Smart Contract

Exploring Smart Contract Platforms Powering Web3

Smart contracts have become essential for creating trustless automated systems as blockchain technology disrupts established industries. The decentralized internet depends on smart contracts which function as code-based infrastructure to support DeFi and NFTs as well as real estate and supply chain transformations.

What serves as the foundation for these smart contracts? Smart contract tokens function as native cryptocurrencies and utility tokens that enable programmable logic execution and validation on blockchain networks.

This article examines the leading smart contract tokens by evaluating their performance alongside developer ecosystems to help you determine the best blockchain platforms for your new projects.

What Are Smart Contract Tokens?

Smart contract tokens function as digital assets that serve programmable blockchains to cover costs of transactions and execute smart contracts and maintain network security. Smart contract tokens differ from Bitcoin because they serve as essential components of decentralized computing systems whereas Bitcoin functions mainly as digital value storage.

These tokens support the deployment of decentralized applications (dApps), enable tokenized asset transfers and serve as the base for thousands of DeFi protocols and NFT marketplaces and enterprise blockchain solutions.

Ethereum (ETH): The OG Smart Contract Giant

Ethereum introduced the world’s first Turing-complete smart contracts when it launched and it preserves its position as the leading decentralized development platform. ETH functions as the native token for deploying smart contracts and taking part in Ethereum’s proof-of-stake consensus mechanism through staking and governance.

On average, over 50,000 smart contracts are deployed daily on Ethereum and its Layer-2 solutions.

Web3 adoption relies heavily on Ethereum due to its well-developed developer community alongside its robust tooling (Solidity, Truffle, Hardhat) and widespread platform adoption. Multiple projects have either moved to alternative solutions or added Layer-2 scaling features because of Ethereum’s elevated gas fees and reduced transaction velocity.

BNB Chain (BNB): Low Fees, High Adoption

BNB Chain under Binance delivers a fast and cost-effective environment for deploying smart contracts. Developers who seek to avoid Ethereum transaction fees can use BNB Chain because it supports all Ethereum development tools.

As of March 2025, BNB Chain’s DeFi ecosystem boasts a TVL of over $5.5 billion- The Currency Analytics

BNB Chain maintains a broad appeal among DeFi protocol operators and tokenized ecosystem developers because of its economical fees and efficient transaction processing although it faces criticism regarding its centralization due to restricted validator control compared to Ethereum.

Solana (SOL):  Performance-Driven Blockchain

Solana is built for speed. The Proof of History consensus mechanism enables Solana to process thousands of transactions per second with instant finality. The Solana ecosystem supports multiple real-time applications with particular focus on the NFT and gaming markets.

Solana’s stablecoin supply has surged to $11.8 billion, reflecting enhanced trust and utility within the ecosystem

The Rust programming language behind Solana smart contracts provides top performance yet requires developers to learn more complex concepts. Solana maintains its position as a popular platform among developers who seek high-speed scalable infrastructure despite occasional network stability issues.

Polygon (MATIC): Ethereum’s Most Powerful Scaling Partner

The Polygon platform provides Ethereum-based scaling solutions that include POS chains together with ZK rollups. The platform enables developers to leverage their familiar tools when creating contracts alongside its high-performance capabilities and low transaction fees.

Polygon has established collaborations with major global brands such as Starbucks, Nike, and Reddit

Polygon has established a strong market position within DeFi along with NFTs and real estate tokenization. Supernets is a future Polygon innovation which will enable enterprises to build custom blockchains with optimized features for their business requirements. Developers seeking Ethereum functionality at reduced costs should choose Polygon as their platform.

Avalanche (AVAX): Custom Blockchains for Enterprises

Avalanche presents a special smart contract solution through its Subnet architecture which enables organizations to establish customized blockchain networks with their own validator groups and governance systems.

Developers can easily move their Solidity projects to the C-Chain because it operates on the EVM standard. The combination of affordable prices together with sub-second verification times and business-oriented features positions Avalanche as a leading platform for real estate tokenization and financial service applications.

The Cardano (ADA): Secure & Sustainable

The platform utilizes academic rigor to develop smart contracts and pursues a different approach through peer-reviewed research-based development. The Plutus Haskell-based language allows developers to create formal verifiable smart contracts that suit regulated industry high-assurance applications.

Cardano presents itself as a reliable long-term platform because of its focus on security and sustainability although the ecosystem needs more time to develop its tools and active developer community especially for governmental institutions, healthcare and academic sectors.

Polkadot and Cosmos: Building the Interoperable Web3

The projects Polkadot and Cosmos function as interoperability frameworks instead of traditional smart contract platforms. The development of application-specific blockchains becomes possible through these projects because they enable secure and scalable communication between different chains.

The Substrate framework enables Polkadot to construct parachains whereas Cosmos uses its SDK and Tendermint consensus to link various zones through the Cosmos Hub. These platforms serve best for multi-chain ecosystems and large-scale infrastructure projects which require modularity and composability.

Hedera (HBAR): High Speed with Enterprise Trust

HBAR achieves fast transaction processing through its Directed Acyclic Graph structure and Hashgraph consensus protocol which also provides reduced latency along with fixed transaction costs.

Hedera supports smart contracts via EVM compatibility and is governed by a consortium of enterprise giants including Google, IBM, and LG. The technology excels at real-time payment processing and tokenization functions and digital identity solutions thus becoming an excellent choice for enterprise-grade dApps.

 

Emerging Platforms:  NEAR Protocol, Algorand, and Tron

The smart contract ecosystem consists of recently established platforms which establish distinct market areas.

The NEAR Protocol provides its users with sharded scalability features and user-friendly developer tools for creating high-performance dApps. The platform focuses on user experience through simple wallet integration and mobile development tools.

