Local Search Listings Crucial For Today’s UK Businesses

Today’s web has drastically changed from what it was only a couple years ago, with huge alterations coming in the way that businesses are putting the search engines to the best use.In the United Kingdom, there has been a sharp change in the effectiveness of online businesses’ marketing for those businesses which cater to a local customer base. Previously, the online directory site YELL.com was where UK customers would turn when they wanted to find a local service or company which could meet their needs. In 2008, things began to change in a drastic way.According to the annual statistics report from YELL.com itself, more than 1 million users per month were lost between March of 2009 and March of 2010. This was not a sea shift that many were expecting and the core reason for this intense change in UK web browsing habits?Competition, turns out to be the answer, but not just any competition. The California based online search juggernaut Google got involved and YELL.com began to take a nosedive in popularity. The key change was Google’s introduction of its Google Maps (now known as Google Places) service, offered for free, that grabbed up a significant portion of the UK national audience in a way that only a web giant like Google would be capable of doing.Today, businesses are having to adjust as they attempt to keep their presence accessible to local customers, many of whom are now turning to Google for more than just Google Places. Services such as Gmail and Google Docs mean more users are going to use the features closest at hand and that means UK companies who have not ensured they are listed with Google Business Centre are certainly going to lose out.The Business Centre feature is accessible directly from the Google home page which many users have set to be the first page they see when they go online, particularly if they happen to be using Google’s popular Chrome web browsing software. All of this means that local businesses must do what they can to get their name in front of local customers who are using Google to search for local companies and services. Those that do not do so risk fading into obscurity, something that is all too easy to do online for those who are not keeping up with the latest trends.Local Search results are absolutely essential for your business to appear in. More and more users in the UK are using the web not only at home, but also via their smartphones while on the go. Being able to quickly scan for what they want while they are out and about means you have an opportunity to present them with your business as a potential choice.It’s the smart thing to do and it can make a serious difference in your sales at the local level.

