Facebook Changes Coming Soon….

My friends over at Mainstreet reminded me that some mandatory changes are in store at the end of March for Facebook business pages.  To learn more about what you need to do to make sure your business page won’t be negatively affected by these changes, visit the link below. If you currently have a custom landing page for instance, these will no longer be supported. If you need help...

Google Analytics Qualified Individual

I just finished taking my Google Analtyics Exam and I am pleased to report that I passed!  While I’ve been installing and reviewing my clients’ website analytics for years, I thought it was time to get my Google certification by taking the 70 question Google Analytics Exam, even though it meant giving up my Sunday morning beach time. Having just gone through some major...

Understanding Google Analytics

I just happened upon some great video presentations by Google Analytics for interpreting your monthly website reports.  If you are a client of Emagine you probably receive monthly analytic reports with graphs and data that might be a little confusing.  The following short video presentations will help you understand each metric provided in the reports to better understand how much traffic you...

Wise Stamp Email Signatures

Here’s a handy tool for adding social media icons to your Email signatures if you use Gmail, Yahoo!Mail, WindowsLive Mail or AOL .  You can add inspirational quotes, your most recent blog post as well as your social media profile links for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN, YouTube.com and many more!  The app is free and can be downloaded on the following browsers: Safari, Chrome and Firefox. ...

Oodle

  I just learned about another Free classified listing site called Oodle. Out to reinvent online classifieds, Oodle provides consumers with a friendly local marketplace to buy, sell and trade. Oodle Pro, launched earlier this year, enables local property managers, real estate agents and car dealers to join the conversation by adding their identity and reputation on Facebook and Twitter to...

Using Video to Showcase Your Business

On the recommendation of my friend Debra, I started playing with an online video creation site called Animoto.com recently.  In addition to creating low-budget videos to help my clients promote their vacation properties, I also used it to celebrate my daughter’s 16th birthday.  Its super easy to use, drag and drop and you can create a video from images, video footage or a combination of...

Quick Response Codes

What is a QR Code? Have you been wondering what those funny black and white square codes are that are popping up everywhere?  They are called Quick Response codes, or QR Codes for short.  They are a type of matrix bar code that contains encoded information – that when scanned with a smart phone can instantly and automatically send a text message or email or direct you to a page on the web...

6 Reasons to Use WordPress for Your Website

Here’s an article about WordPress, from my friends over at MainStreetOpen.com.  WordPress is the open source content management system that I currently use to build websites.  If you are considering a website refurbishment (good to do every few years), you should consider WordPress!  MainStreetOpen.com explains why here… Six Reasons Your Website Should be Based on...

Article Marketing Without Littering the Web

Today’s article is from guest author, James Wilson of Wireless Internet written as a follow up to the article I wrote recently called Article Marketing = Web Littering.  Take it away James….     There’s a lot of confusion behind article marketing. In March of 2011, Michelle wrote a post on article marketing, criticizing the practice of obtaining hundreds of low...

Brand Your Twitter Profile

Want to customize your Twitter profile with your business branding/logo or custom image?  It’s not that difficult to do, here’s how…. Create a Custom Twitter Profile Background: Create an image that is approximately 2000 pixels wide by 1700 pixels tall, making sure to keep your Logo/text content confined to the upper left hand corner and along the left side. Your custom...

SEO Website Reviews

Is your website performing at its optimum?  Do you think it should be generating more traffic, leads  and business but just don’t know what to do to improve it?  Put my 12 years of experience in building websites and performing Search Engine Optimization to work for you with an affordable Website Review & Report. Your Website Review & Report will include: - A complete...

Add Your TripAdvisor Reviews to Facebook

If your business or property is listed on TripAdvisor.com you can now share your reviews and ratings on your Facebook Business page. Here are the instructions on how to do it. To begin, you need to create a new tab on your property’s page in which to embed the widget or badge. This is called a static iFrame. Here’s how to do it: 1) Go to your TripAdvisor Owners Center and pick the widget...

