Fifteen minutes of fame!
Hey, ain't that your name?
Damn, what a shame,
You're lookin' lame!

15 Minutes of Fame, Your Name on The Marquee

Between dealing with dangling participles and literally dying of shame is a whole world of grammatical mistakes that plague writers from all walks of life.

Unless they’re writing a book and have an assigned copy editor, writers don’t get to suffer in silence because their names are splashed across blogs, guest posts, and comments on other people’s writings. Even worse, when producing paid content for small business owners or online journals, their fame spreads exponentially, perhaps even making a bad first impression on their next would-be client. With your name in lights — so to speak — wouldn’t you agree it’s best to be … correct?

It’s A Doggone Shame!

In a guest post he wrote for BasicBlogTips, 5 Ways Your Blog Might Be Irritating People, Mitch Mitchell names “grammar” as his number 2 pet peeve (with spelling following right on its heels).

Where did you learn to write like that? Most of the time people don’t ask that question because they like the way you write, and that’s a shame. Everyone isn’t perfect; I get that. However, I see more people that write worse than they talk, and that’s a shame. I like to think I’m one of the few people I know who writes much better than I speak; that’s a shame as well but at least in writing I’m not bad. — Mitch Mitchell

You might say it’s easy for so many to talk about not making grammatical mistakes, but where is the help you need to do a better job? Below is a visually appealing infographic created by CopyBlogger: 15 Grammar Goofs That Make You Look Silly. But before you see it in all its glory, let me just say this: If your grammar sucks, it might not be your fault!

Right-Brain Inspiration, Left-Brain Content Production

No, really! It may have more to do with your learning style and/or right-brain vs. left-brain dominance. That sounds kind of highfalutin’ but the explanations are a bit simpler than it sounds. Although I have a pretty good grasp on grammar, when it comes to math, a calculator is my best friend. I’m told that’s a direct function of left-brain/right-brain activity.

According to experts in the fields of education,

The brain is composed of two hemispheres, known as the left and right hemisphere. While each hemisphere has unique functions, which one side performs and the other does not, both hemispheres possess the ability to analyze sensory data, perform memory functions, learn new information, form thoughts, and make decisions. — Art Institute of Vancouver

So what?

Well, what this means is that adult writers who have a difficult time with grammar might need to consider why they’re having such difficulties and take a new approach to overcoming those hurdles. Thinking about learning styles and left/right brain dominance aren’t necessarily on your daily To Do list, yet they might be worth a look.

The Principal Paradox

Overwhelmingly, many writers are right-brain learners and thinkers (creative) which gets in the way of the necessary left-brain (analytical) skills required for learning and retaining grammar rules. (This is NOT always true!)

The Writing Eight exercise (as described in the Brain Integration Therapy Manual) transfers the process of writing from the left (thinking) hemisphere, to the right (automatic) hemisphere, making the writing process much easier. . . . The “Winston Grammar Kit” is a good right brain grammar program . . . — Dianne Craft, Private Education Consultant

Craft apparently works mostly with children but my point here is that there is a whole field of experts devoted to applying the principles of left/right brain activity to learning grammar. This is the place where some empathetic soul will say, “You are not alone!” Jokes aside, if you are a writer who has tried traditional methods of “learning grammar,” now you have some further food for thought.

And now, CopyBlogger’s cool infographic to give you a headstart.

15 Grammar Goofs That Make You Look Silly (Infographic)

Like this infographic? Get more copywriting tips from Copyblogger.

Add Your Thoughts

• What are your favorite grammatical mistakes to make (I mean overcome)?
• Got any tips for those of us struggling with grammar?
• Which one’s ones tick you off the most when you see them in an article you’re reading?
• Extra Credit: How many words from the infographic were used in this article?

Share your thoughts in the comments below. And if you’re so inclined, here’s the link to the Vancouver Art Institute’s Right Brain vs Left Brain Creativity Test. Thanks for reading!

