Meet the new Todaymade homepage. Does it look familiar?

Google is your new homepage.

[This post is part of the ongoing Better Websites Series.]

Think Google

For all the talk about social media, there should be twice as much about Google and the other search engines. When it comes to measuring impact on your small business, there is little that can have more impact than a strong Google presence.

A 2010 Local Consumer Review Study (source) found that:

• 70% of people have used the internet to find a local business in the last 12 months
• 67% of local consumers have consulted online customer reviews of local businesses
• Younger consumers are more influenced by positive online reviews than older consumers
• Female consumers are more likely to select a local business that has positive customer reviews
• 69% of local consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations

As more and more consumer behavior and habits move online, the race to the top of Google is intensifying, and really it should be. We now know that 80% of customers rank search engines as the most useful tool when making a buying decision.

• 96% Of Consumers Regularly Use The Search Engines To Research Professional Services
• 76% Of Consumers Use The Search Engines To Find Financial Services/Products
• 93% Of Consumers Use The Search Engines To Research All Health Related Service
• 70% Of Your Customers Use The Search Engines EXCLUSIVELY To Make Purchasing Decisions
• 78% Of Consumers Use Search Engines To Research Real Estate Purchases

In-direct Entry

When it comes to a brands online presence, we are use to thinking in terms of our own homepage and website – where we control the message. The reality is that Google.com is our new homepage, and much of the message that it shares isn’t up to us.

Take a restaurant as an example. It’s search page will probably bring up a map with directions and a listing of Google reviews, a link to a yelp.com page, negative or positive comments on Twitter or mentions included in various blog posts. All this is even before we get to sites like Trip Advisor, Open Table, local newspapers, and other business listings. Somewhere there MIGHT even be a link to the restaurants homepage, but with so many other entry points – who knows if anyone will actually get there!

And this is the way it is for the modern business. The old idea of homepage is disappearing quickly because of search. Even when Google does connect a search query to your website, it may send them somewhere other than your homepage. For example, your about us page could come up first.

This all highlights the need for us to better curate our own brand online. As many businesses are still solidifying their website, they should be moving outward, and participating in the various social channels and directories that are available. Google search is one of the most powerful tools in our economy!

Now, whoever thought I would say something like that?

Go do a Google search for your company – how does it look? What could be better? As businesses, we must start channeling a holistic approach to web. Search engine optimization needs to be something we all consider as core business. Businesses should be publishing and participating in as many channels as they can to remain relevant. The age of the customer is here, and that customer is using Google to find what they need.

Can they find you?

It has been quite the week here at Todaymade – including more that a few late nights. Last night, as I was burning some midnight oil, I decided to tune-in to a keynote speach by author and marketer Mitch Joel. I was already familiar with his work through his blog and podcast, but had never heard him speak. I am sad to report that I have never read his book either – a problem that I will soon be remedying.

Six Pixels of Separation - Marketing and Communications Blog - By Mitch Joel

What I really love about Joel’s approach is that he really hits on the fundamental shifts in consumer thought and habits. It is easy to focus on the tools – the Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare accounts, but it isn’t so easy to understand the consumer mindset and preferences. In this keynote address, Joel covers the social and technological shifts that are driving this new type of consumer.

As social media humanized the interactions that people have, the devices are now catching up and humanizing the experience. The minute we make technology simple, easy, and intuitive to use, it becomes crazy-mass.

I have included the four videos that makeup Joels entire keynote in this post. I would definitely encourage you to give them a listen. Joels has an excellent way of really getting to the heart of the consumer mindset. As he says, we need to learn to understand one line of consumer connectivity.

Today is our second official Fireside Chat, a new video blog series that we will be posting once per week. You can see last weeks here. Today, we are talking about two social media books that we think every serious marketer needs to read.

The thing about social media is that it isn’t only our methods and tools that have changed. The way we think as marketers and business owners needs to change, as well. Social media has not only changed marketing, it has changed communication. It has also changed every other aspect of marketing, not just online.

So, these two books are must reads because they tackle that subject head-on. Rather than just talking about the nuts and bolts of social media, these books get at the heart of the fundamental economic shift.

