The Bridge - MTECH Internet Marketing Tips » Internet Marketing

Inbound Marketing Historical Review

mmitchell — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:36:08 +0000

MTECH Internet Marketing owner, Marcy Mitchell, has been providing websites, search engine optimization and copy writing services to clients for the past 17 years. The term “inbound marketing” is only a few years old, but it encompasses the changing marketing strategy of pulling in clients and viewers through content (blogs, social, search) instead of pushing out your marketing messages and “interrupting” them.

If small and medium size companies want to stay competitive in today’s marketplace, they need to understand this new shift, embrace it, and start spending time and money within the industry. If you want a free consultation on how to do this, please call 970-731-6325.

Here is an article that reviews the last 10 years of inbound marketing from Find and Convert:

As Find and Convert celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, I reflect on the lessons we’ve learned of inbound marketing. The phrase “inbound marketing” isn’t 10 years old. But, the concept is at least that old. Here’s a look at the last 10 years in under 1000 words.

Although the SEO (search engine optimization) landscape has certainly evolved quite a bit over the past 10 years, getting found in organic search listings is still the most desirable outcome for most businesses seeking to have inbound marketing success.

As Google continually evolves their search algorithm one constant that will always remain is Google’s interest in delivering results that are relevant to a user’s search. To that end, the number one factor in determining relevant search results is relevant content. Businesses often struggle with this, often delivering a limited content experience on their website. Brands who value and prioritize a relevant content marketing mindset enjoy the most inbound marketing success.

Since SEO still rules it’s important to recognize that your content assets have two audiences. The most important audience is the ultimate consumer of your content. The other audience is search engines. Don’t misunderstand this point. I am NOT suggesting SEO trickery to game the search engines. No! However, your website must be easy for search engines to crawl. Your content must be well represented in a search engine listing with a well-written title and description tag. Your website’s architecture should be organized so it passes muster with Google’s more than 200 variables in its search algorithm. Any marketer that favors one audience over the other will yield limited inbound marketing results.

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Websites for Consultants

mmitchell — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:28:11 +0000

As a consultant, it is very rewarding to provide websites for other consultants. We are all in the business of finding out needs from our clients, empowering them, and becoming a “part of their team” for a project or long-term relationship. Additionally, many consultants wear multiple hats in their business from accounting to marketing and sales. This can be a bit overwhelming when you are trying to also stay up to speed on your industry.

One of the biggest issues with consultants is balancing out the time and money to market themselves. Word of mouth will always be the most effective, but today’s world of social media and Internet also demand that consultants market, even casually, and spend additional time updating their messages and brand online.

People today research you through search engines, connect with you on Linked-In and Facebook, tweet about your company on Twitter, and visit your website to get a sense of who you are and what you can offer…many times before picking up the phone or sending an Email. If your website, blog, and social media profiles are not being updated, then you don’t look current or as professional as you could be. You could potentially lose a sale.

It is not that uncommon anymore than a potential client has “liked my Facebook page” and connected with me on Linked-In before I even meet them. What if I was not online at all? How many meetings would I have lost?

MTECH recently created websites and blogs for a few business consultants. Please click on the images to see the live website:

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How do People Spend Their Day Online?

mmitchell — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:24:14 +0000

Ever wondered how most consumers and people spend their day surfing the web? Thanks to MBA Online, you can now see how much time, energy, data and information is exchanged daily on the Internet.

How does your time compare?

Created by: MBA Online

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192 Million US Consumers To Spend $327 Billion Online in 2016

mmitchell — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:46:12 +0000

According to a report by Forrester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru, reported in Internet Retailer, online shoppers in the United States will spend $327 billion in 2016, up 45% from $226 billion this year and 62% from $202 billion in 2011. In 2016, e-retail will account for 9% of total retail sales according to the report.

The steady growth in the number of web shoppers is helping to boost e-commerce sales. Forrester says that 192 million U.S. consumers will shop online in 2016, up 15% from 167 million in 2012. But the bigger factor in driving e-commerce growth is that each shopper will spend more on average, the report says. U.S. consumers in 2016 will each spend an average of $1,738 online, up 44% from $1,207 in 2012.

