Nov
12
2008

Scranton Small Business Web Design and SEO Questions

Over the past couple of months I have met several small business owners in the Scranton, PA area who have had the same questions about web design and search engine marketing, so I figured I would take a moment to share them with you. I will also provide the answers so you can become a little more knowledgeable in small business web design and online marketing.

Question #1: How come there are no sales happening at my online store?

Well that is a common myth that if you build it they will come mentality does not work in the online e-commerce world. You have to make sure your small business website is optimized with proper meta-tags and then you have to market your site online through paid and organic efforts among others.

Question #2: What is Web 2.0 and do I need it?

Web 2.0 is a term that was created to explain the next evolution or step in how we as a society use the World Wide Web. This current phase can help Scranton web designers as well as online marketers bring new customers to their clients by using social media networks and video. So yes embracing web 2.0 into your marketing plan is essential for small business online marketing success.

Question #4: What is the difference between paid and organic search?

The main difference is time. With paid search you can pay to be on the top of the search engine results by way of ads and it would be a matter of hours before you see your ads running along your competition. With organic, it might take several months to see results of link building efforts with in your small business SEO service. Either way time is what you need to be aware of when considering the right route to go.

Question #5: How big of a website do I need and do I need all that flashy intro stuff?

Google and the other search engines do take into account the size of your site when calculating rankings, but size is not everything. A well optimized small business website with only a couple of page could out rank a larger site if it had a solid number of backlinks. Being a Scranton web designer and a small business SEO professional, having a fancy intro is not great for rankings. Sure it makes the site exciting, but it all depends on the type of computer the visitor has on whether the movie plays right or hangs up the browser. You are better of with a site full of embedded videos and pictures then a flash intro.

I have to say that Scranton small business owners have come along way in understanding the internet and how it can benefit them and their business. These are only a few of the questions that I get asked on a daily basis. If you have any questions feel free to contact me through the contact form and I will be happy to help.

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Nov
03
2008

Local Search and Your Small Business

Being a small business owner in northeast Pennsylvania especially in the Scranton area, it is tough to stand out from the crowd as far as advertising goes. Part of the problem is the getting the word out about you or your product and another is choosing the right medium to attract qualified customers to your small business website. Usually small business owners have small to no marketing budget for advertising. That very reason is why I created Mystic Liquid to help clients reach those local to national customers with little to no budget.

What is Local Search?

Besides the usual optimized small business web design package, you have to get the word out about your great new website.  Offline marketing of your new small business website can only take you so far online that is where local search marketing. Google has come up a great marketing approach for small business owners to reach targeted customers when they search for related terms using the Google search engine. By incorporating Google Maps they have brought visually the location of your small business as well as all the vital details. This service is called Google Local Search.

What can Local Search Do for my business?

If you type in to the Google search bar “Scranton Web Designers” and you will see a map from Google Maps show up in the results. On the side of the map you will see a list of the companies that have created an account in Google for local search. Now you may be asking yourself, how do I get my small business on there? Well you go to the Google Local Business Center and sign your business up. There are a lot options in the making of a profile so make sure to fill out as much as you can. Once there the next step is to work on local search engine optimization to get in the list with your competition. The best and easiest way is to get your customers to write reviews of your business using your Google local search listing. This will help your listing to rise above the competition and help potential customers get a better idea of your products and services.

Mystic Liquid specializes in helping small business in reach customers through local business search and many other online marketing options. Drop us a line on our contact form and we can help you with your local search advertising efforts.

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Oct
20
2008

The Progress of Web 2.0 and Your Business

We’ve all heard the term Web 2.0 at some point over the past year or so. It’s almost as popular as Twitting, in regards to hot sayings. The question I ask is do you really know what Web 2.0 really means and more importantly, how can your business benefit from it? After all, if you can’t make money from it, then what’s the point in trying it?

Well, calm your fears and worries because a website properly optimized for Web 2.0 can and will make money. The concept behind Web 2.0 is simple enough. The internet is entering a period of increased interactivity. Small business website design is now built and optimized around users taking an active role in building, defining, and even moderating the content and direction of the site.

The short, short version is basically this: All of those people who visit the internet everyday now add their own feedback, content, and videos to the majority of the most popular sites online.

Taking a step back for a second, you realize that this isn’t exactly a ground breaking idea. After all, blogs, forums, and networking sites have been around since the beginning of the internet and their reputation of interaction and user contribution has long been known.

What makes Web 2.0 different now than before is the shift in focus rather than in actual technology. Popular websites like MySpace and Facebook brought this concept of social Web interactivity to forefront of daily internet users, instead of just dating sites and focused discussion groups, no offense WOW fans. The average user now has their very own voice and face, hence the idea of a new focus in website design and small business search engine marketing.

So the last thing you, as a savvy small business owner looking to get involved in ecommerce, should do is allow yourself to be intimidated by all the hype of Web 2.0. It doesn’t take any expensive new software or programs. Nor do you need to completely overhaul your marketing mentality to find success in the midst of this new social media optimization movement.

What you need to go is jump in and get involved. Your customers, the ones you communicate and do business with over the internet, expect greater access to your business and increased input in how your marketing plan is run, so it’s only natural that your business incorporates this Web 2.0 interactivity into its daily activities.

The real results of Web 2.0 hype is improved customer relations, readily available market data, and new and exciting ways to promote your business’s products and services. This new era represents a leap in the human consciousness more than it does an advance in Internet technology and Mystic Liquid wants to be there to help you make that jump.

Contact us to get started with your very own small business search engine optimization and social media optimization campaign today.

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