Four States Small Business Blog

Empower Your Website with PocketBase

Posted by Jason Dittmer on October 17, 2023 at 7:00 AM
The web team at Zimmer Marketing is continually working to push the boundaries of what is possible for business websites, to increase capabilities for smaller companies, and to improve user experience for their customers. Most recently, we've been expanding our horizon with the power of   PocketBase  as a backend for our advanced Svelte websites!

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Topics: Website Design, Digital Marketing, Online Sales

Business Website Essentials: 4 Must-Have Features for 2024

Posted by Jeannette Royle on October 10, 2023 at 7:49 AM
Continuing our series on business website essentials, this week we'll look to 2024 and some in-demand features that you should consider including in your web design. It's important to remember that your website is not a static, one-and-done business asset but should be growing and adapting to show your company in the best possible light! Let's look at four website features to have in 2024!


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Topics: Website Design

Business Website Essentials: Write Content to Satisfy User Intent

Posted by Brett James on October 3, 2023 at 7:00 AM
Last week, we started our series on business website essentials by discussing   what to put 'above the fold' on your homepage. This week, we're continuing with a look into how to develop content for your website that will help your site become visible on search engines and serve your web visitors well. We can summarize how to meet both these objectives in a single sentence:   Write content to satisfy user intent. But to better understand how to do that, let's get more specific.

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Topics: Website Design

Business Website Essentials: What to Put "Above the Fold"

Posted by Jason Dittmer on September 26, 2023 at 7:00 AM
A website is one of the most important assets your business can have. Because of it's importance, it's worth putting serious consideration into the design and content of a business website. Over the next three weeks, we will explore best practices for web layouts. 

In this first part, we will turn our focus to the area of your website most often viewed, your homepage. More specifically, we're looking at the area of the homepage that visitors can see before scrolling or taking any action on your website. In a nod to the old days of the newspaper, this area is referred to by web designers as "above the fold." Let's look at some common elements you should put near the top of your website's homepage.

Clear and Compelling Headline

The headline (or H1) is the first thing visitors see, and it should be clear, concise, and attention-grabbing. Use language that conveys your website's purpose to your audience, and include a strategic keyword for your business. It should instantly communicate what your website is about and why it matters. This will provide your web visitors a great experience and allow your website to perform better with search engines. 

Engaging Visuals

Humans are visual creatures, so use high-quality images, videos, or graphics that resonate with your content and brand. A visually appealing element can quickly draw visitors in and set the tone for your website. Consider using a hero image or video that relates to your message.

Concise and Persuasive Copy

The text accompanying your headline should be brief yet impactful. Explain your value proposition in a few sentences, highlighting the benefits of your product or service. Focus on the problem you solve or the need you fulfill, and use persuasive language to compel visitors to explore further.

Call-to-Action Buttons

Don't leave your visitors hanging; guide them toward the next step with well-placed CTAs. Whether it's "Sign Up Now," "Learn More," or "Shop Now," your CTA buttons should stand out and entice users to take action. Use contrasting colors and make them easily clickable. CTAs should be close to concise and persuasive copy to help the user understand the next step to access more information, products, or services.

Navigation Menu

Include a streamlined navigation menu that offers a clear pathway for users to explore your website. Keep it concise, with essential links such as "Home," "About Us," "Services," and "Contact" to help users find what they're looking for quickly. For mobile users, consider using a ' hamburger menu' to save space and make navigation easier.

Testimonials or Social Proof

Boost credibility and trust by showcasing testimonials or social proof above the fold. Positive feedback from satisfied customers or impressive statistics can reassure visitors that they're in the right place and encourage them to engage with your content.

Important Information

If there are critical pieces of information visitors need to know immediately, such as your contact details, operating hours, or limited-time offers, make sure they are visible above the fold. This prevents users from hunting for essential information and helps build trust.

Above the Fold on Mobile v. Desktop

When designing your website above the fold, it's important to consider various screen sizes. Most users these days use mobile devices to view your site. And these devices have a smaller above the fold area than desktop or laptop computers. Because of this, it's wise to make design choices that prioritize the experience of mobile users. Since space will be limited, it's essential that you prioritize what to put at the top of the page to both improve user experience and drive conversions.

Get Your Advanced Web Design

Zimmer Marketing's web development team is pushing the boundaries of website design and performance. Fast, visually appealing, and SEO-friendly websites are no longer the exclusive domain of multi-billion dollar companies. If you want to give your business a competitive advantage online, we're here to help.

