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How to Create Engaging Content That Gets Your Audience Engaged

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Top 3 Resources to Create Interactive & Engaging Content

Engaging content, it’s probably one of the most challenging task to cross off of your marketing objectives for the week or month for that matter. Content can take months to build and create. It’s tedious and successful content doesn’t come overnight. So you can image that interactive content can’t come easy as well.

Interactive content requires more than just a passing glimpse of your content. It gives the opportunity for your audience to engage, interact, and experience something different and more exciting than the usual reading of an article or watching of a video. Some of the most popular examples of interactive content would be infographics, landing pages, quizzes, presentations, and eBooks. The majority of the world has taken part of interactive content, possibly without even realizing that it is interactive!

So, how can someone like you create engaging and interactive content or even tweak material that you already have, to generate new and exciting interactive tools for visitors to connect with you and your business? Get started today by taking advantage of free resources that many people have worked hard to make accessible to you! Here are our top 3 choices

Apester gives you templates for various tests, quizzes, polls, and interactive videos. All you have to do is go in and edit them to fit your product and business. Apester is a great way to produce some fun interactive content for you and your consumers to enjoy, which isn’t only fun, but can generate great feedback and results from your customers.

Playbuzz is a free web resource where you can create interactive stories. It doesn’t stop there though, you can generate personality tests, quizzes, trivia, flip cards, polls and more. All these awesome resources are positive ways to make sure your audience is engaged in your content.

Giphy allows you to add gifs to your content! Gifs have swept the nation in texting, social media, and now websites too. They have the ability to capture the attention of a person without the time or effort that a video takes. You have millions to choose from and you can even create your own according to your business or personal needs.

For those of you utilizing the WordPress platform for your website, there are thousands of free and paid plugins that you can utilize to add more pizzazz to your website and create interactive content and quality engagement. There is the Real 3D Flipbook and The Force plugin you’ll see random Star Wars quotes in the top of every page. There are unlimited possibilities depending on your audience. You can visit WordPress.org to browse as well.

The content you create doesn’t have to be out of this world. Make it fun and relatable to not only your business but your audience. Listen to your audience and fill a need. If you are a communication company, you could make a “personality test” for which cellphone best fits you. If you are a landscaping company, you could create a series of flip cards to showcase your work, or a set of polls to see what style consumers are drawn to. Interactive content isn’t just for your audience either…businesses and individuals can gather important and useful feedback and information to improve market strategies, products, and services.

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10 Ecommerce Tips To Start Selling!

Posted on by spectrum-admin

What is Your E-Commerce Website Doing to Sell to the Consumer?

E-Commerce Trends or Tips to Help with Selling!

We live in a world where convenience reigns, and because of that the ecommerce economy is growing like never before, and we live in a world where brick and mortar are dropping like flies, we’ve decided to put together the top most successful 10 ecommerce tips to help your business start selling more effectively today.

The one thing to remember is you can’t just get up one morning and start selling, we aren’t telling you that you can sell in one day.  An e-commerce business and website  takes planning and execution to a new level in this market.  This is a plan to assist your current e-commerce website grow and prosper in a crowded market of thousands of competitive online retailers.

1. Don’t rush your websites launch

Whether you are launching a new site or re-launching a newly redesigned website. First impressions are everything, and there are many aspects to consider when launching a new website, including page structure, design, SEO, page optimization, social media marketing, and so much more. Make sure that you have spent a substantial amount of time on each piece, from planning to strategy to completion…after all, YOLO (you only launch once)

2. Don’t Fear Change

Change is what makes the world go around. The online e-commerce world will forever be changing, and businesses that sell online are used to the constant change and need for change. Do your research, change your marketing strategies to your audience and market, and recognize what needs to be met. Sometimes the need to increase your services will meet the need, and sometimes not. Do your best to research and meet them with your product and services you provide to keep them coming back.

3.  Tell your businesses story

No detail is ever to small.  Consumers want to know your story, on a personal level. Telling the story of your business or even your product will build trust with your customer and can lead to an increased rate of conversion. A lot of products are created by an emotional or process that comes from inspiration or supporting an objective, and that is what drives people to buy.

Tell your story

4. Utilize social media and free resources

Many think social media is free…it is far from free in any aspect.  Your time is worth money, and so are your planning and strategy efforts.  Yes, the account is free to sign up, but that is about it. There are many free resources out there that can be of great help to your business.  Studies show that generally people spend between 2 and 3 hours on social media in any one given day, and businesses will sometimes spend double that to have a successful campaign or post.  That’s the time that they could be seeing your product and business in their feed! It doesn’t matter if you are big or small. Get on a schedule to post and use the built-in network that social media provides.

5. Know your customers and online audience

With an online shop, we realize you cannot actually on a personal level know each of your customers, but it’s your job to know what they want, what’s the needs they want filled, find out what’s important to them, and use that information to fill their needs. 

6. Turn the focus back to the consumer

We all love to be appreciated, so appreciate your customer. Find a unique way to make your buyers feel important and that they are a cherished part of your business. Whether it is a rewards program, weekly giveaway, or gift cards, find out what your consumers want most and make the most of it for them.

7. Use photos and visual elements

We are visual beings, and people know what they like. Now this shouldn’t devalue any verbiage or descriptions that you put on your site for your products…but the two should go hand in hand. Make sure you put your best foot forward with visual marketing, design, and product packaging, to showcase the best pieces of your product with photos that will show your buyers EXACTLY what they are getting and how it fills a need.

8. Understand what optimization or seo is about

SEO is a big deal, Google is a big deal, but it’s also not a hard thing to get to know what will make your business more successful. Even if you don’t learn the methods, read about them and understand the basics. There are many free resources out today to help you get familiar with Search Engine Optimization, and how you can use the process to make sure your business is succeeding to the best of its ability.

Here are a few of our favorite free SEO resources: MOZ & Yoast

9. Provide easy to pay and user website options

The more user friendly the site is, the more consumers will use your website.  People don’t like to jump through hoops for things they like, they don’t like jumping through hoops period…so don’t make them. Provide payment options and an easy to use website that people are familiar with and trust. This can make a big difference when it comes to your customer clicking the “confirm order” button and turning the prospect into a customer.

10. Make sure your site is mobile friendly

Studies show that over 70% of online shopping is done on a mobile device rather than a desktop. Make sure that your consumers can shop with ease from the comfort of their palm…it matters! Mobile-friendly and mobile-responsive websites are trending more and more, and if you leave your customers without a way to take you on the go with them, you will most likely be left behind and lose the sale.  Providing a mobile-responsive website isn’t complicated; in fact, your website provider should offer this in conjunction with your current website development process.

