May 9, 2022 by Edwin Gerace
Case study for restaurants / Digital Trends
Restaurants are losing out on potential customers because of not having a website. A recent study indicated that about 26% of restaurant clients perform an online search before visiting a restaurant, and 50% report that their first source of information is a review site such as Yelp. Additionally, over 30% of individuals visiting from out of town visit restaurant websites in their respective destinations to make a dining decision. Lastly, research shows that 8.5 billion searches are made on Google every day. Those are all potential clients that restaurants lose daily because they do not have a website presence online.
Though food websites like Glovo and Uber Eat give restaurants visibility to many potential hungry customers, the challenge is that many restaurants get lost in the crowded spaces of these food Apps. Unless the restaurant is on the home page, visibility is minimal for smaller unknown establishments. Therefore, a website is necessary for a restaurant to create its brand presence, tell its story, and showcase its unique foods. This is especially beneficial for specialty restaurants like Organic or Vegan restaurants. Find out what we offer for website development services by clicking here.
When the restaurant website is up and running, you need to inspire visibility and traffic by promoting it. Some practical, actionable ways are Geofencing marketing, a location-based marketing service that restaurants can use to target and engage their audience. This is done by sending relevant messages to smartphone users within an established area or predetermined boundary. The benefits of geofencing include precise targeting of an audience with the right content at the right time. For example, they are alert of Happy Hour snacks and drinks during the promotion hour to passers-by or large employers; with 94% of smartphone owners spending more time using their phones than watching television, the probability of converting these passers-by into customers increases.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is another marketing strategy that restaurants can increase traffic to their websites. SEM refers to using paid advertising in search engines. Examples of this are Pay Per Click (PPC) marketing which requires advertisers to pay for each click made on their adverts. The advantage of this is that it is very affordable and very targeted. Your advert only shows up for people looking for specific keywords that the restaurant has bid on. Therefore, these are customers ready to buy your particular food. For example, a search for ‘Italian pasta’ or ‘Tacos’ will bring up the restaurant in the search results.
Therefore, search engine optimization and geo-fencing are effective online-based tools that increase the online presence of a restaurant’s website.
Although online presence is requisite for restaurants, restaurants’ website needs to be responsive and promoted. Consequently, the restaurant’s online presence should be interactive and allow its clientele to make inquiries or leave feedback. A recent report indicates that restaurants with responsive online platforms have higher brand awareness. Step 1 is to have a virtual storefront (Website). Step 2 make sure 100% of all information is correct, including social media links. Step 3 Promote your site, your specials, and your unique offering. Do everything to drive traffic to your website, and social channels cause sending traffic to HubSpot or a 3rd party site is not helping your online presence but helping your competitors.
Restaurants need to be where their customers are looking, and that’s online. However, restaurants are stuck trying to be seen on food App sites instead of owning their brand presence with a website. When you have a website, make sure that the site is visible in search engine results. SEM helps with this visibility, while Geofencing provides restaurants with location visibility at the right time and the data to better understand their customers. Consult with Giraffe on what online solution is best for you.
Undeniably, having a more established website online presence and using these and other marketing strategies is critical for any restaurant’s survival. Having a site can not only help drive traffic to your restaurant but can steer customers to you instead of your competitors.
At Giraffe Marketing, we specialize in all three of these areas and can help your restaurant create a solid online presence that will target potential consumers. Contact us today for more information on how we can help you achieve success!
March 10, 2022 by Edwin Gerace
February 9, 2022 by Edwin Gerace
A website’s design determines how customers find your website online and whether visitors click (or “bounce”) away or stay on your site.
With 91% of U.S. shoppers online by 2023, a high bounce rate means missing out on a lot of potential customers. A website that’s trustworthy and easy to use, on the other hand, makes shoppers feel confident making purchases online.
There’s a lot that goes into building a website that’s easy to find, easy to use, and looks good, which is why many small business owners choose to partner with digital marketing agencies like Giraffe Marketing LLC for website development and design.
Business owners on a budget can explore drag-and-drop website builders. DIY builders like the ZenBusiness website builder are an option for basic business websites with customizable templates and streamlined integrations with social accounts and Google maps.
What sets well-designed business websites apart from mediocre ones? These are the elements that ensure a positive experience for your customers.
Search engine optimization helps businesses rank high on Google and other search engines. Designing an optimized website involves several elements including:
Website accessibility and SEO go hand-in-hand because many of the practices that make websites easy to find and use also improve accessibility for disabled visitors. For example, structuring content with descriptive headers, providing alternative text for images and keeping forms simple and easy to read.
