Marzipan

Tag: How To

  • Improve Your Website’s Conversion Rates

    Improve Your Website’s Conversion Rates

    Did you know your conversion rate has an exponential impact on your overall revenue – a 1% increase in conversion rate might mean 50% revenue growth.

    Site conversion rate simply tells you how effective your site is at converting visitors into paying customers. Look for this number in the analytics section of your site, or calculate it using the following formula:

    SITE CONVERSION RATE = Number of Conversions / Total Visitors

    Aim for a site conversion rate over 2.8%, which is the average for eCommerce stores.

    Simple actions that improve your site functionality will help boost this number.

    Here are a few simple, but effective ways to boost site conversion rate:
    1. Increase your site speed 

    Slow sites kill conversions. Both WordPress and Shopify sites can start to slow down once you layer up additional plugins, images and scripts. Run your website through a tool such as GT Metrix of Google’s Page Speed Checker to gauge where your website sits for speed. If you don’t have a developer you can use an app or check to see if your shopping platform has a built-in tool to improve site speed. This site uses WP Rocket to lift its speed. Apps like this ensure we utilising smaller image files and above-the-fold simplicity for a quick loading landing page that lets our customers cruise the site without pause upon arrival. 

    2. Organise your site pages

    Provide a clear hierarchy of content with the most important info at the top, this will make sure you grab your customers’ limited attention with the information that matters most and is most likely to drive conversion. Don’t be afraid to add multiple calls to action throughout the page to capture people at the point of decision making.  Vary the way in which people make that action with a blend of buttons and text links and images.

    3. Make it seamless 

    Get your customers where they need to be as quickly as possible. Make it super simple for your customer to navigate your site, browse products, add to cart, and checkout. Reducing the number of steps (or friction) to checkout or registration pages will decrease the decision-making timeline and the chance for second-guessing or cart abandonment. This step underlines why the first point above is so important. 

  • How to Survive the Pandemic as a Freelance Content Writer

    How to Survive the Pandemic as a Freelance Content Writer

    With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the world, life is not the same. While it has impacted every industry, the plight of the self-employed workforce is beyond imagination. They are neither getting employment nor are they eligible for government’s financial aid benefits. Dealing with the loss of business, restrictions and a lot of mental and emotional stress have become a lifestyle for many. 

    However, if you’re a freelance content writer, we’ve some news for you. You may still work around and flip the situation. Lots of businesses are closing on their brick and mortar stores and going digital. This has increased the scope of content writing as a career.  It is truly said, “words never die”. The extra time on hands will encourage you to think out of the box and play to your strengths strategically. 

    The current situation is a great excuse and incentive to get rid of that writer’s block and yield some cash. Let’s take a look at how to kill two birds with one stone and survive the pandemic.

    Internet Is Your Savior

    The pandemic has caused chaos around. There is hardly any form of entertainment apart from gadgets being our best friends. People are utilizing this time to indulge in some reading. Writing engaging articles and blogs can help you make money in this pandemic. 

    A lot of online platforms pay writers to provide content. You can look them up and find a way to mine some cash. The key here is to know your audience. Find a platform that caters to your needs without compromising your talent. While some organizations prefer writing about current affairs, others sell artwork and stories. Take your pick and work your way through.

    Looking for the Right Platforms

    Most content writing clients do not look for individual writers. They contact SEO content writing companies whom they can trust with their content. Get in touch with those organizations to secure a stable job with consistent pay.

    With so much crises going around, lots of organizations are looking to write about it. Each business, big or small, has been affected by COVID19. Many of them are using it as a tool to market their business benefits through articles. Even nonprofit organizations have no other way to spread information and content than through social media. These would include captions, blogs, and poster content. Approaching them to get and give help is a good idea. 

    Work on your website

    You probably chose to freelance because you like to work for yourself and on your terms. In the fight between income and self-employment, income always wins. Now is the chance to reverse that. Start working on that site you have been gazing at but never got to finish. It will distract your mind from the mental stress. Cherry on the top, we can help get online in no time at all with our affordable web design services

    Readers have an eye for informative content on the current situation. Apart from the virus, 2020 has been a rocky road in several aspects. Penning down thoughts about politics or even the climate change situation will attract the audience.