Do You Need A Mobile Responsive E-commerce website? Contact Us Today!

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We hope that these 10 different e-commerce tips are helpful to get you and your business rolling and selling today. Check out some other great articles on how to make sure you are making the most of your e-commerce journey.

Mobile eCommerce Stats in 2019 and the Future Online Shopping Trends of mCommerce

50 Ecommerce Tips for New Entrepreneurs

10 Timeless Ecommerce Tips for Small Business

9 Tips to Make Your Ecommerce Business Wildly Successful

When Content is King…Where does Design is Queen Fall Into Place?

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The Royal Family of Marketing is more than just a King...What about the Queen?

When you think about your website, blog, or social media accounts, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Maybe the design of the page, the content on the page, how it’s laid out, or even the graphics?  In recent years, the importance of content has been stressed over and over again in the world of Marketing and web design. It’s great for search engine optimization (SEO), it can be as in-depth or simplistic as you need, adds importance to your products and services, and helps attract the audience that you want on your website, which in turn can help increase the user experience of your website and conversion rate. Content has seemingly taken the driver’s seat… so what about the other aspects of web presentation? Staying conscious of the ever-changing field of marketing, we need to consider the other significant sides of web performance, and there are many. 

“We do not always appreciate the role the Queen has played in one of the most significant changes in the past 60 years: the transformation of Britain into a multi-ethnic, multi-faith society. No one does interfaith better than the Royal family, and it starts with the Queen herself.”

-Jonathan Sacks Tweet

Next to a king, there is always a queen, and if you know anything about royalty, you know that a successful reign is managed by a partnership between the both.  So, in recent years, the queen, aka the “design” of your website, has taken an important role in your user experience (UX) and the structure and layout of your website. Design is so much more than just a company logo…Color schemes, layout, visuals, and responsive design are all important pieces to the puzzle of design. Color schemes, for example, are just one small piece of design but go all the way down to the psychology of the human brain. Colors affect our emotions, moods, and reactions, all of which can be important in the marketing process.  When we look at intentional design, it is proven to help your business; statistics show that businesses that deliberately put a focus and emphasis on design perform much better than those that don’t. Most of the time, this increase in performance is accredited to the subconsciousness of the consumer. To put it plainly, humans like what they see, even if they don’t realize it. 

Content will always be a vital part of your marketing process, but as time moves on and marketing develops, a new crucial role will be how design plays a role in your business. Most people think that putting the time and effort into upping their design game must be expensive, but it doesn’t have to cost big bucks, there are many free resources out on the web to help companies in their quest for better and more professional design. Check out this article from Snap to see a list of some top free design and marketing resources to help your company move forward today. Overall, in the world of marketing, where content is said to be king, be careful not to write off the importance that design plays in your marketing plan. The two make a perfect pair and ensure that you are maximizing your efforts in the department of SEO and Marketing.

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20 Content Marketing Ideas to Make Your Website Awesome

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Content Marketing Ideas & Tips

Creating content for your website or blog can be especially difficult, especially when you don’t know what to write about. Before creating any content, you must look at your business and decide what you are trying to accomplish. Are you trying to provide information for your current customers? Are you trying to attract new customers? These are the questions you must ask yourself before you start producing content. Once you know WHY you are producing content then you must decide WHAT you want to create. This list of Content Marketing Ideas and Tips will help you get started!

                    

Writing content is difficult so here are 20 Content Marketing Ideas you can incorporate into your website or blog:

1. HOW TO GUIDES

If you have experience, make it work for you. Not everyone will be able to do what you are, so go ahead and write a “how to” about a subject you are pretty familiar with. This will allow you to share your knowledge as well as help your customers.

2. TESTIMONIALS, REFERENCES AND REVIEWS

You don’t need to be the one to write all of the content. Get some feedback from former customers about how they feel about your business and post it on your website. Testimonials allow your future customers to see what your business is all about from the perspective of people in their shoes.

3. TOP 10, 20, 30 CHECKLISTS

Posting checklists can help keep your customers on track with their projects. These lists can let them know exactly what they need and how much. The bonus is if you sell the items on the checklist as well.

4. RECIPES

If posting recipes makes sense for your company, consider it because it could be very helpful in getting more of your keywords onto your website to be ranked by Google. If your company sells food, cooking supplies, or even produces a recipe posted on your blog could be a good idea.

                    

5. Infographics

These are extremely useful for people who are visual learners. They are simple and to the point, but explain everything you need them to. Many free sites offer tools to create your infographic with all of your company’s information and photos.

6. Galleries with Descriptions

Adding photos to your website in a gallery will give your potential customers the chance to see your work and what else you can do. Photos can be much more descriptive than text, and your customers can imagine your product in their home or business.

7. Videos, Tutorials & Demonstrations

Even better than a photo, with a video you can show your clients exactly how to use your product as well as compare it to other objects, so they’ll know the size. With these videos, you want to show them about the product and give them facts without advertising too highly, or it will not be a pleasant experience for your customers.

                    

8. GUEST POSTS

Similar to an interview, a guest post provides your customers with a viewpoint outside of your company. Allowing someone else to write a post from your company could give you insights about your company or your industry that you may not have been able to see otherwise. Having an outside opinion can be an invaluable resource because they may be able to see things you cannot.

9. Company History

Adding a Company History section to your website allows viewers to see how far your company has come and how many changes you have made for THEIR benefit. You want your customers to know who you are and what you stand for. This is an excellent way to start.

10. Weekly FAQ session to commonly asked questions

This stands for Frequently Asked Questions, and it is where you post the most asked questions about your company or business, as well as your answer, which you can update as more questions become relevant. Your customers can check this page to get an instant answer rather than email you and wait for a response.

11. NEWSLETTERS

Posting regular newsletters is a great way to get information out to your clients and potential customers. You can post stories about your company, what’s going on in the industry, and articles you’ve written.

12. SURVEYS

Similar to an interview, a guest post provides your customers with a viewpoint outside of your company. Allowing someone else to write a post from your company could give you insights about your company or your industry that you may not have been able to see otherwise. Having an outside opinion can be an invaluable resource because they may be able to see things you cannot.

                    

Other marketing content could include:

13. List of your industry or service resources
14. Promote industry events and events you host or are involved in.
15. Share and promote local news stories that affect your industry or area
16. Games and Printables
17. Worksheets and cheatsheets for your audience
18. Memes and funny cartoons – appropriate for your industry and audience.

So What Are Your Goals?

