Building your internet marketing resources is vital, particularly while attempting to steer more traffic to your blogs, boost your newsletter subscribers and also increase your earnings. Among your best marketing tactics ought to now be content syndication.This could be a novel concept to you, but now is without doubt the time for you to discover and develop the power of content syndication.
Syndication benefits both the website pages providing information as well as other websites featuring it. With the receiving site, content syndication is an effective way of adding increased depth and relevancy of information to its web pages, which makes it more attractive to visitors. For the transmitting site, syndication drives publicity across many online platforms. This activates additional traffic for the transmitting site - thereby making syndication essentially a free and easy form of advertisement.
Content syndication is in actual fact a clever web advertising strategy because you grant permission for your copyrighted content to be posted on other people's sites. One of the most commonly used measures for content syndication on the web is by means of article directories. There you are likely to submit your article which has a link or two to your site in it. Others who are trying to find good content for their own site can utilize that article provided that they leave your link within it.
One more approach to content syndication is to establish accounts with the assorted Web 2.0 sites and post your material to them. This process, though, can be quite time consuming if you are looking to post your material on more than a few websites. One may outsource it, obviously, however if you happen to pay by the hour, it may become fairly expensive because it will likely be simply as time consuming for the employee you hire.
The benefits of content syndication to your site are great, however. You can efficiently increase your visitors to your website; improve the number of subscribers to your list; improve your sales and profit; boost your presence, authority and name; and raise your rankings in the search engines. Content syndication is effective to help you achieve your advertising objectives.
Content syndication will no doubt boost your traffic by extending the reach of your content. After they notice and benefit from your work elsewhere, they will obviously want to examine more of what you have to say and therefore will click through the link to go to your website. Whilst they are there, they will see more of your excellent material that will lead to an expansion in subscribers and then sales.
Naturally, with each piece of content syndicated, you gain an additional backlink to your site. These backlinks are like votes, telling the search engines that visitors like your blog. This leads to increasing your search engine rankings and also, because of the content you have out there, you earn credibility and authority in the eyes of the visitor.
If you like the concept of content syndication as a web advertising strategy, you will be delighted to know that now the entire process can be automated, thereby making your website creation a more time- efficient and successful exercise.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Economic Storm
Nothing can be more depressing than a recession stricken business. Not only do you experience low sales, but suffer the stress of going broke and losing everything altogether. When the global economy is down, the stiffer competition is. If your business isn't feeling the impact of recession today, that is good news. But if you are foraging for ways to recover from your loss today, there are several ways you can do to stay afloat the competition. And one of them is by creating eye-catching and forceful marketing materials. Such materials can include custom business cards, brochures, and posters. These printed materials provide a good way to get your message to your customers at the easiest and most cost effective manner.
But how do you create exceptionally inviting materials? Here are ways to do that:
Provide free items.
People love freebies even if they are only simple pens or umbrellas. So, why not offer free items or information in your brochures or posters to get people to notice you. You can add an image of the free item you are giving away to convince people that it is for real. You can also add a testimonial to show how serious you are with your campaign.
Use different marketing avenues.
Do not just focus on one tool to promote your products or services. If you are already using custom business card printing, consider using flyers, post cards, and greeting cards as well. You can also try emails or newsletter to reach your target customers. Keep in mind that different people have different ways of accepting information given through different form of media, so make sure you use every marketing avenue possible.
Deliver your message clearly.
When people do not understand your message during the first few seconds of reading your material, they are likely to trash it and go on to the next enterprise. So, to convince your prospects that you are the business to trust, make sure to deliver your message clearly and concisely.
Use testimonials.
It would be to your best interest to include testimonials from previous clients to show how they were able to get measurable results. This would tell your target customers that if you were able to meet other's need, then you can do the same for them.
Partner with other companies.
This means that you tie up with businesses that are not your direct competitor. By doing so, you get access to other customers who might be interested in your products and services. Pairing up with companies will also reduce your expenses in promotional activities such as trade shows and conferences. Do not forget to offer free referral to the company you tie up to compensate for the publicity that they will provide you.
