I am out on my own now... private consultant.
I decided to breakout and do some things on my own; but I stand by GTS and their ability to help the market grow and succeed.
I am always available to answer people's questions. You can contact me at Scott.orth@gmail.com.
However, I emplore you to contact my two favorite people at GTS at davidl@gtsservices.com or Thomasf@gtsservices.com. They are very smart and will help you however you need.
I bid you all farewell. This blog will likely continue on; but possibly with another writer.
Best,
Scott Orth
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Influencing People to Buy
You have an ad in the phone book. Okay, but can your customers easily find you online? Do you run television ads? Do you do anything else in your community to convince people to buy from you?
Keep in mind, having a logo or a brand simply tells people who you are. It does not influence them or convince them to buy from you.
According to a recent survey, 39% of people said that what they find on the Internet influences them to buy from a certain source, or company. A far second was television at 12%, followed by radio and newspaper with 3% and 2% respectively. So what does this mean?
The phone book is where people go to find your phone number. It’s not often the place that convinces a customer that you are the better choice over your competitor.
The higher percentage on the Internet really makes sense if you think about it. First a customer finds your marketing message on a search engine. This first step often starts the process of brand building, so long as your message resonates with the customer. If they like your message on the search engine, they’ll then click on the ad and enter your website.
Unlike other sources of media, you are not charged a fee for how many pages you have on your site (like print), or how long someone connects with you (TV and radio). Instead, you have an open-ended opportunity to educate the customer about your business, tell them why you’re better than all the rest, make them feel comfortable with you, and give them easy options for how they want to communicate with you (phone, email, contact form, live chat).
But let’s jump back to step one; finding you on search engines. This is all based on the words they type in the search box. So what will they type? Windshield repair, cracked window, auto glass replacement?
To get a better idea of what people are searching, start with a tool like www.WordTracker.com. Based on your general search (i.e. “auto glass”) the tool will give you lists of other words and phrases, as well as an average number of times each term is searched on. This will give you a good base to know from where to start your online marketing activity.
Keep in mind, having a logo or a brand simply tells people who you are. It does not influence them or convince them to buy from you.
According to a recent survey, 39% of people said that what they find on the Internet influences them to buy from a certain source, or company. A far second was television at 12%, followed by radio and newspaper with 3% and 2% respectively. So what does this mean?
The phone book is where people go to find your phone number. It’s not often the place that convinces a customer that you are the better choice over your competitor.
The higher percentage on the Internet really makes sense if you think about it. First a customer finds your marketing message on a search engine. This first step often starts the process of brand building, so long as your message resonates with the customer. If they like your message on the search engine, they’ll then click on the ad and enter your website.
Unlike other sources of media, you are not charged a fee for how many pages you have on your site (like print), or how long someone connects with you (TV and radio). Instead, you have an open-ended opportunity to educate the customer about your business, tell them why you’re better than all the rest, make them feel comfortable with you, and give them easy options for how they want to communicate with you (phone, email, contact form, live chat).
But let’s jump back to step one; finding you on search engines. This is all based on the words they type in the search box. So what will they type? Windshield repair, cracked window, auto glass replacement?
To get a better idea of what people are searching, start with a tool like www.WordTracker.com. Based on your general search (i.e. “auto glass”) the tool will give you lists of other words and phrases, as well as an average number of times each term is searched on. This will give you a good base to know from where to start your online marketing activity.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Upcoming Shows and Presentations
Will you be in Las Vegas in November?
If you get a chance, come by and see one of my Internet Marketing presentations. I’ll be speaking for about 90 minutes each at NACE, IGA, and NWRA. Each presentation will be unique; although I’m quite sure there will be some crossover.
These won’t be your typical SEO 101 courses. No… instead, I’ll be giving some basics for those of you new to the online world (including some step by step guidance on organic optimization and Pay-per-Click); but I’ll also cover some advanced strategies that will help push you beyond your competition.
