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Tips For Launching A Successful Email Marketing Campaign
posted by Web_University @ 8:00 AM
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Tips For Launching A Successful Email Marketing Campaign
If you’ve ever considered launching an email marketing campaign, you probably very rapidly discovered that there are two main road-blocks between you and email marketing success. The first is the question of how to get your hands on an email subscriber list. And the second is once you have begun building your list, what should you send them? This article will focus on those two fundamental tasks of email marketing.
List-building is not as hard as you might imagine. All it really takes is the effort of asking people you are already coming into contact with to join your mailing list. You can do this in person if you run a restaurant, dealership, or other brick and mortar venue. At a retail store, the cash register is the best place to offer a free membership. If you are trying to convert your existing web traffic into email subscribers, you will want to create an attractive sign-up form and place it very prominently on your web site. You will also need to provide a good explanation of the value that people can expect to receive by being subscribes to your mailing list.
We all know that high quality content is not cheap. And when you’re dealing in email marketing, that is likely to be the primary expense related to your campaign. So you want to make that investment worthwhile by getting as many potential buyers as possible signed up for your mailing list. Take advantage of your existing web traffic by making your subscription form a central feature of your web site. It should almost always appear above the fold, and almost always on every page of your site. Keep in mind, email list subscribers convert much better than one-time web site visitors, so you should not be afraid to lose a sale or two in the short term in order to collect a large number of subscriptions that will become valued clients over the long term.
When you think about designing content for your email list, there is a very important question you should ask yourself: What will people in my target market be happy to receive? What value can I provide to them? Because the first task of an email list is to ingratiate you to your subscribers. If the list is ultimately going to convert into sales, then your subscribers must trust you and see you as someone who provides things that they value. Once you have developed the unique proposition for your mailing list, then you can begin developing content to fulfill that promise.
These two basic steps are all it really takes to build an effective list that you can continue to improve upon indefinitely. The list and the techniques that you use to market to the list will evolve over time along with your overall business strategy. But the long and the short of it is simply this: create a mailing list that offers a real value to your market, and then ask people to sign up for it. Everything else simply improves on this basic, winning formula.
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Maximize Your Sales Online With These Ten Tips
posted by Web_University @ 8:00 AM
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Maximize Your Sales Online With These Ten Tips
These ten steps will help you to make more sales online. Use some or all of them, depending on the type of Web business you operate.
1. Increase your page rank in Google (SEO) Search Engine Optimization
To do this, it is important to know how to write clear, concise articles and page content that will draw fresh visitors. Write interesting, informative articles, and post them in the article submission sites. Include in the article a link back to your site. Hyperlinks are best, for when they click these, they will create incoming links. This will create back links. They will serve to help increase your sites visibility to search engines, and help improve your sites overall optimization.
2. Link Exchange
Find sites, which are related to your product/service, and get them to exchange links with you. (Sites that are getting good traffic are best.) When people click your direct link, it will help to build even more incoming links to your site. The more incoming links you have, the better your site will rank in the search engine results.
3. Search Engine Submission
We have all seen the ads (submit you site’s URL to 80,000 search engines here). While it is wise to submit your sites URL to the major search engines, some of the smaller engines are quite obscure. Get your URL listed in all of the most popular search engines. Do a search on “search engines,” and find the ones which will best serve your interests.
4. Optimize you Keywords
Use tools like Google analytics, and find keywords that are used most often in search queries. It is important to have the right number of keywords in your site. Avoid “keyword stuffing,” for to do this proves to be harmful to you sites page rank. It can even cause penalty, or “blacklisting. Some sites have even lost their domain over such issue.
5. Avoid duplicate content
While there may be many other sites having content relevant to your sites objectives, it is not wise to copy and paste this information. Search engines will find such, and flag them as spam. There are many software applications that search and find such pages. Many try changing the words around, or adding words here and there, but this still, will not result in having new or fresh content. Google and other search engines will find and flag such. To avoid these pitfalls, use only fresh new content for your Website.
6. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing has become a boom to many who understand how to create pages that get good rank in search results. You promote other peoples products through your web site and earn up to 60 to 75% commission per sale. Click-bank and Amazon, earn hundreds of millions of dollars per year, in e-book sales alone. You can get your share of this pie by creating great page content, then promoting their latest best seller. Many affiliates create multiple pages, optimize them, and then sell the hottest products selling on-line.
7. Adsense Earnings
When you have a page that gets a good rank in the search engines, you can earn cash per clicks by having Adsense ads of various types placed on a page, which is relevant to the ads. You get paid every time someone clicks through the ad. This is where having lots of targeted, high-quality traffic comes in. The more traffic, the more clicks, the more money.
8. Pay-per-click
I would not advise one who is just beginning to start with a huge budget with pay-per-click. This is where you use Google Adwords to send traffic directly to your site. Because you are paying a good price for every click, it is important to send them to a sales page that is converting well. To use Google pay-per-click advertising, you in effect pay them so much per click (70 cents to $10 per click) depending on the market value of the word, and they give you a sponsored link that shows up when someone chooses keywords you have bought.
This listing displays in Google search, on the right side (or on top) of the generic search results. Since you only earn when someone buys the product/service – it is vital to know exactly what you are doing, in this, or you could lose your shirt.
9. Adsense Marketing ‘with Affiliate Marketing’
One can really earn while they sleep, once they figure out how to incorporate Adsense along with affiliate marketing. This is having a huge site, getting tons of clicks. This type of high profile Web site earns money two different ways. The Adsense placement ads earn cash every time someone clicks them (whether a sale is made or not) and the affiliate links within the site, make money every time someone clicks through the ads and makes a purchase. Having a Web site like this takes research and testing on a regular basis, but it has the potential to earn big bucks for the owner.
10. Super Affiliates
Super Affiliates have an established Web presence, when you click keywords they have bought, their name comes up in Google search results listing as page one – number one results. It takes some money as well as time, to reach this status. Several examples of Super Affiliates are names which are easily recognized such as: Amazon, Click bank, or Google. They have incorporated so many keyword phrases into their paid searches, they have top placement in all of the search engines. To get near the top, where they are, takes total optimization, and hundreds of thousands of back and incoming links.
Be sure that the content on your Website is class “A” Web copy. Have rich, clear, concise information, which your visitors will be glad they found. Have every page optimized for targeted keywords, and get sales copy that will pay you!
15 Important Web Design Tips
Here are 15 important website design tips that you might not be
aware of or have overlooked. Consider taking advantage of them
if you haven’t already done so…
1. Custom 404 Pages
Create a custom 404 web page, so that any time your website
visitor mistypes or misspells a URL on your site, they will
still be provided with navigation options for your site
(instead of getting nothing but a “Page Not Found” error
message, which is neither friendly or helpful).
2. Redirect Non-www. To www.
Website visitors will often leave out the “www.” portion when
they type a URL or link to your website. Set the website up so
that it automatically redirects any non-www version of your
domain urls (http://domain. com) to the www version
(http://www.domain. com) of your website.
3. Properly Sized Graphics
Size and define all graphics and images on your web pages
properly and correctly. Web pages will load quicker if the
graphics contained on each page are properly defined so they
don’t require the web browser to re-size them. Properly sized
and defined images can reduce the web browser workload and speed
up the page loading time.
4. Favicon
Add a Favicon (favorite icon) to your website, so that your
company or product logo appears in the URL box. This icon will
also show up in a bookmark list, and gives the web site an added
level of professionalism.
5. Include RSS Auto-Discovery
If you offer an RSS feed for any content on your website, be
sure to include auto-discovery code in the header of your
website. This will allow many browsers and RSS readers to
automatically detect the presence of an RSS feed and alert the
visitor that it is available.
6. Alternate Domains
Domain names are relatively inexpensive, so you should register
multiple domain versions and extensions in order to protect your
brand. The varied domains can be parked on the main website,
simply to prevent others from obtaining them. Registering
alternate domain versions will help protect your brand.
7. Consistent Navigation
Navigation should remain consistent on a website. As a website
visitor moves through the website, the navigation bar should
remain in the same place on each page. This will make it easier
for visitors to navigate your website, and become more
comfortable as they move through your site.