The recent economic downturn hit the business sector the most. Many have gone broke and closed down completely as a result of this event. But there is no reason to lose hope. The tips mentioned above will help you overcome the financial storm easily and effectively. They offer practical marketing advice that helps you reach your customers better and much faster.
There are actually endless ways you can do with your marketing materials to survive the difficulty. Just be resourceful and don't be afraid to use your creativity to your advantage.
But how do you create exceptionally inviting materials? Here are ways to do that:
Provide free items.
People love freebies even if they are only simple pens or umbrellas. So, why not offer free items or information in your brochures or posters to get people to notice you. You can add an image of the free item you are giving away to convince people that it is for real. You can also add a testimonial to show how serious you are with your campaign.
Use different marketing avenues.
Do not just focus on one tool to promote your products or services. If you are already using custom business card printing, consider using flyers, post cards, and greeting cards as well. You can also try emails or newsletter to reach your target customers. Keep in mind that different people have different ways of accepting information given through different form of media, so make sure you use every marketing avenue possible.
Deliver your message clearly.
When people do not understand your message during the first few seconds of reading your material, they are likely to trash it and go on to the next enterprise. So, to convince your prospects that you are the business to trust, make sure to deliver your message clearly and concisely.
Use testimonials.
It would be to your best interest to include testimonials from previous clients to show how they were able to get measurable results. This would tell your target customers that if you were able to meet other's need, then you can do the same for them.
Partner with other companies.
This means that you tie up with businesses that are not your direct competitor. By doing so, you get access to other customers who might be interested in your products and services. Pairing up with companies will also reduce your expenses in promotional activities such as trade shows and conferences. Do not forget to offer free referral to the company you tie up to compensate for the publicity that they will provide you.
The recent economic downturn hit the business sector the most. Many have gone broke and closed down completely as a result of this event. But there is no reason to lose hope. The tips mentioned above will help you overcome the financial storm easily and effectively. They offer practical marketing advice that helps you reach your customers better and much faster.
There are actually endless ways you can do with your marketing materials to survive the difficulty. Just be resourceful and don't be afraid to use your creativity to your advantage.
Brochures
It is not easy making an advertising material, much more make that material last for a long time. It's important to remember that people's interests change constantly, and that makes it more difficult to get remembered in the market. Some businesses stop at enhancing their ads once they know that they have acquired their target market, but other constantly find ways to improve their ads to keep current customers interested and continuously gain new customers. With memorable ads, you can easily get an edge in the market and stay on top of the competition.
There are actually several types of materials with which you can create your memorable ad and among the mostly used material are brochures. Essentially, a brochure contains information about your business and your products or services. It presents a detailed and colorful illustration of your offerings in such a way that they are easy to remember.
There are brochure templates available today if you are not familiar with how to design a good brochure. You can download them in the Internet or ask your printer to provide you one. One advantage of brochures is that they are cost effective to produce. Unlike television or radio ads, brochures do not cost much and stays with the customers for a long time. They can be kept in the drawer or left in table tops for future use. If you are just starting your business, you may want to take advantage of the marketing benefits brochures provide.
There are different types of brochures available for use today: direct mail, sales, sales support, and leave-behind brochures.
Direct mail brochures.
These are the brochures you attach to your mails. For instance, if you have sales letters to send out, it may be best to include your brochure in the mail package. Brochures contain images of the products or services you offer making it much easier for recipients to get enticed to buy from you.
Sales brochures.
These are the brochures you find in a rack in places where people frequent. While standing in line to get checked in you find a rack of brochures, you take one, and keep it for future reference. Sales brochures are actually placed in locations where a sale is likely to originate.
Sales support brochures.
These brochures are often used to aid you or your salesperson in delivering the sales pitch. They usually have huge headlines, photos, and pages to make the explanation process much easier and clearer.
Leave-behind brochures.
These are the brochures you leave behind with your target customer. This type of brochure has to have complete description of your products and make a lasting impression to your customers.
