Yelp! Are Your Customers Being Hijacked?

Does your business have a Yelp listing? Chances are it probably does whether you realize it or not. And, if you’re not a paying customer, your business’s listing is probably filled with ads for your competitors. Go ahead and check it out by going to Yelp and typing in the name of your business. I bet you’ll be alarmed at what you see.

Yelp certainly has a robust following and is still one of the most popular platforms for consumer ratings so it is hard to ignore, but controversy continues to tarnish the local listing giant as lawsuits pile up accusing the corporation of shady business practices such as extortion and manipulated reviews.

If you don’t pay for your own Yelp ads, your competitors can have their ads appear on your Yelp listing and you won’t be able to remove them unless you pay up. There have also been allegations of Yelp removing positive reviews after a business owner refused to pay for an ad.

Since 2008, the Federal Trade Commission has received over 2000 complaints from small business owners over Yelp’s advertising practices and in 2014 one of the lawsuits against Yelp went as far as the Virginia Supreme Court after the company refused to take down or identify anonymous reviews that were accused of being fraudulent.

The stories go on and on, but the fact that Yelp hasn’t exactly been virtuous doesn’t mean you should ignore the platform altogether. Despite all of the negative publicity and the pile of lawsuits, Yelp is still an extremely effective way to market your business, but it is something you’re going to have to stay on top of and pay very close attention to.

The first thing you should do is claim and optimize your listing and then work on acquiring new reviews. It is also very important to respond to any negative reviews you get. At that point, it is up to you to decide if you want to pay or not. Before you make that decision, please give us a call and we can discuss some different options that you can pursue.

-Art

Google Ads Have Changed the Way We All Market

Just a few years ago, aggressive marketers would convert just .001% on blanket marketing using inserts in the local newspapers. It was branding and you were able to get a few orders. Today, hardly anyone is advertising that way anymore and those who are secure the volume. We need to local shops to understand how this works or hire an agency to handle it for you.

Google makes it very simple to advertise with them, but there are some pitfalls that you need to be aware of if you decide to do it yourself. For example, if you pay $300 a month to Google you most likely have a “Google Smart Ads” account. This type of account is very basic, it gets you listed and that's it. There is hardly any tracking or details available for your campaign. It is entry-level work that features no re-targeting, no snippets or no use of extensions. Agencies charge $100 a month and you pay Google $300 and all you get are a few orders.

GOOGLE Ads (aka Pay-Per-Click), on the other hand, allow you to develop strategies, track every click, and use conversion codes to see where the traffic is coming from as well as how they found you.

Take a look at this statistic from Wordstream and it will tell you everything you need to know about the effectiveness of advertising with Google. For every dollar spent on Google, two dollars are converted into a completion! Yes, that is $2.00 in REVENUE for every dollar spent, and it isn’t uncommon to see 4 or even 5 to 1. With numbers like that, you may ask yourself, "why isn't every florist hiring and agency to secure orders for themselves?"

I do too!

I once read a bend in the road isn't the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn! I took that advice to heart and remember it every day when I’m faced with challenging situations. Owning your own business requires navigating lots of bending roads and other hazards that could easily end your journey if you’re not careful. At Bloomerang Solutions, our job is to help you navigate the bends in the road so you can focus on running your business. Give us a call today at (941) 806-1911 or drop us a line below and we can get your Google Ads account up and running today – don’t miss that turn!

Art

Stay Safe by Staying Alert for Email Scams

The holiday season is back again - which means more inevitable stories of stolen credit card information and massive security breaches from companies we thought we could trust.

With all the security that currently exists, there are always going to be those who find a way to break through. They want your identity, but it's relatively simple to protect yourself.

Whenever you receive an email, it is particularly important to pay attention to the URL before clicking on anything; forget the subject line or logos you see, that's where the scammers want you to look.

Whoever is getting the Amazon information is sending out emails that read, "YOUR AMAZON ORDER CAN NOT BE SHIPPED." Since most of the world uses or have used Amazon at one time or another, many people will scan this email and click the link to verify the credit card information.

Don't Click that Button!

BEFORE YOU CLICK, make sure to look at the email address and URL. The URL should be www.amazon.com; if it isn't, DON'T CLICK because chances are, it's a scam. Once you click the button it may be too late. Below are some examples of the first place you should look for any suspect email you receive.

This holiday season, to be safe is to be aware. Use extra caution and stay vigilant in making sure everything looks right because email scams are getting better all the time. Also remember that if an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is!

The holidays are here and Bloomerang Solutions is here to help! From social media to websites and reputation management to online marketing, Bloomerang will make your business bloom. Give us a call today at (941) 806-1911 or drop us a line below and we will be happy to assist you!

-Art

Does Your Website Accurately Represent Your Company?

For businesses large and small, their websites are the most important tool they have for creating a company culture and building brand awareness. How well are you representing yourself online?

Google ranks websites based on a number of different factors. Although they don't publicly say exactly what they're looking for, it's widely known that accuracy and consistency are two of the most important elements they looking for on your site.

A great website is the backbone of any successful business. It not only gives customers (and potential customers) a place to gather information and learn about your business, but it also provides you a medium to show the world what your business is all about and what it can do for your customers.

Like most things in life, a one-size-fits-all solution is rarely ideal when it comes to a website for your company. At Bloomerang Solutions, we never build identical ‘cookie cutter’ websites for any of our clients. Why? Because each one of our clients is unique and all of them have their own story to tell and brand to promote.

