Is timing 'everything'?  I've heard such suggestions before, feeling intimidated by the notion of minding yet another factor.  Should I go to the grocery store because I'm hungry; and, because it's dinnertime?  Should I wait until the crowd subsides?  Should I turn the Flyers game off now while they're still ahead as not to get disappointed later?  Should I approach the girl at the coffeehouse while she's busy though waiting for the 'perfect' moment (which in my mind my never come) could be an error in logic?

Website management can be an incredibly tricky business for any webmaster or site owner. Although creating a site from scratch can be difficult enough, it's getting web traffic and conversion rates that ultimately becomes the greatest challenge for so many of us in the industry. Startup company and small business owners in particular tend to lack the tools and knowledge necessary to turn a failing website into something which a person can be proud of. The whole dilemma can be a bit disheartening to those company owners who just want to be able to get their businesses up and running instead of having to fiddle with page attributes and social media campaigns.

International SEO is increasingly relevant for businesses that are looking to either grow their presence in a new international market or expand their operations into a new country. Either way, businesses are trying to maximize their online exposure and cater their marketing efforts to their new environment engaging with their new audiences.  International SEO encompasses all the online search engine optimization work that enables web searchers in a particular market (bound by culture or borders) to discover the brand and avail of its products and services considering the culture and language of the searchers.

A new bill proposed by Eliot Engel (NY-D) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-D) known as the “Social Networking Online Protection Act” is the first legislation in Congress that addresses the practice of pre-employment Facebook screenings and is intended to make the practice itself an illegal act.  Should SNOPA be signed into law, it would outright ban employers from requiring their employees to submit confidential information (such as passwords or other login credentials) to their social networking accounts.  Read more

Small business owners who just filed their taxes are heaving a sigh of relief that the season is over and their returns are in. That leaves time for the bigger questions, of course: What’s next year going to be like? Am I in a good place? How can I pay lower taxes in the future?  Read more

I'm an 'armchair PR quarterback.'  I have experience in the field, but currently reside in PR hibernation, focusing professional attention on writing and internal marketing.  However, my former professional sentiments can't help but fuel my interest and inner passion.  I regularly trace the PR operations of brands, shouting at the computer screen like an aged, high school quarterback who lends his voice to the television screen while assuming the Lazy-Boy position.  "C'mon how could you make that PR play!"

Remember childhood soft-drink selections?  There was Coke, Pepsi, 7-up, and possibly some Capri Sun if your mom was super cool.  Today's variety is broader.  There are sports beverages, flavored water, fruit drinks, energy drinks, and more.

In yesterday's blog post, I spoke at length about the necessity of high-quality image and video assets in a company's marketing efforts. With visual media becoming an increasingly useful tool in every internet advertising campaign, the race is on to secure photos and digital camera footage that users will find engaging. Whereas in my previous blog entry I gave advice to small business owners on how to procure this media, today I will be giving guidelines on how and where to implement these excellent strategic marketing assets.

The concepts of organizational identity, image, and reputation are important in business operations, especially for the strategy that is engaged in by business decision-makers as well as the outward communication that a company extends. There are various understandings of each term both in the working sector and within scholarly research in the academic realm.  SEO agencies can help businesses shape all three in their conceptualization and implementation through their online presence.

Would you like to be the next Instagram?  Do you have an idea but lack the resources to fund a startup?  Join the club.  Many industrious minds ponder a new business beginning; but, the alternative to success is not so appealing.  To date, a large number of startups fail within the first few years.  Psychological failure won't break bones; yet, digging a financial hole can break an entrepreneur's bank.

"The minute you get a message out there that has engagement that gets people's imaginations fired up or gets their emotions or passions stoked, it's going to go beyond your network because you may have your 130 Facebook followers but each one of them has 130 of their own so the message can spread like wild fire," said Michael Stricker, director of social media with the Internet marketing firm Webimax.  Read more

(Sigh) It seems so obvious to so few.  I read a humorous post today regarding the plight of black hats; the author facetiously recommends keeping a chin up and getting back to work (also advising white-hat methods as a future alternative).  I agree.  Stop your whining and start 'getting it.'  I understand why some entertain unscrupulous methods…$...that's why.

