Tag: Digital Marketing

AI Can Help Create Your Marketing. But Who Is Directing It?

Written by Bear Web Design Marketing on August 27, 2026.

Experienced content marketer using AI to develop a marketing strategy

AI has made marketing content faster and easier to create.

A business can use AI to write blogs, develop social content, generate marketing images, brainstorm campaigns, and draft emails in minutes.

That’s incredibly useful. We use AI, and businesses should use it too.

But easier content creation raises an important question:

If AI can create the marketing, do you still need an experienced marketer?

Yes. But the value of that marketer is changing.

AI has lowered the barrier to producing content. It hasn’t eliminated the need to decide what a business should say, who needs to hear it, or what will influence that audience.

That’s where experienced marketing strategy becomes even more important.

How AI Is Changing Business Visibility (And What Small Businesses Need to Do About It)

Written by Bear Web Design Marketing on July 31, 2026.

If you’ve noticed fewer website visits, fewer phone calls, or competitors appearing where your business used to rank, you’re not imagining it.

The way customers discover businesses has changed more in the last two years than it did in the previous ten.

A few years ago, finding a local business was fairly predictable. Someone opened Google, typed in a few keywords, and clicked on a website.

Today, the journey looks very different. Instead of typing “roofing contractor near me” into Google, a homeowner might ask ChatGPT, “Who are the highest-rated roofing companies near me?” The answer depends on much more than a website alone.

Someone might ask ChatGPT for the best accountant in town. They might rely on Google’s AI Overview to find a roofing contractor. Others discover businesses through Google Business Profiles, online reviews, YouTube, Facebook, or recommendations shared in their community.

Your website is still one of your most valuable marketing assets. That’s the conversation we’ve been having with more and more clients over the past year.

But it’s no longer the only place your business needs to be visible.

Customers no longer discover businesses in just one place, and your marketing strategy shouldn’t assume they do.

The One Question That Shapes Your Marketing Strategy for Small Business Growth

Written by Sabrina Jewell on February 27, 2026.

Many owners struggle with marketing. They post consistently, boost ads, and update their websites. Yet growth feels inconsistent. The issue is rarely effort. The issue is direction.

If you want a stronger marketing strategy for small business growth, start with one question:

What does our brand need right now to grow?

This question clarifies priorities. It aligns your message. It turns random marketing into strategic action. Without it, even good tactics fail.

2026: The Year Digital Marketing Becomes Your Most Valuable Business Strategy

Written by Sabrina Jewell on December 1, 2025.

Marketing is no longer a department you visit when something needs polishing. In 2026, marketing becomes the plush, well-crafted leather sofa in the center of your business—a place where your brand’s identity, customer trust, and long-term growth settle in and get comfortable. And today, that sofa is unmistakably digital. Small and mid-sized businesses win when they understand their customers, communicate with clarity, and build trust at every online touchpoint. Smart, strategic digital marketing is no longer optional; it’s the foundation that supports visibility, credibility, and conversions. Brands that ignore it will feel like they’re sitting on a rickety folding chair while competitors relax on something far sturdier. Businesses that weave digital marketing into their daily operations will scale smarter, faster, and with far greater resilience.

Small Business Digital Advertising: Why Every Business Needs Digital Ads to Grow

Written by Bear Web Design Marketing on August 23, 2025.

Digital advertising is one of the most effective ways small to mid-size businesses can grow in today’s competitive market. With advanced targeting options and measurable results, digital ads give businesses the tools they need to reach the right customers at the right time.

How Blogging Helps Your Business Grow Online

Written by Bear Web Design Webmaster on June 30, 2025.

blog post on laptop to grow business visibility and SEO traffic - red arrow indicates business growth

Blogging helps your business grow by increasing online visibility and attracting new customers. Each blog is a fresh opportunity to be discovered. Consistent, strategic content keeps your brand top of mind and builds lasting customer trust.

Ten Ways to Market Your Brand

Written by Sabrina Jewell on January 3, 2025.

Whether launching a new start-up or refreshing an existing brand, innovative marketing strategies are key to standing out. The fast-paced digital landscape requires adaptability and creativity to connect with audiences effectively. These ten marketing tips will help you market your brand, foster customer loyalty, and stay ahead of the competition in 2025.

Combining Digital Marketing and Website Management: A Winning Formula with Bear Web Design

Written by Bear Web Design Webmaster on December 9, 2024.

