The Basics of Optimization
Many online sellers get frustrated with search engines regularly changing algorithms. But there are basic principles that haven’t changed through the years. Apply these tips to increase your rankings:
Tip 1—Don’t be too quick to change domain names. Google has an aging delay for any new domain—it can take up to a year for your keywords to start showing in the searches.
Tip 2—Optimize your site for your target audience, not the search engines. Always think about what impression your site gives your users—you’ll create a better site the engines will like.
Tip 3—Do KEYWORD RESEARCH extensively. Everything else revolves around the keyword phrases you choose, so it’s critical you choose the best ones. http://WordTracker.com and http://KeywordDiscovery.com are two information databases that show you what words people are searching for and suggest words you can use.
Tip 4—Design and categorize your site architecture and navigation based on your keyword research. Jill Whalen, founder of http://www.highrankings.com, says, “Your homepage should be optimized for the more general phrases…Your inner pages should be optimized for the more specific [ones].” If possible, use keyword phrases as your navigation words.
Tip 5—Program your site to be “crawler” friendly. Search engines send out “crawlers” to gather information from your site so they understand how to rank it.
• Create your links using HTML, not javascript. Crawlers can’t follow javascript and won’t be able to read your information.
• Don’t design your site in Flash—there’s nothing for the crawlers to read. If they can’t interpret the information, they can’t classify your site.
• Make sure your copy is HTML, not a graphic of a text. It may look like copy. But if you have a text graphic, all the crawlers will see is a blank page.
Tip 6—Label your internal text links and clickable image ALT attributes as descriptively as possible. Within the text links in your site, use the phrase that describes the page you’re clicking to. For image links, make sure those phrases are contained in the image’s code.
Tip 7—Write compelling copy for key pages of your site based on your chosen keyword phrases. Choose a few keyword phrases that apply to the particular page you’re writing and work those phrases into the copy.
Tip 8—Incorporate your keyword phrases into each page’s unique title tag. Title tags are given significant weight with search engines. The title tag is the information that shows up in the search engine results so it’s crucial that it be enticing, not just crammed with keywords.
Tip 9—Make sure your site is link-worthy. Search engines judge a site’s popularity by the number of links pointing to it. To make sure people will want to link to your site, you have to offer something worth linking to. Beyond your product or service, you need something that puts you over the top: an information service, a superior presentation, or great variety.
Tip 10—Don’t be married to any one keyword or phrase. Optimize for all the relevant phrases. Says Whalen, “If you can rank highly for a good portion of them, they’re going to add up to a lot more than just that one keyword phrase that you think is the good big money one.”
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Sabtu, 01 September 2012
Sabtu, 24 Desember 2011
How Use A Press Release To Get A Flood Of High Quality, One-Way Links To Your Website
In this article I want to give you a white-hat (read ethical good guys) search engine optimization technique to dramatically increase one-way links into your site.
You most probably know that in order to rank well you need lots of in-bound links, and not just any kind of link. They have to be links from thematically related web pages/web sites.
So let's say that you have a website about how to build a straw bale house. I order to get links to it, you are going to need to hunt down websites that are themed around "straw bale building", "sustainable building", " natural building", "green architecture" etc.
One of the quickest ways to get one-way links (not reciprocal links) is by sending out press releases. I have been using PRweb for this since 2004, primarily because they are a highly respected service and you can choose either a free or paid submission.
I recently submitted a press release for a software tool I had put together. I paid $80 to PRweb.com (you can submit your release for free though, but I wanted to increase my exposure) and here are the following stats to date:
Reads - 71,232 (This number shows how many times my press release was accessed on PRWeb).
Estimated Pickups - 2,491 (The number of times my release was picked up by a media outlet).
When I look in Google I see that this press release returns 399 results. All with links pointing back to my website. Not bad for about one hours work.
But remember, you can't just throw up a keyword stuffed press release in the vague hope that you will get distribution. Which is why I advise that you stay away from any so-called "press release submission software".
Think about it. Webmasters want to provide value to their visitors, so only good, high quality content will get picked up. Spam will not!
And as with search engine submission, you don't need to submit to every single search engine out there, you just need to get picked up by a couple and the rest follow. The same is true for submitting press releases, and PRWeb.com is the Google of the press release distribution services.
If you want to see an excellent example of how to write a search engine optimized press release take a look at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/10/prweb296086.htm for inspiration.
Also many folk are under the misunderstanding that the value of the link comes from being on the press release service, well that's not the case, the value of the link comes from the site that posts your press release. So the more thematically similar the publication site is to yours, the more value the link will carry. Yet another reason to submit high quality press releases.
You most probably know that in order to rank well you need lots of in-bound links, and not just any kind of link. They have to be links from thematically related web pages/web sites.
So let's say that you have a website about how to build a straw bale house. I order to get links to it, you are going to need to hunt down websites that are themed around "straw bale building", "sustainable building", " natural building", "green architecture" etc.
One of the quickest ways to get one-way links (not reciprocal links) is by sending out press releases. I have been using PRweb for this since 2004, primarily because they are a highly respected service and you can choose either a free or paid submission.
I recently submitted a press release for a software tool I had put together. I paid $80 to PRweb.com (you can submit your release for free though, but I wanted to increase my exposure) and here are the following stats to date:
Reads - 71,232 (This number shows how many times my press release was accessed on PRWeb).
Estimated Pickups - 2,491 (The number of times my release was picked up by a media outlet).
When I look in Google I see that this press release returns 399 results. All with links pointing back to my website. Not bad for about one hours work.
But remember, you can't just throw up a keyword stuffed press release in the vague hope that you will get distribution. Which is why I advise that you stay away from any so-called "press release submission software".
Think about it. Webmasters want to provide value to their visitors, so only good, high quality content will get picked up. Spam will not!
And as with search engine submission, you don't need to submit to every single search engine out there, you just need to get picked up by a couple and the rest follow. The same is true for submitting press releases, and PRWeb.com is the Google of the press release distribution services.
If you want to see an excellent example of how to write a search engine optimized press release take a look at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/10/prweb296086.htm for inspiration.
Also many folk are under the misunderstanding that the value of the link comes from being on the press release service, well that's not the case, the value of the link comes from the site that posts your press release. So the more thematically similar the publication site is to yours, the more value the link will carry. Yet another reason to submit high quality press releases.
Minggu, 23 Oktober 2011
Improving Your Website For More Sales
If you create more value for your customers, you will get more sales. So to increase your success you must make adding value to your website a top priority. This is directed towards Information marketing, (one of the best ways to make money), but can generally be applied to any web site. Here are some great tips to making your site the best it can be:
1.You can add more value by adding more pages to your site
Think about creating a whats new page or a FAQ page to increase your customer service. People will appreciate the new helpful information.
2.Add new products
You need to be adding to your current products to increase your sales. No one can buy from you more than once if you only have one product! This can also attract more customers if you write more material that wasn't in the first book, or if you write about a different topic in your niche market.
3.Test different versions of your website
The only real way to figure out exactly what website set-up is best is to make different versions, and test them out. Keep the one that makes the most sales!
4.Add audio
This can be a great selling point on your website. Adding audio creates a greater connection between you and your customers. The more they feel safe buying from you, the more often they will buy your product. Audio is also good because your customers are more likely to stop and listen to your audio then they are to read a sales letter. You can also use audio in combination with a sales letter.
5.Add testimonials
Your customers will love the reassurance of previous customer's great experiences with your product.
6.Improve current content
Add value to your current information to generate more sales. Create more chapters in your e book and maybe even widen your topic range. Widening your topic range creates more of a market and that means more customers. Just be careful to stay in your general market so your customers will still be interested. When you add more content you may want to have an idea in mind for a sequel.
7.Add more paragraphs to your sales letter
Add more text to your sales letter, so your customer gets more bang for their reading time. Don't forget to mention what your product can do for them and all the great things that are included!
Use these tips to keep your website updated and ready to take on your competition.
Best Wishes!
Maranda
Mann
1.You can add more value by adding more pages to your site
Think about creating a whats new page or a FAQ page to increase your customer service. People will appreciate the new helpful information.
2.Add new products
You need to be adding to your current products to increase your sales. No one can buy from you more than once if you only have one product! This can also attract more customers if you write more material that wasn't in the first book, or if you write about a different topic in your niche market.
3.Test different versions of your website
The only real way to figure out exactly what website set-up is best is to make different versions, and test them out. Keep the one that makes the most sales!
4.Add audio
This can be a great selling point on your website. Adding audio creates a greater connection between you and your customers. The more they feel safe buying from you, the more often they will buy your product. Audio is also good because your customers are more likely to stop and listen to your audio then they are to read a sales letter. You can also use audio in combination with a sales letter.
5.Add testimonials
Your customers will love the reassurance of previous customer's great experiences with your product.
