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Elevate your online presence: The value of hiring a website designer

The importance of a strong online presence cannot be overstated. Many businesses are striving to connect with their audience and stand out in an increasingly crowded online marketplace.  This means making a great first impression to potential customers and influencing their perception is paramount to success.While some may be tempted to tackle website design themselves in an attempt to save money, the reality is that outsourcing this critical task offers numerous benefits that can ultimatel...

Unlocking success: 5 sound reasons your business needs a website

A website serves as the cornerstone of your online identity and plays a crucial role in connecting with customers, establishing credibility, and driving business growth. If you're still on the fence about whether or not you need a website, here are five compelling reasons why it's a must-have for any business:1. Reach a wider audienceIn a world where consumers turn to the internet for everything from product research to making purchases, having a website allows you to reach your audience 24/7. ...

What I've learnt after 10 years in business

And just like that OMG Solutions is 10 years old.A lot has changed in the online world over that time! And in fact, since I first started out in advertising / marketing in 1997. We certainly did not suggest dancing to our phones for a TikTok, or taking snaps that disappeared in 24 hours as a strategy to our clients. Hmm.. were cellphones even a 'commodity' that long ago...One thing is no more truer now than it was in 2014 - I am grateful to my family and friends for supporting me, and to my clie...

Four key marketing trends in 2024

The beginning of the year is a great time to review your business goals and strategy, it’s a time to look at what has worked, what has not, and what you’d like to tackle this year. Marketing is an important part of your overall business strategy.We’ve put together a handy 10 minute brain dump so you can begin to take stock of where you’d like to head. Click here to download the marketing review.It’s important to remember it’s a brain dump – you could go with the first thought that ...

New Year New Website

I notice around January each year I get an influx of calls from businesses ready to review their online presence, most specifically their website. Whether it is an existing client looking to refresh their website, or a new client ready to make the leap online (or change what doesn’t work with their current website) it is always about the same time of the year this happens.Any why not, right? It’s a new year, we’ve had a break and we’ve had a chance to review our business goals and direc...

8 Principles of Information Architecture for web design

Information Architecture organises content to help users understand, structure and organise information to help us navigate through complex information to make decisions.Dan Brown, developed eight principles to help designers make the right decisions when creating their strategies.They are based on the understanding that the focus is on structure of the website and therefore we need to understand the functionality of the site, and what content we have to hand. Once this is known then the we...

Mental Models and a user's website experience

Put simply, a Mental Model is "the picture I have in my head of how I expect this to work."In relation to the Information Architecture framework it goes like this:A user arrives at your website and gets presented with a whole lot of informationThey then need to process this informationThey can then make a decision.Inside of the processing is the Mental Model, and it includes pre-existing expectations....

The importance of Information Architecture when designing a website

Imagine walking in to a Theme Park there is no signage around you, they’ve just run out of maps so you’re on your own. As you wonder around the park you get terribly lost, it’s at this point a well-designed map and signage would come in handy to help you quickly orientate, know where you wanted to go and how to get there.This is the foundation of Information Architecture, it is how we structure and organise information that helps us navigate through complex information to make decisions. G...

Cognitive Load Theory and Content Marketing

Cognitive Load Theory is essentially the brainpower people need to process information. There are three aspects to consider:The first is intrinsic cognitive load, or the content itself, like the words in This sentence.The next is extraneous cognitive load, or the unnecessary additions that distract from the central message and don't relate to what you're trying to convey. Like flashing text.Finally, there’s Germane load. This refers to additions, that unlike extraneous cognitive load, help the...

How to create opportunities for business growth

In the good ole days it was enough to create some business cards, send out a flyer and pop an ad in the newspaper... then the people would come. However, in today’s digital world the possibilities for promotion are endless and this can lead to overwhelm and frustration for business owners....

How to optimise your website to increase conversions

In web speak we say a user converts when they take an action on a website that we want them to take.For example, a newsletter signup, email enquiry, for an e-commerce site a user clicks the buy button, or even just clicking through to the next page on the website.A conversion rate is the totally number of visitors to a webpage that convert. For example, if 100 users visit a page and two actually click "buy", then the conversion rate is 2 percent.Conversion rate optimisation is an ongoing practic...

Why a website refresh is in your best interests

A website refresh is an investment in improving your online presence, enhancing user experience, and staying competitive in the digital landscape. It can drive more traffic, increase engagement, and ultimately contribute to the growth and success of your business....

Five things to consider before purchasing your domain name

Reflect your brand - select a domain name that aligns with your brand identity and business. Where possible use your business name. Your domain name should give people a clear idea of what your business is about and be relevant to your industry.Pick the right extension - domains can end in .org, .com, .nz, .kiwi and more... pick the domain extension that best suits your business. For example if you were a not for profit organisation you might choose .org.nz (if you're in New Zealand).Keep it sho...

14 Questions to ask a website designer before you hire them

If the answer is yes, then you've come to the right place.We've put together a list of the best questions to ask a website designer before you hire them, so you can get the best results for your business needs.Quick tips before the list: Remember price is not the only factor, you want to make sure you have a connection to your web designer and that they understand you. Miscommunication can happen at the best of times, ensure the language your designer speaks is the same as the language your webs...

