INTRODUCTION

A few years ago the internet was seen as a direct competitor to local businesses. The ability to shop for

anything at any time proved difficult for businesses to compete with. But while the same can still be said

now, the internet today presents extraordinary opportunities for local businesses.

Consumers regularly search for lo al usi esses o li e. More tha e er the ’re rel i g o the i ter et for

information on local businesses. Your business should be there when they do!

Over the past few years Google has made it easier for local businesses to reach their customers through its

local search updates. Being competitive in a local search is surprisi gl i e pe si e. It’s o possi le to reach a large portion of your market at a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing.

Social networks have revolutionized marketing, providing equal opportunities for large and small

businesses. Online marketing does ’t just sa e o e either. It ope s possi ilities to rea h the ost relevant people, those who are actually going to buy your product or service.

There’s ever ee a etter ti e for lo al usi esses to arket their usi esses o li e!

Online Marketing – Benefits for Local Businesses

There are hundreds of ways a local business can use the internet to their advantage. Here are a few:

Maintain brand loyalty – Social media, newsletters, blogs and mobile apps all help to increase loyalty

and improve customer relationships.

Save money – Promote your business on a shoestring budget. Online marketing allows for maximum

flexibility in messaging and delivery platforms.

Reach more customers – Almost all of us use the internet daily. If you want to get more customers,

there’s o etter a to rea h the .

Whatever stage your business is at with online marketing, we hope that this eBook will help you to take full

advantage of the web. Expect to learn how to:

Improve your search position

Respond to the growing mobile market

Reach more customers with a mobile app

Get more business calls with Google ads

Get more from your advertising budget with Pay Per Click ads

Make the most of social media

As a o us, ou ill also get a helpful he klist so ou do ’t iss a thi g!

Online Marketing Fundamentals

1

Reach more customers

with local SEO

1. WHY LOCAL SEO IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK

2. HOW TO INCREASE YOUR LOCAL SEARCH POSITION

3. ON-SITE OPTIMIZATION

4. OFF-SITE OPTIMIZATION

5. SEO MISTAKES TO AVOID

1.1 WHY LOCAL SEO IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK…

Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the method of optimizing your web presence to achieve higher local

rankings on search engines, such as Google.

If you e fa ilia ith SEO, you ill k o that sea h e gi es use a y iad of ethods to rank each website.

There are millions of websites on the web and search engines want to be sure that yours is the best for a

sea he s ue y. If you e site is o peti g atio ally, the stakes a e a lot highe . Google, Yahoo a d othe search engines have very high expectations.

Luckily though, local businesses have a much easier task. The rules are different and the expectations

significantly lower.

With local SEO you are up against a handful of

competing websites, not thousands. Further,

many of the do t ha e the i li atio o sophistication to compete online. This provides

a great opportunity for the businesses that

take online marketing seriously.

Google is on your side

Since 2013, Google has made changes that

make it easier for local businesses to reach

new customers through search.

The additio of thei lo al sea h pa k (see

right), makes getting on to the first page a far

less intimidating task.

The lo al sea h pa k , hi h utilizes Google Places listings, ranks businesses not websites.

This is the most important difference between

local and traditional SEO. It is also where your

goal of reaching the top spot becomes easier.

Don’t expect overnight results

Always remember that with SEO, nothing happens overnight. Although local SEO is easier than ordinary

SEO, you still need to develop your o li e ra d if ou a t results, so ethi g that a t e a hie ed i a short space of time.

1.2 HOW TO INCREASE YOUR LOCAL SEARCH POSITION

If you want to start improving your search position it can be challenging to know where to start. With so

much advice online, SEO can be a bit of a minefield.

We have condensed everything you need to get started with Local SEO into this handy eBook.

Read through this chapter to learn what you need to know about local SEO for your business. As well as

what you can do to start improving your local search rankings in Google. There s also a helpful he klist at

the end of this eBook so you know you have everything covered.

1.3 ON-SITE OPTIMIZATION

Your website should promote its target local area throughout, this includes:

Page titles

Meta descriptions

Page content

Contact pages

Make it clear what lo atio s our usi ess ser es, ut do t go o er oard; listi g doze s of lo atio s ill be seen as over optimization, which could harm your search rankings.

Search engines want to see consistency, so keep to one or two primary locations.

BE MOBILE FRIENDLY

Did you know? More than half of Google searches are made on mobiles.

Consumers are increasingly searching for local businesses on the move, a hotel, restaurant, auto repair

shop. They expect websites to load quickly but more importantly fit their mobile screen!

If our site does t offer a good mobile experience, you can quickly lose customers, especially those that

come from the search results.

Google enforces higher mobile standards

In April 2015, Google updated their search engine to reward mobile friendly websites and penalize those

that are ot. If our e site does t pass Google s o ile frie dl test ou ould e losi g traffi fro mobile searchers. Since Google introduced their mobile update in April 2015, non-mobile friendly pages

have fallen on average 5 places in the search results. Whilst this may appear insignificant, losing five places

in a search ranking can be a huge loss of your business. According to a Moz.com study done in 2014, two

thirds of all website clicks go to the top 5 listings on a search page.

From moz.com

What action should you take?

Creating a new website? No need to worry, the majority of web designers will create a mobile friendly

website as standard. If you have an existing website that is not mobile friendly, you should update it to

continue reaching local customers online.

Run the Google Mobile Friendly test for your website:

https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly

OPTIMIZING FOR SPEED

Already have a mobile friendly website? How can you start getting results? One of the critical areas to

start is with speed.

Did you know? A 1 second delay in page response can result in a 7% reduction in sales.

If your website takes too long to load or does t ork orre tl , ou are goi g to lose usto ers fast.

40% of visitors abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load

52% say load time is important to their brand loyalty

A one second delay decreases customer satisfaction by about 16%

Statistics from Gomez & Akamai

Speed is critical for local businesses

Simply put, speed is important on all devices, but critical for local mobile searches. When on the move

consumers want quick, easy to use websites. Mobile internet is often much slower than traditional

broadband, so you should take steps to make your website faster.

Run a speed test

Enter your website at: www.google.com/pagespeedinsights

Google will run a speed test for your website on mobile and desktop. After grading the load speed, Google

will recommend changes to improve your load time and usability.

Other speed test tools include:

https://gtmetrix.com

http://www.webpagetest.org

1.4 OFF-SITE OPTIMIZATION

If you want to increase your search ranking, it is not enough to optimize your website with the right

keywords. You need to prove your worth across the rest of the web too. Here are some of the factors

search engines look for…

ONLINE REVIEWS

Reviews play a i porta t role i the shoppi g ha its of toda s o su ers.

According to a 2014 study into local consumer habits:

88% used reviews to determine the quality of a local business.

72% said positive reviews made them trust a business more.

Not only are reviews popular with consumers, they have proven to be valuable to search engines.

Each year Moz.com compiles a list of the most important factors affecting SEO. In 2015 reviews came up as

one of the most significant to a local businesses search ranking.

Business review sites such as Yelp frequently appear in local search results. If your business has positive

reviews on Yelp, or similar sites, you can expect to be rewarded in the search pages. Equally negative

reviews can have a detrimental effect on your search ranking.

