Posted on

How to stamp the copyright logo to my images

Black female food blogger taking a photo in a cafe wearing a light blue shirt and red hair bandana

Imagine: you’ve spent lots of time creating the perfect image to upload onto your soon-to-be website. It is eye-catching, unique and perfect for your online business. But, although this image is legally owned by you, the internet is a dark place and someone snatches up your image for their own purposes. Suddenly, your image is no longer identified with your online business. All that time and effort spent sourcing this image is wasted. 

So, how do you avoid this case of online theft? Well, the answer is pretty simple. By stamping a copyright logo onto your images, keyboard thieves will fail to pass off your content as their own. 

Step 1: Choose your software 

Adobe photoshop, Inkscape or Paintshop are the most obvious editing softwares to do this. However, if you don’t fancy spending your money on these, then there are multiple free photo editing softwares which you can use to watermark your image instead.    Alamoon Watermark, WatermarkLib and Kigo Image Converter can all be used to stamp your copyright logo onto your image. 

Step 2: Where to put the copyright

Open your image in one of these programmes and select the section of the image where you want to add your copyright stamp. Make sure your text goes in a place which is visible. This ensures would-be users cannot get rid of your logo without destroying the image itself. This is important – strategically picking a location for your text to go into means digital thieves cannot steal your image without shooting themselves in the foot.

Step 3: What information do you need to add?

When applying a copyright stamp, you need to make sure you include your name/business name, the year your image was created and the copyright symbol ‘©’ into your text. This way you are solidly safeguarding your image from being swiped up by someone else. Although you can’t stop people from downloading your image free of charge, your name will now always be affiliated with this image. Remember, it is important that you lower the opacity of the text so that people can still see your image!

Now that your image is protected and associated with you, it is important you have a website that people can visit if they want to access your material. Check out our 14-week free trial of Go Sitebuilder and see just how easy it is to get your business online!

Posted on

What kind of online business is the most profitable?

Female relaxing on a grey sofa whilst using her mobile phone to run her business from home

Whilst starting up an online business seems daunting, it is not as difficult as you may think. People from all backgrounds can create a successful online business, and not all online businesses demand a vast amount of time or money for them to be profitable. As long as your content is of real value then there is a market out there for you.

Online home rentals

This first example doesn’t require any special skills; anyone can rent out their home. Although sites such as AirBnB or HomeAway may suggest the market is overly-crowded, InvitedHome or Luxury Retreats show that there is always potential to market your property to a certain crowd. Creating a niche category in the market means you can create a steady and reliable source of income, and make it more likely that those who use your site will return. 

SEO consultancy

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a market of endless opportunity. If you are already confident in SEO strategy, then you can create profit by marketing your skills to online businesses who are looking to rank higher on Google. This will help them gain visibility, and will improve your reputation as a leader in the field. Don’t be deterred if you have limited knowledge; there are loads of resources online to help you understand SEO – check out Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO to get you started. 

Managing advertisements

If you understand the methodology behind paid advertising, then advising businesses on how to manage their ads – or doing it for them – can boost your income dramatically. Considering that online business giants such as Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter rely on ads for their growth, ad management could be your ticket to success. It is still a relatively modern market with huge potential for growth – eMarketer has reported that, for the first time in America, online advertising spending exceeds that of traditional ads.

What next?

If you are interested in pursuing any of the above then it is vital to have a website to boost your credibility and to provide a platform to market your skills. Check out our 14-week free trial which gives you all the flexibility you need to begin your online business journey – why not give it a go today?

Posted on

What is the best tool to optimise images for the web?

Male wearing a short sleeved blue shirt is sat at a desk typing on this laptop. He has a black watch on his right wrist and a notebook and pen is next to the laptop

Optimising your images before you post them onto the web could be the make or break of your online business. If your image isn’t optimised then your file size is larger, slowing down the speed of your website. This could dramatically affect your search engine optimisation (SEO) ranking – the slower your website, the more likely your image will become congested in google image search traffic. 

Failing to optimise your images is also a huge turn-off for those who do find their way onto your website. Forbes quoted an Aberdeen group study that a one-second delay in website load time could cost you 7% of sales, result in 11% fewer page views and a 16% decrease in satisfied customers. The following tools will help you optimise your images, making sure your website is highly attractive to those who visit your site.

There are lots of ways to optimise your images for your website, and those that optimise for SEO like adding alt text and making sure your images are named correctly can be done within your website builder. However, other important factors like image size, type and dimensions will need to be altered using external software. 

Adobe photoshop

This premium software is a well known classic. It allows you to save your files in different image formats such as JPEG, PNG or GIF. Once you have selected your options, your file size will also be displayed. This is a great option for those who are new to optimizing their images on the web, as it is easy to follow and fairly simple. 

