A good post in 2016

How to rank better

From Axandra a good bit of information on how to rank better in the organic search engines.

1. How your website design influences the rankings of your web pages on Google

Good website design is important. Although there is no perfect website design that guarantees that Google will rank your web pages highly, there are several website design elements that can have a positive influence on the position of your web pages.

Make sure that your web pages are crawlable

Search engines won't be able to index the content of your pages if it is hidden in fancy scripts or images.
To make sure that search engines can index your content, use plain text and easy to follow text links on your page.
Both the regular content and the navigational elements on your web pages should be easy to parse for search engine robots. Style your pages with CSS and regular HTML tags. Do not hide your content in Flash or JavaScript.

Use responsive web design

Google is building a 'mobile first' index. Your web pages should look good on mobile devices. Of course, they should also look good on desktop computers. Responsive design is the easiest way to achieve that goal.
Responsive web design means that the look of your web pages changes based on the size of the browser window. This is done through CSS.
If you use a CMS (content management system) such as WordPress to create your web pages, chances are that you can install a responsive template quickly and easily.
Web pages that look good on mobile devices get better rankings in Google's search results for mobile devices.

Use an easy-to-understand website navigation

A good website navigation helps your website visitors to find what they are looking for. It also helps search engines to categorize your pages.
If the navigational elements on your web pages use texts that make it clear what the linked content is all about, it's much easier for search engines to rank your pages for that topic. For example, if a category on your website is about 'brown shoes', link to the category page with the words 'brown shoes' in the menu.
Also use a folder structure on your website that makes it easy to understand what the pages are about. For example, list all the pages that deal with the different variations of brown shows in a directory with the name '/brown-shoes/'.

Fast loading pages are good for the user experience

Some people say that the performance of a website is a major ranking factor. Of course, it's always good to improve the performance of your website. However, it won't improve your rankings much.
According to Google, only 1% of all websites need to worry about page load times. If your website belongs to these 1% of the slowest pages on the web, improving the performance will have a positive influence on the rankings. All other sites won't notice a major improvement.
Don't forget that fast loading web pages are good for the user experience. For that reason, your pages should load as fast as possible, even if this does not have a direct influence on your rankings.

More to come soon.

Joe Rossini
jrossini@rossini.com
www.rossini.com

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish every one a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  More posts to come!

Joe

The key to sales

I have been in sales for over thirty years and ever since I was a young pup I have been nervous and antsy about getting sales. I wanted to close the deal! What I often forgot is that it takes time to close that dea, You have to take into account the other side and their desires and needs. Often all we think of is ourselves. Remember that the sales cycle is just that a cycle and sometimes it moves at warp speed but I have found it most of the time takes it time. Be patient if you have done your job, it will happen. If you do not get the sale remember a no is just the right time to really start to sell!

More to come later.

Joe

What does it take to get leads or sales from your web site

I had a nice conversation with a friend who uses SEO services and Google Adwords and pay per click advertising and we agreed that you must spend money to make money. You can not peace meal things but you must have the right guidance and support to accomplish the goals you wish and the sales you wish. You also have to have patience and if you listen, act on the advice and understand that Rome was not built in a day, you will succeed.
More soon

Joe Rossini

Do you need web support?

I have come across several companies in my sales career that have told me that they no longer had web support.  I ask how can you no longer have web support I would ask and nine times out of ten it was because their web vendor had left the industry. This fact happens so regularly you would be shocked. For many it is a quick way to earn a buck. For some it was a dream or a passion but that dream fizzled out. I have heard all sort of excuses and I have to say look close at who you choose and choose wisely. Choose a company with experience and one that will be there not just today but tomorrow.
Rossini Management Systems has been writing web pages and multi media since 1994!!

More to cone soon.

Joe Rossiniu

How to rank better

From Axandra a good bit of information on how to rank better in the organic search engines.

1. How your website design influences the rankings of your web pages on Google

Good website design is important. Although there is no perfect website design that guarantees that Google will rank your web pages highly, there are several website design elements that can have a positive influence on the position of your web pages.

Make sure that your web pages are crawlable

Search engines won't be able to index the content of your pages if it is hidden in fancy scripts or images.
To make sure that search engines can index your content, use plain text and easy to follow text links on your page.
Both the regular content and the navigational elements on your web pages should be easy to parse for search engine robots. Style your pages with CSS and regular HTML tags. Do not hide your content in Flash or JavaScript.

Use responsive web design

Google is building a 'mobile first' index. Your web pages should look good on mobile devices. Of course, they should also look good on desktop computers. Responsive design is the easiest way to achieve that goal.
Responsive web design means that the look of your web pages changes based on the size of the browser window. This is done through CSS.
If you use a CMS (content management system) such as WordPress to create your web pages, chances are that you can install a responsive template quickly and easily.
Web pages that look good on mobile devices get better rankings in Google's search results for mobile devices.

Use an easy-to-understand website navigation

A good website navigation helps your website visitors to find what they are looking for. It also helps search engines to categorize your pages.
If the navigational elements on your web pages use texts that make it clear what the linked content is all about, it's much easier for search engines to rank your pages for that topic. For example, if a category on your website is about 'brown shoes', link to the category page with the words 'brown shoes' in the menu.
Also use a folder structure on your website that makes it easy to understand what the pages are about. For example, list all the pages that deal with the different variations of brown shows in a directory with the name '/brown-shoes/'.

Fast loading pages are good for the user experience

Some people say that the performance of a website is a major ranking factor. Of course, it's always good to improve the performance of your website. However, it won't improve your rankings much.
According to Google, only 1% of all websites need to worry about page load times. If your website belongs to these 1% of the slowest pages on the web, improving the performance will have a positive influence on the rankings. All other sites won't notice a major improvement.
Don't forget that fast loading web pages are good for the user experience. For that reason, your pages should load as fast as possible, even if this does not have a direct influence on your rankings.

More to come soon.

Joe Rossini
jrossini@rossini.com
www.rossini.com

How were cyber sales on BLACK FRIDAY and CYBER MONDAY

According to Adobe, Thanksgiving and Black Friday online retail sales exceed $5 billion. More noteworthy in some ways is that mobile devices contributed a record $1.2 billion to that total on Black Friday alone.
There was mixed data on in-store traffic and sales, with some sources reporting an initial decline vs. last year and others reporting small in-store gains. However, on a percentage basis, online shopping growth far outpaced store traffic.
While retail analysts and the media focus on the distinctions between online and offline shopping and the particulars and trends associated with specific shopping days — Thanksgiving vs. Black Friday vs. the horribly named Cyber Monday — consumers just focus on bargains and convenience. Individual shopping days have given way to “Cyberweek” deals, some of which started before Thanksgiving and continue this week. Many “Cyber Monday” promotions began yesterday.
Consumers are becoming much more agnostic about where they buy. Yet a huge percentage of online shopping is generated from the sites and apps of traditional retailers. This is one of the underreported stories of e-commerce today. As one example, Macy’s website was overloaded with traffic and unavailable multiple times on Black Friday.
Holiday shopping discounts are now typically the same offline and online, creating less urgency to come into stores. Accordingly, consumers are buying online from stores with physical locations so they can return products if they don’t work. Physical stores take the inconvenience and risk out of online shopping (with returns). These familiar retail brands also instill greater consumer confidence vs. many online pure plays.
Cyber Monday will exceed $2.5 billion in PC-based e-commerce and more than $1 billion on mobile devices, predicts comScore. According to estimates from the National Retail Federation, total retail sales this holiday will grow roughly 3.6, percent to nearly $656 billion. Much of that growth will come online.
This is from Greg Sterling  a great little article.

