Social media is any kind of online communication platform that allows users to create, share, and exchange information, ideas, and content with others. Social media platforms enable users to interact with each other.
There are many different social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter – X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. Each has its own unique features and user base. These platforms have become an integral part of our daily lives, with billions of people around the world using social media to connect with friends and family, share news and information, and discover new products and services.
Digital Marketing
Social media platforms also play an important role in digital marketing. It allows businesses to reach new audiences, build brand awareness, and engage with customers. Social media marketing involves creating and sharing content on social media platforms to achieve marketing goals such as increasing website traffic, generating leads, and driving sales.
Post as often as you can and minimally once a month.
Content promotion
Social media platforms are great for promoting your website content, whether it’s a blog post, video, or infographic. By sharing your content on social media, you can reach a wider audience and drive traffic to your website.
When someone clicks on a link to your website from a social media platform, it’s considered referral traffic. By sharing links to your website on social media, you can increase referral traffic and attract new visitors.
Social media advertising
Social media advertising is a cost-effective way to drive traffic to your website. By creating targeted ads and promoting them on social media platforms, you can attract new visitors to your website.
Do you need help with your social media? Get in touch and we can discuss your needs.
Responsive web design is a design approach that allows websites to adapt to different screen sizes and devices, providing an optimal viewing experience for users on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Every website should be mobile-friendly. Over 55% of website traffic comes from mobile devices. 92.3% of internet users access the internet using a mobile phone or tablet.
Better user experience
With responsive web design, websites are optimized for the device being used, ensuring a seamless and intuitive user experience. This includes easy navigation, legible fonts, and appropriate image sizes, which all contribute to a positive user experience.
The website’s content and design are consistent across all devices. This makes it easier for users to navigate the website, find the information they need, and complete tasks.
Increased mobile traffic
With the increase in mobile browsing, having a responsive website is essential for reaching a wider audience. Responsive web design ensures that your website is accessible to mobile users.
Loading speed
Responsive websites are designed to load quickly on all devices, including mobile phones. This is important because mobile users are often on slower internet connections and may have limited data plans.
Improved search engine rankings
Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in its search results, and responsive web design is a key factor in determining mobile-friendliness. A responsive website can improve search engine rankings, leading to more traffic and visibility for your website.
Included with all of our websites
A responsive website eliminates the need to create a separate mobile website, which can be time-consuming and expensive. With responsive web design, you can create one website that works seamlessly across all devices, reducing development costs and maintenance.
With the ever-increasing range of screen sizes and devices available, responsive web design ensures that your website will remain relevant and accessible to users, regardless of the device they are using.
If your website is not mobile-friendly, please contact Grateful Web Services to change that!
Website loading speed has a significant impact on both user experience and search engine rankings.
User experience
Users expect websites to load quickly, and a slow-loading website can lead to a poor user experience. If a website takes too long to load, users may become frustrated and leave the website before it has fully loaded. A fast-loading website, on the other hand, can improve user experience, encourage users to stay on the website longer, and increase engagement. Google says one in four visitors would abandon a website if it takes more than four seconds to load.
Search engine rankings
Website loading speed is one of the many factors that search engines use to determine search rankings. Google, prioritizes websites that load quickly because they provide a better user experience. A fast-loading website can help improve search engine rankings, which can lead to more traffic and higher visibility for the website.
Mobile
With the increase in mobile browsing, website loading speed has become even more critical. Mobile users often have slower internet connections than desktop users, and a slow-loading website can be especially frustrating on a mobile device. A fast-loading mobile website can improve the user experience, encourage mobile users to stay on the website longer and improve search engine rankings.
Overall, website loading speed is a critical factor in both user experience and search engine rankings. A fast-loading website can improve user engagement, search engine rankings, and overall website performance, while a slow-loading website can lead to a poor user experience and lower search engine rankings.
Payment Service Providers (PSPs): PSPs such as PayPal, Stripe, and Square offer easy-to-integrate solutions for accepting online payments. They handle the payment processing and security aspects, allowing you to focus on integrating their APIs into your website.
API stands for Application Programming Interface
It is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate and interact with each other. An API defines the methods and data formats applications can use to request and exchange information.
Merchant Accounts
You can set up a merchant account with a bank or financial institution to process credit card payments directly. This typically requires more effort to set up and may involve compliance requirements, but it provides more control over the payment process.
Payment Gateways
Payment gateways like Authorize.Net, and Braintree act as intermediaries between your website and the payment networks. They securely process credit card transactions, handle the communication between your website and the payment networks, and often provide additional features like fraud detection and recurring billing.
