Let’s keep on franchise blogging about franchise blogging at least one more time…
Wikid Franchise operates along the lines of Wikipedia, billing itself as an information sharing project for folks interested in franchise information. It consists only of previously published information about a franchise, wisely limiting their liability and preventing the site from becoming a site for whining about franchise (which is the province, apparently, of www.unhappyfranchisee.com
Free Accounts – Franchise Info
Members can create a free account and learn from the posted franchise articles and begin to post new information.
Is it the “largest repository of vetted information” on franchise ever compiled? Maybe – it’s got a very nice tag cloud for quick access to articles about franchises such as KrispyKreme, Subway, Dairy Queen, lots in the area of franchise.
Franchise Info, not Advertising
It’s not the place to advertise or try to gain new customers for your franchise, however; it’s aiming at becoming a library of information, with all parties interested in franchise scurrying around available media sources and posting valuable articles.
Tho possibly not every article is so valuable – one entitled “Judge fines ruffian for hurling muffin,” a news story about an unfortunate event at a Tim Horton donut franchise – may not provide valuable insights about the purchase or running of such a franchise establishment. It works well as data to shore up SouthPark’s opinion of Canada, however.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Franchise Blogging About Franchise Blogging
Today we’re franchise blogging about franchise blogging. Lots of blogging about franchises, and we’re getting into the fray.
The Wall Street Journal recently published an article (by Richard Gibson) all about franchise blogs, and the franchise blog community promptly blogged about the article on franchise blogs.
- To wit:
Franchise-Chat (http://www.franchise-chat.com/). This blog has an international flavor, if you’re interested in going global. - The Franchise Pundit (franchisepundit.com). Advice and news from a franchise attorney.
- Unhappy Franchisee (http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/). Provides a forum for discussion of negative aspects of a franchise.
- WikidFranchise.org. WikidFranchise.org Like the well-known Wikipedia, a place for anyone to add relevant information.
…And then franchise blogs blogged about the franchise blog article…
Bizzia.com blogged about the WSJ article and managed to eclipse the actual article in Google prominence.Notable sites that escaped mention include FranchisePick.Com, FranBest.com, TopNewFranchises.com, Michael Webster’s The BizOpp News, and Joel Libava’s The Franchise King blog. While not a blog, Richard Solomon’s Franchise Remedies also includes a wealth of information and insights.
All this makes me believe that the term blogosphere is literal, not figurative – the image of a giant wired structure, perhaps plexiglass, surrounding the literal globe, with electronic info pinging out and back, so that every bit of information known by any human at any time about the world of franchise is instantly known by every other human.
Check out marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Franchise And the apocalypse…
Franchise And the apocalypse…
Questionable economic times put me in mind of apocalyptic novels. My favorites, Alas, Babylon and Lucifer’s Hammer make the big point that it’s people with control of their own small business – can you say franchise – who have the best chance of survival.
Because having control of your own small team of well-trained, hard-working people who you’ve chosen to help run your franchise is a big step up.
Franchise and The Big Comet…
Say the big comet hits unexpectedly, and you and your franchise team are working a typical day. You’ve got a pool of people already practiced at working together, with a variety of skills, AND a supply of coffee, which will make you king in a post-apocalyptic environment.
Franchise and Pandemic…
Stephen King’s The Stand, right? Millions fall, but you and your franchise team are running a yacht service out of the Gulf of Mexico – you’ve got fishing gear and strong people; you’ve got a better chance than most.
Franchise and Nuclear Destruction….
Basically, no more electricity for awhile, Alas, Babylon, but with your barbeque franchise, you’ve got the tools to cook with fire, and you’ve got your franchise team of employees who are accustomed to hard work and irritable, hungry people.
Franchise and the e-bomb thingie
Nothing electrical at all, but with your furniture repair business you’ve got building skills and your franchise team of craftsmen – you’re golden!
Check out marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Questionable economic times put me in mind of apocalyptic novels. My favorites, Alas, Babylon and Lucifer’s Hammer make the big point that it’s people with control of their own small business – can you say franchise – who have the best chance of survival.
Because having control of your own small team of well-trained, hard-working people who you’ve chosen to help run your franchise is a big step up.
