insider-marketing.com

Internet Marketing Tips All Self Storage Operators Need to Know to Get Started on the Right Foot

Internet marketing is quickly becoming a major part of all self storage operations. And rightly so; there are hundreds of thousands of potential renters that use the Internet each month to find storage. The storage industry is not the only industry where the Internet plays a huge role. Almost any industry today must consider the Internet as an essential source of new business. In just a few years we’ll probably be considering it our main source of new business.

You may or may not know that Internet marketing is available for a fraction of the cost of traditional marketing. In addition, the Internet allows you to display a plethora of information to potential renters like: pictures, maps, unit sizes, prices, and specials. In fact, you can even give customers the ability to rent instantly (if this feature is available on your website)! Internet marketing is flexible, meaning you can quickly and easily change your ads throughout the year. And arguably the best aspect of Internet marketing is that traffic, consumer patterns and behaviors and the actions these people take can all be tracked and monitored – making it easy for you to evaluate its effectiveness.

Because this topic is still new to some of you in the industry, I wanted to share the terms most commonly used when talking about Internet marketing:

1. URL – the website address you type into your browser to go to a webpage.

2. Search Engine – I’ll just say Google. Google is the most widely used search engine. Some other popular search engines include Yahoo, AOL, and MSN.

3. SEO – the acronym for Search Engine Optimization. This process helps YOUR website move higher and higher in the search engine rankings when people type in specific words or phrases into a search engine. The websites you see on the first page when you search for something are well optimized and are receiving most of the traffic.

4. PPC – the acronym for Pay Per Click. This is a form of Internet advertising (and a major source of Google’s revenue) that allows you to only pay when people click on your ad and are taken to your website.

5. CTR – the acronym for Click Thru Rate. This is the percentage of people who click on your ad out of all those who see it. The higher this percentage, the better.

6. CPC – the acronym for Cost Per Click. This is how much you pay each time somebody clicks on your ad. In the self storage industry this is usually between $1.50 and $3.00.

7. Impressions – the number of times your ad was seen by a searcher on a search engine.

8. Conversion Rate – the number of actual renters out of all your inquiries. You want this number to be high as well.

9. CPA – the acronym for Cost Per Acquisition. This is how much it costs you to acquire a new customer.

10. ROI – the acronym for Return on Investment. This is the ratio of money gained or lost on an investment; in terms of marketing it is how much profit you’re making for each marketing dollar you spend.

Your goal for Internet marketing should involve capturing as many tenants as possible through the Internet at the lowest possible cost (lowest CPA). Because the Internet allows you to display so much information to potential renters, often times these potential renters come to you already knowing where you’re located, your office hours, unit sizes, and specials and therefore, are ready to rent a unit.

People using the Internet will contact you in one of four ways:

1. Call. Many people use the Internet as a research tool and then proceed to pick up the phone to call.

2. Walk-in. Also, many people, after researching you on the Internet will choose to walk in to your facility.

3. Email. Many types of Internet marketing allow customers to contact you via email, either through a form or in a standard email.

4. Rent online. If you give them the option through your website many will take advantage of it.

Many owner/operators think the Internet is a mysterious monster that will not be effective in their local market. In fact the Internet is a very effective advertising medium that will generate a nice flow of new tenants if you use it right. The Kelsey Group found that more than 43% of consumers search the Internet to find a local product or service!

Let’s talk about your website. Many of you probably have a website. That is typically the first step most owners take when starting to advertise online. One of the most important things to remember about your website is that you must attract people to it in order to gain monetary value. 80% of Internet users start at a search engine. If your website is not found on the search engines (specifically the first or second page) you will be missing out on 80% of these potential renters.

You can have the coolest, flashiest and most expensive website on the net but if you don’t have people visiting and taking action to rent from you, it won’t result in any new tenants.

