It seems recently that several social media sites have popped up attempting to defeat the king known as Facebook. Try as they might, these other sites have just not found the magic formula to dethrone the ruler. While it's important to maintain a presence on the other social networking sites, chances are you have more customers and followers on Facebook than any other site. Therefore, It's vital to make sure you're using all of the Facebook features to your advantage. As much as we bemoaned the Faceb...

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Facebook recently caused a stir when it unveiled new changes to its website. It seems most users aren't happy with the updates. In fact, a poll done by SodaHeads showed that approximately 86% of the people don’t like the new changes. But regardless of how you feel about Facebook’s latest updates, it’s important to understand what they are and their effects on social media marketing. Facebook Timeline One of the most criticized updates on Facebook’s new site is the timeline, which replaces the traditional profile page. In the past, Facebook wo...

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Tune into any conversation lately on SEO and you’ll hear experts argue about link building. Some argue it’s still a tried and true method to increasing SEO, while others will say search engine algorithms are becoming sophisticated enough to throw out pages laden with links, therefore you shouldn’t bother with it at all. It can be difficult to determine who is right in this fight, so better to be safe than sorry. While link building can be costly, in many cases there are things you can do implement this SEO strategy and not break the bank. The ...

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Many of our posts focus on the importance of having a social media presence and keeping up with the various sites. But it’s just as important to monitor and analyze how effective your marketing efforts are. For example, do you know how much traffic your site generates from Facebook or Twitter? If not, how do you know your social media marketing efforts are working? As we all know, Web analytics are truly the only way to know where your site traffic is coming from. But getting accurate accounts of how much traffic is directed to a site has...

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Each generation has their own traits, and with those traits come certain buying behaviors. Many studies have been done to identify these buying behaviors, and the results of the various surveys describe who these buyers are to marketers. Our parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents are traditionalists (born 1927-1945). They are the least marketed to and therefore the least likely to try a new brand or business. Our parents (or perhaps you) were born during the Baby Boom (1946-1964) and tend to be the most skeptical of all generation...

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One of the greatest benefits of social media is the ability for businesses, no matter how small, to participate in the global economy. It allows companies to reach customers worldwide without the concern of borders and geographic constraints. While it may be true that social media connects all of us regardless of our location, for businesses it may not be so easy. Recently, the Data Protection Commissioner’s Office in Germany ordered that all businesses in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein cease using Facebook fan pages as well as the “L...

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Visit any of the popular social media sites: Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and you will most certainly find large companies like Starbucks, IBM and Ford using these sites to their full potential and receiving accolades for it. Smaller companies? Survey says not so much. While small businesses make up more than half of the total market, a recent survey shows that most small and medium businesses (SMBs) are not using social media tools to their full potential, if at all. A survey was done by Zoomerang Online Surveys ...

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In case you haven't noticed, there's a new kid on the social networking block…well, sort of. While Google Buzz and Google Wave failed to make any buzz or waves, so far Google+ has received rave reviews. How Google+ is Different Many are already comparing Google+ to Facebook, which makes sense seeing as though Facebook has been the longtime front runner in social networking. However, those who have had a chance to explore Google+ have found the features to be a cut above Facebook. Here are some of those ...

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Being popular used to get you a date to the prom. Now it gets you sales. According to SEOMoz 2011 Ranking Factors Guide, search engines are weighing social media components more heavily than ever. The guide shows opinions collected from search marketers over a six-year span. And, just as in high school, their research shows that it’s not enough just to show up and have a social media presence. You have to be liked and shared as well. (You really never do leave high school, do you?) The Guide claims that Facebook is the top generator of relate...

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We're all told that once a year we should have a checkup--take time to see a doctor to make sure our blood's okay, discuss any problems and get a rundown on what we need to improve. Inevitably, we'll walk away either happy we went or sorry we went. But whether the news is good or bad, it's still important to do it. Even bad news can save a life. A routine checkup can also save your business--just Google your site. Does it show up? If it does, you're doing well. If it doesn't, it may be time to consult a specialist. While the causes for this un...