Top review sites – Where to get more reviews

Submit your business to these sites to start collecting reviews and improving your local SEO:

Google.com/places

Yelp.com

Angieslist.com

Local.yahoo.com

Tripadvisor.com

Registering to these services will give you more insight into your online reputation, as well as more control

over it!

AUTOMATE REVIEWS WITH REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

Yes, ou a su it our usi ess to doze s of re ie sites, ut there s o guara tee ou will get any

reviews, let alone positive ones. Sometimes people would prefer to write about a negative experience

rather than make the effort to talk about a positive one.

So you might be wondering how you can get more of your customers

to leave a positive review for your business.

Taking Charge Online (TCO) puts your online reputation on auto

pilot, become the top choice in your market!

How does it work?

All you need is your customers email address and name, TCO will take care of the rest.

Each new customer is automatically invited to share their experience with your business.

If the customer writes a positive testimonial, the comments will be shared online; just what you need

to boost your local search ranking.

If the customer writes a negative testimonial, the feedback is sent direct to you; nothing is shared

online!

By reaching dissatisfied customers before they vent their frustration online, you can address the problem

internally and maintain your reputation.

Remember that negative reviews can have a effe t o your usi ess’s sear h positio .

Start building your 5 star reputation with Taking Charge Online

Exclusive - Start Your FREE 30 Day Trial

http://www.takingchargeonline.com/reputation-management/

LOCAL DIRECTORIES

Local directories are an easy, affordable solution to improving your local search ranking.

The key to success is consistency and relevancy:

It is essential your business NAP (Name, Address and Phone Number) is consistent across all

directories (and your website).

If your phone number or address changes, you must update your directory listings.

If you have multiple contact numbers, keep it simple. Use the same number on your website, social

media and all directories.

Most directories can be beneficial to your business. However there is something to be said for hyper local

or niche directories. These are directories that are specific to your town, city or state. A niche directory

could be just for plumbers, lawyers or electricians.

In the past search engines relied heavily on backlinks to measure the trust of a business. These days a

mention alo e a e just as alua le, these are also k o as itatio s .

Take a look at our list of the top local business directories to submit your business to:

http://onlinemarketinginct.com/2016/03/01/top-online-local-business-directories/

LOCAL BACKLINKS

Backlinks have played an important role in SEO for over a decade. Long considered the most important

factor for ranking websites, the idea was the more links to your website, the more popular it was.

If another site links to yours, it tells search engines that they trust you and that you offer some kind of

value. The more links you have, the more search engines will trust your business and rank it more

fa ora l . I Google s e es, if e site A links to website B, they must have some faith in it, right?

But backlinks have lost luster in recent years. In the past it was easy to create thousands of links on mass

and rise up in the search results. Now Google is keener on quality, not quantity.

Backlinks still play an important role in SEO, although they are just one of hundreds of factors Google uses

to rank websites. If you want to improve your local search position, you need to focus on local backlinks.

This means securing links from sites in your local area, i stead of gai i g a li k fro a old site .

Ideas for getting local backlinks

Create a press release and submit it to local news sites

Write a guest post for a local blog

Sponsor a charity and get a mention on their website.

Add your business to local directories

Swap links with other local businesses

Spend time in local business forums

A ordi g to Moz s a ual orrelatio of lo al sear h ra ki g fa tors, a kli ks ake up arou d % of our site s lo al SEO. So i esse e, if ou a t to i rease our local search position, you need to focus on

backlinks!

It is advisable to try to get backlinks from a variety of different sites, such as blogs, news sites, directories

and social networks.

BE AWARE – Poor quality backlinks can do your business more harm than good!

What is a low quality backlink?

A link from a site that is unrelated to your business, product or service

A link from a new website

A link from a page that has hundreds of outgoing links

SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

When it comes to search engine optimization, social media marketing is a relatively new ingredient. If you

think about it, it makes perfect sense that your social media efforts should affect your search ranking. All

of those likes, shares, tweets and follows are votes of confidence in your business. Real people saying they

trust and like what your business does! That counts for something in SEO.

For a more in-depth discussion of how this works, see chapter 4 on Social Media.

All that hard work could pay off

If you re active on social media you will be pleased to know that it has been found to have an effect on

search positions. The number of Facebook likes and comments has a small but valuable impact. The same

can be said for Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest. Although considered less important than other factors,

social media could give your business the edge it needs. Sometimes small differences can make a

significant impact in the search results. It could mean the difference between a 1st

and 3rd

place ranking.

Did you know? I Moz’s 5 lo al sear h report, so ial edia a ou ted for 5% of lo al sear h ra ki g factor.

1.5 SEO MISTAKES TO AVOID

Now you know how you can rise up the search pages, it is important to know what can drop you like a rock

in the biggest search engines. Focusing on the wrong types of SEO can be a waste of time, money and have

a negative effect on your search position.

So what are the SEO mistakes you should avoid?

BLACK HAT SEO

There are three main types of SEO:

White hat SEO – Follows the rules and uses ethical tactics.

Grey hat SEO – Uses automated tools or techniques that are frowned upon by search engines.

Black hat SEO – Uses techniques that circumvent or abuse search engine vulnerabilities. These

techniques are strictly against search engine terms.

Quick but short lived results

Black hat SEO often promises top positions in a short space of time. While black hat techniques can garner

quick gains, they can quickly punish you for the long term. Search engines are always on the hunt for

websites breaking their terms of service and will penalize any found to be breaking them.

Lau hed i , Google s Pe gui update affected millions of websites using black hat techniques. Most

lost their top positions and many fell out of the search engine altogether. The really painful reality is that

many business owners had no idea their SEO consultants were even using black hat techniques. It s riti al that you keep a watchful eye on any SEO services ou re pa i g for and understand exactly what they

involve.

Google is constantly updating their search engine in the fight against black hat SEO. If you use these

methods, knowingly or not, it s o l a atter of ti e before Google catches up with you.

What are Black Hat Techniques?

How do you know if you are using black hat SEO? What should you avoid?

Anything that promises overnight results – Good SEO takes time!

Anything that appears automated.

Anything that promises mass backlinks from other websites.

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

CHEAP SEO

When it comes to SEO, you get what you pay for. Search engine optimization takes time and a lot of effort,

so ethi g that a t e a hie ed ith heap SEO.

Any SEO professional will tell you that to improve your search ranking, you need good quality content.

There s no shortage of people offering to write SEO content either. Although be warned! If you pay below

the average expect below average results.

Cheap SEO usually leads to:

Poor content

Content with bad grammar and spelling.

Content that gives little value to the reader.

Co te t that has ee spu fro e isti g arti les a d is hard to read .

Cheap content gives your business a bad image and o t do u h for our SEO. ‘e e er that Google considers readability when ranking websites. If your content reads well you will probably rank higher in the

search results. After all why would Google promote a poorly written page over a well written one?

Poor consideration of your business

Whe ou pa for heap SEO, ou a t e pe t a o e to take the time to learn about your business,

products or services. Inexpensive SEO is usually generic and not tailored to your business.

Google loves relevancy and expects all content and links pointing to your site to be relevant to your

usi ess. You a t usually achieve this with cheap SEO.

Cheap SEO could hurt your business

Google and other search engines expect businesses to gain links to their site naturally. If you pay for cheap

SEO, ou re pro a l goi g to get a load of ass-automated links, something that Google seriously frowns

upon.

