One of the more common questions I answer, has to do with how to use WordPress Websites for Business.

A WordPress website can be a powerful tool for web marketing! There are literally thousands of various ways companies and organizations are using WordPress websites and in this article I will provide a brief overview of the typical benefits of a WordPress website. I’ll explain how you can use a WordPress website to increase your exposure online and provide your website visitors with a more interactive experience because WordPress websites have distinct advantages over more traditional websites. There are very few downsides to using a WordPress website, but I will note the few I can think of as well.

1. WordPress websites show up on search engines. While I could probably mention more than a few reasons why WordPress websites show up well on search engines, suffice to say that I will focus on the major reason, which is that WordPress websites are easily updated so your website presents FRESH CONTENT that is recognized by search engines and website visitors. In other words, by utilizing the blog within a WordPress website, a person, business, or non-profit organization can become virtual authorities on various subjects. By composing brief, highly focused articles, (blog posts), on a regular basis, an individual, business or an organization can add textual content to their website. Search engines crawl and index textual content and then regurgitate that information in the form of organic search results. The more textual content your site has, the more search results it might be relevant for – plain and simple.
2. WordPress websites are easy to maintain and update. The main drawback to having a traditional static html website is that it can be challenging and expensive to maintain and update. Anything that is “more challenging”, or “more expensive”, will often get shoved on the back-burner. This is undoubtedly one of the main reasons so many traditional websites have information that has not been updated in a very long time. Its too difficult, too time consuming, or too expensive, so it never gets updated! The main advantage to having a WordPress website therefore,  is that it is easily maintained, making it less expensive in the long run because the website owner does not have to pay for a professional to update the site. The second benefit is that because the site is maintained more often, it will also perform better, both in terms of traffic originating from search engines, as well as website visitor experience, number of page views and more opportunity for generating revenue.
3. WordPress websites have a built-in CMS – Content Management System. This means that the back-end of the WordPress website can be accessed from any computer with Internet access and simply by logging in, the WordPress website can be managed and updated from a simple to use Dashboard / Control Panel. Multiple people can access the site via “User Roles”. In other words, your WordPress website could be  maintained by just one user with full blown administrator privileges, or by as many people as you’d like, all setup with varying degrees of access, or privileges from the most simple “Subscriber” who is only allowed to comment on a post or page, to Contributors and Authors, who can create or edit blog posts and pages they are assigned to, on up to an Editor who can review posts and comments and approve, reject or edit those before final publishing. They can also post blog articles, create pages, etcetera.
4. WordPress websites are modern. A large majority of businesses and organizations hire freelance web designers, or professional web design firms to build, host and maintain their websites. Many of those websites were built before WordPress websites were available. The WordPress technology is relatively new and it is being employed more frequently for new website design. As you surf the web, you’ve probably noticed certain websites and considered them to be “fresh” and “clean” and “modern”, offering high levels of interactivity and features. Those were probably WordPress websites, which instinctively have a very clean style, an abundance of interactivity, yet can have designs ranging from extremely professional and business-like to very casual or fun.
5. WordPress websites are THEME BASED. What that means is the initial WordPress website you may see upon installation is very plain, “Just another WordPress Blog…”, but can be replaced simply by selecting, downloading and activating a new theme all from the comfort of your dashboard. In addition, if you get tired of that WordPress theme and want to give your website an entire face-lift, you can do that simply by choosing a new WordPress theme, downloading it and activating it. You can switch themes whenever you like, yet all the content in the WordPress website remains intact. There are seemingly an endless number of free WordPress themes to choose from, but if your WordPress website is intended for business, I recommend a PREMIUM WORDPRESS THEME. Here’s the deal: WordPress is built on an “open-source” license, which means that PHP developers from around the globe develop themes for it. However, just like most things in life, you get what you pay for and WordPress themes are not any different… I always recommend choosing a premium WordPress theme, because they typically work better, look better and they are backed by the support of the developer or company which produced it. Here are several premium WordPress theme developers which I recommend:

If you need HOSTING for your new WordPress website… That is, a web hosting account where you will put the site, there are plenty of web hosting providers out there, but if you intend on using your WordPress website for business, I recommend a reliable host that offers free technical support 24×7 like GoDaddy.com.

Lastly, I mentioned that despite all its great benefits, WordPress has some downsides when compared with traditional websites… Here are the main disadvantages that might apply to your particular situation:

• WordPress is PHP driven and requires installation of the latest version of PHP to your web hosting account. Some web hosts make this totally easy, or will do it for free, while others present more of  a technical challenge.
• WordPress is an open source project and there are always updates and revisions that you may need. Many of the cool interactive features that make WordPress websites so cool, are called “widgets” and “plugins”. The majority of widget and plugin developers are hobbyists, while some are professional developers or firms. A plugin or widget you may have installed and come to rely on, or need to use, might become inoperable following the update of the WordPress version itself, or when you update another Plugin or Widget. Most of the time widgets and plugins can be updated without a problem, but sometimes it does cause problems, so be prepared that with any update, its possible your site might not work correctly.
• WordPress websites are not ultra customizable like a static html website. With traditional websites, a designer can basically make it look anyway you can think of… WordPress websites are theme based, so even though you can alter the general aesthetics of the website, for the most part the structure is very much the same regardless of which theme is used. There are theme providers who will customize or create new WordPress themes exclusively for you, but it is fairly expensive and again – they are not as flexible as a typical static website.