Franchise and The Big Comet…
Say the big comet hits unexpectedly, and you and your franchise team are working a typical day. You’ve got a pool of people already practiced at working together, with a variety of skills, AND a supply of coffee, which will make you king in a post-apocalyptic environment.
Franchise and Pandemic…
Stephen King’s The Stand, right? Millions fall, but you and your franchise team are running a yacht service out of the Gulf of Mexico – you’ve got fishing gear and strong people; you’ve got a better chance than most.
Franchise and Nuclear Destruction….
Basically, no more electricity for awhile, Alas, Babylon, but with your barbeque franchise, you’ve got the tools to cook with fire, and you’ve got your franchise team of employees who are accustomed to hard work and irritable, hungry people.
Franchise and the e-bomb thingie
Nothing electrical at all, but with your furniture repair business you’ve got building skills and your franchise team of craftsmen – you’re golden!
Check out marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Hellow Franchise! Own Your Own!
Hello, Franchise! Part II
Bye, bye, old job, hello franchise – sing to “Mary Had a Little Lamb” – bye, bye, old job, hello franchise, hello franchise, hello franchise, bye, bye old job, hello franchise, where you own your own.
Hello, Franchise! Where You Own Your Own!
Hey, some of us have lived being an employee under Michael Scott, from “The Office” fame. I personally was supervised by a Michael with all the badness and none of the redeeming simple-but-well-meaning virtues Steve Carrell portrays so winningly.
But now you can leave all that behind you. Honestly, it won’t take long to find a franchise opportunity to pique your interest; just take a deep breath and start on your research.
Here’s another good franchise site, maintained by USA Today: http://usatoday.franchisesolutions.com/top_franchises_info.cfm
Oooh! You can get into the cruise industry, barbeque, internet, hardware, furniture repair, video games, salad! Seems to be a franchise for any and all tastes and talents.
When you own your own franchise, there is no Michael Scott; it’s all Jim and Pam; hire your own folk, willing to work a full day for a day’s pay. I can imagine it all now, me, Jim and Pam, running a franchise cruise line out of a lovely tropical city; or a barbeque franchise out of an adorable Texas town… Ahh, the franchise life.
Check out franchise marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Bye, bye, old job, hello franchise – sing to “Mary Had a Little Lamb” – bye, bye, old job, hello franchise, hello franchise, hello franchise, bye, bye old job, hello franchise, where you own your own.
Hello, Franchise! Where You Own Your Own!
Hey, some of us have lived being an employee under Michael Scott, from “The Office” fame. I personally was supervised by a Michael with all the badness and none of the redeeming simple-but-well-meaning virtues Steve Carrell portrays so winningly.
But now you can leave all that behind you. Honestly, it won’t take long to find a franchise opportunity to pique your interest; just take a deep breath and start on your research.
Here’s another good franchise site, maintained by USA Today: http://usatoday.franchisesolutions.com/top_franchises_info.cfm
Oooh! You can get into the cruise industry, barbeque, internet, hardware, furniture repair, video games, salad! Seems to be a franchise for any and all tastes and talents.
When you own your own franchise, there is no Michael Scott; it’s all Jim and Pam; hire your own folk, willing to work a full day for a day’s pay. I can imagine it all now, me, Jim and Pam, running a franchise cruise line out of a lovely tropical city; or a barbeque franchise out of an adorable Texas town… Ahh, the franchise life.
Check out franchise marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Hello, Franchise!
Hello, Franchise
Clichés turn into clichés for a reason. Lemon into lemonade. Bye, bye, old job; Hello, Franchise.
If you’re out of a job, best advice is to allow yourself a day or two of depression and panic and then to get going. Segue – surf YouTube and then gradually start looking at sites to help your job search.
Hello, Franchise
But consider creating your own job that you have full control over – can you say Hello, Franchise? Start at http://www.fbr50.com/ Franchise Business Review.
The current homepage reflects a survey of happy franchise owners, the most popular and successful – take a look-see. Some franchise opportunities exist for a very minimal investment – some as low as $4,000 - $8,000! Hello, Franchise!
And it’s likely that even a cursory review of these franchise opportunities will re-awaken some long-lost interest – well, pretzels, certainly, who wouldn’t want a pretzel franchise, but also using your sports abilities to train adults or children; using computer talents to fix computers for money.
Hello, Franchise!
