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11 Ways to Fight the Locksmith Scam and Win

Last Updated: May 25, 2016

Google’s lackluster attempts to beat back the locksmith scam are misfiring and hitting honest locksmith companies instead.
Don’t you feel frustrated when you play by the rules but still get targeted by Google? The unfortunate reality is, due to how widespread the scam is, Google automatically puts locksmiths under the microscope simply for being locksmiths. This means locksmiths must follow every rule to the letter. You have to be extremely thorough and careful when creating or updating your listings.
Do these sound familiar?

  • Getting verified by Google is an uphill battle.
  • Your listing keeps getting suspended for no clear reason.
  • You’re having trouble getting new customers because the scams have made everyone more suspicious.

We feel for you. That’s why we’ve put together some actionable advice for honest locksmiths to help you stay in Google’s good graces. We’ve also compiled some suggestions for proving your trustworthiness to local customers.
So without any further ado, let’s get started.

Don’t Make Yourself a Target

Like we said, Google is already scrutinizing your every move because you’re a locksmith. Even the smallest transgression will get you flagged.
Here are some ways to keep that bull’s-eye off your back:

  1. Don’t stuff your listing full of keywords. Write naturally, only using keywords where they actually fit.
  2. Stick to one, local service area. Fight the temptation to list every city in a 200-mile radius.
  3. If you work with an SEO company, be cooperative and don’t do anything against their advice. Better yet, don’t even touch your Google listing and let your marketer handle all of your updates.
  4. Don’t do anything that could possibly be mistaken for spam.

Basically, be conservative. Don’t push the limits at all. As a locksmith, gray areas are off limits to you.

Put Your Trustworthiness Front and Center

As info about the scam spreads, people are increasingly wary of locksmiths they find online. In fact, most news stories are advising people to ask friends and family for locksmith referrals instead of doing a local Google search for one.
What does this mean for you? It means your job is a lot harder now. You must win over the skeptics and prove you’re a locksmith they can trust.
Here are some ideas to help you do that:

  1. Have a physical storefront and use a picture of it on your Google listing, website, and social media.
    • A van or truck with your logo is better than nothing, but a storefront is much more effective.
  2. List your physical address so people know you’re local.
  3. Have a logo or some form of consistent branding across the web.
  4. Include high-quality photos of yourself and your team members on your Google listing, website, and social media.
  5. Post precise business hours and emergency services instead of just claiming to be open “24/7.” Even if you are open 24 hours a day, people see that as a red flag.
  6. Include upfront pricing that’s based on a flat rate for each job. Do not charge per hour.
  7. Share information and warnings about locksmith scams with your customers. Post links to news articles about the scam right on your website and social media.

As we discussed in our previous blog post, “Google’s Incompetence: Hell for Legit Locksmiths, Great for Locksmith Scams,” these scams have complicated matters for locksmith companies everywhere. We can’t expect Google to come up with a fail-safe solution to this problem overnight, so it’s best to take action yourself.
By following the recommendations we’ve listed above, you’ll prove your professionalism and honesty, increase your compliance with Google, and reassure a nervous customer base.
Interested in advice that’s tailored to your own, unique business? Call or e-mail us for a pressure-free chat!

Local SEO: To DIY or Not to DIY?

Last Updated: May 12, 2016

After reading up on Google’s countless webmaster resources, you’ve managed to put together a pretty decent-looking Maps listing for your local business. Feeling confident, you wonder, “How hard could the rest of my online advertising really be?”
This is usually the gateway that leads small business owners into handling their own local SEO and online advertising. Some business owners who take the DIY route wind up realizing they bit off more than they could chew. Yet, others discover a hidden talent for online advertising and learn that they’re more tech savvy than they thought. It can go either way.
If you can’t figure out whether you should try your hand at DIY online marketing or bite the bullet and hire an outside company to do it for you, this post is for you. We’ll highlight the major pros and cons of each avenue to give you a better idea of what you might be getting into.
Let’s jump in.

