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Benefits of Google for Non-Profits

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All non-profits have great causes and want to be able to spread their message about the great work they are doing all while acquiring new volunteers, donors, and donations. There is a simple solution to achieve all of this, which many non-profits know nothing about. That solution, which is cost-efficient (FREE) and can be very beneficial in assisting you achieve your goals is Google for Non-Profits.

google non-profits
Steps to apply for Google non-profits

There are a few simple steps to apply to become a part of Google for Non-Profits. First, you have to review the eligibility requirements and see if your non-profit is eligible for the program. If your organization is eligible, then you can apply for the program. Once you are approved, you can enroll in specific Google products like, Google Ad Grants, which Google will give you up to $10,000 monthly for in-kind AdWords advertising, and YouTube Non-Profit Program.

Gain New Donors and Volunteers

Becoming a part of Google for Non-Profits opens up many doors to new donors and volunteers. By utilizing Google products like Google Ad Grants, you can promote your organization by using AdWords advertising. By administering AdWords and choosing relevant keywords that are pertinent to your cause, it will attract potential donors and volunteers.

Work Efficiently Towards Your Goal

Every company has a specific budget and non-profits are the same, except most are working with a drastically smaller budget and may not have the same number of employees than a regular sized company has. With that in mind, taking advantage of everything that Google for Non-Profits offers, allows you to track online donations, track newsletter sign-ups, and handle volunteer registrations more efficiently, so in the end, you can see what is working and what is not working.

Drive Donations To Your Cause

With all of the new traffic your website is gaining from the effective use of AdWords, you will begin to drive more donations. Promoting your non-profit using all of the apps that Google for Non-Profits offers will gain recognition for your organization which in the end could drive more potential donations. For example, by using YouTube’s Non-Profit program, you can create a channel with effective videos that further narrates your cause. YouTube’s Non-Profit programs also allows you to enable a donation module which makes it easier and more practical for your donors to donate and creates another avenue where you can receive donations.

With all that Google for Non-Profits has to offer, it may seem a little overwhelming for your non-profit to handle. Working with a local digital marketing agency, like DaBrian Marketing Group, and entrusting their expertise and knowledge of everything that relates to Google, will ultimately help you achieve and exceed your goals.  In the end, utilizing Google for Non-Profits will be very beneficial and your organization will be able to spread your message more adequately, gain new donors and volunteers, and drive more donations to support your cause.

For more information about how we can help you achieve your goals, contact us or leave us a comment below!

Tips to Streamline Project Management

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Successful project management can be defined in many ways. Leadership, initiative, organization, all of which are quality characteristics. A quality I find to be of great value is of management being tireless. I believe project management is a continual effort that should be updated quite frequently. Here are some tips I’ve learned along the way to streamline project management.

Develop Necessary Documentation

Whether you’re in the construction, architecture, or marketing industry, there is a method to your madness. Developing clear documentation of necessary processes can be critical. Plan ahead, ask the right questions, create a clear timeline, and you will achieve your desired results. Not only does outlining and defining the objectives of the project allow you to plan for the success of the project, but also the failure.

Using websites such as PMDocuments.com which provides free templates and documents, will save you time and money.

Know When to Call for Backup

Using the aforementioned documentation, a project manager can predict mishaps that may cause the project to be delayed. Understanding the causes of previous projects tardiness can allow a manager to plan accordingly in the future. Keeping a close eye on the critical steps needed to be taken to complete a project is key. Obtaining an arsenal of vendors and outside resources to assist your team in the event of a delay can keep your mind at ease. For example, knowing that Johnson Construction has 3 men that can provide contractual services at any time can come in handy. There are certain instances that no one can plan for, but understanding that flu season is on the move, or that your coworker’s child may not have consistent care providers while their husband is out of town can leave you feeling like you’ve got it all figured out.

A resource that all project managers can use is the Project Management Institute which provides excellent tips and tricks of the trade.

Track Everything

Trying to remember every detail of your day and every update that has been made can be hairpulling-ly stressful. Sticky notes are great, they can be placed anywhere and are a physical reminder of actions needing to be taken, but what happens when you’re not in the office? Tools like Evernote to keep notes at home, on the go, or in the office is pure joy. Using the extension on Chrome at the office to find a note you wrote on the subway home last Friday can leave you wondering what you’d do without technology. Tracking time is also very important. Most businesses work on the principle that “time is money”, where billable hours are a necessity. Here at DMG, we use Mavenlink to track our time and all project activities. For a smaller company or project manager, the Chrome extension TrackingTime will allow you to complete a task while a timer is running in the background.

