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WEB PRESENCE

Making the connection between an Owner Operator and their Business

Where we diverge from most Internet Marketing companies is our special understanding of businesses that are closely held companies, most often Owner Operator managed. We have found that these businesses gain thier very identity from the stregnth of the personna projected by the individual running the operation. It is his, or her, unique personnality that customers have related to over time, and it is critical in transitioning the business into the digital age to fully capture that personna, or embellish on it, as part of the communication of the Brand.

In fact, this process often leads to some very signifigant transitions for the owner. As they begin to externalize their concept of Brand/Business they find themselves freed to work on their business and not in their business. This can be a liberating transition, and often leads to clearer focus on revenue growth, profitability, and even exit strategy.

How does the process begin?

In increasing numbers, consumers are searching for and engaging with local businesses by using the internet. Both on a cell phone while already out shopping, or from a desktop while researching products and stores, consumers are using digital media in place of phone books to locate local businesses. Location Traffic can provide everything a business needs to optimize a Web Presence and get found online.

We consult with you to create and execute the perfect Web Presence strategy for you, and your business. Our general steps look something like below:

  • Set up your social profiles, online directories, and a custom web site that serves as your content hub

  • Develop a Content Strategy that drives the unique content we create about your business across the Web

  • Listen for mentions, comments, and reviews of your business and engage with consumers.

  • Utilize analytics data from consumer response to develop new content and engagement tactics

Integrating the Owner Operators professional network

Once the initial layers of the existing business information are in place, we are often asked how to integrate the owner’s professional network with the content hub that has been created. This is especially relevant for B to B type organizations, or companies that rely on professional credentialing for referrals. At this point Location Traffic reviews the individual’s web presence (online reputation), and creates a plan to update, and integrate relevant social platforms. Our process may involve developing a set of unique statements for the individual, creating or modifying a part of their business web site, to re-writing a resume. We then distribute this communication message, over time, to multiple platforms as a way of projecting the business’s persona and substantiating creditability.

Posted: 5/14/2011 1:46:39 PM by Shepard Morrow



INTERNET MARKETING PROCESS


Internet Marketing Process

As an Internet Marketing Consultant often I have heard a business owner say:

“I had a friend’s son, or a brother in law, design our website.

NOW I want you to do some SEO, so we get more visitors. Just do the SEO; I do not need any SEO marketing monthly. All I want is for my site to show up when people search for my product or service."

With Google’s dominance in search,
    their rules for how pages display,
        the increasing importance of directories and the growth of social media,
            the complexity of online marketing channels and
                building a web presence has increased.

A content strategy and site architecture that relies on competitor and keyword research will increase site rankings, on page SEO should always be part of the website design process… 

And this is just the beginning. Showing up when people search for you, or your products, is the “traffic” part of the SEO equation. There is more to using Internet Marketing to help improve a business:



Most business situations have some similarities, most owner perspectives are unique.

We are not web designers. We are experienced Internet Marketing Consultants, with a passion for improving business revenues and the customer focus of the companies and executives we work for.
Posted: 5/15/2011 5:47:15 PM by Shepard Morrow



Case Study: Bicycle Shop

Increasing Sales with Location Traffic

When Ross Hart first launched his Web site in 1998, he really wasn’t that interested in the Internet – he just had a local student create a page for him because everyone else was doing it. His bike shop, Hart’s Cyclery, was doing well; and he was enjoying being a hands-on owner. Considering himself as “just a bike guy” above all else, Ross’s top priority was individualized customer service, making sure that customers felt welcome, comfortable with the advice they got at Hart’s, and pleased with their purchases.

This commitment to personal service has not changed in more than 20 years at Hart’s – but the way the store advertises to local customers certainly has. Let’s take a look at how Hart’s Cyclery, working with Shepard Morrow at Location Traffic, has evolved into a more efficient, marketing-driven business – with sales increases of more than 30% to show for its new Internet marketing strategy. (Download Case study Here...)


 
 
Posted: 5/24/2011 3:39:51 PM by Shepard Morrow



RETAIL MARKETING

In the News

Inventory and meeting customer needs have changed considerably since Morrow joined the Hart’s team. The store doesn’t sell its merchandise online, but it does advertise what it offers, and Shep has been able to track which items have been getting the most clicks. The data has translated into the shop’s operation, from where to display certain bikes to which products should be kept in greater supply, and it’s made a positive impact on sales.

