corey

Mar 09 2025

Is WordPress Actually ‘The World’s Best?’

By corey Web Design

Did you know the world boasts 1.88 billion websites? Every year that number grows. Which website platform’s used the most? If you guessed ‘WordPress,’ then you’d be right. Yes, WordPress accounts for 1/3 of all websites on the entire internet! Why is it the top-choice for leading websites around the world?

Ease of use is what helped WordPress beat other website building platforms like Drupal or Joomla to become the favourite choice of web developers everywhere. Adding new pages, images and videos, or utilising the built-in blog feature is a breeze and can be done as quickly as an email in G-Suite, or a post on FB (Facebook). While other well-known D.I.Y website building tools like Wix, or Squarespace might be easy to use too, they’re entry-level, and unfortunately the modern business essential SEO (Google search engine optimisation) tends to be their downfall.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Google Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) ensures a site is prioritised by Google. Which web platform does Google prefer? WordPress. Google Search Engine prioritisation is a leading reason why 1/3 of the internet selects WordPress, making it the world’s best. By having the world’s leading platform for SEO, your business is best-positioned to get top results on Google.

Mobile Responsive/Smartphone-Savvy

The WordPress (CMS) is a top choice, if you want your website to adjust its layout and size to the device it’s accessed by e.g laptop, desktop, phone, tablet. Mobile responsiveness provides your visitors with a seamless experience from beginning to end, no matter what kind of device they’re using. With more than 54% of internet users accessing websites on mobile devices, a lack of mobile compatibility could easily cut your site visits in half. At Sky Media, we know smart phones need smart websites, so we only design mobile-friendly WordPress websites.

Sky Media’s High-Speed Hosting for WordPress Websites
When it comes to launch day, 99% of our clients choose to host their Custom WordPress Website with us. Website hosting is like a digital parking space online for your website. You can host your website with a full range of providers, but the benefits of hosting with Sky Media include high-speed New Zealand-based hosting, full-site security, 24/7 New Zealand-based customer care, and on-going support (including complimentary WordPress updates) from the people who know your website from the front end to the back. Who could compete with that?

For the world’s best websites, look no further than WordPress. At Sky Media, all of our websites are built on WordPress, because we simply wouldn’t accept anything less. If you want a world-class website that’s fit to fly high online, look no further than Sky Media’s High-Flying WordPress Web Design and Development.

Mar 01 2025

Do I Really Need a Website for My Business?

By corey Web Design

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Is it really important to have a website if you’re a business owner, retailer, or service provider?

Having a website means customers can always find you – anytime, anywhere. Even outside of business hours, your website can continue to find and secure new customers for you. It offers web surfers convenience, as they’re able to access the information they need from the comfort of their own home, in their own time, with no added pressure to buy.

A well-designed website can generate new business, and make life easier for existing customers, while placing your business in the best light. A high-quality website can enable your business to shine, whether it’s well-established, or brand-new, small, medium, or large.

A clear and concise website provides a quick and easy way of communicating information between buyers and sellers. You can list your opening hours, contact information, show images of your location or products, and use contact forms to facilitate enquiries from potential customers, or generate feedback from existing ones. You can even upload promotional videos to engage your customers and sell your business in an effective and cost-efficient way. All of this progress can happen while you’re off the clock, because a well-designed website will keep working when you’re not.

In the past when a business shut their doors at 5.30 pm, that was the day done, but with a website your business can be active 24/7/365. From a customer’s point of view, it’s better for them if they don’t have to travel to get what they want. They can buy your products, or research your services without having to wait until your physical store is open. This level of ease means new and existing customers can take action and get what they want, as soon as they feel the need.

In today’s modern world, people don’t expect to have to wait for answers, r solutions. Nowadays, there’s an expectation that companies will have a website. People tend to be distrusting of any business that doesn’t have a website and a branded email address. These are useful tools to share key information about your business, while also generating trust and enhancing the public perception of your business.

A digital marketing study done in 2018 showed 84% of consumers believe a business with a website is more credible than a business listed in an online directory, or on social media. By having a professional website, you’re boosting the credibility of your business, which is critical for attracting new clientele.

