Web Accessibility

When we talk about web accessibility, clients are frequently confused. Web accessibility is an issue that affects everyone, not just those with disabilities. Understanding, using, and preparing for web accessibility can be difficult, and achieving full compliance is best done in stages. Every client must address web accessibility proactively to be most effective, which includes educating oneself about accessibility, generating accessible content, and making that content easily accessible to all online users.

Web accessibility ensures that all users, regardless of ability, condition, or circumstance, may access a website. It focuses on removing barriers to website access and taking an active approach to constructing an utterly accessible website for everyone, including persons with visual, cognitive, physical, and aural challenges.

Four primary Reasons for becoming accessible:

  • It is inclusive and allows everyone, including persons with impairments, equal access.
  • It improves usability.
  • It’s the responsible thing to do.
  • It is required by law.

Web Accessibility is inclusive and allows everyone, including persons with impairments, equal access.

The National Center for Education Statistics survey in 2011 found that 11% of undergraduate students reported having a handicap, and current data(opens in new window) discovered that nearly 13% of the U.S. population has a disability. 

Most clients have inclusivity as an implicit or explicit part of their mission. Excluding such a large proportion of the population would counter our clients’ mission of being inclusive, collaborative, and responsive institutions.

Web Accessibility improves usability.

When we consider accessibility when designing online material, it improves usability and typically leads to a more intuitive user experience. Online material that satisfies accessibility standards will likely be user-friendly for all. People who do not have disabilities can benefit from accessible design, especially if they are in a restricting position such as:

When watching a video in a noisy or quiet area, read the captions.

Changing the brightness of your screen in a dark or bright room

Reading a presentation transcript to reinforce what you’ve learned

When the mouse is not working, use the keyboard to navigate a website.

It’s the responsible thing to do.

People with impairments can actively participate in our society thanks to accessibility. Most organizations believe to have a certain level of societal duty in addition to being leaders of innovation and growth. This philosophy, as well as our clients’ objective, is supported by accessibility.

It is required by law.

Many federal and state laws mandate organizations to make their electronic and web content accessible to people with impairments. Violations of these standards can result in the loss of funding (for non-profits and art venues that look to federal grants for funding), as some colleges have faced legal action for noncompliance with web accessibility laws. You can find more information regarding the laws behind accessibility Here.

ACCESSIBILITY BENEFITS EVERYONE.

Accessible online material ensures that everyone receives your message. Inclusive messages mean that we can all participate and get the same information. It promotes society by allowing more people to participate actively, sharing their thoughts and perspectives.

ACCESSIBILITY MAKES FINANCIAL SENSE.

Websites and online material that are easily accessible are more likely to attract a larger audience of potential users. For art organizations, this involves broadening their reach into various local regions, which could result in an increase in website views, membership, community goodwill, ticket purchases, and other factors.

WHAT DOES WEB ACCESSIBILITY LOOK LIKE

WCAG is an international standard that explains how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. It covers web sites, applications, and other digital content. **

Four Principles of WCAG – Brief Overview

  • Perceivable: Web content is made available to the senses – sight, hearing, and/or touch
  • Operable: Functionality is available from a keyboard, users have time to read and use content, does not cause seizures or physical reaction, easy to navigate & input modalities beyond keyboard
  • Understandable: Content is readable and understandable to the broadest audience possible, including when it is read aloud by text-to-speech.Robust: Content is compatible with different browsers, assistive technologies, and other user agents.

THINGS YOU CAN DO

  • Setup comprehensible alt tags for your images –  tag your images
  • Create all the forms with labels and tags
  • Provide descriptions for buttons and navigation
  • Create proper page headings and titles that are informative
  • Do not have extremely sharp colors or flashing content that may trigger physical problems
  • Use an online checker similar to Wave to make sure you’re ok

To get our presentation on accessibility and the arts, please click here.

