Evolve Or Die

Evolved Customers Want Evolved Interactions

It was a good business model in the beginning.  

A brunch/lunch business, in the heart of a downtown area that - to use an old metaphor - "rolled up the sidewalks" at the end of each business day. With almost no "nightlife", "Open 8 - 3" made sense.  5 years later, that model broke down.

Living in downtown Phoenix was once only for the heartiest of souls (we lived there in the mid-90s, with few friends and family even brave enough to visit, even though we lived in a quite nice condo complex).  Working downtown was an adventure in "9 to 5" for most. There were attempts to "revitalize" in that era, but the time had not yet come 20 years ago.

In the last 5 years, downtown grew, and evolved "into more of a 24-hour city center".  Two universities opened downtown campuses.  More restaurants and bars - concert venues - opened and became popular.  Development started on mid-rise apartment buildings.  Downtown's demographics evolved.  Downtown grew, in popularity, and population.

But "The Corner" didn't.  They stayed true to their model. Instead of extending their hours to serve sandwiches coffee and juices to a bigger, perhaps younger, and definitely later customer market, they maintained their brunch/lunch hours.  They stood their ground.

And now, they're gone.

No one has given a specific reason.  It could be that downtown became the most expensive submarket in the Valley.  And that higher expense extended to commercial space, which has tripled in recent years, prompting some restaurateurs to "opt-out" of downtown.

The moral of the story is clear:  When the time comes to "pick up the pace", don't shoot yourself in the foot!

If you're ready to acknowledge that your small business needs to evolve, Local Motive Marketing is here to help you develop a marketing strategy that reaches customers that already have.  If not, get some crutches now.  You'll need them sooner than later.

‎Mobile‬ Impacts Your Small Business. "How" Is Your Only Choice.

CITI knows "digitization" is the most powerful, disruptive force on the planet, and it impacts nearly every business model.  They experienced a 25% increase in mobile interaction by engaging their customers where they want to be engaged.
JC Penney has discovered that "old metrics and models need to be thrown out".

Customer research interviews of one major marketing conpany revealed that certain factors in the shopping experience - choice, price value, service, speed, convenience, contextual relevance, and frictionless purchasing - are now taken for granted (particularly by millenials).

Local small businesses are not immune. ‎Mobile‬ impacts local small businesses, in one way of two ways, because more and more buyers every day search "near me" for what they want, when and where they decide they want it, on their  ‪#‎smartphones‬. Buyers can't - and won't bother to - find businesses that aren't there.

 

It doesn't end when buyers find you, of course.  Starbucks knows that once a buyer finds you, you have to build an emotional connection with them. And that you do that by telling your own story; by refusing to be defined by anyone else; by sticking to your values.

 

And you have to maintain that emotional connection.  Millenials are not alone in feeling empowered and entitled.  If your ongoing communication isn't relevant to and personalized for a particular buyer, the message they receive is "we don't actually care about you <<NAME>>".    This is where national (and international) "brands" and "marketers" often fail.  For example, texting marketing messages at 9 AM Eastern Time to customers in the Pacific Time Zone (and Alaska & Hawai'i), about products they have no interest in.  They know the value of their personal information, and are willing to share it.  But they expect - they DEMAND - preference-driven personalization as a fundamental requirement. 

They expect you to know, just because it's knowable, whether they're "just looking", "deciding", or "ready to buy".  Google calls these "micro-moments".  (more about this next week).

 

If you're ready to bring your local small business into alignment with their expectations, we stand ready to make that a reality.

OH, MY GAWD!!! One of the "Authorities" Actually SAID IT!

If you've been here before, you know I get "the latest" on the mobile marketing industry, filter it for how it applies to small local businesses, and publish it for the benefit of what I know to be the driving force in the local economy (and if you haven't been here before, take a scroll through the archives. I also post some observations on a Google blog (coincidentally, of the same name, which might or not contain "cross-posts".)