8. Home Goes Home
The main graphic, company logo, or “header” at the top of the
site should be included on every page in the site, and should
always return the visitor to the home page of the website. This
has become a web standard, and most visitors now expect to
return to the main page of the site simply by clicking on the
main top graphic from any page within the site.
9. Copyright Notice
Include a copyright notice on the bottom of each page contained
on the website, and keep it current! It may seem trivial, but an
out-of-date copyright notice can send a message to your visitors
that the website and its content may be out-of-date as well.
10. Meaningful File Names
Use meaningful file names for any files, graphics, or web pages.
Many search engines look at file names as part of their search
algorithm, and using keywords in file names may help to improve
search engine rankings.
11. Hyphens vs Underscores
When naming files and webpages, use hyphens
(i.e. web-page.html) rather than underscores (i.e. web_page.html)
for the file names. It is much easier for search engines to
separate and index the keywords when hyphens are used.
12. Alt Tags
Use ALT tags to describe what images represent on web pages. ALT
tags not only assist visually-impaired visitors in knowing what
the images are, but they also help with search engine ranking.
13. Spell Check
Use a spell-check feature on the text of all web pages in a
website. A website that contains mistyped or misspelled words
just shouts “unprofessional”. Take the extra few minutes
necessary to check the spelling of text on each page of your
website.
14. Test
After making changes to a website, test it! Many times, a
webmaster will upload changes, confident in their abilities,
only to later discover that in their attempt to fix one thing,
they have “broken” something somewhere else. Make testing a
habit after making even the most minor changes!
15. Keep It Simple
Simple is good. Remove unnecessary clutter and distractions
from a website and navigation menu.
8 Things Bing Won’t Tell You
Every major search engine provides hints and tips about how
to optimize your pages for improved rankings on their
sites. But when you read these guidelines you quickly see
that most of it is just their own wish list. Things like
‘Write for humans not search engine bots – or – do not hide
keywords with a font matching the background color.’ It is
all good advice but kind of general and already well known
(for the past decade.)
But there are always things a search engine will not tell
you. And, of course, these are the things that make all the
difference in your SEO efforts and results. That said; here
are eight things that Bing does not want you to know (or
you can skip to the Magic Formula section at the end):
1.) Your Domain Name Matters – A Lot
Search for just about anything on MSN / Bing and at least
three of the top five matches will have some version of
that keyword as the domain name. For example if you wanted
to optimize for the keyword ‘my domain’ you should try to
get the domain name ‘mydomain.com.’ If that is taken, opt
for ‘my-domain.com.’ If that’s taken try for a name
starting with ‘mydomain’ and ending with a word that is
commonly associated. This is called LSI or Latent Semantic
Indexing. A good example would be ‘mydomainname.com’ or
‘my-domain-name.com.’ BTW, Bing treats dashes as a space so
as long as long as the dashes merely separate words, they
are treated much like the non dash version.
2.) There is No Sandbox
Here’s some great news for anyone just getting started.
Bing does not seem to care about the age of your domain
name. There is no ‘sandbox’ like Google has. Many people,
myself included, have registered brand new domains and had
them ranking in a matter of days.
3.) DotCom Trumps DotNet
Today some search engines like Google will often give .net
and .com virtually the same value, and possibly higher
value for a .org that is for a recognized non-profit
organization. Bing however appears to prefer the .com
version. You can even see instances where a ‘.co.uk’ site
gets high rankings simply because it uses the exact keyword
in the domain name and .co is close enough to .com.
4.) We Like Sub Domains
Most web hosts will let you add sub domains to your
website. On Bing, if you have the sub domain
mydomain.mydomain.com you are in for some potentially great
rankings. The same is true if you have my.domain.com, but
to a slightly lesser degree.
5.) Less is More – Part One
We have been trained by Google to try to have hundreds of
pages of quality content on every website. Bing adheres to
the old policy that they are indexing web ‘pages’ not web
‘sites’ (like Google says they do, but Bing apparently
really means it.) This means each page is treated on its
own merit so a site with one page has the same chances of
being ranked as a site with 100 pages, because each page is
genuinely treated individually.
6.) Less is More – Part Two
The same rule as above goes for on-page text. Pages with
800 to 1,200 words seem to do best on Google but on Bing
the reverse is true, with 250 to 500 words being the magic
number. Just do not overuse your keyword.
7.) Links are Nice But Not Required
Forget about spending your life building an ever growing
number of inbound links for Bing. They do not need them.
Your site, for now at least, is judged by its own merits,
page by page.
8.) Be Bold not Strong
The original SEO method dating back to 1996 was using the
H1 or ‘strong’ heading tags in your HTML. Forget them for
now. Bing gives higher priority to how you would express
importance in a word processor document; larger font and
bolded text as the main markers.
Summary: I build hundreds of Bing (formerly MSN) targeted
mini sites every year using the information above (as it
has evolved) and the results have been consistent top ten
rankings. You can do it too!
Here’s my magic formula for a one hour top ranking:
A.) Get the .com version of a three to four word keyword as
the domain name (dashes are fine.)
B.) Use the domain name as the page heading in a bolded
font, slightly larger than the paragraph text.
C.) Write 400 words of natural sounding text using the
keyword up to five times.
D.) Mention the keyword once in the first sentence and once
in the final sentence of the page – then up to three times
scattered throughout the remainder.
E.) Bold one instance of the keyword. Italicize one
instance of the keyword. Use one instance of the keyword as
a link back to the same page.
F.) Always fill in your Title, Description and Keywords
META tags. That’s it.
Good luck and take care!
PS: This works for Yahoo too.
10 Tips for Launching your Business Blog
Are you thinking about launching your business blog? You’re not
alone. A recent study by GuideWireGroup revealed that
approximately 89 percent of businesses polled use blogs as a way
to communicate with their customers. In another survey,
Burson-Marsteller found that 15% of Fortune 500 companies have
blogs. A successful business blog can generate tens of
thousands of dollars in revenue each year, with figures for
large corporations typically much higher.
So, business blogging is becoming a mainstream marketing tool.
That does not mean, however, that blogging comes easily or
naturally for many companies, their owners and employees.
Blogging, like any form of content, is a commitment of time and
resources – namely, you have to know how to write (or have access
to good writers) and you have to maintain your blogs with fresh,
original and insightful new material on a regular basis.
This should not scare you away. It should, though, inspire you
to learn the basics of business blogging before you turn your
baby loose on the world. Planning out your blogging strategy
first is a wise move, because it gives your blog a greater
chance of success. Here are 10 tips for launching your business
blog:
1. Identify your readers.
Before you start writing anything, make sure you understand
who your target market is. This is also known as your “buyer
persona”, which marketing guru David Meerman Scott defines as
“…a distinct group potential customers, an archetypal person
whom you want your marketing to reach.” Basically, you want
to tailor your topics to the groups of people who are most
interested in your company. Otherwise, you’re missing the mark
and losing out on potential leads and sales. To identify these
buyer personas, there are 3 questions you should ask yourself–
Where do your customers come from?
What type of content will be useful to them?
Where do your customers hang out online?
2. Create social media accounts.
If you haven’t already done this, register accounts with
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Start with these and
expand later. This is important because you need places to post
links to each new blog, so that your groups, fans, and followers
can read them. Posting on social media also encourages people to
subscribe to your RSS feed, another great way to promote your
blog.
3. Establish your social media presence.
Lay the groundwork for later blog promotion by establishing
relationships with your target markets. One of the best ways to
do this is through social media. Now that you have accounts
started, you can go in and join forums, listen to conversations
and hear what people are saying about your industry. Add
thoughtful and insightful comments whenever possible. Hire
employees to do this if you don’t have time, but try to
contribute every once in a while if you can.
4. Determine where to place your blog.
You can either put your blog on a page within your website or
give it its own domain. Your choice depends largely on your
goals. Do you want the blog to be part of your site, and linked
to it directly? Or do you have plans to use your blog for other
purposes, such as to make money through ads or creating a
secondary business from it?