Google has been no stranger to legal issues with investigations being conducted into privacy and antitrust matters among others for a considerable period now in all corners of the word. 

The old adage of "a picture's worth a thousand words" is an all-encompassing one in today's 21^st century society. As the internet has become the primary form of communication for millions of people the world over, businesses often emphasize the importance of their media assets. While print magazines and newspapers struggle to maintain their relevance with a digitally-focused generation of media consumers, online organizations and companies are able to capture the attention of countless users effortlessly using only a handful of eye-catching photos or entertaining video clips.

Is your website over-optimized? Watch out because Google is cracking down on sites that are over-optimized and penalizing them. The penalty is presumed to be introduced within the month and is aimed at sites that are cheating the search system. Sites that are penalized will be removed from Google's index and will not be crawled by search engines, ultimately becoming non-existent to search engines.

The problem with most daily deal sites is that the bargains you're offered aren't necessarily the ones you want. That's where Amazon (AMZN) thinks it can gain an advantage over rivals like Groupon (GRPN) and others.  Read more

In the digital age, Internet security is a growing concern amongst Web users not only domestically, but on a worldwide scale.  Since its inception, the Internet itself has remained free of international censorship and government oversight.  However, cybersecurity is an issue that continues to create controversy, as some believe that a truly secure Internet may only be possible by sacrificing user privacy.

Businesses across industries have become more interested in corporate social responsibility (CSR) over the past decade than in any time previously. What constitutes CSR varies but it generally covers the equitable operation and often the "giving back" from businesses.  To mitigate harmful impact to the environment and the wellbeing of the communities impacted by a business' operations, it can make conscious choices as to the way they source materials, manufacture their goods or deliver their services, the way they treat their employees, and interact with local or impacted communities.

Many businesses these days are looking for ways to build up an online audience without having to pour endless hours into social networks. Facebook, Google+ and Twitter all serve as excellent venues for interacting with customers and brand followers, but their streamlined interfaces often lead to content that feels stilted and formulaic. Although company owners clearly want to always be on the minds of its followers, the limited space and compartmentalization of these websites greatly hinder the level of exposure that social media can offer. This is especially true in the case of smaller businesses that may not be on a potential reader's radar at all.

Are you a real estate professional looking to gain more customers? If so, then you better get started on joining social media sites.

Local search has gotten much attention across the web in addition from us here on the WebiMax blog as the importance of it for business marketing is clear. Local search is extremely prevalent and will only increase in its occurrence among web searchers and smartphone users in the years to come. Now, recent research from comScore with the 2012 Localeze Local Search Usage Study shows some new numbers that give a look deeper inside local search and why it is so important for consumers.

 Ideas: the flashes of to-be-or-not-to-be brilliance.  They compel us to act (sometimes), to make industrious motions.  Years ago, engaging in business was a bit different.  It didn't involve online parameters.  Now, it certainly does.  A large pool of businesspeople must 'grandfather' operations into the young, digital world.

As the foundation of any SEO-focused marketing campaign, keywords are always the driving force for any industry. More often than not, business owners take an approach to their keyword selection that emphasizes quantity over quality. While generalized keywords do have the potential to bring in a large, broad user demographic, sometimes a far more specific search term can yield better results for company websites and online content. The trick comes from knowing how to select the right keyword for the most successful search engine optimization.

We write across subjects on this blog - Jason has written a good amount on social media recently, and Anthony on public relations and relationship building just today. So when you look across subjects one central element that runs through is the importance of engagement. Or more specifically - purposeful engagement. Whether in forming professional relationships in person or through a digital medium, connecting with customers through social media, or reaching out to past customers, one of the ever-present goals is purposeful engagement. What is meant by this is that when marketers connect with audience members, they want it to be meaningful and impactful, inspiring them and moving them to action. Marketers need this communication to hold value for the audience members and not just be token promotion or commenting.

The layup that was Facebook's initial public offering is no longer a sure thing. That's the most obvious conclusion

WebiMax, a leading search engine optimization firm, was recently named a 2012 South Jersey Fastest Growing Company in a contest jointly conducted by the Philadelphia Business Journal and the Rohrer College of Business at Rowan University.  Read more