Algorand directs its focus towards institutional clients through its carbon-neutral operations and minimal transaction fees and deterministic TEAL smart contract execution language. The platform provides a suitable selection for projects supported by governments and those emphasizing environmental sustainability.

TRON operates with centralized management yet enables costless transactions while establishing strong presence in Asian media and gaming and payment systems.

Which Smart Contract Platform Is Right for You?

The selection of appropriate smart contract tokens requires a complete understanding of your business requirements. The following summary presents some key observations:

Etherum stands as the best option for reaching mainstream adoption and investor trust alongside DeFi dominance.

  • Select Polygon or BNB Chain when you need low-cost transactions combined with fast speeds especially for developing early-stage decentralized applications.
  • Select Avalanche for cases that need customizable chains along with enterprise-level scalability.
  • Select Hedera or Algorand as your platform for corporate implementations together with real estate contract – applications and ESG-focused applications.
  • Use Solana or NEAR to develop interactive applications such as games and real-time marketplaces that require fast performance.
  • Study Polkadot and Cosmos to understand their capabilities for interoperable blockchain systems and modular network architecture.

Smart Contracts by Griffon Webstudios

The smart contract token market will continue its rapid development while showcasing diverse opportunities. Your business requirements will guide you toward the appropriate platform between DeFi protocols and real-world asset tokenization and secure enterprise-grade applications.

Griffon Webstudios assists businesses in both evaluating blockchain platforms and deploying blockchain-powered solutions across major platforms. Our team assists organizations in selecting smart contract platforms and developing forward-thinking infrastructure for automation and asset management and tokenization purposes.

Do you require help determining which platform to use for development? Let’s talk.

mastering google ads

Mastering Google Ads Strategy- Intent-Based Targeting

The modern digital market operates as an intense competition where every single click produces value but phone calls generate even higher worth. Most businesses utilize the same search traffic patterns but the actual competitive advantage emerges from mastering intent-based targeting through Google Call Ads.

Running Google Ads without call ads (formerly call-only ads) results in lost money and unconverted leads especially if you use them improperly. The guide provides instructions for creating a successful Google Ads conversion-focused strategy by integrating call ads and other advanced high-intent targeting methods.

The importance of Google Call Ads

Call Ads display exclusively to devices with phone capabilities which primarily includes mobile devices. These ads direct customers straight to your business through an immediate phone connection instead of routing them to a webpage. Service-based businesses should note that phone conversions are typically higher than form submissions because customers tend to prefer discussing business needs verbally.

Service-based businesses that focus on form submissions instead of phone calls during optimization process are actually delaying conversions instead of optimizing for them.

The success of Google Call Ads can be understood through the following factors.

Here’s why Call Ads, when used right, are gold:

    • Speed: No web pages. No load time. Just a direct call.
    • Intent: A person who wants to make a call demonstrates greater commitment than someone who is only browsing casually.
    • Mobile-first: More than sixty percent of users access search engines through mobile devices. Call ads match the mobile environment.

How to develop an approach which includes Call Ads and other channels to maximize your Google Ads funnel?

Step 1: Develop campaigns which target specific intent-driven search terms

Avoid basic keywords such as “plumber” and “locksmith”. The cost is expensive and the terms are unclear. Instead, go intent-first. Long-tail keywords demonstrate commercial intensity.  Your winning combination should be call-ads with these keywords.

Pro Tip: Terms such as “near me,” “open now,” “same day,” “call now,” “book over phone,” and others help signal that the buyer is prepared to make a purchase.

Step 2: Schedule ads for specific times of day

A rookie mistake- Running call ads 24/7 when no one’s there to answer the phone.

Your ads should appear only within your operational hours or agent availability period. Using an extended hour schedule with a 24/7 answering service and chatbot-enabled call centers would give you a substantial competitive advantage.

Advanced Hack: Utilize call tracking tools such as CallRail or WhatConverts to determine which periods produce the highest conversion rates and then expand marketing efforts into those time slots.

Step 3: Align Ad Copy with User Anxiety

The available space in call ads requires every word to create a sense of trust and action while calming user anxiety. Users in service-based industries such as interior design tend to hesitate because they worry about pricing and want to know if the designer understands their style and has credibility.

Your ad copy should tackle these anxieties head-on.

The headline of this New York-based interior designer reads “Award-Winning NYC Interior Designer”

The description includes a free 15-minute design consultation. Luxury Spaces, Modern Style. The consultation line is open for immediate calls.

This message immediately:

    • Establishes authority (“Award-Winning”)
    • Offers value with no risk (“Free 15-Min Design Call”)
    • Sets expectations on style and niche (“Luxury Spaces, Modern Style”)

 

Pro Tip: The addition of design specialties through ad extensions (e.g. “Loft Conversions,” “Studio Apartments,” “Office Interiors”) helps establish trust through mentions of “As Seen in Architectural Digest” and increases local appeal through location extensions.

Step 4: Use Call-Only Ads in a Hybrid Funnel

Call ads reach their peak effectiveness when combined with campaigns that direct users to landing pages.

Here’s a battle-tested structure:

    • Call Ads for High-Intent Users (who are ready to call)
    • Search Ads with Landing Pages for medium-intent users (need more info
    • Remarketing Display/YouTube Ads for low-intent users (drive them down the funnel)

Example for an HVAC Business:

    • “AC repair near me” → Call Ad
    • “How much does AC repair cost” → Search Ad → Informational Page + Lead Form
    • “Ways to keep AC from breaking” → YouTube Ad with Tips + CTA to Schedule a Call

Smart Move: By feeding call ad data into lookalike and remarketing audiences, you’ll get high-performance targeting across the board.

