No one tracks trends like Google. It’s a key part of their mission to make changes based on what we search and, more importantly, how we search. These changes typically come in the form of algorithm updates.

For the past few years, mobile searches have outpaced desktop searches. Currently, more than half of all incoming web traffic happens on a mobile device. With no signs of slowing down, Google has been promising to roll out a mobile-first index in response. How will your site be impacted by the imminent mobile-first launch? Ahead, we’ll unpack what indexing mobile-first will change and how to best prepare.

What does the mobile-first algorithm target?

As of now, the desktop version of your site determines your Google ranking. Although, it’s supplemented by the content on your mobile site that’s soon to change.

After the mobile-first update, search engines will initially look to your mobile site when indexing, prioritizing that user experience. Therefore, you could see a dip in traffic if your mobile content is thin or differs from that contained on your desktop site.

Is this the death of desktop? Probably not.

Google has been clear that desktop content will not stop ranking altogether. Instead, in the near future, websites will be indexed based on the mobile version of the site first. This means webmasters should absolutely prioritize the mobile experience if they want to rank well. But desktops won’t be rendered entirely dormant.

When will the new mobile-first update launch?

This is perhaps the most slippery part of the mobile-first initiative. Google has been hinting at the update for years. It was originally poised to launch at the end of 2017. It’s now looking like that’ll happen closer to early or even mid-2018.

There’s also talk of rolling out mobile-first indexing in batches. If so, this would only target mobile-friendly sites for a while.

Even the most learned SEO experts can’t guarantee it won’t occur all at once. However, this quality neutral initiative is designed in hopes of preserving search results or rankings a bit—at least in the beginning. The goal is really two-fold: first to increase the quality of the search. Next, to protect non-mobile friendly sites from a new indexing method that could halt the internet as we know it.

Next Steps

In 2016, Google released a post about mobile-indexing. Whether you’re a webmaster or small business owner, it’s short and worth a read through. After brushing up you may even decide there’s not much if anything you need to do.

If however, you want to be overly prepared, here are four steps you can take, immediately:

1. Create a responsive/adaptive site instead of a separate mobile site (ie: m. or /mobi/).
2. Mirror all mobile content to your desktop and optimize your images to enhance search.
3.  Remember that Google prescribes no mobile site over a poorly constructed one. If you’re thinking about rushing through it, think again.

In our web-based world, no business can afford a Google flag. Need help kicking off the process of creating a responsive site? We can help you reorganize your mobile-friendly website in advance of the mobile-first roll out!

Year’s end is a good time to evaluate your website and take care of some important tasks that will have your site performing at its best for the New Year.  Add these five important items to your to-do list ASAP:

1. Ensure your Site’s Domain Registration is Renewed for 3 years or more.

When does your website’s domain registration expire? Do not let your domain expire.  You could lose it for good.  Check the expiration date and be sure your registration is valid for at least one year. We recommend renewing it for 3 years or more. Not sure where you registered your domain name or when it expires?  You can look this information up at whois.net.  Click here to check your domain expirations date.

2. Make sure the SSL certificate on your website is working on all pages.

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, which is a protocol that creates a secure connection between user and website. Websites that use SSL encryption will display HTTPS (as opposed to HTTP) in the address bar.  This encryption makes data invisible to those wishing to eavesdrop on your online session. You can check to see if you’re utilizing SSL on your site and all of the pages by going to https://www.jitbit.com/sslcheck/.   Click here to check your site for SSL.

Google’s Chrome web browser marks sites without encryption as non-secure and the search engines have stated that websites should be encrypted.  You may be hurting your website’s search engine rankings without HTTPS.

3. Be Sure your Website is Mobile Friendly

The percentage of worldwide online searches done on mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, is between 55% – 65%. What does mobile friendly mean, exactly?  It means that you can read the site’s information without having to expand the page or slide the content from side to side on your device.  Users should be able to use the features of the site (e.g. the buttons, the checkout process, the on-site search function) comfortably as well.  If you’re not sure if your website is mobile friendly, try Google’s Mobile Friendliness Test.  Click here to check your site for Mobile Friendliness.

4. Test your website speed.

The speed of your website is one of the most important, yet overlooked, aspects of visitors’ user experience.  Software updates, unoptimized photos, and other neglected maintenance issues can slow it down.  Check site speed frequently.  A slow website harms search rankings as well. To test your website’s speed, check it with GT Metrix.  You’ll want a grade of A or B to guarantee that user experience and keyword rankings won’t be compromised by slow speeds. Click here to check your site speed.

