More than once this month my office has fielded phone calls from salespeople from some small marketing firms claiming they could get us on the front page of Google.
The first conversation I had with an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) saleswoman went like this:
Me: Thank you for calling the Marble Falls Massage Therapy Center. How may I help you today?
SEO Saleswoman: Yes. Would you like to be Google?
Me: ::pause:: excuse me? How would I like to BE Google?
SEO Saleswoman: yea you know... Google. We can get you on Google.
Me: I am confused. We are on Google for free. What exactly are you selling?
SEO Saleswoman: we can get you on Google's first page and a pin on the Google map (which is also free and you can do it yourself) for $XXX.00
Me: Where are you located?
SEO Saleswoman: Seattle.
Me: and how did you learn about our business?
SEO Saleswoman: I found you online.
Me: So we already rank pretty high on Google then?...
SEO Saleswoman: ::pause::
A large percentage of our new clients find us from searching for "massage in Marble Falls" or some variation. Our business name is Marble Falls Massage Therapy Center. We secured the URL www.MarbleFallsMassageTherapy.com . But, when we first opened that wasn't enough to get us on page one. We built up the website, added a Facebook page, and requested our pin on the Google map. We learned how SEO works .... by Googling it... and we attended a workshop hosted by Google in downtown Austin. After the hosting/domain name for the website and the gas to the workshop, everything else was free.
When linking back to your site was THE way to increase rank, we linked back to our website through our Facebook page, blog, and other people's blogs. Now that the emphasis is on fresh and relevant content, we've changed to adding new, content-rich subpages in our website in addition to our blogs. By staying on top of current trends we've managed to get an average of 6 spots on the google front page for "massage in marble falls"
I suppose there are business owners out there who still don't understand SEO, or websites for that matter, and for them the services offered by small marketing firms in Seattle are worth their weight in gold. But honestly, once you figure out the rules it's easy to play the game and coach your businesses own SEO with home field advantage.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Keep a Paper Trail
Our office computer finally bit the dust this morning after threatening to do so for weeks. Luckily, I had backed up our client management files to my phone yesterday so everything is still accessible ... just not conveniently accessible. Throughout this slightly frustrating day I have become more and more aware that maybe the old pencil and paper way of life ain't so bad after all. Just how dependent are we on our machines?
Online scheduling is great. Clients seem to love it. They can schedule anytime of the day or night. Our therapists love it. They can change their schedule at a moments notice. It's fantastic ... until one of your therapists get's locked out of her account some how and can't access the technology she's come to rely on and all hell breaks loose. Yea that happened earlier this week.
Our offline client management system is great for printing invoices, generating reports, and compiling pay sheets. But it is only accessible on one computer, backed up to my phone (but changes made in my phone don't automagically appear on the computer so it has it's limitations). Now that it is down for the count, today was pretty crazy.
So maybe the paper and pencil ain't so bad. No loading times. No viruses. Everything is right there in front of you. I am currently registering every. single. gift card ever purchased. ever. onto a paper log to back up the information on my phone because Murphy's Law says that's next to go.
What do you think? Paper the way to go? Or does the convenience of the computer outweigh the risk of losing data at the drop of a hat?
Online scheduling is great. Clients seem to love it. They can schedule anytime of the day or night. Our therapists love it. They can change their schedule at a moments notice. It's fantastic ... until one of your therapists get's locked out of her account some how and can't access the technology she's come to rely on and all hell breaks loose. Yea that happened earlier this week.
Our offline client management system is great for printing invoices, generating reports, and compiling pay sheets. But it is only accessible on one computer, backed up to my phone (but changes made in my phone don't automagically appear on the computer so it has it's limitations). Now that it is down for the count, today was pretty crazy.
So maybe the paper and pencil ain't so bad. No loading times. No viruses. Everything is right there in front of you. I am currently registering every. single. gift card ever purchased. ever. onto a paper log to back up the information on my phone because Murphy's Law says that's next to go.
