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Saturday, May. 19th 2012
The passage of anti-spam legislation made email advertising trickier than ever. CAN-SPAM is an Act that forbids unwanted solicitation by email. Can you still engage in email advertising? Of course you can. Email advertising is not illegal. However, CAN-SPAM does mean that you have to play by the rules.
Here is a brief summary of the way CAN-SPAM affects email advertising. If you follow these rules when conducting your email web marketing, you won’t be in violation of the law.
* Make sure you get permission to email people.
* Just to be safe, make sure people double opt-in.
* Make sure you have an unsubscribe option, and if people select it, that you unsubscribe them within 10 days. Make sure that unsubscribing is a one-click process.
* Make sure that the “From” address is the advertiser in the email.
* Don’t use a fake name to advertise.
* Use proper and legitimate subject headings. Don’t lie to get someone’s attention or to encourage him or her to open your email.
* Avoid garbage language – especially the word “free” – because spam filters tend to place these emails in junk folders or bulk folders and they won’t be read.
* Include a physical address in the email – it’s required under the law. It can be your business address or a post office box; it just has to be more than an email address.
If you follow these guidelines, you can usually carry on with your email advertising without a problem. If you use a list other than your own, make sure the person or company you acquire your list from follows these rules as well. You must also make sure the content of your emails is content the user agreed to receive when they signed up for the list.
Saturday, May. 19th 2012
While there are many different search engine marketing avenues you could take to build your online business, three in particular are considered the best. One of the best decisions you can make in creating a strong and successful website is to use all three. With these three search engine marketing elements, you immediately increase your chances of beating out your competition.
* Search Engine Optimization – Also known as SEO, search engine optimization is by far the best tool for search engine marketing. If you want to generate targeted traffic to your site, it is imperative that you use search engine optimization, which involves using relevant keywords and phrases that people use when they search for the kinds of products and services you offer. The goal with SEO is to get your website in a top ranking position on both large and small search engines.
* Pay-per-Click – The acronym for this type of search engine marketing is PPC, and the most popular PPC program is Google AdWords. Yes, pay-per-click can be costly but if managed carefully, it can increase the number of potential customers and, in turn, sales.
* Articles – The third important type of search engine marketing is writing articles. Keep in mind, if you are not comfortable doing your own writing, for a reasonable rate you can hire someone to do it for you. Articles need to be written in a way whereby people are provided useful information relating to the product/service you sell, while also being rich with keywords and phrases. Once the articles are completed, they need to be submitted to various article directories. By providing a link taking the reader back to your site, you increase the number of potential customers and increase your search engine ranking.
Many online businesses choose only one means of search engine marketing. While it might help to some degree, these businesses will never reach their full potential. Instead, by using these three methods you exponentially increase the potential for building and maintaining website traffic. Once your site begins to get more traffic, all you have to do is sit back and relax, enjoying the fruits of your labor while the marketing does the majority of the work for you.
The opportunities for search engine marketing and advertising are very exciting. However, with there being so much online competition, you need to take the extra steps to maintain your high search position. So, make sure to take advantage of other Internet marketing strategies as well.
Friday, May. 18th 2012
About a week and a half ago, we offered our opinion that Microsoft’s new ad campaign featuring Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld was, er, lacking. Now they’ve dropped the Gates-Seinfeld ads and rolled out the first of a new series. This on has a John Hodgman (the “I’m a PC” guy in Apple ads and a sometime-contributor to “The Daily Show”) clone pouting that, “I’m a PC and I’ve been stereotyped.”
Internet marketers aren’t the only ones left scratching their heads. So are ad exec and others who follow the software giant. According to Microsoft, “…the Bill-and-Jerry “teaser” ads give way to a new series of television ads that celebrate the diversity and passion of consumers around the world who use Windows to stay in touch with the people, information and ideas that they care about.”
