The Boylen Blog

Google My Business is now Google Business Profile. The name has changed but its importance is as critical as ever. It’s not often for one event to come along and change how businesses operate. But when it does, it’s big and flips over the whole game. Just like this recent pandemic, for example. While online-based… Read More »Blog

Should you design an automatic feed of social media into your website? (The answer is “yes”.) Keep your website fresh by embedding a social media feed. But make sure it’s part of your beautiful website design. Adelaide agency Boylen (that’s us!) has done this for many South Australian companies. Our designers can help you with… Read More »Blog

Six years ago we wrote about how crowded the digital marketplace was. Today, the volume has become so dense that the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics census didn’t include internet usage statistics because there was no point – over 99% of people are connected to the web. On one level, that’s great for businesses and organisations. If … Read More »Blog

The Australian Test cricket team – and cricket in general – can teach us a ton about winning the game of search engine optimisation (SEO). We’re talking Test Cricket – the longest game in the world – run over five days, with many twists and turns. SEO is a also “long form” contest but it has… Read More »Blog

Feedback is the fuel that ensures great designs are “fit-for-purpose”. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of the process. An experienced graphic designer understands that their target audience has different preferences to their personal tastes, and has the creative versatility to tailor their creative work to suit those diverse needs.… Read More »Blog

A toolkit of ideas to boost your ecommerce website sales across Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It’s time to start planning right now! The larger your company, the more important it is to nail Black Friday and Cyber Monday. More companies are turning to data scientists to gain an edge, using big data to not… Read More »Blog

Designs for online car ads is going to get a shakeup soon, with news that Google has approved VDA for Canada today. We predict when it will come to Australia – and what it means. Big news out of Canada, with the announcement that Google’s Vehicle Listing Ads Program is now open to auto locations across the… Read More »Blog

Creativity for business requires focus and rules. Break the process and it ends in tears. Make the guideliness too restrictive and the result will be bland. So what’s the best mix of the two? Category details: website design Adelaide, September 2022, Web design is one part creative talent and two parts process.Without a tested process… Read More »Blog

How important is an internal linking strategy? We’ve known for a long time that the search engines such as Google and Bing recommend internal links on websites. These ‘in-house’ links act as signposts, helping people to quickly navigate from one page of your website to another to find what they are searching for. So good… Read More »Blog

Adelaide logo designers fall into two groups. The limited number of professionals that treat your business as unique (Boylen sits in that group). And the logo factories that are the ‘kings of clone’. Here’s how to tell the difference. A creative yet hard working logo is a one-time investment that will hopefully be with you… Read More »Blog

Just yesterday (19 July, 2022), a leading SEO journal published a blog with the provocative heading “Putting lipstick on a pig: fix the website or fail at SEO”. One of the points Search Engine Land made is that there is no point optimising a site to get extra traffic if it has too many fundamental fail points,… Read More »Blog

What responsibility do you have to look after the best interests of the people that use your website? This question goes well beyond the obvious issues of protecting data from hackers and an ongoing commitment to privacy principles. What’s being asked is whether your website and social media activities use web design to unfairly manipulate… Read More »Blog

Many companies underestimate the importance of CSS, thinking that it is merely a cosmetic tool. In reality, CSS plays a crucial role in how users interact with a website. By understanding the basics of CSS, marketing managers and business owners can influence the best website design for their organisation. Good CSS can make a website more user-friendly… Read More »Blog

Myer teaches us that failing in the online world is just like failing in the physical business world. You don’t give up at the first setback.  You learn and you persist. UPDATED 2022: Myer has finally found a winning formula for its online operations. When we covered the ASX company eight years ago, it was… Read More »Blog

Website design is one of the most important aspects of a website. A well-designed site can draw in more visitors and help keep them engaged, while a poorly designed website can drive people away. So, who are the world’s best web designers? That’s a tough question to answer, because there are so many talented designers worthy… Read More »Blog

We hope you are enjoying our series on the best website designers in Adelaide and the world. What list of the best website designers could go past Ethan Marcotte.He is one of the great web designers because of his unique approach to design. It is this highly individual and driven approach that has led to… Read More »Blog

Is your hotel website or restaurant online ordering system competing for takeaway food, or home delivered options? Authoritative research reveals what you need to do to win. Competing For The Food Dollar A post-lockdown bounce has been great for many hotel restaurants and bistros but it’s also true that Covid-19 has accelerated the take-up of… Read More »Blog

If you’re interested in social media advertising – including Facebook, Insta, Twitter and YouTube – these frequently asked questions provide you with strong foundations for success. Discover the answers to these commonly-asked questions about digital advertising. Why should I advertise on social media? The simple answer is that social platforms restrict the distribution of your… Read More »Blog

“Content” has become the new buzz word for building brand awareness, boosting online sales and inducing people to return to your site. Yet even great content will fail to attract more people to your website if your technical SEO fails Google’s standards. Allocating time to technical SEO will ensure that your website performs well. The… Read More »Blog

