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7 Sneaky Ways to Drive Traffic to Your Website Using Social Media

Dec 4, 2020

It’s no secret that social media can be a powerful tool to drive traffic to your website. But do you know the best methods? And do you know how to tweak those best methods in clever ways that are not being used by everyone? Here we share a few sneaky tricks for...

5 Signs your website is old and what to do about it

Nov 18, 2020

While we would be the last ones to comment on someone’s age, we do comment on website age – all the time. So why are web developers always yapping about website age? In the web world, things like web design, functionality, and SEO best practices change often. Here are...

Is my website responsive (and why it matters – A LOT)

Oct 26, 2020

So what even is a responsive website? A responsive website “responds” to whatever device it is rendered on. The website will realign to the size of whatever display screen it is on (tablet, mobile, and desktop). Before you dismiss this information with a “Of course my...

Is my website responsive (and why it matters – A LOT)

Rethinking your business due to COVID-19? Consider this first…

The implications of COVID-19 are forcing a lot of small businesses to re-evaluate their business model. What our future customers need and want from us has – at a minimum – been modified. In some instances, it’s changed completely. Small businesses need to really...

The one goal every website MUST accomplish, regardless of your business

What is the ONE goal every single website on the internet needs to achieve, regardless of the business type and size? A few logical answers to this question might center around phone calls, submitted forms, and sales. Logical answers, yes, but are they correct? Nope....

Don’t spend a dime on a new website until you can answer these questions

You’re pretty sure you need a website (or a rebuild of your current site), but before you make the investment, make sure you have a solid answer to these questions… What do I do and why do I do it? It’s surprising how many small business owners struggle with a focused...

Spoiler alert: A homepage isn’t always the most important page on a website

If you were asked, “What is the most important page on your website?” you would likely answer “the homepage.” But would you be right? The homepage is more or less the dumping ground for your website, right? It’s a thankless job, being a homepage. The expectations are...

3 Unexpected Ways a Website SEO Audit will Grow Your Business

Searching for that secret weapon that will boost your business above and beyond your competitors? You may think of SEO, marketing, and web development as three separate strategies; however, every successful business knows that these features work hand-in-hand to...

Life of the party, or complete dud — rate your website’s personality

Is your website the life of the party, or a complete snooze-fest? Does it really matter? Hell, yes, it matters! Think of it this way. When you walk into a store where everything is arranged in an enticing...

Are potential customers getting what they need out of your mobile website?

There are two types of mobile websites – the ones that exist and the ones that exist for potential customers. How do you tell the difference? Why does a mobile site matter? Like we tell our web clients all the time, it’s not enough to just be online anymore. As...

Small Business: Are websites worth the investment?

This is a valid question, asked by many (if not all) small business owners. Websites, done correctly, are not a small investment. So are they worth it? The reality, whether we like it or not, is that small businesses can’t afford to NOT have a website. The way we talk...

Not to be dramatic, but if your website is missing these things, it’s like not having a website at all

Imagine being Google and having to organize, sort, and rank 1.5 BILLION websites. In order to do that, Google has established algorithms that are used to prioritize websites. These algorithms are based on a variety of things and are ever-changing. If your website...

WEB DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

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5 Signs your website is old and what to do about it

Nov 18, 2020

A glossary of web developer terminology

Nov 9, 2020

Most folks in the tech industry use a host of words and acronyms that are not widely known outside the tech world. Web developers can be some of the worst offenders, which can be very frustrating to web clients. Here we have put together a list of words that brave...

Is my website responsive (and why it matters – A LOT)

Oct 26, 2020

My web developer abandoned me. Now what?

Oct 19, 2020

If your web developer has abandoned you, first of all, let me say I am deeply sorry. Unless you have experienced this, it’s difficult to understand how frustrating and stressful this can be. The truth is this happens. A lot. Way more than it should. When I talk to...

My web developer abandoned me. Now what?

Is this domain renewal legit or is it a scam?

At First Call Web, we get asked this question several times a year… The Domain Renewal Notice This is how this scenario typically plays out… A web client receives a domain renewal notice. They call or send in an email questioning the legitimacy of the renewal notice....

What do intelligence, intuition, and web design all have in common?

Forbes contributor, Bruce Kasanoff, recently wrote Intuition is the Highest Form of Intelligence, which asserts, well, that intuition is the highest form of intelligence. When he really got my attention though, is when he talked about web design. Kasanoff writes, “In...

