True confession of a New Jersey Neon Glassbender...

I know I should stay positive, but a part of me is thinking... regardless of the possible consequences of my rant, as it may not work in my favor for it's negativity, perhaps if I blog about my dilemma a solution may come my way.

Ok, so here's my dilemma... After nearly 20 years in the Neon Sign business, I took a maternity leave just as the economy tanked and commercial vacancies began to dot the business landscape like ghost-town props. I have just now to emerge, and frankly it feels worse than starting over again. 

I have come to realize the hard way that the greatest asset for my business, prior to my leave, was my company website..

As I was ready to wake up from my maternal euphoria and dust down the Neon plant I learned that my ten year old web name www.empressneon.com was essentially hijacked and pimped to the highest bidder.

Of course it was my fault, not updating my email address from the long left AOL account I started on the internet with, to the one I use the most, I am still just now realizing how essential that website I took for granted was to my company...

Today, and every day since I relaunched my website using my secondary web address name www.empressSigns.com, I checked the Google ranking using two, once reliable, keywords, NEON NEW JERSEY, ok make it three, only to see I am nowhere to be found!

Knowing what I know about algorithms, strong content, back-links, and my bank account, I know that it might be a long while before I get to the top ranking page again. :(

What I am treated to now are other companies that are listed under my winning keywords "NEON NEW JERSEY", and there's one there that even has the audacity to start their web introduction with the following words... 

"Greetings! If you were directed to this page because you were looking for a local New Jersey neon sign store, please read on. We're going to be honest here, we are not located in New Jersey (in fact, we're in Virginia) but we want to tell you about the many advantages of buying a neon sign online from 1-2-3 Neon Signs (that would be us)."

Ugh!!! ... You do feel my pain, right???

While I strategize my come-back I have to remind myself of an old saying I took the liberty to modify... "All is fair in Love, War, and Business" and this way I can't get mad. 

Meanwhile, I'll take the expert's advice, which allows me to kill two birds with one stone... Blog about the real life saga of a Real New Jersey Based Neon sign company where the Neon is Actually Manufactured right here in New Jersey, a place that my company Empress Signs LLC. has served since 1995', and I get to share with you the real plight in the day to day life of  a lost breed, the Neon Glassbender.

With that said... Am I there yet? :o)