Think of it – spending your time using your sports skills and your skills dealing with kids, out in the open air, actually playing for a living. Bye, bye, old job; Hello, Franchise.
Check out franchise, marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Clichés turn into clichés for a reason. Lemon into lemonade. Bye, bye, old job; Hello, Franchise.
If you’re out of a job, best advice is to allow yourself a day or two of depression and panic and then to get going. Segue – surf YouTube and then gradually start looking at sites to help your job search.
Hello, Franchise
But consider creating your own job that you have full control over – can you say Hello, Franchise? Start at http://www.fbr50.com/ Franchise Business Review.
The current homepage reflects a survey of happy franchise owners, the most popular and successful – take a look-see. Some franchise opportunities exist for a very minimal investment – some as low as $4,000 - $8,000! Hello, Franchise!
And it’s likely that even a cursory review of these franchise opportunities will re-awaken some long-lost interest – well, pretzels, certainly, who wouldn’t want a pretzel franchise, but also using your sports abilities to train adults or children; using computer talents to fix computers for money.
Hello, Franchise!
Think of it – spending your time using your sports skills and your skills dealing with kids, out in the open air, actually playing for a living. Bye, bye, old job; Hello, Franchise.
Check out franchise, marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Direct Mail Will Never Go Out of Style - The Old Songs
Direct mail will never go out of style, and the reason is the effectiveness of song lyrics. What good is “She sent me an email; said she couldn’t live without me no more…” No, no, it has to be direct mail; she sent me a letter.
Direct Mail and Mr. Postman
Direct mail will never go out of style. What good is “Please, please, Mr. e-mail server administrator….” No, no, it has to be direct mail; please Mr. Postman.
Direct mail will never go out of style. What good is “I’m going to sit right down and text myself a text message and make believe it came from you….” No, no, it has to be direct mail; write myself a letter.
Direct Mail Train
Direct mail will never go out of style. What good is, well, what can you even do with “till the mail train comes back, rollin in my sweet baby’s arms?” Till POP3 ports back to 110? No, no, it has to be direct mail, the direct mail train.
Direct mail will never go out of style. What good is, “Just ftp our electronic messages to the county jail domain….” No, no, it has to be direct mail; send our mail to the Tijuana jail.
You gotta be convinced now. Check out marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Direct Mail and Mr. Postman
Direct mail will never go out of style. What good is “Please, please, Mr. e-mail server administrator….” No, no, it has to be direct mail; please Mr. Postman.
Direct mail will never go out of style. What good is “I’m going to sit right down and text myself a text message and make believe it came from you….” No, no, it has to be direct mail; write myself a letter.
Direct Mail Train
Direct mail will never go out of style. What good is, well, what can you even do with “till the mail train comes back, rollin in my sweet baby’s arms?” Till POP3 ports back to 110? No, no, it has to be direct mail, the direct mail train.
Direct mail will never go out of style. What good is, “Just ftp our electronic messages to the county jail domain….” No, no, it has to be direct mail; send our mail to the Tijuana jail.
You gotta be convinced now. Check out marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Cylon Philosophy as Applied to Direct Mail Marketing
Don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with Battlestar Galactica, but you may have noticed the following recurring phrase: “All this has happened before, and will happen again.”
Cylon Philosophy as Applied to Direct Mail Marketing
This is pretty much the way of things in life, fiction, and in marketing of all sorts. Direct mail marketing might have been presumed to have gone the way of the “Toasters” – the original Cylons – obsolete.
Direct Mail Marketing On Earth
But direct mail never really went away. Direct mail marketing to potential customers is still a viable marketing technique. Direct mail can be customized to specific neighborhoods, districts, zips, as well as to specific economies and interests.
Direct mail marketing has an additional advantage in tough economic times – customers are more willing to carefully consider mail containing coupons than they might be in more affluent times. Direct mail marketing is obviously a great way to get the coupon directly into the hands of customers.
You can get a little expansive with direct mail, unlike the rigid constraints imposed upon radio or television advertisements. Direct mail can contain far more information, and consumers may well pay more attention, as they can pick up your direct mail postcard at their leisure and read it all through
In troublesome times, consumers tend to take emotional solace in tradition, making them more likely to celebrate holidays and events and thus more likely to look twice at the coupon in your direct mail postcard.
