The Business Place – Page 2 – The Business Place

4 SEO Trends in 2018

Every successful business in the world right now is taking full advantage of good SEO strategies for their websites, blogs, and their social media profiles. If your business is not doing the same, you might as well be digging your own grave because without good SEO rankings, your business will not be able to keep up with the rest of the competition. High ranking on SEO is going to make sure that your business stays relevant by helping your customers find your products and services online with ease.

SEO might seem very simple when you think about the fact that a lot of businesses are using it but it is actually quite challenging. The most difficult aspect of SEO is the fact that it is in a constant state of evolution. The “best practices” that worked last year might not even be relevant right now. This means, there is a need to keep up with the latest SEO trends if you want to stay ahead of the curve.

Here is a look at the 4 SEO trends that are tearing things up in 2018.

Secure Links
2016 saw Google make the announcement about the fact that secure links (SSL) are going to make a significant impact on the SEO ranking of websites. From being a simple announcement to becoming something that is more of a necessity, browsers like Google Chrome are now marking the websites that do not start with “https” as potentially unsafe for internet users. It’s one of the easiest ways to boost your SEO rankings and a trend that is here to stay.

7 Key Features To Focus On When Searching For New Hosting For Your Removalists Website

There are several reasons why at some point you might need to look for a new hosting service for your removalists or other service business business website.

3 Simple Company Compliance Tips For New Small Businesses

If you are in the process of purchasing or starting your first business it can be an exciting time but also one that is fraught with concerns and worries. Not so many worries about whether your business will be successful, as we would hope you are well prepared to make that happen. Instead, the worries we are talking about are trying to ensure your get all the legalities right to ensure that you comply with commercial law.

One of the best ways to allay any concerns you have is to seek out an established commercial lawyer who can advise you not just how to ensure your business opens with all the legalities in place, but also your compliance continues as your business grows. One of the areas of commercial law they are likely to advise you upon first is company compliance.

Company compliances are those legal tasks which every business has to adhere to, and whilst the details of them might not seem the most exciting, they are essential if you are to remain compliant with commercial law in this country. To further that cause here are three tips you should follow to ensure you adhere to what is legally required of you.

Digital Marketing Strategies For Accountants

If you are an accountant, run an accountancy business, or are responsible for the marketing activities of an accountancy company, are you making the most of all the marketing strategies that are open to you?

We often find that when we consult with accountancy businesses that they may be trying one or two marketing methods but did not realize that were several more ways they could bring potential clients to their website.

The other scenario is that they knew of them, but just did not know how to take advantage of them, that is, until they asked us to do it for them.

So, if your accountancy business wants to expand, attract new clients and become the number one accountancy service in your area, here are some effective marketing strategies you should implement, and if you need any assistance in doing so, our agency is happy to help you.

Digital Marketing Strategies: Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC)

This is a marketing strategy that scares many accountancy businesses, and it is understandable. It is understandable because they, and we, have heard so many horror stories of companies spending and wasting thousands of dollars on paid advertising, and getting little in return.

The reason for that is that they started using PPC advertising with no prior research, planning or monitoring. That is a recipe for disaster, and it does not have to be that way. If you seek a consultant or agency who are experts in PPC, they can create a campaign for you that is going to get you results.

A Brief Guide To Franchise Agreements For First Time Franchisees

One of the most popular ways of starting a business is to purchase a franchise from an existing company. These so-called ‘businesses in a box’ allow the franchisee to benefit from a proven business model and the branding and marketing power of the franchise company.

Famous examples of franchise businesses include McDonald’s and Starbucks. however, not all franchises require the million-dollar franchise fees that these can incur. Many franchise opportunities can be started with fees of less than ten thousand dollars, however, whatever level you choose to start at, you must know the legalities and commercial law relating to franchise businesses.

Franchise Agreements – What They Are And What They Include

One of the legal documents you need to be aware of is the franchise agreement. This is the legal contract that exists between you, the franchisee, and the franchise company aka the franchisor. A franchise agreement will include the rights of each party and set out each of their respective obligations through the period of the franchise term.

Some of the specific terms within a franchise agreement will include:

Franchise fees which are payable by the franchisee
Rights of the franchisee as they relate to the branding and intellectual property of the franchisor
Obligations of the franchisee relating to their staff and staff training
Rights of the franchisee and franchisor upon the franchise agreement being terminated

7 Main Components Of A Commercial Lease

For the vast majority of businesses, owning the building from which they operate or trade is usually not feasible. The main reason for that is the huge financial obligation necessary to purchase such buildings and the additional costs associated with their operation and maintenance.

