There are tons of places online where you can easily teach yourself to code. It’s not just simple HTML even, but the options range far and wide. So the question isn’t really where, but why you should learn to program.
Ignoring all other answers for now, I’m going to go with one of the cliche answers ever – it can be lots of fun. We’ll talk about the ins and outs of the matter later, but first I want to share with you a few places where you can pick up programming skills by yourself.
Best Places to Learn Coding on Your Own
1. Code Academy
This e-Learning platform is run by a company called Ryzac, Inc. It’s been around for almost a decade now, which means experienced operators and well-established syllabi. Signing up and learning on Code Academy is actually free.
You can simply use your email address or even Google account to get started. Free accounts get more access than you might think. You get to pick from 14 of the most popular coding languages and scripts around including HTML, Java, PHP, and more.
Once you’ve chosen a course, you’ll be guided through it by a combination of content, quizzes, practical assignments, and demos. The best part is that all of this is built into their online platform, you won’t have to install anything.
They make their money through a Pro plan option which opens up even more content, offers certification, custom learning plans, and more.
Price: Free
2. BitDegree
Signing up with BitDegree is free as well. This site prices its courses individually, but often runs promotions for free courses. One thing to note is that BitDegree isn’t all about coding, but it has courses on many interesting fields.
From business courses to hardcore data science or even personal development, there’s lots to choose from. But programming is why we’re looking at this and they offer a massive number of programming-related courses.
They don’t only separate these out by programming language, but have purpose-built courses as well, such as how to make video games, learning database interaction, and more. The choices are very abundant.
Perhaps the best part of BitDegree is their extensive use of gamification to keep things interesting. As you can see from the screencap above, learning can be fun.
Price: Varies
3. Udemy
Udemy is another e-Learning platform that isn’t strictly for programming. Still, those who want to code will find it has a massive amount of resources in this area. Doing a quick search for programming courses turned up over 11,000 courses.
The thing about Udemy though is that the content here is user-generated. This means the choice of courses you end up making can vary greatly in quality. They also don’t offer anything else such as certifications and such.
Courses are also more traditional and take the form of videos. This makes them relatively easy to consume but also limited in interactiveness. There are a large number of free courses and overall, it has bits of something for everyone.
Udemy isn’t for everyone and their saving grace lies mostly in the huge database of content available. The problem is that since it’s also a channel for individuals to earn money, the motivation behind the creation of those resources may affect its effectiveness.
Price: Varies
4. FreeCodeCamp
FreeCodeCamp is, for lack of a better word, really campy. It was designed to pass on a very old-school coding environment and does this admirably so. At the same time, the user experience on the platform is simply superb.
It offers a mix of over 6,000 tutorials and courses, most of which are well guided and interactive in nature. The design is actually strikingly similar to that of Code Academy, albeit with that more archaic template.
Courses here are organized from top-down views to pass on the right skill sets to achieve certain objectives – not just coding itself. This includes areas like responsive web design, data visualization, or information security.
As an old (really old) school programmer once upon a time, the feeling of nostalgia passed on by FreeCodeCamp was refreshing. All it lacks is that glaring bright green font and black background to make it complete. But that may be too much of a shock for the modern programmer-asprant.
Price: Free
5. MIT OpenCourseWare
For those who prefer to learn coding with a bit more of a semblance to formality, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) MIT OpenCourseWare is the perfect choice. Although there are a large number of courses here, MIT does happen to be famed – you get it – for technology.
The free platform allows you to access a comprehensive library of materials that their own students use. It is very much structured as any formal higher institute of learning is, so it may feel a little drier compared to the other sources on this list so far.
Still, the materials available are very impressive and range from video lectures to notes and assignments. If you’re unsure, just read the course descriptions – it’ll even let you know what level of learning the courses are designed for.
For those who hated school and graduated vowing never to return, avoid this site like the plague. It really brings back memories of university days, which can be a nightmare for some (like me). No more 48-hours programming stretches for this guy!
Price: Free
6. Scratch
Despite the interactivity, ease of use, gamification, and more, we haven’t really covered anything for the younger ones. That’s where Scratch comes in. It’s an interactive, gamified platform to teach only one language – Scratch – to children, especially those aged 8 to 16.
Designed and operated by MIT, this nifty tool is absolutely free and opens a channel for kids to learn programming logic along with their parents. For the younger kids, they have an alternative as well, ScratchJr.
Although this isn’t really a tool to teach coding, it forms an important foundation for children as they prepare for the future. Essential skills such as reasoning, creativity, and collaboration can all be honed by using Scratch. And it’s fun.
For those interested, I’ve discussed Scratch extensively and you can learn more in that article. Parents, use it to spend more time with your kids and have fun with them at the same time. Especially if you’re hoping they’ll grow up to be a rocket scientist or something.
Price: Free
Why Learn Coding?
Now that we’ve gone through some of the best places to learn, what’s left over is to answer the million dollar question – why learn to code? I can probably give you a million and one reasons but at the end of the day, you’re likely here because you’re interested.
Technology today has become so much an integral part of society that literally everyone and their dog (or cat) is somehow affected or influenced. However, there’s a big part of coding that not many people realise – especially those who think of coding as merely endless lines of gibberish.
