Local Biz Builders - Blogs

Customer Service makes a big impact on YELP! Ratings

Joey A — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:44:43 GMT

Originally Posted by Joey A

Read the FULL ARTICLE on Yelp's Official Blog

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LMS Weekly Update -- May 9, 2012

Joey A — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:02:19 GMT

Originally Posted by Joey A

The Local Marketing Weekly Industry Update
May 9, 2012

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Presented By: Local Marketing Source LLC & Scott Gallagher

Bing is Releasing a Facebook Freindly Format

Joe Bon — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:21:48 GMT

Originally Posted by Joe Bon

The second largest search engine, Bing, has announced that it will be releasing a new Facebook Friendly format for its search results.

This new format will divide the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) into three columns. The left column will display normal search results generated by the Bing's algorithm. The center column will display "decision results" such as movie times, traffic reports, and pictures of hotel rooms in the area.

The right sidebar column is a fundamentally new way at looking at SERP's. It displays results based on "recommendations" from Facebook friends. Microsoft and Facebook have a partnership agreement that gives Microsoft access to data from Facebook's over 900 million users. A search for the Bahamas might return results accompanied by a list of your friends who have been there, what airline they used to get there, and what hotel that stayed at during their vacation.

This new format could be the game changer Bing needs to take some market share away from Google, who currently has 66 percent. Google is currently taking heat for displaying results influence by Google+ rankings higher then other results. Twitter also discontinued its agreement to share its data with Google. One clear loser in this war for market share has been Yahoo.

I'm wondering what kind of effect these changes will have on the different SERP's. Bing has claimed that it use relevant data from all social media services with its results. Will social media begin to play a bigger role in Bing's SERP's? One thing is for sure, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

LMS Weekly Update -- May 2, 2012 -- NOW AVAILABLE!!!

Joey A — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:02:23 GMT

Originally Posted by Joey A

The Local Marketing Source Weekly Update
May 2, 2012

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Presented By: Local Marketing Source LLC & Scott Gallagher

The LOCAL BIZ BUILDERS on FACEBOOK

Joey A — Thu, 10 May 2012 20:00:45 GMT

Originally Posted by Joey A

That's right, We're on Facebook! Stop on by and give us a like! :D

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Or, you can click the "LBB on Facebook" tab above!

LMS Weekly Update Now Available On ITunes & YouTube

Joey A — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:39:12 GMT

Originally Posted by Joey A

The Local Marketing Source Weekly Update on ITunes!

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provided by: Local Marketing Source, LLC & Scott Gallagher

Citation

Scott Gallagher — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:48:41 GMT

Google Places is a great service that allows businesses to gain exposure on the Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP). Businesses can increase their rank on the SERP by providing content that Google views as adding value for its users. Google deems a variety of content as value adding, including business hours, street addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, business descriptions, photos, videos, and blog posts. The content that Google assigns the highest trust and authority to are customer reviews.

Finebloom & Haenel does a great job of effectively using all of the content above to provide value to its current and potential clients. Here�s an example of the NAP.

Finebloom & Haenel P.A.
3426 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33609
(813) 649-8690

Ask And You Shall Receive

Thom — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:29:47 GMT

Originally Posted by Thom

..... contacted a local well known non-profit that helps the community with medical, dental and other financial services and offered my marketing services ... a very large and connected database ... have a meet with the Executive Director next week and will see where they can bring social media into their larger plan.

Payvment Storefront Facebook ... What Do You Think .. Nice Read

Thom — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 14:44:57 GMT

Originally Posted by Thom

Another service you can provide on using social media to better market goods and services.

http://www.addme.com/blog/payvment-s...t-facebook.htm

Thom

LMS Sponsoring Local BIZ Builders

Scott Gallagher — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 21:35:08 GMT

My name is Scott Gallagher and I'm a partner in Local Marketing Source, LLC, an online education portal providing Internet Marketing education to promote local businesses online.

Recently we have become the new sponsor's of Local Biz Buidlers, the leading local internet marketing forum. Our goal is to continue in Keith's original vision of creating a large, powerful community of local Internet marketers where newbies and experts alike can give and take information in our special niche.

I'd like to introduce Ryan Smith, LMS' managing partner. Ryan comes to LMS with an extensive education background and a tonne of experience growing companies. I like to describe our relationship like I'm the race car flying down the Interstate with no steering wheel, he's the bumpers on the highway. He keeps everything properly in check in all of our joint operations.

I have three different projects I'm building. I've already introduced Local Marketing Source, but next is my Local Internet Marketing agency, CCS Internet Marketing. We provide Internet Marketing services to a few different niches, including the transportation industry. Third, I'm a partner in a National Same Day Delivery company, NAPAREX. We are an online platform providing same day delivery to 1000's of consumers in the United States daily through integration of 100's of local courier companies.

Offline Top 10

Keith Boisvert — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:44:21 GMT

Over the past few years of this forum, I have seen many members come and go. Some thought they could just jump in and make easy money, while others have immersed themselves into the niche itself and are busy WORKING.

However, the "lure" of easy money in this niche certainly attracts people, but like the Internet Marketers on other forums, once people realize there is work involved, they soon get discouraged.

I personally don't care about the "lazy" people, they will find their way eventually. It just leaves more for the rest of us out there working our asses of in this niche.

I have taken some notes over time, and come up with a list of the top 10 ways to make money in the offline niche...for those interested in actually trying to make this work.:eek: Most you know, a couple maybe not...

Email Marketing
Rent-a-sites
Portals
Web Design
SEO
Local CPA
Video Marketing/social media
Local Newsletter Publications-Advertising $$
Consulting
Local e-commerce mall

There are more of course, only limited by one's imagination. I have personally seen IM strategies applied to a local market kick ass. Every city is different, but each market has a void to be filled...you just have to have the guts to go after it.