6.Improve current content
Add value to your current information to generate more sales. Create more chapters in your e book and maybe even widen your topic range. Widening your topic range creates more of a market and that means more customers. Just be careful to stay in your general market so your customers will still be interested. When you add more content you may want to have an idea in mind for a sequel.
7.Add more paragraphs to your sales letter
Add more text to your sales letter, so your customer gets more bang for their reading time. Don't forget to mention what your product can do for them and all the great things that are included!
Use these tips to keep your website updated and ready to take on your competition.
Best Wishes!
Maranda
Mann
Kamis, 11 Agustus 2011
Viral Buzz Blogs Launches Toothbrush Entrepreneur
Austin entrepreneur, Richard Trocino had a great product idea. And, like thousands of other innovative inventors with a new product concept, bringing that idea into a marketplace dominated by long established brands with deep links and dominance in the retail outlets is challenging. In these days of mega corporations and Walmarts, VCs and small business defined by the government in the land of opportunity, one entrepreneur with a grand idea or product may be considered by any of those groups as irrelevant and insignificant. Another challenge faced by small businesses in today’s marketplace, like in Trocino’s case, is getting an idea produced and generating sales.
In spite of impossible odds, Trocino’s invention sells almost faster today than his factories can produce and distribute all over the world. The established companies that were given the opportunity to brand and produce it, now may be wishing they had not dismissed the popular product so readily. Not when the blogosphere is broadcasting around the globe faster and with more range than a speeding bullet; comments appearing include; “OHSO gets my nod for the most stylish and futuristic toothbrush/toothpaste contraption on the market today”, “The Coolest Toothbrush Ever”, and “World’s Most Elegant Travel Toothbrush”.
Trocino received micro level funding to get the prototypes built and into limited manufacturing through friends and family after attempts to license the product to both toothpaste and toothbrush companies fell on deaf ears. Similarly, Trocino found his innovation locked out of normal channels of retailing without the benefits of an established proven brand in the marketplace.
Discouraged, but undaunted Trocino abandoned efforts to take the product to market using traditional marketing methods. Instead, like entrepreneurs who have met with unexpected success throughout business history he proceeded by seat of the pants and gut instinct. Acting on a hunch, he put it out there exclusively in the world of the internet and ignored the traditional “wisdom” of standard marketing techniques—no phones, faxes, or printed paper junk mail—nothing but net. A guerrilla marketer does not have the luxury of the corporate behemoths who can afford (since it’s investor’s and stockholders money not their own) to throw 98% of their marketing dollars away on a numbers game in a business model that justifies and covers its inherent wastefulness by overcharging those sold customers the expenses of marketing to everyone else.
Trocino decided to be a “Swamp Fox” marketer, like General Francis Marion who befuddled the British in South Carolina during the Revolutionary war, and break all the rules of modern marketing warfare. Marketing is a form of warfare and many entrepreneurs have discovered the reality of today’s business battlefields. The corporations and financiers have in today’s market reality stacked the deck against upstart competition by raising the ante into the game of commerce. One unnamed entrepreneurial internet advice columnist estimates the cost of entry to even be considered for funding by an angel or VC group at between $25,000 and $250,000. That is merely for the development of the business plan, and pre-start up consulting, general expenses and to purchase access to their secretive inner circle. Trocino decided to wander into the unknown swamp of the internet and blogsphere and see what people would do when offered his innovation directly.
Trocino, like most entrepreneurs, is a risk taker, but like most smart business persons likes to reduce risk wherever possible. He knew a good concept poorly executed had little chance of success in the market, so he took his idea to a locally based but internationally known design firm called “Design Edge” and negotiated a co-marketing partnership for assistance in ‘packaging’ his innovation. Trocino knew that people who travel a lot would naturally respond favorably to the concept of an integrated toothpaste dispensing toothbrush in a self contained case that protects clothing in suitcases as well as keeps things neat and sanitary. With the co-marketing partnership with ‘Design Edge’ the product took on a new personality within a sexy futuristic design that takes the basic utilitarian idea and wraps it in fashionability and elegance.
Then with a few well chosen words, a friend with a good photographic eye and a smattering of html code, Trocino put up a website at http://www.goOHSO.com, and invited a few friends through http://MySpace.com to look at his new line of toothbrushes. MySpace would become the testing ground and ultimate launch pad for the rollout of his product.
With its stylish modern design and elegant photography, the buzz it generated in cyberspace was somewhat unexpected. In fact, it was explosive!
Driven by the dynamics of blogosphere where coolness and fashionability become badges of personal taste and sophistication, the OHSO toothbrush rapidly found its way onto the personal blogs of graphic designers, and jet setters as the coolest thing since crystal ice. When Josh Spears, the blogger’s blogger posted his rave of the sleek product, sales and global visibility exploded. Even the legendary Steven Wozniak, the cofounder of another innovative product, Apple computer, is counted among the OHSO toothbrush users and fans.
Today the product is available in high fashion boutiques in the swanky Beverly Hills bastions of elegance and among the cappuccino makers and executive toys on the shelves of Brookstone stores around the country. Blogs have elevated the sensible, functional, practical toothbrush for harried travelers into fashion statements that provide high status and cool despite it’s less than $20 price tag.
Not a bad state of affairs for the beaming Trocino who is today expanding the line with even more designs to satisfy the market demands. OHSO is a product that owes its success to a seat of the pants approach to beat the corporate gorillas with a bit of his own guerilla marketing. He simply put it out there in the vast uncharted cyber world where the old MBA strategies have no more influence on the hip youth market than the full color fall outs in the increasing unread Sunday paper.
Today freedom of the personal press in the global Blogsville rules a small voice with a message, or product like the OHSO toothbrush, can be magnified into a global phenomena. When people like what they see, they tell their friends, who today are everywhere. Just like Richard Trocino’s classy and well designed toothbrush.
In spite of impossible odds, Trocino’s invention sells almost faster today than his factories can produce and distribute all over the world. The established companies that were given the opportunity to brand and produce it, now may be wishing they had not dismissed the popular product so readily. Not when the blogosphere is broadcasting around the globe faster and with more range than a speeding bullet; comments appearing include; “OHSO gets my nod for the most stylish and futuristic toothbrush/toothpaste contraption on the market today”, “The Coolest Toothbrush Ever”, and “World’s Most Elegant Travel Toothbrush”.
Trocino received micro level funding to get the prototypes built and into limited manufacturing through friends and family after attempts to license the product to both toothpaste and toothbrush companies fell on deaf ears. Similarly, Trocino found his innovation locked out of normal channels of retailing without the benefits of an established proven brand in the marketplace.
Discouraged, but undaunted Trocino abandoned efforts to take the product to market using traditional marketing methods. Instead, like entrepreneurs who have met with unexpected success throughout business history he proceeded by seat of the pants and gut instinct. Acting on a hunch, he put it out there exclusively in the world of the internet and ignored the traditional “wisdom” of standard marketing techniques—no phones, faxes, or printed paper junk mail—nothing but net. A guerrilla marketer does not have the luxury of the corporate behemoths who can afford (since it’s investor’s and stockholders money not their own) to throw 98% of their marketing dollars away on a numbers game in a business model that justifies and covers its inherent wastefulness by overcharging those sold customers the expenses of marketing to everyone else.
Trocino decided to be a “Swamp Fox” marketer, like General Francis Marion who befuddled the British in South Carolina during the Revolutionary war, and break all the rules of modern marketing warfare. Marketing is a form of warfare and many entrepreneurs have discovered the reality of today’s business battlefields. The corporations and financiers have in today’s market reality stacked the deck against upstart competition by raising the ante into the game of commerce. One unnamed entrepreneurial internet advice columnist estimates the cost of entry to even be considered for funding by an angel or VC group at between $25,000 and $250,000. That is merely for the development of the business plan, and pre-start up consulting, general expenses and to purchase access to their secretive inner circle. Trocino decided to wander into the unknown swamp of the internet and blogsphere and see what people would do when offered his innovation directly.
Trocino, like most entrepreneurs, is a risk taker, but like most smart business persons likes to reduce risk wherever possible. He knew a good concept poorly executed had little chance of success in the market, so he took his idea to a locally based but internationally known design firm called “Design Edge” and negotiated a co-marketing partnership for assistance in ‘packaging’ his innovation. Trocino knew that people who travel a lot would naturally respond favorably to the concept of an integrated toothpaste dispensing toothbrush in a self contained case that protects clothing in suitcases as well as keeps things neat and sanitary. With the co-marketing partnership with ‘Design Edge’ the product took on a new personality within a sexy futuristic design that takes the basic utilitarian idea and wraps it in fashionability and elegance.
Then with a few well chosen words, a friend with a good photographic eye and a smattering of html code, Trocino put up a website at http://www.goOHSO.com, and invited a few friends through http://MySpace.com to look at his new line of toothbrushes. MySpace would become the testing ground and ultimate launch pad for the rollout of his product.
