David A. West » Marketing & Sales

Does Your Copywriting Pass Google’s Quality Test?

David West — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 16:42:21 +0000

A lot of Calgary business owners, and especially those who are new to search engine optimization and Internet marketing, talk about Google as if it’s some kind of magical, irrational entity that gives and takes web traffic from their sites without any reason at all.

The truth, however, is that changes in Google’s algorithms, regardless of the effects, always come for one reason: the company thinks it can do a better job of giving people the search results they’re looking for. It isn’t personal, and it usually isn’t “for” or “against” anyone in particular — they’re just trying to keep their spot as the world’s most popular search engine by doing a better job anticipating searchers’ thoughts. Which is why some of their latest changes shouldn’t surprise you.

One of the most obvious shifts in the way Google ranks results lately has been the way they’ve started to punish what they think of as “scrapper” spam sites that pull you in with lots and lots of badly written (or even nonsensical) articles stuffed to the brim with keywords. In fact, the developers and spiders at all the major search engines — including Yahoo and Bing — are getting better at identifying pages that don’t mean anything to anyone.

So what’s the net of all this? That having a lot of fresh, interesting writing on your site is still one of the very best ways to get to the top of Google’s listings… but trying to fake it with low-quality copy isn’t going to cut it anymore. Throw enough junk on your site and it’s only a matter of time before Google spots it and you’re actually doing worse on the search engines than you were before.

Taking shortcuts on your website’s writing isn’t a good way to work your SEO plan; but then again, it never really was. Even if you could manage to trick people into visiting pages that were jammed with keywords (and little else), then what they found wasn’t that likely to convince them to contact you to buy anything to start with.

For those marketers who have been approaching search engine optimization the right way, Google’s new algorithms mean very little has changed. But for the unlucky few who thought they could get by with junk copywriting, it’s time to face reality.

Looking for quality SEO answers, a reputable partner, and better positions on Google, Yahoo, and Bing? Contact eKzact — Calgary’s best web design and online marketing agency — for a free consultation today.

Part VI Working With Professional Web Designers & Online Marketing Experts

David West — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:21:29 +0000

Part VI
Working With Professional Web Designers & Online Marketing Experts

At a certain point, and usually sooner than a lot of business owners would think, there’s an important decision to be made in your online marketing plan: whether to manage it all yourself or to find a reputable partner to work with.

While you might expect we would recommend that you run out and grab the closest web designer or online marketing team, let us be very clear that either approach has its pros and cons. By doing things yourself, you’re likely to slow the process down drastically, be a lot less efficient, and find yourself making numerous mistakes that could have been avoided with professional guidance. Plus, most businesses don’t have the time to execute their plans effectively, much less stay on top of new trends and developments.

At the same time, however, finding a person or team to help you keep your online marketing plan on track and profitable is incredibly easy… but finding one that’s worth the money isn’t. You have to be very careful to work with someone you can trust, and who asks enough of the right questions about your business and goals before signing any kind of agreement.

So what’s the right answer for you?

In our experience, the companies that are most successful are the ones who spend a significant amount of time on the front end of the process, finding the right partner to make their Internet plans a business reality. It’s very, very difficult to do things on your own, but you can’t just go with the first company that submits you a proposal, either. Here are a few things you want to find in a web design and marketing partner:

They ask more about your company than your budget. It’s imperative that your online marketing team understand what your business is all about, and what your online objectives are, before they ever get started. Be wary of anyone who simply submits you a proposal and talks in general terms about what they’re going to do for you.

Their plan for your business is ongoing. One of the most important parts of web business is the process of constantly testing, refining, and optimizing what you’re doing. Nothing is ever as profitable as it could be the first time around, so make sure they have regular meetings, updates, and additions built in.

They have a strategy that goes beyond just sales. While most of this report is focused on strategies you’ll use to get more customers, the reality is that you can also make your business more profitable online by thinking of recruiting, customer service, accounting, and other parts of your business. You need a web designer or marketing team understands that.

They are easy to reach and talk to. Communication is important, both for your planning and your sanity. Don’t try to save a few dollars by going with someone who’s hard to reach or talk to – you will only end up regretting it later.

CONCLUSION

Having the right online marketing team really comes down to efficiency and effectiveness. By leveraging their expertise, you can get the maximum amount of impact on your business for the minimum of time. Regardless of what people may tell you, you’re always going to have to invest some of your own schedule and budget into the process. The only question is whether you’re going to be up at night reading basic books, and slowly making progress, or having someone who is knowledgeable guide you along the way.

There’s an old story about a business owner who is meeting with his advertising account executive. “I know half of our advertising dollars are wasted,” he says, “now if I could just figure out which half it was, I’d put my money elsewhere.” Internet marketing can feel the same way when you are just starting out, but having the right team to guide you in the most profitable direction makes all the difference.

The potential profits that come with putting your business online are too big to ignore, so don’t put off the process of developing and implementing a strong Internet plan any longer. Just be sure you find the right team to help you get to where you need to go.

Part V of A Winning Internet Marketing Plan – Putting the Pieces Together

David West — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:14:25 +0000

Part 5 of a 6 Part Series

Putting the Pieces Together

Even once business owners start to understand the major parts of an Internet marketing plan, it’s often tough to see how they can fit together into something that’s going to help their company earn more money and grow. The first step is making sure that what you really have is the plan, rather than just a wish list or set of activities.

Like any good business plan, yours should have not only the results you expect, but also a budget, timetable, and set of actionable activities that can move forward progressively. That’s an important point because, even though things do move faster online, you still aren’t likely to be successful in Internet marketing overnight. It takes time to put together a strong website, build up a reputation, let search engines find you, tweak your advertising plans so they are profitable, and so on.

