Business Owners – Forward Web

3 Reasons Why Social Media Matters For Your Business

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Forward_Web

In today’s day and age, marketing your business on social media is imperative in order to succeed in this competitive market. A large percentage of marketers agree that social media is important for successful business growth but, if you are not sure why, keep reading because Forward Web shares 3 reasons why social medial matters for your business in this article!

Reason #1: Increased Traffic to Your Website

One of the greatest struggles for a digital marketer is getting people to your site and keeping them there. The advantage of using social media is that it has the benefit of directing people straight to your site. For instance, Forward Web writes blogs regularly which are then shared across a selection of social sites and all links lead back to our website. Each interaction pushes that content in front of more people and this results in more opportunities for people to find our website.

You too can accomplish the same results by implementing this process. A lot of the social profiles now have the option to adding a link back to your website too. For example, Facebook and Instagram now encourages this connection with the implementation of the call-to-action button that links people directly to your app or website. Bottom line, the goal is to increase traffic to your website.

Reason #2: Increase Your Brand’s Exposure And Authority

For people to be more aware of your company, it is important to have a strong social presence and to constantly be engaging. Social media makes it possible to demonstrate not only that you exist but also that your business is functional and responsive, with current, interesting and relevant things going on. A simple share or retweet from your followers can change the way the message is delivered. This helps increase your brand’s exposure and authority tremendously as it amplifies your message, thus exposing you to more people.

Reason #3: Social Media Provides An Avenue For Contact and Feedback

As a business, social media is a fantastic and effective avenue for contact and feedback, it really opens up some doors of opportunity that might not have otherwise been available. This is a real opportunity to not only understand your customers’ experiences and quickly respond to their concerns or complaints, but it also helps you understand how your business is perceived. This information is a essential to make any necessary adjustments for constant and regular growth.

One of the reasons why so many people rely on social media nowadays is because users know they will get a speedy response through social media. It is pretty standard for customers to expect a reply within an hour and with that in mind it is important to monitor your accounts regularly. Feedback is highly useful and welcomed (even if it’s not always what you want to hear). In fact, unhappy customers could be considered a great opportunity for improvement and growth, after all, wouldn’t you want to know if a customer is unhappy or if your business has a problem? Think about it, if you can turn an unhappy customer around, they will be completely satisfied with the experience and be more inclined to spread the word.

As you can see, social medial can play a major role in the success of your business. Not because it can be used to push your way to the top of the results page but because it allows you to engage with your audience and build strong, long-term relationships, listen and respond to trends and feedback, and make and share amazing content. It takes some patience but the process is well worth the investment because over time, your influence will increase as people will find value in what your business offers. Would you like more information on this topic? Contact Forward Web today!

3 Reasons Why Having Business Cards Matter

Posted on August 14, 2016 by Forward_Web

Technology is a big part of our every day lives and just about everything we do in business is digital; we sign contracts online, send countless emails back and forth, attend meetings and even our networking is now done digitally! But, even though our technology is constantly evolving, there is one thing that will not be replaced any time soon, the business card. In this article, Forward Web provides 3 reasons why having a business card matter:

Having a Business Card Shows You Are Prepared

Imagine this: you are having a great conversation with someone and they ask you for your business information but for one reason or another, you have no business cards with you. What do you do? Do you write your contact information on a napkin and hand it over to them? Or perhaps you suggest they save your information in their phone but their phone happens to be dead? Either way, none of those approaches are professional.

Instead, if can simply pull out a business card and hand it over to the person who wants to do business with you will demonstrate that you are prepared and a great indicator that you are professional. Ending conversations with “let me give you my business card” is still very effective.

A Professional Business Card Is The First Impression Of Your Brand

Anytime you make contact with someone, you want to make a great first impression (especially when they could potentially be a great prospect or connection). What better way to make a great impression than with a professional business card! A memorable business card does a lot more than just pass on an email address or phone number.

Investing in a professionally designed business card is extremely valuable. The last thing you want your new connection to do is associate your business brand with the word cheap. An professionally designed business card not only makes a great first impression but they can also serve as an effective icebreaker. Conversations don’t always have to end after handing over your card, in fact, oftentimes a unique business card will fuel a conversation even further!

