When’s the last time you looked up a number or address in a phone book? No really. I tease my wife for being the only person left in the United States that still uses the White Pages to look up information. Nevertheless, the phone books continue to get churned out and delivered year in, year out, whether people actually want them or not.
Every year there’s another stack of freshly delivered trash to our doorstep. But there is hope.
Eighteen states across the United States are now only delivering white pages phone books to those that opt-in. A welcome relief for those that need to find a home in the house every year for the newly delivered phone book. San Francisco has even enacted a ban on the phone book.
For those that find no real use in having them delivered each year, can join the cause to Ban the Phone Book. For now, let’s relish in the lovely info graphic presented by the White Pages to entice us to join the cause:
When it comes to local marketing and research BIA / Kelsey has got you covered on every front. And, they just wrapped up the 3-day ILM (Interactive Local Media) conference in San Francisco, California yesterday. This article is intended to capture the highlights as it relates to small business and local search news and prognostications.
Some 3-day highlights:
- Some of SMB’s biggest competitors are coming from markets that are not visible.
- Partnerships are on the rise, with some companies teaming up with traditional enemies these days (ClearChannel and Cumulus, for example).
- What do SMB’s consider a conversion? Calls and referrals are just the beginning, with application downloads become the next big thing.
- Differentiating quality leads from vanilla leads is the next level also.
- Being “average” at a bunch of different things means you are doomed to fail in today’s market, you must stand out.
- Self-serve is really moving to the front of SMB’s minds.
SMB’s think best quality leads come from:
- 64% phone calls
- 54% website contacts
- 42% in-person visits
- 28% Facebook responses
We all know mobile marketing is on the rise, here are some quick facts given by Gillian Heltai, senior director at comScore
- One-third of consumers own a smartphone
- 77% have GPS on their mobile device
- 25% of mobile users conduct searches on their phone, making search is the top activity on mobile browsers
- 40% of all mobile users access local content, while 75% of smartphone users access local content
- Smartphone users are scanning QR codes primarily from print media – a trend that is getting retailers attention
- The larger trend is going to be away from “pull” to “push” model.
- Quality of mobile ads will catch up to the quality of apps. Ad prices will drop and higher rates will be in cost-per-action.
- Typical SMB’s do not understand CTR, CPC, any of the acronyms. But when the phone rings, they know what to do.
- 6-8% of all searches on Google are Mobile AND Local.
- The mobile version of the typical SMB website is AWFUL.
Open Source has certainly ushered in a whole new era of website design and deployment. Gone are the days of taking weeks or months to design a great looking and highly functional website, only to be at the mercy of a webmaster to make changes and post content in a timely manner. With open source, websites can be deployed in much less time with much more functionality than standard websites.
And leading the chage is WordPress.
The WordPress framework is simply a thing of beauty, a free and open source blogging tool and publishing platform powered by PHP and MySQL that allows you to make a website, blog, or both for your business. It has numerous features including a plug-in architecture and template system. Plugins allow you to extend the functionality of your website by simply plugging in the piece of software to your website. WordPress is a perfect solution for small business owners because it can be customized to suit your desire, from aesthetics to functionality, Wordpess has it all.
“It was first released on May 27, 2003, by Matt Mullenweg[1] as a fork of b2/cafelog. As of February 2011, version 3.0 had been downloaded over 32.5 million times.[8]“
It allows the design great looking websites, that include a built-in Content Management System (CMS), because they are a CMS. A CMS is vital to allow the standard user to add content at will instead of waiting for your web master. Great content is the foundation of all websites and CMS sites provide the best opportunity of creating one.
WordPress is one open source framework I strongly recommend to my clients, due to its simplicity and powerful advantages, below are just some of them advantages:
- Most Internet Marketers use WordPress for the inherent power and simplicity
- Most Internet Marketers use WordPress, and there is good reason for that – power and simplicity
- Offers you tremendous SEO out-of-the-box – you add an optimization factor simply by using the framework
- Easy to write and publish new content with no webmaster
- It can be a web site, a blog, or both
- The source is FREE to use, you only pay for custom design and web hosting
- Infinite design and feature customization
- Plugins – one of the strongest feature of the framework makes it simply the most powerful framework
- Access to WordPress community of contributors numbering over 10,000 to assist with design, programming, training or consulting (size of community drives competitive pricing)
Wordpress is the most popular open source platforms available today, and for good reason. The community that backs WordPress continues to grow at staggering rates. What does this mean for you, the business owner? The platform will continue to grow and get better and better. I do not see anything touching WordPress in the distant future.
This is only an introduction to WordPress for the small business community. I will be exploring WordPress more in future articles, along with how you as a business owner, can leverage this great platform to grow your business online. Stay tuned.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has expanded through the rank and file, and is now seen far beyond simply getting your website ranked for keywords. Many now see SEO as a powerful tool to brand your image. Branding is what truly separates yourself from the competition, and it seems only fitting that online marketing is used in the equation.
