The Best Investment You Can Make for Your Online Business

Today’s featured article is about such a basic yet critical investment decision for small online businesses. Matt Bailey writes a great piece on these proven and very measurable tactics. Basic Search Engine Optimzation (SEO), Usability Improvements, and Web Analytics reporting and monitoring are a must to your business website’s success.

Read the Full Article…

If your business has not taken these initial steps by now,

Contact Mammoth Internet Search Solutions to help you TODAY!

You will see the impact on your Web generated leads and sales within 30 days.

SES Update - Local Search Marketing Tactics

Here’s a great resource posted by Kent Lewis from Search Marketing Standard. At the last session of the SES Conference, Gregg Stewart with TMP Directional Marketing (a $450M subsidiary search marketing group within TMP) tag-teamed with Steve Espinosa with eLocal Listing to discuss aspects of local search.

The article outlines the extremely informative presentation Stewart and Espinosa delivered and touches on the billions that will be spent on Local Search Advertising,
creating press releases and paying for listings/trustmarks from BBB, city directories and category-specific sites. They also discuss the importance of utilizing local business ads (geo-targeted) to capture broader phrases in PPC campaigns. Lewis then includes “Espinosa also highly recommends utilizing social media sites like Digg and MySpace. He recommends encouraging customers to rate and review on social media sites”. Espinoza also outlined a local video strategy. Read the Full Article …

Promoting Your Business Locally on the Internet

The advertising of the future is going online-and going local. This hot trend of
Local Internet Promotion is growing rapidly and will continue to grow in the coming years. There’s no question that consumers are using the internet to navigate their way to local brick-and-mortar retailers. A recent study by ROI Research Inc. and Performics shows that online searches influence 20 to 30 percent of purchases made at retail locations. That number is steadily increasing. More and more sites, like SouthFloridaClicks.com, are making their presence known by competing against major search engines like Google and Yahoo!. So study, plan your budget and get in on the local online advertising game.

Question: If you own a local brick-and-mortar business that sells traditional goods and services, how can marketing on the internet be effective?

Answer: If you live in a growing city, especially like those in South Florida where new people are always moving into town, people are increasingly using the Internet to find local businesses. They are new to the region and it’s a good first step in the search for local retailers, services, tradesmen, restaurants and entertainment venues. Chances are, in fact, they will look to the internet before using the local yellow pages or other printed phone directory. It is simpler and more accessible than digging out a phone book (if they even have one yet).

In July 2004, Nielsen/NetRatings new MegaView Search service found that 24.4% of searchers on major search engines conducted searches that were local in scope, averaging 4.6 searches per searcher. In September 2004, a Kelsey Group-BizRate.com study found that more than 74% of respondents said they had conducted local searches and confirmed that 20% of all searches among respondents was local. Using the Internet to find local businesses is now mainstream and will continue to grow radidly throughout 2008.

Fortunately, for a local business you don’t need a huge, complex, and expensive website to be effective. You’re not competing with the best of the best internationally, you just need to present yourself well to local residents and consumers within driving distance or a targeted region.

Some of the businesses that can be helped by local Internet marketing include: auto dealers, chiropractors, computer retailers, auto repair, physician, dentist, florist, limousine service, accountant, travel agents, locksmith, massage therapist, insurance agent, real estate agent, mortgage broker, maid service hardware retailer, plumber, lawyer, restaurant, and movers, among many, many more.

Promote Your Website Locally

Local search is fast becoming a large part of a successful small business marketing strategy. Here’s where you’ll find resources to target specific local audiences and customers. We will discuss how to promote your website to local geographic regions, especially South Florida.