Googling my business

The phone rang a few days ago. It was a long-lost client from several years ago. I'd moved twice since then and we long ago lost contact. They tracked me down by googling me and finding my business website, specifically this page. It details an arcane specialty of mine, converting ancient DOS database apps to Windows.

DOS databases in 2006? Yes. This company runs a Clipper database app I originally wrote in '92, then updated in 1999. It runs their entire business and handles big money transaction on a daily basis. The problem is, these DOS apps increasingly act flaky in XP, refusing to print, crashing, etc. That's when they google "Clipper conversion" or "Clipper migration" and find my site listed, along with my Google AdWords ads. There are still thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, mission-critical Clipper apps out there. Seriously.

My point here is, use your website to get business. Tailor the pages so they are search-engine friendly and focus on a specific point. Then use Google Adwords to build traffic.With Adwords, you list the search phrases you want, then say how much you want to bid on them. Highest bid gets listed first. Google "Clipper migration"

You'll see my ad, (bomoco.com) listed either on the top with a blue background, or in the little ads on the side. Plus it's in the search results too. You only pay if they click through. The key point is to make the search phrases as specific as possible. Then not only will they be better-targeted, they will be cheaper. The ad should go to a page on the site specifically geared to that phrase too. Don't send them to the home page and make them hunt, send them directly to the relevant page.

Google Adwords works. I continue to get business for it, sometimes major pieces of work too. If you have a business, you should use it, as well as making your site search engine friendly.