One of the simplest ways to decide if Local SEO is right for your business is to figure out if people are performing searches for your products or services online If you find they are not, other forms of advertising such as radio ads, TV commercials or print publications may be better for you. If you are a local business that provides familiar services (ie lawyer, plumber, restaurant, etc) to your region, then you’ll defiantly want to keep reading. Continue Reading →
The majority of local businesses we work with think it’s incredibly difficult to promote their website online. That’s why they come to us. They get uncomfortable thinking about taking on the task of building links, ranking in search engines, and ultimately driving traffic to their websites. Most local companies also have limited marketing budgets, making the task even more difficult. But promoting your online presence is often easier than most think. Many of the tasks can be completed by you, the local business person and better still, the majority of them are free. The big secret is, many businesses don’t even need that much work to get their site to page one. Using the following resources, local businesses can get a great start on the local search optimization process and the best part is, they can do it all themselves.
On my journey throughout the blogosphere, I’ve come across many blogs that just don’t get the traffic they should. In doing a little more research I find that the blog posts are often well written, comprehensive, and up-to-date. However the page rank is zero and there’s a number of indicators leading me to believe that nobody reads this blog.
If you happen to find yourself in a situation similar to this, there are a few tactics you can begin to use in order to better optimize your blog. By following a simple, straightforward optimization routine, your blog will progressively improve over time. Implementing some standard SEO tactics will increase the chances of your blog ranking better in the search engine results, and in turn increase traffic to your site.
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Customer review sites are quickly becoming an important part of the research and decision making process when buyers decide to purchase a product or service. It’s not enough to just appear in these vertical directories, but companies need be maintaining complete, optimized profiles that rank well on these web properties as well.
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I would undoubtedly consider myself a prosperous small business owner. Am I an incredible small business proprietor? I doubt this, however my company does indeed cover my living expenses as well as pays for the unusual treat once in a while. Developing a profitable business means that I get questioned a good deal by associates and friends exactly how I deal with all my time commitments but still manage to generate a revenue. Most of the time I find myself telling them to stick to what they’re good at, never to get distracted and delegate or “outsource” the jobs that you aren’t so adept at. Such straightforward guidelines have saved me more hours and heartache than any others, and I encourage you to read on and consider the way in which each point can apply to your own personal situation.
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Branding your small business with a coherent look will increase your company’s customer awareness and recognition. Branding helps customers recognize your business and creates a level of comfort in the minds of potential buyers. This “mindset” is important to convert customers from leads to sales, during the buying process. From your storefront to your website, Facebook, Twitter or any other Web 2.0 property, your signage and business image should exhibit consistency. It is important to consider all of these factors when examining the your business branding and the thought process of your customers. A consistent look lets customers know, that you’re company is professional, organized and helps to send the message that this is a business that where they should be comfortable spending money.
Do your sales materials lack consistency? Do your brochures, white papers and advertisements represent your business in way you’d want them to? Or are they just a collection of literature you’ve accumulated over the years? It’s often hard to take a step back and examine your business with a fresh set of eyes. But sometimes, that’s just what you should do. Have someone look at your business and its associated literature that knows very little about it. Ask them some prepared questions and have the test subject attempt to accomplish very basic tasks. Ask questions like what am I selling, and how would you contact the business. You’ll be surprised at the answers.
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