E-commerce Platforms
If you’re using an e-commerce platform like Shopify, WooCommerce (WordPress), or Magento (now Adobe Commerce), they usually have built-in payment integrations that you can activate. These platforms often support multiple payment gateways, making it easy to start accepting payments.
Cryptocurrencies
Some websites accept cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum as payment. You can integrate with cryptocurrency payment processors like BitPay or CoinGate to facilitate these transactions. This may be the wave of the future, so it may be a good idea to learn more about these options.
Mobile Payment Solutions
Mobile payment options like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay have gained popularity. Integrating these payment methods into your website can provide a convenient checkout experience for mobile users.
When choosing a payment method for your website, consider factors like transaction fees, setup and maintenance effort, security, supported countries and currencies, and the user experience you want to provide.
SSL
It would be remiss not to mention the need for an SSL. This is important for any website but even more so for a website taking payments, We have all of the info in this SSL blog.
Image of Scrabble wooden letters that spell the word Keywords
When adding content to your website, it is important to write and publish copy that will help with search engine placement. Using Keywords in your written content is one thing that can be done that helps with the effort. More info on Wikipedia
SEO Friendly Content
Writing Search Engine friendly content for your website is important to improve your search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic. Below are some tips.
Keyword Research
Identify relevant keywords related to your topic and use them throughout your content. You can use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find relevant keywords.
Use Headings and Subheadings
Use headings and subheadings to break up your content into sections and make it easier for readers to scan your content. Also, use your target keywords in your headings and subheadings to help search engines understand the structure of your content.
Optimize Meta Descriptions
Write compelling meta descriptions that include your target keywords and provide a brief summary of your content. This will help search engines understand the content of your page and attract more clicks from search engine users. This can be edited every 6 months but best to keep the same meta descriptions to build authority on the subject matter.
Write High-Quality Content Using Keywords
Focus on creating high-quality content that provides value to your readers. This includes using proper grammar, spelling, and sentence structure, as well as writing engaging content that is easy to read and understand.
Use Internal and External Links
Use internal links to link to other pages on your website and external links to link to relevant, authoritative sources. This can help improve the user experience and provide additional value to your readers.
Optimize Images
Use descriptive alt tags for your images that include your target keywords. This can help improve your image search rankings and make your content more accessible for users with disabilities.
Overall, writing SEO-friendly content requires a combination of keyword research, high-quality content creation, and on-page optimization. By following these tips, you can improve your search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic to your website.
You have decided to get a new website or finally update your old one. Congratulations! This is the next step in showcasing your business to customers and potential customers.
The Process
The website development process typically involves the following steps. The process is, of course, more in-depth but this will give you an idea of what goes into it.
Planning
The first step is to plan the website development process. This involves identifying the purpose of the website, defining the target audience, creating a content strategy, and determining the website’s structure and navigation.
Design
Once the planning phase is complete, the next step is to create a design for the website. This involves creating a visual layout and selecting color schemes, typography, and other design elements.
Development
The development phase is the actual coding and building of the website. This includes creating HTML and CSS files, integrating design elements, adding functionality, and testing the website.
Content creation
The content creation phase involves creating and adding content to the website, including text, images, videos, and other multimedia elements. Adding identified keywords to the text to help with search engine placement.
Testing
After the website is developed, it needs to be tested thoroughly to ensure that it is functioning correctly and is compatible with different devices and browsers. This means testing all forms, links, and content for any typos.
Launch
Once the website is tested and approved, it is launched and made available to the public.
Search engines
Once the website is launched, it needs to be submitted to search engines. This helps with placement so that it can be found.
Maintenance
After the website is launched, it needs to be maintained and updated regularly to ensure that it stays current, relevant, and secure. This includes updating plugins, and WordPress versions, tracking website traffic, and keeping blog content coming. See our Maintenace page for more information.
These steps may vary depending on the complexity of the website and the specific requirements of the project. However, this general process provides a framework for developing a website from start to finish.
E-commerce, short for electronic commerce, refers to the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet. With the rapid growth of the internet and the increasing use of smartphones, e-commerce has become a popular way for businesses to reach customers around the world.
Benefits of E-commerce
One of the most significant benefits of e-commerce is that it allows businesses to reach customers anywhere in the world. With an online store, businesses can sell their products and services 24/7 without any geographical boundaries.
E-commerce eliminates many of the expenses associated with traditional retail stores, such as rent, utilities, and staffing. This translates into lower prices for customers and higher profits for businesses.
