Optimize to the Max!

As we approach the end of 2016, , we are all assessing whether we achieved our goals, exceeded expectations or somehow were “derailed” and why? I have spent most of my December with clients organizing, planning, prioritizing and strategizing as we transition from closing out the year to moving forward with optimism, excitement and strategic plans….Bring it on 2017!

I am fortunate to be able to share success with many of my clients who are celebrating the Bethesda Magazine’s Readers’ Poll for being named “Best of Bethesda”.

A Shout out to: Glenn Smith, owner of Camp Tall Timbers as Best Overnight Summer Camp, Dr. Shailja Ensor as Best Pediatric Dentist (EJL Dental), Dr. Rachel Cohn, owner of Wink Eyecare Boutique named Best Place To Buy Glasses and Mary Farber, owner of Sculpt Studio for A top vote getter for Best Yoga/Pilates Studio. Congratulations to you all!

Balancing corporate goals, such as being named Best of Bethesda, and personal goals is one of the major challenges that I see my small business owners, including myself, struggle with at times. How do you really manage the planning, implementation, operations, day to day nuances, finance and marketing as one person? When writing up a year end report for a business owner, it occurred to me that sometimes the work/follow up required builds up and can be overwhelming. Truly one person is not capable of managing it all efficiently and sometimes, outsourcing is necessary. Making that decision can be risky. … Which agency? … Which action items?… Which new hire? More work, more research and more time invested.

A few years ago, I participated in a panel discussion for small businesses to help them understand the resources and tools available to manage their businesses. There are great tools to support small businesses and the good news is there are improvements and new offerings all the time. So as we approach the end of the year and look at what we can do differently for 2017, I recommend we organize, prioritize and strategize.

Being current is getting harder and harder to do in the Marketing field, where analytics, algorithms and apps (technology in general) are rapidly changing and advancing. For example, if you did not have a mobile friendly website there was a solution for smart phones by creating a separate slimmed down version of the site for mobile devices. However, just last month Google search results began shifting to a mobile first ranking preference. Google is indexing the mobile versions of websites to prioritize ranking results. This is a game changer for websites that are not mobile responsive. It is no longer good enough to have a mobile friendly site. For search optimization purposes it should also be mobile responsive (RWD)*.

What is for sure in integrated marketing today, is it is an evolving discipline… you need to analyze your clients online behavior, understand them, tell your story, attract the match, build referrals and treat this trade like the stock market. It is an investment that will eventually pay off, but it takes time, follow up, tweaking and tracking. A cyber Monday online purchasing campaign to current clients is very different then an email campaign to new clientele. Focusing on plans for retention of current clients, referrals from current clients and simultaneously creating lead generation, attracting new clients and retaining them is a full time job.

Also, stay updated, this was my vision behind my professional networking coffee presentations. Stay updated, network and learn a few tips that will make a difference for your business. Please join me on January 24 while I partner with Brian Loebig to bring you Optimize to the Max!

So as we close the books for 2016 and welcome 2017- set your goals. Be your own personal best and “best” in what you do!! Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and peaceful holiday season and all the “Best” for 2017!
Cheers,
Julie

* Responsive web design (RWD) is an approach to web design aimed at allowing desktop webpages to be viewed in response to the size of the screen or web browser one is viewing with.