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Revealed at Last!
It's difficult creating a website that brings you business! It's a full-time job where things seem easy at first but as soon as you begin to explore the possibilities and appreciate the complexities at hand, it can soon start taking up ever-increasing amounts of your time. Ask Michael Garcia, for he was the best kept secret in the hair industry while operating the elaborate online marketing at Farrell Hair Replacement. And now he wants to share his Online Marketing Secrets.
NHJ: After 8 years of making Farrell the most highly exposed hair replacement company on the Internet, you left. Why?
MG: For me it’s more about the journey than the destination. When I began, Farrell operated one salon. Now they’re recognized internationally. What excited me wasn’t arriving at the top as much as the challenge of getting there. I want go back to helping the smaller companies.
NHJ: You’re offering solutions from CRM to Sales Training. What is the most important and valuable marketing solution offered by your consultancy?
MG: Definitely “SEO” or Search Engine Optimization which means we design or modify websites so that the search engines like Google will better read the website and place it high in the rankings under the terms people are searching for online like “hair replacement”. Being at the top of the search engines means everything in terms of successful marketing. Nowadays people go to Google instead of to the phone book and that trend is going to continue.
NHJ: Is it very costly to get ranked high in the search engines?
MG: No, not when you consider the financial rewards that come with reaching to top. Even so, developing an effective website and having it exposed to the people searching for you is essential. It’s something that people can’t afford not to do. That’s not to say it’s cheap or simple but it does take patience. I always tell people, “C’mon. How can you expect to get to the top cheaply and quickly when the financial rewards for getting there are so big and there is so much competition?”
NHJ: You’ve operated in the shadows of the industry for years. Are you ready for this level of exposure?
MG: I am ready. My work and abilities are well known and I still meet people who want to ring my neck for Farrell’s aggressive marketing. Like, “You’re the guy who put Richard’s face everywhere? I want to ring your neck, but first, where do I sign up?” I have a good relationship with the AHLC and can’t wait to work with their membership. I have a high level of confidence in what I can offer salons and clinics. I’ve been doing this for so long, I’m at the very top of my game and I understand this industry and client base intimately.
NHJ: Any advice for those of us who are still troubled by the Internet?
MG: Yes. Don’t be afraid of the Internet. It can be your friend. It’s a powerful communication tool that has changed the way we market and sell. It is up to individual businesses to step up and take advantage of the Internet to improve marketing and sales. Don’t see it as something that just allows other people to prosper. It’s for you and is there for the taking. Grab it with both hands.
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