I Bought a Heat Press For T-Shirts

I Bought a Heat Press For T-Shirts

Do you like making personalized gifts for family and friends? Do you ever think about going into business for yourself? If you are creative person and enjoy making gifts for loved ones, read on.

I recently purchased a heat press to gift the people in my life with something they could treasure for a long time. A handmade gift always tugs at the heartstrings. It makes the statement that the receiver is important enough to the giver to spend valuable time making a gift they hope will be loved.

What types of gifts can be made using a heat press?

Is someone you know having a baby soon? Will a birthday or anniversary celebration be coming up?

Consider these ideas.

  • Baby bags, tote bags, cosmetic bags, handbags
  • Wooden plaques or farmhouse-type signs
  • Pillowcases — either for the bedroom or a throw pillow for the living room
  • Mugs and cups
  • Clothing items — T-shirts, sweatshirts, children’s and baby clothes
  • And much more….

Custom-made Baby Onesies

I have started a tradition. Whenever someone I know has a baby, they get a custom baby onesie. I just purchase plain baby onesies in bulk and have them on hand for when they are needed.

DIY Cushions, Throw Pillows and Pillowcases

Create your own cushions and throw pillows. No longer are you limited by what you can find in the stores or online. If you enjoy theme decorating and have difficulty locating just the right pillow or cushion, make your own with a heat press.

Decorating a nursery becomes much easier when using a heat press. Anyone would love to get a handmade baby gift like this. Who knows, it could become an heirloom to be handed down to future generations.

It is very easy to find blank pillowcases in all sizes, shapes, and colors.

Personalized Tank Tops and T-Shirts

I have made dozens of t-shirts with my heat press for gifts for friends and family. They look terrific when done and are very easy to make. It can be more complicated when working with different colors, but the finished product is worth the effort.

Custom Coasters

These would make a great shower or wedding gift. Using sublimation transfer and heat, they can be applied to ceramic coasters. It is a great way to give a personalized gift to a bride and groom.

Slice Tool Project

You can use different tools and features available with your cutting machine, which is a separate purchase from the heat press. A slice tool means you can cut one design element out of another. For example, cut a name into a heart design.

Layered Heat Transfer Vinyl

This is a terrific way to make a unique t-shirt. Layering vinyl adds more dimension and complexity to a design, making it look so much neater. It will impress the person who receives it.

Tote Bags

Totes are a great gift idea you can make with a press. Another idea for a baby or wedding shower, personalize the tote and fill it with appropriate things for a baby or a new bride. I guarantee it will be a hit.

Banners

You can press on all different sorts of materials, including cork. Heat transfer vinyl allows the vinyl to adhere better to the material. Adhesive vinyl works too, but heat transfer vinyl lasts longer and won’t curl around the edges.

Personalized Mugs

You cannot go wrong when gifting a personalized mug. They make the perfect Christmas, birthday, or any occasion gift. A mug would also be a terrific gift for a bride and groom.

Now that you have ideas of what to make with a heat press, let’s discuss the machine itself.

The MPress Heat Press Transfer Machine 15″ x 15″

It is durable, easy to use, and makes it simple for you to create the perfect gift or start a new business!

It is an entry-level machine allowing you to transfer your own printed images with heat transfer paper, your own vinyl heat transfer, and your rhinestone transfer. With this press, you can customize anything — mousepads, ceramic tiles, coasters, linens, clothing, anything you want.

The heat press works great in commercial and domestic settings both and can perform any size job with durability. The “strong handle” design allows for sturdy and easy operation. When pressed down, it has industrial strength, pressure, and even temperature to the surface, which guarantees the transfer to remain on the garment for a long time.

It not only is easy to operate but offers professional results. Any gift you make using the press will make a lasting impression.

Here are some features of the heat press.

  • Heat plate with non-stick coating prevents scorching or burn marks and offers even pressure.
  • Consistent temperature guaranteed with a sturdy heating board equipped with a range of heat coils.
  • Easy to operate, with an open and close “strong handle” with a spring-loaded assist.
  • Adjustable pressure knob, full range.
  • Time control and digital temperature.
  • Heat-resistant silicone pad, able to handle high temperatures.

Specifications of the heat press:

  • Heat Platen Size: 15″ X 15″ with a Non-Stick Coated Heat Platen
  • Heat Press Style: Clamshell shape
  • Temperature Range: From 0 to 400 °F
  • Time Control: From 0-999 Second
  • Power: 1400 Watts
  • Voltage: 110V, standard US and Canada
  • Shipping Weight: 64 pounds

Forever Digital Transfer Applications Technology

You can now produce self-weeding transfers in metallic, white, or neon colors without a special toner or cutting and weeding. With the new and innovative material, weeding of the flex foils is no longer needed. This system offers the chance of fast production cost-effectively without the need for an expensive plotter or printing system.

Features:

  • No weeding or cutting
  • Low substrate application temperatures of 212 °F-320 °F or 100-160 °C
  • Allows printing on almost all fabrics & hard surfaces, such as nylon, polyester, cotton, blended fabrics, paper, wood, polypropylene.
  • Not compatible with Samsung/Xerox laser printers, but perfect for desktop black/white or CMYK, Laser/LED Printers.
  • Washable up to 40 °C or 104 °F
  • Complex graphics and fine details transferable without problems
  • Beneficial time savings
  • Impressive design and motive possibilities, such as vintage, used look, fashion, vectors, etc.
  • It is available in two sizes, 11” x 17” and 8.5″x 11″

If you enjoy the creative arts and love giving thoughtful and imaginative gifts, perhaps a heat press is an item for you to try. This would also be an excellent idea for families to create gifts for grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other important people in their lives.

