Seriously. If I go to a retail store and get ignored by the employees or by customer service - I just walk out and go to a competitor. If I take this effort with brick-and-mortar stores imagine how fast I'll click away from an unhelpful website and go to one that gives me what I need? As an internet marketing expert, I can assure you that I'm not the only one "walking out" and going to the competitor.
Your Best Defense
As a business owner with a website, you can't be right there in person to respond to every site visitor question. But you can provide info they will need to make a good decision. Just check out Zappos.com -- you'll see that they offer visitors a lot of useful content. Adding fresh content writing to your site can dramatically improve your conversions.
Your best defense to defections is valuable content. Fresh content writing comes in the forms of blogs and web pages.
Adding content writing to your site helps convert website window shoppers into customers. When you explain the value of your products and services with unique content writing on your home, category, sub-category and product pages, you answer your visitors' questions. They need to know whether or not your product will fit their needs.
Establish Trust
When you provide a lot of well-organized information about your offerings, you appear more credible in your visitors' eyes. You give them more reason to trust you, and we all know we're more likely to buy from someone we can trust. The more expensive the offering, the more information is needed.
Providing enough content to help a visitor make an informed decision works well as a long-term strategy. A visitor who buys from you will remember that they had a good experience, because you helped them make up their mind. And they're more likely to do repeat business with you. They'll refer a friend to you too. Even a visitor who doesn't buy from you will remember that you provided plenty of content, and is likely to come back when they do need your products or services. You've proven that you're credible by the amount of information your site provides.
Avoid Overdoing It
To remain credible, though, you need to provide not only lots of information about your products and services, but the right kind of information. Being up front with both pros and cons, benefits and possible side-effects, allows the customer to weigh each against that of other products or even your competitors. Give your website visitors tips and insights whenever possible. Avoid using salesy come-ons and promotional hype. Visitors can sniff that out and will "walk out" on you and quickly click onto another website.
Just ask any Internet marketing expert - authentic, relevant content writing is what works.
Building up your content is a strategy for the long haul. It's not going to happen overnight, but it will pay dividends both now and down the road.
Note:
THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
Is the old style of marketing working for you and your business?
From a great movie, a 1992 movie many men love called "Glengarry Glen Ross", is the line from the tough character named Blake (played by Alec Baldwin): "A-I-D-A. Attention, Interest, Decision, Action. Attention - Do I have you attention? Interest - Are you interested? I know you are..."
The acronym AIDA from this old movie sums it up.
A - Attention
I - Interest
D - Decision
A - Action
That method may have worked in the past. But there are more subtle ways through your website presence that are proving to win out over time by building trust with your potential clients.
The new approach to marketing is inbound marketing. It is all about attraction. Here are the 7 C's to successful inbound marketing - which go way beyond typical web SEO services.
- Contact - Attract clients to your website. Establish contact with your products / services. Customers are seeking you out. Ensure you know who they are and how to follow up with them.
- Connect - establish rapport. Build a relationship by offering up valuable content or downloadable info. Connected potentials become followers and participate on your website.
- Conversation - a give and take with your customer, the back-and-forth flow of information. This is a desired exchange. Tip: collect contact information at this stage.
- Consideration - Consistent connections lead to consideration. The buying process may be long or might seem random. Hitting prospective customers with automated email nurturing campaigns or newsletters give a better chance of improving consideration chances.
- Consumption - measure the conversion of closing a lead. This is true consumption. Look for ways to track and improve your closing rates.
- Community - your customers are a valuable asset, not just for repeat sales in the future but also for the connections (recommendations) they represent. Speak to them in their worlds. Social media options are just one way to build community.
- Care - Always look to serve your communities and your customers. In the end this will lead to riches. Customers can sniff out salesy come-ons. Offer up valuable fresh new content because you care.
Simply put: Use the 7 C's to land customers.
Caring is sharing. If you want more information about the 7 C's or about successful inbound marketing strategies - seek out trusted authorities.
Note:
THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
Link building is the ultimate key to helping in your organic rankings. He who has the most inbound links with the most link mojo will usually win out on Google's ranking formula. So, you may have been reading about all the strategies that include spinning, link farming and link voodoo. Ok I made up link voodoo but the point is that there are so many folks out there who are trying to make money from you that have these special link building "tricks".
Gain Inbound Links
Problem is that you may just get the quick hit and get a few extra hits to the site, but will it work for the long haul? Negative. There is only one certain way to build juicy links with good mojo and that is having quality content to link to. Writing Blogs and site content will ultimately be found by other sites and some of these sites will end up linking to yours. Some sites will be relevant to your site and some will have the mojo you are looking for. Take this Atlanta SEO firm's number one client - Cedar Creek Cabin Rentals - who used the Hubspot software to help track links, adding content, building the SEO keyword site work, build calls to actions to help the site gain leads. Due to the content, the site has grown their inbound links exponentially in only 9 months.
Win out Organically
Due to this inbound linking success, the organic rankings have improved and subsequently hits, leads and clients which makes this Helen Ga cabin rental a very happy client. Ok so you dont have time to do all that work. Hire a firm like 98 To Go that can do the work for you for about half that of a full time employee.
