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Mobile Trends - Recycle OR Donate Unused Mobile Devices

 

Earth Day Resolutions

Benefits to Recycling Mobile Devices

As an Internet Marketing firm, we too need to continously find ways to stay with the environmental movement.  We specialize in mobile marketing and have learned that recycling/donating unused mobile devices is powerful, important and can make a difference both environmentally and socially. 

Mobile devices are becoming dispensable with the rapid rate of technology. Let’s ban together and view Earth Day as a time to re-energize our earth-friendly resolutions!

What do you do with your old mobile devices, PDAs, chargers, and batteries? According to an Environmental Protection Agency report, only about 10 percent of the cell phones used in the United States are recycled. Did you know…Recycling one million cell phones saves enough energy to power more than 185 US households with electricity for a year?

SOLUTIONS - Recycle or donate...it’s the right thing to do! Both help the environment by saving energy, conserving natural resources and keeping reusable materials out of landfills. Donating helps our soldiers and those in need.

OPTION 1: Recycle/donate your mobile devices and such by dropping it off at one of these retailers/service providers below. Visit the links for detailed drop-off and collection event information.

AT&TRecycle OR Donate Unused Mobile Devices

Best Buy

Office Depot

Sony Ericsson

Sprint

Staples

T-Mobile

LG Electronics

Verizon Wireless

OPTION 2: Mail in your old mobile device and such to one of the retailers/service providers below. Visit the links for details.

Nokia

Sprint

Samsung

T-Mobile

Motorola

LG Electronics

Verizon Wireless

Sony Ericsson

Note: The Click Depot.com and EPA don’t endorse the commercial services or products of its Plug-In To eCycling partners.

To read the EPA’s flyer regarding their recycle program, click on this button:

Click HERE to learn about the EPA's Recycle Program.

Additional Mobile Device Recycling Sources:

http://www.epa.gov/osw/partnerships/plugin/cellphone/index.htm

http://www.epa.gov/osw/partnerships/plugin/podcasts/index.htm#cell

http://www.gowirelessgogreen.org/

http://www.recellular.com/

http://cellphonesforsoldiers.com/

Donate your unused mobile devices to deployed & returning soldiers!

Interested in learning more about our Mobile & Internet arketing services? Contact us today for a FREE Analysis and/or Information!

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The Basics for Local Internet Marketing for Small Businesses

 

The Internet is most people’s first stop to search for information or to do some convenient online shopping. More than 190 billion searches were done via search engines in 2011. Businesses that enjoyed a good part of this traffic, used Internet Marketing to reach clientele they might not have otherwise reached.  The success of a business therefore lies in knowing how to develop effective Internet strategies for local businesses. Local Internet Marketing is especially important for small businesses who do not have a budget for advertising  or traditional campaigns.

 Cost of Advertising

It is important to recognize that it is not always the number of visitors to a website that counts the most, but the quality of your visitors.  It matters how your website drives action, whether it's a phone call, e-mail, visit to your store front or on-line purchase!  This is where a professional search engine optimization (SEO) company comes in. They can make a big difference in terms of turning web searches into real purchases, all the while consulting you on your cyber store-front, which is your website.

Web presence alone is not enough. Small business Internet Marketing involves putting in place effective strategies to drive traffic to your site and turn those hits into actual purchases is what sets a gainful website apart from an idle or mediocre one. There are millions of people using the Internet making the potential for doing great business infinite. A SEO optimization expert can help tap into this potential and help them to turn hits into actual buys and big profits.

Getting onto the first or top five pages of a popular search engine like MSN, Yahoo or Google gives a company integrity and it is a feat to be proud of. Being anywhere below this puts a business at the same standing with others and means that one is losing at least 80 percent of potential clients to companies in the first five pages offering similar services.

A professional SEO company turns things around by first of all conducting thorough research into keywords that get hits and those that do not. They also have the mechanisms to isolate keywords that are unique so that it is your website that comes up when a search using the keywords is conducted. This is one small business internet marketing strategy that keeps one a step ahead of the competition. Users tend to go with the search results that comes up on top of the page. 

In addition, the SEO company will analyze a business operations in detail based on information a client will reveal especially about their revenue and their targets. A game plan is then formulated so that every hit in the website turns into a purchase. No hard selling like repeat e-mails or spam are used to avoid putting off prospective clients.

There are some intriguing testimonials about SEO companies online who have undertaken small business internetmarketing for different kinds of businesses and even non-profit organizations. There is one very pleased and content client who talks about a turn around that raised turnover by 750 percent after their site was redone but with subtle changes. It took less than 20 sales to achieve this whereas the company previously needed 20 to 25 sales to make about $2,500 monthly. The change was not in the website as much as in getting browsers to make a purchase and not one but at least two or three items.

