PSPINC Official Company Blog

Business Communication: Setting Core Values

Feb

5

image source: pixabay.com

Communication is a very broad topic in business – it includes internal communication between staff, from management to employees, and it also includes external communication to the public through branding, advertising and PR.

One of the key elements in business communication is persuasion. How do we get people to trust us, believe our stories and get on board with what we do? A big part of doing that is getting your internal values and communication in sync so the message you put out to the public is consistent.

Since it’s the beginning of a new year and time to communicate our company goals with the team, I thought I would write down some of the key points and share them with you as well. We call these our “core values.”

At PSP, have 5 core values:

• Creativity:
We are here to be creative and innovative so we will stay ahead of our competitors.

• Professionalism:
Customers seek our advice because we are the pros. Demonstrate knowledge and professionalism.

• Simplicity:
Let’s not confuse customers or each other. Simplicity can provide efficiency.

• Consideration:
Putting ourselves in each other’s shoes should guide our response and actions.

• Excellence:
Always seek improvement. Never compromise.

Setting and sharing your internal core values is a good way to keep your employees in sync – who are coming from different departments, have different motivations, job descriptions, and even come from different generations and backgrounds.

Core values serve as a guideline for employees to follow and they should be shared and talked about within your organization all the time. It’s fine to share those core values with your customers too, as long as they’re being met internally. Have you considered your business’ core values?

#Advertising #B2B #Blog #Branding #BusinessCommunication #Communication #ENnews #Marketing #OfficeTips #PSPinc #SmallBusiness

Google + Begins Shutdown

Feb

4

Last year Google announced that it would be shutting down Google + due to low user activity and maintenance issues. That shutdown will now begin starting in February and April. As of February 4th, you will no longer be able to create a Google + account. And starting in April, Google will begin deleting user accounts, content, and data.

If you have pictures, accounts, blogs, or any other content on Google + you can download and save them here.

Looking for a new blogging platform? Try Bloguru, it’s FREE to use and never shows ads!

#Blog #Google

How Search Engines Rank Websites

Jan

31

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What is ranking?

When you type something into a search engine there are typically 10 website links that appear on the first page, with multiple pages of results that follow. The position at which a website is listed is considered its ranking; the higher the position, the better the ranking. Websites that appear lower down the list of links have a lower ranking.

How do search engines rank?

Search engines rank using two methods -- indexing and crawling -- which help determine where they rank each website. When someone performs a search, a list of top websites appear that are deemed to be the most relevant to the search. This list is the “answer” to your search question or query.

Search engines determine this relevancy on multiple factors including site link structure, content and keyword relevancy, traffic volume, and link quality. The links within your website are the roads by which search engines find your content, the better the roads, the easier it is for them to get around. Content and keywords on the pages your links take you to must be relevant to what is being searched. You should always write your content for users, NOT search engines. The quality of a link is determined by the number of relevant websites linking to it.

Conclusion

It takes more than typing a bunch of keywords on your website to rank well on search engines. And although there isn’t a secret formula, there are steps you can take to get better results: 1) Think about the content on your web pages as the answer to someone's search query, to help you get started. 2) Write the content for users, not for search engines. 3) Build out the link structure of your website to make it easy for search engines to find your content.

#Advertising #B2B #Blog #ENnews #Google #Link #Marketing #OfficeTips #PSPinc #PageRank #SEO #SearchEngineOptimization #SmallBusiness

Add Professional Audio to your Site for Free

Jan

30

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We know it’s important to keep web content to a minimum and try to get our point across in as few words as possible. Too much text on a screen is a turn off, and people feel overwhelmed by it.

We also know many companies require a lot of content to tell their story or sell their product or service. It’s a conundrum. How do you balance text, white space and imagery on your site so it looks clean and professional, but properly tell your story with complete details? The answer is Click It Audio, by PSP.

We generate simple html codes you can embed into your site, allowing you to upload or delete audio mp3 files at any time. Your audio file will have the ability to play on a PC, MAC or other smart device.