All these brochures can be designed in different folds such as bi-fold, tri-fold, and the z-fold. Just make sure to choose the right paper weight, size, and finish to ensure you are creating an attractive, bold, and memorable brochure printing. You can also choose black and white or full color printing depending on the look you want. If you are on a limited budget, stick with black and white and move to full color printing when your budget permits.
Once created professionally and compellingly, your brochures will give you the exposure you need and help keep you memorable to customers. So, get started in your own brochure printing today.
There are actually several types of materials with which you can create your memorable ad and among the mostly used material are brochures. Essentially, a brochure contains information about your business and your products or services. It presents a detailed and colorful illustration of your offerings in such a way that they are easy to remember.
There are brochure templates available today if you are not familiar with how to design a good brochure. You can download them in the Internet or ask your printer to provide you one. One advantage of brochures is that they are cost effective to produce. Unlike television or radio ads, brochures do not cost much and stays with the customers for a long time. They can be kept in the drawer or left in table tops for future use. If you are just starting your business, you may want to take advantage of the marketing benefits brochures provide.
There are different types of brochures available for use today: direct mail, sales, sales support, and leave-behind brochures.
Direct mail brochures.
These are the brochures you attach to your mails. For instance, if you have sales letters to send out, it may be best to include your brochure in the mail package. Brochures contain images of the products or services you offer making it much easier for recipients to get enticed to buy from you.
Sales brochures.
These are the brochures you find in a rack in places where people frequent. While standing in line to get checked in you find a rack of brochures, you take one, and keep it for future reference. Sales brochures are actually placed in locations where a sale is likely to originate.
Sales support brochures.
These brochures are often used to aid you or your salesperson in delivering the sales pitch. They usually have huge headlines, photos, and pages to make the explanation process much easier and clearer.
Leave-behind brochures.
These are the brochures you leave behind with your target customer. This type of brochure has to have complete description of your products and make a lasting impression to your customers.
All these brochures can be designed in different folds such as bi-fold, tri-fold, and the z-fold. Just make sure to choose the right paper weight, size, and finish to ensure you are creating an attractive, bold, and memorable brochure printing. You can also choose black and white or full color printing depending on the look you want. If you are on a limited budget, stick with black and white and move to full color printing when your budget permits.
Once created professionally and compellingly, your brochures will give you the exposure you need and help keep you memorable to customers. So, get started in your own brochure printing today.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Targeted Keywords
Part of thoroughly evaluating your market involves conducting keyword research.
Keywords help you define who your customer base really is.
Thankfully, keyword research is a relatively simple process and doesn't take a lot of time to complete. If you know what you're doing, you can research plenty of good keywords for your niche in just a few minutes.
When it comes to keywords, there are head keywords and what are referred to as "long tail keyword phrases".
Head keyword terms are typically shorter phrases such as "weight loss", while tail keywords consist of multiple keywords that describe a market or niche, such as "weight loss strategies for seniors".
For the most part, head keywords are always targeted by a greater number of competition as they are a short-form description of a market, and long tail keyword phrases will generate less traffic, but are much easier to dominate within the search engines.
Savvy marketers focus on long tail keywords and gauge their exposure by a COLLECTIVE count of all traffic generated from multiple long-tail keyword based campaigns.
You will find it much easier to position yourself in the top search engine results if you primarily focus on injecting long tail keywords into your traffic generation strategies.
Consider the fact that it could take you months (and serious cash) to rank for the term "weight loss", however if you set up a dozen different campaigns targeting relevant, long tail keywords including "weight loss after pregnancy", "how to lose weight quickly", or "safe and easy methods of losing weight", you would generate steady traffic from all campaigns (although lower than a single main keyword), collectively giving you MORE exposure than a competitive keyword that you are consistently struggling to rank for much less maintain your position.
You can quickly conduct keyword research for your niche market just by using free online services, including
www.KeyCompete.com
www.WordTracker.com
www.Compete.com
Visit Google Keyword Suggestion Tool:
adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
In order to conduct keyword research, you have to begin by entering in what is referred to as a "seed" keyword, which serves as a starting point to your keyword research.