Step 5: Track and Optimize Ruthlessly

Key Metrics to Track:

    • Call Duration: 60 seconds+ usually means a quality lead.
    • Call Status: Did the call go unanswered? That’s wasted spend.
    • Keyword-Level Call Conversions: Remove keywords that result in calls under 30 seconds or have low intent.

 Tools to Use:

    • Google Ads Call Reporting (enables call conversions and duration tracking)
    • CallRail / Twilio (for deep call attribution and recordings)
    • Google Analytics 4 + Google Tag Manager (track cross-channel behavior)

Optimization Insight: If you’re getting 100 calls a week from your ads but only 20 of those lead to actual sales conversations, your front-desk team might be your biggest conversion leak.

Step 6: Go Local — But Think Beyond the Obvious

Geo-targeting is your secret weapon. Don’t just run ads in your city. Run ads in ZIP codes with high-income demographics or where you’ve previously gotten quality leads.

Aggressive Tactic: As a lawyer in Florida, you should run call ads in surrounding counties/cities that have less competition but still need legal help. Then show “We serve the Florida Metro Area” in the copy.

Step 7:  Bid Like You Mean It

Set your bid strategy to maximize conversion value or use Target ROAS if you have data.

For call ads specifically, use Manual CPC with Enhanced Bidding — this gives you more control in the early stages. Once you’ve reached 30-50 conversions, switch to Target CPA for better automation.

Power Play: Increase bids for high intent times (e.g.,  7AM to 10AM for home services) and decrease bids for low quality times.

Bonus: Test Voicemail Funnel: Not every call will be answered — but every call should have a backup plan. Set up a custom voicemail script with a clear call-to-action.

Example:

“Thanks for calling GW Plumbing. We’re currently helping another customer. Please leave your name, phone number, and ZIP code, and we’ll get back to you in 10 minutes.”

Then… actually do it. Prompt follow-up = closed deal.

The Real Strategy Is in the Details

Google Ads — especially Call Ads — are not “set and forget.” They’re performance-driven channels that require iteration, testing, and hustle.

Don’t be the business pouring thousands into generic campaigns with zero strategy. Be the brand that:

    • Targets only high-intent keywords
    • Matches ad copy to anxiety and urgency
    • Schedules with purpose
    • Tracks every lead
    • And constantly optimizes

End Game: A well-run call ad campaign doesn’t just generate leads — it generates sales conversations. That’s the metric that matters most. 

Why Griffon Webstudios?

Our team at Griffon Webstudios develops advertising strategies that generate measurable business growth through ROI engineering. Our certified Google Partners team uses advanced campaign optimization techniques with precise audience targeting and real-time analytics to maximize the impact of every dollar spent on Google Ads for your business.

Our focus is on high-intent traffic through search, display, call-only campaigns which produce leads and sales while delivering maximum return on investment. Our team will convert your advertising funds into a growth acceleration system.

ai in academia

The AI Revolution in Academia

Dr. Elise Oray stood at the front of her first college lecture after earning her professorship at a top university in New York, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Elise had dedicated her life to both learning and research after more than ten years of academic life. But something had changed. Every method, every tool and every question in the field experienced changes. The catalyst? Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Upon arrival, Elise discovered she had reached an intersection of traditional education and modern technology between blackboards and computers and between individual academic research and coordinated efforts using human and machine intelligence.

Adoption of AI in institutions

AI has transformed from science fiction to become a big part of our reality and it now shapes multiple industries such as healthcare, finance and more. The field of education, especially universities at present shows major adoption of AI technologies. AI serves as a strategic partner by providing personalized learning and automated grading alongside predictive analytics and academic research support.

The institution recently adopted AI-powered platforms for its Learning Management System (LMS) to offer students customized feedback and learning analytics and real-time tutoring. These computer systems demonstrated abilities to foresee student achievement and select suitable reading content while informing instructors about students who needed academic support.

According to data from Perplexity, analyzed by Miller, top universities are leading in AI adoption—MIT (11.62%), Harvard (11.53%), and Princeton (10.79%) are at the forefront.

Dr. Oray discovered this new development. Students who previously failed to connect with standard lectures began participating again because adaptive modules customized their learning experiences based on individual progress. She stated during a faculty gathering that the tool delivered private tutoring benefits to each student.

 PhD Research in the Age of AI

The effects of artificial intelligence transformations were just as transformative for doctoral candidates and their postdoctoral researcher counterparts. Dr. Oray supervised PhD students through the research lifecycle as she observed AI making significant changes to the process.

Elicit and other similar tools allowed researchers to complete laborious literature reviews within hours instead of weeks by analyzing thousands of academic papers. Semantic Scholar and other AI platforms helped researchers find relevant studies through predictive analysis of which research would influence the field.

Through his behavioral neuroscience research, PhD candidate Lucas employed AI models to process large EEG data sets that used to require excessive time and technical complexity. Through AI assistance, Lucas could devote his time to result interpretation and hypothesis refinement instead of spending it on data preprocessing tasks.

The academic writing process became more efficient for Dr. Oray because she employed two AI tools called Jenni AI and Paperpal. International scholars received specific help through these tools that provided both grammatical corrections and contextual assistance to enhance clarity and tone as well as structural elements of their work.

The Ethical Crossroads

However, these new advancements introduced several fresh complications.

Dr. Oray observed the rising pattern of students who employed AI generative tools like ChatGPT and Claude to generate their essays and thesis outlines. Although this technology proved beneficial for various tasks it triggered serious worries about students’ academic honesty and original research work.

When a student depends on an algorithm to think for them, is intellectual depth still present? And if AI shapes the framework of their work, can we honestly call it original?

The AI-Ethics Committee of the university chose Dr. Oray to lead its efforts when they created guidelines regarding AI applications in research and academic work. A team of professors representing philosophy and computer science and law created institutional rules for AI implementation in academic research and teaching. AI received no outright ban because the academic community wanted students to learn proper usage along with its effective integration to serve as a useful tool rather than an unneeded aid.

