Tag Archive for small business marketing

28 Jun 2009
internet marketing • small business • social media

Finding and Using Trends from Twitter


Many businesses are busy with the process of selling their products or services but something that they sometimes forget to do (and this is so true of small businesses) is that they forget to find out what their audience needs.

No point in building a rack or pages on your website to sell red shoes if your audience is looking for yellow shoes instead!  That can be a costly mistake.  (Hence, that’s how all those shoes end up at the discount stores!)

Anyway – how can you know what your audience is looking for?  And now?

Well, Twitter is a “now” type of tool.  I mean, you see what people are typing in now.  So, it’s a great tool to find out what others are searching for.

Here’s how…

Twitscoop.com is a great tool to find out what people are searching for.  Here’s how you use it.

1) Type in a phrase (in quotes) about your services, in the form of a need or want.  For example, let’s say you sell Name Tags – here are some sample searches you can do…

a) “searching for” + “name tags” – no results

b) “searching for” + “nametags” – no results

c) “looking for” + “name tags” – got 2 results, one mentions celebrities and name tags (hmm – that’s an idea, create name tags using celebrity images)

d) “great” + “name badges” – got an advertisement from namebadgeworld.com – hmm – interesting and free way to market!  Also got links to other sites selling very different looking types of name badges.  Great ideas!

Get the idea?  This short survey on Twitscoop.com which took about 5 minutes, showed me that there is a need out there for unusual and different name tags.  People are admiring name tags and badges that are not the “same old same old”.  That tells me (if I’m selling name tags) that I need to get creative and begin making different name tags, ones that stand out and showcase today’s meetings and the desires of the people in those meetings.

This concept will not only show you what your audience wants or needs but it will bring you AND your audience together.  What a concept!


eckweb | 2 comments | Tags: , , , , ,
26 Jun 2009
internet marketing • small business

Creative Uses For Google Maps


Most of you know we cater to small businesses and as a result, we’re always on the lookout for creative Internet marketing ideas.  I found one today SmallBusinessSEM.com and thought I’d share it with you.

The idea was taken from AvanteGardens.com – basically what they did was to add a marker on a Google Map for each location where they’ve handled the flowers for weddings, special events, etc.  When you click on a marker it shows you the name of the facility and it also shows you a photo of the flowers.  Very clever marketing!

Not only are they letting you know who has used them (building trust and value to their brand) but they’re also showcasing their products!

It’s a great idea but how can YOU use it?

Let me know!


eckweb | No comments | Tags: , , ,
20 Jun 2009
internet marketing • seo • small business

Go Ahead – Talk About Yourself!


I speak to many small business owners every week and one thing that strikes me is how many of them rely on others to promote them.  When I talk to these business owners about writing blogs or tweeting on Twitter or any type of self promotion the usual answer I get back is “Well, I don’t have time for that.”

What?

I know when I first started Eckweb I attended every single networking group within a 20 mile radius for 3 years.  I wrote as many blogs and articles as I could, I searched for every available type of self promotion that I could find.  I mean, it took time, yes but it also helped me to find the words that I needed to give my presentation.  It gave me the opportunity to see how others saw the SEO services industry.  This insight was my education on how to speak to my potential audience.

So, it’s no wonder that when I speak to small business owners about adding content to their websites – they don’t know how.  They don’t know what to say.  They can speak the language of their industry, but they can’t speak the language their customers are speaking.  In my humble opinion, you can’t sell if you don’t know what you’re selling and if you don’t know what your customers are looking for.

So, the next time you’re given the opportunity to take advantage of some self promotion, go for it!  It will pay off in the long run!!


eckweb | No comments | Tags: , ,
20 Jan 2009
article writing • internet marketing • small business

The Benefits of Social Media on Website Traffic


I know, I know, everyone is talking about social media, twitter this and facebook that! What’s it all about? Why is everyone so interested in the minutiae of our lives? Well, I don’t know the answer to that but I DO know that participating in social media is very much like participating in business and social networking groups. At first, you meet a lot of people, you shake hands, you engage in small talk and you get to know a little about each other. But after several meetings you become more engaged and more familiar and more trusting of each other. After several months, hopefully, you’ve gained that person’s trust enough to earn business referrals from them. Or maybe even business from themselves.

