Keegan Casidy works with over 40 mortgage lenders to provide the best mortgage options across North Vancouver, Squamish, Burnaby BC. To help him reach a wider audience, we launched his new website last week - www.keegancasidy.ca

Method Architectural Designs is a full-service, Calgary-based architectural design company with acclaimed experience and design influence. To help them cater to a wider audience, we launched their elegant new website last week - www.methodarchitecturaldesigns.ca

Fresh Life Design offers home design consultations, space planning, interior decorating & design services across Comox, Campbell River, Courtenay, Nanaimo. To help them reach a wider audience, we launched their elegant new website last week - www.fresh-life-design.com

OneCore Construction is a general contracting company based in Regina, Saskatchewan that specializes in all areas of residential construction and renovation. To help them reach a wider audience, we launched their new website last week - www.onecoreconstruction.ca

IVY Homes Care is a home health care specialist in Nashville, TN. Check their new website launched by Webware - www.ivyhomescare.com

Corey & Associates provide accounting, tax, and consulting services across Florida. We launched their new elegant website last week - www.accountantsmallbusiness.com

 

Empowering you with their solutions, the commercial & residential electricians at HManElectric provide electrical services across Toronto, Brampton, Mississauga ON. To help them reach a wider audience, we launched their brand new website last week - www.hmanelectric.ca

O'Sheas Catering is a Tacoma based catering and event planning company, offering catering services across Seattle, WA. Webware launched their new website last week - www.osheascatering.com

Warwick Johnston is an expert mortgage agent offering a variety of mortgage services to clients across Milton ON, Toronto. To help them reach a greater audience, we launched their new website last week - www.mortgagesource.biz.
 

At Webware, we create and send out thousands of email campaigns a month for our customers. After building newsletters on the usual email marketing platforms, we felt the options available out there were too complicated. So we decided to make our own. 

Today, we are announcing the launch of "Newsletter".

"Newsletter" is the easiest email marketing platform you have ever used and it's available for free to every Webware customer right now!

Say goodbye to using those other complicated email marketing tools. Webware’s Newsletter platform makes it easier than ever to send out beautiful, engaging email newsletters. Stay in touch with your customers using our user-friendly newsletter platform right from the Webware dashboard.

First and foremost, it's simple to use. With "Newsletter", you can select the customers you would like to send an email to, write your email, upload images, style your text and click send. You can use an existing template or build your own format with "click and drag" boxes. Or if you know HTML, you can customize away. 

Once you've sent out the email, you can track the success of your newsletter. With Webware’s Newsletter, it’s simple to see if your newsletter is reaching clients and how effective it is. Easily keep track of how many people have opened your newsletter, clicked on the content in the email, or unsubscribed. Easily create a follow-up campaign to customers who showed the most interest by creating a new list based on clicks.

To learn more about how to use Webware's "Newsletter" email tool, please click here. To learn more about Webware's complete digital toolkit for business, please click here. 

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Lawyers at The Foster Firm provide legal services to clients across Miramar Beach, Fort Walton Beach,  and Alabama FL. Here’s wishing The Foster Firm the best of success with their new website - www.fosterfirm.com

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! With the holidays upon us, so too is shopping season. While big brands always do well during this time of year, small businesses are in a great position to grab a piece of the spending action.

With more and more people starting their holiday shopping online to research products and services and find stores nearby, small businesses can use their website and online strategy to reach customers who are ready to buy now.

If you’re a small business looking to make the most of holiday season shopping, here’s four ways to get customers through your door, all backed by Google research.

1. Be mobile-friendly. Mobile searches for “where to buy” grew over 85% in the past two years. Shoppers are switching out in-store browsing for online browsing. Even if they eventually head to the store to make the purchase, consumers are starting their research online, and they’re using their phones. Don’t miss out on the action with an outdated, unresponsive website.
2. Help customers with their online research with store and product videos. “Shop with me” videos are soaring in popularity on mobile—growing over 10X more in watch time over the past two years. Customers want to be sure they’re buying the perfect gift for their loved one (or themselves). Shoppers want more details than product specs. When Google calculated the amount of time people have spent watching unboxing videos just on their phones, it’s the equivalent of watching the holiday classic “Love Actually” more than 20 million times. By creating a video showing customers around your store, highlighting popular gift items, “unboxing” favourite products, or demonstrating a service in action, people can get a better idea of their potential purchases. You can upload the video to YouTube and your website, and share it on social media to reach your fans.
3. Be ready to help. With their online research complete and shopping list in hand, customers are prepared to buy ASAP. Make sure your website’s online chat is up and running, your phone number/contact information is visible, and there is staff ready to answer questions, offer suggestions, and expedite shopping. Whether you have an e-commerce store or not, being on-call to help customers can make all the difference.
4. Make your business easily accessible to last-minute shoppers. Mobile searches for “store hours” peaked on Christmas Day. Even with the best of intentions and hours of online research, procrastination and busyness prevail. Ensure your hours and location are very visible on your website, and your Google+ Business Account info is up-to-date, so when customers are looking to make that last minute purchase, they know where and when they can find you. Top Google searches include: “what stores are open near me on Christmas,” and “what stores are open right now.”