                 

Link to this page:

technorati tags: 2012, small business, personal development, business, business writing, vernessa taylor

Social media and social networking are equalizers for small businesses engaged in mobile vending. In the photo above, Columbia-based New York’s Famous Hotdogs is featured on DealChicken’s daily deal billboard in Lamar, South Carolina. It’s quite a leap from curbside word-of-mouth marketing to larger-than-life billboard promotions. In the first part of the interview (Hotdog! Street Vending Saves Family Finances), the Whipper-Kloess team highlighted some of what got them here.

Applying Today’s Internet Technologies

In the true spirit of locally-based economic development, Quinton Whipper and his wife Gisela Kloess took the hand dealt them and turned it into a viable, vibrant small business — on wheels. Personally determined and entrepreneurially focused, Whipper and Kloess use every online innovation the way too many small business do not. I was delighted to hear them discuss how they’ve embraced internet technologies for their mobile vending business.

This article will focus on the social and community aspect of their journey. We’ll hear their answers to these questions:

• Why would a hotdog cart or food truck need a website?
• Beyond traditional uses of a website, what’s special about their’s?
• How do Gisela and Quinton apply internet technologies, like social media and social networking, to their mobile vending business?
• Which of the many services do they use?
• Aside from feeding the community, how do they connect their local business with the education system?

The first person to retweet gets a free basket from the menu!- @NYFH

Columbia, South Carolina-based New York's Famous Hotdogs uses social media, like Twitter, to knock down geographic barriers and increase their marketing reach

Impact of Social Media and Mobile Marketing

As I performed research for this series of small business vending articles, what really caught my attention about this enterprise — and led me to track them down — was twofold: they had a website and they were using social media. I could immediately see the potential for bottom-line income but I was curious as to how New York’s Famous Hotdogs was applying internet technology to their mobile vending business.

It’s lunchtime . . .

You’re hungry but haven’t made up your mind where to grab a bite. You don’t have time for a leisurely sit-down today. Your smartphone buzzes, your Twitter stream is calling! Glancing at it, you see … an invitation to LUNCH! Those cool guys from around the corner who have that yummy mango topping have just tweeted today’s special, and off you go.

That fictitious scenario is not too far-fetched. If you’re following New York’s Famous Hotdogs on Twitter, you’re likely to get such a tweet from Quinton or Gisela. Remember, they’re out manning their mobile units during lunchtime (and maybe during dinner time, too) so they’re engaging customers using their smartphones. Isn’t this truly “mobile” marketing?

Back in December (2011), those tweets and FaceBook status updates included their Groupon special and a Living Social Deal of the Day. Talking with Quinton a couple of weeks later, I could still hear the excitement in his voice as he described the Groupon/Living Social experience. “Record-breaking” is not one of the terms you hear being applied to pushcarts or mobile vending. Quinton said he got a call from “Headquarters.” The reason? New York’s Famous Hotdogs was the first business ever to have both a Groupon Deal and Living Social offering running on the same day!

Groupon Deal: New York's Famous Hotdogs -- Small business mobile vending in Columbia, South Carolina uses social media and daily deals. Image courtesy of Groupon site.

No doubt about it: social for small business is HOT! They got ahead of the curve by setting up a New York’s Famous Hotdogs FaceBook page, which is where some of their friends found out about their deals on Groupon, Living Social, and even DealChicken (another social site for daily deals).

Social media and mobile marketing are worth the time, effort, and money a small business spends to incorporate them into daily operations. Quinton says of their foray into daily deal-making:

You don’t make a lot of money; the biggest reward is it raises awareness, website hits increase, you gain media and business exposure.

We can see that NYFH has closed the geographical boundaries a bit more and broadened their reach by incorporating social networking and social media into their mix of business strategies. Let’s take a quick look at how they are using (or plan to use) their website to do more than just house photos and a menu.