Facebook LikeBox

If you have a Facebook business page you can leverage your social media involvement by adding a Facebook LikeBox to your website and/or blog. The Like Box is a social plugin that enables Facebook Page owners to attract and gain Likes from their own website. The Like Box enables users to: - See how many users already like this Page, and which of their friends like it too - Read recent posts from...

Article Marketing = Web Littering???

It’s a common tactic used by “slimy” SEO companies, maybe you’ve been on the receiving end of their spiel?  They’ll promise you,  for a low monthly fee, to get your site ranked better by writing articles about your industry with back links to your website.  Sounds fair enough, until you start reading the articles and realize that people working for less than...

Best Free Email Subscriber List Software

So my new favorite email marketing software is MailChimp.com.  If you are still using Outlook or your own website/server to do regular email blasts its time to make the switch to a 3rd party software.  I think MailChimp is one of the best options out there and here’s why…. 1)  It’s Free. Yep.  If you have less than 2000 subscribers, and send less than 12,000 emails a month,...

Emagine Makes “List”…

I just learned that the Emagine Internet Marketing Blog has made DIYSEO’s Definitive List of the Best Small Business Marketing Blogs.  Check out their full list of the best and brightest bloggers in small business marketing. Here’s what they had to say about the Emagine Web Marketing blog: Emagine Web Marketing This blog from a Hawaii-based Internet marketing firm covers the basics...

Restaurant Marketing

My new friend Debra was telling me about www.OpenTable.com where you can make dinner reservations for restaurants online.   I thought, wow, what a neat idea and immediately thought of some of my favorite Kauai restaurants.  So I checked it out and here’s the current list of  Kauai restaurants that are using this reservation service. There’s a bunch missing, so here’s a...

Are You Indispensable?

Last year I read the book “Linchpin” by best selling author and marketing guru, Seth Godin.  I’ve been meaning to tell you about it for awhile, as it’s definitely worth reading.  You’ll find it especially inspiring and interesting if your secure employment has been turned on its head and you’re wondering what you should do next.  This book explains what is...

Add Video to Your Marketing Strategy

2010 was a tough year for Hawaii’s travel industry.   Savvy business owners know that during slow times is the perfect opportunity to review what has been working (and not) and to tackle some of the projects that have been pushed to the back burner during the busier times. ...

Not-So-Favorable Reviews

It’s every business owners’ worst nightmare, a past guest or customer says something less than positive about your business or product online where potential customers can see it.  It can be hard to receive this kind of  feedback but there truly is benefit from this candid client input....

Save 20% on a BOTW Directory Listing

For the month of October, Best of the Web directory (BOTW.org), the internet’s oldest and most trusted directory, is extending a 20% discount on new listings.  Sign up for a lifetime directory listing for your website and/or blog to gain added online exposure and search engine ranking benefits with this popular web directory. Be sure to use the Promo Code:  SAVE20 to get your 20%...

Promoting Kaua`i Grown Products

Last night I attended the Kauai Grown – Chamber Business After Hours event held at the Kukui`ula Shopping Center in Poipu.   If you aren’t familiar, Kauai Grown is a branded marketing program for promoting locally grown agricultural products  and to recognize the farmers, ranchers, retailers and restaurants that bring these products to the consumer. If your small business is...

Thinking About Paid Search?

Let’s face it, times are tough and small businesses are finding it harder than ever to keep the flow of cash coming in.  The visitor industry on Kauai has taken a serious hit in the last few years with the numbers of visitors to the islands dropping and the spending levels of those visitors receding as well.   The visitor-related markets are fiercely competitive with everyone doing their...

Blogging for Non-Writers

Here’s a great article for anyone wanting to start a blog but is worried about not being a “good enough” writer.  Blogs aren’t just for “great writers” and can be used in a variety of creative ways.  You can use a blog to feature your art and/or photography and let the visuals “speak” for themselves.  Or you could use your blog to collect and...

Great Ways to Use Twitter for Small Business

Here are some links to some great ways to use Twitter for your small business....