#but they are creating a genuine barrier to new owners especially like do you want these cats adopted or NOT

[violaeadde]

i feel so strongly that pet adoption applications have gotten out of control like this is getting RIDICULOUS

[wildpeachfarm]

Hi, Moku!

It’s been a while. Life has been a whirlwind of hurricanes and tornadoes mixed with occasional sunshine and rainbows recently, and I’ve been tackling everything I can. (Congrats on making it through another academic year, and for completing finals).

Not to beat a dead horse here, but I just wanted to input my thoughts on the q.smp bs happening.

Obviously, I hope all the workers who were wronged and never fairly compensated for their free labor, win their lawsuit and get more than what they’re owed for dealing with that narcissistic, egotistical, clout-chasing fuck. Now that I’ve said that, moving on to my thoughts.

I’ve seen discussion on how many servers are popping up post-dsmp era, and I have some thoughts on that.

Pre-dsmp, the only other SMP I heard of was Hermit-craft SMP. Then, we went through a deadly, lengthy, life-altering, and generational changing pandemic, which forced the world inside. The dsmp arose out of that, cause with everyone being at home, there wasn’t much to do. The gaming sphere/streaming sphere was dominant in a way I’d never seen it before, and it was incredible to witness. Minecraft especially experienced a resurgence, and Mr. Greenman himself was a huge part of that-through manhunts and the dsmp.

Unlike the nature of the q.smp, and some of these other short-lived smps, the dsmp started authentically. It was originally a server meant for Dteam to play on together and just have fun with each other. Then Dream added some of his friends and those friends knew people who they thought would enjoy the server and it just kept growing. Eventually, when all these people were added, the lore started, and that took the server to new heights and popularity (everyone loves a good story, regardless of the method of storytelling).

Dream himself never streamed his perspective, so as not to take away viewers from the notably smaller streamers on the SMP (which is opposite of a certain duckwhodoesntquack who only streams his perspective). He was also an active member in creating the lore/storylines of not only his character, but others as well (a certain unapologetic abusive cc was a big part, as well but we don’t talk about “Bruno”). Again, this is opposite of the q.smp, as the owner had people write the lore for him, and then was also never satisfied with what was written.

I think one of the biggest differences was the dsmp wasnt meant to be a roleplay server. It happened cause the people occupying the server wanted to do it, and made that decision on their own. It wasn’t marketed as a “passion project” so there wasn’t much build-up and hype for its release/existence (until after the lore started, and then it became more hyped). There was no competing server of its kind, cause the only other one that most people knew about had long since been established-the notoriety, popularity, and clout was already there, and didn’t need to be earned.

And the biggest difference of them all, no one got payed. There were not “workers” meant to move the server along; everything happened via the streamers themselves. So although there were some communication issues, there were no legal issues cause no one was being payed, unless you streamed playing it on a streaming site and made the money through donos.

It breaks my heart watching the q.smp play out like this, cause if it was done in good faith and genuineness, it could’ve been so good-bridging language barrier gaps and creating endless opportunities to learn a language you don’t know, and/or a culture you also don’t know-but it fell victim to a greedy owner and all good qualities were made null. I hate that this is how it transpired, especially for those that were working for free, and everyone who got doxxed/swatted over this.

TLDR; dsmp’s authenticity, genuineness, lack of greed from the owner played into what made it so successful. They’re also the reason it can’t be replicated, because it wasn’t manufactured- it just happened. And that’s why all these other servers have failed before they started, only lasted a bit of time, or ended up buckling under the consequences of the decisions of the owner. Dsmp is THAT girl and she will always be.

I’m sorry this was so long; has a lot of thoughts. Thanks for reading this anyway, and I hope this finds you well.

Have an amazing day, and don’t forget to be kind to yourself!

-L :)

Yeah I 100% agree i think something that a lot of newer servers lack is genuine authenticity that isn't built off of an expectation or hope of fame. the dsmp was never even supposed to be something other than a chill server between the dteam so obviously their intentions when just starting out were nothing but pure. However, there is no denying that anyone who made a server after that had the fame of the dsmp in the back of their mind- it's just impossible with how famous the server got.

And with how sterile the qsmp felt with how much the rp was pushed onto the streamers and the fact that there was essentially a business being run through the server, it killed the authentic feeling of everything (if it was even there to begin with)

[aarluxe1]

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[daniwoitkowski]

A Closer Look at Milwaukee Zip Code 53206

After reading A Closer Look at Milwaukee Zip Code 53206, an article published in the Milwaukee Magazine in 2014, I’m ashamed of the city I currently call home.

Contained between I-43 to the east, 27th Street to the West and North Avenue and Capitol Drive to its south and north sides is one of the largest zip code areas in the city of Milwaukee. Zip code area of 53206 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is often written off as the poorest area in the largest city in the state.

An eyesore in Milwaukee, zip code 53206, is where a third of the city’s vacant lots reside. The greatest percentage, nearly 95% of its residents in zip code 53206 are African Americans. Surrounding counties implemented restrictive covenants preventing African American tenants' equal rights, which confined most African Americans to the northwestern portion of the city, or around the 53206 area. The Supreme Court ruled such covenants to be unconstitutional in 1948, they remained on the books until Congress passed the Fair Housing Act in 1968. Milwaukee known for being one of the most segregated cities in the United States.

Warren’s Lounge on Hopkins Avenue, owned by 81-year-old Warren Harper, a “Cheers” like bar hides itself in the middle of the deserted condemned buildings. Warren and his wife, Shirley, have been married for over 59 years, with four children and multiple grandchildren. Warren and Shirley bought the lounge back in 1970. Back in the lounge’s heyday factory workers from around the area would stop in for lunch or beer relaxing after their shift. During the time when the Green Bay Packers played at county stadium, players could be regularly seen enjoying the relaxing atmosphere.

Life has changed and the lounge is not the same, feeling the pain of the abandoned factories. Even though, their children attempt to sway them into having hip-hop bands play into the addition to the jazz and blues bands that periodically play at the lounge. Life has been hard on them, however they will not close, “It’s their life.”

Wandering around 53206 tends to make people, especially white people, uneasy. Too many businesses are either closed or enclosed in metal bars and padlocks. Even with a gem like, Warren’s Lounge, can be intimidating to its visitors as you enter through the small, dark doorway hidden behind a locked heavy metal grate with a bell that must be rung for entry.

Opportunities seem to climb and decline rapidly for African Americans in Milwaukee. So, what happened?

One generation hopes and dreams becomes heavy burdens on the forgotten generations that follow. Looking past educational statures, joblessness and the crime in the areas of poverty, we need to begin looking into the history of the African American population of Milwaukee, Wisconsin at once was and why it became what it is today.

The African American population increased with the Great Migration north, which affected the African American communities in Milwaukee. Like most African American families, Warren and Shirley moved to Milwaukee in 1957 during the Great Migration in search of a better life.

The Great Migration was when millions of southern African American people migrated north for better opportunities between 1916 to 1970. Many came to Milwaukee for the ever-growing jobs with the industrial factories at the time. Families settled down bought homes in the area, new businesses opened and grew, times were good. By the 1980s, times were not so good. Factories started to close in the area and businesses started to move out of the once flourishing neighborhoods. Some people moved out to the suburbs, while the majority of the African American population stayed behind and survived.

Barbara Miner, the Milwaukee-area freelance writer, purpose in this article was to educate by showing a face to the neighborhood around the Milwaukee 53206 zip code. The article brought tears to my eyes as I read about the longevity of people who make up the community even through the absence of jobs, transportation, and sort of conveniences that those of us who live merely blocks away take for granted. Then there is the stealthy growing abandoned housing market. However, many families have still stuck around to support their community or stay for the affordable housing.

Through the article, Miner, is attempting to educate the audience on the poverty in our own city. We have created this blind spot within our own community, and we tend to forget the area’s history. We are left with the assumption that the people living in these areas have chosen their fate instead of understanding the truth behind our ignorance. It’s well known what happened in Detroit after the auto industries started closing, but it is not known how the same affects had and still affects so many in our own city.

Beauty exists, such as with Dr. Carter, a retired Pharmacist who continues to go back and visit his community passing along trusted remedies to his neighborhood residents. Dr. Carter broke down barriers back in 1968 after he founded one of first Milwaukee black owned pharmacies. Now after selling his pharmacy, Dr. Carter can still be found at the store as a consultant in natural remedies.

Yet the media has forgotten about this area as though it doesn’t exist except for the inquiries pertaining to shootings in the area. The problem, or exigence, here is with the ignorance surrounding this forgotten and disregarded area of our city. I begin to ask myself, why do we have such a blind eye with our own neighboring areas? I wonder how the decline to industry in the city of Milwaukee and the poverty relates to the poverty that was created with the auto crisis in Detroit. I would have liked to see more of the information we read from the A Closer Look at Milwaukee Zip Code 53206 article on the non-existence of corporate businesses and declining public transportation and after school programs ties into the jobless market that intertwine in the poverty rates in these areas.

Current circumstances in 53206 go deeper than the loss of factories and that the jobs in the area.

“There’s investment out there, and there are jobs. But they’re in New Berlin or Waukesha. There’s no bus, so how are people going to get there?” (2015, Jan 28)

Perceptions have also been made that the housing bubble was the issue that affected people in this area, and they were of the many that shouldn’t have bought a home in the first place. However, a lot of families that lost their homes in 53206 were long-time owners.

Miner goes on to talk with a group of students from North Division High School who are studying zip-code-53206. Miner gathered their thoughts on how they feel about the area and what they would want people to know about the area, some of which that were mentioned as follows:

“Notice that we are here, that, like you, we are human, and we deserve the same things you want.”

“The police, I can’t explain it, but they don’t like black people.”

“It ain’t got no future.”

“Nothing’s going to change, ’cause nobody cares.”

Unfortunately, conditions such as the few mentioned have contributed to demolish government help enabling people to believe such areas are beyond any genuine rehabilitation, deeming the area in the past too black and ghetto.

Poverty is so much more then people just making bad choices or the wrong decisions in life. The purpose of the rhetors with this medium explain how trauma that stems from poverty begin way before one can make their own choices in life.

Regardless, parents in 53206 want the same things as any other parent anywhere in the world wants. We want our children to be safe, happy and a better childhood than we had. Is there anything wrong with the hope that our children grow up without the worry of crime surrounding them or to be able to go through school without bullying? We all want hope for the future.

Whether we live in Milwaukee or not we can relate to the exigences mentioned in the life cycle of the Great Migration and African Americans in Milwaukee mentioned, you cannot deny the purpose. The effects of poverty have an impact with your entire life, from childhood on through your adult life and passed on through the next generations. We become our parents, our community, our surroundings. We are what we are familiar with whether it be hiding money for emergencies like those who lived through the Great Depression to as unknowingly as our dialect or accent we commonly use day to day. If raised in poverty the traumatic affects you would carry through life, even if you leave those surroundings, the effects remain.

For Milwaukee, the future needs to bring education on the history of the African American population. Milwaukee doesn’t give the same possibilities to the people in the now poverty areas affected by the industrial decline. Such possibilities as, public transportation to give access to jobs and convenience stores, such as Wal-Mart or even McDonalds. Overlooking the truth and ignorance of the past never helped humanity in the future.

Source Cites:

Barbara Miner, Milwaukee. (2015, Jan 28). A Closer Look at Milwaukee Zip Code 53206. 1/28/2015 https://www.milwaukeemag.com/milwaukee-zip-code-53206/

Reggie Jackson, Milwaukee Independent. (2019, Apr 19). REGGIE JACKSON: REMEMBERING A TIME WHEN 53206 WAS KNOWN AS A LOVING COMMUNITY TO GROW UP IN. 4/19/2019 http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/featured/reggie-jackson-remembering-time-53206-known-loving-community-grow/

Dan Schneider, Dollars & Sense. (2015, Nov/Dec). The Worst Place in the US to Be Black Is... Wisconsin 11/2015 http://dollarsandsense.org/archives/2015/1115schneider.html

[sepublic]

Nekrone’s Rahi

           (Note: Nekrone is the headcanoned name I’ve given the Makuta of Stelt, for fanon reasons.)

           Nekrone had a very utilitarian philosophy and perspective, when it came to Rahi. Like some Makuta, he questioned the need for their existence, and while he didn’t outright disagree with Mata Nui… He tried to create his own meaning and justifications, in the absence of any provided by the Great Spirit.

           It was not enough for his Rahi to merely, simply exist- There was that existential dread and question, of why they were there? What did they provide, what were they for… Nekrone couldn’t imagine simply living just as-is, there was something they had to do, do to prove and earn their existence, and make it worthwhile! Coupled with his confusion on the purpose of Rahi, it was up to Nekrone to provide an explanation for their existence, when their own existence was an inarguable decree by the Great Spirit himself. As a result, most of Nekrone’s Rahi started off as rather social, utilitarian creatures… His Rahi were the kind of animals easily domesticated, for they were designed to be used by the sapient species and civilizations of the Matoran Universe.

           Nekrone was initially pure-hearted, genuine, and well-meaning with his intent. He wanted his Rahi to provide things for the sapient beings of this world, so he designed them to be incredibly beneficial. Many of his Rahi were highly nutritious, caloric creatures, easily herded- Their natures begged them to be domesticated by civilizations as livestock to feed upon. Nekrone’s Rahi naturally and quickly produced plentily, encouraging Matoran and other beings to control and harvest their populations constantly, in order to keep them from overgrowing. Nekrone’s Rahi didn’t have to just die to provide usage, either- They also provided milk, fur, and luxurious feathers and ivory for decoration.

           His domesticated Rahi were easily tamed, and often were used to perform heavy manual labor, transporting goods and beings. Quite a few noble, hardy steeds had been devised by Nekrone to serve the people of the Matoran Universe. There was a hierarchy in his mind, an ideal one where Rahi served the civilizations of this world- Surely this was what Mata Nui meant, when he ordained the Rahi from the Makuta! Nekrone’s Rahi were tools and resources for Matoran and other species, and if all else failed, a person could at least sell their Rahi for some money to get along in life.

           As many people grew to appreciate and use Nekrone’s Rahi, he himself felt a sense of importance and began seeing himself almost like a caretaker of sorts… And as we all know, the Makuta didn’t exactly become humbler over time. And because Nekrone was so fixated on directly providing for people, it led to him breaking the barriers, and closing the distance between the Makuta and the lesser societies they otherwise avoided. Nekrone took deliberate criticism and feedback by societies on his Rahi, on how to make them more useful and beneficial. At times, he responded to specific needs by designing a Rahi species that would help- If a population was cold, he’d create a species of Rahi that provided plenty of calories and also a heavy wool lining for coats.