“We’ve seen measurable results,” Hart says.

More...
Posted: 9/5/2011 12:26:54 PM by Shepard Morrow



Work on Your Business, Not In Your Business
Family Business: Change

Entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs because they’re go-getters who aren’t afraid of working long, hard hours, learning whatever new skills they need to succeed, and keeping a tight control over every facet of their business to make sure that everything goes according to plan. They’re like Burt in Mary Poppins with his one-man band, or a vaudeville performer spinning plates or basketballs on poles and racing back and forth to keep the whole thing from toppling over.

In the beginning, entrepreneurs and new business owners have to work this way because they’re often alone or part of an extremely small crew. They need to fight tooth and nail to get the company off the ground and keep it from going under.

Family Business: Business ConsultingBut working this way is exhausting, stressful, and frustrating. On a personal level, it can lead to burnout, but for your business, it can cause mistakes. Long term concerns that are important to the business’s future (the things that the company head should be working on) tend to be pushed to the backburner in favor of tasks that absolutely have to be completed in a timely manner. And perhaps even more importantly, companies can’t expand if there’s only one person to handle every single task.

The solution is obvious: you have to take a step back from day-to-day operations so you can free yourself up for big picture problems. But saying that and doing it are two very different things, so here are some things you need to think about (and, possibly, fix) before you move full steam ahead.

Change your mindset. It’s not easy to go from the person who does everything to looking for new people to hire or current employees to develop to take on what have been your responsibilities. Not only will you have to learn new things (like how to scout potential workers, how to interview people effectively, and how to manage), you’ll need to break habits as well so that you aren’t constantly hovering over your employees and making them feel like you don’t have any trust in them.

Put systems into place. Delegating to employees doesn’t mean that you have to give up all of your control. In fact, before you hire people to sit at desks (or however it works in your company), it’s vital that you lay down the law in terms of how things should work. You need systems and procedures for how each department should work both independently and as a cohesive group for the betterment of the entire organization. This means learning how to put into words all of that plate-spinning that you were doing, as well as finding process improvements that you always intended to implement but never had time for while running yourself ragged.

Employees or freelancers? You may think that it doesn’t matter a whole lot as long as you get good people, but there are big differences between the two – both to your bottom line and in how much control you have over them. Hiring someone as an employee means that you can do things like hold work reviews, discipline them for poor work or behavioral issues, and (if they’re salaried) ask them to take on extra work for the good of the company without extra pay. However, you also may have to pay for things like extra taxes, insurance, and sick and vacation days, as well as less-considered amenities such as restrooms, break rooms, desks, computers, and so on. A good freelancer can be a fantastic way to get the help you need while still keeping your business lean and mean.

The right people… and the wrong ones. When hiring people, regardless of whether they’re freelancers or employees, it’s important that you take the time to ensure that they are the right ones for you and your business. That means they have to be smart and talented, obviously, but it’s just as important that you work well together and possess the ability to communicate effectively. No matter what, though, having someone work for you means that you’re creating the possibility that you may have to fire them if things don’t go well. With employees, that process is a lot harder than it is with freelancers.

You can do better than, well, you. As good as entrepreneurs are at wearing lots of hats, the best ones freely admit that there are a lot of people out there who are better at doing things like accounting, marketing, and whatever other tasks it takes to run the day-to-day operations. Sure, you can become moderately skilled in graphic design with a little research and practice, but don’t you think someone who’s been doing it for a decade will do a better job?

Consider a business consultant. If you’ve been mired in the day-to-day operations for some time now, it’s often hard to see the forest through the trees. While it’s true that no one knows your business like you do, sometimes being too close is the problem. You might want to look into working with an outside person who has experience running a business, has guided others go through this process, and is knowledgeable about the long-term, big picture issues you will now be focusing on. Business consulting with a consultant that understands internet marketing, and how to grow a business can be invaluable resource for entrepreneurs who need a different perspective.

No matter what, it’s all about delegation. Find the right people to come in and help you, and you’re ensuring that the regular operations of the business will run just fine without you so that you can free yourself up to concentrate on growth.
 
Posted: 1/14/2013 11:50:20 AM by Shepard Morrow