Website Adds Credibility to Mobile Vending

Talking about having a website for your small business seems anticlimatic after the excitement of Twitter interactions, FaceBook engagements, and deal-making on sites like DealChicken. But if those social media and networking activities spice it up, a website is the main fare, the baseline.

Gisela and Quinto agree …

If you don’t have a website, people tend to not take you as serious. . . If you don’t have website, business card, FaceBook, Twitter when they Google. They find us on internet!

Mobile vending in many cities is not on par with land-based enterprises. As noted earlier, they face some unique challenges, specific to being on wheels. They’re talking about credibility and separating themselves from fly-by-night operations that roll in today and roll out tomorrow.

For up-to-the-minute info on where customers can find them when “it’s that time,” Twitter and FaceBook work well. But when a customer wants to place an order for the office, the website has a full menu to avoid the redundancy of reciting the combos, toppings, and soda pop flavors. Quinton said they have an ecommerce component to the website so they’re setup to take credit card orders.

A website can do more.

But that’s all standard fare for a food establishment website. The differentiator for Gisella’s and Quinton’s mobile units lies in how they raise the bar for other mobile vendors. A website can do more and they have plans to make their website more of a virtual assistant and information repository.

Like most small business owners, these guys are not web designers or developers so they might require some assistance to get everything setup as they envision. But Gisela is a learner and she will work to acquire the skills needed for what they have in mind.

Two groups in particular search for and visit their website: other business organizations and administrators in the local educational system.

Local Event Coordinators: New York’s Famous Hotdogs participates in numerous local events, often serving the catering needs of local business outings and vending at seasonal events like the Fair.

School Program Administrators: Aside from feeding the community, how do they connect their local business with the education system? Quinton and Gisela give back to the community through their self-funded bullycide and healthy eating program which they present to students in the area schools.

When a business or education customer wants advance information about events or programs, the website is their ready resource. (More information on the NO Bullying / Stay Fit Tour.) Additionally, they plan to use the website to provide contracts, testimonials, program results, and itineraries.

What’s on The Horizon?

Quinton and Gisela are deep wells of information about the vending business, particularly hotdog cart and food truck ownership. The paradigm of creating your own product for replicating success as well as creating additional income streams fits well with their business. I hope they will one day consider creating a physical product similar to the Hotdog Cash System below. Otherwise, some secrets are better left to the sauce!

Before You Go …

Please consider joining me in the Springtime Vending Giveaway: How to Start and Manage a Vending Business. This giveaway will provide an opportunity for 5-7 budding entrepreneurs to learn how to start, acquire, and manage a hotdog vending cart or other vending-related business. Participants will select the resource most useful to them from the choices below. More information about the Giveaway will be in the next article in the series.

One of the items available in the upcoming giveaway

Share Your Thoughts

Have you ever considered operating a mobile vending unit or owning vending machines as an economic development activity to earn income, prime the small business pump for your family, neighborhood or wider community?

Have you ever consider what goes on behind the scenes – business-wise — of a foodtruck or pushcart operation?

Share what’s on your mind in the comments below. Thanks for reading. (Part 1 of this interview is here.) And thanks to Gisela Kloess and Quinton Whipper for talking with me! Drop by the New York’s Famous Hotdogs FaceBook page to say hello. If you’re ever in the Columbia, South Carolina area, tweet a friendly :wave: to @NYFHD.

Credits: Photos courtesy of Gisela Kloess and Quinton Whipper, New York’s Famous Hotdogs, Columbia, SC. Used with permission. NYFH deal on Groupon Daily Deal site (December 22, 2011) courtesy of Groupon web site. All trademarks, service marks, trade names, trade dress, product names and logos appearing on the site are the property of their respective owners, including Sabrett™ and Nathan’s™ Famous Frankfurters, Groupon™, Living Social™ and DealChicken™.