There are three basic methods to ensure your website appears on the search engines:

1. Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC). If you use Google, MSN or Yahoo to do a search, these ads are along the right side of the results page and sometimes up top. They’re usually labeled “Sponsored Links.” These campaigns are fairly quick to setup and results can be instant. Expect to pay $1.50 – $5.00 per click (every time somebody clicks on your ad to go to your website). This can get very expensive if you don’t know what you’re doing; however if done right it can prove to be a very cost effective way to gain new tenants. If you’re going to attempt a PPC campaign by yourself, I highly recommend a book called “The Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords” by Perry Marshall.

2. Organic/Natural Search Engine Optimization (SEO). These are the non-PPC results you see when you do a search. The main difference between this and PPC is that you do not pay per click. Getting your website ranked organically usually takes more time and expertise. But, once you establish this ranking, the traffic is usually heavier and less expensive. I recommend discussing an organic SEO campaign with your web programmer to see if they can help you. Be cautious when proceeding with an organic campaign in this industry. 1st page rankings are very competitive and might not be achieved without time and a heavy investment. Also, beware of any SEO companies that promise or guarantee 1st page rankings! When talking about SEO, no one can guarantee rankings of any sort. If they make this guarantee, they are generally trying to trick you to get your business.

3. Online Directories. Online directories are created for consumers looking for a specific product or service. Our website, USstoragesearch.com, is an online directory that targets searchers looking for self and mobile storage. We keep our website highly optimized organically and do extensive Pay Per Click advertising so that it shows up on the first page of all major search engines locally and nationally for a variety of self storage related keywords. You will see us on the search engines for keywords such as “self storage,’ ’storage unit,’ and for a variety of local keywords such as ‘San Diego self storage.’ Because of this we see more than 70,000 visitors each month on our website and are able to direct them to our facility members. If you are an operator that is not currently advertising online, a directory is the fastest way to get started without any SEO or PPC knowledge. There are a few good online directories out there for the self storage industry. Shop carefully and ask a lot of questions. The most important thing to ask about a directory is how they are qualifying the potential customers they are sending your way. You want to be sure the directory is able to send quality prospects your way.

Those are the three fundamental ways to drive traffic to your website. With the affordability of Internet marketing and the number of people using the Internet to find storage, I recommend you test all three methods and see what works for you.

Now that you know all about the basics of Internet marketing and the three most effective ways to drive traffic to your website I encourage you to seriously evaluate how you are advertising online. It’s very inexpensive and easy to track – there’s no reason not to.

There are hundreds of thousands of people using the Internet to search for storage each month. Can they find your facility or are they renting with your more Internet-savvy competition?

Tags: Foot, Internet, Know, Marketing, Need, Operators, Right, Self, started, Storage, Tips

Seeking Massive Success Via Online Marketing? Then You Must be Aware of These Two Words That are the Kiss of Death

Here is a pill that’s very hard to swallow: Nobody wants to buy your product. As Lily Tomlin used to say in Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In (I’m dating myself here…) “That’s the truth!”

 

That IS the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

 

So, since it is a fact that “Nobody wants to buy your product”, what DO they want? They all want to buy the product of your product, the benefits. So the more you’re able to focus on them – and NOT on the features – on what is in it for them, the more you’re able to win their trust.

 

You earn their trust based on merit. And merit is always defined on the terms of the buyer, never on the terms of the seller. Ultimately, it’s the buyer who will decide if there is something for them in what you have to offer.

 

Not sure of the difference between features and benefits? Well, a simple explanation is that features are what you and your products and services ARE or HAVE, while benefits are what you and your products DO. What EXACTLY do you DO for your customers and clients? If I buy one of your products, or attend your seminar or workshop, what SPECIFICALLY will I get out of it? In other words, WIII-FM – What Is In It For ME? Can you answer that?

 

Amazingly, most businesspeople can’t. It’s especially evident in their ads and on their website – which for many is the most expensive component of their marketing budget.

 

A year ago, we were featured on a local TV business show. We were invited to talk about our unique workshop that we delivered to business people in corporate boxes at the ballpark, before the game. The title of the workshop was, appropriately enough, “Getting on First Base”.

