Carl Rempel Consulting: An enfusion of creativity and technology for growth.

Small Business Embraces Apple’s iPad

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Carl Rempel

Mobile devices are cool and Apple’s iPad is coming up in the ranks as the fastest growing technology used in the small to medium sized business (SMB) market. Is the iPad on your business’ wish list? Apple’s iPad is winning over small to medium sized businesses at a rate 4 times greater than last year, according to a national study. Jumping from 9% in 2010 to 34% in 2011, iPad use is quickly becoming the fastest growing technology in the small to medium business market (SMB).

Vice president of research at The Business Journals, Godfrey Phillips, said the growth of the iPad is part of a trend. “Our research has shown that for small business owners, productivity and efficiency, which used to be the central benefits of technology, are now declining in importance compared to accessibility….The iPad, as well as smartphones and cloud computing, are all part of this new trend and are experiencing significant growth as a result of that need.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Mobile Devices, Technology Trends | Leave a comment

SEO Demystified for Top Executives

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Carl Rempel

Over the past 12 months, I have spoken to many executives who want to explore the effectiveness of their website: “How well is it performing? And, what can I do to improve it?”

My response often surprises them. With a rather simple roadmap, you can oftentimes make dramatic changes with just a small bit of effort.

With just a little attention to a core set of SEO fundamentals, you can pull a website up from the depths of obscurity to a strong position of prominence.

So, here’s where to start.

1. Before delving into your site’s technology, get better acquainted with your audience. Explore these questions and make sure you have a clear understanding of your site’s intended audience.

Who is your target audience?
What competitive websites do they use?
Why would they want to visit your site?
What benefits do your website visitors experience?
What actions do you want your site visitors to take?

2. Now, you can step into the process of tuning up your site for the search engines. Ask your webmaster these questions:

What keywords should we target? Insist on identifying at least 10 keyword phrases.
What keywords would your intended audience likely use?
How well does your site perform today on Google for each keyword phrase?
What competitors show up in those searches, and how do they compare to your results?
Does each URL contain strategic keywords?
Does your webmaster know how to use customized URLs, Titles, and Descriptions for each page? If not, consider hiring someone with such skills that can help train others on your team.
Is each page title unique? Does the title contain strategic keywords?
Does the contents on the page match up with the Title and Description tags?

3. Before you make any changes, establish your baseline metrics.

Ask your webmaster, if you have a Google Analytics Account. If not, do it now.
Don’t make any changes until your analytics are activated. You’ll want to see what happens to your web activities as you start your optimization efforts.
Choose a few statistics to monitor. Statistics like Total Page Views and Unique Visitors are a great place to start.

Spend a few weeks mastering these topics. Work closely with your Webmaster. There’s plenty of detailed resources to tap into.

But don’t abdicate your role of defining the audience and assessing results. No one can provide the necessary strategic insights better than you. Let the webmaster work out the details, while you chart the course.

Posted in Innovation, Strategy | Tagged SEO, Strategy, Websites | Leave a comment

iPad’s Versatility Makes it a Prime Choice for Small to Medium Sized Businesses

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Carl Rempel

With the ability to have access to your business’ information anytime and anywhere, more small to medium sized business owners are opting for the ease and portability Apple’s iPad has to offer. However, dry old facts and figures are only a small part of what the iPad can do for your business.

Many businesses are using the iPad for much more than business data and email these days. In today’s fast paced, tech savvy world, the iPad’s sleek look and functionality allow it to serve as kiosk, marketing hub, reservation and seating management tool, cash register…it’s only limit seems to be your imagination!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Mobile Devices, Strategy, Technology Trends | Leave a comment

From Strategy to Winning

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Carl Rempel

Despite a stagnate economy good things continue to unfold—for instance, Apple products and sales in 2010?

Working hard certainly plays a role, but don’t overlook “working smart,” too.

That’s where innovation occurs. And innovation comes from smart strategies matched up with quality execution. Good ideas come-and-go, but getting-things-done is where the magic is. And realistically, can you do it all alone? In most cases, you need a team.