Category : Blog

I’ve finally gotten around to better defining the freelance web marketing services that I provide for small business and non-profit organizations!

In addition to updating the site to show what I offer more clearly, I have also added an additional payment option which I feel will better serve my clientèle. I’ve introduced a Net 30 “bill me later” option because this is easier for many businesses than using the Google Checkout credit card payment processing, (is still offered and best suited for individuals who wish to prepay for services using a major credit card). You will see both payment options upon checkout in my online store. Listed below are the freelance web marketing services I offer (click on the images for prices and detailed descriptions):

WOW ~ An Almost Free Website! Okay, so I’m a softee for start-ups and small businesses operating on shoe string budget and I love to help, so I actually do offer an almost free website solution… Here’s the deal: I have a particular template I use that is perfect for promoting any business, but is easy enough for me to customize that it takes me hardly any time at all to build it and publish it. The website does a nice job of getting you online and being seen on search engines… As a matter of fact this website has all the features and functions of my other sites, but in return for my generosity you agree to allow me to run some Google Ads on your site. These ads sort of share your online space and I get a little commission when folks click on the ads. Its sort of a you scratch my back I scratch yours deal.

The Affordable Website Project is my typical package that covers most needs. Choose this package if you have no site currently and this will be a brand new site, or if you have a site that is going to be replaced or reworked. This package includes basic s.e.o. (search engine optimization), and search engine submission.

Sell your goods online with an ECommerce Website. Do you have aspirations of being the next big online retailer, or perhaps you have a traditional brick and mortar store and you want to offer your products online as well. Ecommerce solutions are the perfect solution for online marketing when you offer a number of physical products for sale. Whether its a public accessible online store for a retailer or a secure B2B wholesaler portal, I can help by setting up the appropriate ecommerce solution for you and stocking it with your primary products. Sell your products online, take payments with credit cards, offer electronic downloads and more with an ecommerce solution.

Choose Search Engine Optimization when your website requires additional search engine optimization. Perfect for large websites containing multiple pages or products, or if you want to be more competitive for highly sought after and popular key word search phrases. If your website has been online for a while and does not seem to be attracting as many targeted visitors as you would like, additional search engine optimization may improve your traffic and conversion.

I provide Telephone Consulting when you need help, information or advice that simply is too involved to discuss via email. Hey ~ I’ve got over 8 years of experience, so why not call and pick my brain a little or get some professional guidance before embarking on major site changes, SEO work, etc. Or maybe you’re not the type of person who embraces email and you just need to speak to a real person on the phone regarding working on your website or web marketing… Choose this offering, its affordable telephone web marketing and seo consulting services priced in 1/2 hour intervals.

I provide Onsite Consulting when you need help, information or advice that simply is too involved to discuss via email, or telephone and you want someone onsite to discuss your project or work on your website and web marketing, choose this offering. Affordable onsite consulting services priced in 4 hour intervals. * Travel expenses will be required in addition to the consulting fees when providing local onsite consulting within the general Chicago vicinity. * Transportation, lodging and meal expenses will be required in addition to consulting fees for onsite service which is outside my typical local travel area.

My Market Research service provides you with the information you need. What’s the main reason YOUR business is slow, or why are you not as busy as you once were? How do your prices stack up against the competition? What marketing advantages do your competitors have? Should you offer more or less products and services? Is your website easy enough to use, yet convincing enough for customers to purchase online or call you? Are your current Internet marketing tactics sufficient? These questions and others can be researched and compiled into a high level report which outlines your strengths, weaknesses and recommends ways that you can improve your bottom line.

You probably need my Website Conversion Makeover if you already have a site that you are fairly pleased with and it even shows up on searches and gets visitors, but you want it to do a better job of turning those site visitors into potential customers who either contact you or buy something online. I’ll take a good long look at your site and let you know how it can be improved and I will make suggestions for improvement and employ proven conversion techniques, making changes to your existing site.

The start of a beautiful relationship… The big daddy of all my offerings, my Total Web Marketing Solution, combining all of my talents to help your business or non-profit launch a successful website and ongoing marketing plan. Whether you’ve been around a while or you’re a start-up, this solution provides you with a war-chest of marketing tools. This package is primarily designed with the onsite client in mind… In other words, we’ll be seeing a lot of each other and spending a great deal of time working on this together. Typical project duration is 2 – 4 weeks, roughly 80 hours of consulting.

