Get Your Business Online for Free

Hey there, small business owner! Ready get found online without breaking the bank? You're in luck! We've got the ultimate guide to launching your business online for free. Yep, you heard that right—FREE. Let's get started!

Step 1: Set Up a Google Business Profile

First things first, let's make sure people can find you! Setting up a Google Business Profile is like planting your business flag on the world map. It's simple, and it's probably the most effective (and cost-effective) way to boost your online visibility.

Bonus Tip: Connect your Google Business profile to a Yahoo profile. This dynamic duo will help you reach customers you didn't even know existed!

Extra Bonus Tip: We made a video about this a few years back when we had a Pink Mullet...its worth a look!

Step 2: Get Social with Social Media

Social media is like a magical playground where your business gets to show off. Whether it's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok, choose platforms where your potential customers hang out. Regular posts and interactive stories will keep your audience engaged and coming back for more.

Pro Tip: Consistency is key! Pick a schedule and stick to it, like your morning coffee routine. It doesn't matter if its once a week.

Step 3: Join Local Facebook Groups

Let's face it, we're all guilty of a little Facebook lurking. Why not put it to good use by joining local Facebook groups? These groups are treasure troves of potential customers. Share your expertise, offer promotions, and watch your community grow.

Insider Advice: Be genuine and helpful in these groups. Nobody likes a pushy salesperson.

Step 4: Build a Free Website

Ah, the pièce de résistance! No online presence is complete without a website. Free website builders like Wix and WordPress are perfect for creating a basic site that showcases your products and services.

Website Wisdom: Remember, the website is your digital storefront, so keep it clean, easy-to-navigate, and visually appealing.

The Catch – There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free Lunch!

While these steps are a fantastic start, remember that nothing truly comes for free. In the digital world, if you're not paying for the product, you are the product. But don't worry—these foundations will set you up nicely for when you're ready to invest in a professional website.

Final Thoughts: Getting your business online doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Follow these steps, stay authentic, and remember to have fun with it. When you're ready to take it up a notch, we'll be here cheering you on!

Happy hustling, future online misfits!

5 Ways Social Media Boosts Your Branding

Blog Title: 5 Ways Social Media Boosts Your Branding

As an Aussie business owner or tradie, you know how important branding is for your business. Your branding represents your unique identity and serves to differentiate you from the competition. Branding also helps build trust and credibility with your customers. But did you know that social media can be a powerful tool to boost your branding? We’ll explore 5 ways social media can help increase brand recognition and grow your business.

Increase Visibility and Reach

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn are some of the largest audience platforms globally. As they are so widely used, there is a high chance that your target audience is using them too. By creating and sharing content that resonates with your target audience, you have a chance to reach more people beyond your usual customer base. As your content spreads and grows, it will lead to increased visibility and exposure, generating more significant opportunities for your brand.

Develop Trust and Credibility

Social media can be used as a tool to show the human side of your brand. By creating content such as behind-the-scenes glimpses of your work process, showcase positive customer reviews, or share other informative and engaging content with your audience, you can establish a relationship built on trust and credibility. This connection will help increase brand loyalty and trust which will improve the effectiveness of your branding.

Create a Strong Visual Identity

Using photos, graphics and video is a powerful way to tell your brand’s story. By creating visually engaging content that reflects your brand’s personality, it can leave a lasting impression on your target audience. Social media channels provide a perfect opportunity for you to showcase your brand’s visual identity. Use your social media channels as the voice of your brand online, and allow your visual identity to do the talking.

Generate Leads and Sales

Social media offers the advantage of being able to reach a highly targeted audience at a cost-effective price; the real value is the return on investment through lead generation and increased sales. By producing educational and informative content, you can establish yourself as a knowledgeable and trusted individual or business, and ultimately, gain leads and increase sales.

Stay Ahead of Competitors

Lastly, social media provides an excellent opportunity to study your competitor’s online presence. By observing and analysing them, you can gain an insight into their marketing strategy, their branding and what tactics have been successful, allowing you to develop your own social media marketing strategy, tailor-made for your brand.

