Archive for 2006

The Secret Power of Google Local

Posted by Jeb
Dec
11
2006

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Filed Under: Internet Marketing SEO

Many people use Google Local and very few businesses realize that they can access and update their listings in Google’s system. With a simple request to receive a postcard from Google with a pin number a business can determine how their business appears on the Local listing and also add categories and coupons, all at no charge.

Try searching for Indianapolis Home Builders or something similar on Google. You will notice at the very top of the listing you have “Local results” for that search with usually 3 companies listed below it. Naturally this is a very desirable place to have your company listed. Although Google rotates these randomly based on their popularity, you can start working your company’s way onto this list by getting signed up for Google Local which will list you on the full index.

Google has done a good job of locating many companies and adding them to their list but there are many that go under their radar. Also, by having access to your company’s profile you can really tweak your presentation to attract your desired customer.

There are many other features that Google offers businesses and their websites. We would be happy to sit down with you to discuss how we can put these tools to work for your company.

ROI Comparison- Yellow Pages vs. Google (PPC and SEO)

Posted by Jeb
Nov
29
2006

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Filed Under: Pay Per Click SEO

We sometimes encounter businesses who have a little sticker shock when we present them with a proposal in the thousands for their new website. They know they need a website but they don’t understand how it could possibly cost more than a few hundred dollars. Although they don’t have an issue with spending thousands on a Yellow Pages ad they aren’t convinced that they could see a similar or greater return with a website optimized for search engines. So, in this blog I compare ROI (Return On Investment) for the Yellow Pages versus Search Engines.

The Kelsey Group’s recent (03/06) study of how people look for needed services shows that Yellow Pages still has a strong grip on the market.

  • All consumers surveyed – print Yellow Pages, 61%; search engines, 12%; directory assistance, 12%; online Yellow Pages, 7%
  • Annual income over $75,000 – print Yellow Pages, 51%; search engines, 27%; online Yellow Pages, 14%; directory assistance, 6%
  • Teens – search engines, 47%; print Yellow Pages, 28%; directory assistance, 13%; online Yellow Pages, 9%

http://www.kelseygroup.com/press/pr060320.asp

But what you also see here is that those with a higher income are using search engines 27% of the time compared to 51% for the Yellow Pages. Teens, who are more comfortable with the web having grown up with it, are preferring search engines to the Yellow Pages 2 to 1. I think it’s a safe bet to assume that this trend will continue until the Yellow Pages’ market share is considerably reduced.

So if a company is investing $2000 a year we recommend that they look at what they will pay the Yellow Pages over 3-5 years and then re-allocate 25-50% of those funds to the web in the form of improvements to their website including SEO work (Search Engine Optimization) and PPC (Pay Per Click advertising). So in our sample case the company is spending $6-10,000 and should reallocate about $2-5,000 to the web depending on your client base. Also, it’s important to remember that a new website is a one-time cost and a quality site should last 3-5 years.

We would be happy to sit down with you to examine how you can more effectively spend your advertising dollars to reap the best possible ROI.

The Coming Tide of Mobile Technology

Posted by Jeb
Nov
18
2006

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Filed Under: Everything Else

Here is a prediction- expect to start seeing mobile websites advertised by companies in the near future. They might look like this-

mob.cnn.com

Many companies are realizing that their websites are not appearing well on mobile devices which are increasingly being used to browse the web. Pocket PC Magazine has created a nice list of mobile websites here

http://www.pocketpcmag.com/mobile/mobile.asp

As you will notice from these sites, a mobile site is essentially a mini version of the full website. Recently our friends at Nuvo created a mobile site at mob.nuvo.net

This is an area that we are entering as well. Let us know if our company can help create a mobile version of your website for you.

Custom versus Template Driven Websites- Pros and Cons

Posted by Jeb
Nov
1
2006

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Filed Under: Design

For the web newbie it can be very confusing knowing whether they should go with a cheaper template driven website or a more expensive custom built website. I thought it would be a good idea to weigh the pros and cons so you can see what makes more sense for your business. So I will first lay out what each one is and then discuss their individual pros and cons.

Template Websites- a template website is similar to a pre-fabricated home. You can pick out a design you think will look good, choose from limited variables like color, add content and voila you have a website! Template sites are generally good for 1-3 years.

Pros- you can get a functional web presence that doesn’t look horrible and serves your immediate needs.

Cons- You will be stuck with this template and any additional functional you might want or changes to design will be out of the question unless the template provider upgrades the templates. Also, search engines may recognize the site as being a template and rank it lower reducing your traffic. Chances are you will outgrow a template in 1-3 years and have to re-invest in a custom built website that fits your specific needs.

Custom Websites- a custom website is built from “scratch” and tailored to your specific needs. It is coded from the ground up based upon designs that are customized to the company’s design and functionality needs. Custom built sites are generally good for 3-7 years depending on how the needs of the company change.

Pros- allows complete control over the look, feel and functionality of the website. Also, is much more easily upgraded and updated with new functionality and content over time. Custom built sites generally index better in search engines and therefore have higher traffic and use. In the end we feel a custom site is the best ROI since it will last longer, update more easily and generate more traffic.

Cons- more expensive to build. That’s the only con we can think of.

Whether you decide your needs are met with a template or custom site we can build it for you!

On Collecting Vinyl LP Records

Posted by Jeb
Oct
27
2006

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Filed Under: Everything Else

“Sunshine of Doom” by Everything, Now! has been one of my favorite albums since I first heard it about 2 years ago, it used to be posted for free download on their website, so when I heard it was coming out on St Ides (a Secretly Canadian imprint), I was eager to pick up a couple copies. St. Ides’ thing is to take some jackets from records that didn’t sell, turn them inside out, hand decorate them and do a limited (usually 300) run of seminal releases on vinyl.

For years I sold records professionally on eBay and one of the most desirable items out there are rare Psych records. There is a rabid international following for American Psychedilic music, even recent vinyl releases by bands like the Flaming Lips and Ween can triple in value within a year of release. Rare Psych records from the 60s and 70s can be worth 1000s. The better the music and the smaller the release create gold in a record collection. Forget about stocks and bonds, you should be buying records.

This Everything, Now! release has all the earmarks of a $1000 record 20 years from now (assuming there is still an economy) plus you will get to enjoy it’s incredible content along the way. Although the album occasionally careens out of control and there are a few whiffs of the Flaming Lips, “Sunshine of Doom” is a fully produced concept record with complex and melodic songs and weaving themes of apocalypse, Christians, sex, politics, war, family, drugs and love. It makes me excited about music again, everytime I hear this record. They are that kind of band.

I realize this may sound a little cold and against the vibe of the music but I think it’s cool that a band can create something of increasing value, I think it validates their efforts. Money is just an abstraction of value, like applause so we are applauding a band when we are willing to pay more. I once had a local guy who was a jazz vibes legend demand that I give him back “his” record that I had posted on eBay. He thought he at least deserved a cut since he made the music. I asked him if he thought Paul McCartney should demand a cut from every Beatles record on eBay. He didn’t get the point. He was so greedy and short sighted that he completely missed that fact that he was the only one who had the right to re-issue it and make a killing!

You can get the “Sunshine of Doom” LP in Indianapolis at Luna and Indy CD and Vinyl. I’m not a financial adviser and I am not affiliated with the release, label or stores.

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