Do the Work for Free on Your Own
Not able to spend the money? You can do some of the work on your own. Reach out to your local business community in your area. Let them know you can help them advertise via blogging, newsletter reach outs or even a page on your site so that you can help them drive traffic to theirs. In return, you only need a link coming back. Be sure that link is a keyword rich text so that Google can find it easier and give you more relevance on your site.
Note:
THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
So you know how to tweet, you know how to Facebook, you know how to do SEO work and you are killing it online. Then you're just fine, right? I mean, you may have lots of likes and hundreds of twitter followers or thousands of hits to the site. So magically your business is thriving? Or in the back of your head, do you wonder if it really is making any difference at all.
All of these things are great and you really should be working them but the issue is, what is it really doing for your bottom line. Can you track your success? Can you track the leads or customers you are getting from that work or is it just a bunch of noise and you are going with the herd that says you should? Let's face it, you must track it and know the work you are putting forth is worth the return you desire. This Atlanta internet marketing for newbies company is not only tracking but engaging your audience to learn about your company.
Having thousands of twitter followers that do not result in any purchases to your biz may just mean you have 1252 followers. Great, and you have 2000 likes on Facebook. How many of those have added to your bottom line?
I just got back from Vegas and I admit I like to play craps. There is only one thing for certain about gambling and that is that you will always end up loosing at some point. Sure, you may have a quick hit and may score on some chips and that feels good. But you know that it will come to an end at some point.
Same exact thing happens with internet marketing for newbies. Many newbies are tempted by SEO companies to score the quick hit. A quick hit can look like this, "We will get you to the top of Google guaranteed". If you gamble, that quick hit is like throwing down on a horn bet, doubling down on a pair, or riding the black on roulette. You may just win for the short term but will it last?
There is really only one sure fire way to last and that is with content that is useful and will engage and build rapport with your users. It is the only sure fire way to give your users and Google what they need to make a long term impact. It drives me a little nutso when people say, "Well, it changes all the time". I say baloney. The content writing is what will always be required to keep Google relevant. The content is what will keep your potential clients coming back for more, the content is king and the only sure bet. Learn more about the only sure thing when it comes to your business online presence.
Note:
THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
There are 3 ways to get organic rankings and your competitor is just not paying attention, feeling overwhelmed running his/her business, or simply not doing the right things that will make a difference online. These companies may have done the right thing 15 years ago by slapping up a web page and they are now hanging in there because of the length of time they have been out there. BUT, this will not last if their competition is taking the right steps to get their own organic rankings.
- Blog - We will say it over and over until we are blue in the face, if you are not writing blogs you are dead. Not sure where to start? Ask yourself what questions your customers are asking you. This Atlanta SEO talks to folks all the time who think they need to write papers like they were back in school. The folks get bored with that stuff. People want their questions answered and your blog can do just that.
- Keyword Optimize - Some call this SEO work. SEO is a one time thing that must be done to help Google find you. The keywords should vary per page and be those that are searched to find your business. A keyword called home page is a common one that is absolutely a waste of time. When is the last time someone typed in home page and found your site? Use keywords relevant to your business.
Video - Video is absolutely the best way to keep your audience engaged. Google factors in how much time people spend on your site, and video that is engaging and relevant is an excellent way to do just that. You don't have to have a production studio anymore. Apple has made it simple to produce video that you can shoot from an Iphone. Keep it simple and less than 60 seconds and you will increase your user engagement on your site. Optimizing video is another story that we will cover in a future blog.
Note:
THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
Soon, billboards as we know them will be gone. Bye, bye. Just like rotary dial phones, Yellow Pages, and cassette tapes. Instead old a
dvertising billboards will become relics.
But I have an idea. Turn old billboards that nobody is looking at these days into swingsets in the sky.
Look Out: Looking Down
This is the best idea I've come across. Why not get some value out of billboards. Yes, I'm a jaded Internet marketing Atlanta professional who believes consumers are looking down at their phone or computer device and searching for exactly what they need. They are not looking up at billboards and acting on the ad message.
One Atlanta marketing agency told me recently that local businesses need a memorable telephone number. This same agency still advises billboard advertising for its clients. Somehow I tend to differ. Here's what I believe regarding billboards:
Engage Me
1) Quividi is a company that installs camera systems in billboards. A computer then analyzes those that pass by. It can guess gender to an 85% accuracy rate, and then the billboard changes according to the gender. The company is attempting to upgrade its system to detect different ages and family groups. OK, somewhat cool.
2) QR codes can make anything an interactive billboard. QR codes are simply 2D barcodes that can be scanned using a smartphone reader application. The phone's browser will then take you to a linked site.
Check out the world's largest QR code on the rooftop of the highly inventive Southern Resources recycling plant. Very cool, definitely press-worthy, and potentially engaging.
One of the best ways to leverage QR codes is in places where your audience is already on the go and only has access to their smartphone, like when they're out and about and away from their desktop or laptop computers.
3) Business websites. Plain old everyday websites are billboards. They are online workaholics, constantly available to draw in customers. Websites are online billboards that can engage customers. But importantly - these business website billboards need calls-to-action to engage. Otherwise, a business website is nothing more than a boring brochure.
Here's A Sizzling Idea
Turn your website from a brochure to a billboard that attracts customers and engages them to become leads or perhaps paying customers. What you need is a keyword strategy, a consistent blogging practice and a way to highly optimize all of your website content including new pages, blogs and video.
