SEO Is Never Truly Done, Here are 7 Reasons Why

You’ve established your initial web presence and have an SEO strategy in place. There’s some steady traffic, and you’re even picking up some leads. Your job’s done, right? Not quite.

You see, it’s not that simple. Effective SEO is an ongoing process that takes consistent work.

Even if you’ve hit your key milestones and you’re where you want to be in the SERPs, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still room for improvement and that you don’t need to adapt. Especially when the competitive landscape is ever-changing.

Semantically-related keywords, image optimization, predictive search, and Google Analytics 4 are just some of the factors shaping SEO as we know it. In addition to these trends and developments, there are many other reasons why you should keep working on your SEO strategy.

In this piece, I detail why SEO is a continuous process. It’s not something that you can afford to ignore once you start seeing results.

Let’s get started with the first reason.

1. There’s More Than One Type of Effective SEO Strategy

There’s more than one type of SEO, and an effective SEO strategy covers each type. In digital marketing, we divide SEO into four separate categories:

  • On-page SEO optimizes a website’s content and structure to rank higher in the SERPs. On-page SEO includes optimizing the title and header tags, meta descriptions, images, and other elements affecting how a website ranks.
  • Off-page SEO includes building backlinks to your site from other websites. The more high-quality backlinks a website has, the higher it ranks in SERPs, increasing your website’s authority and standing.
A venn diagram for technical seo, on-page seo, and off-page seo.
  • Local SEO helps to ensure that your website appears near the top of search engine results pages for relevant queries in your area. You can do several things to improve your local SEO, such as filling out your Google My Business profile. This free service from Google allows businesses to create and manage their business listing on Google.com and other Google services such as Maps and Search.

A great example of local SEO is the legal firm, Hasbrook & Hasbrook. It’s got a first-page ranking in the SERPs, attracting nearly 10,000 monthly searches for Oklahoma-centered keywords. It’s done this by using local keywords in its page titles and website URL, publishing local law content, and optimizing its Google My Business page.

A personal injury law firm page used as an example of SEO.
  • Enterprise SEO is a large-scale method of SEO. It considers your business goals, target audience, and competition. It uses multiple optimization strategies and usually covers websites with high volumes of transactions or large amounts of published data.

Even if you don’t have time for a complete SEO overhaul, you can implement a minimalist SEO plan by following these six simple steps.

2. Your Competitors Aren’t Stopping

If you’re thinking about giving up on your SEO strategy, you can guarantee your competitors aren’t.

Effective SEO takes time. You might see an initial boost in your SERPs when you begin putting your plan into action. However, for the most part, you’re in it for the long haul, and you won’t see results instantly.

Your competitors understand this, and they keep testing. If you’re not doing the same, you’re giving your competitors an open way to outrank you.

Additionally, to ensure their SEO strategy is as effective as possible, you can bet your rivals are tweaking and implementing new processes as the search engines update and evolve, leading me nicely to the next section.

3. Google’s Algorithm Changes and Evolves

Google is constantly changing and evolving its algorithm.

As seen with the helpful content update that has started rolling out in August of 2022.

Some of these changes are small, while others are more significant. Remember Panda and Penguin? These two updates sent many website owners into a tailspin when Google introduced them.

Panda emphasized quality content, while Penguin penalized sites using shady backlinking techniques and keyword stuffing. Inevitably, however, many legitimate website owners got caught up in this, causing them to lose out in the SERPs.

Then, another update, Hummingbird, considered searchers’ intent, while the Pigeon update impacted local SEO.

However, it’s not just the major updates you need to consider. It’s the constant tweaking, up to twice a day, you need to be aware of.

While not all these ever-evolving algorithms significantly impact SERPs, staying up-to-date on the latest Google algorithm news is essential so you can adjust your SEO strategy accordingly.

4. New Content You Create Still Needs Optimization

You know that awesome fresh content you keep creating? Well, it’s not enough on its own.

If you want your articles to attract organic results and reach your ideal customers, then you need to optimize each piece.

While there’s no denying the part social media plays in getting traffic to your pages, search engines deliver much more. One survey shows that Google drives eight times more traffic than all the social media sites combined, and the average top blog gets 66.47 percent of traffic from search engines.

With content optimization, what should you focus on the most?

Aside from keywords, an assessment of content using the Semrush SEO Writing Assistant tool showed that the top-performing articles measured a perfect score for:

  • SEO
  • Tone of voice
  • Readability
  • Originality

You can further optimize your content with:

  • Interlinking
  • Managing keyword density and including semantically-related keywords
  • Focusing on technical elements like meta tags
  • And covering topics in-depth

Let’s move on to search intent.

5. Search Intent Can Change Over Time

Searchers’ intent can change over time, significantly impacting how your website ranks on in the SERPs.

When John Shehata, VP of Condé Nast, asked Google’s John Mueller what the search engine views as a valid query, Mueller came back with this :

A tweet from John Mu.

From that, let’s go with the theory that search intent can often be seasonal.

Now, imagine you’re a hotel owner.

It’s summer, your business is booming because people are looking for somewhere to stay near the beach during their vacations. So naturally, they search for something like a ‘beach hotel (location).’ In all likelihood, they’re looking for a place to stay close to the beach in their chosen hotel.

However, come wintertime, your business slows down because people aren’t looking for beach getaways. An effective SEO strategy considers these seasonal changes in search intent and adapts its plan accordingly. For example, you might change your keywords to ‘seasonal short breaks’ (location) or similar.

Obviously, you would do some keyword research to determine the exact phrases to use, and I’ve got a tool to help you with that to give me some ideas to run with:

Ubersuggest's keyword research.

6. Effective SEO Compliments Paid Marketing and Other Efforts

You shouldn’t just think about SEO in isolation.

Effective SEO is part of an overall strategy designed to optimize your results. When you use SEO alongside paid marketing, outreach, and other efforts, you get a balanced online marketing plan that delivers short-term and long-term results.

Ideally, you want to use SEO alongside PPC advertising. Here’s why:

  • SEM instantly boosts your traffic through targeted ads, while SEO is a slow-burner, taking up to a year to pay off.
  • SEO can increase the effectiveness of your PPC campaigns by targeting the right audience and increasing click-through rates.
  • By improving your website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs), you can drive more qualified traffic to your site.
  • SEO can help you target users who are already interested in what you have to offer, resulting in a higher conversion rate.
  • Paid search and SEO work together to create a comprehensive online marketing strategy to help you achieve your business goals.
  • SEO can help you create quality content that attracts attention online. This content can be used for paid advertising campaigns, resulting in more leads and sales.

7. Effective SEO Still Drives Results

You can find countless articles online declaring ‘SEO is dead.’ Some of these articles go back to 2012 and beyond, and they’re all saying the same thing. However, I can tell you something with confidence: They’re wrong!

SEO is alive and well, but like everything else, it’s ever-changing, so you need to keep working at it if you want your SEO to be effective.

I’m not the only one that thinks SEO is still worthwhile. Search Engine Journal thinks SEO is more relevant than ever.

Then there are the marketers who still swear by SEO. Let’s take the IT sector as an example.

