I was having a chat with Brian Meredith of The Marketing Bureau (they are always fun and insightful). We were talking about the low levels of response people have on their websites and it inspired me to these thoughts.

There are plenty of reasons to have a website and there are even more people who are disappointed with the results from their site. The vast majority of people I talk to say they don’t get the results from their site that they hoped for but this is probably because they are looking at the wrong measure.

“I don’t get many enquiries” or I don’t get sales from my site”.  These are all too common but for service providers especially, they are unlikely to get enquiries directly.

Image, if you are considering changing accountant, finding a new business coach or starting a marketing campaign, would you search Google, find a few options and then send them an email?  Probably not because they will bombard you with emails and you are even less likely get on the phone.  If you do call them, then they are going to pitch you and try to sell you their services which is the last thing you want.

More probable is that you would find the top websites in Google, look through the sites to see if there is anything that matches what you want and take some notes.

Life and work get in the way so then you might come back to the project a few days or even weeks later and you create a short-list.

Then for reassurance, you would do a bit more research about those on the list.

And still, you don’t want to call because you don’t want to be sold to or have to arrange a meeting – you are just not ready yet.  It’s human nature – we all hate being sold to.

But you can go back to the website and do some more checks and this is the key.  The website is a non-threatening reference point.  You are free to do as much research as you like without the threat of a sales pitch or any other interaction that would make you feel uncomfortable or have to say the “N-word” “No”. Few of us like to say “No” so we don’t put ourselves in the position of having to say it.

And that is the point that so many service businesses miss. Your website is not there to sell; it is there to provide comfort and reassurance before people have to make anything like a “dangerous” move actually talking to you.

So, give people what they want – information, friendliness and warmth. Only then you can start to measure the right metric and the effectiveness of your site.

Technorati Tags: non-threatening reference point

I am working with a client to get their new website and online marketing launched. They have been really close to flipping the switch for six months but they, like the majority of businesses, have talked themselves into not being ready.

However, in reality, the website will never be “right” and nor should it. Testing and improving are the keys to progress. And the only way to progress is to get something going something even if it doesn’t feel quite right.

I’ve missed soooo many opportunities in my life in many different areas of my life because I didn’t feel right, the timing wasn’t right or any of a dozen other excuses I made up. (Remind me to tell you about Dire Straits one day when I told myself a false story).

So the result was that I missed out completely in these areas whereas if I had taken the step and it had gone totally wrong, I would have been no worse off and in all probability, I would be far better off.

In fact, if it had gone totally wrong I would have been way ahead because I would have known that that particular episode was not right for me.

Doing something when you don’t feel it is right is scary – I still don’t do as many of my own off-line and on-line marketing activities as I should – but once you have taken the first step, it becomes easier as you go along.

Launching part finished products didn’t do Bill Gates any harm.  So what switch can you flip by Friday this week to increase your online marketing?

Share your experiences below and how you overcame the blocks.

Technorati Tags: Internet marketing, local marketing, Small business marketing

What is mobile marketing?

It is more than simple text messages sent by companies.  Sure, text is an important aspect but it is only one feature.

Mobile marketing can be many things to different people.

Being easy to find

For example, it could be as simple as making sure your website can be found when people search Google on their smartphone. This is valuable for businesses catering to tourists, business and personal like the hospitality industry or for emergency call out businesses such as car breakdown.

Mobile website

Many websites do not show on Smartphones and they all require the user to scroll around and stretch out the image to read it.  A mobile site is designed specifically for mobile screens and simply loads the key information.

Closing the deal

For others, it is can be using the smartphone to secure the deal for example by creating coupons or offers that can be used exclusively by the mobile user.

Build engagement

You can use mobile to engage with your customers via polls and surveys such as “Which brand of beer do you prefer?”

Stock clear outs

Over-stocked especially with short-life products, then send a text?

Business slow?

Text your top customers with a special offer good for the next 24 hours.

Communicate lots of information – easily with QR codes

If you have a barcode scanner on your phone, scan the block to the right.  It will load my business car details to your phone. You can then text it to other people.

Have your biz card QR code so you can text to people you meet.

Or if you have a complicated url for a web page, create a QR code and text it.

Huge advantages with mobile marketing

You can see results within minutes – you don’t have to wait for the local paper to be published.

It’s easy to track and measure and therefore improve your response.  You can run three campaigns before the next paper is printed.

It is not expensive. You can control the cost and ramp up as you see benefits.

It is laser targeted to people who have given you permission to contact them.

