EXPAND your on-line Presence so Searches can FIND you!

To be found you need to be seen. REALLY TRUE on the internet where finding information about you and your business definitely falls into the "needle in a haystack" scenario.

So how do you increase the size of your "digital footprint" to improve your chances of being seen? Here are just a few suggestions:

1. PLEASE-PLEASE claim your "Google My Business" account. Since Google still commands the majority of searches, claiming and updating the information about your business is imperative to maximizing your exposure on this platform.
2. Expand your listings on other search engines and directories. There are dozens of places where you can list you information to increase the likelihood that searches will display your information. Besides Google, there is Bing, Yahoo, and social media platforms to consider.
3. Correct the misinformation about your business. Some of these search engines and directories have garnered your information and posted what it found. Unfortunately, often this information may be incorrect if you move, change a phone number, or even may be incorrect from the start. Also, anyone can "suggest" a change which means your business can get shanghaied by your competition!

To accomplish all this can take hours and hours to login, claim and update all the information.

GOOD NEWS! We can provide your business a "Digital Dashboard" that will allow you to update your information simultaneously in over 70 search engines and directories including:

• Your NAP (Name, Address and Phone number) 
• Business descriptions of your products and/or services
• Your business categories
• Your business hours
• Menus for restaurants
• Special events
• Photos & videos
• Staff bios
• and SO MUCH MORE

Now you can have an easy, affordable way to manage and update much of the content about your business throughout the internet. Never have we seen a tool that allows you to claim and manage your BUSINESS BRAND on the largest marketing platform available: the World Wide Web! And the investment starts at only $197.

CLICK to request a FREE Digital Report on how your business is listed and to get more information about our services.

PS - Stay turned for our next post on how voice-controlled virtual assistants like Siri and Cortana should affect your strategy of achieving digital visibility.

Right-On-Target Marketing Done RIGHT!

Imagine if someone invited you to enter a darts tournament. There was BIG prize money available so this piqued your interest, even though you don't consider yourself a darts expert. You would certainly ask these questions:

1. What's the target?
2. What do I get if I hit it?
3. What does it cost to enter?

No brainer questions, right? 

Well I know many businesses that invest LOTS of money NOT knowing the answers to these basic questions which also apply to marketing. If done RIGHT, you will know the answers before you even get started.

1. What's the target? Knowing exactly what your target looks like helps you know what you are aiming at and your chances of hitting it. Also knowing the odds of hitting a bullseye, how many attempts you will need to make before you get a hit, and if there are any wins beside a bullseye.
2. What do I get if I hit it? Here's a definition of a bullseye in marketing: you acquire a new "ideal client". What's an "ideal client"? Well, it depends on your business but would be one that you can provide the maximum amount of service for with the most profit. You will want to know the "average lifetime value" of that client: how much they spend (on average) each year, how long (on average) they remain a client, how many new clients (on average) they refer. All clients might not be a "bullseye" but at least you will know what each "ideal client" will put in your pocket.
3. What does it cost to enter? Once you evaluate the return-on-investment, you know how much you might be willing to spend to enter the marketing game. We don't engage in marketing for the sport, we engage for the WIN. So know the RETURN so you will know how much to INVEST.

So let's look at an example and "do the math".

Let's say a bullseye is worth $1000. It costs $100 to get 10 darts. You are pretty good and can usually hit two bullseyes for every 10 tries. If you enter and do your "average" you would profit $2000+ for a $100 investment. Would you enter?

Here's the politically correct response: "Duh!" 

Truth be told, you could hit one out of 30 and still do well enough to justify the investment. 

Marketing works the SAME WAY. Understand your target, evaluate your odds, and do the math! If you need help for YOUR business, contact us at GetYourNetInGear.com for a FREE Digital Diagnostic (we focus on the Internet but will explore ALL forms for marketing options).

Where There's a Will, There's a Widget

I have been involved with computer technology for 40 years now (yikes!). As you can imagine, it has been both EXCITING to see how things have advanced and CHALLENGING to stay on top of things. I started my career as an Information Systems Specialist which simply means, I figure out how to get computers to do things so people can save time, make sales, and be more productive.

TRAFFIC SCHOOL: Lessons from the Sea

There are indeed "plenty of fish in the sea" however unless you are actively fishing, every day, you will likely go hungry... The same is true on the Internet. Just about everyone (Google says 97%) is using the Internet to find products and services. Having a website is just the beginning: you have a boat. Now let's take a few lessons from the sea to see how to make the boat work for you.

TECHNOLOGY: Can't live without it, don't always get it

Most of us remember a time when a phone was only used for making calls and technology was something that only engineers had to deal with. Now phones are "smart" and tech-stuff isn't just for geeks anymore...

Does your website have the right S.T.U.F.F.?

As you get ready for 2014, now is a good time to re-evaluate your website and how effective it is in generating business for you. Many websites have "holes" in them that are leaking business. By understanding and then patching those holes with the right S.T.U.F.F., your website can be a more effective bucket to capture business as opposed to a sieve that is leaking opportunity... So what's on your website's "bucket list"?