503 Digital

For Marketing Monday, here's a local example of an easy way to get more Google Reviews!

As we walked out of a doctor's office recently, the receptionist handed us the card after we paid. When you go to their Google Page they have almost 1000 reviews.

They are using a couple of the tips we recommend:

1. Have a process. Someone took the time to print up these cards, and instructed the staff to give them out.
2. Hit the client at the peak moment of joy. In our case just as we were leaving after getting good news and finish up a procedure.
3. Make it easy. The QR code goes right to their Google Review Page.

What could you do to make this process easier for your business?

Got an example of a business doing great marketing? Or proud of something you're doing? Send it to us and we will post it.

For Marketing Monday, here's a local example of an easy way to get more Google Reviews!

As we walked out of a doctor's office recently, the receptionist handed us the card after we paid. When you go to their Google Page they have almost 1000 reviews.

They are using a couple of the tips we recommend:

1. Have a process. Someone took the time to print up these cards, and instructed the staff to give them out.

2. Hit the client at the peak moment of joy. In our case just as we were leaving after getting good news and finish up a procedure.

3. Make it easy. The QR code goes right to their Google Review Page.

What could you do to make this process easier for your business?

Got an example of a business doing great marketing? Or proud of something you're doing? Send it to us and we will post it.

Show of hands... how many small business owners went out and checked to see if your business shows up on Mapquest today?



Glad to see MapQuest getting some love today. We were big fans at one point, and I'm all for giving Google a little heat.

Fellow service business owners! Have you had someone reach out about your services, then just disappear?

My name is Ian, and I run 503 Digital, a digital marketing agency here in Portland focused on local service businesses.

We hear this a lot, and it's easy to understand why. Almost every small business we see has a Google Business Page, and a polished website. But very few of them have an way to sign up leads on an email list. It's the middle part of the marketing funnel, and it's the hardest one to understand and implement.

Email is still one of the most effective ways to market to potential customers, as well as existing customers. Partly because it's harder to set up. But also because it's not as visible as a website or Google Business Profile. And understanding less physical processes is more difficult.

We have two simple email processes we recommend.

1. The follow-up sequence to help nurture your leads and nudge them towards trying you.

2. A monthly newsletter to keep you top of mind after the sale, and to help remind your existing customers to recommend you.

We have lots of tips to get your starting, including email vendors, subjects to talk about, the delivery cadence, and more.

Post a comment and we will send a link to you, or find it on our Marketing Tips page on our website.

Are you feeling overwhelmed when it comes to posting your business on Facebook or other social media?

The good news is that you can get real results with just one hour a week.

My name is Ian and I run 503 Digital, a Portland based digital marketing agency.

For most businesses you don't need to post every day. Once a week is enough. Once a month is fine if you're just starting out.
You also don't need to be on every social media platform. Two is enough. The trick to building momentum with your social media plan is to plan the next week after you post this week.

We have a free social media planner to help you organize your social media posts and build momentum.

If you want a copy of the planner, and all our tips and plan, just leave a comment and I will send you a link.

How many business owners here have tried Google or Facebook ads?

If you are thinking of running ads, we typically recommend Google ads first. Specifically Google Local Service Ads. The cost per click is higher than Facebook, or traditional Google advertising. But you only pay when you get a lead.

For some businesses we recommend Facebook ads. Especially if you are trying to build awareness of your company. Law firms are a great example. Most people rarely need a lawyer, but when you do you usually start with names you have heard before.

Facebook also works well for businesses that have a longer consideration window. Like a painting company. Most customers will spend a few weeks doing research before hiring a painting company.

But if your hot water heater stops working, you typically want a plumber quickly. So Google ads work best here.

No matter which ad platform you use, we don't recommend starting an ad campaign until you have your foundation built. Including an accurate Google Business Profile. A solid website. And a landing page for the ad. Bonus for an email signup to capture leads and explain why they should hire you.

For a more in depth view check out our full post. Link is in the comments.

If you have tried Google or Facebook ads leave a comment on how it went, and what you would do differently next time.

Have you been overwhelmed by Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) advice?

My name is Ian, and I run 503 Digital, a local marketing agency based here in Portland, Oregon. Today I'm back with part 4 of our Marketing Kickstart: Local SEO.

There are 3 basic things you need to get right and keep up with to do well with local SEO. If you do them consistently your local search rankings will improve.

The three things are:

1. Keep your Google Business Profile up to date
2. Make sure you NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) are consistent everywhere
3. Get more Google reviews

If you are looking for one actionable thing to do today, take a look at our Local SEO guide where we have walk through how to get those 3 items on track.

Comment SEO and I will send a link to the full local SEO guide, including our local SEO Checklist.

Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can feel overwhelming. But it doesn't have to.

There are 3 basic things you need to get right and keep up with, and if you do them consistently your local search rankings will improve.

The three things are:

1. Keep your Google Business Profile up to date
2. Make sure you NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) are consistent everywhere
3. Get more reviews

If you are looking for one actionable thing to do today, open up a private browsing window and search for your business. Make sure your NAP Is the same across the following five areas:

Google Business Profile
Yelp
Facebook Business Page
Better Business Bureau
Apple Maps

If they aren't the same, correct them.

For more tips, and a worksheet to help you stay on track, click on the the link in the comments to get the full scoop.

Do you want more 5-star Google Reviews?

We talk to lots of Portland business owners that have been around for years, but either have no Google reviews, or only a few. So many business owners are proud of their work, but afraid to ask for a review.

The key is to catch your customers when they are delighted with your work. And if you're still in business most customers are happy with your work, right?

Here's how we got more reviews when we were running our small business:

At the end of the sale we would say "If there is anything we can do better, we would love to hear it. And if we did anything above your expectations, we hope you tell your friends and family."

That gives them a chance to complain if something was bugging them, but the overwhelming majority of our customers said "this was the easiest car buying experience I ever had."

So then I would ask if they would leave us a review. Today I would show them or send them a QR code so they can easily find our Google Business Profile.

After the sale we would also send a handwritten note to follow up, and act as a reminder. Over 50% of the time it worked, and we had great reviews.

If you want a copy of our scripts - we have three versions for different situations - to help get more reviews just comment SCRIPT in comments and we will send it to you.

You don't need a big, expensive website to find more local clients.

If you have been putting off putting up a website, or revamping your old website, you're not alone. We talk to lots of small business owners who are busy doing the work, and don't know what to do about their website.

And if you're getting regular business through referrals you might think you don't need one. But I bet you're missing out on business that tries to find you online, can't, and goes somewhere else.

An effective one page website only needs do a few things:

1. Tell your customers who you serve, and what you deliver
2. Explain why your services deliver results
3. Show why you have the experience and authority to delivery results
4. Show social proof - awards, testimonials, reviews
5. Provide a call to action
6. Have multiple ways to contact you

As you grow there is more you can add, like an email list. But for now this is enough to be effective.

And sometimes, a simple effective web page is harder to design that a big one that tries to do everything, but does nothing well.

Link to the post and the rest of the 503 Digital Marketing Kickstart in the comments.