When it comes to “cool tools”, Google is the master inventor. Say what you want about Google, but they know what they’re doing when it comes to giving the public what they want and need. Take the telephone for instance. An old invention that now has been given a new twist with Google Voice (G.V.) . Hold onto your chair as I’m about to tell you how to have a lot more fun with Ma Bell.

Google is giving you the ability to manage all your phones with one centralized number. At the time of this writing, it’s only available to those in the U.S., and by invitation only. Upon registration, you’ll be given your phone number that you connect to any existing phone number. When someone calls the Google Voice number, it rings the phone number that you specified. The option of selecting a word for your personalized number is also given.

Now, if all Google Voice did was send phone calls to your cell phone, that would be great all by itself, but the amount of extra tools and features are truly amazíng.

When a call is received you can answer it, send it directly to voice mail, listen in on the incoming call to decide what to do with it, or start recording the call upon answering. How’s that for a few options?

After receiving a call you’d like to record, hit 4 on your phone to start recording. Different states have different laws when it comes to recording calls, so check your current federal and state laws before using this feature. Currently outbound calls cannot be recorded. Google does provide an automated verbal announcement when the recording starts and stops so the person you’re speaking with knows they are being recorded. So much for incriminating yourself (LOL).

Say goodbye to voicemail as you know it. When a voicemail is recorded, you can check it by going to the Google Voice website and logging in, or calling your Google number. You can even be notified by email, or text message of new messages needing your attention. The ability to listen in on voice mails as they are being left is a very handy feature.

Voicemail messages can be shared with others via Email, even downloaded as MP3 files and embedded on a website or blog. Messages are also transcribed as text and housed on Google’s site for later reading, or sent to you by email. When it comes to voice mail greetings, custom messages can be set for groups or certain individuals.

Google Voice is free for use within the U.S., but does give the ability to make low cost international calls to over 200 countries from your phone or Google’s site. You’ll first need to purchase credits through Google Checkout before making these calls. Rates vary per country.

Here are some other handy features:

• Phone spam filters which block calls and mark them as spam
• Conference Calling
• Temporary forwarding of calls to another number
• Access Google Voice from mobile browsers at http://google.com/voice/m/
• Call Widgets – Easily add a “call me” widget to your blog or site with copy and paste code located under setup.
• Do not disturb option which sends all incoming calls directly to voicemail when you don’t want to be bothered.

So what about when you call someone and want it to appear you are calling from your Google Voice phone number? No problem. The ability to make calls that will display your G.V. number on caller ID can be done in three different ways.

1) Hit call from within Google Voice website

2) From G.V. mobile site on your cell

3) By calling your G.V. number and logging into the system.

Google will call you at the number you specify and connect your outbound call. It doesn’t get much better than that.

The technical requirements to use this service are a computer with Win XP, Vista, Mac or Linux, Internet Explorer 6.0 or above, Firefox 3.0 or higher, Safari, Google Chrome and Flash 8.9. To request your invitation go to – https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/ .

So, if you thought using the phone was outdated, sign up with Google Voice and put some “FUN” back into an old relationship. This just might be the best thing old Ma Bell has seen in years.

About The Author

Merle’s Mission Blog – “Rants, Raves and Random Acts of Kindness” a self proclaimed “Internet Junkie” with a passion for net marketing, affiliate marketing, social networking. An avid Blogger and writer with several niche sites. Find out more at merlesworld.blogspot.com.

Rafferty Pendery

How do you let people know where to find you in the social media world without completely coating your website in small and large badges, each with a different link? Enter the SocialFollow button, a social media gathering button introduced by the marketers here at Studio98, tested by their trusted friends and colleagues. The Social Follow button allows you to list all your social accounts from one location or button, making it easy for your website or blog visitors to find you on any or all social platforms without the bombardment of a million buttons and badges.

For those of you who still haven’t decided to hop into the social pool because you just don’t see the benefits, lets take a quick review of the value of social media marketing. There are two aspects of a social approach to marketing that remain true whether you are involved in B2B or B2C relationships: increasing inbound links to your website and improving or maintaining your brand and reputation. Additional benefits include generating targeted traffic and improving your overall community popularity. The greatest value in social media marketing however, is in the word of mouth and viral qualities of the platform and how this can improve your reputation and brand to generate more visitors and loyal customers.