With that in mind, we’re going to offer you two pieces of advice that are absolutely invaluable. If you can have the discipline to follow them, we promise that they will help you earn tens of thousands of dollars – and maybe a lot more – while greatly decreasing the stress and apprehension you feel about taking your company to the next level online:

Work on the parts of your online marketing plan that are most likely to be profitable first, and then build gradually from there.

To see why these are so important, just consider the most common roadblocks small and medium-sized businesses run into. First, after getting a taste of what’s possible through Internet marketing, they get in a rush to do everything at once. Their plans become little more than a list of all the tactics they have seen and read about, rather than a targeted set of activities leading them towards a certain kind of online customer. What they end up with is a lot of busywork that looks productive but doesn’t accomplish much.

That’s why you want to begin with – and concentrate on – those parts of your plan that are most likely to show a good rate of return in a reasonable amount of time. A trusted Internet marketing specialist can help you figure out what these are likely to be for your business, but pay per click campaigns for specific products, search engine optimization in your immediate area, and adding e-commerce functions to your site are all obvious ideas.

Once you get these campaigns started and moving in the right direction, branch out to the second most straightforward thing, and then the third. It takes a bit of focus and patience to do things this way, but as we mentioned, it can save you from a lot of costly and frustrating mistakes. There are simply too many tools and ideas out there in Internet for most companies to try to do everything effectively, and so lots of them end up trying lots of things in a pretty pointless way, or at least missing out on the bottom-line benefits they could be enjoying.

Your business wasn’t built in a day. Chances are, it took some time, lots of hard work, and an element of luck to get it to where it is today. Don’t try to shortcut the process on the Internet. Start with things you know are likely to be successful, and then let the project grow organically from there.

Part IV Finding the Right Internet Marketing Recipe

David West — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 16:06:57 +0000

Part 4 of 6 In a Series

As you may have already guessed, there’s no such thing as any one way to succeed in Internet marketing – what works for one company might be a losing strategy for another, and even the best ideas have to be amended and updated pretty frequently. In that way, what you’re looking for isn’t necessarily a map to promoting your business online so much as it is a recipe. And like any good recipe, you may have to make adjustments for your own personal style and tastes.

With that being said, most of the major elements are pretty consistent. While there are certainly dozens of other things you could add in, and more coming out all the time, here are the basic ingredients of most online marketing plans:

A good website design. Few things on this list, or Internet business in general, are possible until you have a quality website for your business. By that, we don’t just mean one that looks good (although yours should, if you want to attract customers online), but also that it does everything you and your customers need it to, displays well no matter what kind of computer or browser your visitors using, and can be updated easily to reflect changes in your company.

If you are serious about using the Internet to increase your business’s profitability, make sure to make a quality investment, in terms of time and money, into a website that can help you reach that goal.

A plan to get found by search engines. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a favorite topic of business owners, web designers, and online marketing experts alike. There’s a good reason for this: once your site makes it to the front page of Google, Yahoo, and Bing for an important search term, your business can expect dozens, maybe hundreds, of new potential customers to show up every day. Over the long run, that kind of traffic can make an enormous difference in your long-term profitability.

Paid advertising. While many companies choose to stick almost exclusively with SEO, paid advertising (on the search engines or elsewhere) can be a fantastic way to jumpstart your business online. That’s because, unlike search engine optimization – which relies on the relatively slow methods of adding content to your site and building incoming links – paid ads work instantly. What’s more, they tend to bring more targeted, serious traffic to your site. There is the need to keep an eye on your advertising budget, of course, but few parts of online marketing work as well, or consistently, as running paid advertisements.

A blog or email newsletter. One of the interesting things that new online marketers sometimes struggle with is the fact that it’s continually ongoing. It’s never something you simply “do” and then forget about; you always have to be adding, testing, and tweaking. As part of that process, having a company blog or e-mail newsletter is a great idea. Not only does it give you a way to broadcast specials and promotions to your customers and prospects, but it gives you a tool to reach them every month or two, keeping you at the front of their minds when they eventually decide to buy.

Social media marketing. A blanket name given to sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, social media differs from other parts of the web in that it relies nearly exclusively on user input and content. In other words, these sites aren’t places for people to check in with the company, but hear from each other. While the concept is still relatively new, at least as far as online marketing goes, the potential is undeniable. Facebook alone has more than 500 million users, with that number growing quickly, and more and more of them are turning to the site to find recommendations on what products to buy, and what companies to do business with.

Social media marketing is already an important part of any organization’s business plan, and that’s a trend that’s not likely to slow down anytime soon.

Online videos. Another tool that’s recently come into vogue, online videos are a great way to promote what you sell, show your products in action, communicate directly and personally with customers, or do any number of dozens of other things. To give an idea of why you might think of integrating some short video clips into your online marketing strategy, consider that YouTube is currently showing more than 2 billion videos per day on its own. Add that to the fact that there are nearly endless uses for the medium, from advertising to customer service, and you can see why it makes sense to plan on using them from the start.

Mobile websites and apps. Not everyone has an iPhone, Droid, or other next-generation mobile device, but it’s only a matter of time before most of us do. A recent study done by an investment bank predicted that in the year 2015, more people will be going online through mobile phones and other devices than they would laptops or desktop computers. What that means to you is that now is the time to start thinking about what kind of features, functions, and possibly even software apps your customers might want a few months or years down the road.