The seed keyword is a short term describing your market, niche or potential products you are considering promoting.
You want to look for keyword phrases that receive at least 300 searches per month according to the keyword research tool that you're using. Each keyword phrase could receive a lot more or a lot less than the tool shows, so keep that in mind as well and use the information and data to gauge the popularity of keywords, rather than a definitive number.
You also need to check to be sure the phrases you're targeting don't have so much competition that they would be extremely difficult to rank for.
Focus on the keywords that have less competition and strike a good balance between traffic and competition first, then you can go after the more competitive phrases later on after your blog is established and has begun to generate consistent traffic from the major search engines.
Keywords help you define who your customer base really is.
Thankfully, keyword research is a relatively simple process and doesn't take a lot of time to complete. If you know what you're doing, you can research plenty of good keywords for your niche in just a few minutes.
When it comes to keywords, there are head keywords and what are referred to as "long tail keyword phrases".
Head keyword terms are typically shorter phrases such as "weight loss", while tail keywords consist of multiple keywords that describe a market or niche, such as "weight loss strategies for seniors".
For the most part, head keywords are always targeted by a greater number of competition as they are a short-form description of a market, and long tail keyword phrases will generate less traffic, but are much easier to dominate within the search engines.
Savvy marketers focus on long tail keywords and gauge their exposure by a COLLECTIVE count of all traffic generated from multiple long-tail keyword based campaigns.
You will find it much easier to position yourself in the top search engine results if you primarily focus on injecting long tail keywords into your traffic generation strategies.
Consider the fact that it could take you months (and serious cash) to rank for the term "weight loss", however if you set up a dozen different campaigns targeting relevant, long tail keywords including "weight loss after pregnancy", "how to lose weight quickly", or "safe and easy methods of losing weight", you would generate steady traffic from all campaigns (although lower than a single main keyword), collectively giving you MORE exposure than a competitive keyword that you are consistently struggling to rank for much less maintain your position.
You can quickly conduct keyword research for your niche market just by using free online services, including
www.KeyCompete.com
www.WordTracker.com
www.Compete.com
Visit Google Keyword Suggestion Tool:
adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
In order to conduct keyword research, you have to begin by entering in what is referred to as a "seed" keyword, which serves as a starting point to your keyword research.
The seed keyword is a short term describing your market, niche or potential products you are considering promoting.
You want to look for keyword phrases that receive at least 300 searches per month according to the keyword research tool that you're using. Each keyword phrase could receive a lot more or a lot less than the tool shows, so keep that in mind as well and use the information and data to gauge the popularity of keywords, rather than a definitive number.
You also need to check to be sure the phrases you're targeting don't have so much competition that they would be extremely difficult to rank for.
Focus on the keywords that have less competition and strike a good balance between traffic and competition first, then you can go after the more competitive phrases later on after your blog is established and has begun to generate consistent traffic from the major search engines.
Easily Get More Visitors
Are you a home business owner that is struggling to get more visitors to your website, but just can't seem to figure out which methods to use? There are many different marketing methods that can be used to get traffic.
The more methods you use, the more traffic you will be able to get to your website. Getting visitors to your website is the most important thing you need to do if you are serious about making money and finally having a successful home business.
To help you get started, here are some of the most effective methods that you want to use that will help you get as many visitors as you want to your site.
1. Social networking - This is good for getting traffic to your site, but also for building business relationships that can benefit your business. You can't get on these free sites and just start blatantly advertising.
You want to set up a profile with your business information and website and then get involved in the social site.
The more involved you become, the more people will get curious about you and what you do and the more visitors you will entice to your site with subtle advertising.
2. Article marketing - This is a free method that will effectively bring traffic to your business now and for a long time to come. You want to write an article based on one primary keyword.
Then submit that article to as many articles directories, forums, blogs and other places online that accept articles. The more places you can distribute your article to, the more traffic you will receive.