When it comes to backlinks, quality always beats quantity, 10 links could provide far more value than

10,000. In fact cheap SEO will almost always give you low quality links, with little or no relevance to your

website.

Paying for cheap links could result in a penalty for your business, causing a drop in search rankings, and

subsequent traffic.

Online Marketing Fundamentals

2

Reach more customers

with Mobile

1. WHY MOBILE IS SO IMPORTANT

2. GOING MOBILE FRIENDLY – WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?

3. WHAT CONSUMERS EXPECT FROM MOBILE WEBSITES

4. USING CLICK TO CALL

2.1 WHY MOBILE IS SO IMPORTANT

As consumers continue to use their mobiles more and more, expecting mobile-ready websites, businesses are

realizing the growing importance of mobile marketing.

But do t just take our ord for it, take a look at so e of the statisti s:

4 out of 5 consumers use smartphones to shop

% of users say they o t re o e d a usi ess ith a poorly desig ed o ile site

40% of global YouTube views are on a mobile device

% of o su ers say they o t retur to a e site if it does t load properly o their o ile de i es

Over 50% of smartphone users grab their smartphone immediately after waking up (we re all guilty…)

Co i ed i o ile? I this hapter e ll e u o eri g ho you a start to tap i to this tre d a d take advantage of a rapidly-growing market.

GOOGLE WANTS ALL WEBSITES TO BE MOBILE FRIENDLY

If you want to reach customers on mobile, you need to be Mobile Friendly. In 2015 Google enforced new

sta dards for all e sites y i trodu i g their o ile frie dly update .

Following much frustration caused by sites with bad mobile design, Google decided to take action. When you

consider more searches are now made on mobiles, it makes sense for Google to reward mobile friendly sites over

non-mobile friendly ones.

The after ath of Google s o ile update i April affected millions of websites; dropping them down the

search rankings if they failed to pass Google s Mo ile Frie dly Test.

How Does Google Deter i e a Mobile Frie dly Website ?

The est a to a s e this is to test ou e site ith Google s Mo ile F ie dl Che ke :

https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly

Here are some of the requirements to be considered mobile friendly:

All content fits within the screen (Without the need to pan left or right)

Elements such as buttons and links are not so small or close togethe that the a t e used. Text is ot so s all that it a t e ead.

Get ou self a shi g ee a a d ou e good to go!

More Searches are now made on Mobile

In 2015 Google announced that mobile search had overtaken desktop searches for the first ti e. It s ot surprising that Google wants every website to be mobile friendly now.

Essentially more than half of your website visitors could be coming from a mobile device. So if your

e site is t o ile f ie dl , ou ould e egle ti g half of your target audience; and losing half of your

sales!

Mobile needs to be an integral part of your marketing if you want to compete online:

70% of smartphone users search the web on their phone, even when a desktop is present.

61% of searchers will mo e to a othe site if the a t ui kl fi d hat the a t o a o ile site. 50% of sea he s ill use a e site less if it is t o ile f ie dl

2.2 GOING MOBILE FRIENDLY – WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?

“o ou e de ided your website needs to be mobile friendly, what are your options?

Maki g ou e site o ile f ie dl does t ha e to e e pe si e. The e a e optio s to suit e e udget, from quick fixes to complete redesigns.

DUDA MOBILE

An inexpensive option is Duda Mobile which creates a mobile

friendly version using your existing website. It is quick to set up

using the automated tool, plus the e s e li ited p og a i g (just a small script to implement when the mobile site goes live).

To create a mobile site with Duda simply enter your website URL

and let Duda do the hard work.

The tool formats your content to fit a mobile screen in a matter

of seconds. You can then use the drag and drop feature to make adjustments to your mobile design.

How much does it cost?

For businesses, Duda mobile costs $7.20 per month (if you pay for a whole year), or $9.99 per month

otherwise.

The o l do sides to Duda o ile a e the fa t that ou e site is t opti ized fo all s ee sizes, plus you are charged monthly until you end the subscription. If you already pay for your desktop site, this

esse tiall ea s ou e pa i g to a age t o sepa ate sites.

Neve theless Duda o ile is a ui k a d o e ie t optio fo passi g Google s o ile f ie dl test.

MOBILE FRIENDLY DESIGN

Another option is to optimize your existing website to be mobile friendly. Unlike Duda Mobile which

creates a separate website (in effect), this option means editing the code of your existing website to be

mobile friendly.

Depending on how your website is built this might require speaking to your web designer, or if you have

the skills, editing the site yourself.

The process of optimizing your site for mobile means editing the code so that each element can be resized

onto a small screen. This can be a time consuming process if you have a large site, however there are

frameworks available which make this easier for developers.

By using this approach you have full control over your website. Unlike Duda mobile you can design the

mobile site exactly how you want, plus you own it outright which is appealing for many.

RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN

Responsive design is one of the best solutions for going mobile friendly.

A responsive website is optimized for all screen sizes, so your site looks great no matter what device your

customers use. Since consumers regularly switch

between devices it is a good idea to use responsive

design, rather than mobile design alone.

It might be more expensive but the difference is worth

paying to make sure your website always looks its best.

Optimizing a site for all devices works in the same way

as optimizing for a mobile device. If you are going to go

mobile friendly, you may as well be responsive too!

How does your website appear on each device?

Use El i We Ma keti g s espo si e design checker to see your site on desktop, laptop and mobile

screen sizes: http://onlinemarketinginct.com/responsivechecker

Complete Redesign

Investing in a mobile friendly design is a good excuse to re-desig ou hole site. I so e ases it is t much more expensive to design a new site, than it is making an existing website mobile friendly.

By re-designing your site you can identify areas that can be improved and give your site a new competitive

edge.

2.3 WHAT CONSUMERS EXPECT FROM MOBILE WEBSITES

Mobile websites are very different to those on desktops. The screen and hardware is smaller and

smartphones are typically touch enabled.

Having a mobile website is one thing, having a website that gets results is another. When it comes to

mobiles, consumers have high expectations. Have you ever been stuck waiting for a mobile web page to

load? O left f ust ated f o a e site that si pl does t o k o a o ile s ee ? You e ot alo e.

What do consumers expect from mobile sites?

A fast-loading website – A lot of mobile browsing is done on the go. Internet speeds are often slower

and your would- e usto e s do t ha e the patie e to ait fo slo loadi g e pages. You a test your mobile site speed using Google PageSpeed Insights (which will also suggest how to make

improvements to your site speed) https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights

A website that works – Mobile technology is different than desktops. Some elements that work on a

desktop site may not work correctly on a mobile. (Again you can test your site usability with PageSpeed

insights)

To the point content – A lot of mobile searches are goal orientated. 70% of mobile searches lead to

action on a website within 1 hour. This might be a call to your business, an order on your website or

registering for a newsletter. Mobile users want quick answers to their questions so make sure your contact

information is complete and accurate. Your phone number and address should be clearly visible. Try to

avoid lengthy paragraphs of content, keep your pages minimal and to the point.

If ou o ile site is too slo to load, does t o k o is too us , ou visitors will quickly leave for

a othe site. If ou a e goi g to get o e usto e s f o o ile, ou a t affo d to ig o e the expectations of your site visitors!

