Not Seeing A Decent ROI On Your Business Website? Perhaps A Search Engine Consulting Firm Can Help

Savvy business men and women know that in today’s technological driven world that having a business website is the only way to stay competitive with the competition. However, what many business men and women fail to realize that having that great website is simply not enough to help your business survive much less thrive. If you are not getting much traffic to your website then you might want to consider contacting a Search Engine Consulting Firm to help you get the traffic you need.

What Can A Search Engine Consulting Firm Do For Me?

To understand how a search engine consulting firm can help you and your business website you first need to understand how websites get traffic. Google, Bing and Yahoo rates web pages based on a variety of thing such as relevant keywords and bank links.

The more of these types of thing your website and web pages have the higher you are placed in the their rankings. People who want the types of goods and services your business offers finds those goods and services by using Google, Bing and Yahoo.

However, most people do not have the time or the patience to look before the first 4 pages of Google,Bing and Yahoo’s results. Therefore, the lower you score in their ratings the less likely it is that your website will ever be viewed.

In order to score high in Google your website needs to be SEO optimized. That is where a search engine consultant or search engine consulting firm can help. It is their job to look over your website and using different SEO tools help your website become SEO optimized so that you score higher in Google, Bing and Yahoo’s ratings.

While no search engine consulting firm can promise you that they can help you make the top four pages in Google, Bing and Yahoo’s results a good firm can definitely help you climb in the rankings and the higher your ranking are the better your chances are of getting people to visit your website. This is important because studies show that 55% of all internet sales come from people who used Google to find goods or services. The more traffic you get, the more business you are likely to get.

So if your website simply isn’t getting the traffic you think it should get then you need to have that website search engine optimized. The best way to accomplish that goal is to hire a search engine consulting firm who has professionals who keeps up with the latest SEO trends and can help make those trends work in your favor.

The money you pay to have an expert search engine consultant help optimize your website is usually worth it when you see your business increase because of the traffic that is driven to your website. So why settle for a nice looking website, when you can have one that is nice looking and actually helps your business to grow.

How To Distinguish A Business Coach From A Consultant?

You may have thought that business coaches are no different than business consultants. These maybe true in some cases since there are overlapping responsibilities between these two roles; however, there are many things to consider if you want a clear distinction between the two. Many people are calling themselves as consultants when what they are doing is actually coaching. Same goes for some who call themselves as business coaches but is actually practicing as a business consultant.

We all know that external help from professionals can boost the performance of a business or make it worst depending on how each case is handled. Your aim for your business is to cut the risks involved and to attain maximum efficiency in your business processes. There will come a time when you will have to decide whether to hire a professional help or confront a certain problem all by yourself. If you decided to seek help, you will have to consider between a business coach and a business consultant. Choosing which will depend on your needs and you must know the difference between the two.

Business consultants are more of a specialist. They specialize in certain areas and they direct these changes in its most precise order. Coaches, on the other hand, are more of a generalist. They tend to look at the situation as a whole and will suggest changes to be done to improve the whole process. Consultants are likely to have advance degrees than coaches in most cases including a wide array of certifications. They also, most of the time, can engage directly to a certain business process while a coach can only explain what to do and guide you by observing how you apply his suggestions. He will then give some feedbacks and additional suggestions. Most of the time, consultants are hired to make quick fix in a certain area of a business process while coaches are retained longer. Coaches also concern themselves with the development of the business owner himself and discuss life and business goals and how to integrate both. Business consultants also do extensive travels more than coaches and are expected to charge more money for their skills and services.

The next time you plan to seek a professional help, assess first the problem and ask yourself what specific part of your business process needs a fix and the needed skills to solve it. It is better to choose consultants for short term business relationship and for quick fixes while business coaches are good for long term business relationship.

Make Your Business’s Fire Safety Easier With a Professional Fire Consultant

The importance of your business is very high but the damage a fire could do to you and your business is dramatic; this is why you must be fully focused on preventing fire and ensuring there is fire safety in your premises at all times. Your workforce and premises should be number one priority in keeping safe as these are the foundations that makes your business tick. Professional consultants can ensure you and give you peace of mind that your staff and premises are safe from dangers. Consultants are highly trained in workplace safety and as well as protecting your business from fire can also guarantee you are meeting legal regulations.