A recent Deloitte report notes that the industry has thrived over the past few years. Looking forward, evolving technologies like cloud computing, the move towards hybrid working, and a need to build sustainable futures are just some factors paving the way for an even brighter future.

How are companies in this sector building their visibility? As a forward-thinking industry, the IT sector is having to prepare for rapid change, and to help achieve this, they’re consistent investors in SEO.

According to a survey by Tech Behemoths, 80 percent of businesses surveyed were familiar with SEO tools, and 67 percent employed a dedicated SEO manager.

A pie chart showing IT companies with an in-house SEO manager.

Further, 89.3 percent said they’d conducted an SEO audit in the last year, and perhaps the most telling result of all, 78 percent use SEO for leads.

Whatever sector you’re in, SEO can work for you, getting you fresh leads and improving conversions, and taking your business to the next level.

Conclusion

If you’ve ever wondered whether SEO is a continuous process or a once-off project, this article should leave you with no doubt that you need to keep working on it if you want your SEO to be effective.

There are many factors to consider when optimizing a website. While the necessary changes may vary from site to site, the key to success is continually optimizing for SEO.

New trends and developments, changing search intent, and evolving algorithms are some of the main reasons to consider when developing an effective SEO strategy.

By following best practices and keeping up with the latest trends, you can increase the chances that your site ranks highly on search engine results pages, bringing more visitors and potential customers your way.

What’s the best way to implement and update an effective SEO strategy? Share your tips below.

5 Reasons to Start Adding Tradelines to Your Credit Reports

Your business credit report needs tradelines.  Not just one or two either. The truth is, you need to start adding tradelines to your business credit reports, and here’s why.

Top 5 Reasons for Adding Tradelines to Your Credit Report

Your business credit report reflects the creditworthiness of your business. It is not connected to you personally.  As a result it needs to have business tradelines reporting to it. Why?

1. It can help establish a business credit score. 

Your business credit is separate from your personal credit. For one, you have to be intentional about building it. Not all vendors will report payments to your business credit report.  That means, you need to add tradelines that do.   You’ll likely need help with this from a business credit expert, as most vendors do not make publicly known whether they report or not. 

2. It establishes a PAYDEX score with D&B.

You need tradelines on your business credit report to establish a PAYDEX with Dun & Bradstreet. They are the largest and most commonly used business credit company. So obviously, having a PAYDEX is important. D&B says you only need two.  However, many report that in their experience it took 3 tradelines reporting to establish a PAYDEX.  

Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit, even in a recession. 

3. It can help raise your business credit score.  

Remember, this only works if you pay on-time. However, if you do, the more the merrier.  When you add tradelines to your business credit report, and handle them responsibly, you are only helping your business credit score grow.

4. Adding tradelines to your credit report is a way to build business credit without good credit.

Tradelines break the vicious cycle of “you have to have credit to get credit.”  They typically do not take credit into account for approval. Rather, they look at other things to determine credit worthiness like time in business,  business revenue, and business bank account balance. 

5. Strong business credit is essential to running a strong business and protecting your personal credit.

And as we said, you need tradelines to establish business credit, let alone build it. Business credit allows you to fund your business without jeopardizing your personal credit.  

Bonus: Buying Business Tradelines Won’t Help You

Buying tradelines basically involves buying tradelines someone else has been using and putting it on your credit report. While it is not technically illegal, it is definitely frowned upon.  If a lender figures out that you may be using business credit that you did not actually build yourself, you could be blackballed and lose any advantage you thought you were getting by buying tradelines. So don’t do it.

Adding tradelines to your business credit report is necessary. It is how you establish business credit in the first place. Then, it’s how you continue to grow it to a point that you can apply for other types of accounts. For example store cards, fleet cards, and business credit cards that can be used anywhere for anything require strong business credit. A strong business credit score will help you get better terms and rates on business loans and lines of credit as well.  This is true even though they will check personal credit also.  So, the sooner you work on this the better. Get started now.

The post 5 Reasons to Start Adding Tradelines to Your Credit Reports appeared first on Credit Suite.

3 Reasons You Need a Brex Alternative

Brex is a fee free banking alternative for businesses. They offer many services, but the big draw for startups and small businesses is the option for a business credit card that reports to Experian and Dun & Bradstreet, thus helping them build a strong business credit score. It’s not enough though. You need a Brex alternative.

You Need More Than One Brex Alternative to Get Everything You Need for Your Business

First, I highly recommend Brex for a number of things.  Yet, while Brex does offer a lot of great options for businesses, it really can’t be an all in one solution.  For many reasons, including building business credit, you are going to need a Brex alternative.  Actually, you are going to need a few of them.

Using Brex to Build Business Credit

While Brex is a fabulous option for managing business finances, it doesn’t really work for business funding when it comes to startups.  Here’s why. The corporate credit card that most startups qualify for only has a limit up to the amount of cash you have in your Brex cash account.

Now, that’s not a bad thing for managing financing or building business credit. There are no fees, and there is no personal guarantee required.  Your on-time payments are reported to two of the big three business credit reporting agencies. It’s a pretty sweet deal.

However, you are only able to use up to the amount of money you already have. Payment is taken from your cash account daily, and you cannot carry a balance. This means that, while this card is a great tool for helping you build business credit and managing funds you already have, it doesn’t actually help you get additional funds for your business.

Furthermore, one account reporting is not enough to effectively build business credit.  You need to find a Brex alternative, really a few, to do that.

Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit.

Brex Benefits

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t use Brex at all.  It is a useful tool, and actually has many benefits aside from helping you build business credit for your business.  It can definitely help you manage your cash flow. It’s also a great way to help keep your business expenses separate from your personal expenses.

The card also offers a pretty great rewards program. You can earn points at various levels depending on the type of purchase. Points can be redeemed for cash, statement credit, gift cards, and most recently, crypto!

Brex Drawbacks

With the standard Brex corporate card, you only have access to the amount of money you already have in your cash accounts.  What if you need more? There is the possibility of qualifying for a card that works more like a regular credit card.  The limit can be from 10 to 20 times higher than traditional cards.  You have the option to pay it monthly rather than daily, and you can pay from the account of your choice.

The thing is, not everyone qualifies for this card.  Qualification is based on a number of factors, including investors, cash balance, and spending habits.  Brex then sets the limits accordingly.  This isn’t bad in and of itself, as it’s a chance to get a credit card without a credit check, and it reports to Experian and Dun & Bradstreet.

However, you still cannot carry a balance, and again, one card is simply not enough to build strong business credit.

Why You Need a Brex Alternative

If Brex is so great, why would you ever need a Brex alternative?

# 1: You Need Actual Financing

Other than the one step up card where you have the possibility of a higher credit limit, there is no real financing available through Brex. Even if you get the higher limit card, it isn’t revolving credit. It’s more like net 30 credit, as the balance has to be paid at the end of the 30-day billing cycle.

If you need actual financing like a revolving line of credit, you are going to have to find a Brex alternative. Of course, finding financing that is as easy to qualify for as Brex is not easy.

Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit.

