The Marketing Blog

Does Networking Make Your Stomach Turn?

2009-11-02T10:33:00.007-05:00

I don’t know about you but the word “networking” makes me want to cringe. Without hesitation, I form an image that might be akin to speed dating. I’m great in front of a large audience but don’t consider myself all that good at making small talk and meeting new people. So when someone recently asked me to attend a networking event, I said no.

I thought that was the end of it but it wasn’t. Around the same time, a colleague of mine asked me to join him for lunch. I told him about a new business I idea and he suggested that I reach out to his friend who had a lot of experience in this particular area and after our meal made an introduction via email. One thing led to another and now I’m connected with a few people who are all helping me to develop this idea. I’m confident that I can bring this new product to market faster and better than I could ever have done on my own.

Even though I thought networking was a waste of time, it happens. And it happens in a variety of ways. If you think networking is simply going into a crowded room and being uncomfortable for an hour or so, think again. Networking is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs, marketers, and professionals who want to learn, grow, and contribute.

What is your networking plan?

To get ahead in your business, job or activities, consider putting together a networking plan. It doesn’t have to be anything formal but you need to take action. Research local meetings in your area, join a chamber of commerce, form a group of your own. Regardless of the tact you take, get started. It is amazing how things work when you set them in motion. My goals for networking include:

Join the Chamber of Commerce (attend 1 meeting/month)

Make one new introduction per month

Hold one Internet marketing meeting per quarter (new members)

By having a plan, albeit small, I’m creating momentum. Over time, I believe that my network will increase as well as the resources I have available. Success is easier if others can help you achieve your goals. What’s great about our niche is that Internet marketers are always willing to help. I’ve been astonished at the support and gratitude successful marketers have and their interest in helping other.

How To Solve Your Most Difficult Marketing Questions

2009-10-28T08:11:00.013-04:00

About a year or two ago I was sitting at my computer and started Google-ing to find an answer to a pretty difficult marketing question. Essentially I was looking for someone out there who was facing the exact same Internet marketing issue and had a quick response.

After searching and searching, I found nothing. Because I'm so persistent, I took my search off line and started to tap into my network of marketing related colleagues, friends, and acquaintances. It took me quite a bit of time, but I got the answer I was looking for.

Then it dawned on me. Why wasn't it easier to find the answer I was looking for online? Surely someone somewhere must have asked the same question, engaged others, and shared their answer on a blog or web page! From that struggle, the Internet Marketing Forum, on my main web site MarketingScoop.com was born.

Earlier this year, I launched the forum to serve as a marketing community. As is the case with any marketing community, it's success is based on the interest of those who inhabit it to be there, engage, and interact with one another. Based on user feedback, I recently made investments in the forum to improve usability and cover additional topics for community members to share successes, failures, and experience.

I encourage each of you to get involved in the Internet Marketing Forum today. It costs nothing to join and will serve as a great resource for getting your most difficult marketing related questions answered. Please let me know what you think and how we can encourage others to learn about the forum. It is my goal to build a marketing community for us to learn, contribute, and grow.

Free Traffic Exists If You Know Where To Look!

2009-10-26T07:49:00.012-04:00

Many web site owners spend a lot of time building the next great application, web portal, or informational web site only to discover that creating a great site is only the first step. A fantastic web site that doesn’t have any visitors holds no value. So how do you generate traffic to your web site? There are a variety of ways to generate traffic but some of the best are free.

In this week’s video, I’ll show you how to generate free traffic to your web site using traffic exchanges. Top exchanges like Traffic Swarm and EasyHits4U are free to join and can easily generate thousands of targeted visitors to your website.

Traffic exchanges are exactly what the name infers. You are essentially exchanging traffic. Here’s how they work. You sign up for an account and “visit” other web sites. Each time you view a web site or squeeze page, you earn credits. These credits can be used for traffic. After you earn a certain number of credits, your web pages are shown throughout the traffic exchange network. Each time these pages are viewed by other members, you are charged a certain number of credits.

It may sound a bit confusing but actually it’s quite simple. You browse web pages and other members browse yours. The most productive way to utilize traffic exchanges is with the help of high converting squeeze pages. If all you want to do is drive traffic, then you can easily set your web sites home page as your main display URL. If on the other hand you are looking to build a list, develop powerful squeeze pages with an offer that encourages individuals to click through or sign up.

Over time you can generate a significant number of views for your web site or web page. Set your browsing page as your start page each time you open your browser. This takes less than a few seconds to set up and can generate additional credits for you. Most exchanges, including Traffic Swarm provide benefits for specific actions like loading your start page.

Premium versions are also available on traffic exchanges, allowing you to earn credits even faster. Once you’ve begun using traffic exchanges, and see the type of traffic they are delivering, consider premium options. The quality of traffic you receive can vary greatly from exchange to exchange so make sure you’re tracking properly and focus not just on traffic but on conversions are well.

There are tons of additional tools to help generate traffic to your web site at little or no cost. I’ll cover additional tactics in the future but suggest that you start using traffic exchanges today to get visitors to your website.

Customer Follow Up Is King!

2009-10-22T08:47:00.000-04:00

Do you follow up with with your customers and affiliates on a regular basis?

Many companies do a poor job of communicating with customers and overlook one of their biggest sources of revenue. In fact, many companies believe that once a sale is made the follow up process should end. Unfortunately they are losing a significant opportunity to build additional customer satisfaction, establish better rapport, credibility, lower returns, and increase their knowledge of the user experience.

Follow up is for more than just prospects. In fact, following up with customers is just as important. Post purchase follow up is overlooked by many businesses but can be implemented easily. Consider applying a basic process that can benefit overall consumer satisfaction significantly. Your process may include:

- Training to teach a customer how to use a product.

- Answering commonly asked questions before they are asked.

- Teaching users about lesser known features.

- Providing support contact information.

Don’t stop with customers. Also reach out to your affiliates. This can improve relationships and prioritize your products over others being promoted. The reality is that in most affiliate or reseller programs over 90% of affiliates never do anything. By properly following up with new and existing affiliates you can help increase the percentage of those actively promoting your products and often see immediate results.

Here are some ideas to consider for engaging affiliates and improving outcomes:

- Provide promotional material.