Trust is important online. Make sure your Facebook business and Instagram accounts are verified. You’ll receive a trust icon that tells people you are legitimate. Facebook verification simply confirms you are the business you claim to be, which prevents identity theft. The process is very simple.  For Instagram verification, the process is a little bit different. … Read More »Blog

Slow sites get severely penalised in Google’s search results. It’s that simple and that terrible: Slow Equals Low! Compounding the problem is the fact that if your website is still loading after five seconds, up to 20% of visitors will leave you for every extra second it takes to load. (Source: Google Research). So if you… Read More »Blog

The evolution of social media is presenting marketing teams with new opportunities to be found, achieve conversions and enrich their brand presence. Are you up to date with the trends? As an Adelaide digital agency, we get to work on some exciting social projects. From a global new product launch to advising a South Australian medical… Read More »Blog

This is Boylen’s DIY On-Page Optimisations List that you can implement to make your website more Google- and crawl-friendly. When it comes to our professional SEO service, we dive much deeper for our clients – but these steps are a good launch point, starting with easy actions and gradually becoming more technical. (Skip over the… Read More »Blog

A website’s design has a big impact on trust – and therefore its success or failure. The widely cited statistic is that 94% of people say they will leave a website if the design does not inspire trust. In this context, a poorly designed website sends a subliminal signal that something is wrong. On a… Read More »Blog

We are often asked about WordPress as a content management system (CMS). That’s not surprising because it is the most used open source CMS in the world. And because it is so popular, it is also a magnet for critics – many of whom are WordPress’ competitors. Two criticisms that aren’t based on fact revolve… Read More »Blog

Three out of four business have increased their budget allocation in one particular area since Covid-19 struck. Can you guess what it is? The answer is that some 75% of organisations have increased their spending on their digital presence. When you think about it, that’s an incredible statistic at a time when the global economy… Read More »Blog

People forget that YouTube was once an online dating website. Today it is a highly successful video sharing platform. Now that’s a successful pivot! “Pivoting” has become a buzz word in 2020 but success is less about “pivoting” from one business to another and more about changing how you sell your product to consumers. For… Read More »Blog

Does your digital marketing provide a quantifiable return on investment (ROI)? To know your ROI, you have to decide on the metrics that are important to your organisation. In other words, you need to get the right data. Quantitative Measures Here are some of the most common measures: What about brand awareness from online advertising?… Read More »Blog

I was on The Pickled Duck website recently and what impressed me was the cheeky tone throughout their text. Here’s an example that quickly tells a visitor that this venue is all about fun: “A place to meet on the park, enjoy a meal with friends and have a ducking great time.” Likewise, the new Marion… Read More »Blog

If you seek growth – and if you realise the connection between digital and that growth – then it is necessary to adopt a mindset of continuous improvement to sustain a high-performing website. In our previous blog, we outlined Why Website Maintenance Matters. However, maintenance is simply about holding your current position and for many organisations,… Read More »Blog

At the most basic level, you need an annual maintenance plan for your website to protect your investment. From a more sophisticated viewpoint, ongoing development of your website allows you to supercharge it so that your results continue to improve. Imagine that your website stops forwarding enquiry form data to your database? What if your… Read More »Blog

We build websites using a range of content management systems, depending on what’s best for each client. For our Open Source solution, we chose WordPress and here is why … In late 2004, people were starting to enquire more about using open source systems, as opposed to the conventional proprietary systems that dominated the market.… Read More »Blog

Designers are artists. They possess a sixth sense that enables them to pluck connections and shapes and colours out of thin air. That’s why handing a designer a blank sheet of paper and a good brief is so exhilarating. It’s the anticipation that you will be delightfully surprised. That they will create something so inspirational… Read More »Blog

In the constantly evolving digital landscape, Google continues to close down old technology and replace it with new apps and innovations. With only a few notable exceptions, Google continues to place its stamp on the way the web works and be the primary trendsetter for web-based innovation. If you have a website, here are two changes… Read More »Blog

When you embark on a website build, you want the project to go smoothly and be completed on time. How do you make sure this happens? When you embark on a website build, you have high hopes. You hope everything goes smoothly, that there are no delays, and that you end up with a spectacular… Read More »Blog

Social media – once regarded as a passing fad – has become one of the most powerful marketing tools available today.  Owing to the fact that around 38% of consumers consult social media before purchasing a car, many in the motor trade have realised the importance of using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. By looking at… Read More »Blog

We are seeing the swift rise of SSL Certificates among companies that are ranking highly on Google search results. Trust has always been a major issue for people transacting business online. They need to be assured they are dealing with a real company, which has robust security in place, before they pass over personal details and credit… Read More »Blog

If you can sell puppies and a person’s virginity online, why isn’t your business or organisation embracing this growth channel?  Come on over to the Boylen blog to read about puppies, products and that other wonderful “p” word – profit. Puppies are proof you need to be taking ecommerce more seriously. Ferraris too! In an… Read More »Blog

This is the best time in half a decade to be looking at ecommerce for your organisation. This is the best time in half a decade to be looking at ecommerce for your organisation. The reason is all thanks to the falling Australian dollar. As our dollar drops in value against international currencies, it makes… Read More »Blog

