Displaying items by tag: Industry News

Lets start this article with this simple preface: Everyone wants their website to be found on the first page of Google Search results.  If you are scratching your head wondering why you are not, then this article should help you understand why, and how to become more relevant.

Google and other search engines are in the business of providing quality search engine results to their users. This is why Google, Yahoo and Bing have developed search algorithms to help them determine what results will bring their user the most "relevant" data found on the world wide web. Just to be clear, an algorithm is a set of instructions that are used to complete a task, answer a question or solve a problem. In search engines, algorithms enable the system to quickly and accurately return relevant results based on an inputted query. Google's impressive ability to automatically generate search results is useful when navigating the overwhelming amount of available information. Google's ranking systems are designed to swiftly sift through billions of webpages and content in Google's Search index, ensuring you receive the most relevant and useful results in an instant. Find exactly what you need with just a fraction of a second.

In order to provide you with the most valuable and accurate search results, search algorithms take into account numerous factors and signals.  Understanding these factors is the first step in becoming more relevant in Google.

Currently, your competition is plotting to take over your clientele and service area.  Maybe it is an old employee that thinks he could provide a better service. Perhaps your competition is a younger version of you that is eager to stake out his new camp and service area in your backyard.   

In any case, in this day in age, nobody is happy settling for a salary as a worker bee.  Everyone wants to be the boss.   Is the American Dream feeding this ambition? Or is simply just human nature?  In any case, the dream is the same for all, whether you are an established American citizen, or an immigrants from any foreign country, we all want a piece of the pie!  The result is that new companies are popping up every day!

Speaking from the perspective of small web design company and advertising agency operating in a suburb of Chicago, we have observed that this trend is true across many industries including but not limited to: home remodeling companies, painting companies and even web design companies. 

This articles examines how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the world of content creation including, authoring text and creating images. In addition to sharing some of the tools your competition may be implementing to get ahead of you, this article also provides facts on the history and evolution of Artificial Intelligence. The hope is that his article will help you realize the endless possibilities offered by Artificial Intelligence and what to expect in the future. 

Is the current economic crisis the real reason for tech industries recent reduction in workforces? Yes, the economy is in bad shape. Interest’s rates are high and inflation is climbing, but it is also evident that the recent leaps and bounds made within the developments of Artificial Intelligence (AI), is making it easier for BIG TECH to part with their employees.

Google Cuts 12.5% of Workforce in 2023

First, to put Google cuts in context: in Q3 2021 Alphabet Inc. reported 150,028  total employee’s. On January 20, 2023 Sundar Pichai CEO of Google and Alphabet released a statement “A difficult decision to set us up for the future”. His statement goes on to convey that “We’ve (Google) decided to reduce our workforce by approximately 12,000 roles” (12.5% of their company).  Later in the statement he says that the company is pivoting and recalls Google “to be AI-first years ago led to groundbreaking advances across our businesses and the whole industry.”

In 2023, as Sherwin-Williams Latin American Resource Group prepares for their 2nd annual Fiesta Latina, they asked AdverGroup to assist in producing two video commercials to help promote the upcoming events. One video is narrated by a Spanish speaking narrator and another version narrated by an English voiceover artist with a Spanish Accent.   The video footage which was captured at the 1st Annual event in 2022 was repurposed and used to promote the upcoming event in 2023!.

Sherwin-Williams is a paint manufacturer who ares about the painting contractors that they supply paint to.  In efforts to provide more resources to Latin American painting contractor Sherwin-Williams formed their Latin American Resource Group. This group helps painting contractors and companies realize other resources for their business to help them become successful. One example is how Sherwin-Williams brought AdverGroup Web Design onboard. By introducing many of their painting contractors to AdverGroup, Sherwin-Williams is helping their contractors achieve more new business, when they have a professional painting contractor website that is search engine optimized.

Please take a moment to view the various videos produced by, and gallery of images captured by AdverGroup Web Design. 

WATCH VIDEO 

All business owners and entrepreneurs have the same goal:  That is to be found on page #1 of Google Search Engine.  That single objective requires most conventional businesses to travel along the same path. As a Creative Director based in the Chicago area, I have worked with countless clients over the years, these clients span countless industries. We work for old companies and start-ups, many of these clients even within the same industry, many of who are often even competitors. 

In any case, to become relevant in any industry or niche, the path these business owners must travel today, is not like the days of old.  They are not buying advertisements in the yellow pages or in newspapers (do either of those even still exist).  Client's seeking success in today's modern world of business are all looking to conquer search engines. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, the World is seeing a shift in the way business is done. With much of the World’s work-force sidelined, and with retail stores closing across the United States, our economy is evolving and consumers are looking for virtual spaces to wander. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, for those of us who are fortunate enough to remain healthy, some of us have taken advantage of the World being paused, by getting our Spring cleaning accomplished at home.  Clearing closets and clutter have been accomplished. However, if you are a business owner and/or website owner, knowing where the World's economy is headed (online), have you reviewed your business plan and website to make sure they are both adequate vehicles that are capable of carrying your business into the future? 

This article provides some insight into copyright infringement and/or copyright claims, as it relates to the use of images on websites, while also offering ways to avoid copyright claims. This includes providing proactive actions and links to resources for free royalty-free stock images and paid royalty-free stock images.

If you own a website, or are a web designer who has used images without securing licensing then you probably know this can be a real costly endeavor. Copyright infringement is a real and occurs more often than you think.  This occurs both on purpose, and inadvertently.  In any case, the attorneys who will be contacting you do not care if it was a mistake or not. This is why it is important to use images from a trusted source (not Google Image Search), and/or license your images from a trusted stock image resource.

Before we get into providing solutions to avoiding copyright claims, let us first understand the nuts and bolts of the issue which can be realized by reviewing some frequently asked questions and answers relative to copyright infringement as it relates to "image usage on the internet".

In October of 2018 Google announced they would be "Protecting your data, improving our third-party APIs, and sunsetting consumer Google+".  Later in December another update would come as Google announced "Expediting changes to Google+". Most recently in December of 2018, deletion dates were provided when Google emphasized that it will shut down Google+, "due to low usage and challenges involved in maintaining a successful product that meets consumers’ expectations." as provided in Google's official statement.

While the number of mobile device users is growing, the number of social media networks is also constantly growing. However, with the recent news of Google sunsetting Google+, the "social media battle field" just got thinner. 

Mobile devices and social media have surely become a part of most peoples daily life. Today, these pocket sized computers have proven useful for users of all age groups. While smart phone owners use their devices for a variety of tasks including: entertainment, information and/or business; mobile devices coupled with the growth of social networks maybe changing the world beyond providing convenience as relates to access to email on the go. The use of mobile devices and the growth of social media may very well be responsible for shaping history, as it is widely believed that social media may have played a major part in the 2016 Presidential election. 

Though politics are discussed in this article, the focus of this article is technology based.