Dream Warrior Group, a Los Angeles Based web design and digital marketing Company, providing solutions for your online marketing needs. Our expertise includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Posts & Marketing & Google PPC campaigns.  Call us now at 818.610.3316 or click here.

SEO Analysis Gives You a Leg Up

Gaining a competitive advantage over competitors by targeting comparable keywords and audiences is an ongoing effort. Organic growth is difficult to achieve in any business due to the sheer volume of competing sites. Investigating your competitors’ SEO can yield game-changing results.

You may speed up your SEO and content marketing by researching what your competitors are doing right or wrong. Competitor analysis identifies strategic weaknesses in their strategy that create chances for your brand. It also helps you learn from their mistakes so you don’t make the same ones.

Implementing a systematic competition analysis strategy fuels data-driven decisions that allow you to surpass your competitors. Let’s look at critical approaches to include in your SEO and marketing plans.

Picking the Right Competitors for SEO Analysis

Only analyze the sites related to your specialty. It would be beneficial if you concentrated on direct competitors. These are the websites that:

  • Serve the same demographics and client personas
  • Target similar keywords as you 
  • Offer comparable items, services, and content

In most niches, you’ll only need to monitor a dozen or so competitors who offer the most direct threat. Avoid overstretching yourself by tracking hundreds of peripheral sites.

And, every few months, go over your list to add newcomers or remove sites that are no longer relevant competition. The competitive landscape is continuously changing.

Leverage Their Keywords for Insights

Investigating a competitor’s keywords exposes the terms that are driving their visibility.

  • Examine their keywords to:
  • Confirm that you are targeting the same themes and aim.
  • Find out what keywords you’re overlooking.
  • Find keywords for which they do not already rank well but resist the desire to replicate a competitor’s keywords. 
  • Keywords must be related to your pages and offerings.

The idea is to obtain insights to develop your keyword portfolio, not duplicate theirs strategically.

Avoid Repeating Their SEO Missteps

Failure to learn from a competitor’s mistakes is a missed opportunity to gain an advantage. Identify any obvious SEO flaws as you examine their website and strategy.

Look for:

  • Overoptimization for a single term across multiple pages
  • The issues with the internal connection structure
  • Misapplication of headings and metadata
  • Excessive filler information that adds little value

As you develop your SEO strategy, don’t replicate their harmful behaviors and profit from what they’re doing incorrectly.

Spot Technical and UX Issues to Capitalize On

Conducting a technical/UX assessment of competitors’ websites shows performance issues.

Examine the site for mistakes, broken pages, sluggish load times, cluttered navigation, and other issues turning off visitors. Addressing them on your website improves the user experience.

You can even target and outrank specific low-quality pages by improving their themes.

Fixing UX issues that competitors ignore provides you with an SEO edge.

Pinpoint Their Content Weak Spots in your seo analysis

Optimizing content around keywords and themes important to your target audience is an essential aspect of SEO. Analyze your competitors’ content kinds to obtain an advantage:

  • Case Studies
  • Blog Posts
  • Articles
  • Google My Business
  • Social Interactions
  • Infographics
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Look for areas where rivals want additional content for specific formats or subjects. These are excellent opportunities to address gaps and meet searchers’ overlooked demands.

You can also examine the content they create. Examine their top-ranking pages—those will be difficult to dethrone. Look for substandard content that isn’t adequately optimized as well. You can outshine it with some effort.

And join their email list to see how their campaigns look. Email is an excellent channel in competition research.

Study Their Backlink Profile for Link Building Opportunities

Backlinks continue to be essential for ranking. You can find influential sites linking to their domain using competitor link analysis.

Prioritize pages with high authority in your industry. These are good targets for obtaining backlinks.

Find the sites that link to a rival but not to you by backlink analysis. Those provide more readily available ways to request a link.

Once you’ve compiled a list of pages, you can seek backlinks through broken link building, resource page submissions, interviews, and other methods.

Get Discovered Where Your Competitors Have Presence

Beyond SEO, you must be visible anywhere your target audience looks for information. Determine which communities and platforms your competitors have established their brand on.

