The Inc 500 | 5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony was a three day event, held at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix Arizona from October 3 – 5, 2012. There were many amazing speakers present including the CEO of Hubspot, Brian Halligan and former chief evangelist of Apple, Guy Kawasaki.

Inc. Magazine recognized Internet Marketing, Inc. as one of the country’s fastest-growing private companies of 2012, and ranked them 185 on the exclusive Inc 500 list. This list recognizes businesses all over the US for their success and future potential. Inc. Magazine honors the country’s top independent entrepreneurs and private companies in America.

Our Co-Founder and CMO, Brent Gleeson, a former Navy Seal and combat veteran, spoke at the conference at the “Day of Service” event alongside Simon Sinek, the best-selling author of “ Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action” and Norm Brodsky, founder of CitiStorage and Inc. 500 columnist. The event was focused on mentoring veterans entering the workforce as entrepreneurs. Brent spoke about his experience as a SEAL combat veteran and the transition to entrepreneurship. Brent was also a mentor during the all day event running performing one on one sessions and a series of round table discussions with veteran entrepreneurs.

One veteran attendee said, “It was very inspiring to listen to Brent’s stories and see how he connected his combat experience to the chaotic world of entrepreneurship.”

On Friday night, there was a black tie gala and awards ceremony where Brent, and IMI COO Ben Norton, accepted our award. The evening was full of great entertainment, inspiring speakers, and a fantastic awards ceremony.  There was a lot of mentorship, collaboration, and networking of leading entrepreneurs from all over the country. We look forward to doing business with some of them and are honored to have made the Inc. 500 list.

Big news in the world of SEO, PPC, SEM or really anyone associated or affected by internet marketing, Google has rolled out its newest Panda Update. It is approximated that Google Panda update 3.9 will affect about 1% of Google’s search results, which for the world’s largest search engine is a noticeable change.

Since Google’s first Panda update back in February of 2011, Google has implemented a number of updates trying to sort out who really deserves the top ranking spots. Though the updates are supposed to be “minor” changes to Google, over the past two years website owners have had to adjust to conform to the updates or suffer a drop in the rankings.

Pandas are Harmless Right?

Though a panda bear may be cute and cuddly, a Google Panda update can be a fierce beast to your website if you are not practicing efficient SEO techniques. Google will find out if you use duplicate or overlapping articles to boost your search rankings and head you in the opposite direction. Also if your ad content is too great compared to information content you’ll also drop in the rankings. Sloppy or hastily written articles will also be spotted by the newer panda update.

Get Back up There

If you suffered from the Panda update it’s not the end of your webpage. One of the biggest things Google will look for on your webpage is unique and natural content. Natural or organic search rankings will come from having content that is relevant to your site and using a variety of relevant keywords. Another big one is ad to content ratios on your page. Ads should never take up the majority of your page. Avoid trying to gear keywords and content at what someone would type into a search engine and instead find a happy medium between relevant content and marketing content.

If all these changes are too overwhelming or simply out of your technological grasp, seek the help from a highly qualified SEO company like Internet Marketing Inc.

Brent Gleeson, Internet Marketing Inc.’s Co-Founder and CMO, will be appearing in NBC’s new reality extravaganza Stars Earn Stripes which premiers August 13th at 8 pm.  Stars Earn Stripes is the creation of executive producers Mark Burnett (Survivor and The Voice), David Hurwitz (Fear Factor), and Dick Wolf (Law & Order) and supports various military and first responder charities.

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How many times have you accessed the web through your smart phone lately?  I bet you can’t even keep track of it.  Consumers are believed to be madly in love of their smartphones these days.  In the past few years, we have seen a huge increase on sales of smartphones worldwide.  According to Jason Spero, Google’s head of mobile sales, 38% percent of the total population in the United States is now smartphone owners.  95% of these owners generally used their smartphones for mobile search. Jason Spero also anticipated that about 1 billion people would use their mobile phones as their primary tool for internet usage by the end of this year.   So how prepared are businesses for this change?  Are their sites mobile ready?  Have they prepared a much stronger internet marketing campaign that would utilize the fast growth of mobile user enthusiasts?

