Member Blog

In times of difficulty, think outside the box.

Now may not seem a good time to think about increasing (or starting) exports from UK to other countries.  Brexit has slowed development of sales to Europe and Covid has affected our development of sales here and further afield.  

Surely, all countries are in the same boat?  Yes, but some are further ahead in recovery than the UK – perhaps because their problems started earlier, or because they were not hit as hard.  Although opportunities for sales growth are temporarily constrained for the UK, this doesn’t mean there are no opportunities – one answer is to look abroad

With Coronavirus, Far Eastern countries were hit first, and often hardest.  However, this also means they are now among the first to recover.  My experience of the Far East, especially of China, suggests opportunities are increasing there by the day.  The signs are that they are recovering rapidly – much faster than western markets”

Taking China as an example, fast recovery, alone, is attractive to Western exporters. However, there are extra advantages which UK companies are particularly well-placed to grasp.

1. There is a large and concentrated population within China of high-income consumers who favour Western foods, particularly those foods regarded as luxury or special items. These are the very items which they are, now, temporarily, denied

1. High-income consumers in China are concentrated in a few areas associated with points of import (mostly seaports).  Even though these are relatively tew, the populations of their catchment areas are huge.  
2. Chinese consumers favouring western foods are concentrated in the better developed cities and provinces, with better access to imported goods

1. British products are seen as desirable among Chinese consumers as they are associated with our history and culture – seen as attractive.

Sinofoods was founded by a UK food professional with over 25 years’ experience in China (as a long-term resident) preceded by a similar period in food manufacturing and technology in the UK. Associated with food and regulatory experts within China and SE Asia, we are well positioned to help western companies to succeed in China.

For many food products, import into China is simple.  However, there are many, often minor, differences in regulations between the two markets which seem to present impenetrable barriers.  Most of these are simply based on a lack of understanding of each other’s food cultures and, therefore, regulations.

Before embarking upon a ‘Chinese adventure’ it is essential that any obstacles or roadblocks are identified in advance; with many products there will only be one chance to get it right!  At Sino Food we specialise in advising companies through the various phases of product design, manufacture, labelling and import.  Once this part is correct and the product is right for the China market, we can also, if required, help with the importing, customs issues, etc. through partner organisations based in China.

For an initial, no commitment discussion of the opportunities for your company, or for more information on the way forward, please contact me at [email protected]

Huxley Events & The Crime Lab team up to create the next 30 Minute “LunchBreak Live” Session on “Is Your Boss A Psychopath”!

Is Your Boss A Psychopath? A question I’m sure we’ve all asked ourselves, well now is your chance, in this fantastic 30 minute session to explore;

• What is a psychopath?
• Do you know a psychopath?
• Do you have psychopathic tendencies?
• Take the interactive psychopath test!
• Concluding with…Is your boss a psychopath?

The Event: Friday 27th August 2021 12:30-1:00pm BST Zoom Event Only £8 per ticket

Book Your Tickets Here: https://bit.ly/3CX5KCt

About LunchBreak Live We know your time is precious and you don’t always have time for “fun things” especially during the working day!

LunchBreak Live are quick, interesting 30 minute talks on a variety of fun, light-hearted topics, focusing on psychology and true crime. Think “Is Your Boss a Psychopath”, “Offender Profiling” and “Murky World of Psychopaths” (and much more).

The Presenter The experience will be delivered by Steve Gaskin a former Murder Squad Detective Chief Inspector at New Scotland Yard. He is also an adviser to BBC Silent Witness and a forensic psychologist.

Duration: 30 minutes How It Runs: You will receive a link to follow online to, ready for the video call. We use the online platform “Zoom” to deliver our experiences. You will be able to see and hear Steve during his talk. There will also be the opportunity to post questions (and time dependant, Steve may be able to answer these). Recommendations This is the perfect experience to share with friends or colleagues! Make sure you invite your friends and family to purchase a ticket as well! This is an online masterclass, and you will not be required to attend a venue.

