SOHO Prospecting

When it comes to seasonal marketing opportunities, internet companies are not different from any other businesses. And now there is no better marketing opportunity to take advantage of than the “Beijing 2008 Olympic Games“.
People from all around the world are focusing their attention at the Olympics Games in China. Even those who are not really interested in sports end up knowing what’s going on. That’s because there are information about the Olympics everywhere.
With all the attention to the Olympics games, it’s natural that businesses, including online, take advantage of it, and as a result, of the benefits of search engine optimization. Since the opening ceremony, lots of people have searched for “Olympics” terms on the most important search engines.
There are several possible ways to increase search engine traffic through this marketing opportunity. The most obvious would be for the sports related businesses. If that’s your case, you can probably get quality traffic by only keeping your website up-to-date with Olympics news.
But any other kind of business can create a sort of Olympics promotion and advertise it on their website. By doing that, you associate your business to the Olympics which allows you to have related content and take advantage of the searches.
So don’t miss the opportunity to associate your business to the Olympics Games and take advantage of the benefits of search engine optimization.

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For those who are familiar with this blog, it’s not news that we consider internet marketing as one of the most efficient advertising tools. We have already explained the significant results you can get through search optimized website, pay per click management, web site promotion marketing and even Web Hosting with Dedicated IP Address.

But there is another online marketing technique that we haven’t talked about yet: Social Network Advertising.

The main goal of Social Network Advertising is to use social network sites to promote a product / service. There are several well-known social media websites, including: Myspace, Facebook, Digg, Facebook and Orkut, among others.

A simple Social Network Advertising tactic would be to announce a new TV show on the NBC TV group on Myspace, for example. By doing that the company would let their target know about a new product and also evaluate their opinions through the messages left on the group.

Social network sites can be used not only by well-known brand to spread new information, but also to evaluate if a startup company or idea will make it or not.

Social network sites are great tools to evaluate possible target markets. Consider you want to open an Italian restaurant in Ventura, California. But you know that there are lots of Italians restaurants in the area so you need to find a way to stand out.

You could join a Ventura group on Facebook, for instance, and see what the members of the group (your target) think about a new restaurant in the area. You don’t have to share your business plans and see their opinions. But you can start a forum about Italians restaurants in Ventura. You can get tips about what your target wants and what your competition is doing wrong to improve your business.

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A recent study developed by iprospect reveals some important points about the behavior of search engine users.

The results confirmed the increasing necessity of having high search engine rank for websites in all fields. The data shows that in 2002, 48% of search engine users clicked only the results on the first page. In 2008, they are 68%.

In 2002 19% of users would click on results past the third page. Only 8% are willing to do it in 2008.
It was also confirmed that currently 49% of searches give up of their searches if they don’t find it in the first page. The abandon of search has increased as compared to 2006 (40%), 2004 (42%) and 2002 (28%).

Another pointed evaluated was brand importance based on top rank. Currently, 39% of search users consider the company in the top of search engines as the best in their field.

Once again, it was proven the importance of high search engine rank.
Contact SOHO Prospecting and find out how you can improve the search engine rank of your website.

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Internet Explosion

It’s not news that the Internet is extremely important for today’s businesses. For many companies, being part of the online world can be the difference between failure and success.

The Internet is not only the world’s most powerful communication tool but a growing shopping area. The number of internet shoppers has increased each year due to the credibility and diversity of products online. The Internet is also a crucial tool for shoppers who use it in product research.

According to the IDC research, more than 85% of people use major search engine to find a product or service. And 97% rarely check further than the top 15 results on the pages.

The Internet has also become more and more competitive and because of this Search Optimization is essential for survival of an online business. After all, having a website with no traffic is the same as having no website at all.

Localization of Search Results

So, having top positions and traffic is everything, right? Not exactly…
More important than getting visitors is to get the right visitors. And when it comes to target market, one of the most important points is location. For instance, if your company has the structure of providing service or products in Southern California, it doesn’t help to get traffic from other regions.

But considering that the Internet is a worldwide tool, how is it possible to base a Search Engine Marketing campaign on some precise geographically targeted audience?

One of the most efficient techniques to attract local searches is to optimize the website by using local keywords. For example, for local optimization of a security company in Ventura County, the company should be described not as a generic “Security Company” but as a “Ventura County Security Company”.

Another technique is to create specific pages for each area covered by the company. Using the same example, we could create a page for each city in Ventura County. The content should be relevant to the business and at the same time focus on the location.

