I just have to rave about how good Apple’s customer is every now and then, plus I found the PERFECT case for my iPhone 4!

You may remember that this past summer I had the opportunity to meet Shoemoney. He was a pretty cool guy in person, and based on our discussions before and after the fact I have a lot of respect for the hustle he puts in trying to deliver cool services that are actually useful for the affiliate marketing vertical. He has proven his ability to leverage search engines to his benefit in both advertising and rankings. So if you are trying to get your site to rank, a good question to ask might be “What Would Shoemoney Do?”.

Understanding SEO

Most people who are just starting out with a website assume that SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is some kind of witchcraft because they have heard the horror stories  of people paying “experts” that simply regurgitate search engine theory yet have nothing to show for it. SEO is no different than anything else in life, if you follow the models which have a proven track record you are much more likely to succeed. Put simply, SEO is the ability to generate relevant content that humans care about and that Google can read in order to see its relevance. If you design your website for humans, with a few refinements you can totally dominate your keywords.

Having the right tools

Building a house without a hammer or nails is incredibly difficult. With no blueprints you are back in the stone ages just kind of piling things together hoping for good results with a sturdy foundation to continue building on. I can promise you that the people who are serious about building something valuable around a keyword are using the right tools to plan and build their “online house” for Google & Bing. Shoemoney recently released a cool tool that is really just a (cheaper!) spin-off of his Shoemoney Tools that not only gives people information on how they compare to their competition for keywords, but gives them the building blocks to rank more competitively and start producing real results.

The new tools name is even a spin off of Free Credit Report by calling it FreeSEOReport.com. Wait – free? Shoe is confident enough that you are going to love the new service that he allows you to generate your first report for free to keep, brand, and tweak for your needs. No bones about it though, this tool was designed to make money and costs money for any additional reports but he has pretty flexible/generous terms for people looking at unique implementations.

The Experience

Using Free SEO Report was actually pretty darn easy, just as the website says it was pretty much just 3 steps:

1. Enter the URL of the website you want data for

2. Enter the keyword you want ranking analytics around

3. Give it your e-mail and submit

The amazing thing for this report, is that even though it runs a series of queries against Google, scrapes data from your closest competitors to generate a truly custom PDF report with suggestions and feedback in ~ 4 minutes is pretty impressive. When was the last time your SEO guy got back to you with mountains of accurate and actionable data in 4 minutes? Exactly.

Cost: Free for the first report, then either $10/report or $19.95/month for unlimited reports

So next time you are thinking about ways to improve your traffic, boost your rankings in Google just go on over to http://freeseoreport.com for a very cost effective way to make an actionable difference for your website.

So as you may (or if new, may not) have noticed I have done quite a bit of housecleaning around the blog.  What used to be a rounded blue and orange template heavy with added graphics and other extras is now a clean and spartan white design that tries to focus on the key aspects of this blog that people seem to enjoy.

“Why switch it up? The other blogging format seemed just fine?”

I felt that I owed the (2 actual) readers I have a better reading experience that was easier to navigate, more pleasing to look at, and offered a much improved commenting platform. I understand that new visitors are going to likely be annoyed by the lightbox pop-up added to the site, but it needs to be understood that in order for this blog to exist in its current form (minimal advertising) it is important to build an strong communication channel through the 7-week course.

What do you think of the new design? The code is supposed to be clean and SEO friendly out of the box and it has given me a chance to learn some CSS and PHP, although it has also reaffirmed that I will never be a coding professional myself, and instead will hire out the right people to make sure it is done right and done in a timely manner.

Interviews are daunting, and quite frankly they suck. With the economy how it is, what is a potential employee supposed to do in order to differentiate themselves from the rest of the applicants? In a word: Personal Brand.

People like @Garyvee have been promoting personal brands as a way to get to the next level, but what about if you can’t afford to jump right into the lush lifestyle of a talent agency representing you with speaking deals, book gigs and other lavish luxuries that people in that caliber are enjoying from their personal brand? What if, as crazy as it sounds you need to “take the deal” as Seth Godin says and go for a ‘regular’ job to earn more money?

All Hail the Personal Brand

While some employers may be timid about hiring an up and coming personality that is building their brand, the smart employers also know that the value you can bring to the table far exceeds the risk of losing you to bigger and better things. How will they know this? Because someone who is working on building their personal brand through blogs, social media, forums and other forms of communication really understands what is going on in the technology, marketing, communication, pr etc.

