If I were to ask you the difference between search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM), you may or may not be able to tell me. Unfortunately, they are far too often used interchangeably. However, they are very different strategies! The similarity between the two makes it difficult for most small business owners to determine a better fit. Should you invest in one or the other, or maybe both? Let's look at what's the difference and which one you need for business.

SEO and SEM, What are they, and what's, are the differences between the two?

Both of these industry terms get used abundantly, and they definitely work hand-in-hand. When used together, your website may benefit. However, they are not the same thing. 

One way to think about the two is to think about fishing. SEM is like taking a single fishing pole and going over to the honey hole where you know the fish are biting and dropping your line. Now an SEO would be like taking a fishing net and stretching it across the same spot. Both catch fish but only by using the net are you going to stay fed for a while or feed your family. Unfortunately, it takes time to weave the net together, so the fishing pole is a good option while you get started perfecting your macrame. 

SEO = Search Engine Optimization

SEO is a marketing strategy, using keywords people use when using a/an search engine like google and linking the keywords to their site or business. Hence, they appear as close to the top of the first search engine results page (SERP) as possible, To gain exposure for their site or business, which leads to higher traffic and sales. But it's not as simple as one might think. A lot has to go into a site to optimize its potential

SEM = Search Engine Marketing

SEM is also a marketing strategy, but one that uses paid advertisement to link the name of their site or business to a list of keywords that customers might use in their search engine for services. The ad will either appear above the organic sites at the top of the SERP or listed at the bottom. Which is why, if you've ever searched for anything using Google, then you know the first three or four things listed in your search results are all ads and marked as such. Those are all what is known as SEM's, and they go by a CPC (cost per click) or a PPC (pay per click).

What is the difference between SEO and SEM?

Well, the obvious answer would be money. An SEM is paid for, and an SEO is not.

More than the apparent financial difference, SEM is mostly used in the short term to announce a sale or to gain better exposure for a highly competitive keyword, which is extremely difficult to be seen and rank for otherwise. For example, if you are a plumber and you are competing against Roto-Rooter or Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. As you can imagine, these companies have money to burn and gladly buy ads, running up the ad prices. Ads for competitive keywords can become very costly and can add up fast!. SEM's are best when used in the short term, so if you use one, remember you can set a daily budget or the max amount you're willing to pay per day.

SEM's are better used as boosters to gain traffic to your site or business and typically are not economically feasible in the long term. SEM should always be used in conjunction with an SEO site for optimal benefit.

SEO or organic search brings more traffic in the long run. Organic search is a search that cannot be affected by paid advertising and is listed by its relevance to a search. Now, if you can't afford any SEM kind of advertising, there are many ways that you can optimize your site to get it to appear high in the SERP by using SEO techniques and content marketing.

Tips And Tricks You Should Know

The White Hat Technique Will Raise Your Search Ranking Based On How Search Engines Rank Sites 

1.) On-Page SEO

This SEO helps search engines understand a page's content. Therefore, giving it a higher ranking in the search by optimizing each individual page of a website to target a specific keyword makes your site more appealing to the search engine.

Keyword Research: Research the most commonly used keywords in searches that have been used for your site's topic or business by going to websites like ubersuggests.com and registering for free. If your site uses the most common keywords people are asking about, its relevance will be raised automatically in the search engine. 

Creative Content Writing: Your site can't be like any others; if you want traffic and to get noticed, you can't just use the keywords. You need to find a new angle on them and make people want to click on them, giving readers what the other sites are NOT. Or, in other words, answer people's questions! Exactly what an AI SEO agency helps you do by combining creativity with data-driven keyword insights.

2) Technical SEO

This SEO will optimize non-content elements of the site and the overall site itself, improving its foundation. 

Site Speeds: Use lower resolution or more transparent media on the landing page for faster site speed. 

Indexing: Make everything organized and clean looking while also making info easy to find 

Crawlability: Make words and buttons bigger for easy navigating.

Site Architecture: Make sure there are several ways to reach, contact, or talk to someone on the landing page, and everything is clearly marked and visible. 

