SearchFast

Outbound Telemarketing

2008-09-25T14:25:00.001-07:00

Outbound Telemarketing For B2B Lead Generation in Indianapolis, Indiana & South Florida including Fort Myers, West Palm Beach, and Jupiter

Outbound telemarketing is the single-most dreaded task within a sales department. Sales people will do just about anything else rather than cold call on the phone, including driving hundreds of miles to show up unannounced at a prospect's reception desk - only to tell the receptionist, "I was just passing by so I thought I'd drop in for a second." Now, that's productive!
Outbound Telemarketing Gets Past Gatekeepers and Into Conversations with the Right People

Sales people enjoy closing deals, bless them for that ability, but when it comes to the drudgery of pre-qualifying prospects, even from a great list that's guaranteed to bring results, it's like pulling teeth. At MarketWise Solutions, we have highly-trained and consistently-coached outbound telemarketing professionals who, for whatever reason, enjoy conducting research and qualifying prospects on the telephone. It is what they do and they do it well.

We know how to hire people well-suited for the job and we know how to develop the appropriate approach that will open the gates to the most important people within your targeted prospect companies. The efficiency of qualifying a prospect list through a hired outbound telemarketing service cannot be matched by a sales team on the road or in the office avoiding what they hate to do most.

Because showing up unannounced is unacceptable behavior in today's business environment, the telephone is one of the only remaining methods to actually have a chat with someone about his or her needs, if you've never been introduced to the person. We can get the right people from your targeted companies on the phone, introduce your products and services to them, discover their needs and quickly determine if the possibility of a relationship exists. Tried and true outbound telemarketing services still work better and are much more cost-effective than just about any other method of generating highly-qualified leads -- and we have the first-hand case studies to prove it and share with you.
Outbound Telemarketing Services For All

The many industries for which we provide outbound telemarketing services include:

* Chemicals
* Commercial Property Management
* Consumer Products Distribution
* Engineering
* Electronics
* Environmental
* Financial Services
* Food & Beverage
* Healthcare Products
* Industrial Design
* Manufacturing - Heavy
* Manufacturing - Light
* Materials Processing (non-metal)
* Medical Devices

* Metal Processing
* Mining
* Paints & Coatings
* Petro-chemical
* Pharmaceutical
* Power Generation
* Pulp and Paper
* Real Estate Development
* Technology
* Telecommunications
* Transportation - Automotive
* Transportation - Aviation
* Transportation - Marine
* Transportation - Railroad
* Other Markets

If you want serious lead generation and need assistance with your outbound telemarketing services, give me a call 714-600-1865.

10 Steps To a Successful SEO Relationship

2007-03-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

Having worked with companies both large and small for almost a decade now, I have learned that there are fundamental principles that both parties must follow if they are going to have a successful SEO relationship. And that is what SEO truly is - a relationship or better yet, a partnership between the two parties. Like any partnership, there are do's and don'ts that each party must practice if the relationship is to be a success. While not a complete list, I have put together ten important things to practice in order to have a successful SEO relationship.

1. Select a Suitable Partner - While advice is often given on how to select an SEO firm, equally important is advice for the SEO to select a client to work with. Those wishing to hire an SEO firm should do their due diligence and select a firm that is qualified, can work within their industry, and is one whom they feel comfortable with. But often overlooked is the scrutiny that an SEO firm can place on their client selection process. More often than not, established SEOs are turning away projects for one reason or another. Client's budget is too small, their expectations are too high, their site is new and/or of little quality, they require the SEO firm to respond to a traditional RFP, or they may already have other clients in that industry.

My company automatically exclude sites dealing with pornography, gambling, (most) affiliate sites and even online pharmacies but we have also turned down real estate agents, mortgage brokers, gift sites and the like not only because the market may already saturated but also due to the fact that the potential client in no way has the budget or resources to compete with those who already dominate. In reality, we want to work with sites in which we have confidence that there will be success. That does not always rely of sheer talent of the SEO but what the client has to bring to the table as well.

2. Clearly Define the Terms and Expectations - Once the two parties decide to do business with another, terms and expectations must be defined. What will the SEO actually do - on page optimization, site improvement, content creation, link building, linkbait development, social media optimization, other? Will the client pay all at once, in stages or will a performance based option be offered? Will ongoing campaign maintenance be provided and at what cost? Aside from budget, ho will be the responsible party to ensure the SEO strategy is actually implemented?

Additionally the clients expectations or goals should be defined. What are they looking to accomplish as a result of the SEO work? Top rankings for specific keywords and/or phrases, increased brand awareness, increased traffic, attracting subscribers, increased conversions or all of the above. SEO is not just about rankings. It never has been. While the main goal is to increase search visibility in the organic (natural) search results, there is much more to it because ultimately, clients want to grow their businesses as a result of their investment.

