There are several ways to get website traffic fast and free, and I am going to share ten niche ways with you.
Article Submission
You do not need to be an award winning expert on the topic you are writing about - just pick an area that is related to the theme of your website, do a bit of research using a search engine and before you know it you will have more knowledge on that subject than most. Write in a relaxed, straightforward way. And, of course, when you add your details at the end of your article, make certain that you include your web address as well.
URL Submission
This sounds so obvious, yet so many people overlook it. Website URL submission is about getting more links to your website to help your website get ranked high on major search engines, thus getting more visitor traffic by, well, submitting your website URL to the major search engines. You can buy or subscribe to software that will do this, but it is quite possible to get a good return by submitting manually.
Social Bookmarking
Social bookmarking is a way for internet users to store, classify, share, search and discover Internet resources that they find useful. Since social bookmarks are saved online, users are able to access them from anywhere - at home, at work or while traveling.
These lists can be accessible to the public by users of a specific network or website. What you need to do first is register with a social bookmarking site which allows you to store and tag bookmarks. Most social bookmarking services allow users to search for bookmarks which are associated with given "tags", and rank the resources by the number of users which have bookmarked them. This means that other visitors and members of social bookmarking sites can search for resources by topic, category, keyword, tags, or popularity to see what others have saved. As a user, social bookmarking sites let you find useful, informative resources through pages that have been tagged because others have found them to be valuable sources. Voila - more web traffic. Free.
Forum Posting
Forum posting is a hands down alternative to paid advertising methods. For just a few hours of work every week, you can capture batches of interested leads everyday. The more forums you contribute to, the more you will gain traffic. If you are an active forum poster, you will also get a good feel about the kind of products that are hot on the market.
Please do not overlook the forum signature or commonly called resource box - it is a powerful free advertising tool for you. What you must do is edit your forum signature. Basically, a curiosity inducing one-liner and a link to your website is great. Once you have edited and saved your signature, it will appear at the bottom of all your comments in the forum discussions. That means, the more you participate in the discussions in the forums, the more people see your semi-ad written on your signature. I promise, this will encourage people to visit your website, and hopefully buy from you.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate Marketing is one of the best ways to get the word out about your website and can be done with very little technical expertise and therefore is easy to start up. If you have a product or service you believe in, visit a site such as Clickbank and open an account. Follow the simple instructions to gain affiliates - and traffic.
Press Releases
It is a fact that a well-written Press Release can dramatically improve your sales, expose your company to the masses, and greatly enhance the image of your business or products. Publicity is the most cost-effective web traffic building marketing tool there is, and, surprisingly, web traffic can be generated by ink and paper!
Classified Ads
Again, it is easy to associate Classified Ads with yesterday's technology, but they are extremely cheap and a one line product or service description, together with your website, will pay dividends.
Blog Comments
If you are an avid blog follower, you have to include Blog Commenting in your web traffic arsenal. You will almost always find a "comments" link at the end of each post. Good blog commenters add to the discussion and are known as knowledgeable, informative, friendly and engaged. Join them!
FaceBook
Do not forget that you can use Facebook to its full potential to attract more visitors to your website. You can get away from just interacting with your school or college friends and start interacting with people within your industry or other industries that you want to get into.
An easy way to do this is to join groups that interest you as well as make friends with people that you want to get to know. Fill out your profile (fully) - the best profile on Facebook is a complete one.
Videos
Finally, why not make a video and post to video sites too! This is not a Warner Bros. effort! Your PC or Mac may well have a webcam, or you can borrow a camcorder or Flip. Write a brief script - lights- camera - action - and upload to YouTube. (Just remember to be sure to link it back to you.)
Well - there you are. Not all of the ten suggestions I have outlined may appeal, but if you select three or four, stick with them, and implement them on a regular basis, you will see your web traffic grow significantly. My best to you.
Source From SitePro News
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Marketing Methods That Work Online
Business owners are facing a harsh reality: A website in itself offers no assurance of business. "If you build, it they will come" is a cliche that has misled many into believing all a company needed was an online presence to succeed. However, without a strategic marketing plan and a tactical approach, you are more likely to fail than to reach your goals. Proper planning will not only improve your chances of success, but it will also keep you from throwing away money on e-commerce fiascos.
The first step of planning is to define your goals in light of the target market you aim to reach. As you classify your target, you should determine the core needs of that group and observe the buying behavior that occurs among your potential purchasers. Characterizing their purchasing habits enables you to position your business to appeal to your target market with compelling information before they buy from another resource.
Several online resources can help you place your business in the forefront of your target audience. The process, however, can be complex because a variety of online vehicles, if utilized properly, can help you yield the results you desire. Also, the key to successful marketing online is in developing a diverse marketing plan which takes advantage of several approaches to deliver your message. Components in your marketing plan should include such elements as search engine marketing, pay-per-performance, ad placement, joint ventures, targeted traffic, e-mail marketíng, media marketing, optimization and copywriting.
Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing has been one of the most highly visible forms of marketing online. With millions of businesses employing search engines to gather information daily, search engine placement for key terms has been a major business generator for companies who properly place themselves in the search engines under the right terms relevant to their market offering. An obstacle to being ranked at or near the top, however, is that thousands can be competing for the same position. And with the search engines changing their algorithms often, achieving placement on the first page for the terms relevant is extremely difficult without a solid working knowledge of and experience in the search engine marketing field. Consequently, one should not solely rely on ranking.
Pay-Per-Performance
Another marketing technique on the rise is pay-per-performance advertising. This is a method for which you pay per click, impression, or visit a site that refers to your site. The application works best if the placements chosen are locations that directly connect with the target market you desire to reach. Advertisement rates are based on an auction format in that the highest bidder obtains the top placement. If your bid is $1.00 for every time someone utilizes your link while your competitor bids $1.01, your competitor will gain a better placement than you. If 100 individuals click your link, you should understand that you will owe $100 whether they buy from you are not. Pay-per-performance advertising clearly requires a full understanding of your conversion ratio to determine the budget necessary to commit to such a program.
