Posts Categorized: Websites

The Content Marketing Ecosystem: Why it Works

Posted February 13, 2023 by Julie Hays & filed under SEO, Tips & Tricks, Websites.

When trying to build a brand, it’s important to be consistent with your marketing. In fact, digital marketing is more about communication (which is where content marketing comes into play). No need to spend a lot of time trying to recreate the wheel or think of stuff to write about.

Today, we’re going to teach you how to create a content ecosystem that makes your life a lot easier and results from your marketing that much better.

What Is a Content Ecosystem?

Regardless of whether your business focuses on the automotive industry, home services, or legal issues, a strong content marketing strategy can increase awareness of your company while saving you hours of time spent creating.

You can create an individual blog post, social media post, landing page, and podcast or you can create one piece of content and turn it into 10 so it can be shared across platforms. That’s the beauty of a content ecosystem. It’s more sustainable, way more practical, and keeps dollars for marketing lean while going the distance to hit your goals.

Building a content ecosystem strategy means that you get more intentional by using content across all of your media and marketing channels when you create something worthwhile to your community of prospects and customers. You might write an entire article about your latest services but use key points from the article to make posts on your social media platforms. You might then also decide to make a long-form video about that blog and share it on YouTube.

Additionally, it’s important to use unbiased data to direct the content you create. So be sure to pay attention to what’s resonating in your community and create more of that. Use the 80/20 rule (20% of your content will bring in 80% of the results so always double down on what works). Your personal opinions and experiences are awesome, and they can also prevent you from truly making content that attracts viewers and, ultimately, customers.

Why Is a Content Ecosystem Important?

Having a content ecosystem is essential because it can increase your reach and give you back so much of your time. When you create content that you can use across all your media outlets, you save yourself time and energy of constant creation. Your viewers and prospects want consistency when they go to their social media platform of choice, and they also want to see similar content on your website. While quick and flashy might work for some media channels, many consumers today want to be well-informed on products and services. So our advice is to create content that actually makes a difference in their lives or gets them to think about something in a new way that could truly benefit them.

How To Make a Content Ecosystem

Here’s how to get started:

1. Support the User Experience

No matter where your customers or prospects see your content, you want to ensure that the content supports their experience and that they have a positive interaction with you. You want them to leave every interaction they have with you feeling a little more empowered, inspired, or confident in their choices. Consider the audiences of your different platforms, how old they might be, and how you can tailor what you share to reach a wider audience.

2. Optimize Content

Your audience goes to your website or social media account to search for specific information. Even if it’s just a few people coming to your digital space, make sure that your content is optimized so that viewers leave with the information they need to decide if they want to work with you or purchase your products or services. Keep it simple and make things you think can really help people. Another good way to look at it is to think about who you want to talk to and give them what you have to say.

3. Choose the Right Topics and Tools

Before creating your content ecosystem, analyze your business and your audiences across platforms. Think about what information potential customers might seek when researching topics connected with your company. If you use content based on what your clients want, they’re more likely to take advantage of what you offer. Take advantage of tools like Trello, Asana, or Notion to plan a few great pieces of content every month and hire contractors or a team who can break down every piece and funnel it into your website, email, advertising, and social channels. There’s a lot you can automate with a solid process and good tools.

To recap, creating a content ecosystem simplifies your life, vastly improves your marketing, and offers useful content for your audience and customers. With each post you create moving forward, ask yourself how you can use the content across all of your digital marketing. Give us a call if you need any help.

5 Common Web Design Features That Hurt Conversions

Posted February 2, 2023 by Julie Hays & filed under Websites, Tips & Tricks.

If you’ve mastered the SEO game and have traffic coming to your website, but you’re not getting a steady stream of leads…you’ve got to shift your focus to conversions.

Your website’s conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who take the desired action, such as getting in touch with you, signing up for your newsletter, or making a purchase. It’s what turns prospects into leads, and it’s what you’re ultimately wanting from your marketing efforts.

Many factors can influence your conversion rates, but one of the most important is your website’s design. A well-designed website is easy to navigate and simple to use, encouraging your visitors to take immediate action. The trouble is, we can get really tempted to overexplain or add a bunch of bells and whistles that seem like a good idea, but they can actually hurt your conversions by making your website harder to find, slower to respond, and difficult for people to know exactly how to reach you.