UnMarketing

This book, written by Scott Stratten is really one of the best places to start for a beginning social media marketer. Scott’s writing style is easy to read and he provides a lot of examples, making the material easy to learn. This isn’t how-to material. In fact, a lot of it is how-not-to-do kind of stuff. We were fortunate enough to interview Scott on our Better At Marketing Podcast. You can check out the interview here.

The Thank You Economy

I love reading Gary Vaynerchuck’s books because he is just so dang motivating. He is one of those guys that has made his way by working harder than everyone else, and his passion is very infectious. This book covers something that Gary calls the Thank You Economy. The basic principle is that if you develop a tribe of people that know, like, and trust you online they will eventually reward you with their business. It is great stuff, and seriously important for the long-haul of any business.

We like these book so much that we have made them a part of our social media consulting program! Get after them if you are serious about the whole social media thang.

In this video we give a quick tutorial on how to set up your own Google+ page, and how to do some basic customization.

If you haven’t heard much about Google+ branded pages, here is an article over at Mashable about the recent launch. Google+ is not a “must have” for local brands yet, although it holds some very exciting opportunities for Google searches and SEO. One of the most interesting features is Google+ Direct Connect. I cover it briefly in my video, but blogger Danny Sullivan over at Search Engine Land does a much better job.

Good luck, and feel free to post a link to your Google+ page once it is done!

Here’s a link to Todaymade’s.

Ideas. We all have them, and we all over complicate them. Take, for example, the unicycle. Everyone was doing just fine with the two wheeled bicycle, but we decided to over complicate things with one wheel. Sure, it makes a great circus trick, but we don’t exactly need anymore of those in marketing.

As of late, there have been numerous blog posts about Steve Jobs, all citing his demand for simplicity and his extreme attention to detail. I am sure we’ve all heard the expression Keep It Simple Stupid (K.I.S.S) a time or two as well.

You lost me at post-it number one.

Yesterday as we were walking to lunch, Justin made a particular effort to show me a parking ramp meter that had recently caught his attention. I listened carefully as he described the pain and frustration he saw customers going through as they were trying to get past the gate. He had the unfortunate situation of being three cars back as a little old lady nearly broke out in tears over the painful complications.

From the looks of it, this thing is not simple. As soon as you need to start taping additional instructions to the machine, you’ve lost all hope of being easy to use. Clearly, they shouldn’t have sent the human parking attendant home so early. And, that’s the rub. There use to be a guy sitting in the parking booth, and things were good. It was a simple idea, and it worked. Now, it had been over-thought. It was complicated. It was less good.

The other day I ran into a very simple campaign created by Forsman & Bodenfors for a new IKEA store opening in Sweden. The video shows how they took a simple idea, and a simple feature, and turned it into a very successful social media campaign. You can see their success in this short video:

The first person to tag their name on the product won it. Simple as that.

I think sometimes we feel like the simple ideas aren’t good enough, like we need to add a few more layers to prove our worth. But, great ideas don’t have to be complicated. In fact, some of the most viral ideas, the kind that spread, are as simple as ever. Think about the pink ribbons we use to symbolize breast cancer awareness, or the popularity of the Like button on Facebook.

Simple ideas that are easy to understand and execute can go a very long way. We just need to realize that thinking simple isn’t the same thing as thinking small.

This fall, we’ve been happy to work with the Minot Convention & Visitors Bureau on an exciting new effort to turn the magic city into a Foursquare city!

Minot residents can now enjoy discounts, specials, and the magic of Minot with Foursquare!

As many of you know, Foursquare is a social networking application that allows users to check-in to various locations around town using their smartphones. Shop and business owners are allowed to create specials and incentives that make Foursquare a fun way to explore and save all across the country.

The Minot CVB embraced Foursquare as a growing force in social media, and saw the potential that it held for businesses and the economy of Minot.

Oh, and it certainly didn’t hurt that Foursquare was fun to use, and easy to share with friends!

Our work for the CVB included a full business registration kit, training materials for businesses and individuals, in-store materials that included a poster, window cling, and info cards, and a Foursquare integrated website located at Minot.me.

Focused On Training

A big part of our job has simply been equipping the CVB staff with the information they need to help the businesses in Minot get moving with Foursquare. As with any effort like this, training and awareness are two very important components.

