Originally posted by Michael Milley mikemilley@hotmail.com at www.alon-cohen.com

The largest river in the world and a numeral one followed by one hundred zeroes. Those are the registered domain names of two of the Internet’s biggest success stories. A domain name like amazon or google can be striking and memorable enough to help your business, and the good news is that it’s easy and inexpensive to register a domain name. You just need to choose one that’s available.

A domain name is the part of a web address that is commonly found after “www.” and it directs your browser to access a certain location on the Internet where the site is hosted. The actual location has a numerical IP address, but the domain name system allows users to remember words rather than a series of numbers.

You can register almost anything as your domain name. It can be can be based on your name, the name of your company, or the product your company sells. Consider your domain name choices seriously. When you register a domain name, you are registering your presence on the Internet. The domain name is how users will find and remember your site. It should be simple to spell and easy to remember.

When you decide to register a domain name you will perform a search on a registry site to determine if the name you’d like is available. A domain name must not contain any spaces or punctuation other than the hyphen. Many sites will offer alternatives if the name you enter is registered by someone else.

There are a number of extention, or top-level domain (TLD), options available to register. The most common are .com, .net, and .org, but many of the preferred domain names within these have been taken. There are other TLDs available if you’re interested in something that is already registered in the other top-level domains. TLDs such as .biz and .info are meant for businesses and informational sites, respectively, but their use is unrestricted, meaning they can be registered by anyone for any purpose. Restricted extensions are those that allow only certain users, like .gov for government agencies or .edu for schools, colleges, and universities. In general, it is best to stick to the most common extension available with an acceptable domain name. While extensions like .to and .vg might allow you to choose the initial domain name you would like, the TLDs of Tongo and the British Virgin Islands are not as common or memorable to Internet surfers. Keep in mind that while you may find a trademarked or copyrighted name available with a new or foreign TLD, you could be challenged legally and have to give up that domain name, should you choose to register it.

Your Internet service provider may allow you to create and keep pages on their servers. However it is still a good idea to register a unique domain name. It is much easier for you to market a web site with a simple name that means something as opposed to a long generic URL with little bearing on the site’s content. It will also allow customers to remember your domain name for future visits or to pass along to a friend. Having your own domain name presents a more professional image than a name that gives your Internet service provider higher billing than your own company.

Once your domain name is registered, it’s time to get your site up and running. At Alon-Cohen.com Internet Solutions, we can help you register your domain name as well as assisting you in the design, hosting and marketing of your web site.

Originally posted by Jenifer Underwood, C.P.S.M.
Market29, Inc. http://www.market29.com jen@market29.com at www.alon-cohen.com

The topic of top placement for web store links in search engines has come up with every single ecommerce project I have been involved in as a programmer and as a marketer. What some people rarely consider is how to increase the number of links to that very same web store. If your goal is to increase search engine exposure and you are willing to pay placement fees, then you should consider adding multiple domain names pointing to the same or duplicate web store. The annual cost for domain registration is immaterial when compared to the potential profits of exposure on the search engine list!

How it Works
There are a couple ways this can be done. You can point to the exact same store using a redirect page or doorway page. This involves minimal effort. It is noting to use the doorway approach with caution. The search engines are not fond of this tactic. On the other hand, you can create a different look and name for the store but maintain the same product database to display products and manage purchases. You can host the same store on multiple servers. There is a little more work involved but the returns may justify the added tasks.

How to Implement
To point to the exact same store using a redirect or doorway page, all you need to do is purchase the domain names and set up the domain IP address mapping through your hosting service or internal server. Domain IP address mapping is much like a street address mapping. It maps the domain name to the location of your web server. When that is established, add the redirect page to the new domain name web site automatically directing users to the desired online store server location. Register the new domain name with the search engines and you are on you way! That is really all there is to getting started using multiple domains!

Another interesting approach I’ve seen used is to create different we store names, brands and looks while using the exact same product database on the backend. I’ve seen a few configurations of this approach displaying catalog data by store name but most maintain the exact same database table configuration and connect to it from the different web store sites. This approach can be useful when trying to appeal to different audiences with the same product line. Under this approach the web sites would still need to be registered with the search engines but no redirect is used.

According to Gartner research, more than 80% of web sessions begin through a web search engine. If you have an online web store increasing your exposure in the searches is going to increase your online profits!

