Susan Nefzger PR Company

Your business is perfect for targeting small businesses that may need your service, so you need to choose which avenue to take in order to get started, right?

Here are five tips to success, organization and efficiency in managing your budget, time and ideas.

1)    Choose three targets which are a guaranteed fit for your product or service

2)    Choose 2-3 marketing techniques/tools that fit your budget and your message

3)    Commit to utilizing those 2 or 3 for a minimum of 6 months

4)    Select vendors to help get your message out who match your expectations

5)    Monitor the progress and if something is not working at all after 6 months tweak it or dump it and move on

The most important aspect of marketing to small businesses is ensuring that the target business is good fit for your product or service.  Do the research required to make sure you will have some success with a certain target. Talk to other small business owners and see what has worked for them in the past, and above all don’t give up on your ideas.

Often, these endeavors take time and it may require more than a six month commitment for some tools to effect a change in response.  For more information on marketing, internet marketing, search engine optimization and other tools visit www.susannefzgerpr.com

Have you been waiting to optimize your website or even have one designed for your business?  According to the Global Information Technology Report issued Wednesday, April 9th, the United States Internet Infrastructure now ranks 4th in the world.  Among the world’s best systems and getting better the U.S. Internet was ranked based upon several factors.

Among the factors considered and researched within 68 variables world wide were:

-    Market Factors
-    Political and regulatory environment
-    Technology infrastructure

Now is the time to utilize a web site that is search engine optimized to your advantage. More people than ever are using the web for online shopping, research for health, financial loans, travel and even car loans.

Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland were the three that outranked the U.S. in the top three spots.  Last year, the U.S. Internet ranked seventh.

April 14, 2008 - Networking your services online can be intimidating at the beginning, but here are a few tips to help you navigate the options available.

Bulletin Boards — These are web pages where you can view and post questions and comments on a specific subject. Answering a posted question is an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise, become known to the people who frequent the board, and get to know others in your field. Don’t be overly self-promotional when posting, just include a signature line at the end of your post, e.g. “Ingrid Gustafsson, Nordic Design.” If you see someone else on the board who you would like to get to know in a collegial way, e-mail them. But never directly approach for business the people you find there. You might find yourself banned from membership.

Discussion Lists — These are like bulletin boards, but are e-mailed to members of the list daily, weekly, or whenever a new posting arrives. When posting to these lists, you can include more information about yourself in a signature box at the end of each e-mail. Keep it short, but include some reason for people to get in touch with you outside the list, such as, “Subscribe to my free newsletter,” or, “Visit my web site for a free resource guide.”In addition to locating discussion lists through search engines as described above, you can find them through online community hosts such as Yahoo Groups or MSN Groups.

Live Chats — Many online communities sponsor real-time chats on specific topics. Participating in these chats is an excellent way to meet people interested in the subject being discussed. Chat rooms that require membership are best, because you are more likely to encounter professionals seriously interested in the topic instead of people just looking for a date. Attending chats featuring a guest speaker can be more valuable than you might think. If you ask a question during one of these, don’t be surprised if people contact you by e-mail during or after the chat to offer you more resources related to your question. You can make exactly the same type of contacts when you are the one who has something to offer.

Articles — Notice who is writing them and who is being written about. These people are likely to be leaders in your field, or at least highly visible. That makes them good contacts for you. Send them an e-mail complimenting them on the article and suggesting you get acquainted for mutual benefit. Make a specific suggestion.

All too often a business website doesn’t  capture the most crucial piece of information necessary from an online form on their company website.The missing piece of data is simply this: which search engine and search phrase did the visitor use prior to submitting the form?

To give you an example, your form result should look something like this when it comes in:

First Name: Jill

Last Name: Doe

Company:     Crane Inc

Referring Search Engine: Google

Search Phrase: small equipment manufacturers

The data in the last two lines in the example above are what the overwhelming majority of companies don’t capture — and the lack of this information causes ridiculous amounts of wasted search marketing spending!

Without these data points, the people managing your search marketing dollars are flying blind as it pertains to capturing quality traffic and leads. They continue to spend good money for buckets of dirt to find the hidden diamonds in the rough. And your inside sales team has to sift through all that dirt to find the real gems.