The multi-year, multi-million dollar ad campaign is called “Life without Walls,” the walls representing the walls people face between computing, Web browsing, and mobile phones. Okay.
cnet News (news.cnet.com) quotes ad exec Kathy Sharpe as saying, “Casting Microsoft as a victim still doesn’t work for meÂ…. They aren’t victims. Apple just is smarter about this sort of thing.” AdWeekÂ’s Barbara Lippert called the campaign, “Altogether, beyond bizarre.”
It seems that waiting two years to respond to the clever and highly successful Mac ads is, well, just so like Microsoft.
WeÂ’ll stick with our original premise: Maybe Gates should be focusing his post-retirement attention on his philanthropic work.
Friday, May. 18th 2012
Are you ready to make a statement with your online business? Do you have a product or service that you know people want? After spending time and money getting your website up and running, do you need to get started in capturing Internet visibility? If so, then you certainly want to take the time to learn about the many different options specific to web linking.
The bottom line is that if web links are created the right way, they can have a dramatic impact on the number of people who visit your site and ultimately, the number of sales. Just make sure that you do not use web linking as the sole means of website promotion, since it is only one tool. However, web linking can make a huge difference in the level of success you enjoy. The following are the three most common avenues for web linking.
1. Inbound – Inbound web links are those that show up on other websites and direct traffic to your site. What makes inbound web links so easy to work with is that they can be placed in a variety of genres, including blog sites, articles, directories, and well-written press releases. No matter the direction, inbound web links need to have relevance to your site and the type of product or service you are selling. The result is that search engines rank your site much higher, and you ultimately enjoy more traffic.
2. Three-Way – Another popular type of web link is with three-ways. Actually, of all web links, this is by far the easiest to work with while still seeing a significant impact. Three-way web links work by having one website link to another, with the second website linking to a third site, and so on. While three-way web links can be done by the site owner, they can be time-consuming. Many people hire a professional third party and pay a fee for them to handle the process.
3. Reciprocal – Finally, reciprocal web links occur when your website links to other websites, and those sites linking back to your site. This is kind of an “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine” concept, which is why it works. Finding an online business that complements or enhances yours creates an alliance whereby both websites are using web links to not only boost their own business, but the business of the other site as well.
Remember, these methods of web linking are only three possibilities. There are many other opportunities for building links. For this reason, it is important to do your homework and make the right decision. Once the web links have been established, you can simply allow them to do the work for you, bringing more traffic to your site while you continue using other Internet marketing techniques.
Thursday, May. 17th 2012
When it comes to getting attention online, you know upfront that you will need to put in some effort and probably money to get your business off the ground. Therefore, if you are interested in creating an online business, you have to be prepared to make a few sacrifices until the time comes when the site makes money for you. However, with the right web marketing strategy, you can take a new site and make it a very powerful, moneymaking machine.
Web marketing is the key to being successful online. Knowing going in that you will be putting in time to get your site positioned on the Internet makes the process easier. Many people continue working a regular job while they work on getting an online business going. The expectation is to become successful enough with your website so that it becomes your primary source of income, and you can leave the other job behind.
A website can be very profitable but again, only if the right type of web marketing is used. Expect to spend several months setting the site up with a variety of marketing tools and resources. For instance, you want to look at web marketing methods such as forums, search engine optimization, article submission, website directory submission, video marketing, and much more.
As with building anything new and great, it takes time. One of the hardest parts of developing an online business is being patient. Obviously, people want their hard work to pay off quickly, but this is not realistic. The good news is that when done right, all of your efforts will pay off, big time! Some of the most successful businesses on the Internet went through the same process and growing pains, but look where they are today.
Interestingly, millions of people have been very successful with an online business. If you use solid web marketing strategies, there is no reason why you cannot enjoy the same success. Of course, if you are not comfortable in doing your own web marketing and advertising, there are many excellent companies out there that have the skills and tools to do it for you.
Many of these companies will not only help get you started, but they will also offer monitoring services to make sure you stay on top. In many instances, the expense of hiring a professional to help is worth it. Using a variety of web marketing options will move your website status from stagnant to vibrant.