At NACE, I’ll focus on strategies for using online marketing to push offline success. In addition to some information about the web and the Internet, and some overall guidance on your website, I’ll also display some tools that may help build your offline business. (Wed 11/5 at 1:30pm - room WE25N)
At NWRA, I’ll cover some basics, but focus on ways to get immediate return on your marketing dollar. I’ll even give away a couple low-cost secrets to help those of you without a current website. (Fri 11/7 at 10:15am)
At IGA I’ll cover some topics similar to NWRA, but then delve into advanced strategies for gaining online presence. I’ll focus on some low-cost opportunities, but will also show you what you can do if you have a bit more money to spend. Finally, I’ll display specific tools to use to gain online presence. (Sat 11/8 10:30am)
If time allows, I'd like to look at some live websites in each session. If you will be present and are interested in a live review of your site, please let me know by commenting - or by sending me an email at scotto@gtsservices.com.
If you get a chance, come by and see one of my Internet Marketing presentations. I’ll be speaking for about 90 minutes each at NACE, IGA, and NWRA. Each presentation will be unique; although I’m quite sure there will be some crossover.
These won’t be your typical SEO 101 courses. No… instead, I’ll be giving some basics for those of you new to the online world (including some step by step guidance on organic optimization and Pay-per-Click); but I’ll also cover some advanced strategies that will help push you beyond your competition.
At NACE, I’ll focus on strategies for using online marketing to push offline success. In addition to some information about the web and the Internet, and some overall guidance on your website, I’ll also display some tools that may help build your offline business. (Wed 11/5 at 1:30pm - room WE25N)
At NWRA, I’ll cover some basics, but focus on ways to get immediate return on your marketing dollar. I’ll even give away a couple low-cost secrets to help those of you without a current website. (Fri 11/7 at 10:15am)
At IGA I’ll cover some topics similar to NWRA, but then delve into advanced strategies for gaining online presence. I’ll focus on some low-cost opportunities, but will also show you what you can do if you have a bit more money to spend. Finally, I’ll display specific tools to use to gain online presence. (Sat 11/8 10:30am)
If time allows, I'd like to look at some live websites in each session. If you will be present and are interested in a live review of your site, please let me know by commenting - or by sending me an email at scotto@gtsservices.com.
Monday, October 13, 2008
GlassBuild America Roundup
I’m back in the office after a week in Las Vegas at GlassBuild America. There seemed to be a great attendee turnout, even with the economy slump.
GTS did well with a booth, plus the big Microsoft Travel Across America Truck, and feedback from other vendors was good as well. As for Vegas, well what can I say – I’ve been there three times this year already, and will be there again for NACE, SEMA, NWRA, IGA, and AAPEX in November, plus another week for PubCon (www.pubcon.org) the following week.
If you plan to be at NACE, don’t be surprised to find me hiding in a corner somewhere; I can only take so much of Vegas, and I’m already past my limit.
A highlight at GlassBuild for me was speaking on the Retail Glass Seminar panel for “Marketing the Works”. The panel was designed to give real examples of marketing campaigns that have worked for retail and full service glass shops.
Bill Evans from www.evansglasscompany.com was there and showed us a handful of his television commercials that run in his market. I think he has around 20 different commercials. Bill does a lot to create an image in his market, and he has a great website to back up his marketing efforts.
Also on the panel was Mark Pritikin from www.creativemirror.com. He also brought along some television commercials that he runs in his area, and he talked briefly about the importance on focusing on new media and on the Internet specifically.
And finally, Cynthia Crosby from Brandner Communications was there to talk about their marketing campaigns for TGP (www.tgpamerica.com). If you recall, this was one of my personal favorites from the US Glass Best of the Web contest (http://onlineobservations.blogspot.com/2008/08/best-of-web-contest.html). Cynthia displayed some of the great print materials they’ve put out, as well as some sophisticated packaged marketing materials and product samples.
All in all, there seemed to be a consistent message that marketing works, but you need to invest in it – even with risk. You should monitor your marketing endeavors closely to know what’s working and what’s not, and you should look to the Internet to get the best bang for your marketing buck.
GTS did well with a booth, plus the big Microsoft Travel Across America Truck, and feedback from other vendors was good as well. As for Vegas, well what can I say – I’ve been there three times this year already, and will be there again for NACE, SEMA, NWRA, IGA, and AAPEX in November, plus another week for PubCon (www.pubcon.org) the following week.
If you plan to be at NACE, don’t be surprised to find me hiding in a corner somewhere; I can only take so much of Vegas, and I’m already past my limit.
