Local Online Success: “it’s a journey, not a destination”.
Posted on 05. Sep, 2011 by Westchester Internet Marketing 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…
Caution! Unrealistic Internet marketing claims coming your way!
Posted on 17. Jun, 2011 by Westchester Internet Marketing 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…
Your Marketing Plans Should be Warming Up!
Posted on 21. Feb, 2011 by Westchester Internet Marketing in All Local Search Posts, Automotive, Home Services, Internet Marketing & Local SEO, Legal & Financial, Optimization, Pay-Per-Click, Professional Services, Real Estate, Recreation & Entertainment, Retail, Travel & Transportation
The majority of the U.S. is covered by record-breaking snow and cold weather, but smart business owners and marketers are starting to have “warmer thoughts”…
Several months ago I wrote about those businesses that could take advantage of the increasing holiday searches, now it’s time to look at those upcoming warmer weather opportunities…
Thanks to predictive search tools like Google Insights and historical search data, local businesses can now position themselves “ahead of the curve” to capture the upcoming surge of new potential customers and clients. As it can take up to 30 days to effectively launch a PPC program, and 60-90+ days to benefit from an SEO project, now is the time start!
Businesses that can benefit from increasing search volume (new customers) March – May:
- Landscapers / Lawn Care
- Fence Repair
- Roof / Gutter Contractors (major winter damage this season!)
- Accountants / Tax Prep.
- Bicycle Shops
- Anything related to Weddings (caterers, tent rentals, tux shops, florists, etc)
- Summer Camps (yes, they are booked by June 1!)
- Boat Dealers
- Auto Dealers
- Vacation planning / travel agents
- Home Improvements / Contractors
- Auto Body Repair
- Golf shops / courses
Any others you can come up with?
Filed under: All Local Search Posts, Automotive, Home Services, Legal & Financial, Optimization, Pay-Per-Click, Professional Services, Real Estate, Recreation & Entertainment, Retail, Travel & Transportation 
This Week in NY Small Business…
Posted on 27. Dec, 2010 by Westchester Internet Marketing 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…
- SLEIGH BELLS AND CASH REGISTERS RING – Looks like our darkest days are behind us. In November, consumer spending increased, orders for durable goods gained and architecture billings rebounded.
- HELLO 2011 – Calculated Risk asks 10 economic questions for next year. Mashable’s Erica Swallow lists five small-business predictions.
- GOING MOBILE – A new report says that small businesses are going mobile in a big way.
- HO, HO … OH, NO – Now that Christmas is over, we’re warned to keep an eye out for returns fraud.
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 Westchester Internet Marketing 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 
Online Coupons!
Posted on 05. Sep, 2009 by Westchester Internet Marketing in All Local Search Posts, Automotive, Coupons, Food & Dining, Home Services, Internet Yellow Pages, Professional Services, Recreation & Entertainment, Retail, Travel & Transportation
Consumers love saving money – and coupons enable the savings!
In theory, the Internet makes finding and printing coupons simple, but a recent Yahoo! survey found otherwise. The majority of people polled feel that there are not currently enough coupons for things they want to buy and nearly half actually think coupon hunting is a chore. Less than a fifth of consumers have a “go-to” on-line site and almost 80 percent think the process of finding coupons is difficult.
The survey also reported that 43 percent of participants said they are using coupons more often than last year. They also cited that easier access to coupons would motivate them to use coupons more often, a sentiment stated by 76 percent of women.
An increasing number of people are turning to the Internet for money-saving tips and tricks. In fact, Web searches for “printable coupons” on Yahoo! are up 50 percent in 2009, compared to the same time in 2008, and up 135 percent compared to 2007. Furthermore, the most popular coupon-related Web searches in the past month have been for pizza restaurants, major retailers and grocery coupons.
Additionally, the survey asked how pride factors into couponing. Saving money makes people feel good as 59 percent stated that “they feel great when buying things with coupons.” This trend is much stronger for women, with a greater percentage of men feeling embarrassed when using coupons. Bargain hunting can also become a badge of honor with 29 percent wanting to be known as the coupon king or queen.
My advise? Reach and convert more local shoppers by offering a coupon or special offer! Searching for ”local coupons” on Google is a good start – there are several solid options to choose from. Most major Internet Yellow Pages also have coupon options - see yellowbook.com details here. You’ll also want to consider a printable coupon on your website – preferably combined with your “call to action” statement on the home page.
Also, your offer should be strong enough to produce results; ”10% off” or ”free estimates” wont’ do the trick. Now go and help your customers save some money!
Chiropractic Marketing Online.
Posted on 29. Aug, 2009 by Westchester Internet Marketing in All Local Search Posts, Health & Medicine, Professional Services, Social Networking
From: Chiropractic Marketing Online
By Matthew Loop. Matthew J. Loop is a Chiropractor, Clinical Nutritionist and best-selling Author in Atlanta, GA.
Let’s start by asking what’s the most important goal when you initiate your chiropractic marketing online. Everyone should probably answer that the ultimate goal is to get new patients walking through the doors. Why else would you do it? When you follow a proven blueprint, then this goal should be readily attainable.
However, if you truly want to be successful with your chiropractic marketing online, then something much more important needs to happen. You need to become a reliable and visible chiropractic expert in your home town. This doesn’t mean haggling people on Facebook in your city.
You need to find new and better ways online to stand as a leader in the health field, empowering people to heal and reach their healthy potential. This means that your marketing isn’t about you, but about your future patients.
An important mentor of mine says that to have a booming business you must first move the free line. This doesn’t necessarily mean giving away a free consultation, it means getting into the habit of giving away a fortune in perceived value of your services to potential patients. When you give them information or insights that help them immediately in their life, you better believe that one day they’re going to pay you for more.
