Highstreet media - The fastest way to grow business

If you’re just getting started with optimising your new website for search engines and are wondering how long it takes from start to finish to take your site to the top of search engine results, here’s the truth:

1. There’s no finish. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is an ongoing process. This means that you need to optimise your site constantly, then review and optimise again and so on.
2. The time it takes to start getting SEO results depends on many factors. We know that that’s a rather unsatisfying answer so in this post we’ll take a look at some of these factors and see if we can agree on something better than “it depends…”.

So if you’re just diving in, our advice is to think about a long-term strategy and be willing to invest time and resources into the process. If you’re patient and commit to doing the work, you’ll get great results.


New SEO vs old SEO
You’ve probably already read loads of articles and advice on how to get your site ranking high in Google and other search engines. But here’s the thing: with everything in the search industry continually changing, with Google rolling out new algorithms and updating old ones, if you think SEO will get you quick results, think again. A while back, having more backlinks to your site than your competitors would have been enough for you to out-rank them, now it’s about much more than that. There are many more factors that influence rankings these days and it takes time to build a good SEO strategy that can increase your rankings over time. Creating unique, quality content that your audience is interested in takes effort. Plus, it’s no longer just about creating a page of content and optimising it with the right keywords. You now need to add to that some interlinking, backlinks, engagement and social interaction in order to make that page count for search engines and get it to rank higher.
Let’s explain. Years ago the key strategy was to cover the strongest keywords in your niche and to optimise the entire website using them. That was the old SEO. The new SEO focuses first on optimising a site for highly targeted keywords (also known as long-tail keywords) to help it build enough trust and authority so it can then compete for more generic keywords with a higher search volume. Individual pages on a site should cover a particular topic in-depth, so it can rank well for a variety of these long-tail keywords. So, if you’re a new business, forget about stuffing your content with generic keywords like “professional hairdresser” and instead go with more specific phrases and words that your potential customers will be searching for. Use variations of your main keyword, synonyms, related terms and long-tail keywords. You should also consider mentioning your location as competition will be lower for keywords that include a specific city or neighbourhood. For example, if you’re hairdresser in London, make sure to first target long-tail keywords like “London hairdresser” or “London wedding hairdresser” instead of just “hairdresser”. No one will search for “hairdresser” and expect relevant results, your users will most likely include details such as the location so they can find a nearby parlour they can get to, or the event they had in mind (such as a wedding) so they can find a hairdresser that does what they need. The more specific you are with your keywords, the better the chances of attracting the right audience who is actually interested in your content and your business. However, it’s important to ensure that any content your create for your  website includes copy that is targeted at a potential customers needs, and not just stuff with keywords. Get in touch for a FREE SEO health check and advice.


Why small businesses should consider SEOBut why do you need to invest in SEO anyway? Is it really necessary if you’re a small business?
The answer is a resounding “yes”. SEO helps your audience to find you online and it also moves them through each stage of the buying cycle:

1. It builds awareness. It’s through organic results that people find your site and become aware of the products and services you sell.
2. It helps them with their research. The more information you provide through different types of content like blog posts, infographics, videos, the better your chances of attracting them to your site.
3. It helps them to confirm their final choice and it entices them to purchase from you. You get to build their trust and convince them to buy from you.

In addition to these, here are some other important reasons why you should consider SEO:

SEO delivers a better return than any other form of online marketingIf it doesn’t deliver, it may be because you or the SEO professional you’ve hired isn’t doing it right. When done correctly SEO can deliver nonstop organic traffic to your site. But don’t take our word for it. Here are some SEO statistics to prove it:

• 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine. (Source)
• Leads generated through SEO close at around 14.6 percent while leads from other channels close at an average of 1.7 percent. (Source)
• Search engine optimisation is the best driver of traffic to content websites, surpassing the effectiveness of social media by more than 300%. (Source)

SEO will never go awayWhile SEO is constantly changing, it won’t disappear. And while Google keeps updating its algorithms to ensure people find exactly what they’re looking for, SEO is (and will continue to be) an important part of delivering the right content to the right people. So make sure you get involved now instead of sitting on the sidelines.
Your competitors are doing itEven if you put in the work and manage to get at the top of Google’s search engine results, don’t stop there because your competitors won’t either. They’ll continue to invest time and resources into improving their rankings, and so should you.
Your prospects are searching for your business online93% of all Internet traffic comes from a search engine. In other words, if you want prospects to find your business online, you need to show up in results so they know you exist. If you’re a small business, you can’t afford to be missing out on so many potential customers, can you?


