Make Agency

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Google is changing it's Ranking Algorithms on April 21st: Now's the time to update your mobile website. Going Mobile responsive will increase your ranking.

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Everywhere you look these days, you’ll always catch a glimpse of somebody on their mobile or tablet. But have you ever stopped to consider how this behaviour is impacting mobile commerce and more importantly, your business?

M-commerce is rapidly growing, with visits to retail websites via mobile devices overtaking desktop traffic.

According to the IMRG Capgemini Quarterly Benchmarking Report, 52% of visits are made via a mobile, while 36% of UK online sales are now completed on a smartphone or tablet device, rising to 40% for clothing selling.

And of sales completed on a mobile device, smartphones account for around 18% and tablets 82%.

What does this mean for businesses?

The gap between mobile and traditional e-retail is growing. And in order to keep up with and capitalise on the latest technological developments, many forward-thinking businesses are now recognising they need to develop their m-commerce platforms to stay ahead of the curve.

One of the main questions you need to ask yourself right now is, is my website mobile friendly?

And it’s a question that’s particular important given the fact that Google has just announced it’s making not one, but two big changes to its search algorithm for ranking mobile search results.

According to Google, these changes will enable ‘users to find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimised for their devices.’

Making sure your website is mobile friendly will ensure it performs better in mobile search.

What do Google’s mobile search algorithm changes involve?

From April 21, 2015, the search engine giant will be using mobile-friendly factors in its search results. Mobile apps that take part in App Indexing will also rank better than before.

As specialists in mobile web design, we’ve always got our fingers on the pulse of the latest industry developments and that’s why we’re not surprised by Google’s latest announcement.

Essentially, it’s following up on the mobile ranking demotion algorithm it launched two years ago.

What do businesses need to know about Google’s mobile search updates?

From April 21, Google will not only label your site as mobile friendly, but will also use that to assess if your site should be given a higher search ranking

You can test your pages beforehand to ensure they’re mobile friendly by using Google’s Mobile Friendly Test

App Indexing enables Google to surface content from indexed apps more prominently in search. For more details, read Google’s step-by-step guide

You have just over a month to get your site mobile friendly and ready for April 21!

Got any questions about Google’s latest algorithm changes? Want to carry out a SEO audit of your site?

Need help with analysing your web search visibility? We can help simply call us on 0203 567 0860 or email [email protected]

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Michael Johansson, Box Office, 2011

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Our new Favourite blog

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Make is a full service, London-based creative agency. We deliver outstanding results across three key business areas: branding and graphic design; web design and build; and integrated marketing. In today’s fast-moving market, we help our clients continually evolve so they get maximum exposure, maximum engagement and maximum ROI.

Make Agency

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Make is run by a dedicated team of professionals with large agency and commercial business experience. We’re creatively driven, but we understand the cost and time pressures businesses face.

When applied to the online marketplace, Darwin’s ‘adapt or die’ theory of survival is strikingly apt. We’re currently seeing an ever-increasing requirement for fresh digital content, and the major revolution online retailers are having to deal with is the steep rise in traffic coming from mobile devices. These are two of the big game-changing trends – there are many more bubbling up that will have as big an impact next year. The fact is in digital, you really do have to keep moving just to stand still.

Make clients do more than stand still. They succeed through innovation, creativity, insight and relevance. They take full advantage of the instantaneous and personal nature of digital communications to maximise their sales.

And that’s because we give them a distinctive voice that cuts through all the hackneyed blogs, banal social media posts and unopened eshots that most businesses satisfy themselves with.

Check us out at www.makeagency.co.uk for more information on how we can improve your online presence.

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91% of consumers say brand behavior is an influential factor in making purchases.

Survey, 23red

Read more here

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Top three tips for getting better results from your website marketing

As a forward-thinking agency, it’s only natural that we should have our fingers on the pulse when it comes to anticipating and predicting the latest up-and-coming industry trends and developments.

And it’s this passion for staying ahead of the curve that enables us to help businesses achieve maximum exposure and clear results and get the best return on investment from their website marketing campaigns.

Want to analyse your website traffic more effectively? Gain a better insight into your online visitors so that you can convert them into leads? Or perhaps you want to improve your social media presence? Here are our top three tips for getting more from your online activity:

TIP 1: Get Google Tag Manager The beauty of this tool is that it enables you to manage a variety of website scripts that are being used on your site, meaning you can utilise Google Analytics much more effectively and quicker than ever before.