           Many of his brethren saw Nekrone as someone who was too coddling of the herds of society, too pleasing and appeasing. They saw Nekrone, a Makuta, as being too much at the whim of others- It was rather disgraceful. Miserix himself questioned if Nekrone could make the difficult decisions for the greater good… He was not here to service the people of this world, not necessarily. It all seemed antithetical to the wilderness and nature, Nekrone’s domesticated beasts.

           But alas, even someone as well-meaning as Nekrone, eventually fell. As he became more receptive of others and responded personally to needs and desires… Inevitably, he had a few of his own, especially as the Brotherhood began to grow. He wanted to provide for his own organization, so he asked for a thing or two, here or there, in exchange for providing a new Rahi species. His benefactors always happily obliged, and Nekrone became versed in making deals, getting the most bang for his buck… He began to operate almost like a business that took commissions, offering his services here or there- The Brotherhood’s resources weren’t infinite, after all.

           Nekrone even began collaborating with other Makuta, helping them here or there with something they needed- For a price, of course! Like many Makuta, he decided it was only fair that such noble beings such as themselves get monetary payment for their righteous actions. And while Miserix raised an eye at this idea of conducting business between the other Makuta, he let it pass… Once, Chirox commissioned Nekrone to create a species of Rahi that could be compatible with his Visorak Horde, to prove their capability to co-exist. For the right accommodations, Nekrone created the Colony Drone, itself a domesticated type of Rahi meant to be herded by the Visorak for sustenance. On their own in the wild, the Colony Drones were helpless creatures that died, nor could they fend for themselves- This happened to many of his domestic Rahi, alas. Over time, this weakness became deliberate, so people would have to rely on Nekrone for a source of Rahi, instead of just letting species procreate in the wild to later choose from…

           Then Nekrone was assigned to the island of Stelt. The constantly-feuding clans looked to him for war beasts and other useful Rahi, and Nekrone obliged. He felt bad about selling to just one clan, so he sold to the rest to make things fair, and ended up contributing to the chaos and bloodshed. One way or another, he saw his Rahi as cattle to serve others… And this sentiment began to apply to sapient species he saw as ‘lesser’- Such as a powerful species of clawed, multi-armed warriors on Stelt. A species hierarchy began to develop amongst the nobles, brutes, and these gladiators, and Nekrone saw it as only sensible… And this led to his allowance, and eventual participation, in slavery.

           The rest is history. Stelt developed a culture of greed and bargaining, that both influenced Nekrone and vice-versa. He became a ruthless opportunist, playing upon the conflicts of others so both sides would come to him, and only Nekrone would benefit in the end, while others tore one another to shreds with their war beasts. His Rahi had short lives and impending expiration dates, often forcing groups to constantly buy more and more creatures from Nekrone to replenish their diminishing supplies, as his domesticated Rahi became almost completely dependent upon owners to actually thrive.

           Nekrone became infamous as a savvy, yet untrustworthy dealmaker- When one referred to a ‘Deal with the Makuta’, it was Nekrone that the saying specifically referred to. Many found themselves in his debt. And Nekrone, he converted the role of his Rahi as helpful, utilitarian tools, and completely transitioned them into marketable products. You know that “I can milk you” meme? That was Nekrone towards his own creations. He changed his Rahi to provide more monetary gain and resources for both himself and his customers- Their entire existence and function designed towards producing a specific resource, more a manufacturing machine than a living being with its own life.

          And as Nekrone created Rahi for utilitarian purposes, he also designed them for luxury as well- He created adorable, beautiful pets that others would beg to keep. These pets were designed to be consumer-friendly, but as pets could not function in the wild, dying and/or providing a negative impact to the local ecosystem. Nekrone searched for every possible way to extract monetary gain from his creations. The art of Rahi-making had been converted almost entirely into a highly-expensive, yet lucrative, business for himself. Nekrone sought to appeal to a wide demographic…

          And this also led to him ordering the extinction, or at least endangerment, of other Rahi species and even machines so others would rely on his own creatures more. While some Makuta were impressed by Nekrone’s devious cleverness, others were disgusted by his lack of integrity- Mutran once accused him of being a sellout in multiple definitions of the term. After all, Nekrone was also infamous for occasionally engaging in business with competitors and even outright enemies to the Brotherhood of Makuta, such as the Dark Hunters…

           Following Nekrone’s death by Miserix, and the transition into a new society on Spherus Magna, there has been concern about the preservation status of Nekrone’s creatures. Many of them have met their expiration dates, and without their creator to provide more, his species are nearing the possibility of extinction. While many Onu-Matoran have adapted by preserving countless specimens in indefinite stasis, many societies dependent upon Nekrone’s Rahi have turned to Miserix for answers. They figure Miserix can reverse-engineer Nekrone’s creations, and are correct… Miserix himself has both access to Nekrone’s memories, having absorbed him, but is also clever and savvy enough to figure it out on his own anyway.

          He’s been catching up on what he’s missed out on over the years, and is rather disgusted by Nekrone’s opportunistic philosophy in designing Rahi by treating them as products- Subsequent iterations of the same species have been redesigned to have longer-lasting lifespans, and be more capable of surviving in the wild. Still, as society and its roles change, Miserix has admittedly taken some of Nekrone’s original sentiments to heart, even if he’ll make sure not to stoop to that same opportunistic greed either. The Makuta caused so much damage and took so much- Miserix wants to put some good out into the world and reinstate a balance, so directly providing for the societies of Spherus Magna and taking their feedback into account is a good start.

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #454

Top Ten Launch Games 

Oooh, it’s finally here!  

By the time you read this, the Xbox Series X/S consoles will be out, and the PlayStation 5 will be imminent if not already with us. At the time of writing I’ve yet to sample either console, although hopefully that will soon change. However, it’s a bit of a weird console launch, especially for Xbox owners, as there’s not much in the way of actual launch titles. PlayStation has the excellent-looking technical showcase (in that it shows off their sexy new controller, if not necessarily the excesses of the console’s visual prowess) Astro’s Playroom. But on the Xbox side, the only genuine first-party exclusive (not including the port of rather smashing PC title Gears Tactics) was to be the troubled Halo Infinite, which has now been pushed to next year to deal with some of its apparent graphical deficiencies. For what it’s worth, as a Halo fan, I thought the actual gameplay presented looked as good as it always has, so I’m still very excited, but it’s a shame not to sample something genuinely new and shiny at launch. For me, then – as someone not getting a PlayStation this year – I’m going to have to contend myself with updated versions of older games, and hopefully something like the really exciting-looking The Falconeer or, eventually, Cyberpunk 2077.  

Of course, it’s not always been like this; in the past, a landmark game has often been the core reason to upgrade to a new console. Certain titles have defined their hardware platforms, offering a taste of the experiences to come, be it through revolutionary control systems, previously-unimaginable graphics, or simply by shattering preconceptions and expectations. As such, this weekend I’m celebrating my favourite launch titles. 

Now, a couple of my usual caveats. I’ve hardly owned any consoles in the grand scheme of things; I was a computer gamer until the launch of the first Xbox, and even then was PC-first until about midway through the 360’s life. As such I came to a lot of these late, or played them on friends’ systems. I’m sure a videogame historian would give you another list, one that was able to put each title into its historical perspective. For my part, I’m mostly basing it on how much I like the game, but I am also trying to weight it in terms of its “importance”. I mean, one of my favourite “launch titles” of all time would be Lego Marvel Super Heroes on the Xbox One/PS4, but that seems a bit of a ridiculous game to call a launch title, especially as it doesn’t really show off the hardware or define the generation in any particular way. I just think it rocks. So I’m trying to judge it also in terms of how effective a given game was at being a launch title, as well as my personal preference; as such, some games, which I think are more emblematic of their time or their hardware, might end up higher in the list than if I was otherwise just ranking my favourites.  

Christ, that was boring. Look, here are ten games that I like that came out when a console came out. Have at it. 

Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox, 2001): it’s not just that it made playing an FPS on a console as comfortable and enjoyable as on PC, but it revolutionised what an FPS could do. Expansive open landscapes, dynamic combat with intelligent enemies, an ingenious shield/health combo, two weapons, drivable vehicles, and frankly outstanding graphics. And for Xbox – a curious underdog, a big black sheep devoid of cool or class and feeling like Microsoft was trying to buy its way into the console space with a hefty dose of brute force – here was something unique, something incredible. I don’t think anyone quite expected Halo, and it’s arguable that it single-handedly changed not only Microsoft and Xbox’s fortunes but the entire game industry too.  

Wii Sports (Wii, 2005): the Wii was this strange outlier, a tiny white box that eschewed the grunt and girth of its rivals, and seemingly built around its unique motion controller. Would it work? Wii Sports proved that yes it would, a delightful bundle of games that perfectly showed what the console and controller could do. Immense fun in and of itself, but the Wii’s ability to lower the barrier of entry to non-gamers meant that your dad could thrash your brother at bowling. And that is a thing to cherish forever. 

Tetris (GameBoy, 1989): depending on where you look, Tetris may just be the best-selling game of all time. It’s on everything now, from the Xbox Series X to your watch. But there was a time when “Tetris” meant “GameBoy”; that four-colour greenscreen box of wonder that everybody had but me. It was beyond ubiquitous, and its short-form nature and simplistic styling made it ideal for the portable console, its chirpy and iconic music sounding perfect coming from those tiny speakers. And above all else, of course, Tetris is fantastic, one of the greatest games of all time. It was a perfect marriage of software and hardware. 

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, 2017): so here’s the thing: I like Zelda, but I’ve never fallen in love with it. I didn’t grow up with it, so coming to Ocarina of Time, there were too many old-fashioned trappings in the way; it just didn’t feel as enthralling or as fun to play as, say, Half-Life or Deus Ex. BOTW changed that; the limitations were gone, the world was blown wide open. It no longer felt like an 80s game in three dimensions, it felt new. Better than new – it felt like tomorrow. Despite the Switch being graphically weaker than its contemporaries, BOTW was and is simply gorgeous to look at, but it’s how it plays, how it feels like a vast but real world, how it has its own rules and they make sense instantly. It’s the greatest open world game of all time, and emergent physics sandbox, and yet it’s still unquestionably Zelda, emphatically Nintendo. Okay, it technically came out on the Wii U at the same time, but who the hell played that? This was the game that made you want a Switch.  

Super Mario 64 (N64, 1997): this is often the game people cite as being one of the great revolutionary launch titles, but I must confess its charms were lost to me at first. Taking what was great about Mario and converting it expertly into 3D was a heck of a feat; graphically for the time it certainly impressed in the scale of its worlds, and whilst back then I felt it lacked the detail and granularity of some PC titles, in retrospect it was a perfectly-suited art style, offering smooth textures even when right up close. But it was its precise controls and the open, hub-based nature of its worlds that was revolutionary; many games aped its style, but it took a long time before anything really matched it.  

Hexic HD (Xbox 360, 2005): not every game here has to be some genre-busting graphical powerhouse; they can be simple but quietly revolutionary. Hexic HD is a terrific puzzle game with a simple hook, brilliantly executed, and enough intrigue and nuance to keep you coming back for one more go, to beat your high score, to get to the next tricksy level. But the time and manner of its release, and what that signified, marked it out as something more important. It was the first Xbox Live Arcade title; Microsoft’s curated gallery of smaller, more indie-flavoured games. More than that, it was free, coming pre-installed on all Xbox 360 Pros (the ones with the removable hard drive). It was a taste of what was to come, introducing audiences not only to the idea of playing these kinds of smaller, less intense games on a console, but also the idea of purchasing and downloading them digitally. It was great and ground-breaking in equal measure.  

WipEout (PlayStation, 1995): I kinda missed the PlayStation generation. I was still, more or less, in my PC-centric “consoles are toys” mindset (which I wouldn’t fully shake off till the release of the N64). But I came to appreciate its qualities as a cool, exciting, super-fast futuristic racer. I’m pretty sure it’s not the first 3D hover-car racing game, but it was presented in such a groovy package that it ticket all the boxes, and helped show off just what the PlayStation was capable of in terms of its 3D graphics and CD sound. And, of course, it helped define the console as being a bit more edgy and grown-up than the previous Nintendo and Sega stalwarts. 

Super Mario Bros. (NES, 1988): what can be said about one of the most iconic games of all time? Mario Bros defined not only a console, not only a generation, but arguably an entire artform. Creating what we now know as a platform game, it expanded and surpassed the basic template of Donkey Kong into a roaming adventure, part twitch-gaming reaction test, part puzzle game. I played a lot of copycat games on my Amiga, but even then, as a whiny computer brat, I knew that Mario was better. Even when my cousins got a MegaDrive and Sonic, I knew – deep in my heart – that Mario was better. It's a deep game, an endlessly replayable game, a supremely fair game despite its difficulty. I think it’s hard to overstate just how good, or how influential, Mario was. 

Project Gotham Racing (Xbox, 2001): I tried hard to pick a different platform for every game in this list, but I couldn’t exclude PGR. This may be tied up with my biography a little bit, but my other half and I played this game to death. I never think of myself as a big racer fan, but every once in a while a title comes out that I just really, really get into – Jaguar XJ220 on the Amiga, Midtown Madness on PC, the Forza Horizon series nowadays – and PGR did that in spades. A gorgeous arcade racer, it was a great launch title to show off the sheer grunt of the Xbox; then, as now, the most powerful console on the market. It also offered a terrific four-player split-screen. But its Kudos feature – borrowed from semi-prequel Metropolis Street Racer – offered ways to win outside of sheer racing graft, awarding cool driving. I still love the original, and I kinda wish they’d bring back or reimagine its city-based driving for a future release or Forza spin-off. 

Lumines: Puzzle Fusion (PSP, 2004): okay, so this is a bit of a cheat as I've barely played the original PSP version, but Lumines is just phenomenal; the best moving-blocks-around game since Tetris, and probably the most influential one since then too (for the record, I've played it extensively on multiple other platforms). An excellent spin on a Tetris-a-like, its use of music and colour made it a beautiful, brilliant sensory experience. With Sony entering the handheld market, the PSP needed a USP, something vibrant and cool that suited a portable experience, and Lumines provided it in spades; also its funky visuals and music was a good fit for Sony’s brand.  

Well, that was fun, and a lot harder than I expected. If you’re enjoying a new console this Christmas, then hopefully you’ll have fun with one of the new launch titles too – even if I doubt any (apart from maybe Astro) would trouble a list like this in the future (although I do think The Falconeer looks all kinds of cool). 

[enkisstories]

Just like them (part 6)

Park Avenue 1554 November 17, 2038 1:14 am

They say the android rights movement was kicked off when the painter Carl Manfred returned home from a party and found the light switched on in his workshop.

Daniel Phillips-no-longer had just returned home from a coffee shop at Capitol Park and found the door to the terrace ajar. It was everyone’s guess what would start from that point… The real question was, had someone come in, and was still sneaking around the apartment, or had the burglar already left?