I conducted a little visit to the Top 10 Fortune 500 companies’ websites to see if they are mobile ready and surprisingly, I found out that only 4 out of top 10 companies are mobile ready: Walmart, General Motors, Bank of America, and Ford.  I found their mobile sites very user friendly and easy to access.  These are companies that use the internet and marketing towards end consumers, and having a mobile ready site helps them reach their target demographic easier.

Though the other top 6 companies’ sites (Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Conoco Phillips, Fannie Mae, General Electric, and Berkshire Hathaway) were accessible through mobile, they are not mobile friendly and I found them hard to explore.   It is understandable if some of these B2B companies do not target mobile users since they are not selling a product or service to end consumers. There is probably no need for it now, but in some small way, if these businesses really want to maximize the experience to their target audience, then creating a mobile ready site is not a bad idea.  For example, an investment holdings company like Berkshire Hathaway having a mobile friendly view of related financial news and stock price updates would really be beneficial to their investors.

There are no more questions that businesses have to go mobile.  By creating a more effective search marketing campaign, they have a bigger opportunity of reaching a much wider demographic.  But this potential success might not start unless they accept the idea of creating a mobile ready site.  With the overwhelming success of the mobile industry these days, businesses should really consider operating in the mobile world more.  So if you are a business, get started and create a mobile ready site.  Do not miss out on this great opportunity and soon your business would benefit from all the love that this huge mobile community is giving.

As 2012 marks the first year in history that marketers will spend more in online advertising than print, web marketing strategies are more important than ever. Through various SEM services, like search engine optimization of keywords and content, your website can keep up with the future of advertising.

The first hurdle is creating content that is credible, relevant, and successful. A recent survey showed that 3 out of 4 professionals stated that generating original content, as well as having the time to do so, is one of their biggest challenges. Some internet marketing companies rely on the Google Keyword Tool to hand them a list of the latest internet buzzwords, but targeting only popular keywords can overlook more modest words with less competition. There’s risk ranking across the board in optimizing content, and it’s often that the most popular keywords aren’t able to bring in the best return on investment.

The second challenge is making your content seen. If a tree falls in a forest…well, you know the rest. Once you’re on the right path with smart content and the right keywords, it’s time to reach your target audience. Current social media followers or blog readers aren’t the limit, the objective is to reach as many internet users as possible.

While there are countless methods of online advertising available, by linking up with top internet marketing companies, your site has the potential to reach a global platform. A company experienced in creating content in multiple formats has the highest benefit, maximizing the avenues in reaching your target audience.

Many people took time out of their day yesterday to take action against the passing of two proposed bills, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property  Act (PIPA). An astounding 4.5 million people signed Google’s Anti-SOPA petition, according to the LA Times. Eighteen senators pulled back their position on PIPA, including Senator Marco Rubio (co-sponsor from Florida), and SOPA co-sponsor Arizona rep. Ben Quayle also changed his stance to opposing the bill on Tuesday.

The goal of these bills is to censor your web browsing which would also potentially impose damaging effects on American business and even our very own Internet Marketing Inc. All of you last minute paper writing college students must be in for a tough week because Wikipedia is officially blacked out in an attempt to dislodge the bills from being accepted. Wikipedia is allowing you to raise awareness by putting up a fancy box that allows you to input your zip code and let your voice be heard. After submitting your zip code, information of your district officials allows you to contact them. Feel free to drop them a line, express your concern and give them your opinion on censoring your rights.

Now there is always two sides to the story. Google understands that combatting piracy is vital, but, “the most effective way to shut down pirate websites is through targeted legislation that cuts off their funding. There’s no need to make American social networks, blogs and search engines censor the Internet or undermine the existing laws that have enabled the Web to thrive, creating millions of U.S. jobs.” Also joining in is Mozilla as they changed their default home page from a blank white background to black.

What are your feelings as to how citizens have reacted to this attempt at censoring your web searches?

