August 30, 2010

- Top Tips for some DIY Optimization...

1. Claim your Local Business Listing on Google Local, Yahoo & Bing
   
2. Then - make sure your business appears in the right categories!
3. Include product or service keywords in your local business listing title
4. Make sure you update your full and accurate address on all local search websites, as well as on your own website
5. Create an easy to understand website with content that targets your keywords
6. Get your customers to write glowing online reviews about your business
7. Utilise social networks such as Facebook and Twitter to stay in touch with customers and attract new customers
8. Advertise online
9. If all this sounds a bit too time consuming - then get in touch with im genius!

February 24, 2010

- Some quick thoughts on facebook and twitter traffic for your site...

Some sites have been known to get even more traffic from Facebook than they get from Google. I suggest setting up a Facebook page. Compete recently found that demographics of Facebook users strongly resemble demographics of Internet users in general. Essentially, that means that people of all kinds are using Facebook. You have potential customers on Facebook.

For some sites, twitter is their main traffic source. Now that Google is including real-time search in their search results, Twitter itself is getting more traffic. For newsy Google queries, newsy tweets are getting a lot more exposure. Twitter also has a way of making content go viral (much like Facebook does, only on a much more open and public level).

July 17, 2009

- Marketing Your Business In A Recession

Expand your customer base

It may seem obvious, but one way to make more sales is to get more customers. Businesses will often look at ways of expanding their customer base during periods of growth, but it can also be considered when existing customers are not generating enough sales.

The main growth areas are:

Target audience/sector: Consider targeting a completely different group of potential customers from your existing customer base. For example, if you currently sell to consumers you may wish to target businesses as well, or if your clients are in one business segment then consider selling into others. Finding a niche in a crowded market could result in sustained growth.

Geographical coverage: Review your existing geographical coverage to find out if there is potential to increase your market reach. For example, if your customer base is quite local you may wish to target new customers at a regional level, or if you currently trade nationally you may find there are opportunities overseas.

Business referrals: Consider approaching other businesses that provide supplementary products or services to what you offer. You could make an agreement to cross-sell to each others' businesses, getting access to a completely new customer database. For example, if a printing company knows that a client wants a website they could recommend a new media company, and vice versa.

July 16, 2009

- Revisit your marketing plan...

The first step in creating a recession-proof marketing plan is to reassess your defined goals and budgets.

Ask yourself this question: will your current marketing activities drive enough customers to your business to meet sales targets? If not, you may need to update your marketing plan based on realistic goals within the current climate.

There are five key strategies to consider when reviewing your plan:

• Expand your customer base
• Expand your products and services
• Nurture your existing customer base
• Raise your profile
• Keep marketing!

Good luck recession-proofing your business!

 

June 25, 2009

- E-tailers Should Be Confident, Yet Clever

In spite of predictions of US retail e-commerce sales expected to take a dive of 0.4% from 2008 to total ca $132 billion in 2009, I can still see light at the end of this tunnel.

Many economists are predicting the recession will indeed end this year, with online sales looking set to begin to climb again in 2010. The growth will most likely come from the hardy online buyers who will help drive the e-commerce machine successfully into 2010 and beyond.

With an estimated 150+ million people (aged 14+) in the US predicted to shop online in 2009, that’s 86% of internet users who will browse, research or compare products online this year alone. Unsurprisingly, the positive rise is set to continue. This particular trend however, perhaps points to another interesting area – and one online retailers need to be ever mindful of – internet shoppers are keener than ever to compare prices, seek out retailers with no (or at the very least, low) shipping fees and look for discounts at every opportunity.  ‘Shopping around’ is the new black! The recession has made product research even more important than it previously was to the pre-recession frugal online buyer.

These statistics however, make no mention of cross-channel shopping habits. Agreed, they are notoriously much harder to measure than an e-commerce sale, nonetheless, cross-channel sales could equate to more than triple the e-comm sales predicted – not a small sum to be sniffed at by retailers. Yet, to my mind, they’re still a long way from building their multi-channels in to what could be classified as a cohesive presence online. If the e-tailers can succeed at implementing this, then perhaps they could help drive a real boost to consumer confidence.

February 15, 2009

- the genius behind im-genius: who we are

im-genius is a dedicated, enthusiastic, friendly and professional internet marketing agency ready to help your organisation bloom online! With over 7 years experience in web design, development, marketing and communication strategising in both Europe and the United States, we understand all aspects of the international internet marketing proposition.

Our mantra is to understand our clients' business objectives, define achievable results, measure the outcome, hone the campaign, and repeat... We do this until we achieve the desired outcome for our clients' businesses.

In order to drive an effective intelligent internet marketing strategy for our clients, im-genius takes the time to ensure we have a real understanding of our clients' business structure. Translating that understanding and building a successful internet marketing campaign around that message is where we shine!