Is Your Business Website Going To Make It?

February 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Are you lost in the buzz of what to do with your website? Have you been burned in the past?

The old days of Search Engine Optimization was relegated to how well you could optimize your website (keywords etc.) and who you could get to link to you (how many other sites were voting for your site). These are called on-page and off-page SEO strategies respectively. The Internet and promoting your website here in 2010 are much different.

  • On-page consisted of keywords, title, description, Headline tags, keyword density, alt tags, proper anchor text for interna links and other methodologies.
  • Off-page consisted of link building from other website owners using good keyword anchor text.

New Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing Realities of 2010

Today, in 2010, for competitive industries like real estate, mortgages, insurance, etc. these SEO strategies are not sufficient for keeping your website at the top of the search engines for your targeted business interests. The old search engines used to solely rely on static websites to populate the search results that that they displayed to their users doing searches. This is just not so in 2010.

The search engines are now looking at news sites, social networking sites, social bookmarking sites, video websites, and press release websites in addition to all of the other sites out there, including yours. With all of these sources out there, powerful “trusted” sources like FaceBook, Twitter, CNN, Reuters, and Youtube delivering up to the minute content to the search engines like Google static websites cannot keep up with staying relavant. As a result of this shift in where search engines look for information the online marketing world has gotten far more complex requiring website owners to step up their game plan to include a multi-faceted approach.

We are not going to minimize the dire need that website owners have with their websites and their lack of proper SEO if they want a legitimate chance to come up in the search engines. In fact, traditional SEO on their website is the starting point, whereas in the past it used to be the frontier of marketing online. A good on-page and off-page SEO campaign is essential for any website as it tells the search engines what the site is about.

Search Engine Marketing Strategies For 2010 – Are You Staffed For These?

  • Optimizing image files on websites – ensure that each image has a descriptive keyword or keyword phrase so that the image can be found in the search engines.
  • Produce and publish videos and slideshows – this method of marketing has exploded with the onset of YouTube. Over 60% of Internet searchers would rather watch a video about how to do something than read about it. But not only publishing your video on YouTube is enough, you then have to tell your audience (clients) about it and have them go vote and make comments about it. There at least different sites to publish on. Do you have the tools to do this?
  • Press releases and news wires – the search engines are looking at these sources for the latest and greatest information. You can get a lot of distance out of a carefully planned PR campaign both for direct traffic to your company as well as SEO benefit with backlinking from other websites.
  • Are you local – if you are a locally based business, you can do local SEO – this is a whole different animal for larger more national companies. Getting found for local geo targeted searches is a great opportunity – it is also a great opportunity for your customers to comment online and make recommendations about your business – all designed to help your rankings grow.
  • Blog, Blog, Blog – we know for some of you this sounds like either “blah blah blah” or “more work, more work, more work”. Well, how serious are you about your company’s survival moving forward from 2010? Every business has news happening around it that affects their business. You should umm…needs to be informing your clients and potential clients about news affecting the products and services that your company offers. We, people, buy from people we trust – your customers and potential customers will learn to trust you and buy from you if you are giving them updated news information.
  • Second point about blogs – content on the Internet is king. If you are publishing content on a daily or almost daily basis your website will rise above those companies who do not. Google and the search engines love fresh up to date content. If you give it, you’ll be rewarded with rankings and ultimately customers.
  • Social media marketing – are you on Facebook, Linked In, Twitter? You should be, if you don’t know to these services work you need to learn about them. They are very powerful if done correctly. It is all about relationship building, trust building, and referrals – isn’t this what we’ve done for years with a business card, mixers and shaking hands? It has been an effective way to build business – well social media marketing is doing the same thing, but online.
  • Do you have a product – if you have a product have you submitted it to Google? If not, do so it will help your products thus you get found in the search engines. Again, getting found in the search engines will bring visitors and visitors will hopefully lead to buying customers.
  • Conversion tools – There are two names to the game with your website – get people to it and then get them to buy from you. Getting them to buy from you is all about conversion tools. How is your website set up for conversion? This is a whole science and strategy in itself. Conversion analysis and implementation will make a huge difference for your website and your bottom line.
  • Is your site graphically up to date – if your site was build over three years ago, it is time for you to consider an oil change and a new paint job. Website design changes and you have to change with it. If not, your site quickly looks out dated and visitors know it.

