What to look for in the coming year.
It’s hard to believe that another year has already come and gone! BUT what a year it’s been. AND for all of the talk before about the arrival of Internet Marketing, this seemed to be the year that Internet Marketing finally reached the tipping point of public awareness and acceptance. Rarely before 2007 could I describe “what I do for a living” without explanation. Now, everyone seems to get it. BUT even though our industry is soaring, I’ve been in it too long to know that change is inevitable.
Below are some of the trends in Online Marketing that I predict for 2008:
1) Search Still Dominates – Can you ever really get too much of a good thing? Maybe. BUT when it comes to search engine marketing, there is still no equal. Search engines will continue to advance their technologies and provide searchers with an even higher number of relevant results. What’s more, most will be adding images, video, news, products and personalization to their results pages ensuring that you will probably find what you seek. In 2008, I predict that the search engine companies will continue to dominate the online world and will shatter all records achieved this previous year.
2)The Adoption of Pay Per Action – While search continues to rule, the way people pay for their advertising on the search engines will start to change. “Pay per action” is one such method, ensuring that advertisers only pay when a prospect completes a specified action such as complete a form or make a sale. While this is a no-brainer for most of us, only a small percentage of people actually use this type of program. In 2008, I predict that advertisers will start making a fundamental shift towards the trial and adoption of this program.
3)Alternative Advertising –When people aren’t searching (about 95% of the time), they are participating in blogging, social networking, shopping, and consuming content such as watching videos. With the rising cost of a click, advertisers will continue to look for value and higher returns elsewhere. In 2008, I predict that alternative advertising finally becomes mainstream.
4)Even Grandma has a Website – Have you started to notice that everyone (and their mother’s mother) has launched a website? While not all of these sites are created equal, entrepreneurs big and small are flocking to the web like never before. I expect this trend to continue in unprecedented ways. Because many of these newbies will need help navigating through the competitive online landscape, Internet Marketing Companies will continue to flourish in 2008.
5)Back to the Basics of Marketing – Eventually, with everyone competing for the same visibility on the web, you will make or break your site through real marketing. How well do you know your target? How well does your site communicate to them? How well does your site solve a prospects needs? Do you engage in a dialogue or do you just have one way communication? I predict that true marketing will finally be a necessity in 2008 for all web owners.
A final thought.
It’s incredible how quickly things have changed for our Industry. Only a few short years ago, you couldn’t sell a website without resistance. Now, websites seem to be selling themselves. In any case, we’ve all come a long way baby! The future is finally here and I, for one, am very excited about the great things ahead of us. Hope all of you a happy and prosperous new year.
Ron Weber is currently the President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Internet Marketing Agency.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Be The Ball
“I'm going to give you a little advice. There's a force in the universe that makes things happen. And all you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball.”
Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) in Caddyshack.
Positioning Yourself as an Expert.
Is your website in touch with what you do best? Does your website reflect the true strengths of your company? Are you. . . “the ball”? When it comes to marketing yourself online, it is important that your website represent your expertise in whatever it is you do. Positioning, yourself as an expert, is in fact exactly what your customer wants. Think about it another way, would “you” want to do business with someone who is not a specialist in their field.
Below are tips that will help better position your website today:
1) Professional Design – One of the most essential elements in conveying your credibility is the look and feel of your website. Do you have a professional design or a site that looks like it was built in 1999? Remember, you only have 3-5 seconds to make an impression. Make sure, it’s a good one.
2) Clean Navigation – Does your site have an easy navigational structure? Or is it cluttered with choice? Most users can only process 5-6 main navigational topics, so better to keep it simple. Besides, can you really be an expert if you specialize in a thousand and one topics?
3) Text – If you don’t tell them you are qualified, they won’t know it. AND while your website copy should really try to solve customer’s needs, there is no harm in letting customers about your expert skills (which, come to think of it, is an answer to a customer need).