As we mentioned, these are only some of the bigger pieces of an online marketing plan, and there are certainly other elements you might want to consider and integrate. But regardless of whether you stick to the basics or develop some new ideas, remember that each of these is only an ingredient or two the larger mix. While the methods may come and go, the most popular sites and ideas fall in or out of favor, your success online is still going to come down to your ability to answer the questions we posed when you were first considering a marketing plan. There’s no substitute for knowing what you’re offering, and who the right people to buy it are.

A Winning Internet Marketing Plan – Part II – Why is Online Marketing Such a Big Deal?

David West — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:35:34 +0000

Part 2 of 6

Why is Online Marketing Such a Big Deal?

Despite the fact that the Internet has become such a big part of most people’s day-to-day lives, there are still a handful of business owners out there who think that it doesn’t necessarily change the way they do business, or that putting up a simple website is as far as they need to go. That mindset is understandable, but it could leave you missing the forest for the trees. Consider the following:

Amazon.com, the biggest online retailer, is thought to average more than 250,000 transactions every day
Google, the world’s largest search engine, currently registers more than 2 billion hits per day
Of those searches, the company estimates that 20% have some geographical indicator… meaning that more customers are going online to find local vendors and retailers
Investment banking giant Morgan Stanley predicts that, by the year 2015, more people will be accessing the Internet via mobile devices (like iPhones and Droids) than “traditional” computers
Facebook recently crossed the 500 million member mark, and other social media sites like Twitter and LinkedIn are quickly gaining ground with 150 million and 50 million members of their own, respectively

Of course, we could go on and on and on. The point, however, is well made in the statistics above – the Internet isn’t going away as a business medium anytime soon, and if you aren’t taking advantage, then you’re already losing customers to a competitor who is.

One of the biggest reasons this will continue to be true in the future has nothing to do with you or any other company down the block. The fact of the matter is that customers love doing business online. Not only is it often more convenient for them to shop from home, or the office (or at least get the information they need before they actually go out to make a purchase), but by shopping over the Internet, they can take advantage of lower prices, more choices, and a wealth of buying information and advice.

So in that sense, it only makes sense to keep working your online marketing plan when it’s what most of your buyers want, but it’s not just the best thing for them. Take a look at just a few of the things the right Internet marketing plan can bring your company:

More customers. The ability to reach buyers, regardless of what county or country they live in, 24 hours a day has been an important part of the Internet’s marketing appeal from the start.
Laser focus. Why waste your time and money trying to reach everyone, when it’s actually easier to find your perfect customer online?

More efficient. Fewer wasted marketing dollars means a much higher return on investment, and profits that can be saved or reinvested.

Better off-line results. While a lot of business owners and marketing managers might not realize it, a strong online campaign can often complement what they are doing elsewhere.

The biggest reason Internet marketing is such a big deal is because it works. If you are interested in reaching more customers, having more control over who you are paying to market to, and increasing the overall profitability of your business – and what business owner doesn’t want these things? – then it’s time to take online marketing very seriously. Review your website design, Search Engine Optimization and social media marketing plan today.

Next: Part III –

Building an Online Marketing Plan From the Ground up

Starting – and Executing – a Winning Internet Marketing Plan from the Ground Up

David West — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:47:32 +0000

Part 1 of 6

Introduction

When the Internet, and especially ecommerce, was still up-and-coming, it was easy to distinguish between businesses that were “online” and those that weren’t. The ones that were had websites, dot-com names, and things like digital shopping carts; those that didn’t worked hard to keep up their print, radio, and television advertisements, drawing customers into retail locations, or relying on a dedicated sales staff to reach new customers.

It’s amazing how quickly all of that has changed.

These days, there’s not really such a thing as a business that doesn’t have a website… at least not if they plan on staying in business. Nor has online marketing remained something that matters only to businesses online: from florists to accountants, restaurants to travel agents, being found on the Internet has become an increasingly-important way to draw in new customers – whether they’re across the ocean or down the street.

But, even with this explosion in Internet marketing, or maybe because of it, lots of business owners and managers have found themselves faced with some tough questions. What does online marketing entail, really, and how much of it is right for your particular business? And how do you know the time and money you spend trying to find more customers online is really paying off?

The best way to answer those questions, of course, is to sit down with a team of online marketing experts and find out how these issues pertain to your particular business and industry. We realize, however, that might not be an option right now, or you might be in the beginning or planning stages. Maybe you have been planning a new website design for your company, or have one but don’t know if you’re getting as many bottom-line benefits as you could be. Or, it could be that your competitors are leaving you behind on the Internet, or even that you’re just looking for new ways to grow.

Regardless of your reason, we are going to do our best to help answer these and other questions for you. Despite all the complicated terms, acronyms, and ideas that seem to come up when talking about Internet business strategies, the ideas concerned are actually pretty simple: it’s all about finding the best way to introduce more potential customers to your company. Everything else is built around that goal.

Remember that as you read through this report or meet with an online marketing specialist. The Web is bringing more business opportunities than ever before – Internet marketing is simply about taking advantage of them.

Next: Part II – Why is Online Marketing Such a Big Deal?

Why You Should Care About Universal Search

David West — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 02:19:05 +0000

Over the past couple of years, Google and the other major search engines have made waves by beginning to integrate what those of us in the industry call “universal search.” Basically, it just means that in addition to webpages, results are starting to show other content as well, like videos, audio clips, pictures, and so on.

You might think that, since you don’t work in the Calgary web design or search engine optimization markets for a living, that this trend doesn’t matter to you all that much. And you would be wrong.

