Higher Education Marketing Marketing Guides

What Should Be in Your School’s Sales and Marketing Plans?

March 29, 2019

What Should Be in Your Sales and Marketing Plans?

Although often used interchangeably, sales and marketing plans are different documents that serve different purposes. Both are vital for your institution to stay on track when it comes to recruitment and internal marketing efforts. Do your sales and marketing plans have all of their essential elements?

What Should Be in Your School’s Sales and Marketing Plans?

Marketing plans serve two main purposes: they identify target markets and develop strategies for recruiting potential students. Sales plans then detail the strategies your institution will use to sell programs. Therefore, a sales plan is a vital part of your school’s larger marketing strategy.

Marketing Plan “Musts”

To identify target markets, a marketing plan should utilize Google Analytics and knowledge of industry trends. Ask yourself the following questions:

What countries comprise the majority of current traffic?
Has this traffic changed in the last year?
What has caused these increases/decreases?
What target markets are missing from our reports?
What’s our full list of target markets?
Are our multilingual pages for each of these markets optimized?
Does our web traffic reflect our recruitment efforts?
Do our social media efforts cater to these markets?
Do any ads we ran or are running currently cater to these markets?
Do our bookings reflect our traffic?
What countries had significant increases or decreases in bookings this last year?
Do our marketing efforts align with these increases? (In other words, have we identified emerging markets based on interest/bookings?)
How are we promoting each program?
Are we promoting each program to its specific target market? Specifically, how are we doing so?
How can we do things better than we have in previous years?
Are we collecting testimonials, photos, videos, and other marketing tools (such as newsletters) in the best way possible?
Are we establishing a longstanding relationship with students after they leave our program?
Are we tracking student success in the best way possible?
Are we seeking Google reviews?
How are we establishing ourselves as being different from our competitors?
Do our marketing materials reflect this differentiation?
Are our social media accounts optimized?
Should we be offering specials? Or other scholarships?
Do our programs reflect the needs of our target markets? How could they be improved to bring in more bookings?

Sales Plan “Musts”

Your sales plan must outline your institution’s goals related to bookings. It should include measurable results (such as an increase in inquiries and bookings) and should include actions related to the answers to the questions from your marketing plan.

A sales plan should include the following:

Specific actions related to all aspects of the marketing plan
Specific actions related to promoting program dates and application deadlines (for each market)
Budgets for advertisements
Specific actions related to post-program social media and advertisements
A calendar of action items (with tasks assigned to individuals)
Fairs and other recruitment events
Deadlines for when marketing and recruitment materials must be printed/created
Specials, promotions, and scholarship details

Ask yourself the following questions:

Are we accurately tracking inquiries?
What is our inquiry-to-booking conversion rate?
How are we taking steps to improve our inquiry-to-booking conversion rate?
How are we catering to our target markets?
How are we promoting each program in each target market?
How far in advance are we promoting programs and making agents and potential students aware of application deadlines?
How are we communicating our successes to agents?
Are we working with the right agents?
Are we attending the right fairs to recruit from our target markets?
Do we have all of the right materials we need to market and recruit?

At Lastarria Media, LLC we provide project management and consulting services to help your institution create and execute effective sales and marketing plans. Contact us for more information.

0 Comments

Web Content

Improving User Experience for Language School Websites

March 8, 2019

Once you’ve improved your language school site’s SEO, your site traffic will improve. Does your site provide visitors with the user experience necessary to lead to bookings?

By improving your site’s user experience, you can lead to increased revenue. A full user experience (UX) audit is comprehensive; below are some basics for improving UX on your language school website.

Improving User Experience for Language School

Websites

Follow the “2 ways” rule

Users should be able to get to every page of your website in two ways. Does your website do this? Have an internal staff member test this to see; a detailed sitemap should also yield this information.