    Plagiarism Checkers to the Rescue

    Plagiarism is a big no-no in any institution or organisation. Why should a company hire you or why should users read your content when the same can be Googled in a few seconds? Thus, while writing any piece, your priority should be to ensure your work is original and authentic.

    Taking references, statistics or facts does not count as “copied” work so, don’t frown already! Plagiarism checkers check for similarity in sentences and not content. Even though your topic is the same, it might not be plagiarised. However, you must frame it in your own words while delivering it.

    With so much time on hands and strain on minds, clients are being incredibly particular. This means zero tolerance to plagiarism and low quality. Hence, it is always better to be safe than sorry. 

    In this situation, online plagiarism checkers are extremely helpful. There are a ton of them available on Google for free. While the paid ones are precisely accurate, the ones available for free do a decent job as well.

    Google Is Your Best Friend

    Search engines are blowing up with quarantine content all over the internet. Google statistics show that the top search during the pandemic is well, all related to the pandemic! These are followed by searches for new connections and ways to change routine. Articles covering trendy topics like these can put your visionary under the spotlight.

    The SEO content hunt still continues in the market. It is essential to keep in mind the keyword density while writing for a client. The more you give to Google, the more it will give to you. So, make sure you’re writing to impress and attract.

    Connect with Others

    It is in the times of need that you must have your friends and helpers close to you. If the internet is not able to surprise you, a person from the industry definitely will. Make yourself a LinkedIn page and reach out to other freelancers. Contact companies and apply wherever you can.

    A million people are facing this difficulty and it is important to know that you are not alone. Talking to someone facing the same situation will not only give you mental peace but also a new perspective. Add writers and authors to your network and they might be able to hook you to some agency or company. It is necessary to market yourself in these desperate times.

    If you have leisurely avoided your finances before, it’s high time that you turn back and evaluate. It is uncertain as to when these tough times will end. So, pay attention to your money. If you’re living with a friend on rent, move back in with your parents. 

    Invest in some good bank policies and create an emergency fund. If there is anything that the pandemic has taught us then it’s that life is too short and unpredictable. Therefore, adopt these ways to survive the pandemic and make a living for yourself.

    Guest post written by Megan Madison.

  • Three SEO Tips for small businesses right now

    Three SEO Tips for small businesses right now

    Top 3 SEO tips for your business

    Let’s face it, everybody is spending a lot more time online right now. The latest mobility trend data from Google shows residential activities up by 15% on previous baselines.

    Coronavirus lockdowns around the world and more of us working from home than ever before have seen a sharp rise in online activities such as meetings, shopping and dreaming. Many of us are incessantly scrolling through all manner of social media feeds in search of distraction and connection. 

    As more businesses are pivoting to online versions of their old selves the uptick in new websites being created is making it harder than ever to be found among the top pages of a Google search result.

    These three tips can help you rank higher on Google and get found online ahead of your competition.

    ⠀
    1. Refine your local SEO keywords

    With more people at home and less public transport options available, people are buying local, more than ever before. A few tweaks to your website copy including your suburb/area could make a world of difference.  This is especially true if you’re a reliant on local customers, such as coffee shops and beauticians.

    For these small businesses getting seen in the geographical search results generated by Google Maps is vital right now. Fortunately getting a Google My Business listing, is free, quick to set up and a great way of boosting you SEO.

    Many people will click directly on the map options for local businesses when conducting a search. The results stem directly from Google My Business listings, capturing people in the midst of a needs based search, such as “Coffee shop near me” that delivers instant solutions so people don’t even have to scroll down to find what they’re after.

    Your business needs to be in these local results. Treat your business listing like a blog with frequent updates and images as appropriate.

     

    2. Use the situation as a great way to communicate to your audiences

    Tell your customers what you’re doing in response to Coronavirus. Create informative digital content around:

    – Delivery times – For example has shipping been impacted?

    – Is your customer services receiving a higher volume of calls?

    – Videos showing us how to get the most out of your product

    – Blogs with keyword rich content, such as this small plug for our SEO services ; ) 

    Our friends at Sydney Living Museums are a great example of a business keeping their customers up to date with the changing times, providing the latest news regarding changes in Covid restrictions and offering free downloadable materials for kids during lockdown.