What’s more, you can also create triggers for particular scripts or actions, track your PDF downloads, form submissions and other online statistics much more easily – in fact, last year alone more than 92% of businesses that tried Google Tag Manager stuck with it and increased their profits as a direct result.

TIP 2: Track your online activity in even more detail The job of an e-commerce business professional can involve wearing multiple hats. There are often late nights, missed meals and a pile of data that can appear somewhat indecipherable at times.

Want an accurate insight into what’s being purchased on your site? Or find out how your customers are using your different online features?

E-commerce tracking applications enable you to gain more knowledge about your potential customers and convert a higher proportion of them into leads by providing you with more of a detailed insight into their online behaviour.

TIP 3: Make your website ‘social proof’ We can’t stress to you enough just how important social media is for businesses when it comes to raising brand awareness on a widespread scale. According to marketing automation platform, HubSpot, 92% of marketers in 2014 claimed that social media marketing was important for their business, with 80% indicating that their efforts increased traffic to their websites.

Given that fact, it’s hardly surprising that the availability of social media plugins for websites have soared in the last two years alone and is continuing to rise at a rapid rate.

Social plugins are a quick and easy way to extend your reach and engage your website visitors with social interaction. For instance, the latest round of plugins that were developed for Facebook enable customers to provide social proof by posting their feedback directly on the seller’s website in the same way as Google Reviews.

Need advice about any of the tips featured in this blog or perhaps you’d like to discuss how you could improve your website’s performance with us? Email us at [email protected] or call us on 0203 567 0860.

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Is Your Website Working Hard Enough?

Your website is one of your most important business investments. Why? Because it’s the ‘virtual’ face of your organisation and a valuable lead generation tool.

However, one of the fatal mistakes many companies make is to create a site, only to neglect it several months afterwards as they view it as nothing more than a tick-boxing exercise.

If you want your website to generate new leads that you can convert into new business, you need to be reviewing it regularly to ensure it’s constantly updated with fresh content and compatible with the latest design and technology developments.

Paying attention to your website is particularly important if you’re selling a service. For instance, you may be an e-commerce business that predominantly relies on your website for sales. Unfortunately, you’re less likely to sell your service or attract new customers if your visitors can’t even access your information while they’re out or about or in a hurry.

Not sure if you need to review your website yet? Here are 5 reasons you can’t afford to ignore:

It’s not responsive - is your website mobile friendly? 60% of internet access is made on a mobile device (InMobi) and 66% of mobile users find that web pages load too slow. (Keynote Systems Inc). Responsive design makes it easy for your users to view your site regardless of if they’re viewing via their desktop, smartphone or tablet.

Poor content – according to the Content Marketing Institute, 9 out of 10 organisations market with content. Carry out an audit of your copy. When was the last time you reviewed your content? Is it relevant to your target audience? Does it communicate your key messages? And is your proposition clear?

Weak images - we all come across websites from time to time that contain images that won’t show, text that appears disproportionate or out of place and some that just don’t appear properly at all. Content is obviously essential, but it’s your images that help balance your text and make your website more readable for visitors. A well-designed website that contains a good balance of copy, broken up with graphics, will increase your chances of people staying on  your site for longer, anTd returning.

Non-existent SEO – SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate, while outbound leads (such as direct mail or print advertising) have a 1.7% close rate (Search Engine Journal). Investing in organic SEO is essential to making sure you rank highly in search engine results. If you’re not moving forward and improving your ranking, you’re losing ground to your competitors.

Unclear call to actions - do you have call to actions on your pages? Are they clear? And are they easy to find because they’re positioned above the fold? According to Go-Globe, only 11% of companies (Fortune 500 Companies) have social media links above the fold and 47% of websites have a clear call to action button that takes users 3 seconds or less to see.

Are you paying attention to your website?

Want to find our more or discuss your website requirements? Email us at [email protected] or call 0203 567 0860.

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Speaking your language

We were pleased to hear about the recent changes to Britain’s rules on Chinese visas. After pressure from UK business leaders, the previously complicated process is to be simplified to encourage Chinese investment and strengthen the UK/China trade relationship.

