Are You An Expert In Your Industry?
Have you ever noticed that most businesses in a particular industry all say the same thing in their advertising? Continue Reading →
Be The Expert In Your Industry
Focus And Never Divert From Your Path
Focus Or Die
One of the biggest challenges with business, especially with doing any kind of business on the internet is focus (go ahead ask me how I know) 
The internet is one big black hole where an innocent “just let me watch this one quick video” will lead you down a rabbit hole of un-productivity with half a day lost with nothing to show for it (again, ask me how I know). Continue Reading →
Tributaries Of Online Traffic
The Little Sites Provide Online Traffic Too
We’ve all heard the hype of being found on the first page of Google. But what about those smaller search engines and directory sites? You do see the value in getting your business found everywhere don’t you? Online traffic has many sources.
While I’m not a big fan of the larger paid directories such as CanPages and Yellow Pages (I just don’t see a huge value in paying oodles of money each month just to be lumped in with all of your competitors), I do think that being listed in other websites such as Hotfrog.ca, CanadaOne.com and ByzHub.com help with your online traffic and are a good idea for a few reasons. Continue Reading →
Online Reviews …What’s YOUR Plan?
Online Reviews Are No Longer Optional
Continuing on from my last post, now that you know what your online reviews reputation looks like, it is time to either turn things around and get some positive reviews or build on the momentum and start really standing out from the crowd with glowing reviews.
But how do you do it?
There is the typical ask your friends and family to leave reviews and other slightly questionable ways, but I prefer setting up a system which gets real reviews from real customers.
After all, people can smell B.S a mile away so you might as well get honest reviews from people who have actually experienced what your business has to offer.
The easiest way to get online reviews is:
1)- print out some business cards or postcards and hand them out to your customers 
while they’re in your business or send them mail if you have their addresses.
2)- Ask them to leave a review on a specific site of your choice (I suggest Google + Local to start and then alternate to another site once you’ve achieved your desired results.)
That wasn’t so hard now was it?
If you want to incentivize your customers for leaving a review you may do so, although some review sites frown upon this.
Another option is entering them in a contest.
There are more advanced strategies I can suggest that’ll encourage only those with positive feedback to leave reviews online and the less than stellar ones will be directed to a form which provides you with feedback in which you can improve and deal with the issue away from the spotlight. It also typically stops the negative reviews from ever seeing the light of day, but that’s more than I can share in a 300 word blog post.
What do you do to encourage postive reviews?
They said WHAT about your business via online reviews?
They said WHAT about your business via online reviews?
Are you aware of what your customers are saying about your business via online reviews?
If not, you need to find out. It could be destroying your business.
Imagine this scene. You’re lucky enough to be ranked on page one of Google and are getting lots of eyeballs to your website. Yet for some reason, the phone just isn’t ringing like it used to.
It could be that those less than stellar online reviews are damaging your reputation.
- 89% of consumers trust what they read on online reviews sites Continue Reading →
Google Places is DEAD!
Google Places is DEAD!
Lately it seems like every other day the Big G is releasing some major update. In an attempt to socialize search even further, over night converted thousands of Google Places listings into Google + Local ones.
While it doesn’t appear to be fully functional yet in Canada, it is indeed coming. Presumably within the next few days.
Aside from it’s appearance, one of the biggest changes is the absence of star reviews. Google has now added 30 point Zagat reviews (they acquired the Zagat review platform last year). While Zagat has primarily been for restaurants in the past, it’s review system will now being used for everything from painters and plumbers to spas and shoe stores. Reviews are now more detailed than ever and combine multiple factors to make your rating instead of one overall rating. One more way for the Google gods to quench their thirst on more minute bites of data.
Penguin Update
Penguins Are Wreaking Havoc - Penguin Update
Google’s latest update has a lot of people freaking out… Initially, I was myself. Everything has been turned upside down by the Penguin update.
We all know they like to change how they rank websites on a regular basis in order to make sure that people aren’t “gaming the system”.
Their most recent update was a big one and went by the name of Penguin. Most penguins are cute and don’t turn things on their heads. This one is different.
After reading articles and watching webinars about the Penguin update, here are my main take aways on how to get / keep on the top of the search results. Continue Reading →
Online Conversion Strategies
Online conversion: Dig The Well Before You’re Thirsty
You know that you need to touch your prospects on average seven times before they buy from you. The key is to stay in touch with your prospects and your customers via an online conversion system.
Which of the following have you implemented?:
- Newsletter
- Email messages
- Text messaging
Does the form on your website just go to your email to follow up or are you building a “list”?
With an Online conversion system, you can design a follow up campaign.
Send your customers a series of messages filled with tips that you will “drip” over time to your prospects.
You may also Continue Reading →
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Marketing - They Know Where You Are…
They know where you are and they’re out to get you…yes, I’m talking about evil marketers and their Mobile Marketing campaigns.
(Insert Evil Laugh)
Local based SMS marketing is one of the new kids on the block in the fast evolving world of mobile marketing. The concept is this:
Imagine walking into a mall and then receiving a notification(s) on your phone offering you some freebies or coupons from some of the mall merchants. It can be achieved using a number of technologies including mobile phone tracking, WiFi and Bluetooth.
My first thought on this is that it wouldn’t work because it isn’t permission-based marketing and Continue Reading →
Stop Turning Away 40% of Your Customers
By Nat Green
The world has gone mobile. Heck, your granny probably even has a cell phone. But let’s get to to the interesting part of mobile…
Raise your hand if you have a website. (Of course you do. You’re a smart business owner.)
Raise your hand if you have a mobile version of your website. (Hmmm. Only two people still have their hand up.)
I could spout off a bunch of stats about how mobile search has grown 400% in the last year or that 1 in 3 mobile searches are for local businesses, but you don’t need to hear these stats. Just look around as you ride transit, wait for dinner at your favorite restaurant, or walk down the street. People are infatuated with their smart phones!
We live in an instant society and if your website isn’t properly form formatted to be viewed on mobile devices, 40% of mobile visitors will leave and never come back. Why would they leave? Your text is tiny and hard to read. The navigation is hard to navigate. Any Flash that you have on your site is unreadable from iPhones and iPads.
Do you want to lose that potential customer? Of course not.
The good news is you can fix this. Continue Reading →