    3. Revisit and revise your existing blog content

    As many small businesses pivot and adapt to the environment it’s a great time to revisit those old blog posts to ensure they’re still relevant. Try adding more SEO rich keywords, a fresh introduction, or a stronger call to action to ensure your digital content is a fresh as possible.

    You may pick up the occasional typo that slipped through the net or new materials to link to within your site. Keeping people on your pages longer and providing another flag to Google that can increase your SEO.

    Keeping your digital content turning over regularly with new and relevant information is a great way to ensure your audience will return more often and offers another pulse towards the Google gods that your site is live and worthy of that first page, search engine result.

    If you need more information or a helping hand getting your business found on Google, get in touch today and see how our affordable SEO services can help you shine online.

  • Three tips to help create beautiful digital content

    Three tips to help create beautiful digital content

    Marzipan Media - digital content creators agency sydney

    As digital content creators we know the pit falls of creating beautiful content for the sake of it. Great content comes from great understanding of your audiences and the challenges they face. 

    But it takes time, research, and a lot of effort.

    The three tips below can help you create digital content but they’re just the tip of the iceberg.  

    1. Understand your Audience

    Most of us marketers believe we have a clear understanding of our audiences. But how often do we really put our theories to the test. Quite often we discover a gap in  understanding from the perceived need to the actual one, that can result in sending the right message to the wrong people. 

    Not only does this result in a poor return but it can also damage the brand reputation. When we start with a new brand or business, regardless of the type of content we are creating, we’ll always ask the following questions: 

    • What problems do your potential customers have?
    • What kinds of content do they really crave?
    • Why are they hesitating to buy your products and services?
    • What are they telling your sales team?
    • What are they saying about your business on social media?

    By demonstrating you can solve customer problems you’ll start creating content that is both relevant and useful, not only engage your audiences’ head, but also their heart. Creating emotional connections between your brand and audience will build a longer lasting community. Ultimately your digital content should appeal to the wants and desires of humans not algorithms.

    2. Understand your Why

    This is crucial as you go into creator mode. What are trying to achieve with this particular slice of digital content?

    Once you know what you want to achieve with your content, it’s much easier to create content formats and topics that support your goals. You might focus on one or two goals, such as:

    • generating new leads for your business
    • selling a new product category 
    • building customer engagement 
    • looking for cross promotional opportunities
    • boosting your brand awareness online

    Once you’re clear  on your why you’ll have a better idea as to the type of digital content you’re looking to create. Are you going to need a new website, blog post or video to help you reach your objective or can a new email, sign up form or questionnaire work just as well? 

    3. Be Authentic

    Your brand, your tone of voice, your company. They’re exclusive to you. It’s ok to borrow ideas but you have to make them your own based on your customers needs. Straight up lifting or copying content from your peers could damage your SEO and reputation.

    Creating unique digital content in such a saturated world can be a tricky business but understanding your whys and your audiences will help massively.

    Sharing ideas you’re passionate about and that are relevant to your audience will create the magic.

    Audiences are more savvy than ever and can spot authenticity, or lack thereof a mile away.  Land on the right side of the content creation debate and you’ll boost your credibility while winning hearts and minds of your audiences. 

    Useful links

    Need a hand?
    Marzipan Media are here to help: 


    Contact us

  • How to Write Online Content that Google likes and people love!

    When it comes to writing online content for your website, you aren’t just writing for yourself. Before you put the words on the page, you need to consider things that will ensure Google likes your content, and your audience absolutely loves it!

    These 9 steps to creating search friendly, online content will help:

    1. Write Clickable, Engaging Headlines
    2. Format Your Content Properly
    3. Share Your Expertise
    4. Cut Out The Fluff
    5. Write Longer Form Content
    6. Try Not To Get Too Technical
    7. Use Keywords Naturally Within Your Content
    8. Match Copy To The Buying Cycle
    9. Focus On Value Over Selling

    Remember you’re creating written content for both your audience and the search engines, so keeping this in mind as you write is imperative. Striking the perfect balance is tricky when creating online content, but with this guide you should find it easier – even enjoyable! Let’s get into it…

    1 – Write Clickable, Engaging Headlines
    Your aim should be to grab the attention of your reader and make it difficult for them not to click on the headline. You don’t want to create clickbait headlines that have nothing to do with the actual content, but you should be smart, using powerful, positive words to get the reaction that you want.

