Online coupons are hot, hot, hot for local businesses. Unfortunately, most businesses completely screw them up and leave a lot of money on the table.

I’m not just talking about the Living Social and Groupon type coupons. The results of any coupon done by a business whether online or in print can be improved dramatically if you put forth the tips that I’m going to share with you.

I recently wrote a short 5 page report about how to do online coupons the right way and you can download it for free at the link below. Please tell all your friends that run coupons about this report. They will love you for it!

Click here to download the report

How to do online coupons the right way is a post from: Dayton SEO Services

On November 8th, I had the honor of being invited by 5 Seasons to talk about LinkedIn at their monthly networking event. I happened to record it and the replay is below. Enjoy!  

Replay of my Speech at 5 Seasons on November 8th is a post from: Dayton SEO Services

Recently, I added a quick response code, aka a QR code to my business card. You have probably seen these things and you might or might not know what the heck it is! Today, I’m going to explain the basics of what a QR code is and more importantly how it can help your business.

A QR code is simply a code that can be scanned on your cell phone to do a certain thing. The most common use of QR codes is to go to a website, but there are a few other uses that are outside the realm of this article. For now, let’s just focus on using QR codes with websites.

To read a QR code, you will need 2 things.

1. A smart phone
2. A QR code reader app installed on your phone.

If you’ve never scanned a QR code with your smart phone, its really easy. You simply hold the phone up to the QR code and scan it with the reader.

I’ve seen a few business owners attempt to use QR codes, but unfortunately, most of them really suck with their application. You really need to think about the message that you are trying to convey to your audience before using QR codes. Many business owners will send the viewer to the main page of their main, non mobile-enabled website. That’s the worst place of all to send a visitor. You will turn them off to your business faster than anything if you do this!

Here are some other tips for using QR codes the right way:

1. Make sure the QR code in your ad is big enough. I’ve found many ads and business card with QR codes that my phone cannot read. It’s a total waste!
2. Use a url shortener like bit.ly to shrink down your url before turning it into a QR code. It makes a big difference in readability.
3. Make sure there is enough white space in your ad around the QR code so it will show up properly
4. Test the code on many phones! I’ve seen some codes that work well on one phone and don’t work at all on another phone.

In most cases, the best use of QR codes is to link it to a page that offers something of value to the visitor in exchange for contact information. Make them opt in to get a free gift, free report or a coupon. They took the time to scan your code with their phone. Make it count!

QR codes are super easy to make. You just need to find a free QR code generator like the one at www.daytonseoservices.com/qr-code-generator/and enter your information. Then, just download the image to your computer and place it in your print advertisement.

If you need help or consulting with QR codes, or need a mobile enabled website, I’m here to help. Send me an email and I will be happy to assist you!

What Is A QR Code and Why Should You Care? is a post from: Dayton SEO Services

Email has gotten out of control. On a typical day for me, I get well over 100 messages. Today, I decided to wait until 3:30 to check email. I had over 200 messages waiting for me and that wasn’t very unusual. Recently, I’ve come up with a system to tame the email monster which I’m going to share with you today.

1) Get an online based email service like Gmail. It’s much more efficient. I can go through all the reasons to use Gmail, but this video from Jim Cockrum explains it better than I can:

2) Get a service called Evernote. The basic plan is free. Evernote is an online “clipping” service where you can keep your favorite websites and tools organized. Here’s a cool little video about Evernote that explains it:

3) Use a task management program. I like Insightly, but Remember The Milk is quite popular as well.

4) Use a calendar for your appointments. Online calendars like Google Calendar and Yahoo Calendar are good, or even a pen and paper calendar is ok too.

Ok, got everything set….lets get you more productive! Your goal is to get your email to empty as soon as possible. If you are able, check your email less often. Try to get down to once or twice a day if you can. If that won’t work, at least wait a little longer to check it the first time for the day.

Here’s the process:

1) Find the emails that are spam and just check the box and archive it. Get it out of the way asap.

2) For short messages, read them and archive. If it something you can reply to in a minute or two, go ahead and reply.

3) For longer messages that require some thought when you reply and things that are tasks, forward that to your task management account and then archive the message. The task management services come with a free dedicated email address that will automatically turn your forwarded messages into tasks.

4) For emails that are appointments, add them to your calendar immediately, and archive the message.

5) For messages that are more interesting sites, trainings, videos, webinars or just useful things you need to review, forward those to your Evernote account.

