Want to learn more? Get step by step instructions with my tutorial on how to make money online with free advertising by getting my FREE 5 day e-Course – Click this link for details: www.directresponse4u.com
Online Website Promotion – Top 10 Secrets Revealed
January 18, 2010 by IBI · Leave a Comment
Just setup a website and having a hard time getting thousands of visitors to see your content? Wonder how everyone else is managing to do it? Don’t worry in this article I will reveal to you the top 10 closely guarded secrets that your competitors would kill to keep from you!
Choose The Right Platform
It is important to make sure that you have the right platform to start with, a flash site is not recommended as this will make it hard / impossible to get search engine traffic which should make up the bulk of your free traffic sources. The reason for this is that the search engines can not read the flash files yet so the content inside is not added to their database.
Whether you choose to go with a CMS (Content Management Solution) or a static webpage should depend on your web design skills. If you have the skills to edit the HTML code your self then you can survive with a static page but it would be recommended to go with one of the popular CMS system available for free on the web today.
These include, WordPress, TypePad, Joomla, Drupal and many others. I would personally recommend WordPress as it is the most used and widely supported.
WordPress CMS
When you choose a platform like WordPress to work with you immediately get lots of web promotion benefits included just from the features that come standard. The look and feel of the site is total customizable and adding new content is as easy as using a word processor.
RSS Feeds
These have multiple benefits as they can be used by your visitors to subscriber to and be alerted of updates to the sites content which can result in repeat traffic from returning users coming to see the latest article posted. The second benefit is that you can submit these feeds to RSS Directories which will not only build links (which will help with your search engine optimization) but also traffic to your website
Pinging
It has automated pinging built in, so every time you add new content it will alert the search engines and other websites so they can come have a look and update their information. Remember the search engines can’t send traffic to a web page they don’t know exists yet.
Tags
This allows you to assign tags which are keywords that you feel are relevant to your page even if they don’t appear in the content itself, this can help you rank in the search engines for a relevant keyword that you may not have ranked at all for before, they are also used by a lot of blog search engines and can send traffic in their own right so it is important that you make sure you include them.
User Generated Content (Comments)
If using WordPress comments come as standard you have the option to turn them on or off and even made comments need approval before being posted. But a long story short search engines like fresh content and having a web page with constantly updating content is sure to keep them coming back for more and in turn sending you more free traffic.
Free Methods
1. Search Engine Optimization
You may have got some clues to search engine optimization from the information above, it is basically the skill of getting the search engines like Google, Yahoo And MSN to give you free traffic.
There are two different types of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in my opinion and these are:
On Page Optimization
This includes things that make your website relevant for certain key phrases, making sure your target keywords appear in the main content, in your tags, titles, and in the url will help a lot with your ranking for any of those given keywords
Off Page Optimization
This is mainly about link building, search engines see other sites linking to you like a vote for your site, the more votes (links) the higher your site will rank.
You can get links from all kinds of places as discussed above submitting your RSS feeds to RSS Directories is a good start, you can also look into article directory’s, web directory’s, social bookmarking and a whole load of other stuff. This is a rather simplified version of SEO (search engine optimization) it is a lot more complicated than this but is beyond the scope of this article.
if you want more information about this, I have a rather detailed description in day 2 of my free 5 day e-course, see the bottom of this articles for more details on how to enroll.
2. Article Syndication
This is a very effective method for getting links and traffic. If you use high quality content you will tend to find that the traffic is very targeted and converts very well compared to other traffic. The reason for this is that the prospect has been pre qualified.
They have found your article to be of interest to them and have read the whole thing and when they get to the end and see the link to your site for more information and have clicked it, if at the other end you are offering something else of value that complements that information they are much more likely to buy than if they have just come across your site in the search engine.
The other advantage of using article sites is that they have a very high standing in the search engines already so you are able to rank well for keywords that would take a long time and a lot of work to make your website rank for. But wait this is not all there are more benefits to article marketing:
Web Masters
Will use article sites to look for new content to post to their own site, they are allowed to use articles posted to this site as long as they include your resource box which will include your marking message and website link. So not only will you get a link back to your site that will help with SEO but you will also get traffic from visitors to their site clicking the link to visit yours
eZine Publishers
If you have done a good job of publishing quality content then you can really hit the jackpot with this one. If an ezine (online newsletter) decides to publish your article you can get hundreds even thousands of visitors in under 24 hours .
So what sites should you post your articles to? There are literally hundreds of article directories that you could choose from but the 3 biggest ones are ezinearticles.com, goarticles.com and articlebase.com.
