Keywords are often you're ticket to online visibility. How do you know what keywords you should be using? Keywordspy.com may have the answers you're looking for!
SEO and SEM have become a huge part of bringing people to your website. They focus on keywords and what words your website uses in tags, links, descriptions and content. Finding out which keywords you're showing up for, and which keywords your competitors are showing up for can give you a big advantage in your quest for increased visibility.
Keywordspy.com is a free (unless you want the advanced version) tool you can use to discover which words any website is using to get listed on the search engines. It will give you organic search results as well as those words being used for paid listings. This tool also gives you a good idea of search engine placement for each keyword listed for every website.
Like most other online marketing tools, be prepared to spend some money if you want a more advanced version of the data. We have found plenty of use for the free version when researching things for our clients. If nothing else, this tool can be used as a great way to generate some new keyword ideas for your marketing.
Check it out for yourself at www.keywordspy.com!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Online Marketing Tools: Compete.com
We're starting a series of posts this week regarding free online marketing tools. You can get at least a general idea of how your site is performing without paying the big bucks to do it!
However, if you want to get an exact update on your websites performance, you should be prepared to pay something!
Our first tool this week is compete.com. This tool gives you a rough idea of how many page views your website is getting. You can also compare your website traffic with other websites (perhaps competitors?).
While we have found this tool to be a bit unreliable when we compared it with our own statistics, it did give a fairly accurate description of the traffic trends. It was pretty consistent in letting us know when we had good months or bad months with traffic, although the numbers were not as accurate as they could be.
The free level of compete. com will also tell you the top keywords you're appearing for. (You can get more, but you have to pay!) This will give you a little idea of how people are getting to your site through search engines.
Check it out for yourself: www.compete.com Remember, it's not the most accurate tool, but can still be useful.
However, if you want to get an exact update on your websites performance, you should be prepared to pay something!
Our first tool this week is compete.com. This tool gives you a rough idea of how many page views your website is getting. You can also compare your website traffic with other websites (perhaps competitors?).
While we have found this tool to be a bit unreliable when we compared it with our own statistics, it did give a fairly accurate description of the traffic trends. It was pretty consistent in letting us know when we had good months or bad months with traffic, although the numbers were not as accurate as they could be.
The free level of compete. com will also tell you the top keywords you're appearing for. (You can get more, but you have to pay!) This will give you a little idea of how people are getting to your site through search engines.
Check it out for yourself: www.compete.com Remember, it's not the most accurate tool, but can still be useful.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Using a Blog for a Website
Brand new businesses typically don't have a lot of capital to invest in an online presence. Using a free blog as your website can be a logical solution until your company has enough money to pay for a top notch site!
Let's face it, if you're trying to build a legitimate business, you need an online presence. What that usually starts out as is a place where you can send people online. It doesn't have to be optimized with all the bells and whistles and everything a search engine web crawler is looking for. You just want to be able to hand out a business card with a URL on it.
Blogs are your solution! There are several blog places online that actually let you create different pages along with your blog. The result is a blog that has the look and feel of a website and only seems to have a blog component to the typical internet user.
These online tools allow you to upload pictures, videos and music in some cases. For a minimal investment you can even have your own domain name. This way no one associates you with your blog host. There are even templates to help you design a nice look that fits your business in most cases, and the best part is... you don't need to know a lick of HTML or any other kind of coding to use this method of website creation!
Are they indexed by the search engines? Sometimes this depends on which blog provider you use, but for the most part, yes!
To check this option out, do a little digging at www.wordpress.com (Ooo, I'm a trader! but hey, you gotta go with what works the best, right?). Chances are you've already visited a "website" that was built entirely around a blog!
Remember: This isn't the permanent solution to your need for a web presence, but it can be very effective to help you get to the point where you can invest a little more!
Let's face it, if you're trying to build a legitimate business, you need an online presence. What that usually starts out as is a place where you can send people online. It doesn't have to be optimized with all the bells and whistles and everything a search engine web crawler is looking for. You just want to be able to hand out a business card with a URL on it.
Blogs are your solution! There are several blog places online that actually let you create different pages along with your blog. The result is a blog that has the look and feel of a website and only seems to have a blog component to the typical internet user.
These online tools allow you to upload pictures, videos and music in some cases. For a minimal investment you can even have your own domain name. This way no one associates you with your blog host. There are even templates to help you design a nice look that fits your business in most cases, and the best part is... you don't need to know a lick of HTML or any other kind of coding to use this method of website creation!
Are they indexed by the search engines? Sometimes this depends on which blog provider you use, but for the most part, yes!
To check this option out, do a little digging at www.wordpress.com (Ooo, I'm a trader! but hey, you gotta go with what works the best, right?). Chances are you've already visited a "website" that was built entirely around a blog!
Remember: This isn't the permanent solution to your need for a web presence, but it can be very effective to help you get to the point where you can invest a little more!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Urgent Update: Google Reads Flash!
Yes it's true! Google now effectively indexes flash sites for search engine placement! I know the internet is an ever-changing environment, and if you read yesterday's post you see first hand just how quickly things can change!
While Flash sites are still a bit more expensive to develop, they are no where near the money suckers they used to be because of this one change by Google. If you can afford the development, Flash looks brilliant and now will be able to boost your search rankings as long as you do so in the correct way.
We'll try to keep you posted on the subject of Flash sites as we learn more about how Google is indexing these sites. Until then... Flash on (if you want to)!
While Flash sites are still a bit more expensive to develop, they are no where near the money suckers they used to be because of this one change by Google. If you can afford the development, Flash looks brilliant and now will be able to boost your search rankings as long as you do so in the correct way.
