The Internet is very much an extension of your efforts to promote and brand yourself on a local level. You should not look at your Internet marketing campaign as something separate from your local marketing. It should connect to it and enhance it.
Local print advertising space and media time are very expensive. You most likely don't have time to give complete descriptions of everything you can do or every product you sell. But if you can use that media to drive traffic to your web site, then you can provide them with a wealth of information. If you have a professional looking web site and use strong sales copy, you have a good shot at closing a sale. Think of your web site as your best salesman, who will take orders 24 hours a day...and who works for free.
The Internet is definitely the new Yellow Pages. It is increasingly the way people find what they need. It's the way people conduct research on local businesses with whom they are considering doing business. You need to be represented. If you don't stake your claim online and take steps to capture traffic looking for your products or services, your competition will.
Take it seriously. Get a web site up. But then take it a step further. Populate geo coordinate meta tages on your site so that people can generate directions and maps to your location. I can personally attest to doing business at particular retail locations simply because they were the only ones for which I could generate directions.
Optimize your site for the search engines. Ideally, you will discuss optimization issues with the designer of your site before your site is built. But however you have to do it, get your site optimized for the right traffic for your business.
Write articles. You've heard all this before - but that's because the classic self-promotion techniques like writing articles and books to establish credibility work. But still today, most people are too unmotivated or too unorganized to do these things. You can stand out in your field, and use the product of that action to create online promotional material. For example, you could publish a newsletter for your clients and others. You could then publish the newsletter articles to article directories online and use them to drive traffic to your site.
Look for symbiotic ways to join your online and offline marketing efforts. Give patrons to retail locations a reason to leave their email address. Encourage prospects to visit your web site and join your email newsletter for free, valuable information.
Think creatively. Implement aggressively. Measure results. And be systematic.
Tampilkan postingan dengan label web. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label web. Tampilkan semua postingan
Jumat, 18 November 2011
Kamis, 18 November 2010
Is it possible to make money online?. Heres the evidence
So I’ve quit my job and am now looking at alternative ways of producing a income. There are probably many people in the same situation.
I’ve got enough money in the bank to last me a couple of years so I’ve approached this from an impartial perspective and am motivated by curiosity more than potential financial gain.
There are lots of web based ‘opportunities’ which claim to be able to generate cash, but as with all things in life you never get anything for nothing and they all seem to play on the same emotions which drive the stock market – Greed and Fear.
Is it possible to generate a passive income from an on-line venture?.
I don’t know is the honest answer, but after several days of on line research I’ve chosen a system that’s going to help me find out.
Did it cost me money – absolutely. The same price as a good night out.
Did it cost me time – absolutely. A few hours
Did it make me money – Possibly – I’ll keep a running total on my website to show money spent compared to money coming in..
To view the system I’ve chosen for my initial venture into generating income from the web please visit my website.
There will be a link from the site to show the financial status to date.
Remember – I have no reason to lie. I’m doing this for fun and to prove a point.
www.impartial-opinion.com
Good Luck with your online income generation/working from home business venture!.
I’ve got enough money in the bank to last me a couple of years so I’ve approached this from an impartial perspective and am motivated by curiosity more than potential financial gain.
There are lots of web based ‘opportunities’ which claim to be able to generate cash, but as with all things in life you never get anything for nothing and they all seem to play on the same emotions which drive the stock market – Greed and Fear.
Is it possible to generate a passive income from an on-line venture?.
I don’t know is the honest answer, but after several days of on line research I’ve chosen a system that’s going to help me find out.
Did it cost me money – absolutely. The same price as a good night out.
Did it cost me time – absolutely. A few hours
Did it make me money – Possibly – I’ll keep a running total on my website to show money spent compared to money coming in..
To view the system I’ve chosen for my initial venture into generating income from the web please visit my website.
There will be a link from the site to show the financial status to date.
Remember – I have no reason to lie. I’m doing this for fun and to prove a point.
www.impartial-opinion.com
Good Luck with your online income generation/working from home business venture!.
Sabtu, 17 Juli 2010
Create A Free Web Page Online Today!
So you're interested in getting your own free website, excellent!
Funny enough, this is how I started out on the internet and look what has happened! Anyway, a free website is good because you can use it for many things. These include
a personal web page
trial business purposes
information for your club or group
discuss topics of interest (forum)
trial a new product
a family web page
plus many more!
The great thing about starting out with a free website is that their are many very good services online that you can get up and running with and which have excellent learning tools.
For instance, www.bravenet.com which is probably the largest and most well known supplier of free websites and hosting gives you 1.5 gig bandwidth, 50 meg of space and also many of the following features:
Absolutely No Setup Fees!
