The web presence experts at MORBiZ have released a list of must have digital marketing tools for all types of small businesses. This list is geared toward business searching for way to enlarge their Internet footprint to help new customers find their businesses, both online and off. With fresh tips for SEO, website navigation and conversion tracking, there is a idea here that every business owner can implement.

Build Responsive Website
One of the most critical components of many online marketing efforts is a website. But these days, you don’t need just one website, you need three -- or more! Why? Because people use different devices to browse the web and each size of device needs its own use and functionality! One for computers, one for tablets and one for smartphones. That sounds like a lot of work, right? Truth is, when working with a small business web marketing company like MORBiZ, we can build a single, highly functional website that is responsive. A responsive website is one that adapts to the device the site is being viewed on. This improves user experience (UX) across the screen spectrum, ensuring no potential customer has a hard time navigating your website.

Utilize Effective Local SEO Tactics
For small brick and mortar businesses that rely on people coming through their doors, it may seem strange that online marketing is even a part of their plan. However, people seeking goods and services in their community generally start their search on the Internet. Without proper local search engine optimization, generally referred to as local SEO or hyper-local SEO for neighborhood oriented businesses, potential customers could walk right by on their way to a business that did implement such tactics. In short, local SEO involves crafting content on your website that reflects your location. This includes using proper tags, metadata and offsite SEO too, such as on Internet directories (Google listings) and social media (Facebook). Learn more about local keywords for geo-targeted SEO here!

Track Conversions
It’s important to measure the performance of your marketing efforts by tracking conversions. If your business doesn’t sell products online, but instead attracts business through online tools, there’s a few different ways to track the success of your website and marketing efforts. One is by using an email contact form that tracks how many people use it. Comparing this with total website visitors will help you understand your conversion rate.

Another way to track the number of people finding you online is with the use of a call tracking number. This is a secondary phone number that forwards to your original, but allows you to view usage statistics, record phone calls and understand where calls are coming from. At MORBiZ, we offer monthly analytics that illustrate the performance of our efforts to our customers, which includes contact form conversion numbers and tracking number statistics.

Digital Marketing in 2023
If enhanced digital marketing is your 2023 New Year’s resolution, reach out to the small business web marketing pros at MORBiZ. We will help you rise from the stone ages of digital marketing to become a prominent business online and off. To learn more about our web presence tactics, or to request a digital marketing cost estimate, call us at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form and we’ll reach out to you soon. We look forward to helping you achieve your Internet marketing goals in 2023.

Atlanta, GA, USA, February 9, 2023 -- Vibrant Native American-themed paintings by Frank McCarthy (1944-2002) and Emmi Whitehorse (b. 1956) are expected headliners in Ahlers & Ogletree’s Art of the American West & Native American Art & Objects auction on Friday, February 24th, in Ahlers & Ogletree’s new location on Atlanta’s Upper West Side, at 1788 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard.

The auction, beginning at 10 am Eastern time, will also be held online and will feature 255 lots, to include fine art of the American West and Native American objects, including pottery, fine art and rugs. Artists in the sale, in addition to McCarthy and Whitehorse, will include R. Farrington Ewell, Joe Beeler, Walt Gonske, Curt Walters, Alan Houser, Clyde Aspevig and Dan Namingha.

The oil on canvas by Frank McCarthy, titled The Warriors of Canyon Land (1988) depicts a vertical landscape of tall cliffs against a dark sky and two Native Americans on horseback in the foreground. The work, 40 ¼ inches by 24 inches (less frame) is signed and dated lower left and has an estimate of $15,000-$20,000. McCarthy is a member of the Cowboy Artists of America.

The mixed media on paper laid on canvas by Emmi Whitehorse is titled Field of Birds (1992) and shows an abstract Native American imagery of birds in a field. The work is monumental, with a canvas size of 51 ¼ inches by 78 inches, and is signed, dated and titled en verso. It’s accompanied by a gallery receipt from 1992 and two artist’s pamphlets (est. $10,000-$20,000).

An oil on canvas painting the Reverend Thomas E. Mails (American, 1920-2001), titled Hualapi Country (1983), a Western scene depicting a mountainous landscape with two Native American females gathering crops, overall 48 inches by 67 ½ inches, signed, should realize $6,000-$8,000.

An oil on canvas by Walt Gonske (New Mexico., b. 1942), titled On the Rio Pueblo, is a winter river landscape scene signed lower right and signed, titled and numbered (1765T) en verso. The 36 ¼ inch by 30 inch (canvas, less frame) work is expected to change hands for $4,000-$6,000.

There are several artworks by Allan Capron (Haozous) Houser (American/Chiricahua, Apache, 1914-1994) in the auction, including a 1992 patinated cast bronze Western sculpture, 12 ¾ inches tall, titled Peace Prayer (or The Offering), of a kneeling Native American male holding aloft a ceremonial pipe. The sculpture, signed and numbered (24/30) should hit $6,000-$8,000.

Also from Houser is a gouache and mixed media on paper from 1938, double-titled Apache Buffalo Hunt and Two Riders on Horseback Hunting, depicting two mounted warriors chasing a buffalo with arrows, signed and dated and in a 19 ¾ inch by 29 inch frame (est. $3,000-$5,000).

