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

Internet marketing is an umbrella term for the wide variety of marketing and promotional techniques that take advantage of the online medium. Anytime a company builds a web site, creates an email list, publishes an electronic newsletter, or buys ad space from an online publication, it is engaged in Internet marketing. While countless techniques are available to the marketing professional, there are several main elements of Internet marketing that almost any company can use to its advantage.

The Web Site

Any company looking to promote its products or services online should make a professional web site the cornerstone of its Internet marketing plan. Think of a web site as your company’s online equivalent of a brick-and-mortar store. In order to do business successfully, you must establish a location where your customers can come to buy your products or services. The same applies to Internet marketing: the online shopper or browser needs to find information quickly and reliably, and a company web site can provide all of the details that a potential customer may need to make an informed decision.

Web sites are different from “real-world” locations, though, in that they do not need to serve as a virtual space for actually conducting business. You may decide that the your kind of business is not suited to online transactions. In that case, a web site can serve as a valuable source of information, such as how to contact you, what kinds of products you sell or services your perform or what kinds of experience your company has in its field.

Of course, many businesses do sell online, and if you decide that direct selling is the best use for your site, make sure that it takes advantage of the latest technology available for listing products and processing orders. Nothing will hurt your Internet marketing efforts more than a site that cannot perform the tasks you need from it.

Getting the Word Out

Once you’ve established your Internet presence, you’ll want to spread the word. Like Internet marketing, website promotion covers a wide variety of tools and techniques you can harness to promote yourself online. Depending on the markets you plan to target, you may want to make use of email lists, an electronic newsletter, an onsite bulletin board or chat room, or a collection of information geared towards potential customers. For the basics of promoting your site, see my article “Website Promotion.”

You will also want to consider whether you want to attract potential customers from one or more of the many search engines available online. If you do, you’ll want to make sure that your site is optimized for search engine placement. See my article “Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O.)” for the basics of preparing your site for searching.

Directories provide yet another means of promoting your site, and many allow listings for free or low cost. Check into local directories as well as those focused on your type of business.

Internet Advertising

While the bursting of the dot-com bubble a few years ago drove many companies back to more traditional media for their advertising, many web sites and Internet-based publications offer attractive and effective advertising packages. Just as you would with print publications, television or radio, get the facts before investing. Make sure that a site serves your target market, and that associating your company name with that site will enhance your brand image with that market. Also investigate the technology associated with the site’s advertising. If a site primarily uses pop-up or pop-under ads, which most web surfers find annoying, you may not see much return on your investment. Make sure you understand the terms of online advertising: there’s a big difference between banner ads and interstitials. Sites such as Internet.com and Clickz.com can provide you with up-to-date information on marketing and technology, allowing you to make the most of your Internet marketing budget.

Interactivity and Immediacy

While there are many benefits associated with Internet marketing, among the most important are interactivity and immediacy. The online medium allows you to not only share information with your customers, but to interact with them easily. This can enhance your firm’s reputation for personal service; it can also add to the workload of your customer service employees. As you plan you Internet marketing campaign, make sure that your company can handle the additional communication demands that arise. Interactivity and immediacy provide numerous benefits for your marketing efforts, but you must always remember that they also create expectations that differ markedly from older media.

The More Things Change…

Despite technological enhancements, Internet marketing still relies on creativity, clarity and focus. Knowing your market and its needs and desires provides the foundation for any promotional effort, whether in print or in Flash. If you’d like assistance in developing your own Internet marketing plan or discovering the latest in online promotional tools and techniques, please contact us.

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

Marketing is all about understanding human behavior. Although there are many risk takers out there, the majority of consumers are risk aversive. Since the Internet is a mysterious and intangible medium, consumers need to feel comfortable they are dealing with a reputable business entity when purchasing online. Anyone can pop up a web site and start selling their products. There is little if any governance and licensing of these activities. Consumers know this and have increased feelings of skepticism and reluctance when it comes to purchasing online as opposed to a physical bricks and mortar channel. As a marketer, it is your job to gain their trust and credibility electronically to be able to turn web prospects into online sales.