#2: You Need More than Brex Reporting to Your Business Credit Profile

If building business credit is your goal, and it should be, Brex is not enough.  The business credit building process has many steps.  These steps must be completed in order, and the first one after establishing a business credit profile for accounts to report to, is to get accounts that will report.  Brex is one.  You need a lot more than that to build a strong business credit score.

#3: You Need More Funding Than Brex Offers

Even if you get the higher limit card option from Brex right away, one card will likely not be enough. Besides not being enough on its own to build business credit, you may very well need more funding than that to run your business.  It depends, of course, on the limit they set based on the specific qualifications of your business.  Even if the limit is fairly high, you need more than one business credit card to build a well-rounded business credit portfolio.

Is There a Brex Alternative?

A Brex alternative is not necessarily to be used instead of Brex, but rather as an additional tool for your tool box to be used in conjunction with Brex.  Here are a few other tools for your tool box.

Credit Line Hybrid

This is a unique and powerful business funding tool that, like Brex, can also help you build your business credit because it reports on-time payments to your business credit profile. Unlike Brex however, the Credit Line Hybrid works as an actual, revolving credit line up to $150,000.

You do not have to submit any documents, and you can get an interest rate as low at 0% initially. You can get approved with a personal credit score of 680 or better, or like many other businesses, you can use a credit partner with a high enough score to qualify if you do not. The credit is still in your business name, so you will still be building credit for your business.

401K Financing

This is another powerful funding tool that few business owners know anything about.  It is a way of funding your business that uses funds from a 401K, but it is not the same as a loan from your retirement account.

In fact,with 401K financing, called a ROBS by the IRS, you can fund your business and still keep earning interest on your investments. A qualifying account will have at least $35,000 in it, and you cannot still be contributing. It also needs to be from a previous employer, not your current employer.

Starter Vendors

How about a Brex alternative for building business credit? If one account is not enough, how do you get more? How many more do you need? You need 5 to 8 accounts initially reporting to be able to qualify for most business credit cards. These have to be accounts that will both extend credit without a credit check, and that will report those payments to the business credit reporting agencies, just like Brex does.

The issue with that is, only 7% of companies that extend credit to businesses report payments. They may report missed payments, but that doesn’t help. There are some vendors however, that will do just that. We call them starter vendors.

Check out our best webinar with its trustworthy list of seven vendors to help you build business credit.

They will issue net terms on invoices without a credit check and report payments.  They use other factors to determine creditworthiness, like time in business, balance in business bank accounts, and more. Sometimes, they will require a few initial purchases before approving for net 30 terms.

These types of accounts, combined with Brex, can help you build strong enough business credit that, eventually, you will be able to qualify for any business credit card out there.  Then, you can be sure you always have the funding you need to run your business.

Brex Is Great, But You May Still Need a Brex Alternative

While Brex can work very well as a business money management tool, it’s not really intended to be a funding source.  Furthermore, even though it can be a wonderful addition to your toolbox for building business credit, it is not possible to build business credit with just one account reporting. You would never try to build a house with just a hammer or just a screwdriver. It takes a toolbox full of tools. That’s what Brex is. It is one very useful, multipurpose tool in the toolbox to help you build business credit, which is the foundation for a strong, well-rounded business credit portfolio.

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3 Surprising Reasons Why It’s So Important to Get Business Permits and Licenses

Business Licenses and Permits – Are They Really Necessary?

While not every company needs to have business licenses and permits, it’s still vitally important to check. Make sure because there are consequences to not having licensing.

Check out why business licenses and permits matter. And along the way, get specifics on licensure in North Carolina, Massachusetts, Florida, and Washington State.

Reason #1: Why Does a Business Need Licensing?

According to LegalZoom, A business license is a government document that certifies a business is safe for the public. Exactly which kinds of licenses you require depends upon the kind of business you operate and where you operate it.”

Licensing is also a form of revenue for states, cities, and counties. But no matter how much profit a jurisdiction may get from providing licenses, licensure is still rooted in public safety.

Reason #2: Why Does a Business Need Permits?

According to Chron, “Business permits regulate safety, structure and appearance of the business community. They act as proof that your business follows certain laws and ordinances. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, and failure to comply often results in fines or even having your business shut down.”

Permits can be related to tax collections. They can also be related to zoning laws, which can be for public safety. For example, you probably can’t open a cattle feedlot or a chemical processing plant in a residential area

Applying for Variances

If you cannot, or do not want to, comply with a local ordinance, you can petition for a special permit called a variance. A variance essentially gives you permission to violate an ordinance. These are rarely granted and can be expensive due to legal fees. So make sure you need one before you request it.

Reason #3: Check Out What Happens if you Operate Without Business Licenses and Permits

So if a license is required, then get one. If you don’t, you could be forced to close. You may have to pay a fine. Your business could have to go through a probationary period before being allowed to reopen. The licensing authority (city, state, etc.) could refuse to grant you a license. Or your business could experience any combination of these.

If you don’t have a license, you could be sued for fraud. This is because it’s a misrepresentation if you open your doors without a license. After all, the public is reasonably expected to believe you have all necessary permits and licenses.

Your business reputation could take a tumble. Because customers may feel if you won’t follow the law, you won’t follow their directions, either. You could scare off prospects. As they might see your business as being fly by night.

So is it really worth it to not have licenses and permits? You should already know the answer to that.

Consider This: Licenses, Leases, Permits, and Registrations Are All on a Calendar

These all need renewal on a regular basis, so keep track of those dates. Keep a copy of all applications and forms in your business records. Make sure you follow all rules for displaying licenses and permits.

Most places require you to display the license prominently for your customers. Check to see if you need additional licenses before expanding your building, launching a new product, or offering a new service.

Consider This: Recordkeeping

When we talk about fundability, one of the areas we stress is keeping consistent records. Hence in addition to keeping track of renewal dates, you should also make sure all licenses, permits, etc. have the exact same business name, address, phone number, etc. And if any of these basics change, be sure to update all of these documents.

Learn more here and get started with building business credit with your company’s EIN and not your SSN.

Which Types of Federal Business Licenses Do You Need?

If a federal agency regulates your business activities, you will need a federal license. According to the Small Business Administration, businesses in the following industries will need a federal license:

  1. Agriculture
  2. Alcoholic beverages
  3. Aviation
  4. Firearms, ammunition, and explosives
  5. Fish and wildlife
  6. Commercial fisheries

These industries are also included on the list of industries that must have federal licenses:

  1. Maritime transportation
  2. Mining and drilling
  3. Nuclear energy
  4. Radio and television broadcasting
  5. Transportation and logistics

Which Types of Local Business Licenses Do You Need?

Local business licenses come from your state or city. They are determined by local laws. Federal licenses pertain to certain kinds of business activities. But a local business license means adhering to your state’s specific business regulations. To set up your business license, you often have to have a commercial address that must be a licensed business as well. You increase your chances of rejection if you use a non-licensed business as your address.

Which Types of State Business Licenses Do You Need?

States have various requirements. As a result, the rules for one will not necessarily apply to another. Here are a few example states to give you an idea of what’s needed, and where to get licensing.