Best utilising your website to gain and retain a customer is the ultimate goal and the result of successfully meeting their wants and needs every step of the way. By understanding your ideal audience and how your product or service could provide a benefit to their lives, you can attract new customers via targeted advertising and a positive user-experience on your website.

There are 4.8 billion people online every day, accounting for more than half of the world’s population and these figures increase every year. For the most part, internet users are either looking for information, sharing on social media or using e-commerce websites. Gone are the days of turning to the Yellow Pages, nowadays it’s all about Google and Facebook. If you’re not online, where are you? To potential customers the answer could be, ‘Nowhere to be found.’

Feb 22 2025

How Do Google Ads Work?

By corey Google Ads

Back to Insights

Google Ads is a pay per click (PPC) advertising solution that offers an extremely effective way of driving relevant qualified traffic to your website, when people are searching Google for the types of products, or services your business offers.

Maybe you plan to run a promotion, or perhaps you just need a quick injection of sales? A Google Ads Campaign is the fastest way to get your website listed on the 1st Page of Google for the Keywords of your choice e.g ‘Painter Blenheim,’ ‘Botox Christchurch,’ or ‘Car yards Auckland.’

Google Ad’s pay-per-click (PPC) setup is like a bidding system, where companies bid to have their ads shown to the relevant audience. Like all bidding systems, those with the highest bid win. As a result, each time your ad is clicked on, Google charges a small fee. Click fees range from $1 – $15 per click, depending on your industry and location.

Sky Media’s Google Experts will begin by creating a list of Keywords that are relevant to the products and services you want to promote and sell. Keyword examples for a builder in Nelson could be: ‘New Homes Nelson’, ‘New Builds Nelson’, ‘Builder Nelson’, ‘Commercial Builder Nelson.’

Our copywriters will create a short eye-catching Google Ad that will capture your ideal client’s attention immediately. We’ll then confirm your Google click budget, the locations you want to target, and the days of the week that suit you. $20 – $30 per day is a good start.

Once your campaign is live, Google will send the people who search for what you’ve got to your Google Ad. Visitors will find your ad and a link to your website up in the paid ad section at the top of Google’s 1st Page.

Once you’re on Google’s 1st Page, you’ll notice more clicks to your website and an increase enquiries. Get ready to answer the phone, or emails, or to witness an increase in sales.

Once your Google budget is used up for the day, your ad will be taken down and replaced by other businesses targeting the same market. Not to worry, you’ll reappear the next morning when your budget’s refreshed.
Our Google Technicians will optimise your campaign every day, so the cost per click (CPC) will become cheaper over time, which means you’ll receive more website traffic for less.

Sky Media’s down-to-earth team run 100% transparent Google Ad Campaigns, so you’ll see exactly how much of your budget is going to Google every day. Total budget transparency is a key point of difference with our campaigns.
If at any stage you need to discuss, or adjust your campaign, your dedicated Google Account Manager will be happy to assist.

The Difference Between Google Ads and SEO

Google Ads are rapid, they’re the fastest way to get your website on Google’s 1st Page (we’re talking a matter of days), but they’re PPC, which means you’ll pay for every click to your site. On the other hand, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) takes 30 days to generate movement, and at least 90 days to generate results, so it’s comparatively slower. Still, once you reach that landing strip on Page 1, all of the clicks with SEO are free! So, which one will it be?

Well, it depends whether you want immediate clicks, or long-term clicks. What we can say is that it’s no surprise to us that all of our top-performing clients have opted for our Supercharged SEO and Google Ads Combo. Yes, that’s right, they did both! They chose immediate website visits and clicks with Google Ads, as well as consistent web traffic for the long-haul with SEO. As a result, they’ve all benefited from impressive growth.

If you’d like to have a free Discovery Discussion with one of our Google Experts, we can explore the potential benefits for your business. If you’re interested, we’ll identify your business goals, and suggest an affordable Google strategy that’s designed to get results. Just call 0800113772 to book your complimentary Discovery Discussion today.

Feb 12 2025

Is it Time for a New Website?