We'll try to keep you posted on the subject of Flash sites as we learn more about how Google is indexing these sites. Until then... Flash on (if you want to)!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Planning for Future Web Presence
As a small business just entering the online world, it is sometimes out of our reach to do everything we need to in order to have a marketable image and gain visibility. Many of us prefer to take on projects in steps anyhow. With proper planning, this approach works well for those wanting to make the financial burden of online marketing more affordable!
One of the first steps (and most important) for your business' online livelihood is having a website. Not only does this give you a place for your customers to learn more about you, but it gives you a point of credibility as a legitimate business. (Two very important things!)
It's been my experience with companies I've worked with that often the cost of websites AND establishing visibility are just too much money for the typical small business. At least all in one chunk. What ends up happening most of the time is a staged project with the first part being a website development and the next piece a visibility project.
Designing your site to help you control costs and ease of use later on is a huge advantage if you can manage it. One of the biggest problems in this area is Flash. This web development platform is absolutely wonderful for creating outstanding images, videos, etc. However, it is a nightmare when trying to add/change any online aspect.
Flash sites are typically more expensive to begin with, and they are practically invisible to the search engines (remember google and the like can't index images... which is what a flash site is composed of).
That's not to say there aren't ways of making Flash sites visible to the search engines. There certainly are plenty of ways to do that, but be prepared to open the billfold if Flash is what you want. It's more expensive to develop, edit, optimize, etc.
My advice to those wanting to get the most out of their website is to develop first in HTML. You can always add Flash components to those pages. Save your fancy Flash development for when your bringing in the big bucks!
One of the first steps (and most important) for your business' online livelihood is having a website. Not only does this give you a place for your customers to learn more about you, but it gives you a point of credibility as a legitimate business. (Two very important things!)
It's been my experience with companies I've worked with that often the cost of websites AND establishing visibility are just too much money for the typical small business. At least all in one chunk. What ends up happening most of the time is a staged project with the first part being a website development and the next piece a visibility project.
Designing your site to help you control costs and ease of use later on is a huge advantage if you can manage it. One of the biggest problems in this area is Flash. This web development platform is absolutely wonderful for creating outstanding images, videos, etc. However, it is a nightmare when trying to add/change any online aspect.
Flash sites are typically more expensive to begin with, and they are practically invisible to the search engines (remember google and the like can't index images... which is what a flash site is composed of).
That's not to say there aren't ways of making Flash sites visible to the search engines. There certainly are plenty of ways to do that, but be prepared to open the billfold if Flash is what you want. It's more expensive to develop, edit, optimize, etc.
My advice to those wanting to get the most out of their website is to develop first in HTML. You can always add Flash components to those pages. Save your fancy Flash development for when your bringing in the big bucks!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Tying Online Marketing with Print Marketing and Word of Mouth
While online marketing is widely considered the best money spent from your marketing budget, don't discount the importance of other forms of marketing as well. The value of well planned print marketing materials and word of mouth can be a major factor in the success of your online marketing!
Think of all the people you come in contact with everyday. They may be customers/clients, friends, family or the guy sitting next to you on the subway. The point is, all of these people have the potential to be a marketing vehicle for you. All of these people can also help drive traffic to your website!
Talking with people about what you do and what they do is a great way to benefit your business. You may also discover you can be a client of someone else too! The benefits of not having your head buried in the newspaper on your commute home don't stop at business. You might find a more personal satisfaction in connecting with more people as well!
What's even better than just establishing a connection with another person? Having something to reinforce that potential business relationship you've just built. Things like business cards, brochures or handouts are a great thing to carry in your briefcase or binder. You never know who can benefit from your product or services. It may be your new bus riding companion or a friend of his friend's.
Whatever material works best for your business, make sure to tie in the same ideas and themes you use in your website. (Most people know this as branding!) And make sure your web address is on everything you hand out! The web is your opportunity to share the most in-depth information about you and your business! Make sure you're taking full advantage of the many ways to bring people your message!
Think of all the people you come in contact with everyday. They may be customers/clients, friends, family or the guy sitting next to you on the subway. The point is, all of these people have the potential to be a marketing vehicle for you. All of these people can also help drive traffic to your website!
Talking with people about what you do and what they do is a great way to benefit your business. You may also discover you can be a client of someone else too! The benefits of not having your head buried in the newspaper on your commute home don't stop at business. You might find a more personal satisfaction in connecting with more people as well!
What's even better than just establishing a connection with another person? Having something to reinforce that potential business relationship you've just built. Things like business cards, brochures or handouts are a great thing to carry in your briefcase or binder. You never know who can benefit from your product or services. It may be your new bus riding companion or a friend of his friend's.
Whatever material works best for your business, make sure to tie in the same ideas and themes you use in your website. (Most people know this as branding!) And make sure your web address is on everything you hand out! The web is your opportunity to share the most in-depth information about you and your business! Make sure you're taking full advantage of the many ways to bring people your message!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Online Marketing on a Budget
Time and money are two things that seem to go hand in hand. When business is good, you don't have any time, but when things slow down you might find yourself counting your minutes and your beans. This post focuses on a couple things you can do with your time to increase business without increasing your budget.
Internet marketing is great... most of the time it's the most cost effective marketing you can do! But we've all had those times when we've been forced into virtual "no-spend" mode. Yet, these are the times we need to look to market the most! So how do we do that?
Believe it or not, there are many FREE ways to gain visibility online. One of the best examples is this blog. It doesn't cost me a cent, I have an RSS feed to stay in touch with my readers frequently, I'm establishing myself as an expert in my field and if I was really pushing my company, I could include links back to our website everywhere! All I invest is time (and how long does it take me to come up with a 250 word article about something I know a good deal about? Not long!)
It could even help you make a few pennies... Remember that post about placing ads on your website? You can do it with blogs too!
