Monthly Archives: April 2020

Restaurant, bar & hotel marketing – the fast way to get more customers

Restaurant, bar & hotel marketing – the fast way to get more customers     

We’re in the midst of the Coronavirus lock-down at the moment but the restrictions on movement will be relaxed soon. Before we know it, pubs, bar, clubs and restaurants will be open again. The problem is, though, will the customers be as fast to start socialising and eating out again? How do we market our pubs, bars, clubs, and hotels? Is this even the right time for restaurant, bar & hotel marketing? 

Restaurant, bar & hotel marketing – the fast way to get more customers

Restaurant, bar & hotel marketing – the fast way to get more customers

The last recession was very tough for nearly all businesses but there were some very interesting lessons learned. The most important one, however, is that you can’t be complacent. The successful business that came out of the recession stronger than ever were the ones that realised they had to ‘up their game.’ They knew that it would take time for things to return to normal so they had to fight for the customers or go bust. Many of the organisations who simply ‘battened down the hatches’ and stopped investing in their business went under. Now is the time to start your restaurant, bar & hotel marketing

How to get more customers – restaurant, bar & hotel marketing the easy way

I’ve been in sales & marketing for as long as the internet has existed. Since before Google, Twitter and Facebook existed. Even before smartphones and mobile data. The amazing thing over this time has been the change in customer behaviour. We don’t ‘take a punt’ on a new restaurant anymore. Rather we ‘check it out online’ first. We check the website and read the menus. Look at the photos and explore the virtual tour. If we’re not 100% sure it’s the place for us we hot ‘back’ and go to the next listing on Google. This is why it’s so important to get it right first time

How to get new customers for bars, restaurants, and hotels

1 – First of all make sure your website is up to scratch from the visitors perspective. Your customers don’t need much – don’t make it difficult for them to find what they need! On your website, make the following information very prominent; Opening times, your location & parking (with a link to Google Maps), reservation information if available, menus (please not in PDFs!!!), and any specials or happy hour info. This is the most important thing to consider when thinking about your restaurant, bar & hotel marketing

2 – Make sure you have good quality and accurate photos (please no stock photos!)

3 – A good quality virtual tour is the number one factor in choosing a restaurant, bar or hotel. If your new potential customers are able to explore by themselves when it’s convenient for them, you’re much more likely to get them to visit in person.

4 – Next, make sure your website can be found. There is a very nice article on DIY SEO here, however, I’d recommend hiring an expert SEO to optimise your site and build a few links for you whilst they’re at it

5 – Make the most of what Google has to offer. Get your virtual tour on Google Maps, Google Search, Google Street View, and Google My Business. This is all part of getting a virtual tour done. See this article on integrating your virtual tour into Google

What next?

Here is a list of suppliers you may want to get in touch with:

Web development (click here) – make sure your website is up-to-scratch. Click here for good quality web development

Virtual tour & photography (click here) – good quality photos and a high-quality HDR Matterport virtual tour are two of the most important things you’ll need. Get a quote for a virtual tour here

Search engine optimisation (click here) (SEO) – get your site indexing on Google and make sure new customers can find you – Click here to find out more about Search Engine Optimisation

Google virtual tour integration (click here) – get your photos and virtual tour on Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Search and Google Street View with a Trusted Google Photographer

 

 

 

Things you didn’t know you didn’t know part 312 – ceramic grinding beads

Many industries, such as the paint industries and mining, have requirements to grind materials up into fine powders, and one of the ways to do this is with ceramic grinding beads. For example, these beads are used in mining, ground calcium carbonate, silica, white cement, other minerals, ceramics, chemical products and abrasives.

There are several different types of media available for grinding materials into a uniform and similar size, such as is required in paint pigments and powders for homogenizing samples. These include both grinding beads and grinding balls. The two are similar, however,  grinding beads are a pool of beads which are all within a certain size range and grinding balls are spherical, precision ground to a specific diameter and uniform. These can be made out of many different materials including zirconium silicate or silica (soda lime), They are also available in a variety of sizes and grades either by bulk bottles or dispensed via disruption tubes.

