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January 17, 2015 By Nick Rojas Leave a Comment

Free Financial Tracking Tools For Small Business in 2015

Cresting into the New Year has many businesses looking towards a brighter financial future. Tracking information in our technologically drenched atmosphere is getting more complex. According to Internet marketing research, each and every day, 145 trillion emails are sent, 4 billion people share on Facebook and 45 million photos are posted online. With this type of Internet traffic, keeping our finances on the same page can be challenging, but the internet is actually here to help.

Since we’re all on a tight budget these days, check out these four, free financial tracking tools that are available at no cost online:

Budget Tracker

Also accessible on the internet and from smartphones, Budget Tracker allows the user to enter transactions as they happen in real time. They have a number of different features available, even a tool that allows you to create your own, customized app that integrates with the other available functions, called “Be Creative” that is available to all other users once you have completed your invention. Their long list of features include:

Tracking accounts and spending
Income scheduling and forecasting
Budget creation
Customizable calendar
Business manager including graphs and charts

This comprehensive business tool is definitely worth a second glance, garnering nods from The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and USA Weekend edition.

Tax Mate

Primarily marketed as a tax tool for the self-employed, the Tax Mate app can also be successfully utilized by small businesses, providing them with important quarterly tax estimates. Their step-by-step questionnaire guides the user through the process of inputting all the necessary information that ultimately gives answers to the amounts owed for federal and state taxes. This will assist the user in avoiding the risks associated with the underpayment (or even overpayment) of these taxes.

Mint

Mint is another very popular free financial planner that is brought to us by Intuit, the makers of Quickbooks. Although it may be primarily designed for individuals, it is still an effective solution for small businesses. They offer budgeting, investment tracking, notifications and alerts, even free credit scores. Examine spending habits, check on different accounts, savings, retirement, checking, all from the convenience of your desktop, smartphone or other handheld device.

Waveapps

Another great freebie from Intuit, Waveapps has rave reviews from Forbes, The New York Times, Mashable, and Inc. It is specifically designed for entrepreneurs, freelancers and small businesses offering “real accounting for non-accountants.” They offer mobile invoicing, payroll, personal accounting, receipt storage and management. Wave delivers professional reports for A/P, A/R, balance sheets, statements and tax reports worthy of presentation to investors.

BONUS: Hiveage

Although it was previously stated that these methods were free, this next one deserves an honorable mention. Hiveage begins as no-cost invoicing platform (free PayPal payments are included) that expands into ala carte options that gives the small business user only the options that they need. This allows time for growth before investing in unnecessary accounting options. Users can add individual tools on an as needed basis and expand on their financial terms.

For better financial success in 2015, check out some of these free (and low cost) alternatives to more traditional, old-school accounting methods

December 18, 2014 By Ivan Serrano Leave a Comment

Amplified Internet Content Marketing

After years of dreaming, you’ve finally pulled together the funds, team, and idea you needed to start your startup, and the idea has paid off: you’ve got a bulletproof business model, and hey, not to brag, but you know it. You’re the first in the market, your customer feedback could not be more complementary, and business sales have been good, so far.

But the numbers are starting to stall. The new rush of clientele you had at the start of your company isn’t climbing as fast as you wanted, and you’re running out of ways to expand your business plan. Well, maybe you’re not running out of ways, and instead, you just aren’t looking in the right corners. Maybe it’s not the business model that’s stalling – it’s your online marketing strategy. Remember, the way you show off is half of who you are, and more than half of what you sell.

Sure, you’ve probably already figured out that in today’s world a company without a social media presence – from Facebook and Twitter feeds to Youtube channels to Instagram accounts – is like a President of a country giving a speech without any clothes on. If you want followers who respect you, you need to be heard and seen in the way you want to be seen. And even though your social media presence may be up-to-speed, there might just be something missing in your strategy that you need to fix, or amp up. Don’t be ashamed of self-promoting – your company is now in the big leagues, and you have to compete against a lot of other companies (with a lot louder megaphones). It might just be time to switch to a louder megaphone yourself, or at least, be less shy about showing off what you’ve got. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.

