Yext Free Scans Good or Scam?

By now many of you have run across an ad for "Yext" , the service that claims it will show you search site you are listed on and what is wrong with the listings for free.  And for a fee, which is at $500 per year now, will fix all of the errors that maybe keeping people from finding you and help your listing stand out.

Now, you go, and you do the free scan and bam - all the listings have something wrong with them.  Ahhh, but do they?

I do all my own listings for my DJ company, 2Wolves DJ Service, have manually posted everyone, from Yelp to Local.com and beyond.  So when this 'free' service tells me all my listings have errors, and they found 139 errors, it caused suspicions to arise.  So I ran the scan again - Now it shows 144 errors.  And one more time for a 140 errors.  Hmm

The main red flag was right at the top.   It stated my listing on Yelp had no photos.  Really now.  I know there are some places they do not allow photos or they charge way to much for the privilege , but I know I was able to add photos to my Yelp listing.  Same with my Merchant Circle account

Even more alarming is when you search "Yext" and Scam together, the pages and pages of articles and complaints about this service.

Feel free to use their "Free Scan" - but I would be wary about signing up for this service.
I simply used the information of the various search sites that they have in their list and added my business myself to the ones I felt were relevant.

Has anyone had dealings with this company - Yext?  Feel free to share your thoughts.

Ship Free or not Ship Free - that is the Shipping question

"Free Shipping" - eBay pushes it - many sites like Amazon offer it, but the question is, just how important is it??  how can it effect the bottom line??  Can the smaller sellers offer it without cutting their own throats?

Shipping items sold online costs - pure and simple.  And the cost is not just the postage - it is packing material, boxes, tape, ink, paper or labels, gas to the post office and - oh - your TIME.  Now, in order to offer "Free Shipping" this cost ends up in the overall cost of the item, and if it doesn't, then you are losing money on every sale.  Sadly, many forget to do so and wonder why their profit is little if nothing at all.  Also, sadly, for those items shipping is separate charge, consumers knee jerk at the cost, even when it is just the postage.  

According to Retail's Big Blog "Consumers now expect free shipping. Fifty-five percent of consumers expect free shipping on all orders. Also, shipping clubs such as Amazon Prime and ShopRunner are growing. "

 Granted - that is mostly the "Big Boys" - but how can this trend impact the smaller merchants? 

That is the BIG question.  What are your thoughts?  Are shoppers more inclined to buy with "Free Shipping"?  When you shop online do you look for "Free Shipping"?   Are you one who offers "Free Shipping", if so - your input is gratefully appreciated.

The Funny thing is a $7 item with $3 shipping costs the buyer $10 - that same item a $10 with "Free Shipping" also costs $10.   People - "Free Shipping" isn't "Free" ( hence the " " marks)

Need help? go to the Google+ Kit

Google+ Has been the buzz lately.  It is a newcomer to the social media scene, with people wanting to know what it is, how it works, why should I add it, how do I get on it, is it right for me?
The last question - is it right for me? - can only be answered by YOU.  Try it and see if you like it.  BUT I personally recommend if for no other reason than Google is the top search engine - and it is narcissus, and so a Good Google profile can go a long way in search.

But for all the other questions, there are hundreds of articles written about Google+.  www.Mashable.com  has serveral, ( and I recommend Mashable for great tips on anything in the social media/web world), But I highly recommend taking a look at the Google+ Kit .  Written in straightforward plain English, this site explains it all.  Also has links for some cool tools and extensions for Google+ along with a list of some social and friendly folks you might want to add to your circles.  I am proud to be listed among the first  100. :)

Kudos to Paul J Whom I met on Google+ ... now , who was wondering if it was worth looking into Google+?

Custom URLs for Facebook and Google+ the easy way

Having custom URLs for your spots on social media is very easy to do and makes it easy for you to share and of course, easy to remember.
The best thing, of course, is if you use the same user name, then all your places on the web show up across the board when someone searches for you.
How to set a custom url for some places is not as obvious as others.  Twitter for example, uses your user name so it is done for you.  Here I will cover a couple of the more elusive ones, namely FaceBook and Google plus.

Google+
There is one spot I found that makes getting your own custom URL a breeze.  Check out  gplus.to  Carefully pick your name.  I recommend using YOUR name.  Google+ is planning on business accounts as well in the near future, so you will want to reserve your business name for it.
I can be found at http://gplus.to/SusanLeak

FaceBook
For your personal account, first log into Facebook.  Then go to: 
http://www.facebook.com/username/ or to http://apps.facebook.com/personalurl/ Both will help you set your user names.
CAUTION!!! Choose carefully - for you can not change once it is set.
Find my personal one at : www.facebook.com/renagades

For your business page, you will be given the chance to chose one when you set it up.  Once you receive 25 fans, it should allow you to use your chosen name.  If not, go to http://www.facebook.com/username/  
and set it.
AGAIN! CAUTION! You can not change the name, so choose wisely.
Mine are found at:
www.facebook.com/renagadesmusic and www.facebook.com/2wolvesdj

One other point I would like to stress - Profiles are important! (Read : Your Google Profile - what does yours say )  Fill out your profile as much as you feel comfortable with.  Add your background, achievements, yes.... brag a little!  Your profiles are meant to help others in their decision of whether or not to deal with you.  So, as a seller, use this to sell them your most priceless item .... you and your reputation!

Google Plus Profiles - what does yours say about you?

 Google profiles have been around for awhile, and has always carried some importance in online presence and branding. But with the addition of Google Plus to the crazy world of social media, the importance of a strong Google profile has taken a new meaning.

Google is the number one search. The term 'Google me' has become mainstream. When someone searches for you, they will find all the places you have been online, any comments you may have left on blogs etc, any pictures, videos you may have posted, and anywhere you have a spot on the web, from Facebook to twitter to, of course, Google. And Google, preserving their power of the web, will be showing the Google profiles prominently.
So, what constitutes a good profile?

Some tips:
Fill out as much as possible
Not saying you need to add your street address or phone number, but adding where you live, and have lived, your name, etc is a no brainer.

Fill out a little Intro
Tell people some of what makes you, you. Use the editor and add links.

Occupation and Employment 
If you work for a company, and prefer not to let world know where, leave blank. But if you are in business for yourself, this is vital . Do not leave blank, or get all cutesy here. Unless you are a psychic medium by trade, "I see dead people" is not an occupation. Nor should you put employed by "Yo Momma" if you're not a babysitter. I recommend coming across as professional as possible.

Links
Anyone who uses the internet for business in any way needs to add as many links as you can. All the marketplaces are supported, along with the other social media hot spots, so again, a no brainer.

Add a profile picture
A Good one. again, if your business uses the web to reach the masses, you need a good picture or logo even. It should be reflective of your style. But, unless you sell costumes, I don't recommend the one of you dressed as a poodle.

And if you think you can keep your profile private, like on Facebook, think again. As reported by Mashable.com, Google already has announced that private profiles will be deleted soon, so make to effort now and get looking good .

Feel free to visit mine :