Effective Solution to Promote Your Blog Online
In Present internet world, blogging is the most famous and in-demand cyber tool which can be easily used by anyone. Anyone can easily create blogs online by using Web 2.0 platforms which includes – WordPress, Typepad, Weebly and many more. By using these platforms, anyone can easily create blogs without any coding problem and without the tension of web designing. You just need to select the options according to your requirement and the blog is created. Now put some effort to work on further essential needs of the blog and the most important is the promotion.
Below are some of the effective solutions to promote the blog online:
Write Quality Content
Content is the building block of any blog. It creates the first impression of the blog. So write the quality content for your blog which must be useful for the blog readers. If the blog content is unique, fresh and qualitative then it also gets some benefits from Google search engine which will give great results for the blog. Most of the advertisers are interested to place their ads on those blogs having informative and quality content. Finally, this helps to increase the blog readers, hence traffic of the blog.
Optimize your blog
After creating a blog and also writing good content for it. Now start optimizing your blog to increase its SEO points. Do on-page optimization which will be done on the pages of the blog like keyword research, writing Meta tags which includes title headings, descriptions etc. After this perform off-page optimization on your blog. By doing SEO of the blog, your blog will become more web-visible which in turn results in gaining good search engine rankings and also drive huge traffic to the blog.
Link Building
Link Building is the process of generating relevant and quality links for your blog to increase your blog’s web visibility and to achieve improved rankings and huge traffic. Link building is the off-page optimization process which includes following techniques to build links:-
- Blog comments – This is the great option of placing our blog’s useful links on the other’s blogs. This is the one-way link building technique in which you have to comment on any post or the site’s content where comment option is enabled. This will attract the traffic of that blog to our blog. But keep in mind to promote your blog in relevant blog or under relevant content to get maximum benefits.
- Forums – Forum posting is another way of building one-way useful links. By registering on relevant forums, one can promote his blog by placing the blog’s URL in the profile page of the forum and also by pacing the right keyword with URL in the signature field. Then participate on various threads and get the maximum exposure of your blog which in result drives huge traffic and also improve rankings.
- Guest Posting – By doing guest posting, one can be able to attract the traffic of other’s blog in to our blog. This is one of the great ways of building links and increasing the credibility of the blog. In guest posting, we write an article or post for another’s blog which will publish our post and give us a link at the end of the post in the author bio section.
- Article submissions – This is also one of the very effective ways of promoting the blog. Write any article and publish it on various article sites by placing the required blog links at the end of the post.
- Social Bookmark – Creating bookmarks is also an effective way of promoting our blog to the whole web.
- Link Exchange – One can also exchange link of their site to any other one relevant to them. Link exchange is of 3 types – one way link exchange, two-way link exchange or reciprocal link exchange, or three way link exchange. This technique provides huge traffic and link juice to the outbound links.
So, by using these techniques one can get an effective promotion for his blog which in result gives traffic, increases credibility of the site and also improves ranking of the blog.
About the Author Roberta Smith is an Entrepreneur who designs and develops solutions for a business. She also writes as a freelancer for a number of online communities and is writing this post for http://www.tustinautocenter.com
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6 Useful Tips For Small Business Websites
Whether you are an entrepreneur, manufacturer, and trader or even if you provide services, everyone comes across the need for a website, especially these days when the major mode of communication is the internet.
Having an attractive and user friendly website definitely helps a lot in giving you the boost you need in your business. Some of us ignore this fact, and rely on traditional methods of marketing and interaction with customers.
It is very important to have a website that not only attracts a lot of traffic to your page, but also keeps that traffic glued to your page. However, having a good website to attract traffic is only effective when the user finds what he is looking for.
Many of us ignore some basic tips and tricks while designing small business websites. Those who are aware of these tricks and incorporate them via small business web design services, get an extra edge and easily sweep the market in terms of customers and profit.
