A major Search Engine Optimization company's newsletter I received today had this subject line: "When did you find out it was all about traffic?"
It didn't take me long to realize I had that figured out a while back. Generating traffic to your site is what increases sales. And sales are why you are in business, unless of course you are philanthropic.
Traffic also has a side effect. It raises page ranking because it proves you have good content, or what people are looking for. Good content plus high traffic (or backlinks) get you good grades in Google.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Has the economy slowed your sales? Try some newer Web marketing techniques when traditional methods do not work!
Old school marketing techniques such as telemarketing, cold calling, direct mail, e-mail campaigns, etc., are known as “Outbound” or interruption based marketing. They have put time starved consumers and businesses in a “do not interrupt me” defensive mode. Protective shields (voice mail, spam filters, etc.) guard against attacks.
Organizations must adopt to the consumer's altered buying patterns to survive these turbulent times. Realize how people search for information and answers to questions. They do so on their terms, not yours. They do so when they are ready and at times convenient to them. This is especially true of more affluent and higher educated people.
Where do they turn to for information and answers to their questions? The same place you turn to, the WEB. Of course they do! It is open round the clock. Consumers scour Websites, reviews, forums, blogs, and social networking sites such as MySpace, facebook, LinkedIn. Information is dispersed almost instantaneously via Twitter and other broadcasting means.
The key to your Web success is adopting to this newer “Inbound” or permission based marketing. I define this loosely as being at the right place at the right time. Or, in other words, when someone searches for your service or product, make it easy to find you, 24/7/365. Make it easy for them to find you and your information. Prepare your site for Google searches through optimization. Then get your self known by blogging, article marketing, video marketing, press releases, etc.
Comments are welcome.
Organizations must adopt to the consumer's altered buying patterns to survive these turbulent times. Realize how people search for information and answers to questions. They do so on their terms, not yours. They do so when they are ready and at times convenient to them. This is especially true of more affluent and higher educated people.
Where do they turn to for information and answers to their questions? The same place you turn to, the WEB. Of course they do! It is open round the clock. Consumers scour Websites, reviews, forums, blogs, and social networking sites such as MySpace, facebook, LinkedIn. Information is dispersed almost instantaneously via Twitter and other broadcasting means.
The key to your Web success is adopting to this newer “Inbound” or permission based marketing. I define this loosely as being at the right place at the right time. Or, in other words, when someone searches for your service or product, make it easy to find you, 24/7/365. Make it easy for them to find you and your information. Prepare your site for Google searches through optimization. Then get your self known by blogging, article marketing, video marketing, press releases, etc.
Comments are welcome.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Spring Courses for Website Owners to Drive Traffic and Increase Sales
I am proud to announce I will be teaching two short courses for the Buffalo Grove (IL) Park District starting in the Spring, 2010. The courses will be repeated in the Summer.
The first is "Considerations in Putting Your Business on the Web" for non- Website owners. It is a pre-requisite if someone does not have a site for the follow up course: "Increasing your Traffic (and Sales) to your Existing Website."
Look for enrollment announcements in about three months!
Fondly,
Michael
The first is "Considerations in Putting Your Business on the Web" for non- Website owners. It is a pre-requisite if someone does not have a site for the follow up course: "Increasing your Traffic (and Sales) to your Existing Website."
Look for enrollment announcements in about three months!
Fondly,
Michael
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Pay Per Click Advertising - I take Exception to This Author's View on LinkedIn
I disagree about PPC for "...self employed small business owners and those starting out on a limited budget. Pay per click is, at best, a short term solution. You keep paying and paying and paying....
“It is akin to opening a retail storefront years ago. There you rented space for the privilege of working 80 hours a week, hung out a shingle (that you paid your sign maker to do), send monthly checks for your rent and utilities, pay insurance and other business related expenses to the site location (snow removal, cleaning, etc.), pay help, employment taxes, etc. And, if you are lucky to do business, there was, of course, the override on the gross sales to the landlord. Bottom line was everybody else got paid before you did! NO thanks! Been there, done that!
