Today’s post is more of a how-to, designed to help you familiarize yourself with a neat Google tool that will guide you toward an answer to the question:  ”Knowing that I can rank better in search engines by writing about the things people are searching for, how do I find out what the heck they’re searching for?!”

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) experts put in full-time hours to conquer the intricate aspects of optimization for their clients, so while there is no definitive answer, there is Google Trends.  ”Trends” lets you search up to five terms at a time, and from there, it draws a line graph to compare how often those terms are searched by Google users.  It breaks the information down into which geographical areas are searching for those terms most, and it also points out a few online news headlines that were running during the specified period of time.

I’ll run through what Google Trends does and then explain how this can help you.

Search Query / Queries

Upon opening the Google Trends home page, you’ll still feel right at home with the Google logo atop a standard search box and some gibberish at the bottom of the page (the categories are self-explanatory).  Start by typing two search phrases into the box, keeping in mind what you think your potential customers are looking for.  I’m looking to first compare “web design” with “web development.”  Click “Search Trends.”

Settings / Filters

Before diving into the results, it’s important to look at the light blue bar stretching across the top.  My recommendation is to limit your search by region to “United States” and by time period to anything less than the pre-filled “All Years.”  I’m going with the past 12 months.  After the page reloads, a subregion field becomes available so you can also choose a specific state.  For instance, if you’re an architecture design firm that only operates within Arizona, then you’ll want to choose the subregion of Arizona.

Search Results: Line Graph

Note that you need to be signed into your Google account to view the numbers or to export the data.  The one thing to bear in mind when looking at the line graph is that it is relative, so all changes in the slopes of the lines are based on the average of the ‘baseline’ search query during the specified period of time  (I’ll explain).  The numbers on the graph represent the mathematical relativity, moreso than the actual number of searches.

So in my example, “web design” is my first term and is therefore the ‘baseline’ term, situated around the 1.00 mark; the results for “web development” will be relative to the results for “web design.”  I can now see that people have been statistically five times more likely to search “web design” than “web development” because the latter scored merely a .20, compared to the former’s score of 1.00.

This part will seem even more baffling, but remember that the entire graph is based on relativity.  Each line fluctuates according to changes from the average for the specified period of time.  In my example, to say that fewer people searched for “web design” in December 2009 than in January 2010 is not exactly what’s read from the graph.  Rather, December 2009 saw far fewer of these searches than was average for all of the past twelve months, and January 2010 saw a slight increase in the number of these searches for this time period.  I can still assume that more people were looking for web design in January than in December, but the actual drop/incline is relative to the year’s average.

Now I know that I can relax more during the holiday season because people won’t be looking for me (they’ll be looking for sales)

You can change which term becomes the ‘baseline’ using the drop-down under the graph.  By making “web development” the baseline, you can see more easily how relativity is working.  ”Web development” is now ranked 1.00, and “web design” is suddenly ranked 5.10 because “Trends” is still showing us that people have been five times more likely to search “web design” than “web development.”

Play around with the chart alone for now, trying out different words and phrases that relate to your business in a way that others’ may be thinking.  Ask the people around you:  ”If you were in the market for _________, what words or phrases would you be using to search online?”  You may be surprised at the names and comparisons people come up with in their searching, especially if you’re selling a service.  Another tip:  Use keywords that are problem-based, not solution-based.  People are going to jump online and tell Google about their problems because they don’t always know what solutions exist.  You want to come up in the search results as being the solution they need, no matter how they go about searching for you.

Bear this in mind as we now move on to part 2! You can also jump to part 3 for exporting your data.

Small Business Trends has an article by Kare Anderson that explains how to see your store through your customers’ eyes to improve sales.  It’s a fairly lengthy article, but it’s a good read, as it seems to be an all-inclusive list of things to think about when working with your employees to better serve your customers.

I’ve worked for two stores in my life: one national clothing retailer that makes millions in profit and one two-store, local supermarket that pulls in a fraction of what the other makes.  Guess which one maintains a strict plan that closely parallels Anderson’s plan for welcoming and handling customers?  This isn’t a trick question; indeed, the national chain follows Anderson’s points almost perfectly.

