Web.com Moves Into Mobile Marketing With SmartCalls

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Web.com Moves Into Mobile Marketing With SmartCalls
Time for the U.S. Penny to Go
Niche Communities, Social Media and Community Attitude Adjustments
Startup Tech Bubble Talk Is Everywhere, But Not All Agree

Posted: 03 May 2012 11:30 AM PDT

If there’s an untapped area on the map of marketing, it surely is mobile marketing. Companies have dabbled in sending coupons and ads via text, urging customers to scan QR codes and placed advertisements at the bottom of mobile apps. While many of these haven’t succeeded long-term, there’s one thing we can’t deny: people use their phones to find local retailers.

Mobile Marketing

The days of the Yellow Pages being the primary source for local vendors may be limited: 79% of smartphone users now use their phones to help with shopping, says Google. This presents many opportunities for local retailers, restaurants and service providers, as getting to the top of search results on mobile is a highly coveted prize.

Fiercer Competition for Mobile AdWords

Online marketing service provider Web.com recently announced its new SmartCalls service. With it, small businesses get Web.com’s Google AdWords expertise, applied to mobile. When a potential customer searches for, let’s say “dog grooming” from their smartphone, they’ll get a list of local businesses, with two sponsored AdWords results based on their location at the top of the page.

You can then check out the map to see where the business is located, or even tap the hyperlinked phone number to call the company instantly. Google’s mobile version shows fewer AdWords results, which can make it difficult to compete for that space.

Explains Aman Devgan, VP of Products at Web.com:

"Small businesses recognize the importance of being visible to the millions of consumers who are actively, and sometimes urgently, searching for local services on their mobile devices. The opportunity is especially great when you consider that mobile searches are hyper local and a favorable response to a mobile advertisement is to either walk in or place a call directly to that business."

Users of the SmartCalls service gain access to their Scorecard, which provides lead alerts, call tracking and call recordings.

Understanding the Real Value

The value here focuses on geo-targeting results. If you’re looking for a restaurant while you’re on the go, you want one close by, not across town. And with 47% of smartphone users looking for local, businesses advertising with Google AdWords Mobile increase the chance of drawing local new customers. You certainly could set up your own AdWords Mobile account, but there are Google AdWords partners for a reason: small businesses often don’t have the savvy skills to choose the right keywords at the right price, with ad copy that will turn searchers into customers.

I know many small businesses who have tried to run their own AdWords campaigns, only to bleed money without seeing the ROI. Working with a partner like SmartCalls may take some of the guesswork out of the process.

From Small Business Trends

Web.com Moves Into Mobile Marketing With SmartCalls

Time for the U.S. Penny to Go

Posted: 03 May 2012 08:30 AM PDT

I saw a Twitter tweet from a penny today. Not a woman named Penny, but a penny coin. The Canadian penny, to be exact.

pennies

The Canadian government recently announced its intention to eliminate the penny as a cost saving measure. In a last ditch effort to save face (value), the Canadian penny took to Twitter. And now, the determined discus has launched a media blitz to have its two cents heard.

As it turns out, the penny, while short on purchasing power, is long on class and has only one altruistic message for followers: Donate me to your favorite charity. At Show Your Roll, visitors are urged to submit favorite penny photos and outline last wishes for their donated Canadian pennies.

America's copper counterpart must be quaking in its coin purse.

Some would argue that we are already well on our way to a penniless society here in the United States (pun intended).

All humor aside — on Main Street a penny is a tangible part of daily life that must be collected, counted and hauled to the bank.

Is the penny worth keeping, or should it go?

Each U.S. penny costs 2.4 cents to make. Even if they are a drain on the U.S. taxpayer they are still in circulation, and retailers have to deal with them. Never mind that it's nearly impossible to find anything you can buy for a single penny today. Good luck finding a mom and pop penny-candy store, or a gumball machine that still accepts the copper colored coin.

But if you are retailer or you are simply a shopper at your favorite independent retail shop, you may encounter the last bastion of face-to-face commercial civility, when you reach into the "need a penny, take a penny" cup to round out your purchase. Are we really ready to shed this icon? And take away that little bit of generosity shared by others?

Some shops automatically round up a few cents just to avoid wasting time making change with pennies, and having to deal with hauling them to the bank to convert. Some retailers have been known to refuse to accept large numbers of pennies due to the hassle involved in counting and accepting them. Waiters routinely avoid dealing with them, often rounding up to the nearest nickel, dime, quarter or dollar bill when making change.

Some consumers hate to mess with pennies, too. They are bulky to carry, and you can't use a penny by itself to buy anything. Penny haters have even taken to YouTube to vent.

Some shops have decided to take it upon themselves to eliminate the penny. For instance, this chain of bicycle shops has announced that it is eliminating pennies from its stores on the grounds of being wastes of time and money, as well as bad for the environment due to mining activity, noting:

"… we have decided to eliminate pennies from our stores. For all cash transactions where pennies would have been used, we will be rounding down in favor of the customer to the nearest nickel. You might wonder why we might want to do this? The answer is simple, it’s good for the environment and good for business…"

You can find websites dedicated to retiring the U.S. penny and even a Facebook Group, “Citizens for Retiring the Penny.” And this article claims pennies are worth less than nothing.

