New Business Normal: Best Tips for Doing More with Less

According to Statista, global outsourcing generates $92 billion annually. One study reveals That businesses typically outsource technical and back-office tasks such as IT services (37%), digital marketing (34%) and accounting (37%).

The American Psychological Association reports on a study that shows multitasking results in a 40% reduction in productivity. By trying to do more, you may be increasing your stress levels without being more productive.

Business Administration

Small companies often hire virtual assistants, especially if they are entrepreneurs or solopreneurs working out of their homes. If you don’t have office space, it’s hard to hire people who can help you grow your business. Enter the virtual assistant. VAs handle everything from processing orders to posting on social media. When you need help with everything, a virtual assistant might be the way to go. Prices for virtual assistants range wildly but if you shop around you can find a great person wear many of the hats you’re juggling.

Marketing

Ecommerce requires marketing channels, web stores, and social media management to build brand awareness and keep customers close. Customization and community are important for today’s online shoppers who are closer to the brands they purchase than ever before.

For many small businesses hiring a full-time PR resource is simply not possible. It may be cheaper to outsource functions such as web design and social media management so that you can grow your business and revenue.

Information Technology (IT)

Many companies and organizations outsource information technology. It’s expensive to keep these tasks in-house. Also, by partnering with an outsourcing firm, organizations gain access to a deep pool of industry experts. Moving this function to variable rather than fixed expenses often makes sense for small businesses experiencing rapid growth.

IT Management

IT managers need to stay on top of the latest trends, and outsourcing this task makes more sense than might be readily apparent. By hiring a firm to manage your IT, you gain expertise in the latest network, help desk, software and hardware technology advances. IT management contractors are seasoned professionals that can offer a new perspective on your business operations and protect your business from data breaches.

Research

If you need insight into your customers or the industry, it might make sense to hire a firm that specializes in research. For companies launching new products or looking to expand into a new niche, research is a critical component to their success. Leave this task to the experts so that you don’t have to incur long term fixed expenses on salaries and benefits. This flexible option gives you the best results at the most cost-effective price. Vet out the organization that you choose to do your research to ensure they can give you what you need.

Accounting/Finance

Small companies may outsource their financial analysis and reporting to a firm that specializes in this function. Alternately, they may hire a contractor to work alongside their existing staff, preparing financial reports for senior management and adding insight into various metrics.

Payroll is one of the most commonly outsourced services with four out of 10 businesses outsourcing the function. However, 60% of small businesses still handle their own payroll. Giving this task to a firm that specializes in payroll can improve your accuracy and free your administrative staff to concentrate on other tasks. And in many cases, it’s much cheaper to outsource the payroll.

When you outsource your financial task, you hand over the hassles of dealing with IRS inquiries and gain the expertise of companies and individuals familiar with tax, employment and other legal concerns. Automated software and online services that reduce your exposure to risk, can save money, improve accuracy and generally help you sleep easier at night.

HR

Seventy-five percent of U.S. SMBs believe hiring freelancers gives them access to top talent and an advantage over their competitors. As many as one out of three Americans already do consulting in some capacity. This means there are plenty of resources to do the job that you are looking for. Freelancing contract workers give companies access to part-time or full-time experts that they can hire on an as-needed basis. This can save time and money and keep projects on task. Virtual assistants are an affordable administrative expense, for example.

Outsourcing lets businesses scale and grow following seasonal patterns without taking on permanent payroll positions they don’t need year-round. Be sure that your legal counsel looks into the proper classification of workers to avoid penalties and IRS inquiries.

Manufacturing

Running a dedicated manufacturing facility is quite expensive. Some companies go offshore but the US has plenty of facilities that specialize in product manufacturing. Many brands outsource manufacturing so that they can concentrate on marketing and sales. Not all manufacturing goes offshore. Many companies choose to keep their manufacturing in the U.S., which still holds 18% of the global market. So, you have a choice between outsourcing offshore or finding domestic partners that allow you to keep your operations close to home.

eCommerce

For eCommerce businesses, hiring a firm that specializes in logistics lets managers concentrate on growing the business, selling their product, and creating merchandising opportunities. Hand over fulfillment, warehouse management and delivery to an outsource firm and you can take advantage of discounts and economies of scale to save money on your eCommerce order, shipping and fulfillment management.

It often also improves the customer experience which can result in repeat sales and higher price per order metrics. Which warehousing and delivery services you use depends on where your customers are.

Customer Support

For smaller organizations, hiring an in-house customer service team isn’t an option due to the logistics involved with finding and outfitting commercial space for a call center or offices. Outsourcing can resolve that issue and improve customer satisfaction.

Profitable Next Steps

 COVID-19 has changed the business model, perhaps irrevocably. Fortunately, technology makes it possible to increase productivity and grow your revenue by outsourcing various functions. As a business owner, outsourcing is a great tool for adapting to the new business normal.

Protect Your Precious Assets: Why Is Cybersecurity Important for Your Firm?

Keeping your firm safe from cybercriminals can be an overlooked necessity. Whether you’ve hired a team to redesign your website or help develop your SEO strategy, your computers and servers can be vulnerable to an attack without proper cybersecurity training. 

Cyber attacks are a significant threat to businesses of all sizes, including small businesses. A hacker can access your company’s financial accounts, customer and employee private information, or redirect online visitors to competitor websites. Correcting the adverse effects of a cyber attack is often expensive and time-consuming. 

Why is cybersecurity important? Keep reading to learn how cyber security can help protect your employees, customers, and company. 

Cyber Security Training Protects Your Business

What is cyber security? It’s the combined software application and educational efforts to protect your company’s networks, computers, mobile devices, and other electronic systems from malicious online attacks. 

Installing firewalls and other security measures help keep hackers out of your online systems. However, without training your employees about cyber threats, your staff can inadvertently open your business to an attack. Adding cyber security awareness training to your company’s new hire and ongoing education curriculum adds another layer of vigilance and protection behind the firewalls. 

Cyber attacks can take place in a variety of ways. When you train your staff to be aware of the threats, your company becomes better equipped against hackers. 

Educate Employees About Ransomware

An unaware employee can unknowingly turn your company’s servers over to a cybercriminal by clicking a link in a ransomware email. Ransomware takes control of your system and holds it “hostage” until the hackers receive payment. It sounds like something from a movie, but it’s more common than you think.