A blog can help your website to rank higher, and it can also
rank highly on its own. So, think about your long-term
objectives when deciding where to place it.
5. Use the right keywords.
If you’re placing your business blog on a page within your site,
most likely you’ll be using the same keywords for your blog that
you are using for your site. If you’ve done good keyword
research, then these are the keywords that reflect your business
and are the search terms that people are using to find you. If
your blog is separate, consider if any keyword changes need to
be made. You may want to take your blog site in a different
direction from your site. Again, this depends on your goals for
your blog.
Incidentally, if your blog does have its own domain, you’ll want
the domain name to be brandable, easy for consumers to recognize
and search engine-friendly.
6. Choose a blogging platform.
You have options (http://ezinearticles.com/
?The-Best-Free-Blogging-Platforms&id=4180416) here. WordPress is
the most popular blogging platform, but you can also check out
Joomla, Blogger, TypePad and others.
7. Plan your posts.
Think about the direction you want your blog posts to go in. A
good way to stay on track is to start with one main topic and
draft a few blogs in advance. Post them on a regular schedule
and you’ll have a supply of targeted blogs that add fresh
content to your site and point back to your company each week.
Coming up with topics can be a challenge, but there are a lot of
helpful resources (http://mark-hayward.com/2008/12/29/
31-blog-post-ideas-for-small-businesses/) on the Web if you get
stuck.
8. Network with influencers.
Once you’ve got your blog started, it’s a good idea to look
around at other bloggers in your industry. See what they’re
doing, what they have to say, and leave insightful comments on
their blogs. This kind of web networking will help you establish
relationships with these people, which in turn will prompt them
to help spread the word about your blog and your company. This
kind of free advertising is invaluable. It connects you to
credible and respected individuals within the blogosphere and
markets your business for you.
9. Promote your blog.
As mentioned earlier, offering a blog subscription through an
RSS feed is an effective way to promote your blog. There are
other ways to get the word out, as well. Write an optimized
press release (http://www.prwebdirect.com/pressreleasetips.php),
submit articles to directories that link to your blog page,
submit your blogs to social bookmarking sites such as StumbleUpon
and Digg (or set up an account with Ping.fm and have it done
automatically). Make sure that you link to your blogs in your
social media posts.
10. Measure results.
If you’re going to take the time to blog for marketing purposes,
you’ll want to know how well you’re doing, right? Since it relies
primarily on the building of human relationships over time, blog
ROI can be tricky to measure. But, you do have many tools at your
disposal to help you determine how much or how little your blog
is contributing to the bottom line.
Free online tools like Google Analytics
(http://www.google.com/analytics/) and Google Alerts
(http://www.google.com/alerts) provide you with information
about how your customers are finding you online, and can tell
you a lot about your blog page, in particular. Facebook
Insights (http://www.facebook.com/help/?search=insights) is a
way to track activity on your Facebook account. Other tools are
available, so look into them.
Launching your business blog is, like any project, all about
preparation. If you do your homework and lay a solid
foundation, your blog will produce results. Keep in mind that
blogging is a form of content marketing and, as such, is
primarily about building relationships with customers. So, be
patient, follow these tips, and watch your business grow!
Top 10 Tips for Using Twitter
When it comes to social media, no one “gets it” as well
as Twitter. According to Econsultancy, as of Jan 2010,
Twitter has 75 million user accounts, with about 15
million of that total being active users. See
http://tinyurl.com/yetgcru . That’s a lot of people
sending a lot of Tweets. This micro-blogging service
makes it easy for small businesses and entrepreneurs
to stay in touch with those who choose to follow them,
and stay updated on new products, services, special
offers, industry news and more. It’s a win-win for
both the Tweeter, and their followers.
When it comes to using Twitter, there’s a right way and
a wrong way to use it. Your messages must be kept short,
under 140 characters, and they need to be helpful or
informative. Don’t carry on about what you ate for
breakfast, or the fact that you just brushed your teeth.
People will unfollow you faster than they can hit
the button, even if you do have good oral habits.
I’ve been using Twitter for a long time now and here’s
what I’ve found works best when participating in this
close knit community of few words.
1) Regular Postings: Now I’m not saying you need to post
every day, although that would be nice. You do need to
make an appearance on a regular basis. It’s like school -
you need to show up to pass. Be a contributor that your
followers get to really know and look forward to your
Tweets. If you’re the type of person who needs to plan
ahead, you can always use a service that allows you to
schedule tweets in advance, such as
http://www.socialoomph.com/
2) Retweet: If you see Tweets posted by other users that
you think your followers would like, then retweet them. It
only takes one click, and you’ll also be creating goodwill
with other Twitter users at the same time. If you’d like,
you can add a personal thought or comment before sending
it. Also, make it easy for others to retweet your posts
by adding RT buttons to your website or blog. It’s easy
with http://tweetmeme.com/about/retweet_button
3) Be Helpful: Keep in mind Twitter is a form of social
Media, so social interaction is key. It’s not all about
you. Whenever an opportunity arises to answer a question,
participate in a survey, or help solve a problem, do so.
In this way you’re participating in the community. This
also will help your brand and image when others know
they can count on you for support or feedback.
4) Don’t Be A Follow CopyCat: Don’t follow everyone who
follows you. This is probably my biggest pet peeve when
it comes to Twitter. So many people turn this feature on
to auto follow those who follow them. Why would you
want to do this? I’d prefer that those I follow are
people and topics I’ve hand-selected that interest me,
and not a mish-mash of followers who may be ranting
about things I have no interest in. Be selective in
who you follow or your Twitter stream could quickly
fill up with junk or spam. For quality people to
follow, see – http://followontwitterlists.com/
5) What to Tweet: Make sure that the tweets you post
are helpful and/or informative. Late breaking news
pertaining to your industry, as well as any specials or sales
you may have going on are always good topics. If you
find something you think your followers would like,
especially if it’s free or a bargain, share the love.
Plus, if your tweets are good, it will encourage others
to retweet them. For ideas see -
http://www.artbizblog.com/2009/07/what-to-tweet.html
6) Comment: Particpate in the community by commenting
on other people’s tweets. If you can answer a question,
do so. It never hurts and people really will appreciate
it when you take the time to comment on what they have
to say. It lets them know that others are actually
listening to what they have to say in the “Twitterverse”.
7) Say Thank You: When someone takes the time to retweet
one of your tweets, make sure to reply to them with a
“thank you”. Manners rule online as well as off, and
they’ll like the fact that you noticed the retweet
and took the time to show some gratitude. It may even
inspire them to retweet more of your tweets in the
future.
Be Personal: Again, I don’t need to know what you
ate for dinner, but every now and then you should show
your human side with a creative thought, quote, or
other statement. Let people know you’re “real” and
not just a lean mean business machine. You want to
tread lightly in this area. Too personal is overkill,
but a little can help in establishing a connection with
your followers.
9) Post Pictures/Video: Remember, Twitter is not just
for text. It’s easy to post short videos, and pictures
too. It’s nice to mix it up a little and share content
in other formats as well. Here are some resources
http://freenuts.com/video-sharing-websites-for-twitter/
10) Talk About More Than Yourself: It’s not all about
you, so please don’t make all your tweets one big marketing
message, such as only tweeting about your latest press
release, blog posting, or article that was published. No one
will want to follow you if you’re one big commercial. Yes,
some of this is fine in moderation, but you need to walk
a fine line and mix it up with other helpful, interesting
topics.
Now it’s time to start putting these tips into action.
Social media is all about participating and listening
to what others have to say. It’s all about creating and
sharing information and becoming part of the community.
If you approach Twitter in this fashion, you’ll not
only have a lot more fun, but your followers will like
and respect you – and if that doesn’t strengthen your
brand, nothing will.
10 Business Blogging Tips to Improve Your Blog Performance
posted by Luigi_M_Scollo @ 8:00 AM
Sunday, August 1, 2010
10 Business Blogging Tips to Improve Your Blog Performance
Business blogging is a different kettle of fish to blogging for
money and that, in turn, is entirely different to blogging
socially. The type of blog you manage will determine the voice,
design, and style of your blog as well as the efforts you’re
likely to put into promoting it.
