I have been so busy setting up websites and blogs for clients that I haven’t had a second to post on my own blog!  As someone who preaches, “Post to your blog 3 or more times a week” that is not good!  So today I saw this great article and thought I would share.  Enjoy!

10 Pitfalls to Avoice in Social Media Marketing

A client asked me this week, how do I drive traffic to my site?  That’s the fifty million dollar question!  There are over 1000 books on Amazon.com on the topic.  I looked it up!  There are webinars, seminars, classes and full courses on the website traffic and hundreds of experts and gurus promoting their top methods.  So, you get the idea, it’s not a simple question.    What is an entrepreneur to do?  Don’t throw in the towel.  Here are four basic things you can do now. (While you start reading the thousands of books and taking those classes. LOL)

Make sure your website has quality, targeted keywords.  The keywords are what the search engines will use to “find” you and direct traffic your way.  Think about what someone who is looking for your service/product would enter in a web search.  After you’ve made your list, you can use one of the many, free keyword checkers. Here are a few that I use: WebCEO, Goggle’s Webmaster Tools, and GoRank.

Blog Marketing.  I encourage clients to post to their blog 3-4 times a week. (Don’t check the dates on my blog posts! I’m keeping all those client blogs up to date. LOL)  Frequent posting keeps your site fresh which the search engines like and it gives people a reason to come back to your site.  I’ve heard differernt statistics but suffice it to say your client typically has several “contacts” with you before actually becoming a client.  So give them a reason to come to you frequently.

Article Marketing. Submitting your articles is a good way to get your name and website out there and it establishes you as an expert in your area.  I have a series of posts on article marketing on my blog. Check it out here.

Social Media Marketing. Yes, social media is not just for reporting what you had for lunch any more.   It’s one of the hottest marketing tools.  This is another area where 1000’s of books have been written and classes available.  So dig in.  Good places to start: My book – Untangle The Social Media Web: A Beginners Guide to Facebook and Twitter and blog!

I hope that gives you some idea of where to start.  It is really just the tip of the iceberg.  If you would like to read more about internet marketing, read some of the posts on my blog(you can search for internet marketing) or check out my ebooks.  Of course, if you’d like help or say, “Ugh! I’m not that technical! Do it for me!” contact me.

Are you not sure how you can get into joint ventures? Here are some ideas that may give you an initial knowledge on the kind of business you want to get into.                                  

1. One of the simplest method of joint ventures is text link or banner exchange. You get to exchange these things with websites that are offering related products or services. If you start looking, you will find that there are a lot of companies that have what you have.

2. Exchanging of endorsements and reviews for both your products and services. Give and take. You write something about them and they write something about you too. Since you both know your products well, this is one form of getting credibility.

3. Combining products or services into a package with related businesses can also be an option. Your buyers will be more than glad to avail of what you are offering since they know that they are getting a good deal. When the profits start rolling, both of you can share them.

4. Products or services that do not sell good should not be left aside. Instead, try to offer them as an added bonus for another company. You can ask for a minimal share of the profits gained.

5. Volunteering a space for another business’ ads into your product endorsements. In exchange, you can ask them to do the same thing to their business as you have done with them. This is an effective way of expanding your visibility plus reaching further to other markets not on yours.

6. Trading of auto-responders or ezines with business having the same type of market.

7. Work together with related businesses to produce a promotional e-book to be given away. Publish your web site ads in the e-book then give them all away for free. 

8. Sponsoring a virtual trade show or seminar with another business. On these shows, try to include each other’s promotional bits and pieces.

9. Create a freeware program. Put in a promotional ad for each of your businesses in the program. Submit it to free sites and freeware.

In joint ventures, the idea is to give and receive. You can boost your marketing publicity with no problem at all by placing your advertisement on free stuff and allowing other people to give it away. The more people that give away your free stuff, the more your ad will be seen and exposed.

Unlike what you initially thought, many free stuff can be made effortlessly and without or little expense needed. Electronic freebies are perfect because with these types of freebies, you would not have to worry about shipping or physical material costs.

Below are some of the more popular kinds of electronic freebies you may want to take advantage of to make joint ventures work for you.