5. Update the copyright on your website.

Make sure your website is copyrighted and it’s using the most current year. Most people think that the creation of a website means it, and its associated content is inherently copyrighted. That’s not necessarily the case. Fortunately, copyrighting your website is not difficult. Just follow this simple two-step process: complete the application form at https://www.copyright.gov/, then pay the two nonrefundable fees for a deposit and filing. If you’ve already taken care of this, make sure you change your copyright date to 2018 on or about January 1.

Want a free check on your website?  Click here to register to receive a checkup report on key components of your website’s operational efficiency. If you need help with any of these essential website maintenance factors, or with SEO, PPC, website design, or social media, contact the digital marketing experts at Accelerate Online Marketing.

Organic Social Media Marketing for Your Law Firm

Few social events are quite as polarizing as the cocktail party, people either love them or hate them, but attending one for professional reasons is very similar to social media marketing. But the one thing you don’t want to do, whether referring to social media or cocktail parties, is stand in the corner and refuse to engage anybody.

Forget those days when Facebook and Twitter were only used to inform friends that your vacation or night on the town was upstaging theirs. Now social media ─ Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn specifically ─ should be an integral party of your law firm’s marketing strategy. And if your firm isn’t using social media as part of its marketing efforts, you’re in the minority ─ seventy percent (70%) are, according to Attorney at Work’s 2017 Social Media Marketing Survey.

Just Remember…Think Cocktail Party When You Think Social Media.

When you’re ready to launch or revamp your social media marketing efforts, keep the following four (4) things in mind:

Be Genuine

You wouldn’t pretend to be something you’re not at a cocktail party (right?), so don’t do it when using social media. Make posts reflective of your firm, the type of law you practice and how you want to be perceived in the marketplace. And while writing about yourself might be uncomfortable, it’s important that your personality shines through. If you love golf, share thoughts and photos about your recent round at Pebble Beach.

Elevator Pitch

We all know what an elevator pitch is, right? It’s something about you and your firm that can be verbalized on a (no more than) 30-second elevator ride. Take the same approach with social media posts; they need to quickly convey who you are, where you work, and how you help people.

Share the Good News

Social media posts work best when they offer a more human, personal touch. You don’t have to only share posts that reference the law or the type you practice. If your son’s basketball team wins the championship, share it with others. You never know who might read it and forward it on to somebody with a vested interest in your son’s school.

Use Images and Videos

Sure, giving the reader something to look at along with text helps information stand out, but it’s more than just about looks. Check out these statistics from Adobe’s Digital Index Report. Tweets with images earned up to:

• 18 percent more clicks,
• 89 percent more favorites, and
• 150 percent more retweets.

LAW FIRM PRACTICE AREAS WE OFFER LEGAL SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SERVICES FOR

Bankruptcy

Business Law

Business Litigation

Child Custody

Civil Litigation

Corporate Law

Criminal Law

Divorce

DUI/DWI

Estate Planning

Family Law

General Practice

Health Care

Immigration

Labor and Employment

Landlord and Tenant Law

Libel, Slander and Defamation

Medical Malpractice

Medicare and Medicaid

Personal Injury

Real Estate

Social Security Disability

Wills and Probate

Workers Compensation

Remember to think cocktail party when designing and implementing your firm’s social media marketing strategy. And here’s the best part ─ you don’t have to dress up for it.

It’s been almost a year since MGM studios and Twitter joined forces for an immersive New Year’s Eve experience using Twitter Live. In the span of a few hours, the launch segment had garnered an impressive 22 million views and impressions. Since then, the micro-blogging social media site has updated and added to the live streaming feature, reflecting back a cultural craving for immediacy.

Curious what’s on the horizon for next year? Here’s a look backward, and forward, to help businesses leverage twitter live in their social media marketing.

A Look Back at Twitter Live in 2017

Twitter Live has had an impressive arch over the last 12 months. When it comes to revenue, video remains their single biggest ad format, according to Twitter.

What has shifted is the participants, players, and partnerships. Let’s see how Twitter Live has settled in over the last four quarters.

• Q1: Twitter’s user growth outpaced Wall Street Predictions, swelling by more than 9 million. By March its content partners had topped to more than 200.
• Q2: Armed with an updated API, Twitter made the live platform more accessible to broadcasting companies. Supporting professional video and editing equipment, as well as the software that runs them, allowed major players to interface directly with Twitter.
• Q3: Partnerships with big names in the sports world, fashion arena and media sect all pledged allegiance to live-streaming. Everyone from the NFL and Viacom to IMG Fashion and BuzzFeed is now relying on Twitter for their live content.
• Q4: Right at the end of the year, Twitter Live is eking out a final offering that’s poised to change news as we know it.

