BendTech

This is a repost of this G5 article

By Dara Christoff, Marketing Analyst, G5 Search Marketing

There’s never a dull moment for a G5 Marketing Analyst. As the single point of contact (commonly known as an account manager) for clients, a Marketing Analyst spends the day interacting with clients and working with other internal G5 teams. Also known as the Eternal Sunshine team because of our positive attitudes and fun spirits, the Marketing Analyst team tempers professionalism with a dash of mischief.

What does it take to be a G5 Marketing Analyst? Impeccable multi-tasking skills, perpetual optimism, an encouraging spirit, and the willingness to do whatever it takes to make sure clients are happy. Oh, a love for candy is a plus, too.

When G5 launches a website for a new client, the Marketing Analyst anxiously stands in the wings awaiting the opportunity to train that client on what G5 does – drive, engage, track, measure, and optimize. We also take the time to train clients on website functionality and the G5 Client Center reporting and content management capabilities.

After the initial training, G5 Marketing Analysts remain in close contact with clients. Our role is to help clients understand the performance of their websites, online marketing, and new website functionality opportunities, as well as to communicate new developments in the search, social and mobile worlds.

G5 Marketing Analysts are available to assist their clients as soon as an e-mail hits the inbox or the phone starts ringing. They spend time analyzing performance, troubleshooting and advising clients on the best course of action to take in any given situation. They send monthly emails regarding reports and pertinent G5 Client Center or search engine updates, and hold quarterly online marketing performance calls with clients to share what G5 and the client were able to accomplish together. In addition, we also attend annual trade shows and conferences where we have the opportunity to meet valued clients face to face.

Behind every good Marketing Analyst is the G5 team: experts who offer support and knowledge to ensure that the company is a one-stop shop for client needs. The Marketing Analyst team fields questions from clients and relies heavily on the assistance of other G5 teams – including Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC), Support, Professional Services and Engineering. Whether a client has questions about website performance metrics, lead reporting, Pay Per Click, how to make updates to their website, search engine rankings, optimization, online directories, call tracking, and everything in between – the Marketing Analyst works closely with other G5 teams to make sure we’re meeting our clients’ expectations.

Marketing Analysts fully embrace the G5 Core Value “Work Hard. Play Hard. Live Life.” and take their fun as seriously as their work. Be it playing on the G5 softball team, competing in Bend’s annual Pole, Pedal, Paddle race, or participating in the annual Gopher Broke Golf Scramble charity, a Marketing Analyst can be found enjoying the competitive and fun camaraderie of other G5 employees. To top it all off, the Marketing Analyst team seeks out fun ways to play throughout the year, such as customizing Mardi Gras masks featuring the G5 executive team with sparkly gems and jewel-toned feathers, throwing a Kentucky Derby party complete with exotic hats, or getting together for a 4th of July barbeque with family and friends.

The G5 Marketing Analysts are the faces, the voices and the very hearts of the G5 team.

This is a repost of this G5 article

By Nancy Hall, VP of Client Services, G5 Search Marketing

We love it when this happens.

The other day, we got an email from a client who told us about a new resident. His daughter wanted to learn about a local senior community, and went to the Internet to find its contact information. When she did a search for senior housing in her city, our client’s senior community came up in the search results as well. The daughter (a professional Web developer) was so impressed with our client’s website, she decided to come in for a tour of their community. Not surprisingly, the daughter loved our client’s community and is excited to have found a wonderful place for her dad.

The lesson here is simple: Your Website Matters.

When people are searching for a business in their geographic area and they run across a website that is uninviting, hard to navigate and/or lacking basic information, they move on. You may never get another opportunity to engage and sell that client. We have all heard about usability. But what does that really mean for Senior Housing websites?

The design and layout of your site is critical. A bad first impression can easily cause someone to move on without really seeing what you have to offer. The design needs to convey who you are and what you want people to feel about your community. Does it speak to the type of resident you are looking for? Does it match your demographics?

We have one client with communities in small southern towns. Their site conveys a very homey, warm and welcoming feeling. It looks like the lives of its target residents.

We have another client with locations in Southern California, such as Beverly Hills. Their site exudes sophistication, luxury and a spa-like feeling, directly speaking to their target audience.

Once a potential resident is captured by your design, the layout of your website is what keeps the user engaged. Your website must contain relevant information that is organized and easy to find. Levels of care, amenities, services and other relevant information should be organized in a logical manner. The content must be well written and informative, adding to the overall impression of a successful, inviting community. Your website should also include font size options, sample menus, a calendar of events and photos. Lots of photos. Good quality professional photography that captures the beauty, warmth and essence of your community is essential to your potential residents and their families.

Finally, your website must contain clear directives and calls to action. During the process of designing and developing a website, keep in mind your objective: to have potential residents find your community, contact you and schedule a tour. Never make someone search for your phone number. Many, many websites miss this critical step. They are well designed and engaging, but when it’s decision time, the contact information is nowhere to be found. Give your potential residents a variety of options for contacting you, including a phone number and email address, with the invitation to schedule a tour or request a brochure.

So take a fresh look at your website. A few small changes can make a difference in its effectiveness and, with the right changes, positively affect your occupancy.

This is a repost of this G5 article

We don’t get to toot our horn as often as we’d like but today, G5 has some great news we’re happy to share with the world.

Outside Magazine has named us to their 50 Best Places to Work in America list.