When you give them information and they use it and experience improvement, you have instant credibility in their eyes. An understanding of this concept is indispensable when you begin chiropractic marketing online. Even though it worked in the 80′s to get up in people’s faces and knock on their doors, this simply isn’t the case today. What you’re going for today is subtlety and naturalness.
All of us are geared toward instant gratification and want to see new patients this moment. You must keep in mind that not seeing new patients the very day that you start chiropractic marketing means nothing. Sometimes it takes a little time. When I went through this process it was subtle at first, a trickle that became a tidal wave of new patients coming through my doors thanks to social media marketing.
I consistently built a solid reputation online that was visible in all major search engines and social networks such as Google, Yahoo, MySpace, and Facebook. You name it, and people in my city found me everywhere online. When you’re consistent and knowledgeable of this method, you can literally be your own powerful PR person. There is truly a science to online chiropractic marketing success using Web 2.0.
It’s vital to remember that it’s ok to give away some of your best chiropractic information and health tips for free to potential patients. Don’t think that if you share your best strategies with these people that they’ll take the information and run. When the advice makes a difference in their lives, they’ll come knocking. The more you give, the more you get back.
Do yourself a big favor and make sure your online chiropractic marketing is a genuine extension of you, the person. Get to know the people that show interest in your practice and be natural. Direct people to your blogs and videos that have useful information to share with them. Don’t be surprised when they slowly begin to see how your knowledge can transform their life, and they come back to pay for further services.
Guidelines for Insurers Marketing to On-line Seniors.
Posted on 16. Aug, 2009 by Westchester Internet Marketing in All Local Search Posts, Health & Medicine, Legal & Financial, Professional Services, Websites
From the ”Professional Insurance Marketing Association“-
SENIORS AND THE INTERNET
Almost 60% of Americans age 50–64 are online**, and more are plugging in each passing day. Even more surprising, 22% of consumers 65 and older use the Web regularly, up from less than 2% 10 years ago.**
Here’s how seniors use the Internet:
• 95% use email **
• 66% have looked for health/medical information **
• 66% have done product research **
• 60% have visited a government Web site **
• 47% have bought something on the Internet **
• 41% have made travel reservations **
• 20% have done online banking **
If insurance companies want to capture the attention of seniors and get through to them, they need to understand that their Web preferences differ in some substantive ways. To begin with, at this writing, more than 60%** of seniors still use dial-up access to go online. Some researchers place that number as high as 72%. For whatever reason, the broadband revolution seems to have mostly passed seniors by, at least for the moment. That fact has significant implications for the (usually young) people who design Web sites. Almost all large companies today — insurers among them — build Web sites that assume everyone has DSL or cable access to the Internet. Designing sites targeted to seniors and assuming high-speed access can have truly disastrous consequences.
You can download more their entire free white paper; “20 Rules for Targeting Web-savvy Seniors” here.
** Pew Internet and American Life Project
Small Business Web Holdouts: Unsearched, Unfound, Unfulfilled.
Posted on 24. Jul, 2009 by Westchester Internet Marketing 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.”
Local Search Ranking Factors.
Posted on 18. Jul, 2009 by Westchester Internet Marketing in All Local Search Posts, Maps, Pay-Per-Click, Professional Services, Websites
Volume Two of David Mihm’s “Local Search Ranking Factors” is a must-readfor any business interested in learning more about increasing their on-line visibility. Even if you rely on a local Marketing firm or Agency to manage this process for you, it’s a very interesting and timely survey which includes responses from 27 prominent bloggers and practitioners.
Mr. Mihm states “It is my hope that this study will help small business owners confused by Local Search, or those strapped for time, to prioritize their marketing efforts“.
The results include a ranking of the most important factors, listed in order, below. The entire survey may be read here.
- LBL Address in City of Search
- Citations from Major Data Providers
- Association of Proper LBL Categories
- General Importance of Claiming LBL
- Product/Service Keywords in LBL Title
- General Importance of Off-Page Criteria
- Volume of Customer Reviews
- General Importance of Customer Reviews
- General Importance of On-Page Criteria
- Full Address on Contact Page
- Proximity to Centroid
- Quality of Inbound Links
- HyperLocal/Web Crawl Citations
- Product/Service Keywords in LBL Description
- Location Keywords in Inbound Anchor Text
- Customer Reviews at Search Engine
- Location Keywords in LBL Title
- Product/Service Keywords in Inbound Anchor Text
- Inclusion of City, State in Title Tags
- Customer Reviews at 3rd-Party Websites
- Location Keywords in LBL Description
- Quantity of Inbound Links
- City, State in Contact Page Title Tags
- Product/Service Keywords in URL
- Product/Service Keywords in LBL Custom Fields
- Association of Marginal LBL Categories
- Location Keywords in URL
- LBL Phone Number with Local Area Code
- Association of LBL Videos
- Local Phone Number on Contact Page
- MyMaps/User Generated Content
- High PageRank Homepage
- Association of LBL Photos
- Creation of KML File
- Positive Customer Ratings
- Location Keywords in LBL Custom Fields
- Address in hCard Microformat on Website
- High PageRank LBC Landing Page
- Age of LBL
- Association of Coupon with LBL
- Participation in Local PPC
Local Search News
- Auto Glass Repair Company in Buffalo, NY, Helps Local Drivers by Hiring Online ... - PR.com (press release)
- PhillyDeals: Philadelphia is fertile territory for 'coworking spaces' - Philadelphia Inquirer
- Underage sex trafficking is everywhere local law enforcement looks, but will ... - San Antonio Current