Social media provides an unmatched opportunity for small business owners and tradies to establish and improve their branding. It can help you increase visibility and reach, develop trust and credibility, improve visual identity and generate leads and sales. It can also provide insight into competitor’s strategies, allowing Australian business owners and tradies to outperform their competitors online. Remember that social media is a long-term game. By consistently delivering high-quality, engaging content, you can create a unique and recognisable brand, helping you to grow your business and stand-out in your industry.

Your Business Needs a Website, Not Just Social Media

G'Day, fellow Aussies! As a business owner or tradie, you might think social media is all you need for online visibility. It’s easy to create pages on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and start posting your promotions and services. However, have you ever asked yourself if your social media efforts are enough to reach your target market and boost your business growth? We’ll share with you why your Aussie business needs a website, not just social media.

A website gives you more control

When you have your own website, you have the freedom to design it according to your brand and vision. You’re not limited to the templates and features provided by social media platforms. A website allows you to customize your pages, add functionalities, and create an immersive user experience that will set you apart from your competitors. Additionally, having a website means you’re not relying on a third-party to host your content. You’re the owner and have full control over your online presence.

Your Business Needs a Website, Not Just Social Media

A website showcases your credibility

Having a website gives your business instant credibility. It’s like having a digital business card that shows your professionalism, services, and accomplishments. On your website, you can showcase your portfolio, list testimonials from satisfied customers, and display your awards and certifications. This can help build trust with your potential customers and increase your chances of converting them into loyal clients. In contrast, social media platforms are more casual and often used for personal connections and leisure, which may not resonate well with certain business niches.

Your Business Needs a Website, Not Just Social Media

A website expands your reach

While social media can help you reach a broad audience, a website can give you more opportunities to target your niche market. With the help of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques, you can increase your website’s visibility on search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. This means when people search for keywords related to your business, your website will show up on the top results. Moreover, having a website allows you to use various digital marketing strategies like email marketing, PPC, and affiliate marketing, that can help you drive more traffic and revenue to your business.

Your Business Needs a Website, Not Just Social Media

A website provides valuable insights

One of the benefits of having a website is the ability to track and analyze visitor data. By using tools like Google Analytics, you can monitor your website’s traffic, user behaviour, and engagement metrics. This data can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your website, and optimize it to meet your business goals. You can also use this information to personalize your website’s content and offers based on the preferences and interests of your visitors. This level of analysis and personalization is not possible with social media platforms, as their analytics are more limited.

A website future-proofs your business

Finally, having a website is a smart investment for your business’s future. As technology continues to evolve, having an online presence will become a necessity rather than a luxury. By starting your website now, you’re setting a strong foundation for your business that can adapt to changing market trends and consumer behavior. Some social media platforms may become outdated or lose their popularity over time. Your website, on the other hand, can grow and evolve with your business and be a reliable source of leads and sales for years to come.

There you have it, mates! Five reasons why your Aussie business needs a website, not just social media. While social media can be a useful tool to complement your online presence, having a website gives you more control, showcases your credibility, expands your reach, provides valuable insights, and future-proofs your business. Make sure to create a website that reflects your brand personality, is user-friendly, and is optimized for search engines. By doing so, you'll be on your way to building a strong digital presence that will help you grow your business and connect with your customers. Thanks for reading, and may your website soar like an eagle!

Types of Website For Your Australian Business

In today's highly digital world, having a website is a must for any business. But what type of website does your business need? Understanding the different types of websites available and what each can offer can help you make an informed decision. We'll explore different types of websites, their features, benefits, and drawbacks, to provide Australian business owners, farmers, and tradies with the knowledge they need to choose the right type of website for their business.

Brochure websites

Brochure websites are simple, informative websites that provide basic information about your business, services, and products. They are usually static and have no interactive features. Brochure websites are suitable for small businesses with limited content and no need for regular updates. They are easy to build, quick to launch, and affordable. This is the bare minimum of sites. You can definitely build on them and they are a great starting point for those with tight budgets or start-ups.

