Don’t forget to dot your ‘i’s and cross your ‘t’s!

When it comes to adding your company to a search engine directory, like Google, Bing, or others, there’s a lot to be said for finishing the job. Google is the absolute when it comes to listing locally. Once a company has claimed its business and set up their listing, every other search engine picks it up, regardless of whether or not you’ve listed with them as well. Funny enough, when you look up your company through the other search engines, your Google listing is likely the most frequently returned. It’s important to get it right, as unfinished details can hamper your efforts.

An example of this is can be found with a company who thought they had added their company to Google Places, but in fact had not quite finished the job. After enjoying a moderate rise in rank through our SEO efforts, they began to plateau and soon were outranked by a competitor who had several poor reviews and less than optimal website standards. The first company should have had no problem outranking this second company, as we later found out, had Google details been completed.

• Keywords are important – This is an ideal way to be found, so some research in this area is extremely helpful. Google allows you to craft four or five custom categories once you select from their main category. Using keywords associated with your business in the categories sections will ensure that your company is found by consumers looking for you. Strong keywords within your descriptive text, woven-well with actual value for the consumer, are crucial. Stuffing words for spider-sake that hold no value for people is absolutely pointless because this local listing service is human driven. Poor word use looks terrible and will more likely turn off your viewers.

• Location has an appropriate place - If a location is included in your company name, that’s one thing, but if you stuff locations into your company name that don’t belong there, you’re going to be disappointed. Your business may either be turned down or penalized by Google.

• Make sure you verify your company - If you don’t take that extra step at the end, your listing won’t be finalized. That means that everything you’ve just done, and it is somewhat time consuming, is for nothing. Google allows you and invites small businesses to take advantage of their local business center, now called Google Places. They will find a return for your company when a searcher uses certain terms to look for you, whether or not you’ve claimed your business. If you haven’t, you’re at the mercy of the results they find.

By claiming your business and filling out the information to your benefit, you’re given more authority as a business owner than if Google simply returned your company link for comments or social media encounters, which can happen! Take control of your online appearance by fully completing your information, or hiring someone to do that for you. Repairing the mistakes made by company # 1 made a difference immediately, and the business owner didn’t even realize those things had been left incomplete. Remember to dot your ‘i’s and cross your ‘t’s to get the most out of your small business listings.

Most of the things we do for our businesses, we do out of habit. We have some people that we call, we have direct mail sent out, we post coupons on Merchant Circle, or we post to Google Local online for decent SERP placement and reviews. Those things aren’t enough, and you probably know it, yet when asked what you’re doing for your business, you probably mention those things with an air of ‘I’m doing what I ought to be doing.’

You probably don’t need a marketing coach or a ‘guru’ to help you market your small business, but there are a few things those guys are doing right that you shouldn’t ignore entirely. They seem to know just how to center attention around themselves, and while that never denotes authenticity, having others in your field recognizing your efforts certainly can appear that way. Just how do they do that?

Here’s where the ‘guru’s’ have it, and even though I’m not a ‘guru’ or a marketing coach, I’m going to share it with you free of charge:

They know how to muster up credibility.
Marketers usually blog. They post something about what they do, and they comment on other marketer’s blogs, start conversations, and drop links. How is this practice good for you? By the time their would-be clients get to their site, they have plenty of others in their field endorsing their endeavors. That’s not actual credibility, but it is perceived credibility, a good start. Take some time every day to build relationship with others in your field by leaving a conversational comment on a competitor’s blog designed for response.

They know what promotions, offers, and Web site traffic is working for them.
It’s not enough to just throw information on a page and hope it does well. It doesn’t take complicated algorithms to figure it out, either. If you’re not tracking your efforts and traffic with (at least) Google Analytics, you have no real idea if you’re reaching who you want to reach.

They engage in social media.
Yeah, it’s a time-suck. But even so, limited engagement on social media sites is actually a smart way to engage local traffic, if your local city and state are part of your profile or username. Getting used to it is half the battle. Once in, you’ll enjoy short conversations with others and your list will naturally build over time. If you do more than just post your specials, that is. Respond to ridiculous situations that makes you laugh, or drop your own personal thoughts about a thing here and there. (Advice: Stay optimistic. Why follow a grump?)

Photo Credit: NeeDeeAh’s! Photostream on Flickr

Related Post: Why The Social Media Experts Are Smarter Than You

As cities strive to improve, many are looking at the heart of their community … their downtown. Towns, villages and cities were built on a core, the center of the community – their downtown. As the need for faster transit between points became necessary, downtown America was bypassed. Businesses who didn’t want to be forgotten moved from the core of the community to its fringes. For a time the core literally and physically shifted out to the expressway’s edge.

