it should adapt to different gadgets like mobile phones, tablets, or PCs. They should be mobile friendly as well, since more than 50% of the users access data through mobiles instead of computers. Finally, the agency should regulate a content management system for the website. It is necessary for tasks like updating your site and fixing glitches. They should be proficient with tools like WordPress and Magento. To ConcludeOnly when you find satisfactory answers to each of these questions should you stop your search. Remember that your website depends entirely on the agency that is going to work on it. Which is to say that they are responsible for the success or failure of your business on digital media. So, when you are taking a major step like this, consider all aspects and think it through. But most importantly, now that you know what to look for when hiring a web design company, you are safe to sail into the ocean. The design agency which is best for you is out there, it just needs some looking for.
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So, what comes after building a website, marketing your business on social media, and writing blogs? What is the next big step to make sure your business is seeing an upward graph? Businesses today are spreading across all digital marketing spheres. And your answers lie in the evolving sphere of mobile application development services. Why make a mobile app?Now that technology has advanced, reaching the audience has become even easier. While websites may not always be accessible, you can encourage customers to still avail your services. The easiest way to do so is by creating a mobile application of your business. How to get users to download your appPrimarily, you should promote your application on all possible digital media. The key is to let people know that they can avail your services directly through an app. For example, during the launch of your application, you can post app-only deals which are beneficial to the customer. Additionally, you can enlighten customers about the benefits of using your business mobile app. If they find your selling points convincing, they are likely to go for it. Also, keeping the app costs to a nil or minimum value helps if you’re unsure about users downloading it. Because if it’s a free app, people will at least want to give it one shot. Downloading v/s retainingStudies suggest that consumers spend 90% of the time in mobile applications when they’re on their phone. Thus, with an app, you are more likely to grow your business. However, Google revealed in a report that 26% of downloaded apps are used only once and then abandoned. Which shows that retaining a customer once they have downloaded your app is as crucial as getting them to download it. So, how to retain app users? How to retain customers on your appExperience over everything elseUsers download a mobile app for convenience, getting their task done quickly, and availing better deals/services. Thus, if your business has a mobile app, it is important that it ticks off all the boxes. An app that is fast, responsive, easy to navigate and a one-stop solution to the user’s demands is received well. As user experience is the founding step to successfully running a mobile app, be careful with this step during building the application. Being unique is always a good ideaIf you hire a trusted mobile app development company, they can help you build an app that is truly unique. It can be exclusive in terms of design, the way it executes data, or it could be the content. Better yet, it should be all three. To give you an example, if yours is a publishing app, you could involve a feature that lets the user directly access the dictionary from the app. This is to say that you can show your creativity in every nook and corner to win the consumer’s heart. Customers love personal careThis is one of the most crucial ways to make a customer happy with your mobile app. Whenever you take care of the needs of a customer, they are more likely to keep coming back to you. For example, when the user opens the app, you can greet them with a ‘Hello, username”. Or you could wish them on their birthday, anniversary, and other events through a notification. Moreover, using graphics, you can create a video that personalizes according to the profile and the event. Believe it or not, such tiny details make a huge impact. Notify consumers about your businessReminding customers in their busy schedule that you are up and functional is a necessity. With a simple notification about a sale, added feature, or an interesting fact, you increase mobile app engagement significantly. We’ll let the numbers do the talking. It is seen that push notifications lead to as much as 88% more user engagement. On the other hand, it is also important to maintain a balance. Flooding the user’s phone with notifications will only annoy them, no matter how beneficial the deals are. Hence, according to your business and your consumer list, draw a line to the notifications such that they are optimum. This ensures user engagement without risking warding them off. Strong customer support means winning at businessRemember that your business revolves around your customers. Hence, your customer support team has the power of making or breaking your business. Be it canceling a subscription for a confused user or helping them in understanding a product feature, providing help in the most efficient and kind manner always works wonders for a business. Additionally, customers who are regular users of your app will also be able to give you the most accurate feedback about their experience. It can help you better your service in all aspects. Hence, value customer feedback and make sure you take the fixing steps. ConclusionIn all, go ahead and hire a mobile app developer without hesitation. While it can be a tricky business to get users to utilize your app time and again, it is not impossible. Follow the rules, pay attention to their needs, and keep them happy with good user experience.
