Let’s face it, every business needs a website. The 21st century brings with it a number of things that businesses have to do and having a website is one of those things. It enables potential clients to learn about you, find out what you offer while keeping your branding consistent and let’s not forget about the potential to make additional sales.

However, many businesses are choosing to make the mistake of not creating a website at all and that could be hurting their business in many different ways. So, what we want to do is dispel the myths around having a business website, helping you to see the benefits of what Website as a Service (WaaS) can offer.

We have all heard about web design companies creating websites with coding that looks nothing more than page after page of content that you cannot understand. This is true, creating websites in this way does require technical knowledge but this isn’t the only option when it comes to creating your own website.

What WaaS offers is the scope to get creative yourself. The entire idea behind WaaS is to provide you with the opportunity to build your own website, even if you don’t have any experience. Using pre-built templates, the complicated elements associated with web design have been done for you. This leaves you with the ability to use our drag and drop builder, helping you to shape your website into everything you want it to be. What’s more, if you find yourself facing challenges or problems, a dedicated team of designers and developers are on hand to provide their expert assistance.

We understand that businesses have budgets and not every business has the scope to use a professional service to have their website designed. As a benchmark, a reputable agency can charge anything from £2,000 to £5,000 or more to create a website. Choose a freelancer and you might make savings but the costs can still stretch to hundreds of pounds.

With WaaS, you will have an element of control over how much you spend because our price is just £49 +VAT per month and that includes hosting, design, support, security and reporting. This is a considerable saving from the amount you could spend if you went down the route of choosing to use an agency.

This is true in some instances but this is more likely to occur if you choose the wrong website builder. The main thing to consider when opting to use a website builder to create your own website is to choose a company that keeps everything transparent. You don’t want to be hit with hidden costs that push your budget beyond what you can afford. You require a solution that is both honest and transparent where the costs are fixed, helping you to gain a clear understanding of where you stand.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. WaaS still includes high-quality web design, all of which has been completed beforehand, giving you a range of amazing templates to choose from. These templates can then be customised using the drag and drop functionality. This gives you control over the look and feel while the entire design and functionality of your website will still reflect that of a website created by a web design agency. With our website builder, you will never be truly stuck. Sure you might face some challenges but we have a team of designers on hand. This means that when you do face problems, they are ready to help!

What makes us stand out from other website builders is the way in which we support our clients. We don’t take our time when you need us. We are proactive, responsive and fast-acting which means that your problems are solved quickly and efficiently.

So, it’s time to forget about the negative aspects of having a website built and turn your attention to the fact that you can have a website that looks professional at a fraction of the cost. The only difference when using WaaS is the simplicity of it all, the convenience and the ability to create a website that feels truly yours.

If the last 18 months has taught us anything, it has taught us how quickly things can change, especially when it comes to business. There are not many businesses that have remained intact or unaffected throughout the pandemic. However, if you have managed to battle through the challenges and find yourself facing light at the end of the tunnel then now is the time to get your business back on track but how can you achieve that?

Whether you’re a small local business or a large established business, many people might have assumed you have disappeared or might have had to cut back on their outgoings over the past 18 months. However, things are slowly improving and that could mean making contact with them again.

A simple email marketing campaign can help to boost sales and engagement, informing past clients and new clients that you are back and ready for business. By building relationships again and contacting previous clients, it’s possible to entice them back.

Many businesses have turned to innovation during the pandemic. They have looked at new products they can design or offer as well as services because many have had more time to think about the future. Therefore, if you have introduced new products and services then it is time to think about how you get those out there. Whether that’s through newsletters, social media or other channels, showing clients what you’ve been up to is certain to increase their chances of turning to you, which in turn will help your business to gain traction.

Your website is pivotal to the success of your business and ensuring your website is fit for purpose will ensure that it works hard for your business. A website that is slow, uninspiring and badly designed will turn people away. However, Website as a Service makes it possible to create stunningly beautiful websites that come packed with functionalities and capabilities. Whether you want an online store or you simply want to explain what you offer as a business, choosing this option and giving your website a complete overhaul will give your visitors and your clients an understanding of who you are. Creating a new website isn’t as costly as you might think because WaaS is efficient and makes it possible to create amazing websites quickly and efficiently. The design time is cut by 50% and with that comes an affordable cost too. You’ll also benefit from all the support you need, giving you the chance to get the most from your website.

