Online marketing takes many different forms, and knowing which to choose is important. We’ve covered search engine optimization (SEO), pay per click (PPC) advertising, email marketing and native advertising. Today we’re going to cover another very effective form of online marketing: video marketing.
Video marketing has many advantages, particularly when it comes to SEO and search rankings. Studies back in 2009 showed that video ranked 50 times higher than traditional text based content. Obviously we’re in a much different world now, but recently we’ve seen recorded Google Hangouts on Air (HOA) rank on page 1 of Google for some fairly competitive search terms.
YouTube Video for Online Marketing
With any discussion of video marketing comes a discussion of YouTube. Marketing Land discovered that 8 out of 10 video results in Google search came from YouTube. There is an obvious connection between Google and YouTube because Google owns YouTube. As long as the YouTube content provides a great search experience that’s what Google prefers to serve.
YouTube has many other advantages as well. For example you can place your keyword in both the title as well as the description text of your videos. Branding is another important aspect to video marketing, and YouTube offers some great editing features which can be used to brand your videos. Using your logo in video helps build brand awareness, associates your brand with high quality content and helps to personalize your brand.
Provide Value with High Quality Content
As with all content marketing it’s important in video marketing to provide value. Valuable content is helpful, sharable, generates positive buzz and has the opportunity to go viral. When your content helps people, they talk about it, and they share it with their friends. Google pays more attention to content they determine people find value in. High quality video generates more social signals, such as comments and plus ones, and these social signals are part of Google’s ranking algorithm.
Annotate your Video and Spin off Content
YouTube also provides annotation features, which are clickable links that overlay your video. It’s a good practice to use annotations at the beginning and end of your videos with links to your external website, and to subscribe to your YouTube channel. In order to put an external link in an annotation you’ll have to enable your account for external annotations. Here’s a video tutorial on to do just that.
Video marketing is a powerful way to spread your message, and video lends itself well to spin off content. For example you can take a video you’ve recorded, and embed it in a page or post. Then write an article based on the content of that video. Now you have an entirely new piece of content that is very valuable. Whatever your online marketing goals, video marketing can be a very effective part of them.
Stay tuned to our next post, in this online marketing series, we’ll be covering social media optimization (SMO)!
Today Mississippi-based wireless provider announces it will offer 1 Gbps fiber Internet to nine Mississippi communities including Batesville, Clinton, Corinth, Hattiesburg, Horn Lake, McComb, Quitman, Ridgeland and Starkville.
Pricing for this service starts at $80 a month or $140 a month for Fiber Internet and digital TV. If you’re already a C Spire customer you will receive an additional $10 off per month. 1 Gbps Internet is 100 times faster than most current home Internet speeds.
Here’s the C Spire press release in its entirety:
C SPIRE REVEALS FINALISTS FOR ‘GET FIBER FIRST’ CHALLENGE – BRINGS FIBER TO THE HOME DEPLOYMENT ONE STEP CLOSER TO REALITY
Cities and Towns Across Mississippi Answered C Spire’s Call-To-Action and Joined the Race To Make 1 Gigabit Internet Access Available To Their Residents
Ridgeland, Miss (Nov. 4, 2013) – C Spire announced today the nine Mississippi cities that will be finalists for the nation’s first and only statewide roll out of ultra-fast 1 Gbps broadband fiber to the home Internet service.
The nine communities who will be participating in the initial phase of the historic broadband initiative include Batesville, Clinton, Corinth, Hattiesburg, Horn Lake, McComb, Quitman, Ridgeland and Starkville. These cities and towns were among 33 municipalities that submitted formal applications late last month to be the first to bring the technology of tomorrow to their communities today.
From Southaven to Gulfport, cities responded to C Spire’s Get Fiber First Challenge, which began in
September when the company announced a statewide initiative to deploy ultra-fast 1 Gig Fiber to the
Home Internet in cities and towns that best showcase their passion for securing service that’s 100 times
faster than national average broadband speeds.
All of the applicants developed creative, aggressive campaigns featuring rallies and town hall meetings,
local celebrations, door-to-door canvassing, mobilization of neighborhood groups and homeowner
organizations, dedicated websites, social media campaigns and even stadium and freeway billboard
advertisements.
C Spire had initially hoped to name multiple cities as finalists, but because of the strength, quality and
comprehensive nature of submissions by so many cities, the company decided to increase the number
of partner communities to nine during the first phase of the initiative.
The finalist cities were announced during a news conference at C Spire headquarters with Mississippi
Gov. Phil Bryant, a host of state and local elected officials and representatives from the Fiber to the
Home (FTTH) Council Americas. Bryant acknowledged the historic announcement by presenting a
proclamation declaring Monday, November 4 as “Get Fiber First” and “Gimme Fiber” day in Mississippi.
“We’re proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with a company that cares about the future of Mississippi
and is investing its resources to ensure that we become a leader for U.S. technology investment,” Bryant
said. “Fiber to the Home technology will make our towns and cities stronger and more attractive places
to live and work.”
C Spire also announced pricing for its ultra-fast Internet and related digital television and home phone
services. The 1 Gbps Internet access will be available for $80 a month, $100 a month for combined
Internet and home phone, $140 a month for Internet and digital TV and $160 a month for the entire package. C Spire Wireless customers will receive an additional $10 monthly discount on all
packages.
The finalist cities were selected by a C Spire review panel that considered factors like proximity to the
company’s fiber optic infrastructure, community mobilization capabilities and incentives to speed up the
construction process and reduce overall costs. The application review process was monitored and the
Individual and overall results tabulated by Ridgeland-based Horne LLP, one of the nation’s top
independent public accounting and business advisory firms.
“We are truly impressed with the overwhelming show of support for C Spire’s Fiber to the Home
deployment and the tremendous interest and demand for making this service a reality for the residents
in these communities,” said Hu Meena, president and CEO of C Spire. “The positive response we’ve
received only strengthens our determination to bring 100-times-faster Internet, and the limitless
possibilities that come along with it, to as many people as we can because we know that this service has
the power to transform our state into a hub for technology investment and economic growth.”
Meena said C Spire plans to continue working with the cities that were not selected in the preliminary
round and will share best practices and improvements that promise to make the process easier, faster
and better for subsequent challenges. “We want to ensure that all of our communities remain actively
engaged in the process and keep the demand and excitement alive for upcoming phases,” he said.
Officials with Fiber to the Home Council Americas also participated in the news conference after
announcing in September that C Spire had been chosen as the North American showcase initiative for its
inaugural “Gimme Fiber Day” award.
The award is part of an annual event and celebration to honor the achievements of Professor Charles
Kao, who pioneered the use and development of fiber optics in telecommunications, and showcase how
fiber optics have positively impacted communities around the world and what policymakers can do to
accelerate its deployment and adoption.
“We are incredibly excited to be recognizing C Spire and the state of Mississippi during our inaugural
Gimme Fiber Day celebration,” said FTTH Council President Heather Burnett Gold. “Increasingly,
communities and companies around the U.S. are recognizing the power that FTTH brings, and we’re
glad to be celebrating in Mississippi, a state that has not traditionally led the digital charge, but where
individuals, communities and technology companies like C Spire recognize that they must take control of
their own broadband destinies to secure a high-tech future.”
“Fiber to the home is a transformative technology, serving as a platform for innovation and a whole new
Internet experience,” Meena said. “We thank the Fiber to the Home Council for this honor and look
forward to showing them the power of Internet at the speed of light as we turn up service soon in the
first C Spire Fiber cities in Mississippi.”
Now that the finalist cities have been selected, the next phase of the ‘Get Fiber First’ Challenge kicks
into high gear. As this stage gets under way, elected officials and community leaders will be rallying
their respective communities to quickly pre-register homeowners in designated neighborhoods at
percentage levels that will qualify them to be the first for C Spire’s build out of the service.
As soon as a critical number of neighborhoods have reached their percentage goals in an individual city,
C Spire plans to begin construction in those areas – so there is a possibility that work could commence in
more than one community at the same time, said Gregg Logan, senior vice president of C Spire Fiber.
Logan said pre-registration in the nine cities begins soon when C Spire launches an updated Fiber to the
Home website – www.cspire.com/fiberhome – with functionality that shows Individual neighborhoods
in each community and the percentage of residents who are needed to sign up for the new service.
Residents will be asked to make a $10 refundable deposit and provide credit card information when
they pre-register. The website also will feature detailed, interactive maps of neighborhoods in cities
showing progress each one is making toward turning their area “green” and qualifying for build out of
the service.
Logan said C Spire hopes to start turning up 1 Gig service in the first C Spire Fiber neighborhoods by
the middle of next year. The service is expected to pave the way for improvements in the areas of
healthcare, education, civic life, municipal services and economic growth.