Why? We would say why not.

The company goes out of its way to make sure we play as hard as we work. Examples include shortened work hours on Fridays during the summer months, paid participation in various athletic events, flex time for powder ski days, work hours devoted to volunteer time for charitable organizations and company-supplemented gym memberships.

When we say we work hard and play hard together, we mean it.

These are just a few of the many reasons G5 is known for it’s work/life balance.

Our CEO Dan Hobin said it best: “Our employees are committed to delivering the best software platform and services in the marketplace. But they’re also committed to passions outside the company – family, friends, outdoor activities, the community and environmental causes.”

And team members agree.

“Flexibility and respect for family and lifestyle played a strong role in my decision to join the G5 team,” said Aaron Warnock, Director of Product Mangement. “G5 is a company that wow-ed me with their unique local businesses marketing platform and then won me with corporate values that highlight life-work balance.”

A debt of gratitude is also due to our partner in playing: beautiful Bend, Oregon – where we all live, and work.

This is such a great spot that another company here in town, Ruffwear, is also on the list. Congratulations Ruffwear!

This is a repost of this G5 article

By Dave Beltramini, Director of Paid Advertising, G5 Search Marketing

Paid Advertising on the major search engines can be a significant driver of leads to your website. However, identifying the best way to spend money in that world is more confusing and arduous than you might imagine.

Prior to 2005, Google was a straightforward process. You bid a certain dollar amount and, if you were the highest bidder, you paid one cent more than the next highest bidder. But Google’s Ad Rank calculation changed that process.

Now knowing what you will pay for a click is not that simple.

What you are willing to bid has only an indirect role on your cost. The more important factors in determining cost are quality score and the aggressiveness and performance of your competition. These will influence your CPC far more than the maximum you are willing to spend.

To determine your CPC, Google uses a two-step process. (Yahoo and Bing do not disclose how CPC is calculated). Read the rest of this entry »

This is a repost of this G5 article

By Jody O’Donnell, SEO Manager, G5 Search Marketing

Members of G5’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) department, affectionately known as “10 SERP Plaza,” are often asked: Which directories are the best for me to sign up for?

We consider ourselves the best people to answer this question as our entire department assumes that every inquiry should end “with regards to my SEO?”

And we answer it, at least initially, with a question of our own: Which are the best directory targets for the Senior Housing market? Read the rest of this entry »

This is a repost of this G5 article

By Sarah Douglas, Search Engine Optimizer

In a typical day, the G5 Search Engine Optimizer Team saves the world three to four times. Okay, realistically we’re only saving our clients’ worlds. But what could be more important? For the record, it turns out that saving the world allows having a little fun too. It does not require a cape, and the tights are optional, too.

If you were to ask the average person what SEO is, you’d probably get a blank stare. If you ask someone that familiar with Internet Marketing, they could at least tell you SEO is search engine optimization, and that search optimizers do “important stuff” online. But we do oh-so-much-more than that. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a repost of this G5 article

By Amy Foster Trenz, VP of Marketing

As I review my notes from last week’s NAA 2010 Student Housing Conference in Vegas, two quotes continue to resonate.

Both quotes are attributed to Lisa Trosien, president of ApartmentExpert.com. And both quotes are in regards to social media.

#1: “Social media can’t succeed without a genuine focus on your customers.”

Key words here: genuine and customers. Be real and focus on them – not you.

#2: “Make it go away or use it.”

If you’re not actively updating your page(s) and/or postings, take the page down. In the social sphere, a “most recent posting date” of 2008 translates into social suicide.

Next up: Will share some news nuggets from NIC (National Investment Center) Western Regional Symposium, San Diego, 3/9 to 3/11.

This is a repost of this G5 article

Why They Matter, Why They’re Worth Your Time and How to Create Them

By Devin Davis, Director of Marketing, G5 Search Marketing

Let’s start at the beginning. What are Google Local Business Listings?

Google describes it as a way to customize business listings on Google and Google Maps. These listings differ from organic or pay-per-click listings as they typically only show up when the user types a service oriented business followed by the city for their search.

Example: Assisted Living, Dallas.

What then appears is a large map from Google Maps which includes up to 10 URLs with phone numbers by each. If more than 10 listings are needed, the user can click in “More Results from Dallas” and be taken to a map with an alphabetical listing of each registered Assisted Living service on Google Maps.

Why They Matter

Local online search is huge. According to Search Engine Land 2009 data:

• 14 billion queries were posted per month on major search engines
• 20-40% of those search queries had “local intent”
• That’s 300-600 million local search queries per month on search engines – and that doesn’t include Maps

Numbers aside, Google Local Listings matter because
1) Searching for Senior Housing is usually tied to a specific geographic location
2) They are displayed more often in search with up to 7 listings before organic listings even start Read the rest of this entry »

This is a repost of this G5 article

This blog is also posted in Long Term Living Magazine.

By Nancy Hall, VP of Client Services

It’s hard to miss all the talk about Baby Boomers and Seniors flocking to Social Media Networking sites, especially Facebook. My relatives are part of that growing pack; no fewer than 5 of my relatives over the age of 70 have “friended” me on Facebook.

According to Deloitte data, 2009 was the year that social media bloomed for Baby Boomers; this age demographic was the fastest growing among Facebook users, with women 55+ leading the way (+175%) and men 55+ trailing just behind (+138%). Read the rest of this entry »