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5 Ways Positive Customer Reviews Affect Your Website’s SEO by @donnaamos

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by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

As a business owner, you must know how important customer reviews are to your company. In fact, by the time an internet user has begun scanning reviews, their purchasing decision has already been made. They are simply selecting which business will best fulfill their needs or wants. That gap between deciding to buy and choosing from whom to buy is relatively small, so a customer review is often the single item that makes the sale – or loses it.

For those who ask, “How many consumers actually read online reviews?” check out the following statistics:

  • 85% of consumers read online reviews
  • Approximately 67% of consumers will read 6 reviews or less before forming an opinion
  • 90% of respondents in another survey said positive online reviews influences their buying decisions
  • 86% of respondents in the same survey said negative reviews impact their buying decisions

While it’s a no-brainer that positive customer reviews help potential customers make purchasing decisions, you may be surprised to learn that those same reviews can positively affect your search rankings. According to Moz’s 2017 Local Search Ranking Factors Survey, online reviews are believed to contribute as much as 13% to the local pack ranking and 7% to localized organic rankings.

“Local search engines love online reviews for one primary reason, consumers love online reviews.” Bottom line – search engines exist to provide internet users the best information possible to help them make decisions. User-generated reviews are the most accurate and relevant information they could provide.

Here are 5 ways positive customer reviews can help your website’s SEO:

Customer Reviews Attract More Organic Search Traffic

Every good customer review provides natural long-tail keywords in the consumer’s own language that creates content. Customer reviews frequently use the same words and phrases internet users employ when conducting online searches for products or services. For example, if a product page gathers lots of reviews saying, “high quality boots,” or “best prices,” search engines will index these long-tail keywords for when other consumers perform searches for similar products. Over time, the search engines begin associating your website with those search terms and phrases, thereby attracting more long-tail search traffic.

Star Ratings in Search Results Get More Clicks

Everyone looks for proof of quality, and a high starred rating is an immediate indicator of customer satisfaction. Multiple star ratings beside your website listing in search results attract more attention to your listing and can help pull a much higher click-through rate. Such starred ratings are real-world proof of satisfied customers. Bottom line – building a five-star rating to show up next to your links in search engine results helps customers make purchasing decisions.

Customer Reviews Lead to Improved Product Page Rankings

E-commerce websites with hundreds or even thousands of products depend on reviews to help their product pages rank higher in search engine results pages. You should be sure to allow reviews for every product to provide more opportunities for customers to leave reviews. Consumers will often begin their search phase by searching for positive reviews. Building a positive online presence that includes starred reviews on multiple product pages is a great way to beat out competitors.

Using User-Generated Content for Social Sharing

While your website copy can be expected to paint your products and/or services in a positive light, user generated content that gives a positive review is unbiased content. These real-world opinions present your business in a raw and revealing manner. Capitalize on these reviews by using them as fodder for your social media marketing campaigns. Posting your best customer reviews to your social media profiles make them stand out. Personal accounts and reviews literally beg to be read. They present a hard selling component to your marketing that doesn’t come from you. These posts will also contain the afore-mentioned long-tail keywords with links back to your site, which enhances your website’s SEO.

High Customer Review Ratings and Volume Give Your Website Authority

Another important SEO ranking factor influenced by customer reviews is website authority. Google and other search engines recognize that websites which consistently garner positive reviews are valuable search results links for internet searchers. Such high-ranking websites are the leading companies in their industry, and such sites carry weight, or authority. When consumers seek products or services in various industries, those with the most positive reviews will show up at the top of search listings.

How Can I Begin Boosting My Website’s Positive Customer Reviews?

Here are some tips for how to begin:

  • Develop a process that gathers and promotes your best customer reviews on your website, third-party review sites, and social media.
  • Create and promote your company’s profile on third-party review sites important to your industry. Search engines pull these ratings to feed their results pages.
  • Create and promote your company’s pages on social media networks where consumers turn for reviews and suggestions before buying.
  • Respond to the best and worst reviews in a way that demonstrates the value you place on customer satisfaction.

How do you currently leverage customer reviews to boost your website’s SEO? We’d love for you to share your ideas and practices with us in the comments below. Thanks for sharing!