Ad Placement
Ad placement is similar to pay-per-performance in that you pay for advertisements on sites or newsletters. The difference is that you typically pay for impressions and market reach. Impressions encompass how many unique visitors view the location in which your ad is placed. The market reach refers to the number of individuals accessing that website or newsletter over a period of time. However, you have no guarantee of the number of visitors who will follow your ad to your website. The concept is similar to traditional print ad placement in that advertisers have no guarantee that people exposed to their print ads will visit their places of business.
Joint Ventures
Another method, joint ventures, can be highly effective in helping businesses obtain referral customers. Joint ventures can be as simple exchanging links with another website or as complex as assembling a tiered affiliates program.
Targeted Traffic Marketing
Targeted traffic marketing is an additional marketing online tool with two main applications. The first involves the purchase of a demographic defined list which will contain individuals that match a specified demographic to whom you have permission to send information freely either through an e-mail campaign or a sales call. The second form of targeted traffic entails the purchase a specified number of unique visitors to your site who match a demographic. This is a mass marketing or shotgun approach. Using either approach requires a skilled implementation of marketing content or your conversion ratio will be low, meaning you will be wasting money.
E-Mail Marketing
The most criticized but still effective form of online marketing is e-mail marketing. Too many marketers utilized this method improperly by imposing upon individuals who had no interest in their products or services. The answer to marketing effectively using e-mails lies in ensuring you have permission before sending to those individuals.
Media Marketing
A more effective method would be to utilize media marketing in which you write articles, white papers and other content relevant to your industry to be published. Sharing valuable insights and information rather than out-and-out selling helps to validate your company's expertise as you also acquire free brand exposure.
Relevant Content & Copywriting
Finally, marketing effectively online requires the right kind of preparation for your website. Many sites fail in that they generate traffic but they lack the kind of relevant content that retains the visitor, educates the prospect, and/or encourages the prospect to take action. Developing content that relays a clear message to your visitors is critical. Copywriting professional Sallie Boyles states, "Lead with your punch line. Be clear. Be concise. Rather than covering each page top-to-bottom with solid content, use windows and links to provide detailed explanations as needed. When people gather research online for an immediate or future purchase, they want ease and efficiency - or they will leave the site and go elsewhere."
In developing your next marketing online plan, follow these key steps to success: First, define and research your market. Second, prepare your site for action. Third, position yourself in the marketplace utilizing several marketing methods. Fourth, be prepared to follow up and close the deal. A world of e-commerce awaits!
Source From SitePro News
The first step of planning is to define your goals in light of the target market you aim to reach. As you classify your target, you should determine the core needs of that group and observe the buying behavior that occurs among your potential purchasers. Characterizing their purchasing habits enables you to position your business to appeal to your target market with compelling information before they buy from another resource.
Several online resources can help you place your business in the forefront of your target audience. The process, however, can be complex because a variety of online vehicles, if utilized properly, can help you yield the results you desire. Also, the key to successful marketing online is in developing a diverse marketing plan which takes advantage of several approaches to deliver your message. Components in your marketing plan should include such elements as search engine marketing, pay-per-performance, ad placement, joint ventures, targeted traffic, e-mail marketíng, media marketing, optimization and copywriting.
Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing has been one of the most highly visible forms of marketing online. With millions of businesses employing search engines to gather information daily, search engine placement for key terms has been a major business generator for companies who properly place themselves in the search engines under the right terms relevant to their market offering. An obstacle to being ranked at or near the top, however, is that thousands can be competing for the same position. And with the search engines changing their algorithms often, achieving placement on the first page for the terms relevant is extremely difficult without a solid working knowledge of and experience in the search engine marketing field. Consequently, one should not solely rely on ranking.
Pay-Per-Performance
Another marketing technique on the rise is pay-per-performance advertising. This is a method for which you pay per click, impression, or visit a site that refers to your site. The application works best if the placements chosen are locations that directly connect with the target market you desire to reach. Advertisement rates are based on an auction format in that the highest bidder obtains the top placement. If your bid is $1.00 for every time someone utilizes your link while your competitor bids $1.01, your competitor will gain a better placement than you. If 100 individuals click your link, you should understand that you will owe $100 whether they buy from you are not. Pay-per-performance advertising clearly requires a full understanding of your conversion ratio to determine the budget necessary to commit to such a program.
Ad Placement
Ad placement is similar to pay-per-performance in that you pay for advertisements on sites or newsletters. The difference is that you typically pay for impressions and market reach. Impressions encompass how many unique visitors view the location in which your ad is placed. The market reach refers to the number of individuals accessing that website or newsletter over a period of time. However, you have no guarantee of the number of visitors who will follow your ad to your website. The concept is similar to traditional print ad placement in that advertisers have no guarantee that people exposed to their print ads will visit their places of business.
Joint Ventures
Another method, joint ventures, can be highly effective in helping businesses obtain referral customers. Joint ventures can be as simple exchanging links with another website or as complex as assembling a tiered affiliates program.
Targeted Traffic Marketing
Targeted traffic marketing is an additional marketing online tool with two main applications. The first involves the purchase of a demographic defined list which will contain individuals that match a specified demographic to whom you have permission to send information freely either through an e-mail campaign or a sales call. The second form of targeted traffic entails the purchase a specified number of unique visitors to your site who match a demographic. This is a mass marketing or shotgun approach. Using either approach requires a skilled implementation of marketing content or your conversion ratio will be low, meaning you will be wasting money.
