Category: News & Events

This article was featured on IdeaMensch on February 27, 2019. You can read the full article here.

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Take calculated risks. Be open to change. If you have big goals you need to take big steps to achieve them.

A natural entrepreneur since childhood, Seth Worby is the CEO of Newton, MA based digital marketing firm, Champ. Backed with a decade of experience in
the SEM and SEO fields, Seth founded Champ in 2009 as a sole-proprietorship run out of his home office. In a matter of months Champ grew to a handful
of employees and set up shop in their original office on Needham street. Two moves and several office expansions later, Champ is a thriving digital
marketing agency serving clients worldwide.

Seth’s background is in the world of Search Engine Optimization. He has dedicated his career to making websites perform better for the businesses that
own them. Prior to founding Champ, Seth worked at Verndale, one of Boston’s largest privately-owned web development firms. While there, he started
their search engine marketing department and worked within it as a senior strategist. He also worked at Catalyst Online, a WPP and GroupM company as
a project manager and SEO specialist. At this time Seth managed and developed SEO strategies for fortune 500 businesses including Pfizer, Proctor &
Gamble, Novartis, and more.

Seth earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on E-Business Management from Champlain College in Burlington Vermont. The name
of his college, and Seth’s time in Burlington inspired the name of his business, Champ. In his spare time Seth loves to golf in the summer and snowboard
in the winter months. You can often find him at Fenway Park or Gillette Stadium cheering on his favorite Boston sports teams.

Where did the idea for your company come from?

The idea to start Champ was first sparked during a project I was completing for an online business course I was taking in college. I knew I wanted to own
my own business one day, and I wanted to see websites created with a more performance-based model. At the time, websites were really just becoming
a necessity rather than a nice-to-have feature for business. Too many businesses were putting up sites that lacked strategy and forethought, and thus,
didn’t adequately perform to serve their business needs.

I went on to work for other established agencies after college, but kept seeing the same problems cropping up, so in 2009 I ventured out on my own and
launched Champ Internet Solutions (now simply, Champ), a grown-up version of that dream I had in college years prior.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

As a CEO of a small business, there is no truly “typical” day. Wearing many hats is the name of the game and being able to switch gears quickly is important.
As a service business, Champ’s clients and their satisfaction is paramount to our success. So, I typically spend time each day checking with our leadership
team on high-level project statuses and client satisfaction metrics. I jump in on meetings where there is a high-priority item on the agenda that requires
my input. Otherwise I am usually focused on areas where we can grow. I’m either working on strategy with the sales team, recruitment goals with HR
or participating in networking and educational events as attendee or speaker where I can expand the reach of Champ’s influence.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Bringing ideas to life is all about having the right team for the job. Sometimes that means bringing in new people who have unique experiences, sometimes
it means recruiting the hardest workers from within to tackle a tough project. For an idea to come to fruition, you need to identify all of the required
moving parts, make sure you have the talent and knowledge to handle those parts, and invest the energy to see it through to fruition. I encourage all
members of a project team to take ownership of the task. It is essential for successful completion.

What’s one trend that excites you?

I love how advanced search algorithms have become. When I first ventured into the world of SEO the field was just getting started. There was smaller overlap
between what was needed to serve the users of a website and what was needed to make a website rank well in search. Even the cleanest white hat practices
did little to make a website more valuable to the people reading it. Now, Google has advanced the technology vastly. The name of the game in SEO is
creating the best quality website possible from design, to development, to content. Google rewards real quality and usefulness with better rankings.
This makes our job easier because we can just focus on creating really solid digital marketing and, done right, we will win on SEO and we will also
win on customer conversions for our clients.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I’m an excellent prioritizer. As an entrepreneur, there are always a whole lot of balls to keep in the air. Sometimes you have to know when to put one
down that isn’t a strong factor in the objective you are trying to reach. Being productive is about focusing your energy on the efforts with the most
important pay off and not wasting a lot of time on things that aren’t driving you toward your goals.

What advice would you give your younger self?

You can’t always be a buddy and a boss at the same time. When I was younger and first starting out, I wanted to be friends with everyone I worked with.
I’m a social guy and pretty laid back and I wanted my company to be fun. I realized in time that making your company fun and engaging to your employees
isn’t always about being friends with them (though sometimes it certainly can be). It’s less important to focus on being likable than it is to focus
on the things that will really make people like you as a boss: respecting your employees’ individuality and work/life balance, creating enough managed
structure in the workplace to sustain fairness, rewarding the effort and performance of your employees, and allowing your employees ownership and autonomy
in their work lives.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

It’s better to grab an opportunity you aren’t totally prepared for and figure it out as you go than to turn down opportunities that scare you in favor
of things you are already an expert at.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Take calculated risks. Be open to change. If you have big goals you need to take big steps to achieve them.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.

