Pete Brand

I think every business owner has come to a point in their business career when they say to themselves, “Sometimes I think it would be much easier to just go get another job!” Well, if you haven’t, I can assure you I’ve found myself in that position many times, but thankfully it was only a passing thought similar to a gas pain. :) I had a conversation with a business owner a couple weeks ago who was faced with an opportunity to take on a full-time position. He was struggling with the decision to shut down his company and move into the land of employment. As he explained the opportunity to me, I quickly understood the challenge he was facing. He’s amazing at what he does and almost every client he’s worked for gives a glowing review of the value they’ve received throughout their business relationship. His business is doing extremely well and there are no pressing financial disasters or lack of work that would be pushing him in the direction of leaving the world of an entrepreneur.more

Link building is an extremely important part of search engine optimization and is a critical part of developing an online presence. Unfortunately, it can be a long process and if not done correctly, can result in serious damage to your brand. The good news is that quality link building pays off by helping increase traffic to your site and improve your search engine ranking. Our link building experts collaborated on a list of dos and don’ts to help you get started:more

I’m sure you remember Google Wave right? What about Google Buzz? When those services began I have to admit I was very excited to get in and try them out, and before I even had the chance, I was convinced they’d be successful. As I look back and try to determine the basis for that belief or excitement, I find it challenging to see what led me there besides my “biz-crush” on Google. I’m thinking I must have been blinded by my admiration and was allowing myself to believe that whatever they attempted to do, they’d do, and do well. Well … I learned my lesson, and I’ve made a commitment to never arrive at an “absolute” opinion again without taking the time to do some research and think things through more thoroughly before establishing my opinion.more

We’ve all found ourselves in the position of wondering what we could do to make a successful website and capitalize on the tremendous opportunities that exist online. If you are over the age of 35, this “technology stuff” might have you feeling completely overwhelmed and wondering if you will ever fully understand it to make money online. Succeeding on the Web is much easier than you would expect. This article will teach you the six steps necessary to be successful online. I guarantee it is much easier and more logical than you’ve ever believed. So, for all you 35+ geezers out there (myself included), just follow the formula, take action and you will be amazed at the results.more

I am guessing if you know me and that I own an Internet Marketing firm that you think I’ve either lost my mind or that I am planning on a career change very quickly. I’d have to say I’m getting closer to losing my mind than EVER considering a career change. The bottom line is I love marketing, I just hate the way companies and even some “marketing professionals” interpret what good marketing is. I think these same companies and individuals either forgot why they started their business, or perhaps simply started it for the wrong reasons. I believe the most successful companies in the world started their company with the intention of solving a problem that existed in the marketplace, and they had a focus on serving people who were experiencing that problem. Hey, I’m not naive. I know there are also far more people out there who simply jump into industries based on the obsession of chasing dollars and not because they are following their passion. I have no problem with these people either as long as they remember their responsibility to serve the clients they gain along the way. The following are three things that I believe give people a bad taste in their mouths about marketing.more

It's easy to get caught in the trap of constantly focusing on how we can make more money with our business. Some nights you lay in bed tossing and turning trying to figure out how you can increase your sales an additional $10k each month to afford that new employee, or maybe just so you can stop ending up in the red each month. It's a horrifying feeling and eliminates any chance you'll get quality sleep until you figure it out.more

If you are like me you’ve probably attended a number of social media seminars where the speakers guarantee you they’ll teach you exactly what it will take to succeed in Social Media. The only problem is, once you get through the seminar you are left wondering … How the heck do I apply this information to my B2B (Business to Business) company? It seems to me the majority of the “Social Media Presenters” are focused more on how to build your personal brand, or how to sell your product using social media. This isn’t all bad since there are many companies out there who can use this information. But what about those B2B companies that are selling services? Does this lack of education mean there simply isn’t a good application for social media in the B2B world? Absolutely not!more

I don’t know about you but I am sick and tired of attending workshops, reading articles and blog posts, and hearing the same statement over an over again, “To be successful online you need to test, measure, and test some more.” Don’t get me wrong, I believe that statement is completely true. I just get irritated to hear people say it over and over again, yet they never provide any useful metrics to gage that success. Are those metrics some guarded secret of the so called “gurus” out there, or are they simply regurgitating something they heard in an article or a live appearance from some other so called “guru” they are emulating? Unfortunately whenever there is a new technology or product innovation, there is a flood of opportunistic people and organizations who enter the marketplace trying to position themselves as the experts. I certainly don’t have an issue with that, since that’s marketing and typically the first to gain top of mind awareness in a particular area usually wins. That has changed a bit with the emergence of the Internet and it has made it challenging to hold on to that top position. The problem I have is that the people and organizations with the least amount of knowledge seem to have the biggest mouths and get the most attention initially. Although these people and organizations are eventually exposed when the naivety in the marketplace starts to dissipate, companies end up losing a bunch of money unnecessarily because they follow these ill equipped “gurus.” What are some examples of these ineffective metrics?more

I received an email today from someone who is taking steps to get their company engaged in social media and now that they've got a presence, they'd like to know how to get followers and fans. I am sure this is a question you, and everyone else on the planet, has been faced with at one time or the other while wading into the social media-sphere. I know it was definitely a hot question for me in the beginning days. The famous line, "Build it and they will come," from the movie Field of Dreams is just that .... a dream! It's also NOT something that will happen within social media unless you are some HUGE celebrity and have an extreme amount of luck.more

