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.

For Example:
It has become effortless to identify one-self as a web marketer, designer or hybrid web services uber-genius.  The ability to communicate, procure a smart phone, quickly responsd to inquiry, and boom! Web Wizard Certificate awarded.

There really is one vital issue.  The  sustainability of the Human Touch.  So many people jump into the game seeing immediate opportunity that they fail to assess their own true sustainability and ability to deliver measured results, time and time again.

Clients don’t go away.  Your ability to serve them usually does.

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.

My good friend Kristian takes pretty epic pictures with his iPhone.  He primarily uses the iPhone Photoshop App and delivers stunning shots.  Factor in his globe trotting job with the U.S. Ski Team and it makes for killer images.

Now, if only I could talk him into the Pro HDR App, and the Pano App from Debacle.

Personally, I’m good to go with the regular iPhone camera, Photoshop, Pano & HDR.  If I need more than that, it’s time to grab the DSLR so I can shoot RAW and process real HDR.

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.

Are you a business owner?  Do you use Google Docs, Freshbooks or other productivity apps on your mobile device?

If you’re like us, you’re always watching for the next combination of gadgetry that will improve your efficiency. But with all the shake and bake and “refinement” taking place perhaps it’s best to not buy into any new gadgets until some of this stuff settles down.

Personally, I’d like an iPad with a camera and an iPhone that fully integrates with my Google Docs.  The Freshbooks App is working great as is.
I guess I want Gapplgle….

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.

But be careful.  You can work remote but remember complacency can move in, set up shop and be hard to evict.

You’re a coffee drinker?  Do you start your day with coffee and Facebook, maybe some news? Maybe a forum or three?  Maybe some Facebook, then some news?  HEY!!! You have work to do!

Get off the sofa.  Slacker.

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.

Get over it.  Frustration isn’t anything more than a catapult toward improvement.  Stop.  Just stop the spiral, refocus and get the job done.

That ability to succeed, that’s why you are who you are.