Realizing that this isn’t the ideal comparison, the focus of my article isn’t the comparison, but rather the customer service aspect of running a store of any kind.

While it may seem unnecessary or even silly to care about the smile or the phone greeting—or perhaps some of these tips seem too pushy—remember that the titans have already learned these simple tricks, and they’re better off for it.

Specifically, this national chain that I had worked for drilled into the brains of new employees the “HOOOT” method of engaging customers (and encouraging customers to buy more).

• H = Hello: Greet the customer with a smile, even if you’re folding t-shirts or talking with another customer.
• O = Observe: Pay attention to what the customer is wearing and carrying when s/he comes into the store, for two reasons.

1. Sales:  You might easily figure out what colors, styles, brands, activities or people interest the customer, allowing you to target your sales in a less pushy way.  You already know they’ll be interested!
2. Loss Prevention:  Pay attention to any bags or baggy garments, as well as how full the bags appear to be.  By the time the customer passes the registers to leave the store, make an effort to gauge any change in the fullness of bags or clothes.  Be aware that you’ll run into trouble with the law for false accusations of theft, but you may be able to strike up conversation before they leave as a last effort to check on the bags or clothes.

• O = Open the conversation: As the customer is browsing, feel free to engage them in friendly conversation to learn more about them and what they’re looking to buy.
• O = Open-ended questions: Ask open-ended questions to keep the conversation rolling and pay attention to the answers.  ”Yes-or-no” questions make it difficult for you to glean ideas on complementary items.
• T = Thank you: Whether the customer has bought anything or not, take the time to thank them, if just for stopping in.  It’ll be the last thing they remember about your store and may lead them to think of you when they’re looking to shop elsewhere.

A few other customer-friendly tips I had picked up from the retail store:

• Remember the 80/10/10 Rule:

  80% percent of customers will steal if given the chance, 10% will never steal, and 10% will always steal.  Eighty percent is a huge bracket, so don’t give them the reason or chance to steal!  Get them talking, laughing or (if you sell food items) eating.  They’ll like you too much.  Just being greeted by an employee triggers the sense that someone is watching, so a would-be thief may think twice.

• Talk to your coworkers when customers can be involved:

  There’s a strange sense of satisfaction that comes from being allowed into others’ conversations.  We would often start (purposefully loud) conversations about the items sold in the store or related music, movies and games.  Making eye contact with or even shifting the conversation’s attention to the customers makes the them feel at home.  Who knows – maybe they’ll be inclined to stick around and spend more money

The supermarket wasn’t struggling to stay open – they made their share of money – but since they never invested the time into fully preparing their employees for “coddling” customers, as Anderson puts it, they may never know just how much they could grow.  Likewise, it’s a topic you may want to visit.

Take some time to physically go through your store (too many managers are out-of-sight and only think they know what’s going on by what they see in security cameras) and pay attention to how employees are handling customers.  Most importantly, as one of the biggest complaints is lack of attention, notice whether your employees are giving your customers the attention they deserve!

In what ways is your store or company striving in making a difference to its customers?  What things have you noticed other companies doing wrong or doing right when it comes to customer focus?

Glance at this article from Entrepreneur.com by George Cloutier about why he thinks the ruthless dictator wins in the small business world. Raises your blood pressure, doesn’t it? It raises mine, but mostly in outrage, knowing that there are people out there who are, in my opinion, misled into this kind of extreme thinking.

I do agree with some of Cloutier’s points:

• - Your opinion, as the business owner, counts most and employees’ opinions should be welcomed (although Cloutier doesn’t necessarily say “welcomed”).
• - Plans should be executed as flawlessly as possible.
• - Employees should be rewarded based on performance and held accountable for what they do.
• - Employees should absolutely know that you’re there, in the trenches with them.

But notice that these are all points that fit in with the opposite line of thinking, as well: They all encourage teamwork and healthy respect.