With its stylish modern design and elegant photography, the buzz it generated in cyberspace was somewhat unexpected. In fact, it was explosive!
Driven by the dynamics of blogosphere where coolness and fashionability become badges of personal taste and sophistication, the OHSO toothbrush rapidly found its way onto the personal blogs of graphic designers, and jet setters as the coolest thing since crystal ice. When Josh Spears, the blogger’s blogger posted his rave of the sleek product, sales and global visibility exploded. Even the legendary Steven Wozniak, the cofounder of another innovative product, Apple computer, is counted among the OHSO toothbrush users and fans.
Today the product is available in high fashion boutiques in the swanky Beverly Hills bastions of elegance and among the cappuccino makers and executive toys on the shelves of Brookstone stores around the country. Blogs have elevated the sensible, functional, practical toothbrush for harried travelers into fashion statements that provide high status and cool despite it’s less than $20 price tag.
Not a bad state of affairs for the beaming Trocino who is today expanding the line with even more designs to satisfy the market demands. OHSO is a product that owes its success to a seat of the pants approach to beat the corporate gorillas with a bit of his own guerilla marketing. He simply put it out there in the vast uncharted cyber world where the old MBA strategies have no more influence on the hip youth market than the full color fall outs in the increasing unread Sunday paper.
Today freedom of the personal press in the global Blogsville rules a small voice with a message, or product like the OHSO toothbrush, can be magnified into a global phenomena. When people like what they see, they tell their friends, who today are everywhere. Just like Richard Trocino’s classy and well designed toothbrush.
Rabu, 10 Agustus 2011
Invasion of the Blogs: Is a blog right for your business
Lemmings are cute, but dumb. If you tell them to jump off a cliff, they will. Just like the people who start blogs because everyone is doing it. Guess what happens after a little while? The blogs die.
In managing a list of many Web sites, most of which are blogs, I deleted countless sites from the list because the sites and blogs no longer existed. The people ran out of steam or had no reason to start them in the first place.
How do you know when a blog is right for your business? Learn why people start blogs, how they find their niche and how blogging tools can be used for more than blogs.
Blog content is king
Some people like to read blogs, others like to read newsletters, still others like to rely on feeds and some read a few or all of them. No matter the method the information is distributed, each medium has one thing in common: content. Having a blog connects your newsletter and your business with all of these readers and delivers important content in a particular style.
I've been blogging since June 2000. If you review my early blog entries in meryl's notes, you'll notice they're more personal. When blogs first hit the scene in the late '90s, they were personal diaries and journals. Like the blog business, my blog has transformed from personal to business speak, although I still add personal notes here and there.
A few bloggers tend to talk about their work, their products and their little world. That might work for celebrities where fans want to know everything about them, but it doesn't work for the average business person. Other business people want information on how to succeed and when a blog spends time hawking products offering information of no value, few people will return. The people whose products sell well are the ones who provide valuable information. Readers already know what kind of information they're getting, so they trust that when they buy something, it will be of the same or better quality. This value must be reflected in their blog. It's much like people who only sign up for a newsletter after first seeing an example.
Who should venture where one has not blogged before?
No one wants to be a lemming (I would hope). How do you decide whether or not to set up a blog? The answer isn't black or white (what did you expect?). Ask these questions:
The big decider is whether or not you can write in the blog almost daily. The people behind the high traffic blogs post multiple times a day. Though resourceful, merely linking to other sites doesn't give visitors much reason to make the effort to come to yours. Reading other blogs or feeds is a great way to learn how to carry a discussion. Find other blogs covering topics similar to yours and check them out. Disagree with their opinions? Write about it and explain your reasons. Cross-blog discussions are common, and that's where trackback comes in handy.
Trackback is a blog feature. If you decide to comment on another blog posting in your blog instead of in that blog's comments page, then you link to the conversation through the trackback link. Trackback is similar to the permalink, the permanent URL for the blog entry, but it has a different URL for copying and pasting in your blog's trackback box.
Aside from the technical aspects of operating a blog on a daily basis, subscriber list size and Web site traffic are good indicators of what kind of reaction you'll get when opening a blog. Starting from scratch with little traffic means you have a long road ahead and lots of work to do. There is no magic formula anyone can sell you for $97 to make your blog an overnight success. But with some perseverance and ingenuity, your blog can engage many prospects and clients.
Pick a niche
Considering there are numerous blogs out there, pick a niche topic when starting a blog for a better shot at attracting and keeping an audience. meryl's notes focuses on three areas: webby, geeky and wordy. In reality, this is too much. What I need to do for my readers is create three separate blog entry points, so those interested in writing, newsletters and Internet marketing get nothing but the wordy entries. Those interested in Web design get the webby stuff and the technophiles receive the geeky content.
I also manage a personal blog separate from meryl's notes. It's about cochlear implants and deafness. This could fall under the geeky category, but it's a personal blog and doesn't belong in meryl's notes. This blog is written for a different audience.
The blogging tools for both of my blogs come with syndication capabilities so those using feed readers or aggregators can read the content through the software. For an explanation of syndication and feed readers, refer to What Is This RSS, XML, RDF, and Atom Business? When sending a new issue of a newsletter, comment on it or link to it in the blog, that way the blog and feed readers will get the goods, so all three bases are covered.
Blogs in disguise use the same tools
Blogging tools aren't just for, well, blogging. Such tools are an excellent way to help you update your Web site more often than you otherwise would. I use it to manage the list of tableless Web sites. Using blogging tools is much easier than the way I managed it before, updating the HTML files by hand. Though using a blog tool, it isn't a blog. In this case, the blog tool has become a content management system (CMS).
Small business owners don't have a need for the fancy and pricey CMSes out there. They find it easier to use blogging software to manage their sites or hire someone to adapt the tool for their site.
Blogs have found a place in businesses and people are finding creative ways to use them. Some companies have a blog on the intranet for communicating project status, jeopardies and metrics. They're used for knowledge management. With information pouring in, blog tools provide a way to share, organize and process the information.
Being a follower can be good or bad. No one wants to walk off a cliff with the lemmings, but everyone wants to succeed. Best practices won't help, since the decision to blog is based on the organization's mission, needs and goals along with its target market's desires and needs. A blog about lemmings? There is one, sort of. Or maybe you'd like to start your own and talk about dumb business moves.
In managing a list of many Web sites, most of which are blogs, I deleted countless sites from the list because the sites and blogs no longer existed. The people ran out of steam or had no reason to start them in the first place.
How do you know when a blog is right for your business? Learn why people start blogs, how they find their niche and how blogging tools can be used for more than blogs.
Blog content is king
Some people like to read blogs, others like to read newsletters, still others like to rely on feeds and some read a few or all of them. No matter the method the information is distributed, each medium has one thing in common: content. Having a blog connects your newsletter and your business with all of these readers and delivers important content in a particular style.
I've been blogging since June 2000. If you review my early blog entries in meryl's notes, you'll notice they're more personal. When blogs first hit the scene in the late '90s, they were personal diaries and journals. Like the blog business, my blog has transformed from personal to business speak, although I still add personal notes here and there.
A few bloggers tend to talk about their work, their products and their little world. That might work for celebrities where fans want to know everything about them, but it doesn't work for the average business person. Other business people want information on how to succeed and when a blog spends time hawking products offering information of no value, few people will return. The people whose products sell well are the ones who provide valuable information. Readers already know what kind of information they're getting, so they trust that when they buy something, it will be of the same or better quality. This value must be reflected in their blog. It's much like people who only sign up for a newsletter after first seeing an example.
Who should venture where one has not blogged before?
No one wants to be a lemming (I would hope). How do you decide whether or not to set up a blog? The answer isn't black or white (what did you expect?). Ask these questions:
- Can you regularly update it -- at least five times a week?
- Do you have something to say other than just linking to others?
- Do you read other blogs or feeds?
- Can you provide information of value to others not just to yourself?
- How large is your newsletter subscriber list?
- How many unique visitors do you get on an average day, week or month?
The big decider is whether or not you can write in the blog almost daily. The people behind the high traffic blogs post multiple times a day. Though resourceful, merely linking to other sites doesn't give visitors much reason to make the effort to come to yours. Reading other blogs or feeds is a great way to learn how to carry a discussion. Find other blogs covering topics similar to yours and check them out. Disagree with their opinions? Write about it and explain your reasons. Cross-blog discussions are common, and that's where trackback comes in handy.
Trackback is a blog feature. If you decide to comment on another blog posting in your blog instead of in that blog's comments page, then you link to the conversation through the trackback link. Trackback is similar to the permalink, the permanent URL for the blog entry, but it has a different URL for copying and pasting in your blog's trackback box.
Aside from the technical aspects of operating a blog on a daily basis, subscriber list size and Web site traffic are good indicators of what kind of reaction you'll get when opening a blog. Starting from scratch with little traffic means you have a long road ahead and lots of work to do. There is no magic formula anyone can sell you for $97 to make your blog an overnight success. But with some perseverance and ingenuity, your blog can engage many prospects and clients.