Utilize sidebars

Sidebars should include pertinent information and downloads to documents that are necessary for understanding the admissions process, the school’s schedule, and the like. Examples include the following:

Academic Calendars
Admissions Flyers
Applications (PDF version)
Sample Activities Calendars
Health Insurance Forms
Visa Transfer Forms

Make sure that each page has a fully utilized sidebar that contains pertinent information and downloads.

Make multilingual pages accessible

Remember that those who need information about your institution may not have the English skills necessary to navigate the site. For this reason, you need multilingual pages. Are these pages visible? A dropdown option in the menu header is a good place for these page icons.

Make sure the application process is streamlined

Your school should provide both a PDF and an online application, and both should be easy to download or complete online. (Remember: these should be accessible in relevant sidebars and should be accessible via a minimum of two methods on the website.)

Have a useful FAQ page

Is yours effective? Visit our How to Make a Better FAQ Page article for tips on how to improve this page of your website. Continually add to and update your FAQ page based on the questions your admissions and front desk staff members receive.

Provide more than one way to contact your school

Some students prefer to use email, while others may prefer a chat method of communication or a Skype call. Does your school offer multiple options?

For more information on how to create a website that is user friendly, contact Lastarria Media.

0 Comments

Blogging for IEPs Marketing SEO Web Content

The Importance of Evergreen Content

March 6, 2019

Evergreen content is content on your website that users can return to year after year. It is not dated or trendy; it does not cover events, and its content never “expires.” Your website should include a significant amount of evergreen content. Learn why this is so important.

The Importance of Evergreen Content

Your SEO continually increases

Evergreen content plays an important role in improving SEO. The content pieces should be longer (since it has been proven that search engines like Google rank articles with higher word counts over those with a lower word count). Over time, as users search for the keywords in your article and then come to your page, your SEO will continue to improve. This helps not just your article, but your entire site.

You can recycle your investment

Evergreen content will never get old or expire. In this way, you are maximizing the investment (whether it be time, money, or both) that you put into creating this content.

You can also recycle this investment through social media posts, newsletters, and email campaigns.

You can easily refresh and update your site

Search engines often prioritize the article’s date of publication or last date of revisions when presenting rankings. Therefore, although your evergreen content is essentially never going to be out-of-date, it still helps to occasionally revisit your posts and update them. (This is called Historical Optimization.) These changes alert search engines that the posts have been revised, which will improve rankings. Consider a yearly review of content: swap photos, add a paragraph, and do a keyword density analysis to ensure that your article is optimized.

You can establish yourself as an authority on a subject

A collection of articles on a specific topic will identify you as an authority on a subject in the eyes of both readers and search engines. By producing this content, you are effectively staking your claim as experts (and improving SEO in the process).

0 Comments

Web Content

How to Make a Better FAQ Page

February 19, 2019

Is your institution doing a good job of providing the answers to frequently asked questions? Follow these tips for how to make a better FAQ page; in the process of building a more comprehensive FAQ page, you just might save your staff some time spent answering applicant questions.

How to Make a Better FAQ Page

Link to admissions dates and pricing pages

You have hopefully made this information easily accessible through a user experience (UX) audit; however, this information should also be prominent on the FAQ page. Make sure that each of your main pages is hyperlinked appropriately so that students can get more information if needed.

Explain the differences between programs

If your institution has more than one program, then these should be clearly explained. It should be apparent who each program is ideal for; in addition, it should explain the benefits of each program.

Thoroughly explain each fee

Imagine being an applicant to your institution. If you saw a list of fees, wouldn’t you want to know what each is for? Students need this transparency. Explain what each fee is for, when it is due, and how it can be paid. Make clear distinctions between ongoing and one-time fees.

Remember that medical insurance is confusing

Explain medical insurance in detail. Be sure to use simple language and make the following things clear:

Who must have health insurance
The insurance provider your school uses
Fees
Due dates
What it covers

Consider a separate “FAQ” page for common medical insurance questions, including where the local urgent care and hospitals are located.

