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Top 3 Online Marketing Changes You Need to Know in 2018

Last Updated: February 15, 2024

New year, new internet?
Well, the internet’s changes may not be quite that dramatic. However, as we always say at the beginning of a new year, it’s smart to look ahead and see what you need to watch out for. The surest way to succeed is to prepare, after all.
From far-reaching Google updates to online behavioral trends, 2018 will see some major shifts that business owners will want to be aware of. While Prospect Genius doesn’t have a crystal ball and can’t make any guarantees, we’re pretty confident in our predictions for online marketing changes you can expect in the coming months.
So, ready to dive in? Read on for our list of the top three online marketing changes coming in 2018!

1. Google Launches Its Own Lead Generator for Local Services

Google has launched its own version of pay-per-lead directories like HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, and Angie’s List. It’s called Local Services.
When a service provider signs up for Local Services, their listing is displayed at the top of search results pages. A user clicks on the service provider’s name, and they see a profile page complete with contact details, customer reviews, and other pertinent details. Then, when a user decides to call or message the service provider, the service provider is charged for the lead. If you’ve ever used a platform like Thumbtack or HomeAdvisor, then you can probably visualize how Local Services works.
But how do budgeting and ranking work on Local Services? According to Ginny Marvin’s article on Search Engine Land:

Advertisers set a weekly budget determined by the number of leads they want to receive. Google won’t say specifically what factors go into the rankings in the ad unit, but [Product Director for Small and Medium Business Ads Kim Spalding] said there’s a focus on quality (ratings and reviews), the ability to connect right away, location and a number of other factors.

Currently, there are 17 confirmed cities with access to Local Services. Google announced plans to expand that number to 30 by 2018. The current 17 cities are:

  • Atlanta
  • Boston
  • Chicago
  • Dallas
  • Detroit
  • Los Angeles
  • Miami
  • New York
  • Philadelphia
  • Phoenix
  • Riverside, CA
  • Sacramento
  • San Diego
  • San Francisco
  • San Jose
  • Seattle
  • Washington, D.C.

And the service categories that have access to Local Services right now are:

  • Locksmiths
  • Plumbers
  • Electricians
  • HVAC
  • Garage door services
  • Handyman services
  • House cleaning services

Why you need to know about Local Services:

If you’re in any one of these service categories, your competitors might take advantage of Local Services and get more visibility on Google’s search results pages. Moreover, pay-per-lead services like Thumbtack and HomeAdvisor are about to take a huge hit as Local Services siphons off their user bases. Therefore, if you rely heavily on one of these services for the majority of your leads, you’ll need to diversify your marketing approach. Focusing on Facebook and SEO will be crucial.

2. Google’s Mobile-First Index Means Mobile Optimization Is a MUST

True, we’ve been saying “mobile optimization is a must” for years now. However, that’s because it’s been true for years, and the urgency just got a lot more real.
You see, Google has been slowly working on what it calls a “mobile-first index,” wherein Google ranks webpages based on the mobile version of their content, even when searches are performed on desktops. As Barry Schwartz, a renowned web consultant, explains, this is due to the majority of searches happening on mobile devices these days:

As more and more searches happen on mobile, Google wants its index and results to represent the majority of their users — who are mobile searchers.

Furthermore, Google won’t add pages to the index until its mobile and desktop versions are a 100% match in terms of content, links, schema, etc.

Why you need to know about Google’s mobile-first index:

This all means you not only need a mobile version of your website, but you need one that doesn’t lose any of your site’s content or usability. While the roll-out of the mobile-first index is expected to go “very slowly,” you’re better off optimizing your mobile site sooner than later. After all, Google is known to implement sweeping updates seemingly overnight, so Google’s idea of “very slowly” could mean anything. Your best bet is to make your mobile site a major focal point in 2018.

3. Live Chat and IM Will Be Everywhere (Thanks to Millennials)

You might have already noticed platforms like Facebook and Google My Business placing a larger emphasis on instant messaging. For example, Facebook’s business pages allow “Send Message” as a call-to-action option. In fact, it will even add a badge to your page if you have a fast response rate to messages. You can expect instant messaging and live chats to gain even more prominence in the coming year.
Why? Because this is how millennials prefer to communicate, and millennials are gaining more and more purchasing power. You may still think of millennials as a bunch of young, broke college kids, but the truth is, the oldest of them are actually in their early 30s now. This means they’re established in their careers and starting to own homes.
As they gain more influence as consumers, businesses must adapt to their preferred methods of communication. And, considering they grew up with the immediacy and convenience of email, AOL Instant Messenger, and texting, these are the types of communication methods they prefer.