Contact a Marketing Consultant
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Topics: Website Design

The Power of Choosing the Right Sponsorship

Posted by Kylie Davis on September 19, 2023 at 7:00 AM
In today's competitive business landscape, achieving visibility and connecting with consumers is crucial for the success of local and small businesses. One effective way to increase visibility is through strategic sponsorship, particularly by aligning your business with a relevant cause. By attaching your brand to a cause that resonates with your values and target audience, you positively impact your community and boost your visibility and reputation. This week, we'll explore how choosing the right sponsorship can benefit your business.
 

How Sponsorship Can Benefit Your Business 

Sponsorship has evolved beyond mere financial support for events or causes. It has become an important marketing tool to help businesses build brand awareness, foster a good reputation, and create customer loyalty. However, the key to unlocking the true potential of sponsorship lies in aligning your local business with a cause that's relevant and authentic to your brand.

Sponsorship Considerations for Local Companies

As a small business owner, you have the increasingly challenging task of competing with deep-pocketed national and multi-national corporations. A big part of your company's success depends on positioning as an essential fixture of the community and engendering support and loyalty from its residents. As such, the ideal causes for your company to engage with will likely be local. Try to align with good causes that are relevant and popular with both your existing customers and the broader community in which you operate.

Building Brand Authenticity

People value honesty and want to support businesses that are genuine in their intentions and values. By sponsoring a cause that aligns with your brand's core values and mission, you convey authenticity to your customers. When your audience sees that your commitment to the cause goes beyond financial support and is deeply ingrained in your company culture, they are likelier to trust and support your brand.

Connecting with Your Target Audience

Sponsorship allows you to reach your target audience in a meaningful way. You create an emotional connection when you support a cause that matters to your customers. Consumers are more likely to engage with and support businesses that share their values. For example, if your target audience cares about city beautification, volunteering for litter clean-up initiatives can help you forge a strong bond with them and demonstrate commitment to sustaining a thriving local community.

Get Involved

Zimmer Marketing is proud to support many excellent local organizations and causes that benefit the community in the Four States. If you're looking for ways to get your business more community-involved, we invite you to read about the initiatives we partner with!
 
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Topics: Marketing Strategy, Branding

7 Ways to Use Your Marketing Budget Wisely

Posted by Brett James on September 12, 2023 at 7:00 AM
Marketing is the lifeblood of any business, and it's the bridge that connects your products or services to your target audience. However, in today's competitive business landscape, it's not just about spending money on marketing; it's about using your marketing budget wisely to achieve maximum results. In this blog, we'll explore strategies and tips on how to make the most of your marketing budget and get the best return on investment.

1. Set Clear Goals

Before allocating your marketing budget, you need to establish clear, measurable goals. These goals should align with your overall business objectives. Are you aiming to increase brand awareness, drive website traffic, generate leads, or boost sales? Having well-defined goals will help you allocate your budget more effectively, as each goal may require different marketing channels and tactics.

2. Analyze Past Performance

Reviewing your past marketing campaigns can provide valuable insights. Analyze which strategies and channels yielded the best results and which ones fell short. This data can help you make informed decisions when planning your budget allocation. It allows you to invest more in what works and avoid wasting money on ineffective strategies.

3. Prioritize Your Target Audience

Not all marketing channels and tactics will be equally effective for reaching your target audience. Understanding your audience's preferences, behaviors, and demographics is essential. Invest in research to create detailed buyer personas, and then allocate your budget to channels and strategies that are most likely to reach and engage your ideal customers.

4. Diversify Your Marketing Mix

While focusing on your core strategies is essential, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Diversifying your marketing mix can help you reach a broader audience and mitigate risks. Consider allocating your budget across various channels, such as content marketing, digital display advertising, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and SEO. This way, you can hedge against changes in the marketing landscape or algorithm updates that may impact one channel.

5. Leverage Data and Analytics

Utilize marketing analytics such as   Google Search Console to track traffic to your business website and gain valuable insights into the effectiveness of your marketing strategy. Additionally, monitoring traffic stats for your website can help you make informed decisions about what kinds of content to produce moving forward. 
 

6. Invest in Content Marketing

Content marketing is a cost-effective strategy that can yield significant long-term benefits. Producing high-quality, valuable content engages your audience and improves your search engine rankings, driving organic traffic. Allocate a portion of your budget to content creation, including blog posts, videos, or audio content such as podcasts. 

7. Monitor Your ROI

Regularly evaluate your marketing ROI to ensure you're getting the best results from your budget. Calculate the return on investment for each campaign and channel and adjust your budget allocation accordingly. Over time this approach will help refine your marketing strategy and maximize your budget's impact over time.

Build an Effective Marketing Plan

Zimmer Marketing has been busy helping businesses transform into powerful local brands with multi-channel marketing campaigns. We can help you determine the right marketing blend for your needs and ensure your brand has a consistent message that resonates with your audience and drives growth.

