How To Make A Website [Step-by-Step Guide]
How to Create a Website
If you have been wondering how to make a website on your own from scratch but just didn’t have a clue where to begin, then you have landed in the right place…
Step 1: Buy a web hosting and register domain name.
In order to set up your WordPress (or any other type of website), you’re going to need two things:
- Domain Name (a web address like YourSiteName.com)
- Web Hosting (a service that connects your site to the internet)
In order to store your images, content and website files, you are going to need web hosting. Without web hosting, your website will not be visible on the Internet.
Owning your own domain name looks far more professional than having your site on someone else’s domain (like yourbusiness.my-free-website.com), and it’s super affordable, too. Most hosting providers offer domains FREE for one year (usually ~$15/year).
In a nutshell – without web hosting and a domain name, your website will NOT exist.
Where Do I register a Domain Name and Get Web Hosting?
Here are some of the well-known hosting companies:
Full disclosure: We earn a commission if you end up purchasing Bluehost through our referral links in this guide. This helps us to keep WebsiteSetup up and running and up-to-date. Thanks for your support.
We’ve mostly used Bluehost as a web hosting and domain registrar.
Use this link to get a free domain (for the first year) with your hosting.
Their price tag starts at $ 2.75 / mo and they are currently throwing out a free name (first year) - which is why I should get them out.
They are also one of the most popular hosting providers on the market, so it is well-established and secure enough to be able to host your site.
Even though most of their servers are in the US, they can chase many people around the world. And it is probably cheaper than locally. As someone who lives in South Africa, we still love to use it.
Here are Bluehost’s key features:
- FREE Domain Name for 1st Year
- FREE SSL Certificate Included
- 1-Click WordPress Install
- 24/7 Support
So if you want to save money on your hosting, click on this link and purchase your hosting now.
You also want to choose a hosting that provides free SSL certificates. Without an SSL certificate, your website will have this ugly “Not Secure” label at the top:
Already have a domain name and hosting? Go ahead and skip ahead to step 2, where we’ll explain how you can set up your website.
Here’s how to sign up with a web hosting provider (and register a domain name if you don’t have it yet).
1. Go To www.Bluehost.com(or Any Other Web Host)
Remember: Since we’re using Bluehost ourselves, we’ve negotiated a small discount for websitesetup.org visitors. Use this link to activate it.
2. Choose Your Website Hosting Plan
Once you click “get started now,” you’ll be taken to a page to select the hosting plan of your choice.
- Basic
- Plus
- Choice Plus
- Pro
If you are on a budget, you can use their “basic” plan. It’s great for smaller sites with low or no traffic.
However, if you want to scale or expect more traffic to your website, we recommend choosing their “choice plus” plan. It’s truly unlimited.
Whichever you choose, you can later upgrade or downgrade based on your needs.
3. Choose a Domain Name
If you don’t have a domain name yet, here’s an easy starting point:
- If you’re making a website for your business, your domain name should match your company name. For example YourCompanyName.com
- If you’re planning to set up a website for yourself, then YourName.com can be a great option.
For this site (Website Setup), we chose websitesetup.org because WebsiteSetup.com was taken at that time.
Domain names usually end with .com, .org or .net, but in recent months, a huge amount of domain extensions (the end part of the web address, like .com) have come out, ranging from .agency to .pizza.
Our best advice? Avoid the weird extensions and go with .com, .net or .org unless they perfectly describe what you have to offer – and even then, see if you can find a more common name.
If you’ve already got a domain name, just enter it in and click “Next” on the “I have a domain name” form.
If you aren’t ready to choose a domain right off the bat, you can do it at a later point in your website setup.
4. Fill In Your Account Details
To create your account, just enter your personal information on the “create your account” page.
You’ll need to add in your first name, last name, country, street address, city, zip code, phone number, and email address. Your receipt will be sent to the email address you enter here.
It’s optional to also add in your business name within this form.
Enter your payment information to continue.
5. Check Your “Package Information” and Finish Registration
The next step in registering for a Bluehost account is to select your plan and package.
These are the last steps you’ll go through before your account creation is complete, so you are almost there…
Simply choose the length of your web hosting registration and you’re good to go.
If you chose their “Choice Plus” plan you’ll already have the Domain privacy and Codeguard basic included. Otherwise, we recommend getting a domain privacy protection.
This keeps your registration information fully hidden from the public. No-one can find out that you are the owner of your domain.
6. Create Your Password and Log Into Bluehost
Once paid and registered, you’ll be able to create your password:
STEP 2 Set Up Your Website
Once you’ve bought your domain name and set up your hosting, you’re well on your way!
Now it’s time to get your website up and running. The first thing you’ll need to do is install WordPress to your domain.
Installing WordPress
There are two possible ways to install WordPress, one MUCH easier than the other.
1. To create a website with WordPress (or Joomla and Drupal), use the “one-click installation”:
Almost every reliable and well-established hosting company has integrated 1-click-installation for WordPress, which makes getting going a snap.
If you signed up with Bluehost or any other similar hosting company, you should find your “1-click-installation” in your account control panel.
Here are the steps you should follow (should be similar/same on all the major web hosting companies):
- Log in to your hosting (Bluehost) account.
- Go to your control panel.
- Look for the “WordPress” or “Website” icon.
- Choose the domain where you want to install your new website.
- Click the “Install Now” button and you will get access to your new WordPress website.
2. … OR MANUAL INSTALL (For those who don’t use Bluehost or any similar host)
If for some odd reason (some hosting companies don’t provide one-click-install for WordPress) you don’t have the option to install WordPress automatically, look this manual guide below:
Installing WordPress ManuallyPssst – if they don’t have 1-click-installation, maybe you’re dealing with a bad host!
STEP 3 Design Your Website
Once you have successfully installed WordPress to your domain, you’ll see a very basic yet clean site.
But you don’t want to look like everyone else, do you?
That’s why you need a theme – a design template that tells WordPress how your website should look. See an example of a free WordPress theme that you can install:
Here’s where it gets fun:
There are 1500+ of awesome, professionally designed themes you can choose from and customize for your own site.
Most of the WordPress themes are free to use and highly customizable.
Here’s How To Find a Theme You Like
1. Log into your WordPress dashboard
If you’re not sure how to type in: https://yoursite.com/wp-admin (replace “yoursite” with your domain).
This is what the WordPress dashboard looks like:
Everything is easily labelled. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, don’t sweat it – we’re going to show you where to go next.
2. Access FREE themes
Once you’re on the dashboard, you’ve got access to over 1500 free themes! Just search the sidebar for “Appearance”, then click “Themes”.
We highly recommend Elementor this is a 100% free tool and easy to use.
If you want to buy professional or elegant than what you find here, you can head over to ThemeForest.net where there’s a big library of themes to pick from at varying costs.
But before you do that, we really suggest you at least try spending some time browsing the free themes. Many of them are actually really professional and well made; so don’t write them off.
As you can see above, installing a new theme for your website is very easy.
You can search for specific keywords and/or use filters to find themes that suit your style. Finding the perfect theme can take a while, but it’s worth it.
You should also look for themes that are “responsive”, as this means they will look good on any mobile device.
Just punch it in as one of your keywords, and you’ll be all set!
3. Install your new theme
Once you have found a theme you like, installing it is as simple as clicking “Install” followed by “Activate”.
IMPORTANT: Changing themes won’t delete your previous posts, pages, and content. You can change themes as often as you want without having to worry about losing what you’ve created.
STEP 4 Add Content To Your Website
With your theme installed, you’re ready to start creating content. Let’s quickly run through some of the basics:
Adding and editing pages
Want a “Services” page, or an “About Me” page (like we have on our menu at the top of the site)?
1. Look along the sidebar in the WordPress Dashboard for “Pages” -> “Add New”.
2. You’ll find a screen that looks a lot like what you’ve maybe seen in Microsoft Word. Add text, images and more to build the page you want, then save it when you’re done.
Adding pages to the menu
If you want your new page to be linked to your navigation bar,
1. Save any changes you’ve made to the page by clicking “Update”
2. Click “Appearance” -> “Menus” in the sidebar of the WordPress Dashboard
3. Find the page you created and add it to the list by clicking the checkbox next to it and then “Add to Menu”.
Adding and editing posts
If you have a blog on your website, “Posts” will be where you turn to next. You can use different categories to group similar posts.
If you want to add a blog to your website, you can use different categories and posts. Let’s say you want to create a category named “Blog”. Simply add it to your menu and start making posts.
Here’s what you need to do:
a. Create a new category by going to “Posts -> Categories”
OR
b. Create a blog post by going to “Posts -> Add New”. Once you’ve finished writing your blog post, you need to add the right category for it.
Once you’ve created your category, simply add it to the menu, and you’re in business!
Customization & Endless Tweaks…
In this section, we’ll cover some of the basic things we’ve asked about all the time that will help you tweak your website.
Changing Your Title and Tagline
Page titles explain to searchers what your website is about. They’re also a big part of how search engines determine your rankings. You want to be sure they’ve got the keywords you want to have targetted (but in a natural way, written for real people).
You should use a unique title on every page of your site. For example, our site’s title is “How to Make a Website”.
(Can’t find it? Just hold your mouse over the tab at the top of your web browser).
Taglines are added at the end of titles across every page. Our site’s tagline is “Step by Step Guide”
In order to change the title and tagline on your website, go to “Settings -> General” and fill in the form below:
Disabling Comments for Posts & Pages
Some websites (business/organization sites mostly) don’t want their visitors to be able to comment on their pages.
Here’s how to shut comments off on WordPress pages:
1. While you are writing a new page, click “Screen Options” in the top right corner.
2. Click the “Discussion” box. The “Allow Comments” box will appear at the bottom.
3. Untick “Allow Comments”.
Want to disable comments on every new page by default?
1. Go to “Settings -> Discussion” and untick “Allow people to post comments on news articles”
Setting Up a Static Front Page
Some people contact me saying they’re frustrated that their home page looks like a blog post. You can fix that by making your home page “static”.
A static page is a page that doesn’t change. Unlike a blog, where the first new article will show up at the top every time, a “static” page will show the same content every time someone comes to the site – like a home page you’ve designed.
To set up a static front page:
1. Go to “Settings -> Reading”
2. Choose a static page that you have created. “Front Page” denotes your home page. “Posts page” is the front page of your blog (if your entire site isn’t a blog).
If you don’t choose a static page on your own, WordPress will take your latest posts and start showing them on your homepage.
Editing sidebar
Most WordPress themes have a sidebar on the right side (in some cases it’s on the left).
If you want to get rid of the sidebar or edit out items you do not need like “Categories”, “Meta” and “Archives”, which are usually pointless, here’s how:
1. Go to “Appearance -> Widgets” in the WordPress Dashboard.
2. From here, you can use drag and drop to add different “boxes” to your sidebar or remove the items you don’t want.
There’s also an “HTML box” – a text box where you can use HTML code. For beginners, don’t worry about this – just drag and drop the elements you’d like in your sidebar.
