As a successful marketing person you should never have all your eggs in one basket. This applies to virtually all your business doings and to all walks of life. It cannot help if you have full marks in any one subject and almost nothing in others to pass the exams. Internet marketing is also the same.
You cannot have the same strategies working for you all the time. Any good business man will review it from time to time. Now take your precious little time out and list all your various tactics you use to promote your website and your business. Give it a long hard look and see where you have your eggs. Are you spread out and using multiple channels of traffic or do you focus heavily on one or two main tactics to drive traffic to your website?
Most likely you have few methods that you are using that doing well. That’s great. I won’t tell you to stop doing something that’s making you money. I will suggest you to add a few new methods to your marketing mix. Not only will this help increase your sales, but it also helps in minimizing your risk by spreading out.
Think about this for a moment: What if you have to live without google? Or what if google fell of the earth? Will you or your business be able to survive then? If 90% of your efforts revolve around google then “No”. However if you are using different resources to drive traffic to your website, your business would be just fine!
There are many different resources you can use to drive traffic to your website. Here is the list of few of them.
1. Search Engine Optimization
2. Pay Per Click
3. Social Marketing
4. Social Tagging
5. Blog Marketing
6. Forum Marketing
7. Article Marketing
The trick to using different resources of traffic is to find the right mix of tactics that best fits your business. You can do that by tracking your efforts. Google Analytics is one of the best free tools Marketing available. It will give you A to Z information such as: how many people came to your site, where did they come from and what did they do on your website while they were there. This information will allow you to make more informed marketing decisions and show you where you should tweak if needed.
Now you have a very power packed and risk free marketing mix ready to drive traffic to your website.
Explore and Enjoy!
For more on internet marketing visit www.thebrandsaloon.com
Monday, September 29, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Do you have a website no one can find?
One must have enough knowledge of his own market if he wants to compete with others. If you have your own website and want to make money online, answer four simple questions and check your position in your market.
1. What is website optimization?
2. Are you sure that your website is optimized for high visibility in search engines?
3. What positions in major search engines does your site appear in for your target search terms?
4. Does each page of your site have tailored Title and META tags?
If your answer is “No” or “I don’t know” to any of these questions, you would be among those website owners whose websites are missing out on traffic because their sites are not search engine friendly.
Now there are some web design company with the knowledge of website optimization but not all. Just ask yourself these questions.
Has your web designer optimized your site for your target keywords? Have they made sure it is visible in google and other major search engines? More than likely, you don’t know because they haven’t told you. Ask them today!
In my experience, either web designers keep a lot of secrets or they have no clue about what makes website compatible with search engines. Another thing is that they like to build expensive, flashy sites and so convince their clients that an attractive web site never uses a lot of text.
If you want best results from your website it must rank high in major search engines. For search engines to rank your site highly for particular words or phrases that you would expect potential visitors to type in, each individual page of your site MUST be built with those words and phrases in mind.
Now, can you honestly say your web designer has built your site with your target search terms in mind? If not, this is the time to schedule an appointment with them.
There may be million different reasons why wasn’t your site optimized for search engines when it was built? Not many web design firms know how or have time to optimized site successfully and many web designer might feel it is not their business or might believe that it is site marketer’s job to ensure that site is found in search engines.
Whatever may be the reasons, your site can be launched for many months without search engines having any idea it exist.
Remember, search engine users generally only explore the first 10 or 20 search results. If your site isn’t in top 20, you won’t be found, its as simple as that. My suggestion is always include search engine optimization into marketing budget and pay little more for a specialist. There are many SEO companies with a good track record you can hire and reap the rewards.
For more information visit www.thebrandsaloon.com
1. What is website optimization?
2. Are you sure that your website is optimized for high visibility in search engines?
3. What positions in major search engines does your site appear in for your target search terms?
4. Does each page of your site have tailored Title and META tags?
If your answer is “No” or “I don’t know” to any of these questions, you would be among those website owners whose websites are missing out on traffic because their sites are not search engine friendly.
Now there are some web design company with the knowledge of website optimization but not all. Just ask yourself these questions.
Has your web designer optimized your site for your target keywords? Have they made sure it is visible in google and other major search engines? More than likely, you don’t know because they haven’t told you. Ask them today!