Website navigation should be intuitive with descriptive categories and labels that align with user goals. Avoid hiding navigation with drop-down menus. Visitors are less likely to explore when options are out of sight, out of mind. Place navigation in the header, footer, and sidebar where users expect to see it and include a prominent search bar for users who know what they’re looking for.
Calls to action, or CTAs, turn website visitors into leads. CTAs trigger an action such as making a purchase, subscribing to emails, or downloading information that captures a lead. Effective CTAs are short, simple, and strategically designed to draw attention. Consider where your customer is in the sales funnel and tailor CTAs to deliver relevant content.
Website security is important for a business’s reputation, revenue, and search engine ranking. Users may be warned to stay away from insecure or suspicious websites. This makes it harder to reach and convert new customers. Small business websites should protect customers with an SSL certificate and use a free tool to scan for vulnerabilities.
Website analytics provide small business owners with key insights into how visitors discover and use their website. With Google Analytics’ free tool, you can see how visitors came to your website, which pages they visited, and how long they spent. Business owners can use demographic data from website analytics to optimize web design as well as marketing strategies.
Your website is what represents your business online. Don’t you want to show off your best side? Let Giraffe Marketing help you design a website that engages and converts your customers with digital marketing designed for small businesses.
October 21, 2021 by Edwin Gerace
Surprisingly, Google’s learning system will mix reports and headlines and test which combination of ads performs well over time. Customers will get to see the most relevant and preferred message.
Responsive search ads carry a lot of benefits for advertisers as well as customers.
Responsive search ads are pretty friendly and can adapt to every situation you want them to. The majority of people do online searches using mobile devices. What these ads do is show fewer descriptions and headlines on mobile devices. In this way, customers also wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.
52% of PPC clicks come from mobile. – Word Stream
Since responsive search ads set multiple combinations of assets, it will save your time both in testing and writing various versions of ads.
72% of companies haven’t looked at their ad campaigns in 30 days-Neil atel
Since you’ve arranged multiple combinations and keywords to improve search relevance, you’ll be able to find headlines matching customers’ search terms. It will help you increase your reach and compete more appropriately.
PPC visitors are 50% more likely to purchase VS organic visitors – Unbounce
Since PPC advertising targets specific traffic, you’ll need to hire experts for this job to serve your purpose in a befitting manner.
A professional PPC analyst can give you direction in which you should be heading while targeting your potential customers in response to a search ads campaign. Several reasons force you to consult a PPC professional; here are some reasons.
Keyword research is a paramount aspect of your success. Since PPC experts have spent a lot of their time doing keyword research, they can help you pick the right keywords.
Choosing the wrong keywords will make all your efforts useless, and you’d end up losing all the money you’ve invested in.
One of the best things you carry with PPC experts is that they will perform competitive research. These experts know how to find a good ad copy.
After assessing the competition around, they will form ads based on reasonable assumptions that will work. You can’t expect an amateur to find a good ad copy. Picking the correct copy ad can improve your reach and make you successful as an advertiser.
On the other hand, a lousy copy will not send the right message; consequently, you’ll lose all your traffic.
Sometimes, you don’t have enough time to concentrate on your advertising campaigns. It is also the point where a PPC expert comes in handy. He’ll take care of your campaigns and monitor the situation in a reasonable manner.
Pay per Click advertising method has worked brilliantly for the majority of advertising companies. You’re more likely to get the desired traffic in PPC advertising compared to standard Google ads campaigns.
50% of people arriving at a retailers site from paid ads are more likely to buy than those who came from an organic link. One-third of people (33%) click on a paid search ad because it directly answers their search query.
75% of people say paid ads make it easier to find the information they are searching for – Clutch
However, you need to plan well and implement those plans with great authority to succeed in this campaign. Hiring PPC professionals will help you to handle things appropriately. For further queries, you can contact us at http://www.giraffemarketingllc.com or call 803-609-7653
October 11, 2021 by Edwin Gerace
Websites are one of a small business’s best marketing and branding tools. It’s the vehicle that lets you drive traffic to your products and services, interact with customers, and elevate your presence on the internet. A well-designed website can even help narrow the playing field between small businesses and larger operations. The key to a successful site is ensuring it operates in a way that’s tailored to meet your company’s unique requirements. Giraffe Marketing, LLC can help you design the perfect site that will serve your needs today, and into the future.