With Click It Audio, you can have it all: a less cluttered website with the option for your visitors to simply click a button to hear more details. PSP offers 3 audio containers for FREE. But if you need more audio, we offer very reasonable annual plans.

Check out https://www.clickitaudio.com/ to get more information, pricing and even see a demo of how Click It Audio works.

#AudioEmbed #AudioFiles #Blog #BusinessTips #ClickItAudio #ENnews #MP3Files #PSPinc #SmallBusiness #Technology #WebsiteAudio

Keywords: Why They Still Matter

Jan

29

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What are keywords?

In terms of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and websites – keywords are the words and phrases that define your content. If you take a single web page and you only look at the text, your keywords are the words or phrases that appear repeatedly.

Why are they important?

When someone goes to a search engine they type in keywords or “search queries.” Keywords are the road between what a person is searching for and the content you’re providing. When building a website, writing a new blog post, or even when adding pictures to your website - keywords matter. If your goal is to drive organic traffic to your website, the keywords you choose will define what kind of audience you attract.

Take Mars bars for example (yes, the candy bar). If they try to rank for just the word “mars” they might rank really high on search engines, but they’ll get extremely different types of traffic. Some people might be searching for the planet, while others are looking for something to satisfy their sweet tooth. It’s important to think about the searchers intent and align that as best as you can to the types of keywords you use.

What are long-tail keywords?

Keywords can be broad or they can be specific. Broad keywords will get you lots of searchers (and lots of competition!) but might not bring people at the right stage of their search. Long-tail keywords, 3 words or more, have more intent behind them. For example, the phrase “used cars” is broad and might have a different meaning depending on who is searching for it. But, “used sedan in Spokane Washington” is a long-tail keyword that might indicate they’re looking for a used car to buy, and soon. Using long-tail keywords might bring you less traffic but they will have less competition and bring you a more targeted audience.

Does it matter how I use keywords on my website?

Trying to rank for certain keywords isn’t about jam-packing your website full of them. Search engines, and your visitors, want to read content that brings actual value by providing an answer to a search. The goal is not to trick search engines into ranking you high; it's to provide information that’s relevant to the keywords. Part of SEO 101 also includes adding keywords to your URL, headers on the page, meta descriptions, and in the alt attributes of images.

#Advertising #B2B #Blog #ENnews #Keywords #Marketing #OfficeTips #PSPinc #SEO #SearchEngineOptimization #SmallBusiness

Defining Backlinks & Why They Matter

Jan

24

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What is a backlink?

A backlink is a hyperlink from one website to another website; they’re also called “inbound links” or “incoming links.”

Why do they matter?

Ultimately, backlinks matter for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes. When multiple websites link to the same web page, it signals to search engines that this content is worth linking to. Backlinks are a way of vouching for a web page or website, which makes it more worthy of showing up on search engine result pages (SERP). If your web page about grooming horses has a lot of inbound links from other relevant sites, it’s more likely to show up in the search results when someone types in “how to groom horses” or “horse grooming.”

How do you earn backlinks?

Not all backlinks are created equal. Backlinks from popular and trustworthy sites will be worth more to search engines than backlinks from sketchy or spammy websites. Earning these backlinks can be as simple as posting quality content and receiving backlinks without any promotion or effort. Or, you can actively share your web pages and push promotions to get more reach from your content in the hopes people who view it will also link to it.

Linking to other web pages.

When you choose to link to a web page, the value your website brings depends on the specific page you link to, the anchor text you use, and whether you choose to follow or nofollow the link.

#Advertising #B2B #Backlinks #Blog #ENnews #Marketing #OfficeTips #PSPinc #SEO #SearchEngineOptimization #SmallBusiness

Custom Online Forms for your Business

Jan

23

A good website often comes with some kind of form for prospective customers to fill out. The objective is to gather more information, whether it be as simple as an RSVP, or an inquiry about a service such as catering, or something more complex like an employee application form.

What many people don’t realize is you don’t have to modify your existing website to add a form that suits your needs. With a service called InforMakers by PSP, you can design a custom form for your business and embed the technology into your existing site.