To learn more about C Spire’s Fiber to the Home initiative, as well as to discover how you can help
your community get to the finish line first by pre-registering, visit www.cspire.com/fiberhome for more
details.
About C Spire
C Spire is a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides world-class customer
service and a superior comprehensive suite of customer-inspired wireless communications, high-speed Internet
access and a range of other telecommunications products and services to consumers and businesses with a
personal focus. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more
information about C Spire, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter
In the world of Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, there’s no doubt that Google AdWords is king. Nearly 70% of all search traffic goes through Google, giving them the ideal opportunity to sell ad space on their site and become the leader in PPC. AdWords works on a bidding system, matching up user search terms with advertisers who are bidding to have their ads displayed for those particular relevant keywords. Because of the bid system, advertisers are able to get their ads to display for the lowest possible bid prices, making AdWords a very appealing method of reaching the consumer.
Putting Together AdWords
On the surface level, putting together copy for AdWords is very simple – you are allowed three lines of text to “make your pitch” to your potential audience. Coming up with those short lines of text, however, is quite involved. First, advertisers must spend time doing keyword research, to figure out which keywords are relevant for their ads, and to decide which keywords they want to focus on. Google provides some good tools, like the Keyword Planner tool, to help with this research.
Once keywords are chosen, the AdWords copy must be written to match these keywords. At the next level, a vital but easily overlooked step, is that then the content on the landing pages must also be matched to the keywords. The greater the relevance and similarity between keywords, ad text, and landing page text, the higher quality score Google will award your ads. Ads with higher quality scores make better ads, and therefore have the higher chance of being displayed in better locations on your search results page. The high quality score also saves the advertiser money, because those high scores mean that lower bids will still land the ads in prime locations on the results page.
The results of Google’s AdWords system are several: people are shown ads which are highly relevant to what they are searching for, advertisers are able to connect with potential customers at the lowest expense for them, and Google is making billions in profit.
A Little More Technical
When you get into AdWords, there are a few other things that are good to know. Ads are organized into campaigns, ad groups, and then the ads themselves. There are two main types of ad campaigns: Search and Display. A Search campaign will display ads next to Google search results. A Display ad campaign will show ads on other websites that have space set aside for displaying Google ads. Google recommends that you split up your budget, with about 70% going for Search, and 30% for Display. Each ad group can then have multiple ads in it, and it’s good to have 3-4 different ads in each group so that Google can analyze each one and see which has the highest quality score.
AdWords is a huge player in online advertising today, and its potential is truly only beginning to be tapped. Getting in on the action early will mean that you can learn the technology and methodology from the beginning, learning and growing and changing with AdWords. This will also leave you positioned to take greatest advantage as each new phase of advertising potential is uncovered and unleashed.
At the top of new and emerging forms of online advertising lies Pay Per Click (PPC). Most people have probably had some exposure, at minimum, to this topic, which is such a new form of advertising that some industry experts say we’ve barely even scratched the surface of what can be done with PPC. But there are some things we know now, even early on, to help craft and maintain PPC ad campaigns.
PPC is basically when certain sites, particularly search engines like Google and social sites like Facebook, allow people to buy listing space which appears next to certain non-paid results. The sites are simply selling real estate on their pages for advertising.
PPC Advertising Basics: Bids, Quality Scores and Landing Pages
PPC advertising is a fairly simple concept at a high level. Basically, companies pay for ads on a 3rd party site, but only when those ads are clicked. The amount paid per ad is set up on an auction system; so basically you set bid prices you’re willing to spend per ad click, and if you’re the highest bidder, your ad gets displayed.
There’s a little more to PPC than bids. The other main component is what’s called a quality score. Basically, a quality score is determined based on the relationship between keywords, ad text, and landing page text. If your keywords match the ad text, which in turn strongly relates to the text on your landing page, then your ad will have a high quality score.
A landing page is simply the page that your ad links to. Landing pages should be highly relevant to your ads, and the keywords in each ad should appear on the landing page. It’s important to be a bit technical here with the number of keywords, and the number of total words on these landing pages. More on this later.
Proceed with Caution: Don’t Overspend on PPC Campaigns
As great as PPC campaigns can be, businesses should proceed with caution. This caution is needed because PPC can become very expensive, and bring in little to no new business if done improperly. Setting up an effective PPC campaign takes time, effort, and knowledge.
In order to avoid overspending on PPC campaigns, do keyword research. Keyword research will tell you how much traffic a given keyword will likely generate. Here’s where you’ll need to get a bit technical. Take your top 3-4 keywords (those most directly related to your product or service, and with the highest potential search traffic) and write ads based on each keyword. Make sure that each keyword appears 3-4 times in the body of your landing page.
For search engines to consider your content of good quality, your landing pages should be between 500-800 words in length. Your keywords should appear 1 time per 100 words. This ratio is important because you need good keyword density, but it’s also very important not to overstuff your content with them. Using the above information should give you high quality landing pages, that will perform well.
Negative keywords are also important. Negative keywords are basically those keywords you don’t want your ads displaying for. These are very important when cutting down on wasted ad spend. Some examples are educational materials, job seekers or free/low cost, etc. Obviously if your products/services are related to these topics these aren’t going to work for you.
Stay tuned to this pay per click advertising series. Our next topic will be on Google AdWords!
As we saw in our last blog post, the internet is moving quickly to personalize data for the end user with the shift toward semantic search. With any new feature, businesses want to position themselves to make good use of technology, and this is no different. Taking advantage of the semantic web for your business takes a lot of effort, but as our examples last time showed, that work pays off with big dividends at the end of the business day.
Businesses with little to no web presence can still show up in semantic search, but to really compete with other businesses in your industry, you need a strong web presence that is enhanced with optimization specifically geared toward semantic search. Things as simple as local listings and online reviews can boost your showing in semantic search – these things let Google know who you are, which helps them match you to an individual’s needs or wants.
Building Relationships
The Semantic Web is Personal
A company’s reputation, trust, and authority are all crucial to performing well in the semantic web. Companies can build these things using something like Google Authorship, which is designed specifically to connect a person with their content, thereby helping establish reputation, trust, and authority. Companies should also focus on producing quality content that is interesting, helpful, and sharable with others. This type of content is valuable, because it allows others to see the expertise and knowledge that your company brings to the proverbial table. Content like this will get people to naturally interact with it, which will drive online traffic to your business, which also helps build your authority and reputation as a business.
With the semantic web now in play, social signals have never been more important to your business being found online. Since the semantic web is personalized, the way that people interact with your social sites (shares, comments, likes, etc) will then go on to potentially influence the type of semantic search results that their other social friends might receive. If my friends are commenting on a particular restaurant and I then go to search for a place to eat, there’s a good chance this restaurant will show up in my search, since my friends have established it as a place they also enjoy going to eat.
Getting Personal Again
Because of various forms of communication – web, email, cell phones – much of human communication has been de-personalized over the last 10+ years. Semantic search is bringing personalization back. With this crashing return of the personal, businesses now need to be a trusted face in the mass of other faces so that people will recognize and choose them time after time. The local business owner has a distinct advantage already, since his relationship with his customers is personal by nature. He can then carry over this relationship and simply be himself online, bringing reality into the semantic web. Small businesses also have an advantage right now, since they are typically more adaptable and can change more easily to embrace this new focus in their online marketing.
Tying it all together
There are real ways that companies can now position themselves to take advantage of all that the semantic web is now offering them and the people they serve – but this also requires a bit of change in tactics for many companies. Areas are of increasing importance that perhaps have not had much focus for many businesses lately – online reviews, Google Authorship, and a strong social presence – these things are now not only nice additions to SEO, but vital to semantic search success. Helpful, valuable, and sharable content will also continue to be important – so if content writing isn’t something your business can do well on its own, there are many professional content writers available who can help you take better advantage of the semantic web.
Many websites use WordPress, and if your company is we recommend installing the WordPress SEO by Yoast plugin. This plugin does an outstanding job helping you remember all the key points of SEO by giving you detailed alerts and an overall page SEO rating for each page. For example another key component to successful SEO are links both outbound and internal. The Yoast plugin will remind you to add links to your content if you’ve forgotten. Links help improve the overall quality of your content by lending credibility, and helping readers know where to find further information on the subject at hand. Google is very open about its commitment to ranking high quality content, and when your company provides it your content will rank better.
Another reminder that the SEO plugin will give you is to include images in your content. Images provide visual breaks for your reader making your content more readable. There are also more opportunities for your keyword placement in the alt, title and description. Google also provides image search where your images will be indexed. Google image search provides another channel for search traffic to your site.
The Plugin will also remind you to fill out your meta description, and will provide a text entry box for you to do so. Here is yet another opportunity to use your keyword, and supportive keywords. Where possible place your keyword as early in the meta description as possible. If you’re considering meta keywords don’t. Given the amount of abuse this property saw early on search engines ignore them, and so should you.