Another way to gain some inexpensive visibility is through online PR. There are a multitude of sites out there that act as a syndication point for articles. Some are topic specific, others are open to anyone. Places like EzineArticles.com are a great place to start for online publishing.
If you do choose to do some online publishing, be prepared for some work. It's going to take a lot of research not only on your topics, but in finding places to publish your work. Other bloggers and published online writers make a great resource to helping you learn the dos and don'ts of online PR.
Last, but never least, don't forget about the best form of free marketing... word of mouth. Sure these last two ideas can help you generate some chatter, but what are you doing help? Get out to your community events, visit your local chambers of commerce... just find some way to get out and meet people! You might be surprised to learn that although I work for an internet marketing company, nearly 90% of our business comes from old fashioned verbal communication! You just can't beat it!
Internet marketing is great... most of the time it's the most cost effective marketing you can do! But we've all had those times when we've been forced into virtual "no-spend" mode. Yet, these are the times we need to look to market the most! So how do we do that?
Believe it or not, there are many FREE ways to gain visibility online. One of the best examples is this blog. It doesn't cost me a cent, I have an RSS feed to stay in touch with my readers frequently, I'm establishing myself as an expert in my field and if I was really pushing my company, I could include links back to our website everywhere! All I invest is time (and how long does it take me to come up with a 250 word article about something I know a good deal about? Not long!)
It could even help you make a few pennies... Remember that post about placing ads on your website? You can do it with blogs too!
Another way to gain some inexpensive visibility is through online PR. There are a multitude of sites out there that act as a syndication point for articles. Some are topic specific, others are open to anyone. Places like EzineArticles.com are a great place to start for online publishing.
If you do choose to do some online publishing, be prepared for some work. It's going to take a lot of research not only on your topics, but in finding places to publish your work. Other bloggers and published online writers make a great resource to helping you learn the dos and don'ts of online PR.
Last, but never least, don't forget about the best form of free marketing... word of mouth. Sure these last two ideas can help you generate some chatter, but what are you doing help? Get out to your community events, visit your local chambers of commerce... just find some way to get out and meet people! You might be surprised to learn that although I work for an internet marketing company, nearly 90% of our business comes from old fashioned verbal communication! You just can't beat it!
Friday, February 15, 2008
Buy More than One Domain Name for your Site
When creating a website for your business, it's beneficial to register more than one domain name. It prevents other people from scooping up those similar names and using them for their own sites, which could possibly take business from you!
Let me give you an example: Your business is Surf Shirt... Your website address is www.surfshirt.com. Anyone else could register the name surfshirts.com, surfershirt.com, etc.
You get the idea. This could really hurt your business if the people operating those website with similar names offer similar products. It could really hurt when someone thinks they're at your site, but they're really at someone else's, and they have a bad experience. Now they have a bad impression of surfshirts.com when they thought they were at surfshirt.com.
And trust me... when people have a bad experience, word travels extremely fast!
To avoid this problem, the easiest solution is to register those similar domain names when registering for the one you wish to use. Just because you register a domain name doesn't mean you have to do anything with it.
My suggestion for each of those similar domain names you purchase is to put up a page saying "You must have been looking for surfshirt.com. Click here to get there." Or something to that effect. By doing so, you allow yourself to capture visitors who type in similar addresses or use a common misspelling.
For the very small investment of registering a domain name, it won't take many additional sales to cover your costs! Check out domain name availability here.
Let me give you an example: Your business is Surf Shirt... Your website address is www.surfshirt.com. Anyone else could register the name surfshirts.com, surfershirt.com, etc.
You get the idea. This could really hurt your business if the people operating those website with similar names offer similar products. It could really hurt when someone thinks they're at your site, but they're really at someone else's, and they have a bad experience. Now they have a bad impression of surfshirts.com when they thought they were at surfshirt.com.
And trust me... when people have a bad experience, word travels extremely fast!
To avoid this problem, the easiest solution is to register those similar domain names when registering for the one you wish to use. Just because you register a domain name doesn't mean you have to do anything with it.
My suggestion for each of those similar domain names you purchase is to put up a page saying "You must have been looking for surfshirt.com. Click here to get there." Or something to that effect. By doing so, you allow yourself to capture visitors who type in similar addresses or use a common misspelling.
For the very small investment of registering a domain name, it won't take many additional sales to cover your costs! Check out domain name availability here.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Make Money from your Website? Might not be such a Great Idea!
Yes, you can use your website to make money while doing virtually nothing. But be careful, what seems like free money might actually come at a higher cost than you think!
Anyone with a website has the ability to publish ads on it and make money. It could be a corporate deal or it might be with another online tool. One of the most popular programs used for making a profit with your website is Google's Adsense.
This is a totally legitimate practice, and people use it all the time. You pay taxes on your earnings , and the money can be deposited right into your bank account.
With this program you can actually choose the size, colors and placement for ads to other web destinations on your website. If you look to the right, you will see an Adsense ad on this web page. (Yes it's true, someone is making money if you click on that ad... Not much, but a couple pennies.)
That sounds like a sweet deal, but you might actually be the loser if you're trying to use your website to convert visitors to clients... which should be the goal of every businesses website!
You see, while you may have just made a buck on that click, the person that was at your website has now gone to someone else's. I'm willing to bet for most of us, that potential client that just got distracted somewhere else is worth a whole lot more than $1.
What may be even worse is this: Because the Google Adsense program tries to match the ads to be complimentary to your website content for a better click rate, that visitor may have gotten sent to one of your competitors who offers similar products and has a pay-per-click campaign.
You'll notice a lot of the Adsense ads on this website usually have something to do with some part of internet marketing. If I was trying to sell my own internet marketing services from this website, sending them to somewhere else would be terrible for me even if I did make a buck!