On  11.11.11, 92 years after the first proclaimed Veterans Day by former President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, we once again remembered and honored  all of our brave military veterans.  In these nine decades lots of things have happened, one of which is the technological boom that has brought us the likes of Facebook, Twitter and other social media applications.  Social media is a source for social interaction in an attempt to make our large world seem just that much smaller.

Social media and holidays together make a lot of buzz on the internet as there are lots of web interactions during times of holidays like Veterans Day.  This is not just by random people either, these are our veterans who are different than the previous as times have changed.  Nowadays these veterans are instead trying to get on Twitter or Facebook.

The effect of Veterans Day on social media is something you can see taking form.  Earlier this week there was a Facebook fan page launched for the US Military on Facebook to show support for members of the military, as well as both veterans and their families by sharing info and maintaining a connection.  Also, a new application on the U.S. Military Facebook page was created to give thanks to military members in your life, titled “A Nation Gives Thanks”.  We at Internet Marketing Inc. have also been able to utilize our own Facebook page for the celebration of Veteran’s Day by thanking our veterans as a whole, including one of our own.  Co-CEO Brent Gleeson served as a Navy SEAL operator at SEAL Team 5 located in Coronado, California.  Brent completed three separate tours of combat, with two tours in Iraq and one in Africa.  His job as a Navy SEAL was running Capture or Kill missions in tandem with the CIA.  So as it being Veterans Day we appreciate what our Veterans and Brent have done for our country.

Facebook is not the only social media app to see the effects of Veterans Day, Twitter has seen just as much traffic in regards to the national holiday.  Today many of the hottest stars and celebrities are taking to Twitter to honor the brave men and women that serve our country, like Toby Keith who is a notorious patriot. See what he said below:
Toby Keith (@TobyKeithMusic): Happy Veteran’s Day. To all Veterans, THANK YOU for our freedom.

Also on Twitter the tweet tag “#HappyVeteransDay” and “Happy Veterans Day” have been trending a lot as well.  The History Channel has also done it’s part for Veteran’s Day with it’s new social campaign of “Thank a Vet” through Twitter too.

Thanks to the internet we can see who and how many people are honoring their veterans and  grasp how important these men and women are in serving our country.  With our constant elevation of social media technology we are able to bring our world closer together one tweet or like at a time.

Building a great company that will last is not just about branding and of course strategic integrated online marketing solutions.  For a company to become great means many things.  You must focus on three key elements:  your employees, your clients, and your shareholders.  You must satisfy specific needs for each.  Companies that maintain steady growth do so by constantly pursuing new business opportunities (sales), providing a great service and therefore retaining clients, being a great place to work with an engaging culture, and by having a great vision and team alignment with that vision. 

So what does it mean for a company to have a Vision?  There is more to it than just getting top managers in a room and drafting some long difficult to understand Vision Statement.  Often times, that is where it ends.  The company drafts a vision statement, posts it somewhere, and then moves on to the next task.  This is not just an exercise that companies should do because they feel they have to.  Developing a great Vision involves some key elements.  A Vision framework includes:  Core Ideaology and an Envisioned Future.  Core Ideology is made up of Core Values and Core Purpose.  We will talk about the differences later in this blog.  An Envisioned Future is a combination of what is know is a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal (BHAG) and a Vivid Description.  See the chart below to understand how these components fit together.

Let’s talk about Core Ideology.  The first element of this is Core Values.  This is another thing that many companies take too lightly, especially start-ups.  Core Values are not just for large corporations nor are they a list of attributes that you wish your company embodied but doesn’t.  Its about identifying the values that your company actually holds.  These values should be the guiding principles that mold behaviors and decision making.  You company should cease to exist without them.  Technology, business models, and opportunities will change constantly but your Values never should. 

