Negative Reviews Are Great

Trust me when I say that negative reviews are GREAT, as long as they come in moderation. We have all been told that negative reviews can absolutely kill a business’ reputation, but maybe, just maybe, they can help! Sometimes a negative review is just what a business owner needs. Negative reviews are a way of gaining or seeing things from the customer’s point of view. They can help you gain beneficial information that may have been off of your radar when it comes to your product or service. Because the case has been made so heavily, that bad reviews mean bad everything else, we have learned to embrace them as negative all the way across the board. But why? Are we so blind and naïve as business owners to think that our business is perfect? Have we forgotten that our businesses are ran by other human beings that, contrary to some people’s beliefs, make mistakes? It seems as if so. If we stopped just for a moment and reflected on the situation and accepted the negative review as an actual critique from that customer, couldn’t we only get better? And if we stopped and took on the accountability of the mistake to make it right, wouldn’t that actually show that we care?

See, we have been told by so many media outlets and marketing experts that we cannot afford to have even 1 bad review. We put so much emphasis on this point, that when a mistake is made, we are ready to pounce on our employees like a cheetah on an antelope, causing our employees to work in fear of that one complaining customer. But really, WHO CARES?  If that customer who is out to condemn every business that they frequent, wants to complain about your business to the whole world via internet, let them. You aren’t going to change who they are. No matter what you do, odds are, they will find something else to complain about. So let them!  Just be sure to address the situation in a professional manner and make sure that the majority gets to hear your version. The majority of customers understand that mistakes will be made. And as long as it is fixed, they are ok with it. They also understand that there are miserable people in the world looking to bring down anyone that they can. So let’s focus on the positives that we bring to the table rather than the rare and occasional negatives that we receive. We need to stop giving these negative people so much power!

Effective Advertising & Messaging

When you are trying to reach and captivate potential customers or clients, it is essential to understand what the common consumer is looking for. Spending the time and money to put a campaign together that is ineffective, is a complete waste. Whether it’s an email blast, a Facebook post or a splash page buildout or blog, the message has to be clear but the presentation must be clearer. Consumers and potential clients respond to nicely designed graphics because the human brain processes images about 60,000 times faster than they process text. Understanding the power that visual elements hold on an individual’s thinking process, will allow you to put together a better message.

Utilizing images and graphics to create more effective advertising and messaging can quickly and effectively influence consumers and potential clients. But what does a company do if they do not employ someone with a creative or artistic side? Not having the skills or resources to create professional looking graphics is not the end of the world. There are plenty of programs out there for you to use to create these advertisements and graphics. But if it is too intimidating for you to do, or you do not have the time and energy to do this, hire out. Having a company build graphics for you is pretty inexpensive. To get more information on website graphics & Design CLICK HERE

Reputation Management More Important Than Ever

With customer expectations higher than ever, it is imperative that you manage your online reputation to know what people are saying about your company. Because the Internet has made it so simple for anyone to post a review on sites like Google, Yelp, Yahoo and so forth, one bad business decision can have you looking like a villain in the eyes of review readers. And with the standards of service being set so high by companies such as Disney and Nordstrom, it is critical to always put your best foot forward. Paying attention to your online reviews and rating will help you to stay on top of your game.

The days of people bragging about “Great Customer Service” are gone. Yes you will get an occasional “shout out” from a customer or client that you have a solid relationship with, however, the other 94% are quick to complain and post reviews if your standards slip just a bit. Making a mistake in business seems to be a crime, and if that mistake is exposed, via online review, it can show up extremely fast on the search engines. So what can we do as business owners? Actually, there are a number of things that you can do. Here are a few tips:

-Make business transactions easy and hassle-free. Most people are very busy and seem to run out of time in the day. Providing an easy and seamless transaction can go a long way.

-Educate them with your knowledge. Sometimes a customer may feel as if you are taking advantage of them or overcharging them. If your product or service is worth the amount you charge, explain in detail what they are getting and why it is set at that price point. People love to be educated, especially in a field that they are unfamiliar with.

-Understand your customer’s point of view. Knowing why a customer has the view that they have, is highly important. Whether they have been ripped off in the past, were promised false expectations, or just had lack of knowledge could all be a part of why they have their reservations. The key is to listen to them.

-Respond to your reviews. Whether positive or negative, always respond even if your company is at fault. Companies make mistakes and people know this. Owning up to them goes a long way. And if it’s a positive review, let the customer know that you appreciate them.

Social Media Marketing

Well in due time we had to call it something! What started as Facebook advertising and Twitter #hashtags has evolved into the newest digital marketing out their, Social Media Marketing. And, don't be fooled, it's huge. Millions of people engage in Social Media everyday, and putting the right message out can be very rewarding. It can establish your business as one that is linked to the community, and one that wants to let their customers know what's going on and what you have that will benefit them.