Looking at it see that phones are surging and will continue to surge in use and surfing and buying. You must have a responsive website so they can find you!  You should also consider a web app if you have a brick and mortar store to drive more sales and traffic.
The web is the new brick and mortar join it now! Call me or e-mail for more information.

Joe Rossini
jrossini@rossini.com

How was black fFiday and cyber Monday on the web?

According to Adobe, Thanksgiving and Black Friday online retail sales exceed $5 billion. More noteworthy in some ways is that mobile devices contributed a record $1.2 billion to that total on Black Friday alone.
There was mixed data on in-store traffic and sales, with some sources reporting an initial decline vs. last year and others reporting small in-store gains. However, on a percentage basis, online shopping growth far outpaced store traffic.
While retail analysts and the media focus on the distinctions between online and offline shopping and the particulars and trends associated with specific shopping days — Thanksgiving vs. Black Friday vs. the horribly named Cyber Monday — consumers just focus on bargains and convenience. Individual shopping days have given way to “Cyberweek” deals, some of which started before Thanksgiving and continue this week. Many “Cyber Monday” promotions began yesterday.
Consumers are becoming much more agnostic about where they buy. Yet a huge percentage of online shopping is generated from the sites and apps of traditional retailers. This is one of the underreported stories of e-commerce today. As one example, Macy’s website was overloaded with traffic and unavailable multiple times on Black Friday.
Holiday shopping discounts are now typically the same offline and online, creating less urgency to come into stores. Accordingly, consumers are buying online from stores with physical locations so they can return products if they don’t work. Physical stores take the inconvenience and risk out of online shopping (with returns). These familiar retail brands also instill greater consumer confidence vs. many online pure plays.
Cyber Monday will exceed $2.5 billion in PC-based e-commerce and more than $1 billion on mobile devices, predicts comScore. According to estimates from the National Retail Federation, total retail sales this holiday will grow roughly 3.6, percent to nearly $656 billion. Much of that growth will come online.
This was created by Jeff Sterling

Bottom line is you need a good website today if you are going to grow your business. If you sell in a brick and mortar store you definitely need a website and maybe e-commerce. The large tsunami of the web is coming be in the air above it and survive.

More to come soon.

Joe Rossini

What can you do to increase your rankings?

I am asked this a lot, how can I get in the first page of the organic rankings of Google? Well first keep in mind that Google has for any given keyword search millions and millions of responses. If you want to be number one for a keyword like car then well my reply is "fat chance" Yes no dice unless you want to spend tens of thousands of dollars a month which most of you do not have. My first shot at answering this is you need an updated new responsive website! OK you say I have a web site well soon it wont matter to Google unless it is responsive or is new. Then you had better have good content and change it often. yes it means looking at your web site more and caring more. You should also keep your keywords internally updated and the web likes long tail meaningful keywords. So not just car but a red 1967 mustang! OK enough for now but a review:

Have an updated web site

Make the web site responsive

Have good internal keywords

Make sure you have good content

More to come!

Joe Rossini

SEO, social media and leads

There are many ways to get leads and it has been common knowledge that getting referrals from existing customers is a big YES to most of us salespeople. Go talk to them and ask them and give then something as a gift that usually helps.

More information:

Email seemed to lose favor with many marketers following the rapid rise of social media and content marketing. However, it seems that email newsletters have seen a recent resurgence and many companies are starting to use them as part of an integrated marketing strategy.
As far as I am concerned if yo do not over abuse this marketing tactic it can work.  YOU also can get valid e-mail opt in addresses to market to in the future.

“Local marketing is really important if you are a locally based agency. Face to face is always where you want to get to, because if somebody’s looking for someone local to them, it’s going to be because they feel better about working with someone that they can get in the same room as.” Tamsin Fox-Davies,  Constant Contact. That is an interesting comment coming from a giant in the e mail business but it is that e-mail that gets in front of a decision maker who you then follow up with a phone call to set up an appointment!

How long does it take to convert a lead?
Only 5% to 10% of qualified leads actually convert for the majority of marketers, so it’s important to keep track of their progress through your sales process. Agencies and consultants are usually faced with quite long buying cycles and, on average, it can take 84 days to convert a lead into a sales opportunity. OK people, think about that as I always do, it takes time so that sales funnel has to stay full!

Conclusion:The challenge for digital marketing agencies isn’t necessarily that they lack the skills to attract new clients, it tends to be that they don’t devote the same attention to marketing themselves as they do for their clients. Ideally there would be internal resource dedicated to business development, but for smaller agencies and consultants this isn’t always possible. Instead, a clear strategy is needed to ensure that the skills contained within the organization are utilized eff ectively for increasing sales. This involves a mixture of online and offl  ine channels, and knowing how each of these can be used to complement each other at diffe rent stages of the marketing funnel. Budgetary restrictions also mean that paid advertising won’t be an option for many agencies, but the opportunities presented by social media and content marketing can be a great equalizer. If an agency successfully fi nds a niche, it can use its expertise in that specifi c area to generate unique and insightful content. In turn this will result in credibility and, ultimately, attract clients. But attracting leads is only the fi rst part of the challenge. Converting those leads into clients is, perhaps, an even bigger one. In order to increase conversion rates, marketing agencies and consultants sometimes need to view the situation from the perspective of the client. Think about what it is that they would want to see rather than what you want to deliver. The client doesn’t know what effe ctt hisw ork will ultimately have on their business until it’s been tried and tested, so the initial focus should be establishing credibility and building trust. I can honestly say I am guilty of spending more time on my clients than I do on myself. I am starting to add more to me such as my blogging but I will not get away from helping my clients because they put the bread on the table.

Some of the above came from Constant Contact.\

Until next time!!

Joe Rossini

Send Thank you notes

I know this is so old fashion but believe it or not this will stand you out among the many you compete against. Remember even though sometime yu might not think it deep down there is a person in there with emotions. Sometime thank you notes hit a chord and it stays there. If the final judgement is a tie the winner might just go to that person who seems to have cared a bit more. Yes it takes time and yes it cost a stamp(remember them) and some cards but what is that worth weighed against a nice big juicy order.

Be differant, be proactive, work a bit harder than the other person and then you might just get that extra win that propels you over the top.