It’s no longer enough to simply optimize your pages

That’s because, by adding more weight to other types of content than they did in the past, the search engines are changing the game in fundamental ways. It’s no longer enough to simply optimize your pages, write a few articles, and watch the web visits come in; now you have to use, and be on the lookout for, all kinds of content that could attract your customer’s eye.

So how will this impact your business online? In two ways: first, it’s going to force business owners like you to pay more attention to where they are showing up in the search results for different terms. But more importantly, it means that all new content that you put online is going to have to be treated a little bit like raw chicken.

Just as you wouldn’t eat a chicken breast or wing that hadn’t been cooked through enough to kill off anything that can hurt you, neither should you upload any piece of content – whether it’s an article, video, e-book, or even a simple blog post – without being sure that you have fully optimized title, keywords, and so on.

Universal search means there’s not any such thing as “non-optimized” business content anymore. Get in the habit of paying attention to everything you add to your company’s website and social media pages, because these days, it all matters.

Search engine optimization is an important part of any online marketing plan. Let me and my team help you bring more buyers to your website.

Are You “Doing” Social Media, or Working a Social Network Marketing Plan?

David West — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:58:09 +0000

Social media, for all its wonders and delights, is in danger of becoming the ultimate form of online marketing “busy work.” The reason why is pretty simple: with hundreds of millions of users logging onto Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter fairly consistently, companies know they can’t afford to miss out on the opportunity to participate; yet at the same time, few of them have actually figured out how to make any money from their profiles and content.

The result is a game that everyone wants to play, but no one seems to know how to win.

And so, we want to ask you: are you simply “doing” social media, or are you working your social network marketing plan? If you aren’t sure of the answer, just ask yourself a follow-up question – what are you hoping to get, in terms of real-world business results, from setting up your profiles, posting updates, and otherwise tweaking your content? If you don’t know, then there’s a good chance you’re wasting a lot of your time.

Just because social media sites can be a lot of fun, and because everyone is using them, doesn’t automatically make them a great place to spend your marketing time and dollars. That’s not to say we think you should dump your Facebook and Twitter accounts today; there definitely are opportunities to reach new customers through these channels. But if you find yourself just logging in, making a few posts, and then checking up on your friends, then you already know those are wasted minutes.

If you aren’t sure how to turn your social networking contacts into clients, talk with us over at our Calgary web design company to see how we can help turn your online profiles into real-world sales.

Identify Yourself…

David West — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:08:26 +0000

Would you do business with a person who didn’t tell you their name or hand you a business card when you met them?

Would you consider requesting a proposal from an online service that does not include a phone number, contact form, or address on their website? It is not difficult to find websites on the internet where there is no information about the owners or key stakeholders.

Does your website have your phone number on the home page? How about a page that has information about your company directors? A detailed contact page is important – it certainly would encourage me to give you a call.

The Social aspects of the Social Networking craze that is sweeping the internet has to have an impact on how you write for your marketing website. Earn some trust by providing good information, make a clear call to action, and identify yourself. The days of doing business with corporations are slipping away… people want to do business with people.

If your marketing website is more than a few years old, it will be missing key elements that a modern website should include. It may be time for a website review with an Internet Consultant.

David A. West

Connect with me:

Do You Want More Leads from Your Website?

David West — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:57:04 +0000

Has the economy slowed your business down?

I talk to a lot of small business owners in a week and the general consensus is that most companies have seen a decline in revenue over the past 12 months. You really have two choices to make when your business is slow – cut expenses or increase sales.

Do You Want More Leads from Your Website?

You may have the ability to increase the leads that your website generates. Have you heard of Search Engine Optimization – my guess is yes. It’s quite a buzz right now. That and “Social Media”… things like Twitter, Facebook and Linked In.

What does all of this SEO, social media stuff mean?

If you are even slightly confused or feeling overwhelmed trying to both understand and implement an online marketing program – we have a solution for you.

What does it do for your business website?

If you cause enough banter online and direct the focus of the various media to your marketing website, the search engines respond by showing searchers links to your online presence. The louder you banter… more traffic. A well designed website with clear conversion goals will convert those visitors to potential clients. That’s what search engine optimization, social media and video syndication can do for your business.

I’d like to Introduce you to eKzact

I would like to introduce you to ULISTIC Inc. Our focus is completely on internet consulting and marketing. Here are some of the things we want to help you with;

Managed social media, yes we can do it for you. Become a part of a growing Twitter pool and let work at driving traffic to your website or blog
Search Engine Optimization, get your website showing up on Google for the important keywords and phrases that will generate new leads.
Website conversion goal review and optimization. Getting traffic is only one part of the big picture… is your website really ready to greet guests and compel them to call you?
Social Media Coaching and Setup. One and one setup and design of your Facebook company page, LinkedIn, and Twitter account. Setup to automatically cross syndicate you blog writing, tweets and status updates!
Internet video production and syndication – with a focus on getting traffic!

2009/10 Yellow Pages Budget? What are you doing?

David West — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:37:34 +0000

This is the time of year to decide what to do for the next book. I have a number of clients asking me what they should consider doing. Are you curious to know if people are renewing? canceling? increasing or decreasing their Yellow Pages advertising…

If you would please take 3 minutes to complete this very brief survey – I will compile the results and share them with you. I wrote the survey in order to get an idea of what business owners or managers are planning for this years “Yellow Pages” budget.

What are you planning for your Yellow Pages budget this year – please complete this brief survey (8 questions)

–> http://ekzact.com/survey/index.php?sid=16849

Thank you for participating.

