Internet Marketing News & Thoughts

They just don’t.  Someone is trying to rip you off using the clout and reputation of Google.
Here’s a quick little Google Search on SEO Scams to get you started.

Fact is, every day the SEO and Web Performance / Internet Marketing industry gets more and more saturated with newbies. Those of use with years worth of client relationship building are forced to watch the horizon for the inevitable empty promise planes that have locked on to un-suspecting business owners.  They’re flying over, dropping bombs of failure.

We give FREE consultation.  That means you can pick up your phone, hit us up on Skype or IM, email us or send us a postcard (ok, no postcards please) and we will give you free advice.  If something seems too good to be true, but you’re fixated on it and just….can’t…say…..no:  call us.  We’ll get you focused back on things that work, even if you’re doing that work with someone else.  That’s OK.

It just really bugs us to know that frauds and false promises have an overall negative impact on our industry.
It’s so simple:  if you don’t understand what they’re selling, don’t believe they’ll deliver or have even the slightest question, just give us 10 minutes to Peer Review the plan for you.

On January 21st Google let us know that they had made some changes.   For SEO & Web Performance firms, this is sort of like Christmas, but with a little less excitement and a touch more anxiety.  What did they change?  How will this affect our clients!?!  NO GOOGLE, don’t do this!!

But really, it’s OK.  We’ve learned over the years that Google isn’t going to do anything to royally screw things up for Search Engine Visibility.  (my opinion of course)

Fact is, we’ve run several dozen reports this month, and regardless of profession, every single report showed a dip in Google Ranking.
This is just to let you know that you’re not alone, and that we’re anticipating that those of us who stick with it will be just fine.

Continue good content practices, solid PPC and Facebook Ad campaigns and continue to engage your target market socially.

In other words, Nothing to see here, move along.

Back in November I posted up about QR Codes.  Last week while working on the Alger County Chamber of Commerce “Explorer’s Map” I noticed one of our QR Codes was too small to scan.  You can tell pretty easily just by looking at them, the tiny black pixels mesh together and it won’t scan.

Greta made the necessary adjustments and we were good to go.

But apparently, not everyone checks to make sure the resolution on their QR Codes in print is sufficient.
That this example from EXPRESS, on the back of an US Weekly Magazine (no, I swear, I don’t read the magazine, just noticed the ad):

Too Small to Scan

Not sure what the circulation of this magazine is, but if you’re going to buy the back cover, it pays to get your details in order.

This weekend we had a great idea:  Driving from the U.P. of Michigan to Minneapolis and back for our good friend Lori Harder’s 30th Birthday celebration.  We had a blast, it was a lot of fun and well worth the trip.

But I left my phone at our hotel!! Now, in my defense I was struck down with the 24 hour flu and could have cared less what I left at our hotel.  Upon arrival back home I grabbed my laptop (still not feeling too well I might add) and opened up my MobileMe Account, then headed for the Find My iPhone option.

If you have an iPhone and a MobileMe account, you have to set up the Find My iPhone option.  I almost didn’t, figured there wouldn’t be a need.

Consider this:  Not everyone that works at a hotel is trustworthy.  I lost a nice laptop in Beverly Hills in a room that only had two room key registrations since we had left the room.  That’s right, two people in, but my laptop was simply MIA.

The hotel staffer we talked to about my phone in Minneapolis initially wasn’t going to help us until I locked the phone down, set a new pin and displayed a custom “lost my phone, please call XXX-XXX-XXXX” message.  Suddenly, upon realizing this newly found Apple Device was useless perhaps, our friendly hotel staffer slipped into helpful mode.  My phone is being overnighted to the U.P.

Go set up the Find My iPhone option.  You’ll need it one day when you aren’t expecting to.

I have a dozen self made friends I can think of right now that are inspirational to me.  They are true business owners.  They work the long hours giving it all to the cause.   They miss valuable time with family, get phone calls at the office or shop asking “when are you going to come home” and “can’t it wait until”…

They travel to manage their businesses in multiple locations.
They work in freezing weather, on installations, estimates, or projects.

I can think of a handful of Business Dreamers too.
They talk a lot, but never really listen.