Brooke Desmond
Today, a well-structured website is more important than ever, and the first step to building this foundation is your sitemap. A sitemap lays out all the pages your website needs (with most of them being accessible in the navigation). Whenever we create a website for our clients, we take careful measures to plan the flow of content to make sure their target audience can find the information they need quickly. Whether you’re interested in revamping an existing site or creating a brand-new one, asking the right questions makes all the difference in building an effective website sitemap. Let’s delve into the essential questions you must ask to create a sitemap that serves your users and goals. 1. What Are Your Website’s Objectives? The first step in building a successful website sitemap is to clarify your website’s objectives. Ask yourself questions like: Understanding your objectives is crucial because it influences the […]
Read MoreSince opening our doors in 2009, we have seen our share of client types at GreenMellen. Just like marketing projects, no two clients we’ve worked with are the same, but there are a handful of consistent qualities (or ingredients) that create a strong agency/client relationship. In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing and business, in general, establishing a strong agency/client relationship is necessary to create the best deliverables and shared success. When executed correctly, this partnership can lead to seamless collaboration, sought-after results, and long-term growth. In this blog post, we’ll explore the ingredients that make up the (not so) secret recipe for a strong agency/client relationship. Constant and Transparent Communication At the heart of any successful relationship lies open and transparent communication. Both the agency and the client should establish clear channels of communication and set expectations from the beginning. Throughout the project, the agency needs to keep clients […]
Read MoreIf you’re looking to revamp your business’s current website or build a new one from scratch, you may be a little lost on where to start. Defining your website’s site plan (or sitemap as we call it) is an excellent place to start, which lays out all the necessary pages your website contains. Once you have this plan created, you can start writing website content, designing the pages, and launching your brand-new website. Not sure what pages need to be included on your website? Here is a starting list of the must-have pages your business website should have (and a list of nice-to-have pages if you feel they add value to your customers). Must-Have Pages 1. Homepage If we were playing “What Pages Should I Have On My Website Bingo,” the homepage would be the free space. Most people will enter your website through your homepage, as it serves as […]
Read MoreOf all pages on your website, your homepage is the most important. Your home page serves as the main entry for your entire website. It acts as the “face” of your digital presence. It also drives visitors to view the rest of your website. If you have a tacky, confusing, or poorly-designed homepage, it could steer viewers to click the back button on their browser in a matter of seconds. Why Your Website Home Page is Important Like the rest of your website, your homepage’s objective is to successfully market your brand and convert visitors into leads and, eventually, into customers. In short, your homepage should answer your visitor’s questions and encourage them to explore the rest of your website. While your homepage will be viewed by many, it’s important to keep the points mentioned below in mind for the rest of your website. If your other website pages are SEO-optimized like […]
Read MoreSince opening our doors in 2009, GreenMellen has built hundreds of websites for clients in various industries. We can say with great confidence that no website we have created over these years has been identical, but one lesson we have learned is that the projects that followed the same process were the most successful. What do we mean by successful? In this case, we’re not talking about website traffic, impressions, or conversions; we’re talking about the actual project of creating a new website from start to finish. A lot of work goes into the websites we create (for both the clients and us), and our goal is to ensure every one of our clients has a seamless, enjoyable experience while we all work toward a beautiful, custom website. Here are the biggest lessons we have learned to ensure a successful website project. Share Your Needs/Goals Before We Start the Project […]
Read MoreToday’s healthcare consumer is vastly different than a few years ago. Just like many other industries, consumers expect a user experience that’s both innovative and digitally advanced. This means healthcare systems have had to evolve to offer more online services and communication efforts, which has allowed patients to find the best provider for their needs (instead of going to the closest option). Even if you’re satisfied with your current patient count, continued success in your healthcare practice relies on a well-planned marketing strategy to keep your brand awareness alive and well (especially for those wanting to make a switch to a new practice). Here are the best ways healthcare professionals like you can utilize digital marketing to grow your business. Identify What Makes You Unique It might seem obvious to you what sets your practice apart from other healthcare professionals, but the truth is consumers tend to put all of […]
Read MoreAs a small business ourselves, we love helping other small businesses reach their full digital marketing potential. While you may have a small operation, there’s no need to keep your digital presence small (in fact, it’s the best way to beat out some of the big guys). The key to digital marketing success as a small business is to have a full stack of strategies on your side for maximum growth. Here’s what you need to know to get your small business’s online presence to shine. It All Starts With Messaging Effective marketing starts with a clear message. Before you can spread the word about your business, you have to know what to say. Through a messaging strategy, you’ll find the right words and tone making your digital marketing more focused and impactful. This includes how you talk about your business to different audiences, how you present yourself as the […]
Read MoreSitemaps and search engine optimization (SEO) are both important components of a strong website, but when they’re planned concurrently, they can take your website to the next level. Let’s see how SEO and sitemap creation go hand-in-hand and how they will work together to boost your search rankings. Difference Between SEO and Sitemaps To start, let’s take a look at the key differences between a sitemap and SEO. A sitemap is a hierarchy of web pages that make up a website. Search engines crawl a sitemap to find and identify any information that is applicable to a specific search query. To give you a better visual, here is what GreenMellen’s sitemap looks like. On the other hand, SEO can take on many forms, but the standard definition is: “the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or a web page from search engines.” Usually, […]