So, Covid-19 might have proved challenging for your business but there has never been a better time to bounce back in the right way.

Whenever we talk about improving your online strategy, many of us think immediately of social media and the ways in which we use social platforms as a way of bolstering our online presence and reaching our audience in different ways.

And while social media continues to sit up there as one of the most mainstream and important content marketing trends to influence and improve your online strategy, it’s not the only trend making its way across the world of online business.

Video marketing has become such a big thing in 2021, with the use of Instagram Reels, the growth of Tik Tok, and a multitude of other avenues which give businesses and individuals the chance to showcase what they do in more interactive and engaging ways. Video and visual content is a great way of putting a face behind the name of your business and making your team or your service offering more exciting and dynamic.

Now, more than ever, is when consumers are looking for experiences over material things. The pandemic highlighted how it wasn’t things people missed but the experiences that came with those things, and so it’s up to you and your business to find ways of injecting experience into your online strategy – be it through interactive content, competitions and engagement posts, basic social media polls, and interactive customer service options.

Your online strategy is built on technology, so why not take that to the next level and find new ways of using technology to further enhance your customer experience offering?

It is so easy to create a social media post or a blog, and simply copy and paste it across your different channels to give it the widest reach possible. But ask yourself this – what VALUE is that creating for your followers and readers?

One of the trends that you should be focussing your energy on in 2021 is finding ways of localising your content for different platforms and creating content narratives which span across different platforms. This, in turn, will encourage readers to move from your Facebook to your Instagram or your website, in order to continue their journey with you. If everything is exactly the same across every touchpoint, followers will quickly realise this and, at best, will only follow you on one platform. At worst, they might get bored and leave you high and dry.

Make it WORTH their follow across all your potential touchpoints.

Virtual events have never been so popular, with the future of events looking to include some kind of hybrid structure which uses both live experiences and online and virtual attendance. If you don’t start to embrace virtual events as part of your strategy now, then you will soon get left behind; with events proving one of the most valuable investments in terms of content both for the business and for your clients or customers.

The simple fact is that 2021 is the year of revolution, with the pandemic bringing to life a ton of alternatives and virtual content ideas that are likely to stick around for years to come. Put time into introducing them to your business now – before it’s too late.

For more support on bringing your online strategy to life through different content ideas and innovations, get in touch!

It can be so easy to become bogged down with information relating to domain names, with articles and blogs across the internet making it all seem very complex when in reality, your domain name is really quite simple.

Think of it like this – your domain is the online version of your street address that identifies where you are in the online world.

It’s the business identification name you use to separate your website from others. Every time you type a business name or set of words into the internet search bar, you are essentially searching for businesses whose domain name aligns with what you’ve typed in.

With that said, getting the right domain name is crucial to ensuring your business has an accurate and high quality online identifying address. Your unique domain name needs to express what your brand or business name is and what you do as much as possible, so that people searching for your website will end up in the right place. So, let’s look at the top 5 tips for choosing the right domain name.

Make sure it is easy to type. Any form of abbreviation, subjective spelling, or made up words will cause problems for users who know they want to find your website but aren’t sure of your exact address. This can alienate users and end their journey on your website before it has even begun, so keep it simple and use words that every user will recognise and can type easily.

Include keywords that people will be searching for when they need your business – but don’t yet know about YOUR exact business. Think of it like this: if you own a sweet shop in London and you want people looking for sweets in London to find your website, a domain name which includes ‘sweet shop’ and ‘London’ is likely to attract and drive relevant traffic to your site.

Make it memorable! There are so many websites and domain names out there in the big wide world of the internet, and it’s up to you to make yours stand out and stick in the minds of website visitors. Every time a potential customer requires your services you want them to think of your business and head to your website.

This one may seem super simple, but make sure your domain name links with your business name and branding! There is very little use in having a memorable business name or domain name if the two don’t marry up – because without a very clear link, customers will not know how to identify your website from its competitors.

Pick the right domain name ending for your business, including your locality and the industry you operate in. If you’re a charitable organisation then ending with ‘.org’ is appropriate, whereas a global company should use ‘.com’ – and if you’re local to the UK only, then use ‘.co.uk’.