 

During the conversation in the green room before going live, the host told us that her biggest frustration in researching guests for her popular show was the amount of time wasted on websites where after 20 minutes of reading “…you still don’t know what that person or company does – what benefits they provide.” She went on to complain about “… graphics, images, audios, videos, and text, text, text that spotlight the ‘features’ instead of the benefits.”

 

Hey, if you want some action, you’ve got to get to first base! That’s a principle that applies to getting a job interview, or with a visitor to the home page of your website. First base means you got their attention. What’s the best way to get someone’s attention? Sharing benefits that make them think “Tell me more.” What’s the best way to strike out – aka not getting on first base? Boring your audience with a litany of features that make them think ”So what?”

 

”So what?” is the kiss of death for a business – particularly online – as it’s usually followed within seconds by this sound: “Click!” – the sound made when someone leaves your uninteresting website to go look for something more captivating elsewhere. And chances are good they won’t come back.

 

Our advice? Go to your website, read your content – particularly your sales page – and after each bullet point, statement, or paragraph, listen to your inner voice… Is it saying “Tell me more” or ”So what?”

 

“Tell me more” means you’ve invested your advertising money wisely. ”So what?” means your online advertising costs are an expense – and not a good one at that.

 

If it turns out your online marketing is an investment, bravo! If not, seek out more info about benefits and features, and make the necessary adjustments on your website, and in ALL your ads. Doing that well will automatically move you ahead of 90% of your “So what?” competitors.

 

I wish you ALL the personal and professional success you desire and deserve. (Just remember that…What you “desire” is a function of your ambition, what you “deserve” is a function of your ACTIONS…Are the two aligned?)

 

Daniel G. St-Jean, BB, IMA, AMA, FBMI, SEM

(BizzBooster, Internet Marketing Advisor, Article-Marketing Alchemist,

Firm-Base Marketing™ Instructor, Successerenity™ Exponent & Mentor)

 

Tags: Aware, Death, Kiss, Marketing, Massive, Must, Online, Seeking, Success, These, Words

Services of a California Internet Marketing Strategy

This kind of dedicated focus on the client’s service or product requires strategic advertising design, development, specific marketing plan for one product that every sincere California Internet marketing strategy based company realizes needs to be different from that for another product and thus gives absolutely personalized activities to the client. By personalized services in advertising, the range of creative and promotional services for the client’s publicity campaign includes comprehensive inbound marketing, like market research and analysis of the competition, for more details visit to www.outsource-beginners.com positioning of the client’s new product or service so they can find the niche market for the client and advice on rightly pricing the products and services given by the California Internet marketing strategy planning team. A commitment to quality advertising and marketing will ensure that the commitment made by the California Internet marketing strategy bound team of professionals will also pay due attention to outbound marketing, an equal importance issue in effective sales and publicity campaigns. Outbound marketing is that stream of publicity outreach that includes activities used by an advertising company to promote the client’s product through continued advertising, promotions, public relations and sales. This may also include various modes of Internet Marketing since we are talking of great sales and outreach in the modern context and the increased broadband penetration into home on a large-global scale makes the web an ideal medium for unlimited advertising scope.

California Internet marketing strategy is related to the area specific advertising services and activities used by companies in that geographic zone to appeal to a niche market, which is their local target audience. This is based on the principle that local companies understand local markets better and therefore have greater power of right communication in the right tone thus stand a better chance at getting the message across right, for more details visit to www.internet-marketing-word.com  the first time. This ensures that there will be a finger on the pulse of the people of California if a local knowledge base is used in the appeal of the advertisement or promotional activity for a business or service and newer media barons are fast realizing and cashing in on this boom of web advertising.

