Keystone Click - The Key to Your Web Foundation

There are so many benefits of advertising on the internet. First things that come to mind is that ROI that is easily traceable. You can track every click that a site user makes on your site.

A website is a great tool to go alongside any marketing campaign. The important factor to realize is that web design is very different from print design. Websites can be interactive and need to pop on a screen rather than on a flat piece of paper. Web design is a matter of thinking outside of the flat surface of a print brochure. Web design is thinking how a site user will navigate, what is the site visitor using to view this web site (MAC, PC, Firefox, Internet Explorer, iPhone, etc). Web design is not thinking long term for content, but how to keep content fresh while keeping the task minimal. Web design needs to flow logically as well as be aesthetically pleasing.

Most companies utilize the internet to verify the legitimacy of your business as well as to do research on your product or services. Brochures, publications, direct mail, and all the other aspects of marketing and advertising are still important for your campaign. However, your website will act as the keystone to your campaign.

All of your advertising materials should have a call-to-action. That call-to-action is usually one of three things, a phone number to call (which most people now-a-days are afraid to pick up the phone initially), an address to write to (very retro way to deal with business), or finally a web site address (or email address) to type in. The latter is the most popular and best received by your target audience probably 90% of the time. There are still a handful of individuals who have not jumped on the WWW bandwagon but the majority of active consumers are on the internet and hoping their favorite companies are too.Marketing through the internet saves time and money for both parties involved. Updating a newsletter is much simpler online than in print, (see our blog post about e-newsletters). Also, with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) online marketing is a must. You want to be found when someone searches for you, so marketing yourself on the internet correctly is vital. People are more likely to investigate the first few sites that pop up rather than hunt for another one. Being near the top will give your organization the edge that you need.

Pay per click advertising also takes your company to your consumers. For search engines, you can bid on keywords that are relevant to your target audience. You can also put your ad on sites that your target market may be on. These constant sites usually charge a fixed price per click rather than bidding. The end result is that your market will find you even if they are not actively seeking your services at the time.

The internet is just one more avenue for you to get your name out and generate buzz and sales for your organization. Who wouldn’t want that?

Who doesn’t love listening to the sound of their own voice? But what about other people listening to your voice, do you have something interesting to say? If your company has intriguing content to share, perhaps you should think about venturing into the world of Podcasting.

Podcasting is a simple way of reaching out to your target market. It utilizes RSS Feeds so people interested in your field can choose to receive your podcasts. This allows them to listen to your podcast when and wherever they so choose. So, as with anything you put on the web, make sure it is worth people’s time.

Think of podcasting as your organization’s own talk radio show, just minus the commercials and with each segment individually accessible. It’s more like a CD where you can skip to the track you want to hear rather than wade through the entire cassette tape to get to a 2-minute segment. If your organization just had an important meeting, why not record it and let your consumers get a behind the scenes look. This not only gives out information to your publics, but also lets them know that you are an open organization.

Other types of podcasts that could be interesting would be:

-Interviews: Have members of the company share a bit about themselves to make the organization more personal to the listeners

-Product Reviews: discuss a new product or service that’s coming out

-Directions: explain how to use a product, service or idea to its maximum potential

-Industry News: discuss something new and exciting in your industry whether it is new opportunities or a new organization

So you recorded a Podcast, how do you get people to hear what you have to say?

-As with Facebook and Twitter, include an RSS Graphic on your website to let visitors know that you have a podcast available.

-Enter into a Podcast Directory. When listeners are looking for a certain topic to hear and your podcast shows up as a match for keywords, your work is done. These directories let listeners find you giving you more time to record interesting content for your next podcast. Some directories to consider:

Podcasting Station

Podcast Alley

AllPodcasts

For more help with podcasts, check out this helpful site.

Happy Podcasting!

It seems like everybody has a blog these days, even pets are blogging about what mischief they’ve recently cause. So how do you get your organization’s blog to stand out? First off, use your resources.

WordPress 3.0 has come out with some new features, Mashable has highlighted the important ones:

-Custom Post Types: You can add different content types rather than just “Posts” and “Pages”.  This allows you to feature more areas of your organization such as a section for “Members”, “Testimonials” or pictures and videos.

-Custom header/backgrounds: WordPress 3.0 offers clean and bold designs coupled with functionality not typically found in themes. If you don’t have coding skills to customize your theme (not many of us do) WordPress lets you customize your background and header to give it a less “Clip-Art” feeling. You can use your own images to give your blog a more personal style without going through the hassle of programming it yourself.

-Multi-site compatibility: For organizations with different branches, this feature is key. This lets you manage different websites with the same WordPress installation.

Other ways to enhance your blog:

The Facebook “Like” Button: it’s everywhere, so why not on your blog? Install a plug-in for this feature and let your followers promote your page with a simple click of a thumbs-up.