- Teach effective promotional techniques.

- Share best practices from top affiliates.

- Product education.

- Reminders to get the affiliate to take action.

- Introduce contests and incentives.

Whether you are focusing on improving the communication with your customers or affiliates (or both), consider what you do as being directly tied to increased revenue. Too often companies focus all of their energy on prospecting and not enough on nurturing existing relationships.

Look at your customer communication program today and ask, “how can I better communicate to my customers to improve loyalty, develop relationships, and generate more sales?”

Web 3.0 Is Here. Do You Know About It?

2009-10-19T07:35:00.008-04:00

If you’re wondering what’s in store for the World Wide Web in 2010, you don’t have to think too hard. I’ve been hearing a lot lately about what’s next for the Internet and it’s simply stated as Web 3.0. Not sure what Web 3.0 is all about? Simply stated, the concept of Web 3.0, the next iteration after Web 2.0, is about the sophistication of the web and the experience it’s going to create for each of us.

Web 3.0, also referred to as the Semantic web, uses artificial intelligence to improve your online experience. It’s personalization taken to the next level. Today when you visit a web site or browse the Web data is being collected about you, browsing behavior, and the sites you visit. Imagine if all of this information was collected, processed, and built into a personal profile that would customize your online experiences? Well, that’s what Web 3.0 promises to do.

Since the new Web will take past behavior like online purchases, browsing behavior, searches, etc. into consideration when building your personal profile, your experience online will be customized to you. There are already concepts like a recommendation engine and a retail recommender that are in use today on some leading web sites.

Long gone will be the days of receiving promotional emails for stuff you don’t want – when you don’t want it. In fact, chances are that interactions online and off will seem freakishly accurate.

For example, let’s say I only buy jeans once a year (I admit it… it’s true). And let’s also say that I always buy them around the same time from the same online store – the GAP maybe. Okay, now enter Web 3.0. My interaction with the GAP online and offline will work very differently than it does today. Not a week goes by now where I receive some type of promotion from GAP in my email and even my physical address. And yes, I throw these things out and delete all of the email because I’m don’t buy scarves!

In the future, the GAP is only going to contact me once, maybe two times each year to remind me about my annual jean buying day and the communication, web pages I visit, and checkout experience will all be customized based on my previous activities. In fact, the non-response to emails and post cards should also yield less junk mail. As my behaviors are recorded and fed into the latest artificial intelligence, I’m going to see less of what I don’t want and more of what I do want.

The best part of Web 3.0 from my perspective is that it not only works from a user’s perspective but also from a web site or retailer perspective. You won’t be getting communication in any form that doesn’t work for you and your online experiences will be customized for you and you alone. Trying to sell me on the “best selling products” or “top recommendations” may work today but won’t be necessary in the future. Give me my top recommendations based on my buying behavior and preferences – not what the masses think.

Concerned about privacy? I’ve got news for you. If you knew what web sites are tracking today and the wealth of knowledge out there on the Internet, you’d probably have a heart attack. I do believe that users should still have to give permission for this type of tracking and data aggregation to occur but my feeling is that you’re better off embracing it that throwing the concept to the wind. Besides, Internet security continues to advance as well so one would think that additional protections are going to come with advances in Web technology.

So here we are. The signs of Web 3.0 are here. Keep your eyes and ears open for the continued evolution of the web. As marketers, we need to decide how we are going to leverage this information, technology, and improve the overall user experience. That's our job and will be our focus in the months and years to come!

A Lesson On Email Marketing And Purchase Behavior

2009-10-14T13:56:00.005-04:00

I recently started focusing again on email to help me spread the word and ultimately take my marketing to the next level. I was introduced to a concept by an industry leader many years ago that I want to share with all of you in today’s post.

The concept is called the “purchase decision process” and was taught to me by a leader in direct marketing. Essentially the concept is simple, understand enough about your prospects buying behavior to map out the process they go through when making a purchase. For example, where do your customers start the purchase process? Research? Referrals? What happens next?

Email is a great way to learn about the purchase decision process of your niche as well as take advantage of it for the benefit of prospect and company. What I mean is that if you can help consumers by laying out a process they are comfortable with and prefer, you will experience less resistance when attempting to make a sale.

Likewise, your prospect will actually enjoy the process of evaluating your offer and making a purchase. This provides a win-win for both parties and can significantly influence conversion rates. Some tips I can share with you are:

1.    Capture email information at the beginning of your online conversion process. When individuals bail out of your funnel, auto send an email with an opportunity to contact you about their interrupted purchase and give them a way to easily return to where they left.

2.    Create a follow up communication plan that moves them through the purchase decision process one step at a time. The follow up emails do not have to be numerous, just aligned to their purchase process.

3.    Test your creative, offers, purchase process communications, and so on. Continually work to improve conversion rates.

If you think about the purchase decision process of your prospects, can you clearly identify each step? If not, spend some time thinking about the process and how you can help consumers move through that process quickly.

Set up auto-responders that take advantage of your knowledge from the moment users abandon your site. Capture email address up front in order to make this viable. Follow these simple rules and you’ll see site conversions improve.

Direct Response: What Successful Entrepreneurs Can Teach You

2009-10-10T23:59:00.005-04:00

I had a great opportunity this week to speak with an entrepreneur who owns a successful software company on the East Coast. We spoke about a variety of topics but focused on direct response (DR). I found our discussion so engaging (definite Kodak moment) that I thought I'd focus this post on the core aspects of a successful direct response campaign whether it's in print or online.

Test. Test. Test. It might sound cliche but the fact of the matter is that there are lots and lots of web site owners and marketers out there who may test at first, but then leave it alone. How do you expect to get any better if you're not constantly testing. For example, if you are doing a standard online campaign with PPC, test multiple landing pages. This is easy to do is you use Google Website Optimizer or some other split testing and multivariate testing tool.

The objective is to test everything. Start with your headline which is the most important aspect of your landing page all the way down to the color of your buttons. Don't assume anything. In the world of direct response, a small lift in conversions can result in large revenue gains.

Measure, Measure, Measure. Getting started with your testing is where you need to begin. However, your testing is meaningless if you're not properly measuring each activity. Install Google Analytics on your web site and additional tracking if necessary. If you are focusing on affiliate marketing for example, you'll want to know which keywords are converting for you. Consider tools like tracking 202 or redirect URLs to capture important data and information.