1. Free e-Books. Present these to your visitors. The e-book should tell something about your web site and what is offering.

2. Free e-Coupons or e-Gift Certificates. Give out free electronic coupons and gift certificates to your visitors so they will have an idea about your products or services.

3. Free e-Courses. Provide your visitors free electronic courses. They could e-mail your follow-up autoresponder to be able to get a free lesson everyday.

4. Free e-Reports. The reports could be in autoresponder form or in text format. In these reports, inform them about what your product or service is about and how it will benefit them.

5. Free Software. A lot of people are a sucker for free software. It could be a game or a useful utility. Have them download easily straight from your website.

6. Free Online Services or Utilities. Since most people are online most of the time, these freebies should be more than useful. They should also be ready to use right from your web site.

When you have decided on which type of joint ventures suit you the most, you can make use of this freebie strategy so your advertising will rapidly spread on the internet.

There is not much difference between a big time and an unheard of company or business when it comes to joint ventures. You have probably heard of rags to riches stories of how some people are making millions by getting into joint ventures. What makes their stories amazing is that before they got into the alliance, they were unknown entities making a decent income. Joint ventures made the sudden boosts in their businesses.

This strategic alliance, or joint ventures, is a type of organization where businesses work together to share knowledge, profits and markets. Joint ventures can take on a variety of structures.

Small companies can combine to take on the “big sharks” in their industry. While big companies form alliances with faster and small businesses with the right potential.  It is also possible for smaller companies to form an alliance with companies that have big name to be able to expand their geographic reach.

What are some of the valuable opportunities you can get from joint ventures?

1. You can cut down on the time-consuming business development. If you have a small business, getting into joint ventures will minimize the need to create new products and the knowledge to be able to expand your market. These things do not happen instantly, they take time. With joint ventures, you get more leads, advance expertise and accumulate fewer costs.

2. You get to improve your business’ credibility. This is the most common problems encountered by new businesses. They struggle to gain credibility within their target market and customer base. An alliance with already known and trusted company will significantly advance your credibility with your customers.

3. You can have new sources of revenues. Normally, small companies do not have enough capital and resources needed for growth. By getting into a joint venture with a sound and stable partner, your sales force will be sales force and channels will be expanded for a lower cost.

4. You can be shielded from your competitors. With the many existing competitors out there, there is a big probability that they will try to infiltrate through your business.  A partnership will major key companies will help lessen that. You get to build solid walls to keep your competitors out while retaining high profit boundaries.

With all these benefits up for grabs, you are probably too eager to start thinking of going into joint ventures. But then, do not start rushing to get into the first ones that you see. A badly executed and poorly planned joint venture is likely to be doomed early on.

What are the secrets of a successful joint ventures?

1. A clear objective. You have to know what you want to achieve from the start. The partner you chose may not have the same goals but at least they should be complimentary to yours.

2. The right partner. The best partnership should put you both in a win-win situation. Take some time to find the company that has an interest in joint ventures and has similar objectives set. If what you want is not in line with what they want, your ideas will probably clash sooner or later.

3. Plan the venture. Work out a plan on how you will go about negotiating and the tactics you can use. You have to understand the different aspects of the deal you are getting into. What is primary on your mind is to enter into a win-win venture.

4. Manage the alliance well. It is said that a joint venture relationship is like a marriage. Its foundation should be built on understanding and trust. The real work takes place once an effective alliance is formed. If you find yourself in one, treasure it as you would something that is valuable to you.

Joint ventures can work effectively for all the parties concerned. You just have to understand the processes involved so make the relationship smooth-sailing.

But first, go find yourself a good one.

Ask any experienced business owner how important their customers are, and they will tell you that customers are the lifeblood of their business. Because of that, many business owners believe that the key to success is to constantly find new customers.

Smart business owners know that the real key to success is to develop long-standing business relationships with their clients and keep them coming back.

This has many benefits. First of all, when a business owner has clients coming back for repeat purchases, the business owner will not need to spend as much time on finding new customers.

The business’ income will not suffer, as new work will be coming to the business, instead of the business constantly chasing new work down.

Not only will this save time and resources, it is also a more cost-effective way to do business. The business owner won’t need to invest as much in their marketing and advertising campaigns.