E-Mail Marketing
The most criticized but still effective form of online marketing is e-mail marketing. Too many marketers utilized this method improperly by imposing upon individuals who had no interest in their products or services. The answer to marketing effectively using e-mails lies in ensuring you have permission before sending to those individuals.
Media Marketing
A more effective method would be to utilize media marketing in which you write articles, white papers and other content relevant to your industry to be published. Sharing valuable insights and information rather than out-and-out selling helps to validate your company's expertise as you also acquire free brand exposure.
Relevant Content & Copywriting
Finally, marketing effectively online requires the right kind of preparation for your website. Many sites fail in that they generate traffic but they lack the kind of relevant content that retains the visitor, educates the prospect, and/or encourages the prospect to take action. Developing content that relays a clear message to your visitors is critical. Copywriting professional Sallie Boyles states, "Lead with your punch line. Be clear. Be concise. Rather than covering each page top-to-bottom with solid content, use windows and links to provide detailed explanations as needed. When people gather research online for an immediate or future purchase, they want ease and efficiency - or they will leave the site and go elsewhere."
In developing your next marketing online plan, follow these key steps to success: First, define and research your market. Second, prepare your site for action. Third, position yourself in the marketplace utilizing several marketing methods. Fourth, be prepared to follow up and close the deal. A world of e-commerce awaits!
Source From SitePro News
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Importance of Tracking Your Web Site Traffic
You have a web site. You have web site visitors. You even have web site sales. Everything seems to be working: why should you go through the effort to track and analyze your web site traffic?
The fact is, the importance of tracking your site traffic is not stressed nearly enough. At most, people say, "Sure, I track my site traffic. We had 5,000 hits last month!" But that, quite frankly, is not "tracking your site traffic." That is a simple datum, and it does not tell you anything about your site or your site traffic.
The importance of tracking your site traffic lies in the fact that proper web traffic analytics will help you answer these key questions:
Am I reaching my target market?
If you went about developing your web site systematically, you probably spent time researching and defining your target market. You then designed your site to reach those specific people.
But all your research was still - at its base - a hypothesis. You made assumptions about how to reach your customer base. Tracking your site traffic will verify what is actually happening on your site (who is coming and what they are doing), compared to what you expected to happen.
How are people interacting with my site?
Sure, people are coming to your web site. But what are they doing there? Do they hit the home page and leave? Do they go immediately to your free section and never browse your sale items? Do 90% of the people who click on your online payment form subsequently abandon it?
Tracking your site traffic will allow you to see how people proceed through your site, where they spend their time, what they do, and any problems they may be encountering. And that information can help you significantly improve their user experience - and your sales.
Where is my site traffic coming from?
To drive traffic to your site, you are likely engaged in multiple marketing efforts. You may have search engine optimized your content, engaged in article marketing, and developed reciprocal links from key partners. You may be involved in a pay-per-click campaign. Perhaps you also explored email marketing or print advertising.
Web traffic analytics will tell you exactly how successful each and every one of those marketing efforts is. You will then be able to cut the fat from your marketing plan and focus on the most strategic and productive campaigns.
What trends do I see?
The web is a constantly changing place. What worked last year may not work this year. You can not rely on the mantra "we have always done it this way" and expect to see consistently positive results for years on end.
By tracking your site traffic, you will be able to see trends as they unfold: trends in who is coming to your site, how they are interacting with it, what they want, how they buy, etc. You will be able to respond pro actively to changing patterns, rather than reactively scrambling to fix a situation after it has become a major problem.
If you are serious about using your web site as a tool for business, tracking your site traffic is an absolute essential. The questions above just scratch the surface of what web traffic analytics can do for you. But the bottom line is this: tracking your site traffic provides you with quantifiable data to allow you to make wise decisions for your business.
Source From Entireweb Newsletter
The fact is, the importance of tracking your site traffic is not stressed nearly enough. At most, people say, "Sure, I track my site traffic. We had 5,000 hits last month!" But that, quite frankly, is not "tracking your site traffic." That is a simple datum, and it does not tell you anything about your site or your site traffic.
The importance of tracking your site traffic lies in the fact that proper web traffic analytics will help you answer these key questions:
Am I reaching my target market?
If you went about developing your web site systematically, you probably spent time researching and defining your target market. You then designed your site to reach those specific people.
But all your research was still - at its base - a hypothesis. You made assumptions about how to reach your customer base. Tracking your site traffic will verify what is actually happening on your site (who is coming and what they are doing), compared to what you expected to happen.
How are people interacting with my site?
Sure, people are coming to your web site. But what are they doing there? Do they hit the home page and leave? Do they go immediately to your free section and never browse your sale items? Do 90% of the people who click on your online payment form subsequently abandon it?
Tracking your site traffic will allow you to see how people proceed through your site, where they spend their time, what they do, and any problems they may be encountering. And that information can help you significantly improve their user experience - and your sales.
Where is my site traffic coming from?
To drive traffic to your site, you are likely engaged in multiple marketing efforts. You may have search engine optimized your content, engaged in article marketing, and developed reciprocal links from key partners. You may be involved in a pay-per-click campaign. Perhaps you also explored email marketing or print advertising.
Web traffic analytics will tell you exactly how successful each and every one of those marketing efforts is. You will then be able to cut the fat from your marketing plan and focus on the most strategic and productive campaigns.
What trends do I see?
The web is a constantly changing place. What worked last year may not work this year. You can not rely on the mantra "we have always done it this way" and expect to see consistently positive results for years on end.
By tracking your site traffic, you will be able to see trends as they unfold: trends in who is coming to your site, how they are interacting with it, what they want, how they buy, etc. You will be able to respond pro actively to changing patterns, rather than reactively scrambling to fix a situation after it has become a major problem.