                 

Find Out More About These Resources from Amazon.com

Link to this page:

technorati tags: 2012, small business, personal development, business, vending, vernessa taylor

Related posts:

1. Hotdog! Street Vending Saves Family Finances Losing your job is not the end of the world...
2. Vending: An Economic Development Strategy for Local Small Business Success Street vending, pushcarts, food trucks, and vending machines ... Another...

New York's Famous Hotdogs takes their mobile vending unit from Columbia to Lamar, SC

This series began with an overview of how small business vending can be viewed as a viable economic development strategy, especially in difficult financial times. This article continues the theme with an interview of a profitable mobile vending cart business owner based in Columbia, South Carolina.

Pushing Back Economic Downturns

Purely physical, real-world small business activities that could be game-changers for families are not being considered.

Economic development is not only in the purview of cities, states, international organizations, multi-national corporations, or Third World countries building infrastructure. Bringing the idea of economic development closer to home and our wallets, it can start with an idea, a little equipment, something to sell, a location, and a customer. The existence of profitable local business enterprises tells the real story. Whether formal or informal, if it feeds your family, pays your bills, and otherwise changes your economic circumstances, it falls within the purview of economic development activity.

Losing your job is not necessarily the end of the world. Many turn to the internet to find ways to make money online. As such, purely physical, real-world small business activities that could be game-changers for families are not being considered … or the lack of information about them relegate them to obscurity. But starting a small business vending operation might be the answer. Let’s find out how in this interview with Quinton Whipper and Gisela Kloess, owners of New York’s Famous Hotdogs (NYFH) of Columbia, South Carolina.

Avoiding A Dilemma

Three years ago, Quinton Whipper was happily working as a finance manager at a loan company. Under the umbrella of realignment, the company filed bankruptcy and fired Quinton a month before his hefty bonus — $18 thousand dollars — was due to be paid.

New York's Famous Hotdogs - Small business owners Quinton Whipper and wife Gisela

Wracking his brain for the next steps to take to keep his family financially secure and heading off despair, good fortune came his way through a cousin who presented him with an opportunity to try something completely different.

Trading his corporate suit-and-tie attire for an apron and plastic gloves, Quinton and his wife, Gisela, entered the street vending business. In conversations with Gisela and Quinton, they shared why they chose to start up a mobile vending business even though they don’t reside in metropolitan area and some of the unique challenges they’ve faced as entrepreneurs.

Columbia is the state capital and largest city in South Carolina. CNNMoney.com named Columbia as one of America’s 25 best places to retire, and US News & World Report ranked the city sixth on its 2009 America’s Best Affordable Places to Retire list. Even so, with a population of 129,272 (according to the 2010 census), as “big cities” go, it is a small city. So much so that you won’t see hotdog carts or food trucks on every corner. That was good news for for the Whipper-Kloess family because while competition is good for business, the less competition in a small market, the better the chances for gaining a foothold and ensuring profitability.

Mobile Vending Operations

We’re affected by the weather. During bad weather, customers will go inside a restaurant. But they will not stay outside in the cold or bad weather. — Gisela Kloess, New York’s Famous Hotdogs

Mobile vending is hard. In separate telephone conversations, both Quinton and Gisela admit that there are hurdles to overcome but are quick to also say the rewards outweigh the difficulties encountered. From an operational standpoint, the challenges are very similar to those faced by small business enterprises everywhere: start-up costs and ongoing cash flow, licensing and insurance, personnel, location, marketing, key differentiators and managing growth.

Licensing and Insurance

In a comment to Mitch about mobile vending cart costs for veterans in New York City, I mentioned how veterans have lower entry costs due to the significant break they get from the City because of their veterans status. Neither Quinton nor Gisela indicated that the city of Columbia, South Carolina, offered any such discounted licensing fees.

