I just read an interesting article written by Search Engine Journal, about motivating employees to contribute content to a company’s web presence. How To Motivate Employees to Contribute Content
The premise:

“Lets face it, many people are not motivated unless they are compensated for their time. Which is understandable. If someone is going to take time out of their day or work on something at night or on the weekend, they should see some reward or gain from it.”

I agree that people need to be compensated, acknowledged, and inspired to help a company grow. I am not sure that I agree with paying per activity, unless that is part of their contract. I think a company should focus on hiring employees that want to be part of the vision, that they buy into the company’s mission and want to contribute to building something together. Bonuses, special acknowledgment, and perhaps some perks are wonderful incentives and should be used for more than just the web marketing strategy.

To execute a successful communication plan you need to create a strategy, bring in the right people to contribute, and then implement and monitor your progress. I think everyone can contribute in their own way, but the majority should be done by those that have an understanding of the plan, are trained, and can be held accountable for results.

What do you think?

We walk a fine line between our personal and professional lives, and though employees do not want to hear that they represent their companies even when they are off the clock, unfortunately that is the case. Let’s take a look at a public figure like Ben Roethlisberger, though he has not been convicted of a crime he represents the NFL and his team the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his conduct in their eyes reflects poorly on the organization so he will penalized for his actions. You do not have to be a public figure, celebrity, or politician to have your personal opinions, bad behavior, or an ill-conceived joke result in the loss of a job. Just ask the two ex-employees of Domino’s Pizza that thought it would be funny to post a prank video on Youtube or the Geico voice over actor that thought calling the Tea Party to voice his views would be a good idea.

When employees are interacting personally on social media sites, they are also representing their professional life. Creating a social media policy is not about limiting personal interactions but more about guiding employees in protecting their privacy, the privacy of their friends and family, and the privacy and reputation of their employer. There should be a general policy that is malleable enough to keep pace with the changing face of the internet and growing digital communication tools.  All employees should have their privacy settings set properly on their social networking accounts. Employees should be advised to restrict photos and other very personal content from work friends and professional contacts, because even in their personal lives they are identified as employees of their company.

What a company does not want to do is limit employees so much so that you lose the benefits that can be obtained through social networking. Social media interactions can build brand awareness, enhance customer service and support, create sales opportunities, and generate revenue. As long as everyone understands that company guidelines hold true online as they do off ine social media sites can benefit both the employee and the employer.

Some areas to consider covering in your social media policy:

• Company Purpose
• Create Value
• Be Honest
• Be Responsible
• Stop and Think
• Be Accountable
• Respect others
• Opinions vs Facts
• Copyright and Creative Commons
• Protect Confidential and Proprietary Information

A few articles and resources to check out for inspiration in creating a social media policy

10 Must-Haves for Your Social Media Policy

Social Media Governance 126 Policy Database

16 social media guidelines used by real companies

Social Media and Online PR – Digital Marketing Template Files

Advanced Social Media Workshop Series: Oceanside, California

Social media has modernized the business world. Businesses are now able to reach consumers faster, cheaper and with more consistency. Companies that are utilizing social media to reach old customers, gain new ones, and build or maintain credibility and reputation among consumers will create stronger, more profitable relationships.

Learn how to effectively use new media tools to enhance your business, improve customer service, increase customer support, and create brand awareness.

Does Your Brand Travel?

Advanced Business Blogging and Article Writing

May 14th 8:30 – 10:30 am

- In this class you will learn how to increase your web presence and search engine optimization by creating dynamic, attention grabbing, and authentic content. We will look at building keyword authority, researching and using trending topics to your advantages, as well as how to research competitor information. We will discuss backlinking strategies, inbound, outbound and reciprocal link building. We will look at analytics, research methods, and tech tools that will help you increase your Search Engine Optimization as well as quantify and qualify your internet marketing efforts.

Advanced Content Syndication * Blog Directories (Technorati, MyBlogLog, BlogCatalog, Alltop, Facebook, Blogher)* Niche Communities (Business, Marketing, Target Market, Forums)* Link Exchanges * Social Bookmarking (Delicious, Google SideWiki, Google Reader) * Pinging * Blog Design * Blog Addons & Plugins to enhance user experience

Advanced Facebook Workshop

May 21st 8:30 – 10:30 am

- This class is geared for those organizations and businesses that are ready to dive deeper into and grow larger on Facebook by creating well designed and optimized profiles, Fan Pages, and Groups. We will walk you through the Blog Network, Posting Events, Power Networking, Create ads, Syndicating Facebook Profiles and Information, and much more. We will look at using html in your profile, fbml in your Fan Page, Facebook apps, and graphics to enhance your Facebook design, interaction, and conversion.