Pick a niche
Considering there are numerous blogs out there, pick a niche topic when starting a blog for a better shot at attracting and keeping an audience. meryl's notes focuses on three areas: webby, geeky and wordy. In reality, this is too much. What I need to do for my readers is create three separate blog entry points, so those interested in writing, newsletters and Internet marketing get nothing but the wordy entries. Those interested in Web design get the webby stuff and the technophiles receive the geeky content.
I also manage a personal blog separate from meryl's notes. It's about cochlear implants and deafness. This could fall under the geeky category, but it's a personal blog and doesn't belong in meryl's notes. This blog is written for a different audience.
The blogging tools for both of my blogs come with syndication capabilities so those using feed readers or aggregators can read the content through the software. For an explanation of syndication and feed readers, refer to What Is This RSS, XML, RDF, and Atom Business? When sending a new issue of a newsletter, comment on it or link to it in the blog, that way the blog and feed readers will get the goods, so all three bases are covered.
Blogs in disguise use the same tools
Blogging tools aren't just for, well, blogging. Such tools are an excellent way to help you update your Web site more often than you otherwise would. I use it to manage the list of tableless Web sites. Using blogging tools is much easier than the way I managed it before, updating the HTML files by hand. Though using a blog tool, it isn't a blog. In this case, the blog tool has become a content management system (CMS).
Small business owners don't have a need for the fancy and pricey CMSes out there. They find it easier to use blogging software to manage their sites or hire someone to adapt the tool for their site.
Blogs have found a place in businesses and people are finding creative ways to use them. Some companies have a blog on the intranet for communicating project status, jeopardies and metrics. They're used for knowledge management. With information pouring in, blog tools provide a way to share, organize and process the information.
Being a follower can be good or bad. No one wants to walk off a cliff with the lemmings, but everyone wants to succeed. Best practices won't help, since the decision to blog is based on the organization's mission, needs and goals along with its target market's desires and needs. A blog about lemmings? There is one, sort of. Or maybe you'd like to start your own and talk about dumb business moves.
Selasa, 12 April 2011
Get the word out: Promoting your home business
It’s an exciting adventure that you’re about to begin by being self-employed. It’s time to let everyone know about your soon-to-be successful company by promoting your home business.
While hiring a marketing or public relations firm is an easy option, since you are just starting out, it may be a tool you cannot yet afford. If this is the case, it is up to you to develop different media means to promoting your home business.
The most obvious is starting a Web site. There are many freelances out there who would gladly do this for you for a fee, but this is not really necessary if you have basic computer skills. Several sites are dedicated to instructing you on a step-by-step procedure on how to create a Web site for promoting your home business. Many provide usage for a price, but there are some out there in which you can use for no cost at all. This would be a practical option. A free site might not offer all the flourishes of a paid-for one, but as your first priority would be simply promoting your home business, other features, graphics and designs can be added once the money starts rolling in and you have extra cash to spend on creating a stand out site.
Writing a weekly or monthly newsletter is also a great marketing tool in promoting your home business. Fill the copy with your personal background, services provided and costs involved. Update your newsletter with savings advertisements, new services offered and comments from pleased customers when promoting your home business through a newsletter.
While posting a link or subscriber option to your web site for the newsletter is a given, additional initiative must be taken as part of promoting your home business. Obtain e-mail addresses of several companies or individuals who might be interested in using your services. Shoot for the addresses of actual people rather than sending a letter promoting your home business to a general business site. You are then taking the risk of becoming a deleted spam file.
If your home business is a local one, such as a day care or accounting service, advertise in your local newspapers and trade magazines. Coupons always catch a consumers eye, so including them in your ad would be a key tool in promoting your home business. Offering a 10 percent discount is always a plus.
Also, holding contests with prizes would catch they eye of a newspaper or magazine browser. Consider making the prize a week of free service or a sales item.
Lastly, get some business cards together as part of promoting your home business. You can design and print them using a home computer or pay a professional printer who may have additional design ideas that would capture consumer’s attention. Distribute your business cards to individuals and companies, and post them in every store that offers a free advertising billboard.
While hiring a marketing or public relations firm is an easy option, since you are just starting out, it may be a tool you cannot yet afford. If this is the case, it is up to you to develop different media means to promoting your home business.
The most obvious is starting a Web site. There are many freelances out there who would gladly do this for you for a fee, but this is not really necessary if you have basic computer skills. Several sites are dedicated to instructing you on a step-by-step procedure on how to create a Web site for promoting your home business. Many provide usage for a price, but there are some out there in which you can use for no cost at all. This would be a practical option. A free site might not offer all the flourishes of a paid-for one, but as your first priority would be simply promoting your home business, other features, graphics and designs can be added once the money starts rolling in and you have extra cash to spend on creating a stand out site.
Writing a weekly or monthly newsletter is also a great marketing tool in promoting your home business. Fill the copy with your personal background, services provided and costs involved. Update your newsletter with savings advertisements, new services offered and comments from pleased customers when promoting your home business through a newsletter.
While posting a link or subscriber option to your web site for the newsletter is a given, additional initiative must be taken as part of promoting your home business. Obtain e-mail addresses of several companies or individuals who might be interested in using your services. Shoot for the addresses of actual people rather than sending a letter promoting your home business to a general business site. You are then taking the risk of becoming a deleted spam file.
If your home business is a local one, such as a day care or accounting service, advertise in your local newspapers and trade magazines. Coupons always catch a consumers eye, so including them in your ad would be a key tool in promoting your home business. Offering a 10 percent discount is always a plus.
Also, holding contests with prizes would catch they eye of a newspaper or magazine browser. Consider making the prize a week of free service or a sales item.
Lastly, get some business cards together as part of promoting your home business. You can design and print them using a home computer or pay a professional printer who may have additional design ideas that would capture consumer’s attention. Distribute your business cards to individuals and companies, and post them in every store that offers a free advertising billboard.
Kamis, 03 Februari 2011
Why Should You as An Employer be Concerned About Blogs ?
Blogging. It sounds like something that only geeks could love. Yet, blogging is now being done by geeks and non-techies alike. This could and should concern you as an employer because blogs have the grave potential to threaten your business as well as your business image and reputation.
Blogs, which is a common term for Internet Web Logs, are being used commonly and frequently by individuals to post information ranging from news and opinions, gossip and photos about businesses. Often, blogs have the air and appearance of professional online journals.
Blogs have become more and more popular because of their simple ease of creation and use. Internet Web Logs have been around for some time. But as is often the case in the world of computers “ease of use “is everything. Anyone at no or little cost can set up and post on Blogs of their choice.
Blogs provide their bloggers audiences as large and diverse as the Internet itself. That is why we are witnessing journalists,
political parties, individuals, organizations and even businesses increasingly embrace blogs to communicate their messages to online audiences.
The number of blogs on the Internet ranges widely.
Blogpulse, a blog authority “, indexed the startling count of 30 Million blogs, as of the end of June 2006 while StrokonBlog Research , another blog authority claimed 60 Million blogs counted May 2005.
Interestingly, and perhaps not surprisingly, blogs are appealing to a younger audience. It has been estimated that 60 % of most bloggers are under 19 years of age. It is very safe to say that blogs will become more relevant to businesses as all these younger bloggers come of age and join the work force in the coming years.
Most blogs can be considered quite harmless. In fact the sign of a progressive business is one that embraces blogs and blogging as an effective means to communicate in an interactive innovative manner. As well blogs can be a most useful tool to conduct market research on trends as well as conduct customer research. Remember the rule that 85 % of your business comes from 15 % of your customers. Blogs can be an inexpensive way to target and interrract for that vital 15 % of your customer base.
This makes good sense considering people are reading blogs more and more. Last year the consumer research firm Ipsos-Reid reported that 42 % of the general population gas read a blog at least once. And remember this is a count of the overall general population not those that have computers and general computer skills.
You as an employer however should be concerned about the negative impacts that individuals can mete out on targeted individuals and businesses. That is because some bloggers have used the online platform as effective powerful tools for attacks on businesses and their current or former employers.
Employers should be highly concerned about the blogging activities of their employees. That is because employees, who use blogs can, among other things engage in copyright violations, defamation as well as divulge corporate strategy and trade secrets.
The unbelievable thing about a blog is that once published it remains on the internet until the blog is edited, the whole blog is deleted or the server computer on the other side of the world which is hosting the blog is turned off so to speak.
Being on the internet the blog is both public to anyone anywhere in the world with internet access. Specific information can be easily searched across the internet through the standard search engine tools.
Seemingly innocuous information can be the final link in a competitor's puzzle or can be used for “social engineering “to trick staff into divulging vital corporate information to outsiders pretending to be staff members. One need not have the keys anymore to the plant just information.
