Boosting Your Website’s Position On Search Engines

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Photo by Caio

Are you struggling to improve your website’s visibility on search engines? Don’t worry, it can be a little tricky to master.

However, it isn’t so difficult that it is impossible. Everything is possible. With a little tweaking and adjustment, your website can be positioned where you hoped.

Using this guide, you can find the best ways to improve your position on search engines.

It makes sense to use SEO professionals

One of the first things you will need to do if you want to make your website appear higher on search engines is improve your SEO.

It is a great idea to use an SEO services company to increase the visibility of your website. When you are in charge of running a business, you might not know the importance of SEO. You also might not know how to use SEO tools to improve your website’s awareness. Hence, it makes perfect sense to hire professionals to guarantee your website is easier to find in customer searches. 

They will know all of the best tools and techniques to use. They will guarantee to push your website up the search rankings. This will bring you more traffic and sales.

Share content that is relevant 

Another way to improve your site’s ranking is to only share content that is relevant to your business. It doesn’t make sense to share a blog post about marketing if you are a sustainable fashion business. Although it could prove useful for readers, it isn’t linked with your niche. 

Hence, it is good to post content that suits your niche. Readers will be looking for topic-specific content. So make sure yours is specific and aligned with your business.

Post regular content

Also, it is wise to post content often on your website. If you neglect your website, how do you expect it to be visible? You need to love it for it to show high on those search engines. 

Posting regular content will allow search engines to find you quickly. Hence, you will rank higher. When a customer searches for something related to your business, your website will be pushed up if it’s recently posted something. Search engines rank depending on traffic and recent posts. Hence, do more to post often.

Share links on social media pages

It will help your website if you share links on social media pages. You can share direct links to products or your customer service pages. The more clicks you get, the more traffic you will have. 

Search engines will see this and push you higher up the search engine pages. You will soon gain more traffic, which is all thanks to having a higher ranking. Yay!

Using this guide, you can find the best tips to help boost your website’s position on search engines. You can get more traffic and sales. This all helps to boost business and generate more profit. In no time, your website will help your business gain the success you dreamed about.

Sarah x

Running a business

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Running a business is not easy, but everyone already knows that. What they don’t know, though, is how much work it actually takes behind the scenes to make it work well. Customers often take for granted just how difficult it is to make a business seem effortless, but business owners have to be well aware. If you are struggling with your business right now, then it’s a good thing that you’ve come across this article. We’re going to be diving into some of the things that you need to get right behind the scenes for success. Ready to jump in? Let’s go.

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Understanding The Acceptance Of Various Payment Methods

If you are new to the business world then you may be trying to get your head around different payment options for your customers. There are so many options nowadays and you must make sure to keep everyone satisfied and accept the right types for your business. For instance, if you have customers buying from your website then giving them a few options might make things easier. For example, you may take card payments or accept a buy now pay later scheme. The issue with this is, what happens if customers don’t pay on time, then you don’t get your money. However, in these trying times people don’t always have the right amount of money for transactions. Something else you should be aware of in the world of business is the right credit codes, MCC and SIC credit card codes for instance. 

Constantly Updating Your Marketing Efforts

In the world of business you must keep up with the times, and times change. If you are stuck in the dark ages with your marketing then you won’t get very far with reaching customers and clients. There are so many types of marketing schemes available now, including using social media or email marketing to reach the right target audience. Of course, there will be marketing strategies that don’t apply to your company so using those won’t help. Speak to your marketing team about the best methods to use for your business. It might help to do some market research on the best type to use and the one that reaches the most people. 

Hiring Only The Best People For Your Team

Of course if you want to be the best, you are going to have to hire the best. Your business needs employees who are loyal, who are willing to do whatever it takes, and who are generally willing to show up. They need to work well within the team that already exists, they need to be able to work independently, and perhaps most importantly, they need to be able to ask for help when they need it. This is partially on you and partially on them as you need to build a relationship where they feel as though they are able to ask for help.

During the hiring process, you should ensure that you are looking at body language, listening to their answers, and watching who they are rather than what is written on the page in front of you. A resume can only tell you so much, but the person? They can tell you everything without even speaking.