Huxley Events & The Crime Lab offer Private Corporate Talks, Team Building & Experiences. To find out more, contact the team at [email protected] or visit www.huxleyevents.com (or for ticketed events visit www.thecrimelab.co.uk)

Book Your Tickets Here & Find Out More: https://bit.ly/3CX5KCt

The phrase ‘your money your life’ (YMYL) has become increasingly important in the world of Google and search engine optimisation (SEO). The phrase relates to topics and subject areas online which as you might imagine, have the potential to affect people’s money and their lives more broadly.

There are a wide range of topics which are encompassed within the YMYL sphere which include (but are certainly not limited to):

• Loans and personal finance
• Health and healthcare
• Insurance
• Online gambling, bingo and casinos
• Some areas relating to mental health

There are also various areas which fall into the remit of YMYL as they may even indirectly affect those specific areas of a person’s life.

For example, when it comes to things like brain injury solicitors and compensation claims, although not necessarily within the above remit of YMYL, it can still affect a person in the same way as those mentioned, should something untoward, or ‘less than kosher’ occur, in a way that various other areas cannot do.

What Are the Implications of YMYL?

Although in the case of any industry online, the likes of Google and other search engines and social media platforms take strict stances, such are the potential ramifications, YMYL is a specific area of focus for Google.

In past years, unscrupulous people have exploited loopholes in Google and other platforms’ algorithms and have been able to market shady products to unsuspecting customers.

In the case of loans and personal finance, in the early days of payday loans in the UK, there were providers who were in essence, no more than loan sharks, that managed to rank online and offer potentially desperate customers appealing offers, only to later on exploit and overcharge them.

Thus, in the case of Google, they have openly admitted to developing specific features within their rankings and algorithm, to judge and assess topics and areas within YMYL in their own right. This means that as far as possible, only honest and true experts in potentially very impactful areas can rank, while those who may try and ‘chance’ ranking in areas of high repercussions, will find it much more difficult.

YMYL and Advice

More than a few people each day use ‘Doctor Google’ to try and understand and diagnose conditions. Although there are reputable providers of such information online, like the NHS in the UK and the FDA in the USA, there have in the past been unscrupulous people who have tried to exploit the need for knowledge and health information for unsavoury means.

Thus, when it comes to information, much like it does for products and services, the YMYL algorithm and terms and conditions will also apply, with users and honest people browsing in mind.

A website’s design is very much influenced by the industry it is situated in. For example, you wouldn’t expect to see a floral design on a law firm’s website, nor a clean, minimalist design for a kids entertainment site. 

But why is this? 

To understand why certain styles and designs are better suited to specific industries, we have included some of our favourite examples where this is abundantly clear. Let’s delve deeper into these designs and the decisions made behind them. 

Wagg & Purr

We recently designed and built Wagg & Purr’s first website, behaviour specialists dedicated to providing expert cat and dog training in Norwich, Norfolk. Wagg & Purr’s goals and core values focus on a fun, friendly approach to training and this is what we were tasked with communicating via their website.

Enter the illustrative approach we took for Wagg & Purr. Originally we were using imagery for the visual elements, but after finalising the speech mark inspired logo, it felt right to keep this consistency throughout the website. 

A big part of Wagg & Purr’s personality is their love for animals, including their love for their own pet. To highlight this, we used Lauren’s – director of Wagg & Purr – own beloved companion, Poppy, as the face of the website. Many pet owners connect with each other over their four-legged friends, by featuring Poppy and other pets across the website, users are able to resonate with Lauren and these personable touches. The target audience is looking for someone who will take a gentle approach with their pets and who cares about their well being just as much as they do.

We always carry out background research and work closely with our clients before beginning the design of a website. Not only to correctly present the business online, but to also help users find the type of business they’re looking for to help with their search. 

Rockthorn

On the other end of the scale, we have Rockthorn who provide quality plant hire throughout the UK. Due to the scale of their target audience, it’s crucial that Rockthorn’s website is clear, displays their key plant hire equipment, and is easy to look through. 

Balancing what users in this industry need and what the company can provide was our biggest challenge here. For Rockthorn, we planned and designed an option which offers all the functionality of an e-commerce website, with the ability to add the equipment a user needs to their basket, select their desired dates and submit a quote request as opposed to purchasing then and there. This allows Rockthorn to contact the customer and form a more personable and long term relationship with their clientele. 

