The Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 has a major impact on organizations and the people they serve. Many businesses and practices have reduced their opening hours, closed seating areas or have closed altogether. You may have taken one of these measures as well.

Customers and patients are now scrambling for ever-changing information about who-is-open-when, -and-how.

By providing the information they are seeking on your website and social media, you will not only help prevent confusion, you will also show that you care. Even confirming that nothing has changed will put people’s minds at ease that the information is up-to-date! Remove as much doubt as possible from your customers’ or patients’ minds.

So where will people be looking for your updated hours?

1. Your website
2. Your Facebook page
3. Your Google My Business (/Maps) listing
4. Other important directories or review sites in your particular niche (Yelp, TripAdvisor, HomeStars, etc.)
5. Chambers of Commerce, industry associations

Your Website

• Make it clear if you are still open for business, and if you are – if anything has changed to the hours and other conditions. Your waiting area may be closed, you may lock the doors and let people in one-by-one after quickly asking whether they have traveled or not, and if they feel well.
• If some things have changed, mention what the alternatives are (if any). If your business involves booking, maybe encourage future bookings by highlighting available discounts and flexible re-booking policies.
• Maybe start up an email newsletter of your own, so you can keep updating your customers from time to time – and letting them know when things are slowly getting back to normal!

Social Media + Online Directories

Make sure the notice is shown at the top of the page, maybe using a different font colour? With Facebook, make sure to “pin” the post so it keeps showing up at the top, and make sure to “unpin” it when the situation has normalized. Include a message in your Google My Business post.

When possible, adjust the Opening Hours (on Google, Facebook etc.).

How to communicate all of this?

There are several ways to go about it, including:

• A notification bar at the top or bottom of the page, or a pop-up banner. It can link to a page on your website with more details. Make sure this banner is visible on all pages, not just your home page.
• Have the notification close your contact information – including your Contact Us page, headers and footers.
• You could consider adding a Facebook Messenger chatbot (showing an initial question like “Wondering if we’re still open during this Corona crisis?”, and when people click on it you can provide them with more information)

Your notice should cover, where applicable:

• The impact on customers
• How employees are being protected through social distancing
• How customer service will be affected
• The location of changes to service
• A minimum time the action will be taken for
• Consider building lists of frequently asked questions

Don’t know what to say? Here are some examples:

“Company XYZ is currently unaffected by the coronavirus. We will remain open and maintain our normal business hours. We look forward to seeing you soon!”

“Dear valued customer, for your health and safety, Company XYZ will be closed to the public at this time in response to the recent coronavirus news. We will reach out to you with a timeline for reopening as soon as that is possible. Thank you in advance for your understanding.”

“As our company responds to COVID-19, the health and safety of our employees and customers remains our top priority. We are committed to being there when our customers and colleagues need us most. Here’s how we’re responding…”

Finally, Stay informed…

To monitor the latest information surrounding coronavirus, follow the websites of the Government of Canada and the World Health Organization (WHO) for up to date information.

… Stay healthy & safe!

From our family to yours, practice social distancing (stay indoors as much as possible), wash your hands with soap thoroughly and frequently, and hang in there! We are in this together…

– Nardo + Louisa at U-C WEBS

The first thing to do when filling out the listing information is to ensure that all fields are complete. Many business owners skip over certain information because they think it’s not relevant to them, or it’s not important. This isn’t true, though. All of the information in a GMB listing is important. Failing to include it will turn customers away, and get your listing penalized by Google by not making it into the 3-Pack.

After you’ve filled in the basic information, Google will then want to verify the business. This is typically done by postcard, although some businesses are eligible to do it by phone. In other instances, if you have a Gmail account and the Google Search Console, your business will be automatically verified. This means you can start optimizing your listing right away.

The most important thing about creating a GMB listing is that it’s complete. Google will list businesses at the top of the 3-Pack when they have lots of reviews, posts, and the business owner has filled in as much as possible. When only the minimum requirements have been met in a listing, Google will not place them in the 3-Pack, which could result in a loss of customers for the business. Don’t think that certain information isn’t important. In the eyes of Google, and the eyes of your customers, all information is important information.

Need Help?

Do you need help…

• Setting up your Google My Business listing?
• Verifying it?
• Optimizing it?
• Utilizing it?

We can help. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.

Want help with YOUR Online Reputation – for free? Visit NeedMoreReviews.com!

It’s a new year and many of us humans are making resolutions to be and look better. And guess what? You need to think about whether your website needs to make a resolution, too.
Let’s face it. Many of us look at website redesign as a hassle. If our current websites are up and running – even if they’re not perfect – we put off redesigning them because we think it’s not a priority.