According to a Forbes survey, 98% of educators believe students require education on the ethical use of AI, with over 60% advocating for comprehensive instruction.

She developed new course modules which focused on AI literacy while teaching students about algorithmic bias together with model transparency and data ethics. Human-centered AI was the focus of her PhD seminars because they encouraged scholars to evaluate how this technology supported humanity’s intellectual and social objectives.

Democratizing Access—or Deepening Divides?

AI made educational resources available to everyone but simultaneously exposed existing inequalities. A few students entered class with cutting-edge technology while others worked with aged devices because of restricted internet access.

Dr. Oray identified many promising students were held back by technology limitations that prevented them from advancing. She joined forces with the university’s digital inclusion initiative to advocate for AI access grants together with hardware subsidies for students from lower-income backgrounds.

The future should extend beyond the boundaries of bandwidth access according to her statement at the faculty summit.

The education sector is undergoing transformation because of artificial intelligence through changes in instructor responsibilities.

The responsibility of teaching professionals transformed along with the introduction of AI technology in education. Educators including Dr. Oray managed administrative tasks through AI systems which enabled them to dedicate their time to student mentorship as well as design thinking and essential discussions.  The educational process evolved from basic information transfer into inquiry guidance.

Dr. Oray started serving as a curriculum architect who combined her skills with AI to create personalized learning pathways that suited students’ objectives ranging from doctorate work to interdisciplinary capstone projects.

Her biggest takeaway? Educators who integrate artificial intelligence into their practice become indispensable rather than less valuable. The educator told her students repeatedly that artificial intelligence would not replace human teachers but educators who leverage AI effectively will transform the educational process.

A  New Chapter in Academic Discovery

The academic year ended when Dr. Oray joined an interdisciplinary research symposium. Participants showcased their work through AI-composed musical pieces and computer-assisted drug development models. The depth of intellectual thinking in each project made a stronger impression on her than the wide range of applications demonstrated.

A paper co-authored by her research team appeared in print after the human researchers teamed up with an AI assistant for documentation assistance. Human researchers created the conceptual framework and analyzed data but the AI system helped organize the literature review and generated the bibliography. The collaboration offered a glimpse into a new method that united human understanding with machine operational effectiveness.

The Human-AI Synergy

Artificial intelligence represents a fundamental transformation that goes beyond being a temporary fad. The story of Dr. Elise Oray demonstrates the multifaceted response that many educational professionals experience regarding AI adoption: they experience admiration and concern and excitement and they need to stay flexible.

Universities need to move past simple AI adoption by establishing AI literacy programs and ethical standards and equitable access platforms to fully harness AI capabilities. AI exists to support human thought processes rather than eliminate them. AI functions to enhance human intelligence rather than to replace it.

Dr. Oray understands now that AI’s academic potential lies in teaming up with learning machines to unlock new possibilities that surpass human capabilities.

AI-driven educational tools are projected to impact over 2 billion learners worldwide in the coming yearsFrontiers

Our team at Griffon Webstudios works closely with leading universities to develop AI models which meet the unique requirements of academic and research settings. Our team collaborates with faculty members and doctoral researchers and university IT departments to develop machine learning algorithms for behavioral studies and natural language processing tools for research analysis and AI-powered personalized learning platforms.

The team approaches each project by understanding academic requirements to create AI models which combine technical strength with ethical standards and research-based approaches. Our development process adjusts to various university programs which include both operational campus improvements and support for innovative scientific research.

DESIGN TO CODE-1

Turning Stunning Web Design Into Flawless Code

Web development reaches its crucial stage when designers transfer their work to developers through the design handoff process. The phase marks the point where abstract concepts turn into concrete reality while transforming creative plans into functional user interactions. The transformation from design to development during this phase produces numerous obstacles that threaten to ruin carefully designed projects. This article examines the major challenges that developers face while presenting effective solutions to overcome them.

The Chasm Between Design and Development

A designer invests their time for multiple weeks to develop an aesthetically pleasing interface that perfectly represents brand values through pixel-perfect design. The development team receives this design from the designers with the understanding that they should produce code that perfectly matches the original design. The developers start analyzing the design files only to discover unclear specifications together with missing assets and ambiguous elements. The result? The final product drifts away from its initial design which produces negative reactions from designers and developers.

This failure to connect design with development occurs frequently throughout the industry instead of being an isolated exception.  The main cause stems from specification miscommunications and insufficient asset sharing and most importantly from poor designer-developer coordination.

Bridging the Communication Gap

Communication represents the fundamental hurdle which causes most handoff problems. Designers and developers share a single objective but maintain separate spaces where they use communication methods which share similarities but have separate linguistic patterns.

Consider the term “padding.” A designer views padding as design space surrounding elements for better visual appeal while a developer sees it as a specific CSS property requiring numerical input.  Such terms create confusion when they remain undefined between different stakeholders.

 

Strategies for Effective Communication:

  1. Early Collaboration: Developers should join the design process from its initial beginning. The developers’ expertise helps designers make decisions which both boost project feasibility and reduce development complexity. 
  1. Regular Check-ins: Both teams must participate in scheduled meetings that enable progress updates and concern resolution and necessary adjustments. This fosters a culture of continuous feedback and mutual understanding.
  1. Unified Terminology: Develop a shared glossary of terms and components. A designer referring to a “carousel” should have the developer visualize the exact same functionality.

 

Ambiguous design specifications create numerous risks during the development process.

A design that appears beautiful will fail to deliver its intended effect when designers fail to provide exact specifications. Design file ambiguities force developers to guess which design elements the designer intended leading to potential design discrepancies.

Consider a button featuring a gradient overlay. A developer implementing a flat color button instead of a gradient might disrupt both visual structure and user journey without proper design direction.