There are tools that enable you to block certain websites from advertising on yours, however I would still be wary of sending a potential buyer elsewhere before they were able to become a client of my own!
Anyone with a website has the ability to publish ads on it and make money. It could be a corporate deal or it might be with another online tool. One of the most popular programs used for making a profit with your website is Google's Adsense.
This is a totally legitimate practice, and people use it all the time. You pay taxes on your earnings , and the money can be deposited right into your bank account.
With this program you can actually choose the size, colors and placement for ads to other web destinations on your website. If you look to the right, you will see an Adsense ad on this web page. (Yes it's true, someone is making money if you click on that ad... Not much, but a couple pennies.)
That sounds like a sweet deal, but you might actually be the loser if you're trying to use your website to convert visitors to clients... which should be the goal of every businesses website!
You see, while you may have just made a buck on that click, the person that was at your website has now gone to someone else's. I'm willing to bet for most of us, that potential client that just got distracted somewhere else is worth a whole lot more than $1.
What may be even worse is this: Because the Google Adsense program tries to match the ads to be complimentary to your website content for a better click rate, that visitor may have gotten sent to one of your competitors who offers similar products and has a pay-per-click campaign.
You'll notice a lot of the Adsense ads on this website usually have something to do with some part of internet marketing. If I was trying to sell my own internet marketing services from this website, sending them to somewhere else would be terrible for me even if I did make a buck!
There are tools that enable you to block certain websites from advertising on yours, however I would still be wary of sending a potential buyer elsewhere before they were able to become a client of my own!
Monday, February 11, 2008
How Important is Updating?
Congratulations! You have a website! But that's not good enough... Updates are needed and should be done on a regular basis. If neglected, you will find people lose interest and so do the search engines. So how can you keep your site up to date?
Updating is a way of telling your visitors you care enough to keep them informed. Not only that, it's a way of telling the search engines you care enough to put current information out there. A huge bonus when you're trying to boost your search rankings!
There are several ways in which you can keep your website up to date. Most don't require much, if any knowledge of HTML coding or any other technical expertise. If you know how to work your keyboard and mouse, you should be able to up date your website. Let's go over several updating options.
Option number one is always having your web manager make updates for you. This option doesn't appeal to many because it usually takes two things a lot of us don't have: extra time and extra money! This option works fine for those who only make a few updates a year, but most of us should be updating more regularly than that!
There's always the good old editing programs. Adobe has Contribute, Microsoft has it's own programs and there are many more to choose from. You can spend as little or as much as you want on these programs. It all depends on what you want. Most make it fairly quick and easy to update, but you may need to install some extras to upload your changes to the website such as FTP programs. Definitely not something to be afraid of, but an extra step none the less.
Installing a blog on your website is another way to update. Wordpress Blogs are very common. They offer a lot of nice features and are fairly easy to use. The tricky part is getting them interfaced with your website layout. The best course of action here is to probably contact your website manager and discuss adding a blog so you can do your own updates.
These are just two common ways that are fairly simple and require little or no knowledge of HTML coding. Most of us (myself included) have very minimal understanding of HTML, so this is a very easy way to keep our visitors happy with current information, and keep boosting our rankings on the search engines!
Updating is a way of telling your visitors you care enough to keep them informed. Not only that, it's a way of telling the search engines you care enough to put current information out there. A huge bonus when you're trying to boost your search rankings!
There are several ways in which you can keep your website up to date. Most don't require much, if any knowledge of HTML coding or any other technical expertise. If you know how to work your keyboard and mouse, you should be able to up date your website. Let's go over several updating options.
Option number one is always having your web manager make updates for you. This option doesn't appeal to many because it usually takes two things a lot of us don't have: extra time and extra money! This option works fine for those who only make a few updates a year, but most of us should be updating more regularly than that!
There's always the good old editing programs. Adobe has Contribute, Microsoft has it's own programs and there are many more to choose from. You can spend as little or as much as you want on these programs. It all depends on what you want. Most make it fairly quick and easy to update, but you may need to install some extras to upload your changes to the website such as FTP programs. Definitely not something to be afraid of, but an extra step none the less.
Installing a blog on your website is another way to update. Wordpress Blogs are very common. They offer a lot of nice features and are fairly easy to use. The tricky part is getting them interfaced with your website layout. The best course of action here is to probably contact your website manager and discuss adding a blog so you can do your own updates.
These are just two common ways that are fairly simple and require little or no knowledge of HTML coding. Most of us (myself included) have very minimal understanding of HTML, so this is a very easy way to keep our visitors happy with current information, and keep boosting our rankings on the search engines!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Facebook and Myspace can Help Your Business!
Social network marketing is a becoming a key are in internet marketing. The websites your kids use to stay connected with their friends - Facebook and Myspace - might be a key part of increasing the business you get from the web.
Your probably familiar with the two social networking sites mentioned above. You may even use them yourself. But did you ever think of using these online communities as an online marketing opportunity for your business? There are cool new social networks forming everyday. One is sure to have you target audience in mind.
Thousands of people use sites like Facebook and Myspace every day. How many business owners would turn down the opportunity to get in front of that size audience? Not many. But that is just the beginning. There are an ever growing number of focused social networks out there for just about any topic you can think of. Many of them allow you the ability to create a personal profile or a business profile for free. (The best kind of marketing!) Some also allow you to place the equivalent of a pay-per-click ad on their networks.
Facebook has developed it's own "market place" allowing people to place what amounts to a classified ad. Myspace also has it's own version of classifieds for users. Both mega-networks allow you to place pay-per-click ads. Many of the smaller, more focused social networks allow you to do the same thing.