3. Video marketing - This is a somewhat new method that is becoming very effective for home business owners to use. There are many people that want to get information they need from videos over any other method.
Setting up a video will give them more options for getting the information they want and will help them remember your site, since not every internet business owner is using this method yet.
4. Blogging - This is definitely a method that you want to be using because you can utilize a blog in so many ways to get traffic to your website. With blogs you will be able to post articles, videos, promote products, and get free organic search engine traffic.
Search engines like blogs that are regularly updated with fresh content and you will get better placement from the search engines for updating regularly. You just have to keep your blog updated regularly with quality traffic that is unique.
These methods are all very effective for bringing visitors to any website online. There are many other advertising methods that should also be used, but this will provide you with a great place to start. Just make sure you use as many methods as you can over time because this will help you keep the traffic coming for a long time in the future.
The more methods you use, the more traffic you will be able to get to your website. Getting visitors to your website is the most important thing you need to do if you are serious about making money and finally having a successful home business.
To help you get started, here are some of the most effective methods that you want to use that will help you get as many visitors as you want to your site.
1. Social networking - This is good for getting traffic to your site, but also for building business relationships that can benefit your business. You can't get on these free sites and just start blatantly advertising.
You want to set up a profile with your business information and website and then get involved in the social site.
The more involved you become, the more people will get curious about you and what you do and the more visitors you will entice to your site with subtle advertising.
2. Article marketing - This is a free method that will effectively bring traffic to your business now and for a long time to come. You want to write an article based on one primary keyword.
Then submit that article to as many articles directories, forums, blogs and other places online that accept articles. The more places you can distribute your article to, the more traffic you will receive.
3. Video marketing - This is a somewhat new method that is becoming very effective for home business owners to use. There are many people that want to get information they need from videos over any other method.
Setting up a video will give them more options for getting the information they want and will help them remember your site, since not every internet business owner is using this method yet.
4. Blogging - This is definitely a method that you want to be using because you can utilize a blog in so many ways to get traffic to your website. With blogs you will be able to post articles, videos, promote products, and get free organic search engine traffic.
Search engines like blogs that are regularly updated with fresh content and you will get better placement from the search engines for updating regularly. You just have to keep your blog updated regularly with quality traffic that is unique.
These methods are all very effective for bringing visitors to any website online. There are many other advertising methods that should also be used, but this will provide you with a great place to start. Just make sure you use as many methods as you can over time because this will help you keep the traffic coming for a long time in the future.
Guidelines on SEO
SEO or Search Engine Optimization plays a very big part in the advertising of products and services offered by internet marketing campaigns. Through search engines, marketers can advertise their businesses and get more hits and website visits. Their success is determined by their rank in the dominating search engines in the World Wide Web.
The first thing you should do in SEO is also the biggest mistake others commit. You should choose the right keywords for your website. The best keywords are not what you personally know about your business. The best way you could find the most appropriate keywords for your site is by using the Wordtracker. This site provides you with the exact keywords searchers use on search engines which are appropriate to your website. These searchers are your potential customers. Through using the right keywords you can get high rankings on the search engines.
Another thing you should do is the isolation keyword method. Most people try to cram as many keywords into a webpage as possible. Most SEO experts would suggest a maximum of only 15 keywords in a page. This approach is quite old. It works but it takes much longer for you to rise in the rankings. What you should do is create a list of as many keyword phrases as possible. And a single page should be created for each phrase. For example, your keyword is ìAdvantages of SEOî, the page you will create must be only for this keyword. You wouldn't have to pick only one keyword phrase for you website. Instead, you will make individual pages for the keyword phrases you chose.
The next thing to do is building the structure of each page. Each page should start off with its corresponding keyword phrase as its heading. The first paragraph should include your keyword phrase and should also contain your Meta description. The next paragraph should have a bold subtitle of you keyword phrase. And finally, the last paragraph of the page should again include your keyword phrase as most search engines read it.