Coding is only a small fraction of an entirety. We code because we can to achieve something – to offer something of use to society. Because of that, it is impossible to code well without understanding and learning other associated skills.
For example; logical thinking, reasoning, best practices – these are all part of the coder’s life and when put into play, easily influence our daily lives as well. Because of this, coding itself can be useful as a foundation for many things.
How Difficult is Learning to Code by Yourself?
The truth is, learning to code is easy for some while harder for others. There are also factors such as the language chosen and familiarity with other IT concepts like operating systems and the like.
Nobody simply wakes up one day and just decides that they want to learn to code. There will always be some impetus behind the choice – an urge to upskill, the thirst for knowledge, or the aim to achieve an objective.
All of these can factor in as part of the answer to how easy or difficult it is to code. At the end of the day, much depends on the reason you have behind wanting to learn to code, and your determination to meet your goals.
This list clearly shows that there are avenues of learning easily accessible, comprehensive, and even free. As a hint though;
Some easier coding languages and scripts to learn include:
Final Thoughts
Despite it being the background for almost everything tech, programming isn’t for everyone. Learning to code on your own is even less so, but the opportunities are there more than ever. For those who have limited skills or simply need a change, this is an interesting field though.
There are many jobs and companies that won’t demand you produce a degree in computer science, so it’s a way to move up if that’s what you seek. In fact, some of the sites on this list are backed by big tech names including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.
Read more:
- How to make a game app for free
- Awesome platforms for building websites & mobile apps
- 3 easy methods to create your own website
- Coding for kids – Things you need to know
The post Teach Yourself Coding: 6 Places to Learn Programming on Your Own appeared first on WHSR.
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Customers make choices based on a number of volatile factors, some of which are not obvious at all. What substitutes do your loyal customers consider? These questions and many more can be answered with the SEMrush Audience Insights report.
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Google’s public Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, shares more detail about an upcoming change that will improve 7% of global queries.
The post How Google Identifies Individual Passages of a Web Page via @MattGSouthern appeared first on Search Engine Journal.
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Your analytics should tell you everything.
Tools like Google Analytics are incredibly valuable for businesses. Once you’re setup, you’ll have everything you need to analyze your performance data properly. Instead, many companies have realized that their analytics tools have introduced a lot of unexpected problems.
They’re not getting the kind of value they need.
That’s the good news. Most companies think their data is clean; that they’re making good decisions with the data they have. Most of these companies are wrong; they just don’t know it yet. This is why companies need analytics consulting. They don’t know what they don’t know.
Today, I’ll show you how to find the right analytics consultant for your business.
4 Ways an Analytics Consultant Can Help Grow Your Business
Many companies make the wrong assumptions. Using a tool like Google Analytics, clients think all they have to do is drop the tracking code into their web pages, log into their account, and begin analyzing their data. It sounds easy, but it often isn’t.
There’s more to it than that.
This is why you need an analytics consultant. With the right consultant, you’ll have the education you need to grow your business. You’ll be able to pull insights out of your data using a variety of methods. Each of these strategies is important because they have a cumulative effect on your business.
Here are four ways analytics consulting can help you grow your business.
1. Exclude spam traffic via bots, scrapers, and spiders
How much of your traffic comes from real visitors? How much of it comes from bots, scrapers, and spiders? According to Imperva, almost half of all internet traffic is non-human. In 2014, Google introduced an obscure setting that enables you to filter out bots and spiders listed in IAB’s Interactional Spiders and Bots list. This low-key setting is buried in Google Analytics, but it’s incredibly important; many small businesses still aren’t aware of this setting.
You’ll also need help to filter out referral spam.
Referral spam is basically fake website hits; these bots, scrapers, and spiders land in your site. Site owners send their spam to your site. They hope you’ll see these referrals in your Google Analytics account, clickthrough, and visit their site.
This junk traffic poisons your data.
It gives you false readings based on inaccurate data. Your site may be more or less profitable, depending on your visits-to-spam ratio on your site. This isn’t something many businesses watch for in their analytics reports.
A good analytics consultant will consistently filter the variations of spam traffic (e.g., direct spam traffic, referral spam traffic, etc.) out of your reports, so you get a clear picture of your marketing performance.
2. Help you analyze your data properly
A lot of companies don’t know how to analyze their data properly. According to Forrester, between 60 and 73 percent of a company’s analytics data goes unused. Companies collect lots of data on customer activity, but they aren’t using it, why?
There are lots of reasons.
- Companies don’t know what they have
- Companies aren’t aware of the value of their data
- They don’t know how to evaluate or analyze their data
- Their data isn’t available to those who can use it
- There’s too much data to go through and not enough time to use it
Think about it.
Right now, your company has valuable data about your customers. This is data you can use to attract more customers, lower expenses, grow faster, jump ahead of competitors, etc.
If you’re unaware of the data, you can’t use it.
A good analytics consultant will help you analyze your data properly, showing you what you have and how you can use it to grow your business.
3. Identify the list of problems you’re trying to fix
Your data isn’t as valuable without context.
If you know the problem you’re trying to solve, you have a pretty good idea of the answers you’re looking for in your data.
That’s the problem though.
A lot of companies treat their analytics tools as a technology issue. They focus their attention on the obvious issues like hardware or software. They rarely treat their analytics as a question and answer tool. That’s exactly what it is, though.