The Simple Way To Market Any Business

You’ve no doubt heard about the K.I.S.S. principle – “Keep it simple, Stupid.” Or as I like to say… “keep it simple, silly.”K.I.S.S. has been around the block a few times. In fact, it was a design principle noted by the US Navy in the 1960s.The phrase was coined by aircraft engineer Kelly Johnson. It’s nice to note that Johnson was the lead engineer at the Lockheed Skunk Works (creators of the Lockheed U-2 and SR-71 spy planes).Though the acronym has been used mostly by the US military, namely the U.S. Navy and United States Air Force, civilians, businesses and lots of other groups use it too.Heck, I bet you’ve used it a few times yourself.We all tend to over complicate things, including myself.But I prefer simple any day and twice on Sunday. When tackling any problem, my number one rule is to start with the simple basics first (is the power on? Is the lamp is plugged into the electrical outlet?)And you’d be amazed at how effective the simple way of doing things can be. After all, you can always complicate the hell out of things later, if you like.You’ll be pleased to learn “simple” also works in marketing your biz too! Truth be told, simple has taken me a long, long way in the marketing of my business.Let me explain… The Three Pillars Of Good MarketingOK. Let’s break this down into, you know, simple terms. You can easily and simply market any product or service if you examine the 3 pillars of marketing.But before I go into details, I’ve got to give credit where credit is due. While, I’d love to think that I’m a marketing and advertising whizz, truth be told, I’m scratching the surface here.What I have learned came from the true geniuses of the game. The guys who figured it out and have been in the marketing trenches for decades.With that said, what you’re about to learn came from marketing top-gun Dan Kennedy. I recommend that you get your hands on any books, programs or live events he puts on. It’s nothing less than pure gold.OK. On with the show. The pillars of good marketing are:MessageMarketMediaLet’s talk briefly about each one.Pillar 1. Message. This is the “what” you say to your prospects or clients. It’s the communication part of the equation of good marketing. If you get this wrong, then your efforts won’t necessarily fail but will suffer greatly in terms of results and sales.Keep in mind, even if you have a great message and you shoot it to the wrong market, it’s going to land upon deaf ears. And you’re wasting marketing bullets… time, money and other resources.Pillar 2. Market. The is the “who” you want to sell to. It’s the group of people most likely to be interested and willing buy your stuff. These are the prospects you are communicating with and who will receive your sales messages (sales letters, print ads, landing pages etc.)So, your mission is to match your message to the correct market using the correct media.As you know privacy is essentially dead these days. So, getting the names and addresses for nearly any target market is a fairly simple process.Mailing lists comes in all shapes and sizes today. If you know what market you want to go after, you’re likely to find a list. It’s just a matter of contacting a list broker and describing who you’re looking for.For example, If you are looking for people who are at least 7 feet tall, drive a BMW, live in South Carolina and subscribe to Psychology Today, you can get that list. It may not be a very large list, but nevertheless it still exists.Pillar 3. Media. This the delivery system. It’s the vehicle that your message rides in. Think: magazines, newspapers, newsletters, social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and list goes on forever it seems.The best way to select which media to use, starts with the market. Are you targeting folks over the age of 65? There’s a good chance they do not use social media as a primary medium.Yes, they very well may have a Facebook account, but this is not their main means of communicating or staying in touch with others.They do read the local paper and use their cell phone regularly. They probably listen to the radio and watch TV.But the only way to truly know is to ask your clients and prospects.How To Target Your MarketOne popular way that business owners use to target their market is by geographic.Using geographic marketing you choose your market based on a specific location, for example, businesses within a 10-mile radius. This is a very simple way to choose your targets but it’s like dropping flyers out of a plane and hoping one lands with the right person.Yes, a bit of an exaggeration but with a few simple tweaks, you can make your geographic marketing more effective. And you can do this by using…… Demographic targeting. Demographic targeting is selecting people by age, gender, how much money they have, whether they are conservative or liberal, or what religion they are, single or married and so on.Next, you have psychographics. Psychographics deals customer behavior, attitudes, interests and lifestyles. It’s useful when segmenting your market. This can be very powerful (and effective). Plus, it allows you to customize your marketing messages based on whatever market segment you are going after.Hey, you could combine all three. And many of the cloud based programs, such as Adobe Marketing Cloud, Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketing 360 and more do just that. You could also check some of the open source solutions.Again, you don’t have to get all “techie” just be sure you have details such as their contact info, and carefully track how much they spend, what they buy and how often. Simple with Excel.Of course, I could go way deep into this topic, but staying the “simple” approach, suffice to say keep good customer lists, learn what your prospects and clients want and become the “go-to” company that fills their needs.So, the next time you start a new marketing campaign, consider the ideas presented here. If you are tired of dumping big bucks down the advertising toilet and you’d like more profitable results, then I encourage you to give me a shout. Do you have questions about this article or would like to see a subject covered? Again, just shoot me a line. I’m always happy to help.Yours for higher response,Emette E. Massey

How to Use Personalized Clothing As a Business Gift

We live an age of brands. Nike, Burberry, Gucci and Armani are just a few of the names that dominate our wardrobes. Although our clothes have the names of other people on them, what would it be like if some of those clothes had your own name on them as well? Personalized clothing is becoming increasingly popular as a gift item. By giving someone a shirt, jacket or polo-shirt with their name on it, you are showing thought, individuality and gratitude for the relationship you have with them.One of the reason why this works so well is that a person’s name is the sweetest thing to them. By giving someone a gift that is personalized to them, that gift will become one of their most prized possessions and, each time they wear it, they will think of you.When it comes to personalizing clothing, there are several ways that you can personalize it. Firstly, you can personalized by just initials. This is ideal if there is only a limited space to customize, such as on socks. Secondly, you can give the first initial and surname, which can be used on areas where you have a bit more space to customize, such as on or above the breast pocket on a shirt. Thirdly, you can personalize according to the whole name. This, naturally, depends largely on how long the person’s name is!In addition to personalizing by name, also ensure that you send the person clothing in their favorite color and the right size as this will ensure that your personalized clothing becomes one of the best gifts that they will ever receive.

Opt For Preventive Care To Reduce The Cost of Healthcare

People often do not prioritize their health and visit the hospital or their doctors while detecting some disease-causing symptoms in their bodies. However, preventive care is the best possible way everyone can undertake and cease the risk factors before the symptoms become dangerous and life-threatening. The following article will focus completely on preventive health care and how it helps reduce further costs involved with healthcare.

Suggested article: Preventive Dental Care In California

What is Preventive Care?

Preventive health care or prophylaxis involves the measures that people consider for preventing any diseases. The form of healthcare includes utilizing medical services or precautions that fight against the potential health crisis. It is the most important step that people can adopt in better management of their health.

