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This Month's Question
Q: Why can't
my website designer do the Internet Marketing for my website?
A: There
are very few website designers who can also perform website marketing. There are many reasons
for this...
1) If your web designer is any good, he/she will be extremely busy trying to keep up with the
latest techniques and changes imposed by search engines in the field of web design. The field
of Internet Marketing is also in constant flux, therefore requiring several hours a week devoted
just to learning or re-learning techniques to get and keep websites in the top 10.
2) Website design is a very long and time consuming process. It seems simple to many people
who think that just placing a photo on a website page takes only a few minutes. But the reality
is the photo most likely has to be cropped or altered to fit the website page, it also has to
be reduced (in resolution) so that it shows up on the website page in a very short time and
lastly, it needs to be tagged so that visually impaired Internet users and search engines can
identify that there is a photo in that spot on the web page. A web designer can easily spend
20 - 60 minutes on just one photo.
3) Website Design requires visually creative skills, (more of a Left Brain function). Whereas
Internet Marketing requires analytical skills (more of a Right Brain function). Of course this
doesn't mean one person can't have both, and of course both web designers and Internet marketers
require both creativity and analytical skills to some extent. But in my many years of consulting
(or sometimes counseling) web designers on Internet Marketing the most common comment I hear
from them is, "I just can't think that way." So, there may be something to this left
brain / right brain concept.
4) Unless your designer is working solely for you, he/she will not have the time to create and
manage your website AND market it on a consistent basis. As an Internet marketer, I personally
work 14 - 16 hour days, 6 days a week and I don't do ANY web design work. There simply isn't
enough time.
Following are some resources that I can
personally recommend!
Esther C. Kane
Eckweb Designs, Inc.
The Long Tail is a marketing concept
that I've been following for many years. The basic concept, as it applies to Internet Marketing
is to create pages on websites targeting keyword phrases that may not be as popular as other phrases.
In other words, if your website has 10 pages marketing "not so popular" keyword phrases
then it'll get into the top 10 of the search engines and bring in more traffic than if you tried
to market 1 page for a very popular keyword phrase. It's a very successful concept, one that I've
used over and over again!
AdSense Code is a great book (with a
cute take from the DaVinci Code) about using AdSense. It's a great way to generate passive income.
If you're not familiar with Adsense, this book may help you begin to understand the impact it
can have. Frankly, I don't understand why anyone would NOT use Adsense.
Waiting For Your Cat To Bark is another
one of my favorites. It's all about how to Convert visitors into customers. And not just for websites,
either. It's a great and easy read.
Don't Make Me Think is a great book
for anyone who thinks they can design a website. It's got some great tips and ideas on how websites
can be more more "user friendly" which in turn increases conversions!
Do you have an article
that you would like
to share with us?
One of the BEST ways to market your web site is to show the Internet audience that you
KNOW your stuff!
If you would like to write an article about any of the following topics and submit it to our Newsletter,
we would love to review it for inclusion in future issues.
Our topics of interest are...
Marketing (General)
Internet Marketing
Small Business Issues
Web Design
Web Hosting
Web site Programming
I heard on CNN today that the Internet will play a major role in the future of politics. The analysis
was that so much information is flowing from blogs and newsletters on the Internet from people on
the INSIDE that it will be extremely difficult for politicians to hide their stories (or hide whatever
they don't want exposed).
I think that's a fair analysis, but it's also true that there would be just as many blogs and newsletters
from people telling distortions, lies, etc. I don't believe it will be a one sided affair by any
means.
But the story made me realize how the Internet has integrated into our lives. Even though it's been
around a very short time (the Internet I mean) it has become a major force in so many arenas. Politics,
Economics, Lifestyle, Religion even Terrorism. It is truly amazing to see how it's evolved and I
truly believe that 10 years from now it will be completely different from what it is today. It's
growing at such a fast pace, it's anyone's guess as to the directions that it will take!
So, how do you take advantage of that? How do you move forward with the Internet and all it's benefits
(and pitfalls?). Well, bit by bit, that's how. If your website was an actual brick and mortar store,
how would you run it?
Would you leave the same window display there month after month? No? Then why aren't you changing
your website?
Would you leave the same products in the store all the time with no new products or specials? No?
Then why aren't you changing the products on your website?
Is your product or service so amazingly wonderful that people will pay anything to have it? No?
Then why aren't you telling people WHY they should have it?
If customers coming into your store are constantly complaining that they are having problems making
their way to your register because there's a hole in your floor would you keep the hole in the floor?