Business Licenses and Permits in North Carolina

North Carolina does not have a generalized license to cover all bases. You’ll need to check your specific industry. The North Carolina Department of Commerce keeps the North Carolina Business & Occupational License Database. There are hundreds of business, occupational, and privilege licenses issued in North Carolina.

Some sample occupations that require licensing include:

  1. Truck Driver School Recruiter
  2. Asbestos Accreditation
  3. Certified General Real Estate Appraiser
  4. Kerosene Supplier

Business Licenses and Permits in North Carolina Cities Like Charlotte

Cities have their own licensing requirements. For example, in Charlotte, you will need to visit Charlotte Business Resources. The Licensing and Permitting page has a wealth of information on getting licenses not just in Charlotte, but also Mecklenburg County. The page answers basic questions on taxes and other topics of interests to business owners.

Learn more here and get started with building business credit with your company’s EIN and not your SSN.

Business Licenses and Permits in Massachusetts

In the Bay State, the Division of Professional Licensure (“DPL”) is an agency within the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.

Collectively, DPL boards and offices license and regulate over 150 trades and professions in Massachusetts.

From the Massachusetts government website page on the DPL, you’ll need to click on the board governing the appropriate industry to get more information on the licensing you’ll need.

Get a Business License in Mass.

There is also a topic page on the Massachusetts government website all about professional licenses and permits. From that page, you can learn about licensing requirements and laws governing basic professional categories such as:

  1. Health care
  2. The building trades
  3. Cosmetology

Getting a Business License in Massachusetts Cities Like Boston

In the city of Boston, the city’s website has a section on small business development. The Licensing Board issues and regulates licenses for alcohol, food, and lodging in Boston. The Consumer Affairs and Licensing Division licenses entertainment for restaurants and nightclubs. When it comes to liquor licenses, in some instances you will have to meet with the Neighborhood Association before a Board can proceed.

Business Licenses and Permits in Florida

On the My Florida License website, you can click on the names of several industries to learn all about their licensing requirements. These industries include:

  1. Electrical contractors
  2. Harbor pilots
  3. Certified public accountants (CPAs)

Get a Business License in Florida Cities

Many Florida cities have licensing requirements. For a list of Florida cities that links directly to their official websites, go to the Cities page at the State of Florida website. That website also has a Permits and Licenses page.

Business Licensing in Florida Cities Like Tampa

For example, the Tampa government website shows how to get construction permits in the city. Permits are required for, among other activities:

  1. Tree removal
  2. Adding or repairing/upgrading a pool or a spa
  3. The interior finishing of new construction

Business Licenses and Permits in Florida Counties Like Hillsborough

Florida counties have their own licensing requirements. For a list of Florida counties that links directly to their official websites, go to the Counties page at the State of Florida website. On that page, you can choose a county by name.

For example, for licensing information in Hillsborough County, go to the county website’s Apply page, then choose the Businesses tab. There you will find links to permits for activities such as:

  1. Fireworks displays
  2. Special events
  3. Doing construction, development, or utility work in the County’s Right-of-Way

Learn more here and get started with building business credit with your company’s EIN and not your SSN.

Business Licenses and Permits in Washington State

On the Washington State government website, go to the Department of Revenue page, and then to Open a Business, then to Apply for a Business License. You will need to register with the Department of Revenue and get a business license if you meet any of the following conditions:

  1. Your business requires city and state endorsements
  2. You are doing business using a name other than your full name legal name
  3. Or you plan to hire employees within the next 90 days
  4. You sell a product or provide a service that requires the collection of sales tax

You will also need to register with the Department of Revenue and get a business license if you meet any of the following conditions:

  1. Your gross income is $12,000 per year or more
  2. Your business is required to pay taxes or fees to the Department of Revenue
  3. Or you are a buyer or processor of specialty wood products
  4. Your business meets Nexus threshold reporting requirement

Business License in Washington Cities

For city licensing, go to the Washington State government website and look under Manage a Business, then City License Endorsements. There is a list of many of the cities and larger towns in Washington. However, it does not include all cities and towns.

To be thorough, Google the name of the appropriate city or town if it isn’t listed. Check their government website directly, just to be sure.

Business License in WA State Cities Like Seattle-Tacoma (SeaTac)

For example, if you click on the SeaTac link, there is information on a general business license. The City of SeaTac requires a license for all businesses located within city limits or conducting business within city limits.

If you are not sure if you will do business within the city limits, contact the city directly before you apply. Costs depend on the total number of full-time equivalent employees at your business.

Business Licenses and Permits: Takeaways

Business licenses and permits can be easy to overlook in your initial excitement at getting your business off the ground. But don’t ignore them! Failing to properly license a business can result in fines and other penalties. It can also cost you in business from customers and prospects.

Always check state, county, and city/town websites when it comes to licensing. Or call the appropriate government offices to be sure your business is fully and properly licensed.

For more help with setting up a business and making it the best it can be, make sure to contact us. And find out just what our Business Credit Builder has to offer.

The post 3 Surprising Reasons Why It’s So Important to Get Business Permits and Licenses appeared first on Credit Suite.

3 Surprising Reasons Why It’s So Important to Get Business Permits and Licenses

Business Licenses and Permits – Are They Really Necessary? While not every company needs to have business licenses and permits, it’s still vitally important to check. Make sure because there are consequences to not having licensing. Check out why business licenses and permits matter. And along the way, get specifics on licensure in North Carolina, … Continue reading 3 Surprising Reasons Why It’s So Important to Get Business Permits and Licenses

5 Reasons Why You May Need an Online Business Loan

These days you can find anything online. In fact, you can even find an online business loan.  Some business owners shy away from this option because of the fear of predatory lending. It is possible to find online lenders that will work for your business though. 

Is an Online Business Loan for You?

So, is an online business loan right for you and your business? Here are five ways to know. 

  1. You do not qualify for a loan from a traditional lender, like a bank or a credit union. 

          Online lenders tend to have less strict application requirements, including lower credit score minimums. 

      2. There is no time to wait. 

           You need funds quickly. Online lenders typically fund much faster than traditional lenders. 

      3. You flexible terms

          Online business loans often have more flexibility repayment options. 

     4. You have invoices or accept credit card payments.  

           Online lenders often offer invoice financing and merchant cash advance options. 

     5. It’s impossible for you to wade through the paperwork necessary for a traditional loan. 

           Online lenders usually have super fast application processes. Most of the time you can apply online for a business loan in just a few minutes. 

online business loan Credit Suite

Find out why so many companies use our proven methods to get business loans

Where Can I get a Business Loan Online? 

There is no shortage of options for online lenders out there.  However, you must be careful to choose the best one for you. It is extremely helpful to have a business credit expert help you.  Still, here are a few to help get you started on your search. 

Remember, details for an individual online business loan or lender,  such as interest rates, fees, and credit score requirements, can change frequently. Always check with the lender directly for the most up to date information. 

BlueVine 

BlueVine offers funding up to $100,000. Annual revenue must be $120,000 or more and the borrower must be in business for at least 6 months. Your personal credit score has to be 600 or above. It is important to note also that BlueVine does not offer funding in all states.  