Get your small business on the holiday shopping map with these Google research-backed tips. Are you missing a strong online strategy or a mobile-friendly website? Webware has all the tools your business needs to get online and be seen by potential customers. Get in touch with the experts at Webware to get your business online, today. Visit webware.io for more details.

A Webware website and digital marketing package also makes a great gift for the small business owner in your life. Get started here.

Article source: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/holiday-mobile-shopping-assistance/

ASG Wood Interiors Ltd deal with modern furniture designs, walk-in closets, mudrooms designs across Halton Hills, Mississauga. We launched their new website last week - www.asgwoodinteriors.com
 

Hockey Lion makes world-class hockey equipment accessible to Canadians. We launched their brand new website last week - www.hockeylion.ca

 

Blue Air One Heating & Cooling provides installation, repair, replacement, maintenance & financing for air conditioners, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters, filters across Linden, Clark, Westfield, Scotch Plains, Fanwood, NJ. We launched their new website last week - www.blueaironenj.com
 

Insurance brokers at New Amsterdam Agency provide insurance coverage to clients across Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and the surrounding areas. We took their new elegant and functional website live last week - www.newamsterdamagency.com

James Curran CPA CA is an experienced chartered accountant offering a broad range of accounting, business advisory, and tax services across Concord, Richmond Hill. Webware wishes James Curran CPA all the success with their new website - http://www.jamescurran.ca/

With the fast-paced and dynamic landscape of the internet today, many small businesses are unsure of how to take advantage of an online presence. There are so many tools and strategies to boost a business’s bottom line, it’s difficult to know which ones are worth the time and money, and which are not.

To help you discover the right channels to get your business soaring online, we’ve answered your most burning website questions.

Can I get new business from a website and the internet?

Here are a few interesting facts:

• 84% of consumers believe that small businesses with websites are more credible than ones with only a social media page
• 83% of surveyed businesses that do have websites said “their online platforms gave them a competitive advantage over businesses without websites.”
• Google processes over 3.5 billion searches per day
• Google users are increasingly relying on local and hyperlocal search to find products and services

If your business has a comprehensive online strategy, the internet is a great place to reach potential clients. If you aren’t sure where to start, Webware has created the perfect package for small businesses to get online quickly and efficiently. Our Digital Services Plan includes the perfect mix of marketing activities to get your business seen online.

Does a website guarantee business success?

Absolutely not. Unfortunately, a website is not the field of dreams. Just because you build it, does not mean the customers will all of a sudden start calling and buying your products. A website is an extremely useful tool for reaching new customers but it works best in conjunction with a full online strategy.

An online strategy that will help your business succeed includes a variety of components. Your plan for online success should include a website, ongoing SEO (Search Engine Optimization), a social media action plan, Google MyBusiness integration, review monitoring, backlinks, regular website updates like blog posts, and a regular email newsletter to customers.

I’m already on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Why do I need a website?

Social media platforms are great ways to communicate with your existing customers. However, when it comes to finding a business online, most people begin their search on Google. If your potential customers are searching for a new real estate agent, mortgage broker, doctor, contractor, or any other type of business, they’re not looking on social media. Your website puts you on the search-map.

In addition, a website offers a superior opportunity to outline your products and services. There’s no clicking through a Facebook profile to find what your business provides or doesn’t provide. An instagram profile offers little to no information beyond a quick description, geographical business location, and a link to the website. A website provides your clients everything they are looking for in one place including a comprehensive list of products and services, ‘about us’ details, FAQs, and most importantly, easily accessible contact information.

Is SEO (Search Engine Optimization) a one-time, set-it-and-forget-it, activity?