ADDING A CALL BUTTON TO YOUR WEBSITE

There are plenty of reasons for adding a call button to your website. A call

utto o ks pe fe tl o o ile s that a ake alls. Esse tiall this ea s that if a mobile user taps on your button or link, their phone will initiate a call.

This is perfect for adding a call to action where you want to follow up with your

sales team.

Why add a call button to your website?

Easy to set up – A call button can be created with simple HTML:

<a href=”tel:111111111”></a>

Encourage more phone calls

Make it easy for people to do business with you

88% of consumers who search for a type of local business on a mobile device call or go to that business

within 24 hours

Why not make it easier for them by adding a call button to your website?

2.4 MOBILE APPS

Mobile apps, if done right, can be an extremely valuable asset for any local business.

Did you know? Apps account for 89% of mobile media time, with the other 11% spent on websites.

While your focus might be on your website, your target audience is spending their time using apps.

Once downloaded a mobile app remains on your customers phone, reminding them of your business each

time they switch their phone on.

Did you know? 26% of consumers start mobile research with a branded app.

When you consider just how much people use their smartphones

ea h da , that s a lot of e posu e.

As a local business you might assume that mobile apps are an

expensive luxury, reserved for big brands with equally big marketing

budgets. In reality they are less expensive and more accessible than

you might think. There are dozens of do it yourself tools available

and most come with readymade templates for you to use.

Why create a mobile app for your business?

Increase customer loyalty

Reach your customers anytime, anywhere

Stand out from your competitors

Capture the rapidly growing mobile market

Make it easier for people to do business with you

APPLICATIONS FOR A MOBILE APP

You might be wondering what a mobile app could do for your business. Here are just some examples of

the types of mobile app you could make use of:

Loyalty App

A loyalty app is a great tool for improving customer loyalty and can be applied to multiple businesses. The

idea is just like a lo alt a d fou d i offee shops et .. The o l diffe e e is this is a digital lo alt a d .

There are a number of benefits for this:

No printing costs – Give out unlimited cards

You usto e s a t lose ou lo alt app “e d push otifi atio s to thei pho e – Reminding them of your special offers.

Who could use a loyalty app?

A loyalty app could be used for most service based businesses, for example:

Coffee shops, restaurants, hairdressers, auto garages, plumbers, electricians etc..

Reservations app

A reservations app is another way of increasing loyalty and making it easier for people to do business with

you. Accepting reservations through an app frees up time from accepting phone calls and gives your

business another opportunity to reach your desired audience.

Call app

By putting your phone number in an app, customers can reach your business any time,

without having to search through dozens of contacts or try to remember it.

App with Push Notifications

Push notifications allow businesses to promote special offer straight to their

customers phone. Once your app is installed, push notifications can be used to send promotional

messages, similar to a text or Facebook update. The notification is displayed whether your app is open or

not. This means you can target your customers at any time, without spending any money.

CREATING YOUR MOBILE APP

Thinking about creating an app for your business? What are the options?

Hire an app development company – Probably the most expensive option, however you can expect a

full a ded app ith ou e a t e ui e e ts. App de elop e t o pa ies do t ofte take o s all projects which can make it difficult with a small budget.

Hire a freelance app developer – There are plenty of independent app developers you could ask to

build an app for you. This gives the flexibility to choose a developer within your price range, as well as one

who has the exact skills you need.

o Find a freelancer on sites like Upwork.

Use an app maker tool – There are plenty of tools to help you create an app with no programming

skills. Anyone of any capability can create an app from pre-existing templates and drag and drop features.

o http://www.appypie.com

o https://www.appmakr.com

o http://www.apps-builder.com

Learn app development – Probably the least favorable option although it does open up a lot of

opportunities for you and your business. You can learn to develop apps for android, IOS or windows and

include all of the features you want.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS WITH MOBILE APPS

Let people know it exists – The e s o poi t ha i g a app if ou e ot goi g to tell people a out it. Most

apps fail e ause thei de elope s do t a ket the effe ti el .

Keep it updated – Give people a reason to come back to your app, add new features or special offers to

keep your users interested.

Make it useful – The best apps solve some sort of proble , do t o e load ou app ith too a features, instead focus on something that provides real value to your users.

Online Marketing Fundamentals

3

Reach more customers

with Pay Per Click Ads

1. BENEFITS OF PPC FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES

2. FACEBOOK ADS

3. GOOGLE ADWORDS

3.1 BENEFITS OF PPC FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES

If you want to reach more customers online, few solutions are as flexible and effective as Pay Per Click (PPC) ads.

With PPC any business, with any budget can reach highly targeted leads at the touch of a button.

PPC Allows Businesses To:

Advertise with as little as $1 a day budget

Target customers of almost any demographic

Target people actively looking to make a purchase

Start and stop their advertising at any time

Generate sales in a short space of time

Pay only when someone clicks your ad

There are hundreds of PPC providers online; we are going to be looking at two of the most popular: Facebook Ads

and Google AdWords.

3.2 FACEBOOK ADS

Fa e ook is the orld’s largest so ial et ork. Millio s of users log i ea h day. K o i gly or ot, they lea e a treasure trove of information, any business can access.

What Facebook has that other social websites lack is a huge stockpile of information about who we are, our likes,

interests, marital statuses and so on. This is so ethi g Google, Yahoo a d others urre tly a ’t o pete ith.

Laser targeted leads for your business

If you want to reach laser targeted leads for your business, look no further than Facebook. With a little bit of

effort Facebook will give you the option to fine-tune your advertising, targeting only the people that will make you

the most money right now.

Facebook Targeting Options

Fine-tuned advertising based on your target demographic.

Target people by age, sex, marital status, location, parental status

Target people by interests and purchasing behavior

Target friends of your page fans

Target people by profession and level of education

Target people when you want and where you want

Target people by life event: Newly engaged, newly married and so on

There is no shortage of options when it comes to advertising on Facebook. Whatever your target audience

looks like, ou a rea h it ith Fa e ook at a ost that o ’t reak the a k .

FACEBOOK AD OPTIONS

Besides the demographics you want to target, Facebook has a number of ad types that can suit your needs.

When creating an ad with Facebook it is a helpful to focus on goals.

Whether you want more clicks, downloads, sales or likes, your ad can be optimized towards your particular

goal.

Facebook Offers

You may have used a Facebook offer without realizing. Facebook offers are different than ordinary status

updates. If you are promoting a special offer, coupon or sale on Facebook, they can help you to stand out

and generate more business.

What makes Facebook offers different? They allow you to:

Include a call to action for your ad

Include a time or claim limit to generate

scarcity

Your offer is automatically emailed to

claimants at your chosen interval. This might be 1

day, two days or a week after they claim the offer. It

acts as a reminder and helps your offer to stand out

from the hundreds of other updates in most

people’s e s feeds. They appear different to normal updates,

another aspect to help them standout

How to create Facebook offers

If you have a local business or places page ith at least 50 fa s, ou’re eligi le to reate Fa e ook offers.

You should see an option at the top of your Facebook

page timeline called Offer, Event + , select this option

and fill out the offer details to create the ad.