By corey Web Design

Back to Insights

One of the most common questions we receive is, ‘When is it the right time for a new website?’ Look, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer, so the real question could be: Is your website showcasing your business in the best light?

You probably wouldn’t use the same tools, computer, vehicle, marketing, or business plan year after year, because things change, and things go out of date. Nowadays, everything’s changing so quickly, and that’s especially true in the digital era with technology. As a general rule, most websites stay up to date for 3 – 4 years at best.

If you’re not yet online and you have a business, (or want a business), then now is 100% the right time to get a website. If you already have a website, then it’s worth considering if it’s still fit for purpose. How do you know if it’s fit for purpose? Well, to start we’d recommend trying to answer the following 5 questions:

Do You Like Your Website?

It might seem like a silly question, but it’s a great place to start. Do you like your website? What does your team think? What about your friends and family? Is this a website you can be proud of? Ask yourself: What works well? What looks good? What doesn’t? Does your current website showcase you and your business in the best light?

Is Your Website a WordPress Website?

Wix? Squarespace? Yellow? Yes, they can often look the part, but these websites are entry-level. As if that’s not enough, with New Zealand’s own Yellow, you don’t even own your own website. With WordPress you own your website 100%, yes, no matter what happens, you have full rights to your own website, and so you should. We would expect (and suggest) no less.

1/3 of the entire internet uses WordPress, because it’s considered the world’s best. Why is it the world’s best? It’s fully customisable, high-speed, and SEO-savvy, making it Google’s preferred website platform. If you’re still using an entry-level platform, it may be time to consider moving to the world’s best?

Is Your Website Mobile Responsive?

More than 50% of web traffic comes from mobile devices and that will continue to grow, because nowadays everyone’s on their mobile phone. If your website’s not designed for mobile phones, where do you think 50% of your website visitors will go? To your competitor with a site that works on their phone!

Google knows phones are the way of the future, so nowadays they prioritise websites that are mobile optimised. If your website’s not compatible with mobile devices, Google will just say, ‘Get to the back of the line.’ If you don’t have a phone-friendly website, sorry to say, you’re well and truly behind the times.

Is Your Website Competitive?

You’re probably aware that your website is the online calling card for your business. Let’s be frank, if you were looking at your website, would you choose you, or would you go elsewhere? When you look at the websites of your top 3 competitors, how does your website fare? Sure, in the real world your business might be the best there is, but if your website doesn’t reflect that, how are people to know? Word of mouth, of course, but where will they go when they hear about you? Probably to Google, because that’s what we all do. If they like what they see, they’re far more likely to choose you. If you want to get the pick of the jobs, the cream of the crop, a leading website can make your business come out on top.

What’s Your Website’s Performance Like?

We’ve all been there… A website loads quickly, it’s easy to use and we find exactly what we need in seconds. Perfect. We’ve also been to outdated websites that are painfully slow to load… We can’t find what we want, and no matter how many times we click the mouse, or refresh the page, we’re getting nothing but delays, so what do we do? Abort mission!

With today’s attention spans, a high-speed user-friendly website is absolutely key. Our team can assess your page load speed, and look behind the scenes to find out how people perceive and receive your website. If you want to be fit to fly online, then a well-designed mobile and SEO optimised website is what it takes to reach new heights.

So, is your website fit to fly online? Is it showcasing you and your business in the best light? If not, perhaps it’s time to speak to us. We can design, develop and deliver a high-flying website in a matter of weeks, while you barely lift a finger. Our down-to-earth team makes the often overcomplicated world of digital marketing easy-peasy.

Feb 06 2025

The Benefits of Landing Page Optimisation

By corey Web Design

Back to Insights

A landing page is either a single standalone web page, or a specific web page (or pages) on a multiple page website that’s designed for a specific audience with just one main goal e.g get people to signup to an email list, download a document, share relevant personal details, book a call, or appointment, enrol in a course, or purchase a service, or item.

No doubt you’ve been to a landing page more than once. Perhaps you’re browsing on Google, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, and you click a link on the platform that takes you to a web page. More often that not, that web page will be requesting information from you, or proposing an offer. If the landing page was successful, you may have even taken the business up on its offer? If it wasn’t, you probably clicked away, never to return again.