Employees who haven’t received cyber security training might not recognize a ransomware attack until it’s too late. When activated, ransomware codes invade a computer and creates pop-up messages that demand money in exchange for releasing the cyber “lock” on your company’s assets. Until the hacker releases the lock, you might not have access to your financial accounts, customer information, or daily functionality of your servers. 

Your digital marketing team is a target for ransomware hackers. A reply to your email marketing campaign can include a ransomware link. If an employee clicks the link before recognizing it as an attack, your company is at the mercy of a cybercriminal.  

Prepare Against Fraud

Digital identity theft and accessing accounts is an increasing cyber threat. When a cybercriminal gains access to passwords, they can break into your secure servers to steal data or manipulate your website’s content and digital marketing efforts. 

Providing cybersecurity training for your employees helps them avoid fraud attempts, including:  

  • Account Takeover. A hacker with an employee’s password information can access the most secure sections of your company’s internal data—before your employee realizes what happened.
  • Scams. Without secure payment methods or the right security on your website, employees and customers are open to online scams. Hackers can redirect payments to other bank accounts where they collect the money you send or receive. 

Businesses must provide a way for employees to securely store passwords and train them on how to set up a password that makes it difficult for cybercriminals to hack through password protections. 

Apply Encryption and Online Protections

When your employees work safely behind the highest levels of data encryption, firewalls, and other online protections, they are less susceptible to a cyber attack. Training your staff to comply with company best practices and cybersecurity protocols keep them safe while they work. 

However, those cybersecurity measures need to follow employees when they work beyond the safely-encrypted walls of your offices. Many employees work remotely or travel on business. Whether you need healthcare cyber security measures for your medical facility or your consulting firm requires you to work on the road and with clients in their offices, never compromise the safety of your network. 

  • Encourage employees to follow your company’s cybersecurity rules when working inside our outside of your building
  • Make sure personal mobile devices and laptops follow recommended security protocols to allow safe access from non-company devices
  • Make sure to lock your most sensitive data files behind strict file encryption with secure backups
  • If your business has an app, make sure your developer includes automatic update capabilities and vulnerability scanning to keep your company and customers safe

Your cybersecurity measures can never leave a gap in protecting your company’s most sensitive data, whether employees work in the office or from home! 

Cybersecurity Makes Your Job Safer

When your cybersecurity protocols and employee training work well, everyone can do safely do their job! Firewalls, password protections, and encryption do their jobs behind the scenes while your staff focuses on their jobs. 

However, without cooperation and awareness from your employees, even the best firewalls and encryption can fail. Keep your staff up-to-date and actively engaged in the security of your company!

  • All new employees should pass a background screening and receive training on your company’s cybersecurity protocols
  • Document procedures in your employee handbook or IT handbook
  • Make sure your IT team and security officers stay up to date with the latest information about cyber threats and how to protect against attacks
  • Provide continuing education and current updates on company protocols and new threats

Your employees can be one of your biggest safety assets, or they can be a significant risk to the security of your company and customer data. Prepare your employees about the importance of cyber security and how everyone can work together to protect against cybercriminal activity. 

Why Is Cybersecurity Important? It Affects Your Bottom Line

Why is cybersecurity important to your firm? Your bottom line! When your business falls victim to a cyberattack, you lose money when correcting a data breach, compensating customers, and handling any potential lawsuits. Your brand’s reputation can also take a hit along with a cyber hit on your company’s data. 

Let SEO Forensic help your company protect against cybercriminals. Click here and complete the form to request a free quote! 

8 Tips on Optimizing Google My Business with Google Analytics

Google Analytics is essential to your business’s growth.

There’s a reason it’s one—if not the—most popular digital analytics software available. It’s a free service that lets you gather and analyze in-depth detail about who visits your website.

Using Google Analytics in combination with tools such as Google My Business will help you shape the strategy that leads to business success. Regardless of your type of business, you must understand and study the habits of the people who visit your site to deliver better results. 

Keep reading to learn about the benefits of using Google Analytics, what to avoid, and how to correctly optimize your Google My Business listing to the fullest.

Benefits of Google Analytics Paired With Google My Business

You should always strive to think like your target audience. However, pretending can only go so far. This is where analytics come in to show you who your audience is and how they react to your content. 

Google Analytics provides reports that can be broken down into smaller, custom made reports. With this data, you can have a crystal clear picture of who visits your website, how they got there, and how they interacted—or didn’t interact—with your content.

You’ll know if they visited your site to immediately leave or if they visited many times through different traffic channels. The most beneficial metric? You can track whether they took the action you wanted them to take—also known as the conversion. Whether it’s a purchase, download, or a form fill, you have to track your conversion goal.

Google My Business (GMB) is a powerful tool in itself. But being able to filter the traffic that moves from your GMB listing to your website is a game-changer.

When you connect the two, you can view the correct traffic coming from GMB in Google Analytics, which gives you the ability to track how successful your GMB efforts are. 

Being in tune with the ins and outs of this data allows you to adapt quickly if needed. From there, you can choose whether to adjust your GMB listing or your website.

How to Fully Optimize Your Google My Business Listing for SEO

Remember, GMB is included in Google’s organic search. Optimizing your GMB listing is essential to your marketing strategy.

Here are ways eight tips for optimizing your Google My Business listing for better search engine results.

1. Don’t Leave Anything to Be Assumed

If nothing else, make sure your GMB listing is filled out completely.

Businesses offering the most detailed and accurate information are favored in local search results. Don’t leave your prospects guessing—make sure your listing communicates what your business does, where it is, and how they can get in touch with you.  

2. Keep Your Operating Hours Accurate

What’s the point in entering your business hours if they’re not accurate? Most people check business hours before choosing to venture out to buy something. If they think you’re open—make an effort to visit your store—and find you closed, it’s not good news for you.

Any time you change your business hours, it’s essential to update your listing as well. Google offers a feature that allows you to customize hours for special events and holidays. Use this to your advantage and keep your target audience happy. 

3. Add Photos

Don’t underestimate the power of photos when it comes to your listing’s performance. 

Businesses with photos on their GMB listings receive 42% more requests for driving directions on Google Maps. They also receive 35% more click-throughs to their business websites than listings without photos. 

4. Include Keywords

Traditional SEO applies to GMB listings just as it does to websites. 