Mobile Friendliness: Make your site or business mobile-friendly. Search engines are used almost more on mobile phones than on computers anymore, and search engines know the difference and rate higher for sights that cater to both. 

Security: Security is vital if you want to build trust and return traffic.

3.) Off-Page SEO

When other reputable website sites link to your site, it shows the search engine that the brand is trustworthy. This type of SEO builds up a website's reputation and authority. This is usually accomplished by connecting it to other high-quality websites by including:

• Local listings
• Directory profiles

4) Local SEO

Local SEO comprises a variety of tactics. Most will include a geographic landing page. As the name implies will consist of a geographical location and services or products relevant to the area. They are designed for local search or when a user is searching for the keyword or keyword phrase in combination with the "near me," "city," or zip code determined by Google. Other things will include

• Google My Business Listing and Management
• Reputation/Testimonials
• Maintaining Name, Address, and Phone consistency 

Why Good Businesses Use Either An SEO or SEM Or Both

Everybody wants their site or business to appear at the top when someone searches. Obviously, it's a highly coveted position that's extremely competitive. Most people who use search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo for their search only look at the first page of search results. Why? Because we want everything fast. Having to click through pages of search results is work. Typically people use searches for three reasons:

• for businesses and services
• for researching topics to become better educated about something
• for finding info on people, places, or things

Ask yourself this, when you do a Google search, do you click to the second page of your search results? How about the third page? If they don't see what they want to on the first page, most people will type in a whole new search by altering their wording or "keywords" next, rather than click to a second or third search result. Being listed on the second page of search results is still better than five or ten, but it still gives you less than a 50% chance that a searcher will reach your site or business through their search engine results.

Knowing this, I'm sure you can imagine with both SEO strategy and SEM strategy, the goal is to be seen in order to gain the most traffic. The more traffic to your site or your business, the higher the chance someone will contact you or will share your content with others. There's a lot that goes into each SEO and SEM strategy also both on and off-page. However, the one thing they have in common is keywords. Both strategies are intent-based. Meaning someone is purposefully searching for what you're offering or something closely related.

Target Marketing

It's important to know who and what you're marketing to. Some demographics are broad range like sports or medicine, but even both of those topics are umbrella terms for a much greater list that could attach itself to those words alone. Sometimes being broad helps, and using an umbrella term can sometimes definitely help. But so are a million other businesses that got there first years ago and have established themselves on the internet—making your business page 30 in the search engine. So to optimize using an SEO or SEM needs to be far more specific if not closely related to your actual target audience.

For example, let's say I'm an ice cream fanatic blogger. Now the words ice cream have been taken by Baskin-Robbins and rap songs for at least three search pages. Let's say mint-chocolate chip and a couple of other flavors are taken up also. But maybe through my research, ice cream scooper is wide open or ice cream as one word because sometimes people don't care how it goes into the search bar is also a better chance for you to get on that first SERP as #1.

Which Is Better for Your Business, SEO, or SEM?

With the similarities and differences between SEO and SEM laid out, unfortunately, there isn't a clear winner for most small businesses. Just as you and your business are unique, so should the choices you make. For some, SEM might be just the ticket to break through a ceiling, while it might be cost-prohibitive for others.

If you need help choosing, I would suggest reaching out for a free consultation. We will be glad to help you decide if one is better than the other or if both might be a better fit for you and your business.

Controlling overhead costs is critical for all small businesses, but those in the construction and trades it is even more critical. With increased competition, increased material cost, and slim profit margins, it has forced many businesses to take a good hard look at overhead cost management.

Budgeting and variance analysis

Technology has made budgeting systems, control strategies, and planning available to contractors, both large and small. Budgeting allows you to evaluate and assess current operations, future costs, and provide a proactive approach to controlling overhead. Tools like Coast’s AP automation for construction can also help contractors track invoices, manage approvals, and keep project expenses under control.

Your overhead will be either variable or fixed. Owners and managers can use these price relationships along with historical developments to potentially forecast costs. Keeping a flexible budget can then be used to evaluate significant variances between actual costs incurred and projected amounts. This will also help you in highlighting weaknesses and potential problems in your organizational structure.