3. Web 2.0 Syndication
There are many web 2.0 sites that allow user generated content that you can syndicate your content across these include sites like, Squidoo, Hub Pages, Wet Paint, Blogger, Wordpress.com and many more. These sites rank well in the search engines on their own, but you make them perform even better if you get some links to them.
All these sites mentioned have RSS Feeds, remember the submitting to the RSS Directories trick I mentioned at the beginning well you can do this on these sites no problem, if you want to a more concise list of RSS Directory sites then I have a list on day 2 of my free 5 day e-course you can find more information on how to get this at the end of this article.
The next step would be to get a load of social bookmarking links to these pages. You should be able to get a least 50, you can get even more if you want to find them all, again if you want the list I use its on day 2 of my 5 day e-course. The other interesting strategy you can use here is a link wheel by linking all the web 2.0 pages together.
4. Social Media Marketing
You can also use methods like setting up MySpace pages Facebook Groups and Bebo pages to get traffic. As well as social networking tactics.
5. Classified Ads Sites
There are hundreds of free classified ad sites springing up all over the internet the biggest of these is Craigslist next in line is Backpage and Gumtee is leading in the UK market. This can be a good place to get some free traffic I have a rather extensive guide to posting on Craigslist on day 4 of my free 5 day e-course as this is the hardest one to post to, you will also find a concise list of “Classified Ad” sites you will find details on how to get my e-course at the bottom of this article.
List Building
The most important part of having a successful website is to build a mailing list, so that you can direct subscribers to new content and make offers to affiliate programs and joint ventures to make some extra cash if your doing any kind of paid advertising then this should be directed at building a list. Read on for the paid advertising methods chapter.
Paid Methods
6. Pay Per Click
You can use search engine pay per click services such as Google Adwords, Yahoo and MSN to drive traffic to your website, these services allow you bid on search engine keywords and have your ad appear next to the normal search results in the sponsored section.
These can be a fantastic way to get more traffic to your website but there is another secret trick here, because you can also use it to find out what keywords convert best for your website and once you know this you can optimize your website to for these keywords.
7. Pay Per View
These are services that allow you to buy pop up ads, some of the companies that supply this service are Media Traffic, Traffic Vance, Adon Network, Clicksor, Pin Ball Publishing Network (was called Zango)
8. PRWeb
This site allows you to submit press realises that can get syndicated to media outlets like newspapers and TV stations and magazines, these need to be very professional if your not up to the task of writing it may be an idea to hire a writer for this task, as PRWeb charges a reasonable amount for a submission.
9. eZine Advertising
This involves finding internet newsletters that will allow you to advertise and placing adverts inside them this can be a very responsive and cost effective way to market your website if you have chosen the right ezine. There are different types of adverts you may offered, here are some of them and what they do.
Solo Ad
These cost approximately around $10 per 1000 subscribers and it is a standalone mailing that is dedicated to your offer only. You type out the email and they send it to their list.
Sponsored Ad
This is where you appear at the top of an article that is sent out in the newsletter with your message and link.
Classified Ad
These are usually at the bottom of the newsletter, they have less exposure and are quite cheap to purchase, despite their handy cap, these can sometimes be the best ROI (return on investment) for promoting and opted in page for your own list
10. Co-Registration
These are usually arranged by a 3rd party the basic concept is that person A subscribes to a newsletter on a website belonging to person B the whole thing is organised by Person C (the co-reg network) when person A subscribes they are subscribed to 5 newsletters at one time all on the same topic but slightly different niches of that topic to avoid direct competition.
So person D, E, F, G, H whose newsletters person A subscribed to pay person C a fee for every subscriber this can be between $0.10 – $1 per lead depending on the network and many other factors. Person C then pays person B his commission for getting the subscriber.
This is co-registration its not as responsive as normal opted strategies but the prices are a lot cheaper and it can drive huge volumes of traffic to your website and offers.
Ready Set Build a website!