Your can see the same turn around in your business after  TheClickDepot.com undertakes your small to midsize local business!  We look forward to talking with you by phone, live chat or receiving a contact form requesting a FREE ANALYSIS!  (866) 960-9353.  Tell us about your business and we'll customize solutions that best suit your goals and neeeds. free-analysis-seal

 

Best Internet Marketing Practices

 

Organic SEO

The key to SEO is providing quality content – if you provide it, they (Google, Bing, Yahoo) will come (by bumping you up the organic search totem pole).

DO:
  • Research what keywords to target and use them tastefully in text and tags.

  • Blog frequently (at least once a week) on topics related to your target audience and keywords.

  • Link to related sites, and don’t be afraid to ask those sites to return the favor! Inbound links from reputable sources are a great way to boost your page ranking.

DO NOT:
  • Overstuff keywords; search engines are getting smarter and smarter at sniffing that out.

  • Write blog articles that are just sales pitches; the objective should be to inform and invoke discussion.

PPC

Pay-per-click (PPC) is a popular internet marketing method that exposes your website with targeted advertising (Google AdWords, Facebook Ads, etc.)

DO:
  • Include a call to action in your ad, and make sure it’s relevant to the content on the page to which you’re linking.

  • Create, test, measure, tweak – it’s an ever-turning cycle. If something’s not working, be prepared to make some changes.

DO NOT:
  • Fail to connect your keywords to your ad to your website; include a keyword in the ad, and use that same keyword on the linked page.

  • Expect your ads to work instant miracles. Give them at least a few weeks to a month before you really start sweating the numbers.

Mobile Marketing

These days, almost everyone has a mobile device. Appealing to the mobile crowd has become an important part of internet marketing.

DO:
  • Research what type of mobile devices your target audience uses.

  • Create an app or optimize your website with what your customers want on the go – coupons, locations, hours, etc.

DO NOT:
  • Inundate consumers with spammy text messages.

  • Expect to make money off a mobile app; if you have an online presence, people expect a mobile companion.

Social Media Marketing

Today, people don’t want you to push your product at them, but they do want to know that you exist and that you care. Enter social media, a key component of any internet marketing strategy.

DO:
  • Use social media to interact with your customers.

  • Update your statuses at least once or twice a week (preferably daily).

  • Provide informative status updates that are relevant to the products/services you provide.

DO NOT:
  • Use social media solely to push your products/services.

Map Listings

If you have a local presence, map listings are an excellent internet marketing tool. The best part? It’s free!

DO:
  • Claim your business. You’ll need to confirm your business address (Google sends you a postcard with a verification code) before you can add information.

  • Include a link to your website on your map listing.

DO NOT:
  • Claim a business that is not your own.

  • Add positive reviews for your own business to beef up the rating.

  • Add negative reviews for competing businesses to bring down their rating.

All of this seem a bit overwhelming? You don’t have to go at it alone! The Click Depot isdedicated to helping small businesses succeed in the world of internet marketing. Give us a call at (866) 960-9353 to learn more or set up a free consultation!

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6 Tips for Contact Forms - Web Design Fundamentals

 

Contact forms are the most important call to action on your website, aside from making sure your phone number is easily found. A primary goal for any Internet Marketing firm is to drive visitors to contact you.  Here are some fundamental tips to optimize, manage and make the most of your contact forms:

#1 - Test the Form: If you haven't seen a contact form come in for an extended period of time, first check your spam and junk folders. IF the contact form is in your spam/junk folder, see Tip #2 on how to ensure you receive them in your Inbox instead.

IF the contact form is NOT in the spam/junk folders - test the forms out yourself. If you run a test and still don’t see the contact form, let us know!

#2 - Ensure Inbox Delivery: To ensure your contact forms go into your Inbox (not your spam/junk folders); add the e-mail address your forms come from to your address book.

#3 - Confirmation: Typically websites generate a “your email has been sent” page or response.CAPTCHA Example & Contact Form Fundamentals This gives users some assurance they successfully sent you their information.

To provide users a stronger peace of mind, set up an auto response from your email host. When you receive a contact form inquiry, your email host will automatically generate a response to the inquirer, giving them even more assurance.

Extra Tip: In your auto-response, advise them when you will follow up, within a certain time period, i.e. within 24-hours AND include instructions on how they can get a faster response.

#4 - Response Time: Quickly responding to your inquiries is imperative. The obvious advice is to respond as soon as you receive it, but more realistically within 24-hours is the best practice.