The recommended option is to hire a professional consultant to train your staff in fire safety with fire warden training courses; this way your staff can monitor your premises workplace safety and perform regular fire risk assessments for your business. If you have a small premises it would be beneficial to train the one individual as this is all that is necessary, you will then have someone in your workforce who is aware of fire hazards and can protect your other employees from fire; they can implement fire precautions and perform regular risk assessments which will also save you money by not having to hire a consultant regularly. They would also be trained in emergency evacuation so they can react properly in the event of an emergency. Consultants know building layouts and understand how fires start and spread throughout a building, they would pass this knowledge onto one of your employees or several of your staff.

Consultants will benefit your business because they have in-depth knowledge in fire safety; they understand different flammable materials, chemicals, substances and how they may affect your building.

They will have seen many workplaces with different layouts and floor plans to assess your premises and make a unique plan for your business.

They offer fire warden training and other health and safety courses to train your staff in fire safety so they can maintain your fire management plan.

Protection against fires is important; a consultant can prevent the destruction and spread of a fire.

They will perform the job correctly and can give you peace of mind that you are meeting all laws and regulations to do with fire safety.

Fire consultants are experts in fire risk assessment which is the building blocks of fire safety and its procedures.

The Benefits to Setting Up an Online Marketing Consulting Session

Any online business must be constantly bringing new marketing ideas to the table in order to keep up with their competition. A static website will not only be ignored by the search engines, but potentially clientele as well. It is vitally important that a website give an exciting first impression. It is equally important that a website be updated from time to time to keep your audience coming back. By keeping a website the same for many months or even years, you are doing a disservice to yourself and hurting business. Website visitors are becoming inundated with more advanced and impressive media, which raises their expectations when surfing the web. In addition to keeping an impressive website, any business that wants to succeed online must have a solid strategy for both on page and off page efforts. Without some marketing and promotions, a website cannot attract the traffic needed to produce a solid profit. There are a variety of channels to promote your business, but you don’t necessarily need to utilize every single one. It is important to identify the proper marketing mix for all efforts in order to get the best return. You may pursue one or a combination of these marketing channels:

• PPC ads
• SEO strategies
• Social Media
• Video Marketing
• E-mail Marketing
• Blogging
• Article Marketing
• Press Releases

The appropriate mix of these efforts can be determined by hiring an experienced marketing consultant. Hiring a consultant for a one-on-one consulting session can help a business get on the right track and avoid costly marketing mistakes. If you want to pursue a marketing effort on your own such as PPC ads, it would be wise to get an experts advice. This is especially true if you have not had any experience running a campaign. Without proper keyword research and targeted ads, it is very easy for one to waste thousands of dollars without any conversions. Another smart reason to set up a consulting session with a marketing expert is to learn tips on how to save money and lower your cost per customer. If you have the time and can’t afford a full-time marketing person, a consultant can provide invaluable information for you to run your own marketing campaigns. The consultant can also help you to become more knowledgeable in online marketing so that you can avoid getting ripped off by an advertiser or large marketing firm in the future.

Author Annie Rusk is a prominent Marketing Consultant in Orange County, CA. Her firm, Spinning Head Solutions, offers a variety of services such as: branding, web & graphic design, copywriting, seo/sem, social media & video marketing, and private consulting sessions.

When The Self-Service Approach Fails, Marketing Consulting Is The Answer

Part of being an online entrepreneur involves doing many things oneself, rather than hiring Web designers and marketing consulting firms. Online business owners think this will save money and allow them to maintain the level of control they need. These folks may want to think again because though they would like to believe they are experts at everything, they are not. If the initial efforts are not effective, the company starts off on the wrong foot and it can be difficult to recover.

Those who still stick to their guns and want to do things themselves can use online training to design a professional Web site and develop an online marketing plan. Prepackaged programs guide online business owners through every step of the process, providing solutions to the most common obstacles to establishing a strong online presence. Included are aspects like managing the website, conducting search engine optimization, and maximizing opportunities presented by social media.

Though packaged training may be inexpensive, it will not be useful over the long run unless new topics are added to the offerings on a regular basis. The Internet is changing rapidly and an online business must change with it in order to be successful. Having access to the most up-to-date tools, resources, and techniques allows the business to remain competitive. Being able to pose questions to experts is another value-added feature that the best online training programs include.