Companies that “do it right” in making their employees a major part of their business—treating them well, respecting their ideas and taking the time to listen to them—are constantly doted upon in business publications as “the best places to work.”  Baltimore Magazine featured the “Best Places To Work 2010” and CNN Money wrote about the “100 Best Companies to Work for [2010].” With the likes of Johns Hopkins, McCormick, Google and DreamWorks presented on lists of companies that cater to their employees, why would Cloutier argue?

Indeed, there is no room in a company for a wishy-washy pseudo-leader, but with the right set of skills and personal traits, it isn’t difficult to find the right balance of no-nonsense and compassion toward your employees.

Fear does not equal respect. It may be a good motivator, but it isn’t always the best. We as people want to feel guided and led, but we will almost instinctively fight back if we feel threatened or overwhelmed.

The kicker is Cloutier’s suggestion to tell your employees to obey, not think. How many of today’s biggest companies (especially in technology) do you think would have survived if their employees weren’t allowed to think? You are one person. You simply cannot think of everything, but your employees can probably help. The wisest leader utilizes others’ ideas and transforms them collectively into “the next big thing.”

I do feel that Cloutier’s ‘tough love’ approach is necessary to an extent, but this article crosses a line. What do you think? If you’ve read it, what do you think of his book, Profits Aren’t Everything, They’re the Only Thing?

The laws surrounding unpaid internship may seem vague, but they’re actually so specific that it could almost feel intimidating. One part of this law to focus on is that “unpaid interns cannot do any work that contributes to a company’s operations,” according to business.gov. “This includes any tasks that help you run your business, like documenting inventory, filing papers, answering emails, etc.”

And the government doesn’t care if training is to the company’s detriment, either

A bakery, as depicted in the example provided by business.gov, can have an unpaid intern decorate a sheet of cookies that will not be sold. Yep, the government is very specific on this one. Moreover, many states allow for any employee—not just the intern—to bring attention to authorities if the company fails to abide by this law.

There are six parts to the law covering unpaid internships (#4 emphasized by me, as it’s the tricky one):

1. The training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to that which would be given in a vocational school;
2. The training is for the benefit of the trainee;
3. The trainees do not displace regular employees, but work under close observation;
4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainees, and on occasion the employer’s operations may actually be impeded;
5. The trainees are not necessarily entitled to a job at the completion of the training period; and
6. The employer and the trainee understand that the trainees are not entitled to wages for the time spent in training.

This isn’t to say that unpaid interns are worthless, but it does mean that you’re better off paying them. It’s still cheap labor, and it’s also a chance to check out potential employees.

Read the article from Entrepreneur, “Summer Interns: Are Small Businesses Flirting with Disaster?” as well as business.gov’s bit on unpaid internship laws.

Have you brought in an unpaid intern?  What were your experiences?  Were you completely informed about the laws surrounding the internship?

A few days ago, one of my favorite sources of small business information, BusinessWeek, posted a ‘quickie’ about the value of educating your customers.

It isn’t just telling people about your product or service – although that is one benefit that shouldn’t be underestimated – but rather, it’s teaching people about extra benefits or how to fend for themselves. Surely you’ve heard about “advertising the benefits, not the features?” Just as you’d be wise to tell people how your product makes their lives better or easier, so you’d also want to educate them on your industry or complements to your products and services.

Read into the third paragraph of the BusinessWeek article and get your creative juices flowing as you think of at least one thing you can teach your potential customers about. Bear in mind that you don’t need to teach them how to do exactly what you’re doing – this would just be silly. Instead, think about something similar to the examples offered; something that will either help them choose wisely (and be prepared for the possibility of them going elsewhere when they do make their decision – it happens) or something that will help them make the most of their investment in you.

This is precisely why I post to LymeLight’s blog about various aspects of small business. I wouldn’t necessarily explain every little part of how web design works, and frankly, most people would be frazzled or fall asleep with such technical talk.  Instead, I post broader tips to small business owners that enhance their marketing strategies, which of course include their websites.

And by teaching you about sharing such information, I’m making more educated clients for any web developer, as you now know that you want a blog to share your own interesting tips See how that works?

So what can you offer your potential clients to make them more educated consumers?