A short one but more to come later.

Joe

How can you get leads from your web site?

I have been asked this so many times and I always say the same things.

• Fix your website (if it has not been touched in over a year update it)
• Review your internal keywords (Words that people will search on for what yu have)
• If you are not on social media get there you have to be there eventually
• How about doing a PR release or two about new things about your products
• Pass out that card, let people know who you are and make sure your website and e-mail is on it
• Ask for referrals from your customers, they are your best source of leads

Well there is a lot more but it is late and I will do more tomorrow. If you need help write me at jrossini@rossini.com and I will try to help you. Let me know what you want me to talk about.

Until next time

Joe Rossini

A bit about rankings, PPC and native advertising

OK native advertising are not ads made by the natives in a country:) Native advertising however is growing fast and is replacing many pop up ads and traditional ads you have been seeing.  here is a bit more:

Native advertising is fast becoming a powerful digital marketing strategy, as traditional display and banner ads become less and less effective. With internet users increasingly ignoring overt sales tactics, average click-through rates (CTRs) for display ads have fallen over time to 0.17 percent, according to Google. In contrast, native ads enjoy much higher CTR and conversion rates, because they offer visitors more than just a hard sell.
A native ad is a piece of content that looks and feels like an editorial article. Advanced algorithms enable advertisers to dynamically position their native ads next to similar or related content on the web. Consumers are more likely to engage with a sponsored article that provides them with relevant new information than with a traditional banner ad, and they are more likely to share it with friends.
Website publishers can customize ad widgets on their site so the ads blend in seamlessly with their regular content. This increases CTR for advertisers — driving as much as purchase intent and brand affinity — and enables publishers to monetize their web traffic more effectively. CTRs for premium native ads can be two to three times higher than for banner, rich media or sponsorship ads, and mobile devices enjoy up to 4x higher CTRs than traditional, non-native display ads, according to the most recent Business Insider reports.
More than half the apps on Facebook’s Audience Network are now using native ads exclusively, and according to BI Intelligence Forecasts, native advertising will account for 74 percent of total display ad revenues by 2021, up from 56 percent in 2016.

Please look at that big of information that Facebook uses a lot of native advertising!  Remember what I have said about social media in some of my other posts! Social media is important.

The above information came from Search Engine Land.

More to come soon.

Joe Rossini

Google's mobile first policy change

Some days ago, Google announced that search search engines will be 'mobile first' in the near future. Google's search results will be based on the mobile versions of web pages, including the results that are shown to desktop users.  What does this mean to you and me?

The majority of searches on Google are done on mobile devices. Google wants to deliver relevant results to the majority of searchers.
Until now, Google has indexed web pages as desktop browsers see them. With the new 'mobile first' approach, Google indexes web pages as mobile phones see them. The rankings will be calculated based on the mobile websites.

What happens if you are not yet mobile friendly or responsive? Google says that you do not have to worry about this: “If you only have a desktop site, we’ll continue to index your desktop site just fine, even if we’re using a mobile user agent to view your site.”Of course, web pages that have been optimized for mobile devices get better rankings on Google Mobile than web pages that have not been optimized. For that reason, you should start working on a mobile version of your website now if you do not have one.

What can you do to get ranked on the new Google? Google recommends responsive web design. The content on responsive websites is the same on desktop computers and mobile devices. The layout changes based on the device that is used to view the content but the content is the same.Of course, you can also create a separate website just for mobile. In general, a separate mobile site is more work and more errors can happen.

I have said this many times get responsive and how you do this is have a company update your website! We can help you and it is not as expensive as you think! Let me know if you need a quote www.rossini.com.

More to come soon.

Joe Rossini jrossini@rossini.com
Some content courtesy of Axandra

This is a neat article from Google

https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/strong-brands-be-there-useful-daily-lives.html


This has neat insights on how to succeed. I like it and will try to use it.  Do you want help? I am only a call or e-mail away.  jrossini@rossini.com

or 913-244-6132

Another further step in SEO and getting in Google

1. Provide value.

Google is looking towards AI and envisioning conversation as the next evolution of search technology. Google CEO Sundar Pichai even mentioned during the Google Assistant reveal, “We think of it [Google Assistant] as a conversational assistant; we want users to have an ongoing two-way dialog.”
Google needs a source of information for all of its conversations, a reference point, an expert friend, its trusty companion in the Wild West of the WWW. Become authoritative in your discipline, become the expert source that Google will reference in its conversations. Become that valuable source that drives connection, exchanges information, and provides visitors with some value.

• Recommendation: Determine what you want to be known for. Answer the following questions, then create a killer organic search strategy based on your findings.
• What are the types of keywords that you want to rank for?
• Who is currently in that space?
• What are they doing that makes them the expert?
• How can you be 10X better?
• Who is interacting with your content?
  • Are they existing customer or prospects?
• How are users interacting with your content?
  • Are users converting?
  • Is this content targeting users early in the funnel (awareness and consideration) or later (conversion)?
  • Are they getting what one would anticipate out of the content (i.e. are they finding the answers they sought out by clicking on your content)?
• How can you improve your users' experience with your content, including their customer journey throughout the site?
• How can you reach your target better at every organic search touch point your customer encounters?

I ask my customers to give me key words that they want people to search for them on. Again you know  your business, tell me what people want to see. You are out there everyday, you hear what they ask for. I can no longer just take it for granted that a company does not know what people want to see. They know but perhaps they are just plain lazy to tell you! Those people in this Google age will be left behind! Am I mad? Yes because how many times have I had to look and see and tell these people what they need and that is part of my job but how much better would it be if you helped!

More to come

Joe Rossini

The big watch is on on what Google wants to see!

Here is I hope a start on how we try to follow the sometime erratic moves of the big G:

One of the ways that semantic search helps Google is by identifying and disqualifying lower-quality content. Methods like article spinning and keyword stuffing are more easily flagged due to advanced systems such as latent semantic indexing (LSI), latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), and term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) weighing schemes, which use term frequency and their predetermined weighted relationships to determine quality. This means that search engines have a good idea of what words statistically occur together and make semantic correlations, which can be used in the war against spam.
Using semantics and entity-based search, engines can gain a better understanding of what users may want. For example, the image below shows a simplified illustration of what the data in an entity-based search algorithm would contain. It includes entities (people, places, things, concepts, or ideas) which are represented as nodes, and connected by their relationships as the arrows. The diagram shows how entity-based search seeks to connect various entities, in this case the individual Simpsons characters, which creates more depth to search responses.

Think about it, the big G is now almost like a human brain only faster. it is calculating what you put on your web site to see if it is a good content or not. It is hard to try to trick the big G brain it is up there in the cloud and it is continuing to grow and grow. Remember skynet on the Terminator? I think the G net is getting closer to that than you know. How do you fight this? Well make good content for one and keep changing it often with good  better content.  Ok you could also try Bing and other search engines. Yes there are other search engines and I use them too. I even pay a small fee to get in some of those search engines, it is not much and may not help a lot but it does help.