All this has happened before and will happen again – applies to direct mail marketing as well as to the destinies of humans and robots.
Check out marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Cylon Philosophy as Applied to Direct Mail Marketing
This is pretty much the way of things in life, fiction, and in marketing of all sorts. Direct mail marketing might have been presumed to have gone the way of the “Toasters” – the original Cylons – obsolete.
Direct Mail Marketing On Earth
But direct mail never really went away. Direct mail marketing to potential customers is still a viable marketing technique. Direct mail can be customized to specific neighborhoods, districts, zips, as well as to specific economies and interests.
Direct mail marketing has an additional advantage in tough economic times – customers are more willing to carefully consider mail containing coupons than they might be in more affluent times. Direct mail marketing is obviously a great way to get the coupon directly into the hands of customers.
You can get a little expansive with direct mail, unlike the rigid constraints imposed upon radio or television advertisements. Direct mail can contain far more information, and consumers may well pay more attention, as they can pick up your direct mail postcard at their leisure and read it all through
In troublesome times, consumers tend to take emotional solace in tradition, making them more likely to celebrate holidays and events and thus more likely to look twice at the coupon in your direct mail postcard.
All this has happened before and will happen again – applies to direct mail marketing as well as to the destinies of humans and robots.
Check out marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Franchises, the down economy, and direct mail marketing
Franchises, the down economy, and direct mail marketing
In questionable economic times, people tend to roll back to dependable stuff and to distrust innovation. Like most things people tend to do, there are both bad and good elements.
When it comes to marketing, direct mail is a longstanding, proven method. Direct mail marketing is easily targeted to specific communities, great for local businesses and franchises.
So, rolling back to proven direct mail marketing techniques is a good thing.
Distrusting innovation, however, can be problematic; for business owners already wary of anything involving the Internet, which can seem ephemeral and mystical, ignoring new marketing techniques can leave the business behind when the economy improves.
In an unhappy economy, prices for just about everything a business tends to need are generally lower, and though it may go against instinct, it’s actually a good time to innovate.
The Direct Mail Combo Platter
Direct mail marketing combined with modern data techniques can be pretty nifty; for those companies who dare to innovate during hard times, the combination of moving electrons and direct mail can be an exciting prospect.
Some of us can remember when demographic research for direct mail marketing was done at the library with reference books, telephone books, and a yellow legal pad.
Direct Mail Starship
If databases make your direct mail marketing campaign about a thousand times easier, why not boldly go?
In questionable economic times, people tend to roll back to dependable stuff and to distrust innovation. Like most things people tend to do, there are both bad and good elements.
When it comes to marketing, direct mail is a longstanding, proven method. Direct mail marketing is easily targeted to specific communities, great for local businesses and franchises.
So, rolling back to proven direct mail marketing techniques is a good thing.
Distrusting innovation, however, can be problematic; for business owners already wary of anything involving the Internet, which can seem ephemeral and mystical, ignoring new marketing techniques can leave the business behind when the economy improves.
In an unhappy economy, prices for just about everything a business tends to need are generally lower, and though it may go against instinct, it’s actually a good time to innovate.
The Direct Mail Combo Platter
Direct mail marketing combined with modern data techniques can be pretty nifty; for those companies who dare to innovate during hard times, the combination of moving electrons and direct mail can be an exciting prospect.
Some of us can remember when demographic research for direct mail marketing was done at the library with reference books, telephone books, and a yellow legal pad.
Direct Mail Starship
If databases make your direct mail marketing campaign about a thousand times easier, why not boldly go?
Monday, January 26, 2009
Part II - Search Engine Optimization, Austin
Part III: Another Search engine optimization Metaphor
Dear Austin – Thank you for asking advice from LAL – here’s Part III of my advice:
Okay, we’re still thinking of ourselves as a website that needs search engine optimization, Austin. Now we’re going to focus on the putting ourselves out there part of the metaphor – social networking.
Social networking in love vs. Social networking in Search Engine Optimization, Austin:
In love, social networking means networking with people with similar interests; in search engine optimization, Austin, social networking means networking your site to potential visitors with similar interests.
If you’re working to optimize for teens, you’re lucky; Facebook and Myspace have zillions of users, mostly teens; creating a page on those sites will put your site out there in a big way.