Provide a walkthrough for the process of applying

Make sure that each step of the application process is clear. Number them when needed. Add links to each of the forms that need to be filled out (or instructions for which documents need to be provided by the applicant). Make sure the applicant understands what will happen after he or she has submitted their application.

Don’t forget visa info

Who needs a visa, and how do they apply? What documents are needed? This should be clear.

Provide a detailed walkthrough for the process of preparing to arrive (and arriving)

What items and documents are needed in regard to medical insurance, housing, and academics and visas? Provide this information.

What happens once you arrive? Is there an airport transfer? How do you check in to your accommodation? Are there hours in which check-ins are not available? Are there holidays when students might not be able to check in? Make sure they know this information so they can book flights that meet any requirements for arrival.

Consider facilities questions

Does the campus have wifi? Air conditioning? Food services? Vending machines? What can students expect on your campus and in the classrooms? List these to give them a better idea of campus life.

Constantly reevaluate and update

Ask your student services and front desk to keep track of the questions they are often asked. Add these to your FAQ list, and continually update this list throughout the year.

Lastarria Media LLC provides digital marketing solutions for clients who work in international education. For more information about our services, contact us.

0 Comments

Instagram Marketing Marketing Guides Social Media

Using Instagram Stories to Promote Your School

February 12, 2019

With more than 200 million users, Instagram Stories has surpassed Snapchat as the leader in applications sharing real-time (disappearing) content. Is your institution taking advantage of this free marketing tool? Here are some of the many ideas for using Instagram Stories to promote your school or business.

Using Instagram Stories to Promote Your School

Idea #1: Show a typical day as a student

Potential students will benefit from content that shows what a typical day is like. Recruit a student to be an ambassador and show what a day is like, including transportation to and from the school, coffee or cafeteria breaks, classes, and after school programs. Save these and make them a “saved” story that users can easily access at the top of your Instagram page.

Idea #2: Give campus and classroom tours

Provide insight into what your campus and classrooms look like. Have a student advisor or administrator provide tours and introduce the staff members that students may work with when they attend your school. This serves as great orientation content for new students as well!

Idea #3: Highlight activities

Many schools put together incredible activities, yet feel frustrated that potential students do not see this content. Instagram Stories is an excellent way to give potential students an idea of what they may experience after school. It’s also an excellent opportunity to show some of the area’s highlights.

Idea #4: Highlight campus events

What is happening on campus? Share this in IG Stories!

Idea #5: Share blog posts

In addition to sharing blog posts on Facebook, use IG Stories to notify followers that a new post is up. You can also recycle old posts to generate more readers for articles that were published in the past.

Idea #6: Post news for students

Let students know of school news using IG Stories. Examples include posts on the following:

Last-minute changes
Tuition and application deadlines
Weather advisories
Birthdays

Idea #7: Share user-generated content (student photos)

Utilize user-generated content by sharing photos that students posted. It’s an excellent way to highlight the experience of students through their own eyes!

Did you know? A third party marketing team can help organize and motivate your internal staff to continually promote your school on social media channels. Contact Lastarria Media for more information.

0 Comments

Higher Education Marketing Newsletters

The Benefits of Creating Newsletters for Agents

February 5, 2019

Email is the preferred method of communication for most people in the workforce . . . are you taking full advantage of this opportunity to communicate with your agents? While newsletters might not be appropriate for all industries, they are a highly valued and effective method to promote sales in the higher education sector. Read on to learn more about the benefits of creating newsletters for agents.

The Benefits of Creating Newsletters for Agents

Benefit 1: Newsletters keep agents up to date

You could share your latest news with your agents via a traditional email or an easy-to-read, branded newsletter with graphics, images, and catchy fonts. Which would you prefer to read?

Schedule your newsletter to coincide with the release of new price lists, programs, course schedules, or the publication of other marketing materials (such as a video testimonial).