Thus, one finds that businesses looking for an online presence find it more approachable and easy to pick a California Internet marketing strategy planning team of creative experts to spread their message across over the web than any non-local due to the fact that they themselves connect well and so hope the same for the advertising company. For many online businesses that want to make their presence felt in the virtual world, booking the services of a California Internet marketing strategy planning firm ensures customized marketing solutions that fits their budget and meets the needs of the company as well.

Tags: California, Internet, Marketing, Services, Strategy

www.LocalOnlineAdsNow.com

visit: www.localonlineadsnow.com localadlink reveals the secrets to advertising locally using local search engine marketing, while decreasing small business advertising expenses by 80%.

Tags: www.LocalOnlineAdsNow.com

Internet Marketing: the Three Steps of Local Online Advertising

I’d like to introduce you to the first article of our new “Local Internet 101″ series; a set of entries geared towards helping small business owners coming from a bricks-and-mortar business who are making their first steps onto the internet.

If you’re new to local internet advertising, let me be the first to say “Welcome”. You’ve probably already experienced enough terminology, technology and new concepts to make your head spin. Well, the Local Internet 101 series is here to get you caught up to speed by walking you through some of the fundamentals of local online advertising for small businesses.
Let’s get to it then, shall we?

For our first topic, we’re going to dive right in to the existential question at hand: What is Local Online Advertising? Quite simply, local online advertising is using the internet to market or promote to a single geographical area such as a city, region, or state. A prototypical example of this is a small business creating a website and promoting it so that local customers find it online and then visit or call the business. The three steps in that simple sentence are the core of local online advertising;

1. The small business owner creates a website: But he doesn’t just create any website. He creates a website that accurately and compellingly represents his business. Generally, a small business owner should have this step undertaken by a website construction firm; websites do not have to be fancy, nor littered with bells and whistles. But they must be professional and well-maintained. Your son’s friend’s brother Bart who took a computer class a few years ago might sound like a great deal- but will he be around to add your latest promotions and remove outdated contact information months from now? 40% of consumers reported that the quality of company’s website, or the total lack of one, is a factor in who they decide to do business with. For many businesses, a professionally designed website will pay for itself in 2 to 3 new clients; clients that may never have contacted you if your website looked like it were designed by Bart.

2. The website is promoted so that local customers can find it online: This is the key to online advertising; if the right visitors find your website, it will generate new customers. The tricky part here is getting the right visitors. If you’ve looked at options for promoting your website, you’ve probably seen the word “targeted” so many times that you’re starting to think the internet is a digital firing range! Targeting simply means “putting your ad/website/promotion in front of people who will potentially be interested in your offer, AND not putting it in front of people who won’t be .” The point of this is exactly the same as when you’re running off-line ads like mailers; if it costs you a dollar to send out a mailer for your wedding cake bakery, and you send it to someone who’s already married, you just wasted a dollar.

On the internet, the first step of targeting for Local Internet Advertising is the Local part. Because the internet is global, the chance that someone in your city will find your local law practice website is just about the same as the chances of someone in London finding it. That’s why you must target the region where your customers are. For many small businesses, that may be your city, your county or your entire state. Website promotion comes in many forms, from getting your website ranked highly in search results to purchasing ads that display on the right-hand side of results to creating press releases and much more. We’ll dive deeper into that discourse in later issues of Local Internet 101. For now, you just need to understand that in order to be effective, your website must be promoted where the target customer can find it.

3. The customer contacts, visits or calls the business: Well that’s the whole point, isn’t it?! Getting the customer to take an action that you intend; be it a call, visit, online purchase or store visit is called a Conversion. Conversions are the goal of your Local Online Advertising; and result in you establishing new customer relationships and making new sales.