Reminding those of us old enough to remember "Sleepless in Seattle", and how AOL's "You've Got Mail" helped market the movie, the article referenced how email "supplanted 'snail mail”", and expressed the author's opinion that email, "As a marketing channel, [has] been an unmitigated disaster...".   Then, he points out that "the initial comparison of the two types of mail was flawed."

I agree, to an extent, with both.  Yes, email has delivered "microscopic response and conversion rates", and "a backlash in the form of spam rules and filters."  Yet email is still the ranking champion of digital marketing channels.  And really, "direct mail" isn't all that much better when it comes to a cost-benefit analysis.  That's why email marketing is still used.  From a cost-benefit  comparison, calling  email "...an unmitigated disaster..." is flawed.

The article then examines "cart abandonment".  The author points out, quite correctly, that the only reason "cart" was ever used in online marketing was to "ease
users’ comfort level... and establish... the notion that shopping via the internet was... the same as shopping in a store — only better!" But he admits that "shopping online is not the same as shopping in a store — nor is it unequivocally better."

It's the point that he arrives at, the title of his article, that justifies my post.  IT'S IMPORTANT THAT SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSE GET THIS!

He calls it "a recombinant approach" ( I particularly enjoy the "genetic" tie-in, having recently read about DNA data storage).  What he suggests is that businesses match their marketing "with the way consumers decide what to buy."   Print ads, TV, radio, outdoor, and emails all still work for some people. But as he said, "there’s no
one-size-fits-all strategy".

We can help any small business blend any and every traditional marketing plan with the current reality that most people shop online, but they still prefer to buy local.

The Bigger They Are...

In a recent BrightLocal poll, 546 "local SEOs" (local agencies and freelancers who work with local businesses, local franchises and and smaller multi-location businesses) were asked to answer 3 questions.  The answers prove what I’ve often written:  small local business have an extreme advantage over “big business” if they’ll only take advantage of it.

First question:

What impact does on-page SEO have on search ranking in 2016?

Four out of 5 local SEOs said on-page SEO has a “high” or “very high” impact on search rankings. 13% said “some impact.”

This "93% effectiveness" explains why on-site SEO was rated as the most in-demand service from customers (and one of the top two services offered).  And why it’s so important.

Second question:

How long do you have to wait for technical on-page changes?

Almost four out of 5 of local SEOs (79%) generally wait less than a week for requested technical changes. (33 percent waited 1 working day).

That’s very quick turnaround (many did say they make changes themselves).  But that’s an important factor for your local site’s ranking; speed is critical.

RIGHT THERE IS WHERE SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES SHINE!

Remember what I said at the beginning?  “Local SEOs” work with local businesses.  But “big site” SEOs (in-house or agency, who might have a “couple of dozen people”, and be "responsible for billions of pageviews per month"), can’t move that fast.

In fact, 42% said they had been waiting longer than a year for change completion. 

And 58% of “big site” SEOs don’t expect to seeing a change request “go live” for at least another six months.  That's hard to even believe.

They have a lot of reasons, though.  In "big business":

1. marketing team priorities aren’t always seen as priorities;
2. the company’s “current platform” makes the desired change impossible (imagine using Windows 95); and,
3. there is “a long dev (development) backlog”.

“Local SEOs” - on the other hand - have more direct access to the business owner/decision maker.  And small local business websites are seldom as complex as “bigger” sites.  So work can be approved and completed much faster, benefiting the business and their customers, sooner.   Local businesses obviously have lower budgets than large enterprises, but Local businesses can “turn on a dime” while "big businesses" can't.  Paraphrasing something I said last month, small local businesses are like private planes; they can "change course" faster than a jetliner.  So a smaller "passenger list" doesn't have to mean a lower profit ratio.

Third question:

What on-page content is most effective for ranking?

“Title” and “meta data” were given by 68% as the “most effective” on-page content for improving rankings.

“Title and “meta data”  define a page for search engines, but they also provide a valuable preview of a page on search engine results pages ("SERPs").  The name of the site, the name and address of the business, etc., are “content” (and you know what they are when you see them, but search engines don’t).  “Meta data”, also known as “tags”, define that content; they tell the search engines what the content is), and determine how the content will be seen by a visitor.

