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What is a vlog?

Posted on March 22, 2021August 20, 2021 by Phil

Vlogs are a popular kind of video on the internet today. So what is it? Vlog is the abbreviation of “video log”. What it refers to is the practice of filming oneself and sharing content. That content can be a review, a report or even an opinion piece through the power of video. Though you can vlog about almost anything. It’s very similar to a blog, just in video form.

Why choose to do a vlog?

It can quite often be a much quicker way for a content creator to get their message across by just creating a quick video of themselves and posting online, rather than spending the time writing it all down. A great place to share vlogs is on social media such as Facebook, Instagram or YouTube as well as using features like creating a Live Video.

Vlogging is a powerful way to engage with your viewers because of the format, it will often feel much more like a conversation compared to reading an article/blog.

Vlogs vs Blogs

Vlogs might seem like they’re simply a modern way to do blogging. Overall, videos have been shown to be much more engaging. Most people are also more likely to remember something on video as opposed to text.

However, a blog article has its advantages with Google SEO. Google is still using keywords from your article to help with ranking. Search engines can’t watch a video or listen to audio, but they do index text.

Does this mean you can’t do SEO for Vlogs? Not at all. Videos have their own kind of SEO, and you can find out more about that in our article How do videos help your SEO. This is why it is super important to use relevant titles and descriptions when uploading a vlog to your website.

Is Vlogging right for you?

You might be wondering if vlogging is right for you. It’s a good way to get the message out. It all depends on what you have to say and how comfortable you are on camera. (Tip: Read our article on How to Prepare to be on Video for help with this!) Getting the setup right might take some practice.

If your vlog looks cheap or low-quality, it might hurt more than help. Lighting, backgrounds, etc. are important and make a massive difference in quality. That doesn’t matter as much for personal vlogs, but it does if they’re for your business. Make sure to watch them through when you’re done. Try to see it from the customer’s point of view. They don’t know the work that goes into it–they just see the final product. If you saw the vlog, would you do business with your company?

Vlogging takes time and investment to get right, but it can be worth it. Once you do a few and get into a routine, it gets easier too. Sometimes, having an outsider’s perspective can help too. At Back9, we can help by giving you tips and tricks for being on camera. Or we can even do filming for you if you like. We can do Videography for blogs, events, business promos, recruitment, and much more. Get in touch with us today if you’d like help with our professional videography service.

Google’s May Algorithm update is a Game Changer!

Posted on March 3, 2021December 23, 2021 by Phil

Most normal people don’t even know what the Google Algorithm is. Let alone care what a Google Algorithm Update is. Or what it means to them… Are you one of those people? That’s okay. But even if you are, if you’re in business and you have a website, and you want it to be found, then you need to know about this next update!

This update is BIG. REALLY big. It WILL separate the website winners from the losers! If you don’t understand – or even care for the “nerdy Geek Speak” – that’s cool I get it, but before your eyes glaze over and you hit the back button, or give up and go watch videos of cats, I urge you to read on, or at the very least, contact your website provider to discuss what you need to do to get your website up to speed.

The 3 Key Aspects of Core Web Vitals

Google announced this Algorithm update last April. This means that they’ve let us know ahead of time that this major change was in the works. Only recently did they put a date to it, however. In May, their new measurement for SEO called Core Web Vitals will start taking effect. Specifically, they are introducing three metrics specific to page experience. These Core Web Vitals put simply, will address:

1. Site speed

The speed a website page loads once a link is clicked on from search results. Google has been pushing fast site speed for several years, because that’s what users want. Over half of users won’t wait more than 3 seconds for a page to load. Yet, stats on page load speed claim the average is anywhere from 15 seconds to nearly 30 seconds to load. Mobile sites are meant to load faster, but many take longer because the site wasn’t designed to work on mobile devices.

So what does that mean for you? If you are able to get your pages to load in under 3 seconds, you should see a boost in results. All content “Above the fold” (What someone sees without scrolling down) should load within that time. Most sites are going slow, and if you’re faster, you’re more likely to rank above them in Google.