I think the penny has outlived its usefulness. The penny is wasteful for businesses and consumers alike. If businesses just started rounding to the nearest nickel it would be less hassle for everyone; less time wasted counting out change and shorter lines making happier customers; less time wasted reconciling cash receipts down to the penny.

So the question for you is: are you ready to get rid of using pennies? If you run a retail outlet or accept cash in your business, will you continue to accept pennies or are you ready to make as bold a move as the bike shop example? And as consumers, would you miss the penny in commerce?

Penny Photo via Shutterstock

From Small Business Trends

Time for the U.S. Penny to Go

Niche Communities, Social Media and Community Attitude Adjustments

Posted: 03 May 2012 05:30 AM PDT

No matter the physical location of your business, when it comes to being interactive — we have options. We can dive into social media and start building our fan pages, attracting our Twitter follows, pinning our boards, etc. We can build a thriving email list that keeps us in front of clients and interested others. We can even join niche communities and we can build our own.

In “How To Differentiate Yourself Using Online Communities” Ivana Taylor identifies private online groups as a way:

". . .to interact with people who are like-minded and who share an interest in a specific topic."

These communities are different from social media which can be "too expansive." The goal of your niche community can simply be to "create a way for customers to talk to each other."

Ivana says, it gives you customers room to "share ideas, strategies and best practices." If you're thinking of creating a niche group, then check out her article for the other 4 ways to use online communities in your business.

If You Decide to Move Forward, You Need A Plan

In “The Power And Pitfalls Of The Niche Online Community” Yvonne DiVita says, "communities exist to bring people together." But that's not always the case. If you choose to create a niche community for your customers, vendors and other like minded people to join, then like everything else in your business, it has to be managed.

Yvonne mentions 8 things to help you keep your niche community on track including the creation of documented standards and rules of engagement. She suggests that you:

"Let community members know what's expected of them. Outline exactly what is not allowed. Tell members what will happen if they abuse or ignore the guidelines."

Clear and Upfront Standards Save Headaches

If you decide not to follow the niche online community route and stick with social media as we currently know it, then Anita Campbell, Founder of Small Business Trends, lists “9 Easy Ways You Can Use Social Media To Inspire Innovation.” She suggests that you shift your thinking about it" and start paying attention "to ways social media can inspire." If you choose to listen in on the conversations about your company, competitors and industry as a whole, then "you'll notice new ideas."

I think this tip is something that time-strapped business owners can use. Make a point of entering the room (so to speak) at least once a week. If you're not in that room — participating in social media at least a little — then you can't overhear the conversations that take place. And if you don't overhear those conversations, you may miss the spark — the inspiration that comes for engaging.

Social Community Photo via Shutterstock

From Small Business Trends

Niche Communities, Social Media and Community Attitude Adjustments

Startup Tech Bubble Talk Is Everywhere, But Not All Agree

Posted: 03 May 2012 02:30 AM PDT

Is there a tech startup bubble waiting to burst out there? Truth be told, everyone has a different take. Keep using standard good business sense, though, and many experts believe you don’t need to worry. Here are some additional thoughts on the bubble and the possible burst.

Bubble Worries

New tech startup bubble still hotly debated. The purchase of Instagram has fueled discussion anew about whether a startup tech bubble exists and, if so, whether a bursting of that bubble may be imminent. How might this affect online entrepreneurs and small businesses? Reuters

Who knows if it’s true? Not Tim Berry, certainly. Despite his knowledge in the world of software, this entrepreneur is unwilling to commit himself to whether indicators point to a tech bubble ready to burst or whether this is simply the new normal. Business Insider

Taking Stock

An argument for common sense. Is there a reason your small business makes money? Does it help someone, provide a beneficial product, create a valuable service, or do anything else that makes customers willing to part with their hard earned money? BuzzFeed

Make something someone needs. Sound easy? Well, maybe it is, and maybe it’s not. But the theory in the technology economy is that, if you can, you don’t need to worry about being part of the tech startup bubble. Bloomberg Businessweek

Reality Checks

Just keep talking! A good rule of thumb, says Rich Barton, founder of Zillow and Expedia, is that as long as people are talking and worrying about a tech startup bubble, there isn’t one. Huh? TechFlash

The bubble is confined. Super star investor and entrepreneur Mark Cuban says the startup tech bubble is a phenomenon confined to Silicon Valley, where company valuations are out of kilter. When it bursts, Cuban says, it will leave the rest of the country untouched. Wall St. Cheat Sheet

Bad Signs

Acquisition seekers. If there is a tech startup bubble in Silicon Valley, it’s likely to be tied to the practice of creating disruptive technology for no other reason than to get acquired.What’s the motivation behind your tech startup? New York Times

And, if you wanted to get really confused! There’s this post about how we are (but aren’t) in a tech startup bubble that’s ready to burst. The verdict? We’ll see. That’s a true enough assessment, at least! Online Spin

Final Analysis

Tech investment cooling. Whether this news indicates a tech startup bubble or not, investment has slowed for the tech sector in the first quarter of 2012. Is this an argument against a bubble, or is it the impact of ongoing recession? Venture Beat

Tips for survival. If a tech startup bubble is ready to burst, it’s time for smart investors and entrepreneurs to figure out how to survive the worst of it. Don’t worry! This plan will have you adopting better strategies for the long term, no matter what. Forbes

From Small Business Trends

Startup Tech Bubble Talk Is Everywhere, But Not All Agree