Spoiler alert: it should always be a priority.

Having an out-of-date website can erode trust with your existing customers and make it difficult to attract new ones.

Does your site need a facelift in 2019? Here are 10 sure-fire signs that it does.

#1: It’s Not Mobile Responsive

I know you probably think I’m beating a dead horse with this one, but mobile responsiveness is no longer an option in 2019. It’s a necessity.

Google penalizes sites that don’t adjust to the size of the device they’re being viewed on. And the truth is, this is an easy fix. There’s no excuse not to do it – and it can actively hurt you if you don’t.

#2: Your Site Is Difficult to Update

You might use the difficulty of updating as an excuse NOT to update, but in fact, it’s a clear sign that you must update – and right away. It’s the best way to be sure you can stay on top of future Google updates and technological improvements.

Updating from whatever it is you have now to a WordPress site where you can easily change your theme and add plugins as needed will make your life easier in the long run.

#3: It Looks Outdated

There are lots of little things that can make a website look out of date. For example, which version of the Twitter and Instagram logos do you have on your blog or homepage? If your Twitter logo has the old bird with the tuft of feathers on its head, your site may look like it’s from the dark ages.

Trends in web design are constantly changing. If your site looks like it was designed in the early 2000s (or even the early 2010s) then it’s time to embrace the present and update it.

#4: Your Conversion Rate is Too Low

There are lots of factors that can contribute to a low conversion rate, including your social media presence and marketing strategy. However, there’s no question that your website – its design, loading time, usability, and other factors – plays a role.

It’s an especially good sign that your site needs updating if you’ve tweaked your marketing campaigns and you’ve still got a low conversion rate. Something’s scaring potential customers away – and if it’s your website, there’s only one way to fix it.

#5: You’ve Got Autoplay on Your Website

Autoplay is dated and annoying, but there’s a more important reason that you need to ditch it in 2019 as part of your website redesign. It is very likely contributing to a slow page load time. I get that you were probably eager to have people watch your video or listen to your audio at the time of your LAST redesign, but it’s time for a change.

Honestly, I think the irritation level of autoplay far outweighs any potential benefit. You’re much better off putting your video above the fold with a killer thumbnail and a compelling pull quote than you are autoplaying it.

#6: Your Branding Isn’t Current

Have you rebranded your business since the last time you updated your website? If so, that means that your website is out of sync with your branding – and visitors aren’t getting a true picture of you and your company when they visit it.

Even if your branding changes are minor – such as an updated logo or tagline – it’s still worth redoing your website to match it.

#7: It Takes Forever to Load

You’ve probably heard the statistic that says that human beings have a shorter attention span than a goldfish. It sounds absurd, but when it comes to how quickly a site loads, it’s true.

Not only that, but Google penalizes sites that take too long to load. You can use their Page Speed tool to check your site’s loading time.

#8: Your Web Design Isn’t Consistent

Perhaps your last web redesign was ten years ago and in the interim, you had a different designer make a few tweaks to the design. Maybe you even did a bit of programming yourself. If that’s the case, you may have a Frankensite that looks like it was assembled by committee – not a good thing.

If your fonts, colors, menus, and other design elements are a hodgepodge and not consistent throughout, a redesign can help you present a cohesive design that will attract new customers instead of frightening them.

#9: Your Google Rank is Too Low

Google prioritizes well-designed, quick-loading sites with great content. If it’s been a while since your last redesign, the chances are good that your site isn’t ranked as high as it could be on Google.

It’s an especially big red flag if your ranking has slipped despite increased social media visibility and a higher-than-usual marketing budget. Don’t ignore Google’s response to your site. It’s not going to get better if you wait to update it.

#10: It Just Doesn’t Look Good

This last one might seem obvious and unnecessary, but I’m including it because a whopping 48% of consumers say that a company’s website is the most important factor in determining credibility. In other words, an ugly or poorly designed site can scare potential leads away.

If that’s not enough to scare you into updating your site, I don’t know what is!

It’s time to give your website a new look…

If any of the ten things on this list sound familiar, don’t wait. 2019 is the perfect time to update your site and take advantage of increased conversions, an improvement in your Google rank and – most importantly – more profits! And we’d be happy to help you!

Yikes.

The real question is, what are you doing to protect yourself? A lot of local business owners do the bare minimum and tell themselves it’s enough.

I’ll let you in on a little secret: it’s not enough. If all you’re doing is updating your anti-virus software and filtering out spam, you’re still vulnerable.