Here are a few of the most common web design features that can hurt your conversions (and what you can do to fix them).

Slow Loading Pages

One of the most common obstacles we see is slow loading times due to high-resolution graphics, images, or videos in the wrong places. While they look amazing, they can slow down your website. When you only have 3 seconds to make a good impression, speed is crucial! What’s more, your authority score can suffer if it’s not built out properly (more on this later) which takes away from your SEO efforts altogether.

Our Advice: Put high-resolution images or videos on your home page, and save low-resolution images for your landing pages. You want people to linger on your website, so engaging and high-quality content makes sense there. Landing pages are meant for quick conversions, so use lower-resolution images or optimize them so they load much faster. You can also test your webpage loading speed to keep identify ways to optimize pages to load quickly.

Poor Navigational and Organizational Web Design

Poor navigation makes it hard for visitors to find what they’re looking for on a website. Putting a lot of links in the primary navigation menu makes a site confusing. Too many drop-down menus make the navigation confusing. For website organization, simpler is better. Using standard navigation conventions, like listing the home page first and the contact page last, helps users quickly find what they’re looking for on a website.

Outdated Websites and Pages

Website visitors are looking for relevant, current content. If a website looks old or outdated, users will often leave to look for more up-to-date information. Change the landing page frequently and indicate that the site is current with up-to-date content or recent photos. Regularly adding blog posts with dates is another way to show visitors that the site is active and maintained.

Visual Crowding

Reading on a laptop or digital device is different from reading a book. A webpage needs plenty of white space since users scan webpages instead of reading word for word. Create white space by using headings to break up the content and write short paragraphs of less than 100 words. Bullet points also break up the reading, are easy to read, and help website visitors understand online content and stay engaged. Images and graphics can also lead to visual crowding. Add high-quality images with plenty of white space around them on all edges.

Lack of Clear Customer Path

Creating a clear customer path is the first step in designing any webpage. Structure a webpage with the user experience in mind and know exactly what you want your visitors to read, think, and do while they’re on that webpage. Large blocks of text and too much clutter make it difficult for visitors to decide what to do next. Buttons and images crowded with text around them or bunched together make it challenging to know where to go. Identify what action you want a site visitor to take and design the whole page with that purpose in mind.

Your home services, legal, or automotive website can be a valuable source for new customers. Key elements of high-converting websites include effective web design and proper SEO. If you’re looking for a custom website with measurable conversion metrics, contact our digital marketing professionals to ensure your site is performing at its best and bringing a steady stream of new leads to your business.

5 Easy HVAC Website Ideas You Can Do Quickly

Posted January 31, 2023 by Julie Hays & filed under Websites, Tips & Tricks.

A significant component of HVAC marketing efforts is an appealing and engaging website. If you’re struggling with web design or the overall appearance of your HVAC company’s website, consider the following five easy website ideas that you can implement right away.

Create a Review Carousel

Establishing trust and credibility are two essential aspects of an HVAC company’s website. After all, the technicians will be in the homes and businesses of clients. Clients need to feel they can trust the employees to do good work and be honest and upfront with the needs of their HVAC systems.

By creating a review carousel, you can establish trust with people who visit your site. In your carousel, include images of the people who left the reviews to show that they’re real people, along with a five-star icon and where the client left the review. By incorporating reviews left on third-party websites, you can improve the credibility of the information shared.

Make It Easy to Get a Quote

The top of every selling page on your home services website should have a place for a visitor to request a quote. The form that allows a user to get a quote should be brief and easy to complete. When creating the design of your website, incorporate a button that enables visitors to request quotes at the top-right corner of every page.

Include Photos Whenever Possible

Photographs of real people are more appealing than obvious stock photos. Incorporate pictures of people wherever you can on your website. If you don’t have images of your service technicians, schedule a photographer to take professional, consistent photographs of your team members in their uniforms. When customers visit your site, they can see what their technician looks like and feel more comfortable with who will be working in their home or business.