Merely setting a budget, you will help you and can act as an action plan. It can help you change employee behavior and assist you in the decision-making processes. By prompting managers to emphasize cost control and extend planning, employees and staff will often adopt your values. They will also develop a cost-conscious attitude that will start to permeate the company.

Partnering

The global pandemic has thrust the adoption of technology and online communication faster than anyone could have predicted. These advances have also increased the availability of access to the internet wither in the office or in the field. This, in turn, has allowed contractors to join meet with owners, architects, financiers, and subcontractors faster and work through all aspects of a project. Cooperation has the potential to virtually eliminate several of the problems that previously plagued a project. 

Job planning and management

Software is now available that helps builders manage and plan jobs more efficiently. For example, contractors can accurately plan crew sizes, production schedules, manage material deliveries, and schedule subcontractors with the help of technology. These programs allow you to make better decisions, ensuring that your jobs are completed with fewer problems and within budget.

Technology saves time and money

While technology has helped many people, it does come at a cost. You must weigh the benefits of the cost and your time. Ultimately, you must decide if this is going to help or hurt you? Often, the initial sting of technology costs hurt, but the rewards of time gained back is worth every penny.

Just like your website should help answer searchers’ questions so that you or your staff doesn’t have to take time out of their day to answer it. This isn’t to say you should always direct them to your website for an answer, but it does help to have the most common questions answered there as if one person is asking it, chances are there are more with a similar question.

If you are a contractor who needs help with making your website work harder, then reach out to us. We specialize in helping contractors and small businesses grow by simply making their website answer people’s questions, which increases leads and sales.

Jobsite theft can be a hefty burden for contractors of any size. According to the Associated General Contractors of America, it can almost a billion dollars annually.

Here are a few tips and tricks that you can do to help secure your job site: 

Install A Fence

Merely installing a fence around the entire work area can help limit the lazy thief. Fencing such as a chain-link fence is easy to install. If the site you are working in allows you can also add barbed wire to the top to discourage the more ambitious thief from climbing over it. If you are looking for a good fence installer in the WNC area, be sure to reach out to Asheville Fence and tell them we sent you!

Hey, you can’t park in here

By having your employees park outside the main job site will help prevent smaller tools from growing legs and walking off to the trunk of a car or bed of a truck. 

Light it up

Having a bright light area can help deter both vandalism and theft. It allows police and neighbors to keep a watchful eye out for any unusual activity.

Alarm systems

By simpling putting up an alarm that detects motion and activates additional lighting may be all that’s required. If you want to go a step further, then adding security cameras might be another option. If you need a good alarm system or looking for a consultation, talk to Integrity Security, and be sure to tell them we sent you! 

Mark equipment with ID numbers. 

By marking equipment with an ID number will help not only deter theft but help you in inventory and depreciation management. Use something like a Google Sheet to help you keep track of everything. Be sure to have one that is visible and one that is hidden, such as an access panel that is rarely removed or hard to remove.

Getting a delivery, be sure to sign for it 

It is helpful to have one person you really trust in charge of materials coming to the job site. Have them keep a log of what is there and what isn’t. Expensive and critical materials should only here there just in time.

Inform the proper authorities

It’s always wise to inform the proper authorities such as fire and police before starting a project. Simply reaching out to them and showing them some goodwill will help in protecting your job site. To help oversee the site effectively, police often use inventory tracking software for agencies to monitor equipment, materials, and on-site activities, ensuring everything is accounted for and reducing potential risks.. Be sure to make sure you give them an estimated completion date and typical work hours, don’t forget to update them if it changes either! Also, try to provide a list of key personnel and their mobile phone numbers for emergencies.

Hopefully, with these tips, you can help ensure your job site is safe and secure. While we at Cube Creative Design can’t help you with securing your job site, we can help you with securing your website and making sure you have a full pipeline of leads. Contact us today to see how we can help your business grow!

