The Retail Podcast - DeathGround | Marketing and Small Business Advice

Ever wondered what keyword difficulty really means? You may have seen the phrase low competition keywords or keyword difficulty on tools like Semrush, Ubersuggest and Ahrefs and not been totally sure what level of keyword difficulty you can tackle. This toolbox tip seo episode will get straight to the point. How much does keyword difficulty matter? TLDR: Not as much as you think.  In this 'What does keyword difficulty mean' SEO toolbox tip, I break down what it is, how to use it and when it doesn't really matter. If you want to find out more how I can help you with my own professional keyword research services, hit that link and check me out online. Thanks for listening!

How to hire an SEO Agency, is a problem I have faced in the past, and I know pretty much anyone out there running a small or even a larger business faces. How do you quantify if what you're being pitched is realistic or even going to cut the mustard? As someone who both DOES Search Engine Optimisation for my own businesses and others - and has hired for it - I know how to recruit wrong. Fortunately... I also know what to look for now. Here's my take on what you should be looking for and for those who didn't want to ask - what SEO even really is. SPOILER ALERT: It's not just downloading an app or completing the 'SEO box' on Shopify product descriptions. The best SEO work is a lot more involved and sometimes incredibly slow-paced, data entry work. So anyway, without padding this description out too much so I can slip in a cheeky off-page SEO backlink, here's how to hire an SEO agency. Where next? | How To Speed Up a Shopify Store What is involved in SEO? SEO includes 4 key areas, which I am going to cover: User Experience Technical SEO / Page Performance On-Page SEO Off-Page Linking/PR How does this all relate to retail? Well, ranking well locally means footfall through your door over a competitor's retail location. Clicks to bricks as it's known. Secondly, if you sell products online, or want to, search engine improvements are vital to make your presence become known. Here are this shopkeeper's tips to help you keep that traffic flowing and how to hire an SEO agency.

5 Easy Ways Your Offline Shop Can Beat Online Competition  If you run a brick and mortar business you may worry that online is eating into your market. You can't be blamed for thinking like that, we have it rammed down our throat constantly by national media.  The reality is much more nuanced than that. In truth one statement can't talk about an entire spread of industries.  Are convenience tobacco stores going out of business because of Amazon? Hell no. High quality, amazing experiences, with impeccable branding will always resonate with consumers. Not all consumers, but the ones you probably want.   In this podcast I talk (From experience) 5 simple and easy ways you can take the battle to the online competitors and win. So give me 28 minutes of your time and I will give you a ton of tested methods you can apply starting today. In fact right after you share and subscribe to this podcast.  This is a core part of what we do at Deathground as a Retail Consultancy Agency. It's been a while since I added a new episode to the retail podcast, but I am back, I just will be a little less demanding on myself to produce so many episodes.  Retail tips in the form of podcast don't seem to trickle down to audio platforms. Well certainly not anything you don't already know. But where our business straddles online and offline, I am able to see what works and what obvious tricks are being missed.  If you worry about your business being taken over by an online competitor, breath easy. I've got some easter eggs for you. so that's it, this is the Mason on Business show, the retail podcast that helps you beat the odds. This episode was sponsored by SEO Fairy - simple and affordable SEO advice for SMEs. If you are looking for a local SEO agency or an SEO consultant that doesn't cost the earth - hit them up. #retail #marketing #seo

How to build Backlinks the easy way is my golden hack tip right now. I run my own businesses including my CBD shop https://CBDStar.co - and sometimes you have to learn to do something yourself. So if you run a business that has a website and you have read about backlinks and want to know how to get more, then this podcast is bang on the 💰. Having been scammed myself this month by an outright marketing and PR scammer - I had to get back on my SEO wagon and master some tasks myself. In this episode I talk about how to get backlinks with very little effort, simply by leveraging the work others are already paying for. It's 💯 legit and it's very easy to do.

