The Official ActiveRain Guide

The ActiveRain Manual - NEW & IMPROVED

When I started creating the first AR Manual, it was so that I could find posts I'd written to share with others I had invited, those new to AR, or anyone who just wanted to know more specifics about how to use different areas and tools offered by AR.  Creating a "manual" back then was more for my own use than anything else.  It was an easy way to keep organized and find posts quickly. 

3 Years later, the AR manual has evolved into a resource library that now anyone can use.  The OLD version, (on the left) was not something I was really proud of, but it served its purpose for the time being.

Today, I'm announcing The NEW ActiveRainManual.com.  Tons of tutorials, tips and how-to's.

Both of these manuals were built using WIX.  I really like their site and how easy it is to create and update content.  For the new manual, WIX stepped up and offered to help out.  The goal was to create a site that would be cleaner, more organized and professional, easier to search, and that would save members time.  WIX provided the platform and the tools, and Kris Fitzgerald helped me design and set it all up.

These guys were awesome, very professional, really fun to work with, and I endorse them 100%. 

WIX sites are FREE, their templates are flashy, professional, easy to work with, and their customer service is exceptional.  Check out the new AR Manual, (I upgraded the my account on WIX to remove the ads and use my own domain) hopefully this will be helpful to AR members.  WIX also added an ActiveRain Promo for AR members only, you can get the same discount and support they gave me.  Most of all, I think you'll like the new manual over the old one, I've upgraded it, removed a lot of the clutter, and cleaned the place up nice for you.  Take a peek...

Ross & Brandon from WIX, and Kris and I are pretty excited and proud of the new AR manual. Enjoy!

The ActiveRain "HELP" Toolbar for Your Browser - was created to help members and non-members find important pieces of information in and around the network, and to give additional assistance to newer members who aren't sure where to look or find help in the ActiveRain Community.  It's an additional "help" source available for you if needed.

In this post I'll breakdown each section of the toolbar and show how it might be helpful.  The "Toolbar" is not just for AR members, it's also for anyone who wants to keep up with what's happening in the world of Real Estate on and through the AR Network.  It works on Explorer, Firefox, and Safari browsers and it's FREE.

The first section of the toolbar allows you to access AR with a single click on the logo. Next to the logo is a pull-down menu where you can login to AR or Join.  You can also search by member "category" which helps save time if you're looking for a specific type of Industry professional.

There are 28 Industry categories to choose from, this makes it quick and easy for members and consumers to access any category with the single "point and click" option.

The "Read" button IS for ActiveRain members and those interested in joining the network. Unlike most boring community guidelines and terms of service, ours is unique and is a "must read!"
Can you say Weltanschauung?

The "Help" button and pull-down menu gets you access to the ActiveRain Manual, The ActiveRain University, The ARU Training Calendar, the Help/FAQ Group on AR, Information about Real Estate RainCamps, and member contributed guides and how-to articles and posts.  This is one of my favorite parts of the toolbar and may be the most useful part for members needing "help" and tutorials about ActiveRain.

The "Daily Drop" is for those who want to be kept informed via AR's Daily Newsletter. Click To Subscribe.

The "Featured" pull-down menu gives you "live" real-time access to what's "Featured" on ActiveRain right now.  You can browse ALL featured posts right from the toolbar and do it from any website or page you're on. Whether you're a member of AR or not, this is a great tool to be kept informed of what's going on in and around Real Estate all over the Country and Canada.  (Your neighborhood included)

The "Blogs" button is a direct link to ALL AR Blog posts which can be sorted using the built in ActiveRain sort options.  This makes getting to the newest and freshest content fast and easy.

Many networks, blogging platforms, and social media sights make it difficult to try and reach staff members.  With this button, the entire AR Team is only "one-click" away.

Member support on ActiveRain is something we take seriously and are very passionate about.  Our members' satisfaction and our reputation have been built on how well we support our friends on AR.  The "Support" button pull-down on the toolbar shows we listen to our members, and we care.  You are literally one click away from contacting AR support, making suggestions, sending us your feedback and comments, and emailing us directly.

The "Message" button is for communicating important messages.  This will ONLY be used to make important announcements.  IE: New AR features, Upcoming special events, RainCamps, Trainings and Classes etc.  The message board has its' own set of built in tools for users to manage and respond to incoming messages.

The "Facebook and Twitter buttons" give you direct access to ActiveRain's Facebook page and to our "live" Twitter stream.  No need to even leave the toolbar to see our latest tweets, but to become a friend or fan on Facebook, you will need to click the Facebook Icon. 

