I would like to start this blog post the way all blog posts about Memorial Day ought to start.  Thank you to the brave men and women who have sacrificed their lives so that the rest of us can live in a great and free country.

Hopefully by now you have some great (and possibly free) plans for Memorial Day weekend.  Maybe you’re enjoying the weather with friends at a BBQ, or maybe your just going to spend a relaxing weekend at home.  Whatever the case, just because you’re not working on your business, it doesn’t mean that your business needs to stop working.

Many businesses post videos to video sharing sites for potential customers to watch over the three-day weekend.  Some people with wordpress.org accounts, set blog posts to automatically post over the holidays.  With each of these video and blog posts are attached keywords and linked URLs.  When the video or blog is posted, Google, Bing, and Yahoo make a connection between the keywords, and the main website.  In their eyes more current relevant content, means that a website is more relevant to the chosen set of keywords.  While you are relaxing at home, your web site search result rankings could actually be rising!

Another tactic that can make progress for your business is directory listings.  They help customers find your business, similar to the way that people used to find businesses in the phone book.  They also raise your search engine rankings.  With more correct listings comes more backlinks. With more backlinks from relevant directories, your business is seen as more “legitimate” by search engines.

If you need help posting or creating blogs, videos, and directory listings shoot me an email.  My email is Adam.Barnhart@YellowSchmello.com.  I would love to help your business B found, B seen, and B hear online.

-Adam Barnhart

Let me give you some stats on the clicks from Google’s front page. The breakdown below is the percentage of clicks for each position on Google per year:

1. 42.13%
2. 11.90%
3. 8.50%
4. 6.06%
5. 4.92%
6. 4.05%7. 3.41%
8. 3.01%
9. 2.85%
10. 2.99%
1st page totals: 89.82%
2nd page totals: 10.18%

Even the 10th spot on the front page does better than being on the second page OR bidding to put your listing at top spot in sponsored (pay-per-click) listings.

Being on the front page is important for your finances as well as increased traffic for your website. The more of these positions you can hold the better your business will perform.

A lot of you may have heard me say when someone says they will guarantee placement to run the other direction. That is because I have not believed there was a good product out there, until now.

YellowSchmello has partnered with a national organization that specializes in first page placement. We are so convinced this product will get you on the front page that you only pay when we get you there! For our clients and friends the cost is only $297 to set up and $197 per month for the months you appear on the front page. If you have a business this is a no brainer: you need this. Check it out at http://yellowschmello.com/ysconnect.

It is important that I tell you we only accept one business category per city so you need to jump on this before you are shut out by your competition. If nothing else… think of this opportunity as a real estate play. There is only so much real estate available on search engine’s first pages. If you acquire a new (or additional spot if you are lucky or good enough to already be there) you have just scored in the old ‘location, location, location argument… PLUS you have knocked a competitor off this prime real estate!

Sweet.

YellowSchmello wants to help you grow your business and this is the only time I will guarantee it.

Managing your company’s reputation online is becoming increasingly important, especially for businesses.  Did you know that 92% of internet users read product reviews and 89% of people say that reviews influence their purchasing decisions (e-tailing group, 2011)?  Here are six tips to help you better manage your companies reputation online.

1.) Watch and record what is being said about your business on the internet.

Simply type your own business name in to Google, Bing, and Yahoo. By keeping track of what is being said you can start to understand who is upset, and about what they tend to be upset.  This also gives you the ability to take action shortly after information about your company is posted.  This step is vital if you intend to fix your online reputation.

2.) Search through sites in which you have a good chance of being mentioned.

Search Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, Google Maps, and Google Reviews for any mention of your business.  Search on many online business directories for any mention of your business.

3.) Write positive responses to negative comments.

In general you should begin your response with how sorry you are.  Next, explain how you are solving the problem, or have solved the problem.  Not only does this show the disgruntled customer that your business cares enough to respond, it also shows everyone that your company fixes their mistakes when they mess up.  People understand that everyone makes mistakes.  By responding positively in this situation you can show that your company is responsible enough to clean up after its mistakes.

4.) Comments that are obviously your competitors trying to defame your business should be reported.

This happens more often than you might think, which is another reason you should follow step one.  Report comments that are clearly a result of corporate sabotage to the web site administrator.  Specifically ask that the comments get taken down.  This method rarely works, but is worth a try.  There is not a lot you can do to get internet defamation actually removed from sites.

5.) Create Positive Content

You can’t always get negative content taken off the internet, so you sometimes need to do the next best thing.  When you create positive content about your company you have a chance to outweigh the negative content.  Your goal should be to push the negative content off the first two pages of search results.  You can ask customers to post reviews for your business.  You can post blogs, articles, webinars, and videos.

6.) Do not plant fake reviews.

Not only is this unethical, but you can also get your Google Places account taken off of Google.  In addition, people can generally tell when a review is faked.  This can result in a negative opinion of your company.

Need help fixing a negative reputation or safeguarding against future reputation attacks?  YellowSchmello can help.  We can promote your company’s reputation online through an ethical, and accurate portrayal of your company.  If you need help in Denver on reputation management, send me an email at Adam.Barnhart@YellowSchmello.com.  I would love to see how I can help you B found online.

-Adam Barnhart

How is your online reputation looking these days?  When people search for you or your company, is the content they find positive or negative?  According to a survey done by the e-tailing group in 2011, Ninety-two percent of internet users read product reviews, and eighty-nine percent of people say that reviews influence their purchasing decisions.

Are these percentages high? Yes.  Are they astonishing? Not really.  There is only so much time in a day, so when people need to make a purchasing decision, they want to make the most of their time.  It only takes a few minutes searching online and presto, you’re already halfway to being an educated consumer.  Unfortunately for many businesses, halfway educated about a product is all it takes for many consumers to make a purchasing decision.

