The mighty giant has fallen.  Well at least fallen to #2 for this week.

According to Hitwise, Facebook managed received more visits than Google during the week of March 7th through March 13th, making it the most visited website in the U.S. for the week.

While this in no way sounds an alarm about the Google search dominance, it does reinforce the idea that social media, like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are important elements of an online marketing program.  With Facebook and YouTube as the numbers 2 and 4 overall sites on the web (according to Alexa.com), can you afford to ignore that  kind of traffic.

Another thought-provoking stat – The average visitor to Google spends about 9 minutes a day on the site.  The average visitor to Facebook spends almost 40 minutes a day and the average YouTube browsers spends over 22 minutes a day.  This is like having a billboard on the freeway with traffic whizzing by at 70 miles per hours or having the same billboard on a busy street during rush hour where a driver is creeping along and has time to look around and actually read the billboard.

Google is for hunters on a mission.  Bag the site your searching for and move on.  Social media sites are more like home – prop your feet up and relax.

If you aren’t using social media or are totally confused by it, take heart.  There are painless ways to ease into it without taking the head first plunge into the abyss.

Gary Wagnon and 800biz.com specialize in website design, hosting, search engine optimization and social media marketing for small and medium businesses.

One of the biggest road blocks facing small businesses when addressing social media is the question of return on investment. With so little time devote to what’s crying out to be done, adding something else or something new like social media can feel like a real burden. Sometimes the only way to rationalize and prioritize something new is to understand the benefits in relation to everything else your doing and take a new view based on that understanding.

So much of what’s written on social media amounts to lists of things you should do, get on twitter, blog, create a Facebook fan page, and not enough on why you might consider doing it. While all those tactics may indeed be wise, I would like suggest a number of ways to use those actions to do a better or more efficient job doing things you’re already (or should be) doing.

Start to think in terms of doing more with less effort, not simply doing more. If I can let small business owners get a glimpse of social media through this lens, they might just decide to go a little deeper. Here are five ways to look at it.

1) Follow up with prospects

I love using social media tools as a way to follow-up with prospects you might meet out there in the real world. So you go to a Chamber event and meet someone that has asked you to follow-up. Traditionally, you might send an email a week later or call them up and leave a voice mail. What if instead you found them on LinkedIn, asked to be connected and then shared an information rich article that contained tips about the very thing you chatted about at the Chamber mixer. Then you offered to show them how to create a custom RSS feed to get tons of information about their industry and their competitors. Do you think that next meeting might get started a little quicker towards your objectives? I sure do.

2) Stay top of mind with customers

Once someone becomes a customer it’s easy to ignore them, assuming they will call next time they need something or, worse yet, assuming they understand the full depth and breadth of your offerings and will chime in when they have other needs. Staying in front of your customers and continuing to educate and upsell them is a key ingredient to building marketing momentum and few businesses do it well.

This is an area where a host of social media tools can excel. A blog is a great place to put out a steady stream of useful information and success stories. Encouraging your customers to subscribe and comment can lead to further engagement. Recording video stories from customers and uploading them to YouTube to embed on your site can create great marketing content and remind your customer why they do business with you. Facebook Fan pages can be used as a way to implement a client community and offer education and networking opportunities online.

3) Keep up on your industry

Keeping up with what’s happening in any industry is a task that is essential these days. With unparalleled access to information many clients can learn as much or more about the products and solutions offered by a company as those charged with suggesting those products and solutions. You better keep up or you risk becoming irrelevant. Of course I could extend this to keeping up with what your customers, competitors, and key industry journalists are doing as well.

Here again, new monitoring services and tools steeped in social media and real time reporting make this an easier task. Subscribing to blogs written by industry leaders, competitors and journalists and viewing new content by way of a tool such as Google Reader allows you to scan the day’s content in one place. Setting up Google Alerts and custom Twitter Searches (see more about how to do this) or checking out paid monitoring services such as Radian6 or Trackur allows you to receive daily email reports on the important mentions of industry terms and people so you are up to the minute in the know. (Of course, once you do this you can teach your customers how to do it and make yourself even more valuable to them – no matter what you sell.)

4) Provide a better customer experience

It’s probably impossible to provide too much customer service, too much of a great experience, but you can go nuts trying.

