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21 Oct 2011

A Trustworthy SEO Company, is there such a thing?

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Written by Pete, Posted in General Business, SEO, Vancouver | Leave a comment

I know this is a controversial question, and for this reason I think it’s a helpful one, because it forces the truth to come out.  Read this and you will know exactly how to find a trustworthy seo company.

Before I got into the service side of this business I was one of the most sceptical people when it came to SEO companies.  Back in the day when I was strictly internet marketing,  I was in need of some help as I had multiple sites in completely different niche markets.  The reason why I was sceptical was most companies could not answer detailed questions about  strategies and techniques they would use to get one of my sites ranked.  Some of them didn’t even give me a game-plan at all!  I had to rely on myself and close internet marketing acquaintances that I trusted to do the work.

Here is my beef with most internet marketing and SEO companies here in Vancouver, Canada.  There are about a hundred of them and I have spoken to many of them.  I do see a very consistent trend, two main points come to mind.  When I ask them about the most influential internet marketing minds in the world such as, Corey Rudl, Derek Gehl, Rich Schefren, Dan Kennedy, Ken Evoy, John Reese, Marlon Sanders etc.  Most of them have no idea what I’m talking about. This shows me that they aren’t really passionate about internet marketing and SEO, they didn’t go the extra mile to try to connect with these people and better their own knowledge by learning the roots of internet marketing.  Another thing that came up a lot was the fact that almost none of these so called SEO experts have ever run their own profitable website in a niche market.  The only business they have ever ran is their own SEO company.  This shows me that they haven’t put their strategies to use.  The only sites they put up are their client’s websites, with their client’s money and outsourced work.

Here is a secret these SEO companies don’t want you to know;  They charge their clients, then they use your money to find a real SEO expert to do their work for them.  Sure they can get clients results, but at a cost that is inflated.  I guess the only way to really find out who is for real is by asking the right questions.  Before going with a search engine optimization company keep the following things in mind;

  • If they guarantee results, this can be a big red flag.  They are usually covering their own behind by aiming to get you ranked for keywords that get no traffic or low quality keywords that aren’t targeted.  Basically they are making sure they live up to their guarantee by providing mediocrity or less.  They don’t have your companies best interest in mind
  • Make sure they use search engine friendly strategies.  If they don’t, your website might get banned!  I have no problem with some “black hat SEO strategies” some of them are creative and follow all the rules.  But there are also some that go against Google’s rules and if you do this your site might get in Google’s bad books.  This is not good, and Google is not very forgiving, once they make a decision it’s pretty much final
  • Ask them exactly what they type of SEO will they be doing.  Will they be submitting articles?  and to the right directories?  Will they do the correct on-site as well as off-site SEO based on keywords?  Will their blog posting strategies be ethical?  Will they do extensive keyword research and send you a report of which keywords they will be targeting and why?   Will they give you detailed info on how they will obtain backlinks?  Will they incorporate other aspects of marketing as oppose to just internet marketing?
  • Try to set up a face to face meeting with them?  Personally, I will not do business with someone unless I get to look them in the eyes.  It’s a good idea to have a common understanding between company and client.  Make sure that both party’s goals are realistic and reasonable, especially when it comes to any type of consulting service.
So in a nutshell there are many flighty SEO companies out there.  So when someone asks me, if there is such a thing as a trustworthy SEO company I tell them of course there is you just have to make sure you do your part in making the right choice.  Sure it can be tough to find a good one but if you follow these guidelines you will find a company that offers a good service at a reasonable price.  I guess the key is to think of it as a partnership, in the eyes of both company and client.
One last thing, try to do your best to discover if the company is marketing savvy as a whole.  Make sure they exhibit knowledge in many aspects of marketing not just internet marketing.  In almost every case you need to look at your own company’s marketing strategy as a whole.  Make sure you work with people who know about traditional marketing strategies such as; sales copy-writing , understanding the importance of a USP, customer relationship management just to name a few.  Understanding every aspect of internet marketing and traditional marketing will always force you to make decisions that keep the long-term goals of your business in check, and you will find that they are both very similar.
Good luck!
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18 Oct 2011

The Importance of LTV (Life Time Value) of a Customer

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Written by Vanwest, Posted in Email Marketing, General Business | Leave a comment

The Lifetime Value of your customer is one of the most important things for a business owner to keep in mind.  In my opinion it is THE most important thing to remember, since it directly relates to customer satisfaction.  Any company with a high LTV rate means that they are efficient.  They spend less money obtaining customers and they make more money from each customer.  It costs money to get new customers, why not really go the extra mile to satisfy the one you already have!

Let’s look at the 80/20 rule.  The 80/20 rule basically suggests that 80% of your profits comes from only 20% of your customers.  This might seem like a shocker to you, but no matter what business you’re in this ratio seems to pop up everywhere.  So you might be asking yourself how do I improve the Live Time Value of my customer.  Im going to simplify this seemingly difficult problem.  BE NICE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS AND POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS!!

Yes, it is that simple.  Before someone makes the decision to give you money for a product or service you want to be helpful, friendly and genuine.  This is the winning combination.  DO NOT get annoyed with customers, not even tire kickers.  Smile (it even works over the phone) and try to help as much as you can in the shortest amount of time.  There is a good chance that customer will come back if you can build a relationship with them.

In every facet of your business (marketing, sales and advertising) it’s important that you don’t come across as pushy.  The hard sell doesn’t work much any more, people are far more weary of this than they used to be.  All customers want to feel special and anything you do to exhibit this will help you in the long run.

The wonderful thing about internet marketing and email marketing is; you can build good relationships with your customers very easily.  For example: Let’s say someone visits your website or shop, don’t get upset if they leave and walk away.  Be pleasant and helpful and try to get an email address from them.  Once you do this congratulations, you have just legally obtained a warm lead who has just had a close interaction with you or your company.  This means you can send them information with them knowing who you are.  The only correct way to build and market to a list.

Email marketing is not spamming and if you think of it as spamming than you will look like a spammer, simple as that.

Email Marketing Rule #1  - Do not try to sell your customer right away. It only takes one mis-timed  offer by email to completely shut off your customer for good

Email Marketing Rule #2 – Make sure you remind them how they gave their email address to you in the very first email you send them.  The first few emails you send are the most important

Email Marketing Rule #3 – Send your list free stuff.  Give them free information, discounts, tips anything you think they will appreciate.  They don’t have to be about your product or direct market.  For example:  If you are selling health cookies, give them information on some exercise tips.  Understand who your customers are and provide them with information they would be interested in.

Email Marketing Rule #4 – Don’t be afraid to use some personality.  Let’s face it, in order to sell to most customers they must like you or your company.  Thought provoking and funny can really go a long way, even if you make them smile you have won them over a little.  I’m not saying be fake to them, cause people can see right through that.  Humans are more intelligent and perceptive than you think ;)  Love your customers!  Treat them like a friend.  I consider all my customers my friend, I can honestly say that.  Anyone who shows at least some sort of interest in your product immediately shows you that you have something in common with them.  That’s a friend if I’ve ever heard one.

So there you have it.  This simple concept really does work, sure the hard sell and sub-par customer service might show immediate results right away but it’s all about the LTV (Life Time Value) of your customer.  In the long run you will be making more money.

Here’s a little tool to help you calculate your customer’s LTV http://hbsp.harvard.edu/multimedia/flashtools/cltv/index.html

So to sum it all up.  Become friends and touch every one of your customers and potential customers.  It’s just good Karma regardless ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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