An Introduction to Keyword Research.
If you’re reading this article, then you probably already know you want to set up your own online business. But it can be difficult (and a little overwhelming) to know where to start. In fact, once you start doing your own research on where to begin, you may come across advice that could seem contradictory.
The fact that there is so much advice out there (some of which is sometimes contradictory) shouldn’t be surprising. Keyword research is as much an art as it is a science, and the Internet search engines that use keywords have very complicated (and proprietary) processes for determining which web pages show up in search results, and in which orders.
Although some of the inner workings of search engines are not made public (which leads to a number of different “experts” claiming that they have discovered the secrets), it’s generally accepted that one of the immutable truths for search engine success is the importance of keyword research. And despite the cacophony of viewpoints, keyword research, and the entire keyword optimization process, is a skill (or ability, depending on how you look at it) that anyone can learn.
Key Components of Keyword Research
Keyword research is ultimately designed to help you find highly targeted traffic, position yourself well in search engine results, and find a niche market that you can build your business around. Key components of keyword research include understanding:
* The definition of keywords and keyword phrases in the context of Internet search engines
* How Internet search engines use keyword phrases to provide the search results to their users
* The concept of “targeted visitors”, and how this is an essential part of your keyword research process
* Finding a niche market to focus your keyword research efforts
* The concept of competition for search engine traffic
* The various tools that you can use to perform quick, accurate, and generally free research
* Promoting your business and website by using the basic keyword concepts
Keyword research means your prospects will be able to find you when they’re searching for your valuable information. The search engines will position you in the top pages of their results. Your competition will be sidestepped, and eventually shoved aside, and you’ll be able to build a profitable business from the get go instead of struggling, throwing the metaphorical spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks, and losing money along the way.
Keyword research, when conducted with a specific strategy, can lead you to a online business that sells. It doesn’t matter what your business model is, what you’re marketing or who your audience is, you and your business will profit when you integrate keyword research into your business building strategy from day one.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
A “KISS” for Profits and Cash Flow
A “KISS” for Profits and Cash Flow
Simple Marketing Tactics that Drive Sales
The “K.I.S.S.” method has been a tried and true rule forever in many areas in life and business. For this article, The KISS method stands for: Keep It Simple for Sales!
Marketing tactics can be extremely complex or quite simple. Ironically, the simple tactics are the ones that are most effective and successful. Value-added headlines, informative content, and visual appeal are simple tactics that can drive conversions and sales.
For example, one simple tactic is to make it quick and easy for web visitors and customers to view information on your website. Allowing adequate white space, creating short sentences, and keeping enough space between words, sentences, and paragraphs will make your site more appealing.
In addition, the strategic use of keywords and keyword phrases will attract search engines and keep site visitors scanning your content. Words that demonstrate how your product adds value will capture attention and focus the reader on “what’s in it for them”.
And these are also valuable search engine optimization techniques that will drive visitors to your website.
Simple marketing tactics
A very important tactic is to make everything simple. Some recommended options include:
1. Bulleted or numbered lists (like this one)
2. Use of bold to highlight keywords or important benefits (use sparingly to ensure emphasis without over-use)
3. Subheadings to create a logical flow and to break large blocks of content
4. Titles and subheadings in ‘sentence case’ since capitalizing most words tends to break attention span and create confusion
5. Graphics or pictures that are clearly relevant to the product and that showcase benefits and value
6. Highlighting unique information, benefits and value by using ‘call out boxes’, ‘pull quotes’ and other design elements
7. Since people tend to scan web pages rather than read them, snippets or short phrases with important information become vital for website content. People need to get the message quickly without having to think hard about what is being presented. Making sentences overly long or complex tends to be a distraction and you’ll lose the site visitor’s attention quickly.
These are just some of the recommended options when creating website content.
Not only is it important to integrate many of the basic and advanced marketing tactics into your marketing plan, it is also vital to include methods of testing their effectiveness. Watching and monitoring statistics that indicate how long visitors remain on your pages, among other measures of success, will help you refine marketing tactics and improve your marketing strategy.