November 12, 2014 By Megan Ritter Leave a Comment

7 Fresh Twitter Content Market Tips to Learn from the Pros

The man who revolutionized the way we wear pants, Levi Strauss, the first to manufacture blue jeans way back in 1853, said, “An expert knows all the answers, if you ask the right questions” and it was brainiac Albert Einstein who wisely stated, “The only source of knowledge is experience.” Listening to the experts and learning from their experiences may be one of the best tools we have when it comes to getting valuable business advice.

Content marketing and social media media networking are still hot trends that marketers are embracing for online success. The microblogging site Twitter has over 280 million monthly active users worldwide and we can learn from the pros how we can market to this huge audience.

Here are seven Twitter tips for navigating the Twitterverse from some experts in the field:

#1 – One keyword at a time

When he is asked about exactly how he writes his best-selling books, multi-millionaire author Stephen King will invariably reply, “One word at a time.”

Social media consultant and blogger, Debbie Hemley stresses the importance of using keywords and recommends making a list of those that are relevant to your business and incorporating them into your 140 character or less tweets.

#2 – Stop using headlines

Self-proclaimed Grand Master of Customer Delight, Aaron Lee has an impressive 82,000 followers and wants us to stop using headlines in our tweets. Instead, he recommends asking questions to get people curious, add thoughts and opinions on those articles. These tips should have more people connecting with your tweets.

#3 – Use your own voice

Mari Smith, “social media thought leader” and author, offers that a seamless style that matches your personality or brand, will have people compelled to read (and then retweet) your content. While you shouldn’t have an agenda or or attachment for “making a sale,” you can still be strategic and mindful about how you tweet. You should see improvements on your retweet and click-through rates.

#4 – The classic icebreaker

Content marketing strategist and author, Carla Dewing, uses the classic icebreaker approach by sharing a common connection with a stranger. By following relevant tweets, retweeting them and commenting on their blogs, she makes more connections and ultimately additional followers.

#5 – An image is worth a thousand tweets

Affiliate software and marketing mogul, Robert Kilonzo, offers somewhat obvious advice that adding images to your tweets will increase their views 35% more than those without. He continues to advise using relevant and compelling images and not simply adding a photo simply so there will be one there.

#6 – Talk to a teenager

I have to agree with Jamie Turner, who authored The Evolution of Marketing, whenever we have a question, comment or concern about almost any social media trend, we ask to a teen for advice. He admits turning to his students for information on what is trending on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and in turn, I ask my teenage daughter. We both are not shy when it comes to getting a quick solution from our younger users rather than anguishing for hours over a lengthy tutorial or unknown topic.

#7 – Marketing in the Moment

One of the most effective uses of Twitter and social media is by utilizing content that is on-trend and popular in the moment. Digital Marketing Manager, Beth Gladstone, points to the recent case of how Oreo cookies were able to monopolize on the power outages at the Super Bowl and World Cup events.

Whether you are tweeting about your a new business model that you created from an inexpensive hobby or sending out a multi-million dollar message into the Twitterverse, use these effective tips to get the most from your Tweets.

October 27, 2014 By Megan Ritter Leave a Comment

Achieving SEO Success…Internationally

One of the most important aspects of running a successful online business is ensuring that you have a steady stream of relevant traffic – and there is no better way to do that than with organic search engine optimization. This is particularly vital when you are running a global business – organic search is quite possibly the easiest and most effective way for new customers to discover everything your business has to offer.

Build On The Basics

But there are certain essentials for SEO that apply regardless of your location. Proper meta data and HTML markup, creating keyword rich file names, and more, create the foundation of a site that performs well across borders and spans various languages. Beginning with a basic checklist and building on the details, is the ideal way to get started with international SEO.