This covers most uses for the AR Help Toolbar.  It is completely customizable for each user.  You can remove/hide any of the above predefined components that you don't need or aren't using by selecting the "toolbar options" in the main menu and checking the box next to those items you'd like hidden.  If space on your browser is an issue, there's a "shrink toolbar" option that will minimize the space used.  I hope you'll find it to be a useful addition to your browser tools and an efficient source for interaction and help on ActiveRain.

Select your browser below and install the ActiveRain Help Toolbar.

The ActiveRain University on-line Campus is one of the best ways to learn everything about the ActiveRain Community and the Social Media World.  Every day, we are offering classes for our members and guests.  It's not just for new "RainMakers" either, it's for you too.  We've added intermediate and advanced classes and are having experienced members and outside experts come in to present, share, and show you their tips and secrets.

Each class is about one hour using our ActiveRain University (ARU) on-line platform so you can access these sessions from just about anywhere as long as you have an Internet connection.  Every day we're offering sessions like: New Member training, Open Q&A Sessions, Guided Tours of the Community and more (listed below).  A variety of classes are now available, you can pre-register on the ARU Calendar.

Announcing our NEXT class, you won't want to miss it, so come join us!

NEXT CLASS:

FRIDAY - March 12th, 2010
10:00 -11:00am (PST)

Members "OPEN FORUM" Q&A & Support

Presented By:  Bob Stewart

Coming up Monday: "Tips For Using The Top Tools on ActiveRain" - Register Here

Coming up Wednesday: "Meet The AR Team Behind The Scenes" - Register Here

Future classes include:  Intro to Blogging - Introduction to ActiveRain - ActiveRain Community Tour - Growing a Following - Zero to Page 1 on Google - Copyright & Plagiarism - Facebook for Business - Twitter for Business - LinkedIn for Business - Building Your Private Referral Network - Taking AR into the Real World - Adding AR to your Listing Presentation - Advanced SEO Tips & Techniques - Vendor Advertising on ActiveRain - On-line Marketing - Putting Your Business on Google - Meet The ActiveRain Team - Creating and Maximizing Outside Blogs - Lead Generation with Hit Router -  The Power of AR Groups - Time Management & Blogging - Reaching Your Real Estate & Financial Goals - and more. 

Visit the ActiveRain University Calendar for details and to register. 

ActiveRain University - Reduce the Learning Curve & Increase Your Results

Are you looking to learn more about how to use the ActiveRain Network?  How about Social Media, Marketing and Networking?  Do you want to minimize the learning curve and get maximum results from your time on ActiveRain?  Just one hour of your time per session, and we're confident that you'll walk away with both tools and information that will help.  Some members (myself included) have taken months and even years to learn and figure this stuff out. 

We've added classes to the calendar that are "topic" focused and structured around helping members get the most out of specific areas on the network and around the community.  With the volumes of people joining ActiveRain everyday, this is just one way we are trying to increase our member support while at the same time, provide the training and information needed for members to have success on ActiveRain.

Next week we have three open forum sessions where members can join in and ask any questions they like, and two more structured classes on "How To Create A Blog Post for Consumers and SEO" and "How To Maximize Your Settings Page" on ActiveRain.  In March, we will be adding more guest presenters, trainers, and teachers along with more classes directly focused on ActiveRain tools and "How-Tos."

In recent surveys that ARU attendees submitted, there were requests to:

• Learn More about the ActiveRain Network 

• Learn More about SEO and Blogging

• Learn More about Real Estate related Technologies

• Learn More about Social Media and Networking

• Learn tips and secrets from other Top Producing Agents

We are responding to these surveys, and setting up training classes to meet AR members needs.

If you're interested in joining us for any of the above or upcoming sessions and classes, make sure to visit the ARU Calendar and pre-register for the ones you're interested in.  We will have Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced training available for all ActiveRain members.  We are also recording some of the structured classes to be available in our archived library at a later date.  I hope you'll take advantage of these sessions and the opportunity to learn.  We share more in a single hour than any other community resource.

The ActiveRain University
Training Calendar

"Here's the biggest testimonial of all - After the session was over, I wrote my first blog post using the tips and comments Brad offered, and re-posted it correctly and then checked it out on Google.  I came up first on Google, before CNN, Forbes, and even other Asheville Real Estate firms...this informal session was FABULOUS!"

