Here at Higher Images, we wanted to take a moment to thank our clients and partners for a fantastic 2011.  As we look forward to 2012, we would like you to do the same.  In developing your business marketing efforts for the New Year, consider the following:

Oftentimes, even with the best efforts, businesses find that they aren’t seeing the traffic that they should.  This can be attributed to many factors, but the most common include:

A Poorly Designed Website

If your site looks dated, is difficult to navigate, or seems “thrown together”, you may be driving away potential customers and sales.  Don’t forget to check your site for grammatical errors as well – typos and poor grammar can indicate a lack of professionalism and pride in your business.

Ensuring that your site is clean, fresh and maintained regularly will encourage visitors to return and spend more time learning about your business and products.

Lack of Fresh, Relevant Content

There is nothing worse, for visitors or search engines, than stagnant website content.  If you have nothing new and exciting to say about your products, services or business, visitors will have no reason to continue visiting your site – or worse yet, no reason to share your site with anyone else.

Difficulty Making Purchases

If you offer a product or service available for purchase on your website, the purchase process should be seamless, secure and give the customer a sense of satisfaction and completion, at the time of purchase.

Utilizing a thank you page, followed by an email will ensure that the customer knows the sale is complete, and has been submitted for processing.

Ignoring Multiple Marketing Channels

Sure, you need a website to get your message and products “out there” for customers to see.  But are you also implementing the social aspect of your business?  Social spaces, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google+ allow you to update current and potential customers on the fly, while also inviting them to engage with you and your business.

When planning for 2012, consider the above.  Take a look at what is currently working for you, and what isn’t – and how you have the ability to change that.  If you have any questions about implementing your 2012 marketing plan, give us a call at 412-203-1996, and we can discuss the many options available to you.

Again, Higher Images thanks each and every one of our clients for a fantastic 2011, and we are looking forward to working with you in 2012.  Happy Holidays!

Product – Search Magnet Local

Who It Works For

Amazing results for businesses with a physical location – either local, nationwide or worldwide.

Why we Love It

Boosts business income, leads, visibility and customer interaction.

Why Our Customers Love It

Contains a business overview, contact information, staff information, hours, location and menu/services – within a web browser OR via a mobile device.

Utilizing a service, such as Search Magnet Local any business can reach out and interact with current and potential customers, in real time.

Website Activity & Integration

Through integration of multiple modules and your consistent activity, our program helps invite search engines to re-index your site more frequently. Publishers, like Google, want activity and new content to rank you online. Our program gives you the ability to provide Google with what they want, as well as integration of web tools your website needs, to help win new clients.

Internet Real Estate

Our program ties you in to over 210 Directories, News Feeds, and other sources, to increase and showcase your presence on the Internet.

Mobile Technology

Over 55% of local searches on the Internet are conducted from Mobile Devices. Search Magnet Local includes a Mobile Website with marketing technology that helps promote your business.

Online Credibility

A good online reputation is critical. Our modules, such as Online Reviews, Testimonials, and highlighted business overviews, will provide invaluable long-term results for your continued strong online credibility.

Social Media

Our program allows for the Integration of Social Media such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and more. Allow us to set up your businesses Facebook Fan Page, Twitter and other social spaces your business needs to stay competitive. Online users spend more time on Facebook today then on Google.

Tracking & Statistics

Our system provides you cutting edge tracking, including visits to your website, form submissions, mobile website stats, Facebook, keywords used, and much more. New technology can be added for tracking and recording phone calls (on average, 70% of website conversions happen through a phone call).

If you are interested in taking your business to the next level, via minisite, mobile website, instant updating, and so much more, contact Higher Images, Inc. today about including your business in Search Magnet Local.  Call 412-203-1996, and kick off 2012 with a bang (for your buck)!

This week, we are focusing on how you can “thank” your site visitors through social media, form signups, localized search and additional forms of consumer engagement.  We are in the giving mood, here at Higher Images, and so we want to share some insight on how to best market to your target consumers.

Since the Internet has become the premier method of instant gratification, it is only appropriate that those who choose to spend time on your site, social space or taking the time to fill out your form, receive something of value for their time.  This is known as the push vs pull strategy.  A push-pull system is, in simple terms, the movement of a product or information between two subjects.

Typically, the consumer “pulls” the goods or information for their needs, whereas the suppliers “push” the goods or information towards the consumer.  While this concept can – technically – be explained in one sentence, we feel it is important to expand on the topic, so as to make it easier for our clients to understand which will work better.