These online social media programs are the same thing – at least for businesses they are. The problem is that sometimes the business folks are mixed in with the social folks. So, the "conversation" that you see on the screen ranges from "Deciding on tuna or chicken sandwich for lunch." to "Found some great ideas on small business marketing – click here." So, yes, at this point we do have to weed out what we need from what we don’t need (or care about). But the reality is that the benefits are there.

Nothing tells the truth better than numbers, so here are some stats from 4 websites that we’re marketing. All four websites are participating in social media programs. All four have blogs that they keep up and all four contribute regularly (at least 2 articles per month) to their blog and social media campaigns.

Website 1 – contributes an average of 20 articles per month

28.33 % came from direct traffic
28.79% came from referring sites
42.88% came from search engines

The referring sites are…
stumbleupon.com
promotionworld.com
ladieswholaunch.com
twitter.com

 

Website 2 – contributes an average of 5 articles per month

10.54% from direct traffic
31.05% from referring sites
58.40% from search engines

The referring sites are…
knolstuff.com
blog
linkedin.com

Website 3 – contributes an average of 2 articles per month

7.51% from direct traffic
4.93% from referring sites
87.56% from search engines

The referring sites are…
knolstuff.com
blog
ezinearticles.com
goodsearch.com
geckoe.com

 

Website 4 – contributes an average of 2 articles per month

28.74% from direct traffic
2.01% from referring sites
69.25% from search engines

The referring sites are…
blog
knolstuff.com
goodsearch.com

What’s interesting to note is the direct traffic stats. 2 f the 4 websites above DO NOT participate in any other marketing besides Internet marketing, not even pay per click campaigns. So, the "direct traffic" visitors are probably coming from referrals from clients and/or referrals from visitors to the social media campaigns. It’s hard to tell but it’s interesting to note that factor.

So, you see, there’s no doubt that there is traffic being brought in to websites via social media. So, is it worth it for you to take 30 minutes each day to write a short article about what you already know? And then submit that article to multiple sites? If you really don’t have the time, consider using a social media marketing program like we have at Eckweb Designs. It does the work for you.


eckweb | One comment | Tags: , , , ,
13 Jan 2009
article writing • internet marketing • seo • small business

SEO and Long Tail Marketing


If you’re a small business and you’re trying to market your website, you may find it difficult to compete with the larger companies. You know, the companies that have triple the number of employees that you have, the companies that have 10 more websites than you have, the companies with deeper pockets than you have.

So, how can you, as a small business, compete on the Internet? Easy – Long Tail Marketing!

Long Tail Marketing is the concept of targeting keyword phrases that are less competitive. True, these keyword phrases are also less popular. But the chances of your website getting on the first page of the search engines with the long tail keyword phrase is much greater. And let’s face it, if you’re not on the first page, you’re not going to get visitors from that keyword phrase.

I’ve been struggling for months to get a client of ours on the first page of Google for the phrase name tags. I can get him there at least once a day but I can’t seem to keep him there! It’s frustrating to say the least! So, I know the potential for the visitors to his site for that keyword phrase is high but at the same time, while I’m working on that highly competitive phrase I still need to get visitors to his website. And long tail marketing is an excellent SEO strategy.

Let me give you some stats based on the last 30 days…

Website #1 Competitive keyword phrase has an allintitle of 49,500
Number of visitors from this keyword phrase = 360
Position on Google – currently page 5
Position on Yahoo – currently page 1

The Long Tail keyword phrases have an allintitle of less than 1200 each
Number of visitors from the long tail keyword phrases = 2100
Position on Google – currently page 1
Position on Yahoo – currently page 1
   
Website #2 Competitive keyword phrase has an allintitle of 128,900
Number of visitors from this keyword phrase = 210
Position on Google – currently page 12
Position on Yahoo – currently page 8

The Long Tail keyword phrases have an allintitle of less than 1200 each
Number of visitors from the long tail keyword phrases = 4250
Position on Google – currently page 1
Position on Yahoo – currently page 2
   
Website #3 Competitive keyword phrase has an allintitle of 83,700
Number of visitors from this keyword phrase = 625
Position on Google – currently page 21
Position on Yahoo – currently page 18

The Long Tail keyword phrases have an allintitle of less than 1200 each
Number of visitors from the long tail keyword phrases = 3810
Position on Google – currently page 1
Position on Yahoo – currently page 1

The numbers don’t lie. All these websites are getting MORE visitors from their long tail keyword phrases. It makes sense, their positions in the search engines for these long tail phrases are higher so the chances of getting visitors are higher.