Benefit 2: Newsletters provide useful data about your agents and the information they are seeking

Did you know that newsletters are a valuable tool for data collection? With a newsletter, you can gain access to the following information:

Which accounts received your newsletter (and which accounts caused the email to bounce back)
Which email accounts opened the newsletter (and how many times it was opened)
Which URLs and images were clicked on
What PDFs were downloaded

This data illustrates which agents are utilizing your newsletter, which in turn helps you better understand its effectiveness (and what information should be included in future newsletters). Furthermore, your email newsletter data tells you where agent interests are: the most clicked hyperlinks or most highly downloaded PDFs indicate which programs agents are promoting (and which they are not).

Benefit 3: Newsletters provide an opportunity to brand your institution and recycle marketing materials

Are you getting enough use out of your logo, your written and video testimonials, your blog posts, and your professional photos? Newsletters provide another opportunity to use these materials and present them in a professional, branded way. Be sure that agents understand your school’s message loud and clear.

Benefit 4: Newsletters ensure you have the most current agent contact information

People change jobs all the time. Are you 100% sure that every email address you have for every agent is up to date? If not, consider a newsletter. Each time you send an e-newsletter, you will receive a report of emails that bounced back. Some are “soft” bounces, meaning that there simply may be some spam software installed on the agent’s email account. This is an opportunity to email this agent directly, provide them with the link to the newsletter, and show them that your school has a high attention to detail.

Sometimes, the bounces are “hard bounces.” These are emails that no longer work. Either your institution has the incorrect email listed (this happens often!) or this person is no longer with the company. Either way, this is a red flag . . . and something that should be investigated further. In doing so, you are ensuring you are up-to-date on your partner agencies and their personnel.

0 Comments

Marketing Guides Tip of the Week

52 Tips for Marketing Your Institution

January 3, 2019

Throughout the year, Lastarria Media will be offering a “Tip of the Week” each week. Check out our LinkedIn page for each of these tips, or read the tips below for some inventive ways to marketing your IEP or other educational institution.

52 Tips for Marketing Your Institution

Tip #1: Review reports on your Audience, Language, Pages, and Landing Pages

Use the first week of January to review your analytics reports of 2017 vs. 2018. Make sure to review reports on your Audience, Language, Pages, and Landing Pages. Use these reports to:

– Identify target audiences (and make sure that your Sales and Marketing Plan for 2019 incorporates these countries);

– Make sure that your multilingual pages are for the appropriate languages;

– Determine if your main web pages are accurately optimized;

– Make necessary web changes to improve the performance of key web pages.

Learn more with our article, How to Use Metrics for a Successful Website.

Tip #2: Make sure all marketing efforts in your 2019 plan are clearly planned and assigned (with deadlines)

Start your year off right! Make sure that your year is carefully planned. All internal employees should know their roles in marketing efforts; your third-party marketing company must know how to work with your internal team in order to meet all marketing goals.

Tip #3: Conduct a site audit

Conduct a comprehensive site audit to make sure that your site is up to date in regard to content. Don’t know how to conduct this detailed and comprehensive project? A third-party marketing team can orchestrate this.

Tip #4: Review social media “about” sections

Check your social media accounts to make sure their descriptions use your identified keywords. Don’t HAVE keywords? Then you need Lastarria Media. We provide targeted keyword strands based on your industry, competitors, and your institution’s marketing goals and target audience.

Tip #5: Identify multilingual hashtags for target audiences

Be sure that your institution is using branded and industry-specific, carefully selected hashtags on all social media. Hashtags should be industry staples and trending.

Tip #6: Run a broken link check

Are you 100% sure that your site and blog have no hyperlinks that lead to a 404 error message? To be certain, you need to run a broken link report and fix any broken links. Don’t know how to run a broken link check? We run them for you!