Happy customers are also more likely to send referrals to a business. If a satisfied customer runs into a friend or colleague needing the type of services you offer, they will give that person your contact information. This results in even more work coming into the business without the business owner chasing after it.

If you like the sound of enjoying repeat business with your current customers while spending less time and money attracting new clients, you may be wondering how to put this into action. Here are some tips on how to keep your customers happy and coming back.

* Offer quality products and/or services

While it is hard to say which of the following tips is the most important, this one is extremely important. Without a quality product or service, there is not much reason for your customers to come back.

* Practice effective communication

This is important whenever a business owner is dealing with a customer or client, but it really comes into play for service providers. It can be very difficult for a business owner to turn over a piece of their business to someone else, especially someone who does not live close by.

But that is exactly what happens whenever a business owner hires a virtual assistant, ghostwriter, web designer, or other service provider.

Service providers can keep their clients happy and at ease by providing regular updates on project statuses and asking questions whenever they are in doubt about something.

* Provide good customer service

In the above tip, we talked about effective communication skills, but that is just one part of a good customer service plan. You have probably received poor customer service from a business in the past. How did that make you feel about the business, and did it change your mind about doing business with them again in the future?

A general rule of thumb is to always treat your customers the way you would like to be treated. That simple statement will ensure you will have customers coming back time and time again.

I frequently have people come to me asking about upgrades to their websites or blogs.  What I hear is, “When I started out, I didn’t have the money for a website so I did it myself….” or- “I couldn’t afford a web designer, so I found this great free web site program…”

And the next word is “BUT….. But, NOW I need….  But NOW, my current site won’t ….. But NOW, I need to update… and on and on.

What these entrepreners have done is use a free, or very inexpensive website builder to “get it (their website) up there.”  You can find website builder programs everywhere on the internet.  GoDaddy even has one.  I don’t have a problem with the programs in general when they are used for the right purpose.  The right purpose, I would suggest, is for personal sites. For example, a family blog or photo album.  However for business purposes, they have significant limitations. 

I try to impress on business owners that your website is usually the FIRST and sometimes ONLY impression your target clients will see!  A significant part of any internet business is establishing trust.  A site visitor will not stay and explore your site or contact you, never mind actually purchase, if your site does not project professionalism and trustworthiness.  You may be the best in your field but if your site does not convey this in about 3 seconds your potential client becomes just another “traffic” statistics as they click away to the next site.

To break it down, here is my short list of the Pros and Cons of using a site builder program for your business site:

PROs

-Free or very low cost initally.

-User friendly for the newbie

CONs

- Ends up costing you much more in the long term.

-Looks unprofessional

-Does not “grow” with your business

-Most have limitations regarding using video or conducting ecommerce

So my recommendation is to make budgeting for a professional website a top priorty.  What costs you a little more now will save you money, time and frustration as your business grows.

This is a good, short read that will give you some food for thought. Enjoy

Inc.

You’ve checked your site stats and you are getting TONS of hits (visitors) but you are wondering why no one is signing up for your newsletter or making a purchase?  It’s time to look at your Bounce Rate or how long your visitors are actually staying on your site.

Google Analytics definition is: “Bounce rate is the percentage of single-page visits or visits in which the person left your site from the entrance (landing) page.”

For the mathematically inclined, here is a formula:

Bounce Rate = Total Number of Visits Viewing Only One Page / Total Number of Visits

A high bounce rate indicates that visitors are not finding information that is relevant or interesting TO THEM on your landing page.  Note the “TO THEM.”  You may think your home page is very relevant and interesting but you need to think like your visitor.  The more compelling your landing page is to them the longer they will explore your site and increase the chance that they will become a customer. 

Here are a some tips to help improve your bounce rate and your conversion.

1-  Check your keywords.  Your keywords must be relevant to what you are offering.  For example, if someone is searching for information on choosing a paint color for their bedroom and lands on your fine art site because one of your key words is paint, they are not going to stay.  And they are not your target client.  So evaluate your keywords to be sure you are receiving targeted traffic.