Installing Plugins to Get More out of WordPress
What is a plugin?
“Plugins” are extensions that are built to expand WordPress’ capabilities, adding features and functions to your site that don’t come as built-in.
They’re shortcuts to getting your site to do what you want to, without having to build the features from scratch.
You can use plugins to do everything from adding photo galleries and submission forms to optimizing your website and creating an online store.
How do I install a new Plugin?
To start installing plugins, go to “Plugins -> Add New” and simply start searching.
Keep in mind that there are over 25,000 different plugins, so you’ve got a LOT to choose from!
Installation is easy – once you find a plugin you like, just click “Install”.
BUT – before you go and install every single one, we suggest you read this article: Things you need to know about using WP plugins.
To save you some time, we’ve put together a list of the most popular plugins that webmasters find useful:
- #1 Contact form 7: Our website has a contact form on my About Us page. It’s an awesome feature to have, as people (like you!) can fill in the form and send me an email without logging into their own email provider. If you want to do something similar, definitely get this plugin. P.S. Here’s a step-by-step guide for setting it up.
- #2 Yoast SEO for WordPress: If you want to make your WordPress site even more SEO-friendly, this plugin is a must-have. It’s free, and it’s awesome. You’ll be able to edit your title tags, meta descriptions and more, all from within the page itself – no more fussing with WordPress settings.
- #3 Google Analytics: Interested in tracking your visitors/traffic and their behaviour? Just install the plugin, connect it with your Google account and you’re ready to go.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg! Here’s a list of recommended plugins.
Step 5. Secure your website.
It’s also crucial for a business website to be as secure as possible from possible hacking and identity theft schemes. The fact of the matter is some of you might be vulnerable to cyberattacks due to weak passwords, plugin vulnerabilities, and outdated software. These things leave a hole to your website, and you need to find a way to block these holes.
The best WordPress plugin I’ve found so far that does this is iThemes Security. The free version of this plugin already offers you strong security features, and you can activate it just one click.
To install iThemes Security, head over to Plugins > Add New then search for iThemes Security.
Once it’s activated, you will see a new option in the sidebar called Security. Go to Security > Settings and you should see a message about the different features that iThemes can do for you.
Enabling all of these features takes just one click of the blue Secure Site button. Once you click that button, you will see this message:
The Network Brute Force Protection is a feature where users who tried breaking into other sites that are members of this network are automatically banned from breaking into yours. This is a pretty good feature that only iThemes has, so to activate this just provide your email address and click Activate Network Brute Force Protection.
In just a few clicks, your website is now secure. You can do so much more with this plugin, and if you want to learn more about it, you can watch my iThemes Security review and setup tutorial here.
Step 6. Backup your website.
You also have to back up your website to save yourself from the possible unfortunate event of losing any of your data. For this, we’re going to use UpdraftPlus Backup.
To install this plugin, go to Plugins > Add New and search for UpdraftPlus Backup. Install and activate it.
Once it’s activated, it will create a new option under Settings called UpdraftPlus Backups. Click on it to start configuring your backup settings.
Once you’re inside, click Settings. Here, we will set it up so that offsite automatic backups are being made regularly. For the Files backup schedule, I recommend setting it to weekly and retaining one backup. Files don’t change often so that’s good enough.
As for the Database backup schedule, since this changes often, set it to daily and retain 7 backups.
Once you’ve set the schedules, scroll down and hit Save Changes. Then scroll back up again to choose where you want to store your backups. I usually recommend Dropbox because it’s very easy to use, but you can use anything and as many as you like.
Click your preferred remote storage and click Save Changes again. You will then see this message:
You have to click this link to authorize UpdraftPlus Backups to store backups to your selected storage. In this example, since I chose Dropbox, clicking this link will lead me to the Dropbox sign-in page. Once I sign in, I will see this message:
I just have to click Complete setup, and I will be taken back to UpdraftsPlus backend in WordPress with this confirmation message at the top:
If I wanted to make a backup, all I have to do is click the blue Backup Now button. UpdraftPlus will also create backups according to the schedule I made earlier and push those into DropBox.
If you want to restore a backup, just click on Existing backups and click the Restore.
Congratulations – You’re Ready to Launch!
How to Start a Blog - The Ultimate Step by Step Guide
How to Start a Blog: The Ultimate Step by Step Guide
Want to learn how to start a blog?
If you’re looking for a free, easy and step-by-step guide to follow on how to start a blog, then you’ve come to the right place. I’m here to help guide you through this.
Don't fear, starting a blog will be easy even if you have no technical experience - and I'm here to guide you through every step of the way. In about ten minutes from now, you have a brand new blog to call your own.
So, how do you start a blog?
What is a Blog?
A blog is a type of website where the content is presented in reverse chronological order (newer content appear first). Blog content is often referred to as entries or “blog posts”.
Blogs are typically run by an individual or a small group of people to present information in a conversational style. However, now there are tons of corporate blogs that produce a lot of informational and thought-leadership style content.
What can you write about in a blog?
Ask yourself “What do you love doing?”.
I like finding new ways of marketing online. I have been studying great ways to market products and services online for small businesses for over 3 years now, so I wanted to help others.
That’s when my blog got kicked off. You should always blog about what you love. So, try to brainstorm what you are good at.
- Are you good at making desserts or cooking?
- Do you just love talking about your lifestyle and your mum life?
- Are you good at selling?
- Do you love travelling?
- Are you a fashion junkie?
- Are you an expert in Photography?
Do you need to spend a LOT of money to start a blog?
Absolutely NOT. You can start a blog for a price as low as $2.95 per month (only through my link for a limited time!) That’s almost equal to nothing when compared to the possible income you can get from your blog.
You can start a profitable blog for that price which can earn more than that.
Bluehost is the hosting provider which I recommend, and you can start your blog quickly for this low price and get a FREE domain as well. Bluehost also has a money back guarantee, so you are stress-free.
Let’s get into the details of how to start a blog and make money,
1. Brainstorm a Good Domain Name
It is the first step you take when you start a blog. A domain name is pretty much like your address on the web. For example, my domain name is audiovisuallab.co.za.
Choose a domain name which relates to your niche, and this might take some brainstorming because not all domain names you want might be available.
You can register your domain name with any registrar such as A2 Hosting, iPage Hosting or you can register the domain name directly with Bluehost.
I would suggest you go with Bluehost so that it’s not too complicated for you and you have both your domain name and hosting with one company.
You get a domain name FREE if you sign up with Bluehost for a 36 month plan.
There are free web hosting options like WordPress.com and Blogger.com, but if you are serious about making money from your blog, then you need to go with a self-hosted option.
With a self-hosted blog, you monetize it fairly quickly, and you own all your content. If you want to start your blogging journey on the right foot, then go with self-hosted.
I have hosted my blog with Bluehost, and I never had any issues with it. It offers the lowest price for hosting, and I am very pleased with their support.
2. Get started
After you go to the homepage of Bluehost you will see this screen, click on ‘Get Started now.’
Then you will come to the web page below, where you have three options for hosting namely Basic, Plus and Prime. I am with the Basic plan and that is more than enough for me. You can always update the plan later if you need.
Another reason why I recommend the 36 month plan is, you save a lot of money when compared to paying month by month.
It covers many things along with a FREE domain when you sign up for a 36 month plan, and this is just for $2.95/month!
3. Register or Connect your Domain name
Now is the time to register the domain name that you chose earlier. If you have your domain name with other hosting providers, you can always transfer it here.
4. Choose your Package
After you have given your details, you come to this screen where you have to choose your package. I started off with a 36-month plan at $2.95 per month. If you don’t want to go for a long-term plan, then you can go with a 12-month plan. It saves a lot of money.
As a beginner blogger, you don’t need to worry about the extras. If you need them, you can always update them later.
5. Install WordPress
And now for the best part, Bluehost automatically installs your WordPress after you sign up for hosting so that you don’t need to any techie stuff!
You just have to login with your WordPress credentials.
Your blog is ready!!
You need themes to make your blog look good. You have to log into WordPress and then go to ‘Themes’. There will be some free ones that are available to you.
You can always use free themes to design your blog, but if you want to go with paid themes, then I suggest Uncode. My blog is with Uncode theme and I highly recommend it if you want to go for a paid one.
Time to Start Writing for Your New Blog
The important thing I did and would advise you is, have rough drafts of at least ten posts before you launch your website.
That way you have your content ready, and you can work on the promotion when the launch happens.
Try to understand what your readers want, read their comments and know what they need. Writing and promoting go hand in hand.
Writing a post can be relatively easy when you know a lot about your niche but trying to solve a reader’s problem is something which is going to get returning traffic.
One thing I do is, go to forums and places like Reddit, Quora. There are discussions here, and they can be a gold mine for your blog post ideas. You can also sign up for Google Trends, you will get top trending news about your niche, which can be good post topics.
How to write a blog post & publish it
Now that your blog is up and running it’s time to actually do some blogging!
Go to the left menu and click on “Posts”.
You will see there is already a post there. This is a default post on every new WordPress blog, and we don’t need it. To delete it click “Trash” just under the post.
To begin writing a new post, click the “Add New” link.
You are now on the post editor screen. Enter the title of your post in the top box and then begin writing your post in the lower box.
If you would like to add a picture to your post, click on the “Add Image” icon and click “Upload” to upload a picture from your computer. You can make adjustments to the picture size on the next screen. When you are ready click “Insert into post” to add the picture.
Once you have finished your post just click the “Publish” button on the top right side of the screen to publish it.
Publishing Your Blog
Even after you have written a post your blog may still be showing a “Coming Soon” page.
When you are ready to make your blog public just click the “BlueHost” menu at the top left of the menu in your administrator area then click the blue “Launch” button to remove the “Coming Soon” page.
Congratulations! You now know how to start your own blog and publish content!
Step 6: Promote your blog
Creating a well-designed blog and writing great content is just the start. In order to get readers for your blog, you will need to spend some time promoting it, especially when you first start.
One of my favourite ways to get readers to my blog is to post links on my social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter. This is great, because not only do your friends see the link, but if your friends share the link with their friends it automatically multiplies your readers. If you have created high-quality content on your blog then social media is a great way for your blog to go viral.
In addition to getting new readers to your blog, you will also want to make sure your current readers are coming back. This is where email marketing plays a big role. By collecting the email addresses of your visitors (with their permission of course), you can then notify them when you post something new on your blog. This keeps people coming back to your blog, which not only gives you more readers over time, it also allows you to build a closer relationship with your readers.
Email marketing is too big a topic to cover well here, so I created a separate guide to email marketing for those who are interested (hint: every blogger who wants more readers needs to read this guide).