David West,
Director
dawest@ekzact.com :: www.ekzact.com

eKzact Solutions Inc.
Tel: 403-770-3023 ext. 111
Fax:403-398-1446

NEW – VideoSpokes :: Be the spokesperson at your website!
Business Blog :: All business, all of the time.
Personal Blog :: Mostly business, but some fun too.

Skype: ekzactsolutions
SkypeIn: 403-775-2205

PS – Are you afraid? Afraid of public speaking, that is? Registration is now open for EasySpeak™… click here

New Calgary Networking Opportunity – Blogging for Business

David West — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:39:44 +0000

eKzact is sponsoring a new Calgary networking opportunity for Entrepreneurs who are blogging for business. This is not just another “bloggers” group… Our focus is very much on business.

Who is this Calgary networking opportunity for?

If you are a Calgary business blogger or if you think you would like to better understand the power of blogging, then this group is for you.

Blogging for Business is a powerful way to generate valid traffic to your marketing efforts. By brining together a large group of Calgary bloggers we plan to work together by sharing ideas and by blogging about common topics. Furthermore, by blogging about each other we and help our members to leverage the power and ease of cross-optimization for each others blogs and marketing efforts.

Come and share writing ideas, tips and tricks. Build relationships and start cross-optimization of your blogs and business websites by writing about common topics!

This meetup is being co-hosted by me, David West a Calgary website design company owner and Stuart Crawford of Bulletproof Info Tech, a Calgary IT computer support company.

All people who Blog around a “business topic” or are interested in becoming a “Business Blogger” are welcome!

To learn more and join this group – click here and start blogging today!

Some Peoples Kids… will say almost anything.

David West — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:03:19 +0000

Here is a quote from an email from a company representing itself as a “professional search engine optimization” service. They also provide pay-per-click services.

“Thank you for signing up. Ash said that he was able to cut a deal with Google, and you will get a report from Google in our behalf, and you will be able to track every visitor from your site and you would be able to track every detail and you would know where your clients come from. They would be able to identify if it’s by eB——–W-b [name removed to protect the stupid], YP, search results, and other marketing endeavors. We would like to ask for your FTP access in order for it to work efficiently, and accurately. “

Find out why this statement not only raised red flags around ethics, but also raised my hair… I write at length about this one at our corporate blog.

….to read the full posting, visit the eKzact blog and read the article, “Some Peoples Kids… will say almost anything”

Do Volunteer Run Networking Groups Fail to Deliver?

David West — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:58:59 +0000

Apparently with no skin in the game, ie: no paid membership fee and no paid executive, the Calgary Entrepreneur Meetup is doomed to fail. Free membership in a Calgary networking group is a route to disaster.

Does voluntary leadership really mean that there is no skin in the game.

Take a closer look at why we do it.

Why do business owners network? Why do they volunteer to co-ordinate and host networking opportunities. Why do legitimate business owners volunteer to be Presidents, VP’s and Treasurers for their weekly referral networking clubs? Quite simply, we volunteer because it helps our business. It is a way to give back to the community while expanding our social networks beyond the world of “not so personal” Tweets and “Friend lists” in our virtual worlds.

The choices and decisions made around when and where a business networks is totally open to a huge number of factors. If you are a new business owner looking for leads, then you join a networking referral club. If you are a more established business looking to build relationships, then a larger monthly forum may be a better match. It may be a matter of time, or no time. Perhaps you are available at lunch time, or only in the evening. In anycase, relationships are built (and in some cases un-built). Who and where you choose to dine, or network with, is not a slight against the other opportunies to network in Calgary - it really is just a personal choice. At the end of the day though, no matter how you shake it up – meeting good people is good for business.

Back to the question that started this little article… do volunteer run networking groups fail to deliver?

NO. In fact, participating in the Calgary Entrepreneur Meetup (established in Nov. 2002) is very rewarding. Just over 6 years of open networking as a volunteer run club – I’d say there is no pending disaster. Just good old fashioned hand shaking.

Where do you network for your business? Visit the Calgary Entrepreneur site today.

Tell me your thoughts on this… I would love to see your (your constructive) comment added below.

Cheers -
David A. West

Blogging for Business Seminar

David West — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:08:46 +0000

If you want a sure fire way to generate targeted traffic to your website, then you need to understand the power of blogging.

Not only is David West a blogger, but he is an internet marker and website developer. David is going to introduce you to the “nuts and bolts” of blogging for business. Starting with a general overview and a non-technical explanation of why blogging works.

To learn more about this blogging course, coming up on February 18th, visit this page…

Calgary is Networking to Build Business

David West — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:17:36 +0000

Business Networking Works…

When I started our website design company over four years ago, the concept of networking meetings was something quite new to me. When the first networking group contacted me and invited me out to a lunch meeting, I actually turned them down. Thankfully, they were persistent and after a few weeks I attended my first meeting. I joined my first networking club.

I had a tough time understanding how meeting the same dozen people every week would bring me new business. The focus of the network referral club was to bring leads to other members. It worked fairly well in terms of my business, most of the referrals received were actual club members. I really appreciate these early clients.

As our business grew, and as our website began generating more and more leads, my attendance at networking meetings declined. I no longer attend a regular weekly lunch meeting. Having said that, the early start we got through networking continues to pay off today. I gained a lot of new clients in the earlier years through these clubs. The relationships that were fostered continue to work for us. I consistently receive new business leads from the neworkers that I met years ago.

Great Leadership = Great Growth

The Calgary Entrepreneur Meetup is one of the greatest opportunities for business to business networking in Calgary today. Stuart Crawford is the founder and current chair of this meetup. Stuart’s passion for the community is stronger today than ever before. His approach to giving prior to getting is admirable.

When do they meetup?