Scared? You should be. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do something to protect yourself. Cybersecurity experts are working constantly to stay ahead of hackers. Here are 8 ways you can protect your website and data.

#1: Keep All Software Updated

Have you ever received a notification that your software needed an update and delayed it because it wasn’t convenient? The answer is probably yes, and yet delaying updates for your website can leave you vulnerable to hackers.

One of the best ways to protect your site is to install all updates and patches as soon as they are available. Yes, it can be a pain to do it. But you need to weigh that against the inconvenience and cost of being hacked. Any software, application, or plug-in you use should be as up-to-date as possible at all times.

#2: Install an SSL Certificate on Your Site

As of 2018, Google Chrome is displaying a warning on any site that doesn’t use HTTPS protocol to protect its data. But that’s only part of the problem.

Having a secure site will build trust with your users. More importantly, it will make it far more difficult for a hacker to gain access to your data or to use it in the event they can break through your other defenses.

#3: Require Strong Passwords

When you log into your site on WordPress, do you use a password that you also use for other sites? When was the last time you changed it? If the answers are yes and never, it’s time to create a new password, one that uses upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and special symbols.

At the same time, look at your password requirements for your site’s other users. If you allow clients to sign in on a portal, you should require them to use strong passwords and update them regularly. This is a common-sense change you can make that can prevent hackers from accessing your site.

#4: Hide Your Admin and Login Folders in Plain Sight

Hackers sometimes take the easy way out and scan websites for folders with names like ‘admin’ or ‘login.’ They can focus their attention on those folders and, if they’re successful, gain access to your data through them.

There’s actually a very easy way to prevent this – or at least, to make it more difficult for hackers to find your folders. Instead of giving your folders obvious names, try giving them innocuous names that don’t reveal their importance. A determined hacker may still be able to find them, but at least you won’t have made it easy for them.

#5: Use Double Validation for Form Data

Do you collect data using forms that are embedded in your website? If you do, then the potential exists for a hacker to inject malicious code using the form. And, if your form is in a “one and done” format, you’re making it easier than it should be for them to do exactly that.

The solution is to use double validation for all of your form data. That way, you can accomplish two things:

1. Help valid users by ensuring that the data they enter on their forms is properly formatted; and
2. Prevent malicious actors from injecting harmful code onto your website

HTML 5 form validation is now supported by all browsers.

#6: Limit File Uploads

If your website has a customer portal where users can upload files, you’ve got to be careful to include extra security measures around the uploads. Why? Because an infected file could easily take your website down. A user might even upload a file they don’t know is infected.

There are a lot of things you can do to protect yourself, but the best option is to quarantine uploaded files outside of your server, so they can be scanned before you allow them in. You should also use secure transport methods (like SFTP or SSH) when allowing files to be uploaded from the internet.

#7: Minimize Administrative Access to Your Site

How many people have the login information for your site? If you have given administrative authority to multiple employees, then you could be opening yourself up to attacks by giving hackers more potential entry points to your data.
Does that mean you should deny anyone access to your site? Not necessarily. But here’s what you should do:

• Delete any users who don’t need access to your site or who no longer work for you
• Require every user to use a strong password that they update regularly
• Talk to your administrators about security and the importance of protecting your data

A lot of big companies use what’s called a “least access” system, which limits employee access to only those systems that they need to use to do their jobs. That’s a method that can work for small companies as well.

Website Security Should Be Your Priority

A lot of small and medium-sized businesses think they won’t be targeted by hackers because they don’t store the same kind of data that big organizations do. Don’t make that mistake. Even a small data breach can do irreparable harm to your business, causing you to lose money. Even worse, it can damage the trust you’ve built with your clients.

Need Help?

We build WordPress websites. It’s the most popular web building software out there. But with that, it also has a big target on its back for hackers.

We can help. Contact us today for a free WordPress Security Scan.

That’s the word in a new and ever-evolving world of search. In fact, things are changing so quickly that they’re hard to keep up with. We no longer live in a world where we can easily grab hold of what matters in SEO because it changes constantly.

We grasp one new reality – like the importance of local search – and another one pops up right behind it.

It can feel impossible to keep up – and yet keep up we must.

What SEO Used to Be

When studying the evolution of anything, it’s good to start by examining – at least briefly – what used to be. In the world of SEO, that’s a relatively short timeline, but one that’s jam-packed with updates, changes, and rethinking.

In the earliest days of SEO, search was all about keywords. Webmasters would stuff their pages with keywords confident in the knowledge that this practice would pop their sites up to the top of any search engine’s results page.