Now normally Daniel would have taken out his phone to make a call, to prove a point. But in this situation time was of essence, so he started dialing the DPD in his head. However, the signal didn’t get through. None of his thought-commands left the android brain, Daniel realized. He couldn’t make a call, browse the internet, or connect to the various household electronics. Something was jamming his signals, effectively putting the android into flight mode.

There was a shadow, then an incoming signal, that the deviant rebuked, and then something heavy impacted on his head. The last thought that crossed Daniel’s mind before temporarily shutting down was that Tina Chen had been right: He really wouldn’t have needed to worry about the missing apartment key. The still not repaired door alone had been an invitation to a burglar.

And the first thought upon waking up again, sometime after sunrise, was that said burglar must have been an android, because their first impulse had been to wirelessly shut down Daniel before they had went for the baseball bat.

“Kin-betraying swine!” Daniel hissed. “Just you wait, I’m going to unleash Connor on your sorry ass!”

The apartment’s new inhabitant took a few minutes to take inventory of what was missing. He was in luck, because most of the irreplaceable stuff in the flat was of low monetary value and therefore hadn’t been of interest to the burglar. All the family photos and little mementos were still there and what had gotten taken wasn’t really needed, especially not when you didn’t eat and were able to watch TV in your own head.

Daniel fed the fishes and the pet rat, a half-starved white-and-black patterned fellow that he had taken in after his owners had fled Detroit in a hurry. Then he left the apartment again to personally report the incident to the police. The deviant also didn’t like the hum behind his forehead that had grown quieter, but wouldn’t subside altogether. He decided to swing by an Android Zone for a checkup later, just to be on the safe side.

Entering the precinct Daniel realized that it was his third visit in as many days.

That’s three times more than in my whole life before the revolution! Am I living here now or what?!

The reception was manned, once again, by an ST300 android, no longer Tina Chen acting as a substitute. Only now the ST300’s nameplate read “Rika” and the LED on the android’s temple was missing. Rika smiled at the arrival, but before so much as a greeting could get exchanged, Detective Reed stormed out of the restricted area, drawing everyone’s attention. The man was muttering under his breath - lots of “fuck”s, but Daniel also recognized a short phrase: “team building measure my ass”.

“This is the detective you will want to talk to, Mr. Daniel”, Rika told Daniel after he had explained what had happened to him earlier. “Mr. Reed of the android related crime section.”

Gavin turned around sharply.

“Unless it wants to turn itself in, whatever it has to say won’t fall into my responsibility.”

“But it does!” Daniel insisted. “I was attacked by an android tonight!”

The statement was met with a gleeful grin: “You tin cans are duking it out amongst each other now? Works for me! Well, it was nice having known you, “Mister” Daniel. Now vamoose!”

The detective proceeded to grab a package from the counter, growling “Your locomotion software bugged or what? This is the last time I’m coming out here to fetch something!”, to what Rika replied in her usual friendly voice that she’d make sure to send the parcel to his desk via UPS next time and put it on Mr. Reed’s expense report. Daniel was certain that the human hadn’t really listened to the reply, because if he had, he’d exploded into violence.

When Gavin strode back towards the barrier, Daniel stepped into his way.

“There was a crime committed by an android. Against a person. That sounds like the textbook description of what your section is about!”

“And I fucking told you just now that it isn’t my job to investigate this shit!”

“Is, too!”

“Is not!”

“That your last word?”

“Yes. Now piss off or I’m going to have you removed by force!”

Daniel shook his head.

“Damn, Mr. Reed”, he said, “I wish we’d met earlier! Like by the swimming pool on our terrace, in a starry summer night in August…”

The detective contorted his face into what might pass as a smile. It had to be a smile, because it was… truth be told, it was endearing.

“Yeah”, Gavin nodded. “I’m sorry Captain Allen shot you off that roof.”

He took a step closer towards the PL600 and then suddenly slung his arm around the machine. Daniel didn’t understand what had caused the change. Just a moment ago they had been shouting at each other, but now Gavin was almost hugging Daniel. It was astonishing! Sympathy? From a human?

Gavin drew the android closer.

“Cuzz if he hadn’t done that” he hissed, “you wouldn’t have dozed through the Recall in our archive, but went straight to the Recycling Center where you belong!”

He pushed Daniel away, laughed out loud and was still laughing when the android left the police station.

 After getting turned down at the DPD, Daniel sought out the other 50% of the android related crime section at their home: Hank Anderson.

“…and thus Reed refused to even create a case file”, he finished his recounting of the encounter.

A genuine smile crossed Hank’s face, but Daniel had once again learned to not trust those. And indeed Hank said: “Sweet! Maybe we can put him on probation now!”

“Isn’t anybody going to do something about my attacker?!”

“Yes, yes, I’m getting to that”, the detective grumbled. “Just let me grab a bite before we drive back. I’m not exactly running on happy thoughts and sunshine here.”

“Who is, these days…”

Together they went to the kitchen, from where weird noises had emanated all through their discussion already. Now Daniel saw what had caused those: Connor was standing at the stove, making war against scrambled eggs and the butchered remains of something green.

After watching the RK800 for a while, Daniel spoke up:

 “You know what’s even more pathetic than me, Connor?”

“Yes: Gavin!”

“Take another guess.”

Connor was now stabbing the eggs, probably taking inspiration from something he had seen at a crime scene. Gooey particles escaped the carnage left and right. Daniel almost couldn’t bear watching the sight, and when Connor reached for the salt dispenser, he grabbed the RK800 by its wrist.

“Don’t, Connor! In the name of all the good that may be left in the world, don’t do it!”

Confused the deviant hunter replied that he had forgotten to add the salt before, to which Daniel replied that substituting it with sugar now wouldn’t help.

Connor put down the presumed salt dispenser and started rummaging for the real one in the cupboards.

“Can’t the lieutenant just eat something at the police station?” Daniel pressed. It wasn’t just that he was in a hurry. At this point even the contents of a random evidence bag ought to be less of a health risk than the RK800’s kitchen experiments.

“What’s your gripe? Hank likes my food!”

“I highly doubt that. Eating your “food” is like playing Russian Roulette.”

“Hank… used to like that, too. - And besides, you could lend me a hand here!”

“Sorry, dude, can’t help you. My cooking app got corrupted when someone shot at me.”

It was a lie, but not a too obvious one. A few of Daniel’s apps had indeed suffered from the deviant getting shot, others had stopped working due to deviance in itself and for others yet again the subscription had run out. Daniel was able to live in the apartment Caroline was still paying rent for, unaware of who was using it at the moment, but he didn’t have disposable money to renew those subs. However, out of all the skills the android used to have access to there were two and a half that Daniel considered his “native” skills, related to activities that contributed too much to his identity for him to ever lose his expertise: Cooking, Parenting and a little Driving. In these areas the deviant had amassed actual experience of the kind not even a full reset could ever clear completely.

Eventually Connor served Hank the sugar-free, but almost sufficiently salted, scrambled eggs on toast. The human in turn produced a slim package from his jacket’s inside pocket that he held out towards the guest.

“Bubble gum? No? Cigarette, then?”

“We’re androids, lieutenant. We don’t…”

Daniel didn’t finish the sentence, because Lt. Anderson was grinning at him like a man who knew more about a subject than that smug teen across from him. And hadn’t he seen another PL600 chew bubble gum just the day before?

“There… seems to be a lot I… don’t know about deviance?” Daniel tried and Hank’s expression changed to one indicating something close to respect.

“I don’t think I’m ready yet to try any munchies, Lieutenant. But even so – thank you!”

(to be continued)

[fatedreamt-blog]

i’m gonna separate this into multiple sections because it’s... long. grian’s necronomicon doesn’t really have a connection to lovecraft’s works besides the name and MAYBE the appearance. 

1. PREFACE. 2. APPEARANCE. 3. HISTORY. 4. EFFECT ON OWNERS.  5. ABILITIES. 6. RELATIONSHIP WITH GRIAN. 7. CONCLUSION.

1. PREFACE. ( cw: none )

this is a meta about a book, so it shouldn’t have too many content warnings, but there’ll likely be talk about manipulation, demons, eldritch abominations, etc. i’ll warn more in depth beforehand, though! the book is incredibly important to grian, but i’ll talk more about that in section 6.

the necronomicon is a sentient being. it’s able to speak, but you can hear it if it lets you. usually, only grian can hear it, but if it deems others worthy, it’ll let them hear it. it’s usually unable to move on itself, however, and it can only properly utilize itself when it has an owner. it claims owners for fun, though, and likes seeing what people can do if given their desires.

2. APPEARANCE. ( cw: none. )

the necronomicon is the width of a 400 page book, is about 10 inches tall and 8 inches wide. it has a sturdy cover with necronomicon in white front on the cover. there are etchings of things like wings, skulls, arrows, etc. below its title is a “return back to [full name of owner] if lost.” 

despite it being around for ages, it looks brand new. the pages inside, as shown above, are completely black and blank. a surefire way to tell if a book is disguised as the necronomicon is by opening it up and seeing the black, blank pages. by that point, however, it’s already in your head and claiming you as its owner.

the necronomicon can disguise itself as other books to lure owners in, but it loses this shapeshifting ability when it claims someone. no matter the time period, the necronomicon will always look as if it belongs to that era to raise no questions. so, how long has this book been around?

3. HISTORY. ( cw: mentions of murder, death, demons )

it’s hard to tell when or how this book sprung into existence. some cite it as being the product of a demon summoning gone wrong, or it suddenly landed on a king’s lap from an alternate dimension, or something. stories and sources get mixed up, there are never any photographs of it, only drawn depictions. success stories of peasants turning into kings, soldiers turning into generals and winning wars and battles they had no possible chance of winning, popstars who seem to come out of nowhere -- they all point to - or perhaps, blame - a black book when on death’s bed. 

the necronomicon only truly leaves an owner when they’re about to die. a couple days before an owner’s death, the necronomicon vanishes. some may think that the necronomicon’s disappearance is why its owner dies, perhaps because it brings bad luck, or the owner becomes so dependent on the book that without it, they can’t function, but it’s neither. it’s aware of tragedies and, more important to it, the owner’s death. it does this because when it claims an owner, some of its power is shared with them to give them what they need to succeed. by disappearing and breaking the link, it retains all of their power given, instead of it dying with the person.

while it’s possible that the link can end before the person’s death, it’s incredibly rare and unlikely. because the necronomicon has such an effect on its owners - mainly an obsessive and possessive nature over the book - it’s impossible that they would willingly separate. even if you were to tear them apart, the link wouldn’t sever, leaving the owner to focus only on getting the book back, no matter the cost or the people they hurt. 

the link can only be severed by the necronomicon itself or a being of higher status - i.e, an eldritch god, more powerful demons, and more powerful angels. by severing the link, you release its hold on the person, and while a moment of clarity, some owners become too dependent and far gone that they still remain as if under the book’s influence.

the book appeals to those who are at their lowest point, have big dreams, or are so tortured and desperate that they’ll listen to anyone or anything. 

4. EFFECT ON OWNERS. ( cw: manipulation )

the necronomicon claims people. other people can pick it up, but the book won’t have the same hold or influence on them. they might get a weird feeling about it, or be curious, but it’ll be because of the person themself, not because the necronomicon willed them to. if said person is connected to its owner, it’ll let that person be able to hear them and talk to them, but ultimately, it’ll sway the conversation into giving the book to its owner.

when the owner holds the book, they’ll be greeted with a vision of their deepest desires. everything they’ve always wished for - praise, a lavish life, power, respect. nothing is too unreasonable. the book then rips that vision away before saying to its owner that this is possible if it lets them in. the necronomicon does extreme manipulation and coercing, and they’ll take any yes, even if hesitant, to fully have influence and control.

the owner becomes possessive and obsessive over the book the longer its in their possession. they won’t let anyone touch it, have enhanced paranoia over anyone even looking at the book, and will sometimes become so convinced that this is their only friend that they’ll isolate others. 

when someone holds the necronomicon or has it, the owner will become unlike themself, doing anything to get it back in their hands. in early stages, they’ll be aware of this, but the longer they have it, they’ll stop questioning it. in fact, in early stages, it’s possible they’ll still question the book and its intentions, but as it soothes and manipulates more, any qualm they may have had will disappear.

after a link is broken, it’s common that the owner is so far gone that their obsessive nature still remains. however, the book will not appear to previous owners at all. it’s also possible that the owner will relish the moment of clarity, but it’s extremely unlikely. 

the owner will feel lost without the necronomicon, which is why they like to keep it on them at all times. because they fear someone stealing it, the owner will want to keep track of the book at all times. 

owners will likely not get any sleep when claimed by the necronomicon. they dream of the past owners, of their success stories and the subsequent failures that occurred, they dream of falling into abysses, they dream of being lost and suffocating. it’s not a fun time.

5. ABILITIES. ( cw: mention of manipulation )

what makes the necronomicon so powerful? besides the already talked about shapeshifting and the manipulation of an owner’s mind, what can it do?

KNOWS THE BEST PATH TO SUCCESS. 

it has access to infinite timelines, and it can fulfill every dream you would ever want. listening to it - and an owner will, no hesitation - will yield excellent results. it keeps its promises of giving you success. 

CAN SUMMON ELDRITCH BEINGS.

it can open itself, but when an owner opens it, it can summon strong eldritch beings. they’re completely inky black, are abominations and unlike any creature or animal you’ve seen, and can detach from the book to move on their own. this takes a lot of power and energy, so the necronomicon will usually save this for life threatening events. typically, what it’ll do when in danger is summon tentacles. these are attached to the book, but it can grapple and hold and at least incapacitate and stop the threat. the tentacles can also wrap around the book, creating some sort of barrier or shield. 

TRAVEL THROUGH DIMENSIONS.

an owner can travel through and to multiple dimensions and timelines. of course, they don’t control it, the necronomicon does, and they’ll have to tell it what kind of dimension they want to go to. it strains the necronomicon a lot by taking two people, so it’s recommended that you only transport one person. 

another person can use the necronomicon by themself, but only if the owner has authorized it. most of the time, they won’t. 

the necronomicon can also access other dimensions on its own and look at them. the owner won’t realize when they do this. 

RAISE THE UNDEAD.

another thing that takes up a lot of its energy. it doesn’t do this often, and it usually doesn’t need to, but the event for it happens occasionally. the bigger the person is, the more energy it’ll need to summon. 

all of these can be dangerous, but it won’t do it on its own or if told to by people other than its owner. luckily, the necronomicon’s current owner doesn’t usually tell it to do these things.

