Our Archive

Written by Katie Waxman on December 5, 2023

A new website offers your vending business a fresh look and opportunity for growth. With the new year approaching, now is a great time to look at boosting your online presence in 2024!

So how do you know if you need a new website? This blog will give busy vending operators like you some key things to consider.

The Case for a New Website

First Impressions

When competing for breakroom service contracts, it’s vital to look fresh. Your site needs to instantly convey that your business is current and trustworthy. This means a modern design, crisp graphics, up to date information, and appealing photos. A fresh website can captivate visitors researching your business online. This first impression should put you ahead of your competition and leave a lasting, positive impression.

User Enhanced

A new website can mean more engaged visitors who spend a longer time discovering your offerings. Think about how users might move around your current site. Is the navigation simple? Does your site load quickly? Is the design responsive? How easy is it to view on a mobile device? A user-friendly site keeps visitors shopping. They check out the services you offer and explore more. This increases your chance of conversion.

SEO Optimized

New SEO practices can boost your website’s visibility in search engines. It is important your site include keywords for the major services you offer and the local cities you operate in. The more in tune your website is with the way customers shop, the better your organic search results will be. This means more organic traffic to your website and more leads.

New Website Security

Cybersecurity is an ongoing concern for many businesses operating online. Be confident your website’s security credentials are up to date. Modern websites can integrate better security measures. This ensures not only the safety of your company’s site but also any data saved from users.

Aligned Messaging

A new website can bring together your company’s updated brand and messaging. If these have evolved over time, a new site will ensure shoppers are seeing the most accurate reflection of your current business. Your website should showcase your brand and your messaging should back it up, telling your story. A new site can let your look and communication best reflect your business today.

Conversions

A good website is designed to easily convert visitors to customers. It can do that in many ways, including strategic placement of call-to-action buttons and forms. These engage the user and easily guide them into your sales funnel. Simple measures like these can boost sales and leads.

New Website Advantages Are a Click Away

Now you know what should be in a new website for vending companies. It includes a combination of front-facing enhancements and back-end improvements. If you think your site could use a refresh in 2024, we specialize in making the process easy for busy operators. That’s because VendCentral has spent decades helping vending operators succeed with digital sales and marketing. Contact VendCentral today to discuss a new website that will get visitors’ attention and grow leads.

Written by Katie Waxman on August 9, 2023

In today’s world, your vending website is the face of your small business. It leaves a lasting impact on potential customers. To ensure they are engaged and motivated to reach out to your brand, it is a must to avoid common website turnoffs.

Vending Website Turnoffs Customers Want You to Know

As digital marketing experts, we know you need a strong online presence, and what can happen without one. That is why we’ve made this list of the top website turnoffs to avoid. Let’s explore these pitfalls and learn how to change your vending website into a lead and revenue-generating machine!

1. “Look at Me” Content

Customers are not interested in overwhelming self-promotion. This includes long lists of features and all the services you could offer them. Instead, to have a good vending website, aim to educate with concise content. Focus on the needs of your potential vending customers and how you can help. 

2. Blurry Branding

It’s good to be clear. And that includes your branding. It should be visible, consistent, and concise. When building a brand, strive to be known for one thing that sets your vending business apart. This will help build credibility and instill confidence in potential clients.

3. No Credibility

When promoting yourself, it is important to prove what you say is true. That is why you must add elements to your vending website that boost your credibility. One way to do this is with customer testimonials. These comments about your service go a long way in showing that you do what you say you do. Another way to gain credibility is by listing awards and achievements. This can help foster trust with new customers.

4. Clumsy Contact Options

Avoid complex or broken Contact Us forms on your website. Instead, make it very easy for visitors to reach out online. Put phone numbers and your email address on every page too. And ensure the information is current. That way it is simple for potential customers to contact you in whatever way they choose. Seamless communication is a great way to boost confidence in your business. 

5. Poor Vending Website SEO Structure

Don’t miss out on being seen. This is how you gain customers. So it is vital to optimize your vending website for search engines. Not including proper search engine optimization (SEO) could mean your website is not visible in search results. 