3. Lay a Firm Foundation (Keyword Research) - Thinking with me for a moment about physical structures such as buildings or even the home you live in. Would you not agree that the foundation is as important as the building itself? Take your house for example. We have all heard horror stories about foundations that crack or even sink because the ground wasn't properly prepared. As a result, the house that sits on top of the foundation sinks as well. The structure atop the foundation may be of the highest craftsmanship using the best materials available but because the foundation is faulty, the building on top will not stand the test of time.

SEO campaigns are very similar. Without a solid foundation, they will not bring forth the fruit that is being sought - highly targeted traffic that converts. And what is the foundation of an SEO campaign? Keyword research! It is not only important to select keywords and phrase that people are actually searching for, but keywords that will fulfill the ultimate goals of those marketing the web site. This requires good keyword data that tools such as Keyword Discovery can provide as well as a lot of common sense. In some cases it may even be beneficial to test keyword strategy with PPC (pay per click) before laying the foundation of an SEO campaign. PPC can allow one to see what works and what does not in a relatively short period of time.

4. Document SEO Strategy in Writing - It is important to document everything in writing, both the initial strategy as well as anything ongoing. Not only is the SEO providing the client a written blueprint of the strategy that is being developed for their site, it can become useful in scenarios when 'stuff happens.' "What kind of stuff can can happen", you ask? Oh, things like design tweaks, re-writing content, shopping cart/database applications upgrades, site redesigns, etc. Unfortunately many times these things take place without the SEO's prior knowledge.

Having a documented SEO strategy creates a reference point should it need to be re-implemented at some point in time. In the same way a geographical map will help us get back on course when we are lost, having a documented SEO strategy allows it to be re-implemented when it suddenly disappears or is altered for one reason or another.

5. Decide Who Will Implement the SEO Strategy - Will the client allow the SEO to actually 'touch' the web site or not? Most often the answer is no, especially with the larger companies. In most cases it is easier for the SEO firm to have access to make changes to the site due to the fact that it is often easier to do the work t=yourself than to follow up to make sure someone else did. Exceptions to this include changes that have to actually be done by a programmer such as with a large database or shopping cart application. The bottom line is to make sure somebody does it.

If the client will implement changes, it is typically not an issue in the beginning. This is especially true if they are paying some type of set-up costs. However, getting modifications approved and implemented on a ongoing can be problematic. Both parties really need to come to the conclusion that SEO is an ongoing strategy that requires a continuous effort by both parties.

6. Keep a Record of All Correspondence - Make sure you keep a record of all correspondence. This is one of the reasons why I hate phones and love email. With email, everything is documented, that is if you archive all email correspondence. Not only do we keep a folder for each client that contains original contracts, contact info, FTP info, payment details and the like, we archive every email that is of importance. If they are of the type that likes to communicate via telephone, we keep a log of what was discussed. This is all done so it can be referenced if needed.

In any relationship there are bound to be indifferences which many times can be the result of misunderstandings. He said, she said and the like. That is where records can come in handy. I don't know how many times archived emails or records have helped me remind a client of something they agreed to or even help me remember something I had forgotten. As much as it is within your power, record and document everything.

7. Measure Progress (or Lack Thereof) - In the old days, static ranking reports may have been sufficient for measuring the success of an SEO campaign. With today's analytics programs, there is so much more potential to really get a feel as to whether an SEO campaign is meeting a client's goals or not. Top positions are nice but what is those particular top spots are not converting well or even worse, not bringing any traffic whatsoever?

A good web analytics programs such as ClickTracks will go far beyond the static ranking reports of old and understand the behavior of the traffic that is arriving at the site. This knowledge will help both parties adjust their strategy to make best use of search visibility as well as best serve traffic that arrives to the site.

8. SEOs - Act Upon Statistical Data - providing reports and statistical data on how a campaign is running is great but one must also take actions in response to how the campaign is actually performing. For example, a client may be ranking very well for a set of keywords but if your analytics program shows you that those keywords are not converting well, it may be time to change keyword strategy. In another scenario you may find that people are leaving just before they complete a transaction such as in an e-commerce environment. This should lead to a discovery as to why this is occurring.

These and multiple other issues could arise. It is up to the SEO to work together with the client to ensure the campaign is performing at its peak and fulfilling all the goals the client is seeking.

9. Clients - Act Upon SEO's Strategy - This becomes an issue more often than I would like. The SEO develops strategic strategy designed to help improve the campaign but the client does not respond or act upon the advice. This can include modifications to the web site, suggestions to start a link building campaign or any number of things that either need the client's approval of their assistance. When the client delays in responding to the whatever the SEO is trying to accomplish, it can stop the progress of the campaign dead in its tracks. Later on the client gets upset because goals aren't being reached but all the while it is their fault because they have not cooperated with the SEO to ensure strategy is actually being acted upon or implemented.