How To Write The Perfect Email Subject Line

How To Write The Perfect Email Subject Line

Email subject lines make or break your campaign open rate. Learn how to write email subject lines, and how to write them efficiently.

How many emails are sent to your inbox every day? 100+ maybe 500+? If you’re like me (and many more people), you probably have hundreds lying in your inbox unread. About 105 billion emails are sent daily, and in this time of countless information and mailing lists, one thing stands out: the subject line.  

The subject line is what lies between an email being opened and being ignored. It is what helps you click on a particular email and perhaps overlook the rest. So much so that 47% of marketers assess email subject line to improve the email’s performance. 

So, whether you’re a sales team trying to capture a potential client’s attention, a regular blogger trying to get more clicks, or want your email to have that extra kick, here are ten tips to help guide you on how to write the perfect subject line. 

1. Write the Subject Email First

Although most people compose their subject email right before hitting send, the subject line is the first thing a reader comes across in their inbox. So contrary to most practices, start with your subject line. Beginning with the subject line puts you in your reader’s point of view and also helps with the layout of the rest of the email. 

2. Start With Action-Oriented Verbs

Subject lines are similar to calls to action in that the wording used should entice readers to click. Subject lines that begin with action verbs are much more appealing, and adding a lively verb to the beginning of your emails will make them much more clickable.

People would be more likely to click on your email if the subject line conveys urgency and enthusiasm. For example, ‘Bend it like Beckham this Saturday’ instead of ‘Play football with us this weekend.’ The first subject line places the reader in that position where their skills might even be at a professional level instead of a more common and less actionable email. 

3. Create an Overview of What’s Inside

A subject line can also be just like the blurb of a book. It gives a summary of what to expect but also entices the reader to keep reading. Therefore, creating a brief overview of what the reader will expect when reading the subject line is important because the chances are higher if they have been on the lookout for something in particular. 

A great way to do this is when delivering promises via email. If your visitor has downloaded an offer and you’re sending it to them by email, it’s a good idea to use a subject line that says something like, ‘Your new e-book inside!’  or ‘Your guide is waiting for you!’ This is preferable to a plain “thank you” in the subject line because it indicates that something is waiting inside the email.

4. Personalize it and Keep it Special

Everyone likes to feel special, and this applies to emails as well. You must know who you’re emailing, and so they will realize that it’s about them or a topic that piques their interest. One way to do this is by using their name or company name. For example, ‘Increase your online traffic Company X.’  

The correct phrasing also gives that extra personalized feel as they will feel like you wrote the email with them in mind. A few generalized phrases that are not specific but will make your reader feel special are:

  • “Only for our esteemed clients.”
  • “A special deal for you”
  • “This is my gift to you.”
  • “You are cordially invited!”

5. Be Clear and Specific

The subject line should clearly state the purpose of the email so that the recipient can prioritize its importance without having to open it. Please don’t keep the reader guessing what the email could be about because chances are, they won’t assume and will probably leave your email unread. Avoid subject lines like, ‘Give us a second of your time to let you know…’. Instead, specify what the email entails. For example, if your email pertains to applying for a new job, include your name and the position you are applying to be considered.

6. Keep it Short and Sweet

Approximately 77% of emails are opened via mobile email apps, so chances are the subject line is cut off often. It is recommended to keep your subject line to fewer than 50 characters to avoid this. 

Avoid phrases that the reader might also not find helpful. These include numbers and letters that may not make sense, like ‘Order 5467463 is ready for collection.’ The reader may not understand the numbers and may find it hard to distinguish one order from another. Instead, a subject line like ‘Your package is ready for collection from Address X.’ 

7. Create Importance

When phrased creatively and strategically, communicating urgency and scarcity in an email subject line will help motivate readers to click (or act). However, it is essential to use this kind of subject line sparingly as you don’t want to be known as the brand or person that raises people’s anxiety levels all the time by using phrases like ‘Act Now!’

8. Use Keywords

You may feel that using fewer than 50 characters and keeping it clear and specific might narrow down what you may want to express in your email. A tactic that you may want to implement is keywords. Keywords efficiently convey what points you need to put across without being too wordy and still capturing the reader’s attention at the same time.

9. Avoid capitalization of words and exclamation points

Email subject lines that overuse caps and exclamation points are frequently seen as spam mail and are often overlooked or even blatantly ignored. An example of such is ‘OPEN NOW AND GET A FREE GIFT!!!!!!’. Although there is a promise of a gift by opening the email, chances are the reader will not take it seriously and might think that the email belongs in the junk mail folder. Use lower-case in your subject lines. Chances are, your email will be taken seriously. 

10. Use this inbox preview tool

Use this free tool that I created. I personally scripted an email subject line visualization tool to give both myself, and my clients a better idea of how the email subject line will look on mobile phones.

In mobile view, less characters are visible on the screen, hence, consider using that virtual real estate wisely!

Click the banner below to use the tool.

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Finally, if your emails aren’t being opened, they aren’t being used. You’ve got great material to share; now it’s up to you to prove it in the subject line! 

Taylor Reaume To Speak At Santa Barbara Writer’s Conference

Taylor Reaume To Speak At Santa Barbara Writer’s Conference

For Immediate Release – Santa Barbara, CA – June 20, 2018: Taylor Reaume, president and founder of Search Engine Pros (SEP), a full-service web marketing company in Santa Barbara, CA, will be a member of a panel discussing “Navigating the Amazon: Building Your Author Platform” at the upcoming Santa Barbara Writers Conference. This prestigious conference brings together writers from around the world to meet with fellow storytellers, celebrate well-known authors, and network with publishing professionals. The 46th Annual Santa Barbara Writers Conference will be held at the charming, beachside Hyatt Centric from June 17-22 for a week-long journey through the exciting world of writing.