No? Then why aren't you LISTENING to your website visitors to try and understand why they leave
your site or why they don't buy from your site?
These factors and more all need to be addressed so that you can take the very best advantage of
your website. Do you think other companies just sit back and wait for traffic to come to their site?
If you do, you're very mistaken. Successful websites are successful because of hard, constant work.
It takes time and effort, just like any business. But unlike any other business, the results are
enormous. The Internet's audience is the entire world, not just the people that visit the mall where
your brick and mortar storefront is. The benefits of attracting such a huge population are amazing.
Polls are a GREAT way to get to know your target audience!
Polldaddy.com offers you FREE Polls to place on your
websites or emails!
Take our poll and you'll see how it works!
Search Engine Optimization
What Does It Take For
A Website To Be Successful?
by Esther C. Kane
Everyone wants their website to bring in business and for that business to bring
in revenue. Obviously, that's the goal of any business.
So, what does it take for a website to be successful?
1) The website must be about something that others want. Sounds simple,
doesn't it? Well, you'd be surprised how many websites I see on a daily basis that have no reason
for being. Face it, you could have the most wonderful looking, best optimized website on the planet.
But if your product or service has no audience, you won't get business. So, before you plunk down
your money on a website design and internet marketing services, make sure you've researched your
target audience to confirm that the product or service you are selling is something they will buy.
2) The website has to have information. You've got to tell people
WHY your product or service is great, HOW it's great, WHO it helps, WHERE it's sold or WHERE they
can get it, WHEN it should be used and most important (and you wouldn't believe how many people
miss this), you've got to tell people WHAT your product or service is.
3) The website has to be easy to use. Personally, I fly through websites
quite easily, and I should! I spend 90% of my time in front of a computer analyzing websites! But
many of my friends and even my husband, have a very difficult time with many websites. I'm the person
they call when they can't find the "buy" button or where to complete the contact form
or how to calculate the shipping charges. Take a tip from Todd Follansbee's article below "Usability
Testing On A Zero Budget". Get 5 people to go through your website and I guarantee you'll find
several areas that need improving! If your clients are having trouble using your website, you're
losing business.
4) The website needs credibility. One factor many website owners forget
is the factor of "trust". Think about it, when someone walks into your store or your office,
you may greet them, you may shake their hand, you engage in some conversation. All those factors
create a level of trust in the customer. So, how do you extend that level of "trust" through
your website? You establish your credibility by making it easy to be contacted, making it known
that you belong to certain credible organizations, advertising that you use a secure shopping program
and clearly displaying your privacy policies.
5) The website has to flow with the seasons. What I mean is that the
ultimate curse of death for any website is stagnation. If you haven't changed your website in 30
days, you should think about adding a special or notice of a new event or product. If you haven't
changed your website in 60 days you should seriously consider adding a few more pages of text and
information in order to attract business through new keyword phrases. If you haven't changed your
website in 90 days, well, don't complain that your sales are down. There's only so much any marketer
can do!
Online and Offline Marketing
Tips
Not Your Usual
Marketing Tips
Not Your Usual Marketing Tips
Vol. 4, No. 11
November 7, 2006
Every now and then, yours truly reserves the right to repeat a column for timeliness sake. And…because
it’s my column, I can do whatever the heck I want to.
Cartoonists have been lampooning politicians with devastating caricatures for over 300 years. As
November heralds not only election time but some big holidays to come, you might wish to consider
caricatures yourself. Not to devastate, however, but to tickle...
Welcome to another edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.
Caricatures make a great, customized gift for your clients or your favored customers...and certainly
families and friends on the personal side. Caricatures of loyal (and long-standing) staff make great
gifts as well, showing your appreciation for their loyal service. Yours truly has done caricatures
of individual staff members, framed and mounted on company walls. So it’s not only a unique,
fun idea…it’s great for morale.
(If you’re new to this column, Yes, I do caricatures. And I’ve been doing them professionally
– apart from my copywriting, creative director and marketing strategy work – for, sheesh,
three decades now…)
Another popular item that can utilize caricatures -- and no less a marketing tool than a corporate
brochure or flyer -- is a Holiday Greetings card...customized to feature the illustrated likenesses
of company officers and selected staff, and sent out to clients with a seasonal message thanking
them for their business.
(See art above.)
Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's are all within a scant window of eight
weeks from now. Ad specialty items -- pens, coffee mugs, and a plethora of other "giveaways"
-- are certainly tried and true means to both "gift" and thank your business connections
for all they've meant to you this past year and, hopefully, into the future. Think about the uniqueness
of a customized work of art -- a caricature -- to print onto those items for holiday cheer that
is truly unique.
