Wow - it's been since I have posted! It was a pretty busy year, even though the economy has been suffering. I launched 6 new blog sites of my own and have helped several clients jump into the  online publishing arena. One client, Chokerz4Men launched a site called   GayMensJewelry.com   -  he has some amazing custom jewelry geared towards men and right now, with just a couple shopping weeks left, he is having a sale! He  uses some awesome models too and great photography.  Stop by and have a look!

 

 

Blogging, Web 2.0 and social media must be examined very differently when it comes to return on investment. A blog account and domain is usually less than $50 a year, plus your staff time. If bring 5000 new eyes to your business, is it worth it?  If you get 5 new clients, is it worth it? If even a few customers are helped as a result -  the cost is cheap!

 

Katie Paine is an expert on blog ROI. And she was quoted in Paul Gillins The New Influencers.  She is a vetran public relations executive and has spent the last fifteen years researching, writing and speaking on the topic of measuring the value of public relations and social media investments. She believes nearly everything online is measurable; it’s just a matter of choosing what to measure.

 

We always say, and she agrees, blogging and social media marketing is a competitive necessity and can be a competitive advantage. If you are not out there building new networks and webs, chances are your competitor already is. If he is not, great! You get the first mover advantage. If he is, you can catch up.

 

Paine has said for her own business, she likes to monitor click-throughs from her blog, to her website.  We also monitor very closely performance on Google key search terms and the traffic those bring in. Good search performance is money in the bank. If you can “own” your keywords, that’s  a huge ROI, that isn’t quickly translated to dollars, but will, eventually.

 

It’s all about search. We say it time and time again. Can you be “found”  easily online. Are you coming up in keyword searches. Search is the best thing that ever happened for small business. Many companies can not afford costly pay-per-click campaigns around certain keywords. However,  through blogging and Web 2.0 strategies you can come up in the same searches and reach an international audience for much less.

We had a client recently spend $5000 with us. Within 90 days he had traffic, owned 4 of 6 keywords on Page One Google, AND he got a new client for $4000! THAT'S HUGE ROI! That DOES NOT usually happen. We usually caution clients to view their investment and ROI over a one year period. It takes time to plant all the seeds and watch them grow. But the return is that people have so many new channels to find you and your services -  besides just 1 static website. 

Remember, it's all about SEARCH! Can you be found?


Derrick Sorles and Michael Snell - We Help "Pull"  New Business To You!
            Your Business MD's- Business Blog Consultants -Web 2.0  Consultants and Strategists 

Is your website a glorified business card?

Are you even being "found" by search engines?

How much traffic do you get?
 
How do people find your website and what keywords do they use?

I met someone last year  that is a great example of not knowing what to do to promote their business in this new  Web 2.0 information age.  Liz Stapleton. She  is an expert electrologist here in Chicago. (And she was written up  recently in the Chicago Tribune about her blog.)


Liz had a good website - called  www. facereflections. com  -  but she made mistake number 1....a bad name. At least one of your main keywords, should be in your domain.  When you open the Yellow Pages (does anyone use those doorstops anymore?)  or when you search online, if you don't know the name of the business you are looking for, you look through the category for what you need. You would look under electrolysis -  or  electrologist -  and probably look in your  area. So I would search for CHICAGO ELECTROLYSIS or CHICAGO ELECTROLOGY.  -  I like to search for "Best" when I search.  I will search for  BEST CHICAGO PIZZA.  BEST DIVORCE ATTORNEY CHICAGO.  BEST GAY TRAVEL. BEST BLOG CONSULTANT. And I usually only look through the first couple pages of Google and find what I need.

After hearing me speak about the possibilities of blogging and how it can attract new customers, Liz had me help her set up a blog. Step one was the name. For ease of remembering for her clients, since her main site was www.facereflections.com - she bought the domain www.facereflectionsblog.com - this has no search engine pull but would be easy for people to remember.

For her main domain she chose 2 with great keywords -
www.bestchicagoelectrolysis.com  and  she also bought www.bestchicagohairremoval.com
So all three of the domains are used for the one blog.

Webistes are usually good selling tools. They describe your services, prices, location, hours, and all of the basics. A brochure of your services.  Sometimes companies will post some descriptive articles on their website. Or maybe they send out e-mail newsletters to exisiting clients. This is usually a good starting point for your content development.

A lot of clients ask "What am I going to blog about?" The answer: INFORMATION. What would someone be looking for, that could lead them to you. In Liz's case, THE BIG MYTH ABOUT LASER HAIR HAIR REMOVAL, PERMANENT HAIR REMOVAL,  TRANSGENEDER HAIR ISSUES....Content is the attraction strategy. You are going to post information people are looking for you. The blog becomes your online newsletter. Your own little magazine. And you can post as often or as little as you want. However, think of it as a huge mall in the middle of nowhere, when you first set it up. Each time you post something, you are a creating a new road that leads people to you mall. Put up 10 posts, you have 10 roads leading to you. Put up 100 posts, you now have 100 roads leading to you. The more roads you build, the more ways search engines can index your information and lead people to you.

