Local Business Mistake #2: No Clear Direction
Brandon Clay | March 26, 2010
Direct marketing, aka, “junk mail”, preceded internet marketing by many decades. Direct marketers mailed to consumers and businesses long before Google’s founders were born. Direct marketers understood marketing – they are still masters of the medium.
One of the most important aspects of any direct marketing package is the call to action. The call to action is what the company wants a prospect to do when they get a letter in the mail? For example, do they want somebody to fill out a credit card application or call GEICO for a quote? Whatever it is, direct marketers are very clear on their call to action.
Click for more Local Business Mistake #2: No Clear DirectionLocal Business Mistake #1: Wrong Mindset
Brandon Clay | March 19, 2010
Local businesses have a big challenge today. Since most small businesses have websites, a simple online presence doesn’t cut it anymore. The market doesn’t care if you have a website. It’s almost like having a phone number…everyone has one now. If you boast about your new website, your prospect secretly asks, “So what!?”.
Do you remember the 1989 movie Field of Dreams? In the film, Kevin Costner‟s character, Ray Kinsella, is prompted by an unknown voice to build a baseball field in the middle of his farm. The voice said, “If you build it, he will come.” Kinsella built a baseball field and his childhood hero “Shoeless” Joe Jackson came.
Click for more Local Business Mistake #1: Wrong MindsetOn-Page and Off-Page SEO Factors
Brandon Clay | March 12, 2010
Search engine optimization (SEO) can be a complicated practice.
Many variables affect your site’s search engine rankings. Things like hidden text, keyword stuffing, and other questionable practices can all negatively affect your website’s search engine rankings.
At the same time, valuable links, logical site architecture, and structural attributes can boost your search engine rankings. What’s a newby to do? With so many different SEO factors to learn, it’s easy to get discouraged – especially when you’re just starting out.
Click for more On-Page and Off-Page SEO FactorsStop Depending on PPC
Brandon Clay | March 5, 2010
Pay per click advertising (aka cost per click, paid search, and sometimes search marketing) is a great source of targeted traffic. You can start with a no-name site, with little marketing experience in that vertical, and start making money with your pay per click (PPC) skills. You can buy clicks, turn them into actions, and get paid in the process. As long as you sell your actions for more money than you pay for clicks, you’re a happy marketer.
It’s hard to argue with the model. No retail store can boast the same effectiveness with their advertising. How many stores can hang a shingle and get consumers to come to their store for less than a dollar per visit? That’s why PPC is a great form of advertising.
Click for more Stop Depending on PPC