Need help getting this sizzling idea off the ground?
Note:
THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
Content is King. We've heard this expression before. But somehow it needs repeating. So here goes (with a twist)...
If Content is King then Blogs are the Prince. Isn't it true that Princes (or Princesses) are desired, attractive, searched for, and powerful? Well, so are Blogs. Especially ones that are easy on the eyes and that are linked to/from places of power.
In today's Internet world fresh new content is what's most powerful, valuable and helpful. Like the Prince (or Princess) - blogs are a game changers.
If writing blogs is at the core for local business internet marketing strategies - then the kingdom can be yours. Your future customers and today's search engines are hungry for compelling internet content. Businesses not producing fresh online content will not survive. Those writing blogs will thrive. Blogs (like the Prince) will eventually rule. Visualize a King who's smiling, he's content. [Nice play on words]. The King hands off the Kingdom to the Prince to rule.
The key to thriving in organic search is writing blogs. For those that take on the solid inbound marketing practice of consistently blogging for themselves - a difficult day will come. Yes. Results will come... but then.... you will encounter writer's block (we all do, don't we!). Blogging will seem difficult. It may take hours to get out 150 words of jibber jabber.
Here's a tip. Don't just sit there. Check out this nifty e-book titled "How to Brainstorm Content that Rocks and Converts" from the Good folks at HubSpot. If you really get stuck, don't be shy about connecting with a blog writing Atlanta firm for help.
Note:
THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
Let's just cut to the chase. If you are an SEO company and you claim that you have this magical black box and you know how to get to the top of Google, my guess is that you also have some excellent land down in Florida that has lots of good water front (i.e. swamp) with incredible wildlife (ie. alligators). Folks, there is no magic bullet on how this works. It is shear hard work. Sorry, but thems the facts.
The ONLY way to have a sure way to get to the top of our search engine, friends, is to produce juicy content. SEO on page work is only 15-20% of the dealeo. So I enjoy telling you my stories about people we talk to every day. Please understand that we absolutely know the way, as we are proving it out with the facts. Real live data that is produced not by a black box but by Hubspot's software. So we are talking to a very sweet elderly woman who owns her own business but is concerned about her fall in the ranks. I mentioned how this is done by producing useful content your users want but also what the Google robots need to help her site become more relevant. She says, "nah, I really don't like blogging". I could not help myself but to say, "you may find yourself falling even farther down the page ranks".
Folks, please do not think this way. Just because you don't like to blog, it does not mean that you have to avoid this work all together. Sure, you can do this on your own and save some bucks but there are SEO Companies that offer "optimized" blog writing for you. Writing blogs does cost but think of it like building an annuity. This annuity is the gift of giving that does not have a life span. It literally is forever. Well, as long as you keep your website. That page will forever be listed, carry keywords, engage your would be clients, and hopefully call them to action so that you can offer them something useful.
Note:
THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
Video formats can be confusing. .avi, .wmv, .mp4, .mov & a slew of other formats.
Yikes!
Video is important. It's a growing area for online marketing. Videos are coming up in regular search results. Google bought YouTube. If you're not currently using video to market your business - think again.
The ability to grab video is easier than ever before. Nearly everyone has access to a smartphone, mini-camcorder, camera, or a flip-cam. All shoot decent video. Editing video is getting simpler, especially with Apple software. But here's a point that gets lost. Video file formats can be a stumbling block. Unless you know about formats and compression and file sizes and compatibility - it can get challenging to get video to work for you.
Here's some hopefully helpful info regarding video formats that are best to use on your website or on a social media marketing channel (such as YouTube).
For the Internet, smaller file sizes are key. Even as the Internet's capacity for video delivery grows, and as most people connect via broadband, it is still best to keep file sizes as small as possible. A large video file is more likely to stall and drive the would-be viewer crazy. The smaller the file size, the easier it will stream, which may very well make the difference between whether a website visitor (potential customer) bothers to watch or not.
MP4 is a great sharing format for the internet. It's fairly small but it looks quite clean. It’s the video format employed by a growing number of devices. This format is highly recommended.
In fact, YouTube recommends using MP4 format. YouTube accepts multiple formats, and then converts them all to .flv or .mp4 for distribution.
Here's a list of some other well-known formats that YouTube supports:
- WebM files
- .MPEG4, 3GPP and MOV files - Typically supporting h264 compression
- .AVI - Many cameras output this format
- .MPEGPS
- .WMV
- .FLV - Adobe Flash video
More and more online video publishers are moving to MP4 (using H.264 as the video compression mode) as the standard internet sharing format with use within both Flash players as well as HTML5. MP4 is the recommended format for online video delivery.
.MOVe Over .FLV and .WMV
.MOV is the file extension used for Apple Quick Time movies. .MOV is an extremely common sharing format. It is considered one of the best looking and it does indeed look great but the files sizes are big. QuickTime versions and players exist on almost all PCs. Some people argue that QuickTime is far superior to similar Windows based applications.
Now let's discuss the .flv format. Flash video is the single most common sharing format on the web today. You’ll see the .FLV file extension on videos encoded by Adobe Flash software to play within the Adobe Flash Player. Virtually everyone (99%) has the adobe player installed in their browser and so this has fast become the most common online video viewing platform.
Almost all the video sharing sites stream video in flash. One can upload formats other than flash, and those sites will convert it into flash for streaming to the end user.