The panel discussion in which Reaume will participate will be held on Friday, June 22 at 4:00p.m. in Vista III. With over a decade of expertise in e-business and marketing, he has developed over 600 websites and online businesses, built 30,000+ inbound links to his client’s web sites, and published over 10,000 pages of content on the web. Reaume holds a B.S. in Marketing and Economics, promotes the ideas of social business, and demonstrates how search marketing can help spread awareness for businesses, nonprofits and authors.

“Writing a screenplay or book, and building a platform to bring attention to that work are two different skill sets. At the panel, I’ll be sharing tools, tips and websites that will help writers create an effective web strategy which builds appreciation for their work,” commented Reaume.

Other members of the panel with Reaume include moderator Marla Miller, author Janet Randall, screenplay writer Cathy Byrd, author and noted screenplay writer Eric Edson – whose web presence was built by Search Engine Pros. This session will be open to registered conference attendees as well as the public, for only $10 at the door. The conference also includes substantial networking opportunities, five days of workshops, five keynote presentations by successful authors, book signings with author-speakers, and optional one-on-one manuscript consultations.

About Search Engine Pros:  Search Engine Pros is a full-service web marketing agency located in Santa Barbara, CA. The company provides web marketing services, including social media consulting WordPress web designcustomized WordPress pluginsweb programmingand internet marketing strategy. Visit the website at https://TheSearchEnginePros.com for a complimentary Google rank analysis. “Like” the Facebook page for regular insights on WordPress SEOWriters can call 800-605-4988 to learn more about using online marketing to build their author platform.

Best Probiotic Pills On Earth

Best Probiotic Pills

As an entrepreneur, I work long hours and my energy is constantly being tapped out. Running out of energy is no fun.

Hence, finding ways to “BIOHACK” is a big key to success.

Biohacking essentially means carefully choosing everything that you put into your body with the awareness that it will either help or hurt my energy levels.

Since I am constantly stuffing my face with gummy bears, twinkies and bon bons, I really need a good probiotic.

I’m kidding, I eat pretty healthy, but honestly I am one of the lucky ones who can eat whatever they want and stay the same weight. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Regardless of your diet, a good probiotic is key.

It is estimated that there are 100 trillion micro-organisms from approximately 500 different species living in our stomachs. These micro-organisms contribute to approximately 70 percent of the body’s immune response. Most of them help us to digest food and keep our immune system in check.

Man-made chemicals from our modern day diets can sometimes prevent our digestive tracts from working like a well-oiled machine.

Cue the probiotics treatments.

Studies have been showing for decades that probiotics can treat and prevent gastrointestinal problems when that happens. That’s why I love them, and I finally found the one that works for me.

Studies on Probiotics

One study indicated that probiotics helped 60 percent of participants with antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Probiotics help with constipation as well and have been shown to slow the transit time of food by 12.4 hours. In these studies, probiotics increased the number of weekly bowel movements by 1.3 bowel movements, allowing patients to feel better about their digestion within hours. 

This is just the start of the magic of probiotics. There are a ton of benefits to them, and I’ve been using them for years. There’s one I want to tell you about. It’s called Restore3. You hardly even know you are taking it, but you definitely feel better and healthier overall when you do. 

In Native Formulas, I trust…

I take these Restore 3 supplements every day, and they have a noticeable affect on my vitality and energy.

The founder of Restore 3 have vast experience in the area of digestive health. They have done some really amazing research on gut health. The story of how they created these supplements came from decades of trial and error, searching for solutions to digestive tract issues. Check out their website, they have a ton of great info on there related to gut health.

What are the benefits of taking probiotics?

There are a number of benefits of taking probiotics. They are most known for helping with digestion, and any problems you may have with your gut. They are very popular with certain intestinal disorders, but they also help with almost any acute or mild digestion problem. Probiotics provide many benefits to the following conditions, just to start:

• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Crohn’s disease
• Colitis
• H. pylori
• Urinary tract infections 
• Digestive infections

Healthy digestion is the primary benefit of probiotics. They also help to relieve gas and bloating, or any kind of digestive discomfort at all. 

How do I choose a probiotic?

When you are looking at different probiotics to choose from, it is going to be overwhelming because it feels like they all look the same. There are certain natural chemicals that are sometimes added to probiotics, and this is often where you will find the differences with most brands. Read the labels carefully.

To start, you want a product that contains Lactobacillus, in a quantity of at least 1 billion units. You are also going to want to look for Saccharomyces boulardii, Bifidobacterium. Most probiotics on the market contain at least Lactobaccillus. If you only get one of these chemicals in your probiotic, be sure that it is that one. Yogurt contains Lactobacillus for example. On their own, these chemicals will often be eliminated by your stomach acid and won’t produce the benefits you are looking for from a probiotic. This is why so many people supplement with probiotics.

Other ingredients to look for include natural herbal additions, which you will see often in probiotics. Herbal supplements can help to relieve abdominal discomfort considerably.

The ingredients used in Restore 3 include:

Proteolytic Enzymes
Magnesium Malate
Cellulase And Hemicellulase
Glucoamylase And Amylase
Lipase
Bacillus Coagulans
Bacillus Subtilis

Restore 3 is a powerful dietary supplement, which delivers essential nutrients, enzymes and probiotics in your body. It is made using high potency ingredients, which are safe and highly effective. Using this formula will improve your body health and make you feel strong. It improves digestive health, relief you from pains, boost body immunity and raise energy levels.

