Nobody is Immune from Neglecting Their Online Digital Responsibility

One day last week I set off for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in town, a barbecue joint that had been in the same location on the main highway for over 40 years. It was a Sarasota institution and a place you always knew was going to be delicious and consistent because they cared about their business and knew what they were doing when it came to smoking meat.

That’s why I was shocked to pull up to an empty parking lot and a ‘for sale’ sign in the window. After 40 years of business they were simply gone without any sort of a warning. They were out of business and local patrons looking for good barbecue are out of luck.

I don’t know why this particular business closed down, it could be any number of reasons, but I can guess that it wasn’t due to food quality or their location. Their food was award-winning and very modestly priced, and their restaurant was in one of the most desirable locations in the area.

As much as I loved their food and recommended it to anyone who was looking for good BBQ, I discovered that most people I talked to had never even heard of the place – even if they drove by it several times a day - because they did not advertise and did not appear to make marketing a high priority. Word of mouth took them a long way, but it only goes so far in today’s digital marketplace.

Online digital responsibility

As I mourn the loss of one of my favorite lunch spots, I can’t help but wonder if there was something more that could have been done to help save their business. Unfortunately, I’ve seen this same scenario play out time and again with well-established businesses who rely on word-of-mouth advertising. They do a great job, but the marketers beat them to the customers.

The restaurant industry is tough, competitors are doing everything they can to make themselves stand out from the crowd and create a reason for people to get excited about their dining experience. The savvy ones understand that many potential customers choose where to eat based on online reviews and don’t rely on past success to fuel tomorrow’s growth.

Fortunately, there are simple options that can level the playing field and protect your business. Bloomerang Solutions offers digital solutions including websites, social media, and reputation management for businesses of any size. We put your business first and help you lock down potential customers and keep them coming back for more.

Online digital responsibility is the future and it’s here now. One curve in the road isn’t the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn. Give us a call today at (941) 806-1911 and we’ll hit the road together!

-Art

Mother's Day Week has Arrived and Bloomerang is Here to Help!

Mother’s Day has finally arrived and hopefully you’re already feeling the rush. With each day getting busier from now until Sunday, it’s important to remain focused on customer service and making sure your customers have the best experience possible.

With such a high volume of foot traffic and phone/online orders this week, it’s sometimes difficult to give every customer the personal attention they desire, but don't forget that many customers who only shop for flowers once or twice a year may not give you a chance next time if your customer service is lacking this time around.

Things to keep in mind this week:

1) Remember to smile - The busier you get, the easier it is to get distracted or overwhelmed. While some customers may be sympathetic and understanding, all customers deserve and expect a pleasant shopping experience. If they enjoy shopping with you, they are more likely to become repeat customers.

2) Focus on individual experiences - Some customers know exactly what they want before they reach your shop, but many customers are relying on you for knowledge and inspiration. Let them hold any pre-made arrangement or gift item that they are interested in while you close the sale. Remember, customers are much more likely to purchase an item that they are physically touching or holding.

3) Don’t forget finishing touches - Customers are looking for ways to make their mothers feel special this week, so many will be open to ideas in addition to flowers. Let them know about products that will enhance their gift. If you don’t ask, they may not even realize they have additional options.

4) Build your marketing list - This week may be the busiest week for you shop for the next few months. Take advantage of this opportunity to build your marketing list by collecting email address from new customers. Offering to email a receipt is an effective way to build your customer database.

5) Get employees engaged by keeping it fun - This week is stressful for everyone, so be sure to take some time to acknowledge employees and rewarding them for their hard work. Consider a prize wheel where employees with the most orders each hour get to spin the wheel for a prize. Not only will this improve employee morale, but it will also show customers that your shop is a fun place to work and visit.

6) Start each morning with a staff meeting - This is an important way to make sure everyone is on the same page each morning and be sure that no issues are being missed. It's also your opportunity to set your staff up for success. Above is a video of one of those morning meetings that I had with my staff a few holidays ago. It really does set the tone for the day.

Most importantly, please don't forget that we're here to help! We know you're busy this week, that's why we're here to help you out in any way we can! Unfortunately, we can't be there to answer your phones or help make deliveries, but we can help with your website or social media. Contact us anytime at support@bloomerang.solutions or give us a call at (941) 806-1911. Good luck and we hope you have a prosperous week!