~keith

Are you happy constantly fighting for small checks?

RussReynolds — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:45:22 GMT

I see a lot of people on this board with a 'poor' mentality. I don't know whether it is a self-confidence thing or lack of understanding about bigger opportunities out there.

When you meet a potential new client you should be trying to assess how you can help his business. Really there are only 3 ways - make him more money, save him money or save him time.

But instead, many of you walk in already having decided that Mr. prospect needs an email autoresponder set-up. It never occurred to you that his customer base doesn't use computers (for an example).

What you need to do is to find ways to be able to make your client more money or save him time. The thing is - often your internet marketing services are not the most effective at doing this. Sure, you can make him some more money with SEO but often there are far more effective things that should be done first - things that you likely already know how to do but don't give yourself credit for.

Here's an example. How many businesses do you walk into that either have no database at all or have never communicated with it?

I have a new client that has 15,000 inactive customers in his database - they have captured no e-mails. If you walked in their suggesting an autoresponder set up, you likely would get the job but you would be leaving money on the table.

This customers average sale is $200. I am going to send out a letter to all 15,000 inactive customers (I'm going to test first).

If I get a 1% response, then here is the math:

expenses 15,000*0.50 (postage) = $7,500
sales 15,000*1%*200 = $30,000
profit = $22,500

Of course these reactivated customers will also buy in the future so the profit does not stop there.

Do you think $5,000 would be a fair price to charge? Obviously anybody would pay $5,000 to get $22,500.

[I know that likely now you are thinking 'what if I can't write a letter that pulls 1%?

Well, there is a ton of free information online - whole letters you can swipe (make sure it is in a different industry and just tailor it to the industry you want).

The other key is to test in smaller batches - say 500 where you are not spending too much of the clients money without a predictable return.

Probably a few years ago you thought you couldn't design a website or do SEO or whatever. If you think you can do it, you can do it.]

You could even approach your client to work on a results only basis - ask for 25% of the increased profits you bring him - hard for him to say no to that.

Please don't limit yourself to internet marketing - there are so many other things that you can do to really help your customer that are more lucrative for you as well.

Here's a really cool strategy - pick a vertical industry (say dentists). Become the marekting guru for dentists and you can develop an information product full of tested marketing strategies for dentists. Then you can sell your information product to make a living and only take on new consulting clients when you want to.

If you have any questions/comments please leave them here.

Russ

Offline Domination

Keith Boisvert — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:26:30 GMT

Finally. For those of you who were wondering where the hell the Offline Domination program went, I FINALLY have it close to completion.

When the economy crapped out, I had to rethink the program, and designed to completely start from scratch.

The program now will be a complete comprehensive e-course done in video outlining everything you need to know about the offline niche...plus some.

I will be releasing tons of free content leading up to the launch, and plenty of video's outlining the course itself.

The Offline Domination site is HERE, if you haven't already signed up, please do so. When this goes live there will be limited spots, and list members get first dibs.

More to follow soon...

keith

Outsourcing

Keith Boisvert — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:13:39 GMT

We have all heard this phrase being shouted out in this forum and on the WF...

"If you can't do something, don't worry, outsource it!!"

I have said this myself in the past, but what myself and others have left out is the details. Where? Who? How?

There are a lot of details that could be often overlooked, and could cost you money!!

Where? Will someone in some other country be able to build a local site for me? Small biz owners are fussy, what about changes or revisions? What site do I even begin looking to find an outsourcer and can I trust them?

Who? An outsource outlet is someone or a group of people you trust to do what it is that you want for an agreed price in an agreed scope of time. Who can I trust, because if those things are not met, I look like a fool to my biz client.

How? How do I coordinate if I have to find someone to design, do SEO, set up other tech related things I am not capable of?

All of the above are questions often left unanswered when we just tell you to "outsource".

There is no definitive answer to any of these questions, and to find the right group of people it takes trial and error, or some good references from trusted friends.

There is nothing worse than going to see a potential client not being able to give some pricing ideas because you have to go back to your office and get quotes yourself.

Outsourcing in the offline niche can quickly become diluted as it is not as cut-and-dry as the IM field directly. Outsourcing in IM usually involves YOU paying someone to do something for....YOU. There is no real 3rd party to worry about(the biz owner).

You need real time solutions for real time issues, and a group of people that understand the offline business, what a biz owner wants, and your business needs to be set up ahead of time to alot for this.

Can it be done? Yup. But I wont sit here and tell you how easy it is, because you must be really organized and be a good project manager. The advantages of outsourcing can benefit you in the fact that it allows you to just "sell", but in most cases you get tied up in the management aspect, which still prevents you from really focusing on selling, especially when you are trying to follow up with some dude in another country that hasn't gotten back to you in three days because they have 5 other projects in front of yours and your client is breathing down your neck for their website!!

~keith

My "Offline Sucks" Rant

Keith Boisvert — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:20:41 GMT

I know some of the things I wrote go against the grain in the "offline niche", and I remind you...it's only my opinion.

We are whoring ourselves out to desperate and cheap biz owners all the while devaluing our services. I have been guilty of this at times myself, and I just think that with our great network of people here on the LBB we should have no problem going out and landing the BIG jobs just as easily.

Who the f$%k cares if you don't know how to do something...someone here does!!

The same amount of effort you put into 3 little piss-pore accounts and yields you $3-$5k(or less) you could spend trying to get a larger account for $5-$10k...or more!! Same effort...more pay.

Anyway, I am not in anyway trying to diminish the other aspects of offline, and all levels of service is needed, just don't work so damn hard at it!;D

BTW, there are a couple of really talented people here that are "portal" maniacs. I highly advise you to take a look at what they are doing and how much they make.

~keith