Google, Bing & Yahoo,you must SEO for them!

Google’s recent changes in their search results are a prime example of why a local (not only small) businesses must be taking all the SEO actions considered as best practices in the industry.

With every “evolution” that comes about in the world of online marketing there are a new “breed” of online marketing “experts” (Uhh hhmm) that emerge and proclaim themselves the keepers of the secret keys to your online success.

Yeah, whatever!

Are You Using Online Marketing? Your Competition is!

One of the most important activities a business owner can do is to find out what his successful competitors are doing to be successful!

I will give you a big hint as to what many of the most successful small businesses are doing right now to be successful and that is online marketing!

Your customers are online and searching before they pick up the phone or jump into their vehicles to go shopping.

Social Media, is it Productive or Destructive in the Workplace?

The debate is on and many businesses are finding it necessary to formulate policies to monitor and control the rampant use of social media websites during the work day.

Part of the issue is whether or not employees are using social media sites to enhance the company or are they on these sites wasting time and costing the company money in lost production.

American Small Business,Where is the Future?

With new tax laws juxtaposed against rising regulatory costs, health care concerns for employees, educational issues and the emerging workforce across the planet,the future of small business in America can seem to be on shaky ground.

In my conversations with business owners I see that there are those that look to the future with great expectations and those that are seriously concerned.

Smartphone Apps and the Future of Your Business

I’m not an iPhone user. I have an Android powered phone, so I only have about 70,000 apps to choose from compared to the 225,000 apps that iPhone users have.

But limited as I am, even I can see where the future lies. Managing your life from your mobile device is the way of the future and the future is NOW! You can do everything from managing your finances on line with apps like Mobile Banking and others. You can pay your bills right on your Smartphone with apps like My Verizon Mobile.

Are OC Small Businesses Hitting Against Unfriendliness?

In a recent Orange County Register article, it seems that California leads in business innovation, but it also sadly leads in unfriendliness towards businesses. When it comes to innovation, California ranks number one. Conversely, when it comes to business friendliness, we rank forty-nine. It seems that the greatest and most creative minds receive the biggest drubbing.

Once Upon A Marketing Glossary

Over the last few years I have been asked for my marketing glossary several times.  Truth is, I don’t really have one.  I do have notes with definitions here and there but have never actually put them all in one place.  In fact, when I try to explain these marketing terms to someone, it seems to me that most of the time they think these terms don’t really exist!  It could be due to many of them sounding very similar to each other but trust me they have very different meanings.  I really felt the following keywords should be listed as they tend to be used most often and more commonly but for the full list with detailed definitions go to http://www.marketingterms.com/dictionary/

Marketing & Selling Your Small Business Opportunity

The words we use have so many meanings that they have begun to represent the same ideas. As they have become garbled, we have become confused. And so it is with the two words, marketing and selling. They seem so interchangeable that they have list there important distinctions and how they operate one with another.

In plain English, marketing is senior to selling. Selling is simply one part of marketing.

A Blog Can Be Your Best Website

I know what most are thinking right now, “A blog is not a web site.”

Yes it is. In fact, for small businesses and entrepreneurs a blog really is the most ideal format in which to have your web site. But more than that, a bog as your web site puts you in control of the most important battle in web marketing: Generating original and  relevant content.

Small Businesses Using Social Media

Never a day goes by when I am asked by a business person if they should actually engage in social media or not.

Have you noticed that phone books are getting thinner and smaller? Well, it’s not because the business is not dying. It is migrating to a new media that is reaching hundreds of millions per day. That is social media.

This CNN article is a case in point: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/04/08/social.media.small.biz/?hpt=C2