Beyond Social Media: Your Business' Online Marketing Resolution

Social Media: One Piece of the Puzzle

While it is important for you to choose 1-3 of the social media sites on which to be active, (e.g. Facebook, Google+, Youtube, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.) for local online advertising, all the social media in the world won't make up for a weak website or poor SEO (search engine optimization). 

Online Marketing New Year's Resolutions

There is no need to completely recreate your online marketing plan for the new year, but you will want to check to make sure that all of your efforts meet the new Google guidelines and that you are utilizing best practices for web marketing:

• Check and make adjustments to your website - Your website should be able to adjust to the size of the user's screen (responsive design) and every page should be written to attract the attention of the three major search engines, Google, Yahoo, and Bing. You should have links to your Google business listing and any social media websites on which you are active.

• Data-driven decisions - Know where you rank in the search engines compared to your competitors, where your website visitors are spending the most time on your website, and take steps to get them to your most important information. Also be aware of and respond to the feedback your customers are leaving on your online review websites (Google My Business, Yelp, Foursquare, and many others).

• Consider writing a blog - Blogging helps others to see that you are an expert in your field and it creates new content for your website which helps to attract the attention of the search engines and broaden your marketing reach. Of course it also gives you a place to share information that can be of great benefit to your current and potential clients!  

Don't neglect your social media presence, but remember that it is just one piece of your marketing on the web and it should not be your only online presence. 

Remember, Impressions Review Managing is here to help with all of your internet marketing needs - contact our friendly team  or visit our website for more information.

Writing Your Website Content: Marketing Tips for SEO

Website Content Written for SEO​

Writing content for websites seems like it should be a simple thing. Focus on local marketing, provide the best information for your clients, make it professional but inviting, and you should be good to go. 

There was a time when that was enough, but then the major search engines were developed. To help the masses of people wanting to use the internet, they had to find a way to sift through the content on websites to provide the best search results. Writing content to fit what the search engines want is part of what is commonly called, SEO or Search Engine Optimization.

Many articles can and have been written on SEO and there are many pieces to the search engine algorithms, but some of the most important to keep in mind as you write your web content include:

• Page Length - Search engines look for average length web pages to rank highest in their results. Typically between 250 to 500 words is the optimum length.
• Headings - Knowing that headings often give a good summary of content, take care to write your headings with common search words included. Don't sacrifice the quality or readability of the page though!
• Links - The quality of a website in the eyes of the search engines also includes where you link to and who is linking to you. Provide both internal and external links on your webpages to increase your search engine standing.
• Readability - With many people using smart phones and tablets to search the Web, content written in short chunks is much easier to navigate than long paragraphs. Break up your work and use bullet points to help people skim your pages. 

Search Engine Optimization takes a lot of attention to detail, but the payoff can be significant. Remember that IRM is here to help!

Creating Your Own Website: Things to Consider

Can you create your own website? Sure you can - there are lots of programs (many of them free) and with a little tech knowledge and lot of time, you can put together a website that will give people your basic information. However, if you are creating your website for a business, there are some critical elements that you want to be able to address:

1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) - Having a great website won't do you any good if the search engines cannot find it. SEO is the technical description of how a website is designed to match what Google, Yahoo, and Bing are looking for when their systems "crawl" through your website. A lot of SEO rides on the actual writing of the website, but there are coding and behind-the-scenes issues to be considered as well. Thankfully, much information is available online to help you with SEO too including articles that come straight from the horses' mouths - that is, written by Google, Bing, and Yahoo experts. 
2. Web-friendly content - In order for search engines to be "happy" with your page, your content has to be written in a very specific way. Google prefers a certain number of words per page depending on the page type, the content should have specific keywords included, headings need to be of the right type and style, the writing should be at about an 8th grade reading level, your location should be included, links are necessary, and the list goes on. 
3. Pictures and graphics - Your website will be much more attractive if you include pictures - just make sure you have permission to use them! If you have taken the pictures yourself, you are just fine, but just because you found the picture online doesn't mean that you can use it on your website - many copyright suits are based on this mistake. 
4. Business listings - Each of the three major search engines and all of the major online review websites create a business listing page specific for your business. You will want to take control of your your listings and ensure all of the information is up to date and includes the link to your website. There are many ways to use reviews to market your business, so be sure to read up on Online Reputation Managing (ORM) too.

Depending on your level of comfort with technology, you may be able to put together your own website with minimal support, but if you need more guidance, IRM would be happy to help you either with your website, your SEO, or your ORM. 

Social Media Marketing Conference - Last Week to Register!

This is the last week to register for the 6th Annual Social Media Marketing Conference in Eau Claire, Wisconsin where I will be presenting, "Word of Mouth Gone Viral." The conference offers several excellent learning opportunities to maximize your online marketing efforts - hope to see you there!

www.impressionsrm.com 

Eau Claire Social Media Marketing Conference

Will you be in Eau Claire for the Social Media Marketing Conference? Be sure to attend our "Word of Mouth Gone Viral" workshop!

www.impressionsrm.com

Online Reviews: Candid Shots

Using Online Reviews to Promote Your Business

Promoting your business online in an affordable manner doesn't have to be difficult. You can use the online feedback your clients are using to let the world know that your products are excellent and your customer service is top of the line. 

Video Transcript:

What if we chose a random moment in time to take a picture of your reputation? I’m betting that most times we would get a nice picture of who you are as you go about your day as a business owner making sure your business runs smoothly, your customers are happy, your products and services do what they are supposed to be doing and then you head for home to lead a pretty average life.

But, what if I chose the wrong moment to take that candid shot? You know what I mean… the time you ran to get the phone and tripped over the cat, landing on the coffee table and breaking you favorite vase. You snatched up that phone and let the person on the other end hear your less-than-happy voice.

Online reviews are just like these snapshots.

Better than 75% of online reviews show the snapshots of your business as functioning smoothly with great customer service and quality products – just like you know it typically is!

But every once in a while, someone catches that trip-on-the-cat moment and the candid snapshot they see of your business is less than pretty.

No one likes it when candid and less than flattering pictures of their lives end up being seen by anyone and the same is true with negative reviews. It doesn’t tell the full story and you’d like a chance to show a better picture.

If you are paying attention, you can do just that! Online review websites like Google My Business, Yelp, Yahoo, and many others will allow you to respond to reviews that are posted about your business!

You don’t have to feel powerless and victimized by negative reviews – you can take control of your online reputation!  Apologize for your cat-tripping moments and show people the really excellent business you actually run. Impressions Review Managing can help – contact our friendly team today!  We grow your reputation. You grow your business.