A High-Quality Website With No Money Down

Does anyone pick up the phone anymore?

The current Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted nearly every business in one capacity or another. Some have been asked to work remotely, others have been forced to shut down temporarily, and some have been forced to alter their business practices and procedures in order to remain open and serve the public. The one thing virtually every business owner has been forced to do recently is communicate these changes to their customers. As you drive past businesses, you’ll see signs posted in nearly every window attempting to accomplish this task. But if you’re a business owner, how should you communicate these changes to your digital audience—those who aren’t driving past your physical location? Posting a message on your website is a start, but just Google your business name and you’ll see lots of other web content related to your company that needs updating, too, including your Google My Business listing, along with many directory listings like Yelp, Trip Advisor, and more. In order to properly manage all of these “digital storefronts,” you’d have to print virtual signs and run around to these 70+ digital locations and tape each of them up. Then run around and change them each time that message changes. There is a better way. As soon as announcements were made forcing businesses to make changes, Mimi reached out to our Local Search clients and helped them compose and post appropriate alternative messages related to Covid-19 and the stay-at-home order—instantly. We also created a custom graphic to make sure their posts stood out on these 70+ directory listings. With Mimi’s Local Search management solution, we handle all the heavy lifting for you. And as things evolve—and your message, procedures or store hours change—we can help you instantly communicate those changes, too. For more information about Mimi’s Local Search and Review Management tools, please contact our offices at 330-220-8610 or email Mimi@MimiVanderhaven.com .

There are many different ways to learn about a new business. Maybe you just read about one in Mimi and are interested in reaching out to them; or your trusted eye doctor recommends laser eye surgery and gives the number of a Lasik eye surgeon nearby; or maybe a friend recommends a new place to eat.  You could pick up the phone and call or stop by the business in any of these situations (if you have that information available), but our brains are no longer wired to remember phone numbers or website URLs. Instead, we now simply turn to Google or Google Maps and do a search. And few us ever enter a phone number anymore. We just click the “call” button in the Google listing. Maybe your objective is to just find a restaurant’s menu, or get directions, or find the phone number. In any of these scenarios, a simple search can lead you on an unintended journey. Today, if you Google the name of a business or medical practice, you’ll discover a lot more than just their street address and phone number. You’ll see their website, social media accounts, countless directories that make up their Digital Brand and online reputation, and more. I recently met with a well-known and reputable Lasik eye surgeon who was shocked to see that a Google search of his name returned a 1-Star Rating on his WebMD directory listing. And it was the third link in the search result. Imagine how many potential customers the practice has lost because their online reputation was poor even though their offline reputation was one of the best in the area. An updated, nice-looking website is only one of hundreds of links Google will provide potential customers searching for a business name. That’s why your business needs a comprehensive digital marketing strategy to ensure your digital brand and reputation are properly managed—not only on your website but on every online directory—and that you are kept aware of how consumer reviews are affecting your reputation. Managing your website and directory listings—and encouraging your customers to leave positive reviews online—doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. The digital team at Mimi can help with zero setup fees and starting at only $295 a month. This comprehensive digital marketing package can quickly provide you with a modern, new website, manage and monitor your business listings on over 70 directories, and help you receive more positive reviews from customers—automatically. To find out more about Mimi’s comprehensive digital marketing package, please contact her offices at 330-220-8610 or email Mimi@MimiVanderhaven.com .

This month, my oldest son is turning 13, so my wife and I decided to find a babysitter for our three other kids so we could plan a special day to celebrate—just the three of us. As we started pondering what we could do that wouldn’t be classified as “cringe” or “lame” by our new teenager, a common question kept coming up: “I wonder if they are even open?” or “I wonder how they are handling Covid-19?” As we visited business websites or searched on Google Maps, I was surprised how few businesses were communicating the answers to these simple questions. Google Maps listings often show in large type: Verify info with this business. Hours or available services may differ due to Covid-19. This means the business has not taken the time recently to verify their information with Google. As I clicked through to websites expecting the information to be front and center, it was again shocking how many websites made no mention of the pandemic. Many appeared to have not been updated for months or years. If you are like us—busy parents of active kids—our only time to plan is typically after 10 p.m. when most businesses are closed, so I could not even call them. If you are a business owner, it is vital to verify the information on your Google listing and clearly communicate on your website that you are open and taking extra steps to ensure the safety of your customers. At Mimi, we understand that many businesses have limited resources, so these essential tasks are often put on the back burner at a time when they should be at the forefront. With Mimi’s digital marketing package, we addresses the three most critical digital elements businesses need now more than ever. We can build you a more modern website and manage it for you, take over the management of your Google listing, and help generate more positive online reviews. And we can do it all with no setup fees and starting at just $149/month. Come join us. For more about Mimi’s digital marketing services, please call 330-220-8610 or email Mimi@MimiVanderhaven.com .

When nearly every business in Ohio was abruptly forced to alter or even close their operations due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it created significant challenges. In the midst of the chaos, the last thing most business owners expected to deal with was the number of users leaving negative reviews online, frustrated for various reasons out of the business owner’s control. For example, negative reviews were being left for businesses that did not update their Google listing as being closed even though they were closed, as required by law. Suddenly, businesses all over Ohio discovered that the reputation they had spent years building was being called into question. I’m often asked by business owners how they can have a negative review removed. Although there are often valid reasons why a review should be removed—and there are things we can do to try to get one deleted—reviews typically cannot be removed. Online reviews are becoming more important every day. They influence search rankings on Google, and they certainly influence consumers’ decisions. Because people are more likely to take time to leave a bad review than a good one, I advise clients to level the playing field by asking customers to leave a positive review. Most business owners don’t ask, and when they do, their customers simply don’t know how to do it. Generating reviews is easier said than done. Most businesses are lucky to get a couple of reviews each year. That means one negative review can significantly damage their overall rating and take years to recover from. Google doesn’t make it easy to leave a review, which is why Mimi and I have spent years developing our new Review Generation tool. By automating the process and sending requests to your customers via email or SMS text messages, we make it easy for them to leave a positive review. We can even automatically feed reviews to your website. The system requires little to no effort from the business owner, and plays a critical role in building your online reputation. If your business is struggling to manage reviews on your own, reach out to Mimi. We’ll be glad to help. For more about Mimi’s Review Generation tools, please contact her offices at 330-220-8610 or email Mimi@MimiVanderhaven.com .

At the end of almost every article in each edition of Mimi, you’ll find an italicized paragraph providing contact information for the featured business, often including a phone number and a website address. But these days, that’s hardly necessary.

One of the most common questions we hear from local business owners is: “How can I rank higher in local Google searches.”