If your goal is to inform your current audience, you should consider producing content that gives facts and information, but if your goal is to attract new customers, you should produce content that is exciting, new, and catches the eye. It will help to create a plan with a schedule about what you want to post and when; this will keep you on track and help you to stay consistent with your posting.

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4 Things to do on the 4th!

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Spend time with family and friends

Happy 4th of July! This is a time to be celebrate and be thankful for all of the freedoms we have received. The 4th of July is the perfect time to get out of the house while spending time with friends and family. If you aren’t sure what you should do here is a list of 4 things to do on the 4th of July.

1.

Go to the Lake.

The lake is the perfect place to spend the fourth of July, especially here in Michigan. There are so many potential things to do at the lake such as going boating, laying in the sand, going swimming, or just floating in a tube. Watching the 4th of July fireworks on the water is always a treat, especially if you get to watch from a boat in the middle of the lake.

lake dock

2.

Have a Barbecue.

Spending time with family is good, spending time with family while making food is great. If you host a BBQ and invite your family and friends you’ll be able to talk and play games while eating food. You can ask people to bring different dishes and even make it a pot-luck. Maybe even check out some red, white, and blue recipes to keep the BBQ extra festive.

3.

Go to a Baseball Game.

The 4th of July is all about celebrating America and what could be more American than attending a baseball game? Many people consider baseball to be America’s pastime so go ahead, celebrate America’s Independence Day at the baseball diamond. This is an event you can take the whole family to and if you go late enough there is a good chance they will set off fireworks after the game.

4.

Go see Fireworks

Pack up a picnic or some red, white, and blue themed snacks and go find a nice spot to watch fireworks. Don’t forget your picnic blanket to sit on and a blanket to cover up with when it gets cold at night. Get comfortable on your blanket and get ready to see an amazing light show.

fireworks

Have a safe and fun 4th of July!

5 Father’s Day Events in Michigan

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How to Celebrate Father's Day in Michigan

Michiganders thrive in the summer and right in the middle is Father’s Day. Finding just the right way to spend time with your father on this day can be a little difficult so we’ve put together a list of events going on in Michigan on and around Father’s Day to make deciding a bit easier. Check out our top 5 Father’s Day 2018 events.

1.

69th Annual Bluegill festival

Does your dad like carnival rides, car shows, fishing contents, or alcohol? Then the Bluegill Festival in St. Helen, MI may be just the place to take him. It runs through the weekend from June 14th-16th and welcomes children! If you’re looking for a Father’s Day event where young children can attend and Dad can have a drink, this is the event for you.

2.

Brews, BBQ, & Bourbon 2018

This event, located in Downtown Detroit, brings together three things fathers love: alcohol, meat, and more alcohol. If you are a father or know a father who isn’t interested in those things the event also offers live music and other various foods. The festival runs from Friday June 22nd through Sunday June 24th with free entry and There are plenty of things to enjoy with your family at this annual event.

BBQ

3.

Muskegon Powerboat Weekend

The Muskegon Powerboat weekend located in Muskegon, MI, is the perfect event for a dad who loves the water and fast boats. This event is scheduled for Friday June 15th through Sunday June 17th, just in time for Father’s Day. Friday night starts off with a street party with food, huge boats, and beverages. Some events planned for Saturday include the off-shore Poker Run, Boat Raft-Up, and Boaters Hang Out. Sunday Funday features Muskegon venues. Spend the weekend on the lake, or just one day, either way this event will make a splash in your Father’s Day plans.

4.

June Mud Run

Some dads prefer to stay clean and some prefer to get a little dirty once in awhile. This event is for fathers who crave a little mess in their lives. The mud run gives you the opportunity to drive your vehicle around in huge mud pit or watch others do so. Whichever you choose this Mud Run is sure to give you the muddy thrills you’re seeking. Drive on over to Allegan, MI Sun, June 17th if you’re looking to get muddy with your family. A truck and 1 driver is $11, $4 to spectate the event, and children 4 and under get in free.

5.

Patio Daddy-O

Iron Fish Distillery is celebrating dads by throwing a Father’s Day celebration at their location in Thompsonville, MI. They will be offering cocktails, Barbecue, and live music by Blake Elliot. This event will be starting at 12pm on Father’s Day (Sunday June 12th) and end at 7pm. Get directions here to Iron Fish Distillery.

4 Respectful Ways to Celebrate Armed Forces Day

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Celebrate Armed Forces Day

How to say "Thank you"

Armed Forces Day is a day we get to celebrate the amazing work our men and women in the military do. Not sure how to celebrate or properly honor servicewomen and men? Here is a list of ideas to start your Armed Forces Day off right.

1. Attend an Armed Forces Day parade

Show your support for Armed Forces Day and your servicemen and women at an event designed just to honor them. Make them feel special when they walk by and your family is waving and excited to see them.

2. Volunteer at an organization that helps the military

Give your time to those in the military on Armed Forces Day by volunteering at an organization that works with the military or veterans, helping in any way that you can. Volunteering your time for even just a few hours could really help out, especially if you spend time with service members. This could mean talking to them and hearing their stories or helping them out with tasks.

3. Donate

This could be donate your time, money, or goods service members need. Donating to an organization that helps the military is an excellent way to celebrate Armed Forces Day, especially if you include a letter of thanks to the service members. Many organizations also take non-perishable goods such as canned food and toiletries. 

4. Talk to someone about their service

Armed Forces Day is all about honoring the armed forces so why not strike up a conversation with a service member or verteran and ask them about their service? They may not have anyone else to talk to or share their stories with. You may not even have to say anything, just offer an ear to listen. Remember to be sensitive to the situation and do not push any subjects they do not seem to walk to talk about. Overall just be kind and respectful.

If you’re a service member or know a service member click here for a list of discounts offered to members of the military, the perfect way to celebrate Armed Forces Day.

flag

Warm Congratulations to Laura & Ben!

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We want to congratulate Ben & Laura (Kaptein) Lubbers on their wedding!

Congrats Laura Lubbers

Everyone at Spectrum Net Designs wants to send you off with best wishes on the wonderful journey ahead of you and a lifetime of love and happiness.

Laura is the Sales Manager at Spectrum Net Designs and AuctioneerSoftware.com.   Laura manages and takes care of the Sales and Project Management for both companies. She will be one of your contacts if you need assistance with anything during and after your project.

New Facebook Templates Customized for Your Business

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Now you can choose your Facebook page template based on the genre of your business.

What are the new page templates?

Standard

Good for all Page types, with buttons and tabs to help showcase what’s important to you.

Standard Facebook

Business

Designed to help you manage your business, including ways to post jobs and special offers.

Business Facebook

Venues

Designed so you can highlight useful info like your venue’s hours, location and upcoming events.