For more tips on promoting your blog make sure to check out my in-depth guide to blog promotion.
Step 7: Make money blogging
Once you have put in the effort of creating great blog content and promoting your blog, making money from your blog is actually the easy part.
There are several ways you can make money blogging, from selling your own products or services, to getting paid to write reviews of products on your blog. But the easiest way to make money from your blog is to sell advertising space.
Once you have a popular blog, advertisers will be hounding you for the opportunity to advertise. The best way to take advantage of this situation is to use Google Adsense. They find the advertisers for you and all you have to do is place the Google Adsense code on your blog to start running ads. Google Adsense takes all of the hard work out of the process and just cuts you a check.
For more information see my full guide to making money blogging here.
Find a sponsor for your web site. Get paid for your great content. shareasale.com.
How to Make Money Blogging for Beginners [Free Guide for 2019]
There are lots of guides about how to make money blogging,
Are you looking for the best ways to make money online from that is not FRAUD? WordPress is the largest publishing platform on the planet and powers over 30% of all websites.
You can use WordPress and blogs by doing what you love to make money online. You can work from home, right now, and there is no limit to how much money you can make.
In this article, we will share good ways on how to make money blogging with WordPress.
How to Make Money Blogging (Free Guide for 2019)
First and foremost, warning: there are no "Be Rich" schemes. If you are looking for ways to make money online, you are in the wrong place.
Don't be fooled by expensive cars, palaces or the beach. Each of these is a scam, and you waste your time and money on the courses or training you buy from these guys.
Unlike other "online money" articles, this is a comprehensive guide to legitimately making money at home, using blogs and WordPress.
Many of these methods require you to invest time and/or money to get started. If you are keen to make efforts, you will receive the prize.
Before you start using any of these methods, you must have your own WordPress blog. We need to get started on how to start a WordPress blog for beginners.
The process is really easy whether you are 20 or 60 years old. However, if you need help, our expert team can help you set up your blog for free. → Click here to set up a Free WordPress Blog! ←
Once you have set up your blog, you are ready to follow this guide.
As a long article, we created a table of contents below for easy navigation
Monetize Your Blog Content
When you think about money on the blog, advertising is the first thing that comes to mind.
Yes, you can make money with WordPress ads, but there are other ways to make money for your blog content. Here are some of the methods that work:
1. Make Money With Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is done when you recommend a specific product or service to track your audience and then click on that link to get a commission every time someone buys it.
A real life example of support marketing would be when you help a friend open a bank account. Usually, they give you a gift card or a voucher of some kind.
The online products and services you make can be similar to the affiliate programs you can join. There are affiliate programs available in all industries (niches).
If you want to get started with affiliate marketing, you can start thinking about products that readers might also be interested in. Then you can see if they have a membership program that you can sign up for.
You can find a huge list of products to promote from:
Once you have selected the products to promote, then you can use a WordPress plugin like PrettyLinks to manage your affiliate links.
It allows you to quickly insert links into posts, create branded links, auto-replace keywords in links, and see how each link is performing on your site.
Affiliate marketing is the easiest way to make money because you can promote different types of products. Every popular store like Walmart, Bestbuy, Amazon and others has an affiliate program.
To learn more, see beginner’s guide to affiliate marketing and also check out these affiliate marketing tools and plugins which will help you increase your earnings.
2. Display Google AdSense on WordPress
Google Adsense is an easy way to make money from your blog. All you need to do is add Google Scripts to your website and start showing ads.
Every time a user clicks on an ad, you get paid. These are called CPC advertisements.
What is CPC? The cost-per-click represents a "cost-per-click". By using Google Adsense to display cost-per-click ads, you'll be charged a fee each time a visitor clicks on your ad.
CPC is set by the advertiser. (This is the opposite of CPM ads. In CPM ads, you pay for ad views instead of clicks. CPM means "CPM," where M is a Roman numeral of 1,000.)
When you first started your business, Google Adsense was a great way to start making money online.
You can find a guide on how to monetize your WordPress blog with Google AdSense and this tutorial on how to optimize your AdSense earnings for more tips.
Looking for a replacement for Google AdSense? Try Media.net. They also have a large number of advertisers, and their spending is good.
3. Sell ads directly using the WordPress ad plugin
Google AdSense is easy to set up, but the money you can earn is limited. The revenue per click on your ad will vary.
It may be more profitable to sell banner space directly on your website. You don't have to rely on intermediaries to make money, you can negotiate prices and terms yourself.
Above we mentioned the difference between CPC and CPM ads, which charge you by click or per thousand views. Although you can use one of these modes to sell banner ads, most blogs charge a flat fee instead. It’s easier to charge a flat fee than to track views or clicks.
Still, direct sales ads require more work to manage than using Google AdSense. Not only do you need to add some code to the site, but you also need to negotiate prices, make agreements and terms, and do administrative work such as billing.
However, using the WordPress ad management plugin can make this process easier. We recommend using AdSanity, which allows you to manage Google AdSense and your own ads.
For more information, see the guide on how to sell ads on WordPress blogs.
4. Sell sponsored blog posts
Some bloggers are not interested in showing ads to their audience and want to know how to monetize their blogs without ads.
With the ad network, you won’t be able to control what’s displayed on your site. Some readers are annoyed or offended by ads, and more and more people are using ad blockers, which can affect your revenue potential.
Another way to monetize your blog is through sponsorship.
Sponsorship is like in sports, TV shows or other industries. Basically, a company will pay you a product that represents them, talk about it, and promote it to your readers.
First, it's a good idea to put together a one-page media kit that details your traffic statistics, social media attention, demographics, and any other data that makes your site more attractive to advertisers. You can then negotiate a sponsorship agreement with the company.
When posting sponsored posts, it is important to understand the laws regarding disclosure in your area.
For example, in the United States, bloggers who post sponsored posts must follow the FTC's Endorsement Guide. This includes making the post public when the post is sponsored. You can do this by adding a sponsor post prefix to your WordPress title.
5. Get paid to write reviews
Similar to sponsored posts, you can also make money by writing paid reviews on the site.
As mentioned above, this is a slightly different way of monetizing a review site with a member link.
Instead, you can try out products related to your niche for free, or even get paid by writing a review.
The process of doing this may be similar to getting a sponsorship position. You need to look at products related to your niche market and your audience may be interested in them.
You can contact the company to ask if you want to make a paid comment. There are also sites like PayPerPost that can help you connect with companies you might be interested in.
6. Make money online by flipping the website
If you know how to build a WordPress site, you will be ahead of most people. Sometimes entrepreneurs like to buy an established website for their own business.
If you can build a WordPress blog and start attracting traffic, you can sell it and make money for your efforts.
This requires understanding the types of sites you need and how to price and sell them. A website like Flippa can be used as an auction site or as a broker for a sales website.
7. Get Public Speaking Gigs as an Influencer
If you promote your brand with a blog, you will get a good return over time as you become an influential person in your field.
You can use this recognition to get some public speaking positions. Many bloggers made a lot of money by speaking at the conference.
Giving a speech at the event, whether you are paid or not, can help you promote your blog and personal brand. If you're good at networking and public speaking, you'll be able to find many new opportunities in the process.
Here are some general tips you need to keep in mind if you want to make money as a paid public speaker.
- Be an expert in your field. If you don’t have enough knowledge/skills at the moment, then start learning right away.
- Be consistent – You need to continuously promote your expertise on the topic through your blogging and social media activities.
- Let people know that you are available. You can announce on social media or privately reach out to event organizers.
You may not find paid public speaking gigs right away. Many successful speakers start their public speaking career from smaller, more casual, and free community events and meetups
8. Create restricted member content
Your most loyal readers are big fans and may be willing to pay if you want to read more of your work. You can only create areas for them where only in-depth blog posts, downloads, videos, audio content, and more can participate.
Membership sites can be a big time investment because you have to constantly create premium content for your paying members. However, they can be very profitable as they generate recurring revenue (orders).
You can easily create a membership site using the WordPress membership plugin. We recommend using MemberPress, the most friendly and robust membership plugin for WordPress.
We have a complete guide to creating a WordPress Membership Website with step-by-step instructions to help you get started.
9. Create a private forum
Another way to create a paid membership site is to create private forums that users have to pay to access. Forums are a great way for your audience to get one-on-one advice from you. Other community members can also interact and help each other.
While forum moderation can be a lot of trouble, a paid forum is a great way to earn repeat revenue from your WordPress site.
You need to set up a forum on your site to get started. Here are our top 9 forum-based plugins for WordPress.
10. Create a Q&A community
The Q&A communities like Stack Exchange and Quora are huge. They help you create a web environment that is motivated, motivated and highly engaged.
Like forums, you need to spend some time building a large community. After that, you can monetize user-generated content on your website with ads, affiliate advertising, and other methods.
Popular Q&A websites receive direct advertising and sponsorship deals from advertisers in their industry. This will help them negotiate a much higher tariff and additional benefits.
See our guide to launching a Q&A website using WordPress.
Create a directory website with WordPress
Another way to make money with WordPress online is to create a directory or listing website. You can then charge visitors to promote their ads on their site.
Here are some different directory ideas to get you started.
11. Create a paid business directory
Business directories can make you think about the beginnings of the web before robots started to automatically index everything, but they are not completely outdated.
General business directories are no longer needed, but local or niche directories can be extremely useful.
Directories can gather reviews of local businesses, share the best podcasts on the topic, or list the best products in a particular niche.
You can easily create a web directory in WordPress following our tutorial. There are also many directory extensions for WordPress to choose from, many of which allow you to accept payment acceptances.
12. Create a WordPress desktop with paid submissions
Another option is to create a paid desktop. Companies that want to promote an open position for your audience can pay you to submit a listing.
Creating a successful desktop is easier than narrowing down a specific niche. That way, you can become a site looking for work in the industry with minimal competition.
This is great for a well-established niche for established blogs. For example, ProBlogger is now famous for its professional bloggers desktop.
With WordPress, creating a paid job board is easy. See our tutorial on how to create a job board in WordPress with WP Job Manager for a step-by-step walkthrough. You can use the WooCommerce Paid Listings addon to charge for job post submissions.
13. Create a WordPress Event Calendar With Paid Submissions
Instead of a job board, you could create an event calendar where you charge people to advertise their events. This also works well if you already have an established audience, because businesses will be willing to pay to reach your audience.
A paid event calendar is a good monetization method for local or industry-specific websites. You might choose to advertise events in your local city, conferences in a certain industry, or even webinars or live streaming events.
To set this up on your site, see our guide on the best WordPress event calendar plugins.
Sell Digital Products With WordPress
If you’re looking for a more low-maintenance way to make money online blogging with WordPress, then selling your own digital products may be a good choice. While you do have to invest the time to create the product upfront after it’s created your work is very minimal.
