Local Online Success: “it’s a journey, not a destination”.

Posted on 05. Sep, 2011 by in All Local Search Posts, Automotive, Business-to-Business, Classified Sites, Coupons, Food & Dining, Health & Medicine, Home Services, Internet Marketing & Local SEO, Internet Yellow Pages, Legal & Financial, Maps, Mobile, Optimization, Pay-Per-Click, Professional Services, Real Estate, Recreation & Entertainment, Reputation Management, Retail, Social Networking, Traditional Media, Travel & Transportation, Video, Websites

To achieve a high-level of online visibility and internet marketing success, local businesses need to consider multiple factors…  

 
So what’s the definition of “online success”? For most local business owners – it’s a visible, productive presence across search engines and the increasingly more fragmented local Internet. Strong, relevant visibility will enable a website to act as the marketing tool it should be, and its success can come in several forms; including phone calls, contacts, and on/off-line sales. 
 
It all starts with the “foundation” – aka the website; one that is both user and mobile-friendly (why? check out these recent findings). A properly designed and optimized site and domain name has replaced the local phone number as the “hub” of all marketing and advertising efforts. The domain name in particular should be properly formatted and included in all online and offline promotional efforts, including yellowbook ads, newspapers, billing statements, business cards, vehicles, store fronts, direct mail, creative media and promotional items. The website itself should be locally optimized and contain embedded video, images, relevant title tag/meta descriptions, and other search-engine friendly elements. A “call-to-action” statement will help drive conversions (or actions): give visitors a reason to take the next step and not hit their browser’s back-button!
 
And speaking of search-engine friendly elements, the ongoing off-page optimization of your site is critical. Specifically, a strong network of inbound links from authoritative sites will all act as “votes of confidence” for the search engines. Strategies include distribution and syndication of videos, blogs, press releases, and inclusion within IYP’s, local maps databases, directories and Google Place Pages. Without this important off-page piece of SEO, you’ll most likely never see top ranking or first-page placement for your most important keywords.    
 
Search engine marketing (pay-per-click) campaigns will ensure you maintain high visibility for the literally hundreds of keywords and keyword combinations that SEO cannot address. You’ll want to work thru a provider that can manage your campaigns across multiple search engines to effectivly reach your entire market. Use of landing pages and multiple ad groups will help maximize conversions. Also, make sure reporting includes all forms of conversions, including phone calls.
 
Lastly, these most basic requirements of online success need to include social media. These days, an active presence on Facebook, Twitter and more recently Google Plus will not only give a businesses more places to be found, but will help in overall optimization efforts (social is now a factor within search engines algorithms). Blogging, video/photo sharing and online ratings/reviews should also be considered important online social elements.            
 
In summary, it’s important to realize there’s no quick-fix. This should be thought of more of a ongoing process, which most often should be left to a professional firm or agency. One place to start to learn more are on free online seminars. And remember, watch out for anyone making those unrealistic promises and claims!   
 

Caution! Unrealistic Internet marketing claims coming your way!

Posted on 17. Jun, 2011 by in All Local Search Posts, Automotive, Business-to-Business, Food & Dining, Health & Medicine, Home Services, Internet Marketing & Local SEO, Legal & Financial, Maps, Optimization, Pay-Per-Click, Professional Services, Real Estate, Recreation & Entertainment, Retail, Travel & Transportation

NOTE: this is not me.

I’ve been in the “local search” business since the earliest days. From selling IYP on BigYellow.com, the Yahoo! Yellow Pages and InfoSpace in the 90′s, to SEM, SEO and more recently Social Media, video and Reputation Management services – and all I can say is “I’ve heard it all”!

Lately however, there seems to be a higher proliferation of questionable sales pitches and practices – and it’s not just coming from the local independent guys or fly-by-night start up’s. Increasingly, these unrealistic promises and aggressive lyrics are being used by larger, more “legitimate” firms in the SMB space. Some discussion on this being a sales “training issue” recently took place over on Screenwerk, but I think there is more to it than that…

The reality is this; the marketplace continues to become more competitive. Local search represents the fastest growing segment of online marketing – and some companies/individuals will say just about anything to get their piece of the pie. Additionally, the continued fragmentation and complexities of the “splinternet” is generating more confusion for business owners. Although most local business now realize they need to be visible wherever and whenever potential customers are searching, I think their judgement can become easily impaired under some of these strong sales and closing tactics.