Start-up Costs

Many people want to know the answer to the burning question: How much does it cost? The standard disclaimer applies here: it depends. All told, their entre into the world of mobile vending cost them around $3,000 – a reasonable amount when compared to usual business start-up costs. That figured covered their state and local business licenses; purchasing the first hotdog cart; inventory including Sabrett™ hotdogs, condiments, and napkins; and insurance (almost a thousand dollars for $500k-$1m coverage).

Whipper-Kloess say earnings, on a daily basis, can range between $150 to $450. Remember, we’re not talking about 8- or 12-hour days; this income is for only a few hours of service, once a day. The potential income is greater when you factor in evening locations, special venues (like a State fair), and contract events (like a company’s employee outing).

Managing Growth

The Whipper-Kloess family started with one hotdog cart and grew to have two carts and a food truck. Prior to publishing this article, Gisela said they were no longer running the food truck. Any mention of food truck in the article refers to prior operations.

As the operation grew, they faced personnel issues. Speaking about finding the right person or the right people to help them man the units and manage it all, Quinton cautions:

[Relying on] family and friends is a bad idea. [You run the risk of] a lack of professionalism. The best way to go [when you grow] is to find someone who has an investment in the success, a stakeholder.

Gisela added that it is important to be organized, in fact, “very organized.”

Key Differentiators

• the name
• the product: well-known NY-style frankfurter — “Sabretts™ are better for boiling, Nathan’s™ are better if grilled!”
• unique menu of healthy toppings
• incorporating internet technologies
• being more mobile than the other mobile guys
• using widely-accepted best business practices
• connecting local business with community and educational organizations

We’ll talk more about location and marketing a little further down.

Rolling Over Geographical Boundaries

As mentioned earlier, Columbia, South Carolina is not a huge metropolis. Although the competition is not extremely fierce, locations are still a premium commodity. This is partially due to unfriendly city ordinances and negative attitudes of restaurant owners. These situations alone necessitate innovative action on the part of pushcart and foodtruck owners.

A universal concern to small business owners who operate mobile vending units is the unpredictability of the weather and the small seasonal window through which their profits come. Painfully aware of the need to open that window as wide as it will epen, you could say Quinton and Gisela don’t let any grass grow under their feet.

And Then There’s REALLY Mobile!

Spring Break on college campuses is one of those windows of opportunity. They took the photo above in Pananma City, Florida — a few hundred miles away fromtheir home base — after hitching up their hotdog cart and driving down to Florida during one university’s Spring Break. From the looks of it, New York’s Famous Hotdogs was the life of the campus party.

Maybe they’re a bit more mobile than the other mobile vending guys?

This is a key differentiator for this small vending outfit. Being ready, willing, and able to both go with the flow and do things differently is a game-changer, helping them leap over income-shrinking hurdles like strident city ordinances, unfriendly restauranteers and uncontrollable weather.

Blessed with huge helpings of personal determination and entrepreneurial mindsets, Whipper and Kloess use every tool at their disposal to set their vending business apart, including social media, social networking, and daily deals online. We’ll take a closer look at their approach in the next article in the series.

Social Media & Hotdogs … Coming Sunday!
How Do Gisela and Quinton Apply Social Media to a Hotdog Cart?
(What in the world would they tweet about?) Click here . . .

Share Your Thoughts

Here’s the running question: This question stands: Have you ever considered vending as an economic development activity to earn income, prime the small business pump for your family, neighborhood, and wider community?

Share what’s on your mind in the comments below. Thanks for reading and thanks to Gisela and Quinton for talking with me! Drop by the New York’s Famous Hotdogs FaceBook page to say hello.

Credits: Photos courtesy of Gisela Kloess and Quinton Whipper, New York’s Famous Hotdogs, Columbia, SC. Used with permission. All trademarks, service marks, trade names, trade dress, product names and logos appearing on the site are the property of their respective owners, including Sabrett™ and Nathan’s™ Famous Frankfurters, Groupon™, Living Social™ and DealChicken™.

