Geeks like us LOVE events like this because we get to take what we are passionate about – helping businesses grow via the internet – into the public arena and meet people face to face!

FREE MARKETING HELP – BOOTH #25

If you are a Gainesville area business owner and need some help or just have questions about your website, SEO, Social Media or ways to market your brand, stop by our booth tonight. Here are two great reasons why:

First, we will be raffling off a very nice $250 SEO  “Fast Start” package that will give you the research, planning and tools you need to get started.

Secondly, we will be performing LIVE website audits at our booth.  The audit consist of a 19pt checklist covering SEO, design, visitor friendliness and will provide you with tips on what you can do IMMEDIATELY to improve your website.  Now, I have to warn you, when we offer these up, there’s usually a line… get in early and lets take a look at your site!

Business Showcase Information

The post Free Marketing Help: Live at the Business Showcase Today appeared first on Online Potential | Gainesville Fl Internet Marketing.

Have you registered?

If not, here are 5 reasons why you should change your mind today:

1. Personal Productivity and Time Management – David Allen, perhaps the most well known productivity consultant EVER, is speaking.  His “Getting Things Done (GTD) Methodology is also a best selling book that we’ve written about here.

2. Networking – does networking play a role in your business growth?  Where else are you going to have a chance to get together with 700+ local business owners, leaders, managers and like-minded individuals?

3. Free Stuff – there is a LONG list of sponsors this year for the event, to include us here at Online Potential inc.  Sponsors will have prizes, giveaways and other goodies that you will want to register for.  Last year, someone left with a brand new iPad 2!  One of the sponsors is I LOVE N.Y. Pizza – you will want to be sure and visit their booth.  I have a feeling their giveaways will GO QUICKLY.

4. Return On Investment – As someone who heavily invests in education and training, I cannot provide this caliber of leadership training to my team for this low price.  Your ROI will be incredible – just think about the conversations you can have with team members who attend about the practical applications of each speakers lessons!

5. You Deserve It – and your business needs it.  Effective leaders make time for personal growth…when was the last time you just took an entire work day and devoted it to self-improvement?

Money Saving Tip:  get together with colleagues and friends and bring a group.  If you pr-register as a group prior to April 28th, you will shave $20 off the at-the-door price. 

Register Here

The post Chick-fil-A Leadercast: 5 Reasons You Should Attend this Year appeared first on Online Potential | Gainesville Fl Internet Marketing.

Featuring Senior Marketing Strategist Drew Allen

In this web teaching event, Drew Allen walks you through simple but vital things that you need to focus on in order to make your website truly be effective.  Whether you are a brand new business building out your first website or you’ve been marketing for decades, the “7 Habits of Highly Effective Websites” is filled with example sites and recommendations that will help you improve your web marketing

Got questions about your website or problems you are having with yours marketing?  Let’s chat.

Click Here to Contact Us

Want the Slide Deck?  Check it out on Slideshare:

The post 7 Habits of Highly Effective Websites [Webinar Replay] appeared first on Online Potential | Gainesville Fl Internet Marketing.

Whether you are just starting your first business or you’ve been in business for decades, one thing is CERTAIN: Your business needs to have an EFFECTIVE website.

Not just any ol’ website.

A website that does it’s JOB.

And here’s what I mean by that – you should think of your website line an EMPLOYEE. Your website is out there working for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The question is, how effectively is it doing its job?

Join us on March 26th for a Free Webinar

Senior Marketing Strategist, Drew Allen, tees up 7 important keys that will make your website more effective, measurable and PROFITABLE. More than a lesson in website design, Drew is going to cover topics such as:

There will be key takeaways for everyone and if you have specific questions about YOUR website let us know by commenting below and I will be sure to ask Drew during the webinar.

The post Free Webinar on March 26th: 7 Habits of Highly Effective Websites appeared first on Online Potential | Gainesville Fl Internet Marketing.

Google’s local listings are an important part of being found online for local businesses and we’ve blogged about this frequently.  Unfortunately, Google + listings (formerly known as Google places listings) are MESSY and can be extremely frustrating.

We are going to detail the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Google + listings to help you overcome obstacles and use this extremely valuable resource.

Local SEO – The Good

1 in 3 searches at Google today are related to local.  Ed Parsons of Google recently gave a talk on this very subject and stated that “about 1 in 3 of queries that people just type into a standard Google search bar are about places, they are about finding out information about locations…”.

