Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-30

Posted in: Blog by VSHoward on January 30, 2012

• Another Bill (H.R. 1981) that needs to be stopped! http://t.co/CxJmfW19 #
• Stop ACTA! | Digital Multimedia & Web Design | http://t.co/36U9Ryd1 http://t.co/3OfBNzKj #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-23

Posted in: Blog by VSHoward on January 23, 2012

• Refer a Friend | Digital Multimedia & Web Design | http://t.co/36U9Ryd1 http://t.co/y78ViEr2 #
• Refer-a-friend promotion: http://t.co/cnLW6fLU #
• #VSHoward #

Top 10 Reasons Why Your Small Business Needs a Website

Posted in: Blog, Web Design, Web Marketing by VSHoward on January 22, 2012

 1. Your Business is Open to the World 24/7, 365 Days a Year
Unlike your company's office that may be open from 8-5, Monday thru Friday, your company 's website is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There are many different time zones that may affect your business, which is why being on the web makes it time convenient for everyone.

2. It's Your Online Brochure / Catalog That Can Be Changed at Anytime
A website is easier, cheaper and quicker to update than print material. Its' capacities are almost limitless which allow you to provide users with more comprehensive information. This will save you money on printing and distribution costs as well.

3. Reach New Markets with a Global Audience
On the Internet, you aren't that local little business anymore. You have the potential to be seen by millions across the globe. Did you ever think your company would have the possibility of doing business around the world? Well, now you can. Without a doubt, the Internet is the most cost effective way to trade nationally and internationally.

4. Improved Customer Service
By providing answers to questions on your website, sales and information requests can be processed automatically and immediately, whether someone is in the office or not. Online forms can be used to allow customers to request quotations or ask further information. Save costs by allowing users to download invoices, proposals and important documents.

5. Present a Professional Image
For a small business, a well-designed web site is a great way of instilling confidence and looking bigger than you actually are. In this day in age, customers assume that you already have a website. By now, your primary competitors probably already have a presence on the Internet. If they do, keep up with them and find ways to make yours better.

6. Sell Your Products
Why pay expensive rent, overhead, electric bills, and all the other costs that go along with owning a bricks-n-mortar business? Selling in cyberspace is much cheaper and a good way to supplement your offline business. Providing secure online ordering is very affordable for even the smallest businesses.

7. Promote Your Services
Lawyers, doctors, financial consultants, entertainers, realtors and all service oriented businesses should let customers know that they have a choice. Millions of users are referring to the web and are using company's websites to make major decisions when they need a specialized service.

8. Gather Information and Generate Valuable Leads
You can gather information about your customers and potential customers by using forms and surveys. Rather than going out and getting leads, let them come to you. This is a great tool for prospecting targeted customers looking to use your products and services.

9. Provides Instant Gratification
People are busy and don't like to wait for information. Give them what they want, when they want it. If your product is suitable, offer them free samples or trials to download. This includes pictures, brochures, software, videos, Power Point slides, music and more.

10. Great Recruiting Tool
Whether you are looking for talent or posting job opportunities with your company, your website is a great recruiting tool for building your business.

More Great Tips!

The Do's & Don'ts For Website Success!

• Do invest in a secure online ordering system.
• Do keep your audience in mind and create copy that personally speaks to them.
• Do create a clear and compelling sales message.
• Do update your site content and keep it fresh and current.
• Do anticipate and answer your visitor's questions.
• Do check your site to ensure all forms and links are working.
• Do include a call to action on each page. You won't get business if you don't ask for it.
• Do include your contact information.
• Do offer links to programs like Acrobat Reader needed to view your site information.
• Do choose a Web host that provides exceptional service, minimal down time, and consistent site backups.
• Do carefully check your content for spelling and grammar mistakes. Errors are unprofessional and show a lack of attention to detail.
• Do title each page to be search engine (and bookmark) friendly.
• Do use a URL and domain name that accurately reflects your business or company name and is easy to remember.