Other social networking sites, such as delicious, StumbleUpon, Digg, YouTube, offer plenteous opportunities for search engine optimization, Austin.
YouTube is an amazing tool for search engine optimization; searches will almost always take a minute to watch a video; users can exchange comments on videos, post video responses, and in general create the kind of community that spreads in a viral way when working towards search engine optimization, Austin. Nowadays, with webcams, videos can be created pretty quickly, and if you have something worthwhile to say, you’ll get an audience.
To summarize, when working towards search engine optimization, Austin, you need to clean up shop, be yourself, and get out there and mingle. Everything your mom always said, in fact.
Check out SEO Austin expert company JCJ Interactive for more information on search engine optimization.
Dear Austin – Thank you for asking advice from LAL – here’s Part III of my advice:
Okay, we’re still thinking of ourselves as a website that needs search engine optimization, Austin. Now we’re going to focus on the putting ourselves out there part of the metaphor – social networking.
Social networking in love vs. Social networking in Search Engine Optimization, Austin:
In love, social networking means networking with people with similar interests; in search engine optimization, Austin, social networking means networking your site to potential visitors with similar interests.
If you’re working to optimize for teens, you’re lucky; Facebook and Myspace have zillions of users, mostly teens; creating a page on those sites will put your site out there in a big way.
Other social networking sites, such as delicious, StumbleUpon, Digg, YouTube, offer plenteous opportunities for search engine optimization, Austin.
YouTube is an amazing tool for search engine optimization; searches will almost always take a minute to watch a video; users can exchange comments on videos, post video responses, and in general create the kind of community that spreads in a viral way when working towards search engine optimization, Austin. Nowadays, with webcams, videos can be created pretty quickly, and if you have something worthwhile to say, you’ll get an audience.
To summarize, when working towards search engine optimization, Austin, you need to clean up shop, be yourself, and get out there and mingle. Everything your mom always said, in fact.
Check out SEO Austin expert company JCJ Interactive for more information on search engine optimization.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Franchises Can Get a Bad Rap
Franchise and Undeserved Bad Raps
Unfortunately, it’s true that sometimes the notion of franchise will have connotations of boring, vanilla, too-plain.
Franchise in the Movies
Like in the movie “Empire Records” where the fab small record store fights to resist becoming a supposedly evil franchise. The kids in the movie are missing a big point – most franchises are individualized to a degree; it’s certainly possible for a cute store to become a franchise of a big chain without losing all personality.
Advantages of Franchise:
· Name Recognition: I mean, “Empire Records” could be a data storage service, couldn’t it?
· Lower risk of failure: a franchise can build on the successes of the franchisor
· Training and management: a franchise reaps the benefits of a much larger knowledge base.
· Bulk Purchases: a franchise gains from corporate numbers – volume buyers get better discounts.
· Marketing – This is a big one – corporations can afford to design and implement the marketing for all its franchises, taking a huge responsibility from each franchise location.
Franchise Reality
While it is true that some franchises will straight-jacket all the individuality out of a concern, the sheer volume of available franchises means that, with proper research and care, it’s possible to find a franchise situation that suits your personal degree of franchise-individuality / franchise-personality / franchise-crazy swinging style.
Franchise, Franchisee, Franchisor
Don’t forget to consider turning your own business into a franchise for others to buy into – maybe businesses should be copying You!
Check out marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Unfortunately, it’s true that sometimes the notion of franchise will have connotations of boring, vanilla, too-plain.
Franchise in the Movies
Like in the movie “Empire Records” where the fab small record store fights to resist becoming a supposedly evil franchise. The kids in the movie are missing a big point – most franchises are individualized to a degree; it’s certainly possible for a cute store to become a franchise of a big chain without losing all personality.
Advantages of Franchise:
· Name Recognition: I mean, “Empire Records” could be a data storage service, couldn’t it?
· Lower risk of failure: a franchise can build on the successes of the franchisor
· Training and management: a franchise reaps the benefits of a much larger knowledge base.
· Bulk Purchases: a franchise gains from corporate numbers – volume buyers get better discounts.
· Marketing – This is a big one – corporations can afford to design and implement the marketing for all its franchises, taking a huge responsibility from each franchise location.