6. Using Only Stock Photography

Consider investing in personal content, like images. It is worth the cost as it better reflects the core of your business. On the other hand, stock photos may not be accurate. This can have a negative impact on your credibility with customers. Instead, why not showcase your unique brand identity via authentic images?

7. Typos in Vending Website Text

It’s vital to ensure your website content is free from spelling errors. Why? Because it shows you are professional. Plus, website visitors will like your attention to detail. Both things are important to breakroom service decision-makers. 

8. Confusing Vending Website Navigation

Make sure that your website’s pages are easy to move through. Simple, clear menus and working links are key. This way visitors are sure to have a positive experience while using your vending website.

9. Not Showing Your Work

Demonstrate your expertise with case studies and portfolios to build credibility and instill confidence in potential clients. A fun way to do this is by posting before and after photos of breakroom installs.

10. Vending Website Not Optimized For Mobile

Lastly, embrace a responsive website design. This means a site that shows up well on a mobile device. Why? Because there is a growing mobile audience searching for services via phone and tablet. Plus, it will improve your SEO rankings.

Swap Vending Website Turnoffs for Digital Know-How

Transform your website into a lead and revenue-building powerhouse by avoiding these turnoffs. Consider VendCentral your go-to source! We can optimize your online presence and impress visitors. Together, we can ensure your vending business stands out in the digital world. To get started, contact us at (866) 699-8363 or visit us online. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Written by Katie Waxman on July 26, 2023

Content marketing is a key part of a successful marketing plan. It has the power to bring you new customers and build trust with those you already have. But first, you need to understand what content marketing is and how it works. Then you can use it to your best advantage in growing your breakroom services business.

What is Content Marketing?

This type of marketing aims to attract, engage, and retain breakroom service customers. How? By answering their questions and giving them the information they need. It’s helpful, solving pain points and offering a solution. That makes it valuable to your clients.

What Does It Look Like?

There’s no one way to offer content marketing. It can be done via blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, podcasts, ebooks, social media posts, and more. Most vending operators start with blogs about their services and products. These can answer a specific question a client might have, which makes it a valuable resource for them. The mention of keywords in the blog also helps with search engine optimization (SEO). It makes your site more discoverable and thus, a value to potential new clients as well. That’s a powerful benefit.

The 3 Things Content Marketing Should Do

Every piece of marketing should have a purpose. Content marketing is no different. Here are the three must-dos to make this type of marketing effective.

1. Establish Authority – Use content to show you know your business. It can be based on your experience of which products sell best in a vending machine. Or it might be how you can help human resources with a corporate wellness program by installing a micro-market. Ultimately, it’s about sharing what you know so you are the expert.
2. Generate Interest – When facility or office managers come to the internet searching for breakroom ideas, you want to be there. Sharing the products you put in the breakroom, the benefits of micro-markets, or even how to bring a cafe vibe to the office can engage and educate. The idea is that you want content that will get your client or potential client interested in your company’s services.
3. Build Trust – Through content, share answers to common problems your clients have. When a facility manager comes upon your marketing, they will find a solution and feel informed about the decision they need to make about the breakroom. That’s how content marketing can build trust. And generate qualified leads.

What You Get Out of Content Marketing

When done well, content marketing offers vending company owners a great return. The content uses service and product keywords that will boost SEO. Thus, your website and company will be easier to find and appear higher on search pages.

Another benefit is lead generation and sales. As your content is discovered via an internet search, you’ll get more prospects and more sales. Seeing all the valuable content you have online will make them trust your company and want to reach out even more, which is the point.

Finally, with customers looking to your content for answers and ideas, it will grow awareness of your company. Clients will remember your brand and your company name. You will be the provider they think of when they need a solution or move to a new company looking for refreshment services. That’s a big win!

How to Start Now

Most vending operators are full of knowledge and experience. Start sharing that in blogs, short videos, social media posts, etc. The key to making it great content marketing is to ensure it resonates with the target audience. Remember, it should address their pain points and provide a solution or valuable insight.