Security. Readers don’t want to weed through spam under your contents section. Secure your blog, install the automatic updates to help protect against spamming.

Silence is Golden: We all have guilty pleasures in music, but that doesn’t mean they need to be shared. If a reader wants background noise while reading your blog, that’s what iTunes and Pandora are for.

SIZE. For goodness sake, please use a readable font.  If readers have to squint, there is a high likelihood that they will just skip onto the next blog.

Spell Chec: Because once you post, you’ll never forgive yourself for forgetting that “K”. So spell check, and go through for other edits as well. It boosts your credibility and won’t end up with people giggling at the fact that you still cannot tell which is the right form of their/there/they’re.

Focus on content: Backgrounds are nice, especially with the ability to make them more custom. However, people should be remembering what you have to say, not what colors are flashing at them in different patterns.

Happy Blogging!

An excellent, low cost way to keep your clients and prospects informed of your services, products, news, etc is to send out eNewsletters. This can be a simple text e-mail or a colorful HTML e-mail. Either way, you are getting your name in front of your target audience. Here are a few reasons why sending an eNewsletter rather than simple e-mails, or snail mail newsletters, is so much better.

Perk #1—People See Your Name. eNewsletters will reinforce your service or product continually with each e-mail that you send. These repeated messages cause greater and more effective brand awareness and recognition. With eNewsletters, the link to your site is right there on the e-mail, so the reader only needs to click and they are on your site, they are looking at your services and products, they are one step closer to making a purchase than before opening that eNewsletter.

Perk #2—Information Galore. With eNewsletters you can keep site visitors up to speed with upcoming events, promotions, product launches and industry news. By covering a wide range of topics within your industry, you convey an attitude of consciousness for the world around you. It shows that your company is informed and is a solid place for consumers to invest in. It’s also fast, if you’re excited about a new product or opportunity, send out an eNewsletter right away rather than waiting days for the postman to deliver a regular newsletter. You can also use them for discounts, specials or deals that your company is offering, and incentives for subscribing voluntarily to your organization’s newsletter and thus driving more traffic to your website.

Perk #3—Pleased To Make Your Acquaintance. Customers have the option of subscribing or not to your eNewsletters, this allows those who are truly interested in your product to receive the valuable information you have to disperse. You now have a targeted audience receiving what you say so you can have a more focused approach to your eNewsletter’s content. Customer research is also easily collected via surveys and responses. The people receiving your newsletter care about your organization and are more likely to participate in any research you send their way. You can also track your e-mails. Any “undeliverables” can be quickly identified and efforts can be made to correct and resend them. With this feature you’re not wasting paper or money on regular newsletters, but you’re also saving energy in the tech world. It’s saving those who don’t want your information time online, saving the energy that would be used  to delete your e-mail. And with the environment, every little bit helps.

Please just remember that when sending your eNewsletter to keep it interesting. You want to keep your subscribers, not bore them and push them away. So use this time and presence in an eNewsletter to toot your own horn and have some fun relating to your customers!

Yes! and NO.  In today’s social media driven world, it’s not surprising that a NEW social networking site has evolved and is growing in recognition daily.  www.foursquare.com is the name of this fun new site.

Details on their site state:

foursquare is a cross between a friend-finder, a social city-guide and a game that rewards you for doing interesting things.  We aim to build things to not only help you keep up with the places your friends go, but that encourage you to discover new places and challenge you to explore your neighborhood in new ways.

The best way to utilize this website is on your mobile phone.  That’s right.  The action and fun start by “checking in” at various locations by using your mobile phone.  A number of apps have been created for a variety of phones including the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Palm.  If you don’t have one of these smart phones, you can access the site by visiting http://m.foursquare.com from your mobile browser to “check in”.

How could this potentially help my business?

Checking into a location.

Approved businesses will have access to see who is checking into their location.  Businesses can now have the opportunity to send rewards and encourage the “checking-in”.  Here is a snapshot on FourSquares website regarding the privacy settings (which you can turn on and off)

FourSquare Check-In Privacy Setting

I crown you MAYOR OF ________.

Playing the game offers a reward system.  Individuals who “check-in” the most at a location are rewarded Mayor status.  A number of businesses (coffee shops, pizza joints, etc) are offering discounts to individuals with the “Mayor” status.  FourSquare’s website has a section dedicated to how you can utilize this app to promote your business. Also, they encourage businesses to promote the “Mayor” discounts on the FourSquare site.

Get your brownie sash out of the closet – its badge time.

Badges are still a “work-in-progress” for FourSquare, however it’s an opportunity for you as a business owner.  Since this is a WIP, FourSquare is asking for your recommendations on what additional badges to create and offer.  So, as an owner of a brick and mortar, create a badge that is earned if someone checks in 5 times within  a month.  If they earn your badge, offer then a discount or free item.

