Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Yelp fell off the face of the Internet. After all, the site is riddled with fake reviews, and the company's practice of hiding a portion of useful, honest reviews is a big turnoff to users who just want to know if a business is worth visiting. According to Business Insider, shares are down 56% for the calendar year, and a staggering 65% over … [Read more...]
Avoid these SEO Mistakes! [INFOGRAPHIC]
Need a crash course on Search Engine Optimization? While this infographic from Fertile Frog won't teach you everything, it's a great starting place to analyze what you may be doing wrong. Google is getting more and more humanistic in its approach to determine what web pages are worthy of viewership. The tips within focus on the core of what Google looks at when spidering … [Read more...]
Welcome to the 8-Second Era
The attention span of the average internet user has greatly decreased. Research shows that it's about 8 seconds. That's how long you have to grab someone's attention, and marketers have a difficult time determining how to leverage that short amount of time to get users to take action. Obviously, the key is communicating that the call to action (typically a link to a post or … [Read more...]
Always Be Building Your Email List
I'm in awe whenever I come across an online business that doesn't send marketing emails to current and potential customers. Even worse? When an established business launches its first email marketing program with zero subscribers. These businesses are not alone in the decision not to collect email addresses until they are ready to connect. But it's a wrong way of thinking. I … [Read more...]
Last Chance to Sign Up for Social Media Marketing Society
Whether you're a social media service provider or an online business owner wanting to manage your company's own online marketing, the Social Media Marketing Society provides key insight and training. Provided by Social Media Examiner (a top resource for all things social), membership in the society is designed to save time and money when it comes to marketing on Facebook, … [Read more...]
Content Marketing is Key for Growth and Long-Term Survival
For years - actually, ever since I started analyzing online stores and business - I've advised clients to provide real content to their visitors. Content that entertains, supports and connects with the target audience, and ultimately ties-in with the act of conversion. This is called content marketing, and it's now a must for any company doing business online. Even Google looks … [Read more...]
Who’s Using the Top Social Networks?
Social media networks are ever-changing. Not only in features, but also in the audiences that use them. The top trend over the last year has been the growth of image-focused social networks — particularly Pinterest, Instagram and Snapchat — among specific demographics. Facebook was once a top-choice for college-aged users, but now they're flocking to more visual networks like … [Read more...]
YouTube’s TrueView Lets You List Products Within Video Ads
So long, ugly and confusing YouTube annotations. YouTube is now linking video ads in the same backend dashboard as Google Shopping, making it easy for businesses to have related products automatically linked in their videos. TrueView for shopping lets you showcase product details and images, both of which can linked directly to buy pages. TrueView, in its standard form, lets … [Read more...]
Should Businesses Ditch Traditional CRM?
Every business needs to focus on maintaining a healthy balance of attracting new customers and pleasing existing ones. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the key to growth and overall success. Yet, so many small- and micro-businesses are doing it wrong. This infographic from Visualistan points out the six main components of CRM, and how traditional and modern (social) … [Read more...]
Google to Launch Buy Buttons on Mobile Search
I've long said that if you want to grab the attention of your target audience well, you need to sell on Amazon and offer Amazon Checkout as a payment option on self-managed webstores. Many etailers have avoided taking that plunge because they see Amazon as a direct competitor. The fact is, though, Amazon gets the bulk of the traffic - not becoming an Amazon seller can stifle … [Read more...]
Bing Follows Suit; Wants Mobile-Friendly Websites
If mobilegeddon didn't inspire businesses to get cracking on launching mobile-friendly sites, maybe Bing's mobile-friendly updates will. Microsoft's search engine announced it's also lending more weight to listings that link to sites that work across multiple devices. Bing won't be as strict when it comes to listing results that are "most relevant". In a blog post about … [Read more...]
Survey Says: Local Consumers Expect Mobile Sites!
Still think you should invest in a mobile app for your local business? Or that a mobile site isn't necessary? Think again. SEO firm BrightLocal re-conducted a 2013 survey, whereas they asked 900 consumers about mobile usage and preferences when looking for products or services using mobile devices. Not surprisingly, the #1 business type was restaurants, followed by general … [Read more...]