2-  Keep your page short.  The most relevant information should be “above the fold.”  (You should see it without scrolling down.)  People generally have short attention spans and with so much information coming at them from all directions on the internet, they will generally do a quick scan for the information they are looking for.  If you don’t grab them during that scan, they are on to the next site.  All relevant links and your call to action should be above the fold.

3-  Evaluate the Layout of your site. When a visitor lands on your page, where does their eye go?  This is the first information they see.  Is it information they need? Is it a call to action?

I recently found a good tool to help evaluate a site’s layout.  AttentionWizard.com takes a screen shot of your site and creates a “heat map” of where your visitor’s eye is drawn.  Their description: ”AttentionWizard uses advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to simulate human visual processing and attention.” It gives you some interesting insight, it’s quick and free. Try it out.

4-  Keep your landing page fresh.  Search engines spiders like to find new food!  If you have fresh content on your home page, they are more likely to favor you in their search.  If you are a regular blogger, and this means at least twice a week, one way to do this is to make your blog your landing page.  What?! Radical?! That’s usually the response I get when I suggest it.  When I heard the idea, I had my doubts too.  But I decided to try it with my site and six months later my bounce rate is 25% lower!

There are many other things to look at concerning bounce rate and conversion.  But short of writing a book, these are a few things to get you started.  It can actually be fun.  If you have a question, or just don’t want to deal with it all and would like me to take a look at your site, contact me.

If you tweet and don’t have the Twitter Hanbook, you are missing out!  Here’s the latest update about Twitter Lists: Twitter Handbook.

Owning, running and maintaining an Internet based business or a site needs articles. Plain and simple, every one who has a site knows this. Even those who don’t have sites but are frequent Internet users knows this as well. 

Articles quench the thirst for information and knowledge of the people. Plus, the articles provide many other benefits for the site. The benefits that articles provide are putting a site high in the ranking in search results of keywords and keyword phrases that pertains or are relevant to his or her site. 

They also provide attraction to website visitors when they are appreciated and is linked to your site from another site or newsletter. Articles provide for the increase of the confidence and trust levels of customers to your site and company. 

Many articles are also beneficial to both company and its traffic. When the readers like the articles, they would tell more of their friends, family and peers and recommend your site to them, providing for a larger volume of traffic. You get bigger sales if your traffic trusts and believes in you. Your product or services would be much easier to sell when they know you know what you are doing and talking about. 

So ok, we have established that articles are very important to a site and to business. Articles are crucial and to keep ahead in the game, a site must have an article, it is imperative. There is one dilemma though, not many people like writing articles. 

Many website owners would rather spend their time on something else, and unless you’re a big time company, you don’t have the necessary resources to use on a pool of article writers. Plagiarism or copying of other articles is frowned upon and could easily get you into trouble, worst case scenario; a hefty fine and jail time. 

So what are the other options? 

Well, for starters if you hate writing articles and you can’t afford to hire people to write for you then don’t. Get free articles. The first place to look at for free articles is the public domain.  Here you won’t have problems with copyright infringement and the following penalties and fines if you get caught for plagiarism. 

Public domain articles are articles freely given to the public for public use. You can do whatever you want with it. You can place it on your site, name it as yours, put it in a newsletter its you decision. Always remember though that you will have to choose articles that is very relevant to your site. 

The downside to public domain articles is that since it is free for everybody, many of your competitors may have access to them as well. Since every site needs to be original and unique even though you have the same niche, this could be a predicament. You may also have to edit them a bit to place more keywords and keyword phrases to make them better. 

Another way to get free articles is to allow other sites which has the same subject or topic as yours to submit articles to your site. 

This would be only to augment your existing content or else all your articles would be leading to other sites since these articles would have resource boxes with them that could link or direct the readers to their site. That’s why it is important to have your own articles; you cold use them to link your site to other sites as well. 

Tip: to truly feel the impact of what a good article to you, go for original ones. There are many article writers who do part time and freelance article writing jobs that charges only minimal fees. You can get good articles that have all the keywords and keyword phrases you need and people are looking for. 

The investment you made for these articles would be worthwhile because you could use them for all the benefits you could offer. You hold copyrights to them and you will be able to use them anyway you want. 

As your articles help you in building your business and your site, you will have more articles to write and maybe then you wont be having second thoughts about articles.