SMX Advanced 2007 – Impressive! (And thanks to all who’ve welcomed a first timer!)

Events

To anyone at the show right now reading over this….. thanks for making a first-timer feel so welcome – it’s been awesome. I’ve met some folks who not only were very approachable but ready and enthusiastic about conversations with a first-timer. I definitely try not to be the “interruption guy” but have managed to at least chat with some who I’ve wanted to meet for a long time and had extended conversation with many who I respect in the industry.

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On-The-Fly Google Adwords: Part 1 of 3 – the Ads

Optimization, Web Site Advice

It’s important that you design your advertising “funnel” to retain the confidence of the searcher from first click through ordering. I thought I’d show you a few tricks that have proven themselves over the years, starting with the most basic – the Google Keyword Insertion method, then talking about Dynamic Landing pages, and ultimately specialized product linkages from ads.

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A nice mention in the Wall Street Journal

Ideas

I thought it was really nice to get a mention by Elizabeth Holmes in her article “Going Online Isn’t a ‘Must’ Move For All Entrepreneurs in the Wall Street Journal last week. I believe that many companies definitely jump in the wrong end of the pool sometimes.

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Seth Godin’s List of Quitters

books

Seth Godin, my favorite author by far, just published a list of quitters (people who have quit one path and shifted to another, and found even more success) that includes people you’ll recognize, such as Jeff Foxworthy, Tom Peters, Bill Gates, me. What? Read more inside….

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Franchise Brand Compliance – The Lifeblood of Successful Franchise Marketing

Changes Online, Ideas

There are two types of franchises. Brand franchises and Business Model Franchises. When you buy a business model franchise, you are saying that you believe in their mode of operation. But more and more franchisees are doing a pick-and-choose approach to the franchises models, and I think it’s damaging entire franchise systems. Franchises aren’t designed for the independent-minded. They depend on a by-the-book execution of a business plan, adherence to time-tested systems and a willingness to follow directions.

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Google Quality Score and Landing Page Testing

Changes Online, Optimization

Changes in Googles Adwords algorithm have had a major impact in the ability to use this tool for affordable testing of highly focused landing pages. There is a correlation in my experience between volume of content and cost of bids. So “pure” landing page design “labs” have really become a challenge of late. What was…

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Down and Out – Of Google That Is

Optimization, Web Site Advice

Rustybrick at SEOroundtable has drawn attention to a very interesting thread which should make those in charge of client webservers prick up their ears. I encounter resistance from some clients when I suggest a hosting change once I see they’re using a cut-rate provider. DNS changes, server switch-overs, and broken 404 pages are all major…

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Pitching The Media – Make it Easy, Make it Clear

Ideas, Web Site Advice1 Comment

David Meerman Scott recently posted a very well thought out post “How to Pitch the Media” which rang true as I purged at least 10 unsolictied pitches for irrelevant stories from my inbox for Business Lexington this morning. The pitches were ridiculous – general, poorly written, disorganized, and time consuming to read. Honestly, I just…

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12 Things to Remember When Building A Franchise Portal

Franchises, Web Site Advice

If you’re tasked with building a portal for a franchise, where franchisees will share ideas and information through online collaboration tools, here are five tips to make your deployment smooth and effective. It doesn’t matter which platform you’re using, or if you’re building it from scratch, a franchise portal can be one of the most…

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