Website Updates for misc labor on your existing website. This is the perfect choice for existing website clients who need alterations and modifications, or extra pages built, images changed or added, hosting company transfers, or other technical / creative needs. I can provide website updates to most websites, whether I have built them or they were built by another designer using Dreamweaver, WordPress, Intuit’s Homestead Sitebuilder, GoDaddy’s Website Tonight, Pro DJ Publishing’s EZ DJ Website Builder and others. I also provide 3rd party software tool integrations like calendars and scheduling software.

The Annual Maintenance Agreement provides the convenience of having a web designer on call and knowing that your request will be placed into priority status and as a preferred customer, in many cases you won’t need to reach for your credit card when you need a simple change made or question answered. Ever have your website go offline? Yup its terrible and usually needs to be looked at right away to get it back online. With the maintenance agreement, you’ll sleep easier knowing that you have priority status including emergency expedited service on weekends, holidays, etc.

I offer Blog Articles and Creative Writing services! You know that sites with fresh content rule right? Continually adding new pages and refreshing current content makes a site more current, so site visitors recognize that and search engines devour it. Maybe you don’t necessarily have the time to update your website or blog, or perhaps you have a general idea of what you want to write about, but you’re not really the type of person who is into creative writing. I can assist by authoring blog posts, articles and creative textual ad copy that search engines will index and site visitors will read. I enjoy writing, so you’ll get a special deal on this offering, so you can afford to regularly keep your site fresh and your visitors interested in your business.

Direct Email Marketing provides you with the enormous potential of reaching out to your website visitors regularly via emailed newsletters and RSS feeds. If you’re not the creative writing type, or simply don’t have the time to conduct this aspect of your overall marketing strategy yourself, outsource it to me. Using Email Newsletters or RSS Feeds you can promote your business, announce special offers, earn revenue from affiliate programs, or simply keep in touch with your clients.

What’s all this Social Networking stuff about? Does it really matter to your business? See if social networking is right for your business. I offer initial social networking account setup on popular social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, Classmates, and photo and video sharing accounts like Flickr and YouTube. I will integrate these social networking elements into your website and teach you how to utilize all of this new reach to your advantage. Social networking is NOT a set it and forget it form of web marketing, so be prepared to roll up your sleeves and start socializing. If you already have one or several social networking accounts that are already established but under utilized, I can help you use them to increase revenue, business and sales.

By providing Training and Seminars, I can help you and your staff better understand the power of the web and how to help your business grow. Whether you have a traditional brick and mortar store, a manufacturing firm, a professional service or a non-profit, I can help your company or organization become better acquainted with emerging trends and technologies as well as build a strong foundation for successful web marketing. I tailor my training seminars to your specific needs and provide a firm grip on the elementary nuts and bolts of establishing or maintaining a strong online presence. Training seminars can be conducted onsite, or offsite for your convenience.

Category : Blog

Gaze at the slowly spiraling image above, relaxing your mind and imagine yourself calm, at ease. While you are gazing at the spiraling image above, picture yourself in a pleasant place, perhaps taking a walk in your favorite place, feeling at ease and at peace and then read on:

For my whole life, I never believed hypnosis was real. As a matter of fact, it was not until recently that I knew that hypnosis works on some people… Lots of people. I’m a critical thinker, logical and pragmatic by nature. Even though I knew of hypnosis and had seen various television programs with snippets of hypnotic stage shows, etc. I honestly did not think that it was really possible for someone to be hypnotized.

Fast forward to this past month, October 2010 and I found myself and a group of 10 tired, over-heated relatives sauntering into a 2:00 pm show at the well known theater “Pictorium” at Six Flags Great America. We simply wanted to find a nice shady and cool place where we could sit for a while and rest before tackling all the fun stuff at the park. We woke up way too early that day, not having enough rest the night before of course and had arrived at the park before it opened. By this time, we were exhausted after walking about the park in the extra warm Indian Summer weather. We had stopped for a while and had a big lunch. No matter what the show was about we were going to go in the dark, cool theater and just relax for a while. The show that day was Susan Rosen Mistress of Mesmerism.

Astounded by what I had witnessed, I starting researching hypnotism and the power of hypnotic suggestion. There are vast amounts of information on the topic online. I even downloaded some audio files and listened to them. The overwhelming majority of information supports hypnosis. There are literally 1,000′s of years of evidence to support the claim, countless books written as well as a seemingly limitless number of videos you can watch on YouTube, providing the visual evidence of hypnosis is action, including hypnotic stage shows like the one we were a part of. For your viewing enjoyment, I have included one such video depicting Susan Rosen performing hypnosis at a similar stage show to the one we attended:

Okay, so Hypnosis is Real… But how can YOU use hypnotic suggestion to market your small business?

