Q: What is iClick Media Group?
A: iClick Media Group is a full service national locally focused internet marketing and media/ad buying agency.

Q: You write a lot about Yodle & ReachLocal – wouldn’t Yodle, ReachLocal, Dex, AT&T, Idearc etc be considered competition? If so why do you promote them so heavily?
A: All the above mentioned businesses would not be considered competition – in fact they could be considered partners. We are a full service ad/media buyer and because of that if we feel any of the above businesses provide any kind of value to our clients we may at anytime subscribe to their services as a partner.

Q: How much does an average website cost?
A: That’s a tricky question… Our websites range from affordable performance websites which range in cost from $100-$200/mo all the way up to full custom software and automated web solutions which can carry a price tag of $10 – $50K depending on the bells and whistles attached.

Q: Isn’t your iClick Live Product a lot like Yodle Organic?
A: Yes and No. Both products share similarities in the fact that they promote organic search engine optimization, user experience etc… Other then that… that’s about it.

Q: What’s the motivation behind iClick?
A: I actually started a very similar business model in 2004 when I launched Think Thinker. Think Thinker promoted lead generation websites which can now be associated with our iClick Performance Websites. We also offered Organic SEO services, PPC Management and Budget – Custom web Development. If you haven’t noticed I am very passionate about the local ad space… I’ve been involved with SEO for going on 10 years as well as user experience, high performance CPA Websites and various other strategic marketing strategies that cost business owners less while driving greater ROI and performance. It’s fun to watch our clients succeed while we do.

Q: Who is your typical IMG consumer?
A: iClick Media Group has two types of customers. The first type of customer we cater to is what consists of roughly 70% of of our business. This customer is either a start-up or classified as a true small business. Most of these are mom & pop shop’s or general businesses who bring in less than 1 Million in revenue per year. Our second target customer are mid-size to large corporations. These are typically businesses who market either on a large local scale or national scope. Most of these businesses drive well in excess of 10 Million + per year, some of our clients are well into the $200/million + annual profits.

Q: Can we expect your company website to be completed anytime soon?
A: I know this sounds like mush but the only people who would know I’m shooting straight with you is our current clients and/or employees… we’re busy – in fact busier than we have ever been. That being said Yes – we hope to have our company websites live  no later than June 1.

Q: Is the gossip true? Are you going to be a Dad soon?
A: Thanks for asking – yes! I am thrilled to be a new Daddy! I am expecting a baby boy with my lovely wifey on May 5 (few days away…)

Q: The SEM Showdown seems bias – do you still own it?
A: The SEM Showdown is very bias but I am hoping by adapting new contributing writers it will become less bias. I still own a portion of the website but the majority of it is now owned by a local Denver search marketer who goes by Mike.

Q: How as Local Online Advertising for Dummies by Yodle?
A: Court Cunningham CEO of Yodle did a great job – what a fantastic book… I actually just finished it a few days ago. This book is a great read for any small business owner looking to educate themselves on the art and mythology behind local advertising. You can read a sample chapter here: http://www.yodledummiesbook.com

Dex One formally R.H Donnelley

Click, Click… Click, Click, Click… That’s the sound of your Dex One budget withering away to a bucketful of mostly useless clicks.

Face it – Google’s cluttered and with a demand much more significant then the supply, click rates are through the roof. PPC Advertising is expensive and here’s why…

The average website converts at 6%, and that’s on a good day. Let’s say you’ve decided you want to test out $1000 on a local Google AdWords campaign. Hypothetically speaking, the average cost-per-click for your typical service industry market is roughly $8 for decent positioning. If you were to manage the AdWords campaign you might get 125 clicks. If you outsource it it you can cut that number  in half…

Going back to the average website conversion rate… Of the 125 clicks you’ve  driven to your website, 7.5 of those  customers are likely to call you generating a generous $133 cost per lead (cpl) average. To some businesses, that might not be a big deal, but to small businesses with a lower point of sale – this would be outrageous, and it doesn’t even include the fees that Dex One would charge you…

I’ve tried pretty hard to like Dex One, but it’s hard.. I have not seen a product that is worth vesting time and money to and I cannot pitch a business who approaches small businesses on the fact  that they need, clicks.

Small businesses don’t need clicks – they need to know that their cost per lead or lead acquisition rate is far enough below their point of sale that they have a chance of making an ROI, even if it’s small.

My personal opinion is this: Dex One misleads small business owners. I’ve heard ads that claim they have some special relationships with major search engines, I’ve heard ads that preach to consumers the need for clicks when in fact they should be talking about how they can increase their bottom line by driving up their site conversions and down their lead acquisition rate – but they don’t.

Business owners are  smart and they are starting to realize, local internet advertising isn’t about clicks. It’s about driving the greatest number of locally targeted phone calls for the lowest cost available…

Believe it or not; there are some local online marketing companies who won’t sell you on clicks; they will sell you on value and the ability to convert traffic and drive up your ROI. Advertising is meant to make you money, not take it.

Don’t buy clicks, buy leads.

Until next time -

SHAKES

Neg Norton

It’s just a month into the New Year, and we’re already seeing major change sweeping our industry. We ended last year with the merger between YPA and ADM – a transformational step for us – and came back from the holidays with new announcements from member companies that promise to reshape our industry.

Recent headlines have been dominated by news that SuperMedia and Dex One have emerged from bankruptcy, signaling a fresh start and repositioning in the market. Across the board, many of our members are expressing renewed optimism about their clients’ desire to take advantage of our ability to put them squarely in the path of local leads – through our traditional products that deliver reliable performance as well as innovative new solutions that take advantage of digital/mobile technology and trends.

In the year ahead, I’m pleased to say that YPA will be launching new research that shows the continued strength of our products in comparison to other local search and advertising media. Calls for the end of the Yellow Pages industry certainly seem premature when you look at the facts. We continue to do best what we’ve always done best – help local businesses bring ready- to- buy customers in the door.

Of course, we cannot rest. The competition is stiffer than ever before. We must continue to look for creative ways to keep our clients’ messages where consumers are by continuing the transition to local media consultants with a suite of solutions customized for every business we touch. As we all know, success in our business comes from helping our clients win in the marketplace. I would encourage everyone to re-dedicate their efforts to give our existing and new clients a customer experience that is second to none.

With all this in mind, there’s no doubt that 2010 will be another exciting year – but not without its challenges. We will continue to watch legislation at both the state and municipal level that may affect our ability to deliver print products directly to the consumers who want to use them. It’s more important than ever that we demonstrate our commitment to responsible delivery and environmental sustainability in the communities we serve.

Sincerely,

Neg Norton, President, YPA

The print yellow page industry is dead only to those who have neglected to refine and adapt to consumer trends and needs. Consumers want information quickly which most yellow page directories have failed to provide.

Dex One among various other print media’s are a great example of Yellow Page’s trying to adapt, unfortunately their attempt to penetrate the local internet advertising arena which has proven to be an immense struggle.

The downfall to most print media providers is simple; most have old, outdated executives who are reluctant to  adapt to new market trends, most of which who’s entire careers we’re built around print publishing. These are the very same executives who think if they wait around long enough, print in its entirety will bounce back. These are the very same executives who would rather ‘sit it out’ and watch their company fail rather than adapt new changes; it seems that their for some reason, afraid of the internet revolution and adaptation of new trends.

Sean H
Follow me on Twitter: @ScottsdaleSEO