Venues Facebook

Nonprofit

Designed to highlight your cause and encourage people to fundraise and donate to your nonprofit.

Politicians

Designed to help politicians reach their supporters and communicate their message.

Politicians Facebook

Services

Designed to help people find your services and get in touch.

Service Facebook

Restaurants and Cafes

Designed to highlight photos and important info about your menu, hours and location.

Restaurants Facebook

Shopping

Designed to showcase products and make it easy for people to shop online.

How are the templates different?

Facebook has developed new Facebook page templates for your Company Page, depending on its use. These page templates range from Standard (original) to Business to Shopping. There is a new layout for almost any sort of business, and each template differs by changing the tabs it shows on the Page. For example, a Non-Profit template would have a “Donate” tab front and center where people can easily give to your organization.

Is this a good or bad change?

Despite some confusion as to how to change templates, what template to use, and whether the template for your company is the right one, these new templates have been extremely helpful to most companies looking to enhance their Facebook page. Now, tabs fit a person’s specific needs. Nevertheless, change can be difficult. Now the page’s owner must relearn where everything is placed, what tabs are shown, and what content the audience can see. This can be a big step, especially for businesses with a lot of content, like restaurants and non-profit organizations. Once the change is made, though, you can always return to the standard template it was originally on, but who knows, maybe you’ll like it! There’s only one way to find out.

Can I still edit the tabs on my Professional Facebook page?

Once you change the layout of your Page, you also have the option to edit the tabs. Adding, dropping, and changing the tabs on your page gives you the freedom to make your page personal and unique. No more repetitive pages that all look the same! All these changes make us wonder, what will Facebook do next?

World Password Day Tips

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Password Day

It's World Password Day, and we're celebrating by giving you some important password tips!

Password Day is the first Thursday of May. It is a day that is dedicated to reminding people to use strong passwords and to share the importance of password security. World Password Day was created by Intel in 2013 as a reminder to both review and strengthen passwords. To make them more secure, you can also add more precautions like a password manager or two-factor authentication. Keep reading for more password tips so you can be safe and secure. 

Change is Important

You should change your password at a minimum of once a year to keep your accounts safe and secure. It may be a hassle, but changing your passwords often will make your accounts much harder to hack, keeping your information secure. If you’re using the same password across different accounts, it would also be a good idea to change those too. If they can get into one account, then they can get into them all if you’re using it for multiple accounts. 

Don't give it out

This may seem like a no-brainer, but do not share your password with others unless absolutely necessary. This means your family, friends, strangers on the bus, and your pets…actually go ahead and tell your pet, as long as it isn’t a parrot. Keeping your password and accounts safe may be extremely important to you but not as important to others. Decrease the chance of your password getting around by keeping the information to yourself.

Make it Strong

No, not by taking it to the gym, but by making it difficult to guess.

Some tips to make a strong password:

  • Avoid using dictionary words
  • Include numbers, symbols, as well as both upper and lower case letters
  • Create a password with a minimum of 12 characters
    • Characters include: letters, numbers, and symbols
  • Make it even safer by adding an extra layer of security with 2-step verification. This could be as simple as requiring a code that is sent to your mobile device, ensuring that you are the only one able to access your account. Even though your password may be compromised, this step prevents a hacker from accessing your account.

Don't Write it Down

It may be tempting to keep a written record of all of your passwords, just in case you forget them, but writing down your passwords to make your life easier would also make it easier for the people looking to steal your passwords. Try keeping your passwords in a folder on your phone locked by fingerprint or facial recognition. If you do not have this feature on your phone and you feel you must write it down, keep the paper in your wallet so that it is always on your person.

Guiding You Through Google

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Guiding You Through Google

Google is currently the most powerful search engine out there, with billions of searches every day. However, Google does not just provide users with search information; it also offers tools to help businesses track their website traffic. These tools, such as Google Analytics and Google Webmaster, track your traffic, keywords, as well as your search rank. Utilizing the tools that Google offers gives you an advantage by providing you with knowledge of your position and where you fall concerning your competitors. These tools are the first steps to getting your website found on Google and work along with the search engine. They are your best option to be ranked higher on Google.

Worth it?

website design and development

You may be asking yourself if it’s worth it to invest in Search Engine Marketing, and the short answer is: yes. About 90% of the world uses the internet to search for services and products around the world, and if you’re ranked high on the search engines, those people will be much more likely to find you. People are searching Google so frequently that there are about 40,000 searches per second. If you know where you stand in these searches, you can either work to improve your rank or keep track of the ranks of your competitors, so you know how you compare. Your competitors are probably working on their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to rank higher, so why wouldn’t you?

Ebook

Our free ebook “The How to Guide on How to be Found on Google and Other Relevant Search Engines” will take you through all of the important tips and tricks of working with Google. It offers a checklist of things you should do to improve your rank on Google, as well as lists other programs that will be useful. Make sure that customers can find your business listing!

how to be found on Google

Click Here to Download the Full Google Checklist

9 Ingredients to Make Great Content

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9 Ingredients to Creating Content

Creating content isn’t always easy, but it is extremely important to improve your SEO scores as well as to build brand recognition. If you have information on your site that people are looking for they will stay on your page longer and begin to know your name. Creating content that is related to your business is an excellent way to become relevant to your target audience. Here are some tips on creating quality content that your readers will crave.

adult-blond-board-298926

1. A Clear Goal

First, you must decide what you want to make, will it be a cake, a pie, or maybe even a tart? Then, you start researching to create your recipe with your final product in mind. It wouldn’t make sense for you to start creating your recipe without knowing what you want to create, and in the same way, it wouldn’t make sense for you to start creating content without knowing what the subject is and where you want to go with it. You must have a goal in mind while creating content, such as who you want to create this content for, what the purpose of the content is, and what you want the readers to take away from your content.

2. Knowledge of Who Your Audience is

To create content that people are interested in, you must know who you are creating the content for. You must know who is going to be reading your recipe and attempting to make the final product. It can help to ask yourself questions such as what baking skill level do I want to create for, how many people is this going to feed, and how long will this recipe take to make? This can give you insight into the audience you should be targeting. If the recipe requires a high skill level, feeds 100 people, and takes 5 hours to make, you probably should not target stay-at-home moms looking for dessert ideas. If you know who your audience is and keep them in mind, it will be much easier to create content they will enjoy.

Audience-in-line

3. Useful Information

Once you know who is going to be interacting with your content, you will need to decide if what you are writing is something that will be useful to them. If the information you are providing is not something that people are searching for, you will not get many views, which is where keyword research comes into play. Once you have determined that you are providing useful information that people are searching for, you must designate keywords to the content. This is so that Google will index it and your audience will be able to find it. People will search for and read your content if you are providing useful information and use keywords properly.