#5 - Basic Form Data: At a minimum, you want to include these fields of information in your contact forms: Name – Email – Message. Forms can be tailored to include other specific fields based on your particular business. Additionally you can also make certain fields of information required in order for someone to submit the form. Users are typically notified when trying to submit without the required information.

#6 - Spam: Spam is unsolicited (unwanted) bulk messaging often times generated by programs, which automatically find and submit spam messages through contact forms. These programs are called spambots. It's simply a sign of the technical era and is unavoidable.

If you start receiving an overwhelming amount of spam on a daily bases, try CAPTCHA.  It requires a manual validation process to make sure the one submitting a contact form is a human and not a spambot/program.  There are free resources out there.  Just use the keyword "captcha".

Rank Tracker Tool for Better Search Search Engine Rankings

 

Does your website rely on Google's search engine rankings to draw in traffic and sell your products and services? If so, you need an advanced Internet Marketing resource that will keep your site at the top of the search results page each and every day.

Imagine an internet marketing tool that lets you see where all of your critical keywords are ranking on Google. Simply use the tool to review the keywords that you are promoting and check up on how well those words are ranking plus how often searchers are selecting them. This will let you know exactly how often viewers are choosing those keywords to get to your site to make a purchase, sign up for your free promotion, or even download music, software or your latest e-book.

Is that something you are looking for as a webmaster or site manager? Think of the alternative. In internet marketing you know how time consuming it is to try to locate a URL that ranks badly, perhaps showing up on page ten or worse of the Google page ranking results. Just think with this internet marketing tool, this is no longer a problem. The Tracker quickly locates and highlights your URL ranking which helps you to monitor your site rankings per keywords easily and most importantly, efficiently. This saves you time and allows simple monitoring of dozens of keywords.

Automatic Keyword Monitoring
With this amazing Rank Tracker tool, you can setup the URLs you want to keep track of in advance. Simply set them up to report rankings any time you want to see ranking results. Based on how well the keywords rank, now you can make decisions about rerunning a campaign or enhancing a particular keyword that is getting a top position day after day.

Automatic Search Engine Rankings
Are you trying to determine where to increase your internet marketing budget based on keywords that rank well? Now there’s no need to spend time monitoring whether your site has moved up a position in the search engines. The Rank Tracker will report on any change in search engine rankings so that you can accurately set your Internet Marketing budget. Once you set it up, it will automatically check rankings. This means, there’s no need to wait thirty days to find out how well a keyword ranks. With the Rank Tracker Tool, now you can get answers on search engine rankings within days.

Keyword Profits
Find the best keywords through the Rank Tracker keyword suggestion tool. This tool allows you the internet marketer to refine a keyword list quickly and even allows the use of a competitor site for hints of their high ranking keyword suggestions.

Understanding your Rankings
In internet marketing it is important that keywords are used skillfully and effectively to get higher page rankings. With the Rank Tracker Tool, it is no longer difficult to understand your site Analytics and tracking reports. In fact, with each report comes the valuable data needed to make the right decisions at the right time, raising your site rankings in the Google search results.

Don't have the time or interest in utilizing available tools?  Let us help you!

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Social Media Marketing: Why It's Important to Small Businesses

 

Quick question: What is the most limiting factor for a small business trying to reach out to potential clients? For almost every small-business, the limitations on advertising and marketing are entirely about budget. Fortunately for you as a small business, the most effective forms of marketing are not the expensive ones, but the social media marketing formats that reach out personally and instantaneously, leveraging connectivity with consumers which now guides the majority of their choices.

It’s a “Mobile App” World

More than half of American adults now use a smartphone, so if you’re not utilizing the media that connect to hand-held devices, you’re missing a huge untapped market. Consumers are Tweeting, Facebooking, Chatting, and Googling on the go and you can easily insert yourself into their social media stream of consciousness. For a one-time development cost, you can even create a downloadable application specific to your business, allowing clients to order or schedule goods or services with a single screen-touch. Even without a proprietary app, you can still make use of the existing apps that so many consumers already have in their hands.

Intentional Tweeting

One of the greatest values of Twitter is its ability to regularly re-insert your business into the consciousness of clients and potential consumers. The keys to using Twitter as a social media marketing tool are (1) to build a following, and (2) to be deliberate and intentional in the content of your tweets. Creating a following can be accomplished by a combination of methods:

  • Browse topics and Tweeters, and “follow” those whose topics and Tweets either indicate that they might be interested in your service, or that their followers might be. Generally speaking, a Tweeter will respond with a “follow-back,” so they’ll see what you have to say, and maybe even re-tweet to their own followers.