Any online business owner with little time to spare may prefer another option. Professional marketing services may cost a bit more, but they eliminate the possibility of expensive errors occurring. Let’s face it, just because someone owns an online business does not mean that person is a professional programmer. Some people simply do not have the skills to build their own website and have no patience for using a do-it-yourself site builder.

A professional consultant helps the entrepreneur build a Web site to achieve success. This individual knows all about search engine optimization, a foreign term to many business owners. All the entrepreneur wants is for the site to get up and running and begin generating online traffic in the blink of an eye. Whatever magic the consultant works is really between that person and the Web genie, as far as the business owner is concerned.

There really is a lot more to the process, but a good consultant can pull everything off by asking a few important questions. The answers form the foundation for the marketing strategy and implementing that strategy is something the professional makes look very easy. After the site is set up, online advertising is established and the consultant taps into the most popular social media sites for some additional free publicity.

A good marketing consulting service is a Web designer, graphic designer, programmer, researcher, social media, and public relations expert wrapped into one. This allows clients to leverage their marketing dollars and contact one professional for all of their future online marketing needs. As the business grows, the consultant offers services that meet its more complex needs.

Small Business Consultants and Success the Fast Way

Let’s say you’re an small business consultant specializing in one specific facet of online business. For instance, if you solely focus on AdWords, you may be missing out on more lucrative contracts due to your narrow focus. What if most of the potential clients you meet need a “full package” type service, including graphics, back-end programming, structure, training and sales copy? Unless you find potential clients only interested in your particular specialty, you could be in for a tough time. Learning all the other aspects well enough to be an expert, while laudable, takes time which could be better served marketing to businesses. So what’s the solution?

As discussed above you could try to be a “jack of all trades,” and provide multiple services. But you run the risk of doing everything mediocre as opposed to excellent. And it may take you too long to become an expert in even one of the various fields that comprises a full-services Internet consultancy. You could try to outsource some of the work inexpensively but again you deal with the possibility of missed deadlines, little to no communication and an angry client.

So, if you can’t or don’t want to do it all yourself, and the idea of outsourcing is too risky to you, what to do? Network! Go to local business meetings, get business cards of people in your field at your local business center. In short, look for people that are experts in what you are not. Once you have done this, consider forming a partnership with them.

Why you would want to do this should be obvious, but here are some benefits:

  • As a group you can take on much more varied, complex and higher paying contracts.
  • You can each work your specialty, keeping in mind the overall goal of a particular project. This will allow you to get the project done quickly, rather than taking time to research and learn about things that may not be your specialty.
  • You can take on more clients at a time as a group than individually.
  • You can offer more services collectively than as a one person shop.
  • You get individual projects from each other as well.

Of course there are things to watch out for as well. Firstly, make sure that you are in agreement as to how long the partnership lasts. Is it only for a job or two, or are you thinking of creating a totally new company around your solution?

Next, make sure that when you speak with a client, you are all “on the same page.” There is nothing worse that not showing a united front as this undermines your overall credibility. After all, would you hire a firm whose partners were disagreeing all the time?

Communicate. Project meetings need to be a regular occurrence so ensure that things are on track and on schedule. This way, you can also iron out any issues you may have with parts of the project before they become crises.

Finally, make sure that the profits are equally divided. The key to remember is that if you can find a way to work with other small business consultants together, you can reap the rewards of higher paying, high profile projects and the satisfaction of know you don’t have to do it all yourself.

The Challenge For SEO Consultants in Greece

Becoming SEO Consultants in Greece is not an easy job. The number of websites in the country is truly astounding! As is their variety. With such a varied clientele, SEO Consultants need to understand the individual needs and then fit their requirement accordingly. Not easy at all!

No one can predict what keyword a customer will search for. In this document, let us talk about one of Greece’s most famous monuments – the Acropolis. Now, the Acropolis alone is such a big draw that thousands of people visit Greece only with the Acropolis in their mind. For a SEO Consultant is such a big playing ground that they need to cover thousands of possible search query phrases. But then, just considering that Acropolis has thousands of search phrases, think about how many different terms they would need to come up with!

