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 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

Many small business owners are struggling to reply to their online leads in a timely manner. I’ve noticed that this habit is especially bad in industries like home improvement where business owners are away from their computers for long periods of time. Internet leads go stale super fast. You need to be on it to get the deal done!

If you are out in the field for long periods of time, and don’t want to get a smart phone, here’s an easy and free solution for you to stay on top of your most important leads without breaking your bank account.

1. Get text messaging set up on your cell phone, if you don’t have it already.
2. Use the chart at the bottom of this post to figure out the email address that corresponds with your phone’s text messaging.
3. Update your contact info on your website using the email address from step 2.
4. Update your contact me forms on your website to also go to you as a text message.

There you have it! You now get your important leads by text message and can respond to them quickly. Now, go make some money!

Free Email To SMS Gateways (Major US Carriers)

Carrier
Email to SMS Gateway

Alltel
[10-digit phone number]@message.alltel.com
Example: 1234567890@message.alltel.com

AT&T (formerly Cingular)
[10-digit phone number]@txt.att.net
[10-digit phone number]@mms.att.net (MMS)
[10-digit phone number]@cingularme.com
Example: 1234567890@txt.att.net

Boost Mobile
[10-digit phone number]@myboostmobile.com
Example: 1234567890@myboostmobile.com

Nextel (now Sprint Nextel)
[10-digit telephone number]@messaging.nextel.com
Example: 1234567890@messaging.nextel.com

Sprint PCS (now Sprint Nextel)
[10-digit phone number]@messaging.sprintpcs.com
[10-digit phone number]@pm.sprint.com (MMS)
Example: 1234567890@messaging.sprintpcs.com

T-Mobile
[10-digit phone number]@tmomail.net
Example: 1234567890@tmomail.net

US Cellular
[10-digit phone number]email.uscc.net (SMS)
[10-digit phone number]@mms.uscc.net (MMS)
Example: 1234567890@email.uscc.net

Verizon
[10-digit phone number]@vtext.com
[10-digit phone number]@vzwpix.com (MMS)
Example: 1234567890@vtext.com

Virgin Mobile USA
[10-digit phone number]@vmobl.com
Example: 1234567890@vmobl.com

Reply to leads faster by using email to text message is a post from: Dayton SEO Services

Several people have asked me recently what I think of the Groupon concept. It's an interesting one, so let's explore it a bit.

If you don't know what Groupon is, it's a website that offers a deal of the day that must be purchased within a very short period of time, usually within one day. Most offers are done  on a local basis. Interested prospective customers sign up for email alerts and get a daily deal in their email. The customer is happy because they get a great deal and theoretically the merchant is happy because they get a flood of new business without paying anything upfront. This is achieved because Groupon takes all of their commissions on the back end as a percentage of the deal value.

There are several daily deal sites out there. Here in the Dayton market, the major players are Groupon, Living Social and Reach Magazine's Big Deal. Essentially, the programs all work fairly similarly. Groupon is the pioneer of this concept and overall is the biggest player in this niche. However, when I use the word "Groupon" in this article, I'm referring to any of these types of programs.

Now that you know a little about the Groupon concept, should you be using it in your own small business? Well, maybe.

Groupon works quite well and you will certainly get the exposure. You just might not make any money long term from it. You could even lose a lot of money if you're not careful.

The Groupon concept works well if you have a system to bring back the customers that came to your business in the first place from a Groupon. Essentially, lure them with the Groupon (even at a small loss) and wow them with great customer service to bring them back for more.

The Groupon concept also works better for certain types of industries. For example, if your business is more of a fixed cost type of business like a bowling alley, movie theater, hotel or golf course, then Groupon can be a great idea as you are just getting rid of your excess capacity that would have probably not gotten sold anyway. Just make sure that you are able to target the Groupon on your slowest days and months. It's also works pretty well for more service type businesses like massage therapy and day spas.

However, if you are in a retail store with merchandise, watch out. Many retail stores had problems with their Groupon promo and lost money because they were selling the promo for below their wholesale costs.

Strange concept isn't it? In most forms of advertising, the big problem is not generating enough business from the ad. With Groupon, the big problem often times is getting TOO MUCH business. You need to know your numbers. If 5000 Groupons got sold, would you be able to handle the excess business? If you don't have a large, well trained staff, that answer is often no.

Personally, I've also noticed that I'm often buying Groupons for businesses that I've already frequented in the past. I've gotten feedback from other people and merchants that have noticed the same thing.

For merchants, instead of plunking down huge chunks of cash on a Groupon promo, they could have done a lot of other things to get their customers back that were much more economical than the Groupon.

For example, the merchant could have hired a minimum wage telemarketer to call all of the customers that bought something but didn't come back. The telemarketer could have offered a special right then and there over the phone to lure the inactive customer back.

The merchant could have also created a Facebook Fan Page and told their customers in the store to join the page. They could send out specials through the fan page on their slow days.

Alternatively, merchants could also deliver coupons through their website and require the customer to give an email address in exchange for the coupon. This would be connected to an email autoresponder and then the merchant could send out follow up emails to their list whenever they were having a slow day.

Merchants could also set up a text messaging system where they would send out their specials by text message.

All of these follow up ideas work and they work quite well. If your business is considering a Groupon promo, you should have these follow up systems in place first before pursuing the promo. If you combine the Groupon concept with follow up systems your business will thrive.

Is Groupon A Good Idea For Your Business? is a post from: Dayton SEO Services

Someone recently asked me about my opinion of Google's "Bad Neighborhood Penalty." It's an interesting topic that anyone who has a website needs to be aware of, so I'm going to share some thoughts about this topic.

First of all, what is a "bad neighborhood" in Google's eyes? Essentially a bad neighborhood is online junk. Some examples are: spam sites, porn, viagra sites, gambling, viruses, etc. You will certainly know it when you see it.

By trading links with these types of sites, Google may think that you endorse these types of activities and they may penalize you.

You may be thinking, "That's fine, I don't link to spammers or porn". True, but do you have a blog? If so, the spammers could post links to their site in your blog comments.

Now if a viagra link or two ends up in your comments, will your blog get banned? Probably not. But it certainly won't help your site. Your readers won't be impressed either.

If you are running WordPress, sometimes the plugin authors will place links to spam sites in your footer. It's sneaky and sometimes you won't notice it. I've had it happen to me and sure enough the site got penalized.

The other type of spam is when your site gets hacked. This can and certainly does happen. When there is a hack, your site could get penalized while the hack gets resolved. Luckily, sites will go back up in rankings once everything is fixed.

The other type of "bad neighborhood" is your inbound links. This area is a bit controversial in the SEO world. Some people say that you can get as many links as you want as fast as you want. Others claim that Google will penalize you for getting too many links too fast, especially if they are from websites with a less than stellar reputation.

I've personally found that I've not had any problems with getting links too fast. Worst case scenario, Google won't give me much credit for the links.

In summary, build quality links to your site and create outbound links to quality sites as well. Keep your site secure and always moderate your comments. If you use WordPress plugins, check your footer occasionally to make sure there aren't any strange links. Do these tips and you will be ok with Google.

Are You Linking To Bad Neighborhoods? is a post from: Dayton SEO Services