If you are serious about using your web site as a tool for business, tracking your site traffic is an absolute essential. The questions above just scratch the surface of what web traffic analytics can do for you. But the bottom line is this: tracking your site traffic provides you with quantifiable data to allow you to make wise decisions for your business.
Source From Entireweb Newsletter
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Does Your Website Need an Extreme Makeover?
1. Is Visitor Friendly
What this means is that your customers must be able to find what they are looking for easily and quickly. And that means a great navigational system. Most websites either display their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most people are used to this type of navigation, it is best to stick with it. It also helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the top.
2. Focuses on your customer's needs
Rather than trying to "sell your business", let your prospects know how your product/service is going to benefit them. Emphasize the benefits and solve problems. Make this the focus of everything you write on every page of your site. Do not try to sell visitors your products or service, help them.
3. There are no spelling mistakes
Ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Check that all links are working and graphics display correctly.
4. Proves credibility
Include testimonials from your current customers to show your potential clients that you are trustworthy, reliable and that you provide great service and/or products. Make sure the testimonials are real and if possible provide contact details of the person who supplied you with the testimonial. If you do not have any right now, get them! Simply email your customers and ask for their feedback on your business and service. Most happy customers will gladly provide this.
You could also include before and after photos. Show the problem picture and beside it show the picture of resolution, with an explanation of your product's benefits.
5. Has Contact details
Place contact details in as many places as possible. Make it easy for your customers to contact you. Create a special "Contact Us" page, include your details in "About Us" page and also at the bottom of each page. Information to include: business name, physical address, mailing address, telephone, fax, email, emergency number, website address and most importantly, do not forget to include your business hours.
6. Offers a Monëy Back Guarantee
The longer the guarantee, the more effective it will be. It could be 30 days, 60 days, 1 year or lifetime. Remember you are trying to take the risk out of doing business with you.
7. Provides information that people are looking for
If you do not provide it, someone else will. Content is still the king. You should include as much information as possible - not only detailed descriptions and prices of your products and services, but also free resources, articles, reports, ebooks relating to your industry, service and products. You can easily source free information on the internet. This will ensure that customers will keep coming back to your website, even if it is just to get information. The more they visit, the more you will stick in their mind as an expert and the next time they are ready to order your products/services, you will be their first choice.
If your website features any of the following, your website definitely needs an EXTREME MAKEOVER or at least a face lift.
1. Flash intros, revolving globes, bevelled line separators, animated mail boxes.
2. Loads of pop up or pop under boxes.
3. Autoplay music. Allow your customer to play music only if they choose.
4. Hit counters of the free variety, which say "you are the 27th visitor".
5. Date and time stamps, unless your website is updated daily or weekly.
6. Busy backgrounds.
Ask yourself
- does my website portray the professional image I want my customers to see? Have I provided all the information that my customers may want or need to know? If you answered no to either of these, call your website designer today or you could lose thousands of dollars as your customers head to your competitor's door.
Source From SitePro News
What this means is that your customers must be able to find what they are looking for easily and quickly. And that means a great navigational system. Most websites either display their navigation bar on the left or at the top. And since most people are used to this type of navigation, it is best to stick with it. It also helps to include your navigation bar at the bottom of each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the top.
2. Focuses on your customer's needs
Rather than trying to "sell your business", let your prospects know how your product/service is going to benefit them. Emphasize the benefits and solve problems. Make this the focus of everything you write on every page of your site. Do not try to sell visitors your products or service, help them.
3. There are no spelling mistakes
Ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Check that all links are working and graphics display correctly.
4. Proves credibility
Include testimonials from your current customers to show your potential clients that you are trustworthy, reliable and that you provide great service and/or products. Make sure the testimonials are real and if possible provide contact details of the person who supplied you with the testimonial. If you do not have any right now, get them! Simply email your customers and ask for their feedback on your business and service. Most happy customers will gladly provide this.
You could also include before and after photos. Show the problem picture and beside it show the picture of resolution, with an explanation of your product's benefits.
5. Has Contact details
Place contact details in as many places as possible. Make it easy for your customers to contact you. Create a special "Contact Us" page, include your details in "About Us" page and also at the bottom of each page. Information to include: business name, physical address, mailing address, telephone, fax, email, emergency number, website address and most importantly, do not forget to include your business hours.
6. Offers a Monëy Back Guarantee
The longer the guarantee, the more effective it will be. It could be 30 days, 60 days, 1 year or lifetime. Remember you are trying to take the risk out of doing business with you.
7. Provides information that people are looking for
If you do not provide it, someone else will. Content is still the king. You should include as much information as possible - not only detailed descriptions and prices of your products and services, but also free resources, articles, reports, ebooks relating to your industry, service and products. You can easily source free information on the internet. This will ensure that customers will keep coming back to your website, even if it is just to get information. The more they visit, the more you will stick in their mind as an expert and the next time they are ready to order your products/services, you will be their first choice.
If your website features any of the following, your website definitely needs an EXTREME MAKEOVER or at least a face lift.
1. Flash intros, revolving globes, bevelled line separators, animated mail boxes.
2. Loads of pop up or pop under boxes.
3. Autoplay music. Allow your customer to play music only if they choose.
4. Hit counters of the free variety, which say "you are the 27th visitor".
5. Date and time stamps, unless your website is updated daily or weekly.
6. Busy backgrounds.
Ask yourself
- does my website portray the professional image I want my customers to see? Have I provided all the information that my customers may want or need to know? If you answered no to either of these, call your website designer today or you could lose thousands of dollars as your customers head to your competitor's door.
Source From SitePro News
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Social Media Marketing Strategies
There has been a significant jump in the popularity of social media websites over the past few years. With it has come a shift in the way that people search for information and how they share and consult opinions on the internet when making purchasing decisions.