Originally posted by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg mcintirj@lincolnu.edu at www.alon-cohen.com

One means of making sure your site receives maximum visibility is search engine optimization (S.E.O.). You must think in terms of search engine optimization from the earliest stages of planning and design if you want to receive heavy traffic from the major search engines. In order to optimize your site, you need to understand how search engines work, how web surfers search, and what elements of your site contribute to successful search placement. While much information (and misinformation) exists about search engine optimization, experts agree that the elements you must focus on are keywords, meta tags and links from other sites.

How Search Engines Work

Before delving into specific elements, it’s necessary to understand how search engines work. True search engines (as opposed to directories like Yahoo!) use a program called a “robot” or “spider” to “crawl” the web while gathering and indexing the information they find. A searcher receives the results of these crawls when s/he conducts a search. Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, every search engine (and literally thousands of engines exist) has its own criteria for indexing sites, and further criteria for determining the ranking of sites. It’s easy to see why S.E.O. consultants can make a handsome living – it’s virtually impossible for a single webmaster to know all of the various rules that will optimize his/her site for every engine.

Feeling Overwhelmed Yet?

While a search engine optimization consultant can provide a greater amount of detailed knowledge for an individual web master, experts tend to agree that there are a few rules that almost anyone can apply to optimize his/her site.

First, while thousands of search engines exist, most surfers do their searching on a handful of sites. Yahoo! generally accounts for half of all web searches. While they charge a fee for simply considering a business listing in their directory (currently $299), many business people may find that a reasonable investment, considering the popularity of this portal. Among true search engines, the most popular by far are Google and Overture. It’s important to know that many search engines actually get there results from these giants, so applying the rules that work for these two can help get your site listed in many engines.

Optimizing You Site

In order to make sure your site is listed in searches that directly apply to your type of business, it’s essential to use the best keywords and phrases. Keywords are the words that searchers use to find web sites that will give them the information they want. In order to take advantage of the power of keywords, you must find out what keywords and key phrases are most popular among the searchers you want to attract to your site, so you may want to consider using a service like Wordtracker (http://www.wordtracker.com) to find out the words and phrases that searchers are using. Once you’ve determined this, you want to place those words and phrases at the points in your page most likely to be noticed by search engines. Experts tend to agree that the best places to use keywords are in your page title, your page’s copy, and in the site’s meta tags.

The page title is likely the most important place to use the proper keywords, as all search engine spiders tend to look at it. Precision is key – use the keywords that are most likely to bring the right visitors to that particular page. While some consultants suggest using many key words, or many slight variations of key words, or repeated key words, search engines have caught on to these strategies and may actually penalize your site for using such tactics. According to Webmonkey.com’s Paul Boutin, it’s best not to include extra words, such as a company name; using only the keywords as site title will generally bring the best results.

It’s also important to use those keywords and phrases in the copy of the page, as spiders do look at this also. Note, for instance, how often I use phrases like “search engine opitimization” and “search engine” in this article. That’s deliberate. Keep in mind, though, that search engines have caught on to the practice of loading down copy with keywords to achieve higher rankings, and certain high ratios of keywords to overall copy may actually hurt your placement.

The third place to use keywords is in the site’s meta tags, which are part of the coding for the page. Again, it’s best to use only the words that will bring the best results – repetition or overuse of variations can hurt your optimization.

Finally, some consultants will suggest that regardless of your site’s content, you always include the most popular overall keywords in your title and meta tags. While this may bring more initial traffic to your site, you have to consider whether attracting searches on “Eminem” or “Spiderman” will benefit you in any way. Generally, it’s best to optimize your site so that you attract those searchers that would actually be interested in what you have to offer.

Link popularity

Another criteria that many search engines use for ranking is link popularity. Essentially, is your site linked from other sites, and are those sites ranked well in their engines? This can be a time consuming process for a webmaster, as getting links on other pages generally involves contacting the owner of that page and asking for a listing or agreeing to a “link swap”: you put a link on your page to their site, and they do the same for you. Again, don’t believe that you can fool the search engines through short-cut methods such as FFA pages, as the engine administrators have caught on to these, also. Also keep in mind that links on other reputable pages account for a high percentage of traffic – you really can’t lose by having your site listed on other site’s “Links” pages.