DIY: Pros and Cons

Pros

Performing all of your own local SEO and online advertising can be a big money-saving measure for small business owners, helping you avoid monthly payments to an outside company.
Other benefits of DIY SEO include:

  • Having intimate knowledge of your business’s online advertising strategies, since you’re the only one working on them.
  • Having immediacy when it comes to online advertising work. You can make any desired changes without having to wait for someone else to do it.
  • Having complete oversight (read: control) of your company’s online strategies. You can easily keep track of all of your logins, directories, and other pertinent info because you’re the only one who has access to them.

Cons

However, many small business owners decide the above perks aren’t worth dealing with the numerous obstacles that come with performing your own SEO. Some of these obstacles are:

  • Only working with one data point: yours. For SEO, where you need as much data as possible to monitor trends and conduct A/B testing, this can put you at a disadvantage.
  • Not devoting enough time or attention to SEO. Since you’re balancing this work with running a business full time, you may not notice any issues or strange hiccups in your campaign right away.
  • Diverting time away from your job. You essentially lose revenue every time you work on your online advertising instead of providing service for a customer.

Internet Marketing Company: Pros and Cons

When a small business owner decides the obstacles facing them in DIY online advertising are too much, they usually opt to hire an Internet marketing company instead (or they forego online advertising altogether).

Pros

So, what are the benefits of hiring an outside company that appeal to small business owners?

  • More data. The Internet marketing company probably has hundreds of other clients, which means hundreds of data points to pull from and sharpen their expertise. They can tell if something is an isolated case or a broader trend.
  • Optimal strategies. A professional company will have developed multiple approaches to maximize efficiency for various online advertising needs.
  • Combined experience. Because it’s a team made up of multiple individuals, the online marketing company has lots of combined experience and various fields of expertise to draw from.
  • Constant monitoring. It’s their full-time job to monitor online advertising campaigns, so they notice right away when a new issue crops up. They also know as soon as Google updates its algorithm and can determine how wide-reaching the update is.

Cons

Hiring an outside company may sound like an ideal scenario, but, as with anything, it does come with certain drawbacks. For example:

  • Waiting period. Depending on the size of the company you’ve hired, it’s unlikely you can get immediate results for whatever work you need done. You’ll almost definitely get someone on the phone, but you won’t necessarily be able to see the work instantly completed. (Note: A smaller company can probably provide you with a faster turnaround time.)
  • Less control. When you hire an outside company, you don’t have much control over your online advertising strategies. Plus, you won’t be able to replicate their system on your own because each marketing company uses its own “secret sauce” when performing local SEO.
  • Monthly payment. If your budget is super tight, then it might be difficult to afford a premium SEO service. Luckily, some of the smaller online advertising companies offer packages that tend to be more budget friendly.

Do a Gut Check

Ultimately, the decision between doing your own web marketing or hiring a professional comes down to your gut. Ask yourself questions like:

  • How comfortable do you feel learning the numerous webmaster tools involved?
  • How willing are you to devote your leisure time to online advertising tasks?
  • How much wiggle room is in your monthly budget?

If the mere thought of spending hours on Internet directories, social media, and Google Maps makes you cringe, then maybe the DIY route isn’t for you. But if you enjoy learning and challenging yourself and you’ve got plenty of spare time, then it just might be worth a try.
 

What You Don't Know About Directory Listings Can Hurt You

Last Updated: April 13, 2016

How much do you know about your small business’s directory listings?
Our guess: Not nearly as much as you should.
They may seem negligible compared to the overwhelming, day-to-day demands of running a business; however, if you don’t stay on top of them, your directory listings could wind up being populated with incorrect information about your company. In turn, this will have far-reaching, negative effects on your web presence.
Whether you’ve worked with an SEO provider in the past or your web presence is more of a DIY effort, it’s up to you, the business owner, to have at least a general idea of where and how you’re listed online.
In this post, you’ll discover:

  • Popular directories where your business might be listed
  • What to look for when you check your listings
  • Why it’s critical for you to keep your listings accurate

Let’s dive in, shall we?

Know Where Your Business Is Listed

To get started, search for your company on some of the more popular business directories. These include Google Maps, Bing Local, Yelp, Manta, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and Angie’s List. Start with these and, if you’re feeling motivated, you can move on to a more thorough Google (or Bing) search for the rest of your listings.
However, bear in mind that tracking down every site where your company is listed can be a tedious, time-consuming project. It requires several hours of sifting through page after page of search engine results. Unfortunately, most small business owners simply don’t have the time or energy to do this themselves.
So if you currently work with an SEO provider, reach out to them and ask if they offer any tools or resources to uncover all of the directories that list your business. If you aren’t currently working with an SEO provider or your provider doesn’t offer this type of service, call Prospect Genius! We can conduct a WebFax® report that will tell you everything you need to know.