Why SEO and Social Media Need To Be Part Of The Same Team by @christellemacri

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Why SEO and Social Media Need To Be Part Of The Same Team

by Christelle Macri

The link between search engine optimization and social media can be somewhat confusing. For years, many marketers believed that social media signals like Facebook ‘likes’ and Twitter ‘follows’ influenced search rankings, but in 2014, Google’s Matt Cutts released a YouTube video, where he confirmed this was not the case.

Nevertheless, most SEO consultants still consider the relationship between SEO and social media to be extremely strong. Indeed, there is a convincing argument that search marketing and social media marketing should be handled by the same team. So what exactly is the link between the two and why do they go hand-in-hand?

1. Search Engines and Social Media
Generally speaking, Matt Cutts is right to say Google discounts social media signals as a ranking factor. Some of the confusion stems from the fact that Google treats social media posts like individual web pages. Yet, its algorithms recognise that social media links are easy to manipulate, so social links do not usually carry ‘authority’.

However, it is important to recognize that this does not mean search engines do not use social media at all, or that the two things cannot work together. For example, social media profiles show in search results and if you search for any major business, you will likely see their Facebook page, Twitter account and/or Instagram account on page one. When a company ‘owns’ the first page of Google search results for their brand related searches thanks to their website, blog, social media profiles being listed, this amounts to a very important part of branding real estate that cannot be ignored. Not only this will reinforce the brand, but it will also drive traffic to all the company’s platforms, which becomes an integral part of a digital marketing and reputation management strategies.

Despite Google’s stance on social links, some social media posts do occasionally seem to influence rankings, and Bing have been clear in stating that their search engine algorithms do pay attention to social media signals, with the ‘social authority’ of a user adding weight to listings.

2. The Indirect Connections
Social media also has some indirect SEO implications, which still very much link the two marketing strategies. For example, while sharing a piece of content on Facebook might not improve your search rankings directly, the users who follow the link and read the piece might impact upon ranking factors like your bounce rate. Furthermore, Facebook can act as a valuable metric, allowing you to see what content appeals most to your target audience.

In addition, social media can increase exposure, improving the chances of other websites linking to your content, which will then have SEO effects. Moreover, Google and Bing do occasionally show Twitter posts in their SERPs. An expert or SEO company could use this to their advantage, increasing a business’ overall online presence.

“While social posts showing up in search results don’t impact your site’s SEO, it can improve brand awareness,” says Nate Dame from Marketo. “Factors such as how many retweets, how many people tweeted the content, and the time frame of when the content was shared are all taken into consideration,” adds Kristina Cisnero from Hootsuite.

3. Social Media as a Search Engine
Finally, one of the most important reasons for SEO and social media to be part of the same team is that social networks are search engines. Although Google is still king, internet users are increasingly using social media to search for content. Twitter handles more than five times the number of monthly search queries that Bing does.

“Nowadays, people don’t just go to Google and Bing to look stuff up; they also use social media channels to find what they’re looking for,” says Chloe Mason Gray, a digital marketing specialist writing for Kissmetrics. “If someone wants to check out your company, they’re likely to open Twitter and Facebook and do a quick search.”

Therefore, SEO principles apply to social media too. This connection means search engine optimizers should also have a role in social media marketing, and social media marketers should have an input into SEO strategies. At the very least, this requires close collaboration between the teams, but it makes even more sense to have one team working together.

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Christelle MacriChristelle has worked in the Internet advertising and search industry for over 17 years, and she has a real passion for digital marketing. She is the founder of ebizpromotion, a consultancy advising on marketing strategies and implementing integrated campaigns for direct clients and agencies within a variety of sectors, including B2B.pioneering pay for performance advertising networks, she is an expert at turning her clients’ websites into consistent revenue streams, using a variety of digital channels.

Keep Calm & Think SEO @TimeFliesVA

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keep-calmand-think-seoby Marianne D’Alessandro | Featured Contributor

If you want your online content to gain traction, you need to know about SEO – search engine optimization.   One of the main areas of SEO is key words.  Without those key words, you’ll make it difficult for your audience to find you online.

Why not utilize the SEO approach with your presentations?  In my blog post Keep Calm and Get to the POINT, I talked about staying focused and getting your message to your audience immediately.

Key words are imperative!  Make your key words your SEO:  significant, exciting, and objective!

Select appropriate words to make that point. An SEO for presentations should include:

  • Significant – use words that have significance, along with stories and examples that are significant to your point.
  • Exciting – bring life to your presentation with words and adjectives that create emotion and excitement.
  • Objective – know your intent, be factual and tangible.