And one final tip from us to you: be flexible. The likelihood is that you might not be able to get your exact ideal domain name match, so be flexible and creative to alternative ideas.

Whether you are a start-up, a small business, or even a large industry corporation, your website is crucial when it comes to making a good first – and lasting – impression. With more businesses than ever turning to the digital world in order to keep business operations moving throughout the pandemic and beyond, it seems that the last 12 months have seen a turning point in the way that businesses across all industries view their online presence.

Yes, that means company websites, online communications, contact forms, social media platforms, and online review sites to name but a few of the key online business touchpoints.

This article puts the spotlight on your website, outlining just a couple of key areas of focus when it comes to ensuring your website is doing your business justice in the eyes of potential customers, suppliers, and key industry contacts.

Potential clients and customers can find your business through any number of different touchpoints, be it word of mouth, social media, Google advertising or a simple search results page. But the fact remains that once they find you, they will inevitably head to your website to learn more about what you do. It is your website’s job to let them know what you do, what kind of business you are, what your vision is, and what solutions or services you offer.

Great website copy starts by anticipating the client or customer’s problem and letting them know that your business can provide the ideal solution.

One of the most overlooked aspects of a business website is its performance in terms of loading speed and usability – yet this can be the make or break for visitors who are looking for quick answers. If a user cannot quickly navigate their way around your site, or if the pages take too long to load, the chances are that they will leave and try out one of your competitors.

Put yourself in the shoes of your target audience and undergo the journey you expect them to make across your website. Is it easy to navigate, fast to load, and interactive to use?

Another part of this particular area of focus is the idea of mobile optimisation and the simple truth that internet users are just as likely to find your website on their smartphone or tablet, as they are on a laptop or desktop. From design to font and navigation tools, mobile optimisation is not something you can afford to ignore!

Your website is like your Headquarters in the online world. It provides potential contacts with a way to learn more about you without even getting in touch. It lets people know what you do and, crucially, what you can do for them without them even needing to ask.

In this new world where everything from events and meetings to business transactions are being performed online, a fresh and user-friendly website is one of your most important assets – and should not be underestimated!

As a business, no matter how wide your reach and how high your turnover, you will likely already be aware of the importance of both a high-quality website and an effective marketing strategy. But how often do you review the two in sync with each other, and consider the importance of your website in the broader scope of your marketing efforts?

The fact is that your website does a lot more than provide information to prospective customers and clients. Not only does it provide an important touchpoint to the online journey of customers, but it is often the landing page which links together all of your other online presences and platforms and is a source of valuable information about your customers, their online habits, and their browsing preferences.

This piece looks at just two of the key ways in which your website can (and should) be used as a valuable cog in your overall marketing strategy; both in the public sphere and within the inner workings of your company.

We have already mentioned how your website is the landing site which ties together your other online touchpoints, but it is also key to acknowledge the importance of consistency in delivering an effective marketing funnel. If a customer finds your brand through one of your social media profiles, reads some of your content, and then clicks through to your website to find out more, it follows that the experience they have with you should be consistent and reassuringly professional. The only way to achieve this is by uniting your marketing strategy to ensure all touchpoints align.

The other primary value of a good website is the access it can give you into the mindset of your customer and website visitors. When you build a website, you will be offered a series of different analytics, tools and platforms which you can subscribe to and sign up for; each promising the world – and more besides. Your job is to work out which of these analytical tools you can really use to your benefit, and which you need to implement in order to better understand your audience and convert them from browsers to buyers.

Some of the top analytical tools to consider include:

• Website traffic (who is visiting your website, when are they visiting, where have they come from, and what are they looking at?)
• Engagement (how are visitors engaging with your website and what are they doing when they get there?)
• Click Rate (are your email newsletters, marketing emails, and paid ads working, and how could you make them better?)
• Lead Generation rate and Conversion rate
• Sales growth

All of these are areas which can be blown open with access to analytics and can give your complete marketing strategy a huge boost when they are successfully built into the backend of your website. You simply need to find the tools which work for you and start integrating them as part of a wider strategy.

A potential customer or future client has found your company and has decided toclick through to your website – so far so good! But what now?