Google overwhelmingly owns local searches performed here in the U.S. and as we’ve all seen, Google+ listings tend to dominate those search results.  Optimizing your business’ listing can give you a DISTINCT advantage over much larger competitors and help drive new customer calls and website visits.

Example:
Dr. Scott Koppel is a local podiatrist and has hired us to improve his online visibility.  Optimizing his local business listing has driven significant new traffic to his website and generated many new patients…just this year alone.  As you can see, his local business places listing is actually located above and separate from all the others:

Local SEO – The Bad

Google did a poor job when they transitioned their business listings from Google places (maps) to their new social platform-based Google + listings.  The terminology changes from Google maps listings to Google places listings to now Google + listings has confused many business owners who are left scratching their heads trying to understand where to find information and just want one simple answer:  “HOW CAN I LIST MY BUSINESS HERE IN NORTH FLORIDA???”

Thousands of businesses are trying to deal with a variety of listing problems:

• They can’t get their listings verified
• Their business address is incorrect
• Their valuable customer reviews have vanished
• Their business won’t display in the categories associated with their services

Our agency literally gets calls monthly from businesses here in Gainesville that are trying to fix problems with local listings.  It’s a boondoggle and extremely frustrating but there are resources and we can help.

And The Ugly

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of all of this is the fact that Google, with it’s vast resources has FAILED to provide adequate support for their local business listings.  They rushed the transition to Google + business listings and have not, until very recently, even provided any type of phone-based support to help fix the issues.  We expect better from Google… you are the industry leader and should help business owners.  If Google does this, it’s a win for everyone.

Got questions about your businesses local SEO?  Comments on problems you’ve had?  We would love to hear them below!

The post Google Places for Business: the Good the Bad and the Ugly appeared first on Online Potential | Gainesville Fl Internet Marketing.

Internet Marketing Account Manager Job Description

Summary – here at Online Potential, the customer relationship is vital to the success of our organization.  The person responsible for maintaining the client’s perception the MOST is the person that holds the key to our referral growth.  These five fundamentals rules should guide you:

• Show up on time.

• Do what you say you will do.

• Finish what you start.

• Say please and thank you.

• Give a little more than they expect.

This customer facing role requires someone possessing a servant mentality, high character and a gritty determination to drive through obstacles to get projects finished.  This role also requires an individual possessing a blend of marketing, technical and people skills that is fairly unique. Externally, our account managers will be the face of the Online Potential brand and will drive growth.  Internally, they will wield tremendous influence over team members and therefore must be both detail and team oriented, passionate and upbeat and capable of reinforcing a customer-centric culture.

Business Development Responsibilities

• Generating new revenue through closing sales by acquiring new business customers and growing existing customers.
• Responsible for daily cold calling appointment-setting with key decision makers.
• Promote Online Potential’s corporate image in all business interactions with prospective customers.
• Develop new business leads through networking.
• Educate business community on Online Potential’s product lines in assigned territory.
• Design effective proposals and quotations, and respond in a timely manner to Requests for Proposals (RFP).
• Present the proposal and product demonstrations in a professional manner using the available resources.
• Enter all new sales orders utilizing Online Potential’s CRM and Project Management Solutions
• Track sales activity and prospects using the company-provided Customer Relationship Management tool (CRM).
• Practice effective time management for sufficient sales activity.
• Attend local networking events as part of lead generation.

Account Management Responsibilities

• manage all client project setup and initiation to ensure that client expectations are clearly communicated ed

• oversee technical support and billing related issues

• work to ensure client expectations are exceeded – both on quality and on time.

• manage client project setup with a focus on careful documentation

• participate in tactical and strategic company planning meetings

• responsible for identifying client and prospect training needs and communicating those needs to CEO

Qualifications:

Required Skills/Competencies:

• 2-5 years of account management or sales territory experience
• Bachelor’s Degree.
• Experience in the website design/development or internet marketing industries.
• Ability to work independently and meet quota-level goals.
• History of consistent success in high-activity sales.
• Experienced in cold calling and lead generation.
• Strong verbal and writing skills.
• Experience networking for lead generation.
• Competent office software skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and insurance.

please email cover letters and resumes to michael@online-potential.com.

The post Job Posting – Internet Marketing Account Manager appeared first on Online Potential | Gainesville Fl Internet Marketing.

