Wayland, MA – December, 2005 – MembersFirst, Inc, the leading provider of interactive website design, development, and member communication management solutions to the club industry, today announced the launch of FirstSearch, a complete suite of search engine optimization, submission and marketing services.
FirstSearch compliments the company’s growing list of online services offered to clubs seeking to harness and leverage the Internet as a primary channel for improving membership development. The new offering covers the full range of search engine optimization and marketing techniques necessary to ensuring prominent positioning and ranking in keyword search results from all the major search engine providers.
It used to be that simply having a web presence was enough for most clubs. Today however, attracting and capturing the attention of prospective new members in the highly competitive club market requires being found online. "The role of search engine marketing," noted MembersFirst President and CEO, John Blake, "is for website’s to be visible, prominent and accessible to the largest group of the most qualified potential members seeking services similar to those offered by your club. Through the natural site optimization, submission, and performance-based services available with FirstSearch, we can now guarantee it," he concluded.
With an average of over 4 billion internet searches being performed each month in the U.S. alone, the internet has rapidly become the primary source and channel of information for most consumers, including the near 80% of prospective new club members who reportedly go online prior to contacting or visiting a club, according to a recent industry report. As such, the interest and adoption of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) in the club industry has grown immensely over the past year or so. "Even prior to this official announcement, we received between 20-25 inquiries a month from new and existing clients expressing interest in SEO/SEM," reports Pete Diffendal, Marketing VP at MembersFirst.
"SEO and SEM is the next stage in the club industry’s timely transition to more sophisticated, cost-effective, and results-oriented membership development strategies and practices," noted Blake. He continued, "in terms of reach, timeliness, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to target consumers both geographically and demographically, the Internet has no equal. The most compelling aspect is clubs only pay for the success they experience; essentially removing any and all risks associated with the decision to go with SEM."
Although FirstSearch is officially being announced today, the company has more than a decade of experience in search engine marketing expertise on staff and has been performing this service for a number of select clients over the last few months. Diffendal remarked, "The early results from our initial efforts have been nothing short of remarkable. Just through optimization techniques alone, we’re delivering average increases of 400% in ranking and positioning results and often securing ‘first position’ ranking for many of our clients."
MembersFirst, Inc.
MembersFirst is the leading provider of interactive website design, development, and management services to recreation, social and lifestyle oriented member-based clubs in the leisure and hospitality industries. The company’s innovative technology, interactive marketing best practices, industry segment expertise, and communication management services have long led the market in helping clients to cost-effectively attract, grow and maintain profitable member relationships. Serving hundreds of clients across the globe and powering more than 15 million member interactions annually, MembersFirst is the foremost leader in providing cost-effective online member communication solutions to support membership development objectives.
Contact:
Pete Diffendal
Vice President of Marketing
pdiffendal@memfirst.com
508-653-3399