Evelyn Zebro - Asheville NC Real Estate Broker - Beverly-Hanks & Associates

"Thanks for teaching on the ActiveRain webinar. You are very easy to follow - good directions for both beginners and more advanced users. It was all great information!  Even if we know how to do something, your instructions sometimes help us accomplish the same thing more efficiently or you bring up a feature we hadn't used in awhile that we should pull to the front of our arsenal."

Judy Gilbert - The Linda Seaton Team Manager - Keller Williams Realty Franklin

"Brad - things just keep getting better at AR.  How can anyone not see the tremendous value and learning here, no matter what level you are in the blogging / social media world!"

Jeff Dowler - Carlsbad Real Estate - RE/MAX Moonlight Beach

The ActiveRain Conduit - A Nifty Toolbar for Your Internet WEB Browser

This may be one of my coolest and greatest inventions EVER!!  If you can believe that...  lol~

ActiveRain members and even non-members should consider adding this toolbar to their Internet WEB Browsers.  It will work with Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari.  The toolbar gives you easy and instant access to some of the most viewed pages and important helpful tools on ActiveRain.  I think you'll find it to be a very useful tool.  Here's some of the features and cool stuff it has:

The ActiveRain Real Estate Network Toolbar - Will help you "Stay Connected" easily and instantly.

• Access ActiveRain.com with a single click
• Pull-Down menu to select from ALL Industry Affiliates
• Search the AR Network for members or any topic
• One Click Access to Important Member "Must Read" info
• HELP Menu for Manuals, Guides, Training & Support
  
• Easy Access to AR Features from an RSS menu
• Link to Search and Sort ALL ActiveRain Blog Posts
• One-Click Access to the ActiveRain Staff and Team
• Live Updates, Announcements & ActiveRain Broadcasts
  
  

You can easily download the toolbar for your specific browsers and remove it just as easily if needed.  Take a moment to try it out, see some things you may not have known existed, and let me know what you think?  Once you download the toolbar and add it to your browser, you'll see how easy it is.  Most likely, your "wheels" will start spinning and you'll be wondering how you can create a "custom toolbar" for your Site, Services, Blog, or Clients Browsers?  I'll show you how, and the best part is that it's easy and FREE! 

I hope you'll check it out,  I'm really excited about this one...  :-)

Select YOUR Browser below to Install the AR Toolbar

ActiveRain University Wants You!!

Now that the ActiveRain University is underway providing training and support sessions for our members, we want to send out this invitation to ALL members inviting them to come present at our new on-line campus.  We are looking for volunteer members who wish to share their knowledge, successes, and "how-to's" with the rest of the community.  We already have a few interested members who are willing and want to come share their secrets and tips on what has made them successful using their Blogs, Internet Marketing, and Social Media skills.

In the weeks ahead, we are inviting Special Guest Speakers, Presenters, and Trainers that are very influential in the Industry.  Folks who are in the trenches using their knowledge and experience to benefit in today's economy and Real Estate Market, and who are excited about coming to join us and share.  At some point soon, we will also open up sessions and classes for some of our AR Business Builders and Vendors to come in and share how to use their products and services more effectively and efficiently.

We already have our first ActiveRain member, Jennifer Martin who has agreed to come share with you, her insights and experience which stemmed from a comment she left on Kerrie Greenhalgh's "Success in the RAIN" Blog post.  The date and time for her class will be this Friday at 3:00pm (see calendar for pre-registration)

Here is a link to our Speaker/Trainer Registration form.  Just a couple things we need to know so that we can schedule you into a classroom on the dates and times you request.  We'll also need your presentation topic that you'd like to share so we can setup the appropriate environment and tools you may need.  It's a very easy going and relaxed campus, each presenter or trainer has up to an hour.  We suggest 45 minute classes allowing 15 minutes at the end for Q&A.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

The Calendar and all class details are located at ActiveRain University.

This invitation is open to ALL members regardless of which segment of the Industry you represent.  Title Companies, Stagers, Home Warranty, Inspectors etc., you're all welcome to come "profess" and share.

So if this "calling" has your ears burning, or the excitement and thought of teaching, presenting, or sharing is keeping you up at night, then ActiveRain University Wants You. Come volunteer, and be a part of this exciting new addition to ActiveRain.  Thanks.  :-)

Guidelines and Information Regarding Use and Misuse of REALTOR®

How are you using the registered membership mark REALTOR®?  A few folks have contacted me recently asking how they can change their ActiveRain Profile user name, their Blog name, and their Outside Blog domain names?  The reason?  Because they had used the registered membership mark REALTOR® within their URL.  It is very important that you understand and know how, when, and where you can use REALTOR®.