Besides attracting the right target, it’s much more realistic to get high positions with local optimization focus than with generic ones. Imagine the number of websites that offer security alarm systems worldwide? But “security services in Ventura County” is much more narrow. If you type “security alarm systems” on Google, the results will bring approximately 2.1 million pages. But if you type “security alarm systems Ventura County” the number of competing pages goes down to 34,000.

Another way to attract geographic market is by using Pay-Per-Click advertising. Just as with organic SEO, with PPC you can add localized keywords in the ads to attract a specific market. Some PPC programs even offer the possibility of selecting the region where your ad will be shown. By doing that, you are not only attracting your target but not spending money on clicks from areas outside your service region.

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One of the best features of the internet is that it brings the world closer to you. With a good Internet Marketing and Advertising plan, your company can grow and you can easily target an international market.

However, especially with the use of pictures and videos on websites, instead of bringing a potential international niche, internet can be a problem for your company branding.

That’s because most of the people don’t realize that once they have international presence, they need to be aware of international symbols and gestures. The body language can be really trick. Of course knowing international symbols can be a difficult task considering the diversity of the world.

The most important thing to protect your company branding is to keep it simple and avoid symbols. Below you can check some simple American symbols that can be very offensive in some culture.

This symbol in US means all right. In Japan means “money”. Meanwhile, in Brazil, this represents a not-so-nice, or professional, obscene gesture, to say at least.

Thumbs up” in US and Latin American means “ok” or “good”. But in the Middle East this gesture means that you want to have sexual relations with the person you show the thumbs up.

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SOHO Prospecting now offers Postini Spam Blocker - the best virus protection filter available. The Google email security, powered by Postini, protects your network against spam, viruses, phishing, denial of service (DoS), directory harvest attacks (DHA), and other email attacks.

Besides the top quality, Postini Spam Blocker doesn’t require additional hardware or software. That means less cost and problems with installation and maintenance.

With Postini Spam Blocker, you can trust your network is protected by the best virus protection filter and spam blocker with Google email security.

Contact us for more information about Postini Spam Blocker

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We always talk about how web site promotion marketing is a crucial tool for advertising nowadays. The good news is that most businesses have already realized it.

According to the EMarketer, due to the recent economy problems, ad spending in US is slow. However, web site promotion marketing is not just established but expected to grow. In 2008, internet marketing is expected to increase 29%.

In the next year, web site promotion services will represent 10% of all US ad spending. While in 2012 it will represent 15% of total media spending.

These numbers mean that more and more companies have realized the significance of web site promotion marketing. If you are still not 100% convinced of the importance of the internet, here are some other statistics: Three-quarters of Americans use the Internet and two-thirds shop online.

So, what are you waiting for to start advertising online? Contact SOHO Prospecting today and let us show you all the web site promotion services available.

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Dale Dehart, founder and President of SOHO Prospecting, will speak about Search Engine Marketing for Consultants and Individual Professionals at the March IMC SoCal meeting.

During the event that will be held on March 18, Dale will explain the important steps that are taken to develop code and content for a consultant’s Web site. In additional, an attendee’s site will be selected for discussion of Search Optimized Website techniques.

Cutting edge methods of gaining visibility on the Internet will be shown in the meeting. Topics to be focused includes: Search Optimized Marketing, Search Engine Placement Improvement, Benefits of Search Engine Optimization.

Besides SEO, attendees will learn about “How to Market and Promote a Consulting Practice”. Robert Fisher, President of Fisher & Associates will be the other speaker at the meeting will provide a “blueprint” for consultants to create and develop their own marketing plan. He will also present a list of “tried and true” options for actions to take to market and promote a consulting practice.

At the end of the meeting, an open forum will be created for those in attendance to share their marketing strategies and actions.

Time & Location
• Place:
Ayres Hotel
14400 Hindry Avenue
Hawthorne, CA 90250
405 Fwy & Rosecrans (at exits)
310-536-0400
Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2008
• Time: 4:30pm - 8:30pm
o 4:30- 5:30 Afternoon Workshop
o 5:30- 6:00 Networking & Cocktails
o 6:00- 8:30 Dinner & Evening Session
• Price: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
o IMC Member early registration through 5pm 3/11/08, $45
o IMC Member late registration after 5pm 3/11/08, $55
o Non-member early registration through 5pm 3/11/08, $55
o Non-member late registration after 5pm 3/11/08, $65

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For the fourth time, SOHO Prospecting will participate of the annual “Camarillo Chamber Business to Business Trade Show”.

