Digital Marketing Consultant

Is This Who I Think It Is?

The personalization of online shopping is being driven both by the ability to act on more in-depth analytics, and the rise of social networking.

From an analytics standpoint, it is easier to track online behavior now, and also to customize the information being presented to a consumer based on that data.  That customization can take many forms, from addressing someone by name on a site,to saving a visitor’s shopping preferences, to targeting specific products or discounts to a consumer based on past purchasing trends.  In recent research released by Limelight Networks, consumer survey respondents rated personalization features very highly.

The ability of a website to automatically recall billing and shipping information was listed as extremely or very important by 73% of respondents who make personal online purchases more than once a month.  Meanwhile 55% of those same respondents said it was extremely or very important that an online shopping site provide product recommendations based on items already purchased or viewed.

Social networking offers a different look into how the shopping experience is becoming more personal.  Hitwise Intelligence 2011, found that social networking and community forum sites ranked third as a traffic driver to department stores online behind only search engines and other department store sites.  Traffic from social networking sites to the Retail 500 also increased 27% in December of 2010 compared to December of 2009.  All this means that conversations taking place online among friends are guiding subsequent shopping behavior.  

For retailers, the message here is that online presence must extend beyond traditional branded websites and into the social networking arena. These spheres of personal interaction online are where consumers are forming many of their opinions, and increasingly where they are choosing their shopping site preferences.

Search engines care about page titles and so should you.  The page title should provide a clear indication of what information is on the page.  There are some basic dos and don’ts that should be used when selecting a page title.

The Do List

Descriptive

Each page of your website should have a distinct purpose.  The page title should simply describe what is included on the webpage.  The key here is to keep it simple but descriptive.

Distinction

You have probably spent a lot of time developing your webpage and your page title should be given the same consideration.  The more distinction you give to your webpage, the easier it is to provide complete but simple page titles.

Journalistic Thinking

Think of each page as a newspaper article.  Form it so that it is easy to scan by human eyes.  You will then, most likely, make it perfect for those robotic spider eyes.

The Spiders’ Search

The page title is one of three things on your website that Google uses to obtain search ranking that we will reviewed by the search engines.  The three items include:

• Page Title
• Page Description
• Page URL

The Do Not List

Don’t use repetition

Avoid using variations of the same title page on different pages of your website.  Do not be repetitive with your title pages or the key words in your title page.

Don’t use long titles

Keep your page title to less than 70 characters.  Pages that are not able to described with less than 70 characters should probably be broken down into additional pages.   Google eliminates characters above 70, making your work useless.

Your Business Name

Don’t include your business name in the beginning of the page title.  Your keywords should be the first words of the title page for the best ranking.

Summary

Careful planning for your title pages can benefit your website with excellent ranking by the search engines.  A little effort on this task can put your website in front of more prospective clients with little expense.

by Karen Scharf

The task of search engine optimization for your website can seem overwhelming at times. You have enough work to do just running your small business, so it’s easy to put SEO at the bottom of your priority list.

However, without proper search engine optimization, your website is very unlikely to be much of a success. This can mean the money and time that you spent getting your website designed and developed becomes wasted.

There are several ways that you can improve your SEO without spending tons of time or tons of money. Here are 10 of the quickest and most affordable SEO tips out there.

You want to make sure that your website has been submitted to search engines. SEO is all about optimizing your position in various search engines, but this is only relevant if you are actually listed in the search engines. When your website is brand new and it has no incoming links yet, it can be difficult for the spiders to find it, so it’s a good idea to hand submit your site to the search engine.

2. Clean up Your Site

Make sure your website is organized and clear. It is especially important to clean up any dead links. Fix any errors that may appear on your site and double check to make sure your entire site’s html is up to par. There are online services that can help you do this. Since search engines primarily work and rank websites through the use of robots it is important to make sure all of the technical aspects of your website are in good working order. This helps ensure that the robots can quickly and freely crawl through your site and they won’t encounter any errors or roadblocks that force them to abandon your site too soon.

3. Use Good Keyphrases

If you’re trying to optimize your brand new website for a single keyword, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle. Try longtail keyword phrases instead (a phrase that is four words or longer) because they are less competitive and easier to get started with. Be sure to research the phrases that your target market is actually searching for, and then do the competitive research to ensure that you actually have a chance of ranking for those phrases.

4. Create Good URLs

Creating readable URLs is especially important if you’re using a content management system or otherwise generating dynamic URLs. While evidence suggests that Google’s new algorithm does not apply much weight to keyword rich URLs, other search engines do. And since it’s such an easy step to create relevant URLs, it’s worth the few seconds of extra time it might take, if only to make it easier on your human site visitors. Make sure that your URLs are indicative of the kind of information that your visitors will encounter on that page.

