- Animals & Pets
- Pet Friendly Hotels - More Popular Than You Would Expect
- Is Your dog hyper and out of control?
- Inexperienced dog trainer may make problems worse
- Business
- Online Networks: There’s Strength in Numbers
- What to Look for in a Good Web Designer
- Social Networking: How the Verde Valley Business Directory can help your business
- Finance & Investing
- Social Networking: How the Verde Valley Business Directory can help your business
- Private Equity in Trouble: How Sweet It Is
- Health
- The six best supplements you've never heard of.
- Scientists Use Animal Parts in Many Human Drugs
- Mobile phones 'more dangerous than smoking'
- Learning & Education
- "Glasses don't make you a nerd!"
- The Myth of Guaranteed Search Engine Rankings
- Social Networking: How the Verde Valley Business Directory can help your business
- Other
- Advertising your Arts & Craft Business
- Internet Use Thrives on High Oil Prices...
- Enjoy online shopping instead of worrying about it!
Social Networking: How the Verde Valley Business Directory can help your business
07/24/2008 - By David Hoschouer, Director of Operations
These days it’s pretty easy and cost effective to build and publish a website. What isn’t so easy and cost effective is getting your website listed high on the “search engine totem pole” where it can be found.
Everyone wants to be on page one of search engine results (SERPs). After all, the higher a websites rank the more potential it has to make money. However, just because we want to be on page one of Google's SERPs, does not necessarily mean we will be one of the results. Let’s think about Search Engine Results objectively: no matter whom we are or what we do, we are typically challenging thousands or millions of other web pages in our niche, for the keywords that we hope will make get us traffic.
Those who wish to rank in the “organic free” search results need to employ Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques in order to improve their rankings. There are literally hundreds of SEO companies specializing in helping their clients climb in the free search result listings; however, SEO is a very time-consuming process that requires specialists who have the actual knowledge and skills in "manipulating" the search engine results. In a nutshell, “without investing massive amounts of time, fresh content, and money, your website is still on page 8 or lower.”
Here are some related and interesting facts to consider from U.S. Department of Commerce.
More than 85% of people today use major search engines to find a specific product or service.
More than 97% of people rarely go any further than the first 10 to 15 results on top of pages.
Businesses that used the Internet for Advertisement grew 46% faster than those that didn't.
So let's “Cut to the Chase.” How can the social networking of the Verde Valley Business Directory help you and your business?
First of all we have already spent the necessary time and money to build up a network of all the known businesses in the Verde Valley. It’s a one stop, easy to use, network providing what a Verde Valley resident needs when looking for a product or service in the valley. People looking for a particular product or company can quickly locate you in our directory without having to go through page after page of search engine results.
Consider this. It’s a simple fact, “Local Customers use Local Businesses.” This local directory is targeted for the residents and businesses in the local area, not the entire world. Your listing will promote you locally where it "really" counts. Why should you have to pay thousands of dollars every year to list your business in a “national search engine directory” when you can get listed "locally" for free, or choose to get and provide better exposure of your business by enhancing your directory listing.
Enhancing your listing allows someone to learn more about the products and services your business provides. It also allows for them to go directly to your website without having to search for it. You can post and create coupons, banners, events, write articles, and more. You even have access to your own control panel which logs you into the directory itself to promote your listing. No other advertising medium in the valley enables you to have your message ready for potential buyers around the clock. Just think how expensive it would be to run newspaper, tv or radio ads every day for a full year!
When you consider all the costs, there is no better and cost effective way to advertise your business than on this local platform.
In closing, “it is the shape of a social network that determines a network's usefulness to its users.” We have created a very useful platform for both the businesses and the people of the valley. It’s a chance to advertise your business, help people find you on the web, and provide an easy to use door of service to our users.