January 17, 2010 by IBI · Leave a Comment
If you’re concerned with the costs associated with having a professional website designed, don’t fear! There are many free options attainable to you, so you can have control of publishing your own content at no charge to you. Obviously there are some benefits to having a professionallydesigned website, but if you cannot afford one, you do still have the opportunity to build your own site! The whole trick is to publish content. Content on the Internet is king! The more targeted content, you publish about your products for your service, the better your website will do.There are three main types of development tools I’m going to discuss. Not every option is right for every person. So we will look at all three to help you make an informed decision and which is best for you.If you have already purchased a hosting package and a domain name, there might be a chance you have a web building tool already! You will have login information from your web hosting provider, which will allow you access to your control panel. Be sure to log in to this control panel and search to see if there is a web building tool available for you here. Also, you can search for tutorials or webinars to help you learn how to use these building packages. It is very common for Web hosting company to offer these options to even the least expensive accounts that they sell. If you have any questions, you can always call your hosting company’s technical support team.The next option is offered by both Google and Yahoo. These tools are very simple to use very straightforward and build high quality webpages. For a busy professional looking to generate some content about what they do this is a great, inexpensive way to do so.WordPress links with your hosting package is completely customizable and can be used for almost anything. From setting up your own blogs to your webpages were press has very simple templates allow you to express yourself through both your content, and how your content looks. Wordpress is open source, which means it was developed by the community for the community. This also means that it is worked on by hundreds of people all over the world, and is free! Visit wordpress.org for more information.Do not let yourself be convinced that you must spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on a website. There are many simple, effective and free ways for you to develop and promote your content. This article explained three different ways that you can build your own webpage at no cost to you! Review all three options and make the decision that’s best for you. Also make sure to read web hosting reviews to decide on where to host your new website.
Internet junkie and super affiliate
How to Make A Website By the Numbers
January 5, 2010 by IBI · Leave a Comment
You’ve been thinking about it for a while now and it is finally time to learn how to make a website. If you think making a website is difficult, you might be surprised to learn that it is a rather straight forward process.
Step 1 – Planning
This is the most important part of learning how to make a website. Why? Because at this point you are either setting yourself up to make a successful website or for a great big disappointed. The reason we want to plan before we make a website is because we need to know what our website is going to focus on.
You may be saying to yourself, I want to learn how to make a website, I don’t need to pick a topic now. This is what most people say when they learn how to make a website. This is also why most people’s websites fail to rank very well in the search engines.
By picking a topic before you make a website, you can see how much competition you’ll face. This can be done by seeing how many websites you’ll be competing against. To do this, go your favorite search engine and search for the main word(s) that best describe your website. Is surfing your theme? Then search for “surfing”.
Once you’ve gone and found how many websites there are on the topic, you need another piece of data: search volume. There are plenty of resources out there you can use to get this number. Google AdWord’s Keyword tool is one of them you can use.
Now that you have these two pieces of information, divide the number of websites by how many people search for it. This can be seen as competition divided by search volume. The bigger the number the harder time you’ll have ranking when a user searches.
This is a very important step to understand when you learn how to make your own website. And as I’ve already said, it may very well be the difference between success and failure when you make a website.
Step 2 – A Fitting Domain Name
Since we’ve done our research and planned the subject for our website, we can now pick a fitting domain name. We’ll use the previous “surfing” example throughout the rest of this article on how to make a website. Seeing as this is our keyword fitting with our theme, we will want to make sure we use it in our domain name. This will also make ranking easier.
There are two ways you can make a domain name for your website. The first method is the one that you will most likely be familiar with. That is the none hyphenated version. It looks like this: www.mysurfingshop.com The second version is hyphenated, and is easier for your visitors to read. Unfortunately they may not remember it as easily. Especially if you place hyphens in such a way they don’t remember where they go. This example would look like: www.my-surfing-shop.com
When you make your own website, it might seem tricky at first, but once you’ve done it several times you’ll realize like everything else, it is very straightforward.
Step 3 – Website Creation
This is a very broad topic, and while it is still part of making a website, it is no longer the major part. Let me clarify, when you learned how to make a website years ago, the Internet was in its infancy (some still say that it is). There were fewer books and other resources for you to gain a handhold on, and unless you knew how to code… Well lets just say be happy you’re not trying to make a website then. Today when you approach the task, there are countless resources on the Internet you have instant access to. If you encounter a problem during the course of making your website, you can ask a question and get a fast reply.
But you can go beyond that. And that is what I want to make clear in this step. You don’t have to learn how to code a single line (though it is a valuable skill) to make a website. And in fact there are plenty of websites out there that would never have been made if this wasn’t true.
There are so many solutions for how to make a website, and a large number of them are free. Let’s look at WordPress. Though mainly a blogging platform, it is so customizable it can easily be enhanced to meet almost any need. It’s fast, you can literally have things setup and running within a matter of minutes, now how is that for learning how to make a website? Did I mention it was free? Oh yeah, I did.