To find their presence, search for their company name, ignoring their website. Join the same industry forums, directories, blogs, and social media platforms that your target audience does.

Then, ensure you thoroughly optimize your profiles and engage the community to level the playing field and position you as an option to their audience.

Learn from Their Social Media Practices

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are all battlegrounds for attention and engagement. Examine what your competitors are posting and how they interact with their fans.

Look for qualities to imitate, such as various material formats, responsiveness, and appropriate publishing times.

Look for areas where you can improve as well. Is there a need for more videos? Ignore criticism? Understanding their social media SEO opens the door to stealing followers.

Become the student of your Competitors when doing SEO Analysis

Competitor SEO analysis, at its foundation, allows you to model success. The sites that dominate your space got there in some way. You can unpack the blueprint for your progress by studying what makes them tick.

Use tools to track on-page SEO, backlinks, keywords, and other metrics. However, they also interact with their brand regularly by subscribing, purchasing, reading, and researching.

Consider competitive intelligence to be fuel for constantly improving your SEO and content. You have the map to the top if you have the correct insights.

Dream Warrior Group, a Los Angeles Based web design and digital marketing Company, providing solutions for your online marketing needs. Our expertise includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Posts & Marketing & Google PPC campaigns.  Call us now at 818.610.3316 or click here.

9 Ways to Make the Most Out of Your Event Ticketing

Do you make the most of your event ticketing system? Here are a few things to think about when choosing ticketing system software.

It is always challenging to host an event, but selling tickets to your event should be simple. Finding the correct ticketing system can assist you in overcoming obstacles and streamlining the ticket sales process. A sound ticketing system Should help you sell tickets as simply as possible. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your ticketing software.

Make Sure Your Event Ticketing can talk to other platforms

The number one consideration for any ticketing system should be its API capabilities. A robust API allows seamless integration with your other marketing platforms, enabling enhanced promotion, automation, and data utilization. Look for a system with APIs that connect to your marketing site, email marketing, social media, and other systems. This data interchange can help promote events, simplify the purchase process, and provide insights from ticket sales. Automated syncing through APIs reduces manual work so that you can focus on event production.

Make Sure Your Event Ticketing has a Guest Login

The guest login feature generally improves the purchase rate between 2 to 3 percentage points. With a guest login, a first-time buyer can purchase without going through the signup experience, which can be daunting on some platforms. Even if your ticketing company doesn’t have a guest login, it shouldn’t stop you from providing your customers with a better, more streamlined ticket experience. Simplifying your purchase path is the very first step to improving sales.

Make Your Marketing and Event Ticketing Websites are Mobile-Friendly

We live in a mobile society, and when they go to an event, they expect to be able to purchase tickets through mobile devices. Check to see if your ticketing system allows you to generate mobile tickets that can be scanned at the door. Scanners will help ensure a seamless and quick process for ticket handlers while providing a better user experience for your attendees.

Don’t Forget the Fundamentals

It’s easy to get caught up with the big names, the posh location, and the enticing cuisine while planning an event. However, before anyone can enjoy the show, they must know where they are going and when they should arrive. Remember to include the date, time, location, and any other pertinent information, such as parking directions or public transportation information, on the page. Consider including a map as well. A map will assist in ensuring that guests find the event! Use an Event Marketing System that does most of these for you, such as ARTdynamix®.

Increase Programming/Ticket Sales

Ensure that people know about your event and that tickets are accessible for purchase. Promote ticket sales across all your digital platforms, from Instagram and TikTok to search and email. Make sure to distribute your message through the channels where your clients spend their time. Encourage the performers at your event to share these links with their audiences as well. You may extend your event’s potential audience to their fans by connecting to their networks. Promote your event on sites such as Instagram and TikTok. Engage your audience by providing intriguing material, behind-the-scenes looks, and interactive surveys. Consider sponsored articles if you want to reach a larger audience.