The design uses lots of square blocks and two bold colours to ensure absolute clarity for a user landing on the site. The majority of users won’t be too invested in illustrations or imagery of the company, the importance here is that users can easily find the equipment they need and get in touch with Rockthorn to hire them out, a trusted supplier of plant hire. 

Bluespace

As creative office designers, Bluespace needed a striking website which showcases their talented and innovative commercial designs. The opening sequence upon entry to the site is purposely delayed, to allow the user to take in the visual aspects of the website. This website is certainly an indulgent one, and rightly so, portraying their high end, luxurious office designs. Bluespace create bespoke designs and required a bespoke website to mirror that. 

The most popular section on the website is the case studies, and to no surprise, people want to see examples of the work they’re capable of before deciding if they’re the commercial interior designers for them. Because of this, we feature their most recent case studies on the homepage and these consistently pop up throughout the website. With delayed loads and animations throughout, the user quickly becomes familiar with Bluespace’s dynamic designs. 

CORE Technology 

We’ve recently had the pleasure of designing and building the website for CORE Technology who provide high quality security systems, automated living solutions and commercial technology installations… unsurprisingly, a fast moving and innovative industry, which would be no exception for the website.

For this design, we knew we needed to set the standard in the industry and decided to use the website to reflect the innovation standard of CORE Technology, and we think we got it spot on. With features such as the interactive cursor, parallax scroll and animated transitions, we quite literally needed to add an extra dimension to showcase the capabilities of this company.

Why is an industry relevant design important?

A design should be tailored to the desired audience and depending on your industry, this is unique to each one. Websites continually evolve over the years, as do user expectations, you need to ensure your website provides an experience bespoke to your industry and users which keeps up with this. 

As a business, optimising your website to fit in with the aims of your target audience is a sure way to raise conversions, put you one step ahead of your competition, and create a level of trust with users that you know what you’re doing. Putting across your unique selling points and incorporating a design that supports these is key to winning over your target audience. 

Here at Nu Image we can help and love nothing more than the feeling of creating a website that fully captures the personality of your company. We give our all and are always looking for a new challenge. If you need a bespoke website for your business then get in touch with us today on 01603 859007 to see how we can help you.

With lots of everyday services moving online, from healthcare to shopping, access to technology is becoming vital to our day to day lives. But some in society face major challenges when trying to access the world online.

In the UK it’s estimated that 16.3 million adults lack core digital skills, and 1.9 million homes have no access to the internet – meaning there is a whole section of society which needs support to ensure they can access the opportunities presented by the digital world.

The digital divide has always existed but has become more evident in the last year as the Covid-19 pandemic forced big parts of our lives – including work, school, and socialising – to move online. As a result of this, now, more than ever, work is being done to tackle the issue. In order to bridge the divide, people need access to three key things: equipment, connectivity and skills.

Currently, charities up and down the country are working to ensure everyone has access to technology. CityFibre has worked to support this, partnering with charities including The Hive, a digital library which loans equipment to those that need it, and Donate Digital, which upgrades and redistributes donated equipment.

A device is just the beginning – a reliable internet connection is vital to accessing online services. CityFibre is investing up to £4 billion to bring the best connectivity – Full Fibre – within reach of up to eight million homes, 800,000 businesses and 400,000 public sector sites.

Working with councils and housing associations across the UK, including here in Norwich our whole city approach ensures that everyone has the same opportunity to access the network.

We are also working to ensure that people have the skills and confidence to use technology. CityFibre has supported various charities across the UK who work with the over 55s to help them develop the skills they need to get online. We are also supporting the next generation, working with coding workshops to help young people and their families develop technology skills.

Our Full Fibre networks also support the development of skills, as a reliable and fast connection ensures that people have a good experience online, encouraging them to explore technology and make full use of the opportunities it brings.

While the last year has made the digital divide more obvious than ever, it has also acted as a catalyst with more people working to tackle the problem both locally and nationally. There is still a lot to be done but working together we can all make a difference.

Our investment into community-wide Full Fibre networks is an important step in getting more people online, but there is lots we can do as individuals too. Don’t throw out your old technology – donate it to charity; and if you see someone struggling, support them to get online. This will make sure that as we move into a new, more digital world, no-one gets left behind.