Bottom  line is let me try to help you, I may not be able to but an updated web site will help who ever you use. Make good content if you can, tell people from the heart about your business, only you know it and don't tell me the bunk that you can't tell me, you know who you are and what you are. Tell the world why you started that business and the passion you once had and I bet you will see results.

Well back to work I go. I am passionate about helping you!

Can you make a difference on social media?

This is a question I am asked a lot and that is can I make a difference if I use social media. I say most of you can but not all, Some things are really made for Facebook, sales of consumer goods in an affordable range is perfect for Facebook. I do not think that sales of some things are really not on there to sell like heavy machinery but are there to make a statement of to announce some things. People are consumers and if you have items that people might want like furniture, or a car, or jewelry. People like that. Facebook is also good to tell people your thoughts like about this election or about your feelings about issues. Sharing family pictures and to connect people is also neat. I recently added a neat new friend who lives in New Zealand  and without Facebook or the net how could I have ever met her and she is a really neat woman.

For business, I like LinkedIn this is where the big bucks and mover and shakers are. If you own a business be on LinkedIn it is or can be worth it. I join groups and participate. I think you will find it to be a bit more boring than Facebook or Twitter but well worth getting on board.

As far as Twitter, I find it to a steam blower offer social media. I do not sell on it, just listen it is kinda of fun. They are trying to expand Twitter and if they do it might grow more.

Blogging oh yes if you like to talk, this is a good choice. I hope  you do not mind my blabbing it can be funny or just kinda what the heck did Joe just say kinda of blabbing but I like it and I think you will too.

As always if you need help with social media visit www.rossini.com or text me I will help or try to help you!

One last thing, for all of you sci fi buffs, I have finished my first book about Mars, now to get it proofed and published. I will keep you posted.  Let me know if you want to be on a list to get a discount on my first publication. I am starting on book two now.

Talk soon.

Joe

Life in transition

Well the election is over but small business must start to think how will this affect me. I believe that the big boys are going to get stronger and get more breaks while us smaller people may not. What I am saying is you must work harder and smarter! Look at what the big boys are doing and maybe take a thing or two from their playbook. Use your web page more and strategically to gain market share. Use the tools that you have and can afford! The web can still tilt the playing field your way. Use a full deck of cards, use the phone, use the mail, use e-mailing, use social media and yes even cold calling.  Just because change is in the wind does not me that you can not shift with that wind and win!

More to come.

Joe Rossini

Have you ever thought of doing a PR release?

You know the old PR release is alive and well on the web. You can reach hundreds of people, news agencies and directories. The PR release can help you, it is part of my overall strategy to get you leads and sales.  If you have a new web page, or a new product, or your company has done something that makes you look good. You would be surprised what a PR release can do for you. I try to do pr releases every month. So if you want to reach out and touch a few people, let me know, I can help you.
What can a PR release do:

help you capture online audiences and gain traction in search engines. It is a powerful combination of search-optimized press release hosting and distribution via PR Newswire's online syndication network of more than 5,700 Web sites.*

Your news will be seen on the Internet's largest news sites (such as Yahoo! Finance, Bizjournals.com and Marketwatch), niche and localized Web sites and indexed by news engines including Yahoo! News and Google News.

What else?

From wikipedia:

A press release, news release, media release, press statement or video release is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something ostensibly newsworthy. Typically, they are mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to assignment editors and journalists at newspapers, magazines, radio stations, online media, television stations or television networks.

Well more later, call me or write me if yu want a PR Release!

Joe Rossini

What good does it do me to have reporting on my web site?

Let me ask you if you have ever tracked your gas mileage that your car is getting? Have you ever tracked the time between and the miles since your last oil change? Do you ever step on a scale and track your weight Are you a diabetic and track your blood readings? Well then why not track your web site and see if it is doing you any good! Why not get a feel for who is coming to see your pages, where they are going and how much time they spend on the website. If you don't know some of these questions then how can you tell someone that your web page is doing good, I don't need help. If you are getting e-mails and leads well that is great but what if you want to make decisions on new or old products and see if it is being looked at.  We offer strong reporting and you will if you are a support customer get a report from me weekly!

More to come.

Joe

Can a small company succeed on the web?

When I first got on the net it was the shining light for the small guy, you could compete with the big boys. Yes for a while it worked and people who could afford to get a web page or use a program called front page got there. More and more people came rushing into the web and proclaimed it their savior but it would not be. Many started to forget how they got to where they were and skipped many of the traditional strategies they use to use. Then one day the big boys of the world woke up and decided that this web thing, it held promise, let us try it out.  They came and started to spend money, big money on the web and on multi media. Soon the search engines of the day and it was not Google at that time found that they could make more money with the big  companies.  So time has marched on and when you do searches today you may see some small companies yes but you also see the big companies and they are getting your information by hook or by crook and are using it to make their own strategies to sell to you and others.

So how can you compete in today's web you ask? Well for one thing make sure you have a web site that is up to date and in good standing with Google.  Yes I mention Google because let us face it they are for now the big company in the room so best to be on their good side. So make sure your web site is current and compliant. Our company can help you get there and it may be cheaper than you think. Also make sure you are on social media. I know many of you say I do not use it but trust me when I say it works. Google looks at social media too and the more your name is mentioned the better. Once again we can help you here and we have helped many companies get leads and make sales through the use of social media.

Blogging, well once again many want to stand out, stand out by telling people what you know and what can help them. If you are an expert in cars, talk about it. If you know about insurance, talk about it.  In short tell the world what you know. A good blog is neat and unless you are me:) should or can be stimulating and cause you to listen.  Oh yes they do not have to look blaa they can look like what one of my good customers Randy Rundle has a neat blog that looks nice and tells a story. Go see what Randy has done (of course with a little help from us:) https://fifthaveinternetgarage.blogspot.com/

Well that it is for today, I hope you like what I have to say:) Let me know tell me what you would like to see me writing about. Write me at jrossini@rossini.com.

Until next time!

Joe Rossini

Now where do we go?

The bottom line is that we need to work hard, work smart, and be aware that brick and mortar is slowly giving way to specialty retailers.  E commerce, social media is the way we are moving and fast.  Applications on your phone is where people are looking not on their home computers. You must have a web presence that works on a phone and that also can do many things that a big web site can do and quickly. I believe that change is happening and fast and I do not mean the election! People are surfing and searching on their phones and if you are not there or if Google does not like your web page you are well screwed sort of.

Responsive design if the buzz word and your web page has to have it! Content that is relevant is also very important. Some feel just put up pictures or links, this is no longer true, Google likes change and likes responsive and like relevant content.

Put a web site up that offers your prospective customers a gift or something and also track them by having them sign up for an e-mail news letter or an end of year give away. Be relevant, offer examples, offer tips and see the leads and sales come in!

More soon.