Here are some examples of options. Acid Washed grinding beads (cleaned with acid to remove any small particles and contaminants before being dried then oven baked (yum!) Low Binding grinding beads – these are not only also acid washed but also undergo additional processes that reduces the amount of non-specific binding to their surface. Molecular Biology Grade grinding beads are processed as the previous grades but to higher standards also removing any unwanted impurities. And coated Silica grinding beads which are modified (for example, by the addition amine, sulfhydryl, C3, or C8). High quality grinding beads can help minimize the contamination of the raw materials and provide a stable process over time. More examples of industries they’re used in are mining, ground calcium carbonate, silica, white cement, other minerals, ceramics, chemical products and abrasives.

Avoid These 4 Planer Blades Mistakes

Quality end results are a sure way to ensure satisfaction when it comes to product creation. One of the ways you can stay happy is through the consistent application of the most reliable tools; which is something Knife-Point are accustomed to providing to their customers. With a great selection of cutting products, this Sheffield-based knife supplier continues to help tradesmen working across a number of different sectors. One such group of clients are those who are employed within the woodworking field. These individuals regularly require top quality planer blades to best do their jobs; which Knife-Point are always able to supply. By using planer blades purchased directly from them, you can help yourself to avoid the sort of pitfalls people who are using unreliable alternatives can fall into. Knife-Point have listed some of the things you can look forward to leaving behind when you move to them as your regular supplier:

You Won’t Achieve Accurate End Results

Whether you’re knowingly or unwittingly using the wrong planer blades, you can be sure that the end results will be the same. If you’ve not taken the time to research the type or size of blade you need, then it’s likely you’ll not see the realisation of the finished products that you’re aspiring towards. If you research the tools you need in detail, you’ll reap the rewards when it comes to the date of completion.

You’ll Waste the Materials You’ve Bought

The problem with not achieving the end results that you’re hoping for is that you’re likely to have to start again. As a result of this, you’ll lose the monetary investment that you’ve dedicated towards the materials you’ve used in a project, so it’s a given that you’ll feel frustrated as a result. Choose the right cutting tools from this point forward and you can pre-empt the issue.

Nobody Likes to See Their Time Wasted

As well as your money, you can also end up losing time due to the use of poor quality planer blades. Selecting the right ones from the start – and then making sure that you keep them in pristine working order – can help you to avoid the unwanted scenario of looking back negatively at time you’ve wasted.

Don’t Lose Customers

Most importantly, you’re not going to satisfy your customers with the products you produce unless they are of an immaculate quality. You can help achieve consistently superb standards with our help of Knife-Point’s tools, which will enable you to retain your existing clients and add more to go with them when your reputation for attention to detail grows.

Knife-Point Lead the Way for the Supply of Planer Blades

Knife-Point supply planer blades in abundance, offering choice with relation to both order quantity and blade size. Further to this, they also continue to supply, snap off blades, trimming knife blades and Swann Morton blades; as well as many more cutting tools. To find out more, you can call them on 07737 133 030; or send an email to sales@knife-point.co.uk.

What is search engine optimisation (SEO)? A quick guide

SEO helps websites improve their rankings in search engines – ranking well in Search Engines can be very lucrative

Search Engine Optimisation (otherwise known as ‘SEO’) is an activity designed to help websites improve their rankings in search engines (in particular within Google with around 90% of all searches, and within Bing, the second most visited search engine.) there aren’t many websites that don’t need to rank well in the search engines, so for the vast majority of sites, the closer to position 1 on page 1 of the search results for their keywords and phrases, the better. Search engine optimisation can be difficult & very technical, but a well optimised site can be very lucrative for the owner, so there are companies around the world now who provide high quality search engine optimisation services, for example, Seven Creative, an SEO agency in Sheffield.

The Google homepage from 1998. At the time of writing, Google is the largest search engine accounting for around 75% of market share
The Google homepage from 1998. At the time of writing, Google is the largest search engine accounting for around 75% of market share

Although Google is not by any means the only search engine, it is certainly the largest and most well known around the world, so this is, certainly in the western world, the search engine usually focused on.

