Introducing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)

Here at Proceed Innovative we have made some changes in the past couple of years; we have grown, expanded, revised, and learned how to create a working environment that thrives.  As a marketing company we want to make sure the work we are doing is profiting our company while staying up to date on the latest business techniques.  This is why we decided to implement the idea of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to our office.  This system is useful for any entrepreneur that feels their company needs to combine business, employees and clients into a stronger group while reenergizing their business. This system should be easy to follow by providing growth and unity while alleviating stress to all tiers of employees. This is our beginning of the EOS system and we want to let you all know how it can help you too.

The 6 Steps to Know about EOS

Below is a brief description of the six steps of EOS.  This is just an introduction to the system, as you will be learning along with us. 

1. Vision

You may have a vision of how successful you want your company to be and how it will grow.  But if you ask your employees what they think the goal of the company is or even their goals within the company, there is a good chance every employee will have a different answer.  These different answers mean that goal you have in mind may not be the primary goal of all your employees.  Your whole company needs to have a specific target in mind and know how to get there. Once everyone is on the same path, you will be surprised how much quicker you can achieve objectives.

2. People

You should always surround yourself with the right people, people who get things done and are motivated within their job.  Hire people that are qualified, innovative and want to help reach the company goal.  You will notice your employees thriving at something they love to do versus employees just filling seats on a daily basis.  This will help the overall morale of the group.

3. Data

This is where your scorecard comes into play.  This scorecard has your weekly report containing 15 high level numbers pertaining to your organization.  These numbers allow you to monitor your goals and realize which procedures are not working.  Because you are reviewing these numbers constantly you’ll be able to spot the problems within your strategy right away.

4.  Issues

Once you start these first 3 strategies, your company will be running more efficiently and will allow you to recognize issues that need to be addressed.  There is nowhere to hide when your organization is running like a machine.  These issues will surface and you will be able to fix and move on to a better strategy.

5. Process

This is the way you do business.  Once you understand the process you need to share it with the company.  Make sure it is well known to all so the organization is headed in the same direction. You should document the way you want everything done and teach your employees how the process goes.  If anyone skips steps, preforms the process differently or training differs, you will enhance your issues and errors and increase your bottom line.

6.  Traction

To have the most successful organization, the leader needs to have traction.  These people need to know how to focus the company while leading the organization to success.

These 6 steps to EOS can be very beneficial to a lot of companies. Here at Proceed Innovative we are on the frontier of this system and are excited to see where it takes us.  In upcoming posts, we will go in depth on each of these strategies and how it is helping us as a marketing company.

The Future of Mobile Marketing

I recently ran across an article that explained the importance of mobile SEO and its users.  Generally speaking, a typical website will have a mobile version of itself that will prevent you from magnifying and shrinking your mobile screen to search for links.  Yet many websites have yet to expand their site to mobile.  This idea can be frustrating for most, especially for those who are on the run.  For customers who do participate in mobile web, how do you know it's being optimized? Is there a different target group for mobile apps? Are there special requirements that need to be met? What does the future hold for mobile marketing? Steve Olenski from Business 2 Community explains some of these steps.

The Future of Mobile SEO Marketing

Many companies today are realizing that mobile app users and website users should be different targets.  It's been determined, and obviously speaking, that most people who use mobile apps are people on the go.  Information needs to be organized on the top of pages so users take little effort in finding what they need.  The longer someone searches for a product or information the less a conversion happens.  Make sure the most important and popular information is easily accessible to your users.

In years to come, mobile SEO is going to take a lead of its own.  Many lead generation studies have not yet been separated between website and mobile.  Future studies and research will have to separate the two to accurately decipher the difference between each other.  A 2010 Google study explains an "11.5% increase in mobile click-through rates when they run a mobile-specific campaign as compared to a hybrid or PC-only campaign."  In the next couple of years these statistics can drastically change if more research and effort is put into creating optimized mobile apps.

An important thing to remember is your listing online.  Many people feel that Yellow Pages is a requirement.  This allows consumers to easily find you while conducting searches.  Keep in mind you should also keep an updated Google Places and Yahoo Local listing.  Verifying your listings will keep your site and information current to users.

Mobile users use reviews just as web users do.  I tend to read them more on my phone actually.  If you are on the go, searching for a store, hair salon, restaurant, etc. reviews should be very noticeable on your mobile site.  Even a couple bad reviews can still make your site more credible versus no reviews at all.

Let's all keep in mind that smart phones and tablets are being used by everyone, everywhere.  In the next couple of years that number will be increasing exponentially.  Don't wait to jump on the mobile SEO train before it is too late.  Read and research what your consumers want, how they search and the best keywords to heighten your rankings.  SEO is growing  beyond your desktop or laptop, make sure you're prepared to expand your mobile presence.

Sources: http://www.business2community.com/mobile-apps/what-does-the-future-hold-for-mobile-marketing-seo-0404914

The Difference Between PPC and SEO

The Internet marketing world can be a tricky one for many newcomers. PPC, SEO, SEM, Google analytics, Google algorithms, the list goes on of tools and ways to optimize you brand and business ideas into a successful online campaign. But lets start out small, the first thing anyone comes in contact with when “Google-ing” anything is the Pay Per Click (PPC) and Organic (SEO) results.  Once you type in a single word or phrase, Google, Yahoo, Bing or any other search engine uses these phrases to pick out the most qualified article or information for you. Lets take Google for example:

Everything highlighted in a darker shade and the right hand corner column is PPC ads, all other results in the white are organic search, otherwise known as SEO, or non-paid search results.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) involves search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, and more.  When typing in a keyword or phrase, each search engine has a specific algorithm of determining a web site’s relevance. The more relevant your site, the higher your site will show up on a search engine.

Some key factors in SEO ranking are HTML, quality content and architecture and layout.  Social media, a strong following and great inbound links are also ways to increase organic rankings.  Keep your website relevant and updated consistently to keep your readers interested and information fresh.

Pay Per Click (PPC) is an advertising model that is used to direct users and traffic to your web page.  You can use different PPC programs, Google Adwords for example, to bid on keywords or phrases that will attract users to your site.  Every time a person clicks on your ad, you pay a certain amount set for that online ad. You can choose demographics, times and dates for your ads to show up that you believe will attract the most attention to your site.  PPC ads can appear instantly while SEO results can take a couple months to generate rankings.

Each company and website is very different. You may decide to choose one or both of these internet marketing methods to target your audience.  Either way it takes time to learn Search Engine Marketing and to understand which works better for you. If you feel comfortable with creating an online strategy or campaign make sure to get started as soon as possible. If you need expert advice, here at Proceed Innovative, we can manage and operate any SEO or PPC campaign you may have.  We want you to have quality online traffic year round and can work with you to achieve this.