“Although more time consuming, search engine optimization in the long haul is more cost effective and produces far more results. If you do it right at the get go, all the statistics point to better results from Organic (free) search engine marketing. That is unless you want to make your landlord (Google) even more rich!”
I wrote the above just a few minutes ago in response to -
“This is the number one strategy of all the top producers in this business and can be very tough and daunting, but when done well will generate the MOST leads out of any of your marketing strategies in days. Not weeks or months.”
Join LinkedIn for other stimulating discussions!
“It is akin to opening a retail storefront years ago. There you rented space for the privilege of working 80 hours a week, hung out a shingle (that you paid your sign maker to do), send monthly checks for your rent and utilities, pay insurance and other business related expenses to the site location (snow removal, cleaning, etc.), pay help, employment taxes, etc. And, if you are lucky to do business, there was, of course, the override on the gross sales to the landlord. Bottom line was everybody else got paid before you did! NO thanks! Been there, done that!
“Although more time consuming, search engine optimization in the long haul is more cost effective and produces far more results. If you do it right at the get go, all the statistics point to better results from Organic (free) search engine marketing. That is unless you want to make your landlord (Google) even more rich!”
I wrote the above just a few minutes ago in response to -
“This is the number one strategy of all the top producers in this business and can be very tough and daunting, but when done well will generate the MOST leads out of any of your marketing strategies in days. Not weeks or months.”
Join LinkedIn for other stimulating discussions!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Recession Drives Women Back to the Work Force
Steven Greenhouse wrote an article for the New York Times on September 18, 2009.
“The Great Recession is pushing many highly educated women who had left work to stay at home with their children to dive back into the labor pool, according to several nationally recognized experts on women in the workplace.”
He added later: “According to some economists, these women, once part of a privileged minority that could afford not to work, are now collateral damage of the recession — not forced out of work, but back into it.”
Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics were cited as well as other resources. Read the rest of the article.
“The Great Recession is pushing many highly educated women who had left work to stay at home with their children to dive back into the labor pool, according to several nationally recognized experts on women in the workplace.”
He added later: “According to some economists, these women, once part of a privileged minority that could afford not to work, are now collateral damage of the recession — not forced out of work, but back into it.”
Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics were cited as well as other resources. Read the rest of the article.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Yes You Can Apply Basic Selling Techniques to Your Web Marketing
Admit it if you are clueless about what Web E-Marketing is all about and want to start doing something about securing your future!
I read a statement on the Web recently about small business owners with Websites who just don’t get it. And how, frankly, they are being left behind by the “I do get it!” crowd. Why is this? Because they neither take the time nor pay the freight.
My personal view is Web E-Marketing is simply all about getting people to buy from you. It is not about rankings or Search Engine Optimization or pay per click advertising. It is about marketing your product or service, generating traffic (or potential customers) and selling your proposition.
Every professional salesperson knows the drill. However, too many business owners are not professional salespeople. If you fall into that category, there is good news. Salesmanship is a learned art not something you are merely born with.
If you doubt your results you must first ask yourself some questions. Some of your answers may be disturbing, so prepare yourself. First of all, be honest in your answers.
What makes you unique? Where is your niche? How are you different from your competitors rather than the same? And, how can you capitalize and leverage your uniqueness on the Web?
Keep the faith. You can do an honest assessment and learn the basics of E-marketing. Look, you have come this far with your business, do not stand at the sidelines and wait for the lotto. You can take it to the next level. Take the time and the road to success is yours on the information highway.
To be continued….
For more tips and pointers, visit our Website, http://www.diywebjem.com
I read a statement on the Web recently about small business owners with Websites who just don’t get it. And how, frankly, they are being left behind by the “I do get it!” crowd. Why is this? Because they neither take the time nor pay the freight.