Seemingly harmless information on the blog can even be used to guess passwords. It is amazing the percentage of people who use their address, birthday as well as wife's, kids or dog's name for email and security passwords.
Employees who write blogs in the course of their employment activities are easier to manage with company policies and procedures. Employees that write their own personal blogs, outside of their work hours, can raise more challenges for employers.
Here are several steps you as an employer can utilize to protect your business from damaging employee blogs and bloggers.
1) Create a work environment where ideas can be freely exchanged
2) Reference blogging in employee policy and handbooks
3) Insist that employees place disclaimers on their personal blogs
4) Require employees to sign a non-disclosure contract as a standard in employment. And ensure that older employees as well as new hires are required to sign this form.
As part of this policy make it clear that release of confidential corporate information is legal grounds for immediate dismissal from the firm.
5) As part of the firm's policy manuals and guidelines prohibit employees from publishing defamatory blogs about your business, co-workers or clients.
Blogs are an emerging reality in the workplace. Progressive businesses would be well advised to take note and take steps to protect their vital business, employees and customers as well as their vital image and reputation.
Blogs are a powerful tool in today's business climate which can be used for good or bad. Remember it can only take one blog entry to destroy your business image or customer base that took 20 years to develop and nature.
Blogs, which is a common term for Internet Web Logs, are being used commonly and frequently by individuals to post information ranging from news and opinions, gossip and photos about businesses. Often, blogs have the air and appearance of professional online journals.
Blogs have become more and more popular because of their simple ease of creation and use. Internet Web Logs have been around for some time. But as is often the case in the world of computers “ease of use “is everything. Anyone at no or little cost can set up and post on Blogs of their choice.
Blogs provide their bloggers audiences as large and diverse as the Internet itself. That is why we are witnessing journalists,
political parties, individuals, organizations and even businesses increasingly embrace blogs to communicate their messages to online audiences.
The number of blogs on the Internet ranges widely.
Blogpulse, a blog authority “, indexed the startling count of 30 Million blogs, as of the end of June 2006 while StrokonBlog Research , another blog authority claimed 60 Million blogs counted May 2005.
Interestingly, and perhaps not surprisingly, blogs are appealing to a younger audience. It has been estimated that 60 % of most bloggers are under 19 years of age. It is very safe to say that blogs will become more relevant to businesses as all these younger bloggers come of age and join the work force in the coming years.
Most blogs can be considered quite harmless. In fact the sign of a progressive business is one that embraces blogs and blogging as an effective means to communicate in an interactive innovative manner. As well blogs can be a most useful tool to conduct market research on trends as well as conduct customer research. Remember the rule that 85 % of your business comes from 15 % of your customers. Blogs can be an inexpensive way to target and interrract for that vital 15 % of your customer base.
This makes good sense considering people are reading blogs more and more. Last year the consumer research firm Ipsos-Reid reported that 42 % of the general population gas read a blog at least once. And remember this is a count of the overall general population not those that have computers and general computer skills.
You as an employer however should be concerned about the negative impacts that individuals can mete out on targeted individuals and businesses. That is because some bloggers have used the online platform as effective powerful tools for attacks on businesses and their current or former employers.
Employers should be highly concerned about the blogging activities of their employees. That is because employees, who use blogs can, among other things engage in copyright violations, defamation as well as divulge corporate strategy and trade secrets.
The unbelievable thing about a blog is that once published it remains on the internet until the blog is edited, the whole blog is deleted or the server computer on the other side of the world which is hosting the blog is turned off so to speak.
Being on the internet the blog is both public to anyone anywhere in the world with internet access. Specific information can be easily searched across the internet through the standard search engine tools.
Seemingly innocuous information can be the final link in a competitor's puzzle or can be used for “social engineering “to trick staff into divulging vital corporate information to outsiders pretending to be staff members. One need not have the keys anymore to the plant just information.
Seemingly harmless information on the blog can even be used to guess passwords. It is amazing the percentage of people who use their address, birthday as well as wife's, kids or dog's name for email and security passwords.
Employees who write blogs in the course of their employment activities are easier to manage with company policies and procedures. Employees that write their own personal blogs, outside of their work hours, can raise more challenges for employers.
Here are several steps you as an employer can utilize to protect your business from damaging employee blogs and bloggers.
1) Create a work environment where ideas can be freely exchanged
2) Reference blogging in employee policy and handbooks
3) Insist that employees place disclaimers on their personal blogs
4) Require employees to sign a non-disclosure contract as a standard in employment. And ensure that older employees as well as new hires are required to sign this form.
As part of this policy make it clear that release of confidential corporate information is legal grounds for immediate dismissal from the firm.
5) As part of the firm's policy manuals and guidelines prohibit employees from publishing defamatory blogs about your business, co-workers or clients.
Blogs are an emerging reality in the workplace. Progressive businesses would be well advised to take note and take steps to protect their vital business, employees and customers as well as their vital image and reputation.
Blogs are a powerful tool in today's business climate which can be used for good or bad. Remember it can only take one blog entry to destroy your business image or customer base that took 20 years to develop and nature.
Minggu, 23 Januari 2011
How to Write Effective Copy for Your Company’s Blog
Weblogs, more commonly known as blogs, are spreading feverishly across the Internet. According to Robyn Aber of Cisco Systems Inc., about four million blogs populate the Web. Though most private individuals maintain blogs, many companies are beginning to launch company blogs to communicate and interact with their clients, customers, and the public.
How can you create a company blog that outshines and outlasts every other blog? And how do you hypnotize readers to keep coming back? This article provides tips to write effective, attention-arresting blog copy and shows how you can develop reader and customer loyalty.
1. WRITE CONVERSATIONALLY.
The most engaging blogs speak to their audience in a casual and conversational tone. A big benefit of a blog is its ability to speak to readers in a way that is personal, candid and straightforward. Write your blog the same way you’d speak to your audience, face to face. The personal element is almost always what attracts people and keeps them coming back to your blog.
Amy Joyce of the Washington Post says, “Web logs—or blogs—started as a way to talk about new technologies, vent about life and interact in a no-holds-barred forum. Since blogs became the next big thing, an increasing number of companies have come to see them as the next great public relations vehicle—a way for executives to show their casual, interactive side. But, of course, the executives do nothing of the sort. Their attempts at hip, guerrilla-style blogging are often pained—and painful.”
To avoid this pitfall, simply be yourself. The best blogs reveal the interests, opinions, and personality of the writer. Your perspective, personal and professional, is unique in all the world. Let it shine through, and your blog will automatically be one-of-a-kind. An interesting blog will bring back customers again and again and will generate priceless interest in your company.
2. TELL STORIES.
Readers want to know things they already don’t know about your company. They want to know what the products, services, people, challenges, and innovations in your organization are really like. If you give them a glimpse of the inner workings, express your opinions boldly, and tell engaging stories, you will foster reader interest and loyalty. In a biography, both interviews and quotations usually are the most intriguing parts. Think of your company blog as a business biography. Personalize it with your unique thoughts and perspective.
3. MAKE IT PERSONAL.
Write about what you know. Draw from your expertise to inform the public about the finer points of your business. Detailing development ideas, setbacks, successes, and reactions reveals the human element and engages the reader. It’s fine to talk about new products and innovations, but blogs devoted mostly to marketing and promotion are the most boring and least popular of company blogs. Make these topics more appealing to readers by framing such announcements with personal impressions and insights. Customers want to feel a kinship with the brand. Letting them in on the details of your business will make them feel part of your company culture and increase the chances of their lifetime loyalty.
4. UPDATE FREQUENTLY.
Once you have established a good reader base, offer new insights regularly to reward surfers for coming back. Not only does this provide more information and exposure, but it also reflects that your company is active and on top of things. Link to current articles from other sources to keep readers abreast of developments in your sector. A rarely-updated blog feels stale and tired. This is not the reputation you want your company to have!
5. ADHERE TO COMPANY RULES.
You are personally responsible for whatever material you publish on your company blog. Respect the confidentiality of your organization and employees. Though you may express disagreements or concerns, do not make personal attacks or use the blog to air petty complaints. Do not reveal proprietary information; and avoid discussing revenue, share price, or other financial statistics. Observe copyright law, and quote sources as you would in any other document. Make sure what you write in the company blog reflects the company’s goals. Keep in mind the ultimate goal of most company blogs is to increase visibility and promote the exchange of information. While most companies allow and encourage blogging on company time, you should avoid letting your writing time interfere with your regular workload.
6. WRITE GRAMMATICALLY.
Finally, make sure that what you write is grammatical. Your blog entries reflect your company, and you want to give the best possible impression of the organization and its personnel. The Internet is rife with bad English. Though blogs tend to be relaxed in tone, it is no more appropriate to ignore standard English than it is to wear flip-flops and swimming trunks on casual Friday. Use a program like StyleWriter ( http://www.StyleWriter-USA.com ) or White Smoke ( http://www.WhiteSmokeSoftware.com ) to find and fix embarrassing grammar mistakes and help you write like a pro.