It is very essential for people suffering from fibromyalgia, as it reliefs from pain and make you feel refreshed.

It also eliminates other health issues like gas, bloating and heartburn. This formula is designed for daily use for you to obtain optimum results.

The Restore 3 probiotic delivers the most essential bacteria strains in your intestines, leading to an improved digestive health.

You won’t have to buy multiple products to get them all included in your diet.

Are Probiotics Safe?

Yes, for most people probiotics are safe because they contain things that our body already has. For some people, there might be some allergic reactions. Those allergic reactions may include the very symptoms you are trying to alleviate, like bloating, diarrhea, stomach upset, and gas. If you are concerned at all, talk to your doctor about taking probiotics.

There are some conditions that should avoid probiotics. Those conditions include the following:

• Weakened immune systems
• Critical or terminal illnesses
• Post-surgical patients
• Infants that are ill

Probiotics are considered to be safe for children, but sometimes that is a no. When they are already ill, or being treated for something, they should be avoided until the doctor gives the green light.

Why Restore 3?

Restore 3 offers all of the ingredients that you need in a good probiotic.

Along with all of the immune-boosting properties that you get from your own intestinal micro-organisms, Restore 3 features the proprietary DE111 that enhances immune response above what other probiotics can do for you.

The support team is very responsive too if you have questions. My questions were answered the same day.

Bottom line

I am always looking for ways to keep my body running at maximum efficiency. The “master key” to vibrant health IS IN YOUR GUT! Your gut is the gatekeeper to so many microorganisms and your gut is the one that unlocks so many doors which need to be opened to reach optimal health.

My advice is not to spend a lot of money getting supplements to cross every mineral off of your list. Restore 3 is one is all-in-one solution, meaning you can get everything you need from one dosage.

Try Restore3 today at a very affordable cost, and I have a gut feeling that you’ll be glad you did! 😉

Is SEO the New PR?

Is SEO the New PR?
Google PR marketing

Way back before the internet had even been invented, companies hired PR firms to get their name out, build a brand name reputation, and help prospective customers learn about them. Public relations professionals would dutifully go about writing press releases, scoring feature stories, and negotiating product presentation opportunities in the name of finding more buyers.

Then the internet came along and everything changed. Press releases lost their power to serve as a news source because newspapers and magazines were folding. Feature stories weren’t read because they didn’t stand out in the sea of information. Product placement decreased in value because there were so many new ways of viewing content.

Fortunately, there is still a way of getting your name in front of prospects when they look for the product or service you offer. It’s called Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. This is a way of formulating your website, blogs, and social media content to be responsive to online search queries. If someone uses Google to search for “hotels in Santa Barbara,” or “restaurants in Santa Ynez Valley,” you want your website to pop up on the first page of their results.

How to Blend SEO Into Your PR Efforts

Here are tips you can use to incorporate more SEO, increase your visibility in search engine results, and help the internet drum up more business for your business:

search marketing company 2
  • Make your website accessible: Search engines and potential customers need to be able to easily access your website. In addition to great content, you also want to get the technical parts right. You don’t want someone clicking to your website because you are the answer to their problem, only to get a “website not found” error. Check all pages for functionality, eliminate duplicate content, include title and H2 tags, and have a rich source of content.
  • Think about keywords: What do prospects search for when they need your product or service? Develop a list of words they might type into the search engine bar. If those words aren’t prominently included in your website copy, your site will not appear in their results. The content needs to be informative and natural; you can’t just add a list of keywords to the bottom of the page and hope it generates results. If there is a lot of competition in your field, incorporate plenty of terms which make your business stand out from the crowd.
  • Be a valuable resource: Look at your website as a potential customer might and ask yourself, “Does this help me?” You brought in somebody who searched for a particular term, so that had better appear right on your landing page. If you can’t see any benefits, then you’ve got some rewrites to do. Have content that is educational, helpful and easy to understand, and make sure it is current. There is nothing worse than navigating to a site that is chock full of old info. This effort helps prospects learn about you, and also signals the search engine algorithms that your site has something valuable to offer their users.
  • Provide a great website experience: Have a compelling website experience for your visitors. Most leave in seconds if they don’t think you can help, so have your prime selling proposition front and center. Make a clear learning path, avoid large blocks of content, and include helpful headlines that communicate key selling points. Include lots of pictures, graphics, and videos to quickly provide information. And make it easy to contact or buy from you.
  • Get social: Once your website strategy is in place, start bulking up your online presence through a concerted social media strategy. Have a Facebook page and Twitter account that offer useful information and drive visitors to your site. Provide the same branding experience across all outlets. This also increases the likelihood that the search engines will aggregate and incorporate additional contact opportunities for your company. Search results that include a website, Facebook page and LinkedIn page for a single company demonstrate a great deal of online flexibility. Use social media to encourage interaction and you’ll also boost search-ability.
  • Build more links: Search engines love it when other sites link to yours because this reflects your online credibility, but they can’t be random or low-quality links. Ask your current customers and contacts to link to your site if it makes sense for their business. You can provide reviews and referrals for complementary companies, and they can do the same for you. Bring in guest bloggers who will certainly link to your site from their blog, and you may even get organic links just because you have such helpful information in your blog. Make it easy for them by providing sample emails, tweets, or Facebook posts they can use to let others know more about you. You can also search for informative articles online and post comments on them that will introduce a new set of readers to your company.
  • Review sites: There are a number of online review sites that can help prospects find your business. You need to think in terms of Yelp, TripAdvisor, Open Table, Angie’s List, and other sites people go to gather insights. Initially, you just want to make sure they have the correct basic information such as address and phone number, but then you can ask your happiest clients to start posting reviews. If you’re in a more technical field, make sure your product specifications are included in industry sites.