Finally we will discuss integrating Facebook into your print, email, and web marketing strategies to build long term growth.

Advanced Twitter Workshop

June 11^th 8:30 – 10:30 am

– Twitter is a real time tool, used for search, information sharing, and as a conversation/collaboration tool. We will look at tools (internal and external) that you can use to organize, optimize, analyze, and build your Twitter reach. We will discuss Twitter etiquette, the tipping point, best practices, and look at case studies.

Finally we go hands on (So bring your computers) on setting up your Twitter client, groups, lists, directories, automation, and alerts.

Advanced Social Networking

June 18^th 8:30 – 10:30 am

- This class is geared for those organizations and businesses that are ready to integrate industry specific networks, groups, and forums into your expanding web presence. We focus on engaging your targeted demographic in a more personalized and client focused manner. We look at who the influencers are in your industry and how to connect with them. We look at free and paid tech tools to help you achieve and reach your goals. We focus on how to cultivate and build a brand advocate driven viral marketing platform.

We will discuss networks like Digg, Reddit, Mixx, StumbleUpon, Propeller, Yahoo Buzz, Google Groups, Tip’d, Scribnia, Sphinn, Flickr, BizNik, BizSugar, Yelp, FourSquare, and more…..

This workshop series is open to the public, if you are an Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, or Vista Chamber of Commerce member you will get the member pricing of $30 per workshop (non-member is $50 per workshop). If you Join the Get Smart Web Fan Page or our Get Smart Web Twitter page and contact us we will get you the membership price for being part of the GSW community.

Internet marketing, also referred to as i-marketing, web marketing, online marketing, or eMarketing, is the marketing of products or services over the Internet. (source: wikipedia) Internet marketing is relatively inexpensive when compared to other forms of business marketing, i.e. print, billboard, radio, t.v. etc., through online marketing companies can reach a wide audience, global or targeted, for a small fraction of traditional advertising budgets. The ease of use, scope and breadth of information, low cost of access, and mobility of the internet for the user  gives businesses the advantage of appealing to consumers any day, any hour, and in any location. The strategy and overall effectiveness of an internet marketing campaign depend on the company’s goals, plan, and execution.

Measuring an effective advertising campaign is subjective, the ROI (return on investment) for each company is different, some of the components that are measured are time, cost, reach, and conversion. When measuring an internet marketing campaign we take traditional measurements and add in analytical data that can be tracked, measured, and comparatively analyzed. This data can be used to judge execution, to compare with previous campaigns, as well as the web presence of competing companies. The analytical data from internet marketing is far easier and more efficiently extractable when compared  to a traditional offline advertising campaign, this coupled with the lower cost has made web marketing an integral addition to most business marketing plans.

Internet marketing enhanced traditional advertising campaign measurements with  the addition of unique visitors, clicks, bounces, page ranks, keyword authority, link tracking, and much much more…..and now, as if that weren’t enough we add in the interactive marketing component where engagement, brand awareness, word of mouth, and community generated content expands the ROI from return on investment to return on influence. Interactive marketing measurements include content syndication, brand exposure, and comments and discussions on blogs, social networks, forums, micro-sites, article sites, news aggregator sites, mobile and social applications, and…..basically anywhere information can travel it can now be tracked.

Internet marketing has morphed into so much more than the just internet based, where it used to be predominately SEM (search engine marketing) with pay per impression, pay per click, pay per play, or pay per action and SEO (search engine optimization) with long tail and short tail keywords, backlinking, and website design and coding,  it is now interactive multichannel marketing. Internet marketing has grown from just paying for placement for visibility on the internet to interactive digitally focused engagement marketing, which involves the placement of media along varying stages of the customer engagement cycle. Multichannel marketing is accomplished through use of the internet, email, mobile devices, and even extends offline. Interactive marketing is about reaching and engaging consumers where ever they may be.

Right now is the time of year that most business owners are creating or fine tuning their business plan for 2010, part of that process is to look back at what you did this year and last year, as well as to look ahead at what you might want to do next year and the years beyond. A comprehensive marketing plan should encompass staying in front of current and past clients while also increasing exposure to get in front of new clients. Through the use of technology and the internet this has never been easier, so get out there and get interactive. Let us know how it goes!