Target had the right idea when they started their analysis with a problem/question.
Remember the story?
“If we wanted to figure out if a customer is pregnant, even if she didn’t want us to know, can you do that?” It’s a creepy story that shows the power of questions and problems. A great analytics consultant will help you discover the issues you’re trying to solve and the questions that need answers.
4. Focus your attention on the metrics that explain why
Analytics tells you what happened — what visitors did when they arrived on your site, the ads they responded to, what they read most often, etc. It doesn’t tell you why visitors do the things they do. Understanding what is important, but it’s more important to understand why something happens.
Focusing on the right metrics is the answer.
The right analytics consultant will help you answer the “what” — basically looking in the rearview mirror. But they’ll also help you look ahead; They’ll dig deeper, showing you the why behind visitor and customer behaviors.
Your analytics consultant should provide you with the education and support you need to squeeze more value out of your data.
How to Get Started With an Analytics Consultant
Avinash Kaushik has a three-step framework he uses to help analytics consultants support their clients. He calls it Data Capture. Data Reporting. Data Analysis. The nice part about this framework is the fact that it’s easy for both clients and consultants.
Consultants can use each of these buckets to analyze your goals, objectives, and the results they want to accomplish with each.
You’re basically goal setting with this framework.
Here’s a closer look at each of these three buckets and the goals for each of these.
- Data Capture: Work in this bucket is focused on audits or updating data capture methods (e.g., updating, editing, or customizing tags). This step is especially important because it determines the quality of what comes afterward. If you’ve done a good job with your data capture methods, you’ll have accurate data and reporting you can use for your analysis.
- Data Reporting: Your consultant sets up the reports you need on the intervals required. Your consultants help you identify the reports you’ll need, and they provide you with the reports you need regularly.
- Data Analysis: This is what Avinash calls an open-ended assignment, but it’s one you’ve provided to your consultant. You’re asking them to answer specific questions for you — your consultant should be able to show you what to measure, what your data is saying, what to do based on your data, and why you should do it.
Here’s what this means for you.
You’ll want to find an analytics consultant or agency that can handle all three steps in this framework. This also means you’ll need a clear idea of problems you’re dealing with ahead of time.
Measuring the ROI of Analytics Consulting Services
Many companies don’t understand analytics.
If you don’t understand analytics, that’s okay; you just need to know whether you’re generating a return on your analytics investment. According to Nucleus Research, analytics returns $13.01 for every $1 invested.
Your consultant should be able to calculate your return on analytics investment.
This obviously much easier if your consultant is focused on the data analysis bucket. Suppose they’ve made several data-driven improvements to your site over three to six months. Their recommendations have lead to an increase in revenue, profit, or a return on investment for you. They should be able to verify your return on investment using the worksheet I’ve linked above.
The good news is the fact that analytics, as a discipline, is data-driven.
Checklist For Finding the Right Analytics Consultant
Choosing the right analytics consultant requires a very different set of skills. If you’re working with an independent analytics consultant, you’ll need to approach this in one of two ways.
- Choose a consultant with all of the skills needed to perform across all three buckets (data capture, reporting, analysis).
- Choose an agency with analysts and implementation specialists needed to generate the results you need.
Here’s a list of the skills needed for each of the three roles in your buckets. Avinash breaks these skills down in detail in his web analytics consulting framework post.
Here’s a quick summary.
- For the data capture bucket, your consultant should have the skills of an implementation specialist. They’re experienced with tag managers; they understand data dimensioning and working knowledge of tracking variables.
- With the data reporting bucket, your consultant should be familiar with report creation in your analytics platform; they should also have a master list of the custom reports you’ll need for various options. It’s also ideal if your consultant has a working knowledge of his own set of customizations.
- For the data analysis bucket, your consultant should be a web analyst. Your consultant should be comfortable with advanced statistics and analytical techniques. They should be experienced in descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics.
If you’re working with an independent consultant, they should be an industry veteran with the skills I’ve listed above. If you’re working with an agency, they should have employees with the skills for each bucket. If you have implementation specialists, you can handle data capture and possibly reporting.
Just make sure they’re a fit for that role.
Conclusion
Many companies aren’t familiar with analytics consulting. They’re not entirely sure how analytics impacts their organization. That’s okay, as long as the ROI is there.
Using a tool like Google Analytics, many companies assume that all they need to do is customize the tracking code, drop it onto their web pages, log into their account, and begin analyzing their data. It should be that easy, but it isn’t.
There’s more to it than that.
With most companies, their analytics data goes unused, they collect lots of data on customer activity, but they don’t know how to squeeze value out of their data. Analytics consulting can help you evaluate your performance data properly. Choose the right team, and your data will tell you what you need to know.
The post Analytics Consulting appeared first on Neil Patel.
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LinkedIn’s 690 million members include 180 million senior-level influencers, 63 million decision-makers and 10 million C-level executives.
Hence, there are a lot of influential people on LinkedIn that have hiring power and purchase power. Whatever you hope to achieve from using the network, you’ll want to make a good impression.
Your headline is the first thing that people see aside from your profile picture. It’s how decision-makers will find you. It’s how you get people to notice you and what will make them want to visit your profile to learn more. Thus, it’s safe to say your headline is pretty important.