Read MoreThere is no denying that search engine optimization (SEO) copywriting is a powerful tool for your website. By taking the time to optimize your content for user intent, your website will become a valuable go-to resource for users who are looking for your products or services. SEO copywriting is a delicate balance between writing in a way that search engines understand and readable, easy-to-consume content that users are looking for. Luckily, search engines are built in a way to tailor their results based on user intent, and they’re constantly making improvements on how to improve their algorithms. Even with these constant updates, you should still take steps to meet search engine’s algorithm “checkmarks” through your SEO writing. If you’re not sure how to master this kind of writing, this post is for you! Start with Keyword Research Before you start writing, you need to know how to position your content […]
Read MoreWhen you outsource your digital marketing efforts or work with an agency on something new for your business (like your website), you’re building a partnership unlike any other. Getting the best final product or results requires a great deal of trust, transparency, and dedication on both sides. To ensure you’re getting the best possible outcome for your business, keep these tips in mind when working alongside your marketing agency. Make Sure All Necessary Stakeholders Are Involved In the project management world, stakeholders are defined as “individuals and organizations who are actively involved in the project, or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected due to project execution or successful project completion.” As you can see, by this definition, there are a lot of stakeholders to consider with your digital marketing project. When we say “make sure all necessary stakeholders are involved,” we don’t necessarily mean that one person from […]
Read MoreWordPress has built a reputation as a powerful, user-friendly content management system (CMS) that powers 40% of the Internet. At GreenMellen, it’s what we build our clients’ websites on, and WordPress websites are the only sites we manage through our improvement plans. Even with its ease of use for beginner WordPress users, we’d still highly recommend working with a WordPress expert on your website build, redesign, or ongoing maintenance. These professionals can help your website in ways you may not even realize. Here are the top five ways a WordPress expert can boost your website’s success and make your life easier. Save Time and Money (in the Long Run) The biggest benefit you’ll experience when working with a WordPress professional is freeing up your schedule to focus on your business. They thrive on analyzing and perfecting every technical nook and cranny of your WordPress website, which will ensure your website […]
Read MoreImplementing search engine optimization (SEO) strategies into your website can significantly improve your chances for exposure on search engine results pages (SERPs). Many factors play into where your web pages fall on SERPs, but SEO-friendly content is one of the best ways to give you this boost when executed correctly. If you’ve tried adding keywords into your website content, you’ve probably experienced challenges incorporating them organically. It can be overwhelming to write strong, persuasive website content on your own, and when you add SEO to the mix, it can feel even more daunting. Lucky, we have some tips and tricks to help streamline your SEO writing process. Check out these five tips to instantly improve your SEO writing skills. First, Perform Keyword Research If you’ve already performed keyword research, you can skip this section. But, if you’re starting from scratch (or are asking yourself, “what is keyword research”), this is […]
Read MoreWe’ve discussed the importance of having images on your website, but imagery goes far beyond your website. Adding visual elements that support your message to your marketing efforts (both digital and print) always elevates your pieces. To take this a step further, you could work with a photographer to create one-of-a-kind images to use on your marketing materials. By hiring a photographer, not only will you be able to use original images throughout your work, but they will be able to deliver a folder of “on-brand” images that follow your brand guidelines and can provide a cohesive look throughout all of your marketing. If you are considering hiring a photographer for your marketing needs, here are some things you can expect and tips on how to make this experience the most rewarding for your business. Come Up with a Realistic Budget The most significant consideration of working with a photographer […]
Read MoreEach of your web pages should be carefully crafted to not only paint a digital picture of your business, but also help push visitors down a marketing funnel. Along with content, headlines, calls-to-action (CTA), and buttons, website images are also a big part of what makes websites successful. Website images are especially important because most people (65% actually) are visual learners, and without a visual aid to support your website’s message and goals, your efforts could fall flat. It’s one thing to add just any old image to your website, but what takes it to the next level is selecting images that boost conversions. Meaning, visual web elements that actually drive potential customers to doing business with you. Here are some tips to help you choose the most impactful images for your website. Select Images that Evoke Emotion People tend to make decisions based on emotions, no matter if they’re […]
Read MoreService-based businesses drew the short end of the stick for displaying their offerings online. Unlike product-based businesses that can create galleries of their products to help users visualize what they’ll be purchasing, your business doesn’t have a clear, laid out path to showcase your service’s value. Sure, there are testimonials, before-and-after images, and other ways to demonstrate your authority and skillset, but getting someone to your website to view these is half the battle. That’s why service-based companies need to consider search engine optimization (SEO) as a part of their marketing strategy. If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at these top tips to improve your website’s SEO. Follow All General SEO Rules These rules are applicable for all businesses that want to improve their site’s SEO, not just service-based companies. Here’s a shortlist of the must-have rules to follow: Avoid duplicating content. Search engines will know […]
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