October 27, 2010 was a watershed, when online marketing made a shift from stand-alone websites to an interconnected whole. Facebook and Bing started this shift by integrating Facebook data into Bing search results. Google pushed it over the edge when it changed the way local businesses are searched, incorporating online reviews and social media into its search results.

And the changes keep coming. In mid-February 2011, Google announced Google Social Search that features results and recommendations from people you know prominently in the results, from web content they’ve created, via blogs, Twitter and YouTube and other sources.

These changes dramatically affect how new customers find you, and ultimately, how often your phone rings .

You either ride the Google/Facebook ride or sit on the curb

• Standalone websites, while an excellent start, are worth less and less without a network of social media, search, online reviews and customer outreach.

• Mobile computing is overtaking the desktop. The idea of firing up a browser on your desktop to type in a domain name and visit a self-contained website is increasingly archaic. Your website needs to be visible on a wide variety of mobile platforms.

• The new approach is holistic. Gone are the days of turning the key on a website and walking away. Now there are multiple keys for multiple platforms that a business needs to turn on a constant basis because it’s all changing too fast.

5 Steps to Digital Marketing Success

There is a five-step process to making sure your phone keeps ringing with new customers:

1. A solid website with strong, compelling, interactive content.

2. Social media building community on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube & Linked In.

3. Online reviews that are positive, in multiple places and in large quantities.

4. Search, both Google Local Search and major search engines. Relevant content and optimization without games.

5. Reaching out and educating your clients through blogs and eNewsletters helps make your business a credible source of information.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. You focus on your practice, let us focus on your marketing. This is what we do best. Give us a call today.