 
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Topics: Integrated Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Digital Marketing, Advertising

How to Interpret Your Website Data in Google Search Console: Troubleshooting

Posted by Jason Dittmer on September 5, 2023 at 7:30 AM
Last week, we covered the basics of utilizing Google Search Console to create and maintain your website's search engine optimization strategy. Now, we will offer some more detailed tips to help you address SEO problems as they arise, keeping your website competitive online.

Understanding the Coverage Report in GSC

Now that you have a solid understanding of improving your overall SEO performance, let's talk about GSC's coverage report, which provides valuable insights into page indexing issues. This report enables you to understand how well your site is being crawled and indexed by  Googlebot, which stops after it's  fetched 15MB of HTML or any supported text-based file.

The coverage report gives you an overview of the different categories of pages on your site, including:
  • Page Validation
  • Indexed Pages
  • Excluded Pages
  • Error Pages

By analyzing these categories, GSC will report any potential issues affecting your website's visibility in search results. But, one vital aspect of the coverage report is its ability to highlight crawl errors and warnings.

These errors could be due to various reasons, such as server errors, broken links, or inaccessible content. Careful analysis of crawl errors and warnings can help you take the necessary action to resolve indexing issues to ensure Google correctly indexes each page on your website. That helps improve your website's visibility in search results and enhances its overall performance.

Utilizing the URL Inspection Tool

Another powerful aspect of GSC is its ability to inspect specific URLs using the URL Inspection tool. That operation allows you to conduct a detailed analysis of a particular page on your website, giving you powerful insight into the indexing status and coverage details of your pages, helping you identify and resolve any issues affecting that specific web page's performance.

Properly utilizing and analyzing this tool ensures that web pages are adequately recognized and included in search engine results.

The URL Inspection Tool checks the indexing status for specific page URLs. It provides information about whether a page is successfully indexing across search engines. That's critically important to know as it determines whether your content is visible to users when they perform relevant searches.

Additionally, this tool helps identify any issues preventing certain pages from being indexed or affecting their visibility in search results. It provides coverage details that highlight errors or warnings that need attention. Addressing these issues can improve your website's performance and visibility.

Monitoring Mobile Usability and Enhancing User Experience Across Devices

Another vital aspect of GSC is its ability to monitor a user's experience across different devices, like desktop computers, mobile devices, and even personal tablets. The increased usage of these devices means websites must provide a seamless experience for these users, too.

One way to monitor mobile usability is through the Mobile Usability Analysis feature in the Search Console. The information provided here helps identify any issues affecting a user's experience on a mobile device. It provides insights into mobile screen problems, such as font sizes, touch elements, or content size.

To enhance a user's experience on mobile devices, optimizing your website with a mobile-friendly design caters to a growing number of mobile users in today's changing market.

Utilizing the Enhancements Report to Improve Structured Data

When optimizing your website for search engines, utilizing structured data markup is crucial. Because it helps those search engines understand the content on your site and display rich results in the SERPs. Analyzing the GSC Enhancements is essential to ensure structured data is error-free and optimized for maximum visibility.

The enhancements report provides valuable insights into  breadcrumbs  and sitelink search boxes. Within the enhancements report, you'll find a breakdown of different structured data types on your site, such as articles, events, products, recipes, and more. Each category will display information about any errors or warnings detected by Google's algorithms.

It's essential to pay close attention to these errors or warnings as they indicate areas of improvement. For example, suppose you notice errors related to incorrect formatting of some aspects of your structured data markup. In that case, this could impact your website's appearance in search results by as much as 25%.

So, regular monitoring and acting upon the information provided in the enhancements report will help improve your website's structured data markup so it's error-free and optimized for search results.

GSC for Better Performance and Improved Search Engine Optimization

In conclusion, leveraging the data from GSC greatly benefits your website's performance and SEO efforts. By analyzing and understanding the data, you can improve your website's visibility, user experience, and overall performance in search engine rankings.

It offers vital metrics into your website's clicks, impressions, click-through rates, and average position for specific keywords. By analyzing all this data, you can build better SEO strategies that improve your website's visibility in search results.

Get Support for Your Website's SEO

The digital marketing team at Zimmer Marketing utilizes GSC to monitor and enhance client website performance and advance SEO strategies. Through regularly monitoring and analyzing this data, the Zimmer web team can make informed decisions to  optimize your content strategy, improve your user experience, and increase the organic traffic to your website. Contact Zimmer Marketing today at 417-624-1025 to speak with a Marketing Consultant.
 