I’ve personally taken a great amount of pride in setting realistic expectations with clients. As a seasoned sales professional I’ve learned that as much as one wants to exceed quota or win the current sales contest; it’s a consistent honest, realistic and passionate approach that wins the game and builds long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. Strong Clients relationships are a journey – not a destination.

So as a public service, here are the latest and most frequently heard unrealistic and questionable sales tactics to look out for…

  • Performance guarantees! Any time the word “guarantee” is used within the world of marketing, watch out! This is especially true in the areas of SEM & SEO. There are never any guarantee: not with PPC positioning, not within organic rank, not within local listings and certainly not regarding your advertising ROI. This is one of the most popular tactics being used; “Mr. Business, I guarantee first position in 30 days, for $199/month”! Run for the hills…
  • Something for nothing? Online, local businesses really can get something for nothing! Inclusion within Google Place Pages, Yahoo! Local and Bing Maps is FREE, and it’s a good place to start building an online presence. As a matter of fact – most businesses already have some level of inclusion – but “claiming” that listing and optimizing it for better rank is the next natural step. This can usually be done with minimal time and expertise (although true website SEO is a critical ranking component – with this you’ll need some assistance). I’ve personally received calls (as have my clients) from Marketing Representatives that offer Google listings for a flat fee of $49, $99, or even several hundreds of dollars per-month! Now, having the marketing experience and knowledge to optimize a Place Page does have some value, but positioning the service a recurring $99/month charge into perpetuity is where I have a problem…
  • Optimization of ___ (fill in the blank). I recently worked with a Client that got swindled into a long-term contract for optimization services, and thanks to that ineffective effort – this business now falls into a growing group of “SEO doubters”. “Optimization” is quickly becoming the most mis-used term in our industry. Everyone it seems wants to “optimize” something, but few of these SEO services I’m hearing within the local-space really address all the critical SEO factors (on-page factors, inbound links, social, listings, ratings/reviews, etc.). High organic rank and visibility is a product of multiple efforts and hard work – don’t’ get fooled by anything less. Ask for references!
  • Cheap SEO/or cheaper PPC. Generally speaking, you get what you pay for. In the world of PPC, I’m continually surprised at the number of business owners that fall victim to claims of cheaper pay-per-click advertising. PPC is a commodity, and outside of set-up or monthly service fees the market/competition is what dictates the budget (“supply and demand”). The best PPC agencies don’t sell on price, they propose budgets that would maximize advertising R.O.I. SEO on the other hand is more of a “service” that consists of significant man-hours and expertise. Some components of SEO may be more competitive if fulfilled off-shore, but generally speaking – a full-blown, inclusive and effective SEO project cannot be completed for less than several thousand dollars. Watch out for the one-size fits-all “cookie cutter” strategy!

Feel free to “comment” and let us know what you’ve heard out there as well…

This Week in NY Small Business…

Posted on 27. Dec, 2010 by in All Local Search Posts, Automotive, Business-to-Business, Food & Dining, Health & Medicine, Home Services, Internet Marketing & Local SEO, Legal & Financial, Mobile, Professional Services, Real Estate, Recreation & Entertainment, Retail, Traditional Media, Travel & Transportation

From this weeks NY Times Small Business section, and recommended reading for Westchester County based business owners…

Read the entire article here.

Filed under: All Local Search Posts, Automotive, Business-to-Business, Food & Dining, Health & Medicine, Home Services, Legal & Financial, Mobile, Professional Services, Real Estate, Recreation & Entertainment, Retail, Traditional Media, Travel & Transportation

Local Internet Marketing is Complicated!

Posted on 29. Mar, 2010 by in All Local Search Posts, Automotive, Business-to-Business, Classified Sites, Food & Dining, Health & Medicine, Home Services, Internet Marketing & Local SEO, Internet Yellow Pages, Legal & Financial, Maps, Mobile, Optimization, Pay-Per-Click, Professional Services, Real Estate, Recreation & Entertainment, Retail, Social Networking, Travel & Transportation

 

David Mihm’s illustration representing the “local search” relationships makes a great point: this business of local search marketing is complicated! 

In my experience, the typical local business owner doesn’t have the time or expertise to effectively manage online advertising investments - as illustrated in the recent Search Engine Land article ”Local Search Complexity = SMB Frustration“. 

Not only do you have numerous, complex supplier/directory relationships – but the continued fragmentation which is taking place keeps everyone on their toes! Search Engines,  social networking, blogs, directories and Internet Yellow Pages, mobile, vertical and hyper-local sites, etc., etc., etc.  Additionally, there are website design issues, analytics to keep up with, billing reconciliation, A/B testing, optimization and many other time-consuming elements.  Oh, and by the way – let’s not forget about the day job! It can be challenging, to say the least.