The wide world of social media marketingSocial media is one of the biggest things to happen to the digital world. The number of people using it is spiralling upwards, and so is the significance of social media marketing. If you are wondering why to use social media for business, the figures are here to enlighten you. Over 91% of marketers have claimed that social media marketing has majorly increased their brand visibility. In 2017, 71% of internet users were a part of at least one SM platform. Due to the humongous audience, SM marketing has only seen a prominent rise. And what lies at the heart of it? The pictures, the videos, and all information that a brand gives out. Which can all be summed up in one word- ‘content’. So, why is content creation important? Let us begin with the basics. What is content marketing?Unlike the general misconception, content is not just the text you see on social media. A more accepted word for it is ‘copy’. So, what exactly is content? Content can be defined as “the information and experiences that are directed towards an end-user or audience”. Hence, creating quality content and marketing it is the most efficient strategy for exhibiting a brand on social media. What is its significance?Why content marketing matters, is because 78% of customers prefer to know a company through its articles rather than ads. Additionally, 74% of companies believe that their marketing leads have increased after they started content marketing. And to your delight, 60% of consumers enjoy reading relevant content from brands. Content marketing involves SEO, email marketing, and social media publishing. However, posting content on social media is only half the work done. It does not assure any growth. The content needs to be appreciated by a wide audience to make the impact, which is the other half. Let us tell you what is the importance of good content.Improves brand reputationBuilding a commendable brand reputation through social media does not happen overnight. However, it is something the right content on social media can help you with. If you start posting relevant content and share your insights on the brand and field, people will take interest in what you say. Your social media profile can become your voice, and help you create a unique reputation. And isn’t that what all brands want eventually? Helps in growing the audienceAny social media marketing company would tell you that a growing audience on your social media is a step towards success. If the content you share is relatable and liked by a wide audience, they are likely to share it within their circle. Moreover, advertising the content only works if you have strong material. If your content lacks the information or entertainment factor and you advertise it, doing so will not prove fruitful. On the other hand, if the content- be it images, videos, or plain text- is gripping, it will get more engagement. And once you engage the audience, drawing them to become a part of your circle becomes easier. This ultimately results in the growth of followers on your social media. Increases conversion ratesThe importance of social media content knows no bounds. You can bring in more conversion by building a remarketing audience. Content marketing, it has been observed, provides 6 times higher conversion rates than other digital marketing methods. We will tell you how it works. When potential consumers visit different web pages on your website looking for content, Google Analytics keeps a record. By studying these records, you can create a new list of an audience, which includes people who have shown prior interest in your products or services. Then, you can market the same product or service on their social media ad section. If the consumer comes across the same services, again and again, they are likely to make a purchase. Additionally, you can include Call to Action along with your ads and your profiles. This way, the chances of user conversion significantly increase. With the help of social media marketing services and these simple strategies, you can invite a higher conversion than ever. Supports all kinds of digital marketing strategiesContent is the root of executing any marketing strategy digitally. Be it email marketing or social media, content is what makes an impact on the consumer. Just having great ideas for marketing a brand is not enough. The execution is the real deal, and it is only excelled with exceptional content. Final WordsAs they say, content is king. With quirky, riveting content, you can hugely be constructive with your social media. And eventually, it will lead to more business, which is the ultimate goal. To avail the best of services and leave no stone unturned, you can begin with a simple step. Hire an SMO expert to help you with focused, helpful social media marketing. Let your business take flight from there. And don’t forget to make content which is class apart.
