WEB MARKETING AS A MANAGED SERVICE
September 6, 2009 by · Comments
I am writing today to speak of an exciting project I am involved with for an online magazine that is all about managed services. I was asked to participate not only as an editor of the magazine but also as one of the featured managed services providers. SEO /Web Marketing is not typically classified as a managed service but in actuality fits the defintion of that term quite closely. After first being asked to be the editor a decision was also made thereafter to represent the category of SEO and Web Marketing as an Expert for their “Ask The Experts” section of the magazine. Here, visiting traffic can ask questions to experts in the fields of Managed IT, Telecommunications, Call Center Services, Offsite Data Storge, and now SEO and Web Marketing. Amongst the exciting featured sections are: “Tip of the Day”, Executive Interview, Featured Article and Featured Provider.
Adding to the blog with be posts from the experts themselves on their respective topic. Our goal with this project is to initiate interaction and create an environment that opens up the communication lines. Anybody intererested in getting information on any of the 5 mentioned managed services, nows your chance to get it free from experts. As some may know, since the conception of managed services they have found this service model to be a growing need for the small business owner as oppossed to the Enterprise business model that is started from. The magazine is due to launch on September 9th. Check it out if you’re interested at http://www.managedserviceproviders.biz
BEST STRATEGY FOR MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS
June 11, 2009 by · Comments
I will not lie, I just read one of the better articles found on the internet giving unsolicited advice on better strategies for your business growth. Digital Business by Will Hawkins is a must read found here: http://digi-business.co.uk/2009/04/07/how-to-win-focus-and-speed/
Practicing Micro-Focus for Effectiveness
While thinking through his strategy for attacking all the elements involved in marketing your business online, I imagined of the many out there, like me, that this advice could save from the dreaded “macrostrategy” we currently operate with. The key to strategy and effectiveness in business, as stated by Mr. Hawkins, is concentrating efforts into smaller sections and perfecting those before moving on to the next. Just typing those words, I suddenly feel relieved, possibly saving myself from a panic attack or two.
Practicing Microfocus
While microfocusing ourselves into the smaller yet important regions of our business we become experts in those areas; while continuing a desperate unfocused path allows us to become experts at nothing and even bad, or at best, average, at many things. Simple tips like this can make a huge impact on ones success.
Signs of a Macro-Strategizer:
1. A feeling like you are constantly in a race against time
2. An impatience or anxiousness of always being one step behind your competitors
3. Having an incessasnt mental monologue playing of “what I need to do” or “what I haven’t done yet”
4. Having several very important things to do on your list and getting very little if any of them accomplished.
5. Grabbing as many things as possible to do at the same time in a frantic and unsuccessful effort to “catch up”
6. Increased heart rate after reading this.
How to stay Microfocused or How to ”get something done”
Good news! Help is on the way. Here is what to do:
1. First, Take two deep breaths
2. Now with your eyes tightly closed take one very small thing from your pile to work on.
3. WITH EYES STILL CLOSED, BEGIN STEPPING AWAY FROM THE PILE.
4. Now shut the door and finish what you have chosen from the pile – and finish it right this time
SMALL BUSINESS SEO PROPOSALS
March 22, 2009 by · Comments
Presenting proposals to clients for SEO projects can be a hectic and stressful process especially for the small business client whose expenditures are almost always on a tight budget. Some feel like they might be throwing money at a losing battle…their business, and at this point are unsure it being worthy of success at all. After having done an initial analysis on their competition and current web presence you conclude that with a strong back linking campaign and onsite seo/copywriting they could turn their business around and take a strong position in the search results for their keyword. Naturally you have already shared this exciting news with them but somehow at the moment when you present the proposal, it seems forgotten; the excitement lost in dollar signs. What can be done to make this proposal process less stressful for both the client and the SEO professional? Here are a few things I have come up with for a win win proposal:
Upon introduction discuss:
A) What is their budget? Or, how much do they want to spend on a marketing campaign and SEO for their website
B) Ask them questions that quantify the value they place on ranking well in search results or driving traffic to their website. Let’s face it. Getting noticed online can bring endless value to the customer in hard revenue. It is important however to help them make that connection when you are selling something intangible like services.
C) Ask them if they have ever paid for SEO services/copywriting before, and if they haven’t, get them familiar with cost immediately. That way they can do their own math along the way and thus no surprises. Many people are unfamiliar with the process, therefore unfamiliar with its cost.
D) When presenting the proposal, include the estimated final result of the services being recommended i.e, what this will do for the customer, is it better ranking in search results, driving traffic through a pay per click campaign, increase conversions, etc. That way the cost and value can offset each other yet again for the customer.
E) Make sure your pricing is clear cut and if you offer an hourly rate only, try to estimate how long each process will take or give maximums (not to exceed x amount of hours). Small business owners are much more comfortable knowing in advance how much they are spending.
F) And as always deliver what you promise in the time frames outlined. It is always better to under promise and over deliver and because SEO and online marketing are not exact sciences, don’t promise the number one spot in google’s search results, instead promise the top 3 but only if your totally confident it can be done!
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THE WEB MARKETING PRO
5425 E. BELL RD SUITE 141
PHOENIX, AZ 85254
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