Joe Rossini

How to suceed in todays tough business world!

We have been in business since 1994 yes 1994 in the web business, we knew Al Gore hehehe just kidding but we were there almost at the beginning. We have seen business come and go and many I can tell you came, made a big splash with big offices and lots of people then swish off they went into bankruptcy.  So you ask how have we survived? Well, we offer a good product or bunches of good products and that is important. Find a product that has a niche and one that hopefully you like to market and sell and then go for it. I recommend starting in your home or a very small office. I recommend you be a sub S or LLC for the protection it gives you legally. I recommend you keep employees to a minimum and contract out most if not all the rest so you do not have a lot of employment hassles or tax problems(please check with your accountant). I also recommend a good web site to start but you don't have to break the bank on it. I do not recommend the free ones they might work for a while but support might be an issue. If you can work another job first or co work that might be good so you can still survive and make some money as you grow. I don't absolutely love the business meetings or groups out there but at first this might not be bad to go to a few but refrain from joining unless it is very cheap. You might go to a few chamber of commerce coffee meetings but once again joining might be cost prohibitive and may not really help you the small business person. I find a lot of accountants, banks, cities, and insurance agents at these meetings.

So you have a product that hopefully people want or a service. You have a place to work, you have basic business equipment (your computer or laptop) now you are ready to move and to sell!

More to come on this topic. If you have any questions just write me at jrossini@rossini.com.

legalization of marijuana in four additional states

The Economic Impact

With the legalization of marijuana in four additional states, there is no doubt that there is now a significant opportunity to grow the economy. For states, it’s time to take dollars back from the black market and move that money into the tax base. Legalization could also lead to redeployment of police, courts, prison work forces, and more. Importantly, it guarantees job growth.
Nowhere is the economic impact of legalized marijuana more obvious than California and the enormous economic powerhouse that the “West Coast Bloc” of California, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada has created.
First, think of it this way. The population of California is greater than 39.1 million, and more than 30 million of those residents are adults. The consumer potential in this one state is massive.
Next, consider the size of California’s economy. The state of California has the sixth largest economy in the world behind the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and the U.K. You read that correctly. The state of California’s economy is larger than every country’s in the world except for five. Business Insider reports that legalization of marijuana is expected to add at least $1.5 billion in revenue to California by January 2018 and another $4 billion by 2020.
Finally, think about how many jobs the expanded marijuana industry could create. If just 2% of the adult residents of California purchase recreational marijuana, that’s over 6 million customers that need to be served by workers in the marijuana industry. The number of employees who will have to be hired could be in the hundreds or thousands across the state. Furthermore, more workers and resources will be needed to serve marijuana businesses. In other words, more picks and shovels are needed to keep up with the new gold rush.
The above only focuses on California. Add the 16.2 million adults in Florida and include Nevada with its goal to turn Las Vegas into a cannatourism hot spot, and it’s clear that both legalized recreational and medical marijuana will have far-reaching effects.

I know this has just now nothing to do with business or the web but soon very soon social media and a weed business near you may grow and with it jobs and money

Things your business should think about!

Listed here are 5 steps that all businesses should think about:

1. Distinguish your objectives and monitor them accurately: Take into account the best business goals of your website and determine particular visitor behavior that point out success, such as completing a sale, registering for a newsletter, or seeing an essential page. Then build goal monitoring to find out how visitors are achieving those objectives. You may also allocate some money to every single goal to determine how it’s affecting the main thing, or build ecommerce monitoring to incorporate online sales information.
2. Turn into a conversion investigator: Businesses invest a lot of hard work getting individuals to visit their website, therefore if your website visitors aren’t transforming or reaching your goals, it’s vital that you understand why. There might be a variety of elements, like a lot of required actions to ask for a quote, call-to-action icons which might be not big enough, or very poor positioning of your opt-in list sign-up button. Discover exactly what conversion metrics require improvements, and experiment with your website’s written content and design to see what works most effective. For more details, check out conversion rate optimization.
3. Check out your bounce rates: This represent individuals who’re browsing one page on your internet site and after that leaving instantly afterwards. This might indicate that they’re not getting what they really want immediately. Take into consideration what details your customers could possibly be looking for, like contact details or links to special offers, and ensure it’s in the forefront on your website. Bounce rates may also tell you how successful your marketing strategies are. For example, if you’re managing an email marketing campaign but discover that they’re leading to visits with higher bounce rates, you’ll probably be wasting time and cash.
4. Find out significant visitors’ locations: The World Wide Web can bring in even a small community business to potential prospects all over the world, so you may be amazed at what viewers are most interested in your services or products. Have a look at the countries, regions and provinces where your internet site viewers are originating from – it simply might encourage you to manage an ad campaign aimed at reach buyers in US, or begin a special campaign for your fans in UK.
5. Make the best of mobile visitors: Increasingly more individuals are exploring the internet on the go using their smartphones, so invest some time finding what percentage of your site’s website visitors are generated from a mobile phone. Could they be viewing various pages, staying for a long period, or bouncing out promptly? A local diner may wish to know if mobile visitors are easily finding data such as hours of operation, food selection and location – because if they’re not, they might be going elsewhere. When you need assistance making your internet site mobile friendly

This info was from LinkedIn

Sometimes no matter what you do, it is not enough

Sometimes you do everything right, you work hard, you put everything into a project or customer and you still end up losing. Remember that not all customers are actually good customers. Yes you hear me right, some are not good because they are poor payers, or they constantly are unhappy no matter what you do for them or more. Sometimes it is good when they leave, let them go in peace and do not look back but look forward to working hard for your good customers and know that they are the ones that will stick with you and will also cause you to smile that you have them as a customer.

More to come..

Joe

A look at a customer

Proseinc.com is a valued customer. Prose, Inc has been in business in Kansas City since the mid 1980s and our experience, knowledge, and range of product offerings make us your logical choice for your next office furniture purchase. Call us today and save! (913) 441-4499

Some of its products

Prose offers a variety of used furniture such as desks, chairs, and cubicles purchased from a variety of sources. Much of the inventory consists of brand name furniture such as Steelcase 9000, L and U shaped desks, reception desks, executive chairs, office chairs, reception chairs and more. Prose also offers conference tables and chairs in a variety of sizes to fit most office needs.

New furniture:  

Want to purchase brand new furniture? We can help with that, too. Prose offers new furniture from a carefully selected handful of furniture manufacturers that have proven to meet our standards in quality and service, such as Affordable Interior Systems, Global Upholstery, Office Master, and Storlie. Lead times and pricing vary, please call or contact us online for details or discounts.

In today's competitive business environment you need every advantage you can find and Prose can offer you that edge. Your office environment must be productive, so creating the most efficient layout can keep you one step ahead. Prose has partnered with such well-known companies as Hallmark Cards, AT&T, Commerce Bank, and Seaboard in the KC Metro area. But, the Prose advantage can be utilized by the smallest start-up operation to the fastest growing companies throughout the Midwest. Contact PROSE today.

