(800) 689-1273
Facebook Twitter Youtube Linkedin
Prospect Genius logo

Prospect Genius

Menu
Log In
You are here: Home / Archives for resource

Your Website's Ranking Is Not Important

Last Updated: April 28, 2017

We repeat: Your website’s ranking is not important.
That probably goes against everything you previously thought about SEO. However, as Ryan Shelley points out in a recent article on Search Engine Land, there are much more accurate measures of success:

The problem with putting too much emphasis on [ranking] is that the search results aren’t always consistent. Google’s results will vary based on a number of different criteria.

More specifically, ranking only tells you how your site performs when an exact keyword is typed into the search bar. Plus, only 2.8% of all search terms are one-word keywords. This means individual keyword rankings are hardly representative of what people are searching for at large. Additionally, personalized algorithms and geographic location greatly influence ranking, too. In other words, ranking is only relevant to a very narrow, specific set of conditions.
Meanwhile, Shelley says, there are much more pressing metrics you should consider—especially because these other metrics have a greater impact on your bottom line. After all, what’s your end goal? Is it simply to display at the top of the search results for a particular keyword, or is it to attract more customers and increase revenue? Usually, it’s the latter.
Therefore, according to Shelley, you should spend more time and energy focusing on your traffic trends and conversion funnels. This is the kind of data that actually affects your ROI. Ranking is more or less irrelevant.
For a more detailed explanation of this issue, please click over to Search Engine Land and read Shelley’s full article, “The Problem With Obsessive Rank Tracking.”

How Much Money Are You Losing From Missed Calls?

Last Updated: April 20, 2017

Do you even notice your phone buzzing in your pocket or ringing on your desk anymore? Many business owners find themselves tuning out their ringing phones for the sake of their own time, energy, and sanity. After all, an endless stream of phone calls comes with the territory of owning a small business—and a good chunk of the time, they’re useless calls from solicitors. Usually, though, there are a lot of customer calls mixed in there. So if you’re just letting your phone ring and not picking up, you could be losing a bunch of business.
It’s perfectly understandable that you don’t want to tie yourself up talking to telemarketers all day. You’re busy, and you simply don’t have time to waste on unwelcome calls. However, by ignoring all incoming calls, you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage. Rock, meet hard place.
In this post, we’ll look at how missed calls impact your business and what you can do to reduce them. Let’s jump in!

Missed Calls = Lost Money

Did you know that roughly 30% of our clients’ incoming calls go to voicemail? That’s not good, especially when you consider a recent report from Forbes telling us the overwhelming majority of callers hang up as soon as they reach voicemail.
It’s truly unfortunate, particularly because you do have a good chance of turning a caller into a customer: Our proprietary data shows that approximately 60% of answered calls turn into successful sales.
Using these statistics, we’ve broken down roughly how much revenue you’re missing out on by not answering the phone. You can see the numbers in the table below:

Missed Calls and Lost Revenue

Is it safe to assume you don’t want to lose thousands upon thousands of dollars in revenue each year? Then you have to find a way to answer customer calls without wasting all your time on pesky solicitors. If only we had some tips for you…

How to Answer Only the Calls You Want

It actually is possible to answer your customers’ calls without dealing with the annoyance of telemarketers. You have a couple of options:

  • Use a spam-blocking app on your phone that blocks known solicitors. It may not block spam calls 100% of the time, but it will significantly reduce the number you receive.
  • Hire a call answering service to answer your phone for you. They’ll answer all your calls, represent your business with professionalism, and take messages from customers. They may even be able to perform other secretarial duties like scheduling appointments and answering basic customer service questions. This frees you up big time.
  • Stop using your personal cell phone number as your business number. Get a separate line or a forwarding number to use for all of your business needs. This won’t actually cut down on solicitation calls, but at least you won’t be bothered by them when you’re spending time with your family at home.
  • Take advantage of Prospect Genius’s CallTrax line or a similar call-tracking service. You’ll benefit from our extensive list of blocked numbers, which is constantly updated to keep unwanted callers from wasting our clients’ time.

Get an Exclusive Discount on Business Answering Services!

To help business owners solve their problem with missed calls, Prospect Genius has partnered with a company called Professional Answering Service, Inc. Their experienced management and well-trained staff are available to:

  • Answer your phone remotely
  • Dispatch urgent customer calls when needed
  • Take detailed messages
  • Schedule customer service calls and appointments
  • And more!

The best part? Prospect Genius clients have access to Professional Answering Service, Inc. at an exclusive rate! If you think your business could benefit from an affordable answering service, get in touch with us and we’ll help you set everything up.

4 Tips for Small Business Owners to Balance Work and Life

Last Updated: April 13, 2017

As a small business owner, do you find it hard to balance work and life? Do you feel like you’re never able to turn off your work phone or throw a ball around with your kids? It may not surprise you to hear that many small business owners have the same difficulties. In fact, according to a study by The Alternative Board, entrepreneurs in the U.S. often work far more than the average adult: 30% work more than 50 hours per week, and 19% work more than 60!
Needless to say, you’re not the only one who’s struggling to balance work and life in a healthy way. That’s why we want to help. We don’t claim to have all the answers—or to even be masters of the work-life balance ourselves—but here are some tips we’ve found useful in our own lives. Good luck!