How long does it actually take to start getting SEO results?SEO isn’t rocket science but it is a continuous process. While the basic principles of good SEO will remain the same, it’s important to also keep up with the latest algorithm changes and adapt your SEO strategy accordingly. Your competitors are on top of it, and you should be too if you want to stay ahead. Now, if you want to get good results, you need to invest in quality work. This means:

• Relevant and optimised content that readers will find useful today and tomorrow
• A site that not only looks good but also works properly
• A site that loads fast and is easy to navigate
• A site that looks great on mobile

These are some of the most important elements you need to focus on when optimising your site. Want to know more? Get in touch with Highstreet-media


After you put in the initial work, while continuing to develop quality content and to improve your website, you can expect these results:

• About three months for initial SEO results
• About six months for noticeable SEO results
• About 12 months for impactful SEO results

Keep in mind that these are just estimates. Actual timeframes may vary depending on various factors including the quantity, quality and frequency of the content you publish, the overall quality of the website and more. But there is research out there on this subject. A study by Ahrefs revealed that most of the pages that rank first in Google are at least three years old. And only 22% of the pages that rank in the top ten were created less than a year ago. In fact, 95% of new web pages take longer than a year to make it on to the first page of Google. Clearly, patience is key. Even if it takes longer – don’t give up. And when you start seeing results, keep going to ensure you stay ahead of the competition.


Wrapping upAlthough SEO is an ongoing process, if done right the results will outstand any updates, and organic will become a reliable and constant source of traffic and sales.

By Alexandra Gavril

In life, but especially in business, time is a precious commodity, and marketing your brand can take up vast amounts of your time. You may be reading this article, because you have thought about outsourcing some of your marketing tasks already. When you decide to outsource your marketing to an agency, you’ll gain a range of benefits. Here are 10 advantages of outsourcing your digital marketing efforts we found on Entrepreneur Magazine:

1. Your marketing won’t suffer as a result of staff problems or annual leave - One of the keys to successful marketing is consistency. The problem, of course, is that marketers aren’t machines, they’re people and people need to take breaks. When staff are sick or on leave, or when a massive, all-hands-on-deck internal event throws everything else off track, marketing suffers. A great example of this is content production. You can’t suddenly stop blogging for a few weeks over the festive season. If you do, Google will notice and your organic rankings will take a hit as a result. Opting to use an agency means that you never have to worry about staff leave or gaps in delivery. To put it bluntly, that’s their problem.

2. You get the services of a team of experts - Your employees have salaries, so instead of coming up with a payroll for one person, you will be paying a team of experts in marketing who will research, create and implement marketing strategies that work. Essentially, you are paying for results and way more affordable than an employee.

3. You get outside insight on your business - Working on your company day in, day out gives you the chance to understand your business more, but there is always something that is lagging. For instance, figuring out what brings your site visitors, and knowing what to optimise for your business to grow might be blurry to see. Hiring an outsourced marketing expert can give you a new perspective of how to approach your marketing today.

4. You are assured of a return on investment - When you hire a marketing expert, you are sure your funds will be invested properly. Since the marketing specialist’s focus will be on leads, they will certainly spend time making sure you get the results you paid for, plus more. This helps you save time and money, while growing your business with experts.

5. You are attuned to the latest industry updates - Since marketing experts spend most of their time learning new skills and improving on existing techniques and strategies, it's fair to say they keep up with the ever changing and growing digital marketing arena. With industry connections like these, it's easy to get help when a big and important change is about to take place in the industry at large.

6. You get to focus on the core of your business - The outsourcing of marketing is mostly considered by companies who wish to keep the process independent from the core of the company. This helps them throw ideas around and develop better strategies that are not clouded by the company itself. With the right information and access, your marketing agency can plan, develop and execute on strategies that yield results. The key here is to trust the company you hire and making sure you receive reports and live status updates on projects.

7. You can count on ongoing optimisation -  This is true, because, well, your marketing agency needs to constantly prove ROI by delivering on proposed end goals– or you might cancel your retainer! They’re genuinely interested in, and committed to, continually optimising your strategy for best results. Outsourcing your marketing means there’s less risk of stagnation or neglect.

8.  You get to do more with less -  Handling your marketing in-house might make it tough to use all the channels available to grow your business. You might need help with campaigns, email lists, social media campaigns, but with one in-house employee- it's practically impossible to create all this content. Outsourcing can let you use multiple marketing channels with ease. You can hire a graphic designer to update your website, a copywriter to handle your blog or email newsletter, and a social media expert to automate your platforms. With a variety of outsourcing services available, you can turn over single campaigns, specialised services, or even entire marketing functions to a capable third party.