With the above list you should have a better idea about what is involved with your online marketing strategy. Excelnet Media offers these services to our clients in bundled packages. When you become our client we blend these tactics to help you reach our online goals. If you are not our customer yet, we should talk about how we can help you with growing your business on the net. Afterall, print is dead, TV is dieing, Radio is limited – the net is the next frontier – are you going to the edge or going to be left behind?

Filed Under: Business, Marketing Tagged With: , ,

Tips For Building Better Blog Posts For Better SEO

November 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

If writing is an art, then, blogging is one way of using words to come up with a masterpiece. Bloggers are artistic in their own right. They carefully (or not) choose words that best describe their feelings, sentiments, wishes, desires, and any thing else related to their opinion. If you are business blogger you should be writing about information respective to your business.

If you are thinking of creating a blog for business or for pleasure, you need to decide on whether you want your blog to be found by people searching the Internet, or if the blog is for your own pleasure and entertainment. If you want your blog found, then you should continue reading this post to discover some tips for building better blog posts. A better blog post will get found and people will find them interesting.

Building Better Blog Posts For Better SEO

1. Have A Clear Understanding of Your Reason For Blogging

A main benefit for blogging is the creation of useful content for your business which search engines like Google love. Part of creating useful content is know why you have a blog in the first place. Once you know your purpose you can produce content consistent with your purpose. Consistent content strengthens the ranking of your blog in the search engines. Knowing your purpose is closely related to your audience. Who are you writing for is important to know when deciding on a purpose for your blog.

2. Identify What Your Readers Want

Now that you have your purpose in mind, you must write with your audience in mind. How you do this is to write to the person reading your blog. Just like this blog is written to you, the reader reading it, you should write your blog the same way. While writing to your reader, you need to keep your eye on delivering to the reader the message – “WIIFM” – “What’s In It For Me”. Your reader is reading your blog looking for information that you have – give it to them.

3. Keep Is Simple Sugar – KISS

If you are a business blog owner get to the point in your blog post. Keep in mind our society is about instant gratification. If you write a long essay to get to your point you will most likely lose your reader. Make your point first, then explain it.

4. Create Keyword Rich Headlines

Blog post titles and headlines are extremely important to your blog and website’s search engine optimization. Include the most relevant keyword phrase in both the blog post title and the headline as well as the blog post permalink. The tendency of most rookie blog managers and writers is to write catchy funny titles and headlines which while they are funny or eye catching they do not lend any value to getting either the post or your site found in the search engines.

5. Write Great First Sentences

To continue our theme of writing better blog posts for better SEO, you need to include your keyword phrase for a particular post in the first paragraph – preferably the first sentence. Again, get to the point – do not make your reader wait.

6. Break Up Your Content

When writing, keep your paragraphs short. The last thing a reader wants to see when they get to your blog post is a huge long blast of text. Reading on a computer screen is much harder than reading on printed text. Make it easy to read your post.

Writing on the net, especially blogs is much different than writing for an english composition class. Paragraphs can and should be one or two sentences at most. White space is your friend.

7. Apply Bulleted Lists

Along the lines of #6, break up your text with bullets and lists as often as possible.

This makes:

  • your job easier
  • keeps your reader’s attention longer
  • your blog easier to read
  • it easier for the reader to retain and remember

Research shows that adults prefer information is more easily digested if it is fragmented and short. Keep your lists short from between three to five items. Some online writing experts also recommend keeping the lists to an odd number of bullet points – bottom line use lists.

8. Provide Beneficial Informative and Educational Content

While you are free to write anything you want you need to keep in mind that your reader is there to:

  • Get some benefit
  • Be informed
  • And learn something

Quirky writing on a business website only serves to devalue the blog content and thus the company.