So, I thought I’d share my top tips for creating an effective headline with you. But, first, let’s look at the basics:
What is Your LinkedIn Headline?
Your headline is the tagline that appears under your name on LinkedIn and at the top of your profile page. The headline used to be limited to 120 characters. But, here’s some good news, LinkedIn extended the headline to 220 characters in 2020. So, you have a little more space to sell yourself, share your vision or whatever it is you’d like to express via your headline.
What Makes a Winning LinkedIn Headline
There are some important criteria for creating an impactful headline. The best LinkedIn headlines do the following:
Make Use of Keywords
Keywords aren’t the only thing your headline should include. But they are key to helping the right people find your profile. Keywords can include your job title, skills and areas you specialize in. Place keywords towards the beginning of your headline and then expand with further information.
Express Your Value
Expressing you or your company’s value means sharing more than the tasks you carry out. Your headline should be driven by the benefits of the services you provide and the kind of results you achieve. For example, rather than saying you do tax planning, you’d say you help businesses to save money.
Are Unique
A winning LinkedIn headline is one that stands out from the crowd. Think about how many people do the exact same job as you or offer similar services. You can give yourself a competitive edge and encourage more people to visit your profile by making your headline different.
Help You Meet Your Goals
You need to think carefully about why you’re on LinkedIn and what you hope to achieve. This should inform what you include in your headline (and the rest of your profile). If you’re not sure about what you can accomplish on LinkedIn or how to go about it, you may wish to speak with a social media consultant.
Now let’s look in more detail at exactly how you can create a winning headline:
1. Get Inspiration
By default, LinkedIn uses your job title and employer as your headline. What a snooze fest. If you want to do better, the first step is to get inspired.
Search for people in your field or who have similar roles to you. Take a look at how they’ve formulated their headlines. See what appeals to you and what doesn’t. Of course, you shouldn’t just nab somebody else’s headline. But, doing this will help you come up with ideas for how you want your headline to appear.
Also, pay attention to those who appear at the top of the search results for your industry. What keywords do they use? Note these keywords as they likely contribute to why these pros are doing so well in the search results.
2. Ask Yourself These Questions
When you decide to upgrade your LinkedIn headline to maximize its impact, it’s a good idea to have a little brainstorming sesh. Here are some questions that will guide you when you’re coming up with ideas:
- How would you describe yourself to a new colleague if you only had five seconds?
- What makes you different from others with the same job title?
- Why should users click on your profile?
- What are your most in-demand skills?
- What are your biggest accomplishments?
- What makes you unique?
3. Choose the Right Keywords
Include relevant keywords in your headline so that you appear in more search results.
To do this, you’ll first need to think about who you want to find your profile on LinkedIn. A recruiter? A potential lead? Influencers you hope to connect with? And so on…
This will guide you in figuring out the right keywords to use. For example, you may include your specific skills or specialisms to get found by recruiters with the most relevant job opportunities.
In this example, we don’t just have a “developer”, nor do we just have a “chatbot developer”, the user goes even more specific with the terms “Facebook Messenger Marketing” and “Automation Practitioner”:
Whereas, if you’re using LinkedIn to network and boost your authority, you may want to use broader terms. Your job role might be “Artworker” but in order to be found by more people, it’d be a very good idea to include the term “Graphic Design”.
4. Include Your Unique Selling Proposition
Keywords alone aren’t enticing enough to get users to visit your profile. State the value that you provide by doing what you do, in particular something that makes you stand out from the crowd.
There’s a simple formula you can use to express this: I help X do Y by doing Z. Here’s an example from an accounting consultant:
When she says “I help women build profitable businesses”, she outlines the beneficial results of her work, not just the tasks that she performs. You should do something similar.
You can also use data to drive your point home. Here an email marketer shares the average results he achieves:
There are tons of relevant data points you could include to prove your value, such as the number of customers you’ve helped achieve a particular outcome or the results of an impressive case study.
5. Share Your Achievements/Credentials
When you make self-aggrandizing claims on LinkedIn, people will either think you’re arrogant or full of it. Instead, you should go by the old adage, “Show don’t tell”. Show that you’re great at what you do via your achievements or credentials.
What’s your most impressive achievement? Have you won an award perhaps? Been featured on top media outlets? Sold a bunch of books? Grew a well-known company? Those are the kind of things you’ll want to share.
This professional shares the fact that he’s been a LinkedIn Top Voice honoree four times and sprinkles in some serious social proof by mentioning his work with Mark Cuban:
Furthermore, certain credentials that are recognized by people in your industry will give you clout. For example, in the marketing world it’s good to be Google-certified, like this pro:
Share credentials relevant to your position to show that you’re not just messing around, you really know what you’re doing.
6. Use Natural Language
Keep your headline free of jargon, particularly if you’re using LinkedIn for sales or lead generation. If a prospect doesn’t understand what you’re selling, you won’t have much luck.
Similarly, make your job title clear and simple unless you’re seeking a specific job role. Again, users you want to connect with may not understand what you do. Even if you think the term “Business Development Manager” is clear, trust me, simplifying it to “Sales Manager” is much more transparent.
Also, avoid buzzwords. After a time, every Tom, Dick and Harry will be using the same trendy terminology to describe their services. Thus, your words become meaningless.
And saying that you’re a “Guru”, “Ninja” or “Wizard” is a bit cheesy and old-fashioned. It won’t help you in the search results either. When was the last time you searched for a ninja on LinkedIn or anywhere for that matter?
Try to use simple, everyday language to explain your role or value proposition. Here’s an excellent example from a marketing professional:
Her target audience, small businesses, may not be familiar with or fully understand industry terms so she offers a straightforward, benefit-driven value proposition.
7. Don’t Put “Unemployed”
Even if you’re currently looking for a job, you shouldn’t put “Unemployed”, “Seeking New Opportunities” or similar in your headline.
The thing is, recruiters or companies aren’t searching for the term “Unemployed” on LinkedIn. You only get a couple hundred characters for your headline, so it would be better to utilize that space for keywords that they are likely to search for, and your experience, specialisms, credentials etc.
You can show that you’re looking for work on your profile instead. At the top of your profile, you’ll see a section that says, “Show recruiters you’re open to work”.
Simply, fill in details about the type of role you’re looking for and the location. You can even change the settings so that your current employers won’t see that you’re seeking work.
8. Share Your Mission
Maybe you’re not looking to promote yourself. Perhaps, you’re in the process of growing a startup or maybe you or your company are trying to achieve a wider goal that you want people to know about.
If this sounds like you, then you should definitely share your vision in your headline. In this example, the professional shares what he does “mass transit” but also why he does it “to reduce our carbon footprint and create a more connected community”:
You could use a similar formula. Start with the what and then go into the why. If you’re unsure about how to phrase your goals, you can always take inspiration from your company’s mission statement.
9. Show Your Personality
Like with any other social media platform, users skim through their LinkedIn feed, groups and even search results at speed. So, you need a headline that’s going to make somebody stop and take notice.
Get creative and use your headline to express your personality. Not only will it make you stand out but it’ll also make your profile memorable.
Here’s an example from an SEO manager with a quirky sense of humor:
Don’t worry, though. You don’t have to be the Kevin Hart of LinkedIn. There are other ways to express your personality via your headline. Perhaps, you want to project positive vibes or enthusiasm.
You could even share a little personal tidbit about yourself. Maybe you do PR during the day and rule at Settlers of Catan by night… This kind of thing will also help start conversations between you and new connections.
10. Keep Your Headline Updated
It’s easy to set and forget your headline. But to get the most from it you need to keep it up to date.
Firstly, be sure to add new skills, achievements, career developments and so on when they arise. Your skillset will develop over time and your headline should reflect this.
Moreover, you may wish to test the impact of your headline and update it accordingly. When you make an alteration, keep an eye on the number of people who have viewed your profile.
With LinkedIn Premium, you can also see who has viewed your profile. Therefore, you can discover if your headline is attracting who you want to attract or your target audience.
Conclusion
You can use your LinkedIn headline to get noticed by influential professionals and encourage more people to visit your profile. A winning headline combines relevant keywords and your unique value proposition.
Don’t forget to think carefully about who you hope to attract with your headline. And don’t be afraid to sell yourself as long as it doesn’t come across as too boastful.
Take the first step towards creating a great LinkedIn headline. Do some research to see what works well in your industry and brainstorm ideas for your own headline.
The post 10 Tips For Writing a Winning LinkedIn Headline appeared first on Neil Patel.
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Local SEO sounds cool and all but can it really help you scale your business in 2020?
The quick answers to these questions are Yes and Absolutely.
Now the more in-depth answer depends on what your business needs.
Do you sell offline?
Are you looking to double the customers that walk in your store, office, workplace?
Then Local SEO is what you must focus on.
And you must do it NOW before your competitors acquire all of your hot leads.
Why hot you ask?
Because Local SEO is the best way to catch people looking to BUY now and narrow their choices only to your exact products and services.
You can’t miss these easy sales and in today’s post, we’ll go over not only how you can collect them but also what you need to do to guarantee your prospects come to you and not someone else.
Ready? Then let’s begin with…
3 Ways an SEO Consultant Can Help Grow Your Business
In good times and in bad times every business wants more leads.
That’s why automating and constantly optimizing your customer acquisition process is so crucial to your business growth.
Local SEO is an easy and extremely effective way to do it.
SEO Consultants can easily help you increase your reach and bring in more sales.
So here are 3 simple examples of how an SEO Consultant can help grow your business:
#1 Website SEO Optimization for Optimal Local Reach
I’ll assume you already have a website that serves as your tool to introduce people to your business and services.
If that’s the case then you need to shove your website in people’s faces on every occasion you get.
Website SEO (search engine optimization) is an easy way to rank your website on top of Google’s relevant to your business searches.
And more importantly to rank your website for Local Searches.
That means people that are specifically looking for services in your area.
Professional SEO Consultants will optimize your website for Local Searches without any problems.
And keep in mind that 88% of local-based queries done using a mobile phone end in either a call or visit to the business within 24 hours.
You wouldn’t want to miss these hot prospects.
#2 SEO Strategy Development
Of course, no real optimization is possible without a proper strategy behind it.
Your ideal SEO Consultant will create a step-by-step strategy that will maximize your organic reach.
The strategy normally consists of what to post in your blog (if you have one), what pages need urgent optimization, and what activities will bring the biggest ROI if done right now.
Then he’ll get all of that and put it into a specialized strategy depending on your budget, time, and goals.