Tip #7: Review keywords (and check their performance)

A two-part question here: are you certain that you’ve identified the most effective keywords and keyword strands? And how are these keywords/keyword strands performing?

Keyword and keyword strand selection is a complex process.

Note: simply searching for your keywords on Google isn’t enough to determine your rankings. Google will take into consideration your location, your search history, and more. To truly identify your rankings (both locally and globally) requires a more complex process. Contact us to learn more.

Tip #8: Publish a blog that meets your marketing needs

There’s no way around it: your site needs a blog. When done correctly and professionally, blogs significantly improve SEO and serve as a valuable marketing tool. Learn more about why your institution or business needs a blog.

Tip #9: Check your branding

You’ll probably need a professional to do this. Alongside a designer, complete an audit of all online and print materials. Do they follow your style guide and branding? (This might also be a good time to develop a style guide if you do not have one.) It also might be a good time to refresh and modernize your look and brand.

Tip #10: Run a backlink report

Backlinks are an important part of SEO. Do you know who is linking to you? And do you know if their sites rank higher than yours? A comprehensive backlink report will yield this information. Don’t know how to run one? We can run one for you at Lastarria Media.

Tip #11: Identify opportunities for backlinks

Is your site utilizing backlinks from its partners? Do you know which sites are linking to you, and have you identified which ones should be linking to you? Don’t miss out on link opportunities: identify these, and then take the steps needed to link to partners and other potential partners.

Tip #12: Check all blog post title tags and meta descriptions

A title tag is a piece of HTML coding that reflects the title of a webpage. It is the text that will show up on search engine results.

A meta description is the snippet of text that describes this page. It also shows up, under the title tag, in search engine results.

Title tags and meta descriptions are the text that determine whether or not a user will click on your page’s search result and enter your website. They are incredibly important: they’re the one chance to “sell” your site and convince a reader to select it. Make sure that all pages have accurate title tags and meta descriptions and that the text of each fits the character count for each (roughly 60 for title tags and 160-180 for meta descriptions).

Tip #13: Review your headers

Your H1, H2, and H3 headers are vital for SEO. Are yours optimized? An SEO site audit will yield this information.

Tip #14: Promote your institution’s volunteer opportunities, scholarships, and charitable donations

Is your school giving back? Make sure that this information is on the forefront of your website!

Tip #15: Test your site’s user experience

How easy is your site to use? Is navigation well mapped? Is it easy to get to the most pertinent information? In how many clicks? Conduct a professional user experience audit to ensure that your site layout and content are appropriate.

Tip #16: Develop a system for compiling all testimonials

Testimonials are a vital aspect of marketing. Make sure you have developed a system (such as a tried-and-true exit survey) to collect testimonials, in real time, before your students leave. And of course make sure that you have a way of using these throughout your site and marketing materials!

0 Comments

Higher Education Industry Statistics Marketing Marketing Guides SEO Social Media Video Content Web Content

Weathering the Storm: Tips for Surviving the U.S. International Education Recession

October 26, 2018

The international enrollment numbers are in, and they reflect what those who work in international education know: these have been a troubling few years for the U.S. international education industry. The strong U.S. dollar, disturbing media reports about safety amid gun violence, xenophobia, and the current political climate are all factors contributing to this downtown in enrollment numbers.

In the middle of this perfect storm, international education administrators and recruiters are left with the challenge of promoting U.S. programs. To weather this storm, Lastarria Media has provided some tips for surviving the U.S. international education recession.

Weathering the Storm: Tips for Surviving the U.S. International Education Recession

1. Reorganize/restructure internally as needed

Numbers are down: use this time to your benefit. Take a look at the administrative structure of your institution and make the changes needed to survive (keeping in mind that you will probably need to implement another restructure when numbers again improve). Plan for these fluxes accordingly: have one structure for assigned duties based on low enrollment, and another based on high enrollment. Utilize this period of low enrollment to prepare for the implementation of each of these plans.