A business blog needs to be professional as well as appear it.
Regular posting on topics that your readers will genuinely find
interesting can promote you as an expert in your field. A blog
can keep the line of communication between you and potential
customers open. It enables you to post relevant, keyword rich
postings that encourage new traffic and help increase your
client base.
It’s far from an exhaustive list but below are ten tips to
remember when blogging for business:
1 – Set Your Goals Early
In just about every guide you ever read it says “set your
goals”; it might be a clich� but it’s true. With a business blog
your most likely goal is to increase sales but other worthy
goals can include:
o Communicating with your existing or potential clients
o Relaying company news
o Answering queries and questions
o Providing guides for current customers
o Providing a portal to everything useful related to your
industry
The design of your site, type of content to include, whether or
not to include ads, and numerous other decisions will be
governed by the reason that you start blogging. The sooner you
realize what it is that you want to achieve, the sooner you’ll
achieve it.
2 – Use SEO Friendly URLs and SEO Plugins
WordPress is an invaluable SEO tool. It is a dedicated Content
Management System but, more than that, it has a team of
frighteningly dedicated users that create themes, plugins,
widgets, and more and then provide them free of charge to
other users. Among these tools are a great number of SEO related
tools that can be used to determine your meta description and
title tags.
A simple but potentially effective SEO fix is to change the
format of permalinks or URLs so that they dispense with the
default page id to be replaced with an easier to read and
keyword optimized page URL. You can do this through the
Wordpress dashboard.
3 – Consider Your Media Placement
Adding photos and illustrations, logos, videos, and other forms
of media are great for reader engagement, but you should consider
each of your blog assets and place the most valuable and useful
in the most prominent position. The quicker you can grab a
reader’s attention, the more likely you will be to keep it for
longer.
Certain themes allow you to easily embed video and slideshows
into the sidebar of your blog and this can be a very useful tool
to make your pages appear more attractive while relaying
genuinely useful information.
4 – Consider Your Ad Placement
The primary target of a business blog is not usually to make
money directly through the blog itself. Therefore, the placing
of third party ads is not necessarily a good choice. However,
you can add ads for your own company or service as well as
partner websites. You can even add banners to specific
categories, tags, or pages in your blog. Don’t overdo the number
of banner ads and other distracting advertisements though and
try to keep the interface clean and professional.
5 – Offer Your Readers the Chance to Pass You Around
Add me, share this, retweet, and email this functions should be
provided to your users. When you post something useful and one
of your readers shares it, it has the potential to go viral and
create a lot of exposure for your blog and therefore your
website and your business. This works especially well with
highly unique content and can be text, audio, video…
Some themes have these functionalities built into them, but do
ensure that they’re enabled. Alternatively find a sidebar widget
or a social bookmarking plug-in that offers the same features
and install this. Many blog readers read a number of blogs
regularly and by enabling them to add you to social bookmarking
and social networking sites you may well develop a long term
relationship with them while also letting them inform others of
what you offer.
6 – Keep Quality Content Coming
Try to set yourself a regular schedule but remember that it can
be broken and it can be added to when necessary. If news breaks,
then post your own commentary on it. If you intersperse product
reviews and articles that relate to your own business then try
to schedule these. Make sure you post regularly, at the very
least once a week, and spend some time getting involved in the
community that builds up around your blog.
7 – Not Every Post Need Be an Advert
As long as you fill your blog with relevant, interesting, and
well written posts then visitors will take the time to look
around, read a few posts, and even click the ads to your own
site in order to see exactly what you have to offer. Not every
single post needs to include multiple links to your website
pages.
You can download plugins that increase the likelihood of users
reading more posts. Some add a list of related posts to the
bottom of each entry while many themes provide the chance to
show “most popular” and “most commented” posts to further direct
the flow of traffic around your blog.
8 – Respond Where Responses are Expected or Deserved
Managing a blog is more than posting a missive of the week’s
news every Friday. No matter how often you post you should spend
some time interacting with the community that develops around
your blog. Answer questions and queries, offer insight, and
provide a response where one is requested.
A business blog should always be professional, which means
keeping posts and messages that are too personal away.
Similarly, spam comments can prove extremely damaging for your
SEO as well as the trust your readers place in your business.
There’s decent spam settings in WordPress and you can further
extend these.
9 – Stuck for Inspiration? Immerse Yourself in Web 2.0
More specifically read forums and blogs, wikis and news sites
related to your own industry. Look for those news stories,
articles, and videos that you like the most and are relevant to
your blog and write about them. Read the comments in your own
blog and look through your analytics to determine the pages that
are most popular with readers.
Look at emerging keywords and news topics and try to act
quickly. Slant the resulting article in favor of your business,
if possible, and then post this to your blog too. There’s plenty
of online portals and sites for news in your industry and you
can use email updates, RSS readers, and browser or home page
plugins to display them regularly and in an orderly and
comprehensible way.
10 – Blogging is Great for Business But Business is Also Great
for Business
Getting stuck into a blog and truly developing your blog
community can be a great way to build traffic to your website
and develop clients for your business. Reading related blogs and
becoming an active member in social networks can help you find
out what your readers want and deliver it frequently.
Blogging and Web 2.0 in general can quickly become addictive. It
should be treated as a tool to assist in managing your online
business, which means that you need to concentrate on the other
aspects of your business. Outsource your blog development and
content creation if necessary and enjoy the results.
SEO Tips to Double Rankings, Traffic and Conversion
posted by Luigi_M_Scollo @ 8:00 AM
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
SEO Tips to Double Rankings, Traffic and Conversion
The only thing better than one search result in the top 3
positions in Google is two search results from a double ranking.
This SEO tip works by pushing a competitor off the first page,
broadening your websites keyword funnel and thereby doubling
traffic and conversions.
Two Results are Better than One
I read somewhere that 87% of search engine traffic for a given
keyword is allocated from occupying the Number 1 position in the
search engine results page. If you understand SEO, then this
post will share a quick method to double your SERP positions and
to improve the likelihood of keyword conversions – once you have
reached the Mecca for a specific search term.
SEO is predicated on one simple premise, rankings; in order for
SEO to be effective, it must produce ranking on the first page
in search engines.
Not only is this the crowning achievement of search engine
optimization, but once you achieve a top 10 position, then you
can pull other keywords into the spotlight as a result of
strategic linking. We often refer to this as the buddy system
for lateral linking.
Search engine algorithms pay particular attention to individual
pages capable of offsetting all of the other inconsistencies of
a competitor’s web pages and deem one page worthy above all
others for any given search term.
Obviously the metrics are unique for each market, keyword or
niche, but the reality is the same, once a top 3 or more
importantly Number 1 or Number 1, 2 and 3 positions are present
in Google. I have mentioned before, the fastest way to get a top
10 position in Google is to get a link from a website already
ranking in the top 10 for that keyword.
It does not matter if that link is provided from your own
website or another website, rankings are by the page and there
is a daisy-chain effect of linking pages together that fuses the
pages through a dynamic give and take relationship (based on
citation). This citation can provide the algorithmic equivalents
of trust needed for the newly linked page to jump in line past
others duking it out for that keyword.
Depending on the competitiveness of the keyword or key phrase
and the thresholds inherent to the barrier to entry; the time
required to initiate a campaign, create all of the necessary
content, inbound links and citation from other web 2.0
properties, RSS feeds and social bookmarking sites divided by
the amount of time you invest managing or outsourcing the
various components involved determine your profitability and
return on investment.
With this in mind, from a tactical perspective, it’s better to
leverage the SERP positioning you already have than to look
outside of your own website for off page ranking factors. If
you understand the power of a Number 1 position, then you can
replicate this next simple SEO tip.
Identify all current Number 1 positions in Google for keywords.
Validate they still exist.
Use Keyword Research to find “related keywords” based on the
Number 1 ranking Link from the page that ranks to a new page
(using similar anchor text or overlapping keywords to promote
the new page).
Let the new page get indexed, then check the SERPs.