    2 – Format Your Written Content Properly
    Formatting your online content properly will break things up and ensure that it’s easily read by your audience. You should format with headings and subheadings, incorporate attractive, original images, use bullet point lists, and so on. Formatting it in small digestible chunks is the game – it should be scannable. It’s rare that a person will read everything you’ve written, word for word without doing at least a little scanning.

    3 – Share Your Expertise
    Aim to share your expertise with your audience when you write. Create online content that is both useful and interesting. What questions do they have? What do they want to learn more about? By sharing your expertise, rather than being precious about it, people will begin to see you as an expert in your industry.

    4 – Cut Out The Fluff
    Content should be concise in order to keep the reader’s attention and make them want to keep on reading. Build value and keep them coming back for more. Don’t flesh out your content with rubbish that nobody really cares about reading. Although longer form content is thought to perform better on the search engines these days, every word should be carefully placed to ensure maximum value.

    5 – Write Longer Form Content
    Compare the results from 2000 word length copy to 500 word length copy, and you should notice a difference in terms of success. Longer form content tends to be more helpful and perform better in the search engines – but it becomes even more imperative to stick to the rest of the advice here. Cut out the fluff, format it properly, and ensure you’re adding value.

    6 – Try Not To Get Too Technical
    Avoid using jargon in your text. If you get too technical, you will be limiting the readers of your content to people who understand this kind of language. Jargon can also bog down your writing. Try to keep things simple, even when it comes to word choice. For example, instead of the term ‘eliminate’ you can just say ‘get rid’. It should improve your writing.

    7 – Use Keywords Naturally Within Your Content
    Search engines are getting smarter all the time, and Google will de-rank content that relies on keywords too much or even stuffs them into content. Your keywords should always be incorporated in the most natural, organic way possible.
    With too many keywords, your text will be clunky to read and not helpful at all to your audience. Aiming to provide value to your reader should be your first concern.

    8 – Match Copy To The Buying Cycle
    Understanding the buying cycle of your customer is essential if you want the best results. If you understand this and you can match your copy to the buying cycle, it will apply directly to whoever is reading it. For instance, consumers who may be in the early stages of the buying cycle will appreciate broad, informative content so that they can learn more and continue making their way through the cycle. Those further down the buying cycle will want more specific content that can help them to make the right purchasing decision, as they are nearly there.

    9 – Focus On Value Over Selling
    Avoid using pushy language and tactics to sell your products and services. Make it your goal to build a relationship with your audience first and focus on the sale second. Although you do want to get sales with your content, the value will always be what helps you to get it – not the hard sell. People don’t like getting an air of desperation, or that pushy salesperson vibe from your content. You can definitely talk about the benefits of your products/services, but again, value should be your top priority.

    If you find that your content generates a lot of traffic but never seems to convert, you’re probably thinking about SEO before your audience. Change this now, use the advice here, and you should notice great results!

    Need a little help? Check out our SEO boosting copywriting Services here.

  • 7 steps to successful digital content creation

    7 steps to successful digital content creation

    Digital Content is a huge part of our day to day life. It’s almost impossible to avoid in our ultra connected society. The daily internet stats around it are mind boggling. As at Dec 2018:

    • Every day around the planet some 4.1 billion of us are logging online to use the internet.
    • Over 95 million photos and videos are shared on Instagram daily.
    • Over 4 million blog posts are published every day.
    • Over 500 million tweets are sent every day.

    Visit the internet’s live stats for a true peak at the numbers involved.

    Digital Content helps keeps us entertained and informed. Content will answer our questions, will spark a debate, will set someone free, make us smile &/or make us weep. Great digital content will make our decisions, facilitate our every habit online from the sweet to the not so savoury and much, much more.

    As a digital marketer, start-up or business owner of any size, creating beautiful content will help you attract, engage, and delight audiences, bringing new customers to your site, and ultimately, generate revenue for your company.

    To be blunt if you own a business or a website and are not creating digital content, then you’re doing it all wrong. That’s why we’ve compiled these 7 steps to successful digital content creation. Although some of these steps may not be applicable to all types of digital content, they will see in on the right path to a meaningful content strategy and creation pathway.