To find out more or register an interest in the service go to cityfibre.com/east

Tudor Lodge is delighted to be working with Hoopla Loans (https://www.hooplaloans.co.za/) – using our expertise of the UK and US lending market and transferring this overseas to South Africa.

We were approached by Hoopla to help with their SEO (search engine optimisation) and help overcome their fall in rankings following a Google algorithm update that impacted the brand in June 2021.

Google has an algorithm update every few months to ensure that users get the best quality in searches – and sometimes this can impact even well-known and successful companies. So to overcome this, Tudor Lodge were hired to reassess their on-site and off-site work and help get the site back to the top of Google and ranking where it deserves to be. 

We have undertaken the following steps to recover the website’s rankings:

Technical fix-up

We started with Hoopla Loans with a technical fix-up, running through all the meta-titles, descriptions, headings, internal links, external links, sitemaps and images – to make sure that the site is technically clean from top to bottom. This ensures that the site can be optimised and indexed fully from this point onwards. In terms of the meta-titles, we ensured that these were optimised specifically for Google’s loans algorithm, making sure that they include certain words and phrases to maximise performance. With technical SEO 99% complete, this gives us the opportunity to build on other areas such as scaling up the content and improving the backlink profile and from this point onwards, we will only need to make small technical adjustments, since getting this out of the way early is of paramount importance.

Fresh content

A great way to get re-indexed by Google is to upload new and fresh content, as a way to say ‘Hi Google, come index me.”

We have created more than 10 new landing pages which are more than 1,000 words long and include a range of target keywords to help rank for all the loan related search terms. With fresh content, this is an excellent way to get back into Google’s good books and next we can work on a number of guides and blog posts to consolidate Hoopla’s position in the industry as an expert.

New links and backlink clean-up

The backlinks are key to any SEO campaign and this refers to any links that point back to the Hoopla website from external sites. With some good links and some spammy links in the background, we made a conscious effort to remove any low quality links and replace them good, authoritative links from real sites. We have started with a round of 10 good quality links and am to increase this to 20,30 and 50 over the remainder of the year, building up strong authority from real, newsworthy and business-focused websites.

In terms of results, the website saw an initial spike following the implementation of our changes. We expect to see slow, but strong changes emerge in the coming weeks. But as with Google’s temperamental algorithm, we may have to wait until the next update to see the true value of our work – and this could be within a matter of months. 

It is time to recognise the greatest CEOs in the UK for 2021. Glassdoor’s Employees Choice Awards honoured the leading thought-leaders for 2021 who are, not only driving their companies forward with their exceptional strategy and execution, but they are also engaging and motivating their employees, so much so that their employees have left stunning reviews on Glassdoor.

It is proven and evident that CEOs make more money when compared to regular workers. For example, Tim Steiner, chief executive of online supermarket Ocado is one of the highest paying bosses in the UK. Similarly, Denise Coates was paid a total of 421 million in GBP last year due to her successful year with bet365 online betting platform and casino. Whether this discrepancy is justified remains subject to great debate. However, Daniel Pryor, head of programmes at the Adam Smith Institute claims that

‘CEOs are key to success… It’s quite clear there are a limited number of people that have the skills, the personality and disposition to be the CEO of a top company, and those limited number of people are highly sought after.’

In 2021’s Employees’ Choice Awards, Glassdoor has revealed the top 50 CEOs, featuring chief executives across various industries including technology, finance, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and more.

Glassdoor’s own CEO, Christian Sutherland-Wong, claims that ‘company leaders around the world faced unprecedented challenges to support employees during the COVID-19 crisis. Now, the employees have spoken and it’s clear that these CEOs excelled and found new ways to support their people when the world of work flipped upside down.’

He also claims that ‘it’s inspiring to see Top CEOs who, according to their employees, adapted to change, redefined visions and led with transparency while putting the health and safety of employees first.’

BlackRock’s CEO Laurence D. Fink earned first place in 2021’s Awards. He had been featured in the Top 50 CEOs in the UK list each year ever since 2017. Fink has pushed towards sustainability to transition to a net-zero economy. BlackRock and Fink are setting a great example by aiming to make the commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner. According to reviews, Fink has been admired to have strong executive leadership while also handling frequent communications with his employees.