4. A Strong Title

Marketing-Title

A strong title is like icing on the cake; it is at the top and is the first thing people see. The title, like icing, brings the viewer in, piques their interest, and makes them want to explore the content (cake). A title must go with the media and quickly, but effectively, explain what the purpose is. Strong titles make the reader curious, are not too long, and should inform the reader of what the content is about. Titles are also an important part of SEO that helps Google to know what the content is going to be about. Without a title, your post is going to look much less appealing to your audience, and without it, they won’t even be able to find your content. The icing gives you an idea of what the cake tastes like, and the more effort you put into making sure the icing(title) fits with your cake(content), the more it will benefit your audience.

.5. Facts/Truth

It is important to note that lying in your content, to get more views, is never a good idea. This can result in a lack of trust from your audience, and if they do not trust you, they will not visit your site or consume your content. This is like telling people that your product does not contain nuts when, in fact, it does. This could be an issue if people do not like nuts, or worse, are allergic. Lying to your audience could hurt them and end up hurting you as well.

6. Originality

Make sure your recipe is different and offers information you cannot find anywhere else. If it is not original, what is stopping your customers from going to another place for the information? Creating your original content will bring readers to your page because it will be something they need that they can’t find anywhere else. It is okay to start with similar content to someone else’s, but you need to make it your own. If you bring something to the content that only you can because of your knowledge and experiences, you will attract readers.

7. Images and Video

Images can help you show how something is supposed to look. When you are baking a cake, it can be helpful to see how the result is supposed to look and follow the instructions with that image in mind.

These help your audience visualize the content and give them a better understanding of what they’re reading, especially if they are visual learners. Images can help you to explain things to your audience without using as many words. A good example of this would be step by step screenshots. The screenshots would allow you to show your audience exactly how to do something, such as sign up for your newsletter, without having to explain the steps.

Computer-Images

8. Proper Spelling and Grammar

Content-spelling

Recipes need to be accurate, and a typo can throw off the entire recipe. If the recipe calls for a teaspoon(t) of salt but a typo is made, and the recipe says 1T(Tablespoon) of salt it will not turn out the same. Content must be checked and edited to filter out mistakes.

Poor spelling and grammar can be a huge distraction or a cause of confusion for your readers. You do not want to be seen as unprofessional by your readers, especially your first-time readers. You want to earn the respect of your first-time readers and you will probably not be very successful if your post is difficult to read and filled with spelling errors. Double checking and even triple checking your content to make sure that it is accurate is important for your credibility and your reader’s comprehension.

9. Solutions

You’ve given your readers the recipe, shown them how to make it, and now you can offer them solutions to problems they may run into. The end of the content is a great place to offer other goods or services that complement the content they have just read about.

 You should provide the readers with a link to your products that have been used to create the recipe. This way you are promoting your products/services as well as offering your readers solutions, such as the ingredients they would need to create your recipe.

 

  

Let’s Get Cooking with SEO

 

 

Mobile First Indexing is Coming! How Will It Impact Your Search Engine Optimization?

Posted on by spectrum-admin

SEO and Your Mobile Responsive Website

There are always new developments as we march forward in the digital world. Google, as well as other search engines, is constantly changing its algorithm and making changes to enhance the experience of user experience. These changes will benefit the user but make it harder for marketers to crack the code and utilize methods of how to rank better and use the best standards.

Finally Here or Still on The Way?

Since early 2016, Google has been announcing its move forward, in the mobile world, to shift the user experience and indexing rankings to focus more on the responsive version of your website. Due to the high Google search volume coming from mobile devices, rather than desktop, Google is working towards having its algorithms primarily look at the content on the mobile version of sites.  That time is now closely approaching, as they have been hinting that they will push this update out in June of 2018. It is important to note that this update will adversely affect those who do not have a mobile-responsive version of their website available to users. 

What is Mobile Friendly?

Although mobile-responsive websites and mobile websites sound similar, there is a difference between the two. A mobile-responsive website is a duplicate of your desktop website that has been updated to be responsive or “friendly” on mobile devices.  The design and content conform to a specific viewport size of the device you are on. This means that the duplicate website can adapt to a multitude of devices and their different screen sizes. A mobile website is a completely separate website with different content and could or might not be responsive to the device you are using. 

Mobile Only?

 “Our crawling, indexing, and ranking systems have typically used the desktop version of a page’s content, which may cause issues for mobile searchers when that version is vastly different from the mobile version,” wrote software engineer Fan Zhang. “Mobile-first indexing means that we’ll use the mobile version of the page for indexing and ranking, to better help our—primarily mobile—users find what they’re looking for.”

How will this affect your business?

Every update to Google algorithms comes with a significant amount of confusion about how it will affect business owners and marketing strategies, as we all fight our way up to the top of Google. Mobile-first indexing is on its way, and if you aren’t ready, it could mean a drop in your rankings. Google keeps its algorithms a secret, so there is no way for us to know how it will affect website rankings until it is launched and tested in a real-time environment. However, we do know that the longer you wait to update your mobile site, the more you risk having Google lower your rank when the update comes out.

Do you need to check your website? You can test it here with the Google mobile-friendly test.

google and google ways

Recommendations

Here are some recommendations from Google to help you prepare your website for the mobile-first index:

  • If you have a responsive site and the markup is equivalent across mobile and desktop, you shouldn’t have to change anything.
  • If you have a site configuration where the primary content and markup are different across mobile and desktop, you should consider making some changes to your site.
  • Make sure to serve structured markup for both the desktop and mobile versions.
  • Don’t forget about the Structured Data Testing Tool and comparing output.
  • Use the Robot.txt testing tool to verify that your mobile version is accessible.
  • Don’t forget about your mobile version in Webmaster tools under your Google account. Please add and verify your mobile version.
  • From Google, “If you only have a desktop site, we’ll continue to index your desktop site just fine, even if we’re using a mobile user agent to view your site.”

Google Resources

Contact us at Spectrum Net Designs to discover what you can do or what you are missing on your current website and Go Mobile Today!