Keep the User Experience in Mind

A ticketing system should help you create and sell tickets. Still, it should also make the process as easy for your customers as feasible. Choose a ticketing system that allows you to see the ticket-buying procedure to understand what your consumers will go through. Make it fluid, efficient, informative, and straightforward. Providing a seamless customer experience will aid in increasing transactions.

Utilize the Data

Your ticketing system should assist you in keeping track of sales, and by analyzing this data, you can gain valuable insights into your customers. Investigate which days people purchase, what converted a transaction (for example, an Instagram post or an email), which pricing tier is most popular, and where your guests are coming from. By researching your customers, you will learn who will most likely purchase tickets and how to engage with them more effectively, which will help you grow sales over time. Use this data to learn more about your customers throughout the journey!

Create several price levels and experiment with dynamic pricing

Tiered pricing options allow you to reward Early Bird customers or provide complimentary tickets to partners and the press. Use the functionality of your ticketing system to create several price tiers for your event. You can improve revenue by giving a VIP-level ticket to customers who are prepared to pay more in addition to basic tickets. This ticket should include a premium experience like access to talent or something more practical like free parking and meals.

Dream Warrior Group, a Los Angeles Based web design and digital marketing Company, providing solutions for your online marketing needs. Our expertise includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Posts & Marketing & Google PPC campaigns.  Call us now at 818.610.3316 or click here.

Google Business Profile

How to Leverage Google Business Profile

Google dominates the search engine landscape, controlling a staggering 92% of the market. To better tap into the potential of Google Search and Maps for attracting new clientele, it’s imperative to set up a Google Business Profile (GBP), previously recognized as Google My Business (GMB).

Google My business screen for Bobby's BBQ

Understanding GBP 

Google Business Profile is a complimentary business listing service provided by Google. It’s a platform where businesses can share detailed information and visuals about their offerings, including their location, range of services, and products. By establishing this free profile, businesses can significantly amplify their visibility across various Google platforms. The information from your Google Business Profile can seamlessly integrate and appear in Google Search, Google Maps, and even Google Shopping.

However, it’s essential to understand that Google Business Profile is tailored for businesses that have direct interactions with customers. This encompasses entities with a physical presence, like restaurants or retail stores, and service providers who engage face-to-face with clients, such as consultants or plumbers. If your business operates solely online, you’d benefit more from other Google utilities like Google Ads and Google Analytics.

The Significance of Having a GMB Account

      • Boost Visibility on Google and Google Maps: Google stands unrivaled as the premier search referrer, directing both online and foot traffic. A well-optimized Google Business Profile ensures that when potential customers search for services or products akin to yours, your business emerges prominently. Especially on Google Maps, a local business listing significantly enhances the chances of discovery.
      • Command Your Online Business Narrative: With GMB, you’re in the driver’s seat. Update contact details, operational hours, and other pivotal data as and when required. If there are changes in your service offerings, temporary halts, or resumptions, you can promptly communicate this to your audience. Given the potent local SEO capabilities of Google Business Profiles, the information you provide takes precedence, overshadowing outdated data on other websites.
      • Foster Trust Through Authentic Reviews: Reviews are the bedrock of credibility in today’s digital age. Google’s review system, which amalgamates star ratings with room for detailed feedback, offers customers a platform to share their genuine experiences. This transparency aids potential customers in making informed decisions about which businesses to patronize and which products to invest in.

While the prospect of public reviews might seem daunting, especially given the inability to filter which ones appear, there’s a silver lining. Google asserts that a blend of positive and negative feedback appears more authentic and trustworthy than a barrage of exclusively glowing reviews.

Harness the power of Google My Business and watch your business thrive in the digital landscape.

Dream Warrior Group, a Los Angeles Based web design and digital marketing Company, providing solutions for your online marketing needs. Our expertise includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Posts & Marketing & Google PPC campaigns.  Call us now at 818.610.3316 or click here.

