Someone once said (may have been Guy Kawasaki), “Building a website and then not spending the time and money to do SEO is like creating a commercial and then not buying any television or radio airtime.”

I agree. A build it and they will come website strategy is, honestly, folly. Yet, time and again, I see companies build nice websites and then believe they’ve completed their work. Nothing could be further from the truth.

So, if you want to get some mileage out of your website, here are my Top 7 SEO recommendations:

1. Register your website with DMOZ, also known as the Open Directory Project, at www.dmoz.org. The Open Listing Mission is the most important and most complete directory on the Web. It is also the only one Google uses. Since Google tends to have between 60% and 70 of the search engine market share, it’s important that you make sure you’re your website is easily found by Google. DMOZ is also used to feed many of the other web directories as well. Note, DMOZ is an all volunteer organization so it can take months to get your site listed. So register your site today!
2. Manually submit your web site url address to Google at http://www.google.com/addurl. Once accepted, like DMOZ, it can take months, Google’s software will crawl (scan) your site (see bullets 4-6 below), determine what your site is all about, and, in most instances, begin including it in their search results. 
3. Yahoo is a little different. Yahoo asks you to pay $299.00 to be included in their official directory listing ($600.00 if your site includes “adult content).” But Yahoo can still find your site and include without your paying any fee. Yahoo also has a free submission page - http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/submit - you can use to improve your Yahoo search engine rankings. I’ve read that Yahoo’s Directory also drives results on Bing and AltaVista. But I wouldn’t count on that, so I’d also recommend submitting your website to Bing at http://www.bing.com/webmaster/SubmitSitePage.aspx. 
4. Make sure you are using the best keywords and keyword phrases in your Metadata and in your website copy. This is a biggee! Having the right keywords is critical in getting your site ranked high in the search engine results. There’s actually a metric, KEI, which stands for Keyword Effectiveness Indicator, you can track. Since almost every site has unique high KEI keywords, we won’t go into how to develop your high KEI terms here but we will encourage you to either take the time to learn how to develop high KEI keywords or outsource the work to a professional.
5. The more links you have to your website, especially if the linking sites have a high Google Page Rank, the more likely it is Google and the other search engines will rank your website high in their search results. Some effective ways to build links to your site are article submission, affiliate programs, sending emails to webmasters at sites you think your target audience visit, or hire someone to build links for you. We do not recommend hiring one of those firms that say they’ll get you 1,000 links in one week for $500.00+/-. The search engines may view that type of instant growth in links as “gaming the system, which it is, and punish you. Links need to be built over time.
6. Install Google’s free Sitemap code in your website. A sitemap is XML code that lists all the URLs (pages) in your site and makes them easy to read and understand for the search engines. Sitemaps enable the search engines to quickly crawl and index your site in an organized manner. They also allow your webmaster to include additional information to help the search engines find your site and keywords, when it was last updated, and other important information. Sitemaps complement the software, or crawl-based tools such as a robot.txt file, they do not replace those tools. Using Sitemap code does not guarantee your site’s search engine rankings will improve.
7. The last tactic is perhaps the most difficult; be patient. SEO is like farming. You plant seeds, nurture them along so they can grow, and then, one day, relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Note, conversely, Pay-per-Click, or PPC, is like hunting. Bang! Lunch. In other words, you shoot something (buy ads) and you get leads. Some good; some bad. Here’s another difference between SEO and PPC, once your SEO tactics have you at the top of page one on Google, it’s highly likely you will stay there for some time. With PPC, once the ads (expense) stops, the leads stop.

SEO is the best insurance available to earn a return on your website investment. It is what helps your website be found by existing and new customers and, even if you outsource the work, it’s simply not that expensive. Without SEO you are simply hoping your website is found and that’s not good business practice.

It is also an ongoing effort because the search engines continue to tweak their algorithms. In 2009 it was reported that Google made almost 300 changes. By implementing the tactics outlined in this post your website can become an amazing source of new business. Perhaps the best part about SEO, and digital marketing in general, if done right, is you can measure the return on every tactic.

To maintain a successful website you want to keep your visitors coming back again and again. That means you are responsible for creating interesting content that adds value to your visitor’s life and is updated regularly. It’s a big responsibility.

