Tag: local content writing

  • There Are No Mic Drops In Marketing

    There Are No Mic Drops In Marketing

    Like Han Solo said in Star Wars, “You know sometimes I amaze even myself,” I, too, like putting together clever content, sitting back and patting myself on the back. But the reality is that there is no ‘mic drop’ in marketing of any type. Every day, an effective marketer must create engaging content that strives to beat and outsmart their clients’ competition while at the same time educating and compelling their potential customers to act. More importantly, a consistently effective content marketer’s goal should be to not only outdo their clients’ competition but also to outdo themselves. From photography and graphic design to social media posts and blog/website content, keeping things fresh is a chore, but the rewards are worth it for the client, and it also tends to keep my job interesting.

    Content Writing and Search Engine Optimization Services In Kansas City

    Over ten years ago, my biggest fear wasn’t whether or not Web Force KC would succeed but rather if I would eventually run out of ideas for content. After all, most of my clients’ services don’t change for the most part, which means that I would be required to continually describe the same things differently and repeatedly for years potentially. Sure, the messages and call to action remain relatively the same, but as I developed more strategic and time-relevant content, it all changed for the better. While there have been many blog and social media posts I’ve done that weren’t exactly Pulitzer prize-winning material, the goal has always been to remain consistent and not dwell on a writer’s block type of day because, well, they can and do happen. Like in any creative process, there will be highs and lows, and I’ve found that the key to making the most of the highs is to bang out as much content as possible when I know I’m riding that wave. Oftentimes, what ends up happening is that I learn a new angle to an old concept that I can take and use moving forward until the next bright spot appears. The idea that I’ll one day write THE golden piece of content that is so good I’ll never have to type again is non-existent at this point, and I find that if I just put my fingers on the keyboard, the ideas will start flowing sooner or later. Sometimes a little good old-fashioned research can get the gears moving, or checking out what the competitors are up to can lead to an effective piece of content, but it’s never enough in the world of SEO. To put it plainly, the goal is not necessarily to write the best piece of content I’ll ever do on any given day, but it is to write something better than I have previously, even yesterday. So far, so good, as I have clearly not run out of ideas after publishing over 10,000 blogs and website pages since I started Web Force. If I do happen to get wrapped up in the moment thinking I’m super-cool for a solid piece of content today, I may drop the mic but knowing full well that I’ll have to pick it back up tomorrow and do it all over again. That’s why I love doing what I do.

    Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

    Web Design     Social Media

    SEO

    Support     Contact

  • Same Concept, Different Blog

    Same Concept, Different Blog

    Content marketing can be tough especially when the business you’re writing for doesn’t really change that much. However, I’ve learned to find ways around getting into a writer’s slump primarily by realizing and accepting that no matter how much you’ve written about a given subject, product, or service, there is always more that you can do but it doesn’t always come easy.

    SEO and Content Marketing in Kansas City, MO

    I write a TON of content for my clients and it’s really easy to get burned out but thankfully I’m never really short on ideas (most good, some not so good.) As I’ve acquired more clients and my older clients have grown, I’ve had to find new ways to market them and, honestly, some weeks it goes as smooth as silk and others it’s like pulling teeth. Look at it this way: for one of my oldest clients, I have written and published over 1,800 blog posts and hundreds of website pages and while their business never really changes much with the exception of adding new products to their retail store, the content I write on their behalf has to be ever changing, unique, engaging and relevant in order for it to be effective. Sure some content is better than others but the key has been to be consistent with regularly publishing blog posts and making adjustments to the overall page structure of their website(s) when necessary for all of my clients to help them grow their businesses.