Word of Mouth advertising has been the best form of marketing available since the dawn of promotion strategies. Today, word of mouth still provides the strongest branding and reputation building strategy for most industries and businesses, but the words are usually flying around the Internet instead of the neighborhood. It is the power of social networking that drives this electronic word of mouth force and the SocialFollow button is making it easier for your already loyal customer base to follow you where ever you are on the net and share your business with their network as well.

Rafferty Pendery
Internet Marketing Consultant
(Creator of the Social Follow button)

Starbucks saw a rise in stock prices starting in Oct 2001, hitting it’s peak in Oct 2006. Starbucks’ key contribution to the coffee and marketing world was the value of creating a customer experience vs. the traditional pay for a cup of coffee now leave and go to work.

What was this customer experience worth? $5 for a cup of coffee at least…until over-saturation hit. This is a problem Krispy Kreme is all too familiar with. Notice the trend between Starbucks’ 10 year stock trend:

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and Krispy Kreme’s:

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With more than 12,000 stores Starbucks faces an over-saturation problem and brand loss. For the correlation in over-saturation read my post, Krispy Kreme: The Sugar High Aftermath. I’ve seen Starbucks now selling their coffee pre-packaged through other stores. In doing this they could be trying to “capture more of the market without having to increase overhead accordingly”. This is the wrong solution. Starbucks made it’s mark on the coffee industry by creating a unique customer experience, not strictly “selling coffee”.

If Starbucks wants to recover their stock prices and value of the company, they need to start with figuring out in present time what makes them a unique company. Having more outlets for their coffee isn’t the only or best solution and one that has been proven unsuccessful by Krispy Kreme following the same trend a few years earlier.

I bring this up because this is a marketing problem at this point more than anything. With an effective marketing strategy, Starbucks could reclaim more of the market, but they have a lot to do to catch up to strong competitors Dunkin Donuts, and McDonalds.

Rafferty Pendery
Internet Marketing Consultant

Technorati Tags: starbucks internet marketing, starbuck marketing, starbucks and krispy kreme trends

Out of all the commercials at the Super Bowl this Doritos commercial stands out in my head most clearly. I will be publishing a post on my top 10 Super Bowl commercials. Keep an eye out for that shortly.

Rafferty Pendery
Internet Marketing Consultant

Twitter has put a new twist on the “old” Web 2.0 theme. Twitter is a cross between blogging and instant messaging, popularly referred to as micro-blogging. You have 140 characters to convey what you are doing to your fellow twitter peeps. Although the message is short and sweet, there is something to be said for the 140 characters Twitter provides. This essentially eliminates the long-winded messages that make readers and recipients (or clients) yawn. Your 140 characters, used wisely, can pique another’s interest, evoke emotion and potentially have them contacting you to learn more or visiting your link to get the full low-down.

The transparency of Twitter is quite divine and is an excellent way to build trust. Twitter is personal which is why many businesses seem to shy away from the forum, but imagine that all of your clients are viewing you as a person, not an industry or business. You are real to them and that is an essential element in establishing quality and long-term relationships with customers. Consider it a way of adding a human voice to your brand.

Another valuable asset of Twitter in the social media arena is that it updates in real time. This gets your message to your audience immediately. When you engage in two-way conversations, and please don’t be a spammer, you have an opportunity to interact with your audience on the spot. You can ask and answer questions and really open dialogue with your following.

Twitter also offers an opportunity to follow your competition and possibly join them, if you are so inclined. Joining the competition may not seem like a good part of your marketing plan, but by connecting with others in your niche you are opening yourself to new opportunities should they need assistance with a project or if for some reason they need to suggest another company to their client. You can also stay on top of trends in your market as a lot of news hits Twitter way before it hits the local news.

You want to know the very best part? Twitter is free. This is a powerful return on investment if you consider the number of tweet peeps you can follow and be followed by. The sheer number of Twits is a great motivational factor for becoming one your self. Like most social media, Twitter offers the opportunity to connect with literally thousands of potential clients looking for information about your business or services.