The first step I would take in social network marketing would be to identify which networks would work best for your business and create a free profile. If you've got a service or product that promotes healthy lifestyles you might search for a dieter's social networks or exerciser's social network. If you're a business coach you should look for things like small business owners networks or a business coach network to share ideas.
Whatever your business is, it shouldn't take you too long to identify some social networks to get involved in. If you can't find what you're looking for, create your own!
Your probably familiar with the two social networking sites mentioned above. You may even use them yourself. But did you ever think of using these online communities as an online marketing opportunity for your business? There are cool new social networks forming everyday. One is sure to have you target audience in mind.
Thousands of people use sites like Facebook and Myspace every day. How many business owners would turn down the opportunity to get in front of that size audience? Not many. But that is just the beginning. There are an ever growing number of focused social networks out there for just about any topic you can think of. Many of them allow you the ability to create a personal profile or a business profile for free. (The best kind of marketing!) Some also allow you to place the equivalent of a pay-per-click ad on their networks.
Facebook has developed it's own "market place" allowing people to place what amounts to a classified ad. Myspace also has it's own version of classifieds for users. Both mega-networks allow you to place pay-per-click ads. Many of the smaller, more focused social networks allow you to do the same thing.
The first step I would take in social network marketing would be to identify which networks would work best for your business and create a free profile. If you've got a service or product that promotes healthy lifestyles you might search for a dieter's social networks or exerciser's social network. If you're a business coach you should look for things like small business owners networks or a business coach network to share ideas.
Whatever your business is, it shouldn't take you too long to identify some social networks to get involved in. If you can't find what you're looking for, create your own!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Add Video to a Webpage? Think Twice!
Putting a video viewer on a website on a website may actually detract from your visitor-to-client conversion rate. Websites with videos may seem to be everywhere, but is online video advertising really helping your business?
Website animation is a very touchy subjects for a lot of areas especially if you're a b2b company. Depending on how you utilize your video, you may be drawing attention away from the message you want to convey to your audience.
If you've ever tried to hold a conversation with a male in a room with a TV on, you know it's nearly impossible to keep him entirely focused on you and your message. Putting a video viewer on a website can have a very similar effect.
The reason for this with males is simple. As a species, we've been genetically hard wired to pay attention to things that move. In our earliest forms (whatever that means to you), if we saw something move, as a male we had only two thoughts: Is it something I can eat? OR Is it something that's going to eat me?
The end result: As males, our attention is always drawn to motion no matter what situation we're in. That includes any video added to a website.
The Remedy: Use video sparingly and with purpose! Just like you've developed the rest of your website with primary and secondary goals, do the same with your online video or website animations. Giving your audience the ability to choose whether they watch the video or not can be an effective way to use this tool.
Whatever you do, keep your online animation and videos minimal. If you must have them, have them run once, or give your audience a choice. Constant motion will only detract from your message.
Website animation is a very touchy subjects for a lot of areas especially if you're a b2b company. Depending on how you utilize your video, you may be drawing attention away from the message you want to convey to your audience.
If you've ever tried to hold a conversation with a male in a room with a TV on, you know it's nearly impossible to keep him entirely focused on you and your message. Putting a video viewer on a website can have a very similar effect.
The reason for this with males is simple. As a species, we've been genetically hard wired to pay attention to things that move. In our earliest forms (whatever that means to you), if we saw something move, as a male we had only two thoughts: Is it something I can eat? OR Is it something that's going to eat me?
The end result: As males, our attention is always drawn to motion no matter what situation we're in. That includes any video added to a website.
The Remedy: Use video sparingly and with purpose! Just like you've developed the rest of your website with primary and secondary goals, do the same with your online video or website animations. Giving your audience the ability to choose whether they watch the video or not can be an effective way to use this tool.
Whatever you do, keep your online animation and videos minimal. If you must have them, have them run once, or give your audience a choice. Constant motion will only detract from your message.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Using Link Popularity to Boost Visibility
Growing your number of inbound links is a great way to increase traffic on your website and boost your search engine ranking! The best part is... it's simple to do yourself and very inexpensive!
All of the major search engines (Google, Yahoo!, MSN, Ask, etc.) place significance on how many other websites link to your website. This is known as "Link Popularity". The higher your link popularity, the higher your site will appear on search engines.
It's a way of telling the search engines that other people think you're important and they should pay more attention to you too!
How do you go about getting more inbound links? The answer may be simpler than you think... you just request it from another website.
Some good places to start building your link popularity are with associations you might belong to. Chambers of commerce, networking groups and any other organizations you're a part of will typically list your link for free. There are also usually hundreds of directories out there for almost every industry. Some will let you publish a link for free while others may charge a small fee or require you to link back to them.
The one area to watch out for when requesting links is where the link will actually be on a site and if the site linking to you has any traffic. If you're going to have a link you want people to get to it and see it.
Another useful thing to do is take a look at what your competitors are getting their inbound links from. You can Google for any link popularity tool, and you should be able to find some information on who links to your competitors. Now get out there and grab those links!
All of the major search engines (Google, Yahoo!, MSN, Ask, etc.) place significance on how many other websites link to your website. This is known as "Link Popularity". The higher your link popularity, the higher your site will appear on search engines.
It's a way of telling the search engines that other people think you're important and they should pay more attention to you too!
How do you go about getting more inbound links? The answer may be simpler than you think... you just request it from another website.
Some good places to start building your link popularity are with associations you might belong to. Chambers of commerce, networking groups and any other organizations you're a part of will typically list your link for free. There are also usually hundreds of directories out there for almost every industry. Some will let you publish a link for free while others may charge a small fee or require you to link back to them.
The one area to watch out for when requesting links is where the link will actually be on a site and if the site linking to you has any traffic. If you're going to have a link you want people to get to it and see it.