Small business or big. It doesn’t matter when vying for sought-after real estate on the web. Branding is a super-important component of etching positive images in your customers minds. If you are highly ranked for keyword terms that places you next to big names, it will have a long-lasting and positive effect on your business name.
Branding can be directly linked to the success of your SEO campaign and should be talked about in the same breath. A properly designed SEO plan will definitely raise the awareness and brand of your company.
Yesterday, Google announced a significant change in the Places algorithm to improve the index rate, and automatically update claimed listings from trusted 3rd party sources. What does this mean to you? Well, if you have a claimed Places listing, Google may automatically update your account without your consent. An email will be sent to you if an update is about to occur, which will give you the opportunity to override any changes that will occur.
" if a user provides new information about a business they know — or if our system identifies information from another source on the web that may be more recent than the data the business owner provided via Google Places — the organic listing will automatically be updated and the business owner will be sent an email notification about the change."
Crowd awaiting boxer Jack Johnson around 1910
Keep a lookout, below is an excerpt of the letter that will be sent to business owners:
Dear Google Places user,
Google will soon update your listing data on our consumer properties such as Google and Google Maps to more accurately reflect the latest information we have about your business. We use many sources to determine the accuracy of our listing data and to provide the best possible experience for business owners and consumers who use Google and Google Maps to find local information.
Below is a summary of what your listing(s) will contain once it’s updated in the next few weeks. This will be visible on your Place page and listings across Google properties, but it will not be reflected in your Google Places account
According to Google, local searches now account for 20% of all searches on Google, which equates to 2.8 billion searches per month. Because of this massive shift to local resources, Google has invested a ton of resources to ensure the local search model is successful, it seems logical they would start at the heart of the program, Places.
Overall if this program is carefully implemented, I think it will end with good results. Since only 2% of business owners have claimed their Places account, they know they have to push the envelop in many areas. The downside to this new program, is business owners will need to keep a watchful eye on updates that occur.
Click here to find out more about the article featured image location and date it was taken.
Business owners simply don’t have the time to tweak Adwords campaigns. Google realizes this and made a bold move leveraging the already stellar Adwords platform to introduce, or shall I say rebrand, the Google Boost.
The newly packaged Adwords Express is specifically designed for the local business owner that does not have the budget, time, nor inclination, to manage a full blown Adwords campaign. It is automatically managed by Google’s algorithm based on your current Goolge Places account. Because Boost never really went mainstream, Google is hoping to leverage
the well known Adwords platform to breath new life into Boost. It was a good move by Google in attempt shed light on a product that can certainly benefit the small business owner.
Needless to say Google understands the hectic pace small business owners endure each day, and learning a system that supports a full-blown career, is the last thing on their mind. There are drawbacks to the new model, but Google did a good job of making Boost [now Adwords Express] a viable medium that be truly support the “set it and forget it” mentality.
The key takeaway from this move is small business owners must claim their Google Places account. Adwords Express will run on an optimized Places account coupled with an optimized website. The ones that understand this premise will truly come out the clear winners.
Google launched their highly anticipated Google Offers under the watchful eyes of the media today. The lucky winner? Floyd’s Coffee Shop in Portland, Oregon. Google announced the beta in an attempt to trump the widely popular Groupon.
By all indications, it looks like a very successful debut in their eventual attempt to topple the coupon king, but everyone agrees the road will be long.
Generally speaking, the concept is one that challenges the merchant by ensuring a specific number of coupons must be sold in order for a deal to become available. Therefore, Google will ensure authenticity of the merchant attaining a certain number of sales and participants.
The service will be tied to the Google Mobile Wallet Service, a very calculated move by big G. But considering Google has made no qualms about its intent and intensity of grabbing their share of the local market, everyone knew it was just a matter of time before the technology giant made a run at them. Google and Groupon actually almost became one in a recent deal for 6 billion dollars, one that eventually just couldn’t be inked.
No mind, Google came up with their own version with Google Offers and my guess, it will eventually overshadow Groupon.
Anyway, watch for Google Offers coming to a Places near you. Right now, it will be stationed in Portland and spread to New York City, Oakland, and San Francisco.
QR Codes are expected to gain momentum in the U.S. this coming year, due largely to the explosiveness of the Internet and smart phones, all converging with a technology ready to emerge. In fact, 2011 has been pegged the year of the QR Code.
What are QR Codes and how can it help your business?
QR stands for Quick Response, a 2D bar code that can be quickly decoded by any smart phone that has a reader, taking the visitor to a “call to action” of your choice. They are created by a QR Code Generator and read by a QR Code Reader.
Figure 1 – QR Code Example
Think of them as mini-web portals for your business where your customers can get immediate and timely information. An example of a QR Code can be seen in Figure 1. If you don’t think this is something with enormous potential, read on.
First some quick history. QR Code technology was developed by Japanese Automotive Supplier Denso Wave in 1994 to track parts through the manufacturing process. Denso owns the patent for QR Codes, but has opted not to exercise the right, making them essentially an open source platform.
QR Codes are very popular in Japan where mobile users accessing web browsers reached over 60% in 2010, compared to 34% for the United States. Walking down a busy city street in Tokyo, you are likely to see many QR Codes on buildings, shop windows and other high traffic areas.
