SoCal CTO

AUGUST 4, 2011

Almost every day I'm talking to early stage startup founders (see Free Startup CTO Consulting Sessions ) about what they plan to do. Before I jump into the 28 questions, let me start with 14 questions that I will want to go through first so I know a bit more about what we are talking about. SEO for Startups )?

Develop 384

Develop Development Startup SEO 384

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 17, 2009

He’s done several startups and is a board member of the Technology Council of Southern California (which is where I met him originally). A typical day starts with email, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Yammer checks/updates. A day might include a discussion with a finance partner, an investor, a customer or a fusion partner.

Acquisition 170

Acquisition Customer Custom Ideas 170

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. Trying outrageous new things or even trying mundane things but in new ways but with extreme quality & innovation is what fuels the tech startup industry. But today I want to give you advice on how to decrease your odds of failure in a startup.

Startup 150

Startup Marketing Study SEO 150

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2011

I made every textbook mistake at my first startup, which is why I believe I was much more effective at my second one. The following are some lessons I learned about early-stage startup marketing. Because market is such a broad topic, I’m restricting these lessons to PR marketing (as opposed SEO, SEM, product marketing, etc.).

Marketing 380

Marketing Startup Press Technical Advisors 380

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 9, 2009

I just had an all-too common conversation with the founder of a startup who had spent more than a year working with a software development company who had produced a mess. The mess really comes from a developer who was willing to get started on a product that was not fully thought out. Who are the customers?

Software Development 292

Software Development Develop Development Startup 292

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 24, 2015

As the number of sites on the Internet floats around one billion, the challenge with every new startup is to be found and stand out. In this age of relationships, you, the entrepreneur, are a very important element of your new brand, and it’s never too early to start marketing the value of your expertise, insights and ideas.

Blogging 110

Blogging Startup Search Engine Optimization Social Media 110

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 12, 2014

If you’re a technology startup you need to excel at product, of course. The starting point of product IS marketing, which is what a lot of young entrepreneurs that never studied business don’t realize. The start of marketing is figuring out a market need and a way to solve that need better than anybody else.

Marketing 379

Marketing Startup SEM SEO 379

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2013

But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. Kristin Zhivago, in her book “ Roadmap to Revenue ,” makes the point that the selling system is broken, since sellers no longer sell the way customers are buying. The best way to do this is with real customer interviews.

Startup 105

Startup Search Engine Optimization Summary Customer 105

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2022

Most startups, and many big businesses, still don’t have a clue on how to use social media productively for marketing their business. Good action plans include a listening plan, channel plan, SEO plan, and a content creation plan, with activities and metrics. You spend the months influencing the influencers. Marty Zwilling.

Social Media 135

Social Media Framework Media Metrics 135

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 30, 2014

With the estimated 510 million live websites at last year-end, and 280,000 new ones being added every day, the biggest challenge for an entrepreneur is to get found, and get some credibility for a new startup. The biggest excuse most startup founders mention is too much to do building a product, mapping strategy, investors, etc.

Startup 101

Startup Blogging Writing Google 101

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 11, 2014

In essence Muhammad thinks the “growth hacking” is a charlatan term for online marketing that consists of a bunch of everyday tasks that all online businesses should be doing: SEO, SEM, Content Marketing, Social Media, Referral Marketing, etc. For starters it brings a mindset to startups that not all of them have innately.

Technical Review 384

Technical Review SEM SEO Marketing 384

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 14, 2010

Yesterday I wrote a post about top-down versus bottom-up thinking. So they create a task list of all the marketing activities an organization can do: press releases, web site updates, customer case studies, blog posts, daily Tweets, Facebook fan page, attending conferences, etc. You have a marketing department with three people.

Startup 323

Startup Press Development Team Review SEM 323

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 3, 2021

Smart potential customers only visit and buy from credible and memorable websites. In the past, if your startup had a website presence, the company was credible by definition. Until the company name is a famous brand, you are the brand. Until the company name is a famous brand, you are the brand.