Relying on traditional networking. A funny answer for a tech guy, no? No matter how reliant on technology we all are today, people are still going to prefer
to hire someone familiar over someone who isn’t. And if you don’t know anyone with the skill you need you’re going to hire someone your friend or colleague
knows. It’s true for me. Many of my best hires were people who were former colleagues of my current employees.

As a way to promote this idea I also have a significant referral rewards program for my clients who refer in other clients. As a result, I tend to get
fantastic clients, and they get a great reward.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

In the past I have allowed people to stay on my team for too long who were not a good fit. As I noted above in the advice to my younger self, I viewed
them too much as friends. You don’t want to fire your friends, right? When a person isn’t pulling their weight at a company the work flow is not the
only thing that suffers, its bad for morale and harms the people who are your superstars. I have learned to let people go when there doesn’t appear
to be a good mutual benefit. I’ve incorporated better metrics to help me keep an objective view of human resource issues and also have the benefit
of growing my business large enough to have a human resource department and leadership team to help me. Luckily these issues are rare, but I know how
to recognize them and address them quickly these days.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Create the ultimate online marketing platform. There are many Content Marketing Systems that work fine, but they don’t offer everything that a small to
mid-sized business needs in order to drive successful digital marketing campaigns. I would love to build a CMS that incorporates SEO, ecommerce and
marketing automation that makes it super easy for anyone to utilize. The ultimate goal is to give people the premium tools they need to build a high-quality
website at an economical price.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I recently took a group of Champ employees on a fun outing to a Boston Harbor Island. I think it’s important for solid teamwork to allow employees to kick
back and do something non work-related together from time to time. It helps people develop a sense of responsibility to one another and reminds everyone
that its not always about the work all the time.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?

We love Basecamp at Champ. It has really helped us to scale our business rapidly while easily keeping tabs on every moving part of each project. We make
sure action steps in all projects have an entry in basecamp and a specific person assigned to it. This allows us to track our projects easily and helps
all of our employees manage their time and priorities effectively each day.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

Do the KIND Thing: Think Boundlessly, Work Purposefully, Live Passionately.
An autobiography by Daniel Lubetzky, the Founder and CEO of KIND.

His three mottos really resonated with me, and as an entrepreneur his advice was extremely helpful. One of the main things I got out of the book was that
it’s always good to be noticed (for the right reasons) and to think big. Any company looking to up its focus on delivering an excellent product, do-good
mission, and building a thoughtful culture should look to KIND as a shining star. This book highlights how to achieve success in business, and life,
while making the world a better place. I gleaned much of what Champ has become from this book. I highly recommend it.

What is your favorite quote?

“Begin with the end in mind” – Dr. Stephen Covey This is the second habit listed in Dr. Covey’s world-renowned book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
This idea has really resonated with me as I’ve moved through my professional career. If you don’t know where you are trying to go, its very hard to
get there. By having an ultimate, clearly defined goal in place, it makes it easier to break it down into actionable parts and end up where you meant
to be headed.

Key learnings:

• SEO success is much more about quality than anything else these days. If you are looking to have success online make sure that you are providing clear,
  easy to understand content that solves your target audience’s problems and answers their questions. Add to this a well structured and designed
  website and you are going to do well. If you need help consult an expert. 
• Respect your employees’ individual needs and talents and allow them to play to their strengths. If someone’s strengths aren’t a fit for your business
  have enough respect for them to let them go. 
• Know where you are heading with your business. Set clear goals and have a well-defined mission. Focus your energy on the things that best serve this
  overall vision.

In our community of Newton, 1 in 8 households survive on less than $25,000 combined income and use the Food Pantry to provide basic needs for their families.
Our client and neighbor, Barclay’s Water Management helped us sort through the donated
goods on January 10th. A big thank you to Carol from the all volunteer run Newton Food Pantry for teaching us about the effects of food insecurity and the services food banks provide.

“It was a really eye opening experience.” Said Champer Amy Brandt.

Digital Marketing and search engine optimization are critical to the success of your restaurant.  After all, if potential customers can’t find you
on Google…you’re losing business to the competition.  

Join Seth Worby, CEO and Founder of Champ Internet for an informative and engaging session on how to improves your restaurant’s Google ranking, increase
site traffic and fill tables.  

What You Can Expect to Learn:

• What you can do today to improve your Google ranking tomorrow
• Choosing the right search terms
• How to showcase positive press and customer reviews on your site
• Why you should claim your profile on Google Business

About Seth:

Seth Worby is the founder and CEO of Champ Internet in Newton, MA.