Some Final Thoughts

When optimizing your site for the search engines, it’s also important to remember that a high ranking in a search doesn’t necessarily mean more qualified traffic. As in many aspects of life, presentation is everything. If the listing on the search engine appears clear and professional, you’re more likely to receive more of the traffic that will benefit you. Boutin notes that the meta name field in the coding is important in this regard, as some engines use the information in this field for their site description. While you want to use keywords and phrases in this field, do so in a manner that still will make sense to a surfer looking for a site like yours.

Ultimately, search engine optimization involves using tried and true methods of design and writing to make your site user-friendly. If you’d like assistance in making your site more search engine friendly, please contact us.

More information:

Boutin, Paul. “Search Engine Optimization FREE” http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/01/23/index1a.html

Originally posted by Cheryl Duffey cheryl.duffey@verizon.net at www.alon-cohen.com

The world wide web is like a giant shopping mall, and you can be a part of it. Your website can allow your customers to shop online. One of the advantages of online shopping is that your customers have access to your products around the clock. This provides maximum opportunity for sales, with the convenience of shopping from home.

Many consumers like to shop online, even if the same products are available at local stores. There are no long lines and crowded aisles. There is no traffic, and no looking for a parking space. You can browse the site at your leisure, which is important for busy people. Online shopping is an important aspect of the retail industry. Most established “brick and mortar” stores now offer at least some of their merchandise online. Customers don’t have to live near the store, so the customer base can expand nationwide, and even worldwide.

It is easy to shop online. Once the items or services have been chosen and placed in a virtual shopping cart, the customer proceeds to checkout, just like at a retail store. Most online shopping sites have the ability to encrypt information for privacy and security, making transactions safe for the consumer. After providing a credit card number and expiration date, the sale can be completed. Many sites will send a confirmation e-mail with the transaction and shipping information. The customer is also able to check the status of their order through online customer service and make returns if necessary. Shopping cart software will enable the seller to manage their catalog and maximize shopping capability.

Your website should be easy to use and items should be clearly displayed with accurate descriptions. Most sites have the merchandise divided into categories, so the consumer can focus on what they are looking for. By clicking on an item, you can get a close-up view and a more detailed description. You can view color and pattern options and choose sizes.

Merchandise should arrive when promised if a site is to be popular. Express shipping, at extra cost to the customer, is attractive to last minute shoppers. Free gift wrap and gift cards, are also popular features. These extra conveniences enhance the online shopping experience. A site can keep track of a specific shopper’s sales history. This makes it possible to suggest products to go with already purchased items, and suggest new items based on previous sales. In addition to boosting potential sales, this adds a personal feeling to the website. You can also welcome the user by name when they log-on. This makes it fun to shop online.

Online shopping is rewarding to everyone. The retailer enjoys extra opportunities for sales. The consumer has the benefits of a full-service shopping center from the comfort of home. By designing your website based on what you are selling, the online shopping experience will be tailored to your needs, and the needs of your customers. A dynamic and convenient site will be a popular destination for online shoppers.

Originally posted by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg mcintirj@lincolnu.edu at www.alon-cohen.com

Website promotion is, quite simply, the process of getting the word out about your site. Like any kind of marketing or promotional effort, website promotion requires planning and strategy.

Where to Start

Before jumping headfirst into site promotion (and, perhaps, even before building your site), you’ll want to think carefully about your target market and your site’s purpose. Who do you want to visit your site? What do you want those visitors to do when they get there? With so much information out there, and so many means available for website promotion, it’s tempting to dive in without testing the waters. Just as with more traditional forms of spreading the word, though, you want to figure out what you have to offer, and who will be most interested. Promotion should focus on bringing those visitors to your site who want or need whatever it is you have to offer.

The Tried and True

Once you have determined your target market and the how your site will serve that market, you’ll want to start looking into various methods of website promotion. Given that you’re working with an internet-based medium, you’ll likely think first of internet-based forms of promotion. Don’t overlook more traditional methods of announcing your site, though. Do you have a business card? Have your site’s URL printed on it. Do the same with other paper promotional items you produce routinely. Do you send press releases to the media with news about your business? Certainly include the URL in these. Do you advertise in the newspaper, or on the radio or TV? Your URL should now be a part of the contact information included in those ads.