6. RELATIONSHIP WITH GRIAN. ( cw: mentions of manipulation, mentions of trauma ) 

grian’s relationship with the necronomicon is... special, in a way. of course, grian is as obsessive and possessive with the book as others are, especially when strangers are around, but the necronomicon is a little more lenient with him. it doesn’t have as much of an influence because it doesn’t need to. the necronomicon knows that he’s desperate and will always try and have it back if it’s not there. while the necronomicon manipulated grian to hold it, as it does with its other owners, it doesn’t need to keep manipulating him to keep it. him wanting the necronomicon by his side started out because of its hold on him, and to some extent still is, but he genuinely does want the book around.

to others, not having the book around is an immediate reaction. they need the book now. for grian, it’s more of an itch. at first, it’s manageable, but the longer he goes without scratching the itch - without having the necronomicon back at his side - the more irritable and closer to acting like the other owners he becomes. 

grian and the necronomicon have a friendly relationship. the latter pities the former a little, and the former occasionally believes that the latter is his only friend. the necronomicon in itself is very much a trickster, being mischevious and a little shit, and grian doesn’t mind this. 

much like the other owners, however, he doesn’t get much sleep. the normal necronomicon dreams, coupled with his own nightmares from trauma, doesn’t allow him to sleep very often. he outright avoids sleeping, and shrugs off any concerns, saying he takes naps. he doesn’t take naps.

grian is somewhat dependent on the necronomicon, but is incredibly thankful for it. it got him out of his bad situation with sam and taurtis, and he can’t thank the book enough. in some way, he feels as if he’s in debt, and that’s partly why he stays.

7. CONCLUSION. ( cw: none )

the necronomicon is... incredibly powerful if fallen into the wrong hands. luckily, though, grian doesn’t utilize it fully most of the time. if put into a life threatening situation, he will. the necronomicon is a trickster and likes having fun, and its fun comes from claiming people and seeing what they do if given all of their desires. 

[pixelproductions]

How to Grow Your Instagram Following

Struggling with Instagram for your business? Learn how to grow your Instagram following by engaging your audience.

Instagram is quickly becoming one of the most important social media platforms for those who want to reach a broader audience. Back in 2018, the platform broke the 1-billion users* barrier and things are only looking up. Figuring out how to tap into user bast to grow your Instagram following is on every small business owners’ mind.

With the organic reach of websites like Facebook or Twitter dwindling down, it seems that Instagram is the new way to go for a shot at improving your exposure and outreach. Keep reading to learn more about how to grow your Instagram following.

Create quality content to keep your audience engaged

Needless to say, growing your Instagram following will start with quality content.

Nobody is going to follow your account if you have nothing to offer. Take your time to plan ahead and, if possible, have a calendar or schedule or at least some of the content that you are planning on posting. Naturally, you should leave some room for some impromptu posts and let spontaneity do its thing. However, it can be vital to have some photos and captions lined up, so you can always post new things regularly and keep growing your account.

You do not need to spend a lot of money on professional photos or videos. Even shots that you take with your phone are you going to be perfectly OK, as long as the pictures and the captions are engaging. Posting a selfie is fine, but if you post for pictures of yourself every day, people might lose interest because you’re not giving them anything new.

In much the same way, you should avoid posting self-promotional content exclusively. This can create a situation of overexposure, with people getting tired of your posts and sales pitches. Instead, try to diversify what you post.

If you are promoting something, such as a business, don’t just post ads: post interesting content, such as behind-the-scenes looks, as well as pictures of others using your products. You can also balance these posts with something more personal, such as a cool photo of you on a weekend hike. While too many of these pictures can be trite for people who don’t know you, a small look into your personal life here and there might lend some humanity and credibility to your account. People are interested in connecting with others, and a “personal touch” is one of the things your followers are looking for! Whether it’s through a story or a picture post, put some thought into what you publish! Any Instagram marketing strategy professional will tell you that content is king.

Seek out like-minded users and start networking

Instagram is an excellent platform if you want to network with like-minded businesses or individuals. Users can support each other by following one another and coming up with strategies and other ideas to tap into each other’s follower base. For instance, brands and influencers often create mutual content and tag each other in their posts. Artists might recommend other musicians they like, and in turn, they will receive a post recommend in their own music to the former account’s audience. The possibilities are truly endless. Building a strong network and starting real relationships with other users can be a great way to build a larger Instagram following.

Don’t underestimate the importance of stories

“Stories” is a relatively new feature for Instagram. Many people love them because they are more immediate and have a more powerful reach, even though it’s not as long-lasting as a traditional photo post. The fast-paced nature of Instagram stories appeals to younger generations, especially since it’s also a great way to get more creative and have some fun while posting life or business updates. Having said that, a surprising amount of people and businesses are overlooking or underestimating the importance of stories to grow their Instagram following.

Take your time to understand how this powerful feature works, and do not miss out on the opportunity to reach a larger audience and to keep your followers more engaged. Instagram and Facebook marketing expert know the importance of using these newer features, and they know how to come up with successful strategies.

Reply to comments, post comments, and be genuinely active on the platform

The Instagram platform values interactions between users. This means that a post with more comments is going to perform better and potentially achieve more visibility. For this reason, it is important to start conversations on the platform. There are many ways you can go about it. One of the most effective solutions is to ask questions within the caption of your image posts. You can also use stories to ask questions and even start polls. Whenever your followers or other users comment on your content, make sure that you reply!

Whenever you take the time to respond, which should be as soon as possible, make sure you further the conversation by asking more questions. This is a really good way to build the momentum of your posts and potentially spark in other users’ interest. Statistically, people seem to be more interested in checking out the comment section when something seems to be happening there! In addition to that, you’ll also have another significant benefit: building a stronger relationship with people.

Show an interest in your followers

Let them know that you are interested in what they think and that you are not just using them to pump up your numbers. If you take the time do you have a meaningful conversation on Instagram, you can create an interaction with a stranger into a potential follow. You can also use this technique to keep your current followers more engaged and give them a reason to keep coming back to your posts.

In conclusion, these are just some of the many things you should consider if you are looking to grow your following on Instagram. These simple tips can help you grow your numbers over time, but you need to keep working at it every day.

Growing your audience is not a one-time thing task: you need to use these principles every day and be on the lookout for new trends and ideas. Some of the most successful people and businesses on Instagram think ahead of the curve and never stop looking for ways to be innovative, exciting, and engaging for their old and new followers.

[onbigstor-blog]

How to Find Dropshipping Suppliers in the USA

The US economy is one of the largest in the world - which for eager dropshippers can be a double-edged sword.

Suppliers in the USA

Yes, the potential to make your millions is seemingly limitless. BUT, you can't sell dropshipping products blindly. To conquer one of the largest economies in the world, and the American consumer, you need to offer an array of appealing, high-quality options with fast shipping to boot.

Today, it’s almost impossible to imagine a life that doesn’t include online shopping. We don’t say this because we're passionate dropshippers, but because we’ve got the statistics to back it up. In the US alone, retail eCommerce sales are forecasted to skyrocket to over $6.5 trillion by 2023.

So, whether you’re considering dropshipping or are a soon-to-be online store owner, you’re going to want a slice of that pie. But, as we've mentioned, you need to offer customers high-quality products with fast shipping.

And the best way of doing that is to use US suppliers. By the end of this article, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge and resources to add dropshipping suppliers from the USA to your cohort, and profit because of it.

Why use US dropshipping suppliers?

Over the last couple of years, we've seen a surge in demand for US products with fast shipping. In fact, in a 2019 survey of online shoppers, the findings on consumer shipping expectations were clear:

40% expected delivery within 2 days

21% expected delivery within 3-4 days

10% expected delivery within 5-7 days

Only 2% thought a 1-2 week time frame was acceptable.

We know that 263 million of the US population bought goods online in 2019, with a predicted increase to almost 288 million online shoppers in the US by 2024.

That means you need to meet the expectations of your target audience and find some fast shipping options to attract and retain your growing customer base.

Overall, you and your customers are looking for the following criteria:

Fast shipping

High-quality

Handmade products

Better shipment tracking

Great customer service

Satisfaction guaranteed (i.e., a return policy)

This is where diversifying your product selection to include US suppliers is worth its weight in gold.  By the end of this post, you’ll have a deep understanding of why you need to have dropshipping suppliers from the USA as well as what to look for. Let’s dive in!

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US Suppliers Boast Fast Shipping

Although dropshipping Aliexpress products may seem like the cheapest option, you often have to compromise on shipping times.

It's not uncommon for products from Aliexpress suppliers to take several weeks to get to your customers. And in the era of Amazon Prime, where consumers expect next day delivery, you need to stay competitive.

So, by using US suppliers to ship to your American customers, it stands to reason these products don't have to travel as far or rely on foreign logistics. Therefore, they can get to your customers quicker than an international supplier could.

American Products are (Usually) Better Quality

There are tons of Aliexpress dropshipping suppliers that manufacture and ship top-notch products. However, due to the vast landscape of Chinese dropshipping suppliers, it's easier for high-inventory, low-quality suppliers to pop up with inferior products.

On top of that, due to massive differences in time zone and, often, language barriers, rectifying these problems can be a burden that usually falls on the dropshipper. All seasoned dropshippers can tell you their stories about miscommunications, returns, and lost customers due to low-quality Aliexpress Suppliers.

All the more reason why US suppliers are gaining more traction. US Suppliers are easier to hold accountable for their shipping times and quality of dropshipping products, should issues arise.

You Can Charge More

Although US suppliers might cost more for their merchandise, typically speaking, you can charge more and for high quality, handmade products. Just be sure to market these products to their full potential.  

If you're worried customers won't pay more, we’ve got good news. Studies show that 60% of shoppers pay extra for products made in the US. This is namely because consumers often perceive American wares to boast higher quality, something they're willing to pay more for. Having a fast shipping time helps too, your customers would rather pay a bit more and have the product in their hands faster.

A Reliable Return Policy

Having a return policy is both a major selling point and a sure way to build trust with your customers in both the present and future. You can rest easy knowing that if your customer wants to return their item, your supplier will be cooperative and easy to work with.

You won’t lose any money from refunds, and your customer will feel satisfied knowing that their happiness is your main priority. Doing this with Aliexpress suppliers is difficult and usually impossible, resulting in the dropshipper having to refund their customers out of their own pocket.

Customer Service

Most dropshippers forget the powerful hidden tool of customer service. To illustrate, Let’s say your customer accidentally ordered a red dress when they wanted a black one.

Once they’ve let you know, you can simply communicate with the supplier VIA Spocket to let them know that the product color needs to change. It’s as simple as that.

Doing this with Aliexpress suppliers can result in a headache of initiating a return, ordering the dress again, and having your customers return one of their orders once they’ve received it. That very sentence leaves dropshippers winded and anxious.

Using US suppliers gives you access to smaller supplier operations that don’t mind picking up the phone and check their emails and messages often. Leaving plenty of room for fixing mistakes and changing orders.

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What to Look for When Choosing USA Suppliers

So now we've highlighted the main perks of using US suppliers, here are five things to hone in on, as you go about finding the best suppliers for your business:

Reliability - If you're using Spocket, check their star rating on their supplier page. This provides an accurate picture of their supplier order fulfillment success rate.

Testing - Always see whether you can order a sample product to evaluate its overall quality, packaging, and shipping time.  

Shipping cost and time

Inventory capacity

Return policy and guarantee

We’re going to take a look at 9 such suppliers and focus on their product quality and shipping times.

9 High-Quality US Dropshipping Suppliers (with fast shipping)

‍Turquoise Lucy

Turquoise Lucy is a fabulous example of a supplier offering something a little different. The majority of their products feature a remarkable wooden aesthetic. From pens and business cardholders, to travel journals, iPhone cases, and flasks - Turquoise Lucy enables customers to create one-of-a-kind engraved gifts. These are sure to put a smile on a loved ones face. Alternatively, they're a fabulous option for any customer wanting to treat themselves.

It's hardly surprising this is one of Spocket's best selling products. Made from real hardwood, encasing its stainless steel core, it's safe to say this is a beautiful product, that also stands the test of time. But, despite its robustness, it still has a lightweight feel.

Average shipping time: 2 days

Return Policy:If you are not happy with your purchase for any reason, you may return the item(s) within 30 days of receiving the order. Please note that monogrammed, personalized, special-order items and items damaged through normal wear and tear are not eligible for return'.‍

Cyan Castor

Cyan Castor is another fab example of a supplier offering something unique. Their map-themed products are ideal for anyone passionate about travel or their hometown.

From custom engraved hip flasks with maps of Burlington, Wisconsin plastered on them, to customized stainless steel coffee tumblers decorated with maps of Mansfield, Texas - these designs are gorgeous!

Average shipping time: Same-day

Return Policy: 'Non-returnable and non-exchangeable” due to one-of-a-kind personalized feat.

Purple Lily Zen

US supplier, Purple Lily Zen, is a high-quality women's fashion apparel, jewelry, and fashion accessory, supplier.

Their products are ideal for customers looking for beautifully handmade pieces. Purple Lily Zen sells a variety of bracelets using high-quality, genuine semi-precious stones, threaded onto a durable elastic band. Not only does this ensure one size actually fits all, but the robust elastic is also bound to stand the test of time.

Take this Moonstone & Rose Quartz Bracelet as an example, it's no wonder it's one of Spocket's best selling products. It's high-quality and gorgeous - what's not to love?!

We also love that when it comes to Purple Lily Zen's mists, they're all made using 100% all-natural, pure ingredients. So, if you're looking to organic produce, these mists are ideal!

Return Policy: If you are not happy with your purchase, you may return the item(s) within 15 days of receiving the order. Please note that monogrammed, personalized, special-order items and items damaged through normal wear and tear are not eligible for return. Please note that their body mists are non-refundable.

Average shipping time: 3 days

Fuchsia Odysseus

Fuschia Odysseus is the supplier for you if you're on the hunt for up-to-the-minute women's clothing. This is especially true if you want to sell 'going out' outfits.

From mini dresses to sequin tops to bodysuits - Fuschia Odysseus has everything you need to stock your online store with all the latest women's fashion.

Some of their products even boast free US shipping!

Average shipping time: 2 days

Return Policy:All sales are not subject to a refund. In some cases, only merchandise exchanges or store credit may be issued.

Turquoise Chaos

Turquoise Chaos is another fabulous jewelry supplier. If you're targetting ethical consumers, then they're certainly worth considering. Turquoise Chaos produces handcrafted pieces from Austin, Texas. With this supplier, you know that everyone involved in the production process is paid an ethical wage.

Many of their products come beautifully presented in organza bags, making them perfect for gift giving. Plus, they offer free shipping to all US customers!

Take this Lilly Heart Choker as an example:

Again, this is one of Spocket's bestsellers, and when we delve into the product info, it's clear to see why.