A highlight at GlassBuild for me was speaking on the Retail Glass Seminar panel for “Marketing the Works”. The panel was designed to give real examples of marketing campaigns that have worked for retail and full service glass shops.
Bill Evans from www.evansglasscompany.com was there and showed us a handful of his television commercials that run in his market. I think he has around 20 different commercials. Bill does a lot to create an image in his market, and he has a great website to back up his marketing efforts.
Also on the panel was Mark Pritikin from www.creativemirror.com. He also brought along some television commercials that he runs in his area, and he talked briefly about the importance on focusing on new media and on the Internet specifically.
And finally, Cynthia Crosby from Brandner Communications was there to talk about their marketing campaigns for TGP (www.tgpamerica.com). If you recall, this was one of my personal favorites from the US Glass Best of the Web contest (http://onlineobservations.blogspot.com/2008/08/best-of-web-contest.html). Cynthia displayed some of the great print materials they’ve put out, as well as some sophisticated packaged marketing materials and product samples.
All in all, there seemed to be a consistent message that marketing works, but you need to invest in it – even with risk. You should monitor your marketing endeavors closely to know what’s working and what’s not, and you should look to the Internet to get the best bang for your marketing buck.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Someone is Spying on You!
When’s the last time to looked at your competitor’s website? Have you checked to see what kind of online advertising they’re doing? Do you know how much traffic they get to their site, or how many other sites link to them? Any idea how well optimized their site is, or how well they are positioned to get new customers?
Well, they may very well be looking at you – and you should do the same. The Internet has given us a great ability to track what’s happening on our own website(s), but it’s also given us the unique ability to lift the hood a little bit to see what’s happening with your competitor’s website.
GTS invested quite a bit of money into tools to see deeper, but any of you can see some cools stuff…at least trends and averages, with little to no cost.
Well, they may very well be looking at you – and you should do the same. The Internet has given us a great ability to track what’s happening on our own website(s), but it’s also given us the unique ability to lift the hood a little bit to see what’s happening with your competitor’s website.
GTS invested quite a bit of money into tools to see deeper, but any of you can see some cools stuff…at least trends and averages, with little to no cost.
- A good place to start is with Google Alerts (http://google.com/webalerts). This allows you to enter a name or keyword; yours or a competitor, and if a listing ever shows up in Google using those words, they’ll send you an email letting you know. Being notified of your own name or company name is a great way to start into Reputation Management. Something I’ll discuss in a future post.
- www.Compete.com is a great place to get details on your competitor websites, and compare several sites to see where each stands in the online market.
- www.myriadsearch.com is simple tool that brings the top listings of each major search engine into one portal. It allows you to search on a key term and see who shows up on each engine. You can do this on your own – the tool just makes it a little easier.
There are a bunch of other tools out there. If you know of one, feel free to post it in a comment. If you’d like to know more about some cool technical tools (if you understand HTML and SEO), leave me a comment and I’ll share.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Google's New Browser to Launch Today!
Yikes – my travel schedule has gotten bit crazy this month, hence the lack in posts. Well, to get back in the saddle, let’s start with some exciting breaking news about Google…
What browser do you currently use? Internet Explorer (IE)? Mozilla Firefox? Maybe some smaller browser like Netscape or Safari?
Well get ready. Any minute (literally) Google will be launching and announcing Google Chrome – Beta. Google’s new open source browser is likely to steal a large share of Microsoft’s browser market – already slashed by higher than expected adoption of Mozilla’s Firefox browser.
Google has been hinting about Chrome lately, and some screenshots and broken videos on a temporary Google Chrome page have been caught by savvy Google stockers (the web’s version of paparazzi). But Google is expected to officially announce the launch of Chrome at 11am PST today, from their California Headquarters.
Expect a little more out of Google’s Chrome browser. Staci Kramer of PaidContent.org called it the Swiss-Army knife of browsers, with additional sets of roles and features, like enhanced JavaScript and tabbed browsing.
Poor Microsoft – what will they do now? Honestly, I like Microsoft – or maybe I’m just used to their products; but either way it will be interesting to see how this new browser heats up the Microsoft-Google war on Internet technology.
What browser do you currently use? Internet Explorer (IE)? Mozilla Firefox? Maybe some smaller browser like Netscape or Safari?