Here are a few digital products you can create and sell on your website.
14. Sell Ebooks on WordPress
Ebooks are an obvious choice for creating digital products. They are relatively simple to write and produce. If you’ve been blogging for a while, then you can collect some of your old blog posts and turn them into chapters of a book.
Once your book is written, you can design a cover using a tool like Canva and create a PDF of your ebook.
Selling digital products on WordPress is easy with a plugin. To get started, you can see a guide on the best WordPress eCommerce plugins compared.
For digital downloads, we recommend Easy Digital Downloads. It’s relatively easy to use and includes all the features you need to create your online store.
15. Sell Online Courses
Selling an online course is another great way to make money online.
Courses usually sell for a much higher price point than ebooks. You can charge a premium for your expertise.
You’ll need to create the lessons for your course, plus any supporting materials that you want to include such as downloads, slides, checklists, templates, etc.
You will also need to decide whether you want to offer personalized support for your course. Some sites offer two tiers of each course: a basic version without support, and a premium version with email support.
Once your course is ready, you can use a learning management system (LMS) plugin to deliver the course to your audience.
We recommend using LearnDash with MemberPress.
16. Host a Paid Webinar
Webinars are a great way to build your audience, share your experience, and grow your business. But did you know they’re also a smart way to make money online?
Webinars are similar to online courses, but a webinar is live and often includes a question and answer section.
WordPress makes it easy to host a paid webinar. Whether you’re using your site to actually host the webinar, or just to advertise your webinar and register participants, it’s crucial for your webinar success.
For more details on how you can host a paid webinar, see our list of the 9 best webinar software for WordPress users.
Sell of online services through WordPress
If you are looking for easy ways to make money online, selling services is the fastest way to get started. There is no early investment to create a product or invest in inventory.
Instead, you can only create a "contract me" page on your website and start searching for the first client.
Here are some ideas to get you started.
17. Offer freelance services
As a blogger, you are an expert in your niche. You can start earning income by offering your skills and knowledge as a freelancer.
The freelancer is a popular way to earn money online because it does not necessarily require any initial investment of time or money. You can simply start offering your services to your current audience.
Once you start the freelancer, you must have a way to bill and collect the payments of your clients. We recommend using FreshBooks, but there are also other billing add-ons for WordPress.
If you are interested in the self-employed to earn serious money online, check out our list of the main tools for self-employed, designers and WordPress developers to help you get started.
18. Start your own consulting business
Checking is another way to make money online from your blog and share your experience.
Instead of offering your services, a consultant offers advice and strategy so that your clients can be more effective.
As in the self-employed, there is no initial investment. You can start offering consulting services in your existing blog. All you need is to create a page with a form so that users can request more information.
To easily create a professional and mobile form, we recommend WPForms. You can see this tutorial on how to create a budget request form in WordPress to get started.
19. Become a coach
If the "consultant" does not look like the right title for you, you can consider it as a technician.
A vital coach offers advice, guidance and responsibility to set goals and improve your life. There are also other types of coaches, such as blog coaches, writing coaches and much more.
Regardless of your area of expertise, you can provide individual help to your session with training sessions.
To save time and make things comfortable for your customers, you can set up a reservation form so that readers can schedule coaching sessions directly from your WordPress blog.
Check out the list of the 5 best add-ons and WordPress reservation options to get started.
Sell physical products online through WordPress
While selling digital products or services can be an easy way to start making money online, there is nothing like the sale of real physical products. Here are some ways to start selling products with WordPress.
20. Start an e-commerce business with WooCommerce
Do you have an idea for your own product? Why not start your own online store?
WordPress facilitates the creation of a store or even the possibility of adding a store to the existing block through the free add-on for WooCommerce.
Starting an online store can be a lot of work since you need to create or buy the products and send them by yourself.
But selling physical products can be a rewarding experience, and sometimes a physical product is exactly what your audience wants.
To get started, check our tutorial on how to start an online store with WooCommerce.
You can also use Shopify or BigCommerce as a WooCommerce alternative.
21. Create an online store of T-shirts with WordPress
Creating your own t-shirt store is easy with WordPress. Almost everyone wears t-shirts, so opening a t-shirt store is an excellent way to generate money with any type of blog. T-shirt design allows you to be creative and offer something unique to your audience.
It's easy because there are services that allow you to load your own designs and print them out and send it to you. Get a benefit fee.
You can create your own T-shirt store on your WordPress site using WP-Spreadplugin by Spreadshirt.
If you want a faster solution, you can use a Shopify store that connects with dozens of T-shirt printing companies.
Multi-vendor add-ons
For step-by-step instructions, see the guide on how to create an eBay like auction website using WordPress.
22. Create a WooCommerce Dropshipping Store
Dropshipping is another way you can create an eCommerce store on your WordPress website without having to handle inventory or ship items yourself.
With dropshipping, you create the store, manage the website, and customer service. But a dropshipping service will take your orders and ship them out to your customers. They’re an invisible third party that your customers don’t even know about.
You can use the WooCommerce plugin to create a dropshipping store. There’s also a WooCommerce Dropshipping addon plugin that allows you to automate the process.
23. Create an Amazon Affiliate WordPress Shop
One downside of dropshipping is that you have to find a good supplier, which can be a challenge, and sometimes you have to place a large order upfront. This can make it difficult to get started without investing a lot of money.
If you want an easier way to set up an ecommerce site without having to ship products yourself, then you may want to try an Amazon Affiliate shop.
As with many of the items on this list, this works best if you specialize in a niche. If you offer everything, it’s impossible to compete with a big shop like Amazon. But in a small niche, you can differentiate yourself and really stand out.
For complete instructions, see our tutorial on how to create an Amazon affiliate store using WordPress.
Offering Platform as a Service
WordPress comes with some incredibly powerful plugins that are actually full-fledged platforms in their own right.
You can add such a platform to your blog or e-commerce store and offer it as a paid service. You get a cut from each sale, which allows you to earn passive income from user activity on your website.
24.Create an Online Marketplace Website
An online marketplace is like an eCommerce store where users cannot just buy but also sell their own products. Normally, WooCommerce assumes that you run a single vendor website.
You will need a plugin like WC Vendors to turn WooCommerce into a multi-vendor capable platform. After that, vendors will be able to register on your site and start selling.
You can make money by charging a commission on each sale, or you can allow vendors to buy membership packages for their listings.
For more details, see our guide on how to make an online marketplace using WordPress.
25. Make an Auctions Website
An auctions website allows users to bid on products to purchase them. This allows the sellers to maximize their profits and customers to find unique deals.
eBay is probably the best example of an online auctions marketplace.
You can run auctions on your WordPress website and even allow third-party vendors to list their products as well. You can make money by charging for the listing or by getting a cut on each sell.
To build an auctions marketplace with WordPress, you will need the following add-ons.
WooCommerce (for shopping cart and payment features).
An auctions add-on
A multi-vendor add-on
For step by step instructions, see our guide on how to build an eBay like auctions website using WordPress.
26. Create a Job Marketplace Website
Unlike a regular job listing website, a job market allows you to make money on each job listing. Fiverr and Upwork are probably the best examples of online job marketplace websites.
You can promote your job market as a micro-job platform for people who work in the same niche as your blog. You can select a very specific niche to make your platform more competitive.
This will help you easily find customers and professionals who are unable to use the larger platform due to very irrelevant competition.
You can get a small fee for a job listing or when a job is finished. More successful completion of the job will bring you more customers and freelancers in the future.
Become a WordPress Designer or developer
If you are more tech-savvy, you can become a WordPress developer or designer to make money online. It will take more technical skills, but it is not too difficult to get started.
27. Develop WordPress Plugins
Plugins are what makes WordPress so flexible and powerful. Plugins act like applications and allow you to extend and modify any feature of your WordPress site.
Plugins come in all variations, from very simple code editing to complex software applications. If you have a basic overview of how WordPress works and some simple PHP knowledge, you can create your own WordPress plugin.
As a plug-in developer, you can distribute your plug-ins in many ways. Anyone can submit a free plugin to the WordPress.org plugin directory as long as they follow the WordPress plugin instructions. It's a great way to gain experience and build a reputation for WordPress plugin developers.
When you're ready to start selling premium plugins, you can choose to sell them on a website like MOJO Marketplace or on your own WordPress site.
If you use your existing WordPress blog to sell plug-ins, you should make sure that the plug-in you create directly matches the needs of your audience. You can investigate them to see what problems they need to solve on your WordPress site, and then create a plugin to solve the problem.
You can then sell the plugin on your site using Easy Digital Downloads.
28. Sell WordPress Themes
If you like web design and development, you can start creating your own WordPress themes for sale.
This requires both design and technical skills. You need to know how to create a good looking design, as well as how to encode it for WordPress.
Using a WordPress thematic framework, such as Genesis, can give you a head start. Then you have to design and encode a beautiful child's theme.
29. Sell graphics on your WordPress site
If you love to design more than coding, another option is to design and sell graphics on your WordPress site.
You can create graphics, such as images or logos, and sell them on your site using the eCommerce plugin. You can also connect to online marketplaces and sell your graphics.
30. Accept Donations
Last but not least, one way you can make money from your WordPress blog is simply to ask for it.
You can begin accepting donations in a few different ways. You could add a Paypal donate button or a Stripe donate button to your website. Or for a more professional look and advanced features like email marketing integration, you could use WPForms to create a donation form on your WordPress site.
Donations are last on the list because of their limited effectiveness, since you have to rely on the generosity of your readers. It’s usually more lucrative to offer them something in return.
FAQs about making money blogging with WordPress?
At Audio Visual Lab, we have helped hundreds of beginner bloggers get started. We've heard almost every question you can think of. Here are the top questions for beginners about how to make money from us through the blog.
1. Which of these proven avenues for me is appropriate?
Your hobby and your method would work best for your blog topics.
For example, if you run a blog about photography, affiliate marketing, advertising, and paid memberships may work well for your blog.
Use useful attention to provide quality content that will make money for your users and make money. Or as the saying goes, do what you love and the money will continue.
2. How much money can I make from the blog?
It really depends on the effort you make and the time you are ready to invest. Truth be told, many beginner bloggers lose interest and give in quickly.
You will earn money on how much traffic you get, the monetization methods you use, and the work you do. Many successful bloggers earn six and even seven figures.
3. How long before you start making some serious money?
Making money online is not a "rich-quick" scam. Anyone else telling you is trying to cheat. If you want to make money starting a blog, you will have to work hard and spend a lot of time on it.
There is no easy way to tell if you were going to start making money soon. Some bloggers start making small amounts soon after starting their blogs. Others are trying to get rid of blogs.
However, those who are constantly working and adhering to a planned strategy are very good at driving early results.