    A few weeks back, I was in burn out mode and started thinking about examples in my life and the world I observe of how individuals are able to take the same concept(s) and re-imagine them over and over again without getting sick and tired of doing it. At the time, I was getting back into old school Metallica and I thought, “Boy, they must be so over playing the song ‘One’ at every single show for weeks and months at a time.” The thing is that ‘One’ (one of my least favorite Metallica songs) was a massive hit and there are likely fans in the audience every night they play that are only there to hear that one (no pun unintended) song. Having seen Metallica live (among other metal bands) many times over the years, I noticed they always find ways to change things up a little bit in their biggest songs but overall the singalongs and melody remains constant which is cool for the audience but probably also good for the band that has played these songs hundreds if not thousands of times. It made me realize that even though I may feel like I’m writing about the same products and services for my clients over and over again, I have to find new and innovative ways to change it up for my audience as well as for myself so I don’t go insane or get severely burned out. It’s not that there won’t be days when I’m just not feeling it and the words don’t flow like a river but realizing that this is the way that artists, marketers, and people that are just good at what they do have to make changes and adjustments to keep their audiences’ and their own interest focused. Content marketing probably isn’t as cool as a Metallica song but it felt good to connect the two and whatever makes me think, makes me better at what I do. That’s what Web Force KC does (for itself and) for our clients.

    Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for effective web design and online marketing in the Kansas City area.

    Home    Web Design    SEO   Social Media   Support   Contact Us

  • What You DO and What You Are DOING

    What You DO and What You Are DOING

    web-design-SEO-Kansas-City-MO
    Photo credit Carl Heyerdahl

    I’ve built quite a few websites over the years and have written thousands of blogs for my clients. When I first meet them and they decide to hire me, I initially found it difficult to explain what I was doing for them and why I was doing it. With web design it’s pretty cut and dried that they need a place for their potential customers to find them online, get in contact with them and/or get directions to their business but blogging is different. When I first started Web Force I struggled to explain in simple terms what on earth I was doing creating constant content but over time I realized that there is a simple way to do it so here it is.

    Web Design and Content Marketing in Kansas City, MO

    web-design-content-marketer-Kansas-City-MO-KC-KCMO

    A website’s pages are quite simply what you DO, WHO you are, and WHERE you do it. Ideally, each page of a website should explain one component of what you do, what you sell, and why you do it better than your competition with the home page being a summary of everything you do or sell. That’s what you DO and your business likely does it all day, everyday which means that in most cases your website pages never really change much unless your business does. What you are DOING works a little bit different. Avenues like social media are a great way to show off what you are DOING like your latest projects, products, sales, or specials however using your website’s blog can make showing what you are DOING even more powerful. Unlike your website’s pages that are direct and to the point about what you do or sell, your blog posts can be used to show the lighter side of what you do, highlight seasonality in your products or services, flex your industry knowledge, discuss changes in your business or whatever you want so long as it’s relevant. As discussed in our previous blog, keeping your blog posts current and relevant will do wonders for you in terms of attracting the attention of the search engines and will keep your readers engaged as well. Personally, I treat every blog I write like I’m adding a page to a website only less structured and certainly less formal but nevertheless informative. The subject matter could be making light of something my clients see all too often that drives them nuts to something way out of left field like providing tips for smokers and vapers during the COVID-19 era. (FYI: I work with a lot of smoke and vape shops.) The point is that you can use your website to showcase what you DO while using your blog to show what you’re DOING and humanize your company so that your potential customers can get a glimpse of who you are and why they should do business with you. It’s tough to do at first but just like anything else, the more you do it the easier it becomes. Web Force KC builds websites that effectively showcase what businesses and do and what they doing. If you have questions about web design or using your blog as a tool, feel free to contact us.

    Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for web design and online marketing in Kansas City.

    Home    Web Design    SEO   Social Media   Support   Contact Us

  • New Business Starter Pack

    New Business Starter Pack

    Photo Credit Alex Holyoake

    My daughter and I are total meme geeks and one of our favorites has always been the “starter pack.” If you’re not familiar with them I highly recommend you check them out as they are hilarious. The starter pack meme is usually a series of images that collaboratively represent a type of person or character but with less then complimentary intentions. Anyway, I had an old friend ask me about starting a new website for his wife who had recently lost her job and was opening up her own private practice. It made me think about how I really don’t have a starter pack for new business owners. I’m not going to get into extreme details but instead I thought that providing some basic insight on setting up a website as, in my humble opinion, it is the most effective way to get a business going and start generating revenue.