Upstart

Upstart is an online lender that uses a completely innovative platform for loans.  The company chooses to use a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to gather alternative data instead of relying solely on credit score.  They then use this alternative data to help make credit decisions.

It can include such mobile phone bills, rent, deposits, withdrawals, and even other information less directly tied to finances.  The software learns and improves on its own. You can use their online quote tool to play with different amounts and terms to see the various interest rate possibilities.  

To be eligible for a loan with Upstart, you must meet the following qualifications per their website:

  • Credit score of 620+
  • No bankruptcies or negative public records
  • No delinquent accounts
  • Meet debt to income standards (they only note they will check this ratio, not what their standards are.)
  • Have fewer than 6 inquiries in the past 6 months on your credit report, not including those related to student loans, vehicle loans, or mortgages

online business loan Credit Suite

Find out why so many companies use our proven methods to get business loans

Fundbox

Fundbox is a great option because there is no minimum credit score requirement for their line of credit product.  

 They offer an automated process that is super-fast. Repayments are automatic, meaning they draft them electronically, and they occur on a weekly basis.  One thing to remember is that you could have a repayment as high as 5 to 7% of the amount you have drawn currently, as the repayment period is comparatively short.  This means you need to be sure you have enough funds in whatever account you connect them to so that it can cover your payment each week. 

Fora Financial 

Founded in 2008 by college roommates, Fora Financial now funds over a million in working capital around the United States. There is no minimum credit score, and there is an early repayment discount if you qualify. 

 The business must be at least 6 months in operation and the monthly revenue has to be $12,000 or more. There can be no open bankruptcies. 

Bond Street

Offering term loans of up to $1 million, Bond Street will ask for both EIN and SSN.

Their offer arrives within 3 days. They will only do a soft credit pull, and a 640 or better credit score is likely to get you a loan.  However, they will look at other factors too.  For example, they require 2 years in business and annual revenue of at least $200,000.

Lending Club

Lending Club offers term loans. Business loans go up to $300,000. You can get a quote in less than 5 minutes. Funds are available in as little as 48 hours if approved. There are no prepayment penalties.

Annual Revenue must be $75,000 or more. You must be in business for 2 years or more. Personal FICO score of 620 or better is required.

Rapid Advance

Rapid Advance offers standard, select, and preferred loans. Your company must have annual revenue of $120,000 or more. You must have a personal FICO Score of 580 or better. The minimum time in business is 2 years. 

Kiva 

Kiva is an online lender that is a little different. For example, the interest rate is 0%, so even though you have to pay it back it is absolutely free money. They don’t even check your credit. However, there is one catch.  You have to get at least 5 family members or friends to throw some money in the pot as well. In addition, you have to pitch in a $25 loan to another business on the platform. 

OnDeck 

Obtaining financing from OnDeck is quick and easy. First, you apply online and receive your decision once application processing is complete. If you receive approval, your loan funds will go directly to your bank account. 

You need a personal credit score of 600 or more.  Also, you must be in business for at least one year. Annual revenue must be at or exceed $100,000. In addition, there can be no bankruptcy on file in the past 2 years and no unresolved liens or judgements. 

online business loan Credit Suite

Find out why so many companies use our proven methods to get business loans

Accion 

If your personal credit is okay, Accion may be a good fit. It is a microlender, a nonprofit, that offers installment loans to both startups and already existing businesses. The minimum credit score is 575. In some places they will go as low as 500. You don’t have to already be in business, but if you are not, you must have less than $500 in past due debt. In addition, your business needs to be home or incubator based. 

 Credibly 

Credibly is also a good option for business loans if you are already generating some revenue. They offer short term loans for both working capital and expansion. You must be in business for at least 6 months to qualify, and they will approve loans to those with credit scores as low as 500. 

Do You Need an Online Business Loan? 

You might.  If you fall under any or all of these 5 reasons, an online loan may very well work for you. Business funding is a difficult landscape, and there are many more options than most realize. Consider these options, do your research, and don’t be afraid to ask a business credit expert for help.  It could very well propel your business to new heights. 

The post 5 Reasons Why You May Need an Online Business Loan appeared first on Credit Suite.

13 Reasons Why Direct Mail Isn’t Dead

In an increasingly digital world, direct mail seems old and boring.

You wouldn’t drive a horse-drawn carriage to work or use a pager to contact your friends, would you?

Of course not.

Direct mail feels outdated.

But direct mail is still a great way to reach your audience, grab their attention, and connect with them on a personal level.

In 2016, The Data & Marketing Association reported that the direct mail customer response rate increased by 43%. Even better, the prospect response rate increased by 190% compared to 2015.

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Many marketers are in shock.

But the data is undeniable.

Direct mail is still effective, and using it is a game-changer for any serious marketer.

Here are 13 reasons why direct mail still isn’t dead.

1. Direct Mail has a High ROI

Would it surprise you if I said that direct mail gives you more bang for your buck than paid search and online display ads?

Well, it does.

Direct mail has a median ROI of 29%, putting the ROI in third behind email and social media marketing in terms of ROI. Social media is ahead by only 1 percentage point.

direct mail ROI chart

That might not seem very high, but when you consider that paid search has an ROI of 23% and online display at 16%, that number looks a lot more attractive.

Are you curious about what your direct-mail ROI could become? You can go here to calculate it.

calculate ROI for direct mail

That baffling ROI says nothing of direct mail’s response rate, which is 5.3% for mail sent to houses and 2.9% for prospect lists.

direct mail response rate

Now compare that number to email, which has an average click-through rate of about 2% or 3%. And that’s the click-through rate, not the response rate, which is 0.6%.

Despite what the haters say, direct mail is still holding its own against other marketing channels.

2. Direct Mail Works Great with a Digital Marketing Strategy 

Every great marketing strategy uses multiple channels.

Smart marketers wouldn’t run only Facebook Ads and call it a day.

They’d consider running Instagram ads, do paid search campaigns, and even use search engine optimization to increase traffic.

While you shouldn’t invest only in direct mail, you should consider it part of your marketing bag of tricks.

97th floor in Utah combined direct mail and digital marketing to increase loyalty with their clients.

First, they sent out a direct mailer to all of their clients with a holiday poem and a $20 bill with a scannable code next to it.

direct mail example

Endearing, right? But the beauty is when you flip over the card and look at the left-hand side. There’s a scannable code and a hashtag to use below it.

direct mail example back with tracking code

So what’s up with the $20 bill?

When someone scanned the code with their phone, it sent them to a video that encouraged them to spend $20 on someone less fortunate during the holiday season.

The agency then asked for everyone to share what they did on Twitter using the hashtag #20helps.

direct mail campaign hashtag on twitter

Combining direct mail with savvy digital-marketing techniques increases the personability of the message you’re sending.

When you give people something to do with your direct mail, such as watching a video, taking a selfie, or spending $20, few people resist the urge to participate.

3. Direct Mail is Easier to Target Than You Might Think 

On social media, targeting your audience is dead simple. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter all offer tons of targeting tools based on interests, demographics, even behavior. 

But what about sending the right message to your customers using direct mail?

Can you target your ideal client well enough to make it worth your time and money?

Yes, you can.