9. Avoid Jargon and Technical Terms

This is related to your audience. Most likely, you know far more about your industry and the language of your industry than your prospective customer. Do not assume they know what you are talking about. In most cases act as though you are writing to a high school student, graduate or 1st year college student.

10. Mix It Up A Little

Use different types of media to get your point across – use pictures, video, mp3 downloads, charts, graphs etc. All of these things are interesting and catch the eye. One thing to keep in mind – keep your videos and sound bites to less than 5 minutes for sure and if you can – 2 minutes max.

Remember – blogging is an art form. Now all there is to do is create your masterpiece. We hope you have learned something from our Tips For Building Better Blog Posts for Better SEO.

Filed Under: Business, Search Engine Optimization Tagged With: , , ,

How Email Marketing Can Benefit Your Company

September 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Mail Bagg'sv2Excelnet Media is now offering Email Marketing monthly service plans.

The Direct Marketing Association’s research shows that email marketing is expected to generate an ROI (Return on Investment) of $43.52 for every dollar spent on it in 2009. Compared to all other direct marketing channels, email marketing outperforms them all.

How can Email Marketing benefit your company?

  • Increase your sales conversion – Most visitors to your website won’t convert to a sale on their first visit. Research shows that the average customer will visit a website 9 times before they buy. Once you have their email address you can keep your company in front of them by sending email newsletters.
  • Increase sales from existing customers – It can cost 8 to 10 times more to acquire a new customers than to sell to an existing one. Keeping in touch with existing customers can generate repeat sales. Again, frequent email marketing keeps your company in front of customers.
  • Add 30% to an average order – Up-sell and cross-sell products and services. For example, a customer orders a necklace from your jewelry store, follow up with an email about earrings that match the necklace.
  • Save money – Even after design, testing and sending the email, you will save 78% over traditional mailers.
  • Save the environment – Trees don’t need to die for email marketing.

Call 480-874-4379 or contact us for more information and plan pricing.

Filed Under: Business, Marketing Tagged With: , ,

15 Reasons Why Your Company Needs a Blog

August 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Going up green 256What is a Blog?

Blog is short for weblog. It is a type of site that provides commentary or information about a particular subject. The content is displayed in reverse chronological order. Other forms of blogs include diaries and photoblogs. Some popular blogging platforms are WordPress and Blogger. A more comprehensive definition can be found at Wikipedia.

Below are some of the reasons your company needs a blog:

  1. Fresh content – Fresh and up-to-date content leads to a more successful website.
  2. Increase your traffic from search engines – Content is King. Google loves fresh content and original content written on a consistent basisy. Blogging software such as WordPress is very optimized for the search engines already.
  3. Get more sales – Plug your own products or services.
  4. Increase traffic to your website – Link to your website within posts while plugging your products or services. Don’t overdo it. The Google gods will strike down on you if you do it to frequently.
  5. Be known as an expert in your field – by writing posts (articles) about your interests in your field.
  6. Keep in touch and in front of your clients with RSS – If you write interesting posts and frequently enough, people will subscribe to your blog through RSS. RSS allows readers to have your posts sent to them via their RSS reader or email. RSS is usually built into the blog already. If not, install plug-ins such a feedburner feedsmith.
  7. Backlinks - Other bloggers and websites will link to your posts.
  8. Be sociable – Blogs such as WordPress have numerous plug-ins so you can link or display your social profiles from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and many more.
  9. Be more personable – Your company becomes humanized. By reading your posts, clients will get to know you better.
  10. Educate clients on your products or services – A how-to section will cut down on customer support or pre-sales questions.
  11. Announce new products and services – Keep customers informed.
  12. Company news – Keep customers up-to-date with happening in your company.
  13. Customer interaction – Customers can participate in your blog by leaving comments and questions.
  14. Free publicity – A newspaper may cover your business in a story because of #5 above.
  15. You can do it all without the help of a webmaster.

Filed Under: Business, Marketing, WordPress Tagged With: