Tag: seo

  • New Website Launched for Reames Employee Benefits Solutions

    We’re excited to show off our latest website redesign for Reames Employee Benefits Solutions, based in Daytona Beach, Florida!

    The new Reames website was recently launched with a oceanfront skyline image creating a local, modern feel that is easy to navigate.

    The site is mobile-responsive, clean and concise, and provides a one-stop resource for potential and current clients.

    Visit the new Reames website at reamesebs.com!

    Contact us to learn more about custom website design, SEO optimization, email marketing, and social media solutions!

  • New Website Launched for Byrne Byrne and Company!

    Does your website inspire new visitors to learn more, or think they entered a time-capsule to 1898? 

    The home screen of your website is the first touch for most potential clients! It’s important to create a visually-appealing, easy-to-navigate site that tells your brand story and showcases your services. We’re excited about our latest website redesign for Byrne Byrne and Company, based in Chicago, which features a sweeping skyline backdrop.

    The site is mobile-responsive, clean and concise, and provides a one-stop resource for potential and current clients.

    Visit the new Byrne Byrne and Company website at byrnebyrne.com!

    Byrne Byrne also utilizes our social media marketing solution which includes posting relevant blogs on industry topics, creating and managing social media company pages on  Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter  and publishing personalized content from company outreach initiatives!

    Contact us to learn more about custom website design, SEO optimization, email marketing and social media solutions!

  • Custom Content for Benefit Agencies | How Paid Parental Leave is Changing the Benefits Landscape

    There’s no doubt that original content boosts your search engine rankings, establishes credibility as an industry expert, and generates interest in your services. Yet many benefit agencies struggle to produce timely, quality content simply because they don’t have the bandwidth to get it done. At eTekhnos we offer customized social media marketing plans to fit your agency. Along with curated relevant content on compliance issues and top HR and benefit trends, we prioritize creating custom pieces on the latest hot topics! Here’s a sample blog article we recently produced for our clients on the rising 2017 benefit trend of paid parental leave:

    How Paid Parental Leave is Changing the Benefits Landscape

    When you hear the term “paid parental leave”, what do you think of? Here in the U.S., paid leave benefits are somewhat of a luxury. Although the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has made it possible for parents working at companies with 50 or more employees to secure 12 weeks of unpaid leave, the U.S. is one of only three countries on a list of 185 that does not mandate a period of paid parental leave. This leaves the country ranked below Iran and Mexico, who both offer 12 weeks of paid parental leave. On the other end of the spectrum, employees in the UK benefit from up to 40 weeks of paid leave.

    As a result of having no mandated paid parental leave policy, approximately a quarter of U.S. women who become pregnant while employed quit their jobs upon giving birth, one third of women are forced to borrow money or withdraw from savings to cover time off from work, and 15% utilize public assistance. The June 2015 Enforcement Guidance on Pregnancy Discrimination from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was the first legislation to make a case for offering equal parental leave to mothers and fathers, setting a new precedent for the evolution of the paid leave benefit.

    Why Should You Offer Paid Parental Leave to Employees?

    The EY & Peterson Institute for International Economics recently released a study revealing that 38% of millennials would move to a new country if they would be afforded better paid parental leave benefits. Millennials now make up the largest demographic in the American workforce, and companies will need to increasingly take statistics like this into account when building benefit plans that will attract and retain top talent.

    Aside from talent acquisition, the study goes on to show the positive impacts a paid parental leave benefit can have on keeping women in the C-Suite, as men who would usually be considered secondary caregivers take advantage of the time off and allow women to get back to work more quickly. In addition, change.org, who has implemented a generous paid parental leave policy, observed that dads who took leave in their company encouraged other new fathers to take advantage of the benefits as well, creating a culture of safety in which to utilize leave and invest more fully in their family life.

    Ultimately, employees are happier and are empowered to do better work when they are allowed to honor their priorities. Whether this means a new mother is allowed to take stress-free, paid time off to bond with her child, or a father takes advantage of leave to be with his family or allow his partner to return to work, the ability to balance work and life is of the utmost importance to younger generations.

    Case Studies – Top Companies Doing it Right

    American Express

    American Express recently announced that they were changing their paid parental leave policy from three months for primary caregivers and two weeks for secondary caregivers to five months of paid parental leave for all full-time and part-time employees.

    All genders are eligible for the benefit, and employees may become parents via birth, adoption or surrogacy. In addition, American Express offers up to $35,000 for adoption or surrogacy fees with a limit of two events.  A lifetime maximum of $35,000 is also allotted for fertility treatments.

    The company also announced a unique supplemental benefit of 24-hour lactation consultants available to nursing mothers, and a breast milk shipment program available to mothers traveling for business who need to send milk home.

    Bank of America

    Bank of America offers 16 weeks of paid leave for biological and adoptive parents. A unique feature of their policy allows parents to take leave any time during the first year of the child’s life, enabling partners to take overlapping or subsequent time off, whichever best fits their family’s needs. The company values providing this option, as they see almost half of parents in today’s society raising their kids together at home while both holding jobs.

    The banking giant also tries to make life after baby easier for working parents by offering a more flexible work-from-home program and providing $240 in monthly childcare reimbursement for employees whose household income comes in under $100,000 annually.

    Netflix

    Netflix took the spotlight when it comes to paid parental leave benefits when they announced that the company would offer unlimited paid leave with no loss of benefits during the first year after a child’s arrival. Leave can be taken at any time during the year, and employees may choose to work part-time, or come back to work and then leave again if desired.

    Netflix chief talent officer, Tawni Cranz, said of the monumental decision, “Experience shows people perform better at work when they’re not worrying about home.”

    Twitter

    While Twitter offers 20 weeks of paid leave for mothers and 10 for fathers and adoptive parents, the most innovative benefits this company offers come through its pre and post-natal programs for parents. Twitter offers quarterly “New Moms and Moms-To-Be” roundtables, a Mommy Mentor Program, Working Mom lunches and most lately, “Dads on Leave” roundtables. In-house support for employees when it comes to family life provides a safe place to embrace new roles as parents while still progressing in their careers.

    How Can You Adopt This Benefit?

    Job participation by women in peak years is declining, and paid parental leave is a way to help remove barriers in the workplace that leave women in only 5% of CEO positions at Fortune 500 companies. Karyn Twaronite, EY global diversity and inclusiveness officer, said, “Companies that view parental leave as something solely for mothers are becoming extinct, as more modern and enlightened companies are realizing that many people, especially millennials, are even more interested in co-parenting given most are part of dual career couples.”

    If your company is unable to keep up with the generous paid leave packages larger businesses can afford, consider taking a page out of Twitter’s book and offering mentoring programs and support groups for new parents. Budget for childcare reimbursement costs like Bank of America. Even smaller changes that are made thoughtfully, with the employee in mind, will increase the appeal of your benefits package.

    As the benefits landscape changes with shifting demographics, consider carefully how offering paid parental leave could positively impact your employees, and ultimately, your bottom line as workers are motivated to work harder and smarter, knowing things are taken care of at home.

     

    By Kate McGaughey – Social Media Director, eTekhnos

  • New Website Launched for The Megro Benefits Company | eTekhnos Web Design

    What’s the latest and greatest trend in web design?

    Mobile responsiveness. Most of us do business through our phones at some point during the day. If you share a link to your website via social media or an email campaign, you want prospects to see a fully functional, visually appealing site that easily converts into leads! Our latest website redesign for The Megro Benefits Company shows off our mobile-friendly sites!

     

    We recently launched a new website for The Megro Benefits Company in long-page format with a stunning Philadelphia skyline photo, creating a modern feel that is easy to navigate with a little local flair.  The site is mobile-responsive, clean and concise, and provides a one-stop resource for potential and current clients.

    Visit the new Megro Benefits website at megrobenefits.com!

    Megro Benefits also utilizes our social media marketing solution which includes posting relevant blogs on industry topics, creating and managing social media company pages on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and publishing personalized content from company outreach initiatives!

    Contact us to learn more about custom website design, SEO optimization, email marketing and social media solutions!

  • How to Develop a Killer Content Marketing Strategy for Benefit Agencies

    content-marketing-2Why You Need Content Marketing

    As social media marketing becomes more popular with companies whose clientele consists of other businesses, it’s important to understand how a quality content strategy can enhance your online brand. Creative content serves your business in two important ways.

    First, content crafted to tell your company’s story in an interesting, innovative way helps your audience connect with your brand and better understand your product. This is vital for turning social media interactions into leads and customer action.

    Second, the more relevant and valuable content you produce and publish, the higher you will be ranked in search engine result lists. If a potential client is Googling “2016 ACA compliance,” and you’ve published a recent blog on deadlines and reporting, your content will show up in search results, prompting the searcher to click through to your website. The more unique and niche content you produce on a topic, the more likely you are to show up high in Google results, and the more prospects you will drive to your website.

