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After nearly two years working with Google to become a Certified Partner, WebStrategies has been accepted into the GACP program. There are only 50 firms in the US with this designation, and only two in the state of VA - the other located in Falls Church, VA. So What's the Big Deal? First, GACP’s have been vetted by Google as having the knowledge and practical experience to help businesses make their internet marketing efforts more effective. Clients who work with a GACP receive professional, Google authorized training, implementation and consulting services. You can learn more here. How Can Google Analytics Help My Business?

The growth of online social platforms has been nothing short of explosive over the last several years. As we've watched both consumers and businesses flock to the online space, one of the greatest challenges is how to implement a holistic system that is capable of utilizing all the different areas of social technology. While almost all of us are familiar with the most popular social platforms and services, there are new ones appearing every day. With that being the case, it's almost impossible to keep up with every new service and every new network. There are just too many.

Handling Negative Social Media Publicity By Tara Lappe—Marketing Coordinator, WebStrategies, Inc., February 18, 2011

1. Search engines and social media sites will boom and begin a "love affair" with each other. Search engines will remain the "king" of online marketing and will continue to be the place to find information, products, services and people. The social media sites are where more and more people are going to "check out" someone or some business before engagement occurs. It's a validation process and a place to go to get recommendations. Angie's List is a relatively popular social media site that rates a variety of service providers. Rating websites are popping up every day giving consumers significant power to evaluate products and services. If you think Online Reputation Management is important today - it will be 10 times more important in 2012.

Using Google Places to Drive Awareness and Website Traffic Google recently made some major-league changes to their search engine results listings, particularly for those doing localized searches. In their usual manner, Google understood that a significant amount of online searches are intended to find local products and services, and they reacted accordingly by enhancing local search results.

What should I do with social media? Should I invest in search engine marketing to generate leads and sales? Do I need a website that sells online? All good questions - but first things first.

"I know that half of my advertising is wasted - I just don't know which half." That's a famous quote from John Wanamaker, a successful merchant in the 1800’s and considered by many to be the father of advertising. His comment underscores the challenges that marketers have had since the beginning of time – how do I know if my marketing is working and what elements are working better than others?

While it's only been about 15 years since its creation (we won't argue here who created it), the internet has not only changed the way we live and work, it has also become the most critical marketing medium out there. Many people consider a business that doesn't have a website questionable, and recent statistics show that more than 90% of people considering doing business with you will check you out online before engaging in any meaningful interaction.

These days, it seems the minute you buy a smart-phone (SP) it is obsolete. In all my years in consumer electronics retailing, I've never seen a shorter product life cycle. What's driving the craze and what does all this mean to online marketing?

In last month's article, I discouraged you from forcing your website visitors to read or think when they visited your website – you know what I mean "don't make me read and don't make me think". If you're uncertain about what I really mean by this, you missed something special. Check out last month's article: 5 Effective Elements of Website Design.