  • Include an easy link to your Twitter account on your website, enabling a quick visitor to the site to follow with a single click, and subsequently be regularly reminded of your business when they see your Tweets.

  • Offer a prize-drawing, with a “follow” on Twitter serving as the contest entry.

  • Tweet content that draws attention in its own right, and draws followers who have searched for topics related to your business.

That last element is the most important, because a huge Twitter following won’t serve the purpose you intended if your Tweets themselves aren’t carrying an effective message. And let’s be honest—it’s a challenge to pack a meaningful message into 140 characters! Tweet about aspects of life, society, education, or services that relate to your business, establishing yourself as an expert in your own area of knowledge, rather than restricting yourself to self-promotion. All of these techniques will also work on a site like Facebook—with the exception of the 140-character limit.

Linking Up With LinkedIn

Another face of social media marketing is the professional networking site, with LinkedIn serving as the most widely-used example. This venue is essentially a professional version of FaceBook, where membersDiversify your Social Media Marketing post resumes, recommendations, and marketing materials, as well as blogs and multimedia. Professional groups within the site allow you to meet and network with people in your field, establishing business contacts and expanding your customer base.

If you’d like to take your social media marketing to the next level with services like optimizing your website to drive traffic and optimizing internet marketing, an expert team is just a phone call away: (866) 960-9353. The days are long gone when the printed phone-book served as the most basic of marketing necessities—you can reach out much more effectively to today’s connection-conscious consumers.

Mobile Website: 5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs One

 

The last couple years have seen a quiet revolution in the way that people communicate and access the Internet. More and more people are “going mobile” today, and so should your business. The business world has been slow to realize the importance of mobile, and now is the time to embrace it with a mobile web site. This is a rising tide and you can either be riding the wave, or get trapped in the undertow.

1. Market penetration for mobile internet devices is huge, and still growing.

Smartphone penetration has increased at an astounding rate, both in the US and worldwide.It's believed that over eighty-five percent of mobile phones sold in the US and Europe this year will be able to access the Internet. Globally, more than 1.2 billion people are mobile web-surfers. Tablets too have finally caught on with consumers, with approximately 55 million coming into use in the US during 2012 – that's a 17% market penetration, and it's only going to grow.

That's a lot of customers searching for you from mobile devices, and if you don't have a mobile website they can view, they'll just find a competitor who can.

2. People are using mobile devices to find you, even locally.

According to a Google survey, 65% of mobile users said they have used their mobile devices to find physical stores to make an in-store purchase. This isn't just about you making online sales – a mobile website helps direct people to your front door.  

Further, over 50% of holiday shoppers used their mobile devices to research products and redeem coupons. If they aren't visiting your website, they're visiting someone else's. You need to capture that traffic.

3. Mobile shopping is on the rise as well.

Between 45% and 67% of consumers (see link above) intended to use their mobile devices to make purchases this past holiday season.  

Also, a stunt Amazon pulled recently showed how much influence mobile shopping now has on consumer behavior. By offering a 5% discount to anyone who used Amazon's app to scan a barcode in-store, they turned traditional stores into their own sales floor. In that sort of business climate, you need a mobile website to be able to compete against online-only shops.

4. Mobile websites are cheaper than the alternatives.

One of the best aspects of a mobile website is that it's cheaper than a traditional website. Because mobile sites are streamlined to be simplified and low-bandwidth, that means you don't have to pay for fancy Flash elements or large, complex graphics.  Also, mobile sites are straightforward and to-the-point, which m easier to get your message across to your customers.

5. Mobile websites go hand-in-hand with your social marketing strategies.

One cannot understate the influence that social networking websites are having on businesses. Today's Internet-empowered consumers rely on their network of friends when making decisions. Any Internet marketing strategist will tell you that you need to be courting social sites in your marketing.

Having a mobile site that links straight into Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and all the other influential websites provides a huge boost to those efforts. The easier it is for people to blog about you, the more your message will spread.

In short, 2012 may be the year that mobile became the driving force in online business. There's no stopping this particular bandwagon – the advantages of mobile to the consumer are too overwhelming to be fought. NOW truly is the time to embrace a mobile website and mobile marketing if you haven't already, so that you are ready for the coming year.

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Google +, A New Social Media

 

Google continues to make radical transformations so that connecting on the web is more like connecting in the real world, creating more social media outlets for users.  They are calling their new social world Google + AND say it’s just the beginning of their new way of sharing on the web.  Knowing their modem operandi, we’re pretty sure Google will deliver on that statement!

For businesses...this just adds more web marketing tools to the mix, which to some means more to manage.  No need to jump or feel anxious.  We’re just making you aware of Google’s new social direction.  As with anything you’ll want to choose the tools that help you the most and not waste valuable time trying things that don’t have real potential to generate revenue.