•  Turn-Key solutions for regional expansion
•  Recycle your existing Office Furniture
•  Custom Designs with unique finishes
•  Creative Alternatives to your office needs

If you have an interest call Lucas at Prose (913) 441-4499

How to make a great e-commerce web site

There are many ways to put up a great e-commerce web site and one is that you must be ready to take ownership of the website and keep it updated all the time. Do not get into e-commerce unless you are ready to put in the time to keep it updated.
Here are some good suggestions by Moz Blog:

A

The navigation at the top needs to do a few things. It's got to help people:

• Understand and know where they are in the site structure, especially if you have a more complex site. In Bellroy's case, they don't really need to highlight anything. You know you're on a wallet page. That's probably in Shop, right? But for Amazon, this is critically important. For Best Buy, this is hugely important. Even for places like Samsung and Apple, critical to understand where I am in the site structure.
• I want to know something about the brand itself. So if this is the first time that someone is visiting the website, which is very often the case with ecommerce pages, they're often entry points for the first exposure that you have to a brand. Let's recall, from what we know about conversion rate optimization, it is uncommon, unusual for someone to convert on their first visit to a brand or a website's page, but you can make a great first impression, and part of that is what your top navigation needs to do. So it should help people identify with the brand, get a sense for the style and the details of who you are.
• You need to know where, broadly, you can go in the website. Where can I explore from here? If this is my first visit or if this is my second visit and I'm trying to learn a little bit more about the company, I want to be able to easily get to places like About, or I want to be able to easily learn more about their products or what they do, learn more about the potential solutions, learn more about their collections and what other things they offer me.
• I also, especially for ecommerce repeat visitors and for folks who are buying more than one thing, I want to have this simple navigation around Cart. I don't, in fact, love how Bellroy minimizes this, but you want to make sure that the Search bar is there as well. Search is actually a function. About 10% to 12% of visitors on average to ecommerce pages will use Search as their primary navigation function. So if you make that really subtle or hard to find or difficult to use, the Search feature can really limit the impact that you can have with that group.
• I want that info about the shopping process that comes from having the Cart. In Bellroy's case, I love what they do. They actually put "Free shipping in the United States" in their nav on every page, which I think, clearly for them, it must be one of the key questions that they get all the time. I have no doubt that they've done some A/B testing and optimization to make sure, "Hey, you know what? Let's just put it in front of everyone because it doesn't hurt and it helps to improve our conversion rates."

Remember that e-commerce is there to sell and make it easier to sell a product. Make your website easy yet comprehensive.

More to come...

Why do clients not listen to the professional

I often wonder why when you have years of experience that a customer refuses to listen. I hear, I can do it better or I know my products better. My company is my company and I will do it the way I want to.  Bottom line is often these people do not do it right or they get sold a bill of goods by a company that only cares about the money because they know it is only going to be a one time hit. We offer multiple months of work and we do not charge thousands of dollars and demand payment in advance. I ask you as an owner to look past the fancy numbers of a company and look at the person or company that offers you person to person contact and a desire to learn your business so as to market you better.  Remember, a company in India or even one in California does not know how you work in Kansas or Missouri.  Buy local and buy from a company that cares!

How to use keywords today

Written by Nick Stamoulis
Keywords are at the foundation of any SEO campaign. People search using keywords and the purpose of SEO is to ensure that your website matches these search queries in order to generate organic search engine traffic from target audience members. To determine how target audience members are searching, the first step of an SEO campaign is to conduct keyword research. Once you have determined which keywords to target, the next step is to incorporate them into your website content. So, what exactly does that mean? Where do your keywords go? Here is a guide to the most prominent places you’ll need to naturally incorporate your keywords for SEO gains

Title tags

The title tag is arguably the most important SEO element on each page of your website which is why it’s critically important to include keywords, preferably at the beginning of the page title. Not only do the search engines pay attention to the title tag for ranking purposes, but it’s also the first thing that searchers see on the SERP and it can influence click through rate. The search engines only show a certain amount of text in the title tag, which is why it’s best practice to keep it under 55 characters (including spaces). If you go over that character limit the dreaded “…” might cut off the end of the title tag, which isn’t very attractive or professional and can result in lost clicks.

Description

The meta description doesn’t hold direct SEO value but it can encourage click throughs which indirectly impacts rank (the search engines pay attention to which sites are generating the most clicks from their results pages and favor them accordingly). Think of the description as the sales pitch for the page. Use language that includes keywords and encourages the click. Search terms included in the description will be bolded search results, telling the searcher that the page is relevant to their needs. The character limit for the description is 150 characters.


Website owners should always be reading through their content with an “SEO eye” – on the lookout for any spot to incorporate a targeted keyword naturally. For example, if you’re mentioning “our clients” add a keyword to make it “our [service offered] clients.” This gets the keyword in there for SEO purposes but doesn’t disrupt the flow of the content. Don’t worry about keyword density, that’s a thing of the past. Instead, look for natural opportunities.

The use of keywords has evolved but they are still one of the most powerful SEO strategic attack plans used to get leads and rankings.  Remember, your website is a living document, keep it current, keep adding to it.

Nore to come soon.

Joe Rossini

What you need!

Need foundation repair contact www.keatingmudjacking.com.

Need used furniture for your office that looks new call www.proseinc.com

Need a materials management solution contact www.kuecker.com

Need a vet in south KC contact http://www.beltonvetcenter.com/

Need an updated web site visit www.rossini.com

Need SEO marketing www.marketyourbusinessnow.com

And more to come soon!

New info about Google Penguin system

 The linking site is important
It's not just the link that can cause problems, it's the website that links to your site (the 'source site'). If the majority of links to your site come from empty profile pages, forum profile pages and similar sites, Google's new Penguin algorithm will discount those links.

"For example, like I was looking at the negative SEO case [...] and basically, the content owner played hundreds of links on empty profile pages, forum profile pages. Those links with the new Penguin were discounted.

But like if you looked at the page, it was pretty obvious that the links were placed there for a very specific reason, and that’s to game the ranking algorithms. But not just Google’s but any other ranking algorithm that uses links.

If you look at a page, you can make a pretty easy decision on whether to disavow or remove that link or not. And that’s what Penguin is doing. It’s looking at signals on the source page. Basically, what kind of page it is, what could be the purpose of that link, and then make a decision based on that whether to discount those things or not."

The new Penguin algorithm ignores these links

The old Penguin algorithm penalized websites that had a lot of these links. The new Penguin algorithm simply ignores these links, i.e. they have no value at all (positive or negative). I think on the whole this is good for the customer and well bad and time consuming for black label SEO specialist.

Google Panda demotes or adjusts your rankings down — it does not devalue

"Gary Illyes from Google told us Google's new Penguin 4.0 algorithm devalues spam, ignores it -- but Panda demotes the spam by adjusting the rankings down.
Gary told us in the interview, when we asked about Panda devaluing versus demoting, '[S]o essentially, if you want a blunt answer, it will not devalue, it will actually demote.