 

Mitigation Measures:

  1. Detailed Documentation: Each design component should include complete documentation that describes its dimensions as well as color codes and both font styles and interactive responses.
  1. Interactive Prototypes: Designers should use prototyping tools to generate interactive interfaces for developers. Developers receive an actual representation of user interactions together with transitions through this method.
  1. Design Systems: Organizations should use a centralized design component repository alongside guidelines for implementation. This central resource acts as the authoritative reference point that maintains uniformity throughout the entire system.

 

Asset Management: Ensuring Completeness

The process of delivering assets stands as a frequently disregarded step in the handover procedure. Development delays because of missing or incorrectly formatted assets may force designers to reduce design fidelity to ensure project completion.

An e-commerce platform depends heavily on product images which serve as its core feature. The user experience suffers when developers use placeholders or low-quality images instead of high-resolution alternatives because they lack sufficient image resources.

 

Best Practices for Asset Delivery:

  1. Organized Asset Libraries: Asset folders should be structured consistently through logical organization which includes separate sections for icons, images and logos and uses uniform naming conventions.
  1. Multiple Formats: Assets should exist in SVG, PNG and JPEG formats to accommodate multiple use scenarios and resolution requirements.
  1. Asset Checklists: Checklists should be implemented before the handoff to verify that no asset remains unaccounted for. The methodical approach helps prevent missed elements during this stage.

 

Embracing a Culture of Continuous Collaboration

The design handover needs to be recognized as an ongoing partnership rather than a single occurrence. After handing off projects, designers should stay involved to explain and modify designs according to developer feedback while addressing unexpected development issues.

Think of it as a relay race. The baton (design) is passed, but the runner (designer) doesn’t leave the track. The designer continues to follow the same track while monitoring the baton reaches its destination correctly.

Fostering Post-Handoff Synergy:

  • Open Channels: Establish communication tools which enable developers to ask questions easily and designers to answer them promptly.
  • Joint Testing Sessions: Both teams must conduct joint testing sessions to verify the implementation matches the design while addressing immediate alignment issues.
  • Feedback Loops: Following project completion the team should conduct retrospectives to evaluate successes and failures while identifying improvements for future handoff procedures.

Crafting Cohesive Digital Experiences

The transition between design and development demands more than technical expertise because it needs both empathy and understanding together with teamwork.

Our experience at Griffon Webstudios demonstrates that better designer-developer collaboration leads to improved project outcomes. The creation of exceptional websites requires teamwork because our process depends on open dialogue combined with clear specifications and shared ownership.

backlinks

Building Strong Backlinks- Strategies, Tools, and Opportunities

The practice of obtaining backlinks remains  fundamental for implementing effective SEO strategies. Search engines use backlinks to determine both the authority and relevance of  your website while the links also drive website traffic and increase brand visibility. All backlinks have varying levels  of worth. Building a strong backlink profile requires strategic planning that includes analyzing competitors’ links and selecting  proper websites and regular backlink monitoring.

This article will explain step-by-step procedures for acquiring strong  backlinks through the following methods:

  • Identifying domain connections that link to your competition instead of your website
  • Pinpointing high-authority websites for outreach
  • Track the number of new backlinks and lost backlinks of competitors
  • Tools will help discover backlink opportunities along with progress tracking

 

1. Identify Domains That Link to Your Competitors But Do Not Link to You

The first intelligent beginning for backlink marketing is through competitor research. Your  competitors receive links from other websites because you should deliver equivalent or superior value.

How to Do It?  Use tools like:

The Link Intersect tool within Ahrefs accepts your domain together with your competitor  domains. Ahrefs will show you which websites link to your competitors but refrain from linking to your  site.

The SEMrush Backlink Gap Tool provides an interface that displays the parallel analysis of backlink  profiles while showcasing unclaimed opportunities.

Example:

Operating a SaaS project management tool requires your attention to  notice how TechCrunch and G2 link to your competitor, yet avoid linking to you. After reviewing  the linking pages you discover that they belong to a roundup titled “Top 10 Project Management Tools.”  You can use this opportunity to make contact and present your unique selling propositions before asking for future consideration.

 

2. Pinpoint High-Authority Websites for Outreach

Your SEO will not  gain substantial improvement from any random website backlink acquisition. You need backlinks from authoritative websites in your  specific industry. When evaluating potential sources for quality backlinks, look for the following elements:

  1. Domain Authority (DA) or Domain Rating (DR)
  2. Relevance to your niche or industry
  3. Organic traffic volume
  4. Editorial standards (original, well-written content)
  5. Existing outbound link quality

Tools to Use:

Link Explorer from Moz enables users to evaluate the domain authority of competing websites and niche-specific sites.

Hunter.io serves as a useful resource to discover contact information  needed for outreach purposes.

The BuzzSumo tool enables you to locate influencers and journalists who operate within  your industry and potentially link to your content.

Example:

The health and wellness industry obtains substantial SEO value from obtaining backlinks on Healthline, WebMD and MindBodyGreen websites. A research-based blog post or infographic could serve as a valuable asset for your editorial pitch to obtain publication on their platform.

 

3. Analyze how competitors obtain or lose new backlinks

Backlink building demands continuous effort since it represents an ongoing process. Competitors who  earn or lose links at any time present valuable patterns to their competitors who monitor changes through updates.

Why  It Matters: The process enables you to find currently popular content that attracts links from other websites. After  competitors lose links you should seize opportunities to capture their vanished connections such as broken links. The tools enable users to detect fresh partnerships and mentions throughout the system.

Tools to Use:

Ahrefs Alerts provides  real-time notifications about competitors who acquire or lose backlinks.

The SEMrush and Ubersuggest platforms  allow users to monitor their competitors’ link velocity as well as their historical trends.