First things first. What is search engine optimization (SEO)? According to Google, search engine optimization is “the process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine.”

Google runs each website through a system of checks to help decide where the website should fall on the search engine results page (SERP). While no one knows the exact formula, Google considers a broad range of factors like your website’s schema markup, your business’s reviews on Google, website load speed, quality, frequency and size of website content updates, backlinks, mobile responsiveness, brand power and social signals, and more.

The perfect mix of SEO factors is constantly changing to improve the quality of search engine results for Google users. This means your website’s SEO strategy should be regularly reviewed and updated to keep up with ever-changing internet world.

What search terms should I optimize my website for?

Ranking for the right keywords for your business on Google Search is critical to your website’s success. Spending some time developing your keyword strategy could help attract the right kind of visitors to your website.

There are two types of keyword search term strategies. The first is a short-tail keyword strategy. These are one to two word phrases that describe your business and corresponding website content. Short-tail keywords can be difficult to rank for because they are broad search terms with potentially thousands of other businesses vying for the same keywords. For example: immigration lawyer, gold jewellry, interior designer, wedding caterer. Your website should be optimised for these short-tail keywords to help describe the content on your website and what your business does.

However, for a stronger keyword strategy, it’s important to also incorporate long-tail keywords as you optimize your website for search. These are longer phrases which potential customers could plug into Google. For example: the best immigration law firm in Toronto, contemporary art-deco interior designer in Montreal, delicious italian dishes to serve at a wedding.

As you create your keyword SEO strategy, keep two things in mind

1. Include words that help describe the content of your website
2. Include longer phrases that incorporate more specific keywords to help drive the right kind of traffic to your website

How long does it take to build a website?

The industry average to build a website is between 4 and 6 months. At Webware, we aim to get your business online right away. With a One-Page website launched within the first week, we launch your full website within 5 weeks.

With so many people using the internet and Google search to find businesses, you could be leaving a lot of money on the table by not taking advantage of a strong online strategy. If you’re hesitating to grow your online presence, or aren’t sure where to start, Webware is here to help. We’ve designed the perfect plan to get your business online and help you reach potential customers. Get started today at webware.io!

Increasingly, digital consumers are relying upon their smartphones for easy and instant communication, research and entertainment. To better serve your existing clients, and to expand your reach, attracting new customers; your business web strategy needs to keep pace with this, and other swiftly evolving trends.

The web is always growing and changing to suit, and even to shape, the needs of consumers. Their tastes and online habits can change quickly. While some new directions may turn out to be fads; those trends which provide online users genuine and continuing value can permanently alter the way the internet is used. To help you reach your business goals, we offer you the following must-know and must-do responses to the most relevant web trends for your online presence this year.

Mobile-first Websites

Last year, the number of Google searches which took place on mobile devices surpassed the number of searches that took place from desktop computers. The share of mobile device online searches is 72 per cent in the Food and Beverage industry. Anticipating and watching the rapid and steady growth of smartphone use; Google has taken several steps over the past years to encourage more mobile-friendly websites (like May2015 and May 2016 insert citation). In response, many businesses have worked to create websites that were more mobile-friendly. As the shift continues exponentially, businesses must continue to adapt their websites from “mobile-friendly” to “mobile-first”. Instead of starting from a desktop website, modified to also perform well on a smartphone or tablet; the user experience, navigation, layout, and content have to be tailored specifically for mobile screens. Smartphone use is rising around the world.

Having a mobile-first website is the smart way for businesses to capitalize upon this future wave.

Mobile Shopping.

According to an emarkter.com report, “M-commerce is growing faster than either e-commerce or traditional retail and is transforming the way shoppers approach all three”. Gone are the days when online shopping was something you did only at home or at the office. In this digital-first world, consumers are increasingly using their mobile devices to complete more and more types of tasks, including shopping, at all times of the day. According to the Pew Research Centre, an average of 70% of Canadians and Americans now own a smartphone. Apart from the growing number of smartphones, larger smartphone screens, efficient payment options and a rise in mobile-first websites are also contributing to the m-commerce trend. Businesses, including those with brick and mortar stores, can stay relevant by adopting a mobile-first strategy. Even if your customers finish the transaction in your physical store, chances are very high that their search began online, on the move.

Hyper Local Search.

