Local customers already search Google for the products and services you offer. Create a FREE business listing to be sure they find you.

Google Local Business Center >> www.google.com/local

Imagine for a moment you’re comparing two new suppliers. Both are similar in products and prices, however one has poor images where the product is hard to see – the other supplier has clear images that display the product well. As a business owner considering a purchase, which company would you choose?

Every sized business, whether product or service based, can benefit from having photographs taken of their products, services, location, and employees. These can be used in a multitude of ways, including promotional materials – from websites to brochures – as well as having images ready to give to clients and investors when necessary. Having a professional photographer to take care of your photography needs will save time, money, and give you a great product to benefit your business.

There is a company named Domain Registry of Canada that regularly sends notices out to businesses about 4 months prior to the expiry of their domain. This notice usually comes by post and its nothing but a scam. Reviewed thoroughly, the recipient would see that at no time do they suggest they look after the domain, but on quick review it appears to be a renewal notice that has to be looked after. Recipients fill out the form, send in their payment and that begins the process of Domain Registry of Canada attempting to transfer the business domain to their registry.

If you receive one of these notices confirm with your web developer or web host that this is indeed, a blatant attempt to have you move to Domain Registry of Canada, and totally unrelated to any business transaction you have done in the past. If you get fooled and remit your payment, I recommend you contact them immediately for a refund. To learn more about this scam just go to Google and enter “domain registry of canada scam” as your search term. To see a sample of one of these fraudulent letters look here .

This is just one of a number of scams that I plan to report on in the future.

A sandwich board is a type of advertisement composed of two boards (holding a message or graphic) in a triangle shape, hinged along the top and being set up next to the store or on the sidewalk of the building the company resides in.

Sandwich boards are free standing signage that can be placed anywhere and are also a great source of advertising that can be seen by hundreds of people every single day. If you think about it how many signs you have seen in a single day and how many you have committed to memory, times that by one hundred and you can see the impact that sandwich boards can have on your company and just how easy it is to promote and advertise your business.

See a sample… check #5 on this portfolio page.

Many of you have probably heard the term ‘search engine optimization’ or ‘SEO’. This term relates to how well your web site is optimized for the search engines. So often clients comment on where their web site is ranking on Google, or ask why their site isn’t showing up. So many considerations factor into getting your site well ranked. It takes specialized commitment to optimize your site to perform well, but first and foremost, web site content is required. If you expect to be found for a product or service you provide, you must have valuable content in your web site that is relevant.

Think about what you have to offer. Think about how your potential customers might search for your product or services. Does your content reflect the keywords they will be searching? If you do searches, are the results qualified results, or would you revise your search because the results are to generic or unrelated? How would your customer refine their search? Does your web sites content match the search? If it doesn’t you need to get your web site content up to date. This is the first step in being better optimized.

Over the next few weeks I will share other information on creating a well optimized site.

On Aug 29, 2009 I attended the AC/DC concert at GM Place in Vancouver. I couldn’t help but think of how the band used the “Red Horns” to create overall brand recognition.

Facts…

• sold out crowd of 60,000 fans
• for approx $22 you could buy a set of flashing devil horns with “AC/ DC” printed on them

AC/DC resurrected an item from the bands’ past that was originally successful and have made it successful again today. The essence of the horns drafted their “brand DNA” by using a visual symbol and colour scheme. Consider this concept for your business. It is so simple: find an item that resonates with people (in this case not so much the horns on their own but paired with the effect they had in taking the fan back to years past), create that connection for the fan in turn creates brand recognition.

For more info, check out this story by Mike Ross in a Special to Sun Media on Aug. 27, 2009

Our first issue of Lynchpin went out overnight and we had a winner within minutes. Yes, the correct answer, as so many of you reported, was Campbell’s Soup! Congratulations to Holly Cameron-Davies for getting the answer in so quickly. She wins a $20 Starbucks card

We hope you all enjoyed the first issue and look forward to our November issue. Anyone who missed out, can check out the October issue at http://www.lynchpin.ca/news/ . Be sure to get signed up in time for next month using the sign up tool on the right.

How often have you needed assistance to explain an issue about your web site that you can see, or describe to your designer a change you might want with a design, but it just isn’t working when you try to tell them over the phone. You do your best to describe it, but you know your facing a challenge.

Remember the saying “a picture is worth 1,000 words”? Well here is a tool that can help you make your point: Jing (http://www.jingproject.com/download/ ). Jing is a tool that resides on your desktop. It allows you to capture your screen and add notes and arrows, and then either save the file locally or copy it and paste it to an email quickly.

Jing (http://www.jingproject.com/download/) is a Great Communication Tool and its FREE. It even allows you to record what you do on your screen while you narrate!

If you want to make a point and its easiest to present it in a visual manner, consider using Jing (available for both Windows and MAC OS).

All localities have opportunities for their business members. The Chamber of Commerce, Business Associations, Board of Trades and Business Improvement Associations can all be an asset to your business. These organizations can provide various discounts in insurance, fleet services, credit card rates, and member to member discounts, but in addition they can help your business brand become recognized. This is not a result you gain upon sign up. This is something gained over time through contribution and participation within the group. Here are some tips to help you get the most of your membership and grow your brand recognition;

The last point is very important. Make sure people can learn about you online. Linking from the organization to your web site adds strength to your search engine rankings. Joining a local business association and contributing on a long term, regular basis will increase your level of recognition in the community and with fellow business members and ultimately assist you in growing your business. Business in our local community of Delta, BC have a number of business organizations available. Delta Chamber of Commerce, Ladner Business Association, Tsawwassen Business Association and the Tsawwassen Business Improvement Association are all organizations developed to assist local businesses and contribute to the community. You might want to check them out if you’re not already a member.

Promotional stickers make great branding tools that can become an effective marketing tool for your business. In many of cases, stickers can be placed in creative places that may have never been considered ad space before, and its sure to get the attention of potential clients.

Consider what types of items you can place a sticker on? Items that relate to your business or that you use in your business. When I provide printed materials to my clients, I like to place my company sticker on the box containing the materials, or on the back of the sign I design. This serves as a reminder of where it came from, which is helpful when it’s time to re-order, and it also builds my brand.

Stickers can be used on the front of standard 9×12 folders to save on the costs of creating custom print folders. Used on the doors and windows to promote association and membership affiliations or quickly identify your services to customers are other values we find in sticker use. What about on the floor of your retail space? Footprints for guidance to something important or your logo if it was an interesting symbol? Consider, for instance, the mouthwash company that placed stickers on the ceiling above dentists chairs. Not only effective but memorable!

Stickers can be customized to fit the nature of your promotion and can be made as large or as small as you need. With endless options, you can find the exact sticker that will work for branding your company.