There you have it! When I used this system today, I was able to get over 200 emails down to an empty inbox in about 15 minutes. It lowered my stress and made me more productive.

I’m not really a productivity coach, but I just thought I would share. However, I know a guy here in the Dayton area who IS a productivity coach, so if you need help setting these systems up, contact Robert Ward at  www.productive-leadership.com

Taming The Email Monster is a post from: Dayton SEO Services

Recently, I met with a guy who is very good at what he does but his business is slow. I asked him if he did networking. He said “yes, but I never get a darn thing from these networking meetings. Those are a waste of my time.” He showed me a huge stack of business cards. He revealed to me that he has never kept in touch with anyone from the cards.

I asked him if he was on LinkedIn. He said yes. I asked how many people from the cards he has on his friends list. It was a very low number. I didn’t ask about Facebook, but I’m sure it would be a similar answer. I asked how many LinkedIn groups he belonged to. It was under 10. I asked how many of the LinkedIn groups he belonged to he participated in. He said he rarely if ever participated in the groups that he is a member of.

Hmm…… I think I found the problem here. If you participate in engaging your network, they will forget you exist. That I can assure you. I’m certainly not trying to pick on this guy because I do feel that his problem is actually very common among small business owners.

Remember, work the network!

Networking Is A Contact Sport is a post from: Dayton SEO Services

Recently, I had some problems with a home improvement contractor who made some promises that he can’t keep. It’s gotten to the point where I am about to report it to the BBB and online sources. Right now, we are just threatening him as leverage.

However, I have not pulled the trigger on it just yet, because I know as an internet marketer how destructive that a pissed off customer can be. According to a recent marketing book by Pete Blackshaw, the average angry consumer tells 3000 people about their frustration with a company that does them wrong. If the pissed off consumer is technically savvy or an internet marketer, the danger is much much worse. I truly believe that a tech savvy consumer can completely destroy a small business that wrongs them in a matter of days.

While this is quite empowering as a consumer, as a business owner it’s downright scary. You work for years to build a business and someone can tear it down quickly. I know that most business owners do their best but sometimes things simply happen. Here are some tips to protect your online reputation.

1. Don’t let it happen. Well, that sounds obvious, but you would be amazed at how many businesses let complaints slide, or simply ignore them. Most people will complain to you and make threats before reporting it to BBB and online review sites. Take these complaints seriously.
2. Get good reviews. The best way to combat bad reviews is to have good reviews. Claim your profile at Google Places, Yahoo Local, Bing Local, Thumbtack, Yelp, Judy’s Book, Yellow Book and the other places where reviews are done. Get your satisfied customers to post good reviews on your company. That way, if a bad review does slip in there, it will be negated by good reviews. By the way, Google does look at the reviews that your site has. A site with a lot of good reviews will get rewarded and placed higher in the search engines.
3. Respond immediately to any negative feedback. Sometimes things just happen and a bad review gets posted that you may not even be aware of until months later. Most review sites have a way to tell your side of the story on any bad feedback. It’s very important that you respond to any negative feedback immediately.
4. Set up Google Alerts and monitor your company. Google has a great tool called Google Alerts where you can monitor anything said about your company. You should set one up immediately on your company name and your personal name so you can be sure that your reputation is protected.

The best defense is a good offense. While I can’t protect you from negative feedback, I can help you set up those all important review site accounts which will help you rank higher on the search engines and will help you get positive customer feedback. Contact me today for the full details and a price quote.

Protecting Your Online Reputation is a post from: Dayton SEO Services

Recently, I was at Canal Street Tavern in downtown Dayton for the Over the Rhine show. While standing in line, I was surprised at how many people were surfing online with their phones. It was a lot. Between sets, same thing, people browsing the internet on their cell phones. Even during the show, people couldn’t get off the smart phone!

The next day, Sunday, I looked at the cell phone ads in the newspaper. You may not have realized it yet, but Verizon, At&T and many other carriers are now GIVING AWAY smart phones just to get people to subscribe to the service.

Yes, that day has arrived! Smart phones aren’t just for tech geeks anymore. They are mainstream. However, the question remains…is your website keeping up with the technology?

Shockingly, I’m finding that for about 99% of the websites in the Dayton, Ohio market, that answer is a big NO. Most sites just have one version and that version is for computers. Smart phone users are unable to use many local websites or have to inconveniently scroll all around the site to use it. Do you hear that sound? It’s the sound of cell phone users going to your competition! You don’t want that to happen, do you?