We do have one warning. As with most social networks, Twitter can be addictive. Don’t let it take you away to Twitterland. Keep your tweets simple and use Twitter wisely. Posting too much can take things overboard. Using Twitter moderately can make it a powerful marketing tool expanding blog exposure, with the Twitter Widget, and gaining valuable readers.

Check me out on twitter: Rafferty Pendery’s Twitter.

Rafferty Pendery
Internet Marketing Consultant

People searching for information enter specific keywords into the search engines to find what they are looking for about products, companies, services or whatever. Keyword research allows you to see how people are searching for information, what words they are using and which phrases you should use in your content so they are directed to your website. By gathering keyword data, you can gain valuable insight to searchers behavior and ways to create a user-friendly, informational website that converts visitors into customers. So where to does one start their keyword research?

Start by washing away the common misconception that you already know what terms searchers use to find your website. If you are just guessing at what people are looking for, you run the risk of getting it completely wrong. Place yourself in the searcher’s shoes and don’t look for one right answer. Successful keyword research should lead to numerous great answers.

When doing your research, don’t limit yourself. It is easy to get trapped with a specific phrase you have your heart and mind set on. In some situations, starting with a single word can open the door to a much larger range of potential keywords. If you are not sure where to start, select a broad, non-specific term to start your search and discover a plethora of less competitive yet very effective keyword terms to develop your keyword list. Bear in mind, many keywords and keyword phrases are so popular it is almost impossible to get a high ranking for them.

Once you have completed your keyword collection, and it should be a fairly extensive list, the next step is to research the keywords popularity and competition. This can be accomplished through the use of several keyword research and analytic tools. There are many keyword research tools available, like those offered by Overture, Google and Wordtracker. To ensure the quality of your keyword data, analysis should be performed and cross-referenced across multiple tools. There are also web analytics tools available such as those offered by Webtrends, Omniture and HitBox. Using these tools will allow you to identify the most effective keywords for your optimization plan.

It is also important to target locally. Local targeting, including your location in your keyword search phrases, is very successful as many people mention specific locations when searching for services and products. Also take the time to explore all niche opportunities. It is essential to identify what part of a market you’d like to focus on. Don’t forget, getting ranked number one for a term that has nothing to do with your website is a giant waste of time and money.

Keyword research is the first step in the optimization of your website for search engines and to gain greater site traffic. So get out there and start researching. Discover new keyword opportunities and fix existing keyword uses. Keyword research is an ongoing process. Your customers and your website change over time. It is important to monitor your keywords and tweak them accordingly. Although keyword research is a tedious task it is well worth the effort.

Rafferty Pendery
CEO Studio98

1. When you write articles with good information related to your industry these sites are no only more likely to be accepted by the article directories, but then many times other sites will republish your articles as well. Search engines search article directories all the time due to the high amount of traffic these sites get and tons of content being generated. So your articles start showing up on the search engines in topics related to your industry.

2. At the end of the articles, there is a place to put links back to your site. This is a completely legitimate way to build links to your website, because you are providing good content in exchange. This aligns with the very purpose of Google. The result is increased presence in the search engines.

Check out my Squidoo page called: Distributing Your Content with Article Submission Services for a more detailed description of article submission and article submission services.

Rafferty Pendery
CEO Studio98

Aside from avoiding the greed laden financial scandal, could Krispy Kreme have taken a different path over the past 20 years? The answer is yes. Lets start with “why ruin a good thing?”. In their first 20 years of operation, Krispy Kreme was a giant in the doughnut world of the Southeastern United States. They were a thriving business with their first chain stores and they had standardized their doughnut mix and necessary machinery to produce the same quality and consistency of product through out each store. They probably weren’t making millions, but they had that “only in the South” flare and people would travel far and wide just to get their hands on the fresh hot glazed doughnuts. Krispy Kreme doughnuts were unique and word of mouth kept the doughnuts flowing out of the stores and, even today, word of mouth is the most effective marketing available.