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If you're an avid reader, you probably didn’t mind those summer reading assignments back in the day. You may have been one of those few people who had all of your required reading assignments done by the fourth of July. But if you’re like the rest of us slackers, you may have rented the movie, gotten the Cliff Notes or skipped the assignment altogether in favor of a rockin' party. The bottom line is this: Right or wrong, watching a video or reading a synopsis is faster, and in most cases easier, than reading page after page about it. We can f...

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With the economy crisis hopefully behind us soon, we have all learned the value of money. Businesses, in particular, have seen how fast money can slip away from their hands and how quickly they have to adjust. Many business owners have found that in order to survive and thrive in this economic landscape, you must find a way to stay lean. Cost-effective software options, like SaaS, can reduce IT expenses tremendously. In the last blog we got an overview of what software as a service (SaaS) is and why you should invest. While investing in SaaS is...

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Perhaps you've heard the term software as a service (SaaS). Or perhaps you use it and don't know its formal name. Regardless, over time software as a service has become more popular. And rightfully so. SaaS, aka on-demand software, allows businesses and users Internet access to tools and applications. Think of SaaS as a software distributor. A vendor or service provider hosts the applications, which are then accessed by the end-user (business or customer) through the Net. The use of SaaS has become more and more popular with businesses. Many e...

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Every business owner is concerned the bottom line. No matter how passionate you may be about the product or service you are promoting, at the end of the day it's about making money. One of the key components business owners turn to when trying to increase revenue is sales and marketing. People in the business world spend money going to seminars and sales training trying to learn the best strategies and tactics to keep the money machine running, but will that work? Perhaps. Yes, sales and marketing are important. However selling on the Internet...

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Tiers, like keywords, have an effect on your SEO. But it's not as complicated as you think!

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Remember Chandler Bing’s job? Yep. The Friends friend was a data processor. And remember that no one—including himself—could accurately describe what he did on a daily basis? Well… In the digital age data processing—whatever that was—may have faded into distant memory, but the need to store data for future use is still very much alive. We now “warehouse” data to provide us with “business intelligence” with which we can make strategical business decisions based on our business history. (Anyone detecting a pattern here?) Which just goes to prove...

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Attracting customers to your website is a lot like sitting in a bar trying to find a mate. You have a basic idea of who you’re looking for, but it’s hit or miss. And if it’s a Saturday night in the big city, that competition is fierce. Think of the Web as Saturday night at New York’s Tribecca Grand after a world premiere. So you have to have a plan. A roadmap. Analytics provide that. As grisly as analytics are, it’s not just about hits and traffic anymore. As the Web grows, so does the competition. And analytics are the best way to stay ahead ...

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What’s in a (Domain) Name? Frugally Blonde. The Onion. Both are great sites. But one is properly named. The other, not so much. Domain names are big business. The right name can drive traffic—and thus customers—to your site in droves. That’s why domain sites are making so much money buying, selling and trading names. Now that so much commerce is online, your URL is your brand. So how to choose that domain? Most experts agree on the following three guidelines:   Research keywords that are germane to your business to help search...

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 Working with a Web professional is a collaborative dance. You have steps you bring to the dance, and so does the professional you hire. If it’s the right fit, you’ll create a dynamic site that moves people to call, email and eventually buy. 

The trick is to find the right partner.

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Machus' "YOU Inc." is all about a presentation. This social generation, is all about us, YOU. So when you talk, your talking about ME. So why not have a website that says so. We invite creative people such as yourself to send your .ME domain ideas to us. It's new. What better way to get ahead of the curve on a brand new domain extension?! Be the first to own your name. "James.ME". Use it as a call to action, "Message.ME". Or social community, "TheWorldof.ME" Contact us and find out how YOU can get.ME.

I'd like to take this time to say Season Greetings, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to my guys here at Machus Corp. Thanks for all your hard work this year! Without you none of this is possible. I know at times, it's been about the deadlines, but I felt it was important to take this time out and tell ya'll, we appreciate you and look forward to 2010 with growth and opportunity in sight. We will continue to grow in knowledge, maturity, and number. This year we: Completed Phase 1 of a 3 year project (Pinnacle SeamLESS) ...

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