A human resources executive argues that when leadership development is established across a virtual team, it can yield measurable results. As more employees work from home because of the COVID-19 outbreak, virtual mentoring and collaboration have become part of the new normal. Companies are suddenly transitioning to remote work, which can impact development. Leaders need to rethink how to manage and develop their teams . Read Full Story

Over the past few months, COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on the performance of Google My Business (GMB) listings across every industry. Businesses have scrambled to keep their GMB listings up to date and relevant with Google suspending customer reviews and scaling back support. Meanwhile, how has GMB performance been affected? To find out, I worked with my company Reputation.com to examine GMB performance across all verticals. One trend that seemed to come out of this analysis was that automotive appears to be not only a bellwether for the U.S. economy, but also as an industry to look at to see what is likely going to happen on GMB for other industries. So how have people interacted with automotive GMBs during COVID-19 so far? This is an important question. A GMB listing acts as a business’ digital front door . And importantly, performance metrics on GMB listings provide a …

No doubt this is a hard time to grow a local business. Coronavirus has likely forced you to make big changes to the way you operate. It’s almost certainly hit your bottom line too. However, it’s still absolutely possible to grow your local business at a time like this. You just have to be smart about it. In this article, I’ll talk you through how to do that. First, though, here’s a bit of detail on why this is such a challenging time for businesses like yours. The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Local Businesses You’re probably sick of reading and hearing the word “unprecedented.” I know I am. Unfortunately, it’s just the best word to describe the current climate for local businesses. By the end of March, 32 states had locked down in response to the pandemic. Two in five small businesses across the US had temporarily closed …

No matter what industry you’re in, there’s always more work than time to do it. This means that there is always something lacking, always more work to be done, and new companies often fall behind their expectations and deadlines. One of the most insidious parts is that it leads to massive stress. According to business coach Michael Hyatt, 45% of entrepreneurs are stressed . So, what’s an overworked entrepreneur to do? There are plenty of answers, and not everyone works for every type of entrepreneur. But the answer more and more business owners are turning to is a simple one: outsourcing. Outsourcing is giving your work to someone else outside of your main business. That could be through freelancing, or by hiring another firm (like a call center) to handle segments of your business. You could even outsource by shipping a business process like manufacturing overseas. For most small business …

When your workplace has a well-executed feedback culture, it likewise shows off a communicative company. As COVID-19 began its global spread, companies scrambled to re-create familiar routines for employees working remotely. Daily meetings became video calls. Coffee runs turned into virtual Donut chats. The initial stay-at-home orders of 2020 inspired a variety of quick fixes to help teams stay connected and productive. Nearly a year has passed since those first, frantic days of the pandemic; now it’s time to trade our temporary measures for lasting remote work solutions. Read Full Story

How can we be effective at giving feedback remotely, not only during performance reviews, but all the time?

Posted by MiriamEllis The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the way we engage with local businesses. We're ordering more food for delivery, spending more money in online shops, and checking for safety measures on the web listings of businesses of all kinds. But what do these new trends mean for the ways businesses market themselves online? We asked five local SEO experts to zero in on the trends and tactics businesses across five industries should focus on to get ahead — and stay ahead — during this time. For more local insights, download our State of Local SEO Industry Report . 1. 70% of local marketers reported marketing budget cuts due to COVID-19, leading marketers to focus even more on the most impactful local SEO campaign elements. Which three local search marketing tactics are delivering the most value for businesses right now, and why? Phil Rozek : Health and Wellness Services …

Customer support and customer success can be confusing for both beginners and experts alike. Both customer support and customer success teams are important for your brand’s ongoing growth and success, and the roles share similar skill sets. Yet, they are two very different things. It’s time to clear up the confusion around customer support and customer success for good. In this article, we’ll cover: What customer success is and why it’s important. What customer support is and why it’s important. The key differences between the two terms. What Is Customer Support? Customer support is when you help a customer overcome a specific problem. Customer support teams have one-on-one conversations with customers and work closely with product design and engineering teams to fix issues. For example, customers might reach out through phone, chat , or email to get help with an issue. Customer support is reactive in that sense. You only …

While it would be ideal if employee performance was never an issue, understanding the options enables managers to succeed when it is. Early in the COVID-19 crisis, when the number of Americans working remotely spiked to over 60% , many for the first time, we advocated for managers to recognize the unique challenges faced by their employees. We and others emphasized that remote work during a pandemic can differ dramatically from remote work in non-quarantine times. However, as it appears that remote work will remain prevalent for some time to come, many leaders are beginning to adapt their management practices to this new reality. Read Full Story

Posted by ktaing Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, business owners have had to move quickly to make drastic changes in their services to meet searchers’ new needs in a continuously unpredictable landscape. While “Near me” searches saw a slight drop in early 2020, since then, have maintained a steady increase, further solidifying the need for brands and businesses of all sizes to be present and discoverable online. During the pandemic, almost a third of shoppers have purchased from a brand that’s new to them . In this article, we’ll explore tactics for surfacing your new or updated services digitally to guide and convert these new searchers during their decision-making process. What types of questions are searchers asking? How can I do business with you? When thinking about your Google My Business profile and adjustments to your information, the most important element is informing searchers how they can …