Here’s an example:  If you’ve been to this blog before, you know I’m very sarcastic at times.  But sarcasm doesn’t come across well in print.  So I try to remember to use what I call “sarcasm tags”: <sarcasm> Get it?</sarcasm>   The <sarcasm> </sarcasm> tags wouldn’t be visible on the web page (and the sarcasm would be overlooked).

Title and meta data do require "keyword research", but don’t require a lot of technical expertise.  Neither does “copy”, necessarily.

Lastly,

Videos and Professional Photography were rated by local SEOs as less effective on search rankings (and require more technical expertise).

IMPORTANT NOTE: That last paragraph applies to search rankings ONLY.  People like video, especially.  And pretty pictures.  So USE PICTURES and VIDEO to get and keep customers' attention.  Just keep in mind: that’s for engagement, not ranking.

For more information, CALL. 602-618-6626.  Or email me. info@localmotivemarketing.com.

How To Build And Maintain More Customer Loyalty

It's a great article.  

And it contains great advice.  But it was written for "e-commerce" businesses (and Amazon's getting the bulk of that), and I write for small local businesses. I had to... adapt the gist of it for small local business purposes. 

The basic process is the same, and we can help small local business put that in play with Smart Marketing for Smartphones^TM

Every small business owner knows LOYALTY is a core requirement.  Getting new customers is only a start. You have to nurture them.  You want - your NEED - loyal customers. 

Because loyal customers increase your profits by 25 percent to 95 percent.

Opinions vary on the cost of getting a new customer.  According to some, it costs as "little" as six to seven times more  to get a new customer than it to keep a current one. But others believe that range is much larger - from 5 to 25 time more.

But what everyone pretty much agrees on is that LOYALTY IS THE KEY.

Every service we offer is geared to help small local businesses achieve that goal.  And here are 6 Ways:

1. Institute A Mobile Loyalty Program

We can provide a small business "points-based" #rewards card, #coupons, and #punchcards to customers' smartphones,  deliverable onsite, in print, by text, through QR and NFC, by email, and through social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. They can also be delivered on your own website, and through social wifi.  And - unlike paper - your customer can SHARE that mobile wallet promotion.  Any of our mobile wallet loyalty program provides you with customer-specific  data on what they bought, when, where, and more.  website, social wifi and social media data can give you age, gender, and a connection to their friends.  With geo-fencing and beacons, you can reach out with lock-screen messages when they're close, and again when they come in.

2. Engage through Social Channels

We can provide expert assistance with social media to helps you stay more engaged with your customers, to maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty and (if necessary) respond to customer complaints. More rewards points, another coupon, a free "punch", can all be delivered easily and quickly.

3. Make Customers Advocates

Reward customers for promoting your small business (some already do, so start with them).  Make them your "affiliates" for the cost of more rewards points; another coupon; a free "punch".

4. Use Email

Email is still the #1 marketing channel, beating all others (even search and social). Email marketing can be effective for everything discussed so far. Newsletters, thank yous, surprises, redemption reminders, and exclusive offers (and don't forget rewards points; coupons; and free "punches").  And most emails are read on smartphones.

5. Remember Their Birthday

3 out of 4 customers who received a "Happy Birthday" thought more highly of that company, and that translated into increased loyalty.

Not sure how to ask for this information?. Reward them with more rewards points; another coupon; another free "punch".

6. Make The Total More than The Sum Of The Parts

"The experts" call it "omni-channel".  And it’s just as much a necessity for small local businesses as it is for national and multi-national brands. Today's customers are mostly mobile.  And they want what they want at the moment they decide they want it. They want it convenient. And delivering exactly the message they want at the exact moment they're open to it is easier than you think.