Google uses keywords and search phrases to serve search results. So doing your research and adding optimized keywords to your listing will be incredibly beneficial in upping your SEO ranking—especially since your website is listed within your GMB listing.

5. Pay Attention and Respond to Customer Reviews

Successful businesses acknowledge their customers and value the feedback they receive from online reviews. 

Positive reviews and interaction on your part will have a positive effect on potential customers as they research your business. They will also increase your search result visibility. 

Get creative when asking for feedback. You can encourage happy customers to leave reviews by creating a link they can click to review your business. Use this link on your website, in correspondence with customers, and even in your business email signatures.

6. Implement the Booking Button Feature

If you really want your business to stand out from the competition, explore using Google’s Booking button feature. This feature allows customers to book appointments directly from your GMB listing if you use integrated scheduling software. 

Using this feature can make it super easy to get new customers, considering they don’t have to navigate away from Google to book an appointment with your business. If you’re using one of Google’s supported scheduling providers, this button will automatically show on your listening.

7. Provide a Menu of Services

The Services list in Google My Business is a great addition if you sell services like a hair salon, spa, restaurant, bar, and other businesses with a “menu of services.” Using this feature, you can categorize and list out all of your services (or menu items) and prices. This gives potential customers the ability to see what you have to offer easily. 

8. Track GMB Success in Google Analytics

Finally, optimize your Google My Business listing by tracking its success with Google Analytics. Without filtering your traffic in your Google Analytics dashboard, you have no way to attribute traffic and sales to your GMB efforts.

To do this, identify the pages you want to drive traffic to and track. Depending on how your website and business are structured, you’ll most likely drive users to pages such as your homepage or your contact page. Then, create a modified URL string using Google’s Campaign URL Builder that will feed data into Google Analytics. 

By implementing these subtle changes, you can tap into your Google Analytics account and learn more about who is clicking on your Maps listing, and what they do once they reach your website.

SEO Mistakes to Avoid

No matter your level of expertise, making mistakes in Google Analytics can sabotage your data collection strategy. Some mistakes are common and easily remedied, while others are not. Here are a few typical mistakes that marketers at all levels tend to make.

Approaching Your Data Without Skepticism

Try not to accept your data blindly. Review data more than once, and then ask questions to examine what’s really occurring. If you trust your data after this scrutiny, it will help guide future business decisions. 

Not Integrating with Other Google Platforms

Google’s ecosystem is so beneficial because all Google platforms integrate effectively. 

For example, if you’re using Tag Manager and Analytics, many tracking solutions are as easy as plug-and-play. The same is true for Analytics and Optimize. It’s easy to integrate and analyze data, create dashboards, and share reports with your team. 

Do your research and determine which platforms and features will integrate well with your business. 

Ignoring Annotations

When using Google Analytics, annotations are notes you can utilize to add context to your reports. These details may not help if you’re a one-person team, but if you’re hiring new people and don’t have historical data, these notes are game-changers. 

Drive Growth in Organic Traffic

To stand out from your competition, you must become familiar with search engine optimization and what it means for your business. This is when using tools such as Google Analytics in tandem with Google My Business comes in handy. 

We understand that as a local business, you can have a difficult time determining the best course of action to take for local SEO. We’re here to help you. To learn more about the services we can use to grow your business, contact us and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.

Post COVID19 New Normal for Small Business Requires Outsourcing and Innovation

COVID-19 is not only causing sickness and death among millions of people globally, but the virus also has devastating impacts on businesses. It’s predicted we will see the pandemic’s long-term effects for years.

What can small businesses do to keep their business running? Outsourcing is a powerful tool.

Are you unsure of the outsourcing process? Continue reading and know how to outsource professionals for your business.

The Benefits of Outsourcing

There’s a reason why more small businesses are using more contractors and outsourcing their tasks. Are you unsure if you’re ready to make the transition to outsourcing vital tasks? Here are a few of the benefits you’ll experience when you outsource.

Cost Savings

Most businesses outsource to save money. You receive the same quality work without paying a salary, benefits, and other expenses. As long as you find a skilled contractor or agency, you’ll have the advantages of an in-house employee without the added financial responsibilities.

The roles you outsource usually require specialized tools and software, such as ERP and business automation. By outsourcing, you’re accessing a pool of skilled professionals who work with the essential tools necessary to perform their roles, preventing you from making any unnecessary investments.

Increased Revenue

You have to spend money to make money. And that’s true with outsourcing. If you’re handling all roles yourself, you risk running an inefficient business and losing money.

Saves Times

Many businesses forget how much time outsourcing saves. This goes beyond the time of managing a staff; you’ll save time because you’re not training your outsourced professionals and you won’t be bogged down with meetings or other interferences.

Start New Projects Quickly

While the COVID-19 pandemic is causing many setbacks, it’s also creating new opportunities and business innovation.

Small business owners are starting new projects to keep up with the new wave of consumerism. But if you hire for these roles, your projects could take months to achieve. That’s because you need to find the right staff, train them, and manage their roles.

Outsourcing helps start new projects quickly; whether you’re enhancing your marketing campaigns or redesigning your website, you can get these projects running before the pandemic ends.

You can also save money on projects by outsourcing. You’re not investing in any equipment or tools, such as customer relationship management or enterprise resource planning software, cutting down on overhead.

Receive Work You’re Not Skilled to Fulfill

It’s common for businesses to outsource tasks that require special skills, such as IT and business intelligence. If you don’t have the skills for this task, there are a variety of professionals around the world who can fulfill this role for you.

Focus Your Time on Your Business

Non-core tasks eat up your time and your money. In addition, your core tasks are likely what you excel in and what you’re passionate about.

Outsourcing lets you focus on essential tasks you know you can complete. This results in more efficiency and better business management, adding to your business success.

What to Outsource

The first part of the outsourcing process is knowing which tasks to outsource and which ones to keep in-house. This is more difficult than most business owners think — you’ll have to take a look at your business processes, your needs, and your skills to determine what you need to outsource.

The best practice is to know what you can do as a business owner and what your existing staff can handle. You’ll also want to keep core tasks in-house and outsource the ones you don’t need every day.

If you’re still confused, here’s a breakdown of the most common tasks that are outsourced.

Digital Marketing and SEO

Every business needs digital marketing. Since many consumers search for products and services on search engines, SEO is also a smart investment.