We have an increasing number of Chinese clients based both here and in China – and this trend is set to grow. Despite the global downturn, China’s economy expanded by 8% between 2008 and 2012. The prime minister recently talked of our ‘deep complementary economies’, while London mayor Boris Johnson has been on a trade mission to China to attract businesses to his £1bn Asian Business Port at the Royal Albert Dock.

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is a government department currently focused on increasing business with China. It’s promoting the UK’s ‘open, transparent and business-friendly system’ to encourage Chinese businesses to set up in Britain, and a number of other initiatives are pushing the same message. The fact is, China is increasingly seeking investments in advanced, innovative economies like ours, and as a result, experts are expecting a rise in joint UK/China business ventures over the next 10 years.

But Chinese businesses can encounter problems when dealing with UK marketing and digital agencies, because of the specific issues involved. Most agencies – even the large ones – have no practical experience of working with Chinese businesses or meeting their objectives. For an agency to be successful, it is essential it fully understands its client’s offering, and differences in culture and language can make that difficult.

Make’s directors have lived and worked in China and speak Mandarin. We understand the Chinese business model (and culture) and crucially, how to make it work in UK and European marketplaces. We’re also up to speed on the latest government- and trade-driven initiatives for Chinese businesses, so we can advise our clients on all the help available to them.

Branding, digital expertise and marketing are critical elements to get right when bringing overseas businesses to domestic markets. With experience on both sides, we’re able to offer practical, commercial advice and expert design and development services to give Chinese businesses a proper foothold in the UK, and indeed to help UK businesses looking to tap into lucrative Chinese markets.

The lessons are the same wherever you’re from: know your audience, frame your message in a way that will appeal to them and do everything you can to hold their attention and foster their loyalty. If you need help applying these principles to your business, we’re here and happy to chat.

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Beware of the Black-Hatter

So you hire an online marketer, within a week your website traffic has tripled! You pat yourself of the back and celebrate with your staff. Then, one night when the moon is full, you suddenly realise you’ve been banned by most of the major search engines.

Your website won’t appear in a simple Google search, and your blog has been banished to the deepest darkest depths of the internet. You wonder how things could have gone so catastrophically wrong, when yesterday it looked so good.

This is the work of a Black Hat Marketer. If you are unfamiliar with the term, it’s basically someone who violates the ethics (yes, it’s a thing) of Internet marketing.

Black hatters proclaim to triple your web traffic, by working their magic on your website and improving your ranking on search engines, which they do, but by implementing generally frowned upon practices that tend to anger the Internet giants.

Say you are on Google searching for a reviews for a car you’re thinking of buying, but no matter what you type in, you are greeted by swathes of links for cheap hotels in Vietnam, or irrelevant YouTube fitness videos.

Basically the owner of the Vietnamese hotel has hired a Black hatter to promote their business, the hatter will then ‘stack’ as many irrelevant and well-used search terms together to increase the chances that someone will find their website. It’s a bit like adding tags to your photos.

Google’s main aim is to help people find what they are looking for and therefore doesn’t like it when people try to trick them. It even sends little mini algorithms (lovingly dubbed ‘Spiders’) through the web to make sure that the content of your page actually matches the links provided.

If it finds that your website proclaims to sell televisions yet is has hundreds of tags linking you to protein powders, cat photos and possibly Vietnamese hotels, it will identify you as someone trying to dupe the internet into giving you more traffic. You will then, rather ceremonially be banished from the search engine entirely or even receive a hefty fine. (Yup, Google can call the fuzz on you).

The easiest way to check your new marketing ‘guru’ is legit, is to search for the websites they claim to have promoted and check that: a) They are still visible on the major search engines and b) They actually seem to have some sort of social presence on Facebook or Twitter. If you have indeed fallen victim to the Wiley-ways of a Black-Hatter, then don’t panic! There’s still hope, but you have to act sooner rather than later if you want to convince Google that you’re acting properly.

Use the Disavow tool by Google, it will disassociate you from any spammy links. You should also try creating content and using relevant links to increase your ranking online.

The moral of the story is, building a web presence takes time. Unless you are Britney’s sister, in which case just release a video of yourself wielding a massive KNIFE in a sandwich shop.

Need advice about any of the tips featured in this blog or perhaps you’d like to discuss how you could improve your website’s performance with us? Email us at [email protected] or call us on 0203 567 0860.