Here are 6 surefire ways to keep your visitors returning:

1. Articles: Articles give your visitors something new to read and, like a blog, sometime to comment about. But more importantly, as you put your expertise and thinking out there for all to see, you are also, in a subtle way, inviting questions and further dialogue. It’s a simple formula of generating interest in your target audience and then trusting that at least a few of the people who read your article will be curious enough to contact you to discuss your product and services as they relate to their needs.

You do not need to write these articles yourself. There are plenty of competent services (yes, including Aligned Marketing).

2. Contests: Most people like contests. Or should I say, most people like to win something for free. Contests, especially if they cycle from one to the next frequently, are a great way to generate fresh content and keep your loyal following returning to your site. Remember, it’s not about the size of the prize, it’s about winning.

When the visitor signs up for your contest be sure to capture their information, add it to your contact list and then contact them later with offers, such as subscribing to your online newsletter.

3. Coupons and Discounts are a great way to entice existing visitors and new customers to return to your website and online storefront.

You can use the coupons a number of ways. Here are a few ideas:

• A buy 1 get a single free.
• A certain percent discount (such as 10%)
• Free or discounted shipping

Discounts are typically given through the use of a code. They are simple to administer since most shopping cart programs include a discount module. A simple code word such as “savings” enables buyers to receive a discount.

Alternately, you can offer an online discount that is only redeemable at your physical (offline) store.

4. Forums: Forums offer something people enjoy - conversation. Forums are a form of the growing trend of social media. Hosting a forum on your own site gives visitors a reason to return to your site, again and again. A good way to keep the conversation going is to ask provocative questions and take controversial positions on important issues. A few passionate regular comments from visitors can boost your traffic numbers substantially.  
5. Blogging:  Blogs have become incredibly popular in recent years. And while it may be hard to believe, there are people interested in what you have to say. Blogs have added benefits; you can pepper your blog posts with your keywords and keyword phrases to help boost your search engine rankings.
6. Newsletter: A newsletter is one of the best ways to keep your visitors, your audience, engaged and coming back to your site. If you chose the newsletter approach, be sure to publish on a regular basis and make sure that each article in each issue delivers value to your audience and refers them back to your site for additional information.

Once again, if all this sounds like too much work or writing just isn’t one of your favorite things to do, there are professional writers and writing services available to help.

No matter which tactic you use to drive traffic to your site, the only way to keep people coming back is to deliver constant value.

How to Market a Real Time Event

 

by Chris Brogan

Always a URL. Always

If you’re going to wire up people and connect them to an event in the real world, you need a web page of some kind or another. People need all the details. They need some kind of intangible tangible that they can pass around to point out what’s what. Give them a web page.

If it’s just a one-off, use an event system like Eventbrite. If you’re going to do this over and over, consider setting up pages on your own website of choice, and then maybe double-up with an Eventbrite to manage the signup.

 

Extend onto Event Sites

Here’s where you can really get things moving. If you want this event to really spread, use sites like Upcoming.org and Eventful, to name a few. If you’ve got a Facebook group, put up an event notification there. If you’ve got a LinkedIn group, and the event matches, put it up there, too.

 

Status, Status, Status

Without being “that guy” (and never forget, I mean this for either gender), mentioning your event is easy across your Twitter, your Facebook, your LinkedIn status, and all the other social sites that make sense to promote. A word of caution: this gets close to what feels like carpet-bombing, so go gently. In fact, out in front of such a promotional effort, make sure you’re doing your good deeds and promoting others, and sharing other good information. People don’t like a tireless self-promoter, but they don’t mind someone who shares the good stuff, even when some of it’s their own.

 

Email Marketing

Do you maintain an email list? Don’t forget to drop a gentle note of your event into there, too. Again, the goal is subtlety and just a gentle pointer to your URL.

 

Flickr and YouTube

Want to amp up your event’s pre-buzz as well as give it some love on the day of the event? Here are two things: use photos and videos for pre-event invites and promos. Then, encourage people to take photos and videos AT the event. If at all possible, make it easy for the folks who might be into making media to have something to take photos and make movies about. (A side note: if you’re bothering to throw an event with a lot of web presence, use a tag – metadata – to denote the event, for people’s blog posts, for Flickr and YouTube, and for Twitter. For instance, we’ll use #trustsummit for our event in NYC.)