Probably in many of B2B markets, companies get 80% of their “quality” inquiries from 20% of their budget dollars. Without this data point, how would you go about identifying the 80% of budget waste?

The scary thing is that, in lieu of this missing data, a lot of marketers and agencies rely on some potentially dangerous and misleading metrics. Just because people click on your ad doesn’t mean it’s good. In fact, it could be a total waste of dollars.

Moving downstream just because a particular search phrase generates more competed forms than any other doesn’t mean that it’s generating more quality leads than any other.

Why don’t companies capture this data? For the most part- ignorance and not paying enough attention to the details of internet marketing.

In speaking with several webmasters and IT folks, capturing the data points illustrated above is not overly complicated, though it can be somewhat time consuming, depending on how the website was built and is being hosted.

A lot of CRM systems are starting to offer the necessary technology to capture and feed this data right into the database. (Granted, a lot of these systems are out of the reach of a lot of small- to medium-sized businesses.)

Correcting the Problem

The business requirements to fix this problem are simple. Email or call your webmaster or IT department with the following request:

1. Track the search engine and search phrases that the visitor used to arrive at our website.

2. Carry those values throughout the visitor’s stay at the site.

3. When that visitor completes a form on our website, pass the stored values along with the standard form information.

Easy as 1, 2, 3 right? The problem is seeing this request through to completion.

But I call on all people who are responsible for the profitability of a company — don’t lose this battle, don’t let it slip through the cracks. This is one of those defining moments that are not as glamorous as a home page redesign, or as visible as an online press release, or as “impressive” as a lead generation report. It is, however, one thing you can do to virtually ensure that dollars spent for the next several years are spent more wisely and with less waste than in the past.

Action Items

1. Don’t get lost in the overwhelming amount of data points, such as click-through rate, cost-per-click, cost-per-inquiry, hits, visits, rankings, etc. Stay  focused and seek out the simple yes/no answer to the following question: Can we track the search engine and search phrase in our web forms?

2. If the answer to #1 is no, bring it to the stakeholders’ attention and seek a solution. Your options are:

a. build the functionality in house, or

b. seek a CRM solution that possesses this feature.

3. Once you’re capturing this data, make sure you’re providing it to your search marketing people in real time or on a regular basis. Hold them accountable for bringing your cost per “qualified” inquiry down by using this intelligence.

4. Ask for a raise, take the day off, and pat yourself on the back. You’re in the rarified air of those people who bucked the system, who challenged the status quo, for the betterment of the business.

Tampa, Florida -  The CyberKnife Center of Tampa Bay broke ground and began construction on Monday. The first of its kind in the region, the CyberKnife Center will serve as an open outpatient cancer and tumor treatment center available for use by all physicians, surgeons and patients who wish to utilize the  cutting edge technology.

The CyberKnife is a high tech, robotic, image guided radiosurgery tool that is software driven and able to treat the whole body.  Since stereotactical radiosurgery is non-invasive and requires no incision, there are little to no side effects and pain associated with the treatment. Manufactured by Accuray Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., CyberKnife® is the world’s first and only robotic radiosurgical system designed to deliver high doses of targeted radiation to tumors almost anywhere in the body with sub-millimeter accuracy.

Cyberknife treatment  is especially effective at reaching and treating very small tumors and lesions. It has proven to be successful with:

• lung cancer,
• prostate,
• intracranial,
• neck,
• liver,
• pancreas,
• mesothelioma,
• and others.

Tampa Bay Radiosurgical Associates, LLC will own, manage and operate the center in the Town and Country area of Tampa, adjacent to Town and Country Hospital.  The Managing Director is Dr. James G. Schwade and principals are Dr. Randy Kahn, Dr. Jack Steel, Dr. Harvey Greenberg, Dr. Frank Franzese, Dr. Bob Miller and Dr. Zucel Solc.

The Center will open in July of this year. For more information please visit http://www.morsecyberknife.com to learn more about CyberKnife treatment.