Now I know what you may be asking yourself, how do I make pages, posts, etc? The days of coding pages from scratch in a text editor are over. Those tasks are often left to professional web designers. For many the creation process is done directly in their browser.
If you can type, then you can create a page or blog post without the need for a single line of code. If you want to try your hand at HTML, there is a built in editor, WordPress leaves the choice up to you. And relieves you of the task of building your website from scratch.
I use WordPress as an example because it is a highly advanced system that gives you access to features you would otherwise have to work very hard to implement yourself. Even in your beginniner’s phase, you can personalize your website with plugins and themes easily downloaded from within the software.
That’s how easy it is to make a website today. But there is just one small thing you should know. Read the next step to learn what that is.
Step 4 – Web Hosting
No matter what system you approach, when you learn how to make a website it boils down to two essential things. A domain name and web hosting. You cannot put up a website when either of them are missing. Without the domain name people won’t have a place to go, and without hosting they won’t have much to see once they get there.
When you learn how to make a website, this can be one of the more difficult areas to traverse. Why? Because there are lots and lots of companies blasting their sales pitch at you trying to get your hosting dollar. If they are the right host for making your website is another question alltogether.
So let’s look more closely at this final step in learning how to make a website.
As I have already said, there are many hosting companies to choose from. So are really well know, spending millions on Super Bowl ads. Does they mean they are the best? No, it just means they have money to spend. Others aren’t as well known and are equally less reliable, while others have built a name for being reliable and fair.
One trick I implement when I evaluate a new host is register for only one month. Why is this a trick? Think of it this way, if you’re learning how to make a website and you make the wrong decision, like picking an unreliable host, do you want to be stuck with them for a year?
This is something that I did when I was learning how to make my first website. It isn’t a pleasant feeling. And if you’re not careful and don’t pay attention, you may be slapped with another year. Before you panic, let me explain. Some web hosts, I call them unscrupulous companies, will renew your account for the same time period when it get close to expiring.
You’re now locked in to a new contract.
That is why I always register for the one month first. This may make you ineligible for some promotional offer for new users, but then wouldn’t you rather miss out on a few dollars savings than the alternative. Namely, paying for a service that doesn’t suite your needs to make a website.
Trust me, I have been through more than a few web hosts over the years, and this method of evaluation has saved me some money.
My current web host even allows you to evaluate their service for 45days for only one cent.
In conclusion, get a feel for the company before you buy server space from them. If you are truly serious about learning how to make a website, take your time at this step and do a little digging.
To Recap
Don’t underestimate how much competition there is on the web. Do some research and see if you can compete with the other websites in your niche. This is done by comparing how many websites there are for your main keyword by the number of searches performed for the same word each month. If the ratio is too high, pick another theme to learn how to make a website with.
Once you have your theme, register your domain name. Make sure to use your main keyword in the URL. This helps target your website to the theme and make it easier to rank. And that is the sign of success for any website, no matter if you’re making your first website or your 100th.
Coding would have been the third step only a couple of years ago. And don’t get me wrong, it is still a big part of the web today. But for you, in the beginning stages of learning how to build a website, it isn’t crucial.
There are so many opportunities that allow you to make a far more advanced website than if you learn how to code one from scratch. I mentioned one in this article, and while it has shown to be the most widely used, it is far from your only option.
And lastly, web hosting. Even though I run the risk of sounding like a broken record, I will say it again. Don’t jump into a contract for a long period of time with any host unless you’re certain they meet your needs. This part of learning how to make a website is probably the trickiest.
Five Easy Steps in Creating your Own Website
December 13, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
The ubiquitous internet has gone a long way from being just your ordinary research tool. These days, websites have evolved into an all-in-one, multipurpose space in the World Wide Web that not only lets you gather information, it now allows you to make one for yourself without the hassles – it could even be for free.Since websites give you the power that is perfect for your business, organization and personal use, for sure you want one so you can keep in touch with your network of contacts, post high-quality photos, share files, maintain a 24/7 online presence and so much more.But admit it: You can never fully figure out how websites work. While it continuously fascinates you, it also drives you out of your mind. Truth is, making a website is easy. All you need is the right platform and you’ll get the hang of it. In fact, the process could be summarized in five easy steps.The Planning StageJust like any systematic procedures, website creation starts with a plan. You need to make a clear path of your objectives to make your website perform to your demands. Also, you need to decide if you will build it on your own or you will be asking qualified professionals to do it for you. To help you make judgment, try asking yourself the level of commitment you can put on putting up the website.The Research StageOnce you’ve come up with a plan, it’s time to do a study about the keywords you will include in your homepage’s content. This is critical in order to make your website be displayed in search engines when online users look for your particular niche.Looking for a Website Hosting ProviderThis is a confusing step since there are hundreds of website hosting providers and packages to choose from. The trick of the trade is simple – Don’t choose a cheap offer at the expense of performance. Instead, choose one that suits your taste and needs.Deciding on a Domain NameYour website, of course, needs an identity. This is where a domain name comes in. Start by brainstorming what to call your website based on its category. You need to have multiple options though, since it is possible that a particular domain you’ve thought of is already taken. By then, you can now register it.Pos-Creation StageThe task doesn’t stop there. It is important to take note that website efficiency depends on its content. Also, monitoring and maintenance also plays a major role in your websites performance.