In a nutshell, push marketing uses various activities to get the message of your business smack dab in front of your ideal customer.  You – the business owner – are in control of exactly what that message is, where and how it is viewed, when it is viewed, and where (think of a pay per click advertisements or localized QR Codes).  In essence, you are taking very certain steps, such as geo-targeting, to ensure that specific people see your specific ad, based on his or her specific location.  In other words, you are in complete control.  You are PUSHING your business, based on your criterion.

Pull marketing, however, involves enticing your potential customers to find out more.  They are teased, persuaded, or otherwise “pulled” into wanting to learn and know more about what you are offering.  Examples of pull marketing can include things such as free shipping, buy one get one free, a percentage off a purchase, and the like.

The trick is, however, to understand your market.  Are your customers looking for location, convenience and ease of access?  On the flip side, are your customers looking for the best price, regardless of their location, because of discounts or free shipping?

If you are a location-based business, but offer nationwide shipping, your business could easily offer a push AND pull marketing program.  If you are only available to geographically-related customers, your program would lean heavily towards push marketing.

Regardless, it is imperative that your marketing efforts and dollars are focused where your business will see the most return on investment.    If you have questions about how your business can best market to its target market, give us a call at 412-203-1996.  Thank you again, and have a wonderful holiday!

Many business owners wonder whether or not social media marketing can actually have a positive impact on their business.  While social media marketing does take some effort, the payoff can be extraordinary.  The key to effective social media is to attract, engage and retain.  Below are some interesting facts regarding social media marketing, and how businesses have leveraged its power.

Facebook

• There are approximately 750 million Facebook users
• In the first half of 2011, the price of Facebook ads increased by 70%
• 52% of Facebook users access the site daily
• 70% of small business owners use Facebook for marketing, compared to the 66% who choose to use Google
• 11% of Facebook users say that they would purchase something available only to Facebook fans

Twitter

• In June of 2010, there were 86.5 million impressions for Coca-Cola’s promoted trend
• During American Airlines’ “Tweet to Win 30K Miles” campaign, there were 18,000 clicks
• In January of 2011, there were 35,000 Tweets with the #LS11 hashtag for IBM’s “Lotusphere” conference

YouTube

• There were 22 million views in one week for Old Spice’s video “Mano a Mano el Bano”
• There are over 10,000 YouTube brand partners
• The iPad video “Will it Blend” had more than 12 million views in four months

Location-Based Services

• There was a 33% increase in check-ins during McDonald’s one-day campaign that randomly awarded $5 and $10 gift cards as check-in bait
• During Buffalo Wild Wings three month “SCVNGR” campaign, there were 184,000 players
• There are more than 500,000 merchants on Foursquare
• In 2010, there were 381,576,305 Foursquare check-ins
• Starbucks tops the list of Facebook check-ins, with  2,554,602 as of August, with McDonalds in second place at 1,212,773

Businesses are finding creative incentives to get followers to engage with a brand through Facebook Likes, check-ins, video replies and more.  The ability to participate in new and innovative ways encourages brand loyalty and word of mouth referrals.

Higher Images can work with you to create custom Facebook and Twitter pages, contests, sweepstakes giveaways and more.  If you have questions about social media for your company, contact Allie at Higher Images, at 412-203-1996.

Wednesday, October 26th – 8:00am-10:00am

• How Google Places Effects your Business Online
• SEO Ideas to Improve your Organic Ranking
• Six QUICK Changes to Improve Your Website’s Conversion Rate

Wednesday, November 16th – 8:00am-10:00am

• What is Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus?
• How Social Media Affects our Business Every Day
• How Mobile Phones are Changing the Way People Do Business Online
• What are Custom FBML Pages and Why Does My Business Want Them?
• How Does Social Media Fit Into My Business Plan?

Wednesday, December 14th – 8:00am-10:00am

• Designing Your Website to Convert Prospects Into Buyers
• Three Essential Ways to Get More Web Traffic to Your Site
• Integrating Offline Media with Online Media

All Seminars Include a FREE Web Marketing Score Card

See How Well Your Website Ranks Against Your Competition!

After a New York Times magazine article exposed his bizarre business tactic of courting the worst customer feedback possible so that infuriated buyers would leave negative commentary online, boosting his Google search results, DecorMyEyes.com eyeglass proprietor Vitaly Borker has been arrested on charges of cyberstalking, making interstate threats, mail fraud, and wire fraud.