Scale. Scale. Scale. Before you begin any direct response campaign, consider the concept of scale. If you create a campaign and it's successful (aka profitable), do you have an opportunity to expand it? If the answer is no or you think that future growth is limited, explore a different opportunity. So often I see people who put in the work to make a promotion successful only to discover there aren't enough prospects or the niche is simply too small to make a reasonable return on. Do this research before you begin.

Scaling campaigns, as noted by my discussion with the entrepreneur who founded a profitable software company, is often the most overlooked aspect of direct response marketing. Don't get caught by surprise. Focus on whether of not your campaign can scale before you begin. Make sure to always test your campaigns and by all means necessary, measure your results!

Tweet This! A How To Guide On Installing A TweetMeMe Button

2009-10-04T09:31:00.011-04:00

I've received a lot of questions in the last week about how to install a Retweet button on web pages, blogs, and article pages so I thought I'd take a few minutes to explain how easy this is to do. In this post, I'll show you where to find the proper code for placing the button on your website or blog.

Begin by visiting TweetMeMe.com. There you will find a listing of top retweeted articles and content. What you need to do is page down to the bottom where you will see an option that says, "Retweet Button" under the 'Have some fun' section. This will bring you to the code page.

Once you land there, you can choose from four different options. The first option, "web button" is the most common. By accessing this page, you'll find the code you need to add a button to your web pages (HTML, asp, etc.). The second section is for individuals looking to embed a button in an email. This is a great options if you have an email newsletter or like to send your content out via email.

The third option is to place the button within your RSS feed. This is a good idea if you have a lot of subscribers to your feed. The last option is to embed the retweet button in your blog template (WordPress users). So you can see that there a number of options with the retweet button.To begin, select the option that is appropriate for your application of a retweet button. As mentioned earlier, most people look to add the button to their web pages or blogs. A good place to start then is with the first option. Click on the web button option.

This will take you to a page that shows different blocks of code. At the most basic level, you want to place java script on your pages or in your post that will simply show the button. If the title of your page is short enough, when others retweet, it will include the title of your post.

On the other hand, if you have a very long title to your web page or post, the retweet only shows an abbreviated title or website name. When focusing on retweets keep titles short and to the point. The code for retweeting is (replace "[ and ]" with <>):

[script type="text/javascript" src="http://tweetmeme.com/i/scripts/button.js"][/script]

Simply copy and paste this code into your HTML page or the code associated with your post. When you publish your pages, they will now contain the retweet button. If you want to style your button - placing it in a specific location, use div tags. For example, if you want your button to flow with the text and be right aligned, you may wrap the java script above with the following (Note: you must replace the [ and ] symbols with <> symbols for the code to actually work.)

[div style="margin: 0px 5px 5px 5px; float: right; display: block; width: 50px; height: 61px;"]

You can also find more advanced tutorials and information at the TweetMeMe website. There are a variety of retweet tools out there if you want others to post your information to Twitter (styles, layouts, etc) but Tweetmeme is the easiest to use. I have found Tweetmeme to have the best information, resources and support.

Best of luck with your retweet button.. and be sure to retweet this post!

Internet Marketing Resources You Can't Live Without

2009-09-28T09:56:00.004-04:00

In today's post I wanted to provide some insight into the information sources I use on a regular basis to stay on top of what's happening in Internet marketing.

I often get questions from my associates and like minded individuals in search of reliable information. There are a few resources that I like to use on a regular basis and describe each of them in this post.

If you want to stay on top of all aspects of online marketing, a good way to do so is via targeted media. The online marketing industry, specifically Internet marketing and Search Engine optimization have a variety of resources that can give you timely information. Some of my favorite are:

Media

Webmaster Radio

Webmaster Radio is an Internet-based radio station that has really good programming that covers Pay Per Click maketing, to affiliate programs, to search engine optimization. Shows are hosted by experts in each niche like Danny Sullivan who covers search news to other 'big names' across the industry. A great feature is that you can listen throughout your day or simply download the podcasts for later listening on your ipod or listening device.

WebProNews

Wow... they have a lot of information and some great column writers that you are going to want to learn more about. WebProNews provides timely information on virtually every event. They have reporters writing constantly and have other scoring SEO blogs and other news sources, compiling the information in one place for easy access. They also have great articles by third-party writers and a very active readership that is proactive in their commenting. Definitely near the top of my go-to list when I'm looking for news and current feedback.

Search Engine Watch

When it comes to search, Search Engine Watch has been around since the beginning. SEW provides everything from search related articles to updated news stories related to what's going on in search. Be sure to visit and bookmark this site.

Blogs

As with many industries - blogs are a great way to keep informed on the latest goings-on in the SEO realm. The trick, however, is figuring out which blogs are worth reading and which authors are truly knowledgeable. Over the years I've read many blogs and to be honest - I still do. Below are some of the key blogs I reference on a regular basis.

The Marketing Blog

If you're reading this post than obviously you've found The Marketing Blog. Although I have experience with everything from Advertising to Trade Shows, my passion is Internet marketing. Here you'll find all you need to know about Internet marketing, SEO, PPC, and much more.

Matt Cutts Blog

If you haven't heard of Matt, you will. He's one of the most outspoken Google associates - attending SEO conferences and speaking about the Google Algorithm. Officially, Matt Cutts is the head of Google's Webspam team. His blog covers Google, technology, and some personal posts. Even though he doesn't give away the farm, Matt does reveal some great insights into Google search.

SEOmoz Blog

SEO expert Rand Fishkin provide research, news and SEO tips on a regular basis. From op-eds to SEO whitepapers the SEOmoz Blog provides useful information and even has a great feature called Whiteboard Friday's where you can get some great SEO advice.

Forums

Forums are a great place to tap into industry experts and get questions answered quickly and easily. I was a little fearful of using forums in the past but have found them to be one of my most valuable assets for Internet marketing and SEO. The other great thing about forums is that once you build up expertise in a certain area, you can share what you know with those just starting out.