Web 117

Web Search Engine Optimization eBook Advertising 117

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 25, 2011

But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. Kristin Zhivago, in her new book “ Roadmap to Revenue ,” makes the point that the selling system is broken, since sellers no longer sell the way customers are buying. The best way to do this is with real customer interviews.

Customer 96

Customer Custom Search Engine Optimization Summary 96

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 18, 2012

Even for low-tech startups, the scope of information available on the Internet, and its global reach, has had a similar financial impact on the many other challenges facing every startup founder. Here are a few examples: Setting up the business. Do basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Marketing (SEM) yourself.

Startup 102

Startup Search Engine Optimization SEM Social Network 102

socalTECH

MARCH 13, 2020

Our interview today is with Dmitri Leonov and Constantine Suychmez of Ulevate (www.ulevate.com), a startup which is combining technology with the beauty and spa industry. Our solution was to build a new device, which is the only smart device on the market, which incorporates all the things customers are asking for. What is Ulevate?

Template 124

Template Beverly Hills Startup SEM 124

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 1, 2013

Entrepreneurs and startups often ask if they should use social media for marketing, digital media, or traditional media. The place to start today is if your company only uses traditional media for marketing, or no marketing. The place to start today is if your company only uses traditional media for marketing, or no marketing.

Social Media 103

Social Media Media Marketing Startup 103

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2012

It seems like everyone has an Internet startup these days. In addition, every business has operating costs, like customer acquisition, fulfillment, inventory, and customer service. So what are the key strategies that can improve the success odds for your online startup? You have to be found and favored by search engines.

Startup 96

Startup Social Media Content Paid Search 96

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 15, 2019

Skyler Lucci is co-founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based HeyTutor (www.heytutor.com), a startup which has created an online platform which connects and matches students with in-person tutors. The company recently raised a round of funding from Santa Barbara-based ScOps Venture Capital. Connecting people at scale is super-difficult.

Startup 113

Startup Venture Capital Beverly Hills Acquisition 113

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 23, 2013

Probably every one of you who has a business and a website have been approached through email or personal contact, and asked to spend money on paid search results (appear on the first page of search results, right hand column, despite low SEO rank). This is NOT the same as Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Marty Zwilling.

Paid Search 90

Paid Search PPC Organization SEO 90

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 8, 2012

CircleUp is an online social marketplace that supports direct equity investments from individual investors to small private consumer and retail companies. Despite every challenge he had to face he was determined to see his stunt through the end and not give up. image EPA/Andrew Gombert. vc , Liam Martin with Staff.

Startup 104

Startup Technical Review Search Engine Optimization Los Angeles 104

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2013

Creating awareness for your brand and products is one of the lifebloods of technology startups yet in a world where so many companies are being created it becomes difficult to rise above the noise. Ever notice how some companies tend to be in the press all the time and your big new product launch struggled for inches?

Marketing 389

Marketing Press Blogging Startup 389

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 20, 2013

In the past, if your startup had a website presence, the company was credible by definition. Yet most startups I know experience the same shock of disappointment when they first open up their website to offer their “million dollar idea” product, and nobody comes. Set up an award, and show winners.

Search Engine Optimization 105

Search Engine Optimization Startup Advertising SEO 105

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 26, 2013

Cameron will share his experience on Search and Social Strategies for Start ups. Topic: Search and Social Strategies for Start ups. Cameron has consulted to clients such as MTV, Del Taco, Samsung, HP, and many other companies large and small. Custom ad deals and partnerships.

Startup 105

Startup Social Media SEO Santa Monica 105

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 2, 2009

As noted in Pour and Stir Part I , the key to the successful execution of this strategy is managing the following equation: The cost to acquire a customer < lifetime value of a customer. Decreasing Your Customer Acquisition Costs. This is equivalent to being handed a free customer for every ten customers you acquire.