Competition is not a dirty word. It makes us better, stronger, faster. Isn’t that how you’d like your business to be in the future? Our latest short blog talks about competition, realistic goals and achieving amazing returns on your efforts. As you commute each day, do any businesses catch your eye? Or do they blend… Read More »Blog

The downside to being passionate about your profession or business is that you can get too emotionally attached to how wonderful it is. You may be blind to you own “purple cows”. The next time you are in your car, I want you to think of cows and trees. To be specific, purple cows and… Read More »Blog

Unsurprisingly, word-of-mouth remains the most influential factor in advertising recall. People will follow a recommendation from someone they know and trust far more willingly than they will an enticing advertisement. It’s called “social proof”, and it’s a vital component of any marketing or advertising endeavour. It is valuable to look interstate, overseas and at other… Read More »Blog

Content marketing is nothing new. Whether it’s a cave painting from 4200 B.C. titled “6 ways a spear can save you from wild boar”, sales posters on papyrus written in Egyptian hieroglyphics, or the birth of the “soap operas” in the 1940s, brands have been spreading their message through image or word since before any… Read More »Blog

As a hotel owner, it’s your never-ending challenge to get patrons through the door. The challenge in 2016 will be balancing your efforts between traditional marketing practices and the new wave of internet-based marketing tools. How can you use digital technologies to communicate your benefits to patrons? In August 2015, ShineWing Australia released Hospitality Insights… Read More »Blog

Three consecutive stories on ABC 24 last Friday night cast a clear light on the “new economy”. First I caught Elysse Morgan on ABC Business, interviewing the head of the world’s richest sporting team, namely Real Madrid’s Emilio Butragueno. A man who starred on the field at a time when the internet did not exist,… Read More »Blog

Doing business online is “time agnostic”, which puts a new slant on South Australia’s debate about changing time zones. InDaily also featured this blog in its online newspaper.  By Tim Boylen, Managing Director of Adelaide marketing firm Boylen+ The bricks and mortar world is debating whether South Australia should change its time zone to align with the… Read More »Blog

He’s a killer advertising and media strategist, a self confessed economics geek and eats a pretty out there sandwich. Meet Boylen’s very own Ben Trelease.

SEO is a very competitive. Everyone is chasing the number one position on Google – and for good reason. But how do you choose an online marketing firm that you can trust to deliver results? The paradox of SEO is that it is both easy to measure (traffic increase, bounce rate reduction, conversion ratios etc) … Read More »Blog

NAB has offered an excellent insight into what Australian businesses – all 2.1 million of them – are doing to improve their competitiveness. Its survey of two December quarters compared side by side, showed that the two main activities  to gain an advantage  used by modern businesses are: The other dominant action was “online marketing”… Read More »Blog

Websites that are mobile responsive – in other words they adapt content to display large and clear on a smartphone – will be the big winners under new search priorities announced by Google. On the other hand, websites that do not respond to the user’s device will be actively penalised. What does that mean? It… Read More »Blog

Do you get emails telling you that your website isn’t working properly and that’s why you aren’t ranking well on Google?  We get them too, even though we know our site ranks well for our targeted search terms. It’s spam and the worst offenders are easy to dismiss. However, some spammers, know how to push… Read More »Blog

Time to meet another face in Boylen. Our fourth instalment of ’60 Seconds or Less’ features the inimitable Heather MacLeod in Accounts.

Recently I went to Marketing Week in Adelaide and attended a session presented by Tara Melky from Forethought about Exploring the Customer Experience (CEX). Many topics and great examples were covered of good and bad customer experiences, how businesses react to real customer comments and how to use data to make business decisions. There was… Read More »Blog

Whether you realise it or not, the product photos used in your marketing have been digitally manipulated. Within reason, this is not a problem. Go too far, however, and it can be viewed as false advertising. When Olay “optimised” 60-year-old Twiggy to promote a face cream, they conveniently removed all wrinkles from the former model. UK… Read More »Blog

In the third episode of ’60 Seconds or Less’, you’ll meet our web designer Stephen Grace.

Nine out of ten people in Australia prefer using Google rather than Bing and other search engines. This is not merely a number but a huge opportunity to track potential customers and use the information to improve your online strategy. Here’s how: I. Google Analytics You want to know how potential customers behave on your… Read More »Blog

“Please sir, may I have some more?” is a famous line from Dickens – but it’s not that snappy on your website. Like me, are you sick of reading a link that says “More” or “Click Here”? Never fear, I’ve put together 50 ways to entice your web visitors to read on. Of course, the… Read More »Blog

Our second instalment from our ’60 Seconds or Less’ series features Lili Scuteri, a designer here at Boylen.

This is the process whereby I turned a pencil illustration into 2 metres of chalk on a wall.  We wanted to craft a chalked quote in our foyer that effectively captured everything we stand for. We landed on this gem from wise man Bueller. A classic. The design was getting there but it was “OK”,… Read More »Blog