This is the primary reason so many third-party providers have jumped-into the game over the past several years – there is a void to fill; an overwelming demand to hand off this business of Internet marketing to a trusted advisor. Problem is: exactly who can you trust? The local SEO expert? Your website design guy? An out-of-work executive or moonlighting sales rep? The phone company, the local newspaper publisher, your tax software company?  All these characters are now in the game!

 
A word to the wise: be careful with whom you choose to work with! Here are a few quick tips:
  • Stick with a well-known firm. Check their history; how long have they been in the Internet marketing business? Is it one of their core competencies? 
  • Was the term “guarantee” used in their pitch? If so, run for the hills!  
  • Are they charging you for free services like Google Maps, or worse yet – taking “credit” for those leads/clicks? 
  • Is there a monthly recurring management fee? And if so, is it based on a percent of your overall budget? Hmmmm - could be a conflict of interest…
  • Are they willing to provide full transparency and reporting?
  • Are testimonials, references or case-studies from happy clients available?

Filed under: All Local Search Posts, Automotive, Business-to-Business, Classified Sites, Food & Dining, Health & Medicine, Home Services, Internet Yellow Pages, Legal & Financial, Maps, Mobile, Optimization, Pay-Per-Click, Professional Services, Real Estate, Recreation & Entertainment, Retail, Social Networking, Travel & Transportation

Small Business Web Holdouts: Unsearched, Unfound, Unfulfilled.

Posted on 24. Jul, 2009 by in All Local Search Posts, Automotive, Business-to-Business, Food & Dining, Health & Medicine, Home Services, Legal & Financial, Professional Services, Real Estate, Recreation & Entertainment, Retail, Travel & Transportation, Websites

From the eCommerce Times:

Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Web? A lot of small businesses, that’s who. For the most part, that fear appears to be grounded in a lack of information about the actual costs and benefits of operating a Web site and engaging in some strategic e-marketing efforts.

 No matter where one turns on the Internet these days, it’s virtually impossible to avoid being bombarded by advertising in one form or another. Banner ads. Video ads. Display ads. Search engine marketing. Ads on MySpace . Ads on Facebook . The only area of the Web left untouched by advertising may be government-run sites.  Web marketing, in large part, is the province of companies with enough money to plaster their messages, goods and services all over the Internet. Missing from this equation is the traditional engine of American commerce: the small business.

Indeed, a recent study showed that there is a major disconnect between the way most consumers look for goods and services on the Internet and the way small businesses use the Web to advertise.  The study, which surveyed nearly 4,000 U.S. Internet users on the tools they use to find local businesses, was conducted last November by Nielsen and WebVisible. Participants in the survey included 261 small business owners.

Here’s what Nielsen and WebVisible discovered: Search is the No. 1 choice of consumers and small business owners alike when looking for a local product or service on the Internet. Yet, half of all small businesses spent less than 10 percent of their marketing budgets on Internet ads.  In essence, most small businesses are missing out on a huge segment of the consumer population that turns to Internet search engines such as Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) , Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) and Microsoft’s (Nasdaq: MSFT) Live Search.

The Great Divide

“Local business is the last, vast untapped piece of online marketing space,” said Kevin Ryan, chief marketing officer at WebVisible, which offers a suite of software tools and services designed to help small businesses run online advertising and marketing campaigns.  The biggest problem small businesses face when it comes to Web marketing is an attachment to an old way of doing business. It’s clear in many cases that small businesses simply don’t understand the inherent power of the Internet as a way to reach their customers, Ryan said.

Here’s an example: A consumer looking for a plumber, attorney, insurance agent or electrician rarely conducts a search using the name of a local business but rather types in keywords such as “plumber and the Bronx” or “electricians and 06850,” the ZIP code for Norwalk, Conn. Then, a page of search results with local businesses comes up, and the consumer goes on from there, he said.  “It’s very difficult to convince a small business that in the eyes of a search engine, their brand doesn’t have nearly the value they think it does,” noted Ryan. “What they fail to realize is that most consumers will go to an online source such as a search engine or even the Yellow Pages directory first.”  In fact, 63 percent of consumers turn to the Internet first when looking for local products and services, according to the Nielsen/WebVisible survey.

At the same time, only 44 percent of small businesses surveyed said they had a Web site.

“That explains why 40 percent of consumers said they have trouble finding a local business they know exists,” Ryan observed.

Small Biz Snapshot: Helena, Mont.