Location, Location, Location

Geotargeting and similar advertising activities can be more valuable than any marketer initially realizes. Users expect to see ads and other content in their own language, after all, and locally translated sites rank more highly in the search engine results pages.

Also, keep in mind that the search engine results pages may be displayed differently depending on where your audience is located and what language they are using, since Google and other search engines test and roll out various changes based on language and locale.

Relevant Translation Is Key

Not only does a website in the regional language rank more highly in localized search, it will generate more conversions. According to the infographic below, 85% of internet users won’t make significant purchase decisions unless they can do so in their own language.

Click Image To View Infographic

There are plenty of idiosyncrasies and other specific slang that needs to be considered when you are translating website content and advertisements. Ensuring that you follow the standard grammatical requirements along with customizing your content with specific slang and buzzwords can go a long way towards building a strong reputation and rapport with your global customers.

Going Beyond The Basics

Creating social media profiles in the relevant languages and on the sites and platforms that are popular in each country or region is helpful as well. For instance, Facebook and Twitter are popular around the world (and Google Plus is generally helpful), but it is equally useful to post on platforms that are more country or language-specific, such as Orkut for Brazil or Weibo in China.

Paying close attention to holidays and other seasonal events when you create content is also worthwhile. Not only does this sort of activity prove an understanding of the regional market(s) you are targeting, timely social media posts can be a valuable ranking factor as well.

Get Structured

Once you have your content translated, you need to decide where it will be located. Are you going to create subdomains, or add new directories to your site? Or are you going to purchase multiple domains? Determining what option is the best choice for your business from the beginning will save you and your team money and effort in the long term.

Utilizing the appropriate markup (see www.schema.org for examples and more information on HTML markup structures) is also important – not only for SEO, but for the overall user experience. An organized site structure, site search, and relevant meta data makes it simple for your audience to find exactly what they are looking for via organic search. A good user experience is very similar to a good set-up for search engines, making correct markup a critical matter for digital marketers on several different levels.

International SEO Is A Long Term Investment

Last but not least, one of the most compelling reasons to ensure your site is appropriately optimized for international search is that SEO is one of the more cost effective forms of marketing. Granted, search engine optimization will never be a quick or easy marketing technique, but it can prove to be worth the effort and cost in the long run, since users tend to trust the sites that rank highly in the organic results.

January 17, 2014 By Mike Campbell Leave a Comment

Tips for Acquiring and Managing Online Reviews

I cannot stress enough the importance of online reviews. I recently read a study that stated 84% of Americans say online reviews influence their purchases. Another study stated that 79% of Americans say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. How can business owners afford to overlook the importance of online reviews? Below is a list of guidelines for acquiring and managing online reviews.

1. Examine Current Review & Online Reputation

Local businesses should first evaluate their visibility across major review sites and directories, e.g., Angie’s List, Google+, Yelp, YP.com, and any relevant vertical-specific review sites. If a business doesn’t have a presence on these sites, they should create or update their listing or business profile to improve SEO.

Once a profile is created, businesses receive notifications when new reviews are posted. Monitoring existing reviews and customer feedback is also a good way to see how staff is doing across many or a few business locations.

2. Address All Feedback

It might seem natural to address only negative reviews, but business owners should respond to all reviews and ratings whether positive or negative. This makes an excellent impact on all future prospects reading reviews.

Furthermore, negative reviews have the potential to stay online for years, so it is important to deal with any issues quickly and provide resolution for the customer. As long as the majority of reviews aren’t negative, people will value the business’ professional approach and responsiveness.

3. Build Review Generation Into Workflows

Asking for online reviews shouldn’t be overwhelming, and local businesses need to make it easy for their team to encourage loyal customers to provide reviews. Placing a Yelp sticker on the business’ door, offering customers a printed card with instructions on how to leave a review, or even just making a verbal request, are all perfectly legitimate ways to encourage customers to leave feedback. Customer reviews are some of the most compelling marketing content available to businesses and have the greatest potential to influence new customers.