Notable users of the Flash Video format include YouTube, Yahoo! Video, MySpace, and many others. Most of those sites accept uploads in formats like QuickTime, mpeg4, or wmv, and then they convert it to flash or MP4 before actually putting it out on the net. In addition to the nearly universal flash video player, FLV is popular because it gives one of the smallest file sizes after compression yet it retains fairly good quality.
Although FLV’s are the most common format found on the web today, the standard is moving towards the use of using MP4 H.264 files within flash players as it is compatible with both online and mobile, not to mention some HTML5 browser support (Safari, Chrome). Source: An Overview of Internet Video File Formats - Video Containers ©2008-2011 ReelSEO.com Online Video Guide
If you're considering adding video to your online marketing tool box - seek out a full internet marketing service.
Note:
THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
This is not the place to start a last minute desperation plan. Your business is doing good but you want it to grow. If your business is hurting, starting this process of online may not be an option. You see, it does not happen over night. In fact, very little happens in the first 6 months. Oops, I did not mean to rain on your parade. If this Atlanta SEO company were just told that you will get to the top of Google if you pay them $5000 a month, they know it is not that simple.
Another way to look at it is that Google will not recognize you until you've proven your value. That value is providing them what they need. Useful content. Without it, Google goes away.
How long would Google be around if there was no one writing blogs, no new pages added, no useful information to be found. Well they would hang in there because there is so much now, but can you imagine in 2025 looking for an article and the most recent date said 2011. If Bing (which they are well behind Google) was adding more content and you went to Bing for that same article and the date was 2025, they would more than likely get you to check them out.
So that is on the largest scale and the simplest reason why Google is on the hunt for good user content, but take it down to your business. Now here is where so many business owners say, "yeah, but this does not relate to my business". We talked with an office supply company and they said, "Well, we are just looking for the businesses that buy stuff, not to the masses, so blogging does not relate to us". I could not believe my ears. That type of potential buyer of office stuff is doing a search, is looking for options, is looking for ways to save, is looking for new products that will make or save his company money and make that individual look good. The owner was the one that knows that stuff and he also knows the tricks of the trade that buyer would find highly useful.
That content is exactly what that person needs and if he gets useful information from that office supply company, he may just start building some trust. This will sound silly but this is building a relationship with that person and oh by the way, thousands of others that are looking 24/7/365 on the net for the same thing that person was looking for.
This Atlanta SEO Company felt like screaming "Are you out of your mind" if you don't blog and add content, those people will go to someone that does and buy from them. This same person will spend most of his marketing budget on a radio ad or yellow pages. Are you kidding me?
Grow your business online by providing your potential clients what they want to know, after 6 months you will be floored by the results. Spend $2-3 an hour (24/7/365) and have your online real estate leverage the world, not just a few listening to the radio that minute. This is not a black box approach, this approach can be measured to show a real ROI, real leads, real customers, and adds to the real bottom line of your company.
Note:
THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
I just got a new iPhone. Finally. After waiting nearly 3 years I jumped on the chance to get the iPhone 4S. I'm really gung-ho on the powerful assistant. It's a feature called Siri. You can ask Siri to do just about anything. Practical things like text so-and-so, email, remind me, set a timer, wake me up...etc.
But what really struck me was the answer to the ever challenging question "What is the meaning of life?" A vexing question if there ever was one. My new phone has the answer. Siri can be serious. Siri can be funny. Siri can be 3-dimensional when it comes to the meaning of life question. Siri came up with three answers that I'll post below. Then I'll offer up my answer to this very same question. First, Siri's responses to "What's the meaning of life?":
1) Life: the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
2) Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try to live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations.
3) 42.
Siri rocks.
As for me, I'd offer up something like this... The meaning of life is found somewhere between detaching from judgment and fear and attaching to love and abundance. It might just be... doing the next right thing.
For some SEO consultants that next right thing is article spinning, link farms, low quality directories and other quick fix ideas. marketing firms in Atlanta like us know doing the next right thing is the consistent practice of inbound marketing. To discover the next right thing for your online marketing - ask for help. Or ask Siri!
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THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
If you are using inbound marketing techniques, your company is in big trouble. You see you will end up having to do a lot of work. You will first need to hire someone to help you manage the amount of leads, you will need to build out your infrastructure, you will need to buy more stuff....Yes your company will end up growing. Then is your sales staff ready to close that lead. Is your sales team trained on how to close this person that has typed something on line and has provided information to contact them? Are they able to close that lead into a client.
Some actually look at this as a problem and are scared of this growth. Hard for us to believe but there is really no need to be concerned about growth. There are actually companies that can help you take all the leads you will generate from the inbound marketing and bring them down the sales funnel if your outfit is not set up to do so. Outsourcing this may be the answer for you. You can scale up as needed and determine if this is a fit or not, at the same time, you can begin training someone on how to handle the additional lead flow. Normally, you, or your sales staff can then take these vetted leads and close them out.
Setting up a system is advised so that you can manage this new found lead flow. We have had companies tell us "I can buy leads to call" but there is big difference with a lead that was inbound vs. a lead that is found through other matrix like demographic targeting. An inbound marketing lead is the very best lead as that individual has searched your site out and are looking for more information. Hire an atlanta inbound marketing agency to help you attract inbound leads, consider a company that can help manage those leads if you are not set up to do so, then watch. You will be pleased when you begin your growth.