To understand Search Engine Optimisation, we need to first understand the process of ranking. In the most basic form, we have potential customers and we have website that would like to be matched with these customers. Google simply provides a way to do this. You type in what you are looking for, and Google provides you with a list of potential websites that match your request. The problem is, though, we want exactly what we are looking for without having to do any of the work ourselves. In other words, we want the best result returned to us first (or as close as possible) so Google has to work out dome way of making sure that happens (so you don’t start using a different search engine!)

Total number of active websites by year
Total number of active websites by year

Obviously there are far too many websites on the internet to be hand-curated by individuals, go Google uses an ‘algorithm’ to determine what are the best results to return for a particular search term and in what order to display these. And Google is very good at doing this! For example, how often do we venture further than the first page? Not very often! And this is because we’ve usually found what we’re looking for within the first 10 results.

This algorithm uses many, many different factors to evaluate a website and determine its authority on a particular subject or its relevance for a particular phrase. As website owners, many search engine ranking factors or out of our control, however, there are a lot we can control. The search engine optimisation you’ll commission from a company, such as Seven Creative (an SEO agency in Sheffield) will be able to optimise your web pages, your website and your linking structure (inbound, outbound and internal links). Most of it isn’t rocket-science, however, its often complex, time-consuming, and the results can take many months to properly materialise.

I suppose the take-away from this article is that, SEO is something that to do properly, you’ll need the help of a professional. However, for the best long-term results, focus on the on-page optimisation first and also learn good practice and habits with regards to creating new pages – after all it’s a lot easier and cheaper to do the SEO as you go as opposed to having to pay someone to go back and do it later on!

PS you have probably noticed that this article is designed to help improve the search rankings of the website www.sevencreative.co.uk – or rather the specific page sevencreative.co.uk/seo-agency-in-sheffield/ – within the search engine rankings, for the phrase ‘SEO agency in Sheffield’. Whereas this article isn’t exactly what we’d describe as a ‘perfect’ example of an search engine optimised article, it’ll certainly go a long way to improving the position in the rankings of the page it’s referring to. This, in combination with many other activities such as ‘on-page optimisation’ will increase its position in the rankings and start to increase traffic to that page. Whether or not the page itself convinces the visitors to pick up the phone is a whole different kettle of fish (or Conversion Rate optimisation aka CRO)

Sim City review

The best & most hilarious Amazon reviews (updated)

From a bottle of methylated spirit being described as “a drink to enjoy with friends in a park”, to tin foil deemed “by far the best for making aluminium shield hats to ward of aliens”, site back and enjoy the best of spoof Amazon reviews!

The first line of this one nearly made me spit my tea out.

Amazon Kirby Bag review
Amazon Kirby Vacuum Cleaner Bag review
One of the greatest inventions in human history?
That feminine, tingling feeling…!
Revenge is a dish best served cold… but better late than never!
How to grow a moustache
Wrong, so wrong!
Microwave for One
Microwave for One
19 of 26 people found the following review helpful
19 of 26 people found the following review helpful

The Observer attributes the craze to ‘the original spoof reviewer’ Henry Raddick, who famously reviewed The English Cocker Spaniel Handbook. Raddick, who had a pet spaniel called Barry, wrote, “I enjoyed the book immensely and, although I have a sneaking suspicion that Barry is using the book as porn, I wholeheartedly recommend it.” Raddick continued, “I’m reassured to read that the sin of Adam is not upon Barry even though he does not accept Christ as his saviour.”

Spoof Amazon Uranium Ore review
Spoof Amazon Uranium Ore review

As for the bottle of Methylated spirit, a reviewer named ‘Barkas’ enthused: “From the moment you remove the cap you realise you’re in for a treat. Fresh, bright, smoky, with a mineral edge and rounded, fruity nose. Mid weight and bold, possessing some edge and no little bite, yet remaining smooth, balanced and satisfying. This is a drink to enjoy with friends in a park. Highly recommended.”

This particular spoof review has also played havoc with Amazon’s famed algorithms, which enable the site to recommend buyers other products they may be interested in, based on what they have bought previously. The glowing review in question caused Amazon to recommend methylated spirit to customers who had bought bottles of Chateau Latour.