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DHH studio’s renewal posters are contemporary take on couplet tradition.

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Zutik, a design by Jean Louis Iratzoki for Alki

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Is My Website Losing Me Money?

In this day and age, having a website is a necessity. But not all websites are created equal. Many businesses miss out on opportunities thanks to a sub-standard web presence. Here are the main areas in which websites can end up losing you money:

Mobile Readiness

If you’re not mobile ready, you’re probably missing out on potential web traffic, enquiries and ultimately revenue. Last year, 30% of Internet traffic came from mobile devices, therefore websites who have not adapted their content to fit the mobile generation are at a significant disadvantage.

E-Commerce

Are you a retail business? If so do you have an e-commerce function? If not you’re missing a trick. The worldwide expansion of the Internet has transformed the way we shop. Last year 12% of retail sales were made online, and the figure is set to keep growing, particularly with the rise in m-commerce from tablets and smartphones. E-commerce is fast becoming a necessity to stay in the game.

Website Content

Is your site full of useless information? Are your key selling points effectively communicated? Your website should be easy to navigate, clear, and engaging. If it’s not, your customer may be switching off. Make sure you use a professional copywriter who understands the pain points of your audience personas. Don’t alienate your audience; use language that will resonate. And make sure you add in a call to action so customers can reach you.

Website Design

Is your website looking tired and out-dated? A badly designed website makes your company look unprofessional. Internet users are much more sophisticated than they used to be, and expect to find what they are looking for quickly and easily. If your website isn’t up to scratch, they will quickly leave and click on another site. So make sure you stay in the game with a professionally designed, easy to navigate website which reflects the nature of your offering clearly.

Imagery

Are you using the best images to sell your offering? Imagery is one of the most powerful tools in design. Imagery can be used with to support the branding, for example a company logo, or add depth to the content, for example breaking up a long piece of text with pictures. It is important to use graphics and pictures that support your brand and message.

Hosting & Maintenance

Is your site clunky and slow? This is the fastest way to repel customers as they will quickly become frustrated with the long loading times and look elsewhere. It is important to make sure you are hosting the site correctly. Browsers and mobile software are constantly evolving. Is your business’s website ahead of the curve? If you’re not up to date you’re likely to be losing traffic, and in turn losing customers!

At Make we are specialists in all aspects of both on and off line marketing. If your website isn’t working hard enough, you’re likely to be losing potential customers. At Make we will ensure your website is at it’s optimum performance level. Get in touch for an informal chat about how we can help!

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3 Steps To Targeting Your Market

One of the biggest challenges new businesses face is attracting the right customers. Very few companies offer a product or service that is appealing to the entire population, but smart businesses use this to their advantage and target their marketing towards the right people. For new business you need to ensure you’re reaching the correct audience, with the correct messages.

1. Define your target market

Think about what problems your business can solve, and who is likely to experience those problems. Think about your offering to the marketplace, and what particular areas your company has experience in. Then start to paint a picture of your target customer. Where do they live? What industry do they work in? How old are they? Are they male or female? A well-defined target market is the first step to a successful marketing strategy.

2. Understand how they think

For marketing to resonate, you need to fully understand your customer. A typical Make client thinks they know their customer well, however there is a lot more to be learnt about the online behaviours of your customer base. What do they like? What don’t they like? What are they reading? What are they buying? Understanding your customer’s personas means you understand your potential customer’s pain points and buying drivers. Persona setting is the key to successful marketing.

3. Adapt your marketing

Once you understand your customer base, it’s time to adapt your marketing to target them. Find out where they are, what they are viewing, and what they respond to, and plan your campaign accordingly. At Make we tailor specific marketing messages, supported with high-end graphic design and development techniques that will resonate with your desired audience.

Make create campaigns that work because we understand you customer’s buying habits. For an informal chat about how we can improve your marketing efforts, please get in touch on 0203 567 0860.

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What to do When Your Website Goes LiveYou’ve formed your business plan. You’ve built an amazing website. It’s gone live. Now what?

The work doesn’t stop there. Building up traffic and customers takes time and effort, and often the hardest part is getting started. But follow our quick guide, and your website will soon be established in the marketplace.