Is a Rose Just a Rose? Yours Should be More!

Lately, it seems many florists claim to use a rose called the Freedom. I remember the first time I saw it, at Heroman's Florist in Baton Rouge and it was tremendous!

I went on to try it in my shop and failed miserably - it was very inconsistent. I soon learned of all the different ways it is being grown and the growers that grow them. This was VERY frustrating. I grew my personal retail floral shop on my unique red rose I brought in and it was a show stopper. To protect the name and grower, I called it the BLACK LABEL. You may want to consider that as well before saying you carry a Freedom. In case you are wondering why...

Look at this image I took at the local supermarket. Yes, they are putting it in print - FREEDOM ROSES! This was awful to see. You don't want to have to explain to your customer why you charge such a premium for a rose someone else is selling for $14.99. Make yourself unique or you may risk losing business to competitors who can afford to undercut your prices.

-Art

Do you need help standing out in your local market? Bloomerang Solutions can help! From custom-built websites to social media and Google marketing, Bloomerang is your secret weapon when it comes to acquiring new customers and our results are guaranteed. Give me a call today at (941) 806-1911 and watch your business bloom!

Winning at Google Marketing Requires 4 Simple Steps

Google marketing is one of the most effective advertising platforms in the world. If you’re not utilizing it to help your business grow, now is the time to start! It may sound complicated, but you will be successful if you follow these four steps:

Step 1: Define your goals

Structure your campaign. By setting up your account according to what you are looking to achieve, you will be able to measure your success by the hour. By targeting geographic areas most important to your business, you won't waste your budget on irrelevant search terms. For example, we promote Sunset Cruises in the Sarasota area. Many people have asked "how in the world did we attract all this traffic?” We simply targeted exactly what we were looking for from the local area. Had we not defined our parameters, we could have lost a lot of ad budget to search looking for sunset cruises elsewhere.

If we build it, they will come. In the eyes of your customers, your website is the heart of your company. It should not only be functional and easy to use, but it should help you produce the results you desire. That’s why we build websites with results in mind and structure them to maximize SEM and SEO considerations. It's important that clients and potential clients find it easy to use and navigate with search marketing and optimization. You want pages written and indexed with search results in mind. This increases the likelihood of being found online and appearing when being searched - those are the two most important considerations.

Step 2: Determine what you need to achieve those goals

Create a benchmark. Setting benchmarks and understanding what you are looking to achieve is the first step toward measuring results. I have found a lot of success in law, retail, and health, and the one thing I’ve learned is that it's not as much about the cost as it is about the acquisition. Other than retail or online sales, you can only measure the success by what it is you wish to accomplish and for that it is important to use forms to capture leads and/or tracking phone numbers to ensure you received the calls you desire.

Know your online ads are working. With online sales, we set you up with and tracking URL from Google that is placed on the receipt page on your website. Since you can only reach this page by completing a sale, you can rest assured the results are accurate. Google knows where the transaction came from, the receipt page only appears when the transaction has been completed!

Step 3: Set yourself apart from your competition

We GUARANTEE results. Unlike other companies who over-promise and under-deliver, our focus is on our customers - if you don’t succeed, we don’t succeed. That’s why don’t like 12-month contracts or complicated language and prefer simple, concise directions and steps to help you achieve success. If we can't accomplish what you need, we will tell you in the beginning. If for any reason you are not happy with our results you can terminate the contract with a 30-day notice.

Step 4: A winning formula

Google Adwords + Google My Business + Bloomerang Solutions

It's our responsibility to monitor your position, ad spend and conversions by targeting devices that are specific to your customers. Our unique approach to the connectivity to Google My Business and your marketing strategy will get you a lower cost per order when you have a higher quality score and when you always add content according to your strategy. While your competition is just adding keywords and this and that trying to keep up with you, the discipline and plan created for you will be the difference when it comes to actual results.

Bloomerang Solutions is your one-stop-shop for all your online marketing needs. From custom websites to targeted marketing and reputation management, we will position you exactly where your customers are looking. I am available anytime, so go ahead, give me a call at (941) 809-5000. I can’t wait to speak with you and start building your strategy.

