With so many places to leave ratings, reviews and feedback online, it’s hard to miss what a happy (or unhappy) customer has said about a business. And today, most consumers pay plenty of attention to your online listings, online reviews and overall reputation online. Watch our pre-recorded webinar about taking control of your online business […]
There’s no hotter lead than someone who’s actively searching for what you do…but how do you make sure they find you? A pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaign like Hibu Search Marketing can help put ads your business in front of your local customers on Google, Bing and Yahoo. See how Hibu Search helps you get found […]
It’s not too late to see the tips your competitors missed in 2019 Every local business can use a little competitive advantage…so get a head start on the new year (and your competitors) by taking a look at some posts that flew under the radar in 2019.
You already know how important your business’s reputation is, and how to manage it through great service and word-of-mouth recommendations…but what about your business’s reputation online? “All you have in business is your reputation” – Richard Branson Get your free guide to understanding how you can spread the good word about the good work you […]
You can’t talk about digital marketing and websites today without talking about privacy and security — and you shouldn’t! Making your customers feel safe and confident about interacting with you online needs to be a priority for your business, and that starts with making sure your business website is a secure site with SSL / […]
Google shows MORE than just your site (if you know what to look for) When you work with as many small businesses as Hibu has, you hear a lot of the same reasons for needing a new website: Your site looks old Your site doesn’t have the functionality you need today You can’t find your site […]
Working exclusively with small businesses across the U.S., it can be easy to forget that Hibu has some pretty powerful friends too — like Facebook, who we’ve partnered with since 2016. See everything Facebook has to say about partnering with Hibu to work with local businesses as part of the Facebook’s Small Business Solutions program. [Video Transcript] […]
It’s no joke — saying goodbye to these marketing myths can help boost your business online We’ve highlighted some foolish digital marketing myths before, but there are 3 truths in online marketing: What used to work is always changing There’s always something brand new There’s a LOT of misinformation about both Catching on to what works now […]
Save time, save effort and get more social by sharing posts across multiple platforms For small businesses, starting to use social media to market their business is a process: First, start using social media (you’d be surprised how many small businesses don’t!) Second, set up business pages and profiles — not just personal ones Third, […]
Sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most to your marketing You love your local business. You work hard to make sure your customers love your local business, too. But when was the last time you took a few minutes to show your business how much you appreciate it? You don’t need to mail candy hearts […]
Don’t let the wrong online info leave your customers with a bad taste As a small business owner, you know there are plenty of conversations you don’t want to have with a customer. From problematic service calls…to billing issues…to unexpected interruptions in your service (like winter weather or power outages)…there are all kinds of calls and emails […]
When it comes to mobile speed, time is money Everyone who uses a phone to browse online knows how frustrating it can be to wait for a site to load…or rather, to leave a site when it doesn’t load quickly. “Going mobile” is a subject we can’t get enough of — we’ve talked about 6 tips to […]
Word of mouth can be just as important as www We’ve talked about the top ways to promote your business online and offline before, but let’s focus on the simplest things you can do offline to promote your business today. Get involved in local events From 10k runs to sponsorships to giving back to your local […]
Spoiler alert: Yes, you do! There are two things we firmly believe about digital marketing: You need a synchronized solution that includes MORE than just a business website …but you still need a business website We all spend so much time on Facebook, looking at digital business listings and checking online business reviews and seeing ads on our […]
How to be more responsive (even when you’re off the clock) Running a small business is a 24/7 job. You always take your work home with you, and even if you’re not “on the clock,” you’re probably thinking about what you’ll need to do tomorrow. As more businesses move their marketing online, a big part […]
Pack the house for your next business event Whether you’re planning an in-store demo, an on-site workshop or organizing or sponsoring a community or charitable event, our friends at Yell gathered some great (and mostly FREE!) ways to make sure your event is seen online. Make a Facebook event page Facebook has a great events […]
Small businesses can save big on time and effort with ready-made content Facebook and other social networks are great for sharing news and pictures, posting your thoughts and more. In fact, for most people and businesses, social media is all about YOU: YOUR profile or Page YOUR posts and updates Connecting with YOUR customers So […]
Simple ways to add interest and drive interaction with your Facebook Page As most local businesses know, there’s a world of difference between “I have a Facebook Page” and “I use my Facebook Page to connect with my customers and grow my business.” Using both Facebook ads and posts is important. So is understanding the […]
Does your website highlight these “motivating factors”? As a small business owner, you know what makes your company great. You hear it from happy customers all the time: “What keeps people coming back is the QUALITY of my work. “My PRICES are very competitive and fair.” “When someone needs me, I’m there – FAST.” “I am a fantastic […]
Think like a publisher to drive traffic, grow your footprint and showcase who you are In our experience, every local business wants a blog on their website…but very few take the time to publish blog posts on a regular basis. We get it: it’s not easy to decide WHAT to post…and even harder to find […]