1. Make your site SEO friendly

The higher your site appears in the search results, the more traffic you will get, therefore the process of search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial. Either employ a specialist SEO company, or use tools such as Google Adwords to find keywords to target, and edit your content to include those keywords.

2. Promote it via email

When you have launched your website, send out a newsletter to let people know it exists. Create a list of current or potential customers; agencies such as Make can use their data lists to come up with a list of potential customers in the desired industry to contact.

3. Start social media promotion

Set up the company’s social media accounts. Twitter is a good all-rounder, Google+ can help boost search results, LinkedIn is good for B2B businesses, whereas Facebook is a necessity for B2C. Pinterest is also advised for retail companies. Start following relevant people and organizations and posting updates to build your follower base.

4. Start a blog

A company blog is fast becoming not an additional luxury, but a necessity to connect with your customer base. Blog articles are great to post on social media and target keywords for SEO. High quality content is the best way to boost your following online as good articles are often shared and discussed by other users.

5. Create PPC adverts

Pay-per-click banner advertisements can be a great way of directing traffic to your website, particularly if they are well-targeted. You can also pay for your site to appear at the top of the search results for particular keywords. This is also a great advertising tactic, especially if yours is a niche site as competition will be low, meaning lower costs.

Success doesn’t happen overnight, at Make we’ll set you on the right track!

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It’s Time for Your Business to go Mobile!

It’s official: mobile is the way forward. Previously mobile phones were getting smaller; now they are getting bigger. Tablets sales are rising. We spend a lot of our lives waiting around, whether it be a long train journey to work, or simply waiting for our food to arrive at a café, and we need something to occupy ourselves with. So it makes perfect sense that people are doing an increasing amount of their Internet surfing through mobile devices.

Last year, mobile devices accounted for 30% of Internet traffic. 1 in 7 searches now come from mobile devices. Mobile ad spending is set to be $20.6 billion in 2015. It has even been predicted that mobile web traffic will overtake desktop and laptop web traffic by the end of the year.

So what does this mean for businesses? Well, the main thing to do is upgrade your web presence to fit the mobile generation. The platform fragmentation of mobile devices, mobile operating systems, and browsers means that mobile web access can suffer from usability problems. The smaller physical size of mobile devices limits the display resolution and the user’s operating abilities, which results in difficulty viewing the content on websites who have not adapted their website accordingly. As mobile users are making up an increasing number of your site views, this can lead to missed opportunities.

There is where Make come in. In addition to high quality web design, we also offer mobile and app design services. We will ensure that your mobile website will be smart, intuitive, and very easy to navigate in order to ensure that the user remains engaged and informed during their time spent on the platform. Contact us today, and together we can make your website a key player in the mobile marketplace.

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Which Ecommerce platform?

We’re often asked what the best platforms for ecommerce sites are. There are hundreds to choose from – some very basic that can be set up in minutes, others more involved and customisable. 

Each has particular strengths suited to particular types of business, so the first thing we do with new ecommerce clients is review their organisation – it’s size, requirements, ambitions, market and resources – and make a recommendation based on our findings.

Three platforms we’ve worked extensively with are Magento, Shopify and WooCommerce. Here’s a quick rundown of their main benefits.

Magento is one of the most popular shopping carts with over 200,000 sites currently live. It’s considered the choice for serious ecommerce professionals because it’s completely customisable. It’s open source, so free to use, but to get the best from it you’ll have to pay an experienced programmer for development work.

Shopify powers about 100,000 sites, and is a great solution for small start-ups. You can launch a store on Shopify in minutes with zero programming – unsurprisingly then, it’s gained a reputation as one of the easiest to use ecommerce platforms. Transaction fees apply, but they’re generally pretty cost-effective considering it delivers a ready-to-use solution.

WooCommerce has seen massive growth since its launch in 2011. A free plugin for the ever-popular CMS WordPress, it was named the 2014 Technology Growth Award Winner, and it’s currently more popular with smaller sites than Magento. It provides all the basic features you need for online selling, and more complex features can be added via additional plugins. Naturally, it’s a popular choice among WordPress website owners.

Choosing the most appropriate platform is one of the most important decisions an online retailer has to make. The online sales process has to be as smooth, efficient and user-friendly as possible to encourage customers to return. We’ve helped businesses of all sizes make the right decision, so if you need advice, we’re ready to help