Due to the nature of my business, I get to see a lot of different types of businesses and some times its interesting to consider how far they've come and from whence they started. Every one of them has a story to tell. As an ex-Chemical Engineer, I've come across this simple truth. It helps me understand why some businesses fail and some don't... and it's never about the money!

Searching for a Web Consultant? Why? The digital age has reduced the globe to the size of your smart phone. You can find anything and anyone in the confines of a box that is about 6"x3"x.25". And when you have that kind of access, what is going to determine your choice? I would argue that what will make the difference is this...

Very often we let our web developer handle the conversion of a website to its mobile-friendly counterpart but sometimes that isn't enough. There are some considerations that may affect how your responsive website looks and that is best handled by the website designer before the project is handed off to the development team.

More than 70% of searches online are for local products and services. 78% of those searches result in a purchase. If your local business is not showing up in a google search, your business is missing out on an incredible opportunity.

It might surprise you know that your average Google review rating is NOT the determining factor on where you show up in a Google search. After all, isn't everybody telling you to get more reviews? Your business placement in Google MAPS is affected by Google reviews but probably not the way you think.

Web maintenance should be part of your evolving marketing strategy. It's not about just having a website, it's about managing a website marketing strategy. The guys who are beating the local competition are monitoring their web analytics weekly if not daily. They are changing and updating their websites at least weekly. I know, you don't have time for that... but if you don't do it, your website risks falling into oblivion.

We have the same beef you do. When a directory appears above your website for local products and services, it can be a little unnerving. We fair pretty well in said directory (first in the unpaid listings), why would Google give a non-business preference in a Google search for an actual business? The answer is in the search request.

Google MAPS allows you the opportunity to state your business service area by indicating zip codes or perhaps radius from the business' primary location. Many businesses will extend this range in an attempt to show up in searches that they would like to do business but really don't actually do a lot of business. Does the tactic of telling Google that your service area is bigger than it actually is in practice work?

Website design has evolved dramatically over the years. When we entered the market back in 2003 Microsoft was selling FRONTPAGE and everyone with a copy became their own defacto self web designer and companies were even launched using the product to develop websites for customers.

Competing in the market of "Web Design" for entry level companies was daunting simply because of the amount of competition. Everyone thought because they had a copy of Frontpage, or Dreamweaver and a number of other boxed website software solutions that they qualified as "web designer". And quite frankly some of them were excellent. The problem for the consumer who needed a website however was who to pick? Often it came down to knowing a friend or relative who dabbled... and that was "good enough". Certainly the price was right.

So, we were always competing against your "wife's cousin, Frank who knows how to build a website". How did 50Bubbles survive in this environment? Design was a commodity. That was obvious. If you have to compete on price, there is always someone out there that could beat yours. Yet when we spoke to the client, we were getting their attention.

We all want good reviews but how do they really affect ranking on Google? Here's a run-down of what you should know about Google reviews.