Category: web development

3 Social Media Tips for Small Business Owners

Posted on by HINSEL

Today’s small business owner is really feeling the pinch!
Between rising supply costs, tariffs, and inflation people are holding tighter to their hard earned dollars – and everyone is feeling it. A lot of business owners know they need to be doing more to bring in customers but don’t know what to do, and can’t necessarily afford hiring a full time social media manager. Left feeling like they have little choice, they brave it on their own…

I’ve seen everyone from real estate agents to window cleaners and so many more take on the task of marketing their services online only to find out one thing: Marketing Your Business Is a FULL TIME JOB!

And why shouldn’t it be?! Your digital presence is your best employee – it’s online and working 24/7 to represent your brand as a reputable and quality provider! BUT! That doesn’t mean you have 40 hours a week to dedicate to making it happen.

To help, I’ve put together these 3 quick tips that almost any small business owner can use to boost their business on social media. Let’s go!

It Works – If You Work It
First and foremost, if you’re not USING social media don’t expect to get anything out of it. That means more than just having a page on some of the major platforms, you need to be creating something there. If for no other reason than to let potential customers know you’re still open!

So, post regularly. At least 3 times per week; preferably with an eye-catching image or better yet a video that let’s people know not only what you do but a little about who you ARE.

It’s Social Media, So BE Social
That means post something more than just your sales pitch! People are advertised to every moment of their day – they don’t login to see more of it, they just scroll. Chances are you are not the only provider of your kind and customers have their choice of companies to choose from; so by letting them see your personality you increase your chances of standing out above the noise.

But Don’t Stop There…
Be even more social online! That’s right. Make sure you’re spending some time every day logged in as your business and interacting with other local businesses and profiles. Be active in online groups, and comment on posts as your business. Always be sure to reply to every follower comment, even if it’s just to say thank you. Every time you do these small things they help add up to larger results towards building your visibility.

Number Three
Is it going to be something lame like “hire a professional social media manager with two decades of proven experience”?

…Well, duuuuuuh!
Fact is, there are more ins and outs and tips (like what time of day to post! Hashtags! And more!) than I can put in one post. But if you’re not ready to sign on yet, the best step from here is to schedule a consultation, download my free social media success guide, or even get your own site health scan to see where you can make improvements on your own. If you’re the more direct type, contact PICKWICK directly to get the ball rolling right away!

But in all seriousness…
Before you even click any of those buttons. As your trusted digital advisor I’ll give you the REAL third tip: spend money on your digital presence. Far too many small businesses STAY SMALL because they think it’s too expensive to invest in paid advertising on social media in addition to paying a social media content creator…and well, that’s fine.


We’re as big as we think we are; that’s why I encourage even the smallest business that’s actually looking to grow their business online to not be afraid to pay to play. There are more businesses online and competing than ever before!

When your audience is targeted properly, having even a moderate monthly advertising budget can help make sure that the posts you’re making are getting more eyes on them. It’s not a part of the online marketing business that I like, it’s just how it works; regardless social media marketing remains one of the most cost effective ways to get your message seen.

As a small business owner you CAN still start out online and even do well for yourself if you make it your focus using many of the tips I provide, but it IS a full time job to see real results. If you’re ready for help or have any questions please get in touch!

Why You Need to Update Your Site

Posted on by HINSEL

My website looks good, isn’t that enough?! No.

A good looking car with no engine doesn’t go anywhere. Your website is the same way and the engine that runs it needs to be maintained.

Ask yourself, when is the last time anything lasted forever? When was the last time something ran perpetually without any maintenance or assistance? The answer is of course never, because that’s not how the laws of thermodynamics work. All things, no matter how well built or efficient, must be taken care of from time to time to make sure they continue to run the way they should.

Your website is no different!

Imagine if you bought a car back in 2008 and never changed the oil, never tuned it up, never got new tires and just drove and drove. How long do you think that car would last? A year? Maybe two? It might look good on the outside but it’s not going anywhere.

And yet there are so many business owners who get a website, think that’s the end of the road, and then wonder why they got left behind on the side of the information superhighway!

Don’t let it happen to YOU!

While technical updates to your site may seem like something no one ever sees, making sure the engine that pumps the lifeblood of your business is running right is crucial to seeing online success! Even if your site is technically still “running” (hey, she ain’t much to look at but she got it where it counts, right?!) that doesn’t mean it’s running RIGHT.

