Marketing

Some companies tend to think that customer service and marketing aren't linked, or if they are, it's superficial.

 

This morning, I get to the train station at a quarter to 10 to catch the train to London. After buying my ticket I go to the small platform cafe to buy some breakfast.

Your choice of web host has an affect on your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) campaign. This post looks at what factors matter for SEO when you choose a host, and how you can use this information to find a host that's right for you.

Why does hosting matter?

Search engines look at a number of factors when they rank websites, and these are aimed at making sure:

No-one wants to put their photo on their website. To be quite honest, I don't. I'd rather present a little blurb about myself and leave the photo off our about us page. So why do I have one there? Putting a photo on your site establishes rapport and trust. When you meet someone face to face, have a chat, and hand over your brochure you've had a chance to build up the start of a relationship. Online, you are simply handing over the brochure. Without presenting some personal information along with a photograph, they have no reason to trust you. Make it personal, win trust. Ben

Don't have your picture on your website? No information about yourself?

Your customers are more likely to engage if you put some personal information about yourself on your website. This is true whether you are offering one on one services, or selling to a mass audience.

People don't come to websites trusting you in the same way they will when they walk into a shop. Showing who you are and telling people about you engenders trust.

Ben

If you're selling something online, especially a service, is it a good idea to put your prices on your website? Surely it makes sense to skip over the information - after all, that way people have to get in touch to find out don't they? And once they've made that first call, it's all the more easy to entice them in. Isn't it?

No.

These are gloomy days, allegedly. What with a global recession, and now more impending doom from swine flu, is there anything to look forward to? Will our capitalistic democracy crumble in the wind? Will recession carry on for years, decades?

Some days, it's easy to get swept up in the hysteria (a lot of those days start by getting on an underground train and picking up a copy of Metro). The press makes out that we are all doomed. Are we? Is this it? Is the end nigh?

I know a guy who loves to give advice. He just can't help but have an opinion on everything. We all know someone like that. They aren't hard to deal with.

What's far tougher is when we receive really good advice from people who are experts in their field, or whom we consider to be especially wise. But surely receiving good advice can only be a good thing, right?

Sometimes.

Any business wants to sell its services or products to the highest number of potential clients, don't they? We all want to find a global audience for what we do, and have as many satisfied (and paying customers) as is physically possible, don't we? After all, isn't that the way to make it big?