According to Google, “nearly one third of all mobile searches are related to location, and that number is growing”. Given the growth in “near me” searches, it’s no wonder that Google is always refining their local search capabilities. Instead of local search including only cities or towns, it can now include smaller locales like neighbourhoods, streets or even city blocks. This gives small businesses ample opportunity to reach nearby customers.  Google reports that 76% of people who search on their mobile devices for something nearby visit the business within a day. Twenty-eight percent of these searches result in a purchase. As long as your business and website are fully optimized for location searches, your business can directly benefit from Google’s improved hyperlocal search algorithms.

Reviews for SEO

The trend of the degree to which quality reviews boost SEO shows no signs of slowing through 2017. Google loves reviews, both on their own platform and from reputable third party review sites like Yelp. And although Google never shares their exact secret equation for rating websites, moz.com surveyed top online marketers around the world to highlight the most important SEO factors for your business. Among the “Top 30 Difference-Making Factors in Competitive Markets”, three are review related: #7 is Quantity of Native Google Reviews (w/text) #25 is Quantity of Third-Party Traditional Reviews and #29 is Diversity of third-party sites on which reviews are present. In addition, moz.com also reported that Review Signals contribute over 8% to a website’s overall rank in search results.

This data from Yotpo also highlights the importance of reviews in a big way. They tracked the number of page views for 30,000 businesses that added reviews to their websites. Over a 9 month period, the average number of page views rose from 5500 to 8000 views per month. Wow!

If stories like these have convinced you that your business needs more reviews, head over here to learn more about why they matter and how to ask your loyal customers to write those all-important reviews.

The end of distinct mobile and desktop versions

The theme of many of these internet trends is the same; a smooth, seamless experience for mobile users. And something that can really hinder this desired seamlessness is having two website versions: one desktop and one mobile. Google currently uses the desktop version to index the information of a website. However, in many cases, there is less information on mobile versions to accommodate for the smaller screen size. This can leave mobile users at an informational disadvantage and will contribute to a poor user experience. Given the boom of mobile search and their dedication to user-experience, Google is discouraging two version websites. In an effort to continue providing users the best possible experience; late last year Google began the shift to index mobile versions instead of desktop versions. Google says it is currently in the experimental phase. But, there is likely an official announcement not far down the road. If your business website is one-version, mobile friendly it is already prepared for the change. If not, now is the time to bring your website up to 2017 standards.

Summing Up

The web has changed so much about the way we buy and sell, share information and keep in touch. It is still changing. The competition to put your information ahead of others in the marketplace is on par with the importance of the quality and value of your products and services. The latest steps in how we manage SEO and the mobile web are having profound effects on building and presenting websites. Businesses that strategically respond by keeping up with, and better yet, staying ahead of these curves will profit from retaining existing clients, keeping them satisfied, and reaching new audiences with crucial information and inviting them to enter through their mobile digital door.

With the gift-giving season in full-swing, researchers are predicting the average American family will spend $929 on presents in 2016. That’s an increase of $60 from last year’s holiday season spend of $882. This makes it a perfect time for small businesses to increase sales and entice life-long customers with holiday marketing promotions.

We have created the ultimate guide for advertising your small business this festive season. No matter what your budget is, this list is sure to include an idea that fits your business needs.

1. Decorate Your Store And Website

Customers flock to well-decorated and well-lit shops. Stands out from your competition with bright, festive decorations. Your holiday decorating efforts are sure to encourage more people to walk through your doors and see what your business has to offer. 

This holds true for your website, too. If your business only operates online, you could design a holiday-themed banner or ask your graphic designer to add some festive touches to the homepage.

Studies have shown that people feel happy and relaxed when they see festive decorations, making them much more likely to buy. Getting people into the holiday spirit with bright lights, green garlands, cheery music, and sparkly tinsel could be the key to unlocking great sales over the season.

2. A Personal Touch

Adding a personal touch when interacting with your customers never goes out of style. It could be as inexpensive as sending a personalized card or email, letting them know that you care about their business. A holiday card is a great opportunity to thank your customers for their patronage and wish them well over the festive season. Go out of your way to send a holiday card or email and stand out among your competition. 

3. Rewarding existing customers

Increase brand loyalty and trust by rewarding your current customers. Offering a discount, store credit, or a free gift with purchase are easy ways to let your existing customers know you value their business. With the added incentive, your customers are more likely to tick items off their holiday shopping list from your business. 

