Love Affair with Social Media - A One Night Stand?

Social Media is supposed to be THE solution to all our ills.

Everyone has a love affair with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, text messages and other platforms that would soon take the place of good old face-to-face interaction.

After all, these platforms are the New Revolution.

Phones, faxes and even emailing are no longer the vogue.

Nobody uses them any more, right?

And then I received an invitation to a "Twitter Meetup" group about Victoria internet marketing.

The notice took me to a website, where I could sign-up to attend a meeting of like-minded individuals at a downtown pub.

Now hang on a minute. What's really happening here?

I thought Social Media was a place to engage with my customers.

To chat...to interact...to build a relationship...to earn trust...to gain a customer.

And then it dawned on me.

Things haven't changed that much after all.

Because no matter how much we try to build a relationship, it's really hard to do online.

Without seeing the other person.

Without even talking to your customer.

Unless you are a well-established National Brand with instant recognition, it's really really hard to build rapport and trust online.

Nobody really knows you, or your business.

We are supposed to rely on other customers' reviews about our products and services, but you don't really KNOW the people behind the business.

And unless they customers get to know us, it's virtually impossible to build a business relationship.

Maybe because the oldest Social Media platform of all...is simply meeting face to face.

Twitter Meetup? And at a pub? Talking about Victoria SEO and internet marketing?

Count me in!

What is Victoria SEO All About Any Way?

Victoria SEO.

Sounds intimidating.

Is it art? Science? Is it a combination of the two?

I think Victoria Search Engine Optimization is neither art nor science.

It's more common sense.

Victoria SEO is about building your website, so your customers can find you when they search the internet.

When your customers do a Google search for Langford plumbers, Colwood electricians, Oak Bay restaurants, Sidney lawyers, or Victoria mortgage brokers, can they find your business quickly & easily?

When Yellow Pages ruled the roost, you could simply name your business with the first letter of the alphabet.

When a customer looked for towing companies, that business would be the top listing.

Check it out below, and no, I did not make this up!

Today, this method doesn't work very well.

The internet is the great leveler. Google could care less what letter your business starts with. Search engines don't care how big or small your business is either.

So how can you make sure the search engines see what you want them to see?

Victoria SEO really comes down to four things about your website:

Consistent - Credible - Current - Communications

1. Is your website Consistent? If someone is doing a search for Saanich realtors, is that phrase in your Title tag? Is it listed in your Keyword tag? Is it mentioned in your your Description tag? Does your Heading include that phrase? Is it mentioned two or three times in the text of your homepage?
2. Is your website Credible? Do other websites link to your website? These are called "incoming links", and the more relevant the source, the more credible your website becomes. For example, a link from the CBC or CTV to your website is very valuable in determining that your website is an authority in its field of expertise.
3. Is your website Current? The internet is like a vampire, always looking for fresh blood. Adding new pages, blogging, and revising existing pages all serve to 
4. Are you Communicating with your customers? Are your customers communicating with you? Here's where Social Media comes into play including FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Google Places, email campaigns.  

To learn the How & Why of Victoria SEO, please register to attend my workshop on "Creating YOUR internet brand" through the WestShore Chamber of Commerce on April 19th from 6:00-9:00.

For more information on this Victoria SEO workshop, please call Frank Simon "The Website Detective" at 250-478-2524.

I Don't Know Enough, So I Won't Do Anything At All

Every business you admire, every internet guru, every marketing hero started where you are right now.

That brutal stage of business growth, where..."I don't know enough yet."

It's called Analysis Paralysis.

You don't know enough about marketing.

Or email lists.

Or Social Media.

Or blogging.

Or your Google Places page.

Paralysis might even have caused you NOT to have a website.

If you feel like there are a million moving pieces, and you have to learn everything about all of them before you can move forward, well...

"That's a lie!"

Start at the very beginning, like when you first started your business.

It's just a bit different, but the process is the same.

If you didn't have the expertise yourself, you hired somebody that did.

That's what The Website Detective can do for you.

