August 2nd, 2010

Best Search Engine Marketing Services for Small Business

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Is it just me or does it seem like there are hundreds of companies (or more) that offer search engine marketing services? From one person "experts" to big ad agencies… they all promise to turn Google into your very own lead machine!

But the needs and marketing budgets of small and local businesses are different. So, here's our list of the 18 best search engine marketing services for small businesses.

We've ranked them based on our editorial review, monthly US visitors (estimated by Compete), and Google page rank (a key factor in determining ranking in search results… the higher the number the better).

Company Services Monthly Visitors PageRank
ReachLocal PPC and display advertising            2,335,000         5
Yodle PPC and SEO services               174,000         5
OrangeSoda PPC and SEO services                 61,000         6
Leads.com Paid search marketing                 57,000         2
Marchex PPC and reputation management                 41,000         5
LocalConnex PPC and website design                 39,000         3
Wpromote PPC and SEO services                 34,000         5
WebVisible PPC and display advertsing                 31,000         5
Trada Paid search marketing                 29,000         4
eBrandz PPC, SEO, and social media                 26,000         6
JumpFly Paid search marketing                 19,000         3
SiteSolutions PPC and SEO services                 12,000         4
MoreVisibility PPC, SEO, and social media                 11,000                 4
SearchRank PPC, SEO, and social media                 11,000         4
ThinkBIGsites PPC, SEO, and website design                 10,000         4
Customer Magnetism PPC and SEO services                 10,000         4
WebiMax PPC and SEO services                   9,000         4
BlitzLocal Paid search marketing                   8,000         5

Besides managing your pay-per-click (PPC) marketing, some of these companies can also help with search engine optimization (SEO), website design, and increasingly social media marketing.

Just keep in mind that pricing varies. Expect to pay 15% to 33% of your PPC campaign dollars as monthly management fees. And many of these firms also charge a set-up fee to get your Google campaigns running. So definitely shop around!

Having said that, these folks know what they're doing and you probably don't (sorry). If that's the case… then be ready to pay up to have a professional manage your search engine marketing efforts.

Otherwise, you'll need to learn a lot more about search engine marketing before considering doing it yourself. Here's a good place to start.

Let us know which company you go with and the results you're having. And don't forget we're also here to help. Give us a call at 888-330-3236.

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June 3rd, 2010

Best Affordable Website Hosting for Small Business

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Sure, every business needs a website… but that's only half the equation. To get your website on the Internet (so prospects and customers can visit it!) you'll also need a website hosting provider. They're the ones that actually store the pages that make up your website and connect to the Internet… so, without them your website can't exist on the Web. Make sense?

But who are the best Web hosting providers out there today helping small and medium sized businesses? Meaning they're extra-affordable, have the storage capacity you need, and have responsive customer support (since things don't always go as planned).

Here's our list of the 26 best affordable website hosting companies to consider for your business needs. We've ranked them based on our editorial review, monthly US visitors (estimated by Compete), and Google page rank (a key factor in determining ranking in search results… the higher the number the better). Plus we've also tried out a bunch of them!

Company Monthly Pricing
Monthly Visitors
PageRank
Go Daddy         $4.99       7,524,000         7
1&1 Web Hosting         $3.99       1,260,000         6
BlueHost         $6.95          815,000         8
Host Gator         $4.95          553,000         8
Register.com         $8.95          471,000         7
DreamHost         $2.95          428,000         7
Host Monster         $5.95          372,000         8
SiteGround         $2.00          289,000         9
Just Host         $3.45          272,000         6
FatCow         $5.50          220,000         6
PowWeb         $4.88          200,000         6
Lunarpages         $2.95          186,000         7
iPage         $3.50          186,000         5
StartLogic         $3.95          167,000         6
IX Web Hosting         $3.95          159,000         7
InMotion Hosting         $5.95          142,000         6
Midphase         $2.95            68,000         5
ValueWeb         $3.48            57,000         5
Webhostingpad.com         $1.99            51,000         6
Globat         $4.44            46,000         6
Super Green Hosting         $3.95            36,000         5
ThinkHost         $7.95            32,000         6
MyHosting         $4.84            26,000         7
Arvixe         $4.00            26,000         6
FastDomain         $5.95            22,000         5
GreenGeeks         $6.95            21,000         6

Everyone's needs are different so definitely evaluate a few providers to see which one makes the most sense for your business. Some of these Web hosting companies also make it easy to get a domain name and build a simple website or blog… in just a few clicks!

Keep in mind that this list doesn't include all the website builders out there that provide hosting when you set up a website with them. For example, check out Yahoo!
Small Business
plus all the great website builders on our list of Best Free and Affordable Website Builders.

Let us know which website hosting company you like the best!

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May 19th, 2010

Best Websites for Advertising to L.A. Consumers

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Memorial Day Weekend is fast approaching… and that means it's time for the beach, summer movies, and Disneyland (with kids in tow!) So when better to ask the question California advertisers are dreaming about: What's the best way to reach Los Angeles consumers with my online marketing message?

Here's our list of the 21 best websites for advertising to L.A. consumers. We've ranked them based on our editorial review, monthly US visitors (estimated by Compete), and Google page rank (a key factor in determining ranking in search results… the higher the number the better).

Websites
Type
Monthly Visitors
PageRank
Los Angeles Times National and regional news        8,082,000         8
LA Weekly News and local events           563,000         7
CBS2.com TV news website           498,000         6
KTLA.com TV news website           405,000         7
LA Daily News Regional and local news           399,000         4
NBC Los Angeles TV news website           380,000         6
Laist Local news and events blog           258,000         7
MyFox LA TV news website           176,000         6
Daily Breeze Local and community news           153,000         6
LosAngeles.com City guide and nightlife           103,000         4
KNX 1070 News radio website             61,000         6
LA Observed News, sports, and politics             58,000         6
LA.com City guide and nightlife             50,000         4
Losanjealouse Local music and events             41,000         6
LAMag.com City guide and shopping             40,000         6
LA Downtown News Local news and info             24,000         6
Green LA Girl Sustainable living blog             22,000         4
LA Snark Pop culture and lifestyle blog             14,000         5
Yo! Venice! Local news and lifestyle blog             14,000         4
Blogdowntown Local news and lifestyle blog             13,000         6
LA Moms Blog Local parenting blog               9,000         5

You'll see that the local media (newspapers, TV stations, and radio) have come online… and once again represent a great way to reach Los Angeles consumers interested in breaking news. How about the city guides? Always an option if you want to find people taking advantage of the L.A. nightlife and local happenings.

But don't neglect the blogs! They offer personalized commentary and attract those interested in a daily dose of Los Angeles lifestyle. They're also more affordable for local advertisers on a b-movie budget (like us!)

Have a great L.A. website that you'd like to nominate for next time? Just let us know…

We'll see you at the beach this summer!

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