A company blog is an excellent tool for promotion, communication, and information. The tips outlined here will help elevate your blog and generate traffic and interest. Good luck, and welcome to the wonderful world of blogging!
For more articles on business writing and writing for blogs, visit http://www.ElectronicWritingCourse.com or http://www.ReadabilityFormulas.com and click on “Free Articles.”
How can you create a company blog that outshines and outlasts every other blog? And how do you hypnotize readers to keep coming back? This article provides tips to write effective, attention-arresting blog copy and shows how you can develop reader and customer loyalty.
1. WRITE CONVERSATIONALLY.
The most engaging blogs speak to their audience in a casual and conversational tone. A big benefit of a blog is its ability to speak to readers in a way that is personal, candid and straightforward. Write your blog the same way you’d speak to your audience, face to face. The personal element is almost always what attracts people and keeps them coming back to your blog.
Amy Joyce of the Washington Post says, “Web logs—or blogs—started as a way to talk about new technologies, vent about life and interact in a no-holds-barred forum. Since blogs became the next big thing, an increasing number of companies have come to see them as the next great public relations vehicle—a way for executives to show their casual, interactive side. But, of course, the executives do nothing of the sort. Their attempts at hip, guerrilla-style blogging are often pained—and painful.”
To avoid this pitfall, simply be yourself. The best blogs reveal the interests, opinions, and personality of the writer. Your perspective, personal and professional, is unique in all the world. Let it shine through, and your blog will automatically be one-of-a-kind. An interesting blog will bring back customers again and again and will generate priceless interest in your company.
2. TELL STORIES.
Readers want to know things they already don’t know about your company. They want to know what the products, services, people, challenges, and innovations in your organization are really like. If you give them a glimpse of the inner workings, express your opinions boldly, and tell engaging stories, you will foster reader interest and loyalty. In a biography, both interviews and quotations usually are the most intriguing parts. Think of your company blog as a business biography. Personalize it with your unique thoughts and perspective.
3. MAKE IT PERSONAL.
Write about what you know. Draw from your expertise to inform the public about the finer points of your business. Detailing development ideas, setbacks, successes, and reactions reveals the human element and engages the reader. It’s fine to talk about new products and innovations, but blogs devoted mostly to marketing and promotion are the most boring and least popular of company blogs. Make these topics more appealing to readers by framing such announcements with personal impressions and insights. Customers want to feel a kinship with the brand. Letting them in on the details of your business will make them feel part of your company culture and increase the chances of their lifetime loyalty.
4. UPDATE FREQUENTLY.
Once you have established a good reader base, offer new insights regularly to reward surfers for coming back. Not only does this provide more information and exposure, but it also reflects that your company is active and on top of things. Link to current articles from other sources to keep readers abreast of developments in your sector. A rarely-updated blog feels stale and tired. This is not the reputation you want your company to have!
5. ADHERE TO COMPANY RULES.
You are personally responsible for whatever material you publish on your company blog. Respect the confidentiality of your organization and employees. Though you may express disagreements or concerns, do not make personal attacks or use the blog to air petty complaints. Do not reveal proprietary information; and avoid discussing revenue, share price, or other financial statistics. Observe copyright law, and quote sources as you would in any other document. Make sure what you write in the company blog reflects the company’s goals. Keep in mind the ultimate goal of most company blogs is to increase visibility and promote the exchange of information. While most companies allow and encourage blogging on company time, you should avoid letting your writing time interfere with your regular workload.
6. WRITE GRAMMATICALLY.
Finally, make sure that what you write is grammatical. Your blog entries reflect your company, and you want to give the best possible impression of the organization and its personnel. The Internet is rife with bad English. Though blogs tend to be relaxed in tone, it is no more appropriate to ignore standard English than it is to wear flip-flops and swimming trunks on casual Friday. Use a program like StyleWriter ( http://www.StyleWriter-USA.com ) or White Smoke ( http://www.WhiteSmokeSoftware.com ) to find and fix embarrassing grammar mistakes and help you write like a pro.
A company blog is an excellent tool for promotion, communication, and information. The tips outlined here will help elevate your blog and generate traffic and interest. Good luck, and welcome to the wonderful world of blogging!
For more articles on business writing and writing for blogs, visit http://www.ElectronicWritingCourse.com or http://www.ReadabilityFormulas.com and click on “Free Articles.”
Selasa, 20 Juli 2010
Marketing Your Web Site
For most good online marketers it took at least a year to get up and running to get successful. They had to budget their time and money well. Don’t assume that putting a huge sum of cash into your business will bring you instant rewards. It is important to spend your time and money on several different approaches to see which ones generate the best hits. You need to remember to be persistent and spend your time and money wisely. When you fail to plan you plan to fail at your business. You want to find targeted visitors that are interested in what you have if you want to make sales.
1. Build Your List
Most online marketers send their offers to many targeted sources and prospects that they have generated. They do this regularly and have great success. It will allow you to build a lasting and trustful relationship with the list members. As the trust grows so will your money. There have been plenty of marketers who have made thousands just from sending an e-mail to their lists.
2. Pay Per Click search engines.
This type of search engine is the way to build high volume traffic immediately. Many hosts will be more than happy to set you up with this and you will be able to see how many people have been to your site. You will also end up paying less per month. You will also want to get Wordtracker to get as many targeted keywords as possible. The more targeted keywords you get the more traffic to your sites.
3. Article Submissions
You want to provide free and interesting articles related to what you are trying to sell to your audience. This will inform them on the benefits of what you are promoting and give it worth. Make sure your articles are truthful and not plagiarized.
4. Regular Search Engines
You will want to get started immediately to be able to build an online web presence. This will help to promote your site and gain you ranking which will move you to the top of the list. The higher on the list of ranking you are the more hits you will generate. You can link your self to a reciprocal linking campaign. This will give you the highest success in search engine rankings than anything else.
5. Forum Posting
A great way to target your market is to join a forum that is geared towards your audience. You can become friends and be helpful with all the people. This will let you gain trust. You want to be friends with your customers when marketing on the net. Visit and join high traffic forums daily and share your experiences with them and offer any advice as much as you can.
*****
1. Build Your List
Most online marketers send their offers to many targeted sources and prospects that they have generated. They do this regularly and have great success. It will allow you to build a lasting and trustful relationship with the list members. As the trust grows so will your money. There have been plenty of marketers who have made thousands just from sending an e-mail to their lists.
2. Pay Per Click search engines.
This type of search engine is the way to build high volume traffic immediately. Many hosts will be more than happy to set you up with this and you will be able to see how many people have been to your site. You will also end up paying less per month. You will also want to get Wordtracker to get as many targeted keywords as possible. The more targeted keywords you get the more traffic to your sites.
3. Article Submissions
You want to provide free and interesting articles related to what you are trying to sell to your audience. This will inform them on the benefits of what you are promoting and give it worth. Make sure your articles are truthful and not plagiarized.
4. Regular Search Engines
You will want to get started immediately to be able to build an online web presence. This will help to promote your site and gain you ranking which will move you to the top of the list. The higher on the list of ranking you are the more hits you will generate. You can link your self to a reciprocal linking campaign. This will give you the highest success in search engine rankings than anything else.
5. Forum Posting
A great way to target your market is to join a forum that is geared towards your audience. You can become friends and be helpful with all the people. This will let you gain trust. You want to be friends with your customers when marketing on the net. Visit and join high traffic forums daily and share your experiences with them and offer any advice as much as you can.
*****
Senin, 12 April 2010
How To Select Killer Content For Your Blog That People Will Love
Your blogs are a means to make yourself known to zillions of information hungry online audience. But is it always possible for a blogger to trap its writing potential in every subject or area in which he or she writes. The answer is a big No. Though, as a blogger you might be adept in writing collaterally on two subjects, but it is next to impossible to write with equal impact on all the subjects. The basic intention of writing a blog is to do business and make easy bucks, and this is possible if you deliver well and deliver right. You need to get the right content for your blog and keep the interest of the visitors. To achieve this, identify your forte, your area of interests and then strike.
Blogs: How to Make them Interesting and Popular to read
Listed below are some important guidelines that will help you in identifying your strength to write a successful and popular blog:
1.Selection of the topic - Selection of right topics and theme is the most indispensable criterion, to make your blogs successful and popular. Stick to one topic in which you have a basic knowledge. By gradually writing on that topic, you become more knowledgeable, since you do lot of research and thinking on that particular topic. Writing on a well-versed topic is much an easy task then writing on something that you are not fully aware. When you are writing on the subject that you are expert at, you write faster and correctly explain your feelings to the web audience.