It’s also helpful to include images of the support staff, such as a group photo of the entire team.

Display Contact Information Everywhere

Make it as easy as possible for potential clients to reach out to your business by including contact information in multiple places on the site. Place a phone number, website, or email address with every paid advertising campaign, account, and outreach effort if your company uses social media. Although some customers may prefer not to call, others will use the phone number immediately to request service at their home or business.

Improve Your Website Design

Improving your website’s design can increase engagement and help it to rank higher on search engines. A clean design should include white space, visually appealing imagery, and formatting that breaks up walls of text. As you consider how to improve the site’s design, take inventory of the content on each page too. Every page should have at least 500 words of copy, and you should split the text into sections for easier scanning. Think about SEO value of your copy and ensure you have keywords related to your services in the content.

By investing in your HVAC company’s website, you can create a more engaging experience for those who visit it. A strong web presence and other digital marketing efforts can help establish your credibility and professionalism as a trusted resource in the HVAC services industry.

The Real Problem with DIY Website Builders

Posted January 16, 2023 by Julie Hays & filed under Websites, Tips & Tricks.

These days, every business should have a website.

A website helps drive traffic to your brand and expand consumer knowledge of what you offer. While using a DIY website builder might be tempting, the DIY route usually isn’t the best course. Many options claim that creating a beautiful, customized website for any business is quick and easy. Unfortunately, like many do-it-quick schemes, these advertisements are often too good to be true.

Discover several reasons you shouldn’t use DIY website builders.

SEO isn’t Optimal

DIY website builders can overly simplify search engine optimization. While they might be easy to use to create a website, Google won’t like how the coding appears behind the scenes. Many website builders hide code, making it difficult for search engines like Google to understand what your website is all about. If a search engine doesn’t understand the code on your website, your website will never rank well in searches, which, let’s face it, is why you have a website.

SEO is an essential component of all the content on your site, so don’t neglect it.

Site Management isn’t Efficient

You want your website to be professional and tailored to your company. When you use a DIY website builder, the company’s servers will host it. The company’s name will appear in your link URL. A link that has additional info in the URL looks messy and unprofessional. If you choose to use your domain, you’ll have to pay an extra fee, which can add up in the long run.

Using a company like LMH Agency to create your website gives you more control over the management of your website so that you can make web design changes efficiently.

Customization is Lacking

Although a DIY website builder will claim that you can make a customized website using its services, you’ll find that it can be lacking. Most DIY website builders only provide a limited number of web design themes, causing many of the websites made with their platforms to look similar.

The menus and functionality of these websites are also less than ideal, as your business likely has specific needs that make it unique. Often, the number of pages your website can have is also limited, so you may have to forgo the “about us” section or a “contact us” page.

Ownership Issues Can Arise

When you use a DIY website builder, you don’t own your website.

The company you use to create the website does. This arrangement can be troublesome, as most businesses plan to operate long into the future, and if the website company folds, you lose your content. Not only will you lose any of the content you’ve laboriously created, but you’ll also lose any of the contact information attached to the site. Email lists and any guest post relationships you’ve built with your web design will all be gone.

Don’t let DIY website builders tempt you. If you need a customized website that fits your business model perfectly, contact the team at LMH Agency. We have experts who can make your website stand out. By getting to know your business model, we will make the perfect website that meets your business goals.

HVAC Content Marketing: 10 Blog Ideas

Posted December 29, 2022 by Julie Hays & filed under SEO, Tips & Tricks, Websites.

Content marketing helps build trust with your customers as a trades expert. Posting relevant and informative content on your HVAC blog gives your customers confidence that you’re knowledgeable and professional in your industry, AND it helps you stand out on Google, Bing, and other search engines.

If your HVAC business needs a helping hand in coming up with topics and content, these 10 helpful blog post ideas can help jump-start your content marketing campaigns. You’ll thank us later.

Why Is My Air Conditioner Dripping Water?

Talk about how when you see water dripping from your AC unit on the inside of your house that it’s probably a clogged condensate drain line. List ways to clear the line and when to call a professional.

Should I Replace or Repair My Home’s Heating System?

Your home furnace has a life expectancy of about 15-20 years. Is it worth spending money on repairs or is it better to invest in a new furnace?