Personal brands are a great way to showcase your creativity, enthusiasm for whatever category you want to work in and give a potential employer some insight into who you ARE as opposed to just what you can DO. Personalities are equally as important as abilities to many employers, how are you building your brand?

We all know that the notion of a brand is enticing, and that people are willing to pay more for a Coke simply because it says “Coke” on the side and not just a random house brand. We also know that when Coke brings out a new product, if we liked the original we are much more likely to try the new product.. emotionally we are tempted to dive head first into products, services, locations etc we wouldn’t have otherwise because of how a brand makes us feel.

What does a brand mean when it is a person though? Does a celebrity have brand value that is nearly instantaneous? The answer is HELL YES they do. For an example look at the Twitter account started by LeBron James.. in a short 2 hour period after sending his first tweet that simply announced he was on Twitter.. he has a staggering 127,225 followers (and counting!!). So what is this brand equity worth? Well if you read this article you might believe that each follower is worth $6.19; and that value multiplied by his follower base adds up to nearly $800,000 in only 2 HOURS.

According to Ad Age, each person who ‘Likes’ a Facebook page is worth $3.60/year which is probably pretty fair if you were comparing the cost of traditional media to the reach of social media. If you think that this size of audience simply can’t be worth this much money, keep in mind that Jeremy Schoemaker (@shoemoney) had roughly 90k followers and PROFITED $50k in about 7 months time on Twitter.. the value is real and so are the paychecks.

How are you building your brand and finding your audience? It is likely worth much more than you think right now.

An interesting side effect of the overall down position for the global market is that so many people are afraid to take risks, and therefore go with “sure things” that are pretty assured to bring in at least some level of return. The only problem with this is that when you go for sure things in content, business, products etc you often times only create a mediocre product as a result of trying to appeal to everyone.

Polarization is a GOOD thing.

Does your product/service really turn some people off? Great start. The best products and/or services in the world completely turn one subset of their potential audience off, but make another subset fall in love with the product. By doing this, you create loyal customers who covet your product and ultimately end up championing your product/service to others that would similarly find it of interest. A perfect example of this is the “Chelada” product that combines Bud Light (or Bud) with Clamato, I personally find this product absolutely HORRID. However, that being said a few people in our group that tried this product simply couldn’t get enough of it and made another trip back to the store in order to stock up for the weekend.

What if we had all found the Chelada as just “ok”? We certainly would not have taken the effort to go back and buy mass quantities of the product, and you can bet your house that they will be telling everyone they see about how amazing they find the drink. And while neither I, nor someone else in our group had any interest at all in ever drinking the product again the company will have a net positive gain through the devotion that the passionate customers bring to the table.

So the question is, how are you going to make your product polarize customers into loving or hating your product to ensure that those who DO use your product/service will be passionate about it, share it with others and become a lifetime customer?

I am sure many of you have seen the Google commercial that aired during the super bowl, and was actually part of their “Search Stories” that they had created back in the fall of 2009. If you haven’t seen the video, here it is:

The particularly interesting thing about this commercial is that Google was able to evoke a sense of emotion simply from search queries and Google maps. They understand that when you take data like that you can tell a lot about someones life, but more importantly it took what was simply a service and brought out emotion towards their brands and products that most people had never felt before. This type of story telling is exactly what will help Google remain as a top of mind company and allude to the “Don’t be evil” mantra that Steve Jobs calls bullshit.

So what does this have to do with your business or start-up? If you have ever listened to a venture capitalist talk about why they invest in some companies but not others, no one has made it as clear as Y-Combinator has that they don’t invest in businesses but they actually just invest in people.

Why invest in people?

I have always said that “When you invest in people, you will always have a positive ROI”. This is not only because of the positive social effects that stem from investing in one another but also because when there is an exceptional story there will be exceptional success. The best founders and co-founders make a team that has an ability to tell a story through their product or service. The notorious PayPal founders have been absolute rock-stars within the tech start-ups and will continue to do so because they have cultivated their purple cow.

Once you understand how to tell your story in a way that not only adds value to your user base, but that actually connects with them in a meaningful way you are going to be able to build a loyal user group that will carry you to your end goal. We as consumers purchase content, use products and connect with people because it genuinely makes our lives better. Our life is the story, just make sure that you are at least a chapter or two in order to achieve your goals.