Other factors contributing to the growth of e-commerce cited in the report include:

• Aggressive merchandising and discounting from flash sale and daily deal retailers
• More online loyalty programs, including shipping clubs such as Amazon Prime that offer free two-day shipping for a $79 annual fee. The report says that 12% of online shoppers belonged to such programs in 2011, up from 9% in 2010. Of those consumers who belonged to such a program last year, 61% said they bought from the retailer that operated the program
• The increasing popularity of smartphones and tablet computers among consumers, which leads them to spend more time online, including shopping. Mulpuru suggests that “… the tablet shopping experience… likely encourages shoppers to purchase more products in an impulse fashion.”

To view the article, please visit InternetRetailer here.

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Inbound Marketing Process Graph for Small Business Owners

mmitchell — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:35:55 +0000

Whether your business is small or large, the graph below shows the inbound or “attraction” process of marketing today. Unlike traditional forms of marketing that try to “interrupt” someone and catch a viewer’s attention, inbound marketing is a shift in thinking. It is about providing quality content that pulls visitors to your website and ultimately becomes a sale. MTECH Internet Marketing helps small business owners convert their websites into lead generation tools and then assisting them in tracking and converting leads into sales. Additionally, MTECH provides content management system websites and mobile websites that are optimized for search. Need help with one of the steps below? Contact us and find out how we can help!

The Inbound Marketing Process Infographic

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Marketing Shifts for Small Business Owners

mmitchell — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:17:42 +0000

Marketing is shifting at an unprecedented rate. Many small business owners and consultants are struggling to implement and understand these new tools with limited staff, resources and budget. Traditional forms of “interruption” marketing, such as television, radio, and print are becoming less effective. Whereas, new forms of “attraction” marketing, such as social and search, are increasing in reach. Marketers are starting to think like socializers and publishers and less like advertisers.

One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the foundations of a company’s marketing – message, positioning, audience, and branding. Social media is not a marketing strategy, it is a marketing channel. Owners first need to understand their unique positioning to determine the types of articles and content to promote across their websites and social media channels. Owners also need to research and listen to their customers and find out where their specific audience gets their information (Youtube, Linked-In, Facebook, Google Search, Twitter, etc…).

One of the first questions owners face is if their website is still relevant and how it works with social and search. First of all, it is not an either/or situation. A company’s website, search, Email, and social media profiles work in conjunction with each other. In most cases, a company website is the hub of their marketing activity. Social media and search direct traffic to a website and the website itself converts the “suspects” into potential prospects, leads and then sales. Social media requires consistency and the content posted is short-lived. Furthermore, social media channels popularity can change and a company does not “own” the vehicle, so the company’s content and branding can be diminished. Finally, most social media profiles can enhance branding concepts, but it is just the beginning of the brand story.

Social Media also affects search engine ranking. A company blog is an integral part of social media strategy. Blog article links on your social media profiles help direct people to a company’s website. Search engines are also starting to display more personalized results. Search engines are beginning to show you results based on your social media connections, “likes”, and geographical location. Overall, new marketing is about attracting clients through valuable content and interactivity published primarily through blogs and social media tools.

When evaluating social media, small business owners should understand the importance of consistency, message and how to combine it with their existing marketing activities. Tracking is increasingly important so an owner can determine which activities are receiving the best return. Company’s should evaluate campaigns instead of just channels and learn how to convert people into leads through compelling offers.

MTECH Internet Marketing provides assistance in equipping small business owners to understand and implement successful Internet marketing strategies. If you would like a free consultation, please call us at 970-731-6325 for more details.

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Google + Now Allows Business Pages

mmitchell — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:51:57 +0000

Google just announced yesterday that they will now allow business pages to be created on Google+. I just briefly set up a page for MTECH Internet Marketing at https://plus.google.com/110406788079955891123.

Visit http://plus.google.com/pages/create, and if you see the option to create a Google+ Page, get started! Follow the wizard and choose the most appropriate option to classify your business. You’ll be able to select from the following options:

•Local Business or Place
•Product or Brand
•Company, Institution or Organization
•Arts, Entertainment or Sports
•Other

After selecting your classification, fill in your basic information, including your page name (i.e. your company name), your business’ website URL, your category (i.e. your industry), and the classification of your page’s content (i.e. any Google+ user, 18 years of age or older, etc.).