Let’s face it. Consumers are timid when it comes to purchasing online. Despite the fact the product or service can not be touched, the brand or company may also be an unknown. People want to feel assured they are going to receive a quality product or service. They also want to know who is getting their identity and credit information. No matter what medium is being used, consumers will look for clues to evaluate and judge credibility and quality before purchasing.
There are a few simple things you can do to increase trust and improve perceptions of quality. This holds true for the web and for your brick and mortar channel.

Improve corporate identity and visuals.
People visually evaluate quality. They just do – it never ceases to amaze me! I’ve seen people short-list unqualified firms because they had a “pretty proposal” and overlook technically fantastic firms that just didn’t do a good job presenting their qualifications in an appealing manner. It seems shallow but I have seen it time and time again in a variety of marketplaces ranging from high-ticket item services to low cost physical goods. Some owners and high level executives dismiss the imagery and identity activity as a ‘nice-to-have’ when in reality – it is a ‘need’. To gain credibility for your web storefront, invest in professional quality logos, graphics and templates. There are a few good resources for quality templates. One such source is http://www.1magez.com. Establish an appealing corporate image and consistently display that image in all your activities. You’ll be shocked at how persuasive it is in gaining new customers!

Quickly respond to all types of inquiries.
Don’t ever forget the marketing mantra…attention – interest – desire – action. The consumer has taken action, now it is up to you to make the sale! Don’t miss that fleeting moment of opportunity. At that moment in time the buyer is emotionally thinking about your offer. Give them immediate response and gratification. Make it easy for them to purchase from you. Employ auto-responders in your marketing arsenal.

Auto-responders are the email responses sent when a prospect submits a form or email expressing interest in an offer. You develop can create auto-responders using email program rules or you can purchase third party tools. The auto-responder can be initiated by clicking a simple hyperlink or by filling out a form. I know it is tempting to get every last bit of detail you can from a prospect during the sales process but remember this is online marketing, the quicker and easier it is for the consumer to purchase, the less time they have to abandon the online inquiry. I am talking seconds here – not minutes or hours. Keep thinking “fleeting moment” when you are designing your online strategy. Categorize the auto-responders by type of request. Personalize them as much as possible. Also reward them for taking action. Include a special offer in the response to motivate them to take further action.

Include client satisfaction guarantees, references and licenses.
Eliminate perceived online purchase risk by demonstrating your confidence and previous client’s satisfaction. You can demonstrate your own confidence by offering a money-back guarantee. If you don’t believe in your own product – why should they! Display client testimonials when possible. A simple one or two liner stating your company met or exceeded their expectations goes a long way in building perceptions of quality. Finally, if you are formally licensed to provide goods and services, include that with the firm contact information. This could be a sentence in a company introduction or a number placed discreetly with your address. Since I mentioned it – include your address and contact information. If you don’t want people contacting you then you obviously don’t want sales! Additionally, many firms’ financial systems require street address and phone number entries. Don’t lose sales because you didn’t post this information. This little point assures new clients that your firm is legitimate.

By incorporating these practices, your fleeting moment prospects can quickly evaluate your online presence and determine your firm to be trust-worthy!

General:
Web pages, also known as HTML documents or files, are the individual files stored on the server that are viewed by the site visitors. HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. To put it simply it is a computer language (although most programmers do not consider it to be a proper computer language) that is then read by the web browser (a computer program), like Microsoft’s Internet Explorer or Netscape’s Navigator, which then preforms the different commands in the code. Most of the commands just influence how and what you see on the page, just keep in mind that there are also commands that you do not see in the output.

Unlike most computer languages, which are first written and then compiled into a binary form, HTML is ASCII or Text based. What this means is that you can create and edit them with just about any word processor, like Notepad. Most of the time you can see the HTML in it’s raw format for web pages by simply clicking “View Source” on the web page you are currently viewing in your browser.

The different Parts of an HTML document:
HTML documents have two main parts, the first is the HEAD and the second is the BODY. Each of these in turn has various elements in them.