More on the technical stuff and what to expect when working with your SEO Consultant further down the post.
#3 Keyword Research and Implementation
Why do you need keyword research exactly?
Well, many people think that just writing blog posts about their niche is going to get them the leads they desire.
And even though it will bring in some leads… the results will be far from optimal.
After your SEO Consultant is done with your keyword research, you’ll know exactly what keywords to target in your main pages, how many times to use each one, and how to spin your content so it matches with google’s latest engine rules.
Of course for Local SEO you must rank for the typical terms plus your city added to them.
But if you try to guess the right keywords (as many businesses do), you might end up empty handed.
The best way to ensure your keyword research success is to use Proven SEO Tools like Ubersuggest.
Try it out now and see the traffic you’ve been missing out on.
If you like the numbers just continue reading this post to learn how to find the SEO Consultant that will guarantee your best ranking.
How to Get Started With Local SEO Consulting
Let’s dive into the process of getting started with your SEO Consultant Services.
First, you’ll need to prepare some materials.
No need to mention that a website is mandatory…
The next thing is the drive to grow big… I’m talking real BIG.
If you’re a local business trying to make ends meet then Local SEO is the thing that’s going to save your inevitable business death.
Remember that…
72% of users who did a local-based search visited a store within 5 miles.
Now that your motivation is higher than ever, you need to find the consultant that will drive the traffic your business desperately needs.
How do you do that?
You focus on finding an SEO Consultant that is known to bring results in this field.
And more importantly… someone that specializes mainly in SEO.
Because you’ll find many business consulting gurus that will promise results in everything while they haven’t done crap in the past.
That’s what you DON’T want for your business.
An easy way to guarantee results is to work with a proven agency that helps businesses close to your size.
An instant recommendation is NP Digital as it is the best SEO Marketing Agency on the planet.
This exact blog is ranked on the first page of google for thousands of marketing terms and it uses the same exact strategies NP Digital will use for your business.
Book a call with a professional consultant now and get a strategy built specifically for your business.
Again, before enrolling in a long-term contract, you need to make sure you’re at the right place.
Having a website is a MUST and also don’t expect instant results.
At the very least SEO needs a week to be scanned by google’s engine.
But the best practice is to wait a couple of months while monitoring the results.
Your SEO Consultant will do that for you.
Just ask for a weekly/monthly report of the analytics behind the content you put out.
And speaking about analytics and tracking, let’s get into the ROI (return on investment) of hiring a Local SEO Consultant.
Measuring the ROI of Local SEO Consulting Services
Everyone can use big words but the only thing that matters at the end of the day is RESULTS.
That’s the one thing you should care about when you’re trying to scale your business.
So no matter how friendly and easy-going your Consultant may be, you must always track his progress and whether he brings real profits to your business.
The last thing you want is to waste months of money and time on a leaking bucket that’s bound to break at some point.
Using tools that track all of your data is crucial.
Here’s a complete list of the best free SEO tools you can use or let your consultant use for you.
Also, you’ll need to be fully transparent with your Local SEO Consultant.
Any time something feels wrong, you go ahead and ask him so he can take a look and fix it if need be.
Keeping secrets to yourself is an easy way to fail in the long run even though it may feel easier at the current moment.
So be 100% truthful about what you want and build a relationship on trust and straightforward communication.
That’s the best way to work long-term and get the best results possible for your business.
4 Point Checklist For Finding the Right Local SEO Consultant
And now to get into the fun stuff…
An exact step-by-step process on how to find the right Local SEO Consultant for your exact business.
#1 Clear Your Mind About What You Need
I suggest you sit down and list everything you know about your business, niche, and goals before going into a call with a professional.
Even though you might think you can figure it out on the spot, you’ll always miss important details.
Just sit down for 5-10 minutes and write it down so you can be prepared for the call.
Especially for SEO Consultant Services, you need to clear out these questions:
What’s the main geographic area you want to target?
What are the main products or services you want to offer or present online?
Do you plan on activating other social mediums like paid advertising, social media accounts, email marketing?
Once you have these, you can move on to the next step.
#2 Finding The Right Expert For You
Your best match depends solely on your specific needs.
Do you only need Local SEO Consulting?
Do you even know what’s best for your online presence?
Most local businesses are unaware of the real power of social media…
So if that’s the case with you, the best approach would be to find a marketing agency that offers SEO Services combined with other online advertising skills.
Again, a quick suggestion is NP Digital, as it is the best marketing agency for SEO in the world.
Once you get on a call with a consultant that leads a team in such a big, result-generating agency, he’ll be able to look at your business and suggest the best and most efficient methods to grow your online presence.
And remember, you don’t need blank followers.
Having 1 million Instagram followers that don’t buy is like having 0 people at your store.
Don’t mistake followers with real customers.
A real professional consultant will give you the exact steps that will increase your sales together with your online presence.
But how to determine who’s a real expert and who’s not?
That’s simple.
Jump on a call with the first agency/consultant you think fits your best fit.
Have a call with him and look for:
- Communication Skills
- Previous Results
- Intuitive Future Thinking
Great Communication Skills are essential if you want to have a long-term positive relationship with your consultant.
Your mission on the call is to see if he can explain and break down hard terminology into simple to follow steps.