2. Complete a website audit

Your website is a marketing and recruiting tool . . . are you using it as such? Take this downtime to review your website and make sure that it has all of the elements it needs. During this audit, ask the following questions:

Is all information up to date?
Are all programs fully explained?
Are the photos fresh?
Do all links work?
Are all forms updated?
Is the privacy policy GDPR compliant?
Is it the site easy to navigate?
Is it easy for students to sign up for classes?

Consider hiring a consultant to make suggestions regarding user experience (UX) and to edit the site as a whole. The best time to double your online marketing presence is during times of economic slowdown.

3. Consider revising/updating admissions forms and systems

Now is the time to fix or improve your admissions system. Instruct employees to test your systems and review each step of the online admissions process and PDF application process. Remove unnecessary items and streamline the application to ensure the application process is fluid.

4. Review your message and marketing materials

What is your institution’s message? Do your marketing materials reflect this? Do they clearly show what sets your institution apart from your competitors? While looking for the answers to these questions, it is a good idea to take a look at your competition’s websites and marketing materials. This will show you how your school stacks up.

5. Update and refresh your branding

Is your logo up to date? Is it used throughout your materials? Now is the time to look at this and decide if your school needs a marketing makeover. These investments will pay off when it comes to recruiting in 2019.

6. Focus on your message through social media

Social media costs very little, but the rewards are great. During restructuring, recruit an internal employee to share your school’s message via social media. Have this person do the following:

Carefully select your school’s branded hashtag
Follow agencies and partners on Instagram
Post daily: share school activities, classroom activities, and anything that makes your school special!
Run IG contests with small prizes (and have students use the hashtag in order to participate)
Promote activities on Instagram and Instagram stories
Use Canva to create IG posts (it’s free!)
Share all IG posts on Facebook

7. Pay close attention to Google Analytics and use Analytics for sales plans

Google Analytics provides useful metrics in regard to your website: our article about Using Web Metrics for a Successful Website explains the ways to turn these statistics into effective marketing and sales plans.

Use your Landing Pages and Pages reports to understand user activity and trends over time: these reports will also aid in identifying underperforming pages that need SEO improvement. Use the Location report to identify emerging markets, and consider translating your website’s main pages into other languages based on this data.

8. Blog, blog, blog

A blog is your marketing tool, your way of connecting to current and potential students, and your key to improving SEO (learn all about this in our post, Why IEPs Need Blogs). The most important aspects of blogging are to blog consistently and to integrate keywords into all posts: both will improve your SEO rapidly.

When blogging, follow these ideas:

Encourage teachers to host writing contests: publish the winner on the blog
Have teachers guest blog
Ask your Activities Coordinator to provide photos and updates
Have a Student of the Week
Share on social media

9. Connect with alumni

Word of mouth remains an excellent marketing tool. Connect with your alumni through a newsletter, alumni events, or a LinkedIn group. Offer them specials if they’d like to return, and seek testimonials from them as well. Consider embedding a custom Google Map to illustrate the diversity of your student population: add testimonials and photos to each popup to recycle your testimonials in a unique and engaging way.

0 Comments

Marketing Marketing Guides Video Content YouTube

Getting the Best Testimonials: Tips While Interviewing

October 3, 2018

Documentary-style testimonial videos are an incredibly effective marketing tool, but require many elements: high-quality equipment, a skilled cameraperson, a quiet and aesthetically pleasing place to film, and an interviewer who creates a relaxed and welcoming environment are just a few key elements of quality film production. After filming, a video requires skilled editing from a videographer who knows how to present the message and branding of your product, program, company, or institution.

Each of these aspects is vital to creating engaging video content, and many aspects (such as practicing the interview process) can be prepared for in advance. Here are some tips and tricks to the interview process that will help to produce the best footage.