Building Your Own Website doesn’t require any IT-related degree. In fact you can make one for yourself using this comprehensive guide.
Internet marketing 101 – 10 ways to promote your website online
November 27, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
Internet marketing is a highly fluid profession, but there are several techniques that never go out of style. Combined with the new, innovative approaches being developed every day, these techniques can dramatically improve your company’s internet marketing success!
Article Marketing has become a powerhouse way to spread helpful information and reel in traffic from across the web. When you write helpful articles and submit them to article banks, directories and ezine publishers, more people become aware you exist, and from there become impressed at your knowledge in your niche.
Blogging initially became popular in the late 1990’s, when online journalism was all the rage. Now blogs have become an important marketing tool, allowing companies to reach out informally and draw in visitors who can later be converted to customers. You can use your bog to make yourself more accessible. Free blogging platforms like Google Blogger and WordPress make blogging easy and fun.
Ezines can be used for more focused publicity – these are generally aimed at a particular niche. You can even start your own to develop a closer relationship with your readers. Provide helpful information and resources, and they will come to trust you and rely on you for advice. Just limit advertising and hard sales copy!
Networking is another tool that can get you close to your target demographic as well as in touch with other professionals who can help you achieve your goals. Connect with others in your field to share information and encourage each other.
Online Email Groups exist for nearly every conceivable niche. You can find them on major search engine forums such as Yahoo or Google, or start your own and invite people you know to participate and brainstorm.
Forums are a terrific outlet for establishing yourself as an authority. The trick is to not overdo it – simply offer help when needed and don’t try to push your agenda unasked – no-one likes a spammer. Follow the rules for posting and offer your help as much as possible.
Social Media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and even MySpace are all good places for connecting to people and establishing your brand. Creating multiple online profiles and updating them consistently will build your reputation and ensure you are visible.
Photo and video sharing or pod casting can increase your chances of ‘going viral’ and having your product or service garner national or international attention. You can hire an established agency to help you, or venture into the digital world yourself to create material, then publish it online.
Bookmarking sites also allow you to share things you want others to know – and if you learn how to tag effectively, you can increase traffic to your product or service. The best thing about bookmarking, sharing and social sites is that others carry on the work you begin!
Advertising cannot be left off the list. If you learn to craft effective, targeted ads, the return on investment will more that justify the cost. A solid ad campaign combined with the above organic online marketing techniques will boost your traffic and conversion to levels your company may not have believed possible!
The bonus tip of the day is to use SEO in all you do – every piece of content you create and share should contain your main keywords at least once or twice. This keeps your theme consistent across all marketing platforms!
Miklos Roth is an expert on international real estate investments. He was born in Budapest, Hungary, and attended several universities in the U.S. and Latin America . He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with an honour degree in Business Administration in the year 2000, and returned to Hungary in 2001. Since then, he has been working in the property investment business. He has helped many foreign investors to capitalize on investment opportunities in East Central Europe. If you have any questions regarding rental property investing in Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia Romania and Poland you can receive answers within 24 hours on our portal at www.hungary4you.co.uk
How to Monetize Your Website with AdSense
November 23, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
Google AdSense is a fast and easy way for website publishers to automatically display relevant text-based ads on their web pages and earn money in the process.
How do you start making money from your website using AdSense?
1. Sign up for a Google AdSense account. It will only take a few minutes of your time.
2. When your site is accepted, you can begin creating AdSense ads. This is achieved on Google’s AdSense site. At the end of the creation process you download the HTML code Google AdSense provides, for inclusion in your web pages. You can insert this code on as many pages and web sites that you wish. Once you upload your amended web pages to your host, the AdSense ads will usually start appearing immediately.