Not every reader of your information will be your client. If your services are local, of course only local readers can be your client. If your product or services are not localized, then the world is your market. Liz currently gets about 20-30 hits a day -  and most of that traffic is coming in by way of Google searches around her keywords and what she posts about. Pure organic traffic. She is "pulling" people to her, 24 hours a day.  In the last 3 months, 10 new clients have come to her through her blog and hired her!

Out of those 20-30 hits, which equals about 700-800 a month, she has readers in 78 countries! Most of the readers are in the United States, and a lot of hits come from the Chicago area, but is reaching a worldwide audience. As a blog grows, you can develop an audience. People who look to you as the  expert.  They may not be a client today, but they could be tomorrow. Or maybe they work with a group who might hire you to speak at an event. Or maybe  publisher will find your site and think your posts are terrific and offer you a book deal! The possibilities are endless. Blogs  blow away websites, print advertising, direct mail and even radio and TV advertising! Today the Internet has become the ultimate place to accelerate the flow of relevant information and the fastest growing form of media.

When you Google  "chicago electrolysis"  there are 2500 entries - Liz is on Page one!

When you Google "health and wellness expert" - there are 6200 entries, our client,
Dr. Gaziano is one page one with his blog www.feelgoodhealthnow.com

When you Google "gay travel" - there over 1,500,000 entries! And our site is on page one!

Is your website on page one, around your keywords? Probably not.

So why aren't you blogging??



Derrick Sorles and Michael Snell - We Help "Pull"  New Business To You!
            Your Business MD's- Business Blog Consultants -Web 2.0  Consultants and Strategists 

The YELLOW PAGES just aren't what they used to be. In most regions, a full page ad can run $20,000  per year! And now they are trying to convince people to advertise with them online. A friend of mine owns a tree service. He works back and fourth between 2 different states. The YELLOW PAGES  quoted him  $2,000  PER MONTH, to list him on their site and help him come up in searches! THAT'S  OUTRAGEOUS. But people pay it.

I have had clients ask me, "Can the Internet really help me, if I just have a local business with local customers?" - The answer is  ABSOLUTELY! Local search is fast becoming the most exciting search vertical on the web. Recent research by the Kelsey Group reported that 70% of Americans consult the web before making local buying decisions, while 36% of search engine queries now request local results.

I have a client in Chicago who provides a very specialized service, locally.  She had NO web presence whatsoever. We helped her launch a blog, got her into some free directories and she is now coming up on page one in searches around her keywords. She only gets 5-10  hits a day - but in 4 months, has attracted 10 new clients!

Daniel Bower posted a great article at Wordtracker, Five Tips To Maximise The Long Tail Of Local Search. He says," Local search presents huge long tail opportunities; the range of keywords, and the variations of those keywords that can land someone on your page are vast. Take for example our site welovelocal.com. In the short term after our launch, 96% of non-paid keywords had just a single visit."

He also points out the benefits of review sites," It goes without saying that a business owner/marketer should ensure they have maximum visibility in the various review sites and local business directories.

In the US these sites include Yelp, Insider Pages and Angie's Lists, but also the much smaller sites such as the excellent Lawrence.com. These sites provide an invaluable source of local data which can help you research fresh keywords. Spend time examining the way they are structured, the terminology they use and, where possible, the language used in the reviews.

Research from Hitwise earlier this month reported that small businesses rely on search engines now more than ever before - it’s a trend that is only going to increase as SMEs see the lead potential of local search. It’s yet another reason to hone your local keyword research skills."


Derrick Sorles and Michael Snell - We Help "Pull"  New Business To You!
    Your Business MD's- Business Blog Consultants -Web 2.0  Consultants and Strategists 

     

Over the last 2 years we have come into contact with numerous people who wanted to start a blog and most never did. Or they did, and got off on the wrong foot, abandoned the blog, or they had unrealistic expectations about what the blog might deliver in the short-term from an SEO perspective and were frustrated.

We have been doing this for over 2 years now and have launched about 25 blogs. We have made many mistakes along the way and therefore, also have learned a lot. And continue to learn every day as this business changes. Eventually, all of our blogs have ended up on Page One of Google for organic, primary and numerous secondary key word searches...

Here are some of the most common blog mistakes we've seen -

1. Never actually starting one! I have  3 friends and  5 clients  that have been talking about launching blog for a year now! Do they realize, if they had in fact launched their blog one year ago, where they would be today??? Just DO IT already!

2. Using Subdomains.  We are not a big fan of hosting your site somewhere that has to use a subdomain. (ie  typepad, blogspot). If it's personal, that's fine. But for anything business related, where you hope to get search engine lift, we do not recommend it. - Buy a domain and use it. In fact, buy a few domains. If you don't buy it and you don't own it , it's  not yours.  So www.worldsbestflorist.typepad.com  really belongs to typepad. Plus, you deprive yourself of potential search engine lift by hosting your site with subdomains.