What do you think? Paper the way to go? Or does the convenience of the computer outweigh the risk of losing data at the drop of a hat?
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Satisfaction Guaranteed!
We talked briefly about our Feeling Free Guarantee on last week's Tweet Chat, but I felt the need to go into a little more detail about what it is and why we offer it.
Last week's Tweet Chat was about introducing new clients to massage therapy. I think a lot of that introduction is about overcoming fears. And not the fear of being naked, or being touched, like we probably assume. But the fear of wasting money and time. They're thinking "Is this $40, $60, $100 WORTH it?" And they often choose to spend that same money on things they are more familiar with rather than trying something new, like massage.
So what this guarantee of service does is bulldoze this roadblock. Because now they know if at the end of the treatment, if they truly think it was a waste of their time, at least they aren't out any money! A reasonable person would assume that massage certainly wouldn't make them WORSE than what they feel coming in to an appointment so the most they have to lose is the money. With a firm guarantee in place, what do they have to lose? Why not give it a TRY. And that is the magical word. TRY massage. If you don't like it or it doesn't work for you, no biggie. What do they have to lose?
Our Feeling Free Guarantee is also a proactive measure in quality assurance. Our therapists understand that if a client is unhappy we do not collect payment and they do not get paid. So they give their best massage every time which improves their returns and referrals.
Another hidden benefit of the guarantee is it liberates the consumer to speak up when there is a real problem. Without a guarantee, clients may begrudgingly pay for services they did not like, quietly vow to never come back, and tell all of their friends how bad it was ... but they don't tell you-the business owner. And because you don't know, nothing changes and more and more unhappy clients walk out of the door. Gone forever.
In the rare event that a client actually redeems the guarantee and wishes to waive the service charges, the unhappy party must clearly define what went wrong. FEEDBACK! Glorious feedback! This information should be used to educate staff so that the problem does not spread. Expose weaknesses so that you can highlight strengths. And remind staff that they should not take complaints personally. Thick skin now makes thick wallets later.
Last week's Tweet Chat was about introducing new clients to massage therapy. I think a lot of that introduction is about overcoming fears. And not the fear of being naked, or being touched, like we probably assume. But the fear of wasting money and time. They're thinking "Is this $40, $60, $100 WORTH it?" And they often choose to spend that same money on things they are more familiar with rather than trying something new, like massage.
So what this guarantee of service does is bulldoze this roadblock. Because now they know if at the end of the treatment, if they truly think it was a waste of their time, at least they aren't out any money! A reasonable person would assume that massage certainly wouldn't make them WORSE than what they feel coming in to an appointment so the most they have to lose is the money. With a firm guarantee in place, what do they have to lose? Why not give it a TRY. And that is the magical word. TRY massage. If you don't like it or it doesn't work for you, no biggie. What do they have to lose?
Our Feeling Free Guarantee is also a proactive measure in quality assurance. Our therapists understand that if a client is unhappy we do not collect payment and they do not get paid. So they give their best massage every time which improves their returns and referrals.
Another hidden benefit of the guarantee is it liberates the consumer to speak up when there is a real problem. Without a guarantee, clients may begrudgingly pay for services they did not like, quietly vow to never come back, and tell all of their friends how bad it was ... but they don't tell you-the business owner. And because you don't know, nothing changes and more and more unhappy clients walk out of the door. Gone forever.
In the rare event that a client actually redeems the guarantee and wishes to waive the service charges, the unhappy party must clearly define what went wrong. FEEDBACK! Glorious feedback! This information should be used to educate staff so that the problem does not spread. Expose weaknesses so that you can highlight strengths. And remind staff that they should not take complaints personally. Thick skin now makes thick wallets later.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Quick Tips For Sanitation
Obviously, personal hygiene is paramount for Massage Therapists. You make sure your hands are clean, nails are trim, breath is free from offensive aromas like cigarette smoke and onions. But what about your treatment room? How clean is it really? Take an honest inventory of your company's sanitation practices and see if there is any room for improvement. The following suggestions don't take much time to add to your regular routine and they may even make life a little easier!
