Ajay Prasad, GMR Web Team: “implementing industry best practices are key to building successful websites”

The web-building industry is undergoing a shift thanks to AI-generated content. However, building a digital presence requires a proper support network.

Small businesses that choose to rely on AI-generated content might find it lacking. That’s where the human element is integral to success. Using tools like AI can help streamline some content optimization. Using human input to help review and revise will help maintain quality assurance.

For a detailed understanding of why AI and human content generation is the next step in web development, we spoke with Ajay Prasad, Founder of GMR Web Team – a web design and development company focused on helping healthcare practices build a robust online presence.

What inspired you to start GMR Web Team? What is your vision for the company?

I led a VC-funded online business during the dot com bubble in 1999. I knew that small businesses needed a robust online presence to grow. When I started in 2004, only large companies focused on online presence & marketing. Whereas most small businesses still needed a website.

I built a digital presence company targeting small businesses. I later switched my target to healthcare to ensure better client results. Digital marketing is more effective if marketers know the nuances of their client business areas. Focusing on one vertical helped my team become more productive and effective. It enabled us to charge less for our services.

My vision is to help small practices of under ten healthcare providers get the kind of patients they want. A good match of patient to doctor increases patient satisfaction. Healthcare providers generate more revenue by retaining more patients and getting referrals from happy patients.

Tell us more about what you do. What sets GMR Web Team apart from other web design and development companies? And how do you maintain a competitive edge?

One key aspect distinguishing GMR Web Team is its focus on the three pillars of the healthcare marketing approach: A Loyal & Satisfied Patient Base, a Stellar Online Reputation, and a Strong Online Presence. The company works to improve the online presence of healthcare practices and generate quality reviews. These are vital for attracting new patients. GMR Web Team helps healthcare providers reach their target audience effectively by employing strategies that enhance patient acquisition.

Additionally, GMR Web Team takes a results-oriented approach. We focus on the improvement of clients' return on investment (ROI). Rather than focusing on keywords and their rankings, the company works to achieve tangible business outcomes for its clients. This approach involves understanding each healthcare practice's specific goals and objectives. Also, implementing strategies that align with those objectives.

To maintain a competitive edge, GMR Web Team stays up-to-date with the latest trends and advancements in web design, development, digital marketing techniques, and reputation management. The team continuously seeks opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge to provide cutting-edge solutions to their clients. GMR Web Team ensures clients receive innovative and effective online marketing strategies by staying informed and adapting to industry changes.

How do you ensure that your clients' websites get optimized for search engines? What tools do you use for this purpose?

To ensure clients' websites get optimized for search engines, the GMR Web team focuses on generating leads and improving ROI. GMR Web Team keeps adding new keywords, monitoring competitor activity, and aiming for top search engine rankings. Additionally, the team utilizes listing management and reputation management tools.

The listing management software saves time by correcting listings and ensuring the healthcare practice website appears prominently on Google Maps and Places. The reputation management tool helps track and respond to reviews, understand patient sentiment, and identify areas of strength and weakness. By employing these strategies and tools, GMR Web Team enhances NAP consistency, boosts search visibility, and improves the overall online reputation of their clients.

Also, we use tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and SEOptimer to ensure our clients' websites are search engine optimized.

How did the recent global events affect your field of work? Were there any new challenges you had to adapt to?

The recent evolution of AI tools in the digital marketing industry has brought both opportunities and challenges. While AI can assist in generating content, it's important to approach its usage with caution and ethical considerations.

One of the challenges is ensuring that AI-generated content aligns with the best practices recommended by search engines like Google. Google emphasizes creating valuable and relevant content for users. It does that instead of only catering to search engine algorithms. More reliance on AI-generated content may lead to lower quality or irrelevant content. This hurts a website's search engine rankings and user experience.

To address this challenge, training AI models to assist in content creation is crucial. We do that rather than just relying on AI to generate content. AI can be used to streamline certain processes, such as data analysis, content ideation, or content optimization. But, human input and review are still necessary to ensure that the generated content meets the desired quality standards, relevance, and user appeal.