4. Holiday Party

Another great way of wooing customers is by hosting a holiday party. Your old customers will feel appreciated while new, prospective clients can see what your business has to offer and experience your customer service. Invite your existing clients and welcome those passing by to join the festivities. While your sales are sure to increase on party day, it can also translate to sales later in the season as customers remember your generosity and hospitality. Mingling with all your customers shows a fun, friendly, side to your business and gives them a chance to get to know you and your business better.  

5. Post-Holiday Coupon Code

During the festive season, offer your customers a discount, special offer or free gift to claim after the holidays. This win-win promotion encourages customers to buy now and to come back again after the shopping season winds down. Spending can slow down after the holiday season. Enticing your customers with a post-holiday promotion can help keep your sales steady as the number of shoppers dwindles.

6. Host a Contest

One thing customers love? Freebies! Holding a holiday contest allows your customers to win some fabulous goodies from your business. It’s also a great opportunity for your customers have fun by engaging in something different.

Motivate your customers to buy your products and services by offering the chance to win a prize around the holiday season. Choose a prize you know your customers would be thrilled to win to ensure healthy participation.

7. Offer free gift wrap

Here is another chance for your business to go the extra mile for your customers and stand out from your competition. Save them time and money by offering free gift wrapping service for purchases during the holiday season. Gift wrapping for your customers could significantly reduce the time and money they might spend preparing for the holidays. Making life easier is an extremely valuable way to boost customer loyalty. In addition to taking a task off your customers to-do lists, offering free gift wrap can increase your business’ overall sales during this busy season.

8. Social Media Marketing

One of the most impactful marketing strategies to use in your holiday marketing plan is social media. There is a massive amount of information at your customers’ fingertips. If they are interested in a product or service you offer, it’s likely your customers will start with online research first. Ensure a strong social presence by posting about your holiday offers, tips for getting through the holidays from your unique business perspective, gift guides, spreading the word about any upcoming events. A strong social media marketing presence will increase your brand loyalty and can boost both foot and website traffic during the holiday season.

December is one of the best marketing opportunities for small businesses. Americans spend more than 600 billion dollars shopping during the holiday season ranging from gifts, food, decorations, home improvements for houseguests and more.  Ensure your small business is getting in on the action during the busiest shopping season of the year. 

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Are you a real estate agent or agency considering a new website?

At Webware, we understand that each client we serve has unique needs. Websites for real estate agents and agencies are no exception. A great real estate website allows buyers to gain all the information they need about the agency, the buying/selling process, mortgage rates, properties for sale, neighbourhoods and more.

Purchasing a house or commercial property can be both an exciting and stressful time for buyers. That’s why at Webware, we build real estate websites that strengthen confidence and trust among buyers by using clear content, purposeful design, and access to industry specific tools.

Here’s what’s included with your real estate website at Webware:

1. Design and layout to highlight specific needs of a real estate agent website. We make it easy for your customers to find the information they are looking for immediately. The following are all easily located on the homepage:

• Search listings directory 
• Map display of customizable neighbourhoods
• Prominent contact info
• Team/agent information 
• Testimonials
• Live chat
• Clear call-to-action

2. Clear, easy to find property listings. Simple to use search tools to help your customers navigate your property listings easily and efficiently. 

3. Integration with MyRealPages. MyRealPages offers property listing display, advanced search functionality and search by map capability. 

In addition, our Digital Services Team can boost your website with services including:

1. SEO Keyword research and implementation performed by Real Estate SEO experts

2. Regular blog posts on relevant, current topics in the real estate industry

3. Social media updates to stay in contact with your network

From our experience building real estate websites, Webware already knows what your clients are looking for in their search for the perfect property and agent. We understand the features and design required to meet your website needs. Get a beautiful website for your real estate business and reach prospective customers with an effective online experience. Get started today at webware.io 

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One of the things that makes Google the most popular online search engine is its endless mission to put users first. Their goal is to give you, the user, the most reliable, accurate and up-to-date information available anywhere on the World Wide Web.  Google’s steadfast commitment to the user-experience has sparked another update to its Search Engine Results Page (SERP) ranking factors. 

Google recently announced that starting in January 2017, websites with interstitials will rank lower in search engine results than websites without. 

What’s an interstitial?

Interstitial is the official name for a full-page (or mostly full-page), intrusive popup that prevents a website visitor from accessing the webpage content underneath. Many of them come in the form of advertisements or email newsletter signup prompts. Other types include interstitials that are required by law for age verification, “You must be 18 to enter this website” or to inform visitors that a website uses cookies. Interstitials for legal purposes will not affect search ranking results. 