                 

Find Out More About These Resources from Amazon.com

Link to this page:

technorati tags: 2012, small business, personal development, business, vending, vernessa taylor

Related posts:

1. Social Media: Equalizer for Mobile Small Business Vending Social media and social networking are equalizers for small businesses...
2. Vending: An Economic Development Strategy for Local Small Business Success Street vending, pushcarts, food trucks, and vending machines ... Another...

Deny Everything Photo by Eclectic Dyslexic on Flickr

Strong guarantees and prompt refunds are customer service best business practices that protect both future cash flow and customers and assets. Guarantees and refund policies are not mutually exclusive. Offering a guarantee yet withholding a requested refund is a noxious combination that can leave a bad taste in the mouth of a customer as well as affect future income. Is it a risk worth taking?

Guarantee is a Badge of Honor

Slapping a big “G” on your treasure chest of goodies is a badge of honor to be worn proudly in the name of good customer service.

Guarantees can be made when

• your product is great
• your service is superb
• you have nothing to hide
• your customers are king

No guarantees are necessary when

• the deal is so wonderful nobody will disagree
• the product is so shabby nobody will ever buy it
• the customer’s satisfaction doesn’t really matter

Nein! Nein! Nein!

“All Sales Are Final!”

“Your Refund Policy Sucks!”

Twice I’ve asked for a refund and the request was denied. In these two cases both were virtual products — server-side software used to run some type of online activity. Moreover,

1. one product didn’t perform as anticipated, and
2. the other product didn’t perform as advertised.

In both instances, I deserved a refund. In the latter, I escalated the issue to the payment processing service and my credit card company.

Another commonality in both cases taught me a lesson I won’t ignore going forth. The products were provided by single developers who are not backed by big teams. What I suspect is they were cash-strapped and didn’t have access to resources the way a larger company would. That is understandable, but not excusable.

I emphatically support micro-business so this doesn’t mean I won’t continue to buy from them; however, I would point out to any budding small business or micro-business owner reading this that strong guarantees and liberal refund policies are all the more important to the long-term health of your business.

Customer Service Saves Customers

Now I’ve been on both sides of the fence as a small business owner and a customer. I take customer satisfaction serious, mine AND my customers.

Over the course of an internet lifetime, I’ve asked for (and received) refunds and I’ve given more than one customer a refund. Once, a customer of my webhosting service asked for a refund because it took me too long to set up his account. The service was new and only partially automated. That bit of manual labor cost me a long-term customer and a portion of what would have been recurring income. You can bet I didn’t make that mistake again! (Automation is an equalizer, but we’ll save that wisdom for another article.)

Customer satisfaction is not to be trifled with.

Giving a customer a refund does not mean you lose a customer — it means you’ve satisfied that particular request.

Have you ever purchased a product at a store, was less than happy with it (or just had buyer’s remorse) and returned it to the store for a no-hassle refund? Did you ever visit that store again (and keep whatever you purchased)? Of course!

It happens all the time. So much so that some mega stores will give you a refund even if it is past the refund redemption period. They might not give you any cash back or return the money to your credit card, but rather than risk losing you as a long-term customer, they’ll give you a gift card with in-store credit.

Of course, sometimes you (or the mega store) might lose a customer if the person is a habitual freebie seeker. This is probably more the exception rather than the rule. While we don’t want to be the one mistaken for a freebie seeker, that isn’t enough disincentive to stop us from requesting a refund nor from receiving it when we ask.

Customer satisfaction is just that serious.

Prompt Refunds Protect Our Assets

Here’s what I think. I think that our customers are nice because they’re not worried. They’re not worried because we have a ridiculously liberal return policy: “We don’t want your money if you’re not amazingly happy.” . . . Customers know that they have nothing to fear. . . The no-questions-asked 90-day money back guarantee was one of the best decisions we ever made at Fog Creek. – Joel on Software

I’ve never heard anyone talk about refunds as a cash flow strategy or name them as part of business assets. But from a customer service point of view, prompt refunds protect your ability to maintain cash flow and help your business hold on to your most valuable asset: your customers.