     

    1. Identify your target audience.

    Creating fund and engaging digital content is great but if you don’t know who you’re creating for there’s a chance they won’t like if and when they see it. An essential part of digital content strategy is to first identify who your key audiences are and what makes them tick. Posting cute fluffy kitten images is all well and good but if you’re running a camping store then it’s probably not going to connect with your desired response.

     

    2. Understand why you’re creating the digital content.

    Different types of content work best for different purposes. By determining the purpose at the beginning of the content creation process, you can improve the likelihood that your content will achieve the desired results. Are you looking to boost your site’s SEO? Perhaps long format articles outlining your expertise are a the content of choice here? Want to demonstrate your companies abilities? Perhaps creating case studies of recent projects will be best? 

     

    3. Create useful, quality content. 

    This flows directly from the previous comment. Digital content creation, for sake of content creation will never work. It’s gets super boring, super quick! Every piece of content you create, be it an Instagram post, YouTube video or blog must be both relevant and useful to your target audiences. Creating something they would want to keep, use or share will help build your trust online, extend your natural reach and build a sustainable social media community. 

     

    4.Get Creative. 

    Play around with your content creation and have fun with it. People are 80 percent more likely to read content that has coloured visuals. Infographics are 3 times more likely to be liked and shared compared to any other type of content on social media. According to a study by MDG Advertising, content paired with captivating images gets 94 percent more total views on average than those without. Or to take your content strategy to the next level by utilising video. According to a recent Renderforest survey, 78% of users got more traffic to their website after using videos. It’s the main reason we exist as an agency is because people now see, more than ever, video production is critical to your digital content strategy.

    5. Always consider your SEO keywords

    SEO and content creation linked inseparably SEO and content creation linked inseparably Digital content creation drives SEO Don’t just guess your keywords for your content strategy, let them dictate your digital content strategy. By combining your content and search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy you can be sure the content created is working for you on multiple levels ad helping you achieve greater visibility on your search rankings. An active SEO strategy will help you find the right types of content to create for the right audiences and vice versa. Create keyword rich articles, image tags and meta data to ensure the content your create is seen and attracting the relevant audiences to your site.

    6. Share through your owned channels.

    Once you’ve created your useful digital content don’t just publish it once. Promote content through each of your owned channels such as you social media communities, blogs, and emails. Sharing different content on each of your social networks will expand your brand’s reach and add scale to your digital marketing campaigns. Schedule it for today before repurposing and reposting again and again for as long it remains relevant. Make your content work for you tweaking it to fit relevant social media channels. Tailoring it slightly to adjust for people’s consumption habits on the social media of choice and hooking people back to your original source of content. Regularly creating unique digital content will give your customers and those search bots a reason to return again and again.

    7. Track & Learn.

    Now your newly created digital content is out there for all the world to see it, Track and measure the impact through your analytics. Go beyond the standard page views and begin to evaluate online behaviours of your audiences to better understand who is viewing specific pieces of digital content. Consider tracking your sources of traffic, your keyword positions and search rankings. We use sites like MOZ and Small SEO Tools to track our keyword rankings. This provides transparency for our clients and allows them to watch in real time as we boost their SEO positions online through content creation.

    Marzipan Media are Sydney based, digital content agency focused on one thing; producing engaging online content for our clients in Australia and beyond. If you’d like to talk more about your digital content strategy get in touch today.

  • Three tips to getting the most from your Influencer marketing campaign

    We love working with influencers on campaigns. When used correctly they can quickly help build your brand, grow your social media communities and create trust for your brand not to mentioned help you reach valuable new audiences. But how do you know who to partner with? Always check the three R’s: Resonance, Reach and Relevance. Like social media guru Jay Baer once said: “True influence drives action, not just awareness.”

    How to determine and influencers Resonance?
    Resonance tracks the ripples of that content through the influencers network. Does it get shared outward to other networks, will it be reposted and is it trusted. Some of the influencers we’ve worked with & admire such as We Are Explorers, Little Lobby and Carly Brown absolutely nail it. Seamlessly working branded content into their feed without it seeming phoney or overly pushy.
    This is the type of content that will get shared and resonates with new audiences. It’s a skill, good content creators will own it but not everybody can.