Keywords and keyword density
The first and most important tip for designing a website is choosing the right keywords for your page. If that is done, half of your job is done as the keyword will automatically attract traffic. However, keyword density plays a vital role as well. Keyword density determines the number of times you use keywords on different pages and will help you a lot in attracting a large amount of traffic to your page.
Relevance
The second tip is that once you have the appropriate keywords, your website should be relevant to what the user is looking for and it should cater to the needs of the users. Once a user visits your website, he should get satisfied in finding what he is looking for. Talk about what you can do for the customers and how your services can be beneficial for them. Moreover, the information that you provide should be correct, up-to-date and in accordance with the latest trends. For instance, if your article is on fashion, it should cover what is “in” right now or a latest fashion show instead of delving on past trends or shows.
Be available for your Customers
The third tip for having an effective and successful website is that once the user finds what he is looking for, he should face no difficulty in contacting you for placing his order or asking some query. Everything should be explained step by step and all the information should be readily available without any hassle.
Easily accessible Contact Information
Next you should place your contact information e.g. your email address, mobile number or business address at easy to find spots. Sometimes the user gets offended when he is unable to locate your contact information.
Go for Simplicity
Use simple and basic graphics for your website that are user friendly. Don’t overdue it, many of the users only have the basic know-how about using the internet, so you should keep that in mind while designing your website.
Update the Website regularly!
The sixth tip for your small business website is the need to keep your website up to date and keep it fresh. If a user visits your website and finds it not up to date, he will get discouraged and leave the page. This will ultimately undermine your good will.
Keeping the above tips in mind while designing your website will no doubt give you long term benefits. Make your website according to the latest trends and include all the new services e.g. flash development and 2d and 3d animations as well. There are many small business web design services which will aid you in getting the desired results.
About the Author: Brendan Egan own Simple SEO Group that works to provide small online businesses e-marketing and web design services. Brendan can be contacted at www.SimpleSEOGroup.com
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Harnessing a Clever Use of Space to Successfully Sell Online
Hard economic times make their own unique success stories – and nowhere is this truer than online retail. With traditional shop leases becoming financially untenable in the current retail climate, the Internet is strengthening its position as the most cost effective channel. But although business is booming, the flip side of this success means it is an overcrowded space for start-ups and small businesses looking to make the transition to online. Ironically, physical space is an issue when it comes to the virtual world – you might not need a traditional shop anymore, but you will need conventional space to store your merchandise (which can considerably raise your overheads and give you the hassle of turning around stock). Or do you? Many companies have found their way around the traditional merchandise cycle, which we’ll explore:
The Invisible Widget
One solution to the merchandise storage issue is not to handle the stock at all. Drop shipping allows a retailer to select a product, sell it, and hand over the delivery to the drop shipping company. This means that there are no storage or handling costs, all you need to focus on is marketing and the user experience within your online store. However, there are several things to think about. Firstly, cost. Some drop shippers will charge a membership fee and the initial cost of the product will effect your mark-up so do research to get the best deal. Stock availability and fulfilment are also other considerations. It’s no use having a great product at a low price, if it never turns up when the customer orders it. Always choose a drop shipping company that’s as close to wholesale as possible. This will keep the costs lower and improve customer service (as they are responsible for their product and not just a middle man). Do your research carefully – it’s a good idea to contact other customers of the drop shipper to ask them questions before you commit.
Another solution is to do away with physical product altogether. With the rise in online gaming and smart phone apps, virtual products are coming into their own. If you don’t own a software development company, you might not think this is an option for you – but even small businesses can find ways to get into the virtual product game. For example, a real estate company that publishes a range of selling and buying guides can sell the consolidated ebook online. The key is to do your research – is there a real desire for your virtual product and what is the competition like? If you discover a buoyant enough niche and can provide quality content or a service (like an online tool or calculator) you might not need to have any ‘physical’ product at all.