A patinated bronze sculpture by Robert Farrington Elwell (American, 1874-1962), 11 inches tall, titled Birchbark Canoe, depicting a Native male in a canoe on a choppy body of water with an applied verdigris finish, is signed in mold lower left, with a foundry mark (est. $5,000-$7,000).

An undated, large scale patinated cast bronze sculpture by Joe Neil Beeler (American, 1931-2006), is titled Apache Telegraph, of a Native American male with his horse, holding aloft a rifle on a rocky outcropping, 27 ½ inches tall, signed and numbered (28/30) (est. $4,000-$6,000).

A handwoven wool Navajo Klagetoh rug made by Eva Marie Begay (American/Navajo, active in the late 20th/early 21st century), 11 feet by 5 feet 9 inches and having three tan, grey, black and red diamonds framed by a stylized floral border, on a grey ground, should rise to $4,000-$6,000.

A hand-painted terra cotta discoid form vase (pot) with ‘Whirling Rainbow Goddess of Window Chant’ decoration, by Lucy Leuppe McKelvey (Navajo, b. 1950), 17 inches in diameter, depicted as swirled bands of geometric and figural motifs, signed and titled, should reach $1,000-$2,000.

A sterling and leather concho belt by Phillip Sekaquaptewa (American/ Hopi 1948-2003), titled Hopi Migration Story, having ten rectangular sterling conchos with rounded corners decorated with pictorial overlay depicting the Hopi migration story, all attached to a wide leather belt band, marked sterling and framed in a shadowbox, should hit $1,500-$3,000.

An acrylic on canvas colorblock painting by Dan Namingha (American/Hopi, b. 1950), titled Morning Light (2002), depicting a landscape at dawn, signed lower right and titled and dated en verso, unframed, 24 inches by 20 inches, has an estimate of $1,000-$2,000.

An American antique percussion Indian Trade Kentucky long rifle, circa 1800, having an octagonal 37 ¾ inch barrel, tiger maple half stock, double set triggers, brass furniture, coin silver accents or inlay, gilt retaining spring, brass tacks, wooden ramrod and check rest, apparently unmarked, overall 53 ½ inches long, is expected to ring up $800-$1,600.

Internet bidding will be available on Ahlers & Ogletree’s popular online bidding platform, bid.AandOAuctions.com, plus LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com.

Phone and absentee bids will also be taken. Live, in-person previews will be held Monday, February 20th, thru Thursday, February 23rd, from 10-5 Eastern time, in the Ahlers & Ogletree Atlanta gallery at 1788 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard. No appointment is required. Virtual appointments are also available. To schedule a virtual appointment, please call 404-869-2478.

To learn more about Ahlers & Ogletree and the Art of the American West & Native American Art & Objects auction on Friday, Feb. 24th, visit www.aandoauctions.com. Updates posted often. You can follow Ahlers & Ogletree via social media on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest & Facebook.

SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is proud to host a complimentary webinar, ‘Electric bicycle regulations and standards for the US and Canada’ on Thursday, February 23, 2023.

Businesses looking to place e-bikes, e-scooters and related products in American and Canadian markets are faced with safety and quality regulations which have been tightened in recent years, as the popularity of such products has soared.

This webinar is an introduction to the requirements for selling e-bikes/e-scooters on these markets and looks at the major standards such as UL 2849, which aims to minimize the risks of system fires, explosions, and electric shock hazards.

Expert presenters Chihhao Lien and Kevin A. Smith also explore the ways in which SGS can support manufacturers and retailers, helping them to prepare for successful certification and speedy access to market.

Register now

About SGS 

We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for sustainability, quality and integrity. Our 97,000 employees operate a network of 2,650 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.

SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, has published a SafeGuardS looking at New Zealand’s new website designed to help stakeholders comply with the nation’s ban on some plastic products.

New Zealand’s Ministry of the Environment has made the website available following the issuing of:

• Waste Minimization (Plastic and Related Products) Regulations 2022 – prohibits six categories of plastic product
• Waste Minimization (plastic and Related Products) Amendment Regulations 2022 – expands scope of prohibited products and creates a list of products that can only be sold under specified exceptions

Waste Minimization (Plastic and Related Products) Regulations 2022 came into effect in October 2022 and its amendments will come into effect on July 1, 2023.

The Ministry of the Environment website details the phasing out of hard-to-recycle and single-use plastics. Stakeholders should also be aware the website indicates that New Zealand is planning to phase out all other PVC and polystyrene food and drink packaging from mid-2025.

SGS has published SafeGuardS 012.23 to help stakeholders understand the requirements and scope of the regulations to minimize plastic and related product waste. It includes a table detailing the full scope of each regulation.

For more information, review SGS’s original SafeGuardS 012.23.

SGS Food Contact Material Services

SGS’s technical experts have extensive experience of testing materials and articles in contact with food. They can ensure that your products meet the appropriate regulations for food contact materials and pave the way for compliance. SGS offers the full range of testing, including migration tests, along with expert advice on emerging regulations, compliance issues and documentation review. In the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. Learn more about SGS’s Food Contact Material Services.

SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full New Zealand Outlines Prohibition of Certain Products Containing Plastic SafeGuardS.

Subscribe here to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.

For further information contact:

Dr. Hingwo Tsang

Global Information and Innovation Manager

Tel: +852 2774 7420

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.sgs.com/hardlines

LinkedIn: sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail

About SGS

We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for sustainability, quality and integrity. Our 97,000 employees operate a network of 2,650 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.