(Incidentally, if the art shown at the top of this page cannot be opened for whatever reason, go
to http://www.jdkmarketing.biz/caricaturesbyjoel/
for a look at that one, and others...)
Frame the first Tuesday of next month for another artistic sampling of Not Your Usual Marketing
Tips.
Usability Testing
on a Zero Budget
Todd Follansbee WebMarketingResources.net, New Haven, CT
Oct 31, 2006
These days usability labs can burn through tens of thousands of dollars in sophisticated
testing equipment and consulting fees. But when we started testing usability on the Web in the late
'90s, all we had was a computer and a notepad. With these simple tools, the science of modern web
usability was launched.
These early techniques can dramatically improve your website’s performance. The out-of-pocket
cost to you? Zero.
The Primacy of User Experience
But is all this necessary? You worked with a good designer and people are buying or generating leads.
Few complaints come in. Why even test for usability? The research is clear. The quality of the user
experience is the most important factor in buying decisions made on the Web. Not price. Not reputation.
Not security. Until you have tested your site for usability, you are losing business! Successful
e-commerce sites like Amazon, eBay, and Microsoft spend millions on usability, but you can get great
results for just a small investment in time.
If you follow the guidelines outlined below and make the improvements that you'll discover necessary,
you will see from 10% to over 100% improvement in sales or conversion. You'll probably want to quantify
your results by starting with a baseline measurement of what percentage of new visitors to your
site become customers, your "conversion rate."
Identify Goals for Usability Testing
Identify the goals you want to measure. Is it signing up for a newsletter? Ordering a product? Calling
for an appointment? Promoting your services? Test the most important goal first. Then as your testing
skill improves, assess other goals.
Selecting Testers
Find five people with little or no familiarity with your site who are willing to give you one hour.
Testing five people will turn up over 90% of your site's problems. Look for typical customers with
a variety of computer and web experience ("tool skills"). If you sell business to business
products, test subjects in a business environment, if possible. Consumer products should be in a
more relaxed environment.
Conducting the Test
Test subjects individually. Have your test shopper sit at a blank computer. Take a few minutes to
explain that your shopper is part of a website study. Emphasize that it is not a test of his or
her ability, but only of how easy the site is to use. Explain that you hope your test shopper will
verbalize thoughts as much as possible during the exercise.
Bring your shopper to the site directly -- or for a more typical user experience, let your shopper
"google" the site. Once on the site, ask your shopper to complete the task you have prepared,
whether it is to find a new bikini or make an appointment.
Observe carefully. Ask few questions. Rather, watch expressions on your shopper's face. Give zero
guidance -- positive or negative -- unless absolutely necessary. Note impressions, challenges, and
"blocking points" (points of failure or confusion).
If your shopper completes the task promptly, try testing other goals. If you still have time, consider
running through some competitors' sites, noting impressions, and learning what you can that will
help you to improve your own site.
Beginning to Improve
Don’t seek perfection. This is a learning experience, but I guarantee that this will be the
best tool you can use to improve your site. Even if you don’t have a baseline to compare results,
run a test. Your site will improve. Be warned that this can be addictive.
For more information:
Usability guidelines: visit Jakob Neilsen's UseIt.com (www.useit.com)
Online sales technique: read Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg's excellent book, Waiting for your Cat
to Bark (Nelson Business, 2006; ISBN 0785218971)
Todd Follansbee is our Usability and Conversion Optimization expert. He is the founder of WebMarketingResources.net
and brings to the table a focus on psychographic marketing, scientific usability testing, and a
Persuasion Architecture™ approach to sales conversion. He lives aboard his 44-foot ketch "4
Bells" in New Haven, Connecticut.
For Web Designers
The Importance of Anchor
Text Linking
By Esther Kane
I've been talking about anchor text linking for so long, I forget that it's not as common a concept
as I think. Lately, I've been getting several questions from designers about it's importance and
I can't stress enough how truly important it is.
Anchor text linking is the act of hyperlinking a specific keyword
phrase to a specific website page in order to identify that website page's focus as that of the
keyword phrase used in the linking.
For example: If I want to link to the website www.firstinphoto.com, and I want to emphasize (to
the search engines) that the home page of www.firstinphoto.com is all about "blank greeting
cards", then I would use the phrase "blank greeting cards" and hyperlink that phrase
to the home page of www.firstinphoto.com.