Franchise Reality
While it is true that some franchises will straight-jacket all the individuality out of a concern, the sheer volume of available franchises means that, with proper research and care, it’s possible to find a franchise situation that suits your personal degree of franchise-individuality / franchise-personality / franchise-crazy swinging style.
Franchise, Franchisee, Franchisor
Don’t forget to consider turning your own business into a franchise for others to buy into – maybe businesses should be copying You!
Check out marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Part II: Another Search engine optimization Metaphor
Part II: Another Search engine optimization Metaphor
Dear Austin – Thank you for asking advice from LAL – here’s Part II of my advice:
Okay, we’re still thinking of ourselves as a website that needs search engine optimization, Austin. Now we’re going to focus on the searching part of the metaphor.
Metaphorical language AND search engine optimization, Austin:
If a website manages to achieve really high search engine optimization, Austin, it means true love for searchers; they find exactly what they’re looking for. But, even if the site gets millions of hits but no purchasers, the whole search engine optimization process has failed.
If you’ll follow: search engine optimization, Austin, in the love arena, will only be successful if your “search tags” reflect who you really are.
I’ll use an example geared toward girls – countless teen girls decide to find love by attracting the lowest common denominator: by bleaching their hair, going bulimic, and wearing tacky, revealing clothes.
This search engine optimization technique, Austin, produces attention for the girl, but not attention from guys optimized to who she really is.
And the same will prove true for you – metaphorically, in love, search engine optimization, Austin, requires both soul-searching and honesty in what you put out there for searchers to find.
Check out SEO Austin expert company JCJ Interactive for for more information on search engine optimization.
Dear Austin – Thank you for asking advice from LAL – here’s Part II of my advice:
Okay, we’re still thinking of ourselves as a website that needs search engine optimization, Austin. Now we’re going to focus on the searching part of the metaphor.
Metaphorical language AND search engine optimization, Austin:
If a website manages to achieve really high search engine optimization, Austin, it means true love for searchers; they find exactly what they’re looking for. But, even if the site gets millions of hits but no purchasers, the whole search engine optimization process has failed.
If you’ll follow: search engine optimization, Austin, in the love arena, will only be successful if your “search tags” reflect who you really are.
I’ll use an example geared toward girls – countless teen girls decide to find love by attracting the lowest common denominator: by bleaching their hair, going bulimic, and wearing tacky, revealing clothes.
This search engine optimization technique, Austin, produces attention for the girl, but not attention from guys optimized to who she really is.
And the same will prove true for you – metaphorically, in love, search engine optimization, Austin, requires both soul-searching and honesty in what you put out there for searchers to find.
Check out SEO Austin expert company JCJ Interactive for for more information on search engine optimization.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Another Search Engine Optimization Metaphor
Another Search engine optimization Metaphor
Dear Austin: Thank you for asking advice from LAL – here’s my advice about the encroaching Valentine’s Day:
If you’re still searching for that special someone, I’d give the same advice to you that I’d give to a website: Be Yourself.
Search engine optimization = Personal Best
If you think of yourself as a website that needs to be optimized for the right people to find you, it becomes clear. Search engine optimization, Austin, is a lot like prepping for a relationship – be yourself, and be your best self.
You can achieve beatific perfection in the search engine optimization arena, but if your website is a mess when people get there, you’ve wasted the universe’s time. If you are the website in this analogy, then before you even aim for search engine optimization, Austin (marketing yourself), you hafta clean up shop. And I don’t mean drastic temporary weight loss, either; bait and switch makes for bad romantic karma.
Just the way webmasters work to ensure their site works when visitors arrive -- do pages load quickly? do the menus make sense? Ensure your life is in working order. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people who finally fix the one thing they’ve been putting off and instantly find true love. Character is the first of three variables in finding and keeping love, but that's another blog.
Search engine optimization, Austin -- be the website. Optimize yourself .
Check out SEO Austin expert company JCJ Interactive for for more information.
Dear Austin: Thank you for asking advice from LAL – here’s my advice about the encroaching Valentine’s Day:
If you’re still searching for that special someone, I’d give the same advice to you that I’d give to a website: Be Yourself.
Search engine optimization = Personal Best
If you think of yourself as a website that needs to be optimized for the right people to find you, it becomes clear. Search engine optimization, Austin, is a lot like prepping for a relationship – be yourself, and be your best self.