The main idea of a B2B trade show is to get local business together so that they can improve their network and prospect for clients.

For this year, the event will have over 50 Camarillo businesses present. And according to the Camarillo Chamber organization 400 attendees are expected.
If you are in the Ventura County area, don’t miss this chance to make valuable business contacts. Don’t forget to visit the SOHO Prospecting booth!!!

Chamber’s B2B Trade Show
Place: Camarillo Community Center, 1605 East Burnley – Camarillo
Date: February 19, 2008
Time: 3pm to 7pm
Information: www.camarillochamber.org

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Valentine’s Day is time to show your love and appreciation for people that you care for, right? Yes, but not just that…

As many other celebrations, Valentine’s Day is also an important commercial date for many industries. This may sound completely unromantic but it’s the truth.

For this year, customers were expected to spend more than $13 billion. Restaurants are still the main industry to profit with this generous way of expressing love. But, internet businesses are also getting their part in this big cake. We can’t have a dinner out online, but we can definitely get flowers, candies, cards…

The number of internet shoppers has increased each year. The credibility and diversity of products are important reasons for the internet business growth. But of course the fact that internet is a faster way of purchasing, is probably a great advantage too. Especially for those who are not really romantics but know how bad it’d be to end up without anything for their spouses/ (girl) boyfriends.

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From now on, at SOHO Prospecting’s website you will be able to check a calendar of business events in your community.

Marketing activities, trade shows, B2B meetings, courses or any other kind of important event will be regularly published at SOHO Prospecting’s Marketing Resource business area.

So now you can come in and check if there are any business events going on in the Ventura, Santa Barbara, LA and Orange Counties as well as Inland Empire and all main US cities.

We hope you like this new tool and take advantage of it to improve your network and consequently your business.

Click here to check the events in your city.

Don’t forget to add a comment and let us know how you like this new service. Also, contact us if you know about an event that you think should be published at SOHO Prospecting Marketing Resource area.

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Digital Security’s project was a full website redesign, including copywriting and SEO (for Higher Search Engine Ranks).

Although it was not a complex website (it has just 17 pages), the website redesign project lasted about 9 months. No, this is not the normal amount of time for us to develop a small website. It’s just that in this case, the client had several other priorities and put the website on hold for a long time during its development.

Somehow of course it was frustrating not to be able to move forward with the website redesign project. At the same time, because of that, having it finally done brings us huge satisfaction.

Besides that, I have to recognize that Digital Security was a pleasure project. This was especially due to the flexibility of its team of executives who were always open to our suggestions and ideas.

The website

In our very first meeting, the client made it clear that besides higher Search Engine ranks, they wanted the website to transmit the emotional tone their products represent. This seemed a challenge to me. My first thought was: How am I going to create an emotional tone for something as realistically serious as a security company?

But this thought didn’t last long. After starting my research and interviewing the client I really understood that “when it comes to security more than protection is required; peace of mind is essential”.

By the way, that was the first sentence I used in the Digital Security copy and how the new website started to be created. Of course it’s not just about the copy. Simple / clean colors and especially sensitive pictures helped the website to focus on the emotional idea that Digital Security does not just sell security products but peace of mind.

Click here to check Digital Security’s website and let us know what you think about it.

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Lately, global warming has been the ultimate issue all around the word. It’s clear that everybody should do their part to combat climate changes. And fortunately, some important internet companies are on the move.

Almost a year ago, Mark Ontkush wrote in his blog EcoIron that Black Google would save 750 megawatt-hours a year. Ontkush’s argument is that white and bright colors (especially in backgrounds) can use up to 20% more power than black or dark colors.

After the posting of his message the most visited search engine, Google, created its environmental friendly version. Blackle (Google black version) works exactly like the regular Google. However, Blackle has saved about 388,000,000 watt hours.
Google has not been the only internet company committed to reducing the effects of climate change. Dell is another example of social responsible companies.

When purchasing any Dell computer online, the customer can pay $2 to get a recycle kit and have Dell to plant a tree.  By doing so, it helps offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated to power the newly purchased system.�
For businesses, any action that is environmentally friendly is not just politically correct but also a socially responsible marketing strategy. According to studies, 70% of consumers felt that business executives have social responsibilities as well as making profit. Many consumers would choose an environmentally friendly company over one that is not.

It’s important to know that to combat climate changes and help the environment you don’t need to create a big project like Google or Dell. By saving power, water and recycling, you already do your part.