Technorati Tags: mobile, sales conversion, smartphone

My partner, Susie and I had to move – our landlord had decided to sell.   We could have waited until after Christmas to begin the search for our new home but decided to explore the options.  Our list of needs and wants meant we had a limited choice of places and so when one came available we made a decision and got on with it.

It is very different from anything either of us has lived in, quite modern, in a cul-de-sac and very suburban, so we wondered if we were doing the right thing. But we decided that it wasn’t the end of the world even if we didn’t like the place. We could always do something else if it didn’t work out.

We both decided to be rigorous with what we kept or rather, what we discarded.  We had both been carrying some “stuff” for a few years that no longer served us.  For me it was old papers, presentations I’d given, Internet marketing seminars around the world I attended and other stuff which was “leading edge” when I first came across them ten years ago. (I’ve always been into exploring new ideas).

For Susie it was clothes and her “foo-foo” stuff as she calls it.   She loves to fossick in recycle stores for clothes, furniture and nick-nacks.  I have to say, she is very good at it and has furnished most our house that way and receives loads of compliments on her style. So for her to part with some of these possessions was a hard decision.  My daughter, Billie, forced Susie into even more discard choices with her clothes  – “Have you worn that in the last six months?” “No.” Out it goes.

There are a few cool things about giving these clothes and ornaments back to the recycle shops.
•    We de-clutter and create more space in our lives
•    Other people get the chance to rummage and find bargains
•    The charity shops get some more revenue.

The sorting and packing was plenty of work –but we broke it down into manageable amounts each evening so we could see progress but also move forward at a good pace.

I then approached furniture removals companies that were on lower pages of Google and offered them a contra deal – I’d optimise their site if they did my move.  And that was an interesting exercise as most thought it was a scam or too good to be true. One guy though, Paul, who is spending significant amounts on Adwords each month immediately saw the benefit to him and went for it, especially when I showed him how the new Google map scrolls down over his adverts! So we got to move for free and he saves $$$.  Plus, when he arrived with his team, he had a hot SEO lead for me. 

Once we got to the new house, Susie had a brain wave about changing the master bedroom for the office.  This meant the office was on the ground floor and close to the rest of the living space so I can remain “connected” with the rest of the family instead of being stuck upstairs.. This one small change has made the house even better suited to us and our life.

Then more, swift, focused hard work with unpacking and placing belongings in their new places.  And already the house looks like we’ve been here for ages.

Some added bonuses are a super friendly dog the children play with (in fact he just walked past my door as I typed this), cats my daughter loves and my son Joe has rediscovered riding his bike.

The result?

Within 3 weeks from the initial idea, we were settled in a new place which is ideal for us at this stage of our life
We are carrying much less baggage and
My children have new buddies to play with

Lessons to apply in your business

• If you have an idea or desire to do something but are unsure of the outcome, start on it immediately.
• Precisely define what you want.
• Research quickly.
• Don’t hold onto preconceived ideas, they are probably wrong.
• Have a plan and make it manageable.
• Be creative like using your services in exchange for what you want.
• Be bold in your decision making.
• Act fast knowing you can change if it’s not what you want.
• Small changes can produce huge benefits.
• Be flexible and willing to change quickly.
• You never know what other benefits you will get by making decisions and taking action.

So what marketing plan have you been putting off in your business?
•    A promotion to your customers?
•    Optimising your website so people can find it easier in Google?
•    An on-line promotion for Christmas perhaps?

Whatever it is, decide to do it or get outside help to make it happen.  And with the holiday spending season fast approaching, you could receive a nice windfall.

Technorati Tags: local marketing, Search engine optimisation, Search engine optimization, Small business marketing

I was talking to a prospective client today, following-up a proposal I sent for a small website she needs (and wants).

I’ve also sent her an update on the new Google search results plus a piece on how to avoid the biggest mistake people make about their website (an over emphasis on the design of the site rather than the marketing of it).  So she’s well informed about the current important aspects to marketing on-line.

But when we spoke she said “Who knows my business better than me?” and she had decided to do more planning for a bigger site.  My head swooned at this.

Firstly, making the project bigger is a sure-fire way to bring the project to a screeching halt.

But the biggest problem is that she “knows” her business better than anyone else.  While that’s true to a large extent in terms of the operations, most business owners rarely know their business from a customer’s perspective.  And almost certainly is the worst person to plan and implement their marketing.

How I Learnt The Secret To Marketing Yourself Online.

Last December, I was struggling to create my new website.  I couldn’t get a grip on where to start and thought, “How can I consult to people if I can’t do my own site?”I was in inner turmoil about it.

Then I was being interviewed about SEO by a successful marketing consultant in San Francisco.  She mentioned that she always outsources her marketing because she’s too close to it. Phew! It wasn’t just me.