Social and Google Authorship: The Basics Plus
Google uses over 200 factors when considering how to rank content, and 1 of them is social signals. We don’t know exactly what these social signals are, but there is evidence to suggest that comments, +1s and reshares of your content on Google+ are seen as positive social signals which will improve overall ranking. Also keep in mind that YouTube is social, and comments on your videos are seen as positive social signals as well. For local SEO reviews are very important, and highly weighted by Google.
Google has an Authorship program where authors are officially connected with the content they produce through a Google+ profile. There is a lot of debate over whether Google is actively ranking content produced by high authority authors, but Google has openly said that this is not the case. Google’s John Mueller confirmed that Authorship is not a ranking signal in this Webmaster Central video from late September 2013.
There are a lot of indications that Google would like to become better at understanding authority, and then begin to rank content accordingly. Google’s Matt Cutts has stated that Google is getting better at understanding authority, and will continue to do so. However there are current benefits to authorship. For one you are future proofing your search rankings, and building an Authorship history on which to stake your authority reputation. For another, and more immediate benefit, your search results will appear with your image next to them. Studies have proven that links with images next to them receive more clicks than those without.
In conclusion the best SEO advice given by the experts time and time again is to produce high quality content. We wrote a blog post, Content Marketing for Small Business, on using high quality consistent content to drive traffic, and increase search rankings. Google has made it clear in its Webmaster Tools Ranking article, “In general, webmasters can improve the rank of their sites by creating high-quality sites that users will want to use and share.” Put your users experience first, and your SEO will be on the right track.
Given the major changes we’ve recently seen Google take with it’s upgrade to Hummingbird (see this article for a more complete description of Hummingbird), we thought it wise not to forget the basics of search engine optimization (SEO). Many have said that because of Hummingbird and the semantic web, that SEO is dead. However, given the fact that Hummingbird has been in effect for well over a month, and we’re not seeing any major ranking changes occurring, traditional SEO is not dead.
Why should businesses care about SEO?
Search engines can drive a lot of valuable traffic to your website. If your company is monetizing with paid advertising, search engine traffic tends to be more likely to click ads. For companies monetizing by selling goods and services, search engine traffic is highly qualified. This means that the people who find your website through search engines are arriving already wanting to see what you’re offering.
Foundations of SEO
Keywords and keyword research are one of the fundamental foundations of SEO. A keyword is the word or phrase entered into a search engine, and is where search begins. When writing content, determine which keywords you are intending to target. Start by doing some research into which keywords are actually being searched. Google offers a free tool called the Keyword Planner, which allows companies to perform very targeted keyword research. See this post for a short tutorial on using the Keyword Planner.
Once you’ve chosen your keywords, and done your research, it’s time to incorporate them into your content naturally. Be careful not to overuse keywords. A good rule of thumb is to use 1 keyword for every 100 words of content you have. Also use synonyms and supportive, also called secondary, keywords. Here is a list of the key places you should include your keyword:
-Post Title
-Post Permalink
-Alt text for images
-In your post content (about 1 in 100 words of content)
-In Sub-headings
Choose a main focus keyword for your content. This focus keyword is generally different than the focus keyword of your homepage. A lot of search traffic will be coming directly to your content pages, and not to your homepage, so make sure to target each content page to a specific set of unique keywords. The title of your content is considered a very important element to SEO, and should contain your keyword as close to the beginning as possible.
Where to Go From Here
By following the above guidelines you will position your content well for high ranking in Google search. There is no magic to this process just simple, actionable steps. However simply following the above steps won’t get you to page 1 of the search results. That kind of ranking takes dedication, and a willingness to work very hard. Your content will have to be outstanding, and you will have to produce it consistently.
Stay tuned for the second installment of this two part basic SEO series in our next blog post!
What does Google Hummingbird mean for business? Google Hummingbird is the most significant upgrade to Google search in over a decade. This is not your typical Panda or Penguin update to the already existing algorithm. Rather Hummingbird is a complete overhaul, and actually replaces Google’s previous algorithm.
Google Hummingbird is based on the idea of semantic search. Previously search relied only on keyword match, which would bring up webpages containing the keywords in your search query. With the Hummingbird upgrade, Google has gone from strings to things. That is, your search queries aren’t treated only as a group of keywords, but rather Google attempts to understand the meaning of your query. Hummingbird is trying to answer questions and not simply match keywords with documents.
Google Hummingbird for Business
So what does the Google Hummingbird upgrade mean for business? Actually, according to Google, Hummingbird has been in effect for about a month now. Although it was officially announced on September 26th, 2013 in conjunction with Google’s 15th Birthday. Most businesses have been engaging in the recommended best practice of producing helpful high quality content, and for these businesses Hummingbird will have a mostly neutral effect on traffic.
Google Hummingbird, because of it’s semantic nature, presents businesses with the opportunity to display expertise or authority in a particular field. This kind of expertise is what Google is positioning itself to understand with semantic upgrades like Hummingbird. Expert content will perform better, that is gain better exposure, than content with low expertise. Part of this is because highly authoritative content will perform better in the social web which is an integral aspect to the semantic web.
As part of Google’s move toward the semantic web they have removed access to keyword data. This is a signal to businesses that keywords are taking a back seat, and this provides opportunity to businesses. Using Google Hummingbird for business, companies will have to become more involved on social media to find out what their customers are interested in. Building trust between businesses and potential customers becomes key to Online success.
How Different is Google Hummingbird
Because of the significance of this upgrade, many SEOs are asking just how different is Google Hummingbird? This upgrade is certainly different, but Google has not thrown the baby out with the bathwater completely. There are still significant similarities between this upgrade, and the previous Google search algorithm.
Page Rank (PR) is still a major factor Google takes into account when ranking content. That is the number of authoritative links to a particular site will continue to be a big part of why a website ranks well. The more authoritative links you have to your website, the better chance your content will have of ranking. Now, however, Google is taking into account all of the words in your search query, and not only paying attention to the keywords.
Google has given some specific examples of how search results look different now after the Hummingbird upgrade. For example, a search for “acid reflux prescription” used to return a list of drugs, but now you’ll see informational results. Another example given is that previously a search for “pizza hut calories per slice” would return results from third party sites. With Hummingbird, Google is smart enough to know that Pizza Hut will have the most authoritative information, and will show you results from that website.
Google Hummingbird for Business: Where Does it Leave Us?
Given that the Hummingbird upgrade has been active for about a month now you’ll likely know already if your business has seen any negative effects. Generally speaking, most websites with good practices will continue to rank as they always have. Google continues to give the same guidance for ranking well that is to produce high quality helpful content, and provide a great user experience. You can find more information here on Google’s search blog.
This video will help you better understand the relationship between your business and Hummingbird, which is semantic search. Semantic search must be understood as an integral part of business, and no longer can search engine optimization simply be outsourced.
Building an Online reputation, building trust and authority are at the heart of semantic search. For your business to succeed with the new Hummingbird upgrade it will have to build this reputation as well as trust and authority.
Christie Farese launches her new website, designed by Think Webstore. Christie’s work has been featured in several art exhibitions, including shows at Mistletoe Marketplace, Twenty-Nine 06 Studios, Madison Station School of the Arts, and New Stage Theater. A Mississippi native, Christie resides in the Madison area with her husband and two daughters. Go check her site out at www.christiefarese.com!
Remedy True Health launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. Remedy is a Mississippi-based family of medical practices dedicated to the true health of their patients. They offer an entire suite of leading-edge services to help people just like you feel better about the way they look — and just plain feel better.. They are located in Ridgeland, MS. Go check their site out at www.remedytruehealth.com!
SDT launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. SDT is one of North America’s leading telecommunications infrastructure services firms. Their services include network planning, design, development, installation, test, turn-up and maintenance for both wireline and wireless carriers. They are located in Brookhaven, MS. Go check their site out at www.sdt-1.com!
Louisville Litigators launch their new website, designed by Think Webstore. Louisville Litigators have a proven track record in handling personal injury and wrongful death cases, and also provide highly professional representation in the areas of legal malpractice and long-term disability. They are located in Louisville, KY. Go check their site out at www.louisvillelitigator.com!
Driscoll & Associates Law Offices launch their new website, designed by Think Webstore. Driscoll & Associates Law Offices help disabled persons secure their Long Term Disability insurance benefits. They represent clients throughout the USA. Go check their site out at www.erisa-ltd-lawyer.com!
Think Webstore is pleased to announce that we were awarded 4 bronze Telly Awards in the 33rd Annual Telly Award Competition. The Telly Awards recognize outstanding local, regional, and cable television programs and commercials. Entries come from all 50 states and 5 continents, so winning an award is a huge honor, recognizing truly effective work.