Identify: My favorite tool for this is SEMRush, but if you
don’t want to use this, there are other programs out there, or
even Google webmaster tools can show you your website’s top
ranking SERP positions when you log in.
Either way, this is your base, so, identify the keywords which
could represent hub status for your SEO campaign and pass along
the power of ranking to other pages in your website.
Validate: Check to see if you still hold the Number 1 position,
even a top 3 will do, but this tactic works better if you are at
the helm of a particular search phrase.
Keyword Research: You should be able to gauge whether or not the
keyword is profitable for you based on the frequency of hits and
the type of traffic you garner as a result. You can always look
through Google Analytics or whichever analytics package you have
to assess the keywords that represent the highest percentage of
traffic to your website.
Once you know what those keywords are, then use keyword research
to find stemmed semantic variations that also fall under the
same category or keyword cluster. Those related keywords will
become the new focal point for step 4 – linking.
Linking: The closer the shingles (groups of keywords) the more
effective this technique is. You can call this padding the
search results (if you use similar exact match titles, tags or
content), or you can pass this ranking factor along to help
synonymous terms.
Simply go back and edit the page ranking in the Number 1
position and add a link to the new target page (with the
keyword you intend the target page to rank for as the anchor
text). Then, the authority from the page in the Number 1
position will group the new page under its umbrella and pull
that page into the spotlight.
When the new page gets crawled and the old page reveals the
connectivity between the two, typically a double SERP position
occurs or a double position accompanied by jump links,
breadcrumbs or the [+] with additional search results for that
keyword appear in Google to showcase the degree of relevance
your website has for the said term.
You can then build additional deep links from other sites or
addition internal links to the newly dubbed page. As a result,
you should see buoyancy for other pages for multiple keyword
variations related to the parent keyword cluster.
With this simple tip you can double your conversions by
increasing your website’s semantic array of keywords. Obviously
you will know which keywords and traffic is most lucrative for
your business model, but this technique is priceless for
creating controlled keyword stemming if you understand the
implications underlying its premise.
7 Tricks to Get a Goooooooooooogle of Links
posted by Luigi_M_Scollo @ 8:00 AM
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
SEO is a race. And in any race learning from your competitors makes you a better runner. Even when you’re running first it’s sometimes good to look back and check the runner-ups. And if you’re not the yellow jersey guy, you absolutely should examine the leaders: their gear, their training, their strategy. In SEO the most interesting thing about your competition are their links.
Whether you like it or not SEO is still pretty much about links. Good link profile can make up for almost any lack of optimized content and other onpage flaws. Love or hate, the best thing you can do about it is embrace the fact and run with it.
So let’s go through some tricks that will enable you to look deeper into your competition’s link profile granting you access to the restricted areas: their locker room, dirty laundry and even the briefing hall where they plan their link building strategies.
Let’s Talk Competitive Link Research
Finding out where your competitors’ links come from is not all that hard. You just go to Yahoo! or Google and type in link:www.your-competitor.com to get a list of inbound links to the site.
Yahoo’s much better in that respect as it tends to give more extensive and accurate data. The problem here is that there’s a limit of 1,000 links per website which is often not enough as the fattest link sources get left behind the limit fence. Here’re some tips to break through to the other side.
Note: If you’re lazy like me skip to the end of the article where I’ll share a tool that does it all much quicker.
Trick 1: Search for Links to Particular Web Pages of a Competing Site
Alongside with link:www.your-competitor.com search for
link:www.your-competitor.com/products.html or
link:www.your-competitor.com/services.html
and so on.
Trick 2: Exclude Internal Links
You may examine the internal linking structure of your competition if you want to gain some insight on their navigation and marketing steps. But as we want to find more external links, let’s exclude the internal ones.
You can do this by adding -site:site.com operator to your search query. Type in:
link:http://www.your-competitor.com -site:your-competitor.com or
linkdomain:www.your-competitor.com -site:your-competitor.com
and you’ll get a list of external backlinks only.
There’s a dropdown option in Yahoo! site explorer that does the same.
Trick 3: Exclude Links Coming from Certain Domains
The -site: modifier lets you exclude links coming from specific sites. So, whenever you see a large chunk of links coming from the same domain add -site:thisdomain.com modifier to your query and the links from this site will get replaced with new ones.
You can add -site: multiple times in one query so that you have something like this:
link:http://www.cnn.com -site:cnn.com -site:en.wikipedia.org
Trick 4: Check Links Coming from Certain TLDs
This is a little known trick. The site: modifier actually lets you get a list of links coming from domains with certain TLDs: .com, .org, .edu, .co.uk and so on. Just type in
link:http://www.your-competitor.com site:.gov or
linkdomain:www.your-competitor.com site:.gov
and you’ll get a list of .gov sites linking to your rival.
Note: Do this in Yahoo! regular search, not site explorer
Trick 5: Exclude Links Coming from Certain TLDs
This is an even lesser known trick. You can exclude certain TLDs from the results with the -site:.tld modifier. Usually the biggest chunk of links comes from .com’s so add a -site.com modifier and you’ll get lots of new link data.
Trick 6: Use Different Combinations of the First 5 Tricks
Try link:http://www.your-competitor.com/page.html -site:your-competitor.com -site:.com
Or link:http://www.your-competitor.com site:.org -site:wikipedia.org
Give it a thought and I’m sure you’ll come up with lots of ideas. Feel free to share your findings in the comments.
Trick 7: Use the Above 6 Tricks in Different Search Engines
Don’t limit your searches to Yahoo! and Google, go to AltaVista, Alexa, (Bing doesn’t give you link data, so forget about it) but then there’re Exalead, Excite and tons of regional search engines. Search them, get rid of the the duplicates and you’ll have a goooooooooooooooogol of competitor’s links to study.
Note: Some search engines have a different set of operators so you’ll need to type domain: instead of link:.
Getting It All Done Fast
This sure seems like a lot of work and it is. Moreover, getting the links list is only the beginning and the easy part of competitive link research. Once you get the list you need to analyze each link, weed out poor quality sites and only leave the ones you can get a link from. Now THAT’s a lot of work.
I’m too lazy to do this all by hand, besides I value my time too much to waste it on such kind of work. That’s why I use SEO SpyGlass an advanced link analysis tool that employs all the tricks described in this article (plus some more advanced ones I don’t even know) to get up to 25,000 links per domain, which is much, much more than any other tool can get.
SEO SpyGlass also finds all the data I need to analyze the links:
• Google PR of the domain and linking page
• The URL and title of the linking page
• The anchor text and description
• Whether the link is still on the page (sometimes the link gets removed but search engines will
think it’s there till they reindex the page).
• Whether the link is no-follow or dofollow
• How many other links are on the page
• How much link value the link passes
• And some other data like TLDs, domain age, country, etc.
If you want to do competitive link research seriously, I’d strongly recommend trying SEO SpyGlass out. And of course you can always use my tricks whenever you want to run a quick background check on that new guy on your block.
10 Best Strategies to Massively Increase Your Visibility Online
posted by Luigi_M_Scollo @ 8:00 AM
Monday, March 22, 2010
Increasing online visibility is the goal of most online business owners. After all, without visibility, you have no traffic and thus no business. However, when you start to research how to improve your online visibility, you discover many options, but find that there is little time for research and implementation. Where does an online entrepreneur turn first to get the visibility (and traffic) to promote an online venture?
New tricks and gimmicks come out every day, but unfortunately, most of them are like so many recording artists and become one-hit wonders. In my business, I’ve discovered that there are a handful that are able to stand the test of time. Some have been around for as long as websites have been around, while others are newer kids on the block. Here are my 10 most effective strategies to massively boost your visibility online:
1. Press releases. Press releases are a well-known marketing strategy that have worked for years with print and broadcast media. In recent years they have found new life as an online visibility tool. Just like in the old days, your release should carry some newsworthy angle that has been optimized with a select few keywords by which you want your business to be found. Don’t waste your time submitting your release to the free press release sites — the release simply sits on the site and goes no where else. Instead, invest in a fee-based service (I prefer PRWeb.com), which will ensure your release gets the recognition it deserves.