Everyone in the audience wants to take away a message so focus on optimizing your key words so that they are remembered by every person in the audience.  Don’t make the audience search for the message … just like you don’t want them to search for your website!  Utilize those key words to give your key messages and your audience will be your followers!

Keep Calm and use the SEO approach!

 

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Marianne D’AlessandroMarianne D’Alessandro knows how busy an executive can be. Marianne has been an Executive Assistant for 30+ years. She has supported many, many, many senior level execs and is now working toward her own virtual assistant business. Her goal is to save time for her clients by looking after their admin tasks. When it comes to public speaking, she conquered her fear more than 20 years ago by taking, and now instructing, the Christopher Leadership Courses of Canada. The highlight for her was traveling to China to train instructors to teach the course there! Marianne loves seeing people take the challenge and conquer the fear by “taming those butterflies!”

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Simple Ways to Take Advantage of SEO by @ArtiSharma

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Simple Ways to Take Advantage of SEO

by Arti Sharma | Featured Contributor

Every minute of every day, you may be losing money. Not money that you have, but money that you COULD have in your pocket. In 2016, it is imperative to a have website if you have a business. But, if you think throwing a website up and updating it once a week is enough, you are wasting your time and resources. It is much more complicated. Remember- the internet is a vast ocean of constantly-changing information; people need to be able to find you in the cacophony. Your marketing strategy needs to be more nuanced. This is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes into play. Basically, SEO refers to how easy it is to find your website through basic web searches. If it is easy to locate, people will be more aware of your products and services. But if you are buried on page 7 of a Google web search, your business will suffer. So, how do improve your SEO? Try some of these tips:

Develop a Marketing Plan
Your strategy has to be more nuanced than simply maintaining a website and an Instagram account. A plan has to be in place to bring your name to the forefront of web searches. What buzz words are you using? Have you been taking advantage of trends? What are the web habits of your demographic? What is your SEO strategy? You can put a plan together yourself, but it is always better to leave in the hands of the professionals with experience.

Keywords
Figure out what your keywords are early and use them often. People will lose confidence and switch keywords. Consistency is very important. Make sure you are using the keywords in page title, URL, and use variations of the keywords throughout the text to maximize your SEO.

Mobile
Google recently announced that mobile searches have now surpassed desktop searches. People are doing more of their searching on their phones and tablets as opposed to their offices. This is important because it means that your website must be mobile-friendly in order to improve your SEO. Meet your audience where they are searching.

Videos and Pictures
Online video advertising has been on the uptick for several years and has shown no signs of slowing down. People like to take in their marketing through micro videos. Having more of these means that your content will show up in more search engines.

Analytics
If you don’t know analytics very well, make a point to learn or hire someone to do it for you. Either way, don’t ignore analytics. This information can tell you everything you need to know about what marketing strategy you should be using.

Learn, study, and put analytics into action.

These are just a few pointers to help you optimize your SEO, but it can be a challenge, especially if you are new at it. In order to fully maximize your online presence, it is best to rely on the experts. Measure Marketing has been meeting the needs of businesses with their digital and online marketing strategies for almost a decade in the Toronto area. With a combined 35 years in the business, our creative team will craft innovative and out-of-the-box marketing solutions that will help optimize your SEO. Contact us today and find out how we can meet all of your online marketing needs.

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Arti SharmaArti Sharma is the Chief Marketing Strategist and the Founder of Measure Marketing Results Inc. Arti has been helping businesses market themselves more effectively for over two decades. For the past 10 years, she has developed her niche in online marketing and now leads a team of digital marketing strategists and content marketers that help businesses of all sizes get found online and convert traffic to leads and customers. Measure Marketing and Arti’s core mission is to inspire and influence progressive businesses and educate them to achieve a larger impact with online marketing.

Arti has been hired to speak at various industry events over the past years and now actively educates her tribe using her blog and industry publications. She was also the host of Entrepreneur TV; show produced by Rogers that aired in Ontario, Canada. You can learn more about Arti Sharma and Measure Marketing on her website at www.measuremarketing.net.

You can connect with her on social media as follows:
Twitter  | Linkedin | Also, join her Community on Facebook

7 Ways to Rock the Google Ranking by @XLConsultingGro

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Rock the Google Ranking

by Elaine Slatter | Featured Contributor

Everyone would love to be on the first page of Google, but if you are a new business, it is a little harder to be on page one, up front and center.  Here are seven easy ways to help you rock the Google ranking and you don’t have to be a techie or spend thousands of dollars using an search engine optimization service.