Coincidentally Google launched a “Search Stories Creator” that is pretty slick and easy to use. I gave it a go with creating my own search story for MyBigGive which is currently up for a grant from Pepsi Refresh Everything.

If you want more things like this, I am going to start sending out special posts through my newsletter which also comes with a free 7 week business builder course that will hopefully help you create more meaningful connections with your customers and reach the goals that I know every ambitious entrepreneur has. So go ahead and sign up in the sidebar!

If there is one thing Apple has been phenomenal at over the at last 3 to 4 years it has been anticipating the needs of the average consumer before they really understand that the need exists. Much like Starbucks did with a premium coffee experience, Apple has been able to take a market that was in a race to the bottom and instead of purely going for the lowest price of entry they decided to change the way we use technology through out our daily lives.

This is more significant than it first appears because what Apple is really doing here is catering to the human emotional needs of computing, and not purely the functional need and for technology that completely changes everything. By having such a strong push and obsession around content, experience and quality they are simultaneously hitting consumers from directions they didn’t even know existed. These emotional pulls not only help Apple sell impressive units at even more impressive margins, but they have raised the bar for consumer expectations to mind boggling heights. Have you seen the wireless data consumption of AT&T? 4932% growth over 12 quarters! That is INSANE for a company that was the largest wireless carrier during part of that time (however is currently eclipsed by Verzion due to VW’s aggressive acquisitions).

The same kind of massive shift in the way consumer interact with their devices, and additionally what they have come to expect from them was seen in the portable music player category which seemed to have the secret sauce for an ecosystem that generated a better, and more reliable experience than what users had at their disposal before. iPod + iTunes has certainly proved to be a winning combination that is still paying off to this day, granted through a much more expanded form than what was originally conceptualized I am sure.

So what’s next?

Steve Jobs has described the iPad as possibly being the “most important thing [he] has ever worked on”. Bold words coming from a man who has had a fair hand in turning the music industry upside down, but what makes this device so important to the Apple lineup and how will it shift the way we expect our devices to perform for us?

Near 100% reliability

While many would argue that devices with offerings such as Android provide a ‘superior’ experience because of their limitless functions and features that can be added at any point (Flash anyone?). However, while competition is fantastic and I strongly believe that every market segment needs bold innovation to push the boundaries in order to understand what works, for mass adoption to take place the devices need to provide a stable foundation that users can depend on to carry out their tasks. If this element is missing, all of the emotional bonuses that come along with the Apple ecosystem are quickly discounted.

Masked price point

This one is kind of tricky with Apple, especially for those who are not drinking the Kool aid because there is most certainly an upfront premium that has been put on Apple products and the accompanying culture, buying habits etc that come with living in an Apple/Mac world. What IS interesting however is how Apple has clearly hinted at the iPad as a “sign of things to come” (Jonathan Ive) and while at first this devices seems like an over-sized iPod Touch; it is really going after the entry computing market. Think about the type of accessories and ways that a user can interact with this device, consider its price point and then think about what kind of computing experience you can get elsewhere for the same dollar.

For $500-900 can you get an industry best (IPS) display? Multitouch? 10 hour batter life? What about a seamless experience between the content you truly care about and the ability to quickly access information that you need? The Google Chrome OS will be a very interesting challenger to this type of experience game changer but until they are both out in their second generation, it is anybodies guess.

Dead simple usability

One thing I always found interesting as I went through High School and I am not finishing up College throughout the “iPod Generation” is the big draw that people had through word of mouth marketing, and the perceived ease of use. One of the people that I really look up to is Gary Vaynerchuk due to his ability to capture the essence of what is driving the market and understand that the key fundamentals haven’t really changed, only the delivery. People were buying iPods for two very simple reasons.

1. They were extremely good at doing what they were built to do

2. Everybody else had them, so everyone already KNEW how to use it

When you combing those two factors you have a potent recipe for buying decisions to stem directly from word of mouth marketing, where even better yet prospective buyers were able to hold a “sample” product in their hands and experience the ecosystem before buying. The trial-ability for the Apple brand, ecosystem and value proposition was phenomenal.

Developer community

This is a huge competitive advantage that Apple has with their ecosystem right now, and ironically is something they were openly against at first and ever since opening up their doors they have been slammed ever harder for not being more open (regardless of the fact that being at least semi closed is what makes the user experience so amazing). What Apple really gets at this point though is that by taking an agency approach to 3rd party software development with a 30% cut from all App sales they are directly profiting off of the innovation, marketing and value that their community is coming up with.