Want help with content marketing? VendCentral has been successfully assisting refreshment services companies to grow their marketing efforts. Content marketing is one of the many services offered. Contact VendCentral today, or call (866) 699-8363.

Written by Katie Waxman on November 9, 2022

A new vending website can set your breakroom business up for sales success in a digital world that is crowded with competitors. Your website is a salesperson that works 24/7 and its sales pitch needs to be great. If your current vending website is not relevant, easy to read, and showcasing the best of your vending services, then it’s time for a whole new look.

Beyond that, there are three tell-tale signs that it’s time for a new website. They relate to performance indicators that impact how prospects will find your website and how long they’ll stay engaged. Read on for three questions to ask yourself to assess if your current website is performing at its best.

Is it easy to navigate?

A beautiful, well-designed website is a must. Not just the homepage either. 47% of users visit a vending website’s products or services page first, according to Zippia research. Therefore, it’s critical to ensure easy-to-access navigation with logical headings. The most important of these is the Contact Us page. Why? Because it’s crucial that potential customers can easily reach out to your business. Zippia also reports that 44% of users leave a site without contact information. Don’t let this happen to you.

While high-quality images are essential, large image files can slow a website down. This frustrates users and leads nearly 40% of people to stop engaging, says Webfx. In fact, lead conversion drops up to 20% for each second your site takes to load. Take a look at whether your website’s pages are optimized. They should provide a high-quality user experience with fast load speeds.

Is it ranking high on search engines?

Is your website traffic low? According to Fit Small Business, this is a problem for one in five businesses. A possible reason for low traffic is poor search engine optimization (SEO). Poor SEO affects your website’s rankings when breakroom decision-makers search for the services you provide. Check your search engine ranking by typing in a city in your service area along with the type of services you offer; like vending, office coffee, or micro-markets. Does your vending website appear? If you aren’t a top result, you’re SEO could be the problem.

A new vending website with proper SEO can move your business up the ranks. This is good news. It ensures your vending company will be seen by new customers looking for breakroom services in your area.

Is it mobile-responsive?

More people are using mobile devices to access the internet than ever. A Google Marketing Forum compared mobile vs. desktop viewing and found that shoppers access websites through their mobile devices much more often than through their desktop. Despite this, converting a customer via their mobile device is less than half as likely. Why do far fewer people take the extra step to contact a company through their mobile devices? Because many websites don’t load properly on mobile devices and it’s more difficult to keep a potential customer engaged. Zippia says up to 80% of consumers will leave a site that doesn’t display correctly on their mobile device. And, 57% won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile website either.

Check out your current website on a mobile device. Does it provide the type of user experience that will turn visitors into leads? If not, it might be time for a new vending website that is mobile-responsive.

What to do if it’s time…

If your current vending website’s look and performance are not helping your sales, explore your options. Investigate a simple refresh of your existing site and compare it to starting from scratch. VendCentral can advise you on the best route to take for a website that attracts leads and helps drive sales for your business.  For more information, reach out to info@vendcentral.com or (866) 699-8363.

Written by Jen on April 14, 2022

Operators and manufacturers are using blogs more and more to connect with customers, display their expertise, promote their breakroom products & equipment, and generate leads. 

There are many ways to keep blogs engaging for breakroom customers. But what types of content work well in a blog? Read on to discover ideas for incorporating interesting and relevant blog content into your digital strategy. And stay tuned until the end to learn one of the biggest benefits of creating blogs.

Answer FAQ’s

It is easy for breakroom operators to identify frequently asked questions when servicing their clients. Write blogs that can be used as a customer service tool for answering them. Consider sending these blog articles to your clients proactively to show you are in tune with their needs and have resources to help them.

Promote New Products & Brands

Use blogs to let your clients know you are working hard to keep your snack, beverage, and fresh food assortments new and exciting. Blog articles are an interesting way to explore new flavors, brands, and seasonal items.