If a simple process is set up for employees to request a quick review — it might even be valuable to offer employees incentives for gaining reviews — the collection and promotion of reviews can be easier. For certain service-based businesses, e.g., home improvement contractors, asking for a testimonial via a video or taking a photo with a customer and the completed job quickly shows the inherent stamp of approval and is easily shared across social media channels.

4. Amplify Good Reviews

When a local business generates good reviews, it should always use those testimonials to their advantage by posting them on their website and/or Facebook page, including them within a company newsletter and sharing them with employees, since good reviews serve as a good team morale booster. Businesses need to circulate these reviews as wide as possible since they demonstrate their quality or leadership role within their industry.

Review filters are a double-edged sword for local businesses. On one hand, they can be very helpful for weeding out negative reviews written by a competitor or an unjustified, unruly customer. They can also prevent good reviews written by real people from making it online.

To prevent this from happening, local businesses should “follow” Yelp reviewers who have posted positive, filtered reviews in order to boost their credibility. Yelp reviewers can often help push their reviews through the filter if they complete their profile information by adding a picture, connecting their profile to their Facebook page or providing reviews on a frequent basis.

January 15, 2014 By Mike Campbell Leave a Comment

Organic Search Engine Optimization for 2014

Google has absolutely made it clear that they are gunning for any unnatural links or content. Links are great right? If you are a website owner who has had any understanding of Search Engine Optimization then the thought of hundreds of websites linking to yours makes you warm all over. Links are what establishes authority and tells the search engine that your website has value and should be ranked high in the search results.

The problem/trick is that Google does not want you to ‘build’ links. They certainly do not want you purchasing them. They have spent a tremendous amount of time from the infamous ‘Penguin’ update till now working on snuffing out links that are unnatural. So what used to be a powerful link that increased authority may now cause your website to be penalized if Google can determine the link was created artificially or unnaturally. Yes, I said penalized. There will be those in the SEO world who will argue that Google will not penalize for unnatural looking links but rather just ignore them. I know from experience that they do penalize in some cases.

So how do you approach organic optimization in 2014? In short, very carefully. The days of building hundreds of links per month are over, instead, take your time and build links in places that completely make sense. If you are a mattress store then it makes sense to be linked to from a blog about the back health benefits of memory foam. Also, I think that we all must focus on Link Baiting more. Link Bait is any content or feature, within a website, designed specifically to gain attention or encourage others to link to the website. Google defines link bait as anything “interesting enough to catch people’s attention”.

SEO is much more difficult these days, but if you will make sure your content and links are always unique, relevant and natural then you will never be staring down the barrel of a member of Google’s spam team.

Quotes That Changed Link Building

Matt Cutts is the head of Google’s Spam team and the authority on changes implemented to Google search. Below are some statements he made recently that have changed the way many SEO Firms do SEO.

“I wouldn’t worry about going ahead and *disavowing links even if you don’t have a message in your Webmaster console.”
“Guest blogging is probably the sort of thing that you should be thinking about doing in moderation.”
“You should always have a well-rounded portfolio of ways to get leads”
“We’re probably not going to update PageRank throughout the rest of the year”
“If there’s any site you don’t want to be associated with, you can just do a disavow”
“Over time, we are going to give more and more information in those [Webmaster Tools] messages”
“We’re working on becoming more transparent and giving more examples with [Reconsideration Request] messages as we can.”
“Sometimes people think that Disavow is the be all and end all, the panacea that’s going to cure all their ills.”
“If you don’t provide adequate disclosure of paid content, we’re willing to go up to and including removing the publication from Google News”
“Typically, internal website links will not cause you any sort of trouble.”
“If there is a link selling site and they get caught for selling links, and they just happen to be linking to you, the value of that link that the site was providing, it just goes away.”
“It doesn’t hurt you if you use a 301.”

*Disavowing is a reference to a tool Google has available in Webmaster Tools for disavowing links that may be harmful. Note that in his statements, Matt basically confirms that the tool probably does not work.