That’s why, effective immediately, I am announcing that I am now offering mobile enabled websites as my next service offering. It’s very simple. I take your existing site and then make a second version of it that’s quick and easy to navigate on the cell phone. You will still just have one domain name because I will also install a redirect script that will take the user to the correct version. It’s a simple process to do, so I can get it done for you for a few hundred bucks.

Here are some before and after screenshots of CentervilleMassage.com. As you can see the difference is dramatic. It’s pretty obvious which one is easier to use on a smart phone.

CentervilleMassage.com regular version on a cell phone

CentervilleMassage.com cell phone version

I definitely think that this is something that everyone should take care of, but if you work in fields like real estate, towing, restaurants, locksmith or anywhere else where customers use a cell phone to contact you, then it’s absolutely essential that you get this done ASAP.

Anyway, if you are interested in mobilizing your website, give me a call or send me an email and I get you hooked up!

Man, Your Website Really Looks Like Sh** On The Smart Phone is a post from: Dayton SEO Services

I am in the process of getting a podcast going on my DaytonPulse.com site and am actively looking for guests. This will be a small business oriented podcast and will be posted on the site once a week. It will be in an interview style format and will be about 20 minutes long. The podcast will be done by phone call which will be recorded and then added to the site. This will be a tremendous opportunity to brand you as the expert
and get some free publicity for your business. If you are interested, email me at cscarpero@gmail.com and we can work out the scheduling details.

Would you like to be a guest on my new podcast? is a post from: Dayton SEO Services

    I’ve been hard at work lately updating my DaytonPulse.com website. I’m working on a full makeover and one of my goals lately has been identifying talented bloggers from the Dayton area to feature on the site. I’ll give you a cool little bio box after your post along with your photo. You can post as little or as much as you want to the site.

My plan is to have the site have several posts a day on it and make it a true hub for Dayton area small businesses. If you are interested, send me an email at cscarpero@gmail.com with some info about your blog. If you currently have a blog, I’ll make it super easy for you as I can just upload your RSS feed and have it auto update on the site.

Blogging Talent Wanted is a post from: Dayton SEO Services

The Dayton Ohio market presents a lot of choices for your web design needs. You can choose someone with a graphic design background, a programming background, you can attempt to build your own website or you can hire an internet marketer. Let’s look at each option.

One route that you can take in choosing a web designer is picking someone with a graphic design background. Graphic designers generally have an art degree from a school like the Ohio Institute of Photography and Technology. They will know Photoshop inside and out. They will also know everything about every font known to man. They will know about different colors and styles. However, the downside of hiring a graphic designer to build your website is that in many cases, they will not know how to get your website to the top of the search engines or more importantly how to turn your website into a money making machine. Their knowledge of SEO can be limited. Additionally, they may do things that are not ideal for your website like overusing graphics. Overuse of graphics can be a problem because Google cannot read graphics and using too many graphics can make your site rank lower.

Another option that you may be considering is hiring someone from a programming background. Programmers are sometimes self taught but often have degrees in computer science. Programmers are great if you want to get a specialized application made, but might not know how to make your website look good or how to get your website to rank highly.

You could also try to build a website yourself. This would certainly save you some money, but what’s your time worth? Do you really want to go through the frustration of learning how to build a website? There are many tactics that SEO experts know that the average person does not. Do you really want to take the time to learn all of these things just to build one website? Again, what’s your time really worth? Even worse, if you do certain things that Google doesn’t like, you could even get banned from Google and not have your website show up at all. Be careful.

Finally, the last and best option to consider when selecting a web designer is someone with an internet marketing background. Internet marketers sometimes have degrees in business and most often learned web design on their own and through forums.

Many internet marketers have done other things online, like affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is simply where someone sells a product or generates leads on behalf of a company on a commission basis. The best example of affiliate marketing is Amazon.com. Amazon has a program where you can sell an Amazon product on your website and Amazon will pay you a commission. Many other companies also have affiliate programs as well.

Internet marketers will look at your website and tell you how to get ranked higher. Internet marketers will keep one thing in the back of their mind: how can this website make more money? At the end of the day, that’s all any business owner wants: to get more phone calls do they can make more money. In nearly all cases, internet marketers are the best choice for your web design needs.

How To Select A Web Designer in Dayton Ohio is a post from: Dayton SEO Services