This, in effect, tells the search engines (Google especially) that this page that I'm linking TO
is all about "blank greeting cards". If there are enough incoming links to this page using
those same keyword phrases, then the search engine determines that the page truly is about "blank
greeting cards", even if the phrase is nowhere to be found on the website page (but in this
case, it is).
If you know me personally, then you know that I tend to follow evidence based rules. In other words,
if I can see the results of a formula, then I can endorse that it works. Otherwise, it's just a
theory. So, with that in mind, let me SHOW you the importance of anchor text linking.
The following results are all from Google.
Type in the word:failure #1 Result: www.whitehouse.gov/president/
Type in the word:liar #1 Result: www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page4.asp
Type in the word:waffles #1 Result: www.johnkerry.com/
Yes, I know, these are all political. Well, what can I say, these are the most popular examples.
The point is, none of these websites have those words in them. But there are SO many other websites
LINKING to these websites using the WORD in their link (hence the term "anchor text linking")
that to Google, these websites MUST be about that WORD!
So here are some other results that are not as dramatic but still demonstrate the importance of
anchor text linking.
Type in the phrase: generator sound shields #1 Result: www.soundstop.com
Analysis: even though the keyword phrase is NOT in the title, parts of the keyword phrase are listed
in the description that Google picked up from the website.
Type in the phrase:seo services for small
business #1 Result: www.eckweb.com
Analysis: even though the keyword phrase is NOT in the title, parts of the keyword phrase are listed
in the description that Google picked up from the website.
Type in the phrase:quiche meals #1 Result: www.justlikemomspersonalchefs.com
Analysis: the word "meals" is in the text that Google picked up as the description and
the word "quiche" is part of the name of the page. The phrase "quiche meals"
is no where on this page.
So, what's my point? To Google, an anchor text link is like an endorsement, a referral, a recommendation
that the page being linked TO is all about the keyword phrase being used in the LINKING.
So, the next time you create copy on a website page instead of using something like...
Click Here for information
on affordable seo pricing
use the anchor text link version which would look something like...
A crowded marketplace can lead to unethical webmasters using underhand techniques to get ahead of
their competitors and online plagiarism is one of the easiest.
I had worked hard on the copy for my sales page at Watch Live Football (http://www.watchlivefootball.com),
ensuring the copy was relevant to potential customers and contained keyword rich phrases to assist
with search engine ranking.
Understandably, I was incensed when I found not one, but two websites selling a similar service
had not just pinched a few key phrases here and there from my website, but had reproduced the entire
text verbatim!
I found these offending websites by using Copyscape (http://www.copyscape.com)
which is an invaluable, free tool, in the battle against online plagiarism.
It highlighted that my competitors had stolen 254 words from my sales copy despite there being
a clear copyright logo at the foot of each page of my website. However, this alone does not prevent
an unscrupulous webmaster and CTRL & C command in full flow.
Fortunately, dealing with plagiarism on the internet can be a straightforward process and incidents
resolved quickly and amicably before any real ‘action’ needs to be taken.
This is how I ensured my sales copy was removed from the two offending websites in less than 24
hours of discovery.
Write a polite, but firm email to the webmaster of the offending website and explain that you have
found your copyrighted work has been illegally reproduced on it. If you have used Copyscape to detect
plagiarism you could even include the link that highlights the illegally used copy and states an
actual word count.
Inform the webmaster your material should be removed from their website within a certain time frame,
I chose 48 hours, or you will take the following action:
1. Contact their web hosting company and inform them of the webmaster’s abuse. A WHOIS search
(e.g. http://www.whois.sc) can reveal plenty of
information about a particular website, including hosting information and also contact details of
the individual or company that registered the website.
A personal introduction, for example, ‘Dear Mr Smith’, is very effective when making
the first contact to combat plagiarism, especially if this information is not readily available
on the ‘Contact’ section of the offending website!
2. In case the offending webmaster does not take the prospect of the above action seriously then
you should also clearly state you intend to file a notice of Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DCMA)
infringement with search engines such as Google and Yahoo.
This action can potentially ruin a web business as the search engines take a dim view of plagiarism
and can remove an offending site from their search results should an infringement claim be justified.
You can also point out that you can prove your website is the originator of the copy by using the
Internet Archive (http://web.archive.org/).
These simple procedures should be enough to persuade an offending webmaster to remove your material
without the need for legal action which can be a long, drawn out and expensive process.
Author Information:
David Walker is the Managing Director of Magic Hat Ltd (http://www.magichatltd.co.uk),
a company which provides webmasters with a range of brand new sports, gambling and entertainment
affiliate programs to promote.
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