 

References:

Mobile-first Indexing. (2016, November 04). Retrieved April 12, 2018, from https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2016/11/mobile-first-indexing.html

Monthly Employee Spotlight for February: Kris Thompson

Posted on by spectrum-admin

Monthly Employee: Kris Thompson | Web Developer

Kris Thompson has been a web developer/software developer with Spectrum and Auctioneer Software since March 2016.  He is a huge asset to our team, and we look forward to what he will bring to us in the future. Kris graduated from Jenison High School, then went on to attend Michigan State University and Grand Valley State University.  He started programming at the age of nine when his Dad bought the family an Atari 800XL. It came with a BASIC cartridge and, let’s just say, he’s been hooked on writing software since then. Decades later and he is still hip deep in code.  Ever since he was really young, he’s had a passion for creating things and loves trying to figure things out. Web development, as he discovered during college, allows him to scratch his proverbial creative itch. As Paul Graham has written, “I am one of those hackers and painters.” Some of Kris’ favorite pastimes include spending time with his family, reading, sci-fi movies, cooking, puzzles, and art. A few of Kris’ talents include HTML5, JavaScript, Node, PHP, CSS3, C#, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and MongoDB.

“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.” – Author Unknown

What is your dream car?     An Aston Martin Vanquish — just like James Bond

What is your biggest pet peeve?     People who complain too much.

Do you have any pets?     Yes, two pugs. Sir Nigel Pugglesworth III and Barnaby Watson Puggington Esq.

Do you have any hobbies?     Making and building things… software, artwork, things for the house

 What was the last really great book you read?     Ready Player One

What is one food that you will never eat?     Mushrooms… yuck

Are you artistic?      Yes.

Any new information about your life?      My new house and my new daughter, Charlie.

Do you play a musical instrument?      No… I have the opposite of musical talent

Which superhuman power do you wish you had?      Fly

Do you have a favorite season?     Summer

If you could splurge on one item, what would it be?      I’d buy myself a new toy (computer, drone, who knows)

What Do Domain Authority and SEO Have in Common…

Posted on by spectrum-admin

Domain Authority, Page Authority, and Link Juice & How They Affect Your Search Engine Optimization

What is Domain Authority & Page Authority?

Domain Authority is a search engine optimization ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on the search engine results pages. This tool was developed by Moz. A domain authority score ranges from 1-100. The higher score you have, the greater ability your site has to rank. How does this tool work? Well, domain authority is calculated by evaluating the linking root domains and the number of total links into a single score. More specifically, domain authority is a way to measure the link profile of a website.

Page Authority is similar to domain authority, but this is based on a page-by-page basis of how each page’s strengths affect the page’s combined ranking to offer better ranking and authority to the domain’s overall power.

What is Link Juice?

Link Juice is a term used to reference the value of a specific link to a website or page. The higher the quality of the pages is, the more link juice there will be, and it will tend to rank higher on Google. So, how do websites get more link juice? They do this by creating authoritative, useful, and trustworthy content, continually advertising, promoting good website content in front of the right audience, and more. A good way to measure and calculate link juice is by Moz Domain Authority.

How Do They Impact SEO?

Domain Authority gives owners of websites a rough estimate of how they rank in Google compared to everyone else. They do this by looking at the links and link juice. Adding good, trustworthy links to your website, which inform your clients, will rise in the search engine rankings. Don’t overload your website with links, though, because then Google will see it as spam. A good balance is what is necessary.

How Do You Receive Good Authority?

To attract links to your website, the best thing to do is the following:

  • Create useful, trustworthy, and valid content
  • Improve the strength and popularity of your company
  • Continually promote and advertise your company
  • Be sure your content is seen by the correct audience
  • Contribute content to other sites
  • Link to other sites that get high traffic

There are more ways to get links to your website, but these are just a few. Once your website is seen as an authoritative and reliable source, it will become more popular and increase in traffic and links, and therefore your domain authority score will be higher. 

Need help with your Search Engine Optimization needs?
Contact Spectrum Net Designs! We would be happy to help!

Website Misconceptions 101

Posted on by spectrum-admin

Web Design Mistakes & Misconceptions

Welcome to website Misconceptions 101, where what you think is really isn’t, and probably vice versa.  Did that make sense? Some website misconceptions are fairly cut and dry and have never been an actual method used but some think they are still effective. Many of the “old” techniques and methods that used to be “the only way” things were done are now actually misunderstood and no longer relevant. 

Below are the 18 most common website misconceptions in 2018, that all users should be aware of when building a website.  From end user design, functionality, formatting, and more you need to know!

1. But users don't scroll below the fold anymore..

False! Users scroll more than ever now. In this era of phones, tablets, and other mobile devices, people scroll constantly. It’s as simple as moving a finger or thumb over their screens. While this might have been a problem in the past, it is not as important now.

Nowadays, when someone talks about “above the fold,” it is more about the importance that whatever is up there is convincing enough to keep the visitor on the site. Even if it is just below the fold, you are fine. It’s more about keeping the important information at the top.  You want the user to scroll, click, and spend as much time on your site as possible for SEO purposes.

   

2. Anyone can make a website using generic "drag and drop" systems....

False! Sure, you can try, and it might work for smaller less technical websites. But it’s more relevant that you will run into issues such as formatting, cross browser compatibility, and more issues that can run from simple to super technical. Some features you may want will not be easily obtained, if you need custom form fields or other custom needs. Therefore, designing your own site would be difficult but not impossible when you don’t have a lot of tools and features available.

   

3. I can just go to Google for an image and take anything I find.....

False! You should assume any images on the web, including Google images or any images on a search engine, are protected by copyright law.  It is considered illegal to use an image that holds copyright without the owner’s permission or without purchasing a license that gives permission. What you want to use is royalty free images on sites such as www.istockphoto.com or www.shutterstock.com where you can purchase images with full or partial rights for your website and print needs.  Other images you can utilize are free creative common images such as Pexels or Pixabay.  But be aware that many people use those sites and the images can be used all over the place so they will not be unique to your site.

4. My site is only 12 years old and still like new...

False! Website design and development has changed dramatically in the past few years. Website development changes every year, so keeping up with the latest is like keeping up with the Kardashians.  There have been many advancements including responsive development and mobile design, website elements, structure, and formatting. Not to mention Search Engine Optimization, which constantly changes with Google standards and processes. If you do not update your site, your website will go stagnant and will be lost in the search engines.  A website that isn’t updated is similar to a blank piece of paper flying in the wind. So take care of that site with regular maintenance and fresh content every few months. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Duplicate text doesn't matter, I'll just copy from my competition....

False! People used to be able to get away with this until Google and duplicate content standards came along. Now, there are a few reasons you cannot duplicate content or copy content from other sites.  You risk your site being considered spam and have the risk of getting a bad ranking and being penalized by the search engines for just a few reasons.  Google and other search engines use tools that measure sites for 100 different points, and they base ranking on it.  So be original and post unique content for the best outcome possible. 

