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  1. 10 Ways to Get Noticed with Google Plus

    The way sites are found on the Web has changed significantly in recent years. Search engine optimization or “SEO,” a term that refers to how sites are found in online searches, is now more socially driven and is likely to become moreso thanks to Google Plus (Google+). We recommend building a following on Google+ as an integral part of your online strategy as we expect it will play an increasingly important role in internet marketing going forward.

    Since using Google+ to its full potential can be game changer for business, we are providing this post as an orientation to the social platform. Here are 10 things you need to know:

  2. 10 Ways to Prepare for a Successful Year in 2014

    A brand new year is just around the corner. Are you prepared to make the most of the 365 days it offers? We’ve collected advice from around the web and compiled it here for your consideration as you finalize plans for 2014.

    • 1. Review your 2013 goals. Which ones did you meet? Which ones did you fail to meet despite your best intentions? What will you carry over to 2014, and what will you leave behind? Set action-based goals for the new year, assigning start-by and finish-by dates to each of them.

  3. 12 Last Minute Marketing Tips for the Holiday Season

    “Black Friday” is only one week away. Are you ready for the holiday shopping season? Could your business use a boost from the biggest shopping time of year?

    For anyone still considering last minute marketing for the holidays, here are 12 tips:

    • Competition for customers’ attention is never more fierce than during the holidays. To help cut through the clutter, create a consistent message and repeat it in numerous channels: email, text messages, website posts, holiday cards, social media, etc.

  4. 17 Content Marketing Tips for Busy Business Owners

    Content marketing is a useful and effective tool for generating website traffic and sales leads, but the demand of creating content can be heavy for the busy business owner. In a 2012 study by the Content Marketing Institute, more than six out of 10 respondents said their biggest content marketing challenge was “producing enough content.” For everyone who identifies with these survey participants, we have compiled this list of content marketing ideas that can be applied to your websites, blogs and social media.

  5. Web Design: Answers from the Pros

    What makes an effective website? We polled web professionals from North Carolina and beyond to get their answers. In this post, we’re pleased to share their varied opinions on the elements and techniques for building successful sites and the future of the web.

  6. Protect WordPress with Backups & Malware Scans

     

    Think website hackers and data theft is a only concern for governments and large corporations? Think again. A recent Forbes article online reported that 40 percent of cyber attacks are against companies with fewer than 500 employees. Yet many small and medium-size businesses are not taking adequate security measures to protect their websites.

    It is always wise to have systems in place for off-site file backup and malware protection.

  7. 11 Tips for Using Social Media to Help Potential Customers Find You

    “Ready or not, here I come!” As in the classic children’s game Hide and Seek, someone is looking for you – are you ready? Can customers find your business in the “social” marketplace?

    There are countless tools for promoting your business – from T-shirts, pens and business cards to billboards and local event sponsorships. Online, there are websites, landing pages, search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click ads and, now, social media.

    Yes, the online world has gone “social.” With increasing numbers of users on these platforms every day (across age ranges!), it appears they are here to stay. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest are among the most popular. Each of these provides new opportunities for your customers to “find” you (and for you to find them) every day.

  8. Is Your Website Tired or Wired?

     

    Your website is your business card to the world and, as such, you want it to successfully portray what you do. Whatever your line of work may be, your website needs to tell site guests your story and how you can help them. This “storytelling” may be accomplished through a variety of methods – words, pictures, graphics, video, etc. – all designed to encourage people to choose your services rather than those of your competitors.

    So how do you go about creating a website that successfully reaches your target audience? What elements does an effective website include? Is there a special trade secret that needs to be followed? The answers to these questions may vary depending on who you ask; a web designer, a graphics specialist and a writer will have differing points of view – all of them valid.

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