The Calgary Entrepreneur Meetup currently gets together formally one time per month. We have plans to increase this to include more frequent meetings including breakfast and lunch meetings. While the current meetings are held in the evenings, the odd alternative time will likely bring more members out. At last count there were over 500 members in the group – making this one of Calgary’s largest networking group.

What is it going to cost you?

The fact that the meetup is run 100% by volunteers is admirable. The token fee of $5.00 per meeting is taken on a drop-in basis. There is no annual membership fees.

What will you experience at a meetup?

You will meet like minded entrepreneurs. Many of us own our own successful businesses. Some will be in the start-up phase. Some will be representing larger organizations. One thing that is common, we all come out to learn from each others experiences.

Where to you network for your business? Visit the Calgary Entrepreneur site today.

Tell me your thoughts on this… I would love to see your comment added below.

Cheers -
David A. West

Want to Win $50,000 in Technology for Your Business?

David West — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:11:40 +0000

2008 Calgary Extreme Office Technology Makeover

ekzact Solutions is pleased to be participating as a technology sponsor the the 2008 Calgary Extreme Office Technology Makeover. Organized by Stuart Crawford of IT Matters, Calgary’s leader in technology consulting and services, the Technology Makeover event is launching on Friday to correlate with the start of “Small Business Week” in Calgary.

“IT Matters would like to announce the launch of our 2008 Calgary Extreme Office Technology Makeover contest. This event will see one lucky Calgary Small Business win $50,000 in new technology and support from IT Matters and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. This contest is open to all small businesses throughout the city of Calgary who feel it is time for a change on how they use technology inside their business.”

With great sponsorship from:

DELL Canada
Microsoft Canada
SonicWALL
Acronis
Kapsersky Lab
itControl Suite
APC
Research in Motion
Syspine
eKzact Solutions
Clearpath SEO
Abcan Audio Visual and
many more great sponsors

The winning Calgary small business will have the ultimate small business computer network and business solution to drive them forward in 2009.

Solutions ranging from:

Windows Small Business Server 2008 (officially to be launched Nov 12, 2008)
Windows Vista
Office Professional 2007
Blackberry
DELL Vostro Workstations
DELL PowerEdge Servers
Syspine Response Point Telephone Systems
Internet Security and Spam Filtering technologies
Website Overhaul and Search Engine Optimization package

The Extreme Office Technology Makeover contest will bring one lucky Calgary Small Business into the modern era of technology. Flyers are available today. For complete rules and to enter, visit our website at http://www.extremetechmakeover.ca

Watch our blog or subscribe to updates to learn more about this topic.

I’ll see you at the Chamber on Friday!

Cheers -
David A. West

Calgary Entrepreneurs Meetup

David West — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:27:13 +0000

Stuart Crawford and I jointly presented “Creating Stickiness on the Web”, this is the second opportunity that I have had to jointly present with Stuart. I really enjoyed the meeting. We had an excellent turn out.

If you are an Entrepreneur in Calgary and aren’t a member of the Meetup – visit the site here and learn more.

Stuart published a blog entry, just now actually, that sums it up. Here’s what Stuart had to say…

Dave and I have got some great ideas about what we are planning to do and to take the Calgary Entrepreneurs Group. Our goal is to make this group the premiere networking group in all of Calgary. So if you are an entrepreneur looking for a great networking experience, visit http://entrepreneur.meetup.com/5/ and sign up today. We also have a blog at at http://www.calgaryentrepreneurs.ca.

Tag Goulet commented

“Stuart and Dave provided an excellent overview of important issues affecting entrepreneurs on the web. This was the best meetup yet. ”

I wanted to provide a few links to some of the websites that Stuart and I talked about;

Miro – by Participatory Culture - http://participatoryculture.org/

Television is the most popular medium in our culture. But broadcast and cable TV has always been controlled by a small number of big corporations. We believe that the internet provides an opportunity to open television in ways that have never been possible before.

Google Enterprise Apps – http://www.google.com/enterprise/

Google enterprise products make your users more productive by combining the innovation and ease of use of Google’s consumer products with the features, security and support that your organization requires

Google Analytics – http://www.google.com/analytics/

Google Analytics makes it easy to improve your results online. Write better ads, strengthen your marketing initiatives, and create higher-converting websites. Google Analytics is free to all advertisers, publishers, and site owners.

Google Webmaster Tools – http://www.google.com/webmasters/

Dim Dim – Web Video Conferencing – http://www.dimdim.com/

Dim Dim is the world’s free web meeting where you can share your desktop, show slides, collaborate, chat, talk and broadcast via webcam with absolutely no download required by attendees.

Hey – why not get Skype now and give me a call? – 403-775-2205

Cheers -
David A. West

PSst: don’t forget to subscribe at the bottom of this page…

PSSSsst: www.eKzact.com

The World’s Biggest Search Engine?

David West — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:00:24 +0000

Tom Costello and Anna Patterson of the new search engine “Cuil” have something to celebrate!

Anna Patterson’s last Internet search engine was so impressive that industry leader Google Inc. bought the technology in 2004 to upgrade its own system. She believes her latest invention is even more valuable — only this time it’s not for sale. See the Fox News site for full article

And according to CUIL;

The Internet has grown exponentially in the last fifteen years but search engines have not kept up—until now. Cuil searches more pages on the Web than anyone else—three times as many as Google and ten times as many as Microsoft.

Rather than rely on superficial popularity metrics, Cuil searches for and ranks pages based on their content and relevance. When we find a page with your keywords, we stay on that page and analyze the rest of its content, its concepts, their inter-relationships and the page’s coherency.