10. Have a Mutual Respect For One Another - For any relationship to be successful, both parties must share a mutual respect for one another. What does this entail? For the SEO it can mean not sharing details of the client's campaign publicly unless you get their permission, not taking on their competitors as clients, and being readily available to them when they wish to contact you. For the client it can include treating the SEO more like a partner as opposed to just another vendor, respecting their time knowing that they have other clients besides yourself, and making sure they are paid on time.

SearchFast. com has been providing SEO and Pay Per Click management for years. Visit our site to find out more. CLICK HERE

Paid Search: Are you getting your money’s worth?

2007-03-12T17:10:00.000-07:00

The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) recently released its annual industry survey and it includes some truly remarkable findings. One such finding is that spending on paid search marketing was approximately $8 Billion (U.S.) in 2006 and that number is expected to double over the next five years. This is obviously a testament to the value that paid search marketing can provide, but it also begs some key questions. Am I getting my moneys worth from my paid search campaign? Is my campaign producing a positive ROI? Should I spend more, or less?

Businesses of all shapes and sizes have jumped onto the paid search band wagon in a big way. Why? The answer is plain and simple, paid search marketing works. It can drive herds of visitors to your website. It can help develop brand awareness. It can improve sales, and so much more. But it can also be a big sink hole for your marketing budget if you don’t pay close attention to the results you’re getting.

Like any marketing expense, the value of a paid search marketing campaign should be measured in terms of its return on investment (ROI), and not in terms of the number of impressions your ads receive or the number of visitors the campaign produces. In the paid search marketing world, the number of impressions your ads receive is inversely proportional to the success of your campaign. If nobody is clicking on your ads, you’ll get lots and lots of ad impressions. On the other hand lots and lots of clicks isn’t necessary a good thing either. Untargeted or undesired visitors simply increase your costs. The key is to attract qualified visitors who will ultimately lead to increasing your sales numbers.

Here are five tips for avoiding the common pitfalls associated with paid search campaigns that reduce your ROI:

Avoid Broad Search Terms.
For example, if you sell eye allergy medication, avoid bidding on the term “allergy”. Information seekers searching on the term allergy could be looking for a medication for food allergies, or pet allergies and even though your ad text may clearly state you offer an eye allergy medication, you will receive inadvertent visitors. More specific terms cost less and attract more targeted visitors.
Utilize “Exact” or “Phrase” Match Options.
Using broad match options in your paid search campaign is nearly as bad as buying broad search terms in the first place. For example, if you bid on the search term “eye allergy medication” but set the match type to broad, then your ad will still show up when an information seeker searches on “allergy”. Setting the match type to exact or phrase match will insure that your ad only shows up when an information seeker searches on “eye allergy medication”. You should also consider adjusting your bids based on the match type settings. Visitors who come from an ad that is set to exact match are usually more valuable than a visitor who comes from an ad on broad match.
Utilize Negative Search Terms
Negative search terms are used to further refine when ads are displayed. For example, if your website is about multiple sclerosis, one of the possible search terms could be “MS”. Unfortunately MS is also used in many searches related to Microsoft products, so negative keyphrases for “MS” would include “Office”, “Windows”, “Vista”, etc. Utilizing negative search terms is critical to keeping your ROI high.
Sponsored Search Versus Content Match
In general, sponsored search ads (the ones that appear along the top, right side, or bottom of a search result page) generate higher quality visitors than content match ads (content match ads appear next to relevant content on a network of sites that get paid to display ads from the major search engines). Why? Because when information seekers are proactively searching on information, they are more engaged in the information discovery process than they are when they are reading articles that may contain, but not be focused on, the subject of the search term. Since content ads run on an expanded set of websites such as the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, etc, they can generate a very high volume of visitors, but often times these visitors are “tire kickers” not buyers, so they will negatively affect your ROI.
Local Search Versus National Search
All three of the major search engines, Google, Yahoo, and MSN Live now offer enhanced capabilities for running localized search campaigns. Localized campaigns can be defined in a number of ways, including: a radius around a city, a set of states, a region of the country, etc. Localized campaigns are a great way to adjust your ad messaging by region, and they enable you to adjust your bids based on the local level of competition. To use the allergy example again, if your company sells a medication for airborne allergies, then it probably makes sense to limit your campaign to the southern states during the winter and expand it into the northern states in spring. Running a campaign for mold spore allergies in Maine in January may generate some visitors but they probably won’t be in the buying mode until spring, so you’ll end up paying for twice as many clicks.

Ask your paid search campaign manager if they are following these best practices to produce the highest ROI possible for your campaign. If they are, then you’ll be in good shape to determine if your ROI justifies spending more or less in the future. In many cases you will find that some keyphrases are producing much better results and others, but that is to be expected since every keyphrase has varying degrees of relevance to your product or website. I’ll talk more about that topic in my next article.

If your campaign manager is not utilizing these best practices, then its time to find a new campaign manager.