 

Blog Posts Matter

You can do much worse than to find local bloggers and bloggers who care about the subject matter to cover the event, should they find it useful. If you’ve a budget to do so, invite some to attend in exchange for blogging anything that might be of interest to them. Realize that in the new world, bloggers are rarely obligated to do whatever you ask, and yet, if you make it interesting and worthwhile, folks love to tell a story.

Getting a few posts out about the event ahead of time, and/or after give you a lot more traction and appreciation before and after. Again, make sure the event’s worthy of coverage. If it’s just a straight product pitch or the like, that’s tricky to justify.

 

Twitter on the Day Of the Event

To me, Twitter’s the magic sauce in making your NEXT event really light up. It’s too late for your event by the time folks start tweeting about it, but it’s a great way to really warm up your future events. If people are tweeting that they’re having a fun time, that they’re learning, that there are still a few hours to get down to the event and have fun, magic can happy. That’s why Twitter’s the Serendipity Engine.

 

 

A CEO of a major company recently said to me, “Your timing may be perfect.”

He was referring to me being a consultant and, indeed, there’s evidence to support his statement. The industrial market is heating up. The Industrial Supply Association’s (ISA) most recent Economic Indicator Report was up for the second month in a row. Their Manufacturer Index was 66.42% in February while the January index was 60.63%. The Distributor Index saw similar gains (61.1% and 65.72%, respectively). Anything above 50% indicates those surveyed expect economic expansion.

The subjective evidence is equally strong. I talk with frustrated marketing people every week. Their complaint is with management and goes like this: “They laid off half my staff so we’ve been struggling to keep up for over a year. Every month we fall further behind and are getting our butts chewed out. Now, because business is getting better, they want us to do a bunch of new stuff. We can’t complete our work now! I have no idea how we’re going to get any new projects completed.” Maybe you can help them?

If you’re an unemployed or underemployed marketing professional consider becoming a consultant. As my CEO friend said, the timing may be perfect.

The client benefits because they can rent the expertise they need (from you). You simply augment their staff as a variable cost solution. A competent resource they can eliminate quickly without a long HR process.

Do a great job and maybe you get hired full-time, if that’s what you want. Here are a few things you need to be prepared for before accepting your first consulting job.

• Be prepared to add value immediately. One good way is to do more than you’re asked. In other words, take tasks off your new employer’s task list. Most marketing managers have presentations to create, reports to format, blogs to write and other nuisance tasks that they’d love to delegate but are beyond the skill level of most support personnel. Don’t wait for them to ask you to help. Be proactive and add value.
• Understand that there will be politics and much of it will be invisible to you. You represent a variable cost option and, as such, threaten everyone in your area of expertise that is an employee, a fixed cost. The best way to combat this is to recognize the politics exist and find a few key alliances within the client’s organization that will help you navigate through the terrain.
• You must be taken seriously so don’t walk in meekly. State your positions and your recommendations clearly and directly. Not everyone will agree but if you focus on pleasing everyone, finding the maximum in common ground and playing politician, you’ll lose. Understand your pre-designed role is to get in, complete your assignment, and get out. You are not part of the long-term extended corporate family (not yet, anyway).
• There’s nothing unethical about selling more services while you’re completing your project. Be polite and professional but keep your eyes and ears open for pain points, new projects and things the company would like to have if they had the resources. There’s truth in the old saying: “The best source of new business is old customers.” In my experience the big firms spend up to 30% of their time onsite looking for a new project while they’re completing the current project. I find that objectionable (selling while I’m on the client’s clock) so I never charge by the hour and I only spend about 10% of my time prospecting for new projects. You’ll need to find your own balance.

If you have skills and are either unemployed or underemployed I encourage you to think about consulting. The market is getting stronger, it’s a great way to leverage your strengths, and may get you the inside track on a full-time job if that’s your ultimate goal.

Feel free to call me if you want to discuss further.

Steve

800-707-9150

There are a number of reasons why websites don't work. Five of the top reasons why websites fail to meet expectations are listed below.

1. Your nephew Jimmy: Leaving your company website in the hands of a relative, student, or anyone with a little computer knowledge to save money is unwise. Aside form the obvious qualification issues, there typically is no sense of obligation in this type of relationship. The psychology is the person building your site probably believes they are doing you a favor so almost any result is acceptable. An important business tool (investment) should be connected by an important business relationship.
 