4. How to get started
Getting started with your WordPress blog is easy. However, make sure you are using the right platform.
Basically, there are two types of WordPress available. WordPress.com is a hosted solution, and WordPress.org, also known as WordPress headquarters.
We recommend using WordPress.org because it will allow you to start making money without any restrictions. For more details, see our comparison of WordPress.com vs WordPress.org.
You will need a domain name and a web hosting account to start blogging with WordPress.org. Typically, a domain costs $ 14.99 per year, and hosting $ 7.99 per month, usually pays for an entire year.
23 Questions to Ask When Choosing A Video Production Partner
23 questions to ask before choosing the best video production partner
If you have a blog or a website of your own, then you need to make sure that you are posting some amazing video content. It is not always possible to make or create beautiful videos on your own. You will need the help of a video production partner.
What is video production?
Video production is the process of producing video content. It is the equivalent of filmmaking, but with images recorded digitally instead of on film stock. There are three stages of video production: pre-production, production, and post-production. Pre-production involves all of the planning aspects of the video production process before filming begins. This includes scriptwriting, scheduling, logistics, and other administrative duties. Production is the phase of video production which captures the video content (moving images / videography) and involves filming the subject(s) of the video. Post-production is the action of selectively combining those video clips through video editing into a finished product that tells a story or communicates a message in either a live event setting (live production) or after an event has occurred (post-production).
Hence, if you do not have the skills or expertise, you can definitely hire a video production partner for your need. In order to choose the best video production partner, you need to consider several important factors. To ensure that you are choosing the best partner who can craft a perfect video based on your niche knowing your needs and requirements, you have ask some questions before you finally choose the one.
So, here are some of the questions that you have to ask your video production partner while choosing the best one:
1. How long have they been in business?
This is one of the most important questions as you will get the idea about their experience. Experience is important in order to excel and gain more skills. Even experience increases professionalism and creativity towards the work.
2. How many videos have you produced to date?
This question firmly asks about their experience in producing the explainer video. Definitely, their work experience matters a lot and if they are new to this concept, then they are not the right people to work with.
3. What is the team structure and who all will do this?
More or less, every video production house works as a team. The entire team is divided into many segments and each of them is responsible for pre-production, production and post-production. So, you need to know who else is involved in the team and how they work.
What is the company culture?
Well, the company culture is an important topic to discuss. Every company has its own culture and if do not match with you, there can be a conflict of ideas. So, make sure you definitely ask this question.
5. How do you decide whether or not a video is a success?
When you are hiring a video production partner for your firm or company, you need to confirm whether or not that partner is capable to help you. Video is one of the key marketing tools and a lot of things depend on it.
6. Which video produced by them is their favourite and why?
This question is quite important as the answer will give you an elaborate idea about what type of videos or contents they like. Generally, the video production company will show you their best video and you will know whether or not it is the right choice for you.
7. What is the most important aspect of client relationship while the production process is going on?
This can give you a better idea about how they work and what are their priorities towards the clients. This can also help you to know if they take clients seriously or not.
8. What is your biggest mistake during a project and how do you deal with it?
The question is important because mistakes or blowups can happen at any time. The main part is whether or not they have the skills or patience to rectify it and produce with a perfect and seamless video to you.
9. When can you start working on the project?
Now, you need to ask about when they can start working on your project. Many production houses take up works and are on tight schedules. If you think that your work is more urgent and you need to start it as soon as possible, then you need to choose one who is ready to start whenever you want.
10. What is the time that they propose?
Let the video production house propose with the timeline first for your project. You will be able to get an idea of how long they will take to complete the project.
11. What are the potential hold-ups?
You need to ask in order to get a clear idea about what can possibly happen in this scenario. Of course, you need to have a clear idea about everything before you start.
12. How will you handle edit request and communication?
This is an important one and the answer can be an ideal way for you to understand how organized they are or the potential creativity they have in them. So, listen carefully when they answer this.
13. How well can you write?
When it comes to a video, one of the important aspects is the script. So, you need to know whether or not the video production company has a good and potential team to write a great script for your video. Also, try to ask for a sample or the talents of the writers they have.
14. Do they understand your business?
When it comes to writing, just a general ability to write is not enough. The write must have the ability to know and understand your business and the product or services that you offer. This will help you to explain what you want to convey to your potential customers.
15. Can I see some sample of a script?
Of course, you need to ask this question in order to know more about their script writing abilities. Most of the video production companies will willingly show you their scripts. This will help you to know their structure or creativity. Take a look at different scripts from different niche.
16. Can I take a look at the assets that you might have built for previous clients?
Well, this is important as designs are quite an integral part of the video production. The assets include design treatments and characters. You need to take a look at the different styles that they use for videos. Not all animators can be perfect with all types of style. Look for the one that you think is perfect for your business.
17. Will you use custom designs or stock characters for the project?
Well, this depends entirely on the timeline or budget. On the projects that have lower budgets and shorter timelines, animators will use stock characters or the ones that they already have. But if you want to have customized designs for your video contents, then you must let the animators know about it. This will help them to create it for you and set the budget according to that.
18. How many options are there for voiceover?
Voiceover is one of the main elements of the video contents. Hence, you need to ask about the options that you have. You need to confirm whether or not you need some specific mention to a target group of customers or locations in the video.
19. Do you have access to different or specific needs?
Well, specific needs can be of different types such as gender, accents and age. If you want your video to have some of these specific needs then you need to make sure that you mention this to your video production company.
20. Will the voiceover and music score be licensed?
You must have seen or heard about many incidents where a video is banned just because it is violating any copyright. Even the license issue is one of the major concerns. So, you need to make sure that you are investing in a company that can protect you against any kind of license issues. You must need the licensing to be for web or broadcast and even perpetual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyw5ShD9DWY
21. What is your schedule for payment?
This is another necessary question as you need to know whether or not you have to pay the whole amount before the video production is done. If so, you need to avoid such services. Generally, they will take 50% of the total payment before and the rest after the video is delivered to you.
22. Who will own the final video?
You should expect, in general, to hold the complete ownership of the produced video when the full payment is done. But there are some services that retain rights of the usage of video. You need to be clear about your needs and requirements. If you want full ownership, then you need to find someone who will give that to you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfuwNU0jsk0
23. What if I need to make some changes after the video is made?
Nobody gets everything right in the very first time. Some things happen that are completely out of our control. Hence, there must be an option to make some essential changes after the video is made. This question will help you to know or understand whether or not the video production company will entertain any changes or updates after the video is made.
Conclusion
So, these are some of the very important questions that you have to ask the video production company. Also, you will get a vivid idea about the produced videos before and how they are. Will it be helpful for you? All these questions will give you plenty of ideas about choosing the right video production company for your needs.
Why you need health and safety videos in the workplace
Why you need health and safety videos in the workplace
In this article, we will talk about why you need health and safety videos in the workplace and why you need to choose experienced health & safety video production company. We are all aware of the fact that a risk-free working environment is imperative for ensuring the well-being and health of the workers. Apart from aiding in enhancing their efficiency and productivity, it will also play an important role in improving the overall productivity of the organization since it will be possible for your employees to work without any risk of getting injured or becoming sick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sjAuUdldyo
Fortunately, it will be possible to create a safe workplace for your employees by means of delivering top-quality health and safety induction video training. It will help to make them aware of industrial safety and also provide them with the skills and knowledge so as to abide by the safety procedures in the best possible way.
How is it feasible to deliver good health and safety videos in the workplace? What is required for educating your employees on the safety aspects irrespective of their location and educational levels in an enjoyable manner? For this, it is imperative to opt for video-based learning. Below, we’ll take a look at the benefits of health and safety videos.
1. Significance of health and safety induction videos can be underestimated
On many occasions, it might appear to the workers that safety training videos are being provided to them only for fulfilling some statutory specifications. They might think that types of health and safety videos are actually a part of an organizational need rather than an essential part of the training. It is of prime importance to provide some specific examples of health and safety induction on how the employees will be benefitted so as to eliminate this sort of belief.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2FNbuPR01Y
Video clips will be the best way to do this. For instance, a medication production company might show genuine video footage in which the lab workers are at the risk of getting infected by live viruses in case they do not stick to certain specifications. In this way, the learners are able to comprehend the fact in their sub-conscious mind that they could be more secure by taking part in the health and safety induction video program.
2. It is possible to impart health and safety induction video even in far-off places
On many occasions, employees working in far-off locations like any industrial facility or sea-based oil rig ought to get the training on safety regulations. In the majority of the cases, it will not be a sensible idea to gather all these workers in a classroom for showing them the safety procedures. However, online lessons which are based on videos will be the ideal solution to this problem since it is possible to access them at any place, on any device, and also according to one’s convenient time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE72kAanlfY
Video clips are utilized even in the mining sectors for imparting training to employees on safety procedures. For this, it will be a smart idea for the company to develop a curriculum which is actually video-based for workers working in the mines in far-off locations so that they can access all these videos on their mobile gadgets. In this way, it is possible to a great extent to deliver top-quality safety training videos to the employees. Apart from this, it also helps in solving another significant issue - given that the majority of the employees were not literate these video-based curricula were effectual in training them in the best possible way.
3. It is possible to impart training to workers of all education levels
It is a fact that lots of employees working in the manufacturing industries out there are not properly educated, and consequently, they might find it rather difficult to understand what a “regular“ e-learning course wants to deliver them. However, it is possible to overcome this issue by making use of induction videos for new employees. These video lessons are visual in nature which will make those the appropriate tool for demonstrating the safety lessons. There is no need to be a college graduate in order to understand the contents of a safety training video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGkyYkx2NFY
4. The language will not prove to be an obstacle
It is a fact that we are living in an age which is globalized and many organizations are being shifted to foreign countries throughout the globe. This generates the requirement for providing training to the workers in a common language so that all are able to understand the lessons (given that many of them are speaking in different languages in different countries on the planet); otherwise, the query, “What is health and safety induction videos?” will creep up in their minds. However, this problem can be solved easily by providing them with video lessons without any audio which will overcome the hurdle of linguistic problems and deliver the safety procedures in an effectual manner.
For instance, while making use of any video-based lesson for demonstrating how to deal with a blow torch meticulously, one can make use of a “mute” video clip. This will help to demonstrate all the necessary steps to the workers irrespective of the language spoken by them.
5. Health and safety videos in the workplace are inexpensive
It is the fact that videos are quite inexpensive to produce, and quite simple as well. There are lots of companies out there which impart health and safety induction video without shelling out much money at all. It will be a smart idea to produce a sequence of short video clips for the workers with each of them showcasing a particular safety procedure that workers should follow while executing their jobs, for example, while repairing electric cables. The company can also create any playlist of these videos on the YouTube channel which will make sure that these are easily accessible by the employees out there. You simply need to capture these videos using your mobile device, and that’s all!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWBQwgQbotk
Conclusion:
Being a responsible employer, it is your duty to ensure the safety of your workers in the best possible way. This is possible by making sure that your workplace is risk-free where employers can perform the task without any risk of getting injured or sick. Try to take advantage of these video clips to the fullest so as to deliver safety measures to your workers effectively.