Think won Awards for TV commercials which were produced for client M&F Bank. The 4 awards were for:
30 Minute/No Hassle Campaign, both local and regional/multi-state markets
24.7 Campaign, both local and regional/multi-state markets
From more announcements about Google Plus taking lead over Twitter as the largest social network by active user count to Diabolo spinning kids there have been many exciting releases, announcements, images and videos this week around the web! You’ll find many of the more interesting one’s right here.
The Asset Company launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. ASSET Engineering is a consulting electrical engineering firm, serving utility, industrial, and contractor clients with specialized design and project management services. They are located in Canton, MS. Go check their site out at www.assetcompany.com!
Having external links in YouTube videos has been enabled for some very large select YouTube partners for a long time now, but now it’s for everyone. We all want to have better conversion rates, and drive more traffic to our website’s with better SEO. Continue reading “External Links in YouTube Videos — A Video Tutorial”
The Policy Center launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. The Policy Center is a leader in providing quality protection for individuals, families and businesses throughout Mississippi. Providing superior customer service and low rates, along with their ability to understand their customer’s coverage needs, drives the success of their agency. They are located in Jackson and Pearl, MS. Go check their site out at www.tpcins.com!
Ridgeland-based marketing company Think Webstore became a million dollar company at the end of 2012, less than five years since the doors first opened in 2008.
Louisville’s Own Band launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. The band, “Louisvilles Own,” was conceived and organized by some of the finest musicians and singers in the Louisville, Kentucky area. Continue reading “Louisville’s Own Band Launches New Website”
Children’s Medical Group in Jackson, Mississippi launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. CMG is committed to offering comprehensive pediatric care from birth to age 18 years through regular check-ups and same day sick appointments. They have offices in Jackson, Clinton, and Madison, MS. Go check their site out at www.childrensmedicalgroup.net!
Robert M. Shows launches his new website, designed by Think Webstore. Robert is the author of “A Sentence of Death. Words that killed a President” has also published several short stories of southern humor under the pen name of Yockanookany Ned. He lives in Madison, Mississippi. Go check his site out at www.robertmshows.com!
Griffin’s Taekwondo program targets character, higher grades, and self esteem
Meet Jason Griffin. A 7th degree blackbelt (Senior Master) in Tae Kwon Do, an active member in his church community at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison, and a husband and father of three children. If you ask Griffin “What is your main mission in life?,” he will tell you teaching and leading by example, whether it is at home, in his academy, at church or in the community. Jason Griffin’s Tae Kwon Do studio is an icon on the corner of I-55 and County Line Road. Many have driven by in wonder at the two story figures of kids high kicking in their uniforms, wondering what exactly goes on inside. If you ask Griffin “What is your main mission in life?,” he will tell you teaching and leading by example.
Leadership
Griffin is a natural teacher and leader. He has turned his passion for teaching and leadership into a career through programs that, in addition to martial arts, teach and foster fundamentals of character development, respect, stamina, and self esteem. In fact, every student goes through a curriculum, which, for kids, includes a “Character Development Training Journal” where students are responsible for maintaining progress in character development skills and in academics. Griffin feels that it is important for the students to learn life skills that transfer outside of the four walls of the academy. Every student does 10 acts of kindness per training cycle, and the academy has logged over 100,000 random acts of kindness in the Jackson area! Griffin explains, “Parents are always the leaders. We are the support. We offer a positive environment where kids can see their efforts paying off.” Griffin’s goal is to help students embody a healthy lifestyle — physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Tae Kwon Do + Rock Climbing + Gymnastics
Griffin is forging his dreams into reality. Griffin has turned his 12,000 square foot complex into a destination featuring a dedicated indoor rock climbing studio with fully inverted climbs, a tumb ling room with a fully spring formed gymnastics floor for tumbling classes, and of course, one of the largest martial arts floor spaces in the state. Griffin now offers a party room so kids can take advantage of healthy lifestyle parties full of adventure and exercise. Principles are the core of all of his programs.
Taekwondo Training
As a franchised member of Tiger Rock Martial Arts, Griffin started and has grown a premier martial arts program right here in Madison County. He has been training in Tae Kwon Do for 26 years and teaching for 24 years. The school, which has more than 20 certified instructors, offers over forty classes per week in order to provide flexible class times for busy lifestyles. Students have the advantage of more than one instructor to teach them and a well rounded curriculum. “We’re not just breaking boards. We are building confidence and life skills.”
Founding Principles
Griffin’s says principles are the core of all of his programs. He pushes his students to be strong individuals who find strength in being part of a team. Griffin explains, “There are good consequences to good behavior and working towards goals as individuals and as a group. A well rounded, strong student is a healthy student. We want all of our students to be prepared day in and day out, in class and in life.”
Jason Griffin’s Tiger Rock Tae Kwon Do Academy offers eight week curriculum cycles backed by a nationally accredited program and offers classes six days a week. For more information on martial arts class times, indoor climbing, tumbling and gymnastics, or adventure birthday parties, visit www.griffinstkd.com or call 601-977-9000.
Bryan Carter is an author, a member of thinkWRITE Guild, and a contributing writer for County Connections.
DCS, Inc. in Ridgeland, Mississippi Launches New Website designed by Think Webstore. Whether your need is for general contracting, pre-construction services or design/build, DCS has the commitment and expertise to serve your needs for a mutually beneficial relationship. They are located in Ridgeland, MS. Go check their site out at www.dcscorp.net!
J West Contractors, LLC in Jackson, Mississippi launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. They primarily work with: commercial build-outs, new commercial construction, restaurants, luxury homes, and upper end residential new construction. They are located in Jackson, MS. Go check their site out at www.jwestcontractors.com!
Educational Interiors launches new website, designed by Think Webstore. They are a leading provider of high quality classroom, cafeteria, library, office, and technology furniture and equipment. They are located in Brandon, MS. Go check their site out at www.edinteriors.com!
4 Corner Properties, LLC launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. Their experienced staff of real estate professionals can assist you in finding that perfect property to meet your objectives. They are located in Brandon, MS. Go check it out at www.4cornerprop.com!
Central Surgical Associates, PLLC launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. They provide advanced testing for health concerns and surgical procedures. They have clinics in Jackson, Hazlehurst, Kosciusko, Magee, Morton and Yazoo City. Go check it out at www.csurgical.com!
Allegrezza Piano Company of Mississippi launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. They offer a complete range of styles for your selection. They are authorized dealers for Kawai, Samick, PianoDisc, and other brands. They are located in Ridgeland, MS. Go check it out at www.allegrezzapiano.com!
F&M Specialty Pharmacy launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. They are a pharmacy that focuses on specialty pharmaceutical needs such as post transplant, hepatitis-b, hepatitis-c, oral oncology, and biologicals. They are located in Jackson, MS and Slidell, LA. Go check it out at www.fandmrx.com!
Financial Works of Mississippi, LLC launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. They provide financial guidance using time honored and tested methods. They are located in Ridgeland, MS. Check their site out at www.financialworksms.com!
Granite Plus, LLC launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. Granite Plus specializes in the most beautiful granite, marble and specialty materials available. They are located in Brandon, MS. Check out their site at www.graniteplusms.com!
PW Barrett Lawyers, PLLC launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. They have offices in Jackson and Gulfport. They provide quality counsel and representation in all phases of the criminal process. Check out their site at www.pandwbarrettlawyers.com!
Riverbend Tire Center launches their new website, designed by Think Webstore. They have tire centers in both Flowood and Jackson, and are the go to place for tire repairs. Check out their site at www.riverbendtirecenter.com!
Postmaster Sales, located in Ridgeland, MS, launches their new website designed by Think Webstore. Postmaster Sales designs, prints, and mails coupon books. Check out their site at www.postmastersales.com!
Many advertisers make basic mistakes. Make sure to get your message and your presentation right, or suffer the consequences.
Whenever you advertise as a business you have the opportunity to make a real connection with your customers. The most powerful connection you can make is through a meaningful message.
There is a tendency in advertising to go for exceptionally clever ways to present company messages. Unfortunately the focus often become the “clever,” not the message.
Customers that trust you with their business are the best customers to work with, because they allow you to do what you do best!
Have you ever wondered how some businesses just seem to have their act together? Have you ever felt confidence in a business more quickly than anticipated? Have you ever felt your confidence and trust in a business fade, perhaps without a coherent reason? The causal function of any of these circumstances can often be explained by consistency.
Is Your Business a “Go To” Place for Something? Just one thing? You should be. This and Two Other Golden Rules to Do Business By.