Once you deploy some of the more advanced marketing tactics that are proven effective you will begin to see conversions increase quickly. And increased conversion rates lead to higher sales and repeat business.
Advanced marketing tactics include options such as the use of powerful copy that attracts readers, inclusion of questions that help you lead customers toward sales, and using authority positioning to increase site integrity and credibility.
If you’re searching for ways to grow your business, you don’t want to miss an opportunity to evaluate marketing tactics that will put you on the super-highway to success. Evaluate what others have already tested and proven successful. Create the winning formula for your website and enjoy the success that comes from hard work and vision.
Simple Marketing Tactics that Drive Sales
The “K.I.S.S.” method has been a tried and true rule forever in many areas in life and business. For this article, The KISS method stands for: Keep It Simple for Sales!
Marketing tactics can be extremely complex or quite simple. Ironically, the simple tactics are the ones that are most effective and successful. Value-added headlines, informative content, and visual appeal are simple tactics that can drive conversions and sales.
For example, one simple tactic is to make it quick and easy for web visitors and customers to view information on your website. Allowing adequate white space, creating short sentences, and keeping enough space between words, sentences, and paragraphs will make your site more appealing.
In addition, the strategic use of keywords and keyword phrases will attract search engines and keep site visitors scanning your content. Words that demonstrate how your product adds value will capture attention and focus the reader on “what’s in it for them”.
And these are also valuable search engine optimization techniques that will drive visitors to your website.
Simple marketing tactics
A very important tactic is to make everything simple. Some recommended options include:
1. Bulleted or numbered lists (like this one)
2. Use of bold to highlight keywords or important benefits (use sparingly to ensure emphasis without over-use)
3. Subheadings to create a logical flow and to break large blocks of content
4. Titles and subheadings in ‘sentence case’ since capitalizing most words tends to break attention span and create confusion
5. Graphics or pictures that are clearly relevant to the product and that showcase benefits and value
6. Highlighting unique information, benefits and value by using ‘call out boxes’, ‘pull quotes’ and other design elements
7. Since people tend to scan web pages rather than read them, snippets or short phrases with important information become vital for website content. People need to get the message quickly without having to think hard about what is being presented. Making sentences overly long or complex tends to be a distraction and you’ll lose the site visitor’s attention quickly.
These are just some of the recommended options when creating website content.
Not only is it important to integrate many of the basic and advanced marketing tactics into your marketing plan, it is also vital to include methods of testing their effectiveness. Watching and monitoring statistics that indicate how long visitors remain on your pages, among other measures of success, will help you refine marketing tactics and improve your marketing strategy.
Once you deploy some of the more advanced marketing tactics that are proven effective you will begin to see conversions increase quickly. And increased conversion rates lead to higher sales and repeat business.
Advanced marketing tactics include options such as the use of powerful copy that attracts readers, inclusion of questions that help you lead customers toward sales, and using authority positioning to increase site integrity and credibility.
If you’re searching for ways to grow your business, you don’t want to miss an opportunity to evaluate marketing tactics that will put you on the super-highway to success. Evaluate what others have already tested and proven successful. Create the winning formula for your website and enjoy the success that comes from hard work and vision.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
5 steps to more-relevant marketing - iMediaConnection.com
"EXACTLY! The perfect opt-in, permission-based platform targeting ONLY ready-to-buy, active consumers with near-predictable ROI especially for local businesses....??? Got a guess? Wanna know the answer?"
Customers are demanding precision marketing. Follow these guidelines to ensure your message resonates, rather than repulses.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Article Marketing Made Easy
Search
engine optimization is getting more and
more difficult by the day. The search
engines are evolving at an incredible
speed, making it harder for us SEOs to
rank our websites highly.
With
that said, there are a few tried and true
principles that we need to do when optimizing
our website. The first of which, and the
one that I always tell people to concentrate
on is getting quality, 1 way links pointing
to your website.
The
more quality links you can get pointing
to your website, the higher you will rank,
period.