The Minot.me website contains a full set of instructions for both individual users and businesses looking to do more with Foursquare. They can explore specials and other Minot locations, or sign their business up for the free check-in kit.

Our effort to make Minot a Foursquare city is an excellent example of how social media can be used to create analog connections and bring people together throughout the community. The city of Minot, as a whole, will be strengthened through this type of sharing. Everyone is in it together!

Minot.me website with full Foursquare integration.

Word of Mouth Outreach

For the CVB as the primary tourism arm of Minot, their job is outreach – to share the magic of Minot with the world. It only makes sense then that they would embrace social media in such a significant way. The CVB knows that they can generate buzz and word of mouth marketing by encouraging and supporting online activity throughout the city.

Social media is the best word of mouth marketing tool ever created. Every single time a user checks into a Minot business, the city of Minot will be shared with others around the world.

Minot.me is a true example of what can happen when digital and analog come together. It is just more proof that social media, and mobile browsing are not fads – but a new way of life and business. Especially in the magic city!

So, check-in to Minot, and enjoy everything that the magic city has to offer.

We are starting a new series of video posts this week that we are calling Fireside Chats. Each week we will share something with you via video that we hope will be helpful and somewhat entertaining.

[This post is part of the ongoing Better Websites Series.]

In this first video, we are talking about the common misconception that websites are technology problems.

You know, technology is a major player in all of our businesses. It controls our communication, outreach, and our online presence. It can be a mistake, though, to think of your website as a technology problem when it can really be so much more than that.

More than once, I have seen website needs solved with only technology-driven solutions. The way the site is built and hosted is great, but the content and design are lacking in form and function. It is really too bad, because so much has been left on the table.

When You Build A Website, You Are Building Our Brand

The thing of it is that websites really aren’t a technology problem waiting to be solved. They are really marketing problems that require good technology. At their core, websites are about building an online presence, and sharing information with others. It is about communicating ideas, and that takes a lot more than just some good HTML.

All the time, you hear about things like content strategy, information architecture, and internet marketing, but rarely do we actually do them while planning and building our sites.

A great website requires a great base to build from. It is the representation of your company online, and a true piece of marketing. In the video, we cover how a website should be approached, and how you can really make your website a part of your ongoing marketing plan.

Many times when visiting with people about social media, it is discussed as a tool for acquiring new customers. This is often the case in traditional marketing and advertising as well. Ironically, for many industries, it costs more money to acquire new customers than it does to sell to current ones.

So, the question is, why do we constantly make social media about customer acquisition when there are plenty of other opportunities elsewhere?

For example, there are many great examples of social media being used to support current customers. Take Best Buy as an example. It’s @twelpforce Twitter account is used to provide technology advice, and support, to current customers and supporters of the Best Buy brand.

Customer Service from the @twelpforce on Twitter.

Another example of social media being used to support current customers is Whole Foods Market out of Austin, Texas. Their Facebook page is full of activity that surrounds the lifestyle and interests of Whole Foods customers.

Whole Foods Market Facebook page

Whole Foods has built a great community that supports its current customers by encouraging them to take more stock in the brand, and shop there more.

Current Customers First

Now, you could definitely argue that there are certain customer outreach benefits to both of these examples. And, of course, your right.

Best Buy is showing potential customers that it will be there with them in the long haul, and Whole Foods is demonstrating its commitment to the values of it’s core audience. But, when you really take a look, these businesses are gaining trust because they are supporting their current fanbase.

The simple fact is that we buy things from people and brands that we know, like, and trust. Anyone, and I do mean anyone, can make a one-off sale if they throw enough time and money at the problem, but as the saying goes, it takes a real company to build a brand.

Social media is quite literally the best tool we have ever seen for connecting customers to the companies that they buy from. It is an amazing tool for developing relationships with current customers and giving them the tools necessary for sharing your brand with others. But, sometimes we get so distracted by thoughts of “more customers” that we loose focus on the community that is already around us.

Supporting Your Customers IS Marketing

It can be easy to forget that everything we do in business is, in some way, a form of marketing. Right down to the way you answer your phone, or the way you run your Facebook page. If you use your social media presence to make your current patrons even happier than they are already – new prospects will take notice.