Content is King

Content is the main key to improving your Google ranking.   Google is looking for:

  1.  Variety of  content
  2. Content quality without grammar errors
  3. Video content
  4. Content with images

If you are having a problem dreaming up content, Copyblogger has you covered.
22 Ways to Create Compelling Content - Infographic
Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.

Post your Content on Google+

You might have forgotten about Google+ because it doesn’t have the same following as Facebook, but the key is Google loves Google, so we should love Google too.    That means everything Google owns.   It places your content higher if you first post it to Google+

Create Live video on YouTube

Facebook ‘live’ is very popular, but did you know you can create live streaming and events from YouTube?  Social Examiner has an excellent tutorial to get you started.  Click here to see how it works.   And, because Google owns YouTube, it is doubly important to create your videos using this medium rather than say Vimeo.

Smart Use of keywords and tags

Keywords and tags are what Google looks for when searching for information.

Key words or phrases are what people type into Google when looking for information.   For example, you might be typing in something like “comfortable yoga clothes”, or “trendy yoga clothes”.  You may get the same,  or different websites results,  depending on what key words were used in the description of the product by the yoga manufacturers.

The most important tag is the Title Tag (H1 in wordpress lingo).   This is your page or blog post title.  If it matches something a person searches for, then Google will show the site.

The meta tags are the other tags that are used when describing the title of the page.  For example on page one of Google if I type in “Successful Women Entrepreneurs” a top listing goes to an article that has “Successful Women Entrepeneurs” both in the Title Tag and in the Meta tag description of the title of the page.

Tags can be used for naming pictures, your videos as well as your content.  This means Google will find you wherever you are!

Don’t be tempted to “stuff” keywords 20 times in your blog or on your page, that doesn’t work.  Google is on to you and will penalize you for trying to ‘game’ their search algorithm.

Use Hashtags (#)

Hashtags aren’t only for Twitter.  Use them for your postings in Google+, Facebook and everywhere else in media that uses a search function.

Linking

If your content is great and people find it useful, they will link back to your content when writing their own.   You can also link out to websites that clarify your content.  Both kinds of links gradually help your Google ranking.

Use a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tool on your website

For WordPress users, the Yoast SEO plugin helps you with all the tips and tricks to help you optimize your pages and blog posts for SEO and Google rankings.   This is a free plugin and easy to use, even for beginners.  It also helps with your keywords, metatags, analyzes the length of your content, your links, your images and even tells you whether your content is easy or difficult to read.

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Elaine SlatterElaine Slatter is a Small Business Expert, founder of  XL Consulting Group and author of the popular book, “Fabulous Fempreneurship”, a complete business guide for women.  XL Consulting Group helps entrepreneurs with market planning, strategy, branding, web design and social media. She has over 30 years of executive business and marketing experience and is ready to help you rocket your business to success.  Elaine is passionate about mentoring women to become successful women entrepreneurs.   To find out more, visit XL Consulting Group or join the Fabulous Fempreneurship mastermind.

You can connect with Elaine on social media at:  Facebook Group | Twitter | Facebook

Should You Do SEO or PPC Marketing by Monika Beck @SuccessHarbor

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Should You Do SEO or PPC Marketing

by Monika Beck | Featured Contributor

Search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click advertising (PPC) are two powerful tools to market your website.

Each has its own strengths. Understanding how to leverage both approaches will create the strongest outcomes for your business.

When deciding which marketing approach is right for you, consider these three aspects:

Credibility

Often, search engines are a customer’s first option when researching a purchase. People trust the recommendations they see on Google when conducting their research. A person is most likely to trust sites that pop up high in a search ranking. The majority of people will select among the top three results because they view these sites as the best. This is because people trust in the thinking that Google’s algorithm is unbiased. They trust the SEO process.

A website builds a small businesses’ credibility. Because the internet is such a common consumer tool, businesses without strong websites seem shady. With PPC marketing, you can compete with large companies by paying to appear at the top of a search result. This places your business alongside other trusted brands. PPC produces strong leads. If you are small organization or just starting out, PPC has excellent return on investment because it connects you directly with potential buyers.