Having a website professionally designed is a big undertaking, so it’s wise to consider your anticipated growth trajectory when making decisions about function and content. While you can always revise and edit content in the future and add new bells and whistles, there are some features that are easier to build in from the start. A professional web designer can help you access our needs, products, and services, and make recommendations accordingly. If you have a limited budget but some applicable design skills, you may be able to get by creating a serviceable DIY site. Various programs are available that allow you to develop basic wireframes and add content as needed.
It’s a fine line between a website that’s attractively designed and easy to navigate and a jumble of information that’s tough to drill through. While every business has different needs, primary content for your site should include, at minimum, an “about us” section, a button for “services,” and “contact” information. According to Forbes, you can also enhance offerings by including a blog, a company directory or staff bios, demo videos, or an interactive chatbot feature, as well as a newsletter or photo gallery. If you sell products or services online, you’ll need a shopping cart system or e-commerce software that allows people to select, purchase, and ship products. In this instance, product photos and descriptions will also be a requirement.
For maximum efficiency, your Customer Relationship Management (SRM) tool should be integrated with your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. This will help optimize your internal processes. The easier you make it for your customers to navigate your site, do business with you, and contact you, the more consumer-friendly the site will become. Remember your social media links as well – this will help people continue to associate with you off-site. You can also use search engine optimization (SEO) words to help rank higher in search engines, and analyze metrics tracking to better understand consumer habits, including page clicks, time spent in various sections of your website, and conversion rates.
A website should help you gain brand recognition, so ensure all elements of the site follow your established brand standards. This includes using your logo, your font, and your company colors throughout. You could retain an ad agency or graphic designer to create your banner, or save time and money by using an online banner maker that allows you to come up with a design that’s customized for your business. You can then use it on your website, as well as on other mediums, like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or your YouTube channel. All you have to do is use a banner generator, find a banner that matches your brand guidelines, and customize it with an appropriate font, color, or even animation.
Websites are the hallmark of a business and serve as a visual and interactive representation of your company. Use your site to tell your story, express your appreciation for your customers, and promote the elements of your operations that set you apart from your competitors. Don’t forget to put your website address on everything you print or display – according to SCORE, the cross-promotion will help generate even more traffic and help your business grow.
Giraffe Marketing, LLC offers comprehensive web design services, social media strategies, and email marketing solutions. Reach out by email for a consultation!
Photo by Pixabay
July 19, 2021 by Edwin Gerace
Should you invest in digital marketing in 2021? Keep reading to check out the most spectacular reasons and benefits of digital marketing for small businesses.
Do you want to compete with the big brands in your industry? Here’s what you need – a level playing field that gives you equal access to the target audience. Fortunately, digital marketing delivers just that! You can get in front of tons of new faces and even lock horns with the big boys in your industry. When local businesses partner with agencies such as GiraffeMarketing and you create a targeted and defined digital campaign you can level out the playing field. But that’s not it. Here are several other crucial benefits of digital marketing that your business will relish in 2021 and beyond.
One of the advantages of using digital marketing over traditional marketing is that it is data-driven. In other words, it is the most measurable form of marketing there is. You can create online marketing campaigns that are easy to track, tweak, and grow. With the help of analytics, you can ensure that the digital marketing tactics work in your brand’s favor. It allows you to use the available resources effectively and get a higher marketing ROI. Lef Giraffe worries about ROI and CTR and CTA while you work on growing your business.
Gone are the days when brands with big marketing budgets ruled the market. With access to the Internet, it is pretty much a level playing field when it comes to promoting products and services on the world wide web. You can start promoting your products at zero costs using techniques like SEO and content marketing.
Did you know that 68 percent of online experiences begin with a search engine? SEO makes it easier to get specific with your target audience. It eliminates the guesswork and directs every marketing campaign towards people that are most likely to engage with your brand. You can successfully narrow the target audience by using insights like demographics, interests, online behavior, and more. Brands can even rank their business websites on search engines for keywords their target audience use while searching for related products and services.
A well-structured and well-tested digital marketing strategy will always produce excellent results. If you hire digital marketing professionals, they will make sure the campaigns are optimized to achieve the set marketing and business goals. Agencies have proven industry-specific strategies that will help small businesses make the most of their marketing budget. Take email marketing, for instance, which produces an ROI of 4,200 percent for every dollar spent!