Spoof Amazon review for methylated spirit
Spoof Amazon review for methylated spirit

Our favourite is a serious literary review of a book intended for young children. The reviewer hilariously calls the book ‘misleading’ as he/she vents their disappointment that the entire plot of the story is revealed in the title. “There is no mystery. There is no twist. Baby’s belly button is right where it’s supposed to be, on baby’s stomach. Right where it clearly SHOWS you it is on the COVER OF THE BOOK.” The mystery reviewer also complains that “there is no conflict, no character development, and scarcely any plot.”

We’ve bought a fair amount of stuff from Amazon here at Seven Creative Towers.  We always take the reviews with a pinch of salt and make sure we consider the spectrum of star ratings, but there are few that leave us rolling on the floor laughing. As for detracting from honest, helpful reviews, we think it’s nice to have a bit of comedy.

Hurrah for bringing satire to Amazon!

Spoof Amazon review for English Grammar for Dummies
Spoof Amazon review for English Grammar for Dummies
Spoof Amazon review for a turtle backpack
Spoof Amazon review for a turtle backpack
Spoof Amazon review for mascara
Spoof Amazon review for mascara
Spoof Amazon review for milk
Spoof Amazon review for milk
Spoof Amazon book review
Spoof Amazon book review
Spoof Amazon t-shirt review
Spoof Amazon t-shirt review
Victor M230 Ultimate Flea Trap
Victor M230 Ultimate Flea Trap
How to Avoid Huge Ships
How to Avoid Huge Ships
Sim City review
Sim City review
Uranium Ore
Uranium Ore
Paul Ross
Paul Ross
A Whole New World - Peter Andre and Jordan
A Whole New World – Peter Andre and Jordan
A Whole New World again
A Whole New World again
Paul Ross 20" canvas
Paul Ross 20″ canvas
Ulysse Nardin Zeitmesser mit Komplikationen Circus Minute Repeater 740-88
Ulysse Nardin Zeitmesser mit Komplikationen Circus Minute Repeater 740-88
Box Canvas Print of ADOLF HITLER/IN 1939 from Mary Evans
Box Canvas Print of ADOLF HITLER/IN 1939 from Mary Evans
Aluminium Foil 18" (450mm x 75m) - industrial size for your kitchen or professional establishment
Aluminium Foil 18″ (450mm x 75m) – industrial size for your kitchen or professional establishment

The energy sector in the post-Covid-19 world

Here in the UK, wherever you live, it’s not possible to have failed to have noticed how things have changed over the past few weeks with the government-dictated lock-down. We’ve certainly known about Covid-19 for quite a bit longer than that, however, not many of can have foreseen the country-wide restrictions on movement we’re experiencing at the moment. To slow the spread of the disease (which is a very different thing to ‘stopping’ or ‘beating’ it), we’re now being asked to travel as little as possible – both for work and leisure. The devastating effect this disease has had on some families and communities around the world is heart-breaking, and at the time of writing, it’s not looking like this pandemic is going to simply ‘go away’ any time soon, however, another of the modern ‘silent killers’ has, at the same time, become much less of a problem. I’m talking about air pollution!

Looking at the worldwide figures on air pollution, which are backed up with satellite images and government statistics, the reduction of air pollution has been staggering! Skies are clear of vapour trails now most commercial airlines aren’t flying, many roads are quiet, and a lot of factories are now silent. For anyone suffering from any kind of respiratory illness, this ‘silver lining’ to the current pandemic is at-least some good news! For the rest of us, we can see nature returning to cities and the skies are clearer again. However, will this change last? Or will everything go back to how it was at some point in the future? My best guess is that what we’ve experienced is a real and long-term change.

Many of us have had the experience of working from home – of the extra time we have in the day as we’re not commuting and the better standard of life we will have a result of that. We’re not eating out as much and we’re certainly not using our cars like we used to. Besides all the time and money we’re saving, we’re also reducing waste as the cups and packaging we would normally have been responsible for has also reduced massively.

What many people won’t have seen, however, is the price of fuel at the pumps has dropped dramatically too. A big important impact of the Coronavirus outbreak has been on the downstream oil industry meaning that that the price of crude oil has fallen significantly in a short time.