The HEAD tag:
The web site visitor does not see most of the HTML tags inside the head section of the document. Instead, these are mainly different commands that the author of the web page inserts to set the properties of the page. Among the different properties are:

• The Character Set for various languages
  
• Base Target and HREF
  
• Refresh or Redirect
  
• And much more…
  

The most common tag that is in the HEAD and that is, at least partially, visible to the visitor is the TITLE tag. The text inside of the TITLE is what you see at the very top of your browser. The TITLE is also very important to the search engines, and hence Search Engine Optimization. We will go into this later on.

Other “invisible” tags inside of the HEAD which are important to S.E.O. are Meta Tags which include:

• Description
  
• Keywords
  
• Robots
  

Examples:
<meta name=”description” content=”A short description here”>
This lets the spiders know what you think should be the description of your page. Some spiders use it as is, some ignore it entirley and some use parts of it along with the content of your page. In general you can put up to 250 characters in the description, but is is suggested to keep is at 150 or less. This helps avoid having your description cut off by the search engines.

<meta name=”keywords” content=”your keywords,here”>
Your Keywords and phrases here, comma seperated. This lets the spiders know what you think should be the description of your page. Some spiders use it as is, some ignore it entirley and some use parts of it along with the content of your page This can be up to 1024 characters, but it is suggested to keep under 800.

Both of these MUST reflect the content of your page, other wise you are taking a chance of being either penalized or baned from the search engines

Robot Meta Tag Options

The meta tag robots lets spiders know if to crawl your page and if to follow the links in it. If you have a page that you DO NOT want indexed by a search engine you can add the following tag.

<META NAME=”ROBOTS” CONTENT=”NOINDEX”>

INDEX – tells the robot it is ok to index the page.
FOLLOW – tells the robot it is ok to follow the links found on this page

<META NAME=”ROBOTS” CONTENT=”INDEX,FOLLOW”>
<META NAME=”ROBOTS” CONTENT=”NOINDEX,FOLLOW”>
<META NAME=”ROBOTS” CONTENT=”INDEX,NOFOLLOW”>
<META NAME=”ROBOTS” CONTENT=”NOINDEX,NOFOLLOW”>

The BODY tag:
The BODY tag is where all the visible elements of your web page are located. This is what the visitor actually sees.

Headings (H1-H6) tags should be as close to the top of your visible page as possible. Search engines look at the contents of this tag for relavent Keywords, and they are usually given more weight in the algorythims than normal text in your page.

The Images (IMG tag) is often forgotten when optimizing your site. The first thing you need to do is make sure to include the height and width of the image. This has to do with the validation of the HTML document, some search engines will not be able to process your page unless its syntax is correct. The second this is the ALT attribute of the IMG tag, This is the alternative text that is shown until the imgae is loaded and when the mouse is over the image. It is a great place to increase the Keyword density in your document as well as to place the common misspellings.
<img src=”your_image.gif” height=”10px” width=”50px” alt=”more Keywords and misspellings” >

Links (A HREF) tag – as in the IMG tag the alternative text (shown when the mouse is over the link) is often forgotten when optimizing your site. Instead of using the ALT links use the TITLE attribute.
<a href=”your_link.html” title=” more Keywords and misspellings” > more Keywords </a>

Frames, quite simply avoid them when ever possible. While search engines can follow the links to the various pages they do not give the content of any of these pages to the main page. The only thing that they see is the HEAD and the NOFRAMES tag. You have to treat the search engines like an old browser that is not capable of displaying frames.

Validation:
As we have stated earlier correct HTML syntax can be very important to the optimization of your page. To check that your page’s HTML syntax is correct you can use the HTML validator located at: http://validator.w3.org.

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 Shannon G. Pearson swpearson@telus.net at www.alon-cohen.com

Web page design is an art, but you don’t need an art degree or be a rocket scientist to design effective web pages for your website. You just have to be aware of several important aspects that every web page should have. These components will ensure the visitors to your website like what they see and keep coming back. And it’s them, wanting to do business with you, which is important. Right?

How we do business has changed drastically over the last decade and we all know this is due to the World Wide Web and the Internet. Businesses no longer have the time to wait for the mail to bring them the information they need; nor do they have the time to manually search for shoe retailers in Cuba. Today everything is at our fingertips and time is more expensive and in shorter supply than ever. Things have to happen quickly, from gathering information to buying leather shoes in another country.