Digital marketing doesn’t cost much. Why? Several digital marketing tools and channels are free to use. You can ditch paid marketing and invest heavily in organic marketing to produce long-lasting results. However, creating an in-house digital marketing team will cost more than hiring a digital marketing agency. We highly recommend you search for an agency that has experience developing industry-specific online marketing strategies. Again let Giraffe Marketing build your campaign, manage your campaign, and report back to you while you are growing your business.
The online world is transparent, and customers dig that. They want brands to be available online so that they can interact with them. When you invest in digital marketing, you give a strong message to your target audience that you care about them and are open to discussion. Since many online marketing platforms can even be used to extend your customer services, it will be easier for you to develop trust and credibility among your target audience.
Digital marketing comes with benefits that have the potential to quadruple your business growth. However, your brand will only achieve that if you hire the right team of digital marketing specialists. At Giraffe Marketing, we offer the most advanced digital marketing strategies that help brands achieve their business and marketing goals. Connect with our friendly online marketers and we will set things up for you! Loved reading this post? Don’t forget to check out other informative posts on the blog! 6 Practical Benefits to Consider When Hiring Digital Marketing Agency.
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6 Practical Benefits to Consider When Hiring Digital Marketing Agency
March 22, 2021 by Edwin Gerace
Website Security Facts and Must-Have Steps for Your Small Business
You’ve just launched a brand new website for your business. It’s sleek, user-friendly, and already bringing in more traffic. Maybe you even thought about SEO to attract even more customers, but have you also thought about how to secure your new website? If not, you could be putting your entire business at risk.
You already know you can find valuable marketing resources on the Giraffe Marketing website, but you can also find guides like this to boost your website’s security.
First Some Frightening Statistics
Do you know how much the average cybersecurity breach can cost a small business just like yours? In 2019, the average was right around $200K for a single security incident. That’s a huge loss for just about any business and many of those impacted ended up going under completely.
Even more frightening is that more than 50% of all small businesses experience some sort of breach within a year. You could get lucky and end up in the other half, but why risk it? Instead, you can give yourself some peace of mind by taking simple steps to secure your website and any other source of data for your business. Keep on reading to find out how.
Now Some Practical Security Solutions
Take one look at cybersecurity reports like the one linked above and this one, and you may have trouble sleeping at night. While the reports are unsettling, you need to know that preventing attacks that could sabotage your small business doesn’t have to be complicated.
Perhaps the most practical and stress-free solution is to find a freelancer who can take charge of your website’s security and put your mind at ease. There are countless cybersecurity data protection professionals waiting on job sites, so you can find the freelance help you need. If you’re not sure where to start, try reading through reviews and comparing individual rates.
Until you can find and hire an experienced freelance cybersecurity pro, there are simple steps you can take to add basic security to your website. Add SSL certificates and web application firewalls(WAFs), and then be sure to use antimalware software for added protection.
Tips to Keep Cybersecurity Costs Low
By now, it should go without saying that budgeting to protect your small business website is a worthwhile investment. Remember, a single security instance could leave you with hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. So if you have to spend a few hundred or thousand to hire a freelancer or add security layers, that’s a small price to pay in comparison.
You should also note that hiring a freelancer (also known as a contract employee) is indeed one of the most recommended ways to save money on cybersecurity. Freelancers usually come with their own equipment and supplies, which offers quite a bit of savings. You are also paying on an as-needed basis and you won’t have to worry about potential lawsuits or costly training.
One last tip for minimizing the costs of securing your website is to keep your passwords to that site secure and to make sure any staff members with access are properly trained. These security best practices shouldn’t cost you much, but they could end up saving your business.
Triage Steps to Take After a Successful Attack
Preventing cybersecurity issues is like trying to prevent any other emergency. Your best line of defense is to be prepared and put proper security measures in place. Having said this, there is no way to fully prevent a hacker from successfully targeting your website. After all, even major corporations and government institutions have fallen victim to cybersecurity attacks.
This means if you want to be fully prepared, you need security measures and a recovery plan in place. If you suspect a breach, stop using your website ASAP. You’ll also need to let your customers and/or employees know if their information was accessed during the attack.
Securing your small business website isn’t just an option. It’s a necessity if you want to protect your business from profit losses. A cyberattack could even sink your entire business, so take the steps needed to keep it secure and keep your business going strong for years to come.
Giraffe Marketing LLC can help small businesses with their digital marketing needs. Call us today at 803-609-7653 or visit our website to schedule a digital audit.
