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Troy Frink

About Troy Frink

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Mar 01 2016
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Social Media Platforms

Underused Social Media Platforms for Business

By | instagram, Periscope, Snapchat, Social Media, social media for business | No Comments

The social media world has evolved from online journals to “Who’s in my Top 8?” to platforms only college students could use to something everyone could use. Businesses of every shape and size and diverse industries have scrambled to get on the latest social trends. It’s paid off for some of them, like in Wendy’s beef with Burger King, or IHOP calling McDonald’s out on its notion that all-day breakfast was a new concept.

It seems like every day new platforms come into the limelight, but only some of them have proven to be beneficial for businesses. Here’s a list of social networks we think could be useful to businesses.

See what underused #socialmedia platforms will work best for your business! Click To Tweet

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Feb 16 2016
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Great Free Apps for Small Business Owners

By | Apps for Small Businesses, Small Businesses | No Comments

Turn The Page Online Marketing loves to be productive and efficient. (What business doesn’t?) For a business that uses the Internet for pretty much everything it does, it seems only natural to wonder if there are online tools out there to help make things go as smoothly as possible. We combined knowledge of some apps and we searched for new and exciting things to get us through the day. What we found was so cool that we just had to share everything with our fellow Page Turners in one of our lunch and learn meetings, and with small business owners everywhere with this blog. Here are some of the apps we use every day:

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Jan 13 2016
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Web Design Trends: What to Look out for in 2016

By | Web Design | No Comments

Much like with fashion industry, the tech industry is constantly in flux. Both industries experience trends behind the scenes and in what the end user sees. Unlike the fashion industry, however, web design trends won’t show up on a Paris runway. They show up on your potential customers’ mobile devices and laptops. In order to make yourself visible in a sea of competitors, you’ll need to stay on top the trends so your website doesn’t look and feel old fashioned. Here’s what to watch for in 2016 web design:

1. Material Design Domination

Google’s Material Design has had a bit of a meteoric rise in 2015. The trend reflects smartphones being the primary device people use to access the Web, over desktop and laptop computers. While it’s not new, Material Design is asserting itself and experiencing wide-spread adoption with new extensions and kits popping up.

2. Bold Colors and Typography

In our blog about Pantone’s 2016 colors of the year, we covered the importance of properly using color in your branding and marketing. Typography holds the same importance: different fonts convey different messages. Bold fonts will no longer be used solely in headlines, but all over the web.

3. Rich Animations

Animation is a great storytelling device, and many websites are using it to full effect, creating an engaging and entertaining user experience. While animations are awesome, using them sparingly is key; don’t just stick them anywhere. A well-placed animation will get your message across and ultimately attract customers because they like what they see. Animations fall into two categories:

1. Large Scale Animations

These are used as a primary interaction tool, and have a big impact on users with effects like pop-up notifications and parallax scrolling.

2. Small Scale Animations

These don’t require user input, and they include items like loading bars, spinners and hover tools.

Web design is constantly changing and evolving, and Turn The Page Online Marketing’s expert web development team stays on top of current trends. To learn how we can help your business grow, call (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001 today.

 

 

 

 

Jan 05 2016
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Star Wars Branded Everything: How Effective Was It?

By | Brand Loyalty, Branding, Star Wars | No Comments

As you may have heard — let’s face it, you’ve heard about it unless you were in a coma — a new Star Wars movie dropped late last year. The Force Awakens spawned products from cereal with pictures of Yoda and Darth Vader emblazoned on the box to shower heads and even Pop Chips. With unprecedented merchandising, according to Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times film business reporter, it’s a fair question to ask, “Just how effective was it?”

Forcing the Force on the American Public

Miller weighed in on the sheer diversity of the branded products. “I came across Campbell’s soup that was branded with a Star Wars character,” he said. “I came across a Pottery Barn bed that was selling for $4 thousand that looked like the Millennium Falcon.”

A furniture shopper who’s also a Star Wars enthusiast with deep pockets has many options. That person may purchase a bed shaped like Han Solo’s spaceship just because it’s Star Wars branded. Can the same be said for someone who legitimately loves condensed chicken noodle soup? Maybe. Co-founder of the Ample Hills Creamery in Brooklyn, New York , Brian Smith befriended Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, and has churned out Star Wars ice cream. “The first week of selling Star Wars, we sold as many pints online as we had sold online in the year previous,” Smith said.

Brand Loyalty and Your Business

Great packaging and pictures of superheroes or science fiction characters have long been used to attract customers. It’s likely that you aren’t bizarrely connected with a Disney exec who can give you Star Wars licensing. However, you can provide the best quality product in your field, and get the word out about it.

Your online marketing efforts should hit your intended audience with the appropriate message, and your audience should be able to easily find you. While General Mills has the luxury of broad distribution and great shelf placement, your small- or medium-sized business has the distinct advantage of using search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) and social media. Your customers will be just as likely to return if they have a great experience both online and in person as they are to catch the next installment of the Star Wars saga in 2017. (Although expecting a $37 billion revenue may be a tad unrealistic.)