Another useful thing to do is take a look at what your competitors are getting their inbound links from. You can Google for any link popularity tool, and you should be able to find some information on who links to your competitors. Now get out there and grab those links!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
What to expect from an SEO Services Provider
SEO marketig typically delivers a much higher rate of success than any other advertising medium. It's also more cost effective. So how can your company else take advantage of search engine optimization?
SEO enables you to reach a larger audience than any other medium including radio, sign-age, print ads and even television. It is also much less expensive in the long run than those same mediums. You should not have to subscribe to the services of an SEO provider. It's a fee for a service and once that service is complete, everything should continue to work.
It's like hiring a plumber. If you have a leaky pipe, you pay for a plumber's services once and the leak is fixed (for a good while anyway). You don't pay him $400/month to keep your pipe from leaking.
How can we say SEO is better than the other methods of advertising? Because it's measurable. With a good website statistics package you should be able to tell where your visitors are coming from, what they're doing on your website, and when they're leaving. You have no idea who's seeing your ads in other forms of advertising.
SEO also responds well to other forms of internet marketing. If you've got an e-newsletter, a blog or a social network marketing campaign, your SEO results typically increase dramatically.
So what does it cost? You should expect a good SEO package to start at around $5,000. Anything too far below that and I would question the results you'll get. That might seem expensive, but when considering a marketing cost, I always try to think like this: "How much is a client worth to me, and how much am I willing to pay to acquire a client?" AND "What if I could potentially reach thousands of interested clients per day?"
SEO enables you to reach a larger audience than any other medium including radio, sign-age, print ads and even television. It is also much less expensive in the long run than those same mediums. You should not have to subscribe to the services of an SEO provider. It's a fee for a service and once that service is complete, everything should continue to work.
It's like hiring a plumber. If you have a leaky pipe, you pay for a plumber's services once and the leak is fixed (for a good while anyway). You don't pay him $400/month to keep your pipe from leaking.
How can we say SEO is better than the other methods of advertising? Because it's measurable. With a good website statistics package you should be able to tell where your visitors are coming from, what they're doing on your website, and when they're leaving. You have no idea who's seeing your ads in other forms of advertising.
SEO also responds well to other forms of internet marketing. If you've got an e-newsletter, a blog or a social network marketing campaign, your SEO results typically increase dramatically.
So what does it cost? You should expect a good SEO package to start at around $5,000. Anything too far below that and I would question the results you'll get. That might seem expensive, but when considering a marketing cost, I always try to think like this: "How much is a client worth to me, and how much am I willing to pay to acquire a client?" AND "What if I could potentially reach thousands of interested clients per day?"
Search Engine Marketing: Pay Per Click
Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns or paid search listings are one of the fastest ways to gain visibility for your website. So how does it work?
Let's start with identifying what a PPC listing actually is. When you search on Google for anything, you'll notice a shaded box at the top of the page with a few listings and a list of rectangular ads running down the right hand side of your screen. You may have also noticed "sponsored links" on websites you visit. These are all examples of PPC listings. In other words, people have paid to have their ad listed in these spots by bidding on certain keyword phrases.
Sounds complicated, right? It's really fairly easy if you've got some time to do a little research first. Some popular programs include Google's AdWords, and Yahoo!'s Sponsored Search. Once you choose your program, you're off and running.
The first step to an effective PPC campaign is researching the key phrases people might use to find your website. (Sounds eerily similar to SEO, I know!) You can do this yourself if you're willing to spend the time and money to learn another tool such as wordtracker or another keyword research tool.
Most PPC programs have some sort of research component to them. There are also plenty of internet marketing consultants who gladly do this task and much more for you for a fee.
After you've identified which keywords are best, it's time to set your budget and see which you can afford. Your placement on a Google or Yahoo search results page is determined by the amount you're willing to bid for someone to click on your ad.
The minimum amount is dependent on how competitive your industry is in the PPC market. Minimum bids can range from $0.05 to $15+ per click. Some of the more competitive - and thus expensive - markets include mortgage and realty.
Once you've set your keywords and set your budget it's time to create your ads. Much like a website, make them compelling and have the overall goal in mind. If you want to target a specific geographic area or certain demographic, this is the place to do it.
Now that you've created your ads, chosen your keywords and set your budget you're ready to launch the campaign. Keep in mind that while you'll never go over budget in a given month, your ads will stop running once you've reached your set budget. So don't overlook the research and choose wisely!
Let's start with identifying what a PPC listing actually is. When you search on Google for anything, you'll notice a shaded box at the top of the page with a few listings and a list of rectangular ads running down the right hand side of your screen. You may have also noticed "sponsored links" on websites you visit. These are all examples of PPC listings. In other words, people have paid to have their ad listed in these spots by bidding on certain keyword phrases.
Sounds complicated, right? It's really fairly easy if you've got some time to do a little research first. Some popular programs include Google's AdWords, and Yahoo!'s Sponsored Search. Once you choose your program, you're off and running.
The first step to an effective PPC campaign is researching the key phrases people might use to find your website. (Sounds eerily similar to SEO, I know!) You can do this yourself if you're willing to spend the time and money to learn another tool such as wordtracker or another keyword research tool.
Most PPC programs have some sort of research component to them. There are also plenty of internet marketing consultants who gladly do this task and much more for you for a fee.
After you've identified which keywords are best, it's time to set your budget and see which you can afford. Your placement on a Google or Yahoo search results page is determined by the amount you're willing to bid for someone to click on your ad.
The minimum amount is dependent on how competitive your industry is in the PPC market. Minimum bids can range from $0.05 to $15+ per click. Some of the more competitive - and thus expensive - markets include mortgage and realty.