-Art

Quality Score: What is it & How Does it Affect PPC?

If you’re trying to master PPC, you need a solid understanding of Quality Score. That’s because your Quality Scores have enormous influence over the cost and effectiveness of your paid search campaigns. Just as your credit score can affect whether or not you qualify for a loan and how high your interest rate is, Google Quality Score affects how your PPC ads perform and how much you pay for each click.

What is Quality Score? Quality Score is Google's rating of the quality and relevance of both your keywords and PPC ads. It is used to determine your cost per click (CPC) and multiplied by your maximum bid to determine your ad rank in the ad auction process. Your Quality Score depends on multiple factors, including:

• Your click-through rate (CTR).

• The relevance of each keyword to its ad group.

• Landing page quality and relevance.

• The relevance of your ad text.

• Your historical AdWords account performance.

No one outside of Google knows exactly how much each factor “weighs” in the Quality Score algorithm, but we do know that click-through rate is the most important component. When more people who see your ad click it, that’s a strong indication to Google that your ads are relevant and helpful to users. Accordingly, Google rewards you with:

• Higher ad rankings

• Lower costs

Benefits of Improving Google Quality Score

By analyzing thousands of PPC accounts, we know that Quality Score has a direct correlation on your PPC success. By optimizing your Quality Scores, you’ll be setting yourself up for higher return on investment (ROI). That’s because higher Quality Scores correlate with lower cost per conversion! Cost per conversion is different from cost per click. It’s not how much you pay for each click, but how much you pay when someone takes the action you want them to take, whether that’s signing up for a free trial or making a product purchase. Since not every click results in a conversion, cost per conversion is generally higher than cost per click.

Luckily, strong Quality Scores lower both your cost per click and your cost per conversion.

Generally speaking, the higher your Quality Score, the lower your cost per conversion. Remember, a high Quality Score is Google's way of saying that your PPC ad meets your potential customers’ needs. The better you are at meeting the prospect’s needs, the less Google will charge you for the ad click.

How Do You Increase Your Quality Score?

Since Quality Score determines where and how often your ads appear, it’s important to boost your ratings by working consistently on your account. This can be achieved by focusing your efforts on several key areas:

• Keyword Research – Discover new, highly relevant keywords to add to your campaigns, including long-tail opportunities that can contribute to the bulk of your overall traffic.  

• Keyword Organization – Split your keywords into tight, organized groups that can be more effectively tied to individual ad campaigns.

• Refining Ad Text – Test out PPC ad copy that is more targeted to your individual ad groups. More effective ads get higher CTR, one of the best ways to improve Quality Score. 

• Optimizing Landing Pages – Follow landing page best practices to create pages that connect directly with your ad groups and provide a cohesive experience for visitors, from keyword to conversion.

• Adding Negative Keywords – Continuously research, identify, and exclude irrelevant search terms that are wasting your budget.

As you can see, Quality Score is primarily a measure of relevance, and improving keyword Quality Score is a matter of structuring your PPC campaigns into small, well-organized, tightly knit groups of keywords. Better keyword research and organization will also naturally improve the quality and specificity of your ads and website content, allowing you to target the exact audience most likely to be searching for your offerings.

Low AdWords Quality Scores are primarily the result of disconnect between keywords, ad groups, ad text, and landing page content. A high Quality Score comes naturally when an AdWords account contains organized keywords in appropriate keyword groups, ad text that corresponds with certain ad groups, and landing pages that connect with the ad text's offer. While there is no easy, foolproof answer to improving your Quality Score formula, paying careful attention to relevance will greatly improve your scores.

More Quality Score Resources

Want to learn more about how Quality Score works and how to increase your ratings? Check out the following resources:

• Hacking AdWords: How to Get a (Near) Perfect Quality Score: Learn the characteristics of AdWords accounts with super-high Quality Scores (and how you can achieve them yourself).

• Complete Guide to Super-High Click-Through Rates: Quality Score is largely determined by click-through rates, which is why it's so important to write powerful ads that grab people's attention. In this free guide, you'll learn what makes a good CTR and how to raise your own CTR's to create "unicorn" ads with awesome Quality Scores and low costs per click.

Source: wordstream.com