You can achieve beatific perfection in the search engine optimization arena, but if your website is a mess when people get there, you’ve wasted the universe’s time. If you are the website in this analogy, then before you even aim for search engine optimization, Austin (marketing yourself), you hafta clean up shop. And I don’t mean drastic temporary weight loss, either; bait and switch makes for bad romantic karma.
Just the way webmasters work to ensure their site works when visitors arrive -- do pages load quickly? do the menus make sense? Ensure your life is in working order. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people who finally fix the one thing they’ve been putting off and instantly find true love. Character is the first of three variables in finding and keeping love, but that's another blog.
Search engine optimization, Austin -- be the website. Optimize yourself .
Check out SEO Austin expert company JCJ Interactive for for more information.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Marketing Yourself
Marketing Yourself
You are not unskilled, okay? Think of yourself as a product that a marketing firm is taking on as a client -- stand back and look objectively at everything you do for the world – your family, house, church, community, yard, even your pets.
Don’t edit, just free-flow; make a list of what you’re good at, what you most enjoy doing. Don’t be modest, be marketing firm objective about your client, yourself.
Marketing analysis for instance:
While performing your marketing analysis, keep in mind that the Internet makes dreams possible now that weren’t when you were a rash, crazy kid. Why shouldn’t you be able to sell your photography online? If creating a marketing website seems beyond you, then start with tutorials on how to sell on ebay.
Marketing, say, original photography, art, handmade crafts, to the entire planet is suddenly quite possible.
Marketing Mantra to Live By:
For help with marketing and direct mail for franchises click for more information.
You are not unskilled, okay? Think of yourself as a product that a marketing firm is taking on as a client -- stand back and look objectively at everything you do for the world – your family, house, church, community, yard, even your pets.
Don’t edit, just free-flow; make a list of what you’re good at, what you most enjoy doing. Don’t be modest, be marketing firm objective about your client, yourself.
Marketing analysis for instance:
This 50-year old man has a 20 year history of solid employee traits –
dependable, resourceful, creative.
He’s the official photographer for his kid’s activities and always volunteers his skills for family weddings and events….
While performing your marketing analysis, keep in mind that the Internet makes dreams possible now that weren’t when you were a rash, crazy kid. Why shouldn’t you be able to sell your photography online? If creating a marketing website seems beyond you, then start with tutorials on how to sell on ebay.
Marketing, say, original photography, art, handmade crafts, to the entire planet is suddenly quite possible.
Marketing Mantra to Live By:
When life hands you a lemon, create an ebay marketing plan that hypes lemon interest to the point of hysteria.
For help with marketing and direct mail for franchises click for more information.
Monday, January 5, 2009
SEO and the Average Searcher
Adventures with Search Engines
Hey, sometimes I volunteer out at libraries in “at risk” Austin neighborhoods with kids and computers – something I recommend to all geeks, by the way. And I was helping a kid with his search engine travels. He had a favorite rap star who sported a “grill,” and he decided to find him with this search: “grill”
So, okay, that search will bring up about 89 million hits in the search engine. The kid, blissfully unaware of search engine optimization rules or basic logic, calmly began clicking on each link and bouncing back. Hmm. Like many intelligent people, this kid unconsciously assumes search engines magically intuit his wishes. What I’m trying to say is that when it comes to search engine optimization and marketing your website, you should take a moment to think about how average AND below-average searchers search.
META Tags and SEO
While debate rages about the search engine optimization efficacy of META tags, with opinions ranging from zero to absolute, it’s still the case that META tags play an important role. SEO cannot occur without them.
It’s easy to get caught up in the SEO game – the SEO Austin game if you’re like me – and have algorhythmic probabilities haunt your sleep, but in the search engine optimization reality, creating actual content with actually contextually relevant META tags cannot be overlooked.
SEO Tricks
And although it’s suspect to load up your ALT tags with overloaded search engine optimization tag tricks, it’s still important to ensure that the kid looking for a cool picture of a rap star with a grill will be able to find it. Plus, hey, go volunteer at the library and help that kid -- you'll learn more from him than he'll learn from you.
Check out SEO Austin expert company JCJ Interactive for more information.