Prior to founding Champ, Seth worked at Verndale, one of Boston’s largest privately owned web development firms, where he started their search engine
marketing department.  

Seth has has worked with such hospitality clients as Legal Seafoods, The Devlin Restaurant Group, the Briar Restaurant Group, the St. Thomas Restaurant
Group, City Table, Anthem Restaurant and Gather Restaurant. 

This article was featured in Website Magazine on January 10, 2018. You can read the full article here.

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With nearly two weeks into the new year, digital marketing experts are looking ahead to the innovative trends that are bound to shape 2018.

Marketers and entrepreneurs foresee a consumer-focused year, with a heightened focus on themes like compassion and empathy, which give way to a new form
of inspiration. At January’s drawing boards, marketing experts are harnessing the modern consumer’s increasing desire to learn, grow, and better the
world—not just to invest.

Embrace Loving-Kindness – Seriously!

In today’s hectic political clime, modern audiences are looking for an online shopping experience they can feel good about. The world is in a perilous
position, with violence splashed in every headline and humanitarian crises at the forefront of every news feed. As such, today’s altruistic consumers
are bound to shy away from heavy-handed, overly aggressive marketing tactics. Instead, predictions suggest that compassionate marketing will take center
stage. Some organizations, for example, are bound to pair up with humanitarian aid organizations and other non-profits to help raise social awareness—and
even funding. Other entrepreneurs might focus more on marketing efforts designed around themes like mindfulness, relaxation, or even playfulness –
tactics designed to inspire, motivate, and calm.

Keep it Local

Whereas the content of yore might have been created at a corporation’s global headquarters, it’s now being developed on-ground, wherever it’s needed. Gone
are the days of trickle-down content, which often requires translation and complicated media placement. Now, local offices are shaping “trans-created”
content, wherein top-down content elements, like images and headlines, are refashioned to suit local audiences. Hyperlocal content uses search terms
that are relevant only to a specific geographical area, and could include mentions of landmarks, neighborhoods, or even local festivals and events.
Hyperlocal content assures specific audiences that they matter; as such, highly tailored and heavily localized content will be something most consumers
come to expect in 2018 and beyond.

Strive for Better Content – Every Time

In 2018, high-quality content will toe the line between entrepreneurship and education, since today’s savvy consumers will need to be persuaded more than
ever before. Modern content will need to go beyond mere sales pitches if it’s to be successful – and the top entrepreneurs recognize that the best
content informs a customer rather than just convincing her to buy. In the new year, focus on innovative content that blurs the boundaries between the
traditional sales tacks of previous years, and you’re bound to see an uptick in traffic. Targeted blogs, whitepapers, and even authoritative entries
on sites like Quora can boost a brand’s credibility, working to provide consumers with the information they need to make a purchasing decision they
can feel good about.

When considering content in 2018, it’s wise to keep Facebook at the forefront of your approach, since the site continues to enjoy 2 billion monthly users—and
counting. Though loopholes and policies always seem to be shifting, Facebook makes a terrific avenue for broadcasting high-quality content—especially
video, whose popularity is bound to keep rising into the new year and beyond.

It’s All About the Journey – Not the Destination

In 2018, marketers will hone in on the route each consumer takes to reach that final purchase. Modern shoppers are conducting careful research, asking
questions on a wide range of forums, and eking out answers however they can – and most are able to recognize a credible source instinctively. To set
a brand apart from large-scale websites like Amazon, entrepreneurs would do well to create a reliable stream of credible content that isn’t designed
to make a sale. When users see that companies care about education for the sheer sake of delivering knowledge, they’re much more likely to trust the
brand – again and again, today and down the line. By crafting strong content that doesn’t just work to sell a product or service, businesses can develop
an informed pathway for each potential and returning customer.

Approach the Influencer – With Caution

2018 will bring with it the increased rise of the influencer, whose job as an influential individual is to market products to their broad and often diverse
social media followings. Modern beauty brands have long harnessed the power of the influencer – imagine the many celebrity faces of the cosmetics’
companies Neutrogena and CoverGirl, for example – but as we head into 2018, we’re likely to see many more brands identifying and working with influencers
in their fields.

Today’s entrepreneurs are looking to the power of the influencer as a way to make their advertising seem more authentic, genuine, and personal. Even smaller
brands new to influencer marketing are jumping on board, harnessing the efforts of “micro-influencers,” or those with just a few thousand social media
followers. Micro-influencers may not be breaking the bank, but they’re proud to enjoy corporate perks, like insider insights and free products, as
ways to help deliver better, more distinctive content to their unique audiences.