Google firmly believes these annoying popups hinder users’ access to information. This is especially true for mobile devices where screens are generally smaller. This new update should urge websites to eliminate popup ads to keep their ranking high in search engine results. 

According to Google, “Here are some examples of techniques that make content less accessible to a user:

• Showing a popup that covers the main content, either immediately after the user navigates to a page from the search results, or while they are looking through the page.
• Displaying a standalone interstitial that the user has to dismiss before accessing the main content.
• Using a layout where the above-the-fold portion of the page appears similar to a standalone interstitial, but the original content has been inlined underneath the fold.

By contrast, here are some examples of techniques that, used responsibly, would not be affected by the new signal:

• Interstitials that appear to be in response to a legal obligation, such as for cookie usage or for age verification.
• Login dialogs on sites where content is not publicly indexable. For example, this would include private content such as email or unindexable content that is behind a paywall.
• Banners that use a reasonable amount of screen space and are easily dismissible. For example, the app install banners provided by Safari and Chrome are examples of banners that use a reasonable amount of screen space”.

If your website uses a popup to gather email newsletter signups or likes on social media or something else, this new ranking signal is directed at you. Though it won’t come into full effect until January 2017, now is the best time to get rid of those popups to give your customers the best possible user experience.

You can read the full update on the Google Webmaster Forum here.

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Committed to success? Have a new website in the works?

With all the changes Google has made in the last year to support mobile-friendly websites, savvy business leaders are getting on board. They’re ditching outdated websites for fresh, mobile-responsive designs. 

You have invested a significant amount of time, creative energy and money into your business’s new website. When it’s ready to go live, you want as many people as possible checking it out. Ensure your Launch Day is a smash hit by creating a buzz leading up to the big event. 

Here’s nine things you can do to get great results. Tick off these items from your checklist for a website launch:

Number One: Great Content. Long before launch day, devote ample time to creating high quality content. Ideally, three published pieces on Day One gives your audience enough variety to click through and read. Test and test again. Check the functions and appearance on mobile devices before you go live. First impressions are important. Initial content quality signals the experience readers can expect in the future. You want to build a loyal following of return visitors.

Number Two: Coming Soon Page. Create a “Website Coming Soon” page to let people know about your new website. In addition to informing them that it’s on the way; a “Coming Soon” page get’s people excited about your business, services or products. Offer new visitors a place to sign up for your email newsletter and provide links to “follow” and “like” you on social media. 

Number Three: Email Subscriber List. Build your email list in the lead up to your website launch. If you already have an email subscriber list, enlarge it through your social media accounts and your “Coming Soon” page. If you don’t have one already, ask your existing customers for their email addresses. Supercharge your ask by adding a promotional boost; offer incentives for signing up for your email newsletter (email newsletters provide ongoing contact with customers). Promote the newsletter and special incentives through social media.

Number Four: Launch Day Email. Your business’s website launch is an unique opportunity to get customers excited about your business. Create a catchy-looking email to blast out on your launch day. Use an email marketing tool like MailChimp to design an attention-getting email. The email should showcase your value proposition by highlighting your best content. Encourage subscribers to visit your new website with a promotion (e.g. a free consultation, or discount coupon for giving your website a mention).

Number Five: Grow your Social Media Presence. After you’ve completed your target audience research; it’s time to setup accounts on relevant social media platforms. Your business doesn’t need to have a profile on every single channel; just the ones your target customers generally use. Instead of wasting time setting up profiles and sharing posts across 7 or 8 platforms, spend your time creating valuable content in places where your preferred customers are likely to find it.

Number Six: Mobilize your Existing Friends. If your business already has an active social media following; give your fans a heads up that your new website is coming. Share the news a few times per week in the month leading up to your launch. The average Facebook user has 338 friends. Not all your friends or social media followers will “like” or “share” your posts. But, you’ll never know if you don’t ask. Ask friends, family, other local businesses (nicely!) to like or share the news about your business’s new website on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram.

Number Seven: Online directories. Your business’s presence in online directories will influence your search engine optimization (SEO). Depending on your industry, your business has a number of options, for example: Yelp, YellowPages, Google, OpenTable, Bing, Wedding Wire, to name a few key ones. Do your research and submit your business information to the most relevant sites. Here’s a list of the most popular online business directories in 2016. Online directory entries only contribute to SEO if the business’s information (name, address, phone number and website url) is accurate and consistent across all directory websites.