6. The more empty space, the cleaner my site will be....

False!…well, kind of Let’s discuss this, if you have too much empty space, there won’t be enough data and content for users to find what they are looking for. Yet if you have too much data and content, your site can look cramped and you overload your clients with too much information. What you need to do is find the perfect balance of clean and yet still give important information so that the users want to stay. You can obtain this by adding new pages with specific content, organizing your information for easy to find content, and only posting useful information.

    

7. The bigger the better?​

This can go both ways.  The question is, where do you want customers to be directed to on the site? An over-sized logo can take the focus away from your content.  On your site, you need to have a clear focus on what you want your site to be about and where you want your customers to go.  For example, if you have an oversized logo, the proportions will be all out of balance. Try to make things big enough so your users can see what they are looking at, but keep the proportions even and balanced.

8. All browsers are the same, does it matter what one I use....

False! Make sure that your site can be viewed on all browsers.  Browser compatibility is the flexibility of a website to function on different web browsers. The benefit of creating a website with browser compatibility is that it improves the traffic flow on a website and cuts down on loss of performance. So how do you make your site compatible? Keeping it simple, validating your code, testing in as many browsers as possible, and more. 

Need help? Call Spectrum Net Designs today!

9. I don't need any optimization; the website is on the internet and it will do it's "thing" and we will get millions of visitors. Here comes the traffic!

False! Without proper search engine optimization, the website will be just loose paper in the wind. It needs structure and architecture. Having SEO on a website will help Google, Bing, and other search engines find your site and rank it. Using Google services like Google Maps, webmaster, and analytics will also help you be found and increase your traffic. Also, adding fresh content regularly will also help. But doing nothing and letting the internet just “do its thing” will get you nowhere. 

10. Once I buy my domain, it's mine forever....

False! When you purchase your domain, you have yearly options to choose from including 2 years, 5 years, and ten years options. An important note is to write down all your expirations for hosting, domains, certificates, etc. File them somewhere safe. If you would like, you can auto renew many items so you don’t lose them. If you are looking for a new domain you can visit Godaddy, Network Solutions, or Register.com to name a few. 

11. Designers don't know best - the customer is always right!

While the customer knows their business, the web designer knows websites and what works best. All the client has to do is trust us, and they will be very impressed with the result. Still, while the web designer gives direction to the project and website, we listen to the client to see what they want and need. Every website and customer is different, and that’s what makes the development of websites so challenging yet interesting.

12. I only launched a month ago, all of my changes should be free..

False! Once launched, the site is now completed from the original quoted project and cost. After the launch of your new website, all changes to the site will be billed hourly or will need to be quoted unless prior arrangements were made or maintenance was included in your original quote. We have to pay our developers and designers, and you have to pay for the changes.

 

13. My website should be all about me and my company, not my clients....

False! Your website is for your clients! It needs to be about your clients and their needs. What do your clients want to see when they open your website? That should be the main focus of your site. Yes, some of the site is dedicated to your company, such as the “About Us” page.

Many websites have staff pages with bios and company pages with newsletters. But remember, the website is for your client to learn more about you and use your services.

grand rapids seo
website misconceptions

14. The site is completed, and I'll never need maintenance...

False! Too many people think website maintenance is out of date. It is the complete opposite. Without website maintenance, your site will fall into the abyss. Many things on your site need to stay updated: pages, content, blogs, pictures, etc. for Google to keep ranking your website. 

Do you need help maintaining your website? Give us a call! We’d be happy to help!

15. I have 20+ pages of content so the more content the merrier....

True & False! This kind of depends on the industry, but in general this is not true. The content needs to be organized and categorized by page and sub-pages. There is such a thing as too much information. You want to give your customers enough information to understand but not too much that they won’t call you. Keep some information for PDFs, printables, emails, and phone conversations. It is good to keep the client inquiring about what you’re selling. If you give them too much information right away, they will skip it and move on.

16. I don't need this fancy layout - web design is cut and dry text....

False! Humans are visual beings. You don’t need a super fancy layout, but you do need visuals on your website.  As long as the layout is organized, has layout consistency, professional appearance, balance, simplicity, and more, the web design has a good structure to buildonf in the future. Some might call this fancy, but depending on your industry, this appeals to the values and motivations of your targets. By appealing to your targets, you can create a final design product that is appealing to a broader audience beyond what you find engaging. 

    

17. All of the whitespace on my site needs to be filled, otherwise it will look empty and no one will visit my site.....

False! The most profitable and overall successful web design decisions are those made with justifiable evidence of your target audience’s interests, tastes, and end goals. Don’t make assumptions as to what your target audience wants to see; rather, try creating target profiles, or fictional personas, to frame your website designs around. Sometimes less is more and the white-space will work in your favor. Again, a balance between content and images is key.

18. It's my site so I should get final say!

True! But we have seen the results of this event, and we do not recommend it. Flashy animation, crazy color pallets, loud music in the background, trust us, we have seen it all. While you know your industry, we know ours. We know what works and what doesn’t.

We know it’s a lot, and it can be hard to keep track of a website. 

Lucky for you we are here to help!

  Give us a call or contact us and we would be happy to help you!

Black Hat Techniques are More Than Just Bad SEO

Posted on by spectrum-admin

Black Hat Techniques are More Than Just Bad SEO

What is it?

Black Hat Techniques are ways to increase your site’s rank by using disapproved practices. How you increase your rank on Google violates the search engine’s terms of service. 

black hat seo techniques

More Than Bad SEO....

These techniques can result in your site being banned from search engines and affiliate sites. Sure, you might see some short-term success and increased traffic to your site, but Google is now pickier, and the penalties for this can have terrible effects on your status and rankings with traffic in the long run.

content automation

Content Automation

The method of using content automation tools to generate content automatically and publish it on your site without any effort is just one black hat technique for your website.  First, the content is written with no target audience in mind, no intent for the user, it has no structure, no pictures, no headings, no paragraph spacing, and more.  Some use this tactic because they will have a lot of content in no time or effort, but you will experience rank loss in the long term.

Sneaky Redirects

One way to look at this technique is when you have an expired domain for your business, and you don’t want to lose that link juice and domain authority, but what you have to realize is that is just the way it is.  You need to either renew that domain or let it go. Some companies try to take advantage of expired domains to keep the link juice and use it to redirect from the old domain to the new site address. This is a wrong way of utilizing expired domains.  One domain is for search engines to rank off of, and the other redirected domain is for the visitors and end users.

bad seo doorway pages

Doorway Pages

Cloaking or doorway cloaking some refer to it refers to the practice of inflating a website using cloaking methods and sending the user to a page that has no connection with the query.  It is a crafty way of redirecting.  Another type of cloaking is hidden text and content as well as other aspects of the site.  Many site owners will make the text white or the font size 0 so that no person can read it. They blend the content into the background of the site, but the one thing they don’t count on it that Google sees this as spam and will penalize you for it.