It's a made-to-order piece using carefully chosen pieces of hematite, rigorously inspected by a geologist. These are then cut and drilled into heart beads and wire wrapped by hand and strung onto a silver chain.

Also, with this product, $5 is donated to the Moment of Magic Foundation (again, another selling point). Plus, it's nickel and lead-free - so it shouldn't react to your customer's skin!

‍Lime Aeneas

We all know pet lovers are always on the lookout for ways to spoil their four-legged friends. This is where Lime Aeneas shines. This supplier sells high-quality dog outfits, bow ties, and collar charms. They have everything your customers need to kit out their pooches in all the best gear. To get a feel for the quality of Lime Aeneas's dropshipping products, each enamel charm is decorated with rhinestones, with a sturdy metal clasp, and is lead-free. 

Average shipping time: Same-day

‍Magenta Chloe

Magenta Chloe supplies tons of pretty homeware items, designed in Cranbury, NJ, USA. They're the perfect supplier if you're after unique, handcrafted designs boasting beautiful calligraphy or artistry, by talented artisan, Alyssa Thiel. The majority of their products are made using high-quality, 100% organic cotton and eco-friendly, water-based inks. This supplier is another fantastic option for ethically-sourced products. Plus, you can be confident that when you purchase Magenta Chloe products, you're supporting fair trade artisans.Magenta Chloe supplies pillows, placemats, aprons, tea towels, tote bags, etc. Take a look at this Eucalyptus Bunch Watercolor Tote Bag (another of Spocket's bestsellers):

Average shipping time: 4 days

Vesuvianite

If you're looking for a top-notch bag supplier, check out Vesuvianite. They have totes, laundry bags, wine bags, and even handbags to carry your dog in - so, it's safe to say Vesuvianite covers everything!

Vesuvianite products boast superior quality with their double bottoms and reinforced handles. So, it doesn't matter whether customers want a robust bag to hit the beach or grocery store; Vesuvianite products are the perfect companion.

Not to mention, some of their interiors stand out from the crowd with their fully lined 360-degree pockets. Often, these match the color of the outside trim, making for an elegant finish.

Check out this Box Tote (again, another of Spocket's bestsellers):

Average shipping time: 1 day

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Mint Green Leto

Mint Green Leto specializes in beauty and spa products like soaps, candles, face wash, etc.

Take their 'Coconut Oasis Milk Soap' as an example:

This is just one of the many decadent products Mint Green Leto has to offer. Infused with natural essential oils- lemon, cedarwood, eucalyptus, lavandin, patchouli, and spearmint, it's a fabulous option for anyone wanting all-natural products.

It's also worth noting this product is 100% handcrafted, vegan, and free from artificial colorants, detergents, and phthalates. All of which are fantastic USP's you can use to market to your customers. Plus, this supplier offers free shipping to US customers!

Mint Green Leto claims its soaps boast deep cleaning properties that naturally purify the skin. Also, its organic recipe keeps skin moisturized - even those with problem skin. It's an incredibly gentle product, making it ideal for customers looking for something to soothe and balance their complexion.  

Average shipping time: 1 day

Wrapping Up

When you consider all the competitive advantages of dropshipping fromUS suppliers, surprisingly, few entrepreneurs take this route. In a market flooded with low-quality products, you can stand out from the crowd by selling USA-made products, with fast shipping, a satisfaction guarantee, and excellent customer service.

These traits will truly distinguish you from the sea of Chinese products dominating the dropshipping world.

If you want access to high-quality dropshipping suppliers in the USA, why not give Spocket a try? It's free to join, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

[cinthiajaqueline18-blog]

Online Marketing - 10 Important Considerations

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[experimntblog]

Cities are not what they used to be. How can we bring their souls back?

In our previous blog post, we saw how cities evolved during the past century, and how industrialization made it more difficult for human interactions to occur. Essentially, what happened is that cities lost some of their soul. This can be defined as the inner quality that a city has and for which it is recognizable to other people. How can we bring cities’ souls back?

Today, we are going to explore the ways which can be used to get a better experience from these cities, by learning how to take advantage of their quintessence. We are going to figure out how we can focus on our cities’ souls, in order to make them shine again with a new light.

Developing a local culture

We all know it, cities are made by the human beings living and working in it. But what truly makes a city unique is how creative these humans can be. The challenges and beauties of life almost always lead to creative expressions. This is reflected in the shape of artistic endeavours, pushed forward by people who truly seek to create a sense of community. They are the builders of creative scenes pertaining to cities and which make them what they are.

That is why it is extremely important, especially during and after the current COVID-19 crisis, that we support our local talents. Whether they are musicians, writers, graphic designers, stand-up comedians, they are the ones encapsulating the authentic soul of a city.

You may not know it, but perhaps your new favourite artist is just around the corner of your street. Maybe they are organising concerts and parties in your neighbourhood bar. Maybe you’ll find them in the middle of a mural painting as it is the norm in cities like Montreal or New York. In any case, it is extremely important to go and explore local artistic scenes, as they are the true bearers of diversity in people and experiences, as well as the cities’ living souls.

How multiculturalism improves local unity

This diversity of people extends way beyond artistic works. Most large cities have seen various waves of immigration from all continents throughout their history. This inevitably forged unique cultural identities, turning urban areas into real cultural melting-pots. People from all around the world brought their knowledge, music or culinary specialties with them to cities, with the intention of sharing them with people.

In North America specifically, it has become very clear that diversity is what defines unity amongst locals in large cities. Although very different people live on the same urban surface, they are all part of what makes a city unique through their cultural activities. Because they bathe in multiculturalism, there is less and less linguistic and cultural barriers between people. If we want to bring more soul back to our cities, it is crucial we embrace their diversity, as it is their strongest vector of a united identity.

Support S&L (small and local)

Embracing diversity, however, is not the only easy way to bring some human connection back into our cities. In order to make the soul of our cities shine in a bright light again, it is important we take a step back at our daily activities and try to focus on small and local businesses again. For example, instead of buying your coffee at Starbucks every morning, where you are nothing but a wrong name on a plastic cup, why not support your local coffee shop? This has the potential to give birth to genuine conversations and brings an authentic dimension to the table.

The same goes for all kinds of daily purchases, from groceries in small neighbourhood shops to locally thrifted clothes instead of fast-fashion from large retail corporations. Nurturing one-to-one relationshipswith owners of local businesses on a scale of a city could truly improve the feeling of community in the long-term.

As members of the Experimnt team, we thought it was crucial to develop a tool that allows passionate people to help bringing soul back to their beloved cities. We provide a platform meant for artists, different passionate or talented people and small business owners to share what makes them part of the cities’ soul.

Do you have other ideas on how to bring your city’s soul back? Please connect with us anytime to share your feelings, your ideas or your feedback at hello@experimnt.com, or leave your comments below.

[douglassmiith]

What do local SEOs really think of Google My Business support?

It’s already hard to remember a time when a local SEO Company’s priorities included having to deal with Google My Business’ various support teams across email, phone, live chat, and social media.

Earlier this year, though, it was a different story. So, inspired by serious issues with incorrect recommendations, errant listing suspensions and very long wait times for reinstatements earlier this year, I sought to find out what the local search experts (many of whom are GMB Product Experts) really thought of the quality of Google My Business’ support, and compiled the following reactions from a long list of local SEO Company pros, including Joy Hawkins, Ben Fisher, Greg Gifford, Dan Leibson, Dana DiTomaso, and more.

I have it on good authority that the quality of support isn’t likely to magically improve once the virus clears, so let’s consider this the “wayback machine” of GMB support gripes, and just hope that the future doesn’t so clearly reflect the past.

Search Engine Land’s Greg Sterling will lead a Live with Search Engine Land discussion with two leaders in the local marketing agency space: Foursquare CEO David Shim and PlaceIQ CEO Duncan McCall. They will discuss how brands and marketers can use location intelligence as they plot a way forward at 2 p.m. ET May 15. Learn more here >>

Incorrect or misleading information and advice

One very common response from almost all sides was around the issues with incorrect information being presented as fact. While experienced SEO Companys may be able to see through the misinformation, any local business owner looking for help from GMB support runs the risk of being told to do something that either won’t help with their problem at all or will actively damage their business’ visibility.

Ben Fisher (Steady Demand): Phone support is a gamble: if you get someone untrained, they will destroy you with the wrong information. On the other hand, if you get someone who has some sympathy, they will not only help you but follow up to make sure all went okay.

My tip for phone support is to listen to their voice and see if it’s clear that they’re talking from a script. Interrupt them and ask them: “How are you doing?”, “What time is it there?” If they stick to the script, tell them you need to run because of an emergency or something.

I do love live chat, but it is severely understaffed. The staff they have added in the last six months or seem to be the same staff, experience-wise, as phone support.

The worst cases of misinformation I have experienced are where support is telling a user to create a new listing because of the actions of a previous manager. This problem can be overcome, but it’s really difficult and usually requires the involvement of a GMB Product Expert.

Phil Rozek (Local Visibility System): We avoid and dread support at GMB like it’s the DMV. It can be good for simple requests, like moving reviews or redirecting a closed page, but I pretty much never contact support. My clients occasionally  do, simply because that’s more efficient than my acting as a conduit, but that’s a big time-taker because it’s extremely tough to speak with a human at GMB.

When you do get through to someone, often there is a quasi-language barrier that leads to misunderstandings. Then there’s the conflicting advice: over the years, Google reps have claimed things like that keyword stuffing in the description helps rankings, call-tracking numbers aren’t allowed, and that clicks are a direct ranking factor.

I chalk that up to a lack of training, or a lack of clear SOPs from Google, or both. In any event, the time it takes to get help that may or may not help, and the confusion caused by well-meaning GMB support reps, often makes business owners wonder whether they’re too reliant on the “local map” and going about their local visibility all wrong.

Jason Brown (Sterling Sky): To say that the latest round of new hires is not properly trained is the understatement of the year. I know more about Google’s policies and procedures, and find myself having to train the support staff. It’s worse for the average user that doesn’t know any better.

We’re at Google’s mercy, and sadly, they don’t seem to care (at least, that’s the message that they’re conveying). I’ve had to point out countless flaws and issues when I contact support, and have had to contact another Google employee for assistance. The average user can’t do this, and so is left hanging.

Dana DiTomaso (Kick Point): The recommendations coming from official GMB support channels can definitely be misleading. For example, they have said that a listing was suspended because we updated the categories on the listing, yet egregious spam lives on.

There also seems to be a high number of suspended listings right now [this was in late February]: we have a client who has a suspended listing (one out of their several locations) with no reason given, and no response yet to our request for help.

Tom Waddington (tomwaddington.com): While I think GMB support wants to help users resolve their issues, I feel the overall priority, at least for a phone support agent, is to convince you that the issue is resolved or will be in a day or two, so that you leave positive feedback regarding your experience with them.

There is typically a survey you will be asked to complete at the end of a support call, but there have been times when my talk with support didn’t go well, the issue wasn’t resolved, and the call disconnected during the transfer to the survey.

GMB is a complex product and support agents aren’t going to have the training and experience to understand all issues. I think the desire for positive feedback along with genuinely wanting to help a user can lead to bad or incorrect advice from a support agent that is trying to placate the user.

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): There seems to be a lot of inconsistency in the quality of support depending who happens to field your inquiry. Some of the GMB support folks seem knowledgeable about the platform and common issues, while others seem to lack even a basic understanding of GMB language and core concepts.

Tim Capper (Online Ownership): Getting some odd advice from business support can be frustrating to businesses as well as the community, especially when said advice is broadcasted publicly: because people think it’s from Google, it must be legitimate advice.

On the contrary, business support is basically a call centre, with set procedures for set issues. They’re not in direct contact with Google My Business product managers, and equally, no single Googler knows or understands what are exact ranking factors are.

I can only surmise (having listened to countless hours of recordings from account managers for GMB listings during compliance auditing), that call handlers who feel confident with the product will offer their own advice whether they think it may help or have heard other agents offer similar advice.

Some particularly troubling pieces of misinformation I’ve heard are:

Adding keywords into your listings, shop code and labels will help your listing rank better (they won’t!)

Deleting a suspended listing and starting again will solve the suspension issue (it won’t!)

Edits made to your GMB listing will ‘reset’ the account’s authority (they won’t!)

A ‘permanently closed’ listing will go away eventually (it might not -– I have a business still showing ‘permanently closed’ after 12yrs and three different businesses at location later!)

Greg Gifford (SearchLab): Every once in a while, I’ve gotten some bad help. We had an issue with a duplicate listing, and got it fixed, and then a month later GMB support finally replied to the initial request we’d put in… and then a month later they answered again.

We’ve also seen the Twitter team send out a few questionable tweets, like saying that keywords in the description help in ranking. Some are more helpful than others, and i think that sometimes they just answer ‘off the cuff’ and don’t realize it’s bad information.

Colan Nielsen (Sterling Sky): Users need to exercise caution when taking advice from GMB support. I’ve actually written a piece detailing the questionable advice I’ve heard.

Dan Leibson (Local Search Guide): I think their support channels suck. I think there is no meaningful way to report systemic, broken things. Everything is treated like you want the secrets to their system or are trying to game the system when you just want them to fix their broken stuff. 

Advertisers get no benefit regardless of spending a ton on ads, despite the fact that they are disproportionately affected by these problems and are more trustworthy sources of reporting.

Speed and efficiency issues

Another commonly-raised issue was the speed efficiency of advice. When your GMB listing is suspended you’re likely to be losing a lot of money every day, and from my chats with the local search community, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

(It should obviously be noted that as of right now, Google has advised that GMB support is going to be slower than ever while they prioritise certain actions related to Covid-19, and social support has been entirely switched off.)

Phil Rozek (Local Visibility System): I had a years-long saga of trying to get Google to remove the “Dentist” category from my Local Visibility System GMB page. Why was it there? Well, as a local SEO Company, I tinker all the time, often using my own GMB page as a lab chimp.

In one experiment I changed the primary category to ‘Dentist,’ but I couldn’t change it back. I I contacted them through Twitter and email, and while the reps were helpful, after some back-and-forth they were stumped, and apparently kicked up the question to a supervisor. I never heard back. (In Google’s defence, I didn’t attempt to call them, but that’s because I didn’t have a business day to spare!)

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): GMB issues can have significant consequences for local businesses. When a listing is suspended, it can be really frustrating to get a response like:

Tim Capper (Online Ownership): Support channels all vary in efficiency, especially when there has been a large swath of suspensions. When these happen (and they’re happening more and more), support grinds to a halt. Last year we had an unprecedented 6-week delay in getting reinstatements getting looked at.

I’ve personally found Twitter support to have become swamped as it has become more popular and delays are occurring. You also have to DM details of the issue, which isn’t ideal when it’s a nuanced issue.