Since it’s launch on July 28th, CUIL has enjoyed more than 50 million searches. This type of traffic closely rivals that of Yahoo and Microsoft’s Live. A fair feat to celebrate given that CUIL is a small start up with only 30 employees.

I spent some time on CUIL testing some of my favorite keyword phrases, like “Calgary website design“. I have mixed feelings about the search results that CUIL is returning. Actually the result for Calgary website design is fairly excellent When I search the names or domain names of some fairly well know Calgary business websites, to my surprise they don’t perform as well as I thought that they would.

I think CUIL is a pretty fine tool. I am looking forward to it maturing and giving the big boys a run for their money. There is a lot of room for strong search engines on our Internet… competition is good for us all.

CUIL claims to be the “World’s Biggest Search Engine“… now we wait to see if the search results are a relevant as our friend Google. While indexing 120 Billion plus pages on the internet is quite impressive, the true measure of success for a search engine has to be in the quality of the actual search results.

By the way… did you download your free report from Stuart’s blog yet…
http://blog.itsuccessmentor.com/connect-the-dots

Hey – why not get Skype now and give me a call?

Cheers -
David A. West

Event: Calgary Entrpreneurs – Creating Stickiness on the Web

David West — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 16:21:21 +0000

Stuart Crawford and I will be presenting at the upcoming Calgary Entrepreneur Meetup Group. The meeting is on August 14th, in Calgary, at 6:30pm. We will be discussing “Stickiness on the Web”. We spoke together last month and I really enjoy presenting with Stuart. We are both very excited about the Intenet and how it is impacting business. I think that becomes very clear when you see us interact in this some-what formal “discussion” on the ‘web’.

Click on the …more link to get the full details and learn about the Calgary Entrepreneur Meetup Group. This Group is a great opportunity to network, learn and grow your business!

The Calgary Entrepreneur Meetup Group is the largest and longest running meetup group in Calgary. If you are an entrepreneur, if you would like to become and entrepreneur, or if you want to support entrepreneurs then join us at our next meeting!

Our monthly event is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to get together, mingle and relax. The event is not meant to be a sit down structured event but one where entrepreneurs kick back, network and enjoy themselves.

Cost is $5.00 to attend
You are responsible for your own food bill

Visit our website at http://entrepreneur.meetup.com/5/

Start Time: Thursday, August 14 at 6:30pm
End Time: Thursday, August 14 at 9:30pm
Where: Calgary Coast Plaza Hotel – Horizon’s Restaurant

Hey – why not get Skype now and give me a call?

Cheers -
David A. West

How Does Your Site Perform?

David West — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:32:32 +0000

It is difficult, sometimes, to convince a client that their website is actually performing quite well. Clients expectations, sometimes, far exceed their websites ability to perform. Google Analytics offers an industry leading statistics engine for website owners and developers to track and trend website performance.

Using Analytics to better understand how visitors behave, we can determine how they are finding a website, what search engines are people using and what keywords visitors use when searching. We can also review bounce rates and the number of pages viewed by a visitor.

The one thing we could not do in the past was demonstrate to the client that their websites performance is good, or bad, based on benchmarking. It was nearly impossible to demonstrate that other websites of similar size and nature perform better or worse than the clients website.

Google has “stepped up” and changed this by introducing “Benchmarking”. As users of Google Analytics, we have been given the choice to share the statistical data gathered from our websites. In return, Google has made the “Benchmarking” data available back to us.

Google states that there will be a minimum of 100 accounts compared in any given category. Some categories could potentially have thousands of sites being benchmarked.

The data from participating sites is averaged and anonymized through the aggregation process, then classified into a category. We limit the effects of outlier sites from the aggregate data in each category to help ensure that the benchmarking data is most representative of the industry vertical you choose to compare your site against.

Google Analytics Benchmarking Help

Google exposes vertical categories when there are enough websites that fall into the category. If a category for your vertical market is not showing, it is likely because there is not enough data to create a direct benchmark. You will still be able to benchmark websites of a similar size.Google Analytics benchmarking currently allows us to show a comparison for the following metrix;

Visits – unique visitors to the website. Not hits… hits don’t mean anything.
Bounce Rate – did they pop in and out again…
Pageviews – total number of pages viewed during the reporting period.
Avg. Time on Site – how long did the “stick”.
Pages/Visit – how many pages a visitor viewed for this visit.
New Visits vs. Returning Visitors

We currently add analytics to all of our accounts where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or Online Marketing services are involved. If you are a website owner and would like to have Google Analytics installed on your website, please feel free to contact us and we would be glad to help you.

Understanding how your website is performing in relationship to search, online marketing and in comparison to your vertical markets is critically important. If you have a website and are not measuring it’s success, you may be missing an opportunity to improve.

Getting visitors is okay – Getting customers better!(tm)

Regards,

David A. West
eKzact is a leading Calgary Website Design company.

Blogging for Your Business

David West — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:13:06 +0000

Raise awareness of your business and services through blogging.

Basic strategies:

Target a specific audience based on a theme or series of topics.
Try to keep your blog on topic.
Write subjects that make them want to read more and use catchy headlines to drive intrigue.
Select the right blog support service. A professional Internet Consultant can help you extend your blog and help you with marketing tips and tricks.
Ensure your blog sends alerts to blog feeds when you post a new entry, this will help build traffic to your blog.
Ensure you get alerts when someone comments at your blog so that you can review the post and respond.

Be compelling, open in your views and sincere. Link to other blogs and topics related to your blog. Other bloggers will start linking to you, if you have quality articles.