The “New Media”

Of course, the Web opens up new possibilities for promoting your site, and you certainly want to take advantage of them. Here are seven possible ways to promote your site through the Internet:

1. Get listed

   Where do you go on the Net when you want to find information? Probably Yahoo!, Google, AltaVista, or one of the many other search engines, directories or portals available on the Web. So it’s likely that your target market does the same. Check into the processes for submitting your site’s URL to search engines and directories – many of these services will list your site for free. The grand-daddy of directories, Yahoo!, does charge just to look at a business site (currently for $299, with no guarantee of a listing), but keep in mind that about half of all web traffic comes from Yahoo! — you may decide that it’s a smart investment in your website promotion efforts. Also keep in mind that there are smaller engines and directories tailored to specific topics and interests, and you may find that getting listed with one of these will give you a more prominent position in the engine/directory, and provide you with more targeted traffic. Also, don’t overlook local and regional engines/directories. For more information, see my article on Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O.).

2. Get Linked

   While most webmasters will first think of search engines and directories for their website promotion, more traffic (six to seven times as much) comes from links on other pages than from search engines. How do you get these links? Generally, you need to propose a link swap with another site. That is, you contact the webmaster of another site to which you’d like to be linked, and offer to link to his/her site if s/he will do the same. Short-cuts, such as FFA pages, are generally not the most effective kinds of links – because so many people submit to these sites, individual links may appear for only minutes or even seconds. Also keep in mind that people visit these sites to submit their own links, not to find information.

3. Create an email signature file

   Most email programs allow you to create a “signature file,” or text that is automatically attached to each email you send. Including a signature file with your site’s URL makes each email you send a promotional tool.

4. Participate in forums and listservs

   There are literally thousands of web-based forums and email listservs out there that allow people with similar interests to communicate. Think of these as electronic mixers where you can network with others in your line of business or your target market. Keep in mind, though, that participants are expected to keep their discussion to the topic of the forum/listserv, and that naked promotion and advertising may be grounds for your expulsion from the group. Most, however, do allow signature files, so use these to promote while you enjoy the conversation and debate with others.

5. Start an ezine

   An ezine is simply a web or email-based magazine or newsletter. Ezines can help you stay in touch with existing customers and attract new ones. Many ezines are nothing more than promotional tools, though, so make sure yours actually provides information that your customers want and need. If you don’t have the time or skills to create and manage your own ezine, hire someone to do it for you.

6. Write for other ezines

   Even if you don’t want to tackle the challenge of producing your own ezine, many other web and email-based publications accept article submissions. An article in a well-regarded ezine can quickly position you as a name in your field or business. Keep in mind that most ezines don’t pay – rather, they publish a signature file with your article. Of course, your signature file in a widely-circulated ‘zine can do wonders for your website promotion. If you don’t think you have the necessary writing skills, hire a writer who will ghostwrite an article for you.

7. Send press releases to news sites

   Just as with more traditional forms of media, web-based news sites rely on press releases for much of their content. A well-written press release can bring you tons of free promotion. If you chose this tactic, make sure that you create a newsworthy release, as thinly-disguised advertising is likely to end up in the recipient’s recycle bin. Also make sure you use standard format and writing style, and send your release only to sites that would be interested in the kind of news you’re submitting.

These tactics are only the tip of the iceberg, of course. With a little creativity, and a knowledge of web etiquette, website promotion can become a challenge rather than a chore. If you’d like help with your website promotion efforts, please contact us.

Originally posted by Shannon G. Pearson swpearson@telus.net at www.alon-cohen.com
What is Website Marketing?

Website marketing is just that: Marketing.
It is getting the word out, promoting your website both on and offline.
If you are new to the world of online business you may not realize the importance of, or the need for, website marketing. “Why should I market my website?” It is a question many ask. It is mistakenly believed that once their website is designed, set up with a host, and looking pretty, there is nothing left to do other than wait for the money to start rolling in.

Website marketing is the only way people, other than friends and family, are going to know your business exists. If nobody can find your store-you won’t sell anything and you won’t stay in business long. Today, almost everyone has a presence of some sort on the Internet (there are more web pages on the Net than people in the world!) For someone to find your website without directions, would be like trying to find the clichéd needle in a haystack.

How do I market my website?

Marketing your website offline is the same as it has always been. You hire a professional or do it yourself by making sure that every piece of literature or promotional material that carries your name also has your web address. You use directories and of course, word of mouth. Website marketing online is not so straightforward. For those not as knowledgeable about what this form of marketing entails, the advice of experts is the route to go. There are numerous promotional techniques but three of the most effective are: search engine positioning (or placement); search engine submission, and link exchanges.