Below are some simple environmental friendly tips for your business. As well as protecting the environment, controlling waste will help your company to reduce expenses and increase profitability.

• Do a waste cost analysis and create exercises to heighten awareness of how important it is to save power, water and paper.  
• Use e-mail rather than printing. Only print what you really need and if possible double-sided.
• Switch from disposable to reusable products whenever you can.
• Create specific bins to recycle paper, glasses, plastic and aluminum.

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SOHO Prospecting website has a completely new layout. It’s much more attractive and the new site features modern graphics with a new navigation style – Flash.

The use of flash brings more flexibility which allows us easy management. But as we also say, layout is not everything. The changes also make it easier to use, both for the users and search engine robots.

Our main menu brings a wide diversity of content including all our Professional Marketing services, portfolio, case studies and SOHO’s biography. Our clients may also use our Marketing Resources for small business important links and startup advice.

At the Marketing Resource business area it’s also possible to access information about the main US cities as well as all the cities in the County of Ventura and Santa Barbara.

Contact us for Professional Marketing Services to design or redesign your website and bring it up to the newest technology available!!!

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After all the posts about SEO, it’s probably already clear that looks aren’t everything to a website. Here is another thing: having a search optimized website isn’t everything either.

When it comes to a successful website, it’s also crucial to choose a reliable search optimized hosting. 

Why is search optimized hosting so important?

Basically, a hosting server is what stores web pages and allows a website to go live. So, you may think that as long as your website is live and working, you probably have a good web hosting company, right? No, unfortunately it’s not so simple.

For instance, not having a web hosting with dedicated IP address means that your website will be sharing the same one with several other websites. This should be a cheaper solution without major issues if your web hosting company is a reliable one.

But if that’s not the case and the web company hosts a bad IP address, the whole shared cyber neighborhood may be damaged – including your website.

A bad IP address can be, for instance, a spammer or pornographer. Having your website associated with a spammer or pornographer would definitely tarnish your company’s reputation. This could also block your website on other servers that may refuse e-mail sent from your bad IP address.

At SOHO Prospecting we provide search optimized hosting with shared and dedicated IP address to fit your needs. Our qualified, experienced systems administrators create web hosting solutions that are as unique as your business. Our team is also trained to work quickly and make any necessary change to your hosting arrangement. As a result you get the guarantee that your website reputation will be protected, whether you have web hosting with dedicated IP address or a shared one.

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When you first start working in a specific field, it’s normal to pay more attention to everything related to it. This rule definitely applies to me. After starting work at a Search Engine Optimization firm, I couldn’t avoid reading everything I could about this internet marketing technique.

Among all the interesting new information I got, one thing really surprised me. Searching about SEO, I realized that some companies that guarantee high Search Engine ranks on Google have a really low position on their own websites. We already said that a serious Search Engine Optimization firm never guarantees the very top rank on Google. No SEO Company is associated with Google to be 100% sure of the first position.

But what is guaranteed is that if an SEO company cannot get a high Search Engine ranks for themselves, they will not be able to get them for you either. So, here is a tip: before choosing a SEO Company you should check where they are ranked on the search engines.

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We have mentioned several times that having a website with no traffic is the same as having no website at all. But what we haven’t discussed yet is that when it comes to strategic Internet Marketing, having high traffic also doesn’t necessarily mean having a successful website.

Of course visibility is extremely important, that’s why a well designed and search-optimized website is the most strategic internet marketing element. Imagine for instance going to a store and not finding what you’re looking for. They probably have all the products you need, but everything is a mess, the products are all mixed together and you don’t find anything. You’d probably leave and not go back there.

This is exactly what happens online too. Actually with a website it can possibly be worse. The easiest thing to do when you’re online is to leave the site you’re viewing. In a matter of seconds you can leave a website and access the competitor’s store. Therefore your website needs to be well organized and offer exactly what your target market is looking for.

Designing a search-optimized website guarantees potential clients can click and get to your page but once it happens, it’s crucial to keep them. For this reason your website needs to be strategically developed so that your potential clients can find the product or service information they want. The key for a successful website is to ensure that your visitor can quickly and easily navigate your website and find what they need with the least number of clicks.

So, if you’re thinking about design or redesign your website, here is an important tip: Attracting visitors is not everything!!!

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One of the most important areas in Camarillo has been completely redeveloped.
The construction has not been totally finished, but a major important phase is completed.
In order to celebrate it, the Community Development Commission organized a breakfast at the park for businesses in Old Town Camarillo that were affected by the upgrades.

