We are pleased to announce that we recently gained a new client - Tekoil. We are going to be doing an online marketing and PR campaign for them. The project was announced via an article on CNN Money.
We are also continuing work on our own web site so keep checking back for new information and updates.
It’s been a long time since my last blog post…. too long. I am going to keep our blog up to date more often and provide you with useful information, links and marketing tips.
The last post was about a cool service called Jott. Since then they improved the service and added more features. The latest feature which was only added a few days ago allows you to add an entry to your Google calendar right from your phone! So whenever you are out and need to schedule something in just call it in. This feature combines two of my favorite free online applications, Google Calendars and Jott.
I recently purchased a Mac and love it. I set up my Google Calendar to Sync with iCal in a seamless way. Now adding Jott into the mix will make things even easier.
I just discovered a really cool site called Jott
You call a toll free number from your cell phone, leave yourself a message and it types it and emails it to you. Perfect for creating to do lists.
Even cooler, you import a bunch of friends or colleagues and you can send them all an email at once via your cellphone. You can send text messages, emails and even audio emails. Bet of all its easy to use and free!
(At least until they figure out how to monetize the platform)
Research indicates that the way search listings are written has a significant impact on their effectiveness. You can achieve higher click-through rates and attract more targeted customers by following these tips:
• Include the keyword in the title and description.
This reassures customers that your site has what they’re interested in.
• Write titles and descriptions that are clear and factual.
Accurately describe what customers will find when they click on your listing.
• Avoid superlatives or exaggerated language.
Research found that users were 50% more likely to click on factual titles and descriptions than listings with “salesy” adjectives like “greatest,” “best,” “largest” or “cheapest.”
• Add relevant information to your listing.
Include things such as pricing, shipping, etc. to set the right expectations with your potential customers.
• State any geographic restrictions up front.
If you offer your products or services only to a restricted area, state this in your listing.
Relevant ads deliver a better user experience which is an important factor in establishing credibility and consumer confidence.
Think about how often on a weekly or even on a daily basis you use a search engine. Oh, how things have changed.
It was only a few years ago when you would reach for the Yellow Pages to look up a local business or go to the library to access the Thomas Registry to find an industrial supplier. You would join AAA to have access to the “Trip Ticks” map for directions for the family vacation. Your parents purchased an expensive encyclopedia set so you could do your homework. Millions of Americans subscribed to a local or national newspaper to stay up on current events, compare prices and clip coupons.
Today search is part of our daily lives. According to Prioritizing Web Usability by Jakob Nielson and Hoa Loranger, 88% of all web traffic starts with a search. This indicates that we only go directly to a website by typing the URL in the address bar or use bookmarks or favorites 12% of the time.
If your business cannot be found on a search engine when customers are looking for your products or services don’t panic. There are strategies you can deploy to get listed on search engines that can quickly garner both immediate and long term results that will grow your business. Your options include Local Search, Pay per Click (PPC) and “Organic or Natural” listings.
Local Search
You can get listed on the local search directories for free and get enhanced and optimized local search for only a few dollars per month. This is often a perfect solution for small businesses that do business on a local level. The down side of setting up local search listings is the it can be time consuming setting up accounts on each of the search engines can often take 15-30 minutes per listing. You can use an enhanced local listing service for a small monthly or annual fee. These services will list you in 30-40 search engines and local directories such as Google, Yahoo, AOL, MSN, YellowPages.com, CitySearch.com, SuperPages.com and more.
Pay per Click Marketing (PPC)
Many savvy marketers have shifted a portion of their advertising dollars to Pay per Click. Pay per Click works like this: advertisers bid on “keywords” that they believe their target market (people they think would be interested in their offer) would type in the search bar when they are looking for their type of product or service. For example, if an advertiser sells red widgets, he/she would bid on the keyword “red widgets”, hoping a user would type those words in the search bar, see their ad, click on it and buy. These ads are called “sponsored links” or “sponsored ads” and appear next to and sometimes above the natural or organic results on the page. The advertiser pays only when the user clicks on the ad.
Pay per Click offers business owners many advantages such as geographic targeting, (local, regional, nationally and internationally). With Pay per Click advertising you can tightly control your budget by the day, week or month and Pay per Click works with budgets of all sizes. Time to market and reach is also a big plus. You can typically have you ads running in 1-5 days depending on the advertising platform you choose. The biggest advantage to paid search is the high degree of granular marketing feedback and reporting that is possible. With the installation of robust analytics package PPC marketing is arguable the most measurable, accountable form of advertising.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization is another strategy that can be incorporated into an effective online marketing program. SEO is part art and part science. The general goal of SEO is a high “natural” or “organic” ranking in the search engines. The results take time but the rewards are increased visibility, free traffic and creditability’s. Make sure that when looking for an individual or firm for SEO services they use “White Hat” - Best Practices. Trying to “trick” the search engines with “Black Hat” quick fixes can result in your website being banned from the results.
So when planning out your Search Engine Marketing campaign consider a mix of Local Search, Pay per Click and Search Engine Optimization strategies and tactics. Your competition will loose sleep (and business) while you grow your bottom line!