My personal view is Web E-Marketing is simply all about getting people to buy from you. It is not about rankings or Search Engine Optimization or pay per click advertising. It is about marketing your product or service, generating traffic (or potential customers) and selling your proposition.
Every professional salesperson knows the drill. However, too many business owners are not professional salespeople. If you fall into that category, there is good news. Salesmanship is a learned art not something you are merely born with.
If you doubt your results you must first ask yourself some questions. Some of your answers may be disturbing, so prepare yourself. First of all, be honest in your answers.
What makes you unique? Where is your niche? How are you different from your competitors rather than the same? And, how can you capitalize and leverage your uniqueness on the Web?
Keep the faith. You can do an honest assessment and learn the basics of E-marketing. Look, you have come this far with your business, do not stand at the sidelines and wait for the lotto. You can take it to the next level. Take the time and the road to success is yours on the information highway.
To be continued….
For more tips and pointers, visit our Website, http://www.diywebjem.com
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Learn to Apply Today’s Chicago Tribune Article to Search Engine Optimization
An article appeared in today’s Chicago Tribune that has many lessons that can be applied to E-marketing your Web business. Part of the secondary headline caught my attention as did several parts of the story. Sandra M. Jones talks about retailers using special services to promote sales in the article .
Some of her very interesting observations follow. “Shoppers are motivated by price more than anything these days….” Sales are everywhere and shoppers “..are tuning out the endless barrage..”
She quotes Theresa Williams of Indiana University: “…there has to be a new approach rather than just run another sale.”
In this recession a sale is not merely enough. Ms. Jones continues: “Merchants are putting away their red pens and drumming up novel ways to tout a bargain without cutting into profits.”
Sandra mentions loyalty programs, new and creative ways to get people to shop, and more. As an example, Bottega M, an Oak Park (IL) shop, lets customers bring in old clothing and their seamstresses can be hired to do alterations.
The days of unbridled affluence and unlimited credit are gone and people are just not spending the way they used to with . Part of the change, according to Nancy Koehn of the Harvard Business School, is “the rise in consumer information…” People search the Web and “…find the best price for just about anything..” Add to that “..the decline of imaginative merchants.”
Read the rest of the story.
“Holy Toledo, Batman!” as Robin would say to his crime solving partner. I am sure we, as Webmasters, can all learn how to better promote ourselves if we study these principles and apply them. If we promote our passion and dare to be different.
Sell what makes you different, not what makes you the same. Identify a market niche where you excel. Learn about free tools available to do it yourself e-market on the Web. Commit to the sweat equity and use those tools to promote your business which will drive visitors to your Website. Learn more about do it yourself Web marketing at our Website.
Some of her very interesting observations follow. “Shoppers are motivated by price more than anything these days….” Sales are everywhere and shoppers “..are tuning out the endless barrage..”
She quotes Theresa Williams of Indiana University: “…there has to be a new approach rather than just run another sale.”
In this recession a sale is not merely enough. Ms. Jones continues: “Merchants are putting away their red pens and drumming up novel ways to tout a bargain without cutting into profits.”
Sandra mentions loyalty programs, new and creative ways to get people to shop, and more. As an example, Bottega M, an Oak Park (IL) shop, lets customers bring in old clothing and their seamstresses can be hired to do alterations.
The days of unbridled affluence and unlimited credit are gone and people are just not spending the way they used to with . Part of the change, according to Nancy Koehn of the Harvard Business School, is “the rise in consumer information…” People search the Web and “…find the best price for just about anything..” Add to that “..the decline of imaginative merchants.”
Read the rest of the story.
“Holy Toledo, Batman!” as Robin would say to his crime solving partner. I am sure we, as Webmasters, can all learn how to better promote ourselves if we study these principles and apply them. If we promote our passion and dare to be different.
Sell what makes you different, not what makes you the same. Identify a market niche where you excel. Learn about free tools available to do it yourself e-market on the Web. Commit to the sweat equity and use those tools to promote your business which will drive visitors to your Website. Learn more about do it yourself Web marketing at our Website.
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