Unsurpassed Customer Support
Free Domain Names
Marketing Tools and Tips
Free Instant Content
Easy Website Builders
Clip Art, Audio Clips and Fonts
Over 500 Website Templates
Outstanding Industry Reputation
These types of sites are wonderful as the tools are all housed in one place thus allowing for a very quick learning curve.
For those who are really quick learners (the young and quick) unlike us old folk, there is plenty of other software solutions and free "html" editors available if you want to go more advanced.
Websites like:
http://www.chami.com/html-kit/
http://www.homeworlds.com/freesoft/editors.htm
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/
all offer great html, information, resources and advice.
What ever your taste, online is the place to be for learning, creating and keeping in contact with family and friends.
Have a great time and just remember, when starting out on the web most items and information can be sourced for free, it just a matter of looking around.
Funny enough, this is how I started out on the internet and look what has happened! Anyway, a free website is good because you can use it for many things. These include
a personal web page
trial business purposes
information for your club or group
discuss topics of interest (forum)
trial a new product
a family web page
plus many more!
The great thing about starting out with a free website is that their are many very good services online that you can get up and running with and which have excellent learning tools.
For instance, www.bravenet.com which is probably the largest and most well known supplier of free websites and hosting gives you 1.5 gig bandwidth, 50 meg of space and also many of the following features:
Absolutely No Setup Fees!
Unsurpassed Customer Support
Free Domain Names
Marketing Tools and Tips
Free Instant Content
Easy Website Builders
Clip Art, Audio Clips and Fonts
Over 500 Website Templates
Outstanding Industry Reputation
These types of sites are wonderful as the tools are all housed in one place thus allowing for a very quick learning curve.
For those who are really quick learners (the young and quick) unlike us old folk, there is plenty of other software solutions and free "html" editors available if you want to go more advanced.
Websites like:
http://www.chami.com/html-kit/
http://www.homeworlds.com/freesoft/editors.htm
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/
all offer great html, information, resources and advice.
What ever your taste, online is the place to be for learning, creating and keeping in contact with family and friends.
Have a great time and just remember, when starting out on the web most items and information can be sourced for free, it just a matter of looking around.
Selasa, 09 Februari 2010
10 Tips For Web Success
The webmaster's biggest job is to get their traffic up and keep customers/visitors coming back. Building the site is one thing, but simply building and posting a website does not guarantee traffic. In fact, a website could be beautiful and an example of all the latest technology and still not attract a single visitor if not promoted correctly. Here are 10 tips to guide you to success with your website.
(1) The internet is a new medium.
At least compared to print, it is. A website is a waste if it simply re-hashes something which could easily be put into print. Don't have the site be just an online brochure. Put up features which take advantage of the internet as a medium of communication. Filter information for them. Provide search capability. Provide interactivity with features like forums, quizzes and tools. Web visitors like to interact.
(2) Treat the Customer's Time as Valuable.
When a person visits your website, you have their attention for that point in time. You either need to use it or you will lose it - fast. Most visitors have short attention spans, what you need to design your site homepage so that it grabs their attention and provides what they are looking for right away. Its like walking into a restaurant. If you walk in and just stand there and nobody comes to greet you, you might wonder what is happening. But, if the hostess comes and greets you right away and walks you to a table, then you will be there for awhile and eat. The same analogy goes for websites. Don't overcomplicate your website homepage. Best results will be obtained if you make it very clear where to click to find what they need.
(3) Design the site for customers, not the company.
Your site needs to satisfy the needs of customers, not the company. So, don't post content which is not really useful to the site's customer. And avoid over-flattering marketing hype about the company. It inflates the ego of the company more than it helps your customer.
(4) Involve the Visitor.
Keep the visitor involved and make them feel like a valuable contributor. Actively ask for the feedback and suggestions. Ask for communication from your visitors and answer that communication swiftly. When getting that communication, capture their email address. This will allow you to communicate with them long after they have moved on and forgotten about you.
(5) Keep it Current.
You need to have content on your website which is timely and relevant to the customer's life. Posting month-old news is not interesting. Posting dry product information which never changes is not interesting. Yes, you need to have product information and other information on your site that won't change much, but you can also post more timely content. You can, for example, post content about how your products can be used in certain situations in life. Provide tips and techniques - things which are immediately applicable and solve a problem.
(6) Pay Attention to Form/Design.