Linkody represents a  budget-friendly solution for tracking backlinks across different time periods.

Example:

If a competitor loses a backlink from a high-traffic blog due to a broken URL, it’s a great opportunity for you. Reach out to the website owner, politely highlight the broken link, and suggest your content as a relevant replacement. When approached thoughtfully, this broken link building strategy can be a highly effective way to earn quality backlinks.

 

4. Create Backlink Opportunities

You should develop organic opportunities that generate backlinks in addition to performing direct outreach activities.  Here’s how:

a) Publish Link-Worthy Content:

  • Original Research & Stats: Industry-specific surveys or studies are often cited.
  • Ultimate Guides: In-depth resources that cover a topic comprehensively.
  • Infographics & Data Visualizations: Highly shareable and often embedded with a link.

b) Leverage Guest Posting:

Reach out with your content to blogs and  websites which welcome guest contributions. Your content should be relevant to the audience while providing valuable information.

c) Use HARO (Help A Reporter Out):

Answer journalist requests that seek expert opinions. Your quote  will get published with a backlink when you get chosen for this opportunity.

Example:

Your business manufactures eco-friendly home cleaning products. Develop a detailed guide on “The Rise of Sustainable Cleaning Practices in 2025” based on recent research, customer behavior trends, and engaging visuals. Send the article to eco-conscious lifestyle blogs or home improvement websites. You can also mention it in guest posts about green living and check HARO for journalists looking for sustainability or home care experts to quote.

 

Think Like an SEO Strategist, Not Just a Marketer

Developing robust backlinks requires consistent effort along with deliberate planning. Through competitor analysis and  purposeful creation of link-worthy content you will build up your domain authority while increasing search visibility over time.

Quick Recap of Tools:

Task: Competitor Analysis

Tool Suggestions: Ahrefs, Link Intersect, SEMrush, Backlink Gap

 

Task: Find High Authority Sites

Tool Suggestions: Moz Link Explorer, BuzzSumo

 

Task: Monitor Links

Tool Suggestions: Ahrefs Alerts, Linkody, SEMrush

 

Task: Outreach

Tool Suggestions: Hunter.io,  BuzzStream

 

Task: Content Ideas

Tool Suggestions: HARO, AnswerThePublic, Google Trends

 

Avoid chasing backlinks, you should earn your them instead. Every backlink should represent the value you provide to your audience.

google reviews missing

Google Reviews Missing? What’s Happening & How to Fix It?

Google My Business is one of the strongest digital marketing tool for your business. Potential customers can discover your company for the first time by searching for businesses like yours on the Google Reviews platform.

What if your Google Reviews are missing? Unfortunately, many business owners have quickly discovered that some of their previous Google Reviews from past customers have disappeared entirely. Where did they go? Can they be retrieved?

If you find yourself in a similar situation, there are steps to resolve the problem. First, you must figure out why your Google Reviews are missing. Only then can you take steps to fix it.

Here are five possible reasons why your Google Reviews have gone missing and how you can fix it.

 

1) Offensive or Obscene Comments

Google uses automation technology to monitor the reviews left for your business profile on the Google Reviews platform. It will remove those comments without warning if it detects any reviews containing hateful, irrelevant, or offensive language. In this case, you won’t be able to get those comments back because they violated Google’s terms of service.

2) The Person Deleted Their Review

Some past customers may have deleted their reviews for any number of reasons. Perhaps their opinion about your business changed, so they deleted their previous reviews to disassociate themselves from it.

One way to overcome this problem is to contact the person if you remember or recognize who they are. Once you reach them, politely ask them why they deleted their reviews and try to convince them to post another review.

3) Something Wrong with Your Business Profile

Your company’s Google Reviews page is associated with its Google My Business profile. Check to see if Google has flagged or suspended your Google My Business profile because that could temporarily cause some or all of your Google Reviews to vanish.

If that is the reason, try to resolve whatever issue Google has with your business profile. Sometimes, the reason is as minor as changing your business name, address, or phone number. Contact Google to let them know you authorized these changes, and they should remove any strike placed on your account.

4) Duplicate or Spam Reviews Detected

No one can fool the Google algorithm. If it detects too many duplicate or spam reviews on your Google Reviews profile, they will automatically be deleted. You obviously cannot retrieve these comments, nor should you want to. Duplicates and spammy comments will only hurt your business reputation because the public will think you were responsible for them. So, they should be deleted.

5) System Maintenance

Google is notorious for conducting system maintenance to apply updates and eliminate bugs. During these maintenance tasks, you might notice some temporary issues with reviews missing and then reappearing. It is perfectly normal and should stop happening once the maintenance is finished. Check back in a couple of hours to confirm this.

Request Professional Assistance

You can request professional assistance from Griffon Webstudios if you need help or advice about restoring your missing Google Reviews. Call (212) 739-0374 or email contact@griffonwebstudios.com for more information.

mobile app for business

Smart Strategies to Cut Costs on Mobile App Development

More businesses and individuals are investing in mobile app development than ever before. Since more than 50% of internet users are on mobile devices, one of the best ways to reach them is through an original mobile app.

Unfortunately, the cost of developing a high-quality mobile app can be anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000. If you have a big company like Uber, you would probably pay over a million dollars to develop your mobile app. That should give you some idea of the complexity and sophistication that goes into developing high-end apps like the Uber.

Of course, nobody expects your mobile app to compete at the same level as Uber. However, you can still develop a high-quality mobile app for a reasonable price. All you need to do is learn the best strategies for cutting costs on mobile app development. Then, you may find an affordable path to developing your dream mobile app.

Below are six smart strategies to reduce your mobile app development costs.