You may be asking yourself, so why doesn’t every small business website follow the long tail marketing method? Well, there’s a catch. In order to get the larger number of visitors to your website, you need more pages. If a highly competitive keyword phrase on page 1 of Google can bring in 1000 visitors to your website, and a less competitive keyword phrase on page 1 of Google can bring in 50 visitors, then you need 20 pages, each one marketing one of these "less competitive (aka long tail) keyword phrases" in order to bring in the same number as the highly competitive keyword phrase.

And let’s face it, not many small business owners have the time to write so many pages. And not many small business owners have the money to pay copywriters for the service. But, as an SEO webmaster working specifically with small business owners I’m here to tell you that long tail marketing is your best, most effective strategy for website marketing. As your SEO firm to provide you with long tail keyword phrases, each month they should give you a few. And write – add new pages to your website. Write articles and post them on your blog, on Facebook. Let everyone on your Twitter account know about that article. It WILL bring in business and the side benefit is that the conversion rates are usually higher on the long tail keyword phrases. So, not only do they bring in visitors, but targeted visitors who are ready to buy.


eckweb | 2 comments | Tags: , , , ,
24 Nov 2008
internet marketing • seo • small business

Is Your Name Out There?


So many website owners spend the majority of their time and dollars marketing their business websites that they forget their names are also part of their business!

Here are some examples:

Mickey Arledge sells name tags, awards and trophies and much more through several websites. He’s been in business for many years and there are thousands of people who know his name. So, why shouldn’t he own the domain mickeyarledge.com?

Joseph M. Maus has been a personal injury attorney for many years. His website does a great job of showcasing the services that he provides. But I’m sure that many people remember him by his name. So, why shouldn’t he own the domain josephmmaus.com?

Neil Leavitt provides family law services in South Florida and has been doing so for 30 years. Literally thousands of individuals and families know him by name. So, why shouldn’t he own the domain attorneyneilleavitt.com?

Ben Cranor is the heart and soul of Cranor Roofing and has been giving the area of Atlanta quality roofing services for a long time. His reputation and networking have earned him excellent status in the community, so why shouldn’t he own the domain bencranor.com?

What can these individuals (and you) do with a “name” domain? Do what Cathy Stucker did, she turned it into her own online business card. So many of us have too many qualities and qualifications to put on a business card, it simply won’t fit! BUT, you CAN put several domain names on your business card – one of them being your own personal online business card! Imagine going to your next networking group, you hand out anywhere between 10 and 50 business cards. Later that day, those business cards get piled on a desk and sorted through. Your business card has 2 domains on it. One for your business and one for you. It stands out from the rest. When the recipient of your business card looks up your domain names they will be exposed to your business and to you! They will be reminded of how gracious you were at the meeting (I hope you were gracious!).

And here’s a little tip – if you have a name that’s easily mis-spelled (I can’t tell you how many people write Esther C Cane instead of Esther C Kane) – buy the mis-spelled domain name as well and simply re-direct it to the correct spelling. That way you won’t lose out on the traffic from the folks who either don’t know how to spell your name or simply can’t spell your name.

The point is, when you sell your business, you’re not just selling products and services, you’re also selling the customer service that you provide and that comes from you and your employees. So, go ahead, put yourself out there!


eckweb | No comments | Tags: , ,
29 Sep 2008
article writing • internet marketing • seo • small business

Writing For Websites


As an SEO webmaster, I am continuously “scolded” by copywriters. I don’t mean Internet copywriters, I mean copywriters, those who write for print. “Writing for websites”, I tell them, “is not the same as writing for print.”

What’s their usual response?

I’m not writing for SEO, I’m writing for the readers! I’m not manipulating my words just to meet some SEO rules.

That’s the usual response I get, something like that. And I have to tell you, I just smile and think back on all the copywriters who have told me that over so many years. How tried writing for their clients’ websites only to come back several months later saying that they are having trouble getting the websites on the search engines.

I know it’s not easy to change, but I have to tell you (copywriters I mean) you’re not giving up your artistry, if anything, you’re being challenged to be even more artistic with your writing. Writing for websites is not just about writing for SEO, it IS about writing for the reader AND the search engines. It takes a very crafty, smart writer to be able to combine the two.