Some sites simply over-do it on the eye-candy. Big graphics just for the sake of graphics often impress the site's designer more than the visitor. Do not use graphics that are large and purposeless. Remember, some visitors may still be accessing your website via dial-up. Your site needs to load up quickly for all users. A slow website will cause your users to leave quickly. Also, pay attention to graphic and design size. Many web designers operate on fairly large screen resolutions and sometimes forget that even though a graphic looks great to you, it will appear enormous to somebody on a smaller resolution. On the flip side, don't go too light on graphics. A site which is poorly designed and using the default font and no color is not very aesthetically pleasing. Any web visitor, whether they admit it or not, judges your company by your website unless they have something else to go on. A well-designed site communicates professionalism. A poor design makes the site seem like an afterthought.
(7) Promote.
When a visitor communicates to you via email, it is best to use a web form. not only will this keep your email address from being picked up by spammers, it will also allow you to ask your customers for their email address and then store that address for later use. Employ the "push/pull" marketing strategy. A visitor coming to your website is the pull, but later you want to push content back to them in the form of a newsletter or other promotional material. Start a mailing list and use it. Invite visitors to sign up. Promotion makes or breaks a business, and as long as you respect the ethical considerations of your mailing list, you should use it.
(8) Don't Operate in a Cocoon.
The internet is a medium which is shared by millions. When you set up your website, don't operate as if you are a self-contained island. Get out there and keep in tune with what is happening on other websites related to your own. Participate in forums. Post links to other websites and ask for a link in return. Form partnerships with other sites if it is appropriate. When it comes to communication, people like personal contacts. Hiding behind general email address like "sales" and "info" is OK as long as there is a way to also email you directly. A company site which allows email direct to the management is good. Just remember how much you hate calling a company and getting stuck in their phone system. Sometimes you just want to talk to somebody. Give your visitors that ability.
(9) Have a Plan to Attract Repeat Traffic.
Use newsletters, out-going email, contests, forums, clubs, auctions - anything that will cause people to return to your website. When posting links to other websites, don't just send your visitors somewhere else. They may never return. Provide them an exit page. Give them a pop-up when they try to leave your site. Or at the very least make external links open in a new window.
(10) Track Your Visitors
Pay attention to your site's statistics and react accordingly. What are people reading? How are they finding you? Do they just come and leave right from your homepage? How long as they are on your website? Do they return? This data is immensely valuable in fine-tuning your website based on customer needs and wants. Remember, the biggest mistake of any webmaster is designing the site for what THEY want. A successful website is designed for the target audience, not to impress the site's owner.
(1) The internet is a new medium.
At least compared to print, it is. A website is a waste if it simply re-hashes something which could easily be put into print. Don't have the site be just an online brochure. Put up features which take advantage of the internet as a medium of communication. Filter information for them. Provide search capability. Provide interactivity with features like forums, quizzes and tools. Web visitors like to interact.
(2) Treat the Customer's Time as Valuable.
When a person visits your website, you have their attention for that point in time. You either need to use it or you will lose it - fast. Most visitors have short attention spans, what you need to design your site homepage so that it grabs their attention and provides what they are looking for right away. Its like walking into a restaurant. If you walk in and just stand there and nobody comes to greet you, you might wonder what is happening. But, if the hostess comes and greets you right away and walks you to a table, then you will be there for awhile and eat. The same analogy goes for websites. Don't overcomplicate your website homepage. Best results will be obtained if you make it very clear where to click to find what they need.
(3) Design the site for customers, not the company.
Your site needs to satisfy the needs of customers, not the company. So, don't post content which is not really useful to the site's customer. And avoid over-flattering marketing hype about the company. It inflates the ego of the company more than it helps your customer.
(4) Involve the Visitor.
Keep the visitor involved and make them feel like a valuable contributor. Actively ask for the feedback and suggestions. Ask for communication from your visitors and answer that communication swiftly. When getting that communication, capture their email address. This will allow you to communicate with them long after they have moved on and forgotten about you.
(5) Keep it Current.
You need to have content on your website which is timely and relevant to the customer's life. Posting month-old news is not interesting. Posting dry product information which never changes is not interesting. Yes, you need to have product information and other information on your site that won't change much, but you can also post more timely content. You can, for example, post content about how your products can be used in certain situations in life. Provide tips and techniques - things which are immediately applicable and solve a problem.
(6) Pay Attention to Form/Design.
Some sites simply over-do it on the eye-candy. Big graphics just for the sake of graphics often impress the site's designer more than the visitor. Do not use graphics that are large and purposeless. Remember, some visitors may still be accessing your website via dial-up. Your site needs to load up quickly for all users. A slow website will cause your users to leave quickly. Also, pay attention to graphic and design size. Many web designers operate on fairly large screen resolutions and sometimes forget that even though a graphic looks great to you, it will appear enormous to somebody on a smaller resolution. On the flip side, don't go too light on graphics. A site which is poorly designed and using the default font and no color is not very aesthetically pleasing. Any web visitor, whether they admit it or not, judges your company by your website unless they have something else to go on. A well-designed site communicates professionalism. A poor design makes the site seem like an afterthought.