Using the new breed of online tools you can plug some of the gaps you might have in providing customer service and, combined with your offline touches, create an experience that no competitor can match.

While some might not lump this tool into social media, I certainly think any tool that allows you to collaborate with and serve your customers qualifies. Using an online project management tool such as Central Desktop allows you to create an entire customer education, orientation, and handbook kind of training experience one time and then roll it out to each new customer in a high tech client portal kind of way. This approach can easily set you apart from anyone else in your industry and provide the kind of experience that gets customers talking.

5) Network with potential partners

Building a strong network of strategic marketing partners is probably the best defense against any kind of economic downturn. One of the surest ways to attract potential partners is to build relationships through networking. Of course you know that, but you might not be viewing this kind of networking as a social media function.

If you identify a potential strategic partner, find out if they have a blog and start reading and commenting. Few things will get you noticed faster than smart, genuine blog comments. Once you establish this relationship it might make sense to offer a guest blog post. If your use a CRM tool (and you should) you’ve probably noticed that most are moving to add social media information to contact records, add your potential partners social media information and you will learn what’s important to them pretty quickly.

If you know how to set up a blog already, offer to create a blog of network partners so each of you can write about your area of expertise and create some great local SEO for the group.

So, you see, you don’t have to bite into the entire social media pie all at once. Find a tool, a technique, a tactic that makes your life easier today and provides more value for partners, prospects and customers and you’ll be on the path to getting some real ROI on your social media investment.

What social media tactics have you discovered that allow you to do more of something you’re already doing?

Article by John Jantsch on 03/16/2010 – Reprinted from Duct Tape Marketing

Gary Wagnon and 800biz.com specialize in website design, hosting, search engine optimization and social media marketing for small and medium businesses.

We have been Googling for several years now – entering whatever we wanted to find and waiting for Google to perform a top secret calculation that would make Mr. Spock proud.  But now Google has added a new twist, or should I say turn.

Google Wonder Wheel offers a new way to search for related topics.  For example, suppose you are searching for energy saving equipment.  Google Wonder Wheel not only gives you the results it normally would deliver, but also gives you 8 “spokes” with related keywords. Continuing to drill down each spoke will help you find exactly what you are looking for.

Where Google Wonder Wheel really shines is in keyword research.  The spokes give you related keywords that are targeted and focused.  The wheel creates the ideal starting point for your blog, web pages, pay-per-click campaign or your entire website.  Are there keyword phrases you haven’t considered?  Are there related products or services you might not have considered?  Can your existing product or service crossover into another area?  The Google Wonder Wheel helps you make critical decisions that can drive your business into the future.

How do you use the Google Wonder Wheel?

Google Wonder Wheel Search

Starting from a normal search, look for the + Show options link in the blue bar where the number of results are shown.  By clicking on the Show Options, a side bar will open with several search options.  Wonder Wheel is under the Standard View.  The Google Wonder Wheel appears on the left and the search results on the right.  Each spoke off the wheel has a related keyword phrase.  Click any phrase to see those results, as well as a second wheel with related phrases for the new phrase.  The initial wheel remains visible below so you can jump back to the original.

Google Wonder Wheel Search Expanded

Take your turn on the Google Wonder Wheel. Your results will speak for themselves.

Gary Wagnon and 800biz.com specializes in website design, search engine optimization and social media marketing.

If you have searched Google for a local product or service and seen the map with pin points for the businesses that fit your search, you’ve seen the Google Local Business Center.  If you have a local business, your business should be listed here.  There is no cost to list your business and the process is pretty simple.

Maybe you knew that already.  But I bet you didn’t know this.  Google just made a change that unless you verify your business listing ANYONE can edit it.   What would keep your competition from going in and changing your phone number to theirs?  Wouldn’t you rather describe your own business as opposed to letting Google or your competitors describe it?

Go to Google immediately and search for your business.  When you find it in the map search, it will either say Verified or it will have “Edit Listing” and “Business Owner”.  Clicking on the Business Owner link will begin the process of claiming your listing and protecting your business’ online presence.

If you need assistance in the process, contact 800biz for all your website design, SEO, search engine optimization, online marketing and social media marketing needs.

We all remember the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of the little tailor whose mistaken feat of killing seven flies with one blow eventually earned him the hand of the princess and king of the land.  A rather efficient use of one’s circumstances, wouldn’t you say.