The Internet Marketing Forum

This forum is my latest project and is set to be released from Beta in the next 30 days. The beauty of this forum is that it was created by my marketing team in search of answers to their most difficult questions and from readers like you with questions and the need for expert advice. Registration costs nothing and gives you access to some of the best Marketing, Internet marketing, SEO, and PPC experts around. If you're not already an inaugural member, sign up today.

SEO Chat Forums

The SEO chat forums are really the most popular of SEO forums out there. Each covers a broad set of topics from Google to Social Media.

DigitalPoint Forums

DigitalPoint has been around for a while and again covers many of the same topics as found in the Internet marketing forum and SEO Chat Forums. Some users well known but overall the forum serves as a good place to ask questions and get them answered.

Newsletters & Other Resources

In addition to the above mentioned resources, other resources that are helpful in the area of SEO include:

Google Webmaster Tools And Guidelines

If you're not already familiar with Google Webmaster Tools and Guidelines, than I suggest you check it out. Not only are the webmaster tools essential for uploading your sitemap to Google and getting noticed, but the guidelines are helpful for knowing best practices.

High Rankings Newsletter

Not being a fan of newsletter in general, I rarely read them. However, I have found this newsletter to be helpful when trying to stay on top of changes in SEO and more importantly, accessing real case studies associated with Internet marketing. In short, it provides great advice and helps you stay on top of search marketing.

Conclusion
There are literally thousands of resources online for marketing, Internet marketing, and SEO. The resources I mention above are just a few that I use to stay on top of my game. The key is to always be on the lookout for new and valuable resources that you can learn from. Internet marketing is continually evolving - so should you.

How To Use eZineArticles To Promote Your Articles And Build Backlinks

2009-09-20T21:37:00.002-04:00

After last week's video on article marketing, I received a lot of comments and questions about article marketing. One of the most popular questions is where you should be submitting your articles and how to write them. If you are looking for a really good article creator, I suggest you go to an article software review website like Culzee.com and read their reviews. Once you've created an article and are ready to begin submitting to directories, you can use a piece of software or start with the most popular directories like eZineArticles.com. Ezines, GoArticles.com, and other top directories work like a mall.

Webmasters in search of content visit these article directories in order to find fresh content for their websites and blogs. When they publish the content, it appears on site with your author information. Your author box should always include links back to your website or blog - this is article marketing at its best.

In this video, I spend a few minutes showing you how to sign up at one of the leading article directories on the Internet. Once you've opened an account, you can quickly and easily go through the article submission process. Follow me as I show you how to submit an article on EzineArticles.com step-by-step. As you submit articles you'll be developing valuable backlinks from the article directory itself and every time your article is used by a webmaster on a different website or blog.

If you're not article marketing, get started now. Watch this video and start the article marketing process!

Shutterstock: A Case Study Of How One Company Is Using Twitter To Grow Their Business

2009-09-10T15:42:00.019-04:00

On my never-ending quest to find individuals and companies succeeding with Social Media I hit a goldmine. In a single word, Shutterstock. In today's post I share how one company, in a VERY crowded space, is dominating the niche with Twitter!

Shutterstock is a microstock company, which means that photographers upload their photos to the site, which in turns sells them to graphic designers, news agencies, marketers, pretty much anyone who needs stock imagery. The photographers receive a commission every time one of their images is sold. Basically it's crowdsourcing, as Shutterstock outsources the task of taking stock photos to the general public.

There are several of these microstock companies aside from Shutterstock; other ones include iStockphoto, Dreamstime, Fotolia, Big Stock Xchang, etc. When Twitter started blowing up, around six months ago, all these companies tried to stake a presence on this glitzy new social media platform. So far, Shutterstock appears to have been the most successful. Why?

1. Right from the start, Shutterstock identified their audience and offered them exactly what they wanted: free, useful stuff. In this case, Shutterstock's audience was comprised mainly of graphic designers and photographers, so Shutterstock began to post free vectors and images every week on its Twitter account, as well as links to Shutterstock generated articles containing photography tips, Photoshop and Illustrator tutorials, etc.

2. Shutterstock began to actively engage people who mentioned their service in their Tweets; every week Shutterstock responded to @shutterstock comments, to either offer technical advice, voice appreciation or ameliorate concerns. Doing this, and doing this in a specific, casual tone, made Shutterstock's followers feel like they had a direct pipeline into the company.

3. Many bloggers use Shutterstock as an image source for their blogs, so Shutterstock began to Tweet each blog post by an influential blogger that featured a Shutterstock image. Since bloggers are really the rockstars of Twitter, with a devoted readership base, this helped channel new people to Shutterstock, and also demonstrated that respectable bloggers used the service. Basically, Shutterstock used Twitter to network with popular bloggers.

4. This one's important! Shutterstock went back through its site and embedded link buttons to Twitter and Facebook throughout all of the site's pages. This way, whenever anyone new signed up to the site, or uploaded an image or collected a payment, their was a little button that they could click on that automatically made them a Facebook fan/Twitter follower of Shutterstock.

5. On top of all this, Shutterstock designed a simple and imaginative application for their photo submitters could called Shuttertweet. This application sends out a Tweet from a Shutterstock photographer's Twitter account once a day announcing their sales and accepted images. Since many Shutterstock photographers are looking to promote their portfolios, this was an attractive service that many photographers signed up for. Now, with @shutterstock appearing in so many people's news feeds, Shutterstock is channeling more interest than ever.

At this stage of the Twitter craze, the number of followers of each of the major stock image services seem to tell the tale:

Shutterstock:11,194
Istock:2,198
Getty Images: 1,218
Dreamstime:754
Fotolia: 223
Big Stock Photo: 168
stockxchng: 137

Shutterstock has created a vibrant Twitter community that continues to experience an accelerated rate of growth. The only question now is to see how this will translate for the company's bottom line which will no doubt benefit from the added traffic, exposure, and social media success they are experiencing!

Article Marketing Made Simple

2009-09-07T16:53:00.002-04:00

Article marketing. Can it really do what everyone says it can? Are you using article marketing as part of your overall marketing strategy? I've been a big fan of article marketing since 2004 when I launched my first marketing web sites.

In this brief video, I show you the effect of article marketing on my overall search engine rankings and traffic for my main web site as well as share my review of top article marketing software packages. If you want to save time and get significant results, than be sure to check out Culzee.com for free article marketing information.