I can guarantee that you would not use a gaudy image of a spiral like I did. You would not directly ask people to fall into a hypnotic trance, rather you would suggest it more covertly. I personally am not a hypnotic ad copy writer… At least not yet, or not that I know of – but I would like to learn how to write hypnotic ad copy. There are an abundance of sources online to learn how to write effective ad copy, how to write hypnotic ad copy, how to use hypnotic suggestion in marketing, etc. Without a doubt in my mind, I would venture to say that it is most surely the most influential marketing technique that is employed and no doubt that we all are bombarded with hypnotic suggestions via mass media every single day.

Studies show that it takes approximately 30 seconds for someone to fall into a hypnotic trance from a television. WOW… Maybe that is why for years television marketing is broken up into 30 second and 60 second spots.

When the word hypnosis and trance are used, it is likely that you envision the classic zombie-like hypnotic subject completely under the mesmerizing trance of a mystical hypnotist. Not so… Scientifically – Or at least the scientific theory is that hypnosis is really a form of hyper-focus. Its induced via a trance. So – Being in a trance opens your mind to suggestion. Those suggestions reside temporarily in your subconscious mind, the part of the brain which controls involuntary motor functions, imagination, sleep, etc. The more deeply a person is in a trance, the more apt they are to be open to suggestion. The more often a person is subjected to the hypnotic message, the more firmly it is stored in the subconscious.  When Doctors and counselors use hypnosis for therapy, (appropriately called hypnotherapy), they conduct the hypnotherapy not once, but several times to make sure that it works well to cure the patient of their ills. It stands to reason that marketers will show the exact same commercial over and over again during the course of a television show, a televised football game, or even an entire television or sports series, regardless of the enormous expense. They don’t do it because they think the viewers are knuckle heads, or because they want to make sure that if someone turned the show on late they will still catch the commercial… No – They are counting on repetition to pound their suggestion into your subconscious mind.

Books, Magazines, Movies, TV Shows, Cartoons, Children’s Shows and even Educational Materials are entrenched with hypnotic suggestions to promote all sorts of things from theories and special interest agendas, to lifestyles, fashions, political messages and more.

Hypnotic marketing methods trickle into advertisements as well and unlike many years ago when marketing was driven by facts and logic, features, functions and benefits, today’s marketing is focused on feelings and emotions from sex, to feeling healthier. Clear benefits might be introduced when appropriate, but even a product or service which has a purpose that is difficult for consumers to distinguish, will occasionally forgo any clear explanation of what the product does, in lieu of stunning imagery, a snappy logo, music and some goofy tagline. Amazingly companies pay huge money for what we perceive as the dumbest, most worthless television spots, but maybe… Just maybe they are not so dumb, but instead are using hypnotic marketing techniques. From being sexy and alluring to having a sense of calm and well being… From being adventurous to feeling safety and security… Hypnotic marketing suggests emotions they want you to associate with whether real or false, yet somehow many consumers believe the message in whole or in part. They will recall the product or service, or one like it and spend their money. How is that possible? Hypnotic suggestion. Sometimes its clear and other times its covert.

So how can YOU take advantage of hypnotic marketing? Using hypnotic marketing in print ads, or in web marketing is a different case entirely. Obviously a print or web advertiser does not have a captive audience in a trance like when someone is watching television, a movie, a demonstration, etc. With any form of static advertising, especially that which is passive, (meaning a potential customer actually has to seek it out and physically interact with it), different, more subtle hypnotic suggestions are employed.

Here are three tips on combining search engine optimization and hypnotic marketing into your small business advertising and sales tactics.

1. Your website has to be found easily on search engines. First we need to establish this baseline, because unless you are planning some serious external marketing to drive people to your website, you’ll want to be noticed online in organic search engine results, and that means you NEED TO provide the facts and functional logic about your product or service in layman’s terms. This has to be done in the textual content of course so that search engines can “see it” and therefore it is possible that they will index that information and provide links to it during organic searches for products or services like yours. When done correctly, this information will have a density that indicates it is the focus of your web page and it should also be included in the source code of the page in the form of META TAGS. To write very basic ad copy for your website I recommend doing it in your own voice and speech pattern, explaining it as if you were explaining it to a young child who might ask what you do when you go to work. Apply the K.I.S.S. principle here.
2. Once someone makes it to your web page, you will want them to take action. For web page visitors to actually be converted from someone looking at your web page to someone who does something, like calling you, purchasing something, signing up for your newsletter, etc. You MUST INSTRUCT them on what you want them to do. Even if you have the most gorgeous website on the planet, it means nothing unless you make it clear what you want your website visitor to do. ASK, or better yet TELL them what you want them to do… Click here to contact us? Or Click here to purchase the thing that will make your life heaven on earth. Give them clear direction on what to do and why they should do it.
3. Make your customers feel comfortable. Throughout the selling process, whether its on your web page, in your email, over the telephone or in person, you want to win over the customer’s trust and make them feel relaxed so that they are receptive to your offer. To take advantage of hypnotic suggestion, you will need to think about things from your customer’s perspective and then formulate your ad copy, or sales pitch so that it eases any doubts, turns off their mental defensive logic barrier and engages the visitor’s subconscious in ways that will make it more likely they take action. I recommend speaking calmly and genuinely in your own voice. Address the needs of your customer. What will the product or service do for them? What problems in their life will go away? It makes no sense to talk-up your product or service blah, blah, blah if you don’t get the customer’s interest first.