Just yesterday, I was contact by an AR member who received the email warning below.  They are not a REALTOR® yet they were using the membership mark REALTOR® in the domain name (URL) of their AR Outside Blog.  (I changed the members names and domains below for obvious reasons.)  

ACTUAL EMAIL #1

Dear Jane Doe:

"The Internet domain name BestDealForREALTORS.com has been identified by the National Association of REALTORS as one in which the membership mark of the National Association of REALTORS (National Association) is used as a part of the domain name.  The domain name came to our attention as a result of our monitoring of the Internet for use of the REALTOR membership marks.  

The terms REALTOR, REALTORS, and REALTOR-ASSOCIATE, as well as the REALTOR block "R" logo, are all federally registered collective membership marks owned by the National Association.  Collective membership marks are a type of trademark which, rather than indicating the source of a product or service, identify the user of the membership mark as a member of a particular group, in this case the National Association.

According to our records you are currently not a member of the National Association and therefore, your use of the membership mark is incorrect.  Because the use has not been authorized by the National Association it may also be viewed as an infringement of the National Association's legal rights in its membership marks under the federal Lanham Act and other state and federal laws.  In addition, the National Association does not license third parties to use its marks in connection with the names of the products and services of those third parties. To eliminate this potential source of conflict, we would appreciate your cooperation in revising your site and domain name to eliminate the use of the membership marks.  Many times this is as simple as substituting an appropriate job title for the term being used; for example, real estate broker or agent can often be used without making any other changes to the text.

We are attempting to track our efforts in connection with the Internet and request that you acknowledge your understanding of this request for your cooperation by providing us with your assurance that you will not use the domain name BestDealforREALTORS.com or any other domains that incorrectly use the REALTOR marks.  Thank you for your help and we look forward to receiving your reply."

Trademark/Insurance Coordinator
National Association of REALTORS®
430 N Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611-4087

In another case, here's an email that a member received instructing them on "how" the Trademark REALTOR® can be used properly, and within the NAR suggested guidelines.  There were a couple things I didn't know which have helped me detect the accidental or unintentional misuse of REALTOR® out on the web.  Please review this email as well.

ACTUAL EMAIL #2

Dear John Doe:

"The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS has identified the Internet domain name, BayAreaREALTOR.com, as one in which the membership marks of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (National Association) are used as a part of the domain name.  We discovered the domain name in our routine monitoring of the Internet for use of the REALTOR membership marks.  The National Association requests that you comply with the rules developed by the National Association to preserve and protect the Membership marks and discontinue using the BayAreaREALTOR.com domain name.  You may review these rules at the National Association’s Trademark Manual found on REALTOR.org in the Law & Policy section.  I have also included a copy of the brochure “On Your Mark” in the pdf below.

Proper use of the Marks on the Internet
The terms REALTOR, REALTORS, REALTOR ASSOCIATE, as well as the REALTOR with Block "R" logo, are all federally registered collective membership marks owned exclusively by the National Association.  Collective membership marks are a type of trademark which, rather than indicating the source of a product or service, identify the user of the membership mark as a member of a particular group, in this case the National Association.  

The National Association has approximately 1,200,000 members each of whom is licensed to use one or more of the membership marks to identify themselves and as Members individually and through their real estate businesses.  Each member of the National Association agrees, as a part of their local Association's Bylaws, to abide by the rules governing the use of the REALTOR marks.  These rules apply to print and electronic media.  In a domain name Members can use the REALTOR marks with a member's name and, if the member is a broker, with the complete name of the broker's real estate firm.  Below are examples of proper ways in which a member can use the REALTOR marks in a domain name.

JohnDoeRealtor.com, JDoeRealtor.com, JohnRealtor.com, ABCRealtyRealtors.com

Incorrect use of the REALTOR Marks
Please review Article V, Section 7 of the Bylaws of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS. This article expressly prohibits the use of any descriptive words or phrases from being used with the Membership marks.  Mr. Doe, this includes geographical descriptions such as BayArea, only the state and local associations and boards were granted the right to use a geographical description with the membership marks.  For one Member to claim the membership mark in any geographical area where other Members also operate would not be a fair or equal use of the Marks to other Members who do business in that area.