In 2018, innovative marketing approaches paired with singular content are bound to deliver success to all who embrace them. For today’s marketing experts,
thinking outside the box is the way to get ahead in the new year—and beyond.

This article was featured on Website Magazine on December 4th, 2017. You can read the full article here.

Every time a global business reports a security breach, we’re reminded of how easy it is to lose trust in an organization – and how difficult that trust can be to re-earn. And there’s no time like the holidays to remind consumers of their choices when it comes to selecting gifts, travel, meals and more. The most successful modern businesses strive for a public reputation built on trust, reliability and credibility.

Earning a consumer’s trust often takes years of careful engineering, and today’s biggest corporations are masters at the game. Coca-Cola, for example, has spent decades honing a particular image of their namesake beverage come holiday time. The children of the baby boom grew up watching friendly polar bears on TV, snapping open bottles of refreshing Coke. The brand has spent decades convincing audiences that Coke is synonymous with family, tradition, holiday and home – and these trust-building values are certainly part of Coke’s secret to global success.

Yet assuring consumer trust need not take decades – or dollars. For three easy and effective ways to build trust come holiday time, read on.

Market Compassion First and Foremost

As marketers are putting the finishing touches on this season’s campaign, it will pay to embed a compassionate message wherever possible. In today’s turbulent world, consumers are seeking a retail experience they can feel good about, so take extra precautions to ensure every outgoing campaign has the consumer’s best interests at heart. Be sure that you’re presenting your offerings fairly – and warmly, since holiday shoppers aren’t looking for even well-intended snarkiness. Try aligning your campaign with initiatives your consumers will feel good about supporting, like pairing a product promotion with access to a community event, or offering to donate a portion of your product’s proceeds to a worthy cause.

Never Snub the Humble Review

Modern consumers know that their voices hold power, and product reviews are gold for today’s savvy shopper. As such, it never pays to overlook a negative review – and it’s worth acknowledging glowing reviews, too. Especially with larger purchases, consumers are turning in increasing numbers to related reviews before taking the plunge. As a case in point, a recent Zendesk survey found that nearly 90 percent of respondents allowed good reviews to affect their purchasing decisions, and just over 85 percent admitted that negative reviews had affected their decisions, too.

If your organization isn’t currently harnessing the power of the review, now’s as good a time as any to jump on board. Start by encouraging customers to write Google Reviews, since the search engine will only continue to dominate the consumer shopping experience. Google Reviews are easily accessed and can offer a bright picture of your business before the user even enters your website. Earnest testimonials posted to your website and social media can also elicit holiday trust.

Acknowledge – and Assuage – Your Detractors

It’s the holidays, and everyone’s bound to make a mistake – shipping gets muddled, orders are filled incorrectly and phone center operators get overwhelmed. Still, it’s imperative to remember that the customer is always right – at least where detractors are concerned. Those interested in taking away from your company’s integrity are a threat to your brand, and must be addressed – never ignored. In today’s digital realm, a disgruntled customer is more than likely than not to brand-bash in front of their 400 closest Facebook friends.

Don’t shy away from interacting with customers on all levels, from Twitter to email to the old-fashioned face-to-face conversation. Offer a friendly, helpful attitude at all times, and don’t stop your work until a solution’s been found. Don’t shy away from responding to complaints on TripAdvisor and Yelp, even if you may not be able to take them down – consumers will know you reached out, and they’ll be able to read about any efforts you made to solve the problem. And before complaints hit the world of online reviews, try assuaging the disgruntled with promotions, coupon codes, or other forms of special treatment—a step that could save you a disastrous negative review.

This holiday season, put the customer first: tailor marketing that appeals to his or her compassion, and encourage him or her to share their great experiences online. If problems arise, deal with them immediately, with a smile on your face (or in your tone). It’s goodwill full speed ahead, since today’s marketers recognize that feel-good shopping at holiday time means a bright new year for all.

This article was featured on Website Magazine on November 8th, 2017. You can read the full article here.

Harness the power of search engine optimization (SEO) strategy to boost local rankings, drive website traffic, and gain customers for life.

These are the promises of SEO-driven content, yet so many organizations neglect to consider the local element when it comes to effective SEO strategizing. Read on for useful strategies to ensure that SEO is current, relevant, and localized. High rankings are everything in today’s fast-paced online marketplace, and our tips are guaranteed to help outrank the competition.