    In the age of technology, the average person is bombarded with thousands of advertisements a day. Because of this, it is essential that companies are intentional and innovative with their content marketing. We’ve put together a list of some of the best ways to ensure you develop an effective strategy for your company.

    The Content

    In a study conducted by the Content Marketing Institute, creating engaging content ranked as a top priority at 72% for developing new material to post on your blog and social media. In the benefits industry, it is essential that you clearly convey how your company stands apart from other firms as the best option for crafting unique benefit packages, streamlining compliance and developing HR solutions. Focus on choosing relevant industry topics to present in an innovative way. To optimize your creative approach, try implementing the following best practices:

    Visuals

    Use pictures, infographics, and charts to inform your clients about your process and services visually. These mediums effectively grab clients’ attention and can help you convey information in a simple yet informative manner.

    Long-Form Content

    Be more analytic with lengthy and complex written content. Make sure to research thoroughly and back up your key points with real facts. Not only does long-form content give you room to explain fully to clients what needs your benefit agency meets, but also sets you up as a go-to industry source.

    Specialized Experts

    The benefit industry has a very specific target market, so to consistently create cutting edge content, an industry expert is an essential part of your marketing team. According to Curata, in 2017, 51% of companies will have an executive whose role is solely devoted to content marketing. Your company should employ or contract an industry expert (like eTekhnos!) to produce content and advise on how to best reach your preferred customers. Expert-informed content boosts your brand’s credibility and ensures that clients have somewhere reliable to turn to when they need help with difficult or complex benefit questions.

    Stay Up-To-Date and Be One Step Ahead

    As you create your own company-specific content calendar, it is equally important to stay up-to-date on what your competitors are talking about on their blogs and social media. Reading blogs, posts and articles that discuss how to create optimal content can help foster new ideas and also reveal what’s trending in employee benefits and human resources. Content marketing is always changing and evolving at a fast pace, and staying current on best practices and hot topics gives you a crucial advantage.

    Implement these best practices, and contact us today for help developing a custom content marketing strategy!

     

    By Nicole Federico and Kate McGaughey

  • 4 Easy Ways to Get More Out of LinkedIn | Employee Benefits Technology

    As employee benefit agencies, we know it can be hard to figure out the best way to leverage social media for your company, so we’ve made it easy.  Follow these four steps to get more out of LinkedIn today!

    LinkedIn infographic

    Want to learn more? Go in depth with our post 5 Ways to Optimize LinkedIn for Your Benefit Agency.

  • Tips for an Awesome and SEO-Friendly Blog Post

    Writing a blog post -like all other writing- is a skill. In order to keep your reader interested, you should think about structuring your text and writing in an appealing style. You should help your readers to grasp the main idea of your post by providing headings, subheadings and clear paragraphs. If people understand and like your text, they are much more likely to share, like, tweet and link to your post. And that will increase your rankings! So, in order to improve your ranking in Google, you should definitely try to maximize your writing skills!

    For some, writing for SEO purposes and writing to attract and keep attracting your audience could appear as two contradictory goals. However, I totally disagree. Indeed, if you not only want a good but also an SEO-friendly blog post, your text should be written in such a way that the words you want to be found for have a very prominent place. And, using your keywords too often severely damages the readability of your text. So, you definitely should not do that!

    In this post, I would like to give some tips on writing blog posts that are both very readable as well as SEO-friendly. I genuinely think those two goals should (and can easily!) go hand in hand!

    Elementary writing tips for good blog posts

    Before anything, your blog post just has to be a good piece of writing! A lot of bloggers just begin to write after creating a new blog post. They just type what comes to mind. For some, this may be sufficient, because they are natural writing talents. Others may need some help. I always follow the next set of ‘rules’ myself.

    1. Think before you write!

    Think hard about the message of your text. What do you want to tell your readers? And what is the purpose of your text? What do you want you readers to do at the end of the page? Write down the answers to these questions before you begin writing.

    2. Write down the structure of your blog post.

    Every post should have some sort of introduction (in which you introduce your topic), a body (in which the main message is written) and a conclusion (which should summarize the most important ideas or deduce some new idea). Write down what you want to write in all these three sections. You now have some sort of summary of your post. The real writing can begin!

    3. Use paragraphs.

    Everybody uses paragraphs, but make sure to use paragraphs that make sense. Do not start a new sentence on a new line, just because it looks nice. There should be a reason for making a new paragraph. Every paragraph should have a main idea or a main subject. Ask yourself what the main idea of each paragraph is. You should be able to grasp that main idea in only one sentence. If you need more sentences, you simply need more paragraphs!