9. You’re working with people who’ve been there, done that - Marketers have experience and are experts in their field. Most agencies specialise in marketing for certain industries, types of clients, or specific locations, and have a resource section full of case studies to prove their expertise. What’s better than working with people who already know the best way to achieve results for your business?

10. You get access to the latest technology - Marketing departments are often technology-deprived, or they have a mixed assortment of incompatible marketing technologies. While companies have access to over 4,000 marketing technologies available to them, how do they know which ones to pick? And it’s often the case that marketing organisations are at the bottom of the IT department’s priority list, so there might be a lack of support and guidance. A performance-based marketing agency that can provide you guidance as well as implementation service and support are extremely valuable.

The SW100 is a 105mile ultra-trail footrace starting and finishing in Cardiff, crossing the South Wales Valleys and the Brecon Beacons!  It is a demanding test of endurance over varied and challenging terrain and is only suitable for experienced and competent ultra-trail runners. The route has approximately 6400 meters of ascent and is over 90% on trails. This is a tough course, with only 25% of participants completing the course in 2016!  It is a UTMB qualifying race eligible for 6 UTMB pionts.There is also the  SW50 which is the second half of the SW100 route. 
 
The SW100 course started at 1900 on Friday 23rd June 2017. The SW50 started at 1030 on Saturday 24th June 2017.
New for 2017 we have a SW100 Walkers/non-competitive start time which starts at 1500 on Friday with an overall cut off time of 44 hours. 

"that race is simply "insane" and must be one of the hardest 100 milers in Europe if not further afield".

for more detail visit
http://www.runwalkcrawl.co.uk/events/sw100-sw50.html

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

Most people think that branding is simply a logo or a slogan. And while these two elements do form a part of your brand, branding itself goes far beyond these two elements. When we talk about branding we are talking about every aspect of customer experience, across multiple touch-points. Whether it's your logo, website, social media, staff uniforms, advertising or even the way in which you interact with your customers.

Branding is how you are perceived by your customers. It's what they think when they hear your company name, service or product. They'll consider the factual information but also the feel of your company, emotive things, like if they consider you a luxury brand or a low end copycat.

So why is branding so important to businesses? And how can you build a strong brand to withstand the test of time?
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1. Branding promotes recognition: It can promote your business when done right. If it is consistent and easy to recognise, it can help people feel at ease with you, leading them to purchase. People love familiarity and if they remember you as a quality provider, then they will more likely use your brand again.


2. Your brand sets you apart from the rest: In today's highly competitive marketplace, it's crucial to stand out from the crowd. Social media and the internet has created a highly competitive global market and you're no longer competing only on a local stage. Having a well defined brand will help you stand out from the millions of organisations around the world who are trying to sell to your market.


3. Strong branding generates referrals: A strong brand can create referrals or viral traffic because people love to tell their friends about brands they like. Brands are a way of life, people listen, wear and even eat brands and are constantly telling others about their favourite ones. No one tells their friends about a brand they can't remember, this is why you have to take care and ensure each touch-point portrays your brand in the light you want it to be perceived.


4. Branding sets expectations: A strong and consistent brand will let the customer set and expectation for your brand. They will know exactly what they are going to get no matter how they come into contact with your brand. A professional appearance builds credibility and trust, which will give people confidence in your business enough to buy from you.


5. A strong brand adds value: A strong brand will add value to your business. For instance look at the huge brands like Facebook, Apple and Coca-Cola, their brands are worth much more than their real-estate and equipment. People value a strong brand, which is evident in the stock market. 

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Today branding is more important than ever. But good brands don't emerge overnight - they are a result of sustained planning, development and growth, which involves numerous steps and a desire to push the brand forwards. Many small businesses completely neglect the idea of branding without realising the power it can have. Good branding does more than increase the value of the company, it motivates employees, guides the employees and aids in acquiring new customers.

Aaron

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Today's blog takes on a slightly different approach. today we're going to talk about investing and my recent foray into stocks, shares and investment funds. This may appeal to many business owners who want to find the best ways to look after their profit and maximise their earning potential. So this week after much research into investing I have decided to take the plunge, the only way to truly learn is to immerse yourself in the subject. 

So with no experience and little guidance I jumped right in spreading my money evenly over 4 separate investments. One cautious, one positive and one adventurous fund with the rest being invested in shares of a well known UK company. Now as we have all seen on TV the excitement of the stock exchange and films like the wolf of wall street etc, I'm sure you are all expecting some exciting ups and downs and buy/sell actions on a regular basis. This couldn't be further from the truth unfortunately.