It’s not just about looking better!
What might begin as simple technical errors can quickly turn into data corruption, and leaving your website software out of date can leave you wide open to hacker attacks. Sites that use old software are not only more vulnerable to attack but they often run slower which will cost you customers even if your site hasn’t been compromised. Having the engine of your website purring like a kitten is the way to drive customers where you want them!

Fact is, these days business is done online. If you’re not online you’re not in business!


Thankfully PICKWICK is here to help! Offering web design, social media management, search engine optimization, and more. Pickwick provides all of the digital services you need to get online, stay online, and find success. Get in touch today to find out how Pickwick can help you!


SEO Lies

Posted on by HINSEL

Have you gotten one of these emails lately?

“My name is xxxxxx and I am a Digital Marketing Specialists for a Creative Agency. I was doing some industry benchmarking for a client of mine when I came across your website. I noticed a few technical errors which correspond with a drop of website traffic over the last 6-8 months which I thought I would bring to your attention. After closer inspection it appears your site is lacking in 4 key criteria. Blah blah blah your meta-tags!! Oooooooooooooo!!! “

I get them too – and I’m IN the SEO industry!

This proves the first thing I usually tell clients about these messages when they forward them to me out of concern: these people have never even been to your website.

It’s really humorous that in many of these messages it says “I FOUND you on Google!”.
Well, if you found me already what do I need to pay you for?! Nothing.
Which is generally what you get out of services that spam people like this even when you pay their outrageous prices – NOTHING.

Now it is true that every domain can use a website tune-up from time to time in order to rank most optimally for its intended audience, but the scare tactics used by some of these so-called seo gurus is so laughable that it’s sad. Sadder still that they wouldn’t continue to do it unless some people were falling for it.

But what is a concerned small business owner or artistic creator to do if they feel like they’re lost online?
It is tough! Everyone seems to have a site and a store and a page living the wild Instagram life; it can seem like there’s no way to catch up. Here are a few quick tips to help you spot the spammers:

Misspellings in the message
Look for spelling errors. It seems minor but most legitimate business will not have such things in their correspondence – even canned emails.

Meta-Data Grandpa
Any SEO person who harps on the small technical details of your site code like meta-tags, and H tags (which do matter in a small way still) is likely reading from a script written in 1997 when these things still played a major role in seo ranking.

Copy/Paste
Take a line from their email message and copy it into a google search with quotes around it. You will likely come up with thousands of results highlighting other people who received the same exact spam message.

Google THEM
Search them out before you even think about contacting them or clicking the links in their email. You will likely not even be able to find them, much less on the glorious PAGE ONE that they promise to elevate your business to somehow.

The PICKWICK Promise
I won’t lie to you. I won’t up-sell services you don’t need to pad my pocket.
Online success is an uphill battle – so is any kind of success – but the good news is you don’t have to go it alone!

I have a long history of digital experience in developing visually compelling websites as well as marketing the services and products they offer. I have the online skills you don’t have the time to learn yourself – and don’t want to! With over 2 decades of experience in the digital marketing world I know not only the things to do for greater results but the things to avoid doing as well.

You want to be running your business or creating your next masterpiece, not punching buttons. Let me help!

Struggling With Social Media?

Posted on by HINSEL

Today’s business world is non-stop. You’ve got a million and one details to keep track of just to keep the invoices going out and the money coming in. You want to be running your business, not worried about watching updates. Thankfully you don’t have to be plugged in 24 hours a day to get results from your social media marketing when you hire PICKWICK!

In addition to exceptional web development we also provide social media management custom suited to your needs!
We do things a little differently than a lot of social media management companies. First, we listen to what you want, make suggestions to get the best results, and then get to work. We never up-sell and we always show the metrics for our work so you can see where your dollars are going.

Some of the services that are part of the social media options we provide include:

Custom graphics for banners
Custom graphics and content for special events
Reputation management
Fan engagement nurturing
Local engagement interaction
Social Media Activity Analysis

Not ready for someone else to take the reigns but still need help?
We can also provide social media consultation and training to help you take control all on your own!

No matter what your need we have the skills to capture your unique voice and speak to your audience as if you were making the posts yourself – even your own mother won’t know it’s us cranking out that killer content. Get in touch today to see what we can do to get your social media snapping!