Social media sites such as StumbleUpon and Digg, give users a voice on the internet by providing tools to connect, exchange views, share content, information, and recommend products and services using the "thumbs up or down" approach. This has caused a huge shift in the way people search for information online. More and more, Internet users rely on the opinions of others before they buy into the validity of a product or service. "Word of mouth" is no longer only from mouth to ear, but is more frequently spread on social media sites and it has never been so powerful. Any product or service deemed worthy is promoted, shared, or discouraged against in these online social communities.
Social Media Marketing (SMM) targets users by promoting content through bookmarking, blogging, online video sharing, and social networking to potentially expand audience and drive traffic. Businesses are beginning to understand the power of these influences when it comes to establishing a reputation and growing their online business. Social media marketing strategies such as a business' engagement in various social media websites can help to generate branding and a personal connection with its users.
Business Profiles
One of the most important social media marketing methods includes posting business profiles on social media websites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Instead of waiting around for consumers to come to you, you have to reach out to your target audience. Solidifying your presence in the social media community creates a direct interaction between business and consumer that may not dramatically improve conversion rates but is definitely capable of establishing branding power and credibility. The valuable feedback consumers provide promotes insight in determining what business strategies are working and what could be re-evaluated to make a website more user-friendly.
Search Results
The influence of social media sites has changed the way search engines define placement. Images, videos and news content featured on social media sites such as Youtube, Digg, and Flickr are equally capable of sitting comfortably at the top of the search results leaving others, who have not yet jumped on the social media bandwagon, a little confused.
Effective Social Media Marketing Strategies
Take a hint from the popular social media websites by adding some type of interactive quality to your website. Engage the viewer and create an atmosphere of inclusion and direct contact that encourages a user to come back and visit again. Forums and social applications can help you compete for traffic in an evolving market.
Become an expert in your niche. Yahoo Answers is a great place to start. You can create a business or company profile and begin answering direct questions and supplying information to those in your target audience.
Join Social Networks. Social networking provides a means to promote association and the exchange of knowledge while also establishing business contacts and connections. Post your business profile in the popular social and business networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn, but also make sure to concentrate your attention on your niche audience by joining social media networks that represent and support your business or company’s ideas.
For example if you are selling organic produce and you set up a profile in a social media network such as Care2.com, an environmental portal, you are then communicating directly with those individuals who will support your product or service because of a shared interest. These types of social media communities will extend their approval by sharing in discussions about your products or services with other users and even in some cases "become a fan" of your featured webpage.
Some examples of popular niche social networks include:
TravBuddy.com for the traveller
Tipd.com for those seeking financial advice
AutoSpies.com providing money saving and insider information on cars
Publish articles to popular social media news sites such as Mixx.com, Digg.com, and Propeller.com. These sites allow you to post articles and vote on news stories.
Share videos and images by setting up accounts with Youtube.com and Flickr.com, leaders in online video and imaging to reach a broad or targeted audience.
Social bookmarking on sites such as Del.ici.ous and Ma.gnolia.com provide an opportuníty to store and share links.
Blogging enables you to provide information and updates about your business to customers.
Businesses that incorporate social media marketing into their conventional marketing plan have the advantage of reaching audiences using a whole new approach. The benefits of branding and traffic are just the tip of the iceberg. Establishing your business as a leading authority in your industry promotes good quality links and better search engine placement, which in turn increases sales.
Source From SitePro News
Social media sites such as StumbleUpon and Digg, give users a voice on the internet by providing tools to connect, exchange views, share content, information, and recommend products and services using the "thumbs up or down" approach. This has caused a huge shift in the way people search for information online. More and more, Internet users rely on the opinions of others before they buy into the validity of a product or service. "Word of mouth" is no longer only from mouth to ear, but is more frequently spread on social media sites and it has never been so powerful. Any product or service deemed worthy is promoted, shared, or discouraged against in these online social communities.
Social Media Marketing (SMM) targets users by promoting content through bookmarking, blogging, online video sharing, and social networking to potentially expand audience and drive traffic. Businesses are beginning to understand the power of these influences when it comes to establishing a reputation and growing their online business. Social media marketing strategies such as a business' engagement in various social media websites can help to generate branding and a personal connection with its users.
Business Profiles
One of the most important social media marketing methods includes posting business profiles on social media websites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Instead of waiting around for consumers to come to you, you have to reach out to your target audience. Solidifying your presence in the social media community creates a direct interaction between business and consumer that may not dramatically improve conversion rates but is definitely capable of establishing branding power and credibility. The valuable feedback consumers provide promotes insight in determining what business strategies are working and what could be re-evaluated to make a website more user-friendly.
Search Results
The influence of social media sites has changed the way search engines define placement. Images, videos and news content featured on social media sites such as Youtube, Digg, and Flickr are equally capable of sitting comfortably at the top of the search results leaving others, who have not yet jumped on the social media bandwagon, a little confused.
Effective Social Media Marketing Strategies
Take a hint from the popular social media websites by adding some type of interactive quality to your website. Engage the viewer and create an atmosphere of inclusion and direct contact that encourages a user to come back and visit again. Forums and social applications can help you compete for traffic in an evolving market.
Become an expert in your niche. Yahoo Answers is a great place to start. You can create a business or company profile and begin answering direct questions and supplying information to those in your target audience.
Join Social Networks. Social networking provides a means to promote association and the exchange of knowledge while also establishing business contacts and connections. Post your business profile in the popular social and business networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn, but also make sure to concentrate your attention on your niche audience by joining social media networks that represent and support your business or company’s ideas.
For example if you are selling organic produce and you set up a profile in a social media network such as Care2.com, an environmental portal, you are then communicating directly with those individuals who will support your product or service because of a shared interest. These types of social media communities will extend their approval by sharing in discussions about your products or services with other users and even in some cases "become a fan" of your featured webpage.