Is Twitter our preferred news network?

News cycles have long rewarded the first on the scene. Twitter satisfies our demand for the instantaneous. For those who want to watch the news in the moment, Twitter is reliably where it happens first.

In fact, social media is the exclusive news provider for more than half of online users. It’s also where reporters themselves look to confirm facts or cultivate story leads.

Twitter Live has taken notice, creating the world’s first “social news network”, TicToc by Bloomberg. As of December 18, 2017, a Twitter-specific 24-hour news cycle will go live supported by a team of 50 reporters and newsroom staff.

It’s the precision and journalistic excellence of Bloomberg News, paired with the global following of twitter’s aggressively engaged users, and the commentary they so freely share.

The move appears to be traditional media’s first dedicated effort to bring some quality into the demand for instant breaking news.

Who’s ahead in the Twitter VS Facebook Live race?

Twitter and Facebook Live both have the potential to grow your market segments. It’s less a question of which is performing better, and more an inquiry into your individual business marketing needs.

If you’re attempting to get in front of an audience you’ve already cultivated, Facebook Live tends to pull ahead. However, if what you’re after is overall network growth, try out Twitter.

The two also differ in terms of which types of content they best support. Since Twitter is a more open platform, it’s especially great for public events. Conversely, Facebook does a thorough job serving concentrated individual networks. Ultimately, the choice is whether your content is better suited for a network-centric audience or open and public viewings.

Keep in mind that about more than half of Twitter Live’s unique video viewers are outside the U.S., and also under the age of 25. If you have a young, international target market, this is the platform for your business.

Some moments can only be truly captured with live video. Whatever your business chooses to broadcast, going live on Twitter can help you share the experience.

Still, have questions? Make contact and we’ll let you pick the brain of an internal social media strategist

To Google, one letter makes a huge difference– at least when we’re talking HTTPS vs. HTTP. Since 2014, the big G has been strongly encouraging websites to convert to SSL. Though it’s not yet resulted in a proper Google update, there have been rankings boots for following suit.

Earlier this year, Search Engine Journal collected data supporting the correlation between websites who made the HTTPS switch and Google’s first page rankings. In the piece, they outline SearchMetrics data indicating HTTPS encryption is up 12% since 2015 and that 45% of the top websites all use it to protect their online data.

So, now the multi-billion dollar question: is your website secure? Today we delve a little deeper, unpacking all that’s contained in one tiny letter. (Hint: n Http(s) the s=secure.)

Understanding Secure Socket Layers

As trusted Search Engine Optimization specialists, we field a lot of web security questions. Curious about what a secure socket layer is and what it protects against? Allow us to elaborate.

For simplification purposes, an SSL encryption creates a safe link between a host’s server and a browser. Without it, any data that’s shared over the connection remains fully public and highly susceptible.

How do you know when a site is secure and protected? Look to the upper left-hand corner of your Google browser next to the website. You’ll see a closed lock that turns green to indicate your data is secure and protected.

How Important is an HTTPS site?

The vast majority of #1-ranking websites have a secure socket layer on top of their site. By year’s end that number is expected to increase to more than 65%.

However, your Google ranking isn’t the only risk you’re taking by waiting to roll out a full HTTPS conversation. Without a designated SSL certificate to protect your site, you’re left susceptible to information theft. That means your customers are, too.

And really, what company doesn’t want to make their website harder to hack? Not only will fixing a hack drain your IT budget, but you also leave your operation open to lawsuits from those whose information was compromised.

Why Hasn’t there Been a SSL Oriented Google Update?

If it seems odd that something so critical hasn’t been addressed in an official Google update, you’re not alone. The official word is that the internet powers that be are awaiting big sites like Wikipedia to fully secure themselves before making an official rollout.

Ultimately, your users have an expectation of safety when they visit your site. If you haven’t converted to HTTPS yet, don’t wait until there’s a problem. We’ll help you do it. Stay ahead to keep from falling behind, and let us secure your SSL certificate.

The Importance of Good Website Design for Law Firms

What are the components needed to create a good website? For some, this question might bring to mind Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s famous line from his opinion in the freedom of speech case Jacobellis v. Ohio.  They may not be able to describe qualities that make for a good website, but they “know it when (they) see it.”  Fortunately, website design and development is not quite so nebulous. Read on for information on the basic components that good legal websites share.

