We use several techniques that are proven to illicit desired behavior in people. They are authority, social proof, commitment, reciprocation and rarity.

Authority is used to convince the visitor that the website knows what they are talking about. This is to convince them that if you say it’s true, it must be because you’re an expert and should know.

To use it effectively, we highlight the expertise of the author, the client, or the business. We show it to be honest and trustworthy and convince the visitor that they can be trusted. This can be in the form of testimonials, feedback, and reviews. We build a picture of the site, and the business and provide credibility of authority.

Social Proof is a relatively new phenomenon. Thanks to sites like Facebook and Twitter, the opinion of other people has never been so available. Like it or not, the social networks are all about opinion. Website designs that include social media apps aren’t just there to look cool, they are also there to provide social proof of the site’s popularity to visitors.

Persuading a course of action from a site visitor can be achieved by subtly letting them know that everyone else is using, loving, buying the product or service, and that it has a following of loyal customers. This can create FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), which results in another sale.

Commitment is all about showing that the client has the courage of their convictions. That they are in it for the long run and that the products and services they offer aren’t going to disappear overnight.

Conversely, if the website can get a little commitment from the visitor, it’s probable that they will begin to feel support for the product or service. That support can evolve into loyalty, which all businesses want. Using “Like” features for Facebook is one way of getting this.

Reciprocation is a very useful tool in web design because it instantly creates positive emotions in the visitor. For example, offering a free e-book, samples, or teasers. This generous offer can, in many cases, cause the visitor to want to reciprocate.

This is easy to implement in a web design in all the methods mentioned above. On its own, reciprocation isn’t the strongest tool, as we are increasingly becoming used to getting things for free. Used in conjunction with other behavior tools and it becomes more effective.

Rarity is all about creating the impression that the product is limited and that the visitor has to move fast. This is an old selling trick, but one we still use in website designs every day. By creating the impression the item is limited, it also increases in value.

All these techniques are used readily in website designs to illicit a required response. Just like advertising on other mediums, large amounts of psychology is used to ensure our clients get exactly what they want.

Need help ranking on Google Local / Google Maps?

As you may or may not know, Google recently changed the game…again. If you search for a local service provider in your city, what do you see? You see that Google has taken the once small and obscure Google Maps/Google Places and has begun replacing “organic” search results with these new maps results.

So what does this mean for you? Well that depends, some people who were in the top of the organic search results recently are nowhere to be found now. Others who may have been nowhere to be found in organic are possibly ranking very high now with the new format.

Let’s go over some details about Google Local SEO and why it’s important and more importantly, how we can help your business.

Why is Google Local SEO So Important?

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It Allows You to Connect With Your Customers

The main benefit to Google Local search results is that it allows you to connect directly with customers. Not only on Google itself, but on the slew of sites Google pulls information from such as Yelp, YP.com, and other similar sites. The better exposure you have on these sites, the better you will do on Google Local Search.

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Manage Complaints and Monitor Reviews About Your Company

Reviews and complaints are probably the most important things a business owner now has to worry about. Not only did Google change up the way they show search results, they also include both good and negative reviews about your business right in the search results. That can be a scary or great thing, it all depends on how good you are at web reputation management and turning those angry reviewers into happy ones which can sometimes mean swallowing your pride and sticking to “the customer is always right” slogan.

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Add Images & Videos

One of the new great features Google has done with the local search results / Google Maps is allowing business owners to upload not only images of their business but also videos. This is a great way to add some real depth to your listing. Take a look at Thought Mechanics Google Page. Notice all the goodies we added? We have 5 videos our video production team created for past clients, and we also have 10 screen grabs of past web design projects we have completed. So, not only does it look nice and add value for potential clients, we think it may help you rank higher in the search results as well

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Keep Track of Stats Such as Views, Clicks, and Actions

We can get you setup so you are able to track stats on how many people are viewing and reviewing your company listing or taking actions on your listing such as getting driving directions or reading reviews. It’s important to stay in tune with the community especially now that your customers reviews and voices are so well seen.

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So obviously this new search results format is here to stay, it’s quickly rolling out across all major cities and by the time you read this by clicking through form a search engine, the change will probably be rolled out 100% by then. If you’re ready to take on Google’s new search results page and have your company seen, give us a shout and let’s talk!

Article By: Google Maps SEO

The only reason I’m writing this post is to keep some fresh content on the front page. I just got this ranked for “fort myers web design” and I did it by fluke so I’m trying to be very careful and not lose it. Hopefully I’ll find the writer at some point today and put the order in.