2. Amateur quality: You would not present a business card to your customer that is made from notebook paper. So why would anyone allow their company to be represented by a website lacking professional quality? Amateur production extends beyond the inappropriate use of graphics. Poor navigation, excessive load times, unnecessary or unclear text, poor images, and unappealing colors all contribute to a bad impression and quick exit by potential clients. In short, having no web site is better than a bad web site.

3. Unclear Objectives: Failure to thoroughly plan your website from the beginning can result in costly and time-consuming changes. A properly planned web site begins with clear objectives. Take the time to understand your business needs and objectives before making recommendations. If you need help, hire an expert. Isn't that what you do for legal or tax issues? Technology is a tool, not a toy. A professionally planned web site should be a component of your business plan and an important investment in your business.
 
4. Stale sites: Stale websites do not work. As your business changes and grows, your online representation should evolve as well. Having to pay someone for every little change, usually on their schedule, results in headaches for you and unnecessary expense. Content editing tools have become so user friendly that administrative personnel should be able to make minor changes to your site, which means minimal expense and no waiting for IT. In addition, the best firms offer standard editing packages on an annual subscription basis. Either solution lets you keep up with your business and budget accurately.
 
5. Customers can’t find you: "Build it and they will come" only works in the movies. Recent surveys indicate that 60%-70% of all product and service searches begin online. If you can’t be found, those potential customers cannot become your current customers. The proper tools and strategies can insure that the major search engines will find your website and deliver new customers.

Reason #5, is really reason #1!

Steve
 

The next two blogs are dedicated to low-cost websites and the the 5 top reasons websites fail to deliver business results. We'll start with $300 websites:

A quick online search for "web design", "web designer" or "web development" will return literally millions of pages. The Internet industry has no shortage of companies and individuals who are enthusiastic about offering "website design packages" for your business.

The ads read, "Get a 3 page site for $x!" or "5 pages and a free email account for $x.” The prices vary but the approach is the same. You arbitrarily decide how many pages you want and they'll build you a site to match, just place the order, no questions asked. That approach is simple and works well when buying a pizza, but it's no way to make a decision about a critical business investment.

Years ago it was common for a business website to be little more than an online business card or brochure, and those bought-by-the-page website designs were a reasonable approach. And while today's cheap web designers provide more graphically rich layouts than in the past, in the end you are still left with an online brochure.

Assuming your brochure-site can be found, and that’s a huge assumption, it may give prospects some basic information about your company, but it won't do much to increase your sales, profits, or improve customer relations. That takes a clear marketing message and an online strategy.

I'm talking about measurable results. This is how most marketing companies differ from those "$300 websites” providers. A sound Internet Solution is derived from true business objectives. It is built with specific purposes in mind and measured according to your business plan, sales goals and activity goals. Good solutions are scalable, so no matter what size your business is today you have the tools and flexibility to be larger tomorrow.

The bottom line is, if your website is costing you money instead of making you money, then you need to change your marketing strategy and online approach.

Steve

One of the basic rules of writing is: “Show, don’t tell.” Nowhere is that becoming more applicable than on the Internet.

When Google bought YouTube many of us wondered why such an incredibly profitable company as Google, a company already rich in eyeballs, would buy a company that was losing money. In fact, up to that point YouTube had no clear revenue model. More than one person asked, “YouTube has pretty cool technology, but how are they going to make money?” The answer to that question is starting to reveal itself.

Google has long recognized the trend that more and more people are selecting the Internet over television and print as their preferred source for entertainment and, more recently, their preferred source for news and information. It’s more than a bad economy that is causing newspapers across the country to fold, it’s a behavioral trend brought on by competition from the Internet.

The subtext to this trend is: As a society, we no longer want to read. We’d prefer to have things explained to us and nothing explains anything quite as well as pictures. We are visual creatures, after all, and by definition video is a visual experience.

Back to Google; specifically Google Gaudi. Gaudi stands for Google Audio Indexing. In simple terms, Gaudi uses voice recognition software to locate search words and phrases inside videos, such as Google Video and YouTube, just like Google searches through HTML text looking for words and phrases in websites. The dawn of a new era of search capability has risen.

Most companies have invested in a website. Few have done anything (SEO) to insure that website can easily be found by prospective customers and current customers. That makes no sense to me, but I digress. Those that care about maximizing the return on their web-investment should begin investing in video. Advances in technology have made video more affordable. Stated another way, in today’s world you can buy a lot of technology for a reasonable amount of money and that is what the smart money is doing.