by Jerry Hoekman Did you know that Google ranks every page in your website for Google Searches? The good news is that the search engine allows you to write the title and description for each of your pages, meaning you can optimise your chances of high visibility and increased website traction. The way you do this depends on the web building platform you are using, and one of our consultants can help you with navigating this. Today, however, we'll be looking at how to find your website search results on google, and ideal text limits for titles and descriptions. How do I find my search results? There is a simple method to check all of your website's Google search results at once. Simply type 'site:your-site-name.com.au' into the Google search box, and hit enter. The list of results that appear are all of the listings and pages that Google can find related to your site. This search will show the specific title and description for each of them, allowing you to have a complete overview of how your website appears on Google. For example, when typing in “site:ispbusinessadvisory.com.au”, the following appears: Length of your text
An important thing to consider is the length of your text. Google will only show a certain amount of text for each title and description. If your title or description for a page is too long, then it will be cut off, and the missing text will be replaced by “…”. For example, if you look at the image above, you will see that the descriptions of the last two results in the list are too long and have been cut-off by Google. This can not only look unprofessional, but it can also mean that your potential customers might miss a critical bit of information about your business, and because of this, they might even click on a competitor's website instead. Google changes the maximum length of the titles and descriptions all of the time, but at the moment, the maximum allowed lengths are: Title: 59 characters, including spaces Description: 159 characters, including spaces Keep in mind that a lot of people will find your site on their mobile phone, which has a standard limit of 120 characters long. Hence, best practice for your Google search description is to keep them as short as possible, with the most important part of the description placed at the beginning. Remember, we can help you if you need any assistance with your website’s Google search results. Book a free 1-hour consultation below: On Friday morning, Collie business owners and staff were picked up by Collie Bus Tours and driven around town, as they familiarised themselves with some of the lesser known 'spots'. They visited sites such as the new Lake Kepwari; Roche Park Recreational Centre; Whispering Pines and Outback Horse Trails. Erik from CranknCycles generously appeared to share two trail heads and what to expect when riding them, whilst Linda from Outback Horse Trails also shared her horse-riding business with everyone (always a hit with tourists!). Kellie from Roche Park Recreational Centre showed the group the inside facility which is both undercover and airconditioned, and ready for children up to 13 years of age. They also hold group classes over the summer break, including yoga! Participants loved the event, with comments such as: “We never knew Whispering Pines had so much to offer.” “Whispering Pines doggy day care – what a brilliant idea if you want to bring your dog (or cat) with you on holidays.” “Great idea about an inside facility at Roche Park to take kids when it is too hot or too cold to be outside.” “How incredible to have Lake Kepwari on our doorstep, fabulous facilities.” “Can’t wait to take my kids to visit the Colliefields Museum so they can do the activities mentioned.” “I am going to recommend the Bill Weir Rolling Stock Shed to my friends who are mad about trains.” “I didn’t know there was so much to do out at Motorplex for kids through the holidays”. The tour went for three hours, and our Driver was so wonderful and so accommodating. Everyone loved the water and snack provided mid-way through, so a huge thank you to Collie Bus Tours. See you all next time! The following is taken from the Small Business Development Corporation website: From Saturday 5 December 2020, it will be mandatory for specified businesses and venues to keep a contact register of visitors, to assist in keeping WA safe from the threat of COVID-19.
A contact register is a record of anyone over 16 years of age (including staff, customers, contractors and volunteers) who attends a specified business or venue in WA. It must record the following information:
The information will only be used for the purpose of COVID-19 contact tracing by the Department of Health WA, and records will be destroyed after 28 days. Their purpose is to allow health officials to quickly identify and assist anyone that may have been exposed to COVID-19. Which businesses and venues need to keep a contact register? The following businesses and venues must retain a contact register of all visitors, including customers, contractors, staff and volunteers:
Who is responsible for keeping a contact register? The business owner or operator is responsible for keeping a contact register of all visitors, stored in a secure and confidential location, from where it can be retrieved quickly if requested by an authorised person. Penalties for failing to keep a contact register, may apply to individuals and businesses that fail to comply. Businesses may refuse service to any visitor who refuses to register their contact details What form does the contact register need to take? A contact register can be in an electronic or paper-based system. Business owners can decide on the best method of contact registration for their business and customers, provided they collect the correct details and retain them for 28 days. Records must be stored in a way that cannot be reviewed or tampered with by other visitors. Contact information must not be used for any other purpose, such as marketing, and can be disposed of after 28 days. SafeWA app – recommended method The State Government has created a free, secure SafeWA contact register app for businesses and other venues. Use of the app is the preferred method for contact registration in WA The digital contact register app uses QR code technology to register a patron’s attendance at individual businesses and venues. When businesses register their venue or venues on the SafeWA app, they will be emailed a welcome pack which includes supporting information and a printable, unique QR code poster for each venue. The QR code should be displayed in a prominent position where customers can easily view and scan the code, preferably at the entrance. Customers use their smartphone to scan the venue’s QR code on arrival to check in and register their contact details securely via the app. All contact information entered into the SafeWA app will be held securely by the WA Department of Health and disposed of after 28 days. Businesses that choose the SafeWA app must also provide an alternative manual method of contact registration for patrons that are unable or unwilling to use the app. Download the SafeWA App from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Paper-based registration Businesses also have the option of using a manual method of contact registering, such as a paper-based register. Download a free printable contact register form. Contact registers of people visiting the premises must record the visitors’:
