The Federal Trade Commission is now “requiring” a website “Privacy Policy” and “Terms of Service” to be prominently posted on every website that deals with a form of internet commerce – whether it be online or offline sales. They are also focusing on “testimonials” if you have them posted on your website.

Some specific requirements are to have very specific contact info listed in those documents along with stating exactly what you do with collected customer information and how you expect to use that data. There is also a “child protection” act that must be stated in the privacy policy in terms of data collection from a minor, if one happens to fill out your online form.

I always suggest housing that information on your website in the format of a “PDF” document, linked from every page. There are specific technical reasons for that and also, the links to those documents should be programmed in what is called a “NO FOLLOW” link – so the search engines don’t rank those pages and give them value.

The fines for website owners have been very high if the FTC attempts to take action against a website that does not have these items in place. It has been my experience that most websites “don’t” have a privacy policy and terms of service in place.

Here’s how I can help…

I own a software program that has the ability to create these documents, which can then be given to your legal department for review and additional edits if required. The original editable format is in a word document and then once completed we can easily turn those into a “PDF” format and house.

Because these items are not in the normal realm of my “internet marketing efforts and service” I would charge an hourly fee based on the estimated amount of time to assist you with this project.

By all means, get this handled – I can help. Email me for further assistance.

If you’re not using the natural and paid search results to promote your local business and services then shame on you for not taking the bull by the horns and getting this part of your business handled once and for all — however I certainly wouldn’t blame you if you’ve tried but come up empty handed.

Here’s what I mean…

As a local business owner, you know you need to advertise; and I’m willing to bet you do just that using the local print ads along with “MoneyMailer”, “ValPak”, and many more local advertising options such as the “Yellow Pages”. <<< you're not really still using the Yellow Pages are you?

However, if you've attempted to do any research on how to market your business online then to be frank with you - it's confusing at best.

Most of the internet marketing companies I see advertising are all using the most popular buzz words to advertise their services to you and most of them probably just cause more confusion.

Terms like;

- Social Media Marketing
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC)
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Link Building
- Article & Video Syndication
- Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)
- Vertical Online Marketing Analysis (VOMA)

...and the list of technical terms goes on.

As an internet marketer myself, I often wonder about internet marketing companies that claim to offer services on each and every topic (and more) like shown in the list above.

Do you really think those "we do it all" internet marketing companies are any good at all of those technical specialties? Do you ever wonder if they really have a handle on what's most important to your business (i.e. more customers, more profits, business growth, etc.)?

My take on this: “If you’re an expert at everything, you are good at nothing“

BEWARE; the internet marketing companies who talk over your head, use internet marketing terminology and frankly claim to be the end all for all marketing disciplines.

In the end, what is your real desire?

Is it to learn all of the internet marketing speak or is it to increase your business, get more customers, make more money and generally have this area of your marketing taken care of once and for all. Especially before your competition beats you to it.

What I’m suggesting is that if you come on board with Web Market Authority as a new internet marketing client, I promise to avoid all that technical speak and mumbo jumbo like the plague and begin marketing your online presence like you always imagined it should be.

What we WILL do is define the exact results you want from your website and then I personally will go to work implementing all the technical stuff required to make it happen. The only thing you’ll have to do is watch the results and calculate your return on investment (I can even help you with that too).

You won’t have to decide between things like (and I quote) “Multi-Media, Internet Marketing and Communications via Search Engine Optimization and Marketing (SEO/SEM), Social Media Marketing and Optimization (SMM/SMO), Website Design, Management or Upgrades, Broadcast Media Marketing and Advertising, Technical Consulting, Computer Training and Business Support, Project Management and a host of other Internet and computer services support” — or the likes of any of those Northern Virginia SEO Services technical terms disguised only to impress you (or confuse you) about the internet marketing possibilities.

It’s completely possible for a local business to own their market or niche on the internet without knowing any of the technical terms or marketing geek speak, or for that matter even knowing HOW it all works. With Web Market Authority you don’t need to know how any of those terms fit into your internet marketing mix, you just need to know what the end result is that builds your business.

Does a company (like the one I quoted above) REALLY understand what you as a local business owner (who just happens to have a website) really needs from their internet marketing efforts? OR are they just throwing around a bunch of technical terms so they can seem like experts?

Remember; “If you’re an expert at everthing, you are good at nothing”

Another saying I like is; “he who attempts to sell everything, sells nothing”

What’s great about internet marketing is that it’s all infinitely trackable. As a business owner you can see the results directly online and in your monthly/yearly business growth.

And, unless you’re an expert at tracking your advertising (simply asking customers that call where they found you is NOT the best tracking system) then you’ll find that search engine marketing can be much more powerful than any “ValPak”, “MoneyMailer” or “Yellow Page Ad” you can place.

