Online presence, Web tools, SEO

1. Online presence, Web tools, SEO Tony Farrelly Web & Online Media

2. Topics • Building your website • Creating social media strategy • Blogging, articles, posts & advertising • SEO • Engagement • Landing Pages • Analytics

3. Building your website • Choose a hosting option (free – WIX, paid – Wordpress.com w/Blacknight solutions) • Select a relevant URL • Build your website or hire designer • Create relevant informative content • Mobile Responsive • SEO friendly

4. Building your website Options: • Wix – free professional websites . • Drag & drop editor • Many different templates in free version • No coding knowledge required • Mobile Responsive • Wordpress.com • Multiple templates/themes • No coding required • Responsive + SEO friendly

5. Building your website Purchased Options: • Self-hosted Wordpress Website • Requires hosting & Domain Purchase • 1000’s templates/themes available • No coding required but template setup can be tricky, but guides are available online & Youtube. • Responsive + SEO friendly • Owner has total control of files/content/security Initial setup cost: €50-€80 Ongoing cost: approx. €30 per year

6. Building your website URL – memorable & relevant to your business Short URL is best and easily remembered if possible Build website: • Mobile responsive – more than 87% of internet users are smartphone users • Since 2015 smartphones used more than tablet & desktop to visit websites.

7. Building your website Website Content: • Products/Services: People need to know what you offer. (Different page per product/service = better SEO) • Web is a visual medium: Images, graphics and/or Videos are helpful • Navigation – Information can be found easily • Industries: If you serve particular industries promote that fact. Also good for SEO. • Social Media feeds if relevant

8. Building your website Contact – The more options people have, the more likely they’ll do so. Email/Phone/Address visible on most pages – Header/Sidebar/Footer Call to Action: ‘Click here to subscribe’ or ‘Request more info’. Tell visitors what to do next. SEO – Search Engine Optimisation – see slide 12

9. Creating social media strategy Top 5 Rules • Research your audience and match your choice of social media to that target demographic • Don’t just broadcast on social media – engage, it’s a conversation! • Create content that is relevant, useful and shareable. • Don’t just create content, create contentment. That rule of marketing remains the same regardless of the medium used. • When communicating via social media you are dealing with a person. Neglecting to listen and respond is always a #fail

10. Creating social media strategy Social Media: • If relevant use feed on Website – keeps content refreshed – Good for SEO • Good for consumer engagement • Widely used on mobile • 1st stop for potential customers to find information about your business/product - Social media more info

11. Blogging, articles, posts & advertising Create & share content to provide information, create engagement, connect with industry influencers, drive traffic to website & improve online presence • Blog posts on own website • Guest posts on external websites (links back & forth) • Advertising content (relevant advertising) • Videos and other visual content • Publish well-written and relevant content

12. SEOSearch Engine Optimisation • Search engine algorithms (content/keywords/time online/loading time/responsive website • Create SEO friendly website; • Use keyword generators (i.e. Google keyword generator) to find best keywords and use them in content on site. • 1 page per product/Service improves SEO results • Keeping content updated regularly • Fast loading, mobile responsive pages • Improves your search engine rankings • Easier to be found online

13. Engagement • Engage people in conversations • Develop ongoing relationships • Establish reputation • Grow your brand • Social media, share content, opinions • Post content that answers questions • Use a consistent tone of voice that aligns with your branding

14. Landing Pages • A landing page is a web page designed to provide more information about a product, service or special offer, and encourage a visitor to answer a call to action i.e subscribe to newsletter, request price, request call back or more info. • Pages for each product/service • Landing pages are the last thing people see before deciding to use your service/product or not.

15. Analytics • Use analytics (Google analytics if you host website) to see what page visitors are landing on, staying on, and exiting your site from • Many online tools like Wix/wordpress have analytics ‘plugins’ (free add-ons that can be installed easily onto your website to track analytics) that will collect lots of user/visitor data for you to view.

16. Analytics • Helps you understand the type of content appeals to your visitors i.e. pages with video, infographics or text or text heavy content with bullet points etc. • These analytics can provide you with the information needed to improve the pages/content on your website going forward.

17. Questions Ask Lisa or Linda

18. Questions Email: web@dit.ie Tony Farrelly Thanks