You can tell from his quote above, Joel Spolsky of Joel on Software gets it! Part of his seventh assertion, Greed will get you nowhere, the quote captures the importance of using refunds as one of the measurements of customer satisfaction. The article is a timeless, priceless, evergreen must-read.

Microenterprises cannot afford to overlook this facet of customer service any more than larger small businesses or huge companies can.

Credibilty, Higher Conversions, and Risk Aversion?

The Editor at CompassDesigns.net mentions a few scholarly studies that point up the need for a refund policy and make a strong case for that refund policy being liberal as opposed to stingy. Factoring in SEO and sales conversions, he rightfully links refunds (or lack thereof) to higher conversions and customers’ natural tendency to spot risks and run the other way.

Earlier I said we didn’t want to be falsely labeled as freebie seekers just because we’ve asked for a refund. But business writer Anna Johnson says that even if a “freebie seeker” requests a refund, you should ante up because it’s your credibility on the line, not their’s.

Let’s Not Go There

A final note: Online payment processors and credit card companies work hard to protect both sellers and buyers.

As a consumer of products and services online (and off), their hard work benefits you and me. Though sometimes these processors and their processes seem overly zealous, they can work in our favor. As a seller, payment processors protect us from fraudsters and scam artists. As a buyer, they are our final line of defense when a seller won’t issue a refund that has been requested.

When the process works well, we are grateful.

Does Your Refund Policy Suck?

What’s your refund policy? Has it ever been contested? Ever given or denied a customer a refund? Have you ever been denied a refund you requested?

Thanks for reading. Share your thoughts below.

Photo Credit: Deny Everything by Eclectic Dyslexic on Flickr

               
Customer Service resources for small and micro business from Amazon.com

Link to this page:

technorati tags: 2012, small business, customer service, business, vernessa taylor

Related posts:

1. Rocking Those Customer Referrals – Your Virtual Sales Team Got a rocking product, service, offline business, or online store?...

James Hussey, author of Duct Tape SEO, and his wife Tasha



Duct Tape SEO: WordPress SEO Done Dirt Cheap

Duct Tape SEO was written for bloggers, local business owners, marketers, who write great content but want more natural traffic with less work. With the beginner in mind, it shares search engine optimization (SEO) best practices and encourages readers to keep their money in their pocket — and utilize proper techniques instead.

James Hussey spends the better part of the first 45 pages priming you. Like the well-oiled pump in your great-grandmas backyard, where priming coaxed the water out the ground, pressed all the HOT air from the pipes, and made ready for the gush of clean, clear water flowing powerfully into the waiting buckets.

Hussey wants you ready … Airways clean and clear of hype, myth, and the general B*S you’ve been fed for the last few internet years. Prepared to receive truth and pumped to act on it.

SEO Reality Check

Yes, James is a huge proponent of SEO but he is also a realist who tells beginners from jump-street that search engine optimization is not the end-all, be-all of securing traffic on the web. Throughout the book, even as he shares a step-by-step process or discusses the nuances of a strategy, he gently reminds readers to keep the big picture in mind while they laser-focus their SEO activities.

Myths Dispelled

Every industry has myths. With clarity and a bit of humor, James debunks the top three that beset the SEO industry. Clearing the way for those learning the ropes to walk a straight and narrow path fraught with brambles, he detangles before misinformation becomes a thorn in the side.

Roll Up Your Sleeves

Duct Tape SEO is a well-rounded manual, taking you from zero to 60 at a reasonable pace. It doesn’t move at the speed of light because there is work to be done.

Proper Context

With so much widespread information around the internet, it can be difficult to initially synthesize it into two avenues. James has smartly divided the book into two distinct sections covering these avenues: on-page SEO and off-page SEO.

