Blog

Are Facebook Ads Still Relevant to Small Businesses?

Maximizing a small business advertising budget is always challenging task. With new platforms trending on a regular basis, should organizations stick with familiar sites such as Facebook or try exciting upstarts? That largely depends on whether Facebook ads are still relevant to small businesses. Are Facebook Ads Right for Your Business? Studies show that potential... Read More

Three Types of Brand Awareness within Your Marketing

The goal of brand awareness is to influence a customer during the decision-making process.Brand awareness refers to the degree to which a target group recognizes a brand, associating it with a particular product or category. Brand Awareness Increases a Brand’s Perceived Value Customer behaviors that demonstrate brand awareness: • Talks with friends and family about... Read More

Get Ready for Fall 2023 Marketing

As we approach the fall 2023 season, it’s time to review your marketing plans for opportunities to attract and engage your target audience. Start with the basics. Add the colors and themes of fall in your marketing materials; orange, red, yellow, and rustic browns. Incorporate images of falling leaves, pumpkins, and cozy sweaters to create... Read More

5 easy steps to improving internet security

If you’re a business owner, it’s important to take information security seriously. As a small business owner in particular, you and your customers are at risk. About 43 percent of all cyber attacks target small businesses, according to smallbiztrends.com. Fortunately, there are several relatively easy—and cheap—steps you can take to protect your information and your... Read More

AIs Impact on Digital Marketing Strategy

With Chat GPT making headlines for months, it’s clear that AI is starting to offer real utility to its users. While machine learning and AI have been around for years, it’s more accessible and more valuable than ever before. PISTn is closely watching the trends to see how AI may help marketers connect with their... Read More

4 Reasons Why Your Small Business Needs Digital Marketing

If your business does well enough with flyers, brochures, and business cards alone, you likely wonder why you should bother with digital marketing. After all, there’s no point in fixing something if it’s not broken, right? Well, if you’re not tapping into the potential of digital marketing, you’re undoubtedly leaving money on the table and... Read More

How to Give a Five-Star Response to a One-Star Review

Online review boards and social media channels have taken the place of the complaint lines of the past. You may think you can ignore negative reviews posted on your site—particularly if there are only a few and the good ones far outweigh the bad. The fact is, you can’t. About 88 percent of customers trust... Read More

Why Video Marketing Should Be a Key Component of Your Digital Strategy

If you’re wondering about Video Marketing as part of your digital marketing strategy, Video Marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their customers and boost brand visibility. No matter what size your business or your budget, you should include video marketing in your digital marketing strategy, like 91% of the... Read More

5 Benefits of SEO for Small Business

No matter what type of small business you own, chances are you can benefit from Search Engine Optimization (SEO). While competition may be fierce, SEO can give you a much-needed edge. Whether you rely on an SEO provider, like PISTn or handle the process yourself, you can experience an increase in customers, higher profits, and... Read More

Back to the Basics with CRM and Reputation Management

No matter where you are in the business world—just starting, just catching your stride or a long-time veteran—you won’t get any further without loyal customers who trust you. To build up that foundation of trust and to improve on it you need feedback from your customers, old and new. You need a viable Customer Relationship... Read More

Keep Customers Coming Back with a Birthday Club

Bring Customers Back Year After Year with a Birthday Club Everyone loves to be celebrated on their special day. The PISTn birthday club feature, included with your PISTn website system, makes it easy to show your customers how much you value them. The best part is, while you are treating your customers to a small... Read More

Why All Websites are Not Created Equal

Why All Websites are Not Created Equal Professional website design offers you a range of conveniences and features that you simply can’t get from every provider. If you’re a business owner, you shouldn’t try to build your own business website. Even some “professional” website creators may not have the specialty knowledge of your industry. It... Read More

Should You Hire a Pro to Manage Your Google Ads?

Are you wondering whether you should hire a pro to manager your Google Ads or go it alone? Google Ads are part of an effective comprehensive digital marketing plan for businesses in many industries. Google Ads capture the attention of potential customers who are actively searching for your services and products. Deciding whether or not... Read More

How to Set a Marketing Budget for 2023

Setting a marketing budget can be a challenge for any type of business, large or small. It can be even more difficult when you are operating a small business, because you often have to make these decisions on your own, without a team of experts to advise you or back you up. As we look forward to... Read More

Why NAP Consistency Matters

Why NAP Consistency Matters NAP is an acronym for Name, Address, Phone. Essentially, it’s the contact information for your brick-and-mortar business, and it’s how visitors to your website are able to find and contact you. NAP consistency matters because major search engines, such as Google and Bing, give higher rankings to businesses that have a... Read More

3 Benefits of Updating Your Website Regularly

3 Benefits of Updating Your Website Regularly While change is inevitable in life, it’s not always easy to keep up with it all. This might be especially true for technology, a field that evolves by the minute. Experts recommend updating your website regularly, but most small businesses would probably consider themselves lucky if they got... Read More

Getting the Most from Your PISTn Website System: Birthday Club & Register to Win Features

Getting the Most from Your PISTn Website System: Birthday Club & Register to Win Features Are you getting the most out of your Pistn website system? One of the most powerful tools included in your PISTn Website System is the monthly email marketing that automatically goes out to your customers. There is just one catch... Read More

How to Establish Authority For Yourself and Your Business

When the public trusts your voice or the voice of your business you are an authority in your field. It is essential to be the voice that people trust and turn to, for information, news or educated opinions, but there is a cacophony of voices competing to be heard in the online world. In order... Read More

How to Master Integrated Marketing

There are plenty of different apps, sites or businesses that offer help for a variety of different marketing features. Keeping track of all of them can be nearly as confusing as trying to tackle them all yourself. Integrated Marketing handles all of that and makes your job—one of them, anyway—much easier. Still, you have to... Read More

Why Reputation Marketing Matters So Much to Local Businesses

Reputation marketing is all about a company choosing how they want to be seen and taking steps to build that perception. You have a reputation. Your family, friends, neighbors, and even Facebook all have a perception of who you are. People may see you as empathetic, hard-working, or  perhaps business-savvy. The same is true for... Read More