Moving into the new year we all seem to make some kind of resolution. In this weak and tepid economy those resolutions may be centered around working to enhance the exposure of our businesses. Google Business Solutions can be a vital part of your businesses reach, and therefore its future revenue.
In the coming two weeks we at Webvantix will offer some very simple things you can do through Google Business Solutions that will help you turbo-charge your website and get you the exposure your business needs. It’s no longer about being found in the yellow pages, it’s all about being found online, and if your business is not there, your potential customer will simply go to your competitors who are there! Stay tuned and check back for tidbits, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask, as we are here to help.
Here’s one tip that’s been mentioned before in this blog, but it’s a great place to start for the new year:
If someone Googles your type of business, in a certain geographic location, often several of the results will be in Superpages. Therefore this tip is very important, if not followed you are giving business away!
If you advertise in the Yellow Pages (Superpages), you have the ability to give them the link to your website. Therefore, if someone searches for your type of company (roofer, for instance) and a list of roofers in your area are listed in a search result on Superpages, under your business name, a link to your website will be listed, but only if you give Superpages the actual link; if you fail to do so, no link will exist, and the individual or business looking for a new roof will just go to the next search result with a link, click on it, and they are looking at your competitior’s website, and, very simply, you’ve lost a business opportunity.
If you need help with this let us know and we will walk you through it.
Preston Ehrler and the Webvantix crew.
A bit more information for those running into problems with iTunes 8 and Vista install. When I originally installed iTunes 8 right from the automatic upgrade, it seemed to work fine, but my songs would not play. I then un-installed it and re-installed iTunes. Still would not work properly, getting the error that Quicktime must be installed, though it was. The key to fixing the problem was very specific: Uninstall iTunes, and restart your computer. After restarting your computer go to the iTunes website via Apple and re-install iTunes 8, and it should work fine.
Let me know if you have problems and I’m happy to help.
Preston Ehrler
Part 2 to a Multi Part Post
Interest rates near zero, stock market showing some strength (did you sell below 8,000?), auto-bailout (Ford says no thank you), mortgages below 5%, what does all this add up to? Now, we must remember our basic stock market education, and be clear that the market is not looking at now, it’s looking out six months or so, therefore and if Norman Fosback is right in Stock Market Logic, reserve requirement reductions are excellent indicators of future performance, and are indicative of a stronger market in the ensuing six months. Interesting. Based upon that logic perhaps we should examine and recommend how businesses should begin to position themselves for the coming recovery.
What, as business owners, should we do? Well, for sure, don’t stick your head in the sand and wait for the all clear. Your competition will not and if you do, they will eat your lunch. Work hard to position your business so that when spending is somewhat freer, you have the ability to capitalize. Sell before the time to sell!
Here are a couple of things to focus on (there will be more in Part 3 of this post):
1. Get yourself and your company out there, exercise your branding muscles and work to get noticed. Are you a local company that wants greater exposure? Create an e-newsletter template and forward to e-mails within a certain radius of your business.
2. Polish up your website. Can you sell some aspects of your business online? Get that going. If via Google Analytics you see that your site is getting 500 visits per month, why not capitalize on that? Sell them something, get their email and continue to market to them.
3. Check your website for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). This can be done for free, and can point out areas that need be be addressed, so your company’s site can be found by Google searchers.
More coming….tell me what you think. Your opinions and feedback are welcome.
Thanks for reading…
Preston Ehrler
For those of us who love iTunes and use a Vista OS there have been some problems with the install. I unfortunately found this out the hard way. So, perhaps I can make your life a bit easier as I found this piece on cnet.
Hope this helps…tell me what you think.
Preston Ehrler
Act by Sage Outlook to Act Auto E-mail Attach
For those of you that use Act by Sage for your contact management, as I do, and also use Outlook as your e-mail platform, one of the things I always thought that was missing was the ability to automatically attach incoming e-mails to the sender’s Contact page. Well, Act to the rescue. Act just forwarded me what it calls a “Fast Tip” that walks the Act user through the set-up instructions of having incoming e-mails automatically attached to a contact, provided they are in your Act address book. I tried it, and it worked perfectly. No more searching for e-mails in Outlook, now I just go to the Contact>History and there they are. Awesome!
To access the directions in Act’s Knowledgebase go here.
For all you Act by Sage fans, I hope this tip helps you too!
Preston Ehrler
As we at Webvantix are always seeking quality customers for web design, one of the things I am willing to do as a business owner is look at products and solutions that help us to that end. As I don’t want the metaphorical door slammed in my face when I prospect, and I don’t do it to other marketers. I will listen to an idea. For instance, we utilize several products to help our business bring in new business. Probably one of the best solutions we now utilize is www.gotomeeting.com-just a terrific product that enables us to present to our prospective customers who are anywhere and everywhere.
During the Thanksgiving week I had looked at a e-mail marketing product and had forwarded them my phone number, with the intention of looking closer at what they offered. I knew I would probably be contacted–I was, and that’s ok; I’m a believer in purchasing or subscribing to something if it is valuable to my company. Quite simply, if I see its value, I don’t mind “being sold.” Many small business owners think they’ve lost a contest if they are “sold” but if the product or service is a benefit, getting involved is actually a good thing!
When I received my phone call this morning there was one disconcerting aspect to the call, while I was intersted in the product and attempted to explain my position and what I was seeking, the salesperson kept cutting me off in mid-sentence. This occured three times during our discussion. Obviously he was more interested in selling me, than listening to me. Bad, bad, bad.
One quick piece of advice to anyone who is truly interested in cultivating new customers….LET THEM SPEAK. We are always so excited to get a prospect on the line, and tell them how great we are, but remember, if you say it, it’s a lie, if the prospect says it, it’s the truth. So, go ahead, really, just let them explain their lay of the land and don’t interrupt. If you interrupt it says “hey I don’t care about you, I care about me and my sale.” So, listen, really listen, and ask questions, like “what type of email campaign software are you using?”, and “what do you like about it,” and “how is not fulfilling your needs?” Regardless of what your product is, ask open ended questions, that show you are really interested in helping, not just selling.
Essentially, if you’re a good enough salesperson to get your foot in the door, you better not have stinky feet!
Thanks for listening to my rant and more on the “Small Business Lifeline” before the end of the week (more things to do Right Now…and remember, LISTEN!
Preston Ehrler