    4. Use Headings.

    If you want people to find their way in your articles, you should use subheadings. Subheadings will lead people, help them scan your page, and make the structure of your articles that much clearer.

    5. Use signal words.

    Signal words help people to scan through your text and help people to grasp your main idea. If you, for instance, have three reasons for wanting to sell a product, you should use signal words as: First of all, Secondly and Finally. Also, words as Nevertheless, Surely and Indeed also give a clear signal to your readers. Readers will instantly get that a conclusion will follow after words as Thus, So or Therefore. Signal words are thus very important to structure your text.

    6. Let other people read your post.

    Before publishing your post, let someone else read your post first. Ask him/her whether or not he understands the main idea of your post. Correct typo’s and sentences that are not formulated correctly.

    by Source: Yoast.com

  • 5 Reasons Why SEO is Important for Small Businesses – SEO Marketing

    Why Should You as a Small Business Owner be Concerned About Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

    Because you want to provide visitors to your website with such a fantastic user experience that they will tell others! Because you want to provide search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo critical information so they will place your site in the
    top 5 spots on the returns page!

    The job of a search engine is to take the information typed in by the user and locate the most relevant websites using those keywords. Simply put, if you are not engaging in SEO, you are not on that first page of results – the other guy is! By investing in search engine marketing, you are staying competitive with those other guys while giving your brand name exposure 24 hours, 7 days a week and are sure to gain new customers – even while you sleep. Let’s take a look at what a good SEO service can do for you while you take a snooze…

    5 Reasons to Invest in SEO Marketing

    1. Optimal User Experience

    SEO is ultimately about providing the user with the friendliest, fastest, best experience possible. A search engine wants to provide the user with what they are looking for, and when it can do that, both parties are happy. A happy visitor will become a returning visitor.

    2. Optimal Reach

    People unconsciously trust search engine results. If Google places Dave’s Donuts in the top spot of a search, then it must have earned that place and it must be good. User then tells all his friends on Facebook and Twitter that he’s going to Dave’s and he invites them, leaving the link for them to click as well. The laws of multiplication can work pretty fast, and before you know it, a dozen hungry teens show up at Dave’s Donuts! Why? Because the search engine matched everything perfectly, and it all pointed to Dave’s.

    3. Optimal Potential for Conversion

    Internet marketing, including SEO, attracts people who are already looking for your product or service. You don’t have to scream, dance, or wear cool clothes to gain an audience; they are already convinced of their need which is why they went searching in the first place. No bold print ad placed front and center on the magazine page is required. You just have to present yourself in one of those top 5 results and – voila! They were looking for you and you showed up right on time! You still have to convince them that you are the better company to purchase from, but half the battle is over. Once they come to your website, if you have invested the same tedious work to optimize the user’s experience with you by providing the content they seek, then you are well on your way to gaining a new customer.

     4. Optimal Exposure for Brand Awareness

    As stated in point #2, people unconsciously trust search engine results. If Dave’s Donuts is #1, then Dave’s serves the best donuts. But most users do not just run over to Dave’s the next hour and buy a dozen donuts (unless they are local teenagers)! They do, however, file it somewhere or bookmark it. They go clicking around the world numerous times before making a final decision. If your website is employing top notch SEO services, how often might that user come across your company name while conducting his search? What if your company came up 3 of the 5 times they searched for that desired product? Next thing you know, they have clicked through to your website.

    5. Optimal Insight into Your Customers

    If your website is properly optimized, it will increase your search engine visibility, usability, and credibility, all of which increase traffic to your site. Now that you are enjoying higher numbers of visitors, Google Analytics (which every website should have set up) can track valuable information about your visitors. Find out what browser they use, what key words, the technology they use, their geographical location, the days and times they are most active, how much time they spent on a page…on and on. This information will help you discover your target market, hone your advertising, and determine strategies based on facts rather than just educated guesses. The better you know your customers, the better product or service you can provide, the higher the ROI.

    Search engine optimization is no longer an option for businesses that want to be competitive, grow, and see returns on investment. But it is only one piece of the puzzle. If your website does not contain viable content, then no matter how much money or time you spend on SEO, it is wasted. Content will always be king. But when used in conjunction with other important marketing tools, SEO will provide visibility, traffic, credibility, branding and help you gain valuable insight into customer behavior.

    Read More