Seven habits of successful people is the topic of our high performance habit podcast and this is part 2. I spent the evening with dietician and instagram advisor @thenutriguy where we shared our top tips for improving your output in life and work.  They often say successful people have a set of disciplines or daily habits they follow each day without fail and we took the time to share those we conduct ourselves. Recently I have spent a few months devoting to improving my health, my work and my wellbeing and this is what we cover today. If you want to get on in the workplace, improve your health or learn a new skill, you may find this podcast of real value. If nothing else, have another glass of water, cos this one goes deep. I put these MOBshow Mason on business podcasts out as a hobby really. I have enjoyed learning to record and edit audio, but I also see the value in contemplative learning to improve what I do on a day to day basis. I'm a jack of all trades (well a few) and master of absolutely zero. But I do like guinea pigging to see what works. If you enjoyed this podcast don't forget to jump on instagram and thank @thenutriguy for his input. You can find me on there @the_mobshow come say hi. Seven habits of successful people!

7 habits of successful people is the topic of today's show. Myself and long term friend Genesis, aka @thenutriguy talk about steps you can take to increase your life chances of success and happiness. We discuss "What makes success?" but also 7 items we believe, if implemented now, will have a profound effect on your life. Recently I have been following 10 commandments of improvement that I pretty much made up while in the gym one evening, that have led me to losing a stone of fat and finding my mojo in work again. I challenge you to try the same thing. Whether you work for yourself, or for others, or even are chasing that dream job - these habits will make you a happier human. If you want to ask me any questions about this podcast, you can DM me on instagram @the_mobshow, or catch up with Genesis on his own IG. Genesis is a qualified dietician, has worked on Harley Street and for the NHS and now serves up life support knowledge online every day in an easy format. If you liked the show, don't forget to subscribe and share. Sharing is caring.

My first year in business, charts my story from opening a terrible ecommerce business to moving into bricks and mortar retail. That same business Vape and Juice, the online vape shop is where I operate now. From 1 shop to 30 in 5 years, I wanted to talk to would be start-uppers and budding businessmen and women, what I went through and what you can do to win. Check me out on Instagram: @the_mobshow  Check me out on Facebook: @mobshowpodcast MOB Show stands for 'Mason on Business'. I have successfully and unsuccessfully set up a host of companies, with some doing wonders and one landing me in the slammer. Creating commerce is my passion and its equally fun for me to help others avoid the mistakes I made in starting up a business. My inbox is always there for any questions I can help with. If you want to find out what it takes to start a vape shop or CBD business, then listen in. Please don't forget to rate or share to a friend if you find it has added value to your day.  Check out why we are placing this link to a vaping article on the Smok Alien vape kit, in our October 2019 episode - how to win at Google.

Can you sack a customer? Seems counter intuitive if you run a customer facing business, but sometimes, a customer is not a customer at all. On ridiculously rare occasions I have had to sack a customer. Or put another way, been firm, not bent over backwards and been prepared to take what they have to throw back at me. Why? Because I could commit more time and energy to those customers and team members who deserve it. If you want to find out what it means to sack a customer and what kind of circumstances it is okay to do it in, then take a listen. If you run a retail or sales business, then ask yourself whether your time is really being served by someone you dread dealing with. If it has a knock on negative impact on your wider business, or is costing so much time in labour costs, then what may seem like a customer on the outside, might actually be a loss maker in reality. Don't forget to like, subscribe and share to a friend. Thanks for listening and reach out to me @the_mobshow on Twitter and Instagram

Want to know the truth about getting head in business or in your professional life? Target Fixation is one of the biggest self imposed barriers faced by so many wannabe entrepreneurs, actual entrepreneurs and professionals. If you want to know what I mean by target fixation and how to challenge yourself to achieve more in life, then check out this podcast. If you find the MOB Show podcast helpful for you in your business life or professional career, then head over to iTunes, chuck us a 5 star and share us on to a friend who could benefit too. I will never waste your time with sponsored ads running through the podcast, I simply want to share my experiences to help others avoid these common pitfalls. If you want to ask a question or get in touch with The MOB show, head over to Insta or Twitter @the_mobshow Or you can visit us online www.theMOBshow.com - The Retail Podcast Check out today's chat about Target Fixation, and becoming a better version of you to be around.

