Reviews

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One of the major changes online has been for customer reviews. These can come from any number of sources:
Facebook
Yelp!
Search engines now cull these into their search results, particularly on Google Places (used to be Google Maps), Bing and Yahoo Local listings. These help drive your website.  Think of it as a “buzz” – someone is talking about your business. Even the negative can be a positive.

There are reviews services which charge a monthly fee to get reviews for your business. As a business owner you supply your clients’ email address or phone numbers and the company will contact them. (You can also put this review info on a note attached to each invoice you give to a client.) Once your client reviews your business the reviewing service contacts you and you can approve or disapprove allowing the review to be posted.

That can be the pitfall: if you never have any negative feedback – the believability factors in: are you screening your reviews? IF you have negative feedback and you address it – which most open source (Yelp!, Google, Yahoo! etc.) are now allowing you bring legitimacy to your business.

Everyone knows not every customer will be happy, but the way you engage an unhappy client speaks much about your effort in customer service. Thus the negative: becomes positive.

At this time of year I am reflecting on my business.  I am looking to improve my business and offer more to my clients.  I invite my clients to review my services online – on Facebook, wherever you are comfortable. Thank you to all this past year and your continued trust in me to help you make choices for your online business presence.

Merry Christmas!

Google Instant

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It’s been a year of changes to the web. Google has rolled out new ways to search, intuitive ways it thinks we’re searching, local search, Google Maps becoming Google Places with the “tag” available for $25.00/month and Google Instant.

Probably the biggest change has been what happens when you begin to type in Google’s search bar. Instantly you are seeing possibilities.  Once you hover over a website listing you’ll see preview of the website. You don’t even have to click the link.

As a web owner this has significant meaning. The sooner the user can see your web page – the more chance they will click through to your website. If you are using Flash (entire website, or slide shows, moving graphics) – you now have a lag time for the page loading, and risking it not previewing accurately.  Cluttered web pages and small tiny graphics become a blur. Keep your website design simple and bold. It will be readable on a small scale, for this preview. A simple website also will view on mobile phones will less issues. My oldest client’s website is extremely lean and trim – as browsers have evolved we have had virtually no compatibility issues and the site continues to display with speed. 

Simple web design has another plus. 2010 was the year Google owned up to what was guessed for years: how quickly your website downloads (speed) DOES matter for its index/ranking. Once again the simple website will have an advantage.

Ever notice that Amazon’s design remains old school – basic web design? It will display on phones, quickly on desktops, iPads – no conflict and speed is never an issue.

It’s a win-win design!

Tiny URLs

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Are you noticing shortened links? Tiny URLs? You can’t immediately see where you’ll go if you click through.

This is great for those of us who put links (URLs) within an email. But for security minded users – do you want to click through? As an email creator the choice is convenience versus: chance losing a client.

Unfortunately malicious websites are now disguising themselves using shortened URLs. The click through threat is real.

Here’s the solution. These shortened links are created by multiple companies (TinyURL, bit.ly, is.gd), but here are solutions for 2 common ones.

If you see this:

http://bit.ly/11Sty

Copy and paste into your browser – ADD a + sign to the end

http://bt.ly/11Sty+

This will take you to a bit.ly page showing information about the link, with a fully expanded URL. You can decide if it is safe or not.

TinyURL has a solution – prepend the word preview.

http://tinyurl.com/82u5b

Copy  and paste into address bar and ADD – preview:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/82u5b

A little time, but far less than undoing a virus.

E-Trust

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Online business websites need to create a trust factor. Many factors contribute to converting a visitor into a client.

When someone visits your site they have a goal. Information; service or product purchase, some are comparison shoppers. However they land on your site if you have what they are looking for – you want to deliver the information. Typically they will evaluate your site on appearance – “a picture speaks a thousand words” in motion! The tone of your website needs to be clear.

Site navigation is critical. We’ve all been on websites which are confusing: too many graphics – too much clutter, and the information is not easily accessible. Make it user friendly.

As a business you already have standards in practice. You have customer satisfaction guidelines established. All these need to be reflected in the content on your page. People like doing business with people they like. If they feel valued and respected they take a step closer. All this needs to be reflected on your website – much like a personal conversation.

As a visitor digs deeper into your site they should have a well rounded sense of you as  a business owner. Now, you have someone who will pick up the phone, or take the “add to cart” action. That is the “conversion” you are seeking from your website. Success!

Google Tags

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Google Maps offer a way of enhancing your listing with Google Tags.

While Google maintains this does NOT effect placing on Google maps, it certainly will make your listing, when it appears, pop. The easier you can make it for someone to click through to your website the better. You want to stand out among the Google Map listings and this will help.

The advertising fee is a flat $25.00/month. Nice to avoid the pay per click campaigns and the time spent analyzing the keywords for your website.