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THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
Q: What do Google and the inbound marketing agency 98 To Go have in common?
A: Well, both are creating jobs. And, both companies help other businesses get found online.
Google announced yesterday its aggressive plans to continue hiring. In Q3 alone, Google hired 2,585 new people. That's over 1,000 more new people than the year-ago quarter.
Barely 6 months old, 98 To Go announced this week it too is creating jobs. While many companies are downsizing and the Atlanta-area unemployment is 10.4%, 98 To Go is determined to grow and provide for families. Three new positions are now available at 98 To Go, Inc:
- Director of Client Support
- Assistant
- Content Optimizer
If you know someone who might be a right fit for the culture of 98 To Go - please seek us out.
This is another example where 98 To Go is going against the herd. While most marketing companies are pulling back, this full internet marketing service is going in a different direction. Hiring is one area of difference. Another is in approach. Most SEO companies are unfocused and dabble in lots of areas. 98 To Go goes against the SEO herd with its laser sharp focus on highly optimized content strategy. Here's a nifty cartoon from HubSpot - the software leader in inbound marketing
:
This focus on optimized content has proven to be a difference maker. So has helping businesses get found online. Here again Google and 98 To Go are alike. Google has mastered online search. While the inbound marketing agency 98 To Go has mastered the long-term organic approach to businesses getting found online via search engines.
If your company is also about growth and creating jobs, then let's get started. Shall we?
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THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
We see it over and over, a site that has been around forever is getting top rankings. They have time on their side and that shows they are real to Google so they give these folks favor. But the big question of the day..."Is the site converting to leads and or customers?" Maybe? Would you rather be number one and convert one lead out of 50 site hits or number 10 and convert 2 leads out of 10 site hits. Ah that is a no brainer right? Why then are so many people obsessed with getting rankings and hits? You want your site to be balanced.
Meeting with business owners and talking about search SEO is necessary as that's what many are starting to understand. Yes, you need to do the SEO work in order for the Google crawlers to find your site. That is actually only 15-20% of the Google formula. Did you know that another part of what Google looks at is how long you are on the site? You see the Google formula is configured by some programmer geeks at Google and it does change often. The trend is to make the search as user friendly as possible. The site that has users staying on and engaging is a factor.
But I have top rankings now and I don't need any help is what this Internet Marketing Expert hears. Our question is "how is that working for you?" The answer is usually that they are not getting the conversions they desire or they are getting a ton of leads but the leads just are not relevelent to becoming clients.
Don't we all want a site that has rank and leads that convert?
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THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
I love research. Wait, that sounds geeky. OK. Here's the truth. I love numbers. Statistics, batting averages, percentages.
Here are numbers I really like: 4 of the 5 top priorities for marketers are with leads. See the chart just below.
Marketing Priorities
Marketers now prioritize lead conversion over branding, reputation and awareness - or so say over 1,700 marketers focusing on B2B (business-to-business) marketing issues. See the latest MarketingSherpa 2012 B2B Marketing Benchmark Report for more details.
When it comes to growing your business or adding to your bottom line - nothing beats this: converting more leads. This is the accent of good marketing efforts. It's no longer just the responsibility of sales to convert leads. Astute marketers who follow inbound marketing tactics can track their success around lead generation, lead nurturing, lead qualifying and lead converting. Marketers that can't track or measure these aren't worth retaining.
One method that helps = Get more visitors to your business website. But, just hoping these visitors take action won't work. Most websites today simply don't engage visitors to do something. Sure, many website look pretty or are awesome to look at. What really works is to engage website visitors so that they take an action.
Inbound Marketing Agency Focuses on Calls-to-Action
Stop hoping and start engaging.
That's the message of one inbound marketing agency in Atlanta. Here is a surefire way to improve lead conversion: add 2-3 calls-to-action on your website near the top of the page. Make sure they're compelling. Do they call you to action?
Here's a childhood hero of mine. Underdog! He was called into action to save the day. Start engaging visitors now. Don't let your competitors beat you up.
Ask for calls-to-action and other marketing tips from your SEO Co. Stop whining "Oh where oh where has my Underdog gone" like Sweet Polly Purebred.
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Your a business owner and if you are like me, I am so sick and tired of people telling me that I have to be involved with social media. Social is where it's at, you have to do social, you can't survive without social, blah blah blah. Here is my reponse. PROVE IT!
Give me one iota of proof that shows that this is worth the energy you "think" you need to plow into this. With all the talk, have you ever seen an ROI chart to show that spending a second on this is worth the time? Is there anyone that has doubt and thinks, "wait just a cotton pickin minute, where is the proof". I know that you see social media campaign emblems everywhere and they say they have more users and hits than any other site, but does this really help my business?
You need software to prove it
Google Analytic will not tell us how many people from our Facebook page came to the site and gave their information as a lead, then converted to a paying customer. Sure, Google can tell you conversions for clicks on Google ads but not anything else. There is now software that will. Hubspot.
Hubspot will track every hit, every lead, every customer so that you can then determine if the money you spend is worth the money you earn. We know that just setting up a Facebook page in itself does not cut it. You will need to work it or spend money on someone that understands how to work it. Spending that coin and then seeing if it pans out is the only way in my mind that you can truly "prove it!".