E-commerce allows businesses to gather customer data and use it to personalize the shopping experience. By analyzing customer preferences and behavior, businesses can recommend products and services tailored to individual needs and interests.
E-commerce offers convenience for both businesses and customers. Customers can shop from anywhere at any time, and businesses can easily manage their operations and inventory from a single platform.
Challenges of E-commerce
With the rise of e-commerce, competition has become more intense, with businesses vying for customers’ attention and loyalty. This means that businesses must continually innovate and differentiate themselves to stay ahead.
E-commerce transactions involve sensitive customer information, such as credit card numbers, which can be vulnerable to theft and fraud. Businesses must take steps to ensure that customer data is secure and protected from cyber threats.
E-commerce involves shipping and delivery, which can be challenging and costly. Businesses must manage their supply chains and partner with reliable logistics providers to ensure that products are delivered on time and in good condition.
The rate of returns is much higher than in traditional retail, as customers may not be able to see or touch or try on the products before purchasing. Businesses must have a clear and fair return policy and be prepared to handle returns efficiently.
Future of E-commerce
The future of e-commerce looks bright, with continued growth and innovation in the industry.
With the increasing use of smartphones, mobile commerce is becoming a significant part of e-commerce. Businesses must optimize their online stores for mobile devices and offer mobile payment options to meet customers’ needs.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used in e-commerce to personalize the shopping experience, improve search results, and offer personalized recommendations.
With increasing concerns about the environment, businesses must prioritize sustainability in their e-commerce operations. This includes using eco-friendly packaging, reducing waste, and partnering with sustainable suppliers.
Future Growth
E-commerce has revolutionized the way businesses sell their products and services, offering benefits such as global reach, lower costs, and convenience. However, it also poses challenges such as intense competition, security concerns, logistics, and returns. With continued innovation and trends such as mobile commerce, artificial intelligence, voice commerce, and sustainability, e-commerce is set to continue its growth and transformation of the retail industry.
Happy 2023! Warm wishes for a happy and prosperous new year!
Let this be the year that you give your website a little love. Like many business owners, your website might be really out of date. This doesn’t help your business’s credibility. Google wants to see new content on websites to determine their ranking on the search results pages.
Perhaps you are trying to do the updates yourself or handing it over to an employee who is not really that experienced with websites and perhaps has already too much on their plate to give it the focus that it needs. We are attentive, responsive, and easy to work with.
You won’t look back
Contact us today to discuss your needs. Let us become your website partner. You won’t look back. See what some of our clients have to say. Grateful Web Services Reviews
It’s pretty uncommon these days to find any business without some kind of web presence. If you are old school and just haven’t taken the plunge, it’s time. Maybe you think having a Facebook business page is enough, but it isn’t. Most new clients come to us because they need to upgrade their current website. Perhaps you have been putting it off and you know that it’s long overdue. It’s easy to forget about your website since it’s out of sight, out of mind. Although, this is likely the first impression that you give to potential customers.
Not knowing where to start or maybe feeling overwhelmed about the process is natural. Grateful Web Services is here to help. It’s always recommended to go with a professional who has the experience and can hold your hand throughout the process.
Domain name
Unless this is a brand-new website, you most likely already own the domain name that you want to use. It’s best to keep it simple and use the name of your business. There are a lot of extensions out there like .com, .net, and .store. etc. It’s usually best to stick with the most used .com if possible. This is the industry standard and what most people expect. If this is a brand-new venture and you do not own your domain name yet, go to GoDaddy or another domain registrar and search for your desired name. Once purchased, save the username, password, and 4-digit pin. We will need this information to launch the website.
Choosing a Professional
Just like trying to be your own Realtor when selling your home, it is advisable to hire a professional. Sure, you can see if your cousin’s, boyfriend’s son is available on the side. The cost he quoted sounds affordable. If this is a side hustle, then the chances of your project getting finished promptly, or even at all, is unlikely. This is a get-what-you-pay-for scenario. Many times, these people end up coming to Grateful Web Services frustrated and out some money. Hire someone that you can build a long-term partnership and whom you have a good rapport with. Someone who returns your calls and emails. We have several businesses that have used our services for over twenty-plus years. Check out what some of our clients have to say.
Initial meeting and plan
Understanding what you need your new website to do for your business is important from the start.
What is the purpose of your website?
Who is your audience?
What pages will you need?
Who is responsible for content?
What functionality does your website need?
Are all requirements spelled out and accounted for in the proposal? This is a must so that there aren’t any unforeseen charges. We often hear of companies not vetting the project thoroughly and then adding extra charges. This may be an oversight or perhaps purposeful to get someone to sign the contract. A no-surprise cost policy is what we strive for. Of course, if there are new requests then we may have to add an addendum to the contract.