Smarter Storage
Of course, most online retailers will still need to work with traditional stock, but even here there are smarter ways to use inventory storage space. Many small online retailers start as eBay or Amazon sellers who evolve into bigger operations over time. Whereas stock might be kept at home and sent on from there when the business is smaller, this is no longer viable as the business grows. The jump to paying for storage can be quite a jolt for many. Traditional warehouses expect long leases and overheads such as business rates, VAT, utility costs and initial deposits, which can be a considerable outlay. There are some savvier solutions.
The first is to partner with another small company to keep storage costs down. Traditional warehouse space tends to be large converted barns or other re-used buildings and might provide more space than you actually need. By sharing costs with another company you can carve up the space to your requirements and share on things like trolleys and packing equipment. There are security issues though if several different parties have access, and make sure to negotiate terms of service in the contract.
If you want your own storage space, and a warehouse is too big or expensive, self storage might be the answer. The greatest draw is flexibility. A small company can hire a storage room for the exact amount of time they need. But the flexibility doesn’t stop there. Take, for example, a small company selling gift wrapping paper. They can hire two self storage rooms (one for Christmas and one for Birthday wrapping paper) and shut down the Christmas room as soon as the product sells. If there’s a good offer on a new product, the company can quickly open a bigger room and scale down to a smaller sized one as stock is turned around (the good news is that self storage rooms can also be used as distribution hubs, allowing you to break up and send off your product all in the same space). Once all the stock is sold, the rooms can be shut down completely until a new order comes in (this is especially good if your stock is seasonal).
About the Author: Drew Davies writes for Big Yellow Self Storage. Find out more about business storage and how it can help your business.
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Is It Time To Move Your Business Online?
Operating a small business in today’s business environment can be a real challenge. Regardless of what industry you are involved in, the marketplace is crowded and competition is fierce. Rising prices of supplies, fuel, labor and more eat into your profits regularly. It may have crossed your mind at some point that you should move your business online. While there are some advantages to running a brick and mortar business, the advantages of moving your business into the digital realm are many. Consider these points:
Cost Advantages
You may be thinking about adding an online dimension to your existing business, or you may be thinking about forsaking your brick and mortar business altogether and simply running an online business. Either way, there are cost advantages to running an online business. When you operate online, you can enjoy greater profits with far less overhead. Other than the cost of website development and access to a server, you can market your goods or services to more people without the need for overhead like paying for rent, utilities and more for your office space. If you keep your brick and mortgage business running as well, you can boost profits without drastically increasing the level of overhead you pay.
Marketing Benefits
Attracting customers into your storefront location can be time-consuming, tedious and expensive. You may have spent a small fortune on guerilla marketing techniques, display ads, special coupon mailers and more. Such efforts are expensive, and they need to constant in order to enjoy the best results. Online marketing is a different beast, however. It can be done remotely, digitally, automatically and at far lass cost than other types of marketing. Consider how easy it is to develop an email marketing campaign, to use SEO strategies to attract online customers and to announce sales and promotions through social media sites.
Around-the-Clock Operations
A live business location requires either you or someone you pay to man the phones, the cash register and the sales floor, depending what type of business you are in. This occurs for a few hours every day, then you close up shop, turn out the lights and your business ceases to generate money for you. An Internet business, however, does not require your constant attention, yet it can still generate profits for you. You can earn money while sleeping peacefully in bed or while taking the weekend off to enjoy time with family and friends. There is no need to sit around and wait for customers to walk into your store or office, and you don’t have to pay your good money to have an employee do that for you.
Downsides to Consider
While the benefits of an online business are many, there are some downsides to consider. Many customers do enjoy the ability to find and work with a business remotely and any time of the day or night. However, some customers enjoy live interaction and excellent customer service when dealing with a business. It can be a struggle to showcase your business’ commitment to customer service when operating an online business. While challenging, however, it is not impossible.