As you may remember, Penguin 4.0 now devalues links by ignoring them, as opposed to demoting or penalizing the links. But that is not how Panda works."

  

Google to divide its index, giving mobile users better & fresher content

"Currently, Google has a single index of documents for search. Google's Gary Illyes announced they plan on releasing a separate mobile search index, which will become the primary one. [...]

It’s unclear exactly how the mobile index will work. For example, since the mobile index is the 'primary' index, will it really not be used for any desktop queries? Will it only contain 'mobile-friendly' content? How out-of-date will the desktop index be? Desktop usage is now a minority of Google queries but still generates substantial usage."

 

As yu can see alot is happening in Google world.  More to come soon.

 

The above info came from Axandra...............................

 

 

Never miss a customer request again!

We now offer a way to add chat to your web site at a very affordable price. The chat is easy to add and can be brought on line quickly. Think, if someone cant reach you they can reach you by chat. If  you don't have time to chat then it will send you an e mail to call the interested party. If you are out of the office and have a smart phone no problem you can send thse messages to your phone to answer right away. Now we have added a way to track some of your top competitors and their web habits and this can be tracked by this cheap and affordable product.

Call me at 913-244-6132 or use my chat on my website at www.rossini.com

Social media

Social media can be fun, hard, nreve racking but very benefical. One of my clients who I did facebook post for and then boosted them got alot of facebook looksies. I am not privvy to any sales information but I can not help but to believe they got some. 

I like Facebook for some it has a targeted market but I like linked in for business. I believe that you can reach more bigger business on LinkedIn.

Twitter can be fun but I have yet to see it as a real good sales tool for my customers or me.

Blogging is fun but I have yet to grow my readership to a level I want but I will get there.

More to come.

Joe

Can I track who is visiting my website?

This is where I have been investigating so I can bring more information to not only myself but my customers.  I start with this article:
We gets a lot of traffic from people who would like to identify individual website visitors.  Search phrases such as “identify website visitors” and “track individual web site visitors” bring traffic to us on a daily basis.  We find that many people are searching for a solution that will tell them the email addresses (or names & phone numbers) of each person that visits their website.
This post is the first in a series that will explain exactly what is and is not possible when it comes to identifying and tracking visitors to your website. Having personally built popular software for identifying website visitors I have at least one truckload of experience in this area, maybe more depending on the size of your truck.

What’s Not Possible
A universal truth: No legitimate software or service in existence can identify the names, phone numbers or email addresses of each visitor to your website. I know, I know. That sucks. Very disappointing. But that’s absolutely the way it is. Let me show you why this is the case.
Think about your computer.  Where in it would you find your email address?  How about your name and phone number?  The first place that comes to mind is your email program like Outlook or Entourage.  Another place where your name may be found is in the operating system itself.  You may also have look in the various documents you’ve created.  Here’s the deal: The code used to build web pages is not technologically capable of accessing information stored in these places.  Web browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox & Safari are specifically designed to not allow access to the information stored in other programs.  You can’t build a web page that sorts through Outlook contacts, Word documents or operating system settings without the user’s permission.  It’s not only a question of ethics, it’s also just not possible without tricking the user into downloading something sneaky.
“But what about cookies?” I hear someone asking.  No, cookies cannot provide this kind of information either.  Many people have the mistaken impression that they can but they cannot.  Web developers use cookies to store pieces of information they already know.  Cookies cannot discover new information, they can only store known information.
That is the bottom line.  End of story.  But wait…
There is one kind of program that’s capable of digging around in your address book or elsewhere to find email addresses and other contact information.  It’s called spyware (I’m sure you noticed that I said no legitimate software can identify each visitor to your website).  Spyware can probe various areas of a computer and “phone home” with all the dirt it digs up.  You won’t find anyone openly selling this kind of software because it is only used by criminals and spammers (if there’s really a difference there).  But alas, even spyware has its limitations.  In order to use spyware to get at sensitive information you first have to trick someone into installing it on their computer.  Your mileage may vary, but I’m not predicting success in identifying all of your website visitors in this manner.
So what is possible when trying to identify anonymous website visitors? Next post on this coming soon.

Joe R

Sales and how to get them

This is a topic I know a lot about. After many years of sales I can tell you that I have found many ways to win and also to lose a sale. First tip is you have to be persistent. You must keep trying and go after a suspect until they become a prospect. Notice I said suspect, it is the term that I give to the almost prospect but they are not quite ready to buy but might show an interest. It is your job to turn that suspect into a prospect by using multiple time tested means.

Some of those means are simple, pick up the phone and call them. If for any reason you can not get ahold of the person how about an in person sales call.  If that does not work, how about a thank you card that basically thanks that person for their interest and ask for an appointment. Notice I will leave the last one for last, e-mail them. E-mail are not personal but they still might work.

If a prospect showed interest in a particular product then maybe you can entice them with a special or send them a brochure or I have in the past brought a customer in with me to talk to the suspect/prospect and it warms the person up, they are talking to a business person and thus not just a salesman. Be careful here you must know  your customer well and be sure to give that person something for their time and for helping you.

OK enough for now, if you like what I am saying and want to hear more please e-mail me at jrossini@rossini.com and tell me what you think and what you might like to hear next.

Talk soon.

Joe Rossini

My thoughts on why companies fail at web marketing

These are my thoughts only, but over several years and working with multiple companies, I have come to understand and know what works and what has not worked in the area of SEO and web marketing. I will say that I believe the number one thought or impressions I have are working with companies that do not seem to know how to work with their web SEO specialist or sometimes even their own sales force. I often find that companies refuse to let people know some of their greatest achievements or sales. The world needs to know your success stories, how you won them and got them and why. Why were you chosen over the bigger and more financially larger competitor, what happened you ask how did you do it. I have many times found that the salesperson made the right connection at the right time and thus was in there to tell the story before anyone else. You or your company became the consultant, the expert and they trusted you over the other companies that came later. I find that even in this high tech era, personal contact still can turn the key to the sale. Marketing on line is similar, people want to know more about your company and what it does. Companies that just stay quiet and allow a company to guess or try to put together a winning marketing campaign is in many instances doomed to fail. By telling your specialist the little things, the reason you are unique then it can be told to an audience that may contain that one big multi million dollar player who makes the decision. Tell the world why you can do things that others can not. Tell your potential customers that you have the programming, the technical expertise to help them.  Helping a person, save them money, make them more sales these are reasons that people will choose you and buy from you. Do not be those companies I have seen fail, be these companies that want to work with you to make them better! Remember that your SEO expert and web marketing person has your best interest at heart. If that person is successful and brings you leads, you will keep using them because it is worth it to them!

Well more to come and remember we only succeed if you succeed!

More to come

Joe Rossini

Tidbit time, more information for you!