The original story about DecorMyEyes, published on November 26, detailed the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Borker’s tactics of harassing, cheating, and bullying customers, sometimes under pseudonyms and often with threats of obscenity and violence, to the point that several of them contacted the police. He engaged in these tactics, as well as selling counterfeit and defective eyeglasses, specifically to take advantage of a loophole in Google’s search algorithm that didn’t differentiate between positive and negative mentions of a company in ranking sites in search results. As a results, DecorMyEyes’ Google rankings were stellar.
A Twitter account claiming to belong to DecorMyEyes tweeted a link to the Times story the day after it was published and added “Have a look at this publicity stunt! WOW we are famous.”

Google responded several days later on its official blog to say that it’s made modifications. “In the last few days we developed an algorithmic solution which detects the merchant from the Times article along with hundreds of other merchants that, in our opinion, provide an extremely poor user experience,” the blog post explained. “The algorithm we incorporated into our search rankings represents an initial solution to this issue, and Google users are now getting a better experience as a result.”
Borker was arrested and due in federal court in New York on Monday, and according to CNBC agents found weapons and ammunition in his home at the time of arrest. The charges of making interstate threats and cyberstalking each have a maximum penalty of five years jail time, whereas if Borker is convicted of either mail fraud or wire fraud he could face 20 years in prison for each.

What Are My Employees Saying About My Business?

The year is 2010 and just about everyone has embraced at least some form of Social Media at this point.  Let’s face it, even your grandparents are probably on Facebook.  If you are a business owner then you have probably thought or heard about the implications of social media and how it can affect your business.  At times it is very hard to see your employees “waste time” on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, but rather than looking at it from that angle…  why not look at how the social media habits of your employees can actually HELP your business.   If you haven’t thought about a social media policy at your place of work… now just might be the right time.  There are some great advantages to having a social media policy at your office and believe it or not, they can be beneficial to business.  Many Pittsburgh businesses just don’t have a social media policy, but trust me when I say that ALL businesses should have one.   Your policy should be written into your employee handbook, talked about during meetings, and make reference to what is acceptable and not acceptable at your place at work.

1. Make sure that your employees are not saying bad things about your company: There are ways to perform post searches on Facebook and Twitter to see what employees and other people are saying about your company.
2. Give Everyone a Clear Goal:  If people are going to be on Facebook/Twitter at work, at least make sure that they are posting something positive about the company.  It could be something about how great it is to work there or how excited that are to be involved in a new project, etc…
3. Get People Excited About Your Business: Get people excited about what you do!  Don’t just post coupon after coupon or deal after deal.  People will get tired from that and they just don’t want to see specials and promotions in every single post.
4. Don’t De-Value Your Social Media Marketing-   Getting instant sales from your social media marketing is usually not the end result.  Social Media creates a buzz, makes people aware, and hopefully gets people to come back to your site more than just once.  There are times when you will have people that buy directly from a promotion or discount that you mention  from your social media marketings, but you should look at it as more than just creating an instant ROI.

In the end, social media should be what it already is… the act of being social.  Just think of it as one big giant cocktail party with a whole bunch of people that don’t necessarily all have the same interests and likes.  Many people may get along, but others may not.  Just make sure that you are courteous and polite because let’s face it- no one wants to be pitched all the time.  Relax and carry on a conversation so that people can actually understand what you are talking about.  Industry jargon is good for people in your industry, but not always people who buy your products or services.  Give someone enough information so that they trust in you and your business, but don’t overwhelm them or else they can split and you probably won’t get another chance to get in front of them again.

How do I know what to do?

I have heard this question so many times, you would think my answer would be the same for every occasion right?  If you answered yes, you would undoubtedly be incorrect.  The majority of people that I see using Facebook and Social Media as a business tool are not doing a good job.  I worked with a client for six months to help them achieve close to 9800 new fans only using social media and not any type of paid search to generate those results.  Our six month agreement is over and now I see that they are dropping fans every week.  The posts they make are not engaging and EVERY single mention is about a coupon or an offer.  How about some useful information instead of  ”mention this and get 15% off”   Don’t get me wrong, they are really nice clients and they do a great job with all of their other types of media and advertising.  They just don’t know how to step away and decrease the salesman and increase the information.  Facebook Marketing makes so much sense to most advertisers because they can get solid and truthful feedback on their brand.

Most business owners are obviously fiercely loyal to their product, service, or brand and they let it show on a daily basis.  Social Media allows someone to post a comment, give praise, advice, or criticism without actually having to e in front of that particular business.  If you have a great product and great service- then you are in pretty good shape from the beginning.  If you do not however, you will need to step back and allow yourself to understand that sometimes, you have to make sure you talk and converse WITH an unhappy customer and not AT an unhappy customer.  One of the best things that a potential customer/client/patient can see is that you made a mistake, AND made it right.