Why You Need to Hire a Corporate Video Production Company
Why You Need to Hire a Professional Corporate Video Production Company
It is clear that the benefits of corporate video production cannot be denied in modern businesses. If your company does not take advantage of this means of communication, you miss an excellent opportunity to reposition your brand. The industry is in transition by adopting the corporate strategy. Easy access to hardware and software means more and more companies are discovering the power of this tool. With globalization, it is possible to outsource services around the world.
What is corporate video production?
Corporate video production is an effective way to present your products and services to potential customers as well as current customers. It's also the best tool for promoting your organization, your views, your goals, and your accomplishments to the target audience. That involves a lot of creative work and the use of the latest technologies.
Corporate videos can vary according to need and from one company to another. It can be used to produce training, introductions, welcome speeches, introductory videos, promotional videos and many other types of videos. Enterprise video production is not just about creating high-quality videos, and it's about creating memorable and useful videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzJUuamNTNY
What is corporate video used for?
Every profitable company looks for improved productivity, effective from the start and in times of change. With the marketing bank services available on the Internet and the company's messaging methods, lots of companies are searching for answers in corporate video production. The entire production of corporate videos has emerged when companies in the new era have become aware of the effectiveness of a well-designed and conceptualized corporate video production.
Many have applied it in company initiation training, and updating the junior knowledge base or high-level employees or simply motivational messages. Online businesses sector have also realized that successful corporate video production is also part of effective and well-researched marketing. Therefore, it is vital to choose the right video production companies in South Africa to the company's ethos and profitability.
How much does corporate video cost?
The cost may vary depending on corporate video production packages, the complexity of the graphics used, ranging from a moderate amount of R 8,800 to R 12,000 per day to a higher amount if you want to use 3D animations or new high-tech equipment to achieve effects spectacular movies. Most corporate video graphics will be created with your direct involvement in design and impact.
Corporate video production Durban expert understand that you are investing in a promotional video and will inform you if your product or service requires these elements. Your corporate video production packages, ideas, vision, and budget will determine whether animated graphics, animations, and additional post-production are needed for your project. The use of graphics and textual iconography is a widely accepted and effective way of attracting your audience.
How to write a corporate video script
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhJ2N7etc18
In a way, writing a script for a corporate video can be more difficult than writing a script for a feature film. In general, there is a lot of information that has to be transmitted in a corporate video and a lot less time to do it. Since your script must include and convey the personality of a company, there is also much less room for a license or creative interpretation. However, if you consider these three tips for writing a business video script, you will be ahead of the game.
1) Be brief
When writing a company video script, remember that less is more. Avoid clutter or irrelevant information. That may be more difficult to achieve because there may be people in a strong position who would insist on explaining everything to society. You must, of course, be open to their suggestions. After all, it's your corporate video. Try this method: For every part of the information, you insist on, including your good judgment, contend that another part of the stuffed section is excluded.
2) Stay structured
The structure not only gives its writing order but also helps to advance the story. Clearly define the beginning, middle, and end and make sure to provide intermediate transition points. If you started the script with a story, use the dialogue to advance the story. Then, to close the subject, you may be able to use testimonials for the transition. Depending on the length of your script, it may be necessary to have three or more transition points. It also helps keep your video script entertained. Direct communication of facts and figures can distract your audience.
3) Add style
When talking about your audience, it's helpful to know who they are before adding too many resources to your enterprise video script. Nobody wants to attend a dry powder presentation. On the other hand, your audience may not appreciate a great parody of your organization. That becomes even more crucial if you are writing a video script for an international company. Learn about specific words, concepts or images that may not translate well into cultural boundaries. If you know who your audience is, it's easier to introduce your writing style and stick to it as well.
Types of corporate videos
A business can benefit a lot from a professional video production made by experienced and efficient video production company like the Audio Visual Lab. There are lots of types of corporate videos including training videos, product or company videos, service videos, or informational videos for a smaller, more specific audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLRKdWusNMc&t=27s
Benefits of using a corporate video
Why make a corporate video? The corporate video is used to teach continuing education or safety training to staff members of a company. It's a much more affordable choice than business owners who spend time and money travelling the country for an information meeting or to give company employees a quick training session. These corporate visualization tools save thousands of dollars in business results and help them reach more staff than ever before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yy2aVloBJ0
The production of corporate videos by a company specializing in production is also advantageous for companies because they can also be used to promote their online activities. When a person searches for products and services which are in the same domain, they can use corporate videos to create interest and get the word out to people.
Still, on the importance of corporate video, the videos are an essential part of all business operations: employee training and safety information, product and sales information for staff, and promotional and marketing videos for customers potential. These corporate videos can be created by a high-quality video production company Audio Visual Lab with the knowledge and talent to produce videos with the appropriate goals and to help advance the company's initiatives. If you hire Professional video production companies in South Africa like Audio Visual Lab, you’ll guide you on how to get corporate video clients.
How to shoot a corporate video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJJdBgXVQps
Corporate video shooting is a process that requires professional video production companies. The companies use different ways and means to make sure your corporate video is excellent. Here are some steps that the corporate video production agencies use to make sure they create a great video that can help your business tremendously.
a) Organizing thoughts
The first step is to organize your thoughts. They will help you decide and clearly explain the reason for the corporate video. You will be able to find answers to questions such as "What do I want to show through this video?", "What should I talk about and how long should I be?" It is imperative to find answers to these questions to have a clear goal.
b) Write a script
You cannot read it by ear while recording a corporate video. You must have the script ready before you turn it. Although some people retain the services of an external person to write the video script, it is recommended to choose a person within the organization who has excellent language skills to perform this work. A person within your organization can surely highlight all the positive aspects and create a solid script. In case you've no voice but to call for outside help, be sure to inform the person of any points you wish to address in the script and give them reference material to consult if necessary.
c) Choose the cameraman
Again, you have the option of choosing video production companies in South Africa. In this case, unlike the previous step, it is recommended to hire a professional corporate video production in Durban to do the work for you. Most companies, eager to reduce their costs, think it is advisable to recruit employees who can do the job. Remember that you are recording a corporate video and that your level of clarity and professionalism must be high. Renting Audio Visual Lab corporate video production packages to complete this task will be the right thing to do.
d) Choose the star cast
Then you have to decide who is included in the corporate video and who is not. You may want to involve the heads of all departments in the video, but do not forget to add employees because they are the backbone of your business. That gives your customers a concrete idea of your work environment and how your employees feel.
e) Review and edit
Finally, before approving the video, review it with other colleagues and you will see that any part needs to be changed. Once this is done, your video is ready to be used.
What makes an excellent corporate video?
Many companies today add a corporate video to their website. But what makes a video good and another less good? Many elements contribute to the creation of an effective and professional-looking video. As she represents your business and may be the first impression someone has, it is essential that you do it well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tc7LBx7XzE
A good corporate video should interest its audience, be attractive, educational and fun at the same time. It needs to concentrate on the most compelling points and not promote everything. The video also needs to be clean and aim for real videos that have an optimistic side. Moreover, an excellent corporate video requires to storyboard everything by having a well-written script, both dialogue, and images.
One of the essential elements for creating a good video of a business is to keep it professional. For the most professional video, consider working with a professional video company, such as Dream Engine, where we manage everything from concept to script to production. Working with a reputable corporate video production company, he gains the experience, hardware, and technology to create the best possible video.
What are the tips for corporate video production?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JQpAar5KRs
The nature of corporate video production has changed considerably since the arrival of this type of video in the early days, and it is the Internet that has by far the most significant impact on this process and the results of this process/activity. So, here are some tips to help you along with your journey.
1) Speak first, write last
You will be surprised at the results of the discussions with your employees. You must first determine the content of the video, then write a lot of questions that you can ask your employees. People like to talk, and you will be surprised at what you discover with this approach. Once you have spoken with your employees, you can start writing a script. Keep it simple; make sure your interviews are transcribed on paper and choose your favourite answers.
2) Capture more videos than needed
During the videos on the camera, instead of asking a small selection of questions, ask a lot and keep the camera moving. It can also be useful to attack tangents because you can capture something that could be used for viral video campaigns, a marketing slogan, or an audio podcast.
3) Be brief
Human has short periods of attention. That is a fact, especially concerning the visual elements. Our brains have a perfectly harmonized filtering system that activates after one minute. Based on the fact that corporate video production usually lasts between 2 and 3 minutes. However, all the projects are different. Therefore, if the duration is much longer, you should consider splitting the video into smaller, more manageable parts.
4) Talk to your audience/viewer
Your corporate video production is not about you, but about your views. Each question and photo in the video must reflect this and be relative to its target audience.
5) Show passion
Videos are a fantastic way to convey emotions. We can see it, listen to it, share it and feel it sometimes. Without passion, you will lose your viewer, and your video will be lost among the millions of other non-memorable videos.
What to include in a corporate video
If you're making the promotional or exhibition video, you should think a lot more about the video. It should contain the vision and history of your business instead of just data and numbers that everyone can get from a fact sheet or PowerPoint presentation. That could include customer testimonials and employee experiences that tell your own story about your business. Finally, the colours of your company could enter the theme of the video. These colours would help reinforce the message of your company.
A corporate video must be well programmed and narrated, with a good score and sound editing. It should not contain long speeches or lengthy statistics, as they could be used anywhere and would be redundant in a promotional video. Tell the story of your business in an entertaining way, and your video will be a success.
What is corporate governance video?
Corporate governance video is a visual way of explaining company governance structures and principles which help explain the distribution of rights and responsibilities among the various company participants such as a board of directors, auditors, shareholders, creditors, regulators, directors and other interested parties. It also includes the rules and procedures to follow business decisions. It also explains the processes by which corporate objectives are established and pursued in the context of the social, regulatory and market environment.
Choosing the Right Camera for Your Corporate Video
You as a company do not need to buy a camera for corporate video shooting if you’re planning on hiring corporate video production, Durban. Corporate video production packages are quite expensive, but they are worth it since they are provided by video production companies in South Africa professionals and they use their professional camera for shooting the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LbSgLjsXpk
However, if you plan on getting your camera, you might want to check your budget, camera resolution and the ease of use. Pick a camera that has a better resolution but which falls under your budget. You will be surprised to see some cameras cost more than $10000. Also, go for a camera that will be easier to use and operate. A video camera with too many controls might not be ideal for armature recording.
How Long Should A Corporate Video Be?