By the year 2000 Krispy Kreme was not only all over the east and west coasts, they were international. Expansion in the 90’s was insane. And it didn’t stop, by 2004 Krispy Kreme not only had 429 factory stores cranking out hot glazed treats, but they had them on the shelves in 20000 grocery and convenience stores. Why travel to get the doughnuts from the factory store when you can easily pick them up while shopping for groceries or getting gas? What was once a high-end doughnut store chain, with a so fresh their still hot product, was now everywhere-only often not as fresh and generally not hot. They lost their long line of customers. They made their own factory stores obsolete. Had they stayed small and avoided the grocers and 7-11s, they may have saved their brand value. Coincidentally, it was at this same time that Krispy Kreme stocks started to fall and the company began experiencing “unexplained” profit losses.

Expansion is good, but it needs limits. Look at In&Out. It’s a California and Nevada only burger chain, but people love their stuff. They have high quality food for being a burger joint. They have had many offers to go national, but have opted not because they chose to avoid over-saturating, the way many companies do-which often leads to failure. Brilliance…

Keeping up with the times is a marketing must if you want to remain successful in our ever-changing world. Krispy Kreme’s Hot Glazed Doughnuts are far from a healthy snack. Very few humans missed the health revolution with the low-carb diets and movement away from fried and processed foods. People are eating better and it may be time to get creative and market some new products that fall in line with this trend. There was the whole-wheat doughnut and talk of the not-yet-seen sugar free variety, but there is plenty of room for providing a healthier alternative without losing the sugar-glaze that attracts thousands. On the same note, coming up with other non-doughnut products like fresh squeezed juices, organic milks and getting a consistent coffee throughout the stores could add a larger customer base. Donuts aren’t the biggest seller at competing businesses like Dunkin Donuts. People frequent these locals for the coffee, bagels and muffins. Not just for some sugar-glaze or jelly filling.

The Krispy Kreme brand is far from dead, but a different marketing strategy 20 years ago may have saved them from the struggles they are having today. They started in 1937 with a brilliant strategy of producing a superior product and promoting it very well, but they limited their success with over-saturation and a limited product line during changing times. It may be time to bring the fresh hot glaze back to it’s roots and let it start growing again.

Rafferty Pendery
CEO Studio98

As connections and the computers they are allied with get faster, video sites must keep up with the times and meet the speed of their visitors. The large video sharing sites, like YouTube, are already testing a player that detects your connection speed to serve up higher quality video. Optional, of course, but who wouldn’t want the higher quality and where does that leave the timeless “camera phone” videos or “first time holding a camera” videos? And if video marketing was on your list of online marketing campaign strategies-what level of quality do you need?

The content of your video is extremely important, but is content more important than quality? It’s a balancing act. They need to walk hand in hand. It is vital to have effective content that intrigues the audience. Without excellent content, no matter how good the quality, your video will stink and sink right out of existence. However, by combining high quality with brilliant content you’re destined to have greater success than the lesser quality video.

Do you need studio quality stuff? No, but a broadcast filled with extraneous noise is just annoying. The people coughing in the background. The shaking and clumsy camera hand. The dog barking off in the distance. Get that stuff out of there. Don’t be mistaken; unedited video has massive value for keeping it real. But it is better to invest your time in producing high quality videos for a lasting high quality impression.

Rafferty Pendery
CEO Studio98

When using keywords in the title, it is best to not to overdue it. Select a pertinent keyword to your page and form a quality title around the selected keyword. Search engines often highlight these terms in the search results when a user has performed a query. This will help to generate greater visibility and a higher click through rate.

General rules to remember:

• Keep an eye on the length-65 to 70 characters including spacing. Titles that are longer than this often appear unfinished in search results.

• Keeping your main keyword near the beginning of your title indicates the value of your site for this information. Using multiple keywords or repetitive keywords can do damage to your ranking and may get you blacklisted.

• Readability and emotional impact. A compelling title tag will pull in more visits from search results.

Proper time and use of your titles will generate better keyword driven search engine traffic and initiate interest in your site. Don’t just think about optimization and keyword usage. Think about the user experience. Your title is your first impression. Make it a positive one and write your title for the user-and not just for the search engines.

Rafferty Pendery
CEO Studio98