Far too often we see businesses putting their all into their social media and online marketing, only to leave their website untouched and simply hope that once a customer gets to that stage, they are ready to buy. The fact is the ideal conversion funnel and customer journey is as much about providing a great user experience on your website as it is about getting them there in the first place. Otherwise, you will simply find that those who may have otherwise purchased from you, will click away and head to one of your competitors instead.

So, how do you keep website visitors hooked and provide them with a great experience that will keep them coming back for more?

There are a handful of aspects that we all look for in a great website experience – many of them without even realising it.

One of the most important – also one of those features which is obvious if you get it wrong! – is optimisation and ensuring that your website is well optimised for browsing across all manner of different devices. What this means is making sure the images, fonts, call to action banners and buttons are all displaying correctly on a desktop, a laptop, a tablet, and a smartphone – without hassle.

There are so many technologies and web design companies out there now that focus on this, so it’s an easy one to action. But the difference it can make is huge!

This doesn’t mean simply having a menu at the top of your webpage – it also means making each page and page header as intuitive as possible, so that a visitor looking for something specific will be able to find it quickly and easily. Consider the way that your website is laid out and the way that you use a combination of content and imagery to make every section of the site as clear as possible.

Remember that it may seem obvious to you, but you need to be looking at your website from the perspective of someone who doesn’t yet know you or your brand, and isn’t yet aware of your value to them as a customer.

This is where it’s important to understand the customer journey as a whole particularly if a user has landed on your website by clicking on a specific call to action button such as a deal you sent them, or a contact button. As a user, they will click that button and expect to land on the right page to complete the task they set out to do – whether that be contacting you or benefitting from your promised offer. Consistency is key both in the customer journey and in the messages you are giving out.

Your website is just one part of your overall marketing strategy, and so needs to be approached in line with everything else you are doing as part of that strategy.Remember that a poor user experience will likely cause a customer journey to end very suddenly – and it’s your responsibility to put yourself in the shoes of your user and understand what the ideal experience looks like for them. Want to find out how MBJ can help you move forward and create the best user experience for your website? Get in touch.

In a nutshell, the answer is YES! A robust marketing strategy can provide your business with an edge over its competitors. A well thought out strategy helps in developing a business to achieve its highest profit-making potential whether that be through goods or services.

There’s no use in denying it, digital marketing is a critical component of a business’ success – particularly that of a small or medium sized business. But the challenge is that so many business owners have no idea what it takes to make online marketing work for them. They are experts in their own business, yet simply don’t have the time to become experts in the ever-changing world of online marketing.

When someone – a potential customer – is interested in a product, they will first conduct research. In this day and age, this is likely to be in the form of a quick Google or online search. Now, if you have a website and social media pages, but no marketing strategy in place to really utilise these platforms, a potential customer won’t know you exist or be able to find you amidst your competitors.

Therefore, a strong and specific marketing strategy is vital to the success of your unique business. But with so many marketing strategies to choose from, it can be difficult to pick the tactics that are right for your business, and much like each unique business, not all marketing strategies are created equal.

Some strategies require more investment, meaning you must put in extra time, resources, or effort to support and implement them. While other strategies offer a greater reward and produce more valuable, long-term results. But what’s important to note is that some marketing strategies come with a risk. For example, if you engage in black hat or negative SEO marketing strategies, a search engine may catch you out and penalize your site, which in turn, decreases your search engine rankings.

If you’re going to create an online marketing strategy, you want to do it the right way. There’s so much information online about how to go about creating the right marketing strategy for your brand. However, the chances are you will be bogged down with the day-to-day running of your business that you won’t be able to give a strategy your full attention.

Additionally, you want to avoid falling into common digital marketing traps that are set up to fail, that simply waste your time, money, and effort. So, when you consider which types of marketing strategy to use, you should always consider if the risk and reward are worth the investment. And when you choose MBJ, you can be guaranteed that we’ll build your online presence to be loud and powerful, and above all, profitable.

We consider all aspects of digital marketing to be important including:

• SEO (search engine optimisation)
• Content creation
• Social media management
• Paid advertising support
• And so much more

For help with developing your online marketing strategy, simply get in touch and we’d be happy to help you find your online voice.