Action Requested:  Change Domain Name
The National Association requests that you stop using the BayAreaREALTOR.com domain name including, but not limited to, use of the domain name on the Internet or on promotional and advertising materials for your business; or to redirect traffic to another website.  You may of course, register and use a new domain name that uses the REALTOR mark in a manner which complies with the rules of the National Association or select one which does not use the REALTOR marks.  

Because you are a member of the National Association and understand the importance of protecting the valuable REALTOR marks we are confident you will make the right decision and end your use of the BayAreaREALTOR.com domain name.  We request that you promptly contact us and assure that you will comply with this request.  If you have any questions, please contact me.

Thank you for your cooperation."
 
Trademark Administrator
Legal Affairs Department
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS
430 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611-4087

There's more information and details regarding the registered membership mark REALTOR® at REALTOR.org.  You can review their Trademark Manual.  These guidelines and this information is not just for ActiveRain members, this post is for anyone in the Real Estate Industry.  Especially those who are not NAR members or outside the Real Estate Industry.  We're asking that members, and NAR members take careful consideration when creating user-names, domain names, and URLs for your Blogs and websites.  Please follow the proper NAR guidelines and protocol if you're going to use REALTOR®.

If you are currently using REALTOR® improperly in your domain name, on your AR Blog, or your Outside Blog, (even your user name) please contact me right away so we can be proactive and get that taken care of for you.  Making the change or correction is an AR admin feature, and I'd be happy to help you.  Just contact me via email.  Lets prevent you from getting either of these above emails from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS.  Thanks for taking the time to read this, I hope the information is useful and helps clarify their guidelines.

How To Get Started on ActiveRain - A quick route to a successful Journey on ActiveRain.

The ActiveRain Staff,  along with our members and ambassadors, wish to welcome you to the community.  We know you have a choice, and we're glad you've chosen our network as a place to connect with others, support your local neighborhoods and communities, plus grow your business and relationships. 

Before you begin your journey here, there's a few areas we invite you to navigate first.  This will save you time and give you a better understanding of the Network.  We're confident that our site will bring value, benefits, and substantial rewards to you and your business.

    BEFORE YOU BEGIN
    These are REQUIRED and a MUST READ for ALL New Members - NO EXCEPTIONS!

•   What We Stand For - Weltenschauung
  Weltanschauung: The guiding principles and philosophy of an organization. A world view.

•   The ActiveRain Community Guidelines
  Please take these rules seriously.

•   Terms of Service
  Terms of Use are binding and we want you to feel comfortable with them.
  
  

    GETTING STARTED in 3 EASY STEPS
    Follow these next steps to get setup on ActiveRain.

•   How To Setup Your ActiveRain Profile - Completely Customizable
  Creating a personal profile is the very first step and the most important.  It's ALL about you.

•   How To Complete Your Profile - Part II
  Your profile has three areas that allow you maximize the page.  Learn How to use these sections.

•   How To Use Your "My Settings" Page
  Now you are ready to Customize your ActiveRain Settings.
  
  

    GETTING THE MOST OUT OF ACTIVERAIN
    Social Networking, Connecting and Blogging

• ActiveRain Member Success Stories
  Read what other industry professionals and members have to share.
  Here's A VIDEO version

• Understanding ActiveRain Points
  Learn about points and how they work on the network.

• The RainMaker Membership
  Becoming a RainMaker - The Value and The Benefit
  
  

    READY TO MAKE LIGHTNING, THUNDER AND RAIN
    Now that you're a member and RainMaker, put the power tools to work

• Top 10 Tools for New Members and RainMakers
  Take the time to review what this network has to offer.

• ActiveRain Custom Outside Blogs
  How To Create and Maximize Your Outside ActiveBlog.

• The ActiveRain Starter Kit
  Details about more ActiveRain Products, Tools, and Services.
  
  

    OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES TO HELP YOU
    Use these links to dive deeper in the "Rain" if you need more information

• The ActiveRainGuide
  A Tutorial Blog by Members for Members

• The ActiveRain Staff Blog
  The Official ActiveRain TEAM Blog

• Help/FAQ Group
  A network group created to help members

• An ActiveRain eBook Tutorial
  Find Almost Anything about ActiveRain here
  

• ActiveRain University
  Online Campus for Training and Support

• Real Estate RainCamp
  "Live" Local Conferences and Seminars
  

DID YOU KNOW?
ActiveRain is the TOP Real Estate Social Network in the World (source: Google)

The ActiveRain Network hosts over 170,000 RE Industry members averaging 200-300 new members daily.  There are more than 1.5 million articles posted, with an average of 700-1000 new posts daily.  Two million+ visitors traffic the ActiveRain network each month, over 80% are consumers.  Only Rainmaker upgraded accounts receive Google traffic to their blogs and posts.  ActiveRain Member's Blog posts receive more than 500 views on average.  Activerain is the ONLY on-line Network that offers this wide variety of tools, diverse services, and proven solutions to the Real Estate Industry Professional and for consumers on the WEB.

