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Got a question about Social Media?

Then you've come to the right place! We've consolidated our combined knowledge and experience in online marketing to bring you practical tips, industry insights and jargon-free answers to your questions in the form of engaging blog posts. Enjoy!

colours

Brand Colour Psychology

Colour psychology plays a significant role in marketing and branding strategies. It involves the study of how different colours evoke specific emotional and psychological responses in people, influencing their perceptions and behaviours. You can use colour psychology to enhance your brand recognition, create memorable experiences, and influence purchasing decisions. Here […]

YouTube SEO

What Is YouTube SEO?

Why You Need YouTube SEO YouTube is the world’s second most popular search engine, with over 2 billion users and 500 hours of video being posted to the platform every single minute. Engaging material is the starting point for every successful YouTube channel, but creating such content is only the […]

Pivotal SEO using Yoast on WordPress

How to Use Yoast SEO on WordPress

Using Yoast SEO on your WordPress website In this blog I will walk you through how to set SEO up on your website using this simple-to-set-up plugin! Uploading Yoast SEO to WordPress Firstly, you want to log into your website and navigate to the ‘Plugins’ page. From here click ‘Add […]

Embed Google Reviews WordPress

Embed Google Reviews on WordPress

Do you want to know how to embed your Google reviews onto your WordPress website? It’s a fairly simple process that you could easily achieve in around 30 minutes! Firstly, you want to log into your WordPress website, go to Dashboard > Plugins > Add New and here you will […]

Improve SEO WordPress

How to Improve Your SEO on WordPress

A client came to us to ask if there was any way to appear higher up in search results. Until then, we had already set up and implemented SEO on their website, and they were already appearing on the first few results pages for their main keywords. But we were […]

Google Analytics

How to Set Up Google Analytics on Your Website

Google Analytics is an invaluable tool for measuring your website visits and engagement. If any of our monthly clients don’t have it already, we make sure that they do. If you want to know how to set up Google Analytics on your own website, it can be a tricky but […]

EV Car Trip to France

EV Car Trip to France

Long Distance EV Car Trip to France – How it can work This is a summary of the charging experiences during our 1,864 mile round trip to the French Alps in an all-electric car. In our case it is the excellent KIA E6 which has a 328 mile range and […]

Google My Business account and Maps

Why You Should Maximise Your Google My Business Account

Did you know, the average local business gets 1,260 monthly views? That’s 943 average views on search results and 317 average views on Google Maps as per an insightful study by Bright Local. If you’ve ever wondered what the benefits of Google My Business accounts are, then look no further. […]

how to increase visitors to your website

How to Increase Visitors to Your Website

You’ve invested in an interactive, speedy, and sleek new website for your business. You’ve dedicated time to producing informative blog posts, case studies that illustrate how your business can help people, compelling videos, and uploading honest testimonials to your site. Now you’re probably wondering how to increase visitors to your […]

Best Online Hotel Booking Systems for WordPress

The Best Online Hotel Booking Systems for WordPress

Online booking makes it easier than ever for guests to book into a hotel. And if your hotel has a WordPress website, you’ll find it easier than ever to set up your own online booking system. You just need to find a hotel booking system for wordpress that’s not too […]

online training courses

Why WordPress Is Ideal for Online Training Courses

You may have all your online training courses material ready. Perhaps you’re brimming with ideas for class videos, quizzes, and lessons. You could be keen to share your knowledge online where you can reach more people and your students can learn at their own pace. But where do you start […]

How to engage users on your website

How to Engage Users on Your Website

Why should your visitors stay on your website? What is it about your content that makes you stand out from the crowd? If you’re not sure what the answer is, let’s see how to engage users on your website and what it might be missing. Content that’s easier to digest […]

How to Build an International Website

How to Build an International Website

Has your business got a website that targets users across the globe? Do you want to promote your website internationally? If so, here are some tips on how you can build an international website that attracts visitors and converts them. 1. Optimise Your Content for Different Languages Be sure to […]

Is WordPress good for ecommerce?