At USPS.com, you can use their Every Door Direct Mail tool to send mail to different customers in different areas.

USPS com Every Door Direct Mail

Start by entering your city and state or zip code.

target direct mail USPS

Hit enter. Select up to five zip codes near your location.

target direct mail USPS

Then click continue. You’ll see a map that looks something like this.

every door direct mail

When you hover your mouse over a route, the tool will show you the number of residents, number of businesses, age range, average household size, and average household income of that zone.

It even calculates the approximate cost of postage to send a mailer to that route.

everydoor direct mail cost calculator

As long as you already know who your target audience is, direct mail can be highly specific.

4. Direct Mail is Trackable (Yes, really) 

Technically, there is no automatic way to track direct mail response rates, ROI, and general engagement. Unlike a Facebook ad, you can’t track that the user went from your ad to your product page. 

Maybe a customer visits your website after seeing your direct-mail piece. While this person would count as a lead from your website, they should be a lead from your direct-mail campaign.

But wait, I just said direct mail is trackable. 

It’s a little more complex, but tracking direct mail is totally doable. 

Here are a few tricks you can use to find out how well your direct-mail campaign is working.

First, if your goal is to get someone to call you, choose a unique phone number for that direct-mail campaign.

10 Tips for Sending Real Estate Direct Mail with examples

Similar to this, if your goal is to get people to visit your website, you can create a unique landing page to track your results.

When people visit or click on the landing page, you’ll know that they came from that direct-mail campaign.

10 Tips for Sending Real Estate Direct Mail with examples 1

Whatever CTA you choose for your direct mail campaign, use a unique tracking device, whether that is a phone number or website URL.

Then, you can count it as a lead from your direct-mail campaign.

5. Direct Mail is Less Common 

At first glance, that might not seem like a good thing.

Maybe fewer marketers are using direct mail because it doesn’t work.

As I’ve already shown you with the above statistics, that isn’t the case.

The answer is simple. Since everyone is familiar with digital marketing, it’s easier to start getting results than a direct-mail campaign. So fewer people do it.

In 2016, there was a 2% decrease in direct mail delivered from the previous year.

direct mail increase stastics

Why is that a good thing for your direct-mail campaign?

When fewer marketers are sending mail, your piece has a higher chance of standing out.

Think about how much harder it is today to rank in Google. If I type in “how to send awesome direct mail,” Google only shows me 10 results out of 6,470,000 possible answers.

how to send awesome direct mail Google Search

In other words, the internet is full of marketing messages.

But mailboxes aren’t.

And that’s why direct mail still works so well in this digital age. Since it takes a bit more work than other digital marketing strategies, it’s less common and more effective.

6. Direct Mail Gives a Feeling of Romanticism

Like hot baths and candlelit dinners, direct mail has become romanticized in our culture.

Think about it. When you receive a handwritten letter from someone, what do you do?

You get excited. Someone cares enough to write you a letter. It’s not very often that you receive something like this.

What do you do next?

I’ll bet you sit down and read every word of that letter. But it’s not just you who loves getting letters.

73% of people said that they prefer direct mail as an advertising method.

customers prefer direct mail stat

And, 59% of US consumers say they actually enjoy getting mail from brands. 

Since people are receiving less direct mail, each piece of mail is more exciting.

Especially if your direct mail is handwritten. Even if you add your signature.

In a world where everything gets written by a machine, handwriting on a direct-mail piece is a touch that receivers won’t be able to ignore.

Just check out this example from BiggerPockets.

direct mail envelope example

It’s more like getting a personal letter from a friend than a marketing message from a business.

7. Direct Mail is Tangible

Imagine this. You receive a coupon in the mail for $10 off your next meal at your favorite local pub.

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If you’re like me, you set the coupon on your refrigerator for future use.

Then, you pretty much forget about it. For the next few weeks, the coupon sits in your kitchen with other unused direct-mail offers.

But one night, your buddy calls and wants to watch the big game at a restaurant. As you’re trying to decide where to go, you remember, “Oh! I have a coupon for our favorite pub.”

And at that moment, the coupon decides for you.

Even though the coupon is for just $10.

You could do the same thing with a haircut business.

direct mail example superucts

Or an ecommerce store. No brick-and-mortar location needed.

direct mail example discount contacts

Since direct mail is tangible, it sticks around. It clutters physical space.

Email is easy to forget about because it’s just a number on a screen.

As a general rule of thumb, about two percent of online advertisements garner our attention each day. In other words, only about 100 out of every 5,000 ad exposures have any meaningful impact on consumers.

But direct mail is unavoidable.

About 66% of people have purchased a product because of direct mail.

If your direct mail piece has a special offer, most people will save it for future use, and then they won’t be able to forget about it.

8. Direct Mail Gets Undivided Attention

A certain fear accompanies direct mail.

What do I mean?

When you open the mailbox and pull out a small stack of letters, you won’t throw away any of the mail without glancing at it first.

You don’t immediately know which piece of mail requires your attention and which one you’re uninterested in. There is a fear that you might miss out on something important.

Because of that, you don’t want to throw mail away without taking a peek at it first.

Right? 

When you receive an email, you probably have at least four (or forty) other tabs open on your computer. There are a bunch of notifications dinging on your phone and laptop.

The average American consumer is exposed to thousands of advertisements per day. In fact, it’s not unusual for the average consumer to see more than three hundred advertisements, of various sorts, within the first hour of waking up. 

But when you receive a piece of direct mail, you’re at home, after work, with some extra time to view each letter.

Direct mail naturally gets more attention because there are fewer distractions when people see it.

9. Direct Mail Increases Brand Awareness

As I’ve shown you, direct mail is tangible, meaning it has the potential to stick around for a long time in someone’s house.

For this reason, consistent mailing increases awareness of your brand.

How?

Consider this piece of direct mail from Le Tote.

direct mail example from le tote

The front has the value proposition and offer, while the back demonstrates how easy it makes your life.

direct mail example le tote 2

Since this postcard offers a coupon, there’s a good chance that the recipients will save it for a later date.

But what if they don’t use it later?

What if they see it, read it, and then throw it away?

Did you just lose money on a poor direct-mail campaign?

Not necessarily.

Sure, your recipients might not have interest in your offer right now. But they saw your logo, your brand name, and what you do.

If there comes a day when they want your product, they might just visit your website and buy something from you.

Before the direct mail piece, there was no chance of that because they didn’t know who you were — that’s the power of branding

And that’s a win for any marketer.

10. Direct Mail is for All Age Groups.

I consider this one of the most compelling reasons that direct mail still isn’t dead.

If you send an email, use Facebook Ads, or do any online marketing, your chance of reaching an older demographic isn’t very high. 

Around 62% of people over the age of 70 use a smartphone. That percentage decreases all the way to 17% as the age increases.

Only 46% of American adults over the age of 65 use Facebook. And while that number is on the rise, that still means over half of older adults can’t be targeted on the larges social media platform in the world. 

In fact, 33% of senior adults don’t even access the internet. 

direct mail guide: senior internet usage chart

Conversely, direct mail reaches everyone, the young, and the old alike. Everyone checks the mail, and because of that, your postcards and coupons can turn just about anyone into a customer.