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How to Interpret Your Website Data in Google Search Console: Getting Started

Posted by Jason Dittmer on August 29, 2023 at 7:30 AM
In today's digital landscape, understanding the importance of Google Search Console (GSC) and website data is crucial for any business or website owner. With the ever-increasing competition online, it has become essential to leverage data-driven insights to optimize your website's performance and improve its visibility in search engine results.

Website analytic tools comprehensively view your site's performance by tracking user behavior, engagement metrics, conversion rates, and other vital indicators. These insights help you understand what content resonates with your audience and which pages need optimization.

But to make an informed decision about enhancing your  search engine optimization (SEO)  efforts, you should harness the power of GSC. By understanding SEO metrics such as  click-through rates (CTR), search query analysis, and page impressions, you can identify opportunities to optimize your website's organic content strategy and improve user experience.

In today's blog, we delve into the importance of utilizing GSC and website data for effective SEO strategies. In addition, we'll explore how to interpret GSC data and how to take actionable steps to drive organic growth and boost your online traffic.

So, let's dive in to uncover the wealth of knowledge within GSC website data--empowering you to make informed decisions that better your website's ability to appear in  search engine results pages (SERPs)  and enhance the success of your online endeavors.
 

Navigating Google Search Console

A verified website URL through GSC gives property owners unique access to review specific search engine data. From the GSC dashboard, property owners can review and develop a detailed SEO strategy and track SEO effectiveness over 28 days.

Owners can navigate the various sections from the Search Console dashboard using the left-hand side menu. Each section offers valuable insights into different aspects of your website:

  • Site Performance
  • Page Indexing
  • User Experience
  • Areas of Improvement or Enhancement
  • Security Issues or Manual Actions
  • Legacy Tools and Reporting
  • Link Reporting
 

Performance Data Analysis

Understanding how your website performs in search engine results is crucial. By analyzing performance data in GSC, you gain valuable insight into the efficacy of your SEO efforts for a specific timeframe or type based on the following:

  • Total Number of Clicks and Impressions
  • Average Website Position
  • CTR
  • Search Query Analysis

Clicks and Impressions

The total number of clicks and impressions on your website gives you a snapshot of how much your website appears in search results and how frequently users click on your links. That data helps you gauge the visibility and clickability of your web pages.


Average Website Position
The average position indicates where your website ranks on the SERPs for specific keywords. GSC monitors those changes in rankings over time to help you assess your SEO strategies' impact and identify areas of improvement.


Click-Through Rates
CTRs are the percentage of users who click on your website links when they appear in search results. A high CTR suggests that your meta titles and descriptions are compelling and relevant to users' queries, while a low CTR may indicate room for improved optimization.


Search Query Analysis

Here, you can look closely at what keywords or phrases drive traffic to your site. The information identified in the query also generates the number of clicks and impressions to help improve your content strategy to better align with user intent.

Next Week: GSC Troubleshooting

Now that we've covered the basics of utilizing the tools in Google Search Console to make informed SEO decisions for your business website, we're ready to tackle some more advanced troubleshooting that GSC enables. Next week, we will explain how to fix problems as they arise so your website stays visible and competitive.
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Topics: Website Design

Zimmer Marketing Wins at KAB Awards

Posted by Mark Zimmer on August 22, 2023 at 7:30 AM
In 2023, Zimmer Marketing radio stations were honored to receive multiple awards from the   Kansas Association of Broadcasters. Our stations received three first-place awards, a second-place, and two honorable mentions. Read below for details about the awards:

KAB Awards Categories

Zimmer Marketing is pleased to have 2023 KAB awards in the following categories:
  • Commercial Campaign - Series
  • Commercial: 60 Seconds or Less 
  • Public Service Announcement
  • Morning Show

Commercial Campaign - Series

The team at Zimmer Marketing swept the commercial campaign series category in 2023, bringing home first place, second place, and an honorable mention!

1st Place
KIX 102.5  won first with their ad series for   Phillip Camerer Roofing. Congratulations to Bobby Wilkerson, Brett James, Jen Fox, and Joel Jarrett on their excellent work for this series!

2nd Place
Newstalk KZRG  placed second for their amazing work on the campaign for   All Dogs Dream. Congratulations to Bobby Wilkerson, Jen Fox, Chris Hayes, and Joel Jarrett!

Honorable Mention
Finally, Newstalk KZRG brought home the honorable mention making this category a clean sweep for Zimmer Marketing! Jen Fox, Bobby Wilkerson, Michael Johnson, Kylie Davis, and Thom Watts' ad series was a huge hit for   Bug-A-Way Pest Control!