4) Logo and Certifications – Visually, there is no better way to prove your expertise on your website. Add every relevant award, affiliation, and educational certificate you can to your site. If you have an e-commerce site, Better Business Bureau and Versign type security certificates provide an added layer of protection and credibility to your site.
5) Be Mistake Free – Nothing screams amateur more than a website with typos, misspellings, broken links, and faulty navigation. If you can, proof your site often and respond quickly to any communication that spots your errors.
If you follow the Caddyshack path, there will be a force in the universe that will make things happen for you, providing you with better web results.
Ron Weber is currently the President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Internet Marketing Agency, and a GIANT Caddyshack fan.
Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) in Caddyshack.
Positioning Yourself as an Expert.
Is your website in touch with what you do best? Does your website reflect the true strengths of your company? Are you. . . “the ball”? When it comes to marketing yourself online, it is important that your website represent your expertise in whatever it is you do. Positioning, yourself as an expert, is in fact exactly what your customer wants. Think about it another way, would “you” want to do business with someone who is not a specialist in their field.
Below are tips that will help better position your website today:
1) Professional Design – One of the most essential elements in conveying your credibility is the look and feel of your website. Do you have a professional design or a site that looks like it was built in 1999? Remember, you only have 3-5 seconds to make an impression. Make sure, it’s a good one.
2) Clean Navigation – Does your site have an easy navigational structure? Or is it cluttered with choice? Most users can only process 5-6 main navigational topics, so better to keep it simple. Besides, can you really be an expert if you specialize in a thousand and one topics?
3) Text – If you don’t tell them you are qualified, they won’t know it. AND while your website copy should really try to solve customer’s needs, there is no harm in letting customers about your expert skills (which, come to think of it, is an answer to a customer need).
4) Logo and Certifications – Visually, there is no better way to prove your expertise on your website. Add every relevant award, affiliation, and educational certificate you can to your site. If you have an e-commerce site, Better Business Bureau and Versign type security certificates provide an added layer of protection and credibility to your site.
5) Be Mistake Free – Nothing screams amateur more than a website with typos, misspellings, broken links, and faulty navigation. If you can, proof your site often and respond quickly to any communication that spots your errors.
If you follow the Caddyshack path, there will be a force in the universe that will make things happen for you, providing you with better web results.
Ron Weber is currently the President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Internet Marketing Agency, and a GIANT Caddyshack fan.
Search Engine Marketing for San Diego Attorneys
Have you ever “Googled” yourself?
Or more importantly, when potential clients search online for your practice, does your website show up? Sadly, if you are like most others, your own clients would likely have a hard time finding your website online, even if they were to search for you by name.
In today’s world, the Internet has replaced the Yellow Pages and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) has now become a vital tool for many businesses, giving websites increased exposure, traffic, and customers. Having visibility in the search engines is critical in today's marketplace, and it will be critical in tomorrows.
If you truly want to maximize the potential of the Internet, the best strategy involves a marketing mix of both pay-per-click marketing and search engine optimization. The former will get you traffic right away, and the latter is a longer term investment that can pay healthy dividends for your practice.
Fortunately, the search market for San Diego Attorneys is less competitive than most, so the time to act is now.
Pay Per Click Marketing
Pay per click marketing is an ideal tool for San Diego Attorneys that want to be found on major search engines, immediately. All you need is a website and a budget and you can start marketing yourself today! While you must indeed ‘pay’ every time someone clicks on your advertisement, there are many benefits to this type of marketing:
1 – Geographical Targeting – You specify which city, states and regions you wish to display your ad.
2 – Keyword Targeting – People search in many different ways. You can target for an unlimited number of keyword phrases.
3 – Set your own Budget – You spend whatever you want, period. There are no minimum spends. Be aware though that click charges usually range anywhere from fifty cents to a few dollars a click.
4 – Time to Market- Your campaign can be launched on Google and Yahoo! in less than 24 hours.
5 – Tracking – You track your campaign results through an easy web-based interface.