RELATED: “Why You Must Market to Millennials (And How to Do It)”

Why you need to know about live chat and instant messaging:

Millennials are currently the largest living generation. You can’t neglect or ignore them. Therefore, make it a priority this year to reassess the media you’re using for communication. Have some sort of instant alternative to the phone available for convenience. Whether it’s an active Facebook page that you use for direct messaging or a live chat plug-in on your own website, it will greatly improve your appeal to millennials. Plus—let’s be frank here—millennials aren’t the only ones who appreciate convenience!
Interested in adding a live chat tool on your website? Let us know! Lots of small business owners and service providers enjoy how easy these tools are to use. Prospect Genius can install and implement a live chat plug-in on your site for only a small setup fee (with zero charges after setup).
Our clients may also like to know we’re currently developing texting capabilities via CallTrax™ lines. Stay tuned!
So, be on the lookout for these major online marketing changes coming your way in 2018! If you have any questions or concerns whatsoever, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Happy New Year!

3 Errors New Businesses ALWAYS Make (And How to Fix Them)

Last Updated: November 16, 2017

For new businesses, there’s a lot to do when you first set out on your venture. Unfortunately, there’s no book or step-by-step guide that tells you everything you need. Sure, there are countless articles and e-books about the fundamentals, but the nitty-gritty stuff you have to do for your web presence often remains a guessing game.
That’s why it’s so easy for new businesses to make mistakes when putting your company out there on the web. You’re bound to hit some stumbling blocks as you go. However, Prospect Genius wants to help you correct those mistakes so you can keep forging ahead.
In this blog post, you’ll discover three of the most common, yet easily fixable, errors we see new businesses make. Are you guilty of any of these? Let’s find out!

1. Using Your Personal Cell Number as Your Company’s Primary Phone Number

When first starting out, many small business owners, particularly local service providers, use their cell phones as their main business phones. This seems logical when you first think about it. After all, you always have your cell phone with you, and it’s the easiest way to answer calls when you’re on the go.
However, as you continue on your journey as a business owner, you’ll come to realize how important it is to have well-defined boundaries between your company and personal life. Unfortunately (and, perhaps, inconveniently), using your personal cell phone as your business phone blurs these boundaries quite a bit. For example, you feel pressured to answer your phone when you’re out with your family because a customer might be calling.
Also, to be a little more frank, it creates a nuisance. Do you really want your personal cell phone ringing at all hours of the day and night? The answer is probably no—especially when you consider that a lot of those phone calls are spam.
You see, when you use your personal number as your business number, it will appear everywhere your business does. This means your personal phone number is all over the internet (on your website, Google, Facebook, Yelp, Bing, and dozens of other platforms). This also means the National Do Not Call Registry no longer applies to you. As a result, you’ll be getting solicitor calls nonstop.
Importantly, using your personal cell phone for business also prevents you from hiring a receptionist or answering service to assist you with incoming calls.

How to Fix It

As we see it, you have a couple of options. You can:

  • Go to your preferred wireless retailer and get a new cell phone dedicated exclusively to your business.
  • Add a separate, company landline for your home office (if you have one).
  • Get a metered, VoIP line (like our CallTrax service or something similar). This kind of phone line enables you to track all of your incoming leads,  and it also comes with spam-blocking technology to limit how many telemarketers get through to you. Best of all, you can forward this line to any number you like at any time. This means you can forward calls to your personal phone, go on vacation, scale up your business, add more phones to the line, and so on.

2. Setting Up Facebook Incorrectly 

If you’re not already an avid Facebook user, the platform can be confusing. Often, we see novice Facebook users accidentally put their business name on a personal Facebook profile, instead of creating an official business page. In doing so, it’s as if their account is for a person named “Mike’s Plumbing” (for example) rather than a verifiable business.
Why is this a big deal? It matters because Facebook treats personal accounts and business pages very, very differently. So, if your company is limited to a personal account on Facebook, it won’t have the same capabilities that most other businesses have. For instance:

  • Personal profiles don’t give you insights into your page’s performance, such as audience engagement with your posts and visits to your page.
  • Personal profiles don’t include important business information. People won’t be able to see vital details like your industry/category, phone number, street address, “About Us” description, products/services, and customer reviews.
  • Personal profiles don’t allow customers to leave reviews of your business. Without customer reviews, your business won’t have a star rating or any way to demonstrate value. People like to read reviews before choosing a business for their needs.
  • Personal profiles can only  have up to 5,000 “friends.” If you want to grow beyond that, you need a business page.
  • Personal profiles can’t advertise with Facebook Ads. Therefore, your reach will be limited and you won’t be able to boost any of your posts, promos, or coupons.