You may be ready to close up your storefront location entirely and move your business entirely online. Perhaps you are considering using an Internet-based business location to enhance the profits of your storefront location. There are so many benefits available to you by running an online business. The Internet can be used as your sole business location, or you can use the Internet as a secondary business location. An online business model is not without its own challenges, but considering the many benefits associated with running an online business, this is a business model worth considering more carefully.
About the Author: Victor is a tech blogger and freelance writer. His interests span from cloud computing and VPS to gadgets and gaming. He currently works for a Brisbane IT Services company as well as writing for several blogs and publications.
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Should Companies Register Dot-Brand Domain Names?
ICANN has been accepting applications for custom dot-anything domain suffixes for more than a month now, and many businesses are wondering if it’s even worth the investment to have their own dot-brand domain.
This question has been on my mind ever since ICAAN announced that they would accept applications for dot-anything domains. I have also been curious as to whether businesses should register their own dot-brand suffix to prevent cybersquatters from getting to it first. I decided to ask Grant Chandler, president of Utah-based DomainMarket.com, for his thoughts on the debate surrounding dot-anything domains.
“The decision to invest in dot-anything domains really depends on a few factors,” said Chandler. “On the one hand, it totally changes the game for businesses and the options they have for branding themselves. On the other hand, the challenge may be more than it’s worth.”
ICANN will be accepting applications for domain suffixes until April 12. But registering a custom suffix is not cheap. The application fee is $185,000, and start-up costs are estimated at $500,000.
“For certain companies with a strong brand presence, like Sony, it can be an opportunity to gain more Internet real estate. It makes sense for Sony to have a website like televisions.sony and direct customers looking for TVs to that website,” Chandler said. “But it’s not for all brands and companies. It would be a constant struggle for small businesses to market and brand their domain with a custom suffix.”
According to the International Trademark Association, there has been scant corporate interest in purchasing domain names with custom suffixes.
Chandler explained that this is because companies do not want to tackle the dilemma of directing their customers to a whole new domain name, especially when most people are used to the dot-com suffix.
“There can only be one king in the domain market, and the king is the dot-com domains,” said Chandler. “While there is some value to owning dot-net and dot-org domains, those domains are constantly losing branding to their dot-com counterparts.”
According to Bloomberg Businessweek, in 2010 there were about 89.2 million dot-com domain registrations, making up roughly 71 percent of all domain registrations since 2001.
Opponents argue that businesses will have to rush out to purchase their own dot-anything domains to prevent abusive cybersquatting. Though Chandler noted that ICAAN requires applicants to demonstrate their vested interest in the suffix and explain how they will operate the domain.
So how many brand suffixes should a company register?
“If a company does plan to register a dot-anything domain, it should be the dot-brand suffix,” Chandler said. “Registering anything else will only confuse consumers. People will expect to find information about McDonald’s Big Mac at bigmac.mcdonalds, not mcdonalds.bigmac.”
ICAAN expects the dot-anything domain names to begin going live within about two years. They estimate that 400 to 1,000 domain suffixes will be approved.
Do you think it’s worth it for businesses to register their own dot-brand domains? Should businesses register more than one domain? Do you think cybersquatting will be an issue with the new dot-anything suffixes? Tell us in the comments!
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Photo Credit: linh.ngân
Website Localization: Going International Online
As markets in Asia and Latin America quickly grow to rival those in North America and Europe, many companies are expanding in the world’s developing economies. Multinational companies are able to firstly grow and then diversify their revenue by trading internationally. Furthermore, many are able to leverage their resources and capabilities to innovate and customise products specific to certain markets. One of the main reasons for success in overseas markets is effective localisation of products and services.
Companies launching in foreign markets often find it difficult to compete with local companies who obviously have the advantage of knowing and understanding their local market. Even without competition, language and culture present many challenges for outside entrants to overcome. Companies large and small have failed to gain a foothold in a foreign market because of a lack of cultural awareness and understanding. In order to effectively market products and services to a new country or region, companies need to focus upon localisation for successful results.