6 – Flexibility – If your ad is not working, you can easily change the text of your ad.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Unlike pay per click marketing, Search engine optimization (SEO) is used for those willing to improve the ranks naturally, over time. Usually a long term strategy, SEO involves selecting the right keywords for your practice and making your website more “search engine friendly.” Once you are at that stage, more advanced tactics such a link building is essential for obtaining and retaining your rankings.
Below is a list of things you can do today to improve your rankings tomorrow!
1 – Keyword Selection – Keywords are everything! Make sure you know exactly what keywords are relevant to your practice. More importantly, however, is to know how potential clients search for you.
For example, a prospective client in San Diego might look up "San Diego Attorney" "San Diego DUI Attorney", "San Diego Lawyer" and/or "San Diego DUI Lawyer."
2 –Website Copy – Search engines love written text (they cannot read images), especially content that increases regularly and is laden with keyword phrases. Keywords are extremely important for helping the search engines learn and properly index your site into the appropriate categories. Make sure your keywords are reflected in your website copy.
3 – Site Submission – Simply go to Google and Yahoo! and submit your site for free.
4 – Search Engine Friendly –First of all, make sure your site was not built in either all Flash or all Frames. The search engines do not have the ability to read these sites. If okay, make sure to ask your web design company to check for broken links and unreachable URL’s. Good code is essential for rankings.
For more advanced practitioners
5 – Link Building – The search engines highly value sites which have a lot of links pointing to them (not from them). In other words, if many relevant sites link to your site, your site must be important. Keep in mind that it isn’t particularly effective anymore simply to get links from anyone. So a link from your brother the plumber is not very valuable to a San Diego Divorce Attorney, but a link from Divorce Magazine is extremely valuable.
A final thought.
While following these recommended tips, your site will be much better positioned for long-term rankings in the search engines. However, please keep in mind that many of the search engines these days, especially Google, factor in several “off the page criteria.” Google considers other factors such as the age of your site, and click through behavior, into their algorithm. It is important to note that optimization is no longer just about bringing people to your site but rather, it is about having a site that people get value from, as judged by items such as your inbound links and visitor click through activity. If your site does not deliver value, consider designing a new site that can.
Ron Weber is currently the President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Internet Marketing Agency.
Or more importantly, when potential clients search online for your practice, does your website show up? Sadly, if you are like most others, your own clients would likely have a hard time finding your website online, even if they were to search for you by name.
In today’s world, the Internet has replaced the Yellow Pages and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) has now become a vital tool for many businesses, giving websites increased exposure, traffic, and customers. Having visibility in the search engines is critical in today's marketplace, and it will be critical in tomorrows.
If you truly want to maximize the potential of the Internet, the best strategy involves a marketing mix of both pay-per-click marketing and search engine optimization. The former will get you traffic right away, and the latter is a longer term investment that can pay healthy dividends for your practice.
Fortunately, the search market for San Diego Attorneys is less competitive than most, so the time to act is now.
Pay Per Click Marketing
Pay per click marketing is an ideal tool for San Diego Attorneys that want to be found on major search engines, immediately. All you need is a website and a budget and you can start marketing yourself today! While you must indeed ‘pay’ every time someone clicks on your advertisement, there are many benefits to this type of marketing:
1 – Geographical Targeting – You specify which city, states and regions you wish to display your ad.
2 – Keyword Targeting – People search in many different ways. You can target for an unlimited number of keyword phrases.
3 – Set your own Budget – You spend whatever you want, period. There are no minimum spends. Be aware though that click charges usually range anywhere from fifty cents to a few dollars a click.
4 – Time to Market- Your campaign can be launched on Google and Yahoo! in less than 24 hours.
5 – Tracking – You track your campaign results through an easy web-based interface.
6 – Flexibility – If your ad is not working, you can easily change the text of your ad.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Unlike pay per click marketing, Search engine optimization (SEO) is used for those willing to improve the ranks naturally, over time. Usually a long term strategy, SEO involves selecting the right keywords for your practice and making your website more “search engine friendly.” Once you are at that stage, more advanced tactics such a link building is essential for obtaining and retaining your rankings.