But most business owners don’t have the skills and resources to host a successful business marketing and SEO campaign.

This is why most small businesses will benefit from outsourcing their digital marketing. This task will be more integral after the pandemic; you’ll want to attract new and existing customers to increase your sales.

Sales and Customer Service

If you don’t have a natural “sales personality,” outsourcing your sales can open up your market and can attract more customers. Most sales outsourcing agencies have CRM and other technology to keep up with new customer information, ensuring all data is secure and compliant.

You’ll also experience these benefits when you outsource customer service. If you don’t have the time to communicate with customers, outsourcing your customer service will result in significant savings and outsourced customer service agents have more experience and training in handling customer demands.

Finance and Accounting

There will come a time when you can’t handle your business’ finances DIY. While hiring a finance professional, such as an accountant or payroll specialist, may be out of your budget, you can access these crucial tasks by outsourcing them.

Outsourcing your finance department will not only cut the costs of hiring a full-time staff member but will also ensure your taxes and other financial documents are done correctly, resulting in fewer audits and penalties.

HR

HR outsourcing is becoming more popular. You’ll always ensure you have a fully staffed HR department filled with talented professionals. Outsourcing HR not only supports your business but also supports your in-office staff members, resulting in a healthier workplace.

Supply Chain Management

E-commerce companies benefit from outsourcing their supply chain management because they handle customer demands and orders more effectively while reducing time and costs. Supply chain companies also have essential technology that many businesses don’t have.

Other Roles to Outsource

There are an endless amount of roles that you can outsource. While we listed some of the most common ones, you can outsource any role, from a CFO to a project manager.

Outsourced roles can be broken up into three categories:

  • Executive roles
  • Repetitive tasks
  • Special skills and knowledge

If you need a business partner but can’t afford to split your earnings, you can outsource someone with executive knowledge and experience. Executive roles you can outsource include the CFO, CMO, and even business consulting.

Most businesses outsource repetitive tasks. These include data entry and inventory management. In addition, you can outsource any skills that require specialized knowledge that you don’t have. IT and cybersecurity are great examples.

When Should You Outsource?

Since we’re still in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, small business owners should look at current tasks and the tasks you will need for the future. You’ll also want to take the economic effects into consideration, creating a new strategy where you can outsource professionals.

Let’s take digital marketing as an example. You’ll want to host a powerful marketing campaign to expand your audience, especially while so many people are online now. Different marketing strategies, such as SEO and social media marketing, will boost your brand and can result in more sales.

Other marketing tactics, such as web design, can give your brand a new and improved look when the pandemic ends. Many marketing companies offer web design in their list of services, so you’re able to access these essential web and marketing tactics all in one place.

There are also tasks that all businesses need, such as accounting. It’s best to put your company’s finances and taxes in the hands of professionals rather than doing them DIY.

Find the Best Professionals

While outsourcing is cost-effective and beneficial, your outsourcing efforts will fail if you don’t find the right professionals or the best agency. That’s why research is essential when outsourcing.

If you’re hiring an agency, look at reviews and make sure they offer what you need. If you’re outsourcing an individual, take a look at their resume, past clients, and ask for references.

Referrals are also helpful. Ask your professional network for recommendations and advice. If your professional network is small, social media outlets such as LinkedIn are always helpful.

If all else fails, you can post an ad on a job board or freelancing websites. Many talented and experienced contractors access these websites to find new gigs, so you’ll be connected with a skilled contractor.

All business owners should also understand that finding the best agency or professional may take some time, and even some trial and error. The best course of action is to know your needs and communicate well; for example, explain what you want and set deadlines.

If you don’t see results, that may not mean your contractor or agency is a bad fit. You may not see results because that task isn’t what your business needs. Other roles, such as SEO, aren’t effective immediately — it takes time for Google’s algorithms to recognize and rank your website.

How Much Should You Pay?

Outsourcing payment varies. Agencies usually charge set or monthly fees. But independent contractors all have different payment standards. While you should always have a budget, research the average pay for that role beforehand.

When it comes to outsourcing, do you get what you pay for? It depends.

Professionals and agencies in developing countries will charge less than those who reside in the U.S. and other major countries. You receive the same work as someone in the U.S. for a fraction of the price. This is why some businesses reported saving half a million dollars by outsourcing abroad.

But should you only outsource overseas? There’s no guarantee that workers abroad are better than your neighbors — they’re just able to charge less. In addition, several factors affect pricing. This is why price doesn’t always dictate quality.

Instead, look at their past work and see if they’re the best match. If so, then pay them what they’re worth.

How they charge also varies. Some contractors or agencies may charge a flat fee while others charge per hour. More agencies also charge a monthly or yearly fee, especially if you’re investing in software.

How to Communicate With Your Contractors or Agency

We mentioned communication previously, but it’s essential to emphasize this point and how to communicate with your contractors.

Outsourcing results in time and money saved, but these professionals don’t work in your office every day. They may not understand your branding, your processes, your preferences, and other crucial information about your business.

This is why effective communication is essential to the success of your outsourcing processes.

Start by making a document or an outline of what you want. List specific tasks, their due dates, how to perform them, and other information that pertains to your business and your own methods.

A document serves as a reference for your contractors or the agency, ensuring you receive the best quality work.

At the same time, you don’t want to micromanage. A detailed document should be enough to guide your contractors. If you’re constantly looking over their shoulders, you lose valuable time you could use toward your core business functions.

Understand that even with a reference, your contractors or the agency may slip up. This is normal during the beginning phase; the outsourced professionals are just getting to know your brand. If this occurs, provide constructive criticism to educate your contractors.

The Outsourcing Process for Small Businesses: Find the Best Professionals to Outsource

Business owners should be able to handle their core business tasks without wasting time and money on other roles.

Outsourcing allows businesses to achieve all of this while saving time and money. Before outsourcing professionals, small business owners should understand the outsourcing process to ease the transition.

If you’re creating a digital marketing strategy as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, you came to the right place.

We specialize in SEO, social media marketing, videos, PPC, email marketing, and more. Click here to request a quote.

How to Maintain Your SEO Ranking During a Website Redesign

In general, it’s suggested that your company goes through a website redesign every 1.5 to 2.5 years. Of course, some businesses will need more frequent redesigns, while others can get away with longer stretches of time.