The Top Benefits of an HVAC Zoning System for Your Home

Discuss what home zoning is and the top benefits of having an HVAC zoning system. Save money, increased efficiency, and customize the temperature of each room for individualized comfort.

Tips for Preparing Your HVAC System During Bad Weather

When winter storms roll in, you’ll want to protect the outside portion of your HVAC system. List the necessary steps needed to weatherize the unit.

How Your Air Conditioning Unit Can Help Alleviate Allergies

If someone in your household has allergies, your AC unit can help relieve symptoms. The system acts as a dehumidifier, the filters trap dirt, dust, pollen, and impurities.

Should I Consider Having a Backup Generator?

You don’t want the food in your refrigerator to go bad, lose the internet, or be deprived of hot or cool air during a power outage. Discuss stand-alone or whole-home backup generators.

Why Is My Furnace Blowing Cold Air?

There are several reasons why your furnace is blowing cold air when you’re trying to heat your home. List several reasons — dirty filter, pilot light issues, etc.

Can I Use a Ductless Air Conditioner for My Sunroom?

Sunrooms can get too hot or too cool as the seasons change. Discuss how a ductless air conditioner can help keep the sunroom comfortable and usable year-round.

What Are the Different Types of Filters for My Air Conditioner?

You can put several styles of air filters inside your air conditioner. Discuss the various types and the benefits of each style. Fiberglass, pleated paper, spun glass, electrostatic filters, etc.

How Often Should I Have My Ductwork Inspected and Cleaned?

Talk about what your HVAC system’s ductwork is and how important it is for the efficient heating and cooling of your home. Ideally, you should have a professional inspect, clean, and repair your ductwork every three to five years.

Get Help with Your Content Marketing

Coming up with content marketing ideas may seem daunting for your HVAC business. However, with these 10 blog ideas, you’re on your way to helpful content marketing.

You’ll gain valuable trust from your existing customers, be an authoritative voice for those seeking information about HVAC issues, and increase SEO visibility for your business.

Get in touch with our team for more details on how to make content marketing work for you.

7 Proven SEO Tips for Your Home Services Website

Posted April 16, 2022 by Andrew Kyle & filed under SEO, Websites.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a marketing strategy that your home service business can implement to increase your audience and develop your online presence. This is a great way to highlight your business website to increase clicks when users search for specific or related services. Here are seven SEO tips you can implement for a home services website:

1. Increase Website Speed

One way to improve the SEO for your home services website is to remove anything extra that slows down the site. This may require slimming down the content that’s included on the website to increase the speed. Google now factors in the speed of a website when ranking it for the search engine results pages (SERPs), so it’s important to have a quick, efficient site.

2. Link to Other Websites

To increase traffic to your home services website, consider adding relevant links to other sites. This process is known as “link-building,” and it can enhance the experience of people who visit your company’s site. Adding links is synonymous with adding value to a website, which can increase its success on SERPs.

3. Add Engaging Content

Try to remember the target audience when you add new content to the home services website. While it’s important to maximize SEO, it’s also necessary to connect to the intended audience. Remember, the search engines aren’t the ones who become clients: The people are!

4. Develop an App

One way to boost your website’s SEO is by developing an app. Apps can be created and published online. An application may include much of the same content as a website but be more convenient for the user. For example, apps may include a digital scheduling feature that allows users to schedule services directly from the app.

5. Use Keywords

Keywords are a foundational aspect of SEO. It’s good practice to add multiple keywords to increase SERP rankings. Consider using natural-sounding keywords that people may type into the search bar. This can increase the likelihood of potential customers seeing the website in search results, boosting the number of clicks the website receives.

6. Make a Site Map

Many small details comprise a website, including a site map. This is the process of indexing your website, allowing search engines like Google to assess it. A site map can also benefit users by simplifying site navigation. This may require external assistance since it’s more technical than other SEO strategies in this list.