We set clear expectations of projects, why not have the data to back you up? Using the tools to track everything allows you to directly link all of your efforts.

Evernote project management
Evernote

Evolve

Streamlining the processes for project management sounds great, but in reality you just have to evolve. Own your insecurities, stand your ground and move forward. Progressing as a person and a manager is perfectly natural and should be embraced. Changes can be made to every process at any given time, it’s best to be prepared.

For more information about project management and how we can help you grow, contact us or leave us a comment below!

Website issues, will you be ready?

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Getting your plan together

You are browsing your site and jotting down changes that you would like to make when all of a sudden your site goes blank. Its not your internet. It only happens when you go to your site. You know something went wrong but you are not sure what your next steps will be.

In that type of scenario you need to know what to do and how to go about it. Most importantly you need to act fast. The longer you have website issues like that you could be losing hundreds of potential customers. It doesn’t take a lot of technical knowledge to fix the normal issues, but sometimes it helps or is required. Lets go through some of the most common website issues and how those are normally fixed. Keep in mind this might not work for everyone.

1. Database Connection Error

“Error Establishing a database connection”

Have you ever gotten this while on your site? If your site has been working perfectly for over 48 hours and you did not edit the database connection file, it could be that the server just made an oops and is waiting a few minutes and refreshing fixes it.

If you were messing with the database connection file and it was working and now it is not. Log into your hosting account to retrieve your database connection information to make sure it is correct. To keep downtime to a minimum when editing files, keeping a backup to replace it if something goes wrong can save a lot of headaches and downtime.

2. The Infamous 404 Error

If you browse the internet then you are most likely familiar with the 404 error. It means that the web page you’re looking for can’t be found. If you own a website, the last thing you want is your site to have a user get that error. To help find them all, start using Google Webmaster Tools. All you need to do is  prove you own the site you want info on. Then you will have access to tons of tools including a list of all the 404 error links that google has found.

To fix a broken link, redirect the link to an actual page on your site. The broken link might  come from your site itself. Sometimes it’s from an external source, or someone might have bookmarked it, or they might of misspelled it while typing. Sometimes search engines also find weird links to pages that don’t exist. They could be pages that did exist but don’t anymore. The only way to fix them is to redirect them. Sometimes you can find the source of the bad link and delete it. Other times you just won’t be able to find it. In either case, it would be a good practice to redirect it. Just in case.

404 Error
One example of a 404 error page

3. Internal Server Error

If you have a website then you most likely have at least heard of a 500 error, otherwise known as Internal Server Error. It has nothing to do with what you did. Everyone makes mistakes and computers are no exception. The website issue is on the server your site is hosted with. Most times they go away from refreshing or waiting a few minutes. Other times you need to call your hosting provider.

Internal Server Error
What usually shows up for an Internal Server Error

4. White Screen of Death

If you have ever edited a file on your server labeled “.htaccess” then you probably know how easy it is to mess up your site with it. In normal coding if you mess up, something just looks a little off. Editing inside this file, if you mess up then your site goes completely blank. No website issue from the server or PHP error, it’s just a white page.

Whenever you plan to make a change to the file, it is best practices to make a working copy. That way if you mess up and are not sure what you did wrong, you simply load the working version and your site’s back up again. That way your site will be down for as long as it takes you to notice its down and to upload the working copy.

Got some questions about a website issue? Ask away in the comments below!

Online vs Software Video Editing Platforms

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In Online vs Software editing platforms there a many choices.  Whether you’re using YouTube Video Editor or Adobe Premier Elements, there are positives and negatives to both online and software editing platforms.  There are many programs for both platforms that can be used to edit videos.  Each will have special features that the others will not have, but which platform is right for you?

Online Video Platform Review

Online Platforms Positives

There are many online editing programs that can be utilized such as YouTube Video Editor, WeVideo.com, and Kaltura. Each will be set up in a similar fashion with a preview window, media area, and timeline for editing. What makes online platforms a good choice is that they have free accounts.  They have faster integrations with iCloud, Google Drive, and other file storage platforms.  The platform is always being updated and there is no cost attached, just make sure that your computer is able to handle any big changes.  Community and Online support are easily accessible and helpful with any questions that you may have and feedback that you may want to make.  As long as you are using one of the major operating systems (Windows, OSX, or Linux) you will be able to easily find online platforms that will work.