Regardless, the one thing you shouldn’t do is consider your site a “one and done” deal. Not only are design ideas always rising and falling, but things like search engine optimization (SEO) strategies are constantly changing as well. To not make room for changes is surely a death blow to your company.

But if your brand’s already ranking well for SEO, you may be hesitant to change things up.

Going through a website redesign doesn’t mean you have to start all over though. Here are some excellent tips on how to maintain your SEO ranking during a website redesign.

Find out Your Current SEO Ranking

If you don’t know how well your website is currently ranking for SEO, then you need to find out. If it turns out that you’re not doing so well anyway, then it’s definitely not worth it to preserve your ranking.

You can easily check your SEO ranking by yourself. All you need to do is go to Google Analytics and check out which keywords are bringing people in. Then, go to Google, type in those keywords yourself, and see where in the search engine results pages (SERPs) your website is.

If your site isn’t ranking on the first page of SERPs, then it may be worth it to just start from scratch for your SEO strategy instead of maintaining your current ranking. Users rarely look past the first page of results; some don’t even look past the first 5 sites or so!

On the other hand, if you’re ranking highly on SERPs, then you’ll want to keep optimizing your website for those keywords you found on Google Analytics. Make sure you save these, as they’ll be the key to SEO success.

Make an Outline of Your Website Before Doing Any Work

What you want to do when redesigning your website is to keep things as close to the old site as possible. By this, we mean preserving your site architecture, which is how your site is laid out for users to find the information they need.

If your pages aren’t ranking well, or they’re getting high bounce rates, then you may want to rethink your overall website architecture. Otherwise, you want to stick to something that your users are familiar with.

You’ll want to make a spreadsheet of your existing sitemap. Write down which pages you have (such as Home, About, Contact, etc.), their URLs, meta titles, and meta descriptions. This will make it easier for you to compare to your new pages later on.

You should make note of which pages are ranking well so you know not to tweak them too much. If those are performing well, then you shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken!

Of course, you can always revamp the aesthetics, but as far as the content (and linking structure) goes, you should leave those alone for a high-ranking page. That way, you can refresh your website without compromising how it ranks on SERPs.

Don’t Do the Redesign on Your Existing Website

Never, ever do your redesign on your existing website! This can cause issues for people who are currently on your pages. Plus, while it’s under construction, some unprofessional problems might arise, such as broken links, pages that don’t look right, or ones that just disappear from your site architecture.

You always want to do your redesign behind the scenes. The smallest changes on a live website can severely impact your SEO ranking, so you want to make sure everything’s in order before you push it live.

You can always do your website redesign on a temporary URL and then switch it over. If this is too complicated to do on your own, you can have your developer or hosting company perform this for you.

Check That Everything’s Working

A website redesign is a great time to do some housekeeping and ensure that everything’s working. For instance, your blog articles and landing pages may have broken links, especially if they’re several years old.

Not just that, but you should check that everything is still relevant. For example, you’ll want to take inventory of your blog articles and either delete or archive ones that aren’t evergreen.

Exceptions would be ones that bring in lots of traffic. So let’s say you have a blog article about an event your brand attended 3 years ago, but users find it interesting. In this case, it’d be fine to leave up, as users will understand it was an event that’s already come and gone a long time ago.

Make Sure to Set up URL Redirects for Old Pages

One of the most annoying things about website redesigns is when users hit broken links. This can cause them to click off your website and choose your competitor instead. It can also prevent a high-performing page from ranking as it used to; if users can’t access it, it’s not going to get traffic, after all.

To prevent this from happening, you want to compare the new URLs of your pages to the old ones on your sitemap spreadsheet. If any have changed, you need to set up URL redirects.

The good news is, you don’t always have to spend a ton of time doing this. If you’re using something like WordPress, you can download a plugin like Redirection Plugin to make things go more efficiently.

Go Over Your Meta Titles and Descriptions

Meta titles and descriptions are the blue words that pop up underneath a website when you Google them. Not only do these provide users with some useful information, but it also helps to push your website to the top of SERPs.

If you don’t create meta titles and descriptions on your own, then Google will do it for you based on what content you have on your pages. But the better thing to do is optimize them yourself; you may have already done so for your site’s previous iteration. For example, if you’re performing dental marketing, you’d sprinkle your meta titles and descriptions with keywords like “cavities” or “toothache.”

Take a look at your spreadsheet and consider the pages that are ranking well. In your website redesign, you want to keep the existing meta titles and descriptions so they can continue to rank highly. For those that aren’t performing well, you may want to reevaluate the keywords you’re using on those and refresh the meta titles and descriptions.

Get Set up With Google Analytics Before Going Live

When you perform a website redesign, you can’t just pour a ton of work into it and then not measure your results. So before your new website goes live, you need to add Google Analytics and Google Webmasters Tools.

Both of these will help index your website correctly. This is where Google’s web crawlers find your website and essentially, make note of your pages in their “book.” This also why you shouldn’t make redesign edits on your existing website, as it’ll index your pages incorrectly.

Once your new website goes live, you’ll need to run Google Webmaster Tools right away. These handy tools will tell you promptly if any links on your new site are broken. You can then quickly fix them before anyone stumbles upon them and before Google penalizes you for it.

Ensure Your New Website Is Crawlable

Web developers and designers can disable search engine crawling while they’re working on your website. This prevents your pages from indexing incorrectly. If you’re working on your own redesign on sites like WordPress, you can put your site in “staging,” which also prevents indexing.

Once you push your new website live, always double-check with your developers/designers that they’ve reenabled search engine crawling. And if you’re on WordPress, you must uncheck the box for “discourage search engines.”

Get a Smooth Website Redesign

There always comes a time when you need a website redesign. You can’t risk putting it off, or else you may lose both existing and potential customers.

When that time comes, you want to make sure you get the most efficient and smoothest marketing SEO services possible. This is why it’s vital that you work with marketing companies that not only have the proper knowledge, but also have years of experience performing the services you need.

We at SEO Forensic Marketing are the premier Denver SEO company you can turn to. While you can always follow the tips we’ve given you in this article, the best way to implement them and ensure your redesign goes without a hitch is to work with a professional like us.

Ready to get started on your website redesign? Then request a quote from us now!