Best Buy and Whole Foods know that if they build a great community of happy customers other people will eventually want to join them. We all desire to belong somewhere, so give them a place to go!

Current Customers Are A Mouthpiece For Your Brand

Any business knows that word of mouth marketing is a powerful force, and also one of the most difficult ones to acquire. Let me ask you, who’s is going to share your brand with others? Current customers, and fans of your Facebook page, are probably some of the most likely candidates for word of mouth sharing.

When you focus on your audience and give them things that develop their brand loyalty, and build their trust, they will share that trust with their friends. The idea is simple, let your current customers find new customers for you.

Current Customers Buy More

A good salesmen knows that current customers are new customers if you are willing to sell them more. Why spend all of our time chasing new customers when there are people that already trust you with money in hand? This isn’t only smart social media, it’s smart business.

The same rules that govern traditional sales and marketing work online too, we just need to put them to work.

They Will Come

If your social media presence is working properly, you should already be seeing the seeds of a forceful online community. Now isn’t the time to start digging up new sales leads, now is the time to starting watering that community. Start doing things for the communities sake, and not the sales sake and you will be rewarded with exactly what you set out for.

Never underestimate the power of community. Build one, and you will certainly see a return on your social media investment.

Frequently Asked Questions pages, commonly referred to as FAQ pages, are not uncommon online. They can be a great tool for many reasons, but only if you use them the right way. Here are a few tips for making great, and useful, FAQ pages.

[This post is part of the ongoing Better Websites Series.]

© TheSupe87 - Fotolia.com

When To Use An FAQ Page
Most FAQ pages are designed to relieve the requirements of online customer support. Many businesses get the same questions over and over. To answer them all via email can be tedious, and inefficient for the customer and the business.

FAQ pages are a simple, and quick, way to share answers to common questions held by visitors and customers. A good FAQ page should always be helpful to both parties.

1. Use Them As A Last Resort

The first rule of FAQ pages is to avoid them as much as possible. Ironic, right? Sometimes FAQ pages can become a dumping ground for the things that we can’t put anywhere else. This leads to many problems. For example, it can prevent the FAQ page from having a focused purpose. If you are just pulling a bunch of random questions, the page will be hard to navigate and understand.

The other reason to avoid FAQ pages is for consistency of information. Usually, with websites we group pages by related content. Sometimes FAQ sections can feel like a grab bag, which might cause a visitor to miss other vital information.

2. Keep Them Well Organized

Organization is key. Many great FAQ pages are useful because their questions are well grouped and categorized. Questions should be broken down into common categories so that visitors can easily find what they are looking for.

As an example, you can see how the web app Notable organizes their FAQ section by question type. Their questions are clear, and well organized for their users.

FAQ Page at NotableApp.com

Similar questions should be grouped together, even if is makes the page longer. If your page is will organized, your visitors won’t mind a little scrolling.

3. Make Sure They Are Actually Frequently Asked

Sometimes FAQ pages get used as a place to share those questions that we never get to answer, rather than the ones that everyone wants us to answer. It is important to remember that these are your customers most common questions, not just the things that you want to tell them. Keep your questions on-topic and customer focused.

4. Write Them Using Your Customers Language

Customers and business owners talk differently. You should be writing your page in a way that resonates with your customer, and not yourself. This means you need to use their language and their slang. It may make you cringe, but it will be far more valuable when it comes to search queries and perusing customers.

5. Think and Share Visually

Providing an example image, or screenshot, can be a great way to add more value to your page. Make sure your visual element is applicable and sized reasonably for the page. It is just another way to add some value to your site.

Mint.com

Visual clues, such as these icons at Mint.com, can be a great way to make your page more attractive and usable.

6. Plan For Scanning

Visitors tend to scan the page, rather than reading everything. Making sure your headlines and questions are sized properly can make a big difference in the usability of your page.

Amazon Webstore

Take this Amazon web store as an example. Their questions are bold, dark, and underlined so they are never missed. It is easy to scan this page to find what you need an answers to.

7. Allow Search

If your FAQ page starts to exceed a handful of questions, adding a search option can be a very good idea. This will help your customers and visitors find things quickly and easily. I don’t know how many times I have watched a web visitor frantically scan for a search option when the site gets overwhelming. Make it easy on them.