At first, I would mention it casually in conversations about the effectiveness of SEO but for the past 6 months or this move away from using search rankings as the definition of success has been my primary message. The truth is that search ranking reports are flawed and inaccurate.

“But Herb, how can I know whether my SEO company is actually helping me then???”

Great question and we are not the only SEO provider that is de-emphasizing ranking reports. As a matter of fact, this is such an industry wide movement that Raven Tools, an industry leading SEO tools provider (and the vendor that we use for our ranking reports) announced that they will no longer be providing ranking reports for SEO customers.

Why SEO Ranking Reports are Inaccurate

Ranking Reports rely on data that is “scraped” from Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). Search results have become intensely personal and now differ depending on personal preferences, location, device and your sphere of influence among other factors. Most ranking reports use a “generic” location and don’t reflect geographical preferences. This means that you might rank #2 for your favorite keyword but you might not even be on the first page if you aren’t optimized for Google Places and Maps for searches done in your geographical area.
Reporting inaccuracies like this can inflate expectations and cause confusion. As a company focused on helping clients accomplish their BUSINESS goals, we want the data we provide to be trustworthy and properly guide your marketing decisions.

Free Tools to Measure SEO Success Accurately

Google provides plenty of accurate and authorized data for you to measure success for your online marketing efforts. A few tools that we use for our clients and that you should use as well are:

Coming Next: How to Use Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools to Measure SEO

The post SEO Ranking Reports: the WRONG Measure of Success appeared first on Online Potential | Gainesville Fl Internet Marketing.

Consider this quote from Odden’s article: “Competition [online] is whoever draws from time and attention your prospects should be spending with you. In search and social media, that could mean your own customers publishing to the web.” This quote helps explain the challenge of truly identifying who your competition on the web really is. If you sell widgets, then I guarantee you are aware of all the competitors around town that sell widgets. But in the virtual world, your competition is anyone talking about widgets that could potentially distract your customers from listening to your message about widgets and engaging with you.

So how does your business compete in the virtual world? How can you truly leverage your valuable time and energy to get the most Return on Investment for your Internet Marketing budget? Understanding the fundamental difference of “virtual ” competition and “real world” competition is a start. Here are some other areas that will help you get ahead.

Create Content

I heard a long time ago that Content is King, and to be honest, as cliche as it sounds, it is very true. I say this all the time to business owners I meet: “If there is one Internet Marketing activity that you could do above any other, it’s create content.” The reason is because content creation is the catalyst for so many other aspects of Internet Marketing. It fuels Social Media engagement, Email marketing content for lead nurturing, as well as gives you more and more authority in the eyes of Search Engines, to name but a few. If you do not have a content creation strategy in place (we can help with that), you need one now, because your “competition” is constantly creating content online.

Foster Engagement

You want your website to be THE source for your products or service. When it comes to what you do, your online presence needs to be the only source people rely on for information and expertise. You do this through content creation, naturally, but also through every other form of communication you have. Tell people in networking groups about your blog or help section on your website. Take the time and update your email signature to promote your website and your expertise in creative ways (I use Wisestamp). Get in the habit of working smarter, not harder, with your online engagement. Invest in automation tools like Hootsuite that allow you to schedule automatic Social Media posts, so that you are getting the most return on your time spent.

Focus on Customer Solutions

Too often, I see business owners focusing on where they’re ranking in search engines. They want to be number one for any keyword term associated with their brand. Yes, ranking well in search engines is vital and a high priority, but you must be able to think “bigger picture” with your Internet Marketing strategy and overall presence online. The focus should center around the value that your business’ web presence brings to the average visitor to your site.

• Is it a good experience for them?
• Are they able to find the information they need?
• How are you helping solve problems they are facing?

If you are able to provide the best user experience possible, then a byproduct will be an increase in exposure of your brand over your virtual competition, which produces increases in overall conversions on your site too.

Marketing Takeaway:

It’s important to understand the fundamental differences in advertising on the web and in the “real” world. One of the biggest differences between the two is competition, or the perceived competition that exists. It’s crucial that you realize your competition online is how Odden illustrated; anyone and everyone publishing anything remotely close to your products or services on the web. However, if you are able to take an active role in your Internet presence, create valuable content, continuously engage visitors, and focus on customer solutions, your competition overtime will invariably become less and less.

Schedule a free consultation with the Internet Marketing professionals at Online Potential today to help you sort out your competition online!