While
there are many black hat tricks and tactics
that you can do for short term gain, I
would suggest NOT spending your time on
those things. I would focus my entire
effort on figuring out how to get other
websites to link to yours without you
linking back to them. That is the biggest
key to ranking well in Google, Yahoo,
and MSN.
Doing
this is easier said that done. One of
the easiest known ways to get quality,
one way links is by finding website directories
and then submitting your website to them.
This can be a very tedious process, but
always a very rewarding process at the
same time.
You can either submit your articles to these directories manually,
pay someone to do it for you, OR you can use one of the article directory
submission programs out there. The best program for the money that we've found
is a program called "Article Submitter" created my internet marketing
expert, Brad Callen.
This program allows you to submit your articles to over 700
article directories and can save you an incredible amount of time in doing
so. You simply enter your article details into the software once, and then
select the directory you would like to submit to. The software will then,
automatically fill in all of the submission criteria for each directory and
allow you to quickly submit your articles.
Not only does this save you time in submitting your articles,
but it saves you an incredible amount of time in just finding these free directories
online. I highly suggest grabbing an article submission program if you decide
to take advantage of one of the easist ways to get quality, 1 way links to
your website.
You can learn more about Article Submitter and how you can
download your FREE copy here:
Got 3 Seconds to get attention?
Got 3 Seconds to get attention?
What You Need to Know About Headlines
Have you ever wondered why some marketing tactics just don’t seem to work for
your business? You sit and watch a competitor’s website grow and business
soar and you’re just not quite sure how they do it.
After all, aren’t all marketing tactics pretty much the same?
The answer is a resounding “NO”!
Marketing tactics that work are not about rocket science. They are often very
simple concepts but many online marketers fail to recognize them for the
value they can bring to a business. Focusing on a business that brings high
conversion rates and plenty of sales is a marketer’s dream.
But it will only materialize when marketing tactics are successfully deployed.
First of all, people want to find a solution to a problem. That’s why they’re
searching for a particular product or benefit to begin with. So what do you
have to offer?
Headlines say it all
Headlines pull the prospect in. In the offline world, it is the Yellow Pages
ad, Newspaper or Direct Mail piece. It is the first sentance of a strong
radio or TV commercial. In the online world its your web pages, e-mail
subject line, article or press release title or landing page
Don’t wait to tell them what’s in it for them. Tell them right away with your
headline. Headlines can be one of the most effective marketing tactics you
have to offer. The headline should always include valuable benefits for the
customer. With recent studies indicating that users decide whether or not to
stay or leave a site within 8 seconds or less, well-written headlines are
critical.
Using a headline to grab attention is one of the simplest, yet most effective
marketing tactics available. People have a chance to quickly understand why
they need to read further than the headline. Instead of clicking away from
your site, they’ll be clicking through your information to find out more.
Always follow-up a headline with some other compelling fact or value-added
benefit of the product or service. Keep website visitors moving through your
content by including one bit of important information after another in every
sentence. Don’t use teasers that make them feel they have to keep searching
for what’s important but be up-front and direct about the product’s value and
benefits with each sentence.
Market the benefits and value, not features. The difference is key. The
classic example is a handyman does not buy a drill, per se; he buys the holes
he need for the project
The headline is the best place to start marketing the benefits of the product.
It’s also the best way to attract search engines that are seeking websites
based on keywords used by online users. When the headline includes the words
that potential customers are most likely to search for, the search engines
will reward you by bringing more visitors to your website.
Facts, statistics, and data that substantiate your claims of value are also
important ways to increase the effectiveness of headlines. “48% reduction in
costs with X product….” can be a real attention grabber. Don’t hesitate to
use data to support your benefit claims.
Advanced marketing tactics
Headlines are just the beginning with marketing tactics. There are many more
advanced marketing tactics that can make a substantial difference in
conversion rates and sales. Knowing and integrating advanced marketing
tactics into the overall marketing plan for your website and business can
make a huge difference in your profits.