2. Interactivity

How seamless user interactivity is – for example, with no delays in button-tapping and site response or desired action. We’ve all been to a website with broken buttons or a confusing structure. With Interactivity being measured soon, sites that are designed and built better will rise to the top. Google knows design and ease of use is important to people. So they’re going to start rewarding sites that do it well–and punishing ones that don’t.

3. Stability

The stability of a webpage content is the way it loads for a user on the screen. Have you ever been on a website and see something you want to click, but then it moves right before you click it shifts and you click something else? Those kinds of things will soon be measured as Stability. The layout of the pages should generally be consistent. Pages where text or images keep shifting around while other things load (Think ads loading while you’re reading) will start to see a decrease in rankings. Google has known this kind of site behaviour annoys people, so they’ve found a way to measure and analyse the most important factors that cause this.

What does this mean for your website?

This change could be good or bad news for your website. It’s good news is that if you already have a well-built site that loads fast and gives a good user experience. You might not have to do anything to get the benefits! You’ll probably see your rankings increase and it will be easier for you to be found in Google.

The bad news is that if your site needs improvement, this update could hurt. An old, basic, slow site won’t do well when things change. If you’ve been putting off updating your website, now is a good time to action it. The sooner you do it, the better.

Procrastination is easy!

When you have hundreds of things on the go – as most business owners do, it’s easy to let something like this sit in the “I’ll worry about that when it happens category”, If you’re familiar with the Eisenhower Matrix then this is the probably sitting in the Important, but not Urgent quadrant.

This is normal. We see it all the time with business owners and only when something becomes Urgent and Important, is it really on the radar? It’s human nature to put things off or procrastinate when we don’t understand the impact or cost of the action, or the cost of inaction for that matter.

If you value your website and you get a good amount of leads from organic traffic, then the cost of inaction here could be detrimental to your business.

On the other hand if you don’t know what your website is up to or what it is returning for you I recommended you talk to a good Marketing Company. Have a read of our article by clicking the button below to see how to find a marketing company who is a good fit for you.

User Experience – It needs to be top shelf

User Experience is a bit of a buzzword these days in digital marketing. However, it also can’t be understated. The user, A.K.A. your leads, prospects, and customers have all of the power these days!

Your website needs to cater to their expectations. Whether that be expecting the site to load lightning fast, that they can navigate your site well, or simply find the answers to their questions about what you do and how much it costs.

If it doesn’t cater to these things, then the reality is you are likely to lose those visitors, never to return, especially if your competitor caters for their expectations better.

Google’s promise to all internet users

All online searchers want 2 things – relevant webpage results for their search query, and when they land on that page, a great experience from the websites. Google understands this and as such they want, no, NEED to deliver on that. And that is their core promise.

To deliver that promise, the Google Algorithm Update needs to be constantly evolving. And your website needs to keep up! Google added metrics around page loading speed, mobile-friendly need in 2018, then the BERT update in 2019 and in April 2020 they announced the focus on user experience. And May 2021 will see it come to fruition. To evaluate and measure page experience they will implement what they are referring to as Core Web Vitals.

Google has said for over a decade that they want users to have the best experience possible on websites and deliver those websites as their first results. A good website is an investment. It takes time, effort, and resources to do it right. At the end of the day, your website needs to have a good design with quality content. Some people have tried to take shortcuts, tricking the algorithm etc. but that was always a risk. Eventually, Google was going to find a way to find out what websites are doing it right and what ones took shortcuts. The next step for that starts in May. Are you ready?

What do you need to do now?

I mentioned the Eisenhower Matrix above and if you care about your search rankings, then now is the time to shift your focus. Your website maintenance, or design for user experience into the URGENT and IMPORTANT quadrant. I can tell you categorically as I write this, even our own website is well below average. Right now it needs some urgent attention! We’re working on improving it to make it better and easier to use.

So if you haven’t done much with your website in recent times – or worse – have done nothing, then please act… For your website users’ sake, please don’t procrastinate. Your website’s success quite literally depends on it.