If you’ve got a real news story, keep in mind that you can still generate PR with media outlets; it’s just moved online, too. If you’ve got a targeted customer base, check out your local media websites and look at ways you can provide news. They might have blogs or event calendars, or you might be able to email an editor or news director with a storyline about your business. SEO really can be the new PR for your company – you just need to know how to use it.

Top 10 Restaurant Marketing Ideas for 2019

Top 10 Restaurant Marketing Ideas for 2019

Innovative marketing is essential to the success of any restaurant. Whether you’re launching a new eatery or have been running a successful bistro for years, you should never overlook fresh advertising concepts. So, check out these top 10 restaurant marketing ideas to get diners talking about your business and bring customers through the door.

1) Produce a professional website

restaurant theme 2

Your restaurant website is the most important online marketing tool you have, so make sure it’s functional, attractive and professional. One of the best ways to do this is by selecting a top pre-made restaurant theme that you can customize to suit your business. Look for a theme that has:

  • A simple drag-and-drop page builder function
  • The ability to add menus
  • Contact forms and table booking systems
  • Review/testimonial functions
  • Slider galleries to show personalized images of your food
  • Ability to add a blog
  • Mobile-friendly functionality

Make sure you use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques throughout your site so that it ranks in search engine results. If you’re struggling to create your website, hire a professional to help.

2) Get reviews on Yelp

yelp review 1

Word-of-mouth has long been known as the most powerful marketing tool. Recent surveys show that word-of-mouth reviews influence purchasing decisions for 74% of consumers and 88% of people trust online reviews as much as recommendations from personal contacts. Yelp, which ranks businesses according to customer reviews, is one of the best tools for word-of-mouth marketing. So set up your Yelp business profile today and always remember to personally respond to customer reviews.

3) Interact with customers on social media

sicial media 1

You can’t ignore the power of social media in today’s internet-obsessed world where two billion people spend over an hour and a half every day on social networks. Plus, having a social media presence makes it easy for customers to find and connect with you. So, if you haven’t already, set up your profiles on key platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest and integrate them with your website. Next, take the time to really connect with your customers on social media; share relevant content and news with them, reply to comments and run special offers. Social media can also be a useful tool for gathering customer feedback, so don’t forget to ask your followers questions so you can improve your restaurant experience.

4) Localize your SEO

localize seo 1

Make sure your website ranks highly on Google when people search for restaurants in your local area. For example, if you run a Mexican restaurant in Santa Barbara, you want your website to show up when people type: top Mexican restaurants in Santa Barbara into Google.  Here are a few ways to do this:

  • Use the free Google Keyword tool to find out exactly which phrases people are searching for related to restaurants in your area, such as: where to eat in Santa Barbara, or best Santa Barbara restaurants. Include keyword findings on your website in title tags, H2 tags, meta descriptions, content and alt tags.
  • Make sure your business is listed on Google Places by signing up to Google My Business.
  • Add your business NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) to every page of your website. Make sure this information is consistently listed and formatted across all social media platforms and review websites.

5) Create a blog

create blog 1

Produce an engaging blog for your website to increase organic traffic, restaurant bookings and boost your search engine rankings. Make sure you update your blog consistently with original content including plenty of personalized images and videos. Use your blog to share restaurant news such as seasonal dishes, write about topical food subjects, and post recipes and ideas. Promote all of your articles on social media and ask food bloggers to guest post on your site. Make your blog easy to navigate and ensure readers can comment on posts and share your content with the click of a button.

6)  Engage with local food influencers

local food 1

Find out who the biggest local food bloggers, Youtubers and Instagrammers are in your area and invite them to dine at your restaurant for free. They’ll photograph, review and film the experience to share with their food-obsessed followers, which is marketing gold dust. Recent studies show that collaborating with social influencers has become one of the most powerful ways to reach customers and over 80% of companies who’ve already tried this strategy say it was successful. You can also partner with food influencers by rewarding them to mention your restaurant or one of your promotions on their channels.

7)  Grow your customer database

customer database

Build up your email database by placing call-to-actions across your website asking people to sign up to your newsletter for special offers. Send out tailored deals to encourage bookings or share news about upcoming events. You can also email out your latest blog articles, top monthly dishes and advertise current contests. Run a special meal discount for all new customers in exchange for signing up to your newsletters. Remember not to spam your subscribers and only email them useful and engaging content. You can take this tactic a step further by collecting the phone numbers of local customers to send them offers via SMS.

8)  Run social media discounts and contests

discount

Reward your loyal customers and drum up extra business via your social media channels. Make eye-catching graphics to promote time-limited discounts and offers especially for your followers. Get creative with your deals and run social media contests and sweepstakes with prizes. This will create excitement around your brand and keep customers coming back to both your social media pages and your restaurant. Give your campaigns an extra boost by promoting them in a Facebook Ad for maximum exposure.

9)  Host events at your restaurant

host event

Draw a crowd by hosting exciting events and entertainment at your restaurant. Think live music every Thursday, monthly comedy nights, or speed dating evenings. Get involved during key holiday seasons by offering special menus for Thanksgiving and Christmas or sponsoring the local Halloween parade, for example. Publicize all your special events on your social media channels, website, and e-newsletters.