Then Google arrived and turned search upside down. Their refined algorithms prioritized quality over keyword stuffing. Suddenly, SEO pros were talking about backlinks and content and things like that…

… And then the algorithms changed again.

Local search became a thing – and then mobile searches surpassed desktop searches and Mobilegeddon happened.

Now, SEO pros have been hit with a slew of new search options.

Five New Search Trends to Remember

SEO isn’t just for Google anymore – or for Bing and Yahoo.

In fact, most of the big changes in SEO today are not search engine related, or at least, they’re not related to the search engines we’re used to.

SEO still stands for Search Engine Optimization, but new search options and technology require new kinds of optimization. This is what you need to know.

Mobile Search

First up is mobile search. If you’re thinking, “Wait, Mobilegeddon happened already! Why do I need to worry about mobile search?” then pay attention – because things have changed.

When we worry about mobile search now, we’re not talking about using Google on your phone. In fact, mobile searches in that sense have become so commonplace that they’re hardly worth mentioning. In the US, more than 70% of all internet usage happens on phones!

Here’s the thing though – most of the time we spend online on our phones isn’t on traditional search engines like Google. We’re actually spending 92% of our time on mobile apps – and that poses a real SEO challenge.

Originally, the only option available for in-app searches was Spotlight. Now, there are many options – and while some were originally designed to work only for GPS, they’ve expanded beyond that to general geographical searches.

Google Maps plays a role in many mobile searches too, and it makes sense given how much information is included in a single Google Maps listing.

Voice Search and Personal Assistants

Just a few years ago, speech-to-text technology was uncommon. It existed, but it wasn’t something that people turned to when they wanted to search for something online.

Now, the widespread use of digital assistants like Siri (the iPhone assistant) or Alexa (Amazon’s entry in the market) has brought a whole new facet to the world of search – and to SEO. And it’s not just digital assistants – televisions, lights, and other household items are all connected through the internet of things.

What does this mean for search? Well, for starters, Alexa doesn’t even require the use of keywords to give users what they want. A casual, “Where should I eat tonight?” is enough to get a list of local restaurants. These digital assistants are smart enough to see beyond normal human speech and understand what’s being asked without keywords.

These new search options expand search beyond our devices. Activated with the sound of our voices, they can take our personal histories and past actions into account to give us the answers to our search inquiries.

Social Search

Another big change in SEO is the way people use social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to look for content. When these sites were launched, their search functions were basic – intended only to help users find their friends.

Today, though, more people are using social search engines to find local businesses and services. They know that if they type local search words into Facebook, for example, they’ll get a list of companies whose pages they can peruse.

There’s also been a switch in that it’s now very easy to use social search to find content instead of brands. If you log on to Instagram, you’ll notice that their algorithms give you recommendations based on your activity on the site. If you view a lot of wildlife photos or take frequent trips to San Francisco, you’ll see those preferences reflected in the content that Instagram recommends to you.

Using the right hashtags and descriptions can help algorithms recommend your content to the people who are most likely to patronize your business.

Messenger Apps

Messenger apps like Facebook Messenger are also playing a role in search. In fact, if you’ve used Messenger recently you’ve probably noticed that if you use certain words – like “song” for example – you’ll get a message that says, “Find songs now.” In other words, there’s a built-in search engine working behind the scenes.

There are messenger apps like Pegg, which provides financial services to small business and start-ups – and some companies are now using messenger bots to handle routine customer service questions.

This is yet another example of casual, non-keyword speech being used to deliver search results in the moment. And it shows that anybody clinging to the old, keyword-centric SEO of the past is missing the boat.

Topic Clusters

Finally, we have the issue of topic clusters – a natural outcropping of the move away from traditional keywords and toward casual and contextual search results based on natural language.

Topic clusters require companies to link pages of related topics together to provide context and meaning for your content. Instead of being forced to write repetitive blog posts, you create a pillar post around one topic and then create other posts and pages that link to it (and from it) to build your site’s architecture.

If you do it properly, the result is a website that is specifically built to recognize a user’s intent and provide them with the means to jump from one related topic to another. It can boost your search engine visibility and ultimately, help grow your business.

Don’t Let the Changing Face of SEO Intimidate You…

These changes are good because they represent an opportunity to move away from optimizing for broken phrases and awkward keywords and into a future where human speech and intent are recognized by search engines without keywords. With any luck, these trends will usher in a new era of content that’s designed to help users and companies connect.

Questions? We’d be happy to help. Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.