See how your website is doing with a free website audit

How to prepare to be on video

Posted on March 1, 2021April 22, 2025 by Phil

At Back9 we love helping local businesses tell their stories through the power of video. However, the majority of them have never even filmed themselves to post on their website or social media; let alone being a part of professional video production. The idea of creating high-quality video always goes down a treat right up until the realisation kicks in that they will have to be the ones standing in front of the camera. So how can you prepare to be on video?

Whether you’re delivering a scripted message, filming an unscripted interview, giving a testimonial, or showcasing a product, preparation is key. I’ll walk you through a few practical tips to help you shine on camera—like a true movie star.

Tips to prepare to be on video

A few things you can do to prepare to be on video are smile for the camera, think about your message, have a straight back, talk with your hands, and wear the right outfit.

Smile for the camera

A great way to begin every video is to be smiling before you even start talking. Quite often people don’t smile nearly as much as they think they do. It will show your viewer that you are excited and enjoy talking to them.

Smiling throughout the video is actually quite a tricky one to remember once the camera starts rolling. But it does make such a huge difference in the final video. Another pro tip is to always end the video with a smile, as this is going to be the last frame that the viewer will see of you. And you want them to remember that beautiful smile.

Think about what message you want to say

Even if your video isn’t scripted, take time to think about what you want to say. For interview-style videos, ask if you can review the questions beforehand. That way, you can prepare your responses to sound natural and aligned with your message.

If you’re working with a script, make sure you’re happy with it. Read it out loud or practise in front of a mirror. What looks good on paper can sometimes sound awkward when spoken. Aim to deliver every line with confidence, and don’t hesitate to refine the script until it feels right.

Straight back

Whether you’re sitting or standing, good posture is key. Yes, it might feel like being back at school—but no one wants to come across as slouchy or disinterested on camera.

If you’re sitting, avoid leaning back or sinking into the couch. Try to sit forward so your back isn’t resting against the chair. You might not feel completely comfortable, but sitting this way shows your engagement, boosts your energy, and makes you look more confident on camera.

Talk with your hands

A lot of people we’ve filmed often say, “I move my hands too much when I talk.” But funnily enough, the opposite is usually true—you probably need to move them more!

Hand gestures are a powerful communication tool. They add energy, help express your passion, and keep your audience engaged. Standing stiff with your arms pinned to your sides makes you look—and feel—unnatural. So don’t be afraid to let your hands do some of the talking too.

What to wear

These are few tips for dress code but remember, these are not rules.

Try to avoid clothes with patterns & plain white
Choose comfortable clothes that make you feel like a boss
Avoid any dangling/loud jewellery or accessories as they can often be picked up by the microphone.
Bring a spare set of clothes that are the opposite colour/tone. When the shooting locations changes to a nice green garden, and you have your favourite green dress on, you could get lost in the background. It also doubles as a backup set of clothes if the unthinkable happens like spilling a coffee on your camera-ready outfit right before the shoot.
Check out more clothing tips here.

Remember, it’s all about the viewer

This one’s big. Remember, the video isn’t being made for you to watch and critique how you look or sound. You’re creating it to share a message with your audience. They won’t know how far outside your comfort zone you were—what they’ll notice is your passion, clarity, and energy. If you deliver your message in a way that connects, then you’ve nailed it.

And here’s the good news—the more time you spend on camera, the more confident you’ll become. The key is to start. Then do it again. And again.

Get started Now. Book an in-person meeting now!

When should I hire a professional to build my website?

Posted on March 1, 2021January 5, 2023 by John Tatu

You want to build a website and it seems like not too long ago that if you wanted to get a new website, it almost always required to hire a professional to do it for you. Doing it yourself required expert knowledge of coding if you wanted it to look anything like you want. Today, there are many DIY platforms that can help you get the website you want. Most of them are simple to use and only need a basic understanding of coding. So when should you hire a professional? Should you contact a developer directly? Or a Digital Marketing company, which offers a range of services? And if so, who is the best digital marketing company to contact?

The current DIY website landscape

Whether you have technical skills or not, there are platforms that promise to have the easiest drag-and-drop approach to designing and building your website. The ones that are widely available are Squarespace, Weebly, and Wix and WordPress, which powers 30% of all websites on the Internet and have a free or paid theme added to your site that you can customise.