Ben Fisher (Steady Demand): According to those whom I talk to at Google, 90% of accounts have only one listing in them. This infers that the majority of listings that are on maps are single users with a single account. In other words, most of them are ‘mom and pop’-type businesses.

So, therefore, GMB builds things that address single account holders the most. Makes sense that support would acknowledge this, right? Heck, no! Have you ever tried to get a reinstatement completed? You get back this email telling you that they need more information, or they are not compliant, or there is a problem with the… whatever.

In the example below, they didn’t tell me the name of the business and supplied a generic response when I asked for it.

However, if you go elsewhere and submit a contact form, you get back this beautiful template that tells you the business name and address!

Claire Carlile (Claire Carlile marketing agency): Personally, when I have an issue, I usually turn to Twitter DMs, but the support I’ve received there has been variable in terms of quality and timeliness.

It is frustrating to send a DM about a problem and then have to wait weeks to get an answer. By the time you get it, you’ve usually found a solution or the problem is no longer a problem!

Personally, I turn to an internal network of fellow GMB aficionados, and the forum, for insight. I just can’t wait two or three weeks for an answer from Twitter support. Also, if you have multiple questions about multiple accounts, it’s very hard to manage responses there.

It’s not all bad, though!

At the time, given the severe slowdown in GMB support responses, the misinformation being shared, and the backup in suspension investigations, I was fully prepared for an onslaught of rage towards the GMB support team. And while I did indeed get that in some quarters, I was really pleasantly surprised by the positive stories, understanding and empathy shown elsewhere.

Joy Hawkins (Sterling Sky): Bad advice is normally given out when users expect Google support to be able to answer questions about ranking tactics, like in this example.

Google My Business support is generally good at fixing issues with listings but there is a limit to what they’re able to do when technical issues and bugs are frequently a problem with the platform. If you’ve been told something by GMB support that you think is incorrect, it’s always fine to get a second opinion by posting on the GMB forum.

Greg Gifford (SearchLab): The support team is trying, but so often they’re completely overwhelmed by the volume of support requests that things don’t work out so well. Overall, I’ve had great experiences. You just have to wait a bit for your reply or solution.

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): I’m really empathetic to folks working the GMB support channels. They’re regularly inundated with issues from all directions.

From my vantage point, Google just doesn’t allocate the resources needed to appropriately support GMB. That being said, they’ve definitely moved in the right direction. It wasn’t that long ago that support requests simply went unanswered into the Google abyss.

I’m extremely grateful for the ability to have some means to escalate issues. For example, in dealing with a particularly troublesome law firm listing suspension issue late last year, I got a response within thirty minutes that led to a rapid reinstatement:

Tim Capper (Online Ownership): I really like the original ‘contact support’ form. You can give a pretty detailed report on the issue, then when you get the reply email, you can reply with additional screenshots to help the agent.

By providing the agent with all the details at once in the form, I normally get the issue resolved within 24hrs, with no ‘back-and-forth’ required.

Claire Carlile (Claire Carlile marketing agency): My main point would be that, however frustrated one might be with lack of advice, quality of advice, or speed of advice, we need to remember that GMB is staffed by human beings who are doing their best given whatever resources or internal guidelines they have or do not have.

My tips would be to always be polite, not to be snarky, and to always thank people for their time – whether it’s Max, Flip, Brad, Liz, Mark, Dany, Zach, Matt, Tori or Jenny!

Colan Nielsen (Sterling Sky): Over the years, GMB support has evolved from being virtually non-existent to something that has become very useful for solving most types of GMB issues. Looking at the evolution of the ways that you can contact GMB support alone is a testament to the attention that the GMB product is getting and the progress that they have made.

The future of Google My Business support

While it’s hard for me, here in the spring of 2020, when nothing is as it should be or as any of us would have expected it to be, to summarise the current status of Google My Business support, I do have some closing thoughts on its future courtesy of some of those I spoke to.

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): While I’m not very optimistic that it will happen, I’d like to see Google take more accountability for addressing GMB issues and providing support. Like other support contexts, it’s neither fair nor productive to attack the front-line support people. 

Instead, I’d suggest putting more pressure on Google to take Google My Business issues more seriously by allocating the necessary resources to properly support and address these issues. Lack of support is harmful to both businesses and their customers.

Andrew Shotland (Local SEO Company Guide): As is often the case with Google services, the scale of the problem must be in a way overwhelming. And while Google has been making incremental progress, it still feels like a drop in the bucket.

There has been a lot of speculation over the past year that Google is going to roll out a paid GMB service. While we all cringe at Google taking even more money from our collective pockets, if a pay model allows it to more effectively address some of the glaring problems with GMB, I imagine the majority of local businesses and agencies would hold their noses and willingly pay it.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Jamie Pitman has worked in digital marketing agency for over a decade and is currently Head of Content at local SEO Company tool provider BrightLocal. He specializes in local marketing agency and the many factors that affect local search performance, from Google My Business and consumer reviews to branding, content marketing agency, and beyond.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

Via http://www.scpie.org/what-do-local-seos-really-think-of-google-my-business-support/

source https://scpie.weebly.com/blog/what-do-local-seos-really-think-of-google-my-business-support

[riichardwilson]

What do local SEOs really think of Google My Business support?

It’s already hard to remember a time when a local SEO Company’s priorities included having to deal with Google My Business’ various support teams across email, phone, live chat, and social media.

Earlier this year, though, it was a different story. So, inspired by serious issues with incorrect recommendations, errant listing suspensions and very long wait times for reinstatements earlier this year, I sought to find out what the local search experts (many of whom are GMB Product Experts) really thought of the quality of Google My Business’ support, and compiled the following reactions from a long list of local SEO Company pros, including Joy Hawkins, Ben Fisher, Greg Gifford, Dan Leibson, Dana DiTomaso, and more.

I have it on good authority that the quality of support isn’t likely to magically improve once the virus clears, so let’s consider this the “wayback machine” of GMB support gripes, and just hope that the future doesn’t so clearly reflect the past.

Search Engine Land’s Greg Sterling will lead a Live with Search Engine Land discussion with two leaders in the local marketing agency space: Foursquare CEO David Shim and PlaceIQ CEO Duncan McCall. They will discuss how brands and marketers can use location intelligence as they plot a way forward at 2 p.m. ET May 15. Learn more here >>

Incorrect or misleading information and advice

One very common response from almost all sides was around the issues with incorrect information being presented as fact. While experienced SEO Companys may be able to see through the misinformation, any local business owner looking for help from GMB support runs the risk of being told to do something that either won’t help with their problem at all or will actively damage their business’ visibility.

Ben Fisher (Steady Demand): Phone support is a gamble: if you get someone untrained, they will destroy you with the wrong information. On the other hand, if you get someone who has some sympathy, they will not only help you but follow up to make sure all went okay.

My tip for phone support is to listen to their voice and see if it’s clear that they’re talking from a script. Interrupt them and ask them: “How are you doing?”, “What time is it there?” If they stick to the script, tell them you need to run because of an emergency or something.

I do love live chat, but it is severely understaffed. The staff they have added in the last six months or seem to be the same staff, experience-wise, as phone support.

The worst cases of misinformation I have experienced are where support is telling a user to create a new listing because of the actions of a previous manager. This problem can be overcome, but it’s really difficult and usually requires the involvement of a GMB Product Expert.

Phil Rozek (Local Visibility System): We avoid and dread support at GMB like it’s the DMV. It can be good for simple requests, like moving reviews or redirecting a closed page, but I pretty much never contact support. My clients occasionally  do, simply because that’s more efficient than my acting as a conduit, but that’s a big time-taker because it’s extremely tough to speak with a human at GMB.

When you do get through to someone, often there is a quasi-language barrier that leads to misunderstandings. Then there’s the conflicting advice: over the years, Google reps have claimed things like that keyword stuffing in the description helps rankings, call-tracking numbers aren’t allowed, and that clicks are a direct ranking factor.

I chalk that up to a lack of training, or a lack of clear SOPs from Google, or both. In any event, the time it takes to get help that may or may not help, and the confusion caused by well-meaning GMB support reps, often makes business owners wonder whether they’re too reliant on the “local map” and going about their local visibility all wrong.

Jason Brown (Sterling Sky): To say that the latest round of new hires is not properly trained is the understatement of the year. I know more about Google’s policies and procedures, and find myself having to train the support staff. It’s worse for the average user that doesn’t know any better.

We’re at Google’s mercy, and sadly, they don’t seem to care (at least, that’s the message that they’re conveying). I’ve had to point out countless flaws and issues when I contact support, and have had to contact another Google employee for assistance. The average user can’t do this, and so is left hanging.

Dana DiTomaso (Kick Point): The recommendations coming from official GMB support channels can definitely be misleading. For example, they have said that a listing was suspended because we updated the categories on the listing, yet egregious spam lives on.

There also seems to be a high number of suspended listings right now [this was in late February]: we have a client who has a suspended listing (one out of their several locations) with no reason given, and no response yet to our request for help.

Tom Waddington (tomwaddington.com): While I think GMB support wants to help users resolve their issues, I feel the overall priority, at least for a phone support agent, is to convince you that the issue is resolved or will be in a day or two, so that you leave positive feedback regarding your experience with them.

There is typically a survey you will be asked to complete at the end of a support call, but there have been times when my talk with support didn’t go well, the issue wasn’t resolved, and the call disconnected during the transfer to the survey.

GMB is a complex product and support agents aren’t going to have the training and experience to understand all issues. I think the desire for positive feedback along with genuinely wanting to help a user can lead to bad or incorrect advice from a support agent that is trying to placate the user.

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): There seems to be a lot of inconsistency in the quality of support depending who happens to field your inquiry. Some of the GMB support folks seem knowledgeable about the platform and common issues, while others seem to lack even a basic understanding of GMB language and core concepts.

Tim Capper (Online Ownership): Getting some odd advice from business support can be frustrating to businesses as well as the community, especially when said advice is broadcasted publicly: because people think it’s from Google, it must be legitimate advice.

On the contrary, business support is basically a call centre, with set procedures for set issues. They’re not in direct contact with Google My Business product managers, and equally, no single Googler knows or understands what are exact ranking factors are.

I can only surmise (having listened to countless hours of recordings from account managers for GMB listings during compliance auditing), that call handlers who feel confident with the product will offer their own advice whether they think it may help or have heard other agents offer similar advice.

Some particularly troubling pieces of misinformation I’ve heard are:

Adding keywords into your listings, shop code and labels will help your listing rank better (they won’t!)

Deleting a suspended listing and starting again will solve the suspension issue (it won’t!)

Edits made to your GMB listing will ‘reset’ the account’s authority (they won’t!)

A ‘permanently closed’ listing will go away eventually (it might not -– I have a business still showing ‘permanently closed’ after 12yrs and three different businesses at location later!)

Greg Gifford (SearchLab): Every once in a while, I’ve gotten some bad help. We had an issue with a duplicate listing, and got it fixed, and then a month later GMB support finally replied to the initial request we’d put in… and then a month later they answered again.

We’ve also seen the Twitter team send out a few questionable tweets, like saying that keywords in the description help in ranking. Some are more helpful than others, and i think that sometimes they just answer ‘off the cuff’ and don’t realize it’s bad information.

Colan Nielsen (Sterling Sky): Users need to exercise caution when taking advice from GMB support. I’ve actually written a piece detailing the questionable advice I’ve heard.

Dan Leibson (Local Search Guide): I think their support channels suck. I think there is no meaningful way to report systemic, broken things. Everything is treated like you want the secrets to their system or are trying to game the system when you just want them to fix their broken stuff. 

Advertisers get no benefit regardless of spending a ton on ads, despite the fact that they are disproportionately affected by these problems and are more trustworthy sources of reporting.

Speed and efficiency issues

Another commonly-raised issue was the speed efficiency of advice. When your GMB listing is suspended you’re likely to be losing a lot of money every day, and from my chats with the local search community, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

(It should obviously be noted that as of right now, Google has advised that GMB support is going to be slower than ever while they prioritise certain actions related to Covid-19, and social support has been entirely switched off.)

Phil Rozek (Local Visibility System): I had a years-long saga of trying to get Google to remove the “Dentist” category from my Local Visibility System GMB page. Why was it there? Well, as a local SEO Company, I tinker all the time, often using my own GMB page as a lab chimp.

In one experiment I changed the primary category to ‘Dentist,’ but I couldn’t change it back. I I contacted them through Twitter and email, and while the reps were helpful, after some back-and-forth they were stumped, and apparently kicked up the question to a supervisor. I never heard back. (In Google’s defence, I didn’t attempt to call them, but that’s because I didn’t have a business day to spare!)

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): GMB issues can have significant consequences for local businesses. When a listing is suspended, it can be really frustrating to get a response like:

Tim Capper (Online Ownership): Support channels all vary in efficiency, especially when there has been a large swath of suspensions. When these happen (and they’re happening more and more), support grinds to a halt. Last year we had an unprecedented 6-week delay in getting reinstatements getting looked at.

I’ve personally found Twitter support to have become swamped as it has become more popular and delays are occurring. You also have to DM details of the issue, which isn’t ideal when it’s a nuanced issue.

Ben Fisher (Steady Demand): According to those whom I talk to at Google, 90% of accounts have only one listing in them. This infers that the majority of listings that are on maps are single users with a single account. In other words, most of them are ‘mom and pop’-type businesses.

So, therefore, GMB builds things that address single account holders the most. Makes sense that support would acknowledge this, right? Heck, no! Have you ever tried to get a reinstatement completed? You get back this email telling you that they need more information, or they are not compliant, or there is a problem with the… whatever.

In the example below, they didn’t tell me the name of the business and supplied a generic response when I asked for it.

However, if you go elsewhere and submit a contact form, you get back this beautiful template that tells you the business name and address!

Claire Carlile (Claire Carlile marketing agency): Personally, when I have an issue, I usually turn to Twitter DMs, but the support I’ve received there has been variable in terms of quality and timeliness.

It is frustrating to send a DM about a problem and then have to wait weeks to get an answer. By the time you get it, you’ve usually found a solution or the problem is no longer a problem!

Personally, I turn to an internal network of fellow GMB aficionados, and the forum, for insight. I just can’t wait two or three weeks for an answer from Twitter support. Also, if you have multiple questions about multiple accounts, it’s very hard to manage responses there.

It’s not all bad, though!

At the time, given the severe slowdown in GMB support responses, the misinformation being shared, and the backup in suspension investigations, I was fully prepared for an onslaught of rage towards the GMB support team. And while I did indeed get that in some quarters, I was really pleasantly surprised by the positive stories, understanding and empathy shown elsewhere.

Joy Hawkins (Sterling Sky): Bad advice is normally given out when users expect Google support to be able to answer questions about ranking tactics, like in this example.