Some examples of popular niche social networks include:
TravBuddy.com for the traveller
Tipd.com for those seeking financial advice
AutoSpies.com providing money saving and insider information on cars
Publish articles to popular social media news sites such as Mixx.com, Digg.com, and Propeller.com. These sites allow you to post articles and vote on news stories.
Share videos and images by setting up accounts with Youtube.com and Flickr.com, leaders in online video and imaging to reach a broad or targeted audience.
Social bookmarking on sites such as Del.ici.ous and Ma.gnolia.com provide an opportuníty to store and share links.
Blogging enables you to provide information and updates about your business to customers.
Businesses that incorporate social media marketing into their conventional marketing plan have the advantage of reaching audiences using a whole new approach. The benefits of branding and traffic are just the tip of the iceberg. Establishing your business as a leading authority in your industry promotes good quality links and better search engine placement, which in turn increases sales.
Source From SitePro News
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Changing the Conversion Conversation
By thinking strategically you can apply the correct tactics to improve your site's conversion rate, generating more leads and sales. The principle of the conversion balance is the key to optimizing your website. What is the conversion balance? On the one side you have Success Factors which build trust and confidence and lead to conversions. On the other side you have Failure Factors, undermining trust and confidence, and leading to abandonment.
If, in the mind of the visitor, the success factors of outweigh the failure factors, she will convert. If they do not, she will not. This "weighing" happens on a conscious and/or subconscious level every moment she is on the site. The more obvious the imbalance, the easier the decision.
The goal of web optimization: increase conversion rates It seems simple enough: increase the success factors and decrease the failure factors. Whatever the nature of your site, whatever you consider a conversion, the factors are pretty much the same.
Failure factors
Anything that causes frustration, a negative thought, or a concern in the mind of the visitor tips the balance against conversion. These failure factors include:
* Poor copy (does not focus on benefits to visitors)
* Confusing navigation
* Lack of hierarchy
* Information in the wrong sequence
* Unnecessary steps
* Difficult to scan
* Too many choices
* Inconsistent
* Unusual terminology
* Broken links
* Outdated content
* Unprofessional design
* Inaccessible contact information
* Forms that are too complex
Failure factors generate anxiety. They create barriers. They undermine the motivation of your visitors and interfere with your ability to build a relationship. By slowing them down and forcing them to think too much, you are tipping the conversion balance that leads prospects to click away from your site.
Next we will look at Success Factors.
Success factors
Anything that makes your site self-explanatory, easy-to-use, and meets visitors' needs based on their different motivations is a success factor. These include:
* Strong value proposition (why should I buy from you instead of your competitor?)
* Understanding visitors' needs based on their motivation
* Benefits-oriented copy
* Easy navigation
* Obvious hierarchy
* Succinct copy
* Clear instructions
* Short, simple forms
* Scannable pages
* Incentives and credibility indicators
* Web conventions (i.e. make links look like links)
* Meaningful page titles and sub-headers
* Professional design
Success factors generate confidence and provide positive reinforcement. When visitors feel like they are in the right place You have earned their trust and the opportunity to build a relationship. That is the only way you can encourage them to read on, click to the next step, fill out a form or pick up the phone.
There is one more success factor that does not fit neatly into a bullet-point. Consider the mindset of your visitors and where they are in their buying or decision-making process.
It is important to provide content for different kinds of people; those who just want the facts please, those who respond to an emotional pitch, people who are visually oriented, etc.
Equally important, you want to provide information for browsers or people just doing preliminary research, as well as detailed info for visitors who may be returning to your site and are ready to convert.
Conversion is a process
Remember, while a conversion technically happens in a single step, it is not an isolated one. Conversion is the result of a series of small decisions and tiny steps. By minimizing the failure factors and maximizing the success factors you can tip the balance.
Let me know if you have other ideas about failure and success factors that affect conversion rates.
Source From Entireweb Newsletter
If, in the mind of the visitor, the success factors of outweigh the failure factors, she will convert. If they do not, she will not. This "weighing" happens on a conscious and/or subconscious level every moment she is on the site. The more obvious the imbalance, the easier the decision.
The goal of web optimization: increase conversion rates It seems simple enough: increase the success factors and decrease the failure factors. Whatever the nature of your site, whatever you consider a conversion, the factors are pretty much the same.
Failure factors
Anything that causes frustration, a negative thought, or a concern in the mind of the visitor tips the balance against conversion. These failure factors include:
* Poor copy (does not focus on benefits to visitors)
* Confusing navigation
* Lack of hierarchy
* Information in the wrong sequence
* Unnecessary steps
* Difficult to scan
* Too many choices
* Inconsistent
* Unusual terminology
* Broken links
* Outdated content
* Unprofessional design
* Inaccessible contact information
* Forms that are too complex
Failure factors generate anxiety. They create barriers. They undermine the motivation of your visitors and interfere with your ability to build a relationship. By slowing them down and forcing them to think too much, you are tipping the conversion balance that leads prospects to click away from your site.
Next we will look at Success Factors.
Success factors
Anything that makes your site self-explanatory, easy-to-use, and meets visitors' needs based on their different motivations is a success factor. These include:
* Strong value proposition (why should I buy from you instead of your competitor?)
* Understanding visitors' needs based on their motivation
* Benefits-oriented copy
* Easy navigation
* Obvious hierarchy
* Succinct copy
* Clear instructions
* Short, simple forms
* Scannable pages
* Incentives and credibility indicators
* Web conventions (i.e. make links look like links)
* Meaningful page titles and sub-headers
* Professional design
Success factors generate confidence and provide positive reinforcement. When visitors feel like they are in the right place You have earned their trust and the opportunity to build a relationship. That is the only way you can encourage them to read on, click to the next step, fill out a form or pick up the phone.
