Less Friction Always Wins: How AI Is Raising the Bar for Every Customer Experience
Also in this series: Google I/O Just Changed the Rules. Here’s What Small Businesses Need to Know. hillmediagroup.com/google-io-2026-small-business-impact It was a Thursday evening. I was leaving the office later than expected and remembered my wife had mentioned wanting a vanilla latte. Not just any vanilla latte — she has opinions about these things. I wanted […]
Google I/O Just Changed the Rules. Here’s What Small Businesses Need to Know.
Every year, Google holds a developer conference called Google I/O where they pull back the curtain on where the internet is heading. Most years, the announcements are incremental improvements to existing products. This year was different. At Google I/O 2026, Google didn’t just announce new features. They announced a new relationship between people, technology, and […]
What Are Those Fake “WooCommerce Automated Testing Product” Orders?
How to Stop Card-Testing Fraud on Your WordPress Store Quick Answer: If you are receiving orders for a product called “WooCommerce Automated Testing Product,” your store is being targeted by a card-testing attack. Bots are using this commonly forgotten placeholder product to verify stolen credit card numbers. The fastest fix: delete or set this product […]
How to Market When Nobody Is Buying
Business feels strange right now. The stock market looks fine-ish on paper, but if you’re a small business owner, you probably aren’t feeling it. Leads are slower. Decisions are taking longer. Clients who seemed interested have gone quiet. You’re not imagining it — and you’re not alone. There’s a real disconnect between what the headlines […]
Video Marketing for Small Businesses in Kalispell, Montana: What’s Working in 2026
If you run a service business in Kalispell or the Flathead Valley, you’ve probably noticed something: the businesses getting the most attention online are the ones showing up on video. Not with Hollywood-level production. Not with scripted corporate talking heads. Just real people doing real work and letting potential customers see what they’re about before […]
The State of Small Business in 2026: Cautious Optimism and the Cost of Standing Still
Small businesses enter 2026 with more confidence than they’ve had in years, and more uncertainty about what to do with it. The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index closed out 2025 at 99.5, sitting above its 52-year average for the first time in a while. A Citizens Financial Group survey found that 68% of middle-market companies […]
5 Marketing Strategies to Maximize Your Home & Garden Showcase Booth
How local businesses can turn tradeshow visitors into qualified leads at the Flathead Building Association’s biggest event 2026 Home & Garden Showcase Presented by the Flathead Building Association | March 7th, 10am-5pm & March 8th, 10am-4pmLocation: Flathead County Fairgrounds – 265 N Meridian Rd, Kalispell, MT 59901 The 2026 Home & Garden Showcase in Kalispell […]
The Content Land Grab: Why Creating Content for AI Search Is Easier Now Than It Will Ever Be Again
I’ve been writing content consistently this year, on the Hill Media Group website and my personal site. For the first few months, nothing happened. I’d get the occasional response from someone who received my newsletter, but nothing from anyone who found me through search. That changed about 60 days ago. My content started appearing everywhere: […]
7 Steps to Rank Your Montana Business in Google Maps in 2026
When a homeowner in Kalispell searches for “plumber near me” or a driver in Missoula needs emergency auto repair, Google Maps determines which businesses they see first. If your Montana business doesn’t appear in those top three results, you’re invisible to the customers most ready to buy. The numbers tell the story: the top three […]
The Real Reason Your Cold Emails Go Unanswered—And What to Do Next
Your inbox is a battleground. Right now, you’re probably sitting on 47 unread emails. Half of them are cold outreach from people you’ve never met, pitching services you don’t need, using templates you’ve seen a dozen times before. You’ve learned to scan subject lines in milliseconds, deciding what deserves attention and what gets deleted without […]