5. Improve your Title Tags

Title tags are still an important aspect of search engine placement, and since they are so extremely easy to update this is a step that definitely needs to be included in your affordable SEO plan. Make sure that your title tags are keyword rich and appropriate to the subject matter of the particular web page. And make sure you use a unique title tag on each and every page in your site.

6. Check your ALT Tags

Make sure that your alt tags are clear and keyword rich. While Google does not take into account alt tag text for ranking purposes, some other search engines still do. But the key issue to keep in mind with alt tags is that they are meant for usability. They are designed to aid website visitors with visual impairments navigate through your site and understand all of your content. While Google may not take the content of the tag into account, it couldn’t hurt to show Google that you are running a professional website that caters to all users.

7. Get Backlinks

Getting relevant links coming into your website can be tedious and time consuming. So this isn’t exactly considered a “quick tip”. But there are a few things you can do to help speed up your link building program. First, take advantage of industry groups or trade associations that you belong to. They usually have online directories where you can include a link to your website in your membership profile. Join a forum that is related to your niche and include your website address in your profile and signature.

Submit a press release announcing the publication of your new site and include a link to your URL. Keep in mind that none of these are considered “high value” incoming links, but they are all quick and easy ways to get your linking program off the ground.

8. Create and Update Regularly

Keep your website or blog fresh and relevant.  You don’t have to go overboard, but be sure to make small updates regularly.  This ensures that the search engine spiders will return often. Use unique content, avoid private label right articles, and keep information as current as possible.

9. Generate a Site Map

Creating an XML sitemap makes it easier for the search engine bots to crawl through and navigate your website.  This is especially true if your site is rich in script and flash. The structure of your sitemap does matter, so if you’re not sure how to create one, check with your webmaster. Chances are, he or she will have software that will simplify the process.

10. Use Social Media

Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are quickly becoming the new search engines.  Make sure you are adequately represented on sites like these. Set up a page for your company and post regularly.  Have friends, family, customers and fans sign up for your page and encourage them to advertise to their friends, family, clients, and fans.  This is a great way to build up your reputation and yet another way to quickly multiply reputable backlinks to your page.

Search engine optimization can be intimidating for many small business owners, and it’s true that a full-fledged optimization program will take time. But by following these quick and easy steps, you’ll be able to create an affordable SEO program that gets your new website off the ground in no time.

Integrating content Into your business website product pages is an art and a science.  Up front, I am telling that, if you would like a free "perfect page" template, contact me.

It may take a little extra effort to load your product pages correctly with content, but it will be worthwhile for both the search engine rankings and the real visitors to your online business. 

It all starts with the title.   You want to do the research needed to make sure you have captured a title that is exactly like what your visitors will be searching for.   You should keep the title as close to what people are searching for as you possibly can.

Images need tags which describe them, both for the search engines and for those who don't allow graphics to show.

You will need to develop text and description content that is both compelling and fun to read to retain the attention of the reader.   The most engaging content is when the content exhibits the personality of the website and your business.

Connecting products according to which products are frequently bought together is a great way to get the attention of your visitor.  Provide trending information about visitors who have purchased a particular product and what other products they may be interested in purchasing.  This process should, in fact, be automated.

Provide content regarding product comparison.  This often provides answers to the questions your visitor may have regarding a product.

Include content that is user generated.   It could consist of product ratings  by customers.  Adding content generated by the end user is a great way to obtain unique content for your site.

Rich content on your product pages will make the page pop out to your customers, doing it right will make the search engines find your page...but there is much more than what I have dared to mention above.

Perhaps you have said to yourself in the past a blog is a blog is a blog.  I beg to differ with you.  There are blogs and then there are blogs.  If you want your blog to work effectively for your website, you will need produce blog post with some inspiration.

Inspiration comes from the heart, and whether you are blogging about the greatest kitchen gadget or how to save your marriage, if it is to be an effective tool for building traffic and customers to your website, it must be inspired.

Don’t wait to get the inspiration the day you need to post your blog.  Throughout your day, every day  you are doing business on your website or just going through your daily routine, you have ideas and thoughts that just seem to pop into your head.   That’s inspiration.  The problem most people have is that they fail to recognize these nuggets of golden thoughts as the inspiration for their next blog post and then others simply forget the thought or idea as quickly as it came.

To capitalize on these inspirational thoughts and moments, you should write them down as soon as they come to you.   Yes, even if you are busy with other things.  Keep a note pad and pen (or maybe something like an iPad?) available within reach throughout your day just for this purpose.   An inspired thought that never finds fertile ground will never produce what it was intended to produce. 

