As a small business owner or marketing manager, having to balance operations, marketing and sales, and customer service leaves you with a packed schedule. Establishing a marketing budget for your small business is one thing, but being responsible for potentially thousands of advertising dollars can be a lofty task.

You can put your advertising dollars to work by maximizing the odds that your potential customers convert every time they encounter your ads. Learn how to make a high-converting landing page to realize the best return on your marketing spend.

What Is a Landing Page on a Website?

Unlike other pages on your site, landing pages are standalone pages; in other words, you will not find them in the navigation menu, nor are they linked to any other page on your site. …

A website not showing up in Google can be a MAJOR problem. However, MARION offers SEO services, so taking our word for it would be like asking a barber if you need a haircut. Instead, consider the following stats.

B2B researchers conduct an average of 12 online searches before engaging with a company. If B2C SEO stats are more relevant to your situation, did you know that 72% of consumers that perform local searches end up visiting a store within five miles?

These statistics make it very clear that learning how to make your website show up on Google is a key part of success in today’s business climate. …

As a paying customer in any situation, you like to know what you’re getting. Unfortunately, an upcoming change to Google Ads that limits advertiser access to search term data will be breaking that unspoken contract under the guise of “privacy.”

But first, let’s make sure you understand what search terms are within Google Ads, and why this change has marketers up in arms.

What Are Search Terms in Google Ads?

Search terms are the exact searches that Google users conduct that result in your ad being clicked. …

If you’re a business advertising through social media, you know how important it is to closely monitor the performance of your account. Savvy business owners and managers know that you must set marketing KPIs and adjust your campaigns based on their performance.

Learning how to generate leads or how to get more followers on your Facebook business page can vastly improve your company’s bottom line, but it comes at a cost. The cost per lead of your Facebook Ads show how much you’re paying to acquire each lead.

Databox found the average CPL for a Facebook campaign falls between the $0 and $25 mark. …

Not having the appropriate marketing budget can do significant damage to your company’s potential. Like Henry Ford said, “The man who stops advertising to save money, is like the man who stops a clock to save time.” Cutting back your marketing and advertising costs is not the path to a prosperous business.

But how much do companies spend on marketing in your industry? Having an accurate estimate of what the average marketing budget can be important to know for several reasons.

Knowing your numbers matter whether you’re trying to structure your marketing plan, justifying a round of new funding, or approaching your boss about a marketing budget increase for the next fiscal year. …

It’s common to hear the terms “branding” and “marketing” thrown around when discussing the best way to grow a successful business. It’s easy to confuse the two, as they are often used as substitutes instead of separate concepts that should each be given careful consideration.

Learn about the differences in branding vs. marketing today to help you understand the unique benefits of each activity, and how to apply those benefits to your organization!

What Is Branding?

Branding is the distillation and communication of a company’s values, core principles, mission, style — basically whatever makes your company, product, or service unique. …

Search Engine Marketing as it relates to Google often centers around 2 different strategies — organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Google Ads. They are distinctly different, involving different tactics and marketing KPIs.

For the inexperienced digital marketer, these two digital marketing strategies can ultimately cannibalize one another. But when implemented properly and with expert care, SEO and Google Ads can help each other and create a well-rounded digital marketing strategy.

So, what is SEO, and what are paid Google Ads? What are the differences between SEO vs. Google Ads? …

An effective business website is critical for a positive first impression — make sure it’s well-designed and functional. Not only should it be attractive, but it should also be easy for people to find out more information about your business. Learning how to choose a web design company that builds high-performance sites is the first step toward making this happen.

If your website is difficult to use, you may lose a potential client or sale!

Should I Build My Own Website or Pay Someone?

When deciding whether to hire a web developer or do it yourself, you should consider what you’re trying to accomplish. If you are a business owner who is strapped for time, you might not have enough hours in the day to learn how to build and optimize your own website. …