Lead Generating websites

A Lead Generating website is more than a brochure site. It's designed to help businesses generate more leads. It typically works by collecting detailed information from users and then showing them ads or other offers that may be relevant to them. This type of website can be used for a variety of purposes, such as increasing sales, building an email list, or even targeting potential customers with a customized message. Lead Generating websites can also provide valuable insights into customer behaviour and preferences, allowing companies to create targeted marketing campaigns and improve their customer service. Additionally, they can provide analytics data to help further optimize marketing efforts for maximum return on investment.

E-commerce websites

E-commerce websites are online stores that allow businesses to sell products and services directly to customers. They feature a shopping cart, checkout, and payment gateway, among other features. E-commerce websites are ideal for businesses that sell products online and need a platform to manage their sales and inventory. E-commerce websites require more investment and maintenance than brochure websites, but they also offer more opportunities for revenue and growth. We use Shopify for our client's e-commerce sites.

Blog websites

Blogs are websites that publish regular articles and posts on various topics related to your business, industry, or niche. They can help businesses establish their credibility and authority, attract traffic and engagement, and build relationships with customers. Blog websites are suitable for businesses that want to provide value-added content to their customers and establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Blog websites require regular updates, quality content, and an engaged audience to be effective.

Social media websites

Social media websites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, are online platforms where businesses can create profiles, share content, and engage with customers. They are ideal for businesses that want to reach a wide audience, build their brand, and foster customer relationships. Social media websites are free to use, easy to set up, and offer various tools and features, such as advertising and analytics. However, social media websites are also crowded, noisy, and constantly changing, which can make it hard to stand out and stay relevant.

Custom websites

Custom websites are tailor-made websites that are designed and developed according to your specific requirements. They can offer unique features, functionality, and branding, and can be fully customized to your business needs and goals. Custom websites are ideal for businesses that have specific needs or want to differentiate themselves from their competitors. However, custom websites are also more expensive, time-consuming, and require a team of professionals to build and maintain.

Choosing the right type of website for your Australian business depends on several factors, such as your business size, goals, budget, and audience. While each type of website has its pros and cons, it's important to consider your business needs and objectives before making a decision. A website is an investment in your business, and choosing the right type of website can help attract customers, generate revenue, and build your brand.

If your business is flood-affected

Has your business been flood-affected?

Ours has and it sux balls. We are lucky to be high and dry. We are unlucky with the power and internet for almost a week. It's back on now! Yey! Life is stressful enough without mother nature kicking our arse. No doubt you will be time poor like us. We spend most of our day tending to the needs of our minions, cleaning the old fashioned way, trips to the laundromat and cooking on the BBQ and camp stove. This all takes so much time.

Still, if you run your own business, the show must go on. We work on or in our business when we can. That can sometimes look like a trip to the local Maccas. At least they have power and Wifi. We have put together a list of ways you can communicate to your clients what's going down with your business when you will be back online. We are here to help.

We are here to help

Call them

A good old fashioned phone call. Not to every client, just the ones that will be most impacted. It's the quickest form of communication that allows you to connect directly with your clients. It may seem really freaking obvious but I can see all the introverts wigging out. If you don like to make calls or you have set your business up to not make them, then send a text. We have a few clients that are impossible to get on the phone but will always respond to text. Honestly whatever works between you and your clients.

Call your clients

Social media

If you have Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, TikTok or any other social platform, post there first. It's quick and easy. You don't need to overthink it. Just cold hard facts are fine. Keep updating. Clients and fans generally want to know how you are going. Add pictures of your current flood situation, clean up, teamwork any human interest stories are great for engagement on your page. Add to your Facebook or Instagram stories, these can be more light-hearted and fun. Now we all know how often people post in times of crisis and your post may get missed. Or your clients might not have social media. Or know you're on there too. That's ok we have a few more tricks up our sleeve.

Update your socials

Email campaigns

When was the last time you sent out an email campaign? Well, dust off that laptop it's time. An email campaign is a great way to slide right into your client's inbox. Keep them informed on what's happening with your business. While you're there, ask them to follow your social media for real-time updates. You could add to your following on Facey! Here are a few things you can do:

Email your clients

Email signature

If you are super, super time poor or just CBF creating social media posts and sending out email campaigns, then this is for you! Add a line of text in your email signature. Make it stand out by using a bold font or bright colour. That way every time you send an email or reply to one, there is a note there explaining your limited hours or delays in work.

