Study: Search Driving Offline Conversions for Local Service Businesses

Study: Search Driving Offline Conversions for Local Service Businesses

What a timely article! So many of my clients tackle this local market issue.

Defining what is a local market for them is the first challenge. Then the breakdown of what people actually use to find a service business in the local market.

• 51% used a general service term to search ("dentist")
• 49% used a general service term and regional term ("dentist in Cleveland")
• 23% used a specific business name ("Dr. Bob's Dental")
• 19% used a specific service term to search ("root canal")

And there it is... that is just how hard it is to be visible.

Project Management Made Easy : D. Keith Robinson

Project Management Made Easy : D. Keith Robinson

Simple has always appealed to me. Project management is never easy but the process is not necessarily the problem. Breaking the project up into steps and then maintaining clear communication with the important people on a project appears to be easy but isn't.

The people that are good at it though are stellar project managers. Detailed job orders. Getting a clear picture of what is involved is absolutely the best way to setup the steps in the task. Deciding how you will know that you have reached where you ready for the next step.

Fancy software is one way to try and do all this but the truth of the matter is that I'm having more success recently with just a desktop wiki than I have with any other software. PHProjekt - activeCollab - Basecamp - Campfire. All seem like great programs but don't lend themselves to the kind of projects that I seem to be using or doing. Communication - I like the once a week update. Simple email that clarifies the status of projects. I use it amongst collaborators but had never thought of using it with customers. I'm not sure why I hadn't made the distinction.

Hide Your SSID?

Hide Your SSID?

Many folks are going to get wireless equipment for Christmas. They will set it up with all the defaults and then walk away never to touch it again.

Now the interesting part is that as I sit in my apartment I can see four networks. Three of them allow me to log on to the internet. No comment on what else is available.

I'm not a hacker but people need to practice safe computing. Have you read at least the security basics on your new router?

Good Advice for buyers and sellers of technology services

Small Business Technology: Tech Support

Though it has been awhile since I have been to Fast Company - this article is right on the money. In a client meeting yesterday the big discussion was "technology dependence" They wanted to know if they were dependent on the technology that they had been sold as part of deal that never was completed. We realized that they weren't but they easily could have been.

Some other points from the article include:

• Ease into technology - don't try and do it all at once.
• Recognize that communication is critical (and that goes for me as a supplier too.) I also consider this to be one of my strengths.
• Know that your technology is an investment. Depending on what you want to do - your technology could be a drain on your bottom line or it can boost it significantly. Whichever it is be sure to budget for it.
• Make sure that you tell them what isn't working for you. Like most normal humans an IT specialist isn't a mind reader. The technology probably works for them because they do it every day. They don't know what you don't know.

Remember at the end of the day that life is about relationships. You might as well have ones that you enjoy and your IT person is no different.