Getting the Best Testimonials: Tips While Interviewing

Let the interviewee know that you will repeat questions several times to allow them to express themselves in several ways.
Remember that these are sound bites. Instruct your interviewees to speak in snippets, not in long paragraphs.
Instruct him/her to sit still and not make faces, nervously laugh, etc. after finishing a response. (People often do this to indicate that he/she is done speaking. It ruins the shot.)
Before filming begins, check that the mic is not showing, that interviewee hair is not out of place, that clothes are in order, and that no one is behind the shot.
Don’t begin asking questions until the cameraperson states that we are rolling.
Look the speaker in the eye as you ask questions and listen to his or her answer.
Do not speak while the interviewee speaks.
Pause for several seconds before asking the next question.
Make sure that the speaker looks at you and not the camera.
Have the speaker state his/her name, city/country of origin, and other details several times. (Chances are that you will need several options for this sound bite.)
Make sure that every question begins with a statement. For example, “I choose X because . . . “ rather than “I chose it because . . . “ Explain this to the interviewee so that they understand what is needed of them: for example, tell them that in the final product, your questions will not be stated or revealed.
Don’t be afraid to ask the interviewee to state something again if you KNOW that this will not be a useful sound bite because of something that happens or is said. (For example, if an interviewee accidentally stutters too much, or if a noise in the background creates a distraction.)
Have fun and be comfortable: this will help your interviewee relax as well!

Lastarria Media, LLC produces high-quality testimonial videos for the international education sector. Here is just one example of Lastarria Media’s work: to see more samples, contact us.

0 Comments

Marketing Marketing Guides Metrics Web Content

How to Use Metrics for a Successful Website

May 29, 2018

A website’s metrics can provide useful information about an IEPs web presence, allowing administrators to better understand their website’s audience and make educated decisions regarding investments into website updates. Content creation, SEO improvement, marketing ROI, and even recruitment strategies to target specific audiences all rely upon metrics. Is your IEP or institution using them effectively?

How to use metrics for a successful website

Alexa

Alexa is a website owned by Amazon that provides web traffic data and analytics. The website is best known for Alexa Rank, which categorizes websites into groups and then ranks each website’s popularity (based on site visits).

Alexa is a useful tool for understanding the effectiveness of your IEP’s website, identifying your competitors, and establishing how you rank against your competition. If your IEP hires a third-party marketing and web development team, ask to see their statistics regarding other client’s Alexa rankings. This will provide insight into the effectiveness of their SEO strategies.

Lastarria Media is proud to have developed and continue to manage the website ranked 3rd in the U.S. for language schools. Contact us for information on how to improve your site’s rankings on Alexa.

Copyscape

Since duplicate content can negatively affect Google rankings, it is important to have unique content on your site. Copyscape is a plagiarism detector that checks if your site contains content that is also on another website. Simply insert your website’s URL into Copyscape and it will detect any duplicate content on the internet.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics remains a critical tool for understanding a site’s traffic and user behavior. This information is useful in formulating marketing campaigns, understanding industry trends, and analyzing and improving your website.

Through customized Analytics reports, users can track:

The total number of visitors to a site (and a site’s individual pages)
The location of these visitors (broken down by country or city)
On which page visitors enter the site (called a “Landing Page”)
The languages used to access your site
The number of pages users visit when on the site
The length of time users spend on each page
The device used to visit the site (for example, mobile devices)
The referral source that drives users to the site (for example, Facebook, Facebook mobile, Instagram, or links from another page)

Google Analytics also allows user to compare this data with data from other years, which provides useful information regarding traffic trends.

PageSpeed Insights

Another useful tool from Google is PageSpeed Insights, which reports on the performance on a page and provides suggestions for how page load speed can easily be improved. By plugging any page into PageSpeed, users can see a site’s Speed Score and Optimization Score. The report also provides optimization suggestions, such as its uses of images (which could be sized smaller for quicker load time), its redirects of URLs, its use of JavaScript and CSS, and more.

2 Comments

Older Posts