How To Use Twitter.. Start Marketing!

2009-09-04T10:58:00.003-04:00

Last night I was up until about 1:30am in the morning, reading all the comments and emails I receive each week across my many web sites and blogs.. What's great about the marketing community is that we're not shy about asking questions!

I couldn't believe the divide between those using Twitter and those not using today's biggest social media web site. So I took a few minutes out of my schedule to provide you with a step-by-step video on signing up for Twitter and show you my favorite tool for managing my account. If you don't have an account, sign up at Twitter today. If you'd like to see a sample of my account or want to begin following, check out my Twitter page @mfleischner. If you'd like more videos on how to use Twitter for marketing purposes, let me know!

The First Search Engine Ranking Report I Actually Agree With

2009-08-30T17:51:00.008-04:00

Okay, I'm the first to admit that there's a lot of junk out here on the Internet. I can't tell you how much information I see daily that either is just plain garbage or has no factual basis upon which conclusions are drawn.

This is especially true with it comes to Internet marketing. Late last week, I saw the first article (SEOmoz) that had a thread of truth and aligns with everything I know to be true about improving search engine rankings for promotional pages, web sites, and blogs.

For those of you who are new to The Marketing Blog you probably don't know that even though this blog covers all aspects of marketing (from Advertising to Trade Shows), I have a particular infatuation with Internet marketing and making money online. As a result, I'm always looking to share with all my blog readers information that has personally helped me to succeed online with any one of more than a dozen web sites or blogs I own.

In this brief article I talk about the most important factors for improving web site rankings and guess what, the image above sums it up nicely. You can read on for a full explanation of these factors or simply print the image/post and pin it on your corkboard - be sure to Retweet it too!

The top ranking factors as reported by SEOmoz include: Anchor text from external links, keyword use in title tag, link popularity, diversity of linking domains, and keyword use in root domain. What does it all mean? Here's my take...

Top 5 Search Engine Ranking Factors

The first ranking factor refers to the anchor text of all inbound links to your website. What this means is that Google in particular but all search engines, use the anchor text from other sites linking to yours to determine what you site is about and what it should rank well for. So if you have sites that are linking to you using your URL (ex: http://www.yoursite.com), email them and ask them to update how the link appears to include your keywords.

The second ranking factor is keyword use in title tag. Believe it or not, this refers to both your site and the sites that are linking to your particular web site or web page. It's called "link juice" baby and the more quality links you have that have your keyword in their page title, keywords, or description, the better off you'll be. At the very least, make sure the page you're optimizing include your most important keywords in the title tag. If possible, only include your keyword phrase. This gives it more weight and greater importance.

The third ranking factor is link popularity. This phrase has been tossed around in SEO circles for a while but in essence it's referred to as Page Rank which measures a number of factors - the largest of which is how many other sites have links pointing to a given website. The more popularity or value of each link,the better a web site's link popularity and page rank. Bottom line: Build links from sites that have a good Google PR.

The fourth ranking factor is diversity of linking domains. It's all about links. Diversity of linking domains means that if you have 1,000 links from a single domain/URL versus another site ranking for a similar keyword that has one link from 1,000 independent, unrelated sites, they're going to rank better than you.

The final ranking factor is keyword use in root domain. Although it's possible to use subdomains or dedicated pages to get your keywords in a URL, nothing beats having them in your root domain. Example: www.rootdomain.com. I've seen sites, like The Marketing Blog, outrank sites that have the keyword in the root domain, but it takes a good deal of SEO experience, know how, and persistence. There are plenty of SEO training programs that can show you how to have this type of impact on organic listings, but know that having a domain with your keyword definitely helps.

What Are The Top 5 Negative Ranking Factors

Just as there are factors that improve your web site's rankings, there are also factors that can have a negative impact on organic results. These five factors should be avoided at all costs. Here they are:

The first negative ranking factor is cloaking with malicious intent. The good news here is that if you site is guilty of such a thing, Google will actually blog you and basically shut you down. They can do this? You bet they can - it's great to be the king! If your site was hijacked in some way and you are unable to access, you should restore using a backup and submit a request to have the site reviewed via Google webmaster tools. Cloaking or hijacking of this type is usually done via iframe redirects and other technical stuff!

The second negative ranking factor is link acquisition from link brokers. I used to generate a lot of money every month from text-link-ads dot com and other sites but have seen a significant drop in the number of customers using these services. Why? Because Google is on to them, that's why. Paying for links is like paying for good grades. Sooner or later it's a failing proposition.

The third negative ranking factor is cloaking by a User Agent. This is a bit technical, but User Agent Cloaking is similar to IP cloaking in the sense that the cloaking script compares the User Agent text string which is sent when a page is requested with its list of search engine User Agent names and then serves the appropriate page.

The problem with User Agent cloaking is that Agent names can be easily faked. Imagine Google introducing a new anti-spam method to beat cloakers, all they need to do is fake their name and pretend they're a normal person using Internet explorer or Netscape, the cloaking software will take Googles bot to the non optimized page and hence your search engine rankings will suffer. User Agent cloaking is much more riskier than IP based cloaking and it's not recommended.

The fourth negative ranking factor is frequent service downtime. If you site is rarely accessible, or down for extended period of times, it fall out of good graces with search engines. How valuable would Google or Yahoo be if every time you clicked on a link to visit a site it couldn't be accessed. Make sure you site is up and running 99.8% of the time.

The fifth and final negative ranking factor is linking out to SPAM. It's all about the company you keep. If you make reference to shady web sites, it will reflect badly upon you and your web site. Make sure you know who you're linking to before you place a link.

Good information is hard to find these days, that's why I was so excited about this SEO related report on ranking factors. The reason I believe the report is because I've worked with dozens of companies on improving their organic rankings and have taught search engine optimization classes that supported this information with case studies and real life examples. If you want to improve your rankings and avoid getting "Google slapped", then consider these factors.

Google Pay-Per-Click: The Truth Is Revealed

2009-08-27T11:37:00.010-04:00

Last night I was wondering about my Google PPC ads and why my buddy was paying less per click than I was. We're marketing in the same niche and I couldn't quite understand the disparity. Then low and behold I get a link from a friend today on "Quality Score" and what determines your click price.