Several factors such as genetic predisposition, lifestyle, environmental factors, and disease agents affect people’s health. Hence, everyone must undergo periodic health check-ups and screening tests from the doctors.

People opt for preventive health care for maintaining better health, and eliminating the disease becomes serious. Preventive care in conjunction with medicines will save a patient from health breakdown and save money from future expenses, especially if the patient is suffering from a chronic disease.

What are the Preventative Care Services?

Here are some of the examples of preventive health care services, along with their frequencies. ·

Annual Check-up (1 per calendar year): During the annual check-up, the doctor or Primary Care Provider (PCP) checks all areas of a person’s health, including physical and psychological. Examining the patients in detail helps in detecting any health care concerns in the early stages.

· Flu Shot (1 per year): Most health plans include flu shots and protect the patients from all strains of flu viruses.

· Mammogram (1 calendar year, after the patient attains the age of 40 years): Patients over the age of 40 must undergo routine x-rays of breast tissues and check for signs of cancer and other abnormalities. Some health plans might cover the costs of 3D imaging. ·

Colonoscopy (usually once in every decade after the age of 50) for detecting colon cancer.

· Vaccinations, including boosters for such as measles, rubella, polio, etc. administered during childhood.

Preventive health care helps keep people productive and active, enabling them to earn well during their senior years. Studies show that approximately 35% of people have to consider early retirement, even before they are financially ready. Opting for affordable, preventive care helps in reducing the numbers.

Why Should Patients Opt for Preventive Care?

Access to preventive health care helped reduce healthcare costs among Americans, as the physicians can prevent or treat the disease before the patient needs emergency room (ER) care. Almost one-third of costs in America include hospital care, which is undoubtedly very expensive. In 2010, 21.4% of adults paid at least a visit to the emergency room, which reduced to 18.6% in 2017. Adults not having affordable access to preventive care are more likely to pay a couple of visits to the emergency room.

Statistics show that 7% of the adults in the age group of 18-64 paid visits to the ER in 2014, as they had no other option, regardless of their health insurance status. About 77% of Americans went to the emergency rooms due to complications in their health, including those whose doctors advised them for emergency room care. Approximately 15.4% of uninsured adults in 2014 are more likely to use the emergency room, as they lacked other providers.

Undoubtedly, the cost of ER care for uninsured patients was extremely high. Hospitals provide care, even if the patient fails to provide fees for their services. As hospitals must recover the cost, they shift to Medicaid and health insurance premiums, which increases the healthcare cost for everyone.

Impact of Preventive Care Cost on Health Care Costs

Chronic diseases are the major leading cause of death among people, either preventable or manageable with regular visits to health care. These include:

· Heart diseases

· Cancer

· Stroke and

· Chronic lower respiratory diseases

Poor nutrition and obesity are the leading cause of heart disease and stroke. Genetics and smoking lead to lung cancer, which is the most common type of cancer. Obesity also risks several other forms of cancer.

Treating these chronic diseases is expensive, even before they reach emergency room status. Approximately 90% of the 3.5 trillion USD includes health care expenditures for people suffering psychological problems and chronic diseases. Patients who never went for preventative care or did not have any prescription coverage failed to afford the treatments, screenings, regular check-ups, and medications that would manage the underlying conditions of the disease. Instead, they head up to the emergency rooms with cases of strokes, heart attacks, and other complications.

However, with regular access to affordable, preventive care, the patients were more likely to discover and manage their chronic conditions. Doing so lowers the chances of visiting the emergency rooms and investing more into expensive treatments for those diseases, which passed regular management. With the decrease in the expenditure for treatments, the overall healthcare cost also decreases for everyone, as the hospitals no longer try to cover the treatment cost of the uninsured patients.

When and What Preventive Health Care is the Most Suitable?

A patient’s primary health care provider will help him or her coordinate the most suitable shots and tests. While analyzing the beneficial shots, the health care provider will consider certain aspects such as family history, age, sex, current health status, and several other factors.

Conclusion

Preventive health care often covers 100% of health plans and offers the patients several benefits both in cost and health. However, if the patient experiences doubts or are in dilemmas about the things covered and tests conducted, he or she must communicate with the physician at the earliest.

Everyone knows, “health is wealth.” If a patient is healthy, he or she will perform the best. However, it is also important to adopt a healthy lifestyle, reducing the risk factors and saving the patients from spending money on medicines.

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