Core Purpose is a bit different.  A company’s Core Purpose is its reason for being.  Take Tom’s Shoes for example.  What do they do?  They sell shoes.  Is that their core purpose?  No.  Their entire business model is about giving free shoes to impoverished children all over the world.  A great exercise is called the “Five Whys”.  Gather your team in a room and ask the question “What do we do?”.  To whatever answer is given ask Why?  Then to that answer ask Why again.  This helps you really drill down on understanding why you do what you do and what it means to your employees and customers.  Again, this is something that should never change.  Here at IMI our Core Purpose is to help companies grow by providing ROI focused integrated online marketing solutions.

Core Values and Core Purpose make up Core Ideology and this should be the foundation of your company’s existence and should never change. 

An Envisioned Future is the forward thinking part of developing a great Vision for your company.  It is meant to be so aggressive and exciting that it inspires people to try to accomplish things that they think are beyond grasp.  As mentioned above, the Envisioned Future is a combination of the BHAG and a Vivid Description.  The BHAG is a 10 to 30 year goal that you have a 50% to 75% probability of hitting.  Or at least that is a basic definition.  You might be thinking 10 to 30 years?!!  Yes that is a long way off and business owners who want their companies to last have to think beyond their tenure and even their generation.  Some of the great companies out there have held BHAG’s that last 100 years.  For example, Henry Ford’s big audacious goal was to democratize the automobile and make it so affordable that everyone in the world would have one.  City Bank (now Citi Corp) set their BHAG in 1915 to become the world’s largest and most serviceable financial institution.  They were just a small regional bank at the time.  Nike is another great example.  Their big audacious goal was simply to crush Adidas.  Your BHAG can be a financial goal, market share goal, competitive goal, or anything that you may want to accomplish.  It could even be how you want your company to be perceived.

The Vivid Description concept is more about creating a picture in one’s mind about how you see your business 10 to 30 years.  What does it look like?  What will it be like to work there?  What do customers and competitors say about you?  Again, it can really be anything.

All of the elements discussed make up the Vision Framework.  How can a company make strategic decisions and shape their future without having a Vision in mind?  Companies that don’t might be able to make it work for a while but eventually everyone is going to stop and say “Where are we headed and why do I come to work every day”?  That is why having engagement and alignment from everyone in the company is so important.  You want to hire people that fit your Core Values and that will embrace the overall Vision.  Those people will be your key players and most likely stick around.  And if they do, your business will continue to grow!

Assuming construction stays on schedule we will be moving into our brand new office building in the Scripps Ranch area of San Diego in one month!  The whole team is very excited about the move.  We are crawling all over each other here so having some extra space is going to be fantastic.  We actually have some new team members starting with nowhere to sit!

The new space is three times the square footage of our current office on Mission Valley and includes seven private offices, two conference rooms, full kitchen and break room, and 40 work stations.  We left some extra open space for the ping pong table!

The great part about this being a brand new building is that we were able to choose custom finishes, carpet, paint colors, tile, etc.  The main conference room will have floor to ceiling glass walls and a 60′ flat screen for presentations…and sometimes football.

We’ll keep everyone posted on progress but assuming all goes well we will be all settled by November 1st!

Cloud computing with Gmail can definitely save you money, but it also can save energy.  Results from the Carbon Disclosure Project show, “that by 2020, large U.S. companies that use cloud computing can achieve annual energy savings of $12.3 billion and annual carbon reductions equivalent to 200 million barrels of oil – enough to power 5.7 million cars for one year.”

Due to the movement of ‘going green’ and hard-working efforts to increase sustainability, Google decided to compare Gmail to locally hosted email servers in hopes to show how energy efficient cloud-based email really is. Here is an illustration of an inefficient use of email servers used by small companies in comparison to an efficient use of cloud-based email:

Source: Official Google Blog

Google then tabulated the results, “switching to Gmail can be almost 80 times more energy efficient (PDF) than running in-house email. This is because cloud-based services are typically housed in highly efficient data centers that operate at higher server utilization rates and use hardware and software that’s built specifically for the services they provide—conditions that small businesses are rarely able to create on their own.”

With the above calculation it’s safe to say Google continues to act as the ringleader not only in a technological perspective, but now serving to help sustain our environment, one energy molecule at a time.