“The single most effective way to gain reviews, is to have a human leave one.”

You better start getting comfortable with digital tools! Things will be automated, document everything that goes on in a customer’s home, and inform us just how much time we spend on the job. Technology can truly benefit the future growth of your company. Listen to this SEO guru dish it out from Cincinnati.  

A Little About Derek [2:11]

• Purchased a small business
• Flew past the $2,000,000 mark in a couple years
• Military policies were beneficial
• Tough and supportive management style
• Giving the employees a seat at the table

What is Search Engine Optimization? [7:09]

• Internet referrals thrive on search engines
• Geographic search (usually in map style) is Google’s gift to small businesses
• Google’s ‘natural’ search results (where your money goes)
• Google reviews are extremely valuable
• Claiming your Google Plus page is the easiest thing you can do to improve traffic as they tend to get more traffic than traditional small business websites

“We get two to three times more traffic on our Google page than on our own webpage. Google is directing more and more of that traffic to the page that they own, instead of your web page.”

Low Hanging Fruit [7:09]

• The quickest, easiest way to get new business is getting into the “six-pack”
• Google highly favors your shop/office being close to your customers
• The smaller the city of operation, the easier it is to dominate the front page of results

Building Credibility for Improved Search Results [15:40]

• User experience on your website
• Avoid dead links and crammed key words
• Google is giving more priority to happier Internet surfers
• The more customers interact with your website, the better
• Money is the ultimate high-five

How Do We Wrap Our Heads Around This? [20:07]

• Hiring professionals can be tricky, and a good one is not going to be cheap so it’s not recommended
• Subscribe to newsletter Search Engine Watch so you can see what changes weekly
• Figure out what you can do really well but don’t try to do everything
• Try to get a grip on the trends as this will give you lots of opportunity

Find What You Can Take The Lead On [20:07]

• Becoming #1 in the hot new area can help you get ahead
• There’s always hope no matter how far behind you are
• Digital trends are always changing!

Derek’s Review Snagging Skill-share [25:29]

• “If you can’t measure it, it doesn’t exist”
• First one to get back in touch is the winner
• Learn to appreciate raw data
• Ask and you may receive

On Staying Sharp [28:48]

• Derek surrounds himself with successful like-minded people that compliment each other
• Always seeking and welcome new ideas
• The weekly action plan
• “Perfection is the enemy of progress”

What’s the future? [33:31]

• Connecting contractors with customers
• Data gets traded between the giants (Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook…)
• Enabling transactions through platforms we are comfortable with to get a slice off the top
• It won’t happen over night (look at Amazon chipping away for years)
• Will they be the ultimate gatekeepers?
• Will Google take over the world?

Derek is the owner of the biggest cleaning service in Cincinnati in Ohio. It’s the absolute largest business of its kind in the region and does over $2,500,000 in revenue each year. Check out his small business website, here. Derek also co-authored the Professional House Cleaning Technician Manual.   Thanks for listening! See you next time.  

You can also check out the INCREDIBLE
Super Course by clicking here!

If you need help working your current customer list, check out SendJim.com. It’s a software that Josh designed for automating customer touches so you can get it done. If you need help with a lot more than that, consider taking Josh’s online class at AutomateGrowSell.com.