The New Rules of Marketing

Why Mobile Websites Are Important For Local Businesses

2012-02-10T11:04:00.000-08:00

Are mobile websites important to businesses? The answer is YES, for most. And here is why:

There are 285.6 million mobile subscribers in the United States -- that’s 91% of the population! CTIA
Smart Phones will pass PCs as the search device of choice by 2013 Gartner
One-third of mobile searches are tied to local. Google
Mobile search will represent 20% of all search traffic by 2012. RBC Capital Markets
$2.2 billion of physical goods will be purchased via mobile device in 2010. ABI Research

What all of this means to you is this: If your website is not smart phone friendly, you are losing potential business.

Isn't it true that before we purchase anything these days we like to know a little more about what we looking to buy? Description of product or service, price, availability and closest source. In addition to the basic information, most of us will make a buying decision based on reviews (or complaints) that have been posted about the product/service in question. What this means, for any business to succeed, it must ensure that it can provide important and relevant information that its potential customers will want. AND that the information must be presented in a way it can be found quickly on a mobile device.

So do yourself a favor right now and search for your website on your smart phone to see how it presents. If you have to scroll around a lot to find address, phone number, specials and reviews, it's time to think about getting a mobile friendly website. Just like it is up close and personal, you have less than 15 seconds to make that first hand impression.

Mobile friendly websites can be done easily and don't cost a lot of money to do. But they can bring the fastest return on investment for the local business owner.

Mobile friendly websites is just one of the many services we provide to increase the overall online visibility for local businesses. You can click here for more information.

Why You Should Take Another Look at Email And Text Messaging To Build Your Customer Base

2012-01-16T17:40:00.000-08:00

Since the introduction of social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn the way we interact online today has changed forever. And of course YouTube has added a whole new dimension to marketing. Social Media and YouTube is great for branding one's business, engaging with one's prospects and customers and highlighting one's areas of expertise. Certainly the number of businesses who are choosing to invest in this new viral trend has grown substantially and now is the time for you to do the same with your business. If you haven't integrated social media into your marketing mix, you are missing the boat and lots of new and repeat business. However, adding email and text messaging to your marketing mix to build your business is something that should not be ignored.

Marketing a business using email and text messaging comes with a number of benefits that other types of marketing cannot provide. And here is why: Not everyone is ready to buy when you are ready to sell. Some may be in the beginning of the buying cycle just searching for available options, some may zero in on possible merchants that can provide the item they seek at the best price and some may be ready to buy now. A well thought out email campaign can lead a prospect to the desired conclusion, which of course should be that they have to buy from you. Texting by its nature can be used to announce time limited deals, promotions and limited announcements prompting buyers to take action now. A great tool to shorten the buying cycle.

Unlike social media, an email or text message sent will be received by the recipient almost instantly. With a good subscriber list you will find that around 94% of all text messages sent today will be read and nearly everyone who subscribes to your SMS program will then see it. Given that almost everyone now has a smart phone and is searching for providers on their phone, the possibilities are endless.

As you know that those who have subscribed have chosen to receive your offers or promotional messages then you know that they are actively interested in your product or business. That means. there is the bigger possibility that they will choose to make a purchase from you.

But as is with all things worthwhile email marketing and text messaging does require a little effort. First you need to collect email addresses and cell phone numbers consistently. Then I always recommend that you create a plan of action: plan it, create it and stick to it.

You will find it well worth your efforts.

Want More Customer? Help them find you

2011-12-13T12:09:00.000-08:00

I hear it all the time when I talk to my local business owners: "I know I should market my business on the Internet, but I don't quite see the reason why, after all I only sell locally".
If there ever was ever one compelling reason for a local business to market their business online, it would be the fact that your prospective customers are not relying on Yellow Pages or the Newspaper as much as the Internet to find what they need. If you don't believe me, let me ask you: When last have you opened up the Yellow Pages?

Let's Look at Some Facts
A report published by ComScore shows the overall search numbers and statements by both Google and Yahoo! Approximately 20% of all searches have local intent, which means that there are 3.28 billion local searches done each month! Most small business owners seem to think that if they don't have a website, they can't market online. The good news is, in the local search space you don't even need a website. Local (map) listings allow you to compete on an even playing field with large national and regional brands. Fact is, with so many competing websites in the market place no small business website is going to be the top result in Google, unless they spend a lot of money and time to do on-site and off-site search engine optimization. In the local search space though, a local business listing has just as much chance to be at the top of the page as the large brands.

Local Consumers Search Online but Buy Offline
Although the online channel is the primary source of local research, purchases are most often made offline. Following online local searches, consumers most often contact a business over the telephone (39%), visit the business in-person (32%) or contact the business online (12%). This stat alone should tell you that as a small business owner you not only need to be online, you also need to be found online by your prospective clients. Having a website on it's own is not good enough, you need to help your prospects find you online.
Whether people use a desktop, a laptop computer or their smart phone, most local searches for products or services now start online. It's just a fact of life now. A business either adapts or flounders.
I hope this is giving you food for thought for your marketing plan for 2012. Now is a good time to lay the groundwork and get off to a good start. If we can help you market your business online in any way, be sure to let us know.
Till next time,
Seasonal Greetings to All!
Birgit