Customer 164

Customer Custom Advertising SEM 164

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2017

So they create a task list of all the marketing activities an organization can do: press releases, web site updates, customer case studies, blog posts, daily Tweets, Facebook fan page, attending conferences, etc. It’s actually quite hard to lay out an annual company strategy that is articulate and underpinned by facts.

Activity 164

Activity Conference Press Case Study 164

SoCal CTO

APRIL 1, 2009

This site is being sponsored by the Technology Council of Southern California and my company TechEmpower. So you can see that Entrepreneur (60) LinkedIn (15) Metrics (16) SEO (15) Company (141) are all considered highly relevant to the term "startup." You can read more about the technology in the post: Topic Hubs.

Southern California 150

Southern California TechEmpower Technology Council Metrics 150

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2017

But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. Kristin Zhivago, in her classic book “ Roadmap to Revenue ,” makes the point that the selling system is broken, since sellers no longer sell the way customers are buying. The best way to do this is with real customer interviews.

Search Engine Optimization 58

Search Engine Optimization Startup SEO Customer 58

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2013

million new pages added to the Internet every day, the biggest challenge for every entrepreneur is to get found, and get some credibility for a new startup. The biggest excuse most startup founders mention is too much to do building a product, mapping strategy, investors, etc. Cultivate early customers. Find potential partners.

Blogging 104

Blogging Product Startup Writing 104

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 23, 2011

(if you get some value out of the notes consider checking out his company or Twitter feed). Richard De Silva started off as a journalist with the Washington Post after growing up in D.C. In the late 90’s he saw the internet boom and helped start IronPlanet.com, a construction equipment marketplace that is nearing an IPO.

Capital 265

Capital Venture Capital Veoh Startup 265

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2011

A while back I emphasized how important is to have a company website these days ( Publish Your Website Or Customers Won’t Find You ). Unless someone searches for your company by name, it won’t show up in the first few pages of any search results. SEO does not have to be a major expense. Web page title tags.

Google 93

Google SEO Search Engine Optimization SEM 93

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

In the past, if your startup had a website presence, the company was credible by definition. Yet most startups I know experience the same shock of disappointment when they first open up their website to offer their “million dollar idea” product, and nobody comes. Set up an award, and show winners.

Search Engine Optimization 88

Search Engine Optimization eBook Advertising SEO 88

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 19, 2015

YouTube takes too high of a revenue split (45% vs. 30% that Apple and many other distribution companies take – FWIW, YouTube argues this is because their costs are much higher since they host and stream the video). If all you ever do is create YouTube content then I agree – that’s not a viable startup business.

SEM 150

SEM Content Platform Acquisition 150

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2012

But the reality is that sellers are no longer in charge of the customer buying process. Kristin Zhivago, in her book “ Roadmap to Revenue ,” makes the point that the selling system is broken, since sellers no longer sell the way customers are buying. The best way to do this is with real customer interviews.

Tips 93

Tips Search Engine Optimization Summary Startup 93

socalTECH

OCTOBER 30, 2013

Those services work on volume, and the designs you can send--and which you receive--are from a limited selection, not at all personalized to the recipient, and for the florist delivering the flowers, provides slim margins and no opportunity to build a customer base. You mention the big companies, like FTD, 1-800 Flowers, etc.

Beverly Hills 157

Beverly Hills Technical Review Design Startup 157

socalTECH

AUGUST 8, 2016

Last week El Segundo-based Wpromote acquired fellow marketing agency Standing Dog, in a deal which brings the company to 260 employees, and continues to grow the company. Mike Mothner: The business today, is we are a digital agency focused on customer acquisition and growth for businesses of all types.

Acquisition 100

Acquisition Paid Search El Segundo SEO 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 3, 2010

Search engine marketing is simply buying advertising for your business from Google or another search engine company. This is NOT the same as Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It pays only if a customer clicks through AND takes a further action (conversion), such as buying a product or filling out a web form. Marty Zwilling.

SEM 90

SEM Marketing Startup Search Engine Optimization 90