Post COVID CRM and ERP Solutions to Lower Costs and Increase Productivity

The coronavirus pandemic has drastically altered how we do business in the United States. While nobody has a crystal ball when it comes to how long it will affect our economy and workplaces, one thing’s for sure. To survive as a business, you must maintain excellent customer relationships.

In other words, now’s the time to invest in customer relationship management (CRM). Whether your business comes from consumers or other business owners. Besides having a robust CRM system in place, you should integrate it with your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

Here is our in-depth exploration of these specific tools and how they can help your company maximize growth, even during these challenging and volatile times.

What is Customer Relationship Management (CRM)?

Customer relationship management (CRM) redefines how companies interact with their current customers and potential leads. It relies on data analysis about each customer’s history with a company to manage and nurture relationships.

It does so by focusing on customer retention first and then driving sales growth moving forward. 

Perhaps you cater to consumers? Or other business owners? Either way, it’s essential to stay up-to-date when it comes to evolving conversations with existing customers and following up effectively with new leads.

Customer satisfaction depends on your company’s ability to offer personalized, attentive engagement. At the same time, you must continue to grow your customer base. After all, your company’s either growing or it is dying.

If we had to sum up what CRM means in one phrase, it’s this: put the customer first.

Why is this so important? Because 86 percent of customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. The stat says it all. 

What Is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)?

As for enterprise resource planning (ERP), this integrated approach to the management of business processes happens in real-time, mediated by technology and software. ERP streamlines how you organize, store, manage, and interpret data from a variety of business-related activities.

It also facilitates information flow across your company and maintains connections with outside stakeholders. No wonder enterprise software represents a multibillion-dollar industry. One that generates applications to support a variety of business functions. 

There is no better time than the present to integrate CRM and ERP into your business processes. Not only do they represent essential tools for future growth, but they complement one another, resulting in a seamless approach to collaboration.

The Importance of Enhancing Customer Experience

If you neglect to receive and use customer feedback to improve your company’s customer experience, you will miss out on a fantastic growth tool. Even in these times fraught with uncertainty and anxiety.

You should gather consumer feedback throughout the customer journey. This approach is vital to future marketing campaigns, the buyer life cycle, and your overall customer experience. Know that as your company shifts its focus to CRM, it will require continuous feedback.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the idea of gathering customer feedback and responding to it throughout the buyer journey? If so, remember that the best CRM software can help you track and manage all this data effectively and efficiently. 

Although shifting gears requires a learning curve, use this time now to turn your company into a customer-centered profit-generating machine. It will pay off. Customer experience will overtake other factors such as price and product this year as the key brand differentiators.

Putting the Customer First

If you do not make CRM a priority, your company will get left in the dust. The coronavirus has further underscored this situation as customers, now more than ever, want to know the brands they purchase from care about them. 

Of course, this raises another important point. If you have a bricks-and-mortar business and do limited or no online sales, how do you acquire new customers in the interim? By nurturing the leads that you have already developed.

But do not stop there. You also need to continue forging connections with your existing customers. After all, it proves anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive to gain first-time customers than to keep the ones you have. 

How do you do this? By putting the customer first.

On the bright side, a customer retention rate of just five percent will ramp up your profits by upwards of 25 to 95 percent. How do you like those numbers?

What a Good Customer Experience Looks Like 

We have outlined the critical nature of creating a fantastic customer experience. Next, let’s drill a little deeper into the concept of customer experience. 

Customer service refers to your customers’ perceptions of how your company treats them. These perceptions color their behaviors. They inspire feelings and build memories, and they drive loyalty. 

Put another way, when customers like your brand and believe in it, they are going to do business with you again. As studies show, they will likely spend even more money with you the next time around. 

How much more? Approximately 300 times more!

Now, you may be asking, “How do I get customers to like my brand?” The answer to this question is counterintuitive yet firmly based on marketing best practices. To make your customers “like” your brand, get to know them better.

Personalize Your Marketing 

What’s the best way to get well-acquainted with your customers? By collecting their feedback using CRM software and then using it to improve their interactions with your company through integrated ERP.

That means collecting plenty of data. CRM software lets you do this with precision and speed. CRM enables you to increase customer retention, satisfaction, and revenue. 

Gone are the days of Mad Men, when great marketing came down to the catchiest slogan and flashiest logo. The new battlefield is customer experience, so make each customer your priority with CRM.

Business Innovation and ERP

At this point, you are probably wondering how ERP fits into the mix. After all, many companies make the mistake of assuming they either need CRM or ERP. We assert, however, that you need both for the most effective marketing approach.

Like CRM, ERP proves suitable for just about any industry. It helps an organization manage business functions within a centralized and integrated system. ERP stores all entered data into a single database, which makes access from all departments more manageable.

An ERP system lets you organize, analyze data, and create reports based on your current needs and marketing campaigns. It brings together:

  • Customer management
  • Business intelligence
  • Human resources
  • Financial management
  • Inventory
  • Supply chain 

You get all these tools at your fingertips and in one centralized hub. It doesn’t get more streamlined than that!

Companies use ERP to save money, improve collaborations, better utilize analytics, and increase productivity. When integrated with CRM, it also leads to happier customers.

ERP and Happier Customers

Now, you understand why providing a client-centered experience is so important to the success of your business. ERP, when coupled with CRM, can help you achieve this.

The best ERP software is equipped with a CRM tool or can be easily integrated with one. With an ERP, your CRM will have access to data across all business functions.

For example, an integrated CRM lets you see customer contact information. But it goes far beyond that. It allows you to see your clients more holistically, gaining an essential understanding of their needs and wants. 

This increased customer visibility will help you formulate your business strategy for improved lead generation. 

ERP and CRM: The Integration Challenge

Still not sure how CRM and ERP software integrate? Think of your CRM system as dealing with the front-end information of your company. It manages valuable customer data and enriches it through interactions with customer support and your marketing team.

As for an ERP system, it handles critical backend information. This data includes things like generally managing customer information to process orders after they get placed.

Many companies run their CRM and ERP systems independently, and they both come with substantial benefits to companies.

That said, a powerful integration solution allows for connectivity between the two, resulting in even greater advantages for businesses.

Not sure where to start? Consider business outsourcing to a top-notch marketing firm for small business.

Of course, not that long ago, syncing the two systems proved quite challenging. ERP and CRM systems tended to remain siloed as their different architectures made streamlining difficult.