Keyword Stuffing

Keyword stuffing is an old technique.  This has been around since the beginning of search engine optimization.  This includes the repetition of the same or similar keyword or a synonym of that word over and over again, multiple times on the same page without any variations. This is not natural language or information that Google will use; they will recognize the technique immediately.  It is also a bad user experience and will get you penalized by Google for low-quality content.  You want to utilize fresh and original content for optimized SEO results for your website.

Link Farms and Networks

A link farm is a collection of sites connected from one base website.  It can have one main domain with hundreds of other irrelevant domains linking to it. This kind of website has text covered with irrelevant links to random sites. This practice will get you penalized because the generated links are considered unnatural.  This is also where you can get into issues with bad link juice from backlinks to your website.  This is extremely time-consuming to fix, and hiring a professional is recommended.

website backlinking

Link Manipulation & Schemes (buying links)

It does not help to buy links to receive link juice. You will lose money and your ranking quickly. When you purchase links, those links could have bad rankings themselves, including link juice, domain authority, and bad anchor text.  Link management is a time-consuming process if you need to reverse anything in the future.   Search engines have never favored link manipulation; in fact, Google and Bing have cracked down on the actual link-selling sites out there to balance out good from bad optimization.  A type of link manipulation is guest posting.  This is the interest of receiving a large quantity of backlinks for content that probably isn’t relevant to your website.  

Article Spinning

Article Spinning is the act of making an automated way of rewriting content to escape the “duplicate content” problem and generate new content to look good for search engines. This is considered a black hat technique because you offer no value or good information to the user.  The content posted to Google and other search engines must be fresh and unique, even a different point of view and opinions are better than copied content.  Try brainstorming topics, articles, and other content to fill your marketing needs. 

Automated Queries to Google

This means that you use a software to inflate the number of searches for a specific keyword to rank higher. 

black hat seo

Rich Snippet Markup Spam

 When you create a spammy structured markup, you are putting your website in a risky position.  When you create irrelevant rich snippets makeup you risk getting penalized by Google.  Structured data lets Google and other search engines know more about your site.  There are two types: spammy markup and good, structured rich snippet markup for websites.  If used properly, this can be a great way of formatting how your site appears in the ranking page when a user is looking for information. To learn more, Google has a great article here.  

Reporting Black Hat Techniques

There are two main reasons to report black hat SEO:

  1. Your website has been attacked by a malicious hack, virus, etc.
  2. You see a spammy website on the keyword ranking page that you want to rank for.

For your site being hacked, you can request for a malware review after you have removed the malicious code. If you spot a spammy website, you can file a web spam report through Google Webmaster Tools. But, if you report a false claim of a spammy website, that would be considered black hat SEO and your site could take the fall.

Overall, the Black Hat Techniques seem to look good in the beginning. But if you want your business to be long term and successful, black hat techniques are not for you. People use them thinking Google will not catch them, but the penalty if Google does find out is not worth it.

Mobile Friendly Call to Action

Contact the Spectrum Net Designs Team to Help With Your New Search Engine Marketing Strategy!

Monthly Employee Spotlight – Welcome Alex!

Posted on by spectrum-admin

Monthly Employee Spotlight: Alex Burgoon | Web Developer

Alex Burgoon is a web developer. Alex graduated from Michigan State University in 2012 with a Bachelors in Science in Applied Engineering Sciences. An engineer from day one, Alex is always looking to improve and solve problems. He discovered a passion for computers in his first job as an engineer writing macros in Excel. Since then he has expanded his knowledge to include JavaScript, C#, and Python. He is eager to learn and always try new things.

“The “show business,” which is so incorporated into our view of Christian work today, has caused us to drift far from Our Lord’s conception of discipleship. It is instilled in us to think that we have to do exceptional things for God; we have not. We have to be exceptional in ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, surrounded by sordid sinners. That is not learned in five minutes.” 

-Oswald Chambers

What is your dream car? Porsche 911

What’s your biggest pet peeve? Talking during a movie in the theaters

Do you have any pets? 1 Yorkie (Benson), 2 cats (Darth and Kylo)

Do you have any hobbies? Conlanging/conworlding, writing, gardening, woodworking

What was the last really great book you read? Why? Ender’s Game, it’s a sci-fi classic

What is one food that you will never eat? Nothing

Are you artistic? Probably not, although I like to think I am 🙂

Any new information about your life? My son was born in May

Do you play a musical instrument? I used to play guitar and saxophone

Which superhuman power do you wish you had? Teleportation

Do you have a favorite season? Fall

If you could splurge on one item, what would it be? New grill

Lunch and Learn 2018 Survey

Posted on by spectrum-admin

Hello and Happy Holidays!

What Are You Doing for Your Marketing in 2018?

Come Join Us for Lunch and Learns 2018!

Lunch and Learn 2018

As we are preparing for the new year right around the corner, we have a list of lunch and learns that we would like to put together for some fun and professional learning time for Lunch and Learn 2018 – Time for Success!

We would love your opinion on what is the most important to you as a professional, and which ones would you like to attend and it’s that easy.

Thank you for taking a moment and completing this survey for us. All results are kept confidential in our office.

Monthly Employee Spotlight – Welcome Jacob!

Posted on by spectrum-admin

Monthly Employee: Jacob Cole | Web Developer

Jacob Cole is a web developer at Spectrum Net designs. Jacob graduated from Ferris State University in 2016 with a Bachelors in Computer Science and joined Spectrum Net Designs in 2017. Jacob is a web/software developer focusing on PHP applications.

 

Jacob Cole

What is your dream car? My dream car is either the 1968 Ford Shelby  GT500KR or the new 2019 Tesla roadster

What’s your biggest pet peeve? Driving slow in the fast lane.

Do you have any pets? I do not, though my wife and I will likely be getting a dog in the near future.

Do you have any hobbies? I like to fly fpv quadcopters and play slow pitch on a local team.

What was the last really great book you read? Why? The last book I read was “It” by Stephen King. I read it just in time for the movie.

What is one food that you will never eat? Calamari.

Are you artistic? No.

Any new information about your life? I was just married this year.

Do you play a musical instrument? I do not.

Which superhuman power do you wish you had? Super speed would be cool.

Do you have a favorite season? My favorite season is Fall.

If you could splurge on one item, what would it be? Either my dream car or a house would be nice.