The primary purpose of your small business website is to attract the right customers and motivate them to take action. The call to action might be to contact you, find out more about you and your offerings, or referring others to the business. A mere entertaining site is simply noise and is no real value, ahem social media sites. Your website needs to work just as hard for you as you do; consider the following suggestions:

Define your buyer persona

A buyer persona is just a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer base. This is based on your market research and real data about your existing customers. This will help you in not only identifying the target audience for your website, ads, or social media, but it can also help identify who are ideal people for your sales team to go after.

Make your content skimmable

News flash, searchers will not read all your copy. Crazy, I know! I bet you are skimming this right now, which just proves my point. You need to make it easy for people to scan or skim your content. Numbered and bulleted lists will help people digest your content. Add a few well-placed headlines, and you are well on your way to building a great page.

Be clear and succinct 

You need to make it crystal clear what you do and even what you don’t do. A little transparency can go along way in actually building your credibility. Make sure you also describe the characteristics, parameters, or capabilities of what you can do.

I don’t want to use a GPS on your site

Your website should be easy to navigate and find the information people need. Nothing is worse than coming to a site and not finding the information you are looking for. Unless it is a landing page where you only want them to focus on the one call to action, make sure your navigation is prominent. I often tell clients that you won’t want to switch the gas and the brake on your car, what would you want to change where your navigation is? 

Social Proof

Searchers want and need reviews and/or references in the form of social proof. It comes in many forms. 

Here are a few impressive statistics about social proof:

• According to Voices.com, placing the logos of business customers on a company website can increase conversions by as much as 400%. I also refer to this as the NASCAR section.
• The average consumer reads ten online reviews before making a purchase decision.
• 57% of consumers will only buy or use a business service if it has at least a 4-star rating.
• 88% of consumers trust user reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Don’t Ghost Your Prospects

While ghosts may be ok at Haloween or a graveyard, the bottom line is they have no business being around your website. Just as they shouldn’t be around your website, you shouldn’t ghost a prospect. Be sure to promptly answer all inquiries and/or respond immediately with automated e-mails stating when you will follow up.

Keep The Vegas Strip In Vegas

The goal of your site is to attract prospects. If you have too much flash, sound, and fury, then you will alienate them before you even have a chance to convert them. While it might be nice to win a design award, that might not mean you win over visitors. Often less is more.

Too much detail

I will admit, I am passionate about what I do, and I tend to over-explain things. I have realized that, just like the design, less is often more. The 3,000-word blog post with 50 images may say what you need to say, but what will your prospect say about it? Will they wait for all the images to load? Can they find what they are looking for? Or would it be better to trim the fat and the number of images to better convey the message? Hint, its the latter!

It’s Not Hide And Seek

In other words, don’t hide the essential information from searchers. Make sure you present information in order of its importance. Make things clear and concise.

Your small business website can be your single best sales tool if you let it. You simply have to give it the attention it deserves.

If you need help making sure your site is the best it can be, reach out to us. We offer a free consultation on your website and online marketing efforts.

I have a couple of confessions to make; I used to hate reading! I would often read the Cliff Notes versions if one was available. In college, I would do my best to skim what I had to read and fake my way through the discussion. In hindsight, not the best decision, but I passed, right? However, as I have gotten older, I have forced myself to read more. My thoughts are I already have a master’s degree, reading sales and marketing books is cheaper than an MBA, less time-consuming, and I don’t have to do accounting classes! I am happy to report as of writing this, I have read 14 books just this year.

Some have been short, some have been longer. Some I struggled to get through, a few I could take or leave, while others really spoke to me. Of all that I have read in the past few years, there are three maybe four that I think every entrepreneur and small business owner needs to read. I call it the sales and marketing trifecta. Without further ado, here is the order I think you should read them.

1. Selling From The Heart by Larry Levine

3. Revenue Growth Engine by Darrell Amy

Bonus: Start With Why by Simon Sinek

Final Thoughts

Depending on your role or background I would recommend starting with “Selling From The Heart,” then “They Ask, You Answer.” If you are short on time, then you should read “Revenue Growth Engine.” However, I think you will get more out of it by reading it last as it will help tie in the key aspects and topics that you may not realize when you read the others.

On the surface, Google My Business (GMB) is a FREE tool from Google that helps businesses manage their online presence on the search engine results page and maps. It is the vessel that allows the local search to be more accurate. The only stipulation is that you must meet people in person. In other words, you can’t operate 100% online.