Enhance A Website’s Code with Local Structured Data Markup

Structured data markup, otherwise known as “schema markup,” provides search engines with a comprehensive level of information about your business offerings, including your products, associated reviews, available services, and more. Today, roughly a third of websites are harnessing structured data markup, and the majority of those sites are putting only a minimum of their data to work.

Some industries may be slow to catch on to local structured data markup, but individual organizations needn’t dawdle. Keep in mind that Google and other search engines actually want organizations using structured data markup, since it makes crawling for results easier. To ensure optimal outcomes, make use of Google’s innovative Structured Data Testing Tool to confirm that markup is functioning as it should.

Claim The Business—And Optimize From There

Don’t overlook the power of large online directories, most notably Google My Business (GMB). We urge organizations to claim their Google My Business pages immediately, since this free opportunity offers terrific exposure—as long as information is optimized correctly. It’s worth checking out Bing Places for Business, too. With a little tweaking, major search engines will be harvesting directory accounts in no time, supplementing search engine listings with maps, website links, and more.

To claim a business with Google, visit Google’s Business page. Organizations are required to offer a physical address so that Google can mail a secure PIN. Though time-consuming, the process is worthwhile—otherwise, search engines would be inundated with false business locations and made-up owners. Remember: only the business owner can claim a GMB page, so even if an organization working with a third party to develop SEO content, only the owner has total access to his or her directory listing.

Once an owner has claimed the page, it’s time to bolster it with relevant, comprehensive descriptions of your offerings, categories, and business hours. It’s critical to include a local phone number, too. From there, organizations will want to incorporate everything from which types of payment are accepted to photos of the business, products, and services. Typically, three photos or more guarantee credibility in Google’s eyes. Take the time to populate each section for a complete listing, simply hiding any categories that aren’t relevant to the unique organization in question.

All Press is Good Press: Worship the Review

Consumers have known for decades that reviews can make or break a sale, providing pertinent information the manufacturer simply can’t supply. According to BrightLocal’s annual Local Consumer Review Survey, over 80 percent of consumers trust online reviews just as much as they would a personal recommendation. Plus, 70 percent report that they’ll leave a review if the business requests one. Why not let the people have their say? Recognize quality reviews, respond to negative ones, and solicit new reviews at every opportunity. If done correctly, there’s no better way to boost an organization’s local credibility, online and off.

To get a handle on reviews related to any given brand, consider making use of websites like Vendasta, Trust Pilot, Get Five Stars, or Reputation Loop, all designed to track, manage, and solicit reviews. Hootsuite and Tiny Torch, social media platforms, alert users every time someone mentions their organization and related products or services. For customer reviews organizations can work with, we suggest turning to your business’s Facebook account and Google My Business page. Remember: according to Google, “Positive reviews from your customers will improve your business’s visibility,” suggesting that reviews factor highly into page ranking algorithms.

Don’t Ignore Titles and Meta Description Tags

Never neglect HTML elements, like titles and meta descriptors, which can help embed valuable keyword content to any online presence. These tiny pieces of text should be considered mini-advertisements, worthy of careful construction. Keep title tags tight and succinct, just under 50 or 60 characters, with description tags weighing in at around 170 characters. And remember—if tags aren’t unique or distinctive, they won’t do the brand any good. Tailor tags to suit a local clientele by including a location or general service area, too.

Never Underestimate the Online Directory

Some organizations may not yet be relying on websites like Yelp, Merchant Circle, Citysearch, Angie’s List, and Craigslist, but we guarantee that their potential customers are. Take the time to list the business on respected local directories, and investigate the local newspaper’s website, as well as the local Chamber of Commerce, for opportunities to list and promote services.

It also makes sense to list the brand properly on major citation data aggregators, including Factual, Acxiom, Infogroup, and Neustar. That way, businesses open themselves up for local and international attention alike. Just be sure to pinpoint and correct any errors now, before it’s too late. Problems like misspelled words, confusing abbreviations, and incorrect phone numbers can sink a listing to the bottom of the rankings.

Keep it Local

When structuring SEO content, it’s critical to tailor it to local audiences. After all, an in-town following represents the bread and butter for so many organizations – so why not harness the power of your community today? Embrace the potential of websites like Yelp – and never fail to acknowledge the power of your reviewers. When organizations devote time and attention to every element of the SEO process, they’re positioning their brands to soar.

Fjorgecast Tim hosts Seth Worby from Champ Internet Solutions. Seth founded Champ Internet Solutions in March 2009. A pioneering SEO strategist and
web marketer, Seth’s breadth of technological and business knowledge help drive results in terms of SEO, e-commerce, marketing and integrated solutions
for Champ’s clients. Seth cares about delivering results and knows how to forge strong relationships that yield significant achievements.

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