As per the internet search data, Google alone delivers thousands of results on phrases related to the Acropolis each and every day. In the holiday season, the rush goes up and tens of thousands of results are delivered. Now, if we try and see how many different key phrases we can come up with, we will not cross 10. Let’s analyze why. Consider different reasons why people would search for the Acropolis.

  • One reason, obviously, would be to search for the Acropolis as a historical monument. Phrases like Acropolis History, Acropolis war and Acropolis lions would be apt in this scenario. The search results would be more focused on the history of the place, the purpose of its construction and what used to take place in the auditorium. The SEO Consultants need to make sure that their content will respond to each of these queries
  • The Second reason could be photos of the Acropolis. One of the most photographed monuments in the entire world, it is a very popular desktop wallpaper too. While searching for pictures, visitors will also be interested in a little content and the responsibility of the SEO Consultants in Greece is to make sure that they deliver it right to the right visitors.
  • The third could be movie buffs who are searching for movies shot in the location of the Acropolis. Cinema tourism is big business and each time a block buster movie comes out, a lot of people like to visit the locales and see for themselves. Like the Lord of the Rings came out and people started flocking to New Zealand to see the place the movie was shot. The SEO consultants need to make it prominent in this case that so and so particular movies have been shot in and around the Acropolis, so that searches about this monument in Greece will lead to their website.
  • Another way of thinking could be the influence of the Acropolis and its entertainment of the older days on Greek culture and heritage. Obviously that is a valid point, as that was the first place of entertainment for the earlier Greeks. Since then, people and culture have been evolving, but the influence will be there in some sphere.
  • Or probably someone visiting Greece wants to stay in a hotel near the Acropolis and he would then search for ‘hotels near Acropolis’. The SEO Consultants need to make sure that if they have a hotel in the vicinity mentioned in their website, this feature is prominently mentioned, as it is a big USP for the hotel as well as for the website.

Even Consultants Get The Blues!

A long-term assignment is wrapping up and you’re about to saddle-up and mosey down that dusty road into the warm, golden sunset.

Hold it.

What’s wrong with this picture?

If you’re a consultant, instead of being that stoic, lean and mean stranger, who rides into town, sets things right, or who stirs them up, depending; you’re more likely to be, at the end of that engagement, a wobbly basket case who can barely summon the gumption to press the elevator’s down button.

How come?

Well, man or woman, as I see it, you’re going to have a case of the postpartum blues, partner.

What are those, you’re wondering, especially if you’ve never been a parent? They’re the odd and often radical emotions you feel after you have carried a baby to term, introduced it into the world, and your hormones are in a transitional state.

You grew and bonded with this marvelous organism and now it is much more independent.

That’s exactly the feeling you get when a big-time consulting assignment is approaching “term.”

You have separation anxiety. How are you, soon to be two, going to get along without each other?

“But they’re not ready!” we wail, when we’re really speaking about ourselves.

What are WE going to do without THEM is really the question.

If you’re a good consultant, you do bond with clients, creating lots of identification in the process.

When I was part of the largest civilian Navy management training program in history, 18,000 senior managers trained in 18 months; members of our consulting team actually identified so much with our client that they joined-up at the end of the assignment.

My U.S. Navy coffee mug, in fact, is about eighteen inches to my right as I type this article. What does that tell you?

Where we stop and they start, where dependency turns into independence, is never clear to the consultant. Saying goodbye is especially hard when we’ve inaugurated an entire unit or business function or when we’ve saved a ship (pardon me) from sinking.

Having consulted for more than 20 years, and running a seminar for consultants and coaches at UCLA Extension and elsewhere, I console myself and my colleagues with these three thoughts:

(1) This is the life we have chosen for ourselves, and being able to have a big impact and then to leave in a timely way to engage the next challenge is exciting and rewarding.

(2) Consultants aren’t marathoners, we’re sprinters. Great in the 100 or 220 we FLY cross-country, we don’t run it.

(3) We should be like those teachers that say: “At the beginning of the year I’m happy to see students coming, and by the end of the year, I’m happy to see them going.”

Still, when we’re the ones riding all by our lonely into those sunsets, we need to buck-up and say: “Hey, it’s ok; even consultants get the blues!”

MLM Consultant – How to Become a True Professional MLM Consultant

MLM Consultant or MLM Fool – which “title” do you prefer?