Bryan Carter, “be known for something.”One of the keys to business success, start-up and otherwise, is to be known for something, just one, single something. It allows you to specialize rather than be simply categorized. Continue reading “Be Known for Something”
Maison Weiss (Jackson, MS), a Jackson, Mississippi icon for its generations of designer fashions, launches its new Facebook web property, www.facebook.com/maisonweiss. Facebook (FBML) pages allow businesses to create websites within Facebook and actually engage their audiences. Owner Ken Szilasi is proud to announce this launch in unison with new website and Twitter online presences. See a list of thinkwebstore.com websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
Maison Weiss (Jackson, MS), a Jackson, Mississippi icon for it’s generations of designer fashions, launches it’s new website design, www.maisonweiss.com. Owner Ken Szilasi is proud to announce this launch in unison with new Facebook and Twitter online presences. See a list of thinkwebstore.com websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
Are You Doing Everything You Can To Communicate With Your Customers?
Today’s landscape of communication options can be overwhelming for any sized business, let alone small and mid-sized businesses that already feel crunched when it comes to time and resources for self promotion. However, the plethora of options has also come with advances in the technology that can be used to manage those communications.
Ichiban Dining (Flowood, MS), known in the Jackson, Mississippi area for their first class Chinese buffet and Sushi and Hibachi Grill, launches three new websites!
The new websites feature menus and other restaurant information in unique, translucent website designs. See a list of thinkwebstore.com websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
How does your website stand up against your competition’s?
Does it play well with your social marketing sites?
A website can just sit there like a dusty can on a shelf. Or, it can be a vivid expression of what you want your business to be and how you want it to compete with others. More and more small to mid-sized companies are realizing that how they express themselves online is crucial to how well they perform in today’s economy. Increasingly today’s messaging isn’t about shouting louder, it’s about speaking smarter. This means targeting the message and the medium to the right audience. Online, you can.
Dave’s Mobile Car Wash (Ridgeland, MS) launches it’s new custom website design, www.davesmobilecarwash.com. Dave’s Mobile Car Wash has been providing on site service for over 15 years to Madison, Rankin and Hinds counties. See a list of thinkwebstore.com websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/website-design-development/.
Marketing is a very common business concept, but one that I find is interpreted and applied very differently by business people. Marketing is often seen as a luxury, and not a necessity, so it is often first on the chopping block during budget cuts. Hundreds, if not thousands, of marketing books are published each year trying to influence the way business leaders plan and execute their marketing strategies. Over the years, Al Ries, Jack Trout, Robert Cialdini and Seth Godin are a few of the authors and consultants that have risen above the pack to make a major impact on the way we think about marketing. For most entrepreneurs who don’t have a direct background in marketing, sorting through the various theories of marketing can be a difficult thing. Part of the confusion lies in how we think about advertising, public relations, sales, and marketing.
I recently spoke with Bryan Carter, founder of Think Webstore, to get his thoughts on how entrepreneurs should approach their marketing strategies. Carter has a very interesting background in design, technology, psychology, and business. His experiences include being a national consultant and speaker, authoring journal and industry articles, working for a large advertising agency, and developing award winning multimedia learning tools. In 2007, he opened Think Webstore with a clear purpose in mind — to offer a “one-stop shop” for businesses and their marketing needs. The services offered include marketing strategy, website design and hosting, search engine optimization and marketing, e-mail marketing and advertising services for small and mid-sized businesses. Part of what makes Carter’s business model different is that he provides these services from a retail location versus a traditional office environment. Carter’s success is no accident. He knew his target market and designed a whole business around meeting the needs of that underserved market. Carter leveraged his experience and expertise in planning out the entire business concept in great detail and now has executed that plan diligently.
Many service professionals suffer from the “cobbler who has no shoes” problem, but Carter has certainly avoided that and done an excellent job of marketing his own business. Even though the economy tanked soon after it opened, Think Webstore is ahead of its goals, and Carter anticipates executing soon on his plans to expand the concept regionally and nationally. According to Carter, “Marketing is how you put all the pieces together of advertising, PR and sales. It is your overall strategy, which should be consistent and well thought out.” Carter described advertising as the tool that gets people to your door and sales as a delivery mechanism. Marketing, he emphasized, is where you “think through the details of your business including such things as pricing, positioning and delivery ability.” He also noted that while marketing is comprehensive, it does not have to be complicated. Carter also believes that a company’s website, regardless of the type of business, is really the core that should be used as a guide for all other aspects of marketing.
Operating a service business, Carter noted that he emphasizes quality as they key. In order to do that, he has a simple credo for his employees: Be aware; Think things through, and Own it! He pointed out that when you are aware and think things through, owning the issue is usually not a problem. I see many businesses where a lack or “ownership” is a major problem. Lack of ownership leads to no accountability, which usually results in disastrous results both for both customers and the company. Ultimately, Carter’s passion and business is about helping entrepreneurs help themselves. Many business owners come to Think Webstore with ideas and dreams, and Carter and his team help them accomplish them.
I am inspired by the detailed thought and planning that Carter puts into his business. For entrepreneurs and business people, I think we can all do better at being more diligent in thinking through the details of our business. This type of planning is a fluid and ongoing process, and one which is important for the long term success of a venture. For me, it involves a bit of a paradigm shift to try and clearly see a business through the eyes of the clients and prospective clients. Truly great businesses see this view. They design not only their products and services, but the entire experience to maximize it for their clientele. I am sure that we will continue to see the impact of Carter’s attention to this detail in the success of his business and his client’s businesses in the years to come.
Martin Willoughby, a business lawyer in Jackson, is a regular contributing columnist for the Mississippi Business Journal. He can be reached at mew@msbusinesslaw.com.
AgVest Land Company (Madison, MS) launches it’s new real estate website design, www.agvestlandco.com, where visitors can view various agricultural land tracks online. All properties are Google mapped by longitude and latitude coordinates since addresses do not apply with farm land. See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/website-design-development/.
Has the Web changed Marketing Strategy? Yes, of course it has. Has it become a tool to help you organize your marketing efforts? You bet.
The fact is, developing your brand and marketing materials has never been easier. Websites have become the proving ground for all aspects of a company’s marketing presence before it is ever committed to the sunk cost and expense of more traditional materials such as print, video and audio that, once created, cannot be easily changed or changed at all.
Using your website as your marketing hub, you can develop and polish the look, the message and the content of your company and then use that to easily guide the development of everything from business cards to brochures to articles to online ads to billboards. Keeping your message and look consistent and on point has never been easier or more practical.
In addition to developing your guide to marketing materials, the Web is also an excellent marketing research tool. Not only can you see which pages interest your visitors the most, but by promoting your website address in all of your marketing efforts you are inviting your audience to come visit your site. And, a portion of your audience will. By tracking your web traffic you can get a decent idea of the response rate of your advertising and campaign efforts.
* New TV commercial? Track it.
* Just attended a conference in Orlando and handed out over 250 business cards? Track it.
* Just had a write-up in the local business journal? Track it!
Comparing your traffic and the costs of each effort can give you a general idea of your Return On Investment (ROI). The results may surprise you!
The proper and most efficient evolution of your business identity and marketing materials can save you money and make all of your efforts consistent, synergistic and more effective.
(1) Logo – Establish your mark
(2) Website – Establish your look, your message, your extended content
(3) Promote – Business Cards, Letterhead, Envelopes, Brochures, Sales Literature, Catalogs, Video, Radio, Print Ads, Online Ads, Email Marketing, Direct Mail, Billboards, Apparel, Gear
Don’t put the cart before the horse!
(1) The first thing to establish is your logo. (2) From the logo a look can begin to evolve and be developed, along with your messaging and content in the form of a website. (3) It’s time to promote your company. Once finalized, these elements can be used to generate any marketing and support materials you need.
If you are using the Web correctly, it has added a dynamic element to your marketing tool set that you will never give up. It has become the hub of all marketing efforts including conceptualization, message development, content development, public trials, visual treatment, general tracking and the source for nearly all marketing materials.
If you have questions or would like more information on how to maximize the use of your website and online presence in your overall marketing strategy, contact Think Webstore at (601) 856-2000.
Think Webstore And Sister Store Advanced Microsystems Help Local Businesses Compete
Ridgeland, Mississippi
This small business team is hard to beat. Small and large businesses alike are utilizing Think Webstore and Advanced Microsystems to boost their business and add stability to their technology solutions. And, the budgetary benefits can be significant.
In today’s ultra-competitive environment, where businesses are streamlining operations and costs, here are two local companies that are always busy. In fact, they have continued to grow despite the down economy. Both companies have developed a solid reputation in the tri-county area as the “go-to” places for websites and computer support. Bryan Carter, managing partner for Think Webstore, explains, “We make technology easy and marketing make sense. That is always our goal.”