Business Cards Are The Most Effective Direct Marketing Tool

When it comes to marketing tools, there are many options available; from email marketing to effective search engine optimization and paid media, they all do a fantastic job of attracting leads and prospects however, they will never be AS effective as an face to face meeting sealed with a handshake and a business card exchange.

You could potentially run into lead or prospect opportunities every time you walk through your front door. Whether your day consists of a going to a conference, an airport, lunch, doctor appointment, grocery store even happy hour, opportunities are all around you. For this reason, it is important to make sure you have business cards with you at all times to ensure you will never miss an opportunity to make a valuable connection.

Business cards are not outdated yet, and as you can see, there are many great reasons why you should invest in professionally designed business cards. True, it is an expense but it is an expense well worth investing in because the fact of the matter is that you can never have too many business cards and they are an fundamental part of your business! For more information or if you are interested in our professional and custom business card design service, make sure to contact Forward Web.

Tips For Networking At a Business Networking Event

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Forward_Web

Networking events offer fantastic opportunities for your business. For this reason, you don’t want to take the chance to just show up to a conference and wing it. Instead, you want to make sure you take a dedicated approach and be prepared to gain the greatest benefits for the growth of your business. The following are tips Forward Web recommends for effective networking at a networking event:

Tip #1: Have A Plan

You want to go to a networking event with a plan. Know what your main goal is, what you want to accomplish and also determine what you want to learn and gain from each conference you attend. In fact, write a few points down; give yourself measurable guidelines to help you stay on track. Set specific goals which can include: collecting a specific amount (set a number) of emails or phone numbers, finding a specific amount of promising business leads or handing out a specific amount of business cards.

Tip #2: Use The Internet To Connect

The internet is a fantastic tool and especially useful when preparing for such an event. It is wise to become familiar with all of the online resources available to you about a conference you are thinking of attending and use them to your advantage. For instance, you can search for information about the presenters and attendees and connect with them on social media beforehand. Do extensive research and get familiarized with companies and people before you attend. Doing so will prepare you with talking points and keep you consistently engaged.

Keep in mind that nowadays everyone uses hashtags on social media. Most conferences have related hashtags you can search to find other attendees. Also, some conferences sometimes have their own social platforms so keep an eye out for those because they offer exclusive opportunities to connect.

Tip #3: Make Your Attendance Known

Make a public announcement! Use the tools you have such as your website and social media accounts to let everyone know you are attending a conference. For example, you can make a free survey available on your website to ask your customers what they would like to learn if they were going to a conference themselves or use twitter polls for the same purpose. Set out to be your audience’s advocate and use this information to create content and publicity around your attendance.

Tip #4: Mix and Mingle

Do not, we repeat, do not go to a conference just to quietly isolate yourself from everyone, stand off to the side or hide behind your phone. This is not the time to check your email or Facebook notifications. Be alive, engage, be active, be present and interact. Remember, you are there to network! Don’t waste an opportunity for growth.

Tip #5: Branding with Style

Stand out by bringing some great stuff to give to people you connect with. For example, you can offer branded key chains, pens, stickers, magnets, notebooks, pencils, t-shirts which are all easy to carry and any person you meet can use. Make sure to add your business info to all your promo items and remember that a little company style goes a long way!

Tip #6: Offer Exclusive Discounts

Everyone loves a discount therefore, offering an exclusive discount to conference attendees is a great opportunity to extend your services to those you connect with. For instance, you can have a sign-up form available on your website that offers other conference attendees a discount code in exchange for their email address. Remember that the people you connect with are potential customers, referrals (or referrers) and/or investors.

You now have some really good and effective tips, with some great examples for you to succeed at your next networking opportunity. Don’t forget to have plenty of business cards with you at all times. Your business cards should be professionally designed and they should have relevant and updated information (that includes phone number, business email address and website) and make sure you have plenty of them, you can never have too many business cards. You have all the tools necessary to get out there and make amazing connections and if you need help with any of these things, Forward Web is more than happy to be of assistance!

Website Page Speed 101: Facts You Should Know

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Forward_Web

Have you ever experienced slow page speed while on a website? Whether it is your own website or someone else’s, this can be a frustrating experience. Most people believe their internet service provider is the culprit, never really considering their page speed as an internal issue and although download speed and your internet package certainly plays a part in how quickly your website loads, there are also many other factors that determine the speed in which content appears in the browser. Forward Web has put together this list of facts as a guide to help you understand what you should know about page speed, consider this page speed 101!

