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Maki & Brian
DeLaet
EduCyber founders
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Have you checked out my blog at http://blog.educyber.com ?
If you like what you're reading in this newsletter, check out the blog where there is even more news and information about the Internet including tips on getting ranked in the search engines, latest trends in computers, and ways to leverage your technology to help your business.
Do you ever search for local things - a restaurant or other business - online? A lot of folks are. A whole lotta folks. In fact, you might be missing out on local searches if you haven't prepared for it.
How big is it? Well, simply by the fact that every major search engine has a special vehicle for local search should tell you something. For Yahoo! you can visit local.yahoo.com . For Google its local.google.com and for Microsoft it's maps.live.com .
It was easy to sign up for Yahoo and Google (register my business so that it would be listed) but even though I have a Microsoft Live account I spent about 20 minutes searching for a way to register my business so it would show up. That search proved fruitless. Both Yahoo and Google allow you to sign up for free. Yahoo offers additional services for additional cost. Google offers additional services at no extra cost. You can add coupons, upload images, and add as many services as you like.
The Google local search wants to make sure that you really are at the address you list so they send a letter with a code that you have to respond to. The process takes a week or two. Yahoo reviews your info in four to five days and then posts your listing.
We recommend getting listed in all three of these local search engines. Local search is only going to continue to grow in importance and popularity. Get in now and continue to monitor your progress. Need help getting listed or benefiting from your listing? Call EduCyber at 720 275-4646
Lots of business owners have made the mistake of thinking "If I build it (a web site) they will come". Then after investing a lot of money, they realize that they have a web site but no one knows about it.
More recently more internet savvy business owners have put additional resources into marketing their web site that people actually do come and visit. But there is one more piece to the puzzle. If you build the most beautiful home in the world but don't put any doors in, no one will be able to get inside to actually use and appreciate the home.
In the same way web site owners need to make sure that their web site is usable, that people can actually get in through the door and find what they're looking for. Recently I've had the opportunity to talk to a lot of people about their sites. I start by asking them what they want the user to do on this page. Frequently they begin with "I want to show . . ." at which point I politely interrupt and ask the question again. Don't think from inside the box. Think from the outside. I'm a web site visitor and I get to your site: What would I want or need to accomplish? Frequently the answer I get back is "I want them to call me."
You can probably guess by now what my next question is. "Where is your phone number?" I ask. And am met by silence. Or by "You click on the contact us link" or by "Scroll down to the bottom of the page." If your goal is to get people to call, then display your phone number in a large font near the top.
This is just one example of how you can make your site more usable. Think through the process. What do you want your visitors to do? And because we practice what we preach, if you'd like more information on making your site usable, call us at 720-275-4646.
Everyone is an expert at something. You might be the expert on shoes. You know all about fixing shoes, trends in shoes, how to protect shoes in different climates or seasons, etc. If you're in the shoe business, then you should be sharing your expertise.
Perhaps you are the ultimate hair care specialist. You know what styles will be popular in the season ahead. You know what the latest hair care products, from shampoos and conditioners to color products are. You should be sharing your expertise.
Perhaps you are the premier storage specialist. You provide onsite and offsite storage. You help families reclaim their garages and help businesses add storage without having to build. You know all kinds of details about how your customers can maximize the use of their storage. You should be sharing your expertise.
Why should you share your expertise? And why am I asking you to share that expertise for free? Because your customers will love you and you'll get more of them. The easiest way to share your expertise is with a blog. This newsletter can be found on our blog at http://blog.educyber.com . I share what I know about technology.
While the newsletter has been around since 1998, we've only been blogging for a short time but already we are getting more traffic to our site and more interest in our services. Taking 15 to 30 minutes two to three times a week to put your expertise into writing for your blog can pay off big as a marketing tool.
If you try to write just ad copy, it probably won't work. What does work is sharing information that helps to inform consumers. Tell your hair care clients how to keep their hair looking its best between visits. Tell your shoe buying clients how to protect their shoes in our four season climate. Tell your storage clients how to figure out how much storage they need. Tell your clients about whatever your expertise is in. And they'll love you for it.
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© 2007 EduCyber, Inc. This newsletter is brought to you by EduCyber, Inc. EduNotes can be viewed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online at http://www.educyber.com/edunotes/ . Visit us on the web at http://www.educyber.com or call us at (720) 275-4646. Permission is hereby granted to redistribute all or part of this newsletter as long as this entire copyright message is included.
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