1. Keep Strict Work Hours

Set strict work hours and stick to them. Don’t check your e-mail or answer your business phone after these hours, and devote this time solely to your family. If you have trouble holding yourself accountable, have your spouse keep you in check. You may also want to set an e-mail auto-reply after a specific time (e.g. 7 or 8 PM) so you won’t be distracted by incoming notifications. This will also let customers and employees know you’re not ignoring them and you’ll follow up with them in the morning.

2. Schedule Family Meals

The concept of “family time” might be too vague to achieve, especially during your busy season. Creating a more specific and defined goal will make accomplishing it more likely. Try scheduling at least one meal to eat with your family every day. Even if you can’t make it home in time for dinner, you can aim for breakfast or lunch. The goal is to enjoy some uninterrupted face time with your family at least once a day.

3. Delegate Work Responsibilities

Hire someone and delegate responsibilities so you aren’t juggling everything all at once. We understand it’s difficult for some business owners to trust another person to answer e-mails or keep the books. However, it’s something you have to do if you want to keep your sanity. You can put your mind at ease by giving this individual low-level tasks at first and gradually building up their skills. When you delegate, you’ll be able to step away from your work more often without worrying about tasks falling through the cracks.

4. Prioritize Work Tasks

First thing every morning, identify the top five or six tasks you must complete by the end of the day. By doing this, you’ll focus your energy on the most important tasks during the workday. Then, once they’re complete, you won’t feel guilty about stepping away and unplugging for the night.
We hope these tips help you balance work and life better! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Which of These Online Marketing Strategies Will Be Your Next Step?

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

“What are the best next steps for my marketing?”
This is a question we hear a lot from our clients. As your small business’s online marketing campaign flourishes, it’s natural to wonder what you can do to multiply your success. Regardless of which online marketing strategy from Prospect Genius you’re currently using, there’s a way for you to keep climbing the ladder, if that’s what you want.
Of course, what you do next depends largely on what you’ve already done. You can’t just start hiking halfway up a mountain, right? You have to start at the bottom and work your way to the top.
So, in this post, we’ll explore your options for advancement based on which of our online marketing strategies you’ve already succeeded with. Let’s dive in!

First, the Bare Necessities

Before you can try any advanced online marketing strategies, these are your must-haves:

  • Basic website
  • Google Maps listing

Basic website: You’ve heard the old saying, “All roads lead to Rome.” Well, when we’re talking about your online presence, all roads lead to your website. An optimized website forms the basis of your online presence because it’s tied to every listing and gives your business the SEO fuel it needs. Find out more about the connection between websites and local search in this blog post. (And remember, a website must be optimized for mobile devices as well as desktop computers!)
Google Maps listing: Since Google Maps listings are tied directly to Google’s search engine and algorithms, having one is absolutely, 100% essential. You can’t have a local web presence without one. Read more about Google maps listing optimization on our website.
This is why the overwhelming majority of our clients purchase both a CoreSite and Google Maps optimization.

Now, Choose Your Own Adventure

Once you have these fundamentals covered, you can take your own path. Here are the online marketing strategies to consider:

  • SEO content writing
  • More directory listings
  • Paid advertising
  • Social media outreach
  • Paid social media advertising
  • Remarketing

SEO content writing (a.k.a. Ghost Writing): Add more pages to your CoreSite to target specific keywords. This boosts your SEO and, therefore, your local search rankings. More visibility means more visitors to your site!
More directory listings (a.k.a. Directory Dominator): Push your business’s information into all the right directories. The more your business info appears on quality websites, the stronger your SEO and local web presence will be. This option works great when you already have lots of website content, but it can be effective on its own as well.
Paid advertising (a.k.a. Pay-Per-Click): As we like to say, “Why walk when you can run?” Boost your visibility in local search by promoting your business in sponsored ads. They appear right at the top of the search results page. For best results, do this after you’ve optimized your website.
Social media outreach (a.k.a. SocialStream and/or SocialBuzz): Put yourself on the social media platforms where your customers are already spending their time! In competitive industries, it isn’t enough to be visible in Google results. You also need to interact and engage with your customers on Facebook and Twitter to demonstrate your accessibility. Since social media doesn’t add much SEO-wise, we don’t advise focusing on this until you feel you’ve fully optimized your website and directory listings.
Paid social media advertising (a.k.a. Facebook Ads): Get even more exposure on social media by sponsoring your own posts. This is next-level social media outreach for businesses that already have a well-established presence.
Remarketing: Go beyond sponsored ads on Google. Remarketing allows you to target ads at people who previously visited your site, so your business and brand stay top of mind. This is another next-level option, so be sure you’ve maximized your website’s SEO as much as possible before investing in it.