Speed is such an important part of a person’s website experience that Google decided to include this aspect in their ranking process. This process greatly affects how your website appears in the search engine results page. At least half of all internet consumers expect a webpage to load in 2 seconds or less but, the Google experts expect an optimized website that is worthy of their top rankings to load in under half a second. The fact of the matter is that the internet world is a very competitive market and page speed can lead to serious losses in transactions solely due to the extra time in which people become frustrated and quickly move on to the next option.

With all this in mind, let’s explore what factors determine page speed:

Code

Coding is the true back-end of each website and if your CSS or HTML is too heavy, it will overpower your page speed.

Your Web Host

Where you host your site pays massive dividends when it comes to customer experience.

Your Theme

The theme you choose may have complex coding which adds to your load times.

External Media

YouTube videos and other content is a great idea, however, make sure it is only as large as you need it to appear (in terms of frame size).

Widgets

Widgets are another thing that can be coded densely and requires serious processing power.

Large Images

There is a significant difference between the necessary resolution for screen based imagery and print. Keep in mind that larger file sizes can be compressed to strip unnecessary data.

Too Many Ads

Too many ads can make your speed drag therefore, only use them if they are worth the extra processing.

Un-Optimization For Certain Browsers and Devices

With so many device and browser options available nowadays, your website will respond differently on each of them. This isn’t a huge issue most of the time but, for example, if your website is working great on Google but isn’t formatting correctly on Firefox then your ranking will be penalized.

It is typically impossible for the average website owner to know what is preventing their pages from loading efficiently, however, each of the facts above can contribute to overall speed. If you have already considered the above facts and are still experiencing slow page speed, fortunately, there are several accredited web tools that can assist you in determining if your website is loading slowly and where the weak points in your website are occurring (making it much easier to adjust or make the necessary corrections). We recommend Google’s PageSpeed Insights since the purpose of page optimization is to rank well with Google and knowing what they recommend for better page ranking is essential. Forward Web is always happy to answer any questions or provide you with further assistance when it comes to your page speed, so don’t hesitate to contact us.

How To Build a Website Yourself

Posted on July 10, 2016 by Forward_Web

Are you considering building a website yourself? The process can seem overwhelming, especially when you are in the beginning stages. Many people choose to hire a professional web designer to take on this task instead but unfortunately, not everyone has the budget to hire out from the very beginning. However, there are a lot of tools, information and tutorials available which allow anyone to build a quality website within a reasonable amount of time and Forward Web provides some helpful tips in this article to build your very own website yourself:

The first thing you will need to do is set up your hosting and domain name. Of course there are many sources online where you can do this but with Forward Web, this step is fast, easy and simple! You can purchase your domain name (or transfer an existing one) and set up your hosting within minutes and if you need assistance, just let us know and we are happy to help. Once you have obtained your website and hosting, you now have the basic framework set up and you can begin building your new website.

Next, install a CMS (Content Management System). Forward Web recommends WordPress because it is an open source project that gives people the opportunity to build and manage their own website without having to learn code. However, if you want to learn code, WordPress still allows for you to work with the code for your website (as WordPress is Open Source), so it offers the best of both worlds.

In addition, building your website with WordPress means you are you able to host your website with any web hosting company that supports PHP/MySQL (which includes most web host’s). Being able to move your website to the web host of your choice is a great advantage over other site builders. Once your website is launched, you will want to have the freedom/option to change web hosts (if needed) vs being stuck with the same web hosting company you are building your website with.

WordPress has over 2,000 free and attractive themes (templates) for you to start building your website with. However, if you do not find any themes that you would like to use, you can go into the open market and purchase a WordPress theme of your liking (usually for around $30-$80.00). Either way, you have plenty of options in regards to the design of your website. Feel free to browse the latest free themes by WordPress here.