This is why commercial leases are a legal document that most business owners will be familiar with, as that they allow them to lease a building or offices from a commercial landlord to trade from. Each landlord may have their own bespoke commercial lease, but the terms and conditions within it must comply with commercial law relating to commercial property leasing.

Each commercial lease will contain several components which form the agreement between the commercial landlord and the business owner leasing the premises. Below are seven that are certain to be included.

Lease Duration: The duration or ‘term’ of the commercial lease will state how long the tenant will rent the property from the landlord. This has importance for both the tenant and the landlord and is thus likely to never be too short not too long a duration. Before signing a business owner needs to consider if the term is congruent with their business’s growth and development.

Building Contracts And Your Options For Terminating Them

Having a new building created for your business is a huge commitment and such is the undertaking it is little surprise that protections exist both under commercial law, and often as a clause contained within the building contract itself. With the huge implications for your business financially, being able to cancel a building contract if all is not going smoothly is a right you will wish to have. Here is how that right could manifest itself.

Building Contract Termination

The definition of the termination of a building contract is that it releases both parties from some or all of their obligations under the contract. However, that does mean that either party does not still have rights that continue thereafter.

Your Grounds For Terminating A Building Contract

In most instances, commercial law provides the basis upon which a contract for building work can be terminated which we have outlined below.

#1 Breach Of Contract

Breach of contract will exist if the other party, in this case, the construction company, are failing to meet their obligations under the building contract. The list of breaches is almost endless, but it could include not using specified materials, not complying with building regulations, and failing to meet agreed milestones within a specified time. You must ensure a breach has taken place by first identifying it, and then gathering evidence of that breach.

How To Calculate If You Can Afford To Bid On The Top Keywords On Google Ads

There are lots of businesses that could benefit enormously if they were to implement a Google Ads campaign, but many do not because of concerns they have. One of those concerns is not knowing whether or not they could afford to bid on the keywords that they wish to target. Given that within any single business niche there could be hundreds of possible keywords all with varying costs per click (CPC) then the level of uncertainty can be high.

We are not here to criticize business owners for their uncertainty over whether they can afford to bid and that stopping them from proceeding with a Google Ads campaign. After all, it would be foolish to plough ahead into the unknown in any element of your business if you were not aware of what the costs are going to be. However, what we can do is give you a simple formula that you can apply to every keyword and establish if it is affordable for you.

To begin the analysis there are 4 specific numbers or pieces of data that you need. These are:

Profit Per Sale ($) e.g. $350
Profit Margin As A Decimal e.g. 30% Profit Margin = 0.3
Website Conversion Rate As A Percentage Converted To A Decimal e.g. 1 In 100 = 1% = 0.01
Estimated Cost Per Click Of Each Target Keyword As Per Google Keyword Planner e.g. $4.75

What Is Linux?

It is almost certain that if you have used a computer or the internet for some time you will have been in a scenario where Linux was playing a part in what you were doing. Now, you might be thinking that not only do you not know what Linux is, but you are also 100% certain that you have never used it.

That is a reaction that many people have, and it is not unreasonable simply because Linux is not something that is immediately recognisable nor is it especially prominent. However, we can say with as close to certainty as we can that you and billions of others come into contact with Linux almost every single day.

Linux is used by Google, Facebook, and Twitter, which are in the Top 10 of the most visited websites on the internet. To give you an idea of just how many visits they get, their respective daily visitors are 29 billion for Google, 7 billion for Facebook, and 1 billion for Twitter. Many others use Linux, so it is a fair assumption that every internet user has some kind of interaction with Linux daily.

Linux Basics

Linux is an open-source operating system. Operating systems are used to manage all the hardware that is found in devices with the most obvious ones being desktop computers and laptops. Other examples of operating systems include Windows and Mac OS and the primary function of all of them is to allow hardware and software to communicate effectively.

What Is An SSL Certificate, And Do I Need One?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, and it is a digital certificate that is used to confirm and authenticate a website’s identity. It is also used to encrypt information which is sent to the server on which the website is hosted. You can identify a website that has SSL, by looking at the address bar which will have ‘https’ at the front of the URL. A website without SSL will not have the ‘s’ at the end. You should have one because, in these days of data theft etc., Google sees having SSL as important, and it is now a ranking factor.

