I just acquired a Droid from Verizon in January and I have been amazed at what the latest ’smart phones’ can do.  If you already have a smart phone then you know what I’m talking about.  If you don’t and you’re a business owner, then you owe it to yourself to at least find out what they can do. It’s still a phone, but I find myself using it less as phone and more and more as EVERYTHING else!  Here is a short list in case you were wondering…

• Web browser, Camera, Music player, Calendar, Organization tool, Email, Phone Book, Alarm clock, Flash Light, Gaming device, Social Media hot links, and much more including a Local Search device.

Smart phone users can instantly search for local products and services, read about business details, get a map link for instant directions, read reviews on the business and more.  This is all great news…if your business is listed.  If you’re not listed, then someone else is and you’re losing business.

The good news is that most small business owners will be slow to react and by the time they do it will be too late.  Savy business owners will have already claimed their online real estate and optimized it to ensure they keep it. We all know the yellow page directories are dying and local search with smart phones is only going to expedite their demise.

So what are you going to do?

If you’re not sure where to start, here are few quick tips.

• Search for your business on your smart phone. Can you find it?  Can you find your competitors?  If you don’t have a smart phone, borrow one from a cool friend.
• Claim your Google and Yahoo Local directory listings NOW!  Populate them with as much information about your business as you can.
• Claim your Business on Customer Review sites like Yelp! and Merchant Circle.
• Develop a plan to get your Customer Reviews in order.
• Enlist the help of a Local Search Engine Optimization specialist

Don’t wait. I think this shift is coming extremely fast and you have a golden opportunity to take advantage of it now.

One of the huge advantages of the internet over traditional media is that you can measure everything…if you have an analytics program. Google Analytics is a FREE program gives the average business more information than you’ll ever need.

Once you start gathering data, then you can answer questions that drive your future decisions on web design and search engine marketing. Questions, such as:

• How many people are visiting my website?

• How are they finding your web site?

• How long are they staying?

• How many site visitors convert and become real leads?

Your focus should be on conversions, leads and sales – not just visits. Once you start gathering data and determine your current results, then you can put a plan in place to improve the results.

Need help?

WSI is offering a Special Deal through January 2010 – Install Google Analytics for $88.  Sign up for this special offer.

Whether you choose to believe it or not, there is a monumental shift taking place in marketing. Technology and the internet has changed the way people communicate and connect.

Take the case of an average 22 year old – I’ll call him Alex.

Alex doesn’t watch regular TV – he downloads shows or watches them online. He doesn’t read a newspaper, watch the news, or listen to AM/FM radio. He stays connected and in touch in his world via his cell phone, texting, email, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. If he listens to music, it’s an iPod, iTunes, or satellite radio. If he watches a movie it’s Netflix, Hulu, or some other downloadable content. If he needs a phone number, he looks it up online or dials GOOG 411 – Alex has never used a Yellow Page book. If he wants to buy a product or see a movie, he checks online to see what others say first.

If he needs a product or service that he hasn’t needed before, such as renter’s insurance, a doctor, or even a plumber, he either asks his small circle of friends first and then checks them out online…or he just searches direct online.

Alex even goes so far as to check gas prices and deals at the local grocer online.  How weird is that to a 50 year old?

My point is that Alex has nearly complete control over what information he receives, who he receives it from, and when he receives it…and virtually none of it is via traditional marketing.

The shift is not isolated to the younger generation either. As technology continues to rapidly advance and become more available, more of the older generation is making the shift. Personally, I never watch the News (too much negativity), I use iGoogle as my blog / news reader, listen to XM or last.fm online, etc. etc.

So What?

Well, if you’re a business you need to determine if your current marketing plan is reaching this ever expanding group of buyers. If you’re not, I can promise you someone else is. Companies that are not in the game are already missing huge opportunities and will find it difficult to play catch up with companies that have been embracing the change for several years.

Doug

Internet Business Consultant @ www.WSIWebworks.com

Contact me at (864) 354-1730 to discuss search engine marketing strategies for your business. ]]> http://www.inbandw.com/2009/08/04/how-do-you-reach-alex/feed/ 0 http://www.inbandw.com/2009/08/04/google-includes-sitelinks-for-sites-that-are-not-ranked-1/ http://www.inbandw.com/2009/08/04/google-includes-sitelinks-for-sites-that-are-not-ranked-1/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:50:16 +0000 Doug Fowler http://blog.taprootblog.com/?p=70 Sitelinks are those extra links that often appear under the Top search in Google.  They provide links to other relevent pages for a site. Until recently, Google was only displaying these for the top listings. However, we are now starting to see Sitelinks for mulitple listings below the #1 position.  Here is what a Sitelink looks like.

So What and Why Should You Care?

Sitelinks make your listing standout even more and can provide visitors with a direct path to key pages on your website. In general, Sitelinks are being shown for authoritative sites around a keyword phrase and we’re starting to see them more and more in local results. This is good news for local businesses that are engaged in search engine marketing.  If you continue to market around key terms it is likely that you’ll start to see some site links eventually.  Unfortunately, there is not an easy way to make it happen.

If you’re not actively engaged in search engine marketing, this is just another reason to start. They longer businesses wait to get active online, the tougher the battle will be to make up ground on their competition.

Finally, while you can’t control which links Google displays, you can control which ones they do not display which gives you some measure of control.  Contact WSI for more details on how to do this.