Below is a list of things you can do today to improve your rankings tomorrow!
1 – Keyword Selection – Keywords are everything! Make sure you know exactly what keywords are relevant to your practice. More importantly, however, is to know how potential clients search for you.
For example, a prospective client in San Diego might look up "San Diego Attorney" "San Diego DUI Attorney", "San Diego Lawyer" and/or "San Diego DUI Lawyer."
2 –Website Copy – Search engines love written text (they cannot read images), especially content that increases regularly and is laden with keyword phrases. Keywords are extremely important for helping the search engines learn and properly index your site into the appropriate categories. Make sure your keywords are reflected in your website copy.
3 – Site Submission – Simply go to Google and Yahoo! and submit your site for free.
4 – Search Engine Friendly –First of all, make sure your site was not built in either all Flash or all Frames. The search engines do not have the ability to read these sites. If okay, make sure to ask your web design company to check for broken links and unreachable URL’s. Good code is essential for rankings.
For more advanced practitioners
5 – Link Building – The search engines highly value sites which have a lot of links pointing to them (not from them). In other words, if many relevant sites link to your site, your site must be important. Keep in mind that it isn’t particularly effective anymore simply to get links from anyone. So a link from your brother the plumber is not very valuable to a San Diego Divorce Attorney, but a link from Divorce Magazine is extremely valuable.
A final thought.
While following these recommended tips, your site will be much better positioned for long-term rankings in the search engines. However, please keep in mind that many of the search engines these days, especially Google, factor in several “off the page criteria.” Google considers other factors such as the age of your site, and click through behavior, into their algorithm. It is important to note that optimization is no longer just about bringing people to your site but rather, it is about having a site that people get value from, as judged by items such as your inbound links and visitor click through activity. If your site does not deliver value, consider designing a new site that can.
Ron Weber is currently the President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Internet Marketing Agency.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
There’s Value in Providing Value
Often, as a San Diego SEO Company, I get asked what the single most important factor in optimization is. If I could sum it up in one phrase (and give you my personal mantra at the same time), it’s that “there is value in providing value.”
While there are obviously many factors that go into the complex search engine algorithms, including Meta tags, content optimization, age of site, and resource links, the one truth is that if your site can provide value to your visitors, you will indeed have a much better shot at better rankings.
By value, I mean that your site gives real answers and real solutions to your customer’s problems. By value, I mean that your site offers clear, succinct and meaningful information. By value, I mean that your site makes it easy for your customer to find what they are looking for. Most online visitors are either (1) looking for information or (2) looking to purchase. The easier your site makes them accomplish these goals, the better. Eventually, as the search engines continue to evolve and get smarter, there are all indications that you will be ranked according to this type of value standard.
Many website owners that I come across seem to get tunnel vision and focus solely on the task of ranking well. In my opinion, these types of owners have lost the real meaning of having a website – which is to solve customer problems. And, the truth is, that while these types of sites may rank well in the short term without value of any sort, they are simply unable to convert this traffic into leads or sales.
Below is a list of items you should consider adding immediately to your site to add some value:
+ FAQ Section
+ Tips Section
+ Glossary of Terms
+ Resource Section
+ Links
+ Educational Material (Non Bias)
If your site is “all about you”, then it certainly isn’t about your customer and should be changed accordingly. You want to talk about your company? Isn’t that what your “About” section is for.
About the Author:
Ron Weber is President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Internet Marketing Agency.
While there are obviously many factors that go into the complex search engine algorithms, including Meta tags, content optimization, age of site, and resource links, the one truth is that if your site can provide value to your visitors, you will indeed have a much better shot at better rankings.
By value, I mean that your site gives real answers and real solutions to your customer’s problems. By value, I mean that your site offers clear, succinct and meaningful information. By value, I mean that your site makes it easy for your customer to find what they are looking for. Most online visitors are either (1) looking for information or (2) looking to purchase. The easier your site makes them accomplish these goals, the better. Eventually, as the search engines continue to evolve and get smarter, there are all indications that you will be ranked according to this type of value standard.