Can YouTube videos help bring traffic to my website?
Absolutely. YouTube just happens to be the second biggest search engine on the internet so if your product and services lend themselves to video then it can be an excellent source of traffic. Even if you offer an intangible service, such as accounting, or legal services, there is still plenty of opportunities to create informative videos for the sort of questions that get asked.

How To Prevent Websites From Being Hacked

Many unwanted events can cause the progress of a business to be stalled and if you are a business owner, doubtless you may have had to overcome some of them. One that can cause a multitude of problems for you is if your website is hacked. Apart from the logistical, legal, and financial problems that it can cause for your business, a hacked website can cause significant stress and confusion for all concerned.

Much of that confusion can stem from the fact that most business owners are not website security experts. If your home is burgled you will at least know how the thief got in as evidenced by the smashed window or the broken door lock. However, if your website is hacked, and a website security expert starts reeling off terms like bots, keylogging, cross-site-scripting, and SQL injection, you might understandably shake your head wondering what the hell they were talking about.

What is often frustrating to business owners after the event (the event being their website being hacked) is when they realise that some relatively simple and inexpensive steps could have prevented it, or at least minimised the damage caused. The phrase ‘prevention is better than the cure’ could have been invented for the issue of website hacking. So, let us look at some methods of preventing websites from being hacked.

Regularly Update Software, Apps Related To Your Website

One of the most common routes to inners of websites that are used by hackers is vulnerable software. Your website almost certainly relies on software and applications to function and any one of them could present a security hole. Most reputable software manufacturers will take action to rectify any security risks their products are deemed to have and will publish those updates. As such you should be checking regularly for those updates and install them immediately.

The Risks Of Using Cheap SEO Services

Often when we sit down to write an answer to a question about SEO, we often do not fill the entire page. With the question ‘What are the risks of using cheap SEO services?’ the problem could be that we need multiple pages to answer it. The reason for that is using an SEO agency that does everything ‘on the cheap’ can create multiple issues for your website and in turn your business, many of which are irreversible.

Let’s start with a harsh truth that applies as much to the field of SEO, as they do in any industry. There will always be those who try to cut corners, use dubious tactics, employ high-risk techniques, and do it all for an easy payout. They set their prices low because that is the only way they can hope to compete with professionals in their field.

We are not to saying that all these cheap SEO agencies are dishonest or doing anything illegal, but with SEO, as with any product or service, you will ultimately only get what you pay for. If you pay bottom dollar for SEO services, then do not be surprised if, instead of being at the top of the rankings, you end up at the bottom of them.

With cheap SEO services, the research that takes place is likely to be extremely limited. Specifically, the SEO audit, if it takes place at all, will not analyse many of the most critical SEO factors that exist on your website. Thereafter, any plan which is cobbled together will be severely compromised and lacking any credible actions that are going to make a significant difference to your ranking.

What Services Does A Digital Marketing Agency Offer?

The services each individual marketing agency will offer may differ slightly from company to company but you should expect them all to offer a similar set of core services. The primary one is likely to be search engine optimisation (SEO) which involves a comprehensive strategy and several actions to try and improve the search engine rankings of the client’s company website.

Another core service will be pay per click advertising (PPC), and this is most likely going to focus on Google Ads, although there are other PPC networks. Additional services that can be employed separately, although more likely in conjunction with the above, will be content management, link building, conversion optimisation, and reputation management.

Do I need a blog?
While it is not essential, if you don’t have a blog you are missing a great opportunity to communicate with visitors to your website, create trust with them, and enhance your brand. On top of that, there is also the boost to your SEO that having excellent content on your website in the form of your blog can provide. If you are concerned that you do not have the time or would struggle to come with ideas to write about, then be assured these can both be overcome.

The easiest way to do so is to employ a third party to take care of your content management, including your blog. A digital marketing agency will have a team of writers who can produce high-quality content for your blog on a regular basis, allowing you to get on with running your business.

7 Benefits Of Having Your Offices Professionally Cleaned

Having offices cleaned would not normally be at the top of the list of most important tasks that a business owner has to deal with, and unfortunately many even look upon office cleaning as a necessary evil. When they think about cleaning many business owners see it as a zero gain exercise that contributes nothing to their business and is simply a cost that has to be endured.

This is a regrettable view to take because there are several advantages of having offices professionally cleaned, which can have a positive effect on that business. If you wish to know what those benefits are, please read on.