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Conducting Thorough Market Research Regularly

The final thing that we’re going to mention is that you need to be conducting thorough market research on a regular basis. How are you supposed to make the best possible business decisions if you don’t even have all of the information to do so? The short answer is that you can’t, and that makes your business vulnerable.

Now, finding the time to conduct market research might not be the easiest, but that’s why you need to hire someone to do this for you. They will dig up and find all of the information that you need, compiling it into a nice report that you can read through. They will be able to give you exactly what you need to make strong business decisions, and that is one of the most important ways of seeing success.

When all is said and done, you need to have given your all to your business to ensure that it is running smoothly. If it isn’t, then it’s important that you are identifying the problem so that you can get it sorted as soon as possible. If you keep this mentality throughout your time as the business owner, then you should be able to see success, even though it’s a lot of work.

Sarah x

Christmas Gift Guide 2023

This post contains gifted items:

Every year I like to put together a gift guide for Christmas. It can often be hard to think of presents and I always struggle with thinking of ideas for certain people so like to plan ahead and share my ideas if anyone else is struggling!

I also find it a lot easier to do most of my shopping online and I have tried to include a wide range of products as well as things for a variety of budgets.

Skincare

SOS Balm – Lavender & Neroli

£10.99

This balm is a great alternative to a tube of hand cream or body cream. You only need a small amount and it smells really nice and soaks into your hands well. You can also go for an unscented version if you prefer.

It’s safe to use on various skin conditions and can help heal your skin.

It’s suitable for vegans and not tested on animals.

Ren – Moroccan Rose Uplifting Body Duo

£43

I love the Ren Moroccan rose range and always have done. This body wash smells amazing, as does everything else in the range! It helps to clean your skin whilst leaving it soft and smelling amazing. A little goes a long way and it lathers up well.

The signature scent will linger on your skin after using this in the bath or shower and even more so if you are finishing off with the non greasy body lotion.

It would make the ideal gift for someone that loves a good pamper or deserves one!

SOS Serum Skincare Superstars Beauty Elixr Set

£45

This set includes five different products in a lovely gift box. It is a great way to try their range of products.

It includes:

SOS Cleanse, 15ml

SOS H20 Day Cream SPF 30, 50ml

SOS Night Cream, 50ml

SOS Lip 10ml

Pomegranate & Lychee Essential Drops (Fragrance for the Home), 50ml

I have always been a big fan of this brand for skincare and it’s great for sensitive or acne prone skin.

Daisy Amour – Reusable Face Wipes

£11.95

These reusable face wipes are made out of 100% cotton fabric and Egyptian cotton towelling. They are great if you have sensitive skin as you can use them with your favourite skincare products and then pop them in the wash and use them over and over again.

They come in a good range of designs and you can use either side depending on your needs.

Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentrate

£21

This can be used as a moisturiser, primer, make-up remover, repairing masque or after-shave product. It is a great multi functional cream so can be great for anyone’s make up bag.

I have been using this for years and it’s always one of my go to products to pop in my bag as it has so many uses and a little goes a long way.

Castle Apothecary – Gardeners Moisturising Hand And Body Lotion

£19.95

Castle Apothecary are based on Scotland and create a nice range of different skincare products. The Gardeners range is one of their most popular.

Experience the gentle scents of a historic Scottish castle garden with this luxurious hand and body skincare range. Infused with the natural goodness of Scottish and British botanicals, enjoy the delicate aromas with every use.

This hand and body lotion smells really good and soaks into your skin well. It would make a lovely gift.

Castle Apothecary – Gardeners Moisturising Foot Cream

£14.50

From the same range is this beautifully smelling foot cream. It’s perfect for tired feet or to use just before bed. You don’t need to use much and it soaks in really well and really helps to relax you if your feet hurt.

Mindful Extracts – Gingerbread & Clementine CBD Bath Bomb

£12.99

I am a massive bath bomb fan but hadn’t tried many CBD ones before so was excited to try this. Really impressed with the quality of the scent and how long lasting it lingered. It’s a good size for a bath bomb as well.

With the added CBD it makes it a lot more soothing and calming than a regular bath bomb. They have a great range of different scents as well.

Naturally Tribal Skincare – Oka Body Polish

£27

This brand is fully vegan and cruelty free and they use a great range of natural ingredients to create luxury skincare that’s kind to your skin and great to use if you have sensitive skin.

