Don’t forget to provide a great product.

We get so many inquires about how to get a business on page 1 of Google. They also want to know what they can do to upgrade their website. J 12 Designs has been providing a great product for over 16 years while keeping up with the changing landscape of social media and search engine optimization (SEO). Over time I have seen a trend with most, not all, but most businesses. It seems like they are spending more time trying to get on page 1 of Google rather than the page 1 of other consumers who recommend services to their closest friends and family. Now don’t get it twisted, I am not saying that SEO is not important. It is actually very important for your business. What I am seeing is businesses loose track of what is even more important than a 5 star page 1 ranking…and that is a 5 star product or service that turns into word of mouth referrals.

Lets look at what it takes to be on page 1 of Google. It’s gonna vary from business to business, but long story short it is gonna be expensive and takes patience to do it right. There are many great companies that can get you to page 1. The cost depends on the search phrase that you are targeting. That amount of money can easily be made back from the success you will have on page 1, but that depends on the service you are providing. Most people cringe at the price of being on page 1 of Google. I don’t think they realize how hard it is and how much work it is to do it the right way. When I say the “right way” I am talking about no shortcuts. At the end of the day its a nice investment. Lets pretend its $1,000 a month. Ask yourself what you can do if you invested $1,000 a month into your company. Could you hire an intern? Get a better machine for production? Ask yourself how you can provide a better product for your business before you rush to be on page 1 of Google.

Aside from providing a great product from your business, have you thought about providing a great website to the potential new client looking to see if you are legit. As a web designer it would make sense for me to try to “sale” you on buying a top notch robust website. I actually lean of the fact that you don’t always need to buy a $5,000 site. Sometimes you just need to have a nice presence. You just need to look “good” and show people your products. However some businesses need more than just an average site. You need to put more resources into your web presence because of what you are selling and what your competition is doing. So if you make the decision to invest in being on page 1, make sure you have a page 1 quality website. My mentor once told me…”You know whats cool about being on page 1? You are on page 1! You know what’s bad about being on page 1? Everyone sees you! You better have your house in order.”

SEO is very important for exposure to your business. Don’t forget that even when someone finds your company through SEO and walks through your door, you have to live up to claim you made online by saying that your are the best. We at J 12 Designs have climbed up the ladder to page 1 on Google but it does not mean anything if we can not deliver. We have to strive to be the best service company instead of just being ranked at the top of Google. It has been nice being on page 1 but the best clients come from other clients telling their friends and peers about what we did for them. Word of mouth beats Google all day every day. The type of contracts we want come from the testimonials of our current clients. It has allowed us to focus on what we do best. The page 1 ranking is just icing on the cake.