A while back I wrote about a furniture store that actually complained and grilled a customer that said they felt the value of their sofa was not what was advertised.  The person handling the business social media for this company told them to “save up and buy a better sofa next time” You should have seen the number of people that commented on that post. It was like throwing gasoline on a fire…  You could imagine that customer probably made a status update that would have been characterized as incendiary.    Here is a short list of common sense tips that  I use when either teaching business social media or handling it for one of my clients…  It’s my “short list of gold tips” but then again… It may not be everyones.

1. Keep it real- honesty is the ONLY policy online.  Remember that when you are posting something online, the person viewing it probably has some sort of screen capture program.
2. Have a conversation- Don’t be pitchy or pushy with people who value your information.  If they are a fan, follower, or friend…  they already see value in what you offer.  If someone asked you to buy 293 times in one week, wouldn’t you get tired of it?
3. Give and ye’ shall receive-  Give advice on what you do.  If you are a carpet store, give stain treatment tips, if you are a restaurant- give away a free drink for a promotion.  You will get a lot more for giving something away when it is something that people like.
4. Frequency-   If I am selling mattresses, it is not likely that I will have a repeat buyer every six months.  Most people keep them longer so consider giving tips on how to get a better nights rest, or allergy free bedding materials.   If you are only giving away coupons, what value is it if someone wont use it for another five years.
5. Make It Fun- Use a scavenger hunt, a giveaway, a promotional video, or anything that you can think of to be creative.  Don’t just copy your competition.  People see right through it.

My quick five points aren’t the most important things that you will need to know about social media.  They are just what I practice and preach with my particular clients.  IF you have any questions, tips, remarks, or just plain disagree… leave a reply. After all, isn’t social media all about interaction anyway?

QR Barcode Technology Comes to Search Magnet Local

Higher Images, Inc. announces the addition of QR Barcode system within Search Magnet Local ™ (SML). This gives SML clients the ability to utilize this powerful system to connect users to their clients specials, promotions  and videos quickly and effectively.  Initially used for tracking parts by vehicle manufactures, QR Barcodes are now used in a much broader context.  Both commercial tracking applications and convenience-oriented applications aimed at mobile phone users (known as mobile tagging) are quickly becoming hot applications for mobile marketing.

Business owners will be able to print out or save the QR Barcode that connects any Cell Phone user with a Barcode Scanner to a mobile version of Search Magnet Local. This ability to immediately display a video commercial or online coupon/special creates an immediate call to action and impulse to buy.  The QR Barcode is also downloadable to an image file that businesses owners can use for print advertisement.  QR Code Online Coupons can increase the number of clients that enter your business as well as the amount spent on your products and services.

Another innovation from Higher Images to help their clients Market More Effectively. For further information on Search Engine Optimization, Website Design, Video Optimization, or Social Media Marketing, contact Higher Images, Inc. at 412-203-1996 or chrisr@higherimages.com.

Chris Reidenbaugh – Internet Marketing & Sales Manager

Let’s face it, just about everyone now has at least HEARD about Facebook and Twitter.  Most people that we talk to still don’t really understand how to use  them to actually create business… but people have at least heard the term “social media marketing” being kicked around the office in marketing meetings.   The one example that I can think of was a company that really wanted to start their social media marketing off with a bang.  They figured that all they had to do was put their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or YouTube logo on their home page and website visitors would be so eager to become their “fans, followers, or in some cases clients” that they never thought about the cardinal rule in Social Media Marketing for businesses- What’s in it for the person they are trying to reach?  Why would someone spend the time reading your posts, tweets, or status updates if they bought a washing machine from you a year ago?  The answer is that they wouldn’t and that is where most businesses fail at social media.

You need to be able to have a conversation with someone online without coming across as a pitchy salesperson.  Giving a fan, follower, reader, or anyone interested in your business personal attention and time is something that is critical to being successful in your social media marketing approach.   Instead of pimping out your business at every opportunity, offer them a tip or something that can generally improve their experience with your product or service.  If you are marketing a mattress store then give them tips on how to sleep better or what types of mattresses may help people with allergies.  If you are an electrician, offer people energy saving tips and ways to help lower their electric bill.   If you feel comfortable having a conversation with your friends and fans, then social media can be a great way for you to connect with not only your current customers, but also people who will take an interest in your product or service.   We’ll leave you with a screenshot from a company we worked with to develop their social media marketing strategy and they continue to be successful almost a year later (and 10,000 more fans on Facebook as well)

One of Higher Images Highly Satisfies Social Media Clients.