3. You will earn a few cents or dollars per click when someone clicks on any AdSense ads displayed on any of your web pages. The amount you get paid per click is dependant on the amount the advertiser pays Google for the click. You have no control over this value, although there are ways to find out which keywords are higher earning than others. One word of warning – never attempt to earn revenues by clicking on the AdSense ads on your own sites. Under the terms of Google AdSense, this is not allowed and can result in your AdSense account being terminated instantly. The money you have already earned may be lost because of this.
4. Check your statistics. AdSense earnings can be checked at anytime by logging into your Google AdSense account. There are also tracking mechanisms available which you can incorporate during the AdSense ads creation process. This will help you in determining which of your websites and pages are making the most AdSense income.
Once you’ve got your account up and running, it is important to note that there are several factors affecting how your AdSense ads will perform and thus the amount of money they can potentially make for you.
How do you increase your AdSense earnings?
1. It is best to limit the content for each web page to a single niche or topic. Google AdSense will then be able to serve ads that are highly relevant to your page, which will then result in a higher clickthrough rate.
2. You have complete flexibility in selecting the text colors to be used in the AdSense ads appearing on your web pages. You can thus make the AdSense ads blend into the color scheme on your page, making the ads almost appear as if they are part of the information on the page a opposed to being ads. Alternatively, you may choose to make your AdSense as stand out from your page by using a different color scheme.
3. The location of the ads on your web page can also have an impact on your success with AdSense. On the Google AdSense website, there is a very useful “hot spot” diagram which indicates the best place to locate ads on web pages.
4. There are currently 12 AdSense ad formats. You can test which of these are most successful on your web pages. There is a school of thought which says that traditional banner style formats are now being ignored by many internet users. In other words, they are instantly recognized by viewers as being advertisements and therefore are not even glanced at.
There is no reason why any webmaster should not try AdSense on their sites. It is easy to implement, simple to monitor and makes them money for zero outlay.
Brian McGregor is the creator of AdSense-Images which is a unique product designed to help webmasters make more money from their existing AdSense ads. If you’re interested in Google AdSense and AdWords go to http://www.adsense-images.com
Should Free Website Advertising Replace Your PPC Advertising
November 22, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
Many online marketers, both new and experienced, have used ppc advertising to advertise their website businesses.
PPC advertising; also known as pay per click advertising or ppc search marketing, has the potential to bring INSTANT traffic to your website.
Additionally, if you only wanted to advertise your brand online, then ppc advertising can allow you to publicize your brand or promote your business name on the Internet, often at little or no cost.
Many a time, however, internet marketing practitioners will encounter problems with their search marketing or ppc advertising campaigns.
An online marketer like you and I could potentially spend large amounts of money on ppc advertising, but yet not make any sales or generate targeted online leads. Some of us may remember watching the number of clicks and our ppc advertising costs rising continually but without having made any sales or acquired many email leads.
What could be worse is that you could end up getting jaded or disillusioned with ppc advertising methods and stop using them completely.
Certainly, setting up an effective ppc advertising campaign may well require a fair amount of time and effort, sometimes over multiple attempts of trial and error.
If you have tried ppc advertising, then you can probably remember all the keyword research, the webpages, tracking codes, keyword tracking systems, website analytics that you had to prepare and monitor?
As an online business owner doing your own website marketing, you would probably want the biggest website advertising “bang” for your buck.
Now, enter the free website advertising methods and techniques, which are also options that you can consider as alternatives to ppc advertising.
Naturally, if you wanted to replace ppc advertising with free website advertising, you will need to learn how to apply online advertising and Internet marketing techniques like:
1) article marketing
2) marketing with online videos
3) using your own website blogs as a form of free website advertising
4) applying web 2.0 website advertising techniques to drive traffic to your website
Also, let’s not forget that you have the choice of doing forum posts, blog comments, and joint venture marketing, all of which can be very effective as methods of free website advertising.
Given the many choices for advertising your website for free, should you then choose to replace your existing ppc advertising with free website advertising?
Perhaps, one possible approach is this — If you are not getting the ppc advertising results you want, then you can continue to learn the methods of ppc advertising, refine your techniques, and improve your pay per click advertising skills.
Meanwhile, it would certainly be a good idea for you to start learning and applying one or two other techniques in free website advertising.
The additional effort that you put into free website advertising will actually complement or supplement your existing ppc advertising efforts.
In other words, you can increase website traffic using free methods to advertise your website while you continue to market with and learn about ppc advertising.
Suppose you are doing pretty well and making a profit with ppc advertising. If this is the case, great job!