2.Flexibility in Your Ideas - Do not make your blogs look monotonous and dull with verbose phrases. Bring variations in your writing. A successful blogger is one who brings maximum variation in the ideas. In this way, you can deliver a great number of well-written blogs with little research and less time. As a creative blogger you can think of bringing any number of variations without changing topics altogether. This will make your blogs appear fresh then ever to your readers. Herein you can feel the pulse of the visitors by referring to the feedback and responses and modify your writing accordingly.
3.Specific Posts for your Blogs - Restricting yourself to your domain enables you to create specific posts. This means you will be having a dedicated audience group that is searching for the topics you write. Increasing keywords in your blogs make it easier for the search engine to deliver just the exact article, as the reader wants to read. Furthermore, by placing ads in your site, specific to your blogs, will help you generate more profits because when a visitor visits your blogs, they are more likely to click on the link of that advertisement. More clicks on ads mean more money and you will earn rich dividends by the blogs.
Keep the aforementioned tips in mind while writing for your blogs. This way, you will be able to write blogs that will earn accolades and profits, besides making your blogs hot property on the Internet.
Blogs: How to Make them Interesting and Popular to read
Listed below are some important guidelines that will help you in identifying your strength to write a successful and popular blog:
1.Selection of the topic - Selection of right topics and theme is the most indispensable criterion, to make your blogs successful and popular. Stick to one topic in which you have a basic knowledge. By gradually writing on that topic, you become more knowledgeable, since you do lot of research and thinking on that particular topic. Writing on a well-versed topic is much an easy task then writing on something that you are not fully aware. When you are writing on the subject that you are expert at, you write faster and correctly explain your feelings to the web audience.
2.Flexibility in Your Ideas - Do not make your blogs look monotonous and dull with verbose phrases. Bring variations in your writing. A successful blogger is one who brings maximum variation in the ideas. In this way, you can deliver a great number of well-written blogs with little research and less time. As a creative blogger you can think of bringing any number of variations without changing topics altogether. This will make your blogs appear fresh then ever to your readers. Herein you can feel the pulse of the visitors by referring to the feedback and responses and modify your writing accordingly.
3.Specific Posts for your Blogs - Restricting yourself to your domain enables you to create specific posts. This means you will be having a dedicated audience group that is searching for the topics you write. Increasing keywords in your blogs make it easier for the search engine to deliver just the exact article, as the reader wants to read. Furthermore, by placing ads in your site, specific to your blogs, will help you generate more profits because when a visitor visits your blogs, they are more likely to click on the link of that advertisement. More clicks on ads mean more money and you will earn rich dividends by the blogs.
Keep the aforementioned tips in mind while writing for your blogs. This way, you will be able to write blogs that will earn accolades and profits, besides making your blogs hot property on the Internet.
Selasa, 23 Maret 2010
Business Blog Web Design Mistakes
With more companies adopting blogs, we're starting to see what works and what doesn't work from a design perspective. As a cue from Jakob Nielsen's article on the topic, here are thing problems I often find.
Bad headlines. They're frustrating. Some bloggers like to get creative... but creativity can affect search engine keyword opportunities. The important thing is that readers have a hint of what the post is about.
Links. Readers like to know where links take them and most of us rely on the status bar, but sometimes that doesn't help. Some experts say to use "click here" to help those who are newer to the Web and others say that's wrong, wrong, wrong. It just depends on the content. When linking, try to pick the best words that give readers an idea of what to expect.
Calendars as the only way to navigate a blog and impossible to find archives or older entries are big problems. I almost always resort to search when I want to find postings no longer on the home page. Unfortunately, some blogs don't have search. That's why I put "archive" links in my sidebar in both meryl's notes and meryl's notes features. As my site goes through redesign, I'm making sure the archives are accessible especially in the features section. I found some old entries from 2001 that are still relevant today.
Bloggers must be regular. No bathroom jokes here, please. :) When a blog looks abandoned for a month... your audience is gone. They'll take you off their feed reader and blogroll. If you plan not to do it again or take a long sabbatical... prepare to start over again when you return.
Keep the boss in mind even if your the head honcho. Always blog with a boss in mind. Will your boss (current and future) be offended by your posting? Not only do people get fired for their blogs, but also they could cost job offers. It wouldn't surprise me if managers are Googling applicants while going through the interview process.
Junky URLs. Nielsen says having a typepad.com or blogspot.com equates to having a yahoo.com or aol.com email address. Some of the bigwigs use Blogspot or Typepad URLs. Guess what? I never remember their URLs. I have to rely on Google. So this makes sense, BUT I wouldn't call it unprofessional.
Business blogging has many benefits and problems. Companies tread carefully when entering this new world. It's wise to have policies on the approval process and what can and can't be said. Like anything else in a business, blogs need to be evaluated to determine whether or not they fit the business' model.
Bad headlines. They're frustrating. Some bloggers like to get creative... but creativity can affect search engine keyword opportunities. The important thing is that readers have a hint of what the post is about.
Links. Readers like to know where links take them and most of us rely on the status bar, but sometimes that doesn't help. Some experts say to use "click here" to help those who are newer to the Web and others say that's wrong, wrong, wrong. It just depends on the content. When linking, try to pick the best words that give readers an idea of what to expect.
Calendars as the only way to navigate a blog and impossible to find archives or older entries are big problems. I almost always resort to search when I want to find postings no longer on the home page. Unfortunately, some blogs don't have search. That's why I put "archive" links in my sidebar in both meryl's notes and meryl's notes features. As my site goes through redesign, I'm making sure the archives are accessible especially in the features section. I found some old entries from 2001 that are still relevant today.
Bloggers must be regular. No bathroom jokes here, please. :) When a blog looks abandoned for a month... your audience is gone. They'll take you off their feed reader and blogroll. If you plan not to do it again or take a long sabbatical... prepare to start over again when you return.
Keep the boss in mind even if your the head honcho. Always blog with a boss in mind. Will your boss (current and future) be offended by your posting? Not only do people get fired for their blogs, but also they could cost job offers. It wouldn't surprise me if managers are Googling applicants while going through the interview process.
Junky URLs. Nielsen says having a typepad.com or blogspot.com equates to having a yahoo.com or aol.com email address. Some of the bigwigs use Blogspot or Typepad URLs. Guess what? I never remember their URLs. I have to rely on Google. So this makes sense, BUT I wouldn't call it unprofessional.
Business blogging has many benefits and problems. Companies tread carefully when entering this new world. It's wise to have policies on the approval process and what can and can't be said. Like anything else in a business, blogs need to be evaluated to determine whether or not they fit the business' model.
Senin, 22 Maret 2010
The Benefits of Blogging For Business
It goes without saying that maintaining a blog is a good idea for the health of your business. Have you ever asked yourself Why? Being familiar with how blogs work and how to effectively utilize them for the health and wealth of your business will pay you back substantially for your efforts. Ineffective Blogging will simply waste your time, efforts, and this tremendous marketing tool.
Why does your business need a Blog? Credibility would be a good answer. Posting about news in your industry, links you'd recommend to topics related to your industry or post valuable information from the inside or your personal experiences, your readers will see you not only as a valuable information source but as a community minded business.
Building traffic and list building are two more reasons why your business needs a blog. These tools are Solid, Effective, and Proven Tools for marketing your Goods and Services Online.
Blogs are great for your customers.They're not seen the same as your basic website or sales page. Postings are usually informal. At times entertaining yet informative. Their accuracy and effectiveness will peak the interest of your readers, establish you as an Expert, and build trust between you and your readers.
Having the ability to offer subscriptions to your blog through sources loike bloglet.com, your readers can simply opt to recieve notices of your most recent postings, delivered directly to their inboxes. Provided your postings remain relevant to your readers wants and needs, they'll continually come to you first.
If you set up your blog to accept comments, this will give your readers the ability to post feedback on your posts. This will give you valuable insight and ideas regarding your next product or project.
How to build traffic with your blog. Your blog provider may provide potential readers the option of a search box. This tool gives the reader the ability to search for a particular blog using a word or phrase. By using those particular words or phrases in your title you'll boost your chances for acquiring some targeted traffic.
Don't forget to submit your blog to the search engines. Also remember, this is "The Information Super Highway". Blogging is information and the Search Engines Love them. After every post, Simply 'ping' your blog, (this announces
your update. I use http://www.pingoat.com/) and the search engines will pick it up.
So jump on the blogging bandwagon take advantage of one of the cheapest and smartest marketing tools available. It's easy and profitable - so build yours today!
Why does your business need a Blog? Credibility would be a good answer. Posting about news in your industry, links you'd recommend to topics related to your industry or post valuable information from the inside or your personal experiences, your readers will see you not only as a valuable information source but as a community minded business.
Building traffic and list building are two more reasons why your business needs a blog. These tools are Solid, Effective, and Proven Tools for marketing your Goods and Services Online.
Blogs are great for your customers.They're not seen the same as your basic website or sales page. Postings are usually informal. At times entertaining yet informative. Their accuracy and effectiveness will peak the interest of your readers, establish you as an Expert, and build trust between you and your readers.