Alternatively you can create a Facebook offer by

visiting the ad creation page and selecting Offer Claims as your choice of ad.

https://www.facebook.com/ads/create

Re-Targeting

Re-targeting is a sophisticated and highly valuable method of marketing, allowing businesses to reach

prospects who have already expressed an interest in their products or services.

Let’s sa so eo e isits our site a d lear s a out a parti ular produ t ou sell; the lea e our site without making a purchase.

Re-targeting works by showing the product to that person again, without even being on your website. The

ad can be used to entice the prospect back to your website and close the sale, perhaps with a more exciting

offer.

It makes sense to use re-targeting with Facebook because of the sheer amount of time people spend on

the site. Once would- e usto ers ha e left our e site, ou a al ost guara tee the ’ll isit Fa e ook sometime in the near future.

How does Re-Targeting work?

For Facebook re-targeting to work you must have a tracking script installed on your website. This will allow

Facebook to monitor what pages and products are being seen by who.

When they leave your website, Facebook will know who to target and with what offer.

Re-targeting is a little more advanced than most ordinary Pay Per Click Ads, if you want to try re-targeting

you may wish to find a web developer to help you get set up.

3.3 GOOGLE ADWORDS

Google akes ost of its profits fro ads, so it’s little surprise that Google AdWords is idel a epted as the Go to PPC network for so many businesses.

The appeal of Google AdWords is the ability to reach almost anyone, anywhere, searching for anything!

Whatever product or service your business sells, you can almost guarantee there is someone searching for

it on Google.

Reach customers looking to make a purchase

Google Ads are effective because they allow businesses to target people who are actively looking for

something. With the right keywords you can even identify people who are looking to make a purchase. For

example a search might include the words: Affordable, Local, Order, Where to Buy, For Sale or Near Me.

Local ads are cheaper!

Advertising on Google works by paying per click or impression on your ad. The cost of each click

depends on the competitiveness of the keywords you want to target. The cost can vary from a few cents

many dollars. Ad ertisi g a lo al usi ess is usuall heaper si e it’s a u h s aller target area a d there are fewer businesses competing for the same keywords.

If you are put off by the idea of using PPC e ause ou thi k it’s too e pe si e, ou ight e surprised. You can use the Keyword Planner to get an idea of the cost of each keyword, as well as the number of clicks

it would be likely to receive:

https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner

USING CALL ONLY ADS

If you want to receive more inbound sales calls, you should be using click to call extensions in your ads.

Did you know? 70% of mobile searchers call a business directly from search results

Call extensions allow you to add a phone number to traditional search ads. However call only ads go one

step further. If you are more interested in phone calls than website clicks, this is the ad extension for you.

Make it easy for people to phone you on the go

Direct calls to your business, nothing else!

Track how many phone calls convert

Set your phone number to show only during opening hours

Call only ads are designed to show only on mobile devices that are capable of making calls. Instead of your

website address they display your phone number. Upo li ki g the ad the sear her’s smartphone will

initiate a call. It ould ’t e si pler!

How to setup call only ads in AdWords

1. Sign in to your Google AdWords account

2. Under the Campaigns tab click on +Campaign followed by Search Network Only

3. On the next page select Call-Only on the right hand side

4. Choose your ad options as normal

USING LOCATION EXTENSIONS

Location extensions allow businesses to enhance their search ads with local business information such as

their address, phone number and location on a map. On mobile devices they can also show directions to

encourage people to visit you In person.

Why use location extensions?

Your ad stands out from the competition

No additional cost to implement

Direct more visitors to your store/business premises

According to statistics by Google, ads with location extensions typically see a 10% increase in click-through

rates.

As more and more people use search to find local information, it makes sense to utilize these extensions,

espe iall si e the ’re o pletel free to use!

How to setup location extensions in AdWords

1. Sign in to your AdWords account

2. Click on the Ad Extensions tab under Campaigns

3. On the left hand side select Location Extensions under the

dropdown box.

4. Click on the +Extension button to start loading in your local

information.

5. You will then be asked to select or

create a Google My Business account.

This is a free service which makes it easier for consumers to find

businesses on Google. As well as important information such as your phone number, address and opening

hours. (Note that Google My Business) requires authorization by a postcard sent in the mail.)

6. Once your Google My Business account is set up with the correct information you can begin importing

it to start using location extensions.

Online Marketing Fundamentals

4

Reach more customers

through Social Media

1. INTRODUCING SOCIAL MEDIA – GENERAL CONCEPTS

2. REACHING MORE CUSTOMERS WITH FACEBOOK

3. REACHING MORE CUSTOMERS WITH TWITTER

4. OTHER SOCIAL NETWORKS

4.1 INTRODUCING SOCIAL MEDIA – GENERAL CONCEPTS

Social media has a massive global reach. Recent research has found that 2.3 Billion people are active on social

media - GWI. A large majority of these users access social networks via mobile devices.

Top 20 social network platforms – Jan 2015, Global Web Index

Unlike some other mediums the opportunities for exploitation are the same for all businesses, large or small – a

level playing field. Social media marketing is certainly worthwhile, and relatively inexpensive. Social Media can

generate results from a few dollars or nothing – whereas traditional television advertising costs $1000s. Despite its

reported su esses it’s also a it of a i efield. If you do ’t k ow what you’re doi g, or where you’re goi g it a be easy to get lost with social media. How can you make sense of it all and start reaching more local customers?

In one sentence: you need a vibrant, interactive and attractive social media presence.

If you play your cards right, the return can be well worth your while. We are going to consider some common

misconceptions, key concepts, as well as practical advice and guidelines for beginning your social media campaign.

Finally, we will consider some of the most valuable social networks and how you can best exploit them.

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

Many people have wrong ideas about social media, not helped by the large number of self-professed

e perts o the e , ir ulati g their so eti es erro eous ideas a d ad i e. Whilst a of these a be helpful, it is vital to put the i to perspe ti e so the do t e d up doi g ore har tha good!

“o ial edia does t wo k fo lo al usi esses

You may have heard this phrase, or even muttered it yourself. While it

a so eti es see this a , it s si pl ot true.

Time and time again, social media has proved successful for all kinds of

local businesses, changing the game of local marketing forever.

A typical (not exceptional, mind) example is a restaurant called Catch 122,

in Vancouver, Canada. Through using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram,

they were able to get customers sharing photos of their food using the

hashtag #catch122menu.

The resulting photos were then compiled into a single gallery, so would-be

customers can see the hundreds of happy customers testifying to the

restaura t s fi e di i g. Ma other lo al usi esses affirm similar

experiences. It all boils down to utilizing the sense of community in

social media and tapping into the growing trend of consumer-driven content.

The usto e -a uisitio i d-set

More often than not, social media does t work for businesses, local or otherwise, Due to the common

misunderstanding of what social media actually is. Social media is not a tool inherently used for getting

customers. It is about building meaningful relationships with existing customers, rather than simply

broadcasting messages to social media users.

Gai i g e usto ers is a added o us a d should ot e the ai fo us of a usi ess so ial media

marketing campaign. If it is, your customers will likely switch off to your marketing. Social media is a tool

for customer relations, requiring efficient two-way communication.

The lazy approach

This one is a no-brainer. But, whilst social media does t e essaril drai our arketi g udget, it does take lots of ti e a d effort to uild a effe ti e o li e follo i g. There is o si gle ke to su ess.