Best of Luck and Enjoy!

ActiveRain Training and Support - Your Virtual Classroom

We are now offering RainMaker members an opportunity to join us for some "informal" on-line training and support.  Our ActiveRain Training and Support Program is where you can phone in, join a classroom environment, ask your questions, see live examples and get detailed tutoring on "how it all works!"  The best part is that you can do it from the comfort of your home or office computer, and classes will be available three times a week for your convenience.  Time for the teacher to give YOU an apple.

There's no formal agenda, no formatted sessions, no rules, and no reason for you to not be getting the most out of your experience here on ActiveRain. We'll go over any requested details, and provide you information on how to use many of the AR tools and services.  We want to show you how to get the best results from areas of AR that you may not understand or just simply need some help and support with.

This is a great opportunity and chance to learn anything you want to know about ActiveRain, and do it in a non-threatening and fun environment.

Training and Support sessions will be on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for approximately one hour each day.  *Holidays, *RainCamps, and other *Real Estate Industry events that conflict with our ActiveRain training and support classes will take precedence, sessions will not be held on or during those dates and times.

Our dates and times selected for the first come first serve training and support this month are as follows: (ALL Times listed below are PST)

For ALL Classes, Support, Guests Speakers/Trainers, and Daily Events:
Go To: ActiveRain University

To Register in Advance - Click on Calendar

           
You'll also find a link on the Main ActiveRain Home Page under "More Information"

Enhance Your Business Listing - Rank Higher and More Often

Having your Local Business Listed on the web is important for its future survival.  Claiming your listing will help give you more control over how the search engines index you and will also help prevent spammers from hijacking it.  There's also a good chance it could improve your search engine rankings and deliver your Company increased traffic.

GetListed.org has some tools and information to help you get your Business noticed on the WEB and by the searching consumer.  GetListed checks the most popular and commonly used search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN Bing, and Best of the Web, to see how your Business rates and ranks in a variety of ways. 

Get a listing score or percentage based on your Business listing or Company name. Your "listing score" is a number that ranges from 0-100 that approximates how effectively your business is taking advantage of free listings at the major search engines.  Claim your Business Listing on the major search engines, it's the easiest and yet most over-looked detail by many Local Businesses today. 

DON'T JUST HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON ON THIS ALARM!

In the process of consulting a client on how to get more exposure for their Company and Local Business on the Web, this is what we discovered.  You can see below why I am sharing this with you today, and why it is so important.  No matter how large or small your Company, you need to be registered and "LISTED" with these search engines. 

It's FREE, and your efforts could make a huge difference for your Local Business.

DO YOU WORK HARD GROWING AND PROMOTING YOUR BUSINESS?

GetListed.org has Local Marketing Advice, Advanced tips, and News for marketing your business.

• Why Local Search Is So Important
  Over 10 billion unique searches are performed each month, and that's just in the United States! See why listing your business online is so important.  Learn More »
  

• Why Citations Are Important to Your Local Business Listings
  Citations are defined as "mentions" of your business name and address on other webpages, even if there is no link to your website. Find out why they matter in Local Search.  Learn More »

• Managing & Improving Your Business's Reputation Online
  In this article, they recap the advice of a number of prominent Local Search Experts about the importance of paying attention to, and even encouraging, customer reviews of your business online.  Learn More »

NOTE: There are many other search engines on the web, not quite as popular, but here's a quick list if you're interested.

Understanding the importance of "why you are doing the things you're doing" in today's "Staying In Business" model, should help to motivate you in getting these certain tasks done.  I find it very beneficial when others that have learned by "Trial & Error" take the time to share their experiences.  We can all learn from each others mistakes, I trust that will be the case here today.

(Imagine the potential of sharing this info with other local businesses you wish to connect or build a relationship with)

Do your Local Business a favor, take the next 10 seconds to run your Company name and Zip Code.  Then take 10-15 minutes and List your Local Business in each of the Top Search engines, this will help to "Enhance Your Business Listing & Rank Higher and More Often."