You can wake up now, feeling relaxed refreshed and better than you have in years. You will not walk around the office clucking like a chicken, nor will you roll about the floor in a fetal position sucking your thumb… You’ll be wide awake, feeling alert and confident ready to sell, sell, sell.

Make YOUR Ad Copy Hypnotic With Joe Vitale’s Hypnotic Writing Wizard Software!

Suggested Reading and Links:

• Hypnotic Writing The Course
• Using Hypnosis as a Marketing Technique
• Increase Sales With Hypnotic Marketing
• Joe Vitale / Advanced Hypnotic Writing
• You Will Read This Article On Hypnotic Writing
• Hypnotic Writing – 10 Laws For Writing Hypnotic Letters
• The Hypnotic Induction – Three Ways Of Creating The Trance State

Category : Blog

I’m always intrigued by the creative approaches to marketing I see and always wonder if they work, and if they do – why do they work? One of these new marketing tactics is dubbed “multimedia marketing”, although honestly as someone who was not real sure what it was called, I would have guessed “text ads” or “text marketing”, because its basic function is collecting cell phone numbers and then blasting text messages, (either auto replies or hand crafted ad campaigns), to those cell numbers.

So, like this post implies – I’d like to pose the question: “Is Multimedia Marketing Text Ads SMS Text Marketing Right For YOUR Small Business?”…

Lets look at this in its fundamental perspective: A person, (lets say a potential consumer or an existing customer), sees a message on a print ad, billboard, sign, vehicle wrap, or whatever that reads something like this:

Text “I love Spam” to 90210, (or some other 5 digit or 6 digit short code).

The person that uses their cell phone to text that message to that short code automatically “opts in” to receive text messages from the business who subscribes to an SMS Multimedia Marketing service. From that point on, the cell phone user who originally texted, will potentially receive future text messages from that business. From a marketing perspective this is pretty cool and the statistics of how effective these text ads can be is staggering. From a client’s perspective, (like someone who has a cell phone), I’m not convinced they would appreciate having SPAM come to their cell phone message InBox, especially considering  that unless someone pays a premium for unlimited text messaging, they may be careful about inbound text messages that cost them about 10 cents or more each.

Aside from my opinion that I think in general consumer’s appreciate LESS SPAM, not MORE SPAM, the fact that your cell phone number is stored in a marketing list owned by a 3rd party is frightening… Who in the World would OPT-IN their private cell phone number for marketing purposes, so they can potentially be bombarded by text messages from people they don’t know at any hour of the night or day?

I would venture to say that MOST people who would pick up their cell phone and TEXT some silly key phrase, (technically that’s what they are referred as), to a strange 5 digit or 6 digit number, (SHORT CODE), really don’t know they are opting in for future marketing messages. As a matter of fact, I have personally seen during a recent visit to Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL that Multimedia Marketing Text Ads / SMS Text Marketing can be extremely deceptive and alluring. At that theme park, I saw dozens of such campaigns posted on small sign-boards and via flat screen monitors throughout the park, sponsored by Ask.com which would ask some stupid question like “What are a bunch of snails called? A) herd, or B) walk.” — Text “herd” or “walk” to _ _ _ _ _ < insert short code here.

I would assume that throughout the day Ask.com collected 1,000′s of cell numbers from unsuspecting teens and adults waiting in roller coaster lines who were just having fun, or wanted to try and “win a chance” to jump to the front of the line. (Advancing to the front of the ride’s line or some savings percentage was typically the hook).

Speaking of “hooks”, that is what gets people to text a message to a short code in the first place. At Great America you could “WIN A CHANCE” to jump to the front of the roller coaster ride… A pizza parlor may employ a tactic like “WIN A FREE SLICE OF PIZZA when you text _ _ _ _ _ to _ _ _ _  _”.

Ah ha – I’ll bet if you own a small business, you could think of some great hooks huh? Lets look at the possibilities:

• An oil change place might promote “$10 off your next oil change by texting _ _ _ _ _ to _ _ _ _ _”.
• A barber shop might promote “free hair cut when you text _ _ _ _ _ to _ _ _ _ _ “.
• A golf course might promote “18 rounds free when you text _ _ _ _ _ to _ _ _ _ _ “.

I’m sure the wheels are spinning now… I’ll bet you have something you could give away or take a percentage off of that might be appealing enough to advertise and get some people to text you so you have their cell numbers right? In marketing terms this is called a “loss leader”… It might cost you as a business owner a little now, in exchange for future business.