Number Eight: Reputation Review. If your website is launching at the same time as your new business venture, you likely won’t have an online reputation. If you’re building a new website for an existing business, now is the time to see if people are discussing your business online (and what they are saying!). A good place to start is by reviewing each of your business’s online directory entries and social media accounts. Update any outdated information. Respond to any existing reviews. In any case, setup Google Alerts to notify you anytime someone mentions your business online. Click here to learn how to get people to review your business online (and handle negative reviews). Most consumers are influenced in their online buying decisions by positive, and critical reviews.

Number Nine: Set up Google MyBusiness. Google is the gold standard when it comes to web searches. To get (and stay) ahead of your competition; take advantage of some great tools for getting noticed. With Google MyBusiness, you can customize how your business contact information will look to customers on Google search. MyBusiness uses your business name, address, phone number and website uniformly across the platform, including: Mobile Search and Google Maps. Your customers, and potential buyers, see consistent, accurate information anytime, and anywhere they search. You can also add attractive photos and manage your reviews on Google. Both measures will help you stand out from the crowd.

Launching your new mobile-friendly website is an important and exciting day for your business.

You’ve spent valuable hours and dollars building the perfect website. You want to make a great first impression on your current and potential customers. This means you need to create and implement an effective strategy well in advance. Follow this Checklist for a Website Launch and you’ll be well on your way.

If you don't have time to execute all these activities or you're not sure how, Webware helps launch your website with a bang. 

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4 Tools Small Businesses Can Use for Better Website Performance

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In 2015, the United States spent over 60 Billion dollars on their pets! The pet trend is going global, with many countries across the world reporting increased numbers of household pets and pet-related purchases. With more and more pets in the home, I started to wonder, what about pets in the office? 

It turns out, I am not the only one interested in bring their furry friends to work. 

Last month, in celebration of our four-legged friends, the United States, Canada, Australia, and United Kingdom participated in the cutest, 18 year old tradition of Take your Dog to Work Day (TYDTWD). On June 24th, offices across the world opened their doors (and hearts) to employees’ pooch pals. The day came at the end of Take your Pet to Work Week celebrating all pet family members.

Awesome!

What could be more fun than petting animals on coffee breaks and between meetings? Basically, nothing. However, it turns out that pets in the office provide more than just a cuteness overload at work. There are several REAL benefits to office pets/bring your pet to work days. To help your superiors see the light on this important issue, I have compiled a list of reasons to consider an office pet or bring your pet work days. Here we go!

1. Improve employees' health. Studies show that pet ownership can affect a number of aspects of our health. Pet owners visit the doctor less frequently, saving the U.S. over 11 million dollars in healthcare spending annually. Pet ownership alleviates stress and depression, reduces obesity rates, and improves heart health by lowering blood pressure. Petting a dog releases “happiness” hormones like serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin while bringing cortisol, the “stress” hormone, levels down. Improved health means happier employees and fewer sick days.

2. Boost productivity. Taking a quick, 10-15 minute break every hour or so has proven the most efficient, productive way for humans to work. An office pet or pet-friendly office is far more likely to encourage these productivity enhancing breaks. A quick trip around the block with your pooch or a few minutes petting a kitten can recharge employees. For many employees, the ability to have their pet with them means less worry about what’s happening at home and less concern about staying later at the office. 
3. Encourage a positive office environment. Research shows that the simple presence of a pet boosts positive social interaction and increases helping behaviour. Pets can help break the ice between strangers and reduce tension between team members. A dog-friendly office promotes communication, cooperation and friendship between coworkers. And a team that gets along is more likely to enjoy coming in to work.
4. Attract employees and customers who share the same pet-friendly values. Pet-related spending is up all across the world. More and more people everywhere are embracing life with four-legged family members. An office pet or bring-your-pet-to-work policy can attract new talent and customers who share your company’s values. Etsy, “the world's most vibrant handmade marketplace” has dog-friendly offices in New York, London and Dublin. Sarah Starpoli, Etsy's manager of culture and engagement tells CNBC “People want it. People know about it when they come in and are hired”. I couldn’t agree more!
5. Improve pets’ health. Not to be overlooked, we can help our pets stay healthy with more socialization and physical activity. With the increase in importance of pet-family members, it’s crucial to keep them happy and healthy. Allowing pets in the office gives our animal friends more frequent walks and less days spent alone. 