...and

• Don't confuse your visitor with too many topics on one page. Organize information logically.
• Don't let your site become outdated. Your credibility will disappear if you offer Mother 's Day specials just in time for Father's Day.
• Don't include too many colors, fonts, or font sizes that distracts your visitor.
• Don't yell at your visitor by using all capital letters.
• Don't take your customer's privacy for granted. Create a privacy policy and stick to it.
• Don't insult your customer by selling his information to third parties.
• Don't ignore or delay customer requests. Return all customer inquiries promptly because you never know whom they may recommend you to even if they don't buy from you.
• Don't add a “visitor count” to your site. No need to brag how many or show how few visit.
• Don't include graphics that fail to add importance to your site.
• Don't use silly clip art unless absolutely necessary.
• Don't add unnecessary "extras" that will take a particularly long time to load.
• Don't ignore customer complaints, just because you're on the Web doesn't mean your business won't be affected by dissatisfied customers sharing their experience with others.

  by Kelley Rao, Webeze

5 Reason why you should have a Facebook Fan Page

Posted in: Blog, Social Marketing by VSHoward on

Facebook started-out as a social network connecting college students across the United States. However, what started-out as a simple way to keep-in-touch has turned into an essential way for businesses to engage with customers. If you think for a second that your customers aren’t on Facebook, think again.

Facebook is now full of businesspeople who use the service often as a replacement for Linked-In and much more. If you look at just about every television or magazine ad the companies may or may not promote Twitter, but they always promote their Facebook Fanpage.

Since making a Fanpage is so important I thought I’d cover five reasons why your business needs a Facebook Fanpage. If you held-off in 2011, 2012 is your year to make it happen, and here’s why you should do it:

Continue reading 5 Reason why you should have a Facebook Fan Page.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2012-01-02

Posted in: Blog by VSHoward on January 2, 2012

• Three Things to Know About Connecticut’s New Paid Sick Leave Law that kicks into affect on 1/1/12: http://t.co/qrUDuNFl #
• Wishing everyone a safe and happy new years eve and a prosperous new year! #

5 Ways to Improve Local Search Results for Business

Posted in: Blog, Web Marketing by VSHoward on November 27, 2011

“This article originally appeared on the OPEN App Center. Visit www.theopenappcenter.com for more information and resources for streamlining and growing your business.”

Increasingly, when folks turn to a search engine, they aren’t looking for something around the world, they’re looking for something around the block. The good news for local businesses is they aren’t just looking; they’re jumping in the car, going out and buying what they find when they search.

Make it a priority to improve search results for your business, because this new way of finding and buying locally means that your business better show up in the top results when people turn to a search engine to shop locally.

Below are five local search engine optimization and search engine marketing plays that you can do today to improve your chances of coming up big in the local search game.

Read the full post here...

Social Networks Will Become Marketplaces

Posted in: Blog, Social Marketing, Web Marketing by VSHoward on

For the last few years I’ve been promoting the idea that social networks are like outposts, in many respects, best suited to point the way to your hub or main content site.

Product for sale on Shoply.com

While I still believe this to be a fundamentally sound way to view social media use, I see a future that contains a shift in this thinking as well.

As the level of social behavior continues to evolve and social networks grow more important in the lives of their users, they will become much more than outposts – they will move increasingly towards self-containment and wholly functioning marketplaces

Read the rest on the Duct Tape Marketing blog...

WEBMASTER: Internet marketing for free (just your time)

Posted in: Blog, Web Marketing by VSHoward on August 23, 2010

I was talking the other day to a friend of mine who is actively pursuing his first love, and that is real estate.

For almost 20 years, he has been a buyer, builder, handyman and advisor on real estate projects. He got burned out and left the profession for a couple of years but is ready to get back into helping others avoid the lessons he had to learn.

He asked if I would give him advice on how to use the Internet to market his new venture. Since he is just starting, he asked about low-cost options, and I replied, "How about free, but it will require some of your time?"