Intent and speed

With search engines, you know a customer is either looking to make a purchase or research about a future purchase. Because you are focusing on keywords, you understand what a potential buyer wants. SEO is good if you are open to customers who are doing research or browsing. These customers are less likely to respond to paid advertisements because they are still reviewing their options. SEO offers fewer guarantees because there is uncertainty about a customer’s behavior. However, SEO is cheaper as a long term strategy.

Consumers who are looking to make a quick purchase respond more to PPC. This is because they know what they are looking for and your ads can connect them with your products. Because of this, you can see quick results with PPC. You can create ad campaigns with very specific consumers in mind and target a specific budget.

Local customers

Many people prefer to buy from a local business. This means that you need to have a local focus for both your SEO and PPC advertising. To make sure your business appears in these searches, you need to focus on local.

Include your city and metro area for your SEO and PPC details. For example, if you are offering pet sitting service in San Diego, CA, make sure that your ads are optimized for your geo target area. The same is true for local SEO. Optimize your content and web pages for your geo target area.

Be mobile ready

You can also ensure your website is set up to work well with mobile devices. Run some tests to ensure your website is user-friendly in multiple environments.

PPC advertisements receive more views on mobile devices than they do on desktops. Customers are looking to make a quick decision. They could also be looking for a nearby solution.

Make sure your website and your ads are responsive.

Conclusion

By this point you should have an understanding of the advantages of SEO and PPC. It is important to use both when marketing your website. There will be situations where one approach will work better than another. However, a blended overall plan will work best for your company in the long run.

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Savvy web designer with a twist – Monika Beck with Webene – San Diego, CA.

Monika-Beck-AuthorMonika Beck is passionate about website design, web programming, ecommerce, and building businesses. She is a serial entrepreneur and the cofounder of Success Harbor a website dedicated to help entrepreneurs succeed. Success Harbor interviews successful entrepreneurs and publishes topics relevant to business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Monika started Success Harbor with her cofounder in order to ease the life of entrepreneurs through original research, tips and unique content. Monika is also cofounder of Webene, a website design and online marketing firm based in San Diego, CA. Webene specializes in mobile-friendly responsive websites built on the WordPress platform. Monika loves playing classical music on the piano.

3 Simple Strategies to Improve SEO on Your Blog by @AlmostPractical

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3 Simple Strategies to Improve SEO on Your Blog

by Neena Nandagopal | Featured Contributor

Small business owners often think of Search Engine Optimization or SEO as this magical process that people apply to your website to make it rank on page one of the search results.

Well, I have news for you – there is no pixie dust that can be sprinkled about to make it happen.

There are legitimate strategies that professionals use to make your site more attractive to search engines – things like using an optimized theme and proper tagging of photos and text, to name a few.

But even if SEO is not your specialty – there are certain things that you can do on your own to improve the rankings of your website.

What is SEO?

Keep in mind that at it’s most basic level – SEO means giving the search engines what they want.

And what the search engines want is solid, relevant, and accurate information that solves the problems of what people are searching for.

Luckily, by pleasing the search engines you will also please your real readers in the process.

3 Things You Can Do To Improve SEO On Your Blog

1. Have a Clear Focus for your Website

What is your website all about?

Generally, if you have a business – all of the information on your website will be geared towards helping, informing, and pleasing your customers.

Let’s say you are a hair salon. You will probably be writing about color, cuts, styles, and hair products.

It will be very clear to your readers and also to the search engines what your site is all about.

So when someone searches for “hair salon in anytown” – Google will deliver your website as a result.

Now, let’s say you are a blogger that writes about a wide variety of topics. Maybe one day you write about travel, and another day you write about your dog, and yet on another day you write about fashion.

Maybe you are clear on the direction of your blog – but you are confusing the search engines.

In this case, take a step back and think about what people might be searching for to find your website and try to come up with a central theme.

You can still post a variety of content – but try to tie it all back into one thing.

2. Organize Your Website

Just like that junk drawer in a kitchen, it is very easy for a blog to become cluttered and disorganized.

Remember that the search engines send robots to read your website.

These robots read text and follow links.

So, your website should be easy to navigate from one page to another.

Tighten up your categories, and make sure that you link to these from your homepage. Also, make sure that each of your blog posts is assigned to one of your categories.

This way both real people and search engines can find exactly what they are looking for.

3. Linking to Your Own Content

Another way to boost your SEO is to link to some of your own content from within your posts.

For example, I am writing this article about SEO for Melissa’s website, right now.