This is just a small taste of the potential FourSquare is about to bring.  It’s still in the early stages, jump on board, create a profile, and start “Checking-In”.

What are your thoughts on the current social media trends? Is this a fad? If so, how long will it last?

This video has been viral online for a couple of months, however its message is strong – SOCIAL MEDIA IS HERE TO STAY.  Business is changing, to remain competitive and alive in your industry, you need to change with it.

Enjoy the Social Media Revolution, created by Socialnomics09.  Currently over 1.2 million views.

This post may be a bit overwhelming… I’ll do my best to simplify.

Who is this post written for?

Anyone who is interested in ranking well within the search engines and has a basic understanding of how the internet works.

What is a sitemap?

A sitemap is a listing of the pages on your website.  It is used by crawlers (search engine spiders) and site users to easily navigate through your site.  Not only does the sitemap list the pages on your site, it informs search engine spiders how often the content on those pages changes and also identifies which pages you feel are more important.

When should I add the sitemap to my website?

Your sitemap should be added to your site and then submitted to the search engines when the website is complete.  No point in submitting pages that are not complete or will drive to a “Page Under Construction” notification.

Where should the sitemap be located?

According to Sitemap Protocol, it is strongly recommended that you place your Sitemap at the root directory of your HTML server; that is, place it at http://example.com/sitemap.xml.

Why do I need a sitemap?

Webcrawlers find more pages and websites to crawl through links.  Posting your links in one central location that is universally known as your “sitemap” will simplify the “crawling” process for the search engine spiders.

How do I submit my sitemaps to the major search engines?

Before submitting your Sitemap to the major search engines, make sure that your Sitemap is created per Sitemap Protocol as found at sitemaps.org.

Once your sitemap is created, focus initially on the three major search engines and then move onto the many other searching tools available on the web.

GOOGLE.com – Google offers a handful of tools and resources to assist with your site rankings.  First step is to set-up a Google account and sign-up your website with Webmaster Tools.  These tools will crawl your site and confirm the status of your links.  You can also submit your Sitemap here.  A quick overview on submitting to Google.

YAHOO.com – Yahoo! offers a quick overview on how they support sitemaps. Read the overview, and then submit your Sitemap to Yahoo!

BING.com – Bing, MSN’s new search engine, also has a resource area specific for Webmaster Tools.  The instructions to submit your Sitemap to Bing are fairly simple.

To submit an XML-based Sitemap to Bing:

1. Copy and paste the entire URL below as a single URL into the address bar of your browser: http://www.bing.com/webmaster/ping.aspx?sitemap=www.YourWebAddress.com/sitemap.xml
2. Change “www.YourWebAddress.com” to your domain name
3. Press ENTER

Any other search engines you use that we should mention how to submit to them?  Let us know or comment on it and we will add it to this post.

Online retailers like AT&T and Comcast have figured out what everyone from college dorm residents to cubicle dwellers have known for years: chatting online is convenient, easy and popular. A recent survey conducted by Bold Software shows that live chat is fast becoming the preferred method of communication among online shoppers – ahead of phone or e-mail.  This is no surprise, given today’s fast-paced culture.

Most importantly, regular and affluent shoppers seem to prefer e-commerce sites with live chat functions.  Sixty-eight percent of those who identified themselves as weekly shoppers and 66 percent of those who spend more than $1,000 on a single purchase are more likely to buy a product or service from sites with live chat.  The survey also indicates a loyalty effect among 72 percent of those who have used live chat in the past.

The results also suggest that live chat is especially useful during the following scenarios:

1.    When order processing errors occur. We’ve all encountered technical problems when shopping online once or twice in our lives.  Forcing customers to wait around for support staff to return e-mails or endure endless hold music over the phone is sometimes enough to kill repeat business. Live chat is a great way to solve ordering issues and make life easier for your customers.
2.    When customers want to check an order status. Again, we live in a culture that doesn’t like to wait.  Customers can easily access live chat to check the status of their order, without picking up the phone or sending an e-mail.
3.    When customers have general questions about products or services. Even the most concise product descriptions and comprehensive FAQ pages sometimes fail to cover all of the bases.  Live chat is a great way to answer those random questions that stand between customers and their purchase.

Live chat software might be something to consider if you are expecting a high volume of sales during the fast-approaching holiday season.  Do your research before deciding if it’s right for you.

Email marketing is fast becoming a double-edged sword as legitimate marketers continue to fight for attention on the web.  On one hand, sending email marketing messages is an effective way to deliver promotions, events, and other information directly to your most valued audience.  On the other, email marketing messages can easily earn the “spam” label if they are sent too often.  Even worse, your email marketing messages can begin to blend in with all of the other emails your audience receives on a daily basis.