Optimising your online presence with OMG principles

We have raced into February 2021, I hope this year has got off to a great start for you, your family and your business. Going back to the roots of Optimise Maintain Grow, where OMG originated from, I share some tips to optimise your online presence. With that in mind, why not take a look at your online presence and see where you can Optimise: Do you have Title and Meta Descriptions on all your website pages, are they well written, are they relevant? Do you have Google Anal...

Who owns your domain name?

I often get asked, "Do I own my Domain Name?" The short answer is yes, and what is really important is ensuring all the details are correct. Here's a brief overview of the terminology associated with a domain name: The registrar - the company, authorised by the NZ Domain Name Commission, to register the domain name. I use Rocketspark for most of my client's domain names. Other well known ones are 1st Domains, Freeparking, Domains 4 Less.The registrant -  the owner o...

Why it's more important now than ever to get online, with someone you can trust

You may be wondering where I have been these last few months and why my writing took a hiatus? It has been an interesting time this 2020. I have been working behind the scenes with many businesses helping them get setup with a website ready to sell and making sure their online presences are looking good. What this time has taught me, is that while I have been busy there has always been time to reflect and to consider family - work/life balance. You know that saying, we are here for a good t...

How does social media fit in marketing?

Social media can work wonders for brand engagement with your business, the first step to implementing a strategy for your business looks at how it fits into your digital marketing overall.To find the answer to that question a business needs to consider these areas before even starting:What is your business mission and vision?Especially in today's time, the discerning consumer is interested in why your business exists? What do you believe in, what does your brand stand for, where is your business...

SELF CARE: Ensure your digital marketing is not neglected

Over the last 7 weeks it has been vitally important to consider our personal health and wellbeing. Social distancing, hand washing, and bubbles are new terminologies that we have had to adopt, and quickly. This time also gave food for thought to many businesses, around how they could sustain themselves when there was no physical foot traffic to their shops/businesses.  We saw an influx of new websites hitting the marketplace. From butchers, to bakers and takeaway shops. Online deliveries at...

Donna O'Connor: Fire Equipment Hawke's Bay

Name: Donna O'ConnorBusiness: Fire Equipment Hawke's BayYears in business: Twelve Key services: Annual Inspection Of Fire Extinguishers & Fire HosesServicing & Sales and Building Warrant of Fitness Compliance How Donna is contributing to our community: By not bombarding our customers with unnecessary contact – we will contact them when it is appropriate to do so.Offering 5% discount for customers who invite us on site to carry out their annual inspections. Three key tips to thrive: B...

Joanna Monteith: Consult Ltd

Name: Joanna MonteithBusiness: Consult LtdYears in business: Fifteen Key services: Implementation, training and ongoing support for cloud-based productSpecialising in Accounting, Point of Sale and Inventory Management How Joanna is contributing to our community: Getting businesses off their legacy software and into the cloud to better manage their business from anywhere.Webinars and 1 to 1 training sessions via the Regional Business Partner Network.Supporting existing customers as need...

Aaron Duncan: Freenergy Solar Solutions

Name: Aaron DuncanBusiness: Freenergy Solar SolutionsYears in business: Thirteen Key services: Solar power, solar heating, home battery storage, commercial solar power, pool solar heating, reducing customers power bills and providing power security. How Aaron is contributing to our community: For every sale we are gifting $50 to KidsCan to assist families in need as wellOffering a 2 percent discount to customers, this discount can be applied to the customer or gifted on to KidsCan...

The new norm, connections and hope marketing

Yesterday I attended a thought provoking Zoom Networking meeting. This was a first for me, normally I attend them in person!  Not only did I get to learn about all the great Netflix series on offer, people shared about what they are facing right now in relation to Covid-19 and the impacts it is having on their businesses. Which of course got me thinking.... Recently I have been looking at the relationships I have with my clients, many of whom have been around since I launched OMG Solut...

Elizabeth-Marie Nes: Strictly Social NZ / 365Social

Name: Elizabeth-Marie NessBusiness: Strictly Social New Zealand / 365SocialYears in business: Seven Key services: Social media managementConsultingBlogging How Liz is contributing to our community: Connecting the community with what businesses are offering in terms of delivering (https://hbbornandproud.co.nz/what-can-you-get-delivered-to-your-door/)Allowing musicians to perform to Hawke’s Bay and people outside Hawke’s BayConnecting other business owners with each other via network...

Fiona Ritchie: Simply Indulgent Beauty Therapy

Name: Fiona RitchieBusiness: Simply IndulgentYears in business: Seven Key services: Advanced Skin TherapiesAdvice on how to have beautiful from the inside outBeauty treatments and services How Fiona is contributing to our community: Sharing Skin Health knowledgeCaring for their wellbeingSupporting community initiatives e.g. The Napier Family Centre Promotions Three key tips to thrive: Breathe slowly and deeplyKeep routines including your skincareBe kind Fiona RitchieSimply Indulgent www.si...