This last part is what I really want to drive home as to why I am bullish on these entire product line and ecosystem: Apple is no longer in the passenger seat when it comes to understanding the pulse of the consumer and even being a few steps ahead. It took them a few hard punches in the early rounds of computing to polish what they have wanted to perfect all along; content and the user experience. With the introduction of the iPad and the realization that Apple is now a “mobile company”, the firm is very much firing on all cylinders regardless of what type of traction this first generation iPad produces.

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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Tony’s Pizza. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of the Hallmarks of being a college student, and especially being one who is driving as many dollars into their start-up as possible is that sometimes we have to make the hard choice of where that last $5 of ours is going to go.. shampoo or deodorant (btw, pick the deodorant, we will all thank you later). But what about filling your tank so that you can still focus in class during the day and put in the hustle for your business at night? Top Ramen can only go so far, and at roughly $1 per package it is a pretty tempting offer. However, it really doesn’t take that long to get sick of all the salt (5000% daily sodium anyone?) and want something with a little better substance to it to keep you going.

I rarely take any sponsored opportunities, but when Tony’s pizza offered for me to try some of their new crisp crust pizzas which retail for UNDER $2 I knew that you guys would want to know about it. Seriously, when you get to the end of the month with your pockets feeling a little thin but you are still craving some cheese smothered goodness, what is a good college student to do? Luckily Tony’s now has you covered with something that doesn’t taste like cheap cardboard as many other budget frozen pizzas do.

For a little variety, check out their 3 flavors:

• Pepperoni
• Cheese
• Supreme

My personal favorite was the supreme (because I dig all the goodies… and it is the same price). So check em out and tell me what you think, worth the few bucks? And if you really are a broke college student (hey.. we have all been there. No shame in it at all). Then make sure to follow me on Twitter where I will be sending one lucky follower a few coupons to try them out for free!

Tony’s Pizza

Think about the last time you purchased something based on a recommendation. Who suggested that you buy it? Was it a friend, a co-worker, an online persona? How did they solve your problem and what made you respect what they had to say to the point that you actually made your final decisions? These are all things that you probably don’t think about while you are in pursuit of a purchase (or often times, you weren’t actively looking to start with) but ultimately separate you from your dollars in exchange for a product or service.

Before we go any deeper, lets take a look at what the word “arbitrage” means. Arbitrage is simply the difference between two markets, or the under/over valuation that someone has over resources that are currently at a different value somewhere else. The most simplistic form of arbitrage is often found on auction sites like eBay where we see the effects of supply and demand between markets. Remember the red hot items like when the PS3 first came out? It was selling for 2-3x the retail price that customers were paying in stores.

Online Marketing

No one understands the value of arbitrage more than online marketers (such as Jeremy Schoemaker or John Chow), and because of that they were quick to realize the power of building trust with their readers and what financial value that represents. The personality that is involved with marketing products online is really in the business of building relationships with an audience so that you will trust them and act upon their ‘suggestions’ so they then don’t have to take in the advertising costs of reaching you on a transactional basis, or suffer the accompanying dismal conversion rates associated with what I refer to as ‘first encounter’ sales (where the consumer has no awareness of you prior to the landing page).

Your Business

So how does this apply to your startup, or even fortune 500 companies? As you start to understand the value of your relationship with customers and the trust that they subsequently have with your brand; it is only then that you can put a value on what people are willing to pay (and therefore help you profit) simply because they TRUST who you are and what you are doing. You then only need to keep a channel of communication open between you and your customers (typically one way, but listening is a separate but important aspect of success) through e-mail lists, social media and websites. Thankfully technology has opened up all of these avenues to facilitate this relationship.

The Impact

So how is this going to change the landscape of how business is done? It is widely accepted that an online presence is a necessity for any business in operation within the United States today, so how is the process of acquiring users going to change with our new found knowledge? As Gary Vaynerchuk has clearly pointed out, the future will require us to build brands not only around businesses but around ourselves. Society can no longer hide things from each other (at least for very long) so it is very important that we establish ourselves based on tangible qualities that resonate with our audience.

Only after you have developed a relationship centered around trust can you then start to ‘suggest’ relevant products and services to your audience that will expand your verticals while continuing to offer value. This is very do-able for anyone with an online presence, and if you take the approach of building relationships you will see your conversion rates, prosperity and acceptance go through the roof.