(7) Promote.
When a visitor communicates to you via email, it is best to use a web form. not only will this keep your email address from being picked up by spammers, it will also allow you to ask your customers for their email address and then store that address for later use. Employ the "push/pull" marketing strategy. A visitor coming to your website is the pull, but later you want to push content back to them in the form of a newsletter or other promotional material. Start a mailing list and use it. Invite visitors to sign up. Promotion makes or breaks a business, and as long as you respect the ethical considerations of your mailing list, you should use it.
(8) Don't Operate in a Cocoon.
The internet is a medium which is shared by millions. When you set up your website, don't operate as if you are a self-contained island. Get out there and keep in tune with what is happening on other websites related to your own. Participate in forums. Post links to other websites and ask for a link in return. Form partnerships with other sites if it is appropriate. When it comes to communication, people like personal contacts. Hiding behind general email address like "sales" and "info" is OK as long as there is a way to also email you directly. A company site which allows email direct to the management is good. Just remember how much you hate calling a company and getting stuck in their phone system. Sometimes you just want to talk to somebody. Give your visitors that ability.
(9) Have a Plan to Attract Repeat Traffic.
Use newsletters, out-going email, contests, forums, clubs, auctions - anything that will cause people to return to your website. When posting links to other websites, don't just send your visitors somewhere else. They may never return. Provide them an exit page. Give them a pop-up when they try to leave your site. Or at the very least make external links open in a new window.
(10) Track Your Visitors
Pay attention to your site's statistics and react accordingly. What are people reading? How are they finding you? Do they just come and leave right from your homepage? How long as they are on your website? Do they return? This data is immensely valuable in fine-tuning your website based on customer needs and wants. Remember, the biggest mistake of any webmaster is designing the site for what THEY want. A successful website is designed for the target audience, not to impress the site's owner.
Jumat, 01 Januari 2010
3 Free Website Marketing Ideas - Easy And Quick
Online marketing is not cheap. You can spend thousands of dollars on Pay Per Click (Google Adwords) and thousands of site-targetted dollars (AdBrite), and you can spend thousands just buying text links from individual sites. Trust me, I've spent thousands on advertising.
However, my favorite form of marketing is the free kind. Anything free I like, especially if it helps my websites make more money without increasing my advertising costs.
Here are three easy and quick ways to market your website at no additional cost.
1. Free Business Cards
Free business cards are a staple in my advertising arsenal. You can leave them everywhere and give them to anyone. The best part is, they are free! Use them where you want, when you want, and as often as possible. That is the motto I live by whenever I get a shipment of free business cards in the mail.
2. Link Exchanges
Link exchanges are a great way of spreading Page Rank, but also of sharing visitors. Most people who like a site will bookmark it. After they have read everything they want, they will read the site that you link to. You get the visitors, and share the visitor through a link exchange.
3. Business card networking
After you have received your free business cards, use them to network with other people. Everytime you meet someone, hand them one of your free business cards. After that, ask for one of their business cards in exchange. If they don't have one, make sure you mention what you do, and the website address that is also listed on your free business card. Free business cards make a great networking tool if you will put them to use. Never forget, they are free, and should not be used sparingly. Use them in any situation you can think of. People will take them home and visit your site when they pull your business card out of their pocket.
With those three free website marketing ideas, your website will not only be more successful, but you won't have to spend any of your hard earned money on marketing!
However, my favorite form of marketing is the free kind. Anything free I like, especially if it helps my websites make more money without increasing my advertising costs.
Here are three easy and quick ways to market your website at no additional cost.
1. Free Business Cards
Free business cards are a staple in my advertising arsenal. You can leave them everywhere and give them to anyone. The best part is, they are free! Use them where you want, when you want, and as often as possible. That is the motto I live by whenever I get a shipment of free business cards in the mail.
2. Link Exchanges
Link exchanges are a great way of spreading Page Rank, but also of sharing visitors. Most people who like a site will bookmark it. After they have read everything they want, they will read the site that you link to. You get the visitors, and share the visitor through a link exchange.
3. Business card networking
After you have received your free business cards, use them to network with other people. Everytime you meet someone, hand them one of your free business cards. After that, ask for one of their business cards in exchange. If they don't have one, make sure you mention what you do, and the website address that is also listed on your free business card. Free business cards make a great networking tool if you will put them to use. Never forget, they are free, and should not be used sparingly. Use them in any situation you can think of. People will take them home and visit your site when they pull your business card out of their pocket.
With those three free website marketing ideas, your website will not only be more successful, but you won't have to spend any of your hard earned money on marketing!
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)