Once you've set your keywords and set your budget it's time to create your ads. Much like a website, make them compelling and have the overall goal in mind. If you want to target a specific geographic area or certain demographic, this is the place to do it.
Now that you've created your ads, chosen your keywords and set your budget you're ready to launch the campaign. Keep in mind that while you'll never go over budget in a given month, your ads will stop running once you've reached your set budget. So don't overlook the research and choose wisely!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Websites: Are They Enough?
In all honesty... no. The idea of having a website for a business is great, but what's it doing for your business? Read on to find out ways you can make your website do something for you!
Before you begin putting together the nuts and bolts of a website for your business, come up with a concept and a purpose for the website. You website should have a primary goal and secondary goals. Identify what they are, and make sure every page on your website supports those goals!
I visit too many websites that convey absolutely no information about a business and how it can help me. Create something that will show people what they're missing by not using your products or services!
That creates the question of how to get people to your website. The internet is not "Field of Dreams"! For those of you who have no idea what that means, it simply means if you build it, there's no guarantee they will come.
You've got to show people the way to your website. I equate a website to having a business card in your pocket. You know you have it, but no one else does unless you show it to them.
There are many tools to drive people to your website which have or will be talked about at some point on this blog. They include SEO, SEM, email marketing, social network marketing, RSS feeds and much more. Further more, the tools which get the best results are always changing. Check out the links on the bottom of the page for good places to start researching these areas, and check back frequently to get more information as we cover these topics in detail on this blog!
Before you begin putting together the nuts and bolts of a website for your business, come up with a concept and a purpose for the website. You website should have a primary goal and secondary goals. Identify what they are, and make sure every page on your website supports those goals!
I visit too many websites that convey absolutely no information about a business and how it can help me. Create something that will show people what they're missing by not using your products or services!
That creates the question of how to get people to your website. The internet is not "Field of Dreams"! For those of you who have no idea what that means, it simply means if you build it, there's no guarantee they will come.
You've got to show people the way to your website. I equate a website to having a business card in your pocket. You know you have it, but no one else does unless you show it to them.
There are many tools to drive people to your website which have or will be talked about at some point on this blog. They include SEO, SEM, email marketing, social network marketing, RSS feeds and much more. Further more, the tools which get the best results are always changing. Check out the links on the bottom of the page for good places to start researching these areas, and check back frequently to get more information as we cover these topics in detail on this blog!
More Thoughts on Email Newsletters
According to a 2006 Direct Marketing Association study, for every dollar companies invested in email marketing their ROI was $57.25. Other studies indicate 50 million people check their email 5 or more times every day. So what does an email newsletter do for a business that's so beneficial?
First and foremost, email newsletters provide you another opportunity to connect with clients and prospects. There's a saying in marketing that says any visibility for your business is good visibility! Getting your name in front of people is always a good thing for any business.
Besides staying top of mind with people who already know about you, an email newsletter campaign allows you to extend your network with one simple tool: the "Email to a Friend" link.
While the person on your email list may not need your products or services, they might no someone who does.
Email newsletters also provide you the opportunity to experiment with new marketing ideas, offer specials "only for your email subscribers", and distribute helpful information about your products or services.
Email marketing can be used to drive consumer behavior either online or off-line. They can encourage website traffic or bring people into your store. If used properly, email newsletters really have an endless array of possibilities for your business!
First and foremost, email newsletters provide you another opportunity to connect with clients and prospects. There's a saying in marketing that says any visibility for your business is good visibility! Getting your name in front of people is always a good thing for any business.
Besides staying top of mind with people who already know about you, an email newsletter campaign allows you to extend your network with one simple tool: the "Email to a Friend" link.
While the person on your email list may not need your products or services, they might no someone who does.
Email newsletters also provide you the opportunity to experiment with new marketing ideas, offer specials "only for your email subscribers", and distribute helpful information about your products or services.
Email marketing can be used to drive consumer behavior either online or off-line. They can encourage website traffic or bring people into your store. If used properly, email newsletters really have an endless array of possibilities for your business!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Email Marketing and Design
When it comes to email newsletter marketing for small businesses, there are several areas to consider such as design, monitoring results, software packages and outsourcing or in-house production. Let's take a look at each area:
Design is tightly tied to the success of email marketing. You want to keep it simple so as not to overwhelm your recipients, but you also want it to look professional. You can have your newsletter appear as an HTML website or in text like a typical email. As you might imagine, the later is usually far less expensive.
The rule of three is a simple guideline to follow. Keep your design to three topic areas of interest for each newsletter. Each area should have a title and a short 2-3 sentences about the full article located back on your blog, website or other online area. Make each compelling and easy to get to.
Monitoring the results of your website is important as they can tell you what people are interested in, who's reading the newsletter and even automatically send a preselected auto response email based on the action the reader took.
Many times the email newsletter software you select will determine which tools you have available from a design and statistics standpoint. The two common software packages my company uses are Aweber and Constant Contact. Aweber is typically used for clients who don't have a need for the visually appealing, while Constant Contact is used for those who wish to include more graphical design concepts. Aweber has a great auto-responder feature as well.
After you've done all your research or maybe even before, you'll need to decide if you want to manage your own email newsletter or turn to a marketing firm for consulting. I've personally managed an email newsletter for a former employer and will tell you it's very time consuming. But if you don't mind a few extra hours in front of the computer every month it can save you a lot of money.
The best advice I can give you in this area is don't stretch yourself beyond your means. If you're not comfortable with the software or writing newsletters, it will show and you're recipient will know it! We have a little saying we go by here: "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional, try hiring and amateur!"
In email newsletter software, consulting and design you truly get out of it what you put in... regardless if it's time, money or both!