So, with this constant time crunch, no one is going to waste his or her valuable time on a poorly designed web site. Here are some important components of a successful web page and web site; things that should be a part of the planning that goes into their design.

Time is Money
Web audiences are not captive. Most visitors to your web site will not stay long if they have to wait for your page to load. 15 seconds is the average and if they are VERY interested they may wait for 30 – tops. Fancy power-point or Flash introductions and large graphics look impressive but they are slow to load which guarantees lost business. This also goes for banners, pop-up windows, and background music. Make the copy on your web page easy to read – dark type on a light background is the best for three reasons: it is easier to read (this means a happier visitor) ;it’s easier for printers to reproduce and many browsers can’t print light type on a dark background. Another no-no for web page design is the use of scrolling pages; they waste time and are annoying. Visitors will often leave right away. To avoid scrollbars, design your web pages for a resolution of 640 x 480. If your page has so much content the scrollbars are necessary then make sure that the top visible part is enough to keep your visitors interetsed. If you remember to keep things simple, your visitors will be back.

Repeat Visits – the Purpose of Web Page Design
If your web pages load quickly and your content is obvious and easy to see you are already ahead of the marketing game. But to ensure repeat visits from your customers you need to make sure navigation throughout your site is as easy as possible and that there is a consistency between every page. Make sure there are always links back to the home page and every page should be accessible via at least two links from the home web page. And give your visitors something useful whether it’s links to other sites, reference information, free stuff, or software. Everyone likes to get something for free – this is virtual marketing and it works.

Make Life Simple
The Necessity of Easy Web Page Maintenance and Contact Information

Everyone likes things that are simple. That goes for you and your potential customers. Visitors to your web site and web pages don’t want to work hard at contacting you. When designing web pages make sure that on every web page your contact information is readily available; otherwise, visitors will get frustrated and leave. Your customers, like shoppers, want variety when they visit your web site. In order to keep your customers happy and returning you must constantly be changing your shop display (rearranging the content and look of your web pages) to keep their interest. But if this is difficult and hard to do, you will find yourself avoiding the task thereby losing business because of customer boredom. Shoppers don’t come back if it’s always the same old thing. When you initially design your web pages and web site you want to make all the pages easy to maintain. Ask yourself: How often will changes need to be made? Can frequently changed areas be placed on separate files for ease of update? If you design your web pages with these questions in mind, your customers will never be bored and continue to come back to you.

Never Sacrifice Content for Creativity
If you spend time and money for a fancy, flashy web page but slack on the content you are only cheating yourself. Are you trying to sell your web site design or your product? Each page must have your message visually prominent, don’t draw attention to the wrong things on the page, i.e.: blinking text, moving graphics, etc. These things are distracting and annoying and annoyed customers won’t come back. The use of frames in web page design is out. Did you know that half of the search engines can’t index frames and that older browsers, palm pilots, and cell phones can’t navigate web sites and web pages with fancy graphics, animation, or frames? If your site can’t be navigated, potential customers won’t find you – you will lose money.

Search Engine Optimization
Search Engines are our friends. Say it. Mean it. Live it. When designing your web pages always keep in mind that it’s the search engines that guide people to your site. But they need the right signal to do this. Search engines guide visitors to your web site through the use of keywords. Without keywords you will receive no exposure. When designing web pages you must optimize every page for the search engines by including keyword rich titles, keyword rich meta tags and keyword rich introductions. If you use graphic headlines (which look great) you will lose the opportunity to place keywords that will get great search engine position. This costs you business. The same goes for using a Flash or image introduction – you will effectively cripple your search engine positioning efforts.

Designing web pages isn’t as hard as you would think. It takes a small amount of creativity and a lot of common marketing sense. And if you don’t want to do it yourself you now have enough of an understanding of the necessary elements of good web page design that you can oversee those you hire to do the job. One note about hiring web page designers; as with many things you do get what you pay for; ask questions and don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. And always keep this in mind…If you can make the experience of visiting your web site a painless, rewarding exercise, then you will have customers that tell their friends about you and will return over and over. Just watch your business grow.