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If I said that you can get 41% more website traffic with minimal investment, would I get your attention? What if there was a way to get more people sharing more of your content? Or a method of delivering product or service information that’s preferred by 72% of people? Would you dot it? (Aberdeen Group; Demand Sage)

It’s a no-brainer.

Adding video to your website has all these benefits and more. Marketers are incorporating video content on websites, social media, and other digital channels to build brand awareness, generate leads, foster better understanding of products and services (and in, turn, reduce support calls) and, of course, increase sales. (Demand Sage)

It’s science, really. The brain processes visuals faster than it processes text. Videos have become an extension of the increasing human desire to relay and consume information in an easy digital format that involves less work than reading. Who doesn’t want less work?

Plus, as attention spans decrease (more science – the average attention span has decreased from 12 to 8 seconds since the year 2000) and our time is more limited, videos do a better job at user engagement.

So if you’re thinking, “Is video really that important?” The answer is yes.

Can you get away with not putting video on your website? Sure. But why would you pass up the opportunity?

Read on to learn more about how marketers and customers are using video today. Want help with your website strategy? Contact us today!

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More People are Consuming Videos Online Than Ever Before

Trends show that videos are being consumed at a higher rate on the internet than ever before. Reliable findings show that in 2023 (Demand Sage):

• Online video will be the most popular form of content, accounting for 82.5% of all web traffic.
• 86% of marketers are using videos as a content marketing tool.
• Of marketers using video, 54% have video on their landing pages.

Research has also shown that those who watch videos stay engaged on your website for a longer period of time than those who read content (Wyzowl). Plus, videos have been found to play a sizable role in conversion rate optimization (VWO).

So, why is this?

Well, if you could obtain the same information but in an easier manner, wouldn’t you too? Videos tend to be more memorable than articles and enable your company to communicate the same information that you otherwise would, but in a more visible, efficient (and thus, effective) manner.

Adding Video to Your Website Can Help Boost SEO

Adding videos to your website can also help to improve your SEO.

Unlike traditional written content, video content isn’t indexed and analyzed by search engines. However, the data associated with the video will be. So for SEO purposes, it’s important that you optimize the video title, description, and tags by including the keywords for which you want to be found in search.

Additionally, since Google owns YouTube, leveraging YouTube for your videos can help to increase your presence on Google’s search engine results.

Seem a bit difficult to understand? It can be. When incorporating video marketing into your website, it’s important that you have a clear understanding of how to leverage videos to boost your SEO. At Emily Journey & Associates, we offer both SEO training and done-for-you SEO services. We can help you establish the best way to optimize your content.

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Videos Can Quickly Share Your Story and Build Connection

Videos are great for storytelling. Compared to written content, they more quickly build a connection with your audience. Along the same lines, videos relay emotion, and help to make your brand or business more relatable, which can in turn create trust.

This is important because people don’t buy from businesses, they buy from the people behind them or they choose products and brands that evoke feeling. Video marketing serves as a means of bridging the gap between the corporate world and human relationships and emotion.

People Prefer Sharing Video Content

People are 52% more likely to share video content than other types of content like social posts, product pages and blog posts (Wyzowl). In today’s hyper-connected world, creating content that people want to share is a powerful way to drive brand awareness, website traffic, and sales.

And, adding new video content on a consistent basis is a powerful way to make your website dynamic, giving users a reason to come back for more.

Videos Can Set You Apart from Competitors

Although videos seem to be everywhere, they’re not.

Many businesses don’t yet understand the significance of video marketing, although that varies greatly by industry. Financial services, high tech, and education & public services lead the way with the most video; food & leisure, nonprofits and (shockingly) communications sit at the bottom.

No surprise, larger companies with more resources are increasing their video production at a much higher rate than small and midsize businesses. (Vidyard)

If you’re a small or midsize business, the sooner you capitalize on video, the better. The more saturated a medium becomes, the more difficult it is to stand out from your competition.

Now is the time to create and execute your video strategy, adding videos on your website to share your brand message, evoke emotion, boost your SEO, and get ahead.

Ready to get started with an SEO strategy that includes video? Contact our friendly office at (844) 972-6224 or send us a message through our inquiry form.