Design is tightly tied to the success of email marketing. You want to keep it simple so as not to overwhelm your recipients, but you also want it to look professional. You can have your newsletter appear as an HTML website or in text like a typical email. As you might imagine, the later is usually far less expensive.
The rule of three is a simple guideline to follow. Keep your design to three topic areas of interest for each newsletter. Each area should have a title and a short 2-3 sentences about the full article located back on your blog, website or other online area. Make each compelling and easy to get to.
Monitoring the results of your website is important as they can tell you what people are interested in, who's reading the newsletter and even automatically send a preselected auto response email based on the action the reader took.
Many times the email newsletter software you select will determine which tools you have available from a design and statistics standpoint. The two common software packages my company uses are Aweber and Constant Contact. Aweber is typically used for clients who don't have a need for the visually appealing, while Constant Contact is used for those who wish to include more graphical design concepts. Aweber has a great auto-responder feature as well.
After you've done all your research or maybe even before, you'll need to decide if you want to manage your own email newsletter or turn to a marketing firm for consulting. I've personally managed an email newsletter for a former employer and will tell you it's very time consuming. But if you don't mind a few extra hours in front of the computer every month it can save you a lot of money.
The best advice I can give you in this area is don't stretch yourself beyond your means. If you're not comfortable with the software or writing newsletters, it will show and you're recipient will know it! We have a little saying we go by here: "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional, try hiring and amateur!"
In email newsletter software, consulting and design you truly get out of it what you put in... regardless if it's time, money or both!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Why SEO?
Search Engine Optimization or SEO is recommended to any business wanting to dramatically increase their business from the internet or gain more internet visibility. There are six (probably more) important things to emphasize when talking about the possibilities of SEO and what it can do for your business:
To learn more about SEO and other forms of internet marketing visit www.eye4image.com
- SEO appeals to a much larger audience than any other medium.
- SEO is much less expensive over time than almost any other medium such as radio, television, or print ads.
- SEO typically delivers higher success rates than other forms of advertising mediums.
- SEO is a measurable tool... not a guessable tool.
- Your websites optimized pages will perform for years.
- SEO works well in conjunction with other online marketing strategies such as directory listings, inbound links, additional web pages, end-user software, online PR, e-newsletters, and social network marketing.
To learn more about SEO and other forms of internet marketing visit www.eye4image.com
Friday, January 25, 2008
Is There A Difference?
Is internet marketing really that different from any other type of marketing? The answer is yes and no.
How can that be? Well, yes because you're using a whole new method to reach people than traditional marketing vehicles of print, television, billboards, signage and radio.
No because you still have the same goal in mind for your internet marketing as your other marketing methods.
One of the most important things to consider for your online marketing campaign is content. Let's face it, you shouldn't have a website just to have one. It should be doing something for you!
You should offer your visitors and subscribers informative, compelling information. Establish that emotional connection that all advertising strives for!
Don't settle for "My company has a website and it's great." You've got a powerful marketing vehicle in a website. If it's not working for you, it's not doing what it's meant to do!
Keep in mind that with every marketing avenue you use, there is a goal behind it. The web is no different. If you don't have a goal for your website, get one!
The goal may be to have someone pick up the phone and call, sign up for an e-newsletter, or buy something from an e-commerce site.
Whatever that goal may be, make sure every page on your website corresponds with that goal. Have a call to action, an invitation or a driving statistic to get your visitors to reach your ultimate objective for them.
Follow this basic idea and your internet marketing campaigns will be more successful!
How can that be? Well, yes because you're using a whole new method to reach people than traditional marketing vehicles of print, television, billboards, signage and radio.
No because you still have the same goal in mind for your internet marketing as your other marketing methods.
One of the most important things to consider for your online marketing campaign is content. Let's face it, you shouldn't have a website just to have one. It should be doing something for you!
You should offer your visitors and subscribers informative, compelling information. Establish that emotional connection that all advertising strives for!
Don't settle for "My company has a website and it's great." You've got a powerful marketing vehicle in a website. If it's not working for you, it's not doing what it's meant to do!
Keep in mind that with every marketing avenue you use, there is a goal behind it. The web is no different. If you don't have a goal for your website, get one!
The goal may be to have someone pick up the phone and call, sign up for an e-newsletter, or buy something from an e-commerce site.
Whatever that goal may be, make sure every page on your website corresponds with that goal. Have a call to action, an invitation or a driving statistic to get your visitors to reach your ultimate objective for them.
Follow this basic idea and your internet marketing campaigns will be more successful!
Welcome Fellow Marketeers!
Welcome! This blog was created for those who are curious about internet marketing and what it can do to help a growing company really take off!
If you want to know about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), blogs, e-newsletters, RSS, social network marketing and much more, then you've come to the right place!
The internet is a place where millions of people gather everyday to conduct business, gather information, shop and just hang out. It is the ultimate advertising space enabling you to reach a virtually unlimited amount of potential clients and customers!
Ask any marketing expert and they'll tell you the internet is the way to grow your business. Gone are the days of buying 30-second radio spots and 50-word advertisements in newspapers or magazines. Don't let the world pass your business by... get on board with online marketing!
If you are interested in internet marketing for your business feel free to post your questions here or visit www.eye4image.com.
If you want to know about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), blogs, e-newsletters, RSS, social network marketing and much more, then you've come to the right place!
The internet is a place where millions of people gather everyday to conduct business, gather information, shop and just hang out. It is the ultimate advertising space enabling you to reach a virtually unlimited amount of potential clients and customers!
Ask any marketing expert and they'll tell you the internet is the way to grow your business. Gone are the days of buying 30-second radio spots and 50-word advertisements in newspapers or magazines. Don't let the world pass your business by... get on board with online marketing!
If you are interested in internet marketing for your business feel free to post your questions here or visit www.eye4image.com.
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