For example, if you chartered Nautilus trips, you could have a Google My Business listing, however, if you just sell seashells online, it's a no go.

Before we dive too much into GMB, let's look at how people search.

It’s a competitive market for today’s small business owners. You aren’t only competing against other small business owners but depending on your area you might also be competing with larger companies and franchise operations. But there is good news, much like a David and Goliath, being smaller and also help make you more nimble allowing you to act quicker. If you know how and what information to monitor, your business can be as successful as any.

Here are seven tips for helping your small business save time and money and making your business more profitable.

1. To sell right, you have to buy right 

One way small businesses can compete is by being competitive with your prices of physical products. The best way to do that is to buy competitively. Try to buy factory direct where possible, attend wholesale auctions, and consider establishing a buying co-op with other small but noncompeting businesses.

2. Cost: It’s everyone's concern 

Make every attempt to help motivate your staff to be mindful of costs and the net profit. The goal  being they are as concerned with controlling costs as with generating sales. One way you could encourage participation would be to implement a bonus program based on a percentage of costs saved.

3. Treat your customers right and they'll keep coming back. 

Ben Franklin is credited with saying that “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.” This goes along with your customer service. While watching the cost is a factor, you don’t want to sacrifice your quality or customer service to do it.

4. Build a network and be mentored 

Finding a good mentor be it someone local, regional, or thousands of miles away, will help you navigate the journey of business ownership. Build out a network of professionals in your industry you will find out what others are doing to manage problems with inventory, receivables, personnel, fixed assets, technology, marketing, etc.

5. Change isn’t a bad thing

Legend has it that Henry Ford said, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Think about that, if it had not been for creative ideas and innovation we wouldn’t have the mobility we do today. See change isn’t a bad thing! Just because its the way its always been down doesn’t mean there isn’t a better way.

6. Ask your employees and your customer service reps 

Businesses shouldn’t be afraid to ask the staff and customer service reps for suggestions. These are the folks that are directly involved with both your product and your customers. They are in the perfect position to suggest improvements and give you an insight into what is working and what’s not working.

7. Examine your current marketing strategy

For smaller companies a yearly marketing plan may be efficient, for larger ones, it may be better to look at doing something quarterly or monthly. If you are focusing on content and digital marketing its much easier to pivot and make changes.

Conclusion

Hopefully, these seven tips will help you set up your small business for success! If you are interested in a free review of your current website or would like a consultation on what we can do to help you with your website, content marketing, and digital marketing needs, please be sure to reach out!

I hate to break it you, but your social media page isn’t your website. It’s a common misconception by many small businesses since they are so accessible and popular. However, I have said it before and will continue to say, social media platforms are rented spaces. While they can be used as part of a greater content marketing strategy, you still have to have a website for it all to live. Here are seven quick reasons why a website is non-negotiable!

1. Social media is great but it's NOT your website

We see this a lot and I have even addressed it in a previous post. While most of your potential customers may have access to social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, there are others who shocking don’t have a profile! When they try to load your page, they are forced to log in or create a profile. All this does is creates frustration for the searcher and they move on to the next link. Also at any point, the parent company of the social media channel could decide to charge for its services. 

By having a business website (separate from social media). you are providing your customers with one location where they know where to find you! It would be amiss if I also didn’t mention that your website is one of the places that search engines and mapping software go to ensure your name, address, and phone number. 

2. 5 W’s your website has that

Today we search for everything. Searching is easy and the ability to do it is as close as the nearest voice-enabled device, phone, tablet, or computer. All these devices use some sort of search engine to find information. As part of a greater content strategy you will want the correct information scattered around the web, your website should be the main source and should provide the answers to user’s questions and what they need to know about your business. 

• Hours of operation? Check. 
• Services offered? Check. 
• Phone number? Check. 
• Email address? Check.
• How much does it cost? Maybe?

Consider the alternative of only having a social media page. If any of these items are not clearly displayed on the page, the customer would be required to contact you to get the answers. And let us be honest how often are you going to call a business to find out their hours if you can’t Google it.