2. Social Networking. A “johnny come lately” to the online visibility scene, social networking now ranks near the top in terms of attracting visibility to your business for a very low cost. If you don’t yet have accounts on the two most popular social networking platforms, Facebook and Twitter, today is the day to hop on board and begin to network. Choose 1-2 social networking platforms where your target market hangs out, and then begin to work it by making connections, joining groups or networks, sharing resources, and asking questions. Dedicate 15-30 minutes each day to your effort to begin to see results.
3. Article Marketing. Writing and submittíng articles to major article directories has definitely stood the test of time for online visibility. Article marketing will drive traffic to your site, establish you as an expert in your target market’s eyes, and give you valuable content to repurpose into information products. For maximum effectiveness, your article needs to contain a strong resource box (author’s bio) that drives traffic back to your site, needs to contain useful content that solves a problem of your target market, and be written in a tips-based fashion, like this one, since it is the easiest format for a website visitor to read and digest.
4. Blogging. Business blogs (a web log or journal), have gained popularity over the last few years as an online visibility tool. Blogs use RSS feed technology to immediately get new posts and updates out to your blog subscribers through a feed reader. Unlike ezines or traditional websites, search engines index blog posts almost immediately, which help you generate traffic to your website. To use effectively as an online visibility tool, you need to post 2-3 times per week to keep your readers interested and coming back.
5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Optimizing your site or your blog for organic (naturally-occurring) searches has been around from the beginning of Internet marketing. Use a keyword research tool and create a listing of keywords applicable to your business. Don’t forget to add things like “how to”, “tips”, or short descriptions of your target market’s problems to your research. Then, take a look at your page titles, page descriptions, page headlines, and formatted text on a page (bolding, italicizing, underlining) and include your keywords in those areas, as well as sprinkling 1-2 keywords throughout the content of your page. Make the SEO appear to be natural, not forced, and the search engines as well as your visitors will love you.
6. Email Newsletter (Ezine). Regular publication of an email newsletter (weekly is most effective) will enable your prospects to get to know, like and trust you and have you be top of mind when they are ready to solve the pressing problems that fall within your line of expertise. If you make opting into your ezine the primary call to action on your website, you continually build your list with prospective customers. Best of all, if they like what you write, they are more likely to pass along the issue to their contacts, thus increasing your visibility yet again.
7. Signature Teleseminar/Speech. Have you created your signature speech or teleseminar that you can present whenever you’re asked to speak to any type of group (face-to-face or virtual)? If not, design a signature speech or teleseminar that demonstrates your knowledge and expertise without giving away the store (focus on the what and the why but not the how) that compels your listeners to visit your website or request your client attraction device and get on your líst.
Then, begin to research groups that contain your target market both in your geographic area and online. Once you’ve landed a speaking gig, strategize your best call to action for the group — do you want participants to sign up for your ezine, purchase a product, or book a consultation? Add that call to action to your presentation.
8. Videos. With the popularity of broadband Internet connections, it’s much easier for almost anyone to view online video these days. And, with high-quality yet low-cost web cams, video cameras, and screen capture software readily available, anyone can make a video today. You might record a live Q&A session on UStream.com and post it on your site. Or, perhaps you want to record a “how to” tutorial using screenshots from your computer and upload that to your YouTube.com channel. Remember to include your call to action in your video so that you drive traffic back to your site. Just think — your video may cause you to become the next YouTube star!
9. Expert question sites. Most people conduct online searches to find free information that answers their questions. Many online entrepreneurs are registering as experts on an expert or answers site, like Yahoo Answers or AllExperts.com, in an effort to get visibility online. To be an effective expert on these sites, you need to seek out questions that you can knowledgeably answer as an expert. Your answer needs to be very detailed and as specific as possible. The more thorough your answer, the better chance you’ll have of getting chosen as the “favorite” answer, which is the one rated highest on the site and in the search engines.
10. Viral marketing. Viral marketing involves creating a marketing piece (ebook, video, software) that gets passed along free of charge from person to person. Publicity Hound Joan Stewart does this quite effectively each year when she compiles the best tips she’s written about in the previous year in a “best of” ebook compilation that she gives away free of charge on her site. She also encourages her líst and website visitors to “regift” it.
You’ve got two options when you try to get online visibility: the “steady and effective over time” method or the “quick and short and probably get banned” method. I prefer to use methods that have stood the test of time and won’t result in my site being removed from the search engines. Use one or more of these time-honored strategies to get you the visibility you deserve online.
Ten Top Tips for Video Marketing Your Online Business
posted by Luigi_M_Scollo @ 8:00 AM
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Nearly all internet marketing professionals use video as one of the core methods for marketing their business. These ten tips aim to help you get started creating short, attractive, effective videos based on solid keywords that convert and that stand the test of time.
Video grabs people’s attention far more quickly and effectively than text, audio or photographs. Making a short video can capture a thousand words and pictures and helps to get across your personal brand and lifestyle.
It’s important to stand out in the crowd on video channels and search engines. Aim your headlines at capturing the imagination regarding your topic. So don’t be dull – test out curiosity, shock or fun tactics for getting those download clícks.
First of all, get set up.
When you’re starting out, it’s ok to just use your webcam. It will give you the chance to practice while you’re honing your presentation skills before you fork out for a camcorder. When you’re ready, you can purchase an inexpensive digital video recorder, like say the Flip and a tripod.
Make sure you take your videos in well-lit conditions. Inside your office you’ll need decent lighting, or you can whip out your camera when you’re out and about. It makes for a much more interesting back drop.
OK. So now let’s go through each of my TOP 10 TIPS for creating and using videos to market your business.
#1: Keep Your Videos Short
Whether you’re loading videos on YouTube or just putting them up on your website or blog, it’s really important to keep to just 5 or 6 minutes.
If needed, you can of course break longer topics up into a series of smaller videos, which you could market as a series (see tip 10).
#2: Post Videos on Your Sales PagesM
You can use video on your sales page to introduce the main benefits of your product or business opportuníty. How about placing a video on your sales page or sign up pages.
This helps to orientate visitors and to highlight the main points of your regular, written sales letter.
#3: Choose Your Keywords Carefully
This is really an important tip, because it will affect how your video gets picked up by the search engines and other internet ‘bots’ that seek out content.
Research your top keyword phrases. Pick keywords that will attract the right kind of traffic and leads – research like crazy to find out what your prospects are looking for – and be sure to include your keywords in headings and tags and description boxes.
Doing this research and tracking clíck thrus (CTR) and conversions will help you secure your most cost-effective keywords and keyword phrases.
#4: Have a Clear Purpose & Structure
Your keywords will help make sure you target your video on the right purpose before you start. Does your video answer the questions your visitors have in their heads when they’re searching for solutions. Make things crystal clear.
Stay on topic and give added value – unique value if possible – and your videos will convert much better for you. Write down a structure – a set of headings – for what you’re going to cover. Have a script if necessary.
You can mention any links that you have to another video specifically on that related topic.
#5: Look at the Camera
The aim here is to connect with your audience, both in the topic you choose and the content as well as in your communication style. Remember you are talking to people – real live people. What are their needs and wants, hopes and fears.
With regards to presentation, stick your líst of headings right next to the camera so you stay looking in the camera at all times, rather than looking away at a screen or down at your notes.
An authentic and honest video is far more valuable than a glossy TV like broadcast. So don’t worry if you’re not up to TV presenter standards. Just be yourself and enjoy the opportuníty to reach out to people in a different way than using text copy.
#6: Create a Clear Call to Action
You should create one very clear service and call to action. It’s very important that people know exactly what to do as a result of watching your video.
What is your most wanted response (MWR)? Don’t confuse visitors with lots of options and different offers. Focus on the single most wanted response.
Alternatively, you can put your video up next to a sign up box – linked to your emaíl marketing – and clearly ask them to opt ín, more than once. Provide an incentive, such as a free report or further video coaching resources.
#7: Encourage Comments on Your Video
One of the best things about video is that it’s a very personal, social medium. The more people that are talking about your video and passing it on, the more buzz you’ll create.