Tags: Advertising, Internet, Local, Marketing, Online, Steps, Three

Latest Local Online Marketing Auctions

Hey, check out these auctions:

Google Maps Local SEO Online Marketing Set Up

US $249.00 End Date: Wednesday Mar-17-2010 13:37:13 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $249.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Tags: Auctions, Latest, Local, Marketing, Online

Internet Marketing: Online Marketing Platform Internet Property Search

There’s no question that real estate marketing has definitely shifted ground. In years past, the primary choice for selling property was overwhelmingly traditional advertising. Online advertising, however, has supplanted the printed media in a big way. It’s estimated that at least four out of five of those searching property listings are now beginning their search on the internet. For more detail go to: www.sell-using-the-web.com.As a matter of fact, it’s projected that three billion dollars will be spent on online real estate marketing by the year 2010.
At the same time, it’s also essential to differentiate yourself in this incredibly competitive market and industry. The financial turmoil, facing us today has created many challenges– and those marketing property of any kind must find new, cost-efficient ways that deliver recognizable results to successfully market real estate

Just like most PPC advertising systems, gives the advertiser complete control over the number of clicks they want to pay for, the length of time they want the listing posted for, and the budget they want to spend. All of these parameters, of course, can be adjusted as need be, after the listing is posted. Advertisers will also be able to control how often they would like to receive account updates, for more detail go to: www.inside-the-minds-of-winner.com.which will allow the user to thoroughly test their marketing efforts.
Unlike most traditional PPC systems, however, does NOT force the real estate advertiser to bid against other advertisers worldwide for the best placements. The playing field is level – and the PPC charge is equal for everyone, not driven up by big business wanting to squeeze the most money out of the small advertiser.
Another overwhelming advantage to Locally Located is that the site will post any type of real estate listing – making it a hub or “one-stop shop” for any potential property prospects, and anyone seeking information on a specific geographic area of interest to them .
Locally Located is also committed to being more than a traditional real estate search site. To attract a steady stream of traffic consisting of potential property buyers, the site will be filled with enhanced targeted real estate content – including news articles, bogs and forums. This content will utilize the latest Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques, ensuring the site high search engine result rankings, which will bring about exposure to the greatest amount of online users interested in real estate and all the supplemental information they would need to make an informed decision .
Local Search will also be an important and integral part of Locally Located. Local search is now a close second to email as the most utilized function of the internet. By enabling specific geographic guidelines, Locally Located.com will be able to further target buyers on the lookout for property in specific areas with the assistance of satellite and map views, and many more free tools to assist its users in making the most informed decisions.
Local Searches are growing three times as fast as other kinds of online searches, as more and more people use the internet instead of print and other traditional media to find and research information on nearby neighborhoods. Obviously, this category includes real estate – a category that Locally Located.com is strategically positioned to heavily influence with its innovative new approach to real estate marketing.
Internet marketing has come of age – and Locally Located.com is determined to bring online real estate advertising up to speed in the most cutting-edge and cost-effective way possible.

For our residential Real Estate agent advertisers, we go the extra mile. When you list a residence with Locally Located.com we will in turn list the home on many of the nations largest Real Estate search engines, giving your property unparalleled exposure and the attention it deserves. Instead of just listing your home you are now utilizing a professional, and testable, marketing vehicle for the most minimal cost possible.

Tags: Internet, Marketing, Online, Platform, Property, Search

Latest Local Online Marketing Auctions

Hey, check out these auctions: Cool, arent they?

Tags: Auctions, Latest, Local, Marketing, Online

Want to Become an Internet Marketer?

This is an interesting question! As a beginner it is also undoubtedly one that you are asking yourself right now. Well here are several great points to note as to why you should become an Internet Marketer that may persuade you to keep going in this pursuit.

Here are the points:

1. Being an Internet Marketer has the potential to target a massive audience. Usually when someone sets up a shop its customer base is local. Which means for big profits it is limited however on the internet there is huge potential for big profits. There are 6 billion people in the world imagine the potential although not everyone will have access to the internet and a computer. When you compare this to a traditional business the potential number of customers is enormous. Therefore getting into a niche is far more viable and profitable.