If you're trying to make sense of PPC and how it works, listen to this brief video from Google Chief Economist, Hal Varian, who explains the AdWords Ad Auction and how your max CPC bid and quality score determine how much you pay for a click on Google.com. More importantly, Hal specifically mentions which factors determine your quality score - definitely worth the next 9 minutes. Be sure to retweet and share with your marketing buddies...

All the best,

Michael

A Simple Formula For Effective Marketing

2009-08-23T20:26:00.004-04:00

Ever since the first merchant promoted his product to make a meaningful trade, marketing has been an essential part of any sales or promotional formula. Today, the formula seems complex, but it doesn't have to be. At the core of any effective marketing strategy is value.

So how can you create value for your customers? Begin with a firm understanding of your market. Who are your best customers? Who has a need that you can meet with your products and services? Delivering value becomes easy once you understand what you customers need and you find a way to deliver it at a fair price.

If you're struggling to create real value for your customers, learn from the following example which is very easy to duplicate and delivers value for all involved. This company - we'll call them Services Unlimited (they asked me to keep their name confidential), has been delivering web design services for nearly a decade. They understand their customers and are always trying to deliver top notch service. However, business has been slow and they are looking to improve their marketing effectiveness.

One of the designers, who's established some great relationships with customers, suggests that the company share the materials he shares with his customers online. The material he's referring to is a guide on how to choose the right service provider. The agency likes the idea and repackages the guide as, "10 Things You Must Know Before Choosing An Agency!" before publishing it to the web. This is information that is valuable to their prospective customers and improves the agency's success.

The company promotes the online resource (pdf) via their web site, to customers, prospects, and through pay-per-click campaigns. Before being able to download the guide, entering a first name and email are required. Once the email address is confirmed through a verification email, users are given access to the downloadable PDF. This has been set up as part of an auto-responder, dripping messages on prospects at different intervals.

The purpose of the auto responder is to provide additional value, build a relationship/affinity for the agency and essentially move them through the decision making process. Now you might be wondering how successful a short list of do's and dont's may be, but done correctly, each touch provides value.

So How Did This Campaign Perform?
Okay, you are probably wondering what a free download and a bunch of emails could possibly do for a slowing business.. everything. The effectiveness of this campaign was better than any other direct marketing they had done in quite some time. The conversion rate of 5% was more than double what they were receiving on other campaigns. Additionally, many of the relationships they established were long-term and helped to shape much of the work they do today.

This company learning from their promotional efforts focused on value and now offer other promotions such as a 'web page makeover', 'free evaluation', etc. When you focus on delivering value, the business will come. Said another way, know what your audience wants and give them a taste - prove value before you ask them to take a chance!

Top Five Tips For Generating 1000's of Inbound Links

2009-08-17T13:15:00.015-04:00

Okay, so you're already sold on the concept of link building. That's good... everyone knows how valuable inbound links are to your marketing pages and web sites. I know you've heard it countless times but are you implementing an inbound link plan each and every day?

I'm here to say that the majority (9 out of 10) clients I work with are not implementing a cohesive inbound link strategy on a daily basis. The good news is that about 80% understand the importance of inbound links and about 30% actually have plans for generating them, but a mere 10% are actually doing something about it.

Why Inbound Links Are Important
If you want to reach the top of major search engines, then you're going to have to tell the search engines why they should rank you. Do you have unique content? Are you a credible website? Can you provide a good user experience? These are all important questions you should be asking yourself as you consider developing an inbound linking strategy.

Tip #1: Here and Now
Start with an idea of where you are. Regardless of what type of tool you use (free or paid) to evaluate your current SEO status: rankings, keywords, sites linking in, etc., make sure you have a good idea of where you're starting from - and ultimately where you ant to get to. Additionally, plan to check your progress at least once a week. You want to see if your inbound links are helping you success on search.

Tip #2: Begin With Your Competitors
One of my favorite link building strategies is to start with your competitors. Who's linking to them? Are the links from high Google PR sites? What else can you learn about your competitors linking strategies? Start with your competitors or who is already ranked in the number one position for the keyword term or phrase you're optimizing for.

Tip #3: Focus on Anchor Text
Another great SEO tip for inbound linking is to evaluate all of the existing inbound links to your website. Whether you use the simple "link:" code via the Google search box, Alexa, or some other tool, create a list of sites linking in and work with them to apply the proper anchor text to the link associated with your keyword. For example, contacting a site and asking them to update your URL (ex: http://www.yoursite.com) with anchor text (ex: Improve search rankings) can make all the difference.

Tip #4: Quality Content and Social Media
If you provide quality content on your site or simply cover something that would be of interest to your target market, allow others to comment, bookmark and share. Quality content is what search engines like and so will your readers. Develop quality content and encourage others to share it. This creates quality backlinks to your website.

Tip #5: Three Way Linking
Okay, "reciprocal linking is dead". Yeah, I get it.. don't necessarily agree but we wont debate that here. The good news is that we don't have to talk about it since the best linking option is one-way linking. This can be achieved through a 3 way link. Trying to make a difficult to explain concept relatively simple, exchange links with another website but do it using a 3rd site, not your own. This allows one-way links in either direction.

These tips cover a great deal and have worked for me when it comes to helping my websites and blogs, as well as others, build a significant number of inbound links to their website steadily over time.

WARNING: You may be the anxious type, looking to build hundreds or even thousands of inbound links to your website(s) in the next 48 hours - DON'T DO IT! Although I successfully did this in the past, Google is penalizing sites who are too fast out of the gate when it comes to link building. You should look to ad 3 - 5 quality links to your site on a weekly basis. Slow and steady wins the race.

Find more link building tips and strategies in, "SEO Made Simple: Strategies for Dominating the World's Largest Search Engine" available at Amazon.com.

Bing This! What the New Search Engine Means To YOU!

2009-08-14T19:21:00.005-04:00

Okay, so by now you've heard all the "news" about Bing being the next big thing. I've read about a dozen articles and even the Bing Guide For Webmaster's and I'm ready to give you my two cents.

First off, if you haven't visited Bing yet, give it a try. It will better help you to understand my pros and cons and also give you a sense of the user experience. I actually used it a couple of times after hearing of the big release without fully appreciating all of it's functionality.