When I consult with business owners on venturing into the the world of social networking and blogging, there is instantly this idea that the online world is like the deep dark depths of the Marianas Trench and once you jump in you will be swallowed up, never to be heard from by friends and family again.

The World Wide Web is a big place, with lots of interesting sites, resources, and tools that could honestly keep you busy for a lifetime. However,  if you are focused and organized in what you do on the internet you will find that not only does the web offer limitless possibilities it is equally as abundant in rewards.

A few of the concerns I get are:

I don’t have enough to blog about?

I want to connect on a local level not a global?

How well does this whole Twitter/Facebook thing really work, will I get customers?

Let’s address each of these concerns….

What will I blog about?

First, not having enough material to populate a blog, if you are passionate about your work, want to help people, you like to learn, and you like to share your knowledge you will never lack for content. The only thing we need to do is make sure that you have the resources in front of you to generate ideas. You should be that watching and/or researching what people are saying about your industry and/or company so you know what your target market wants information on. To bring targeted information in an organized manner you need to setup systems.  That is where Google Reader, Google Alerts, Twitter Search, LinkedIn Answers, and other news aggregator sites come in. Here is a video on setting up some of these information gathering resources.

I want to connect with individuals and businesses in my community.

If your focus is your local market then when you write your blog posts and build your social networks it is important to target that demographic.  Here are few links to show you that the people you want to get in front of are online.

The majority of Twitter users are 35-to-44-yrs old, over 50% are from California.  http://awurl.com/36ca8RC07

How do you Innovate Your Way out of a Rut in Customer Service? | Customer Conversation | Fast Company http://bit.ly/13aD7

Now getting people to contact you, one of the best ways to do that is by being out there where people will find you. Where are people at, where are they looking to find information and/or services?

There are 31 Billion searches on Google every month. In 2006, this number was 2.7 Billion. This is a video that discusses how fast technology is changing our behavior Shift Happens Are You Ready?

49 Amazing Social Media, Web 2.0 And Internet Stats http://bit.ly/11jtu

• 70,000,000 – number of total videos on YouTube (March 2008)
• 100,000,000 – number of YouTube videos viewed per day (this stat from 2006)
• 112,486,327 – number of views the most viewed video on YouTube has (January, 2009)
• 346,000,000 – number of people globally who read blogs (comScore March 2008)
• 1,111,991,000 – number of Tweets to date (see an up to the minute count here)
• 3,000,000 – number of Tweets/day(March 2008) (from TechCrunch)
• 150,000,000 – number of active users on Facebook
• 170 - number of countries/territories that use Facebook
• 2,600,000,000 – number of minutes global users in aggregate spend on Facebook daily
• 100 – number of friends the average user has

Viral Content Sharing Survey Report http://tinyurl.com/6f2jhr

Should you go with a professional blog or just test out a blog first?

You can go either way but the ultimate goal is to build your business. The best way to do that is to show your professionalism, expertise, and client value proposition. A blog is the best way to impart those three things. Perception will be key here though, what message are you trying to send? If you are a professional that is trying to connect with people then you need to show that in your blog. I would not get into blogging as an experiment, that is a waste of time. Blogging and the use of social media is a cost effective means for marketing and communication, and should be used as a business tool.

In anything you do, if you are going to be successful, you can’t go into it halfheartedly.

In traditional networking you meet someone at an event and you get their attention for 3 minutes, maybe. Your time and influence are limited because there is no trust yet, they are also trying to sell their product or service, and there really isn’t a lot of time at an event to meet everyone you would like to. So you follow up with them; call, email, have coffee and then try to build that trust. A networking event may only be an hour or two but that does not include the followup, you will then spend at least an hour with each contact in your first followup session, and then time after that to continue to stay in front of them.

A website is great because they can go check out your company, it shows that you are part of an organization that is at the very least online, this gives you and your company some needed validity. What a website does not do is personalize your business, it doesn’t fully educate people on changes in your industry, and it does not create an atmosphere conducive to trust building.

Your biggest hurdle is that people do not understand that there is a need for your service, whether they are people or businesses that could refer you or those that could benefit from your consultation. You spend a great deal of time on sales, creating flyers, building rapport. If you looked at how much time you spend on educating and working with clients and how much time you spend on trying to sell yourself, I think you would find that you do not spend as much time at doing what you love, but rather more time trying to get the opportunity to do what you love.

A blog gives you a platform to share your knowledge, your passion for what you do, and to connect with people. When you meet people at a networking event and do not get that time that you would like to show them how important your services are you can send them to your blog and it will do it for you.