The human brain is by default set to concentrate on one thing for around 2-3 minutes. That means an excellent corporate video shouldn’t go beyond three minutes or else the audience will skip some sections as they tend to take their attention elsewhere.
Conclusion
A video produced for professional purposes must be compelling and well completed. Your business and your income depend on your image in the market. A poor quality video can degrade the image of your company in the minds of your customers. It is always better to use video production companies in South Africa like Audio Visual Lab to do the work of professionals. They have the knowledge and experience to produce corporate videos and can help you achieve your goals. They understand how to make a high-quality corporate video which stays true to the public's memory and which holds the audience until the whole message is delivered.
Digital Marketing Strategy Guide
Digital Marketing Strategy: A Basic Guide for Business Professionals
Almost a decade ago, when the concept of internet marketing had just developed, it was quite easy to develop a website and make it viral among people. Even the word viral would not be appropriate because only a small fraction of people used the internet. No matter how the websites were made, the appropriate keywords would take it to the top lists. Today, when we think about the digital market, things have changed way faster than anyone could have imagined.
If we try to remember those moments, businessmen or analyst didn’t consider internet marketing to be making any effect on consumer behaviour. It was true as well because the internet was considered as an elite service. Not every common household or mobile device had any internet connection. Some would actually prefer those days back and get rid of the spam messages or emails.
The Shift of Technology
The sudden shift from traditional hoarders, brochures, pamphlets, or even letters to digital ads, mobile apps, spam on our inbox and even online marketing has overwhelmed us with a lot of data and information. Today, with 70% of the whole world’s population holding the modern technology of mobile devices and internet access, there is a huge plethora of space for digital marketing to flourish. But at the same time, each website faces a lot of competition about who gets to be viewed or clicked first.
Digital strategy is very important when it comes to making it to the top lists. Just inserting a few keywords into the portal and then launching it for the public doesn’t simply work. The strategy not just includes every possible way to make people gain interest in the ad or something else, but also includes the consumer’s market behaviour and influencing them to buy a product or service.
Since digital marketing is a highly competitive and a mind storming activity of the early 21st century, one needs to know the basics to understand how it works for the benefit of people and even the company. This basic guide would help amateurs and even professionals to know about the available options, creativity, motivating innovation among people, and in the end, teaching us how to move forward when stuck into a certain situation.
The Basics of Digital Marketing
Digital marketing, also known as internet marketing is a systematic procedure of making ads and showing it to people to influence their consumer behaviour. It is not just the internet where digital marketing plays a major role; instead, it covers all digital means of communications like television, smartphones, display advertisements and other digital means. In an age where almost every consumer’s behaviour is influenced through digital means, digital marketing can thus be categorized into smaller sections. They are-
- Website marketing, also known as inbound marketing.
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Pay Per Click Advertising
- Remarketing
- Marketing automation, which even includes email marketing and marketing through messages.
- Social Media Marketing
- Video Marketing
Though there is a lot which can be added to the list, these are the topmost and the common categories of digital marketing.
Digital marketing would gain and is even gaining every businessman’s interest because it is one of the fastest and cheapest means of sharing information to consumers in the market. We might find about a sale in a particular store only once we check the billboards or its advertisement in the newspaper, but many would actually get to know about it quickly if it is shared on a digital platform online. Moreover, one of digital marketing advantage is that it covers a wide variety of mass in the market with quiet less cost.
If a businessman is lucky enough or uses the correct set of strategists in digital market for advertisement, then they might actually get to advertise in front of a huge group of people with no money spent at all. The most fundamental rule to achieve this success is to know one’s customers well enough and even identify what they would like in their lives. It might actually sound easy and tough at the same time, but with proper knowledge and use of strategies, anyone can gain the top position on any digital platform.
A Brief History of Digital Marketing
Now that you have got an idea about what digital marketing is and what are its categories, let us dive into the history of this life changing phenomena.
To look back in time, the very first online digital marketing and advertisement started around the period of the 1990s. This is also the time period when Google, Yahoo and even the first web banner ads were gaining prominence all over the technological market and media. These media giants later went on to create one of the most successful firms in the whole wide world which manages a segment of digital marketing as well.
Later, The Web 2.0 literally changed the way people started looking at the internet, thus influencing digital marketing as well. Just before that period, businessmen or advertisement agencies were more focused on sharing information to the mass. After The Web 2.0, it became a matter of experience into which people wanted to be a part of.
Businessmen were no more interested in just sharing or conveying information, but actually luring or manipulating people into buying a service or commodity. Back then, the main focus was to make them realize that with the help of a particular thing or service, the consumer’s life would become easier. Digital advertisement focused less on spam and more on making an impression in just a glance.
But along with this shift in the pattern of digital marketing, it was actually the consumers and not the company which took control of the marketing trends. The user generated contents like blogs, social networking sites, active vlogs like on YouTube took over on what was worth sharing or consuming. This made most businessmen prioritize their marketing strategies for the new generation of millennials.
Digital Marketing Practices
Let us look into each of those categories of digital marketing in detail and understand how every platform influences the trends of digital marketing.
Website
The company website is considered one of the core components of digital marketing strategies. Using a website for digital marketing purposes is also known as inbound marketing. Through the use of the official website, any businessman can connect directly with the consumers by sharing their ideas, aims, details of the products and even services.
The company website is considered important because it is what creates the company’s credibility and branding. Consumers would prefer to know more about the company from the company itself.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search Engine Marketing is a form of digital marketing through which a company increases its products or service’s visibility on the search engine itself. To explain it in simple terms, if a user or consumer type for any product or service on Google, then Search Engine Marketing would work by showing the company’s products on the front page of the search engine. It has been estimated that there is a change of 70% click rate if the company’s information is found on the first page of Google search engine.
It should also be noted that most of the SEM strategies are paid advertisement. Moreover, Search Engine Marketing doesn’t just work alone since this result is also determined by Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization is another form of digital marketing through which a company increases its visibility on the search engine with the use of particular keywords. These results are mostly unpaid results and together with SEM and SEO can increase the visibility to any consumer. This system of strategy is also known as natural, organic or earned results.
When a consumer types something on search engines like Google, Bing or Yahoo, they scan to whole internet database to find which keywords, terms or phrases matches with the search and are more relevant. The important aspect of Search Engine Optimization is that the keywords and relevance are mostly typed in HTML format and along with it, there are other factors that determine the page’s visibility. Those factors are –
- Secured sites (HTTP vs HTTPs)
- Mobile friendly websites
- Schema Markup
- Content quality
- Webpage content length
- The speed of the website
- Social signals
- Quality backlinks
- Properly optimized images
- Age of the domain
Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)
Pay-per-click advertising is a form of paid digital marketing strategy where pop up advertisements or any forms of advertisements are used to direct consumers to that page. While browsing through the internet, you must have noticed advertisements popping on the edges or sides of the screen for a particular product or website you must have looked up through that device. By clicking on those advertisements, a consumer is directed to the official website.
Pay-per-click advertisement is usually paid advertisement on the internet where the advertiser pays the publisher every time an advertisement is being clicked. The more the clicks, the more the website gets more prominence and viewership.
Remarketing
Remarketing, also known as behavioural retargeting is a technique of digital marketing, where targeted advertisements are being shown to the consumers based on their search history. This is also a form of pay-per-click, but the advertisements are more specific, targeted towards particular audience members and more refined. You must have come across such advertisements when you have visited a particular website and then sense that most advertisements are again based on that website, and more specifically on the products or services which have been viewed.
When a user visits a particular website, the webpage automatically leaves a cookie on the web browser of the user device. This cookie sends data to the tools like Google Adwords and shows specific products, services or websites as an advertisement after you leave that website.
Email Marketing and Marketing Automation
Email marketing or marketing automation is a form of digital marketing where marketing is done through emails or messages to specific consumers. Though this might seem to be a backward technique of marketing, in reality, email marketing attracts most of the audience viewership to the website. This technique is effective because most of the emails sent to people are based on a particular pattern, where emails are sent to a specific audience, mostly high profile accounts, or accounts which have subscribed to certain web pages, or to consumers who show a trend of visiting a website often.
It has been estimated that email marketing has a higher chance of web viewership with a return of almost $45 or every $1 given for advertisement. In this whole technique of digital marketing, marketing automation works by automatically sending messages or emails to visited or subscribed consumers.
Social Media Marketing
Social Media Marketing is one of the most successful, cheap and trending modes of marketing. As the term mentions, social media marketing is usually done on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest or other sites. It should be noted by all businessmen that most of the consumers prefer a company’s presence on Facebook, Instagram or on Twitter with a good viewership and audience.
Social media marketing can be both paid and unpaid marketing since the viewership will be based on the number of likes the page or post have, number of shares and even comments. Along with it, marketing strategists and businessmen must have sufficient knowledge about which social media site would gain more attention on a particular website.
Video Marketing
Video marketing is a form of digital marketing through the use of promotional videos and ads. Most of the video marketing is done through YouTube, social media sites and websites. Video marketing strategies have a far wide viewership if it is made attractive and interests the audience.
Moreover, a video is likely to get 50% more organic results on search engines since it is more attractive than a basic advertisement. Through the use of videos, the businessman or a company can share more inputs about a product or a service, making consumers feel confident enough to buy those things.
Conclusion
Digital marketing techniques have taken all over the online and offline marketing worlds. If used properly and efficiently with proper strategies, it can create a fortune for any business owner.
Inbound Marketing VS Outbound Marketing
Inbound marketing is promoting your website and your business with various forms of quality content through blogs, search engine optimization, social media, videos, infographics, newsletters, podcasts, whitepapers, eBooks, and more.
The Difference Between Inbound Marketing And Outbound Marketing
Inbound marketing is a term that was coined in 2006 by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, founders of HubSpot, one of the leading providers of marketing solutions.
What is Inbound Marketing?
Inbound marketing is best described as a method of attracting prospects to your business’s products or services through the creation of related content and incentives, which motivate people to identify themselves and request more information or make a purchase. Inbound marketing is closely aligned with content marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and social marketing because each of these programs focuses on attracting unknown prospects to your business.
It is our professional duty as B2B Generation staff to ensure that all our customers are able to make leads that are of the highest quality and those that are sales-ready. This way, our customers are able to get huge returns on the capital invested in marketing strategies. To ensure that this happens, there is a need for a combination of different activities outsourced from both the outbound and inbound perspectives of marketing that will lead to the most desirable results possible. To be able to come up with such a program, therefore, it is paramount that you understand the difference between the two marketing perspectives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y1y1-Xo1wc
What inbound marketing is all about
In simple words, inbound marketing can be described as the use of content and incentives that are related to the services and goods you are trying to sell. This is important because it places the potential buyers in a position that they can relate to your products, inquire more about it and even make purchases. Other perspectives on marketing including social marketing and content marketing, which involves the use of SEO, are closely linked with inbound marketing. This is because they focus on bringing new traffic to your site, and this is the reason why the inbound marketing technique is very important for business success.