In short: ou a t post a few thi gs ow a d e pe t to see results in a matter of minutes, hours or days

even.

Viral marketing campaigns

Viral arketi g , the pro ess of a usi ess atte pti g to se d its essage irall a ross so ial edia, si pl does t ork. Ma usi esses a d orga izatio s ha e tried to e ploit it for their o e ds, desiri g their o Charlie it fi ger o e t. More ofte tha ot the fail to u dersta d the unpredictable and erratic nature of viral media. Viral marketing cannot be engineered or manipulated,

PERIOD. It s great he so ethi g does go iral, ut it s always going to catch you by surprise.

People a talk a out posti g e gagi g, sharea le, heart-warming, awe-i spiri g or sho ki g o te t till the cows come home but nothing will happen. The bottom-li e is: there is o se ret ke to goi g iral .

FIVE THEORETICAL SOCIAL MEDIA POINTS

Before we elaborate on specific details of the main social networks or let you catch your breath (!), there

are some important general concepts to establish.

1. Community, community, community. Social networks are online

communities that have revolutionized the way we communicate

and interact with each other. They are a channel for direct two-

way contact with customers, not constant promotion! For this

reason, businesses should remain community-focused in all their

social marketing.

2. It is essential to bear in mind that each case is different. What

ight ork for o e usi ess, o t for a other. For this reaso , do t follo all the tips a d tri ks ou read o the e . Your social media campaign should be tailored to your business and

more importantly your individual objectives.

3. Linking up. Networking with individuals, employees and other organisations who share the same

interests is the whole purpose of social media. Your social campaign should reflect this with a greater

degree of user-centredness. Your business should embrace your audience and value their opinion.

4. Play the learning game. Your social media marketing campaign should develop over time, following

trends, yes, but also learning what works with your followers (e.g. restaurant discovers optimum time

for posti g updates is earl e e i g . Fi d out hat orks a d hat does t. Lear fro our istakes a d fro our o petitors. Do t e afraid to op ideas.

5. Think out of the box. Do t li it ourself – some businesses have discovered new markets and new

opportunities through the use of social media. Perhaps in a different area, or in a way that you

ha e t thought of efore. Do t e s ared to tr so ethi g e . 6. Be controversial. Whilst this may well send alarm bells ringing, we mean this in a good way. Social

media users love to voice their own opinions. Whilst controversy should generally be avoided, it can

be exploited if you want to really stand out, by stimulating and inspiring your followers.

SIX PRACTICAL SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS

1. Listing your business on various social networks (especially Google+ in this context) is an easy way to

aid your search engine optimization and overall web presence. Remember that Google wants to

promote established brands. If, for no other reason than this, set up your business on as many social

media sites as possible. Complete each profile with updated name, address and phone number if you

want to benefit local SEO. This is the sort of information your customers expect to easily find, and just

as importantly, the information Google expects too!

2. Give your followers extra value. Social media marketing is not all about self-promotion. Helpful

localized content is proven to be more effective than direct advertising of your products. For example:

information about a carnival or other event in town, or a piece about the new mayor. Obviously,

these depend on your line of business, but as long as they hold a degree of relevancy with your

follo ers ou ll e fi e. Do t get stu k i the rut of relevancy !

3. Clear integration with your website and/or other social networks is a ust. It s all er ell ei g active on social media, but what action do you want people to take? Do you want them to register to

your newsletter, call you or request a service through your website contact page? (also see some of

the tools below which can help you achieve this). Your website should directly link to your social

media pages.

4. Prioritize photo a d ideo o te t. A picture is worth a thousand words. Visual edia is far ore

effective, in terms of engagement, than plain text. For example a Facebook post with an image

typically receives a 37% higher

engagement rate than just plain

text.

5. Take advantage of analytics – A lot

of the ti e usi esses do t get anything out of social media

e ause the do t o itor it. If ou do t k o ho our fa s a d

followers are, how do you know

ou re arketi g to the right people? Do you post at the wrong

time? Could that be why you get

little or no engagement? Facebook Insights & other social analytics are there to be used, take

advantage!

6. Claim your page URLs (for social networks like Facebook and Google+ which automatically give you

URLs such as facebook.com/yourbusiness-123456789). facebook.com/yourbusiness is a lot cleaner and

can be better used in marketing.

4.2 REACHING MORE CUSTOMERS WITH FACEBOOK

Facebook is the biggest social network by a country-mile, with some 1.55 billion monthly

a ti e users; a olossal a ou t. Whate er arket ou re i , ou a uild lasti g a d meaningful relationships with the right target audience.

QUALITY NOT QUANTITY – UNDERSTANDING FACEBOOK “ ALGO‘ITHM“

Unlike some other social networks, businesses should prioritize quality over quantity on Facebook.

Facebook posts have a longer shelf-life than Twitter tweets for example, so a stream of poor-quality

spa -like updates o t help oost our Fa e ook a paig , i fa t Fa e ook pe alize lo -quality

content.

How do Facebook define quality?

Facebook operate the mysterious and secretive algorithm, previously known as EdgeRa k , but now

nameless (in the interests of preventing confusion we will continue to use this name). This determines

the li its of a post s rea h i.e. ho a people ill see the post in users newsfeeds. The Facebook

e sfeed displa s the latest status updates a d stories, picked from the thousands of posts and pages

vying for space.

EdgeRank decides what order these posts will appear in the newsfeed, ranking them individually on how

relevant they are to each user. This is vitally important to the business. If your post scores low, then your

followers will never see it.

EdgeRank defines quality on such variable factors as:

Timeliness, relevance, trendiness and popularity

Source provenance

Like-baiting (clearly asking for likes) and click-baiting (clearly asking for clicks on a particular link)

How much of the content is recycled

Whether the post is automatically produced

User response. Including the percentage of likes , shares and u er of users ho ha e flagged-up or reported the content

Prioritizing photos and videos over links and text

Fa e ook s pri ar fo us is o the i di idual user s de ographi s, prefere es a d te de ies. I.e. if they spend more time looking at photos, then they will be prioritized over other content. This, of course,

is out of the usi ess user s ha ds.

Facebook fou der Mark )u ker erg s goal is to reate a perfe t perso alized e spaper for ea h user. For which reason, the system is continually evolving and they regularly operate surveys to get the

opinions on users (e.g. which pages they prefer).

Tagging other pages is highly recommended, as your post has a chance of showing up in the news feeds

of fans of the other page. Consistent and concise posts which invite the user to respond are also highly

recommended. Ask yourself: wh would so e od like or share this post?

Unfortunately, Facebook are forcing businesses to play into their pockets, unashamedly generating

greater revenue for their shareholders by holding business users to ransom. If you try to get by without

spending any money, you can expect less effective posts with minimal post reach. In fact a typical

u pro oted post a rea h a dis al % of our Fa e ook fa s if ou re lu k !

USEFUL FACEBOOK TOOLS

There are many tools, both built-in and third-party, free and paid, which can be used to automate and

streamline your Facebook marketing

campaign.

Facebook Insights

Facebook offers a built-in analytical tool called

Insights. Information this tool shows includes:

the engagement and reach of your Facebook

posts; the number of likes your page receives;

limited information on the demographics of

users viewing your page; and when they are

most likely to be online. Based on this

information, you can refine and improve your

marketing campaign.