Considering a new website? The truth about your options…

Websites, particularly in the COVID era, are our main source of communication with our current and would-be customers. All of us business owners and managers should be scrutinizing our websites and analyzing if our messaging is aligned with what our customers are...

Don’t spend a dime on a new website until you can answer these questions

Insider secret: How web developers estimate websites

There can be a pretty big difference between the cost of a “Do-it-yourself” website and having a website professionally designed, built, launched, and maintained. If you’ve ever wondered why that is, here is your answer… Navigation Design Expanded functionality...

Small Business: Are websites worth the investment?

This is a valid question, asked by many (if not most), small business owners. Websites, done correctly, are not a small investment. So are they worth it? The reality, whether we like it or not, is that small businesses can’t afford to NOT have a website. The way we...

Complete Beginner’s Guide to Information Architecture

There’s one curial concept that often gets overlooked and misunderstood. If you’re familiar with user experience (UX) design, you probably know what we’re talking about. Otherwise, you might be wondering “what is IA anyway” and we feel you. Right off the bat, you...

Top 5 Sly Ways Bad Web Design Stunts Profitable Growth

According to Forbes, the United States will spend an estimated $80 billion in search engine optimization (SEO) by 2020. This digital marketing strategy is essential for boosting brand awareness, website traffic, and effective content creation. Basically, you need it...

Top 10 WordPress Web Design Principles and Why Design Matters

If you're designing a website for yourself or your small business, look no further. Good web design is one of the most important facets of a company in 2019. If you don't have a good website, it's hard for customers to find you and hard for them to stick with you. Do...

PLUMBER MARKETING

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Is my website responsive (and why it matters – A LOT)

Plumbers: Too busy for marketing? Save time with these marketing hacks

“Who has that kind of time?” This is the typical response small businesses, and especially plumbers have when talking about the maze of online marketing. This is with good reason! Plumbers are busy with repairs, installation, sales, commercial, and remodeling...

A Quick Guide to High-Performing Plumbing & Heating Websites

As a plumber in Montana, you may find that even though you live in a smaller town, you're still competing against dozens of other plumbers. How do you get a competitive edge on other plumbers in your area? Of all the marketing channels you can pick to get your...

3 Unexpected Ways a Website SEO Audit will Grow Your Business

Plumbers: This 5-step marketing plan will help you beat the competition

If you own a plumbing company, we don’t have to tell you what a competitive landscape you are in. There is everything from single van operations, to plumbing companies with a fleet of vans, and everything in between. The competition is stiff. For plumbing businesses,...

Plumbing leads: 5 Ways to get the phone to ring today

The way your potential customers search for you has changed dramatically in the last five years. The search process is simple – but delivering what your customer is looking for is not. Your potential customer’s search process looks like this: Hop on a Smartphone,...

3 Easy Ways To Learn Everything About Social Media for Plumbers

Even small plumbing companies can benefit from dedicating a little time to their social media presence. It takes a little practice and a tough learning curve but showing engagement on social media platforms encourages your customers to leave you reviews, ask...

A layperson’s guide to understanding Google Analytics

The GA dashboard can look intimidating to folks who just want a basic understanding of their website traffic. There are many categories of data and lots of information. The truth is, you don’t need much of what is in the dashboard to have a basic understanding of your visitors’ behavior. In this article, we are going to give you just a few basics to get started.

5 Minutes to Better SEO for Plumbers

There's no two ways about it... The plumbing industry is highly competitive when it comes to SEO and online marketing. Plumbers in many Montana cities struggle to see their site rank well for keywords. They depend on word-of-mouth referrals or paid ads to get new...

Plumbers: Too busy for marketing? Save time with these marketing hacks

Aug 10, 2020

5 Signs your website is old and what to do about it

Nov 18, 2020

« Older Entries

Is my website responsive (and why it matters – A LOT)

Oct 26, 2020

What do intelligence, intuition, and web design all have in common?

Sep 17, 2020

SEO

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The Why, Where, and How of Getting Online Reviews

Website reviews can be either a blessing or a curse to businesses. Used correctly, they can be your biggest asset and a HUGE plus to your Local and Organic SEO ranking. In this quick guide, we dive a little deeper into why reviews are necessary in order to compete in...

5 Signs your website is old and what to do about it

Do you have a Google My Business Listing Yet?

If you don't know what I'm talking about then you're missing out on one of the best (and easiest) Local SEO for Small Business factors. A Google My Business (GMB) listing is easy to create, gives you a great opportunity to market your business, gather reviews, and...