Category: Digital

WordPress is the top website platform in the country. Each day, more than 500 websites are built using WordPress, while 60 to 80 are built on platforms such as Squarespace and Shopify.

However, only a select few abstain from some of the most common mistakes. The first is a cluttered dashboard, which makes the program hard to manage. Along the same lines, be sure to delete unwanted plugins. Also, change your website title and tagline in your WordPress settings. This helps to personalize the website. Once done, set up your nickname and fill out your bio. This significantly boosts SEO.

– Eric Olsen, Fasturtle

Sometimes email marketing can feel a bit like cold calling 2.0. But, when it’s done right, it can be an effective communications tool. Here are the most common mistakes brands make with email marketing:

• Forgetting welcome emails. If someone subscribes, take the opportunity to welcome them right away.
• Forgetting people are busy. We are all inundated with email all day, every day. Don’t send just to send and “be that guy.”
• Forgetting to be human. Personalized emails have a 26% higher open rate.
• Forgetting to ask for help. There are professionals who can help even micro-businesses for very reasonable budgets today.

– Eric Olsen, Fasturtle 

Launching, improving or refreshing one’s digital marketing strategy can feel daunting. Certainly, digital marketing campaigns take time, effort and patience. However, there are three things you can do right away to help bolster your online presence.

First, focus on conversions. To instantly improve your marketing strategy, get to the bottom of the data and figure out whether you’re overlooking your conversions. Second, analyze your competition. Fight the desire to operate in a vacuum and conduct proactive competitive analyses. Finally, know when to bring in the professionals.

Sometimes DIY isn’t enough. Research reputable partners, set a fair budget and work together.

– Eric Olsen, Fasturtle

A website is not a want; it is a need. Given the cost to develop a fully functioning website can range from $5,000 to $40,000, many business owners have tried their hand at one time or another developing the site themselves. Most of whom end up pulling their hair out given it can be a tedious and error-filled process.

But, it needn’t be. There are companies that offer what is best described as a semi-do-it-yourself website. Products like this, often less than $1,000, are an effective solution for business owners who need a website, but don’t know where to start.

– Eric Olsen, Fasturtle 

Over 90% of texts are read within three minutes of being received. There are few communications mediums that can claim the same effectiveness.

The term “text message” comes with multiple acronyms, with two of the most popular being SMS and MMS. SMS – Short Message Service – is limited to 160 characters and what many consider the text message, while MMS – Multimedia Message Service – does not have a character limit, but is restricted by the amount of data available (with the usual limit being 300kb per message).

Given their limited use of data and direct nature, SMS is a cost-effective marketing tool.

– Edward Purkiss, SMS Gorilla

Recognizing that Arizona students will remain home to finish out the school year, Cox has formally extended its free Connect2Compete internet service, the company’s low-cost internet offer for families statewide with a K-12 student on government assistance until July 15, 2020.

Customers that sign up between now and May 15 are eligible for this offer and will receive free service until July 15. Free remote service support is also extended to ensure ease of implementation for families. Cox temporarily doubled download speeds for its Connect2Compete internet customers from 25 to 50 Mbps in mid-March. This increase will also continue through July 15, 2020.

– David Weissman, Cox Communications

As businesses across the globe are becoming increasingly more dependent on telecommuting and virtual business operations, some companies are finding it difficult to keep up with conventional business timelines. Among them: Facebook.

Recently, the company addressed its usually swift ad approval process, acknowledging that shifting their workers to a work-from-home platform is likely causing delays.

To limit delays with your campaigns, there are ways to make minimal changes to existing ads so that a new review is not triggered. There are also ways to extend well-performing ads instead of creating wholly new ones right now. Both are effective, short-term strategies.

– Eric Olsen, Fasturtle

To help keep our communities healthy, the need for social distancing is imperative right now.

As such, on March 18th, two U.S. senators – Kevin Cramer and Mark Warner – introduced a bill known as the Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic – or SECURE – Notarization Act of 2020. With this bill, title companies can help consumers close their transactions without coming in contact with anyone, as it would approve the nationwide use of Remote Online Notarization (RON).

This technology enables customers and the notary to be in different locations using two-way, audio-visual communication to safely and securely execute important documents.

– Tyler Newlon, Pioneer Title Agency

Arizona passed a law (SB 1030) in 2019 that would allow Arizona notaries to use this technology.

However, it does not go into effect until July, and the Secretary of State has indicated that even come July they are not prepared to implement. Thirteen states already use RON and many more, like Arizona, have passed laws that are not yet implemented. Two states, New York and Wisconsin, have taken emergency measures to allow for immediate implementation of the technology. I believe that our state should follow suit, and that we should also make it available nationwide. It is a perfect solution while practicing social distancing or self-quarantining during this uncertain time. The national bill will immediately enable any notary in the country to use RON. State implementation of the law already passed would keep the clear guidelines and procedures in place that were negotiated by stakeholders here in Arizona. Beyond that, all folks, including those in care facilities or those unable to easily physically get to a notary during non-emergent times would greatly benefit from RON.

Please call your elected officials to express support for the immediate implementation of Remote Online Notarization at both the state and federal level.