As you can see, it’s super-important that a landing page is well designed to achieve the specific goal your business has in mind e.g guiding site visitors into your sales funnel. If the landing page is well-designed and optimised, then it should result in strong conversion rates e.g visitors responding well to your call to action (CTA) and doing what you want them to do. To wrap your head around how Sky Media’s landing pages work and how they might benefit your business, we’ve compiled a list of our top tips for landing page optimisation.

1. Landing Page Conversion Goal

We’ll identify the exact action you want your website visitors to take when they arrive on your website. We’ll make sure your conversion goal’s clear and build each landing page around that goal. Our top 3 conversion goals for powerful landing page results are…

Sign up: The visitor/s signs up to your website, or email list.
Booking: The visitor/s call you, or schedule an appointment with you.
Make a purchase: The visitor/s buys your product, or pays for your service.

The overall aim of a landing page is to get as many visitors to convert as possible. Landing pages tend to be short, sweet and to the point, so we’ll aim to communicate the offer with a simple call to action that’s between 5-6 words. With a clear CTA, people can easily digest the information and take action in a matter of seconds. With an unclear CTA, people just click away.

2. Multiple Landing Pages for Multiple Products & Services

Many businesses benefit from more than one landing page on their site e.g separate landing page for different products , or services they’re wanting to sell. Each page is specifically designed to speak to their identified target audience, or a specific person e.g a person aged 30+ professional female who is living in a target location, loves to cook, has disposable income, and could potentially be interested in buying your cookbook, or kitchenware.

According to Hubspot, ‘Companies tend to see a 55% increase in leads when increasing their number of landing pages from 10 to 15.’ The more landing pages you have, the more opportunities you have to sell specific products, or services to highly targeted audiences and by doing so, you cut through the noise of the internet to speak to the person you’ve identified as your ideal client.

Top 3 Times for a Landing Page:

When running paid Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, or Google Ads, you can direct traffic from the ad to a landing page that compliments your ad campaign.
When running an event, you can send traffic directly to the event’s landing page with all the necessary information, and a booking system for tickets.
When launching new products or services, you can run a marketing campaign that drives all attention to a landing page that matches the campaign’s message.

Sky Media’s Landing Page Copy is Designed to Sell

Our landing page copy is designed to be minimal and relevant to your target audience, while urging them to take immediate action. We create this with the following:

Headline: An attention-grabbing headline.
Description of Offer: A simple, informative, straight to the point offer letting visitors know how the product, or service will benefit them.
Call To Action: A clear call to action e.g signup, call, book, or buy.
Footer: Easy access to key contact details for people who need more information.Is that it? Yes, that’s it. Simple, straight to the point, designed for quick action and quick results.

Additional Landing Page Elements

Social proof can boost the appeal of your landing page, because it builds trust quickly. This helps customers to feel more comfortable about taking your call-to-action. Trust building features include:

Client Testimonials
Proof of social media likes, shares, follows etc
Number of happy customers, or purchases to date
Logos and endorsements from well-known clients

Make Your Offer a No-Brainer

Keep it simple and to the point, as it’s all about a clear offer, a clear call to action, trust elements and contact details. Make your offer so simple and irresistible that it’s the obvious choice. Ideally, people should be able to make sense of your page and take action in a matter of clicks, or a matter of seconds.

Sky Media’s landing pages can help your business successfully convert visitors into subscribers, leads, or buyers. If you think your business could benefit from a landing page, get in touch with Sky Media’s tea today to discuss the benefits of a strategic marketing campaign, paired with a complimentary landing page.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Mobile Responsive/Smartphone-Savvy

The Difference Between Google Ads and SEO

Do You Like Your Website?

Is Your Website a WordPress Website?

Is Your Website Mobile Responsive?

Is Your Website Competitive?

What’s Your Website’s Performance Like?

1. Landing Page Conversion Goal

2. Multiple Landing Pages for Multiple Products & Services

Top 3 Times for a Landing Page:

Sky Media’s Landing Page Copy is Designed to Sell

Additional Landing Page Elements

Make Your Offer a No-Brainer

Scale your business and earn more revenue.