Thursday, May. 17th 2012
For many years, methods of obtaining website content, white papers, and articles were very limited. Sure, readers could subscribe industry-specific online journals or libraries, but they basically had to know exactly what they were looking for in order to find information online. In the past, web site promotion methods were both expensive and ineffective, and a lot of money, time, and effort produced few results.
Today, web site promotion has changed dramatically. With millions of websites now online, selling products, services, and knowledge, the opportunities for gaining more Internet visibility has also increased. One way to increase traffic and promote a site is with content syndication.
One of the keys to making content syndication work for web site promotion is to make sure it is targeted to the right audience. In other words, while you can certainly promote your online business, you also need to be giving the customer something valuable. Focus the content on something that is of interest to your intended audience and then, as a means of promoting the site, create a resource box that includes the site’s name, URL, and perhaps a tagline.
After your content has been created, the goal with your web site promotion is to get the information out to ezines, newsletters, blogs, websites, and so on – any place that you think potential customers would visit. Remember, there are a large number of online businesses within a niche market that have interest in receiving monthly information. Therefore, make sure you include these in your search for web site promotion options, too.
Content syndication can also use RSS feeds, in which a subscriber automatically receives information. RSS feeds give you have a much better chance of getting information out to readers and reaching a broad audience.
Technology has changed dramatically over the years, providing you with myriad options for web site promotion. Using a variety of promotional tools and resources will push your site out in front of others, allowing you to enjoy the level of success that you have worked so hard to achieve.
Wednesday, May. 16th 2012
If you were told that you could increase web traffic for free, would it get your attention? For some reason, many people still believe that they have to spend a fortune to get noticed online. Sure, there are some Web traffic builder strategies that require some type of financial investment, but there are also a number of free options that will help increase web traffic. The following are just a few of the possibilities that you might want to consider to increase traffic to your website.
* Online Communities and Forums – Our first Web traffic builder tip is to take advantage of the thousands of online communities and forums. They cost absolutely nothing to visit or participate in. To increase your web traffic, you have to choose communities and websites that would be interested in what you have to sell. For instance, if you sell remote control cars or airplanes, then you would look for websites where people are talking about remote control cars and airplanes. To increase your web traffic, add a small signature line so that when you leave a message, readers see your website name and URL. However, before you start mildly promoting your site, spend a few weeks talking to people so they build up trust in you.
* Newsletters – Newsletters are another Web traffic builder strategy that’s absolutely free. Simply provide your website’s visitors with an option to subscribe to a weekly or monthly newsletter created and distributed by you. When you create your newsletter, focus on providing readers with informative and interesting articles that relate to the product or service you offer online.
* Links – An excellent way to increase web traffic is to exchange links. Like the old bartering system, you place your site’s link on another company’s website and vice versa. Choose a company that offers something similar to what you offer or a company that at least markets much the same niche. While this is an excellent marketing tool, make sure not to overcrowd your website with too many exchange links or it begins to lose its integrity and professionalism.
* Articles – If you love to write and enjoy providing people with helpful and interesting information, then article writing is right up your alley. In this Web traffic builder method, you write an article and submit it to article content hubs. Other websites can use your article, providing they keep your name and URL intact. You can use articles to not only help increase web traffic, but if the content is rich in keywords, you can also capture the attention of search engines. Therefore, you get the benefit of two marketing solutions in one.
Wednesday, May. 16th 2012
As part of their commemoration of their 10th anniversary, Google is reminiscing about the past and looking to the future of the Web through regular blog entries. Recently, Chad Hurley, the CEO and Co-Founder of YouTube, wrote a guest entry called, “The Future of Online Video.”
Chad notes that, “What used to be a gap between ‘professional’ entertainment companies and home movie buffs has disappeared. Everyone from major broadcasters and networks to vloggers and grandmas are taking to video to capture events, memories, stories, and much more in real time.”
He’s so right, and it’s something that anyone interested in Internet marketing should be aware of. Introducing video to your site, whether in the form of a vlog, instructional message, or sales message, is definitely worth considering. Chances are, your customers (and potential customers) are used to seeing video, and will increasingly see multimedia as an essential component of the buying process. The best part is, you don’t have to be a video whiz to make video part of your site. You can easily upload your video (in virtually any format) to YouTube, and then use their link to plug into your web page.
