online marketing 101 - turfgrass producers international
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Confused about where to start with online marketing or are you an old hand who is looking for a few tips on how to improve? Join us for this mumbo-jumbo, techno-babble free talk on how online marketing can be used to grow your business. We'll cover pay per click, local search listings, search engine optimization and social media and how it can work for you. You'll walk away with both the strategic (the why) and the tractical (the how) aspects of online marketing that can be immediately used to increase the number of leads that you get from the internet. Our speaker, Lee Gientke, is the Managing Partner at Webmix Marketing, a Utah based marketing agency that helps small and medium sized businesses grow. They specialize in online marketing, direct mail and marketing strategy. Gientke has nearly a decade of experience helping small and medium size businesses grow with his creative yet practical marketing solutions that focus on return on investment and lead generation.TRANSCRIPT
Online Marketing 1012013 TPI Midwinter Conference
About Me…• First “real” job was doing SEO, PPC, online marketing and
catalogue for neutraceutics firm ten+ years ago• Moved to second largest sub-prime lead generation firm in
the country• Recruited to Utah to work for online marketing agency that
was recently acquired by Deluxe (the check company)• Started Webmix Marketing 4+ years ago, doing SEO, PPC,
direct mail and marketing strategy for home services companies (primarily)
• Golfer, Crossfitter, cat lover, and Sagittarius
Begin with a Goal in Mind
WHY? • Few SMBs ask why they are doing something or have clearly
defined objectives – Competitive pressure – Ignorance – WOW factor (I’m the only one with this shiny widget (app, Facebook
page, etc.) – Marketing is not aligned with business objectives, i.e. attracting a
specific type of customer
• Most SMBs fall into the HOW trap – Vendor/employee presents nice sounding stats on visitors to a website
or something without any relationship to your business goals• “Branding” is never a reason unless you are Coca-Cola.
• Traffic• Awareness• Retention• Leads/Sales
Some Goals
Search Engine Marketing
People are looking for you
82% of Local Searchers follow up offline via an in-store visit, phone call, or purchase, emphasizing the importance for marketers to integrate their on- and offline information. Of these, 61% made purchases.
–TMP Directional Marketing
Over 33% of all Google searches from a desktop are about a place and include a local qualifier such as city, state, zip code, etc.
–Ed Parsons, Google Engineer, 2012
53% of all Bing searches from a mobile device are looking for a local service or product.
–Stefan Weitz, Microsoft
But can they find you? • Less than 50% of the 18-20 million
local small businesses are online• Only a small percentage of those who
are online are actively advertising on Google, Yahoo and other sites
• Consumers are more and more relying on mobile devices to conduct business.
• Millions of potential businesses will start advertising online in the next few years
• Know they need to be online, but, “where do I begin?”
Why is online marketing the best use of my limited advertising budget?
Highly Measurable ROI Low Cost of Entry Cost Effective Change copy or advertisements at anytime Only paying for customers looking for your product or service
How does it work?
1. Local Business Listings
2. Natural Listings
3. Sponsored Links
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Local Business Listings
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Local Business Listings are free but you have to claim your listing
Google:
https://www.google.com/places
Yahoo:
http://listings.local.yahoo.com
Bing.com
http://www.bing.com/businessportal
Important Pieces of Local Listings
• Use specific keywords when creating your listing– More keywords (within reason) the better
• Write a complete description of your business – The search engines use your description to determine relevance for
various searches (Reston Pest control vs. Reston exterminator vs. Reston ant control)
• Double check contact details– Consider obtaining a call tracking number for your online advertising
efforts
“Natural Listings”
Search Engines are ultimate democracies. Your website’s placement is determined by other people linking to you and the content on your site.
• Be descriptive
• Some ideas of where to get links for your site:
•Local Chamber of Commerce
•Local Newspaper website
•TPI
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Natural Listings II
What the link says is important too
Reston Sod Farmis better than
Chuck’s A+ Sod
In geek speak, this is called “anchor text”
Sponsored Listings
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Search Engines make their money when you click on an advertisement
Advertisers bid on keywords like art collectors at an auction.
- Generally speaking, the ad with the most clicks and highest bid wins highest placement
-Successful paid advertising hinges around three things:
- Your keywords-Ad Copy-Managing your ROI
Sponsored Listings II• Ad Copy
– Ad copy should be compelling and benefits oriented. Why would someone want to visit your website? • Are you giving a discount? Have you been in business since 1909? Are you
BBB rated? If so, tell me but make it brief. • For Google, put your phone number in the ad
• Keyword Selection– Use local modifiers plus keywords that describe your business.
• “Pest Control 20170” is similar but distinct from “Reston Pest Control”. • Don’t forget local slang like “tri-state pest control”
• Managing to Your Return on Investment– The internet is trackable. You should keep track of expenses and adjust your
expenditures accordingly. • Google has great analytics software and it’s FREE! • Use a call tracking phone number on your website and in your online campaigns to
measure calls and customers.
Social Media
Three quick case studies on social media success
The Case for Blogging
• Google rewards websites with fresh content
• Provides a needed service for their audience.
• Your blog can be your best presales tool
• Blogs are interactive and prospects and current customers can leave comments behind
WHAT: Full Apartments, HOW: Blog
•75,000 Unique Visitors a month
• Occupancy rates above 96%... In DETROIT!
“We craft content on our Web site that can be shared, which raises our chances exponentially for exposure. It takes a while, but you have to plant the seeds.”
-Eric BrownOwner Urbane Apartments
Answering Questions
Blog bailed River Pool out
2005 - Partner Embezzled $200,0002008 – Beginning of Great Recession 2009 – Discovers blogging2011 – Rockin’!
Answering Questions
Your blog as a pre-sales tool
Set the hook before they are in the water by answering questions!
And don’t be afraid of other things…
Answering Questions
Your blog as a pre-sales tool
Set the hook before they are in the water by answering questions!
And don’t be afraid of other things…
PCO Business Solutions Group
Want to Hire? Top 10 Questions to Ask1. What is your current client load2. What is the average size of your client? 3. How many w-2 employees? Is everyone based in the US?4. Are you a Google Authorized Reseller or Google Adwords
Certified?5. Do you guarantee top 10 results within X period of time? 6. Do you start with SEO or PPC? 7. Describe your process for keyword selection8. How long have you been in business? 9. How do you optimize and test for results? 10. Have any of your clients ever been blacklisted or penalized by the
search engines?
Q&A/Contact meContact Me:
Lee Gientke Managing Partner
Webmix [email protected]
805/455-7415
Download this presentation at www.webmixmarketing.com/tpi