Creating a website from scratch takes patience and a lot of experimentation and trial and error. At the same time, it can be a truly worthwhile process if you are up to the challenge/learning experience. Luckily, there are a lot of tools and information available (such as this article). If you are just starting your business and you have a very limited budget, learning to develop the website yourself might be the best solution. However, if you do have the budget (or want to save time), you might want to consider leaving the development of your website to the professionals (Forward Web). Another factor to consider is the complexity of your website. Are you planning to sell any items via your website? If so, we highly recommend contacting Forward Web first, so you can explore both options before committing to your approach.

Create Your Blog In Three Easy Steps

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Forward_Web

Blogs have become very popular, they have been for a while now, and they can be really life changing (for the better). Blogs are amazing, regardless of who you are, from entrepreneurs to multi-million dollar business owners; blogs can do wonders for yourself and your brand. In this article, FernGullyGraphics explains how to create your very own blog in 3 easy steps:

1st Step: Get Started

Getting started on your very own blog is very simple. To get started you will need a secure domain name, a great web hosting service and you will need to install WordPress. Forward Web can provide you with all three of these components and is happy to assist you in this process.

Picking a domain name is the most important part of this process (that is going to be your www.yoursitename.com) that you will be using for your site. Keep in mind that the more generic your name, the more likely it will be that it’s already registered and if that is the case, you will need to be a little more creative. Additionally, we recommend that you use a .com, .net or .org.

Finally, make sure to setup your website hosting and install WordPress. This is a fast and simple process with Forward Web!

2nd Step: Use Your Passion to Build Your Blog

Being that it is in fact so easy to set up a blog, there are millions of blogs on the internet everyday. That means that your blog will have to be extraordinary in order to stand out from the crowd. When creating a blog, it would be wise to create it around your personal name, a passion of yours or your existing business name/brand.

Most people usually start a blog for the following reasons:

#1: Business. The purpose of this type of blog is to share information about your company while creating quality content around products and services.

#2: Passion/Hobby. This is your very own little space on the internet to write about whatever you like.

#3: Personal Brand: This becomes a place for you to build an online profile/resume and makes it easy for others to find you online.

A lot of blogs start out as a passion or even a project that usually turns into something much bigger down the road. Of course, the more passionate a person is about something, the more likely they are to put more interest and focus in it. Unfortunately, this is where a lot of bloggers struggle because blogging is a long-term project and when bloggers don’t see the immediate results they are looking for (such as readers, traffic and revenue), they lose interest and give up. Ultimately, your blog will become what you make of it.

3rd Step: Create Meaningful and Extraordinary Content For An Epic Blog

The content you create for your blog will determine it’s success. As we mentioned before, there are millions of other blogs out there in the internet world competing with each other therefore, it is imperative that you create something extraordinary that will make your blog stand out from the crowd.

Blogs tend to be very niche-specific, which requires focus. For example, if you choose to write about fitness, it would be wise to niche down from “fitness” to a specific area of fitness such as weight training. The purpose of doing so is to eventually become the authority in your space and not only target but reach people that are looking for exactly what you are writing about. Also, avoid being too generic because you want to make sure people find exactly what they are looking for when on your site, and you don’t want your site to be difficult to rank in the search results for ‘generic keywords’.

Once you have figured out your niche and come up with a winning topic, you are ready to start creating content. Your goal is always to create amazing content; do some research! What are other top ranking blogs writing about and how can you do it better? If they are writing text articles then you need to write a text article AND include images. If you want to step it a notch, you can even make your own videos.

The most effective way to create an epic blog with outstanding content is to put yourself in the shoes (or eyes and ears) of your visitors. If you find value in what you are about to publish, you have succeeded in creating a fantastic blog. We wish you great success and if you have any questions or need help getting started, do not hesitate to reach out to Forward Web!

5 Steps for Avoiding Newsletter Related Abuse Complaints

Posted on June 19, 2016 by Forward_Web

As a small business owner, it is important to stay on top of new marketing strategies and by now, you’ve probably realized that online marketing is one of your best marketing tools available. If you have been doing your research about online marketing then you know that creating an email newsletter list is a fantastic marketing strategy. Although this is a very effective tool, there might be some challenges that arise from time to time and in this article, Forward Web provides us with this helpful guide of 5 steps for avoiding newsletter related abuse complaints.