The body polish is easy to use and helps to smooth and hydrate your skin at the same time. It exfoliates without irritating your skin. Ideal if you have sensitive skin.

They have a great range of skincare for both adults and children.

Naturally Tribal Skincare – Paw Patrol Clean & Soft Starter Kit

£45

There is a huge gap in the market for clean and green products targeted at children and geared towards making bath time fun! They partnered with Paramount to debut the ‘Clean & Soft’ body and hair sets alongside the PAW Patrol pups.

This kit contains:

1 x OROMA Body Wash 50ml

1 x YARA Body Food 100ml

1 x KARI Hair Cleanser 100ml

1 x KARI Hair Food 100ml

This is a great starter set if you are looking to try different products and children love paw patrol so it’s great they can look after their skin and hair alongside their furry friends off the tv.

Haircare

Beauty Favours Shampoo Bars

£9.95 each

These is a great way to try out solid products to see if you are ready to make the change. These are ideal for anyone looking to produce less waste and reduce plastics. They are the equivalent to 2-3 bottles of shampoo!

They have a good range of different scents to pick from and all are suitable for any hair type and for coloured hair. I find them a lot kinder to my hair than regular shampoo and love the scent of the champagne and roses one.

Manta Healthy Hair Brush

£30

Not only is it important to use good quality products to wash and style your hair with, it’s also important to use a good brush.

This is my new favourite hair brush as it really helps to get tangles out whilst being gentle to your hair. It is comfortable to hold and glides through my hair well. It comes in such a good range of colours too.

A must have for anyone that likes to take care of their hair.

Paul Mitchell – Volume Gift Set

£28.99

This gift set is a 2-piece volumising and body-building set from Paul Mitchell which includes a shampoo and root lifter.

I love Paul Mitchell haircare and this range is great for those looking to liven up their hair. Both products work really together and are good size bottles.

They have a great range of sets so worth checking out some of the other ones they have this year.

Fragrance

Dolma – Calista 50ml

£45.50

Dolma Perfumes are certified vegan and cruelty free. They are free from palm oil, parabens and phthalates.

This beautiful scent opens with fresh notes of bergamot and lemon, revolving around a rich bouquet of jasmine, geranium and ylang-ylang. It then melts into a sensual trail of sandalwood and Amyris. Resonate with Calista, Greek for most beautiful.

This is such a lovely scent. You don’t need to spray much to leave yourself smelling amazing and the scent lasts all day long. It comes in a variety of sizes and you can even buy the discovery set that contains all 12 scents if you want to try them all out.

Nails

Earthy Nail Polishes

£7.99 each

These nail polishes are vegan and cruelty free and the brand have replaced the single use plastic cap with highly sustainable bamboo and all seals within the cap are made from 100% post-consumer plastic. They come in a good variety of shades and are highly pigmented so you can get away with just one coat.

Earthy Nail Polish – Berry Oil

£8.99

Much like the polishes, the treatments are vegan and produced in similar bottles. This oil helps maintain natural hydration by restoring nails barrier and recondition very dry and rough nails and cuticles. In the winter my nail beds become so dry and this is a great product to use before bed.

Clothing & Accessories

Merchoid – Space Jam Xmas Jumper

£38.99

A must have gift for any fan of Space Jam. Merchoid have a great range of Christmas jumpers inspired by popular films and tv shows.

It’s a lovely thick knitted jumper and a great present idea. They also have lots of film related Christmas decorations too that are worth checking out. Last year I treated myself to a couple of Gremlins christmas tree decorations from there.

Tennis HQ – Adidas Aeroready Baseball Cap

£23

This is a great hat, not only ideal to wear as a fashion statement but also can be worn for multiple different sport activities. It’s a good fit and I like the simple design. Tennis HQ have such a good range of accessories as well as clothing so they are worth checking out.

Tennis HQ – Adidas Melbourne Mens Ergo Graphic Tennis Shorts

£55

These are a great pair of tennis shorts. They are such a unique funky design made out of a lightweight breathable material.

Adidas are one of the best sporting brands out there and Tennis HQ have such a good range of adidas clothing and accessories.