To follow are tidbits about marketing:

Someone who visited your site yesterday is more valuable than someone who visited 90 days ago. Someone who browses six pages has shown higher intent than someone who bounces off the homepage. Segmenting these different users will help you identify who you’re marketing to and the goals you want to achieve with each different segment.  ( With my powerful reporting I see this a lot!

More tidbits:

Having intelligent bidding and targeting is extremely important, but it loses it’s power if users aren’t compelled to click on your ads. This is where you need to understand the emotional component of reaching customers and use creative that inspires them and ultimately drives a response

Have you ever thought of giving a coupon or referral fee?

How about ads that sell?

7 TIPS FOR DYNAMIC CREATIVE SUCCESS
1. Shoot eye catching, high-quality product photos. Products are at the heart of your dynamic creative campaign. That’s why it’s important to make sure they are well photographed and represented visually to attract viewers. Strong product visuals are central to the sale.
2. Maintain consistent size and aspect ratio. Consistency in product image size and aspect ratio is incredibly appealing: think Pinterest or Instagram.
3. Use transparent backgrounds. With transparent backgrounds, the product can lift right off the ad and into your audience’s focus.
4. Write catchy copy and call to action. Ad copy should always be direct and eye-catching. Communicate customer benefits, appeal to customer needs, and provide a clear call to action.
5. Keep titles and descriptions brief. Brief product titles and descriptions are more likely to grab the often fast-moving eyes of former shoppers.
6. Test what works best. Price or no price? Navigation arrows or no navigation arrows? The answers vary. We would rather skip the guesswork and set up an A/B test to determine the right answer.
7. Stay fresh. Ad fatigue is a real symptom for online shoppers. That’s why it is important to refresh the look and feel of your ads every so often. We recommend a creative refresh once per quarter.

This would work well with adwords and other ads that you put out there.

One of th4 hardest things for me and any marketer is to try to be creative:

The key takeaway? Get creative with your ad strategy, and make sure you’re highlighting the best of what your brand has to offer. Compelling creative is a key component of high-performing ads, and developing a personal connection with customers is essential.
 There are many ways to bring leads...please consider www.marketyourbusinessnow.com.

More to come soon.

Joe Rossini

This is a very good article:

5 SEO Tactics that Will Never Hurt You

Written by Nick Stamoulis
One of the most exciting things about SEO is that it’s constantly evolving. While this certainly keeps things interesting, it also causes fear and anxiety. SEO rules are known to change which often makes website owners hesitant. They understandably don’t want to invest time and effort into something that might not be of any value in the coming weeks, months, etc. Or worse, could possibly end up hurting them. However, we don’t think you should fear SEO since there are plenty of tactics that will never hurt you. Our advice is to focus on those tactics, such as the following:

Publishing quality content

Taking the time to publish original, high-quality content on your website that will be helpful to your target audience will always have a place in a marketing campaign. For SEO purposes, every piece of content is an additional opportunity to rank in the search engines and generate inbound links to the site. In addition, the search engines take a site’s “freshness” into account when deciding where a site should rank. Sites that are updated regularly with useful content are favored. Remember, content doesn’t need to be “text-based only” either. People have different content preferences. It might be interesting videos and images that catch the eye of target audience members and earn links and shares. Focusing on target audience members, and not just the search engines, will improve bounce rate which is something the search engines also take into account.

Improving site speed

A slow loading site is a major turn-off that usually results in a high bounce rate. Your site needs to be fast across devices. If a searcher can’t get to your site quickly enough, where do you think they’re headed? Probably to a competitor’s site. If you’re concerned about site speed, talk to your developer about what could be slowing the site down. The Google PageSpeed insights tool is helpful. Also, be sure to invest in quality hosting.

Searching for relevant link opportunities

If you think “link building” is a bad thing, you’re doing it wrong. There’s nothing wrong with building relevant inbound links to your site. The key term here is “relevant.” Look for opportunities from industry related sites and build links gradually.

Social media activity

Social media might not have a direct impact on your SEO success but it can have an indirect impact. Keeping active in social media and building up your social following helps to grow your brand online and shows the search engines that you’re marketing your website in many ways. While social links may be “no-followed” they are still seen and can generate other, non-social links on other websites that are followed.

Updating your website

SEO and website design are separate marketing functions but essentially they help each other. A well-designed site that is easy to navigate improves a site’s bounce rate and the overall experience a visitor has. If it’s time for a redesign, be sure to follow these website redesign tips for SEO.
SEO may be continually evolving, but there are plenty of SEO tactics that will always be relevant. Stick with these tactics and follow a white hat strategy to avoid penalties.

apps and roi

By the end of the test's first week, Home Depot could see that the the ads were working. And by the end of the four-week test period, the company was seeing more than 8X in-store ROI from their mobile display ads.

Related Story

FIX-IT-BEFORE-DUSK MOMENTS

Like John, consumers often use multiple channels en route to conversion.

Read story

In fact, 93% of the sales created by the ads happened in-store, with the remainder happening online.

The results were so good that Home Depot quickly expanded the gardening and outdoor goods program to 2200 stores nationwide — and again saw 8X in-store ROI. Currently, Home Depot is also planning to expand the pilot to other categories, like paint and related merchandise.
"Mobile location extensions for display really proved their worth very quickly," says Umut Dincer. "We're able to reach do-it-yourselfers who are close to our stores and make a just-in-time connection that brings them the information they really want in their I-want-to-buy-it moments. We learned long ago that we serve our consumers best by matching their intent and giving them the relevant information they need. The results have been great.”

More ROI on using apps!

By the end of the test's first week, Home Depot could see that the the ads were working. And by the end of the four-week test period, the company was seeing more than 8X in-store ROI from their mobile display ads.

Related Story

FIX-IT-BEFORE-DUSK MOMENTS

Like John, consumers often use multiple channels en route to conversion.

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In fact, 93% of the sales created by the ads happened in-store, with the remainder happening online.

The results were so good that Home Depot quickly expanded the gardening and outdoor goods program to 2200 stores nationwide — and again saw 8X in-store ROI. Currently, Home Depot is also planning to expand the pilot to other categories, like paint and related merchandise.
"Mobile location extensions for display really proved their worth very quickly," says Umut Dincer. "We're able to reach do-it-yourselfers who are close to our stores and make a just-in-time connection that brings them the information they really want in their I-want-to-buy-it moments. We learned long ago that we serve our consumers best by matching their intent and giving them the relevant information they need. The results have been great.”

Mobile Apps are here and now..look at the facts!

Mobile takes the lead
Mobile is just another source of data that can be integrated to provide a more holistic view of the customer journey. More Google searches are taking place on smartphones than on desktops and laptops—globally.⁴ And across the millions of websites using Google Analytics, more than half of all web traffic is now coming from smartphones and tablets.⁵
But many companies struggle with exactly how to manage and integrate mobile data. "People are still thinking of mobile as something different," Sagnik said. "But we're at the point where mobile is the status quo."