Ask for proof next time someone says social
If you want to get someones goat that is tellin you that social is a must, just ask for proof. This Social Media marketing Atlanta firm will not only prove it, we may tell you not to waste your hard earned cash, unless of course the numbers prove out otherwise.
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There is a way to grow business. Even in these times.
If you talk about what you believe, you will attract those who believe what you believe. Now this could be customers, this could be partners, or it might be those new employees who will energize your workforce.
Huge Mental Shifts
Apple's Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King, and the Wright Brothers all had the ability to inspire by answering the question "Why?" and talking about the why to others. They attracted followers (loyalists). And they caused change. And inspired growth. Each of them required huge mental shifts in the way things had always been done.
Content writing is where many businesses get stopped. Creating fresh new content consistently is the basis of inbound marketing. It takes work. It takes a mental shift.
Traditional marketing involves telling the world about your business. On TV ads, on the radio, via billboards and direct mail pieces. Maybe the message gets through, maybe not. None of it is directly measurable. That's traditional marketing. On the flip side is inbound marketing. This is where you gain social proof (acceptance, interest) by creating interesting content and sharing your words, ideas, solutions, and expressions to the world.
By sharing useful content via inbound marketing your business will grow. Pure and simple. Note that I said "useful" content. I don't mean self-promoting content. Growing your business with inbound marketing means communicating with your customers, not blasting out to them.
Inbound marketing isn't about a single promo campaign. It's about consistent, generous, content creation and sharing. This is where you build community, and trust. This will attract those who believe what you believe (the "Why?"). It's about building relationships, over time.
Content is Still King
Remember in the world where Google can build businesses, content writing is king. It's time to meet your new King:
Where Do You Fall?
Our population splits into these 5 segments. This is from the Law of Diffusion of Innovation.
- The first 2.5% = innovators
- The next 13.5% = early adopters
- The next 34% = early majority
- Then comes 34% = late majority
- Finally the last 16% = laggards (rotary dial phone owners who discovered touch tone phones and stayed there!)
You recognize the innovators and the early adopters - they are the ones who stood in line to buy iPhones when they first came out.
In business today the marketing innovators are inbound marketers. They are consistently blogging and sharing their "Why?" with fresh new and valued content writing.
Don't be a laggard or a late majority.
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THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
So your website has been hanging around for years and you have heard about the importance of Web SEO Services, content creation, and how many folks actually use the internet now to find anything and everything. Sure it is for restaurants and movies, but now it is anywhere from where to get a good auto mechanic to a lawyer, a doctor or almost any business is now searched online.
You know that these Atlanta inbound marketing firms are charging a ton of money to say they can help but how do you know for sure? Until a tracking tool call Hubspot came along, there really was no sure fire way to see your results so you were taking a chance. The tool is great but actually utilizing that tool could be a whole other ball of wax so let's break it down what you absolutely must do to stay on the map.
1. Create Content
65% of all internet users read blogs and say that blogs help them make decisions. Did you hear that? This would be your customers or potential customers. If you have a client and you are not blogging and your competition is blogging useful information, you may not remain the business of choice for that client. Or if you are trying to engage a buyer, same thing, many are now looking for what you may be blogging about.
2. Create Engaging Videos
There is no doubt that videos are on demand as youtube is currently the 2nd largest search engine. A video can engage your website researchers and give them information in a 60 second video that all the writing on your site may not. Create and optimize videos to engage your online audience.
3. Offer something useful
You know your business much better than the average Joe. Give Joe something useful or cool that he/she says "Wow, I really needed that info" and make them provide their email to get it. They appreciate the info and you will be able to stay in touch with monthly promotions that will give them even more info or deals you may offer.
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THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
If you ever catch yourself saying "this is too good to be true". It probably is. Especially when it comes to internet marketing SEO services. Do you get bombarded by search SEO companies with outrageous email offers? Here are some:
- We'll get you to the top 10 of Google
- We will improve your site rankings in less than 30 days
- We promise 75% increase in traffic
- We will stop wars in the Middle East
These offers are easy to spot because there are spelling mistakes, promises that the links are quality links and the email is sent by one name like Kamal, Andriv, Kumar. Beware of these SEO offers. You know that internet marketing is not a quick fix tactic. Professional internet marketing SEO services that deliver results take 4-8 months at a minimum.
Get smart. Here's what not to do with your site while using internet marketing SEO services:
- Avoid sketchy SEO techniques. Sometimes called "Black Hat" methods - they include putting invisible text or often repeated keywords on a page. Another method is link schemes like placing hundreds/thousands of links on unrelated websites to get higher rankings.
- Targeting keywords not relevant to your business. You know your business. Not some SEO smarty.
- reciprocal links - (Trading links) don't work with businesses that agree to place a link to your site on theirs. Doing so with a few sites similar to yours can be a good strategy. But don't go overboard, especially with unrelated sites.
- Directories - promises to list your site in thousands of online directories will only get you bad quality links. Only a few directories are worthwhile - you'll recognize them by name.
Here's a trusted resource: SEO Moz. They offer a
beginner's guide to SEO and even include a printable .pdf workbook.
Organic
search SEO that works is persistent, hard work such as building high-quality inbound links or creating lots of high-quality content. These are the methods to improving rankings and quality visitor traffic.
