Best of the Flathead 2015
Is your company the “Best of the Flathead”?
For a number of years the Daily Inter Lake has sponsored a reader’s poll called “Best of the Flathead“. In years gone by this was a very comprehensive (lengthy) survey that seemed to cover every topic imaginable, but this year the poll has been scaled down and can be completed in a few minutes.
Such surveys are more of a popularity contest than a scientific poll, but winning this distinction gives businesses bragging rights if they are lucky enough to capture the top spots. Social media plays a huge part in this poll with every contender asking their friends, fans and followers to vote for them as the Best in the Flathead in their particular niche.
What really makes a company the “Best of the Flathead”?
It could be argued that the company who gets the most business (sales & revenue) in their particular niche is the best. Number one in revenue trumps number one in popularity every day of the week.
How does a company make it to number one?
Offering the best products, the best service and competitive pricing has always been a great recipe for business success. However, aggressive advertising and strategic marketing can often tip the scales.
Google actually determines who is Best in the Flathead
As it relates to getting new customers, it is the search engines that cast the important votes for who they determine to be the best business in the Flathead - for any particular search term. The dynamics of marketing and business have changed. Today it does not matter how many print ads you buy, how many billboards you own or how large your ad in the Yellow Pages. When people are ready to buy something they search online.
Even if you win the exalted title of “Best of the Flathead“, that award will not have any effect on your rank in search results. The point is that we have been conditioned to search online for virtually every buying decision we make. If we see an advertisement that strikes a chord, the next action is to go online for more information. And, the worst thing that can happen is if someone searches for your products or services and does not see your website. In essence, you could be advertising for your competitors.
So, is this “Best of” contest meaningless?
Of course not; the bragging rights alone add value to every recipient’s reputation and the Internet has not yet killed off “word of mouth” advertising. The Flathead Guide actually won an honorable mention our first year in business and I am proud of that. However, I am not sure I could attribute any new business as a result of that accolade.
The point of this discussion is simply that it is what happens online that is most important to most businesses. People search… if they find our website we may win another customer. If our website is not found, we lose business from someone who is actually trying to find our products or services. Optimizing our websites for search must be our number one priority.
How do you become the “Best of the Flathead” in search results?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a systematic method of boosting our website in search results. The goal is to be listed on page one of Google for the keyword phrases that define our business. This involves a great deal of ‘on-site’ tweaking and ‘off-site’ tactics that help to improve our website in search results. There are virtually hundreds of things you can do to better your odds, but the closest thing to a silver bullet is…
This is where the Flathead Guide can become an invaluable asset to your marketing mix. Your listing in the Flathead Guide is a 100% mobile-friendly mini-website that can drive traffic to your primary website and help improve your search results at the same time. Plus, our “Tap to Call” feature means that potential clients need only tap your phone number to be speaking with you automatically.
Hundreds of local companies get thousands of pageviews and direct traffic from the Flathead Guide, and your business listing costs less than lunch at a fast food restaurant. If you really want to become the “Best of the Flathead in your profession”, let us help you get found online.