7. Use Google Ads

Another way to maximize your home services website’s SEO rankings is by using Google Ads. Google Ads can help you increase traffic to your website. It’s best to link these ads to a landing page that includes a direct call to action (CTA) to guide users. Ultimately, your home services website can benefit from implementing these seven SEO tips. By increasing traffic to your website, your business can boost its revenue by gaining new clients. Contact us at LMH Agency to learn more about search engine optimization for the ideal professional home services website.

Ideas for Marketing Your Commercial Construction Company

Posted April 28, 2022 by Andrew Kyle & filed under Tips & Tricks, Paid Ads, SEO, Social Media, Websites.

commercial construction company marketing

Nothing drives more customers to a commercial construction business than an effective marketing strategy. In this day and age, the best way to reach potential customers is through online advertisements and social media advertising. Leveraging these digital tools can help your business grow financially and increase its visibility. Reading about some imaginative ways to use these resources can help you create high-quality promotional content. Read on to learn six different ideas for marketing your commercial construction company.

1. SEO Content Strategies

Learning how to optimize a search engine results page (SERP) is one of the best ways to increase your business’s visibility. Creating SEO content for a website promotes recognition in a search engine’s algorithm, allowing users to find it more easily on the results pages. To drive more traffic to your website, it’s helpful for you to design a variety of different SEO content.

2. Paid Google Advertising

If you’re still struggling to get user hits after creating new website content, you might benefit from using Paid Google Ads. These ads can appear on Google search results pages, driving more traffic to a website. They can also allow you to provide a convenient click-to-call button, allowing customers to reach out quickly. Paid Google Ads also provide a variety of payment options to match your business’s budgeting needs.

3. Social Media

Social media is another incredibly powerful tool for promoting your commercial construction company. Maintaining active profiles on a variety of social media platforms is a good way to increase customer awareness of the company’s brand. If you want to increase your online engagement, you benefit from hiring a dedicated social media manager to run these accounts.

4. Website Optimization

Optimized websites get more traffic than non-optimized ones. To create an optimized website, you can enroll in a website design course or hire a dedicated professional to create streamlined web content. You might also research the websites of other construction businesses that appear at the top of SERPs. To increase your company’s visibility, mirroring the style of sites that perform well is an effective strategy.

5. Stunning Visuals

To attract more online users, it’s important for you to create visual website content. This can be an effective way to encourage customers to stay on your website, while also promoting your business practices. To include visual content, it can be a good idea for you to try out some different types of design software. You can also hire a dedicated designer to make icons, logos, and background images.

6. Email Campaigns

Using email capture devices on your website is another good way to market your commercial construction company. After your construction company collects email addresses from the site’s visitors, you can prepare email campaigns that promote different services. Running these campaigns allows you to release surveys to collect data and reach specific groups of clients. There are many ways to promote your business in the digital age, so it’s helpful to combine a variety of different techniques. Here at LMH, we offer professional website design services and other types of marketing support. Contact us online today to find the best marketing solutions for your commercial construction company.

10 Marketing Tips for Home Contractors

Posted April 22, 2022 by Andrew Kyle & filed under Tips & Tricks, Paid Ads, SEO, Social Media, Websites.

As a home contractor, you provide a wide range of services to your clients. Marketing a business can be challenging, but learning to advertise services online can help home contractors like you find a long-term customer base. Here are ten marketing tips that you can implement for business success.

1. Understand the Intended Audience

Before beginning the process, it’s important for you to understand your target audience to maximize a marketing campaign’s impact. Some strategies include identifying customer demographics and determining the business’ specialization in the industry, like carpentry or painting.

2. Optimize the Website

You can also generate a larger audience by optimizing the business’ website. It’s important to have a website that’s easy to navigate with accessible language, so you can communicate key information to users. Websites are also a great way to begin your online presence, which supplements other marketing efforts.

3. Use Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engines like Google use an algorithm to rank websites on search engine results pages (SERPs). When a website has a high ranking, more users find it when searching for local contractors. Different SEO strategies include adding keywords to your website, producing content consistently, and creating a website that functions on mobile devices.

4. Implement Paid Google Ads

Paid Google Ads are another helpful marketing method for you to use. They provide a way to advertise services to your new customers on different websites through Google searches. By determining a budget for these advertisements, you can ensure they’re worth the effort and cost.