Glassdoor’s list includes 80% newcomers in 2021 including British Heart Foundation’s Dr Charmaine Griffiths and the LEGO Group’s Niels B. Christiansen. The Top 10 CEOs in 2021 in the UK are:

1. BlackRock’s Laurence D. Fink (99 percent approval)
2. Microsoft’s Satya Nadella (99 percent approval)
3. Softcat’s Graeme Watt (99 percent approval)
4. The LEGO Group’s Niels B. Christiansen (98 percent approval)
5. British Heart Foundation’s Dr. Charmaine Griffiths (98 percent approval)
6. UBS’s Ralph Hamers (98 percent approval)
7. Roche’s Severin Schwan (98 percent approval)
8. Unilever’s Alan Jope (98 percent approval)
9. Airbus’s Guillaume Faury (98 percent approval)
10. PepsiCo’s Ramon Laguarta (98 percent approval)

Congratulations to all the CEOs honoured in 2021 and thank you for trying to make the workplace a better place for your employees!

When it comes to work and business, there are no ‘perfect’ answers with regards to what is the magic potion to success. However, confidence is key, as in all walks of life and therefore, if you can increase and enhance your confidence in work, business and even further afield in life, there are many benefits to be had.

There are many ways in which you can help boost and improve your confidence even if you are a naturally shy and unassuming person in a particular environment.

You should remember though, that you will need to take a leap of faith to start out with; taking those steps towards wanting to improve yourself and your confidence which will in turn improve your work and business.

Online Courses

You may consider a whole host of online courses that can help you with your confidence both generally or in particular situations. For example, if you are having problems with presenting to colleagues and others, undertaking some presentation skills training courses could do you the world of good.

These courses are geared towards helping you overcome some of the particular problems and obstacles you may well face on the way to successfully presenting anything from a standard pitch deck or strategy document all the way to pitching for large investments and funding for a startup.

Jump in the Deep End

Until you try something you will never really know and understand what it will take to conquer it. The same applies when it comes to anything requiring confidence in business. If for example you find yourself struggling with presenting to groups of people or perhaps you find yourself struggling when it comes to a particular kind of business engagement, try and muster up the courage to just give whatever it is a go anyway.

You may well surprise yourself and find that you are better under a little pressure. You may also find that there are only small elements of whatever the challenge is that you struggle with and, overcoming those you will find yourself well on the path to success.

Ask, Ask and Ask Again

As the saying goes: “the only bad question is the one that isn’t asked.” This resonates and is very much the case in work and business. If there is something you need to improve at and if there is something you are not sure about, the best thing you can do is ask for assistance or help from a manager, partner or acquaintance, who will more than likely be happy to help.

It doesn’t tend to be a problem if someone, be they new or experienced asks many questions or makes the odd mistake. After all, we are all human. The only time a problem will arise is if a question that should have been asked is not and then a big and impactful error is made. Therefore, always ask questions and never shy away from seeking advice.

If you are considering investing in a franchise, you need to fully understand the costs associated with the process. This will help you to ensure the success of your new business through thorough budgeting and financial forecasting. While all franchises will bring some costs, the scale of expenditure can vary significantly depending on various factors. For example, if you invest in a home-based business, your costs will undoubtedly be lower than if you need to hire office space. Here are some of the costs you can expect to incur when investing in a franchise.

Franchise Fee

The franchise fee is a one-off payment you make to the franchisor to acquire the rights to use their name, business model and sometimes manufacturing processes. Franchise fees can vary substantially between businesses. Sometimes they can be as low as £5,000, but if you plan to set up a full-service restaurant in a prime location, the fee could be north of £300,000.

This fee will generally reflect how much it costs the franchisor to set you up in business and the amount of support the franchisee requires. As a result, it is possible that if a franchise has a higher fee, it could be better value for money if the franchisor is willing to provide more support.

If you are searching for a low-cost franchise, then check out Franchise Local. Here you can compare what franchises are available within your budget and find one that fits your requirements perfectly.