10)  Run Google Ads around the holidays

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Give your business an extra boost around key holiday periods by running time-limited Google Advertising campaigns. When you use Google Adwords you’re paying to have your restaurant show up on the first page of the search results, along with your address and contact information. Adwords allows you to send out geo-targeted ads to people in your local area and easily reach mobile customers. The great thing about Google Adwords is that you can easily control your campaign budget and analyze its results.

Which of these top restaurant marketing ideas will you try? Share your comments below.

Why I Bought My Ojo Electric Scooters

Why I Bought My OjO Electric Scooter

Maintaining my “cool uncle” status was not the only reason I bought my OJO scooters, although it was indeed a factor for sure.  ; )

I recently bought two OjO electric scooters from Electric Bikes of California, and I’ve had so much fun that I’m actually a little sorry I waited this long. When I asked Electric Bikes to help me find the best electric scooter, they pointed me in the direction of the OjO (pronounced Oh-Joe) Commuter Scooter. It’s all-electric and has a lot of nifty features which have transformed it into a smart electric scooter, or e-scooter.

Convinced that this was the best electric scooter on the market, I got two OjOs from Electric Bikes for just under $2000 each. I’ve been using them to run my errands like going to the post office, eating at my favorite restaurants in Santa Barbara, checking out the beach, and meeting with clients. I’m really enjoying life in the bike lane, and the savings on gas are a big plus.

I love to update my readers on products and services available here in California that I think are perfect for our area. With the beautiful climate and easy terrain of Santa Barbara, this is a great location to scoot around and enjoy our sunny weather and warm breezes. And there is no better way to do that than with an electric scooter.

My OjO Commuter Scooters are very sturdy, and provide quite a safe and comfortable ride. I even had my niece and nephew check them out – helmets are required for riders under 12 – and they gave the official kids’ seal of approval by saying they “had a blast.”

OJO Scooters test ride

I’m not alone in enjoying the benefits of this form of transportation. In fact, Statista reports that by 2024 the projected global market for people who want to buy electric scooters will be well over 4.4 million. This could be attributable to their low cost and eco-efficiencies, but I think the growing popularity is all about the fun.

When you compare electric scooters to electric bikes, you’ll see they have similarities and differences. Electric Bikes says their eBikes are a bit larger and are based off of traditional bike designs. They feature a battery pack, controller, and an electric hub motor. Their OjO electric scooters, on the other hand, have smaller tires which make them very maneuverable. Riders can stand or comfortably sit on the ergonomically designed OjO, which makes it perfect for the commuter or outdoor enthusiast. Whatever your outdoor riding needs may be, Electric Bikes can help you find the ride that is best for you.

The Benefits of the OjO Electric Commuter Scooter

If you want to buy an electric scooter, now is the time to take the leap. They’re perfect for personal use, or make a great holiday gift idea. Here are just a few of the things I love about my OjO e-scooters:

Durability: This isn’t your kid’s Razor Scooter, by a long stretch. The OjO is designed for comfort, security and agility, making it the perfect ride for kids AND adults. A fully-welded lightweight aluminum frame and durable integrated ABS automotive grade plastic fairings create a combination of strength and beauty. Best of all, the aluminum design means it’s weatherproof, waterproof, and rustproof. I feel safe and secure riding on this luxurious mode of electric transportation.

Stability: Good-sized, treaded, all-weather tires provide maximum grip for turning, in case I get caught in a California shower. Protective mud flaps help maintain peak performance. The front and rear disc brakes provide a safe, quick and controlled stop.

Sturdy: The OjO features a wing-shaped body and an all-welded heavy gauge extruded aluminum under-chassis for optimal strength and stability. It can easily hold up to 300 pounds, but it only weighs 65 pounds itself. I can throw it in the back of the car and take it anywhere around Santa Barbara for a day of outdoor fun.

Range: The removable 48V Lithium Ion battery provides a range of up to 25 miles when fully charged, depending on the terrain and speed. A patented on-board charger with retractable cord plugs into any 110V wall outlet, so you can recharge while enjoying lunch at our Santa Barbara restaurants.

Speedy: There are three speed modes – easy, economy, and sport – with a top speed of 20 mph. The OjO also has the power to climb hills up to 12-15 degree grades.

Comfort: The OjO was ergonomically designed, and features heavy-duty mono-front and double-rear shocks, so it’s really comfortable to ride, even for the longer distances.

Tech-Friendly: You know I love my gadgets, and the OjO completely satisfies this need. A special capacitive, non-glare touchscreen allows me to choose from the three speed modes, review current and historical distance information, and control the e-scooter’s lighting and sound features. It has a Bluetooth-enabled sound system with high-fidelity, dual waterproof integrated speakers, so I can enjoy my tunes. There is even a convenient USB port for charging my phone while I’m on the go.

Safety: Front and rear LED lighting maximizes my vision and makes the e-scooter easier for others to see. An electric safety horn lets them know where I am. I have a secure key fob for starting it up, locating it if I forget, and activating the security system. The motion-activated alarm serves as a reliable theft deterrent.

There are no harmful emissions because it is electric, and it’s incredibly easy to maintain. You can choose from a variety of colors including gloss white, matte black, sky blue, rose gold, graphite, orange and the way-cool street art. Available accessories are a handy basket for holding your necessaries, mirrors, additional battery, replacement tire, and optional battery charger.

The OjO Commuter Scooter was developed at the company’s headquarters in Santa Monica, California. It is available at Electric Bikes shops in Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Corona Del Mar and Malibu. If you’re looking for a fun, safe form of transportation in Santa Barbara, compare the OjO electric scooter to other options and you’ll see that it can make a great choice for you and your family.