Writing for websites can be rewarding in so many ways. Not only are you (the copywriter) writing something that potentially millions of people will see, you are also providing your client with a means of gaining revenue. The ROI (Return On Investment) on the writing you do for a website will be much greater than the ROI for a brochure, or a sales ad. Why? Because that ONE article that you wrote can be translated into many different languages, placed in many different directories, press releases, websites, blogs, ezines and more. The viral effect of the Internet is amazing. And it’s long lasting. I continue to receive new visitors to my websites because of the articles that I’ve written as much as 2 years ago!!

So, just take a deep breath and think about it. Writing for websites can be a wonderful skill. Here’s how I do it.

1) I’ve got the keyword phrase that I’m going to use. This is usually provided by the SEO firm.
2) Let’s say the keyword phrase is “custom name tags“.
3) The copywriter is going to write an article about “custom name tags”.
4) The title includes the phrase, the phrase is placed in the body 2-3 times, the phrase should be at the bottom of the title, and you want to try and bold the phrase at least once.

That’ it. Your writing style remains fairly intact. Your creativity is challenged by the mere fact that you are writing ABOUT a certain keyword phrase. Your techniques and skills are also challenged as you integrate your artistic side with your technical side!

It’s a Win Win situation! For you and the client. Believe me, the first time you get a phone call from a client saying that he just made “x” number of dollars or “x” number of sales because of what you wrote, you’ll be hooked. It’s an amazing feeling when you’ve helped a business owner achieve a goal – all because of what you wrote!

Writing for websites is NOT giving up of yourself and your personal style. Integrate these new skills and both you and your clients will be better off!


eckweb | No comments | Tags: , , , , , ,
25 Sep 2008
internet marketing • seo • small business

Small Businesses – Tough Economy and SEO


Of course, with all the news about the “economic meltdown” it’s hard to NOT think about how SEO is being impacted by this economy. I firmly believe though that more and more businesses will be looking at their SEO campaigns – or starting one – as they realize the low costs that are associated with Internet marketing. And not only the low costs, but the long lasting effects.

Brandon Cornett wrote an excellent article on this very topic. To give you a quote…

“One of my past clients worked in the real estate industry. She realized the value of Internet visibility years ago, so she began a concentrated effort to improve her web presence. Naturally, I helped with the search engine optimization side of things. One of her close competitors relied more heavily on direct mail marketing and TV advertising, both of which can be quite expensive over time.

When the housing market began to slow down along with the economy, my client’s competitor could no longer afford to spend as much on her paid advertising campaigns. So her marketing program and her exposure basically dried up.

My client, on the other hand, had been working hard on her web presence and her search engine visibility. So when tough economic times hit, she was perfectly positioned to “coast” right along. She didn’t have to spend a bunch of money on paid advertising — she had a steady stream of business leads coming in through her website. Low-cost marketing at its best! But none of this would have been possible without the SEO program she started several years ago.”

Brandon’s article points out the very core of the benefits of SEO services and Internet marketing. It’s longevity. I’m not saying that you optimize a website once and that’s it, you’ll get a top position and you’re good to go. No, that’s not true at all. What I’m saying is that the effects of being positioned because of SEO last much longer than traditional advertising venues. And the kicker is that the cost of SEO marketing is extremely much lower than traditional marketing!

So, if you’re serious about continuing your business through what seems to be tough economic times on the horizon, then take a look at your SEO campaign and consider beefing it up. If you have a business website and don’t have an SEO campaign yet, what are you waiting for?


eckweb | One comment | Tags: , , , ,
11 Sep 2008
internet marketing • seo • small business

Creative Internet Marketing Strategies


Creative internet marketing strategies help you to stand out among your competition. And with millions (over 5 million) new websites being indexed every single day, you need all the “standing out” you can get! Following are some ideas on how you can begin thinking outside of your website box and implement some low cost (and sometimes free) creative internet marketing strategies.

1) What does your market want?


Take a look at your website logs, look at the keyword phraes people are typing in to find you. You may see some keyword phrases, some questions, some words that you hadn’t thought of marketing. Another great way to collect keywords from your clients is to install a search box on your website. You’ll be able to view the phrases that your viewers are typing in there. That will also give you a glimpse into what your audience wants. When you find out, give it to them by adding pages to your website direcetd at those keyword phrases.

