You can’t just expect people to show up to your website… you need a strategy to drive them there!

SEO is one marketing strategy to increase website traffic, and when done well (often with the help of an SEO strategist!) it’s incredibly effective. It’s especially important for local businesses!

We sat down with SEO expert Alanna Hawley and asked her some questions about SEO for small business owners.

Your website should encourage your audience to engage with you. If it doesn't, then it's a dead end 🚧 — and then what's the point?

If you aren't successfully collecting any leads from your website, you may have a CTA problem.

So… what is a CTA, and how can you improve yours?

Brand photos are a vital representation of your business — especially on your website, where visitors’ first impressions of you, your services, and your brand's overall vibe will be visual.

If you’re like me you probably do not love having your photo taken because you feel awkward in front of the camera. (What the F do you do with your hands?!)

But, with a little bit of advance prep you can help feel a little more at ease & confident on photoshoot day… so you'll have photos you're proud to show off!

People want to connect with people, not companies.

This means that businesses of all sizes must take more of a personal approach to their marketing in order to build the authentic relationships that their customers now expect.

Here are some strategies to do just that.

Establishing a presence for yourself online can be really scary. It definitely requires being vulnerable to put yourself out there!

But personal branding is an opportunity to influence the public perception of who you are. It empowers you to achieve your goals and build meaningful connections with other people.

How do you make sure your website actively generates growth for your business? Make sure you have these 5 website essentials.

Metrics can be daunting, but having even a basic understanding of the key terms can give you a clear idea of how to improve your website or your marketing strategy to achieve better business results.

Here's a quick primer on the most important website analytics terms to look for, and how to interpret the data.

If you're a small business owner — especially a local business — search engine optimization (SEO) is one of your most critical marketing strategies.

People won't just ~show up~ to your website — you have to find ways to send them there! And SEO is one of the best ways to increase quality website traffic.

Here's a quick primer on why you need it and when's the best time to invest.

Businesses evolve and change over time, and it's important that your website also changes to reflect these shifts and to continue bringing in new business.

Incremental website updates only get you so far until it's time for a total refresh. But how do you know when it's time?

One of the most frequently overlooked considerations of launching a successful business is that it's not simply about the product — it's about the brand.

It's really tough to think of your business as something separate from you — especially if it's you that you're promoting, and when it's so connected to your identity!

But it's key to separate yourself from your brand to some degree so that the brand can flourish as its own entity. Here are some tips!

Social media marketing is NOT easy. I've been doing it for well over a decade, and I've learned a lot by trial & error… and some lessons have been harder to swallow than others.

Now, my goal is to share those lessons with you so you don't have to learn the hard way like I did!

In our digital world, brand photos are a MUST for any small business and service-based entrepreneur to promote themselves online. But many of us were not meant to be models!

So how do you get past any awkwardness to achieve brand photos that show confidence and reflect your brand?

As a website designer, I spend a *lot* of time browsing the interwebs and checking out websites… which means I see a lot of faux pas!

These are some of the most common website mistakes I’ve seen — and how you can avoid them.