Is WordPress Good for Ecommerce?

As a website CMS (content management system), WordPress has quite the reputation, powering 37% of all websites in 2021. Web designers the world over (including us) think it’s a godsend for making quick and simple changes to your webpages. But what if you’re using your website to sell products online? […]

Best online payment systems: pricing, pros and cons

The Best Online Payment Systems for Ecommerce

If you’re looking to turn your company website into an online shop, you’re in luck! It’s easier than ever to set up your very own ecommerce website to let your customers browse and buy your products online. You just need a good payment provider, and there are plenty of online […]

Website Traffic: Google Analytics Channels

Google Analytics Channels: Your Website Traffic Explained

A vital part of your digital marketing strategy is finding out how many users are visiting your website. And, specifically, how they got there. By setting up Google Analytics on your site, you can do exactly that. We’ve talked about the key things you can measure with Analytics, including sources […]

How Social Media Improves SEO

How Social Media Improves Your SEO

Does Social Media Help? Social media engagement is not a ranking factor in Google results. So, that must mean it doesn’t help with SEO, right? Wrong! Your social media presence may not directly improve SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), but it will indirectly. In fact, it could be a crucial piece […]

which social media should my business be on?

Which Social Media Platform Should My Business Be On?

Which social media platform is the best? Which is the most used social media platform? Social media has been around for a while now. Some platforms have risen in popularity, while others have fallen. Meanwhile, we have welcomed the new kid on the block, TikTok. You know your business needs […]

how to convert website visitors into customers

Converting Website Visitors into Customers

You’ve recently invested in a new website for your business. Perhaps it’s an upgrade or you’ve migrated from a different platform to WordPress. You’re pleased with it, it looks good. But now what? You should never invest in a new website if you and your web developer/designer don’t know what […]

What can you measure with Google Analytics?

Google Analytics: 5 Key Things to Measure

As we like to say, if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Crucial to any marketing campaign is your ability to measure its performance. In digital marketing, particularly search engine traffic and conversion rates, our handiest tool of measurement is Google Analytics. In short, Analytics helps you to […]

website-best-practice-Google-EAT

Google E-A-T Update: Website Best Practices

Content isn’t king. Even great content isn’t king. Great and highly visible content, on the other hand, rules the web! What we mean by this is that having a brilliant website — with all the bells and whistles and interesting, well-researched wording and images — is all pointless if people […]

how much digital marketing cost

How Much Does Digital Marketing Cost?

How much does digital marketing cost? The important matter of price is the first query that will spring to mind for most business owners, whether they are embarking on the path of looking to promote their new startup or wishing to use digital marketing as their promotion strategy for their […]

website leads value

How Much Does a Website Cost?

One of the first questions any business or organisation will ask whether they are a start-up business or an established business looking to grow and spread their message, is how much does a website cost? Of course, people recognise that this is similar to the old ‘how long is a […]

Design-led website

What is a Design-led website?

Many website companies pride themselves on being ‘design-led’ but what actually does this mean? Just lately I’ve had several prospects finding this phrase in their quotations and asking me, “Phil, I’ve seen a few website design companies saying that my website will be ‘Design-led’, but what does it mean and […]

prepare for new website

How to Prepare for a New Website Design

In today’s digital world, getting your website re-designed and/or re-developed is just as exciting as re-decorating your office or shop premises. Sprucing up your website can boost your team’s morale, create a better impression for your prospective customers when they visit your online ‘shop window’ and be a great chance […]

website health check

Your Summer Website Health Check

Your car goes to the garage every year for a legal check-up. Even people are encouraged to go for a regular medical check-up when we get to a certain age! Regularly checking something important helps maintain it in a top-notch condition all year round, and your website’s certainly important. Just […]

video SEO

10 Ways to Win at Video SEO Without Technical Skills!

Videos. You can watch them, listen to them and even read them (more on this later!) They’re engaging, vary your digital marketing content and are hugely popular on social media and websites. In fact, we’ve written before about video SEO and how videos can help boost your website’s health and […]