Adding Videos to Your Website: What to Know

OK. So I’ve convinced you to start using video on your website (or to up your video game). Now what?

Video platforms

For starters, one of the best platforms to use for your videos is YouTube.

Owned by Google, YouTube is, arguably, the second most-used search engine online (Demand Sage) and its videos show up in Google search results. The platform makes it easy to embed video on your website, not to mention allowing users to share it with the click of a button.

There’s no doubt that Tik Tok is a growing force, especially with a younger audience. If Gen Z is your audience, you’ll want a presence on this platform. Keep in mind, however, the benefits that YouTube offers from a search perspective.

Types of video to put on your website

When it comes to determining what types of videos to add to your website, you’ll need to decide what messages you want to convey. While the options for your video content are limited only by your imagination, there are some common types of videos that tend to be universally beneficial.

1. Introduction Videos

Establishing a sense of connection to your business or brand is a key way to foster brand loyalty, create repeat customers and drive referrals. That’s why introduction videos can be so useful.

In fact, 68% of users will cheerfully watch a short corporate video of under one minute. (Demand Sage)

Introduction videos provide an opportunity to share more about who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Generally included on the homepage of a website, they establish the reasons why someone should choose your products or services over your competitors’.

2. Product and Service Videos

Video brings a product or service to life in a way that text and pictures can’t.

According to 94% of marketers using video, it has improved customer knowledge of their goods and services.

This video overview of my WordPress Training is a good example.

3. Testimonial Videos

When you’re in the market for a product or service, what’s one of the first things you do? Consult people you know–and, often, those you don’t via Yelp, Google reviews, Trustpilot, Tripadvisor (the list goes on and on).

The experiences of others are a real and powerful factor in our buying journey today.

This is exactly why testimonial videos can be so effective. Rather than simply having someone’s testimonial written in words, seeing and hearing them can be enough to build greater trust and bolster an audience’s confidence in choosing your business.

Here’s an example of one that I really like!

4. Instructional Videos

When they need to learn how to do something, one of the first things people do is turn to YouTube tutorial videos. There’s a video for practically everything you want to learn.

• Need to learn how to change a tire? There’s a video for that.
• Need to learn how to hang a picture? There’s a video for that.
• Need to learn how to survive a werewolf attack or fake a French accent? Yup.

No one cares to open a long, tedious instruction manual when there’s an easy-to-follow video explaining exactly what you need. By posting instructional videos for things relevant to your business (and that people are searching for), you position yourself to attract new customers.

Instructional videos can also establish your business as an authority on a specific topic or product.

I’ve made a lot of instructional videos like this one to help people navigate some of the challenges of WordPress.

Production value

If you’re convinced that you need video on your website but still hesitant because of the potential cost and time involved, consider this: Only 28% of respondents in recent survey said that video production value is “very important” when choosing to watch a video. (HubSpot)

With user generated content everywhere, viewers are much more forgiving when it comes to production value. People are used to videos shot with phones that feature minimal editing. And editing platforms are plentiful, affordable and easy to learn (I like VEED).

So don’t let your perfectionism keep you from creating imperfect but engaging videos. Here’s a video I made that certainly isn’t perfect, but performs well in another popular blog post.

Implementing Video Marketing for Better Results

Every business owner knows that marketing is a requirement to be successful. But the marketing landscape is constantly changing and moving forward. If you fail to keep up, you’ll fail to compete.

The bottom line is clear: The benefits of using video on your website are worth the investment.

Not sure where to start? Emily Journey & Associates offers website strategy consultation in addition to website design and development, SEO services and website maintenance. Contact us to find out how we can help you with your website strategy and execution.

Office: (844) 972-6224 Contact Us

At first glance, WordPress training classes for your employees can seem like an unnecessary expense. After all, can’t they figure it out on their own? And if not, just hire a professional to take care of it?

With the ever-changing landscape of the digital world, it’s important for business owners to keep a polished online presence. And with the poor reputation of most digital agencies, finding the right support seems nearly impossible.

Many agencies have a reputation for being unresponsive and narrow-minded. That’s why it is crucial to partner with a company that values professional development in your organization and cares about your level of success.