Having the ability to offer subscriptions to your blog through sources loike bloglet.com, your readers can simply opt to recieve notices of your most recent postings, delivered directly to their inboxes. Provided your postings remain relevant to your readers wants and needs, they'll continually come to you first.
If you set up your blog to accept comments, this will give your readers the ability to post feedback on your posts. This will give you valuable insight and ideas regarding your next product or project.
How to build traffic with your blog. Your blog provider may provide potential readers the option of a search box. This tool gives the reader the ability to search for a particular blog using a word or phrase. By using those particular words or phrases in your title you'll boost your chances for acquiring some targeted traffic.
Don't forget to submit your blog to the search engines. Also remember, this is "The Information Super Highway". Blogging is information and the Search Engines Love them. After every post, Simply 'ping' your blog, (this announces
your update. I use http://www.pingoat.com/) and the search engines will pick it up.
So jump on the blogging bandwagon take advantage of one of the cheapest and smartest marketing tools available. It's easy and profitable - so build yours today!
Kamis, 04 Februari 2010
Is Blogging Only For Money?
When one gives a quick look at the articles written on blogging, the common theme seems to be making money from blogging. The authors invariably talk about adsense and how we can make money from blogs. Is blogging only for making money? Did blogs begin with that idea? Are we losing the direction somewhere?
A blog gives an opportunity to everyone to express himself/herself on the Internet. We feel that we are sharing our deepest thoughts with other members of the world. Blogging is bringing the world nearer to each other like never before. In certain cases, a blog is a great therapy for venting out anger, frustration and other negative feelings, which can otherwise damage the psyche. Blogging was never started with the object of making money on the Internet.
Imagine the scenario when the majority of blogs will somehow try to collect content from different sources and hope that their ad gets clicked. Is that not wasting of quality time? Will such blogs contribute to the Internet at all? Who will visit such blogs? Everyone is busy building a blog that makes money, so why should he/she visit other blogs?
A blog can contribute to very lively discussion. A blog can be a great platform to meet people and talk. A blog is a great way to help budding talents show case their work to the world. Let us not make blogs only as a money making tool.
A blog gives an opportunity to everyone to express himself/herself on the Internet. We feel that we are sharing our deepest thoughts with other members of the world. Blogging is bringing the world nearer to each other like never before. In certain cases, a blog is a great therapy for venting out anger, frustration and other negative feelings, which can otherwise damage the psyche. Blogging was never started with the object of making money on the Internet.
Imagine the scenario when the majority of blogs will somehow try to collect content from different sources and hope that their ad gets clicked. Is that not wasting of quality time? Will such blogs contribute to the Internet at all? Who will visit such blogs? Everyone is busy building a blog that makes money, so why should he/she visit other blogs?
A blog can contribute to very lively discussion. A blog can be a great platform to meet people and talk. A blog is a great way to help budding talents show case their work to the world. Let us not make blogs only as a money making tool.
Senin, 11 Januari 2010
Where Should You Host Your Blog?
Should you host your blog yourself or pay someone to host it? It doesn’t matter if you’re a newbie or a veteran this question always comes up when creating a new blog. Usually someone new to blogging would gravitate to hosting a blog themselves or get a free blog and as time goes by with experience they begin to ponder maybe paid blog hosting isn’t so bad after all. So what is better?
To answer this question, let’s first look at how a blog is created. Just like creating web pages, first, you need a software or script that will take your entries, format it and publish it to the web. The second component of a blog, is the web space, where the software should publish to, a home for the blog pages.
Knowing this information, let’s review the different ways to host a blog:
Full blog host.
This is where the blogging system or software is provided for you and your blog is also published to a web space provided by the host. Blogger, SquareSpace and Typepad fall into this category. It’s very much like creating a website with a site builder.
Hosted blog software but published elsewhere
This is where the blog software is provided for you but the blog pages are published to another website or web host altogether. By doing this, the software acts as a publishing system like FrontPage except it creates nicely formatted blogs. Blogger is probably the most well known for this. Yes Blogger can do both. Publish to their host or to yours. As a comparison, this is like using FrontPage to publish your website.
Blog software and blog are hosted on your web server
This is where you would install the blog script (software) on your web server – it can be any web hosting account. And when you publish, the blog itself resides on your web server also. To draw a parallel, this technique is like buying web hosting and then installing a content management system on it to help you build web pages.
If you’re new to building web pages or have built sites using site builders then you might want to go with a fully hosted blog. These hosts do all the nitty gritty for you and there’s very little technical stuff you need to know. If you can point and click, you can build a blog with a full blog host.
Having said that, just because you’re seasoned at building web pages doesn’t mean full blog hosts won’t work for you. In fact, if you have many blogs this becomes very appealing since you won’t have to worry about upgrading the blog script, people exploiting the script, making plug-ins work or what happens when your web host decides to disable part of your blog functions because there is a security hole. All you do is concentrate on blogging. After a while, blogging becomes more important than maintaining your blog and that’s the way it should be.
Next up, hosted software but blog is published to your website. This seems to be the best of both worlds. At time of writing, Blogger is one of the best ways to do this but because of its popularity often, you find the system too slow to publish or completely down just when you have a hot idea to share. The idea is good but you’ll also be depending on someone else’s availability to publish your blog. It’s much like using a friend’s computer to build your web pages and you know how that can go.
Finally, you have the option to use scripts. This is also a very popular method. The flexibility it allows is very liberating because you can mould the blog anyway you want. You can even get a programmer to create custom plug-ins or customize the whole blogging system the way you want it. In short, you can do pretty much anything you want.
The down side, you need at the very basic, some knowledge of HTML or publishing web pages. Also the burden of upgrading, troubleshooting and maintaining the script is on you. If you have one or two blogs it’s not so bad but once you start having more, it can be quite tedious. You also have to consider all the other responsibilities of maintaining the script as mentioned earlier.
Armed with this information, you should be able to figure out which one is for you. If you’re still undecided, think of how you would do it if you’re creating a regular website. Chances are your choice method for publishing a website is also the best method for you to create a blog.
To answer this question, let’s first look at how a blog is created. Just like creating web pages, first, you need a software or script that will take your entries, format it and publish it to the web. The second component of a blog, is the web space, where the software should publish to, a home for the blog pages.
Knowing this information, let’s review the different ways to host a blog:
Full blog host.
This is where the blogging system or software is provided for you and your blog is also published to a web space provided by the host. Blogger, SquareSpace and Typepad fall into this category. It’s very much like creating a website with a site builder.
Hosted blog software but published elsewhere
This is where the blog software is provided for you but the blog pages are published to another website or web host altogether. By doing this, the software acts as a publishing system like FrontPage except it creates nicely formatted blogs. Blogger is probably the most well known for this. Yes Blogger can do both. Publish to their host or to yours. As a comparison, this is like using FrontPage to publish your website.
Blog software and blog are hosted on your web server
This is where you would install the blog script (software) on your web server – it can be any web hosting account. And when you publish, the blog itself resides on your web server also. To draw a parallel, this technique is like buying web hosting and then installing a content management system on it to help you build web pages.
If you’re new to building web pages or have built sites using site builders then you might want to go with a fully hosted blog. These hosts do all the nitty gritty for you and there’s very little technical stuff you need to know. If you can point and click, you can build a blog with a full blog host.
Having said that, just because you’re seasoned at building web pages doesn’t mean full blog hosts won’t work for you. In fact, if you have many blogs this becomes very appealing since you won’t have to worry about upgrading the blog script, people exploiting the script, making plug-ins work or what happens when your web host decides to disable part of your blog functions because there is a security hole. All you do is concentrate on blogging. After a while, blogging becomes more important than maintaining your blog and that’s the way it should be.
Next up, hosted software but blog is published to your website. This seems to be the best of both worlds. At time of writing, Blogger is one of the best ways to do this but because of its popularity often, you find the system too slow to publish or completely down just when you have a hot idea to share. The idea is good but you’ll also be depending on someone else’s availability to publish your blog. It’s much like using a friend’s computer to build your web pages and you know how that can go.
Finally, you have the option to use scripts. This is also a very popular method. The flexibility it allows is very liberating because you can mould the blog anyway you want. You can even get a programmer to create custom plug-ins or customize the whole blogging system the way you want it. In short, you can do pretty much anything you want.
The down side, you need at the very basic, some knowledge of HTML or publishing web pages. Also the burden of upgrading, troubleshooting and maintaining the script is on you. If you have one or two blogs it’s not so bad but once you start having more, it can be quite tedious. You also have to consider all the other responsibilities of maintaining the script as mentioned earlier.
Armed with this information, you should be able to figure out which one is for you. If you’re still undecided, think of how you would do it if you’re creating a regular website. Chances are your choice method for publishing a website is also the best method for you to create a blog.
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