IntroductionWith start-ups, bloggers, and influencers receiving tremendous applause, this is a golden age for entrepreneurship. While you are already excelling in your industry as an entrepreneur, take a step further and be well-known for it. Yes, we’re asking you to make use of personal branding strategies to boost your business. Don’t get us wrong, this is not just for the showbiz. Being a popular face in your industry can fetch you more business, help you make an impact, and take you closer to your vision. As you already know, entrepreneurship is very different from the corporate culture. Here, you are the founding pillar of your business. Thus, everything you do will have a striking impact on your business. So, why not use this fact to your advantage? By putting your thoughts, life-snippets, and ideologies out there, you are letting others peek inside your life. And by doing so, you are opening the gates of communication, friendliness, and reachability: traits everyone likes in a leader. To check how can you come around doing it, first understand what personal branding is all about. What is Personal Branding?The practice of marketing one’s skill, career, and brand is called personal branding. It aims at establishing a customised image of an individual and their brand. In his book, Erving Goffman, an influential sociologist termed Self Presentation as the way people want to be seen by others around them. It refers to looking at yourself from an outsider’s point of view. This theory of self-presentation can be defined in modern terms as personal branding. Both have to do with how the public sees an individual. So, personal branding is more like a constant documentation of one’s life and their thoughts. Now that you’ve got the list of personal branding, let’s dive deep in it. Why is personal branding important?Here are different ways in which personal branding can prove as a blessing for an entrepreneur. Helps you make an image for yourselfFirst impressions have now become the make-or-break point in marketing. People judge a website within 3 seconds of viewing it. They scroll through a social media profile half-attentively and decide within a matter of seconds if they find the person worth following or not. During such times, it is important to have a brand image that appeals to the public. If they like your persona and what you have to share, they are also going to like your work/brand. Hence, by branding yourself, you invite others to know your brand through you. As evident, this is one of the main reasons why entrepreneurs should invest in personal branding. Helps you connect to an audiencePeople love interacting with personalities they admire or idolize. By being present on social media, you can communicate with people who are seeking help, praising your work, or reaching out for business. Moreover, connecting with the audience is always a fulfilling thing. It keeps you motivated and encourages you to keep moving forward. What’s better than accepting a word of kindness and returning it with better services? Keeps you in the marketIf you haven’t realised yet, we’ll break it to you. All your competitors are already profiting from personal branding. And to be in the business, you have to keep up-to-date with what others are doing. Personal branding in marketing gets you money and fame equally. By promoting yourself through a blog or social media posts, you stay in the talks. Your audience gets reminded of your work every time they see a post from you, thus keeping your business alive. Additionally, you can also share-worthy information, tips and tricks, or details of your journey while branding yourself. If the audience finds the information useful, they’ll reward you by sharing it forward. This way, you can gain even more popularity, which will always prove beneficial for your brand. Where to startThe easiest way to find an audience is on the internet. People are curious. They appreciate entertainment and show interest in following people they admire. And you can use this knowledge to your benefit and build up an online presence. Before you dive into personal branding tips, make sure you are up to date with the basics. Personal branding can be put into effect by taking the following steps. Make a personal websiteA website is like a detailed glimpse into your work, life, and thoughts. It gives you the freedom to play around with space. And more importantly, there are no set rules to it. You can represent yourself the way that appeals you the most. Thus, in a way, your website reflects who you are and what you do. Branding your skills, experience, and vision on the website can create a suitable information about your brand and yourself. Create social media profilesSocial media is the easiest and the most crucial way to reach out to an audience. You can post about the day’s events, subjects you feel strongly about, development or news related to business, and much more. This way, your followers can get a better idea of who you are as a person. And eventually, you can create a distinctive personality solely through social posting. The next time you wonder why personal branding is important, look at all the social media influencers and how they’re benefitting from their online presence. Sending out emailers and newslettersSending emails is another smart way of marketing yourself as a brand. It is as good as personally talking to interested people about your journey, plans, and more. How? Emails let you reach a targeted audience that you know is interested in knowing more about you. Thus, increasing the credibility of your brand is easily done with emailers