In real world investing, when you are only leveraging modest amounts of money, it is more of a buy and forget policy. To get any realistic return on investment, the funds will have to mature for 5 years or more and the shares? Well they won't provide me with any tangible profit for at least 18-36 months, so not the excitement the TV promised. Another thing to be clear about is the "profit" claim, this is of course only if things go well, there is a very real risk that I could lose all of my investment, such is the nature of the game. However, what little knowledge I do have through the research I conducted, guided me to diversify my portfolio and encouraged me to spread my risk in four areas of differing risk levels.

It is of course early days and this investment strategy will take time to prove itself. If there are many major updates in this area I will gladly share my insights, or if you have experience with investment and would like to share your insights, then I would love to hear from you.

Aaron

Highstreet Media Corby (HSM) announced today that it will be attempting to drive reform among business in the East Midlands. Company officials are expected to meet with Maplefields Circle of Friends officials later this month to discuss providing free support to the charity and help raise their profile.
 
HSM officials expect this to improve the charities support in the local area and raise money for the great work that they do. In addition to free marketing, HSM are offering free graphic design services to the charity which will hopefully generate a solid brand around which they can secure a stable future.
 
The purpose of this is twofold, first and foremost it is the ethos and beliefs of the HSM brand that simply being successful in business is not enough, everyone has a responsibility to look after each other in the community. Many businesses find themselves in a good position financially, however do little to display social conscience. HSM hope by doing work for such good causes, they can spearhead change in local business, encouraging them to give back to the community and thus improve the lives of everyone within it.
 
More information is expected to be released following a meeting later this month (June 2017).
 
About Maplefields Circle of Friends
 Maplefields Circle of Friends is an award winning nonprofit organisation. Their aim is to enhance the lives of those living with additional physical and mental health needs and their families. Specialising in complex social, emotional, behavioural needs but inclusive to all.
For more information, please visit http://www.maplefieldscircleoffriends.co.uk
 
About Highstreet Media
Highstreet Media is a graphic design and marketing company. It specialises in web, print, design and marketing services for business’. We are committed to integrating ourselves in the communities where we are based, by helping grow the communities for the good of all within them. We currently have 2 branches in the UK, both in hard working areas that have been hit by the fall of industry (Steel and Coal). For more information, please visit http://www.highstreet-media.co.uk

REJECTION, we have all experienced it right? It is a painful experience for some, acceptance or affirmation that what they do is never good enough. For others, rejection can be seen differently, a mechanism to learn and move forward positively and realise the previous efforts did not work. It can evoke huge emotions and affect confidence.

To reject, we consciously dismiss another person’s thoughts, ideas or experience. Within life we experience rejection all the time, no more than when applying for jobs. How then do we best deal with rejection and overcome that fear of failure? Before I answer this, I provide a little personal story.

I remember applying for the RAF back in 2003 and being rejected via a letter for having a welsh accent and nasal inflection that reduced my ability to communicate effectively (would not happen today). This was a huge blow to me as I had a dream of becoming a pilot in the RAF since I was 13. Initially I was distraught and could not accept that the RAF did not want me. I was in denial of course, frustrated I questioned my whole being and in retrospect I was realised I was highly sensitive to rejection.

There are people who actively avoid any type of rejection and will only do jobs or activities that sustain their comfort as to avoid the thought or potential realisation of rejection, as it is just too much. There are also individuals I will call ‘strivers’ who continually strive for excellence and become so obsessed to avoid making even the simplest of mistakes to avoid any critique and fear failure. These people ‘strive’ past their successes and never actual acknowledge their success and ability for fear of complacency and ultimate rejection!

I was once a ‘striver’ and the stress and fatigue I experienced in attaining standards that I could not sustain in the long term led to a bout of depression. I now realise that in life we must enjoy the journey or path that lead us to success. Failure is part of that journey, to learn and adjust and become more competent in our abilities. The reward of success should not just be a 30 second adrenalin rush or brief pat on the back that usually results in an anti climax, but the journey to that success should be have fulfilment and joy, bringing others with you, making success even richer when it comes.

Once you recognise that you fear either rejection or failure then you can overcome it, avoiding it will stop you achieving your goals and ambitions. Here are 5 steps to think about which may help:

1. Acknowledge that you fear failure or rejection
2. Write down why you fear it; was it an event or perception that makes you feel this sensitivity or this way?
3. Focus on the positives, what do you control, what would happen if you tried? Who can support you through the event?
4. Avoid saying ‘cant’ - find a solution
5. Enjoy your experiences, challenge yourself but no so much you will get disappointed

We must remember rejection and failure are normal, we must experience it to move forward, however do we choose to look at it negatively and avoid moving forward or embrace it and build a stronger and more confident me! I am now in the RAF and used my rejection to focus on strengthen my weaknesses but importantly now enjoy the journey! 