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North Palm Beach, FL- Now that you have the best idea for a business, how do you get the word out and attract clients and customers?  First, you must decide how to manage your budget in terms of advertising, marketing or public relations —– (more…)

Florida Based Cyberknife Center Director Appointed ASTRO Fellow for 2007 - Dr. James G. Schwade Honored at the 49th Annual American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Meeting
December 20, 2007- Each year, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) honors a group of chosen fellows, who have demonstrated leadership and remarkable service in radiation oncology. This year marked the 49th meeting with honorees being recognized at an event on October 30, 2007. Among the chosen Fellows was Dr. James G. Schwade, a radiation oncologist who works as the executive director of both the Cyberknife Center of Palm Beach and the center in Miami.  

Dr. Schwade: An ASTRO Honoree - Dr. Schwade began his involvement with radiosurgery in 1987 at the University of Miami. The physician credits his department with being innovators in publishing on radiosurgery. He spent time lecturing on the procedures at previous RSNA and ASTRO meetings. Schwade has written over 80 technical articles and worked with several organizations, helping to progress the field of radiation therapy throughout his long career. His research in a variety of related areas including medicines, cancers, and lesions eventually led to research and developments in robotic radiosurgery with image guidance, as in with the Cyberknife.

The Cyberknife Centers of Miami and Palm Beach - The Cyberknife Center of Miami was first established in 2003, with the subsequent establishment of the Palm Beach center. Both centers provide image guided radiosurgery to patients using the revolutionary Cyberknife device. The device enables more precise radiation delivery to specified areas of the body. Patients whose conditions are deemed inoperable with conventional methods can be determined eligible candidates for Cyberknife surgery. The surgery yields fewer side effects due to pinpoint accuracy that helps prevent damage to surrounding healthy tissue or cells. The Cyberknife has been used in the treatment of tumors and lesions of the brain, spinal cord, and other difficult to treat areas of the body.

The Florida based Cyberknife Centers host a website that provides more detailed information for patients and their families regarding treatment options, recommendations, and other resources. Visitors are encouraged to tour the website, and discuss any questions with their practicing physician. For more information about Dr. James G. Schwade, or the Cyberknife Centers of Miami and Palm Beach, please visit http://www.cyberknifemiami.com.

News by:  Susan Nefzger - PR & Web Marketing - www.susannefzgerpr.com -  (561) 632-9525 -  A Web PR Company Creating  Search Engine Visibility in: Dallas, Miami, Atlanta,   Palm Beach, Tampa

North Palm Beach, FL – November 29, 2007- For Release- Need your press release to be widely distributed via wire services, business publications, web and news sites? Here are ten tips for achieving top placements:

1) Utilize AP Style Writing
2) Make the headline succinct and snappy.
3) Incorporate geographic location in headline if pertinent.
(Editors like to know where a company is located)
4) Capitalize on a hot news topic for content choice.
5) Make sure the lead sentence grabs the reader with its subject matter and use of a tightly written lead.
6) Utilize an industry expert as a source.
7) Include examples or testimonials to help illustrate successes.
8) Keep content of the release to one page.
9) Include useful internet links in copy if applicable.
10)  Make sure boilerplate info on your company includes accurate information including its website, phone number and appropriate contact information.

About Susan Nefzger PR

Susan Nefzger is a veteran pr professional with a twenty year background in internet marketing, communications and PR in the corporate, government and non-profit arenas. Her team of experts can promote you and your business like no other firm can.  Get to the top of the search engines with our help.
 

Visit www.susannefzgerpr.com, or call 561-632-9525.

November 21, 2007- North Palm Beach, Florida- A dedicated PE teacher and coach, and a motivated team of 10 fourth and fifth grade students from North Palm Beach Elementary make up the equation for a local success story.  Sponsored by the school and Susan Nefzger PR & Web Marketing, the students will compete in the Marathon of the Palm Beaches Kids K on Saturday, December 1st beginning at 8:30 a.m.

According to Sandy Cavanah, P.E. teacher at North Palm Elementary, “our team is motivated by a new program this year which has awarded foot necklace charms to students who complete a mile run each week. The students have been training since August for the Kids K race. The necklaces have been an excellent motivator to get the kids thinking about what they eat, and how important exercise is in their daily lives!”