Having a knowledgeable computer support team on call 24/7 without incurring the costs of full-time staffing has proven to be a very efficient use of resources for many Mississippi companies. Advanced Microsystems (AMS) has been in operation for over twelve years. According to owner Jitu Patel, “We are always available and make sure everything works the first time. Our clients like us for that reason.” AMS provides networking, installation, software support and computer repair services. Patel, a Mississippi State graduate, moved the operation to the current Ridgeland, Mississippi location in January 2008 to join business partner, Carter, and Think Webstore.
Sister company Think Webstore is unique for a marketing venture because it combines the disciplines of business, design, technology, usability, psychology and advertising. “We are able to provide a great deal of insight and the result is common-sense solutions that just work,” states Carter. Custom designed and developed website packages start at $1199. Carter, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, formed Think Webstore after working with and consulting with several large corporations including IBM, AT&T, NCR, Home Depot and Educational Testing Solutions. Think Webstore’s service offerings include website design and development, web hosting, graphic design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Business Identity (logos, business cards, letterhead) and brochures.
“We’re excited about our businesses and we are proud to have a lot of loyal clients,” says Carter. Both Think Webstore and AMS work with a wide range of businesses including medical groups, industrial companies, law practices, construction companies, retailers, real estate companies, developers, churches, consulting companies, agricultural companies, media companies and many more. If you are looking for expertise and local accountability, these partner businesses are well suited. Either business can be contacted for free estimates.
Think Webstore and Advanced Microsystems are located in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Lake Harbour Drive across from Primos Cafe. Store hours are 8:30am to 5:30pm Monday through Friday.
For more information on websites, search engine optimization, hosting and other marketing and web services, contact Think Webstore at (601)856-2000 or visit www.thinkwebstore.com. For more information on networking, network administration, computer repair and software support, contact Advanced Microsystems at (601)914-5657.
The Diabetes and Endocrine Institute (Jackson, MS) launches it’s new website design, www.diabetesandendocrineinstitute.org, providing news on classes, recipes and about the institute. Established by Dr. Wayne Woo in Jackson, Mississippi, the institute and Dr. Woo have become known for a holistic approach to diabetes care and lifestyle. See a list of Think Webstore websites at thinkwebstore.com/website-design-development.
Thor Products (Jackson, MS) launches it’s new e-commerce website design, www.thorproducts.com, where visitors can buy various cleaning products online. Thor Products has had a long time relationship with Viking and continues to provide stainless steel and other cleaning products that compliment Viking appliance purchases. See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/website-design-development/.
Think Webstore becomes a Google AppsTM Authorized Reseller. The highly requested Google Apps Premier Edition services for businesses incorporates GoogleTM world class email hosting services, interfaces and spam and anti-virus filtering as a business solution. This eliminates costly equipment, software and maintenance costs for businesses of all sizes. The Google Apps suite includes calendaring, business applications (word processing, spreadsheet, presentation), company website tools, file storage, chat and video, all through Google servers. This “cloud computing” solution is one of the first practical, mainstream solutions of its size with such a comprehensive application package. Calendars, documents and websites can be shared with other users simply, which used to require applications such as Microsoft Exchange. Google Apps can be used along with Microsoft Office products for those who aren’t comfortable leaving their Microsoft tools. Google Apps offers security, utility and flexibility for the business community and eliminates the need to be tied to a single computer to access your data.
You heard about it from your kids months ago. Then you heard it mentioned in the news in passing. Suddenly, within a matter of weeks, Facebook and Twitter icons began popping up on everything from Fox, CNN, and major networks to mainstream publications and restaurants.
Social Media Marketing in Jackson, MS has hit mainstream. And, while MySpace has been thrown under the bus, Facebook and Twitter are thriving. How well? Well rumors of Google’s interest in Twitter are all the rage and if Google’s track record of picking winning online strategies is any indication then don’t expect this wave to end anytime soon.
Not only has social media in Jackson, MS hit mainstream with technology, yes, even grandparents are checking out Facebook and blogs to see the latest pictures and videos of their grand kids, businesses have seen this as an opportunity to market their products and services.
Social Media Marketing in Jackson, MS using applications like Facebook and Twitter are allowing businesses to market to their customers in real and near real time on their terms, and the public is responding. This new form of communication is opt in. People choose to receive messages and updates from their fellow Facebook and Twitter users. These days that group is not just friends and family, it includes celebrities, media outlets and yes, businesses.
Businesses benefit from getting a dedicated audience, ready to hear what they have to say. To marketers, this is pure gold. However, businesses beware. If you do not use this medium correctly you can do more harm than good. While social channels provide unprecidented access to potential customers, the social market is a fickle one. And, if you come across poorly, you cannot only be dropped, you can become blacklisted by your customer base.
It is important that ANY messages you send out to your social network not be seen as SPAM, mundane or worthless. Anything you send must have value. The way to determine that value is by first having an in-depth understanding of your audience. By effectively predicting what your audience deems worthwhile, you can have a significant impact on your customer relations and your sales in an almost real-time and fluid way that cannot be rivaled by any other form of media. The loyalty you can instill in your customer community and your ability to attract them to your offerings may surprise you.
While no marketing tool is a silver bullet, each has its place and Social Media Marketing in Jackson, MS has secured its place as a viable mainstream strategy.
Contact Think Webstore for more information on Social Media Marketing in Jackson, MS, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
thinkwebstore.com is a Mississippi based company that specializes in website design, web technologies, logo design, business identity and marketing strategy. Think Webstore is co-located with Advanced Microsystems (www.advmicrosystems.com), a company specializing in computer repair, networking and network administration.
MCH Transportation (Jackson, MS) launches it’s new website design, www.mchtrans.com, promoting its national trucking transportation services. Headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, MCH has several offices in the US and serves many large Southeastern and Midwestern clients with its comprehensive range of transportation service offerings. See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/website-design-development/.
“I just need a simple website.” Famous first words. While often true, it does not mean that you need a simple “bad” website. You may become one of the many who finds out that they have spent valuable dollars and have nothing to show for it.
What is this thing called SEO (we’ll tell you)? Is it the next big thing in web (yes)? Do we as web site owners need it (usually)? What exactly does it do (we’ll tell you that too)?
If you find yourself asking these questions then you may not be surprised to find yourself in good company. That is because even those who are implementing SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, for their sites may not have a real understanding of what is being done and how it is helping them or if it is helping them. The other real truth is that if you have a business website then you probably do need SEO. SEO is becoming a standard requirement for anyone needing to be found on the web. And, these days, as web searches continue to replace the Yellow Pages, that is nearly everyone.
There are typically three services that sometimes get grouped into the category of SEO, but they are different. The goal of all three is the same, to be placed on the first page of search results.
Google search results for "Website Development Ridgeland." In search results for most search engines such as Google and Yahoo, "Organic" or "Natural" results are on the left, "Sponsored" or "Paid" results are on the right and sometimes at the top.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the practice of fine tuning a website to be attractive to search engines like Google, Yahoo and others, so that your site shows up higher in their search results for searches relevant to your site. The goal is normally to appear in the first page of the search results since many people do not look beyond the first page of results.
SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing. This is usually used to refer to Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, which is used to get around bad search engine ranking by buying your way to the first page in the Sponsor / Advertiser areas.
Search Engine Optimization Marketing is the practice of boosting organic search results using a variety of techniques such as “back links.” This is considered a form SEM, but since it only affects the organic results, it is different from PPC SEM.
The first, fundamental step in Search Engine Optimization is a onetime service for your site. It involves updating content in your site and updating information in the coding of the site to better reflect key terms and phrases people are using in their searches. You may come back and revisit and tune up your site periodically, but it is usually to tweak, not to rebuild, and so it is basically a fixed cost. Search Engine Marketing and SEO Marketing services, on the other hand, are continuous and continually funded and are a different service than the physical tune up of basic SEO. Although PPC SEM can be very effective very quickly if you have the budget, it is not as effective long term and is useless without continual funding. SEO Marketing, on the other hand, can be very effective medium and long term. Many website owners choose to implement SEO for long term results and PPC SEM until those results are realized.
SEO, SEM and SEO Marketing are all designed to do the same thing: get your website recognized and placed on the first page in search engine search results.
There are a lot of important factors to weigh when establishing your search engine strategy including location, type of business, online services offered, customer base and much more. Fortunately, there are professionals who can help you.
Today as web searches take the place of Yellow Pages and phone books, it is critical to have a solid presence in search results. Fortunately, the cost of Yellow Page ads can often easily cover or offset the cost of a basic SEO upgrade for your website and begin to provide longer lasting results.
Contact Think Webstore for more information on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
Think Webstore is a Mississippi based company that specializes in website design, web technologies, logo design, business identity and marketing strategy. Think Webstore is co-located with Advanced Microsystems (www.advmicrosystems.com), a company specializing in computer repair, networking and network administration.
If you like the majority of established businesses out there, after many visits and phone calls you have at least considered advertising in the Yellow Pages. If you are like many businesses, you have budgeted hundreds or thousands of dollars every year to advertise in the Yellow Pages with bold type listings, ad space and maybe even two colors.
