November 22, 2009
Recommended reading from the HuoMah SEO Blog -
The post’s author actually owns several local stores in Hawaii, including Wave Shoppe. The post is well written and dead-on. Some great advice and perspective from a real local business owner.
Local marketing from a business owner’s perspective
This post was written because, I felt you could use a break from all of the clawing and hair pulling that search geeks normally subject each other to on a daily basis. While I am an apparel designer at heart, I’m also a mom and pop small business owner with a physical store and a website – in the trenches if you will.
One area that I really enjoy playing in, (with web marketing) is the Local stuff. As such, I have a bit of Local Marketing wisdom, that I would like to share. So, why don’t you hop into the trenches with me and I will give you a tour of Local SEO from a small business owner’s perspective, as well as comments on some things that could maybe even make you some money in the future.
People selling Local services need to be sensitive to that fact that Local marketing can be one of the most affordable and lucrative things they can engage in. Much of the on-line local listings are free, or for a very nominal cost, and many are permanent.
More here…
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Posted by Rich H
November 16, 2009
Internet Yellow Pages sites (“IYP)” saw a more than 23% jump in usage last year, they are growing faster than overall search engine usage. In fact, Yellowbook.com was just named one of the three fastest growing online ad companies in the U.S. by Borrell Associates.
Combine that, with the fact that 45% of those searching on these sites follow-up with an actual purchase, and you’ll start to realize how IYP can be so valuable to local businesses. A recent post on Search Engine Land discussed the topic of “protecting your brand” - it’s worth the read.
Essentially, local businesses need to be aware of how they are represented in these local online directories. Duplicate or incorrect listing can easily be corrected, and competing brands can be addressed.
In a related topic, TMP released it’s annual local-search research and identified Google Maps and Yellowbook.com as the two local online properties with the most significant growth in 2009:
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Posted by Rich H
September 5, 2009
Consumers love saving money – and coupons enable the savings!
In theory, the Internet makes finding and printing coupons simple, but a recent Yahoo! survey found otherwise. The majority of people polled feel that there are not currently enough coupons for things they want to buy and nearly half actually think coupon hunting is a chore. Less than a fifth of consumers have a “go-to” on-line site and almost 80 percent think the process of finding coupons is difficult.
The survey also reported that 43 percent of participants said they are using coupons more often than last year. They also cited that easier access to coupons would motivate them to use coupons more often, a sentiment stated by 76 percent of women.
An increasing number of people are turning to the Internet for money-saving tips and tricks. In fact, Web searches for “printable coupons” on Yahoo! are up 50 percent in 2009, compared to the same time in 2008, and up 135 percent compared to 2007. Furthermore, the most popular coupon-related Web searches in the past month have been for pizza restaurants, major retailers and grocery coupons.
Additionally, the survey asked how pride factors into couponing. Saving money makes people feel good as 59 percent stated that “they feel great when buying things with coupons.” This trend is much stronger for women, with a greater percentage of men feeling embarrassed when using coupons. Bargain hunting can also become a badge of honor with 29 percent wanting to be known as the coupon king or queen.
My advise? Reach and convert more local shoppers by offering a coupon or special offer! Searching for ”local coupons” on Google is a good start – there are several solid options to choose from. Most major Internet Yellow Pages also have coupon options - see yellowbook.com details here. You’ll also want to consider a printable coupon on your website – preferably combined with your “call to action” statement on the home page.
Also, your offer should be strong enough to produce results; ”10% off” or ”free estimates” wont’ do the trick. Now go and help your customers save some money!
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Posted by Rich H