Your small business may have a big footprint online Lots of small business still rely entirely on “traditional” advertising, using old-school marketing like print directory ads, direct mail, coupons – and yes, business cards and letterhead. And plenty of small businesses continue to get new, local customers using tried-and-true methods that have worked for years. […]
Poor content that delivers poor results As you saw in part I of this series, UX (or “user experience”) mistakes are everywhere online. And while they’re easy to roll your eyes at on someone else’s website…they’re also easy to make on your own site. Here are a few content-related UX website mistakes that Inc.com highlighted. […]
Your guide to analytics for your Hibu Starter, Starter Plus, Standard or Pro Website 75% of small businesses don’t have or use their website analytics¹. But your Hibu Website analytics (or stats) show you detailed information about your visitors that can help you make more informed decisions about your site — like how many visitors your site […]
Getting Savvy with Social, Part II Everyone is used to seeing different types of content on Facebook: posts in the News Feed, and ads in the News Feed and sidebar. And if you’ve spent a little bit of time on your business’ Facebook Page, you’ve probably seen the option to “boost” one of your posts: But don’t […]
Poor design that delivers poor results You’ve probably read plenty of lists detailing the painful (and sometimes painfully obvious) mistakes on small business websites. But it’s the obvious mistakes that bear repeating, because they’re the ones that are going to make for a poor user experience. User experience (or “UX”) focuses on how easily people interact with […]
Getting Savvy with Social, part 1 You already know that posts are a vital, foundational part of your Facebook presence. They help to make your Facebook Page a “community” where your visitors can find valuable information, and they show that your business is active online (and, well, in business). You may even know that without activity […]
What your site shows says a lot about your business Your Hibu Website isn’t JUST a pretty picture. It’s a tool that your customers are using to interact with your business…and that your potential customers are using to judge your business. Sure, both audiences expect your site to look good, but they’ll only stay there if […]
Want to scare up some business this Halloween? Try Google Frightgeist Google is more than just a search engine — it also does some fun experiments with visualizing data and user behavior. If your kids (or you!) are still trying to decide what to be this year, Frightgeist (a Google Trends experiment) will show you what […]
If all websites have pages, are all web pages sites? In the world of websites, it can be hard to tell what terms mean the same thing…and when using the wrong term can really confuse you (or the people you’ve hired to work on your site). Here’s a short list of words that are often […]
“Back to school” basics for marketing your business online For as long as most of us can remember, “Back to School season” has been a time to start thinking about the “3 R’s”: reading, writing and arithmetic. But if you’re a local business looking to boost your online visibility, there’s a different set of R’s you should be focused on. […]
How you feel about what you’re looking at The colors we see from the brands and businesses around us give us clues about what we can expect from them. You’ve already seen what blue, green and black tell us — now take a look at what the warmer side of the color wheel has to say. […]
Saying the right thing: social graces for social media We’ve all heard them, and most of us have even used them — but how many of us are confident about exactly what some common social media terms really mean? Here are some quick definitions to help you avoid a Social faux pas. Profile vs. Page Facebook […]
What you see says a lot Color is powerful and can affect the way we think of local businesses, services and brands. The subtle visual clues from different colors tell us, at a glance, what the business is trying to communicate. Blue promises trust and security Blue is more than just a popular color — it’s used […]
Chances are, you interact with a small business almost every day. From your hair stylist to your family doctor to everyone’s favorite — the local pizza shop! — your local businesses really are your neighbors. Here are three easy, fast and free ways to help spread the word about your favorites. 1. Connect with them on […]
See if your site is “mobile friendly” at a glance Mobile friendly. Mobile ready. Mobile optimized. By now, you know how important it is for your business website to look and work well on mobile devices. Your potential customers expect it. Your return customers expect it. Even Google now gives slight preferential treatment to sites that […]
The high price of a low-cost business website If you’re just starting to take your online marketing seriously, you may be looking for the most affordable business websites out there… but will a “cheap” website really give your business what it needs to succeed online? The 3 A’s of building a new website 1. Affordable – Of course […]
You can’t talk about marketing your business online today without hearing the word “optimized” — specifically Search Engine Optimization (or SEO). But SEO is a broad term that covers some very specific — and very different — online practices. On-Page SEO On-Page SEO is everything that’s built into your actual website: your site content, metadata and code quality. On-Page SEO […]
Talk about your website everywhere to drive interest, visits and action! There are endless ways to promote and market your business — like PPC Search Marketing, Display Advertising and SEO campaigns — but sometimes the little things can have the biggest impact. Make sure your website address, also known as your URL (yoursite.com), is included on […]
Your step-by-step guide to digital success in 2016 You already know that it takes the right mix of digital marketing to promote your business online, but how do you get started? Try adopting some of our five resolutions below, and remember that every digital journey starts with a single step. 1. “I will claim my corner […]
Online marketing means more ways to promote your business than ever before. From websites to social media to email marketing to online videos, it’s hard to know what will work for you, and what works best together. Is a website enough by itself? Should you spend all your time on connecting with customers on Facebook? You […]