Yet, two systems unable to communicate with one another guarantee that tracking all customer interactions is impossible. The lack of communication also hampers a company’s ability to obtain data across one interface. For example, sales representatives must jump between both applications, crafting a 360-degree view of their customers. 

As you can see, a lack of integration creates an inefficient workspace. Businesses need both a robust ERP and CRM integration solution to streamline their business processes.

In the time of COVID-19, this proves more true than ever before. Explore these data-driven digital marketing case studies to gain a better sense of what this type of integration can look like and what it can do for your company.

Now’s the Time to Streamline Your Processes

As a business owner, you face more challenges today than ever before. For companies with essential workers, you may have concerns about the supply chain and keeping your employees healthy. For non-essential businesses, you may wonder how and when you will recover.

Your customers may be social distancing or self-isolating, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected. It doesn’t mean you can’t continue to provide them with excellent service, either.

Staying in touch with customers lets them know they’re a part of your brand’s larger community. This approach will also pave the way for a transition into online sales and services, which many companies are now considering.

Focus on Serving Customers Through Digital Channels

Do you typically offer phone and email support to your customers? If so, now’s the time to increase your customer service capabilities. That way, when your patrons reach out, you will be ready to interact with and help them. 

As for remaining in contact with your customers. Regularly send out emails to keep them informed of what your business is doing now and how you’re contributing to the fight against the coronavirus. 

You may highlight a business collaboration or how you are reworking manufacturing to fill a need. For example, clothing brands are transforming their facilities to make masks and protective gear for hospital workers. Cosmetic companies are manufacturing hand sanitizers and disinfectants.

Car companies and other manufacturers have transitioned into making respirators and other equipment necessary to fight the pandemic. No matter the activity, reach out to let your customers know about it.

If these are not options for your company, then consider raising money to donate to efforts that fight the coronavirus. Or, launch an effort to show gratitude and thank front-line workers. Get your community of customers involved in the effort, too.

Everybody is stuck at home right now. Many people want to help yet feel helpless. Let your brand be a beacon of light, showing them how to make a difference even amid social distancing. 

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

The global pandemic has left many small to mid-sized companies scrambling to stay afloat. Brick and mortar stores across the nation have shuttered temporarily while essential businesses work frantically to keep up and keep their customers and employees safe.

We cannot control the pandemic and how it will resolve. We can, however, use this time to stay in touch with our customers and get to know them better by implementing and integrating CRM and ERP systems.

These tools are among the most important aspects of your business planning and strategy now and moving forward.

Are you interested in finding out more about how to maximize growth with CRM and ERP? Contact us now to discuss how we can work together to improve your customer experience.

Post COVID19 Business Automation and Business Solutions for Small Businesses to Survive and Thrive

It’s hard to overstate the brutal effect that COVID-19 is having on the US economy.

All but essential businesses are being forced to close their doors to customers. Revenue has dried up, stores have shut down, and many people have lost their jobs.

$2 trillion relief package from the government offers a semblance of hope. Yet, nobody knows if it’ll be delivered in time to make a sufficient difference.

Needless to say, it’s a stressful and precarious time as every business owner tries retool their businesses with digital marketing and SEO (search engine optimization).

Thankfully, there are shreds of hope amongst the rubble. Some businesses are cashing in on a surge in online sales and seeing better trade than ever. Others are pivoting their strategy and enjoying newfound opportunities in return.

With Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 356 companies are using business innovations in software to reduce expenses and increasing productivity through CRM (customer relationship management), ERP (enterprise resource planning), automation, AI (artificial intelligence), and outsourcing business management and outsourcing marketing.

Finding business success isn’t easy right now, but the right approach can take you a long way. Are you looking for business guidance to get through the current COVID-19 crisis?

Read on for 14 essential ideas for ensuring success in spite of the ongoing pandemic.

1. Identify the Primary Challenges

The first pivotal step in this process is to identify how your business might suffer.

On the one hand, it might seem obvious.

Your store(s) might already have closed. Your clients might have backed off. Your revenue streams might have dried up. And so on.

But try and be more specific. Why would your clients back off? Why would your customers stop buying from you? What’s stopping your business from flourishing throughout this pandemic?

Sit down and think about the worst-case scenarios your business might face in the coming weeks and months. Only by understanding the potential repercussions of COVID-19 can you think up solutions.

Start by listing the possible problems and then work out a strategy for handling them. The coming suggestions should help.

2. Invest in Lead-Generation

People go into ‘disaster aversion mode’ in trying financial times.

Our natural aversion to loss makes it tempting to cling to what we have. The idea of spending money on extra small business marketing might seem unappealing.

Attracting new customers is crucial if the business is going to survive though.

See the crisis as an opportunity to seize leads from your competitors. You can guarantee that other companies will have reigned in their marketing spend. By doing the opposite you can fill that gap and enjoy a much better marketing ROI.

3. Take Advantage of Cheap Online Ads

This point leads on from the last.

There’s never been a better time to invest in digital advertising. Why?

Because everybody’s at home and online. Consumers are stuck indoors with nothing to do! So many people are no using the internet that providers are starting to struggle with demand.

At the same time, companies are spending less on their marketing.

That’s good news in terms of digital ads. Think about PPC campaigns, where CPC increases as more people compete for keywords.

With fewer businesses bidding than before, you can now target popular words at a fraction of the usual price. You stand to beat the competition in search and spend less in the process.

4. Focus on Online Sales

Online shopping has become a lifeline while we’re under strict directives not to leave the house.

Web-based stores, such as Amazon, are having their best year to date!

Could your business leverage this rise in internet shopping somehow? Could you sell more products/services via the internet? Or could you create new products/services to sell via the web instead?

Make the online buying process as straight-forward as possible. Again, Amazon provides a prime (if you’ll pardon the pun) example. With a single click, you can order whatever you need and have it delivered the next day.

That convenience facilitates sales and keeps happy customers coming back for more.

5. Create Training/Educational Resources

Short on ideas for products or services to sell online?

Consider putting together some training/educational resources. Given the growing rates of unemployment, these could become a valuable source of income.

Anybody out of work could be looking to retrain in new fields and disciplines. As an expert in your industry, you could position yourself as a go-to source of training within it.

Remember, more people are teaching themselves relevant skills online than ever before. Capitalize on that popularity by providing training for anybody interested in your industry.