Google My Business support is generally good at fixing issues with listings but there is a limit to what they’re able to do when technical issues and bugs are frequently a problem with the platform. If you’ve been told something by GMB support that you think is incorrect, it’s always fine to get a second opinion by posting on the GMB forum.

Greg Gifford (SearchLab): The support team is trying, but so often they’re completely overwhelmed by the volume of support requests that things don’t work out so well. Overall, I’ve had great experiences. You just have to wait a bit for your reply or solution.

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): I’m really empathetic to folks working the GMB support channels. They’re regularly inundated with issues from all directions.

From my vantage point, Google just doesn’t allocate the resources needed to appropriately support GMB. That being said, they’ve definitely moved in the right direction. It wasn’t that long ago that support requests simply went unanswered into the Google abyss.

I’m extremely grateful for the ability to have some means to escalate issues. For example, in dealing with a particularly troublesome law firm listing suspension issue late last year, I got a response within thirty minutes that led to a rapid reinstatement:

Tim Capper (Online Ownership): I really like the original ‘contact support’ form. You can give a pretty detailed report on the issue, then when you get the reply email, you can reply with additional screenshots to help the agent.

By providing the agent with all the details at once in the form, I normally get the issue resolved within 24hrs, with no ‘back-and-forth’ required.

Claire Carlile (Claire Carlile marketing agency): My main point would be that, however frustrated one might be with lack of advice, quality of advice, or speed of advice, we need to remember that GMB is staffed by human beings who are doing their best given whatever resources or internal guidelines they have or do not have.

My tips would be to always be polite, not to be snarky, and to always thank people for their time – whether it’s Max, Flip, Brad, Liz, Mark, Dany, Zach, Matt, Tori or Jenny!

Colan Nielsen (Sterling Sky): Over the years, GMB support has evolved from being virtually non-existent to something that has become very useful for solving most types of GMB issues. Looking at the evolution of the ways that you can contact GMB support alone is a testament to the attention that the GMB product is getting and the progress that they have made.

The future of Google My Business support

While it’s hard for me, here in the spring of 2020, when nothing is as it should be or as any of us would have expected it to be, to summarise the current status of Google My Business support, I do have some closing thoughts on its future courtesy of some of those I spoke to.

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): While I’m not very optimistic that it will happen, I’d like to see Google take more accountability for addressing GMB issues and providing support. Like other support contexts, it’s neither fair nor productive to attack the front-line support people. 

Instead, I’d suggest putting more pressure on Google to take Google My Business issues more seriously by allocating the necessary resources to properly support and address these issues. Lack of support is harmful to both businesses and their customers.

Andrew Shotland (Local SEO Company Guide): As is often the case with Google services, the scale of the problem must be in a way overwhelming. And while Google has been making incremental progress, it still feels like a drop in the bucket.

There has been a lot of speculation over the past year that Google is going to roll out a paid GMB service. While we all cringe at Google taking even more money from our collective pockets, if a pay model allows it to more effectively address some of the glaring problems with GMB, I imagine the majority of local businesses and agencies would hold their noses and willingly pay it.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Jamie Pitman has worked in digital marketing agency for over a decade and is currently Head of Content at local SEO Company tool provider BrightLocal. He specializes in local marketing agency and the many factors that affect local search performance, from Google My Business and consumer reviews to branding, content marketing agency, and beyond.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/what-do-local-seos-really-think-of-google-my-business-support/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/618136337140367360

[scpie]

What do local SEOs really think of Google My Business support?

It’s already hard to remember a time when a local SEO Company’s priorities included having to deal with Google My Business’ various support teams across email, phone, live chat, and social media.

Earlier this year, though, it was a different story. So, inspired by serious issues with incorrect recommendations, errant listing suspensions and very long wait times for reinstatements earlier this year, I sought to find out what the local search experts (many of whom are GMB Product Experts) really thought of the quality of Google My Business’ support, and compiled the following reactions from a long list of local SEO Company pros, including Joy Hawkins, Ben Fisher, Greg Gifford, Dan Leibson, Dana DiTomaso, and more.

I have it on good authority that the quality of support isn’t likely to magically improve once the virus clears, so let’s consider this the “wayback machine” of GMB support gripes, and just hope that the future doesn’t so clearly reflect the past.

Search Engine Land’s Greg Sterling will lead a Live with Search Engine Land discussion with two leaders in the local marketing agency space: Foursquare CEO David Shim and PlaceIQ CEO Duncan McCall. They will discuss how brands and marketers can use location intelligence as they plot a way forward at 2 p.m. ET May 15. Learn more here >>

Incorrect or misleading information and advice

One very common response from almost all sides was around the issues with incorrect information being presented as fact. While experienced SEO Companys may be able to see through the misinformation, any local business owner looking for help from GMB support runs the risk of being told to do something that either won’t help with their problem at all or will actively damage their business’ visibility.

Ben Fisher (Steady Demand): Phone support is a gamble: if you get someone untrained, they will destroy you with the wrong information. On the other hand, if you get someone who has some sympathy, they will not only help you but follow up to make sure all went okay.

My tip for phone support is to listen to their voice and see if it’s clear that they’re talking from a script. Interrupt them and ask them: “How are you doing?”, “What time is it there?” If they stick to the script, tell them you need to run because of an emergency or something.

I do love live chat, but it is severely understaffed. The staff they have added in the last six months or seem to be the same staff, experience-wise, as phone support.

The worst cases of misinformation I have experienced are where support is telling a user to create a new listing because of the actions of a previous manager. This problem can be overcome, but it’s really difficult and usually requires the involvement of a GMB Product Expert.

Phil Rozek (Local Visibility System): We avoid and dread support at GMB like it’s the DMV. It can be good for simple requests, like moving reviews or redirecting a closed page, but I pretty much never contact support. My clients occasionally  do, simply because that’s more efficient than my acting as a conduit, but that’s a big time-taker because it’s extremely tough to speak with a human at GMB.

When you do get through to someone, often there is a quasi-language barrier that leads to misunderstandings. Then there’s the conflicting advice: over the years, Google reps have claimed things like that keyword stuffing in the description helps rankings, call-tracking numbers aren’t allowed, and that clicks are a direct ranking factor.

I chalk that up to a lack of training, or a lack of clear SOPs from Google, or both. In any event, the time it takes to get help that may or may not help, and the confusion caused by well-meaning GMB support reps, often makes business owners wonder whether they’re too reliant on the “local map” and going about their local visibility all wrong.

Jason Brown (Sterling Sky): To say that the latest round of new hires is not properly trained is the understatement of the year. I know more about Google’s policies and procedures, and find myself having to train the support staff. It’s worse for the average user that doesn’t know any better.

We’re at Google’s mercy, and sadly, they don’t seem to care (at least, that’s the message that they’re conveying). I’ve had to point out countless flaws and issues when I contact support, and have had to contact another Google employee for assistance. The average user can’t do this, and so is left hanging.

Dana DiTomaso (Kick Point): The recommendations coming from official GMB support channels can definitely be misleading. For example, they have said that a listing was suspended because we updated the categories on the listing, yet egregious spam lives on.

There also seems to be a high number of suspended listings right now [this was in late February]: we have a client who has a suspended listing (one out of their several locations) with no reason given, and no response yet to our request for help.

Tom Waddington (tomwaddington.com): While I think GMB support wants to help users resolve their issues, I feel the overall priority, at least for a phone support agent, is to convince you that the issue is resolved or will be in a day or two, so that you leave positive feedback regarding your experience with them.

There is typically a survey you will be asked to complete at the end of a support call, but there have been times when my talk with support didn’t go well, the issue wasn’t resolved, and the call disconnected during the transfer to the survey.

GMB is a complex product and support agents aren’t going to have the training and experience to understand all issues. I think the desire for positive feedback along with genuinely wanting to help a user can lead to bad or incorrect advice from a support agent that is trying to placate the user.

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): There seems to be a lot of inconsistency in the quality of support depending who happens to field your inquiry. Some of the GMB support folks seem knowledgeable about the platform and common issues, while others seem to lack even a basic understanding of GMB language and core concepts.

Tim Capper (Online Ownership): Getting some odd advice from business support can be frustrating to businesses as well as the community, especially when said advice is broadcasted publicly: because people think it’s from Google, it must be legitimate advice.

On the contrary, business support is basically a call centre, with set procedures for set issues. They’re not in direct contact with Google My Business product managers, and equally, no single Googler knows or understands what are exact ranking factors are.

I can only surmise (having listened to countless hours of recordings from account managers for GMB listings during compliance auditing), that call handlers who feel confident with the product will offer their own advice whether they think it may help or have heard other agents offer similar advice.

Some particularly troubling pieces of misinformation I’ve heard are:

Adding keywords into your listings, shop code and labels will help your listing rank better (they won’t!)

Deleting a suspended listing and starting again will solve the suspension issue (it won’t!)

Edits made to your GMB listing will ‘reset’ the account’s authority (they won’t!)

A ‘permanently closed’ listing will go away eventually (it might not -– I have a business still showing ‘permanently closed’ after 12yrs and three different businesses at location later!)

Greg Gifford (SearchLab): Every once in a while, I’ve gotten some bad help. We had an issue with a duplicate listing, and got it fixed, and then a month later GMB support finally replied to the initial request we’d put in… and then a month later they answered again.

We’ve also seen the Twitter team send out a few questionable tweets, like saying that keywords in the description help in ranking. Some are more helpful than others, and i think that sometimes they just answer ‘off the cuff’ and don’t realize it’s bad information.

Colan Nielsen (Sterling Sky): Users need to exercise caution when taking advice from GMB support. I’ve actually written a piece detailing the questionable advice I’ve heard.

Dan Leibson (Local Search Guide): I think their support channels suck. I think there is no meaningful way to report systemic, broken things. Everything is treated like you want the secrets to their system or are trying to game the system when you just want them to fix their broken stuff. 

Advertisers get no benefit regardless of spending a ton on ads, despite the fact that they are disproportionately affected by these problems and are more trustworthy sources of reporting.

Speed and efficiency issues

Another commonly-raised issue was the speed efficiency of advice. When your GMB listing is suspended you’re likely to be losing a lot of money every day, and from my chats with the local search community, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

(It should obviously be noted that as of right now, Google has advised that GMB support is going to be slower than ever while they prioritise certain actions related to Covid-19, and social support has been entirely switched off.)

Phil Rozek (Local Visibility System): I had a years-long saga of trying to get Google to remove the “Dentist” category from my Local Visibility System GMB page. Why was it there? Well, as a local SEO Company, I tinker all the time, often using my own GMB page as a lab chimp.

In one experiment I changed the primary category to ‘Dentist,’ but I couldn’t change it back. I I contacted them through Twitter and email, and while the reps were helpful, after some back-and-forth they were stumped, and apparently kicked up the question to a supervisor. I never heard back. (In Google’s defence, I didn’t attempt to call them, but that’s because I didn’t have a business day to spare!)

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): GMB issues can have significant consequences for local businesses. When a listing is suspended, it can be really frustrating to get a response like:

Tim Capper (Online Ownership): Support channels all vary in efficiency, especially when there has been a large swath of suspensions. When these happen (and they’re happening more and more), support grinds to a halt. Last year we had an unprecedented 6-week delay in getting reinstatements getting looked at.

I’ve personally found Twitter support to have become swamped as it has become more popular and delays are occurring. You also have to DM details of the issue, which isn’t ideal when it’s a nuanced issue.

Ben Fisher (Steady Demand): According to those whom I talk to at Google, 90% of accounts have only one listing in them. This infers that the majority of listings that are on maps are single users with a single account. In other words, most of them are ‘mom and pop’-type businesses.

So, therefore, GMB builds things that address single account holders the most. Makes sense that support would acknowledge this, right? Heck, no! Have you ever tried to get a reinstatement completed? You get back this email telling you that they need more information, or they are not compliant, or there is a problem with the… whatever.

In the example below, they didn’t tell me the name of the business and supplied a generic response when I asked for it.

However, if you go elsewhere and submit a contact form, you get back this beautiful template that tells you the business name and address!

Claire Carlile (Claire Carlile marketing agency): Personally, when I have an issue, I usually turn to Twitter DMs, but the support I’ve received there has been variable in terms of quality and timeliness.

It is frustrating to send a DM about a problem and then have to wait weeks to get an answer. By the time you get it, you’ve usually found a solution or the problem is no longer a problem!

Personally, I turn to an internal network of fellow GMB aficionados, and the forum, for insight. I just can’t wait two or three weeks for an answer from Twitter support. Also, if you have multiple questions about multiple accounts, it’s very hard to manage responses there.

It’s not all bad, though!

At the time, given the severe slowdown in GMB support responses, the misinformation being shared, and the backup in suspension investigations, I was fully prepared for an onslaught of rage towards the GMB support team. And while I did indeed get that in some quarters, I was really pleasantly surprised by the positive stories, understanding and empathy shown elsewhere.

Joy Hawkins (Sterling Sky): Bad advice is normally given out when users expect Google support to be able to answer questions about ranking tactics, like in this example.

Google My Business support is generally good at fixing issues with listings but there is a limit to what they’re able to do when technical issues and bugs are frequently a problem with the platform. If you’ve been told something by GMB support that you think is incorrect, it’s always fine to get a second opinion by posting on the GMB forum.

Greg Gifford (SearchLab): The support team is trying, but so often they’re completely overwhelmed by the volume of support requests that things don’t work out so well. Overall, I’ve had great experiences. You just have to wait a bit for your reply or solution.

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): I’m really empathetic to folks working the GMB support channels. They’re regularly inundated with issues from all directions.

From my vantage point, Google just doesn’t allocate the resources needed to appropriately support GMB. That being said, they’ve definitely moved in the right direction. It wasn’t that long ago that support requests simply went unanswered into the Google abyss.

I’m extremely grateful for the ability to have some means to escalate issues. For example, in dealing with a particularly troublesome law firm listing suspension issue late last year, I got a response within thirty minutes that led to a rapid reinstatement:

Tim Capper (Online Ownership): I really like the original ‘contact support’ form. You can give a pretty detailed report on the issue, then when you get the reply email, you can reply with additional screenshots to help the agent.

By providing the agent with all the details at once in the form, I normally get the issue resolved within 24hrs, with no ‘back-and-forth’ required.

Claire Carlile (Claire Carlile marketing agency): My main point would be that, however frustrated one might be with lack of advice, quality of advice, or speed of advice, we need to remember that GMB is staffed by human beings who are doing their best given whatever resources or internal guidelines they have or do not have.

My tips would be to always be polite, not to be snarky, and to always thank people for their time – whether it’s Max, Flip, Brad, Liz, Mark, Dany, Zach, Matt, Tori or Jenny!