and newsletters. Curating a digital portfolioDigital portfolios can come as a boon to entrepreneurs. They give you a free space to bring all your work together and represent it to the world the way you like. Let’s take an example - for creative professionals, platforms like Behance and Pinterest are exemplary. These sites have high credibility and bring you customers by going through your work. Thus, being present on such platforms can help people understand your work quality and bring in business. If you follow all the steps accurately, you will successfully make yourself a space in digital media. And once you get there, this is how you move forward. How to make the best of personal branding?Have a consistent online presenceThe most important aspect of brand reputation management service is to keep your presence constant and enjoyable. By publishing a blog every week or posting on social media every now and then, you keep your users engaged. This way, they can also stay updated about your projects, meetings/events you’re attending, and more. Let’s also think of it this way. If you fail to keep consistency with your social profiles but your competitors post often, users are likely to forget about you and follow the next person. Thus, it is important to stay in the know of digital trends and follow them whenever you can. Indulge in social media promotionPlatforms like Facebook and Instagram offer the option of paid promotion of posts. We insist that you make it a habit to set some budget aside for the same. The more you promote your profile, the more users will come across it. Eventually, it will lead to a substantial following. With abundant people following you on social media, you get many perks. Companies will like to collaborate with you. You will be able to reach out to the widest audience within seconds. Everything you believe in and try to say will be heard and acknowledged. Enticing, isn’t it? Follow a content strategyContent lies at the heart of any material you find online. This makes content curation one of the most critical personal branding strategies. Rather than being careless and abrupt about what you post on social media, follow a precise strategy. Remember that the content you post has to be well thought of and should not hurt anyone’s sentiments. Additionally, posting informative and relevant posts will gather the largest digital crowd. We believe that a balance between entertainment and knowledge is the right way to tread down the path of content formation. Make vlogs and podcastsWe’re glad to tell you, research shows that 1/3rd of all online activity consists of watching videos. Moreover, Forbes said in an article that half a billion people watch videos every day on Facebook. As evident, video content does extremely well amongst the audience. Be it a live session, a vlog, or a podcast series, users love to engage into videos they find interesting. Thus, sharing your entrepreneurial journey through videos will fetch you a generous response. Decide on offline networkingOffline networking involves everything you do off the digital platform. Attending industry meetings and conferences, going for events, supporting a cause in public all fall under the same. Remember that an offline network works as much magic as the one online. Word of mouth, press, and other materialistic means of branding for entrepreneurs are just as effective. Thus, by making the best of them, you can build a supportive network for the business. Invest in professional content and photographyLet’s say, you have a clothing brand, or run an architecture firm, or are a tattoo artist. Every entrepreneur, regardless of their business type, can benefit from good content and high-quality photographs. The two features make a sophisticated brand impression. Moreover, they also help promote your product or services in the finest manner. Any user would like to go through a social media profile or website that is pretty to the eye. So, do the needful. Hire a brand developerFinally, it is okay to accept that all the tasks mentioned above are difficult to fulfil at a go. This is why, in such cases, seeking the support of a professional is always a good idea. We recommend that you hire a brand developer in India, so that all your personal branding needs can be catered to efficiently. They can come up with strategies to market your brand and you in a way that seems the most suitable for your audience. More importantly, a professional set of eyes can help in bringing out the best in you and your work. They can take care of the content you publish on social media, in your podcasts, on your website and more. Thus, by handing over all responsibility to a professional, you can breathe lighter and get better results at the same time. Before You GoWith a worthy investment of some time and money, personal branding can take your business to the next level. As you see, with it, you have nothing to lose. We hope you have already made up your mind about being the next well-known entrepreneur. RareDevs is a branding agency in Ahmedabad, and our heart lies in everything that has to do with marketing and branding. If you need any further help or tips on entrepreneur branding, we are just a call away. Reach out and we can have a good chat about all things digital that interest you.
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AuthorRareDevs is a Digital IT Services and Solutions provider Company. It also shares latest updates and ideas about Digital Marketing, Branding, SEO, Web Design and Development, Mobile Apps Development. Archives
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