Tennis HQ – Head Club Mens Tennis Shorts

£40

Head are another great sports brand, especially for tennis. These shorts are a good length and are comfortable to wear when playing sports.

They are a thin material so you won’t get too hot wearing them so great to wear when getting hot and playing tennis.

The Brunel Museum – Vintage London Map Scarf

£19.99

This is a really unique gift for anyone that loves London. The scarf is made of a really soft material and is really comfortable to wear. It’s a good size and not too thick.

It’s definitely a statement piece to wear and great for anyone that’s always cold or is a fan of different scarves.

Cherry Blossom – Sneaker Cleaner

£5.95

A must have for anyone that has a nice trainer collection. It’s a great way to keep your trainers clean and that’s often something we don’t think about enough.

If you have expensive trainers it’s important to take care of them and keep them clean and looking like new.

Cherry Blossom – Midsole Reviver Kit

£11.45

Another great shoe care product from Cherry Blossom. This kit is great for anyone looking to take care of their shoes and I love that it comes with a brush as well as this really helps to clean the soles.

This kit works well on trainers as well as regular shoes and is really good value.

Jumble And Co – Bits And Bobs Tote Bag

£7.99 each

These bags come in a good range of colours/ designs. They are well made and sturdy for tote bags and considering the price they are really good value.

They also have a good range of diaries and umbrellas and you can buy them in similar designs and colours to match as well.

Jumble And Co – Ups And Downs Umbrella

£14.99 each

These umbrellas have a really cool design and colour scheme, similar to the tote bags. They are really trendy and are a good size to fit in a bag when not in use.

I really like the pink and purple colour scheme and the umbrellas are well made and sturdy so can be used even when it’s really windy.

Homeware

Asda Photo – Black Photo Mug

£10

I have used Asda before for personalised products and have always been impressed with the price and quality.

The mugs are a lovely personal and unique gift for yourself or a loved one. They comes in different sizes and and you can add photos or text and really make it your own.

Asda Photo – Personalised Wall Calendar

£15

A lot of supermarkets offer personalised photo products but you have to go in store and design them which can often not be practical. With this service from Asda photo online it is so easy to use either on a pc/tablet or on a phone.

It’s so easy to create a calendar with all of your favourite pictures on and it’s really good quality too. I always have to make one with my cats on for my husband.

Another Studio – A6 Notebooks, Set Of 3

£12

These A6 set of notebooks are made from recycled paper and staple bound. They are the perfect size to keep in your handbag and take on the go for making notes. They have a really cute tropical design on them and are well made.

Another Studio – Plant Animal – Cat

£6.50

The plant animals are a really unique gift for any plant lover. They come in a good range of options and look super cute poking out of a plant pot.

Etched in brass with realistic fluffy details, just look at those whiskers. This cute cat will make a lovely little gift for those cat lovers in your life.

Cutch Company – The Christmas Cutch Candle

£25

A rich, warm, and festive scent layered with a woody base of cedarwood and the spiciness of cassia. Traditional heart notes of clove, nutmeg and pine, are topped with hints of zesty lemon, sweet orange, and fresh peppermint to produce a scent that truly encapsulates the essence of Christmas igniting the memories and feelings that it evokes.

Cutch Company use soy wax, recyclable materials and essential oils and paraben free perfumes in their candle scents and they smell amazing throughout the whole burn time.

They have a great range of different scents, with lots of different Christmas ones to pick from. I love this one as it just reminds me of sitting in front of the fire on Christmas day.

Pets

Pet Hamper – Lux Christmas Cat Hamper

£35

This cat hamper is the perfect gift for your furry friend. My three love the little catnip toys in this! You get a good range of products so is ideal if you have more than one cat as they can share.

There is a tin of food in here as well as treats and plenty of toys!

They have a good range of different toys and treats if you wanted to put together your own hamper and also lots of products for dogs too.

Food & Drink

Virginia Hayward – Chocolate Collection

£42.99

This hamper includes a great selection of treats for yourself or your loved one. The honeycomb is my favourite thing, followed by the fudge bar. If you know a big chocolate fan this is a must have.

Virginia Hayward always have a really good range of hampers, there’s something to suit everyone and for a variety of budgets.

