Are You Already Marketing On The Internet?

Take a moment to think about how you would really answer this question. If given enough thought just about any business owner who utilizes the Internet for any purpose will likely find that whether or not they intentionally organized an Internet marketing campaign, they may already be marketing their products and services on the Internet. This article will examine some subtle ways business owners may already be marketing their business on the Internet.

Do you have a website for your business? Business owners who answer yes to this question are already marketing their products or services online just by virtue of the fact that they have a website online. Having a live website means there is the potential for curious Internet users to access your website. You may not be actively promoting your website but you may still find that your website generates interest in your products despite the lack of promotional endeavors; this is a form of passive marketing.

Do you participate in message boards and include a link to your website in your signature? Again business owners who answer yes to this question are already marketing their website online. Savvy business owners realize the importance of participation in industry related message boards to create an interest in their products and services, establish themselves as knowledgeable about the industry and offer a link to their own website even if it is in the signature line of their posts. However, even business owners who do not realize this may already be inadvertently enjoying the benefits of Internet marketing which result from message board participation just by doing something they enjoy and may be doing as a form of leisure activity.

Do you include keywords which are relevant to your business in the content of your website? Business owners who answer yes to this question are also already marketing on the Internet by optimizing their website for these keywords. These search engine optimization (SEO) affects the websites whether or not they were even aware of the concept of keyword density and how it can help to SEO a website. Business owners will likely use certain words often depending on the type of products and services they offer just because it is natural and logical to do so. This tendency, however, can result in search engines boosting your website rankings for these particular keywords. The concept of SEO is much more involved and complex than simply using keywords frequently but business owners can gain some benefit just by naturally applying relevant keywords to their website.

Do you solicit feedback from your customers online? This is yet another example of how business owners may be accidentally marketing their business on the Internet. Most business owners realize the importance of soliciting feedback from customers for business purposes and business owners who offer products online might solicit feedback in the form of online surveys. Although the business owners may be doing this simply for a business purpose the fact that it is done online makes it fall into the category of Internet marketing.

We have already discussed several ways in which business owners may already be marketing online but what about business owners who want to have an increased online presence? Business owners who may already be marketing online accidentally may wish to launch a full scale Internet marketing campaign. The best way to do this is to hire a consultant with experience in Internet marketing to assist you in creating a campaign which is effective for your target audience.

Posted on 20.59 / 0 komentar / Read More

Anatomy Of An Article Submission

Writing and submitting articles to publishers in order to promote your business, services and products is a wise choice for any entrepreneur.  The only cost for this kind of marketing project is your time and, if you want the maximum benefits, the amount you pay your proofreader/editor.

Many people are overwhelmed by the submission process and don't know where to begin.  I have outlined below the ten steps I take with each article submission project.  Having a process in place makes organizing submissions so much easier and removes the confusion of where of what to do first.

1. Start by having your article proofread and then add it to your website.  Make sure you have a catchy title and a by-line that compels readers to take action.

2. Use a text to html tool to format your by-line so that your URL will appear live when your article is posted on a site.  I recommend you use the tool at http://thephantomwriters.com/link-builder.pl

3. Collect the information you'll need for most submission sites including:  title, author name, address, phone number, e-mail, website URL, topic, two line summary of the article, word count, line count, article URL, auto responder address (if available), document file names and 10-15 keywords.

4. Make a list of the type of submission sites appropriate for your article.  I use EzineAnnouncer to collect and keep track of my submission list and I always write down the categories that are a match for my article.  My latest submission qualified for more than 400 sites but your success depends upon your article topic.

5. Begin submitting to sites that accept articles by e-mail. Never send an attachment unless asked.  Incorporate the entire article into the e-mail and include an option for the recipient to opt-out of your list.

6. Your next step should be to sign-up for all new submission sites on your list that require registration.  Typically, you have to wait for a confirmation e-mail before submitting.  You can move on to the next step while you wait.

7. Submit to all sites you have registered for and to all sites not needing registration but offering a submission form.

8. Check your e-mail, confirm your new accounts and visit those sites to add your article.  Keep track of your login and password for each site.

9. Update your submission list by removing or correcting bounced e-mail addresses and URL errors.  You will also need to add your new submission sites to your list.

10. Create a report to keep on your computer with the name and URL of the sites you used for submission.  Update this list when you submit your older articles to newly discovered sites.

Create your own submission process by building on the steps I have provided and you will find your submissions taking less time while helping you to become more organized.

(c) 2005.  Davis Virtual Assistance.  All rights reserved. Permission to publish online or in print granted provided the article and byline are kept intact with links are made live.

Posted on 20.58 / 0 komentar / Read More

Affiliates, How To Become An Article Marketer

If you're at all familiar with Article Marketing, then you know that the main thrust behind your articles is the bio box or resource box. This is where you put a link to a significant website that you're trying to promote.