One of the main reasons people get websites these days is so they can sell products online. This is called eCommerce and there are DIY platforms that use drag-and-drop that specialise in eCommerce. Some of the most popular ones are Shopify, Opencart, and WooCommerce (works with WordPress). If you’re interested in selling online, click the image below to read our article about which E-Commerce platform is best for you.

What is the purpose of the website?

Before you even think about what platform you should use to build your website, it is critical to know what type of site you need. This will be driven by the type of your business. Thinking about it will naturally lead to thoughts around design and functionality. As soon as you add in all the features you envision your website to have it will help you answer the question “Should I hire a professional or can I build it myself?”

Your capabilities

Even though the drag-and-drop tools we listed above might not require any technical skills, you’ll most certainly find yourself needing at least some basic HTML/CSS skills to make the site look professional and not just a template from the web. You’ll also need to have in mind some other basic web development practices in building your website, such as responsive design. About half of users on the web in New Zealand use a mobile device to browse the internet, so it’s only fair to say that having your website optimised for mobile is a must-have.

After designing your website, you might find yourself in a position where you want your website to do more than just an online brochure. You might want it to generate more leads, or you might need e-commerce to help increase sales. Soon, you’ll realise that you need to integrate 3rd party systems to help you achieve that, such as your CRM system or integrating a payment gateway to process online orders. If you already have systems in place this is very important so you aren’t double-handling.

Your time & budget

If you decide to use a DIY web design tool, it will seem, at first, that you are saving a great deal of time and money. One of the important questions that will come to your mind is: how much is my time worth? If you happen to have a great amount of time on your hands, you may be ok with building a website yourself. However, if you are not sure about how much available free time you have you might consider hiring a web design agency to help you. More than often people start building their websites and halfway into the project they realise it needs more time or skills to finalise the project.

If instead, you are a business owner that has some money set aside for marketing, a website is probably the best place to spend it. Professional web developers are familiar with the different platforms and up-to-date methods for building websites. If you’re already very busy, a web developer may be able to build you a completely custom site in the time it would take for you to use a template builder. Consider a professional if you’re looking for top-quality results quickly and have some budget set aside. Read through our article How much does a website cost for more information.

What’s the right option for you?

As you can see, it’s pretty easy to get a basic web site up and running in no time these days. But should you do it? The first step in helping you make the right call is to write down all the feature you’d like your website to have. Then, browse the internet and see if that is going to be achievable using one of the platforms and figure out how much time and other resources you’re going to need. If you add these together and feel you’ll be investing more than what you’ll get in return, then getting a professional web design agency to do it for you might be the best decision for the future of your business. Get in touch today to find out more about how professional web development can work for you.

How much does it cost to host a website?

Posted on February 25, 2021November 20, 2023 by Phil

Website hosting is a necessary part of running a website. By “necessary” we mean that it won’t function without it and is an absolute requirement. It also comes with its own set of costs. Website hosting can cost as little as $8 per month and if it includes a comprehensive maintenance package – at the high end can be in excess of $1000 per month. So with such a big ballpark, how much should website hosting really cost? And is just hosting actually what you are receiving if you’re paying towards the higher end of the spectrum? Are you comparing apples with apples? How do you know you’re getting the best solution and not being ripped off!

The simple answer is, the cost to host a website ‘depends’… It depends on whether your website is uploaded to a server and left to its own devices or if it is proactively maintained and if so, what additional services or value are you getting from your provider?

Things pricing to host a website can depend on are:

The type of hosting service/package
Web Server Quality
Web Server Location
Self Managed – If you’re hosting your website yourself and responsible for any and all updates/upgrades
Managed Hosting – If a website is hosted on your behalf, by a marketing or web design company – And what you are getting for this service
If server upgrades are included – like anything tech, software and hardware outdates.
If you are actually also getting proactive maintenance on the site and the server
And more…

Web hosting is a complicated beast and unless you’re into IT (like REALLY into it) it’s something that you’ll probably never actually understand completely. But since your website can’t exist without it, we’ll attempt and explain briefly what it is and why it costs what it does in this article.

What is Website Hosting?