Timeline
When do you need the new website? We try to work within a client’s timeline if it is realistic. It is better to underpromise and overdeliver. Some companies will promise a quick launch and when it can’t be achieved, it leads to disappointment and losing faith in the web company. We do our best to work within your timeline but we can only guarantee that we will do our best. Many times the main reason that a launch is delayed, is not getting all of the needed content from our client.
Design Phase
Once we have a logo (do you need one? If so, let us know) and basic design direction such as colors to use or not use, fonts, and the navigation (pages on your website), we can begin. An initial design will be presented to you for feedback and approval. If we need to adjust anything, we will do that and then wait for your approval. A design does not move forward until you have formally approved it. It is labor-intensive to bring the project back to the design phase after it’s been coded for development. We make sure that we have sign-off before we start development. If we need to, we can go back but this will incur extra time, which means an extra charge to do so.
Content Gathering
This is the part that the client needs to work on and send to us. We will provide a content document to help keep you organized. This tool will spell out the content that we will need for each page. It can feel overwhelming but if you start early and tackle one page at a time, it isn’t too bad. If you want to use any of the content of the current website, just let us know. Unless you want to use our copywriting services, we will need you to supply us with the content for each page that is defined in the navigation.
SEO Plan
SEO – Search engine optimization. We build all websites with SEO in mind. Certain design elements are important to keep within Google’s guidelines and we take that into account when building your website.
We will do keyword research and make sure that those words are targeted words and are included in the copy.
Streamlining the pages which are no longer necessary. We will redirect those old pages to a page on the new website. This way, if someone has an old link saved, it will still go to your website.
Setting up a Google Analytics account to track the traffic on the website. If you already have a current Analytics account, we will review and see the behavior of your users. We can see what pages are visited more often and a lot of different data that will help define the behavior of users that come to your website.
We offer monthly SEO tracking services. Please let us know if you want to add this to your proposal.
Development Phase
This is the coding process that puts your design into a working website. We integrate the approved design into the development site. Once the website is in the development phase, you will see the buttons working and the website is up and viewable but on a link that is not viewable yet to the public. This way you can track the progress but your users can’t just yet.
Testing
Before launch, we perform testing to make sure that we are ready to put the website live.
We check every button and link to make sure they are all active and working,
We check to make sure that forms are functioning and emails are sent to the right email address.
We check the website in different browsers.
We check the website in different screen sizes. It’s critical to have a mobile-friendly design separate from the desktop version.
We check the speed. Does it load quickly? This is important to retain your visitors.
We check to make sure that the copy is easy to understand. Not too long but long enough to be clear. Not too complex so that the average user can understand.
Launch
Grateful Web Services does offer shared hosting but if you prefer to stay with your current host, that’s okay too! We will need the username and password for your current hosting control panel. Once we have that, we will create a database and upload the website. Many times, it will show immediately in your browser. Sometimes, it takes a bit longer for the website to show. Once it’s showing, we will run through another series of checks to make sure that everything is working perfectly.
Maintenance
After a launch, it is customary for a client to opt-in for a maintenance plan. We can take care of any updates, changes, and WordPress updates as well as plugin updates as needed. If you decide to host with us, we do require mandatory quarterly WordPress/Plugins updates. When you sign up for a maintenance plan, updates are included. It’s super important to keep your website up to date to help against breakages or intrusions. If it’s not kept up to date, it leaves your website vulnerable.
Marketing
When your new website is launched, it’s time to share it with your network of customers, colleagues, and friends. Post it on social media! Include your web address on business cards, letterhead, email signatures, and anywhere else you can post it.
Our goal is to make this process as easy as possible for you! We want you to love your website and be proud enough to show it off!
Unfortunately, just like in the real world there are criminals online hoping to find a weakness and exploit it. You can’t turn a blind eye and just hope that you aren’t a victim. The same reason you put your seat belts on when you get into the car, just in case. You need to make sure that you have your cyber security addressed and safety precautions in place. Even with all of the precautions, it doesn’t mean that cyberattacks can’t happen. We should all do our best to make sure that we have websites, emails, and personal information locked down. Even large businesses and the government have been comprised. It can truly happen to anyone.
What is a cyberattack?
According to Wikipedia, A cyberattack is any offensive maneuver that targets computer information systems, computer networks, infrastructures, or personal computer devices.