Google is tying all their social tools together to enhance socializing for users.Did you know…that when logged into your Google account, they already show you tailored content and relevant search results/ads?  So whatever “Sally” sees in her search results will be different than “John’s”.  How?  Google uses your profile and historical search trends to customize your web experience.  You have to be logged into your Google account in order to receive these tailored results.

To elevate their platform, they need to change their privacy policy and terms of use.  If you have a Gmail account, you received an e-mail from Google with the subject: “Changes to Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service”?  Be sure to read it.  In order to make Google + work effectively, they need to streamline the information stored in all Google products (Gmail, Calendar, Search, YouTube, etc).  The new policy will take effect on March 1, 2012.Google   for Businesses

A key component of the Google + world is setting up circles, which allow you to share different things with different people. They say sharing the right stuff with the right people shouldn't be a hassle, BUT keep in mind you have to take the time to manage these circles.  Just imagine Google+ becoming Facebook’s #1 competitor!   Only time will tell if users will want to manage yet another high maintenance social channel, as if Facebook - Twitter and LinkedIn aren't enough.

Google + Login

Top 5 Reasons for Mobile Marketing

 

Over the past 5 years the rate of users going online through a smart phone such as the iPhone or Blackberry has increased at a rapid rate.  This demand makes it important for business owners to have a mobile website AND mobile marketing!

Today we have the ability to target mobile users with Display Ads, Pay Per Click or Sponsored Marketing and SEO. 

Facts & Trends:

  • 1/2 of ALL local searches are performed on mobile devices

  • 1/5 of Americans access the mobile web each day spending an average of 2.7 hours per day

  • Mobile web will overtake the desktop within 2 years

 One half of all local searches are performed on mobile devices!

Top 5 Reasons To Be Mobile Friendly:

  1. More Brand Exposure.  Having a mobile website is an additional channel for which customers can discover and familiarize them your brand. Unifying multiple channels can be a very effective and persuasive marketing strategy.  Tablet demand is increasing; industry calls it the ‘tablet gold rush’

  2. Increase in Mobile Usage.  Nearly 1/5 Americans are accessing the web daily, which means there are more opportunities for retailers.  In 2012, one in two mobile subscribers will own a smartphone. Mobile optimization is a must to keep up with increasing mobile web-user demand.

  3. Location Based Services.  Location-based services/ applications on smartphones help people connect more intimately. Additionally, location based services and features create competition, promote offers, and reward customers, ultimately driving traffic and sales.

  4. Low Cost. Mobile websites are relatively inexpensive and economical; the cost of a mobile site is a lot less costly than a regular website.

  5. Convenience.  Customers want convenience.  Mobile web provides key information on the go- anytime, anywhere.

 By 2014,mobile internet should take over desktop internet usage.

 

Learn more about Mobile Websites & Mobile Marketing... 

Call us TODAY (866) 960-9353 - Get a quote!

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Local Search is Growing

 
Local search is nothing new, but it is growing at an alarming rate. As more people discover that they can use search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo, for local searches, more businesses will take advantage of local search capabilities.

Here are some interesting statistics that business owners will find interesting. These statistics should convince you why it is important to optimize your search listing.

Search engines

There were close to two billion local search queries in January 2011. A large amount of those searches were through Google. Additionally, there were 400 million search queries through the Internet Yellow Pages in that same month.

There were 5.6 billion total local searches in 2010.

Mobile search

Mobile searches account for most of the total local searches every year. Thanks to smartphones and iPhones, mobile searches are a major contributor to these statistics. Out of the total number of smartphone users, 95 percent of them performed local searches on their device.

The number of local searches performed from mobile devices is up 34 percent from last year. Additionally, the rate at which mobile users are searching is also rising.

You may also be surprised to know that 56 percent of mobile users are performing local searches using apps. However, mobile users still use browsers as their main tool for local mobile searches. As more people turn towards their smartphone for information, the statistic for local searches performed with apps will continue to grow.

How some businesses have benefited from these statistics…

Many business owners now know that many local searches are performed by a mobile device. Therefore, they are taking advantage of mobile apps that offer coupons, such as Groupon, to market to their consumers. Apps that offer coupons based on geo-location are effective when combined with a mobile search.

Of course, many businesses still benefit from simply being on the front page of a Google search for their area. For example, if a consumer were to look for a local plumber, he would perform a search for plumbers in his area. Plumbers who optimized their local listing will most likely show up on the first page, being on both the map section and the organic listing.

Of course, as local searches trend towards mobile users, business owners who incorporate mobile app marketing will benefit the most.
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