8. Don’t Over-Do It

Enough is enough. If you overload your FAQ page with too many questions, you will overwhelm your readers and prevent they from finding value in the page. Be a careful curator of content. Only give them what they want and need.

9. Create Landing pages

A simple way to gain some search engine value from your FAQ section is to create dedicated landing pages for important questions. This can especially be important for long-tail searches, such as when a user searches for an entire question.

Google-Search

If you create individual landing pages for common questions, Google will link your site to relevant Google searches. Now, that’s good for everyone!

10. Customer Focus

As always, the key to a great website or FAQ page is to keep it customer focused. Just like your products and services, your website needs to be built around your customers and the problems you solve. If you keep customers in the middle, you will always do just fine.

One of the challenges that we face in online marketing is consistently staying up with the times. For most businesses, a website only lasts a couple of years. That said, your budget may not allow for a complete redesign that often. So, what do you do with an old website that needs a fresher feel?

[This post is part of the ongoing Better Websites Series.]

Give that old site some new love! Photo: © Olga Gabai - Fotolia.com

If there is one thing that we know, your clients, customers, and patrons, will only visit your site when it offers them something new or valuable. As website owners, it is our job to keep them coming back. Here are a few simple ways to make an old website feel new, and keep your visitors coming back.

Add a Facebook Like Box

The Facebook Like box has become a common site feature. Few blogs exist without a like box in the righthand column. Like boxes give your visitors an easy way to Like your Facebook page, and interact with the social media side of your business. The Like box is just a simple way to merge these two worlds together.

And, why stop with Facebook? Adding links to all of your social networking accounts can be an important way to connect your audience to more current information about your brand.

Add a Blog

A blog can be one of the easiest ways to add regular content to your site. By posting articles and information that your customers will find useful, you can draw in more visitors – more often. If your site already has a blog, dust it off and commit to adding some regular content. I have never meet anyone that regretted their time spent blogging.

If you don’t already have a blog, maybe it is time to start one. Simply launching a WordPress.com blog can be a great way to start adding new life to your Internet presence.

Humanize Your Copy

Customers talk like customers, but you don’t. When you spend all day working in the middle of your business, you start to sound like an industry drone. Too often, we let this marketing and corporate speak sink into our website. A great way to give your website more punch is to remove this type of copy and add something that has a more “human” tone.

Try replacing industry terms with some of the jargon that your customers use. Or, rewrite key pages in a friendlier tone. Small improvements like this will add depth to your current site and easily transfer over to something new in the future.

Add A Video

Watching video is one of the most popular activities online, and fortunately it is also very easy to produce. Most digital cameras allow you to shoot basic video. Maybe it’s time to throw it on a tripod and create a client testimonial, or a product demonstration. No matter what, shooting a quick video and adding it to your site using YouTube or Vimeo can easily bring something new and dynamic to your site.

One key point to remember is that online video doesn’t have to be perfect. You aren’t shooting a commercial! If you make it casual and interesting, you will do just fine.

Update the Photo Gallery

A photo taken in 1993 looks like a photo taken in 1993. Sometimes just updating product photos and staff images can add something totally new to a long-forgotten site. Photos tend to stand out from the overall design, so they can really set the tone for the page.

Consistently adding new photos and replacing dated ones can easily extend the life of your website. Keep them fresh to stay noticed.

Remove Dated Material

Nothing says ‘old website’ like a news section that still has updates from 5 years ago. Old news is just that – old news. Remove old stories and announcements that are no longer current. If you show visitors old things, they are going to start seeing your site and your business as dated.

The same can go for old staff members that have not been removed, or outdated product and service information. If you look old, your visitors will see you that way.

Add A Landing Page

Sometimes, we like to think of our website as an online version of our brochure. This use to be ok, but as the web becomes more and more dynamic, we are realizing that it isn’t enough. Your site could benefit from a new call to action and a corresponding landing page.

For example, rather than just saying ‘contact us’, perhaps you could change it to ‘get a free consultation.’ This new call to action could take your website from being a basic information center to a lead collecting machine.

Staying Fresh

Staying fresh can be a full time job, but it is vital to online marketing success. The more regularly you update and add content to your site, the better you will perform.