A week later I was chatting with a marketing guy in England and he said the same thing – he outsources his marketing. Hmm – interesting.  I see a pattern developing

Then soon after I was talking with New Zealand’s top marketing consultant and he said that he always has someone else check his marketing.  Hallelujah!  The answer to marketing myself is not to try it.

And that’s it.  You are very unlikely to be successful with your marketing, whether it’s an ad, a sales letter, a web page or your search engine optimisation because you know what you want to say but you rarely know what a customer wants to hear.

An Example – The Same Market – Two Different Languages – No Business

A client in a small volume, high ticket price industry was #2 in Google and his competitor was #1 but neither got any traffic to their sites. I did some keyword research and found that between them they had many hundreds of web pages but hardly any searches for their keywords.

At the other end of the spectrum, there were a good number of searches but hardly any pages.

The business owners were using the wrong language because they know the topic inside out but they didn’t know how a customer expresses the problems.

So, for an independent view on your online marketing and SEO, email here for a complementary 30 minute consultation with an Auckland Internet marketing service.

Technorati Tags: Auckland, Internet marketing, local marketing, Small business marketing

If you use a geographic modifier in your search-term for a local service provider eg Auckland tax accountant – you will see a new layout for those terms that generate a map

Previously there was the Google Place (Map) listing with up to 7 businesses listed (the 7-pack as it was called). I’ve put a red box around it.

Then below that there was the main search or organic results and this is where people put their effort into getting top rankings i.e. regular search engine optimisation (SEO).  That includes the on-page tags, page addresses and web page copy plus the off-page link-building.  Good practice SEO included both on- and off-page activity.

Then above and to the right, there are the Adwords or sponsored listings. For most of my clients I have encouraged them not to use Adwords because it’s very difficult to get right despite the apparent ease of setting up the ads plus, the number of clicks was at very best, 15% of the total pages clicks but usually closer to 3%.

Now compare that to today’s search results and it’s vastly different.

Where have they all gone?

The map is now to the right and as you scroll down, it goes over the Adwords.  So those advertisers will get even fewer clicks.  I can’t see that happening for long unless Google has another plan for Page 1 listings. Hmmm?

But the biggest change is that the previous 7-pack has now been merged with the organic results with the Places results having prominence over the organic.  The Place results (the red box) are extended to cover up to 80% of the total search results and in the Auckland tax accountant example, there are only two organic results.

Notice too that the results now also show the Title tag which is the top line of the organic search results.  There’s also much more information in each of those listings – reviews, addresses, phone numbers and images.

That means that instead of 17 returns on Page 1 (the 7-pack plus the 10 organic results,) there are between 10 and 14 results depending on how much detail there is in the new Places information.

Also gone are some of the directories like Yellow – another nail in their coffin!  Google obviously only wants sites that deliver value to searchers rather than just listings.

But there are more results too

Notice also that now there are a few more red dots on the map.  You can see this better on a search for Graphic Designer Auckland with all the red dots in addition to the optimised lettered pins.

These were always there if you clicked he map but now Google offers other non-optimised sites for searchers to check out too.  But only optimised sites get the lettered pin.

There is also a new search option on the top left – Places which expands the Places results to show those that aren’t optimised properly but gives customers more options to assess.

Only one result per business

Also gone are double entries so whereas before if someone had a Map result and an organic result, they now only have one return in the Place results (for the most part – one client still has two for the time being). This is a good thing because there were some businesses which spammed the Places results preventing good businesses from getting into the results. It does also penalize those that had honestly optimised Places and organic results but overall, I think it’s a good step.

Unfair advantage to the lazy

Another disparity with the old system was that a company could claim a listing in the Places results even if they didn’t have a website.  I always thought this was odd – rewarding a company that couldn’t be bothered to get its act together or to invest in a website.  They’ve now gone, being replaced by those businesses which have made the effort and investment.

Merging local and mobile

For a while Google has been saying that they have two main priorities – local search and mobile.  This is proof positive that they mean it.  Ignore mobile marketing at your peril. It really is the future for local businesses.

What’s the answer?

It’s still early days yet and I expect there will be other changes as Google’s tests settle down but overall I think this is a good move for those companies that genuinely do deliver good value and plenty of content to their market.

Some have complained they are losing their place on Page 1 which is true, and there is certainly more competition to get onto Page 1 now, but, the new result rewards a combination of good on-site optimisation + good Places optimisation + good content + good off-page optimisation (link building) + good customer service (reviews).  Plus it also removes the unfair advantage given to those who didn’t take part in on-line marketing.