Our intuitive form builder is so simple, anyone can do it. You can build, customize and embed your form as you like, making it as simple or robust as needed. Some other great features about InforMakers includes:

• Mobile-friendly form designs
• Ability to export data
• Option to send auto response to customers
• Availability to create unlimited forms

InforMarkers requires no contracts or sign up fees. Get started today at https://informakers.com/.

#Blog #BusinessTips #ENnews #InforMakers #PSPinc #SmallBusiness #Technology #WebForms #WebsiteForms

Internal Links: Establishing Site Architecture

Jan

22

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What are internal links?

Internal links are hyperlinks that point to a subpage within the same domain. In other words, internal links point to another page on the same website.

Why do you need internal links?

Internal links fulfill a few different purposes. They provide site architecture by linking web pages to each other and creating pathways within your website. These pathways are beneficial for users and for search engines like Google. Internal links allow Google to crawl through your website content easily, and helps the Google crawl bot make connections between subpages. The anchor text used on these links can also tell Google bots why certain pages are relevant to search terms. Internal links are a critical piece of your website’s search engine optimization (SEO).

For users, internal links provide a way to navigate the website. Having the appropriate internal links on each of your web pages can keep a user on your website longer. This in turn can lead to positive user behavior on your website, which will be relayed to search engines and help with rankings.

What makes a good internal link?

• Ideally, internal links should be at the start of a page so that a click is more likely.
• The anchor text of an internal link should offer insight into what the user can expect once they click.
• The internal link should expand, add to, or match the topic of the page it’s linked from.
• The quantity of links on a page should be limited to a helpful amount and not be overdone.
• Internal links should not be in the footer or sidebar.

#Advertising #B2B #Blog #ENnews #Hyperlink #Link #Marketing #OfficeTips #PSPinc #SEO #SearchEngineOptimization #SmallBusiness

2019 Tech Trends: Increased Cyber Threats

Jan

17

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We’ve been talking about tech trends for 2019 and all the exciting advances in technology, including increased speed and connectivity of our gadgets. But all this advancement comes with a price as we become increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks.

In 2017, Equifax had a breach that affected sensitive personal information for 143 million customers. In 2018, information was hacked from 50 million Facebook users and 500 million customers of Marriott and Starwood hotels.

According to cybersecurityventures.com and cybintsolutions.com, 64% of U.S. companies have experienced web-based attacks, 62% experienced phishing and social engineering attacks, 59% experienced malicious code and botnets, and 51% experienced denial of service attacks. Hackers are getting more organized and sophisticated, so what can we do to protect our data?

In business, we must understand there is no such thing as “hacker safe” data. Just as a thief can break the window to steal your cash register, hackers can break the security measure you have in place. In our buildings, we install security systems and place valuable items like cash and expensive merchandise in secure locations. So what do we do with our equally valuable client data? Simply hoping nobody will steal it from your database is not the right answer. And it’s imperative you have a plan in place in the event your data does get hacked – even if you think you have all the right security measures in place.

If you don’t know where to start, consult an expert or call us at PSPinc for more help to secure your data and come up with a plan. At the basic level, make sure your customers’ important data is stored in a secure database, preferably encrypted, and have tools that monitor who’s accessing the data. Do not give a critical password to a bunch of employees, and do not keep the password on a Post-It note by your desk. If you notice anything suspicious, go back and check your data access activity logs.

With our way of life becoming more virtually connected, we have to embrace the responsibilities and potential threats that come with it. Always be prepared!

#2019 #2019Tech #Advertising #B2B #Blog #CyberSecurity #CyberThreats #ENnews #Marketing #NewYear #OfficeTips #PSPinc #SmallBusiness #TechTrends #Technology

5 Fast Bloguru Facts

Jan

16

Blogs are completely ad-free
Designed to be search engine friendly
Automatically post to Twitter, Facebook, and your website
Simple photo and video uploads
Unlimited storage space

https://www.bloguru.com

#2019 #blog #ennews #pspinc #smallbusiness