Interlinking your pages together is a must. The link from one page of your website to another is very important. When creating these links, you should be sure that the link is the keyword phrase of the page it is linked to. This will help the user view the other pages of your site easier. Making the title of the link the exact keyword phrase you used for the page will make it easier for the user to know what the page he/she will access contains.
There are many things you shouldn't do on SEO. Don't put your websites name in your Meta title. Search engines will list you without your site's name. Don't hold back on text. Each page should contain at least 250 words. Stick to one subject per page as this may confuse your readers. Spiders have a hard time reading your url's if you put database parameters on them. Stay away from flash pretty much for the same reason. Don't use frames, don't ask why. And finally always keep your html code streamlined so that search engines won't have a hard time reading them.
If you follow these simple guidelines, you will see your ranking dramatically improve. And through these guidelines you can avoid the common mistakes others do on SEO.
The first thing you should do in SEO is also the biggest mistake others commit. You should choose the right keywords for your website. The best keywords are not what you personally know about your business. The best way you could find the most appropriate keywords for your site is by using the Wordtracker. This site provides you with the exact keywords searchers use on search engines which are appropriate to your website. These searchers are your potential customers. Through using the right keywords you can get high rankings on the search engines.
Another thing you should do is the isolation keyword method. Most people try to cram as many keywords into a webpage as possible. Most SEO experts would suggest a maximum of only 15 keywords in a page. This approach is quite old. It works but it takes much longer for you to rise in the rankings. What you should do is create a list of as many keyword phrases as possible. And a single page should be created for each phrase. For example, your keyword is ìAdvantages of SEOî, the page you will create must be only for this keyword. You wouldn't have to pick only one keyword phrase for you website. Instead, you will make individual pages for the keyword phrases you chose.
The next thing to do is building the structure of each page. Each page should start off with its corresponding keyword phrase as its heading. The first paragraph should include your keyword phrase and should also contain your Meta description. The next paragraph should have a bold subtitle of you keyword phrase. And finally, the last paragraph of the page should again include your keyword phrase as most search engines read it.
Interlinking your pages together is a must. The link from one page of your website to another is very important. When creating these links, you should be sure that the link is the keyword phrase of the page it is linked to. This will help the user view the other pages of your site easier. Making the title of the link the exact keyword phrase you used for the page will make it easier for the user to know what the page he/she will access contains.
There are many things you shouldn't do on SEO. Don't put your websites name in your Meta title. Search engines will list you without your site's name. Don't hold back on text. Each page should contain at least 250 words. Stick to one subject per page as this may confuse your readers. Spiders have a hard time reading your url's if you put database parameters on them. Stay away from flash pretty much for the same reason. Don't use frames, don't ask why. And finally always keep your html code streamlined so that search engines won't have a hard time reading them.
If you follow these simple guidelines, you will see your ranking dramatically improve. And through these guidelines you can avoid the common mistakes others do on SEO.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Engine Marketing
Today, companies constantly clamor for attention at every parking bench, in every religious magazine, and on every shirt. As Rance Crain, editor-in-chief of Advertising Age, stated: "Advertisers will not be satisfied until their put their mark on every blade of grass." Successful companies and entrepreneurs must make their name known; they must participate in search engine marketing.
Why Is Search Engine Marketing Important?
AOL© is right. America is online. According to 2004 Nielson NetRatings, approximately three-quarters of Americans have internet home access. A 2008 Cone Business study found that 60% of Americans use social media, and that 93% of those users believe a company should have an online presence. As evidenced by the prevalence of popular search engines, companies cannot afford to ignore the online market.
Search Engine Optimization
In order to display relevant listings to consumers, search engines create algorithms, such as Google's PageRank, to classify web pages. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a tried-and-true method for escaping the pits of fifth-tier listings and rocketing onto the front page. It is affordable, and properly used, has an impressive ROI (Return on Investment). While specifics are unknown, SEO researchers have pinpointed the primary factors for SEO success.