Above all, having a personal profile for your business looks highly unprofessional. It instantly tells people you don’t know what you’re doing on social media. This doesn’t exactly instill confidence in your other skills.

How to Fix It

Thankfully, this mistake is easy to fix. There’s no need to delete the personal profile you accidentally created. Instead, you can follow the steps outlined here in Facebook’s Help Center: “How do I convert my personal account to a Facebook Page?”
If you’re confused by Facebook’s guide, you can always ask your marketing team for help. Prospect Genius offers assistance with this, as well.

3. Having an Unprofessional Email Address for Your Business

Are you using the same AOL address you’ve had since the early 2000s for your business? We hate to break it to you, but you need a new business email ASAP.
Your company’s primary email address must look professional. This is for two reasons:

  • Prospective customers want to know you’re a legitimate operation. So, if you list a wacky, personal email address under your company’s contact details, you might lose some business. Generally speaking, most people would rather do business with “mike@mikesplumbing.com” than “sk8rd00d99@aol.com.”
  • Dealing with Google is much easier when you have an email address on a corporate domain (like “mikesplumbing.com”). Whether you’re claiming a listing or assigning a new manager to your listing, the whole process is streamlined when you can email your authorization from a corporate domain (because Google sees this as a verification of your identity).

We understand the desire to simplify your life and only have one inbox to check, but having a separate, professional email address for your business is an absolute must.

How to Fix It

You have a few options here:

  • If you have your own website and domain, the process for setting up an email address on your domain is relatively easy. This is the ideal move because you’ll appear super professional and official. At the same time, it will make all your dealings with Google much easier in the future.
  • If you have your own website but can’t figure out how to set up your address, your advertiser should be able to do it for you. (For example, Prospect Genius offers this service for a small fee.)
  • Don’t have your own web domain? You can sign up for a Gmail address, instead. It’s 100% free, and the whole process is fairly simple.
  • For any of the above solutions, you can set your new business address to forward all emails to your personal inbox. This way, you don’t have to check two separate accounts, which makes life a lot easier.

Don’t Be Discouraged

For new businesses, getting yourself online for the first time without a single error would be unheard of. The opportunities for mistakes are endless. So, please, don’t feel discouraged if you’ve made any of these missteps. All that matters is you fix your mistake in a timely manner, learn your lesson, and keep moving forward. And if you ever feel lost or confused, reach out for help! Prospect Genius is here to answer any questions or concerns you might have.
Now get to work!

Is Facebook Preparing to Take Over Google in Local Search?

Last Updated: June 22, 2017

We’ve lightly joked before that Facebook is the new Google. This is mainly because Facebook users are asking their social network for recommendations of local businesses rather than conducting their own searches on Google. However, as Wesley Young wrote in a recent article on Search Engine Land, Facebook has made several updates over the past couple of years that point to a greater focus on local businesses and places. In other words, it looks like Facebook is preparing to challenge Google’s monopoly on local search.
We’re all aware that Google uses a massive amount of data from its users to hone its algorithms and laser-target search results for each user. However, Facebook has a comparable volume of data:

With its huge base of users and volume of personal data on them, Facebook has great potential for helping users in their search for local products/services and helping businesses get found. All the components are there: millions of business pages, location data, behavior data, demographic information, social networks and engagement.

In other words, Facebook already has a tremendous amount of potential to compete with Google in the local search sphere.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how Young says Facebook is making moves toward a bigger emphasis on local search. We’ve reduced and simplified many of Young’s points, so please check out his full article, “7 Changes by Facebook That Make It a Real Local Search Player,” for more details. It’s an in-depth, insightful piece that’s definitely worth the read!

1. Better Location Accuracy

Young uses the example of his search for nearby Italian restaurants. He compares results from November 2015 and June 2017 (present). In 2015, Facebook search displayed restaurants from across the country and across the globe. Today, Facebook search displays restaurants within a two-mile radius and even arranges them on a local map, much like Google’s local search results.