Why not also apply some of the many techniques that are available to you for getting free traffic to your website.
At the end of the day, a good internet marketing strategy to adopt might be to have several effective and consistent website traffic streams that will send visitors to your site.
Traffic to your websites could and should come from both free and paid website advertising sources. This approach ensures recurrent traffic to your website from a variety of advertising media and methods and will allow you to stay profitable while you make money online.
Discover how you can get FREE Website Advertising to add to your current Website Advertising & Promotion strategy, Visit Free Website Advertising Now!
How Important Is It For Copywriters To Have An Agency Quality Website?
November 22, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
Over the years, I’ve had several copywriters ask me how important it is to have an “agency quality” website. My answer is always the same: it’s very important if you are prospecting other than locally.
When you prospect locally, the client can meet you personally. But when you prospect nationally, your website, “telephone” personality, and marketing materials form the basis of your prospective client’s impression of you.
Fortunately, it’s not difficult to find a designer/webmaster who can help you build a high quality site at a reasonable cost. And some of my students do a very nice job of creating a quality site themselves.
Because I’ve found national prospecting to be far more profitable than working with local business, I encourage my coaching students to prospect nationally (and sometimes internationally), and create a website that supports a sophisticated positioning.
What, exactly, constitutes an “agency quality” website?
Here are five pointers for creating a website that convinces quality clients that you are the right copywriter for them (plus two common mistakes to avoid):
1. Make sure your website has a “you” orientation. The Home page should not talk about “you” except in the context of what you can offer a client.
2. Have a “unique selling proposition” (USP), or positioning statement. Why are you “the best” choice? Do you serve a particular niche? Are you an expert at some important element of copywriting (e.g., offer development, headlines, concepting, etc.)? Make sure your USP “shines through” on your Home page.
3. View your entire site as a lead-generating tool. If you write a direct response package, you first try to get your prospect into the envelope. Once inside, you attempt to lead your prospect through the package, with the end destination the reply card or order device.
Use the same principle in designing your website and its navigation. Always send your prospect to the “contact me” page, or the page where you offer more information. As with any lead-generation effort, your only goal is to get your website visitor to respond.
4. Create an offer, and offer it on your website. Unlike general advertising, direct marketing is defined by the offer. If you don’t have an offer, you’re not employing the most fundamental rule of marketing, and it will cost you responses.
5. Pay attention to look and feel. Copywriters have the right and responsibility to make sure the end product produces leads or sales.
This means that the copywriter should offer the art director some level of direction on look and feel (without overstepping bounds, of course).
A clean, well-organized website that exhibits a “professional finish” will offer a sophisticated client some level of assurance that contacting you will not be a waste of their time.
What NOT to do on your website:
First and foremost, don’t “preach to the choir.” Because the world of copywriting is new to new copywriters, they have a tendency to “tell what they know” on their website.
But a quality client (usually mid-size to large companies and organizations), doesn’t want to know why copywriting will help him. He already knows that, even if he doesn’t know how to write copy himself.
What he’s looking for is validation that you could be the right copywriter for him.
Websites that attempt to “teach” generally attract clients who need teaching (oftentimes small business with a low appreciation of what good copywriting can do for them, and an even lower threshold for paying reasonable fees).
The second mistake I see is mentioning price on the Home page (or anywhere in the site, for that matter).
Quality clients do not put price first, and any discussion of price usually comes after the copywriter has a complete picture of the marketing problem that needs to be solved.
Not long ago, one of my coaching students complained that his prospects seemed fixated on price. After going to his website I noticed that his Home page positioned him as more attractively priced than other copywriters.
This positioning inadvertently created a USP based on “low price” — something we copywriters should always avoid.
Bringing up the subject of price on your website will actually cause your prospect to put it front and center. Best to let pricing discussions occur “naturally” in the process of landing a job.
Chris Marlow publishes a free newsletter for consultants who want to land the high quality, high value clients.
GetGreatClients.com
Website Copywriting: A Recipe For Hard-Hitting Words In Lean Portions
November 21, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
In 10 short years, websites have evolved from business novelty to necessity, perhaps now the most important part of a business’ marketing and branding arsenal. For very small shops to the largest publicly-traded corporations, websites have become both the most preferred and the most interactive way for companies to communicate with their customers and prospective customers. And though many of the same fundamentals of good offline copywriting apply to the online world, there are distinct differences in both content presentation and strategy that are important for anyone involved in website copywriting-whether it be a writer, designer, creative director or client-to be aware of.