Some of the most common cyberattacks
Malware Attacks
This is one of the most common types of cyberattacks. “Malware” refers to malicious software viruses including worms, spyware, ransomware, adware, and trojans. The attacker installs unwanted software or programs that intentionally damage computers. This could mean deleting files, stealing personal information, and also spreading it to other systems. There are lots of different forms.
Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks are also widely used email cyberattack strategies. The attacker essentially impersonates someone else who is a trusted contact and sends the victim fake emails. It can look so similar it takes an extra step to verify. Criminals use these fakes to get money, passwords, and possibly even your account details.
Password Attacks
A hacker cracks your password with various cracking programs. There are different types of password attacks such as brute force attacks and keylogger attacks to name a couple.
Ransomware
Ransomware is malware that uses encryption to deny access to resources (such as the user’s files), usually in an attempt to try and get the victim to pay a ransom. Once a system has been infected, files are irreversibly encrypted and accessible.
Pharming
Pharming is a type of cyberattack that sends a user to fake a website that is designed to look like the real website. A hacker infiltrates a computer system and installs code that redirects the traffic to a bogus website The user types in the legitimate web address but it forwards to a fake website that looks almost identical. This way they can gain access to financial and personal information, They will infect computers with viruses, malware, or other malicious software. Always check the website address and make sure the address is where you intended to go.
Injection Attacks
This can happen on a database-driven website such as any content-managed website, like WordPress for example. When the hacker manipulates the code, it injects malicious code into a vulnerable website making the server (the computer where your website holds the files, AKA, the host) reveal crucial information.
Denial of Service Attacks
A Denial-of-Service Attack also known as a DDoS is a significant threat to companies. Attackers target systems, servers, or networks and flood them with traffic to exhaust their bandwidth and resources. This overwhelms the server computer and many times it can lead to a total shutdown.
Man in the Middle Attacks
A Man-in-the-Middle Attack (MITM) is an eavesdropping intrusion. In this attack, a cyber attacker comes in between a two-party communication. The attacker hijacks the session between a client and a host. By doing so, hackers steal and manipulate data. This is often done through a spoofed IP address, where the hijacker disconnects the client and requests information as if they were the host.
What can I do to help prevent a cyberattack?
Multi-Factor Authentication
Make sure that you enable multi-factor Authentication for all bank accounts, financial services, and anything that has personal information. This is also called two-factor authentication.
It requires users to provide two different authentication factors to verify themselves. This proves to be a vital step to secure information. Besides providing your password, a unique code will be sent to either a phone or email. This must be used in addition to your password. This provides an extra layer of protection.
Passwords
Make sure to use long and unique characters. Don’t use your kids or dogs’ names unless it includes different characters and numbers. Change passwords frequently! Don’t share your passwords or give them to anyone but a trusted source. Don’t just use one password for every online account, use different passwords for your accounts.
Update your browser
The latest browser versions have built-in protection that helps protect against fake websites and viruses. This is the biggest reason to keep your browser up to date. Do not use an old browser such as Internet Explorer. See the post on that subject here. As of June, it now redirects a user to Microsoft Edge.
Update both your operating system and applications regularly. This is a primary prevention method for any cyberattack. This will remove vulnerabilities that hackers tend to exploit. Use trusted and legitimate Anti-virus protection software.
Unknown email senders
Avoid opening emails from unknown senders. Scrutinize the emails you receive for loopholes and significant errors. Do not download anything that you were not expecting and make sure that it’s from a verified, trusted source.
Anti-virus, Malware detectors, and Firewalls
Install anti-virus software, firewall, and malware detection programs. Make sure to download the updates regularly.
Use a VPN
VPN stands for “Virtual Private Network” A VPN encrypts the traffic between the VPN server and your device. This blocks your identity and internet activity. You can go the extra mile and access your banking and financial account using this. Google offers a free one for Chrome found here
Don’t forget mobile devices
Safeguard your mobile devices as they can also be a target for cyberattacks too. Install apps from only legitimate and trusted sources, and make sure to keep your device updated.
Your Data
It is ideal to have three copies of your data on two different media types and another copy in an off-site location (cloud storage). In the event of an intrusion, you can erase your system’s data and restore it with a recently performed backup.
The takeaway
We have not discussed anywhere near the different types of attacks that are out there but these are currently the most common. The cost of these attacks is estimated to be in the trillions of dollars. Make sure that you protect yourself! Address your cyber security today!
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We are Grateful Web Services, a website design and development company offering contract, per-project, and project management services. We have been involved in the website industry for over 20 years. Although located in Northern California, we don’t limit ourselves and can work with companies anywhere!
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