Contact Turn The Page Today

Turn The Page can help with your branding and online marketing strategy. To learn more, call us at (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001 today.

 

Dec 21 2015
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Is Your Online Marketing Ready for 2016?

By | Blogging, Content Marketing, Social Media | No Comments

It’s 2015, and we are officially in the future. (We even have hoverboards! Sort of.) Information moves at a lightning pace, and businesses of all sizes need to keep up or get left in their tech-savvy competitors’ wake. Online marketing plays a key component in generating new business, and you need to ask yourself, “How can I stand out?” You may be doing everything right, and if so, good for you. But for those of you whose marketing plans could use some tweaking, here’s what you need to consider for your 2016 marketing plan:

Traffic Analysis

Look at data from what’s already worked. Revising a strategy is much easier than developing a new one because you have a lot of information from past results. Use Google Analytics to measure your traffic for about a month before starting over.

Target Engaged

Once you’ve compiled a useful set of data, re-focus your campaign to effectively reach those people. If social media is a source for clicks, spend some time engaging with those networks. For business-to-consumer companies, using Facebook or Twitter may be your best bet, but for business-to-business companies, stick to LinkedIn.

It’s All in the Delivery

Business owners are constantly pressed for time, and it can be tempting to put your marketing on autopilot. Bear in mind that automatic posting can push people away, rather than attract them — think of every time you’ve had to speak to a customer service “robot” for your credit card company. The same principle applies to social media. Commit to posting your own material and add a personal touch. Your audience will thank you.

Evaluate Your Most Popular Blogs

Is your evergreen content still attracting visitors? Is that traffic converting? (By the way, if you aren’t blogging, you should be.) People will respond to quality content rather than frequent posts that fizzle out.

Reuse Your Content

If you’ve invested the time and effort to create great content, republish it — though it can be risky to your search rankings. Instead of re-posting something verbatim, consider repurposing it as an ebook or infographic. Like with financial investing, diversifying your content means a much higher return on investment.

Get Ready

With a well-developed marketing plan in place, your 2016 marketing efforts could generate new leads, which means your team needs to be prepared to handle an influx of new business.

Reach out to Us Today

The online marketing experts at Turn The Page are ready to help take your business to new heights in 2016. Call us at (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001 to learn more today.

Dec 17 2015
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Don’t Let Holiday Stress Ruin Your Business’ Online Reputation

By | Bad reviews online, bad social media reviews, Holidays | No Comments

‘Tis the Season to Go Crazy

Anyone who’s ever worked in retail during the holidays knows that customers can go a little nuts. They want something very specific on Christmas Eve at 4:59 p.m. when the store closes at 5. They incredulously ask, “What do you mean you’re out of lightsabers?” when Star Wars has been hot for months, and they’ve had literally all year to shop for their loved ones. No matter what industry your business is in, the same people who demand the most in-demand item of the year at the last possible minute will not hesitate to take to social media and berate your business online.

Whether or not the customers’ anger is justified, bad reviews online can damage your business’reputation. Your job as an owner is to keep a handle on questions and public complaints and resolve those issues quickly and visibly.

Just the Stats, Ma’am

Millions of people use social media to air their service grievances. The Wall Street Journal reported that people spend at least half an hour on social media a day, beating out all other online activity — including games. According to Twitter, people spend four hours a day on the Internet, with 2.4 of those hours being dedicated to social media.

With people spending roughly 1/6 of their day online, it should come as no surprise that social media has become the preferred method of communication for many — if not all — of your customers. Twitter reported that in the past two years, the number of Tweets to customer service usernames has grown 2.5 times. According to Conversocial, 14 percent of those Tweets about customer service are while the customers are still in the store.

The Bottom Line

If you don’t respond quickly, you’ll lose business, which affects your bottom line. US companies lose $41 billion every year due to poor customer service. Value your customers’ time and address their concerns with immediacy. If they reach out to you via social networks, stick to those networks when handling their issues. That way, other potential customers will see that you’ve got the superior customer service skills they want.

Let Turn The Page Help

We know that business owners have a lot on their plates — especially during the holidays — and you may not have time to manage your online reputation. Turn The Page Online Marketing can help. For more information about our social media services, call us at (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001 today.

Dec 10 2015
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Don’t Get Left out in the Cold with Google’s Penguin Roll-Out

By | Google, Google Changes, Penguin Update | No Comments

March of the Penguin Updates

Google rolled out its last Penguin update last December. It was designed to penalize websites with spammy links and keep everyone on the up and up. However, every algorithm roll-out leaves websites as either winners or losers.

If your website is running smoothly and you’re getting the results you want as a business owner, auditing your website and running last-minute checks is probably not at the top of your mind. However, now is a great time to make sure your website won’t be penalized by the new Penguin update, which will roll out next year.