So how can you manage your company’s reputation?

1.)  Actively search for your company name and what others may be posting about it.

1. You can set up alerts for yourself using Google Alerts and Yahoo! Alerts.  These search engines will then alert you when new content concerning your specified keywords appear online.

2.)  Make Corrections

1. Find areas that people tend to complain about and make corrections.  Let people know that you are sorry, but you have fixed the problem.

3.)  Create Content

1. Create blogs, podcasts, videos, articles, and other positive content.  This can push the negative content off the first page of a search engine.  You can also ask happy customers to post a comment on review sites such as Google reviews.

Remember, the number one thing that you can do to keep a healthy online reputation is pay attention to you customers when they complain.  To illustrate the power of a single unhappy consumer, watch the entertaining video below titled “United Breaks Guitars”, by the band Sons of Maxwell. Notice that the video is at over 12 million views and counting.  Would you fly United if you were researching airlines and found this?

Keeping up with your online reputation can be a lot of work.  YellowSchmello can help.  Email me at Adam.Barnhart@YellowSchmello.com, and let me see how I can help your business B found positively online.

Adam Barnhart

Whether you are a business or an individual, everyone should be tracking what is being said about them on the internet. I’m guessing about now you are asking: What should I track?

- Your formal name (legal name) as well as your nickname. i.e. William Smith and Bill Smith
- Your business name
- Any product and service names you have
- Your competitors and other major players in your industry

Your next question is likely: “Rex, how do I track and search the internet?”

There are hundreds of ways we use to provide reputation management for businesses like yours. If you want to start the tracking process yourself, there are three great locations I would set up and monitor daily: Google Alerts, Alerts.com and Tweetscan. These are all free services that you can set up yourself. These are great first steps – but there is a lot more to it.

To learn more about reputation management and why everyone should be watching what is being said about them join Jill and me on Tuesday, June 12th at 7:00 MDT for a webinar solely on how to track and positively affect your reputation. This is an event you absolutely don’t want to miss. As part of our clients and friends you, of course, get a complimentary seat. Just email Donna@YellowSchmello.com and tell her I sent you for a free seat.

Have fun,

Rex

P.S. If your business is not on the first page of Google yet, you now have no excuses. Visit the newest page on our website to learn more: http://yellowschmello.com/ysconnect.

Do you have a fan page on Facebook?

Does your blog post directly link to LinkedIn?

Do you have pinboards on Pinterest?

Social media allows you to be more targeted and only reach the people who you really want to do business with.

Today’s question: What is your company’s strategy and do you have a social media plan?

If you don’t… pull out a sheet of paper and start to build your social media plan – right NOW.

1. What does social media mean to you and your business?
2. List your tangible business goals for using social media.
3. Have you hired an expert to review your goals and see if they are possible?
4. Set up your social media accounts. You can hire a social media expert to do this if either you haven’t done it… or don’t know how.  (Put ole Rex firmly in that category!)
5. Determine where or if advertising on social media is a good vehicle (including which one(s) and why) to find your prospects.
   
6. Set realistic expectations.
7. Determine who does social media at your company and make sure they are well trained.  (Or… hire a firm that provides social media services.  This option will likely be more expensive – but I’m guessing will also generate superior results.  After all – these folks know how the game is played.)
8. Set a scheduled time to review and evaluate your success.

For those of you who are not advertising on the internet – you are missing a terrific opportunity to get prospects increase traffic and build brand awareness.

Join Jill this Thursday night at 7 pm (MDT) on her webinar. Learn the newest ways to advertise on social media sites and what works for your business. The cost of this webinar is $47, but as a friend of YellowSchmello all you need to do is “like” our Facebook page and post a message, and we will let you attend at no charge. Go to  https://www.facebook.com/#!/YellowSchmello now and tell me how you use social media.

As an entrepreneur, it is important that you ask questions which reveal how your venture is really doing.  Here are six of those questions.

1.) When will your product or service be ready to sell?

If the idea will be old by the time you are able to sell it, then pursuing it may be a waste of time and money.  In general you will want to be the first to market. Whenever Apple rolls out a new product, they tend to release it, work out the kinks, and then release a better version.   For example, by the time Microsoft was releasing their first tablet, Apple was already releasing the iPad II and had a firm foothold in the tablet market.

2.) How much of your account receivables can you get right now?

Collect your earned cash.  Static cash is not working for you.  Since you are a start up, chances are that you have a pretty limited amount of cash.

3.) Why would somebody choose your competitors offerings over yours?

You need to constantly be analyzing your competitors.  Every industry is liquid to a certain extent.  With customers ever-present need for innovating products and services, every day is a battle to come up with the next big thing.

4.) Which of your employees are not performing?

Any organization is only as good as the people who make up that organization.  A single weak link in a chain and it will break no matter how strong the other links are.

5.) What is your company doing to change the world?

Most good ideas are not motivated by money alone.  They tend to solve some problem.  What is your mission statement and what is your mantra?  A mantra is a couple words that describe the mission of your business.  What are you doing to make your mantra a reality?  YellowSchmello has the mantra, “Helps Businesses B Found Online.”

6.) Are you a good leader for your company?

It is true that most entrepreneurs are passionate about the new product or service they invented.  Many entrepreneurs are not as good in a large company setting.  If you are not a good leader, then don’t bash your head against a wall.  Once your business grows, find somebody who is a good leader and let them do what they are good at.

Are you a business owner?  Email me, and let me tell you how your business can B Found online.  My email is Adam.Barnhart@YellowSchmello.com.

-Adam Barnhart