When it comes to marketing and branding your business, you can choose the one-swing-at-a-time method or take the little tailor’s efficient approach and hit several at one time.

In previous articles, I talked about the need to a diverse approach to your online advertising and marketing plan.  With the wide assortment of social media sites, directories, social book marking sites and other sites, you can spend hours spreading your message or you can let technology do the work for you.

We can’t pick up any publication about marketing without seeing the importance of blogs in your marketing plan.  I don’t want to burst your bubble, but the power of a blog is not just in the eloquent word skills you exhibit.  The real power is the viral nature of your blog, getting it in front of as many eyes as possible.  If you only post your blog to your website, you’re limited only to the amount of traffic you site gets.  So how do you increase the readership of your blog?

That’s where a diverse approach comes into play.  Start by posting your blog to your social media sites (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or LinkedIn).  But equally as important are the social bookmark sites. There are hundreds of these sites that are made up of user contributed articles.  Many are divided into communities of like interests, while others are general purpose site, open to any type of post.  Sites such as Delicious, Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon and Mixx are examples of the later.  All that is required is to create a free account and within 5 minutes you’re ready to share your blog with thousands of others.

Now for the double secret stuff— How would you like to have one site handle it all for you?  If you are using a WordPress blog (other than a free version), you can add a plug-in called Share To Any.  Once you publish a blog post, there will be a button at the bottom that will allow you (or anyone that reads the blog) to share it to dozens of sites, including all the major social media and social bookmark sites by simply clicking the site you want to connect to.

Ping.fm is another site that will publish your blog to all the social media at one time.  The downside of Ping is that it does not reach the social bookmark sites.  Regardless, the time saving factor is well worth it.

So be smart, be efficient.  Like the little tailor, take care of as many areas as you can with one blow.

Gary Wagnon and 800biz.com specialize in website design, search engine optimization, search engine marketing and social media marketing.  For more information, visit our websites – www.800biz.com.

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If You Build It Will They Come?

You have probably heard me use the analogy that the web is not the “Field of Dreams,” where if you build it they will come. For the last few years, we have focused on creating web sites using the latest search engine optimization techniques to help our sites reach prominent search engine ranking.

With 63% of all consumers going to the web before they make a decision on any product or service, being found is critical. But the bigger question is, with an abundance of competition in almost every category, why would a consumer choose your site over any other site?

Once it was important that you just have a web presence. If it looked good, was easy to navigate and loaded quickly, it stood a good chance for success. Today, things are quite different. Claiming you have the best prices/best quality/best customer service doesn’t cut it. Every other site says the same thing. Hoo Hum! Consumers aren’t buying that any longer.

What does your site offer? Is there a compelling offer or call to action? Do you clearly explain what you do? Do you offer delivery? Do you service your entire area or only selected parts?

Want your site to stand out? Add a video. If your site has a video that welcomes people to your site, or explains what you do, would that separate you from your competition? Do you have an email newsletter consumers can subscribe to? How about a Podcast to personally tell new visitors what you do?

Does the content of your site stand out? So many of us have trouble writing about our own business. Try having a friend or even good customer write your info. Better still, hire a professional to write the copy for your website. (I do have a couple of good sources if you need help.)

It’s time to revisit your website with an eye to making a statement that lifts your site above the rest.

If you build it, and they come, will they find any reason to take action?  That’s the question.

800biz.com specializes in website design, search engine optimization, search engine marketing and social media marketing.

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I am supposed to do WHAT?

When presenting my clients with a marketing plan to go along with their website, one of the first elements I mention is blogging. The reaction I get range from a deer in the headlights to a stifled scream and lots of hair pulling.

The first group has heard the word blog, but as far as they know, it’s a big log. For those that know what a blog is, the thought of writing something conjures up visions of their high school English teacher, complete with ruler in hand.

For those that don’t know, a blog (short for Web Log) is a type of website. The advantages of a blog are they can be created and updated in plain text by an individual, without using any html or other coding and without the need for a web designer. Another advantage of a blog is it can be used with RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds. Simply stated, an RSS feed can take a blog post and make it easily readable on many websites and news pages. Readers can even subscribe and receive notice every time a blog is posted.