Why I Bought My OjO Electric Scooter

IMAGE SEO & How To Correctly Name Your Photos

IMAGE SEO & How To Correctly Name Your Photos

SEO (SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION) – THE PROCESS OF OPTIMIZING A WEBSITE TO GENERATE THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF ‘ORGANIC’ (NON-PAID) VISITS FROM SEARCH ENGINES.

THE CORRECT WAY TO NAME YOUR PHOTOS FOR IMAGE SEO

The question on many photographers’ lips these days is: How do I get seen in a sea of similar websites?

Correctly naming your image files for optimal SEO, is a great way to start.  Google can’t analyze the actual content of an image to tell what it is depicting, and whilst this technology is most certainly on the way, it’s nowhere near ready just yet. Instead, they rely on several indicators on a web page to tell them what the photo is all about.  One of these is, as you might expect, the filename of the photo.  You should never upload photos to your website with the standard camera-applied filename, like DSC_9764.jpg!  This tells Google nothing at all and its content.

When Google knows more about the content of your image, it can include it in Image Search (click the image tab at the top of a Google search page), and sometimes the top images even show right at the head of a regular search page.  Not only does it help people find your photos directly, but it also helps Google understand the content of the page that you posted the photo on, helping that page show up higher in regular search results for the subject.

DASH OR UNDERSCORE?

Instead of the default filename, you should be describing the contents of the image in 3-8 words.  Importantly, you should be separating the words in your filename with a dash (hyphen), and not an underscore!

(THESE-ARE-DASHES)

(THESE_ARE_UNDERSCORES)

The inner workings of Google’s search engine algorithm are a closely guarded secret, but every now and again we get a little snippet of detail from one of their representatives on the Google Webmasters blog.  For some reason there’s a lot of misinformation circulating around the web on this topic, but Google’s Matt Cutts, has clearly stated that dashes (hyphens) are the way to go on this one. Whilst Matt Cutts does say that the SEO difference between the two is relatively minor, that means there is a difference.

STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH – DASH NOT UNDERSCORE!

EXAMPLES

– WRONG -> DSC_9807.jpg  

This tells Google nothing at all.

– WRONG -> blackcat.jpg  

Blackcat is not a word.

– WRONG -> black-cat.jpg

Whilst this technically does describe the image (assuming it is actually a black cat), have a think about how many photos of a black cat you’d be putting yourself up against on the internet?  Millions, I would imagine.

– WRONG -> a-black-cat-under-a-red-car.jpg

There’s no need to include stop words in your filename (a, the, it, to, etc.). Keep it short and simple.

– WRONG -> black_cat_under_red_car.jpg

Nope, the underscore isn’t a recognized word separator. To Google, this just reads as blackcatunderredcar.jpg! No good.

– CORRECT -> black-cat-under-red-car.jpg

Now we’re getting somewhere! Descriptive, and with the correct separators and no stop words.

USE IT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Since the filename helps Google understand the content of the page that the photo is on, you can use this to boost your search rankings for specific topics.

EXAMPLE

You are a wedding photographer from San Francisco and on the About page of your website, there is a headshot of you next to your biography.

WRONG -> joe-blogs-portrait.jpg

CORRECT -> joe-bloggs-san-francisco-wedding-photographer.jpg.

SHOULD YOU RENAME EXISTING IMAGES?

If you’re using a photo portfolio service like PhotoshelterSmugMug (get a 20% discount here), or Zenfolio, with hundreds or thousands of images, there’s little point renaming all of those files to make the names descriptive. There are obviously some organizational benefits to a photographer’s standard archive file naming scheme when photos are hosted in large volumes. Hopefully with these kinds of online portfolio archive services, you’re making use of all the other SEO options to optimize them.

The ideal setup is to use a blogging platform like WordPress, to create a new blog post every time you upload a new collection of images to your archive or online print store.  In that blog post, you include a few of the images from the collection, and those are the images that you optimize with a proper name for SEO purposes.  With properly optimized page content, and images, you’ll rank higher in more search results and bring people to the blog post.  That’s when you can let them know that a full collection can be viewed on your archive site, or prints purchased from your print store.

But what if you’ve got existing blog images that weren’t correctly named?  WordPress doesn’t natively offer a way to rename images, but you can use the plug Media File Renamer. What you have to remember, though, is that the filename is part of the direct URL to that image.  If you do decide to change the filename, you’ll be altering the URL and it will reset any SEO juice that this image might have already gathered over time.

If you already have images that show up often in Google Image searches, you definitely don’t want to go renaming these ones.  Choose wisely when tackling this question… my thought is that if you have a relatively new blog of only a few months old, you can rename the files with this plugin and probably get more long-term benefit from it than a short-term disadvantage.  For older blogs, it’s probably not worthwhile.

Is Facebook advertising the best way to boost your business?

Is Facebook advertising the best way to boost your business?

The world of advertising is transforming. In a society saturated by information, it’s harder than ever to grab the attention of potential customers. So, just how do you get people to take notice of your business? Try reaching them through social media. Facebook has nearly 1.8 billion monthly active users, so advertising on its platform could be the answer. Learn more about how Facebook advertising works and find out how Search Engine Pros can help you harness its power to boost your business.

Why use Facebook advertising?

