Archive for October, 2011
Showing Up In Search Engines
October 30th, 2011 | 
Author: Showing Up In Search Engines
Search engines are one of the more commonly misunderstood tools vital to small business success. Once you’ve accepted that you actually do need a website and have gotten past the if you build it they will come stage you may find yourself wondering why your website doesn’t show up in the first page of results in a Google search. The most common reason is that people aren’t searching for you.
Are People Looking For You?
There may be several factors working against your website being number one in the Google top ten hits. What happens most often is that no one has determined what keywords or phrases your potential customers are using. If your customers are only searching for widgets and your website never mentions them using instead the term doodad then it’s not likely that your website will be found. There are so many websites out there at the time of this writing there are 130000000 results for the keyword widget that even slight variations in keywords and combinations can mean the difference between being included near the top of the search results and being buried. And let’s be blunt if your website doesn’t appear in the first few pages of results it might as well not be included at all. Most people don’t dig down to result number 129999999 just to buy a widget.
Understanding your target audience is key. If you know what they are likely to search for you will know what to include in your page titles paragraph headings and page text. Ideally you want pages on your website that refer to and contain information on what your customers are searching for. Your website should provide useful information while avoiding the spammier tricks like hiding lists of keywords at the bottom of a page set to the same text color as the page background color. Many search engines can pick up on this type of thing and will actually penalize your website as a result.
If you already survey your customers for marketing purposes you should add some questions that determine their online behavior. You could simply ask if you were to search for us online what keywords would you type?
Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?
Another common problem is a website that isn’t built to be search engine friendly. Search engines don’t care how your website looks or how professional your graphics or logo may be. Your website is evaluated based on a predetermined set of criteria and is compared to other websites. Ultimately search engines are attempting to provide searchers with what they are looking for.
In the early days of web design you could learn tricks to give your website a competitive advantage over other websites. However as search software becomes more intelligent honesty has truly become the best policy. If you build websites that people want to find they will be found. Instead of trying to learn tricks to stuff your website into the top rankings you should seek to create pages with a reason to be there and your search engine visibility will take care of itself.
You don’t necessarily need to hire an SEO Search Engine Optimization professional though an honest one can’t hurt your endeavor. Optimized is a relative word however when it comes to websites. You should ask optimized for what? It all depends on your targeted keywords. Whether you determine these yourself or are working with an SEO company make sure that your website developer or designer is aware of and understands your SEO goals.
Whether you actively work to optimize your website for a set of keywords or not make sure that none of the following are getting in the way of your website’s performance.
Common Website Mistakes That Affect Your Search Ranking
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Images used instead of text
Some designers will use images to display paragraphs of text or headings when they or their client want to make sure a particular font is displayed. However this makes the text invisible to search engines. When it comes to search engines text is king! If you absolutely have to use an image instead of text make sure to include alternate text in the HTML. -
Missing or inappropriate page titles
Page titles are often what a search engine will use to display a result so it may be the first thing your potential customer sees. Titles are also used very prominently in most search engine’s formulas to judge ranking. Each page of your website should have a unique descriptive and optimized page title. -
Lack of text organization
Text should be organized logically with headers and paragraphs. Not only does this make for easier reading but headers along with page titles pack a much larger punch when they use your keywords.
About the writer: Nathan Lyle is the owner of The U.P. Web Maestro a website design and development company located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula specializing in small business websites. More information can be found at www.upwebmaestro.com.
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Building Your Business With An Opt-in List
Building Your Business With An Opt-in List
Before revealing the secrets of the trades here are myths and fallacies that need to be cleared before one indulges into building an optin list. These marketing misconceptions could pose so much of an obstacle towards your profitting well from your business.
Not a lot of people use email
Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing methods nowadays simply because virtually almost all people use email. Check on those email fields or blanks required to be filled up on various forms needed in processing different transactions. A person without an email address is tantamount to a person without an online home which is one big shameful truth for this generation.
Email marketing campaigns can offend a lot of people
The notso secret way to surmount this dilemma is through permissionbased advertising. There’s no harm in trying after asking for permission.
It’s stupid to send email to all the people
The key to this predicament is to have a very discerning eye on who to email and who to not email. Better look for some metrics on how to know which group of people would give you high ROI or return on investment.
The Real Deal with Building Optin List
After clearing the fog regarding email marketing myths here’s how one can benefit from employing the power of email marketing campaigns building an optin list.
However building an optin list is not a piece of cake particularly for the uninitiated. Here is a roundown of tips on how to succeed in this kind of marketing endeavor.
1. Strategic Collection of Data
Know which information from your audiences will help you in lowering expenses and/or make sales flourish. Devise a tactic to make people voluntarily provide you with the information necessary to create higher conversion.
Overload of data is not good. Ask only for optin with their full name and email addresses. Make sure that the profiles that you gather are updated to aid in improving the relevance timeliness and satisfaction from each deal you make.
2. Good Implementation
Old adage says it all ‘action speaks louder than words’. This easily translates to the difficulty one has to undergo during the execution of his or her email marketing efforts. It’s a good thing that various methods often lowcost abound to hasten and facilitate the building up of one’s optin database.