In short, for those that wanted to be cheap-skates, lazy or simply chose to ignore the clear signals from SEO professionals, then they will suffer.

If you have the right ethics, it’s almost business as usual  - continue to invest in your website, your on-line marketing and delivering good valuable content.

There will be a few losses but overall those that continue best practice will be rewarded.

Internet marketing for Small businesses – The most important thing you need to get higher ranking in Google.

I recently did the first round of link-building for a client. I used a variety of different marketing outlets – articles, RSS feeds, directories and a few others too.  I sent them the reports showing where the material had been submitted. And then got an email saying they had checked a good proportion of the sites but there was nothing there.  Nor had they seen anything on their Google Alerts either.  So, was the exercise worthwhile was their question?

This is a very common situation when people expect to see “a result” and want something for their money.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way with Google.  Probably the most important thing you can have when doing SEO or search engine optimisation on your site isn’t a deep knowledge of Google, link building, super secret places to get high value links or any other technical skill.

Not, it’s patience. Here’s why.

Human not robot approval
Some SEOs use fully automated tools to generate links.  These are fast but rubbish.  Make sure The submission sites I use are human moderated. That means a couple of things:
•    The submissions may not be accepted.
•    Those that are accepted will take a while to be put on the sites.
The frustration doesn’t stop there though.
•    It can take months for the search engines (SEs) to index the links.
•    Not all links are indexed and reported by the search engines.
I know this from my own experience.
I have links to my site from my own blogs so I know they have been created. Some were put up 6 months ago and they are still not showing in Google or Yahoo link checker.  But I can see them when I go to the actual blogs and other websites. I can click them and they work. SO just relying on link reports isn’t giving the full picture.

That is one reason why SEO is a numbers game – to some extent.

But it can get worse still.

Up and down like a violinist’s elbow
There’s a phenomenon called The Google Dance.  You do some SEO and see your site rise – yippee! But then your site falls again.  That’s even more frustrating.

What’s that all about huh?

It’s Google reassessing the new content on your site and the additional links coming in.  It’s seeing where it thinks your site deserves to be based on the activity so far.

They key is to keep submitting over time and there will be a cumulative effect but the result is nothing that anyone can control. The only thing you can control is the diligence to keep adding
more links – the right type and the right places.

There’s more to life than search engines
Another aspect is that link building isn’t just for SEs. It’s for real people. So having your content in more places where there’s more chance of more people finding it is the key factor.

It’s also important to realise that Google is generally the entry point to the Web for most people. Once past Google they go all over the place looking for what they are after.  Just think how you surf around from page to page and site to site.

So if someone goes to look for an article on a topic for their newsletter they may go to a number of article sites.  Once in a site they will probably look at a number of different articles.

But then they may then go to a different article site and look at yet more articles.

Have faith brother
So, SEO is  often a leap of faith in the beginning.  There are few obvious results to start with which is why the on-page is important to do to give a short-term boost. And then to keep plugging away at making regular submissions using
•    different anchor text,
•    different submission services
•    different media
•    different target pages in your site
•    different target keywords
By making a mixture it looks more natural to Google rather than a concerted effort to beat their system.

So for better Google results:

• Be sensible.
• Be consistent.
• Above all be patient

If you develop a deeper relationship with them, you can achieve three things:

1.       generate repeat business for the initial products,

2.       you could sell other products or

3.       you could sell to them more often

But for some reason, small business owners prefer to go and get new customers. I don’t know why because it’s much harder work to convert a cold prospect.  You have to spend money to get them in. and you are unproven so your competition is much higher.

Anyway, given that that is the preference and entrepreneurs want more sales leads, here are three reasons to help you along that path.

1 Not marketing enough. Period.

It’s amazing how many businesses don’t do any marketing of any substance.  The old adage, “Build it and they’ll come” or “People know me so why should I bother?” – they may have worked in a few cases before but these days, there are is so much competition that you simply cannot afford not to do marketing.

BTW – competition isn’t just another supplier of your service or products. It’s the total competition for your dollars.  So for a holiday company, your competition isn’t just another travel agent but the TV store, the clothes shop and the car salesman.  So your messages have to be compelling against ALL of those.

2 Not marketing in the right places.

Assuming you are one of the marketing-enlightened business owners (if you are still reading, then you must agree with what I’ve written so far), then the next issue is where do you put your compelling messages?

The Yellow Page was a good and reliable but expensive option for many years but now?  Hmmm – the yellow books are used to hold up monitors or stop desks wobbling.

Local papers?  They are getting thinner as people stop advertising because the response rates have dropped off.

No, you need to go where the fish are feeding.  Where people are actually looking for products right there and then.