You can spend hours and days searching for blog content that will be ineffective when the highest quality blog content was at the tip of your tongue at one point but you failed to take it to the tip of your pen.

Perhaps you could benefit by recording your thoughts which can easily be done with your cell phone and other electronic gadgets if you desire.

Capture those fleeting inspired thoughts and watch them come alive on your blog.  Your well of quality blog content will never run dry when it is fed by the fountain of inspired thoughts throughout your day.

Oh, and one last point: a blog is the key to your Search Engine Marketing.

SEO is the process of providing relevant website content, to the search engines, both invisible and visible, associated with established keywords used for marketing a website.  SEO also includes building links between relevant websites.

Higher ranking on the search engines verifies your website which in return provides qualified visitors resulting in increased sales, signups, and potential clients

Once in the past SEO was fairly easy to accomplish with search engines.  In today’s world of SEO, the task has become much more complex in nature requiring extensive analysis and research.  Previously, it was just a minor adjustment to the meta tags whereas today these 3rd generation search engines use content to qualify a website along with links directed from other similar websites.  The search engines pay little attention to the meta tags today.

You have probably spent a lot of time and energy on your business products and services.  Without effective SEO for your online business, it is similar to having a brick and mortar store that is filled with quality products and services for your target market, but then, after all that work, you never unlock the door to let the customers come inside to purchase those products and services.

SEO companies that only provide basic search engine submission services are not very effective, since your goal should be high ranking, not just being listed.  Your online business cannot afford not to have SEO that works with the latest search engine requirements, especially Google's.

For the best rankings, SEO strategies should focus all the requirements that can produce top rankings on the search engines.  If you would like to see how this is done, you should check out our wisdom book.

Those who have been marketing businesses on the Internet for a few years will understand how it has become more competitive over the years.
Each day more and more websites are added to the Internet.  Setting realistic expectations for search engine optimization has become even more important with the increased competition.

It is necessary to develop a good Search Engine Digital and Internet Marketing strategy to obtain the best possible ranking.   The question today is not about keywords as much as it is about Search Engine Digital and Internet Marketing (SEM) strategy.  Getting ranked well is an ever-moving target. It is your ever-changing strategy that is going to obtain the most successful ranking on the search engines.

SEM will not provide results immediately and it is not a magical approach to successful ranking.  Obtaining overnight success with search engine results simply is not a reality.  

SEO still has some value in using keywords, but it is quickly becoming a less effective way.  The future success of SEO is with the development of a comprehensive strategy targeting multiple keywords focusing on sustainable long term results.

The strategy for Search Engine Digital and Internet Marketing will vary depending upon the type of business and type of business model utilized.   A professional Digital and Internet Marketing Consultancy can provide the best direction and strategy implementation for your business.

The complexity of search engine optimization has brought new elements of focus to leverage your website for both search engines and visitors.   Maintaining you website position for optimal visibility is critical to the success of your business.

Developing the best strategic plan for Search Engine Digital and Internet Marketing and even International Search Engine Digital and Internet Marketing is an essential for building your online business.

You have probably spent a lot of time, money, and effort to establish your online presence.  Now it is time to direct your attention to marketing strategies.   The first secret to an online business is traffic, of course.

You will want to develop a strategy for lead generation that will generate traffic to your site.  Notice we referred to strategies, not strategy.  You will need multiple types of marketing campaigns to produce the growth in traffic for a successful business.

[I need to point out right here that traffic is only the beginning.  To complete the picture, it must be the right kind of traffic (that wants your product or service), your site must be built correctly to convert the traffic to business (with a correctly structured landing page), and you must know if all of this is happening (through analytics).  But back to basic traffic....]

Growth in the areas of marketing, as it relates to social media and internet advertisement, has been and continues to be at astronomical paces.  More dollars are expected to be spent on email marketing strategies including various social media platforms as other more traditional types of marketing are in decline.  Some of the more traditional types of advertising, including TV and radio ads, are not being utilized at all by some businesses.

Some of the most valuable marketing tools to facilitate growth in traffic to your website for 2010 include

• Search engine marketing
• Public relations
• Email marketing
• Social media

Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising is a popular type of search engine marketing.  This is a very powerful tool used to provide traffic growth.  PPC makes your company’s products and services at the fingertips of your potential customer immediately when they are searching for those products and services...if you do it right.  It can be an expensive lesson is wasted money if you do it wrong.

The most effective method to reach your customers is by way of search engine marketing (SEM).  To accomplish the growth you would like to see in traffic to your website, use of several tools and methods is the best option including:

• Search engine marketing (SEM)
• Blogging
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• PPC
• Marketing campaigns with a mobile focus
• Social media
• Email campaigns

Each of these methods is a story of its own.  Correct use of these techniques can successfully drive traffic growth to your site.  Converting that traffic to sales is a study you can find more information about at our Wisdom Book.

