Some marketing strategies are brilliant for one brand, yet absolute fails for another. What makes the difference? Audience. Marketing strategies should be built with the target audience in mind. The marketing strategy that is brilliant for a spa (a local consumer audience) isn't going to work too well for an enterprise level Customer Relationship Management software (a national/international corporate audience). There are four steps to choosing the marketing strategy that's best for … [Read more...]
Development & Design: Migration to Genesis Child Theme Checklist
Among the best business choices I've made are: #1 Migrating to WordPress #2 Migrating to The Genesis Framework If you haven't done so already I recommend migrating your brand's website/s to a Genesis Child Theme. For more on that, check out why ultra optimized themes are the best. Now, if you're ready for a migration, here's a good checklist (with a few conversion rate tips): Create/Access the staging environment Confirm that the "Discourage search engines from indexing this … [Read more...]
31 Benefits of Inbound Marketing
Companies that focus on inbound marketing reap superior returns on their marketing investment. That's what makes inbound so much better than outbound right? Nope. Inbound marketing is so much more than a higher return. It is truly a gift that keeps on giving. In this post we'll explore many of the benefits of inbound marketing. Companies that enjoy these benefits gain what we call the Inbound Advantage. First we'll define inbound vs. outbound marketing, then we'll take a look at the … [Read more...]
Google My Business Categories
Want to start a local business but short on ideas of exactly what type of business? Here's an alphabetical list of the 2,395 types of businesses Google has listed as "categories" for local businesses. Happy brainstorming! ATM ATV Dealer ATV Repair Shop Abbey Abortion Clinic Abrasives Supplier Abundant Life Church Accountant Accounting School Acoustical Consultant Acupuncture Clinic Acupuncture School Acura Dealer Addiction … [Read more...]
Why Your Business Has Poor Rankings on Google Maps
A lot of business can come to your local business through your Google Business Profile. That business mostly comes from popping up on Google Search or Google Maps. I've seen business owners unknowingly break Google's guidelines for local businesses and get hit with a penalty. It's not fun. There are five basic penalties: Poor rankings (an algorithmic penalty) Unverified Suspended Permanently Removed Reviews Removed Sometimes the penalty can be fixed quickly. Other … [Read more...]
How Do Search Engines Determine Rankings
Google built a multi-billion dollar business on delivering search results that were superior to other search engines. How did they do it? Simple. They treated webpages and prioritized rankings the same way a hiring manager would choose to prioritize candidates for a job. If you were a hiring manager who would you choose as your top candidate - someone who had a history of being less consistent, lower quality, and less experience? Or the person who had been the most consistent, at the … [Read more...]
The Beginner’s Guide To Local Inbound Marketing
Introduction: Welcome to our regularly updated Local Inbound Marketing Guide! The purpose of this guide is to provide a basic overview of local inbound marketing concepts and what local brands should and shouldn't do to begin their inbound marketing success. Sections of The Inbound Marketing Guide This guide covers the following: The Fundamentals of Growth The Inbound Advantage: The Hands Down Best Way To Grow Profits Factors That Can Enhance The Inbound Advantage What Brands … [Read more...]
3 Reasons www URLs Are Better Than Non www URLs For SEO …But Don’t Go Switching Just Yet
When I started my first website I had no idea that a www URL was better than a non www URL (sometimes called a root or naked URL). In fact, I had no idea that both options even existed. Unfortunately, my first website's URL by default was a naked URL. Most "experts" will tell you that there is no difference, it's just a matter of preference. It does make a difference! www URLs are better for SEO! ...but don't go switching just yet. Links Each and every website with a naked URL I've analyzed … [Read more...]
The 10 Point Checklist For Optimizing Pages in WordPress
A single webpage that ranks for a high-profit search phrase can provide a steady stream of sales and revenue. There are many excellent webpages that are buried in the search engines. A few technical errors can sometimes make all the difference. You don't want your pages or posts buried. You want to build that steady stream of traffic, sales and revenue. The good news? Pages and/or posts in WordPress (or in Genesis Child Themes) are SUPER EASY to optimize! Writers and bloggers would do well to … [Read more...]
The 7 Prerequisites For Strong Sustainable Growth
Ignore any of these seven rules and strong sustainable growth is no guarantee. Follow each of them and you'll be protected against the most common reasons businesses fail to thrive. Rule #1 Become Driven By Data Learning to make decisions the right way is invaluble. When faced with decisions, especially big ones, most companies will brainstorm, talk it over and make a decision and go forward. Being decisive is good, what isn't good is going forward with a decision that wasn't the best possible … [Read more...]