2. Smarter Understanding of Search Terms

Facebook is now able to infer when a user is searching for a place or business rather than a general topic. It also presents “Places” listings at the top of the general search results whenever a place is relevant. At the same time, Facebook knows when you’re searching for a discussion topic or news item, instead. So it’s gotten much more adept at deciphering the context and motivation behind search terms.

3. More Detailed Search Results

Instead of barely relevant or minimally informative, Facebook business listings now offer as much detail as most Google business listings. They show profile pictures, full contact information, distance from the user, star rating, and whether the business is still open for the day. In other words, Facebook’s local listings give you all the same information you’d seek on Google.

4. Better Recall of Information

Facebook now keeps track of and remembers information about businesses and places that users have posted about or checked into. Not only does this lead to more accurate search results, but it also gives Facebook the ability to suggest search terms while a user is typing, much like Google does.

5. Use of Facebook Friends Within Search Results

Wisely, Facebook is using its mountains of social data to supplement local search listings. Now, Facebook Places listings may show you which of your friends have also checked in or posted about each business. Considering that many users already ask their Facebook friends for recommendations and referrals, this addition is brilliant. It’s essentially a built-in recommendation.

6. Greater Effort to Clean Up Business Info

If you checked in to a local place or business recently, you may have been confronted with a series of follow-up questions from Facebook—questions like, “Are this business’s hours from 8 AM to 9 PM?” or “Is this business located at 12 Main St.?” Facebook has been asking users to verify local business information in order to deliver more accurate results overall.

7. Addition of New “City Guides”

Facebook has a new feature that compiles and highlights popular spots in a specified city, based on its own social data. It will tell you which of your friends have visited that city, and then you can see which businesses each of those friends checked into. Again, this takes the idea of asking friends for recommendations and turns it into a local search feature.
So, what’s the takeaway for your local business? Make sure your Facebook page is completely filled out (including your exact physical location) and that you add as much detail as possible to your service descriptions. This will give you a greater chance of being picked up by Facebook’s ever-improving search function.
Good luck!

How to Compete on Social Media Without Spending a Dime

Last Updated: June 8, 2017

You’ve heard that social media—particularly Facebook—is vital for small, local business owners. But why?
In many ways, social media has become its own form of search. Many people today search on Facebook before ever turning to Google when they’re looking for a local business. They turn to their social network and ask for recommendations or referrals for whatever service they need. (“Can anyone recommend a good plumber in the Albany area?”) For most people, it’s easier to poll their friends and family for trustworthy input than to blindly scroll through search engine results.
This makes it crucial for you to create and maintain a presence on Facebook (and other social media platforms), where locals are already looking for and discussing your products and/or services. This way, they can find you without having to navigate to another website. And when they do find your Facebook page, they’ll see your posts, photos, reviews, and contact information—basically, everything they need to decide whether they want to give you a call.

But How Can You Stand Out Without Paying?

Unfortunately, the most effective way to grab attention on social media is to pay for sponsored posts. Facebook and other social media platforms want to make money from ad revenue, so they’ve severely restricted the organic (i.e. unpaid) reach of company pages. In other words, if you want your posts to reach a larger audience, you have to pay.
However, due to tight budgets and a rugged opposition to being forced to do anything, many small business owners are reluctant to pay for each and every post. Completely understandable. However, since being on social media is no longer optional, you need to find a workaround. So how do you stay competitive in a game that largely follows a pay-to-play model? How do you keep from blending in with all the organic static? That’s what we’re going to look at in this post.
There’s no silver bullet for beating Facebook’s algorithms, but there are certain things you can do to ensure your posts are as interesting and engaging as possible for the people who see them. Keep reading to discover how you can stand out in your audience’s news feed for free!

1. Don’t Write Long Posts

Let’s face it: Most people don’t like reading. (We hope you’re not one of them, because you’re already more than 300 words into this blog post…)
So, if you’re sharing a status update, keep it short and sweet. This is especially true for when you have a specific piece of information you want to communicate. By and large, your audience isn’t likely to read more than a few lines of text, so make sure your updates are straight to the point. Say what you need to say, and hit “Send.”