As website design experts, we’re used to creating beautiful and bold websites for clients across the globe. But this time, it was our turn to introduce a fresh, new look website packed with helpful features, simple navigation, and a clean updated look.

Our new innovative website redesign provides a clear message about who we are, what we stand for and the solutions we have to offer. The website also boasts a clean design and intuitive and consistent site-wide navigation system with improved menu functionalities that direct you to the most relevant information for your needs. It is also fully responsive on mobile devices, and the website pages are easy to navigate using a wide range of web browsers and portable devices.

This easy to navigate new website really reflects who we are – innovative, quality-driven, and experts in website design. Our Insights section is home to all our important updates and blogs, providing you with insider knowledge and expert advice on all things digital. This section is an invaluable hub for anyone looking to learn about web design and digital marketing, with new and engaging content being published monthly.

So, why the change?

Well, since we first started out in 2013, we’ve changed a lot. We’ve grown as a company, developed relationships with many loyal clients around the world, and added to our in-house team of creative professionals. So, as we look to the future, we are aware that the digital world is always evolving. To that end we hope to continue to grow and evolve ourselves as a trusted end-to-end website as a service (WaaS) company that designs, builds, and manages a business’s website and helps to grow their online voices.

Above all, we offer our website design and digital marketing services faster and for less than our competitors. We aim to develop our service portfolio whilst continuing to offer nothing but the highest standards of customer service to our clients, both existing and new, and we look forward to our refreshed new website allowing us to do that.

At MBJ, it’s important to us that our brand reflects our ambitions, so as part of our new website design, it’s now more focussed on explaining how our core services work and how we can help businesses of any size find a powerful online voice. We are also proud to share our clear commitment to our clients. The aim of this website launch is to ensure everyone understands who we are, what drives us, and how we like to work.

MBJ Founder, Julian Baladurage, says:

‘We hope our fresh new appearance clearly reflects the direction and image of our business as we look to the future. Our revamped website design is user friendly, simple, and easy to understand, and demonstrates much more clearly what we, as a creative company, are about.’

You can find out about our innovative services WaaS, Waas Plus and our digital marketing packages by looking around our new website. Simply get in touch to see how we can help your business soar, and if your business is need of a website redesign, we can help

If you know anything about promoting your business online, you’ll know the importance of SEO. Search engine optimisation gets your brand seen in search engines, so you can encourage people to come to you and see what you have to offer. Successful SEO isn’t easy, though, and using a professional service is usually the best solution if you want to get it right. Professional SEO doesn’t have to be expensive, and there are affordable SEO services out there. The question is, how do you find them?

There are several approaches you can take if you want to find the right SEO service for your brand.

It’s difficult to choose an SEO service that works for you if you don’t really know what SEO is. You might know the basics, but it helps to have a slightly more in-depth understanding of SEO and how you can put its methods to good use. If you have some knowledge about the most valuable techniques that produce results, you can be smart about the best way to spend your money. It should help you to avoid things like companies that promise they will get you onto the first page of Google, who are often being a little flexible with the truth.

Search engine optimisation doesn’t just work on its own. It’s best when it’s part of a comprehensive approach to digital marketing. This means having a good website and building a full online presence. Rather than have different partners taking care of different aspects of your business online, you can look into using a service like MBJ London. A complete WaaS package that includes affordable SEO services means you don’t have to worry about a thing. Everything is taken care of, and there’s no miscommunication between different services trying to do different things.

If you’re not sure how much you should be paying for SEO, you can do some research in relation to prices. You’re sure to find a broad range of price points, from the very cheapest services to the more expensive. However, it’s important to remember that finding affordable SEO services isn’t just about choosing the cheapest price. It’s also important to consider the value that you receive. If you pay rock-bottom prices, you’re likely to get rock-bottom standards of service. Paying a little more is worth it, and can still be done affordably.

Getting recommendations for SEO services can be an ideal way to find the perfect partner. You’re likely to know someone who can recommend affordable SEO services, whether they’re someone you work with or just a friend. Sometimes, you might even already be working with a digital marketer or other outsourcer who can offer you the SEO advice and help that you need, but you haven’t realised that they have the skills and knowledge to help you.

If you’re looking for affordable SEO services, get in touch with MBJ London to find out how we can help you.