With the expansiveness of the Internet and advancement in smart phone technology, things began to line up as a perfect storm to introduce QR
Codes. Mobile smart phones are as common as picking up a 1/2 gallon of milk and loaf of bread at the store these days. In fact, by 2013, 2
years from now, smart phones will out number desktop PC’s! Why not take advantage of this eventual outcome by leveraging QR Codes to better position your business?
How Can a Business use QR Codes?
The possibilities of using QR Codes for your business marketing are endless, but let’s take a look at a few practical applications:
Front or back of your business card
The sides of trucks and trailers
Product tags and packaging
Convention and event Name Tags
Restaurant menus
Point-of-sale receipts
Your brochures and other marketing materials
At your store to encourage happy customers to leave reviews at the store
QR Codes could then be taken to a landing page of choice, for example:
Opt-in for your monthly newsletter
Build your email list
Installation instructions
Directions to your business
Google, Yelp, other Internet reviews for your business
Link To Your Online Content Blog or video
Summary of your professional services on your website
Link To Your Contact Information
Valuable coupons and special offers
Recommendations for complementary products and services
Customer feedback forms
These are only a few of the possibilities we will start seeing businesses use. Are you beginning to see the vast potential QR Codes will offer for your customers? To simply scan and send them to a
dedicated page on your website for additional valuable information? Powerful stuff!
“Recently, QR codes have become more prevalent in marketing circles and have been integrated into both traditional and interactive campaigns.” – Wikipedia
QR Codes have already hit mainstream in big-time business. The Detroit Red Wings interactive programs and the gigantic signage at Times Square are prime examples of hitting stride. Each of these serve as a preliminary of what’s in store on a grander but “smaller” scale across the U.S.
And here’s the kicker, the thing that will push QR Codes over the top.
Google has wholeheartedly embraced this technology for the small business sector. In fact, in many areas of the country, when you register your business on Google Places, they will send you a QR Code that directs people to your website. With Google spreading their massive wings to promote QR Codes, it won’t be long before they will become a common site in stores, shops, billboards, any place where capitalism thrives.
QR Code usage should be multi-channeled to individually track each one. In other words, every QR Code you deploy into your marketing campaign that links to your website (or any other medium) should be measured individually. This will allow you to continually improve upon usage. This can all be done within Google Analytics website tracking software, a free solution. Small business owners and SEO’s alike, will eventually see this as a monumental opportunity to further provide exposure for your business.
Summary
This article should be enough to get your creative juices flowing. We have only scratched the surface of QR Codes and what they will do for small businesses. It will be the visionary business owner that sees this converging technology as yet another way to connect and provide value and information to their customers.
The end of another era I’m sure will usher in another from the search giant. This one took me by surprise though. Google formerly announced the end of the Tags trial. Wha… did you say trial? One more surprise. I thought was the real thing?
The yellow tags that became ever-present among the Google Maps clearly made it into the hearts of many local business and search consultants try to make a mark.
Below, is an excerpt from the announcement today on the Google LatLong Blog.
“We’ve made a decision to shift our efforts toward other present and future product offerings for local businesses, and will be discontinuing this trial. To that end, we’ve now halted new signups and will be working with existing participating businesses over the coming weeks to help them meet their marketing needs with other Google products where possible.
We’ve learned a lot from our Tags trial and will take that knowledge into account as we continue to find the best ways to serve users and local businesses alike. Lastly, we want to thank all of the businesses that were part of our Tags trial, and we hope we can meet their advertising needs with one of our existing products.”
Out with the old, in with the new. Google will no doubt have a replacement to replace the Tags trial very soon. Stay tuned.
Brightlocal.com is a provider of local search tools for small and medium size businesses and SEO’s, released a new report called “Where do local business websites get their traffic & do consumers appreciate local search results?” that should capture your attention.
The study was done to provide data of how valuable local search results were to local business. It study group consisted of 648 SEO’s and 1,250 United States consumers.
Study Highlights:
- Google Places drives 33% of all website visits to local business websites
- Organic search drives 25% of all website visits to local websites.
- Yahoo and Bing account for less than 7% of all website visits to local business websites.
- 59% of consumers use Google every month to locate a good local business.
- 71% of search users value local search results and actively use the results.
- 60% of consumers give more consideration to local results that have images.
Below, is the ranking of local search sources:
| Traffic Source | Ranking |
| Google Places | 1 |
| Google Oranic | 2 |
| Direct | 3 |
| Referring Sites | 4 |
| Yahoo! | 5 |
| 6 | |
| Bing | 7 |
| Yahoo! Local | 8 |
| Bing Local | 9 |
Following the Google updated the local search algorithm back in November of 2010, I hypothesized local search was now a blend of Google Maps and organic search. The results of this survey showed a whooping 58% of visits to local business websites occurred from Google Places and Google organic search. This should convince you now that it is more important than ever to have your website organically optimized. In other words, if your website is poorly optimized or worse yet, have no website at all, your chance of achieving high local search results or small to nil.