Unfortunately, most people approach the business of MLM with a get rich quick attitude and therefore never elevate themselves to the status of MLM Consultant. If you really want to get serious with MLM, then you are about to learn the “Secrets of MLM Success”.

MLM Consultant – How to become a true Professional MLM Consultant

Within this article you will learn exactly what you need to do – in order to gain the true respect of other Professionals and to call yourself an MLM Consultant.

Remember – Amateurs do things for fun and Professionals always get paid.

In order for you to make any real money, you will need to adopt a professional attitude of mind. As soon as you STOP chasing dreams of getting rich and focus on learning the true marketing skills, you are on the right track. Unfortunately, the odds against you achieving success in MLM are stacked against you. Incredibly a staggering 90% of those who enter MLM, ultimately fail and leave the industry within 12 months. All those who achieve the top levels as an MLM Consultant are aware of the numbers that fail. However,an estimated 500,000 people weekly are registering with MLM Companies because of the promises of getting rich quickly. Most of these numbers will fail due to unrealistic expectations, poor attitude, low work output and doing ALL the wrong things. As with any business, if you want to become a top MLM Consultant, you have to dispel all ideas of getting rich and focus on the responsibility of learning the successful methods and the secrets the top leaders NEVER tell you.

Here are the steps you will need to follow in order to become a true Professional and an MLM Consultant respected by others for your Successful Achievements.

Tip 1 – STOP – listening to your upline as their advice does NOT work anymore.!

Your immediate upline will have been advised by their upline to do the following;

To make a list of your family and friends

To buy company endorsed marketing information and materials – DVDs,CDs,Magazines etc

To buy expensive leads from opportunity seekers

To hand out fliers at shopping malls

To attend markets and trade shows

Tip 2 – START – learning how to promote YOU and your business online

The most important aspect to grow your MLM business is a constant flow of new prospects and incredible results are being achieved by those who learn the power of the Internet. FREE and Paid online marketing methods can be applied to promote you and your MLM business opportunity via the Internet. The reality – is that thousands of people are searching daily on the Internet for your opportunity. Instead of selling, convincing and persuading family and friends – simply create a system to have thousands of interested prospects chase you instead. As soon as you have learned the basics of Internet Marketing, you are already in the top 3% and well on your way to the title of MLM Consultant and the lifestyle it can provide.

Whether you are new to the internet or very experienced, online video tutorials are available to help you learn the necessary skills and to become a top MLM Consultant. For this you will need realistic expectations, discipline and a daily method of activity that fits in with your routine

How to Find Consulting Jobs in Today’s Marketplace

Today more than ever, companies are looking for innovative people who can help them to maximize their profits and increase the bottom line. If you can provide these companies with solutions to the most common problems in business, you may be able to find a consulting job or start your own consulting business.

Consulting is one of the easiest entry level ways into starting your own business. It does not require much start up money not does it require much technical expertise. The main requirement is knowledge in your field and the ability to assist companies with solutions to their problems.

To begin consulting as a home based business, you will need a few items to get started. These items include the basics:
o a computer
o printer/scanner
o business cards
o office phone
o a website

These are all items that most people already have in their possession with the exception of a website. A website gives you a professional presence and also a source of reference for prospective clients. You should include your resume of experience on your website as well.

A consulting business gives you the freedom to pick and choose your clients. If there is a particular company that you have always wanted to work for yet could never get hired, you can offer to be an outside consultant for the firm at a minimal cost since you are not operating with much overhead expenses. Many big companies hire consultants to focus on some of their minor projects that they do not have the time or resources to devote to the projects themselves. This presents the perfect opportunity for a consultant to provide these busy professionals with solutions that are fast, effective, and efficient.

This is not to say that being a consultant will be easy work. Your biggest asset that you have is your time. In order to be effective with the use of your time, you will need to be able to master certain skills.

Some of the skills required include:

o Strong written and verbal communication skills
o Excellent analytical skills
o Organizational skills
o Presentation skills
o Budgeting skills
o Project management skills

Finding consulting jobs in today’s marketplace are not hard tasks. You will need to expose a problem and propose an efficient solution to the problem. If you can effectively accomplish this task, the consulting business just might be the business for you.