One thing you should be aware of is the potential for getting email newsletters complaints (such as reports of spam and email abuse). If not handled properly, this could lead to some serious repercussions such a negative reputation for your business or even legal trouble for you and your business (in the worst of situations). However, there are steps that you can take to help avoid these types of situations and in turn, run a more effective and reputable newsletter. Take a look at the following 5 steps:

Step #1: Identify Yourself Clearly

To make sure your readers know exactly where their emails are coming from, use your company or website name ans the “sent from” name. Not only will this encourage the reader to open the email but it will eliminate any confusion. For example, some email newsletters add their first and last names or some other name in the “sent from” field, but this can oftentimes look and feel like spam mail to your readers (even if they recognize your website or company name but might not recognize your first and last name at all).

Step #2: Allow for Easy Unsubscribing

Even though this might seem counter-productive, it is important to give your subscribers the option to unsubscribe if they desire to do so. This is mainly to establish good rapport between your leads/clients and your company. From your subscriber’s perspective, it can be very frustrating to try to unsubscribe from a newsletter only to continue to receive these emails regularly therefore, avoid putting your subscribers through this by adding a simple “unsubscribe” link on the bottom of each email. If your subscribers have any difficulties with this process and they contact you because they are frustrated or upset, make sure to assist them. It is certainly better to help them unsubscribe and keep them happy than to deal with complaints about your newsletter or company later.

Step #3: Require a Double Opt-In Process

What is a double opt-in? This is the process where after the subscriber signs up through your website, they then receive an email confirming that subscription. Once the subscriber opens that email and goes to the link within, then the subscription is confirmed (otherwise, the person will not be added to the email list). This process gives the subscriber another opportunity to make sure they want to be a part of the list and also helps ensure that people do not enter other peoples’ email addresses in the field to sign them up.

Step #4: Send Quality Emails

I’m sure we have all signed up for some sort of email newsletter at some point and once we did regretted it because we thought they would be better than they actually turned out to be. That is a very negative experience. One which you don’t want your subscribers to experience. You don’t want them to be disappointed by your emails or even change their mind and assume that your company newsletters are spam. Putting effort in creating quality newsletters is therefore very important. Create a newsletter that is useful, helpful and interesting and avoid any overbearing sales verbiage. Your goal should be for your newsletter to be just that, a newsletter; one which readers can enjoy. Doing so will help ensure that your emails are well received and effective (and will prevent any issues for “spam” emails).

Step #5: Do NOT Spam Your Subscribers

People do not like spam. I don’t like it, I’m sure you don’t like it and frankly, I can’t think of a single person who does. With this in mind, let’s discuss frequency; the frequency with which you should send out your newsletters varies on a lot of factors but ultimately you shouldn’t be sending out newsletters more than once a day. In fact, many companies have found that once a week is more than enough. A great option is to allow your subscribers to choose the frequency of their newsletters. Allowing them to customize their subscription (whether they prefer to receive newsletters daily, weekly or monthly) is a good way to ensure they are satisfied.

Avoiding newsletter related abuse complaints is pretty simple if you follow these steps. Not only will you have less complaints to worry about but your newsletters will be much more effective and even enjoyed by your subscribers! At the end of the day, you want happy and satisfied subscribers. For more information and tips on creating effective newsletters or if you have any questions regarding any of our services, please feel free to contact Forward Web.

Why Having a Website is Important to Your Business

Posted on May 31, 2016 by Forward_Web

Surprisingly, it is not uncommon for many small business owners to think that their business cannot benefit from having a website or that a website is not within their budget. Some even still believe that just because they are not computer savvy, neither are their potential customers. These are incredible misconceptions and in this article, Forward Web discusses why having a website is indeed important to your business.

Let’s explore the following points:

A Website Saves You Time

Without a doubt, we all know that time is money and whether it’s face-to-face, emails, brochures, flyers or on the phone, providing information to your customers is invaluable but takes time. However, with your website up and running, you can incorporate the use of an online catalog and provide your clients and potential clients a ton of information about your products and services (which is available indefinitely).

A Website Saves You Money

In addition to saving time, a website allows you to save money as well! It is unbelievable how many times we hear business owners express that they cannot afford a professional website, when in fact the reality is that as a business owner, you can’t afford NOT to. Of course the cost of designing a website varies (make sure to find about the great offers Forward Web has available), but it is a valuable investment. Consider the potential market you can reach with a website, compared to the cost of a newspaper ad, it is a very cost effective way to promote your business!