In my experience, either web designers keep a lot of secrets or they have no clue about what makes website compatible with search engines. Another thing is that they like to build expensive, flashy sites and so convince their clients that an attractive web site never uses a lot of text.
If you want best results from your website it must rank high in major search engines. For search engines to rank your site highly for particular words or phrases that you would expect potential visitors to type in, each individual page of your site MUST be built with those words and phrases in mind.
Now, can you honestly say your web designer has built your site with your target search terms in mind? If not, this is the time to schedule an appointment with them.
There may be million different reasons why wasn’t your site optimized for search engines when it was built? Not many web design firms know how or have time to optimized site successfully and many web designer might feel it is not their business or might believe that it is site marketer’s job to ensure that site is found in search engines.
Whatever may be the reasons, your site can be launched for many months without search engines having any idea it exist.
Remember, search engine users generally only explore the first 10 or 20 search results. If your site isn’t in top 20, you won’t be found, its as simple as that. My suggestion is always include search engine optimization into marketing budget and pay little more for a specialist. There are many SEO companies with a good track record you can hire and reap the rewards.
For more information visit www.thebrandsaloon.com
Monday, September 15, 2008
SEO Guarantees - Internet Marketing Fraud
WARNING: If you are looking for a SEO company giving ranking guarantees, please stay and read - this could save you from being duped.And that will serve the purpose for this blog
Why SEO guarantees can’t be given ?
The word SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is very commonly used and understood word in internet marketing. Today everyone wants to promote their website and business on internet and there for wants their sites to rank higher in search engines like Google,Yahoo and MSN. Now to help these people there are plenty of seo firms, in which some are genuine and some are not. In this article we will target those seo firms who guarantees their client about rankings. Why clients seek SEO guarantees ? It’s simple to understand why SEO buyers are looking for guarantees: 1. Affirmed return on investment
2. Security
Buyers who ask for SEO Guarantees are either new to the concept or have dealt with a SEO firm that gave no results at all.
What SEO Guarantees Clients Seek ?
There are two kinds of guarantees that we often come across; one kind focus on Number One ranking and the other kinds focus on rankings in top 5 across ALL search engines. ‘ALL’ here is an important word. Here is a glimpse of the guarantee list:
1. Number one in Google for ‘Real Estate’
2. Get my website in atleast in top 5 or no deal
3. I have three websites, all about XYZ. I want three of them ranked in top 5 in Google, Yahoo and MSN
4. I don’t want rankings for 50 keywords, I just want rankings for these 10 keywords – can you do it? I want a guarantee that my site would be in top 5 across all search engines
What was interesting was that none of these demands for guarantees actually asked for a timeframe, until this one:
“I want a guarantee that my site would rank for ‘travel’ in Google in top 10. I also want the contract to include by when you would get my site to rank.”
The following demand was from a client who’d been fooled before by a company guaranteeing rankings:
“I know what SEO is. Just tell me if you guarantee that the site would rank in top 5, ok top 10, in at least Google and Yahoo. I also want to know how long would it take. I also want a guarantee that the rankings would stay for at least 2 months.”
Why these SEO guarantees can’t be given ?
SEO firms don’t own search engines or search engine algorithms and don’t have control over how the results are displayed and how long the rankings would last for any site.
The SEO firms can’t realistically give the following guarantees:
1. The website would be indexed by all search engines its submitted to
a. All sites do get indexed though. They get indexed because search engines which allow free listings want to increase their database and give useful and new information to its users at all times. Paid search engines obviously index sites because they are paid for it. Why SEO firms can’t guarantee it because free search engines may take 2 – 3 weeks for indexing and also may not index a website if it has been previously banned.
b. Interestingly, no one even asks for a guarantee for getting indexed – it seems to be so because everyone is aware of the process. Also, most of the times the site is already listed with search engines due to their large database sharing model.
2. The website would rank for the keywords it is optimized for
a. Let alone top rankings, SEO firms can’t guarantee that sites would rank in top hundred either. SEO firms do not have access to the search engine algorithms nor does any SEO firm we know of has any kind of partnership with any search engine that allows them to rank their clients’ websites high in organic rankings.
b. If any firm is giving you such a guarantee, read the fine print. We’ll be discussing a lot of such Trick Guarantees in the next article.
c. Again, this is not to say that rankings don’t come. Rankings are achieved but purely on the basis of the Expert’s own understanding of the algorithm and research.