When a website is hosted this means it is stored on a server. A server is basically a computer. This computer is where your website “lives”. When you type in a website, what happens is that it gets the information from that server computer and then shows it on your screen. This means the quality of the server itself can dramatically affect the performance of a website. The power of the server (or computer) means that the faster it will go, the better your website will perform. This is just one factor in website performance, but it is an important one to understand.

And just like computers, Servers come in all sizes, and can be configured in a number of ways too. The power, speed and configuration of the server your website is on is defined by the ‘type’ of hosting your may have.What are the types of website hosting?

As mentioned above the type of website hosting or the configuration of the server can play a very important role in your website performance and also dramatically affect the cost to host a website. Three main types of hosting you might come across are Shared Hosting, VPS Hosting, and Dedicated Hosting.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is the cheapest form of hosting because you are literally sharing the load with a bunch of other websites. Think about the cost of flying a plane. The more people that can fit on the plane the cheaper the ticket becomes. This is because you’re sharing the flight with (in some cases) hundreds of other people.

The downside of that is you don’t necessarily know who you’re sharing the flight with. Or going to be sitting next to. If Google is the moderator of aviation law, and they decide one of those passengers is unsavoury then this could also affect the quality of another website on the same server. It gets tarred with the same brush.

Cloud Containers

Cloud Containers primarily offer a huge amount of control for developers. (So this is often our first choice for hosting clients websites). It means we can do more, faster, and maintain up-to-date infrastructure without too many technical headaches – both for us and you…

VPS Hosting

VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. This means that a website can be partitioned off and essentially separated from the other website on the physical server. In saying that though each website may still need to use ‘shared resources’ Let’s go back to that flight we spoke about above. VPS could be compared to travelling in First class. You’re still using the same aircraft, the same fuel and crew for example, but you have more room of your own. Even though you’re on the same flight, you’re “on the other side of the curtain”, separated from the rest.

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated website hosting, is just as the name suggests. Instead of you being on a plane, you own a private aircraft. You have the whole entire thing to yourself. The size of the plane may vary depending on your requirements, and this too will affect the cost of hosting a website. As expected, dedicated hosting is the most expensive option.

How does Server Location Affect Website Hosting Costs?

We all expect websites to load lightning-fast these days. In fact, If your website takes longer than three seconds to load, you could be losing a lot of your website visitors. here’s 11 statistics you need to know.

Whilst websites themselves need to be also built and optimised well to begin with, they need to be maintained too (something the Website Performance Booster can also help with can dramatically help with). However, the distance between your site visitors and your server can also affect this dramatically too.

If we go back to our aircraft analogy, and think about the time it takes to fly from New Zealand to Australia, versus the UK or US, then it stands to reason that server location can affect your website speed and in turn the cost to host a website.

Shorter distances between you and the VPN server improve internet speed. For example, if you’re in the UK and connecting to a server in Australia, it is a substantial distance for a data packet to travel. So the nearer a server is located, the faster the internet speed will be.

So what is a reasonable price to pay for website hosting?

As mentioned in the first section of this article, Website Hosting is complicated. There are literally hundreds of variables. The most important thing to understand with websites, in general, is that they are no longer an online brochure. A website is a sales tool. And these days, a website is like a staff member – one who can sell 24/7. A website is an investment and always a work in progress, and this should be reflected in what you are prepared to pay to host and maintain it. If you want it to perform at its peak it needs time, money and energy invested.

You wouldn’t own a private jet, or expect to travel on a plane and expect it to run on 91 Octane! You need the right mix of fuel to keep it running well in order to safely reach your destination (your goals). And your website should be no different. You should be consistently setting new goals and objectives for your website to achieve – just like your staff!

At Back9 we are not a web hosting company. Therefore we only provide a managed hosting service coupled with website and server maintenance. We have found this to be the best solution for the broad range of clients we have websites hosted for.

So what is a reasonable price to pay for website hosting? Well, again that depends 100% on you! To give you an idea, our packages at back9 for website hosting and related services, range from $54 + GST per month – 199 + GST per month (with discounts for paying quarterly) depending on requirements. This offers server maintenance and upgrades, plugin updates and then upgrades (at the higher level) quarterly website performance maintenance too. And if that keeps your website performing at its peak then that is priceless.