I found an article about blog formatting techniques you can use to improve to improve the SEO on your blog that Delia Rusu wrote for Melissa a while back. Since this is related content that will likely help you to improve your blog I am linking to it right here.

These internal links will help the search engines find relevant content on the same site.

Remember not to overdo this strategy – one or two relevant links per post is probably enough. In the past, people abused link building and as a result their websites were banned from Google and other search engines.

Do An SEO Audit of Your Website

You can improve the SEO on your website by having a clear focus on your message or topic, organizing your content, and guiding your readers and the search engines to other relevant content on your website.

Take some time this week to do an SEO audit of your website and see what you can tweak to make it better.

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Neena Nandagopal of AlmostPractical.comNeena Nandagopal is Almost Practical Small Business Coaching and Consulting. She lives and breathes her business – so they are one and the same.

She is passionate about giving creative and talented women concrete guidance on how to establish an online business that is in line with their lives.

Her services include everything from blog coaching packages to creating individualized policy and procedure manuals and business processes.

Neena believes that working more efficiently is the key to business success. However, her philosophy is that time management is outdated. Instead, she works with her clients to manage their focus and attention, because that is what brings maximum results – both online and offline.

When she is not working, Neena enjoys spending time with her husband, four teenage children, and her little shih-tzu.

Neena’s Website: AlmostPractical.com
Neena on Social: Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube

Does the thought of PERISCOPE give you anxiety? by @xoxoamyjo

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presentingby Amy Jo | Featured Contributor

Does the thought of the world watching your every move during a live broadcast send shivers down your spine? I totally hear you. It can be super intimidating to set yourself up in front of your camera, hit broadcast, and await the hearts to come rolling in…or so you hope.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, stop reading this post right now and go download the app called Periscope.

Periscope is an AMAZING new app that thousand of people are using every day. Not only is it your every day Sally who scopes, but its famous fancy people too. Lance Bass, anyone? What Periscope allows you to do is hop into someone’s life for a few moments, comment and socialize with them, and send hearts that shows them you love whatever they’re talking about. For example, when I first discovered this app, I was immediately addicted. I was able to watch a man on the streets of New York create an amazing, one-of-a-kind painting using spray paint. The next day, I was able to “virtually” ride a ride in Disneyworld. A day after THAT, I sat in one a Miley Cyrus concert. The possibilities are ENDLESS!

And aside from all of the fun adventures you can be a part of, you can also learn from some AMAZING people including business guru’s, yoga instructors, bloggers….you name it, you’ll find someone doing it.

All fun and dandy, right? So, what’s up with that nervous feeling you have in your stomach about broadcasting yourself? Oh honey, we’ll squash those real quick.

presenting (1)

Have you ever sat down and created a list of things you’re nervous about? Public Speaking? Failing? Not being good enough? Not fun feelings at all, am I right? These steps will give you a boost and have you feeling confident in no time.

  1. There’s Only One You – Have you ever let this thought sink in before? There’s no one else in the ENTIRE universe designed just like you. No one looks like you. No one acts like you. No one has your sense of humor, or wit, or thoughts. You are UNIQUELY designed to be the amazing human that you are. Don’t fret is someone is out in the world doing something that you want to do. DO IT! If someone is Periscoping about something you know a lot about…good for them! Now hop on and spread YOUR voice.
  1. The world needs your voice – Speaking of your voice, the world needs yours. Like, now. No one can say or do something the way that YOU can. YOUR message may resonate with someone way better than someone else who said it a similar way. Isn’t that cool? There are people out there who need YOU!
  1. You’re absolutely good enough – We’ve all had those days where we’re like…man, I just don’t feel good enough to do this. And you know what? Those days are the pits. BUT! They’re also so not true. You’re absolutely 150% good enough to do the things you desire to do. Why? Because YOU desire them. We aren’t given the feeling of desire for things that are impossible for us to do. We’re given that feeling so that we know what our soul craves. And you may be thinking, “But she does it better that I ever could.” PSH! You listen here girlfriend, what makes it SO possible for her to be doing something you desire, and SO impossible for YOU to do the same? Recognize the underlying thoughts that you’re telling yourself about your desires and then CHANGE them. Make yourself KNOW and FEEL that you are TOTALLY capable and good enough to spread your voice.
  1. It’s your time – Do you watch scopes and think, “I wish I could do that but I’m too shy.” Too shy is a story you’re telling yourself that will keep you stuck where you are. If you DESIRE to do a Periscope, or start a business, or record a video for your website, then something inside of you is telling that IT’S YOUR TIME! You’re totally ready. Practice makes perfect! Maybe you’re the type of person who says, “I’m totally going to start doing that tomorrow.” And then three years later you’re all like, “Yeah tomorrow is totally the day I’m going to start.” Make your tomorrow your TODAY!
  1. You weren’t here to be a dud – NOPE! You weren’t. You weren’t plopped on this planet to sit there and just survive. You were made to THRIVE! Life is about facing your fears, overcoming your doubts, and stepping into your spotlight. Recognize the amazing things that you have to share to this world. That’s when the magic happens.