Hey, sometimes I volunteer out at libraries in “at risk” Austin neighborhoods with kids and computers – something I recommend to all geeks, by the way. And I was helping a kid with his search engine travels. He had a favorite rap star who sported a “grill,” and he decided to find him with this search: “grill”
So, okay, that search will bring up about 89 million hits in the search engine. The kid, blissfully unaware of search engine optimization rules or basic logic, calmly began clicking on each link and bouncing back. Hmm. Like many intelligent people, this kid unconsciously assumes search engines magically intuit his wishes. What I’m trying to say is that when it comes to search engine optimization and marketing your website, you should take a moment to think about how average AND below-average searchers search.
META Tags and SEO
While debate rages about the search engine optimization efficacy of META tags, with opinions ranging from zero to absolute, it’s still the case that META tags play an important role. SEO cannot occur without them.
It’s easy to get caught up in the SEO game – the SEO Austin game if you’re like me – and have algorhythmic probabilities haunt your sleep, but in the search engine optimization reality, creating actual content with actually contextually relevant META tags cannot be overlooked.
SEO Tricks
And although it’s suspect to load up your ALT tags with overloaded search engine optimization tag tricks, it’s still important to ensure that the kid looking for a cool picture of a rap star with a grill will be able to find it. Plus, hey, go volunteer at the library and help that kid -- you'll learn more from him than he'll learn from you.
Check out SEO Austin expert company JCJ Interactive for more information.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Franchise Issues for Women
Franchise Issues for Women
It’s odd to realize that my mom was raised in an era that produced Mildred Pierce, perhaps the earliest film female franchisor.
And Mildred’s story is fairly standard when it comes to franchising; she rose from being a waitress to support her family on her own, to being an owner, to being a franchise owner, ruling over a sea of franchisees, all in a woman’s area of expertise – food.
Mildred's Marketing Expertise
Marketing and branding, along with building and expanding her franchise, come as second nature to Mildred – her restaurants are called “Mildred’s” – and the franchise seems to expand practically effortlessly.
Franchise Issues Nowadays
Statistics nowadays for female franchise owners are difficult to come by – though female franchisees seem to be keeping pace with female business owners in general – around 38% -- statistics for female franchise owners are more difficult to come by. Speculation is that, quite often, the husband’s name appears on the franchise finance papers because, surprise! Banks still prefer men when they’re doling out money.
And, it’s still true that the path to franchise for a woman is fraught with difficulty – developing, marketing, branding, franchises is time-consuming, and something else is time-consuming – what was that? Oh, raising children!
...And What About Marketing?
A franchise owner has to develop marketing and promotional plans that will work in varying markets, as well as be an expert in the business itself, in franchise contract law, in franchise training and administration – it’s a big task.
Mildred Pierce was successful with her franchise but failed – spectacularly – with her children – and for women today it’s still a legitimate fear – running two parallalel franchises – a business and a family – is still a fabulous prospect.
Check out marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
It’s odd to realize that my mom was raised in an era that produced Mildred Pierce, perhaps the earliest film female franchisor.
And Mildred’s story is fairly standard when it comes to franchising; she rose from being a waitress to support her family on her own, to being an owner, to being a franchise owner, ruling over a sea of franchisees, all in a woman’s area of expertise – food.
Mildred's Marketing Expertise
Marketing and branding, along with building and expanding her franchise, come as second nature to Mildred – her restaurants are called “Mildred’s” – and the franchise seems to expand practically effortlessly.
Franchise Issues Nowadays
Statistics nowadays for female franchise owners are difficult to come by – though female franchisees seem to be keeping pace with female business owners in general – around 38% -- statistics for female franchise owners are more difficult to come by. Speculation is that, quite often, the husband’s name appears on the franchise finance papers because, surprise! Banks still prefer men when they’re doling out money.
And, it’s still true that the path to franchise for a woman is fraught with difficulty – developing, marketing, branding, franchises is time-consuming, and something else is time-consuming – what was that? Oh, raising children!
...And What About Marketing?
A franchise owner has to develop marketing and promotional plans that will work in varying markets, as well as be an expert in the business itself, in franchise contract law, in franchise training and administration – it’s a big task.
Mildred Pierce was successful with her franchise but failed – spectacularly – with her children – and for women today it’s still a legitimate fear – running two parallalel franchises – a business and a family – is still a fabulous prospect.
Check out marketing assistance, direct mail for franchises for more information.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)