    Be sure to check your influencer’s reach
    Just having the requisite number of followers doesn’t cut it these days. Any days really, it’s always been a poor measure of success but it’s sometimes a good place to start. Many brands have set budgets will help you aim for the right influencers. Knowing your options is always handy. Make sure though that posts are getting good volumes of likes.

    There’s no point paying for an influencer just for their 10,000 likes if only 34 people will engage with a post. Follower counts are easily inflated, it takes a lot to grow and maintain a healthy social media community and people often look for shortcuts. Look for strong engagement rates to support the reach on each and every piece of digital content that’s posted.

    The final check is the most important – Relevance
    There’s no point having a superstar influencer shoutout your brand on Instagram if they’re from a completely different warp of life. This can be the hardest part and as a social media agency we see many good opportunities missed or misplaced because a client is super keen to pair up with an influencer that they love personally… but that who doesn’t work with the brand.

    There are plenty of influencer fish in that see, it’s better to wait than to rush and get it wrong.
    While someone with hundreds of thousands of social media followers certainly could expose your brand to their followers, if they are not a snug contextual fit, their post or tweet would be moot as far as driving leads and customers.

    As the lines between PR and social continue to blur and brands continue to find fresh ways to make their content work for them consider an influencer campaign for your brand in 2018. With a little time and research you could find the perfect pairing to extend your sphere of influence, grow your community and build valuable trust in the market place.

    Let us know how you go in the comments below!

  • SEO Tips for 2019

    We recently sat down with Brittany Bennet, founder of health and fitness website Fittopia to contemplate the future of SEO for start ups and small businesses. As we head to 2019, SEO remains as important as ever with more small businesses jostling to found online.

    As more business owners become savvy to SEO, staying on top of future trends is crucial for your website to stay competitive. In this recent podcast created for the Fittopia site we discuss all things SEO, providing top tips for anyone looking to get found online. We share our favourite SEO tips to help you stay ranking.

    We love working with Brittany and have done so for a number of years so we jumped at the chance to join her for a chat about SEO on her Fit List Podcast series.

    SEO TIps - Fit List Podcast Brittany Bennet Sydney

    Listen as we discuss the following questions about SEO:

    • I don’t have a website only social media is there any thing I can do to get found easier
    • Are there any SEO tips I can do even if I know nothing about updating my website?
    • If I pay someone to do my SEO how will know if it’s working?
    • What is SEO and why is it important for a business who has a website
    • Is SEO exclusive for Google or for other search engines to?
    • What are some of the key ways to boost your ranking on Google?
    • There is some information out there saying that if the exact same content runs twice on
    • Google you will be penalised. Is this true? If so how different does the content need to be to keep your ranking high?
    • If you are sharing content with another platform, is there a way to not get penalised if you don’t change the wording?
    • Are there any principals that a business should apply on a daily or weekly basis to keep their SEO high?

    The #SEO podcast is just one in a series of chats produced for the new online course for Wellness Businesses produced by Brittany & her team at Fittopia to help you master your own PR and Marketing. If you’re looking to boost your profile and brand awareness in the health, wellness and lifestyle space, then this course to help you achieve just that!

    More details > here

  • How to get started on social media

    Getting your business started on social media need not be hard. Follow this beginners guide to starting out on social media and start achieving reach and engagement today!

    Not all social media channels are alike. Your social media strategy should consist of mini-plans for each of the channels you are aiming to be active on. Get a plan for your Instagram, Facebook and so on. Ask yourself questions along the way like – why is my business on social media? What social media channels fit my audience? Where do I see my audience engaged the most?

    Back up these questions and thoughts with analytics from your website. See where your traffic is coming, what time of day your audiences is on social media and build up a picture of what works best. Creating digital content for the sake of it isn’t going to help. You don’t have to churn out 6 posts a day to 6 different channels. Create engaging, relevant content for your audiences that is both useful and timely and you’ll soon build a solid social media community that is ready to act.

    Remember social media is about listening and engaging to your audience which can take time and energy. Don’t just push all of your digital content via a scatter gun and hope for the best.  It’s much better to do fewer things better. Be strategic, don’t be afraid to start small and focus on just one or two social networking sites at once.

    If you get stuck we’re always here to help – contact us today to see how.