Consider These Outside Add-Ons

After you’ve achieved a certain level of success with our online marketing strategies, you may wish to add a service or two that Prospect Genius doesn’t offer ourselves. For example, you may want to leverage:

  • Customer review aggregators
  • E-mail marketing blasts
  • Professional answering services

Customer review aggregators: These services contact customers on your behalf and request reviews from them. Then, you can add those reviews to your website. In the past, we’ve had success using Customer Lobby for our own customer review needs.
E-mail marketing blasts: Want to keep your customers up to date on special deals and company news? Communicate en masse with the help of an e-mail marketing service. We like ActiveCampaign and MailChimp.
Professional answering services: If you’re too busy to answer the phone when customers call, enlist a remote answering service. They answer your calls with professionalism and record all your messages. We have a partnership with Professional Answering Service, Inc. that gets you a discount on their services!

Your Unique Circumstance Determines a Lot

Of course, your next steps will depend on several variables, including your short-term needs and long-term goals. For example, if you want to use paid advertising long-term, then you should only do so after you’ve completed substantial SEO work on your website. This ensures good ROI because it lowers your AdWords costs and makes your ads more potent. On the other hand, if you’re only looking for a temporary campaign to promote a special offering or discount, then you probably aren’t as concerned with long-term ROI.
Geographic location also influences which online marketing strategies will work for you. For instance, if you’re in a rural area without much competition, then you may only need a Google listing and a three-page CoreSite. However, if you’re in a densely populated area, then you’ll have to do significantly more work and narrowly target specific keywords to beat the competition.
Countless other quirks can dictate how each program works for your business. That’s why you should discuss your needs and goals with your Prospect Genius account manager. We’ll make sure you’re using the best strategy for your business.
Ready to make the next move for your online marketing? Call today!

How You Can Use Word of Mouth to Edge Out the Competition

Last Updated: March 9, 2017

Does it feel like David vs. Goliath out there for your small business?
Big companies may be able to outspend you on ad campaigns and merchandising, but there are areas where ad spend has no power. One such area is word of mouth. Glowing reviews and personal referrals are just as good as—if not better than—any marketing money can buy. As long as you consistently deliver satisfying products and/or services, there will inevitably be some chatter about you. Your customers will mention you in conversation and may even give your name when asked for a referral.
In other words, big companies may have a leg up on spending, but no one has a monopoly on customer satisfaction.
Here’s how you can leverage word of mouth and give your small business the competitive edge it needs.

Online Reviews Are the New Word of Mouth

It’s easy to spread word of mouth through the digital grapevine. With the prominence of online communities like Facebook, Yelp, HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List, and even Google Maps, word travels fast.
Online, word of mouth exists in the form of customer reviews. You can establish your brand reputation just by delivering a memorable experience that customers will want to write about.

READ: How to Get More Customer Reviews Just by Asking for Them

Whether they’re on your social media pages or your directory listings, customer reviews are like word of mouth from strangers. In fact, a recent study revealed that 84% of people trust online reviews as much as recommendations from their friends. So if you’re a small business owner, all you have to do is wow your customers and ask them to leave you reviews online. The reviews will speak for themselves, as long as you have enough of them.
Here are some tricks to help you get started on collecting enough customer reviews:

  • Use an on-page feedback form or button right on your website.
  • Ask the customer directly during your interactions, and mention which site (e.g. Facebook, Yelp, etc.) you prefer them to use.
  • Send reminders in follow-up e-mails and even invoices.
  • Offer incentives for leaving a review, like coupons or small freebies.

Old-Fashioned Word of Mouth Still Works, Too

While the dynamics of social media and online interactions change, people are still the same. They still want to hear from friends and family—people they trust—about their personal recommendations.
For instance, when looking for a team to install new windows, they’ll probably first turn to anyone they know who recently had a home renovation. Failing that, they’ll probably use Facebook, a virtual megaphone, to shout from the rooftop and ask for all of their online friends’ recommendations. Think about it: You’ve probably seen at least one friend on Facebook do that this week.
At the same time, people are often looking out for each other. If they recently had a positive experience with any business from a roofing contractor to a new restaurant in town, they’re likely to speak up if they think one of their friends or family members would appreciate it, too.
However, you can further encourage them to speak up by directly asking for referrals. Here are some of our suggestions:

  • Ask customers at the beginning of your working relationship so they unconsciously keep an eye out for things they like about you.
  • Offer referral bonuses and incentives, like giving customers a discount on their next purchase when they refer a friend.
  • Surprise customers with unexpected freebies and other perks that keep them happy and wanting to gush about you.
  • Make referrals easy by providing customers with a clear form to fill out. Minimizing guesswork or confusion will make them much more likely to follow through with a referral.

A Positive Experience Is Invaluable

Ultimately, leaving customers with a positive experience and a good impression is the best way to build your reputation.
Susan Ward of The Balance offers a simple guideline:

To get good word of mouth building about your small business, think about what makes up a pleasant customer experience in your case and make sure that all the elements that would contribute to such an experience are in their best shape.

When it comes to word of mouth, there’s no substitute for customer satisfaction. You’ll have the edge over the big guys by giving your customers the personal care, friendly service, and attention to detail only a small business can provide. Use this to your advantage! Give them an experience they’ll be raving about. 

Sign up for our newsletter!

Join our mailing list and receive regular updates on how to effectively market your small business, along with exclusive service promotions.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.