Visitors may return to your page to see who has commented since their last comment. There may accumulate a whole líst of tips that have been created by your niche community, prompted by your initial video post.
10 Tips to Grow Your Business Using Online Video
posted by Luigi_M_Scollo @ 10:15 AM
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Lacking any information to the contrary, many businesses still think that all they need to do to get new clients is to put their name and face in the Yellow Pages or online social directories, get some professional looking business cards, a website and Voila! It’s the old adage “build it and they will come”.
Trouble is, that’s what their competitors are doing also and in this day and age, it’s just not enough.
Does Your Business Stand Out Online?
Most advertising on the Web follows a time-honored format, although some might call it a time-worn format as it does little to differentiate itself. You can bet that a high percentage of this advertising will be ignored and the money spent on it will be wasted.
So how does a company stand out from the crowd online?
Thanks to an oversupply of similar text, claims, and presentation – coupled with a short 21st century attention span – your website has less than ten seconds to move a visitor to action. If it doesn’t, that visitor will click away to another site, and then another. Therefore, it’s critical that you find a way to break through the noise your competitors are making. But even that’s not enough.
Statistics show that even the best-looking websites generate conversion rates of under one percent, so for every 100 visitors you do manage to get, less than one will call or email you.
Sound bleak? Thinking of redirecting more of your advertising budget back to the Yellow Pages? Don’t. You’re on the right track – you just haven’t leveraged all the power available to you online.
One-to-Many Communication. One-on-One Feel.
Most websites are little more than electronic versions of Yellow Page advertising. For the most part, they don’t encourage interaction beyond the obligatory “Contact me for more information” plea. These sites don’t encourage trust any more than their print counterparts. They don’t give visitors the warm-and-fuzzy feeling that a face-to-face meeting would.
But they can.
Searching for a local service provider online can be a daunting prospect, but even more daunting than the search is deciding which provider to use once you get to the page, especially since most websites promise the standard good service, competitive pricing and high quality.
So how does a business differentiate itself from the sea of competition? Web video makes this possible on a grand scale.
Thanks to rapidly improving technology, it’s easier than ever to add that warm-and-fuzzy, face-to-face element to your site, replicate an in-person interview, and offer your visitors an opportunity to check you out before picking up the phone. With Web video, you can present an interview that addresses all the questions and concerns of potential clients. You can keep them on your site longer and give them insight into the “business behind the business.” In a way that wasn’t possible even a few years ago, business owners can now speak directly to their audiences and showcase their personalities and areas of expertise. This is especially helpful if you are a professional service provider.
Any business that relies on conveying trust-ability will benefit from this type of web marketing. Really, it’s one-to-many communication with a one-on-one feel. It’s the perfect ice breaker and an efficient means of generating the interest and trust needed to compel potential clients to make an appointment and do business.
A high-quality Web interview placed strategically on your site is a huge timesaver for you and prospective clients because you reach a wide audience in minimal time. Potential clients get the information they need to pre-qualify – and pre-sell – themselves before they call.
Online video delivers some of the best ROI of any advertising medium today and if set up properly, is actually ranks higher than text now by the major search engines like Google. Short of spending valuable face time with a potential client (often times a poorly qualified potential client) there is simply no better way to forge a personal connection with them. With that in mind, here are 10 tips to help you get the most of your online video marketing efforts.
10 Tips for making the most of Online Video
1. Make sure your video is professionally done.
This is an absolute must. The whole point here is to establish credibility and trust, but you’ll do the opposite with a poorly executed and produced video. Yes, many of the videos you find on sharing sites are mediocre at best, but that is changing rapidly as companies begin to see the value of promoting themselves in this manner. In fact, a recent Permission TV survey found that 67% of 400 hundred top executives intended to focus their online marketing efforts on video in 2009. The rush is coming – find a personable, engaging interviewer and a top notch production crew to really stand out.
2. Submit your video to as many outlets as possible.
While YouTube is the clear leader here, there are many other video sharing sites worthy of consideration. Here are some others you won’t want to pass up:
• Google Video, http://video.google.com
• Yahoo! Video, http://video.yahoo.com
• Daily Motion, http://www.dailymotion.com
• MySpaceTV, http://vids.myspace.com
• MetaCafe, http://www.metacafe.com
• Revver, http://www.revver.com
• Veoh, http://www.veoh.com
• Blinkx, http://www.blinkx.com
• Break, http://www.break.com
3. Embed your video on the front page of your site.
Don’t hide what’s going to become one of your most effective selling tools on a dusty inside page. Get it out front. Customers and search engines will love you for it.
4. Find out what search terms your potential clients are using and put them in your video’s title.
If you don’t know what words clients in need of your services are typing into Google and other search engines, get professional help or use some of the resources featured on this page. Once you’ve identified these terms, use the most popular in your video’s title.
5. Make your tags and descriptions SEO-friendly, too.
Most video sharing sites let you tag videos with keywords and post a short description, so get the most out of these by sprinkling in the search terms you’ve identified.
6. Don’t forget your thumbnail.
A thumbnail is a still shot from your video that appears along with search results. Don’t waste this opportunity to present yourself in the best light possible – choose a key moment from your video, preferably one where you’re smiling as you speak with your interviewer.
7. Link back to your site.
Put your URL near the top of your video’s description. You’ll get a higher search ranking and potential clients will quickly learn where to go for more information.
8. Interact with your viewers.
Most video sharing sites allow viewer comments. Use this opportunity to answer questions, respond to comments, and further promote your business.
9. Consider a pay-per-click campaign.
Natural search engine optimization, while effective, takes time to bear fruit. In the meantime, you might want to jump start the process with a pay-per-click campaign that gives you a sponsored search listing. You can learn more about PPC advertising at www.google.com/intl/en/ads, sem.smallbusiness.yahoo.com/searchenginemarketing, and http://advertising.microsoft.com/search-advertising.
10. Add new content often.
Search engines look for it and so do potential clients. Keep your content fresh and up-to-date and keep visitors coming back for more.
With an ever-increasing stream of competition, it’s more important than ever to stand out from the crowd. These days standing out means maximizing your online presence and leveraging the technology to present the unique advantages of you and your firm. There’s no better way for a growth-oriented business to build a solid and secure future than by using effective and affordable online video.
Use these free resources to get a handle on the terms that potential clients are using to search for you right now.
Wordtracker, http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com
Google AdWords, http://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
Keyword Discovery, http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/search.html
KwMap, http://www.kwmap.net
Google Trends, htttp://www.google.com/trends
10 Tips to Grow Your Business Using Online Video
posted by Luigi_M_Scollo @ 1:23 PM
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
10 Tips to Grow Your Business Using Online Video
By Diana D’Itri (c) 2010
Lacking any information to the contrary, many businesses still
think that all they need to do to get new clients is to put
their name and face in the Yellow Pages or online social
directories, get some professional looking business cards, a
website and Voila! It’s the old adage “build it and they will
come”.
Trouble is, that’s what their competitors are doing also and in
this day and age, it’s just not enough.
Does Your Business Stand Out Online?
Most advertising on the Web follows a time-honored format,
although some might call it a time-worn format as it does little
to differentiate itself. You can bet that a high percentage of
this advertising will be ignored and the money spent on it will
be wasted.
So how does a company stand out from the crowd online?
Thanks to an oversupply of similar text, claims, and
presentation – coupled with a short 21st century attention span
- your website has less than ten seconds to move a visitor to
action. If it doesn’t, that visitor will click away to another
site, and then another. Therefore, it’s critical that you find a
way to break through the noise your competitors are making. But
even that’s not enough.
Statistics show that even the best-looking websites generate
conversion rates of under one percent, so for every 100 visitors
you do manage to get, less than one will call or email you.
Sound bleak? Thinking of redirecting more of your advertising
budget back to the Yellow Pages? Don’t. You’re on the right
track – you just haven’t leveraged all the power available to
you online.
One-to-Many Communication. On-on-One Feel.