Your Business Will Gain Credibility

Nowadays, it is very common for customers to use the internet to search for the products or services they need and with that in mind, it is a fact that your business will immediately gain credibility by having a professional website. We are living in a time with a very competitive market and without a website, potential customers will go to your competitors that do. If you currently have a website but it is outdated or perhaps home-made, having it professionally re-designed will provide your business with a professional look which will inspire even greater confidence. This is especially beneficial if you have a home-based business which doesn’t have a store front to promote your products or services.

A Website Provides A Medium on Which to Showcase Your Work

This brings us to our next point; regardless of what type of business you have, a website is a great way to showcase your work. You can demonstrate what makes your business unique by incorporating an image gallery, a portfolio and testimonials/reviews about your work on your website. This goes a long way!

A Website Improves Customer Service

A website allows you to provide your customers with a plethora of information and depending on your business’s industry, that may include tips, advice or detailed information about a specific topic directly related to your business. By including blogs, uploading newsletters, adding articles (such as this one) or even including a FAQ page to answer all your customers’ questions, you can keep them up-to-date. Sharing information on your website that suits your customers’ needs is the best way to provide them with value added service and what better way to do so than with an effective website!

A Website Enables You to Keep Your Customers Informed

A website is one of the most invaluable tools to provide information and we simply cannot emphasize enough how imperative that is to the success of your business. Consider your website as an online brochure or catalog; it is much easier and effective to update information about your products and services, let customers know about new products, upcoming events, special promotions or new services you offer on a website versus printed material.

A Website Makes it Possible to Target a Wider Market

Everything sells online! From cars and houses to services and a variety of products. The internet is a an amazing tool that can be used to your advantage. For example, as a retailer, an eCommerce website is a great place to sell your products to a wider market. But regardless of whether you provide products or services, a website will provide an alternative location to sell them (even services can be made available worldwide!).

A Website is Always Accessible

With today’s busy lifestyles, we all seek convenience and there is nothing more convenient than to have access to a website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Having your website available to both your customers and potential customers is a great selling point when making a purchasing decision because it allows them to review your products and services when your store or office is closed, facilitating their decision process.

It is very clear that having a professional and effective website provides many benefits and is of the utmost importance to your business. If you are having a difficult time setting up your website, do not have the time or you would like help improving the website you or someone else developed contact us. Forward Web wants to improve your website and are always available to discuss any questions and/or thoughts you might have about the development of your website.

5 Reasons Why Social Media Marketing is Important For Your Business

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Forward_Web

As a business, in today’s day and age, your digital storefront extends to social media marketing sites (like Twitter and Facebook). Nowadays, it is not enough to only have a website for your business. You certainly don’t want to risk falling behind your competition therefore, it is time to start capitalizing on social media marketing! Forward Web provides 5 great reasons why social media marketing is important for your business:

Reason #1: It will get you more sales!

It is simple; Your customers are more likely to buy from you when they need the service or product you sell if you stay in front of your customer base. Social media is a great tool that not only keeps your company’s name in front of potential buyers, but also gives you the opportunity to constantly give them incentives to buy. For example, try posting and/or tweeting coupon codes (good only to those who are your Twitter or Facebook followers) and you will be surprised by how many people actually use the code.

Reason #2: It gives you the opportunity to observe your target market up close and personal.

The ability to interact with your customers is part of what makes marketing with Twitter and Facebook so awesome (and effective). You get to read their status updates and tweets to get insights into their daily lives. As a result, this gives you the upper hand and allows you to adjust your marketing strategy as needed.

Reason #3: It doesn’t cost you anything!

Ok, nothing could possible beat that! (Especially if you handle your own social media management). If you are inexperienced with social media, or your writing skills are a little rusty or perhaps you might feel intimidated by even the thought of interacting with people online, no problem! Hire a professional PR (Public Relations) company or a company that specializes in web marketing and/or social media management company, such as Forward Web.

Posting poorly written content on social media sites could give a bad impression or even transmit the wrong message, affecting your digital PR presence negatively. Therefore, although there is a cost when you hire a company to manage your social media marketing, it is completely worth it and you will definitely see a return on your investment.