Google itself says it best: “The best way to get other sites to create relevant links to yours is to create unique, relevant content that can quickly gain popularity in the Internet community.”
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THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
Feedback is a way to show off your customer results. A video of a happy customer works great but if you don't have that, the next best way is to survey them and post the results. Not only are you showing the world that you are open about what others are thinking and saying, it will give you tremendous insight about how your company is doing.
An example may look like this where the customers that stayed at Cedar Creek cabins are all asked to fill a survey on their experience. The would be cabin goers now have recent and relevant information to process on if they may stay at Cedar Creek Cabins. It's a trust thing. Many try to offer feedback by writing about what one person may have said but if it were me, I would take that with a grain a salt but if you had 50 people that are all giving positive feedback and there is only 1 or 2 that may not be so positive, I'm more likely to think this is a more realistic review of the business.
To get it says this SEO in Atlanta, you need to capture your clients email and maybe even offer them something to come back and see you or better yet, buy something from your company. After all, you want to stay in rapport with them over the years so that they:
- Remember your company
- Refer your company and
- Come back again for more
It surprises me how many business miss the boat on this. Seeing a dentists, real estate agents, or buying a diamond ring and I never have receive any information from them. You would think they would have some sort of follow up but so many do not. Atlanta SEO Services says no matter what business your in, a survey on how your company performed is valuable and shows you give a hoot about them. Following up in a way that is not in your face by maybe providing useful tips or information just can not hurt and may get you a referral you never thought you would and this is such an cheap way to build your business and stay in relationship with your clients.
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THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
Indeed, inbound marketing can build your business. But what exactly is it?
Well, here it is. I'm a simple man. I like to learn things as simply as possible. Hopefully this article will explain inbound marketing simply for you too.
Inbound marketing is a rather new term. To me it means marketing in a manner that attracts. Bring customers in (inbound) rather than push messages out (outbound marketing). In the online world - website pages with compelling content attract.
Old fashioned marketing is outbound marketing. This is advertising on TV, radio, newspaper, billboard, direct mail, cold-calling... you get the drift. Am I the only one blocking out these types of ads? Opposite of outbound marketing is this new marketing wave - inbound marketing.
Every business with a website or a blog has great potential to get found by anyone with internet access. Successful inbound marketers do three things:
- Increase chances of being found online
- Convert website window shoppers into customers
- Track everything and leverage what is working
You can do inbound marketing yourself. All you need are some basics and a good tool to measure results. It takes some work and some patience to get results. A solid inbound marketing agency will sit down with you and go over your goals and business growth plans. Likely growth planning includes: more leads and more customers. Bam!
Next. A simplified list - a must do list - to succeed with inbound marketing:
Keyword research - select phrases that your ideal customers would search for if using Google or Bing to find a business service (or products) like yours
Create content - place these keywords in fresh new website pages or blogs. Make the information valuable. Create consistently. Several times a week is best.
Optimize - make sure you've used best practices to help search engines and customers find this new content you've created. There are ways to do this on your website and in your blogs.
Engage visitors - if someone is knocking at your door (or outside your store window) - then let them in!!!. Don't ignore them, engage visitors with calls-to-action. Build up your database of interested shoppers by capturing their contact info. Offer up discounts, tips, promotions, solutions, games, contests, etc.
Measure - Track it all. Find out what efforts are working. Which blogs are better than others?
I hope I've simplified inbound marketing for you and helped lay out steps to being a successful at it. Be effective. Do the "must do list". If you need help, don't be afraid to reach out.
Inbound marketing is a cost effective way to grow your leads and gain new customers.
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THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
Do you really think you are going to figure out how to out game the master? This Atlanta SEO Company just dosen't get folks that are spending their energy, time and money to figure this out when Google just plain tells you what to do and what will work to improve your organic search. If you followed us at all you know that relevant content is the only sure fire way to win out.
Oh, I don't have time or I can't think of what to write is simply not an option any longer. Your competition is licking their chops when you say this. The content you put out is what Google needs to keep their company relevant. Updated and valuable content from those that are the experts. That would be you if you own a business. You know better than anyone what your customers are looking for and any updates on that are relevant to those searching them out.
So you can spend your time spinning articles or paying for article writers to have links to your site. You can load up keywords to pages so that they no longer make any sense and feel spammy to the user.
Sure you may get a few quick hits but in the long haul, useful content is what will ultimately give you relevancy. Oh by the way, what good are the hits if you are not engaging the user and hopefully getting their info so you can build rapport with them.
Writing Blogs made easy software by Hubspot is a great way to break in and start creating in a optimized way that Google will find you. Their tool is the best we have seen and it makes sense that Google invested heavily in Hubspot. Like any software it is useful to have companies like 98 To Go provide their services of how to optimize and build your lead database through the use of that software.
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THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
Blogging packs a powerful punch. Bam! It's a huge weapon in your
arsenal to beat the competition when it comes to Internet marketing SEO services. By blogging frequently your company puts out fresh content which consistently attracts potential customers. Blogging is marketing. Writing blogs that are optimized helps them get searched for and then found by your target audience.
I think of blogging as social media marketing designed to educate your readers with your expertise, opinions and your advice. With a blog, you are not selling directly to customers. Instead, it’s a powerful business tool that can be used for interacting and for establishing yourself as a valuable, trusted authority.