Whitakers Chocolates – Dark Chocolate Gingers

£5.99

These dark chocolate gingers are suitable for vegans and are a lovely idea for any chocolate lover. They are really tasty and a pleasant change from a selection box or other Christmas chocolates.

Whitakers Chocolates – Luxury Mint Chocolate Assortment

£5.95

You can’t go wrong with a mint selection. This box has a nice variety of different mint chocolates so perfect as a gift or even to take to someone’s house over Christmas if going for dinner. Perfect to have after a big meal.

Whitakers Chocolates – Vegan Milk Chocolate Caramel Toffee Gift Box

£5.95

These tasty treats are perfect for anyone that loves toffee. They are so yummy and great value. Whitakers have a great range of chocolates to choose from. These are perfect for vegans too.

Simply Cake Co – Christmas Cookie Selection

£8.99

These boxes are a great idea as they are letterbox friendly if you are sending direct as a gift. I love the cookies from Simply Cake Co they are so delicious and such a thoughtful gift for anyone with a sweet tooth. They have a great range of cookies, blondies and brownies to pick from.

Simply Cake Co – Festive Treat Box

£17.99

This box has a nice range of treats in. It includes:

Baileys Brownie

Christmas Blondie

Chocolate Orange Millionaires Shortbread

This is the perfect gift for anyone with a sweet tooth and they have a good range of different boxes to pick from. You can pick from different flavours and also different size packs. There really is something for everyone. They do vegan options too.

Growseed – Vegetable Seeds Gift Set

£7.99 each

These seed packs are a great idea for someone loves growing their own vegetables or even someone that hasn’t tried to before but doesn’t know where to start. They come in a good range of different seed packs and are really good value.

All sets come with 5 packets of high quality vegetable seed, 5 plant markers and a pencil.

I hope I have given you some good ideas!

Sarah x

Letting Market Predictions for 2024

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Whether you are looking to buy, sell, rent or let out a property, it can be difficult in these uncertain times to make plans without knowing what is in store for the months ahead. From renters and long-term landlords with large portfolios to those considering ‘should I Let my house online’, being prepared for what could occur is always a good idea.

Here we take a look at key predictions and forecasts for 2024 from some of the industry’s leading experts to tell you what might happen in the coming year for the letting market.

● Rent Prices

With the cost of living, the uncertain times people are facing and the inaccessibility of mortgage rates, it is expected that many buyers will be forced to remain in the rental market rather than moving onto the property ladder.

This combined with the long-term supply issues, lack of available stock on the rental market and the rising landlord costs, it is likely that there will be a heightened demand resulting in rental prices increasing by around 5% across the UK.

● Renters Reform Bill

Due to pass into legislation in 2024, the upcoming renters reform bill is going to shake up the rental market throughout England and Wales. The bill sets out a new list of rules and regulations with the aim of making the letting system better and fairer for both landlords and tenants.

Some of the highlights of the bill which will most impact the rental market include;

– The abolition of section 21 and no-fault evictions

– Changes to how landlords can increase rent

– Getting rid of fixed term tenancies

– Rights for tenants with pets

– A new property ombudsman

– Introduction of a private rented sector database

– A new system for assessing housing conditions

– Prohibits blanket bans on renting to people with children or who receive benefits

● Build To Rent

With the continued rise of Build to Rent (BTR) properties, 2024 has been marked as the ‘year of BTR’. These specially designed developments have been proven to work well in many other countries and offer tenants professionally managed homes with a whole host of benefits including great amenities and a sense of community that they don’t often get with typical rental properties.

BTR developments are not sold to individual homeowners, but rather purpose-built for renting and generally owned by property management companies and institutional investors. These could be a great solution for the housing shortage in the long term, but for 2024 their impact will likely be limited to some of the major cities where they are being constructed such as London and Birmingham.

● Energy Efficiency

As energy bills continue to rise, there is an increased demand for energy efficient properties, even in the rental market. This is something that will be highly sought after by some renters looking to lower occupational costs, but they can expect to pay a premium for it in return. 

That being said, there is also now tougher energy efficiency rules for landlords which means that a lot of homes will benefit from greatly improved energy ratings. The downside to this is that some of the changes required to meet the new rules can work out thousands per property and landlords may decide that they need to recoup these expenses by increasing their tenants rent.

Sarah x