Tracking your email marketing results can pose great hardship too. Technology and relevant sources should be employed in making this aspect of your marketing a lot manageable. Your high traffic groups of optins with the greatest result should be taken noted of.
The following are the most widely used methods to leverage channels without overspending:
1. Make use of websites.
It is an excellent tool for data collation and providing you with relevant info regarding your email offers. Use forms that solicit your visitor’s email address and consent.
2. Make use of print ads brochures TV radio and direct mail.
These are the more popular ways of marketing aiming to lead traffic to one’s site. You may want to ask for signups for email services. Make your website more visible through these media. Offering free electronic newsletters and or rewards program can do well in making it easy to win the nod of your audiences too.
3. Maximize your sales force.
Customer service associates can help a lot in making you benefit more from your email correspondence. Sales people with proper education on how to aid you in this endeavor can very well contribute to higher ROI. Techniques like offering account updates and special programs through email can easily land you those lists of valuable visitors.
4. Don’t make your point of sale pointless.
Forms for signup located at cash registers and other hightraffic and highly visible spots can be very excellent venues for your business to collect email addresses. Notification of upcoming sales through their email addresses and names can coax them to supply you with the information you need.
5. Conferences or trade shows can work too.
Giveaway offers or entries on sweepstakes are great for optin to volunteer their contact details.
These tactics should be applied with adequate caution and should focus on earning the trust of your optin list instead of simply collating data for your sole own benefit. Always make sure that the forms that you will use and other methods that you will employ will not necessitate too much fuss to subscribe. This is for people to not be annoyed during the process of data supplication.
With that bunch of information who can ever go wrong with the feat of building an optin list?
About the writer: My name is Elton I’m a Brasilian guy try to make some money in internet.
User Friendly Web Design
User Friendly Web Design
Companies that are developing or already have an online presence often find that the internet provides an efficient way to cut costs while offering convenience to their customers. But often overlooked in the zeal to have a great website is the end user experience. To be successful on the internet companies must focus on making the customer happy by providing a truly user friendly website.
A recent study was compiled by Vividence* based on a number of reliable sources. The study revealed several issues often confronted by website users that manage to frustrate and drive away potential customers and clients. Here are a few examples:
- Popup surveys that appear without selection at inopportune moments.
- Slick images animations and movies that load slowly cause computers to crash and deliver little useful information.
- Home pages cluttered with too much information.
- Flashy features that look good but only work for those with highspeed connections.
- Registration forms that request unnecessary personal information.
Because the web allows for a quick switch to competitor websites its important to weigh the risks and the benefits of using features and applications that may put a road block in the way for some users.
Putting the customer first by making a usercentered website can go far in impressing potential customers and leading clients to your lead generation form or into your office.
Here are some basic very simple ways to meet this goal.
First reduce clutter. Most home pages try to impart too much information thus inundating and overwhelming the user. If the user cannot figure out what specific value proposition or benefits the site has to offer they will quickly leave and go on to the next website.
Provide an easily traceable path through the website. This can be done by highlighting the location and subdirectories in the path to the users current location. For example: Home > Services> Printing. Cross categorizing information also gives a great advantage as the website visitor will be able to find relevant information in several ways instead of drilling down through a specific path.
Another suggestion is to provide buttons. The Vividence study found that users expect to find buttons that will facilitate tasks on the websites more so than an actual link within the text. Novice web users in particular are more prone to use a button over a text link which was found to be confusing.
When a site is new newly updated or will undoubtedly attract web novices it is helpful to provide brief instructions on the home page on how best to find information on the website including a search feature. The search feature should be tested to assure relevant results from the standpoint of the end user.
One way to find out how your website is performing in the eyes of your customers is to ask. By using a simple permission launched survey to find out how the site is being used if the information is found and provide feedback in the form of comments that can assist in developing the website to serve the customer.
As with any business listening to the customer is key to developing a website that works for you and for your customer.
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*2002 Vividence Corporation Dr. Bonny Brown Dr. Anthony Bastardi
This article written by Teajai Kimsey Interenet Marketing Strategist Ideas That Work
It may be reproduced and reprinted provided the author’s information including web link is kept intact.
About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Teajai “T J” Kimsey is an internet marketing strategist and the founder of Advanced Web Strategies Inc Beyond Web Design an internet advertising agency serving over 300 clients with a full range of online services including web development custom programming search engine marketing and all channels of online marketing and marketing integration.
She is recognized as a leader in internet marketing having been a featured expert on the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce website a featured contributor to the Wichita Independent Business Association newsletter and featured as the expert on 2 episodes of Minding Your Own Business a statewide television program.
Teajai has also taught as an adjunct at Wichita State University and Cowley County Community College. She has been featured in a number of articles and called upon as an expert on internet related topics in the Wichita Eagle and Wichita Business Journal.
Teajai holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Friends University 24 hours towards a Master of Science in Management and has recently begun the path to earning a Doctorate in Human Factors Psychology specializing in human computer interaction.
