Fresh Ink Newsletter - Fall 2019

A Quarterly Graphic Design & Printing Newsletter FA L L 2 0 1 9

PRACTICAL WAYS TO BOOST YOUR GOOGLE RANKING By: Tingalls Graphic Design

These days, your website has to be more than just a pretty face. Your site needs to provide excellent user experience, offer GOOGLE relevant information, and be found easily.

1. Your Company Staying on top of this helps attract Google to your site when a relevant search in your industry comes up. Getting recognized positively by Google is by no means your only option to get noticed, but it can be a vital one. This is where SEO (or search engine optimization) comes in.

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» K EEP IT FRESH: Adding regular content to your site keeps it relevant.

Google loves new copy that’s well-written. It helps you be seen as an expert in your field. » B UILD INFLUENCE: Try to get reputable websites link to you. Adding your website link to associations you belong to is a great start. » M ETA MATTERS: Make sure your meta tags (the text that appears under your business name in search results) summarizes your business well and includes optimal keywords. » T HINK SMALL: Your website has to be mobile-friendly otherwise it will be demoted by Google in mobile search results. » L ABEL YOUR IMAGES: Not only should you be naming your images with keywords, but you should also be citing alternate text tags. » W EB DIRECTORIES: If you haven't already, you should have claimed your business listing through Google My Business. Other notable directories include Bing, Yahoo, and Yelp. Be sure your business name, address, phone, and email are exactly the same everywhere. » S PEED IT UP: Site load speed is very important. Be sure you are auditing plugins regularly, and optimizing images that might be slowing your page download speed.

Remember, a well-coded website and quality content are the top ingredients to success with Google. The SEO enhancements listed above are just a few of the many strategies to help increase your search engine ranking.

I'M READY TO OUTSOURCE MY BLOG WRITING, BUT HOW WOULD THAT WORK? By: Tingalls Graphic Design You know it's time to hire a writer, to bring in an expert who knows what they're doing so you can get back to spending time where it's most valuable.

You understand smart content will improve your reach, resonate with your target market, draw customers in, and ultimately improve your bottom line. But it's starting to become a real drag.

Maybe you're running out of ideas for blog posts or starting to repost social media content, and it's sucking up way too much of your time. It doesn't feel natural, and you're not even sure it's resonating with your customers.

So, yes, you're ready to hire a content writer, but you're a little unclear about how it all works.

You're probably asking yourself: What will it cost? Will they do a good job? How will they get to know the ins and outs of my business quickly enough to write quality content that achieves my objectives?

These are all valid questions. If you haven't worked with a copy or content writer before (or had a bad experience), the process might seem a bit hazy.

Let's clarify some of those questions.

How much will it cost?

This depends on lots of things: The writer's level of experience and skill, the type of project and how much input you want from them in terms of content strategy and topic ideas, for example.

Some copywriters charge by the hour, but (because that doesn't tell you much), many will quote for the entire project upfront.

That quote should outline exactly what's included (number of revisions, research, discussion time, etc.).

A price for the entire project can provide more certainty and clarity for everyone. If your copywriter or content writer gives you an hourly rate, you can always ask if they'll consider providing a project rate instead.

Remember, you're not just paying for words on a page, you're investing in the outcomes that these words will achieve for your business. And choosing the right words to do this is a skill.

But you want to know numbers, right?

Hourly rates in the Madison area can range between $60 - $150+ depending on the skills of the writer and the difficulty of the project. So, shopping around for a writer that meets your needs and budget will take a bit of homework but will be well worth it in the end.

How do I know they'll do a good job?

If you're hiring a writer, likely, writing is not your strength (or, of course, you don't have the time). Because you find writing tricky, it might be hard to understand how someone else who knows nothing about your business could do your story justice.

Just remember, copywriters, are skilled and experienced at doing precisely that. If they invest in a thorough brief (which includes getting to know your business and what you want to achieve), they shouldn't have any trouble, and you'll likely be pleasantly surprised at the outcome. They've spent years getting up to speed with businesses (from all sorts of industries) quickly, so it comes naturally.

Plus, good writers are great listeners. They know how to write for the customer, to keep

an ear out for nuggets of gold and weave these into the content to showcase your best side.

In saying that, it's essential to do your research. Look into your copywriter, check out client testimonials, have a good read over some of their work and make sure you choose someone who's got the goods.