Reason #4: The social media marketing arena is a fairly level playing field.

In the past, companies needed to invest millions of dollars to run traditional ad campaigns in order to succeed but, contrary to the brick and mortar companies we are all used to, all companies start off on equal footing when it comes to social media marketing. Today, if you want to get the most traffic and increase your online sales, you must out-write, outwit and out-network your competition while offering superior products. Your success depends on whether you use the most clever, attention grabbing tactics and the most useful link-worthy content, you have to stand out.

Reason #5: You can address problems immediately.

Of course, you will want to know if there is a problem with your product or service immediately. Social medial marketing is a great source for useful feedback, which is a exceptional way to ensure that you will be the first to know if there are any issues and fix them as soon as possible. After all, the customer is always right and consumers appreciate companies that respond to customer complaints in a timely manner.

As you can see, the reasons why social media marketing is essential for your business are many. Social media marketing is key and there really are so many advantages that you can benefit from it, make sure you are on top of this aspect of your business and you too will succeed tremendously! Make sure to contact Forward Web if you still you have questions or want to inquire about our social media management services!

How to Choose The Best Web Hosting Provider

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Forward_Web

Choosing an experienced and reliable web hosting company is essential in order to ensure that your website is safe and remains accessible at all times. If you are unsure of what features to consider when you experience problems with your existing provider, you have come to the right place! Forward Web provides some great information to help you determine how to choose the best web host provider in this article:

So, how do you choose the best web hosting provider?

Excellent Customer Support is a Necessity:

One of the things that you want to look for is a provider who offers exceptional customer support. There are hosting providers that claim to offer 24-7 support, unfortunately, that doesn’t always mean that you will receive fast and trustworthy service. Before committing to any long term hosting contract, make sure you test the response of the customer service staff.

Understand the Various Hosting Options Available:

Since there are different types of web hosting options available which include Dedicated and Managed Web hosting, shared and VPS (Virtual Private Server), we recommend that you become familiar with the different options in order to make an educated decision and choose the best option for your specific needs.

A Good Reputation is Important:

Once you have explored your options and compile a list of important features you require, you are ready to find a host with a top of the line reputation. Do your research and be as thorough as possible; Make sure to do a background check and find out how long the company has been in business. Find out if they are able to provide you with testimonials, reviews and/or endorsements from current clients. You can even go as far as checking their average downtime statistics and review maintenance schedules. The more information you obtain, the easier it will be for you to make an informed decision.

Choose a Host With an Outstanding Up-Time Track Record:

As mentioned previously, you should definitely verify average down-time statistics because you want to make sure the hosting provider you choose takes every precaution necessary to ensure maximum up-time. However, keep in mind that while there is no web host that can guarantee 100 percent up-time, on average they should be able to offer at least 99 percent up-time.

Ability to Scale:

Scalability is important because as your business grows, your website will generate more traffic. Now, there is no such thing as “unlimited resources” but, your web hosting provider should be able to upgrade/scale to accommodate your amount of traffic growth as needed.

Costs Should Not be Your Only Focus:

Remember that in most cases, you get what you pay for, and your web host provider is no exception. Choosing a great web hosting provider is a wise and valuable investment because as a business, you cannot afford any downtime. Your cost will of course, vary depending on your specific needs. For instance, if your site is only generating a small amount of traffic, then you can consider choosing a basic shared web hosting provider. However, of your business consists of selling products or generates mass amounts of traffic, then you would most likely want to use a dedicated or managed hosting provider. Although it may cost more upfront, it will be a better and more reliable choice in the long run and you can be confident that the quality of professional technical support will be better as well.

It is easy to feel confused or even overwhelmed when it comes to choosing the best web hosting provider because there are numerous web hosting companies out there. We hope the information we provided in this article can serve you as a helpful guide and clarifies a lot of the unknowns during this process. Remember, it is imperative to select the best hosting provider that meets your specific needs, your business depends on it.

If you are unhappy with your current web hosting provider, Forward Web is always happy to answer any questions you may have or can assist you in transferring your website from your current web host. We provide exceptional web hosting services and all our cPanel web hosting plans are backed by our 30 day money back guarantee. For more information or if you are ready to switch over to Forward Web, contact us today!