There are three things that we want to know from each of our clients before we plan their new website:

"Where do you want your business to go?”
“What do you want it to be?”
“WHY?”

These are very serious and delicate questions - that once answered - will give us the direction to lead you. Your website is secondary to your goals - you must have goals first. Once those are determined,we customize the web solution to complement what we need in order to market you in the right direction.

We recently launched three new websites that had to be redone and released with a direction. The sites had been previously been built to please the designers who wanted to build, "cool," build “sharp,” and build “classy,” basically build everything THEY felt you needed. You know the type? We do too. When you meet with Bloomerang, you meet with a family that is just as excited to help you reach your goals as you are. We are not too proud to outsource work if we feel there is a better option out there, but we will always manage it for you, so you have nothing to worry about.

Recently, a new client came to us with a major struggle -their online presence. Their old website was unaffordable, their social media was not understandable, and their Google Pay Per Click campaign was unbelievable.

The owner of that business actually said to me, “I'll never do that Pay Per Click stuff again."

“Ouch,” I replied. “You were obviously oversold a solution without understanding what you were getting into, and without a guarantee.”

Guarantee? Yes, I guarantee what I promise you. Pay Per Click is a clear and direct hit to what you want to offer to a potential customer. It really could not be any easier or more simple than that. Understanding how it comes together and avoiding the pitfalls is where we come in.

Business relationships are built on trust, and if you trust me to help with your business, then boy do I have something for you!.

Yes, a GUARANTEE to succeed!

Nobody does that you may say? I do, and I’ll go one step further - I won’t even make you sign a contract! In fact, one of the first things I decided when directing Bloomerang's future was to throw out contracts - no one should ever have to be stuck with a company they don't want to be with. I believe in earning my keep and I only like to work with those who are like-minded.

Let's talk soon! While we’re being VERY selective with our growth, we also know that we must be a good fit for you and you for us. It's a team, and together we build an online family.

As one of Google's very first customers - way back in September, 1998, I remember feeling then that they would somehow change the world - so I jumped with in both feet! Nearly 20 years later, I get to experience first-hand just how powerful online advertising can be and how much of an impact it can have on even a small local business when utilized correctly. Let me help you with your business, there’s never any charge to talk and get to know us. I would love to chat with you anytime!

A Simple Guide to Taking Outstanding Photographs with Your Phone

The holiday season is upon us and now is the perfect time to get some outstanding photographs of your shop in action while its looking its very best for Christmas! Having high-quality photos on your social media pages is one of the most important things you can do to make your business stand out from the crowd. But, as a business owner, you have a lot of responsibilities and likely don’t have a ton of time to get professional-looking pictures for social media.

Most of us have cameras in our phones that are more than adequate for taking spectacular photographs of floral designs, food, or anything else that tells the story of your business. In fact, our smartphones make it easier than ever for anyone to get great shots as long as they follow these four tips to help you achieve high-quality smartphone photos, quick and easy!

Background

Plain white or gray backgrounds will make your photographs look clean and professional, but that doesn't mean that all your photographs should be shot with a plain background. If you are trying to sell a particular floral design on your website, background objects tend to be distracting and won’t keep your customers focused on the flower arrangement so you'll want to avoid backgrounds or settings that distract from the main focus, the flowers.

But rules are meant to be broken, and flowers in real-life settings are typically preferred for social media. Your followers want to see more than just the flowers - they want to imagine what they would look like in real-world settings, so make sure to keep your audience in mind when selecting the shot.

Lighting

Lighting is an important aspect in capturing quality photographs. For still-life shots, we suggest shooting next to a window so there is plenty of natural light. The natural light combined with the white backdrop will really make your flowers stand out. Also, remove any surrounding objects to make sure that there are no shadows in your shot. This will ensure higher quality photographs.

Lifestyle shots, on the other hand - the kind you want for social media, will still require good lighting - and natural light is preferred - so you may need to take that into consideration, especially if your shop or business isn't brightly lit.

Angle

For still-life photos, position your camera vertically and directly in front of the flower arrangement or object you would like to photograph. Shooting straight-on shots are the best angle to display your flower arrangements; just make sure you're standing far enough away to capture the whole arrangement. The best way to get the whole product in the picture is to leave a little bit of white space around the edges.

Throw those rules out the window when it comes to social media photos and get creative! Some of the most interesting pictures you'll find are of everyday objects viewed from a different angle. The more creative you can get, the better - and the better your photos are, the better your reach will be.

Accessories

There are several budget-friendly accessories you can purchase to help you achieve high-quality photographs.

Tripod

Mounting your phone on a tripod is a great way to avoid blurry pictures. Instead of trying to hold your hand steady, simply clip your phone to a stand. There are several different tripod options for various types of phones. You can find extremely flexible and versatile tripods for less than $10 on Amazon and the beautiful photos will be well worth the investment.

Clip-on LensAdding an external lens to your smartphone will enhance the camera’s perspective. If you have smaller products that require you to zoom in to take pictures the external lens will be able to focus on the product without becoming blurry. A decent lens or set of lenses typically costs anywhere between $20-$99 on Amazon and can be customized based on your needs.

Remember, this holiday season, a picture is worth a thousand words and these outstanding pictures will be great to share on your social media platforms as well. If you need any help or advice on shooting better pictures, give Bloomerang Solutions a call or drop us a line below.