Healthier Workforce

It stands to reason that any environment in which people work is going to be healthier if it is cleaned regularly than if it is not. Professional cleaning does not only reduce physical dangers such as debris and spills on the floor, but it also eliminates health risks such as allergens, pollutants, and contaminants, all of which makes your office a healthier workplace.

The Four Steps Towards The Family Court Determining A Fair And Reasonable Property Settlement

In accordance with Australian family law, reputable divorce attorneys like those from Davies Family Lawyers will inform you that in the event of a divorce between married couples or separation of couples in a de facto relationship, a resolution on property distribution must be achieved. Aside from the property that the couple owns such as their home, this also encompasses a range of other assets that have value, such as savings, stocks and shares, furniture, jewellery, vehicles, and essentially anything that is considered the couple’s joint property.

The journey from a couple separating and the property settlement being finalised usually has four distinct stages. Whilst it is possible for either or both of them to go through this process without a family lawyer unless they are fully conversant with property settlement processes, it would be wise to seek the advice of family lawyers at the very least. As for the property settlement process, here it is from step 1 through to step 4.

Step 1: Assessing The Property Values

The first step is probably the simplest one although it may require a reasonable amount of research to determine some specific values. In effect, the couple each list their assets and their liabilities. This is done on both an individual basis and for them as a couple, where they have a joint savings account, for example. Assets jointly owned with third parties should also be included such as joint ownership of a business.

6 Common FAQs Business Owners Ask About Commercial Lifts

Any business owner considering the installation of commercial lifts in any premises they are responsible for is bound to have several questions which they want to be answered. In most cases, some research might answer those questions, and almost certainly, any commercial lift installation company will be happy to answer the questions of a potential client.

What the specific questions about commercial lifts could be, will certainly differ from business to business, however, there are some which are almost certain to come up. To move a step forward to being able to make decisions about a new lift for your business, here are 6 of the most common questions asked by business owners about commercial lifts.

Should I Install A Commercial Lift For My Business?

If your business is housed across multiple floors of the building you are in, or you own a business premises that exists across several floors, then there are several merits of having a lift installed. A lift can add to the value of a commercial property, it makes life for those working in the building easier as they do not have to climb up and down stairs, using a lift is safer than using stairs, and it creates a great impression for those visiting the building, including clients.

10 Benefits Of A Discretionary Trust Running A Business

Trusts have been around for centuries, and commercial law embraces them as a legitimate means to operate a business. Whilst there are many types of trusts, the one type that you are most likely to see used for businesses is a discretionary trust.

A discretionary trust operates on the basis that it has discretionary beneficiaries. These are the individuals and companies that may receive capital and income from the trust at the discretion of the trustee. Discretionary trusts have several benefits within the realms of running businesses, and here are ten of the most important.

Flexibility: One of the most cited reasons for using a discretionary trust to run a business is its flexibility. Trust deeds can now be amended to add or remove beneficiaries without any implications for stamp duty. It also allows the trustee to amend the trust deed to take account of new tax legislation and other laws, such as commercial law.

Tax Streaming: This is the legitimate practice of the trustee deciding each tax year, who to distribute the trust’s taxable income to. By streaming income proportionately to specific beneficiaries, especially those in lower tax brackets, and those who have had a capital loss, it reduces the amount of tax paid by the trustees across the board.

What Are The Rights of Minority Shareholders?

You might imagine that under commercial law the majority shareholder holds all the power and that what they say goes. This is true to an extent, however, minority shareholders do have rights and commercial law has clear guidelines as to how those rights must be honoured.

A minority shareholder is someone or an institution that holds less than 50% of the shares of a company. In normal circumstances, this means that, regardless of the views, opinions or wishes of minority shareholders, if the majority who hold over 50% individually or collectively, take the opposite view, then the majority’s view will prevail.

Whilst it is always advisable that you speak to a professional financial advisor before entering into an arrangment like this, it is a simple principle to understand and is nothing sinister, as in many walks of life the majority view prevails. In all kinds of organisations, including governments, 50% +1 is enough to carry any vote. Within companies, this is the same, but that does not mean minority shareholders do not have rights and obligations akin to those of majority shareholders, as we will now explain.

Minority Shareholders Rights

Many of the rights that majority shareholders have also belong to minority shareholders. The fact that someone has a 10% share in the company versus someone with a 55% share, might mean that they do not always win votes when they are taken, but it still affords equal rights in many aspects of how a company operates.