Web Opportunities
The Internet presents a great opportunity for many companies to enter a foreign market and test their suitability. For web-based companies especially, the Internet is a cost-effective channel to tap into a new market. Language and culture still present a challenge, but they can be easily addressed by companies through an effective and sustained localization strategy.
The language long tail on the Internet has been lengthening with most growth occurring in languages spoken in the emerging world. Languages like Arabic and Chinese have grown 2500% and 1500% respectively by the number of users over the last 5 years. Research shows that web users are up to 4 times more likely1 to purchase from websites in their native language. As a result, the internet has been bestowed with regional characteristics and content is being made available in different languages to reach out to web users internationally. Multinational online companies now support an average of 23 languages on their websites2; this increase has sped up more so in the latter part of the last decade. This is due to the realization by many global companies that a multilingual communication strategy is key to continued success in the era of globalisation.
Localising for the Web
Primarily, a website is more suited for a market if it uses country code top-level domain (for e.g. .fr, .co.uk, .de, .cn). It is also suitable to host a country specific website on servers located within a country. This would improve page loading times and search engine rankings. With the introduction of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), which are top level domain in foreign languages, the language factor has become more profound and a critical element of connecting with foreign web users.
Localisation requires complete adaptation of a product or service and it covers the adaptation of company logo, slogan etc. for a market. It is recommended that professional help in the form of translation agency or localisation experts are used to assist in this process. A mishap can occur with any company and as was the case with Schweppes whose campaign for ‘Schweppes Tonic Water’ unknowingly translated into ‘Schweppes Toilet Water’ in Italy. Thus, it becomes imperative that professionals are involved in the localisation process.
Translation of content is central to expansion into a foreign market. For search marketing purposes, keyword research should be the primary task for companies. Once a set of keywords that are applicable for a company, its products or services, is developed, translation can follow in order to make it relevant for search engines. The translation that is conducted has to be country specific and should resonate with the market in order to be effective.
The process of providing a localised online experience continues in all forms and channels of engagement. Translation would be required for advertising campaigns, help content, terms and conditions, as well as customer service contact. The costs of online expansion are very affordable, and good localisation pays off in a matter of time, research has shown that every $1 invested in localisation yields $25 in revenues for software companies. To successfully connect with foreign web users, localisation has to be adapted at all levels.
- European Online Language Preferences Revealed in Flash Eurobarometer Report, Common Sense Advisory.
- The Top 25 Global Websites of 2011, Global by Design.
- Localization Industry Standards Association 2007 report.
About the Author: Talha Fazlani is a technical marketing professional who works for Language Connect, a language, localization and multilingual digital marketing company. Language Connect is a fast growing translation services company , and is renowned for its quick turnaround times and efficient working methods.
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4 Traits of a Good ISP for Small Businesses
Whether you’re working from home or providing internet to your small business’s office, there’s more to consider when choosing an internet service provider (ISP) for business than for personal use. Even with an office of only 8 people, internet failure for one hour means an entire business day’s worth of productivity went out the window. While no internet service can be perfect all the time, some providers are more reliable than others. If you’re looking into a new internet service for your small business, be sure to keep an eye out for these criteria:
24/7 Customer Support
Technology is not always our friend, which is why you need the best friends you can find at your ISP. A quality tech support service will be available any time of day (if you work from a home office, you know 1am is not an unreasonable time to need service). The speed with which an issue is given attention and even the courteousness of the staff can make all the difference in the world when you are experiencing problems. Investigate whether your provider has local support that can visit your location if an issue cannot be resolved over the phone. Perhaps the best way to gauge the tech support is to ask friends who have used the service; if you don’t know anyone personally, check reviews on reputable consumer watch websites like consumer search.