Before I give you my quick overview, let me say that the only reason I'm even remotely interested in Bing is because Microsoft (who obviously owns the Bing search engine) has announced they are buying Yahoo! Just like any big organization it's only a matter of time until they support a single search algorithm and considering the millions they dumped into Bing - and considering how screwed up Yahoo! is internally (sorry Yahoo's), it's my opinion that Bing will prevail.

Okay, so what's good about Bing? A couple of things actually. Based on their research which confirmed the famous "F" pattern which describes how users view a web page, they found that the majority of users never go past the first 5 organic listing. This has shaped their content presentation and layout. Additionally, Bing provides access to categories of information, related search queries, and access to expanded information. Essentially they are bringing as much content forward as possible to make your search more efficient.

This functionality is based on research and an every intelligent algorithm that aggregates the search behavior of tens of millions of queries and user behavior. I know it sounds like big brother but it can also help you have a more rewarding search experience where you actually find what you're looking for quickly and easily.

What are the cons? Well, I wouldn't necessarily say that having someone help you make decisions is a con, but it does feel kinda creepy. I also don't believe that there is always a majority. What I mean is that the algorithm itself, but aggregating results across all users, is bound to have some shortcomings.

From a marketing perspective, it also has the possibility of changing the game somewhat. For example, if clicks are what drives top search engine placements, then web site owners are going to have FREE SEX in the title tag of every web page on their server.

I know I'm exaggerating a little bit but anything can happen. From my perspective, I still think SEO best practices are still essential. My advice to you is to make sure every web page you produce has a single theme and unique meta tags, URLs, etc. Bing is trying to categorize content and web pages so make sure you do the thinking for them. That's really the only way to win the artificial intelligence game!

The Marketing Blog Gets A New Look

2009-08-13T15:17:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago a loyal Marketing Blog reader said something to the effect of, "..for a Blog ranked #1 on Google 'Marketing Blog', it sure looks Amateurish". As someone who reads EVERY comment on this blog, I had to agree.

Truth be told, when the Marketing Blog launched a little over 3 years ago, I never imagined that it would gain such a huge following from so many smart, dedicated, and interesting people - all with a passion for marketing!

This new look is designed to help you find the information you're looking for even faster and allow all of use to share valuable content via Twitter, Digg, and other social media sites. My hope is that you find tremendous benefit in the marketing related items covered on this blog and participate in the process. Keep sending those comments and sharing your experience.

I'd love your feedback! As Always, let me know what you think about The Marketing Blog but specifically about the new look.

-All the best,
Michael Fleischner

Social Media: A Feeding Frenzy

2009-08-12T08:41:00.006-04:00

Man, this is crazy. Everywhere I look, I'm hearing discussions about Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube. These sites have been around for a while but I guess that all of the fanfare is due to critical mass.

Is It Too Late To Jump On Board?

A number of people have asked me about their involvement with social media. They're asking, "Is it too late?" "Should I open and account?" etc. Here's the good news... it's never too late. And in fact, those starting later in the game do have some advantages over those who have been online for a while, it's all a matter of perspective. Here are some tips if you still haven't developed a complete social media strategy.

1. What do you want from social media? Think about what you want social media to do for you. Are you trying to promote your company or product? Do you want to establish yourself as an expert? Focus on the purpose and that can help you successfully implement a comprehensive social media plan.

2. Create a detailed plan. For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know that I'm all about planning - to a degree. Here are some things you should write down: Social Media Sites where you want to be included. What will be your theme? What steps are involved (registering for accounts, placing icons on your web site or blog, including references to profiles in your signature line, etc.)? Who will be managing day-to-day tasks?

3. Assemble a team. Who's going to be executing on your social media strategy daily? If you haven't figured it out already, it's a lot of work. Assemble a team, use automation tools, or hire resources via eLance.com.

4. Establish goals. What are you trying to achieve on each social media platform? How many followers? How many fans? By when? Consider the outcome you're striving for and you can quickly achieve your goals.

5. Be realistic. It takes time to get comfortable with social media and achieve the goals you're striving to hit. Start slow but remain consistent in your efforts to succeed online. The key is to stay with it. Just like the social media sites themselves, it takes time to hit critical mass - but once you do, you're golden.

Now is the time to get involved with social media. From my perspective it's never too late. So don't hesitate to visit Twitter.com and other social media sites today. Set up an account and get started after mapping out your social media plan.

FREE Marketing Help When You Need It Most...

2009-07-30T12:56:00.006-04:00

Announcing the beta launch of the Internet Marketing Forum!

Over the past year, I've heard from countless marketing professionals, entrepreneurs, and small to medium sized business owners that finding the right information online is often a difficult and time consuming process.

If you're like me, when you're searching for answers, you want them fast. After doing some research I decided to take matters into my own hands - to find a solution for this ever increasing problem. The need for on demand solutions to the most difficult and challenging marketing questions.

The Internet Marketing Forum is now live!

Even though I've been on the Internet for more than a decade, I was never a big fan of message boards and the like. Quite honestly, until about a year ago, I had never even posted on a forum. But I quickly learned the value of becoming a forum participant from both the perspective of posting questions as well as contributing with answers and explanations on topics aligned with my experience.

After making a rather substantial investment to update MarketingScoop.com (my main marketing website) by adding a forum, I'm happy to announce the beta version went live earlier this week. I've already received great feedback from visitors and have already started work on a version 2.0.

Now It's Up To You!

The success of this forum, designed for those interested in marketing, is entirely up to you! I know that each of us needs a resource to connect with others in marketing and who have skill sets outside our own. This community can also help to validate Internet marketing concepts and ideas. I encourage everyone reading about this release to visit the Marketing Forum and register for free.. make a post, answer a question, and let the marketing community know you're out there.

Please give me your feedback! This forum is intended for us... marketing folk (with a bent towards online marketing) so let me know what you think. What would make it better? How can we improve it?

Special Bonus: For anyone visiting the site and registering (FREE) within the next 48 hours, I'll gladly email you a sample chapter from my top selling book, "SEO Made Simple: Strategies For Dominating The World's Largest Search Engine". Simply comment on this post with your email and feedback. I won't publish any comments that include email so your info is safe.