So—in the spirit of success and building up a successful team—here are 9 lessons to apply to your innovative efforts:

Share Examples that Illustrate Desired Outcomes

Get out of the abstract conceptual descriptions. Define concrete examples of the desired outcomes.

Understand and Clearly Articulate the “Why”

Without finding your compelling “why,” others will not discover their own enduring motivation to push forward.

Be Real about Your Limitations and Ignorance

Identify those gaps. Read and learn. Share and learn. Test and learn. And always keep a sharp eye to find others with talents, skills and experience beyond your own.

Attract Other Leaders to your Team

You will need sounding boards to pick apart your strategies. Ask hard questions. Probe your assumptions. Ultimately, your biggest challenge will be execution. So who better to help work through those issue than other smart leaders. Find a way to get them slotted into your network, somehow, someway.

Set Measurable Goals and Assign Responsibilities

Make sure one person accepts responsibility for a specific task. Don’t confuse team efforts and accountability. Team members need to know individual roles, responsibilities, and ownership of quality. Don’t leave tracking progress and coping with dilemmas and choosing tradeoffs to a faceless team. Every important task should have a tangible or measurable result. That result needs an owner.

Use Feedback to Assess Progress

You can’t know everything in advance. Exceptions will occur. Project delays and derailments can occur silently. Stay close to the action. Ask questions. Don’t become disconnected from the execution.

Sustain enthusiasm

Recognizing accomplishments and achievements remind everyone of the progress. Sharing in success deepens the interpersonal aspects of the team. Pausing to celebrate rejuvenates the mojo that makes the team work.

Share the Credit for Success

Keep a long list of those deserving credit—everyone who contributed.

Stay Flexible

When confronted with obstacles and surprises that require a pivot, refer back to your “Intended Outcomes” and “The Why” it’s all important. Ask yourself questions like, “Are these assumptions still valid? Am I aiming in the right direction?

Posted in Innovation, Strategy | Tagged Focus, Innovation, Strategy | Leave a comment

Really? 10% of web traffic now comes from Apple mobile devices?

Posted on November 11, 2010 by Carl Rempel

Yes. This is the first time mobile devices have accounted for over 10% of the website traffic for Mercedes-Benz of Encino. This number has been growing steadily since spring. Expect it to jump dramatically going into next year with all the iPad sales from Target and Walmart.

Do you have a mobile marketing strategy?

Have you checked your analytics recently?

How well does your site serve up mobile content?

Don’t sit by passively while your competitors learn how to use mobile technology as a breakthrough marketing opportunity.

Posted in Innovation, Strategy | Tagged Inbound Marketing, SEM, SEO, Technology Trends, Websites | Leave a comment

Would building a mobile app help grow my business?

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Carl Rempel

iPhone, iPad, iOS users To answer this question, begin with a clear understanding of your business mission and purpose.

If you are a Mercedes-Benz retail store, don’t build games. If you’re a financial institution, don’t build a social network. Stick to your business roots.

“Why would a mobile app benefit my business?” Everything hinges upon this critical question. Once you fully grasp the “why”, write it down. Share it with others and validate your thoughts. This “why” will keep the design and development process on track.

Now, identify the “who” — as in “who is your target user and target market?” These answers will focus your efforts and guide your development team towards the right targets.

Now that you clearly have the “why” and the “who” defined, evaluate your website features and identify what gets used most. Your mobile users will want those, too—but easier to use! So, if you identify 21 different features your web site offers, then distill it down and implement only the top 7 in your mobile app.

When you feel you’re ready to begin development, make sure to research “how” things need to work. Collaborate with insightful users. When you get good designs and honest user appraisals together, you have the building blocks of a successful mobile app.

Give it a go—before your competitors find out the possibilities and start their own efforts.

Posted in Innovation, Strategy | Tagged Mobile Devices, Strategy, Technology Trends | Leave a comment

Carl Rempel

Small Business Embraces Apple’s iPad

SEO Demystified for Top Executives

iPad’s Versatility Makes it a Prime Choice for Small to Medium Sized Businesses

From Strategy to Winning

Really? 10% of web traffic now comes from Apple mobile devices?

Would building a mobile app help grow my business?

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