How will social networking help my business?

The following article lists some interesting facts for you to consider:

Can Your Business Survive Without Social Media? http://tinyurl.com/7nlpft

Coleman-Parkes Research discovered 84% of North American companies feel they require new methods to interact with customers, including Social Media and mobile devices

The 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study resulted in some impressive statistics which must be noted by business owners. The results from the survey showed 60% of American citizens used Social Media. Of those 93% indicated business should have a Social Media presence and 85% indicated businesses should interact via Social Networks with their customers. With powerful results such as these it is hard to comprehend why businesses are not implementing Social Media Marketing.

Consumers surveyed indicated businesses should use Social Media to:

· Solve Problems – 43%

· Obtain user feedback on product and services – 41%

· Enable consumers to interact with the company brand – 37%

· Market to consumers – 25%

Companies currently using Social Media reported the following:

· Improved Feedback 78%

· Improved Customer Satisfaction 66%

· Improved Customer support 71%

· Increased Sales 40%

· Improved public perception of company 75%

Within the survey completed for Avande were some general statements which must be considered:

· 52% of respondents stated “Companies that fail to embrace social media technologies for business purposes will be left behind ”

· 78% of respondents stated “As we enter a possible economic downturn we need to focus on new ways of communicating with customers which add real value.”

· 77% of respondents stated “If they did not initiate a Social Media Program Social Media would enter the company by stealth”

Ultimately this has got to work for you and your business, but  make sure when you are looking at new ways to do business you are not limiting yourself because the path ahead is new or different. In business innovation is an important key to success. I’ll leave you with some quotes that I think apply to all of us out there trying to do business smarter, with integrity, and prosperously. From

Top 7 Business Success Quotes by Business Masters

One of the best ways to find inspiration in business is to take advice from people that have made it.

1. Goals are the first step to business success. Jim Rohn believes that “If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build end up building us.”

2. Action should follow your goals. “Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment.” says Ralph Waldo Emerson.

3. Persistence is also important after your initial burst of action. “You have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile.” Brian Tracy

4. Good questions will keep you on the right track say Anthony Robbins.. “Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.”

5. Change with your business or be left behind. “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Charles Darwin

6. Luck and timing will ensure success, so be prepared for luck. “I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity.” Oprah Winfrey

7. Success comes when everyone profits. “I have found no greater satisfaction than achieving success through honest dealing and strict adherence to the view that, for you to gain, those you deal with should gain as well.” Alan Greenspan.

Aweber has a great article with tips and resources to add animated gif to your email. They also highlight a more  detailed write-up of how to make the GIF. Aweber is an e-newsletter provider we discussed in a previous post on options for picking an e-news provider .

Quick Steps

1. Record or capture video
2. Convert video file to GIF
3. Upload GIF to your website
4. Put GIF into your email just like any other image
5. Add remaining email content
6. Test and send your email!

A Few Things to Consider When Using This Tactic

1. This tactic can be useful not only for “normal” videos, but for any situation where animation might be helpful. A 360-degree rotating view of a product and a virtual tour or slideshow of a house for sale.
2. There will not be sound in the email with this method, so don’t forget to link the image to a page of your website where your subscribers can go watch the video with sound.
3. If someone has images turned off, they’re not going to see the animation. Encourage subscribers to turn on images. Also, provide a text link to an online version of the video.
4. Keep the video short and the file size small remember some of your subscribers may have slower Internet connections.You want your image to load quickly, right?

Tools That Can Help You Create Your Video

• Logitech webcams
  
• Camcorder
• Camtasia Studio – Screen Capture Software
• Jing – Screen Capture Service. Free.
• Photobucket - To create a slideshow
• Adobe Premiere – Video editing software
• Video editing software review
• Free Video editing software
• First Stream – Web-based solution that packs powerful features so you can broadcast live over the Internet, manage all incoming email and send video email, create video podcasts and blogs.

Tools That Can Help You Create Animated GIFs

• Pro Motion – the software Anna used to create her GIF. Software download for Windows. Cost: $78.
• VidGIF – software download for Windows. Cost: $29.95.
• GIF Ninja – web-based video to GIF converter. Free. (But remember that when you use an online converter, you’re uploading your video to someone else’s site. If you’re not comfortable with that, don’t do it.)
• VTubeTools – web-based video to GIF converter. Free.
• Leech Video – web-based video to GIF converter. Free.
• Shareware Connection – Software download video to GIF converter. Free

A wikihow discussing video to GIF conversion:

Convert A Video Into a Gif Animation

We would love to hear your feedback are you using this tactic or something else to get video in your email?