All the best and happy marketing...

M.Fleischner

Getting Started With Twitter In Less Than 30 Seconds...

2009-07-28T12:46:00.006-04:00

Given the tremendous success that Twitter is enjoying these days and because I think it's a really neat tool for all of us to use, I wanted to give you some additional background on Twitter and explain why using it can be beneficial for you and your business.

What is Twitter and what can it be used for?

Twitter is a social media tool that allows its users to interact with one another by answering the question "what are you doing right now?" in less than a 140 characters which equates to about 20 words or so.

In a relatively short period of time Twitter has created a mass following. From Celebrities to business owners through out the world, Twitter allows the immediate interaction with an engaged audience be it large or small.

Some of Twitter's most highly followed entities are Ashton Kutcher and President Barrack Obama. The later has even announced the selection of his candidate for Vice President of the United States simultaneously via text messaging, email and Twitter.

Twitter is used nowadays by businesses from many walks of life. Many of them are twitting because it allows them the ability to inform and interact further with their current and prospective clients.

Who can join Twitter?

Anyone can join twitter and begin twitting in minutes, it is completely free. It's also very easy to do and doesn't take long to sign up for an account.

Why should I be following the MarketingBlog on Twitter?

Our tweets provide ongoing updates on how to improve your online marketing in a cost effective manner. When we find an interesting case study, technology or helpful anecdote that businesses and professionals can benefit from, we share it with our readers.

We tweet on a daily basis on topics that are vital for your marketing and its advancement. By connecting to @mfleischner you will be kept in the know on issues of online marketing, SEO, search marketing and a number of social media topics.

How do I get started using Twitter?
1. Go to http://Twitter.com.
2. Click the get started button.
3. Enter your name, a password and an email address.
4. Use the settings button to add a bio of yourself or add a photo.

How do I follow the Marketing Blog on Twitter?

Once you are logged in go to http://twitter.com/mfleischner and choose the follow button. It really is that simple!

What To Do With All This Content

2009-07-22T12:02:00.005-04:00

Web sites, Blogs, Tweets, Facebook... they are all creating a significant amount of content. The question is, "What are we supposed to do with it?" The leading marketers know the value of original content - and they are using it every day to grow their business.

Here are a few ways that I've used content to build and audience, sell products, or develop a strong house list.

1. Webinars. When interacting with others via social media (Twitter, Blog Comments, etc.) I often get a sense of what people are talking about. This is great information when determining content for your next online seminarn. Do something that's 'on topic' and you will get a tremendous result.

2. Web site promotion. Are you promoting your site through search engines? One of the best ways to do so is through on-page optimization. Create content or widgets that will help your browsers take action on your site or keep coming back for more. Consider adding a Twitter widget to your site or button that allows individuals to 'retweet' your content.

3. Free downloads. One of the best uses of content that I've seen in the past 12 months is the 'free download'. If you have content related to a timely topic or simply an area that your niche has a particular interest in, create a free download. I recently visited a site to get a pdf of Using Twitter For Business.

4. Create sign ups. Can you dole your content out one post at a time (or one lesson at a time)? Have users sign up for your informational series. A simple web sign up form can be posted inviting individuals to join your list in exchange for a name and email list. Be sure to use an auto-responder for maximum benefit.

These are just a few tips you should consider if you are being bombarded with content. Of course, always remember to get permission to use someone else's content and be sure to provide proper attribution.

Don't be overwhelmed by all the content coming your way. If you need to, shut off the feeds and proactively look for content to support your business needs. As always, have a plan and get started. You'll be glad you did.

Lots To Talk About Today... A/B Split Testing

2009-07-15T19:29:00.006-04:00

There's a lot going on in my marketing world today. My book, SEO Made Simple was just released in paperback (ISBN-13: 978-1442169203) and is available on Amazon for anyone interested in learning more about my search engine optimization methods. Okay, with that out of the way, I thought I'd reflect on a great Webinar I saw today.

The topic of the Webinar was how to test a landing page that ranks well for a given keyword or keyword phrase. I was drawn to the presentation because I've been spending quite a bit of time optimizing pages lately and wanted see what it was all about. The jist of the presentation was how to maintain the organic ranking of your web page while running an A/B split test (essentially testing 2 pages side-by-side).

Although the presentation was a bit technical, it did give me some insight into different ways of running an A/B test and maintaining your ranking for the given page. However, I like things EASY. When they started talking about canonical tagging, I tuned out. If you want to test two pages to try and increase conversion rates, here's what I recommend.

1. Register for Google Webmaster Tools.

2. Use Google Web site optimizer A/B testing.

3. Enter the URL's of the pages you want to test. WARNING: Only test one element at a time. The best way to do this is start with the existing page and change a single element like the placement of copy, the offer, the form, etc.

4. Run it until you stats are significant. There are tools on the web that can help you determine statistical significance.

5. If your new page converts a higher percentage of users (at a higher dollar value) than replace the existing page with the new one.

6. Rinse and repeat.

Using this method, you don't have to worry about a change in organic rankings because Google rotates the URLs for you and each one is unique. The key is to have a very targeted test, test page, and system for collecting the results. Google does it again... make my day!

Okay.. Today I'm Pretty Mad

2009-07-08T16:36:00.004-04:00

I recently put Google Analytics tracking code across all of my websites and blogs. I found out some very interesting things that make me MAD!!!! I'm sure it comes as no surprise that most people get to The Marketing Blog through a Google search for marketing blog or Internet marketing blog. But did you know that our bounce rate is 80%?

For those of you who aren't using Google Analytics or have a background in analytics, let me tell you that anything over 50 pretty much sucks. The bounce rate is the percentage of people who hit your page and then leave.
The good news is that I publish all of my posts on a single page (up to 4) so you really don't have to click anywhere to get the content. I do this because I personally hate clicking around sites only to get distracted by shiny objects. So truth be told, I don't have much to be mad about because one way to read this statistic is that you guys/gals are finding what you need right there on the home page.

If you're looking for me to cover any specific topics that are marketing, internet marketing, seo, or search marketing related, let me know. I find the most productive aspect of this blog to be all of your feedback and comments. Thanks so much to my loyal readers and everyone reading this post - I'm certainly not mad at you... keep marketing!!!