Online Marketing

Ever wonder why LinkedIn asks you to fill out your online profile so often? Or why they have included a profile progress indication bar? They have built their networking tools in such a way that if you do not fill out your profile completely, they will rank your profile lower when displaying search results on a people search when looking for professions in a specific industry. You may think this is that important, but when you start looking for jobs on LinkedIn they also prioritize your profile among other candidates based on how complete your profile is.

Here are 5 reasons why you should finish your LinkedIn profile:

1. You will be ranked higher on LinkedIn’s search results when someone is looking to find a professional with your experience;
2. your profile will be indexed into Google search results when someone searches your name;
3. employers will see that you take your professional career seriously, and will be able to learn more about what you have to offer;
4. if you are seeking a new job, your complete profile will better recommend jobs based on your past experience;
5. if you have applied to positions using LinkedIn’s job search, employees will be able to see your recommendations and get a good sense of your professional background.

Since Groupon launched in 2008, they have been growing at an incredible rate, and have had many companies try to copy their business model (also known as “Living Social”). The idea is simple; collect a large base of customers looking for deals (pretty much everyone), and have a business offer products or services at a considerable discount. These discounts have ranged from 20% to 94%, depending on the original cost of goods. At first, this type of site was totally unique, and to get those types of discounts we would have to wait until Boxing Day or Black Friday.

The idea of daily deals is everywhere now, but what I fear is that it’s creating the mindset that if you wait long enough, any product/service will go on sale. Having this type of customer cuts your regular retail sales, and deters customers from buying products at reasonable prices. For most businesses, they have not taken the approach that they need to blast a massive discount in order to generate new business. It’s one thing to offer promotional pricing once and a while, and another to diminish your service by offering it at a reduced rate. There are a few ways to look at the side effects of jumping on the Groupon bandwagon; on the plus side you generate tons of instant sales, you might reach a new source of customers, and you can guarantee business by a specific date (Any deal must be used by a certain time). Now on the down side, you have reduced the value of your service (customers now know what you can offer your product/service at), you develop a different type of customer (customers that only shop deals, not loyal long standing customers), and the next time you offer the same discount your success rate will be reduced.

Since 2008, I have viewed over 4,000 emails, and have only purchased one daily deal. If I am not interested in hot yoga, spas, laser hair removal, or $20 of food for $10, then I could easily unsubscribe from all of these services. To me, Groupon has lost its niche advantage over the other online deal websites. If you open any daily deal site today, you will see all of the same services that were once exclusive to Groupon.

If Groupon wants to continue to be successful, they need to start thinking about the next big “thing” (different products/services, or something else all together).

Over the past 5 years I have been managing my own small online consulting company here in Toronto, Ontario. During those years, I have been operating my business under the company name “96robots“, and managing a few freelance web developers on some of my design work. Services I offer include: website design, online marketing planning, email marketing, user experience training, social media awareness and building, and how to effectively leverage your brand online.

Meanwhile, I’ve always run a portfolio site for my personal brand at SeanHurley.ca, and used it to promote my career experience over the years. Since graduating, I have had the opportunity to work with some really great Canadian brands like Umbra Ltd. and Hover.com. 96robots has always been completely transparent to my day job, and I continue to work on consulting projects as a way to help other businesses grow their brands online. It has enabled me to learn about a variety of industries such as Architecture, Financial Services, Blogging, Industrial Hardware, Consumer Goods, and some great local personal services.

After looking at both websites, I realized that when I speak to customers they don’t think of me as “96robots” or remember my company name; they remember “Sean Hurley.” I decided it made more sense for me to consolidate both websites and highlight my consulting work and job experience on the same site.

It has taken me almost 3 weeks to bring over all of the content from 96robots.com and seanhurley.ca, and go through every blog post to make sure the content that was published over 5 years ago still relates to the present. Now, when you land on my website you will see both the job experience I have, the services I offer, and a portfolio of my consulting work.

I hope you like it!