Loss leaders are FANTASTIC and have been employed for years. For example, “buy three get one free” tire specials, or a really popular one recently from our friends at McDonald’s was the “two for $3 Mcmuffins or Biscuits”. Experts have estimated that it costs a business roughly $300 to attract a new customer via traditional advertising methods, so obviously a loss leader that costs a business only $3 or $15 is a huge bargain.

In addition to, (or instead of), loss leaders a small business could also utilize Multimedia Marketing Text Ads / SMS Text Marketing for creative contests, raffles, sweepstakes and more. The concept of this new marketing platform is virtually as limitless as your imagination and I admit the rewards could be exponential.

SAY WHAT??? Did I concede that Multimedia Marketing Text Ads are a good idea or that SMS Text Marketing is right for small business marketing? Well – Yes and no. This is where I get on the fence with this new technology. I think that if a business uses this ethically and periodically, its probably not a bad deal for the texter or the textee. Case in point, I love Pizza. A local pizza place near me offered special deals if I agreed to have them send automated voice mail marketing messages to my phone. Well, like I said I love pizza and since I ordered from this place anyway and they already had my number stored, I agreed. Over the course of a few months I received a few voicemail messages, recorded in the pizza parlor owner’s voice, which reminded me of the Monday / Tuesday dinner buffet. No big deal. The messages came through during the day, (they did not wake me up by sending it in the middle of the night). I would venture to say I am okay with that as a consumer. But what about the text ads? AS A CONSUMER I HAVE NEVER TEXTED BOP_BOP_BOP_DIDDLY_SQUAT to ANY SHORT CODE! I mean honestly… No way. Why would I want some 3rd party mystery short code organization having MY cell phone number?

Okay, okay… So MAYBE if a local vendor offered me some loss leaders just for letting them text me once in a while, I might go for that. I’m a sucker for a good loss leader and I like to help my local vendors. If its a place I already do business with I would be more inclined to get on board. The messages would have to be worthwhile however, otherwise it would be a nuisance and I would do LESS business with them not more. But ~ That’s just me.

In summary, I totally see the value in Multimedia Marketing Text Ads / SMS Text Marketing for small business. I am a firm believer in trying damn near anything at least once, just to see if it works. I would recommend a really generous loss leader and tread with caution in terms of how often you text message your customers.

The basic functions of all the Is Multimedia Marketing / Text Ads / SMS Text Marketing services I found online work something like this:

1. You create an account online.
2. You pay using a credit card, (typically a recurring monthly charge), for a package containing a certain number of “key phrases” and text messages that you can take advantage of. For example, 2 key phrases and 2000 text messages for around $100 per month seems like the going rate.
3. You login to monitor and manage your “opt-in” subscribers, (people’s cell numbers), track messages, create messages, auto-replies, etc.

Just for reference, I will provide at least a couple of links to follow if you’re interested in SMS Text Marketing…

• SHORT CODES http://www.usshortcodes.com/ This site I believe is where the companies go to register short codes. Think of it like a domain registry.
• SMS TEXT ADS http://www.eztexting.com/ This is a service you can use to try SMS text ads to see if they are right for your small business.

There are gobs of SMS text marketing services on the web you can find by Googling Multimedia Marketing SMS Text Marketing. The least expensive and easiest to get started is EZTEXTING (click the logo below).

There is also a multilevel marketing company named iZigg that is pushing their products via independent agents, perhaps in your area. They have a cool website that really does a good job of using videos to pitch the power of SMS Text Marketing… See http://izigg.com. If you have been approached by an iZigg agent, (touting their “90210″ short code), try checking out some other companies also, so you can make sure you choose a plan that suits your needs and budget.

That’s it then – My less than expert view on Multimedia Marketing via SMS Text Messaging.

Category : Blog

Starting a new small business, or growing your existing small business can be an exciting and sleepless adventure… If its your dream to be your own boss, own your own company or expand your existing business, I wanted to share these small business related websites that can help!

The following is a repost of some valuable small business resources from an article at SiteProNews

With the large amount of information and resources available on the internet it can be quite a challenge for entrepreneurs and small business owners to find the small business help they need. From deciding whether to start a business, setting up or acquiring a business, raising capital, acquiring credit, marketing, social media marketing, working with customers, growing your business, working online, selling online, and much more it’s vital to have access to resources you can depend on.