1) No-Code App Development Platforms

The internet is crawling with dozens of no-code mobile app development platforms. Most of them have drag-and-drop user interfaces that make it easy to modulate your apps with the functions and designs you want them to have. You won’t need to know or write coding because the entire app development process is graphical and visual.

In 2025, the mobile app market is a massive, global phenomenon, with over 257 billion apps downloaded worldwide, generating over $935 billion in revenue

Some examples of no-code app development platforms include:

  • Airtable
  • Webflow
  • Thunkable Live
  • Kintone
  • Zoho Creator
  • Softr

Each app development platform tends to focus on specific types of app creation, such as web apps, business apps, or game apps. The pricing is typically a low monthly subscription or one-time fixed fee that most small businesses and individuals can afford.

2) Build Cross-Platform Apps Rather Than Native Ones

You can build your mobile apps with either a cross-platform or native approach. The difference pertains to the number of operating systems they can run on.

For example, a native approach to mobile app development means you are only building an app for one particular mobile operating system, such as Android or iOS. Coding in a different programming language is required to create an app for each operating system. That will cost you more time and money.

On the other hand, the cross-platform approach to mobile app development allows you to use one programming language to create an app compatible with multiple operating systems. Although cross-platform mobile apps have less flexibility and sophistication, they can certainly save you time and money by allowing you to build one app for all operating systems.

Statistically,  developing a single cross-platform app is up to 20% less costly than building two or more native apps.

3) Cost Comparisons

You don’t need to settle for the first qualified mobile app developer you come across. Take the time to pick out at least three or four qualified developers for your consideration. Then, conduct price comparisons of each service to determine which accommodates your budget best.

The best choice doesn’t necessarily mean the cheapest one. Try to find a developer offering a balance of quality and affordability in their service. That is usually the rule of thumb for hiring the ideal developer. Look through their work portfolios to see if their development experience aligns with your needs.

4) Open-Source Frameworks and Tools

The most expensive way to develop an app is if you do it from scratch. However, you don’t need to do that if you use an open-source framework as the basis for your app. Open-source frameworks are customizable, pre-written mobile app-building tools containing reusable coding and libraries.

Since they are “open source” tools, you don’t need to pay for a license or anything like that. Open-source tools are 100% free for you to use or modify into other apps as you see fit. That doesn’t mean you merely rebrand the open-source framework with your brand. You must use the framework as a template to build from to save time and money from developing a framework from scratch.

5) Find a Partner

There is no need to take on the financial burden of your app development project alone if you are on a tight budget. If you cannot bear the project’s cost, consider finding a business partner to assist you. They can put up a percentage of the investment needed to build your app. Then, in return, they will probably expect to be repaid in full or from a share of the revenue generated by the app.

For example, you could seek a venture capitalist to invest in your mobile app idea. Just ensure you have a business plan prepared to show the venture capitalist. It might persuade them to invest in your app development project if it is good enough.

Hire an Affordable Mobile App Developer

Griffon Web Studios specializes in mobile app development for businesses and individuals worldwide. Call our team at (212) 739-0374 or email contact@griffonwebstudios.com to schedule a consultation and seek assistance completing your app development project.

e-commerce strategy

Enhance Your E-Commerce Strategy with Product Schema

Selling items online is a saturated market. That is a fact. However, it doesn’t mean you cannot succeed. The reality is most people who create a small business online don’t have the time, effort, or know-how to actually stand out in the market – leaving a massive gap in that saturation for dedicated companies to succeed.

Your e-commerce strategy must be based on taking every advantage you can to deliver quality products to your target audience in a way that solidifies your brand presence. One of the most overlooked tools for this is developing Product Schema.

What is Product Schema?

The idea of product schema is simple. You are adding structured information to your website and products to help search engines better identify your offerings. Think of this like a catalog sheet giving all the details people want or a translator conveying your wishes in a different language.

The more you make it easy for search engines to understand your online presence, the better they can interpret your website and give you a higher rank. With product schema, this idea goes a bit further. Search engines can generate your results without forcing visitors to go to your website. They can see product pricing, reviews, sizes, and other details based solely on their search engine request.

When implemented well, your product schema helps you stand out in search results as rich snippets that drive user engagement. They increase your CTR (click-through rate) simply by answering questions like:

  • Do you have products available?
  • What price are they at?
  • What colors can be purchased?
  • What reviews have you received?
  • And similar inquiries.

How to Implement Product Schema

The actual practice of adding product schema only requires a little technical knowledge. You can save yourself a lot of time and hassle by having our experts at Griffon Webstudios do the work for you like:

  • Adding required properties such as product name, price, availability, and reviews so Google can quickly see them and provide such details to users based on their inquiries.
  • Following specific Google guidelines such as JSON-LD schema markup formats so all your structured information is well understood and free from errors.
  • Testing and retesting all the information integrated into your product schema through tools like Google’s Rich Results Test to verify it is correct and not missing any elements.
  • Confirming results and monitoring the impact by tracking different metrics like CTRs, impressions, and overall traffic.

Adapting to your e-commerce strategy requires real-time monitoring. You never know when one little detail here or a review there can make all the difference to your target audience and search engine rank.

Conclusion

Your e-commerce strategy is a living, breathing puzzle. It must be tailored to your unique needs and the desires of your audience. You want a professional, experienced hand at the wheel to ensure you’re taking advantage of every opportunity you can, including product schema.

Learn more about how you can implement this type of advantage by reaching out to our team at Griffon Webstudios. We have the experience you need based on our years of adapting and growing in the highly competitive NYC market. Call us today to discuss how we can help your e-commerce business.

CTA-website

How to Drive Engagement & Conversions in Marketing with a Call To Action

A fantastic marketing campaign with engaging content and visuals that attract your target audience better than anything else only works if they can act on that information. Without a strong CTA (call to action), you risk losing all that engagement. People want to know what to do next when they are interested in a topic. Your job is to make that next step as evident as possible.