There is one more success factor that does not fit neatly into a bullet-point. Consider the mindset of your visitors and where they are in their buying or decision-making process.
It is important to provide content for different kinds of people; those who just want the facts please, those who respond to an emotional pitch, people who are visually oriented, etc.
Equally important, you want to provide information for browsers or people just doing preliminary research, as well as detailed info for visitors who may be returning to your site and are ready to convert.
Conversion is a process
Remember, while a conversion technically happens in a single step, it is not an isolated one. Conversion is the result of a series of small decisions and tiny steps. By minimizing the failure factors and maximizing the success factors you can tip the balance.
Let me know if you have other ideas about failure and success factors that affect conversion rates.
Source From Entireweb Newsletter
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Writing Effective Search Engine Optimized Copy for the Web
Writing SEO copy can be like negotiating a minefield. Get it right and your website will attract new customers via search engines and see improved sales. Get it wrong and new customers simply will not find your site. The good news is, there are some simple things you can do that will make all the difference.
As far as the search engines are concerned, they want to find the most relevant content for each user's search. They do this by looking at two things. The first is inbound links, which tell the search engines how important you are. The second is the content, which tells the search engines what you do and how relevant you are for each particular search.
Think Web Pages, not Websites
Google looks at each of your web pages on its own merits, rather than looking at your site as a whole. So, when you are planning the structure of your website, you need to think about your key areas. Make sure that each area has its own page. That way, you can optimize each page for a particular product, offering or benefit.
For example, if your website sells electrical products, divide the site into separate pages for broad areas such as kitchen appliances, then create individual pages within these categories for products such as washing machines and irons.
Keyword Research
It is crucial that you get your keywords right, so rather than guessing, use keyword research. Single keywords tend to have more competition, making it difficult to get good organic search rankings for them, so it is far better to be more specific and choose keyword phrases.
For example, an airline should use 'cheap flights to Malta' rather than 'flights'. This also helps to ensure you get good quality traffic. People are more clued-in these days about search engines and know that more specific keyword phrases are more likely to deliver what they are looking for.
Emphasise your USPs
In the same way that USPs (Unique Selling Point or Proposition) are important when you are writing sales copy, they are just as relevant to SEO copy. If you provide something unique, it is worth including it in your keyword phrases. If for example, your airline is the only one offering flights to a particular city, include that in your keyword research.
Building Keyword Phrases into your Copy
Content is king. There is no point in attracting lots of people to your page, if what they find is nonsense. Nobody likes to read copy that has keyword phrases clumsily or inappropriately dumped in the middle of every sentence. It is important to get the balance right and make sure that the keyword phrases are not getting in the way of the readability of the page.
Start by writing a first draft of your page, focusing on what you want to say. Then look at how you can incorporate your keyword phrases without losing the essence of the content.
For example, if you mention that your airline offers a huge range of European flights, you could expand on that by saying that these include 'flights to Italy' and 'flights to France'. Or you could change 'European flights' to 'cheap European flights' if that is one of your keyword phrases.
Focus on two or three keyword phrases per page. If you have too many, you will end up diluting them and they will be less effective. It is worth getting someone to sense check your copy. They will soon be able to tell you where the keyword phrases are getting in the way of readability.
Keyword Saturation
Each page needs to consist of well written copy, laced with your chosen keyword phrases. Approximately 5% of your content should be keywords. It is important not to go over 10%, though, as search engines may think you are spamming and penalize you with a low ranking. Measuring keyword density is the only way to ensure your keyword phrases are appearing prominently to search engines.
The Importance of Headings and Links
Search engines view titles, headings and links as being particularly important, so try to include your keyword phrases in them. It is often easier to work keyword phrases into titles and links than trying to wedge them into a sentence, so this kills two birds with one stone. Words that are in bold are considered of higher relevance by the search engines, so it is worth putting your keyword phrases in bold. It also helps users to pick out the relevant points.
Remember your Meta Tags
As well as building your keyword phrases into the copy, they need to be included in the page titles and meta tags. If you do not do both, your site will not be indexed for those keywords.
To Misspell or not to Misspell
This is a tricky one. You will notice when you do your keyword research that people often spell things incorrectly when they are searching. On the whole, best to avoid these in your copy. Your website is a reflection of your company, so peppering it with what looks like typos probably will not help to enhance your professional image. However, sometimes Americanisms are the more popular spelling (eg. organization rather than organisation), so it is worth considering these, but make sure you are consistent, so they do not look like a mistake.
Last but not least, here are a couple of web copywriting tips:
- Know your Audience
If you have a clear picture of who you are talking to, it is far easier to pitch the tone and type of information at the right level. Create a mental image of your target customer, then imagine you are talking directly to them.
- Short and Sweet
The first couple of sentences are crucial. In a web environment, you are competing with a unending supply of information, so you have got to grab peoples attention from the outset. Make them really relevant, so that your reader knows what you have to say is what they want to read. Then, once you have their attention, you have to keep it. Keep sentences and paragraphs short and to the point. Web audiences need relevant information quickly. Assume that your audience has a limited amount of time to hear what you have to say.
Remember, once your site is up and running, it is important to monitor and analyze its performance so that you can make improvements where necessary. It is also crucial to regularly update your content because the search engines begin to ignore pages that are not updated regularly. Users want to know your site is kept up-to-date and see fresh, innovative content, so be sure to provide them with it to keep them coming back.
Achieving good rankings is only half the battle. The web is a competitive environment, so once you have good rankings for your key phrases, you need to make sure you keep them.