Jayna Patel, Overgate Hospice Corporate Members Event

How to Improve Your Website Ranking in 2019 – Part 2

Following on from Part 1 of our How to Improve your Website Ranking in 2019 Guide, here’s the SEO Content Writing insights our Social Media Coordinator and Copywriter Jayna Patel shared as Pivotal presented at Overgate Hospice’s Corporate Member’s networking lunch in March. E-A-T – The Quick SEO Win Before we […]

Website Ranking Presentation

How to Improve Your Website Ranking in 2019 – Part 1

As a Corporate Member of Calderdale’s Overgate Hospice, we seized the opportunity to be a guest speaker at their quarterly Corporate Members’ networking lunch in March and impart some of our SEO and Content Marketing wisdom. Our Director and Web Developer Phil Hatfield took to the stage first at the glamorous […]

Overgate-Associates-Networking-Event-Signature

Pivotal Presenting on Website Rankings

Calling All Calderdale Businesses What are you doing on Tuesday 19th March? Overgate Associates will have their first business networking event of the year next Tuesday at Bertie’s, Elland. Attendance is free for all Overgate Associates members. As sponsors of this event, Pivotal will also be presenting insights into how […]

Website Traffic: Desktop/Mobile/Tablet and Internet Browsers

Website Traffic: Desktop vs Mobile

Does your website look good to all your visitors? And we mean all of them, whatever device they’re using. What with all the many devices, operating systems and internet browsers available, it’s imperative that you cater to any and every one that brings in your website traffic. At the very […]

ecommerce-page

Comparing Website Costs

How a Cheap Website Could Cost You Thousands “Apples to Apples” is an old and often overused phrase, but the definition still holds value. Basically, when you’re shopping around for a quote for a service or product, make sure the quotes you receive include all the same services. That way […]

Website Security

Why Your Website Security Matters

Why Your Website Security Matters Now More Than Ever Cybersecurity, hacking, data breaches — these are the words that every business dreads. A report earlier in the year, by cybersecurity firm Shape Security, revealed that 80%–90% of the login attempts made on retailers’ websites are hackers using stolen data. No wonder […]

mobile friendly websites

3 Reasons Why You MUST Have a Mobile-Friendly Website

“Do I need a mobile-friendly website?” Have you asked yourself this question recently? Smartphones and other mobile devices are fast becoming the preferred method of Internet access; if you haven’t already got a mobile website, you need to get one soon. Why? Because your customers are increasingly going mobile. Mobile’s […]

global websites challenges

The Challenges of Building a Global Website

Is your business planning on expanding abroad? Perhaps you’re considering taking the plunge and going international in 2019? If so, you won’t need us to tell you that it isn’t a decision to be made lightly. Entering a new market in a different country needs careful strategic planning, with all […]

Jordan Hatfield, Digital Marketing Intern

A Jordan Like No Other

Meet Jordan — but this isn’t just any Jordan. This Jordan is a Psychology graduate from the University of Manchester, already making his mark in the world of marketing as a Digital Marketing Intern here at Pivotal Marketing. Armed with a keen eye for grammar and detail, Jordan knows what looks […]

Gutenberg Wordpress

WordPress Gutenberg — The Marmite Ratings

Pivotal owner and lead developer, Phil, shares his views on Gutenberg, the latest WordPress plugin I’m sure all fellow WordPress lovers will have heard the news about the impending integration of the Gutenberg plugin to the future release of WordPress Version 5. Gutenberg is a page builder that allows users to […]

Overgate Hospice Charity Walk

These Boots Are Made for a Charity Walk

We are ditching our warm comfy beds and donning our thick socks and walking boots to join Overgate Hospice on a midnight charity walk. On Saturday 8th September, Overgate Hospice’s annual 13-mile walk will take place. Inviting people of all ages to join the midnight fun, Overgate is keeping the route […]

