Alberta Business Marketing

Two Calgary boys heading to Hogtown for an industry leading conference on SEO.

David and I will be heading to the Ontario Capital this June for a great Search Engine Optimization event.  We are planning to play a vital role with our blogging from this year’s Toronto Search Engine Strategies Conference, it should a wonderful three days of learning and networking with leaders in the Canadian SEO market.  This will be my first time at this event and from what I understand from reading blogs from the previous years, it is going to be an awesome time.  Will be different from the IT conferences I have attended?

During some discussions in our office recently about who should represent Ulistic at this event, we basically figured out that we all need to be there.  That is right, the majority of our Ulistic team is investing the time to learn from the best in our industry and how we can serve our Calgary and Information Technology clients with practical SEO advice which will enhance their online marketing efforts.  You may ask yourself why does a Calgary SEO firm need to send a good portion of their team to a conference on the other side of the country?  Well, to learn and to share our learnings with our community.  If you are leader, you must continue to sharpen your saw…something I learned once.

The world of online marketing and Internet marketing is constantly changing.  Just ask our first batch of graduates coming out of our Ulistic Calgary Online Marketing Mentoring program.  Change is already occurring and they are just finishing their programs with Ulistic. So yes, we all must continue to learn the new things in the world of Internet Marketing.

Over the next few weeks, David and I will be blogging about the Toronto Search Engine Strategies Conference and sharing who will be there and what will be happening. Also keep an eye on the Ulistic Facebook page and our Twitter account for up to the minute news.

SES Toronto typically attracts Canada’s and U.S.’s leading search engine marketing (SEM) professionals – from the very experienced to the novice. Marketers can take advantage of the special early-bird registration and save up to $200 by registering by May 21. Click here to review SES Toronto rates and registration details.

The SES Toronto 2010 conference, which will be held on June 9-11 at the Hyatt Regency Toronto, 370 King Street.

Tags: Calgary, canada, Hogtown, information technology, Internet Marketing, online marketing efforts, Online Marketing Mentoring program, search engine, Search engine marketing, search engine optimization, Search Engine Strategies, Technology/Internet, toronto, Twitter Inc, United States, USD
Posted in Marketing, Online Marketing | | Comments Off

The other day I was having coffee with my good friend and trusted small business partner, Dr. Leslie Roberts.  Leslie is a brainchild behind Calgary small business training organization, GoForth Institute.

Our conversations usually cover many topics ranging from hockey to business when we grab our Starbucks and catch up.  On this day we focused on the importance of small business training, education and what the average business owner needs to do to keep their skills sharp, we were really focused from a couple of entrepreneurs.  One question that came up in our coffee chat was, what is a suitable investment for the average small business to make in continuous learning and team development?

I know when I was running IT Matters with Rob Hay and Tony Mah, we invested up to $5000 each year per employee in training our staff.  It was a very critical part of our employee retention program and important to ensure every member of our team had the skills they needed to do their job.  If you read all the books or listen to all the CDs from the world’s renowned authors such as Jeffrey Gitomer, Harv Eker and others.  These authors are always speaking on the importance of continuous learning and education.  We understood this at IT Matters.

Now, in my new career as a Calgary Search Engine Optimization and Online Marketing professional I have to continuously invest in my own learning and always sharpening my own saw.  Leslie confirmed this during our conversation about the importance of small business training in Canada and especially here at home in Calgary.

I have to give kudos to Leslie and her amazing team at GoForth.  They ensure the Canadian Entrepreneur has the right tools in their business toolbox so they can become successful.  Give them a call at 403 242 2546 to learn more.

Tags: 403 242 2546, Business Success, Business/Finance, Calgary, calgary small business training, canada, canadian small business training, Entrepreneur, GoForth Institute, I T MATTERS, jeffrey gitomer, Leslie Roberts, Online Marketing professional, search engine, Skill, small business training calgary, Starbucks Corporation, T. Harv Eker, USD
Posted in Alberta Business | | Comments Off

Don’t Register Overpriced Domain Names that you don’t need

Ulistic has received a number of calls and emails lately from our clients asking us about an email they are receiving about ASIA and CHINESE domain names.  They are wondering how they should respond to this email they have received.  Simple answer, just delete it and forget about it.

The email claims to be from Chinese domain registration firms asserting that there is a potential conflict with your brand name or trademark.  Again, this is a SCAM and needs to be deleted immediately.  These firms want to have you register asian domain names (like yourbusiness.cn or yourbusiness.asia) which you don’t need to worry about and you don’t need PERIOD!