With newspapers and the like, most people who may see your advert are simply not in the market for your product at that time so your money is wasted.  Unless you spend money each and every week hoping someone will be looking to buy at some stage.

A much better option is to be visible when people are actually searching for information about your product. You become visible when they are in the buying mood. Do you think they are more likely to contact you at that point than at any random moment in time?

3 Not marketing with enough tools.

For those business that do market themselves, most depend on or two tools – Yellow Pages and a flyer perhaps.

But would you build your house on just two pillars?  Probably not – it wouldn’t be very stable.  And so it is with your marketing – it needs to be multiple-legged.

What’s the answer to more sales leads?

So you are looking for a way to do marketing, that’s going to be seen when people are in the buying mode and that has multiple ways of being used.  It sounds a tall order but the solution is…..Internet marketing in its many guises.

• You can use search engine optimisation (SEO) so that you are found in Google when people begin their search process.
• You can use articles and reviews so people can assess your product or service.
• You can claim your spot in Google Places or Maps as it used to be.
• You can use online video marketing to demonstrate your products.
• You can have a mobile phone website.
• You can have a podcast where you talk about your products so people can listen on their mp3.

And many more tools.

Your first step is to find a small business Internet marketing service that understands your situation – not just the technology but business too.  The basics of business don’t change – it’s the how that has changed.

Technorati Tags: Internet marketing, mobile marketing, online video, SEO, seo consultant, Small business marketing

It comes down to a misunderstanding of the needs of marketing on the Internet.

People are fed the idea that by simply putting up a website, all of their marketing problems are over.  They can sit back and enjoy a steady stream of new prospects and customers but actually, successful marketing online demands an even greater effort and time than traditional marketing.

The problems start with the web design sales people who rarely explain, if hey themselves even know, what is truly involved in getting a website higher on Google.

Their function is to sell a website whereas it should be to help the client market their business better.

That might involve a website for sure but for most small businesses a big-project (read big expense) website is totally unnecessary.

The majority of the on-line marketing budget should go to ……errm marketing online.

An online marketing strategy will include market and keyword research as the first stage.

This will identify what your prospects are actually looking for.

How many times a month hey are looking for it.

Then the strength and extent of your competition.

Unless you know those three key aspects, your website is doomed to fail.

The second problem is that business owners think that once the sit is live, then the work is done.

Unfortunately, Google likes to see regular new additions to your site.  They take the view that market s are always changing so those local business owners who take the time and invest in educating their prospects, deserve to be rewarded with better rankings and getting higher in Google.

The third critical aspect is building links from other sites back to your website.  This is vital and it’s important to get the right type of link too.  For more information on links, you might find this useful – an item all about link building.

http://www.squidoo.com/seo-consultant-in-auckland-pt-4-back-links-the-most-important-part

What has all of this got to do with a car?

When you buy a car, you don’t simply drive it off the car-yard and expect that it’s going to stay that shiny, fresh and full of gas for the rest of its life.

• You clean it regularly which is like adding new content to keep you website fresh.
• You give it fuel which is adding back-links to your site because a good linking strategy provides a fuel injection of visitors.
• You service your car which is like looking at the analytics or visitor data so you can improve the performance of your site.

The fuel is the most expensive part of running your car and it’s also the one thing that you cannot provide yourself.  You have to rely on the petrol companies to source the oil, process it and then send it to your local gas station.  And so it is with link building.

You could do it yourself but it’s difficult, hard, time-consuming and requires specialist knowledge to do well.  You are best advised to engage an SEO consultant for this essential aspect of your website’s well being. It’s money well spent.

Technorati Tags: 5S SEO, Search engine optimization, seo consultant

That’s a time-tested and proven tactic but you need to use it with care and thought.

He used the example of “How to be better at time management aimed at busy execs.”

There;s definitely a need for that but almost by default, your target market isn’t going to bother looking at your lovingly crafted report simply because they are too busy.

And in all probability they aren’t going to be looking for time management stuff either – they are running around like headless chickens.

So you need to make your training available in places they may be scratching around being super-busy, getting nothing done – like industry forums or blogs.

You also need to make it resonate with them so instead of Time management for busy execs” call it “How to get your life back for execs who don’t see their family.”  That kinda thing.

What’s all that got to do with SEO?

Loads ‘cos SEO isn’t just getting higher in Google.  The real aim of SEO is to get more visitors to your site and they can come from a huge range of places, not just Google. And you need to have your “lead magnets” in lots of less obvious places too.

Go here for more search engine optimisation tips and  SEO marketing

Technorati Tags: Internet marketing, Search engine optimization, SEO