Quick Tip #1: Draping the Blanket
Everyone knows the sheets must be laundered in between clients, but what about the blanket you use on top of your sheet set? If you aren't careful, oil, sweat, and germs can accumulate on these covers and then be transferred from client to client. Here at the Marble Falls Massage Therapy Center, we encourage therapists to fold the sheets as follows to prevent cross-contamination:
When preparing the table, the head of the top sheet is folded over the blanket to protect the blanket from oil during neck and back work.
As we drape the arms and legs for treatment, we grab the top sheet and fold it over the blanket to create a clean workspace using the underside of the top sheet.
These draping techniques keep oil away from the blanket so that it can be reused for the rest of the day. Then we toss everything in the laundry bin at the end of the day.
Quick Tip #2: Towels for entry and exit
Use a clean wash cloth or paper towel to turn door handles in and out of the treatment room. No more oily door knobs! No more cross-contamination!
Quick Tip #3: Clean Your Oil Dispenser
Most of us were trained that we should never double dip out of a large container. For smaller bottles, wash/disinfect the outside of your oil container in between clients, especially the pumps.
Quick Tip #4: Think Like The Client
Walk through the client experience. What do they touch? Where do they sit when they are getting dressed? What do they see? To quickly and easily sanitize these areas, I like Lysol wipes. Any spray disinfectant should do the job. I just prefer the clean scent of Lysol and handiness of a wipes container under the foot of the massage table. It only takes about a minute to wipe down these surfaces.
Quick Tip #5: Don't Hide It!
Be proud of your commitment to your clients health and wellness! Keep a cleaning schedule posted on the back of the bathroom door for everyone to see and inspect.
Most clients will never know all of the hard work that goes into cleaning your office when they're not there. But cleanliness shouldn't be about what's easiest. It should be about what will create the cleanest, safest space for optimum relaxation. By making sanitation a priority you can set yourself apart from your peers, gain respect from the medical community, and improve the client experience.
Share your sanitation tips in the comment section.
Quick Tip #1: Draping the Blanket
Everyone knows the sheets must be laundered in between clients, but what about the blanket you use on top of your sheet set? If you aren't careful, oil, sweat, and germs can accumulate on these covers and then be transferred from client to client. Here at the Marble Falls Massage Therapy Center, we encourage therapists to fold the sheets as follows to prevent cross-contamination:
When preparing the table, the head of the top sheet is folded over the blanket to protect the blanket from oil during neck and back work.
As we drape the arms and legs for treatment, we grab the top sheet and fold it over the blanket to create a clean workspace using the underside of the top sheet.
These draping techniques keep oil away from the blanket so that it can be reused for the rest of the day. Then we toss everything in the laundry bin at the end of the day.
Quick Tip #2: Towels for entry and exit
Use a clean wash cloth or paper towel to turn door handles in and out of the treatment room. No more oily door knobs! No more cross-contamination!
Quick Tip #3: Clean Your Oil Dispenser
Most of us were trained that we should never double dip out of a large container. For smaller bottles, wash/disinfect the outside of your oil container in between clients, especially the pumps.
Quick Tip #4: Think Like The Client
Walk through the client experience. What do they touch? Where do they sit when they are getting dressed? What do they see? To quickly and easily sanitize these areas, I like Lysol wipes. Any spray disinfectant should do the job. I just prefer the clean scent of Lysol and handiness of a wipes container under the foot of the massage table. It only takes about a minute to wipe down these surfaces.
Quick Tip #5: Don't Hide It!
Be proud of your commitment to your clients health and wellness! Keep a cleaning schedule posted on the back of the bathroom door for everyone to see and inspect.
Most clients will never know all of the hard work that goes into cleaning your office when they're not there. But cleanliness shouldn't be about what's easiest. It should be about what will create the cleanest, safest space for optimum relaxation. By making sanitation a priority you can set yourself apart from your peers, gain respect from the medical community, and improve the client experience.
Share your sanitation tips in the comment section.
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