Chad concludes his Google post by saying:
In ten years, we believe that online video broadcasting will be the most ubiquitous and accessible form of communication. The tools for video recording will continue to become smaller and more affordable. Personal media devices will be universal and interconnected. Even more people will have the opportunity to record and share even more video with a small group of friends or everyone around the world.
Sounds about right!
Tuesday, May. 15th 2012
If you’ve recently launched a blog or website, you’re probably looking for ways to promote it. Arguably, the single most important aspect of website promotion for a new site is Web directory submission. This strategy can work in conjunction with link exchanges, article submissions, and even traffic exchanges. Each of these is highly effective but works in a slightly different way.
With Web directory submission, you are providing links to your website. All of the links sent to a website directory submission are indexed according to the appropriate category and subcategory. From there, you then submit your website to the category that best complements or enhances what you sell. As a result, you’ll be more likely to get noticed by search engines and increase your website traffic.
There are two primary options for Web directory submission: automatic submission and manual submission. With automatic submission, special software makes the process of submission easier, saving you time and effort. The first drawback to this method is that the software doesn’t always select the proper categories, thereby lessening or negating its effectively. The second drawback is that submitting to a large number of directories can have the unwanted effect of tagging your site as a spam site.
In contrast, manual Web directory submission provides the needed human touch, both in terms of the categories selected and in the number of submissions conducted over time. The manual method requires more dedication in time and effort, but there are excellent Internet marketing companies that can provide this service for you.
After a Web directory submission is complete, the directory will then check the content on the site prior to accepting it. Because of this, the process is more effective if you create a list of the top directories to where you want to submit. This includes looking for directories that have a one-way back link, which is a link on a website that points directly back to your own website.
Generally, the larger, more prominent search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN all use one-way back links in their ranking algorithms. Keep in mind that the goal is to create the most one-way back links possible, so your site will attain a high ranking position and display when people conduct an online search.
The process of Web directory submission is actually quite simple – but it is time-consuming. You will need to be prepared with links and site details; in some instances, a directory may require an anchor text. When you submit your website, you have to stick with a particular type of directory. For example, if you have a website that offers financial information and guidance, then you want to focus your attention on directories that relate to the financial arena. Because the price of getting Web directory submission wrong is so high (in terms of negatively impacting your search engine ranking), it pays to get professional help in manual submissions.
Tuesday, May. 15th 2012
To push past your competition and achieve success with an online business, you need targeted traffic. One of the best ways to use Internet marketing to drive traffic to your website is through banner advertising. Banners are small, clickable ads that contain graphics and other relevant information. They are effective because people tend to notice visual elements before they begin reading website content. In other words, banner ads are eye-catching.
Banner advertising is a straightforward form of Internet marketing. For instance, there are websites that offer banner advertising services. Typically, you pay a nominal monthly rate, which in turn allows you to place your advertisement on another website. It’s a relatively small investment to make in exchange for quickly driving high-quality visitors to your site.
If you don’t want to pay for this form of Internet marketing, there are also a variety of free banner exchanges. With this method, you use a service that is completely free, and which partners you with another website in a type of alliance. This means your website’s banner ad is placed on a website that would complement or enhance what you have to sell, and their banner ad would be placed on your site. Piggybacking off each other, sales increase for both sites.
When considering exchanging banner ads with other sites, keep in mind that the upper limit of banners you can display is relatively small. It’s important that your website remain easy to navigate and professional in appearance. So, if you have 100 banner ads on your site for other online businesses, your site appears cluttered and unprofessional. If this were to happen, instead of building traffic, you’d end up pushing potential customers away. Therefore, you need to be particular about the websites with which you work.
The bottom line is that Internet marketing in the form of banner ads works if done right. Just make sure your banner is placed prominently on others’ websites, so it can be easily seen and clicked on. Choose your alliances well and watch your traffic and conversions grow.
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