What is outbound marketing?
Outbound marketing differs from inbound marketing in that as a marketer, you are required to study your potential customers and design programs and tools that will help you to educate this audience on the specific products you deal with. Traditional methods like the use of emails, email marketing and telemarketing are the most common ways of accomplishing outbound marketing. While there is a difference between outbound and inbound marketing, the line may appear to be blurred sometimes. For instance, inbound marketing can be used to initiate long term marketing campaigns by gathering data while outbound marketing will come up with ideas to educate the target group to a position where they are willing to make purchases.
Conclusion
Due to the dynamic of these two strategies, outbound and inbound marketing strategies can be used for the successful program for long term benefits. To ensure that your B2B lead generation is successful, you have to be able to effectively use the outbound and inbound marketing techniques.
Website Redesign [The Ultimate Resource & Guide]
Planning A Website Redesign? The Ultimate Resource & Guide
Today, social media and internet technology has become the centre of business. Many organizations are looking to solidify their online presence, and doing so requires a number of things. The first thing that businesses need is a website, where a lot of activities can be conducted without requiring physical contact. Websites are used by business owners to sell products, address issues raised by their customers, as well as advertise any new products. Sometimes, websites have to be redesigned to fit changing times and to repair any issues that may arise with the old website. Redesigning a website can take up a lot of time and resources, and website owners should take a number of things into consideration before beginning the process.
REASONS FOR REDESIGNING THE WEBSITE
Evaluating the reasons for which a website is being redesigned can help in determining how the process should be done. This will not only save on time, it also means that the redesigning will not have to be altered when it is discovered that it does not fit the purpose of the website.
Minor changes in how a website looks or works may not actually require a full redesign. Most of these alterations can be done on their own, without needing to change the entire website. For example, new company logos can be designed separately, then placed onto the specific pages of the site. However, other major website alterations need an entire overhaul, for example:
• How several pages are designed
• The software used for the site
• How clients move from one page to another on the website
The website should be performing at its optimum
One of the most important purposes of a website is to attract new customers and obtain more product sales. Even with new designs, this may not always be the case, and that problem can warrant a website redesign. Some issues causing the problem may be:
1. New technological advancements
As technology evolves everyday, websites will often find that they have to adjust to accommodate changes. Minor adjustments can be done without needing to redesign the website, but if these alterations need to be made very often, then a complete change makes more sense.
2. Changing customer needs
Some needs may also arise with time, and cannot be anticipated. The following posts cover other uncommon issues.
CREATING A STRATEGY
For this, one can look at:
• Website keywords used for search engine optimization
MAKING A REDESIGN PROPOSAL
The SMART Goal Strategy can be used to go through the project while avoiding hitches.
Specific
It is important to provide details for what is to be achieved when the project is being carried out, and this also enhances accountability.
Measurable
To make a project measurable, the designers can include clear guidelines on how success will be evaluated upon completion.
Agreed Upon
Everyone involved in the process should be clear on their roles and what is expected of them.
Realistic
All the plans for the website should be achievable, otherwise, all the parties involved will be under too much pressure to perform. Unrealistic projects can also exceed the budget allocation.
Time Based
The following blogs give more pointers on strategies for the web alterations:
FINANCIAL PLAN
The specific costs of a website redesigning process will depend on a variety of factors, but the approximate can be inferred before beginning the process. If the job has to make a lot of alterations, then it will cost more, and vice versa. This blog looks into the matter more deeply, and one can use it to get a detailed analysis of costs.
CHOOSING WHO TO REDESIGN THE WEBSITE
The website can be designed by anyone, depending on whether they have the relevant skills and whether their services are within the budget. Each option below comes with its pros and cons.
Designing the website individually
While it would be wise to learn how to design a website before undertaking such a project, one can also look at tutorials as well as other learning spaces to see how a website is redesigned. Such websites include Weebly and SquareSpace.
Using a Freelancer's Services
A freelancing website designer is often a single person who works alone on design projects. Hiring a single person is usually best for those with small websites that encounter minimal traffic. Freelancers are good at designing a website that will suit the needs of the client, especially when it comes to appearance.
Contracting out to an agency
Working with a web designing agency have a lot of advantages, and is often the most ideal option for websites with a lot of traffic and a variety of pages or services. Agencies come with the following pros;
This also means that each aspect of the designing process will be done to perfection because a single person focuses all their energy on that area.
From the above pointers, it is apparent that the most important thing in the entire process is to always ensure that the needs of the business match the web redesigning process.
How Does Content Marketing Work?
HOW DOES CONTENT MARKETING WORK?
So, exactly how does content marketing work? What are the benefits of building and executing a content marketing strategy?
What Is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a marketing program that centres on creating, publishing, and distributing content for your target audience -- usually online -- the goal of which is to attract new customer.
One important way is to keep your marketing strategy current, if not ahead of the curve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRXT58fDzjg
Why Businesses Need a Content Marketing Strategy
Content marketing is more than a buzzword—it’s a vital part of a successful marketing strategy. Today’s buyers demand creative, relevant and compelling content from the brands that are important to them.
Content marketing fills this need by creating impactful content and optimizing its distribution across a wide range of channels and customer touch points, engaging specific market segments at precise points in the buying process.
Producing good content on a consistent basis is the best marketing strategy for businesses in this generation. Content marketing is smart because the content is the currency of the internet.
Why Content Is the Most Important Part of Your Digital Marketing Strategy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQkLWg82BsM
3. Content Drives Social Media Strategies
Your social media platforms are one of the best ways to connect with your target audience. As a powerful tool for establishing genuine relationships with your customer base, social media gives you a direct pathway to have conversations, get feedback, and push new leads to your website. However, this is all fueled by strong content creation.
1. Have a plan.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but having a plan before you do anything else in your content marketing will make your content more targeted and its production more consistent.
Know what your company’s overall objective is for the content, know what the purpose of each kind of content will be and its value to readers. After researching your target audiences, you’ll have a clearer picture of what content to write, the tone of the content, and when and where it should be posted.
When distributing content, different platforms require different frequency of posting. Twitter, for instance requires multiple posts a day while with Facebook, you can get away with once a day. Building an editorial content calendar will be an important part of this pre-content plan.
|Get a free website report and use it as the foundation of your plan.|
2. Know your audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbxza1K9czw
You won’t get many sales and conversions if the content you share with your customers are on subjects they could care less about or identify with.
When writing for your audience, keep your content relevant to the industry you’re in and focus on how your company’s products or services can help solve a consumer’s problem. You can use different analysis tools such as Google Analytics and Facebook Insights to get an idea of the demographics of your website visitors.
Armed with an idea of the people who visit your company’s website, you can better judge what kinds of topics and what style you can use in blog posts, social media posts, and website content.
Going a step further, you can create consumer personas that represent each of your company’s demographic groups. Write content pieces addressing the questions and concerns and interests of each persona. Your personas will also help you identify what tone and messaging in the content will most resound with them.
3. Know when and where to post.
You can write the best blog post of your life, but if it is posted on a site or social media platform your audience doesn’t use or at a time when most of your audience is offline, it will likely disappear into the noise and information of the Internet.
Your social media manager should know, for instance, that most of your company’s Facebook fans are online Friday afternoons from 2-4pm. If your company doesn’t have a dedicated social media manager or department, most website and social media analytics tools will have a feature where you can see the most and least popular time's people visit your site and social media channels and where people are coming from to get your site.
Knowing your audience will also give you an idea as to what websites and industry/business blogs they regularly visit and what social media channels they utilize to engage with each other on.
4. Quality over quantity.
It can be tempting to continuously pump out content. Your audience, however, doesn’t want more content, they want quality content that is interesting, valuable and informative.
Visitors to your site come because they trust you and believe you’ll answer their question or address their concerns. An abundance of low-quality content will only take up space and viewers won’t bother reading it.
Nobody doesn’t want their content not read. High-quality posts will get more attention, engagement and shares which should be the goals of a solid content strategy.
5. Mix up content.
There are many ways you can share content online. The text is the most popular and most expected form of content, but there are a lot of things you can do with images and video.
Video is becoming a popular content medium that companies are starting to utilize more. By having a variety of content, you increase your company’s chances of reaching more people in your diverse target audiences.
6. Experiment.
What type of content gives you the most traffic? Again, you can use an analytics program to determine which type and subject of content get the most attention.
Does your audience love “how-to” articles, inspirational stories, videos? Focus on producing content that draws the most eyeballs. Don’t forget to still vary the content.
7. Focus on people, not search engines.
Answering your readers’ questions needs to be the goal of everything you write.
When you take the time to craft quality content that is of value to the reader, your audience will appreciate it and share it with others. They’ll also be more likely to trust your company and take the desired actions.
While implementing keywords into content is still an essential part of getting your website some online exposure, they should be used appropriately. Keyword-stuffed content will do you no good. Not only will your audience see right through your promotional plug, but search engines will also be on the look-out for such content and will penalize you.
8. Optimize your content.
As the previous point brought up, it would be amiss to not discuss using keywords to optimize your company’s content.
Content, like other aspects of internet marketing, is enhanced when it is correctly optimized for search engines. To make your content more effective, try to target one or two keywords in a piece of content.
For text content, this is easy to do. For images and videos, however, more work is involved. For posts with videos and images, use keywords in the title, headings and topic introduction or summary. Keywords should also be inserted into the ALT tags, file names and meta descriptions.
9. Test, analyze and improve.
As mentioned earlier, it is important to experiment and test which content gets you the most traffic and generates the most conversions.
Regular analysis of your content will enable you to see the patterns in what content clicks with your audience. You can then use this as inspiration for additional content ideas. Then, when you see what works, you will also see the kind of content that doesn’t work.
If your content isn’t as effective as you’d like it to be, some revamping and revising of your content strategy may be in order. Knowing where your content is falling short will equip you to make the necessary improvements.
Your content marketing strategy can take many forms, and your company goals and your audience will play the biggest parts in dictating your tactics.
A strong content marketing strategy is a long-term process that involves much hard work and time to properly implement. At Audio Visual Lab, we have a team of content specialists and social media managers who can write and distribute effective content for your organization. We have experience in website content creation, SEO blogging, business blogging, social media content distribution, Facebook advertising and content optimization. Give us a call today to learn how we can take the burden of creating effective content off your hands so your business can keep running.
Why?
Because content marketing is all about storytelling, and humans have told stories for as long as they could speak. Our attention will always go to those who tell great stories
But content marketing been around far longer than the Internet.
Conclusion
I know that was a lot to take in and you might feel a bit overwhelmed at this point.
All you have to worry about for now is mastering the fundamentals of content marketing — you can always refer back to this article for guidance.