Blogging is Reach
Blogging for business is an effective way of expanding your social network and getting in front of targeted people. This organic way of spreading the word can be more cost-effective than paid search. Blogging allows you to market yourself using various social media strategies.
Here is the truth, and you don't have to take just my word for it: Blogs will Change Your Business.
Here are other online avenues to optimize to attract visitors and customers:
- official company website
- LinkedIn profile
- Facebook fan page
- Local Google Places search listing
These are the main ones you must be using. Top TIP: Add or share your business blog with all four of these online marketing methods to increase your reach and your SEO power. There's no cost to any of these except for your time.
Maybe there's not enough time or confidence to devote to taking advantage of these proven social media marketing tips. Don't fret just yet. There are services and companies out there who know the value of blogging often and practice this for themselves. Carefully seek out trusted authorities in optimized blogging.
It's time to beat your competition. Bam, Bam. Knockout.
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THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.
Inbound Marketing Agency - hears it all the time from business owners, "I have a blog", I do SEO, I optimize my site, I have an email campaign. We ask why isn't that working if you are doing all those things? I met someone that really knew a lot about the internet, about SEO, about how to get people to his site, but after a great discussion, he finally came out and said the truth..."Well the problem is I am not getting the conversions". Another way for saying leads.
Buttons, Buttons and more Buttons
So after we met, I went and took a look at his site to see how great the blogs, SEO, and request for leads were. Now keep in mind this person has a full time business and has his hands full and is doing ok but just not growing the way he wants. He and most of us know that we need to start working our site for leads but we all try the default "newsletter sign up" or "schedule appointment". Problem is you are only targeting a few percent of the folks out there and that is a great start and better than most but that is all it is... A start.
People want useful information and no matter what you do, there is useful information that may entice them to giving up their email (what we call a lead).
- Paint company: Top Tips to Sell Your Home Fast
- Personal trainer: Best Fat Burning Exercises to Remove the Weight
- Restaurant: Enjoy your First Beverage on Us
- Hotel: Top 5 Attractions in the Area
The possibilities are endless for inbound marketing. A button that brings you to a page that spells out a compelling message as to why you need what you just clicked on. If done right, you will end up with an email and then the magic of building a long term on line rapport begins.
Go Easy Philly
If you think that is all you need, well you may be missing the potential boat of profits. These folks trusted you to give their email, but how you deal with them next is key. Do NOT go for the juggler on the next message to them. A very short yet highly useful information of what else may bring value to them that you have taken the time to research and provide for them.
Build the trust, possibly get them to your blog, or offer them some value deal that you can live with to get them enticed. Sound difficult? It is really not that bad as there is software out there that can automate this process to make it seamless and you will watch the leads fly in. As far as there as been life on earth, it has held true that getting leads will ultimately lead to closing the sale. No leads and you are only working off referrals? Sorry to inform but those folks will eventually be on line and see that little button and that definite client may be wooed by your competition from a harmless little search online.
Hubspot software video here.
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Writing blogs for your business is a must. It brings attention and customers. If any business doesn't want more attention or more customers - then stop reading now.
Fact: the more often businesses blog, the more likely they are to gain new customers. This is according to research. See for yourself in the 2010 State of Inbound Marketing Report.
Commitment = a pledge or undertaking, a dedication. Come on and take the commitment plunge and jump in with me: "I commit to blog a few times per week because I want to grow my business". Great, now consider this regarding your commitment. It's a little like a ham and eggs breakfast. You see, the chicken's involved but the pig's committed. Do you wish to be a chicken when it comes to writing blogs? Or, will you be committed (i.e. the pig)? New customer acquisition is riding on your decision.
Now, for some top tips from this blog writing Atlanta inbound marketing agency:
- Set a goal. Understand why you are writing blogs. My goal is to attract 5 new clients this quarter through my website by using blogs as "business bait".
- Set a frequency. Most businesses average about 1 blog per week. Don't be average. Increasing your blogging frequency dramatically improves your acquisition chances.
- Use keywords. This will help focus the content of your blogs and will grow your keyword rankings and increase organic search traffic.
- Optimize all blogs. On-page optimizing means sticking to a SEO strategy such as including keywords in your blog title, the page title, and the URL of your blog.
- Build up your site. Adding blogs to your website adds pages. Each page will be indexed by Google. More indexed pages increases chances for ranking for terms related to your business (keyword terms). This is inbound marketing pure and simple.
- Make it readable. Engage your readers with interesting content that answers their queries or problems. Adding photos & images piques interest.
- Think outside the "text" box. Blogs which engage people are not just text only. Weave in video, pictures, cartoons, lists, graphs, and white space.
- Always provide a next step. Perhaps your blog is intended to give people answers or info. Encourage comments & dialog. Provide share buttons. Place a call-to-action which links to your services or products.
- Analyze. Set measurement systems in place to determine your blog's effectiveness. Pay attention. Track success. Learn and tweak past blogs.
- Get help. If you're too busy to blog consistently - then ask people you know well to refer you to a trusted authority.
Are you committed to your business growth? Blogging consistently generates more website visitors, more inbound links and inevitably higher organic search rankings. Your business growth depends on your actions today.
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THIS BLOG claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to its respectful owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail info@98togo.com with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.