Facebook advertising tips and ideas

Here are the key reasons why Facebook advertising wins over traditional ad formats like print, billboard, radio, TV and even Google Adsense:

  • Facebook ads are far cheaper in terms of cost to reach 1,000 people. For example, Buffer app found that spending just $5 per day on Facebook adverts bought them 9 likes, 1 click to their homepage and 787 new views. Moz claims that spending $1 per day on Facebook gets your brand in front of 4,000 people.
  • Facebook ads run on pay-per-click or pay-per-day impressions, similar to Adsense. That means that you’re in control of your budget and can set daily caps or limits on the total campaign.
  • Facebook ads are highly visible because they’re placed directly in users’ news streams.
  • You can target specific audiences with Facebook ads based on a number of factors including interests, age, behaviour, connections, languages, gender, location, religion, politics, marital status and occupation.
  • Facebook allows you to find existing customers using contact lists, web traffic from your site or activity in your app. This allows you to remarket to an audience who has already visited your site and has some interest in your business.
  • Once you have a converting audience you can use the Lookalike Audience feature to reach new people who have similar profiles.
  • You can test and track the success of your advertising campaigns in real time with Facebook Analytics and adjust them using the Adverts Manager tool.

Exactly how does Facebook advertising work?

Facebook advertising tips and ideas

Facebook has made over $6.4 billion in advertising revenue in the second quarter of 2016 alone. The social network has become a key leader in the ad field by creating the most sophisticated consumer profiling ever.  Here’s how it works:

  • When you’re logged into Facebook, it tracks everything you do on the internet. This allows it to build a profile of your lifestyle including what brands you like, your hobbies and interests, favorite foods, music, films and so much more.  
  • Facebook knows where you live and uses your electronic device and location settings to figure out key information about you.
  • The company also uses consumer data that has been sourced by credit companies and research firms like Experian to build a fuller idea of your lifestyle habits.

This might sound pretty scary for consumers, but it’s a dream for advertisers who can use this information to target very specific audiences. Plus, if they wish, Facebook users can adjust their privacy settings using the Ad Preference Tool to avoid being tracked.

What makes Facebook advertising even better is that it has 10 different ad methods which cater to different business aims:

  1. Boost your posts to a wider audience.
  2. Promote your page to get more likes.
  3. Send people to your website.
  4. Increase conversions on your website.
  5. Get people to install your app.
  6. Increase engagement in your app.
  7. Reach people who live near your business.
  8. Get people to attend an event.
  9. Get people to claim an offer, such as a discount on next purchase or enter a sweepstake.
  10. Generate video views.

How can we help you with Facebook advertising?

Facebook advertising tips and ideas

Whether you want to drive sales or increase brand awareness, with a little bit of time, money and testing, Facebook ads can provide a real boost for your business. If you need assistance setting things up, Search Engine Pros can help in the following ways:

  • We can work with you to assess your advertising needs.
  • Set up your Facebook advertising account
  • Test various adverts and analyze what works best.
  • Set up a regular advertising budget and schedule your Facebook ads.

Contact us to get started with your Facebook advertising campaign.

Increase Web Site Traffic with SearchEnginePros.com

Increase Web Site Traffic with TheSearchEnginePros.com

A webmaster seeking to increase web site traffic faces many challenges in the age of the search engine — especially when attempting to find web marketing services to match his or her CMS system. Implementation of SEO for CMS based websites can be highly challenging. It is important that we find a reliable SEO Campaign Management Specialist to implement SEO for your websites.

Santa Barbara, CA – Today website development costs have reduced dramatically and launching a website has become just a breeze with all the free tools and open sources systems that are available. One of the latest open source systems that meet most requirements is Joomla. This is one of the most powerful and sophisticated open source systems. Businesses can launch robust websites in a matter of few clicks using the built-in tools available with Joomla. This saves a lot of development time to launch highly professional websites with fraction of the cost, and a webmaster can immediately increase web site traffic by deploying simple yet sophisticated Joomla plug-ins for additional site functionality. Besides the cost and time advantage, there are number of other advantages in using Joomla. However, along with these advantages comes an undeniable and critical disadvantage. There are many complications in terms of implementation of SEO for Joomla based websites.

Since the cost of website development has come down drastically and there is a great need to launch websites to promote one’s business online. Every day thousands of websites are launched. In such circumstances, one can easily get lost in the competition. Therefore, businesses need to promote their websites and increase website traffic, and one of the best ways of gaining visibility online is to implement search engine optimization. As noted already implementing SEO for Joomla-based websites presents special challenges. It requires a great level of experience to optimize Joomla-based websites. Not all web development companies are capable of developing an SEO Friendly CMS; only a company with search engine optimization experience can create SEO-friendly systems. Web development companies will be more concerned about creating functionally robust systems rather than being preoccupied with creating SEO-friendly CMS. Therefore, it is crucial that website owners find an SEO Campaign Management Specialist who can assist with Joomla Search Engine Optimization. Web marketing services capable of handling CMS natural search optimization are surprisingly rare given the popularity of such software.

One of the best places to go for Joomla Search Engine Optimization Tips and for SEO assistance is SearchEnginePros.com. They offer specialized web marketing services that will cater to all your search engine optimization needs and help you increase website traffic. They have the needed expertise to deal with Joomla Search Engine Optimization. They offer all types of web marketing services that will increase online popularity and targeted traffic to websites. There are hundreds of web marketing services online that promise to get website top rankings in Google and in other major search engines. Among these, only a fraction of search engine optimization companies meets their promises. This caused a lot of distrust among the website owners regarding SEO and web marketing services. The nature of web marketing is such that one cannot so easily guarantee results because there are too many variables that decide a website’s ranking and popularity. Only companies such as searchenginepros.com that have mastered the SEO concepts can produce the desired results. For more information on reliable SEO services visit,

searchenginepros.com

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