The old downtown seemingly died, and with it, many communities lost part of their soul. But now there has been a resurgence of redevelopment in downtowns across this country – partly because the center is being moved back to its original location. The heritage of the past is being given new birth with construction projects that bring the once forgotten back into vogue.

Right now in cities across America, the city center is being revitalized. Businesses are being encouraged to open there, and foot traffic is welcome. Greener thinking is affecting the way we look at commerce. We want locally grown produce, we want to purchase from our local retailers, and we want to enjoy local treats from local restaurants that have a unique flavor and method of operation than the chains that occupy suburbia.

Is this an opportunity for your business?

As the plans are being drawn, if you, as a business owner, are looking for a new location, consider the new downtown. As part of the core of your community, you’ll receive greater exposure and can establish or reaffirm your business as one that keeps the community’s heritage alive and prosperous. What’s the adage? … location, location, location!

If you’re changing your business locale, then you’ll need updated media to let your customers know where you’ve gone. Check out our Small Business Acceleration Packages and choose one of our prearranged options, or contact us for a customized package with the services listed on our Services page. You’ll be glad you did!

Breast cancer survivors have big hearts and big stamina. I’ve been a healthy woman all my life and stand in awe of the fighters and survivors of cancer. How do they do everything their life now says they must do, remain employed, and still carry on with the day to day activities that their original circumstance gave them, like kids and marriage and faith? I have a very full life and can’t imagine one thing more, but somehow these women and men are marching on and succeeding, with so much more to do, and with less energy to do it.

I recently learned about an interesting company started by breast cancer survivors. Yeah, on top of everything, they started a company! Evidently a common side effect of breast cancer therapy is called lymphedema, a condition that can cause permanent swelling in the arms. The most effective control for this condition is called a compression sleeve, and before the birth of LympheDIVAS, it was an ugly, bandage-like sleeve that was also rough and heavy. Rachel Troxell and Robin Miller developed a much cuter and more comfortable version that, when coupled with the fashion design of Kristin Dudley, is attractive as well. According to their Web site, Rachel’s cancer returned in 2007, and took her life Jan 22, 2008 at the early age of 37. The company still exists worldwide, now run by Rachel’s parents, Dr. Howard and Judy Levin.

Another young woman, Leigh Hurst, founded the Feel Your Boobies Foundation in 2004. She has been featured on the Today show and has quite a following. The provocative name came natural to her due to her extensive background in communications. She was a healthy woman, a triathlete with no family history. Her own lump was felt during a self-breast exam, and missed by doctors for two years. By then it had become stage 1. Leigh (33) recognizes that the message has to go out more radically to be more effective, because she passionately knows ‘feeling her boobies’ saved her life. Young, healthy people don’t think about cancer, and she wants to change that–emphatically. You can find Feel Your Boobies on Facebook and Twitter, and can purchase t-shirts and join her campaign on her Web site, feelyourboobies.com. She is available for speaking engagements also. Applause!!

Fight On, Cancer Warriors

Now, I’ve done Race For The Cure for almost a decade but managed to miss it last year. I’ve always considered printing up some cool shirts letting the world know my company endorses the cancer cure philosophy, and I’ve always wanted to raise mass quantities of cash we could donate that would mean something huge. I’ve been raising five children for the last 22 years, however, and the last six years have been incrementally more teenager-intensive, to the point that they managed to consume every ounce of time and cash that ever came my way. I only regret not being better at it, aside from that I wouldn’t change a thing. I love my family and everyone with Zero To Sixty Marketing will tell you that I WILL drop everything for their needs until I no longer have to. Point is, my personal and business endorsement for cancer research has never amounted to much more than trivial funds, walking in support, and amazing conversation.

But I’ve gone, and every year the American Cancer Society, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, and many various cancer forms and fighters emerge together in a massive pink walk supporting cancer research, comfort, dialog, and cure.

Two years ago, our Dad was diagnosed first with stage four prostate cancer, and shortly after that, colon cancer. That didn’t prompt him to start a business. He has been in business for himself for over 40 years. He trained all three of my brothers, both of my sisters, and myself on exactly how he wanted his company run, and Mom has always run things right along with him. After several months of chemotherapy, intrusive testing, and hormone killing drugs, his numbers reduced low enough that the doctors felt he would remain healthy for quite some time. Today Mom called and Dad goes back on chemo Monday, and that will include daily IV hydration and all the time-consuming, uncomfortable things that go along with cancer treatment.