Know How Your Business Is Listed

Knowing where you’re listed is the first step. Next comes evaluating the accuracy of those listings.
Remember, it may not be your fault if some of the information is wrong. Incorrect listings can result from a number of different variables. But regardless of whether errors were caused by a careless marketer you worked with in the past or a directory bot that pulled only partial information from another listing, it’s your responsibility to be aware of them.
If you discover any errors, fix them right away (or contact whoever controls your listings so they can fix the errors for you). Here’s what you should be looking for.

Is Your Contact Info Correct?

First, verify that all of the following information is filled out. Then, check it for typos and other errors:

  • Phone number
  • Street address
  • Company name
  • E-mail address
  • Website URL

Prospective customers won’t be able to contact you if your information is wrong, so it’s vital you fix these errors ASAP.
Understand the dangers of conflicting information by reading our blog post, “One Simple Way to Take Control of Your Online Presence.”

Are You Listed in the Correct Categories?

Next, take a look at the category (or categories) your business is listed under. These categories should accurately describe the selection of products and/or services your business offers.
Even if you think your categories are probably correct because an SEO professional handled your directory listings for you, check anyway. We see a lot of cases where a business’s web presence is floundering, only to discover that a previous SEO provider had listed them in the wrong categories. Sometimes, they left out a category due to human error; other times, the provider got overzealous and named too many categories that were mostly irrelevant.
No matter what caused the initial problem, you need to make sure you’re ultimately listed under the correct categories. This is a crucial aspect of your web presence, as it may determine who actually sees your listings. If you’re not listed under the right categories, you could be missing out on people who are searching for your services.

Is Your Service Info Up to Date?

Finally, for the same reasons explained above, it’s imperative that you keep your business’s service information up to date on all of your listings. It’s not uncommon for businesses to grow, change, and expand over the years. If your services and/or products have changed recently, make sure your web presence reflects that.

Ignorance Is Not Bliss

When it comes to your business’s directory listings, there’s no such thing as remaining “blissfully” unaware.
Like everything else in business—and in life—you can’t help yourself by keeping your hands over your eyes. If there are problems with your listings, they exist whether you’re aware of them or not. It’s better to be aware. When you’re aware of problems, you can fix them. Otherwise, they’ll just quietly wreak havoc on your web presence.
Armed with the information in this post, you can now go forth and make sure your business’s directory listings are working with you, not against you.

Beef Up Your Local SEO With an Offline Boost

Last Updated: March 24, 2016

We’re always harping on you about what you should be doing online to help your business’s search engine optimization efforts. But we sometimes forget to mention what you and your fellow business owners should be doing offline. You know—in the real world.
Thankfully, seasoned SEO consultant Marcus Miller is on it. He wrote a wonderful article recently discussing how you can supplement your local SEO with offline advertising.
Titled “Local SEO Beyond the Browser,” Miller’s article dives into the importance of keeping your company present in the minds of your desired customers. This can be done through flyers and ads, storefront signage, company vehicle decals, business cards, and even social media. For consumers, seeing your ad will stimulate a want or need, which ultimately drives them to seek you out online.
Often, seeking you out online equates to a Google search. And, as we all know, the local search space tends to  be over-saturated with businesses in the same category. So, instead of depending on the statistically small chance your business will pop up in a search for “plumbers in Phoenix,” promoting yourself offline will keep you steps ahead of the competition. That’s because, when people go to research local plumbers in their area, they’ll recall seeing your flyer last week and google your company specifically.
However, Miller points out that this doesn’t mean you can skate by without any local online advertising or search engine optimization. Rather, offline and online promotions should support each other. When that prospective customer googles your company name, you want them to see a lot of valuable, favorable information about you right away. Thus, you’ll need to do a good deal of SEO work to shine the most flattering light on your company. This is where business listing optimization, reputation management, and remarketing all come into play.
After all, once someone has googled you, it’s your job to convince them to hire you.
Miller’s bottom line?