Email signature flood-affected business

Website

A banner on your website or e-commerce store is a great way to let your clients know there are disruptions to your services. You can take it further by:

How to let your clients know your business is flood-affected

Update your Google Business Page

This is one of the best and we recommend you all do it. Head to your Google My Business page and update any hours. Write an update to let anyone who finds you via Google maps that your services are limited. It's easy to do. Head to your Google My Business profile and edit your deets there.

Let us help you grow

We hope this has helped you come up with some ideas on how to get your message out there. They may all seem pretty freaking obvious but there are a few little tricks in there to help your business grow in a shitty time. If you are on socials and you are posting updates make sure you tag us we are @misfitbranding across all social media. We will share your post on our stories and hopefully gain you some more followers.

How to let your clients know your business is flood-affected

WTF is SEO?

We hear the term SEO every day but do you really know what it means? 

According to the Urban Dictionary it's:

Like Voodoo and Witchdoctors, SEO is an evil term used to describe the ways SEO Optimizers believe they can beat the system by making you believe they know what will get your search ranking to the top. Most of the time SEO is achieved by throwing darts or mixing chicken bones with blood.

They’re not wrong, but they also aren’t right….

The actual abbreviation stands for Search Engine Optimization. 

Let's break it down further:

Search = Try to find something by looking or otherwise seeking carefully and thoroughly.

Engine = a machine with moving parts that converts power into motion.

Optimization = the action of making the best or most effective use of a situation or resource.

In this case, the engine is Google or Bing or whatever search engine you use. We play by Google's rules because they are the majority when it comes to search engines.

We feel SEO is a wanky marketing term used to scare business owners into thinking they need this thing…and if you have a website and digital profile, you do need SEO. BUT we don’t think it relates just to your website.

Traditionally SEO is the process used to optimize a website's:

Search engines recommend SEO that benefits both the user search experience and the page’s ranking.  By featuring content that fulfils user search needs. This includes the use of relevant keywords in titles, meta descriptions, and headlines (H1), featuring descriptive URLs with keywords rather than strings of numbers, and schema markup to specify the page's content meaning, among other SEO best practices. If your head is spinning, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most misunderstood terms when it comes to websites and digital marketing.

You need SEO

If you have a website, you need SEO. You can have the best looking website in the word but if the SEO isn’t set up then how will people find it? Setting the foundations for your websites SEO is a leg up. Considering that Google processes billions of search queries daily, organic search results are a very large slice of a very large pie. And while there is some up-front and ongoing investment required to secure and maintain organic rankings, every click that sends traffic to your website is completely free.

We also feel SEO encompasses your entire business online profile. From your website to your social media and any other online digital profile used. Here is why:

  1. Social media provides backlinks to your website
  2. The copy used in your social media should reflect the messages on your website. Focusing on your sites keywords
  3. Hashtags on Linkedin, Instagram and TikTok all created around your sites keywords
  4. Names of images used on all socials and digital profiles. Images are the most overlooked and easy to do with relation to SEO.
  5. File names and overall look of your designs.

Are you picking up what we are putting down?

We are saying to fully improve your SEO, focus on your website, social media and digital profiles. It also ties in with brand consistency and messaging so you are kinda killing 2 x birds with 1 x stone. Not that we are a pack of bird killers. Have you seen our website and socials? 2 x of our staff members are parrots.

Are you interested to see how your site and digital profiles stack up?

We are here to help you reach your SEO goals with a Free Website Checkup. You get a PDF report and explainer video. All valued at $150 + GST. Totally custom and free. 

HOT TIP 💡 If you need help with your SEO we work with foundations only, not ongoing SEO. When looking for an agency to play the long game with SEO for your business, look for someone that comes reccomended or works soley with SEO. As in they don't do all the things, they do SEO and they do it well.