Hopefully, this blog will save at least some people from SEO marketing froud.
For more on SEO Fraud visit www.thebrandsaloon.com
Why SEO guarantees can’t be given ?
The word SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is very commonly used and understood word in internet marketing. Today everyone wants to promote their website and business on internet and there for wants their sites to rank higher in search engines like Google,Yahoo and MSN. Now to help these people there are plenty of seo firms, in which some are genuine and some are not. In this article we will target those seo firms who guarantees their client about rankings. Why clients seek SEO guarantees ? It’s simple to understand why SEO buyers are looking for guarantees: 1. Affirmed return on investment
2. Security
Buyers who ask for SEO Guarantees are either new to the concept or have dealt with a SEO firm that gave no results at all.
What SEO Guarantees Clients Seek ?
There are two kinds of guarantees that we often come across; one kind focus on Number One ranking and the other kinds focus on rankings in top 5 across ALL search engines. ‘ALL’ here is an important word. Here is a glimpse of the guarantee list:
1. Number one in Google for ‘Real Estate’
2. Get my website in atleast in top 5 or no deal
3. I have three websites, all about XYZ. I want three of them ranked in top 5 in Google, Yahoo and MSN
4. I don’t want rankings for 50 keywords, I just want rankings for these 10 keywords – can you do it? I want a guarantee that my site would be in top 5 across all search engines
What was interesting was that none of these demands for guarantees actually asked for a timeframe, until this one:
“I want a guarantee that my site would rank for ‘travel’ in Google in top 10. I also want the contract to include by when you would get my site to rank.”
The following demand was from a client who’d been fooled before by a company guaranteeing rankings:
“I know what SEO is. Just tell me if you guarantee that the site would rank in top 5, ok top 10, in at least Google and Yahoo. I also want to know how long would it take. I also want a guarantee that the rankings would stay for at least 2 months.”
Why these SEO guarantees can’t be given ?
SEO firms don’t own search engines or search engine algorithms and don’t have control over how the results are displayed and how long the rankings would last for any site.
The SEO firms can’t realistically give the following guarantees:
1. The website would be indexed by all search engines its submitted to
a. All sites do get indexed though. They get indexed because search engines which allow free listings want to increase their database and give useful and new information to its users at all times. Paid search engines obviously index sites because they are paid for it. Why SEO firms can’t guarantee it because free search engines may take 2 – 3 weeks for indexing and also may not index a website if it has been previously banned.
b. Interestingly, no one even asks for a guarantee for getting indexed – it seems to be so because everyone is aware of the process. Also, most of the times the site is already listed with search engines due to their large database sharing model.
2. The website would rank for the keywords it is optimized for
a. Let alone top rankings, SEO firms can’t guarantee that sites would rank in top hundred either. SEO firms do not have access to the search engine algorithms nor does any SEO firm we know of has any kind of partnership with any search engine that allows them to rank their clients’ websites high in organic rankings.
b. If any firm is giving you such a guarantee, read the fine print. We’ll be discussing a lot of such Trick Guarantees in the next article.
c. Again, this is not to say that rankings don’t come. Rankings are achieved but purely on the basis of the Expert’s own understanding of the algorithm and research.
Hopefully, this blog will save at least some people from SEO marketing froud.
For more on SEO Fraud visit www.thebrandsaloon.com
Internet Marketing - An Extreme Sport
Sometimes we get nothing after studying and searching for hours after hours. Another time we can just casually find a source of inspiration to reach on the top. So take your time off when it gets dark in your mind, get relaxed and you will have the ideas and energy to conquer the world.
Why i consider internet marketing to be an extreme sport?
As it turns out, plenty! I went to a IPL T20 cricket match final in mumbai with my friends and, in between buying outrageously priced food, I thought about what cricket (or any sport) has in common with internet marketing. I know, you may think it's a bit of a stretch, but these simple analogies will make all of us to consider internet marketing to be an extreme sport.
