Asheville NC

Asheville Business after Covid 19 – We Can Do This!

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Asheville Business after Covid 19 As our state starts talking about reopening, we need to stop a moment and consider what that means. What will reopening bring? What will our new business environment look like?

The Online Shift

Up to now, the move of business online has been mostly evolutionary, but current events have made it a survival tool. The post-COVID world will be different. We will surely face new challenges in how we adapt and overcome.

Adapt and Overcome

Our local and county chambers predict that 30 percent of our local businesses will not survive. These are just some of the questions we face.

– What types of business will be left?
– How strongly will tourism come back?
– How will new health rules affect our incomes? More space means fewer tables, and fewer tables means less money.
– How are we going to handle the shortages of food and supplies to come?
– How are we going to handle sports without crowds? Concerts without crowds?
– How will a possible second round of Covid in the fall affect holiday sales?

We all know this will end, for lack of a better word. And we know life will be completely different when it does. Together we can do this—adapt and overcome! How we meet these challenges today will not only define us, it will define humanity from this point forward.

We all have questions let’s face them together
Chris

Voice Search Optimization Basics for Web Marketing

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Some Voice Search Optimization Basics. Half of all searches are voice-based, time to upgrade your website. Web Marketing Asheville NCHere are some Voice Search Optimization Basics for Web Marketing. Because nearly half of all Internet searches are voice-based, it’s probably time to upgrade your website, in order to help achieve top SEO placement. Just as the world shifted from pay phones to smart phones, the rules of the Internet are shifting as well. The days of simply using meta tags and “liking” a few social media posts to snag top spots in Google searches are gone. If you want your business to hit the top spots, you need to up your web marketing game. Voice search optimization is going to be a key element in 2020 for successful marketing. Here’s are some key elements to incorporate into your web marketing:

Natural language is the key. We used to sit at a desktop and type in disjointed key words to initiate a search. Now we use smart assistants like Siri and OK Google for voice-based searches, and we simply talk to them. Where is a post office near me? What’s the weather in Asheville? This is a huge change in terms of SEO management, especially when coupled with trends like increased smart speakers, wearable devices (such as Fitbit) and other internet-based things like smart TVs, toys, appliances and even smart homes. What this boils down to is that because search engine parameters have changed to embrace the way we speak to the Internet, it’s time to rethink SEO for your business.

Long-tailed snippets. Just as in the past SEO used the basic key words for searches, now long-tailed snippets help you hit Google’s Featured Snippets. It’s the same principle as the old meta tags, but with more lingo, which makes sense because it runs on smart devices or assistants (like Alexa). When we ask for something in ordinary vernacular, the responses will be long-tailed as well. Your SEO should reflect these changes.

Keep what works. Like old SEO basics, there are some tried and true approaches that help your Voice Engine Optimization (VEO). They include optimizing your content and ensuring your website loads quickly and keeping all listings for your business (such as Angie’s List) up to date. Consider hiring a professional blogger and if you’re an expert at something, showcase it with webinars. Your company should also have an active, professional social media presence. For all these ideas, keep the mood professional but friendly.

Voice searching with smart devices isn’t a fad that will pass in time. Smart technology is here to stay, and will only increase. Trends indicate that 2020 will be the Year of Voice Searches. Therefore, web optimization for voice-based searches is the new SEO basis, and can help you stay at the top of search results. Compare these Voice Search Optimization Basics to your website.

For a Free consultation, contact Lone Bird Studio here. We’d love to help with your web marketing needs.

Uses for Augmented Realty

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Lone Bird Studio Studio Augmented RealityAugmented reality relies on three basic display types: Handheld devices such as mobile smartphones or portable computers, wearable technology or head mounted displays such as specially designed glasses or goggles (Google Glass application is one example; rumor also has it that a smart watch applying wearable technology is in construction by Apple.) and spatial displays which project computer enhanced graphics onto fixed surfaces.
Although AR was most common to training simulation applications and video games at first, its uses have widened to a great degree in the last few years. At present, we can see uses of enhanced reality in many different fields and industries.

Military

HMD or head mounted displays are used extensively in military aircraft technology. With the help of the HMD, an aircraft pilot has all the data he needs, including airspeed, horizon line, altitude, etc., right before his eyes. So, there is no need for him to look down to the instrumentation board for the perusal of such data. AR applications and HMD facilities are used for many ground troops operations, too.

Tourism

Tourism industry also makes extensive use of enhanced reality in a bid to enrich the experience of the tourists and the sightseers. Museums, for example, have introduced interactive 3D live views of the museum artifacts. These shows help the visitors to the museum gain a deeper and more interactive knowledge about the displays and the attendant historical facts.

Medical

The medical field similarly looks to make good use of the 3D visualizations made possible through advancements in AR technology. Thanks to enhanced reality, medical students can now practice surgical operations in a controlled environment. Neurosurgical methods have especially benefited from the use of enhanced reality. Since brain surgeries are often very complex operations and the margins of errors are, in most cases, very small, the doctors benefit from having access to comprehensive 3D displays of the brain prior to the surgery.

Apart from these, we can also find extensive use of enhanced reality applications in many other fields such as navigation, gaming, entertainment, education, advertising & promotion, etc.

In the field of website design too, augmented or enhanced reality has made its effect felt in a big way. Especially, use of enhanced reality has become a big feature in web design for smartphones, tablet PCs, and other mobile devices. The application Layer Reality Browser, for example, which is available to Android and iPhone users, makes use of enhanced reality to retrieve data on structures, places, movies, and locations and displays these data as real-time digital information, thereby augmenting our view and experience of the real world. Loan Bird Studio, as a leading Asheville North Carolina. Web design solutions firm, incorporates augmented or enhanced reality applications in their website design and other solutions, whenever possible and relevant. The firm caters mainly to medium sized businesses and one can read more about their success stories from client testimonials posted at the company website www.lonebird.com, and at other relevant online platforms.

WordPress 101

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WordPress Content Management System

WordPress powers 1 of every 6 websites on the Internet
WordPress represents

25.6% of all websites representing small, medium and big business use WordPress.
72.4 million websites host a WordPress blog.
22% of active domains created in the USA run on WordPress.

WordPress Explained

Investing money into a company website is like investing money in any other company asset. You want to get the most out of your money right from the start. Picking the right WordPress website with the right options the first time is important. We strive to ensure maximum ROI and satisfaction with minimum maintenance.

There are three main differences to be aware of when comparing WordPress options. The choices are a pre-built template, a Child Theme, or a custom-built WordPress website.

WordPress Templates

Templates are where many of you will start. It is a very cost effective and flexible way to begin.

When choosing a theme, look for the overall feel or style you want. Check what features in the design can be edited. There are thousands available, both free and purchased.

Many of the cool and specialty templates like restaurants or apartment rentals, for example, are generally paid templates. Don’t let that scare you. The costs are generally less than $100. We can do some beautiful customized work to tailor these templates to your needs.

Child Themes

We can create some pretty cool web designs with this method. Actually, this is where we do most of our work. Creating child themes allows very distinctive customization of WordPress templates to make them truly yours. A child theme is a cross between template and full custom WordPress. It is our most popular choice with businesses that “get it” and realize they need the web to grow.

You can save quite a bit of money starting with a child theme. Let Lone Bird tailor it especially for you!

Custom-built WordPress

A custom-built WordPress website means that we design and build a custom theme that will be unique to you and your branding. It is unique for your business, yet retains the WordPress functionality. We build and customize your website exactly as way you want.