All businesses, including those using the SafeWA App, must make an alternative method (such a paper-based or another digital registration solution) available for visitors who cannot or do not wish to use an electronic contact register — for example, customers who do not have a compatible smartphone. Other electronic registration methods Businesses can also use other digital or electronic sign-in methods of contact registration, providing they comply with legal requirements, including storing the information for 28 days and making it available on demand to the Department of Health WA. Key dates Contact registration must be in place for specified businesses and venues by Saturday 5 December 2020. The SafeWA contact tracing app is now available for download for compatible Apple and android devices. Businesses are encouraged to register for the SafeWA app to receive their welcome pack. More information SafeWA guide for business – wa.gov.au Download the SafeWA app Manual contact register template – wa.gov.au Dealing with coronavirus for small business Last updated on: 25 November 2020
1. The phone stops ringing
At any point in time, your website might suddenly go off-line. If you have Google Analytics installed, a digital marketing specialist will be able to go into Analytics and, in most cases, pinpoint the cause of the issue in a matter of minutes. This will help you bring your site back online in a matter of hours, instead of days, and potentially save you clients and sales. 2. Where do my visitors live? Even if your website is very successful at attracting large amounts of visitors each month, that does not mean they are potential clients. Google Analytics will quickly show you where your visitors live, what their browsing habits are, and what they are interested in. For example, Analytics might show you that 80% of your visitors live overseas, whereas you only sell within Australia. Knowing this will allow you to review your marketing messages, in order to attract more local people. 3. Why do my visitors not contact me? You might attract a lot of visitors to your website, but the phone is not ringing. There could be many reasons why people are not contacting you when they visit your website. Your marketing message or design might give them the wrong impression; your navigation is too complicated to follow; or they might not be able to easily find out how to contact you. In each case, your potential client may leave to find a better site, losing you a sale. Google Analytics can show you where the bottlenecks are, so that you can improve the site to have visitors stay long enough to contact you. 4. On which screen do visitors see my site? Knowing whether your visitors are accessing your site via their phones or their computers will allow you to adapt your site to the screen that is most used by your potential customers. 5. Which channel brings most sales? Google Analytics will show you how your visitors found your site, whether this be from Google (SEO), social media, or perhaps your newsletter. More importantly, it can show you how many sales each channel brought you. If visitors arriving from Facebook bring you five times as many sales as those from your newsletter, then it might be a good idea to lower your efforts on the newsletter, and instead spend more time on your Facebook campaigns. There are many more advantages of using Analytics, but the most important one is that if you do not use it, you might be wasting a lot of time on the wrong marketing campaigns. Free Analytics Workshop Do you have any questions, or would like to hear more about Analytics? Jerry regularly runs workshops on Google Analytics. Like our Facebook and Instagram, or head to the workshops section of our website to see if there are any coming up near you. See you there, Jerry Hoekman
What are your areas of expertise, and how can you apply this to help local business owners?
I have spent the past few years working at the frontline of regional WA’s innovation ecosystem. I work within fantastic networks of people all working in a common direction – the success of our whole State and recognition of the huge role regional Western Australia plays in that success. I am incredibly passionate about making sure our regions maximise and protect their incredible resources - natural, built, cultural, human and everything in between - and that innovation is a tool we use to mobilise and activate our whole community for success as we move into the fourth industrial revolution. I will call on that sense of purpose to support small businesses as we continue to navigate through the ongoing complexity ahead. I also know first-hand what it means to be a small business owner. I understand the highs, the lows, the pride, the absolute terror and the soaring joy that comes with our wins and our struggles. My lived experience in small business gives me a level of empathy and expertise for our clients that allows me to ensure our services hit the mark. The Business Advisory team do an incredible job in supporting small businesses across the South West and Peel. My job is to ensure that the advisors are well supported too, and that they are equipped with the skills and the resources they need to navigate these incredibly challenging times. What is your vision for the Peel region? My vision for Peel, like all our amazing regions in Western Australia, is that our people and our communities are equipped with the skills and support needed to thrive not just economically, but socially and culturally too. I see regional economic development as something complex and interconnected – more like an ecosystem than a single-track approach. Strong, successful small businesses are absolutely fundamental to thriving communities and resilient economies. I hope to oversee advisory services in Peel that remain current, agile and flexible. That is what we’re asking of our small business sector right now, so they should be able to expect the same of the support services made available to them. Peel has incredible resources, whether natural, built and everything in between. We need to work together in maximising and protecting them to ensure we remain resilient and able to withstand disruptions and shocks like the ones sparked by COVID 19. What actions can businesses take to thrive and survive in the upcoming year, especially given the current uncertain climate Know your business inside out – know how to run your operation as lean as possible, know your value, maximise what’s working and phase out what’s holding you back. Understand what support is available – connect to business advisors or accountants if it’s all feeling too complex. Use the breadth of free, government funded programs and services available to you. Create hybrid model if you can – focus on trading comfortably online and in person if you can, and make sure the customer experience is equally good. Connect and communicate – You do not need to go it alone. Isolation breeds desperation and depression. Stay connected to support networks and know that others are probably feeling the same way.
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