1.Enter the ground with determination - Let's start with most apparent. You need to have sheer determination to rich the finish line or score the winnig run. You've got to have the same kind of determination to your business and your marketing efforts.
2.Take proper stance and be ready - It takes an intense focus and concentration to hit a 100 mile-per-hour fastball.You must be on you toes, ready to respond, and completely ready for anything that might be hit his way. Are you paying attention in your business? Are you nimble, prepared and ready to react?
3.Give it a real go - It's not the half-hearted shots that wins you matches, you need to swing hard for that. In your marketing efforts and in your business in general, you’ve got to take big swings. If you want to hit winning runs, you’ve got to swing for the fences!
4.Have a game plan - Just as an australian cricketer may make it look effortless, they never take the field without a game plan. Business, like cricket, is a game of strategy. Plan ahead. Study the competition. Know your strengths and weaknesses. And most important, execute.
5.Team game - No matter how good the individuals in the team are, it’s the team that wins cricket matches. While this is painfully obvious, you need to ask yourself how teamwork can benefit you. How can you use the combined efforts of your team to win?
6.Life lesson - The players we most admire are the guys who are as great off the field as they are on the field. You’ve got to bring your “A” game every day, both in business and in life!
7.Never give up - As they say in cricket "No game is over till the last ball is bowled", to succeed as an entrepreneur, you’re going to need that same kind of dogged persistence and determination.
8.Be aggressive - Good players always plays agressively. They run hard. They stretch full. They don't let up. How are you playing in your business? Can you put in even more effort? Can you push a little harder?
9.Use a variety of "weapons" - A champion team uses many different ways to win.They have a variety of weapons in their arsenal. Are you using an assortment of marketing weapons in your business? Look for ways to add some depth to your armoury and don’t rely on just one or two methods.
After considering these nine points, i am sure many readers will agree with me and apply things to their marketing campaign if they haven't yet.
For more on internet marketing visit http://www.thebrandsaloon.com/
Why i consider internet marketing to be an extreme sport?
As it turns out, plenty! I went to a IPL T20 cricket match final in mumbai with my friends and, in between buying outrageously priced food, I thought about what cricket (or any sport) has in common with internet marketing. I know, you may think it's a bit of a stretch, but these simple analogies will make all of us to consider internet marketing to be an extreme sport.
1.Enter the ground with determination - Let's start with most apparent. You need to have sheer determination to rich the finish line or score the winnig run. You've got to have the same kind of determination to your business and your marketing efforts.
2.Take proper stance and be ready - It takes an intense focus and concentration to hit a 100 mile-per-hour fastball.You must be on you toes, ready to respond, and completely ready for anything that might be hit his way. Are you paying attention in your business? Are you nimble, prepared and ready to react?
3.Give it a real go - It's not the half-hearted shots that wins you matches, you need to swing hard for that. In your marketing efforts and in your business in general, you’ve got to take big swings. If you want to hit winning runs, you’ve got to swing for the fences!
4.Have a game plan - Just as an australian cricketer may make it look effortless, they never take the field without a game plan. Business, like cricket, is a game of strategy. Plan ahead. Study the competition. Know your strengths and weaknesses. And most important, execute.
5.Team game - No matter how good the individuals in the team are, it’s the team that wins cricket matches. While this is painfully obvious, you need to ask yourself how teamwork can benefit you. How can you use the combined efforts of your team to win?
6.Life lesson - The players we most admire are the guys who are as great off the field as they are on the field. You’ve got to bring your “A” game every day, both in business and in life!
7.Never give up - As they say in cricket "No game is over till the last ball is bowled", to succeed as an entrepreneur, you’re going to need that same kind of dogged persistence and determination.
8.Be aggressive - Good players always plays agressively. They run hard. They stretch full. They don't let up. How are you playing in your business? Can you put in even more effort? Can you push a little harder?
9.Use a variety of "weapons" - A champion team uses many different ways to win.They have a variety of weapons in their arsenal. Are you using an assortment of marketing weapons in your business? Look for ways to add some depth to your armoury and don’t rely on just one or two methods.
After considering these nine points, i am sure many readers will agree with me and apply things to their marketing campaign if they haven't yet.
For more on internet marketing visit http://www.thebrandsaloon.com/
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