Most websites are little more than electronic versions of Yellow
Page advertising. For the most part, they don’t encourage
interaction beyond the obligatory “Contact me for more
information” plea. These sites don’t encourage trust any more
than their print counterparts. They don’t give visitors the
warm-and-fuzzy feeling that a face-to-face meeting would.
But they can.
Searching for a local service provider online can be a daunting
prospect, but even more daunting than the search is deciding
which provider to use once you get to the page, especially since
most websites promise the standard good service, competitive
pricing and high quality.
So how does a business differentiate itself from the sea of
competition? Web video makes this possible on a grand scale.
Thanks to rapidly improving technology, it’s easier than ever to
add that warm-and-fuzzy, face-to-face element to your site,
replicate an in-person interview, and offer your visitors an
opportunity to check you out before picking up the phone. With
Web video, you can present an interview that addresses all the
questions and concerns of potential clients. You can keep them
on your site longer and give them insight into the “business
behind the business.” In a way that wasn’t possible even a few
years ago, business owners can now speak directly to their
audiences and showcase their personalities and areas of
expertise. This is especially helpful if you are a professional
service provider.
Any business that relies on conveying trust-ability will benefit
from this type of web marketing. Really, it’s one-to-many
communication with a one-on-one feel. It’s the perfect ice
breaker and an efficient means of generating the interest and
trust needed to compel potential clients to make an appointment
and do business.
A high-quality Web interview placed strategically on your site
is a huge timesaver for you and prospective clients because you
reach a wide audience in minimal time. Potential clients get the
information they need to pre-qualify – and pre-sell – themselves
before they call.
Online video delivers some of the best ROI of any advertising
medium today and if set up properly, actually ranks higher
than text now by the major search engines like Google. Short of
spending valuable face time with a potential client (often times
a poorly qualified potential client) there is simply no better
way to forge a personal connection with them. With that in mind,
here are 10 tips to help you get the most of your online video
marketing efforts.
10 Tips for Making the Most of Online Video
1. Make Sure Your Video is Professionally Done.
This is an absolute must. The whole point here is to establish
credibility and trust, but you’ll do the opposite with a poorly
executed and produced video. Yes, many of the videos you find on
sharing sites are mediocre at best, but that is changing rapidly
as companies begin to see the value of promoting themselves in
this manner. In fact, a recent Permission TV survey found that
67% of 400 hundred top executives intended to focus their online
marketing efforts on video in 2009. The rush is coming – find a
personable, engaging interviewer and a top notch production crew
to really stand out.
2. Submit Your Video to as Many Outlets as Possible.
While YouTube is the clear leader here, there are many other
video sharing sites worthy of consideration. Here are some
others you won’t want to pass up:
� Google Video: http://video.google.com
� Yahoo! Video: http://video.yahoo.com
� Daily Motion: http://www.dailymotion.com
� MySpaceTV: http://vids.myspace.com
� MetaCafe: http://www.metacafe.com
� Revver: http://www.revver.com
� Veoh: http://www.veoh.com
� Blinkx: http://www.blinkx.com
� Break: http://www.break.com
3. Embed Your Video on the Front Page of Your Site.
Don’t hide what’s going to become one of your most effective
selling tools on a dusty inside page. Get it out front.
Customers and search engines will love you for it.
4. Find Out What Search Terms Your Potential Clients are Using
and Put Them in Your Video’s Title.
If you don’t know what words clients in need of your services
are typing into Google and other search engines, get
professional help or use some of the resources featured on this
page. Once you’ve identified these terms, use the most popular
in your video’s title.
5. Make Your Tags and Descriptions SEO-friendly, too.
Most video sharing sites let you tag videos with keywords and
post a short description, so get the most out of these by
sprinkling in the search terms you’ve identified.
6. Don’t Forget Your Thumbnail.
A thumbnail is a still shot from your video that appears along
with search results. Don’t waste this opportunity to present
yourself in the best light possible – choose a key moment from
your video, preferably one where you’re smiling as you speak
with your interviewer.
7. Link Back to Your Site.
Put your URL near the top of your video’s description. You’ll
get a higher search ranking and potential clients will quickly
learn where to go for more information.
8. Interact With Your Viewers.
Most video sharing sites allow viewer comments. Use this
opportunity to answer questions, respond to comments, and
further promote your business.
9. Consider a Pay-Per-Click Campaign.
Natural search engine optimization, while effective, takes time
to bear fruit. In the meantime, you might want to jump start the
process with a pay-per-click campaign that gives you a sponsored
search listing. You can learn more about PPC advertising at:
http://www.google.com/intl/en/ads,
http://sem.smallbusiness.yahoo.com/searchenginemarketing, and
http://advertising.microsoft.com/search-advertising
10. Add New Content Often.
Search engines look for it and so do potential clients. Keep
your content fresh and up-to-date and keep visitors coming back
for more.
With an ever-increasing stream of competition, it’s more
important than ever to stand out from the crowd. These days
standing out means maximizing your online presence and
leveraging the technology to present the unique advantages of
you and your firm. There’s no better way for a growth-oriented
business to build a solid and secure future than by using
effective and affordable online video.
Use these free resources to get a handle on the terms that
potential clients are using to search for you right now.
Wordtracker: http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com
Google AdWords: http://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal
Keyword Discovery: http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/search.html
KwMap: http://www.kwmap.net
Google Trends: http://www.google.com/trends
Blog Flipping: 10 Important Factors When Selling Your Weblog Or Website
posted by Luigi_M_Scollo @ 8:59 AM
Thursday, April 23, 2009
By Chuck Crawford
blog flippingThe market for blogs has exploded. Many companies do not want to invest the time in developing a blog in their respective niche, which has given rise to a whole new cottage industry, blog flipping.
Blog flipping is done in a few different ways. Some flippers buy an existing blog that has potential, but is not currently producing. They take that blog
Four Simple SEO Tips for Good Search Engine Rankings
posted by Luigi_M_Scollo @ 11:12 AM
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Making simple changes to a website to improve search engine rankings and drive traffic is not as complicated as it sounds. This article details the factors that can be simply manipulated yet produce big improvements if implemented correctly.
They are worth bookmarking or printing so they can be used in the future as a checklist when creating new pages or reviewing your website.
10 Best Strategies to Massively Increase Your Visibility Online
posted by Luigi_M_Scollo @ 11:08 AM
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Increasing online visibility is the goal of most online business owners. After all, without visibility, you have no traffic and thus no business. However, when you start to research how to improve your online visibility, you discover many options, but find that there is little time for research and implementation. Where does an online entrepreneur turn first to get the visibility (and traffic) to promote an online venture?
New tricks and gimmicks come out every day, but unfortunately, most of them are like so many recording artists and become one-hit wonders. In my
Internet Marketing Tips for Small Businesses
posted by Luigi_M_Scollo @ 9:30 AM
Monday, February 9, 2009
In this economy, any marketing tool you can use to find new customers is worth considering. But perhaps the best marketing tool available to many small businesses is a yellow-pages-style web site. Such a site means prospective local customers looking for a business like yours know that you’re in business and ready for their patronage.
But a word or two of explanation… While the traffic statistics of the typical small business web site may not impress Google, eBay or Amazon.com, many small business web sites do generate significant numbers of prospects compared to the other marketing tools available. Commonly, for example,
9 Hot Tips to Increase Site Conversions
posted by Luigi_M_Scollo @ 8:35 AM
Thursday, February 5, 2009
“Site conversion” is a very dry and unexciting way of saying “how to get more profíts from the same amount of website traffic.” Isn’t that a more upbeat way of expressing it? Who doesn’t want to get more profíts from the same number of visitors?
Increasing your conversion rate is a straightforward, even dramatic way of positively impacting your bottom line. It really cannot be emphasized too
Proven Insider Tips to Get More Web Visitors Quickly and Easily
posted by Luigi_M_Scollo @ 8:27 AM
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Believe me, in spite of the current financial turmoil, there hasn’t ever been a better time to generate an online income stream!
And yet it seems that so many budding Internet marketers are finding it hard to break through VNB – the “Visitor Numbers Barrier.”
When I started, I thought there was some magic elixir or secret technique that would transform my visitor numbers! If only I could find THE ONE
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