Small and Medium sized business can now use the internet to their advantage and marketing online with the big boys. Through the years we have encountered many reason businesses have come up with for not wanting or needing to improve their website and marketing their business online.
Reason #1
“We don’t need it. All our customers come from referrals through word-of-mouth.”
Reason #2
“Mike, we have had a website for years but don’t receive any business from it. I realize our website is out of date and we really need help getting a modern and update look online but my marketing budget is already out of control.”
Regardless of the reasons you may have, we can help explain the various advantages of increasing your exposure and generating more traffic to your website. As each day passes, the internet is becoming more prevalent in all our lives and the internet really is the “go to” resource when searching for products and services today. Now onto a few ways we can help increase your bottom line.
Search Engine Marketing
Search Engine Marketing essentially consists of two main parts: Pay-Per-Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO):
Pay-Per-Click (PPC): Including Campaign Setup and Management
Ever wonder where those little text ads come from when you type a search into a search engine? Each ad is served to users through a service called Adwords (Google)… Yahoo, MSN, and Ask each have their own service as well. The position each ad receives is based on a number of variables including the quality of the ad, what the budget of the company placing the ad is, etc.
PPC campaigns can be profitable when completed creatively and effectively. We help you get up and running with a campaign all of your own, including offering advice of the total monthly budget to get you started. One nice thing about PPC is you can go at your own pace while we help you monitor the effectiveness and profits being generated.
Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Much more challenging than PPC is proper SEO. SEO involves a number of content techniques that make your website as easy as possible for search engines to find and filter. Among these techniques are proper keyword targeting, meta tags, alt tags, title tags, consistent site architecture, and a number of linking strategies both within your site and between your site and others like it. There are many articles online to get you started with the basics of SEO, but typically it takes an experienced consultant to propel your site into the Top 20 search results, which happens to be where most of the “clicks” come from. Search Engine Optimization involves a higher overall upfront fee, accompanied by low monthly fees, but the long term results can far outweigh the cost with increased longer exposure, more traffic, and the increased possibility of more profits.
The Importance of LOCAL SEARCH RESULTS
As of January 2008 all of the major search engines now display local search results based on where a business is “physically located”. Statistics show most people are searching online for products and services in their area with the thought process of actually buying in person. The internet is being used as a “research tool” to compare competitors offerings, with the intention of actually physically going to the local location to make the purchase.
Simply put, if your company does not show up in the local search results, you are missing out on FREE exposure and possible sales.
Optimizing your Current Website
We have many clients who already have a website but are not enjoying the benefit of showing up in the search engine rankings. We have a service for this as well, and will provide a Free Consultation on a project by project basis.