    Local Online Marketing and Website Design in Kansas City, MO

    Get a good name for your business. I’ve worked with countless businesses over the years that have the weirdest names and honestly it takes more work to effectively market them. My advise is to pick a name that has at least little bit to do with what your business actually does. Made up words that don’t make sense to people likely won’t make sense to the search engines either unless you pound brand based content repeatedly when you could be spending your online marketing time more productively like pushing keywords related to what your business does.

    Get a good domain name (that isn’t too long). When my clients ask me to research domain names I tend to look for ones that contain what they do and where they do it. For instance, one of my clients recently added a new location in North Kansas City and wanted me to put a website together specifically for that location. He owns multiple smoke and vape shops but this location is the first in what KC people call the “Northland.” I ended up picking SmokeShopNorthKC.com as it not only is one of the main keywords (smoke shop) we will be going after with our SEO services but also where we will be pushing those keywords (in North KC). Don’t bang your head against the wall trying to find a domain name that does the SEO for you because you’ll never find it but do your best to pick one that makes sense, is short and to the point, and most importantly one that is easy to remember.

    local-web-website-hosting-KC-KCMO-Kansas-City-MO
    Photo Credit  Taylor Vick

    Get good hosting. If want to build a website, you’ll need a place to host it. Hosting is essentially renting space on someone’s server for the files that make up your website. Ideally you should host your website where you buy your domain name but it isn’t absolutely necessary. Check out the reviews on the hosting company because most of them suck to say the least. No offense but GoDaddy really sucks. I’ve had to deal with them for years and each time it’s a struggle to refrain from yelling and screaming at them. Plus, they like to nickle and dime your for every little thing which is just silly. Web Force KC can provide hosting and website security through our partnership with Just Host. We’ve worked with them for years and have never had any major problems especially when it comes to their support which is exceptional. The downtime is minimal which means that our clients’ websites rarely, if ever, are “down for maintenance” which is a good thing.

    Have a professional write your website content. Nothing is worse than having terribly written content on a website. First, your potential customers can get annoyed really quick if your content is poor quality and end up bouncing off of your site to one of your competitors. Second, the search engines like rich, unique content that makes it crystal clear who you are, what you do, and where you do it. Content writers usually aren’t cheap but they do provide an invaluable service that make businesses money.

    seo-web-design-online-marketing-Kansas-City-MO
    Photo Credit Christian Wiediger

    Have good images. If you aren’t a photographer, no worries, you’re not alone. I’m by no means a great photographer and neither are most of my clients even though we have increasingly more powerful cameras on our phones. I’ve had clients that have held contests with their employees to take pictures which worked out pretty well but in the end nothing beats a professional photographer. There are many websites that offer free image downloads for any type of use including commercial use. DON’T USE PICTURES THAT AREN’T YOURS! Copyright infringement is real and can cost you a ton of money. (Trust us, we’re currently in the middle of suing a local business for stealing our images and content). We recommend checking out Unsplash.com for tons of great free images. In fact, we used UnSplash images for the blog you are currently reading and we think they look pretty damn good. You may not find exactly what you are looking for there but you can at the very least get some good ideas. If all else fails, go buy some stock photos.

    Lastly, make sure your website makes sense. A website should allow users to get the information they need or get in contact with you quickly and easily otherwise they’ll go somewhere else. I can’t tell you how many times a website (or more specifically a web designer) over-complicated thing when the business offered a pretty simple service or product but made it almost impossible to actually get info, make a purchase, or get in contact with the company. Clean, simple, and user friendly always works.

    At Web Force KC, our goal is and always has been to help our clients navigate the ever-changing world of the internet while helping them grow their business as well. Our common sense approach to web design, content creation and website hosting/security allows our clients to focus on running their business instead of worrying about the web.

    Call Web Force KC at (816) 462-9128 for local web design, SEO, and online marketing in Kansas City.

    Home    Web Design    SEO   Social Media   Support   Contact Us

The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.