Online Editing Platforms
Online Editing Platforms

Online Platforms Negatives

With all the positives that there are with online platforms, there are also many negatives.  Some of the platforms will only work with certain operating programs (i.e. Windows, OSX, and Linux).  This would also make the platform obsolete when a new operating system is released. Another negative is that updates could make the platform incompatible with your computer.  With online platforms, there are free accounts which is a positive, but those free accounts will be limited in features. Paid accounts have a cost to use the platform that could rise over time, but would unlock more if not all the features of the platform.  If at some point the company would close and shut down the servers that are used for the platform, all of the files would be lost and there would be no way to recover or make changes in the future, unless the files were moved to a new platform with an accessible file type.

Software Video Program Review

Software Program Positives

There are many different software programs that can be utilized from Adobe Premiere, Pinnacle Studio 16 Ultimate, Final Cut Pro, and many others.  All of the programs will have a one time cost.  Each will have similar features and all the features will be accessible right from the beginning.  These programs will have updates that can be downloaded and will give a notification from the start up of the program at no extra cost.  The community and support help is just as accessible and helpful as the online programs.  Also, there are a number of programs that will work with the many different operating systems.

Software Editing Programs
Software Editing Programs

Software Program Negatives

There are also many negatives that come with using a software program.  Like online platforms, software programs are made for only certain operating systems.  This makes it harder to find the best program for your computer. The cost of both the software program and the cost of support for that specific software program after a certain period of time could be considered a negative because of the price that is associated with both. There are many options to pick from and that could be confusing if you are not confident in what they are looking for in a program.

Conclusion

There are many positives and negatives that come with both online and software editing platforms.  There should be system requirements on the website or software box that you can read over.  Then when you have found the program that works with your computer, see if there is a free trial that you can use.  Online platforms should allow for a trial period and software should have a free trial or demo that you can download.  Most are 30-day trials, which should give you enough time get a good grip on the program.  When deciding on a program to use, it is always a good idea to try out 2 or 3 free trials or free demo programs in each. Also read forums and the frequently asked questions pages for more information that other users have shared. Let us know what video editing online platforms and software programs you have tried out, and what you have like and/or disliked about them.

So take your time and make sure to research which program or platform will work the best for you and your project.

Best Practices for Creating Testimonials

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When creating a testimonial video there are some best practices that you should know and follow. These practices will help in structuring your videos correctly, gaining your target audience’s undivided attention, and providing a level of consistency throughout your projects. The ultimate goal of these best practices is to keep your testimonial videos simple, yet effective.

Knowing Your Audience

Having a target audience in mind before creating a testimonial video is very important.  Is the video trying to sell a product or service, a testimonial for a company, or is the video just for entertainment?  Knowing what audience that is being targeted will help the video stay focused. If the video loses focus of the target audience it will be off point.

Know the Right Length?

The appropriate length of the video will depend on the type of project. There are many different lengths that are suggested, but most lengths are a generalization(see allpromedia.com).  If the video is an advertisement, 15 to 30 seconds is the most effective length. If the video is a testimonial, 5 to 7 minutes is ideal. Most videos that are for any other project should be 2 to 4 minutes. Achieving the correct length of time will help the video be the most effective it can be to the audience.

Use Transitions in Moderation

Transitions are a great way to make hard cuts softer in the video.  When using a transition, make sure to use one that is appropriate for the video that is being worked on.  It is recommended that using the same transition will keep the video flowing steadily and will not be distracting.  Do not use too many transitions, as too many will be distracting and ruin the flow of the video.

Transitions from WeVideo.com
Transitions from WeVideo.com

Separate Video and Audio for the Best Quality

When recording a video be sure that there is a separate audio recording device. If you do not have a proper recording device the quality of the audio that comes from the video recorder will not be the best quality.  Having a microphone that is closer to the speaker will produce clear and audible sounds for the listener.

Eliminating Background Noise

Recording audio separately from the video will help cut down on background noises and other ambient sounds.  Background noises that should be removed are other voices, sounds from outside sources, and the buzz from the microphone.  All of these sounds will be distracting and could be overpowering to the listener.