How long will it take?

Good copywriters are usually booked up a couple of weeks in advance (at least). So, think ahead. There's also revision time to factor in, and most copywriters will include two rounds of revisions in their quotes and time frames. It depends on the size of the project, but say for a standard 4-5 page website, you could be looking at a project

duration of 2-4 weeks plus lead time. To be safe, get it in at least a couple of months before your deadline. Of course, if you're looking for regular content (say a monthly blog), the sooner you create a regular schedule with your writer the better.

Who keeps the project on track?

Your copywriter should take on the project management role. They should set the time frames and deadlines at the beginning of the project, so it's crystal clear what's expected from both of you. You'll know exactly what to expect with the first, second, and final draft and when you need to provide feedback. This should all be outlined by the copywriter at the beginning of the project.

What's the process?

Each copywriter has their own process, but it could go something like this: 1. Initial contact—you tell your copywriter about your project.

2. Quote—they send you a quote to approve (and details of what's included).

3. Briefing—They’ll present you with a thorough document of what the project involves along with their understanding of your business and goals.

4. First draft—you receive your first draft to review.

5. First round of feedback—you provide thoughts on the first draft.

6. S econd draft—you receive a second draft to review.

7. S econd round of feedback—you provide final feedback.

8. Third draft—you receive a third (and usually final) draft.

9. W rap up—the project is finalized.

Any other questions? Tingalls Graphic Design has recently added copywriting including SEO content writing to its growing list of offerings. Feel free to call our professional copywriter, Catherine Bell, to answer your questions at 608-268-5525.

IS YOUR WEBSITE YOUR BEST SALESPERSON? IT COULD BE! By: Tingalls Graphic Design

Tingalls is now offering informative website Search Engine Optimization (SEO) audits!

As you can see in the illustration below, SEO is not a singular add-on; it's a full toolbox of strategies to help your website climb in search results. Tingalls website audit will examine and provide reporting on dozens of factors that might be affecting your website page rank with Google.

In a nutshell, your website will be analyzed for:

4 Critical website factors: page load, call to action, links, competitor comparisons, web directory checks 4 User experience: design, visuals, layout, navigation, mobile friendliness, image size and compression 4 Content optimization: keyword research and use, alt image attributes, content elements

Within one week, your audit will be presented in an easily downloadable PDF format. Recommended action steps to take and SEO best practices are also included.

To see a sample report or to get started with your own analysis, call 608-268-5525 or email info@tingalls.com.

KEYWORD ANALYSIS

MOBILE FRIENDLINESS

DIRECTORY CONSISTENCY

INBOUND LINKS

S EO

Toolbox

META 5 PACK

SEARCH ACCESSIBILITY

COMPETITION COMPARISON

CONTENT

SPEED

USER EXPERIENCE

WELLS IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE ADDITION OF THE FUJI ACUITY LED 1600 II UV INKJET PRINTER TO OUR EQUIPMENT FAMILY! By: Wells Print and Design

The Fuji is a large format hybrid printer with the capability of printing on material up to ½� thick. It produces excellent ink coverage with strong, vibrant colors. It can print up to eight colors: CMYK, light Cyan, light Magenta, white and clear. It has single-pass printing of two or three layers of color, white and clear inks simultaneously. With the flatbed conversion, the Fuji can print directly on to rigid material to produce a variety of signs, POP, posters, etc. and also can print on roll material for banners, back-lit displays, or window display applications.

The Fuji Acuity LED 1600 II is built to produce exceptional print results in the most environmentally friendly way, with low energy LED UV curing technology. LED lamps consume far less energy than conventional UV and last up to ten times longer. Also, LEDs produce very little heat, which means they can work with heat-sensitive media.

We are excited about the endless new printing opportunities the Fuji will offer our customers. Whether it is a sign for your business, trade show pieces, foam core posters or banners, please contact us at Wells Print and Digital (608) 274-7474 for a quote or any questions you might have.

• New Printer at Wells

• Website SEO Audits

• Outsource

Your Content Writing

www.printanddigital.com

steve.namio@printanddigital.com

608-274-7474

Contact: Steve Namio

www.tingalls.com

tara@tingalls.com

608-268-5525

Contact: Tara Ingalls

FRESH INK IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Madison, WI 53713

3121 Watford Way

c/o Wells Printing and Digital Services

• Boost

Your Google Ranking

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