Colan Nielsen (Sterling Sky): Over the years, GMB support has evolved from being virtually non-existent to something that has become very useful for solving most types of GMB issues. Looking at the evolution of the ways that you can contact GMB support alone is a testament to the attention that the GMB product is getting and the progress that they have made.

The future of Google My Business support

While it’s hard for me, here in the spring of 2020, when nothing is as it should be or as any of us would have expected it to be, to summarise the current status of Google My Business support, I do have some closing thoughts on its future courtesy of some of those I spoke to.

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): While I’m not very optimistic that it will happen, I’d like to see Google take more accountability for addressing GMB issues and providing support. Like other support contexts, it’s neither fair nor productive to attack the front-line support people. 

Instead, I’d suggest putting more pressure on Google to take Google My Business issues more seriously by allocating the necessary resources to properly support and address these issues. Lack of support is harmful to both businesses and their customers.

Andrew Shotland (Local SEO Company Guide): As is often the case with Google services, the scale of the problem must be in a way overwhelming. And while Google has been making incremental progress, it still feels like a drop in the bucket.

There has been a lot of speculation over the past year that Google is going to roll out a paid GMB service. While we all cringe at Google taking even more money from our collective pockets, if a pay model allows it to more effectively address some of the glaring problems with GMB, I imagine the majority of local businesses and agencies would hold their noses and willingly pay it.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Jamie Pitman has worked in digital marketing agency for over a decade and is currently Head of Content at local SEO Company tool provider BrightLocal. He specializes in local marketing agency and the many factors that affect local search performance, from Google My Business and consumer reviews to branding, content marketing agency, and beyond.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/what-do-local-seos-really-think-of-google-my-business-support/

[laurelkrugerr]

What do local SEOs really think of Google My Business support?

It’s already hard to remember a time when a local SEO Company’s priorities included having to deal with Google My Business’ various support teams across email, phone, live chat, and social media.

Earlier this year, though, it was a different story. So, inspired by serious issues with incorrect recommendations, errant listing suspensions and very long wait times for reinstatements earlier this year, I sought to find out what the local search experts (many of whom are GMB Product Experts) really thought of the quality of Google My Business’ support, and compiled the following reactions from a long list of local SEO Company pros, including Joy Hawkins, Ben Fisher, Greg Gifford, Dan Leibson, Dana DiTomaso, and more.

I have it on good authority that the quality of support isn’t likely to magically improve once the virus clears, so let’s consider this the “wayback machine” of GMB support gripes, and just hope that the future doesn’t so clearly reflect the past.

Search Engine Land’s Greg Sterling will lead a Live with Search Engine Land discussion with two leaders in the local marketing agency space: Foursquare CEO David Shim and PlaceIQ CEO Duncan McCall. They will discuss how brands and marketers can use location intelligence as they plot a way forward at 2 p.m. ET May 15. Learn more here >>

Incorrect or misleading information and advice

One very common response from almost all sides was around the issues with incorrect information being presented as fact. While experienced SEO Companys may be able to see through the misinformation, any local business owner looking for help from GMB support runs the risk of being told to do something that either won’t help with their problem at all or will actively damage their business’ visibility.

Ben Fisher (Steady Demand): Phone support is a gamble: if you get someone untrained, they will destroy you with the wrong information. On the other hand, if you get someone who has some sympathy, they will not only help you but follow up to make sure all went okay.

My tip for phone support is to listen to their voice and see if it’s clear that they’re talking from a script. Interrupt them and ask them: “How are you doing?”, “What time is it there?” If they stick to the script, tell them you need to run because of an emergency or something.

I do love live chat, but it is severely understaffed. The staff they have added in the last six months or seem to be the same staff, experience-wise, as phone support.

The worst cases of misinformation I have experienced are where support is telling a user to create a new listing because of the actions of a previous manager. This problem can be overcome, but it’s really difficult and usually requires the involvement of a GMB Product Expert.

Phil Rozek (Local Visibility System): We avoid and dread support at GMB like it’s the DMV. It can be good for simple requests, like moving reviews or redirecting a closed page, but I pretty much never contact support. My clients occasionally  do, simply because that’s more efficient than my acting as a conduit, but that’s a big time-taker because it’s extremely tough to speak with a human at GMB.

When you do get through to someone, often there is a quasi-language barrier that leads to misunderstandings. Then there’s the conflicting advice: over the years, Google reps have claimed things like that keyword stuffing in the description helps rankings, call-tracking numbers aren’t allowed, and that clicks are a direct ranking factor.

I chalk that up to a lack of training, or a lack of clear SOPs from Google, or both. In any event, the time it takes to get help that may or may not help, and the confusion caused by well-meaning GMB support reps, often makes business owners wonder whether they’re too reliant on the “local map” and going about their local visibility all wrong.

Jason Brown (Sterling Sky): To say that the latest round of new hires is not properly trained is the understatement of the year. I know more about Google’s policies and procedures, and find myself having to train the support staff. It’s worse for the average user that doesn’t know any better.

We’re at Google’s mercy, and sadly, they don’t seem to care (at least, that’s the message that they’re conveying). I’ve had to point out countless flaws and issues when I contact support, and have had to contact another Google employee for assistance. The average user can’t do this, and so is left hanging.

Dana DiTomaso (Kick Point): The recommendations coming from official GMB support channels can definitely be misleading. For example, they have said that a listing was suspended because we updated the categories on the listing, yet egregious spam lives on.

There also seems to be a high number of suspended listings right now [this was in late February]: we have a client who has a suspended listing (one out of their several locations) with no reason given, and no response yet to our request for help.

Tom Waddington (tomwaddington.com): While I think GMB support wants to help users resolve their issues, I feel the overall priority, at least for a phone support agent, is to convince you that the issue is resolved or will be in a day or two, so that you leave positive feedback regarding your experience with them.

There is typically a survey you will be asked to complete at the end of a support call, but there have been times when my talk with support didn’t go well, the issue wasn’t resolved, and the call disconnected during the transfer to the survey.

GMB is a complex product and support agents aren’t going to have the training and experience to understand all issues. I think the desire for positive feedback along with genuinely wanting to help a user can lead to bad or incorrect advice from a support agent that is trying to placate the user.

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): There seems to be a lot of inconsistency in the quality of support depending who happens to field your inquiry. Some of the GMB support folks seem knowledgeable about the platform and common issues, while others seem to lack even a basic understanding of GMB language and core concepts.

Tim Capper (Online Ownership): Getting some odd advice from business support can be frustrating to businesses as well as the community, especially when said advice is broadcasted publicly: because people think it’s from Google, it must be legitimate advice.

On the contrary, business support is basically a call centre, with set procedures for set issues. They’re not in direct contact with Google My Business product managers, and equally, no single Googler knows or understands what are exact ranking factors are.

I can only surmise (having listened to countless hours of recordings from account managers for GMB listings during compliance auditing), that call handlers who feel confident with the product will offer their own advice whether they think it may help or have heard other agents offer similar advice.

Some particularly troubling pieces of misinformation I’ve heard are:

Adding keywords into your listings, shop code and labels will help your listing rank better (they won’t!)

Deleting a suspended listing and starting again will solve the suspension issue (it won’t!)

Edits made to your GMB listing will ‘reset’ the account’s authority (they won’t!)

A ‘permanently closed’ listing will go away eventually (it might not -– I have a business still showing ‘permanently closed’ after 12yrs and three different businesses at location later!)

Greg Gifford (SearchLab): Every once in a while, I’ve gotten some bad help. We had an issue with a duplicate listing, and got it fixed, and then a month later GMB support finally replied to the initial request we’d put in… and then a month later they answered again.

We’ve also seen the Twitter team send out a few questionable tweets, like saying that keywords in the description help in ranking. Some are more helpful than others, and i think that sometimes they just answer ‘off the cuff’ and don’t realize it’s bad information.

Colan Nielsen (Sterling Sky): Users need to exercise caution when taking advice from GMB support. I’ve actually written a piece detailing the questionable advice I’ve heard.

Dan Leibson (Local Search Guide): I think their support channels suck. I think there is no meaningful way to report systemic, broken things. Everything is treated like you want the secrets to their system or are trying to game the system when you just want them to fix their broken stuff. 

Advertisers get no benefit regardless of spending a ton on ads, despite the fact that they are disproportionately affected by these problems and are more trustworthy sources of reporting.

Speed and efficiency issues

Another commonly-raised issue was the speed efficiency of advice. When your GMB listing is suspended you’re likely to be losing a lot of money every day, and from my chats with the local search community, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

(It should obviously be noted that as of right now, Google has advised that GMB support is going to be slower than ever while they prioritise certain actions related to Covid-19, and social support has been entirely switched off.)

Phil Rozek (Local Visibility System): I had a years-long saga of trying to get Google to remove the “Dentist” category from my Local Visibility System GMB page. Why was it there? Well, as a local SEO Company, I tinker all the time, often using my own GMB page as a lab chimp.

In one experiment I changed the primary category to ‘Dentist,’ but I couldn’t change it back. I I contacted them through Twitter and email, and while the reps were helpful, after some back-and-forth they were stumped, and apparently kicked up the question to a supervisor. I never heard back. (In Google’s defence, I didn’t attempt to call them, but that’s because I didn’t have a business day to spare!)

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): GMB issues can have significant consequences for local businesses. When a listing is suspended, it can be really frustrating to get a response like:

Tim Capper (Online Ownership): Support channels all vary in efficiency, especially when there has been a large swath of suspensions. When these happen (and they’re happening more and more), support grinds to a halt. Last year we had an unprecedented 6-week delay in getting reinstatements getting looked at.

I’ve personally found Twitter support to have become swamped as it has become more popular and delays are occurring. You also have to DM details of the issue, which isn’t ideal when it’s a nuanced issue.

Ben Fisher (Steady Demand): According to those whom I talk to at Google, 90% of accounts have only one listing in them. This infers that the majority of listings that are on maps are single users with a single account. In other words, most of them are ‘mom and pop’-type businesses.

So, therefore, GMB builds things that address single account holders the most. Makes sense that support would acknowledge this, right? Heck, no! Have you ever tried to get a reinstatement completed? You get back this email telling you that they need more information, or they are not compliant, or there is a problem with the… whatever.

In the example below, they didn’t tell me the name of the business and supplied a generic response when I asked for it.

However, if you go elsewhere and submit a contact form, you get back this beautiful template that tells you the business name and address!

Claire Carlile (Claire Carlile marketing agency): Personally, when I have an issue, I usually turn to Twitter DMs, but the support I’ve received there has been variable in terms of quality and timeliness.

It is frustrating to send a DM about a problem and then have to wait weeks to get an answer. By the time you get it, you’ve usually found a solution or the problem is no longer a problem!

Personally, I turn to an internal network of fellow GMB aficionados, and the forum, for insight. I just can’t wait two or three weeks for an answer from Twitter support. Also, if you have multiple questions about multiple accounts, it’s very hard to manage responses there.

It’s not all bad, though!

At the time, given the severe slowdown in GMB support responses, the misinformation being shared, and the backup in suspension investigations, I was fully prepared for an onslaught of rage towards the GMB support team. And while I did indeed get that in some quarters, I was really pleasantly surprised by the positive stories, understanding and empathy shown elsewhere.

Joy Hawkins (Sterling Sky): Bad advice is normally given out when users expect Google support to be able to answer questions about ranking tactics, like in this example.

Google My Business support is generally good at fixing issues with listings but there is a limit to what they’re able to do when technical issues and bugs are frequently a problem with the platform. If you’ve been told something by GMB support that you think is incorrect, it’s always fine to get a second opinion by posting on the GMB forum.

Greg Gifford (SearchLab): The support team is trying, but so often they’re completely overwhelmed by the volume of support requests that things don’t work out so well. Overall, I’ve had great experiences. You just have to wait a bit for your reply or solution.

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): I’m really empathetic to folks working the GMB support channels. They’re regularly inundated with issues from all directions.

From my vantage point, Google just doesn’t allocate the resources needed to appropriately support GMB. That being said, they’ve definitely moved in the right direction. It wasn’t that long ago that support requests simply went unanswered into the Google abyss.

I’m extremely grateful for the ability to have some means to escalate issues. For example, in dealing with a particularly troublesome law firm listing suspension issue late last year, I got a response within thirty minutes that led to a rapid reinstatement:

Tim Capper (Online Ownership): I really like the original ‘contact support’ form. You can give a pretty detailed report on the issue, then when you get the reply email, you can reply with additional screenshots to help the agent.

By providing the agent with all the details at once in the form, I normally get the issue resolved within 24hrs, with no ‘back-and-forth’ required.

Claire Carlile (Claire Carlile marketing agency): My main point would be that, however frustrated one might be with lack of advice, quality of advice, or speed of advice, we need to remember that GMB is staffed by human beings who are doing their best given whatever resources or internal guidelines they have or do not have.

My tips would be to always be polite, not to be snarky, and to always thank people for their time – whether it’s Max, Flip, Brad, Liz, Mark, Dany, Zach, Matt, Tori or Jenny!

Colan Nielsen (Sterling Sky): Over the years, GMB support has evolved from being virtually non-existent to something that has become very useful for solving most types of GMB issues. Looking at the evolution of the ways that you can contact GMB support alone is a testament to the attention that the GMB product is getting and the progress that they have made.

The future of Google My Business support

While it’s hard for me, here in the spring of 2020, when nothing is as it should be or as any of us would have expected it to be, to summarise the current status of Google My Business support, I do have some closing thoughts on its future courtesy of some of those I spoke to.

Gyi Tsakalakis (AttorneySync): While I’m not very optimistic that it will happen, I’d like to see Google take more accountability for addressing GMB issues and providing support. Like other support contexts, it’s neither fair nor productive to attack the front-line support people. 

Instead, I’d suggest putting more pressure on Google to take Google My Business issues more seriously by allocating the necessary resources to properly support and address these issues. Lack of support is harmful to both businesses and their customers.

Andrew Shotland (Local SEO Company Guide): As is often the case with Google services, the scale of the problem must be in a way overwhelming. And while Google has been making incremental progress, it still feels like a drop in the bucket.

There has been a lot of speculation over the past year that Google is going to roll out a paid GMB service. While we all cringe at Google taking even more money from our collective pockets, if a pay model allows it to more effectively address some of the glaring problems with GMB, I imagine the majority of local businesses and agencies would hold their noses and willingly pay it.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Jamie Pitman has worked in digital marketing agency for over a decade and is currently Head of Content at local SEO Company tool provider BrightLocal. He specializes in local marketing agency and the many factors that affect local search performance, from Google My Business and consumer reviews to branding, content marketing agency, and beyond.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/what-do-local-seos-really-think-of-google-my-business-support/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/05/what-do-local-seos-really-think-of.html