Search Engine Positioning

You can have the best looking website, dynamite product, and unbeatable prices, but without traffic to your website-you will make no sales. Good placement on the search engines provides the best return on investment of any web marketing process. With the know-how you can have millions of surfers finding your business. 81% of web surfers use a search engine to find what they are looking for, and with all the millions of web pages out there, it is imperative to be at the top of the ratings-one of the first listings on the first pages of a customer’s search. So, how do you get to the top of those lists?

Search Engine Submission

Daily, the major search engines are inundated with new page submissions. Mistakenly, many people believe if they submit their pages repeatedly, their ranking with the search engines will increase, while in reality, they may well be ‘banned’ or have a drastic drop in rank for what is called ‘spamming’. On the other hand, if you don’t submit often enough, your website could be left floating, lost in cyberspace. This is often a very frustrating part for website owners. How are they to know how often to submit? Are they submitting too often; thereby jeopardizing their ranking, or not enough. There are so many variables in this part of website marketing that it is often easier and less time-consuming to have someone who knows the requirements of the individual search engines do the work for you. Each search engine has its own acceptance format and they vary drastically. If you don’t do it right or don’t understand the way things work you could be setting yourself up for disappointment. In the end you will save yourself a lot of time, energy and lost revenue.

Link Exchange

Link popularity is very important in ranking your website with nearly all the search engines. To rank number one, you not only require the right mix of content and keywords, but also require your website to be popular. The search engines decide popularity by the amount of traffic through your site. A good way to increase traffic is through link exchange. Target reciprocal links provide instant traffic. This is a solid website marketing tool. Unfortunately, setting up these links takes time and hard work. You must track down sites similar to yours, talk with the Webmaster, and convince them you are a good site to exchange with, and then you may not want to have their link on your site. It’s a hassle. For someone putting all their time into starting a business, there isn’t time to learn all the ins and outs of link exchange. A company that specializes in getting your business online has lists of links and sites that are just what you’re looking for. It’s much easier for them to do the legwork for you.

There is a lot more than meets the eye when deciding to set up a web presence for your business. Unlike offline marketing, marketing your website on the Internet is best left to those who do it for a living. The peace of mind that comes with knowing everything is taken care of is worth the cost of having it done right by a professional.

Originally posted by: Jenifer Underwood, C.P.S.M.
Market29, Inc. http://www.market29.com
jen@market29.com

In my opinion, the best way to track online advertising campaigns is to combine the information gained from web statistics tools with the information from third party ad campaign tools. I say this for a few reasons.

As a programmer, I love data projects! However, I also value efficiency. I could technically write program code to read in the data from web server logs, format it into tables, create queries and develop reports with graphs. It would be a feasible project. However, my time is expensive and this task has already been done many, many times. Why would I write the same code if I could purchase it (already debugged) for a reasonable price? Needless to say, many ISP’s offer this service free of charge! I would be a fool not to tell you this.

I have similar feelings about third-party ad tracking campaign tools. These typically are not free but are well worth the minimal investment for the specialized information you receive in formats you can use and understand. These tools create specialized views of your campaign results, unique visits, clicks, actions, purchases and a variety of custom configured activities. They key here is the unique visit or user session. Many programs count hits not unique visits. Hits are a completely arbitrary figure. They include all the images contained within one web page, web browser refreshes and other web server hit data that is not relevant. Hits do not take user session state into consideration. For example, one web page with four images would be considered five hits on a web server when in reality there was only one user session. User session is imperative – hits are bogus. My point here is that these programs were coded to take into account the oddities of web marketing and can give you a very specialized picture of your campaign.

Web statistics programs and ad campaign managers contain different views of web site data. The former gives you an overall picture of your web site activity and the latter gives you an accurate idea for return on investment of an individual ad campaign. With the advent of specialized web campaign tracking programs tailored meet the unique reporting needs of marketing professionals, structuring and reporting results in financial terms a business organization understands for tactical decision making is much, much easier! If you are still importing server log data into a spreadsheet or database and creating queries – STOP! Unless you are the type of person that enjoys typing on a typewriter rather than taking advantage of a word processing program, then using web statistics tools in conjunction with ad campaign managers is hands-down the best approach for tracking results for your online marketing efforts!