Post Scheduler

Did you know that you can schedule updates

to be posted at a later time and date? Use

this to take advantage of optimum posting

times and to maintain a regular stream of

content.

Power Editor

Tools such as Power Editor, give page owners

more flexibility in creating, scheduling and managing posts and ads. The power editor gives users access to

the full suite of options available. It also allows page owners to create traditional posts, using features

traditionally limited to ads. Ultimately you have more options when it comes to creating and customizing

posts that convert! http://www.facebook.com/powereditor

Other tools

More sophisticated third-party tools can also be used. These offer social media page management and

enable you to direct operations from a central interface. A good example is Hootsuite, which is a free and

paid solution.

EXT‘A NO-B‘AINE‘ TIP“

The organic reach of Facebook posts is pretty much dead. So do t e afraid to ake use of the Facebook Ads program. Facebook have developed complex algorithms to target ads towards specific

market audiences and niches, including geographical location and age. Give your important posts a

boost in your local area. Facebook Ads is the easiest way to generate support and engagement for

our usi ess. The are parti ularl useful for pro otio s e.g. like our page for a ha e to i a sig ed ook . This is dis ussed, i greater detail, i the PPC se tio of the ook chapter 3).

Set a custom URL for your Facebook page also k o as a a it U‘L . A no-brainer, available to all

pages, once you have received 25 likes, this aids optimisation of your brand on search engines, as well

as making your page easily accessible.

We cannot reiterate this one enough: Ensure your contact details are always updated; including,

phone number and address. Details on Facebook pages have proved effective means to convert clicks

into sales.

Facebook pages can use call to action tabs, which can direct visitors towards a particular promotion,

phone number or contact page.

Local Selling Groups – There are millions of Facebook groups

acting as a central community for people of all kinds of

interests. Most towns, cities and states have their own

selling groups for individuals and businesses to promote

their wares. Search keywords such as CT Businesses or

Promote Your Business in CT into Facebook. Start taking

advantage of this FREE marketing opportunity!

Use Instagram! Instagram, the image and video sharing

network, developed by Facebook, has risen steadily in

popularity, surpassing its big cousin in growth rate. Instagram posts can be linked in with Facebook

pages, providing a new way of engaging with customers, different from your online competitors.

Complete your profile – Like Google, Facebook is a search engine or all of the social content people

post on a daily basis. Make it easier for people to find your business page by completing your profile.

Add your phone number, address, choose an appropriate category and write a detailed description.

4.3 REACHING MORE CUSTOMERS WITH TWITTER

Twitter is an entirely different ball game to Facebook, established around the concept of

i ro- loggi g. T itter users eed to e reati e a d o ise ith their li it of hara ters per T eet . Out of all so ial et orks, t eets ha e the shortest shelf-life ;

activity is essential. In a very fast-paced environment, Twitter has many options open for

exploitation for small and local businesses, all requiring dedication and time, but generally not money.

BUILDING UP A FOLLOWING

Above all else, Twitter is a tool for building a loyal customer-base. Initially this can be done by joining the

conversation and interacting with others, following and commenting on relevant trends and hashtags (in

your local area of course).

Twitter offers a comprehensive search function, enabling users to find what they are looking for. This can

be taken advantage of by connecting with people whose needs match what your business can offer (e.g.

replying to relevant questions posed by Twitter users).

Once you have built up a following and begin to receive people interacting with you, it is good to maintain

similar levels of interaction, however your efforts can now be garnered towards providing an effective

customer service management system.

Tools such as Tweepi can take things further, and are well-worth checking out. Tweepi allows you to follow

(in large numbers) relevant users and those already following you, encouraging interaction and

reciprocation. It also helps you manage your Twitter account more easily, enabling you to clean-up and

unfollow dormant or inactive users.

CONTENT – QUANTITY OVER QUALITY

In contrast to Facebook, Twitter followers are best served by small regular updates, otherwise you will

simply get lost in the mass conversation. More so than Facebook, your Twitter marketing should focus on

perso al o ta t ith i di iduals. This a e do e ret eeti g a d repl i g to rele a t tweets (inside

or outside of your follower network).

Twitter can serve as an excellent customer feedback and response platform, and is used by many

businesses, large and small, to this effect.

The content of your tweets could include business-related

announcements, balanced out with lighter-hearted jokes and

images. Your tweets should not be limited to promotional material.

It is a good idea to follow a simple ratio rule: 80/20, where 80% of

your material is relevant and helpful but also entertaining and 20%

is directly promotional. Add personality and individual traits to

your tweets. Act informal and include a little humor.

PROMOTED TWEETS

Twitter users post 500 million tweets a day, unfortunately, your tweets are likely to get lost in this large

number.

But do not despair!

Like Facebook, Twitter operates its own advertising platform. Their best use is for short call-to-action

promotions and offers with visual content (tweets containing images or videos have 313% better

engagement), giving you extra attention.

EXT‘A NO-B‘AINE‘ TIP“

Use short-url generators so your links use less of your precious 140 characters! A useful one to use is

http://bit.ly

Use @mentions to encourage followers to engage with you and respond

Retweet relevant content, news, events etc.. from authority brands and people in your local area

Follow other local businesses and brands – Get involved in discussions within your local area, this will

help to increase your relevancy and following locally.

Add an image! Posts with images always get seen more than those with plain text alone!

Add a call to action – What do you want people to do? Call you, visit your website? Make it easy for

them to take action!

Do t egle t spelli g & gra ar! You do t ha e u h spa e, so ake sure ou get it right.. Follow Elvin Web Marketing – We a t rite this eBook without aski g ou to follo us! We re at

@elvinweb1

4.4 OTHER SOCIAL NETWORKS

Facebook and Twitter are the most commonly used by small businesses, simply because they are the

easiest and simplest to understand and work with. It is best to devote time and energy into one or two

social networks, which are the best for your business, than to develop a scatter-gun approach. Other social

networks can provide new (and relatively untried) methods of reaching your customers.

GOOGLE+

Google+ (or Google Plus) should be an essential part of your online marketing campaign,

simply because of its Google connection. Very few people use Google Plus in the way that it

was originally designed as a social network, although more people are registered users on it

tha a other so ial et ork largel due to Google s poli of auto ati all o erti g Gmail and Youtube accounts into Google Plus ones). But Google Plus has proved to be a vital tool for

improving a usi ess sear h e gi e prese e, i ludi g usto er re ie s.

We would highly recommend all businesses create a Google Plus page and populate it with contact details,

address, images and your website link. Completing your Google+ profile will also allow Google to include

more relevant information when people make a local search.

PINTEREST

Pinterest is unlike most social networks, based around the concept of a virtual

oard , to hi h users pi rele a t pi tures, ith aptio s; hi h users a then comment on and follow. For example, the focus of one board might be

on upholstery work and DIY tips. The same user might have another

pi oard featuri g li i g roo desig s.

As one of the lesser known social networks, might be reserved about

using Pinterest as part of your business marketing. You might be

surprised to learn that Pinterest Is a highly valuable platform with

unique opportunities for those prepared to try something new.

Pinterest is used as an online shopping catalog – 70% of

people on Pinterest use it to get ideas for what to buy online.