Photo Credit: Rawpixel
March 9, 2021 by Edwin Gerace
I hope that those points help you answer the question. So is the question really is “can I afford to not have a website in the digital revolution”. If you want to have a successful business and want to generate income, then you must accept that you can’t afford to. See below for some options that make the process affordable and streamlined.
SAMPLE SITES
We custom design each website to reflect the unique character of your business. All design packages include the purchase of domain name, optional stock images, and revisions as needed. Package prices vary by the number of pages you need.
October 22, 2020 by Edwin Gerace
SEM Digital Strategies are a must and this blog will highlight the reasons why and challenge you to explore your personal digital strategies and goals.
What does SEM mean?
Per Wikipedia SEM or search engine marketing, is a form of Internet marketing that involves the promotion of websites by increasing their visibility in a search engine results pages (SERPs) primarily through paid advertising. This process is known also known by names such as Pay to Play, Paid Clicks, or Sponsored clicks.
What is the purpose of SEM?
The short answer, SEM places your business in front on consumers for a fee. When you use the search engine marketing method, you are working with search engine companies such as Google and you are paying for ad placement on their websites ie the google ads that pop up first when keywords are searched. The more you pay, the better your placement, hence the term pay for play. For this method to truly succeed however, you want to make sure that you are using specific and targeted keywords on your website. If you do not use words that a consumer will search, then it does not matter how much you pay as it will be in vain.
What search engines participate in SEM marketing?
All search engines in operation participate in an SEM marketing system, its just a matter of finding one that works for you. Some of the current search engines in use are Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Startpage, OneSearch and of course Google. You want to make sure that you pick a search engine that is best for your business and your needs, make sure you do adequate research before deciding whom to partner with in this endeavor. Giraffe Marketing LLC, can assist you with this.
Why are SEM Strategies needed?
Let us look at some statistics from 2020. According to Oberlo, Google has been visited 62.19 billion times in this year. This search engine alone processes 3.5 billion searches per day with 90% of survey respondents saying they were more likely to like one of the first set of results then not. What does this large group of numbers mean? Let’s look specifically at the 90% portion. Out of the individuals surveyed, only 10% would click past the first page of search results on a search engine page. Without SEM, without paying for ad placement, only 10% of individuals may see your business information out of the other relevant items. Do you want to take that risk?
SEM digital marketing strategies are a must for a virtual storefront. With over 3.5 billion consumers using the web to search daily, it is paramount that a business does their due diligence and research SEM methods and search engine partners. Can money you spend today help you expand your client base for years to come? Giraffe Marketing will be happy to assist you with your SEM strategy research, it cost nothing to send a message !
Challenge
See Infographics below that support this blog post
Infographic byhttps://www.searchenginejournal.com/
September 22, 2020 by Edwin Gerace
How are SEO and SEM different and why are they important to your marketing strategy?
The primary difference between SEM (search engine marketing) vs. SEO (search engine optimization) is that SEM is a paid strategy, and SEO is an organic strategy. An example of an SEM strategy would be a Google Ad promoting a business. In contrast, an example of the SEO strategy would be the business coming up in a keyword google search.
With Giraffe Marketing, LLC, the choice is yours.
Now you must decide whether SEO or SEM, which is right for your business? No matter which you choose, at Giraffe Marketing LLC, we will ensure your business out ranks the opponent
SEO – Gets better over time. Strategic changes throughout are needed to keep up with the every changing algorithms
Edwin Gerace
SEM Digital Strategies are a must and this blog will highlight the reasons why and challenge you to explore your personal digital strategies and goals. What does SEM mean? Per Wikipedia SEM or search engine marketing, is a form of Internet marketing that involves the promotion of websites by increasing their visibility in a search
SEO / SEM How are SEO and SEM different and why are they important to your marketing strategy? The primary difference between SEM (search engine marketing) vs. SEO (search engine optimization) is that SEM is a paid strategy and SEO is an organic strategy. An example of a SEM strategy would be a Google Ad
Responsive Search ads are pretty flexible ads that find a way to show the message to a customer he must have been looking for. You enter multiple descriptions and headlines when creating the ad.
Google’s learning system will mix reports and headlines and test which combination of ads performs well over time. Customers will get to see the most relevant and preferred message
SEM – Is a paid initiative to target specific consumers
Edwin GERACE
Giraffe Marketing LLC serves the Greater Columbia metro area with regional clients reaching the south east. Lexington, Columbia, Cayce, Irmo, Ballentine, Chapin, Rock Hill