And that’s where website training classes come into play. By investing some time and money into website training for employees, you can keep your content up-to-date, save even more down the line, and significantly grow your business.

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The Most Popular Reasons to Hold Off on Staff Training for WordPress

“We’re just too busy to spend time on that right now.”

“We don’t have a budget to pay for the training.”

But, at the end of the day, not having a strong digital support system among your employees is even riskier. With the right website training classes for employees, you can transform your mediocre website into the website of your dreams! Here are the top 7 reasons you should bite the bullet and move forward with WordPress training classes for your employees. Let’s begin!

1. They’re rooting for your success

Employees don’t want to see you fail. If you did, they’d need to go looking for a new job. And even though the unemployment rate is only at 3.7% right now, the job market is still a really competitive place. Trust me, they’re rooting for you.

So, let them help you make the business a success through WordPress classes. Website classes for employees will give your staff the confidence and support they need to create a website that drives traffic and increases sales. You may be surprised by how many great ideas and talents they have in this area, especially younger employees.

2. They understand the business

They’re in the business every day, interacting with customers and helping you succeed. That kind of intimate knowledge makes them perfect for updating your website. By being right in the middle of the action, they’ll know the FAQs, be able to grab cool pictures and videos, and know exactly how to update the Events section.

Your employees know exactly what your customers need and are looking for, and website training classes will give them the additional knowledge and skills they need to update the website and keep up with customer demands.

3. You see them on a regular basis

Because you see them most days, you’ll be able to quickly resolve any issues with the website. Find a typo? Want a new image uploaded? Have a new announcement to put on the blog?

You won’t need to wait days to hear back from an agency, employees can answer you in real time. You won’t need to wait days to hear back from an agency. Employees can answer you in real-time. Additionally, you have total control over your website and can handle everything on your own, allowing you to make changes right away without encountering any resistance.

4. You already trust and know them

Freelancers, consultants and agencies don’t know you. They’re just trying to make a sale. They might not follow your recommendations or meet your needs. Employees, on the other hand, have already proven their loyalty and trustworthiness.
Why go out on a limb for someone new when you already have untapped talent in-house? WordPress training classes for your employees will only boost their trust in your organization and give them more authority to bring about positive change.

5. You won’t have to do it yourself

This is probably one of the biggest selling points. After working a long, hard day in the business, the last thing you should have to do is worry about the website. More importantly, you don’t want to stress about contacting your agency to request a change and then having to wait for a response.

Website training classes for employees allow you to give the responsibility to your employees and get something off your plate. Delegate some responsibilities to a trusted employee rather than leaving them in the hands of strangers. That’s a good thing for any business owner.

6. You won’t have to hire an agency

It’s always amazing to hear how frequently business owners get bombarded with sales propositions from agencies. Perhaps even more surprising? How many hire these agencies, only to be left frustrated and in the dark about the services they’ve purchased.

When you give your employees website training classes, you’ll save time and resources. And of course, you can finally just ignore those annoying sales calls. Trust us, you can avoid a lot of unnecessary stress if you can post news items and make those daily updates using the expertise of your staff rather than hiring a marketing agency.

7. You’ll save money

Time is money. And agencies are money. By not having to hire an agency or do the uploading yourself, you’ll save money in the long haul. By bringing everything in-house with WordPress training classes for employees, you can update your website quickly and affordably.

Most employees are happy to add this to their responsibilities, especially if they’re tech-savvy. Plus, you’re already paying them anyway.

Learn More About WordPress Training Classes for Your Employees

As business owners need more and more support for their online efforts, the best thing you can do is hire from within. Get a few employees to step up to the plate and take over these website responsibilities. Not only will it save you from dealing with frustrating agencies, but you’ll free yourself to focus on other important aspects of the business.

Looking to invest in WordPress classes for your employees? Emily can provide your team with the knowledge and abilities needed to confidently manage your website. We provide WordPress training via Zoom, WordPress training on-site, and WordPress training one-on-one!

We would love to talk with you about your company goals and training needs and help you reach the outcomes you deserve. To build the website you’ve always wanted, get in touch with us today!

