With the amount of time and effort we pour into marketing our businesses, you would think that we'd be more interested in keeping and reaching the people that are interested in our services/products vs those that aren't.  However, it seems like a lot of businesses are looking for big numbers.  More followers, more likes, and more sign ups.  Sure, there's power in numbers, but what if you're wasting valuable marketing dollars on people who don't care what you're selling?

Busy entrepreneurs say “Prove that wading through the Google Analytics of my website is worth my time.” Challenge accepted! Here are three real case studies from our clients on how they are using Analytics to improve their businesses.

Still giving Facebook hashtags a go?  Great! Assuming you're using them correctly... If you're using hashtags on Facebook, you have to remember that it's not the same platform as Twitter.  There are different rules that apply.  The same basic structure is set up though.  You type in a "#" symbol and then whatever single word or phrase without spaces that you want to use (sans symbols).  What else do you need to remember though?

"I'll make you Number One on Google!" You’re bound to have heard that promise before. In some ways being number one has never been more difficult to achieve. Search engine results have changed a lot and more change is on the horizon. Here’s what that means for you:

At this point, many businesses have taken the initiative to put themselves out there.  Businesses are reaching their customers like never before through websites, blogs, newsletters, and social media.  With what seems like 30 new social media platforms a minute, it can be difficult to decide which network is worth putting a big chunk of your time into and which might not need as close of an eye on it.

While everyone wants an insurance company to have a sizable and solid foundation, no one likes to work with a nameless and faceless organization. Brian Berce has been with Farmers Insurance since 1996. He already has a corporate web presence, but he wanted a personal website to help build relationships with people in his community.

His new website provides all the important details clients are looking for regarding their insurance questions while also giving Brian a blog platform to talk about local news and events. And of course he has a personable About page so folks can "meet" him on line.

Sprocket Websites is happy to help Brian introduce himself to new clients. If your business is similar, call us to talk about building a personal website for you.

The best way to be found online by prospective customers is to honestly and obviously tell search engines that you are the best result for the customer’s search. Don’t waste time trying to ferret out the latest SEO tricks. Instead, make sure you’ve completed these 5 first steps.

A large majority of social media networks are following the trend and becoming publishing platforms. Users are taking advantage of the opportunity to publish their original content to propel readers back to their own sites, businesses, products, etc. Social media marketing and content marketing are very much merged at this point. Platforms, like LinkedIn, who are encouraging content marketing with features like LinkedIn Pulse are also adding better analytics for publishers to able to better target readers and to have the ability to adapt their content to the preference of those readers. 

On Wednesday, May 13, I gave a talk for Naper Launch, an initiative of the Naperville Public Library to help entrepreneurs launch businesses, in honor of Small Business Week. Here's how it went.