The truth about why your marketing is not converting online is my take on what we often forget to do in terms of UX, aka user experience. We often do marketing campaigns to grow our online and offline projects, but have you ever stopped to really consider why some campaigns work, while others don't? The truth is, different audiences, have a different perception of your brand. Some will have never even heard of you. Why does this matter? Well if you are asking people to visit your website and they have no experience of using it before, they may simply not know where the items they like are to be found. This is why we talk about enhancing UX in business and taking the time to test for it. If you are going to spend the time to market, you should spend the time to talk about what goes wrong too. If you want to find out more about The MOB show, and how to ask me any questions, check us out online at www.theMOBshow.com or visit us on Insta and Twitter @the_mobshow Mason on business, draws from his retail experience of growing a multi-million revenue vape shop business and dumps all those findings for you, for free to improve your game. Check out our online vape shop or CBD eliquid shop too. And that is the truth about why your marketing is not converting. Check out our updated Shopify blog structure with our recent post on the Voopoo Drag UK. October 2019 - podcast how to win at Google will explain more.

SMS marketing. No it's not a replay of a podcast from 2001; we took a look at the unloved marketing medium, SMS.  Email marketing has it's place and it does work. BUT, its a crowded marketplace, and you aren't just competing for attention from competitors but also from other industries too.  Every so often I get a text from my phone provider reminding me I have nailed my data. I also get a text once in a blue moon from the Doctor's and from my Dentist. And that's about it. If you run an e-commerce or a retail  business that collects information relating to deliveries etc, using the email data because it costs less to send an email; is a bit of a 'stepping over a dollar for a nickel' strategy. This means, in order to save a few quid/dollars, you do something that yields less money. But email isn't free, you need to pay for mailchimp accounts and there is design time too. Then you send out the email, and you are sending it to someone's email inbox that has spam catchers. A text message, is a couple of sentences, creates a phone screen notification, doesn't target a medium with a spam net and it just costs you a couple of pence/cent per send. So to guarantee you reach more people's attention-o-meter, you have to pay a few quid up front. Spend a little more, get a whole lot more. We tested it this Friday and the results are covered in the podcast. For those vape fans who follow this podcast, the discount code is PAYDAY20. Check it out at Vape and Juice, the online vape shop. If you want to get in touch or DM me, follow me on IG or Twitter, @the_mobshow, or head over to www.themobshow.com

Patience is the most undervalued attribute in humankind. I answered a profoundly sad question this week on Quora that I hope got through the recipient. It highlights just why patience is the key to success. If you are in a funk, then this podcast is for you. I talk about how I ended up going from a bad place to a happy one. Life is for exploring, but be patient and open minded. Check us out at www.themobshow.com insta/twitter @the_mobshow Please share on to a friend and chuck us a review where you can.

If you are looking to take on a commercial premises, be it a shop or a cafe etc, then I talk you through some things to look out for.  I have dealt with a ton of leases myself, in the early days out of necessity, but with experience have become a little more comfortable doing it anyway. In the past we have made some big mistakes and these have been my education. I talk you through one such tale, of an aggressive landlord in my past and how we try to avoid this today. A bad lease, leads to a bad business. This is doubly troubling if you want to sell a business or need to wind up to move on. If you want some guidance on what you should be asking for before you even get to the lease stage, then I hope this podcast on how to handle making an offer on a commercial property is of use. If you like these podcasts, please forward it on to some one you know who loves business, and don't forget to chuck us a little review. If you want to get in touch, you can reach us at www.theMOBshow.com or via Twitter and Instagram @the_mobshow

This episode I speak to my business partner and wife, about her new venture 'Stories like ours'. Stories Like ours is a wedding stationary business that offers a high end product but without the price tag. Using a range of available templates that are updated as trends change, Rachel's business provides the full service including printing; utilising the lower print costs the company benefits from, due to pre-established networks. Rachel's background is in graphic design, while her sister Becky her business partner is a copywriter. Together they have begun to build a lifestyle business with the focus on supplementing their income and expanding beyond. I talk today about the importance of building a social presence in an intelligent way, as well as coming up with ideas to enable them to capitalise on what is a global audience for this product.  Hashtags are things that as consumers we whack on, but for businesses, monitoring them correctly and having an alternative approach for using them in your own content, is generally forgotten. If you have a small business and are trying to grow your audience, then this discussion over our sunday cheese and biscuits (munching has been edited out.) will be really helpful. It's Rachel's first time she has helped me with a podcast so we haven't often spoken about what her venture should be doing, which made this so much more genuine. My takeaway is that I should probably help her a bit more! If you enjoyed the show, please share it on to one person today :) Check out our website www.theMOBshow.com or twitter and Insta: @the_mobshow