Would you believe me if I told you one of my favorite discussions is about getting fired? Well, it’s true! When business owners are engaging us for their WordPress website management and want to employ our website maintenance services, I’m often asked a question like this…
“Emily, what happens if you get hit by a truck?”

Now, they aren’t looking for the logistics of that horrible situation, of course. But the colloquial phrase gets the point across. They want to know one thing: What happens to their website?

It’s a valid question! And one you should consider, even outside the realm of uncertain death. You see, business owners are getting smart about website management these days and searching for website maintenance services that can deliver results. Over the years, the profession has developed a pretty poor reputation of being flaky, despondent, full of empty promises and just all-around unprofessional.

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In fact, I’d venture a guess that you’ve had an unpleasant experience with one yourself. After all, what other reason would you have for clicking through on this headline? 🙂 Thankfully, as the web continues to develop and simplify, you have access to other options for website maintenance services that actually deliver the outcomes you deserve.

You no longer have to work with a web developer who is a bad communicator, underperforms, disrespects their clients, and produces poor work. When changing your website maintenance company, search for the following:

• They can communicate well: They listen to you, respond quickly, and keep you updated throughout the entire process.
• They overdeliver while underpromising: Work with a website maintenance company that goes above and beyond to fulfill the promises they make to you.
• They provide clients access to their website: Clearly state that you intend to register your own domain name and that you anticipate having access to both your hosting account and WordPress panel. You should always feel confident that you have access, so you shouldn’t ever have to worry about how to find out who maintains a website.
• They create effective and successful solutions: Stop letting slow progress or disappointing outcomes make you feel discouraged. An experienced website maintenance service provider will handle all of your needs and address issues fast.

But before you cut the cord and fire your website designer, there are a couple of things you need to do first. Otherwise, you’re putting yourself in a situation where the frustrated designer could do all sorts of unprofessional things.

Make Sure You Have Logins

The first thing on your new website checklist when you’re changing website maintenance companies should be to make sure you have administrator access to each of the properties the website designer setup to run your website. At a minimum, this includes the following:

• Hosting Provider
• Domain Name
• WordPress Website

If they’ve installed any additional software (e.g. email marketing, e-commerce solutions, affiliate database), you’ll need the logins to this as well. The easiest thing to do is request admin access from the website designer so you can have those logins when you partner with your new website maintenance and hosting company.

Any legitimate professional (even if they’ve produced disappointing work) will happily hand these over to you. However, if there’s an instance where they’ve disappeared or refused to comply, then you’ll need to contact each of the providers and ask what you need to do to prove that you own these web properties.

Change All Passwords

I hope step one wasn’t too much of a hassle for you. I know how frustrating it can be when that step is overly difficult to complete. But, it’s time to put that behind you and move on to the next step! This one is simple…

Change all the passwords when you’re changing website maintenance companies.

Make sure to use a new password that your website manager cannot figure out. And once the passwords have been changed, immediately remove the designer as an admin. Otherwise, they may be able to find out the password through a “Forgot My Password” prompt.

Quick Tip: An often overlooked access path is FTP credentials.

Change Your Website Maintenance Company

Now it’s time to take the final step. It’s time to formally change website maintenance companies.

If the designer has completely disappeared, a simple email officially ending the relationship will likely suffice. However, if their work quality has just not been up to par, they may want to talk with you on the phone or in person.
Nevertheless, the result is the same: fire your website manager!

We’re living in an era of the Internet where business owners can manage their website without the full-time assistance of a consulting third-party. All it takes is a bit of investment in learning the basic technical aspects of website maintenance.

How Can We Help?

As one of the best website maintenance companies, we provide website maintenance and hosting services that help turn your vision for your website into reality. Say goodbye to underperforming, overpriced web developers, and let us help you achieve your goals. While concentrating on website maintenance services, we also act as website advisors and WordPress and SEO trainers.

Changing website maintenance companies is an important decision. After all, you don’t want to end up in the same situation you’re trying to get out of. We don’t want you to be forced to work with amateur website designers. That’s why we’ve made it our goal to provide you with experienced, skilled, and friendly website professionals that can get you the greatest return on investment.

It’s time to take control of your website.

Contact our friendly office at (844) 972-6224 or send us a message through our website maintenance inquiry form.

Contact Us  (844)972-6224