This has and, certainly for the foreseeable future, will continue to have an effect on oil producers. Billions has been lost from the stock prices of major oil and gas companies as demand has dropped. Production has also been affected in other ways as oil workers travel has been restricted, and infections from Coronavirus have been found on some oil rigs. Up until recently, and in recent years, many oil & gas companies have been looking towards more non-traditional methods areas of oil production such as deep-water offshore exploration. What is likely to happen to this new exploration it the future now? On the one hand, these unconventional resources are said to contain at least as much as the total conventional oil reserves extracted since the beginning of the oil industry, so the potential profits are there, if they can find someone to buy it of course. However, on the other hand, developing these new, large-scale sites comes with significant cost associated with R&D and the new technology required for extraction and a big investment in oil exploration safety. What happens if demand for oil never goes back to pre-Coronavirus levels? If, for example, many workers simply find they prefer working from home and continue to do this even when they have the choice to commute? This, in conjunction with things like the ongoing development of alternative forms of transport and the large-scale changes to government policies on things such as home heating may mean this is indeed the beginning of the end for the traditional oil industry as we knew it.

Stanley Knife Blades and Swann Morton Ensure Quality

Graphic designers, architects and other similar tradesman can always be sure that their accessing quality with Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades. Designed to ensure that you’re able to carry out the highest standards of work, they are the best tools available on the competitive market. The value for money that they provide is otherwise unrivalled, so it’s little wonder that they regularly prove to be such popular choices for those in need of knife blades. Knife-Point stock and supply a variety of products from both of these manufacturers; and always find them to be particularly popular with their customers. But just what is it that makes them so great?

Fantastic Variety

One of the many reasons why Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades continue to be in such high demand is because of the choice on offer when you choose either of these product ranges. With products available in various shapes, sizes and quantities at Knife-Point, you’d be hard-pressed to find better choice than what they provide to their valued customers when it comes to these blades.

Excellent Value for Money

Knife-Point will provide you with great value for money. As the customer, they understand that your priority is gaining access to tools that allow you to implement excellent standards of work, without burning a hole in your wallet.

Trade-Specific Products

Perhaps most importantly – both Swann Morton and Stanley knife blades offer great versatility; which is a big part of the ongoing success attached to both ranges. Roofers, floor fitters, packaging workers, graphic designers and hobby crafters are just some of the many people continuing to feel the benefits.

Stanley Knife Blades and Swann Morton have Precedent

Swann Morton has been established for over 80 years, after being founded in Sheffield all the way back in 1932. The origins of Stanley knife blades go even further back; with the original company have been formed nearly two centuries ago in 1843. The impressive longevity of both of these manufacturers makes it easy to understand how they have been able to achieve such high levels of success for so long.

Planer Blades, Snap Off Blades and Trimming Knife Blades

Knife-Point’s supply of blades isn’t limited to the products covered in this article. They also stock a variety of other blades from various manufacturers – such as trimming knife blades, snap off blades and planer blades – all of which can be of use to you depending on the trade that you work within. Further to this, when you choose to buy from Knife-Point, you can be sure that their service will leave you keen to return when you need to. If you’d like to find out more, why not give a member of their friendly and professional team a call today? They’ll be able to field any enquiries that you may have in a confident and concise manner. You can reach them on 07737 133 030.

 

 

Search Engine Optimisation – about keyword research

Having a website that isn’t ranking well within the major search engines is a problem for many businesses. As a sales tool, for virtually all businesses these days, a website is essential. For example, your word-of-mouth prospects will want to ‘check you out’ online, and your potential customers will be searching for your services on the internet. If you don’t have a website, you may be discounted at the first hurdle and even if you do, if you can’t find it using a simple search, you may as well not have a site. Therefore, the logical conclusion is often to spend time optimising the site to improve its usability and position within search results. The problem many people have, however, is where do you start with SEO?