1) Keywords. Keywords are search terms. When selecting keywords, eliminate broad-based keywords; rather, use pertinent terms. For quite specific results, use long-tail (4 plus words) keyword phrases. Primary keywords should appear with the first paragraph of an article, and secondary keywords, within the first 100 words. Keywords should also appear in the title, headers and subheaders.
2) Links. Links are how web crawlers find and rank web pages. There are three types of links: reciprocal, which pair two web pages; multi-way, which partner three or more; and one-way, which sends one web page to many others - and may be costly. To obtain links, craft relationships with other online businesses, and consider affiliate marketing.
Paid Search Listings
Sites such as Google© and Amazon.com© sponsor paid search listings, where corporations can buy advertisement space and pay the hosts using one of two methods: PPC (pay per click)/CPC (cost per click), or CPA (cost per action), which only requires clients to pay if website visitors commit a certain action (e.g. buy a product). Using PPC/CPC advertisements may increase website traffic, but CPA advertisements lead to higher conversion rates and reduce non-buying visitors.
Customer-Centric Website Building
Customer-centric website building constructs a website with the consumer in mind. Color themes, font choices, site navigability, customer service options and purchasing interfaces all affect the customer experience. Stoney deGeyter, in "Seven Steps to Improving Conversion Rates," instructs, "Don't try to be all things to all people, but instead ... meet the vast majority of your visitor's needs."
Web personalization is the hottest new trend in consumer-centric marketing. It uses visitor demographic information keys (gender, age, interests) to alter website features by visitor. Web personalization has been shown to increase the traffic-conversion rate from an average 2.8% by 70%!
Ditch the magazines, shirts and park benches. Start search engine marketing.
Why Is Search Engine Marketing Important?
AOL© is right. America is online. According to 2004 Nielson NetRatings, approximately three-quarters of Americans have internet home access. A 2008 Cone Business study found that 60% of Americans use social media, and that 93% of those users believe a company should have an online presence. As evidenced by the prevalence of popular search engines, companies cannot afford to ignore the online market.
Search Engine Optimization
In order to display relevant listings to consumers, search engines create algorithms, such as Google's PageRank, to classify web pages. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a tried-and-true method for escaping the pits of fifth-tier listings and rocketing onto the front page. It is affordable, and properly used, has an impressive ROI (Return on Investment). While specifics are unknown, SEO researchers have pinpointed the primary factors for SEO success.
1) Keywords. Keywords are search terms. When selecting keywords, eliminate broad-based keywords; rather, use pertinent terms. For quite specific results, use long-tail (4 plus words) keyword phrases. Primary keywords should appear with the first paragraph of an article, and secondary keywords, within the first 100 words. Keywords should also appear in the title, headers and subheaders.
2) Links. Links are how web crawlers find and rank web pages. There are three types of links: reciprocal, which pair two web pages; multi-way, which partner three or more; and one-way, which sends one web page to many others - and may be costly. To obtain links, craft relationships with other online businesses, and consider affiliate marketing.
Paid Search Listings
Sites such as Google© and Amazon.com© sponsor paid search listings, where corporations can buy advertisement space and pay the hosts using one of two methods: PPC (pay per click)/CPC (cost per click), or CPA (cost per action), which only requires clients to pay if website visitors commit a certain action (e.g. buy a product). Using PPC/CPC advertisements may increase website traffic, but CPA advertisements lead to higher conversion rates and reduce non-buying visitors.
Customer-Centric Website Building
Customer-centric website building constructs a website with the consumer in mind. Color themes, font choices, site navigability, customer service options and purchasing interfaces all affect the customer experience. Stoney deGeyter, in "Seven Steps to Improving Conversion Rates," instructs, "Don't try to be all things to all people, but instead ... meet the vast majority of your visitor's needs."
Web personalization is the hottest new trend in consumer-centric marketing. It uses visitor demographic information keys (gender, age, interests) to alter website features by visitor. Web personalization has been shown to increase the traffic-conversion rate from an average 2.8% by 70%!
Ditch the magazines, shirts and park benches. Start search engine marketing.
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