If he’s trying to sound smart by using terms you don’t know and he doesn’t bother to explain them to you, then he’s not your perfect fit.
After all, you want to know what’s going on inside your business.
Previous Results are obviously important. You can’t trust empty claims.
A good consultant will have a proven track record of helping people in your exact situation.
And last but not least Intuitive Future Thinking.
Sometimes you might encounter some “robots” that only know their own thing.
That doesn’t mean they are bad at it but it surely means that they’ll not be able to adapt to your business scaling ideas in the future.
So the contract will be bound to fail before you even sign it.
An easy way to check if the person on the other side is intuitive would be to ask him questions outside of his specialty.
You can’t expect him to know all the answers, so don’t look for the “correct” answer but rather look for the way he handles the conversation.
If he’s open to brainstorming with you even on something he’s not an exact expert in…
And if he’s open about it, making sure you know he’s not perfect in the field but he’s able to come up with real ideas on his own, then he’s a good fit.
On the other hand, if he ignores your questions and sticks to his “homework” then he’s that exact type of species I call “heartless robots”.
You don’t want to outsource an intuitive task like the SEO ranking of your website to a guy that can’t think outside of his box.
Once you find someone that fits these criteria and you feel can help you grow your business, it’s time to…
#3 Sign A Contract
I know that may sound scary for people that haven’t signed online contracts before but I assure you that the process is as simple as tying your shoes.
A respected marketing agency will have a contract starting process that you just have to follow to get started successfully.
The terms are made so they benefit you and what you already discussed on the indoctrination call you made.
#4 Measure and Track Results
As mentioned previously you’ve got to be open for a long-term relationship that benefits your business.
Tracking your ROI with SEO tools is crucial, you should sign up for some of them right now.
I hope that guide helped you clear your mind at least a little.
The one thing you should remember is that anything is possible.
Your business can grow bigger than you’ve ever imagined, so don’t limit your scale to what you think is possible.
Let a professional who has done this exact process before, do it for you as well.
Have you optimized your Local SEO before? Have you hired professional help to do it for you? Share your experience in the comments below:
The post Local SEO Consulting appeared first on Neil Patel.
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It’s almost impossible to run an online men’s clothing boutique without doing research about which are the top-selling men’s clothing. Even though at the moment the women’s apparel market is in a superior position in comparison with the men’s apparel market, it doesn’t mean that it will stay that way.
In this article, we decided to put the accent on top-selling men’s clothing in 2021. The reason behind this is the change in buyer behavior – today more men are starting to buy their clothes online. If you thought that women should be your clothing store’s primary target audience, we would advise you to reflect more carefully.
The global eCommerce market for men’s clothing is on the rise. In other words, if you want to enter the eCommerce clothing market, men’s clothing is definitely a niche that you should consider.
You shouldn’t enter this market blindly though. Just like any other business, it’s recommended that you discover which products fall under the category of best-selling men’s clothing before you open your online store.
Choosing the right products plays a huge role in the success of your eCommerce business. Furthermore, it’s not a very simple task. For that reason, in this article, we will discuss which are expected to be the best-selling clothing items for men in 2021.
Men’s Jackets
As we are approaching 2021, we realize that men’s fashion is continually changing and many fashion trends that marked the last few years are falling behind. Past trends are also making a comeback while others have remained unchanged for yet another year.
One of these trends are men’s jackets. According to the latest data in the men’s apparel industry, the revenue in the section for coats and jackets will arrive at US$44,373m by the end of 2020. Moreover, it is expected to grow annually by 8.7% until 2025.
This is the key reason why you should consider featuring men’s jackets in your store. Even though some consider coats and jackets season products, that shouldn’t be necessarily bad. In fact, if you’re focused on expanding on a global scale, you’ll be able to sell these items fall year-round as the global market experiences winter at different times of the year.
For instance, you can target countries like South Africa and Australia during their June to August winter, then target countries like the U.S. and U.K. during their end of year winter.
Men’s Shirts
Men’s shirts are a must-have in your collection of clothing if you want to make your store a magnet for the male audience. To put it differently, shirts for men are like dresses for women. They are fashion items that can be worn on thousands of different occasions.
Basic research on Google will back up this fact. Shirts are an unfading trend for men. This implies that you’re likely to enjoy its profits for a long time. This is why shirts are on the list of top-selling men’s clothing for the years to come, including 2021.
Men’s Blazers
Next up are men’s blazers. Did you know that the revenue in blazers for men by the end of 2025 will grow by 8.7% on an annual basis? This confirms that the trend for wearing blazers will continue to grow in the upcoming years and that’s what should you take into account.
Blazers are an item that men choose to wear on a casual but also on a formal occasion. This is why having them will help you conquer the male online buyers. On top of that, if you feature men’s blazers from luxury brands, be certain that you’ll capture the attention of male shoppers all around the world.
Men’s Suits
When men buy a suit, they tend to spend a little more money than usual. As this piece of clothing is commonly worn on special occasions, men usually purchase it from eminent brands known for their premium quality products. That way they know it will be a long-lasting piece of clothing. And that is the reason why men’s suits are one of the best-selling men’s clothing items.
For that very reason, we’ll suggest the following. If you are planning to add some men’s suits to your variety of products, don’t go with ordinary suits. Instead, it’s better to feature three high-end models of suits than ten suits with low quality and cheap prices. Dolce & Gabanna, Ermenegildo Zegna, and Z Zegna are some brands that manufacture high-quality men’s suits.