So how should we marketers approach email marketing when subscribers are already drowning in opt-in email programs along with annoying spam?  The key is to turn good email marketing into truly powerful email marketing:  Here are a few suggestions to consider before you undertake your next email marketing campaign:

• Powerful email marketing is consistent but not too frequent. You don’t want your subscribers to forget you exist, but you don’t want them to begin to wish you didn’t exist either. So determine a reasonable email marketing schedule and stick to it.  Internet travel deal publisher Travelzoo does this very well.  In addition to their rare travel alerts sent throughout the week, they email their highly-anticipated Top 20 Deals each Wednesday to their 17 million subscribers.  While I wouldn’t describe myself as a frequent traveler, I have taken advantage of a couple airfare deals featured in these email messages.  The key lesson here is this: Giving your subscribers something to regularly look forward increases their interest while respecting their time and inbox capacity.

• Powerful email marketing is unique. In Chicago, a popular restauranteur sends email marketing messages that can be best described as “eccentric.” Firstly, they contain mostly text with some colored fonts thrown in for fun.  Secondly, each e-mail begins with the chef’s random musings about the current season and, sometimes, a little free-flow poetry.  Finally, he gets to the good stuff – his upcoming specials and events.  While I wouldn’t recommend such a format for all businesses, it works for this particular restauranteur whose customers are familiar with his off-beat personality. Take a page from his email and remember – your organization isn’t like the others.  Make it stand out in your email marketing message.

• Powerful email marketing always links back to your web site. I’m surprised by the number of emails I receive that don’t include links to a main web site!  Don’t expect your audience to take the time to type your URL into their browser.  Let your email marketing message tell part of the story, then quickly lead your audience to your site for more information.  The longer they stay at your site, the better!

• Powerful email marketing isn’t all about selling. We all receive tons of emails announcing “free” this and “discounted” that.  While any sort of deal will pique someone’s interest at first, they’ll become bored if the “frees” become frequent.  So change the theme of your email marketing messages every once in a while.  For example, if you operate a sports memorabilia store, email fun tips for staying warm in the bleachers during this football season.   This approach will make your email marketing messages seem less “spam-y” and more legitimate.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see results after the first email marketing message.  Powerful email marketing takes a little time, consistency, and creativity.

If you look back at one of the very first blogs on this site, you’ll find the adage that web strategists have said for years, “Content is king, linking is queen.” We all know content rich in keywords and links is a search engine’s best friend.  Yet when we write web content, we often get so bogged down by grammar and style that we forget about the technical side of the website writing game.

Of course, writing well in the digital age is still important.  To some, a poorly written site may indicate a sloppy business approach – an impression you want to avoid!  However, bear in mind that good online writing combines traditional writing with technology and creativity.  Here are four online writing tips to show you how to write for the web in a more effective way:

1. Keep website writing short and concise. Don’t write a book!  Keep in mind that in this world of Blackberries and high speed internet, web visitors’ time and patience is in short supply.  Write as clearly as possible and avoid unnecessary words or sentences. A good rule of thumb is to keep the information to one full screen.

2. Divide content into small chunks. When writing web content, allow both people and search engines to easily read it by using bulleted lists or section headings. Bonus points for incorporating a strong keyword or phrase into each heading!

3. Write web content with a keyword density of 1 to 10%. While it is fairly easy to plug relevant keywords into Title and Meta tags, it can be difficult to incorporate the same words or phrases into your content without it sounding choppy or just plain boring. This is where the technical and creative sides of website writing come in.  Locate a variety of relevant keywords or phrases and limit each one’s use to between two and three percent of your web copy. (All keywords and phrases together should account for one to ten percent of your web content). This way, you won’t have to use the same one or two keywords repeatedly.  Google’s Keyword Tool is an amazing resource for finding similar words and phrases that you would never have thought of on your own.  Finding ways to fit these words or phrases sensibly into a sentence can be a fun exercise, but don’t force a term into a space where it just won’t fit.
4. This brings us to linking… When you write web content, keep in mind that the search engine world is a lot like a popularity contest.  One of the criteria search engines use to judge your web site is the number of quality web links to and from it.  This is why it is especially important to cite any sources you use along with their URL.   Don’t overdo it however, and don’t link to just any website. Make sure any site you link to is legitimate and also check out its Google Page Rank.  Experienced web writers know that the quality of links is more important than the quantity.

These online writing tips should help you write web content in a more efficient and effective way.  If you doubt your online writing skills, test them on colleagues or a small market research group.  Be sure to get their honest opinion of whether the copy flows, relies too heavily on inappropriate keywords or links, and accurately reflects your organization’s brand strategy.

To learn more about writing web content, the following resources might help:

Writing for the Web by Jakob Nielsen
MarketingProfs.com

So my colleagues out in cyberspace, how did I do? Can you locate some of the keywords I’ve used in this post?  Does it maintain a decent keyword density?  Are there enough links?