It’s a big beautiful virtual world, and when it comes to business that is a great thing! It is 2009 and if you are anything like me then one of the first things on your business to-do list this year is to streamline costs, and the second is to kick your business into high gear. This is preciously why I love technology, if you need to cut costs but also keep up with the big boys then the advances in technology and specifically on the internet is the place to do it.

Even a small business owner needs to be able to compete on a global level, but you shouldn’t have to pay a fortune to do it. When you are trying something new, free is always a good place to start however if you do find that you are using a service or product with more and more frequency paying for it isn’t a bad idea either.

That old adage “you get what you pay for” is usually more true than not. When you upgrade to a paid account there is more security, reliability, and accountability on the part of the provider, which makes life that much better for the consumer. The resources listed below all have pretty good track records, even on their free services, but alas they are not without the occasional glitch. So, check them out and if you find that a particular service is helping you grow your business then by all means upgrade.

5 free resources to keep you in the global communication big leagues:

The Basement Ventures

Their on-demand, free conference calling is available anytime—no advance notice or conference call details are required. This is a free conference calling service you can use from anywhere, anytime, featuring a 250-person capacity and up to six hours of conference time for each call.

If the caller is using a cell phone, most VOIP services or a nationwide long-distance plan, the conference call will likely cost them nothing. Basement Ventures also makes it easy to manage the call online and provides free conference call recording

Arranging free conference calls is simple—just provide each caller with the date and time of your call as well as the dial-in number and bridge code. Once your callers enter the appropriate code, they are connected on one conference call.

FreeConferenceCall.com

Your teleconferencing line is available to you 24/7. There is no need to schedule a meeting or make reservations. Each free teleconferencing account accommodates 96 callers on an unlimited number of 6 hour conference calls. Long distance charges may apply, but there are no additional charges from FreeConferenceCall.com.

FreeConferenceCall accounts also come with FREE conference call recording. So not only is the recording service free, it’s accessible by phone or computer, with no additional charges for downloading. You can distribute, archive or even send recordings to your listeners via RSS and podcast – for FREE.

This free teleconferencing service is simple to use, requiring only a name and an email address to receive an instant account. FreeConferenceCall will provide you with a dedicated dial-in number and an access code for your free teleconferencing services, which are ready for immediate use.

Skype

Skype is a free VOIP (voice over IP – which means you talk through the internet) service when calls are from one Skype user to another. It is free to join Skype, download their software onto your computer, and invite others to join. Skype also provides low-cost unlimited calling plans to landlines and cell phones around the world.

Skype allows you to call through you computer, send documents to your contacts while on a call, conference call with 9 other people, group chat with up to 100 people, and one on one video conferencing.

With skype, you can also record your calls and conferences for FREE. Get http://www.powergramo.com and get the free version. The paid PRO version ($34.95) will actually separate your voice recordings. You can then create CD’s, audios, etc.

Userplane and SeeToo also allow up to two people in the video chat.

ooVoo

ooVoo is a late addition to this list, but after checking them out worth adding. On the free side you can have video chats with up to 3 people, for $10 a month you can have a six person video chat. Non-webcam chatters can call in to participate as well. You can record your chats and easily save them on your hard drive to email or to share on the web.

The number of free and paid chatters that can be on one video conference is not as high as some of the other sites but I will say their video quality looks better than most. It is high resolution, with multiple ways to view participants. The other positive is the file sending capabilities, they allow you to send large files (up to 25 MB per files), 20 files at a time to as many contacts as you want, and to send files to contacts who are offline.

Pal Talk

Paltalk is a real-time, video-based chat community. With more than 4 million members and thousands of chat rooms to choose from, on virtually every subject. Members interact with each other through real-time voice, text and video chat. You can start groups in this chat community. Groups include a chat room, photo/video sharing, a message board, and a members list. Paltalk is split into two products/services the online Paltalk Express and the downloadable PC based Paltalk Scene.

Paltalk Scene SuperIM^TM allows you to make free video calls with up to 10 friends on Paltalk, AIM, ICQ and Yahoo Messenger.