I’ve been working in digital marketing for more years than I care to remember and I often forget how non-digital marketers will often view search engine optimisation (SEO) as some sort of black-magic or witch-craft when in reality, it’s generally a case of understanding how the major search engines interact with a website and reverse engineering them to communicate effectively. As Google’s algorithm (as the biggest online search provider) becomes increasingly clever at understanding websites, the process of SEO will also generally help to provide a better website experience for your site visitors so there are other benefits to this activity too.

So where do we start? The first step if to understand what your potential customers or target audience are actually typing into the search box when they are looking for your products and services. In the ‘old days’ of print media, this step would generally require a focus group to provide you with some moderately accurate results, however, in the modern age, user behaviour is logged digitally and can be crunched on a huge scale to provide us with some very accurate information about what our audience is actually doing online including what they’re typing into Google, when they’re doing it, where they are (geographically,) and who they are. The words or phrases our potential customers are typing into the search engines when they’re looking for our products and services are generally referred to as ‘key words’ or ‘key phrases’

So how do we do this? There are many tools available online to provide us with the information we need on our key-phrases – some of these you may have heard of, such as, the Google Keyword Research Tools, Google Analytics, the Bing Keyword Research Tool, and Wordtracker and others you may have not heard of such as the SEM-Tool Keyword-Tool. I find keyword research generally starts off with a rough idea about the kinds of things our target audience will be typing into the search engine search box and the keyword research tools will return those phrases along with similar and relevant phrases you may not have considered. Apply a bit of behavioural psychology and common sense to the results and you can quickly build up a picture of what the audience are searching for.

Once a picture of the user behaviour has been established, (to cut a much longer story short) you simply apply these phrases to the site – both on-site and off-site – then sit back and monitor the increase in traffic and the increase in the proportion of qualified visitors.

For more information on search engine optimisation for your site, give us a call today on 0114 383 0711

Fantastic Snap Off Blades

Fantastic Snap Off Blades

Knife-Point are continuing to provide their customers with top quality blades; as they always come with superior standards attached to them. That is particularly true of their snap off blades, which form one of their showcase product ranges. Transferable across a number of trades, it’s easy to see why they’ve become so popular.

Made in the City of Steel

Since as early as the 19th century, Sheffield has been notorious for its steel production. So much so that it earned the nickname of the ‘Steel City’. With that in mind, you can always be sure that Knife-Point’s knives – that have been made in Sheffield – will be of industry-leading quality. Through use of the most innovative manufacturing methods, they continue to stand ahead of the competitive market.

Snap Off Blades for the Required Profession

Another great quality attached to Knife-Point’s snap off blades is that they’re transferable across a variety of different professions. Flooring, roofing, packaging and crafts are all trades that can benefit from these blades; but it’s graphic artists that often feel the most benefit of these tools. Thanks to their relatively small size, they suit the industry because of the precise cutting they enable.

Always Great Choice

As is the case with all of Knife-Point’s knife blades, great choice is provided to you with this range. No matter the specific quantities or sizes you’re searching for, they’re sure to have them in stock for you. By making such a variety of options available to you this company continue to remain confident that you’ll begin to use them as your regular supplier.

This Supplier Has a Great Reputation

Knife-Point don’t take their reputation lightly. Quite simply, they’ve become the leading Sheffield-based supplier of knife blades because the service they provide is entirely unrivalled. With over 30 years of experience in the industry their knowledge has progressed even further as knife manufacturing has continued to evolve; and they always do their utmost to keep up with progressing trends.

Tempered and Hardened Steel

Part of the reason Knife-Point’s snap off blades continue to remain ahead of the competitive market is due to the way that they’re manufactured. By stocking blades made from hardened and tempered carbon steel, they’re able to guarantee that their tools can stand even the most heavy duty tasks and remain impeccable throughout.

Trimming Knife Blades and More from Knife-Point

To find out more about these or any of the many other knife blades available at Knife-Point why not get in touch? No matter your requirements, they’re sure to be able to help. They stock snap off blades like the ones mentioned here; as well as tools from well-recognised suppliers such as Swann Morton and Stanley. Don’t forget to check out their trimming knife blades too. You can use either 07737 133 030 or 07737133030 to reach them. Alternatively, you can email them your enquiry to sales@knife-point.co.uk.