Below are 25 small business information websites that provide small business owners support, news, information, resources, and tools to succeed in business:

1. AllBusiness.com has a variety of small business resources, advice, and business ideas for entrepreneurs and small businesses to start, manage, finance, and build a business.
2. Bplans.com offers free sample business plans, business plan software, business calculators, and articles on writing a business plan, starting a business, and other small business topics.
3. Business.com provides an extensive and helpful business search engine and business directory designed to help its users find the companies, products, services, and information they need to make the right business decisions.
4. Business.gov helps small businesses understand their legal requirements and locate government services from federal, state, and local agencies.
5. Businesscreditblogger.com has been the go-to source for business credit information, providing expert information about building business credit, business credit scoring, business credit reporting and business credit cards.
6. Copyblogger.com is an invaluable source for business owners wanting to learn more about how to attract more traffic, links, and subscribers for their company website.
7. Credit.com covers all aspects of personal credit and includes free interactive tools and unbiased product comparisons.
8. Entrepreneur.com offers a comprehensive range of practical information for small business owners including articles, videos, tools, newsletters, and message boards.
9. Entreworld.org is a collection of resources for entrepreneurs designed to support and help build entrepreneurial economies. The content on the site focuses on starting, growing, and locating support for your business.
10. Franchise.com serves the franchise community by serving both as a unique search tool for locating the right business for sale and a franchise industry resource that offers franchise information, franchise industry news, and resources.
11. Frannet.com provides an overview of franchising and provides helpful advice and guidance to determine if you are suited to being a franchise owner.
12. Inc.com is the online version of the magazine Inc. It provides information, products, services, and online tools for entrepreneurs.
13. The IRS Small Business Resource site covers a broad range of tax resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners including workshops, forms, and publications.
14. Knowthis.com is a leading information and resource website in marketing, market research, advertising, selling, promotion, and other marketing-related areas.
15. MoreBusiness.com is filled with sample business plans, marketing plans, templates, sample contracts and business agreements to help entrepreneurs start and grow a small business.
16. Mashable.com is the top source for news in social and digital media, technology, and web culture. The business section offers tips, tools, social media resources, and guides you will find extremely helpful.
17. SBA.gov is run by the U.S. government and it is dedicated to helping small business owners by giving a wide range of sources for technical, managerial, and financial help and assistance.
18. Score.org The SCORE Association is a nonprofit and resource partner with the SBA. It offers a wealth of free online and face-to-face business counseling, mentoring, and training for startups or for existing businesses hoping to grow.
19. Smallbiztrends.com is an award-winning online publication for small business owners and entrepreneurs. A great source to track, explore, and learn from trends affecting the small business market.
20. Socialmediatoday.com helps teach business owners how to leverage the power of social media with insightful information, tools, tips, and strategies.
21. Startupnation.com is a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs with easy-to-follow, practical information to start and grow a successful business.
22. Toolkit.com offers more than 5,000 pages of free cost-cutting tips, step-by-step checklists, real-life case studies, startup advice, and business templates to small business owners and entrepreneurs.
23. Vfinance.com is a great site for business owners searching for sources of venture capital. It provides a directory of venture capital firms and angel investor networks as well as sample business plan templates.
24. WelcomeBusinessUSA.com has an alliance with SCORE and is created exclusively for small businesses that are in their initial stages of development. A great resource if you’re thinking about starting a business.
25. Youngentrepreneur.com is one of the largest online forum communities for entrepreneurs worldwide. Learn and network with business professionals including venture capitalists, private investors, industry experts, inventors, and successful entrepreneurs.

Category : Blog

WordPress is a fantastic and powerful way to have a really modern, super functional, highly visible website. Unfortunately like most technology, its usually half-baked when it comes out of the oven.

One of the things that makes WordPress so darn powerful and cool is that it is “open source”, meaning that programmers from around the world tinker with it and create nifty applications called Plugins and Widgets. The same open source that makes it so neat is also it’s Achilles Heal however because the Plugins and Widgets are often created by freelancers and hobbyists who release their work for all the www to enjoy and implement.

The problem is that even if you find a WordPress Plugin or Widget that works well, it most likely won’t work for long. That is because the operating versions of WordPress itself, (the actual PHP script that is the backbone of the WordPress site and resides on your server), changes so frequently that open source developers simply don’t keep up with all the changes.

Case in point, several months ago I had searched for and found a nifty little Plugin named “Support Tickets”. This wonderful little Plugin replaced my contact form and integrated a powerful, yet easy to use Support Ticket system in my back-end “Dashboard”. The feature was so cool and revolutionized the way I could personally handle support inquiries and new contacts. I made sure to let all my existing clients know to use this form for quickest service instead of calling me, texting me or emailing me at any one of half a dozen email addresses. This wonderful Plugin made my life easier and helped my clients by ensuring they had a efficient and thorough way to ask for support.

Along comes a new WordPress Version, (upgrading from version 2.9.2 to 3.0.1)… The new version is installed flawlessly, but now my Plugin Support Tickets does not work correctly. Oh brother!!! So I visit the Plugin support pages, the forum at WordPress.org and try various things that might help get the plugin working again… Nope, it simply is incompatible with WordPress version 3.0.1 as are a slew of other older Plugins, (luckily I am not using).