Avoiding Penguin Penalties

If your website does not conform to Google’s standards, its algorithms will make sure to penalize your website, meaning that it won’t land on the coveted first page of search results. Searchers will click on your competitors’ websites and buy whatever they’re selling before you even have a chance to show the searcher what you’re all about.

Penalized by not Being Penguin-ized

Spammy practices can mean you get a sudden spike in referring links. and that sudden increase raises a red flag for Google. especially when even a couple of websites link to your website from every page. It’s a good thing when a website refers traffic to yours, but it has to make sense.

Disavowing those referring links means telling Google that you had nothing to do with those sketchy, spammy links pointing to your site. However, simply disavowing a link is not a substitute for getting the links removed manually.

Internal Link Optimization

External links get the most Penguin-related attention, but you shouldn’t ignore your internal links. Internal links don’t necessarily affect rankings, but they do influence how search engines crawl your site in a big way. Your website needs to have varied anchor text, not just the keywords verbatim. It needs to link related pages together — ask yourself, “If someone is searching for Thing 1, would he or she also be interested in Thing 2?”

User experience is everything to Google, and if your website doesn’t meet its standards, you’ll be penalized and people won’t find your website. For more information on how you can get ready for the Penguin roll-out, call Turn The Page Online Marketing at (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001 today.

 

 

 

Dec 03 2015
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3 Biggest Mistakes in Email Marketing

By | Email, Email Marketing | No Comments

Email marketing is one of the most effective methods to reach your audience. It’s highly targeted and produces a return on investment of 4,300 percent according to the Direct Marketing Association. An effective email campaign can attract new business and generate leads. It seems like the perfect online marketing tool, right? It’s great, but without a solid strategy and knowledge of what not to do, your email campaign could be a huge waste of time and a detriment to your business.

Email Marketing Biggest Blunders

1. Emailing Without Permission

If you want to kill your email marketing efforts before they have a change to get started, send emails to people without getting permission to send them. Not only will they immediately click the “unsubscribe” button, you could also get into serious legal trouble because most countries in the world have spam laws. Use an email service provider like MailChimp which has a “double opt-in” system that will prevent you from emailing people who have not given you express permission to do so.

2. Ineffectively Segmenting Your Email List

Once you’ve added people to your email list, you may think it makes sense to broadcast emails to the entire thing. However, if you do that, you’ll lose subscribers and see less engagement and fewer sales than if you properly separate email addresses. Segment your list by interests, location, and buying behaviors to reach the right people at the right time.

3. Not Providing Proper Opportunities to Subscribe on Your Website

Just like you, your website visitors have busy lives. They’re in a hurry, and if they don’t see ample and obvious opportunities to subscribe, they’ll miss them. Is your email subscription form tucked away in a sidebar or or is it on top of your page in the header area? Make your forms easy to find for your visitors and they’ll subscribe.

Let Turn The Page Help

Don’t make email marketing mistakes. Call us at (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001 to learn how we can help you grow your business.

 

Dec 02 2015
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What in the World Wide Web Is HTTP/2?

By | Google, Web Speed | No Comments

What exactly is HTTP/2? We didn’t even know about it until we heard that GoogleBot will start to support it later this year or early next year. Because we like to stay on top of such things to better serve our clients, we scoured the Internet for information. We found out lots of information about HTTP/2 and the Internet itself. (For instance, did you know that there’s an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)? Yeah. That’s a real thing.)

Building Upon What’s Already There

HTTP/2 — formerly HTTP/2.0 — is the second major version of HTTP, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol, used by the World Wide Web. The IETF’s HTTP working group developed HTTP/2 largely based on Google’s SPDY protocol. SPDY — pronounced speedy — is an open network protocol that reduces web page load latency and improves security. HTTP/2 is HTTP/1.1’s successor, and it’s a much-needed update because the Web has changed since 1999. The update brings improved efficiency, speed and security, making a much better experience for users. Busy users simply don’t have time to wait for an outdated website to load. The faster your website is, the more conversions you’ll see.

HTTP/2’s Major Improvements

  • Single Connection - Websites only require one server connection to load, and that connection stays open as long as the website is open.
  • Binary - HTTP/2 is binary, which makes it more compact and less prone to errors. No additional time is wasted translating text to binary — which is your computer’s native language, anyway. Faster speeds mean more conversions for you because your web traffic won’t leave because of slow load times.
  • Multiplexing - Multiple requests can happen at the same time and on the same connection, making things much more efficient. HTTP/1.1 required each new transfer to wait for other transfers to finish. Speed is the name of the game, and website efficiency can mean business growth for you.

Even after all of our HTTP/2 research, some of this stuff still went over our heads. For more information, please contact our talented and knowledgeable web development team that can answer your questions at (816) 527-8371 or (844) 889-5001 today.