IP Address Options
Your IP address, or the identifying number assigned to your computer as it connects to the internet, can take one of two forms: static or dynamic. Dynamic IP addresses draw from a pool of addresses that gets shared among other dynamic users. It usually changes each time the user logs in, and several users will often be assigned the same number at the same time. This is often the cheaper option of the two and is acceptable for less internet-dependent businesses. Static IP addresses stay constant and are recommended for VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) or for using your computer as a server. It’s more expensive than dynamic hosting and is allegedly less secure because it is easier to track an unchanging address — but it is indispensable when you have more rigorous internet needs. Make sure your ISP provides the IP Address options you need, and allow for changes if your needs change in the future.
High Bandwidth
Of course, no discussion about ISPs would be complete without touching on bandwidth. This number, measured in megabytes per second (MBPS), the big selling point ISPs use in their advertising, but you should be aware of the fine print. Bandwidth comes in two forms: upstream and downstream. Downstream bandwidth is the speed that users can download data from the internet – the bulk of most internet usage. Upstream bandwidth—the speed with which you can upload items—is typically a fraction of the downstream speed, but should be considered if your business requires large files to be uploaded on a frequent basis. Be cautious when comparing advertised bandwidths; usually, the number you see is the maximum speed under the most optimal conditions. The actual speed may be lower, so you should investigate the minimum guaranteed speed.
Included Security
A good ISP will include a security package for you. Security is important for any user, but it’s crucial for a business owner. Features should include firewall protection, which is software or hardware that protects your computers against outside attackers. Both hardware and software firewalls offer specific advantages, but the best protection includes both. Other security features an ISP may offer include virus protection and identity protection software, data backup, and network monitoring. Evaluate the security features offered by various ISPs to determine who offers the most; if you are sold on an ISP that offers less free protection than the competition, they may offer more if you tell them you are considering another company that offers more.
About the Author: Chris Turberville-Tully is a marketing strategist for NewNet, a UK-based internet, hosting and networking solutions company. NewNet services include data centres, dedicated servers, web hosting, business ISP and more. Follow NewNet: http://twitter.com/#!/NewNetISP
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5 Important Features and Services to Look for in a Web Host
Hosting a website to showcase the company is more important than ever. It has become less common for companies to use certain marketing techniques such as brochures and yellow page advertisements; instead there is a high reliance on websites.
The method to communicate a company’s message through the website is a fraction of the cost of other, more traditional, marketing methods. In these tough economic times business owners can’t afford to miss the opportunities the web offers. At the same time, choosing the right hosting company can be one of the biggest decisions in making the web work for your business.
So when choosing a Web host, you should focus on getting what you need at a price point you can afford. Shopping around to find a host and a solution that fulfills your needs for a website ensures that your new site will be an asset to the success of your business.
Chris Conley of C Solutions Inc, a software development company, and a 1&1 customer, found that 1&1 Internet offered him the features he needed to build up his growing business. “I used a professional design firm to build my website from a template many years ago. But by looking into 1&1 Internet, I realized that the affordable price for such great features and rock solid reliability could not be passed and I began to work closely with them [1&1 Internet],” said Conley.
Some important features and services to look for in a Web host include:
Technical Support
A Web host offering 24/7 customer support is putting an emphasis on supporting their customers. Customers can get answers when they encounter issues or if a simple question arises about their hosted solutions. Constant accessibility to a support team is especially important to businesses that rely on their Web host to provide dependable service.
Space
The amount of space required for a website will depend on the growth expectancy of the site and what its primary use will be. For example, a website that will incorporate music and videos will need more space than one that only includes text. If you are unsure about how much storage is needed, look for an option that provides flexibility to increase or decrease Web space as your company needs’ change.
Reliability
“If a prospective client receives a poor impression of your company due to weak or spotty services, it will reflect negatively on your business,” said Conley. He advises business owners to look for a dependable Web host that offers over 99% reliability, like 1&1 Internet. “With such a dependable company, you can rest assured your company’s website will be shown properly and reliably.”