Just today I finally deactivated the Support Tickets Plugin and replaced it with a simple contact form, (one of the few contact form plugins that still work with WP V3.0.1), named “Clean Contact”. If you need to get a hold of me, use the contact form. Its not as slick as the Support Tickets, but it works at least. Also, if YOU have a WordPress site that uses the Plugin “Support Tickets”, don’t upgrade your WordPress to V 3.0.1.

With regards to WordPress websites the lesson learned is this… Adhere to the old rule of thumb “If its not broke don’t fix it”. Just like we all have learned over and over that newer versions of anything are not always better, (thanks to Microsoft Windows, etc)… My advice is that if you have a WordPress site that you click the “Update” buttons on your dashboard with extreme caution. Not all updates are good…

Category : Blog

A recent question from a client prompted me to write-up a quick blog post, perhaps others have wondered the same thing about whether its best to use a company domain name, or a key phrase domain name or both.

In other words, what is the best domain name style to use and should you use more than just one… Or if you’re trying to save money and cut-back on marketing how many domain names should you keep? Which domains are the most important?

• A) www.YOURCOMPANYDOMAINNAME.com
• B) www.YOURPRODUCTORSERVICE.com

With regards to the question about which domain names to keep or not: Ultimately it is up to you, but the primary reason Internet marketers employ key-phrase specific domain names, (the reason they are so valuable and sought after), is because websites that employ domain names with key phrases will always do better on search engines for topical searches. In other words, there might be a handful of people that know your company name, or would ever search for “your company”. By contrast, it is more likely that your potential customers would be searching for products or services you offer using key phrases.

A domain name and website that targets a topic, (key phrase), is powerful. Here’s why this works so effectively:

1. Its more likely that potential customers search for products or services you offer using key phrases, NOT your company name. Its a very common mistake when small businesses assume that everyone knows they exist and knows what they have to offer. The truth is that is that in the grand scheme of things a business would have to be incredibly popular or have a one of a kind product to survive on brand awareness marketing alone.
2. Search engines “learn” what your site is about in part because of the domain name it has. A key phrase rich domain name quickly describes what the website is about and what a website visitor can expect to find when they visit it.

Imagine for a moment that you get the inclination to look up something online… I’ll use the example of Robotic Kitty Fashion’s website http://cybergothicfashion.com … So, lets say for example that you are someone who just went to a cyber gothic dance club for the very first time and you loved it, so now you’re looking online to see if there is anywhere you can purchase cyber club fashions, or cyber club wear, or cyber dance wear, or cyber dresses, or cyber skirts. Do you see my point? Although Robotic Kitty Fashions is known for their cyber goth clubwear, there is a greater chance that a NEW customer would not know that and would be searching based on topic, or subject which is when domain names rich with key phrase pay off. Although the site would easily be seen when searching for it by company, its more likely the majority of traffic will originate from organic relevancy results based on key phrase searches.

The object of having a business website is always for the purpose of advertising. Secondary reasons might be for repeat clients to say informed, or to have the ease and convenience of online ordering, etc. but the most important reason to have a business website is above and beyond everything else, so that YOU will be found online when people are searching for the goods or services you sell!

The important lesson to learn from all of this is that hardly anyone used a telephone book, or “yellow pages” or phone directory any longer. Nearly anyone in the United States, Europe or any other developed Country now turns to the Internet. When they are looking for something, they intuitively jump online, go to their favorite search engine, (like Google, Yahoo or Bing), and they search using textual key phrases.

A simple example:

Someone looking for a used car would most likely search for “used cars + ____ “, (the blank would usually be something like either their city, or zip code). Rarely, (if ever), would they go to or search for a local car dealer’s website specifically. It is equally or even more important that the car dealer’s website be found during a search for “used cars” as their own dealership company name!

In your case, right now, when people search for what you sell, or even your company name what shows up on Google, or Yahoo or Bing? How are people finding you? Is it through your website or through your Facebook or MySpace? To analyze this, you can either start Googling some search phrases and see what WEBSITE DOMAIN appears in the search results. The website domain is typically near the bottom of the search result and looks like: http://websitenamehere.com/_____.html. DO NOT LOOK AT THE TITLE (the very first line of the search result. The Title is important for SEO, but you must understand that the “Title” does nothing to tell you which website that result is from. You would be surprised at how many people think that because they see a Title Link with their information, that its their website. Not the case at all. There could potentially be 100′s or 1,000′s of websites that are displaying info about your business.

The key to having a business website is to know where the traffic to your business website originates from. Optimally it will have originated at a search engine result at Google or Yahoo or Bing.

When deciding which domain names to keep or get rid of, or trying to decide when launching new websites whether to incorporate your business name or your topical key phrases, its usually better to go with the topical key phrase domain names. The exception to this is if you really never intend on, or need new clients that may find you on a search engine and you primarily depend on external marketing or brand awareness to drive your new sales.

Category : Blog