JPEG Mini

This software reduces image sizing without diminishing any of its original quality. The fact that you can compare your original image against the compressed image is also a big plus, as you can test whether any quality has been lost. Whilst the computerised programme comes with a price tag, you can use their web version for free – another bonus!

Image Optim

Image Optim is a software specific to Mac. It removes unnecessary colours and finds the most suitable compression parameters to ensure no quality is reduced. It pretty much does all the hard work for you. And, luckily, Windows users don’t need to despair – Trimage acts as a promising alternative. 

Now that you have the knowledge needed to optimize your images, it is vital that you utilise these skills when starting your online website. If you’re also unsure how to build your online website then try Go Sitebuilder. Our responsive website builder is designed with small businesses in mind, helping you craft your business into a success. Try Go Sitebuilder today with our 14-week free trial period!

Posted on

What are the most common email domains?

Close up of a person's hand holding a mobile phone as they check their emails

Email is the most important form of communication for businesses. It is versatile and quick, allowing anything from a quick chat to finalise a plan to a long-form explanation of a service with multiple attachments. But are the most common email domains, and what are the pros and cons to each one? 

Gmail.com (18%)

With over a billion users across the globe, Gmail has taken over the free email space since its launch in 2004. It has a streamlined interface without too much clutter, and lets you organise your emails into different folders which helps you to focus on your priorities. It works with a Google account, which has a fleet of features such as Google Drive, Google Docs and Google Calendar, making file sharing and time-management simple. 

Yahoo.com (17%)

Although it isn’t as much as a household name as Gmail, Yahoo offers a professional email service with some useful features unavailable with its competitor. Yahoo allows you to organise your emails into custom folders, and the free version has a terabyte of storage.

Hotmail.com (16%)

It may be one of the top three most popular email domains, but you can’t get one anymore! In fact, Hotmail used to be a part of Microsoft, which has had a couple of rebrands and is now Outlook. This means that if you created your account before 2012, then you will still have the @hotmail.com address, but if you want to create a new one, then you will get an address ending in @outlook.com. Just like Gmail, Outlook offers extra features such as a calendar and access to online Microsoft Office products. 

These are the top three email providers, as after this the percentage of users drops off sharply to under four per cent. Bear in mind that using an @gmail.com or @outlook.com email address is fine for personal use, but doesn’t look very professional if you want to use that for a business account.

If you’re looking for business emails, then it’s much better to have an email address that matches the name of your website domain, as this adds extra credibility to your company. Go Sitebuilder gives you a personalised website domain name as well as five unique business emails for you to use. Sign up for our 14-day free trial and see just how easy it is to get your business online. 

Posted on

How to effectively sell your product or service

How to effectively sell your product or service

You may know that you have an excellent product or service, but your potential customers don’t. So how can you show them – and persuade them – that you are a step above your competitors?

Tell me a story

Your potential customers aren’t interested in your product. They’re interested in the experience it gives them, or the solution it provides to a problem they have – your marketing should reflect that. Describe how it feels to use your product, or the difference it could make if it solves a long-standing problem. 

Look at car adverts, for example. The specifications are important, but they’re not what are going to make you remember a certain brand or model. Marketing for cars focuses on the driving experience, or how comfortable it is for a long road trip, not how large the engine capacity is or whether it takes diesel or petrol. 

That’s not to say specifications aren’t important, but they’re secondary; a customer will start looking at them only if they’re already interested in the product or service. Start with a story, and back it up with the credentials afterwards.

Audience is everything

Before even thinking about an effective strategy to sell your products or services, you need to consider your audience. What do they do, what do they need and why? How, when and where do they buy? Look at key trends within your target market, and adapt your marketing plan to match it. 

Once you get into the heads of your target audience, you can adapt your selling points accordingly. Remember that car advert? If you wanted to target young families, you could highlight the vehicle’s safety features, but if you’re wanting to attract young professionals, you’re more likely to focus on how stylish it is. 

Why you?

So, you’ve told a story that is perfectly aimed at your audience and you’ve backed it up with high-end specifications. Chances are, though, you won’t be the first person providing the same services and products as you do. Don’t ignore your competitors, because your potential customers won’t! You need to focus on your Unique Selling Proposition (USP), or what makes you stand out from the crowd. What do you offer that your competitors don’t? Make sure this is clear; it could be the one thing that turns a browser into a customer.

And of course, make sure your products and services are presented beautifully on a professional-looking website. Go Sitebuilder offers a 14-day free trial and has specially designed ecommerce features – try them out today!

Posted on

What’s the best online business to start in 2020?