1. Website copywriting needs to be shorter
It’s been scientifically proven that readers’ eyes tire quicker reading a computer screen than they do a printed page. But more important than that, website copywriting needs to be short because of the nature of the medium. Computers are all about speed in information gathering, dissemination and understanding. And the amount of verbal content a company presents on its website must take that fact into account. If the concept can be explained in one sentence instead of three, use one. If a simpler word can be used in lieu of a longer, more complex word, go with the simpler. Concentrate on quality without the quantity. It can be done and done very well.
2. Good website copywriting starts with a home page that incites curiosity
On a home page, many organizations wax about how long their company has been in business, how many employees they have and other assorted topics, which do nothing to whet the reader’s appetite. Instead, use the homepage to introduce your company as a solution to a problem your market has. That way, you’re presenting your readers with a valuable reason to continue reading.
3. Customer testimonials are an integral part of great website copy
Often, the best website copywriting doesn’t come from you or your copywriter. It comes from your customers’ personal experiences. Assuming your company has satisfied customers, what they say about you can be much more credible than anything you say about yourself, and they can reinforce the credibility of the claims you do make about yourself.
4. Add a personal touch to complement the facts
A website is nothing more than a computerized, interactive introduction (e-commerce not withstanding) to who you are as a company and what you do. And just like a personal introduction, what often follows the “facts” are topics of a more personal nature. Good website copywriting always includes this type of content in a secondary location of the site-a place not hard to find, but not up front and center either. Why is this important? Because people want to get to know the companies they’re going to work with or do business with. They’re interested in the personalities that run your organization and the culture and philosophy behind it.
Adam Barone is a freelance copywriter from the Boston area. Visit him at http://www.adambarone.com. (c)Adam Barone 2006. All rights reserved. Reprint rights granted as long as the article is published in its entirety, including links.
How to Evaluate Your Website to Know What Affiliate Products to Sell
November 21, 2009 by IBI · Leave a Comment
Every web site has a focus and a reason it exists. It attracts visitors interested in or about that focus. Understanding why people visit your website is important to knowing what affiliate products and services you can market on that site.
For instance, if your website has a “Lord of the Rings” focus, then your site attracts visitors interested in the “LOTR trilogy.” These visitors are also likely into all things fantasy, dragons etc. – perhaps even other occult or horror and science fiction. This also tells you these visitors are most likely NOT interested in talk shows or Britney Spears music lyrics. Selling eBooks on music on a site without the correct focus is not only futile, but you could also drive away visitors who might feel it takes away from the feel of the site. This is a common mistake many website owners make: they can’t see the underlying reason for the success of their site.
It’s not always easy to identify how your website adds value to your visitors; sometimes it is clear, but often what creates excitement and attracts visitors is not what you think. Perhaps the graphics and compelling stories excite and delight visitors; maybe it’s your website’s online discussions or the chance to network with other like-minded members. Perhaps visitors find your “for sale” section popular because you offer discounted products or services. Maybe your visitors don’t know why they like to visit and can only say they think your website is “cool.” If you are not aware of why your website is successful, it’s to easy to make changes that devalue it and causes you to promote the wrong affiliate products.
A simple approach to find out what visitors enjoy most about your website is to ask. Use an online feedback form or set up a script to poll your visitors directly. Set up a simple e-mail link requesting contact information “for those who are fans of the site” or who may wish to participate in improving your site. Maintaining an up-to-date e-mail list of visitors is a major value to you, the web site owner. It allows you to conduct polls about current site features, interests and trends. The types of questions you might want to ask include:
1) Why do you visit my website?
2) What is the most useful feature on the site?
3) If you could change two things what would they be?
4) Do you like the layout and look of the site
5) Do you feel other sites are doing a better job, if so which ones?
Obtaining this information will allow you to understand why visitors favor your website. You can now decide what you can add or change to your website without losing its focus or detracting from the inherent usability.
You can use tools and software methods to track visitors who access your webpage, as well track where and what page(s) or areas they visit. Using these tools to review that data regularly is important to any successful web site optimization. Let’s assume you have polled your members, reviewed which of your site’s features are the most popular and decided what affiliate products and services would interest your visitors. The next step is to sign up with an affiliate network, such as ClickBank or Commission Junction, which can provide you with marketable products aimed at your visitors’ interests.
Brian Scott is the author of the newly-released book/audio book, HOME-BASED NICHE RICHES, available at http://www.PaydayPublishing.com. Listen to free audio samples on how to make money in little known niche markets. Or sign up to our Affiliate Program and earn 50% commissions on our products!
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