Taylia Tingle, Junior Developer, apprentice, coding superstar

Meet Our Apprentice Turned Coding Superstar

Tingle, Taylia Tingle is her name and she arrives at Pivotal HQ in Brighouse every morning bright-eyed and with extra sass ready to take on the world of digital marketing and coding for beginners. Taylia joined Pivotal Marketing in January 2018 as a digital marketing apprentice from Estio training, one […]

Brighouse Central Foodbank

Food for Thought With Brighouse Central Foodbank

Thirteen million people live below the poverty line in the UK, with individuals going hungry every day.  Low income, benefit delays and receiving an unexpected bill are just a few reasons contributing to the crisis. Many people find it difficult to cope with the everyday demands facing them. Food banks like […]

Social Media: Digital Marketing Trends in 2019

Digital Marketing Trends in 2019: Our 5 Predictions

Believe it or not, we’re already halfway through 2018! And what does next year have in store for digital marketing? If you’re wondering the same, we have 5 predictions for Digital Marketing trends in 2019: 1. Internet vs. Television According to a research from Social Report, it’s thought that the […]

Social Media

Social Media: 5 Pros & Cons for Business in 2018

If you’re anything like us at Pivotal and you like a cheap pint or good grub that’s value for money, you’ll have heard of the nationwide pub chain JD Wetherspoons. This week they made headlines when they announced they were breaking away from the business marketing norm and deleting their […]

Marketing Strategy and stationery

Can a Marketing Strategy Really Work?

Can a marketing strategy work for small businesses? 247GT say YES! ‘Marketing Campaigns’, ‘Digital Strategies’ … this may seem like business speak for the larger blue chip companies, but actually it’s not. Even the smallest company can take advantage of a simple and effective marketing strategy. Most companies, however large […]

Facebook

Facebook App Permissions

How to stop third-party apps from collecting your personal details and data from Facebook. There has been recent news of Cambridge Analytica misusing the data of around 50 million Facebook users. Facebook has been allowing third-party apps access to your private and personal data, as well as your family and […]

Facebook logo

Facebook Algorithm: Reacting to New Changes

Commenting, Sharing and Reacting on Facebook Over the past few weeks there have been lots of announcements about changes to Facebook and its news feed. Family and friends’ posts are pushed higher than posts from businesses and companies selling themselves and their products and services.     There have been all […]

Twitter's Login

Twitter’s Character Expansion: Yay or Nay?

The days and the wait for Christmas may be getting shorter, but Tweets are getting longer! This week Twitter, the fast-paced micro-blogging social media platform, increased its short and snappy Tweet length. Where users could only type 140 characters, now they can type 280 — and we reckon Twitter’s decision […]

website design trends

What Are the Web Design Trends for 2017?

The web is a rapidly evolving space. Technologies and development techniques can appear quickly. Ever improving tools allow for greater freedom when designing interfaces and interactions. And because of this, web design patterns and techniques can begin to trend within a short period of time. Below is a list of […]

website virtual assistant

How Virtual Assistants Like Siri and Google Will Impact Your SEO

The Rise of the Virtual Assistants There’s been quite a noise over the last couple of years with regard to the virtual assistants that are slowly but surely taking over. If you’re one of hundreds of millions of iPhone users, you’ll know yours as Siri. If you’re part of the […]

Virtual Reality Social Media

Virtual Reality — the Future of Social Media?

Back in 2014, Facebook bought the most famous virtual reality company in the world, Oculus VR, for $2 million. And, at Facebook’s most recent F8 conference for developers, the company’s executives talked about the concept for “social VR”, in which Facebook would help users have social experiences within virtual worlds. […]

wordpress training courses

Should You Go On A WordPress Training Course?