5. Use Social Media

You can also increase your business’s social media presence to engage with customers and promote your services. There are several social media sites, so it’s important to have a presence on each platform. This can increase audience size and generate new leads.

6. Connect With Previous Customers

Your business can benefit from connecting with previous customers to build a long-term clientele. Past customers may have new home service needs or might know someone who could benefit from the same services. So, building these relationships can allow your company to preserve the current audience and gain new referrals.

7. Create Videos

Creating videos can increase your website’s SERP rankings and generate interest, increasing website traffic. Making high-quality videos that demonstrate your services and personality can help you better connect with viewers.

8. Highlight Employees

Highlighting employees is a way to gain the trust of the audience. By showcasing individuals, users can understand your business’ value system. Appealing to users’ emotions can increase trust in your services.

9. Include Feedback

Adding customers’ feedback to your website or account is another way to boost your marketing efforts. Feedback can provide new customers with more information about contracting services and address any hesitations or concerns. Including feedback also demonstrates how a contractor maintains professional relationships with previous clients.

10. Use Email Marketing Campaigns

Email marketing campaigns allow you to share information with a specific audience. You can use this method to stay in contact with previous customers or provide relevant information to interested parties. These emails can also contain advertisements for deals or special offers. Implementing these ten tips can improve your company’s marketing efforts, no matter your trade. Electricians, plumbers, and landscapers alike can benefit from increasing their marketing efforts. Check out our blog today to find more helpful marketing tips.

How to Get Started with Law Firm Marketing

Posted July 21, 2022 by Andrew Kyle & filed under SEO, Social Media, Tips & Tricks, Websites.

Effective law firm marketing requires an active online presence and thoughtfully designed campaigns.

Lawyers must carefully balance their ethical and legal responsibilities with effective advertising to maintain profitability and growth. A well-designed website, carefully researched SEO, and an active social media presence set the stage for powerful organic outreach.

Complement these with strategic paid advertisements and positive testimonials for a well-rounded approach to your law firm’s marketing goals.

Create a Clean Website

Your law firm’s website is like its virtual office. Visitors want to find a clean, organized space and will generally turn away from anything gaudy, confusing, or poorly maintained. Create a clean website by addressing:

Usability: Keep your law firm’s phone number at the top of the page at all times and include a CTA above the fold.

Organization: Build content silos around different topics, such as areas of practice.

Minimalism: Keep each page simple with a neat navigation bar rather than a plethora of banners and links.

Branding: Select a three-color palette, two typefaces, and a logo to represent the law firm. Use these consistently through all marketing materials.

Optimization: Work with a team who understands local SEO optimization to ensure you’re making the most of your website

Incorporate Local SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of building a website that will rank highly on search engine results pages (SERPs).

This involves strategies like using the right keywords and providing informative content. For a law firm, it’s best to target keywords that identify both the specific legal services and the service area. This means thoughtfully crafting content throughout the site so it naturally uses phrases like “personal injury lawyer in Orlando” or “bankruptcy lawyer in Chicago.” Creating and maintaining a Google Business Profile will help with SEO as well.

The law industry presents some unique challenges when it comes to creating content. Lawyers must adhere to legal and ethical standards. There are strict rules on what a law firm can and can’t say.

Working with an experienced marketing agency familiar with legal SEO can help your business safely navigate these potential hazards.

Create a Social Media Presence

Facebook alone has over 2.9 billion monthly active users. Maintaining an active presence on social sites can help law firms engage with the community and reach new potential clients.

This is an effective platform for forming connections and building awareness of your firm’s legal services. Through social media marketing, you can offer ongoing support using informative posts, thoughtful answers, and helpful referrals to the services that will help your clients most.

Use Paid Ads

Paid ads can boost your law firm’s website to the top of relevant search results. Companies can bid for prime ad placement and pay-per-click or per-thousand impressions.

This is a helpful complement to organic SEO. As with all search engine strategies, it’s important to research and target the right keywords. Your law firms may also invest in paid ads on social media.Having a knowledgeable legal marketing agency on hand can make it much easier for your law firm to launch its advertising campaign. LMH Agency offers custom marketing services tailored to suit the legal industry and its strict standards.