The Helena Area Chamber of Commerce in Montana has about 860 local businesses as members. About 75 percent of those businesses are small businesses — that is, businesses with 25 employees or less, according to the chamber’s marketing and communications director, Barry Houser.  “I would say the majority of the businesses that comprise our membership still don’t have a Web presence,” Houser told the E-Commerce Times.  As the state capitol, Helena is by and large a government town. Outside of government, the major industries include health care and tourism.  “We’re centrally located between Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park,” Houser said. “So, fishing, skiing and snowmobiling are big attractions here.”

While many big-box companies such as Costco (Nasdaq: COST) , Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) and Bed Bath & Beyond have started to move into the Helena area, the vast majority of businesses there are “small mom and pop” shops, he said.

Like small businesses in every corner of the U.S., these mom and pops don’t have the budgets to promote their goods and services the way the big-box stores do, making the Internet almost a vital component of their marketing efforts, noted Houser.  “We try to encourage them to take advantage of their membership with the chamber to get more of a presence on the Web,” he said.

The Helena chamber has an online directory that is searchable by business name and type. Businesses that already have Web sites can link to the chamber’s site too.

Doesn’t have to Break the Bank

One of the chief reasons small business owners give for not having an Internet presence is that it’s too expensive to put up and maintain a Web site.  It doesn’t have to be that way though, said WebVisible’s Ryan.  What’s most critical is that whatever route a small business owner chooses to go with in terms of a Web presence, it has to suit their specific needs.

“Alfonso the tailor doesn’t want to check emails all day long,” Ryan said. “He wants to receive an SMS (short message service) text when someone needs something. The diamond jeweler doesn’t want to spend all day answering stupid questions from someone that doesn’t know what they want to buy.”

Situated in the heart of downtown Seattle is the Seattle Mystery Bookshop. The store’s owner, J.B. Dickey, has been selling mysteries, and nothing but mysteries, for years.  His shelves are lined with paperback and hard cover books written by authors local to the Pacific Northwest, such as G.M. Ford, as well as nationally acclaimed writers like James Ellroy and Michael Connelly.  Dickey has had a Web site in various iterations for 10 years.  “It started out as a way to just have a presence on the Web and have information about the shop out there,” he told the E-Commerce Times. “It evolved into a place where we post our quarterly newsletter, an updated calendar of events such as author signings, and a shop blog. It’s also information that’s always out there, even when the shop is closed.”

An Warning for Local Businesses…

Posted on 07. Jul, 2009 by in All Local Search Posts, Automotive, Business-to-Business, Food & Dining, Health & Medicine, Home Services, Legal & Financial, Maps, Mobile

In the past several years, I’ve seen numerous scams and questionable Internet-related sales pitches aimed at local businesses. One of the more misleading in recent months revolves around Google Local Businesss Listings (Google Maps).

Of course, assisting a business in “claiming” their business listing may be considered a legitimate “service” – but as a stand-alone SEM solution it’s certainly not the only consideration. Far from it!

Considering the process takes about 10 minutes and is a free process provided by Google, it’s debatable exactly what this ”service” is worth. Unfortunately, many individuals and companies are now advertising this as something that requires payment. Most I’ve seen advertise a monthly recurring fee to be “included” in Google Maps, others charge a one-time “set-up fee”. They’re usually accompanied by a screen-shot of Google’s search results page. I’ve even seen an industry CMR advertising this service for $350! 

It’s this type of misleading abuse that makes the job harder for legitimate search marketers. It would be nice to see Google go after some of this stuff, if possible.

Other Google-related scams

Local Visibility Factors

Posted on 06. Jul, 2009 by in All Local Search Posts, Automotive, Business-to-Business, Classified Sites, Food & Dining, Health & Medicine, Home Services, Internet Yellow Pages, Legal & Financial, Maps, Mobile, Optimization, Pay-Per-Click, Professional Services, Real Estate, Recreation & Entertainment, Retail, Social Networking, Travel & Transportation, Video, Websites

Back in “the day” a local business could turn on a  local phone number, place an ad in the local  telephone directory,  and start selling. Reaching the local “ready-to-buy” consumer was relatively easy.

Today, we live in a different world; many businesses are struggling to remain visible, they find the choices confusing and the requirements time consuming. 

To continue reaching both current customers as well as the new,  numerous factors need to be addressed. I recently downloaded a cool new iPhone application called “Simple Mind X” and started brainstorming. Here’s the result - it took about 10 minutes to create, and I think it sums-up the complexities of on-line visibility:

Your Online Visibility

Your On-line Visibility