What do I get with my Back9 hosting package?

It’s fair to ask about Website Maintenance and Hosting. And What Are You Actually Paying For? So the cost of hosting a website with us includes the cost of that lease (or a portion thereof) and depending on the hosting package you choose, our service can include:

Hosting set up that suits your website and business
SSL certificate, set up and renewal
99% uptime
Security updates and website data backups
Server upgrades as and when required (generally every 2-3 years)
website theme, or plugin upgrades, as required,
website audits/testing and repairs and maintenance
Updates to website content as required
And more.

To find out more about the specific hosting packages, click the button below or get in touch

Which is worse, a bad website or no website?

Posted on February 23, 2021January 20, 2025 by Phil

With over 5.6 billion Google searches per day, this question seems like a no-brainer, right? Surely it’s better to have a website even if it is bad rather than having no website at all? If Google can find your website and shows it to the right people it should theoretically create leads. And therefore, generate revenue. But is that really the case if your website is “bad”?

Most people search Google for the answers to their common questions, online shopping, or research. But what happens when the information you’re looking for is on a website that looks like it was created in the early 2000s? What if it looks strange on your phone–or doesn’t even work at all? What if loads slower than “surfing” on dial-up internet? Are you going to stay on that site and trust/buy that product or service? Research tells us that no – you won’t! With around 83% of people expecting a website to load in 3 seconds or less, today’s consumers are impatient, demanding, and downright egotistical. We want it now – so give us what we need!

What makes a website bad?

There are many factors to consider when talking about what makes a website “bad”. Some of those key factors are:

the design of the site
user experience (how easy it is to navigate etc)
speed of the site
Fonts
colours,
images,
lack of information

We could go on and on.

But why does any of this matter? Well, when it comes to website design, studies show that 75% of your website’s credibility comes from the design which means you’ve got to make a great first impression!

There are a few key design fundamentals that you need to tick off the list to ensure you are building credibility from the get-go. For example, having a professional logo, clear-concise information, beautiful imagery and ease of use help ensure your visitors have a great experience while on your site. But there’s an elephant in the room that we haven’t mentioned yet; Google. Google can smell a bad website from a mile away. We’ve already mentioned some of the key things that Google looks at when ranking websites. Some of these key things are loading speed and user experience, but there is a lot more to it than that. In 2021, Google looks at images (and if they’re tagged correctly) if your site isn’t secure, if it isn’t updated regularly with high-quality content, and much more.

Huh, you’ve got no website?!

What about businesses that have no website? How do they have an online presence? Well, there are other options to get online. For example, your Facebook could be used as an interim solution until you feel that you require a website. Or you might link to your Instagram page in the short term. But how does this impact your credibility? If you don’t have a website you could be seen as a hobby business or one that hasn’t taken the next step to becoming fully professional. Depending on your industry, this could potentially cost your business leads and revenue.

Older, more established businesses that don’t have a website may do better because they have an existing customer base. And many continue to get business from regulars or from word-of-mouth referrals. But they could be missing out on a huge opportunity to get new people in the door. At a minimum, every business should have a listing on Google My Business. This will make it so that if someone searches for the business name directly the right business will pop up. Then at least customers can get directions or call from there directly.

My Verdict on bad vs no website

With everything taken into consideration, I think that no website is worse than having a bad website! This might surprise you as we are of course visual people here at Back9 Creative but the tipping point for this opinion is that trust factor. You need to build trust with your customers and how can they really, fully, wholeheartedly trust a business that doesn’t have a website! Customers want to read about your services, how you can help them, who you are as people and what your business believes in, and without a website to communicate this information, it can be very difficult to gain credibility over your competitors. If you have a website up with at least some of that information, you probably understand the value of being online already. Just keep in mind that if you have a bad website, it might not convert, and you can read our Content Specialist Dallen’s opinion on that here.

It’s not all doom and gloom though. Websites come in all shapes and sizes and it’s best to talk to a web designer to work through your business needs and goals. If budget is a driving factor for not having a website, a growth-driven website could be a great option.