So what is the hype with Google and other search engine searches. Well, the truth of the matter is that it is anything but hype. More and more people choose to search for business listings on their computers and phones using Google and other search engines rather than dragging out the phone book. In fact, more and more, you find people who haven’t even cracked open their phone books for the first time.
What is the interest in Google? Google makes it easy to look up just about any business by category or by name. It is so much easier that people are putting their phone books to rest.
The bad news for businesses is not that people are migrating to searches rather than using the Yellow Pages, it is that people use them differently and that the way people use search engine results id much more competitive than the way they use the Yellow Pages.
When someone is looking for a listing in the Yellow Pages, say they are looking for pizza, they will look up the category and usually scan the entire column, maybe look for another category and maybe look at the ads on the pages before committing to a phone call. That means that just being in the category may give you a fighting chance to attract some business. When people search on the internet, on the other hand, they usually have thousands of results in their list. Ironically, even with more results they tend to look at fewer. Many people don’t even look past the first page of results if there is a listing there that satisfies their need.
What does this mean for businesses? If people are choosing to use Google searches rather than the Yellow Pages and they are usually only at the first page of results, then you MUST be on the first page, which may only be 10 listings and perhaps a map with 10 listings (known as a ten pack). And the only way to get listed in the top ten is usually, you guessed it, through Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or if you are willing to pay more, through payed placement using Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
The good news is many businesses have already budgeted hundreds or thousands of dollars for this exact type of advertising through the Yellow Pages. If you have been spending big money on the Yellow Pages, then you might want to consider redirecting some of those valuable marketing and advertising dollars.
Contact thinkwebstore.com for more information on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
Think Webstore is a Mississippi based company that specializes in website design and web technology, logo and business identity design, marketing and business strategy. Think Webstore is co-located with Advanced Microsystems (www.advmicrosystems.com), who specializes in computer repair, networking and network administration.
Remote Data Security (Ridgeland, MS) launches it’s new website design, www.remotedatasecurity.net, promoting its secure remote data backup services. Headquartered in Ridgeland, Mississippi, Remote Data Security (RDS) serves clients internationally. See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/website-design-development/.
What is this thing called SEO (we’ll tell you)? Is it the next big thing in web (yes)? Do we as web site owners need it (usually)? What exactly does it do (we’ll tell you that too)? Do I need SEO in Jackson, MS?
If you find yourself asking these questions then you may not be surprised to find yourself in good company. That is because even those who are implementing SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, for their sites may not have a real understanding of what is being done and how it is helping them or if it is helping them. The other real truth is that if you have a business website then you probably do need SEO. SEO is becoming a standard requirement for anyone needing to be found on the web and SEO in Jackson, MS is no exception. And, these days, as web searches continue to replace the Yellow Pages, that is nearly everyone.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the practice of fine tuning a website to be attractive to search engines like Google, Yahoo and others, so that your site shows up higher in their search results for searches relevant to your site. The goal is normally to appear in the first page of the search results since many people do not look beyond the first page of results. Optimizing for local search is also key for example performing SEO in Jackson, MS would be critical to companies serving Central Mississippi.
The first step in Search Engine Optimization is a one time service for your site. You may come back and revisit and tune up your site periodically, but it is usually to tweak, not to rebuild, and so it is basically a fixed cost. Search Engine Marketing services, on the other hand, are continuous and continually funded and are a different service than the physical tune up of basic SEO. One version of SEM, Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, is used to get around search results and buy your way to the first page. Although PPC SEM can be very effective very quickly if you have the budget, it is not as effective long term and is useless without continual funding. A second version of SEM is used to boost organic SEO results using a variety of techniques. Many website owners choose to implement SEO for long term results and PPC SEM until those results are realized. Both SEO and SEM are designed to do the same thing: get your website recognized and placed on the first page in search engine search results.
There are plenty of factors to consider when choosing your SEO/SEM strategy – Are you a local company needing SEO in Jackson, MS with local customers or do you have a regional or national presence? Do you have a physical location? Are you selling merchandise online? What domain extension are you using? There are a lot of important factors to weigh when establishing your search engine strategy. Fortunately, there are professionals who can help you.
Today as web searches take the place of Yellow Pages and phone books, it is critical to have a solid presence in search results. Fortunately, the cost of Yellow Page ads can often easily cover the cost of a basic SEO upgrade for your website and begin to provide longer lasting results.
Contact thinkwebstore.com for more information on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
Think Webstore is a Mississippi based company that specializes in website design, web technologies, logo design, business identity, SEO in Jackson, MS and marketing strategy. Think Webstore is co-located with Advanced Microsystems (www.advmicrosystems.com), a company specializing in computer repair, networking and network administration.
Social Marketing using applications including Twitter, Facebook Fan Pages, Facebook Groups and email marketing.
Are you wondering how to use social apps like Facebook and Twitter as marketing tools? Well, it depends.
There are ways to actively and passively use social apps to promote your business, but before you get too excited, take care. Amateur use of these mediums often results in poor results. In social marketing, it is critical that advertising is not seen as advertising. If it is, 4 in 5 times you will lose.
Social marketing is about value. What does that mean for your business? How does it play with your website design, branding and web presence? Come in for a consultation. We will discuss what it means for your business specifically. And, get ready, it turns out to be a lot of fun in addition to rewarding when you utilize social channels the right way.
For more information on Facebook, Twitter and other Social Marketing tools and strategies contact us directly or, if you are in the Jackson, Mississippi area, we encourage you to stop by for a tour of our facilities and a quick, obligation free conversation.
Southeast Powerwash (Jackson, MS) launches it’s new website design, www.powerwash.ms, showcasing building exterior restorations and kitchen vent cleaning services, many of them in the Jackson, Mississippi area. See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
How Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) can help your business.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) are often confused for each other or are grouped together, much like people mistakenly group advertising, marketing and sales (a topic for a separate discussion). The fact is that they are separate practices.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an internal practice involving physically tuning up your site (the public side and the code side) so that it is appealing to search engines. Properly done, it can help you, immediately and over time, improve your ranking on the organic side of search results. Evaluating your site and code and appropriately integrating the content that is greatly sought by searchers in combination with specific registrations can have a substantial impact on your search engine placement.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) takes on two fundamental forms, organic and paid. Paid SEM is the practice of placing paid ads with search engines, which often appear to the right and above organic results. There is certainly a science and art to this practice but that is the fundamental behind the practice. Organic SEM strategies help to move a site up in the organic rankings. In either case, SEO is a practical and critical first step to any search engine based optimization or placement strategy.
Contact thinkwebstore.com for more information on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
Think Webstore is a Mississippi based company that specializes in website design and web technology, logo and business identity design, marketing and business strategy. Think Webstore is co-located with Advanced Microsystems (www.advmicrosystems.com), who specializes in computer repair, networking and network administration.
Little Giant Media (Louisville, KY) launches version 2 of their site, www.LittelGiantMedia.tv, showcasing an impressive video portfolio of broadcast, long form, short form and motion artistry. Their website design features a floating menu system, a simple design and a customized video player. See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
Primos Cafe (Jackson, MS and Ridgeland, MS) has a new face! We have updated our already hosted site, www.primoscafe.com, with a content management system, promotions, thinkMAIL email marketing and a new website design. Be sure to check out their blue plate specials and don’t forget about Fried Chicken Thursday or the best eggs and pancakes in town! See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
Logos are a specialty here at thinkwebstore.com. Whether you have a logo that needs upgrading, or are starting from scratch, we are ready to create a logo custom fit for your needs. So, how is that logo?
AroundTown (Oxford, MS) launches it’s Oxford website, www.aroundtown-oxford.com. This site features a content management system ripe with calendars, photogalleries, the thinkMAIL emarketing system and more. Oxford locals can now see what is going on around town including bands, movies, drink specials, restaurants, hotels, sporting events and entertainment. Best of all, it is a local service run by locals! See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
Think Webstore helps clients maximize their image with the best business cards in the business. Full color, double sided cards on heavy stock are in our standard package and our prices are better than competitive for custom design and printing. Come in for a look at some before and after business card designs. We will upgrade your business card first impression.
Rapad Drilling and Well Service (Jackson, MS and Laurel, MS) launched their new site, www.rapaddrilling.com, which features a portfolio of drilling equipment, a content management system, and an animated header as part of it’s new website design and website hosting package. See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
While we energetically promote our website design here in Jackson, we are also known for much more.
Our talents and services are much more extensive and include graphic design and illustration, logo design, business identity (logos, business cards, letterhead), ad design, brochure design, business and marketing consulting, remote data vaulting and security and more.
Stop by to see us and discuss our our complete line of service offerings, the problems we solve and the benefits that are in store. Above all else, we make it easy.