A male and a female business owners stood in a shop looking at a tablet device. Both are wearing aprons and smiling

This is the year you start your own successful online business! You’re looking for freedom, cash flow and an escape from the 9-5 commuter grind – but first, you need to decide on a business idea. 

Start a blog and monetise it

What could you talk about for hours on end? Try starting a blog on a subject you’re interested in. It’s not quite as easy as it sounds though, as you’ll have to consistently publish content that engages users to develop a solid following. Once you’ve got this though, you can start earning money through affiliate marketing or advertising. 

Affiliate marketing is where you earn a commission by promoting products through your blog. It’s useful to have a basic knowledge of SEO and copywriting for this (here’s a good beginner’s guide from SEO Moz), and you’ll get better results promoting content that is similar to your blog to start with. Amazon’s affiliate program has a list of products you can advertise if you’re stuck for ideas. 

You can also make money by selling advert space on your blog, but to get a decent income you have to have millions of viewers. It’s a good side hustle, but don’t expect it to become your main form of income. 

Coaching and online courses

If you have a good level of expertise in a certain subject, you can monetise it! You will have to promote it yourself through a website, social media and email lists, and it’s often useful to have a blog related to your subject of expertise to give yourself more credibility. 

Online coaching involves few clients, but at a high hourly rate. It’s a quick way to start earning money fast, and you can charge premium prices – but make sure to do some market research to set your price. 

Online courses are low risk, high reward ventures. They are easily scalable and can reach a global audience, and as they don’t have a sell-by date, they can make money over time with minimal input from you. 

Ecommerce

You’ll need to do your research to find a profitable market first, with steady growth, and it’s best to keep your idea specific rather than general to give yourself an edge. 

There are lots of costs involved in ecommerce, so make sure your product costs at least £50, if not more, otherwise you might find you aren’t making any profit at all! A cheaper option is to use dropshipping, where the products are held and sent by the supplier rather than you. 

To set up a profitable and successful online business, go into something you care about and you have a good level of knowledge on. And for each of these options, a website is paramount. Try Go Sitebuilder’s simple website creator with our free 14-day trial and start your online business today! 

Posted on

How can I sell things fast?

How can I sell things fast?

Creating a successful ecommerce brand revolves around building trust and a loyal following, which doesn’t happen overnight. But if you do need to sell things quickly, we’ve put together a few tips to help you get your products off your hands! 

Price it right

First, look at products that are similar to yours on online marketplaces. On Ebay, you can refer to the “completed listings” section, which shows you what products have sold and how much they cost. This can help you evaluate both the demand for the product and the standard price. 

If speed is your priority, list the item for slightly less than other similar products, but be willing to negotiate, especially if you’re selling on an online marketplace. Everybody loves to get a good deal, so prepare to sell your product for 10-20% lower than the price you listed it. If you’re using your own ecommerce site, consider offering discount codes or having a sale section.

Description and pictures

When writing the copy for your product, think about what you would want to know if you were buying this item. If it’s second-hand, make sure to include what condition it is in and why you’re selling it, and as for any other product, include detailed specifications, any special features that will help it stand out, and what accessories come with the product. 

The pictures of the item can make or break a sale. Make sure they are clear and taken in good lighting, and if there are any issues, take a close up of these as well. This helps build trust and gives the customer a good idea of what they’re buying, whereas limited and poor-quality pictures make the product look worse than it is and suggest you might be hiding something. 

Sell more than one product at a time

If you really need to get rid of some stock, you can sell your products in ready-made packs that will encourage your potential customer to buy more than the one product they originally wanted.

Selling items quickly isn’t always easy, but if you follow these steps then you can give yourself a good chance to speed up sales on your products! If you want to try out some of these tips on your own website, check out Go Sitebuilder’s 14-day free trial and have a look at all of the extra features they offer for ecommerce sites.

Posted on

How to choose the perfect domain name for your online store

Female small business owner stood in the middle of her shop updating her online store via a tablet device. She is wearing dark green clothing and glasses

Your domain name is the first time your users will connect with your brand, and it’s important that you get it right. We’ve put together some tips to help you create a memorable and unique domain name for your online store. 

Does it reflect your brand and product?

If you’ve already developed and established a brand name, then use this for your domain. If that isn’t available, brainstorm words related to your core brand and values that are relevant to your business, and think about your potential customers; does this evoke the concepts and feelings your business represents? If you’re not sure, show some examples to friends and ask them what they think the website is selling and what kind of brand it is – if it’s way off, consider changing it to make it clearer. 

Can you optimise it for SEO?