What is a Call to Action?

The idea of a call to action is simple. It is a button, phrase, or action you encourage your audience to take. Something like a “Sign Up Now” link at the bottom of an email for a newsletter or online eBook reader magnet.

The goal of a CTA is to reduce confusion. It is like looking at a modern passenger airplane with hundreds of buttons and sticking a big bright red button right smack in the middle that says “Start” so everyone knows how to turn on the engines.

Top Benefits of Using a Call to Action

Once you’ve learned how to integrate a call to action into your marketing campaigns, you will reap a wealth of benefits like:

  • Boosting conversion rates by providing clear and easy-to-follow guidance on what to do next.
  • Enhancing the user experience by reducing the stress of figuring out an answer as you are pointing to what they need.
  • Increasing engagement by inviting your target audience to interact with your content by clicking a link, watching a video, or sharing a post.
  • Driving sales and leads through CTAs that directly impact revenue through an actionable system.

How to Make Your Call to Action Stand Out

The trick to a good CTA is to make it stand out from the rest of your content. It should grab the attention of your audience by using action-oriented language. Stick to persuasive verbs like “Start” or “Discover.” If you can add urgency to the phrase, all the better.

Try to make your call to action visually appealing. Having contrasting colors or larger fonts and buttons that stand out on different-sized devices ensures people know where to look. Just don’t overthink the situation. Your CTA should be short, clear, and easy to understand.

For example, something saying “Sign Up Now” is a lot easier for an audience member to consider than a two-sentence description of what happens next.

When you do place a CTA in your content, do a little A/B testing. Try different designs, placements, and work to see what translates into the best audience response. You’ll need a little data analytics to make this work, but it goes a long way to boosting your ROI.

Final Thoughts

Online marketing of any kind, from email sequences to stunning website landing pages, requires a bit of forethought. While creating immersive video content or copy that would make Hemingway stand up and appreciate is great, you still need that final call to action to turn interested parties into engaged customers.

At Griffon Webstudios, we can build your CTAs for you. Our professional digital marketing team handles everything from website design to running pay-per-click (PPC) ads on your platform of choice. Get the advantage of our years of experience operating in one of the most competitive markets in the world (the Big Apple) and book a consultation today!

 

ai in marketing

The Growing Use of AI Tools and Automation in Marketing

Marketing is an ever-evolving beast that you must adapt quickly to or risk falling behind your competitors. Digital marketing is no different, except that there are far more tools and channels to leverage. This diversity of customer and brand touchpoints has led to an increase in AI in marketing.

Using artificial intelligence to boost engagement and expand customer personalization has many benefits for small businesses all the way to enterprise organizations. Here are a few of the many ways you could use AI to automate your marketing goals.

Enhancing Customer Interactions with Chatbots

You’ll find chatbots everywhere online. These are AI-powered tools that operate as customer service professionals for online interactions. Maybe you’ve dealt with an AI chatbot while booking a hotel or getting a refund request taken care of for a sweater you ordered that doesn’t quite fit right.

Claude.ai is an example of a chatbot builder. GitLab, Midjourney, and Menlo Ventures are all utilizing this technology to greet website visitors, collect relevant data, and provide a “human” face to their brands.

Predictive Analytics for Smarter Decisions

AI in marketing relies on data input. Knowing what to do with that data is crucial to predicting what could happen next. AI scans through massive data stores through predictive analytics. The AI looks at historical data to detect patterns and then forecast future trends, from a website owner running a blog to McDonald’s predicting the next big Happy Meal toy.

A casino is another example where using predictive analytics for financial forecasting is relevant to how many dealers to have at the craps table on any given day of the year. Even QuickBooks offers automated invoice generation based on predictive analytics.

72% of organizations have now adopted some form of AI, up from ~50% in previous years.

Creating Content with AI-Powered Tools

Content creation is all the rage lately. Popular AIs like Jasper, ChatGPT, and Dall-E use advanced algorithms and processes to generate text, images, and video. These pieces of content can be generated using prompts written in common parlance. Such innovations erase the barriers to adaptation by many marketers, allowing swifter onboarding of social media content calendars, long-form blog articles, and even sales letters for fundraising campaigns.

Optimizing Campaigns Across Channels

One of the more intriguing aspects of AI in marketing is behavioral analysis. Say you have a website, Facebook profile, TikTok, and email campaign. Using a universal platform like Hootsuite with AI allows you to make judgments based on the gathered data from user behavior.

For example, if you have much higher open rates on a specific email campaign compared to your latest Facebook content, you can automatically focus on more resources to gain greater lead generation or customer satisfaction traction.

Personalizing Customer Experiences

Personalization is always going to be the bread and butter of AI in marketing. People want to feel like they are unique to a brand. They want a mutual relationship, and a little appreciation goes a long way.

You can automate these personalizations through advanced email campaigns run in MailChimp or ActiveCampaign. Segmentation, email sequencing, and tailored messages all lead to higher engagement and read-through rates.

Why Businesses Should Embrace AI in Marketing

The point is that AI in marketing comes in many forms and features. Each one has a way to improve operational efficiency and optimize campaign performance, but you still need a human at the rudder to steer the ship down the right path occasionally.

Whether you wish to integrate a brand new chatbot for automating your boat rental business or have a new email sequence you wish to test for your SaaS enterprise, always work with experts who have experience with AI tools.

At Griffon Webstudios, we specialize in building AI-driven solutions tailored to enhance your marketing and operational processes. Based in NYC, we stay at the forefront of emerging technologies to ensure our clients remain competitive. Whether it’s AI-powered automation, predictive analytics, or personalized customer engagement, we can help integrate AI seamlessly into your strategy. Give us a call today to explore how AI can transform your business.