Build your Website with the User in Mind

A website isn’t all about just words and images, or font selection and layout.  A good website is easy to use.  This means its visitors can easily navigate from one page to another, can find what they are looking for, and can to complete their desired action.  Oftentimes, the websites with cleaner, simpler designs are the easiest to use because they don’t confuse the user with too many bells and whistles.  Don’t make the fatal mistake of overdesigning, and failing to consider your user’s experience.

Remember the Basics

It’s shocking how many websites don’t prominently display their phone number. Make it bold and easy to see, preferably in the upper right-hand corner.  Is your site’s contact form so long that nobody will take the time to complete it?  Is it easy to understand? This is vitally important. Do all the links and buttons work?  Do its pages load quickly? These are common mistakes that can be fairly easy to fix. But first you must pay attention to the details.

Mobile Friendly

According to several research studies, mobile searches account for between 55% and 65% of all online searches. So if your website isn’t mobile friendly, you may have cut your potential audience by half or more, right off the bat! And just because you can see your website on a mobile device doesn’t mean it’s mobile friendly. If you’d like to check, go to https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly. Paste your URL in the window, then click “Analyze”. Google will let you know if your website is accommodating for mobile users.

Use your Resources

Think friends and family; they’re great resources. Have them navigate your website, and then provide honest feedback. If you’ve looked at something long enough, it’s tough to be objective and truly gauge user experience. Hopefully friends and family won’t have the same problem.

LAW FIRM PRACTICE AREAS WE OFFER LEGAL WEB DESIGN SERVICES FOR

Business Law

Business Litigation

Child Custody

Civil Litigation

Corporate Law

Criminal Law

Divorce

state Planning

Family Law

General Practice

Health Care

Immigration

Labor and Employment

Landlord and Tenant Law

Medical Malpractice

Medicare and Medicaid

Personal Injury

Real Estate

Social Security Disability

Wills and Probate

Workers Compensation

If you have questions about your law firm’s website design, contact Accelerate Online Marketing (Accelerate). We’re an award-winning digital marketing firm that focuses on making online law firm marketing easy.

Emotions are the first language we learn. Until our brains are fully developed, it’s how we communicate and how we understand our world. Some parts of that never leave us. Even into our adulthood, emotions drive our decision-making, especially when it comes to the things we purchase.

Regardless of content, emotion-based ads and marketing campaigns trigger subconscious responses that help us feel our way to the end product. Watch any Super Bowl ad for confirmation – the most popular commercials from year to year are ones which make you laugh or, better, evoke deep sentiment.

Get out the tissues and strap in. Ahead, we’ll take a whirl on the roller coaster of emotional marketing and see its relationship to lead-capture.

Basic Emotions

Though humans experience a litany of varied and complex emotions, most can be categorized as one of four basic states: sadness, happiness, fear or anger.

Each makes for effective advertising in its own way. In decades past, ads were varied across the spectrum. More recently, positive, uplifting or moving content has taken center stage. Print advertising and digital marketing ads alike rely on emotional connection for shares and sales.

In our online age, content marketing that evokes nostalgia and confidence seems to do especially well at crossing barriers and holding our fleeting attention spans.

Establish Value

In essence, emotions consciously or unconsciously underlie all consumers’ purchasing decisions. Tapping the proper sentiment for your customer base is the logical first step, but the real buck stops when you communicate its value.

For example, when REI unveiled their demonstrably successful Black Friday campaign, #optoutside, the store closures sent a clear message to their target audience. They aligned themselves with their brand as well as the shared sentiments of their customers. As they distanced themselves from unchecked consumerism, they simultaneously increased sales.

When creating your content marketing strategy, think about what your product or service underscores. Imagine the value-add to the purchaser. Does your restaurant offer families a sense of belonging? Or is your product satisfying a user’s intrinsic need for connection?

Tell the story behind the features and focus on how it can help achieve a heightened emotional state or eliminate regret altogether. Don’t sell them a product; show your customer how it can impact their human experience.

Emotional Branding

Consumers are inundated with ads. Between Facebook advertising, Google AdWords and native ads in their online content, some estimate that internet users field some 4,000 ads each day.

Want to stand out? Associate your brand with an emotion and distinguish yourself from the competition.

Ultimately, an emotional customer is an engaged customer. Use emotional marketing to genuinely appeal to your target audience’s core feelings and create brand connections that can convert lead captures to long-term sales.

At Globe Runner, our core values shape every aspect of our company and our policies. It would be a good idea to seriously consider your company’s values, and perhaps placing them on a wall somewhere in the office. With these values in writing, it will open up the floor for discussion as to how your team can work collectively to honor these values and attain company goals.