Next, you need to customize your public profile. The profile basics include your tagline and an image such as your logo.

Finally, you will want to add some photos, about us and some posts before promoting your page to others. Again, social media success is about sharing quality content.

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MTECH Owner Featured in Durango Herald Article

mmitchell — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:24:46 +0000

After speaking at the recent La Plata Economic Summit, Marcy Mitchell was approached by the Durango Herald to interview for an article on how to help small businesses in Colorado incorporate social media and Internet marketing. Here is the article:

Owners click with consumers

As buyers move online, small-business strategies must evolve

By Heather Scofield, Durango Herald Staff Writer – View original article

Small business owners juggle a lot.

There are local, state and federal tax records and filings to be done. Accounting, inventory, board meetings, customer service, advertising and numerous other critical tasks also must be handled.

And recent changes in consumers’ and businesses’ communication, research and buying trends are adding more to business owners’ to-do lists. Now businesses must keep up with an official website, a blog or two and social networking pages such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn. They also must monitor user-content review sites such as Trip Advisor and Buzztown. Oh, and, customers expect businesses to ensure their message and involvement is consistent in all those online resources.

“You’re trying to run a business, meet payroll and focus on customer service,” said Jack Llewellyn, director of Durango Chamber of Commerce. “Then you throw in social media – it’s tough to keep up with it all.”

The situation has some local business owners pulling out their hair in frustration. Why aren’t customers as overwhelmed by it all as business owners sometimes feel?

“Where’s the information overload?” one local business owner wondered during a recent marketing presentation addressing the trend changes.

“It’s a different mindset” for them, said Marcy Mitchell, advisor for the Small Business Development Center of Southwest Colorado and owner of Pagosa Springs-based MTECH Internet Marketing.

The customers aren’t using the utilities the same way businesses are. They’re not selling an idea, service or company. They’re getting easy access to information and a less-complicated and intrusive way to communicate and consume.

It all amounts to a shift in marketing trends, Mitchell said. The advent of Do-Not-Call lists and commercial-free television and radio entertainment through devices such as digital video recorders and iPods have forced businesses to move their marketing strategies from the old “interruption marketing” techniques to a new concept – “attraction marketing,” Mitchell said.

To compete, businesses are finding they must build and maintain something akin to a utility to get and keep customers’ attention, she said.

“Marketers are starting to think like publishers and socializers, and less like advertisers,” Mitchell said.

Consumers want more than a business “brochure” when they’re online, she said. They want businesses to have information-rich websites, blogs and social-networking pages. They require mobile-friendly applications and quick responses to their online comments and concerns. And they’re demanding interactive and transparent relationships with companies these days, Mitchell said.

There are benefits to the new normal in marketing for businesses, she said. Once owners get past the daunting task of setting up their online marketing pages and systems for the first time, that is.

Businesses can to track their customers, the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and the progress of their sales leads in the sales process with greater ease than ever, Mitchell said.

But first, businesses must determine what online tools their customers are using and get to know those marketing channels well.

“Use the social tools your clients are using,” Mitchell suggests. “You have to know what kind of bait you are using and where the fish are swimming.”

She suggests that businesses select the tool they think is most relevant to their business and start from there. Often that’s a Facebook account, she said, as it’s among the most heavily used social-networking site by consumers.

Spend time exploring and perfecting the business’ webpage, message, maintenance schedule and customer interactions before starting another account. When multiple accounts are set up and the business owner feels his or her message is consistent between the marketing channels, it might be good to consider a software service such as HootSuite to help manage the accounts through a single work platform and better understand the effectiveness of each marketing avenue, Mitchell said.

And for those who just can’t get past the getting started part, it could be worthwhile to hire a local firm or consultant to get the accounts going. The owner can then take over the easier task of maintaining those accounts, Mitchell said. Advisors at the Small Business Development Center at Fort Lewis College also can help business owners learn about, set up and maintain the accounts for no charge, she said.

Doing nothing could be a company’s eventual death knell, though.

“We all have to be aware of how fast the world is moving,” Mitchell said. “There’s no perfect way to do it, but you have to find your voice in this new world. This is how customers are communicating today, and it’s something businesses can’t ignore.”