Set-Up Costs

The set-up costs you are likely to have to pay will also vary depending on the nature of your investing business. As mentioned above, the overheads and set-up costs associated with a home-based business will be significantly lower than a restaurant would have to pay.

If you are selling the franchisor’s products, you will also need to stock up on inventory, which can entail significant costs depending on the nature of the business. If you need storage for these products, you may need a warehouse and vehicles to transport your inventory. Ultimately, the franchisor should clearly outline these costs before you invest, so you should have a good idea of the set-up costs before putting money down.

Royalty Fees

While the initial franchise fee is a one-off payment, you are still probably going to be expected to pay ongoing royalty fees to your franchisor. Most franchisors use royalty fees as part of their business model, so it is more likely than not that you will need to pay these. 

These can take the form of a fixed monthly fee payable to the franchisor or taken as a percentage of your profits or revenue. It is more common for the franchisor to take the fees as a percentage of sales, as it is easier to calculate. However, if your costs regarding sales are high, these can eat away at your profit margins.

Conclusion

In summary, there are many costs associated with franchises, and these vary depending on the nature of the business. Ultimately, when you pay for a franchise, you get many benefits for your money, so it is an excellent model for an aspiring entrepreneur.

In an ideal world, broadband would always work seamlessly without any glitches or interruptions. However, the reality is far from this. Everybody has experienced broadband issues at some point. Whether this is to do with speed, intermittent connection or even having no connectivity at all, it can be extremely frustrating. Particularly when something important, such as your work or social life are dependent on the broadband doing its job.

So, what are the most common broadband issues that people come to FreeClix looking to solve? And (more importantly) how do we solve them?

  1. Slow broadband speed

There’s nothing worse than pressing play and being met with the buffering symbol. When you’re trying to send an email, download a file or even order a new pair of shoes, you want to do it quickly right? Unfortunately for many people, fast internet speeds feel a million miles away. 

There are several reasons you may be experiencing slow broadband speeds, such as: 

• Broadband type – ADSL, which works through the copper wires of your phone, is the slowest broadband available. 
• Location – the further you are from the exchange, the weaker the broadband signal will be. 
• Provider – different providers offer different speeds. Some can provide much higher speeds compared to their competitors. 

FreeClix can help find the perfect broadband solution for you. If you’re struggling with old ADSL broadband or located far away from the telephone exchange, you might want to switch to 4G LTE broadband. The potential for superfast speeds will be much higher, even if you’re in an area with poor 4G signal. As the master distributor of SimRush, we can get you set up with a brand new 4G system that’s tailored to your individual broadband requirements. 

There’s nothing worse than pressing play and being met with the buffering symbol. 2. Internet dropping out 

Unreliable connectivity can be just as disruptive as slow broadband. You might be able to achieve great speeds which allow you to stream, video call and download with ease. However, if you’re only able to access these speeds intermittently then your connection isn’t much good to you. 

Dropouts are often caused by faulty or poor equipment, whether this be your router or your wiring – something likely needs upgrading. Lost connection can also happen as a result of congestion, where too many people are trying to use the same broadband infrastructure at once. 

FreeClix provides leased lines for totally private internet access that is dedicated to you. This means the service will be completely uncontended and won’t slow down or drop out at peak times. Leased lines are ideal for businesses who cannot afford to go offline. Internet dropouts will be a thing of the past. 

3. Can’t cope with demand 

This is an issue we are hearing more and more of since so many of us have started working from home. Your broadband connection that used to do the job is now falling well below par as it simply cannot cope with the extra stress of your increased online activity.

SimRush is business grade broadband that is designed to work in complex technical environments with high volumes of users. Switching to this 4G solution, will give you a quality, robust connection, with the option to extend the WiFi around the premises so you have full coverage.  You can be certain your home office will have excellent access to the internet! 

SimRush also works fantastically for internet failover. If you want to keep your existing broadband connection but feel it could use a little backing up, why not invest in a SimRush system that will integrate seamlessly into your set up? If anything goes wrong with your primary network, the SimRush will step in and keep things running smoothly so your working day is never disturbed. 

4. New broadband provision delays 

Often a new broadband installation requires new infrastructure to be put in place. Sometimes this can be a lengthy process requiring multiple engineer visits to complete.

