About
Mark Tull
I was one of the two Founding Directors of An Authorised Google Adwords Reseller ( Hot Goanna TM), one of the largest Google Qualified Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Search Engine Specialists in Australia. Since February 2005, we built and lead a team of professionally trained online marketing experts who, still today, show millions advertisements per week on Google search. This company rocketed from a start up to receiving the much coverted Authorised Google Adwords Reseller contract from Google Australia in 2007. I believe that I have successfully demonstrated that whatever a company has to offer the market – whether homing pigeons, mobile dog washing, resorts, luxury fishing trips or undertakers – web exposure, conversions and sales increase dramatically through a well planned and managed online internet strategy works, but only as good as the company and product of course.. Statistics such as organisations achieving over 13,000 per cent return on their advertising spend (beauticians) and generating one million in quotations in five days (builders) are what makes these results a standout. However, there are always failures, not many, but they are there.
Some say I was as an online marketing enthusiast and pioneer, some say that I have helped change the way Australian businesses utilise online vehicles to generate increased market penetration. I was lucky to be one of the drivers behind the pay search industry’s massive growth in the last 10 years in Australia, in a small way of course. Today I am still a Yahoo Search Marketing ‘Ambassador’, a Google ‘Advocate’ and a Qualified Google Adwords Professional (even though these badges have changed, I refer back to them historically when I earned them – for example there was only 13 GAP individuals listed in Australia at the time). I remain a board member of a public company, Chairman of Magnetic Shoals Limited and have also held numerous roles (treasurer, secretary and president) with the Queensland RSL. Previous Senior Vice President at Southport RSL and Past President of Magnetic Island RSL Sub Branch. I am an honorary park ranger, and have been a Justice of the Peace for 25 years. Was an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. I was fortunate to previously be an award winning resort manager, a publisher and worked in the NSW Police Force, Army Reserve and the QLD Fire Brigade.
I was an early adopter of web design and was building websites for businesses as early as 1993 and remember fondly wondering what internet explorer was with the windows 95 disk install. I try to be a regular spokesperson at industry events and forums, as I am a compulsive & passionate blogger. I have written articles and papers covering such topics as The Truth about Australian Internet Advertising, SEO/SEM which comes first – Current Statistics, Hits, Links and Banners, Online Hits – Are Conversions Everything?.
I wrote the constitution and set up the Adword Association, an industry body for Google Adwords Professionals in Australia, but it was before its time, when Google wouldn’t train people. Now they are (to their credit).
Whilst this was happening I stood for State Government as an independent in the seat of Southport in Queensland in 2009 and ran a magnificent 10 day campaign (fully self funded) and achieved 4.97% of the vote at the biggest booth in the Electorate, just to ensure that the local issues got some traction for the residents.
After selling Hot Goanna to TPP Internet as part of a buy out by Net Registry (who now own the tradmark and company) I went to work with Keith Paulin, without doubt THE SEO expert in Australia. Following my time there I came up with the idea that people had not been building websites well. There is too much void between website designers and website marketers. Each Blame The Other… So, website essentials was born.
In my spare time I am still involved as chariman and Director at Magnetic Shoals Limited, Director at the Bendigo Bank at Bigger Waters (community bank), a passionate member of the RSL at Southport. I remain a Director at Website Essentials Pty Ltd and Clicks and Clicks Pty ltd. My wonderful staff work from either my home or from their own, and I am pleased that some of them have worked for me twice and past employees are still friends and we keep in touch and help each other with interesting jobs.
We have big clients and little ones, with some in between and we treat them all the same. We try out best, and I am pleased that some clients have been with us for many, many years. Some, however, we can’t help, but they are few….
Love Google, give your clients what they need, at the right price and you will succeed…. It’s just a matter of time!
Tully