I’ve just begun a new web project for MetalLine a Coffs Harbour Roofing, Gutter and flashing business. The project is a rather large one if I were to construct multiple pages to showcase individual products but is it really worth the effort? Are there really customers seeking roofing and guttering products online? Australians are quite reluctant to search the web for certain products and while many may be happy to chase stuff on ebay, it often doesn’t translate to a need for exhaustive web presence for many types of business.
The only way to know is put up the website and over time monitor the web stats for search terms used, fine tune them over some months and build a web presence that is “appropriate”. This a key to “successful” web presence that doesn’t cost an arm or leg. Clients should NOT be sold expensive, overblown, graphic intensive websites. The website must, while looking professional, be the very minimum that is required to attract search traffic and generate new customers.
As a marketer online we need to really look to Google for help. Here’s an important lesson about the power of Google…
My daughter has a business in Lismore for sale. She’s hoping to sell the business without agents and their often undeserved commission so I looked at the problem. I did a search on Google using the search term, “Lismore business for sale”. Sure enough on page 1 of the results were the big chain real estate agents but there were also two reasonably obscure newcomers who offer free listings for people to sell their businesses. One was Cracker classifieds the other was http://www.australiabusinessforsale.net
In no time at all I had placed a free advertisement in both locations, where there was NO competition on either site. That same night Google must have reindexed Cracker and sure enough the following day my daughter’s own business name appeared on the first page of Google. Two links to her Lismore business on the first page of the world’s biggest search engine.
The moral of the story… always research Google first… look for other sneaky ways to get in there!
Now I have identified a new business strand for my main website and will focus on businesses for sale in Lismore and northern rivers for additional revenue.
A new australian search engine has been born! LocalRunner.com.au has launched. The idea behind LocalRunner is to build a string of local portals providing local community information and interaction with an overall australian search facility returning highly relevant australian results through a unique metasearch.
Users are able to search local business directories, local free classifieds listings, australia wide search or even world results provided by Google in one simple interface.
Adding your url to LocalRunner’s Australia search index is currently free as is listing local businesses in their regional business directories.
LocalRunner are taking a real local approach to search for australia. Listing your website and business with LocalRunner is highly recommended.
A brand new resource for Australian web marketing was born today!
Over time I’ll assemble some handy resources relating to internet marketing, web design and hosting. It’ll be a collection of the best materials and resources I’ve come across in my 8 years of marketing online.
Most of the information will of course relate to web marketing globally on the really BIG www but the focus will be on web strategy and web design Australia specific.
The first thing I want to do is encourage you the reader to make comments and give me feedback. Your suggestions, questions and comments can help others including me!
I’m no “guru” and I’m certainly no “expert”. In my experience “experts” are people who’ve stopped learning!
… And guru’s are often little more than silver-tongues who set out to fleece.