Comments for Small Business Search Marketing http://www.smallbusinesssem.com Because not everyone can throw thousands of dollars at the 'How do we market ourselves online?' question... Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:00:15 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on Bing Business Portal Adds “Order by Smartphone” Tool by Marketing Day: February 21, 2012 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/bing-business-portal-order-by-smartphone/5485/#comment-526664 Marketing Day: February 21, 2012 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:00:15 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/?p=5485#comment-526664 [...] Bing Business Portal Adds "Order by Smartphone" Tool, www.smallbusinesssem.com [...] [...] Bing Business Portal Adds "Order by Smartphone" Tool, http://www.smallbusinesssem.com [...]

]]> Comment on Bing Business Portal Adds “Order by Smartphone” Tool by Jessica Leilani http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/bing-business-portal-order-by-smartphone/5485/#comment-526629 Jessica Leilani Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:46:11 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/?p=5485#comment-526629 I don't know how successful this will prove. But yay for Bing coming up with new ideas. I don’t know how successful this will prove. But yay for Bing coming up with new ideas.

]]> Comment on What’s In the Yelp Advertiser Contract? by Robert Spears http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/yelp-advertiser-contract/5474/#comment-526563 Robert Spears Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:57:32 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/?p=5474#comment-526563 Matt, great job aggregating Rocky's work. Though I have enjoyed using Yelp in recent years and want it to succeed (providing it continues to provide value to end-users), I think they are in a paradoxical advertising situation: 1. The best vendors don't need to advertise, as their favorable reviews sell their services better than any ad possibly could 2. The worst vendors that choose to advertise may hurt the overall perception of Yelp ads (e.g. if they need to advertise on Yelp, their reviews and services must be poor) 3. If Yelp's advertising value proposition is based largely on impressions, how much longer will it take for a majority of small businesses to learn how to get massive amounts of free targeted impressions from Google's Display Network (and cost-effective clicks, if managed properly)? Also, the owners of the best rated businesses tend to be "smarter than the average bear" and are often put off by Yelp's heavy handed sales practices. At a minimum, Yelp will need to offer cost-effective ad services to top-tier businesses that provide value to end-users (e.g. time-sensitive offers). Matt, great job aggregating Rocky’s work. Though I have enjoyed using Yelp in recent years and want it to succeed (providing it continues to provide value to end-users), I think they are in a paradoxical advertising situation:
1. The best vendors don’t need to advertise, as their favorable reviews sell their services better than any ad possibly could
2. The worst vendors that choose to advertise may hurt the overall perception of Yelp ads (e.g. if they need to advertise on Yelp, their reviews and services must be poor)
3. If Yelp’s advertising value proposition is based largely on impressions, how much longer will it take for a majority of small businesses to learn how to get massive amounts of free targeted impressions from Google’s Display Network (and cost-effective clicks, if managed properly)?
Also, the owners of the best rated businesses tend to be “smarter than the average bear” and are often put off by Yelp’s heavy handed sales practices. At a minimum, Yelp will need to offer cost-effective ad services to top-tier businesses that provide value to end-users (e.g. time-sensitive offers).

]]> Comment on What’s In the Yelp Advertiser Contract? by Matt McGee http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/yelp-advertiser-contract/5474/#comment-526546 Matt McGee Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:40:43 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/?p=5474#comment-526546 Thanks Rocky. I'd normally be down there for our SMX West show next week, but can't make it this year due to other commitments. Hopefully next time. And if you're ever up here in eastern Washington, drop me a note. :-) Thanks Rocky. I’d normally be down there for our SMX West show next week, but can’t make it this year due to other commitments. Hopefully next time. And if you’re ever up here in eastern Washington, drop me a note. :-)

]]> Comment on What’s In the Yelp Advertiser Contract? by Rocky http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/yelp-advertiser-contract/5474/#comment-526465 Rocky Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:26:51 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/?p=5474#comment-526465 My reason: just trying to inform users, small businesses and investors. Although I can find the good in many things (even Groupon and LivingSocial, against whom I've railed constantly), at Yelp's prices I can't think of any situation or verticals where I would recommend Yelp. If you're in the Bay Are, would love to get together sometime. My reason: just trying to inform users, small businesses and investors.

Although I can find the good in many things (even Groupon and LivingSocial, against whom I’ve railed constantly), at Yelp’s prices I can’t think of any situation or verticals where I would recommend Yelp.

If you’re in the Bay Are, would love to get together sometime.

]]> Comment on Complete Guide to Bing’s New Local Business Portal by Matt McGee http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/complete-guide-bing-local-business-portal/4264/#comment-525740 Matt McGee Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:14:55 +0000 http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/?p=4264#comment-525740 Hey Brian - you're not the first person to ask. I'll do a blog post soon showing where to enter the PIN code, but really quickly -- login to the Business Portal ... click on the listing that needs to be verified ... then above the business information, look in the blue menu bar -- on the far right there should be a tab that says "Verification." That's where you input the PIN. Does that help? Hey Brian – you’re not the first person to ask. I’ll do a blog post soon showing where to enter the PIN code, but really quickly — login to the Business Portal … click on the listing that needs to be verified … then above the business information, look in the blue menu bar — on the far right there should be a tab that says “Verification.” That’s where you input the PIN.

Does that help?

]]>