Changing Hands

The news has hit the stands - officially.

I'm excited to say that the firm I work for, Young Isaac, has recently merged with an SEO company called People To My Site.

You can read more of the details in the Columbus Business First article, posted yesterday. Artie has already posted commentary on his blog as well.

My Perspective

I'm extremely grateful to have been part of this change. Two really innovative companies have come together under the direction of some uber-smart leaders.

The clients will benefit immensely. Traditional marketing and search engine marketing are now under one roof, working hand in hand, sharing principles, people and ideas. Communication channels are open allowing true collaboration.

I'm excited for what's in store. This is going to be big...

Winning at Breakfast

Going to the early morning business networking event is a good move. First and foremost, the pastries and coffee are usually provided free. What's not to like about that?

To make sure you leave with a few new connections, here are a some strategies that have worked for me:

1. Scan the crowd. Find someone who looks more uncomfortable in the situation than you are. Approach them first. Ask "Is this your first time here?". They'll be relieved to be in a conversation.
   
   
2. Drink lots of coffee. Wait to get your next cup until you notice a line at the coffee station. Then approach. Conversations happen naturally between the sugar and cream.
   
   
3. Camp out at the plate return tray. They are usually located near the wall. Everyone who attends the event will visit at least once. Sit back, wait, and let people come to you for some one on one.
   
   
4. Have a memorable business card. Not necessarily a flashy card, but one that's different from all the others. At Young Isaac, our business cards are personalized with an ink stamp.
   

Most of all - relax, have a good time and smile! Everyone likes to meet a person with a smile.

For more cool ideas on networking, click here.

How's Your Website?

Everyone has a website these days. For businesses, having a clear web presence is becoming more critical than ever. The good (and potentially bad) news? This trend it not going away anytime soon. That means, in order to survive, businesses will need to earmark marketing dollars in order to stay competitive on the web.

I spend the majority of my day online and so naturally, I visit hundreds of sites each week. When I visit any site, I always look to the bottom of the page to find the most recent publish date.

There tends to be a pretty wide gap in terms of the quality of websites that have been revisited in 2006 and 2007, and those that were last touched in 2005 and before.

You don't have to be a developer to know that both the landscape of the web as well as best practices associated with web design and SEO are two areas that constantly change.

With that in mind, here's a list of questions that I suggest you ask yourself when looking at your own business's website:

1. What is my website really doing for my business today? What should it be doing?
   
2. How is my website helping my bottom line?
   
3. How does my website work to enforce my brand?
   
4. Does my website help generate leads/sales/contacts/subscribers? How? Could it be doing more?
   
5. Do my visitors have a reason to come back and visit my site again? What is it?
   
6. What is my website doing to support my business's operations?
7. Does my website tell a story about my business? Does that story match the rest of my business's communications?
8. Do I have the control to change or update my website as my business grows and changes? If not, how much will it cost me to have someone else do it when I need to?
   
9. Can my visitors easily navigate my website? How do I know for sure?
   
10. Do I have access to my website analytics? What are analytics and why are they important?

If you've racked your brain and still can't answer these questions, or are not confident in your answers, then you're probably BeFUDdled (stricken with Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt).

When was the last time you sat down, revisited your business goals, and looked closely at your web presence?

(warning: shameless self-promotion below)

If you are BeFUDdled about your website, contact me. My firm, Young Isaac, can help.