Evaluate your current marketing tactics and make necessary adjustments by
utilizing advanced tactics to support and grow your business. Time spent
preparing effective marketing goals and strategies, supported with effective
tactics, is time that will result in higher profits and a thriving business.
And always remember - success starts with your headline!
What You Need to Know About Headlines
Have you ever wondered why some marketing tactics just don’t seem to work for
your business? You sit and watch a competitor’s website grow and business
soar and you’re just not quite sure how they do it.
After all, aren’t all marketing tactics pretty much the same?
The answer is a resounding “NO”!
Marketing tactics that work are not about rocket science. They are often very
simple concepts but many online marketers fail to recognize them for the
value they can bring to a business. Focusing on a business that brings high
conversion rates and plenty of sales is a marketer’s dream.
But it will only materialize when marketing tactics are successfully deployed.
First of all, people want to find a solution to a problem. That’s why they’re
searching for a particular product or benefit to begin with. So what do you
have to offer?
Headlines say it all
Headlines pull the prospect in. In the offline world, it is the Yellow Pages
ad, Newspaper or Direct Mail piece. It is the first sentance of a strong
radio or TV commercial. In the online world its your web pages, e-mail
subject line, article or press release title or landing page
Don’t wait to tell them what’s in it for them. Tell them right away with your
headline. Headlines can be one of the most effective marketing tactics you
have to offer. The headline should always include valuable benefits for the
customer. With recent studies indicating that users decide whether or not to
stay or leave a site within 8 seconds or less, well-written headlines are
critical.
Using a headline to grab attention is one of the simplest, yet most effective
marketing tactics available. People have a chance to quickly understand why
they need to read further than the headline. Instead of clicking away from
your site, they’ll be clicking through your information to find out more.
Always follow-up a headline with some other compelling fact or value-added
benefit of the product or service. Keep website visitors moving through your
content by including one bit of important information after another in every
sentence. Don’t use teasers that make them feel they have to keep searching
for what’s important but be up-front and direct about the product’s value and
benefits with each sentence.
Market the benefits and value, not features. The difference is key. The
classic example is a handyman does not buy a drill, per se; he buys the holes
he need for the project
The headline is the best place to start marketing the benefits of the product.
It’s also the best way to attract search engines that are seeking websites
based on keywords used by online users. When the headline includes the words
that potential customers are most likely to search for, the search engines
will reward you by bringing more visitors to your website.
Facts, statistics, and data that substantiate your claims of value are also
important ways to increase the effectiveness of headlines. “48% reduction in
costs with X product….” can be a real attention grabber. Don’t hesitate to
use data to support your benefit claims.
Advanced marketing tactics
Headlines are just the beginning with marketing tactics. There are many more
advanced marketing tactics that can make a substantial difference in
conversion rates and sales. Knowing and integrating advanced marketing
tactics into the overall marketing plan for your website and business can
make a huge difference in your profits.
Evaluate your current marketing tactics and make necessary adjustments by
utilizing advanced tactics to support and grow your business. Time spent
preparing effective marketing goals and strategies, supported with effective
tactics, is time that will result in higher profits and a thriving business.
And always remember - success starts with your headline!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Advanced Marketing Tactics that are Proven Successful
Advanced Marketing Tactics that are Proven Successful
A marketing plan is just as valuable for online business as it is for traditional offline business. An effective and successful marketing plan should contain a list of tactics that will be used to increase traffic to a website, increase conversion rates, and help grow sales. There are beginner and advanced marketing tactics and it is vital to integrate all of them into a successful marketing plan.
Tactics are those methods that are used to achieve a particular short-term goal. They help define and explain how to complete a task successfully to reach a desired outcome. To optimize tactics, you must first have a goal in mind and that means visualizing what success looks like for your business.