Photo Credit: Sports Training 101

The post How Do You Determine Your Competition on the Internet? appeared first on Online Potential | Gainesville Fl Internet Marketing.

Recently, Google announced they were integrating Google Places pages with Google+ Business pages. If you follow our blog, then you know we wrote about our concerns with this previously. It seems that not only is Google catching some flack about integrating Google Places with Google+, but also receiving negative feedback in regards to Google Reviews.

We have noted issues with our own Google Reviews, as well as issues with our clients. Numerous problems have been reported, most notably deletion of reviews or failure to show recent reviews. If you have noticed similar problems with your business reviews, then you are all too aware of the frustrations felt by business owners. Below are some tips to help you assist Google to get it right and get your reviews out of the abyss and where they belong – on your business page!

Reviewer has chosen not to share

In order for someone to leave you a review on your Google+ Business page, they must be logged into their Google, or Gmail account. When Google integrated Places and Google+ Business listings, it gave account owners the option of publishing their reviews or marking them as private. If an account holder chose to mark their reviews as private, Google will not publish their reviews.

Customer’s Say They Can’t Leave a Review

How frustrating is this? You have someone wanting to write you a review, and they are unable to do so, or worse yet, they say that they have tried and Google is not posting it (happened just this week to a client of ours). Sadly, there is not much you can do here, but you can troubleshoot with the reviewer and see if they have done the following:

• Make sure that their Google account allows them to show reviews (not marked as private)
• Try using a different web browser (probably Google Chrome is your best bet) and see if it works
• Make sure that they have not listed your website or any URL in the review. Google will automatically mark this as spam

Negative Reviews or Spam Reviews

This is another problem that Google is facing, and offers challenges to business owners trying to provide the best business listing possible. Google is working hard to combat spammy reviews (maybe too hard, hence the need for this article) but there are some things you can do to try and get negative or Spammy reviews removed. Visit the Google Help forum here and follow the steps listed to make a claim and report spam. With negative reviews, Google insists that you, as the business listing owner, take it upon yourself to rectify the issue. Follow this link here to read their recommendations for dealing with negative reviews. If all else fails, and you cannot get a resolution to the negative review, visit this link and follow the steps to get a review removed.

A couple other reasons why reviews are not being shown:

• You might have duplicate Google Places pages or, if you have one of your Google+ Business pages tied to your personal Google+ account (which is standard), then Google does not replicate each review for each business listing. Visit this link to find the form to submit a claim to get your reviews merged. Select I have verified>yes>submit claim. Google advises to wait a couple days, as there are a lot of claims to go through.
• You’ve moved locations. Google does not carry over reviews from one business listing to a new listing. However, you can try to submit a claim using this form
• Reviews might have a URL included in the review. This will automatically be flagged as spam in Google’s algorithms and will not be visible, ever.

Key Takeaways

Obviously, there are several issues in regards to reviews on your Google Business listing. Whether you are dealing with negative reviews, spammy reviews, reviews that are being deleted or new reviews not being displayed, there are courses of action that you can take. Read this Google Group forum for more information (note: much of this information was used from this thread). If you are still experiencing issues, contact us and one of our team members would be glad to assist you.

What other issues have you encountered with Google Places or reviews? Leave us a comment below, we would love to hear from you!

Image Credit: The Wall Team

The post What Every Business Owner Needs to Know About Google Reviews appeared first on Online Potential | Gainesville Fl Internet Marketing.

Behind every big project that we roll out here at Online Potential, you will find one guy managing the budgets, cracking the whip and guarding timelines and that guy is NISIO MERCADO.

Nisio is an unsung hero and has been under a considerable amount of stress lately due to a HUGE project that his “team” just wrapped up.  I am happy to announce that this project is now LIVE and Nisio’s wife is recovering nicely.

Introducing Azariah Gianni Mercado

Anyone that knows us here at Online Potential knows that we LOVE kids.  Now we have one more little boy to love.  Nisio and his wife Rebeccah already have one incredibly intelligent future marketing intern (Anthony) and Azariah is an answer to many prayers.

Congratulations Nisio and family… welcome Azariah and to our loyal readers, we wish you and YOUR business family nothing but success in wrapping up your little projects this year.

Have a great weekend!

The post Big Announcement – A New Online Potential Family Member Has Arrived! appeared first on Online Potential | Gainesville Fl Internet Marketing.