In a lot of cases, waiting this long for a broadband connection is simply not an option. If connectivity is critical for you, why not invest in a solution that can be installed lightning fast.

SimRush does not require any existing infrastructure, such as a phone line, to work. We can simply carry out a desktop survey for your postcode to see which carrier will offer you the best 4G, choose the correct model for you and then organise your install. Even the installation itself is quick, taking around just two hours to complete.

You can have a full working system, providing reliable superfast speeds installed in no time at all!

  Get in touch

If you are experiencing any of these issues and want them solved, get in touch now! Our friendly team will help you find a broadband solution that works for you.

It’s safe to say that Google Ads could be the best decision you make as a business owner. With every Google search conducted – and trust us, there’s plenty – businesses are provided an opportunity to convert users on the website. 

Google uses Keyword Planner to gain insights into how keywords might perform and the volume of average monthly searches behind them. Using this forecasted data you can create specific ads in answer to these users’ searches. 

Are you currently running Google Ads? More importantly, are you utilising your Google Ads campaigns?

What are Google Ads? 

Formerly known as Google Adwords, paid search rebranded in 2018 to Google Ads. This is Google’s paid advertising system which allows website owners to bid on certain keywords in order to increase their chances of appearing more prominently in the Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).

The position of your ad is determined by your ad rank and this is graded against several factors including:

• Bid amount 

• Ad text quality and relevancy

• Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR) 

• Landing page experience

• Intent behind search 

If your ads aren’t scored highly for the above requirements, you will be penalised with low quality scores and, therefore, decrease your chances of appearing prominently on the first page of Google. As well as appearing in the top positions for the ad results, there is another reason for wanting a good ad rank; a better ad rank leads to a lower Cost Per Click (CPC), enabling you to acquire more clicks for less money. 

Around 40% of users click on the top three ad results in Google and the rest click on the top performing organic results, consequently running ads that don’t appear in the top three paid search results is a waste of time and money.

Whilst it’s relatively easy to set up Google Ads, it takes well thought out campaigns, in-depth keyword research and data analysis to ensure you make the most of every single click.

So, how can I improve ad rank?

In the complex world of Google Ads, it’s good to break down each area of weakness in order to work through it methodically and understand which change has contributed to an improvement in performance. Let’s start with landing pages…

Landing page experience 

Traditionally, the main web page a user would land on to start their journey on a website would be the homepage, however as users become more impatient for results, Google’s ranking selection has adapted to rank landing pages on your site that provide the user with an answer in fewer clicks. To the point where featured snippets have taken place as the #1 organic search result and enable the user to find their answer without clicking on a website at all, also known as a zero-click search. 

Therefore, it’s important that landing pages are designed and optimised to answer a specific search, enabling for a better user experience and higher conversion rate. 

Landing on the homepage or an irrelevant web page may lead to you losing the users attention immediately and them clicking off your website to find the information or product they’re looking for elsewhere. First impressions mean everything. 

For example, for our client Anglia House Clearance, we focused on ensuring that the range of locations where their house clearance services are available was prominent when you land on the website via the ads. Because of this, they noticed an increase in enquiries from customers further afield, as well as from those based in Norwich, Norfolk.

Nail your ad text 

Next, aligning your ad text to match the content on the landing page and the user’s search should increase your relevancy score and the chances of your ads appearing in front of your competitors.

Any misleading ad text could result in an irrelevant user landing on your website and bouncing back off, wasting your ad budget that could have been spent on a user who would have been more likely to convert. It’s a simple theory, but ensuring you’re getting in front of quality users will transform your conversion rate without having to increase the level of traffic arriving to your site via the ads. 

A great example of this is Golf Geeks, leading suppliers of secondhand golf clubs. Ensuring that users were not mislead into thinking the ads would take them to brand new golf clubs was a top priority, primarily to avoid user frustration, but also to decrease the number of users that click on an ad and click straight off the website when they realise the products are used, second hand or ex demo. Highlighting that the products are secondhand from the get-go via the ad text was of the utmost importance.

Choose your budget 

Choosing an ad budget requires careful research and planning, and is different for every industry. 