Hungry Lizard (Canton, MS) offers pet owners, pet store owners and bait shops crickets and other feeder insects online. Go to www.hungrylizard.com to check their new ecommerce site that features content management, a Foxy Cart shopping cart engine and automatic synching with Quickbooks to make bookkeeping for this ecommerce part of their business that much easier. See a list of Think Webstorewebsites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
Perhaps it should surprise us when yet another new client comes through the door telling us of the small fortune they have spent on a website and received nothing worthwhile in return. This recurring sad tale is just one place where we can add a silver lining. We not only provide high quality, well thought out website designs and website development, we also do it for an exceptionally fair price.
Don’t throw your money away on prefab’ed templates and poor hosting services. We will build a professionally designed custom website for you that integrates the principals of design, technology, business, usability and psychology to insure an effective web presence. That, along with local support, will put you back in good place that makes sense, where your resources and efforts, once again, pay off.
As part of an overall campaign to raise over $500,000, Think Webstore launched www.BoysandGirlsClubs.ms, in partnership with Nissan and Highland Colony Baptist Church produced a DVD distributed to churches and businesses, and helped plan the marketing campaign for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi (Headquarters in Jackson, MS). The entire planning and production timeframe was less than 8 weeks and the entire fund was raised, which helped to save two clubs and 1200 children’s afterschool mentoring and activity programs. The success of the campaign made life differences for all of the families of those 1200 children. Nissan and Leadership Greater Jackson also contributed to the engagement. See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
The Sultana Romance website, www.thesultanaromance.com, was launched in memory of the ship, The Sultana, that exploded on the Mississippi River carrying hundreds of Civil War POWs. The event wasn’t properly recognized or memorialized as John Wilkes Booth was shot at about the same time. The site features a fine art, period styled website design and a content management system to make updates easy. See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
Word and Worship Church (Jackson, MS), www.WordandWorshipChurch.com, launches their new site featuring a full content management system, a complete website hosting package, a YouTube fortified video presentation system and multiple photogallaries along with a progressive website design to appeal to their diverse congregation. See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
Woodridge Capital (Ridgeland, MS), a local investment capital group, launches their new site, www.WoodridgeCapital.com. The site features news blogs, a content management system and a fresh website design with access to their broadcast commercial video. See a list of thinkwebstore.com websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites. See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
The Massage Therapy Group (Jackson, MS), www.MassageTherapy.ms, is one of the Jackson areas premiere massage services drawing clients from as far as North Madison and Brandon. Their site features a full Content Management System, an artisitic website design, and a full website hosting package. Check out their website to see all of the massage modalities offered and to schedule an appointment. See a list of Think Webstore websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.
March 3rd marked our Year One Anniversary since our Grand Opening on March 3rd, 2008 at 3pm (3/3@3p)!
We are extremely appreciative for all of the opportunities we have had in the past year to work hard and smart. Our clients make our business, and we strive to make theirs with every bit of work and consulting we provide.
A big thank you to all of our “year one” clients and a big welcome to all of our new “year two” clients. We appreciate you all and look forward to continually improving our business and yours.
Good & Plenty, the OLDEST branded candy in the United States, is more than plenty with 3.5 servings per movie size box! Except for whomever ends up serving number 4.
What is up with the half serving? Have you ever stepped up to the bar, ordered a beer and been given HALF a bottle?
Is the plan to short the fourth comer? And, with 33 G&P candies per serving, that gives us 16.5 pieces of candy for the already shorted fourth serving. Are they planning on and promoting that nearly always found defective piece of candy, a.k.a the “nub”?
I have eaten plenty of Good & Plenty since Walgreen’s opened the “Don’t you wish you were at the movies” Isle of Candy Memorabilia. And, admittedly, I look forward to the “nub” piece of candy that is at least half shorter than the rest but sports a much higher than average candy coating to licorice ratio.
To the average consumer, the crazy per serving equation is admittedly a coin toss science if not just plain bunk (I say the 4.5 servings is really more like a solid 2 for the experienced consumer). We won’t even go into the missing grams of food stuff on the label (check out the label) and do the math to find 37.2 out of 40 grams accounted for leaving 2.8 grams of missing stuff per serving) and we can also agree that no one pays *that* much attention to the label when gobbling down these pink and white tasties. However, my thought is that we should at least *plan* for consistency and make it look as though it was at least thought through in perfect measure of perfect candies.
After all, they have had since 1893 to think it through.
For the record, I still love Good & Plenty, even the missing stuff.
In belief of all things silly and poignant to better illustrate the important things in life.
RIDGELAND — Think Webstore and sister store AMS Advanced Microsystems work together to assist small businesses compete with larger companies.
“The two stores together are like a mini-technology center,” said Jitu Patel, owner of AMS.
Think Webstore repairs and creates Web sites, brochures, and marketing services, while AMS focuses on installing phone and computer networks, network operations and computer repair.
“You come in with a problem and you leave with it solved,” Think Webstore owner Bryan Carter said of the companies’ relationship.
Patel has been working with AMS for 10 years. The Mississippi State University graduate worked for a consulting firm before leaving to start his own business.
“I’ve been around the block,” Carter said of his experience, which includes consulting for AT&T, Home Depot and others.
Carter, a Louisville, Ky., native, moved to Mississippi to work with a dot.com company.
Patel and Carter have been business partners the past three years and decided to open the two businesses together with an estimated start-up cost of $250,000.
Packages for custom Web sites start at $999.
The shops are located on Lake Harbour Drive in Charmant Station in Ridgeland and opened March 3.
“We take all the time and effort out of small business marketing, saving them time and money,” Carter said.
The unique store has worked with businesses ranging from insurance companies, construction, state agencies, retail companies and even some nonprofit organizations.
With a mission of doing big things for small businesses, Carter said the businesses stand behind what they believe in.
Store hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call (601) 856-2000 for Think Webstore or (601) 914-5764 for AMS.
Each week, The Clarion-Ledger’s Open for Business will feature new, expanded or recently relocated businesses in the Jackson metro area. To submit an item, call Alexandra Castellanos at (601) 961-7137.
thinkwebstore.com repairs and creates Web sites, brochures, and marketing services, while AMS focuses on installing phone and computer networks, network operations and computer repair.
Originally Published in:
The Clarion Ledger – Jackson, Miss.
Author: Alexandra Castellanos
Date: Mar 25, 2008
RIDGELAND – Think Webstore and sister store AMS Advanced Microsystems work together to assist small businesses compete with larger companies.
“The two stores together are like a mini-technology center,” said Jitu Patel, owner of AMS.
Think Webstore repairs and creates Web sites, brochures, and marketing services, while AMS focuses on installing phone and computer networks, network operations and computer repair.
“You come in with a problem and you leave with it solved,” Think Webstore owner Bryan Carter said of the companies’ relationship.
Patel has been working with AMS for 10 years. The Mississippi State University graduate worked for a consulting firm before leaving to start his own business.
“I’ve been around the block,” Carter said of his experience, which includes consulting for AT&T, Home Depot and others.
Carter, a Louisville, Ky., native, moved to Mississippi to work with a dot.com company.
Patel and Carter have been business partners the past three years and decided to open the two businesses together with an estimated start-up cost of $250,000.
Packages for custom Web sites start at $999.
The shops are located on Lake Harbour Drive in Charmant Station in Ridgeland and opened March 3.
“We take all the time and effort out of small business marketing, saving them time and money,” Carter said.
The unique store has worked with businesses ranging from insurance companies, construction, state agencies, retail companies and even some nonprofit organizations.
With a mission of doing big things for small businesses, Carter said the businesses stand behind what they believe in.
Store hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call (601) 856-2000 for Think Webstore or (601) 914-5764 for AMS.
Each week, The Clarion-Ledger’s Open for Business will feature new, expanded or recently relocated businesses in the Jackson metro area. To submit an item, call Alexandra Castellanos at (601) 961-7137.
I recently spoke with Bryan Carter, founder of Think Webstore, to get his thoughts on how entrepreneurs should approach their marketing strategies. Carter has a very interesting background in design, technology, psychology, and business. His experiences include being a national consultant and speaker, authoring journal and industry articles, working for a large advertising agency, and developing award winning multimedia learning tools. In 2007, he opened Think Webstore with a clear purpose in mind — to offer a “one-stop shop” for businesses and their marketing needs. The services offered include marketing strategy, website design and hosting, search engine optimization and marketing, e-mail marketing and advertising services for small and mid-sized businesses. Part of what makes Carter’s business model different is that he provides these services from a retail location versus a traditional office environment. Carter’s success is no accident. He knew his target market and designed a whole business around meeting the needs of that underserved market. Carter leveraged his experience and expertise in planning out the entire business concept in great detail and now has executed that plan diligently.