Paltalk Express Basic is free, but limits your viewing of an individual’s webcam to just 10 seconds per chat session (at 5 frames per second). After that, you can still hear but not see the person. The two fee-based plans take away that restriction and provide colored nicknames. Plus members, who pay $8.95 per month, can stream up to six of their own webcams at a time, and view videos at 5 fps. Extreme members pay $14.95 monthly and can stream as many cams as they want, viewing each at a respectable 15 fps. For $60 annually, though, you get all the benefits of Extreme (including the frame rate), saving a fortune over the month-to-month plans. All versions of Express are completely banner free (Paltalk Scene isn’t).

Tokbox

Free video conferencing, no downloads or account setup necessary, only the party that initiates the video conference call is required to have a Tokbox account. You can send the URL by IM or email to the parties you would like to participate. If you would like to start a video conference from your contact list, you can do that too.

Participants that do not have a webcam can choose to listen in only. 20 to 25 people on the video conferencing is recommended. While you can squeeze in more, things like ambient noise and screen size do come into play. Simply make sure you’re working off of a recent version of Adobe Flash for best performance.

If you have used or are using one of these services we would love to get your feedback, and of course if you know of something better shout that out too…..

I am sure that many of you have heard of Yelp.com, “Real People, Real Reviews” for those of you who do not know:

Yelp is…

…the ultimate city guide that taps into the community’s voice and reveals honest and current insights on local businesses and services on everything from martinis to mechanics.

That is a lot of territory to cover and now it looks like there is a new kid on the block that would like to take a piece of  that territory as their own, Insideup.com.

InsideUp is creating an online community where small businesses can search for business services, review vendor ratings, and get feedback on vendor services. So as Yelp is all about the happenings around town InsideUp looks to be all business, all the time or the source for business services at the very least.

Is there a need for this type of community?

From the InsideUp blog it looks like there are 1.68 trillion reasons:

According to a 2007 report published by Visa International, small businesses (businesses with less than 100 employees or less than $25 million in sales) in the U.S. spend $1.68 trillion yearly on business services, or nearly 35% of their total business expenditures.

Another nice little statistic that lends some credence to the need for this type of resource, also from their blog:

According to Access Market International (AMI) Partners, more than 40% of small and medium businesses (or about 2.8 million businesses) are using Web 2.0 applications as part of their normal business practices. Web 2.0 is a term that describes interactive web features such as blogs, wikis, and social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, & Digg.

How does it work?

Members can rate vendors, provide references, and answer questions from other members. To insure accuracy, we allow business vendors to flag ratings and references that may not come from actual customers. We also don’t release or sell member information, so our members’ privacy is protected.

Smart Choices

At InsideUp, we know that making smart choices is essential in today’s competitive environment. Business services vendors want to target customers in a cost-effective way, and companies want to make sure that they are choosing solutions that take their businesses to the next level. That’s why we are creating an exciting online community where companies and business services vendors can connect in a unique and innovative way.

The website is in beta testing right now, and there are some glitches so be patient. I have only been able to login once since signing up and that was by accident, I just kept clicking links and the system finally gave in and let me on. Support hasn’t gotten back to me yet, but I am sure they will work the kinks out soon.

Without being a member you can perform a business category search based on distance from a specified zip code. The search will pull up business name, city, and a one to five star rating-to see actual reviews you must be a member.

At this time the membership is free and it looks like that will continue they are, like most networking communities, looking to make their money off of advertising.

I personally like niche communities, I think the more specialized and smaller the better, they keep the feedback relevant and reliable.

As sites get larger like the ones listed below, you get some people that have an opinion just because, and even though there are some genuine reviews the “just because I can” opinions give all the reviews less credibility.

Yelp.com

Local.com

Insiderpages.com

Citysearch.com

Merchantcircle.com

Maps.google.com

Local.Yahoo.com

The Better Business Bureau, local Chamber of Commerce, and the large internet directories are adequate resources and provide a starting point for information, but I also like that I will now have a more local tech based source for business services.

What do you think, do you use the larger business directory sites, if so how do you like or dislike them? Would you be interested in a more specialized, narrowly focused site to get your information from?

there are 1.68 trillion reasons:

According to a 2007 report published by Visa International, small businesses (businesses with less than 100 employees or less than $25 million in sales) in the U.S. spend $1.68 trillion yearly on business services, or nearly 35% of their total business expenditures.

Another nice little statistic that lends some credence to the need for this type of resource, also from their blog:

According to Access Market International (AMI) Partners, more than 40% of small and medium businesses (or about 2.8 million businesses) are using Web 2.0 applications as part of their normal business practices. Web 2.0 is a term that describes interactive web features such as blogs, wikis, and social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, & Digg.

How does it work? Read the rest of InsideUp for Business Services ……..