11. Direct Mail is Creative

When it comes to direct mail and creativity, the sky’s the limit.

Because direct mail is a physical product, sending stuff that stands out is just a matter of having fun with it.

This example from ADT is a bit controversial in its execution. But it’s a great example of creative direct-mail marketing in action.

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Here’s how it works.

A letter-sized card slides under the door to the house of the receiver. But the letter is carefully engineered to pop-up into a box once it’s under the door.

On the box, it reads, “Breaking into your apartment is easier than you think.”

When someone sees it, they might immediately think, “What the… Did someone break into my house?!”

ADT highlighted a problem in action. What’s a good solution? Get an ADT security system.

On the less controversial side of things, a gym in Brazil struggled with members quitting because they didn’t see immediate results from their workouts.

As a reminder that getting results takes consistent time in the gym, they sent out calendars to their members that illustrated the gradual progress they’d see if they stuck with the program.

pasted image 0 732

Coming up with flashy ideas is not easy. If you’re not naturally creative, then talk with someone who is.

If a security-system brand and a gym can come up with interesting direct-mail pieces, the chances are that you can too.

It might just take a little extra thought.

12. Direct Mail is Multi-Sensory

With digital marketing, it’s impossible to hit all of the senses and difficult to hit more than two.

The five senses are touch, hearing, sight, taste, and smell.

At most, a digital campaign can only focus on sight and hearing. By making a digital ad interactive, some smart marketers can appeal to someone’s sense of touch. But even that experience is not the same.

By making a digital ad interactive, some smart marketers can appeal to someone’s sense of touch. But even that experience is not the same.

Everyone experiences the world through their senses. Direct mail can take advantage of all 5 of them.

George Patterson Y&R Melbourne sent out a cardboard box with two knobs on it and a baggy of electronic components. It included everything necessary to build an FM radio.

Everything, except for one thing: instructions.

pasted image 0 740

The mail piece went out to college engineering students.

When they put together the radio, an ad played, offering the student a fast track to an exciting military career.

Talk about multi-sensory. This cardboard radio took advantage of three senses, and some might argue 4 with the smell of cardboard.

Consider this KitKat mailer.

pasted image 0 765

This direct mail piece acts as if you ordered a KitKat to your mailbox, implying that it was too “chunky” to arrive at your home.

Although there are technically only two senses involved, sight and touch, this piece does a good job of including taste by emphasizing the “chunky”-ness of a KitKat.

Not to mention, it’s fully interactive as you walk to the store.

Because humans experience the world through five senses, the more of these that your direct mail activates, the more likely recipients will engage with your message.

13. Direct Mail is Memorable

Advertisements now flash before our eyes at blazing speeds. Each time we search, stream, watch, read, scroll, click, or swipe, we are bombarded by advertisements.

But direct mail stands out. 

Imagine putting together a radio delivered to your mailbox.

Maybe you receive a box near your door that reads, “Breaking into your house is easy.”

Or you get a funny mailer from KitKat that says your candy bar was too “chunky” to arrive at your home.

Or you get a tiny record player in the mail.

direct mail example

If you’re like most people, you’ll tell your friends about these memorable pieces of marketing genius.

Because direct mail is tangible and endlessly creative, it sticks with your audience.

As long as you take the time to put together an amazing piece of direct mail, your audience won’t quickly forget the message you sent.

Conclusion

The expansion of digital marketing has only enhanced the return on investment for direct mail campaigns. 

If you’re wondering why direct mail should take a place in your marketing tool belt, the above 13 reasons are answer enough.

Direct mail campaigns give a high ROI and even a higher ROI than paid ads. They can work effectively in a campaign by themselves or alongside a digital-marketing campaign.

You can use direct mail to target the right customers at the right time. And it’s easy to track the results of each campaign you run.

With direct mail becoming less common, there is less noise. You can capture the undivided attention of your customers with its romantic appeal.

Because direct mail is more likely to get read, it increases your brand awareness, even if the first letter is unsuccessful.

Unlike digital campaigns, direct mail has a larger appeal to every age group.

Since direct mail is a physical product, it allows room for creativity. Thus it can appeal to more senses, leaving a lasting and memorable impact on your customer.

In the end, direct mail is powerful because it’s different from the digital way of doing things.

I get hundreds of emails every week. But I get a fraction of that number in the form of letters in my mailbox.

To stand out in a world where everything has gone electronic, consider complementing your digital marketing strategy with a direct-mail campaign.

It’s a missing personal touch in a hectic world.

And as every great marketer knows, being personal pays off.

What is the biggest reason you think that direct mail is still going strong?

The post 13 Reasons Why Direct Mail Isn’t Dead appeared first on Neil Patel.

3 Key Reasons to Use Augmented Intelligence Tools in Digital Marketing

Do terms like “AI” and “machine learning” make you think of robots and science fiction?

These technologies are being used everywhere, and the age of AI is already in full swing.

AI and technology offer a solution to inefficiency. Deloitte has shown that 83 percent of early adopters of AI and cognitive technologies achieved either “moderate” or “substantial” benefits.

AI is somewhat part of augmented intelligence tools’ technology, but how is it used in marketing right now?   

What is Augmented Intelligence?

Gartner defines “augmented intelligence” as “a human-centric partnership model of people and artificial intelligence working together to enhance cognitive performance.”

What that means is that augmented intelligence isn’t just about creating super smart machines. It’s about creating technology that can help you and your brain do things better.

Augmented intelligence is sometimes also called intelligence automation (IA).    

How is Augmented Intelligence Different From Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Artificial intelligence is all about computers making decisions. But augmented intelligence is about you making better decisions, with the help of a computer.

Let’s dive into some specific examples so we can see how this works:

Artificial Intelligence Examples

Artificial intelligence operates on its own, without help from humans.

That might make you think of autonomous killer robots, but the reality is usually a little less exciting.  

Ever used a grammar checker tool? Lots of those use AI to give you more sophisticated grammar recommendations.

Even Google Docs uses an AI grammar checker. Google’s engineers train the model using correct sentences. It’s then able to predict whether sentences are correct or incorrect on its own, without needing to be programmed with every single grammar rule.  

Know where else Google uses AI? In its search engine algorithms.

Updates like RankBrain and BERT have brought AI to the search engine, and SEOs have needed to update their strategies accordingly with AI SEO.  

Augmented Intelligence Examples

Now that we’ve seen how AI is used, how is augmented intelligence used? How are its applications different from AI?

Augmented intelligence is a pretty general term. You can use it to talk about basically any machine that helps humans enhance their capabilities and make better decisions, even something as simple as a compass or telescope.

But in practice, augmented intelligence is usually used to talk about automated systems that need direction or input from humans to function. Augmented reality tools, like Google Glass, are just one example.

Augmented intelligence can be used in a bunch of different fields. It can support financial professionals in making regulatory decisions, or help health care professionals make medical decisions.

The augmented intelligence tool gives recommendations, and then the human makes the final call. Feedback from humans helps the tool to learn and grow continuously.