Also, think about this, by talking about the cost of your product or services is one of the biggest questions that searchers need answers to. We have a post that talks about it here.

3. Simply put, a website establishes credibility

Having a professional website immediately begins building trust and credibility with your customers. Think about a time you Googled a business and the only link that came up was a social media page or just a Google My Business listing. Did you click the link or continue searching for an actual website? Chances are searchers are going to go on, unless you are in an industry that has very little competition and relies on referrals and word of mouth.

4. Your website must look professional. 

Often, your website is the first impression customers get of your business. They’re introduced to your brand, your values, and your services. A website that is challenging to navigate or unattractive can quickly have potential customers hitting the back button!

Again, think back to a time you clicked on a website and couldn't quickly find the information you were searching for. You DO NOT want your potential customers to have that same experience when they click on your website. 

5. Your website can be an EXPERIENCE for your customers. 

When they come to your website, you have the opportunity to guide them where you need them to go. It may be your history and story, your mission, or your vision. Ultimately you want them to convert and either buy something or contact you.

6. Enhances the “know-like-trust” relationship with your customer. 

It has often been said, “People Do Business With People They Know, Like and Trust”. While there is debate on the origin, the meaning behind it isn’t debatable. If you can build your credibility and earn my trust, then you have a solid chance to earn my business. Each time someone sees your or your brand, the more they start to trust you and your business. It is more recognizable, and you are more likely to be on their mind when they need your service or product. 

7. A website is worth the investment 

Your website is your single best marketing tool. Spending a little time, and investing in it will pay dividends. 

While there are the DIY options available, my question is always this, what is your core business? Is it building a website and creating a marketing machine? If it takes you 8 hours to build a website, how much did you lose in actual work time from your core business? Hiring a professional agency to design, program, and develop a website with and implement a content strategy will ensure that your users will have the most effective user-experience. 

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, these seven tips help you understand that social media isn’t all that you need. At the very least my hope is that you have some food for thought and something to ponder over the coming weeks or months. I encourage you to reach out sooner than later if you have any questions. Cube Creative is here to help you with your website, content marketing, and digital marketing needs!

Jump back in your time machine to the year 1986. Think about what was popular and how different the world we are living in now is versus 34 years ago. 34 years ago computers were barely a thing, there was no such thing as the internet as we know it today or smartphones. Why is that small business still think they can market the same way as they did in the past? 

I have often said and will continue to say until someone can prove to me that traditional marketing for small businesses is dying. Traditional marketing is in your face, says look at me and don’t you forget about me! This is all in hopes that you remember them when and if you need them.

Learning to market in this new digital age can be tricky at best. While most people are out there doing their sales and marketing at level 10. What I want to help you do and show you what to do is, give you that little extra push over the cliff, and turn up your sales and marketing to 11!

In this final post of the Building The Arch Series, think of the archway opening we have built through the wall. All the noise and distractions that have prevented people from finding your business. 

We are to the point we can add one of the most critical pieces in an arch, which is the keystone. The keystone is the wedge at the top, upon which all the other components lean. It is the essential component of the arch system, and it is always the last piece set in place. Essentially, it locks all other components into position. For our purposes, Google My Business is that keystone.

In my previous posts, I have covered a lot of ground, from pillar pages and blogs to landing pages and social media. In this post, I want to summarize paid ads, primarily on display, search, social ads and pay-per-click.

I will be 100 percent honest with you, I am not a fan of paid ads or paid media. I run an ad blocker on most of my devices. Regardless of my personal experience or feelings on them, I will agree they have their place when it comes to overall marketing strategy. When clients ask me about paid ads or paid media, I will often equate them to a drug or a quick fix. They can help you get a quick boost in traffic and quickly fill the pipeline.

In a couple of previous posts, I have talked about blogging, the three types of landing pages, and email marketing. In this post, I wanted to talk about social media and how it is another stone in the same archway.

I am sure we can all admit that part of the wall of distractions we have in this modern world is social media. While it has its benefits, it has its drawbacks as well. While I will not dive into those for this post, I do want to help you leverage the power of social to grow your business.