Look Who's Marketing Now!

First off, this is not a rant. I love what I do, and what I do is website development. The creativity and detail of my job make me happy, and I'm happy to help my clients.

But I've got to talk to more clients about their commitment to the internet.

Some think that once they've got a website their troubles are over. The website does all the work, the great Google god shines his blessing, and customers flock to them by the thousands.

But here's the reality: Your website just doesn't do everything automatically. You have to be paying attention and do some things that help your web presence grow.

As a developer, it's my responsibility to go through the Search Engine Optimization process with you by researching keywords, optimizing the meta tags, submitting to search engines, consulting with you on the best online directories for your business, and other technical stuff.

You, on the other hand, should be using social media like Twitter, Facebook, and any others that you have time for, to make your business shine. Sign up with business-related directories so that you can log on when you like, making changes when needed to be sure that everything is accurate.

Write a blog.

Your developer may be great at designing and SEO, but you're the one who sees your business day in and day out. Blogging about interesting customers, strange requests, a new sales tactic you tried, or even a troublesome problem you've come across can be a really good marketing tact.

Here's an example: A good friend and client who owns a bed and breakfast bragged a bit about the quality of the breakfast he served. When I checked his reviews on TripAdvisor, sure enough people were praising his food as some of the very best they'd ever had at a B&B. Now that's bragging rights! How much more could he have gained by blogging about it and linking right back to his site so folks could make reservations and taste for themselves?

It doesn't have to be bragging, it just has to be interesting enough for people to want to click the link. Another visitor and potential customer added.

And my web developing skills had nothing to do with it.

He could have done the same on Twitter or Facebook, having his followers and friends see what great hospitality he offers with just a few sentences.

My point is, a website by itself just isn't enough. It's an extremely important tool that offers information, pictures, and a sales pitch, but you are the one who makes your business shine.

If your business is important enough to have a website, then it's certainly important enough to spend a few minutes a day or a few times a week making it shine.

And if you'd like some help learning how to do that, call me and I'll offer my fabulous consulting services for a nominal fee.

What, you thought I'd do that for free? Silly earthling.

By the way, if you want to know who makes the fabulous breakfast, email travel@natchezms.com and I'll tell you.

Now for the cheap plug.

Go immediately to www.natchezms.com, see what a great getaway a visit to Natchez, MS would be, and tell the folks you make reservations with who sent you.

Ghosts in Natchez? Plenty and How!

Do you believe in ghosts? Soon it will be the season for them whether you believe or not, what with Halloween and all, and Natchez certainly has its share.
For instance, there's an article about the ghosts of Historic Jefferson College in the local paper today. It seems they're inviting "ghost hunters" to bring their paranormal-seeking equipment to look for evidence of the spirits seen and heard in the buildings and on the grounds around the old school. Here's a link to the article: http://tinyurl.com/ljubbh. I've seen the photo of the 9-year old boy and it's pretty convincing.
Natchez has a lot of antebellum homes (for you yankees, that's homes built before the Civil War) and you can bet nearly every one has a few stories about the doors shutting when no one's around, ghostly figures walking the halls, and other fairly domestic stuff. Haller Nutt is seen wandering the gardens of Longwood and his wife, Julia, climbs the unfinished stairs. The man with the top hat floats through the guest rooms of Linden, and Madeline plays tricks on the guests of King's Tavern. It's said that the woman was murdered and bricked into an old fireplace. They found her skeleton and the bones of two men. We don't know who the guys were, but you can bet there's lots of speculation about how they died. Ooh scary, very scary.
Walt Grayson of "Mississippi Roads" made a video of the walking ghost tour that existed a few years ago, but only caught a few globes of light on film.
Now the ghost tour is aboard a bus, with some stops along the way to see if you can scare up a spirit or two.
Ghost Tales Around the Campfire takes place at Jefferson College the 29th of October. Bring your blanket and/or lawn chair and sit around the bonfire while story-tellers try to scare the bejeesus out of you. Now that's fun, especially if you're the scarer not the scaree.
Intentionally made un-scary, is Angels on the Bluff. This event, held at the City Cemetery the first weekend of November, has local actors portraying the folks who reside in the graves. We've got Revolutionary War soldiers, Confederate generals, gypsies, artists, and every other kind of interesting folk, all with their own stories to tell. See more here: http://tinyurl.com/mguy7y.
So if you're a ghost hunter or just a curious visitor with a hankering to meet someone from the great beyond, come on down. Whether you see spirits or not, you're bound to have some fun trying. Visit www.natchezms.com to see lists of the hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, attractions, and lots more!