So now you know what it is, the biggest question is why should I care? I’m not an author and everyone knows what my business does. Maybe the first is true, but does everyone really know what you do. “I’m a pool cleaner, everyone know I clean pools.” Oh really. Well let’s see. Do you repair pool filters? Do you clean pool filters? Do you clean hot tubs? Do you monitor chemical levels? Do you supply the chemicals? Are you getting the picture now? If you don’t tell prospective customers exactly what you do, why should they pick you over the other 50 companies out there?

Now let’s take the pool cleaner a step further. Do you customers ask you any questions? Is there any information they would like to know? How about tips on how to use less chemicals? What about pool safety techniques? Maybe water exercises they can do or even tax credits available for solar water heating. Be creative. You know your business, don’t be afraid to tell people about it.

One more huge Blog benefit – have your blog post appear on your web site home page. For all my clients that blog regularly, I add their blog feed to their home page. While there are a couple of ways to do that, the method I use is readable by the search engines. If search engine ranking is important, your blog can help. Search engines love sites that change regularly. By feeding the blog to the home page, every time a new blog is posted, the search engines see it as a change to the site and come back more frequently. The ultimate result is an increase in search engine ranking.

So don’t fear the blog. A blog is your friend. Embrace the blog.

Gary Wagnon and 800biz.com specialize in website design, search engine optimization, search engine marketing and social media marketing. For more information, visit our websites – www.800biz.com and www.localadlink101.com .

Is Your Company Brand One of These?

I discussed branding and the need for consistency in building brand awareness for a local business in my previous post. The next decision is whether you are putting your brand in a 1972 Pinto (challenging you youngsters again with that one) or a luxurious Mercedes.

Or more like one of these?

Maybe you have a website but the only way you can find it on Google is by commissioning Indiana Jones to search for it among the other other artifacts out there. Or maybe your site does show up on Google, but only if you type one specific keyword.

What if your consumer isn’t on Google? Blasphemous I know but true. Recent surveys show that people spend an average of 8 minutes a day searching for things online. The same survey showed they spend 22 minutes a day on social media (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc) They are also reading news articles.

So shouldn’t your marketing and branding efforts try to reach your consumers where they are? What if your customers saw your business when they were sending an email on Gmail? Or reading an article about their favorite baseball team on MLB.com? Or checking out the latest videos on YouTube? Granted, that’s not likely to spur them to stop and contact you at that very moment. But, if they see you with regularity, who do you think they will look for when they are ready for your services?

By using a diverse approach, you stand a better chance of being in front of our customers where they are. There are times when you go hunting with a rifle and others when you hunt with a shotgun (before the animal lovers rise up, it’s just an analogy, I’m not a hunter.) This is the right place for the shotgun approach. Hit as many impressions as you can.

Creating a diverse marketing approach can be a daunting task especially when you only want to target local businesses. If you would like a simple, one stop shop, you should check out LocalAdLink (www.localadlink101.com). This service pushes your business out to over 300 high traffic search engines, directories and web sites, plus to their proprietary ad network of over 10,000 web sites.

Now’s the time to trade in the 72 Pinto and bring your brand into the 21 century.

800biz.com specializes in website design, search engine optimization and search engine marketing.

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If you had to choose a entry point to get your business in the social media, why not choose one with the highest possible traffic and the least amount of work? YouTube is where you need to start.

Almost everyone has a video camera these days. Even some cell phones have video capability. And if not, you can purchase a video camera for less than $80 (need a good source check out www.shop800biz.com) There is no need for studio production for small businesses. The purpose of the video is to give browsers a feel for what your business is all about. People like dealing with “regular folks”. If your business is relaxed and fun, let your video show that. If your business is more upscale or serious, convey that idea.

Once you have created your Speilberg masterpiece, the easy part begins. Create a YouTube account if you don’t already have one. That will take you a whopping 5 minutes. Then upload your video. Be sure you put a title and description in that tells people what your business is. The description should always start with your web address. It should be list in this format – http://www.yoursite.com . That will make the address a clickable link and take anyone (including the search engines) to your website for more information about you.

The only thing left to do is embed the video in your website. When the video finishes uploading, you will see a link and an embed code. Cut and paste (or send to your webmaster) the code. When people are browsing your site, they can click on the video and watch it within your site.

So Action, Camera, Rolling!!