Human proofreading and editing play a vital role in refining AI-generated content. Humans can provide creative insights, linguistic nuances, and context that AI algorithms may lack. They can verify the accuracy of the information, ensure coherent storytelling, and infuse the content with a human touch that resonates with the target audience.

By combining the capabilities of AI tools with human expertise, agencies can leverage the efficiency and productivity gains provided by AI. All while maintaining the quality and user-centric approach advocated by search engines.

It's worth noting that search engines like Google continuously refine their algorithms to detect and penalize low-quality or spammy content. So, relying on AI-generated content without human oversight may pose risks to search engine rankings and user trust.

What are some common mistakes that you see businesses make when it comes to their website design and development? How do you help them avoid these mistakes?

There are several common mistakes many businesses make regarding website design and development. For example, Poor User Experience (UX), Inadequate Call-to-Action (CTA) Placement for Desktop and Mobile devices, Poor content optimization, and ignoring search engine optimization factors.

By providing guidance and expertise in website design and development, businesses can avoid these common mistakes. They can create sites that are user-friendly, visually appealing, mobile-responsive, conversion-focused, and optimized for search engines. Collaborating with companies, understanding their goals and target audience, and implementing industry best practices are key to building successful websites that drive results.

Can you talk about your experience working with different content management systems (CMS)? How do you determine which CMS is best for a particular project?

GMR Web Team has developed its website builder with defined themes based on healthcare verticals. A user-friendly CMS is beneficial, particularly for non-technical users. Having a CMS specifically designed to cater to the needs of non-technical individuals can make content management and website updates much easier and more accessible.

The GMR Web Team builder can streamline the website development process by providing predefined themes based on verticals. This makes it more efficient and tailored to specific industries or business types. It can be especially useful for businesses that want a professional-looking website without the need for extensive customization or design work.

Can you walk us through your process for ensuring the security and reliability of your hosting services? What security measures or tools would you recommend for our readers?

Select reliable hosting providers based on factors like uptime guarantees, server performance, and customer reviews.

Choose hosting providers with robust infrastructure and secure data centers. All are equipped with physical security measures, backup power systems, fire suppression, and climate control.

Install network security measures like firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, DDoS protection, and secure protocols (e.g., SSL/TLS).

Keep server software and applications regularly updated. That includes patches to address vulnerabilities.

Have backup systems and disaster recovery plans in place for data protection and restoration. Do so in case of hardware failure or emergencies.

Use monitoring systems and intrusion detection tools to track server performance, network activity, and security events. Enable prompt response to potential breaches.

Put in place strong user access controls, including secure authentication mechanisms, user permissions, and regular password management. Multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security.

Be proactive. Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments to identify and address weaknesses.

As for security measures and tools, here are some recommendations:

• Web Application Firewall (WAF)
• Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificates
• Security Plugins
• Regular Security Updates
• Employee Training

Since digital marketing is your main field of focus, how do you think this industry is going to evolve in the upcoming years?

The future of digital marketing will be shaped by the increasing demand for personalized experiences and the use of data and advanced technologies. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play a significant role in data analysis, customer segmentation, content creation, and chatbots. Voice search and AI assistants will require marketers to optimize content and explore voice-based advertising.

Privacy and data regulations will continue to evolve. There will be an emphasis on the need for transparent and ethical data practices. Mobile devices will maintain dominance, requiring marketers to prioritize mobile-first strategies.

They must optimize for responsive design, mobile advertising, location-based targeting, and mobile payments. Overall, staying adaptable to evolving consumer behaviors and technological advancements will be crucial in the ever-evolving field of digital marketing.

And finally, what is next for the GMR Web Team?

We aim to improve digital marketing productivity. We also aim for higher ROI for clients at a lower cost that's more affordable for small practices. We minimize the gap between actual patient satisfaction and online reviews of providers.

Those typically show lower satisfaction, but we can generate more reviews from all patients for our clients.