Including keywords in your domain name will help your site rank higher on search engines and be more visible to potential clients, so pick a name that is specific to your product. However, be aware that this could make your site sound generic (cottontshirts.com) and could also limit what you can offer in the future. You can also use the domain extension .store as it both shows that you’re an ecommerce brand and helps you get that keyword into your domain name.

Is it simple and easy to understand?

You want your domain to be unique, but also memorable. Keep it short (17 characters max) and avoid unnecessary characters, abbreviations and numbers. Avoid unusual spellings and make it easy to say out loud, as then it’s easier to remember. 

When you’re starting out, brainstorm lots of ideas! Choose 10 words that represent your brand personality and your product, and play with different variations until you find one that sounds right. Check if it’s available and remember to buy it quickly; there are bots that buy up domains that have been recently searched to sell that at a profit later. 

A domain name should represent you and your brand, but you need a high-quality website as well! Go Sitebuilder has ecommerce capability, personalised domain names and offers five email addresses with that domain. Try out their 14-day free trial, and use their pre-built themes and designs to create a website that your customers will love. 

Posted on

How much does it cost to pay someone to build a website?

Two female entrepreneurs sitting side by side. One is holding a mobile phone and on is writing on a notepad. Both are looking at the notepad with a laptop in front of them

When looking to create your own website, one of the options is to pay a web developer to design it for you. This will require minimal technical input from you and will result in a website that is tailor-made to you and your company’s needs, but it comes at a cost. 

Paying a web developer to create a custom-designed website starts at around £5000, but can turn into tens of thousands for a high-quality product. If you don’t have coding experience, be aware that you will have to pay the developer for any and all maintenance on the site, which could be costly and time-consuming. You’ll also have to pay for your own domain and web host, which costs a minimum of £70 with a shared host.

It’s also worth noting that the basic overall design may not look that different from a website builder either, as many of the pre-loaded themes are based on high-quality designs. 

What are the benefits of getting a custom-designed website?

If you already have a detailed vision of how you want your website to look and function, and you’re not willing to compromise, then a custom-built website may be the only way for you to get the precise design you’re after. In this way, you’ll be able to liaise with the developer to make sure it’s exactly what you want.

A developer also does a lot more work behind the scenes than just creating a pretty design. An experienced designer will help you avoid potential technical and financial potholes, as well as tailoring their work according to your budget level, coding experience, and time restrictions. 

If you’re just a small company with a limited budget, however, the price difference between a custom-built website and a website builder is vast. If you don’t have the financial resources to fund and maintain a tailor-made website, it might be worth going for a website builder that handles the domain name, web host and design for you. 

Why not try it for yourself? For 14 days, you can register for a free trial at Go SiteBuilder, which allows you to create your own website from beautiful preloaded themes, with a domain and five email addresses to get your company’s website up and running in no time!

Posted on

What’s the difference between a domain name and an email address?

Female sat on a green sofa with a child and a laptop on her lap

If you’ve been looking at choosing a website builder, you’ll probably have noticed that many of them offer personalised domains and email addresses. But what is the difference between the two terms, and do you need them?

Domain name

A domain name forms part of the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and is the address for a webpage. They often end in .com, but can end in any one of the 1500 valid domain extensions, such as .net, .org or .co. 

www.exampledomainname.com 

If a user types your domain name into an internet browser’s search bar, it will take them to your website. It is unique and only refers to your specific site. 

Email address

An email address has a domain name within it, but it is formatted differently. Instead of the www it has a username, and an @ sign instead of the full stop. 

username@exampledomainname.com 

Instead of typing this into a search bar, to contact you, a user will have to use an email server (such as gmail or outlook) and use this address to identify the recipient, just as you would write an address on a letter. 

The confusion

It can be easy to get confused when email accounts and domain names start to look similar. Site’s owners can create subdomains, which use a word instead of the www and are designed to organise and navigate through your site: 

store.exampledomainname.com

You can also place dots in the username of an email, so it would be possible to have an email address that looked like this: 

firstname.lastname@exampledomainname.com

The way to tell the difference is to look for the @ sign, which is the flag for an email address. You will never find a domain name with the @, and you will never find an email address without it. 

So, what does it mean when a website builder offers you a personalised domain as well as personalised emails? Let’s say you own a coffee shop called Caffeine Dreams. If it is available, you could have the domain name:

www.caffeinedreams.com

You would also have email addresses that use the same name:

hello@caffeinedreams.com
support@caffeinedreams.com
careers@caffeinedreams.com

These email addresses will be handled by an email server, not your domain itself, but it looks much more professional for a company to have personalised emails. It raises your credibility as well as making the email address easily recognisable and memorable. 

Go Sitebuilder offers personalised domains with up to five personalised emails, as well as a wide selection of designs to make creating your website hassle-free. Why not try out our 14-day trial today?