Web 2 Voice

I Don’t Want to Talk to Someone Until I Do, and Then I Want to Talk Now: The Importance of Lead Response

Khyle — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:54:01 +0000

Steve Griffiths on The Importance of Lead Response

I looked at a few property listings on REALTOR.com, Trulia and Zillow and made some calls to agents. Six of eight went to voice mail. That’s 75 percent! Admittedly my sample size was small, but the point remains.

Can’t emphasize this enough. If you have the customer’s attention – take advantage immediately. You spend a great deal of effort getting a customer to get to your website, or call your business. Not responding to them is akin to putting up a big “CLOSED” sign.

Google Takes a Half step forward to User Privacy, and Full Step back on data sharing

Khyle — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 15:18:51 +0000

A couple weeks ago Google told the world about a change they were making for users who were logged in to a Google property. Instead of defaulting these users to the standard Google search, they would now be using a secure search. On the surface, this was done in the name of user privacy. In truth, it does help user privacy somewhat.

There are two major changes to Google search. The first is that the search will be encrypted. This helps privacy because it means that only you and Google will know your search terms. This obviously helps privacy, because if you are on open Wifi, those terms could be grabbed. So, +1 for Google and user privacy.

The other change has less to do with user privacy than it does with Google not wanting to share data. If that logged in user clicks on an Organic link, Google is actively stripping out the search terms as they send the traffic to the receiving site. This is very problematic for all the SEO people out there. If you rely on Google Organic traffic for running a business, you know have less data to know how people are getting to your site. Google will provide you with some aggregate data on how people get to your site, but not details.

Google says that this will only affect less than 10% of overall searches. But for some people, that is a very important 10%. Google is saying that this change is also about user privacy, but it is really about not that at all. It’s about Google not wanting to share data. Note that if that same users clicks on an Ad, then you’ll get the search terms in detail every time. I guess those users’ privacy isn’t as important.

The take away on this is that if you rely on Google for your business, beware. The truth is they are sending you free traffic, and in reality the data they aren’t sharing is their data. So from a purely capitalistic perspective, they’re arent’ being evil. What this does is highlight that Google effective monopoly in search puts thousands of businesses that rely on them at risk when they make any of these changes.

It would be wise where possible to do what you can to start to diversify your inbound traffic as much as possible. That’s not easy, but the next step is Google doing this for ALL Organic searches. So it would be wise to start now.

Weekly Twitter:

admin — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:00:00 +0000

good read: RT @LarryLisser: My thoughts on M&A deals in the Voice Space this week – http://bit.ly/dtknsy. Inflation may be coming. #
@PaulSweeney: +2. Skype beta is ugly and bad. #
do not like the new Skype beta for Mac. Need the ability to sort chats by priority, change the way the contacts show up. #
I just became the mayor of Voting at St. Mark's Lutheran Church on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/c9IC8Z #
Anyone know of a good Media WIki tutorial? These templates and infoboxes are driving me nuts #
I just unlocked the "I Voted 2010" badge on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/9RfHP0 #
I just think it's odd no one checked my id when I voted. #
I just ousted arian m. as the mayor of Buffalo Wild Wings on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/1zAXDW #

Weekly Twitter:

admin — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0000

dear @hulu cutting your plus price won't get me to sign up. But supporting Apple TV and Windows Media Center directly will. That is all. #

Weekly Twitter:

admin — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0000

I just ousted Robin R. as the mayor of ifbyphone on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/cBT58w #

Weekly Twitter:

admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Just created a @Netflix sms mashup using @Cloudvox \ @Ifbyphone.: Text a movie title to 8474160880 and receive the Netflix availability back #

Weekly Twitter:

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

I'm at ifbyphone (8800 Bronx, Skokie). http://4sq.com/cBT58w #

Weekly Twitter:

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000

I just became the mayor of Rosen Honda on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/cyKdqV #
I just ousted Jason H. as the mayor of BP on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/5imGIf #
I'm at BP (3200 Rt 45, Sand Lake Rd, Lindenhurst). http://4sq.com/5imGIf #

Weekly Twitter:

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000

I'm at At&t. http://4sq.com/aOcAic #
I'm at Walgreens (399 Rt 45, Lindenhurst). http://4sq.com/6R3UQp #
I'm at Walgreens (399 Rt 45, Lindenhurst). http://4sq.com/6R3UQp #
I'm at BP (3200 Rt 45, Sand Lake Rd, Lindenhurst). http://4sq.com/5imGIf #
I'm at ifbyphone (8800 Bronx, Skokie). http://4sq.com/cBT58w #
best adaptation ever #TheAdventuresOfRobinHood http://bit.ly/ahLIDA #
@leslie 'useless RIAA MPAA' probably sums that up. heh. in reply to leslie #
@leslie I seriously don't understand why content owners wouldn't want anything older than a year on Netflix streaming. in reply to leslie #

Weekly Twitter:

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0000

@stilldrey not this time.ha #
I just earned the Sightseer Pin on @gowalla! http://gowal.la/r/YMLB #
I'm at Bristol Renaissance Faire in Kenosha, WI http://gowal.la/r/YMGC #
@KCJHoop what do you think about Delonte West as 12th man? in reply to KCJHoop #
@jaynorrell where ya headed? I hear Montana is nice this time of year? in reply to jaynorrell #