Well, it depends on two things: Do you want to be able to manage the content and layout of your website yourself? Would you prefer a professional to do it for you? If you answered yes to number 2, then that’s an easy fix. Email me at [email protected] and we’ll […]

Speeding-Up website downloads

A Semi-Advanced Guide to Speeding Up Your WordPress Website

How’s that for a catchy title?! This is a semi-advanced guide so you will need some knowledge of the back-end of WordPress and will require FTP access so if you’re unsure, get in touch using the comments at the bottom or send me a private message & I’ll talk you […]

website security

Beginner’s Guide to WordPress Security

As hacking becomes more commonplace, it is becoming more and more important to increase security on your own website to protect your own personal details and your website. Security is not just about strong passwords. There are lots of things you can do to help keep your WordPress website secure. […]

keep websites safe secure

Ten Tips to Harden Your WordPress Site

In June, I attended WordCamp, Vienna, a huge conference that focuses on everything WordPress – not just an excuse for a holiday! It’s a fantastic conference for everyone from the casual WordPress user to core developers. I learned lots of new things, some of which I hope to share through […]

synergy web optimisation SEO CRO

The Symbiosis of SEO and CRO

For many years I have been saying to website owners: “there’s no point having a fantastic website if no one is visiting it”, and, by the same token: “there is little point spending lots of money getting visitors to your website if, when they arrive, they find it difficult to […]

internet-vs-tv

Turning Bad Online Reviews Into Opportunities

It can happen to anyone. A restaurant owner, solar panel installer, owner of a hairdressing company, you name it, it doesn’t matter what industry or sector. Many in the business owner community could experience, or is likely to have already experienced, the dreaded ‘negative public customer review’. Many business owners […]

why use ssl security certificate

Why SSL Should Be Top Priority for E-Commerce Websites.

As business owners we all want our customers to feel reassured, comfortable and secure, don’t we? This is especially the case when it comes to their data and security. If clients didn’t feel safe and protected they wouldn’t continue to use your service. But how can you make your clients […]

SEO

Is SEO Dead? Definitely Not!

There is quite a bit of chatter on the internet that SEO is dead. You have to wonder what these people understand as being SEO. By what definition do they interpret the term SEO? If we remove the ‘SE’ bit and look at the definition of the verb ‘optimise’, this […]

google logo

Google Gambles With The Rainbow

Google is a search engine that has become ingrained in our lives, so much so that it has even become a verb! Our first port of call when searching for online news, information, maps, images and videos is more often than not to ‘Google It.’ It’s speedy, handy and easy. […]

Amanda

Pivotal Welcomes Graphic Designer Amanda Seymour

Being a small, albeit tight-knit team here at Pivotal, it’s always exciting news and a big deal when we expand our team, so we’re thrilled to announce that freelance graphic designer and branding expert, Amanda Seymour (above) will be joining our team. We wouldn’t have gotten Amanda on board if she wasn’t […]

mac-glasses

Is Guest Blogging Dead?

Guest blogging for many years has been an effective part of many companies SEO strategies; building exposure, branding, a strong community, and increasing a websites reach. But things took a turn back in January 2014. Matt Cutts, the head of the web spam team at Google, posted a hugely talked […]

google logo

Google Adwords Qualified

It’s official! Here at Pivotal Web Solutions, we are Google Adwords qualified. After successfully passing both the Adwords Fundamental and Adwords Advanced Search exams, we are now recognised by Google as having the knowledge and skills necessary for running successful Google Adwords Search campaigns. To celebrate, we will match your […]

small-business-showcase

Pivotal Named in The Guardian’s Marketing and PR Excellence List for 2014!

Pivotal Web Solutions have been named in the Guardian’s Marketing and PR Excellence List for 2014. Organised by The Guardian Small Business Network the Small Business Showcase rewards innovation and best practice across the small business sector. Entrants that meets the criteria will have their entry published on the Guardian […]

own your domain name

Own Your Domain Name

One of the most important things to remember when owning a website, is to make sure you own and control your domain name. Over the years a domain name can gain authority and in some cases become quite valuable. To the business owner their name is like gold dust. Some […]

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