Like this link for instance: http://www.surfcityusa.com/events/community-events/.

This is our Huntington Beach Community calendar letting my surf city neighbors know what's happening this month. Very informative site with lots of benefits for the people that visit it. Not bothersome or pushy, and definitely a site people in our community will continue to come back to.

But don't be fooled! Social media is a place for people to chill out and catch up with friends and family. It's a place to engage with people that you don't see face to face on a regular basis. And it's a place to learn what people you kinda knew growing up, have become. It is not a place to shove sale after sale and product after product down everyone's throat. People are happy for you and your business, and rightfully so. But they can go a few days or even a week without hearing about it. And just like search engines have algorithms, Social Media platforms have them as well. And if the people that "liked" your business at the beginning are not engaging with you, there is a good chance that they are not seeing your posts any more. So be smart and don't overwhelm people with your business. By the way, anyone need a new website?  LOL 

Don't believe the SEO hype

Being in the Digital Marketing World for over 5 years, I have seen a lot. But, never as much as I have since living in Huntington Beach California. There are more companies selling SEO packages in Southern California than I could even imagine. $99 packages, $199 Packages, $299 packages and so forth. But after doing some investigating, I found that these packages are designed with one purpose in mind; To get into your wallet at the budget that you can stretch. As I began to call around the area, the call centers were exploding with excitement. Most never even asked for my business name or website, just quick to figure out my monthly budget and my payment type. That just completely blew my mind.

So don't believe the hype! A true SEO Professional will get together with you to put some strategies in place to maximize your budget. They will take the time to investigate your current search rankings to know your strengths and weaknesses. They will look to open a relationship that will lead to a long future. And more than anything, they will truly understand how optimizing your website will create a working relationship with the search engines. Everyone wants to rank well organically, and working with the right people will get you there. But, its about a plan, commitment, and a little bit of patience. SEO is a HUGE part to your websites success, so make sure the company you choose to work with is truly capable of delivering. Go here: To learn more about SEO and other digital marketing strategies.

New Website Graphics A Must Have

When Building or redesigning a website, you want to include graphics videos, and photos to enhance your website's content and attract the website visitors. It is also smart to label, tag, and back-link your graphics to help strengthen the SEO on your site. It is very important that you do this correctly as to not confuse the search engine's crawling bots. Having your website updated regularly will keep your customers coming back and engaging with your business.  

With a website that has been around for a while, consistently update graphics and videos. Imagine going to a website that never changes its look or products on it. Eventually, it would be pointless to return to the site as you have already seen everything that it offers. Keep your visitors interested and engaged by giving them something new and fresh to desire. Here are some Graphic Samples.

Imagine this if you will. You drive by a car dealership on your daily commute only to see the same cars lined up every single day. The inventory never changes and eventually gets quite boring to look at. As time goes on without any change, the dealership no longer attracts the commuter, giving that person no reason to ever stop in. That is why dealerships change their front line of cars so consistently. The same goes for your website.

Emails are Alive

Emails are back from the dead, which is really ironic. There was a time, a few years ago, when people truly believed that email messaging was dead and never coming back. And yes, with the ease of text messaging and even snap chat, it is not used for quick one item messages, it is still very useful since the smartphone has come along. . Now everyone checks email on their smartphone, which has led to email becoming 40 times more effective in acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter. So putting together relevant and more attractive emails has never been more important. So in order to get the best ROI on email marketing, you need to stand out in the ever so valuable “Inbox”.  Here are 4 essential practices to get the most out of emails.

Make a good first impression. The subject line is your chance to grab the readers. Keep it short and interesting. 50 characters is a good number to shoot for and special offers are attractive. Avoid sales words like “FREE” or “One Day Special” to keep your messages out of the spam folder.

Keep it neat and clean. Keep copy short with a clear call to action. You only have a reader’s attention for a few seconds, so get right to the point. Don’t drag it out or they will delete it and move on with their day.

Build emails that attract the eyes and work with fingers. Keep in mind that about 91% of consumers open email on their phones at least once per day. Increase font size for easy reading on mobile and allow plenty of space around call to action buttons for easy clicking.

Utilize tools. There are plenty of email providers out there with great-looking, customizable templates at no cost. Take advantage of them. This frees up time to focus on what’s important, which is your business and your customers. You can also build your own custom templates, and once you do, they are there for your use forever.

Following these simple steps will bring you more responses and ultimately more business. As the business world continues to evolve with the huge movement of digital marketing, it is essential that you stay up with it. And if you ever should need help with email campaigns, give us a call. We would love to advise you.