But that can be a real problem when you're attempting to promote a product that isn't your own.

Affiliate links can be long and rather ugly, not to mention obvious. So it becomes pretty difficult to get your readers to see you as an expert when your links have all those "=", "?" and long arrays of numbers and codes in it.

To add to the problem, most of the article directories now strip out html coding in both the article body and the bio box and hyperlink your URL instead.

So hiding your long affiliate link behind some coded text is pretty much out of the question too. Which leaves you to post your articles with your affiliate link hyerlinked in your bio box. And as you probably know, it's awfully hard to hide something that's neon blue against a background of black and white.

There are, however,a few things you can do to hide the fact that you're promoting an affiliate product. Some of them have some potential drawbacks, but when you're desperate, anything is better than nothing.

1. URL Shrinkers:

Pros: These are usually free to use and can quickly change any link to a much smaller, cloaked link. You just have to paste your long affiliate link in the box and click one button to get a mini link that will take visitors to the same site.

Cons: Your new URL will have the link shrinker's domain name. If they are a popular service you might find your links timing out when their servers get over worked.

Seasoned marketers usually know what a shrunken URL means (affiliate link).

2. PHP Script Rerouters:

Pros: Allows you to create alternate links directly on your own domain. Good for Article Marketing because they usually have you place the script in a folder named "recommends" or something similar. So your link looks like . . .

"yourdomain.com/recommends/theirproduct"

Cons: You have to manually tweak php files and upload them to your server. Then you have to have a system where you can keep track of all your real affiliate links, what you've renamed them and where they are on your server.

3. Desktop Link Management Programs:

Pros: You fill in a few lines on a form, click a couple buttons and your new links are created and uploaded to your server for you. Your real affiliate links are stored in the system along with the name and location of your rerouted links. Plus you're able to easily modify the whole process.

You can create hundreds of links for one product, which is a big plus for article marketing because if you use an article submission program you can load all your different links into different bio boxes, which solves the html code stripping problem in the directories.

Cons: They don't come free. There's a price to pay for ease, speed and efficiency. Prices vary, but expect to pay at the lowest around $40.

In any event, there are ways to successfully turn an Affiliate Marketer into a high powered Article Marketer. Affiliate links don't have to look like affiliate links anymore, which opens things up for Affiliate Marketers to use this highly effective marketing venue.

Posted on 20.57 / 0 komentar / Read More

Choosing Your Autoresponder Software

It can be a somewhat difficult and time consuming task to find the right autoresponder.  There are a lot of choices available on the Internet, each one ranging in price and features.  Before you decide to purchase your own autoresponder, you should first think about your budget as well as your requirements.  This way, you’ll know what you want and how much you are willing to spend.

First, you’ll need to decide the features you want.  Next, you’ll need to take a look at some of the different types of autoresponders available on the market.  You’ll also need to decide which type is right for you, and which brand name you think would work the best.  You can answer these questions by comparing different brands, prices, features, and licensing restrictions.

For a business, autoresponders can be great.  As most of us already know, autoresponders are programs that will send out an automated response via email to a specified address.  In most cases, the response you get back from an email autoresponder is short and sweet, normally letting you know that someone is on vacation, away from their computer, or that they have received your message.

The only real problem to autoresponders is the fact that they will replay to any email that they receive.  If you are subscribed to a mailing list and used your autoresponder address to sign up, it can easily create a problem.  Anytime someone sends you an email to your responder address it will send an automated reply.  It can also lack important features that you need to follow up on your clients or subscribers as well.

For the Internet marketing guru, there are sequential autoresponders.  These types of autoresponders are designed to collect different email addresses then send out a variety of pre determined messages through email to subscribers that you have on your list.  If you have a sequential autoresponder and use it correctly, it can help you bring back more visitors.  It can be a very handy tool to have around, especially if you work with a lot of clients.  It can help you keep track of subscribers, as well as keep them informed about what is going on with your business.

All across the Internet there are many types of autoresponders.  They range from web based programs to scripts or programs that run through your computer or personal server.  An autoresponder will be a major part of your online business, which is why you should always put forth the time and effort to find the best one for your money.  If you put the proper research and time into finding your ideal autoresponder, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and headache in the long run.

Basically, there are three main types of autoresponders that you can choose from – remote hosted, locally hosted, and desktop hosted.  Remote hosted are hosted on someone else’s server or website.  Locally hosted will allow you to work programs for your own web server.  Desktop programs on the other hand, will allow you to work from your own computer.  Most people choose to go with locally hosted, as it makes things a lot easier.

Before you decide on which type of autoresponder to purchase, you should make sure that you understand what each type will offer you.  There are a variety of autoresponders to choose from, meaning that some may not offer what you need.  You can always research each type, and then compare prices and features.  This way, you’ll know which type of autoresponder will work the best for your needs as well as your business.

Posted on 02.56 / 0 komentar / Read More