Nick Carter MA LL.B MCIPD
HR Consultant & Leadership Specialist

When we get into the office in a morning many of us have the same old routine, get our lunch in the fridge and grab a brew before logging on and checking our emails. So rather than getting into the office and hitting the ground running, we are all checking our emails, waiting to be dictated to by the requests that have manifested in the form of little electronic time thieves.

​I invite you to challenge the norm, and fight this heavily ingrained routine. The problem with opening your emails first is that you're allowing others to set your agenda, establish your priorities and determine what you spend your energy on first thing in the morning. By being drawn into this way of operating you may be really busy all day, and even please some customers with your service and productivity. The problem is, you haven't prioritised your business and worse still, you've done nothing to actually drive it forward.

​I challenge you to live by a different law, come in and don't check your email for the first hour of the day. Instead use this time to tackle the things that are your real priorities and to drive your business forwards. Trust me, anything that comes into your inbox can wait an hour. Live your work life by the following motto 'today isn't over, until tomorrow is planned' and you won't go far wrong.

What on earth does that mean I hear you asking. Well, I'm saying for you to set your priorities for the next morning before you leave work, while it's fresh in your memory and you can be objective about the importance of your tasks. By doing this you save time in the morning, rather than trying to reacquaint yourself with the tasks you have outstanding, enable yourself to hit the ground running by preparing adequately. You'll avoid having your priorities dictated to you, meaning you can focus on what really matters, and drive your business to the next level.​

There is nothing more precious to a business owner than time. You can earn more money, you can't earn more time. many people say that if they had more time they could build their business into an empire, or how they could do this and that. Well the time to stop dreaming and start achieving is now. You can have a brilliant business in just 60 minutes per day. How? let me tell you.

First you need to highlight the single most important aspect of your business. If you think it's attracting and keeping customers, then you're bang on the money. The most important part of any business is selling the products/services to the clients and building a relationship with them. This doesn't mean take their money and run, invest time in your customers, have meaningful relationships where you meet their needs and in return earn the profit you yearn.

​Now you know the single most important aspect of your business, all you have to do is set aside 1 hour per day where you devote all your attention to that goal. Don't get caught up in the humdrum busyness of your day to day business, dedicate yourself to the primary goal. Sure the other work needs doing to, but for one hour a day give your 100% undivided attention to finding new clients and improving relationships with existing clients. This will boost your business and keep driving it in the right direction, learn to delegate and prioritise your workload in such a way that you spend more time ON your business and less time IN your business.

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​Often people make business far harder than it needs to be. By over-thinking our strategy, complicating our product line and worrying too much about our staff.
All of these are important issues, but they pale into insignificance compared to the one area of business that contributes most to success.
That area? Time spent daily on Sales.
I have mentored literally thousands of business owners and almost every time I see a business not performing it is primarily because they are not spending enough hours in the day on the sales process. Either refining how they sell or getting out there and getting face to face with potential customers.
How much time should you spend on sales? Well if you're running a new business you should devote at least 80% of your day to it.
If you're an established business you should spend at least 30% of your day on the sales process or connecting with customers.

Does that sound too extreme? It shouldn't. What else could you be doing that is more important?
When you spend most of your time selling opportunities quickly arise. Doors open. Checks get written. Good things happen. When you stay in your office talking to your staff, pontificating over product details, admin and minutiae you may progress your business, but you won't greatly increase your revenue.
Only going out there and asking more people to buy your stuff will make a real difference in the long run. All else is tinkering at the peripheries of success.
All great companies are great at sales. They grow huge not just because of the quality product line (the world is filled with companies with great products that are struggling to survive) but their utter commitment to selling it better than their competitors.  And getting out there and asking people for their business.
Here's an exercise well worth trying: Sit down and work out what the average amount of time is your people are spending each week either directly selling or on improving the sales process. Then set a goal to triple it, starting next week.

Sales should be the absolute centre of what your company does, every single day. Ignore it at your peril. As the founder of IBM, Thomas Watson once remarked, "Nothing happens until somebody sells something."
If you're not happy with how fast your business is growing, this is the area you should focus on, first, second and third. Get out there and ask more people for money. It may sound crude, but ultimately an obsession with sales is at the heart of all sustained business growth.

​This article is an edited version of Siimon Reynolds' piece for Forbes Magazine.