Google Leaps into the Social Networking World with Google+
In the world of social media, it seems like nothing is static. Just a few years ago, MySpace was the undisputed leader, but it wasn’t long before Facebook took the lead, and now MySpace is all but irrelevant. But does this mean the battle is over, and Facebook wins?
Google doesn’t think so. The search giant is in the midst of rolling out its own social network called Google+ that is taking direct aim at Facebook’s social media dominance. Available thus far only to a small group of select invitees, Google+ is still in the beta phase, but expect to see widespread rollout over the next few months. Continue reading
Google Reaches One Billion Users
One billion? Yep. For May of 2011, Google sites were visited by more than 1 billion unique users from around the world, marking the first time that threshold has been crossed for a specific website. Of course, this includes the various Googles for different countries, as well as Google News, Google image search, and so on. But still, it’s all Google. And did you notice that “google” is one of those words that starts to sound like nonsense when you say it over and over and over? Continue reading
How SEO Turns into Clients
Achieving High Search Engine Ranking and Optimization
By providing a professional, aesthetically pleasing website, you are on your way to a solid marketing strategy. However, a sleek and functional website that is not optimized to target your niche audience in the search engines will bring you little ROI.
In order to see conversions from your website, you need to utilize a solid search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. High search engine ranking and optimization enables you to meet your clients where they’re at and gain a competitive edge in your specific market. Continue reading
How Much Does Good Design Really Cost?
“In the know” business owners are aware that they need good website design to impress potential clients. However, many DIY business professionals often think they will achieve inexpensive search engine optimization placement by tackling their business’ website themselves.
Unfortunately, the amount of time and the level of skill involved in creating a professional Web design may not be manageable for busy professionals.
Web Designers Need Special Skills
How Does SEO Work?
Millions of businesses—small and large—clamor to be heard online because they have learned that potential customers now turn to the Internet to find products and services that they need.
For local businesses, the challenge of being heard amidst the voices of thousands of other businesses like yours can be daunting.
This is where SEO (or search engine optimization) comes in. With SEO, your business can effectively compete online. The Internet levels the playing field, enabling local businesses like yours to thrive on the Internet amidst tough competition.
Your business can rise to the top of the search engines and achieve a strong ROI by targeting traffic from your niche market. Continue reading
More on Facebook’s “Happening Now”
What’s “Happening Now?”
As we wrote about a few posts back, Facebook is currently test-marketing a new feature called “Happening Now” that functions much like a Twitter feed. Embedded on the right side of your profile page, Happening Now provides a real-time feed of your friends’ activities—things they are “liking,” web pages or videos they are sharing, comments they are making, etc. Continue reading
Online Reputation Management – What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You
Before the Internet became the dominant form of information sharing, managing your reputation wasn’t all that important, simply because it wasn’t too easy for your reputation to be damaged. Sure, once in a while someone like Ralph Nader might write a damning book about the American auto industry. Or a bunch of negative news coverage surrounding a major gaffe could hurt, like it did with Gary Hart’s ’84 presidential campaign.
By and large, though, you had to screw up pretty bad to develop a negative reputation. But on the web, everyone’s got a megaphone. Continue reading
How Can SEO Establish Me as an Industry Leader?
The Search Engine Optimization Advantage
We all know the benefits of being a leader in the industry: respect, higher sales conversions, more revenue. But how does a business owner rise to the top in his or her industry?
The Internet has Leveled the Playing Field
Now that the major search engines are the primary source consumers turn to for information about local businesses, the marketing spotlight is no longer reserved for large, multi-national corporations. Small businesses are also sharing the limelight and receiving attention from Internet consumers who are looking for the very best services to meet their needs. Continue reading
One Size Does Not Fit All: Some Broad Considerations about Marketing with Social Media
As we discussed briefly in our previous post, social media as a marketing tool does have some legitimate issues to be discussed. These more or less all revolve around how, exactly, to make social media work in marketing. And we’ll be honest—it can be tricky. In fact, there are no magic bullets or hard and fast rules yet. With the dynamic nature of social media, there may never be. But here are a few things to keep firmly in mind Continue reading
Social Media Is Not a Fad
Fads are fashionable little trends or products: the Pet Rock, Rubik’s Cube, Tickle Me Elmo, JellyBandz, Crocs. They fade away as quickly as they arrive, and while they might be windfalls to the occasionally lucky few, businesses are generally right to avoid jumping on the bandwagon.
You know what aren’t fads? Things that revolutionize the way we communicate Continue reading