Adobe announced July 1 it is working with the search industry to improve search results of dynamic web content and rich Internet applications. Up until now, search engines were not able to effectively view, decipher and index Flash-based sites.

Adobe has created a special Flash player, currently distributed to Yahoo and Google, which allows the search engines to crawl through Flash content and gather any text or hyperlinks within the rich content.

This is great news for businesses with Flash-based sites, which hindered their online presence.

Google has already begun indexing Flash sites, and Yahoo plans to release the technology in a future update. Adobe also plans to roll out the technology to other search engines.

We just released How to approach customer service 2.0, an article that has two social media experts discussing the “social revolution” and its impact on businesses and their brands.

To demonstrate the power of the social sites, I noted a blog post about terrible service that was delivered by Rogers Communications. Thousands have read the post and, despite many comments from other customers sharing their displeasures with Rogers, the phone company has yet to respond. That silence damages their brand.

Ironically, just yesterday, an Accounts Receivable rep from Rogers’ frontline stepped forward to personally apologize. Here’s what he wrote:
 
“NOT ALL REPS CAN’T DO THEIR JOB.. i’ve had many excellent reps speak with me on the phone   and as an Accounts Recievable representative in Rogers myself i really do understand the issues all of you go through.  believe me i see it first hand every day!!!    Some reps in customer service definatly do not do their jobs and i do appologize for that..  Unfortunatlly is no expliation for any of the situations that you all have been through with rogers employees ..   as a AR rep myself i really do try to help everyone out as much as i can    and i know it is very confusing and VERY irritating to be transfered from place to place  but that is just the way the system works   there is nothing we can do as Rogers AR employees to make any difference in these issues (WE CAN ONLY MAKE PAYMENT ARRANGMENTS AND SO ON) but i know i will try in the best of my abilities to find a solution to who ever i speak too!    i wish i was in Customer Service because i would be able to do a lot more for everyone i speak too and follow through with what i say .. but like i said thats just how the system works ..  PS.. I did advise my manager(s) of the issue   But, like i advised you when i spoke with you there was nothing in AR that i or my managers could do…  if i could’ve done something i would have   believe me i would have   and i’m very sorry for all of the issues that you and all of the other Rogers Customers have endured!        thanks for reading and once again i am very sorry! :)”

I appreciate the employee’s compassion and desire to reach out. He obviously cares. Sadly, he and many other employees (not to mention the customers) are trapped by a flawed system.

Rogers should listen to its employees and customers and rectify the issues at hand, or any growth they enjoy will eventually be surpassed by disgruntled customers dropping like flies.

In fact, Rogers’ executive team should take the advice of social media guru Kris Krug: “Since the Web is where people find you, it’s in your best interest to monitor and influence what shows up there.”

How do I find the right web writer for my business? That’s a common question by business owners at forums and seminars.

The answer is quite simple: on the Web.

A web writer who knows how to write for search engines will be visible on the Web. And if he can promote himself online, he’ll be able to promote you (be it in Toronto, New York, London or globally, if desired)

But your web writer also needs to be well versed writing for another audience: people. Getting prospects to your site is one challenge; converting them into customers is another. So ensure the web writer delivers clear, concise and objective web writing that is customer centric.

If the web writer you’re considering for your business produces flowery passages with loads of clichés, he or she might be talented, but likely not the right candidate for your business website. That’s because Internet users researching products or services want to get relevant information and tasks completed as fast as possible. Meanwhile, cute and clever web writing just gets in the way.

If you’re concerned about your web writer’s knowledge surrounding your product or service offerings, or industry at large, take comfort in the fact that professional writers are usually skilled researchers. So whether you need to cover health, HR or home design, a professional web writer will be able to help you define and convey why you’re the right choice, and do so in a persuasive manner.

Plus, involving a third-party provides you an objective view on your business. You know your business like no one else. But a fresh perspective can uncover some powerful factors that differentiate your from your competitors.

Spend an hour on your search engine of choice, and chances are you’ll find a web writer who can help maximize your online traffic, leads and sales.

Showing consumers respect turns browsers into buyers. Yet, when consumers reach out, their inquiries often seem to fall on deaf ears.

In the digital age, a prompt response is anticipated – always. And when it’s not delivered, it can easily kill the sale.

Fortunately, marketing firms are providing a host of innovative solutions to assist businesses with customer acquisition cycles on and off the Internet.

Read entire online marketing article.

During a meeting to discuss an upcoming project, a marketing director from a U.S. firm suggested the client would be better served investing more on print materials, including print ads and direct ad mails, versus search engine ads and search engine optimization (SEO).

While print ads and direct mail have their place in the marketing realm, Webcopyplus strongly suggested the client stay the course and focus mainly on SEO.

The client, who is introducing a new type of data storage component for computers, is targeting a broad market – virtually anyone who uses a computer.

Even if you gain access to a direct mail list of individuals who recently purchased computer products, there’s no accurate way of forecasting current or future purchases.

Meanwhile, SEO allows you to target your audience when consumers are at their peak point of interest.

That’s when they are most likely to make a purchase, which translates to high conversion rates, and your best return on investment.

The competition is intense, but Google still dominates the search engine market, drawing far more search users, requests and ad revenues than all its rivals put together, reported eMarketer.

The New York-based research firm estimates that Google raked in 75 per cent of US paid search advertising in 2007, up from 60 per cent in 2006. Number two, Yahoo, collected a mere nine per cent share, while all others divided 16 per cent of the leftovers.

But with over $8.6 billion going to search engine advertising in 2007, that 16 per cent stake still equals nearly $1.4 billion, noted eMakreter. And with search spending expected to nearly double to almost $16.6 billion in 2011, even a small piece of the pie represents serious revenue.

Your web content creates reality. Each word you use directly impacts how your online visitors perceive your business.

Do online visitors:

See value in your product or service?
Trust your business?
Invest in your offerings?

Get 18 tips to help you create the right reality on the Web.

Have you ventured ‘outside the box’ today? Check out an “ideas studio” that essentially makes it a policy, plus get advice from marketing connoisseur Seth Godin and a brilliant brainstorming tool to boot.

Read Breaking barriers on the Web.

Google, whose $13 billion in revenue mainly comes from clicks on ads, plays down click fraud.

Meanwhile, the rate of fraudulent clicks was 15.8 per cent in the second quarter of 2007, up one per cent from three months earlier. Plus, Click Forensics estimates that more than 25 per cent of all clicks were fraudulent, up from about 22 per cent in the previous quarter.

Forbes’ Andy Greenburg talks to Google’s Senior Product Manager Shuman Ghosemajumder about this issue in the article Counting Clicks.

You’ve got plenty of traffic, but you’re not able to persuade visitors to take action. You’re not alone.

But before you throw money at the problem in a bid to generate yet more traffic, consider some basic Web site conversion strategies to help boost sales and maximize profitability from your existing traffic.

Read article…