Here’s What You Should Do Next…

1. Try to put yourself into your customers shoes and begin looking for your services on the internet. Search locally and specifically from a customers perspective who doesn’t know you exist.

2. Are you on the first page of search engine results at all?

– NO; if not, Contact Me and I’ll show you why (I have nothing to sell, only something to tell)

– YES; great, you rank well in the search engines but are your listings compelling? Would your search visitor click your listing over all others? If not, Contact Me and we’ll discuss the possibilities.

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Forget the technical internet marketing speak – as a local business owner who has a website, I’m willing to bet you can see the power of ranking in the top 10 results of the major search engines for your most valuable search terms.

When potential customers are trying to find your products and services online there are literally hundreds of opportunities every day to put your website in their line of site.

If hundreds of people per month are searching specifically for your type of business and services yet can’t find you – they go to your competitor. Having a website means nothing to your business if the search engines won’t show you to your most valuable online search visitors.

It’s sad but true that most local businesses with a website never get any search engine traffic – even though 99% of your online business can come from the search engines (i.e. from people searching for your services specifically).

If you perform a search right now on Google, searching for your type of services online using a main keyword and a local term such as a city or state – you’ll see that the top listings are usually directories of 10, 20 or more businesses similar to yours.

Websites like “yellow pages” or “service magic” to name a few who really just provide “paid” listings of local businesses who were willing to spend money to be listed there.

Search engines like Google know this (the fact that local businesses PAY to be there), and believe me when I say they are begging local businesses with a website to present themselves properly so that they (Google, etc.) can show REAL relevant results instead of paid listings.

The reward for local businesses that optimize their website properly?

Higher search engine rankings.

Why? Because ALL of the search engines want to show the BEST results – NOT just paid listings.

As a local business owner with a website, getting involved with a “Local Search Engine Optimization Company” can be your ticket to much more business than you can even handle.

Read what one of our recent clients had to say;

“…when you took over our Search Engine Optimization project, we literally couldn’t keep up with all of the appointment requests coming from our website. Frankly it was a little overwhelming at first.” Chris J. A Local Window Repair Specialist.

Here’s Where It Gets REALLY Exciting

You’ve heard the saying “the proof is in the pudding” — well in this case the proof is in the search engine results.

If you choose to hire us; Web Market Authority as your Local SEO Services and Search Engine Optimization provider – it’s easy to track your return on investment (ROI) by simply typing in the search terms we’ve chosen (together) and see exactly where you rank in the major search engines search results.

Of course you’ll also be able to see more phone calls coming from your website (we implement tracking phone numbers) and we implement lead generation forms so you can view the results of all online leads coming into your business from your new/higher search engine rankings.

Here’s Exactly How We Make That Happen

First, we ask Google to show us what the most valuable search terms are in your given market or niche.

Then, we determine the local areas where you provide your products or services and by combining those two highly targeted lists we are able to produce hundreds (if not thousands) of variations — essentially the search phrases that potential customers would use to find you.

And finally, we go to work optimizing your website and online presence for three (3) of those terms on a running basis. Once we achieve top search engine rankings for the chosen (3) search terms we move on to the next three and so on until you own the local market for your particular niche.

What’s most interesting is that our clients don’t own just one ranking per search term, they can potentially own 2, 3, and even 5 or more of the top listings for their most valuable local search phrases. Imagine the potential business increase if your website could perform in that manner.

If you’re a local business owner, don’t let our title; Northern Virginia SEO Services fool you — we provide SEO Services for all local business owners nationwide not just in our local area.

Ready to own your local market in the major search engines? View our online pricing today or contact us to open some dialogue on how we can help you achieve local market ownership for your website and business online.

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So, if social media marketing is about “brand building” is it really effective for say…a local lawn care business or a Dentist office? The answer whether Social Media Marketing is a viable internet marketing method for local business owners lies in their “UEBM” (Unique Eccentric Business Model).

Do you sell a product or service that has a national customer base or are your products and services sold locally? The answer to those questions are the determining factor of your Unique Business Model.

And…going back to the local business model, the question arises — “should a local business use Twitter” for example in their online marketing mix?

It begs the question, “do you have a product or service which has mass appeal and are you attempting to sell it nationally or worldwide”??

If not, then I can assure you that “Twittering” as a marketing method for your local business just might be a waste of time (assuming you are NOT doing the most effective foundation building methods available such as SEO and PPC to name a few).

There are many productive internet marketing methods a local business can use to gain customers, leads, and more business — however joining the Social Media Marketing craze with no real understanding of how it can and should impact your business is an example of the reverse 80/20 rule.