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Amy Jo – International Success Coach + Soul Painter 

Amy Jo As a firm believer in listening to your body’s intuition, Amy Jo founded Soul Paint Co. as a way to encourage women to step into their spotlight. She coaches women around the world to balance their 5 “hot spots” in order to live an abundantly successful and fulfilling life. What are the 5 “hot spots”, you ask? They consist of: Health & Wellness, Emotional Wellbeing, Relationships, Career, & Spirituality. Amy Jo believes that how you do ONE thing is how you do EVERYTHING! When any of these “hot spots” are out of alignment, they affect other areas of your life as well. By balancing these areas, we create space for the magic to happen and to live the life we want! When she’s not coaching, Amy Jo is leading Soul Painting retreats focusing on listening to your intuition through the process of painting. These retreats are moving experiences that break through self judgement and open the heart to greater self love.

Amy Jo has her Bachelors of Arts in Art Therapy, as well as certifications in Holistic and Integrative Medicine, and Complementary and Alternative Medicine. She was awarded the POP Scholarship from the National Association of Women Business Owners and is a lover of beaches, elephants, and antique shops.

A Checklist for a Website that Propels your Business Forward by @rachelccool

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sitechecklistby Rachel Cool | Featured Contributor 

It’s a new year and now is the perfect time to assess your website and make some updates so it will serve you well this year, helping your business grow. Your website is the base of your online presence, and if you sell products online, it’s your virtual storefront. It can help you tell your story, find potential customers and grow your business.

Here’s a checklist you can use to make sure your site is ready for the new year and will help you find success.

Responsive Design

It’s essential that your website is easy to view no matter what kind of devise a visitor is using. Make sure your site has smartphone, tablet and laptop-friendly versions.

Logical Navigation

There’s nothing more frustrating that not being able to find what you need on a website. Use a navigation system, with a main menu or sidebar, that makes sense for your content and users.

Current Information

Now is the perfect time to make sure the information on your site is current and accurate. Check things like contact information, mission statement, product offerings and photos to make sure they reflect your business as it is now.

Accessible Contact Information

Your contact information shouldn’t be hard to find. List your phone number or email address in a place where it won’t be missed and consider adding a contact form for easy communication.

Compelling Copy that Works

Does your site’s copy make you want to take action? Use short paragraphs, a voice that matches your brand and content that will inspire your visitors to take action.

Front and Center “So What” Factor

You want your site visitors to know from the second they visit your site what you are all about and what you can do for them. I call this the “so what” factor, and it should be front and center.

Calls to Action Align with Goals

Your goals and focus likely change periodically. Make sure your calls to action are in alignment with your current goals so your site works with your business. For example, if your current goal is to sell a specific package, find ways to highlight that and ask people to make a purchase.

Fresh, Professional Design

People judge your business based on your website. Make sure it is fresh, professional and uncluttered so people will see your business as one that is a resource they can depend on.

Simple Subscription Form

If you use email marketing, make sure your subscription form is simple, easy to use and only asks for relevant information. If you don’t use email marketing, look into what it can do for your business this year.

Strategic Blog

Does your blog help you reach your goals? Set up a content calendar so your blog posts help you reach your market and brand your business in a way that brings results.

Sharing Buttons

Your blog posts and other resources on your site should have sharing buttons so people can easily post your content to their social media accounts. This single feature can help you build your online presence and get more visitors to your site.

Optimized Site and Copy

When your site is optimized with meta tags and descriptions and copy that has keywords and links, your pages are more likely to appear higher up on search results, helping potential customers find you.

Take some time to look at these aspects of your website and determine what areas you can improve this year so your site better represents your business and helps you promote your services.

Of course, your list may include more items depending on your business and goals. What are some things you consider essential to a business website? What have you seen success with?