Commercial: 60 Seconds or Less

The   Big Dog 97.9  crew brought home a first-place win for Zimmer Marketing with their ad for Kyle of All Trades. Congratulations to Bobby Wilkerson, Danielle McCollum, and Eli Bingman! 

Public Service Announcement

Bobby Wilkerson earned Newstalk KZRG an honorable mention with his PSA "Restoration Life Center - Karen Testimony." 

Morning Show

And finally, to round at Zimmer Marketing's wins at the 2023 KAB Awards, the   Chris Purple Hayes and Bobby Show  on Big Dog 97.9 won first place! Congratulations on another year of excellence in broadcasting!

Advertise with Zimmer Marketing

Year after year, Zimmer Marketing helps local businesses with successful branding and marketing both on-air and online. Contact a marketing consultant today to learn how we can transform your local business into an established and growing local brand!

Contact A Marketing Consultant
 
 
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Topics: Radio Advertising, Team Zimmer

The Ins and Outs of Search Engine Marketing

Posted by Kylie Davis on August 15, 2023 at 7:00 AM
In the ever-expanding digital landscape, businesses constantly seek innovative ways to connect with their target audience. One effective strategy that has gained popularity over the years is Search Engine Marketing (SEM). This marketing technique empowers businesses to reach potential customers precisely when searching for products or services online. In this blog, we'll explore the benefits and limitations of Search Engine Marketing and how it can best be used to help your business grow.
 

What Is Search Engine Marketing?

Search Engine Marketing, often called SEM, is a digital marketing strategy to enhance a website's visibility in search engine results pages through paid advertising. This approach involves leveraging pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, where you can bid on specific keywords relevant to your products or services. When a user searches for those keywords, the ads appear prominently in the search results, driving targeted traffic to your business website.
 

Components of SEM

  1. Keyword Research: The foundation of a successful SEM campaign lies in thorough keyword research. Identifying the right keywords ensures that your ads are displayed to users actively seeking what you offer.
  2. Ad Creation: Crafting compelling and relevant ads is crucial. Well-structured ads with attention-grabbing headlines and concise descriptions encourage users to click through to your website. Ad extensions, such as site links and callouts, can further enhance your ad's visibility and engagement. When placing your ad, PPC platforms consider your ad quality and ability to meet users' needs.
  3. Bidding Strategy: Platforms like Google Ads utilize an automated auction system where advertisers set bidding parameters that will be used to compete for ad placement. A well-thought-out bidding strategy takes into account factors like budget, keyword competitiveness, and desired outcomes. 
  4. Landing Pages: Driving traffic to your website is just the beginning. The landing page where users land after clicking on your ad is pivotal in conversion. An optimized, user-friendly landing page that aligns with the ad's message can significantly improve conversion rates.
 

Benefits of SEM

  1. Immediate Visibility: Unlike organic search efforts, SEM delivers rapid results. Once your campaign is live, your ads are instantly displayed to users searching for your keywords.
  2. Targeted Reach: SEM allows you to precisely target your audience based on factors such as location, device, demographics, and even specific times of the day.
  3. Measurable Results: SEM provides a wealth of data, enabling you to track key metrics such as clicks, impressions, conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI). This data-driven approach facilitates continuous optimization for better performance.
  4. Cost Control: With PPC campaigns, you have control over your budget. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad, making it a cost-effective way to reach potential customers.
 

Challenges and Considerations

While SEM offers numerous benefits, there are challenges to keep in mind:
  1. Competition: Popular keywords can have fierce competition, potentially leading to higher bid prices.
  2. Constant Monitoring: Regular monitoring and optimization are essential to ensure your campaigns remain effective and budget-friendly.
  3. Volatile Traffic: Once you significantly reduce your budget or stop an SEM campaign altogether, your web traffic will decline or vanish.
 

Organic SEO and SEM Work Together

Because SEM campaigns are typically more costly and have no staying power once a campaign ends, it is advisable to always pursue organic search engine optimization before or in addition to SEM. Organic web traffic is generally less expensive, and once you have a piece of optimized content on your website, it will continue to bring in traffic for years to come. Search engine marketing can increase your traffic at the margins, but coupling SEO and SEM will protect your website from the extreme volatility of an SEM-only plan. 
 

Revitalize Your Web Traffic

The web team at Zimmer Marketing has helped numerous businesses break out of internet invisibility with custom-built high-performance websites. We start projects with search engine-friendly content for your site and follow it up with monthly data-driven content updates. On top of that, we can bring even more traffic to your website with the skilled implementation of SEM campaigns!

Contact a Marketing Consultant
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Topics: Marketing Strategy, Marketing ROI, Digital Marketing

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