This is the advice I gave him:

1. Create a BLOGGER account. Go to Blogger.com (owned by Google) and register your company name and get an account. Write a blog on something relative to your product/service and post this on blogger. Make sure you add your signature information (name, e-mail and website address).

2. Create a FACEBOOK account. Go to Facebook.com and register your company name and get an account. Do this even if you have a Facebook page. You want to separate your personal page from your business. Take the time to write a great profile and add as much relative content as you can on what you are going to do and cite examples if you have them to show the reader or potential fan that you are an expert in your field. You also can add your blog to your facebook page. Just choose the add link option and copy and paste the blog address into it.

3. Create a TWITTER account. Go to Twitter.com and register your company name and get an account. Again, go to your blogger account and copy and paste the blog address onto the Twitter page.

4. Create a LINKEDIN account. Go to Linkedin.com and search for a group that is appropriate for your product/service. In my friend's case, he would search for real estate. Select the group that has the most fans and especially if it is relative to your services.

Most people who join this social network (group) share a similar interest and often will share their experience, write interesting posts and often will answer a specific question.

5. Create a WEBSITE. Register a domain name with one of the national domain name registrars and think about what name you want to register. It should not be your personal name unless you are well known. The domain name should identify the product/service you are going to provide. In my friend's case, he might want to consider BrookfieldRealEstateConsultant.com or BrookfieldRealEstateAdvisor.com The website does not have to be fancy, but it must be professional in appearance. Here are a few tips:

-- Keep your content short and position the most important information at the start of your text body. Use bullet points and brief sentences. People will not take the time to read a long statement but will scan the content to see whether the service/product they want is clearly stated.

-- Add your contact information at the top or side. We call this "call-to-action," and what you want is for a viewer to "click" on your call-to-action tab/button and contact you. Make your contact form as simple and easy to complete as possible. First name and e-mail address. If you have a toll-free number, put that on your form and your web page.

-- Use testimonials if you have them. Viewers like to see what others are saying about you and your company.

-- At the bottom of the web page, add your company name, address and phone number. The major search engines look for this information.

Once you have your website prepared, you need to add "meta tags." These tags are the keywords/phrases that a searcher is typing in the search block of Google, etc. The tags consist of:

1. TITLE: This is important and should not be more than 10 words.

2. DESCRIPTION: These are the most important 25 words you are going to write. This is the wording that the major search engines are going to show a searcher. Spend the time and do this right.

3. KEYWORDS: While Google has been disregarding keywords because of abuses, the other major search engines (Yahoo and Bing) are still using them. I recommend no more that six.

4. HEADER H1: This is not a tag but a statement that you want to make. Example: "Savannah Real Estate Consultant with over 40 Years Experience"

(NOTE: One of our favorite Meta Tag Generators is: www.addme.com/meta.htm)

After you have constructed your tags, enter them on your site. They will be placed under your HEAD tag/code. You can see how this is done by selecting any website and in your browser look for the VIEW tab and select SOURCE. This is the coding that the search engines are viewing.

Add a site map. Google especially likes these maps, and it tells their bots (site crawlers) what pages you have on your site even if they do not crawl the whole site. If you want to learn more about site maps, just type "site maps" into the search block of your favorite browser.

Once your site is launched, start adding blog posts to your SN sites and most certainly have a blog tab on your website. I recommend you add a blog at least once a week. Google loves blogs, and the more fresh material your site has, the higher ranking you will obtain.

If you do all of the above, you will have started the process of marketing on the Internet and over time will see the results of your time and effort.

Foursquare + Your Business

Posted in: Blog, Web Marketing by VSHoward on May 23, 2010

Foursquare aims to encourage people to explore their neighborhoods and then reward people for doing so. We do this by combining our friend-finder and social city guide elements with game mechanics — our users earn points, win Mayorships and unlock badges for trying new places and revisiting old favorites.

If you run a "brick & Mortar" business, this could help drive traffic! Read more on the FourSquare website.

How to Use SEO and Social Search for Lead Generation

Posted in: Blog, Events, Web Marketing by VSHoward on May 4, 2010