Statistics
Website statistics are a great marketing tool. Business owners can use the data to learn how many visitors the website has, which pages are most popular, how the visitors are arriving to the website, and if the site is experiencing errors. These facts can be a guide to determine how to optimize each section or feature of the site. Owners can also work to resolve any issues that arise and try to prevent them from occurring again, thus keeping potential customers satisfied.
Price
Price is an important factor when discussing IT for your business. When choosing a Web host, be careful that you don’t judge providers by their pricing. The most expensive provider may not give you the most features at the best price. Conley chose 1&1 Internet because of the value he was getting for the very competitive price. All features he needed were accompanied with great reliability and support.
“As my hosting company, 1&1 has proven to be a great partner in getting my company’s message out to clients and prospects everywhere. I am now excited to say that I have clients all over the world with the help of my Web host,” said Conley. Businesses are encouraged to make a list of every feature that is needed for their website to include. Use it to compare similar Web products, and then pick the one that provides you with what you need without hurting the budget.
About the Author: This article was contributed by Kelly Meeneghan, Public Relations Assistant at 1&1 Internet Inc
Photo Credit: WWW?
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30 Minutes a Day Online Marketing Tips
Don’t think you have enough time in the day to effectively market your business? Think again! This is a guest post by Stacey Cavanagh of Tecmark: SEO Liverpool and Manchester, shows that with as little as 30 minutes a day you can be on your way to attracting more customers.
30 Minutes a Day Online Marketing Tips
For the small business operating in a particularly tricky financial period, the bulk of your marketing budget may come in the form of time.
While it’s true to say that online marketing, SEO, social media marketing etc is a worthwhile investment, we’re not just talking in terms of money.
Putting some time into online marketing can pay dividends for a small business and you can even make a difference in just half an hour a day by implementing some of the following:
It takes just a few minutes to make a contribution to Twitter and making this a part of your daily business routine is a steady way to build up a network of followers interested in your area of industry. Share a link to an interesting news story relating to your industry or details of a special offer on your own website. Just make it a post that offers the reader something (information or a great deal) and your followers will gradually build up. Start to search for people in a similar area and follow them. Begin networking within your niche to meet contacts.
Blog
The same sort of concept applies with blogging as with Twitter, except the posts are much longer! This needn’t be an everyday thing but posting to a blog a couple of times a week is a way to keep in touch with your customers and to convey more about your business and the market in which you operate to your potential clients. This is an excellent means of marketing. It takes a while for a blog to take off, so have patience. 20 minutes or so twice a week can really get this going for your business.
Blog commenting
Contribute to the conversations on blogs by bloggers in the same niche in which you operate. This, again, is a form of networking and it also keeps you abreast of everything else happening in your industry. You also get back links when commenting, which potentially has SEO benefits for your website. A few minutes a day to read and comment on blogs in a similar niche will make a big difference in the long term.
Forum Discussions
Find and sign up to forums on a related topic to your business. Actively take part and get to know your fellow posters. Yes, more virtual networking but once again, the importance of this cannot be overlooked. It contributes to building an online presence for your brand and can begin to establish you, the business owner, as something of an authority in the specific area in which you operate. This can eventually lead to people getting in touch with you about the products and services you supply, as well as encouraging more links from the sites of others back to yours (more SEO benefit)!
Checking your content
Make it a goal to read one page of your website through each day to check the content. You’re looking for grammatical and spelling errors, typos etc. But you should also be keeping an eye on how frequently your keyword is mentioned. By keyword, we mean the word relating to what the page is about. It’s surprising when reading back over content how infrequently your keyword might be mentioned. When you think about it, the only way in which Google can recognise the topic of your page is by the words on it. So ensuring you mention the keyword in the content is critical. However, this should not come at the detriment of the meaning of your content and if you struggle to write keyword rich content that reads naturally, you should consider investing in a professional copywriter through an online marketing company. But it’s certainly worth investing a few minutes a day to read through your own existing content.
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These are quick tips that will, over time, increase your web presence which will, in turn generate more traffic and thus more leads to your small business website.
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