Techsperts Talk

 In this series, we explore Google’s web analytics program in the light of small-business needs.

Our first post introduces the concept of analytics and why Google’s program is a good choice for small-business owners. 

Today, if you haven’t heard of data analytics, Big Data, or data science, it’s safe to say that you’re probably not connected to the Internet. Or your TV. Or pretty much any form of media.

Want to know more about how Google Analytics works with your business’s website? That’s what we’ll talk about today.

If you’ve missed it, this post is part of a series Techsperts Talk is doing on Google Analytics and small businesses. You can review data analytics basics in the first post, or catch up with the benefits of web analytics here.

In this series, we’re talking about the value of Google Analytics for small business websites.

If you’ve missed it, click here to read the first post. Before we delve into how Google Analytics works, let’s stop and consider a very important part of the program: your own digital marketing plan.

Starting with your first foray into Google Academy, Google Analytics’ training program, I’ll bet you noticed something: you’re supposed to have a digital marketing plan in place. Why this insistence on a marketing plan? And how can you go about building one?

This is the final post in our Google analytics series. We've gone from explaining Google Analytics to exploring how it works. Today, we'll talk about a few easy ways you can really make Google Analytics work for your business.

Visitors often see your website almost as a piece of graphic art. They notice the color scheme, the layout, the pictures, and the videos.

As humans, we like things that look pretty—computers, not so much.

True or false: without search engine optimization (SEO), your webpage will be sucked to the very back of Google’s rankings, never to be seen again. Um… false?

Search engine optimization isn’t the sole factor governing the productivity of your site, but it does play a huge role in determining how easy it is to find.

During the past few days, we’ve explored Google Apps for Business and its capability as productivity suite.

It comes packed with everything that businesses need to run their day-to-day operations: email, online storage, spreadsheets, word processing, schedule management, and integrated chat and conferencing features.

Facebook created Pages in 2009 with the idea of facilitating communication between businesses and their clients. That was five years ago.

In that short time, social media has moved from a fringe idea in the business world to what nearly amounts to a virtual must-have.

Want to succeed at your business’s social media efforts? Of course you do. And you’re not alone in trying. According to a report on Mashable, 81 percent of small and medium businesses are using social media.

Naturally, you want your social media to reign supreme. Do you also want to know how to fail? You should, inasmuch as you’ll be able to avoid these rookie mistakes.

There are all kinds of different marketing techniques out there.

Just the ones that relate to the Internet and social media are numerous: content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, blogging, search engine optimization, and the list goes on.

Unless you’re living off the grid somewhere—in which case you wouldn’t be reading this blog—you are probably aware of social media.

What started as a way for friends to connect online has mushroomed into a massive cross-cultural trend. Watch any commercial and you’ll see invitations to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, watch us on YouTube, and connect with us on LinkedIn.

It happened without many of us knowing about it: the rise of the infographic.

Part illustration, part graph, part story, and part text—infographics are a new way of getting information noticed.

So what’s the story behind their appeal?

Time is your most precious commodity.

Are your business social media efforts taking up too much of your time?  What’s the solution?

Social media has changed so many things, from where we get recommendations to how we connect with other people.

What is content marketing? Here’s a hint: you’re reading some right now.

Content marketing is basically what it sounds like: content + marketing. It’s the words, images, and other media you use to connect with your online audience.

Anything you post on social media, write about on your business blog, or feature on your website is a form of content marketing.In this post, we’ll discuss how content marketing can get off to a good start. We’ll also talk about common content marketing practices—good, bad, and ugly.

Viral marketing is one of today’s hottest buzzwords. What’s the buzz all about?

Viral marketing sounds like a supremely nasty advertising trick, a combo of the flu and one of those annoying commercials that sticks in your head for ages.

But in actuality, it’s neither of those things; to go viral, it has to be the opposite of annoying. In fact, viral marketing is among the holy grails of promotion. What is viral marketing?  And does your business need it?

Are you just starting your business? Before you proceed, answer this question: who is your target audience?

Your answer will affect nearly everything your business does, from its marketing strategy to its prices.

The funny thing is that a lot of first-time business owners don’t identify their target audience. They want to cast a wide net; they want their business to appeal to everyone. Unfortunately, the scattershot approach usually doesn’t work. Why not?

Recently, we shared a post about the ways your business can fail at Facebook.

But Facebook isn’t the only social network out there, nor is its format the only outlet for your business’s marketing efforts.

What about something shorter like Twitter?

Social media marketing is an established practice. But what about using Twitter and even (gasp!) cell phones to reach out to your audience? 

We’re doing well. But we’re not done yet.  You may not love marketing.

I’d venture to say that most small-business owners view it as being closer to a “thing I must do” rather than a “thing I love to do” on the run-your-own-business continuum.

But still, we keep up our profiles on Facebook and LinkedIn, update our websites, and post interesting and informative things on our company blogs.

Using blogs to reach out to your customer base makes sense. But what about micro-blogging sites like Twitter and image-oriented sites like Pinterest and Instagram?

Dog groomers. Fast food restaurants. Physical therapists. What do these three things have in common?

They are businesses that can’t be done remotely—at least not yet.

So why would a dog groomer, a fast food restaurant, or a physical therapist need a website, much less a social media page? If your business is location based rather than e-commerce based, why do you need a web presence?