Explore Breakroom Trends

The refreshment services industry is constantly evolving and there are always new ideas to share.  Blogs that identify and elaborate on breakroom trends are a valuable tool for your clients. They can also create opportunities for breakroom service and equipment upgrades. 

Equipment Information

Breakroom equipment is constantly innovating.  Write blogs that provide information on your most popular breakroom equipment – especially gourmet coffee brewers. These articles can help your clients maximize the use of their equipment and be helpful for troubleshooting problems too.

Industry expertise

Use blog articles as an outlet for demonstrating your industry knowledge. It will show you stay on top of what is happening in the industry and reinforce your company as a leader in refreshment services.

Build Trust

Blogs are a great way to establish a deeper connection with your clients, build trust, and enhance your company’s brand image. Use these articles to get a little personal. Share your company’s values, highlight outstanding employees, or explain what you are doing to contribute to your community. 

There are so many ways blogs can be useful for your breakroom customers. The added benefit? Blogs are one of the best ways to attract new customers and generate leads for your website. Blogs are often rich in industry keywords, improving your company’s SEO and search engine ranking. 

Blog articles published to your company’s website remain online far longer than any social media post. This means its content will continue to be helpful to your existing clients and effective in driving new website traffic for years to come.

VendCentral specializes in creating thoughtful and impactful digital marketing content for the refreshment services industry. If you would like to learn more about our marketing programs visit our website or call us at (866)699-8363

Written by Jen on March 31, 2022

Organic search is a top way for buyers to discover a breakroom operator’s products and services. It also allows them to understand who you are as a business, where you operate, and what current customers are saying about you. Your company’s organic search results cannot be improved through paid advertising.  Instead, achieving top ranking on search engines is the result of knowing how breakroom buyers shop online and how to influence your SEO. 

Keep reading to learn the tactics breakroom operators can implement to improve their organic search ranking and get their business, products, and services noticed online. 

What is Organic Search?

When a buyer enters a keyword or query into a search engine, the results they see are a combination of paid and organic search results.  After advertisements, organic search results are ranked in priority order.  If your website is fully optimized with industry-related keywords and content, it helps your SEO and allows your business to achieve higher rankings, gain organic traffic, and generate leads. Breakroom operators with high organic search rankings have a better likelihood of buyers of breakroom services finding their website.  

Compared to paid advertisements, organic search rankings cannot be bought. They are determined by the quality and quantity of your company’s online marketing content.

But what types of content benefit your SEO and what can you do to improve your company’s organic search rankings?

A smart website

Your website is the #1 tool to represent your company’s services online, generate leads, and close sales. Your website should host a wealth of content to support and promote all aspects of your breakroom services, including pantry service, micro-markets, vending, and office coffee. But your website’s design and its content not only affect the user experience, it also impacts your organic search rankings. That is why it is important for breakroom operators to create an SEO-focused website that ‘speaks the same language’ your buyers do.  A website with content that is rich in industry-related keywords and phrases specific to the refreshment services industry will make it easier for search engines to match your website with buyers searching for breakroom services.

Informative blog articles

Blogs are a great way to elaborate on topics of interest as well as highlight current breakroom trends.  Plus, blogs boost SEO by positioning your website as a source for relevant answers to prospective buyers’ questions. Blog posts that use a variety of keywords and on-page SEO tactics are recognized as more relevant and can give your business more opportunities to rank higher in search engines. Another benefit? Blogs help your business gain industry authority and trust with breakroom customers.

Social Media Content

Posting regular content to your social media platforms helps your company stay top of mind with existing customers and potential buyers of breakroom services.  In addition, having a social media presence helps increase your online visibility and supports SEO efforts to drive traffic to your website. Create posts with inbound links to your website and encourage those that engage with your content to click through.  This will increase your site’s popularity and credibility for organic search. Posts that tag relevant fellow businesses or clients will increase their exposure – and so will the likes they receive.  The more eyes on your content the better. You may even notice your social media profiles showing up near the top of online searches as well.