Many website owners that I come across seem to get tunnel vision and focus solely on the task of ranking well. In my opinion, these types of owners have lost the real meaning of having a website – which is to solve customer problems. And, the truth is, that while these types of sites may rank well in the short term without value of any sort, they are simply unable to convert this traffic into leads or sales.
Below is a list of items you should consider adding immediately to your site to add some value:
+ FAQ Section
+ Tips Section
+ Glossary of Terms
+ Resource Section
+ Links
+ Educational Material (Non Bias)
If your site is “all about you”, then it certainly isn’t about your customer and should be changed accordingly. You want to talk about your company? Isn’t that what your “About” section is for.
About the Author:
Ron Weber is President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Internet Marketing Agency.
Monday, June 18, 2007
To Link or Not To Link
If you've had your website for any length of time, by now, you've likely heard about the importance of link building. BUT just how important is it? Extremely!
From the search engine's perspective
All things being equal, the larger the number of inbound links to your site, the higher your (natural) search engine will be, relative to your competitors. The thinking here being that if more people link to your site, then there must be more value in your site. Think of this as a popularity contest and the site with the most links usually wins.
From the visitor's perspective
Potential customers (not yet on your site) can find you if you are linked properly on other sites. For this reason alone, it is critical that your link is visible on other sites. Visitors already on your site can benefit from the useful links you list. While the thinking used to be that "on-site" links take visitors away, the truth is that visitors value them. And what’s good for your visitor should be good for you too!
We personally don’t know of anything else that has as much impact on your search engine optimization results then resource links. It is the ultimate differentiator. However, pretending for a minute that optimization doesn’t matter, links on your site are also important for your site visitors. If your visitors are interested in you, they are likely interested in links that are related to you.
In the end, it is clear, that you should be actively engaging in link building.
Link building basics
So, how do you properly start building links? Follow our guide below and you’ll be on your way:
1. Relevance Rules – Find links on sites that are related to your Industry. Do not bother with sites that aren’t. It is no longer about the sheer number of links you have but it is about the relevance of those links.
2. Do NOT buy links – Link buying is discouraged by Google and they will actually lower your rankings if they know. So, unless the potential traffic you can receive from such links outweighs the benefits of optimization – don’t do it.
3. Do NOT join link farms – nothing will get you banned quicker from the search engines then joining a link farm. If someone promises you thousands of links at one time, it is usually a link farm.
4. Use keywords in your text – if possible, use keywords that will help your optimization effort in your link text.
5. Search your keywords – look for top results and find directory sites, Wikipedia listings, and partners to trade links with.
6. Be Patient - Link building takes time. In fact, if you add links too quickly – the search engines are alerted and may ban you thinking you’ve joined a link farm.
If you’d like more information on how to integrate best link building practices into your online marketing effort, contact us! Or better yet, link to us!
Ron Weber is currently the President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Internet Marketing Agency.
From the search engine's perspective
All things being equal, the larger the number of inbound links to your site, the higher your (natural) search engine will be, relative to your competitors. The thinking here being that if more people link to your site, then there must be more value in your site. Think of this as a popularity contest and the site with the most links usually wins.
From the visitor's perspective
Potential customers (not yet on your site) can find you if you are linked properly on other sites. For this reason alone, it is critical that your link is visible on other sites. Visitors already on your site can benefit from the useful links you list. While the thinking used to be that "on-site" links take visitors away, the truth is that visitors value them. And what’s good for your visitor should be good for you too!
We personally don’t know of anything else that has as much impact on your search engine optimization results then resource links. It is the ultimate differentiator. However, pretending for a minute that optimization doesn’t matter, links on your site are also important for your site visitors. If your visitors are interested in you, they are likely interested in links that are related to you.
In the end, it is clear, that you should be actively engaging in link building.