The local businesses that will win the marketing battle in 2016 and beyond will connect the dots between the physical business premises and their digital profiles. Invest and commit in this approach, and your competitors will not know what has hit them.

For more specific offline and online advertising tips, check out the full article over on Search Engine Land. It’s a great read!
 

How to Make a Great First Impression With Your Company Website

Last Updated: March 16, 2016

First impressions are everything. And if you’re a business owner, you want to be sure you’re making the best impression possible on your desired customers.
Most business owners already take steps to ensure this. You give your employees professional uniforms, make your storefront clean and appealing, and conduct yourself in a friendly, personable manner.
However, few business owners realize that first impressions happen before you even meet the customer. That’s because they happen online. From the moment prospective customers discover your company website in a search, they begin forming opinions. Do you appear professional? Do you seem like an expert in your field? Do you relate to your customers? Any visitor to your website will be asking these questions in their minds, whether they’re aware of it or not. It’s your job to answer these questions before they’re even asked.
So, how well are you representing your business online? What kind of first impression are you giving your customers?
In this post, we’ll give you tips on how to improve your company website so it represents your business in the most flattering light possible.

Make Your Products and Services 100% Clear

Have you ever visited a website and left after a minute because you couldn’t quite figure out what that business was offering? It happens all too often. So, to be safe, make your company’s products and/or services 100% clear. List every service in plain, simple terms.
Leave no room for doubt.
Even if you offer lots of different services in different categories, don’t be vague about it. Cover everything. Your site’s visitors should know within seconds what type of business you are and, more importantly, what you can offer them.

Choose Simplicity Over Razzle-Dazzle

Remember: Less is more. Don’t overflow your company website with bells and whistles. Don’t auto-play music upon entering the site. Don’t have Flash graphics. Don’t use hard-to-read fonts or blinding, neon colors. All of these elements run the risk of overwhelming your site’s visitors and turning them away.

Showcase Your Expertise

Prove you’re knowledgeable, reliable, and experienced. Discuss your training, industry-specific licenses (if applicable), and any other qualifications that make you an ideal choice for your prospective customer.

Match Your Image to Your Desired Customers

If you offer manual services like paving, appliance repairs, plumbing, electrical, and so on, then you probably work with a wide range of customers. In that case, it’s best to keep your website right in the middle of the road in terms of design. Don’t make it too primitive, or prospective customers won’t take you seriously. But don’t make it too chic, either, or they’ll think you’re too expensive. Think Goldilocks.
On the other hand, if you work in a high-paying field, like tax resolution or IT consulting, then it’s a good idea to demonstrate your professionalism with a sophisticated, elegant website design. Prospective customers will perceive your value through your website, so take this opportunity to show (not tell) how much your services are worth.

Use a Professional E-Mail Address

Last but not least: your e-mail address. To be clear, we don’t recommend displaying your e-mail address in plain text on your site. This sets you up for mountains of spam e-mails from bots. Instead, we recommend having a contact form for visitors to fill out.
However, just because you aren’t displaying your e-mail address doesn’t mean you don’t need to worry about how it looks! After your prospects have e-mailed you, you don’t want them to see a response from an unprofessional e-mail address. This could seriously lower their opinion of your business.
For this reason, an e-mail address at a corporate domain is ideal. A corporate domain makes you look like an established, successful business. At the same time, though, it’s not realistic to expect every single business to have access to a corporate domain. So, at the very least, you should have a company address from Gmail or Yahoo. These addresses are free and they look way more professional than your 15-year-old AOL address.
Read more about company e-mail addresses in our previous post, “Why You Should Give Your E-Mail Address a Makeover.”

Understand What’s Attractive—and What’s Not

Overall, many business owners misunderstand what’s “attractive” to the average consumer. It’s not about having the flashiest or most elaborate website design. Instead, it’s about having clear content that will make a prospective customer want to hire you. After all, you don’t make money from people spending time on your site. You make money from people who ultimately decide to call you and hire you. And quality content, not those flashy, “gee-whiz” features, is what drives people to call you.
Ensure your site has quality content by knowing who your desired customers are. Know what they’re looking for and what you can offer them. Then, present this to them through your company website. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make it count.
 

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