What started out as “Take Your Dog to Work Day” turned “Take Your Pet to Work Week” has sparked a rise in pet-friendly offices.  A survey conducted in 2015 shows 8% of American workplaces allow pets in the office, up from 5% in 2013. Employers are opening their office doors to furry family members to create better workplace environments fuelled by happier and healthier employees. With all the proven benefits, it might be time for your company to consider how an office pet could positively impact life in the workplace. 

Up to 62% of consumers (and growing) do their research online before making a purchase! It’s never been more important for businesses to have a well-designed, informative website.

To make a lasting impression on potential customers, here’s 10 essentials for your small business website:

1. Mobile, mobile, mobile! Your website must be mobile-friendly.

• Between December 2013 and December 2015, smartphone internet consumption grew by 78%.
• Your customers are likely accessing your website from a mobile device. 
• A responsive website ensures a smooth, easily-navigable experience and happier customers. 
• Googles cares deeply that your website is mobile-friendly. If it’s not, your website will be bumped down the search results pages, finally landing behind your competitors’ responsive websites. 

2. Relevant business information. People are visiting your website to learn more about what your business offers.

• 47% of website visitors check out a company's products/services page before looking at any other sections of the site. 
• Design each webpage from your customer’s perspective: Give them the info they need to make an informed decision about your product/service.
• Make sure important content is easy to find on your website.

3.  Visible Contact Info. It should be as clear as possible how and where to get in touch with your business. 

• The business phone number should be visible on the homepage. Once on a company's homepage, 64% of visitors want to see the company's contact information. 
• Enable Click to Call. Based on Google’s commissioned research by Ipsos, 70% of mobile searchers have used “The Call Button” in order to get in touch directly with companies.  
• Another convenience favoured by many is live chat support. Learn more about why it’s awesome here. 
• A Contact Us page: a feedback form, the business street address, driving directions (if applicable), or even a link to your FAQ section. 

4. Simple Design. The more “visually complex” a website is, the less likely it is to be seen as “beautiful”. 

• All elements (words, images, videos, links) on the homepage should have a distinct and meaningful purpose. 
• Avoid clutter, small/hard to read fonts, and complex layouts. 
• Include clean lines, intuitive navigation, simple font style and colour schemes throughout the entire website. 

5. Reviews. As the digital age’s word-of-mouth, online reviews are a simple, yet effective way to increase traffic, sales, and improve your online reputation.

• 88% of consumers take reviews into account on purchase decisions!
• Add a review widget like Yotpo so customers can leave a review directly on your website.
• Include a few customer testimonials/reviews on your website.

6. Quality images. Showcase your products and services in action. 

• Use high-resolution images to highlight your products and/or services
• Better quality images create a more enjoyable user experience

7.  Understand SEO basics. Search Engine Optimization is a guiding principle when building a website for your business. 

• SEO comprises several factors working together to build your website’s visibility in search engine results.
• Some factors include: website content, mobile-friendliness, website quality (speed to load pages, duplicate pages, broken links, etc), website architecture and geophysical location
• SEO dramatically affects how many people (potential customers!) can find your website in the internet maze.
• Even if you aren’t building your own website or implementing the SEO strategy, it can be extremely helpful if you understand what SEO can and cannot do for your business. 

8.  Call To Action. A visual focal point on your website that invites customers to act. 

• Common examples of Call to Action are “Buy Now” or “Signup Here” or “Enter your email”. 
• Draw customers’ attention to your offer with colours, images, or typefaces. 
• For example, a bright pink “Start Your Free Trial” button against a neutral background will immediately catch the eye.

9. Monitor load time. How quickly (or slowly) the content on your website loads is crucial to maintaining visitors’ interest. 

• Page load speed affects SEO
• Images, videos, or text that takes too long to load can cause frustration and drive customers away. 

10. Advertise your website on social media. Make it easy for anyone visiting your social media pages to get to your website.

• Add your website to all your social media profiles, business cards and other marketing materials
• Facebook updates, Tweets, Instagram posts etc., should eventually entice people to check out your website.

More and more people are fact-checking products and companies online before they make a purchase. Use these essentials to help your small business website stand out among the online clutter. 

Get a mobile-friendly website that not only looks good, but also adds value to your business. With custom designs, digital services and reasonable prices, Webware’s toolkit is the perfect solution for small businesses.

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4 Principles of Psychology to Keep in Mind When Building Your Website