There is an old joke that goes something like this:

Question: How fast do you have to run if you’re in a group of people being chased by a bear?

Answer: Not faster than the Bear, just faster than the slowest person  in the group!

When I took my Search Engine Optimization Training from the Search Engine Academy of North Carolina, Michael Marshall continually reminded us that the objective was NOT to outrun the bear.  It was simply to do a better job than your competition.

And so it is with SEO and Internet Marketing.  Most people who undertake their own Internet and Social Media Marketing look at things as though they have to beat the biggest, best marketer on the web.  But, especially in the case of small to medium businesses, the only thing you have to do is beat your competition for YOUR optimal LOCAL search to be given a high search engine ranking.  Example:  If you’re a local Pizza restaurant, you only have to do a better job of being found on the internet for your LOCAL market.  So, if you are marginally better at Internet advertising, Social Media Marketing, and Local Search Optimization, it is likely that you will be rewarded by the Search Engines with a higher ranking than those who just aren’t paying attention to the LOCAL market.  As you may know, Search Engines now offer LOCAL results wherever practical, and many large, multi-location companies have neglected the LOCAL aspect of their Internet Marketing.  This results in many LOCAL competitors achieving higher rankings, more clicks, and more customers via Internet Searches from Smartphones, Navigation devices, Tablets, and Computers than many large national players.  And, as we move away from direct mail, newspapers and radio advertising effectiveness, these large national players are vulnerable to being outrun by their LOCAL competition.

The opportunity to get FOUND is TODAY.  Take advantage of the head start these national competitors are giving you, and you will continue to outpace and outrank them, giving you time to build your Internet presence AND your customer base while they’re sleeping.

Not so long ago, we lived in a world that was much easier to define and understand.  Google was the largest number, not a search engine. Marketing your business consisted of Newspaper advertising, Yellow Page advertising, Direct Mail, Radio, Television (if they could afford it) Billboards, and Telemarketing campaigns.  Your advertising vehicles were measurable, and your business grew over a period of time as you became known for great products and great service.

If you needed more business, you spend more on advertising.  Then, the internet came along.  You made adjustments to competing with internet resellers, offering more personal services, and continuing to market your business.  You began to capture email addresses, and if you could, you began email campaigns to go along with your other traditional methods.  You launched a website, were enamored with it for a while, then realized you needed more to grow your business.  And, your website didn’t seem to actually work for you.  You heard terms like Search Engine Optimization, and then later, PPC (Pay per Click).  You may have even tried Pay-per-click, only to find out that the answer to the puzzle was ” how much money do you have?”.  You tried to become proficient with the new technology, but you began to notice issues with your traditional marketing methods, and of course you have a business to run.  The Yellow Pages, your source for leads and your main expense, didn’t seem to be as effective.  Direct Mail didn’t pay off as much as it had in the past. You notice your newspaper getting smaller, and hear of some newspapers going bankrupt because they lost so many subscribers getting their news online.  Younger people seem to be spending most of their lives playing with their new cellphones.  People “Google” everything, and young people in particular, seem to be talking a different language.

How do you market your business now?  Do you try to learn all of this technology that seems to be changing at light speed?  Who do you believe?  And how long do you wait?  Technology seems like a carousel that is spinning faster and faster, while moving away from you at the same time.

Finally Found can help.  We come from a background of helping retailers when times were different, so we understand your frustration.  We also know what you are looking for: someone to ferret through all of this noise and provide you with real marketing solutions that can get your business found and market your business online.  And we offer just that – and at an affordable price, most likely for a fraction of what you paid in the past.   You want a company that can give you evidence of the growth of your online presence, and present it to you in terms you understand…whether you are a “tech” person or not.  And a company that will meet with you every month to go over the results from last month’s campaign and offer suggestions and education on the newest techniques and technologies that may offer you additional opportunities for additional revenue.  We keep up with this so you don’t’ have to…you run your business, let us handle getting you found on all of these electronic devices and marketing your business online to actively pursue new customers.