Why would you want to use augmented intelligence when you could use “true AI?” Well, augmented intelligence allows us to do more with the technology we currently have, without needing to wait for AI to advance.

It also adds a human element to the decision-making process, which can be helpful for complying with regulation in some industries. Plus, with augmented intelligence, we can take advantage of new technologies while also continuing to use human talent.

But the best thing about augmented intelligence? When humans and machines work together, they can achieve better results than one or the other working alone.

For example, an experiment by a team from a Harvard Medical School hospital at the Camelyon Grand Challenge showed that an algorithm could accurately detect breast cancer 92% of the time, while a human pathologist accurately detected it 96% of the time. When the pathologist worked together with the algorithm, the results were accurate 99% of the time.  

Overall, augmented intelligence is just a different philosophy that can help us get the most from AI, without needing really sophisticated capabilities.  

How Can Augmented Intelligence Help Your Business?

The truth is, augmented intelligence can do huge things for your company.

There are tons of different ways to use augmented intelligence. There’s probably an IA application out there that can help you streamline and improve every single area of your business.  

Here’s an example: Augmented intelligence can help you sell things online.

Think about the last time you thought about buying something online. What were some reasons you might have hesitated before making a purchase?

You might not want to lay out money for certain items before trying them out in person. Furniture, glasses, clothes are examples of products users want to see how they look up close before you buy.

Enter augmented intelligence. With augmented reality (AR) applications, your customers can “try on” things virtually. Even if they’d prefer to shop from home, they can still get a feel for your merchandise.

Want to know how this works in practice? Check out some of the companies using augmented reality to sell furniture (Wayfair), glasses (EyeBuyDirect), and makeup (MAC Cosmetics).

Glasses virtual try on screenshot augmented intelligence 1

To use the virtual try-on tools, you can upload a photo or open your webcam, and the tool will show you what the product looks like in real life.

But sales isn’t the only area where augmented intelligence can help your business.

Want to make your product safer? Car companies are already using augmented reality to help drivers spot dangers on the road and avoid looking down at their phones.

Want to thrill your customers with a cool new feature? Google did that when they introduced internet searchers to AR animals.  

You can improve your customer service with augmented intelligence, too. Chatbots can help answer some more straightforward customer questions, freeing up more time for your human staff. IA can also help support your customer service reps when they need more information to help customers.

Finally, just like with sales, product, and customer service, augmented intelligence tools can take your marketing efforts to the next level.  

Here are three crucial reasons why you should use augmented intelligence tools to supercharge your marketing.

Augmented Intelligence Creates Positive Customer Experiences

If you use augmented intelligence to create an extra cool or innovative product, your marketing will basically be halfway done for you. An awesome customer experience pretty much markets itself. Just look at all the videos people have made about Google’s AR animals:

video suggest augmented intelligence | 3 Key Reasons to Use Augmented Intelligence Tools in Digital Marketing

Check out all these articles people have written about Wayfair’s augmented reality feature for furniture:

SERP augmented intelligence | 3 Key Reasons to Use Augmented Intelligence Tools in Digital Marketing

If you make something interesting enough, you might end up getting lots of new backlinks and traffic without even trying.

Besides creating new product features, you can also improve your customer experience with augmented intelligence in other ways.

For instance, customers are more likely to be satisfied if they can get their questions answered faster with technology like automated chatbots, as mentioned above.

You can also use augmented intelligence to help personalize the customer experience. An example of this would be user recommendations. You’ve probably seen these on YouTube on the right-hand side:

youtube suggest augmented intelligence | 3 Key Reasons to Use Augmented Intelligence Tools in Digital Marketing

And on Amazon as suggested product examples:

amazon suggest augmented intelligence | 3 Key Reasons to Use Augmented Intelligence Tools in Digital Marketing

These websites use algorithms to make recommendations based on the videos you’ve already watched or products you’ve already shown interest in. When you click on a recommendation, you’re sending a signal to the algorithm that the recommendation was relevant.

Recommendations help you offer a better experience by helping your customers find things they might be interested in. They are also a way to convince customers to stay on your website for longer.

Augmented Intelligence Can Reduce Busywork

Another major reason why companies are interested in automation is that it saves time. According to WorkMarket’s 2020 In(Sight) Report, over half of employees think they could save 240 hours every year through automation.  

IA can help your marketing department save time in lots of different ways. If you’re currently using data for strategic planning, augmented intelligence tools can help.

You can use these tools to help clean data sets, forecast future trends with predictive modeling, or even keep an eye on competitors, social trends, and customer feedback. This can help you create more effective marketing plans more quickly.  

If you decide to use augmented intelligence in your marketing, you won’t be alone. According to a Forrester report, 46% of respondents say that marketing and sales teams are leading AI adoption.

It’s no wonder marketers are excited to adopt this technology. Hubspot found that using AI software cut the time one agency spent on reporting by 97 percent.

Augmented Intelligence Can Help Write Content

Here’s another way that augmented intelligence can help with your marketing: It can help you write better content, faster.

If you’re a marketer, you know that writing quality content takes serious time and effort.

A survey by Orbit Media Studios states that the average blog post takes almost four hours to write. That’s actually a 63% increase over 2014, when the average blog post took just under 2.5 hours.

If you’re wondering why the writing time has gone up so much, it’s because Google’s algorithm updates have started to favor long-form content.

Besides the actual writing, researching, adding photos, and publishing also take up lots of time, not to mention content planning and SEO.

Augmented intelligence can helpfully write text, but it can’t add much research, facts, or emotions to it.

AI’s writing style can be a little different from what we’re used to, so it needs human polishing.

AI text augmented intelligence | 3 Key Reasons to Use Augmented Intelligence Tools in Digital Marketing

That’s an excerpt from an article written by an AI, published in The Guardian.

As you can see, AI can write sentences, but you might need to edit or adjust them to fit your content needs.

Even if you don’t want a robot to write your articles, you can still use augmented intelligence tools to help you in your writing. Spelling and grammar checkers, like Grammarly, are a good example of this.

Augmented intelligence can also help you create better content by coming up with more relevant topics for your audience.

If you’re using augmented intelligence for data collection and analytics, you can use the knowledge you gain from that to help you write more data-driven, personalized content.

If you want to do a content audit to review the content that’s already on your website, augmented intelligence can help with that, too.

Augmented Intelligence is Becoming the Norm

It looks like AI, and automation in general, are here to stay. McKinsey predicts that “half of today’s work activities could be automated by 2055.”  

With “AI’s adoption increasing year-on-year,” marketing departments are leading the charge.

Augmented intelligence offers the perfect approach to AI, because it’s all about pairing AI’s strengths with human strengths.

Conclusion

As a marketer, you’re all about staying ahead of the competition.

To do that, you’ll need to have the best tools, including artificial intelligence.  

However, a lot of people are skeptical about AI. In fact, research by PwC shows that 67% of CEOs think AI and automation will have a negative impact on trust in their industry over the next five years.

With augmented intelligence tools, you don’t have to rely on AI alone. Instead, you can use AI’s strengths and human strengths together to get better results.  

If you’ve already started using augmented intelligence in your marketing, or if you’re thinking about using it soon, tell us about your experience in the comments.

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