2. The start up costs are extremely low. In comparison to a traditional business the cost of setting yourself up in business online is miniscule. With many traditional businesses it can cost an absolute fortune to enter into them. For example you would need a shop, staff, equipment, etc. This means taking out loans which adds a lot of risk if failure occurs. However, in the online world you can spend next to nothing and have yourself ready to go. All you really need is a website and use one of the many successful ways to make money already established. You can even make money without a website just via the promotion of affiliate programs. The great thing about online business ventures is that if they go wrong they are not going to be anywhere near as financially crippling as traditional businesses could be. Therefore, this gives anyone the freedom to jump in and get started in the great world of online money making!

3. There are an incredible amount of different ways to make money online. There are so many options that you can not fail to find an area where you can put in a bit of work and turn over a really good profit. Just to name a few there are affiliate programmes, E-books, AdSense, freelance article writing, paid for leads programmes, website design, advertising programmes, survey participation, advice services, etc. You name it the internet has got it. What does this mean? It means that without any doubt there is some area on the internet that you can take your talents and your passions and apply them to make yourself some serious cash.

As the facts above illustrate there is tremendous potential in the internet for everyone. However, the learning curve is pretty steep and newbies must have a willingness to learn and an appreciation for the need to provide high quality service in whatever area they decide to target.

Tags: Become, Internet, Marketer, Want

Online Marketing Success Working from Home

It is really amazing how many new Internet money making schemes are hatched each month. It is often difficult to tell the scams from the legitimate online marketing success stories. The Infinity 800 system, however, is one such success story. In this article, we will cover the highlights of the Infinity 800 system and show how partnering with Billie McClain can get you off the ground and making income almost immediately, regardless of your prior Internet experience.

The evening news is full these days of stories of the first wave of baby boomers who decided it was time to retire. They went ahead and retired only to find that once they did, they couldn’t afford to live the lifestyle they wanted. Many retirees had to go back to work. The Infinity 800 system is an alternative means of building online marketing success, while you work from home and have time to visit with your family and afford the lifestyle you desire. The Infinity 800 system definitely beats bagging groceries or greeting people at the local super discount store.

The key to the Infinity 800 system and the online marketing success that business owners achieve is the simplicity of the program. It is low cost and easy to implement. The overall, one-time investment is minimal, and you get a complete marketing kit sent to you each time that you and your team enroll in a “cycle.”  A cycle is simply recruiting two people, who in turn recruit two people. The team at Infinity 800 calls it “get 2 to get 2.”  Once the 4 people fill up your matrix by paying the upfront investment, a “cycle” is completed, and the Infinity 800 business owner gets paid. There are no time limits to how long or how quickly you can cycle. The Infinity 800 website contains testimonials from individuals that have “cycled” in less than 2 days after their initial sign up.

The second component to the Infinity 800 system that makes it such an online marketing success is the automated re-enrollment for the business owner and the automated follow-me from the 2 x 2 matrix.  Since the people the business owner recruited for his/her matrix, also need to get 2 to get 2, they will also cycle. As soon as they complete their cycle, they automatically follow the original owner’s new matrix and that matrix gets automatically filled. The auto re-enrollment and automatic follow make the Infinity 800 system easy to use and achieve online marketing success with minimal setup time and effort. Simple online marketing success comes each time you are able to cycle. A check comes to your house each week. If you cycle multiple times, the payout for that week is larger.

A system this simple cannot help but promote your online marketing success regardless of your level of Internet marketing experience. Take it from Billie McClain. Billie was already retired and had little to no internet marketing experience. She has since built an entire business around the Infinity 800 system. She has found the online marketing success that many seek.  You can find out more about Billie and the Infinity 800 system at http://www.blessedabundantlysite.info  

For all the reasons above, we consider the Infinity 800 system the fastest way to achieve online marketing success. If you join the Infinity 800 system, you will find online marketing success by following the specific steps in the marketing course that ships with each new cycle entered. Visit Billie McClain’s web site at: www.blessedabundantlysite.info for more information on this new business opportunity in the Infinity 800 system.

Tags: from, Home, Marketing, Online, Success, Working