I’ve seen the exhaustion. I’ve watched the remarkable and endless schedule of doctor visits and treatments that occupy entire blocks of life. I’ve seen the physical changes that result from going through the stresses of medication and lifestyle changes. I’ve heard weakness and sadness and pain, and strength and power and will.

I don’t know how they do it, but I’m grateful that they do. I believe in the goodness of a great God, and I’ve seen His mercy at work.

Will Race For The Cure Change YOU?

Every year, in every location, is an opportunity to support cancer research through many different walks and fund drives. When you participate in the Komen Race For The Cure, you engage in conversation with complete strangers in a supportive fashion, and ALL cancers are represented. Every shirt represents something that tells someone else about them. There are shirts for survivors, shirts for fighters, shirts for participants. There are signs you can pin on your back that tell others who you walk for, or in memory of. Groups of people hold hands and sing, kids rap, and survivors and fighters laugh together, some hairless-all with scarves and hats.

You can walk right up to person in a survivor shirt and say, “Good to see you today!” You can encourage a fighter with a simple, “You’re looking great!” You can participate in the walk, or you can volunteer in the many booths or services.  I walked Tulsa once, and ended up behind a man pushing a stroller with two or three little girls walking next to him. His jaw was set, and his shirt read, “In memory of my wife.” His daughters’ read, “In memory of my mom.”

I know what cancer fighters are fighting. I’m so proud of them all, and every October this pink race causes us to come together in recognition and respect, with anger, applause, and perseverance. Don’t miss it. You will never be the same.

Photo Credit: uuzinger on Flickr

Does your business location show up on Google Maps? If so, are you fully taking advantage of it? If not, why not? It’s free, easy and totally painless … an easy task that will improve your search results even if you don’t have a Web site!

First, let’s find out if you have an accurate listing. Go to http://maps.google.com and search using your business name. Not there? Just add your business directly through the Local Business Center.

If you find your business, review your listing. Clicking on the name of your business will bring up a white information bubble with a “Claim your business” link or if you’ve already taken that step, an “edit” link.

Once you’ve claimed your business listing, Google will verify that you’re the business owner by phone (immediately – an automated call) or you can choose to have them mail you a postcard. We’ve done it both ways, but the phone call route allows you to get it done all in one sitting. Once this step is complete, you’ll be able to log-in and optimize your local business listing.

Your Google Local Business Center listing should bring up an accurate location, phone number, and Web site address at the very least. But you should also include hours of operation, payments accepted, photos and even video. Notice also that your customers can review your business right from within Google Maps, but it will also pull other reviews from 3rd party review sites on the Internet automatically.

To create an effective listing, make sure to submit your:

• Company/organization name, physical address or PO Box, and phone number
• Web site and Email address
• Business description – make use of the information you wrote last week when you defined your business
• Categories – Choose categories that accurately and specifically describe your business. This helps you show up in the searches where you want to be found.
• Hours of operation
• Payment options
• Photos and videos – this will help you stand out from the crowd!
• Any additional details that your prospective customer would find useful

Do you have questions or comments about Google Local? Is this information useful to you? Let us know with your comments below.

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All your marketing efforts are working and business is starting to take off. Great! Then suddenly you find yourself unable to deliver what you promised. One of your suppliers has slipped and fallen on hard economic times and is no longer in business or cannot sustain the required flow of resources.

Keep an eye on the world behind you, especially those resources that you use to produce products for your customers. Resources aren’t just raw materials, but also your copywriter, graphic designer, printing company, the distributor who supplies your raw materials, or even the company that transports your products to your customer. When the person or company you’re relying on to get the job done suddenly disappears, make no mistake about it, it’s going to impact your business.

Nick Zubko of Industry Week wrote a great piece, 10 Warning Signs of a Supplier in Peril. This isn’t a fluffy concept to be vaguely aware of, but one impacting businesses around the globe. A business within my industry (too close to home) just went under when they were unable to source a reliable supplier due to changes in transportation requirements. Suddenly they were unable to deliver product to their customers.

If you’re in a highly specialized field with few suppliers, a suddenly lost resource will be even more troublesome. If you lose your supply resources, you’re dead in the water. Period.

As my driving and flight instructors said, “keep your head and eyes moving.” Know what’s going on around you. Make sure you’re communicating with your suppliers to keep abreast of their economic situation. Keep that 360 degree view in mind so that you can identify and react to a situation quickly … before it’s too late.

Photo Credit: Gaetan Lee on flickr