2) Websites are not hermits.

What I mean is that just because you’re marketing through your website, it doesn’t mean that you don’t have to network. Websites are meant to be shared, discussed, changed, reviewed, etc. You can do all of this through networking. Online networking. Virtual networking. Join groups like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, KnollStuff, etc. There are so many of them! Join a handful of them and keep them up. In other words, join in the discussions of the group, contribute something daily if you can. If daily is too much then as often as you can. The idea is that you’re networking, you’re involved! You wouldn’t start a brick and mortar business in a town without joining the chamber of commerce, would you? The same holds true for websites. These social media groups are the Internet’s chamber of commerce.

3) Be the leader of your pack.

If your website sells name tags, then your website is about name tags. What else would it be? Well, if you want to SHOW your target audience that you sell name tags and that you’re an expert on selling, making, creating name tags then you need more! Your website (or you could open a separate website) could have a directory of businesses in your local area. It could also host a directory of business events, conventions, etc. You could also showcase some creative uses of name tags (how people have used them at parties, for games, etc). For that matter you can even have some party games that can be done with name tags. The idea here is to be more than the obvious. Of course your website is going to be about name tags. But what makes you a better name tag company than the other guy? Let your audience know!

4) Create a Widget

If you don’t know what a widget is, it’s basically a small program that you can place on your website and it provides information or a task. Widgets can be clocks, timers, financial calculators, movie directories, photos, weather data, lists of “whatever you want”, and much more. It spans the range from fun to political, tech to non-tech, name it, there’s a widget ou there in that field. You can grab a widget from someone or you can make your own. The idea is not only to have the widget on your website but to share that widget. As your widgets get copied onto other websites, your website gains popularity and more incoming links and more traffic.

5) Talk better than you write?

As an Internet Marketing firm, our most difficult task is to get our clients to write. Write blogs, articles, etc. It just doesn’t happen. But maybe you’re better at talking than writing. Okay. Then create a podcast. It’s easy – you simply record your voice. You can talk about a different product or service each week. You can broadcast your podcasts not only on your website but on directories. You are basically sharing your knowledge, your stories, your business expertise in your field with your audience. They get to know YOU!

Well, you get the idea here. Be Creative!! Don’t just hire an SEO firm to optimize and market your website, many other companies are doing the same thing. You want to stand out, you want to be different. So, implement these creative internet marketing strategies, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.


eckweb | No comments | Tags: ,
10 Sep 2008
internet marketing • seo • small business

Local Search Benefits


The benefits of local search are growing and growing.

Why? Well, there’s a few reasons.

1) The local engines are spending more dollars on advertising themselves.
2) The local engines are also adding more features, interactive maps, skype phone access, more customer information, etc.
3) More services are interacting with the local engines. Services like mobile phone internet providers.
4) The main search engines like Google and Yahoo index the results from these local engines alongside their organic listings.
5) Local search is great for companies to advertise their websites and business but also great for customers to review the services by these businesses.
6) In July, 68 million Internet users (in the USA alone) performed yellow page searches online. That means they looked for a type of business in a local area or a specific business or a specific phone number. Over 60% of these called the phone number on the website they found. Only about 16% contacted the business via email.

The reason I mention #6 is because the #1 reason I get from my clients about why they DON’T want to be on local engines is because they prefer to get more phone calls than emails. (I know, it doesn’t make sense, but what can I tell you?) So, the fact that the website becomes more popular does not necessarily mean that it results in more emails. If you want your viewers to call you, they will!!

Local search benefits are also shown in the number of visitors to these types of sites. As an example, here are some numbers for you to ponder about local search engines:

CitySearch.com – receives almost 31 million visitors a month.
InsiderPages.com – receives almost 2.5 million visitors a month.
JudysBook.com – receives almost 200,000 visitors a month.
MerchantCircle.com – receives almost 4 million visitors a month.
Yelp.com – receives almost 18 million visitors a month.

Of these 5 local search engines, CitySearch is the only one that does not provide a free listing. Their basic package is $149.00/month but obviously, they also have the most visitors.

So, to get the most out of your Internet marketing campaign, look over these local search benefits and make up your own mind if it’s worth it for you! If your SEO firm does not provide you with submissions to these local search engines, contact us today.


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