How to get genuine engaged followers on social media and some tools we are using to make life easier.  We are documenting the launch of a new CBD shop business and today's podcast talks about what we are doing to begin cementing our brand and helping it grow. I have used a couple of apps lately, Lumen5, Twiends and Sprizzy. I tell you what they do, and give a little feedback on their effectiveness. Getting yourself established on social media is fundemental to grow your brand and build a longer lasting business with roots and fans, not just customers. Growing a brand is fundamental to longevity in any business. Brand wins every day. Here's an example, an Amazon seller, is only winning for as long as they are cheap and offer free shipping. THEN, a rival shop undercuts them by a penny and the race to the bottom continues. If you have a brand, then you control the price it goes out to market at, and you control distribution. Brand wins everyday. So if you are looking for some tips to get you motoring, plug in to today's podcast on setting up social media in the right way. If you have any feedback, hit me up on Twitter @the_mobshow or via our website, home of startup advice www.theMOBshow.com Save the pangolin

Tales from rock bottom up, dives back into why I am doing all this and how I came to be sat where I am now.  From my prison diary to learning about SEO. I don't intend to produce just another prison podcast, instead, I want to talk about the good that has come from my experiences, my life truly has been, prison to profit. If I can turn my life around, then you just hating your job is not a good enough reason to be sat on your hands letting the world go by. NB: This is not a podcast about ill-gotten gains and living off the fat of that. This is for everyone who has ever messed up in their life and just needed a little motivation to know they can restart again. Here's to absolutely anyone, who gets gee'd up a little and feels a bit more positive from this all. If you like this, please do me a solid and share on to at least one person; then save a dolphin. About the Show Host I'm Mason, I am a former resident of HMP Wandsworth and left prison with £49 in my back pocket. Since that time I have built businesses on the barebones, bootstrapping the whole way. It's my hobby to help others looking to do their own thing. We all have a story, mine just happens to be a prison diary. Read my business blog for SME Marketing Tip Guide over at Deathground Marketing

Shopify SEO Tips - 4 Tricks you should know if you're struggling with Search Engine Optimisation on Shopify. Shopify out the box is a clean simple way to set up a shop. But we all know setting up a shop is a damn stroke easier than running a profitable online business. If you want to know what immediate Shopify SEO tips I employ on my own Shopify site, tune in. In this Deathground Retail Podcast, we talk 4 key SEO tips you should be doing even before you hunt out an external Organic Marketing company. There are some issues with how their site is structured for you, and for some, it's often a little late once you're up and running. So use, these 4 tips to improve your SEO on Shopify. If you want to read our blog on the show with a bit more info, check out our How to do SEO on Shopify Guide. We even made a video on how to do a silo on Shopify. Who is Deathground Marketing? Deathground is an organic marketing agency that specialises in SEO, customised email marketing, reconversion of existing customers offline or online, and word of mouth strategy. We started our retail experiences on a shoestring so we know you may be in the same boat. These are the tips that grew us to a multi-million annual revenue business group. We know retail well. Check out our 6 minute SEO Challenge: https://www.landpage.co/6-minute-seo

x

"You'll never know the true value of someone until you can't afford to pay for their time" Today's episode is all about paying it forward, and why it's so important in business. The MOB Show www.theMOBshow.com Facebook/mobshowpodcast Instagram/Twitter: @the_mobshow

DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE 'NO'S' "It's called acting, darling" Closing a deal, closing a book, closing a conversation; getting a resolution that works for what you want. In today's episode, I talk about sales techniques that you can employ to get better at what you do, get more business. get more investors, or get the dream member of staff. I talk about the different ways to close a deal and how to use them. The MOB Show www.theMOBshow.com Facebook/mobshowpodcast Instagram/Twitter:@the_mobshow