You have to think of links as being an indication that your site is so serious and interesting that others want to link to you.  But remember that the only reason other sites would want to link to yours is that there is a connection...a relevancy.  The little robots that look at your links make this judgement, and if they find that there is not relevancy, they will note this and not count that link.  Having enough irrelevant links and you get kicked out of the club.

Link trading impact upon the search engines

The search engines use algorithms to establish ranking of websites.   The algorithms give consideration to the number of sites linking to your website.   There is some logic to how the search engines view number of linked sites.  The more sites with links back gives credibility to content that is relevant to the website.

Software applications for link trading management provides for:

•    Link directory creation
•    Link addition to the directories
•    Link submission request to other sites
•    Request response tracking methods

The first step is to identify a site which you are interested in trading links.   There should be some connection between the sites by way of similar topics or a segment dedicated to your niche.

Tips for link trading

•    Choose compatible or related sites
•    Choose site with good search engine ranking results

Once a site has been identified as acceptable for link trading, a link to the site is then posted on your site.   It may be, however, that the link may not be posted on the other site.   This method is a non-reciprocal link which is more favorable to the search engines.  In other words, sites linking to your site (and your not linking to their site) tells the search engine that your site is quite popular and important.

Once you post the link to your site, you should request a link back be posted for your site.  Making a request for a link without first posting the other company’s link to your site is not good etiquette for link trading and will not end with a link trade normally. You will need to specify in your request for a link-back that, if this is not provided, you will probably remove the link to your site.  If you do not receive a response, you will need to follow up on your request.
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And finally, if you would simply like to read some excellent material on the subject, go to WSIwisdomBook starting at page 93.

If you are a small or medium sized business owner (SME), you intuitively know that you need to use the Internet as a marketing tool.  So, you look in your local telephone directory and pick one of the many Web developers listed.  They meet with you; get your head spinning about Java, HTML, C++, MS SQL databases, and on and on.  They tell you what you need and you pay what they ask.  However, they may not be up-to-date on the latest trends in Internet digital marketing or how to drive profits to your business using the Web.  This is why most websites fail.

 Your website should not cost you anything! 

Your website (more accurately described as your e-business solution) should be a balance sheet item, not an expense to your company, and it should deliver a measurable return on investment (ROI).  Most Web developers build or rebuild sites from scratch with the focus on coding only.  They don’t take advantage of modular development technology that supports a building block approach of functionality that is a reflection of your business needs. 

By deploying a modular development technology approach to building, rebuilding, or enhancing your site, the developer can bring you a high quality solution at a significant cost savings.

Holding the number one position in the search engines doesn’t matter!

Everyone has heard the promise of having their website listed at the top of the search engines.  But, everyone cannot be at the top of the list, and you, as a savvy business person, know it.  Search engines have rules and they change periodically. 

Actually, being the second or third position may be just as effective, since prospects who are genuinely interested in your product or service are more likely to click through to your site than those looking for instant results in the first few listings.  This can generate greater profits for your business, since more of the “click-thru’s” to your website may result in sales, or whatever desired action you wish users to take.  The goal is to generate high visitor levels on all of your pages, not just hits to your home page.  With millions of new sites coming online every month, not all of them will attract the visitors they need to be successful. With this in mind, clever keyword selection strategies based on your competitive business position forms the basis of an effective Internet marketing campaign.  WSI offers some of the most sophisticated tools to drive viewers to your website and to help convert these viewers into customers.  To get a good picture of what is possible, spend some time at http://bit.ly/WSIDigitalMarketing. Pay-Per-Click advertising, Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing, and the WSI WebScan™ are designed to ensure that an SME’s website works. 

Most sites are left unattended!

Most Web developers are just that: developers.  Once they have finished a site they are off to develop another one. 

You measure your sales activity and channels on a monthly basis, and your website is one of your sales channels.  Knowing the number of visitors, not just the number of hits, is extremely important.  Knowing which pages are being viewed and how long a visitor is on each page is critical information.  What search engine did the visitor come through to visit your site?  Did the visitor reach the site over a link from another site?

As a business owner, you are constantly measuring yourself against your competition.  How your website performs is no different.  You need to know how your site ranks compared to your competitors’ sites as well.  

Working with an Internet solutions provider rather than a website developer will give your business a competitive advantage over your competition.  Your Consultant will be in sync with your unique selling points, core competencies, customer demographics, sales targets, operating costs, and target ROI. 

Your goals will be met if your Internet solutions provider integrates all of your business goals within the design, hosting, and managing of your site.   If not, your website simply will not work.