Imagine:

1. "NEW BUYER" just decided they want what you provide, and they search for that close by.  ("Near me" searches have increased 146% year over year, and 88% are mobile searches).  THEY FIND YOUR MOBILE WEBSITE.
2. "NEW BUYER" comes in to buy what they just decided they want.  AND THEY SEE YOU PROVIDE FREE WIFI.  Better yet, they can get on your free wifi by clicking a social media icon.
3. "NEW BUYER" sees an incentive to "LIKE" your small local business (like rewards points; a coupon; a free "punch" on a mobile punchcard).
4. "NEW BUYER" is taken to a special page to download your mobile offer onto their smartphone.
5. "NEW BUYER" BUYS what they just decided they wanted, and gets a great deal!  "NEW BUYER" decides they like your small local business.
6. "NEW BUYER" gets an email from you - thanking them  for their business, and offering an incentive (like rewards points; a coupon; a free "punch" ) to come back to your small local business, soon.

Nurturing loyal customers is not as simple as it used to be. But we can help your small local business engage them at every opportunity.

CALL or TEXT 602-618-6626 to put Smart Marketing for Smartphones^TM to work for you.  Learn more here.

Interesting Article About Client Education

But It Misses A Very Important Point

The article was intended "to help marketers be more successful with their clients...." by "...stick[ing] more to the business or relationship side of things."

It makes sense that the point of the article is "to help marketers".  I found the "intro" article from a link in an email from Marketing Land and the full article on Search Engine Land. And the author has years of experience in his subject ("local SEO").

What he said about the "key to local SEO success" hits the bullseye:  Client education. 

He nails what we see as the biggest problem when he writes that "We all know the concepts and the lingo", but that "most of the general public doesn’t ...  know what the acronym stands for..." and "...that the average person has no idea what we’re talking about."  That problem crosses ALL lines when it comes to digital marketing.

But we see "client education" as a two-way street. Following his lead to "Think about the best client you ever worked with...", how well did you know that client?  Because it's important that marketeer (yes, that was deliberate) and client each have "... a really solid understanding..." of each other, and each other's business. 

Yes, "business owners know they need to show up high in Google", and need good marketing. to succeed. 

But they’ll hire you as much because you took the additional time and effort to understand them, their business, and their goals as "because you tell them you can get them there".   (He gives some very good examples of understanding those potential clients before "educating them".  He just doesn't elaborate.)

As Steven Covey put it: "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."  That way, both marketeer and client align expectations and goals.

Physical Attributes Are Important, But Not Everything

I've been reading and re-reading a recent article on why google wants to know if your local small business has a wheelchair-accessible entrance or offers takeout.  

The simple anwer is that google wants to be the "go-to" source for search results.  And they're not alone. 

The "reputation" sites also want to these and other things, like services, accepted payment methods, and whether or not  you offer (or even can offer) free parking (not every business does).

They want to know, for example, if your restaurant is "appropriate for kids"; if dogs are allowed (and under what circumstances); does it have televisions; do you accept bitcoins? 

They want to know all of these "business attributes" so they can provide "rich, descriptive content" about the search results that they deliver.  It makes them  more useful, which makes them attract more visitors, which makes them more valuable.

You didn't really think they do it all for you, right?

BUT HERE'S WHY YOU NEED TO HELP THEM:

As the author out it: "they amplify a business’s data".  Most small business owners - especially local small business owners - don't know that "Inc." and "incorporated" might not show up "across all the places where people conduct local searches".  They don't know that the search engines probably won't recognize "123 Any Street" as a location match for "123 Any St.", even if the city, state and postal code are all in sync.  So, "business attributes" - a business’s data - might show up in one search tool, but not in another; great "reviews" might not get as widely published as that local small business owner thinks they have been.

The "foundational data", "identities", as the author calls it - names, addresses, phone numbers, might be completely accurate as a human reads it, but, as explained above, computers (and especially search engines) won't necessarily understand that "St." is "Street", rather than "Saint" or "State"; and those things are not the same.

If your small business needs help in turning searches into visits into business, CALL or TEXT 602-618-6626.  EMAIL US: info@localmotivemareting.com. YOU are why we're here.