Link building basics
So, how do you properly start building links? Follow our guide below and you’ll be on your way:
1. Relevance Rules – Find links on sites that are related to your Industry. Do not bother with sites that aren’t. It is no longer about the sheer number of links you have but it is about the relevance of those links.
2. Do NOT buy links – Link buying is discouraged by Google and they will actually lower your rankings if they know. So, unless the potential traffic you can receive from such links outweighs the benefits of optimization – don’t do it.
3. Do NOT join link farms – nothing will get you banned quicker from the search engines then joining a link farm. If someone promises you thousands of links at one time, it is usually a link farm.
4. Use keywords in your text – if possible, use keywords that will help your optimization effort in your link text.
5. Search your keywords – look for top results and find directory sites, Wikipedia listings, and partners to trade links with.
6. Be Patient - Link building takes time. In fact, if you add links too quickly – the search engines are alerted and may ban you thinking you’ve joined a link farm.
If you’d like more information on how to integrate best link building practices into your online marketing effort, contact us! Or better yet, link to us!
Ron Weber is currently the President of SD Interactive, a San Diego Internet Marketing Agency.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Better Copy Equals Better Conversions
Better copy equals better conversions.
This is probably the most difficult selling point to get across to people when designing or redesigning a website. Sure, people know they need to have copy on their sites but most people are perfectly fine with having their brochure’s content on their website.
Unfortunately, it usually isn’t.
In order for your online business to truly achieve its objectives, the content on your site must:
· Capture and hold the attention of visitors
· Bring visitors along a content path, building confidence and motivation, as they proceed.
· Motivate your visitors to respond, become new or repeat customers, building sales.
Content optimization is a skill that few people possess. Words sell, graphical images don't. You need to get the user to take action! So, in that spirit, we've created a list of things to do in order to improve your content:
1- Act like a reporter. Does your site answer the 5 w’s (who what when were why)? If your copy doesn’t, chances are your visitors won’t either.
2- Engage the visitor. Do you ask questions and lead your visitor to their desire goal? Hint: Hyperlinks work well.
3- Speak your visitor’s language. Your copy should reflect the same voice and tone as your primary target market. Avoid the use of jargon!
4-Create supplemental content. FAQ pages, tips pages, reference pages, how-to pages, industry glossary and related articles about your product/service work well.
5- Test & Track your results. A simple change can make a huge impact.
Whether the goal of your online business is to generate leads, sales, or to disseminate information, an effective content optimization strategy is needed to lead the visitor to the action you desire. Content optimization is a continual process of monitoring and updating. By staying true to this course, you will see the results in your bottom line.
This is probably the most difficult selling point to get across to people when designing or redesigning a website. Sure, people know they need to have copy on their sites but most people are perfectly fine with having their brochure’s content on their website.
Unfortunately, it usually isn’t.
In order for your online business to truly achieve its objectives, the content on your site must:
· Capture and hold the attention of visitors
· Bring visitors along a content path, building confidence and motivation, as they proceed.
· Motivate your visitors to respond, become new or repeat customers, building sales.
Content optimization is a skill that few people possess. Words sell, graphical images don't. You need to get the user to take action! So, in that spirit, we've created a list of things to do in order to improve your content:
1- Act like a reporter. Does your site answer the 5 w’s (who what when were why)? If your copy doesn’t, chances are your visitors won’t either.
2- Engage the visitor. Do you ask questions and lead your visitor to their desire goal? Hint: Hyperlinks work well.
3- Speak your visitor’s language. Your copy should reflect the same voice and tone as your primary target market. Avoid the use of jargon!
4-Create supplemental content. FAQ pages, tips pages, reference pages, how-to pages, industry glossary and related articles about your product/service work well.
5- Test & Track your results. A simple change can make a huge impact.
Whether the goal of your online business is to generate leads, sales, or to disseminate information, an effective content optimization strategy is needed to lead the visitor to the action you desire. Content optimization is a continual process of monitoring and updating. By staying true to this course, you will see the results in your bottom line.
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