A local businesswoman also made the team effort possible, native of West Palm Beach and school volunteer, Susan Nefzger. “I have always been involved in sports and am a huge advocate for bringing back PE in schools. Sandy Cavanah has been part of the PE effort for more than 20 years! I am thankful to Governor Crist for his dedication to the importance of physical exercise each day during school. I think it’s the most important thing we can do for our local kids, supporting the local schools.”

Come on out and support our kids, for more information call Susan Nefzger at 561-632-9525 or Sandy Cavanah at North Palm Beach Elementary at 561-494-1800. You may also visit http://www.marathonofthepalmbeaches.com.

In today’s rapidly changing business environment, internet marketing is imperative in the business to business arena. The reasons that exist have to do with a saturated market here in the Treasure Coast and in South Florida, which translates into a need to expand beyond the region or local market. Second, the world wide web provides a far greater reach than any other tool you may be considering to reach prospective buyers. Third, the ability to specifically target who you want to reach is much more accurate with internet marketing than other methods.

For those of you still considering whether to utilize a website to market your business or property, think again. Most businesses cannot compete today without one, so you can’t afford NOT to market via the internet.  An advantage is the ability to allow customers to purchase your product online.  According to one recent survey, 53% of consumers regularly gather information online.  For real estate, nearly 75% of agents and brokers use search marketing now.

In the Treasure Coast area, specific success with internet marketing as it relates to selling commercial property sites is demonstrated by Rebel Cook, of Rebel Cook Real Estate in Palm Beach Gardens.  Years ago, she began placing her website address www.rebelcook.com on the signage used depicting a property for sale.

As she relates, “I resisted at first, but– I did it  and was very surprised to find that  prospects would drive past  a sign and look up our company on the internet before calling. Callers today say that they looked at our web site first to see what other properties we have for sale and for more info on the company and who we are, before they call for information.

At the beginning of our transformation into a “computer user”, we listed a large industrial property on the commercial MLS – a 108,000 square foot building for sale in West Palm Beach for $ 4.5 million dollars. Within hours, we received an inquiry from a Miami buyer regarding the property – contract was sent the very next day. All information was sent via computer – we never saw the buyer.”

Another local North Palm Beach  real estate company that utilizes internet marketing extensively is Waterfront Properties and Club Communities, Inc., located in Stuart, Jupiter, and North Palm Beach. Uniquely, they list their properties on an international site in the U.K. as well as other sites which market to a specific international buyer interested in U.S. properties, www.waterfront-properties.com.  They also provide links to four different substantive websites which results in a higher location on a search page, referred to as “search engine optimization.”  The more substantive links you have attached to your website that are legitimate, the better your location will be when a buyer or prospective business views or searches for keywords involving or describing your business or property.

According to Rob Thomson, co-owner, “so far we’ve received a large number of our inquiries from prospective international clients. Our company maintains a full time Information Technology department which provides support to our agents. The relationships we foster in order to further our reach world wide impacts the bottom line in a positive way.”

In the examples mentioned above, the South Florida region and the international market were targeted, and inquiries received as well as sales performed.  All with less time involved  to complete the deal because of less time spent in meetings face to face. The aspect of internet marketing that is so appealing to many businesses is the time savings and convenience, as well as flexibility it allows.

Internet users use various words and  phrases when they search for products  and services online.  For your business  to be successful  in the realm of internet marketing   write for the   people  NOT for the search engines since people are the one who will buy your products.  However, write your web site copy and press releases keeping the spider in mind.
* Build your website content using the most popular keywords for your product and services
* Use Pay per click and  Organic Optimization. Pay per click or sponsored ads will help you determine quickly what works and what does not.
•    Test your results using analytics.
•    Don’t fall for Internet scams that guarantee Page 1 ranking or  offers that sound too good to be true like   Page 1 ranking in 24 hours.

Finally, in order to keep up with the competition, internet marketing is a cost effective and results oriented way to increase visibility, realize greater reach in whatever way you determine, and impact sales which can be positive for the bottom line.

Susan Nefzger
Web Marketing & PR
North Palm Beach, FL
www.susannefzgerpr.com
561-632-9525