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Rachel CoolRachel Cool has a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations. She has experience working in public relations, journalism, Internet marketing and search engine optimization.

Rachel’s passion is writing and she loves helping brands tell their stories, reach their markets and influence their audiences. She feels that a business’ copy, whether it is online or print, is an integral part of its marketing and communications strategies.

When she’s not writing, Rachel loves to cook and get lost in a mystery novel. She also likes to get competitive over a good card or board game, watch movies, fish and spend time outside.

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Meet Jennifer Horowitz of @EcomBuffet – Focused Solely on Increasing Your Company’s Bottom Line! #SheOwnsIt Holiday Marketplace.

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Jennifer Horowitz

by Melissa Stewart

Looking to increase your companies bottom line?  Tired of cookie cutter SEO and social media services? Meet Jennifer Horowitz of EcomBuffet and part of the She Owns It Holiday Marketplace!

Blessed with an uncanny knack for spotting trends, hidden revenue outlets, and underutilized assets, Jesse’s true passion comes from applying powerful growth strategies to his clients’ businesses.

SO, read on and find out more about Jennifer and what EcomBuffet can do for YOU!

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What does a “normal” day look like (if there is such a thing)?

There really isn’t a “normal” day, that is what I love about my business. There are always new challenges, chances to be creative and tons of opportunities.  I allow some time to be reactive to emails, phone calls and incoming social media.  I also make sure I set aside time to be proactive in my business goals.  This is important and a key to success.  If we are forever responding to everyone else, we don’t get done what is most important to us.  I categorize my work into 3 broad categories: 1. Money making activities. 2. Client work 3. Admin/business tasks.  I start my day with the money making stuff and move on to the client work.  Admin comes last.  While also vitally important, I know there is more chance I can delegate that work if I run out of time.  I have set times to answer phone, email and check social media.  I love early mornings – it’s quiet and that’s when I’m most creative so it works out well that my “money making” tasks are first on the list.  I can be creative and dive into the projects that are going to generate revenue and growth.

 

How do you stand out from the crowd? What distinguishes your business from the competition?

Our belief is that success lies in the data and the details.  We rely on data to drive our strategic decisions and we pay close attention to detail.  Both of those things make a big difference on our clients’ bottom line. Many companies perform cookie cutter marketing, SEO and social media services.  We don’t.  We look at what is working and what isn’t and adjust our plan accordingly as we progress.  This is crucial to getting real results and creating measurable growth.  We work as a team with a common goal of growing our client’s business – which in turn allows us to grow our business.  We focus on education and consider our clients our partners in their success. We laugh a lot but also know when to buckle down and focus.  I think the personal touch and focus on results is what sets us apart.

 

ecombuffet

ecombuffet

 

What have been your biggest obstacles?

Learning to prioritize and understanding that we control our time and our focus. It’s human nature to be reactive. There is a constant flood of incoming demands. It’s so easy to get caught up in responding and reacting all day long.  But that doesn’t lead to success – or at least not as quickly and efficiently.  The incoming “stuff” is important and a plan needs to be in place to address those items.  However, when we realized we were in control of our time and what we focus on, we got much more done and got better results.  It was a real hurdle to overcome the habit of being at everyone’s beck and call.

What advice would you give someone just starting out?

Don’t overlook data and don’t overlook the importance of a good strategic plan.  It takes more work to think things out initially. It’s easier to just jump in and start doing things.  But you will find you are all over the place and you don’t build momentum. One task doesn’t lend itself to another without a strategy.  There is no repurposing of work to save time without some thought.  If you spend the time outlining very specific goals and reverse engineering the action needed to reach those goals and then turn that into a step by step action plan, you will be more efficient, you will squeeze more value out of each work piece and you will get results quicker.  Use data to analyze your progress in your plan and adjust as you go.

 

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What is your personal motto?

I think I’m beginning to sound repetitive, Google would think I was keyword stuffing!  But honestly it is “Success lies in the data and the details”.  If I could add a second one, it’s an oldie but a goodie: “Treat others as you wish to be treated”.

 

What is your favorite quote?

I think this applies to my business and it speaks to my roots, as a good Canadian girl: I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been. – Wayne Gretzky  So important in business. You can’t be sitting at the other end of the ice where the puck was, you need to be where it’s going to be, ready and prepared for action.

Where can we find you?

EcomBuffet