2008 June

Fred breathes a sigh of relief as we return to the safe confines of audio to ponder our experience in the first SEO Vision Video Blog. What really differentiates the audio world from audio + video? Find out this week, along with some tips on how to make some compelling video content for your website.

SEO Audio: Episode 38

Ready to ’see’ what we’ve been working on lately?  We are excited to introduce a new series of video blogs to the SEO Vision blog. Each month we will aim to bring you something funny, something informational and everything related to search engine optimization, internet marketing and social media via a 2-3 minute video blog hosted by Fred and Chrystie.

Our first blog introduces Fred, who (bless his heart) still hasn’t embraced video, to the endless opportunities which exist with online videos.  Enjoy!

I couldn’t miss this sign on a local hotel chain (name obscured to protect the innocent) - “WELCOME: WE PATIENTLY AWAIT YOUR ARRIVAL.”

While I can kind of see what the manager responsible for this message was going for, all it did for me was conjure an image of dozens of happy, smiling employees sitting at the desk in a merrily-lit, but bleakly empty hotel lobby, as rooms upon rooms sat empty and the phone gave nary a ring.

Maybe it’s all the Seth Godin on the brain lately (I recently listened to “Small is the New Big” and have been chewing on different ways to be remarkable…), but this just seems all the wrong way to go about your business.

If you’ve got staff, use them! As much as I would love to be welcomed by your happy, patient people… it ain’t likely to happen, since I’m not probably not going to visit at all.

What makes this place better than the Marriot Courtyard down the street? Does it have better amenities? Stellar food? Better transport service? Room attendees that won’t steal my towels when I try to hang them up and use them more than once?

Sorry, your patient staff doesn’t make you any less forgettable among dozens of mediocre lodging experiences.

Unfortunately, I think this attitude prevails on websites, too. Many people seem to have a “build it and they will come” mentality when it comes to their website, all about pleasing what the business owner’s personal tastes are, but without a glimmer of attention for that of the customer’s.

You know what? I don’t care how much you love your eccentric design and cryptic navigation - I’m going to your competitor’s website because I can find what I’m looking for!

This same model applies to the marketing side of things, too. Building the coolest website in the world and just putting it out there, with the expectation that droves of interested customers will crash down the gates without any cohesive marketing strategy, is… well… not much of a strategy at all. A

nd if you’re just thinking about marketing your site as it’s ready to go live, it’s way, way too late.

So what’s the message here? Stop waiting around!

There are a million-million things in our modern digital lives that scream look-at-me-look-at-me-look-at-me-look-at-me. Your website needs to be a product of and exist in that world — but at the same time not be the “stick the foot in the door” salesperson of the last century.

Instead of patiently awaiting your customer’s arrival, concentrate on making your website a destination.

So after the success of webinars such as “Way Beyond SEO” and the two we just did in June — Redesigning Your Website and Understanding Search Marketing — we’re proud to announce a new line-up for web marketing webinars that will last into perpetuity.

To keep things simple, we’re having them every single Tuesday at 2PM EST, and lest you ask, they’re as free as free can be.

So why should you attend?

5. It’s summer, and what do you REALLY have to do on a Tuesday afternoon?

4. Play “stump the SEO” during our Q&A at the end.

3. Hear Fred’s crazy radio voice and Chrystie’s good-natured humor.

2. Get out of boring company “strategy” sessions to learn about how to REALLY grow your business.

1. Because if you don’t, your competitors will.

So what are you waiting for? Register for one of our webinars today!