Conclusion

So with the rapidly dwindling attention of viewers, following these best practices will help keep those viewers engaged and help your videos achieve your goals.
These best practices tips will help keep videos focused and viewer interested.

Mark your Calendars: Google’s New Algorithm is Coming

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Google’s “Mobilegeddon” will begin on April 21st. This means that Google is no longer just recommending mobile friendly sites, they are requiring it. A study from Adobe found that 45% of businesses don’t have a mobile-optimized site or a mobile app. This means nearly half the businesses with an online presence will be penalized and see a significant drop in traffic. If your site is not mobile friendly, what are you waiting for?

Listed below are 5 mistakes to avoid while creating your mobile site in order for it to excel.

Not Considering Mobile First Design

According to Seoclarity, mobile search currently makes up about 30% of total traffic, regardless of the industry, and will only continue to grow. When designing your website, consider making your mobile site first. Create a simple, yet effective page with the user’s experience in mind. A study by MediaPost shows that 48% of mobile shoppers said that “ease of use” is their most important quality they look for in a mobile site. So just remember the old acronym K.I.S.S (Keep, it, simple, stupid).

After that, use your mobile site as a core basis of developing your desktop view. There is nothing you can put on a mobile site that can’t be loaded on a desktop. Progressively enhance your page with extra information and a more extensive navigation (as long as it’s relevant).

Not a Responsive Site

So you’re interested in mobile, but the thought of having two separate sites sounds difficult and time consuming. Well the good news is you don’t have to, nor should you. A responsive design, using the same site for both mobile and desktop, is the best option. In fact, Google actually recommends this approach. A responsive site is more efficient for Google to scan and review, making it more likely that your content will show in the search results. It also eliminates the possibility of being penalized for duplicate content as you most likely would for having two separate sites.

Consistent web design is also important because multiple device screening is becoming extremely prevalent. In fact, Google reports that 67% of online shoppers use multiple devices during their process. Users will look at products on mobile and revisit later on a desktop (or vice versa) hoping their history, preferences, and shopping cart is synced. The longer the conversion (sale or lead generation) process takes, the more likely the user will not complete it.

No Mobile Search Strategy

Since you’re using a responsive site, you can use the same search strategy, right? Not necessarily. Typically mobile users have different interest and intent than those on desktops. To develop theses strategies, use Google Webmaster’s tools and apply a mobile filter to your search query information. Compare the similarities and differences among mobile and desktop and begin to develop a list of keywords from that. Then do mobile competitive analysis using tools such as SEMrush, SearchMetrics, Sistrix or SimilarWeb, to develop a masters list. If your competitors do not have mobile sites, this is the perfect opportunity to get a leg up.

Not Assessing Mobile

Just because you have a mobile site does not mean it is mobile friendly. It is in an owners best interest to test the functionality of their site, among different devices and operating systems. Also they should check for any crawling issues or error reports (especially 404’s). Besides the technical aspect, ask yourself, “are SEO best practices still being followed?” Relevant and unique content, tags, titles, meta descriptions, site speed, etc should all be accounted for.

Evaluate the performance of your mobile page. This will show you the intent of these users. Which pages are receiving the most visits, have the longest view duration, and have the highest conversions? Make sure these pages are easy to get to by placing them in the navigation bar. Also asses which pages have a higher bounce rate on mobile. This could be an indicator of an error, or that the page is just not relevant to mobile users.

Still not sure where your stand? Google offers a free tool to test your sites mobile friendliness.

Not considering the impact on local search

According to Think With Google,  94% of Americans with smartphones search for local information on mobile. If that’s not enough to grab your attention, Google also polled mobile users searching for local businesses and discovered that half of them visited the business that day. This means your mobile strategy should be geared locally. To guarantee you are maximizing your reach and visibility, make sure your address, phone number, email, and any other business information is accurate and consistent. This information should not only be a resource, but provide as a simple and efficient channel for the consumer to further connect with your business as well. Consider adding a click-to-call button, syncing your location to Google maps, and making sure all email addresses are linked. This not only generates more traffic, but also will lead to more leads and sales.

Google’s “Mobilegeddon” on April 21st is the biggest update concerning mobile thus far,but it most likely is only the first of many more to come. If you are not mobile friendly by the time it is released, your visibility will certainly decrease and expect a substantial drop in traffic.

Do not wait for your site to be penalized, call DaBrian Marketing (610.743.5602) and create a mobile site now!

By: David McDowell