E-E-A-T

Improving SEO with E-E-A-T

In the world of SEO, the concept of E-A-T (Experience, Authority, Trust), now expanded to E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust), plays a crucial role in determining website rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs). E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. 

In this article, we will delve into the significance of E-E-A-T, how Google evaluates websites based on these factors, and practical strategies to improve your website’s E-E-A-T for better SEO performance.

Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility explains how to boost your web site’s credibility:

  1. Make it easy to verify the accuracy of the information on your site.
  2. Show that there’s a real organization behind your site.
  3. Highlight the expertise in your organization and in the content and services you provide.
  4. Show that honest and trustworthy people stand behind your site.
  5. Make it easy to contact you.
  6. Design your site so it looks professional (or is appropriate for your purpose).
  7. Make your site easy to use — and useful.
  8. Update your site’s content often (at least show it’s been reviewed recently).
  9. Use restraint with any promotional content (e.g., ads, offers).
  10. Avoid errors of all types, no matter how small they seem.

The ultimate goal of these 10 actions can have an enormous effect in demonstrating your experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.

First E in E-E-A-T: Demonstrating Real-World Knowledge

Google introduced the “E” for Experience in E-A-T to emphasize the importance of content creators who have firsthand experience and expertise related to the topic they cover. For example, content about hiking in Scotland should ideally come from someone with actual experience in hiking in that region.

Sharing Personal Experiences

Content creators can boost the “Experience” aspect of EEAT by incorporating personal experiences, anecdotes, tips, and observations related to the subject matter. This adds authenticity and credibility to the content.

Utilizing Technical Language and Keywords

Using technical language and industry-specific keywords relevant to your content further demonstrates expertise and firsthand knowledge in the field.

Second E in E-E-A-T: Establishing Credibility

The Importance of Expertise

Google evaluates the credibility of content creators when assessing expertise. Established professionals or recognized authorities in their respective fields are more likely to rank higher.

Supporting Claims with Credible Sources

Content should be backed by credible sources, such as research papers, studies, and authoritative websites, to support claims and provide valuable information. This always helps in creating an expert image.

Meeting User Intent

Understanding user intent through keyword research and providing valuable content that addresses users’ needs can further strengthen your website’s expertise.

A in E-E-A-T: Building Site Authority

The Significance of Authority

Building site authority is crucial for EEAT. It is determined, in part, by the number of relevant and authoritative websites that link back to your content, signaling to search engines that your website is a trusted resource.

The Power of Backlinks

Acquiring quality backlinks from reputable sources can significantly impact your website’s authority and, in turn, its search engine rankings.

Leveraging Social Media

Audience engagement on social media platforms and sharing valuable content can enhance your brand’s authority and attract more traffic to your site.

T in E-E-A-T: Gaining User Confidence

The Role of Trustworthiness

A secure and trustworthy website is vital for user confidence. Websites with HTTPS protocol and positive customer reviews are considered more trustworthy by search engines.

Encouraging Customer Reviews

Providing encouragement for satisfied customers to leave positive reviews can contribute to building trustworthiness and validating your EEAT.

Addressing Negative Reviews

Formulating and implementing a response policy for negative reviews promptly and resolving customer issues is a positive step toward displaying a commitment to customer service and can mitigate the impact of negative feedback on trustworthiness.

Understanding and optimizing your website’s EEAT is essential for SEO success. By incorporating 

  • real-world experiences
  • establishing expertise through credible sources
  • building site authority with backlinks
  • gaining user trust through positive reviews and secure practices

You can enhance your website’s overall performance and visibility on search engine results pages. Investing in your EEAT will not only improve your website’s rankings but also build user confidence and credibility in your brand.

Dream Warrior Group, a Los Angeles Based web design and digital marketing Company, providing solutions for your online marketing needs. Our expertise includes Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Posts & Marketing & Google PPC campaigns.  Call us now at 818.610.3316 or click here.