Google has made an important change to Google Apps for Business - it is no longer free. Read More >>

You have a little shop tucked away on the cutest street in town, but the patrons aren't coming through the door. How can you let people know where your business is and help them discover you? Read More >>

When it comes to connecting with your local audience - and by that I mean the people who are physically local to your business - there are a number of options and a collection of strategies your business can employ to help improve the likelihood that customers will come knocking at your door at the time they are looking for what you offer. The very first thing that every small business serious about taking advantage of local search traffic must do is ensure that their website has all the basic things covered: Make sure your website features your telephone number prominently. For Read More >>

Here in Vermont, the mantra "buy local" is everywhere you look. The same way that recycling programs  changed our consciousness, buying local is such a part of the culture here, many people are hardwired to think of the shopping resources close by before even considering an online purchase. Funny thing is, Google is doing the same thing with their search results. Whether you are using a mobile devise or sitting comfortably at a desk top, when you log into Google and type in your keyword search, Google is using both the keywords and your location to bring up the most pertinent results. A good example of this would be tracking down a tasty lobster roll. Imagine your self taking that long walk down the beach at sunset with your beau in York, Maine, Vacation Land, the undisputed Lobster Kingdom. As the sand squishes between your toes and the ocean breezes gently toss your hair, your stomach beings to growl. You feel yourself getting a little grumpy. You are having a harder time focusing on things. Hearing the gnashing of your innards, your kindly beau whips out their mobile phone, punches in a search for "lobster rolls." You're a master chef (didn'cha know?) [....] Read More >>

A rough week in land of Friday Props. So many distractions. If the changing of the seasons wasn't enough here at the news desk, the presidential debates made it abundantly clear that any remaining leaves will soon be on the ground, a foundation for the snow to come. Though it was almost a fun year ago, we won't forget what happened. So this week, our props go to the elephants, those terrestrial mammoths that stop the earth and those that can invisibly fill the room. The Aquatic Elephant, NOT A MERMAID. Though not native to the European continent, this elephant and many of her kin appeared on Belgian coastlines and in parks after navigating the treacherous waters as small pieces of driftwood. With the help of a few local artists, the elephants became whole again (though a bit static) to majestically watch the beaches and beckon to their kin. From the faux elephants to the elephant in the room: The power and influence of social media continues to grow and companies are adapting more quickly to it. In response to this posting on their Facebook page, Bodyform produced this commercial below. So intensely funny, the company took an opportunity and ran with [....] Read More >>

One of the cornerstones to success with any online endeavor is to have a steady output of content. The phrase "Content is King" has time and time again shown itself to be true. In order to rank well in search results for your particular subject matter we always counsel businesses and bloggers to write more content. Sometimes, however, the time it takes to write new content can become a weight that is hard to bear. It's hard to see what more can be written about a topic when so many others have already seemingly covered everything and it's not a simple task to come up with something fresh and new if you're already up to your neck in other responsibilities. Luckily, though, there are a few tricks you can employ. I'm going to share one with you now. I call it Content Curating on a Time Diet. Much like the job of a museum curator, content curators are folks who are looking for interesting content online and pulling it together into their own space - adding their own flavor or opinion and sharing it with their readers. Using trendy news related to your industry, it is possible to quickly come up with new [....] Read More >>

The number one frustration for most small business owners is a lack of visibility of their beautiful well-designed website. “I spent all this money on a website but no one can find it! How do I get it to the top of the Google?” Welcome to Search Engine Optimization and Marketing (SEO/SEM). It’s true. You can have the most awesomest on the web, but it won’t make a bit of difference if no one can find it! The goal of any business is to be ranked #1 on any SERP (Search Engine Results Page) for keywords relating to your business, driving traffic to your wonderful, gorgeous website. The short-term fix to the problem is to spend money on advertising through Google, print media, promotions and such, herding potential clients to your website where they’ll say “Wow! This is EXACTLY what I need!” Or they’ll leave without spending a dime and your bank account shrinks. This strategy will drive traffic to your site, and, if the guest finds your website useful, they might spread the word out to their friends. But what if you don’t have the money to promote your website, first-time visitors don’t return and you see zero return [....] Read More >>

Every small business owner knows the challenge of growing their customer base - getting traffic through the doors or onto their website in order to drive an increase in sales. Many businesses rely heavily on local traffic - that is, on getting people through the doors of their establishment. With the dawning of the age of mobile internet connections via smart phones, it is becoming increasingly important that you be searchable and reachable on multiple platforms that provide location-aware services to users of smart phones. When a person is using their mobile device and searching for a bite to eat, the restaurateur  certainly wants her establishment showing up in those search results - be it on Facebook, Foursquare, Yelp or  Google Local search results to name just a few (and there are dozens!) It can't be overstated how important local search is for businesses that rely on foot traffic. Folks don't turn to the yellow pages as they did in years past and the small businesses that can leverage the power of local search results will fare much better than those that do not or cannot. So how does the owner of a local business end up getting listed in local search engines [....] Read More >>