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Don’t Get Lured into the Social Media Hype

mmitchell — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:44:07 +0000

As I am writing this blog post, I am struck by the irony that this article is appearing on a blog (social media) and will be linked from my Facebook, Twitter and Linked-In page. Just to be clear, this article is not favoring a great website over social media. It is, however, an acknowledgement that you need both to have a robust, effective Internet Marketing campaign. The truth is, both your website and social media efforts, fuel each other. Search engine marketing and social media are becoming increasingly interconnected but most of the results shown on Google are websites…not social media pages. Conversely, social media helps your website search engine ranking.

Here is a great article from Bnet.com on reasons why you still need a great website:

At speaking engagement with about 200 small business owners, I asked how many spent more time on social media efforts than on maintaining/improving their websites.

The majority raised their hands. Then I asked how many saw their websites more like a Yellow Pages ad than a still dominant marketing and sales tool.

Surprisingly, about 40% kept their hands up. One said, “If a potential customer stumbles across my website, fine — but I’m not going to put effort into it anymore.”

That’s a terrible approach. Social media marketing may pay dividends, but you’ll always need a website.

Here’s why:

Social media is largely “push.” Read more…
Social media is rinse and repeat. Twitter was hot; now I’m not so sure. And Facebook faces real challenges from Google+. What new social media platforms and tools are in the works? Who knows — but building a presence on whatever does come next will require significant effort and yet another learning curve. Website innovation also continues, but at a slower and more manageable pace. From an investment point of view, resources allocated to your website generate longer-term returns.
Social media content is far from evergreen. Say you sell a do-it-yourself product. The instructional content you create — articles, videos, slide shows, etc. — stays on your website forever. Tweets quickly disappear; same with Facebook updates. A great video on your website is the gift that keeps on giving, both in terms of customer satisfaction and from an SEO point of view. Same with articles and blog posts and photos.
Websites create or extend your brand. Face it — no matter how hard you try to customize it, your Facebook page is still a Facebook page. And no amount of creativity will make your Twitter design look like anything other than a Twitter page. In a way you’re like a guy wearing a Nike t-shirt; you may wear the shirt, but the Nike brand wears you too.
Websites tell stories. In many cases, especially in service businesses, potential customers don’t only want to know what you provide — they want to know about you. Creating a great About Us page establishes credibility while letting potential customers see the faces behind the business. So does social media… but not really, partly due to the medium and partly due to the fact…
Social media is out of (your) control. Set aside the reality that social media creates conversations you only partly control. Social media platforms themselves are outside your control. Facebook could change policies for business users, LinkedIn could revamp its search function, and Twitter could decide losing more money no longer makes sense. The only online marketing platform you really control — and can count on — is your website.
Social media generates interest; websites close. Potential customers only become customers after visiting your website (or physical location.) Social media marketing is really no different than a flyer or ad. Your website has the information, tools, resources, and incentives to convert potential customers into clients. What is more valuable in the sales world: lead generators or closers? A social media marketing campaign will only be as effective as the website that supports it.

By Jeff Haden

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Tracking is Key to Great Internet Marketing

mmitchell — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:25:34 +0000

When working with small business owners, it is amazing how many of them are not tracking their website traffic, visitors, leads and social media efforts. In order to grow, you need to know what is working, what isn’t working and when you should shift money around for maximum effectiveness.

A simple way to do this is through Google Analytics. If your website does not have this free tool installed, contact your webmaster right away. MTECH provides this as part of every website design project we do. In addition, we also provide a monthly web report service that summarizes the web traffic, visitors, keywords and SEO and provide marketing suggestions and trends.

Other tools allow you to monitor your social media mentions, such as Hootsuite, and Facebook insights also provide you with your Facebook page activity.

In addition, Twitter just recently announced it is launching its own analytics tool: https://dev.twitter.com/blog/introducing-twitter-web-analytics

Furthermore, when tracking your paid advertisement programs, such as banner ads and PPC campaigns, are you also tracking the cost per lead? If your advertising vehicles are not directing traffic to targeted landing pages with compelling offers, you are missing out on some of the story.

MTECH Internet Marketing helps small business owners traverse the digital divide through website development, coaching, teaching classes, social media training and search engine optimization. Contact us at 970-731-6325 for more details.

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