If you or your company has any business interests that tie into internet marketing and the promotion of your website, then you need to hop on over to Andy Beal’s www.MarketingPilgrim.com. On a daily basis, you can expect to find a combination of internet marketing news stories, useful tips, and some strong opinions on an assortment of relevant topics. We have been following Andy Beal’s thoughts and opinions on internet marketing well before the launch of Marketing Pilgrim, tracing back to his days at Search Engine Lowdown; so take it from us, he knows his stuff and will give some great insight beyond mere facts & rehashed news stories.
Starting November 12-15, 2007, a fantastic conference will take place in Cleveland, OH called “The Big Makeover”. It is a spin off of the TV hit “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” where one lucky business owner will have their entire company reconstructed from top to bottom, bottom to top — FREE! A select group of 250 CEO’s, Presidents and business owners will be invited to Cleveland, OH November 12th – 15th to watch the selected company be completely overhauled, and in so doing, will actively learn how to apply the same techniques and strategies to their own businesses.
If you are a small business owner who’s company is primarily internet-based, especially in eCommerce, trying to determine the value of your web business can often be a daunting and very challenging task. A fundamental question that challenges traditional thinking pertains the tangible and intangible value of a website. For pure play web companies, the website is their building and the internet is their real estate. When a traditional company is sold, often times the building and land go with it. Is web real estate and property being valued in the sale of a web business?
The rise of YouTube has spawned a new, very effective medium for online advertisers to promote their products through the use of video. Promotional videos go way beyond YouTube though. If you are a small business owner seeking to increase your company’s market exposure through word of mouth, viral marketing techniques then video is a sure fire way to do it. Is it guaranteed success? NO. With that said, creating videos that show of your product, reiterate your subject matter expertise, and/or express your benefits to the end user is certain to increase customer confidence in your business. The creative side of this business is key, in order to reach and connect with your targeted customers.
The Center for Media Research just released a study, conducted by ThirdAge, Inc and JWT BOOM, that indicates 40+ year olds are hip to the internet as nearly 75% have Broadband internet in their homes. The group labeled as “Third Agers” is defined as baby boomers and mid-lifers ranging in age from mid 40’s through mid 60’s.
The Internet has revolutionized the way we operate in life, work, and recreation. Small companies can efficiently serve national or global customers real-time, meeting their needs and fulfilling their demands. While this convenience is mostly positive in the eyes of a business owner, it can also come with some hefty negatives. Case in point, online reputation. A trend called “online reputation monitoring”, which began to get noticed back in 2005 is gaining steam as companies seek to manage their brand’s integrity and reputation amongst the thralls of blogs, message boards, forums and what’s known as “user generated content”. So this begs to question, what is your reputation worth when you are planning on appraising and then selling your business?
Entreprenuers must continually invest in themselves with golden nuggets of insightful information and tips. Learning from other seasoned entrepreneurs who have been successful in their own ventures and are giving back to like-minded business owners can be invaluable! Seeking self-improvement is a huge investment back into your business, its employees, services & products, growth and consequent value.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, a division within the Department of Labor, reported several weeks ago that less than 50% of small businesses successfully make it past 4 years of operation. In fact, only 44% of business owners can “hack it” through 4 years of operation. Nearly 65% of businesses successfully make it past the first two years.
If your business caters to a local, geographic audience then a question always top of mind is “How do we reach more customers in our city?”. There are a multitude of answers and the degree of these will vary based on your type of business, who you’re talking to, and what your goals are. In general, it is critical that you integrate a strong marketing mix into the equation. Traditional examples would include direct mail, yellow page advertising, networking events, partnership opportunities, event sponsorships, etc. In today’s rapidly evolving world of technology and internet, an untapped market that has significant upside to small business owners is search engine marketing and advertising.
