Month: November 2015

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Google Shopping and Regular Google AdWords

Google Partner Badge
McCord Web Services is a Google Partner.

If you have an online store, you’ll want to be using Google AdWords Google Shopping ads because Google shows pictures of your products mixed in with the organic search results. Does that mean if you are using Google Shopping you should not be using regular AdWords – no absolutely not!

For best performance you should use Google AdWords Shopping Ads PLUS regular Google AdWords.

Here’s why:

  1. Google Shopping ads will show for very specific search queries and in some instances, but not as frequently as you might wish, on related search queries.
  2. What if an end user does not know the brand or model number of your products? A regular Google AdWords PPC program, with remarketing, and even a dynamic search ad program will complete online coverage for you. This gives you the best of all worlds and allows for greatest ad visibility.
  3. Cost per click (keyword targeted AdWords) may actually cost less than costs in Google Shopping. If you see your cost per click continuing to escalate in Google Shopping try adding a keyword specific campaign to your advertising mix to expand cost effective opportunities and ramp back your cost per click settings in Google Shopping.
  4. Even if you don’t want to move into regular AdWords pay per click advertising on keywords, make sure you are at the minimum using remarketing and dynamic search ads in conjunction with your Google Shopping program. This will give you greater market penetration.
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Does Dependence on Technology Making Us Brainless and Unintelligent? Part Two

Continued from Wednesday…

  • “Excuse me; I’m having a senior moment.” Make that a millennial moment. Millennials are more likely to forget what day it is or where their keys are than seniors, and tech is a main culprit.
  • “Huh?” Hypertext links, ads, photos, and videos make information gleaned on tech far more difficult to absorb than from books. Poor concentration? Opt for paper – not plastic.
  • “Are you dressed for a Walking Dead convention, or do you need some sleep?” Tech messes up your sleep cycle courtesy of blue-enriched screen illuminations which suppress melatonin, a key hormone in regulating your internal clock. Lack of sleep then further rots your brain – as above.
  • “My inner compass is broken.” Relying on GPS reduces special memory, taking a toll on the hippocampus that can cause memory problems later in life.
  • “Hello, I’m (YOUR NAME), and I’m a tech-aholic.” Tech addiction causes changes in the brain that mimics drug and alcohol dependence – abnormal brain development that cripples regions involved in attention, decision-making, and emotion.

Do you fear that technology may be making you unintelligent? Embrace your inner Einstein and use tech wisely with help of McCord Web Services!

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Does Dependence on Technology Making Us Brainless and Unintelligent? Part One

Look a Squirrel!
Look a Squirrel!

Mobile devices, social media, and streaming are all the rage. But what effect does all that tech really have on your brain?

This is Your Brain on Tech:

  • “Look! A squirrel!” Tech is a distraction. Take yourself for example… You’re on tech – probably logged on to check the weather – then noticed you had some new emails… Which reminded you of your Facebook friend whose car was stolen… And now you’re reading GPS trivia about how tech melts your brain. Think you’re multi-tasking? Nope. You’re just doing all 10 activities poorly.
  • “Has anyone seen my post-its?” Tech butts into what you’re doing, diverting working memory before it is transferred into long-term memory and stored. It also overloads your working memory, causing you to lose some of the “old stuff” as your continued Googling dumps yet more information into your brain.

“I’m not lazy; I’d just prefer to Google it.” People used to retain vast amounts of knowledge, which they could pull-up and recite on demand. Today’s tech, however, has limited this drive, which is instead outsourced to tech to handle.

Come back and visit us on Wednesday for the rest of this article.

 

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Astria Fireplaces and Innovative Hearth Products Redeemed

Nancy McCord
Nancy McCord – has had her family’s Christmas stolen by Astria Fireplaces

In my ongoing review of Astria Fireplaces made by Innovative Hearth Products this week, I wanted to post an update.

Here is the note I sent yesterday to staff at Astria Fireplaces:

“The bank has just informed us they will not move our construction loan to a regular loan until the house is 100% complete. This is now a very big issue for us. My husband and I have still not heard anything from the district manager. We must move forward with something. We are living in a temporary apartment and want to be moved in to our new home! I am going to the Fireplace store today (Glover – who bought these two items from Astria) to start looking for alternatives, all of which now really puts us in a bind to find an alternative and get shipping at the last minute.”
“Needless to say, I am very unhappy. Communication is key to resolving problems and all it would have taken would be to say “yes these are really and truly going into production and you will have them on xx date” or “no, we are going to have a delay again and we expect them really to be out of production in xx date in 2016″. How hard can that be to be truthful?”
“To not be able to close on our new custom home over two fireplaces that have been on order since 8/26/15 is just unthinkable. I know that our 2 fireplace order may be small based on your overall business – but clearly this is a case in point of vey poor customer service that should be reviewed by management. How can dealers sell your products and how can consumers buy them when they are hostages to a lack of information and truthfulness?”
“I would very much appreciate your regional sales manager’s or US sales manager’s email so that I can plead my case for information.”
Shortly after sending that note I finally got a phone call from the Astria Fireplace District Manager and it was a good thing as it appears that Astria had pulled the product we have ordered to retool it. But they had not communicated this to customers or dealers. We are getting one of the first fireplaces put into production after product changes to improve the natural beauty of the flames, installation improvements, and improved serviceability.
The lesson learned is that communication is key! Fires can be put out quickly and easily with just a little personal touch whether it is a phone call, email, or quick Facebook response.
Remember when it’s online, the world is watching the exchange – make it work for you!