Encompassing more than just theory, it lays a strong foundation covering the fundamentals. In keeping with creating a proper context, he doesn’t just cover the well-known “long-tail” approach to keyword selection; he provides insight into how to select and rank for short-tail and mid-tail keywords as well.

Covers the Bases

Remember, this book was written for the beginner. Rather than waiting to the very end, James dives right in with the one tool every beginner to anything needs right up front: a glossary. Hussey doesn’t assume a newbie will build a website from scratch, so true to the title, he does a thorough walk-through of preparing a newly-installed WordPress blog to be used as the foundation.

To this end, he includes a detailed chapter that could have been named “The Plugins You Never Thought Contributed in a Big Way to SEO.” Ok, my title is a little lame. Still, I love his treatment of this cadre of plugins because they are not all “SEO Plugins,” yet he has conscripted them into his army to do his bidding.

Thorough But Not the Final Word

Hussey does not try to pack in everything there is to learn about optimizing a WordPress blog for the search engines but does a good job of taking a beginner through all the steps. He shares some of his personal results from more advanced techniques and leaves room for you to continue learning after practicing the basics.

Interesting Bits

• The “dirt cheap” part – Covers his favorite free tools for keyword research, building backlinks, and testing
• Giving credit – Judiciously points to proof-of-concept studies and industry trends, giving credit where credit is due
• Bonus material and workbooks – The bonuses are workshop handout caliber:
  over-deliver has been overused so i won’t say it!
• Social media – Touches on the relationship between SEO and social media profiles
• Competitve analysis – Discussion of research for competitive analysis
• Footnotes – James uses footnotes in his ebook! **

Any Complaints?

When Google changes an algorithm or introduces a new filter for spam content, epic publishers don’t notice (for the most part). Otherwise you’ll just waste even more time by complaining it wasn’t fair that your flotsam and jetsam didn’t rise like cream. – James Hussey

No complaints, but speaking of Google and its changes, I’d love to see an update to Duct Tape SEO that takes into account the impact of Google+ — which had just hit the scene when the book was released.

The book talks about Klout’s influence and its role in social media posturing as it intersects SEO activities. Since the book’s release, we’ve witnessed fallout with Klout and seen Kred.ly (and others) come into play. The author’s take on these events with respect to search engine optimization strategies for beginners would be another welcome addition.

Final Thoughts

Starting with a blank slate, Duct Tape SEO fills your plate with food for thought then leads you to the buffet and shows you exactly what to select — and what to leave behind — for a healthy SEO diet. As much motivational as it is a teaching tool, it builds confidence in first-timers by creating context, providing worksheets, and sharing anecdotal tidbits from James’ own personal experiences.

I’m not really an SEO fanatic. In fact, 2012 is the year I’ve designated as my SEO Year. I’ll be using Duct Tape SEO (and James’ upcoming book) as blueprints for my own efforts this year, especially as I build out my local directory project.

Thanks for reading this review of Duct Tape SEO.

Pick up your own personal copy or purchase it as a gift
for a friend who needs to know more about SEO.

Already read the book? Share it with your network:
RT: @TheAvgGenius Reading Duct Tape SEO a WordPress Must Read http://su.pr/328Fh9 #DTSEO

Follow James on Twitter @TheAvgGenius ~ Add to Google Circles ~ Vote #BizBookAwards 2012


Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book. I was not asked nor compensated to provide a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. The review copy is mine to keep. Links to the book within the review are affiliate links. If you purchase through those links, I will receive monetary compenation.




Link to this page:

technorati tags: 2012, blogging, seo, vernessa taylor

Related posts:

1. Love Your Business Beyond Valentine’s Day: Review & GiveAway of Invoicera Online Invoicing and Billing Online billing and invoicing is the in-the-cloud counterpart of the...
2. Graphic Proof: JetPack Stats From WordPress.com Hijacks Your Commenting System Just because WordPress is free does not mean the creators...