For most local businesses, an improperly implemented Social Media Marketing campaign can be the 80% of marketing efforts that gives you the 20% side of results. That’s what I call a low return on investment, especially if there are other, more effective methods you are not implementing.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve realized in my own business that focusing on the 20% most effective efforts gives me 80% of the most profitable results. Knowing that Social Media Marketing is outside of the 20% most effective internet marketing methods for most local business owners is a great step toward getting your online marketing plan to take shape and avoid wasted efforts.

Where should most local business owners begin with their internet marketing plans?

#1 is a mix of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay Per Click advertising (PPC) – which helps develop your UEBM (Unique Eccentric Business Model) and “Keyword DNA” on the internet which is literally the foundation for all of the secondary internet marketing methods such as getting on board with the Social Media Marketing craze.

# 2 is link building, which is where Social Media Marketing can be implemented properly. And, the reason a local business should hire an internet marketing specialist is because most of the social media properties (i.e. Facebook, MySpace, etc.) don’t actually allow the proper linking methods to be effective in your link building efforts. Inbound links to your website are the virtual key to the online safe if developed and continued properly over time, but you have to begin with the end in mind to be effective knowing which properties are useful and which ones are a waste of your time.

If you’re a local business owner who’s ready to get your internet marketing machine ready for action (certainly before your competition does) then Web Market Authority can help you develop your “Online Unique Eccentric Business Model” and begin weaving your “Keyword DNA” throughout the web and your online target market. Our SEO Services are a great place to start building your internet marketing foundation today.

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Note; my reference to “Kool-Aid” is not a reference to the brand represented by Kraft Foods Company but rather the slang term as defined at Wikipedia.

As an SEO Consultant myself, I can assure you that as I look around at the competition I am usually able to quickly see if the SEO services offered are of value to local business owners.

Here’s my top 7 list of items to look for when interviewing your SEO consultant and getting your internet marketing handled properly from the beginning.

1. Beware the web design firm that also offers SEO services; most are not well versed in proper SEO and will certainly not be able to deliver the level of SEO consulting most local business owners require.

– For Example: I have witnessed many web design firms stuffing keywords into the code of a web page calling it SEO – which is far from what real SEO is. In fact meta tag keyword stuffing can get your website penalized with search engines such as Google.

2. Most SEO consultants offer keyword research; however keyword research alone leaves many aspects on the table since the future is being driven by “market research”. Online Market Research takes into effect Google’s ability to compare a website to an established authority and quickly determine if a website is simply using keywords attempting to rank in the search engines as opposed to being an actual authority on the subject. Performing Vertical Marketing Research with a tool such as “ThemeZoom” is an absolute requirement in today’s online SEO activities.

3. Does your SEO consultant offer (or for that matter mention) link building techniques. Link building is more than half the battle when it comes to search engine rankings. A good SEO consultant has an established link building process in place. If your SEO consultant doesn’t include “Article Marketing & Syndication” in his link building plan, find one that does.

4. Does your SEO consultant have a plan for ranking your website or is he randomly choosing the most obvious keywords to rank your website for. Your SEO efforts should contain keywords that are specifically targeted to you and your business first and then grow into a broader market, essentially building from the low to the high volume keywords. This practice builds on itself and can give faster results as opposed to a haphazard unplanned approach.

5. Always check the source code of your website after SEO consulting has been performed to ensure that no “keyword stuffing” has occurred. To do so simply right click on your web page and choose “view source” to make sure your page doesn’t contain any list of keywords which don’t also reside on the content of your page. Search engines will penalize a website who uses keywords in the page code that don’t reside on the web page itself.

6. Does your SEO consultant really have past client experience? Ask your SEO consultant to place a word of your choosing onto the page of a current client site as proof that he actually has access to client pages that he has specifically optimized.

7. Make sure your SEO consultant understands the tools provided by Google, such as their “Webmaster Tools” and “Analytics” services. Request that you have proof by getting a look at the consultants Google Webmaster Tools interface as proof.

Any good SEO consulting firm will be able to provide those 7 basic things (and hopefully much more).

I would also avoid consultants who offer search engine submissions since that process is very outdated and only an SEO newbie would attempt to offer such a service.

As an SEO Consulting Firm; Web Market Authority is able to speak to all of the above concerns and many more. If you’re a local business owner ready to take your website to a new level of online success we are ready to show you the way. Click Here to download our Internet Marketing Services and Pricing White Paper.

Note: Web Market Authority and our Northern Virginia SEO Services division is one of only a few entities with the ability and training to use the above mentioned “ThemeZoom” application to perform Vertical Market Research and apply the data to an effective SEO campaign.