During the event, on November 14, the Commission thanked all the local business for the support and participation at the Old Town development. Located at Old Town Camarillo, SOHO Prospecting is one of the companies which contributed to the city’s improvement.

The redevelopment can be noticed on the sidewalks, curbs, gutters and walls throughout Old Town. At Ventura Boulevard from Carmen Drive at the west end to Lewis Road on the east. Despite the improvement, the look of “Old Town” is still live in Camarillo through special treatments and decorations.

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This week something interesting happened to me. A friend came to me to ask for my advice about a website he just had developed. Although he’s a financial consultant with no website development experience, he decided to create a website for his friend who owns a small business. Since he understands a little bit about html, he thought he could help out his friend who wouldn’t need to spend money with a Website Development Company.

After having the website live for several months, my friend couldn’t understand why it had gotten no traffic and no customers through the website. For me it was quite obvious since they had no strategic marketing, SEO design… To be honest, it’d be quite a shock for me if they actually had gotten positive responses.

The thing is that this situation made me realize is that most of people still believe that having a website live (doesn’t matter how) will immediately bring them potential clients and improve their sales. Because of that, some people truly think that they don’t need a Website Development Company since they can do it by themselves or, in this case, by friends.

Thinking about that, I decided to make a list of important points as to why its worth having a website developed by an experienced Website Development Company and not by friends with no knowledge of internet marketing.
 

• The website reflects your company. A non professional designed website will project the image of a similar business.

• The internet is such a competitive place that if you don’t follow new technologies and patterns available, your website might be no longer useful.

• You can expand your market since your website works 24/7 with a wide geographic range.

• Besides being the faster way to update products, services and information, the Internet can be the cheapest marketing tool if you think you will save money with catalogs, brochures and mails.

• Potential clients can find your business in a matter of seconds.

• Internet is getting more and more publicity every year and some people just look for products and services through search engines.

• You can build a database about visitors which can be used to create complementary marketing strategies.

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Once upon a time….

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It’s not news that the Internet has gained importance in the most basic of daily routines and most companies know how significant it can be for their business to be online.

Each day, more and more people use the internet as a vehicle to find information. When it’s about small or medium sized businesses the Internet is even a greater way to quickly and cheaply connect with a global market online. Nowadays most people don’t look for local business in places like Yellow Pages.  The Internet has become the main source of information even when someone is looking for a small local company.

The problem is that many business people think that as long as they have a beautiful website designed or redesigned, their online presence is guaranteed. But the truth is that having a website with low visibility which can not be found by potential clients, is the same as not having a website at all.

To take advantage from this burgeoning technology it’s essential to have an SEO compatible (increases search engine traffic), well-designed (user-friendly) site using the latest techniques involving professional internet marketing services.

Having a website designed by an experienced Website Development Company is crucial to make your website a marketing tool to strengthen customer relationships and approach potential clients anywhere in the world.

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After mentioning ethics in the post below, we have thought a lot about this subject. We think that this is such an important subject that we should go deeper into it.

Literally, ethics is a branch of philosophy that determines concepts of right and wrong and recommends how human behavior should be; usually in terms of benefits and fairness.

Some people believe that ethical practices are the same for everyone; their professional field doesn’t matter. This makes sense if we think that ethics is the belief of what is morally right or wrong; or is to be fair and not trick someone to take personal advantage.

But in practice how does it work with an Internet Marketing and Advertising and Search Engine Optimization Company?

In Internet Marketing and Advertising services and SEO, there are many examples of unethical situations:
It’s unethical to copy Meta titles, content or even layout from other sites; to promise to a potential client the number one rank in Google, since this is not controlled by any Search Engine Firm; to send junk unsolicited e-mails to your target market; etc.

Besides all the immoral aspects, choosing an unethical firm may bring you several problems. If a firm cheats to increase search engine traffic, and this is discovered, your website will be totally banned from the search engines, especially from Google. For these reasons it’s so important to be careful in choosing a Search Engine Optimization company to improve your business’ online visibility. The best way to do it is to get to know as much as possible about the firm, check their portifolio and check if they have satisfied testimonials from past customers.

At SOHO Prospecting we not only respect and take seriously the basic fundaments of ethics in our services, but we also have a specific ethics policy to protect our clients’ competitiveness.

We evaluate each prospecting business and in case of being a direct competitor of a current client, we may not do business with both companies simultaneously.

Click here to read more about our conflict policy.

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