For over 24 years, Bear Web Design has been a trusted partner in website management, offering a comprehensive suite of services, starting with website design and development and continuing with ongoing updates, rebranding efforts, and integrating new products and services. Our approach to managing and hosting websites ensures long-term success for our clients, positioning us as a valuable extension of their team—a permanent webmaster and designer ready to be your partner in growth.

What is Google AdWords?

Written by Peter Beare on June 1, 2013.

Recently I had a prospect ask me to focus (almost exclusively) on improving their Google Search Engine positioning based on key words. The belief of the prospect was that you can manipulate results on Google easily and quickly. Regardless of your website (and its design), this methodology (known as Search Engine Optimization) could be implemented very easily. So, what is Google AdWords?

Be Sure To Focus On Landing Pages

Written by Peter Beare on August 10, 2008.

When you think about your website you may have the “misconception” that everyone who visits your website will generally enter thru the home page. It is important to focus on landing pages

Visitors May Land on Many Pages, Not Just the Home Page

When you consider search links from specific pages (based on topic searches) and marketing landing pages it is possible that people may be coming to your website from a variety of what is known as “Landing Pages”.

But Surely You Really Want Them to Come to Your Home Page?

When we design a client’s website – we always focus on our key action items being easily accessed and prominent on the home page. I have no doubt the home page is usually most trafficked entry point BUT – lets say you are running a special or you have a specific area of you business (or many areas that may require some more custom information). If you can get a visitor to land directly on this page and they like what the see – you can still get a result you want from your client. One of the biggest reasons for these landing pages is the behavior of web visitors. Generally people will come to your site and leave very quickly – so you want to get visitors to their area of interest – VERY QUICKLY!

So What Type of Landing Pages Are There?

I had mentioned the search engine (a user searches for a keyword or key phrase and the search engine matches a specific page on your website that has the key search information). To elaborate on this – you may have a page on your website titled “Gladeville Web Design” – and then you may also have the words appearing in the page several times – repeating Gladeville Web Design.

Search Engines Create Landing Page Links!

A person goes to google and types the keywords “Gladeville Web Design” – and a link to your webpage appears as a result. The link takes you straight to the specific Web Design page. This is a landing page (as the person landed on your website thru this link). Remember not all landing pages are planned – or controlled from your end. So having an incomplete website or poor content that you don’t consider will accessed by visitors will not serve you well when search engines select landing pages based on search criteria.

Landing Pages Can Be Advertising Campaigns (Internal & External)

Advertising campaigns within the website that will have your banner ads linking you directly to a specials page where you can elaborate on your advertisement and get a desired result (a call or inquiry e-mail). This could be both internal advertising – or advertising on another website. This is an area where advertisers make a big mistake in creating a custom ad for their special or product – but link the click-thru to their home page (instead of an elaboration of the advertisement). Quite often the visitor cannot actually find any further information about the ad – and frustrated they leave the website. Advertising landing pages are a very IMPORTANT PART OF ADVERTISING…

Landing Pages That Are Custom Domain Name Routing

Another great use to get folks to key landing pages is domain routing. This is the process where you are actually using a domain name (that is routing to a specific page on your website). Let say we want to run an advertising campaign – that promotes selling Real Estate in the Gladeville area. We acquire the domain name www.gladevillerealestate.com – which will allow for the direct use of the domain name – both thru search engines or a marketing campaign. Of course you may have many areas within your site (for Real Estate) – but we run a specific advertisements promoting Gladeville Real Estate – and our domain name takes you straight there.

Every Page Can Be a Powerful Entry Point

Recently when meeting with a group of clients I stated that the client should consider that there are multiple ways people will get to their website – and they will not always enter thru the home page. I could tell this was very eye opening to the clients. It really makes you think of how you can make every page on your website work hard for your. There is no doubt Landing Pages are a great way for web visitors to go to a specific web page (that may satisfy their specific intent).

Think Creatively About Visitor Entry Paths

Keep your mind open when thinking about your website and the way the visitors land on your website. Think creative and flexible and your website will serve you well!

Cheers Mate,

Peter Beare – Webmaster

Peter Beare is CEO of BeareWare, a Website Design & Development Company located just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Since building his first website for a local sports club in 1998 Peter has been a webmaster. Over the last 10 years Peter’s duties with BeareWare have included website planning, design and development, website marketing and sales, as well as database application programming & project management. But when all is said and done, Peter is still a webmaster and this is “Interview with a Webmaster“.