Read more here: http://www.google.com/help/tags/

Seems like one of the simpler advertising choices online.

MyFax

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Faxing is crucial to your business.  Fax machines get spammed and the cost of toner can hurt when budgets are tight. Online fax services to the rescue.

Rid yourself of yet one more office machine.

I have always used fax services. eFax was my entry, and for the free price it worked for my faxing needs. After years the  fax phone number was pulled, without notification. Of course the only way to know this is when you have incoming faxes you don’t receive.

I upgraded to eFax paid service, but their monthly fees weren’t justified by my few faxes. I tried Packetel.com and have been happy – $11.85 quarterly for incoming faxes. I have software to send faxes.

Packetel was sold recently to MyFax and it has been an okay transition and no interruption in Fax service.

MyFax is currently running a special – 30 day free trial. If you have been debating to use online fax this could be a good time.

The beauty is: the faxes come in your email client. You can choose the format PDF, tiff and others…very user friendly.  If you find yourself traveling – you still receive your faxes.

This is why the Internet is wonderful!

Local Search

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Local Searching has become the focus of search engines.  They’ve learned people expect to get results in their geographical area and Google is accommodating.  It happens without you realizing it. Until you try and force the issue you may not have noticed this change.  You would need to clear the browser cache to wipe the slate clean.

Google is learning what you want as you search. It’s goal is filling the user end of search – giving you what it THINKS you want. For businesses it means SEO is more complicated as you try to target the visitors you are seeking, and work within the user search.

Businesses are trying to compete in this change  in a number of ways. In an effort to expand a business’s service area they might set up phone numbers with specific area codes. Have you noticed a local search returns a company 75  miles from your area, or a national company?

Another solution is multiple websites. If your target is teens – the site reflects their interests through content and design. If the target is a specific location – likewise. This is a bit aggressive for the average small business, but you get the idea of this strategy for search engines.

Still “content is king” and posting fresh relevant content is a huge factor for your website.  Search engines love to see daily changes.

As a small business owner the choice is how much time and where to put it. You can blog, tweet or use Facebook. Don’t feel compelled to take on everything. You don’t need to be a slave to your website and online presence. There is a happy balance.

Number 1 on Google

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Will I be #1 on Google?

That’s everyone’s goal. Once your website goes live you will be inundated by solicitations guaranteeing your number presence on Google search.

Organic Search. This is what I do with SEO when creating a website. From page titles to keywords and content, all are components of optimizing a website for an organic web search to return your site where relevant and in your locale, if you are not nation wide.

A lot can be accomplished to achieve organic search results, and you want to utilize all tools.

People will tell you they can get your website #1 on Google maps. The fine print, which takes digging into is this:

You will appear #1 somewhere, sometime for some keyword search. Most often in their guarantee if your business category is highly competitive – that keyword will turn into long tail keywords:

auto transmission repair in Pomona, Ca

If you’re an auto repair shop that leaves a huge number of services you either, now buy more keywords for, or…don’t.  This can add up to a staggering advertising campaign.

Another point which is told later in the sales pitch is: “If after 3 months you aren’t in the top 5…”. That is the  length of time organic searches can take, and you aren’t paying for those. If you are paying $150.00/month plus $600.00 set up fee to test the waters for appearing in the top 5 places on Google maps and you don’t appear at all…that is a lot of money. Plus you already have a chance of appearing organically in your locale for free. You’re better off setting up an AdWords campaign.

No easy answers, but remember: there are no guarantees to be placed Number One on Google without paying for it – and if you want every search…that price will be quite high in most markets.

To blog or not to Blog

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Blogging is a great way to drive your website. The biggest reason is this provides new content to your website regularly which is something Google is fond of.

Not all blogs are equal: a blog residing on your website gives more weight to your website, than an offsite/free website. Give thought to this before creating your first blog.

Free is easy and simple to get up and running, but won’t give you the greatest value. You can post links back to your site for some help in driving your website. Keep in mind it isn’t easy to move your blog files, and with some services you won’t be able to do this. If you have an existing blog there is a lot of value in the followers you have gained and all your postings. It is something to consider before moving to your website.

In deciding whether to take up blogging you will want to weigh the time factor. It can take 15-30 minutes easily, depending upon the depth of your articles. Do not consider copying and pasting from other blogs or web pages, not only is this copyright infringement, but duplicate content works against you with Google, and you’ll defeat the purpose of blogging.

Your blog can serve to educate your web visitors, or connect with others in a community of blogs. Your contributions to other blogs serve the online community at large. We all benefit. That is really the point of blogging.

My own blog makes it easy for me to pass on new information as the Internet changes without updating my web pages. Trends come and go and it is information I want to get into my clients hands so they can drive their websites.

You can keep it simple and effective!