Being in the Right Place at the Right Time

On my way to work every day, I drive over a curved bridge. There are some very tall streetlights on this bridge, and there are some large blackbirds that like to perch on top of these lights . . . they often do so in pairs. I was admiring the birds as I started the ascent today . . . leading a pack of cars. Just as I reached the apex of the bridge and began the descent, a smaller blackbird hopped off the median ledge and landed right in the middle of the road.
I braked, as did the car next to me, thank goodness. “What are you doing, you goofball?” I said out loud. It made no sense for this bird to hop onto the road in front of a steady stream of oncoming traffic . . . there was nothing apparent in the road that might have interested him.
As I approached the bottom of the bridge, I noticed a policeman standing in some bushes and holding a laser device . . . he was tracking the speed of cars as they crossed . . . right at the point where a car would speed up because of the descent. I thought . . . glad I wasn’t speeding! . . . then I remembered the bird that hopped in my way.
Whether you believe in Divine Providence or happy coincidences, there is definitely a play of luck involved in our everyday lives. Luck often makes the difference between a smooth ride and a catastrophe. As I pondered luck after the play of events this morning, I thought about how highly successful people—no matter what their profession—nearly always make a reference to their “good luck.” Hard work and perseverance are of course also relevant, but luck is a significant factor.
Luck is the phenomenon of being in the right place at the right time. And luck is very important for any business. You may have thought more than once that one of your competitors “has all the luck.” So, you ask, how can your business get that lucky?
While luck seems to include elements of the “unseen,” there is a certain aspect of luck that is a known factor in the success of any business: being in the right place at the right time. Although we’ve heard the “location, location, location” cliché time and time again, I don’t think it can be emphasized enough. You need to be in the right place so your customers can find you when they need you. This applies to both your offline store and your advertising efforts—including your website.
In the offline world . . . you need to choose your location carefully. You need to study the demographics of the area and your potential competition. It’s always great to “get there first” and be the first business of your kind in a particular area . . . but if you don’t get there first, you need to develop a strategy that differentiates you from your competition.
In the online world . . . you need to be found where your customers are looking for you . . . in local directories and on Google™, Bing™, and other search engines. Many businesses attribute their success to their high search engine rankings or their effective pay-per-click campaigns. While getting on the first page of Google may often seem like “luck,” it’s actually based on science. So you need to find search engine scientists who can help you get there.
Web.com offers a number of products that can improve your visibility online, and we also have some of the top search scientists in the industry. You’ve probably read some of Patrick Hare’s articles on this blog. As part of the Web.com Search Agency team, he’s a veritable brain trust of search engine optimization (or SEO) knowledge. If you’d like some assistance in gaining your competitive edge on search engines, feel free to contact our team of professionals.
So . . . whether you were born under a lucky star or a starry night, taking the right steps for your business can greatly increase your chances for success. And if you take the steps to ensure that your location is optimal . . . then your customers will surely find you when the time is right.