Online Business Listings

Finally, online business listings are important for SEO because they provide valuable information at a quick glance. Not only do they increase your visibility in local search, but they also increase your chances of ranking higher than competitors. Your business listing also provides a place for existing customers to review your breakroom business and drive more traffic to your website. 

Managing your online content to maximize SEO will help ensure your company ranks high in organic search and new leads discover your website.  Prospective buyers are looking online for breakroom solutions every day. When your website is optimized, potential customers have an easier time finding the breakroom refreshment products and services you offer and reaching out to you first.

If you’re a breakroom operator looking to improve your online presence and SEO, contact VendCentral. We are 100% focused on the refreshment services industry and develop results-oriented online marketing strategies for breakroom operators.

Written by Katie Waxman on January 12, 2022

A healthy website is a cornerstone of business success. More consumers are opting to shop online rather than in-store, so a robust digital presence is more essential than ever before. In fact, it takes a user about 0.05 seconds to decide if they’re going to continue exploring your website or jump ship. That means if your site is outdated, unattractive, or tough to navigate, you’ve just lost a potential customer in less than one second.

Just like regularly maintaining your health is necessary for a thriving body, continual updates and enhancements are key to an optimized website. Your site is a living, breathing mechanism that need to be reviewed, updated, and maintained regularly.

If your website has been collecting dust, the beginning of the year is the perfect time to take a deeper look and reassess the health of your company website.

The Importance of a Healthy Website

Your business website is your brand’s piece of digital real estate on the internet. You wouldn’t walk into a dilapidated storefront expecting five-star service, would you? The same thing applies to online shoppers. If your website is poorly designed, consumers will surely look elsewhere.

While 38% of people will immediately stop engaging with a site if the content or layout is unappealing, 88% of consumers are less likely to return to a website after a bad experience. That’s a significant number! If your website crashes, hasn’t been redesigned since 2009, or is stuffed with irrelevant information, it will cost you valuable leads.

A website health check is a valuable way to identify how to optimize your online presence, generate leads, and boost revenues.

Your Complete Website Health Checklist

When conducting a health check of your website, be sure to ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is my website user-centric?

A high-performing website is all about the user experience (UX). To be successful, your site must be visually appealing, easy to navigate, and provide immediate value to the customer. It’s important to keep in mind that every visitor who comes to your website has a problem to solve. Whether they want to buy a new sweater or find a new vending machine for their office break room, they have a problem. Your website’s goal is to help them solve that problem as quickly as possible.

A site that is visually appealing and clearly laid out will intuitively guide a visitor from one step to the next.

2. Does it have clear branding and effectively represent who I am as a company?

Your site is a digital representation of your brand. When a user lands on your website, they should immediately know what products or services you offer, what pain points you solve, and what your brand’s personality is like. Branding can effectively be conveyed through engaging copy, color palettes, and imagery.

3. Is it updated and fresh?

Websites that are outdated or include irrelevant information will negatively impact your marketing efforts. Ensure that your company site highlights your latest products and services and highlights pertinent information.

4. Is it mobile responsive?

Consumers engage with their smartphones for an average of 2 hours and 55 minutes on a daily basis. If your website isn’t mobile friendly, you could be losing potential customers. Your site needs to quickly load, be easy to scan on a smartphone, and provide a seamless experience across all devices.

5. Is it optimized to ensure your website ranks high on search?

Search Engine Optimization is crucial when it comes to your website because it makes it more visible, and that means more traffic and more opportunities to convert prospects into customers. It’s also a valuable tool for brand awareness, building relationships with prospects, and positioning yourself as an authoritative and trustworthy expert in your industry.

6. Is it accessible to all users and ADA compliant?

To be successful, a website must be inclusive. This means that its content is accessible to all users, regardless of physical or situational disabilities. It isn’t just good business practice; web accessibility legislation is continuing to evolve. Making your site more compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) could reduce your exposure to hefty fines.

The Reality

Your website can make or break your business. Regular site health checks, now and throughout the year, ensure that your website is user-friendly, updated, and inclusive.

To learn how VendCentral’s marketing solutions can benefit your website, contact us today by calling (866) 699-8363.