Some marketing tactics that have proven effective for online marketers include:
1. Creation of compelling headlines and content to engage site visitors.
2. Scripts that increase sign-ups and subscriptions.
3. Utilization of an auto-responder or other technology to reach out to customers.
4. Use of social media to reach a target audience.
5. Marketing through article sites, ezines, newsletters and other media to reach customers.
6. Inclusion of videos that demonstrate product benefits and value.
7. Blogging to allow people to get to know you better.
8. Asking questions to learn more about what the customer is thinking.
9. Offering solutions to a problem.
Marketing tactics are not secrets that are hidden from the average online marketer. But they are often overlooked and misunderstood by many marketers. Understanding the basic principles behind marketing tactics makes it much easier to effectively deploy them for your business.
One important aspect of online marketing tactics is that they must be simple. When marketing tactics become complex and unwieldy, they no longer work. Tactics should be simple, easy to implement, and easy for customers to understand and follow.
There are basic marketing tactics and there are more advanced tactics for those who take their online business seriously.
For example, advanced tactics related to giving away products or content for free will raise questions in the mind of a customer. If your information is so valuable, why are you willing to give it away? What’s in it for you and how do I get anything out of it? Can I trust you?
This is a very interesting marketing concept. If people are curious about why you are giving something away, what would you expect them to do?
Click away?
Or keep reading?
Customers are likely to keep reading to find out why you are offering valuable free content and in the process they become more engaged and intensely intrigued by what you have to offer.
Not only are you creating interest from your potential customer, but you are building trust with them too. The more facts and information you offer them, the more likely they are to see you as a partner with them and they’ll turn to you for more information and facts. This enables you to create a loyal relationship and gain them as a valuable long-term customer.
You haven’t even sold them anything yet, but you have gained their trust. Sales will certainly follow. Knowing how to deploy this and similar types of advanced marketing tactics will soon put your business on the high road to success. You’ll reap the benefits of accessing advanced marketing tactics by incorporating them into an existing or new marketing plan that envisions the future of your business.
Marketing tactics that work are the secret to online success. Don’t let another day pass by without evaluating and updating your existing tactics and incorporate fresh, proven tactics that will make your sales soar and put you in the winner’s circle.
Friday, April 16, 2010
9 Tactics to Create Strong Customer Relationships
9 Tactics to Create Strong Customer Relationships
There is ONE absolute in the world of marketing. No matter if it is in traditional, web or social media. There is NO SUBSTITUTE for taking care of your customers. Your goal should not be to satisfy your customers, but to AMAZE them. If you do that one thing exceptionally well, every other marketing, sales, or promotional activity will yield efficient and effective results. Offline or Online users are always searching for something of value to them. Whether it’s information, products, or services, they are looking for an answer to a question or a problem. Online marketing tactics are especially important with the increase in competition across the world wide web.
One of the most important aspects of building any business is to create a business that values and appreciates customers and potential customers. This means marketing tactics that build a strong, trusting relationship with customers are important. Building trust starts with the first encounter with your receptionist, greeter and website and continues with every single subsequent interaction.
According to Nobel Prize-winning scientist Daniel Kahneman, we experience approximately 20,000 moments each and every day. A moment is the few seconds it takes for the brain to evaluate and record an experience. These experiences can be either positive or negative and your website, headlines, content, or responses can make a huge difference in how people record the experience – and their reaction also determines what people do next.
When people visit your web site, they quickly scan the headline to see if they want to read more. They continue reading if they are engaged and intrigued and they want to learn more about what you have to say. This is a great place to start building a relationship with customers. Be sure that you say what you have to offer and do not make false promises or you’ll lose customers quickly.
It’s important to build this connection with customers and website visitors to gain their commitment and loyalty. They will also become tremendous assets as their trust grows and they promote and advertise your website to their friends, colleagues, and social network.
Relationship marketing is a valuable marketing tactic for online entrepreneurs. It has been an important part of sales in the off-line world for decades and now it has found its way to the Internet.
But building a relationship online is different than having a face-to-face discussion and opportunity to persuade potential customers to make a purchase.