If you've ever been deep sea fishing I'm sure you remember how there were far more fishing poles with lines in the water than there were people on the boat. This helped increase the chances that each person on the trip enjoyed the awesome experience of hooking and reeling in a nice big fish. You should employ this same strategy when you are looking to build traffic to your website. The most effective way to do it is to expand your digital footprint by increasing the amount of content that links back to your website from other websites. You can accomplish this several ways which include: Online news releases Twitter Facebook Forum posts Link exchanges Etc.more

So it's been a touch over two months since I posted my rant on the "posers" in the online marketing world. Believe it or not I am still fired up over the "hacks" that swindle business owners out of their money for services they are less than qualified to provide. I am quite sure I'll continue to be irritated because this type of junk will never stop. Rather than go off on another tangent, I want to provide some value and equip you with a step-by-step process I promised to post if enough of you asked for it. Well, I received several requests and although it's been awhile ... here you go!more

It drives me nuts when I'm helping a client who trusted a, so called, "professional" to help them with their optimization or pay-per-click campaign, and all they did was flush their money down the toilet. I'd like to take a second to make an announcement to all those "professionals" out there who insist on preying on the naivity in the marketplace ... STOP PRETENDING YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING MORONS!!!! Sorry for the harsh words and tone but I am tired of it. The more of this garbage that happens in the marketplace, the more the industry I love gets muddied up.more

It's interesting to look at the process people go through when starting a new website ... Once they decide they need a site they begin to plan what content they'd like to have on the site. The majority of the companies decide they need a page that talks about them so they add an "About Us" page to their site. Secondly they would like to talk about their products or services so they add a "Products" or "Services" page to their site. The most important part to the new website is giving it's visitors the ability to contact them to do business or ask questions which is where the infamous "Contact Us" page comes from. I could go on and on but I am guessing you've seen these types of pages on almost every website you've ever been to, so I won't bore you. I am sure when you decided to get your first website online you had the intention of increasing your business and tapping into the "gold mine" the Internet makes available to us all. Heck, this was my initial motivation as well and I'm sure this is no earth shattering revelation. Well the problem with this process of developing a website is unfortunately absolutely wrong. No, I'm not saying you won't make any sales or receive any phone calls by structuring your website this way. I am just saying you are limiting the potential revenue by doing it and you could do MUCH better.more

Today was an amazing day down here in the Dominican Republic on many levels. Although I leave tomorrow to come home, I am not returning alone. I'll be bringing memories of all the kids we had the opportunity to help and meet while we were down here home with me. I've been feeling like I wanted to help others who were less fortunate than myself for the past six months or so. I didn't know what I wanted to do, or how I could help, and then this opportunity arose. I personally believe that everything happens for a reason and I immediately decided I wanted to go. I purposefully decided to not draw any preconceived notions of what it was going to be like. I've seen presentations from people who have attended mission trips in the past, so I had an idea of what it MIGHT be like, but I decided to just go and let the experience happen. WOW am I glad I did. I would have never guessed in a million years how powerful it would be!more

Well I am on day three down here in the Dominican Republic and somehow my body is still functioning. I won't lie ... I am not someone that partakes in much physical labor. It's not that I don't enjoy it ... well ok, I don't, but I am loving every second of it down here. :) Today we were up early and headed back to the school in Herrera to do some painting. Our little 12 person team painted four classrooms and the kitchen! The walls were quite dirty to begin with but once we were finished everything looked fresh and new! If only we could see the looks on the students faces when they return to the newly painted walls. I am sure they'll enjoy it since they are some of the most appreciative people I've ever met.more

I can't tell you how many times I've came up with what I believed was an incredible idea, and either came up with a reason why it wouldn't work or simply didn't take any action toward making that idea a reality. I'm sure you have found yourself in the exact same situation. Think about how many times you've heard yourself saying one of the following statements... I am just too busy. I would love to do (insert goal here) but I just can't afford it. That may work for some people but I don't think it will work for me. or the infamous ... I will get around to it someday! I read a statement in an article earlier this year and was compelled to write it on a post it note and stick it to my desk. The statement was, "There is never a lack of good ideas, only a lack of follow through." I don't think there is a statement that could be a truer reflection of REALITY!more

I know I typically use this blog to write about Internet marketing strategies, web marketing tactics, and basically whatever it takes to be successful online. Well, in my opinion there is no reason to do all the hard work to become successful online if you don't GIVE BACK! Call it good karma, call it blessings, call it whatever you want. We are all human beings inhabiting the same planet and it's very easy to get caught up in ourselves and forget there are many less fortunate people who could use our help. I personally have never either had the opportunity, or found the motivation to make the decision to pitch in to help make the world a better place. Until now!more

How many times have you purchased something where you knew you weren't getting all the benefits that you could? A perfect example of this is one that all of us in our mid-to-late thirties, and up, can think of. Remember way back in the old days when they created that thing called a VCR? I still have one of those prehistoric machines and you know what? It's still blinking 12:00 over and over again. :) Not only that but I still have no idea of how to program it to record a show at a pre-set time. Read the instruction manual you say? Whatever! I don't have the time or patience. This isn't just a problem with hard products. It relates to services as well, and it's even more critical for you to address if it is tied to a membership type product.more

It's amazing how many sites I end up on these days that have still not embraced the interactivity available online.more

You might be saying, "Come on now! The only thing social media does is add to my waistline since I spend too much time in front of the computer."more