2. Write Posts With Your Readers in Mind

If your posts have a lot of technical jargon, too many ten-letter words, or just generally don’t appeal to your audience’s sensibilities, then they aren’t going to grab your audience’s attention. Avoid this problem by asking yourself:

  • What are your audience’s interests?
  • What do they care about?
  • What kind of problems do they want to solve?

Mold all of your posts—written or visual—to fit what your audience wants to hear about. It may seem like a no-brainer, but don’t bother posting anything that doesn’t apply to the above questions.

3. Show Off Your Personality

Whether it’s a status update or photo, make sure whatever you’re posting is an authentic representation of your personality. Don’t be afraid to make your presence personal. People want to see the real humans behind the company logo, especially when it comes to small, local businesses. Showing off your personality will differentiate you from the competition.

4. Build Relationships With Your Biggest Fans

Who are the people who most often engage with your posts? Who are the people in your local community who have a lot of influence and a wide audience? Try to connect with these individuals via social media and build a relationship with them. They’ll be more likely to promote you on social media, and they may even remember to refer you to their friends.

5. Play Off Emotions

People respond in a stronger manner to advertisements that evoke an emotion. Jeremy Ellens says it best in his article, “Effective Marketing Appeals to Emotions Instead of Reason”:

The best way for your business to stand out is by building emotional connections with your audience. Your business needs to acknowledge that selling a product is no longer enough. Now it’s all about the experience you provide with it. This experience is dependent on your ability to trigger the right emotions, from the right audience, at the right time.

Apply this to your social media presence. What’s going to make people remember you? If you provide them with an emotional experience, you’ll make an indelible impression. For the purposes of your social media content, you want your posts to:

  • Make them laugh.
  • Amuse or entertain them.
  • Captivate them with a story.
  • Inspire them.

By following our recommendations in this post, you’ll be able to capture your audience’s attention and attract more prospective customers through social media—without paying a dime to sponsor a post!

How to Use LinkedIn for Small Businesses

Last Updated: May 11, 2017

You’ve probably seen lots of chatter online about LinkedIn and why businesses should be using it. However, most of that advice is only applicable to big brands with even bigger budgets. It’s not designed to help small, local businesses use LinkedIn to their advantage. As a result, many small businesses end up wasting a lot of time and money on LinkedIn because they’re following the wrong advice.
That’s why we’re writing this blog post. Considering that LinkedIn for small businesses is not a crucial tool, we don’t typically push our clients towards it. However, we’re happy to share some pointers for those of you who are interested in learning more. After all, it won’t hurt you and may, in fact, help. The more you put yourself out there, the more visible you become.
So if you’re eager to test the waters of LinkedIn for small businesses, here’s what you need to know.

1. Join a Local Community Group

Find and join a LinkedIn group that’s dedicated to local issues, interests, and events. Then, make it a point to participate constructively in group discussions every so often. By demonstrating your involvement in the community, you’ll make a good impression on other members. Hopefully, when one of these members needs your services in the future, they’ll remember your business from your previous activity within the group.

2. Join a Trade Group

Similarly, find and join a handful of groups that are specific to your trade or industry. People in these groups often discuss best practices, ask for help, and share handy tips. By interacting with your peers in these groups, you might just glean some insights that can help you with your own business.

3. Share Original Blog Posts

One of the major benefits of getting into a blog habit is that you’re able to demonstrate your knowledge and authority on a given subject. LinkedIn is a great platform for sharing these blog posts—not because prospective customers will see them, but because other business owners will. These business owners might enjoy what you wrote and share it themselves on Facebook. In turn, this could attract more visitors to your blog and website. You’ll see a nice SEO boost—and perhaps even an elevated reputation—as a result.

4. Don’t Waste Money on Ads

LinkedIn for small businesses is useful for building relationships and gathering information. However, it’s not useful for advertising. LinkedIn’s users are simply not as active as Facebook’s or even Twitter’s. Of LinkedIn’s 467 million members, only about 25% are considered active, monthly users. On top of that, most of those active users are using LinkedIn for professional networking in fields like IT, sales, marketing, and finance—meaning, they’re not necessarily paying attention to ads about local service providers. Therefore, you’re better off spending money on Facebook ads because your target customers are likely much more active and engaged on Facebook.
So, bottom line? Treat LinkedIn for small businesses the same way your kids treat extra-credit projects at school. It’s only worth doing if you’re going to do it right. Otherwise, you’ll get no extra points and you’ll have wasted your time. Use these tips so your LinkedIn efforts aren’t for naught!

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