Some of the most effective tips and methods deployed to begin building a positive relationship include:
1. Make every customer interaction count.
2. Follow-through on commitments and claims about products or services.
3. Offer benefits and product value that responds to the customer’s desires.
4. Treat customers as individuals who are respected and valued.
5. Listen to customers – even complaints can be a gift if handled properly and quickly.
6. Be available and accessible when customers have questions, concerns, or comments.
7. Surround your customers with valuable information by using emails, website content, social media, and other methods of outreach – but do not be invasive.
8. Make your website user-friendly and easy to navigate for new and existing customers.
9. Create a blog about your business where discussion is more casual and inviting.
Relationship-marketing is not just a fad. It’s here to stay and people want to know that they are valued and appreciated as an individual. Creating long-lasting relationships helps to ensure long-lasting customers and repeat sales. It also encourages existing customers to refer their colleagues, friends, and others to your website.
Don’t take a single customer for granted. Each and every interaction with a customer is a gift and should be valued. If it weren’t already a great “life principal”, treating people well and respecting them would be the best thing you could invent to do, to ensure marketing and sales results
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Successful Marketing with Proven Marketing Tactics
Successful Marketing with Proven Marketing Tactics
Offline and Online marketing both are the result of ambition, determination, commitment, and a desire to succeed. It’s also dependent on successful marketing tactics that attract visitors, drive sales, and retain long-term loyal customers. Turbo-marketers are highly focused on advanced marketing tactics that enable them to successfully grow an online business. They are the leaders and winners in the world of online marketing and sales. The worlds of online and offline marketing can be very different, yet both rely on basic, proven strategies and tactics
The good news is that there have been many people who have tried, failed, tried again, failed again, and finally succeeded in identifying the most effective marketing tactics for an online business. Learning from the mistakes and successes of other thriving marketers gives today’s marketers the ability to come out of the gate running -- and with some ambition and hard work, move ahead of the pack to become a leader. You never really want to be re-inventing the wheel, but you can creatively apply proven success techniques to your business
Establish goals
This makes it critical to envision the success of your business and know what you want to accomplish through your marketing tactics. Goals lead to strategies and then to tactics.
Before you take the first step on your online journey to successful entrepreneurship, establish your goals and objectives. Plant them firmly in your mind and envision yourself succeeding. Starting with a positive, ‘can-do’ attitude is the best way to start any business or venture. Once you have your goals for success implanted in your mind, it’s time to get started on the journey of a lifetime
Take action
One of the first rules of online marketing is to take action.
The web is a dynamic, rapidly-growing medium where businesses are created every day. If you sit and think about what you are going to do every day and never take action, you will never get where you want to go. Marketing tactics are useless unless you take action and execute them.
This takes us to the next critical point of online marketing. You must know and understand where you want to go before you begin your journey. Without a clear understanding of where you want to go, how do you know what you need to do? How do you create tactics and take action?
Define your business
Starting your online business means understanding what your business is all about. What is it you want to accomplish? What do you need to do to reach your goals? What marketing tactics will help you succeed?
Success is heavily dependent on your ability to dissect and understand your business. You must be the expert in your niche and you must carefully evaluate what your customers want. Once you identify what they want, it is essential to determine how you can deliver those results for customers.
Basic marketing tactics
Now that you have your business firmly outlined and clarified, deploying basic tactics is next on the list. And that starts with knowing how to market what you have to offer. Basic marketing tactics include:
1. Creating a ‘brand’ or identity around your product
2. Creating a simple marketing message
3. Establishing a credible website
4. Creating a presence as an expert in a niche
5. Defining the benefits or value of what you have to offer
6. Deploying search engine optimization techniques (SEO) to attract and drive traffic
These are some of the early, basic marketing tactics that must be mastered. As your marketing plan unfolds, integration of more advanced marketing tactics will enhance your online presence and position. They will also further the growth of your business through the use of proven techniques that create a unique value proposition for the targeted audience.
Build your business step-by-step and do your homework to evaluate the most effective marketing tactics available. Learn from other successful marketers and save yourself weeks, months, and years of effort by taking advantage of proven techniques whenever possible.
The sooner you know where you want to go, the sooner you will arrive.Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
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