Keep your blog up to date with fresh content. Weekly blogging or more should be your goal. This will keep your blog content fresh and interesting. Your blog can become sticky and keep people returning… but only if you make an effort.

Search engines like Google and Live will help attract viewers to your blog. Add rich keywords into your article titles and content. Use the SEO component that we install as standard with our blog service to boost your on page optimization for search engines.

Your blog should support RSS feeds for the articles and comments. This will help your readers and fellow bloggers stay up to date with your writing. RSS is simple to use and has gained huge popularity in the past several years.

Take the time to reply to blog posts, even if they are negative or offer a conflicting view. You don’t have to agree with the comment, just be honest and state your opinion or provide support material for you position. Most blog-ware allows you to hold comments for moderation. As a business blogger, you may want to moderate comments at your blog prior to allowing them to go live.

If you are not a writer and are not comfortable with blogging, ask your staff to do it for you. Ask a family member, friend or service to assist you with your writing.

One of the most difficult things about blogging is the “ideas”. Keep a small “blog book”… I call mine “my blook”. Keep your blook handy so that when an idea hits you, you can make a note of it.

Blogging is a powerful tool for small business owners to make their brand recognizable. You should position yourself as the “expert” in your industry. When you have a great blog, full of helpful articles and news, refer your clients to your blog to help answer their questions. They will appreciate the depth of your service and commitment to their needs.

A business marketing website tends to be static. The “sales” message seldom changes and they tend to lack the educational information that people are seeking on the Internet. Business owners are worried that they must give the absolute best impression at their marketing website, and I wouldn’t disagree with this thought. A blog on the other hand is a more casual writing opportunity. Your clients will get to know the people “behind” the company and your relationships can grow.

If you want to start a professional business blog, with a custom design, contact us and my team will help you get rolling.

Regards,
David A. West

Wild West Wealth Christmas Summit ’07

David West — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:15:34 +0000

I attended Troy White’s full day seminar yesterday, The Wild West Wealth Christmas. Troy hosted the session and brought together a power-house of speakers. The topic was, of course, marketing.

I ended up with four pages of notes. Of which I have distilled half a dozen measurable actions for my company to investigate and test as we move into 2008. I am not going to get into a long diatribe of what my notes contain here, but I will tell you that I feel I got great value from my day with Troy.

Guests included author & publisher Mary Halpen, who nearly brought the room to tears with her heartfelt business and life lessons, Brandon Roe, who spoke to increasing prices without objections, and Doug White, the reported Grandfather of direct marketing.

Troy is planning the 2008 Wild Wealth Summit for early summer. If you own a business or have a direct stake in it’s success through marketing, then keep youe eyes open and watch Wild West Wealth Summit for updates.

Troy – Thank you for a great program.

Cheers,
David A. West

The Expert Prospective Client

David West — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:33:15 +0000

As a website developer, I have learned to “raise red flags” when a prospective client says certain things. for the purposes of this article, I have named these prospects, “The Expert Prospective Client”.

The expert – Knows how long a task will take before they ask.

They often say things like, “That’s just a simple task, isn’t it? I don’t think it will take long for you to do.”

The expert – Knows the value of our service, without asking for a quote.

They often say things like, “I just need this one thing done, it should be quite inexpensive…”

The expert – Has changed service providers recently.

They often have just left a previous service provider on questionable grounds. In some cases, they did not pay their final bill. They will say things like, “My last guy/gal used to nickle & dime me to death. Every time I turned around, they send me an invoice for something…”

The expert – Hires professionals, but openly admits that they could do it themselves.

They may say something like, “I could have done this myself, but my time is too valuable.”

The expert – Often offers to send you lots of new clients, provided you give them a good deal & do a great job for them.

They say things like, “I know a lot of people, if you do a good job for me I’ll refer you lots of business in the future.” These offers sometimes come as veiled threats if a project goes a bit sideways. The expert will say, “I wish we didn’t have to deal with this, I don’t know if I can refer my friends to you if this is how it is going to be…” It has been my experience that the people who use “referrals” as leverage, are the same people who never refer new clients.

My experience has shown that it is difficult to build a client/service provider relationship with the expert prospect.

Do you run across the expert potential client in your business? Have I missed any common traits in my list above?

David A. West

Regards - David A. West

Direct Mail That Failed

David West — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:06:30 +0000

I received two extremely expensive direct marketing pieces in the mail today. You may ask, what makes these flyers so expensive? Easy, they are really nice looking mail items. One is a glossy full colour postcard from the business form people, and the second a typical 1 page newsprint “special” from a retail store (I think they are in the area). They must have cost a ton to print and then add in the delivery cost from Canada Post etc. Expensive… right?

These two items jumped out at me though. Not because they caught my eye with a fancy headline that evoked my emotions, not because of the high quality of the content and not because of the great deals they offered. They didn’t jump out because I recognized their branding as a trusted supplier. They jumped out at me because the postcard is 100% in French, and the Market flyer has no address, map or phone number on it. I haven’t even heard of them before… too bad, they have some great deals this week.

I prefer to receive my junk mail in English. I may have missed the point of an all French post card in central Calgary, maybe it’s one of those “test and measure” things that marketing people do?

Direct mail can be expensive, but expense is relative to the return on your investment. If you spend money on direct mail items to the community, please make sure that you put your address, phone number and a little map on your flyer.

What types of direct marketing or mail does your business send out? By the way, Nebbs has a great offer this week – Dites-nous ce qui vous preoccupe… Remplissez notre court sondage et courez la chance de gagner un iPod(r) de 80G. Un Tirage Chaquie mois. …until 31 Dec 2007.