You’ll first need to decide on a campaign type;

• Search ads – these are the most common type of paids ads, text ads which sit at the top of the search results page.

• Display ads – image ads which appear on Google Partner sites and the display network.

• Video ads – these work similarly to display ads, you’ll often see these on Youtube.

• Shopping ads – the second most recognisable paid ad format, you will find these either at the top of the search results page or on the right hand side, and these normally comprise of a product image, price and link to the product.

Different campaign types will require more budget for wider exposure.

The rate at which your keywords are searched and the competitiveness of them will also impact the necessary budget required to run your ads throughout the day. You can use Google Keyword Planner to help with your decision on how much budget you need to keep up with the search volumes behind your keywords.

It’s important to remember you pay for each click you receive on an ad, therefore you’ll want to ensure you’re targeting the correct audience in order to prevent wasting budget that could have been spent somewhere else. 

Measure your Click Through Rate (CTR)

Understanding Click Through Rate is important when monitoring the success of your ads, this ratio shows how often people who see your ad end up clicking on them. Using this data will allow you to refine your keywords and tweak your ad text to improve CTR and, in turn, your conversion rate. 

What’s the intent behind the search? 

Knowing your audience and their intent behind a search is key to a successful campaign, without this understanding, you’ll end up wasting important leads because of misguided targeting. Ultimately, losing valuable budget that could have been spent elsewhere.  

The questions you should be asking yourself before settling on your keyword list include but are not limited to:

• Why are users likely to use your services over a competitor?

• What answer are they hoping to receive in response to their search? 

• Who’s ads currently pull through when searching your chosen keywords?

• Which landing page on your website returns the best answer to your search?

Taking these points into consideration when setting up or managing your ads, you should notice a positive change in performance. 

If you’re still bewildered by Google Ads, or intrigued by the prospect of rolling out ads for your business, our team of PPC wizards are always here to help. Contact us today on 01603 859007 or find out more about how our digital marketing services can help you here. 

4G and satellite internet both offer a potential solution for rural broadband issues. If you can’t access decent broadband via traditional methods, you might be considering switching to one of these alternatives. But which is better and why?

What is satellite broadband?

First let’s clarify what we are talking about.

Satellite broadband is connectivity provided through low-earth orbit or geostationary satellites. It requires a satellite dish to be placed on top of your home or business which sends and receives signals from the orbiting satellite. The principle is the same as watching TV from a service such as Sky, but instead of just receiving information, satellite broadband allows you to send it too.

Satellite internet connection can be provided virtually all over the world but is generally considered a last resort option.

What is 4G broadband?

4G internet is completely different to satellite.

4G broadband solutions use the same signal as your smartphone to access the internet. One way of doing this is through a dedicated 4G router which can handle multiple devices and traffic levels. Availability of 4G broadband is dependent on your location and how strong the 4G coverage is in your area.

How do they compare?

Before we dive into the details, here’s an overview of which option has the edge on the most important factors.

As you can see, 4G edges out satellite broadband for every factor except availability.

4G solutions are capable of much higher speeds compared to satellite broadband. Even more importantly, 4G broadband has significantly better latency at around 15-30ms compared to Satellite which is much slower averaging around 600ms. That’s a HUGE difference!

As a result, the user experience on 4G is far superior as there are fewer noticeable lags when doing more heavy-duty activities such as gaming or streaming.

4G broadband is also the more stable and reliable option out of the two. Although neither rely on physical cabling, with 4G broadband you are connected to a mast which is relatively nearby as opposed to being connected to a satellite that is thousands of miles away. Therefore, factors such as the weather are far more likely to impact a satellite service than a 4G connection.

Satellite broadband’s only win comes on availability. This is because it is an option for virtually any household, whilst 4G broadband is reliant on access to a 4G signal. However, 4G technology, such as SimRush, can pick up 4G signal even in areas where your mobile phone cannot. So, even if you’ve got poor signal in your area, 4G could still be a viable option for you!

Final verdict

Both alternative solutions are ideal options for rural areas. But when it comes down to which is going to provide a better service – it has to be 4G broadband!

If you’re struggling to get decent internet where you are give us a call and find out what our 4G broadband solution can do for you.