3. Design. DO NOT get caught up on design. Blogs are about words, not design. Blogs are all about the content. And that content is indexed by search engines. You can be one page one with the the most awful looking blog out there! Search engines do not care about flash and design. Blogs are about simplicity. That's why search engines like blogs more than websites.

4. Expecting too much too soon. The first 90 days are about  building "the temple." Most directories won't even let you list with them until you are 90 days old or have more than 36 posts. Don't even try to get traffic or build traffic the first few months. It's all about planting the seeds, building the temple, and then traffic will come!

5. Making Money. Every month I have clients that want to start a blog to make "some extra passive revenue." MOST blogs do not make a dime! At least the first year or two. Once you get a page rank of 5 or 6, in about 18 months to 24 months, then maybe, you can start to monetize your blog. Sure you can put Google AdSense on your blog. And make about 25 cents per month. If you are  lucky! The focus should be on building the blog. Build a following. Positioning yourself as the expert in your area of expertise. If you do it right, you will come up in searches and be found by new readers and potential new customers!


Derrick Sorles and Michael Snell - We Help "Pull"  New Business To You!
    Your Business MD's- Business Blog Consultants -Web 2.0  Consultant and Strategists 

We reported here a couple weeks back, the 2nd annual SOBCon blogger conference has been announced!

BIZ SCHOOL FOR BLOGGERS will take place in Chicago  May 2,3, and 4th!

Whether you are a blogger now and want to take your blog to the next level or a business owner who wants to jump into the blogosphere, THIS IS A MUST ATTEND EVENT!



To find out more about the contest, visit the SOBCon special page on their site.

To register to attend SOBCon, visit the registration page.


Derrick Sorles and Michael Snell - We Help "Pull"  New Business To You!
    Your Business MD's- Business Blog Consultants -Web 2.0  Consultants and Strategists 

Check this out!  DIRECT ENERGY, North America's largest supllier of energy, has just begun competing for business in  MICHIGAN, OHIO and NEW YORK! They have a refer-a-friend and a  refer-a-reader affiliate program and you can earn $25 bonuses for each new person who signs up through you!

http://www.energysavermoneymaker.com

People are tired of getting “held hostage” by their energy utility and are making the decision to fight back by switching energy providers. They can get better service, save money and even get a bonus, with a new promotion from Direct Energy. Whether you’re a residential or commercial customer, you have the option of choosing your energy provider and locking in a rate. Your current energy provider cannot offer you a fixed price or price protection.

SIGN UP  and start referring people!

It's free!

The word TRAVEL is Googled
                            more than the word SEX!



Network Marketing 
                     

has made more millionaires than Real Estate!



TRAVEL is a $7 Trillion Industry!



These are facts!


Imagine, booking your own travel and saving on travel....

all of your family, friends and co-workers booking travel through your site, and you make the commission......

Helping your local church or civic organization, set up their own travel agency....

Take a cruise and get a VIP rate -  just pay port charges and the taxes!

TraVerus Travel is changing the way the world books and sells travel! And you can get in on it and get your piece of the $7 Trillion pie!

Make Money With Travel Now!

 

See my ad on EBAY -

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330172408245&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=014

More and more of our clients are coming to us looking for a blog tutor / blog coach. They have a blog that maybe doesn't look good or needs some jazzing up.....maybe they have a blog but not utilizing traffic drivers like social networks and online communities...whatever the case, we have helped them. We have 6 blogs of our own and have helped a couple dozen clients in the last year with their blogs. Small jobs or big jobs, we can help. We work on blogs 60 hours a week, so we now know the in's and out's, the latest techniques

 

 and can help you!

 

Just the other day we found a free site called  SUBMIT EXPRES.

Whether you have a website or a blog, Submit Express is a site that offers lots of free tools for the personal publisher / webmaster. Everything from a Meta Tag Analyzer to Link Popularity Checker to a Meta Tag Generator. Stop by and see what they can do for your site!

Our sites offer lots of advice....

http://www.businessbloggingconsultants.com

http://www.businessbloggingtips.com

http://www.officiallifebydesign.com

http://www.thebestdisocounttravel.com

 

Derrick Sorles

Blog Consultant / Web 2.0 Strategist

 

 

I have found a great magazine called

SUCCESS AT HOME, Jan. 2007

which I now sell here on EBAY.

Do you love to travel? Want to travel more?

Do you want to work from home part-time?

You can open your own online travel booking business!

HOw would you like to make money around the clock, 24 hours a day?!

The entire magazine and DVD is devoted to this unique travel program and an amazing opportunity

to start your own business from home with a very low investment!

Success is guaranteed!

visit my EBAY  Item number: 270137471713