Thousands of eCommerce sites now cite Pinterest as one of

their top referrers for traffic to their websites.

Pinterest does the hard work for you – 80% of the pins on

Pinterest have been repined from so eo e else, that s so e serious iral po er! You a generate traffic to your website without having to do the donkey work!

Your hard work goes further – Pinterest pins last an average of three and a half months. This is

1600 times longer than Facebook where a post ould last for just 9 i utes. This does t ea our posts disappear, just that the are t sho i user s e sfeeds. With Pi terest ou a

continue to drive traffic to your website for weeks after you create a post, unlike Facebook &

Twitter!

There are many opportunities for exploitation, some general tips to remember are:

Stay organized and relevant – do t lose the user! Be active – make sure you understand what is required before jumping on the band-wagon. Pins

can be scheduled and should be spaced out appropriately

Get your images the right size and shape, with appropriate text. Collages of multiple images can

work well. You could include a logo or website address in the bottom corner of your images

Fill your descriptions with keyword-rich captions

Check your Pinterest Stats to see where you stand.

Link to your website whenever you can

Re-Pin content from authority brands within your niche (this will help you to start getting noticed).

Follow relevant users in your niche – This will help to encourage reciprocation, with any luck some

ill follo ou a k a d ou ll start to gro our o fa ase.

ONLINE MARKETING CHECKLIST – FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES

ON SITE OPTIMIZATION CHECKLIST

Install Google

Analytics & Google

Webmasters

Check for Broken Links

Check for Mobile Friendliness

Invaluable insights into

your website, SEO efforts

& web traffic. Install

Google Webmasters

http://www.google.com/

webmasters

And Google Analytics

http://www.google.com/a

nalytics

Clean up any problem or dead

links on your site in one fell

swoop with Screaming Fog (It’s free)

Check how your site appears on multiple

screen sizes and that it matches Google’s criteria for mobile design.

Completed? Completed? Completed?

Check for duplicate

content

Check your Spelling &

Grammar

Check your Site Speed

Use Google Webmaster

Tools to check that your

site doesn’t ha e any duplicate content that

may be affecting your site

being indexed.

A small but important check,

why would Google promote a

badly written web page?

How fast your web pages load and what

might be slowing them down can be easily

checked using free tools

like PageSpeedInsights

Completed? Completed? Completed?

Is your content

localized?

Have you used any

header (H1, H2, H3 etc..)

tags?

Have you created alt-tags for

your images?

Does your ebsite’s content include local

keywords such as your

town, city or

neighbourhood?

Always include one H1 tag

with your focus keyword,

subsequent header tags

should lead down the page in

order: 2, 3, 4 etc.. – How to

use heading tags

Image alt tags can help to direct traffic from

Google Image Searches and increase the

relevancy of your pages. – What is an Image

Alt Tag?

Completed?

Completed? Completed?

Have you Written

Your Page Titles &

Descriptions?

Have you Included Local

Keywords in Your Titles

& Descriptions?

Have you Included your Phone

number, & Address on your

Website? Are they Readable to

Search Engines?

Every page on your

website should have a

unique page title &

description.

Remember to include

keywords & use it to sell

each page!

Do your titles & descriptions

include your town, city, state

or county?

Can people find your company phone

number, name and address on your

website?

Completed?

Completed? Completed?

Do all of your web

pages have at least

100 words of

unique content?

Have you Included Local

Keywords in Your Titles

& Descriptions?

Have you Included your Phone

number, & Address on your

Website? Are they Readable to

Search Engines?

Google and other

search engines expect

all of your web pages to

include unique, quality

content. Ideally pages

should have 300 words,

but at very least 100!

Write a unique SEO title &

description tag for each of

your web pages.

Your phone number and address should

be in readable text, not images! So that

search engines can read it. You can use a

search engine simulator to see what

Google sees!

http://www.webconfs.com/search-

engine-spider-simulator.php

Completed?

Completed? Completed?

OFF SITE OPTIMIZATION CHECKLIST

Is your website on

all major search

engines?

Have you submitted

your business to local

directories?

Have you submitted your

business to hyper local

directories?

Have you submitted your

website to all major

search engines?

http://www.submitexpres

s.com/free-

submission.html

Try at least 10 to start, follow

our list of the top 70 local

directories:

http://onlinemarketinginct.co

m/2016/03/01/top-online-

local-business-directories/

Not essential, but if you can, submit your

business to hyper local directories , these

are directories specific to your town, city or

state. For example: http://nybizlist.com

Completed?

Completed? Completed?

Have you

submitted your

business to niche

directories?

Have you submitted

your Google My Business

Listing (GMB)?

Have you fully completed your

Google My Business profile?

Not essential, but highly

valuable if you can! There

are lots of niche

directories available, for

plumbers, electricians,

restaurants etc..

Essential for all local

businesses!

http://www.google.com/myb

usiness

Does your profile have the correct category

for your business?

Does your profile include the right phone

number and address?

Does your profile link to your business?

Does your profile have full descriptions and

images?

Does your profile include opening hours?

Are they correct?

Completed?

Completed? Completed?

Have you

Completed your

Social Media

Profiles?

Have you Asked your

Customers to Leave an

Online Review of your

Business?

Have you Responded to Existing

Reviews?

Do you have a business

profile on Facebook,

Twitter, LinkedIn,

Pinterest or Instagram?

(Aim for at least 3)

Do they include your

website?

Do they include your

business name, phone

number and address?

Reviews are essential to your

local search ranking. Do

whatever it takes to get those

reviews rolling in!

This is particularly important for

negative reviews.

Completed?

Completed? Completed?

Have you Checked

Your NAP Across

the Web?

Have you Submitted a

Press Release to local

news websites?

Have you Checked your

Competitors Backlinks?

Have you checked that

your name, address and

phone number are

correct and consistent

across the web? This

includes social profiles,

directories, your

website and most

importantly Google.

Have you included links to

your website?

Have you mentioned your

target keywords?

One of the best ways to find new

opportunities for gaining links to your

website is by looking at what works for

your competitors.

https://moz.com/researchtools/ose/

Completed?

Completed? Completed?

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Algorithm – A search engine algorithm is a computer program that attempts to return the most relevant pages

at hed ith a pe so s ue y. Algo ith s atte pt to a hie e this y o ga izi g o te t that is ost valuable, timely and authoritative, among other factors.

Backlink – A link from another website pointing to your website.

CPC – Cost Per Click

Click to call – A facility whereby mobile users can tap a link or button on a website to instantly call your

business.

Edgerank – The name previously used to describe Fa e ook s algo ith fo a ki g posts a d othe o te t.

Impressions - How many times an ad, link or piece of content is seen (whether interacted with or not).

NAP - Name, Address, Phone number

Micro-blogging – A term used to describe short, blog posts.

PPC – Pay Per Click

SEO – Search Engine Optimization

SERP – Search Engine Results Page

Ranking – The position of a web page in a search engine results page.

Viral Marketing - A fo of a keti g, he e y so ethi g ofte a i age o ideo goes i al o e the

internet, usually through social media. Unfortunately, Viral Marketing is most unpredictable and cannot be

engineered or manipulated.

THANK YOU FOR READING

Got a Question about Online Marketing?

Don’t hesitate to get in touch

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