Here is what the SCAM letter looks like;

Dear Manager:
We are a Domain Name registration service company, which is a professional Internet Domain Name Registration and dispute resolution organization in China.On March,17th,2010, We received QIFA Investment company’s application that they are registering the name “YOURDOMAIN_OR_COMPANYNAME” as their Internet Trademark and “YOURDOMAINNAME.cn”,”perfectlydivinebody.com.cn” ,”YOURDOMAINNAME.asia”domain names etc.,It is China and ASIA domain names.But after auditing we found the brand name been used by your company. As the domain name registrar in China, it is our duty to notice you, so I am sending you this Email to check.According to the principle in China,your company is the owner of the trademark,In our auditing time we can keep the domain names safe for you firstly, but our audit period is limited, if you object the third-party application these domain names and need to protect the brand in china and Asia by yourself, please let the responsible officer contact us as soon as possible. Thank you!

Looking forward to your reply.

Kind regards
Angela
———————————–
Oversea marketing manager?Tel:+86(0)21 XXXXXXX50?Fax:+86(0)21 XXXXXX557 ?web:www.ygnXXXXXXrk.cn

The objective of the scammer is to have you register these domain names under their registrar account for stupid prices which are extremely overpriced.

Single registration fee:

(.cn/.com.cn/.net.cn/.org.cn) Domain name:160USD/ 5 Years Per Name
(.hk/.tw) Domain name: 405USD/ 5 Years Per Name
(.mobi) Domain name: 320USD/ 5 Years Per Name
(.cc) Domain name: 340USD/ 5 Years Per Name
(.asia) Domain name: 840USD/ 5 Years Per Name
.Internet brand keyword: 705EUR/ 5 Years Per Name

Domain name registrations typically cost between $9 and $22.00 depending on the extension you are registering. For example .com may cost more than .ca.

If indeed you would like to secure .CN or .ASIA domain name extensions, contact your current domain registrar or contact your Ulistic Internet Consultant for help.

Tags: .ca, .cn, .com, Asia, China, Country code top-level domains, current domain registrar, Domain name, Domain name registrar, Domain name system, Domain registrars, Internet, Internet Domain Name Registration, Internet in the People's Republic of China, Internet Trademark, Manager, marketing manager, officer, Online Solutions, registrar, Scams in intellectual property, Ulistic Internet Consultant for help, USD, web:www.ygnXXXXXXrk.cn
Posted in Alberta Business | | Comments Off

Even though I don’t do much with IT services these days, much rather pass this soft of stuff over to my friends in the industry now.  If you need IT support, contact me, I have friends who can help your Calgary small business.

But, I still have a tremendous amount of respect for Erick Simpson at MSPU.  So, why not share this information for him after all he helped me big time over the past few years.

Tags: Business, Business IT, Business/Finance, CompTIA, dallas, Dallas CompTIA, Geography of Texas, Human Interest, managed services, MSP University, Professional certification, Service Delivery Boot Camp, Texas, Union Station, USD
Posted in Alberta Business | | Comments Off

I sometimes feel like I am drinking from a firehouse or hearing the guy next to me shout with his megaphone (that isn’t you Dave) when it comes to social media and the importance of having an effective social media strategy in business.

Before I start with strategy I need to figure out the social landscape. Has it really changed?  I want to say it hasn’t but my gut keeps telling me it has.  What are we trying to achieve with our business in the online, digital connected, everyone googles and searches for information world that we live in.

I think Chris Brogan is right, trust is the cornerstone

Trust has to plays  crucial role in all business interactions including the online world plus when we meet at the Chamber of Commerce, our networking clubs or in the lineup at Calgary CO-OP.  Trust in an amazing thing win your grant a trusted relationship, from you guys reading this blog to the folks that are calling your business after reading a blog post you have crafted.

Is it social media?  Or is this plain ole business acumen?  What has spurred the flurry of interest in social media in the past 6 to 18 months?  Is it the availability and the free tools which is driving?  Would we have this amount of interest if you had to pay $10 each month for a Twitter account?  Kinda goes against our “free mindset” in today’s world.

Over the past few days I have been trying to figure out the social online landscape and perhaps I am a further step ahead since I spoke at the Airdrie Chamber of Commerce about social media in Airdrie and social media in Calgary.  Each day I feel that I am another step closer to figuring this all out.  Oh yeah, thanks Leslie for your help.

What is the Social Landscape theory?

• Social Media
• Social Networking
• Social Technologies
• Social Currency

My goal is over the next few days to expand on these areas.  I am continuing to have a number of A-HA moments as my mind begins to focus on how businesses can use the entire social landscape to win new opportunities in the marketplace, become a voice in the community and share knowledge and information.

The big question that I still get asked is, how does business monetize when using the social landscape?  Not sure if this is small thinking though and the bigger question is how can our business become the thought leader, the online connector and the place people come for information.  Will social currency reap ongoing rewards?  Can we practice online what my good friend Bob Burg mentions in his “Endless Referrals” book?

More thought is needed….

Tags: Airdrie Chamber of Commerce, Behavior, Behavioural sciences, bob burg, Business/Finance, Calgary, Chris Brogan, online connector, online world, Psychology, reputation management, Social information processing, Social Issues, Social Landscape, social media, social media strategy, social online landscape, Social psychology, trust, Twitter Inc, USD
Posted in Alberta Business | | Comments Off