10 Simple Steps to Writing Effective SEO Copy for the Web
1. Carefully plan your site map to ensure that each product or benefit has its own page.
2. Be specific, use keyword phrases rather than keywords.
3. Use a keyword research tool to get your key phrases right.
4. Get the balance right. Do not let your keyword phrases get in the way of what you are trying to say.
5. Keyword phrases should make up around 5% of your copy and no more than 10%.
6. Build your keyword phrases into headings, links and meta tags.
7. Put keyword phrases in bold.
8. Keep your content punchy and to the point.
9. Once launched, monitor and analyze your site, then make improvements where necessary.
10. Update content regularly to keep users coming back and ensure the search engines do not ignore your site.
Source From SEO News
As far as the search engines are concerned, they want to find the most relevant content for each user's search. They do this by looking at two things. The first is inbound links, which tell the search engines how important you are. The second is the content, which tells the search engines what you do and how relevant you are for each particular search.
Think Web Pages, not Websites
Google looks at each of your web pages on its own merits, rather than looking at your site as a whole. So, when you are planning the structure of your website, you need to think about your key areas. Make sure that each area has its own page. That way, you can optimize each page for a particular product, offering or benefit.
For example, if your website sells electrical products, divide the site into separate pages for broad areas such as kitchen appliances, then create individual pages within these categories for products such as washing machines and irons.
Keyword Research
It is crucial that you get your keywords right, so rather than guessing, use keyword research. Single keywords tend to have more competition, making it difficult to get good organic search rankings for them, so it is far better to be more specific and choose keyword phrases.
For example, an airline should use 'cheap flights to Malta' rather than 'flights'. This also helps to ensure you get good quality traffic. People are more clued-in these days about search engines and know that more specific keyword phrases are more likely to deliver what they are looking for.
Emphasise your USPs
In the same way that USPs (Unique Selling Point or Proposition) are important when you are writing sales copy, they are just as relevant to SEO copy. If you provide something unique, it is worth including it in your keyword phrases. If for example, your airline is the only one offering flights to a particular city, include that in your keyword research.
Building Keyword Phrases into your Copy
Content is king. There is no point in attracting lots of people to your page, if what they find is nonsense. Nobody likes to read copy that has keyword phrases clumsily or inappropriately dumped in the middle of every sentence. It is important to get the balance right and make sure that the keyword phrases are not getting in the way of the readability of the page.
Start by writing a first draft of your page, focusing on what you want to say. Then look at how you can incorporate your keyword phrases without losing the essence of the content.
For example, if you mention that your airline offers a huge range of European flights, you could expand on that by saying that these include 'flights to Italy' and 'flights to France'. Or you could change 'European flights' to 'cheap European flights' if that is one of your keyword phrases.
Focus on two or three keyword phrases per page. If you have too many, you will end up diluting them and they will be less effective. It is worth getting someone to sense check your copy. They will soon be able to tell you where the keyword phrases are getting in the way of readability.
Keyword Saturation
Each page needs to consist of well written copy, laced with your chosen keyword phrases. Approximately 5% of your content should be keywords. It is important not to go over 10%, though, as search engines may think you are spamming and penalize you with a low ranking. Measuring keyword density is the only way to ensure your keyword phrases are appearing prominently to search engines.
The Importance of Headings and Links
Search engines view titles, headings and links as being particularly important, so try to include your keyword phrases in them. It is often easier to work keyword phrases into titles and links than trying to wedge them into a sentence, so this kills two birds with one stone. Words that are in bold are considered of higher relevance by the search engines, so it is worth putting your keyword phrases in bold. It also helps users to pick out the relevant points.
Remember your Meta Tags
As well as building your keyword phrases into the copy, they need to be included in the page titles and meta tags. If you do not do both, your site will not be indexed for those keywords.
To Misspell or not to Misspell
This is a tricky one. You will notice when you do your keyword research that people often spell things incorrectly when they are searching. On the whole, best to avoid these in your copy. Your website is a reflection of your company, so peppering it with what looks like typos probably will not help to enhance your professional image. However, sometimes Americanisms are the more popular spelling (eg. organization rather than organisation), so it is worth considering these, but make sure you are consistent, so they do not look like a mistake.
Last but not least, here are a couple of web copywriting tips:
- Know your Audience
If you have a clear picture of who you are talking to, it is far easier to pitch the tone and type of information at the right level. Create a mental image of your target customer, then imagine you are talking directly to them.
- Short and Sweet
The first couple of sentences are crucial. In a web environment, you are competing with a unending supply of information, so you have got to grab peoples attention from the outset. Make them really relevant, so that your reader knows what you have to say is what they want to read. Then, once you have their attention, you have to keep it. Keep sentences and paragraphs short and to the point. Web audiences need relevant information quickly. Assume that your audience has a limited amount of time to hear what you have to say.
Remember, once your site is up and running, it is important to monitor and analyze its performance so that you can make improvements where necessary. It is also crucial to regularly update your content because the search engines begin to ignore pages that are not updated regularly. Users want to know your site is kept up-to-date and see fresh, innovative content, so be sure to provide them with it to keep them coming back.
Achieving good rankings is only half the battle. The web is a competitive environment, so once you have good rankings for your key phrases, you need to make sure you keep them.
10 Simple Steps to Writing Effective SEO Copy for the Web
1. Carefully plan your site map to ensure that each product or benefit has its own page.
2. Be specific, use keyword phrases rather than keywords.
3. Use a keyword research tool to get your key phrases right.
4. Get the balance right. Do not let your keyword phrases get in the way of what you are trying to say.
5. Keyword phrases should make up around 5% of your copy and no more than 10%.
6. Build your keyword phrases into headings, links and meta tags.
7. Put keyword phrases in bold.
8. Keep your content punchy and to the point.
9. Once launched, monitor and analyze your site, then make improvements where necessary.
10. Update content regularly to keep users coming back and ensure the search engines do not ignore your site.
Source From SEO News
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