 

I start with creating your Victoria website.

I make sure your website has Search Engine Optimization, structured so that Google and other search engines can find your business.

I add in all the Social Media tools into your internet marketing campaign, like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, blogging, and email promotions.

I insert tracking programs on your web pages, to analyze the results of your marketing efforts over time.

I monitor your success, and send you a monthly report on areas of improvement.

I can offer you the entire Victoria internet marketing package, or just the pieces you need to get started.

It's up to you...

You don't have to know it all...all you need to know is the time to get started.

The time is now.

Call Frank Simon, The Website Detective at 250-478-2524 today.

Here's Your Sign - "Can"pages Can't Any More

It's a sign of the times.

The top headline in the Times Colonist reads:

 "50 from Victoria lose jobs at Canpages".

It goes on to say "fifty Victoria employees of Canpages, a telephone directory maker, are among 700 in B.C. and Alberta reported to have lost their jobs due to declining advertising revenues."

Did I mention that Canpages is owned by the Yellow Pages Group?

So why are fewer and fewer businesses advertising in the Yellow Pages?

Maybe because fewer people are "letting their fingers do the walking".

Because every day, more people are looking for your business on the internet.

Your potential customers are going to Google or Bing to search for a local Victoria business.

They're checking out reviews on Facebook.

They might find your video on YouTube.

Customers are looking for your business...but can they find you?

Do you have a website?

Is your website being promoted so customers can find you through Victoria internet marketing?

Is your website structured for SEO in Victoria, so your business shows up in the first few results on the Search Engines?

If not, the signs are pointing in our direction!

Please give the Website Detective a call at 250-478-2524 to talk about your internet marketing program for local Victoria businesses.

10 Reasons Why Small Business Hates the Internet

It sucks to run a small business.

It's hard enough just getting the "real" work done.

And now you're expected to be the Marketing Department, the Information Technology Department, and the Social Media expert as well.

No big deal?

Here are 10 reasons why small business hates the internet:

 

 

1. Website creation & maintenance. So you have a website. Now what? It needs updating. Change some images. Adjust some prices. Add another page. Keep it fresh, because Google constantly wants new content when people do a search.
2. Facebook - create a personal page. Create a business page. Respond to posts from customers. Run a contest. Offer a discount. Read what your friends are saying. Where did the day go?
3. Twitter - have you really got something riveting to say in 140 characters or less? Tweets? Hash tags? Good place to feed your blog & Facebook posts!
4. LinkedIn - business to business networking. It's like a Chamber of Commerce mixer on steroids. But you can't afford not to be at the party.
5. Google+ - plus what? Google now has their version of Facebook. No big deal...except Google has a Search Engine. So if your competition is posting there, you better too as it will help with search results.
6. Blog - a personal web log. O.K. The experts recommend that you post daily to establish credibility in your field. Time to get creative now...you need to write a few paragraphs that will captivate your audience of customers and prospects...each and every day. Change that posting schedule. Let's try once a week, maybe?
7. Google schmoogle. Did I forget to mention that you need to register your url with Yahoo and Bing as well? Not everybody uses Google.
8. Did I forget to mention Google? Have you claimed your Google Places page? Have you optimized it by linking to your website, uploading images & videos, and requesting customer reviews?
9. Videos you say? You better create a YouTube channel. Design a Power Point presentation and narrate it. Or take a video with your phone.
10. Email marketing campaigns. Customer reviews? Testimonials? Word-of-mouth advertising? You better direct your customers to ALL of the above Social Media platforms through email so they can comment about your business. And people do want to talk about your business, if you give them a stage (see everything above).

No time for all that? Frustrated? Hey, nobody said you should be doing this stuff. You've got a business to run!

Please contact The Website Detective. We've got solutions with Victoria internet marketing, web site creation, Search Engine Optimization and all the social media platforms mentioned above for YOUR small business.

For a detailed look at how an internet marketing campaign can get your business on the internet fast lane, please view our video below on "This Brand is Your Brand".