Men’s Trousers and Pants
Men’s trousers and pants will also be among the top-selling men’s clothing in 2021. The numbers show that the revenue in the segment for trousers by the end of 2025 will increase by 9%. Furthermore, on a global level, Americans are the ones who generate the biggest revenue for this clothing section. In other words, if the USA is among your target countries, you won’t make a mistake with selling trousers and pants for men.
Men’s T-Shirts
Another item that will continue leading the men’s clothing fashion in 2021 is her majesty – the T-shirt. Who doesn’t wear a T-shirt these days? Regardless of where you’re headed a T-shirt is something you can’t leave your home without. Wearing T-shirts is not a temporary trend, it’s a lifestyle for every season.
To emphasize, the segment for T-shirts, by the end of 2025, will register an increase in revenue of 9.6%. Men are wearing T-shirts every day, be that at work, lunch, or for a walk in the park. You can never go wrong with selling T-shirts. Add a variety of colors and patterns to your online boutique and be prepared for growth in sales with this top-selling men’s clothing item.
Men’s Clothing Accessories
Lastly, men’s clothing accessories are a key part of men’s fashion. Belts, socks, gloves, hats, and scarves are only some of the accessories that men wear on a regular basis. Depending on the season, of course. However, as we mentioned earlier, having winter and summer clothing and accessories at all times is a good strategy. Therefore, don’t hesitate to add some gloves and scarves to your men’s clothing collection as you can attract customers from different parts of the world.
As can be seen from the latest statistic, men’s accessories is a fashion category that will see an increase in revenue by 9.1% by the end of 2025. That is to say, accessories are an equally important part of men’s fashion as are clothes themselves.
3 Top Men’s Clothing Brands In 2021
Writing about best-selling men’s clothing goes hand in hand with writing about the top men’s clothing brands in 2021. Consequently, we can’t finish this article without dedicating a section on which will be the top clothing brands for men that will mark the upcoming 2021.
Dolce & Gabbana
It’s only natural to put Dolce & Gabbana at the top of the list for top men’s clothing brands in 2021. It’s a globally recognized luxury brand that brings some of the trendiest pieces of clothing for both women and men. Dolce & Gabbana is and will continue to be one of the most popular men’s clothing brands.
They manufacture everything from men’s fashion, starting with suits, and blazers to belts, ties, and socks. All in all, if you follow our advice for including high-quality men’s suits in your store, this Italian brand is something you should definitely check out.
Cavalli
Another famous Italian brand that launches amazing collections of men’s clothing year after year. No wonder why it will remain on the list of the best men’s clothing brands in the years to come. Cavalli’s men’s shirts are timeless. Sleek and elegant, they can be worn on both formal and informal occasions.
Selling men’s shirts online is an advantage but selling Cavalli’s men’s shirts is a major plus. Nowadays, people, moreover men, tend to buy fewer but quality pieces of clothing. Therefore, everyone would rather buy one Cavalli shirt than five H&M or Zara shirts.
Karl Lagerfeld
Everyone is familiar with Karl Lagerfeld’s image and brand. You can’t even think of talking about popular men’s clothing brands, without mentioning the king of fashion. Both women and men adore Karl Lagerfeld’s fashion collections, so expanding your product portfolio with his fashion items is a must.
Even though considered avant-garde, Karl Lagerfeld also has some casual pieces of clothing that everyone can wear on a daily basis. For example, his modern men’s t-shirts with subtle logo applications are ideal for everyday wear. So, to reach a wider part of the male audience, simple and modern t-shirts like Karl Lagerfeld’s are a good choice.
To Wrap Up
In essence, knowing which are and will be the best-selling clothing items and top brands for men is a fundamental part of building a successful online boutique. The new 2021 is approaching and it’s time to make a strategy for your new store for men’s clothing.
As you search for ideal clothing for your store, keep all of the items on this list in mind. Moreover, not only the clothing items but the top men’s clothing brands as well. There are dropshipping suppliers that offer exactly these men’s fashion products and brands in their assortment of products.
Speaking of which, BrandsGateway could be your best choice. Men’s jackets, blazers, shirts, and t-shirts – you can get all of these clothing items by registering at BrandsGateway. Not to mention the variety of brands that are part of BrandsGateway’s rich portfolio.
The post Top-Selling Men’s Clothing In 2021 appeared first on BrandsGateway.
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Whether it’s Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or the holiday season, an influx of sales means lots of orders to ship. Here’s your complete guide to shipping during a rush.
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Want to create a loyal tribe? Wondering how to build relationships with live video? To explore how to create engaging relationships while you’re live on social media, I interview Janine Cummings on the Social Media Marketing Podcast. Janine is a live video expert who helps women entrepreneurs grow their business with live video. Her course […]
The post Live Video Engagement: How to Build Relationships Live appeared first on Social Media Examiner | Social Media Marketing.
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We’re here to help you compare the best options and pick your ideal cheapest website builder. We’ve selected seven of the top low-priced solutions. Below, you’ll find the summaries of what each of them is about, along with some advice on how to pick the one that’s going to be the best for you. Most of these cheapest website builders come with a free version, too.
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