Well get ready. Any minute (literally) Google will be launching and announcing Google Chrome – Beta. Google’s new open source browser is likely to steal a large share of Microsoft’s browser market – already slashed by higher than expected adoption of Mozilla’s Firefox browser.
Google has been hinting about Chrome lately, and some screenshots and broken videos on a temporary Google Chrome page have been caught by savvy Google stockers (the web’s version of paparazzi). But Google is expected to officially announce the launch of Chrome at 11am PST today, from their California Headquarters.
Expect a little more out of Google’s Chrome browser. Staci Kramer of PaidContent.org called it the Swiss-Army knife of browsers, with additional sets of roles and features, like enhanced JavaScript and tabbed browsing.
Poor Microsoft – what will they do now? Honestly, I like Microsoft – or maybe I’m just used to their products; but either way it will be interesting to see how this new browser heats up the Microsoft-Google war on Internet technology.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Local Optimization
I’ve talked at length about organic optimization; but unless you’ve sat through one of my locally-focused webinars or presentations, you may not yet understand how local search results differ from “normal” search results.
We need to assume a few things for this discussion:
1) We’re focusing on Google, since they matter most anyway.
2) Your customer searches for a general term like ‘windshield replacement’. They do NOT add a local descriptor like the city name
3) Your shop(s) only cover a small geographical area in one town or city
4) We’re talking about organic results – not Pay-per-Click (PPC)
With the above assumptions in mind, let’s go through a customer scenario.
Joe Bob is sitting at home, pondering what to do about his broken windshield. He jumps on Google and types in a general windshield replacement related search term. His Google results will typically be displayed in one of three ways:
1) National results, based on a general search term.
He will receive national listings, but will also get a few locally targeted listings based on the geographic location of his IP address as tracked by Google (about 90% accurate depending on your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
2) Highly customized results
He will receive results customized to his search history, location, and other criteria if he is logged in to a Google account. These results will be mostly locally focused.
3) Local listings based on Google Maps
If he types in a company name that includes a city, street, or similar name, he may be given the Google Maps local search results display.
In any of the above cases, you have a good chance of showing up in these locally based organic results if you focus optimization efforts on your locality. This can come in many forms, depending on your location, number of shops, and local competition.
As an example though, you should have location pages for each physical address (shop location). Each page should be optimized with physical address, phone number, street information, neighborhood details, local parades, charities, clubs…anything that gives a local flare to each page.
There’s more to this than I can cover in a post, but don’t list all of your locations on a single page. It will dilute the strength of each location’s optimization. This is also great if you belong to any local chambers, clubs, or charity events; as it gives you a wonderful opportunity to expose your contributions to the local community.
We need to assume a few things for this discussion:
1) We’re focusing on Google, since they matter most anyway.
2) Your customer searches for a general term like ‘windshield replacement’. They do NOT add a local descriptor like the city name
3) Your shop(s) only cover a small geographical area in one town or city
4) We’re talking about organic results – not Pay-per-Click (PPC)
With the above assumptions in mind, let’s go through a customer scenario.
Joe Bob is sitting at home, pondering what to do about his broken windshield. He jumps on Google and types in a general windshield replacement related search term. His Google results will typically be displayed in one of three ways:
1) National results, based on a general search term.
He will receive national listings, but will also get a few locally targeted listings based on the geographic location of his IP address as tracked by Google (about 90% accurate depending on your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
2) Highly customized results
He will receive results customized to his search history, location, and other criteria if he is logged in to a Google account. These results will be mostly locally focused.
3) Local listings based on Google Maps
If he types in a company name that includes a city, street, or similar name, he may be given the Google Maps local search results display.
In any of the above cases, you have a good chance of showing up in these locally based organic results if you focus optimization efforts on your locality. This can come in many forms, depending on your location, number of shops, and local competition.
As an example though, you should have location pages for each physical address (shop location). Each page should be optimized with physical address, phone number, street information, neighborhood details, local parades, charities, clubs…anything that gives a local flare to each page.
There’s more to this than I can cover in a post, but don’t list all of your locations on a single page. It will dilute the strength of each location’s optimization. This is also great if you belong to any local chambers, clubs, or charity events; as it gives you a wonderful opportunity to expose your contributions to the local community.
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