Put together a set of comprehensive resources to help others learn the craft. Sell them from your website to provide value to others and drive revenue.

6. Pivot to Solve a COVID19-Related Problem

Flexibility is key when you’re building a thriving business during coronavirus.

Being rigid in your operations and processes is a recipe for trouble. You have to roll with the times and think outside the box. Don’t, and you’ll struggle to solve the problems with which you’re faced.

Many companies have had to pivot from the norm to keep revenue coming in.


Consider how your business could shift gear to solve a COVID-related problem.

For instance, a hand lotion company could start producing hand sanitizer. A food production company could start doing deliveries. A tutoring company could start selling custom curriculums.

A swift and incisive change in trajectory of this nature could be enough to save the business. A services company could bring on Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 to automate their marketing and sales processes to reduce expenses, increase productivity, and increase revenues.

7. Offer Payment Plans

Individuals and businesses are understandably concerned about money.

People are losing their jobs, and a recession could be around the corner. It’s natural for consumers to cut back on their expenditure in times of such uncertainty.

Changing your pricing structure could help prevent your income streams from drying up.

Offering payment plans, as opposed to a fixed-fee, is one way to do it. These plans enable people to spread the financial burden out over time. They enjoy a reduction in financial pressure; you enjoy their continued custom.

8. Make a Difference

These are challenging times for everybody; businesses and consumers alike.

Strange as it may seem, doing something for nothing might be the best way to facilitate business success. Figure out how you can provide value to your customers and the world.

Teachers are offering free online lessons. Fitness trainers are running free home workout sessions.

 Marketers are giving away free training materials and guidance. Kitchens are giving away free meals to the community. Consultants in various industries are offering free support.

The list of good being done goes on and on.

Even better, the businesses/individuals making the difference gain at the same time. They cultivate trust, develop relationships, receive donations, generate newfound exposure, and distinguish themselves from their competitors, among others.

Don’t treat it as ‘just another PR stunt’ though. Only by providing genuine value to people and asking for nothing will you benefit in return.

9. Focus on Social Media

When business gets busy, social media marketing is oft-neglected.

Try to turn that situation around now you’ve got some downtime. This is the ideal opportunity to post more regularly and to engage more with your audience.

Think about doing live videos as well.

Remember, huge numbers of people are online at the moment. That means you’ve got an amazing chance to engage with your audience!

You could go ‘behind the scenes’, offer messages of support, reveal the projects you’re working on, or play interactive games. Anything you do can help generate exposure and grow your brand.

That’ll stand you in good stead for when the pandemic shifts and life goes back to normal.

10. Leverage Technology/Software

Technology should be at the forefront of your business efforts.

The exact tech/software for the job will vary by business. You might need a CRM, an inventory control system, accounting software, new computer systems, or updated networking capabilities.

You might have been avoiding the transition to the cloud or delaying the update of your communication systems.

Whatever the case, now’s the time to make the change.  Utilizing business automation and artificial intelligence coupled with business innovations with big data science can target the bullseye and provide the horsepower to reach and convert your marketing into sales.

The right technology will increase productivity, efficiency, transparency, and teamwork. It’ll improve the customer experience and, ultimately, boost profits. Technology will help you pivot, test, and analyze your efforts to ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck.

Businesses must invest in new tech now more than ever. Without it, growth and progress will be far harder to come by in the difficult times ahead.

11. Consider Outsourcing Key Tasks

Outsourcing will be another essential step in facilitating ongoing business success.

With the economy in turmoil, companies are going to have to do more with fewer resources. Their operations will need to be lean and mean; every dollar spent has to count.

Outsourcing business management functions (such as HR, accounting, and marketing) provides an ideal solution. You avoid the usual effort and expense of hiring employees, training them, and paying for leave. You benefit from industry-leading expertise while keeping the in-house team small.

The result? Your business becomes more productive and costs less to run. It’s no surprise that 2.4 million jobs have been outsourced in the US in the last ten years.  This business consulting and business outsourcing can deliver sophistication at reduced costs to deliver superior results.

12. Diversify Your Supply Chain

Businesses across the globe suffered as the Chinese economy ground to a halt this year.

With China as a primary supplier, the business’ supply line was disrupted and they ran out of products. Have you suffered a similar fate?

It’s time to diversify your list of suppliers.

Look elsewhere for alternative sources of products at a similar margin. Having multiple suppliers is akin to having multiple income streams. It means you’ll still be able to source inventory regardless of one or more suppliers ceasing operations.

13. Diversify Your Traffic (Use International SEO)

Diversifying your sources of web traffic could help as well.

After all, COVID-19 isn’t just affecting the US. Every country in the world is feeling its effects. That said, some countries have suffered more than others.

Is your primary traffic source from somewhere that’s been badly hit by the virus? Then there’s a good chance your traffic levels will have struggled a lot too.

With traffic coming from multiple destinations, though, you could have mitigated the loss. You’d have seen standard amounts of traffic from places that haven’t been affected as badly by COVID19.

This is where international SEO and content translations come in handy. You can maintain your rankings and traffic levels from countries all over the world. If one country starts to suffer, then you’ve got the others to fall back on.

14. Leverage Any Downtime

It isn’t very often that business-owners get a chance to stop and pause.

Time is usually spent trying to avoid downtime in order to keep the revenue coming in! Coronavirus might have put a stop to that, though. You may have more time than you know what to do with now.

Our recommendation?

See it as a blessing in disguise. Use the time to project yourself into the future and put a strategic plan in place for how to move forward.

Think about the systems, software, and platforms you’ll use to drive success.

Brainstorm solutions for how to navigate this new economy and realign your business with its core values. How will you get back to serving your customers, generating revenue, and, ultimately, running a thriving business?

Build a Thriving Business During COVID19

There’s no denying it: COVID-19 is having a profound impact on the world.

Almost every aspect of life has ground to a halt- including the economy. Businesses are shut, people aren’t allowed to leave their homes, and jobs are on the line. Business owners are under extraordinary financial pressure. They’re being forced to think outside the box, alter their trajectory, and operate in novel ways just to get by.

But it’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. And, with the right approach, even the worse-struck businesses can turn the tables and find success.

Hopefully, the tips in this post will help you run a thriving business, in spite of the current climate.

Would you like professional support to boost your business during this difficult time? Contact us today to see how we can be of service.